FIC: Roswell New Mexico - Lost to Time 11/?
Summary: Time is not unchangeable if someone has the time, patience and drive to make sure history doesn’t repeat itself. Even if it means removing oneself from the equation.
TITLE: Legacies
RATING: R (for language)
CHARACTERS: Alex Manes, Kyle Valenti, Michael Guerin, Max Evans, Isobel Evans, Liz Ortecho, Maria DeLuca, Jim Valenti, Jesse Manes, Mimi DeLuca, Nora Truman, Eugene (Tripp) Manes
PAIRING: Alex/Michael, Kyle/Max
AUTHOR: Melanie
Summary: Time is not unchangeable if someone has the time, patience and drive to make sure history doesn’t repeat itself. Even if it means removing oneself from the equation..
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing.
FEEDBACK: Please?
Lost to Time 11/?
Tripp kind of wants to call Nora or Louise, ask them how long they should expect the lethargic tiredness that Alex can’t seem to shake to last.
He doesn’t, but only because he doesn’t want one or both of them to be actively searching for them right now. Especially since Alex is in no shape to fight them if they want to strong arm him back into his pod and force Tripp to put the pod back with Jenna and Mimi’s.
When he checks on him, Alex is still passed out face down in the bed, he doesn’t look as if he’s moved at all since he went down hours ago.
It’s been four days since Alex came out of the pod, the first day he’d been fine, but that had likely been the adrenaline of knowing they had to move fast to get the pod loaded and moved.
Tripp had been all for leaving it where it was, but Alex had been adamant that the pod needed to come with them. Which only served to highlight that Alex’s goals hadn’t changed one whit.
He lets out a long a shuddering breath and pulls the door the bedroom closed; Harlan has taken to dropping by at random times.
Tripp has his ear to the ground almost all the time when on base and the grapevine has him seeing someone that Harlan is apparently trying to catch him with. Likely that mystery lady will become the reason why Tripp is asking questions about the Project and its purpose and whether what’s being done is actually the right thing.
Another reason why he won’t call Nora or Louise, he certainly doesn’t want either one of them in Harlan’s crosshairs now what he’d thought was Tripp’s blind familial loyalty wavering.
Alex never said the words, but the fact that Nora and Louise’s kids didn’t grow up with family speaks volumes, he’s certain that the future Alex is trying to change would see one or both of them locked up in that prison that Harlan won’t admit exists.
If they change only that one thing, Tripp will gladly go to his death a happy man.
*******************************************************
Abraham comes to his room with a coffee and breakfast from a bakery that Alex doesn’t remember existing and his backpack looped over one shoulder.
That backpack has been around for ages, Alex has vague memories of Tripp buying it for Abraham right after they got everyone out of what would eventually have become Caulfield.
It didn’t have any name of record when Alex and Tripp shut it down, it was barely even operational then.
“I think Tripp is meeting with Jesse this morning,” Abraham says when Alex answers the door.
“Better him then me,” Alex mutters as Abraham hands him a coffee and a paper bag.
If Alex doesn’t have to deal with Jesse Manes all the better, he’d like to not even have to see him before they leave town and there’s really very little reason for him to have to seek him out.
They sit at the little table in the corner where Alex and Tripp had eaten dinner, Abraham puts the backpack down on the floor by his feet.
They eat in comfortable silence, Alex with his phone in hand scrolling through e-mails and marking ones he needs to follow up on; Abraham has one of the magazines he bought in the airport open in front of him.
“So…” Abraham starts when they’re finished eating and just drinking their coffees, Alex looks up at him and Abraham has an expression on his face that Alex is not familiar with but kind of reminds him of Tripp’s facial expressions when he’s getting ready to tell Alex something he doesn’t want to hear.
Alex lays his phone screen down on the table and sets his coffee down as well, he folds his fingers together and waits.
“Tripp said I needed to tell you, the sooner the better so we’re all on the same page and…” Abraham pulls his backpack into his lap, “I probably should have told you months ago but…”
“Abraham…” Alex starts as the other man unzips the backpack and pulls out worn looking book that kind of reminds him of the scrapbooks that his mom used to futz around with.
Abraham holds it in his hands and bites his lip.
“I told you I would help in whatever way I could,” he says and Alex nods, “and when you and Tripp went back in the pods we thought we had been successful…”
Alex swallows thickly as Abraham heaves a deep sigh and holds the book out to him with both hands. Alex doesn’t want to take it, not when he knows deep in his bones that whatever it contains means they failed at least one of their assigned tasks.
“Alex,” Abraham says, “you didn’t grow up with him, and as far as any legal documents are concerned you were not born to Jesse and Mindy Manes.”
Alex takes the book, sets it in the center of the table, equal distance from both of them. When he flips it open the first picture is of a woman with her hands pressed to her swollen stomach, her face is cut off so it can’t be seen and when he flips to the next one he can see a copy of a birth certificate.
“Alexander Whitman,” Alex murmurs.
“We agreed, Alex Manes would no longer exist,” Abraham says. “Whitman was an old family name of mine, I thought it fitting since you gave me yours that I give you one of mine in return.”
There’s a baby picture on the other side, that’s him blinking dark eyes at the camera and as he flips through the book there’s more of him. A variety of ages, smiling and laughing and being a kid that he doesn’t really ever remember being.
“She promised you and then when she found out she was pregnant she came to me,” Abraham says. “This was the solution that we came up with that kept you away from Jesse, protected Mindy and still meant that at the end you would still exist, in some form or another.”
“Did Tripp know?” Alex asks and he hates that he feels more betrayed by the thought of Tripp knowing and saying nothing, then the fact that it was done in the first place. The relief is overwhelming when Abraham shakes his head.
“Not until yesterday, he was unhappy with me, made sure before he left this morning that I knew that my first order of business was to make sure you knew.”
“I won’t remember this, will I?” Alex closes the book after his high school graduation pictures where he sees himself smiling widely and Abraham with his over his shoulders looking every bit the proud grandfather.
“I don’t know,” Abraham says honestly, “I think it unlikely but in my experience nothing like this has ever happened so I think we’re all flying a little blind to some extent.”
“How did you even hide him?” he asks, Tripp had been out of the pods longer then Alex has.
“He, you knew about the pods, I never hid them from him, he used to go sit with you both and read books to you,” Abraham shrugs, “plus in this timeline you went missing before Mimi and Jenna by several months. There were only about 36 days where I had to worry about Tripp stumbling over you… him.”
Abraham looks at him, every year of his age evident in the lines of his face.
“I gave you the absolute best childhood that I possibly could,” he says and Alex manages a smile at him. Because he can still see the pictures even with the book closed.
Abraham had been a grandfather, had taken that role and the Alex that he raised was a happy, smiling, laughing boy in those photos. Alex wishes he could remember that childhood instead of the one he does.
*******************************************************
Tripp doesn’t know quite what to make of Jesse.
He remembers the things that Alex told him; the way he grew up, the childhood he had. The father who could never accept that his son was gay.
They meet for coffee, Abraham just raising an eyebrow as he collects coffees and breakfast to take back to Alex and leaves Tripp to his conversation with Jesse.
Alex remembered Jesse speaking with nothing but fondness when it came to his great uncle Tripp. He doesn’t have those memories, the man sitting across from him is a virtual stranger.
“My dad didn’t even know your father existed,” Jesse is saying and he sounds so earnest, almost kind.
Tripp wants to like him.
“I haven’t talked to my dad about it in real detail, he always just says that him and his brothers had a difference of opinions and they all went their own ways. He doesn’t really like to talk about it,” Tripp shrugs.
“Yeah,” Jesse’s mouth twists, “my granddad had some real odd ideas about things, but he did try to find his brother Eugene right up until he died. Made us promise we’d try and find him if we were able.”
“I’d have to talk to talk to my dad but I’m pretty sure he died. I’m pretty sure he never married or had kids, it’s why my dad named me after him,” Tripp says. Jesse nods along, the expression on his face saying he expected nothing less.
There’s something in his eyes though… Alex will likely have not left his room hoping that if he just stays in one place behind locked doors that he won’t come into contact with anyone that he doesn’t expressly want to come into contact with.
He’ll still be sweeping all three of their rooms for bugs of some sort.
It’s not that he doesn’t trust Jesse, he’s supposed to be family after all, but he doesn’t trust Jesse.
*******************************************************
Michael knows if he gets caught his mom is going to string him up in the backyard by his toenails. And he knows it’s irrational, he’s got Isobel and Maria’s voices in his head telling him that he’s acting like a crazy person.
But Alex is supposed to be his person, like Kyle is Max’s and Rosa was Isobel’s until Isobel decided they couldn’t all be gay and broke up with her… and if he’s supposed to be his then he kind of wants to meet him in person, shake his hand, look in him in the eye. So he can definitively say ‘yes, this is my person’ or there might be a good chance that they’ll meet and there will be absolutely no spark to speak of.
Which Michael is highly sure is not actually likely but he’s going to have to make sure all his options are open.
So he went mindwalking which his mom is going to yell at him for, but he also knows Jenna is meeting Alex for lunch at the Crashdown, which Michael needed to eat anyway so…
He sits up at the counter and Rosa doesn’t even take his order just rolls her eyes at him like she knows what he’s up to. Which when Isobel slides into the seat next to him is quite likely.
“Mom said…” Isobel starts as the bell over the door rings and Michael twists his head to see Jenna come in. Right behind her is the guy that he remembers, he doesn’t have the arm brace today but he’s still walking too stiffly and he vaguely remembers his mom or possibly Jenna or Mimi mentioning an incident that resulted in him losing his leg.
Michael’s not sure what his face is doing but Jenna just looks exasperated and Alex beside her looks resigned.
“Alex…” Jenna says and Alex shakes his head, cutting her off.
“It’s fine,” he says even as he bites at his lip and looks anywhere but at Michael.
He still wants to know what he did, beside the whole Maria thing which he still can’t wrap his mind around, to make this Alex want to make sure he wasn’t in his life. His mom says it was all about protecting him, them; but Michael doesn’t think that’s necessarily the whole truth.
He swings off the stool, wiping palms he hadn’t even realized were sweating on his jeans before he steps closer to them. Isobel is right beside him, probably so she can report everything verbatim to mom and Max and Maria later.
“Michael Truman,” he says and he holds out a hand that he’s gratified is not shaking in his nervousness.
Alex looks at his hand, eyes dark and searching when he finally meets Michael’s.
“Alex,” he says finally, taking Michael’s hand, fingers squeezing tight around his. His skin is warm against his and there’s something… he doesn’t even think he can put into words the way it feels like some little part of him that he didn’t ever know wasn’t settled…. it settles.
*******************************************************
TITLE: Legacies
RATING: R (for language)
CHARACTERS: Alex Manes, Kyle Valenti, Michael Guerin, Max Evans, Isobel Evans, Liz Ortecho, Maria DeLuca, Jim Valenti, Jesse Manes, Mimi DeLuca, Nora Truman, Eugene (Tripp) Manes
PAIRING: Alex/Michael, Kyle/Max
AUTHOR: Melanie
Summary: Time is not unchangeable if someone has the time, patience and drive to make sure history doesn’t repeat itself. Even if it means removing oneself from the equation..
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing.
FEEDBACK: Please?
Lost to Time 11/?
Tripp kind of wants to call Nora or Louise, ask them how long they should expect the lethargic tiredness that Alex can’t seem to shake to last.
He doesn’t, but only because he doesn’t want one or both of them to be actively searching for them right now. Especially since Alex is in no shape to fight them if they want to strong arm him back into his pod and force Tripp to put the pod back with Jenna and Mimi’s.
When he checks on him, Alex is still passed out face down in the bed, he doesn’t look as if he’s moved at all since he went down hours ago.
It’s been four days since Alex came out of the pod, the first day he’d been fine, but that had likely been the adrenaline of knowing they had to move fast to get the pod loaded and moved.
Tripp had been all for leaving it where it was, but Alex had been adamant that the pod needed to come with them. Which only served to highlight that Alex’s goals hadn’t changed one whit.
He lets out a long a shuddering breath and pulls the door the bedroom closed; Harlan has taken to dropping by at random times.
Tripp has his ear to the ground almost all the time when on base and the grapevine has him seeing someone that Harlan is apparently trying to catch him with. Likely that mystery lady will become the reason why Tripp is asking questions about the Project and its purpose and whether what’s being done is actually the right thing.
Another reason why he won’t call Nora or Louise, he certainly doesn’t want either one of them in Harlan’s crosshairs now what he’d thought was Tripp’s blind familial loyalty wavering.
Alex never said the words, but the fact that Nora and Louise’s kids didn’t grow up with family speaks volumes, he’s certain that the future Alex is trying to change would see one or both of them locked up in that prison that Harlan won’t admit exists.
If they change only that one thing, Tripp will gladly go to his death a happy man.
*******************************************************
Abraham comes to his room with a coffee and breakfast from a bakery that Alex doesn’t remember existing and his backpack looped over one shoulder.
That backpack has been around for ages, Alex has vague memories of Tripp buying it for Abraham right after they got everyone out of what would eventually have become Caulfield.
It didn’t have any name of record when Alex and Tripp shut it down, it was barely even operational then.
“I think Tripp is meeting with Jesse this morning,” Abraham says when Alex answers the door.
“Better him then me,” Alex mutters as Abraham hands him a coffee and a paper bag.
If Alex doesn’t have to deal with Jesse Manes all the better, he’d like to not even have to see him before they leave town and there’s really very little reason for him to have to seek him out.
They sit at the little table in the corner where Alex and Tripp had eaten dinner, Abraham puts the backpack down on the floor by his feet.
They eat in comfortable silence, Alex with his phone in hand scrolling through e-mails and marking ones he needs to follow up on; Abraham has one of the magazines he bought in the airport open in front of him.
“So…” Abraham starts when they’re finished eating and just drinking their coffees, Alex looks up at him and Abraham has an expression on his face that Alex is not familiar with but kind of reminds him of Tripp’s facial expressions when he’s getting ready to tell Alex something he doesn’t want to hear.
Alex lays his phone screen down on the table and sets his coffee down as well, he folds his fingers together and waits.
“Tripp said I needed to tell you, the sooner the better so we’re all on the same page and…” Abraham pulls his backpack into his lap, “I probably should have told you months ago but…”
“Abraham…” Alex starts as the other man unzips the backpack and pulls out worn looking book that kind of reminds him of the scrapbooks that his mom used to futz around with.
Abraham holds it in his hands and bites his lip.
“I told you I would help in whatever way I could,” he says and Alex nods, “and when you and Tripp went back in the pods we thought we had been successful…”
Alex swallows thickly as Abraham heaves a deep sigh and holds the book out to him with both hands. Alex doesn’t want to take it, not when he knows deep in his bones that whatever it contains means they failed at least one of their assigned tasks.
“Alex,” Abraham says, “you didn’t grow up with him, and as far as any legal documents are concerned you were not born to Jesse and Mindy Manes.”
Alex takes the book, sets it in the center of the table, equal distance from both of them. When he flips it open the first picture is of a woman with her hands pressed to her swollen stomach, her face is cut off so it can’t be seen and when he flips to the next one he can see a copy of a birth certificate.
“Alexander Whitman,” Alex murmurs.
“We agreed, Alex Manes would no longer exist,” Abraham says. “Whitman was an old family name of mine, I thought it fitting since you gave me yours that I give you one of mine in return.”
There’s a baby picture on the other side, that’s him blinking dark eyes at the camera and as he flips through the book there’s more of him. A variety of ages, smiling and laughing and being a kid that he doesn’t really ever remember being.
“She promised you and then when she found out she was pregnant she came to me,” Abraham says. “This was the solution that we came up with that kept you away from Jesse, protected Mindy and still meant that at the end you would still exist, in some form or another.”
“Did Tripp know?” Alex asks and he hates that he feels more betrayed by the thought of Tripp knowing and saying nothing, then the fact that it was done in the first place. The relief is overwhelming when Abraham shakes his head.
“Not until yesterday, he was unhappy with me, made sure before he left this morning that I knew that my first order of business was to make sure you knew.”
“I won’t remember this, will I?” Alex closes the book after his high school graduation pictures where he sees himself smiling widely and Abraham with his over his shoulders looking every bit the proud grandfather.
“I don’t know,” Abraham says honestly, “I think it unlikely but in my experience nothing like this has ever happened so I think we’re all flying a little blind to some extent.”
“How did you even hide him?” he asks, Tripp had been out of the pods longer then Alex has.
“He, you knew about the pods, I never hid them from him, he used to go sit with you both and read books to you,” Abraham shrugs, “plus in this timeline you went missing before Mimi and Jenna by several months. There were only about 36 days where I had to worry about Tripp stumbling over you… him.”
Abraham looks at him, every year of his age evident in the lines of his face.
“I gave you the absolute best childhood that I possibly could,” he says and Alex manages a smile at him. Because he can still see the pictures even with the book closed.
Abraham had been a grandfather, had taken that role and the Alex that he raised was a happy, smiling, laughing boy in those photos. Alex wishes he could remember that childhood instead of the one he does.
*******************************************************
Tripp doesn’t know quite what to make of Jesse.
He remembers the things that Alex told him; the way he grew up, the childhood he had. The father who could never accept that his son was gay.
They meet for coffee, Abraham just raising an eyebrow as he collects coffees and breakfast to take back to Alex and leaves Tripp to his conversation with Jesse.
Alex remembered Jesse speaking with nothing but fondness when it came to his great uncle Tripp. He doesn’t have those memories, the man sitting across from him is a virtual stranger.
“My dad didn’t even know your father existed,” Jesse is saying and he sounds so earnest, almost kind.
Tripp wants to like him.
“I haven’t talked to my dad about it in real detail, he always just says that him and his brothers had a difference of opinions and they all went their own ways. He doesn’t really like to talk about it,” Tripp shrugs.
“Yeah,” Jesse’s mouth twists, “my granddad had some real odd ideas about things, but he did try to find his brother Eugene right up until he died. Made us promise we’d try and find him if we were able.”
“I’d have to talk to talk to my dad but I’m pretty sure he died. I’m pretty sure he never married or had kids, it’s why my dad named me after him,” Tripp says. Jesse nods along, the expression on his face saying he expected nothing less.
There’s something in his eyes though… Alex will likely have not left his room hoping that if he just stays in one place behind locked doors that he won’t come into contact with anyone that he doesn’t expressly want to come into contact with.
He’ll still be sweeping all three of their rooms for bugs of some sort.
It’s not that he doesn’t trust Jesse, he’s supposed to be family after all, but he doesn’t trust Jesse.
*******************************************************
Michael knows if he gets caught his mom is going to string him up in the backyard by his toenails. And he knows it’s irrational, he’s got Isobel and Maria’s voices in his head telling him that he’s acting like a crazy person.
But Alex is supposed to be his person, like Kyle is Max’s and Rosa was Isobel’s until Isobel decided they couldn’t all be gay and broke up with her… and if he’s supposed to be his then he kind of wants to meet him in person, shake his hand, look in him in the eye. So he can definitively say ‘yes, this is my person’ or there might be a good chance that they’ll meet and there will be absolutely no spark to speak of.
Which Michael is highly sure is not actually likely but he’s going to have to make sure all his options are open.
So he went mindwalking which his mom is going to yell at him for, but he also knows Jenna is meeting Alex for lunch at the Crashdown, which Michael needed to eat anyway so…
He sits up at the counter and Rosa doesn’t even take his order just rolls her eyes at him like she knows what he’s up to. Which when Isobel slides into the seat next to him is quite likely.
“Mom said…” Isobel starts as the bell over the door rings and Michael twists his head to see Jenna come in. Right behind her is the guy that he remembers, he doesn’t have the arm brace today but he’s still walking too stiffly and he vaguely remembers his mom or possibly Jenna or Mimi mentioning an incident that resulted in him losing his leg.
Michael’s not sure what his face is doing but Jenna just looks exasperated and Alex beside her looks resigned.
“Alex…” Jenna says and Alex shakes his head, cutting her off.
“It’s fine,” he says even as he bites at his lip and looks anywhere but at Michael.
He still wants to know what he did, beside the whole Maria thing which he still can’t wrap his mind around, to make this Alex want to make sure he wasn’t in his life. His mom says it was all about protecting him, them; but Michael doesn’t think that’s necessarily the whole truth.
He swings off the stool, wiping palms he hadn’t even realized were sweating on his jeans before he steps closer to them. Isobel is right beside him, probably so she can report everything verbatim to mom and Max and Maria later.
“Michael Truman,” he says and he holds out a hand that he’s gratified is not shaking in his nervousness.
Alex looks at his hand, eyes dark and searching when he finally meets Michael’s.
“Alex,” he says finally, taking Michael’s hand, fingers squeezing tight around his. His skin is warm against his and there’s something… he doesn’t even think he can put into words the way it feels like some little part of him that he didn’t ever know wasn’t settled…. it settles.
*******************************************************