"Limited Options"
(Episode #120)

Story By
Erica Cavin and Joan Pickering

Written By
Erica Cavin and Joan Pickering
with contributions by
TeeJay

Beta Tester Draft	04/19/03
Final Draft	05/12/03
Posted	05/14/03

This is an unofficial project. It is not sponsored, licensed, or approved by Warner Brothers, Jason Katims Productions, or Regency Television. Not affiliated with Fox, Fox Searchlight, Tribune, Time Warner or the WB or UPN or parent company Viacom. No copyright infringements intended.

Original contents copyright (C) 2003 by Roswell: What Might Have Been

It's pre-morning rush; Liz starts the coffee then walks over to the back booth where Maria is sitting with Alex. There's a band audition flyer and some sheet music on the table and a heated discussion going on. Liz sits down next to Alex.

Maria shifts slightly so that she faces the kitchen pass-through window. In a practiced move, Michael pretends to check for new orders without acknowledging anything past the boundary of the kitchen, then heads for the grill.

Liz smiles to herself, clearly thinking that this isn't always a bad thing, then looks sympathetically at her friends.

Liz nods.

She hits the table with her fist for emphasis. Then her anger turns to determination.

Maria looks thoughtful, then without a word she gets up and goes out the swinging door towards the back.

Cut to:

Michael is stacking plates near the grill. We hear someone moving near the entry to the kitchen. Michael tenses slightly but doesn't look up.

Michael freezes.

Cut to:

Alex stops at the sound of the front door opening. Amy comes in and hurriedly walks over to Liz and Alex.

She exits out the swinging door towards the storeroom.

Alex is interrupted once again, this time by Michael bursting through the swinging door and heading straight for Liz; Maria follows.

Michael glares at Maria.

Michael looks at Liz again.

At Michael's shocked expression, Liz quickly adds:

Before Maria can reply, Amy comes through the swinging door and notices her and Michael.

She gives Maria a quick hug and Michael a slight frown, then exits out the front door. Michael glares at Maria with suspicion. In the background we can see Jeff and Nancy in the kitchen through the pass-through window; the kids do not see them.

In the background we see Jeff and Nancy exchange glances at this remark; they turn towards the kids with a puzzled look to eavesdrop on the conversation.

In the background Jeff and Nancy exchange worried looks, then exit the kitchen towards the back room. Maria does a quick scan to see if anyone heard Michael but just misses seeing Jeff and Nancy. Satisfied that no one heard, she turns back to Michael.

Michael glares at Maria. Behind them Jeff and Nancy are looking at them with concern through the window in the swinging door. The camera pulls back to just outside the Crashdown front window. We sense someone is watching them.

Isabel is at a table with two of her friends (previously seen in Leaving Normal and The Toy House.)

As Isabel descends into her reverie, the camera pans over to Alex and Maria sitting at a table eating lunch. Max and Liz can be seen in the background, nestled together under a tree, talking quietly. Max is leaning against the tree and Liz is leaning against his chest, but looking up at Max; his arms are wrapped around her. They are completely engrossed in each other.

Cut to:

Max leans down and they kiss.

Cut to:

Jeff and Nancy are alone in the storeroom with the door closed.

Cut to:

Valenti is sitting at his desk, talking to Owen.

There's a knock at the door.

Deputy Green enters carrying some reports.

Valenti nods toward the desk. Green puts them down.

Green leaves. Owen and Valenti share a silent exchange. Owen gives Valenti a questioning look and Valenti nods. Owen leaves, closing the door behind him. Valenti unlocks a desk drawer and presses a concealed latch. Two files are in the false bottom of the drawer: One is an official file marked "Hubble, Everett". He pulls out the thin one underneath. The camera focuses in on the label: it's an unofficial file marked "Green, Ethan".

Jeff enters from outside and comes down the stairs. He sees Milton, surrounded by some visitors, and approaches.

The visitors depart, muttering thank yous. Some head for the stairs and others for the gift shop. Milton sees Jeff.

Milton doesn't notice that Jeff blanches from this information; he just keeps on talking.

Jeff turns to leave.

Jeff looks over his shoulder, smiles diplomatically, waves and heads towards the stairs. Milton joins some visitors by an exhibit. Larry steps out from behind a column.

Jeff stops, turns and sees Larry approaching.

Cut to commercial:

Alex, Maria, and the rest of the band members: Chris, Marcos and Nicky, are there, as are other bands. Elana and Vanessa, and the rest of the dance committee who will be choosing the band, are seated in the front row. The auditioners are scattered among the seats in the auditorium. There is one set of drums on stage, to be used by all the auditioners. Alex, Marcos and Nicky are holding their guitars and Chris a pair of drumsticks. Chris is "drumming" on the back of the seats. Marcos and Nicky are tuning their guitars. Alex, his back to the stage, is talking with Maria.

Maria sings the last two stanzas of the song a capella. Others in the auditorium turn and listen.

There is a smattering of applause from others in the auditorium.

Chris, Nicky and Marcos nod and mutter words of appreciation. Maria smiles at the attention. Vanessa stands up from the front row and makes an announcement.

Alex, Maria and the others climb the stairs to the stage and start to set up. Elana and Vanessa exchange stunned looks.

Cut to:

Max is alone in the Jeep. He is smiling as he drives.

Cut to:

Liz is by the door, holding a present. Full of barely suppressed excitement, she scans the passing cars.

Max pulls up in the Jeep outside the Crashdown. Before he can completely turn off the engine, the door of the Crashdown bursts open and Liz runs over to the Jeep. She moves so fast that her feet hardly seem to touch the ground; she's propelled by pure joy. In one fluid movement, she tosses the present onto the back seat, grabs the top of the windshield with one hand and the back of the passenger seat with the other, and vaults over the door into the Jeep. Max is amused, pleased and stunned, all at the same time.

Max starts the car.

They drive off.

Cut to:

The Jeep is parked by the side of the road. The top is now on the Jeep and Max and Liz are inside, kissing.

More kissing.

More kissing.

More kissing.

Even more kissing.

The Jetta approaches. Maria recognizes Max and Isabel's Jeep and slows down, wondering why it's parked there, concerned that there may be a problem. The top is on the Jeep so she cannot see clearly who is inside but she sees movement so she glances in as she passes by, then shakes her head and drives off.

Max pauses. He reaches with one hand and waves it in the direction of the hood.

They kiss.

Another kiss.

Cut to:

Max and Liz walk into the living room. There's a banner which reads "Happy Birthday Isabel and Max." Everywhere they look it's crowded with people.

Maria sees them and walks over.

Cut to:

Michael is at the grill. He glances at the clock, which reads 7:20, and then towards the back room. He's obviously irritated. Another cook eventually enters the kitchen.

Michael takes off his apron and tosses it in the laundry basket near the door, then heads out to his locker for his jacket. As he is putting it on we hear Jeff and Nancy coming down the stairs from their apartment above.

Coming into view Nancy stops short, and stops speaking, as soon as she sees Michael. Jeff almost collides with her on the stairs as he was right behind her. Nancy glances at Jeff than smiles at Michael, trying to hide the awkwardness of the situation.

He exits and Jeff and Nancy exchange worried looks.

Cut to:

"At Last" by Etta James (streaming audio) plays here:

Max and Liz are gazing into each other's eyes as they dance.

Liz smiles at Max, half embarrassed.

Liz laughs. Max spins her around.

Cut to:

Jeff and Nancy are getting some supplies; they are still discussing what Larry told Jeff.

Cut to:

"At Last" by Etta James (streaming audio) continues here:

Max and Liz are still dancing but no longer talking; they seem gloriously happy. Maria walks over to Alex who is sitting on the couch watching the dancing. Alex moves over to make room for Maria who sits next to him.

Michael enters. Isabel looks at her watch then pointedly at Michael. He walks past the couch.

Michael stops, startled.

Michael looks at Maria. He meets her eyes for a second then walks off in the direction of the front door.

Maria and Alex walk toward the kitchen. They pass Isabel who is chatting with Elana and Vanessa. The camera stays with Isabel and her friends.

Elana and Vanessa exchange puzzled looks.

Isabel looks at them as if they were speaking a foreign language.

Elana and Vanessa exchange looks.

Vanessa stops when she sees the stricken look on Isabel's face.

"All Star" by Smash Mouth (streaming audio) plays here:

Isabel turns to look at Alex who is returning to the living room, drink in hand. He is engrossed in his conversation with Maria and does not notice Isabel staring at him. The camera focuses in on them.

Maria looks at him, surprised.

Kyle enters and walks over to Isabel. He says something to her and she laughs. Elana and Vanessa both roll their eyes and move on to another group of friends.

He puts down his drink and leaves. The camera moves to Isabel and Kyle.

Cut to:

Michael is standing alone outside. Alex approaches.

He glances at the house. We can see the partygoers through the window; Isabel is starting to dance with Kyle. Michael follows Alex's gaze.

Dissolve to:

Maria looks at her watch then makes her way to Max and Liz.

The three head toward the door. Isabel, who has moved on to a group of school friends, looks up from her conversation and watches them go outside. She makes an excuse and follows them.

Cut to:

Alex and Michael watch as Max, Liz, Maria and Isabel approach.

Max turns to Alex who nods. Maria seems unconvinced but before she can say anything, Michael interrupts.

Liz waits, thinking there's more. There isn't.

Michael points at Kyle, who can be seen through the living room window talking to Elana and Vanessa, who are trying their best to ignore him.

Alex perks up at this information.

Alex moves closer to Michael, as if in support.

Max puts his arm around Liz and glares at Michael for his verbal attack on her but remains calm in his response.

Michael glares at Maria but then heads towards the house.

There are nods and sighs from the others as they start back toward the house. As they enter the house, they pass Phillip and Diane who look concerned at the serious expressions on the kids' faces. Isabel notices and forces a smile.

Cut to commercial.

Click here to see finished diagram

Cut to:

"Origins [Jungle Morning]" by Joe Thurber (streaming audio) play here:
MP3

Michael is standing outside the perimeter of the range, looking around, checking for security. When he's satisfied that there is no security guard nor watch dog around he proceeds towards the pistol shooting range. He picks up a stick from the ground, hesitantly reaches out to check the surrounding fence for an electric shock, then climbs the fence to get into the shooting range. The moon is not yet full so Michael cups his hands and uses his power to provide enough illumination to check the field for spent bullets. Dissolves show a passage of time as Michael searches the field looking for the right caliber, picking up and discarding various bullets. We sense he is being watched and at one point so does he. He stops and looks around, doesn't see anything, so he shakes it off and continues searching the ground. Finally he finds the one he's looking for, holds it in his fist briefly to distort it and alter the markings.

Cut to:

Michael is standing by the sink. He removes the modified bullet from his pocket, reaches for a paper towel from a roll on the counter and wipes off any incriminating fingerprints. Holding the bullet by the towel he drops it down the sink drain. We hear a clink as it hits the trap. He turns and heads for the kitchen doorway, tossing the towel in the trash as he passes it. The camera follows him to the back room, through the swinging door and over to the counter in the main dining area. He climbs onto the counter, checks the trajectory, and reaches up towards the fan. His hand glows red and when he lowers it there is a ricochet mark on the fan.

Cut to:

Max is at his locker. Michael approaches looking self-satisfied.

Cut to:

The evening rush has ended and things are starting to quiet down. Max is in his usual booth in the seat facing the front door, doing his homework, occasionally sneaking glances at Liz and exchanging smiles with her as she helps customers. There's a lull and she slips into his booth across from him. Maria comes out from the back room wearing her jacket and approaches Liz. In the background we see that Ricky is at the pass-through window waiting for his next order and Jen is bringing the check to her customer.

Cut to:

Maria is parked in the Jetta. She appears to be rehearsing a speech and keeps repeating "Michael, we need to talk" in different ways, emphasizing different words. She sees Michael approach his apartment, takes a deep breath and gets out of the car. As Michael gets to his door, Deputy Green steps out of the shadows. Maria stops short.

Cut to:

Liz is locking the front door and Max is still working on his homework. Jen goes through the swinging door, on her way to the kitchen. Through the pass-through window we can see Ricky carrying plates towards the sink and then Jen following. Liz heads for the kitchen but her path is blocked by Nancy and Jeff coming in from the back room. Nancy signals to Liz to precede her and she and Liz approach Max's booth. Liz looks apprehensive as she peers over her shoulder to see what Jeff is up to. Jeff walks over to the pass-through window.

Cut to:

Ricky turns on the faucet and starts cleaning the sink, preparing to wash the pots. Jen reaches above him to get some cleaning supplies off the shelf above the sink. She then heads towards the exit.

Surprised, Ricky looks over his shoulder at Jeff while continuing to wipe down the sink counter.

Ricky turns off the water and places the strainer in the sink. Jen heads back to the sink to replace the cleaning supplies. In the meantime, Ricky removes his apron, throws it on the counter next to the sink.

Cut to:

Max's stricken look is unseen by Nancy but not Liz as she slides in next to him; she shares his panic. Nancy then slides into the booth across from Max, as Jeff approaches them.

Max and Liz stare at Nancy, then Jeff as he slides in next to Nancy; both look like deer caught in headlights.

Cut to:

Maria is sitting in the Jetta in the Sheriff's Dept. parking lot. She is just hanging up her cell phone when the back door to the car suddenly opens and Isabel and Alex slide in.

Isabel stops in mid-sentence, focused on a man who is entering the Sheriff's Dept.

Cut to:

Cut to:

Cut to:

Cut to:

At that moment, Hank exits the Sheriff's Dept. Isabel nods. They stare at the door to the Sheriff's Dept. expectantly but no one else emerges.

Isabel opens her car door; Alex opens his.

Isabel and Alex get out of the car. Isabel heads for the Sheriff's Dept. and Alex follows Hank, who is walking down 5th St.

Cut to:

Maria comes through the back door and without taking her jacket off she heads straight for the swinging door. She hesitates there and peers out the window. Max and Liz have their backs to her so she can't see their faces but she can see the serious expressions of Jeff and Nancy. She opens the door a crack to hear what is being said. Jeff and Nancy do not notice.

Maria backs away, letting the door close slowly. She leans against the lockers, trying not to have a panic attack by doing her breathing exercises (from Blind Date) and giving herself a pep talk in whispered tones.

Cut to:

Maria suddenly appears at the pass-through window. The tension in Liz and Max's faces relaxes somewhat.

She starts to head for the sink but is forestalled by Jeff's voice.

Liz and Max's faces fall. Maria hesitates, looking down at her hands as she nervously fingers her own ring.

Maria turns away from the window and reluctantly heads towards the back room. As she opens the swinging door the back door opens.

Max and Liz perk up. Jeff and Nancy look puzzled. Jen rushes past Maria on her way to the kitchen, giving Maria a quick "Hi" as she passes.

Jen comes up to the pass-through window.

She disappears from view as she heads towards the sink. In the meantime, Maria has entered the dining area and reached the booth. Nancy indicates that she should pull a chair over to the booth, which she does.

Cut to:

Hank is walking toward Scotty's; Alex is following surreptitiously. Hank enters. Alex looks around for a place to wait.

Cut to:

Jeff, Nancy, Liz, Max, Maria and Jen are in the kitchen. Things on counters are disarranged; clearly they've been searching for the ring. Jen looks distraught.

Nancy and Jeff move to leave the kitchen. When the kids don't move, Jeff looks pointedly at them.

Max, Liz and Maria look astonished.

Jeff gives Liz a surprised look and she shrugs.

Jeff looks reluctant.

Dissolves as Jeff turns off the water, puts a pail under the pipes, and disconnects the P-Trap, getting wet in the process, despite his better efforts. He stands up with the P-Trap in his hand and dumps its contents into a disposable plate that Liz provides. A gob of gunk and food particles drops onto the plate and everyone backs up from the sight and the stench.

Jeff uses a fork to sift through the gunk and uncovers the ring. Jen smiles ecstatically then gingerly picks up the ring with just the tips of her fingers and thumb.

Jen exits the kitchen. Max, Liz and Maria are using surreptitious signals to determine who should bring up the bullet. They look on in horror as Nancy takes the plate and starts walking towards the exit with it.

Suddenly Maria screams, causing everyone to jump and Nancy to drop the plate. The gunk on the plate splatters on the floor. Maria, Max and Liz watch apprehensively as the bullet skids across the floor towards the grill; it looks like it might go under it.

Nancy heads towards the sink

Nancy has stepped on something that hurt her foot and stops to examine it.

Jeff stoops and picks up the object Nancy is pointing at, then holds it in the palm of his hand to examine it. The others gather around.

He looks around then heads towards the pass-through window.

Cut to:

Liz is sitting in her lounge chair, writing in her journal.

Cut to:

Max is sitting in the Jeep, resting his hands on the steering wheel. He waves one hand over the hand with the ring, revealing the healing symbol. He looks at it, changes it back, then gets out of the car to head into the house.

Cut to:

Alex is lurking in the shadows outside Scotty's, watching the front door. Suddenly the door opens and Hank walks out and up the street. Alex follows at a safe distance.

Hank continues walking down the street with Alex following at a safe distance. Hank turns a corner down an alley. Before Alex can get there, a bright light shines out from the alley; then a man walks out, the same Hispanic man from Independence Day and Sexual Healing. He pops something into his mouth, pockets the small container, and continues down the street.

Alex notices the man, but is curious about the light and turns down the alley. It's a dead end and no one is there. Alex looks back in the direction the Hispanic man went (which is now empty), then back to the alley. He starts looking around, behind trash bins, etc. to see if Hank is hiding, but finds nothing. Alex ends up standing in the middle of the alley looking baffled.

Fade Out.

Technical Advisors:

Beta Testers:

Music Supplied By:

Cut to:

Cut to:

Cut to:

The new deputy (Green) leaves the main lobby for the file room.

Cut to:

The deputy casually closes the file he was perusing and places it back in the middle of the file drawer.

Cut to:

Valenti, alone in the file room, flipping through the files in the middle of the drawer. He puts his hand on a file marked "Hubble, Everett". A look of concern crosses his face. He pauses, then pulls the file out of the drawer, closes the drawer, and exits the file room with the Hubble file tucked under his arm.

Cut to:

Larry is seated at the desk, wearing headphones, listening to cassettes on his tape recorder.

Larry smiles.

Cut to:

Hank walks into the Sheriff's office.

Cut to:

Hank drives into a wooded area, stops the car, pops something into his mouth from a small container and pockets the container. He then gets out of the car, opens the back of the station wagon, drags out and buries the body of a man that looks just like him, gets back into the car, shapeshifts into a Hispanic male, and again pops something into his mouth from the container and pockets it.

Cut to:

Cut to:

Cut to:

Cut to:

Cut to:

Cut to:

Cut to:

Cut to:

Cut to:

Cut to:

Cut to:

Alex and Isabel walk up to the front door. There's an awkward pause. Alex takes a breath trying to calm his nerves. He doesn't notice that Isabel is doing the same thing. They move toward each other and kiss; their first passionate kiss. They pull back and gaze at each other.

Alex is in his room. He's putting things away in his dresser and notices the dance tickets he has stuck in the mirror. He flashes to Isabel laughing with Kyle:

Flash to:

Isabel and Kyle are talking. In the background Alex is in the doorway of a classroom, unseen by Isabel.

He gestures towards the posters on the walls.

Isabel's laugh is the type you laugh when you are uncomfortable. Alex recognizes it and smiles. Unseen by Alex, Isabel smiles cryptically at Kyle.

Flash back to:

Alex, who puts the tickets in a drawer. He goes to his desk and opens one of his books. He was using a dance flyer as a bookmark, and when he realizes what it is, he starts to crumple it. He stops when he notices there is an announcement for band auditions.

He looks away.