Fic: New Plan (RNM, Pod Squad Gen)
Jan. 11th, 2026 08:59 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
impala_chickTitle: New Plan
Fandom: Roswell New Mexico
Pairing: Pod Squad & Dallas Haines & Kyle Valenti
Rated: Gen
Word Count: 1,179
Summary: Max, Isobel, and Michael get worried when Dallas says he's too sick to come over.
A/N: Written for RNM Secret Santa.
Fic on AO3
Isobel and Michael were at Max's, helping Max set up for their little Christmas Eve get-together. Max was always happy to host, but he knew he didn't really have an eye for decorations. He much preferred to stay parked in front of the grill. He was looking forward to getting the ribs going low and slow, and waiting for everyone else to arrive.
He had just started the coals when his phone buzzed in his pocket.
Dallas: Sorry man, I'm not feeling well. Won't be able to make it.
"Shit," Max hissed under his breath. "Isobel! Michael!"
Isobel peeked her head around Max's sliding glass doors. "What's wrong?"
"Dallas said he can't come because he's sick," Max shouted loud enough for both of them to hear.
Michael emerged from the house with narrowed eyes and a tape gun in his hand. "Uh, we don't get sick."
Isobel joined them outside, stilling carrying a spoon with some kind of batter on it. "Did he actually use the word sick?"
"No, he said I'm not feeling well, but what else could that mean?" Max said as he secured the grill. The food would have to wait.
Isobel sighed. "Okay, well we're going to have to go over there and check on him. I mean, something could be really wrong."
"For sure. Let me just put this down," Michael said as he raised the tape gun and walked back inside.
"I'm calling Kyle and telling him to meet us there," Max muttered, mostly to himself.
"You're calling Kyle?" Isobel asked as she went inside to ditch the spoon. Max followed her to grab his keys.
"Yeah, we're going to need help if Dallas is sick."
"Why not call Liz?" Isobel asked, following Max outside.
"Because I know Liz is at work right now and she's got an experiment going that she can't abandon. We'll bother her as soon as she's off."
"And Kyle's not at work?" Michael asked as he shut the sliding glass doors. His voice sounded innocent but his eyebrows said otherwise.
Max shook his head as he walked. "It's Kyle's off day. He's not on shift until Friday after Christmas."
"And you know that because?" Isobel pressed.
Max shrugged as he jumped behind the wheel and slammed the door of the jeep. Isobel and Michael climbed in as Max started the engine.
"Don't we have bigger things to worry about?" Max huffed.
"Sure, sure. I just think it's cute that you talk to Valenti like that," Isobel teased as Max tore out of his driveway.
"Oh my god, we're friends. Let's not make it a whole thing."
"High school arch enemies to reluctant allies to friends. Pretty admirable, even for you," Michael teased.
Isobel joined in. "Don't forget the part where he saved Max's life! That had to have made a difference."
"You guys are a riot," Max deadpanned. "Can we please focus?"
"Should well Dallas we're on the way?" Michael asked.
"Good idea. Please text him."
Then Max called Kyle using the jeep's Bluetooth connection and asked if he could come to Dallas' house. Since Kyle was already about to leave for Max's, he said he'd meet them there instead.
Max was trying very hard not to be worried, but he had a bad feeling in his gut.
Once they got to Dallas' house, Isobel was the first one to reach the front door.
"Dallas? Are you okay?" She called out as she knocked.
Kyle pulled up in the driveway behind Max's jeep just as Dallas opened the door. Dallas looked wide-eyed at the three of them gathered on his porch. Max was certain their worry was plain on their faces.
"Hey, what are y'all doing here?" Dallas asked. "I'm fine, really."
"Well, you said you didn't feel well," Max started to explain.
"And we all got really worried," Isobel added.
"Because aliens don't normally get sick," Michael finished in a dramatic whisper.
Dallas' face crumpled a little as they spoke. "Oh. Oh shit, I'm so sorry to make you guys worry about me!"
"Were you experiencing symptoms?" Kyle asked, his voice gentle as he reached the porch. He was definitely using his doctor voice.
"No, I ..." Dallas sighed. "Look, I told a little white lie because I wasn't going to be able to come over."
Isobel crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes, and Max could feel her winding up to give Dallas a stern talking-to. But something about the whole situation still wasn't adding up, and Max felt bad for Dallas. So Max piped up.
"That's okay if you didn't want to hang out with us."
Michael put his hand on Dallas' shoulder. "Yeah, man. Despite our track record, we do not have to do everything together."
Dallas shook his head and bit his bottom lip, his eyes down. "It's not that."
"It's okay. You can tell them," a small voice said from inside the house.
Dallas smiled faintly as he looked over his shoulder. "You want to come out and meet my friends?"
A dark-skinned boy with a mop of curly hair emerged in the doorway. He could not have been older than 13.
"Hi," he said shyly as he scuffed the toe of his sneaker against the door threshold. "I'm Hector. I go to Dallas' church and I just didn't want to be with my foster family this Christmas. I asked him not to tell anyone until tomorrow."
Now Max understood. He sighed, relieved. No one was hurt. And Dallas had a good reason to lie.
Michael got down on one knee until he was eye-level with Hector. "Nice to meet you Hector. Your secret is safe with us."
Max could feel Isobel relaxing next to him.
"You know, most of the decorations I bought are still in the jeep," Isobel told Hector with a conspiratorial grin.
"My tree could use a little extra trimming," Dallas said. He was smiling now, too.
"And I've got the eggnog and the hot chocolate mix in my car," Kyle added.
Dallas put his arm around Hector's shoulder. "What do you say, Hector? We can celebrate Christmas Eve here?"
"I'd like that," Hector said, his grin bright.
"Hell yeah!" Michael beamed as he stood back up.
"C'mon, you guys should see the train set Dallas has!" Hector ushered them inside, and Michael happily followed along.
Dallas looked between Isobel and Max and Kyle. "Thanks for coming. I'm touched by your concern."
Isobel gathered Dallas into a hug.
"We're just glad you're okay," Max said sincerely as joined in on the hug.
"Get in here, Kyle!" Isobel teased.
Max heard Kyle huff a laugh before his arms wrapped around all of them.
Dallas ushered them inside, but Max and Kyle waived him off so they could collect the aforementioned bags from their cars. Max got out his phone to text Liz just as snow began to fall. The soft white flakes kissed his cheeks and made him grin.
Kyle bumped Max's shoulder playfully as he walked past him. "Not exactly what you had planned?"
"Nah. But this might be better."
/end.
Fandom: Roswell New Mexico
Pairing: Pod Squad & Dallas Haines & Kyle Valenti
Rated: Gen
Word Count: 1,179
Summary: Max, Isobel, and Michael get worried when Dallas says he's too sick to come over.
A/N: Written for RNM Secret Santa.
Fic on AO3
Isobel and Michael were at Max's, helping Max set up for their little Christmas Eve get-together. Max was always happy to host, but he knew he didn't really have an eye for decorations. He much preferred to stay parked in front of the grill. He was looking forward to getting the ribs going low and slow, and waiting for everyone else to arrive.
He had just started the coals when his phone buzzed in his pocket.
Dallas: Sorry man, I'm not feeling well. Won't be able to make it.
"Shit," Max hissed under his breath. "Isobel! Michael!"
Isobel peeked her head around Max's sliding glass doors. "What's wrong?"
"Dallas said he can't come because he's sick," Max shouted loud enough for both of them to hear.
Michael emerged from the house with narrowed eyes and a tape gun in his hand. "Uh, we don't get sick."
Isobel joined them outside, stilling carrying a spoon with some kind of batter on it. "Did he actually use the word sick?"
"No, he said I'm not feeling well, but what else could that mean?" Max said as he secured the grill. The food would have to wait.
Isobel sighed. "Okay, well we're going to have to go over there and check on him. I mean, something could be really wrong."
"For sure. Let me just put this down," Michael said as he raised the tape gun and walked back inside.
"I'm calling Kyle and telling him to meet us there," Max muttered, mostly to himself.
"You're calling Kyle?" Isobel asked as she went inside to ditch the spoon. Max followed her to grab his keys.
"Yeah, we're going to need help if Dallas is sick."
"Why not call Liz?" Isobel asked, following Max outside.
"Because I know Liz is at work right now and she's got an experiment going that she can't abandon. We'll bother her as soon as she's off."
"And Kyle's not at work?" Michael asked as he shut the sliding glass doors. His voice sounded innocent but his eyebrows said otherwise.
Max shook his head as he walked. "It's Kyle's off day. He's not on shift until Friday after Christmas."
"And you know that because?" Isobel pressed.
Max shrugged as he jumped behind the wheel and slammed the door of the jeep. Isobel and Michael climbed in as Max started the engine.
"Don't we have bigger things to worry about?" Max huffed.
"Sure, sure. I just think it's cute that you talk to Valenti like that," Isobel teased as Max tore out of his driveway.
"Oh my god, we're friends. Let's not make it a whole thing."
"High school arch enemies to reluctant allies to friends. Pretty admirable, even for you," Michael teased.
Isobel joined in. "Don't forget the part where he saved Max's life! That had to have made a difference."
"You guys are a riot," Max deadpanned. "Can we please focus?"
"Should well Dallas we're on the way?" Michael asked.
"Good idea. Please text him."
Then Max called Kyle using the jeep's Bluetooth connection and asked if he could come to Dallas' house. Since Kyle was already about to leave for Max's, he said he'd meet them there instead.
Max was trying very hard not to be worried, but he had a bad feeling in his gut.
Once they got to Dallas' house, Isobel was the first one to reach the front door.
"Dallas? Are you okay?" She called out as she knocked.
Kyle pulled up in the driveway behind Max's jeep just as Dallas opened the door. Dallas looked wide-eyed at the three of them gathered on his porch. Max was certain their worry was plain on their faces.
"Hey, what are y'all doing here?" Dallas asked. "I'm fine, really."
"Well, you said you didn't feel well," Max started to explain.
"And we all got really worried," Isobel added.
"Because aliens don't normally get sick," Michael finished in a dramatic whisper.
Dallas' face crumpled a little as they spoke. "Oh. Oh shit, I'm so sorry to make you guys worry about me!"
"Were you experiencing symptoms?" Kyle asked, his voice gentle as he reached the porch. He was definitely using his doctor voice.
"No, I ..." Dallas sighed. "Look, I told a little white lie because I wasn't going to be able to come over."
Isobel crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes, and Max could feel her winding up to give Dallas a stern talking-to. But something about the whole situation still wasn't adding up, and Max felt bad for Dallas. So Max piped up.
"That's okay if you didn't want to hang out with us."
Michael put his hand on Dallas' shoulder. "Yeah, man. Despite our track record, we do not have to do everything together."
Dallas shook his head and bit his bottom lip, his eyes down. "It's not that."
"It's okay. You can tell them," a small voice said from inside the house.
Dallas smiled faintly as he looked over his shoulder. "You want to come out and meet my friends?"
A dark-skinned boy with a mop of curly hair emerged in the doorway. He could not have been older than 13.
"Hi," he said shyly as he scuffed the toe of his sneaker against the door threshold. "I'm Hector. I go to Dallas' church and I just didn't want to be with my foster family this Christmas. I asked him not to tell anyone until tomorrow."
Now Max understood. He sighed, relieved. No one was hurt. And Dallas had a good reason to lie.
Michael got down on one knee until he was eye-level with Hector. "Nice to meet you Hector. Your secret is safe with us."
Max could feel Isobel relaxing next to him.
"You know, most of the decorations I bought are still in the jeep," Isobel told Hector with a conspiratorial grin.
"My tree could use a little extra trimming," Dallas said. He was smiling now, too.
"And I've got the eggnog and the hot chocolate mix in my car," Kyle added.
Dallas put his arm around Hector's shoulder. "What do you say, Hector? We can celebrate Christmas Eve here?"
"I'd like that," Hector said, his grin bright.
"Hell yeah!" Michael beamed as he stood back up.
"C'mon, you guys should see the train set Dallas has!" Hector ushered them inside, and Michael happily followed along.
Dallas looked between Isobel and Max and Kyle. "Thanks for coming. I'm touched by your concern."
Isobel gathered Dallas into a hug.
"We're just glad you're okay," Max said sincerely as joined in on the hug.
"Get in here, Kyle!" Isobel teased.
Max heard Kyle huff a laugh before his arms wrapped around all of them.
Dallas ushered them inside, but Max and Kyle waived him off so they could collect the aforementioned bags from their cars. Max got out his phone to text Liz just as snow began to fall. The soft white flakes kissed his cheeks and made him grin.
Kyle bumped Max's shoulder playfully as he walked past him. "Not exactly what you had planned?"
"Nah. But this might be better."
/end.
no subject
Date: 2026-01-11 08:09 pm (UTC)