Disclaimer: I don't own anything here, never have, never will. If I could dreamwalk though...*evilgrin* All of this belongs to Melinda Metz, Jason Katims, WB, Pocket Books, Dido, and any others whose names I can't remember

Spoilers: None, but takes place two years in the future, around high school graduation

Rating: PG-13/R for 'adult situations'. Yes, they have sex. No, I don't go into detail (grin)

Part I "Visions"

"I had another vision last night."

The six were sitting on the grass in their usual spot. Everything was normal. Liz sat leaning up against Max, getting as close to him as she could without actually being in his lap. Isabel rested her foot against Alex's leg, painting her toenails crimson, while Alex tried not to blush. And Maria was glaring at him. It was one of their off days. Maybe tomorrow they'd be on again.

Michael cleared his throat. "Maybe you didn't hear me. I had another vision last night." It was almost the end of senior year. Graduation was a few days away. One last summer together waited for them, before they scattered in the fall. Liz and Max were headed back east for pre-med. Izzy got into pre-law at UCLA, like her parents had done. Alex was headed off to California too--either to major in film or music or something...or maybe Isabel. At least Maria was staying around. She still had no idea what she wanted--when she was talking to him.

And he was going to the art school up at Albuquerque, all expenses paid, a one way ticket out of Roswell, New Mexico. Maria had already hinted that she might come to visit. Or maybe he could drive his old beat-up truck a couple times a month. Just to make sure the Evanses didn't forget what it was like to have children. And to make sure that the Crashdown kept stocked up in Tabasco sauce.

"Another vision?" Izzy's voice was tired. "Remember what happened with the last one?"

Maria muttered something about visions of nookie motels, but he figured that he'd just ignore her. She was probably PMS-ing again. Or got a bad vial of cedar oil.

He lowered his voice, so that the other students around wouldn't hear. "It wasn't about domes or anything, Iz. I think it was a message."

That got their attention. Max stopped playing with Liz's hair. Isabel dropped her nail polish, and it splashed all over Alex's jeans. And Maria finally met his eyes.

"E.T. phone home?" Alex cracked. Michael resisted the urge to melt Alex's wallet-chain to his face.

"Seriously. Like someone knows we're here. They've been searching for a really long time, and now they've found us. Like someone's coming to get us. Someone good. Someone who's...Czechoslovakian."

Maria's beautiful eyes widened, those soft lips opened to say something--and for the first time since he'd known her, nothing came out.

"Home." Izzy's voice was soft. Her face said it all--the fear of the unknown, the sorrow of leaving. The longing for someplace that she wasn't. Even with her and Alex's relationship that moved at the speed of a glacier, Michael still thought she wanted to go home more than any of them. Well, not more than him. But what he wanted all depended on how Maria felt that day, if they were on, or off.

"Did they say when?" Liz's voice, as always, was calm. She was Max's quiet strength, only getting shook up by some strong emotion. She'd learned control over the past two years, through all the hard times and worse times they'd been through since she and Max first decided to throw caution to the wind. He envied Max, because most of the time, his and Liz's relationship went like things were supposed to. They were the fairy tale. They had problems, but at least they knew where they stood from day to day.

"Soon. It's the third time I've had the dream, and the message is getting stronger. I think soon." At the fallen looks on the five faces around him, he couldn't help feeling angry--at them, and at himself. "We knew it would happen! We knew it was only time before something blew up. It was part of the risk..." He didn't know if he was speaking to himself, to Maria, or to everyone else.

Her lower lip trembled, and she shook her head. He could see the tears beginning to well up in her eyes.

"Maria..." He reached out to her, trying to fix it in some way. But she got up and ran away.

She sat on her bed, holding her lavender-scented Michael-bear. Michael had shoved it at her last Valentine's Day with a quick, hot kiss between History and English. That had been one of their 'on' weeks. One of these days, she'd just dump him and move on to a real guy who treated her better. He was so annoying, and so grungy, and sometimes she hated him more than anything. But his kisses made the bottom drop out of her stomach, and his touch sent fire racing through her veins that no amount of cedar oil could calm. And something drew her to his rebelling Czechoslovakian nature. She wouldn't admit to anyone that she needed him--but she did.

Something rattled at her window. She knew it was him. He refused to use the door like most normal people. Her mom even joked about it sometimes, when she saw Michael walking out of Maria's room at odd times. At least her mom liked Michael, though sometimes she made cryptic remarks about how fast the Tabasco seemed to disappear with him around.

"Well, can I come in?" His voice was gentler than usual.

She snorted. "Like you ever ask." And like she ever said no.

He slipped in, one arm held behind his back. When he dropped to the floor, he held his hand out to her, a fragile spray of long, pale purple flowers.

"Lavender! You knew I was getting low..." She took the herb gently, suddenly shy. "Thank you."

"Umm, you're welcome I guess," he mumbled, his ears turning pink.

"So, about these visions..." She looked up at him, fidgeting in that cute way he had. "What...what...are they like, little green men or something?"

He flopped down in his usual place at the end of her bed, picking up Michael-bear. He sniffed the teddy bear's head, an odd look on his face. "What'd you do to him? He smells like those flowers now." He tried to look indignant. "He's a very masculine bear."

She couldn't help giggling. Her laugh seemed to break the ice. His face visibly relaxed, and he moved to put his arms around her. She settled back against his chest, listening to his heartbeat. It sounded like a real human heart. She'd lain against it often enough to know.

"They weren't little green men. And they didn't have three eyes. It was more...a feeling, I guess." He rested his chin against her head. She liked cuddling quietly with him. They didn't usually get to do this, because they were either fighting or macking. Even after two years of whatever their relationship was. "They felt right...like Max or Iz. Like me. Like we belonged together..."

Like we do, she added silently. But she couldn't try to make him stay. She'd always known the price of their relationship.

"And it was just like they knew where we were, and that they were coming to take us home. I guess they finally realized that the crash happened, and that we were left behind." He was quiet for a while, and she thought she felt something damp fall on top of her head. "They want us, Maria. They're coming to take us home. They love us after all." He began to shake slightly.

There's gotta be something better than Roswell, New Mexico. A conversation from over two years before echoed in her mind, that first night they'd actually talked and realized that something connected them in spite of everything. What would she do if her father suddenly showed up on her doorstep? Would she feel the same way?

She took him in her arms, cradling his head against her shoulder, letting him cry into her shirt. She stroked his spiky hair, kissing the top of his head. At least he'd learned to cry in front of her. They'd come a long way, down a rough road, but they still had a long way to go.

"Are you gonna go?" They sat on the roof of the Crashdown, candles burning like tiny stars. The coolness of the desert night surrounded them. She shivered, and Max tightened his arms around her.

"I don't know, Liz. I always hoped we'd go back, but...but I never thought it would actually happen." Which was true. He'd always been more concerned with having to leave one day, because someone found out the truth. There had been too many close calls over the years.

But as usual, Liz was able to read his thoughts, just because she knew him inside and out. "None of you ever thought about it, did you?" Except Michael. And maybe Iz sometimes. He knew she felt left out a lot. That had changed a little bit, with Alex, since he was drawn to the person inside as well as out. But he knew his little sister still felt alone sometimes.

"I guess I was so busy trying to take care of us all that I never thought..." Or never let himself think. What would he do without Liz? He didn't know where his home was. He loved his parents, and he loved Liz more than life, but to be with people like him, people who understood the Tabasco and the depths of his feelings. People who wouldn't think of him as an alien, but just the same as everyone else.

He buried his face in her soft, dark hair, trying to forget that this might be one of the last times he could do this. But Michael was right. They all had known from the start that it would never last.

I love you, Liz. You know that. You know I can't live without you. But I can't stay here, and not know...

She turned, her mouth met his, as if she'd read the answer in every touch of his body. Every caress of her lips spoke to him.

I know, Max. I just hope I can love you enough to let you go.

"Hey, honey. Nice to see you, Alex." Her mom's warm voice drifted in from the doorway as she dropped her briefcase on the table. "Sorry I'm so late. A client had some issues we needed to take care of." Her parents' small law firm had boomed in the past couple years. Both her mom and her dad were thrilled that she'd decided she wanted to do the same thing. But Isabel figured that if she knew the laws and could argue them, maybe she could do something about her own precarious situation on Earth. Plus, she looked hot in a business suit.

"It's okay, Momma." She blushed. She hadn't called her mom that in years, since Michael first teased her about it. Her mother gave her an odd look, but didn't say anything. Alex caught her eye, and gave her hand a quick squeeze. He knew what she was thinking.

Her mom smiled at them. "Let me guess. Your brother's out with Liz, and Michael's made up with Maria for this week." Isabel's mom, of all of theirs, knew the most about what went on in the group, though she didn't know the most important secret of all. There were a thousand times when Isabel felt like blurting it out, but she couldn't. There was an oath she made a long time ago that kept her from it, no matter how much she loved her mother.

"Where else would Max and Michael be?" She tried not to let the scorn she felt into her voice. But her mom picked up on it. She always did.

Her mom reached out and stroked her hair. "It's hard to share your big brothers, honey, but they've had to learn to share you too." She smiled. "I remember when the three of you were inseparable. When Michael flushed your doll down the toilet, and Max almost blew up the garage with his chemistry set."

"Mom!" She tried not to blush. Alex was grinning, clearly enjoying this.

But her mom only grinned at her. "And Mr. Whitman over here was the same way with Maria and Liz, always hanging out at the Crashdown. Jeff Parker always wondered if you'd pick his baby or Amy DeLuca's to take away from Roswell." She gave Alex a soft smile. "I'm glad you picked my baby. She needed someone like you."

"Mom!!" Isabel blushed bright red. "Can't you wait til I leave the room to tell him this?" But it was her mother's way. She loved both Isabel and Max more than anything. So how could Isabel tell her that soon, she might not see her mother anymore? Mom, I'm sorry, but I'm going home...I won't forget you, but I need to go, even though you're my only mother, and I love you...

Her pajamas felt stiff, the sun was in her eyes, and something was laying on top of her chest. Maybe she left the window open and a cat got in or something. She rolled over, and smacked right into a spiky head.

"Michael!"

"What what what?" He sat up, almost smacking her in the face with his arms. He shook himself slightly, and then stared at her, as if he realized where he was. "What are you doing here?"

"It's my bed, idiot! What are you doing here? Why didn't you go home?"

But then it hit her. He was going home. Very soon. And from the way his face fell, he probably remembered it too.

"Michael..." She reached out for his hand, remembering how good she'd slept next to him.

But he pushed her hand away, untangled himself from her, and got out of bed. He began to pace across her floor. "Not now, okay? Let's not do this now. Not when we don't have much time left."

She slid out of bed, ignoring the fact that she was still wearing her clothes from last night. "I'm sorry," she said softly. She held out her hand to him, hoping for a compromise.

He gave her one of his usual rakish looks. "Besides. There are so many other things we can be doing." He looked at the clock. "We're already late for class anyways."

How much time would they have left? She'd already given Michael her heart--though she couldn't tell him that. And after he left, she might as well have something good to cry about...

She reached out, ran her hands up his chest, touching his face, running through his messed-up hair.

Would Michael have sex on his home planet? And how would they do it anyways, if human form wasn't their true form?

But Michael was completely and utterly human to her, no matter what anyone said. Annoying, but all human. And all hers.

Part II: "The Realization"

"Did Maria show up for English today?" Liz caught up with Isabel as they walked out to the quad for lunch.

"Negative. Michael didn't show up for homeroom either--not like that means anything." Which was true. Michael never showed up at school earlier than eleven...yet he somehow managed to pass most of his classes and graduate with the rest of them.

Liz tried not to be concerned. Maria could be sick. Or her car could've broken down. Or...

"There they are." And there they were, glaring at each other as usual. Liz sighed in relief.

"It's all his fault. If he hadn't tried to fix my car again..." Maria's angry voice reached them before she did. She slapped Michael's arm, but somehow the emotion and the gesture seemed a little forced to Liz. Michael seemed a bit more on edge than usual, hovering around Maria as if he didn't want to let her out of his sight. Which was understandable, considering what could happen in the next few days.

Which reminded her...

"Michael, did you have good dreams last night?"

Was it her imagination, or was he blushing? She needed to stop thinking this way. It was just another off day for Maria and Michael, that was all.

They settled on the grass in their usual spots. This time Alex casually leaned against Isabel. Even Maria was quieter than normal. Things had changed. No matter what happened in the next few days, now they knew that their time could end--any day now.

"I didn't dream anything last night." Michael's voice was quiet. He played with one of Maria's curls, trying to look a lot more lighthearted than he probaly felt. "So I don't know what..."

"But I did." Max had a slight smile on his face. "You're not the only one who can have vision quests, Michael. You were right. It will be soon."

Liz felt her guts freeze up inside. This shouldn't happen. They were going to go off to college together, and then maybe get married, and save lives and further medical science...maybe finding out what Max was...

Her hands began to shake.

"Liz?" She looked so pale. There were bags under her eyes too, like she hadn't slept that much. He wanted to take her in his arms and hold her forever, but if he did that, he knew he'd be tempted just to stay with her forever. He reached out, touching her face lightly. "Sweetie, it'll be okay..."

She looked up at him, her dark eyes wounded. "No, it won't be okay. You're leaving. Things are finally going right, and Valenti's finally on our side, and they're coming for you, which isn't right. Not now."

Why did leaving have to mean choosing between the two most important dreams he'd ever had? He'd loved Liz since the first moment he saw her, twelve years ago. But home...

He tried to put his arms around her, but she moved away, huddling up next to Maria. Maria hugged Liz tight, giving Max a lesser glare than the ones she usually flung at Michael.

"We have to tell Mom." Izzy's voice knocked him out of his trance.

"What?" Maybe he hadn't heard her right.

"Max, we need to tell Mom. We can't just disappear. It would kill her and Dad." He could see some of the same struggle on his sister's face. He never thought it would be this hard to leave. All that they'd gone through not to put down roots...

Isabel reached out, squeezing his hand. "None of us ever planned any of this, Max. It's not like we had a choice." Her voice was soft, her face serious. Somehow, his baby sister had gotten more beautiful in the past two years. She'd softened some, grown deeper. He was really starting to like the person she'd become.

"Besides, Maxwell. It's not like we'd want it any other way." Michael gave him half of his usual rakish grin. But Michael's eyes didn't look directly at his. They only saw Maria.

Michael hung back a little, not knowing how to feel around all these families. Hank had stopped caring after the child-support checks stopped six months ago, when Michael turned eighteen. His foster-father only cared that he paid the rent on time each month with the money he made at his job.

But Maria must have noticed, because she spent most of the evening giving him soft smiles. It was definately one of their on days. He felt like taking her in his arms and kissing her as long as he could without breathing. His hands ached to touch her. But they'd promised to keep it cool for a little while--at least around the others. His and Max's dreams had been quiet for so long that he was beginning to think his subconscious had dreamed it all up. But it felt so real. And the being had felt so much like him that he'd woken up in tears--something he hadn't done since he was young, and first crawled out his window to find safety at Max's house.

Then the Evanses got up to leave. And from the look on Izzy's face, she and Max were probably going to tell their parents tonight. He should probably be there for that. His brother and sister looked like they could use a little support. Isabel waved him over.

"We're leaving. If you want..."

He gave her a half-hearted smile. "I wouldn't miss it, Izzy." That way he could just head over to Maria's afterward. He liked sleeping next to her. He didn't want to admit it, but it made him seem loved. The chemistry between them was explosive, but he liked this softer, kinda snuggly side. Not that he'd ever admit it to anyone.

He walked over to the Parkers, and gave Liz probably the first hug she'd ever gotten from him in their entire lives. "We're leaving now. Say goodnight to him at least." The happy love couple hadn't talked since their fight at lunch a week before. He gave her a rough, brotherly kiss by her ear. "Nice speech, Liz."

She gave him a slight smile, and hugged him back with more strength than he expected. "Thanks, Michael." She gave him a Look. "Just take care of Maria, okay? She's my best friend, and I love her very much."

He blushed. He should've guessed that they couldn't fool Liz. "I do too," he mumbled. He shoved her towards Max, letting the Evanses make small talk with the Parkers before they left.

Sometimes she wondered what she saw in the grungy outcast from the wrong side of the tracks. Who would've guessed that she would've found a soul-mate in someone so...alien? She smiled to herself. The stories she could sell to the tabloids...

It wasn't like she had a future with Michael. Even if he stayed and they eventually got married, it wasn't like they could have children. And she wanted children sometimes--maybe a little boy with spiky blond curls, or a little girl with soulful dark eyes and a passionate nature... And there was always the possibility that he'd leave, like her dad did. And then she'd be stuck alone, with this piece of him and her...a memory of what had been and what could've been and what would never be. Besides, who knew what kind of powers the kids would have, not to mention taste in fashion? It was really better off this way. But she couldn't help but wonder...

Strong arms pulled her back into the kitchen, and then soft lips were hungrily kissing hers. She let herself melt against his body, not letting herself fall too much into his embrace. Sometimes she couldn't decide if her life was more like a tabloid, or a romance novel. I had sex with the hottest alien on earth...and he ripped my bodice with more passion than Scarlet and Rhett.

"Tonight?" Her voice was breathless. She hated when that happened.

"Leave the window open." One last kiss, a quick "I love you," and he was gone. But he never said the 'l' word. That was a Max and Liz thing. He really was leaving. Too many things were changing, way too fast...

He hugged her quickly. "You'll be okay?"

She nodded. "Max and Michael will be there. If something happens, I'll call. I promise."

They were just finally starting to get somewhere after two years of platonic friendship, with the occasional flirting. And now she was going away. But he could be patient. He'd waited all these years after all. He could wait til she came back. Which he knew she would. Isabel belonged here, like the guys did. They just needed to realize that for themselves.

Before he could stop himself, he leaned over, kissing her lightly. "You'll be fine. We'll be fine."

She looked at him, surprised, but smiled almost shyly, an expression he never thought he'd see on her face. She hugged him one more time. "Thanks, Alex. For everything."

He just wanted Liz to be happy--what they all wanted for their precious children.

Continued in Part Three