FanFic - Other
"Tess to TESS"
Part 8
by Syndee Thomas
Disclaimer: The characters belong to the WB.
Summary: The forth alien arrives in Roswell only to find that she's already there in the form of a clone - Tess. Takes place after "Destiny."
Category: Other
Rating: PG
Tess is leaving an exclusive dress shop when she spots Kyle and a petit blond get into his car and drive away. She gets a strange feeling about the girl and decides to follow him. She has been following them for about two blocks and the feelings gets stronger that there is definitely something not right about the girl.

It's only when Kyle makes a left turn that Tess is able to see the girl's face and is shocked to find that the girl is her. Disconcerted and confused for a moment Tess has to speed through a light to keep from being hit by an oncoming truck and other cars blare horns in annoyance.

From his rear-view mirror Kyle can see a small SUV swerve to avoid an accident and notices that it's driver is none other than Tess . He watches to see if she turns off but she doesn't. So he turns to see if she follows and she does.

"Teresa, I don't want you to panic but Tess is following us," he states as a matter of fact. Teresa turns around. "Where?"

"Don't turn around," as he grabs her arm and forces her to look forward. "Get the radio and call Max or Michael."

Teresa finds the radio and turns it over and to the side trying to figure out how it works. She looks to Kyle for help, "how do you turn it on?"

He grabs it from her with impatience, turns it on and tries to raise Max but Michael answers instead. "Where are you guys, Liz and I are on our way back to the warehouse."

"Michael, I think we're in trouble," sighs heavily. "Tess is following us."

"What's the big deal? Exasperation is evident in his voice. "Pull over and make up a story that you're giving Isabel a ride somewhere."

"That's the problem Michael, Teresa's with me and I think Tess has seen her."

Isabel has been listening and breaks in, "Michael we swapped, what should we do?

Max hears the exchange and decides that they should change their plan and let Tess follow Kyle to the warehouse. In the mean time Isabel will try to dream walk Tess to see if she has truly seen Teresa and what she plans to do about it.

Maria parks the car as to not disturb Isabel as she uses her powers to get into Tess' head. Isabel's eyes are closed in concentration when she sees Tess spy Teresa with Kyle and decides to follow them. Tess knows that Teresa is the true forth alien and is trying to figure out what to do next. She doesn't think that Kyle knows that she is following him.

Images from a place in the desert interrupt Tess' thoughts. Isabel recognizes the area as a place near the Pod Chamber. There are several occupied cars with undistinguishable figures inside. Isabel hears a rhymic beeping as does Tess for she reaches inside her purse for a small oval gadget that begins to transmit the same sound.

Tess turns her car around abruptly and murmurs to herself. "It's about time" Isabel snaps out of her trace in time to hear Kyle report that Tess has turned around.

Isabel grabs the radio from Maria and yells into it panicked. "Max, they're here. I saw Tess get an image from the desert near the Pod Chamber. There were several cars and a beacon transmitting a sound that must have activated a gadget that she had in her purse because that's when she turned around. She's headed for the desert."

"Isabel, are you sure she's going into the desert," Max queries.

"Yes, I recognized the rock formation," her voice confident. "We have to stop her before she identifies us to them.

"Alex and I may be able to cut her off. Kyle can you raise your dad on the department's frequency because I've tried several times to no avail, he must be out of range? Find out where he is and tell him where Tess is headed."

Kyle reaches his dad on the radio and relays Max's communiqué.

The Sheriff reports that he and Sondra are only a few miles from the turn off leading to the Pod Chamber. His plan is to block the passage leading up the mountain where it is most narrow making it impossible for Tess to pass.

Sondra has made ready for use a syringe with the proper dosage of the sedative. In addition to this a cartridge from the tranquilizer gun is loaded as backup for the Sheriff in case Tess proves uncontrollable.

Max and Alex see her. She is driving erratically and very, very fast. The road is void of traffic so it's not long before Tess spots them and speeds up.

The road begins to incline with several hairpin turns but Tess doesn't appear to be slowing down. She turns onto the dirt road that leads up to the Pod Chamber and manages to kick up enough dust to temporarily force Max to stop because visibility is minimal. Tess notes the Sheriff's cruiser blocking the only road up the mountain as soon as she ventures off the main highway and is forced to stop almost immediately. There is no way through or around the heavier vehicle. Her decision to back up and flee is hampered by the arrival of Max 's jeep blocking her escape. Desperate to escape her adversaries she attempts to ram the Jeep.

Max anticipates this and reverses the jeep and moves out of her way.

Coupled with the speed she was using in an attempt to ram Max and the fact that she was going backwards downhill Tess loses control of the SUV. The vehicle turns over several times before landing upright in the middle of the highway.

Max is already headed toward her when he sees the oncoming fuel tanker. He yells for Tess to get out of the car and continues down the hill towards her. Their eyes meet one last time before the truck unable to stops collides with the smaller vehicle and jackknives sending the SUV over the ridge and down the steep ravine.

Sondra and the Sheriff have joined them near the jeep and is witness to the horrific scene. Max starts down the hill only to have Alex grab his arm and pull him behind a boulder because the impact has caused the truck to leak oil.

An explosion is heard from the direction of where Tess' car disappeared over the ridge. Max successfully breaks away from Alex only to be thrown backwards from the force of the exploding oil tanker.

Sondra attends to the trucker who has sustained minor injuries for he left the cab for cover immediately after seeing the sparks. Max refused to let her have a look at him for he was still trying to ascertain what became of Tess.

The SUV fell at least 1500 feet down the side of the mountain and was engulfed in flames. The Sheriff has notified the fire department and it will be a couple of hours before they can traverse the mountainside to reach the vehicle and recover the body.

Meanwhile Kyle and Teresa have just rounded a bend in the road when they see the jack-knifed tanker in the middle of the road.

"Where is he going?" Teresa points to the driver of the truck who is running away from the truck and towards the cliffs.

"Oh my God, it's going to explode," as he turns his car around and speeds away from the impending disaster.

They hear the explosion and can see the flames in the rear view mirror and feel the tremble of the road beneath them.

Michael and Liz followed closely by Maria and Isabel stop their cars near Kyle's and immediately gather to hear news of Max and the others.

Isabel is the first to react. She still has the radio in her hand and tries to raise Max or Sondra. "Sondra, is everyone okay? We're around the bend?"

"Yes, we're okay, but Tess' car was pushed over the cliff by the tanker. We heard an explosion but no one can get close enough to verify anything. She didn't make it to her rendezvous. Isabel can you dream-walk her?

Isabel tries unsuccessfully to dream-walk Tess but they all know that this does not mean that she's dead. The next couple of hours will be excruciatingly long because her fate determines that of the world, as we know it.

Once the fire is contained the group meet at the Sheriff's cruiser to deliberate their next move.

Isabel is confident that Tess' compatriots did not know what she looked like nor she them. Their faces appeared to Tess as indistinguishable when Isabel dream walked her earlier.

"I feel our best plan of action is to leave the immediate area," the dark-haired leader takes a deep breath and reaches for Liz's hand.

Michael steps up to Max in an obvious stance of disagreement. "Maybe they're still waiting for her and we can get a look at them -know thine enemy.

Sondra reaches for Michael's arm and gently turns him around to face her. "Michael, we don't know what powers or abilities they have and how much they know about the four of you. We are not prepared for a confrontation today or any time soon. Lets go back to the warehouse and wait for the Sheriff's call to confirm Tess' status. It's the safest place for us now."

They all nod his or her head in agreement and start to disperse.

"Teresa, are you ready to go?" Klye injects through the indecision of the masses as to who rides with whom.

She nods her head yes and starts to follow him as he saunters to his car. She turns towards Isabel and Maria, claps her hand in mock exaggeration and give a triumphant jump.

"What is that all about," Michael inquires as his sister runs to catch up with Kyle Valenti.

"Michael, believe me - you don't want to know," they both smile and head toward their arranged rides.

Part 7 | Index | Part 9
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