We
Are Family………
Deputy Hanson and the Special investigator from the
State’s Review Board, Dan Lubetkin were questioning Max and Isabel while Jim
was questioned by the Judge Lewis and Lubetkin afterwards. They were kept apart
so they weren’t able to coordinate their stories.
“What time did you arrive at the scene?” Hanson asked
the teens.
Isabel glanced at Max, uncertain. She was too distressed.
“9:30.” Max told the deputy.
“How did you find the girl? What led you to her?” Dan
Lubetkin asked.
“We heard her screaming.” Isabel said. It was true. She
heard her, in her head.
“There was shooting. How many shots?”
Max shook his head uncertain how many bullets had hit is
energy field. “Six?”
Dan glanced at Hanson his face giving away nothing. “What
were you kids going in the woods?”
Max glanced at Isabel quickly making up a story. “We
were, um ... uh, hiking.”
“Okay, that's it for now. Your parents have been
notified, and they're expecting you at home.” Hanson nodded to Dan. “Deputy
Carter will take you.”
“Can we see the Sheriff?” Max asked as he and Isabel
stood up.
“Sorry, kids. Not right now.”
~~~
Dan Lubetkin and the Judge sat with Valenti taking his
statement. Dan had his notes from the Evans kids before him.
“About what time did you arrive at the scene?” Dan
asked.
“Shortly after
Dan made a note of Jim’s answers next to the Max and
Isabel’s. “How exactly did you locate that girl?”
“I, uh ... I spotted the oxygen tanks.”
Dan glanced up from his notes, his eyes suspicious. “How
many shots were fired?”
“Four … from the north.”
“What were you doing in those woods?”
“The Evans kids were on their way back from the library
when their car broke down. I was, uh … I was giving them a lift when the call
came in.” Jim winced at the lie. There would be no call recorded.
The judge who had let Dan Lubetkin take the lead in the
questioning asked his own question, confused by the order of events. “Jim,
didn't you say you got to the scene after
That information was enough to make Dan question Jim with
greater intent as Jim took offense, him and Lubetkin facing off in a shouting
match.
“Oh, this whole thing is a load of crap.” Jim said in
disgust.
“Your abuse of procedure shows a complete …”
“Wait one damn second!” Jim yelled at Dan, interrupting
his opinion. “Police work saved that girl's life tonight.”
“Mr. Lubetkin …” The judge begged trying to regain
some order and stop the investigator from baiting Jim. He turned to Valenti.
“Have your report on my desk by
Jim nodded. “Well, whatever policy dictates.”
“You're burnt out. You need a break.” The judge told
Jim. “Give me your badge and your gun. You're officially suspended until this
week's hearing.”
~~~
The nurse entered Laurie Dupree’s room checking on her
patient. She opened the curtains as her patient slowly woke up.
“There she is.” The woman smiled kindly as Laurie sat up. “Did you
have a good rest?”
“You … saved my life?” She was confused, looking around the room.
“No, the people who found you did.” She helped the young girl arrange
herself into a better position. “There are some … uh … folks from the
Sheriff's department who'd like to talk to you when you're feeling up to it.”
The nurse noticed the fear and confusion in her patient’s eyes. “I can tell
them to wait. Can I get you anything, sweetie?”
“Juice.”
~~~
Michael walked through the hospital hall in scrubs
searching for something as he stopped to look through the room assignments. He
looked up when the PA system announced that a Dr. Kravitz had a visitor in the
main lobby.
“The sexual dysfunction unit's that way,” Tess’s
voice echoed from behind Michael’s back.
“Very funny.” Michael glanced around. “Have you seen
Maria?”
“Is she lost again?” Tess shrugged it off. She adjusted
the front of her candy striper’s uniform. After all, Maria and Michael were
tied at the hip, she had no doubt that Maria would soon come wandering home.
“Ok, according to the blood work and X-rays, Laurie is human.”
“That's impossible.” Michael frowned searching for
records to confirm Tess’s assessment. “Why did Isabel have a flash when she
touched her?”
“I don't know.” Tess looked around nervously. “We got
the info Max wanted. Let's just get out of here. This polyester number is just
not working for me.”
Maria came around the corner in a nurse’s uniform and
Tess’s eyebrow went up as a few doctors were following her, talking to her.
The uniform was …
“Where did Maria get that uniform?” Tess squinted.
“Is it leather?”
“I found it for her.” Michael muttered, distracted by
the amount of paper in front of him, none of it making sense. “Why?”
“Where? Playmate’s Haven?”
“Hey, it’s a uniform. It works.” Michael looked over
at Maria in a nice tight leather nurse’s uniform with an incredibly short
skirt. “What is she doing? I told her to blend.”
Tess snorted. “Right. She’s totally blending. We’re
drawing too much attention. We got what we needed. Let’s go.”
“Not until I get a look at her.” Michael frowned at
Maria one more time as a doctor backed her up against the wall leaning in to
talk to her. He made a sour face when he heard her laughing.
“Don't even think about it. Michael!” Tess warned
hurrying after Michael. She looked back at Maria for help, but Maria was …
busy. “Michael!!!” Tess rushed after him. Why did she get stuck with Scully
and Mulder?
Michael entered Laurie’s room, but then stood in the
doorway confused. The bed was empty and a nurse was walking that way carrying a
juice.
~~~
The next morning Jim made his way to the front door at
persistent knocking. Swearing as he stubbed his toe, he opened his door to an
attractive woman who appeared to be a mix of African American and Latino
descent.
“Sheriff Valenti?”
“Yeah?”
The woman smiled. “Agent Suzanne Duff, FBI. Good. You're
showered.”
“Can I help you?”
“Yeah, I think so.” Agent Duff moved herself into the
house looking around in interest. “Laurie Dupree is missing again.” Duff
went into the kitchen and fixed herself a cup of coffee.
“Yeah, I'm aware of that.”
“And in the interest of locating her and catching her
attacker, Judge Lewis has agreed to let me bring you back in on the case.”
Looking into Jim’s refrigerator, she frowned. “You got any more half and
half?”
“Uh, no.”
“Here are the conditions.” Duff said giving up on the
cream to sip the black coffee. “You're still suspended, so I call the shots.
You follow my lead, and you get my back when I need it.”
“My lucky day,” Jim said sarcastically.
“Well, hey … it beats watching Oprah.”
“Listen, Agent Duff … I've got a whole bullpen full of
deputies down there who would love to be your go-fer.” Jim informed her
refusing the … generous offer.
“You know what, I appreciate honesty. So, I'm gonna be
straight. This is my second case. My first was an interstate kidnapping that
went off without a hitch. I like to catch criminals, and I want to make
assistant director by the time I'm thirty-five. That means busting my butt and
asking for help when I need it. So?”
“That's honesty.”
“And here's some more. You make a horrendous cup of
coffee.”
“Yeah? Wait till you taste what we make down at the
station.” Jim grabbed his jacket and hat. “Come on. We got a girl to
find.”
~~~
Maria was at her locker mumbling to herself when a pair of
arms came around her hugging her tight. Balling her fist ready to smash it into
the offender’s face, she turned to find a smiling Alex.
"Javlar,
jag missade bussen,"
Alex said pleasantly.
“Oh, my God! Alex!” Maria threw herself into his arms
hugging him tightly. “Oh, my God! I missed you so much! How was your trip
home?”
“Oh, well, the flight from
Liz saw Alex and Maria and hurried to join them. “Oh,
Alex, hey!”
“Hi!” Alex hugged Liz.
“We … oh, uh …” Liz struggled to remember the
Swedish phrase she learned to greet Alex home. “Uh, hur
ar det?” Alex tipped his head amused and nodded. “I looked up Swedish
web sites while you were gone.”
“Well, then, in that case tack bra.”
“Thank you.” Liz smiled almost curtsy to him. “Oh,
did you see the midnight sun?”
“Ok, stop hogging him, Frieda.” Maria pushed Liz out of
the way. “So, were the Viking guys hot, huh?”
“Well, you can decide that after you see my slides.”
Alex informed his two best friends.
“Ooh! I'm so excited!” Liz said pushing Maria back.
“So, how is everybody here?” Alex asked smiling at
Maria and Liz’s antics.
“Umm … uh, Sheriff Valenti … he was suspended last
night. It was in this morning's paper.” Liz said trying to remember all the
things that happened that Alex missed. “Well, what …” She never got to ask
Alex about what was happening with him when Maria interrupted.
“Did they find that girl, by the way, who escaped from
the hospital?” Maria asked. Michael had been upset. He went to check the girl
out and her room was empty.
“Umm, no, and people are saying that, you know, whoever
kidnapped her may have come back.” Liz confessed to Maria.
Maria spied Max off to the side walking to his locker.
“Oh, um, ahem. Look. Max. He needs you.” Maria pushed Liz towards the alien
boy.
“Okay. Umm, Alex, it's so good to see you.” Liz told
them hurry off towards Max. “I'll see you guys later.”
Alex shook his head. What the heck was going on? “I've
been gone one month.” He commented. Not a lifetime.
“Let's hit the vending machines.” Maria glanced over at
Liz talking to Max, and as they talked Kyle walked by purposely ignoring Max.
“I'll catch you up.”
“Maybe later,” Alex said noticing Michael charging
towards them like a tank. “I have a feeling that some things haven’t changed
a single bit.”
“Spaceboy …”
“Alex. You’re back.” Michael said culling Maria from
the pack of students making their way to class. “Good to see ya.” He swept
Maria away with barely a backwards wave at Alex.
~~~
Kyle walked into Jim’s office dumping a bag on the desk.
“Chicken sandwich, extra mayo.” He took a seat across from his father. “So
… were you gonna talk to me about the front page of the newspaper?”
“Kyle, of course I was gonna talk to you about it.” Jim
quickly amended. “I will talk to you about it. Umm … I've just been brought
back here as kind of glorified secretary, so my time isn't really my own.”
“Some pal Judge Lewis turned out to be.” Kyle said
shaking his head. What his father did for this town, for Max Evans and his crew,
and this was the thanks? He not only pulled the aliens collective butts out of
the fire time and time again, but he helped to save the entire town of an
invasion.
“He doesn't know what we know.”
“I know, but it pisses me off that we can't tell him the
truth.”
“Well, as you kids say, it sucks big.”
“Sheriff,” Agent Duff said charging into Jim’s office
without a knock, “where the hell is that background report I asked you for?”
“Agent Duff, this is my son Kyle.” Jim said standing.
“Kyle, Agent Duff from the FBI.”
“Hi. Nice to meet you. You look just like your father.”
“Thank you.” Kyle gestured to his father. “Well, I,
uh, I gotta go. I'm late for class.”
“Right. It's nice to meet you.” Duff said watching the
young boy leave.
Jim noticed the files in Duff’s hand. “Yeah, can I see
those?”
“Mmm-hmm.” Duff passed the folder to Jim. “We've got
a pretty decent shoe print at the burial site and synthetic fibers pulled from
the duct tape that bound the girl.” Sitting on the edge of Jim’s desk she
lifted a brow. “And what's the update on Laurie Dupree?”
“My guys are sifting through the prints from her hospital
room right now.” Jim told her while reading through the reports. “Her last
address was the
“CC those to me.” Duff told him on her way out. She was
a nice looking woman, but the hard edge with a type A personality attached
really detracted from her people skills.
“Right,” Jim said thoughtfully as his pager went off.
Frowning at the number, he reached for the phone.
~~~
Jim swore on his way out to Fraser Woods. The aliens were
going to be the death of his, or at the very least, his career. He pulled up
next to Michael’s bike getting out as he walked over to the burial site. Maria
was standing beside Michael frowning at what he was holding.
“This wasn't here last night.” Michael told Jim as the
Sheriff joined them.
“So, why the hell are you poking around a closed crime
scene?” Jim asked the two teenagers.
“If I don't look after us, who will?” Michael told the
older man. He passed the strange blue crystal to Jim.
“Anyone see you?” Jim asked Michael and Maria.
“No.”
“Are you sure?”
Michael gestured to Maria. “Maria was my lookout. No
traffic until we saw your SUV.”
“Listen, Michael, you can't be doing this anymore. The
FBI is involved.” They had their share of trouble with the FBI, no one wanted
to walk that road again. “This is how trouble starts. You got it?”
“Yeah.” Michael gestured to the crystal. “What about
that?”
Jim put the blue crystal into an evidence bag. Getting
forensics to look at it without attracting attention was going to be hard. “If
I need anything, I'll call you.” Jim waved to Maria. “Does your mother know
you’re out here and not at school.”
“Of course she does, Sheriff.” Maria easily lied.
“Uh-huh. Back to school,” Jim told them pointedly
looking at Michael as well. “Both of you or I’ll be calling a certain
woman.”
Maria sniffed as Jim walked away. “That is one very mean
man! Geez, he’s got a bee in his bonnet.”
“Back to school?” Michael asked.
“Nah, we’re here. We better finish it.”
Michael smiled. That was his girl. “Did you bring
snacks?”
“Who are you talking to?” Maria huffed.
~~~
Jim entered the quiet house after a late shift at the PD.
Michael and Maria had put a nice dent in his day, and the overly exuberant Agent
Duff was running him ragged. He looked around wondering where Tess and Kyle had
gotten to.
Opening up the closet to put away his coat, he found a
terrified girl, her eyes crazy staring at him. Laurie Dupree.
She screamed until she noticed who it was recognizing Jim
from the other evening. “Stop looking for me! Please!”
Jim helped the terrified girl, feeling his grasp on his job
slowly leaching away. He couldn’t not help her.
“Laurie, you need to see a doctor.”
“No, no, no.” Laurie said half crazed. “Th-they get
into hospitals.”
“Don't be afraid. A lot of people want to help you.”
“No, no! No one can know I'm here, just you.” Laurie
told him, her hand gripping him painfully. “Y-you found me. If you were
working for them, you wouldn't have saved me.” Laurie licked her dry lips,
terrified beyond reason. “Can I trust you?”
“Yes. You can trust me. Come on. Now, are you talking
about the person that did this to you? Was there more than one?”
Laurie shook her head. “Everyone keeps asking me about
the man who took me. Is he tall or short or fat or thin? But it wasn't a man. It
was a them.” Her terrified eyes meeting Jim’s. “They're not from here.”
Before Jim could ask her to explain or ask further
questions his phone rang. Answering it, he swore when he heard Duff’s voice.
“Yeah?”
“I just found out that there's been a construction crew
working on that whole stretch of highway leading into Frazier Woods. The entire
gang's on their way in for interviews so I'm gonna need your help.”
Jim glanced at the young girl. “This can't wait till
tomorrow?”
“Not when I'm calling the shots. I thought we had an
agreement, Sheriff. Can I count on you or not?”
Jim sighed tiredly. “Yeah, I'll be right there.” He
hung up the phone.
Laurie held onto his arm. “Y-you're leaving?”
“Not just yet.” Jim racked his brain for a solution.
“Listen, if you can trust me, then you can trust the people that I say are
okay, right?” Laurie nodded reluctantly.
~~~
Maria, Liz and Isabel sat out on Liz’s stoop while Alex
worked on setting up the slide projector to show his slides from
“Not even one?” Liz asked.
“Nope. There, I am now officially adding interns and
doctors to my list of who not to date! They have no follow through.”
“You gave them your home phone number or cell phone?”
Isabel asked in clarification.
“God, no! My mother would flip, and the whole cell phone,
while I’m at school? Not a good idea. No, I gave them Michael’s number.”
“Michael?” Liz asked, amused. “Gosh, you haven’t
heard from a single one. Imagine that!” She made a face and caught Isabel’s
eye, who was smiling.
“Thanks for inviting me, Liz.” Isabel told the other
girls. “I can't stop thinking about her.”
“Well, I'm glad you came.” Liz answered, hoping that
Isabel and Alex would talk.
“So am
“Ok, an appetizer of Swedish fish. These are Lundstrom
bowls from IKEA.” Maria said looking at the display she fixed. “And a
smorgasbord will follow if it doesn't freeze.” Maria looked at her watch.
Where was Michael? He was supposed to bring the smorgasbord.
“Yeah, you know what? You guys are sissies, 'cause after
a winter in
Isabel glanced at Alex’s slides. “That's a lot of slide
carousels, Alex.”
“Yeah, well, you know, I wanted you guys to feel like you
had been there, too.” Alex smiled at Maria when she tried some fish making a
face. The others laughed as Liz went for her ringing phone.
“Oh, I'll get it, I'll get it.” Liz answered turning to
look at her company. “Uh, hello. Oh, yeah, hi, Sheriff. Um, yeah, of course.
Hold on one second.” Liz held out the phone. “Isabel, it's for you.”
“Hello?” Isabel’s face took on a look of concern.
“Aw, man. Yeah, okay, I'll be right there.”
“Isabel, is everything okay?” Liz asked.
“Yeah, um, sure. Valenti just needs me to do something
for him.” Isabel quickly apologized to Alex. “I am so sorry, Alex.”
“Don't worry about it.”
Isabel frowned at Alex’s tone, too nonchalant and
uncaring. “Maybe we can do this some other time.”
“Yeah, yeah, just let me know when it's good for you.”
Alex said already going back to his slides.
“Well, I think your trip really agreed with you. You look
great.”
“Thanks.” Alex said glancing up at her. “Yeah, I feel
great. See you around.”
Isabel frowned at Alex, uncertain what was happening.
“Yeah, see you guys later.”
Liz and Maria waved at Isabel. “Bye.”
Alex didn’t seem to notice Isabel leaving. “Hey, Liz,
do you have an extension cord?”
Liz glanced at Maria equally confused by the changes in
Alex in regard to Isabel. “Oh, yeah, I do. I'll go get it.” Liz walked down
the stairs and noticed Sean munching away on some food. Her mouth opened in
shock at the nerve of Maria’s cousin.
“Excuse me, what are you doing here?” She asked her
arms folding in front of her.
“I was hungry.” Sean smiled at her charmingly. After
all, she promised him a twenty percent discount the other night when she refused
to serve him. “The … uh … auto show's in town this weekend.”
“Uh-huh?” Liz went around him searching in the stacks
for the extension cord.
“I was gonna go,” he continued.
“Where is that extension cord?” Liz rummaged around
looking for the cord.
Sean saw it and offered it to her. “So, uh, you wanna
go?”
“Umm, I don't know. Cars are, you know, I just … maybe
I will check it out.” Liz said not understanding what Sean was suggesting.
“With me?”
“Oh.” Liz’s face went blank as Alex came down the
stairs looking for Liz.
“Hey … uh, Liz, do you have some Windex or something?
The lens is dirty.” Alex stopped when he saw Sean. “Sean.”
“
“Hey, that's funny. I haven't heard that since they put
you away.” Alex told him, unhappy to see Maria’s loser cousin.
“In the kitchen,” Liz told Alex.
“Thanks.” Alex went through. Maria started to come down
the stairs when she saw her cousin. Groaning, she refused to let him see her.
“Yeah, um, you know, thank you very much for the
invitation, but I don't think I can go.” Liz told Sean as Maria heard and her
mouth opened, but she remained quiet.
“The, uh … the guy who was in there with you before?”
Sean said gesturing to the Café from the other night when Liz wouldn’t serve
him, but was with another guy.
“Max. Well, yeah … it's just that we're, um, we're, you
know … we're semi-involved, and it's not that it's romantic right now, but it
has been in the past, and I just don't know about the future. We're friends. You
know, we're friends plus.” Maria shook her head going back upstairs quietly.
“No sweat. Thanks for dinner.”
Alex found the cleaner. Ignoring Sean he called to Liz.
“Hey, Parker, let's go.”
~~~
Kyle and Tess were in a store buying groceries. Since Jim
was coerced into forced labor by Agent Duff, the food in the house had sunk to a
dangerous low.
“Grab me some Skittles.” Kyle told Tess as she was
reading the back of a
“Hmm?” Tess turned the Skittles over.
“No, you're not dumping this stuff on the candy.” Kyle
told her grabbing his Skittles.
“Yes, I am.” She told him pulling the Skittles away
from him. They both became still when they heard two women talking.
“Two minors in the Sheriff's patrol car, and I heard one
missed taking a bullet by inches. It's crazy behavior, plain and simple.” The
one woman told the woman at the checkout.
“Well, his dad was a loon, and that type of thing's
hereditary.” Her voice had a dramatic whisper to it that was hardly a whisper.
“And am I the only one wondering why he's escorting children through a
deserted wood in the middle of the night?”
“Well, have you seen the Evans girl? Looks like a
supermodel … ‘trouble’ written all over her.” Neither woman noticed Amy
DeLuca who was also shopping and heard the gossip. She smiled at Tess and Kyle
moving in to interrupt the two gossiping cows.
“Well, Nancy Anne, you'd be the expert on statutory
rape.” Amy said sweetly, putting her items on the counter. “I mean, you must
have done a ton of research when you found out your husband was sleeping with
the baby-sitter, right?” Amy gave the woman a pleasant smile that was lacking
any warmth or humor. “Oh, well, one thing you obviously know nothing about is
Jim Valenti. Otherwise, you wouldn't be talking such trash.” The other
customer took off in a huff. “This and two scratch-off lottery tickets,
please,” Amy told the checkout clerk, not noticing Kyle and Tess’s smiles.
~~~
Max let himself into Michael’s apartment when he heard
Michael talking inside, but not answering the door. Max frowned at an angry
Michael talking on the phone. That explained why he couldn’t get through to
him.
“What the hell do you mean you want to talk to my fifteen
year-old daughter?” Michael said irately into the phone. “Who is this?”
Michael laughed when the doctor on the other end hung up in a hurry. He looked
over at Max. “What?”
“What was that about?” Max asked suspicious of Michael
and the good mood he seemed in.
“Wrong number. What are you doing here, Maxwell?”
“Valenti called. He has Laurie. Isabel is with her at his
place.”
Michael grabbed his jacket. “Let’s go.”
~~~
Isabel watched Laurie with great concern. The girl was
scratching her skin leaving bleeding grooves.
“Laurie, stop. Your hands are bleeding.”
“No, no, I have to get them out.” Laurie told her
frantically. “They put them under there. That's what they do to me.”
Isabel moved closer trying to calm the girl. “What do
they do?”
“I'm so cold. I'm so cold.”
“Laurie … what did they do to you?”
“Put needles in me. Put stuff inside. See?” Laurie
showed Isabel her arms.
“I don't see anything.” Isabel shook her head scared
for the girl who was barely holding on to a slim strand of sanity.
“I-It's there. I'm not crazy.” Laurie rubbed on her
arms. “They put me in a mental hospital, but I didn't belong there.” Laurie
told Isabel, but the alien girl wasn’t so sure.
Isabel startled when a knock came at the door. “Laurie,
go into the bedroom, ok? Until I tell you it's all right.” Laurie hurried into
the other room as Isabel opened the door to Max and Michael.
“We got a message from Valenti.” Max told her.
“What's going on?”
“Laurie Dupree is here.” Isabel told them as she let
them in. They walked over to the bedroom door and Isabel knocked. “Laurie?
Laurie, you can come out. It's okay.” The frightened girl opened the door
reluctantly. “You remember Max. He was there that night.” Isabel gestured to
Michael. “This is our friend Michael.”
“Hey.” Michael said to the girl wishing Maria was
there. She was so much better with people.
Laurie saw Michael and her eyes opened in fear. She became
hysterical, screaming at the top of her lungs and fighting to get away at the
same time. “You stay away from me! You're dead! You're dead!” She slammed the bedroom door, locking it.
“No, Laurie! Laurie!” Isabel called through the door.
Using her powers she opened the door in time to see Laurie go through an opened
window. “Laurie! Laurie! Damn it!”
Laurie was outside screaming hysterically for help, her
voice loud and panicked. “Help, help! Somebody! Somebody, help me!” Max and
Michael took off after her.
~~~
At the Sheriff station Jim was ready to call it a night …
again. “Listen, unless there's anything else …”
“Oh, no.” Duff waved him off. “No, I'm just gonna
finish up some paperwork, so, I'll see you tomorrow.”
“Right.” Jim was on his way out when his cell phone
rang. “Yeah?”
It was Isabel. “Sheriff, she just took off! She just
ran. Max and Michael are trying to catch her.”
“I'm on my way.” Jim told Isabel ignoring Agent Duff.
Agent Duff was watching Jim’s back as he quickly left,
the phone ringing beside her arm. “Sheriff's department. What? Where?”
~~~
Laurie was running around erratically, screaming as she
ran. Suddenly, Michael stepped out and grabbed her as she ran into him.
“Hey, don't worry. I'm not gonna hurt you.”
Laurie looked up into his face recognizing him. She shrunk
back in fear. “No!”
“Settle down!” Michael told her as she got free and ran
into the street directly in front of an oncoming car. The driver hit his brakes
barely stopping in time.
“Are you all right?” The driver asked getting out of
his car.
“Help me. Help me!” She pleaded, screaming in fear.
Michael stepped back as Max and Isabel joined him. “The aliens are coming.
Help me, they're coming! The aliens are coming.” Jim’s police car arrived on
the scene as other units were quick to follow.
“Oh, no.” Laurie said as all the lights moved around
her, confusing her more.
“Step back.” Jim ordered Michael and the other aliens.
“At his house! The aliens came to his house!” Laurie
screamed hysterically moving away from Jim. “The aliens are at his house. He
held me there so they can come get me.”
“People, walk away now.” Jim told the growing
spectators. “Let's go.” He said gently to Laurie trying to calm her as Duff
and other units arrived.
“He said I'd be safe, that I could trust him.”
Jim looked at the other cops and spectators. “She doesn't
know what she's talking about.”
“He told me he'd protect me. I was hiding in his house.
“Is this true? Was she there? Is this true?” Duff asked
Jim. Jim was silent, unable to answer without incriminating himself. “Our
arrangement is over, Sheriff.” Duff told him as she escorted Laurie away
motioning for a deputy to bring in the Sheriff. The aliens watched helplessly.
~~~
Duff questioned Valenti first, the girl being too upset to
talk to. The questioning was completed once Jim’s lawyer left, but Duff had a
few more issues she wanted answered.
“How'd you find her?”
“I didn't. She came to me.” Jim said sticking as close
to the truth as possible.
“And in that moment, a bell didn't go off in your head to
call … I don't know, the police? Or here's a thought … me?” Agent Duff
turned on a recorder placing it on the table. “What's your relationship with
the kids in this town, Sheriff?”
“You had your chance to ask questions when my lawyer was
here.”
Agent Duff turned off the recorder. “You hindered an
investigation. You will lose your job.”
“Agent Duff … I understand why you're coming down like
this. And if I were in your shoes, I would do the same. But don't beat yourself
up for trusting me. It may not look like it now, but I am one of the good
guys.”
~~~
Liz and Alex were all that was left watching the slides of
“So that relationship gets stranger and stranger.” Alex
said. “Guess that hasn’t changed in a month.
“Two of the most clueless people in the world,” Liz
confirmed. “They forgot to get married.” Liz smiled slightly when Alex
laughed, her mind ever on her own problems.
“I just wish Kyle would understand where Max is coming
from.”
Alex shrugged, once again his life tossed as Liz’s and
that of the aliens took the front ground. “Well, you know, I guess some things
don't change in a month.”
“It's too bad.” Liz said more to herself.
“Okay, this is my host family, the Olsson, and they live
in
“You know, on the other hand, Kyle has every right to be
angry. This is complicated.” Liz glanced at Alex realizing she was obsessing
again. “Sorry.”
“No problem.”
Liz glanced at a slide of Alex hugging a tall attractive
girl. “Okay. Spill.”
“That's Leanna.” Alex said smiling. “She and I have a
long distance thing going.” Alex lifted a brow. “Hey, speaking of which,
what’s up with you and Sean DeLuca?”
“That's gross!” Liz made a face, her face reddening a
bit, especially glad that Maria wasn’t there to hear that question.
“No, come on. Don't lie to me, all right?” Alex made a
face, sitting back feeling a bit more knowledgeable. “I saw the two of you,
and there was a twinkle.”
“No. No, I can assure you there's absolutely no
twinkle.” Liz glanced at her friend, her eyes definitely now twinkling with
interest. “And what about you? That was pretty smooth playing it cool with
Isabel last night. I think her interest was piqued.”
“Well, you know what? Isabel is great, but lusting after
her is something the old Alex Whitman would do.” Alex sat back smugly, looking
at the slide of him and Leanna as he changed the slide. “The new Alex Whitman
snowboarded on that very mountain … almost broke his wrist.”
Liz laughed. “Do I know you?”
“Uh, well, yeah … yeah, you do.” Alex suddenly went
serious. “But I know what you mean. Sometimes I look in the mirror and I don't
recognize myself.” Alex advanced to the next slide and Liz gasped in awe.
“Oh, my God.”
“Yeah, the northern lights. I can't describe it.” It
was beyond beautiful, almost surreal. “Basically what it is you're looking up
there, and you're actually seeing electrons from the sun colliding with our
atmosphere in every color you could possibly imagine.” Alex shook his head
still entranced by the wonder of it all. “Really makes you realize what a big
world is out there. All these … all these possibilities. All these … new
experiences. Life. It's all just there … waiting for us.” Alex glanced at
his friend, who at one time in his life was the one that seemed to be going the
most places, now … that wasn’t so true as her entire world narrowed to Max
Evans and the great weighty alien conspiracy. “You really gotta travel, Liz.
It's the most amazing thing.”
“Yeah. Someday.”
“Right.” Alex said softly knowing that if things
didn’t change that someday would never come for Liz. “When there's not so
much goin' on.”
~~~
It was a bad day at school for Max. He was forced to
convince a very unhappy Kyle to help them. The alien crystals that Michael and
Maria found were in Valenti’s desk, and they needed them back before Agent
Duff found them. Kyle finally agreed, only because if found, his father would be
looking at losing more than his job, but charges of withholding evidence.
After Kyle, Max went to talk to Liz. The previous evening
with Alex made it clear to Liz that they were all suffering, humans and aliens
alike. All of them were nothing more than children, young adults not even out of
their teens, and already their lives were being set in disturbing paths due to
the secrets they shared. Liz felt the aliens were being cheated, but she never
thought of how it was also cheating her, Alex, Kyle and Maria as they gave up
their own dreams to protect those of the aliens. Max listened with a sinking
feeling as Liz asked him to go with her, to go to
~~~
Kyle went to his dad's office to recover the crystals. He
started searching around and found a glowing alien crystal hidden inside a
tobacco bag. Agent Duff happened to open the door at that moment, startling him.
“Kyle.”
“Agent Duff.”
“You shouldn't be in here.”
“I know. Uh … my dad's supposed to sign my report card.
I gave it to him a week ago. It's due tomorrow.”
“You're sure it's here?” Duff asked suspicious of Kyle.
“Should be. Yeah.”
Duff watched the young man, finding it hard to understand
the small group of teens that seemed ever present around the Sheriff. “What
are you really looking for, Kyle?”
Kyle grabbed a blank piece of paper in front of him and
folded it in half. “Here it is right in front of me.”
Duff wasn’t so easily fooled. She held out her hand.
“Well, let's see how you're doing.” Reluctantly, Kyle handed over the piece
of paper waiting to be busted as Agent Duff looked it over. She handed it back.
“I didn't like trigonometry either.”
Kyle left the office confused by Duff’s reaction. He
waited until she couldn’t see him to glance at the paper himself. It looked
like a report card. As he stared at it, the print faded away leaving a blank
piece of paper. Kyle looked up confused to see Tess wave at him from where she
was waiting for him in the hallway
“Oh! What are you doing here?” He whispered loudly
looking around.
“I figured you might need a little help.”
“Don't ever use your mind freeze.” He told her crossly.
“Warp.”
“Whatever! Your creepy powers on me again! All right?”
He pointed to his head and waved a finger at her. “Off limits!”
“You know, a simple thanks for saving your butt would be
quite sufficient.”
“I mean it.” Kyle and Tess left the station. “I
can’t believe you gave me a D in Trigonometry.”
While Kyle and Tess were retrieving the crystals, Jim
waited outside the meeting to hear the decision of the city council. He was
unanimously voted out of his office of Sheriff.
~~~
Max and Isabel entered the Crashdown seeing the others,
Kyle, Tess, Maria and Michael waiting with Liz. Alex came out of the kitchen
area with something to eat, but once he saw Isabel and Max, he stopped to lean
against the counter.
“Sorry we're late.” Isabel told them.
Max paused. “What's wrong?”
“They fired Sheriff Valenti.” Michael told them.
“No.” Max shook his head. That wasn’t possible.
Sheriff was an elected official, not appointed.
“They can't.” Isabel said, her guilt etched on her
face. She started this, got Valenti involved. “They can't just fire a
Sheriff.”
“They can if they're the city council.” Kyle informed
her. He looked at Max in anger. “In the past year, my dad and I have been put
through an amazing amount of your crap. You and your Martian friends move in,
take over, and obliterate any shred of normalcy we had. Our lives are no longer
ours.” He couldn’t find enough calm in his body as he stared at the alien
boy who was slowly destroying his entire life, and that of his family.
“Promise me you're gonna stay away from my family. Promise me this is the last
time we have to put ourselves on the line for you.”
“I can't.” Max told Kyle. Michael stood watching in
interest as Kyle extended his hand offering Max the bag of alien crystals he had
retrieved from his father’s office. Max reached out for it, but Kyle dropped
it on the ground in an act of civil disobedience. Whoever Max had been in his
past life, Kyle could completely understand why there had been a revolution to
overthrow him. He was a jerk. Kyle walked away.
~~~
Maria wandered back into Max’s bedroom as the alien hit
squad sat discussing the alien substance, or more specifically, Michael
discussed it while Max and Isabel sat back in glum lumps of depression.
Michael took the drink Maria offered him as she went over
to pick through Max’s things occasionally reading the back of a book. “So
how do we figure out what this is?” Michael’s face took on a look of
irritation at the other two. “Hey, paging the Evans.”
“What's Valenti gonna do?” Isabel asked. “You know,
it's not like he can just go and be Sheriff somewhere else.”
“He gave up everything for us.” Max said sitting there
staring at his hands hanging useless between his legs.
“He gave up a crappy job with low pay and long hours.”
Michael informed them, rewarded for his overly generous compassion by a glare
from Maria. Michael shrugged. Yeah, whatever. It was a job.
“Michael …” Max said.
“What? We were born into this cause.” Michael reminded
them. “Valenti chose it. Let what he did be worth something.” Max met
Maria’s eyes as she tilted her head. The spaceboy had a point. Valenti’s
troubles weren’t going to reverse just because they felt bad, and ignoring the
evidence wouldn’t make it better.
“I think I have an old microscope in the closet. We know
what our cells look like. If this stuff isn't from here and it's from out there,
there should be similarities.” Max sat up the microscope, taking a small
sample of the substance from Michael. He sat down at his desk and looked into
microscope. “I don't believe this.”
“What?” Michael asked crowding into Max wanting to see
too.
“It looks like they're pulsating.”
The group took turns looking into the microscope. The
crystals didn’t resemble their cells, but whatever it was, it was definitely
alien.
“We found it in Laurie’s grave.” Maria reminded them.
Michael nodded. “There is something off about that chick.
Her screaming and yelling over aliens …”
“Her fear of you, you mean.” Maria reminded him.
“Yeah, that was whacked. She looked at me like she knew
me.”
“Maybe we need to know more about her?” Isabel
suggested. “Sheriff Valenti is no longer in a position to get us more
information. She was in a psych hospital in
“Maybe.” Michael glanced at Maria. “Where was the
hospital?”
“
“Brownsfield? That’s almost four hundred miles away. I
could make Brownsfield in about seven to eight hours on my bike.” Michael said
sitting back thinking of the fastest route.
“Jeep. I’m not riding on that death trap of yours.”
Isabel informed him.
“I’m not taking the jeep. It shakes if it goes over
sixty and it leaks oil like a sieve.” Michael glanced at Maria. “Jetta?”
“Nope. Mom has it for something first thing in the
morning. Bike is the best bet.”
Michael nodded. “Maria and I will go take a look after
Amy scrams for the day. We’ll be back late.” Michael informed Isabel and
Max, uninviting the two. He could only fit one passenger on his bike, and he
wasn’t up to listening to Isabel bitch about her hair for sixteen hours.
~~~
Liz set a plate down in front of Sean.
“You look like roadkill,” he told her.
“You know, for your information, Sean, I had and I'm
still having a really horrible day.”
“You wanna sit?”
“No.” Liz shook her head, too tired to think about
anything. “Thank you.”
“You need to write what's bothering you in mustard.”
Liz stopped from leaving the table. “Excuse me?”
“Sit, sit, sit.” He encouraged her. “Ahem. It's my
Aunt Amy's trick. You squirt it right there on that beautiful ground beef patty,
chow down … problem's gone.”
“Don't tell me you did this in Juvie.”
“It was harder. They had mustard packets. Here.” Sean
pushed his hamburger to her. “Go ahead. I won't look.”
Liz grabbed the mustard bottle and wrote out
"grow" on the hamburger and then she took a bite.
“Better?”
“Mmm-hmm … a little bit.”
“Good. Then maybe you can help me with a little
problem.” Sean suggested.
“What?”
“Where the hell is my cousin? And what is going on with
that big ape, Michael?”
Liz stopped chewing for a moment knowing full well that
Maria and Michael had taken off for
“Don’t start, Parker. You and M are thick as thieves,
and I never thought I would see her thicker with someone else, but then came the
boyfriend, Mickey-man. I’ve only been here a few days but all I hear from her
and my aunt is ‘Michael this’ and ‘Michael that’, so why don’t you
explain how my cousin came to have a boy climb in her bedroom window to sleep
with her, she takes off out of it, jumps on a bike, and my aunt is too busy
sewing new buttons on the boyfriend’s shirt to notice.”
Liz cleared her throat. “Can I have some more mustard?”