You Can Never Go Back

Author: Sunnycouger (foolofatook_@hotmail.com)

Rating: PG-13

Disclaimer: You all don't honestly think that I own any of this do you? Roswell and all its characters are property of Melinda Metz and Jason Katims..I just take them out to play sometimes...

Category: CC

Summary: This is a future fic when the aliens get a chance to go “home” and the story follows each of their reactions to the news and their final decision.

Authors Notes: Follow up to When It's Time To Leave Home and The War.

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Bridges Chapter 4

The house was quiet for the first time in hours. The owners were out getting themselves prepared for the first real family meal they could have in 4 years, leaving the couple completely alone for the first time in months. Kyle Valenti watched as Tess Harding got herself ready. She had healed the damage to her body and was smiling at him seductively in the mirror as she felt his eyes on her. They hadn’t been as happy in years. They didn’t have to worry about the planet being destroyed or to go fighting. For the first time in 4 years they were getting to be a normal couple…a couple that were in love. He smiled to himself, they had been together for just under 12 years and had been living together for longer than that, and yet they were still crazy in love with each other. They were meant to be. And they had proved it more than once.

“You have no idea how glad I am to be back home Tess…”

She turned and walked towards him on the bed. As she sat she took his hands and gave them a gentle squeeze.

“I think I have a fair idea…nearly as much as I am. But, I’m just glad I have you here…I could handle anything as long as you’re there. But I think we should maybe stay grounded from now on what do you think?”

“I think…that would be a good idea, Although I would go anywhere for you Tessie. I’d do anything.”

“I know you would. But it's my turn to do that for you...it's not a sacrifice when we're together. Thank you for staying with me.... despite everything.”

"My fault for falling in love with an alien. I always wanted to end up with an "out of this world" kind of girl. I just got lucky."

With that she began to hug him tightly. As he began to flinch in pain she pulled back and gave him an apologetic smile.

“C’mon, let me see if I can heal some of that damage…”

“Umm, ok, I do have a question though. Why didn’t Max fix me right up at once? He doesn’t still have a problem with me does he? You know…”keep him in pain as long as possible” kind of mentality?”

“No! Well…maybe a little…but that wasn’t why we left you as long. It would have been too much of a strain on your body to heal all at once…you were pretty badly…hurt. If he mended all the damage at once…it would have drained you too badly; you wouldn’t have made it home. We all decided that maybe it was for the best letting you come home since you…saved us.”

She smiled at him proudly and he looked at her quickly before turning his head away quickly.

“I didn’t save you all Tessie…. I really wanted to but I didn’t.”

“Shh…”

“No, I need you to know this...please. When I was...there...at the end I think if they would have said to me “you and all your friends can go home if you tell us what you know”- I would have told them. I would have done anything to get back to you all…I would have done anything to get back to you. When you were shot when I was caught. I thought you were dead…I felt like I had died in that second…I didn’t give a damn about myself, I knew that they couldn’t heal you because it was an alien weapon. When I couldn't get to you I wanted to kill all of them. I didn't care about a treaty or anything. I just saw you lying lifeless. The time between then and your first visit was the longest of my life…I couldn’t breathe."

"Kyle, I felt the same. I saw you get captured before they shot me and in that second for the first time I felt real fear, I didn't know what they were going to do to you. I would never have survived if you hadn't made it back to me Kyle. As for you thinking you let us down because you "nearly" told them what they wanted to hear...that’s stupid. I know what they done to you, I know the pain you were in... I was there but I only felt the impressions. No one would have lasted as long as you did with everything they did to you...and even if you had told them we would have handled it. As much as it feels now like you nearly told, I know that you were too busy trying to protect us to even think about it. You did save us...even if you don't know it."

"I just really needed us to be together...."

She took his hands and gently began to caress them in her own.

"Wish granted Buddha Boy, c'mon...let me heal you so you'll look good for tonight."

He grinned at her indignant as she began to connect to him.

"I always look good! Besides, how come we get lumbered with having dinner with "Mr. Personality" on our first night back? We had 4 years having dinner with him and I don’t think he cracked a smile once in all that time."

She listened to his words but couldn't reply as she began to repair the damage to his body, she wasn't the most experienced healer of the aliens and as a result she had to concentrate to do it.

FLASH- Young Kyle playing with his Mom in the park.
FLASH- Kyle crying in his room as his mom and dad argued in the other room.
FLASH- Laughing with Liz as Max looked on jealous.
FLASH- being shot when he was 17.
FLASH- Seeing Tess on his bed in his football shirt.
FLASH- Telling her he loved her even though she'd never feel the same.
FLASH- Moving In together.
FLASH- Preparing to Propose to her.
FLASH- Being reunited with her before they came back home.

As he continued to talk to her, her breath was swept away as she felt his emotions while she mended his injuries. She sat in silence and he looked at her puzzled as she held his hands, which were now fully healed in her own.

"Tess? Are you ok? What’s the matter?"

She looked at him with tears in her eyes. She smiled at him broadly.

"I'm great...I just...didn't expect you to feel that way."

She saw the confused look in his face and began to laugh.

"I'd..I'd never connected to anyone as deeply before and..and I felt...you. Your emotions that came with your memories. I didn't think I'd..feel you."

"You "felt" me?"

"Yes..."

"OK. Then maybe you can tell me what do I want to do now?"

"I don't know..but remember Amy and your dad will be back in a few minutes..."

He smiled at her and kissed her cheek as he got out of bed and walked towards the dresser. He opened the drawer and reached inside and pulled a small box out of it and hid it in his hand. He walked over to where she sat on the bed and stood in front of her. He pulled her to her feet and began to kiss her tenderly before taking a step back and dropping to one knee.

"I figure this is second time lucky..and I know that you already accepted, kinda, but I wanted to make it a little more "official". Tess Harding, I love you...will you marry me?"

With that he opened the box and presented her the ring. She began to smile broadly as she dropped to her knees as well and took his face in her hands.

"You didn't have to ask. I want to marry you more than anything...I love you too much to leave you on the market. I will marry you Kyle Valenti. Thank you."

With that she kissed his lips gently before he pulled away and slipped the ring on her finger. She looked at the stone glisten against her flesh and smiled at him in excitement.

"How did you get this? You threw it in the reservoir you said."

"I did…and it's probably still there. Before we left I asked my dad to sell the bike and buy me a replacement. I wanted to give you it when we got back...at least now you'll have a ring on your finger like the others…I just wish it could have happened 4 years ago."

"I don't know what to say...thank you."

He smiled shyly before answering

"Your welcome. Now will you tell me why we have to have dinner with Michael again?"

The Guerins sat in their car outside the Valenti’s house later that afternoon.

"Can you please tell me Maria, why I have to have dinner with Kyle and Tess again. I've seen them everyday for 4 years and they've been nauseating all that time, even worse than Liz and Max -and that’s saying something! I could think of better ways to spend the night."

With that he looked at her suggestively and she smiled knowingly at him as he pulled her close to him and began to kiss her collarbone. She giggled to herself quietly as she pulled away from him and heard the gentle growl of frustration coming from his throat as he leaned back in the car seat.

"I could think of better ways too...but we have to do this, I mean they are family now. And you haven't seen Jim or my mom in years. It'll only be a few hours and then the rest of the night is our own. C'mon…"

With that she kissed him quickly before walking towards the house leaving Michael alone in the car. H e looked at the ceiling before getting out the door and jogging towards the door where Maria stood waiting on him.

"A few hours huh? Well, lets get them over with..."

"We'll have fun, I promise. OK, here goes..."

With that she opened the door and as they walked in shouted to let everyone know they were here. Michael smiled as he heard Amy coming from the kitchen. She was shouting a greeting as she ran towards the pair of them. Before he had time to say anything Amy had wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug. He genuinely reciprocated and hugged her back. As much as the pair of them had had many setbacks over the years they both thought the world of each other. A bond formed through their mutual love of the woman who was watching them with amusement. Amy pulled back and looked at him intently. The force of her eyes made Michael take a step back towards Maria…he knew that look well. It usually came before she took a newspaper to him.

“Michael Guerin…if you ever EVER take of in the middle of the night again without telling me you will be going of to a warzone you better not come back…or I’ll kill you myself. I hope you know my daughter has been miserable without you here…so she’s been making everyone else miserable as well. And it all comes down to you going AWOL mister!”

“Sorry…”

Hmmpff. I should think so. Come here now, I missed you, you silly boy…”

With that she wrapped her arms around his neck and squeezed him tightly. As much as she had shouted at him…she loved him. He was like a son. It was funny, in a way, she had only had Maria in her life for years, since Maria’s father had walked out; but now she had a husband, Maria and 3 more surrogate children. She had a family and she was happy…finally.

“I missed you too Amy…”

“Good, now you go sit in the lounge while me and Jim finish dinner. Kyle and Tess will be down in a second and they’ll join you. God only knows what they’ve been doing up there all afternoon…ok, dinner will be in about 30 minutes so pour some drinks or something. I’ve got to go before Jim burns something…”

With that she walked towards the kitchen leaving an amused couple standing in the hallway.

“I can guess what they’ve been doing all afternoon…”

“I bet. C’mon lets go get a drink. What’s the odds on your mom having Tabasco sauce?”

Suddenly they heard a voice behind them and they turned to see Kyle standing behind them.

“I wouldn’t worry about that Michael. Tess made sure that they got it today…I think she missed it more than she missed dad. Hey Maria, how are you?”

“Kyle!”
She ran over and hugged him tightly. Maria had seen Kyle in the desert but they hadn’t spoken. She had been too pre-occupied with Michael being home to notice anything- a bomb could have fell and she would have been oblivious that night. She took a step back and looked at him.

“You certainly look a lot better now than you did when I saw you last…”

“Thanks…nice to see you ‘Ria now that I can get to speak to you. You look great…”

“Thank you…”

Maria’s statement was cut short by the sound of the voice behind Kyle.

“Hey! Buddha Boy stop saying other women look great…especially if they look that great! Hey Maria…”

“Hi Tess..C’mere.”

With that the two women hugged each other tightly and sat down together leaving their two partners standing looking awkwardly at each other. It wasn’t that Kyle didn’t like Michael or vice versa. They were both just sick of each other…it’s amazing how after 4 years together little things start to annoy you. For Kyle it was Michael’s inability to laugh even though he understood why, and for Michael…it was seeing how Kyle looked at Tess. It made him remember how he looked at Maria.

“Tess healed you then? You look almost normal again.”

“Yeah. Thanks…I think…Between you and me Michael, I don’t know why we’re doing this.”

“I know…we’ve spent 4 years with each other and what do we do on our first night home?”

“Spend more time with each other! Thank you…it’s not just me then! Tess said we’ll have fun.”

“So did Maria…they don’t really understand…”

As they talked and laughed at their relevant situations Jim watched them from the hallway not wanting to make a sound that would disturb the scene in front of him. He hadn’t seen the 4 of them look so happy in a long time. He didn’t know if it would last over dinner but it was great to see his whole family together again. Especially as there wasn’t the threat of alien invasions hanging over them. It was the chance for a fresh start between them all.

A chance for it to be right…even if it was only for a little while.

TBC

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