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 Isabel, Maria, Tess, Kyle, and Alex pile out of Maria's car and rush into the sheriff's station. Hanson is at the desk.
"Son?" he says, recognizing Kyle.
"I am not your son!" says Kyle angrily. "Where's my dad?"
Agent Everide enters the room.
"Well, Kyle," says Deputy Hanson, "I don't think you can see your dad right now."
"Oh yeah, well, try and stop me."
"Kyle, isn't it?" says Everide. "I don't think we have to go that far. Let's go see your dad."
The others watch as Everide leads Kyle down the corridor. Kyle looks back at Tess. "Can she come, too?"
"Is she family?"
"Yes," says Kyle.
"Okay, come on, young lady."
"Tess," says Kyle.
"Okay, Tess," says Everide as he watches her closely while she joins Kyle. The rest watch as they disappear from view.
"What about Michael," says Isabel. "Can we see him?"
"No," says Hanson. "It's against the rules."
"Why not?" asks Maria. "If Kyle can see his dad, why can't we see Michael?"
"That's different."
"I'm going to call my dad," says Isabel.
"You do that," says Hanson. "Your brother and the Parker girl are going to need all the help they can get, too."
"What do you mean?" says Isabel.
"There's a warrant out for both of them, too."
"On what charge?" asks Maria.
"Murder and accessory to murder."
"Is this a joke?" asks Alex.
"This can't be happening."
"You know, if you know where they are, it's best they turn themselves in," says Hanson.
"Isabel," says Maria, trying to calm her down, "let's go outside. You need to get some air."
"Yeah, okay," says Isabel, realizing that Maria wants to talk in private.
Liz and Max are just coming out of Liz's bathroom. She wraps her robe tight around her and feels embarrassed by the fact the Max has been watching her throw up for the last half hour. He gently pulls her hair from where he had caught in her robe.
"Are you okay," he asks?
She nods weakly and then realizes he's still in his wet clothes.
"Max," she says, concerned for him, "you need to get out of those clothes."
"I'm okay," he says.
"No, really. You can borrow some of my dad's things while I put them in the dryer."
"Where are your parents?" he asks.
"Oh ... they're camping. They do that, you know, stay up all night and watch the sun rise ... that sort of thing."
"Right."
"Please," says Liz, exiting her room and heading for her parent's room. "If you like, you can take a shower. My dad's robe is in the bathroom. I'll find something you can wear."
"Okay," he finally relents, "but ..."
He puts his hands on her shoulders and turns her around to see her face. She's been avoiding looking at him. Her face is still pale, but the awful gray had left it and there is just a trace of color coming back into her cheeks.
"... you need to rest."
She nods, like a small child getting instructions from a parent.
"I will ... I promise.
Michael and Valenti are sitting together on of two carts in the jail cell. Valenti knows they are in serious trouble, but tries to reassure Michael.
"It will be okay," he says. "The murder change won't stick for Hank."
"And Pierce?"
"I can't imagine what evidence they have."
"What about you?"
"I just don't know, Michael, until I talk to my lawyer and see what evidence they have."
"Leave it to Hank to keep screwing up my life," says Michael.
At that moment, Tess and Kyle arrive.
"Kyle," says Valenti, "you shouldn't have come."
"You're my dad. You can't expect me not to come."
"I'm serious, Kyle. You can't let yourself get mixed up in this."
"Are you okay, Michael?" asks Tess.
"Yeah, where's Max?"
"I think Isabel is trying to reach him."
"Fine."
"What do they have on you, dad?"
"I don't know."
"Should I be worried?"
"Just stay clear of it."
"I could get you out of here," said Tess.
"No," says Valenti, "that would only make it worse. We just have to sit tight until my lawyer gets here in the morning and see what this is all about."
"Yeah, go on," says Michael. "There's nothing you can do, now. Tell Max to tape the hockey game for me. I'll be out soon."
Tess smiles weakly.
"I'll tell him."
"God," says Maria. "Why isn't Liz answering her cell? She always has her cell handy!"
"Why don't you just call her on her parent's line?" asks Isabel.
"Good plan? Why didn't I think of that!" responds Maria.
She calls, but the line is busy.
"Great, her parents are calling!"
"Keep trying! We've have to reach them!"
"Okay, okay, I'm trying!"
Liz is on the phone with her parents.
"Yeah, everything's fine. ... I was out earlier, you know, with Maria and everybody. ...No, I'm just a little tired. ... Okay, I'll talk with you tomorrow. ... I love you, too."
She hangs up just as Max enters the room. He's in her dad's bathrobe and he looks really, really good. She turns away.
"Hey," he says. He's carrying his clothes in his hand.
Suddenly, Liz feels a little shy. He walks over to her and she takes his clothes from him.
"Um ... I better put these in the dryer or it'll take forever to get dry."
She disappears with his clothes. Max hears the phone ring, then Liz's voice. A moment later, she comes back and her face is ashen.
"We have to leave."
"What's wrong?" he asks.
"They've arrested Michael and Sheriff Valenti," she says, " ... and they're coming for you ... and me."
"Thank God, you reached them," says Isabel. "Let's hope it's not too late."
"Don't even think that," says Maria.
Kyle and Tess rejoin the gang outside.
"Don think what ..." says Tess.
"There's a warrant for Max and Liz," says Maria.
"I don't understand this," says Isabel. "Why now? And why not the rest of us?"
"Why did you dad say?" asks Maria.
"He doesn't seem to know any more than we do," says Kyle.
"What about Ms. Topolsky?" asks Alex. "Where is she?"
"We shouldn't have trusted her," states Isabel.
"We don't know that," says Maria.
"She's FBI," accuses Tess.
"But they also tried to kill her," says Alex.
"We need to find her," concludes Maria. "We're in WAY over our heads."
"Did you talk to Max?"
"No, just Liz. We need to go. I told her we'd be there in 10."
Max has already changed into some dry jeans that Liz figured her dad wouldn't miss. He was shirtless and very close to her as they were pulling food from the Crashdown's supplies. Liz felt his arm brush against her and tried to keep her attention focused.
"Tabasco!" she said.
"What?"
"You need Tabasco," she said, pointing to the shelf.
Max looked from her to the shelf.
"Yeah, right."
At that moment, they heard someone trying the back door.
"OMG," says Liz. "Their here."
Max peered through the door. He could see men at the door. They had flashlights and they were shining them in the windows of the Crashdown.
"We have to hurry," motioning for Liz to go up the stairs.
She put the food in a plastic bag and hurried up the stairs. Max followed and they slipped into her bedroom where she snatches her book bag in which she had thrown some things together. She heads for the window, still dressed in her robe.
Max stops her.
"You're not going like that, are you?."
"Max, there's no time. We have to go ... NOW!"
"You're right," he agrees, grabbing the bag of food. "Let me take that."
Liz crawls through the window, followed by Max. She pulled away a brick from the building and reaches inside. Max looks at her quizzically.
"The crystals," she says, "and my diary." He nods. They couldn't leave those behind. Liz opens her bag and drops them in.
They stay low on the patio so no one could see them. When they get to the edge, Max motions Liz to stay down, then he edges up to the fire escape peer over on the top of the wall. There is no one there.
"I'll go first," he says.
"Max, be careful."
He nods and quietly steals onto the fire escape; slowly works his way down the ladder. Liz watches in trepidation as Max slowly descends away from her with every rung. When he reaches the bottom, she expects to see FBI agents descend on him, but they don't. Max signals her to come down. She straps on her book bag, looks back at her window, then quickly and quietly, down the fire escape she comes.
"So far, so good," said Max. "Come on."
He takes her hand and they slip down the alley, staying in the shadows. They see an agent patrolling. He looks their way, but doesn't see them. The agent pans the alley with the flashlight and just when they think they are going to be discovered, someone calls him back. They hear the sound of breaking glass.
"Now," says Max. They run to the end of the alley, hand in hand. He pushes her back against the wall as he peers around the corner.
Maria's car is just pulling up. Kyle and Alex get out.
"Come on, come on," hurries Maria.
Liz and Max crawl in the back seat. Max closes the door and the Jetta speeds off.
"What's going on?" asks Max. "What's this about Michael being arrested?"
"Max, it's really bad," says Isabel. "They're arrested Michael for the murder of Hank and Pierce."
"What do you mean, Hank?"
"His body was found today. He never left Roswell."
"And they think Michael had something to do with it?"
"Yes," confirms Tess, who is sitting next to Liz.
"But what about Valenti?" asks Liz, who begins to feel just as uncomfortable as Tess.
"Pierce," says Tess.
"Both Michael and Valenti were arrested for murder," says Isabel. "Supposedly, there's evidence, but Sheriff Valenti doesn't know what the evidence is."
"And they want me?"
"For murder," says Tess. "For Pierce."
"But what does this have to do with Liz?"
"There's an accessory charge," says Maria.
"We were all there," says Liz. "Why not you, or Isabel, or Tess?"
"We don't know."
A dawn of recognition goes off in Liz's head.
"You don't think this has something to do with Congresswoman Whitaker, do you?"
"What do you mean?" asks Max.
"Well, she wasn't satisfied with the results from the cyclotron, was she?" says Liz. "Is it possible she ran other tests without telling anyone?"
A car pulls behind Maria.
"OMG," she exclaims. "There's someone following me!"
"Are you sure?" asks Max.
"No, I'm not sure!"
"At the next crossroads, turn."
"Turn where?"
"Anywhere, Maria," urges Liz. "Left or right. It doesn't matter."
At the next block, Maria turns right. The car continues straight.
"Well, that answers that," says Tess.
"Maria, are you sure you weren't followed from the station?" asks Liz.
"I didn't notice anyone," says Isabel.
"Pull the car over," says Max.
"What?"
"Pull over?'
Maria pulls the car to the curb.
Max gets out. So does Isabel and Tess.
"What are you looking for?"
"Some kind of a tail device."
They begin a systematic search of the car. Max looks underneath the carriage, but sees nothing. Isabel looks up front and comes up empty. Tess checks the back bumper and sees nothing. Liz is watching them when Maria's antenna catches her eye.
"Maria," she says. "Is that the same alien on your antenna? It looks different."
Maria's eyes grow wide.
"Isabel," says Maria and points to the alien ornament stuck on the end of her antenna.
Isabel takes it off and looks inside. There, wedged inside, is a little bug. Max takes it from Isabel.
"They know where we are," says Isabel breathlessly.
"Now they don't," he says, crushing it under his feet.
"Let's go. It won't be long before they get here."
"Where are we going?" asks Tess.
"The pod chamber."
It has been a long night. Neither Valenti or Michael sleep. Valenti has been thinking all night ... about Kyle, mostly, but also about Max, Isabel, Tess, Liz, Maria and Alex. He feels the world closing in on them, all these basically good kids, caught in the paranoia and corruptions of government, these kids who had so much to offer and were systematically being hunted to death.
"Rise and shine," says Agent Everide. "You've got company this morning."
"You're feeling chipper," said Valenti, slowly rising from the cot. Michael does not move.
"You're lawyers are here," he said. And to Valenti, "Plus your old friend Dan for the state police board. You remember him, don't you?"
"How can I forget," remembering the recent events surrounding Grant Sorenson and the Hubble shooting.
"You're getting into all kinds of mischief lately, aren't you."
"You're just a funny guy, aren't you?"
"You said lawyers," Michael responds.
"Mr. Evans is here to see you."
"Is Isabel here?"
"No, she called her dad and asked him to come."
"Where is she?"
"Well, let's hope she's not trying to hide her brother."
Isabel, Maria, and Tess are back in Roswell. For the moment, they are comforted by the fact that no one would find Max and Liz. They were safe. But Michael ... how were they going to get Michael out of this mess?
"What time is it?" asks Isabel."
"Just after eight," returns Maria. "
"I can't believe this is happening," says Isabel. "I thought this was behind us."
"You and me both," agrees Maria.
"It will be okay," says Tess, touching Isabel's shoulder.
"Dad should be at the sheriff's station by now."
"You want to go there?" asks Maria.
"Yeah, do you mind?"
"You know I love bad boys," says Maria. "Besides being potential jailbait, what else is there to do?"
Tess gives Maria a weird look. Isabel just shakes her head.
Michael enters a small room, clean but sparsely furnished. Mr. Evans is sitting in a chair.
"Hello, Michael," he says. "Isabel tells me you're in a spot of trouble."
"Yeah," says Michael, scratching his ear, "You could say that."
"Isabel says you're a good guy and I believe her. You are, aren't you?"
"Yeah," he says. "Look, Mr. Evans, I didn't kill ... "
"I believe you, Michael. If Isabel says you didn't kill Hank, then I believe her ... but I do need to know what happened. Can you tell me that?"
"There's nothing to tell."
"Hank was abusing you, wasn't he?"
"Did Isabel tell you that?"
"No."
"What happened?"
"The night I had the fight with Hank, Max and Isabel came, we left. I never saw Hank after that ... ever."
"Where did you go?"
"Maria's."
"Maria DeLuca?"
"Yeah," Michael said. "Why am I telling you this? It's in the files."
"I need to hear it."
"I didn't have anyplace else to go."
"You could have come home with Max and Isabel."
"I was upset with them."
"Why?"
"Does it matter?"
"No."
"Sheriff Valenti saw him afterwards. He told him that he was going away."
"Do you know where?"
"I didn't care."
"And you never saw him again?"
"No."
"Can you prove it?"
"Do I need to?"
"And what do you know about Agent Pierce?"
"Just that he was pretending to be the Sheriff's deputy."
"Do you know why?"
"No."
"The police and the FBI can place you at the scene where Pierce’s bones were found."
"I never said I wasn't out there. I thought those bones were old."
"Well, it seems there's something odd about them."
"What do you mean?"
"The dental records ... they match Pierce's."
"So he's dead? Is that what you'll telling me?"
"You didn't know?"
"How am I supposed to know about some FBI agent?"
"Is there anything you can tell me?"
"No."
"Was Max with you that night?"
"No."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, I'm sure. Why?"
"Because they want to arrest my son and they can't find him."
Michael looks genuinely confused and surprised and somehow, Philip Evans finds this reassuring.
"Okay, I'm going to try and arrange bail for you. There doesn't seem much of a case here, but they may find probable cause."
"What does that mean?"
"There may be a trial."
Michael flashes back to the night Valenti, Max, and he set fire to Pierce's body, then buried it in its shallow grave.
Liz slowly walks around the pod chamber. She is so very tired, yet she can't sleep. Max watches her as she wanders around the edge of the room, touching the walls from time to time. She looks liked a caged animal. He wants to hold her, but he's afraid to know what she's thinking.
"There's no place like home," he jokes, immediately realizing how lame it sounds.
She looks at him and smiles weakly.
Yeah, it's kind of hard to imagine this is it," she says, casting her eyes around the room. "Do you remember which one of these is yours?"
"That one," he says, pointing to the one next to Tess' pod.
Liz nods and touches it.
"Liz, I'm so sorry."
"It's not your fault."
"I seem to be doing nothing else but apologizing lately."
"I should have grabbed the sleeping bag."
"What?"
"Nothing," she says. "Hind sight."
"Not much here, is there? Four pods and a Granilith." He shrugs, not sure what to say.
"It just seems odd that your people would leave you here in the middle of nowhere and this is it. No protection, no guides, no anything. It just doesn't make sense, you know."
He continues to watch her, but realizes, somehow unconsciously, she is looking for something as she continues her walk around the chamber, but what?
"I mean, you're supposed to be the king, right?" she says, leaning against the rock. Except it isn't rock and she feels herself falling.
"Max!"
To his horror, Max sees Liz begin to meld into the rock until she completely disappears.
Valenti and Michael are at the front desk collecting their valuables. They're lawyers have made bail for them. They are talking to the officers. Isabel, Tess, Maria and Kyle are there. Isabel goes to Michael and gives him a hug.
"I was so worried they weren't go to let you go," Isabel says.
"It's not over," says Michael.
"No, it's not," says Valenti. "It's just beginning."
Michael looks at Maria and pulls her close.
"Let's say we get out of here," says Valenti and get some breakfast, hmmmm?"
"Liz," says Max, feeling the rock where Liz seemed to disappear, "Liz, where are you? Can you hear me?"
On the other side, Liz picks herself up from the ground, totally shocked. Where was she? She hears Max, sees him through this crystalline rock before her. She looks around her. There are shining crystals everywhere lighting the room. Where's the light coming from? It reminds her of a foyer, like an entrance to a grand hotel.
"Max?"
"Liz? Keep talking. I can hear you, but I can't see you."
"Max, I'm in some sort of room. I can see you. Stay where you are. I want to try something."
Slowly, she puts her hand to the rock and her hand passes through it.
"Can you see my hand?" she asks.
"No," he says, frantically looking. Then he sees, the tips of her fingers coming through the rock. Like an illusion. Then he her arm appears and he grabs it and pulls Liz back through the rock.
"Max, there's something on the other side. I think we'll be safer there."
"What is it?"
"I'm not sure," she says, picking up her bag, "but it seems to be an entrance to something else."
"It might not be safe," he says, hesitating.
"Max, you have to check it out," she tells him and pulls him toward the rock.
"The food," he says, grabbing it with one hand.
"Yeah, let's not forget that," she says, taking Max's free hand and walks him through the rock into the unknown.
Alex tells Topolsky how Valenti and Michael got arrested, about Pierce's death.
She smiles and says to Alex, "There are phoenixes rising all over the place, aren't there?"
"What," says Alex.
"Never mind," Topolsky says. "It's an inside joke."
"Pierce?"
"No. About getting fired. It comes back to burn you in the end."
"I'm not sure what we can do next. Sheriff Valenti, he's really come through for us, you know, for Isabel, Michael and Max, and for Liz."
"And if he's not there?"
"I don't know. It's not like we can just go to anybody."
"I hope you can come to me."
"The hit list keeps getting bigger, doesn't it?"
"Well, I'm supposed to be dead, but I think they know I'm not."
"How ..."
"I went to Phoenix, Alex. ... The children, it made the wires. They have Michael's picture. It won't take them long to connect Michael with Max."
"Maybe I should have stayed in Sweden."
"Maybe."
"Do you think that's why they arrested Michael?"
"Yes, I do."
"So, it's a trap to get Max."
"Max ... and all of you. You have to learn to fight fire with fire."
"How do we do that?"
"With these," says Topolsky, showing Alex several thick files she had stolen from the Special Unit. "With a little luck, we'll have a nice bonfire."
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