"No need to worry about the traffic." Max smiled. "We'll be there half an hour early."
Liz laughed. "So we have thirty minutes to kill... I can think of a few ways. It would have been tougher to sneak away halfway through sixth period."
"Yeah."
There was a pause, and then Max started to say "Well, we can-" just as Liz blurted out "I didn't..." and it was one of those awkward pauses where each of them waited too long for the other to start again.
"Um, you first," Max mumbled.
"No, I didn't mean to interrupt."
"I insist," Max said, and Liz smiled and tried to re-board her train of thought.
"I didn't come just because you asked." Liz rolled her eyes in self-directed frustration. "That doesn't make any sense. I mean... I know that I've been acting distant, lately, but it wasn't just because you suggested this concert that I wanted to... to do something with you, right now. It was a nice idea, and the offer helped me keep some stuff straight and settle overdue business, but I'd have been with you tonight even if you didn't have concert ticket... if you wanted to be with me, that is." She sighed. "That didn't come out the way I planned, but I'm glad I said it."
"I think I know what you mean," Max said, "and I'm glad to hear it." He paused. "I'm trying to decide how much I should read into it, actually."
"It should be a question of how to read it instead of just how much, I think," Liz said. "What I'm doing here... it isn't tentative. I want to start slowly, but never the sort of slow that could lead to standing still. We've got too far to go for that."
Max grinned. "Well, if it wouldn't be moving too fast, I would say we should seal this with a kiss. What do you say?"
Liz nodded, beaming. "Definitely. Umm - pull over." And so Max manoeuvred the jeep over to the shoulder of the road, parked, and turned to Liz. For a second it was awkward, as they took their seatbelts off and he slipped his arms around hers, but then their lips met, and it was a perfect moment... tender and sweet, innocent yet hinting at the depth of the love that they felt for each other. Right now, the hint was enough.
"Umm... was there something you were trying to say, when we both spoke at the same time?" Liz asked once the kiss was finished.
"Umm... just that we can hang around and talk until the show starts," Max stuttered. "Nothing very important, as I said."
Liz was tempted to joke about how 'they could find something better to pass the time than that,' but kept quiet instead, as Max buckled in and started the engine back up. Spending that much time making out didn't seem like the best way to 'start slow,' and they did need to talk more. A rift had been created between them since last spring, one that had not closed entirely. Most of their conversation on the drive over had not gotten past the 'small talk' level, and maybe now they could get to something a little more relevant. Figure out where each of the two of them had gotten to, while the other hadn't been looking.
Liz spotted a sign on the side of the road as they sped past. "Welcome to Santa Fe. Gusty winds may exist." For some reason, a rough drawing of the front half of a scampering cat had been graffitied in beneath.
#
Michael put down his bowl of cereal and got up to see who was knocking, not turning off the miniature TV screen. As soon as the door was half open, Alex barged straight through and past him. "Come on in," Michael muttered. "What's up?"
"Nothing, nothing at all."
"Well, I was kinda watching the game, so if you've got something on your mind..." Alex, who had already paced to the far side of the living room and half the way back, reached out to grab the remote from the kitchen counter, clicked the television off, and spun round to face Michael.
"Do you have any idea what you've done to Maria?" Alex said.
Michael frowned. "Yes, as it happens, I do. What I'm not clear on, you being her friend notwithstanding, is where this is actually any of your business! It's a lousy situation, but it's between Maria and me..."
"Look, I don't care that you've got thirty pounds on me - or that you can kill me with some twisted alien power just by looking at me," Alex flared back. "I will not let you treat my friend like that. I don't care that Isabel treats me like crap, but no one does that to Maria, alright? As one of her best friends, I think I'm entitled to the 'you break her heart, I kick your ass' clause."
"It wasn't like I planned for things to go down this way..." Michael started. Unfortunately, just at that moment there was another tap at the door.
Alex and Michael both looked over to see a blonde girl wearing a dark blue top that was buttoned up only over her cleavage. "Knock knock," she called out in a flirty voice. Courtney.
Michael was so stunned by the immensely bad timing that he didn't see it coming. Alex must have wound up pretty hard, but all Michael remembered was the stinging impact, landing immediately around his left eye, and strong enough to send him flying back on his ass. "Oww!" He winced at the pain in his face, propped himself up on his hands, and looked up to see Courtney with an amused expression on her face, and Alex shaking out his right hand in an attempt to ward off the pain that the blow had cost him. It made Michael feel better on some level to see that throwing that punch had caused Alex some hurt too.
Michael prodded gently at his cheek with one finger, gritted his teeth at the discomfort that generated, and shook his head Alex. "You realize that you just risked your life?" he asked in a low whisper.
"Yeah," Alex grunted, now cradling his right hand gently in the other one.
"You're a really good friend, man," Michael said in admiration. He had intended it as an apology, but it was immediately obvious that he'd picked the wrong words.
"Call me that again," Alex growled, "and I will really kick your ass!" He pointed with his sore hand at Michael for emphasis, and then hurried out, passing Courtney without a word and closing the door behind him.
Courtney crossed the living room and squatted next to where Michael was sitting on the floor. "Are you okay?" she asked, peering critically at the part of his face around the injured eye.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Michael grumbled, and she extended a helpful arm above his lap. Michael took hold of it and manoeuvred himself to a kneeling position... and then he completely forgot about getting up. He was looking directly at Courtney's face, just inches away from him... caught by the teasing look in her pale blue eyes, noticing how her straight pale hair framed smooth and rosy cheeks - trying to shake off the tempting fullness of her lips.
The things that Maria had said to him after he broke up with her were running through Michael's mind... was he really obsessed with Courtney because he thought she was another alien? Suddenly the urge to feel those lips again was irresistible. She leaned in at the same moment as he did, and their mouths met. As she kissed him back, Courtney stood up, slowly to let Michael follow her motion, and wrapped her arms around his neck. They spun around together, like two lonely planets caught in each other's orbit.
Michael stiffened and drew back a little, watching Courtney's face intently. There was a secret smile of triumph peeking out in those supple lips. Did he really want to be making out with the other woman so soon after splitting up with Maria?
Courtney made a small, nonverbal complaining sound, and Michael stroked the top of her wrist under her long-sleeved blue top, a soothing gesture meant to buy him time until he could decide just what he wanted. But he wasn't the surface he stroked to come off under his fingers.
Michael pulled his hand back, and the stuff came away with it... a pale, yellowish-white film, thinner than tissue paper and curling up around the edges. He had seen one of these before... it hadn't been as fresh and had disintegrated with his touch, but there was no mistaking the similarity.
"You're a skin?" he asked, not sure whether to be furious or excited.
Courtney reacted quickly... pushing him away, still with that teasing smile, and dashing down the length of the living room. Michael could hardly believe how quickly she could go from zero to breakneck speed, but he had enough presence of mind to stretch out one hand and try to pull her off course. Too late he saw the cloud of rose-purple light that trailed Courtney's departure, and felt his burst of energy skew to the side, punching a large crater in the plaster wall.
Michael could only stare in surprise as she launched herself at the window, shattering the glass and breaking the wooden struts as she crashed through. Michael dashed towards the window, but he could hear her footsteps fading away, and knew that there was no hope of catching her this time.
Maybe the skins were different in their physical capacities, Michael thought as he stood there. What Courtney had done would have made her a national-level sprinter, maybe Olympic class, and he suddenly doubted that was unusual for her kind. Were they stronger than humans - or hybrids - as well? What about their 'alien powers?' None of the four of them could create a defensive field like Courtney had just done... well, none of them had so far. They hadn't ever thought to try.
With nothing else to do right away, Michael picked up the remote and turned the television on again. Then he turned it off and grabbed the phone, dialling the number for the Valentis. Max was off at the concert, and Isabel would be coming back with him, late tonight. But Tess should hear the news as soon as possible.
#
Liz stood up in the passenger seat, holding on carefully to the door and the windshield, and let out a wild and carefree 'Whooo!' She looked around, down at Max, who smiled slightly and shook his head a little, and Liz felt compelled to add to her wild exclamation to make up for Max's composure. "Yeah, all right!" That seemed to do the job, and she resumed her seat, grinning like a maniac at the young man she thought of as her soul mate. "I'm a little worried about you, Max, acting so quiet and reserved at a show like that. You should be exuberant - I'm exuberant, aren't I?"
"That you are, and more," Max said. "Come to think of it, you're acting a little bit like you're drunk, Liz. You didn't... at the show -" He couldn't even bring himself to say it.
A line popped into Liz's head, and she would probably never get another chance to say it. "That's not alcohol, baby... That's love!"
It got a laugh out of Max, at least... a long and wholehearted laugh that made Liz smile just to hear it. "Well, he laughs - that's a good sign at least. Can I get a 'Whoo'?" No response other than a bit of a sidelong look from Max. "Can I get a 'Whooo'?"
"Whooo," Max said, putting no emphasis into it.
"I can't hear you!" Liz shot back, really getting into the silliness now. "Okay, well, I could, because I was sitting right next to you, but still... that was pathetic. Can I get a 'Whhoooo'?"
Max shook his head, laughing under his breath, and let out a wild whoop that seemed almost musical. Liz giggled and nodded approvingly. "Okay, didn't that feel good?"
"Not bad," Max admitted. "Whooo-hooh!" He chuckled. "Thanks. It takes a bit for me to unwind, as you might have noticed."
"Just kind of occasionally... or, like, always," Liz quipped. "So, how far is it to this place, anyway?"
"Umm..." Max peered at the odometer. "It should be only a few miles more... oh, right, there's the turnoff." Sure enough, there was a sign marking the place where they could turn off from the state highway to a smaller, rougher, and more dimly lit local road. "Umm... I realize that you might not want to talk about this right now, but there's the question of what we do, exactly... about Tess, given everything-"
"Um..." Liz paused to try to put her thoughts in order. "I don't think it's a good idea to rub her nose in the fact that we've gotten back together right away," she said slowly. "I realize that in a perfect world, we shouldn't have to worry so much about her feelings that we tiptoe around the subject, but New Mexico isn't in a perfect world. She's still invested in her idea of you being her destiny, and I don't think I want to upset her. She's a part of your family, and as callous as this sounds, you'll probably need her help in one of the next crises to hit."
Max thought for a moment. "That's... probably better than what I was about to say," he admitted. "I don't like having to hide my true feelings or watch what I say to avoid pissing her off, but you're probably right about the delicacy of the situation. Maybe we could try doing something subtle to feel her out about her reaction?"
"I'm not sure it's the best time for that just now, but we can watch for an opening."
"Why wouldn't this be the best time?" Max asked. "Is there something that you expect to change over the next few weeks? Or maybe... something that's already changing?"
"I probably shouldn't say anything about it yet," Liz whispered.
"In other words, 'yes,'" Max said. "Well, I can live with the secret for a bit. Okay, time for a new subject I guess, something completely low angst, umm..." He paused in thought for a long moment, and then asked her about a news story he'd seen about analyzing Beethoven's hair to figure out if the great composer had died of lead poisoning, which Liz hadn't heard about. She asked him questions until they arrived at Rencona. Liz handed Max a small slip of paper from the glove compartment, which he was able to use to find the doctor's office where he was supposed to pick Isabel up.
"She's probably waiting inside," Max said, undoing his belt and getting out of the Jeep. "I'll go get her."
"Wait a second," Liz said, leaving the vehicle herself. "I, umm..." He turned to see what the problem was, and Liz ran over to him, wrapping her arms around his chest and kissing him quickly, pressing her tongue between Max's lips.
"Wow," Max stammered once she was through with him.
"I just wanted to do that before..."
"Before we weren't alone together any longer?" Max finished, and she blush-smiled. "A truly excellent idea, I have to say. Umm - I'm going to have to get some sleep once we finally get back to Roswell, but... do you want to do something else this weekend? Late tomorrow afternoon maybe?"
Liz thought. "Yeah... in fact, this may not be what you had in mind, but do you want to go out to Hondo to see a fortune teller?"
Max's face showed his surprise. "No, actually, I'd planned to stick in town. What made you think of that?"
" I can't really explain the whole thing, but there's this place, Madam Vivian's, that Maria showed me, and - well, I was going to go anyway. If you'd like to come, I'll appreciate the company, but if not..."
"I will be there," he promised, kissing her one more time, more chastely, and then hurried off to the office door.
#
"Max, you can barely keep your eyes open," Isabel said. "Pull over and you can come back here and try to get some sleep. I'll take a turn driving, and Liz and I can get some girl talk in."
"I'm not ti..." Max didn't even get the word 'tired' out because of a really loud and clear yawn. "Okay, guess I can't say that I'm not kind of sleepy." He turned to Liz. "You don't mind?"
"Nah, are you kidding?" She giggled. "We've been on this date for twelve hours now! If you want to go and take a rest, by all means go ahead, I'm not offended or anything." Max smiled.
"Well, there's a Lottaburger two miles down the road," Max suggested. "We can pull in there, switch seats and you can grab some food or a coffee if you want." He yawned again. "Nothing for me I guess, if I'm going to try to get any sleep."
So Max and Isabel switched places and she continued back down the highway to Roswell. Max was curled up in one of the back seats, his eyes closed though it was hard for Liz to tell if he was asleep already or only trying (or maybe faking it,) and the girls had gotten coffees and an order of onion rings to share, and there was a small cheeseburger still wrapped up that Liz might tackle later on.
"So, what's been going on at home while I've been gone?" Isabel asked. "I called Max a few times, but he never seemed that talkative, and I felt too weird to call anyone else collect."
Liz laughed. "Well, it's been a weird week for me, for reasons that I don't want to get into at the moment." She sighed. "And Michael and Maria have been having problems too. He was trying to investigate that waitress girl Courtney, and Maria didn't like or trust some of his 'tactics.'" Liz shook her head sadly. "I hope they work it out."
Isabel shook her head. "The poor boy can't seem to manage any kind of a relationship without constant cue cards."
Liz stifled a snicker. "And... Alex has been out of sorts too. Missing you, I think."
She caught a hint of blush on Isabel's face as they went past a highway lamp. "Well... I've been thinking about him too, and about the way I left things. But the situation with Alex and me is complicated, and I think I'd thank you not to butt into our business."
"I wasn't trying to," Liz said. "That comment just kind of slipped out, and I wasn't going to take it any further." She hoped that Alex and Isabel would find their way back together too, though.
"So," she said, trying to change the subject. "Are you going to have a whole bunch of catch-up work when you get back to school, or did your teachers give you a heads up on the material to study while you were on candy striper duty?"
Isabel snorted. "Candy striper? Well anyway, I got a study guide for one or two of my classes, and I was kind of ahead on schoolwork anyway. It shouldn't take too long to sort things out." She sighed.
#
"This is it?" Max asked as Liz pulled into the parking lot next to the small building. Despite the neon signs in front, turned off in the daytime, it looked like nothing but a run-down three bedroom house.
"Yeah," Liz agreed. "Why, were you expecting something... flashier?"
"Not really." Max paused a moment. "I guess I'm just having a bit of trouble seeing you as someone who'd actually want to go and consult a psychic."
She shrugged. "Live with it." A sunny and playful grin followed those words. "You don't really mind coming, do you?"
"Nah, not since you drove," Max quipped. "I mean, I don't really understand it, but... just spending time with you is amazing, no matter how silly I think the activity is."
"Um, cool I guess." Liz got out too and slipped Max a quick kiss. "Okay... how about we pretend like we're strangers, and see if Madam Vivian can tell that we're really a couple if we come in separately?" That sounded like fun... it was also a way to make sure that Max wouldn't come in with her, because she wasn't sure she wanted him to hear.
"All right. You want to go in first?"
"Okay." There wasn't anyone in the waiting room, and the last customer came out before Max walked in. Madam Viv put the cards away and folded her arms as soon as she saw Liz.
"I have a policy of no repeat readings within three weeks for new customers."
Liz blinked in surprise. "Come on, this is important! I drove half an hour on four hours' sleep last night - you have to give me another go! "
Vivian seemed dubious. "Why? I mean, it's not like I gave you a bad reading the other day. Why can't you just be satisfied with it?"
"Umm..." Liz shook her head, sitting down, even though Vivian hadn't asked her to and seemed not to appreciate it. "This may sound confusing, but I know what that last reading was about, and things have changed. I mean, it's possible to change someone's future, isn't it?"
Vivian thought about that. "Yes, but it's not easy or common. How can you be sure that your fate has changed... maybe you didn't even understand the ultimate course of destiny yourself."
"I guess I can't be sure, but call it a strong hunch," Liz said. "Come on, I'll pay you triple the usual fee, with no refunds. Just give it your best shot; I'd really like to know what your cards say."
"Okay, if you're sure. But, even if nothing fundamental has changed, the reading won't be the same as it was before - it never is. The cards will tell you about some different aspect of your situation or problem. Most people don't understand that, which is why I have the policy."
"I think I know what you mean," Liz said. "All right?" She peeled out the bills and set them down, then reached out to touch the deck of tarot cards when Vivian offered them. Liz couldn't seem to stop staring at the cards as Vivian shuffled them, and then started to deal out in a pattern that she remembered from before. "Okay, there's your significator, the Princess of swords, in the second pile, which means that this is an air reading, a thinking problem. Last time it came up water, for an emotional reading." She set the deck down for a moment and snatched Liz's money, stuffing it into a pocket of her long black dress.
"Okay, go on," Liz muttered. A transition from the domain of emotions to the realm of logical thought made sense... she had dealt with Future Max, not just by trusting her heart, but by trusting her head and figuring out the logic of the situation. But she had to wait for more to figure out if this divination stuff was actually relevant or a bunch of nonsense.
"Covering the princess, representing the root of the issue you wanted to consult the ethers about..." she dealt out the next card and placed it squarely on top of Liz's significator, having cleared the others away first. It looked to Liz like a compass surrounded by clouds and fantasy beasts. "The wheel of fortune, representing destiny." Liz gasped in shock. "The way that the threads of lives weave about you, a turning point altering the course of events. Given your sense of change, and the way you were concerned about the last reading suddenly not applying any more, I can't say I'm surprised that this is your primary factor, your present environment. The cards understand what you want to ask."
"Okay," Liz said, a little doubtfully. Despite the term that Vivian had used, this didn't seem to represent what she'd feared at first... maybe it was even relevant in the way she said. On the other hand, as a working psychic she had to be very good at gauging what her client wanted to hear and slanting her interpretations to reflect that, (if not to accommodate it necessarily.)
"Next... crossing the wheel is the nine of swords, representing guilt or anguish. You are worried... about something that you've done perhaps? Some way that you tried to change the course of the wheel, to impose your own vision on the future?" Liz carefully kept her face as neutral as possible.
"In your foundation... the king of cups. Now that's interesting! I recognize him from your last reading, where he was in your future, the leader who chose love with you - the man you were going to marry. Here he is instead your root cause, the deep unconscious influence that permeates everything you brood about. I imagine you have quite a complicated history with him."
"That card showing up there, instead of my future or somewhere else in the reading - is that bad?" Liz had to ask.
"It's hard to say until the spread is complete. That he lands here indicates that he is part of your soul, but he may or not be part of your future. Should I continue on?" Liz nodded, and the next card was dealt to the left of the initial formation. "In your past... is the hermit. Another major Arcanum, which will certainly have a strong influence. Normally, he represents introspection and guidance, but landing here, and inverted..." She looked up at Liz, startled. "There's an alternate interpretation of the origin of this card that it is Chronos bearing the hourglass of time. Maybe someone did change history. Someone or something that could... step outside history as we know it, who relates to time in a different way than we do."
Liz was starting to get spooked. "You... are you serious?"
"I think so - why? It's not how I'd normally interpret that card, just something that kind of popped into my head."
"Keep going," Liz insisted.
"Crowning you, representing your attitudes, your goal... well, no big surprise here, it's the nine of cups. Represents achieving a goal or obtaining your heart's desire, which is almost redundant in the topmost position of the cross. More specifically, it can represent getting results that you have hoped for... or making love." Liz blushed. "In your future position, the three of coins... teamwork, functioning well as a unit, getting a job done competently through co-operation."
"That's nice to know," Liz muttered. Now, as last time, Vivian moved to the side of the 'cross' of cards that had been laid out on the table.
"The card representing you at the base of the 'staff' is the tower, which fits with what you said, and the wheel of fortune indicated, about being in turmoil since you saw me last. You have gone through a sudden change and all of your plans have been disrupted, possibly made at least one very emotional outburst lately. Things have happened which you might have seen as a negative turn of your fortune, but this is more than overbalanced by the value of a blinding revelation... suddenly realizing a great truth and seeing an answer."
Another card, above the last. "The point of view of others, though, is the four of swords - rest and quiet preparation. Those around you have no idea of the dangerous forces you have been struggling with... if you'll take my advice - find someone who you can confide in. Keeping events as momentous as these inside and secret isn't healthy. But that's not specifically relevant to your question."
"The key factor in your staff is..." Vivian started with a spiel for the next card, but Liz interrupted her.
"That's the lovers again!" It was almost a squeal of delight, but Vivian's face fell.
"Actually, the card is inverted here, and so I don't think it means love in quite the same was as before. This time, I would tend to interpret it as... choice, which many people seem to think is a dirty word. Choice is usually thought of in terms of difficult dilemmas that have no good alternative, but..."
"All of living is making choices," Liz breathed.
"That's a very good way to put it."
"So... this card here... does it suggest that I'll be able to make my choices well? That they'll help with the co-operation and competence, and lead me to my satisfaction?" Liz reeled off, pointing to other cards in the layout in quick succession. "Help me to change the course of the wheel of life?"
"I would tend to say so, though it's not as clear as it could be," Vivian hedged. "And the final card, your overall outcome, is... there, the Star of Hope. That would help to confirm it as well. "If you think positively and have faith in your blessings, you can look forward to great success." She paused, contemplating the reading as a whole. "Yes, this confirms what you said about many things changing just over the past few days, but the outlook is positive. The anguish and guilt you feel is not justified, if it was intended to keep the hermit Time from interfering with your crown. Do you have any questions? I might be able to sub-define a card or two meaningfully, if it will help."
Liz thought about that. "What about the king?"
Vivian laughed. "Okay. Covering him is... the ten of cups. Radiant love, delight in good fortune... working for peace in his family. Crossing him as a complicating influence is... the judge in session. He is taking on difficult responsibilities, trying to do what's right."
"Yeah, that sounds like him," Liz muttered before she could stop herself. "Umm... could I get a little more info on these choices that I'm going to be making?" she asked, tapping the upside-down lovers card.
"I think it might be better not." Vivian started to gather up the cards. "On the other hand... do you want some of your money back? I feel a little bad keeping it all, since you were really right - you needed to know."
"Umm..." Liz thought about that. "Well, if you feel that way, you could give me half of it back. That works out well for me, and it comes out to a fifty percent tip on your usual fee, which I think you deserve."
"Okay." Vivian sorted through the bills and passed some of them back. "If there's someone in the waiting room, could you tell them to come on in?"
Liz waited for Max out in the Jeep until he left the building, which didn't seem to take too long. "Well?"
"A few cards into the reading she asked me if I knew the girl who had been in before, and when I admitted that, she said I was your 'prince charming,'" Max said, smiling.
"Okay. What about the rest of the reading?"
"Oh, the usual canned tripe. Great challenges, passionate love, the importance of friends, knowledge is power... I have to tell you, Liz, I really don't believe in this stuff. Nobody can shuffle a deck of cards and tell you what your life is going to be like." He leaned in over the door frame and kissed her on the arm. "I keep telling you, Liz - we make our own destinies."
She smiled. "I guess you're right. So, should I drive on the way back too?"
"Why don't you start," Max said, going over to the passenger door, "and maybe I'll take over at Highway Mill, across the country line?"
She kissed him one more time, and started the motor.