Chapter Text
It has been six months of dead end after dead end. Kyle was starting to lose all hope of anything coming to a resolution with Project Shepard. Never really knowing how deep the government cover-up goes and how his life is now immersed with alien autopsies and more cryptic letters from his father. But he did know one thing—Alex was just as wrecked as he was.
“Stop pacing,” Alex said from his computer chair in his bunker, eyes focused and concentrated on the code in front of him. “You’re going to leave a trench in the middle of this room.”
Kyle stopped and placed his hands on the table hanging his head low. “I need a drink.”
“Or 3.” Snorted Alex without turning around.
Shooting his head up with an annoyance filling his brow he spoke to the back of Alex’s head, “Yeah, and so do you, Manes.” Grabbing his keys from the chair to his right he made his way to his partner—are they partners?—and clasped a heavy hand on his shoulder. “Let’s go. I’m driving.”
Fingers frozen on top of the keyboard Alex moved his eyes from his shoulder to Kyle’s waiting face. “To where? The Pony?”
Letting his hand fall and straightening up Kyle let out a heavy sigh. He should have seen this coming. Alex has sworn up and down that he was fine with Michael and Maria’s new relationship but it was obvious that he was far from it. At least obvious to him. He wasn’t so sure how genius was the genius or how psychic was the psychic, but Kyle knew Alex was still dealing with it in his own way. Which is why they have now uncovered more sealed files that dates back to 1932—which is15 years before the crash that brought Michael, Max, and Isobel to Earth.
In other words, he wasn’t dealing with it at all.
Ever since Rosa’s very dramatic return everyone was on edge. Max being kept—not dead, everyone reminded themselves of that—in a pod in the middle of a desert was enough to make everyone appreciate what they had.
Liz had Rosa back. Isobel was finally being able to form her own identity away from her brothers. Michael had Maria. Kyle had Alex. Kyle was just worried that Alex wasn’t aware that he had him too.
“The Wild Pony?” Rosa’s voice came from the doorway. Both men turned around to find her arms crossed with hope in her eye. When everyone came rushing to the middle of nowhere to find a distraught Liz crying over Max’s lifeless body and having an undead Rosa explain what happened, granted she didn’t know much, was way too much for the average person to process.
The look on Michael’s face seeing his brother dead in front of him was enough to make Alex double over in pain. He looked so lost like the day Caulfield blew up. The day that Michael looked away.
Both men turned to each other each hoping the other had the heart of telling her that they will be stepping out for a while. Alex stood up and made his way towards her responded, “Yes. But we don’t have to. We can stay here with you if you’d like?”
“No! It’s okay. I actually really want you guys to go.” Worried that she might have made them feel uncomfortable that she overheard them. “I was actually going to ask you if it was alright with you that I told Liz she should come over tonight. I know she had been in the lab working crazy hours trying to find a way to bring Max back and helping Dad at the diner. Honestly, she’s looking just as bad as you two.” Both men squinted their eyes menacingly at her. “No offense.” She continued with that signature snarky smile.
Laughing through a low breath, Kyle walked towards the pair and gave Rosa a kiss on the side of her head, “Glad your snark didn’t stay dead.” Rolling her eyes, he shoved him on his chest playfully. Alex having a smile tug at his lips replied.
“Of course, you know that this was technically your house before mine.” Rosa had been staying in her old room under the Valenti cabin these last few months in hopes to keep her hidden until they figure out a way around this whole ‘look I’m not dead’ thing. “Liz also has a key so this is your house just as much as mine. So please you don’t need to ask to have your own sister over.” Giving her forearm a squeeze in comfort Alex made his way towards the latter with Kyle right behind him. “Just don’t burn the house down by making popcorn again!” He shouted already half way up the ladder.
“It was one time!” Laughing the men now stood in the living room.
“Are you sure you want to go to the Pony? We really don’t have to.” Kyle asked. He knew Alex will say they should go and that he’ll not as fragile as they all may think. Brave solider.
Squaring his shoulders and puffing out his chest, “What, Valenti? Afraid that an airman missing a leg will drink you under the table?” he challenged making his way to the front door grabbing his and Kyle’s jacket.
Jaw dropping, Kyle quickly squinted his eyes and grabbed his jacket from Alex. “You’re on, Manes.”
Laughing both men made their way to the bimmer and drove to the Wild Pony.
The hustle and bustle of a Friday night at The Wild Pony always left Maria tugging at her hair. With drunks knocking over tables to the local married men trying to pick up tourists, Maria had about seen it all for one night. Its only 8:30pm
Keeping track at the bar tabs was Maria’s second nature. And racking up bar tabs was Michael’s second nature.
They have been dating for a little over 5 months now and everything was surprisingly going smooth. Michael was attentive without being overbearing and Maria knew boundaries and never asked too many questions even though she always had a nagging feeling that something was off with him. She never let that feeling marinate. Knowing that if it were the other way around she wouldn’t want him prying into her business. Michael was across the room talking to Old Man Sanders sharing a pint—“My treat, Sanders! Don’t worry about it.”—and a few charming laughs with his boss in hopes to get access to the old shipping container that the old man was so keen on keeping for himself. She didn’t know why he wanted it, but then again, she didn’t pry.
Quickly cleaning the bar table after a group had left a sticky mess, two seats were quickly taken by Roswell’s two of the three greatest success stories.
“Well, well, well. What can this old dive bar offer you two handsome men?” Maria offered with playfulness in her eyes. Giving a chuckle Alex shimmied out of his jacket placing it across the back of his seat. “Jack neat for me and a Shirley temple for the doc.”
“Ha ha. They teach comedy in boot camp? I’ll have Jameson on the rocks, please Maria.” Kyle rolled his eyes.
Slapping Alex on arm laughing she started making the drinks. “I haven’t seen you two in a while. Please fill me in.”
Sliding the drinks to both of them Kyle told her that the hospital has been busy and he has been assigned a research project and was mostly in the lab with Liz. Turning her attention to Alex as he drank half his drink in one gulp before giving her an update about old files that his former senior captain asked him to translate into English for him.
Both not lies and both not truths. The guilt settled quickly.
“Well, when both of you have the time of day can we all please have an old-fashioned barbeque?” She begged with prayer hands. “It would mean the world to me and also I know it would mean a lot to Liz. She really hasn’t been the same since Max took that sheriff’s position in Colorado.”
Yeah, the guilt was settled nice and snug.
Kyle being the one with the furthest relationship with Maria recovered. “Yeah that sounds great we can do it in my place.”
Leaning forward batting her lashes “I was kinda hoping we can turn it into a bonfire at night. And you know what’s great place for a bonfire? A secluded location, like, I don’t know, Alex’s cabin?”
Both men froze at her suggestion. Alex’s cabin meant standing right on top of the bunker. Same bunker that is used to keep Rosa away from public eye. Same Rosa who is supposed to be dead. Same dead Rosa that Maria didn’t know was alive.
“I don’t know, Maria. You know how I am with my private space.” Alex answered. Hoping it was coming out as smooth as he thought it did.
Standing back straight Maria giggled, “Private? Kyle, aren’t you there like almost every week?” She jumped a little when she felt an arm drape over her shoulder. Turing to her left she saw Michael questioning face darting his eyes between the airmen and the doctor. Placing the empty pint cup in front of him, his desire for a 4thround gone.
“Where’s Valenti every week?”
Clenching jaw in sheer discomfort Alex lifted his chin. “My cabin used to be Kyle’s dads cabin. It’s only fair for him to have a key. We used to go every summer to fish.”
“Oh yeah! Were the fishing trips before or after he called you a--?” Maria elbowed his side, “Enough, Michael.”
Kyle had the heart enough to still feel ashamed and looked down into his glass cup.
Alex has been passed the high school phase the day he enlisted and knows that Kyle is a different person who should not be punished for his actions as a stupid kid. Michael on the other hand liked to hold grudges. Ask Alex, he should know.
“Get over it, Guerin.” Grabbing his half empty drink, he motioned Kyle to follow him and made their way to a table instead. Michael dropped his arm from Maria’s shoulders and watched as the two men continued their easy conversation. Jaw clenching and fist forming.
“Hey,” Maria placed her hand on his chest grabbing his attention. “That wasn’t very nice. You know that Alex is over it. Why aren’t you?”
Because he’s Alex. Heart too big for his own good.
“It’s fun to see him squirm.” He answered with charm. Letting her hand fall she stepped back.
“All I’m saying is, is that Alex has been nothing but supportive and accepting of us. The least you can do in return is accept the people he chooses to have around him.” With that she made her way to the other side of the bar checking up on customers. Michael looked back to where Alex and Kyle were who seemed like they were bickering that ended in both men chugging their drinks and slamming the cups down with a shout, “Another round, Maria!”
Michael made his way out the bar and drove home. It was only 9:15pm.