Part 10

Michael stood up slowly from the floor of the Crashdown kitchen. He’d heard the shouting and had been about to go out front and check when the gunshots went off. Instinctively he’d dropped to the floor, listening and, after a few moments of silence, he stood up. Before he even had a chance to speak, yell out for his sister and Maria, he heard Liz’s anguished voice, full of fear as it ripped through the air.

"Max!!! Oh my God! No, no, no, no, no, no!!!!"

Michael ran to the door and pushed through it, looking around quickly as he entered the main part of the restaurant. He gasped at the sight in front of him and felt frozen where he stood. Liz was kneeling over Max, who laid sprawled on the ground, his head lolled to the side and his body completely still. There was blood everywhere, all over Max’s chest, Liz’s arms and the front of her uniform. He realized that it wasn’t hers, she was trying to hold pressure over the wound in what he knew was a futile effort. Max was pale and the blood was beginning to seep onto the linoleum floor.

The restaurant was deathly silent except for Liz’s anguished sobs. Maria had finally stood up, shaking her head slightly and then her hand immediately went to her mouth, which gaped open in shock at the sight of Liz and Max. People in the restaurant were beginning to get up. Some fled in a hurry, not wanting to stay at the scene. Michael looked around carefully and saw that no one had really noticed Max and Liz behind the counter. His father had gone down the street to the bank a few minutes ago.

Michael paused, his mind racked with indecision. He didn’t know if he should even try to save Max. He didn’t think he’d be able to, he’d never tried anything beyond the most simple of healings. Once he’d mended his sister’s broken arm, but that was it. And if he healed Max he’d have to tell him the truth. Max would see images of his life and he’d know Michael was different. And there were people around, what if they saw him? In the end, his sister’s cries forced him to move.

Liz blinked furiously against the tears streaming from her eyes. Her hands were sticky and wet from Max’s blood where she was trying to put pressure on his wound. She whispered his name over and over again through her sobs, unable to believe he could actually be dying. It wasn’t supposed to happen this way. Max had just asked her to the dance, she was supposed to be giggling with Maria over dress and shoe details while casting glances at Max, sitting across the restaurant, unable to tear his eyes away from her.

They’d been dancing only minutes before. She still remembered the feel of Max’s warm hand on her back, the gentle pressure and reassurance that she was secure in his arms. He’d been about to kiss her, she’d felt his breath on her lips, and her eyes had begun to flutter closed in welcome anticipation. And now, Max was lying on the ground in front of her, his life flowing out of him in seconds. She could feel the warmth leave his body through the blood covering her. She didn’t care. If Max was going to die, she wasn’t going to leave him.

"Maria, keep them back."

Liz heard her brother’s voice somewhere far away, then she felt hands lifting her, taking her away from Max. She struggled against them, refusing to move.

"NO! I’m not leaving him! Don’t make me leave him!" Liz sobbed, fighting as hands gripped her forearms. She moved to look at Max, still on the ground. She didn’t want to blink or look away from him for fear that he might vanish. Through the haze of her despair she realized Michael was trying to get her attention and she reluctantly looked into his eyes.

"LIZ! Listen to me. I’m going to help him, you just have to move a little bit away, ok?" he said, keeping his voice low. She gulped and tried to nod.

"You’re going to help him? Please Michael, don’t let him die alone," Liz pleaded, her voice full of tears. Michael nodded slowly, shocked by his sister’s despair. He let go of her and moved to lean over Max. He could see the bullet hole in Max’s t-shirt, low on his stomach. Taking a deep breath and not entirely sure what he was doing, Michael put his hand over the wound and tried to concentrate. He didn’t know if he’d be able to connect with Max while he was unconscious, but he knew he had to try. He realized that Liz had joined him on the floor, she was holding one of Max’s hands against her and stroking his face gently. She whispered his name softly, a chant to call him back.

Michael shook his head in frustration. He wasn’t getting in. Max had to open his eyes and look at him, and he didn’t know if Max was alive enough to do that. And Michael was starting to feel the pressure and exposure of where he was. The police would be there soon, he thought he could hear the sirens in the distance. That meant too many questions. And he knew his father had probably heard by now and would be racing back to the café.

"Dammit! Max, you got to help me out here, you have to look at me," Michael muttered. Just when he was ready to give up, he saw Max’s head stir a little. And he heard Max’s voice, very weak, as he looked up at Liz.

"Liz . . ."

"Max, I’m here. I’m here," she whispered, clutching his hand tight. Max started to close his eyes again.

"So tired . . ."

"I know you’re tired Max, but you have to look at Michael, ok? Please, look at Michael," Liz begged. She helped turn Max’s head to look at Michael and he met Max’s brown eyes, dark with pain. And then he was in.

He saw the flashes of Max’s life, moving swiftly past him as he tried to concentrate on Max’s pain. He ignored Max’s memories, knowing that he didn’t have much time. Max was fading fast. He found the source of Max’s pain and quickly dissolved the bullet. Metal was easy, it was a solid object. Human tissue and damage to organs, bone and skin were another matter. They were alive and much more complicated. And he could tell the damage was extensive. The bullet had torn through Max’s stomach, ripping through muscle and stomach tissue. His liver was a gaping hole and the bullet had richoceted off of Max’s vertebrae, cutting at the bone and nerves there. Michael worked on the bleeding organs first, mending and bringing the tissue back together, containing the blood. Then he moved to the bones in Max’s back, knowing that Max wouldn’t be able to walk if he didn’t reverse the damage to the nerves and bone.

Amazed and satisfied at his work, he worked on the muscle and skin, mending and repairing the last of the damage. He could feel Max’s body like it was his own and he noticed the returning steady beat of Max’s heart, and his body beginning to return to normal. He was almost finished when he heard Maria’s voice, calling to him desperately.

"Michael, the police are coming inside. You have to get away from him," she whispered urgently. Michael nodded to himself, knowing he was putting himself in danger. He couldn’t help it, if it were Liz, Maria or Alex he would have done the same thing. Michael knew he was done and he was about to break the connection with Max when he saw an image of Max’s life that made him stop and stare in shock.

It was an image that looked like it had been taken underwater. Then there were childlike hands, pushing in front of him, pushing at a barrier ahead of him. He could sense the urgency, the need to get out of the water around him. And then he was free, pushing out through what looked like a pod into a damp, cool cave. His eyes, or the eyes Max saw in his memory, looked around and saw more pods, one broken open and another still solid. With a flash, Michael blinked and the connection was gone. His hands shaking, he looked down at Max, still unconscious and he waved his hand over the scene, getting rid of the blood and patching the hole in Max’s shirt. He waved his hand over his sister, making the blood disappear, even though she barely noticed. He rocked back on his heals and took a deep breath, running a hand through his spiky hair.

Those memories of Max’s he’d seen were more than a little scary. Because not only were they just like his, they were a little different too, which meant they had to be real. Max had to be an alien like him.

Max was cold. His head was swimming with pain and he groaned a little, not wanting to open his eyes. He kept feeling flashes of memory, but he couldn’t focus, couldn’t remember what had happened. All he could remember was dancing with Liz, her lips invitingly close, then the cold, hard floor. And Liz’s cries, calling him, demanding that he not leave. He’d opened his eyes, seen her crying and only wanted to comfort her, tell her not to cry anymore. But he’d been so tired, and sleep had seemed so wonderful. Then something happened, and now he was cold. Not tired, but aching all over. He slowly opened his eyes and squinted against the bright lights on the ceiling above his eyes.

He felt the warmth of someone against his side and he moved his head a little, seeing Liz stooped over him, her hands holding his and her face anxiously looking at him. The relief and joy on her face as he looked at her puzzled him. Why was she so happy? He moved his head around some more and he saw Michael at his feet, shock written across his face. Struggling to sit up, he leaned against one of the cabinets and rubbed the back of his head. He winced at the bump he found there, he must have hit his head when he fell. But why had he fallen?

Max was so confused. And as Liz scooted closer to him, he suddenly remembered. He’d been shot. Realization dawned across his face and he looked from Liz to Michael, wanting to find an answer.

"I was shot," he managed to choke out. His hands searched across his stomach and he found no wound, no hole in his body or clothes. Liz’s hands moved over his on his stomach and he tried not to jump at her touch. His senses felt heightened, and Liz touching him had a tendency to make him jump even in ordinary circumstances.

"Yeah, I healed you," Michael whispered. Max looked at him, unable to answer when the police burst into the café and Michael stood up, moving out of eyesight. Max stayed on the floor with Liz, not wanting to move and feeling unable to. He looked back at Liz and saw her brown eyes filling with tears that spilled down her cheeks. He reached up and wiped them away.

"Are you ok?" he asked, his voice a whisper. He ignored all the voices swirling around them and concentrated on her. She looked shaken and he suddenly worried that she might have been hurt.

"I’m fine. I should be asking you that question," she replied.

"I’m ok, I think I’m ok," he said, trying to reassure her and himself. Liz was trembling next to him and he rubbed her arms.

"Max, I watched you almost die. I could feel you dying," she said, her voice watery as the tears began again. And Max felt the gravity of her words. He had almost died. And her voice had brought him back, had made him open his eyes. When he told her this she began to cry in earnest and Max pulled her onto his lap, his arms hugging her close as her arms circled his waist. She curled up against him and buried her face in his neck as he stroked her hair. He didn’t try to talk, just holding her seemed to calm her down. And holding her calmed him down as well. His stomach was tight with fear and it only seemed to lessen as Liz sat with him.

He had no idea how long they sat together. It seemed like hours, but was likely only a few minutes. Liz’s fingers were wrapped in his shirt, clutching at him until his hand reached up and laced his fingers with hers. She relaxed under the contact and when she finally looked up at him, she smiled. He realized that the police were milling around, talking to people and he knew they would want to question him. He just didn’t know what to say. And what had Michael meant when he said "I healed you"? How was that possible? The only way he could have done what he said he’d done would be if he was just like them. As Max stood, his legs wobbly, he realized that Michael had to be one of them. Michael was an alien.

Immediately he looked around and saw that Michael had disappeared. And he knew he couldn’t let the police think anything had happened, they couldn’t know that he had been shot. He leaned down and whispered into Liz’s ear.

"If the police ask, just tell them you knocked me down when the gunshots went off and I hit my head. I was unconscious for awhile, that’s why I didn’t get up," he said. Liz’s eyes met his and he begged her with his own to trust him. Instead of questions he thought would follow, she nodded.

"Ok."

Max was still a little puzzled. Liz went along with his plan so easily, she didn’t question why. She didn’t seem all that fazed by the fact that Michael had healed him. She must still be in shock, he realized. Max knew he had to find Michael, talk to him about what had happened. They had more in common than both of them had originally thought. Max was beginning to get flashes of memories he’d seen in Michael when they’d been connected. And he realized that Michael probably had questions, just like he did.

Liz stayed close to his side, not relinquishing her hold on his hand. The police questioned them and seemed to accept their story. Maria was off to the side, gulping in huge breaths of something coming from a small bottle in her hand. Max knew she had to be in shock too. None of them seemed to be looking for Michael, in fact, Liz had lied to the police and told them Michael wasn’t there that day. Could they possibly be in on Michael’s secret? No, he decided, they were probably just selectively remembering what had happened. But there was no way Liz would be able to gloss over the facts, she had been right by him the entire time. And Liz was a scientist, she would ask questions and would want to figure everything out. He had to talk to Michael to decide what they were going to say to her.

"Oh my God! Max, are you ok?" Isabel said, rushing into the café with Alex close behind. She ran up to him and gave him a quick hug before she pulled back, her eyes examining him closely.

"We were just down the street when we heard there’d been a shooting. They wouldn’t let us in until now. What happened?" she asked.

"Max knocked me down when the gunshot went off and hit his head in the process," Liz said. Max watched Isabel’s eyes narrow. She had an uncanny ability to tell when people were lying. Not an alien trait, but more of a sixth sense. Plus, Liz was a terrible liar. He’d realized that right away and was glad no one questioned her too extensively.

"Later Iz," Max urged her under his breath, so Liz wouldn’t hear. She gave a barely perceivable nod of her head and then turned to Maria, who was talking with Alex. Max turned to face Liz, talking both her hands in his.

"Listen, I need to find Michael, see if he’s ok. Will you be alright?" he asked.

"Let me go with you," she suggested. His answer was quick.

"No! I mean, I think it would be better if you stayed with Maria while she calms down. I’ll be back later, ok?" he said. Liz finally nodded and he sensed the reluctance she felt. He wanted to talk to Michael alone, he couldn’t let Liz find out about his secret. He felt a pit of dread in his stomach, thinking that it might be inevitable anyway, but he wanted to pretend for a little while longer that Liz would look at him like a normal human being. Because all that would change once she found out. He backed away from her slowly, walking towards the front door. As he pushed the door open he looked back at her. She looked so small, standing in the midst of all the police. He climbed into the jeep and, after casting one last glance towards Liz, peeled away from the front of the Crashdown. Maria walked up to Liz.

"Do you think he knows?" she asked quietly, her voice betraying some of the worry she felt for Michael.

"He knows something happened. Michael will have to tell him," Liz said. Maria felt her throat constrict.

"What’s going to happen then?" she asked. Liz shrugged, suddenly unsure.

"I don’t know."

Max drove through downtown Roswell, not really sure what precisely he was looking for. He had no clue where Michael might go and he had even less of an idea about how to make his way through the town that he wasn’t yet familiar with. So he drove aimlessly, turning down streets and hoping for a sign of Michael somewhere. He was almost ready to give up when he passed by an old rundown building just outside of town. The old soap factory, he realized. Some of the kids at school had mentioned it as the hotspot for a lot of parties. Pulling the jeep up to the front, he thought it looked like an ideal hiding spot.

Max pushed through the large door, careful to shut it behind him. Light filtered in through broken glass and highlighted the dirt and dust in the air. The building had a tall ceiling and Max could smell the lingering scent of beer, probably from the last party. There were several levels to the building, and climbing the stairs, he went to the highest point, rounded a corner and found Michael, sitting by a window under the now low, stooped ceiling. He looked up as Max approached and watched warily as Max sat next to him, dangling his own feet out the window.

They sat in companionable silence, both still trying to digest all that had happened. When Michael finally spoke, Max actually jumped. The air had seemed so still, an absence of sound.

"Are Liz and Maria ok?" he asked, instantly worried for his sister and friend. Max nodded.

"Yeah, they were a little shaken up, but they’re fine. Isabel and Alex are with them now," Max said.

"Good, Alex will take care of them," Michael replied. The silence engulfed them both again and they sat until Max finally couldn’t stay silent any longer.

"Michael, what happened back there? Do you realize what happened? I mean, that you healed me, that you and me are the same?" Max asked, finding it hard to put his emotions into words. Michael nodded, then gave him a lopsided grin.

"You mean that you and I are both aliens? Yeah, I kind of figured that out," he replied.

"How long have you known?" Max asked.

"Since the beginning. I remembered breaking out of my pod and leaving the cave, but I didn’t remember that there was anyone else there until I saw your memories. And I never could find that cave again, I’ve searched for years. I could always do things, like fix things, move objects, but I’ve never been able to heal someone like that before," Michael said.

"We’ve known since the beginning too," Max said softly. Michael’s head shot up.

"We?"

"Me and Isabel. We were both there," Max said, knowing that keeping Isabel a secret was not an option.

"Wow, I knew there was something familiar about you guys, but I had no idea it was this," Michael replied.

"Listen, Michael, thank you, for saving my life. That must have been hard, to make that decision to risk being found out," Max observed. Michael nodded slowly.

"It wasn’t easy. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned, growing up with Liz and being friends with Maria and Alex, it’s that you always have to look out for your friends. And I could never stand to see Lizzie in that much pain," Michael whispered, the image of Liz crying over Max flashing through his mind, permanently seared into his memory.

"We told the police that I fell and hit my head. They seemed to buy the story. But what are we going to say to the others? To Liz and Maria?" Max asked worriedly.

"We tell them the truth," Michael replied, as if there were no other option. Max shook his head violently.

"No! We can’t tell them!"

"Why not?" Michael asked, confused. Max’s heart beat with fear, thinking about the look on Liz’s face, the revulsion, the horror, when she found out that he wasn’t a normal human.

"Because I don’t want to lose Liz because I’m not from this planet."

Michael nodded slowly, realization dawning. Max thought that the others didn’t know about him, that he’d kept his identity a secret all these years. And he suddenly realized the fear and panic that must have caused him. It made sense, why Max was so on edge. He put a hand on Max’s shoulder.

"Max, you don’t have to worry. Liz won’t look at you any different," he tried to reassure him. Max shook his head, not believing his words.

"Think about it Michael, how would any human react to knowing aliens walk among them? She’s your sister, aren’t you worried about her reaction?" he asked. Michael shrugged.

"Max, Liz already knows. She knows everything, she was there when the Parkers found me ten years ago."