"Don't play the fool with me!" Denton screamed in Alex's face. "Max, Isabel, Michael and Tess. They are not from around here."

"What do you want me to say? That they are from Canada?" Alex said. Denton smacked Alex, letting him tumble over.

"Play the game right, Mr. Whitman, and we might give you your life back." Denton said. "I'll give you the night to rest. Give me answers in the morning."

The door slammed behind him and Alex lay on the floor. Hot tears flowed down his cheeks. He had been dead a long time, and now to know that everyone he loved thought he was dead. He had always hoped that his talks with Isabel had been a worry of hers, that he was just reported missing. But no, he was proclaimed dead. And what about the rest of his friends? What had become of them since Tess had full manipulation with him gone? The thought was too hard to think about. Max had probably gone home along with Michael and Tess. Isabel was still here, though he didn't know why. He had told her to follow her heart, and maybe it was always on earth with him.

Alex tightened his body into a ball as he heard the door open. He slowly opened his eyes as he saw the form of a woman crouch before him.

"Alex, please. I am to take you to your room." The woman said.

"Leave me here to die. I should be dead."

"Come on." The woman helped Alex into a wheel chair and pushed him down the short hallway to his gray room. Alex tried to find some kind of symbol like Max had done once, but everything had been painted over. The woman helped Alex into bed and pulled the covers over him.

"I'll be taking care of you. My name is Emma. I put fresh sheets on. Do you need anything else?"

"What's with the club med routine? Aren't I a prisoner or something?"

"I am ordered to keep you happy while in here. Whatever goes on out there has nothing to do with me."

"If you want to make me happy, send me home." Alex said, staring at the far wall. Emma pulled the covers further up Alex's chest and held a glass of juice with a straw up to his mouth. Alex took a sip, not looking away from the wall.

"Now, was that so hard?" Emma smiled. Alex looked so hopeless, his skin was lighter from lack of sun. Her heart went out to him, which would be considered a flaw in the Unit- having a heart.

"You want to make me happy?" Alex said and turned to her. "Tell me what happened to me. What did they do?" Emma sighed, not wanting to make this sad young man further upset.

"I'll tell you what I know," Emma started. "You were brought here nearly dead. The girl, Tess, left your car on the bend of a highway, so that someone would be sure to hit it. It was supposed to look like a car accident, later to be declared a suicide. Denton is the new head of the special unit, well, what was left of it. As Pierce's successor and former right hand, he picked up the pieces of the unit and was more undercover about things. No sending out agents, nothing that would make the eight of you suspicious. He had encountered many aliens, the ones you call the Skins. He even captured one, only to have it disintegrated because it did not make the Harvest. Anyway, when Denton realized that he had to hide that he took you, he took a kid from death row, about your height, weight and age, and murdered him, putting him in your car. The damage was left unrecognizable. He replaced the DNA tests of the corpse with your own, and with the Sheriff's ID and the testimony of your behavior with the teachers, no one doubted that was you in the car. No one ever questioned the cover story. You were taken care of here and you've been in a coma for a long time." Alex stared through her, trying to take all of it in.

"What year is it?" Alex managed to say.

"It is August 25, 2002." Alex looked up at the ceiling, unable to speak. Almost two years of his life, gone. He had his whole life to figure out, but now, he didn't know how long he would be able to survive here. "I'm so sorry, Alex."

"An agent? Sorry for me?" Alex laughed, almost sounding mad. "Get out." Emma turned off the lights to the room, leaving Alex with the truth in the darkness.

The next day, Alex woke up in the white room again. He covered his head with his hands and started to think of happier thoughts. He subconsciously began to sing, his voice shaking with every note: "I can't remember if I cried when I read about his widowed bride. But something touched me deep inside. The day the music died."

"It's time, Alex." Denton's voice said into the PA system. Alex tightened again. "Where do Max, Isabel, Michael and Tess come from?"

"Roswell, New Mexico." Alex said softly into his arm.

"I'm sorry, say that again."

"Roswell, New Mexico!" Alex said louder.

"Alex, if you want to get home, I'd suggest taking the easy way. Now, where do they come from?!?!" Denton screamed, his voice echoing off the walls of the white room.