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 "Sit down," says Jeff Parker.
Liz turns to look at Max.
"All of you," says Amy DeLuca as Michael tries to slip back out the door.
They all shuffle in and take seats around a couple of tables. Max, Liz and Isabel sit at one table while Michael, Maria and Kyle sit at another. Max takes Liz's hand, under the table. It does not go unnoticed. Maria shifts uncomfortably in her chair.
"Well, is someone going to tell us what this is all about?" asks Amy.
The dark suited man tallies the number of objects lost: The orb, the stone, and now the ship itself. What did they possibly have to start the ship? Over fifty years of examination had hardly gleaned any information about the saucer, but these high schoolers see it once and they are able to take it for a joyride to who knows where. He studies the eyewitness reports. The craft hovered and then took off to the east. The saucer wavered, like it was unstable, then was gone in a flash. The ship took off in a northeasterly route across the sky and disappeared within seconds. East. They were going back to Roswell.
He takes out his cell.
"Check for any strange occurrences in New Mexico and get back to me at my cell number. I'm on my way back to Roswell."
"Isabel believes we -- Isabel, Michael and I were the intended targets for the bomb," says Max.
The Evans stiffen. The others look in surprise.
"Why would you think that?" asks Diane.
"Because we are different."
Liz and Maria hold their breath. What is Max going to say?
"The healing," says Diane.
"What you did to Lizzie," says Jeff.
"Yes," he says.
"That day at the Crashdown ..." begins Diane.
Max looks at Liz and nods. She looks at her parents.
"I really did get shot," she says. "and Max saved my life. That's when things started getting weird and spinning out of control."
Diane nods, remembering the report that Valenti showed her.
"You knew this, didn't you?" she says to Valenti.
"At the time, no," says Valenti, "I only suspected. The only evidence I had was confiscated by the FBI. I'm afraid I'm partially responsible for putting all our children in danger."
"But why would the FBI be so interested in Max and Isabel?" asks Phillip.
"Because we were engineered," says Max.
"What?"
"We don't have normal human biological parents," says Max, carefully avoiding the word "alien." Liz feels Max's hand tighten around her own. She takes her other hand and places over his.
"I don't understand," says Nancy Parker.
"We're like test-tube babies," says Michael.
"Yea," says Maria, quickly agreeing.
"But why would the FBI be interested in test-tube babies?" asks Jeff.
"We're not just ordinary test-tube babies," says Isabel.
"We were bred with certain advanced human capabilities," says Max.
"Gene splicing," says Liz.
"You mean, like a superhuman?" asks Phillip.
"I guess you could say that," says Max. "
"We each have gifts," says Isabel.
"But we don't know what we can really do," says Max.
"That's why the FBI are interested in you?" asks Nancy.
"You've heard about the whole human cloning debate on TV," says Liz. "Well, some people have been cloning for years."
"And we're the result," says Isabel.
"There are people out there who are afraid of who we are and what we might be able to do," says Max. "It frightens them."
"So you've been living in fear all your lives?" asks Amy.
"Yes," says Isabel.
"What about the blood?" asks Diane.
Isabel looks at Max.
"It has nothing to do with the bomb," says Max. "It has to do with how we were made."
"But Maria and Liz also have it. If not the bomb..." says Amy.
"I think you already know," says Liz, lowering her eyes so not to see her parents' gaze.
"So you're running from the FBI," says Phillip.
"If they capture us, we will never be free," says Michael.
"They''ll continue to test and prod and probe us until they finally kill us," says Isabel.
"How do you know that?" says Nancy.
"Because of what happened to Max at Eagle Rock last year," says Isabel.
Diane looks at her son in alarm. Is this why he has been so secretive, so withdrawn all his life?
Max says nothing, but appears uncomfortable.
"That's why you didn't want to go to Eagle Rock," says Nancy to Liz.
Liz nods.
"And you've been protecting our children all this time?" asks Diane Evans of Valenti.
"I'm afraid I'm a latecomer," says Valenti. "It wasn't until Max was taken to Eagle Rock that Liz came to me for help."
"We couldn't trust anyone," says Isabel.
"But I had to take the chance. I couldn't let anything happen to Max," says Liz. "We were in way over our heads."
"What about your friend, Tess?" asks Diane. "What's happened to her?"
Isabel stiffens.
"Tess is one of us, but she left after we discovered that she betrayed us," says Max.
"She killed Alex," says Maria.
Amy shoots Maria, then Valenti a shocked look. Diane Evans reads the pain etched in Isabel's face.
"Is that true?" asks Nancy.
Liz can only nod. It's too hard, even now, to discuss with them.
"Didn't her father work for the military before he died?" asks Phillip.
"Yes," says Max.
"So this is a joint operation?"
Max nods.
"We discovered Tess was working with her father," says Max.
"How did you find out?" asks Nancy.
"It was Liz, really," says Max.
"I just knew something was wrong," says Liz, not really wanting to go into the specifics. "Alex's death ..." she continues, her voice trailing off.
"We found out in time to save Michael, Isabel and Max from falling into a trap," says Maria.
"But she got away," says Kyle. "She used us -- our trust, we really cared for her."
He looks at Maria and Liz.
"Well, maybe not all of us," he corrects himself.
"Is that all of it?" asks Phillip.
The six friends steal glances from one another before collectively nodding. No one mentions the word "alien" or is about to. They've told the truth as far as they could. While some secrets lie exposed, the greatest secret remains entombed -- at least, for now, for another time.
The dark suited man resigns himself to another battle lost, but plots for the next one. This time, he wants to be at the front lines from the beginning. No waiting for calls and planes. As he gets off the plane, he's greeted by a young agent.
"Sir," he says, "the car is waiting. If you'll just follow me."
The agent leads him to the car, opens the back door and helps the dark-suited man into the car. As he does so, he places his hand on his chest and fries the dark-suited man's internal organs.
"Welcome to Roswell," he says and pushes the slumped body into the back seat.
At the Crashdown, parents collect their children and begin to head out the door. But before they do, Amy DeLuca blocks the door and turns and says, "Oh, kids, just for scaring us all to death -- you're ALL grounded."
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