Patty Griffin

May 2002, Roswell, New Mexico

The sun shone far too brightly on the day of Liz Parker’s funeral.

It should have been over-cast, the heavens threatening to erupt at any moment. Even nature should have been mourning the loss of the girl Isabel Evans had come to regard as a sister.

Isabel rubbed her temples gently, willing the head-ache she had had all day to leave her in peace. And yet, in some way, the steady thrumming pain was comforting. At least it assured Isabel that she could still feel. She had been emotionally numb for so long now, she was beginning to wonder.

Isabel glanced up at her mother as Diane Evans came into the living room. "Jennetta’s almost ready." Diane told Isabel.

"Is Max dressed?" Isabel asked, sighing as she stood.

Diane just shook her blonde head, her worry reflected on her face. "He still insists he isn’t coming. I’ve tried to reason with him, but he’s still reading that book. He won’t even acknowledge me anymore."

Isabel sighed again. "I’ll go try." She told her mother. She knew that it was going to do little good though.

Isabel knew that he would regret for the rest of his life if he didn’t go to Liz’s funeral. She understood that it was going to be the hardest thing he would ever do, saying good-bye to his soul-mate, but he needed to do it, if only to even take one step on the long road to re-entering the world of the living.

For Isabel did not doubt that Max wanted to die - that for her brother, living without Liz Parker wasn’t living at all.

She knew that he hadn’t even really accepted what had happened yet. It almost seemed like his mind REFUSED to accept it, knowing that if it did, Max WOULD curl up and die.

It had been five days since the fire at the Crashdown and even Isabel was still having trouble accepting it.

The Evans had all been in bed when Sheriff Valenti had come to tell them the news.

Isabel swallowed as she remembered the look of impending doom that had crossed her brother’s face when he had realized that the Sheriff was there to tell him something was wrong with Liz.

His voice had been disturbingly quiet when he had asked the Sheriff what was going on. "Where’s Liz?"

The Sheriff had looked visibly distraught as he had recounted the horrible story.

"There was a fire…at the Crashdown." Sheriff Valenti had halted, clearly struggling to find the words. "It started in Liz’s bedroom. She apparently left a candle burning when she fell asleep. The firefighters tried to get in, but the flames were too much. The investigators found three bodies fifteen minutes ago. One was in Liz’s bed and it was clearly a teen-aged girl." The Sheriff had paused again, taking a deep breath. He had not had to elaborate that that was about all they had been able to tell from the remains.

Isabel had almost thrown up. The grief that had claimed her had been so intense, she had had to sit down on the stairs, or she would have fallen down them.

She had been aware of her sister Jennetta quietly sobbing behind her. But Isabel’s only thought had been for Max. Her brother had been frowning slightly, as though he was having trouble comprehending what the Sheriff was telling him. Isabel’s mother had moved up next to her son, had put her arm around him.

"Are you trying to tell me that Liz is dead?" Max had finally asked, his tone perplexed. He sounded so absolutely confused, Isabel had closed her eyes to try and compose herself. She knew that she was going to need to be strong for her brother. She had to be strong for him.

"I’m sorry Max." The Sheriff said, shaking his head. "I wanted to come tell you myself. Liz and her parents are gone."

The front hall-way of the Evans’ house had been silent with shock for so long, Isabel had almost been frightened to break it when she finally said, "Max…"

And that was when Max had started to laugh. It was the most terrifying sound Isabel had ever heard, no humour in it at all. Considering her brother didn’t laugh very often anyway, the sound was highly unnatural as well.

Isabel had exchanged a look of concern with her mother. Diane had tried to lead Max into the living room, but he had pulled away from her, shaking his head. "It’s not true. It’s impossible." He had looked at Isabel, his eyes bright with something that she couldn’t even begin to analyze. She had realized finally that it was certainty. "I would know Izzy. I would know if she was gone." And then his expression had changed, to one of deep sorrow. "Oh God. The poor Parkers. Liz is going to be absolutely devastated."

Mrs. Evans had looked at the Sheriff desperately. He had looked so sad, Isabel had almost wanted to go comfort HIM. "Honey…" Diane had tried again. "I think you need to come sit down."

"Why?" Max had looked at her like she was crazy. "I need to go find Liz. I have to be the one who tells her about this. She needs me."

Isabel had pressed her lips together, moved over to her brother. She had placed her hands on both sides of his face, forcing him to look at her. "Max. You can’t. She’s gone."

Max had just shaken her off. "I’m telling you!" He had practically yelled. "It’s impossible! I only left her two hours ago! How the hell could the entire building have been destroyed in two hours? I would have known, would have felt something!"

Isabel had hoped that meant that Liz hadn’t suffered. If Max hadn’t felt anything through their connection, it seemed likely that had been the case. "Max, you have to accept this. Its a terrible tragedy…but its true. You know that Sheriff Valenti wouldn’t lie to you."

Max had just glared at her. "You’re all crazy! I’m telling you, I would know." He had looked around at them all, disgusted. "I’m going to call Maria. I’ll bet that Liz is over there."

But, of course, Liz hadn’t been at Maria’s - or Alex’s - or even Michael and Tess’s. She hadn’t been anywhere.

She was gone.

But as Isabel prepared to knock on her brother’s bedroom door now, she knew that Max still had not even begun to accept that Liz was really gone.

She knocked, didn’t wait for Max to respond.

Her brother was lying on his stomach on his bed, flipping through one of the many books that were scattered around his bedroom. He had a frown of concentration on his face.

"Max?"

Max looked up. "It’s just another stupid book about farming." He told her, slamming the book shut and throwing it on the floor.

Isabel looked around the room in astonishment. "Max! When did you bring all of this here?" She could see that the books weren’t just regular volumes. They were silver and made of a material that was definitely not of this Earth.

Apparently her brother HAD left his bedroom and had raided an alien library in the process.

They had found the library by chance. Or, rather, their friend Kyle Valenti, the Sheriff’s son, had found it. It was buried deep under the desert in the extensive compound their people had built outside of Roswell, when it had been built still a mystery. They had barely begun to uncover the secrets and information the library contained.

"What are you doing?" Isabel asked now as she went to sit beside Max on his bed. He sat up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed.

"I’m looking for ways that Tarsus could have gotten to Earth without coming through the portal." Max replied, stretching and then rubbing his hand across his face wearily. "I just can’t figure it out."

Isabel felt a pang of sorrow. She hadn’t realized that Max was this delusional with grief. He was beginning to invent scenarios for why Liz had disappeared. This needed to be stopped. If it continued, when his hopes came crashing down around him, the fall-out was going to be even greater.

"Max." She said quietly. "There is no other way - or at least no other way that doesn’t involve years and years of space travel. You know this. Ren told us." Isabel continued, referring to the shapeshifter from their home planet who had come through the portal over a year ago.

Max just looked at her. "Clearly there IS a way Isabel. Because I know that he came here and he took Liz. It’s the only explanation that makes any sense."

Isabel sighed again. She decided to humour him for the moment. "Okay, say you’re right. Why? Why would he do this Max? Why Liz of all people?" She stood up, compulsively smoothing her black silk skirt to erase any wrinkles that might have appeared. "Why wouldn’t he take Jennetta - she’s the Chosen One after all - or you or me or Michael or even Tess? Why Liz?"

Max just eyed her for a moment. Then he strode across the room, picked up another volume and tossed it at her. "Because of this." He replied.

Isabel frowned at him in confusion. She obediently opened the silver book though. She gasped despite herself at the picture on the page that the tome fell open to.

Liz Parker’s face was staring up at her from the centre of the this book that had clearly been alien-made. And beside her was Max’s face.

"What is this?" Isabel managed to croak after staring down at the page for what seemed like years.

"I don’t know." Max replied. "But I do know that its the reason Liz is gone."

Isabel slammed the book shut. She had to get through to him. Whatever this book was, it didn’t change the fact that Liz had died in a fire five days before. "Max. I don’t have any idea what this is either, but I do know that Liz is gone. And this isn’t why. She’s dead Max - you have to accept it."

Max just rolled his eyes. "She’s not dead. How many times do I have to tell you people that I would know if she was dead?" He turned away, picked up another book and began to flip through it. "Close the door on your way out."

Isabel just stared at his back. "Max…you need to pull yourself together here. The funeral is in an hour. You have to be there - for Liz. You have to accept this for her."

Isabel saw Max’s back tense. He stopped turning pages. "I said to close the door on your way out." He repeated through gritted teeth.

Isabel felt tears fill her eyes. There was absolutely no reasoning with him. He had gone crazy.