"But." Isabel started. She couldn't find the words she wanted to say. She knew that she and Maria had killed their father. They had witnessed both men disappear. How could they have survived that?

Maria reached across the table and touched Isabel's hand. She was thinking the same thing as Isabel. "We saw them disappear." Maria said. "They couldn't have survived the power that Isabel and I threw at them. It destroyed them." Maria's eyes filled with tears.

Michael placed a hand on Maria's shoulder and squeezed. He knew that she was still trying to come to terms with her father's death. "How is it possible that they didn't kill our fathers?" He asked.

Tess pulled out three spiral notebooks, two cassette tapes and a video from her backpack and laid them on the table.

"What's that for?" Asked Alex.

Tess pointed to the three notebooks. "These are journals that I kept during the three years I was held prisoner. The cassette tapes contain some information I was able to record secretly. Some of it is not comprehendible. The video was made by Aliyah. She communicated to her home planet via video. I was lucky enough to get a hold of a copy once." She looked up at Max. "I want you guys to have it. I think a lot of the information in there will better help you guys realized where you're from."

Max looked thankful. Could it actually be true? Could Tess really know things about their past?

"Where have you been all this time?" Isabel asked. "Before the warehouse."

"I broke out of my pod after you. No one was near the cave when I emerged. I walked out into the desert and began walking towards Roswell." She paused, as if trying to create a dramatic moment. "After nearly an hour of wondering aimlessly around the desert, a family found me. I was put into state care after that. I bounced around from foster home to foster home. When I was twelve, Nasedo contacted me. He told me that there were three others just like me and about where I came from. I began my search for you when I was fourteen. That is when I was captured by Aliyah. At first she pretended she was a social worker. I believed her because I'd run away from a foster home. It wasn't until she continued connecting to me that I realized something was wrong. The whole time she was using me to gain knowledge of you. When I discovered this, I tried to escape. That's when I was tied up. The rest of the time I spent in the warehouse I was tortured. She assumed my identity and went after you." She stopped speaking for a moment, clearly out of breath. "By the time Isabel and Maria found me, the plan to take over the earth was almost complete. The only missing factors were the other three aliens."

"Oh my gosh." Liz said. She couldn't believe the things Tess had went through. "How did you manage to stay alive?" She asked.

"It was you guys." She said. "I knew I had to stay strong so that I could warn you when Aliyah brought you to the warehouse. I put a lot of faith on the fact that I'd be able to "tell" when one of the other aliens was there."

"Were you? Were others brought into the warehouse?" Maria asked, curiously.

"Many people came in and out of the warehouse at all times of the day. They never knew about me. Aliyah, David and Mark had to act normal so they ran a business at the front of the warehouse. I tried to look up front as often as possible, but after I was tied up it was impossible." She looked down and then smiled up at Maria. "The minute you and Isabel entered the building I felt you. There was this strange fear that shot through my body like a gun. Then I could hear you communicating. It was your power of telepathy that sealed the deal for me. I knew you'd come and I was willing to do whatever was needed to protect you." She took another deep breath. "Luckily, Aliyah hadn't been the one to lead you there or I'd have never been freed. I was shocked at first when Isabel released me. I couldn't understand why she was helping. Then I realized that she had witnessed the conversation between Aliyah, David and Mark."

Isabel smiled. "I knew you were one of us when I helped you."

"You said that Isabel and I didn't kill our fathers?" Maria asked. "Didn't you tell us that we killed them?"

Tess smiled. "I did say that. It was because the only way to get them off Earth was to kill them. When they dissolved, their bodies were sent back to our home planet. They can never return to Earth, but are still alive on our planet. The best part about it," she said, still smiling. "is that when your fathers were put back on the planet, their memories returned as did their personalities. There was no more control under Aliyah."

"You mean our fathers are still alive? How do you know that?" Michael asked.

"On the video tape it talks about Aliyah protecting them from being killed or the plans would be ruined. It then went on to say that upon their death, they'd be returned to their planet and all their old memories restored."

The group could not believe what they were hearing. Everything seemed so inconceivable, but yet wasn't.

"So I didn't kill our parents?" Maria asked.

"Not in the sense we think." Tess began. "They are dead to earth. They are, however, alive and healthy on our home planet. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Maria and Isabel both smiled. They knew exactly what she was saying.

"So in a round about way, we didn't only save ourselves." Isabel commented.

"Exactly!" Tess exclaimed. "Although you did loose the chance of ever knowing your real fathers, you saved them by returning them to our planet. And you also saved me." She reached over and touched Maria and Isabel's hand. "I never did get to thank you for that." She said, smiling.

"You're welcome." They said together.

Alex's mind was turning. He wanted to know what he was going to find out in the notebooks. "Is there anything in there that is really important?" He asked, pointing to the notebooks.

"I covered pretty much all of the important stuff." Tess said. "There is a little about Aliyah, David and Mark, but mainly it's just about what happened to me."

Max shook his head. If he'd ever doubted Tess was no on their side, he no longer did. Tess was nothing like Aliyah made her out to be. "Why did you decide to share this with us?" He asked.

"Because we're alike. We're a family by association. That's what families do, they help each other." Tess blushed and smiled. She gathered the items up and stuffed them into Max's backpack. "They're yours."

Tess looked at the clock on the Crashdown wall. It was already past 7:30 PM. Jim would be worrying about her before long. "I'm gonna go." She said, standing up. "I guess I'll see you guys tomorrow." "We're right behind you." Michael blurted out, grabbing Maria's hand.

Max, Michael, Tess, Isabel, Maria, Liz, and Alex all left the Crashdown. At the jeep, Max handed Michael and Isabel a journal. "Why don't you and Alex look through this." He said. "If there is anything really important, let us know. Michael, you and Maria go through the other one. Liz and I will take this one." He smiled at Liz. Another excuse to be in a room alone with her.

Michael looked down to see tears rolling down Maria's cheek. He pulled her close and squeezed her shoulders. "What's the matter?" he asked.

Maria smiled. She didn't know how to explain it. She was happy their fathers were alive, but sad because they'd never get to see them again. She could only shake her head. Isabel understood what she was felling though. She forced a smile as she walked over to Maria.