CHAPTER 13 (A conventional takedown)

"Hubble, what are you doing here?" Jim asked as he walked over towards an older man wearing a brown jacket. He was surprised to see Everett Hubble here at the annual UFO convention Roswell had every year; no one had seen him in years. They all thought he had just disappeared.

Hubble turned and smiled as he saw Jim walk towards him. "Just checking out the festivities. I have to go but we'll talk later." He tipped his hat in good-bye and left as Deputy Hanson walked up to Jim.

"Who was that?" he asked.

"That Deputy… was a bone fide alien hunter."

*~*~*~*

"I still can't believe that I know real live aliens."

Maria rolled her eyes. She had been hearing Kyle say that for the past few hours. Apparently all of it had just hit him. "Well you do and could you say that just a bit louder, I don't think the Sheriff heard you." Kyle ducked his head.

"Sorry, it's just…you're an alien. I mean, what purpose do you have here on earth?"

She shrugged as they walked towards a display. Kyle thought it would be fun to go and she had nothing better to do. "I don't know Kyle, but right now, I think that my main purpose is to zap your mouth closed so you can no longer talk." Kyle dropped his jaw and stopped walking. Maria turned to look at his stunned face.

"You can do that?" Maria ran a hand over her face and groaned. 'He must have been dropped on the head as a baby.' She shook her head and turned around trying to find the nearest exit.

"I have to leave now, this place is damaging to my health." Kyle nodded and followed her, but as they headed to a door they bumped into Michael who was holding a ladder. "Hey," Maria greeted as Michael kissed her cheek. She looked up to see Amy Guerin hanging a sign over what looked to be a boxing ring. "The alien Takedown?"

Michael flushed a deep red of embarrassment. "Yeah sorry, I tired to get her to call it something else but--"

"It's fine don't worry about it," Maria said with a laugh. Amy stepped off the ladder and smiled at them. "Hi Mrs Guerin."

"Oh hi Maria, and please, call me Amy. Well what do you think?" she asked and Maria pursed her lips together.

All she could say was, "Well it's interesting," and glanced over at Michael and Kyle to see them trying to contain there laughter. Amy left to go and talk to one of the wrestlers and Maria turned to see Max standing at a near by booth. "I'll see you two later, I need to talk to Max." Before she could leave, Michael grabbed her arm and swirled her around to face him. At her confused look her smiled and swooped in for a kiss that lasted mere seconds but felt like hours.

Kyle rolled his eyes at the two. "Could you not do that? I mean really, it's all you two have been doing for the past week." Michael smiled at Maria and whispered 'bye' as she walked away then turned to Kyle and whacked him upside the head.

"Thanks Kyle, ruin the moment." He said shaking his head while going to help his Mom. Kyle stood confused wondering what he did?

*~*~*~*

"Hey Max," Maria greeted leaning on the booth. "What are you doing?"

Max sighed. "I asked Milton for more work, I need to keep my mind off a few things." He bent down to pick up a fallen flyer as Maria smirked.

"Yeah, I wouldn't wanna think about Liz either." She said giving a fake shudder. Max let out a small laugh before a frown crossed his features.

Maria noticed the change and asked him what was wrong. "It's not Liz I've been thinking about." He admitted softly. Maria raised an eyebrow but stayed silent so he could continue. "I've been having…dreams." He whispered.

"Dreams?" she asked not understanding.

Nodding, he continued. "Yeah, dreams. I don't really know who the girl is but--"

Maria interrupted him. "Wait, girl? There's a girl?" she creased her brow and puled back a bit. "These aren't sex dreams are they?" she asked disgusted and Max blushed. "Ah Max, I don't want to hear about your sex fantasies, I mean…you're my brother."

"It's not just about sex Maria, it's more than that. This girl, she keeps telling me that it's our destiny."

Maria stood frozen at those words. Destiny, could the girl in his dreams be the same one that came to her and Alex? "What does she look like?" she asked hesitantly.

Thinking for a moment, Max's face adorned a soft smile that Maria had never seen before. "She was beautiful," he whispered. "She had blond hair and blue eyes. Beautiful blue eyes, and her voice, her voice was…it was…beautiful."

Maria rolled her eyes. "I get it, she was beautiful. Damn Max, aren't you supposed to like, be in love with Liz? Instead here you are, lusting over a dream. You're mental you know that right?"

Glaring at his sister he shook his head. "I'm not mental Maria." He said then turned to her with questioning eyes. "Have you been having any weird dreams lately? Or you now, visions or anything?"

"No," she said then berated herself for answering so quickly. She glanced at Max who looked as though he didn't believe her but was willing to let it go. She breathed a sigh of relief when he changed the subject but told herself that she needed to have a word with Alex later.

"So what should I do?"

Maria shrugged. "I don't know, think about Mud instead. Every time you get that urge to think about some transparent figure, think about Mud."

"Shouldn't I think about Liz?" he asked confused.

Shaking her head, Maria pushed herself of the booth. "No, I'd stick with Mud." She ignored the disapproving look Max sent her and headed off. As she looked around the museum she spotted Amy Guerin over by the ring she set up, crying while speaking with someone on the phone. Curiosity got the better of her and she had to go and see what was up. As she neared the woman, the cries became louder.

"No Elaine, you cannot do this to me. You said that you would come and do this and now you're backing out. How could you? You know how much this thing means to me." Maria watched as Amy wiped her tears away while listening to the other person on the end of the line speak then hang up. "The nerve of that woman? God, now what am I going to do?" she said as she placed her head in one hand. Maria couldn't help but feel sorry for the woman.

"Mrs. Guerin?" Maria asked as she approached her from behind. Amy jumped slightly and turned, trying to smile at her.

"Amy, please. What can I do for you?" Maria cringed as she looked at Amy, then at the ring, then back to Amy and knew that she would regret this later, but because she was Michael's mother, and after all that Michael had done for her, that she would suffer the humiliation. It was the least she could do.

*~*~*~*

"Hello sir, how may I help you?" Max asked politely as an elderly man approached the information booth.

The man took of his hat and smiled. "Well…" he looked at the nametag then back up, "Max, I'm Everett Hubble and I was just after some information about something that happened here a few months ago." Max nodded and the man continued. "There was a shooting over at the Crashdown was their not? In addition, a girl was supposedly shot but then wasn't and it was reported that there was a silver hand print on her stomach."

Max gulped and tried not to appear nervous. Where had this man heard of the handprint? Liz had told him that Kyle had seen it so maybe Valenti had put it in a report. However, how would this man have seen it? "There was a shooting but I don't know anything about a handprint."

Hubble smirked at Max. "The girl who was shot is your girlfriend isn't she."

"She's not my girlfriend and I don't see how that is any of your business. All that happened was that a fight got out of hand and a shot was fired. Liz fell and spilt ketchup on herself. That's all." Max told him. Hubble narrowed his eyes at Max before putting his hat back on and smiling.

"Oh well, if that's all that happened then I believe you. Its just conventions like these bring a lot of weirdos out who like to trade stories." He leant on the booth and pointed to a man who Max remembered as being in the Crashdown the day of the shooting. "You see him?" Max nodded. "Well he's the one who told me all of this. He said that a girl was shot, then you went over and healed her."

Hubble watched as Max, looked worryingly in the direction of the man and smiled internally. He had heard from the guy that Max was at the Crashdown and miraculously healed Liz Parker the day she was shot. Hubble then hacked into the police files and saw that Jim Valenti had recorded evidence that he had heard from a witness, that Liz had a silver hand print of her stomach. Much like the ones he had witnessed on many bodies before arriving back in Roswell. Many dead bodies that is.

"But that's ridiculous right?" he said with a chuckle. "You're not some kind of alien are you?"

Max shook his head. "No Sir. Just a normal teenage boy." Hubble smiled and nodded and Max suddenly remembered something. "Wait, did you say your name was Everett Hubble?" Hubble nodded confused. "Milton, my boss wanted me to find and ask you if you would consider speaking in our round table discussion."

Cocking his head to the side, Hubble finally nodded. "Why not. I have a slight problem though. My car broke down and I have all my findings and such at the hotel I'm staying at and well, I can't very well discuss if I don't have evidence to back it up with."

Max chuckled and nodded in agreement. "Yeah I guess not. I could take you. I have a jeep that could get us there in time."

Hubble let out a sly smile. "I was hoping you'd say that. Meet me out front in an hour and we'll head out." Max nodded and Hubble walked away. He was finally going to get the alien who killed his wife.

Sheriff Valenti had watched the two converse with much interest, wondering why Hubble would be talking to Max and made a mental note to follow him.

*~*~*~*

Isabel knocked nervously on Alex's front door and waited until he answered. She had not really spoken to him since that night when they stargazed for hours together. She smiled at the memory. Waking up this morning she had decided that instead of waiting for him to go to her, she would have to go to him. She had left messages but he still hadn't called and finally got frustrated enough to go and see him in person. She stepped back as Alex answered the door.

"Hey," he greeted and moved aside to let her pass. They walked into the kitchen and he offered her a drink, which she declined. "So what do you want?" he asked.

Isabel was taken aback at his tone and wondered if something was wrong. "I just wanted to see you, we haven't really spoken since the camp and you haven't been returning my calls so…" she trailed off.

Sighing, Alex walked over to the kitchen table and sat across from her. He didn't want to have to do this but he knew he had to. He had to sort out all of his current issues before he could properly enter anything with her. He wanted more than anything to be with her but it had to be perfect. She deserved perfect and at the moment he just couldn't give it.

"Isabel, I need you to stop ok? I need you to stop with the phone calls and the impromptu house calls. I need space. I need you to give me some space. I am going through some things right now and need to deal with them alone, with out you hanging around me."

Isabel pursed her lips together and willed the tears pooling in her eyes to go away.  "So I'm suffocating you?" she whispered. "I'm sorry, I'll leave you alone."

Opening his mouth to speak, Alex found that no words could come out as he watched Isabel run out of the house and down the footpath. It may not have seemed like it but it hurt him to say it as much as it hurt her to hear it. He stood and walked over to the sink and poured himself a glass of water. As he raised it to his lips he was bombarded with a flash.

FLASH

"Treyan, there you are. I have been looking for you everywhere." A beautiful blond said as she walked into a bedroom. A man looking similar to Alex turned around with a sly smile on his face.

"You have?" the woman nodded, sending her curls flying. "Well then Ziera, I should make it up to you then huh? After all, I wasn't where I was supposed to be." He walked towards Ziera and grabbed her waist bringing her body to his in a warm embrace as they kissed passionately.

They pull apart and Ziera mated her forehead to his. "Father says that he wants us to set a date for the wedding." Treyan smiled, not hearing the sad tone her voice took and kissed her softly on the cheek.

"Let's make it soon," he whispered in her ear, unaware of the pained look that adorned her features.

END FLASH

Alex was brought out of the moment when he felt the glass slip from his hands and shatter all over the floor. He leaned on the sink and tried to get his breathing under control. Seeing that flash had been almost like he actually experienced it once. Like that he was actually there in that room with the two people. However, what scared him the most was that the two figures, looked just like him and Maria. He shook his head and bent down to clean the glass off the floor.

"That sweat thing must have fried my brain."

*~*~*~*

Michael winced as he saw the female wrestlers – well one in fact, beat the other into the ground then sit on her. "That has got to hurt," he mused and Kyle nodded.

"Yeah, poor Elaine, I thought your mom said she was good."

Smiling, Amy walked over to her son after hearing their conversation. "Actually boys, Elaine called and cancelled. If it wasn't for that woman in the ring right now, this match wouldn't happen and we would be out a lot of money right now. Lucky for us she overheard me."

"So who's in there getting their ass kicked?" Michael asked his mother.

Kyle tapped Michael on the shoulder. "You mean, who has finished getting their ass kicked."

Michael looked towards the stage then headed up the stairs to thank whoever it was that helped his mother. He lifted the mask and let out a shocked gasp. "Maria?" Maria slowly opened her eyes and coughed a little. "Maria?" Michael asked again.

"Hey Michael," she answered softly as to not move since every bone in her body hurt too much. Michael so owed her for doing this.

Glancing over her body with a sly smile, Michael winked at her. "You look really sexy in Lycra."

Maria hit him in the arm and laughed. "Shut up."  She then placed her arm back on the mat and cringed when it started to throb.

"Thank you," Michael said as he leaned over and kissed her softly on the lips. "You have no idea how much it means to my mom that you did this," he said then whispered, "And to me." Maria smiled up at him then, risking further pain, she brought her hand up to caress his cheek as she lifted her head to once again meet his lips with hers. Just as Michael started to get into the kiss she pulled back and he tried to suppress his groan of disappointment.

Maria narrowed her eyes at her boyfriend then at Kyle who was standing beside them with a look of amusement on his face. "If either of you tell anyone about this, I will kill you," she said with so much seriousness that it made Kyle want to step back from the small girl. She then turned her eyes back to Michael and pouted. "And you owe me big time buddy."

Michael nodded then trailed his fingers over her waist and up until they reached her neck where he touched the love bite he had given her earlier that day. "Oh yeah?" Maria nodded and Michael dipped his head for a chaste kiss. "I think that can be arranged," he said huskily and Maria licked her lips in anticipation for another kiss. Kyle rolled his eyes from where he stood and thanked Alex who had walked over and interrupted the two lying on the floor.

Deciding that he couldn't sit at home and think about that flash anymore, Alex thought that he'd go and talk to Max about it. Not that he'd been having flashes of his sister, but of some unknown chick. As he neared the ring that held the wrestling match, he raised his eyebrow and tried to bite back his laughter when he saw Maria lying on the ground in what looked like a wresting outfit looking worn out. "Hey guys," he said and laughed as Maria groaned and covered her face with her hands. "So…wrestling huh?" he couldn't resist teasing her.

Maria glared at him and hid her face in Michael's neck. Alex managed to calm down then looked around the center. "Have any of you see Max?"

"He left with that Hubble guy," Came Maria's muffled voice from Michael's neck. She raised her head to look at him. "He said that Milton wanted him for the round table thingy and Hubble's car was broken or something so Max offered to take him to get his papers and stuff."

"Oh," Alex said with a strange expression on his face and Maria questioned him about it. "It's probably nothing but I just get this weird feeling, I'm going to go and check on them. Do you know where they were going?" Maria nodded and told him they were going to Bitter Lake. Alex said his goodbyes then left the center to go in search for his 'brother'. Maria sat up and Michael noticed the worried expression that had crossed her face.

"Don't worry babe, I'm sure they'll be fine." Maria nodded and welcomed his arms as they came to rest around her waist. She just hoped that Michael was right.

*~*~*~*

Max stood in shock as Hubble took out his gun and pointed it towards him. "You killed my woman and my unborn child so now I kill you."

"I don't know what you're talking about. I wasn't even alive in 1959. I am not an alien and I haven't killed anyone." Max yelled and tried not to show how scared he really was. "Please Mr, just put the gun away, I'm not who you think I am."

Hubble laughed and cocked the gun. "Don't even think about playing that card. I know you killed her and my child and now you will pay." As he brought the gun up to shoot Max, Valenti appeared with his gun in his hand just as Alex too turned up in his car.

"Hubble put the gun down," Jim yelled and Alex walked over to Max.

"No," Hubble yelled back. "He deserves to die." Jim saw that he was about to shoot Max and so going against his better judgment, shot Hubble in the chest and watched him fall to the ground dead. He sighed, placed his gun back in its holder on his waist, and turned to Max.

"Mind telling me what this was all about?"

Max glanced at Alex before turning back to Jim and putting on an innocent yet sad face. "He thinks that in 1959 I killed his girlfriend and child but I didn't. I have no idea what it was that you told him about me sheriff, but you're wrong. I am just a teenager. Just someone who wants to do well in school so I can go to a good college and become a doctor. I am not some alien out to rid the world of humans. God, would you treat your son this way?" Jim shook his head, feeling guilty.

"No I wouldn't and I'm sorry. You two had better leave so I can figure out what I am going to say." He said then started to walk towards Hubble's body.

Alex clapped Max on the back as the two headed towards their cars. "You should look up a career in acting." Max laughed. "Oh and hey, we should go back to the convention center, I think I got Maria all worried." Max nodded and the two headed back to Roswell.

When they finally reached the center Maria was standing outside in Michael's arms with a look of relief on her face. "What happened?" she asked as she went to hug her brother.

Max smiled and slung his hand over her shoulder. "I'll tell you about it later, right now I just want to go home and sleep." Maria nodded then went back inside to help Michael and his mother clean up there area. Alex turned to Max.

"Hey Max, Can I talk to you?" Max nodded. "Well, I've been having these flashes…"

TBC…..