He stood outside the house unwilling to go into a house he had once shared with his dad. The house looked different from how he remembered it but then everything had changed fro him. It was a new world in which he had never existed until a week ago. It was a world that was so very different from the one he had known. He knew that Max and Michael were staring at him waiting for him to move, but he was frozen to the spot.
"Kyle." Max said. He wanted his son to willing walk into the house. He wanted his son to feel comfortable with his surroundings.
Pointing towards the house kyle said. "I can't go in. I thought I could deal with this but I can't."
"Kyle everyone is waiting for you." Michael said completely ignoring the warning look that Max was giving him. He wanted Kyle to meet there family and friends. He wanted to know more about the life Kyle had left. He wanted to know what made this world so different from the one Kyle knew.
Looking at Max he could feel all of his old defenses slamming back into place. Neither Max or Michael got to tell him he should do. It didn't matter that Max had been nothing but supportive his defenses were yup. "You arranged a family get together."
"I told Liz about the dream she told our friends and family. I was going to tell Michael about you but you were already at the UFO center when I got there. The family gathering is a regular thing," Max said fervently hoping that his son would believe such an obvious lie.
Eyes narrowing at Max's obvious lie he said "Bullshit families are just not that close. Are you actually going to continue lying to me or is the truth going to come out of your mouth."
"Our parents suggested the get together. They thought it would be a good idea for us to find out as much information as possible about you. That way it would be easier to find you." Max explained.
Looking back at the house and then at Max he replied. "There is a house full of stalkers waiting to pump me for information. Why didn't you mention they ere going to be there before I got into your car."
"I didn't think you would come back to the house." Max replied.
"I would have hesitated about it for all of a few seconds before getting into the car. I hate people who lie to me Max. This is just a bit more evidence that you are not very different from the Max I knew."Kyle said. Looking back at the house he could see Liz standing by the open front door. It hurt to see Liz looking older than he remembered. It hurt more than he was willing to admit to see just more evidence of just how he didn't belong in the world.
"Come inside the house. Just give everyone the chance to know you." Max said
Liz had been watching Max and Michael have a conversation with the young man she knew to be her son. From the way her husband was acting she knew he was trying to convince there son to do something. With the way her son was standing it looked as if that wasn't going to be an easy task to accomplish. Although she couldn't see very much of her son from this distance what she saw warmed her heart. Her son was a handsome young man and she was proud of that. She was however deeply unhappy that she had missed so much of her son growing up.
Making a silent decision she stepped away from the front door and walked towards her son. She had so many questions that she wanted to ask her son. There was just so much that she wanted to know. Stopping barley three feet away from her son she suddenly found herself unable to utter a single word.
"Liz," Kyle said desperately trying not to freak out at the sight of a forty year old Liz . It was beyond all kinds of weird to see an older Liz when it had seemed like only a week had past since he had seen a younger Liz.
"Your not what I was expecting." Liz said
"To old," Kyle asked.
"No. I thought you would be more like me or Max." Liz said. She wanted to find a way to tell her son that although she could see neither her or Max's likeness in him she was still very much there son.
With a smile that didn't reach his eyes kyle said " Dad always used to tell me that I looked more like my grandparents. I think he was trying to give me a sense of identity."
"Who was your dad." Liz asked as she subtlety began to lead there son back to the house. She knew without a doubt that Max and Michael would be following her.
"I doesn't matter." kyle said
Stopping just outside the open front door of her house she turned round to face her son and said " It does matter. He was your dad. Nothing can take that away from you. He may not be your dad in this new life, but that shouldn't change how you view him."
Stepping inside the house with Liz he didn't want to say anything in reply at first. He silently waited until Max and Micheal were inside the house, the front door was firmly closed before saying. "His still married to my mom in this world. In the world I knew mom left when I was 8 and dad became best friends with alcohol."
"Take a seat, do you want a drink." Liz asked. She didn't want to ask her son if his other dad had been abusive. She wanted for just a while longer to remain ignorant.
Finding a sofa chair that was near the front door he briefly thought about asking for a beer, but thought better of it. So instead he said. "Coffee, black no sugar."
"Coming right up." Liz said as she disappeared into the kitchen.
"How long have you been in Roswell." Evans senor asked because there was just no easy way to ask how long have you been out of the Pod.
"A week. I've been trying to get used to the differences." Kyle said sinking further into the chair and giving into the comfort. He was just so damn tried so why shouldn't he be comfortable.
"Differences." Mrs Evan elder asked.
"Differences." Kyle repeated. How could he even begin to explain what it was like to be in a world were he had never been born. How could someone even begin to understand what he was going though.
"What kind of differences." Mr Parker asked
"My parents are still married. I haven't seen Tess and I can't find a record of her ever having existed." Kyle said unable to prevent the shudder that went though him when he mentioned Tess.
"Who is Tess," Liz asked
Drinking half of his coffee he thought about not telling them Tess. Did they really need to know about someone who had never really existed for them. What could be gained from knowing about Tess. Licking his lips kyle said; "She was a part of the Pod squad." pausing briefly he looked at his coffee " if Tess even exists in this new world walk away from the bitch."
"Pod squad what does that mean. Is she one of us." Michael asked
With a bitter laugh he couldn't help but sound a mixture of angry and disappointed when he said "Be lucky that she isn't here. Don't go looking for her in the small vain hope that the bitch exists. All that you will do is bring trouble and a whole world of hurt."
"She is one of us. If there is even a small chance she exists we should be looking for her." Michale said.
Finishing the last of his coffee and placing it on the floor next to his seat he looked at Michael and said "If you have common sense or you like the life you now have you will forget Tess. It doesn't matter a damn bit if she is an alien. Tess will destroy your life and there won't be a damn thing you can do to stop her."
"What did she do to you. How can one person cause you to be so angry." Liz asked. She was concerned that her son had such a strong hatred to this Tess person. Anger that strong could only come from something bad.
"Does it matter." Kyle asked.
"Yes whoever this Tess person is she had hurt you and I want to know what she did." Liz said
"She did some things that still give me nightmares. You really should be grateful she doesn't exist." Kyle said.
Noticing that talking about Tess was only upsetting his son max asked "Tell me about yourself. Tell me what you were like as a kid. Did you do well in high school. What were your parents like."
"According to my dad I was a little devil. He used to tell me that I was hyperactive and I could never sit still as a kid. He told me that I ...," pausing briefly kyle realized that there were just some things he couldn't share, but he was just to tried to care. "mom left because of me. High school shit I was the captain of the the football team."
"Your dad sounds like an asshole." Micheal said
"He was just obsessed with his job and aliens. I was more of an afterthought to him. Dad may have been a bastard some of the time but he was there whenever I needed him. Now he doesn't even know I exist." Kyle said. He wanted just one more chance to talk to his dad again, but that was never going to happen. All he had were his memories and in time that would fade.
"What are your plans sons." Mr parker asked. He wanted to be sure that his newly found grandson had good intentions towards his daughter and son in law.
"Kyle, my name is kyle." Kyle said as he rand a hand over his face. He wanted to do was sleep for two days straight. He wanted to have his own life and world back. He didn't want any of this to be happening, but that was just a fool's wish.
"I don't know, a couple of weeks. There isn't a lot left for me in Roswell." Kyle said
"Son you have a family in Roswell. I would say that is a good enough reason to stay." Mr parker said.
Trying and failing to stifle a yawn Kyle said "Family you have known about my existence for all of a few hours and you think that is a good enough reason for to call you all family. I'm just here to satisfy your curiosity. I can't stay in this town for the rest of my life."
"Now see here young man you are my grandson. It doesn't matter how you came into this world you are a part of this family. I don't want any to hear any excuses you may have for not wanting to stay with us, you are staying. You will get to know your family." Mr parker said. He wasn't going to let Kyle leave Roswell because he was scare.
"what gives you the right to tell me what I should do." Kyle asked his voice taking on a decidedly dangerous edge to it.
"Kyle, son we want to know who you are. We ant to spend more time with you." Max said.
He wanted to get up from the sofa chair and make a dramatic exit, but he just didn't have the energy. He couldn't even begin to explain how being in Roswell put him on edge. How could he tell everyone just how weird it was to be in a world were he didn't belong. Running a hand though his hair he said "I can't stay."
"Why not Kyle. What makes it so hard for you that you can't stay in Roswell." Max asked
"Everywhere I go I keep expecting to see the Roswell I knew. I.. I... It was just two blocks away that I was kidnapped by some FBI men. I have memories of a Roswell that I want to wipe from my mind. The things I have seen and witnessed throughout my life just didn't happen. The life I had never happened. There is no record telling someone that I exist. You can't know what it is like to know that just don't belong." Kyle said.
"what did the FBI do to you." Michael asked he knew from the way Kyle had hesitated in mentioning the FBI whatever happened couldn't be good.
"Four weeks of ... four weeks of torture. I spent the first week telling them I had people who would rescue me and they would just laugh. After two weeks I just gave up all hope of being rescued. At the end of the fourth week I escaped. During the time I have been in Roswell I have seen the men who kidnapped me. I can't stay in Roswell and be faced with them everyday." Kyle said
"Kyle there not the same people." Liz said.
"I know that, but I can't change how I feel. I can't change how being in Roswell is like being in a nightmare I can't wake up from."