A New Beginning

12

When Michael walked in, Max jumped to his feet. "Where have you been?" he asked sharply… more sharply than he had intended.

Michael didn't answer for a moment. Setting his face, he said, "Gee, Dad, I guess 1 should have called.”

"Michael, this is serious. People are disappearing right and left in this town, and you take off for hours," Max chided.

"Actually, women are disappearing in this town, so I think I'm pretty safe. Plus… news flash… I can take care of myself," Michael said, holding up his hand. "You know, alien-whammy and all that," he added.

His friend was right, Max knew. He immediately regret- ted his tone. And if he knew Michael, things would get worse from here. Some combination of his friend's nature and the difficult childhood he'd spent with a violent drunk named Hank had conditioned Michael's response to disagreemtents.

Max decided to stop the escalating conflict before it got going. "Michael, it's not that…," he began, but his friend waved him off.

"Forget it, Maxwell. I just went for a walk," Michael said. "Next time I'll give you guys a heads up.”

Michael had surprised Max a couple of times in the last two days, but this was the biggest surprise yet. There was something different about Michael, Max thought, consid- ering his friend for a moment. Max saw something in Michael's face, but his friend quickly looked away, study- ing the changes in the room.

Something was bothering Michael. Maybe he and Maria had had a fight. It would not be unusual. In fact, it would be par for the course.

"What happened in here?" Michael asked, before Max could say anything.

Michael surveyed the room and then said, "I mean, what did you guys do in here?”

"Just freshened things up a bit," Isabel said. "It was a little depressing.”

Michael took in the changes. The walls, which had been battered and pitted Sheetrock, were now smooth. Before, the original color had been anybody's guess because of the grime on the faded walls. Now the walls were blue and looked freshly painted. Isabel must have been using her powers.

Looking around the room, Michael took in the rest of the changes. The shelf looked like it had been refinished. The hot plate looked like new, and so did the sink. The beanbag chairs looked new and were no longer held together with duct tape.

Isabel had reattached the television's antenna and cleaned up the set as well.

Michael shook his head. "Way to keep a low profile guys," he said. Then he turned to Max and said, "You allowed this?”

Max was uncomfortable, and it showed on his face.

"Haven't you heard? Max is just a fellow traveler, Michael. He's not making all the rules here," Isabel said.

Michael turned to her and said, "Why did this feel like your work?”

"Oh, lighten up, Michael. We just did something nice for the guy who's letting us stay here," she said.

"Very nice, and we could maybe explain the walls, but how are you going to explain that you reconditioned the appliances?" he asked.

Michael turned back to Max and said, "Well?”

Max put his hands up and said, "I was against it.”

"Well, as long as you lodged a formal protest," Michael said.

"Maybe I went too far on some of it, but we can always change it back before we go," Isabel said.

Michael shrugged and sat down on the floor. He looked at Max and said, "I just want to point out how screwy things have gotten if I am the voice of reason around here.”

Shaking his head, Michael added, "So much for democ- racy. How long before dinner?”

Isabel looked up at the wall, which held a clock with a picture of a cowboy on its face. When they arrived, the clock had been worn and broken. Now it kept perfect time and looked new.

Max knew Michael was right. They had to be more careful.

"Just under an hour and a half," Isabel said.

"What's the game?" Michael asked.

"Fizzbin," Max replied. "Fizz-what?" Michael said.

"We'll explain as we play," Isabel said as she dealt out the cards.

Liz put her last dinner order down in front of the last two of the latecomers. The locals all ate early, Bell explained, but the people who commuted to Pueblo came in later. From what Liz saw, a lot of people commuted to Pueblo. There didn't seem to be much work in this town. She also noted that there wasn't a single woman or girl who came in alone.

They just didn't wander around by themselves in Stonewall. And now Liz knew that it was for a good reason. Someone was preying on the women in town. For a moment, she felt a flash of shame for letting Maria walk to the garage by herself. Liz had been shaken by her vision of Jimmy's future and had been too absorbed in her own thoughts to even think about the danger to Maria. She had felt better when she called Johnny's and the girl who'd answered had said that Maria had arrived fine. Liz had felt even better when Maria had come back with Michael in tow.

Maria came in with a frown on her face, and one look at Michael's face told Liz why. Another fight. Liz had asked, but Maria hadn't wanted to talk about it, and soon enough the dinner rush started.

Jimmy had watched Liz throughout the rest of the shift, but had not said anything to her. Liz was glad for that, then ashamed of herself. She was ashamed that she had avoided looking at him. But she didn't want to see what was in his eyes. She could feel the pain well enough with- out seeing it.

And she didn't want him to see what was in hers.

One of the reasons she had left with Max was so that they could be together and find some semblance of peace. So they could live together without fear… and without shame.

But that was not the only reason. They had also wanted to stop living only for themselves… living only to protect their precious secret. The secret of the alien-ness that had lived inside of Max, Michael, and Isabel. It now lived inside Liz and would probably one day take up residence in Kyle as well. They had left Roswell so they could use their secret and their powers to help other people. Like Tom Joad in The Crapes of Wrath, Liz herself had said. Doing good deeds and avoiding the law.

And she had believed in that idea.

And two days later she was avoiding the gaze of a boy whom she could not help.

Can't or won't? a voice in Liz's head said.

Shame.

There was danger here. Liz could feel it. She had sensed it very clearly when she'd had her vision of Jimmy at his sister's funeral. She had sensed it very strongly when she had seen the room that was not quite a room. And she had heard it in the girl's screams… a lost, terrified sound that she knew would visit her in her dreams for some time.

Whatever had Jessica was going to kill her. And he was very dangerous. No, not he, Liz thought. It's a they. She didn't know how she knew that, but something in the vision told her that it was a they… a very dangerous they.

Liz forced herself to look at Jimmy. He was clearing the last empty table. As if he felt his eyes on her, he turned to return her look a few seconds later. He smiled at her. It was a grim smile that didn't belong on his innocent face.

Liz smiled back. Then she felt something move inside her.

She had been afraid to look at Jimmy before, but she had done it. There was something else Liz was afraid of, very afraid, and it wasn't whoever had Jimmy's sister and the other missing girls in this town.

It was shame. She couldn't face it, and then she knew she didn't have to.

Almost immediately, the cloud started lifting. She walked over to Jimmy and put a hand on his shoulder. Though she was relieved when no visions came, she knew she would face them when they did come… without fear.

Liz knew she had made the right decision.

"Come on, Parker. We've got side work to do," Maria said.

Max saw Liz through the window. He felt a moment of relief when he saw that she was there. He knew his worries were probably baseless. She would be safe inside a crowded diner. He was sure of it. Yet, he was still relieved to see her.

As soon as he did see her, though, he realized that something was wrong. Something was bothering her. Almost as soon as he realized that, she was heading for the door. She was there as he stepped inside.

"Hi," she said, her voice even.

Max leaned down to kiss her and said, "Hi." He couldn't ask her what it was now. That conversation would have to wait until they were alone.

"You guys can sit down over here," Liz said, pointing to a long table near the center of the empty diner.

A woman Max recognized from yesterday came out from the kitchen. A smile appeared on her face, and she said, "Girls, are these your friends?”

Liz and Maria nodded together.

"Well, sit down," the woman said, gesturing to the table.

"I'm Bell," she added when they had all sat.

Liz stepped forward and said, "This is Max, Isabel, Michael, and Kyle," pointing to each one as she spoke their name.

"Pleased to meet you," Bell said.

Then she turned to Liz and Maria and said, "You sit down too.”

Liz started to protest, but Bell shushed her with a wave. Looking at Max, Bell said, "They have been on their feet for nearly twelve hours straight. Best help we've ever had here." As Liz and Maria sat, Bell took out a pad. "Now what can I get you kids?”

After she had taken their order, Bell disappeared into the kitchen. The door shut behind her and drowned out any sounds from the kitchen.

Once Liz was sitting, Max could see that she was tired. Maria, too. They had been working a double shift. Max felt a pang. He had done nothing to help their cause, while Liz and Maria had worked twelve hours in a row. Kyle, too. I'm some leader, he thought.

Then he noticed that Liz kept glancing at the boy from yesterday, the one with Down's syndrome. He was sitting in a booth next to the window, staring out and down trie street. "Do you want to invite him to sit with us?" Max asked Liz.

She shook her head. "I already did. Bell says that he likes to sit by himself at the end of the day and look for his sister.”

"How long has she been gone?" Max asked.

"Almost a week," Liz said. There was something in her voice and face that told Max there was something else, something she wasn't telling him. Instead, she turned to Kyle and asked, "So how was work at Johnny's?”

Kyle and Michael told the girls the same story Max had heard on the walk over.

"So Gomer is dangerous?" Maria asked, when they were finished.

Kyle shrugged and said, "Since Michael had a talk with him, I think he's mostly in danger of wetting himself.”

Though Kyle smiled when he said that, Max could see that their friend had been shaken up by his experience.

"So you did do something worthwhile today, Michael," Maria said.

Michael shrugged at that, and Max could see that he was uncomfortable. It looked like everyone was on edge today. Max was surprised. Stonewall hadn't looked like much of a town… the fact was, it still didn't look like much. But it was definitely dangerous. Women were missing. Crazed tow truck drivers were thrown into fits of jealous rage. Some- thing was going on here. Up until now, Max had thought the biggest danger they faced in Stonewall was being out of money. Max decided that he, Michael, and Isabel would have to keep an eye on the others.

It looked like there was something for him to do here.

A few minutes after Bell had brought their food out, she and Sam emerged from the kitchen with plates for themselves.

Liz and Maria immediately rose and started moving another table to add to theirs so that everyone would be able to sit together.

Pointing to the now larger table, Liz said, "Join us.”

She didn't have to look to know that Max was giving her a look… probably Michael, too. But there were things she needed to know, things that were more important than avoiding other people to keep their secret.

"You sure you want a couple of old farts intruding?" Bell asked.

"Don't be silly, just sit," Liz said.

Bell nodded and said, "Kids, this is my husband, Sam. Sam, these are Liz and Maria's friends.”

Sam gave them a short nod as the older couple sat down to eat.

"So what are you kids doing on the road in that van of yours?" Bell asked.

For a second, no one spoke, and Liz glanced at Max. She saw that the others were doing the same.

Max didn't hesitate further. "We all just graduated from high school. We wanted to see the country and to stay together for a while," he said.

Liz was relieved. It was a good story. It was also true… as far as it went.

Bell turned to Sam and said, "We should have done something like that when we were kids.”

Sam gave a snort but didn't look up from his food.

Turning to the group, she smiled and said, "Sam is not the adventurous type. But I'm glad to see you kids doing what you want. You'll have plenty of time later to settle down into jobs and a normal life.”

Will we? Liz wondered. Will we ever? She watched as Bell reached her fork onto Sam's plate and ate something from it. There was something very familiar and warm about the gesture. Liz was sure that the two did have something together.

Something good. Something normal.

Something that was impossible for the six of them now. Something that was impossible for her; even if she did somehow sever her connection to her half-alien boyfriend, could she find a normal life for herself? In that last three years she had spent countless hours hoping for that normality, but she had been changed by her experience. Even if she could somehow forget every- thing that had happened in the last three years, she was no longer the girl she once was. In fact, she was no longer completely human.

She was no longer normal.

When the changes in her body first showed themselves, she had been scared. Now with her new abilities even more pronounced, she was still scared, but there was something else. She was determined not to let the fear rule her life. Determined that she would do something other than suffer as…

Max's codependant girlfriend, as she had once said to Maria.

She was going to do something to make a difference with the new part of herself. And she was going to start right now.

"Bell, what do you think is going on with the disap- pearances?" Liz asked.

Liz watched a cloud cross Bell's face. She didn't speak for a long moment, and then said, "I really don't know.”

Then she paused again and said, "There have been about a dozen in the last three months.”

"About?" Liz asked. "Doesn't anybody know exactly how many?”

"Well, people don't need a reason to leave this town, a hole-in-the-wall with few jobs anymore. And a lot of people have taken off in the middle of the night over the years. Sometimes they're in trouble, running from the law or their beau. Sometimes they're looking for something that they won't find in Stonewall. And sometimes they don't leave a forwarding address.”

"So some are missing and some are escapees?' Maria asked.

Bell gave them a thin smile and said, "Probably.”

That didn't explain all of it, though, Liz knew. And it definitely didn't explain her vision of Jimmy's future.

"In the last three months, how many of the people who have 'left town' have been guys?" Liz asked.

"None," Bell admitted.

"What do the police say?" Max asked. Liz could sense that Max didn't approve of her interest in the town's strange business, but she was glad that he was helping.

There was silence from Bell for a moment, and then she said, "The sheriff was one of the first ones gone. She disap- peared, and no one has heard from her since.”

A chill ran down Liz's spine as she remembered the room that wasn't a room and the screams. She was sud- denly sure that no one would be hearing from the sheriff ever again.

"The state police don't believe what they're hearing. They think the girls just ran off," Bell said.

"Jimmy said that a few girls turned up later," Liz said.

Bell nodded. "Three more that we thought were miss- ing turned up five days later. They were pretty shook up and didn't remember anything about where they had been. The doctors couldn't find anything wrong with any of them.”

Liz didn't want to ask her next question, but she couldn't back down now. "How long has Jimmy's sister been gone?" she asked anxiously.

"Seven days today," Bell said.

The entire table was silent. To Liz's surprise, it was Sam who broke the silence. "She was a nice girl," he said, and then went back to his food.

Bell nodded. "Actually, she had some wild years, but she always took care of Jimmy. Their parents died when they were young, and they were living with an aunt who doesn't much care about either of them. Jimmy still lives there.”

"Jimmy said she was planning to move to Pueblo with him," Liz said.

Bell nodded. "Yes, she had gotten into a hairdressing school. They were supposed to leave in a few weeks.”

The table went silent for the rest of the meal. Liz found she wasn't hungry, but forced herself to eat. As she did, she found the new thing inside her asserting itself more strongly, pushing aside the fear that she had felt for so long.

And she realized that she knew that new thing's name. It was determination.