Alex looked around the silent group. “’And then there were twelve,’” he said quietly. Then he looked up to Max with a screwed-up quizzical look. “So how long before we leave?”

“About seven and a half hours. The orb will take us at a few minutes to midnight.”

“From where?”

“It doesn’t matter, as long as we’re together.”

Isabel sat up straighter suddenly. “So let’s go home, then.”

“We can’t,” Alex looked over to see Joey looking down.

“I really messed things up. I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s okay, Joey.“ Isabel said automatically. “I just- forgot for a minute. You did what you had to do.“

Alex could see Isabel processing the situation, trying to make it real to herself, the fact that they weren’t going to get to see goodbye to their home, their parents again...

He felt his throat tighten at the thought of how worried his parents must be right now.

“Oh!” Joey looked up with wide eyes. “I forgot to tell you guys! Well, I didn’t have time earlier because Croazoh had me paralyzed and then afterward, I just forgot. Sheriff Valenti had a feeling things were going to go down the tubes for us, so he got all the parents together to brief them and get them out of Roswell. They were headed here to help rescue you, or say goodbye, or whatever needed to be done.”

“That’s right.” Nathan straightened up from where he and Christopher were talking. “They were going to drive straight through when Garrett showed up outside the hospital and we made a rather hasty exit. They could be here any minute and here we are earacheing.”

“Driving?” Alex calculated the timing quickly. “No, that would take way too long. They’ll never make it before midnight.”

Nathan looked sheepish. “Oh, sorry. Guess I’m not very good at American Geography.“

Maria‘s grumble barely made it to the front of the group. “Any one else feel like we’re on the bad end of a practical joke?”

Alex pushed up to his feet and forced away a cheery expression on his face. He brought one hand up to his ear, smiled and turned on his Hanna Barbera radio announcer voice. “‘Yes, you’ve been turned into an alien hybrid and may never see your home again. But wait, Maria Leah Deluca, we have more! Your Mom is on her way right now to see you! But oh noooooooo, looks she’ll be heading into town just as you glow your way out of the solar system.“ Alex watched Maria’s hesitant smile disappear, but he couldn’t stop himself. “That’s too bad. With any luck, maybe you‘ll be able to see her disappointed face as you disappear into thin air right before her very eyes. Better luck next time.” There was a bitter taste in Alex’s mouth as he sat down in the following silence. He hadn’t fooled anyone. He could feel Isabel’s emotions as well as his own and it was almost too much to bear. He found himself looking to his best friend, ready to hear whatever he had to say.

Max was looking back at him steadily. “It doesn’t have to be that way, Alex. We’ll call Mom’s cell phone and see where they are. Maybe we can meet them somewhere.”

A ripple of excitement went through the Roswell crowd.

“It’s so simple, it just might work.“ He grinned at Max and felt his heart do a triple somersault with a double twist. Was that from him or from Isabel? He had no idea.

*I just knew we were going to see them again. We have to.*

Right. He reached out and took her hand gratefully, pulling her to her feet. Sorry for the disparagement there. Sort of lost sight of my morale officer position.

*Hey, you’ve been through hell.* Her face was serious as she squeezed his hand. *You’ve earned a few bitter moments.*

He nodded.

As they stood to their feet, Alex saw Nathan approaching. There was something in his eyes that made Alex curious. So he watched as Nathan stood casually beside Max, watching the others getting their things together. Max was standing now, still holding Liz in his arms easily. Nathan looked over at Max. “So, I just have one question. Am I supposed to bow to you?”

Alex raised his eyebrows, curious to hear Max’s response. Isabel huffed in indignation beside him with her obvious vote for yes, but Alex willed her to let Max answer. The question had been niggling at the back of his mind as well.

“No, it‘s not necessary.” Max indicated the L.A. group with a nod of his head. “They only bow because it makes them more comfortable or something. I-I don‘t know.”

Nathan’s mouth quirked to the side in a smile and he bowed his head slightly. “Well, that settles it, then.”

Max shifted Liz in his arms and looked at Nathan, obviously wondering, like Alex, how “no, it‘s not necessary” translated into a “yes” for this guy.

Nathan smiled at his expression. “I’ve lived in England for quite a while and I’ve learned that there are two types of people you bow to. The first, you bow because you’re forced into it. The second, you bow because they’re worthy of it.” Then he clapped Max on the back and grinned. “Only someone inherently worthy would say they let their subjects bow to them because it makes them more comfortable.”

Alex heard laughter all around them and felt Isabel relax beside him. He had to smile, too. Saint Max finally gettin’ his dues.

*Amen to that.*

******

Joey sat in the back of the rental car squeezed in beside Alex and Isabel, and wavered between despair and hope as they drove to the nearest phone booth. She knew that everyone was supposed to be on their way, but what about her complete meltdown in front of all of those people at the hospital? It was very possible that the Sheriff and parents had been detained because of their relationship to Joey- the green, slimy alien.

She shuddered.

Maybe Max was right and that hadn‘t happened. If they had made it on the road at all, they could find them and meet them somewhere. Even Joey knew that her mother never went anywhere without her cell phone. But even if they did get to see them, to say goodbye, she would still just have to leave Kyle in the end.

Joey closed her eyes and rested her head back against the seat. Justin had been right. She and Kyle had no future at all. The twelve was complete; no other humans would be transformed. There was no hope for them, for whatever it was that they had shared. Tears filled her eyes.

“You okay,” Isabel whispered beside her, taking her hand and squeezing it gently.

“Yeah,” Joey answered, keeping her eyes closed. “Just tired.” No sense dragging everyone down with her problems. They were all so happy.

A single tear made its way down her face, on the side toward the window. No one saw it and that just made her feel worse.

******

Max combed his hand through Liz’s hair idly, tracing her beauty with his eyes as she lay with her head in his lap. They had already been in the van a few minutes, so Max started to work his way through his checklist again. Her coloring was good- evenly tanned, creamy skin with a just a tinge of pink. Beautiful. He placed a hand lightly on her rib cage and felt it expand against his palm. Deep, slow breaths. Good. He reached his fingers out, almost spanning the whole width of her body. How could somebody so small and fragile be so strong?

He shook his head at the thought and brought his hand up to her nestle against her forehead, feeling the steady warmth there. Just right. Then he gently held her wrist in his hand and felt for her pulse. Thank god for that pulse. It was strong, beating against his thumb in that inexplicable rhythm which needed no prompting, but steadily pumped blood and oxygen through her body, keeping his love alive. She was fine, just sleeping like their connection told him.

He sighed. He knew the others were beginning to doubt. He had seen the first signs of it in Maria’s face a while ago. She had looked like she wanted to rip Liz out of his arms and do CPR right then and there. But they didn’t know Liz like he did.

So he would wait.

And work on his plan of exactly what Miss Liz Parker was going to wake up to.

******

Kyle walked with one hand resting in the crook of his Dad’s arm. Yes, he felt like he was being escorted to the damn prom, but at least that way he didn’t twist his ankle and do the lambada all the way to the ground.

Which he’d already done twice, to the ringing sound of his Dad‘s guffaws. Kyle walked grimly, trying to ignore the looks his father was giving him. Finally, he gave in. “What is it, Dad?”

“Kyle, I know this isn’t funny, but you’re wiggling your butt like a damn White House intern!” Kyle dropped his hand from his father’s arm and strode onward angrily. His Dad could barely keep walking. Kyle shook his head. “Yeah, laugh it up, Dad. All the way to the sex change operation I WILL be having if we never see another alien in this lifetime.”

“Right. Sorry, honey.”

Kyle stopped walking and stared over at his Dad. “What?”

He watched his Dad move ahead to talk with Mr. Parker, glad that at least no one else had laughed out right at him. Had they heard him say that about getting a sex change?

Oh god. If he hadn’t changed by now...

He buried his face in his hand, trying to ignore the strange feeling of long, thin fingers on his face instead of his own. Well, if Max was still around, maybe he could...

Kyle winced. Was there any possible way to look Max Evans in the eye and ask him to give him back his balls?

He groaned.

Definite side effects from that thought. Lifelong, mind-screwing side effects. Turn mind off now. Kyle walked on, trying hard to NOT think and to NOT wiggle his butt. He had no idea if he was pulling it off or not.

******

Isabel was jerking at the door handle before the car even came to a complete stop. “Michael!” It wouldn’t open. She unlocked it and it immediately locked back. “MICHAEL!”

“I’m not doin’ it! The car stays locked when it’s in gear!”

“So stop the car and get it out of gear!” Isabel raised her hand just as Michael finally shoved the car into Park. The door clicked open. “Thank you,” she spat out sarcastically as she climbed out.

“You’re welcome,” came Maria’s bright reply.

Alex caught up to her in a heartbeat, his long legs easily keeping pace. “What is that you always say, sweetums? Something about ‘One can never have too much sunshine?’”

“Shut up, Alex.”

*Yes, dear.*

She swatted him and then they were at the phone. She jerked the receiver off the handle. Oh yeah. Quarter.

Quarter?

Then a flash of silver appeared in front of her face.

“I was a Boy Scout, you know.”

She gave him a small smile, feeling suddenly vulnerable now that they were alone and she was about to call her Mother.

*The sooner you call, the sooner you’ll feel better.*

Right. She grabbed the quarter and adopted a fierce expression again. With quick, efficient movements, she put in the money and dialed the number she knew by heart.

She took a deep breath and listened to it ring.

******

The van behind them was blinking its lights, honking its horn and swerving like crazy. Kyle saw them in the rearview mirror and couldn’t believe it. He turned to look and noticed the Whitmans looking as well.

“Jim, I think Phillip is trying to tell us something.“

Kyle smirked and turned back around. He would’ve made a smarmy comment, but it just didn‘t feel right. It felt too insensitive.

“Dad, there’s a pull-off up ahead.“

“I see it.“

“Good. That might be a safer option than pulling off on the side of the road. We wouldn‘t want to endanger the other... you know, people on the road.“

“Right... son.“ Kyle jerked his head over as his father’s tone registered. His Dad was bright red from trying to conceal his laughter.

Kyle frowned. “What? I just know that some people have a hard time driving safely when there‘s someone stopped on the side of the road. They worry and want to stop to help. It‘s just dangerous.”

A muffled gasp from the middle seat made Kyle whip his head around. Mrs. Whitman had buried her head in Mr. Whitman’s chest and even he was fighting to keep the smile off his face.

Kyle turned around in a huff, crossing his arms and smashing his boobs uncomfortably in the process. He let out a snort of disgust. “Try to show a little sensitivity and everybody laughs at you.”

The muffled sounds from the back became full-fledged laughter at this point, Amy Deluca joining in loudly. Kyle tried to shrug it off, but the cackle coming from the driver’s seat got under his skin. He turned to watch his Dad struggle to get the van into the pull-off while laughing so hard that tears were running down his face.

“What am I, comic relief or something?”

More laughter. His Dad brought the van to a stop and buried his head into his arms on the steering wheel. Kyle was starting to feel insecure. “No, really, this is a tension-buster kind of thing, right? Because I don’t think what I said was all that funny. Do you?”

His Dad wouldn’t answer.

Then the door jerked open beside him and Kyle was stunned out of his hurt feelings by the sight of Mrs. Evans standing there. His Dad turned to look and sobered immediately.

“Diane, what is it?”

Mrs. Evans smiled. “Isabel just called. They’re here, about fifteen minutes away. And EVERYONE’S alright- Liz, Alex, Joey, everyone.”

Kyle felt air filling the lungs that were suddenly clamoring for oxygen. Joey was okay. Liz was okay. Alex was okay. He managed a smile after a minute. He wanted nothing but to see Joey so badly. He had so much to tell her...

He heard his Dad getting directions, but he couldn’t even focus. Kyle had thought that the spell or whatever the hell that shapeshifter had done might just wear off in time. But here they were just about to see Joey... and there was absolutely no sign of Kyle’s best buddies showin’ back up in their proper front and forward position. Dammit.

He was just going to have to figure out a way to tell Joey how he felt about her without channeling Oprah and bawling his eyes out. But in this body, that might be pretty hard, not to mention the fact that she might just be too wigged to listen.