something from the archives: after vegas - part 1

so back when i wrote fan fiction i penned it under the name etoile1. this story is a challenge i took up from another roswell fan named CarolRoswellFan and the conditions were as follows: the story needed to be set after the "viva las vegas" episode and it needed to explore the relationships of max/tess, maria/alex, kyle/isabel, michael/liz. i remember really liking this challenge because the conditions weren't too tough, and because it required tackling relationships that included all the teenage characters on the show, i decided to use a journal-style narrative. and because i was (still am) a michael and liz fan, i spent more of my time on them. anyway, so this story is called "after vegas" and at the time i rated it r for language, though i think now-a-days it's probably a pg-13.

anyway you can read the first chapter after the break.

Part 1
*Michael’s journal*

Roswell, NM.

I hate this place. What I want to know is why the fuck whoever sent us down here left us in fucking Roswell, NM? Cause the joke’s on them.

Vegas. Now that was one hell of a town. Things happen in Vegas. Crazy fucked up shit.
I enjoyed Vegas. Even if I spent most of the time in jail with Max. Although I guess I’d of rather been spending time with…well never mind that.

Anyway, after the sheriff caught onto our scheme, we all trucked our way back to fucking Roswell, NM.

You can see how happy I am about this right?

Although I was lucky. No parents meant not getting grounded. Yeah. Lucky me.

Max and Isabel were condemned to endless family nights. Whatever. They love to play fucking Monopoly. Now that’s a game I never understood. To finish it takes forever. And Isabel cheats. She changes the money with her powers. Not that anyone else ever managed to catch on. Hell, I just followed her example. Which explains the fact that we’ve never finished a game.

Maria was really unlucky. I haven’t seen her since we ‘d gotten back. The Sheriff told Amy about the whole deal. And Amy went ballistic. I don’t think I have a girlfriend anymore. Access to the Jetta has been revoked completely and the only outings Maria gets to go on are to family dinners with Kyle, Tess, Sean, her mom, and Valenti. Not what I’d call fun.

Tess and Kyle’s punishment are those same family dinners. I think that they were all forced to play charades. Another completely pointless game. Personally who wants to look like an idiot while people are trying to figure out what the hell you’re trying to act out without laughing? Not me. I hate to be laughed at. Not big on laughing either.

Alex only lost computer privileges for a week. I think his parent’s were actually a bit thrilled to know that he had other interests beside computer games. He wasn’t happy about it, but he certainly sneaked his way around that one. He’s hung out with Maria practicing songs with her after school or something. I’m pretty sure that he checked his email when there. In fact I think that’s how he found out he’s been dumped by his Swedish girlfriend.

Now he and Maria were drowning their sorrow in music. Ever since she’d asked him to be her accompanist in Vegas they’d been seriously pursuing the idea of performing together.

Whatever. I guess they sound good. What do I know of music?

I hadn’t really seen anyone since we’d gotten back.

Well, except for Liz. Whose punishment apparently was to put in a ton of extra hours at the Crashdown. I’m guessing she doesn’t get paid. Not that you earn a lot in the first place. Although with everyone out of commission I’ve even been putting extra hours and making a little extra cash.

So it actually hasn’t been so bad.

Liz.

Lately she’s been in my thoughts a lot. I guess because she’s the only person I’ve been spending any sort of time with. Hell, I even had dinner with the Parkers one night.

Yeah. I was surprised too.

I’m not known for being family dinner material. But somehow it was okay with the Parkers.

We’d both finished closing the diner up, when Jeff, Liz’s dad, announced that dinner was on the table, and invited me to join them.

The thought of making myself dinner when I’d already been offered one was too tempting to resist. There was no way I was turning down a decent home cooked meal. I work at a grease joint; my cooking isn’t what you’d call five-star caliber.

Dinner with them was so different from dinner with the Evans. The Parkers were not the All-American family, loving and supportive the way the Evans are. Nancy, Liz’s mom, was a…well she was a bitch. Liz is nothing like her. Jeff is a lot nicer, but he’s too twitchy. I think that drives everyone else in the family crazy.

I’d never noticed that Liz really didn’t get along with her parents. I always thought she was a complete goody-two-shoes. You know Shirley Temple. The little princess who has it better than anyone else. But I was totally off-base. I’ve been off-base about Liz Parker so many times, I can’t help wondering how she’ll surprise me next.

What was great about the Parkers was that even in their dysfunction, they were so cool to hang out with. I was totally okay for them. They didn’t need me to be this perfect kid; all they needed for me to fit in was dysfunction. And after years with Hank as a parent, I can tell you dysfunction comes as second nature. Hell, it’s probably my only nature.

The Parkers don’t play family games after dinner.

How fucking amazing is that? The Evans made me participate in that form of torture one time too many, what can I say?

Instead Nancy, who is anal as all hell, seriously I thought Isabel was bad, but Nancy takes the cake on being a control freak, anyway she starts cleaning. Everything. She even mops the floor. Their floors are spotless.

Jeff goes out to the alley to have a smoke. After spending time with Nancy, I totally get him. I’d take up smoking if I had to spend a lifetime with that woman.

And Liz, well she goes to her balcony. She invited me to hang out there with her. We didn’t talk much. Just sort of sat around in silence. Looking up at the stars. Liz wrote in her journal for a while and I borrowed a piece of paper and doodled for a while.

I don’t think Maria and I have ever spent that much time together without speaking. Well, unless you count kissing. But just sort of hanging out alone without needing anything more than the person’s presence. I don’t think I’d ever had a more amazing night.

Which quite frankly scares the shit out of me.

Liz finished serving her time today. And on impulse I’d invited her over for dinner. You know as a thank you. I even made fajitas. Home-cooked not out of a box. Mexican food is her favorite.

How do I know this? Well, I read the girl’s journal once. I think that’s why we’re so oddly comfortable in each other’s presence. I know her secrets and she knows mine. Hell, she even saw where I lived when Hank was still around. She’d even seen Hank.

Yeah, so I’m scared shitless.

Fuck, I’ve even picked up the place.

That’s what’s worrying me.

Why am I so excited about Liz coming over to hang out? I mean its not like I want to date her or anything, I mean I have Maria. Right?

Shit.

I can’t be in love with Liz Parker.

God, I hope not. She’s exhausting.

Fuck. I’d like her to wear me out anytime.

I did not just write that down.

I’m not in love with Liz Parker.

I’ll admit I’ve done stupid things in my life. Blowing fifteen thousand dollars in Vegas was probably one of them. But falling in love with Liz.

That would take the cake.