Albuquerque, NM-11 years after “Meant to Be”.

Grandon High School.

“So, did you talk to your parents, yet?” said Terry as she and Sarah walked down the hall of their high school.

“Well…there wasn’t time,” Sarah answered.

“Yeah, right, come on, you’ve been avoiding this subject for days now.”

“Terry, how is this any of your business?” Sarah asked as she stopped by her locker and opened it.

“What do you mean? It is totally my business. I mean, if you leave, I’ll have to shop for a new best friend,” Terry said smiling.

“Oh, thank you, that makes me feel so special.”

“Hey, you’re the one who wants to leave, not me,” Terry said.

“I don’t want to leave…I just don’t…” Sarah sighed, “I just don’t know what to do.”

“You should really talk to your mom about this, you know that, right?”

“Yeah,” Sarah answered as something else caught her gaze and she got sad.

Terry looked in the direction of Sarah’s gaze and saw Ben Wilson walking by with his friends.

“So, how long is this going last for?” Terry asked Sarah after Ben disappeared behind a corner.

Sarah rolled her eyes as she said, “He just wants something that I can’t give him.”

“Why not?”

“Oh, come on, you know why not.”

“Sarah, what makes you think that he can’t deal with it?”

“I’m not sure.”

“You’ll never know if you don’t actually do it,” Terry said as Sarah shut her locker and they began walking towards their next class.

“I just…can’t,” Sarah said with a sad look.

“Look, I didn’t freak out. What makes you think he will?”

“That was different.”

“How was it different?” Terry asked.

“When you found out you were a part of our family. I mean, Aunt Isabel and Uncle Alex became your parents. Ben and I…we are…were just…you know…” Sarah exhaled as she struggled to explain, but then gave up, “Look, I gotta go. I’ll talk to you after class,” Sarah said as she turned around and went into the classroom.

As Sarah sat behind her desk, her heart was jumping. Ben sat right next to her.

“Ok, people, I want you to get together with your neighbor and answer the questions about the reading I posted on the board,” Mr. Deitel said after the bell rang. Sarah looked to her left and Ben and she became very uncomfortable. She took a deep breath and turned her desk to face him.

“So, uhm…we should…uh…” she said.

“Yeah, right…questions…Shakespear,” Ben said uncomfortably.

“Right,” she said as she looked down.

They haven’t spoken to each other in a week.

“So, how have you been?” Ben asked trying to sound civil.

“Oh…uh…good…yeah, fine…you?”

“Fine.”

“Great,” she said as she looked away again. “No, you know what? I hate this…can’t we just talk about this?” she said whispering.

“Sarah…”

“No, Ben this is ridiculous. We don’t have to do this,” she said passionately.

“Sarah, you know why. So, just tell me…whatever it is that you’re hiding, just tell me.”

Sarah’s eyes filled with tears. She looked into his eyes for a moment. “I just can’t.”

“Yeah, well, I can’t either,” he said as he got up and walked out of the class. Sarah didn’t know what to do next.

************************************************************************

“I decided to tell him,” Sarah said as she sat across from Terry in the cafeteria.

“Tell what?…oh, him? You’re gonna tell him?” Terry realized what Sarah was talking about.

Sarah nodded. “Do you think I’m crazy?”

“No, I don’t think you’re crazy. I think you’re doing the right thing.”

“Liar,” Sarah said as she took out her sandwich.

“Seriously…and I’m sure he’ll be happy about it too.”

“Yeah, right.”

“Sarah, I would kill to have your powers,” Terry whispered so that nobody else would hear that part of the conversation. Isabel and Alex adopted Terry seven years ago. Terry was one of the kids in an orphanage that Isabel worked as social worker at the time. For some reason Isabel and Terry became very close and after less than a year after meeting, Isabel asked Terry if she wanted to become part of their family. A few months after adoption Isabel and Alex told Terry the family secret. To their surprise she didn’t get scared or upset. She accepted them just as they accepted her.

“You want to switch lives?” Sarah asked.

“Sure, we’ll do it after gym,” they both laughed.

***********************************************************************

General Memorial Hospital

“Doctor Evans, you have a phone call on line 2,” a nurse told Max.

“Max Evans,” Max said as he picked up the phone.

“Hey,” he heard his favorite voice on the other line, “You’re busy?”

“No, it’s been pretty slow, actually.”

“So, you’ll be home for dinner?” Liz asked.

“I promised you, didn’t I? Do you think Sarah would mind sleeping over at Isabel’s?”

“Max!” Liz said playfully.

“I’m a bad father, I know,” he said smiling.

“You’re a great father,” Liz said seriously.

“I love you,” Max said.

Liz smiled as she felt the warmth inside of her, “I love you.”

“You guys make me sick,” Kate said as she walked up behind Liz’s desk as Liz hung up the phone. “You’ve been married forever and you still doing the whole sexy loving flirting thing on the phone…that’s not right, you know that, right?”

Liz just smiled. “Well, not everybody possesses the power to go through men like socks, Kate.”

“Hey, that’s not fair. You got like the only guy in the world who’s actually not afraid of commitment. So, there’s nothing left for the rest of us.”

“Right,” Liz looked at her watch, “Oh, I have this meeting in half an hour.”

“Oh, right, the promotion thing.”

“I am not getting…you think I’m getting promoted?” Liz asked excited.

“Liz, do you see anybody else here who deserves it more than you?” Kate said as she looked around the lab.

“I just hope that way we’ll have more freedom,” Liz said as she took of her white coat.

“Go get them,” Kate said as Liz walked out of the lab.

*******************************************************************

“Hi,” Sarah said as she walked up to the car Ben was working on in the garage. “Your mom let me in, I hope that’s Ok.”

“You’re here for a reason?” Ben asked coldly without even looking at her.

“Ben,” Sarah began to say.

He finally stood up and looked at her. “Sarah, there’s nothing else to say.”

“Except for what you want to know.”

He looked at her in surprise. “You mean to tell me that you suddenly decided to tell me whatever it is that’s so secret? Come on…”

“I am…I mean, yeah, that’s why I’m here.”

“Ok, so, what’s the big secret?” he said skeptically.

Sarah inhaled and said, “First, you have to promise me that what I’m about to tell you…that you will never tell anybody…ever…about it.”

“Sarah…”

“No, Ben, just promise me…please,” she said as she stood really close to him.

“I promise,” he said seeing how upset she was getting.

“Because if you do…then…it will…if you tell anybody about it…my whole family…everybody will be in danger, so you can’t say anything…”

“About what?” he said getting impatient.

“About who I am,” she said looking him straight in the eyes.

“About who you are?” he repeated.

“Do you remember a few months ago in physics Ms. Lorren talked about the UFO crash in 1947?” she asked.

“The one in Roswell? Yeah. So?”

“What if I told you that it was real?”

“You’re kidding me, right? Look, if you don’t want to tell me the truth…”

“Ben, please, I’m serious. It did happen.”

“So, what you’re telling me is that aliens do exist?”

“Yes,” she said with tears in her eyes.

“Sarah…”

“My father, uncle, and aunt were in that crash.”

“What?…Wait, that doesn’t make…first of all, your father would be like 70 years old and an alien?”

“No, he…they were in some incubation pods and…”

“Incubation what?”

“Incub…it doesn’t matter. My dad is 35 and yes, he’s an…alien.”

Ben tried to ask a question, but couldn’t make a sound. “So, are you telling me that you’re an…an…”he finally said.

“Alien…yes,” Sarah finished his sentence. “Well, half-alien. My mom isn’t…she’s human.”

“Human….and you’re…”

“Not.”

Ben stood there looking completely lost, trying to process information that Sarah just gave him. He expected a lot of things that Sarah might have been hiding. This was definitely not one of them. “I don’t even know what to say,” he finally said.

“Ben, you can’t tell anybody about this. You have no idea what would happen if you did…to me and to everybody in my family. Please.” She said crying.

Ben looked at her like she was some stranger. “I should really just go,” he said as he began to walk away, then he turned around. “No, wait, I live here…so, you should…you should just go.”

“Ben?” Sarah said pleadingly.

“I…I just need time or something. Just go,” he said as he turned away from her.

Sarah didn’t have anything left to do except to leave. Slowly she left, believing that she lost Ben forever.

***********************************************************************

Maria and Michael’s house

“Hey, shorty,” Maria said as Sarah walked into the kitchen. That nickname Maria used for Sarah stuck with her since she was little. “Wow, who died?” Maria asked seeing how upset Sarah was.

“I did something really horrible today.”

“Couldn’t be that bad,” Maria said as she sat next to Sarah.

“Oh, yes, it could. It’s the worst.” Sarah just couldn’t believe that she just put her whole family, all the people she loved, in such danger only because she missed Ben. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Shoot,” Maria said.

“When you found out about my dad and uncle Michael, what made you not go to the police?”

Maria looked at her concerned, not sure where that question came from. “Well, I almost did.”

“So, what made you stop?”

“I guess I trusted your mother and she was so sure that they wouldn’t hurt us. She believed in your dad so much, it was hard not to believe with her. Besides, it helped that Michael looked really hot,” Maria said as she smiled at Sarah.

“Aunt Maria!”

After they stopped laughing Maria asked, “So, what made you think of this anyway?”

Sarah looked away. How could she tell her godmother about what she did. “You remember Ben?”

“Ben? Oh, that guy you’ve been dating forever? He’s really cute.”

“Yeah, well…”

Just then Maria realized. “Oh, God. You told him?”

“I am so sorry. I just didn’t know…I don’t know why I did it. I mean, he knew that I was hiding something and he…what have I done?” Sarah began to cry.

Maria came up to Sarah and put her arms around her, trying to calm her down. “Shh, shhh, it’s ok. It’s gonna be Ok.”

When Sarah finally stopped crying, Maria asked, “So, do you love him?”

“Yes,” Sarah said honestly.

“Then all is not lost.”

“But he totally freaked out.”

“Of course he did. He wouldn’t be human if he didn’t.”

“But what if he…”

“Then we’ll deal with it,” Maria said calmly, although she was very worried inside. But she knew that Sarah needed her to stay calm.

“How am I gonna tell mom and dad?” Sarah asked.

Maria stroked her hair, “Sarah, don’t worry about it, Ok? If anybody can understand why you did it, it’s your parents. Trust me, Ok?”

“Right,” Sarah said as she nodded.

**********************************************************************

“Hey, it’s us,” Max said and he and Liz walked into the house. Maria and Michael always left the front door open during the day.

“We’re in here,” Maria yelled out from the living room.

“Hey,” Liz said as they walked into the room, “I have some news…Where’s Sarah?”

“Oh, what news?” Maria asked.

“Oh, yeah…you are looking at the new head of the New Mexico State University Molecular Biology lab.” Liz said as she twirled around, smiling.

“You did?” Maria jumped up from the couch and hugged her friend. “That’s amazing!”

“Yeah.”

“We’re gonna go celebrate. You guys wanna come with?” Max asked.

“No, it’s Ok. I’ve got a lot of work to finish,” Michael said.

“Oh, ok. Well, where’s Sarah? We’re gonna be late for our reservation,” Max said.

“Oh, right, uhm…you guys should sit down,” Maria told them.

“What’s wrong?” Liz asked with a worried expression.

“She told her boyfriend about us,” Michael said right away.

“Michael,” Maria looked at him with a “I’ll kill you” look.

“Ben? She told Ben? I thought they broke up?” Liz said as she sat on the edge of the couch.

Max didn’t say anything. He just sighed.

“Did he…?” Liz began to ask.

“Freak out? Yeah,” Maria answered.

“I think that we should go and talk to him,” Michael said to Max.

“And scare him even more, Michael? I don’t think that’s such a good idea,” Max told him.

“What else are we supposed to do?” Michael asked.

“If she told him, she must have had the reason to,” Max tried to rationalize.

“She loves him,” Liz said it as a matter of fact. “How could I have missed it? She loves him.”

“She’s only 16, Liz,” Max said.

“How old were we?” Liz asked her husband. Max understood exactly what she was saying. “I should go talk to her. Where is she?” Liz said getting up.

“She's out in the back yard,” Maria said.

“No,” Max said stopping Liz, “I should be the one.”

They both understood each other. Max knew what it felt like to open up like that to another person. She just nodded and he left the room.

************************************************************************

Max walked in and sat next to Sarah on the bench under the tree. They were both silent for a while. Then Sarah finally said, “So, you know?”

“I know,” he said.

She turned to him with tears in her eyes, “Daddy, I’m so sorry.”

Max put his left arm around her shoulders, “You don’t have to be. You did what you needed to do.”

“I put everybody in danger.”

Max turned around to face her. “Sarah, I understand, you love him, you needed it him to know the truth.”

“But what about?…”

“Us? We’ll be Ok. I’m sure that he deserves your trust. And even if he doesn’t…we’ll figure something out.”

“What? We’ll just have to run for the rest of our lives…because of me.”

Max smiled slightly. At this moment he saw himself in Sarah. “Well, technically it’s not. I mean, if I didn’t save your mom and didn’t tell her the truth and we didn’t…”

“Dad!” they both smiled.

“Look, the point is…this family is here for better or worse. And you know we’ve had enough of worse part and we always dealt with it together. We’ll deal with this too. So, just stop worrying,” he said as he once again put his arm around Sarah’s shoulders and she put her head on his shoulder.

“Can I join? Or is this party for fathers and daughters only?” Liz said with a smile.

“Actually, we’re gonna be late for our reservation,” Max said as he looked at his watch.

“Reservation?” Sarah asked.

“In De Ferrar,” Max said.

“What are we celebrating?” Sarah asked. That was one of the most expensive restaurants in the city.

“Your mother.”

Sarah jumped up from the bench, “You got it?” she asked as she gave her mother a hug.

“Come on,” Max said as he put his arms around both of his favorite women and the three of them went off to have a family dinner.

***********************************************************************

Next Morning- the Evans’ House

“Good morning,” Liz said as she walked into the kitchen.

“Coffee’s ready,” Sarah said as she took another bite out of her egg sandwich.

“Thanks, I really need it today,” Liz said as she poured coffee into two cups.

Sarah sipped her coffee and it wasn’t sweet enough. With just one movement of her finger the sugar container flew over the counter and into her hand.

“Showoff,” Liz said to her daughter and Sarah smiled.

“So, you’re ok?” Liz asked referring to what happened the day before.

“Yeah, I am.”

“So, there’s nothing you want to talk about?” Liz asked knowing perfectly well that there was something else on Sarah’s mind.

“Right,” Sarah realized that she couldn’t hide it from her mother any longer. “This woman…a recruiter for Harvard came to our school a week ago.”

“Oh,” Liz said waiting for her daughter to continue.

“Yeah, and uhm she sort of wanted to talk to me…she talked to me about early admission there.”

Liz’s expression changed to ecstatic, “That’s amazing. Why didn’t you say anything?” she asked as she hugged Sarah.

“Well, I just…I didn’t know if you’d want me to go there early…I mean, graduation from high school early and stuff.”

“What do you want to do?”

“I don’t know. I mean, it’s like across the country, you know. And you’ll be here and I’ll be there and …I don’t know. What should I do?”

“You know that I would help you with anything, right?” Liz said.

“Yes.”

“That’s one thing I can’t help you with. It’s your decision, pumpkin. I mean, it’s a dream to go to Harvard, but it was my dream. It doesn’t have to be yours. And if it’s not, then it’s ok. Whether you graduate from high school a year early or not, you can stay here for as long as you want, you know that, right? And if you want to leave, that’s ok too.”

“But what about you and dad?”

“We’ll be ok. Of course, we’ll probably have to get 2 or 3 more jobs to pay for the long distance calls and we’ll earn lots and lots of frequent flier miles, but we’ll be ok.” Liz said as they both smiled. “Look, whatever you decide, there’s one thing you have to remember…I am really proud of you.”

“I love you, mom,” Sarah said as they hugged again.

“I love you too,” Liz said.

“Me too,” Max said as he walked into the kitchen and first kissed Sarah’s forehead and then kissed Liz on the lips. At this moment Max’s beeper went off.

“Oh, great,” Max said as he looked at the message. “I gotta go,” he said to Liz as he kissed her again and left the kitchen.

“Have a great day,” Liz said after him.

As he left the house, Liz sighed. She hated that part of his job. Him flying off to work at any time of the day. After so many years she still couldn’t get used to that.

As Sarah watched her parents she felt something. Something coming from Liz. Ever since she was a baby the two of them could feel what the other one felt. It was kind of connection between a mother and a daughter that even Max got jealous of sometimes.

As Liz turned around and looked at Sarah, Sarah knew exactly what it was that she felt. She got really worried.

“What?” Liz asked her, seeing the strange look on Sarah’s face.

“Does dad know?” Sarah asked.

Liz looked at Sarah, at first wanting to lie and pretend like she didn’t know what Sarah was talking about. Then she realized that there was no point of hiding it. “No,” she said.

“Why?” Sarah asked.

“Sarah…”

“No! I thought you decided not to try anymore,” Sarah said really upset.

“Yes, but…” Liz tried to explain.

“Mom, you almost died last time,” Sarah almost screamed.

“It’s gonna be different this time,” Liz said.

“How do you know?”

“I just do.”

“Dad said, no more. He said that it was too dangerous.” Sarah couldn’t calm down. “Why are you willing to risk your life for this baby?” Since Liz and Max got married Liz got pregnant twice. Both times she had a miscarriage. The first time she wasn’t in danger. But two years ago she lost so much blood that the doctors were ready to pronounce her dead. Ever since then Max said that they would not try having kids ever again.

“Because…having a baby…it’s the most amazing thing that you can go through. When I had you, it was a miracle. But your dad, he wasn’t there…for the first five years of your life he wasn’t there and he missed so much. I have to…give him this,” Liz told her daughter.

“Mom, but what if?…”

“It’s gonna be ok. I promise you,” Liz said looking into Sarah’s eyes.

“You promise?” Sarah asked, wanting her mother to reassure her.

“I promise.” Liz repeated trying at the same time to reassure herself.

************************************************************************

Grandon High School

Sarah was running to her locker. She forgot the book she needed for her next class and was trying to get it and not be late for her class. As she turned around the corner she ran into Ben.

“Oh, uh, hi,” she said as they looked at each other uncomfortably.

“Hey,” he said.

“Uhm…Ben…I…” she began saying after a moment of silence.

“Sarah, I’ve thought about…what you said,” he said interrupting.

“Oh, you did?” Sarah said with a hint of hope in her voice.

“Yeah…I just…I don’t think I’m ready. I guess…I just need some time, you know?”

Her hope was gone. “Yeah, I understand.”

“Right.” Neither one knew what to say next.

“So…”

“I’ll see you around,” he said.

“Yeah…bye,” she said as he walked away. She didn’t care about being late to class any more.

***********************************************************************

It was half day at work and there was nobody in the lab. Liz was looking for Kate for a while now. She needed the notes from the previous day from her. She walked into the washroom, she saw something that caught her by surprise. Kate used waved her hand over her lips and the color of the lipstick changed.

“Oh, sorry,” Liz said trying to hide the fact that she saw it. “I didn’t realize there was anybody in here.” Liz closed the door. Her heart was pounding. As she tried to leave the lab, the exit door shut right in front of her. She turned around and saw Kate standing in the lab.

************************************************************************

At the same time:

Sarah just sat there in the cafeteria listening to Terry who was trying to make her feel better about the whole Ben thing. Suddenly she felt scared. He heart began to pound and she couldn’t catch her breath.

“Hey, are you ok?” Terry asked seeing the change in Sarah.

“I don’t know…”

***********************************************************************

“Kate,” Liz said trying to look calm.

“So, now you know,” Kate said as she walked closer to Liz.

“Know what?” Liz asked.

“Don’t. Just the fact that you’re not surprised by my powers proves it.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Liz tried to say.

Kate just looked at her with “Yeah, right” look.

“What do you want?” Liz asked realizing that pretending not to know what was going on wasn’t going to work.

“Your baby, of course,” Kate said as a matter of fact.

“My what?” Liz asked terrified as she put her hands protectively over her stomach. “How do you?…”

“Oh, I know a lot more about you than you think?” Kate said as she flung Liz across the room.

************************************************************************

At the same time:

“Oh, God,” Sarah whispered as she felt Liz’s pain and horror. She ran out of the cafeteria, through the hall, out into the parking lot. She was trying to calm down enough to be able to make a decision, but all she could feel was Liz’s terror. She was shaking and crying, not being able to breathe. Suddenly somebody touched her arm. She turned around and saw Ben.

“Sarah, what’s wrong?”

“I need….my mom…I need to get to the hospital…my dad, I need my dad!!!” she screamed hysterically.

“The General Memorial?” Ben tried to make sense of what she was saying.

“Yes!!! I need to get there, please, I need to…”

“Come on, I’ll drive you,” he said as he ran to get his car.

*********************************************************************

“Why are you doing this?” Liz said crying as Kate bent over her and put her hands on Liz’s stomach.

“The prophecy. I have to protect my people.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Liz screamed trying to stop Kate from hurting her baby. “Please, stop,” Liz said pleadingly.

“The child of the king will be the end of my race. He will kill with just a thought and nobody will be able to stop him,” Kate said as she concentrated her energy on Liz’s stomach.

“No!!!” Liz screamed as a wave of pain shocked her.

*********************************************************************

“Aaahhhh!!!!,” Sarah screamed as she bent over in half holding her stomach.

“Sarah!” Ben looked at her in terror. “What’s happening?”

“Just drive, hurry, just hurry,” was all Sarah could say.

*********************************************************************

Sarah ran into the emergency room entrance. “I’m looking for Max Evans. Please, where is he?” she asked the first person she saw, hysterically. Not waiting for the person’s response she ran through the hall. “Dad! Dad! Max Evans! DAD!!!” She screamed in the middle of the emergency room.

When Max saw her he knew. He knew right away.

*********************************************************************