Part 10 - Returning Enemies

Valenti watched as the ambulance pulled away, taking Brody to the hospital. He ran his hand over his face and sighed. What a day. He'd managed to cover for his kids again, though. As far as any outsider knew, Michael and Maria had found Brody unconscious, the apparent victim of an attempted robbery (Michael had been more than happy to trash the museum to make it look more convincing), then contacted him. His people were now looking for the intruder, little dreaming that their sheriff had already disintegrated said criminal.

A rueful grin crossed his face. When he promised Max that he'd be there to help the young man, he never dreamt that there would be quite so many opportunities for him to keep his word.

"Well, things certainly never get boring around here," he chuckled to himself.

He saw Alex and Isabel walk up to the museum, hand-in-hand. Good - they were the last of the group to arrive.

"What happened, Sheriff?" Isabel asked with concern as they neared.

"We saw the ambulance," Alex added. "Who was hurt?"

"Brody Davis, but the paramedics say he's going to be fine," Valenti said, heading back inside.

"That's good," Alex muttered as they followed. "I was worried that I'd have to donate some more blood." At Isabel's questioning glance, he quickly added, "Not that I wouldn't be happy to help the Czechoslovakian cause in any way necessary."

"Good to know," Isabel murmured as she leaned over to kiss him.

Valenti hid his grin. Good to see that at least two of the kids were getting things right.

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Ten minutes later, Valenti paused in his explanation of that afternoon's events and looked around the room. Kyle, Tess, Alex, and Isabel were sitting together on a row of plastic chairs. Michael had commandeered the only couch for Maria to rest on as he hovered protectively behind her. She was pale and quiet but otherwise none the worst for her near-death experience. Max was anxiously pacing around the room, replacing alien dummies and pictures of crop circles back where they belonged. Putting the museum back in order seemed to be helping him. Liz was in Brody's office, studying the pentagon carefully, while listening to their discussion.

"So there are still Skins out there?" Kyle asked.

"Seems like," his father answered.

"And they're still hanging around Roswell?" he continued.

"Seems like."

"Right. Just checking." Kyle dropped his head into his hands and groaned.

Tess patted his shoulder supportively. "It could be worse," she said.

"And that would be how exactly?" Alex asked in an inquiring tone.

"Well, we haven't seen Nicholas around," Tess pointed out after a pause.

"Just because we haven't seen him doesn't mean he's not around," Isabel disagreed.

"Let's focus on what we know," Valenti suggested. "Some Skins are still around and interested in you kids, or they wouldn't still be here in Roswell. Nicholas or no Nicholas, we all have to be more cautious now."

"Agreed." Michael's attention was split between watching Maria carefully and keeping an eye on the entrance to Brody's office. "I'm guessing that the Skins aren't going to just sit back and wait for their fifty years to be up."

"So, what's our next course of action?" Isabel was suddenly all-business. If Nicholas and his Skins were planning something, she didn't want to be caught off-guard again.

"How about total panic?" Alex asked hopefully.

"Not terribly helpful, Whitman," came Kyle's muffled voice. Then he looked up. "Although, come to think of it........"

"The mighty human male," Tess said, rolling her eyes. "I feel safer already."

"Tess," Valenti's voice came sharply across the room.

"Sorry," she said meekly, but then stuck her tongue out at Kyle.

Valenti took a deep breath. "Can we possibly stay focused for a minute or two? Evil aliens invading Roswell, remember? Once we decide what to do, I can leave, and you can get back to your fascinating conversation. When I don't have to listen."

"That works for me," Kyle said. Tess nodded her head in agreement. At Valenti's sigh, Maria started to laugh. It was the first sound she'd made since the meeting started, and Michael smiled down at her.

"Okay, here's what we're going to do," Max said.

"Nothing," interrupted Michael.

Max gave him an angry look. "We're going to stick together, try not to go off anywhere alone, and step up our investigations of newcomers to Roswell. Did you have something to add?"

"No." Michael actually didn't seem too interested in Max's decision. "I wasn't arguing. There's not really all that much we can do right now." His voice hardened noticeably. "Once we do find them, that's another story altogether."

"Maria, was this the only thing the Skin was interested in?" Liz appeared in the office doorway holding the pentagon.

"Liz, could you please be careful with that thing?" Michael burst out. "I've already been thrown across a room by that twice. I'd rather not do any more flying today, if you don't mind."

Liz blinked and put the pentagon down. "Sorry, Michael. I wasn't thinking. But I wonder why the Skin would want it? And why did it hurt you but not Max or Isabel?"

"More questions, always questions. Turn in next week to As the Alien Turns for all your answers to those pressing mysteries of life," Alex trumpeted out in his best game show voice.

"It would have been nice to have an instruction manual," Isabel said agreeably. She was moderately surprised at how much she wasn't panicking. Not that she was thrilled about the idea of Skins in Roswell, but she found that she could think about the situation with some objectivity. A few months ago, she would have been totally out of her mind by now. Looking around the room, she realized that it was because she had her friends with her. It was harder to be terrified with them around. Not impossible, mind you, but harder. Alex smiled at her approvingly.

"Actually, we do," Tess reminded them. "We just can't read it."

Valenti broke in. "I'll run heavy duty background checks on any and all newcomers to Roswell, but you'll all have to help with keeping an eye on tourists. Any tourist comes through town with sunglasses and peeling skin, notify me right away." He looked over at Max. "Anything else to add, Max?"

Max looked up at him guiltily. He apparently hadn't been listening. "No, nothing to add." A slow smile spread across his face. "Are you in a rush to leave, Sheriff?"

Now it was Valenti's turn to look uncomfortable, as all eyes turned toward him. "No. I mean, I had somewhere to be tonight, but this is a matter of life and death, so I'll stay as long as it takes to deal with it."

"Someplace to be?" Max looked over at Michael, who had an answering smirk on his face.

"And where would that be, Sheriff?" Michael asked innocently.

Valenti tried to hold on to his dignity. "I'm just meeting someone for dinner, if you must know."

"Someone?"

"And are we sure this someone isn't a Skin? Because they do tend to turn up when you least expect it." Max and Michael seemed to be enjoying themselves.

"You're going out with my mother again, aren't you?" asked Maria. She sighed theatrically. "It's okay, Sheriff. I've accepted it."

"Will you be out late?" Kyle asked with interest.

"No, you may not stay up late watching pay-per-view. And now that you've approved of my dating life, can we return to the point? Are we done discussing our situation?"

Liz called out, "Max, do you think Brody would mind if I borrowed this? I want to study it and see if I can figure out what the Skins wanted it for."

"No, I think that'll be fine. Brody's going to be in the hospital for a few days. We'll just make sure to get it back before he's released."

"Don't bring that thing out here," Michael warned.

"Don't worry," Liz said as she slid the pentagon into her backpack. Zipping the pack shut, she joined the others.

Maria looked up at Michael. It was clear she was trying to tell him something with her eyes. Sighing, he said, "All right." Clearing his throat, he turned to the others. "There's one more thing."

All eyes were now focused on Michael. "When I healed Maria, she saw some things in the connection. Flashes." This was news that surprised them all. Up until now, only Liz among the humans had seen flashes. Looking more and more uncomfortable with what he had to say, Michael nevertheless went on. "She thinks she may have seen a memory from my past life."

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Well, there went Valenti's hopes for a quick departure to his date. He went off to gather chairs for himself and Liz. Max still seemed to prefer pacing to sitting.

"She saw what?" Isabel asked eagerly.

"Things from Michael's past life," Maria replied. "Unless he's been involved in a massacre in a castle or mansion somewhere and just hasn't bothered mentioning it to anyone."

"A massacre?" Kyle's head went back down with another groan.

"Before this conversation goes any further, I'd just like to know, involved in a massacre how?" came Alex's voice.

Michael shrugged. "You tell, Maria. You're the one who saw it."

"Okay." She took a minute to gather her thoughts, then paused. "Kyle, are you okay? You're not hyperventilating over there or anything, are you?"

"No, I'm fine. You just go on with your story." Kyle's voice was muffled.

Tess rolled her eyes as Isabel tried to hide her smile.

"Okay, if you're sure. I saw some memories of times Michael and I were together, then some other stuff from his childhood, before I knew him." Maria hurried past that. Those memories were private, and nobody else's business. "Then, the last thing I saw, I was running down this really long fancy hallway. I don't know where. There were bodies everywhere. And I had this sensation that I was rushing somewhere, that I had to get to someone, but that I was already too late. Of course, it was Michael running, but it felt like it was me. And then I regained consciousness."

Valenti looked at Michael speculatively. "And you don't remember any of that?"

"No," he said shortly.

"Michael, what about your dreams?" Isabel burst out. "Has anything like that ever been in your nightmares?"

Michael looked at her flatly. "And how do you know I have nightmares, Iz?"

Now it was Isabel's turn to look uncomfortable. "Come on, you know full well that I've tried to dreamwalk almost everybody in town at one time or another. Not you, Sheriff," she said quickly. "But I haven't tried yours in years, Michael. It wasn't a very pleasant experience," she finished with a shrug.

"Great," he said, shaking his head. "No, my nightmares are based squarely in my life on Earth. No alien corpses. No strange hallways."

"Maria, could you get any idea of where you were?" asked Max.

"Just a long hallway. There was a door at the end of it. That's all. Sorry."

"Well, what about who Michael was trying to get to?" Max kept asking.

"Nothing more than what I've said."

"Try harder, Maria. We need to know more."

"Max," Michael said in a warning voice. "She's told you everything she remembers."

"Maybe she can remember more if she tries," Max yelled at him. "This is important, Michael. This is the first real hint we've had of what happened to us back then."

"Don't you think I know that? But yelling at her isn't going to make her know something she doesn't know." Michael glared at his friend.

Liz was surprised by Max's sudden outburst. Everyone was staring at him, but not out of amusement or curiosity. It was more like trepidation, waiting to see if he was going to totally lose it.

Before that could happen, Tess stood up and took Max by the arm. "Excuse us just a minute," she said as she dragged him off.

Behind her, Tess could hear Maria trying to calm down Michael. She would probably be successful, too. Michael wouldn't want her upset so soon after she nearly died. When they were at the far end of the room, and had some small measure of privacy, Tess turned to Max. "What is your problem?"

Max just looked at her sullenly. "I don't know what you're talking about. I was just trying to get some information."

"Actually, what you were doing is yelling at your best friend and one of your other friends, who almost died a few hours ago. Have you forgotten that?"

Max looked down at the ground. "No, but what if she remembers something else?"

Tess sighed. "Then she'll tell us, and you know it. But I don't think she will. I think Maria's already told us everything she knows." She looked at Max for a minute. "You know, Max, we're all pretty worried about you." At his look of surprise, she went on. "Really. You've been acting strange ever since Ava."

"Yeah, well none of us was exactly thrilled about her getting killed. I seem to remember that you've had some problems about it, too."

"Of course I have. And nobody's saying you shouldn't be sad about it. We all wish we could have saved her. But pushing away the people who love you isn't going to help anyone, Max." She peered into his eyes. "Hello? Are you listening to me?"

"I'm listening."

"Good. Everyone here in this room is on your side, Max. You need to start trusting us more, and let us in. We can't help you if you keep pushing us away."

"I haven't been doing that," he protested weakly.

"Please. That's all you've been doing. You've pushed away Liz, put distance between yourself and Isabel, and now you're picking a fight with Michael. This is not helpful behavior, Max. What's next, putting out a restraining order on Alex?"

Max found himself smiling. "You know, I think Isabel considered that at one point."

"Good, you're smiling. And you're listening. I'm impressed. Now, are you going to keep up this nonsense? Because I feel that I should warn you that Sheriff Valenti's going to be the next one to talk to you if you keep this up."

Now he actually laughed. "No, that won't be necessary." He sobered up. "It's just overwhelming at times, Tess. Trying to be the leader, trying to keep things all right for everybody."

Tess nodded. "I know. We all understand, Max." She smiled at him brightly. "And just for the record, you're doing a great job. Especially considering the fact that we don't have an instruction book handy."

"Thanks." He looked over at the others. "Okay, let's go back and finish this war council so that Valenti can go on his date."

Michael watched them suspiciously as they returned. Max walked right over to the couch and knelt down in front of Maria. "I'm sorry, Maria. I didn't mean to imply that you weren't telling us everything." He looked up at Michael. "I just wanted to make sure we learned everything from that memory that we could. It's pretty amazing."

"That's okay, Max. Isn't it, Michael?" Maria asked pointedly.

"Sure, not a problem." Michael hurried to change the subject. "If that's all, I think I should get Maria back home. She needs to rest."

Liz and Maria exchanged pleasantly surprised looks. This was a change from Michael's recent behavior. Valenti nodded. "Good idea. Remember, go home. Don't wander off on your own. And let me know instantly if there's anything suspicious."

"Yes, sir," came a chorus of voices. They all left the museum, Michael carrying Maria to her car. Maria noted that Alex and Isabel left together. Very interesting. Maybe she'd overreacted earlier.

Liz was the last one out the door, carefully carrying the alien device the Skin had died trying to steal. Maybe it could help provide them with the key to the Skins' return.

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