Title: The Time Between Author: Tara/Deah Written: 11/19/00 Rating: PG Part: 1/1 Disclaimer: Original Characters and Storylines are the property of Warner Bros, Jason Katims Productions, Twentieth Century Fox, FOX, Regency Television and Melinda Metz. Author's Note: This takes place during the time Alex disappeared on Wipe Out. Feedback: Always a nice thing! Spoilers: Very vague spoiler. Alex sat with his elbow leaning on the counter, eating his pancakes. Mr Parker said he had sent Liz and Maria thirty miles outside of town to get a delivery. Alex sighed. He wanted to give Maria The Whits new CD. It wouldn't hurt to casually bump into Isabel while he waited. He played the scene out in his mind... The lights dimmed in the Crashdown, the other customers disappearing as Isabel walked through the door. Her hair was on top of her head, tumbling down in curls around her face. Alex turned to her, in his hand a red rose. "Alex...you know we can only be friends." She said uncomfortably. The lights flipped on, customers reappeared, Isabel faded into the background and Alex frowned. "Even in my fantasies she uses the friend line," he sourly thought. A sudden dizziness hit him. He shook his head, closing his eyes. See, where thinking about her so much gets you?! He took a few deep breaths. Stop thinking about her and the way her hair smells and the way you get goosebumps every time she looks at you. Just stop! His eyes fluttered open slowly. His eyes scanned his surroundings, a look of awe and fear moving across his face. Where was everyone? Where was the Crashdown? He tried to stand up, but he was already standing. The seat...the counter...his food all were gone. He turned around in the darkness. He couldn't see anything. There wasn't any sound. No wind, no smells...nothing. He was in a nothingness. "You've passed out, you dork." He told himself, his voice sounding hollow. He tried to get a grasp on his growing fear. "You'll wake up soon. You'll give Maria the CD and laugh over being so stupid as to pass out in the Crashdown." "I don't think so." A voice said, close to his ear. "Who's there?!" He demanded, swatting at the direction of the voice. "You think you could feel me even if you did touch me?" The voice chuckled. "What the Hell are you talking about? And more importantly where am I? Where's the Crashdown? Why is it so dark?" Alex was losing his battle, his fear was overwhelming but now a healthy dose of anger was creeping up beside it. "The Crashdown is still here." The voice calmly told him. "Think Alex. Think about the sun, feel it on your skin, make it real." "Your nuts!" "Do it!" The voice instructed harshly. Alex could hear his sigh in the darkness as he imagined the sun around him. The warmth soaking into his skin and surrounding him. He remembered the color of Isabel's hair and how it shined in the light like gold. Suddenly he was able to see. He was in a gray and completely empty room. "Where are you?" He called. "I can see now!" "No need to shout. I'm right here." The voice announced in front of him. "You kids never were too bright. You've got to imagine me, Alex. Meld our planes of existence together." "Ok...and you are..." "Recently deceased." "Nasedo?" As soon as a vision of Nasedo had popped in Alex's head the very real image of Ed Harding materialized. "You couldn't imagine me as Pierce or even something a bit younger?" Nasedo asked sarcastically. He rubbed his hands together. "I guess this will have to due." "This is a dream, isn't it? I'm passed out & dreaming, right?" "'Fraid not, Mr Whitman. Welcome to the world of the unseen." Nasedo said, swinging his arms around. "I'm dead?!" Alex said unbelieving. "Great! Just great! I finally get the new CD burned and I'm dead. Figures. And Isabel. Well, I guess that's why that psychic witch said I'd never have a chance in..." "You're not dead." Nasedo interrupted, looking around. "A gray room? You can't do any better than this?" "I'm not dead?" "No." "Ok, then what's going on?" Nasedo rolled his eyes. "It's a parlor trick." "Parlor trick?" "Do humans always repeat everything or this just an annoying habit in Roswell? Yes, a parlor trick. The skins have learned a trick to zap the humans out of Roswell. Not an extremely smart race so my bet is on Nicholas. Little pip squeak. Always has been in love with himself. Probably looking in a mirror as we speak." "Skins aren't smart but your here?" "Minor oversight." Nasedo said with a dismissive tone. Alex laughed. "Major oversight. She killed you!" "Either we can chat about my oversight or we can talk about the important things, such as you being where you're not supposed to be. I don't care, it's up to you but before we go any further you're gonna do something about this place!" "You do it, I don't feel like it." "It's your reality, Alex. I merely stepped through it." Great, I'm stuck with Nasedo and now I'm playing interior decorator for him. Alex imagined the back room of the Crashdown causing the image to form around them. "Satisfied?" "I'd have preferred something a little more upscale." Nasedo complained, sitting down on the couch. "Where shall we start? The skins finding them? The little podsters destroying the harvest? Michael messing around with that rebel?" "How about how I get out of here? And how you know all that?" "You can't leave. Not until they disable the power that caused the shift in time. You know much about the theory of relativity?" "Time travel? Yeah, a little." Alex said leaning against the wall. "Time is not a tangible thing. It's real because we say it is. Basically, this room as real as the other Crashdown. It is only a room because we say it is. You exist because you think you exist." "I think therefore I am." "Exactly! So, Nicholas has used a device to make all the humans think they do not exist. It's an illusion. He brought you to a different plane of existence. The dead come here when they realize they are dead. It's the easiest plane to keep an eye on what's going on in the material plane." "Ok, then why can't I just think myself back?" "Part of you is conscious of what I'm saying and part of that unused brain is still under the control of Nicholas. I don't even what to go into the limited use of all that space up there." Nasedo told him, pointing his head. "Think of all this as layers. Material plane." He said, demonstrating with his hands. "The plane you're on now." He put one hand above the other. "You are still in the Crashdown, still waiting for Maria." "Yeah, sure, whatever." Alex mumbled. "As to how I know what's been going on, I just watch when I want to. Other times I'm chasing down Whitaker. Slippery little chick. That's what I was doing when I felt a sudden shift. I went to check it out and found you." Alex folded his arms not sure if he really believed all this. "I never got the feeling us humans were especially important to you so why now?" "You're not, but the survival of the royal four is." Alex shook his head. "I see the afterlife hasn't done much for your compassion." "If I started feeling sympathetic for humans it would consume me. The small amount of knowledge you possess is heartbreaking." He retorted. "Ha-Ha." Nasedo got up and walked to the door. "How about building an alley and a road? I feel like walking." Alex nodded his head. It isn't like I have anything better to do. "Done." He announced. They went out the door. The pavement was wet. It's just like home, Alex thought. Home without Maria and Liz. Home without Isabel Evans. "Now, listen to me." Nasedo commanded, snapping him out of his thoughts. "You got a problem with Grant sniffing around Vilandra? Well, I got a bigger problem with it." "O-kay, who's Vilandra?" Alex asked as they began to walk. "Isabel is Vilandra. Last life. Get it?" "Yeah, I think so." Alex grimaced thinking about Grant. "He's bad news, right? "He isn't you or Michael therefore he's bad news." Nasedo said shooting Alex an amused look. Alex widened his eyes. "Come again?" "Grant, whether enemy or not, is a distraction. You are not. You're not going to be consuming her every waking moment." "Well, there's a good thought." Alex sarcastically remarked. "If you think I'm gonna tell you it's gonna be a constant sex fest, then you're delusional." Nasedo laughed. "Could you be a little less enthusiastic about it?" Nasedo nodded and turned onto a different street. "Anyway, here's what I've been thinking, you keep doing that friend thing you loathe so much..." "Do you like spy on us all the time?" "Don't worry, I have little interest in human bathroom habits, Alex." He paused. "be that friend. Stay in the woodwork but do not disappear! There may be something coming up for you in the spring..." "You sound like that Madame Vivian bit..." "Stop interrupting me. I can't see the future. I just see some wheels in motion. Things are gonna change for you if this happens and you may lose your attachment to Isabel. Don't. She needs you whether she knows it or not." "So, I'm supposed to hang on her like a dog forever? I don't think so. I've got a little respect for myself." "Listen to what I'm saying, Alex. I'm admitting that she needs you. It's up to you if your always that friend." "What about Michael?" Nasedo sighed. "Neither of them are following that part of their destiny. He's out kissing any female with lips and I use the term female loosely in regard to Courtney. There are evils at work here and Alex, my boy, you are a lesser evil." He patted Alex on the back. "Gee, thanks." Nasedo stopped, looking around him. "What's wrong?" Alex asked. "It's ending. You'll be going back. You must keep this in your subconscious! There's more I needed to tell you. They are in danger. The peace sum..." A wave of dizziness hit Alex hard. He tried to steady himself by holding onto Nasedo's shoulder but he couldn't find it. He breathed in and out, finally opening his eyes. He was back in the Crashdown. His food in front of him. What had Nasedo said? He picked up his fork. He had... suddenly Alex couldn't remember. His mind clouded over. He stuck a bite of pancake in his mouth. Cold! Did he say something? He noticed Valenti walking towards him with a grin. "Alex!" *** Alex walked out of the Crashdown. Valenti had gave him a heart to heart. Weird. It was like he was missing something. He was in deep thought as he crossed the street. He bumped into somebody. He jerked his head up to see Isabel smiling wildly. "Alex!" She exclaimed much like Valenti. "Isabel!" He said confused. She quickly grabbed him, hugging her close to her. "I was worried. I'm on the way to see my mom and make sure..." "Worried? I was just at the Crashdown." "Yeah, I know." She said tightening her hold. "I just don't want to lose you, ok? I know we've decided to be only friends but you know you're important to me, right?" There was the 'f' word again. His stomach dropped then he remembered something. She needs you he reminded himself. She needs you. "Yeah, I know that, Isabel. I know." He said, wrapping his arms around her. The End