Home. Home? What is that? For all I know, it could have acid clouds and people who hate me because my husband failed the planet. He wasn't a president; he didn't just let down a country. An entire planet fell apart while my husband was on the throne. Do I even have any family or friends on this home? Even if my mother is still alive, she's not my mother. She's the mother of my predestined self. Does this place have beings that love me and care about me? Something I've magically been able to find on Earth, only after many years of loneliness.

Max doesn't look at me like a bearer of temptation and bad news anymore. Michael looks up to me in some strange way. I know stuff about our past life that he doesn't and I can use my powers more skillfully than he can. Even Liz has even opened up to me. I can't blame Maria for hating me. If I had a friend like Liz, I would try to be as loyal to her as possible too. But I honestly wasn't trying to steal Max from Liz. He was all I ever knew. He was all I had and I was all he had back in our past life.

Now I know more than Max. I know the caring of friendship and the love of a family. I know trust and happiness and angst. I know Kyle. I'm not sure what it is that's between us. There's something there. Whether brotherly or romantic, I know there won't be someone like him at "home."

Will these people be there waiting for me at home?

I never expected to get close to anyone on Earth. Nasedo always warned me against forming connections with humans. I never dated. Boys never came up to me. I was the scary loner who didn't match the stereotype. The braver guys tried to flirt with me. I reciprocated. Not like I had any other chances to interact with human boys at home. One guy once asked me for my phone number. Ha, if Nasedo picked up he'd probably zap him through the phone wire. I never went to dances or pep rallies, not that I like them, but maybe if I had the chance I'd learn to like them.

Then I moved to Roswell. And baam. I saw him hanging out with them, but he didn't look like he fit in. He looked like he was always waiting for something to throw in their face or a chance to break into their secret. He especially seemed to like to distress Max. He was perfect for my plan. He was close enough to get their attention, but not too close to get himself involved. I used Kyle to get to Max. And now I've used Max to get to Kyle.

If it wasn't for this whole alien thing, Max healing Liz and falling for her while she was still dating Kyle, Max healing Kyle after he was shoot, and then Max finding me a home with the Valentis', I might have never really gotten to know Kyle. In some strange way, I have Max to thank for all of this. Imagine that. That's why today has been so hard for me.

"How's the Tess roommate situation going?" Alex asked while we were trapped in the cave.

"Fine," I answered though it's anything but.

"Right," he said skeptically. "A beautiful sixteen-year old alien is living with you and everything is fine."

"Yeah," I mumbled.

"Kyle, my buddy, and I think I have the right to call you that now seeing as how we'll probably die together in this cave, you're an awful liar." He moved a little closer and put his arm around my shoulders. "None of us have been able to resist the alien charms. Maria is all looney over Michael, Liz gets gaga eyes whenever Max is in the room, and I…I…"

"Drooled like a dog after Isabel?" I finish smiling.

"I would have put it differently, but same point. They've all captured our hearts. There's no denying it, Kyle," Alex said, smiling knowingly.

He was right, I realize as I drive Tess and me home. She's got my heart and no one can take it away from her. I can't even take it away from her. Believe me, if I could I would. Life would be much easier. Life would be almost normal and human. But Alex was right about something else too. I wouldn't trade knowing this secret, knowing her, for anything.

"Stop the car," she says suddenly.

"What?" I ask in confusion. I turn and look at her. The determined look on her face tells me she's serious. "Tess, we're in the middle of the freaking freeway and you want me to stop the car. Do you have to pee or something?"

"Not everything is about peeing or bathrooms, Kyle. Stop the car. I mean it," she commands.

I would challenge her or retort with a comeback, but her voice scares me. I pull the car over to the side of the road and park. "Okay, there. Go pee, I won't look. Promise."

Instead of getting out and answering nature's call, she starts hitting me in the shoulder repeatedly. And I must say, for a girl she's pretty strong. Well, she is an alien girl. After I think she's permanently planted a disfigured purple shape onto my arm, she sits back in the passenger seat and stares ahead.

"Okay, what the hell was that for? I didn't think the pee jokes bothered you that much." I know I shouldn't have said that cause then she totally breaks.

"Don't you ever almost die on me again or I will personally kill you myself!" she yells, starring my in the eye. "Got it?"

She turns away and I can't see her face anymore, but I hear the sound of raged breathing and I wonder if she's crying. Crying over me.

"I'm sorry," I whisper.

"I don't care. Just don't do it again," she says calmly now. She turns around, her eyes glistening, and says, "You have to be more careful than that because…I need…you just have to. I need you to."

"Okay. I understand," I reply. I completely understand. Though it's only be a couple of months living with her and years with my dad and just me, I can't imagine her not a part of the Valenti family. I need the same promise from her. "I need you to also, Tess. Now go pee cause I know that's the real reason you made me pullover."

"One more pee joke and this whole don't-die-on-me pact will be history cause I'll zap you with my death ray eyes."

"You're a real people person, Tess. Anyone ever tell you that?" I say sarcastically.

"I don't usually tell people I'm gonna zap them with my death ray eyes."

"You should start. You might meet yourself an interesting fellow. Interesting, to say the least."

"I don't want to meet anyone else," she says almost inaudibly.