Isabel
Tess Harding was an alien.
Just like her brother and Michael. Just like her.
Max had been distant after returning from his rather lengthy absence after answering the knock at the door, so the discussion with Tess had more or less started to ebb out into nothingness. Apparently, Tess didn't know much more than they did about their origin. Or at least, that's what she claimed.
Isabel felt like she should distrust Tess, like Max and Michael done so easily, but she had also known Tess from before and had built up a kinship with the girl. And after figuring out who Tess was, there was even more reason to keep Tess in her life; Isabel finally had an alien female friend. Someone who knew what it was like to not be able to tell a boyfriend the reason why the sex was 'out of this world' or why she needed to put sweetener into everything. Max and Michael had the same affiliation, only with Tabasco. But she had never discussed sex with them. The mere thought made her cringe.
Maria had shared a detail or two about the sensation of having sex with Michael which had led Isabel to believe that the extraordinary sensations in her sex-life was because of her alien origin and not because of some fantastic sexual capabilities.
But with Tess, there was the possibility of figuring out all these things first-hand. Without the gender issue getting in the way.
That is, if she could trust Tess.
And then there was Liz.
Max had been more annoying than usual, constantly on her case. "How's Liz?", "Was Liz at work today?", "Does she seem okay?", "Is she acting differently around you?" etc. etc. For some reason, her brother had gotten it into his head that he shouldn't see Liz for awhile. He was very reluctant to share the reason behind this with his sister. Judging by how distracted Max had become after answering the door in the middle of their meeting with Tess, Isabel had a good guess as to who had been on the other side of the door.
Her brother aside, Michael was also on her case, trying to get her to explain to him why Max hadn't set up a meeting with Liz yet. Michael wanted to know if he should leave the country, or something. Something that could only be decided once he had met and evaluated Liz Parker.
Isabel sighed and poured the hot coffee into her cup. Why was she always the meddler?
"Hey, Isabel."
Speak of the devil. Or the human.
Isabel turned and saw Liz in the doorway of the small office kitchen. "Hi, Liz."
"How are you?"
Isabel smiled. "I'm fine." Isabel took a close look at Liz as she stepped further into the kitchen area, pulling out an assortment of tea bags to make a choice of flavor. She noted the remnant of the bruise across Liz's nose and spanning her cheek, which was now a faint yellow color. "Your face is healing up nicely."
"Yeah," Liz nodded and gave her a weak smile.
"Have they set a date yet?" A date for the hearing.
Liz shook her head. "No."
Isabel frowned. Liz was not acting her normal open self. "What's up?"
Liz's eyes flickered to her before refocusing on pouring hot water through the tea bag in her cup. "I'm sure Max has told you..."
Isabel almost sighed in exasperation. She was sure that Max had indeed not told her whatever it was Liz thought Max had told his sister. Liz didn't know Max that well yet. Max was the type that would 'happily' keep information from you if there was a risk that it might scare you or harm you in any way. Sometimes Isabel wondered if Max got a kick out of putting all the worries of the world on his own shoulders instead of asking for help.
"I'm sure he hasn't." Liz looked up in surprise and Isabel reprimanded herself for her rather testy tone and added, "Sorry."
Liz responded by closing the door to the small kitchen and Isabel felt an ice-cold hand squeeze her heart. Just a little bit.
What now?
"He hasn't told you that a special agent from the FBI came to see me?"
The hand squeezed tighter. "No." Damn you, Max Evans.
Liz frowned. "That's odd."
"Tell me, Liz," Isabel said, a hint of impatience in her strained voice.
"He wanted to know what happened that night. He brought up the...force field Max used."
Isabel felt faint. "He what?" she whispered.
Liz took a step towards her, concern in her eyes.
I must look ready to keel over, Isabel thought. I certainly feel like doing that.
"David told the agent and I got the feeling that the agent was more inclined to believe David than me."
"What division was he from?" Isabel croaked.
"He said it was a special branch of the FBI, in Albuquerque."
"Special," Isabel murmured and put the coffee cup down. Her hand was shaking too badly to hold it. "They know..."
Liz started shaking her head. "I'm sorry... I thought Max had told you."
Isabel laughed bitterly. "He probably didn't want to worry me. That's Max for you."
Liz seemed to consider this and then move on. "I think that's why there's a delay in setting a date for the hearing. I think this agent is still...investigating."
"And he mentioned Max specifically?" Isabel felt nauseous.
Liz nodded. "But I didn't say anything."
Isabel waved her assuring statement away. "I know you didn't."
Liz seemed relieved by this and it suddenly became very clear to Isabel why Max had seemed adamant on keeping his distance from Liz. "He's protecting you."
"Sorry?" Liz asked, still staring at her worriedly.
"Max. That's why he hasn't contacted you or arranged a meeting with you and the rest of us yet."
Liz looked confused. And a bit frightened. "A meeting?"
Isabel closed her eyes and shook her head; trying to clear her thoughts. Her palms were sweating and she was having troubles breathing. Their cover was blown. The authorities knew of Max. If Michael found out about this, he wouldn't even be interested in meeting with Liz. He wouldn't need to. He would have all the reason to get out of here. To go into hiding. To change identities. How could Max do this? Why would he keep this from them and jeopardize their safety?
There was suddenly a comforting hand on her shoulder and Isabel opened her eyes to see Liz standing in front of her. "Are you okay?"
Of course, she answered her own mental question. Because of her. Because of Liz Parker. If they had to go into hiding, he wouldn't be able to see Liz. Even now, when he had decided to keep Liz at arm's length, he could keep tabs on Liz through his sister.
"Thank you for telling me," Isabel murmured.
"I just thought that Max had told you."
"It's okay," Isabel said. "You couldn't know."
Liz was holding concerned warm brown eyes on Isabel's face and for a moment Isabel felt a sting of sadness. If they went into hiding, Max wouldn't be the only one to lose Liz. Isabel would too. She had started to consider Liz as a friend and Liz was one of the very few people who knew about her brother even though Liz didn't know that Isabel shared her brother's alien origin.
However, considering how Liz had protected them so far, there were high hopes that Liz would accept Isabel as an alien too.
"Maybe you should sit down," Liz said softly.
"I'm okay. I just need my cup of coffee," Isabel answered and forced a shaky smile on her lips while trying to control the tremors in her hand enough to lift the coffee cup from the counter.
"Okay," Liz said quietly.
As Isabel grabbed the door knob to open the door that Liz had just closed, Liz asked behind her, "How's Max?"
And then there was that. How was Max, really? Miserable. Distant. Aloof. Tormented. Cold. Let's just say that he hadn't really been himself since that meeting with Tess. Which was probably the same day that he learnt that Liz had been questioned by a knowledgable agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, that his existence was in danger and that he had to stay away from Liz. No wonder he had been something of a terrible version of his former self.
"He's fine," Isabel lied and opened the door.
"Okay," she heard Liz answer and tried not to feel guilty about lying to Liz. Maybe Liz Parker deserved to know that Max Evans was horrible without her. But Isabel had a feeling that the knowledge would only make things worse.
They would have to leave now. Leave forever. And the less ties they had to cut, the better.
*****
Max
To be completely honest, Max had not expected to have another seizure. He had counted on that the source of the seizures, the threat to Liz's life, had been averted after David had been arrested.
That's why it had come as a complete surprise when he, the day before his birthday, felt the coldness sift through his bones; a sign he had learnt to associate with him being on the verge of another premonition.
This time he was seated, at home, when the foreboding hit him and he quickly slid down on his side, positioning his mouth over the edge of the couch. He didn't have time for more precaution than that before he was pulled into the futuristic world of his vision.
She was restrained in a metal chair, almost completely reclined. Her arms were attached to the armrests via straps and her legs had been made immobile in a similar fashion. They were in an empty room with white glaring laboratory lamps and white walls.
The decoration was sparse, consisting merely of the chair and a metal table on wheels. Plus Liz, restrained against her will in that chair which could only be likened to the Frankenstein version of a dentist chair.
She was crying.
He was walking up to her as a door opened somewhere behind him and was reaching for her hand (she was moving her hands up and down at the wrists, hoping that the movement might loosen the restraints) as he spun around and saw two men enter.
"Let me go, please," Liz sobbed. "I've told you everything I know. Please."
"Now now, Ms. Parker," one of the men said. He was dressed in black, with a white shirt and black tie, in stark contrast to his reddish hair. "This won't hurt a bit. And after I get what I need, I'll let you go."
"I've told you everything already," Liz continued and Max turned back to her, her sobs tearing into his heart.
He grabbed for her hand, but his hand went straight through hers.
"This is the doctor that will assist us today," the man in black gestured towards the other man in the room. To the man in a white lab coat and white hair.
"I will report you," Liz threatened, her voice gathering strength through the tears. "This is against my rights. You can't keep me like this. You can't treat me this way."
"You are correct, Ms. Parker," the red-haired man replied. "Which is why the good doctor here has brought something that will help you forget. You'll wake up at home in your bed none the wiser."
"You bastard," Liz sobbed and struggled against the restraints. "I will remember. I will remember."
The man smiled. "I'm pretty positive you won't. This is great stuff. Excellent at causing both retrograde and anterograde amnesia." The man nodded to the doctor. "Proceed, doctor."
The doctor nodded and stepped up to Liz with a syringe.
"What's that?" Liz asked fearfully as the doctor picked up the IV-line connected to the cephalic vein of Liz's left hand.
"Well, I guess the colloquial term would be 'truth serum'. This is the refined version of hypnotics - something that the Army has been working on - that has a much higher degree of...success."
"Leave her alone!" Max yelled at the man, even though he knew that he couldn't affect anything.
"To you, Ms. Parker, it will just be a pleasant high," the man continued as if Max was merely air. Which he was.
But just as the doctor started to inject the serum into the IV-port, Liz turned her head and stared straight into Max's eyes. Max froze. Can you see me?
Before he had a chance to question it further, Liz said in a tearless strong voice, "Stop him, Max. Stop him."
And he was thrown out of the premonition, coming to on the living room floor. He barely had time to register what had just happened before his cell phone started vibrating in his pocket.
He wiped the saliva from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand as he pulled the phone out of his pocket. As he brought it toward his face, his eyes froze on the Caller ID.
Liz Parker.