"What the hell is this?" he asked. A stupid grin threatened to break, but he fought it back.

"You're wanted in the principal's office immediately," she read from the note. Then she handed it over. "So what'd you do now?"

"Nothing," Kyle said with irritation. "Did anyone tell you why?"

"I was just there, delivering papers, minding my own business, when I saw your dad in the principal's office. He looked like he was in shock, and asked me if I'd seen you. When I said no, they wrote this up."

"Okay," Kyle said. "See ya." As he walked toward the office, the little burst of pleasure he'd felt was replaced with fear.

"What's going on?" Liz's voice broke Maria out of her wondering.

"Kyle's dad's waiting for him in the office," Maria said. "I have no idea why, so don't ask."

She glanced at the office door as she said that.

"NO. Listening at that door is just stupid, and I'm not doing it!" Liz said.

"Don't you want to know, too?" Maria asked.

"Well yeah..."

That was enough for Maria. She grabbed Liz's arm and pulled her into the office. Just as they got close to the door, the secretary looked up. "What are you girls doing here? You should be in class right now."

"I...I...lost my necklace!" Maria blurted out. "It's a heart-shaped sapphire, sort of 'Heart of the Ocean', and it's my most valuable piece of jewelry."

"I'll keep my eyes out for it," the secretary said. "Now get to class!"

Liz barely made it out of the office before laughing. "You lost a sapphire Heart of the Ocean rip-off?"

"Okay, it was pathetic," Maria admitted. "But I wanted to hear!" She was definitely curious, but there was another emotion mixed with her curiosity.

"Hear what?" Max, Isabel, and Michael had just come up to them.

"Kyle got called to the office, and Valenti was there," Maria said. "I think it's bad."

"You're right," Isabel said. "Valenti wouldn't be here unless there was some kind of emergency."

As usual, Michael was in panic mode. "You're not thinking it has something to do with us?"

"Michael, will you please stop overreacting?" Isabel said. "We're safe now."

When Maria got home from work that night, she was surprised to see her mother home. "Mom, what are you doing home? I thought you and Valenti were going out."

"Sudden change of plans," Amy said. "Do you remember Michelle Valenti?"

"Kyle's mom?" Maria knew the name, but not the woman. She'd taken off about twelve or thirteen years ago.

Amy nodded. "She was found dead this morning."

Maria gasped. This definitely qualified as an emergency. "So that's why Valenti came to school this morning."

"Yes. The funeral will take place as soon as an autopsy is performed. No one knows how she died." She paused.

"And?" Maria sensed this wasn't over.

"And I was wondering if you'd go through your aromatherapy collection and find something to help with grief."

Maria sighed. She knew her mother meant well, but she was sure Amy had an ulterior motive.

"Please."

"All right." Maria walked to her room, surprised at how little resistance she felt. After digging up some vials of bergamot and grapefruit, she put them in her purse and left for the Valentis'.

The sheriff answered the door. "Maria, this really isn't a good time."

"I know, and I'm sorry, but my mom sent me over with some stuff for you and Kyle. They help with grief."

Valenti opened the door. "Come on in. Kyle's room is upstairs and to the left."

Maria's heart stopped. He was telling her this because?

"I think he'd appreciate seeing you more than me right now."

Maria nodded, heading up the stairs. As she knocked on Kyle's door, she tried to convince herself that her pounding heart and red face were from the exercise.

"Yeah?" Kyle's voice came through the door.

"It's me, Maria," she said. "I found some aromatherapy oils that could help you right now. Can I come in and give them to you?"

No answer. "I'll just leave them out here," she said, placing them down.

"Well, I delivered them," she muttered to herself in her car. But she couldn't help feeling somewhat disappointed.

Kyle picked up the little vials outside his door. He wished Maria hadn't left. All of a sudden, he wanted her there with him.

Tess had volunteered to answer the phone at the Valentis' so they didn't have that to deal with. "Yeah, right," she thought. "I'm just doing this so I could find something out and win points with Max. After all, isn't it sweet of me to help this family I really hate throughout this-"

The phone rang, cutting off her thoughts. "Valenti residence, how may I help you?"

"I'd like to talk to James Valenti, Jr.," the man on the other end said.

"I'm sorry, he's not accepting any calls right now. His wife just died, and-"

"Miss, I'm from Albuquerque General Hospital. This call concerns Michelle."

The autopsy results! "I'll get him right away."

Tess found Valenti in the master bedroom, looking through a box. "Sheriff, someone's on the phone from the hospital. I think it's about the autopsy."

Valenti picked up the phone. "Hello?" He heard Tess hang up the phone in the kitchen.

"We performed an autopsy on your ex-wife," the doctor said.

"Do you know how she died?" Valenti asked.

"We were unable to pinpoint the cause of death-"

"What!"

"But we did find something very interesting." The phrase stopped Valenti pre-tirade.

"What did you find?"

"When we examined her cells...they weren't normal."

"So she had some genetic disease? Does that put our son at risk?"

"I'm not sure what effect this will have on your son, physically and psychologically."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Why couldn't this guy get to the point?

"Sir, your wife was not human."

Despite the shock of what he'd heard, Valenti thought fast. "You and your team will tell no one about this. In her obituary, the cause of death will be listed as natural. If any of this gets out to the press, you and anyone else concerned WILL regret it. Am I making myself understood?"

"Yes sir." The voice sounded worried. "But did your wife give birth to your son normally?"

"Michelle had a normal pregnancy and childbirth. What are you suggesting?"

"Sir, if...Michelle had a child with you, that means your son is probably not human. At least not fully. He's probably a hybrid of some sort."

Valenti needed no elaboration. After hanging up the phone, he picked up a wedding picture.

"No wonder you left Roswell," he said. "You knew it wasn't safe for you."

The next photo was of a younger Valenti couple with Kyle as a baby. Everyone looked normal. "Oh my God, Kyle, what if that quack's right?"