Prologue

It hurt! Nobody had ever told her that giving birth to something this little could cause so much pain!

"Ahh!" Clarissa lay on the only bed in the cheap motel room.

"Clarissa, push! I can see the baby's head!" Clarissa's best and only friend Julianna stood behind the bed, concentrated but grinning.

"Oh god, I can't!" Clarissa was so tired. She was in this state since.since forever!

"Just one more push! Yeah, it is there! It's a cute little girl." Julianna was cleaning mouth and nose of the baby girl. Then she looked to the tired girl in the bed. How could a child like her give birth to another child?

"Julie, it's happening again! What's wrong?"

Again? Julianna laid the crying baby on a table, wrapped in a towel. "Maybe you are going to have twins?" she already was on her place behind the bed again.

Ten minutes later another baby girl was born.

"Ah, I can't anymore. All I want is sleep." Clarissa looked at her two babies. "Can I hold them?"

"Sure! Did you think about a name already?"

"Hmm, only one but.Ahhh!" the contractions began again. Another one?

Julianna laid the second baby to the other one. They immediately made a connection.

"Julie, is this ever going to end?" Clarissa was tired. She didn't know if she could make it a third time.

But this one didn't take long. After a few pushes the third girl was born.

"Clarissa, I'm sure this was the last one!"


After nose and mouth of the youngest were clean, Julianna brought the babies to their mom. Clarissa was tired but happy too. She pointed at her oldest "Isabella", at the middle one "Tessa" and to the youngest "Marianna"

"Beautiful names for beautiful girls."

Clarissa smiled tiredly at her friend before she fell asleep. She had done well in this cold night.

Julianna looked at the sleeping family. She thought about why they were here. They were on the run. Hiding from creatures more dangerous than human could imagine. Julianna and Clarissa weren't exactly human. They were witches, the last ones in a long line of witches. No, not anymore! She looked at the sleeping babies. They would be the future. Like the prophecy said, they would be one of the most powerful trios of witches ever. Like the charmed ones.

Julianna also knew that Clarissa and her wouldn't live long enough to see the girls grow up. Clarissa was weak. She has lost too much blood. Why did this happen to her? She is 19 years old, damn!

Clarissas boyfriend, the love of her live was somewhere behind to protect them all, but he couldn't stop all the demons that were behind them. He, Dave, was a Demon himself. He fell in love with a witch. This was forbidden, because he was bound to be at the bad side. He had the same age as Clarissa, so he wasn't strong. He was the father of the girls but they would never be able to see him!

After a few minute of thinking Julianna picked up the phone and dialled a number.

"Hello?" asked a tired voice.

"Is there the Sheriff of Roswell?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm in the little motel outside. There are three little girls in a wardrobe. Room 5."

She hung up. God, I hope I did the right thing. If we stay alive in this, we come back to look for the girls.

She took the babies and did hide them in the wardrobe and cleaned the room. She left a note with them. Then she looked at Clarissa. "Clarie, girly, come on. We have to go."

Clarissa woke up. Immediately she searched for her girls. "Where are my kids?"

"They are in the wardrobe. I called the Sheriff, he will find them and make sure they will be safe. But we have to go now! If we stay, none us will be alive by tomorrow night."

Clarissa had tears in her eyes but she understood. Then she thought about something. "What is with their powers? We should make them disappear till we come back and find them!"

Julianna thought about it too "Yeah, you're right. Let me think." She took a piece of paper and wrote something. She showed it to her friend. "What do you think about this?"

Clarissa looked at it "yes, this could work."  She went to the place were her babies were hidden, kissed them a last time on their cheek and began with the spell:

"To protect the innocents,
To hide what not has to be released.
The gift that was given has to disappear,
Till the time I, again, am near."


She closed the door, crying and left the room with Julianna by her side. She wanted to stay alive for her babies, to come back and be the family she always wanted.


Twenty minutes later, Sheriff Valenti entered the room. He looked around and found the wardrobe. He opened the door and found three little girls in there. They were still asleep, but not for long.

He took the note. There was written: We are Isabella, Tessa and Marianna.
Take good care of us.

Valenti took the babies outside and drove directly to the hospital with them.


So the power of those three children was hidden till one day in the future. My story begins a few days before.

Part 2

When Tess and Michael arrived at the parking, Maria and Kyle were already there. Maria watched Tess jump out of the car and right in Kyle's arms.

"Hi babe." Then they kissed. Maria shook her head in disgust.

"Michael!" When Maria heard the scream she turned her head and saw something blond fall into Michael's arm.

"Hi Courtney." Michael tried to stop the blond girl from kissing him all over the face. He wasn't in the mood. His mom's words were still in his ears.

Maria shook her head again. She liked Tess but Michael was something else! She didn't like the way he treated girls. She had to admit he was really hot but.stop thinking this way Maria! That won't get you anywhere!

She turned her head again just to see her two best friends arrive at the parking lot. She jumped up and down and winked at them. Liz winked back.

"Hey 'Ria girl!" Alex and Liz came their way to hug her.

Maria pointed at Kyle and Tess. "Let's go somewhere else. This is so not good for my mental preparation for another boring week of school."

She took Liz hand and walked in direction school.

Alex walked behind them a smile on his face from Maria's comment. He knew that Maria wanted a relationship like Kyle and Tess had. Hell, they all wanted what they had!

Then Alex stopped. He then rubbed his eyes. Yes she was still there! What he saw was the most beautiful girl ever! Long blond hair, face like an angel and legs, legs so long that they reached her chin. Well, in his imagination.

Liz and Maria noticed that Alex was no longer was behind them. They turned and saw Alex gaze at someone with an open mouth. They looked in the direction he gazed and saw a girl and a boy they have never seen before.

"Who's that?" Maria looked at Liz who asked the question without taking her eyes off of the two new students.

"I don't know. Seems they're new here." Maria continued to walk as she noticed the other two were not following her. She turned again.

"Hey, Liz, Alex, you coming? Or do I have to help you collect your chins and tongues from the the ground?" Maria stood there, hands on her hips, one eyebrow raised up.

Alex and Liz fell out of their gaze and blushed. "We are coming." As they joined Maria again, Michael, Tess and Kyle reached them.

"Still here? We thought you were already in your classrooms like honest little students." Kyle smiled at them.

"Wow, look there! That one is hot!" Michael pointed at the girl Alex was gazing at before.

"For you everything is hot that wears a skirt!" Maria looked at Michael with an innocent smile.

Michael looked up and down at her. "Yep. So that is why you never wear skirts?" He smiled at her as if he would suddenly see her with other eyes.

Maria blushed a little but she would have the last laugh! "Yeah. I don't want to be one of your happy bimbos!" with this words she took Liz and Alex by their elbows and walked away.

Kyle laughed at Michael's face. "Yep, that's definitely my sister!"

He lay his arms around Tess' shoulders and went with her after the others. Michael was his best friend since kindergarden and they had done a lot together. But he would never let Michael hurt Maria like he'd hurt the other girls!

Kyle Michael and Alex were in the same year, the last year of high school. Next year they would be off to college anyway and Michael nor Maria had shown any attraction for the other.

~ ~ ~

When Maria arrived at her locker she saw that the new girl had the locker right next to her.

"Hi, I'm Maria. You're new here?"

The blond turned and looked at Maria. "Yeah. My name's Isabel, nice to meet you."

When their eyes met, they felt a connection forming. Quickly they both looked away. That was strange!

"So if you need help, or want to know where your next classroom is, you can ask me." Maria looked again at Isabel.

Isabel looked at her timetable. "First class is Math. Mr. Henderson."

"Me too!" they compared their timetables.

"Hey, we have most of the classes together!" Maria took her books and walked with Isabel to the first class, where Tess joined them.

"Hi, I'm Tess."

"I'm Isabel."  Again when they looked in each other's eyes they felt a connection forming.

This was really strange! They entered the classroom. Maria and Tess sat one beside the other. Isabel thought a moment and sat then on the chair beside Maria.

Most of the students were already there and looked curiously at Isabel.

Courtney looked disparagingly at Maria before she spoke to Isabel. "Hi I'm Courtney. Maybe you wanna sit with us." She pointed at two girls in the front seats. "And not with the losers back there."

Isabel looked at Maria. She really was nice to her and she felt that they could really be friends. Then she looked at Courtney and thought that she already had had way to many false friends and she could use some real friends. Isabel knew that Courtney just asked her because she looked good enough.

So she shook her head. "Na, I really would love to just stay here!"

For a second Courtney was shocked, then she said "You will regret this but it's your choice! Tess, you coming?"

"No, I'd like to stay here too." Courtney just shrugged, turned and walked to her friends.

Tess looked at Isabel. "This was just great! Too many girls would do everything to be in her squad!"

"Yeah! But you didn't have to do this just because I was the first one you met here." Maria looked down. Her brother Kyle might be popular because he was the captain of the football team and Tess, as his girlfriend and as sister of the great Michael Guerin , was accepted by everyone, but Maria would never be that popular. Not that she wanted to be, she had great friends in Liz and Alex, but she wanted Isabel to choose on her own will.

Tess hugged Maria. "Hey! I normally hang around with them too, but I like you! You are a really great friend!" She looked down. "It's just I love Kyle and I like to be a cheerleader. So I have to hang around with them. Not all are as unfriendly as Courtney!"

"Yeah, I know! I'm just different, and I wanted Isabel to choose by herself so I don't have to feel guilty!"

"It's just, I felt a connection between us and thought that you could be my very first real friend!" Isabel looked at Maria!

Maria smiled. "Yeah, I felt this connection too. The last time I felt it was with Tess in kindergarden."

"Hey, I felt a connection between Isabel and me too!" The girls looked at each other. This was really strange!

They had to end their conversation because the teacher wanted to teach them something. Maybe later.

~ ~ ~

"How do you think are we going to find them? We can't just go to the sheriff and tell him she is the mother of the three girls and we had to leave them because a bunch of demons were behind us. But now we have to find them
because they have to fulfil the prophecy! This is so not going to work!" Julianna looked at her friend.

Clarissa pulled the suitcase from under the bed and took something out of it. A map and a pendular.

"They may not have their powers but they are witches." Clarissa laid the map on the table, it was a map of Roswell , and held the pendular over it. "Show me where my oldest daughter is! Show me Isabella!" The pendular stopped at a point on the map.

"Now show me Tessa!" The pendular stopped again at a point.

"Show me now Marianna, my youngest!" It did.

"Clarissa, it stopped always at the same point!"¨

"That means they are together! Where is it?"

" Roswell High!"

Part 3

Lunch break came and Maria walked with Isabel to the table outside, where she and her friends usually ate. They sat down across from each other and opened their lunch packs. When they started to eat an angry Liz came and sat
down beside Maria.

"He is going to pay for this! I may not be beautiful but I'm intelligent and I rule Bio!" then she remarked Isabel. "Oh, hi. I'm sorry about this but I had to let it out! I'm Liz Parker."

Isabel smiled at her. "Its OK, I have this need too, sometimes. I'm Isabel Evans."

Liz looked up. "Evans? Are you related to Maxwell Evans?"

"This would be my brother dear. What did he do?" Isabel knew her brother too well. She looked at Liz. She was really pretty, but not the kind her brother dated. He liked blond bimbos. So Isabel knew that Liz just could now Max
because he had upset her.

"What he did? Ha! He made the whole class laugh about me! When he came in the teacher told us he's new and blah blah, and that he would be my lab partner. He sat down beside me and Bio began. I love it usually! Then your
brother did the experiment and it went wrong. He told the whole class that it was my fault and I wouldn't be intelligent enough for this class. And the worst part is he said that I couldn't hide my lack of intelligence behind my
beauty! Because it wouldn't be there!"

Liz had tears in her eyes. Maria hugged her. "Shhh, don't cry! He would win if you cried! He's just an ass! And not worth your tears!" She just held her.

Isabel looked guilty. "I'm so sorry Liz! Really! But this is so typical Max. He isn't that intelligent either. Teachers just always seem to love him. And he plays football. He is going to get a scholarship for football!"

Liz looked up and took Isabel's hand. "You aren't him. You don't have to apologies for what he did! I think I'm going to like you!" she smiled again. "You remember me of Maria."

The girls laughed.

"Hey girls, what so funny?" A tall boy with brown hair and brown eyes sat down beside Isabel. "Hi, I'm Alex Whitman." He looked at her and saw the new girl from this morning. He blushed. Maria and Liz giggled.

"Hey, I'm Isabel Evans. And I think I am going to say that a lot more today!" She smiled shyly at him. He was cute.

"You probably will!" They all laughed again. Isabel thought this was good. She hadn't laughed like this since a long time.

"I'll not say 'hey, are you new here?' because I know that you are. I just would like to know where you came from."  Alex looked at her.

"We moved here from Boston . My grandma died and left mom the house. And when they proposed dad the partnership in this law firm, they decided to come back here. My family lived here years ago so." She looked at Maria. "I wasn't pleased to come here, some creepy town in the desert. But since I'm here I feel like I belong here." They smiled at each other. Then they ate lunch.

"Liz, what happened Bio this morning?" Alex chewed on his sandwich. Maria eyed him under her brows. Was it a good idea to remember Liz?

"Ah, nothing. I'm ignoring him from today on!" Liz nodded.

"Good girl!"  They laughed again at Maria's comment.

"Liz, I think your Nemesis just sat down at the table of the football team. If he is popular that is not going to be easy for you!" Alex pointed to a table where Isabel's brother was. Together with Michael Guerin, Kyle Valenti and Tess Guerin. Maria, Liz and Isabel watched them. They saw Tess look up. As she saw them she winked and stood up. Kyle and Michael seemed to ask her something, of which she pointed in their direction. Kyle just nodded. Michael smiled at Maria and looked as he would bow to her! Maria raised one brow, shrugged her shoulders and turned around. Damn, why does he have to be so cute! She saw Isabel looking at her and was glad she couldn't ask because Tess arrived at their table.

"Hey guys! What's up?" Tess stood there whit a shy smile. She didn't really know if she was welcome. She knew Alex and Liz, but they never had been great friends.

Liz looked up. She liked Tess. Somehow she remembered her of Maria too. Strange! "Hey Tess! You can sit here!" She pointed on her other side.

Tess smiled and sat down, lucky that she didn't disturb. Maria gave Liz a thank you smile. She would be glad when all her best friends could be friends.

"Liz, I heard of your first contact with Maxwell Evans. He seems really arrogant. Sorry Isabel. I know he's your brother!" Isabel just shrugged.

Liz smiled at Tess. "Max who? I'm ignoring his existence! 'Till I can think of something to make him pay back."

Tess laughed. "Yes, that is a good idea! If you want I could help."

Maria smiled brightly. This was wonderful!! She, Alex and Isabel joined them with thinking of ideas and they had a lot of fun together.

"Isabel, I can't believe that you are brother and sister! I know you both for the same time now but I can say which I like and which I don't."  Tess drunk from her bottle while she looked curiously at Isabel.

"Actually he isn't my brother." "What?" Four voices asked at the same time.

Isabel looked at her finger. "We had this Bio project about blood last year. We had to test our own blood and to characterize our blood group. I had AB negative. The teacher said that this would be strange because my brother
would have O positive. Like I would have known what she meant. Then I came home and asked my mother about it. She was shocked at first. The same evening we had a family meeting, Max, mom, dad and me. They told me that
they had adopted me before they had left Roswell . This is everything I know."

Liz took her hand. "But you are OK with it now? Were you angry at your parents for not telling you earlier?"

None of them remarked ,Tess and Maria looking shocked at each other.

"No, I wasn't angry. They would have told me when they thought it would be the right time. I just felt a little lost."

Isabel looked up now. "Let's speak about something happier. Life is sad enough." They talked the rest of lunch break. When the bell rang, Liz said to Isabel "You have English now, right? Alex and I too. You can come with us." Isabel nodded and said bye to Tess and Maria.

When they had left, Maria looked at Tess. "Did you hear it? She has the same blood group as we have!" They had tested their blood in Bio too.

"Yes, this is really strange! Do you think she is related to us?" Maria thought about this. "I don't know. Mom and dad don't have any siblings. Yours?"

"My mom has a sister in New York . But she is happy married there since twenty years." Maria and Tess decided to skip Spanish class. This was more important. They waited in the toilets till it was quite in the halls. Then they headed for the library.

"OK, let's talk about what we have. We felt this connection when we met in kindergarten. People always thought we were sisters. Then the connection we both felt with Isabel, Liz telling me Isabel reminds her of me and we all have the same blood group. Is this enough to be alarmed?"

Tess shocked her head. "Maria, what if we are adopted? Did you think about this?" Maria looked shocked. What if this was true?

"You think our parents would lie to us? Oh God! Our whole life would be a lie!" They hugged each other in comfort.

"What do we do now Tessie?"

"I really don't know 'Ria. I really don't now."

"What if we try to find out the truth? We should look trough mom and dad's papers and when we find out we'll now it." Maria watched Tess. She nodded. "Yeah, let's try this. But we could always ask mom and dad." "No! What if it is not true? Then we would hurt our parents for nothing. Na, lets do some research in the underground. And if we find something we always can go and ask them!"

When the bell rang they headed quite to their classes. They had calmed down, but they were still confused.

The afternoon classes ended and Maria walked to the Jetta Kyle and she shared. Kyle was already there with Tess. She was in his arms and he caressed her back.

Alex and Liz appeared beside Maria. "What is with Tess? She and Kyle are not making out!" Liz did, as she would be shocked.

"Uh, whatever." Liz and Alex looked confused at Maria. She would never let a chance go by to mock those two! "Hey, what is with you?"

"Ah, nothing. I just have to think about something." She felt depressed and alone.

They reached the Jetta.

"It's OK, baby. I will tell them that you don't feel good. Shh!" Kyle tried to comfort a crying Tess.

Michael walked by. "What is with her?" he asked Kyle. Kyle just shrugged. He had now clue. They all looked at Maria again. Still no comment from her! She had to be sick!

Kyle watched his sister. She looked like Tess did before she had her breakdown. "Michael, could you?" He pointed with his eyes to Maria. Michael understood and reached for Maria. She hesitated first but then she broke down in his arms. Michael would never admit it but he liked the feelings she gave him while she was in his arms. He caressed her back. She smelt so good. Oh god, what was he doing?

Maria had similar thoughts. She really loved it to be in Michael's arms. He smelt so good and it felt so right to be there. Oh god, what was she doing? But she couldn't stop crying. What if her parents weren't her parents?

Tess calmed down a little. She felt so good and safe in Kyle's arms. She wanted to never have to let go. She had to in the near future but not now. She raised her head and saw her brother. She saw the feelings on his face. Tess could say that he was falling for Maria. Her Casanova brother was falling for just wouldn't still have been confused she would have laughed about this.

Alex and Liz looked shocked. Maria hadn't had a break down since fourth grade!

Isabel joined the group. She looked from Tess, who was still in Kyle's arms but with the face to the others, to Maria, who still had her face buried her had in Michael's shoulders. "What is going on here?"

"We actually don't know. We found Tess in the status Maria is in now. She fell directly in Michael's arms. But she even doesn't like him. So now you know what we know."  Liz folded her arms and looked at Isabel.

"Oh, I see." Isabel nodded confused. She felt strangely depressed and alone. Where did this come from?

Kyle looked at Michel who nodded. "Isabel Evans? Max's sister?"

"Who wants to know that?"

"Ah, I'm Kyle Valenti, Maria's brother and Tess' boyfriend. This is my best friend Michael Guerin. He is Tess' brother. So, now you know us. Could you now please answer my question?"

"Yes, I'm Isabel Evans. Happy now?"

"Sorry Isabel. It shouldn't have sounded like this. But Michael and I have football practice now and we need somebody to drives the girls home. Usually we take Liz and Alex with us. This means that they have no car." Liz and Alex nodded. "Max told me this morning that you share a car and so I thought now we could drive Max home after practice and you take Tess, Maria and the rest with you. Would that be OK with you?"

Isabel smiled at Kyle and Michael. "Yes, it is OK with me. But you have to tell Max!"

While they talked Maria calmed down. Now she took her arms from Michael shoulders and did a step back. They both felt suddenly cold and left alone.

They said their goodbyes and Michael and Kyle left. Not without looking back!

Isabel, Tess, Maria, Liz and Alex headed for the Jeep Isabel and Max shared.

"Maria, what was that about?" Liz really wanted to now what had upset her friend.

Maria shared a look with Tess, who shooked her head.

"I think it is some PMS. Sorry Alex!" Alex looked as if he wanted to forget what he heard.

"Ah, it's OK Maria. Really! Are you coming for the band practice after work?" He tried to change the subject.

"If you don't feel good you don't have to come to work! I can cover for you!" Liz suggested.

"No, Liz, its OK. But I have to close up tonight, so I won't be able to show up Alex. Do you mind?" Alex shocked his head.

"It's OK Maria. You should go home, take a bath and relax."

The girls looked at him. What a guy Isabel thought. And he was really cute!

First they dropped Alex, then Liz, Tess and at last Maria.

"Are you sure you OK?"

"Yeah, now I am. Really, just a PMS break down. Don't worry, tomorrow, I'll be better. Hey, why don't you come to the Crashdown later? Liz and I work there and Alex will be there till he has band practice. You coming?"

"I have to ask my mom, but I'm sure it's OK. I'll be there!" They said their goodbyes.

As Isabel drove home she thought about what Maria had said. She didn't really believe it, but she couldn't do anything. She had to wait till Maria would trust her enough.


- - - - - - - - -


"Maybe we should try the pendulum now. I think school is out now." Julianna looked at Clarissa.

"Yes, I know we should have thought about it. But you are right! Now could be a good time!" She reached for her pendulum and the map of Roswell. Again she held the pendulum over the map.

"Show me my girls!" The pendulum did a triangle over the map.

"What does this mean?"

"I think they didn't stay together!"

"This is not good! Julianna, pack your things. We are moving to Roswell!"

Part 4

When Maria arrived home nobody was there. She went to her room, grabbed some clothes and continued to the bathroom to take a shower.

Standing under the water she thought about this afternoon. What if Tess was right? Did their parents lie to them? If yes, why? What if Tess was wrong? Was everything a pure coincidence? The same blood group, the connection?

Maria turned the water off. She took a towel and wrapped it around her. Maybe she could find some answers in the attic. She quickly changed into clothes and looked at her watch. Still some time left before she had to go to work.

Maria walked up the stairs to the door of the attic. She slowly took

the door handle and turned it around. The door opened. She had never gone to the attic by herself. She used to be afraid of it ever since Kyle pretended to be a ghost when she was five.  Her father told her that every little boy would do this with his sister but she never really believed that there weren’t any ghosts.

So Maria walked through the open door. It was dark. She searched with her hand for the light switch. Found it! The light switched on.

Maria looked around. There was a lot of old stuff! Things dad wanted to throw out but mom wanted to keep. So she did hide it here! She shook her head.

She looked through the old stuff till she found two trunks. On the first was written: Kyle. She opened the cover of the trunk. What she saw was a baby blanket with Kyle written on it. So sweet! Under it was a lot baby stuff from Kyle. Maria smiled. Then she looked at the second. Maria was written there. She opened the cover and her smile faded. There was no baby blanket with Maria written on it. Just three towels with the name of some motel near Roswell on it. What did this mean?

“Maria? Are you home?”

Maria jumped up! Mom! She closed the trunk and left the attic. “Yes mom, I’m here!” She looked again on her watch. Shit, she had to hurry.

“But I’ll be gone soon. I have to go to work.” Maria went to her room, grabbed her bag and went down the stairs.

“Mom, I’m have to go. I’ll eat there, ok?”

“Ok, sweetie, bye!” Amy Valenti hugged her daughter.

“Bye mom.” Maria run quickly out of the house.

The Crashdown was not far away, she arrived just a few seconds too late.

“Sorry Liz! Mom came home early.”

“It’s ok Maria. Now hurry! The dinner crowd is coming.” Liz winked at Maria, who quickly went to her locker to change into the uniform.

- - - - - - - -

When Tess arrived at home, her mom was already there. “Hi mom!” She walked in the kitchen. Helen Guerin was baking cookies. A sign that she was angry.

“Mom, what’s up?” Tess didn’t like IT when her mom was angry. She usually grounded Tess and Michael for the strangest reasons.

“Hey Tess.” Helen waved.

“My boss just doesn’t want to exhibit the pictures of a young talented photographer because he is unknown! How could he be known when nobody wants to exhibit his art?”

Then she looked up at Tess. “Sweetie, why are you already home? No cheerleading practice today?” Helen looked worried at her daughter.

“I’m ok mom, just some cramps. I’m going to take a tablet and a bath. Afterwards I’ll feel better.”

“That is a good idea Tess! That will relax you.” Yeah, right! Now the question was which of the two would need to take a bath more!

Tess smiled at her mom and left the kitchen quickly, thanking god she could go.

Tess went to her room to drop the books and grab some clothes. 

In the bathroom she turned the water on and put some bubble bath cream in. Alex had said to Maria she should take a bath and relax.

Maybe this was really the best idea.

While Tess was in the warm water she thought about what they had discovered today. What if she was right? She never would have thought that her parents could lie to her. And Michael! He has been a great brother over all this years. He would never lie to her. So, what if she wasn’t right? Where did her mom have the important papers? In dads study!

Tess jumped out of the bath. She dried herself and put some clothes on. She went down the stairs and took a quick look in the kitchen. Her mom was still backing. When she found her in the study, she would be grounded for the next month! Tess shocked her head. She just had to be quiet. So she slowly went to the study and quietly opened the door. She jumped in and closed the door. Tess then searched in the drawers. Nothing. Then in the bookcases, in the cupboards, everywhere, but nothing. She looked around. Yes, there had to be the papers. The table where her mom always sat when she worked at home. She quickly opened the drawers. And there it was what she searched. First was Michael’s birth certificate, but under it was hers. She took it and read the names of the parents. Helen and Thomas Guerin. Birth date was the 3. of march. Everything like she knew it before.

Tess let the breath out. She hadn’t known that she had kept it till now. Her parents hadn’t lied to her! She was really their daughter. Tess giggled. Now she was really happy. Everything what has happened with Maria or Isabel was just a coincidence, nothing more.

She stood up and left the study. The papers again were where she had taken them. She went to the kitchen. 

“Mom, I know everything will work out! Really. You just have to believe it!” Then she hugged her confused mother and left the kitchen again jumping up and down like a little child.

- - - - - - -

“And what are we doing here?” Julianna looked at the apartment building they stood before.

“Like I told you before, there is someone who wants to rent out an apartment with furniture. We don’t have much choice till we find what we are looking for.” Clarissa grabbed Julianna and dragged her in to the building. They took the elevator to the 5th floor. There a woman was already waiting for them.

“Hi, my name’s Camille Baker. So you two want to rent the apartment?”

“Yes. Clarissa and Julianna Montgomery, hi. For how long are you gone did you say?” Clarissa had called first to ask if the apartment still was free. 

“About six month, I think. Is this ok for you?”

“Yes, it sounds good. So we have some time to search something for our own. Thank you very much Ms. Baker.”

They shook hands. “You’re welcome. My flight goes tomorrow morning and I’m going to sleep over at my friends. So you can move your things here and feel like home.” She gave Clarissa two keys.

They said their goodbyes, Ms Barker disappeared in the elevator and Clarissa and Julianna went in the apartment. It was big enough for both, cheap and it already had some furniture.

“What do you think?”

Julianna nodded. “I think for the moment it is just right. So, I’m hungry now. I saw his little alien themed restaurant not far from here. What do you say?”

“I’m starving. Let’s go!”

Part 5

Maria was working for four hours now. She liked the evening shift. Lot ’s of people from school, cute guys to flirt with. It was just Courtney who didn’t like her. With the others she had no problem.

Kyle and Michael were there too, with their new found friend Max Evans. Tess hadn’t shown up yet, neither had Isabel. Alex sat by Liz and they talked.

Maria looked at Michael. It was like the thousand time this evening. And sometimes she had caught Michael watching at her. She had butterflies in her stomach every time she saw him. No, this couldn’t be! She couldn’t fall for Michael Guerin! He used girls!

She shook her head and walked over to new customers. Two ladies, not much younger than her mom. 

“Good evening ladies. I’m Maria your waitress.”

She gave them the menus. “Can I already bring you something to drink?”

The two looked at her. She felt this connection again. With two absolutely strangers? She was going insane over here! Maria shook her head again and looked at the customers. 

“A virgin cola, please,” said the blond one.

“For me the same, please,” came from the red haired one.

“Ok. I’ll back with your drinks soon.” Maria walked behind the counter. Calm down girl. 

“Julie did you feel that too?”

“What?”

“I had this strange feeling that I and this waitress were connected. How could this be?” They looked at each other.

“Julie, do you think that she is one of my girls?”

Julianna took her hand. “Clarie, are you sure you felt it? Wasn’t it just a wish?”

“No, it was real!”

Maria came back with their colas. “Can I bring you something else?”

Clarissa and Julianna looked at the menu. “Oh, ah, yes. I’ll have the alien burger with fries please.” Julianna was the first who could speak again.

“Ah, I’ll take the saturn rings please.” Maria wrote all down and went to the back.

She gave the order to the cook and walked over to Liz and Alex. “Hey, what’s up?”

“Hey Maria. What would you think about a video night at Alex’ on Friday? His parents aren’t at home this weekend so?” Liz smiled at her.

Maria nodded “Yes, it sounds good to me!” 

With a ding-dong opened the door and Isabel came in. She walked directly to Maria and the rest.

“Hey guy’s.” She waved. “What’s up?”

“Hi!” They answered together. They laughed till the cook had the food finished.

At the table Julianna and Clarissa talked about how they could find out if the waitress was one of Clarissa’s girls. After some thinking Julianna took her bag and took something out of it. It was a blue stone. She gave it to Clarissa and said. “Take this stone. It is one of the stones of the truth. Say a spell and he will show you the truth.”

Clarissa took the stone. She looked at it for some minutes and spoke then.

“Stone, show me the truth,

Blood that is given to my line,

Given to my babies,

Show me the mine.”

The stone glowed in dark blue and showed then again his normal colour. Both women smiled at each other and waited. 

Maria took the food from the cook and walked over to the ladies. “Here you are. Enjoy your meal.” She turned and walked back without remarking that the ladies weren’t looking at her. They were looking at the dark blue glowing stone. 

On the other side Liz and Isabel were talking. “Hey, what do you think about a video night next Friday?”

“Yeah, it sounds good to me! Just tell me where and when!” Isabel loved having real friends. No longer did she have to hold up her ice queen image.

Liz laughed. “Yeah, we will. So, how was your first day?”

Isabel smiled. “Ah besides meeting some really nice people it was a normal school day.”

Suddenly Kyle walked over to them. “Have you seen Tess since this afternoon?” He sounded worried. 

Isabel, Liz and Alex shocked their head. “No, I haven’t seen her since I dropped her at home.”

“Michael doesn’t know where his sister is?” Alex asked.

“No, after football practice we came directly over here. Michael really dragged us over here.” He didn’t understand why Michael suddenly liked to go to the Crashdown.

Liz and Isabel looked at each other. Aha! They both had remarked that Maria often had looked to Michael this evening. This was going to be fun!

Tess chooses this moment to come in. She saw Kyle standing by Isabel and came over. “Hey guys” she waved. Then she turned to Kyle, hugged and kissed him.

Liz thought that at this moment Tess remembered her a lot of Isabel.

Strange. Then a lamp turned off in Liz’ head. Isabel, Tess and Maria looked a lot alike. And then the blood group! She knew from bio that Tess and Maria had AB negative too. And Isabel was adopted. What if…?

Tess broke in her thoughts. She seemed to have hugged and kissed Kyle enough for the moment. Tess waved again. “Wanna sit with us over there?” She blinked at Liz.

Liz looked where Kyle and Tess headed. There he was, her nemesis of  life. She looked at Isabel who was smiling mischievely. “Yes maybe we do!” Liz and Isabel dragged a reluctant Alex over to where the others sat.

Michael was a bit confused. The whole evening he had had problems to take his eyes away from that Maria girl. What did she have what the others didn’t? And now her friends were coming over here to actually sit with Kyle, Max and him. He looked again at Maria. She was hot! And she wasn’t one of those blonde bimbos she liked to call his girlfriends. In fact he had enough of those stupid girls who just wanted to be with him because he was mr popular. Maybe this Maria girl was the right one for him. Why not give it a try? He smiled again. Oh yeah, this was going to be fun.

Maria on the other side had some problems to realise that her friends were sitting with Michael Guerin. Oh no! Again these butterflies. What should she do with him? Just walk over there, calm and cool. Don’t make him realize how you feel.

She walked to the table and stopped directly before Max. “Hey, I’m Maria Valenti.”

He watched her up and down. Then he smiled. “I’m Max Evans. It’s always a pleasure to meet a beautiful girl.” 

“Yeah, isn’t it?” Maria sat down beside Liz while exchanging smiles with her.

Isabel and Tess smiled at each other too. Alex just sat there and enjoyed it.

“So, when does your shift end?” He had his charming smile on his face. 

“Oh, I have to close today!” 

“What about tomorrow?” Max wasn’t willing to give up.

“I have the closing shift the whole week.” Maria pretended to be sad about it.

“Oh, ok. Maybe another time?” Really not willing!

Kyle was about to burst out laughing. Maria played the dumb girl really well. “Do you really think that I could go out with you? The Intelligent student and great footballer that you are.” She looked innocently at him. “Me, poor little outsider?”

Max looked at Kyle and Michael who were near collapsing while trying to hide their smiles before him. 

At this moment the lights in his head turned on. “So you are making jokes on me?” he didn’t seem to like it. 

 Maria looked at him while the others laughed till they had tears in their eyes. "Yeah I am. I don’t even think about going out with you.” With these words she left for work. 

Kyle smiled at him. “Now you know my sister. Be careful around her!”

Liz looked at Max. “Didn’t Courtney tell ya that we were ‘no go’?”

“I didn’t ask you, sweetheart!” Max smiled at her. 

“God beware!” Liz did as if she would thank god for her luck.

Michael tapped Max on the shoulders. “You don’t believe you have a chance against the girls, do you?”

"You guy’s are so not funny!” Max took his bags and left the Crashdown. 

Alex shook his head. “That boy isn’t going to learn it really soon.”

Together they all laughed. Alex was a little surprised. He accepted Kyle as Maria’s brother but he always thought that Michael would be just like Max a few minutes ago. Now he was here, laughing with both of them like they had always been friends. And the most beautiful girl ever was sitting next to him. He was happy. 

The group didn’t notice that two women were watching them.

“Clarie, I think the one with the long blond hair looks just like you did when you were her age.”

Clarissa nodded.

“Yes, and the one with the curly blond hair looks a lot like Dave did.” She turned her head. She still wasn’t over Dave’s death. The love of her life. She hadn’t seen him since the fatal night seventeen years ago, so she thought that he must be dead.

“It’s good to see that the three of them are friends.”

“Yeah, although I would like it more if they had grown up like sisters.” Julianna nodded. What could she say against it? 

Clarissa stood up. “I’m going to the bathroom.” She passed the table where the group sat. The stone in her bag glowed as if it wanted to lighten up the whole world. She smiled and walked away.

When she came back Julianna asked her: “What do we do now?”

“I think we are going to set their power free. Then we’ll see again.” 

They both paid and left.

Part 6

Maria closed the Crashdown. Now she just had to clean up and then she could go. She turned and remembered her friends who still sat around the same table. Maria held back a sigh. She was tired. But maybe they had to talk about what she had discovered earlier. Well, she, Tess and Isabel had. The others could go home.

Maria walked over to the table where Kyle, Michael and Alex were talking about sports. Wait, Michael talking with Alex about sports? She shook her head. They were still there. Okay, she could live with this.

“Hey guys.” They all turned their heads in her direction. She could see that she had disturbed the guys in their conversation. Kyle looked at the empty Crashdown and then at his watch.

“Oh, I think I’m going now. Maria, are you coming with me?” He looked at his sister. Maria shook her head. But before she could say something Liz interrupted her.

“Actually I wanted to talk to Maria, Tess and Isabel about something.” She smiled sweetly at the guys. “You know, girl's stuff.”

Kyle and Michael shrunk back. Alex shrugged and got up. “Gotta go.” He waved.

“Alex!” Maria held him back. “Didn’t you have band practice?”

He looked at her. “Without our lead singer?”

Isabel smiled at him. He was so cute! She was a little disappointed when he left after Maria had opened the door for him.

Maria turned. “Kyle, Michael, you wanted to go too, didn’t you?”

They could hear Alex laughing outside. They got up. Michael said good bye and then had to wait for Kyle who was kissing Tess passionately.

“Get a room!” Michael and Maria looked at each other. They had said exactly the same thing at the same time.
Michael just smiled while Maria raised an eyebrow. Tess and Kyle ended their kiss, Tess blushing, Kyle angry about being disturbed.

He looked at Maria. “Michael will drive me home.” And handed her the car keys. Kyle waved and left.
Michael stopped before Maria and looked her up and down.

“Is this a skirt?” And then he left with a smirk on his lips. Maria groaned and walked back to the table. The girls were still sitting there, smiling. They had seen and heard everything.

“Damn uniform. And it isn’t a skirt!” They laughed. Maria stuck out her tongue at them. “He has seen me in this uniform before!” She nodded and sat down beside Tess.

“But it is short, isn’t it?” Liz, who was at their encounter this morning, just had to remember Maria about this little fact. Tess and Isabel laughed even more.

Maria stood up and went to clean the Crashdown. She didn’t want the other to see that she was blushing. Damn Michael Guerin. After she had finished the others had calmed down. She sat beside Tess again and looked at Liz.

“So, what girl's stuff did you want to discuss with us?”
Liz suddenly became serious. She looked at the three blond girls. One had long straight, one long curly, and one shoulder length wavy hair. They looked different and yet alike.

“Remember Isabel telling us that she was adopted? And our bio project from last year were we too did the blood test? You all have the same blood group, look alike, use the same gestures, almost every move one of you do remembers me of another one of you.”

She stopped there to see the reactions. Isabel was shocked. It was expected. But Tess just nodded and Maria smiled all over her face. Strange!

“This was exactly what Tess and I thought after Isabel told us!” Maria was somehow proud of her best friend.

“Yeah, exactly what we thought. But when I came home I searched through mom’s papers and found a birth certificate. So, maybe we are related but we surely aren’t sisters.” Tess looked at Maria and Isabel. Isabel woke out of her shock.

“Wait! This was it what upset you this afternoon, right? But how could this be?“ Liz looked confused. She hadn’t thought about that yet.

“When do you all have your birthdays?” Actually Liz knew the birthday of Maria. But she hadn’t really had contact with Tess and Isabel was new so…

“Third of March.”

“Third of March.”

“Third of March.”

Silence.

Then… “This can be a coincidence!”

"Yeah, Tess, right! And all the other things are just our imagination.”

“Maria, why do you want to believe this? You have a family, friends, and a good life. Why do you want to ruin everything?”

“Because I know it is true, I love mom, dad and Kyle, but I know that there is something else! And you know it too, you just don’t want to admit it!”

“My parents are Helen and Thomas Guerin and no one else.” Tess got up and was ready to leave.

“Don’t you want to know what I found after I arrived at home? Two trunks. One was Kyle’s and one was mine. I found Kyle’s baby blanket but I didn’t find mine. Because I didn't have one! All I had were three towels of the Crash Inn. The motel just outside of Roswell. Now tell me I am wrong!” Maria got up too. Liz was quick behind her to comfort her. Isabel just sat there with her head in her hands.

“Maybe this is your story not mine! Maybe I’m not involved! Did you think about this?” Tess waited in front of the door.

Liz quickly opened it. She knew that Tess had had a confusing day and she needed a moment alone to think about everything.

Tess just stormed out. It was good that she had to walk so she could loose some anger on her way home.
Liz closed the door again and walked slowly back to the table where Isabel still sat. Maria paced around. She wanted to destroy something.

“Maria, maybe Tess is right…” “Isabel, do you really believe what you said?” asked Maria tired.

Isabel looked her in the eyes and shook her head. “No, not really.”

“It was a long and confusing day. Maybe we all should go home and sleep. Tomorrow we can watch it in an other light.” Liz had watched Maria. This thing with the towels got her really bad.

“And maybe we can go to the Motel tomorrow and look around.” Isabel looked thankfully at Liz.

“Maria, Liz is right. Let’s go home and tomorrow after school we go to this Motel and then we decide what we will do next.” Maria smiled at them. Liz was already one of her best friends and Isabel was on the way to become one too.

“Thank you both for not giving up on me. I know this story sounds unbelievable but I feel that it is true.”
Isabel, Liz and Maria hugged each other and Maria drove Isabel home. They didn’t say much.

“You know, what ever we are going to find out, I will always think of you as my sister.” Isabel said before they hugged again and Isabel got out of the car.

Maria drove home alone.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Julianna and Clarissa arrived at their newfound apartment. 

“Julie, please go find some candles. I’m going to search the spell I wrote years ago.”  Julianna went to do what she was told. Clarissa opened a bag and search wildly. Then she took out a book, like a diary.

“Here you are. My spell book.” She caressed it like it was her child.

“Now I’m getting my babies back!”  Finely Julianna came with some candles. They put them in a circle around them and set them on fire.

“By the power of the goddess,
By the spirit of the night
We want to set free
The power of the witches three.”

The wind blew trough the open window.
Isabel didn’t sleep well. She turned around in her bed. She felt a kind of power rush trough her body and sat up. She felt the urge to breath.

The candles flickered.

Tess turned restless in her bed, still sleeping. The power flew trough her body and she woke up breathing hard. She felt like she had done several hours of cheerleading practice.

Clarissa stood in the middle of the room with her arms stretched out.

Maria couldn’t sleep. She thought about this evening when she felt the power rush trough her entire body. She couldn’t breath. She got up and sucked some fresh air into her lungs.

Then she screamed.


When Clarissa heard the scream she broke down. This had taken a lot of her power. But she felt good.

- - - - - - - - -

Somewhere else a shadow turned around. A tingle had just surged through his body.

"Power has just been set free." His eyes closed in concentration. "A lot of power ... We have to take care of this."

Part 7 

The next day came too fast. Isabel, Tess and Maria hadn’t slept well so they were tired. Tess didn’t speak with the others and at lunch she sat with the cheerleaders and the jocks as usual. Maria ate lunch together with Isabel and Liz. They were discussing the possibility of going to the motel again.

“Do you really think we should go there? I mean, I have never done this before and I have no clue how to do it!” Isabel looked at Liz, who surprisingly was happy to go.

“We go there and ask if they heard something about three girls being left back there 17 years ago. You know, asking questions and so on.” Liz looked at Maria and Isabel.

Maria nodded. “I’m going with Liz! Right after school. So we will be back for work later.”

“And what is with Tess? She is ignoring us the whole day now.”

“I don’t know. Maybe we have to find out and prove it. Then she will believe us. And the motel is the only thing we know about.”

“Ok Maria, I’m coming with you. And I think I’m going to ask mom and dad some questions too.” Isabel nodded.
Maria thought about this. “Yeah, maybe you should. Maybe I should too?”

“No, that would be a bad idea. Isabel knows she is adopted but you don’t because it is still unanswered.”
They ate in silence for some minutes. Then…

“Isabel, have you notice Michael starring at Maria the whole time?”

“Yeah, I have!”

“No, he does not!” Maria looked at her friends. They just laughed.

“Yeah, right! Liz, I think this no came to fast!”

“Yep, me too. And I think she has a crush on him!” Liz smiled at Maria who blushed a little but kept shaking her head.

“This is all your imagination! Really! I don’t like him and he doesn’t like me!”

“Maria! He does like you! I saw it yesterday and I see it today!” Isabel watched Maria.

Maria felt her heart pump harder than usual and the butterflies in her stomach fluttered freely. She couldn’t denial anymore. “Ok, I like him. And now? What am I supposed to do? He is with Courtney. And when he speaks with me he just makes jokes.”

Liz laid an arm around Maria’s shoulders. “I heard they broke up. And what I can see from here they don’t look like a couple!”

Isabel turned her head and looked like Maria in the direction Liz had pointed with her head. There were Michael, Kyle, Tess, Max, Courtney and the rest. But what surprised them was Courtney flirting with Max.
Liz laughed.

“See?”

Isabel smiled. “I think the two right people found each other!”

Maria kept looking and saw Michael watching at her. She couldn’t take her eyes away from him and their eyes locked. They stared at each other.  Kyle saw this and wasn’t happy! He liked Michael but Maria was worth something better than his womaniser friend over here.

“Michael, what are you looking at?” Michael fell out of his stare and looked at Kyle. He remarked immediately that Kyle wasn’t happy about him looking at Maria.

“Oh, I just wondered how different Isabel and Max are.” Kyle kept watching him intensely.

“Yeah, right. Remember, Maria and you are like cats and dogs. You two fight all the time! And I like it this way!”

“Easy man. There is nothing going on between Maria and me!” Then he turned and whispered to himself “not yet!”

“What?” Kyle turned again to Michael.

“Hm? Did you say something?” Michael gave him an innocent look. Kyle stared angry at him and then turned away, to Courtney and Max.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

After school, Liz, Maria and Isabel met at Maria’s car. “Let’s go, and get this over with!”

“Where are you going?” Alex! The girls turned around.

“Ah, we, ah…” Liz looked at Isabel who looked at Maria who nodded.

“We are going to the Crash Inn. Wanna come with us or why do you ask?”

Alex looked confused. “Why are you going there?”

Maria had never any secrets behind her best friends back and Liz knew already, why not Alex too? “If you come with us, we’ll tell you the story.” Alex nodded and they got in the car.

While Maria drove to the motel Liz and Isabel told Alex everything they knew and what they thought could be.

“And you really think that you three are sisters? I don’t want to say you are wrong but how could this be?” Alex was a good friend to Maria and Liz but this seemed really strange!

Liz smiled at him. “First, why not? And second, we are on our way to find out! So, take a seat and enjoy the film.”

“Maybe you want to be a part of this film? Wanna play private investigation with us?”

Alex looked at Isabel. It was strange how she and Maria seemed alike and yet were so different. Maria was his best friend but Isabel…he liked Isabel. She was pretty and, more important, she was funny and really nice.
When they arrived at the Crash Inn they all hopped out of the car, ready to find what they were searching for. 

At the reception stood a young woman. She looked about the same age as them.

“Yeah?” And she wasn’t too happy about the newcomers.

“Ah, we want to know, ah…” Liz looked at Maria.

“Yeah, do you know something about three babies left back in one of your rooms? It was about 17 years ago.”
The girl looked at them. “How am I supposed to know this? My parents own this place now for 10 year. Was this all or do you want something else?”

They looked at each other. Ok, this didn’t help. What now? Alex had already opened the door for the girls, when the other girl yelled after them.

“Yesterday two older women asked me the same thing. Maybe they know something..!”

They all turned but Isabel was the fastest to speak. “Where are they?”

“They left yesterday afternoon in a hurry. They spoke about going to Roswell. Oh yeah, and about an apartment with furniture they wanted to rent.” With those words she turned to do whatever she had done before they came.

“In which room did they stay?”

“5. It is open if you want to have a look.”

Maria looked at Isabel. They both headed to the stairs. Liz and Alex behind them. In room 5 they looked around. They found nothing that would tell them where the women went.

“Let’s search for something!” Alex opened the cupboard. The others followed his example.

After a few minutes…”Ah, I found it!” They all turned to Liz who screamed excitedly.  What she held in her hand was a newspaper. The apartment advertisements were open.

“See, this advertise is marked with a red circle.”

- - - - - - - - - -

The shadow turned to the man who stood on the other side or the room.

“I have something for you to do.” The man looked up. He had black hair and black eyes. He smiled maliciously.

“What do you want me to take care of?”

“In Roswell NM a big amount of power was set free. Go there and take care of this little problem!” The man nodded. One second he stood there and the other he flew away.

“Master, you have sent the raven to Roswell. Why such a powerful demon?” The shadow turned to the little man.

“The traitor's daughters have received their powers!”

Part 8

The group arrived at the Crashdown right before Maria and Liz had to go to work. When they entered the Crashdown they saw Michael, Kyle, Tess, Max and Courtney sitting in a booth. Max and Courtney were making out while the other boys talked. Michael’s eyes went immediately to Maria where they met hers.

“Come on Maria, we have to work now!” Liz pushed Maria to the back room where they could change.

Alex and Isabel smiled.

“Hey!” Michael winked at them. “Why don’t you come over and sit with us?”

Isabel shook her head. Alex looked sceptical to Max and Courtney.

Max got up and pulled the blond with him. “We’re going. Isabel, do you want a ride?”

“Yeah.” She turned to Alex. “I’ll go home now and ask mom some questions. See ya later.” And left with Max and Courtney.

“Ts ts ts! You shouldn’t hang around with those losers too often! It would be bad for your reputation!”

Isabel took Alex’ hand when she heard what Courtney said. Kyle got up. But it was someone else who answered. “At least she is not losing her brain like you did!”

Maria stood there with her hands in her hips. Try: Behind her Liz had a grin on her face while she winked at Isabel. The two girls had changed and were wearing their uniforms now.

“Yeah, and this from someone who wears antennas!” Courtney turned, thinking she had won.

“Hey, they are in! And they are sexy! Aren’t they Michael?” The last sentence was spoken with a soft enticing voice.

Michael, not shy, took his chance and grabbed Maria. “Oh yes, sweetie, they are!” And kissed her passionately.

Courtney’s smile faded and anger showed through. She practically pushed Max out of the Crashdown.

Isabel followed them smiling. “I’m just going home to talk to my parents! See you guys later!”

Maria, who was kissing Michael back by now, fell out of her trance and stepped back. They both were breathing heavily.

Kyle stepped between them. “What was that?” He asked Michael.

Michael hid a smile and looked at Kyle. “A kiss.”

Liz giggled. Alex looked at her with his ‘so, you think this is funny?’ look.

“I know what it is, but why did you do it? This is my sister and you’re not going to…”

“Kyle, this is non of your business!” Maria interrupted his tirade. She looked up and smiled shyly at Michael. He smiled back.

“But he isn’t right for you! He just uses girls and lets them fall when he’s finished with them! You’re worth something better!” Now Kyle was talking with Maria, trying to persuade her.

“Kyle!!” Again Maria had her hands in her hips.

He knew this tone. “Ok, make your own mistakes. But don’t come to me when he lets you down, ‘k!?”

“Kyle! A kiss means nothing! We are not even dating!”

“Something we can change!” All turned to look at Michael.

“Guys! As funny as your show is, I think that Maria and Liz have to work now! There are some customers who want to eat!”

Kyle looked at Tess with a big thank you smile.

Liz took Maria’s hand and pulled her behind the counter. “Tess is right. You can fight later. He is your brother and lives at the same place as you!”

Alex laughed and sat down with Kyle, Tess and Michael.

“Why did I even come to work? I should go to the apartment and search for some answers!” Maria whispered to Liz.

“Maria! We already talked about it! We are going together tomorrow after school! Before then we will try to persuade Tess to come with us!”

Maria looked at Liz. Why did she always have to be so rational! “You’re right. Come on, let’s feed the beasts!”

- - - - - - - - - -

Isabel was still laughing when she got home. Max had dropped her here before he went to bring Courtney home.

She went to her room to make her homework. She didn’t know how to talk to her parents about the adoption.

After 15 minutes trying to do her math homework she went downstairs. She could hear her mom and dad in the kitchen.

“Hi mom, hi dad.” Isabel walked directly to the refrigerator to grab some OJ.

“Hey sweetie! How’s school so far?” Her mom was watching her and her dad was reading some journal.

“School’s ok. I made some friends.” Isabel poured some OJ in a glass.

“That is great Izzy!” Her mom smiled warmly at her.

“Mom, dad, can I ask you something?” She looked at her parents. Her dad was watching her now too.

“Sure sweetie!”

“Ahm, when…when you adopted me, were there other babies you could have adopted instead of me or maybe with me?”

Diane Evans was surprised. Not shocked, but surprised. “Isabel, why do you want to know? Why now?”

“Is it possible that I have siblings somewhere? Maybe in Roswell?”

“Isabel…”

“It’s ok Diane. Maybe she should know.” Her father laid the newspaper on the table and watched her intensely. “We didn’t take you out of an orphanage. We were in the clinic because Max was sick. Then Sheriff Valenti came in with three babies he found in this motel out of Roswell. He had them checked out. The babies where born a few hours ago. We saw you some hours later asleep in your bed in the nursery. We instantly fell in love. You were so sweet! We actually don’t know where the other two were gone by then. The sheriff just told us that you somehow seemed to be in danger, the woman who called him had sounded scared, and he separated you for this reason. That’s all we know. A few weeks later we legally adopted you and left Roswell. It seemed safer for you and for us.”

Isabel and her mother had tears in their eyes. Isabel because now she knew for sure that Maria, Tess and she were connected, sisters actually, and Diane because she thought she would loose her baby-girl who she had loved since she first saw her.

“Valenti just wanted us to do one thing. We had to call you Isabella. We choose Isabel to make a change and yet keep the name.” Diane went to hug her daughter. Isabel hugged her mother back.

“Mom, I will always love you and you’ll always be my mom. What ever I’m going to find, my mother, my sisters, you will always be my mom! You bought me my first dress, held me when I did my first step, went through my first love and heartbreak with me and you were there when I fell and cried. I will always love you!”

- - - - - - - - - - -

When Isabel arrived at the Crashdown again Liz and Maria were already closing. She sat beside Alex who smiled his brightest smile at her, making her blush.

“Hey Isabel. Back again?” Tess took a sip of her drink. “Do you think we can talk about what happened yesterday?”

Isabel smiled at Michael and Kyle who were watching them intensely. “Yeah, maybe we should.”

“What happened yesterday?” Kyle looked at Tess now.

Tess smiled innocent. “Ah, we had a little discussion about a girl problem.”

The words alone scared the boys.

Maria and Liz came over. “So what’s up?”

“Tess wants to talk about yesterday.”

They looked at Isabel and then at Tess. “Yeah, maybe we should.”

“This means we’re gone, right Michael?”

“Oh, absolutely!”

Both boys got up. Liz opened the door for them. Kyle kissed Tess goodbye.

Michael pulled Maria away from the rest and took her in his arms. “Do you want to go out with me on Saturday?”

Maria smiled at Michael. “Like a real date? Do I have to wear a skirt?”

Michael laughed. “Yes, a real date, and no, you don’t have to. But you’re free to choose one.”

Maria nodded and kissed him slightly. Then she went back to the others.

Michael followed Kyle but at the door he turned again. “I’m coming by at seven! You better be ready by then!”

Maria stuck her tongue out at him. Then she sat beside Liz at the table. Tess still stood there, trying to find the right words.

“I want to apologize for how I said what I said yesterday. I’m still sure about it but the tone wasn’t right.”

“Tess, we found something this afternoon!” Maria looked at Isabel who was watching Tess.

“I talked to my parents and they said there were two other girls. You two could be these girls! No, you are these girls!!”

“No Isabel, not again and not you!” Tess began to walk around. “Why can’t you two stop with this shit and let me live my life! I like it the way it is!”

Maria got up too. “We know that two women are searching for three little girls. Maybe one of them is our mother!”

“Maria, stop it! I know who my parents are and you know it too!”

“No, you don’t! Why can’t you see it?” Isabel got up with these words and threw her arms in the air, like she always did when she was angry.

With this move some little things began to fly and fall down. Everyone looked at it and then at Isabel. She was shocked.

“What was that? Tell me it wasn’t me!!” She let her arms fall down and looked at Alex.

Maria, Tess and Liz were shocked too.

Then Liz screamed. “What did you do?”

Maria raised her arms to calm everyone down. “Calm down! When we are upset we won’t solve anything!”

Then she looked at Liz and Alex who stood there like statues. Isabel and Tess saw it too.

“Oh my god! What is going on?” All three girls took a step back, afraid of what was going on here.

Liz and Alex began to move again. Then they saw the shock filled faces staring at them. “What?”

“I think I just froze the time!”

“You what?” Now Liz took a step back.

Alex thought about something. Then he said “Maybe, and don’t faint when I say it, but maybe you are witches!”

Isabel and Maria looked at each other then at their hands. “Do you really think this could be? I mean, witches are evil and stuff.”

“Yeah, how can we be witches? They don’t exist!”

“Seems like they do!” Liz had calmed down and thought about what Alex had said and what she had seen.

Tess raised her arms and shook them. Nothing happened. “OK, since you two are and I’m not we can’t be sisters, right?”

“But…” Maria couldn’t believe that.

Tess shook her head and went to take her bag.

“Time to leave for me!” She stumbled and fell on the table. When her hands touched the table she felt strange and suddenly she didn’t see the Crashdown anymore, but an apartment and two women sitting on the couch. A dark guy was there too. As suddenly as the pictures came they disappeared.

“Guy’s I think you’re right!”

Part 9

Now they were all standing in the Crashdown and staring at Tess.

“What?” Maria was the first one to speak again.

Tess was holding the table like her life would depend on it.

“Tess, are you ok? You look like you saw a ghost!” Isabel went to Tess to comfort her.

But Tess took a step back. “No, wait. I saw something but it wasn’t a ghost!” She looked at the others who were staring at her like she was going insane. Maybe she was?

“It was like something that will happen in the future.” She sat down again, afraid.

But so were Maria and Isabel, and Liz and Alex too. They all sat down with Tess and discussed what happened.

Liz, who was the calmest of them, straight away started to analyze what they had seen or done the minutes before. “OK, hm, we saw Isabel making things moving around, Maria said she froze the time and Tess saw something in the future. Right so far?” The others nodded.

“OK. And we think that you three are sisters, right again?” The others nodded again.

“So, we now just have to prove our theory about you three being witches!”

Liz looked at Isabel. “Try to move the glass here!”

Isabel concentrated on the glass, but nothing happened. “I can’t do it anymore!”

“Does this mean you lost your power before you could use it?”

“Shut up, I’m concentrating here!” And with those angry words Isabel moved the glass.

Maria thought about it a moment. “Maybe we need an emotion to turn it on. Like anger for Isabel?” She looked at Liz, who nodded.

“Yeah. And what emotion did you feel before you froze the time?”

“I think she wanted to stop us all from fighting.” Tess looked at Maria.

Maria nodded. She raised her hands and Liz and Alex froze. “Why is it just them? Why don’t you freeze too?” Maria asked Isabel and Tess.

“Maybe it’s because we are witches too. Or because we are sisters.” They waited till Liz and Alex got out of their stare.

“And?” Liz asked.

“You could say it worked. You and Alex froze.” Maria smiled at her.

“Why just me and Liz?”

“We don’t know yet.” The three sisters just shrugged.

Then they looked at Tess. “What?”

“What did you feel before you had your, your premonition?” Liz studied Tess’ face.

Tess looked at her sisters. “I felt fear. I was so scared. And I didn’t like the feelings I got while I had this premonition. I don’t know but I think I got it when I touched the table.”

“Aha, I think I got it.” Isabel looked at the others. “I can move things when I’m angry, Tess gets premonitions when she touches things and Maria can freeze the time when she wants to stop someone from doing something.”

They looked at each other. Liz and Maria had a sparkle in their eyes. Alex knew this meant that Maria enjoyed her powers and Liz was happy to actually know real witches.

Isabel didn’t mind to have these powers. She kinda liked them. She smiled at Alex and he smiled back, telling that he wasn’t scared of her or of what she was.

Tess wasn’t really happy to be a witch. And it meant that her parents had lied to her. What was she going to do now? She took her head in her hands. “What are we going to do now? Our parents lied to us! What am I going to do with Kyle? Oh my god!” She began to cry. Maria laid her arms around Tess and just held her.

Isabel got up. “Maybe we should all go home, sleep and tomorrow we will solve all the problems.”

Tess looked up and nodded. They got up and Maria drove her home. Then she dropped Isabel off and Alex was the last one.

She parked the car before his house. He didn’t get out so Maria looked at him. “Wanna talk?”

“It is kinda strange you know? Ah yes you do! I don’t know. I love you and I was going to like Isabel too and yeah, now you are witches and I don’t know if I ever can live with the thought that real witches exist. Ok, you’re good ones but there will be bad ones too. Or what do you think?”

Maria watched the house through the window. “I haven’t thought about that yet. Maybe it’s best if we visit those women first, we will know more then.” She looked at her friend since kindergarten. “If, if you scared or, what ever, now would be a good time to leave our circle. Isabel, Tess and me have to handle with it, but you and Liz, you can choose!”

Alex let his hand pass over his eyes. “Remember our pact? Friends forever and three days? I would never leave you. So now give me a hug and then I’m going to sleep!” They hugged and Alex got out.

Maria drove home, thinking about what they had found out.  Suddenly a certain someone invaded her thoughts. She smiled. He was so sweet. But what was she going to do now? Could she go out with him when she was a witch? Ah, she was going to sleep and then she would see.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

The kids were unaware of the ‘bird’ that followed them. The raven flew behind the car. Now he knew where they lived. When he was lucky they would show him where the older two witches were. He could kill them all together and all for once destroy the line.

Part 10

The next day at lunchtime Isabel had already done some things with her newfound power. She smiled. Yeah, maybe those powers were useful in real life.

Isabel saw Maria walking in her direction. She waved and Maria smiled back.

“Hey sis. How was your morning? Did you have fun with your …ah…new toy?” Maria sat down and opened her lunch bag.

“Hey! Yeah, I had a lot of fun this morning. You?” Isabel smiled at the thought of what she had done in history.

With a big smile on her face, Maria nodded while she chewed on her sandwich. “Yep. It was really funny to freeze the whole class. They didn’t move for a few minutes. I think my power is growing.”

“Mine too. This is so cool.” Maria and Isabel laughed till Maria got serous again.

“Did you see Tess? I saw her and I think she is taking this really bad.” Maria looked at Isabel questionably.

“Yes, she is. She looks like she's been crying all night.” They were both silent for a few minutes.

“Maria, I forgot to tell you something.” Isabel moved her apple in her