Disclaimers: Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel belong to Joss Whedon, Marti Noxon, David Greenwalt, Mutant Enemy, Twentieth Century Fox Productions, Greenwolf Corporations, Sandollar Television, Kuzui Enterprises, and UPN. Roswell belongs to Melinda Metz, UPN, and Twentieth Century Fox Productions. No copyright infringements were intended. This story was written for entertainment and not for profit.

Spoilers and Timing: On Roswell, this story takes place a few days after "The Departure" with spoilers for that, "Baby, It's You," "Max in the City," "The Harvest," "285 South," "We Are Family," and "Independence Day." On Buffy, this takes place a week or two after "The Gift" with spoilers for that. On Angel, this takes place a week or two after "There's No Place like Pltz Glrb."

Author's Notes: This is the sequel to A Distraction. You must read that one to better understand this one.

Summary: Giles becomes worried as the search for Lewis continues, while Michael and Maria enlist the help of magic in order to save their child from dying in the atmosphere. But will it be enough? Meanwhile, Larek hears that Tess is back on the home planet. He pays a visit to Max to offer his help in bringing Tess down and returning Max's born son to Earth. There's only one problem: Nicholas stands in their way.

*****

(everyone else is still at AI HQ, only Michael, Maria, and Liz have returned home)

Michael and Maria stood on the front porch of the DeLuca household. Both of them knew that the conversation they were about to have with Maria's mother wouldn't be easy, especially since both of them knew that Amy DeLuca didn't want her daughter to get pregnant as a teenager, like she did. Maria had promised not to make the same mistakes her mother made, but on what they thought would be Michael's last night on Earth, she broke those promises. Now Maria was two days pregnant, and they weren't even sure if their baby would survive on Earth. Even with the help of their new friends, Angel, Willow, Tara, Oz and several others who had magic at their disposal, their chances were looking grim.

But no matter if their baby died or not, sooner or later Maria's mother and her cousin, Sean, would notice something was odd. It was better to tell them ahead of time than to let them find out the hard way.

The hard way might as well be the easy way, Maria thought. I feel like we're going up against a firing squad.

It might as well be a firing squad. Amy DeLuca wasn't known for being the calmest person on the planet.

"We're going in," Michael decided. He took her hand, pushed open the door, and led her inside. Maria didn't really want to go in, but he gave her no choice.

They found Amy in the living room. "Hi, Mom," Maria greeted her, a little nervous.

Amy looked up and smiled at her, although it seemed to waver when she glanced at Michael. "Hi, Maria. Hello, Michael. How did your date go? And Maria, how was your sleepover at Liz's last night?"

"They were great, Mom," Maria lied. They weren't on a date just now. Maria wasn't at Liz's, either. The night before, Maria, Liz, Kyle and several of their new friends rescued Michael, Liz, Max and Oz from an alien that possessed a human mage's body. They succeeded, and the alien left the mage's body and went back to his home planet, no doubt to be punished by Kivar for failing to complete his mission.

The day afterwards, which was today, had been spent at the temporary headquarters for Angel Investigations. The four members of the private investigative agency used an old abandoned hotel, so there had been plenty of rooms for all of them to crash in. Then, before half of them went back to Sunnydale and the other half returned to Roswell, they had a small party.

Then they traveled through the Ghost Roads to get back home, and arrived back in Roswell two hours ago. Dawn was taken home, Deputy Valenti was filled in, and then everyone went home.

Michael and Maria decided to come directly to the DeLuca household, which brought them to the here and now, when Maria would have to tell her mother that her fears were true.

She let out a breath and glanced at Michael. He smiled a little, giving her a little courage. "Mom, we need to tell you something."

Instantly, her mother tensed. She was never really comfortable with the fact that her daughter was dating the guy who took her across state lines twice for what she thought were flings. To top it all off, Amy once found the two in bed together. Although that night had nothing to do with sex, Amy found it hard not to be suspicious of this man. And this time, unfortunately, her suspicions were correct.

"What's going on?" Sean asked, walking into the room. He noticed the tension in the room and looked from Maria to Michael. Maria had the feeling that her cousin knew something was up.

"Sean," Michael greeted him.

"Michael."

Michael gave Maria's hand a squeeze before leading her over to the couch. If Sean wanted to stay, they couldn't force him to leave.

Amy stood in front of them, arms crossed. Maria closed her eyes. "Mom, I'm pregnant."

"Woah-" Sean said.

Amy freaked. "What!"

She marched over to stand right in front of Michael. "Did I just hear what I think I did? Are you responsible for this? Didn't you promise me you would stay away from my daughter?"

Michael met her gaze without flinching. Maria wasn't sure how he managed it. "Things change."

"Why, you! You-get out!" She pointed at the door. "I want to have a talk with my daughter. I'll deal with you later."

Michael glanced at Maria before heading for the door.

"No, Michael-Mom, it's not his fault," Maria began.

"Don't you start, young lady," Amy ordered. "Sean, we're out of milk and wheat bread. Go down to the store and get them."

"Yes, ma'am," Sean complied. He grabbed his wallet and the keys and left.

As soon as he was gone, Amy began to pace. "To think I let you near that irresponsible jerk like Michael Guerin!"

"Mom, he isn't-"

"And to think that you would be defending him!" Amy cried. "He is a legal adult and what he did is rape a minor! He should be arrested! Maria, you are never going to see that boy again. You're getting an abortion. There is no way I'm letting you be a teenage mother-"

"No!" Maria stood up. "Mom, I am not getting an abortion. Calm down."

"You have lost your virginity to Michael Guerin and you expect me to calm down? How could you even think of doing such a thing-"

"It's my choice!" Maria interrupted again. "And I'm sticking to it. I will have my baby. I will raise him. Michael and I will raise him. We've talked about this. He and I plan to get married as soon as we graduate. I can go live with him until then, if you want me to. It's his baby too. He won't abandon me, and neither of us will abandon our child."

Amy stared at her for a minute. Then her eyes filled with tears and she crumpled onto the couch. Maria sat down next to her.

"Oh, Maria." Amy took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. I won't force you to get an abortion. I didn't mean that. And you don't have to move out of the house. I don't approve of what you did, but if you're going to have this child, he's a member of the family. I just didn't want you to make the same mistakes I did."

"I haven't," Maria said. "I know I should have waited. But I don't have any regrets. Everything will work out."

Maria really hoped so, anyway. Because of Michael's alien status, there was a possibility their baby couldn't survive in Earth's atmosphere. Both of them hoped that it could survive since one of its parents was human.

They sat there for a minute. "How long?" Amy finally asked.

A few months," Maria answered. "I'm going to the doctor this afternoon. Michael is taking me."

"Tell Michael to go to work. I'll take you."

"No," Maria said, perhaps a little too quickly. "I'll be all right. You'd better go to work instead. I know you have a lot of orders to fill out."

Amy sighed. "All right. But afterwards, I want both of you to come straight here. I still want to have a talk with that boy."

Maria took both of her hands in hers. "Please, Mom. Give him a chance."

"We'll see, Maria."

*****

In a neighborhood across town, a boy named Sam lay peacefully asleep in his bed.

But not for long.

Suddenly, his eyes opened. He sat up bed and looked around. But it wasn't Sam who looked through those eyes at his surroundings.

He pulled back the covers and jumped out of bed. He checked himself out in the mirror. It was the human look alike of the husk he used to wear, before that little bitch named Tess destroyed him and the people on his home planet had to make a clone of him.

Now, instead of sending his cloned body to Earth, Kivar ordered him to take over this human child's body. He hated it as much as he hated his old husk.

It didn't matter. He'd be back on his home planet very soon.

He dressed into some outdoor clothes. Then the fifty-year-old alien, known to only a few as Nicholas, crept out of the house.

*****

The warehouse took over a day to locate. That alien bastard, Toren, had given him the address for a street, but had failed to specify the town. He gave hints: Lewis knew that it was in the southern United States, and that they'd visited the warehouse while Lewis worked for the alien mage. That narrowed the field down considerably, but the search still took time.

*****

Max stared up at the stars visible in the courtyard of Angel's hotel. Not for the first time, he wondered what Antar must look like up close. He'd seen it through a telescope once, but it wasn't the same. Was his home planet beautiful? Was it ugly and undesirable because of the war he'd been told was taking place up there? Ever since he and his sister, Isabel, and later their friend Michael, had figured out that they were aliens, he'd wondered about those sort of things. Now, he had additional questions. Was his son already there? Had Tess given birth to him yet? Where was he on Antar? Was he in the middle of a warzone? He didn’t like many of the possible answers his mind provided for him. He wanted his son to be safe, but he had no idea how to get him to a safe place.

He would start looking for answers as soon as he and the others returned to Roswell. There was bound to be something about a ship or maybe even a second granilith in the things Tess had left behind. He just had to find it.

*****

Spike left the bar and wandered down the street in downtown Sunnydale. One more bar down, six more to go. Giles had asked him to start searching for Lewis' hideaway until he and the scoobies got back from their visit with Angel and his lot. Of course, Spike had refused to search anywhere. Then Giles had offered tp pay him enough money for a whole month's supply of smokes and pig's blood, so here he was, wandering from bar to bar, looking for clues.

(continue)

*****

"Nothing here," Tara reported. She closed the book, the last one in the pile that she had taken from Giles' personal collection in the back of the magic store.

Giles took his glasses off in frustration. "Damn."

"W-what exactly are we looking for, anyway?" Tara asked.

Giles sighed. "Something that Lewis would do. Something related to the council, but also something that would harm me."

"Well, if he's going to harm the council, wouldn't that harm you? They do pay you, don't they?" Dawn asked from where she sat at the counter.

"Well, yes, but I have a feeling that it'll be something more personal than my financial concerns."

"Well, I hope you're wrong," Anya said, walking in from the back with more books. "The last thing we need is a crisis, especially now that Buffy isn't around anymore."

An ackward silence fell. Anya cringed and looked up. "Sorry. Xander has told me over and over again that I need to learn when to stay silent."

"It's-all right, Anya," Giles said. "Where's Xander and Willow, anyway? And Oz? I thought they'd be here."

"They went to Roswell," Tara supplied. "Willow is going to help out Maria and Michael, and Oz and Xander tagged along." She refrained from saying, Willow didn't ask me to come along, but didn't mind having Oz nearby.

Giles seemed to pick up on it, however. "Willow is very loyal. I'm certain that nothing will happen."

Tara smiled weakly at him. "Thanks," she told him, although she still had a lot of doubt that Willow was being loyal to her right now.

She remembered what happened in the cellar in Valence Hope's house, when they found Oz. She'd seen the way Willow and Oz had looked at each other. She'd told Willow they would talk later, and Tara intended to have that talk as soon as Willow returned. She hoped that it wouldn't be too late.

*****

Harry stepped off the bus. She glanced around Roswell's bus station. It seemed to be devoid of anything alien-themed, unlike must of the town she'd seen on the way to the station.

"Harry!"

Harry turned and looked across the concrete walkway. Cordelia Chase was waving at her. Beside her stood the vampire with a soul, Angel. Harry waved back, grabbed her bags, and walked over to them.

The last time she'd seen either of them, she'd come to Los Angeles to have Doyle sign their divorce papers. She had been engaged to another demon male. As a demonologist, she'd known enough about them in order to be comfortable around them, and presently fell in love with one of them. Of course, that was before she'd found out that they still practiced ancient traditions, such as eating the brains of the first husband, Doyle. She ended up leaving Los Angeles without either of them.

Remembering Doyle, she felt a wave of loss. He died only a mouth afterwards. When she found out, she realized she still loved him, and missed him terribly.

That was in the past. Harry forced herself to concentrate on the present, and put a genuine smile on her face when she stood in front of Angel and Cordelia.

"Hello, Angel. Hi, Cordelia," she greeted them. "Why exactly am I here? Our phone conversation was very vague."

"We've got some friends that are having a baby, and it requires your expertise," Angel explained.

Confused, Harry asked, "My expertise? Shouldn't a doctor have more expertise in that area than I would?"

"It's a very special baby," Cordelia explained. "Half of it isn't human."

So that's why they called me. They hoped that as an expert on demonology, she could help in...what? Identifying the child's inhuman parent? Assist in its care or birth? There were still so many details she didn't know.

"I have a feeling there's something you aren't telling me," Harry stated.

"We'll explain in the car," Angel said, glancing around at the crowded bus station. "This isn't the best place to have a private conversation."

*****

Maria entered the Crashdown and spotted Michael sitting at a table. He spotted her, too. Displaying very un-Michael like characteristics, he got up and hurried over to her.

"Hey," he said, pulling her over to the nearest booth.

She smiled. "Hi." Ever since the night they made love, Michael had been so open with her. Probably because he'd let her see inside him. Because she understood him and still excepted him, he'd felt no need to pull back from her. He was open to her and her only.

"How'd it go?" Michael asked while stroking her stomach, prompting her to start giggling when his touch tickled her skin.

She pushed his hand away and sighed. "Not good. She's accepted our baby into the family, but you should stay away from our house for awhile."

Michael let out a long breath, then changed the subject. "How'd you get over here? I thought Sean was changing the breaks and a tire in the Jetta."

"He is. Mr. Parker let Liz borrow the car. She brought me over here, then went across the street to see Max." She smiled, glad that those two were back together. Finally. "So where are Angel, Cordelia, and that expert on half-human babies they were going to bring?"

"They should be here any minute," Michael said. He glanced down at Maria's stomach again. "I hope she can help. I don't want our baby to die."

Maria looked into his eyes. "Me, neither."

Because Michael wasn't human, there was a possibility that their child might not be, either. And like Tess and Max's baby, now located somewhere on another planet, Maria's and Michael's baby might not survive in Earth's atmosphere. It could be poisoning it right now with every breath Maria took in. The thought made her cringe. I could be hurting my baby, and there's nothing I can do about it.

Almost nothing. There was a possibility that, because it was half-human, it would survive. Or they could find something that would help it to breathe oxygen, like magic. Which was why they agreed when Angel and Cordelia said they know someone who was an expert in demonology. She might know some demon tribe's trick to help half-human children come out okay. They hoped it would work on half-alien babies, too. Or if there was some spell that they needed to perform, they would need a spell caster, which was why Willow Rosenburg would be coming over, too.

Maria hoped that all of this would do some good, and that they weren't wasting time.

The door opened again, and both of them turned to see Angel, Cordelia, and a woman they didn't recognize enter the diner.

They stood up to meet them. The woman extended her hand to both of them. "Hi, I'm Harry. Angel and Cordelia have told me all about your situation, and I'd like to help in any way I can."

Michael flicked his gaze to Angel, then settled them back on Harry. "So you can help?"

"Yes, I think so," Harry answered. "And we'll need Willow's help, when she arrives."

Just then, Willow decided to make her appearance. She walked through the door. "I'm here," she announced, walking up to them. She carried a shoulder bag, full of what Maria guessed were spell supplies. Willow had explained to her that most spells required ingredients like holy candles or chalk, mystical symbols, and self-blended potions, among other things.

"Hi," Harry said, extending a hand. "I'm Harry. You're Willow, right?"

"Yeah," Willow answered, shaking her hand.

"Let's go to my place," Michael said. "We'll have some privacy over there."

*****

When she met him just inside the UFO Center, Liz wrapped her arms around Max's neck, pulling him close so she could kiss him. He bent his head down and their lips met.

Several seconds later, they pulled away. Max greeted Liz with a smile. "I'm glad we can spend some time together today," he said.

Liz nodded. "Yeah. It's been really hectic lately and we haven't really had any time together since we got back together." She gave him a light kiss on the mouth. "But we do now."

"I've got some reservations for lunch," Max said. "Want to go?"

"That's four hours away," Liz reminded him.

"Excuse me," a very familiar British voice interrupted.

They pulled away and looked over at Brody. "Hi, Brody. I, uh, finished working on the military cover-up exhibit. Liz and I were just leaving."

"I'm not Brody," he stated.

Liz and Max exchanged glances. "Larek?" Max asked.

"Yes."

Liz knew Larek as Max's friend from the home planet. Periodically, he took over Brody's body the same way Toren took over Valence Hope's. "Why are you here?" she asked him. Max looked at him, too, waiting for an answer.

"I heard about Tess," Larek began. Both Max and Liz instantly tensed up; Liz because she hated Tess and Max because of the hope that he'd get his son back. "My spies in the Skin millitary have reported that she has returned to your home planet as Queen of the Skins."

"And my son?" Max asked.

"Kivar is allowing his birth."

Max let out a breath of relief, but Larek wasn't finished.

"I have come to offer my and my people's help in bringing him back to you."

*****

As soon as they got inside the apartment, Michael and Maria sat down on the couch. Harry sat next to them, and Willow, Angel, and Cordelia took their seats in chairs.

"So what do we need to do?" Michael asked, wrapping his arm around Maria's shoulders, careful not to move her too quickly or too much. Neither of them were sure if too much movement would hurt the baby, like it did the night Maria and the others rescued Michael, Max, Isabel, and Oz.

"Well, before we get started, I'd like to ask you some questions, if you don't mind," Harry said.

Michael shrugged. "Go ahead."

Harry studied him. She never imagined that an alien being would look and act so...human. Then again, before she and Doyle discovered he was a half-demon, she thought demons couldn't seem human, either.

"I'd like to know a little bit about your powers," Harry told him, "in case they could be helpful today."

Michael glanced at Maria, and she gave his hand a little squeeze. She knew he was wary around any stranger, but she knew he'd tell this woman anything that would help her and their child. He looked at her for her opinion, and she felt that they could trust Harry.

So Michael turned back to Harry and said, "I'm not as good at it as Max and Isabel are. I can smash rocks, unlock, open, and close doors, and I have some healing ability. I have some telepathic ability, too. Not much else."

Suddenly, Maria gasped and grabbed her stomach. She let out a scream of pain that come from the baby inside.

"Maria!" Michael cried, terrified. He turned to Harry. "Help her, please."

Willow reached forward and waved her hand over Maria's stomach. "Pain, release this woman and her child from your grasp. Go away, for you are not wanted now."

She sat back in her chair, and on the couch, Maria looked relieved. "What did you do?" Maria asked Willow.

"I took away some of the pain," Willow explained. "Neither you or your baby should feel any of it right now. The spell's only temporary, though. It'll only last for a few minutes."

Michael looked a little stunned and creeped out. "So that stuff really works, huh?" Harry could hear the distrust in his voice, which was understandable. He was concerned for his family. She hoped they didn't screw this up.

She sat up straight before telling them what she had in mind. "I know a way to determine how to help your child, but you won't like it."

Michael and Maria tensed. So did everyone else. "What is it?" Michael finally asked.

"There's a demon tribe that lives in the desert in Arizona. Whenever one of their own kind marries a human and they have a child, the tribe summons Linya, a prophet, to foresee the child's future. She can see how the child will ultimately contribute to the tribe, and she can tell if the baby is sick or is dying before any visible signs are there. She can also recommend ways of helping the child get better."

"But there kid isn't born yet," Cordelia pointed out.

Harry nodded. "That's true, but I think Linya mentioned once that she could do that an unborn baby, too, she just doesn't do that very often."

"You're met her?" Maria asked, surprised.

Harry shrugged. "She's nice. She's not as cryptic as most prophets tend to be."

"So, what's the plan? Do we go to see her?" Willow asked everyone.

Maria and Michael exchanged looks. Maria shrugged. "It's worth a try, I guess."

"Maybe," Michael said.

"So, how do we get there?" Angel asked.

"That's where Willow comes in," Harry answered. She took a book out of her duffel bag, flipped it open to the right page, and handed it to the redhead.

Willow studied the page, her excitement over doing a spell obvious to everyone in the room. "It says here that this'll transport us to where the prophet lives."

(more)

*****

"So this is what Roswell's like," Xander said, glancing at all the alien-themed businesses in downtown.

"Yep," Oz said. They were walking down Main Street. The Crashdown Café, which was a few blocks behind them, had been their initial stop, since they came with Willow through the Ghost Roads portal situated on the roof. They'd left Oz's van back there, opting for the walking tour on their way to the trailer park so Oz could pay his rent and sign out.

"It reminds me of Sunnydale, you know, if the human population knew about the Hellmouth and decided to make it the local theme."

"It would probably make slaying easier," Oz commented. "If anyone saw you guys walking down the street with vamp-slaying equipment, you'd be in style."

"Exactly."

Unbeknownst to them, a Skin watched from an alley only two buildings ahead of them. He'd been sent by Nicholas to follow the two newcomers to the Roswell group, and so far they hadn't done much. He was becoming bored.

Which may explain why he never noticed the figure creeping up behind him until he picked him up by the back of the neck.

"Lewis doesn't really like you Skins," the figure told him. "He's ordered us to kill whichever ones we find, and you happen to be one of them."

The Skin could feel him feeling along his back for the seal that would break his husk. But before he could reach it, he snaked his hands back and let them contact flesh. Then he used his powers to make the other man's skin burn.

The figure let out a growl and threw him away. The Skin got up and turned around to face him.

He was met by the angry visage of a vampire.

He didn't know it was a vampire, though, and in his shock, the vampire grabbed him again, and before the Skin could stop him, the vampire broke his seal.

Immediately, what was left of the Skin crumpled to the ground in a shower of dust.

Not far away, Oz and Xander heard the skirmish, and now hurried toward the alley, stakes and crosses in hand. The vampire disappeared into the shadows before they saw him.

"It's too early to be a vampire attack," Xander said, since it was still morning. Which didn't make sense, since what they heard definitely sounded like a vampire turning to dust.

They reached the alley and peered inside. The shadows were deep in this alley, but as far as they could see, no one was there.

"Look," Oz said, pointing to the ground. There was a pile of dust, just as they suspected.

"I think the vamp managed to get through the alley easily," Oz said, indicating the shadows.

"Yeah, but who staked him?" Xander wondered.

"Hold up," Oz said, bending down. He picked up something lying near the dust pile, then stood back up.

It was a piece of skin. They watched, surprised, as it crumbled into dust.

"I don't think that was a vampire," Xander said.

Oz nodded. "Definite Skin potential. We'd better tell the others."

*****

Jim entered his workroom and looked around. He spent so many hours in there when he lost his job. Most of the time he was by himself, but sometimes Kyle and Tess would stop by.

The memory made Jim smile. With thoughts like those, it was hard to picture Tess as a killer, even though he'd seen quite a few of them during his days as the sheriff.

He heard the doorbell ring, and it brought him out of his thoughts. He got up and went to the living room to answer the door.

Kyle beat him to it. Jim got there in time to see Liz walk into the house.

"Liz, hey," Jim greeted her.

"Oh, hi, Sheriff," Liz said. She held up the basket of food she was carrying. "Ms. Deluca asked me to drop this off."

"Oh, thanks," Jim said, taking the basket from her and setting it on the table.

"So how's Maria doing?" Kyle asked.

"Oh, she and Michael are meeting with Angel, Cordelia, and Willow today to figure out some way to help their baby," Liz told them. "They're hoping that magic will help them find a cure."

"What about everyone else?" Jim asked.

"Oh, um, I think Isabel is still in LA to clear some things up with the rest of our new friends, and Max is in the UFO Center talking to Larek."

None of them were quite comfortable yet with the fact that they'd let so many new people in on their secret, so it was good that Isabel was talking to some of them. Learning the Larek was back in Roswell was a surprise, though. "Larek? He took over Brody's body again?" Kyle asked.

Liz nodded. "Yea. He wants to help Max get his son back."

"Wow. That's good," Kyle said.

"So, Larek and Max are still close friends, huh?" a voice said. "Thanks for the tip."

All three of them whirled around. Nicholas, the alien none of them hoped to see ever again, was standing only a few yards away. The husk he wore that protected him from the atmosphere was the same one he'd used in the last fifty years. He looked like a twelve year old boy, seemingly innocent but actually very dangerous.

Jim reached for the gun on the table behind him. He knew it wouldn't kill the skin, but it certainly would slow him down long enough for them to unseal his husk once and for all.

He brought the gun up to bear, ready to fire.

Nicholas raised his hand and the gun flew out of Jim's hand into Nicholas' own.

Nicholas waved a finger at him. "Now that wasn't very nice, sheriff," he said in a patronizing voice, sounding like a little kid teasing an adult.

More Skins appeared behind Nicholas. Jim heard footsteps behind him. He, Kyle, and Liz turned to see other Skins walk through the front door. They were surrounded.

Nicholas smiled, and it wasn't a very nice smile. "I was hoping we could be friends."

*****

Lewis walked into one of the rooms in his underground lair and looked around, smiling sweetly. This room housed all their live human meals. About ten men and women of various ages backed away from the stairs as he walked down them. He noticed, displeased, that an elderly man leaning against the wall looked like he would drop dead from a heart attack. He hated when they died of natural causes. There was simply no satisfaction to be gained from that.

He smiled as a better idea formed in his brain. He walked over to the old man, savoring the look of terror the old man directed his way.

Lewis crouched in front of the man and grabbed his head. Then he twisted violently, snapping the old man's neck. Behind him, the living humans screamed in terror.

Satisfied, he stood back up and looked at the top of the stairs. Time to get down to business. "Why did you bring him in here?" he asked the demon standing up there.

The demon, a tall and skinny man with large white horns, gave an impromptu bow and answered, "Master, you asked for as many humans as we could get as soon as possible. Do you wish to specify an age group as well?"

"Yes. Although this one was quite satisfying, more like him would not do for us. We need meals that will last longer, so we can have something to eat without having to go out hunting. We can't waste any time doing that, because as much time as possible must be spent preparing for the ritual." He walked up the stairs and ran a finger over the demon servant's neck. "I have heard that your race's lineage descends from humans. Is that correct?"

Nervous, the demon shakily answered, "Yes, Master."

Lewis continued to caress his neck. "Your men would be great substitutes for meals if we run out of humans. So unless you want me to eat you, I suggest you find as many humans as you can. Maybe, about twenty fresh meals every twenty-four hours. Does that sound fine to you?"

"Yes, of course, Master."

"Good." Lewis lowered his hand, and his demon minion sagged in relief. "You may start now."

The minion bowed again before disappearing through the door.

Lewis sniffed the air, and was pleased as always to smell the fear coming from the humans below him and the minion that had just left. With a smile on his face, he left the room. One of his vampire men shut and locked the door behind him, but he didn't pay him any attention. He walked down the lantern lit corridor. He entered an open doorway further down the hall.

Inside, was an open portal into the Ghost Roads.

The purplish, bruise-colored swirl floated a foot or so off the stone floor. And after a few seconds, one of his vampire men stepped through it. He was one of the men Lewis sent to Roswell to keep tabs on their human and alien friends.

"Well?" Lewis asked, expectant.

The vampire bowed. "Sir, the people you asked us to observe do not seem to be looking for you. They are concerned only about one of their own, Maria DeLuca, who is pregnant with an alien child."

The vampire went on to explain what his team had observed in Roswell. Lewis wasn't sure if he could use any of it to his advantage, but something would probably turn up. He dismissed the vampire, and the minion returned to the New Mexico town through the portal.

*****

"Watch out for anything suspicious," Max told his sister on the phone. Isabel was still in LA. After Xander and Oz ran into the café a few minutes ago, Max was doing a phone check to make sure everyone was all right. Once he finished his call, he hung up the phone and looked behind him into the alien-themed restaurant. He and Larek had gone there to get a bite to eat while they talked about getting Max's son back. Now, Xander and Oz sat across the booth from Larek, going over everything they'd seen. Max couldn't hear what they were saying because of the other loud lunch patrons at the Crashdown Café. He caught Oz's worried gaze for a minute. Max held up a finger to show he'd tell Oz what the situation was as soon as he called the Valentis'. He'd gotten a hold of everyone else, and he knew that Liz, Kyle, and the ex-sheriff were over there now. He hoped all of them, especially Liz, were all right.

He picked up the phone again, inserted more money, and made the call. The phone rang several times. No one answered. Shit.

He hoped they'd left or something, but he couldn't take that chance. Worried, he hung up the phone and raced back over to their table.

Larek, Oz, and Xander halted their conversation when he approached. "What's the scoop, Max?" Xander asked.

"I got in touch with everyone but Liz, Kyle, and Jim," Max answered. "They wouldn't answer the phone."

"Do you think they've been captured?" Larek asked.

"Only one way to find out," Max answered.

Oz and Xander were already standing. "Let's go."

Max looked at the alien. "Larek?"

He shook his head. "I can't go. I've already held onto this body for too long. But from what Xander and Oz have told me, it sounds like the Skins have been watching you. They know every move you make. Please, be careful."

"We will," Max promised. Then he, Oz, and Xander were out the door.

*****

Nicholas paced back and forth in front of the couch. Sitting on it were Jim, Kyle, and Liz. Liz glared at him, filled with hate.