TITLE: A & W (Alpha & Omega)
TITLE: Alpha & Omega
AUTHOR: Roswell Oracle
CATEGORY: The whole gang and others, but focusing on Max & Liz. I'm definitely a dreamer at heart.
RATING: PG maybe some R
SPOILERS: Anything in season 1 & 2 is fair game
REPOSTING: Please ask permission before reposting. I like to know where my story is going to live.
CREDITS: A list of credits will be given at the beginning of each part of the story.
FEEDBACK: Feel free to send e-mail feedback to the contact link. Corrections are appreciated and all questions will be answered as quickly as possible. And if you want me to explain my logic at certain story points, bring it on, baby!
DISCLAIMER: Roswell, the characters and the story, are owned by Melinda Metz, Jason Katims and Fox Studios (although the way they have abused them I don't think they deserve them) and are used here purely for entertainment purposes.
Some of the dialogue used was taken from the episodes and I am not claiming credit for having written it but used it simply to set up the tone of a scene or show parallels between lives and realities.
Any additional characters or situations not mentioned in the show are the creation of my dementia.
AUTHOR’S NOTE: I really wanted to know the events on Antar leading up to the pods being sent to Earth. I wanted to know the events on Earth before the pods hatched. I wanted to know what happened to the dupes, Nicholas, the skins, the other shape shifters, Brody, Shawn, etc. Why Max was drawn to Liz from the first moment he saw her but didn't recognize Tess, until she started 'helping' him to recover his memories, even though they supposedly shared a great love in their other life. Any kind of plausible explanation for Max's behavior at the end of season 2. Why anyone, the skins, Khivar, the leaders of the other planets, would want the Granolith if it was only a one-use, disposable transport device?
I was hoping that TPTB would at least give us a hint to what was going on about some of these things and all of the other incomprehensible stuff that happened, but they have chosen to ignore the past. So I decided to make it up myself. I am also sick of all of the loose ends and unexplained nonsense so I tried to work in as much as possible into my story.
I have done extensive research, combing the transcripts of season 1 & 2 for every conversation, every clue to the past and future and I have incorporated as much as possible into the story. Everything in the story is either directly from the show, the Crashdown timeline or the now defunct website The Silver Handprint or I have created it based on clues from these sources. Sometimes the sources contradict themselves or each other and on some things these sources are clearly wrong or I do not agree with their interpretation. In these cases I have reconciled the facts as closely as possible.
I have used the information from the Silver Handprint website as much as possible because I, along with most people, consider it part of the canon but the website was so full of inconsistencies, it nearly drove me insane. I had to ignore or alter some of the situations to make them fit in with what happened on the episodes. The dates given on the Silver Handprint are even worse. Some of them don't fit with the episodes, giving them too many or not enough days and some of the dates given would put the gang in school on Saturday or Sunday. The dates are also inconsistent within different parts of the Silver Handprint, Topolsky's e-mails saying one thing and Whitaker's diary saying another. TPTB quite obviously did not do their homework. (Just the problems with the dates between Crazy and Destiny are enough to make you go screaming into the night.) So the dates in parts of my story might be different than you think they should be but I gave more weight to the dates mentioned in the episodes when there was a conflict. If anyone is interested, I am including a timeline with each part of the story and I have broken down each episode into days.
There were many places in seasons 1 & 2 where I would have chosen to do things differently (EOTW, the entire Hybrid Chronicles, everything after VLV, etc...) but since they aired I had to work with what I was given. So if some of the explanations for nonsensical scenarios seem a bit crazy, I apologize up front. Also there were certain events that were so without basis in reason that I simply abandoned any idea of 'fixing' them and skipped on to something else (reasons for how, why etc. in the Hybrid Chronicles, any kind of semi-coherent explanation for some of the entire Ganderium fiasco). I'm a writer not a miracle worker, Jim. In other words, I am not taking credit for the miserable writing and mess left by TPTB.
*** WARNING!!! – RANT AHEAD!!! ***
In my opinion season 3 was a ridiculous travesty, an exercise in idiocy, an insult to the intelligence and loyalty of the viewers, totally disregarding all of the unanswered questions and problems left over from seasons 1 and 2 and instead pandering to the ratings gods and failing miserably. Season 3 was like watching a train wreck that kept getting worse. It was like a really bad alterna-universe fan-fic. They used tired and just plain ridiculous plot lines and the one or two interesting things they came up with were dropped and never mentioned again. (Khivar? Hello? Ever heard of him TPTB? You know the uber-bad guy. The reason the podsters were sent to Earth in the first place. What the crap happened to him? He has this nifty new transport device and instead of sending an army or assassins to kill Max, he just quietly goes away. I don’t think so! Hello? Is there anybody out there who can hear me? Hello? TPTB? Anyone? What about Brody? Nicholas? The skins? The dupes? Michael worshippers? Hello? Anyone? Bueller?)
Each episode in season 3 was progressively, even exponentially worse than the last and the personalities of all of the characters changed so much, I didn't care about what happened to any of them by the end. I really think TPTB tried to give us the worst they could come up with, so there would be no chance of ‘saving’ the show again. They wanted it to end and they very effectively killed it.
Sorry, I had to get that off my chest.
(takes a deep breath and thinks of Buddha to calm down)
So it may come as no surprise that I am completely disregarding season 3. In my world it does not exist. My story was conceived in its entirety before the start of season 3 and any similarities are purely coincidental.
SUMMARY: The story is linear but will jump ahead in time occasionally, with fair warning. It explains the crash and capture of the shape shifters by the government, the skin's arrival and settlement on Earth, Nasedo's journey after his escape from the special unit, including the stories of with Atherton, River Dog, Hubble & the skins, what happened to the other shape shifters, the original events before Liz & future Max changed things, the story of the dupes, what really happened at the New York summit, the events that led to Alex's death, what happened on Antar, the true purpose of the Granolith and what I think should have happened instead of the garbage that was season 3.
Book 1 is the story of the shape shifters bringing the pods to Earth and the events that happened
up to and including the crash.
Books 2, 3, 4, & 5 pretty much all cover the same time period from 1947 to 1999 but each book
tells a different part of the story, following the separate groups.
Book 2 is about the skins, from just before the crash to 1999
Book 3 is about the shape shifters, from just after the crash to when the pods hatch
Book 4 is about the pod squad hatching and their early life up to 1999
Book 5 is about the dupes’ lives in New York, recounting the story of how they got there in
1947, up to 1999.
Sept. 19, 1999 is the magic date, because that is when Liz was shot, starting this whole thing. So all the story lines come together in Book 6, on that day, and go forward from there.
WHO'S WHO & NAME PRONUNCIATIONS
PREFACE
ANTAR
Tageions (tauj'-ee-ons) - people inhabiting the north lands
Tageonon (tauj'-o-non) - the capitol city of Antar, where the Royal palace is located
King Zantor Tageonant (Zan) - Max
Queen Avalynd Telnada (Ava) - Zan's young bride
Princess Vilondra Tageonant - Isabel
Queen Nedra Tageonant (ne'-dra) - Zan & Vilondra's mother
Sodan (so-dan) - Nasedo - aka Ed Harding - Zan's most trusted protector
Jensto (jens-toe) - a scientist in Zan's employ
Sir Alarath Varros (Rath) - Michael - Zan's head General and second in command
Kaldar - Rath's most trusted protector
Lady Chanya Santas (shawn'-ya) - Vilondra's friend
Udac (oo-dac) - Chanya's handmaid
Harcions (Har-see-ons) - people inhabiting the south lands
Duke Khivar Roistar - the man who usurped Zan's throne
General Calles Nicaron (kal-ees) (ni-ca'-ron) - Nicholas - Khivar's right hand and head general
Major Grester - T. Greer - Head of the Vilondra Project
Shape Shifters sent to Earth with the Pods
Sodan - Nasedo - aka Ed Harding - expert in hand-to-hand and weapons combat and a pilot - special ability energy blasts
Letras - (le-tras) - Zan's former tutor, expert in philosophy, history and military tactics
Cuerena (soor'-ren-ya) - scientist and Granolith expert - special ability astral projection and illusion
Kaldar - expert in hand-to-hand and weapons combat - special ability empath
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
PREFACE
DISCLAIMER: Some of the dialogue used was taken from the episodes and I am not claiming credit for having written it but used it simply to set up the tone of a scene or show parallels between lives and realities.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: The preface briefly shows the last days on Antar before the pods were sent to Earth. It introduces some of the characters and sets the tone for Book 1. The story of what happened on Antar will be told in its entirety in Book 11.
Obviously Antarians do not speak English but since most of us cannot read Antarian I have translated everything into standard English.
Each change of date is marked. There are 10 months in the Antarian year with 38 days each, giving the Antarian year 380 days. The dates are in the form (month.day.year)
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Antar - The Royal Palace in the Capitol City of Tageonon)
(Antar Date 2.20.23628)
Khivar strode down the hall with General Nicaron and Major Grester. The day he had waited for was finally here and in just a few moments he would secure the throne. He smiled as he entered the cell that held the boy King Zan and his child bride Ava. Very soon he would have everything he wanted.
"Zan Tageonant," Khivar said commandingly, "you will bow before me as your new King."
"I will never bow before a traitor," Zan growled.
"You should not anger me," Khivar said softly, "you do not know the extent of my wrath."
Zan quickly glanced at Ava. "I will bow to you if you give me your oath that you will spare Ava."
"No Zan," Ava said, taking his face in her hands and forcing him to look at her. "Do not debase yourself for my sake. I would rather die at your side."
"I could not give you my oath anyway," Khivar admitted. "I have already struck a bargain with the traitor in your midst for the life of the Queen. Both of your lives are forfeit. After all," he said glancing at Ava, "I could not take the chance that the young Queen is carrying your heir."
Khivar motioned to Nicaron and Grester and they raised their hands to fire.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Sodan, Zan’s most trusted protector, arrived at the camouflaged entrance to the palace just after dark. He raised a hand to activate the locking device but the door cracked open and he quickly threw himself aside to avoid discovery.
A lone figure emerged from the passageway and looked around as if to ascertain the correct direction.
The figure changed shape before him and Sodan immediately recognized her. She was Lady Chanya's handmaid, Udac.
Sodan stepped forward to make his presence known. "Udac."
She whirled toward him, and he knocked aside her outstretched hand just before she fired. He held her tightly but saw recognition cross her features and released his grip as she spoke.
"Sodan, I thought you were dead."
He smiled, "I thought the same of you. What are you doing here?"
"When the camp was taken we were all brought here,” Udac explained. “Khivar has killed the King and Queen and my mistress Chanya." Udac held up a pair of tissue harvesting devices. "But before she died, my mistress was able to collect the essence of the King and Queen."
"Then there is still hope for the future,” Sodan said softly. “We must get this to the lab as quickly as possible."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(2.21.23628)
The next day, Duke Khivar Roistar presided at the state funeral for the King and Queen and they were buried in the Tageonant crypt alongside the Princess Vilondra.
That evening, in a large, spectacular ceremony, Khivar was crowned King.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(2.22.23628)
The next evening, Udac and Sodan arrived at the secret lab and the final preparations were made to send the transport to Earth.
Sodan, and Kaldar, Rath’s protector, had eagerly volunteered to be sent to Earth with their fallen masters. Both were experts in hand-to-hand and weapons combat and Sodan was also an excellent pilot. Two other shape shifters had also been chosen for the mission; Letras, Zan's former tutor and an expert in history, philosophy and military tactics, and Cuerena a scientist and Granolith specialist.
The Granolith and the two sets of pods, the real ones and the decoys, were carefully loaded onto the ship along with the communication orbs, memory retrieval devices, healing stones and the book written in the royal code. Queen Nedra, Zan and Vilondra’s mother, gave the travelers final instructions and said her last goodbyes to her children.
Udac removed the pendant from around her neck and turned with it to Sodan. "Here is a symbol of our planet, wear it proudly and bring them back to us."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(2.23.23628)
Khivar was woken early the next morning by General Nicaron. "Your Majesty, the air command has reported sighting a uncleared transport leaving the atmosphere."
"Why didn't they shoot it down?" Khivar asked groggily.
"It was too far out of range,” Nicaron explained. “It launched from an area that we had thought deserted."
Khivar's attention focused immediately. "Were they able to trace its origin?"
"Yes and there are troops on the way even as we speak."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Nicaron struck Zan’s head scientist, Jensto, once again, knocking him to the floor.
"Please," Jensto begged as he huddled on the opulent carpet. "I cannot tell you what I don't know."
Khivar spoke up, "General this is getting us nowhere. Use your powers to pry the information out of his mind."
Jensto tried to crawl away from Nicaron, but at a gesture from their commander, Khivar’s soldiers grabbed the scientist on either side and held him tightly. Nicaron placed his hand on the Jensto’s head, and after a moment, a surprised look crossed Nicaron’s features.
"Your Majesty,” Nicaron reported, “it seems that the scientist here is a specialist in cloning, and has recently discovered a new technique that allows for the transfer of memories into a clone."
Khivar stood up. "Vilondra, we can bring her back."
"I am sorry your Majesty but she has been dead too long for the transfer to work. It must be done within a couple of days apparently. But the good scientist here, working with Zan, Ava and Nedra have already done it for us."
"They have cloned Vilondra?"
"Yes,” Nicaron confirmed, “and General Varros, Zan and Ava. It seems they had a back-up plan in case things went against them. They were cloned and sent to a planet they thought would be out of our reach, to prepare to take back Antar."
"How clever of them," Khivar sneered. "Which planet?"
"I have never heard of it,” Nicaron shrugged. “It is called Erth."
"Erth?" Khivar asked. "Where is this planet?"
Nicaron indicated the scientist huddling on the floor. "He does not know, but Sir there is a more urgent issue. The Granolith."
"What about it?" Khivar asked dismissively.
"It was sent to Erth with Zan."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(3.18.23628)
A transport loaded with two hundred of Khivar's most loyal followers, led by General Nicaron, prepared for departure. Their orders were to eliminate Zan, Rath and Ava, by any means possible, and bring Vilondra back to Antar.
A secret directive was given to General Nicaron - retrieve the Granolith.
WHO'S WHO & NAME PRONUNCIATIONS
Book 1 - Salvation's Crucible (Earth - The Crash)
EARTH
Shape Shifters Loyal to the Royal Four
Nasedo - Sodan - expert in hand-to-hand and weapons combat and a pilot, special skill - heat and energy blasts
Letras - (le-tras) - Zan's former tutor, expert in philosophy, history and military tactics
Cuerena (soor'-ren-ya) - scientist and Granolith expert, special skills - illusion
Kaldar - expert in hand-to-hand and weapons combat, special skill - empath
Skins
Nicholas Crawford - General Calles Nicaron (kal-ees) (ni-ca'-ron) - Khivar's right hand and head general
Congresswoman Vanessa (Crawford) Whitaker - Major Nesta
Lieutenant Sacor – skin soldier
Humans
Charles Dupree - Grandpa Dupree - human taken by the shape shifters for his DNA - Laurie Dupree's Grandfather
Dr. Roderick Wayne - the Dr. that performed the autopsy on the 'dead' alien and examined the pods
Yvonne White - the nurse who helped with the autopsy on the 'dead' alien - played by Liz in the episode Summer of '47
Colonel James Cassidy - head of the base where the shape shifters and pods were taken - played by the Sheriff in the episode Summer of '47
Captain Sheridan Cavitt - Counter Intelligence Officer - played by Alex in the episode Summer of '47
Agent David Lewis - FBI agent and first head of the Special Unit
Don Harris - Dr. Wayne's assistant
Captain Hal Carver - Air Force Captain who helped the aliens escape from the Air Force Base - played by Michael in the episode Summer of '47
ANTAR
Tageions (tauj'-ee-ons) - people inhabiting the north lands
King Zantor Tageonant (tauj'-o-nant) - (Zan) - Max - the rightful King of Antar
Queen Avalynd Telnada Tageonant - (Ava) - Zan's young bride
Royal Princess Vilondra Tageonant - Isabel
Queen Nedra Tageonant (ne'-dra) - Zan & Vilondra's mother
Tageonon (tauj'-o-non) - the capitol city of Antar, where the King's palace is located
Sodan (so-dan) - Nasedo - Zan's most trusted protector
Jensto (jens-toe) - a scientist in Zan's employ
The Sephtafus (named for the Antarian mythical goddess of good fortune) - the ship sent to Earth with the pods and the shape shifters
General Alarath Varros (Rath) - Michael - Zan's best friend and second in command
Kaldar - Rath's most trusted protector
Duke Colrath Varros - Rath's father and a Senator
Sir Aladar Varros - Colrath Varros' uncle and Rath's great uncle - a leading scientist who headed the project to destroy the red giant
Harcions (Har-see-ons) - people inhabiting the south lands
Khivar Roistar (roys'-tar) - the man who usurped Zan's throne
General Calles Nicaron (kal-ees) (ni-ca'-ron) - Nicholas - Khivar's right hand and head general
Major Nesta - Congresswoman Vanessa (Crawford) Whitaker
Lieutenant Sacor – skin soldier
Roistar (roys'-tar) - formerly Tageonon, Khivar changed the name when he assumed the throne
The Leptes (the Antarian word for Vengeance) - the ship Khivar sent to Earth with Nicholas and the skins
Shape Shifters sent to Earth with the Pods
Sodan - Nasedo - expert in hand-to-hand and weapons combat and a pilot - special ability energy blasts
Letras - (le-tras) - Zan's former tutor, expert in philosophy, history and military tactics
Cuerena (soor'-ren-ya) - scientist and Granolith expert - special ability illusion - assigned the dupes protector
Kaldar - expert in hand-to-hand and weapons combat - special ability empath
BOOK 1 - SALVATION'S CRUCIBLE (EARTH - THE CRASH)
cru-ci-ble -
1 : a place or situation in which concentrated forces interact to cause or influence change or development
DISCLAIMER: Some of the dialogue used was taken from the episodes and I am not claiming credit for having written it but used it simply to set up the tone of a scene or show parallels between lives and realities.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is an account of the events that surround the crash and subsequent capture of the shape shifters and the pods by the government, with a small mention of events from the episode Summer '47.
DEFINITIONS:
Sephtafus - Antarian mythical goddess of good fortune – the ship that brought the shape shifters and the pods to Earth
NAGGING QUESTIONS:
1. What is the story of Grandpa Dupree?
2. What was the cause of the crash?
3. What were the events around the government's capture of the shape shifters?
4. How did the pods get to New York?
5. Who buried the orb?
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Antar Date - 4.15.19628)
(Earth Date - January 9th, 1936)
(On a transport headed toward Earth - The Leptes)
General Nicaron sat at the desk in his quarters studying the information the researchers had gathered about the planet Earth. The planet's atmosphere was deadly to their species, immediately on contact, turning their bodies to dust. The scientific team on-board would use the time on the journey to devise a plan to help them survive in the planet's atmosphere.
Nicaron pulled up another file containing the information they had gathered from Zan’s scientist Jensto, concerning the Royal Four's cloning plan. He scanned it briefly, already familiar with the contents. It would take the incubation pods that held the Royal Four, approximately forty years to complete the combination of the genetic materials, after the shape shifters had gathered the human DNA. Nicaron had no idea how long it would take to find the appropriate donors but he knew the trait required to make the combination was rare among humans. Hopefully it would take some time, giving his troops an opportunity to discover the shape shifter’s location. But he was a realist and had no illusions about their chances.
The power of the Granolith would allow the Royal Four's transport to reach Earth in only a month while it would take his slower ship several years. The shape shifters would have plenty of time to accomplish their tasks and blend in with the native population. He sighed as he sat back in his chair, this would be the most difficult mission he had ever undertaken.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Transport containing the Royal Four - The Sephtafus)
Kaldar rolled one of the communication orbs around in his hands, unconsciously embedding memory fragments in it. The addition of the Granolith's power to their transport's engines had cut their traveling time to practically nothing. They were rapidly approaching Earth and he was becoming increasingly nervous. Antar's future rested on their shoulders. It was a large responsibility and being somewhat empathic, he could feel the tension in those around him.
The scientists had discovered for the cloning to succeed, they needed human genetic material that possessed a certain irregularity in its DNA. And they had to find at least two different donors to allow for the pairing of the couples. Vilondra and Zan's clones could have DNA from the same donor or family but Ava and Rath would have to have a different donor. But Cuerena had already told them she wanted four donors if possible, to make the gene pool diverse.
They had brought two sets of pods to make two sets of clones. One set would contain the Royal Four and the other set would contain decoys.
The plan had included a set of decoys because they had been certain Khivar's forces would be able to detect the transport leaving Antar and if Khivar sent troops to destroy the clones there would be a good chance he would get the wrong set.
Kaldar had been assigned to watch over the decoys until they had reached maturity and then he would return to his place at Rath's side. He had served as Rath’s protector since Rath was a child and it would be hard to leave his master but there were other considerations and he had to follow his orders.
Kaldar's attention was drawn to a large gas planet they were passing, with large bands of color and a prominent red spot. It was impossibly beautiful. Images of other incredible celestial bodies they had passed on their journey flashed through his mind. Sometimes he wished he hadn't been born a protector and he could have followed his dream to become an explorer.
Wistfully he thought back to the one other time he had been off Antar. He had been very young and newly assigned as a trainee to Rath’s great uncle. Aladar Varros had been one of the leading scientists on Antar and he had led the team that destroyed the red giant star. Kaldar had never seen anything as beautiful as the dying star and he still mourned its loss.
The image of the red giant floated fondly through his mind as he considered the next phase in their journey. They did not know how far humans had technologically progressed in the four hundred years since the exploration team had visited the planet, but it was suspected the humans would not possess the technology to be able to detect their transport approaching Earth. Still it was decided they would take a stealthy orbit path closely following that of the planet's only moon and monitor the technology before attempting to land.
Kaldar felt the ship slow as they approached the small moon and their destination, the planet Earth.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Earth Date - February 13th, 1936)
(The Sephtafus - Orbiting in the Moon's Shadow)
Over the next month, an overwhelming amount of data was gathered about Earth due to the constant broadcast of entertainment and news programming from Earth on various frequencies. The planet was divided into numerous regions called countries, and the shape shifters had been able to learn of the political systems in the larger countries. They also discovered that they had come to the Earth just a few years after a war, involving almost the whole world.
They learned of the military forces and the technology the humans possessed and determined the country called The United States of America would be the best area in which to settle. That country was the most technically advanced and also seemed to be the most stable politically and it was separated physically from the more aggressive and war-like countries. It also had a governmental system comparable to the type of government Zan had tried to instate on Antar. But perhaps most importantly, the United States was a large country with many unsettled areas. They all decided it would be the best choice.
It had only taken them a couple of days to learn the English language. It was a simple language, only containing twenty-six letters and a simple sentence structure. Then they had concentrated on the dress and customs of the country.
During this time, Cuerena had also looked for an area to house the pods and the Granolith. She wanted something away from human settlement, that was unlikely to be disturbed and finally she found the perfect place.
Cuerena approached Sodan on the transport's command center. "I have found an isolated area in the southwest desert that will be perfect. It contains a number of large rock formations we could easily alter to contain the Granolith and the pod chamber."
"Excellent," Sodan answered. "The humans have no technology capable of tracking our presence so we will simply wait until dark to descend and scout the area. If it is suitable, we will begin work immediately. Have you discovered a way to speed up the human donor selection?"
"No,” Cuerena said. “I am afraid we will have to gather samples for testing. The search for the proper DNA could take a very long time. It will mean abducting the candidates and extracting samples forcefully."
Sodan looked at her strangely. "I am not concerned about inconveniencing the humans."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(February 20th, 1936)
(The Desert outside Roswell, New Mexico)
Sodan, Kaldar and Letras had worked all night and most of the day to enlarge the rock formation and construct the chambers that would house the Granolith and the pods containing the Royal Four. The heat was greater than they were used to but their bodies naturally adapted to almost any conditions.
The pendant Sodan wore around his neck, swung back and forth, knocking repeatedly on the supports he was erecting. He stopped to remove it and ran his thumb over the raised pattern, the symbol of Antar. With a sigh of homesickness, he placed it on floor by the chamber opening, as Cuerena called him from the transport.
"Sodan, have you finished the work on the chamber?"
"Yes Cuerena," Sodan answered. "The Granolith will be installed tonight."
"Good. Return to the transport when you have finished, and just before first light we will go to a new area and start taking humans for testing."
"Have you decided where to start?" asked Sodan
"Tucson, Arizona."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(March 23rd, 1943)
(Knoxville, Kentucky)
Sodan glanced out the car window, absently watching the trees and rolling green hills. Since the attack on Pearl Harbor had pulled this country into the World War, he and the other shape shifters had been forced to restrict their search to human methods. Their search had originally been hampered by the planet's lack of technology and now ironically it was a technological advance that was continuing to disrupt the search.
The humans had developed a technology called radar that was capable of tracking metallic objects, including their transport. It was easy enough to alter the transport's shields to avoid detection but with all of the paranoia caused by the attack on Hawaii, many more Americans were watching the skies for foreign aircraft. They could not take the risk that the transport would be spotted and shot out of the sky, mistaken for the enemy, so they had resorted to traveling by automobile.
Sodan sighed. The search was not going well. They had been on the planet for over five years and had only located one suitable donor and that had just been pure dumb luck. The Dupree man had practically fallen into their laps, to use an Earth colloquialism. He had been mining outside of Tucson, near where they had landed and they had been forced to take him to suppress his memory of the event.
Sodan almost laughed aloud at the memory. He and Kaldar had altered their appearance to match pictures of extraterrestrials they had seen in a magazine, and had taken the man prisoner with their 'ray guns.' It had just been a lucky coincidence that the human had possessed the DNA irregularity they were searching for. They had also attempted to check the DNA of his family but he had no living blood relatives and had produced no offspring. Possibly because of the irregularity, he had also been practically immune to the memory suppressant and they had been forced to keep him on-board the transport until they had finished their search of the area. They had not been concerned when they had released him, knowing his stories would be dismissed as the ramblings of a mad man.
Cuerena had predicted that the search might take a long time but Sodan had never imagined it would be this long. The humans had no data storage devices other than crude written records and it made the search very difficult. Cuerena suspected that the DNA irregularity was most prevalent in a certain blood type but the humans had only discovered the differences in their own blood a little over two years ago and blood type technology was still not widely used.
The human's discovery of the blood types had helped to narrow the search considerably. They had started to check hospital records to find individuals with the correct blood type and then tested their entire family.
At first they had taken individuals at random for testing. They had been careful not to take too many humans from the same area because even with the memory suppressant drugs, it was possible the humans would still retain some fragments of the experience.
Suddenly Cuerena's voice broke into Sodan thoughts, "I believe the war can help us greatly in our search."
"How is that possible?" he asked, skeptical but interested.
She held up a copy of Life magazine she had been reading. "This article says that because of a new directive, human soldiers are required to wear a set of identification tags listing, among other things, their blood types. It also says a great many humans have been injured in the war and extensive medical records have been kept. We can start a new search in those records and narrow the possibilities considerably.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(July 4th, 1947)
(The Sephtafus - near San Diego, California)
Cuerena carefully prepared the human DNA for combination with the Antarian genetic material. When they had first started their search, they had stumbled on the Dupree man whose DNA she would use for Rath’s clone. Then five years ago they had found a brother and sister with the genetic abnormality, that she would use for Zan and Vilondra’s clones. The final donor had been located yesterday, and now they had all of the samples they needed to begin the cloning.
She carefully mixed the DNA with the Ganderium and injected it into the pods already containing the Antarian genetic material. In just a few hours, with the help of a rapid growth compound, the pods would contain what appeared to be normal human fetuses. The clones would have a human body and physiology but to make them compatible with the Antarian genetic material, their blood would be noticeably different. It would appear red if they were injured but stained and under a microscope, even a casual observer would be able to see the differences.
The scientists on Antar had ensured that the clones would regenerate more quickly than their human counterparts and they would have immunity to all of the planet's diseases. The structure of the human brain had also been slightly altered not only to accommodate the memories of the clones’ past lives but also to be advanced enough to use the powers the originals had possessed.
The clones would emerge from the pods as children and age at human rate until they reached maturity, then their aging would slow to the natural Antarian rate. Their bodies would continue to regenerate lost or damaged cells as human bodies did not and they would have an expanded life of up to 350 Earth years.
The clones would physically resemble their human donors but Cuerena left their coloring up to chance, interested to see if their Antarian genetic material would dominate the human DNA. She had kept image disks of the donors and carefully engraved the images of what she estimated the Royal Four would look like into the book, first as children and then as young adults.
A genetic code was added to trigger their sexual drives, in the tenth year of life after hatching from the pods, in the hopes that Zan would produce an heir. Kaldar, who had been studying the stars around their new home had discovered early in the tenth year, the system's second planet Venus, would move into a position that would make it appear to be aligned with four stars, producing the same 'V' pattern as the royal seal. Cuerena agreed that this coincidence would make a fitting start to the clone’s maturation cycle. As a back up, she programmed the communication orbs to also be activated by the planet Venus coming into alignment and release an additional trigger signal.
Queen Nedra had asked Cuerena confidentially if it would be possible to remove Vilondra's memories of her love for Khivar. Cuerena knew that such things were done with the living but the erased memories were rarely repressed permanently. They almost always resurfaced at some time. But the Queen had insisted she at least try to suppress Vilondra's memories and Cuerena had vowed she would attempt it.
She carefully separated the cells that had been taken from Vilondra's brain, removing those she knew to contain the memories, and with Kaldar's help she tagged a memory suppressant to the cells he felt carried the strongest memories of Vilondra's love for Khivar. Cuerena feared that removing the cells would create a hole in Vilondra's memory, and she was fairly certain at some point Vilondra would regain the memories, but perhaps by then she would be better equipped to deal with them.
Using the memory retrieval devices, the clones should remember most of their past lives. The only exception seemed to be the time near the subject's death. On Antar, Jensto had accomplished the cloning process several times with almost complete success in restoring the subjects' memories but all of the clones lacked the details of the last few hours of their life. Cuerena thought it was a good thing personally. She wouldn't want to remember her own death.
When she had finished implanting the pods with the DNA and Ganderium, Cuerena contacted Sodan in the command center. "The pods are prepared and ready to be transferred to the chamber."
"We will lift off immediately," he responded.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Onboard the Leptes)
Nicaron waited impatiently for the latest report. They had been in orbit around Earth for over a month with no progress to report. He was afraid that the only chance they had to locate the Royal Four was if their protectors made a mistake.
His attention was drawn to the door as Major Nesta came rushing in. "Sir, we have them."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Sodan navigated the ship into the Earth's upper atmosphere to wait for nightfall to descend over their destination. Even though the human's technology could not detect them, they did not want any witnesses and the darkness would cover their approach.
Kaldar's shout caught his attention. "I am detecting a transport approaching us from quadrant five at rapid speed. It is of Antarian design. Khivar has found us."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Nicaron watched the transport approach them. "Lieutenant Sacor,” he called out, “show them our intentions are deadly. Send a shot across their command center."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Sodan attempted to turn their transport to engage Khivar's troops but they were hit by a blast from the other transport, crippling their propulsion unit. They were still in the grip of Earth’s gravity and immediately the transport started to fall back to the planet, rapidly gathering speed until it reached terminal velocity. Sodan struggled with the controls, attempting to control their descent, and using every bit of strength and his powers, he was finally able to wrest the transport back under minimal control.
Kaldar watched helplessly with a death-grip on the orb he was holding. The ground rushed up to meet them and he braced for impact. At the last moment, the transport leveled off and passed just above the tops of the mountains.
Sodan yelled over his shoulder, "I have the transport under control for the moment and I am attempting to bring us closer to the pod chamber but the propulsion unit is destroyed and I cannot slow our speed enough to land. I will try to angle the transport and slow us using the ground.
But instead of skimming the ground as Sodan had intended, the transport hit the rough sand like it had impacted a brick wall and the hull shattered, spilling debris in a long trench that it etched into the desert floor.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Nicaron slammed his fist against the console next to the Lieutenant. "I told you to shoot across them."
"I am sorry Sir," the Lieutenant tried to defend himself, "but they turned into the shot."
"We need them to lead us to the Royal Four. Sacor," Nicaron bellowed, turning to the navigator, "tell me you were able to track their descent."
Sacor cleared his suddenly dry throat. "Sir we lost them in the atmosphere ionization but I have the trajectory of their descent." He pulled up a map on his monitor. "They should have landed in this vicinity," he said pointing to an area on the map.
Nicaron looked at the label on the map where Sacor indicated. Copper Summit, Arizona. "We will start our search there."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The desert outside Roswell, NM)
Cuerena stumbled through the rough brush, amazed at the amount of destruction. The transport had been completely destroyed and pieces of it were scattered as far as she could see.
She had no idea how long she had been unconscious but when she had awoken moments ago, she had started the search for the others. The first things she had found were the memory retrieval devices and she could tell with a glance that they would never work again.
As she followed along the top of the trench the transport had carved into the desert floor, she also found the healing stones and the book written in the Royal Code. Neither seemed to be damaged and Cuerena took it as a hopeful sign.
Suddenly, ahead, throught the bushes, she saw the pods containing the Royal Four. She rushed forward but was stopped by the sound of human voices. Dropping to the ground, Cuerena quickly buried the healing stones and the book and she watched as the humans approached the pods.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Sodan carefully rose to his feet and looked around at the remains of the transport. The pods were engineered to survive a crash but the amount of destruction around him made him doubt. He was not even sure how he had survived, but he began to search through the rubble for the pods and the others.
As he stumbled down the trench in the desert floor, he became aware of human voices. Sodan quickly ducked behind some bushes and crept toward the sounds. He spied the pods first and he noticed with relief that they appeared to be intact. Then he saw that the two humans had also discovered them and were apparently discussing what to do with them.
One of the humans picked up a stick and starting poking the pods containing the Royal Four, and at that moment, Cuerena rushed out of the bushes distracting them. Sodan used the opportunity to rush them from the other side. The humans attempted to draw their weapons but Sodan used his powers to throw the weapons aside before they could be used. Sodan grabbed one of the humans roughly and used his powers to heat his internal organs, quickly killing him.
Cuerena grabbed and killed the other human in the same way but not before he had cried out, warning more humans they could now see on the ridge above them.
The humans ran and Sodan knew they had only moments until they were captured or killed.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Kaldar awoke to paralyzing pain that ripped through his body, and for a moment he was disoriented. He was lying face down in the desert sand and then he remembered the crash. He attempted to move his head, but searing pain tore through him once again and he squeezed his eyes shut. He waited for a few moments, hoping the pain would become bearable, before attempting to move again. Carefully, he flexed his hand and realized he was still holding the orb.
Gradually Kaldar was able to sit and he looked around, but what he saw squeezed his heart and brought tears to his eyes. Debris was strewn along a trench in the desert as far as he could see. He knew the pods were designed to be tough, but could they possibly have survived an impact of this degree?
Suddenly he could hear shouts coming from the other side of the ridge, and pulled himself painfully to his feet. He lurched to the bushes for cover and watched as armed humans started to search the area. Silently, he moved away from them, but something was terribly wrong with him, his pain was too great.
In his current condition Kaldar knew he didn’t stand a chance against so many humans. The only chance he had to save the pods was to heal himself. He recoginzed that he was a couple of miles from the pod chamber, where he thought the healing stones were, and he used several bursts of super speed to quickly travel the short distance.
He noticed the new radio tower immediately and a brief thought went through his head that the humans must have built it while they had been looking for human DNA donors. But suddenly a blinding pain started in his head again and he collapsed to the ground at base of the metal tower, unable to go any farther. Kaldar could literally feel his lifeforce draining out of him and knew he would soon die, but he had to hide the orb so it would not fall into human hands. He just hoped the others survived to save the pods.
He could hear the humans coming closer as he dug a hole with his bare hands, and dropping the orb inside, he covered it, wishing he could crawl in the hole with it. From their years of living on Earth, he knew how paranoid the humans were about invasion and he had no doubt the humans would kill them if they were captured. But he knew he didn't have the strength to get away and hide, so he simply used his remaining energy to disguise the place where he had buried the orb, and then fell to the ground.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Cuerena turned to Sodan, "We must protect the pods."
Sodan looked around quickly, trying to get his bearings, "We are too far away from the chamber, perhaps two miles, but maybe we can disguise the pods, hide them here."
Cuerena looked around them and nodded. "We can use the rocks to shield the pods until we can get rid of these humans."
"Yes that will have to do," Sodan agreed.
They worked as quickly as possible, but the humans returned with reinforcements before they could finish hiding the pods, and the humans surrounded them with weapons drawn. Sodan and Cuerena looked at each other and knew they had failed. They could never hope to triumph against so many.
The circle tightened around them and humans came forward with raised clubs.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Cuerena awoke suddenly to find herself in the back of a truck. Painfully, she turned her head and saw an unconscious Sodan beside her. A movement nearby drew her eyes to another truck just as several soldiers loaded the two sets of pods into it and covered them with tarps. Two humans climbed into the cab of the truck and she studied them, quickly memorizing their faces. And as she helplessly watched the truck drive away, she slipped back into unconsciousness.
When Cuerena awoke again, it was full dark and she and Sodan were still in the back of the truck. But this time the truck was traveling and they were covered with a heavy tarp and surrounded by soldiers. She focused on Sodan and he nodded slowly, so as not to attract the attention of the humans, letting her know he was okay. Cuerena carefully reached for his hand and instantly connected with him so he could see what she did.
She used her powers to connect with the human she had seen driving the truck that carried the pods. It took only a moment and then she could and see through his eyes. Only one other human was in the truck and they were traveling through the desert. Cuerena focused her powers, attempting to disable the truck, but she was exhaused and injured from the crash and the beating, and was only able to dampen the engine’s power and slow the truck.
She carefully spun an illusion and sent it into both human's minds, showing them an image of Sodan in the road in front of them. The humans stopped the truck, believing they had struck the being and got out to find him. Cuerena watched through their eyes as they searched the area and then finally looked into the back of the truck at the pods. She had to get the humans away from the pods and then she and Sodan could concentrate on escaping to retrieve them.
Cuerena started to build her powers to send a fearful illusion to the humans with the pods, hoping to scare them away, when one of the human soldiers in the truck beside her, spoke.
"I am sure glad we’re almost back to the base. I don't know what is going on and I don't want to. But I’ll tell you one thing, we’ll all be safer when these things and those glowing sacs in the other truck are under lock and key back at the base."
Cuerena let the energy she was building disapate, understanding that they were being taken to the same place as the pods. She turned to Sodan, releasing his hand and carefully nodded to him.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
When they arrived at their destination, Cuerena and Sodan were carelessly tossed into a cell and she watched as Kaldar and Letras' seemingly lifeless bodies were taken through a set of doors at the end of the corridor. And after a few minutes the pods were taken through the same doors.
Sodan turned to Cuerena, "Kaldar and Letras are here too. So we just need to liberate ourselves, get them and the pods and continue with the mission."
"Yes but there are obstacles," she replied, motioning to the guards. "Those weapons will not kill us but if there is no one to use the healing stones to bring us back, it could take weeks to heal ourselves."
Sodan nodded his agreement. "We will have to wait for an opportunity."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Eagle Rock Military Base)
"Nurse White, rib-spreader," Doctor Wayne said distractedly. He had been told what he would be autopsying but the briefing had not prepared him for the reality. The being lying on the examination table was approximately four feet tall with gray skin and large black eyes. But the outside was relatively normal compared with what he had discovered inside. There were organs, if they could be called organs, some similar to the anatomy of humans, others that he could only guess at their purpose, and the skeletal structure was like nothing he had ever seen.
He noticed that the nurse was staying as far away as she possibly could from the being on the table. "Circular saw, please." He cut into the skull and lifted off the cap to examine the brain. It was similar in appearance and size to a human brain but the area comparable to the cerebellum, which coordinates muscular movements in humans, was much larger.
Doctor Wayne took samples of the organs and brain and preserved them for testing. Then he looked at the clock. It was approaching midnight. They covered the corpse and put it in storage with the other being recovered from the wreckage. The second autopsy could wait; the more pressing matter was the two glowing sacs that sat on a table in the corner.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(July 9th, 1947)
"Colonel Cassidy, with all due respect," Doctor Wayne said somewhat sarcastically, as he glanced at the silent man who sat beside the Colonel and Captain Cavitt. "We don't know what we have here. Cutting into those sacs could kill the things that are inside."
"Doctor, we don't know if the things inside are alive," Cassidy pointed out.
Wayne argued, "From all appearances..."
"Doctor," Cassidy interrupted, "you have been studying those things for two days and the best you can do is tell us that you think they are alive. There are two sets of sacs, cut one up and then you can observe the other."
"But the fetuses inside appear to be human," objected Dr. Wayne, "what if..."
"What if you are killing human children?" asked Cavitt sarcastically. "Don't make me laugh. Even if those things were human at one point they stopped being human when those creatures got a hold of them."
Colonel Cassidy watched the doctor leave the room, and as the door closed behind him the man at his side spoke for the first time. "You know that our orders are to learn what we can from the autopsies and the sacs and then destroy any evidence."
"Yes," Cassidy agreed, "but Doc Wayne is the best and he will cooperate as long as he thinks it is in the best interest of science."
"What do you think those things in the sacs are?"
"I am not one for idle speculation Agent Lewis but..." Colonel Cassidy lowered his voice and glanced at Cavitt before he spoke, "it looks to me as if this is the first phase of an invasion army."
"Why do you think that?" Lewis asked.
Cassidy shrugged, "What other possible reason could the aliens have to make beings resembling humans? It would be the perfect cover, they could blend in and overtake us from the inside."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Dr. Wayne entered the autopsy room and approached his waiting assistant, Don Harris. "We have been ordered to start a more invasive examination on the sacs."
"But the fetuses, we could kill them," Don said.
Dr. Wayne sighed. "The Colonel, in his wisdom, has pointed out that there are two sets and we can sacrifice one set for scientific advancement."
"We could refuse," Don pointed out.
Dr. Wayne shook his head, "They would just get someone else who would do it."
Don agreed sadly, "You're right."
Dr. Wayne motioned to the nearer set of sacs. "Let's start with an analysis of the fluid inside."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Sodan and Cuerena made their way quickly down the corridor to the doors marked Authorized Personnel Only, through which they had seen their comrades and the pods taken, two days ago. That afternoon the number of soldiers guarding them had lessened to two, and Cuerena used the opportunity to lull their captors into a trance of sorts, and she and Sodan had easily escaped from their prison.
Beyond the doors was a maze of corridors and doors leading into still more rooms and they checked each as quickly as possible, encountering no one.
Finally they found the room that held the pods. Two men were bent over the pods containing the Royal Four with knives, and Sodan burst through the door and immediately attacked. He killed one man easily, taking him by surprise, while he used his powers to hold the other man in place, preventing his escape.
"Please," Dr. Wayne begged, glancing at the pods. "We didn't mean any harm, and the others," he motioned to the drawers on the other side of the room, "were already dead."
But Sodan was beyond caring, and with a glowing hand, he quickly ended the human's life.
Cuerena approached the pods with a growing horror. "They have cut into the pods containing the Royal Four and extracted some of the fluid."
Sodan was immediately at her side, as she examined the damage to the pods, a concerned tone in his voice, "Are the clones damaged?"
Cuerena released a relieved breath. "They are intact and the damage to the pods is minimal. I can repair them."
As Cuerena worked on the pods, Sodan walked behind the screens and opened the drawers the human had indicated. He called out to her, "Kaldar and Letras are here but they have cut Kaldar open. Do you think we can heal him?"
Cuerena rushed to his side. She turned on a nearby lamp and shined it down on Kaldar, examining the damage to his body. "I don't know. If we had a healer maybe, but with only the healing stones I just don't know."
Sodan moved closer and silenced her with a gesture. He motioned toward the door and then she heard the sounds too, someone had entered the room. Sodan moved stealthily behind the cloth screen and she followed him closely, ready to attack. Sodan looked around the divider and saw only a single human. He stepped from behind the barrier as he quickly built up his power, causing his whole body to glow. His hand was outstretched, ready to defend his King and then saw the human's surprise at what the pods contained.
Hal Carver turned and saw the two glowing beings with outstretched hands and quickly ducked behind the pods, fearful for his life. The being in front withheld his fire and Hal realized the small being was afraid of endangering the pods with a misplaced shot. And the realization dawned that they were just protecting their own.
"Save them," he said and slowly backed out of the room.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Sodan changed his appearance to match that of the doctor and maneuvered a truck to the outside wall of the room where the pods were housed, using his powers to create an opening in the wall. He and Cuerena quickly loaded the pods, and Kaldar and Letras' bodies into the truck, and they drove out the front gate without any trouble.
They stopped in the desert near the crash site to retrieve the book and the healing stones where Cuerena had buried them. When they reached the pod chamber, they used the stones to renew Letras and Kaldar. Letras was immediately active but Kaldar seemed disoriented and they left him in the pod chamber while they installed the pods containing the Royal Four.
Cuerena had used her powers at the military base to seal the breaches in the three pods and noted that the humans had left only left Ava's pod intact. The pods were designed to compensate for unforeseen circumstances and she felt confident the minimal loss of fluid would have no adverse consequences on the clone's development.
She, Sodan and Letras changed the appearance of the army truck into a civilian one and loaded the pods containing the duplicates aboard. Kaldar had been assigned to be the protector of the duplicates but since he was injured and possibly permanently damaged, Cuerena offered to take Kaldar's place with the decoys. It had been decided that the decoys would be taken as far as possible away from the real Royal Four and the place they had chosen was New York. Cuerena would stay with the decoys until they had reached maturity and then she would return to the pod chamber on the appointed day, to rendezvous with the others.
There would be no contact between the groups, except under dire circumstances, to avoid leading their enemies to the Royal Four. Two of the three communication orbs had been on the ship when it crashed. Kaldar had buried one but he couldn’t remember where, and the other orb was missing. It was decided Cuerena would take the orb that had been left in the pod chamber with her, and Sodan and the others would try to retrieve the one that was buried, and search for the third.
Cuerena argued that they might have greater need of the orb than she, but in the end they convinced her to take it, confident that they would recover at least one of the others. Sodan, Kaldar and Letras took their leave and Cuerena drove the vehicle onto the highway and headed north.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Agent Lewis rolled the cool, metallic orb in his hands as he walked toward the lab where the alien sacs were being examined. After a good deal of thought he had to agree with Colonel Cassidy. What other reason would aliens have for impersonating humans except to take-over the planet?
He pushed open the door leading to the containment cell and stopped just inside the room. The door to the cell was ajar and the aliens were gone. He ran to one of the guards, who was still standing at his post. The man was alive but he seemed to be unaware of his surroundings.
Lewis shook him. "Corporal. Corporal, wake up," and when he received no response he struck the soldier across the face.
The man blinked and looked around as if disoriented.
Lewis shook him again, "Corporal, what happened to the beings in that cell?”
The soldier's gaze swung to the empty cell and Lewis saw the surprise that crossed his features. "Sir, I am not sure," he responded in a frightened tone.
"Sound the alarm," Lewis instructed the Corporal, as he crossed to the doors at the other end of the corridor. He quickly ran down the hall to the lab, and just as he had expected, the alien bodies and sacs were gone. He turned to examine the doctor and his assistant on the floor. Silver handprints were seared into their chests just the same as the other victims.
Captain Cavitt burst into the room. "How the hell did they get out of here?"
Lewis shook his head, "I don't know but I have a feeling that I know exactly where they are heading."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Sodan and the others knew that at any moment the humans could discover their escape and return to the site. They quickly searched the entire length of the trench that their crashed ship had cut into the sand, hoping to find the orb and salvage some of their equipment, but they were disappointed to discover that the only sign of the crash was the disturbed earth. The humans had taken everything.
Kaldar suddenly remembered where he had burried the orb and led them back to toward the pod chamber. He ran ahead, reaching the top of a ridge before the others and waited for them on the other side.
But suddenly the air was alive with noises. Several trucks filled with human soldiers drove into sight and Kaldar watched helplessly as Sodan and Letras were taken once again.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Agent Lewis listened intently to the voice of his superior on the phone.
"These beings have hidden the sacs containing the fetuses and we can only conclude they are a threat to national security. Agent Lewis, since you have been in on this from the beginning, I am authorizing you to form a special unit of the FBI that will deal solely with the study and interrogation of these beings and the retrieval of those sacs or whatever it is that comes out of them. This information is on a need to know basis only. Handpick your men and report only to me. You will transfer the beings immediately to your new base of operation, a facility near you that will be completely at your disposal; Eagle Rock Military Base."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
END OF BOOK 1 - SALVATION'S CRUCIBLE (EARTH - THE CRASH)
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
WHO'S WHO & NAME PRONUNCIATIONS
Book 2 - The Scourge of Hope (The Skins)
EARTH
Skins
Nicholas Crawford - General Calles Nicaron (kal-ees) (ni-ca'-ron) - Khivar's right hand and head general
Courtney Banks - Lieutenant Scorene - (skor-ra-nay) - member of the Michael worshippers
Congresswoman Vanessa (Crawford) Whitaker- Major Nesta - Head of the Granolith Project
Tyrone Greer - T. Greer - Major Grester - Head of the Vilondra Project
Walt Crawford - Colonel Jafto - Nicholas' second in command, posing as his father
Ida Crawford - Idos - Nicholas' personal servant, posing as his mother
Gregory Jensen - Gragras - (gra-gras) - the scientist in charge of the skins project
William Hudson - Major Yorgam - Vanessa's lover and member of the Michael worshippers
ANTAR
Tageions (tauj'-ee-ons) - people inhabiting the north lands
King Zantor Tageonant (tauj'-o-nant) - (Zan) - Max - the rightful King of Antar
Queen Avalynd Telnada Tageonant - (Ava) - Zan's young bride
Royal Princess Vilondra Tageonant - Isabel
General Alarath Varros (Rath) - Michael - Zan's best friend and second in command
Tageonon (tauj'-o-non) - the capitol city of Antar, where the king's palace is located
Harcions (Har-see-ons) - people inhabiting the south lands
Khivar Roistar (roys'-tar) - man who usurped Zan's throne
General Calles Nicaron (kal-ees) (ni-ca'-ron) - Nicholas - Khivar's right hand and head general
Lieutenant Scorene - (skor-ra-nay) - Courtney – member of the Michael worshippers
Major Nesta - Congresswoman Vanessa (Crawford) Whitaker - Head of the Granolith Project
Major Grester - T. Greer - Head of the Vilondra Project
Colonel Jafto - Walt Crawford - Nicholas' second in command, posing as his father
Idos - Ida Crawford - Nicholas' personal servant, posing as his mother
Gragras - (gra-gras) - Gregory - the scientist in charge of the skins project
Major Yorgam - William Hudson - Vanessa's lover and member of the Michael worshippers
Roistar (roys'-tar) - formerly Tageonon, Khivar changed the name when he assumed the throne
The Leptes (the Antarian word for Vengeance) - the ship Khivar sent to Earth with Nicholas and the skins
Shape Shifters sent to Earth with the Pods
Sodan - Nasedo - expert in hand-to-hand and weapons combat and a pilot - special ability energy blasts
Letras - (le-tras) - Zan's former tutor, expert in philosophy, history and military tactics - captured by the special unit and died
Cuerena (soor'-ren-ya) - scientist and Granolith expert - special ability illusion - assigned the dupes protector
Kaldar - expert in hand-to-hand and weapons combat - special ability empath - injured by the humans and has terrible headaches when he uses his powers
BOOK 2 - THE SCOURGE OF HOPE (THE SKINS)
scourge -
1 : a cause of widespread or great affliction
DISCLAIMER: Some of the dialogue used was taken from the episodes and I am not claiming credit for having written it but used it simply to set up the tone of a scene or show parallels between lives and realities.
AUTHOR' NOTE: The events surrounding the skins settlement on Earth and the search for the Granolith and the Royal Four.
DEFINITIONS:
legion - a unit of soldiers containing 5000 men
trithium amplification generator - aka amplifier - the black, chevron-shaped device that is used by the Skins for communication and stopping the powers of Antarians among other things.
NAGGING QUESTIONS:
1. What is the deal with the skins?
2. Why is Nicholas a kid?
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(July 5th, 1947)
(The day after the crash)
(General Nicaron's transport - The Leptes, orbiting the Earth)
Nicaron strode onto the Leptes' command center. "Report on the search, Lieutenant Scorene."
"Sir we are having trouble with our equipment," Scorene replied. "The metal content in the area is interfering with the data we are receiving."
"Then figure out how to compensate for it," he responded in a low growl.
"Yes Sir."
Nicaron turned and walked back toward the console to look at the map. He would have to send troops down to the surface of the planet to conduct a proper search. The environmental suits they had brought with them could be modified for short-term exposure to the Earth's atmosphere but the way things were going, it looked like they might need a longer-term solution. Nicaron struck the console. They should have been in possession of the Royal Four and the Granolith by now but he was surrounded by incompetence.
"General there is a message for you from the lab," Scorene said timidly.
He turned to her and ground out impatiently, "Well, what is it, Lieutenant?"
"Sir, Gragras requests your presence in the lab."
Nicholas turned on his heal and with a quick stride, headed toward the lab. As he entered, he addressed the head scientist, "Gragras, what do you have to report?"
"General we have devised a solution to the problem of the Earth's atmosphere." Gragras motioned toward a sealed container that housed a small oval patch of a substance resembling human skin. "This container is filled with a sample of the Earth's atmosphere and as you can see the substance we have developed is unharmed."
"What is the substance?" asked Nicaron.
Gragras explained. "Basically it is a genetically engineered environmental suit. It is thin but it has several layers and is almost indestructible. It is stronger than most metals and if any small scratches or punctures were to occur, it will immediately seal itself, without losing pressurization. Of course if the tear was of sufficient size it would not be able to fix itself fast enough, and it will be vulnerable to extreme temperatures like fire or freezing."
Gragras motioned to himself, "We will wear them over our bodies, and they will give us the added bonus of camouflage because we can engineer them to look human."
"Excellent work, Gragras," Nicaron said, giving a rare compliment. "When will these 'skins' be ready for use?"
"That is the only problem, General. Even using our growth enhancers, it will take approximately three Earth years to grow the skins to the proper size."
Nicaron considered the alternatives briefly. "Start the growth process immediately." It would take longer than he had anticipated, but they needed to cover all their options. And while they waited for the skins to mature they could use the environmental suits to search. He turned to the console and activated the com, "Major, ready the scouts to go to the surface as soon as it is dark."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(February 4th, 1950)
(Onboard the Leptes - above Copper Summit, AZ)
They had searched the area for three years using the limited capabilities of the environmental suits but they had found no trace of the transport, the pods or the shape shifters. The troops were growing restless from the long period of inactivity and Nicaron was relieved that the skins had matured more quickly than the scientists had anticipated. He would use the cover of night to land the Leptes in the hills outside of the town and at daybreak they would enclothe themselves in the skins for the duration of their stay on Earth.
Nicaron had spent the time in orbit attempting to familiarize himself with the human's customs and teach the troops English. Then he had divided the troops into family units. He would set up house, as the humans called it, with his senior officers, Major Nesta as his sister, Colonel Jafto as his father and his loyal servant Idos as his mother. Nicaron would adopt the guise of a child, giving him added protection and camouflage. And he had ordered all of the troops to change their names to human ones. Nicaron choose his human name because it was similar to his own, Nicholas.
His troops believed that Nicaron possessed the power to alter his body and appearance but only a few, such as Khivar knew the truth. Nicaron was a shape shifter and did not require a skin to survive on the planet. But he would have a skin made for him so that the troops would not discover his true nature.
The Antarian tradition marked shape shifters as servants, who could never hope to obtain rank in the military. But Khivar had not cared about his genetic make-up, Khivar valued Nicaron for his mind and abilities.
Nicaron had learned to conceal his true identity at an early age and he was always careful to stay away from other shape shifters in case they recognized what he really was. Shape shifters who spent much time together, learned to recognize one another easily, even when they were in different forms, and they tended to pass thoughts and feelings to each other, sometimes without trying. The last thing Nicaron wanted was to share his thoughts with a bunch of shape shifters. Because of his power to extract information from people’s minds, he was somewhat immune to others reading his thoughts, but there was no sense taking any chances.
Nicaron let himself into the conference room and stood before his gathered troops to address they one final time before the descent to Earth. "There are two parts to our mission and both are equally important. The first is to gain possession of the Granolith.”
Gasps of surprise rose from the troops and Nicholas signaled for silence and continued. “Apart from Khivar and a few of his trusted advisors, we are the only one's who know the Granolith is no longer on Antar. We must take possession of it and return it to Antar to help Khivar secure the throne.” He motioned to a woman beside him. “Major Nesta will lead this part of the project."
"The second goal, and just as important as the return of the Granolith, is the retrieval of Princess Vilondra's genetic material, so that she might be returned to Antar and reunited with our King. As you know, she sacrificed her life to aid Khivar's cause and he is eager for her return." Nicaron motioned to the man at his side, "The Vilondra project will be headed by Major Grester.” He turned back to address the troops in front of him. “You will be divided and assigned to one of these projects. Report all findings directly to your project leader and they will report to me."
"The first team will enter the village of Copper Summit under the guise of a family searching for a domicile. They will become fluent in the language and local customs, returning to the ship to tutor the others. We anticipate there will be an adjustment period in the skins and after it has passed, new groups will be dispatched every few days to search the surrounding area."
Nicaron held up a small, black, pentagon-shaped object. "Each group will be issued a trithium amplification generator. It is new technology developed just before our departure. It has several purposes. First it can be used as a communicator to send and receive encrypted, untraceable messages. Secondly it can be used to intercept messages sent on the frequencies used by the former Tageonant royalty. It can also be used to temporarily suspend mental powers in Antarians and shape shifters, but use that mode cautiously because it will suspend your own powers as well. There are also several other uses that will be explained by Gragras later."
"We have learned that the Royal Four will incubate in the pods for more than forty Earth years, so don't expect them to be living next door. We will have to concentrate our search on the shape shifters."
"Also the scientists can only speculate how the human DNA will affect the clones' memory recovery process. It is believed that it will take several years with memory retrieval devices to completely restore their memories. So if we could find them soon enough we could use that to our advantage."
He paused and looked out over the eager faces that were turned toward him in rapt attention. "Our mission is of the utmost importance. We will not leave this planet until all the objectives have been accomplished."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(October 4th, 1957)
(The Crawford House)
(Copper Summit, AZ)
Nicholas had just received another casualty report. He looked at the numbers and cursed. Almost twenty percent of the troops had died over the last seven and a half years and morale was low because they had made no progress in their search. They had discovered a vague report of a UFO crash more than ten years prior in the desert outside of Roswell, New Mexico, which they now knew to be the actual crash site. But it had happened so long ago, Nicholas had rejected the idea that the Royal Four’s shape shifters would still be in the area.
Nonetheless he had sent a search team, led by some of his best people, to see if they could find any trace of the Royal Four’s transport or its occupants. Under the guise of writing a book, they had interviewed hundreds of people in the area. They had been subjected to wild tales and speculation, but they could find no real evidence of the crashed transport or its inhabitants.
Over five years ago Nicholas had divided the troops into teams and sent them out to search the entire country, surmising the shape shifters would stay in the country that so closely echoed Zan's political ideals. And in that time, Nicholas had discovered that America, as the inhabitants called it, was fascinated with aliens.
Sightings were reported with regularity and he had formed several teams to investigate any evidence of alien activity. But with the exception of the original '47 crash, the sightings were fabrications of fertile human imaginations.
Nicholas was beginning to suspect the search was hopeless. No signal had been detected on any alien frequency and there was no evidence pointing to any specific location. It was as if they had simply vanished after the crash. There was nothing to lead them to the pods or the Granolith until the pods hatched, and according to the scientists, they would have to wait forty years for that to happen.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(October 27th, 1962)
(Universal Friendship League Building)
Vanessa watched helplessly as her lover William was unmasked as a traitor to Khivar. Nicholas had discovered that he and several others in her group of friends were actively conspiring against Khivar and sabotaging the mission. The conspirators were plotting to murder a Lieutenant who had become suspicious of them and Nicholas suspected most of the other fatalities within their troops could be directly linked to them.
Nicholas had gathered the traitors in the common room to use as examples for the rest of the troops. He would take the information from their minds and then kill them, and even though William had betrayed her, Vanessa was still foolishly in love with him.
Vanessa and Yorgam, or William as she now knew him, had become lovers after they had settled into Copper Summit. Nicholas, as a practice, did not police the actions of his troops as long as duties were attended to, and he had made no objection to their affair. And over the years, Vanessa had grown to love William. She had not detected anything in his actions or demeanor that had made her suspicious, which made the discovery of his betrayal all the more devastating. When confronted, William had admitted he had been assigned to seduce her, believing that as one of Nicholas' closest advisors and leader of the Granolith project, much information could be gathered from her.
William stood proudly as he pronounced his final words, "We are not the only ones. Our fellows on Antar will continue the fight and we will take back the planet in the name of the people." As he finished, he and the others reached behind them and broke the seals on their husks, instantly turning to dust before anyone could stop them.
Nicholas let fly a string of curses. The traitors had killed themselves before he had been able to search their minds for information. He turned slowly, studying the faces of those before him, wondering if all of the traitors had been unmasked. He could search every mind for any sign of disloyalty but the aftermath of his search was often destructive and sometimes deadly. He did not want to risk it yet. If he suspected any individual, he would deal with them at the time, but for now he would have to continue to be vigilant for unusual activity among his troops.
He waited until he reached his quarters to send a coded message to his master. "Khivar, my liege, I have discovered five traitors among the troops and executed them. From them I have learned there are others on Antar who are among the troops, as we had suspected. They are actively sabotaging our efforts, working toward their goal to take back the Government. I suspect there may be other traitors on Earth but I was unable to force the information from their minds before they died. But be assured, if there are others, they will be discovered and dealt with."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(February 3rd, 1965)
As more and more traitors had been unmasked, Nicholas had decided to go into the field and do surprise inspections to see if he could detect any treachery. Unfortunately his journey had taken him to New York City where he had unmasked a traitor and received the worst disappointment of his life. But that was a story for another time.
Now he was more determined than ever to root out the treachery in his remaining troops and return victorious to Khivar. He would make sure every traitor got exactly what they deserved.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(October 20, 1968)
(Gregory's (Gragras') Lab on the Leptes)
(Copper Summit, AZ)
Nicholas waited in the lab for Gregory's diagnosis. Some of the troops who had returned from assignments over the past few weeks had noticed a sloughing on the outer layers of their skin and Nicholas worried it might mean a premature and unsuccessful end to their mission. Nicholas hated failure but more than anything he hated failing Khivar. Even though he was as much his own person as a shape shifter could be, he was programmed to obey his Lord and master and he could not escape it.
The troops were demoralized because they had made no progress in their search, some were still mourning their friends who were exposed as traitors and with this latest setback Nicholas expected a mutiny. He paced the room as he waited, trying to lay out a plan in his mind, and considered executing one or two of his soldiers just to remind the others of their precarious situation.
Gregory entered the room. "As we suspected, some of the skins are starting to peel."
"How much time do we have?"
"The skins are living organisms," Gregory explained. "They must regenerate, and in order to do that they are sloughing away the dead top layer."
Nicholas released a sigh of relief. "So this is not going to affect our mission."
"Eventually it will," Gregory continued. "The life span of the skins is only about fifty Earth years and as the end approaches, the peeling will be much more noticeable."
"Fifty years," Nicholas echoed. "We have been in the skins for almost twenty years, so we have thirty years left."
"Approximately thirty, although we don't know precisely," Gregory said. "Each skin could age differently depending on the conditions it is subjected to. The ones that are peeling now are worn by soldiers who have spent a considerable amount of time in dry climates."
"So if we stay in more humid areas, the skins will last longer."
Gregory nodded.
Nicholas sighed. "I will make sure the soldiers are rotated into humid areas on a regular basis," he said distractedly. "I want you to keep this information to yourself for now. I will tell my senior staff but no one else must know."
"What will we tell the troops if they become suspicious, Sir?" Gregory asked.
Nicholas waved his hand dismissively. "Tell them the peeling is a natural part of the skins regeneration process. It is close to the truth and it will sound believable."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(May 14th, 1978)
(The Crawford House)
Nicholas looked around the kitchen table, where he held all of the meetings with his senior advisors, taking in the faces of his faux family and the scientist Gregory. They had still made no progress in their search, the pods were not due to hatch for another ten or so years and Nicholas decided a back-up plan was necessary. "We have made little progress in our mission and it looks doubtful that we will complete it until after the pods hatch. I want to devise an alternative to the skins in case we are forced to remain on this planet longer than the skins will live."
Vanessa spoke up, "Why can't we just make more skins?"
Gregory answered her, "We can make more skins. I have been experimenting with a new type of skin that would be far superior to the originals. It is a hybrid cross of our skin cells and human cells. The technology is similar to what the scientists used to re-create the Royal Four but we won't have to die to use them. We could use each individual's cells to grow a skin specifically for them. It would link the individual to the husk, giving the wearer greater sensitivity and control because all of the senses will be accessed through the skin. But we have used all of the rapid growth compound and the elements required to manufacture it do not exist on the Earth, and we cannot create them."
Nicholas had never considered growing more skins because he had assumed that the time required to bring them to maturity on this technologically backward planet would be more than they had. But now he turned to Gregory. "How long would it take to cultivate the skins without the growth enhancers?"
Gregory considered for a moment. "It would take approximately twenty years."
Ida voiced the thoughts of the table's occupants. "That would be cutting it mighty close to the end."
"Yes," Nicholas answered thoughtfully, "but we could house those whose skins failed on the transport until the new skins were ready. And when the husks mature, we would call in all of the troops from the field to attend the," he paused searching for a word, "the harvest."
Vanessa spoke again, "Twenty years is a long time. We could return to Antar, get more growth enhancers and come back to Earth..." She trailed off as Nicholas cast a withering glance her way.
"No one is going back to Antar until we succeed," he said in a soft but deadly voice. "I will not admit failure and Khivar certainly will not accept anyone who fails him. You know the Leptes only had enough fuel for a one-way journey. We must have the additional power of the Granolith to return. Do you think Khivar will send another transport here to save us?" He voice raised to a roar, "We will not return to Antar until the Granolith and Vilondra return with us."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(August 14th, 1993)
(The Home of Arizona State Senator Billings)
After Nicholas had ordered her to get involved in human politics nine years ago, things had progressed quickly for Vanessa. She had moved to Phoenix and actively worked to enter the political arena. First, she had volunteered for the local Democratic Party and used every resource available to her to move steadily into the inner political circle.
Since the unmasking of her lover as a traitor, she had been in disfavor with Nicholas and she was eager to use this opportunity to get back in his good graces. Nicholas had probed her brain for any signs of disloyalty and had been satisfied she had been a pawn in the conspirators' plot, but he still blamed her for not discovering their plans earlier. Vanessa had truly loved William and it had taken her years to get over his loss, even though he was a traitor.
But she had always been ambitious. Her greatest desire was to gain the highest position possible in Khivar's regime, but Khivar trusted Nicholas completely and one bad word from him would smash her plans irrevocably. But if she were the one to recover the Granolith, it would put her back in Nicholas' favor and surely earn her a promotion or even possibly a position in Khivar's administration.
Vanessa returned her attention to the City Council member who had been droning on for over twenty minutes. "And if we can get the patrician politics out of the way, this new policy will help put us on the map."
Vanessa agreed with him to head off more of a discussion and politely excused herself. Earth politics, she thought to herself, what a boring waste of time. She headed for the bathroom to get a moment to herself but was stopped by the host. "Vanessa, there you are. I have been wanting to introduce you to someone all evening."
She eyed the tall, handsome man at the Senator's side as the introductions were made. "John this is the woman I have been telling you about, Vanessa Crawford. Vanessa, this is a Congressman from New Mexico, John Whitaker."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(June 30th, 1996)
Vanessa straightened her collar in the mirror, with satisfaction. Everything was working out just as she had planned.
She could remember the day four years ago when she had read an article about a Congressman's widow who had been appointed to her dead husband’s seat. And when she had been introduced to a newly appointed Congressman three years ago, everything had fallen neatly into place. After they were married, she had made sure to stay very visible in the public eye, being seen as a political team with her husband and dropping hints about possibly running for office herself. And as planned, her husband's supporters had approached her about taking over his seat after his tragic death.
She smiled. It had been so easy to maneuver the humans to do as she wanted, she hadn't even needed to use her powers to influence them.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(April 25th, 1999)
(Washington, D.C.)
Vanessa pasted on her practiced smile as she listened to the Congressman from Texas drone on about grazing rights. Inwardly she sighed, another dull political party. Nothing really interesting ever happened on this backward planet. During the years she had been in office, she had discretely made inquiries into alien activity, only to meet one brick wall after another. And she was beginning to wonder if the government knew anything at all.
She let her eyes wander as her companions warmed to their topic. The same people always attended these things. The politicians and their staff, the lobbyists, the upper crust political supporters but there was never anyone interesting.
She excused herself from the others and headed out onto the balcony to get a breath of fresh air. She closed her eyes and leaned against the rail, somehow the sounds of the bustling city soothing her. Suddenly she knew she wasn't alone and her eyes snapped open as she turned to confront the person who intruded into her solitude.
Vanessa had never seen the man who joined her on the balcony. He was handsome with dark hair and eyes and even though he was relatively young, he had the strange smile of a man who had seen too much. They stood looking at one another for a moment before he spoke.
"Congresswoman Vanessa Whitaker from New Mexico." His voice was deep and soft and sent a thrill of awareness through her. "You are more beautiful than I had heard."
"Thank you," she said cautiously, "but you have me at a disadvantage."
His smile broadened, "I hear we have a lot of common interests and I think we should get to know one another much better. Our association could be," he paused as he let his eyes roam over her body, "mutually beneficial."
"And what interests would those be?" she asked.
"Aliens," he said simply. He held out his hand to her. “I am with the FBI. My name is Daniel Pierce."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
END OF BOOK 2 - THE SCOURGE OF HOPE (THE SKINS)
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
WHO'S WHO & NAME PRONUNCIATIONS
Book 3 - The Price of Fealty - Nasedos' Chronicles
EARTH
Humans
Colonel James Cassidy - head of the base where the shape shifters and pods were taken - played by the sheriff in the episode Summer of '47
Captain Sheridan Cavitt - Counter Intelligence Officer - played by Alex in the episode Summer of '47
Agent David Lewis - FBI agent and first head of the Special Unit
Dr. Stephen Cantor - Dr. in charge of alien studies at Eagle Rock Military Base for the Special Unit
River Dog - native American boy of the Mesaliko tribe who befriended Nasedo and saved his life
Lou - River Dog's friend
Grey Owl - council elder of the Mesaliko tribe
Wind Walker - council elder of the Mesaliko tribe
James Atherton - UFO nut and author of "Among Us" who lived in the geodesic dome, was killed by an alien in 1959
Mayor Harker – mayor of Roswell in 1959
Agent Joseph del Bianco - 2nd head of the special unit
Everett Hubble - his wife Shelia was killed by an alien for which he later blamed Max - Hubble spent over 30 years searching for the murderer
Shelia Hubble - wife of Everett Hubble and aspiring photographer - killed by an alien in 1970
Joyce Barton - Shelia's friend and assistant
Sheriff Jim Valenti Sr. - Sheriff of Roswell 1955 - 1972 - the scandal surrounding the silo murder forced him to leave office
Jimmy Valenti - the son of Jim Valenti Sr. - the future Sheriff of Roswell and Kyle's father
Shape Shifters Loyal to the Royal Four
Nasedo - Sodan - expert in hand-to-hand and weapons combat and a pilot, special skill - heat and energy blasts
Letras - (le-tras) - Zan's former tutor, expert in philosophy, history and military tactics, captured by the special unit and killed
Cuerena (soor'-ren-ya) - scientist and Granolith expert, special skills - illusion - assigned the dupes protector
Tic Tac - Kaldar - expert in hand-to-hand and weapons combat, special skill - empath - injured by the humans and has terrible headaches when he uses his powers
Skins
Nicholas Crawford - General Calles Nicaron (kal-ees) (ni-ca'-ron) - Khivar's right hand and head general
ANTAR
Tageions (tauj'-ee-ons) - people inhabiting the north lands
King Zantor Tageonant (tauj'-o-nant) - (Zan) - Max - the rightful King of Antar
Queen Avalynd Telnada Tageonant - (Ava) - Zan's young bride
Royal Princess Vilondra Tageonant - Isabel – Zan’s sister
Sodan (so-dan) - Nasedo - Zan's most trusted protector
Tageonon (tauj'-o-non) - the capitol city of Antar, where the king's palace is located
General Alarath Varros (Rath) - Michael - Zan's best friend and second in command
Kaldar – Tic Tac - Rath's most trusted protector
Lady Chanya Santas (shawn'-ya) - Vilondra's friend
Udac (oo-dac) - Chanya's handmaid and protector who gave Sodan the pendant
Harcions (Har-see-ons) - people inhabiting the south lands
Khivar Roistar (roys'-tar) – the man who usurped Zan's throne
General Calles Nicaron (kal-ees) (ni-ca'-ron) - Nicholas - Khivar's right hand and head general
Roistar (roys'-tar) - formerly Tageonon, Khivar changed the name when he assumed the throne
The Leptes (the Antarian word for Vengeance) - the ship Khivar sent to Earth with Nicholas and the skins
Shape Shifters sent to Earth with the Pods
Sodan - Nasedo - expert in hand-to-hand and weapons combat and a pilot - special ability energy blasts
Letras - (le-tras) - Zan's former tutor, expert in philosophy, history and military tactics - captured by the special unit and died
Cuerena (soor'-ren-ya) - scientist and Granolith expert - special ability illusion - assigned the dupes protector
Kaldar - Tic Tac - expert in hand-to-hand and weapons combat - special ability empath - injured by the humans and has terrible headaches when he uses his powers
BOOK 3 - THE PRICE OF FEALTY (NASEDOS' CHRONICLES)
fe-al-ty -
1 : the fidelity of a vassal or servant to his Lord or master
DISCLAIMER: Some of the dialogue used was taken from the episodes and I am not claiming credit for having written it but used it simply to set up the tone of a scene or show parallels between lives and realities.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: What the heck were Nasedo & the other shape shifters doing to pass all those years they were waiting for the pods to hatch? What is the deal with Atherton, River Dog, Jim Valenti Sr. and Sheila Hubble? Read on.
DEFINITIONS:
legion - a unit of soldiers containing 5000 men
trithium amplification generator - aka amplifier - the black, chevron-shaped device that is used by the Skins for communication and suspending the powers of Antarians among other things.
NAGGING QUESTIONS:
1. How did Nasedo know to call Khivar’s troops the skins? They weren't wearing skins on Antar.
2. Why was Atherton killed?
3. Why was Shelia Hubble killed?
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(August 20th, 1947)
(Eagle Rock Military Base)
Sodan stumbled into the moonlight, quickly looking around for pursuers, and not seeing any, he sprinted for the line of trees a few yards away. When he reached the cover offered by the foliage, he allowed himself to look back at the building that had been his prison for the last few weeks.
While they had been performing their experiments, the scientists had kept him drugged, trying different combinations, attempting to keep his powers in check. But in the last few days he had pretended to be more affected by the drugs than he had been and they had lowered the dose, allowing him to build his power enough to escape.
Sodan did not think they would miss him until the morning but he continued moving as quickly as he could. He did not know what had happened to the others, if they had been captured or not, but he headed straight to the pod chamber to make sure the Royal Four were safe and hopefully find the others.
As he made his way, he constantly checked around him to make sure he was not leading the humans to the Royal Four. When the humans discovered him missing, he suspected they would go to the main crash site to look for him. It was a couple of miles from the pod chamber, and even though he was on foot, he hoped their misdirection would give him some extra time to reach his destination. He had been injured during his incarceration but he ignored the pain and traveled quickly all night, using extra bursts of speed Antarians are capable of, as often as possible. And as the sun started to rise, he finally reached the pod chamber.
Sodan carefully let himself inside and sealed the door behind him, igniting a light above his head with an upraised hand. The chamber appeared as it had the last time he had been there and he released a tension-filled breath. He brushed a hand over the softly glowing pod closest to him and examined the embryo inside. The Royal Four and Antar's hope for the future were still safe.
He looked around the chamber carefully, noting that the healing stones and book were exactly where they had left them. Strange, he thought to himself, it appeared as if no one had been in the chamber since the day he was captured. What if the other shape shifters had been captured too? He briefly thought of the others being subjected to the same treatment he had received at the hands of the humans. If they had been captured, Sodan did not want to consider what was happening to them but there was nothing he could do to help. They would have to take care of themselves.
Now that he was free, he couldn't risk leaving the Royal Four without protection.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(August 21st, 1947)
(Eagle Rock Military Base)
Agent Lewis turned to the scientist in charge. "Dr Cantor how was the alien able to escape?"
"The technicians were afraid they were giving it too much sedation,” Cantor explained, “and lowered the dose. Apparently it was only pretending to be incoherent and when the dose was lowered, it built its strength up enough to escape."
"So it burned a hole in the cell and killed Riley," Lewis said. "But the guard on duty at the door reported that Riley left last night so it must have taken his form."
Dr Cantor nodded his agreement. "The one that escaped was particularly uncooperative and would not even speak to us, but the other has been more helpful. It’s name is Letras. It has an excellent command of the English language and it has been telling us about its shape shifting abilities. It can take the face of any human."
"We had suspected as much,” Lewis said. “That is why they escaped so easily the first time, they just used the faces of the doctors they had killed to get out of the base undetected." Lewis paused and looked at the papers in front of him. "Has the remaining alien, Letras, told you what it is doing on Earth?"
"No," said Cantor, shaking his head. "It won't say specifically why it is here but it insists they mean no harm to humans."
"No harm!" spat Lewis. "They have killed a least half a dozen humans already!"
"It claims the humans were killed in self defense," the Cantor continued.
"But why are they here and what did they do with those sacs?" Lewis demanded.
Cantor shook his head, "Letras says it doesn't know where the sacs are and it will not tell us why they are here."
Agent Lewis rose from his seat. "Because they have come to colonize the Earth."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Sodan looked around the pod chamber for any sign of the others but the undisturbed dust on the floor told him that he was the first to enter the room in the last month. He knew he couldn’t stay in the area long because the military would be searching for him. He took one last look around the room and decided he would have to continue with his mission without the others. He morphed into the guise of a drifter, gathered the healing stones and turned to open the door.
As the door slid back and sunlight filtered into the pod chamber, a glint of metal caught Sodan's eye and he noticed his pendant lying by the door, where he had left it. He slipped it over his head and fingered the symbol of Antar engraved into it. The fate of the entire planet rested on his shoulders until the King, his master, was ready to resume his role as leader, and Sodan would not let him down.
As Sodan left the pod chamber and walked into the desert, he did not notice the dark-skinned man who observed him from a near-by rock formation.
The man waited until Sodan was out of sight and then he popped a peppermint candy into his mouth. Since he had been revived, Kaldar had suffered from a constant pain in his head and whenever he changed form or used his powers, the pain became unbearable. But on one of his trips into town for supplies, he had been given a peppermint candy. He had discovered that candies helped to ease the pain in his head, and now he carried a constant supply.
Kaldar had been surprised to see Sodan after all of this time. He had suspected that the humans had killed Sodan and Letras when they recaptured them, and he had taken up the mission of protecting the Royal Four, staying near the pod chamber. But Kaldar was often confused about the events that happened around the time of the crash. He knew he had been assigned to protect the decoy clones and he should not be with the real Royal Four but he had a strong feeling that his place was here with his real master. And being somewhat empathic, Kaldar had learned to never question his feelings.
Kaldar watched silently as Sodan disappeared into the desert. He was afraid if he revealed himself to Sodan, the other shape shifter would not approve of his presence so he had remained out of sight. No matter what anyone said, he would protect the Royal Four.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(August 28th, 1947)
Kaldar had watched from one of his lookout blinds as the human military cordoned off the area around the crash site with a perimeter fence. They had been camped in the area for a week and it appeared as if they were waiting for something to happen. Kaldar suspected they were looking for him and Sodan.
The humans were camped near the main crash site, about two miles away from the pod chamber but Kaldar stayed vigilant on the off chance they discovered it. Since his revival he had avoided using his powers to keep the pain in his head at bay, but he would do anything required in order to protect the Royal Four.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(September 30th 1947)
(Eagle Rock Military Base)
Letras had tried to cooperate with the humans, hoping they would realize he was not a threat to them but there were things he could not reveal. Lewis and Cantor continued to ask him the purpose of his presence on Earth but he had remained silent. At first they had asked and cajoled but then they had started to threaten and finally they had turned to torture.
Letras had endured hours of pain over the last few weeks but he had still refused to tell the humans anything about the mission. At one point they had brought in one of the communicators and demanded he tell them how it worked. All he could think of was the Royal Four, hopefully still safe in their incubation pods and how the people on Antar were depending on them. If he showed the humans how to work the communicator he might endanger the pods by revealing their position. But after hours of continual pain he yearned for relief and concocted a lie to stop the torture.
He told Lewis and Cantor that the device was a communicator but it would not work alone, there needed to be two of them and the others had been lost in the crash.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(May 22nd, 1948)
(Frazier Woods)
Over the last few months Sodan had changed faces many times. Since the supposed crash, strangers were treated with suspicion and Sodan decided it was best to stay out of populated areas. He also wanted to stay relatively near the pod chamber, and after a few days search, he had discovered a cave near the Mesaliko reservation and made it his home. He gathered sustenance from the wilderness around him and tried to keep to himself.
On several occasions Sodan had sent a signal for his comrades from the woods near his dwelling, knowing they could track it to its source. Each time he had waited anxiously for days, but he had not seen any sign of Letras or Kaldar.
Sodan had been living in the cave for almost four months before he saw anyone. He had gathered his day's sustenance and was heading back to the cave when he encountered a group of children from the reservation. He came upon them suddenly, too late to avoid them, so he tried to act casual and nodded a greeting. The boys seemed curious but cautious and went on their way.
Over the next few days, he saw the boys several more times. He would nod and smile, and the boys grew bolder with each meeting, laughing and attempting to follow him. Every day for the next week, they were waiting in the same place at the same time, eager to greet him.
On the eighth day, the boys were back, but this time they were not alone, two elders from the reservation were with them.
The older man stepped toward him and Sodan waited apprehensively to see what the man would do. "The boys tell us you are living in the cave near here."
The conversation took Sodan by surprise and he answered amusedly, "The cave is not on your land."
The elder nodded. "You're right, it's not part of the reservation." The elder studied him for a moment. "We wonder though why you would want to live away from other people, others of your kind."
Sodan shrugged. "I have my reasons."
The second elder spoke up, "We are only concerned for the safety of our people."
"I do not threaten your safety," Sodan said with a smile.
The elder nodded again and at his signal they all turned back toward the reservation, one by one being swallowed by the blackness of the forest. The youngest boy stopped at the edge of the trees for one last look and then he too disappeared into the night.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
When they returned to the reservation, Wind Walker met with the rest of the council to discuss their new neighbor and he related what they had learned. "As River Dog and Lou have told us, the stranger lives in a cave just beyond the bounds of the reservation. He gathers food at night and said he does not wish to be among his own kind."
A murmur of disapproval echoed around the room and Wind Walker held up his hand for silence. "The stranger also claims that he is not a threat to us."
The oldest member of the council, Grey Owl, spoke. "Why does this man avoid his people? Has he committed a crime for which he is hunted?"
"He would not tell us why, only that he has his reasons."
Grey Owl was instantly suspicious. "I believe the stranger is not a man at all but an evil spirit sent to destroy us."
Several members of the council nodded their agreement and Grey Owl continued. "We must invite the stranger to be tested in the sweat and his true nature will be revealed."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(May 23rd, 1948)
(Frazier Woods)
The next evening Sodan encountered only one boy as he was searching for food. The youngest boy had returned alone and he stepped forward and offered his name and a gift.
"My name is River Dog," he said holding out a handkerchief toward the man. "This is frybread and honey."
"Frybread?" Sodan asked.
"Yes." He unwrapped the handkerchief to allow the man to see the contents. "My mother made it. It's good."
Sodan cautiously reached for the bread as he eyed the boy before. "Your name is River Dog."
The boy nodded.
"Why do you come here?" Sodan asked.
River Dog shrugged, "I want to be your friend."
Sodan tasted the bread and found it a little bland, but then River Dog drizzled some of the golden honey on it and Sodan was pleased at the difference.
They moved to sit on a nearby rock as they ate. After a few moments of silence, River Dog turned to his companion. "Who are you? Why do you live in the cave?"
Sodan considered his answer for a moment and finally said, "I am simply a visitor."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(June 20th, 1948)
River Dog came to the woods every evening to see the man who called himself a visitor, and each night he would bring the man part of his dinner. River Dog enjoyed the man's company and started calling him Nasedo, the word in his language for visitor. The man had laughed and said he liked the name and River Dog was pleased. Nasedo treated him like an adult instead of a child.
On the night before the full moon River Dog made his way through the woods for his nightly visit. As he approached the cave he heard the murmur of voices ahead. Curious about who was visiting Nasedo, River Dog crept to the edge of the trees and peered through the leaves. He was surprised to see Wind Walker and two other elders talking to Nasedo. River Dog was too far away to hear the conversation and he waited until they were gone before he revealed himself.
"Nasedo, what did the elders want?" he asked as he emerged from his hiding place.
Nasedo answered him, seemingly unsurprised by his presence. "They invited me to a ceremony being held tomorrow. A sweat."
River Dog nodded, impressed. "It is an honor for an outsider to be included. Will you go?"
When the elders had invited him, Sodan's first impulse had been to decline but he had quickly reconsidered. He was likely to be living in the area for a number of years and it wouldn't hurt to be on friendly terms with the locals. He smiled at the boy, who was waiting anxiously for his answer and nodded. "I will attend."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(June 21st, 1948)
Sodan approached the village cautiously, wishing he didn't have to come so close to so many humans. It was not that he feared them but the memories of what had happened to him in the hands of the military were still fresh in his mind and he was apprehensive about what would happen if someone discovered his true nature.
Wind Walker met him at the edge of the village and led him to a small structure where the ceremony was held. They went inside to join the others who were already gathered and Sodan took a seat near the door where Wind Walker indicated.
Grey Owl waited until everyone was seated and began the chant as he poured the first ladle of water onto the hot stones.
As the herb-laced steam swirled into the air and floated around the room, Sodan started to feel strange, and after just a few seconds, he knew something was seriously wrong. He lurched to his feet and ran to the opening to get to the clear air outside but the odd sensations did not dissipate in the open and he turned to make his way back to the cave.
The members of the council looked at each other, convinced they had been right. River Dog and a couple of others rose to their feet, concerned for the visitor's health but Grey Owl intervened. "The visitor was invited here to be tested and he has failed. Do not follow him. Leave him to his fate."
River Dog settled back into his seat but he was worried for his friend and at the first opportunity, he slipped out. River Dog suspected Nasedo would head to the cave where he lived and he hurried in that direction.
He approached the mouth of the cave cautiously and called out for it's inhabitant but he received no answer. The interior of the cave was dark and he proceeded slowly inside. After several twist and turns of the passageway, River Dog realized it was becoming lighter and when he rounded the next corner, a soft yellow glow illuminated a larger room. Nasedo was sitting on the floor of the chamber with his back pressed against the wall. His face was hidden in shadow, but River Dog could see that he held two small stones in his hands.
River Dog stopped just inside the room and called out again. "Nasedo?"
"River Dog," croaked a voice that was barely recognizable. "I am ill. I need your help."
The boy crossed to him and knelt beside his friend. "How can I help you?"
Sodan raised the glowing stones so the boy could see his face.
River Dog recoiled when Nasedo's face was revealed. His eyes were white and his face was coated with a substance that resembled cobwebs. "I have never seen a sickness like that. What is wrong with you?" asked the boy.
Sodan smiled sadly wondering if his revelation would cause the boy to desert him. "I am not like you. I come from another world."
River Dog considered Nasedo for a moment and then nodded in acceptance. "I believe you. It was you who caused the lights in the sky, wasn’t it?"
Sodan nodded and waited for the boy to leave him, but when River Dog made no signs of moving, he continued in a gruff voice, "I need your help. I am too weak to heal myself."
"I will help you. Just tell me what to do."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(June 29th, 1948)
Sodan waited until dark and made his way carefully to the pod chamber. He looked around the chamber as the door slid open and stepped into the undisturbed room. He had hoped he would find evidence of Letras and Kaldar having visited the chamber but again he was disappointed. Sodan strode to the wall opposite the pods and with a brush of his hand left a message explaining where they could find him.
It had been almost a year since he had seen Kaldar or Letras and even though he had made a few acquaintances among the residents of the reservation, he missed his own kind. He yearned to hear his own language spoken and to discuss his world and his mission with the others. Sodan had never considered that he might have to spend forty years on the planet alone and it was a daunting possibility.
He turned to look at the pod containing his King. Sometimes he envied Zan for being able to sleep through this time but he did not envy Zan's future when he awoke. His King would have no memory of the past but he would have to prepare to save not only themselves but also their people back on Antar.
And not for the first time, Sodan wondered about Khivar's men who had followed them to Earth and shot their transport, causing the crash. He had seen no sign of them since the crash. To move among humans they would have to adopt some kind of disguise, because even though Antarians were humanoid, they were not human. At first he had dismissed the possibility of Khivar's troops coming to the surface of the planet because of the toxic atmosphere, but Sodan knew Khivar would have to ensure Zan's death and retrieve the Granolith to solidify his position. Yes, he thought to himself, Khivar would have ensured his troops would survive on Earth.
It was obvious Khivar’s troops hadn't been able to track the exact position of the crash or they would have arrived before the human military to finish off any survivors. It was possible they might have learned of the crash in the media and they would have searched the area, but the pod chamber was luckily a distance away from the main crash site.
Sodan's gaze wandered over the pods, the equipment, the pieces of Antar brought to Earth. This was the only place on Earth where he felt close to his home. But he would have to stay away from the pod chamber in the future. His mission had taken a few unexpected turns but the basic goals were the same and he was resolved to see it through no matter what the personal cost.
As he turned to leave, his eyes fell on the book that had been sent with them. He picked it up and flipped through the pages. The symbols on the pages were written in the Antarian language but they made no sense because they were in the royal code. Only the Royal Four were capable of deciphering the words contained in the book, but as his hands traced the symbols on the pages he felt a little closer to his home. He put the book in his pocket before he could change his mind and without a backward glance, left the pod chamber.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(June 2nd 1950)
(Eagle Rock Military Base)
"Doctor Cantor," Agent Lewis started, "we have had the creature here for almost three years and we are no closer to finding the others than we were when we first brought it here."
"No," Cantor agreed, "Letras is unusually resistant to all types of torture and persuasion. It refuses to tell us anything about its purpose on Earth and its companions."
"Its escape attempts are becoming tiresome," said Agent Lewis. "It has killed four agents in the last month. I think it has outlived its usefulness."
Cantor nodded, "I will prepare for the autopsy."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(April 12th, 1954)
(Nasedo’s Cave)
Sodan stepped back to study his handiwork. Over the last few years he had meticulously studied the area and everything he had learned was included in the map he had drawn on the wall of the cave.
He had used Antarian symbols and letters to make the markings, and a legend of how to use the map. It had to be aligned with the stars in the constellation the humans called Ares, as it approached the summer solstice. Sodan had chosen the same constellation in the same position that would activate the sexual drives of the Royal Four. He thought it would be easily recognizable to the other shape shifters if they ever saw the map.
He often wondered what had happened to Letras and Kaldar. Maybe they had been captured by the humans and killed or maybe they were hiding like he was. Perhaps they would all meet at the pod chamber on the day when the pods hatched.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(September 8th, 1957)
(Houston, TX)
Atherton could hear the sniggering as he left the room and knew without a doubt he was the cause of it. He had been so proud of the book when it had been published a couple of years ago but it had not been as warmly accepted as he had hoped. In fact, his fellow UFO buffs had ridiculed almost every aspect of his theories.
He paused at the outer door and took one last look back. He would have to get the evidence to prove his theories before they would believe him and he knew just were to start looking. The place where the whole thing began.
Roswell.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(December 1st, 1958)
(Parker's Bar)
Atherton had made several trips to New Mexico over the last year, searching for anyone with information about the crash or its survivors, with little luck. Those who he believed knew anything, were too scared to talk, and those who would talk just parroted the same anecdotes and B-movie plot lines.
Soon Atherton’s failing resources would force him to return to Texas permanently. If he just had a lead, he would justify any expense, but he feared he was doomed to fail.
Atherton's gaze swung around the room, taking in the faces of the usuals. He had come to be known as the crazy UFO guy and most of the patrons avoided him until they became too drunk to remember why.
His eyes turned to the door as it opened to admit a group of young men he had never seen before and he noted their arrival with interest. They were obviously from the reservation and it was unusual for them to come into the bar.
He waited patiently until they had been there over an hour and had several beers apiece before he approached them. "Can I buy you boys a round?"
They nodded eagerly and invited him to sit with them.
Atherton started the conversation casually, "So you from around here?"
"We are from the reservation."
He nodded, "My name is Atherton."
One of the boys spoke up, motioning to the others on his right, "this is Joseph and Cody and I'm Lou."
Atherton noted Lou's slurred speech and flushed face and hoped he was intoxicated enough to want to talk. "Do any of you remember when the UFO crashed about ten years ago?"
All three of the boys nodded.
"I was eleven or twelve," said Lou.
Atherton threw out his next question hoping to catch them off guard, "Did any of you see the aliens?"
The boys all laughed. Cody slapped his knee. "Yeah, there are hundreds of 'em running around in the woods. See 'em all the time."
They laughed so hard that Joseph almost fell off his chair before Lou caught him. "Do you guys remember? That's when Nasedo showed up. The elders thought he was an evil spirit and tested him in the sweat."
The three broke into convulsive laughter.
"Imagine anyone thinking that Nasedo was an evil spirit," Lou said.
Atherton waited until they had caught their breath to continue, "Who is Nasedo?"
"He is a guy who lives in a cave near the reservation," Lou explained.
"Why did the elders think he was an evil spirit?"
"He lived there alone and kept to himself and supposedly strange things had been going on in the woods, you know, unexplained lights and stuff, and they thought he was causing it. They invited him to a sweat to exorcise him."
"I guess it proved he wasn't an evil spirit," Atherton said.
Lou nodded, "No he's just a harmless guy. A little crazy maybe but not an evil spirit."
"Does he still live in the area or did the elders scare him away?" Atherton joked.
The boys laughed again and Cody answered. "Yeah, he lives in that same cave."
Atherton considered them for a moment. This 'Nasedo' was the best lead he had gotten in ages. "You know," he said, thinking quickly, "I came to this area to write a book about the history of the area and I wanted to include a chapter on your tribe. Would you introduce me to some of the elders who could tell me the legends and history?"
"Sure," said Lou. "They love to tell tales about the old ways."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(December 15th, 1958)
(Mesaliko Reservation)
Over the last few years Sodan had made many friends among the residents of the reservations. He had even learned to trust a few of the humans, even though River Dog was the only human who knew his true identity. Eventually Sodan had adopted the name River Dog had given him, Nasedo. It meant visitor in their language and Sodan found it amusingly appropriate.
It had been more than ten years since the crash and Sodan had only been to the pod chamber once since he had taken up residence in the cave. Cuerena had said it was not necessary to continually oversee the pods, but in the last month Sodan had felt a growing urgency to check the condition of the pods. Then two weeks ago a new human had come to the reservation and Sodan deemed it best to keep his distance from the chamber.
The man's name was Atherton and he claimed to be writing a book about the history of the area. Sodan had been immediately suspicious and had tried to keep his contact with Atherton to a minimum but the man had sought him out on more than one occasion. Sodan tried to remain casual about Atherton's attention, to avoid arousing suspicion, but Atherton had an inquisitive mind and asked all manner of questions. He had inquired about Nasedo's reasons for living in the cave, wondering what had happened to drive him from his friends and family.
Sodan had long ago devised a story about his past that he told to humans, and he had related the same story to Atherton. He had told everyone that after the death of his wife he had become disenchanted with his life and wanted to make some fundamental changes. But he hadn't known where to start until he read "Walden" by Thoreau and had decided to live in a similar manner. So he had sold all of his possessions and moved to the cave. In essence he put his former life behind him, including his name, to start anew.
Atherton was apparently fascinated by his chosen lifestyle and used it as an excuse to spend many hours with him and a sort of friendship grew between them. At the end of the first month, Atherton confided in Sodan that he was actually in the area in search of extraterrestrial survivors from the 1947 crash.
Sodan listened to his tales of aliens amusedly. "Why do you want to find an extraterrestrial?"
"Wouldn't it be fascinating to meet a being from another planet?" Atherton asked excitedly.
Sodan just shrugged. "What if they are monsters?"
Atherton laughed, "Could monsters possess the technology to travel across space? I don't think so."
Sodan continued soberly, "Perhaps they came here to conquer Earth and enslave its people."
"Well it's possible," Atherton admitted, "but if that is what they intended, they certainly are taking their time about it. The crash was ten years ago." He shook his head, "No, I think the aliens who came here were peaceful explorers and I know plenty of people who would love to meet them."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(December 28th, 1958)
Atherton had been convinced within the first few minutes of meeting Nasedo that he was one of the aliens he had been searching for. Nasedo's speech seemed off, like English was a second language and his reactions to things seemed odd, like he was experiencing them for the first time. The more Atherton interacted with Nasedo, the more he was convinced.
He laughed at the irony of discussing aliens with an extraterrestrial, both of them pretending ignorance of their subject. Atherton had to get this alien to trust him, to open up to him. He knew it would take time and careful maneuvering on his part but it would be worth it. He would expose Nasedo as and alien and then he would have the proof he needed to clear his name and reputation.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(February 18th, 1959)
(Nasedo’s Cave)
Sodan waved his hand over the leaves he had gathered, transforming them into his favorite Antarian delicacy and inhaled the aroma greedily. He placed the meal on the makeshift table and performed the same alteration to the water in his cup, changing it to Tageion ale. But before he could sit to eat it, a sound from the direction of the entrance alerted him to another's presence.
Sodan swung around surprised at the intrusion, his hand coming up automatically in defense. As he turned, the chain on which he wore Udac's pendant snagged on an outcropping of the rock wall and snapped, spilling it onto the rough, stony floor. "Who's there?" he challenged.
River Dog stepped into the light. "It's just me, Nasedo. I'm sorry I startled you."
Sodan shook his head, "It is my fault. I have grown complacent here. I will have to be more careful, especially with a stranger in the area."
Rived Dog came forward and retrieved the pendant. "Oh," he exclaimed when he saw it was broken. "I’m sorry. Maybe we can find the piece and repair it," he said as he dropped to his knees to search for the fragment.
Sodan gently lifted the young man to his feet and took the pendant from him. "No," he said simply, fingering the jagged edge. "I will wear it like it is. The break will remind me of the fragility of life and my duty."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(November 8th, 1959)
(Mesaliko Reservation)
Atherton had been with the tribe for almost a year and gradually Sodan had grown to trust him. They had often talked of life on other planets and shared theories about space travel. Sodan had come to enjoy the time he spent with Atherton and considered him a friend. As the summer approached and Atherton talked of leaving, Sodan felt a sense of loss. Atherton had left for short periods before but Sodan knew he would be gone for an extended time on this occasion and perhaps he would not return.
Sodan would miss Atherton's fanciful ideas about the nature of extraterrestrial life. After the experience he and his comrades had endured with the military, Sodan had thought all humans would be fearful toward otherworldly visitors. But Atherton had shown him that not all humans were alike. Some humans looked eagerly for aliens, would welcome them, and Sodan was relieved that they had a potential ally in Atherton.
Sodan approached Atherton's car to say his farewells and wished he had a gift to give him. Unlike any other, even River Dog, Atherton had given Sodan hope in humankind. Then he remembered the pendent Udac had given him, a piece of his world brought to Earth. It was the perfect symbol of friendship between the two worlds, even if Atherton never knew the significance of it.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(November 9th, 1959)
(Marathon, TX)
Atherton used the key to open the secret entrance to his basement and then dropped it back into his pocket. He hadn't been home for over three months and the dust had gathered thickly on the papers he had left on the table. He quickly unpacked all of the notes he had written concerning Nasedo, loaded all of them into a box and sealed the lid. Then he withdrew the pendant Nasedo had given him. He studied it closely, tracing the design with his thumb. He suspected that this was an artifact from another world and smiled as he hung it carefully on a sculpture.
The pendant swung from side to side slowly and Atherton considered his plan of attack. In the year he had known him, Nasedo had been careful not to say or do anything that Atherton would consider otherworldly. Atherton hoped that by leaving and giving Nasedo some space he would be able to observe him and get proof positive of alien existence.
Atherton climbed the stairs and re-locked the basement door. He went into his bedroom, stuffing the few things he would need into his pack, as he reached for the phone. He was returning to the reservation but this time he would not be there as a guest but as a spy.
He dialed the number quickly and waited impatiently as it was answered. "Johnston, this is Atherton. You, more than anyone else, have scoffed at my theories but I want you to know that I have been in direct contact with an alien and soon I will have proof."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(November 16th, 1959)
(Frazier Woods)
Atherton had been observing Nasedo for almost a week and had seen nothing unusual, but as he followed the Nasedo into the desert and across a military parameter fence to the '47 crash site, he knew he was about to get his proof. Atherton stayed just far enough back to stay unobserved, but close enough to catch Nasedo's every move in the darkness.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
River Dog hurried to keep up with Atherton as the man disappeared over the horizon, the full moon helping to keep him in sight. He had seen Atherton sneaking around the cave where Nasedo lived and had become suspicious. He had followed Atherton into the desert and as they got further away from the reservation, a bad feeling settled into the pit of his stomach.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Kaldar watched as a man came out of the desert and walked toward the pod chamber. No one had come into the area for almost ten Earth years but the lapsed time had not made him less vigilant. He raised his hand to take aim at the intruder and then lowered it as he recognized Sodan.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
As Sodan approached the pod chamber, he stopped and quickly looked around but seeing no one he opened the door and proceeded inside. He checked the pods, which appeared to be fine, noting the growth of the clones with a glance and left the chamber, having spent less than five minutes within.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Kaldar watched Sodan disappear inside the rocky structure but his attention was drawn in the direction Sodan had come. A human was approaching stealthily, following Sodan, and he had seen the entrance to the pod chamber. Kaldar readied for an attack, waiting for the human to come closer to insure a deadly shot, but then Sodan re-emerged from the chamber.
Kaldar used his power to nudge some rocks off their precarious perch next to the human, alerting Sodan to his presence.
Sodan spotted the human immediately and walked rapidly toward him, and Kaldar slipped back into his veiled shelter.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Atherton confronted Sodan recklessly, "I knew it! You’re an alien."
"Why would you think that?" Sodan asked casually.
"I told you I came here searching for the survivors of the crash. When I met you, I just knew you were one of them, but I had no proof. Now I do have proof," he said, motioning toward where the pod chamber door had stood open just a moment before. Atherton could picture Johnston and the other members of the UFO society making hasty apologies to him and scrambling to be near him. "I will show them all that aliens do exist. I will be the one to expose the conspiracy that has hidden your presence."
"You cannot do that," Sodan said sadly, knowing what he had to do.
Sodan's words pulled Atherton out of his fantasy. "Why not? You can't stop me," he challenged with a laugh, unaware of the danger he was in.
"The reason for my presence on this planet is more grandiose than you could possibly imagine." Sodan moved toward Atherton as he spoke and clasped his arm around the other man's shoulder, holding him tightly. "Many lives are at stake and I cannot let you risk them for fame and glory," he said without regret.
Sodan placed his free hand over the human's heart and poured energy into his organs heating them to a fatal temperature in moments. And when Atherton's body sagged lifelessly, Sodan tossed him over his shoulder and started back toward the reservation.
He had only taken a few steps when he saw River Dog running toward him. "Is he dead?" asked the young man motioning to Atherton’s still form.
"Yes," Nasedo said simply.
River Dog nodded and fell into step beside him. They made their way quickly back to the cave and Nasedo began gathering his things.
"You're leaving?" River Dog asked, already knowing the answer.
"Yes. There are men looking for me. They want to kill me and I must stay alive." He took out the healing stones and the book. He could not risk being captured with them and he couldn't take the chance of returning them to the pod chamber for fear of leading more humans to it. He thought for a moment, reviewing the list of possible hiding places and smiled. He had only been into town a few times in the last ten years but one of the structures he had seen being built would make a perfect hiding place for the book. He looked toward the map he had drawn on the wall and placed a symbol where he would secret the book, the library. He smiled at the irony of it, hiding a book in the library.
Then he turned to River Dog. "It is possible someone may come looking for this cave but don't show it to anyone until you are sure they are like me. Test them, make them show you proof." He motioned to the map he had drawn on the cave wall, "Show these markings only to those who pass the test."
River Dog nodded his head slowly, understanding the seriousness of Nasedo's request. "Will you ever return?"
"Perhaps someday. When it's safe." He looked at the boy who had grown into a young man during their acquaintance. "I have one other request," he said as he extended his hand with the healing stones. "I cannot take these stones with me. I can't risk them falling into the wrong hands. Will you keep them safe?"
River Dog took the stones from his otherworldly friend, "I will guard them with my life."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Sodan had changed his appearance, hidden the book at the library and dumped Atherton's body just outside Roswell in less than two hours. He had planned on spending the time until the pods hatched in the cave near the reservation but he did not know to whom Atherton had spoken or what he had told them. Sodan decided it would be better to leave the area and not return until the pods were ready to hatch.
He had often wondered if Khivar's troops were still on Earth and if they were, he had resolved to find them. Of course he had to be careful. It was unusual for him to worry about his own safety, having been raised as a bodyguard, but it was possible he was the only one of the shape shifters who had survived. And when the Royal Four came out of their pods they would need a protector and an educator. He wouldn't risk himself, he would simply try to determine if Khivar’s troops were still on Earth.
Sodan drove west. He had been able to roughly determine the path the transport had traveled on its fatal descent and he decided to follow the trail backward to look for clues of Khivar's troops. The crash had been more than ten years ago and though it was unlikely that any evidence would remain, he had to start somewhere.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(November 18th, 1959)
(Roswell Sheriff’s Station)
When Sheriff Valenti Sr. had first seen the body with the glowing handprint seared into its chest, he had known it was the work of aliens. He had been present at the crash site more than a dozen years ago and no matter what lies the military concocted, he knew the wreckage hadn't been from a weather balloon or anything else of an Earthly origin.
Since the crash, he had looked for signs of alien activity and had pursued every lead. He had seen the lights in Frazier Woods many times and even though he had never seen the aliens, he knew they were on Earth. Many people said he was obsessed, crazy even, but he knew the truth and now no one would be able to deny it. The unidentified body in the morgue was incontrovertible proof that aliens existed.
A knock at the door drew his attention and before he could answer, the door opened to reveal the Mayor.
"Sheriff Valenti, this report is unacceptable," Mayor Harker said tossing the folder onto the desk separating them. "Glowing handprints? Aliens? Are you trying to turn the Sheriff's office and this town into a laughing stock?"
"Mayor," the Sheriff started in a calming tone, "everything in that report is true. The body at the morgue..."
"I have just come from the morgue," Mayor Harker cut him off. "I wanted to see this glowing handprint for myself. But all I saw was a body. There was no handprint."
"What do you mean, no handprint?"
"Either it faded or washed off," the Mayor scoffed. "Not my idea of proof of alien activity."
"But we have the photos and the autopsy report," argued Valenti.
"The photos prove nothing and the coroner is ruling the cause of death as unknown. Not alien related unknown, but Earthly causes unknown. Now, I want you to change your report and take out all references to aliens." The Mayor ran his hand over his face. "Jim, we have known each other a long time. I would hate to see you throw away your career over something like this."
"I know," the Sheriff said exasperatedly, "they call me Sergeant Martian and worse but I have seen things that have no Earthly explanation."
"I know you believe, but until you have direct proof I don't want to hear any more about it. Half the town already thinks you’re crazy. The next time, the city council may want to take action to have you removed from office."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(October 7th, 1960)
River Dog had avoided the cave since Nasedo left, but on that day almost a year later, he felt compelled to return. Without Nasedo to light the interior, the cave was pitch black and River Dog had to use a torch to light his way. He approached the chamber where Nasedo had lived with an overwhelming feeling of loss. Nasedo had been his friend for almost twelve years and he wondered how the alien was getting along in the world.
He looked around the empty room; the few items Nasedo collected had been taken out when he left. The light of the torch bounced off the bare, rocky walls and dirt floor as River Dog turned in a complete circle. Finally the torch illuminated the symbols Nasedo had drawn on the wall. Nasedo had said another of his kind might come looking for the markings someday and River Dog wondered, not for the first time, what the message said. He smiled. He would probably never know.
River Dog turned to leave and stopped almost immediately, his attention drawn by a glint of light reflected from the torch by an object on the floor. He reached for the object but quickly withdrew his hand when a jagged edge cut his finger. He bent down, bringing the torch closer so he could get a better view. At first he wasn't sure what it was but as he turned it over in his hand, realization dawned. It was the piece of Nasedo's pendant that had broken.
He stood with the fragment in his hand. He had wished for Nasedo to return but somehow he now knew he would never see his friend again. His memories and the fragment of the pendant were all he would have of him. River Dog pulled his medicine bag out from inside his shirt and slipped the piece inside.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(September 6th, 1962)
(Copper Summit, AZ)
Khivar's troops had actually been very easy for Sodan to find. He had simply backtracked along the descent path of the crashed transport, searching each town until he had come to the town at the beginning of the trail, Copper Summit.
Sodan had been surprised at first when he realized the beings occupying the town were from his own planet. If he hadn't been paying very close attention to them, he might have taken them for human. They had obviously used some kind of technology to make themselves look human and help them survive in the planet's toxic atmosphere.
Sodan had watched the town and its occupants, from the surrounding hills, for over a week. Almost immediately he had seen evidence of their complacency and failing military discipline. There were no patrols, almost no security and they used their powers in the open without any concern of discovery.
By the end of the second week, Sodan had singled out a likely candidate, learned his routine, and killed and replaced him. Because he looked like one of their own, it was easy for Sodan to learn their plans and what had transpired in their time on Earth. The skins, as they called themselves, had not been subtle in their time on the planet. They had brazenly moved into the small town of Copper Summit, Arizona, ruined the local economy and caused strange occurrences until they had driven most of the humans away.
Sodan discovered from them that they had been sent to Earth with three purposes. They were systematically searching the country to find the Granolith and the Royal Four and when they found them, they would kill the King, Queen and General Varros, and they would return Vilondra to Antar.
Sodan had known of the Princess' affair with the usurper Khivar, but he thought it had ended long before her death. It was obvious to Sodan that Khivar only wished to marry Vilondra to make his claim to the throne legitimate, and he dismissed the vague talk of Vilondra's treachery as Harcion rhetoric. He had known the Princess her entire life. Vilondra would never betray her brother and King.
The skins leader, whom Sodan discovered to be none other than Khivar's right hand, General Nicaron, known as Nicholas on Earth, was rotating patrols to different parts of the country and chasing UFO sightings in attempt to locate the Royal Four, but so far they had made no progress. It had amused Sodan to discover that the skins had learned the crash had happened in Roswell almost ten years after the fact. Nicholas had sent a team to investigate but they had come back empty-handed. It was the first time Sodan had been glad the human military had cleaned up the area so well.
He had also made another, unexpected discovery. The skin he was impersonating was a member of a rebel group that was working to overthrow Khivar and place General Rath Varros on the throne. The group had been actively sabotaging the mission from the inside by killing Khivar's loyal troops and searching on their own for the General. Sodan respected the fact that the rebels were working to unseat the pretender Khivar but he was deeply offended that they wished to place the General, who was a mere ducal heir and half Harcion, on his master's throne, and Sodan vowed they would all die for their insolence.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(October 21st, 1962)
(Delta, Colorado)
Sodan had arrived in Delta five days ago with a specific plan. He had replaced a local farmer, faked a UFO sighting and reported it to the media, hoping to draw his prey to him. Using a trithium amplification generator he had obtained from his time in Copper Summit, he was able to monitor the skins movements. And this morning a skin investigative team, sent by Nicholas, had come to his door under their usual cover story of writing a book about UFO sightings.
He had given the skins a story of extraterrestrials with descriptions of shape shifters accurate enough to keep them in the area searching. Over the next two days he would kill the skin Lieutenant, who was in charge of the investigation, and assume his identity. Then he would kill one of the others and when they returned to Copper Summit he would accuse the other two of the murder.
Nicholas was known for his deadly temper and Sodan was counting on Nicholas to strike first, whether there was proof of guilt or not. But even if Nicholas did not kill the soldiers, the seeds of doubt would be planted and hopefully it would tear the group apart from the inside.
But before Sodan could put his plan into action, he had another unexpected visitor. Apparently the skins were not the only ones who were investigating UFO sightings. Sodan answered the knock at his door and recognized Agent Lewis immediately, even though he had not seen him for over ten years. Lewis had been in charge of Sodan's capture and torture and his was a face Sodan was not ever likely to forget.
"Good afternoon Mr. Barnett," Lewis greeted him. "I am agent Lewis from the FBI. I'm investigating your claim of a UFO sighting.
"Agent Lewis," Sodan said with an outstretched hand, "come in. I will be glad to answer your questions."
Sodan glanced out the door as he moved aside to allow Lewis to enter. Lewis had arrogantly come to interview him alone and Sodan smiled with satisfaction as he closed the door behind the human. Sodan didn't waste time bantering with the human but subdued him easily and morphed into the form he had used during his capture. "We have met before, but perhaps you would remember me better with this face."
Sodan was gratified by the look of genuine surprise on Lewis' face before he slowly ended the agent's life.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(October 27th, 1962)
(Copper Summit, AZ)
Sodan watched with amused satisfaction as Nicholas ranted. He had led Nicholas to suspect the two skin soldiers and several others, were actively conspiring against Khivar. The amusing part was that Sodan had accused them of plotting to murder him, or more precisely plotting to murder the skin Lieutenant he was impersonating. The satisfying part was that he had exposed William, the leader of the resistance against Khivar on Earth.
Tomorrow Nicholas would execute the traitors as examples but by then Sodan would be long gone. When it was discovered he was missing it would be assumed that more traitors had killed him. Sodan smiled. He had successfully started a war within Khivar's troops and with any luck they would destroy themselves.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(February 25th, 1967)
(Union City, Tennessee)
Over the next five years, Sodan repeated the same scenario several times at different locations around the country. He would report a sighting and then wait for the skins to come to him. He succeeded in killing at least a dozen skins and tricked Nicholas into killing at least ten more.
The special unit had continued to investigate the sightings but they had grown more cautious. The new head, agent del Bianco, made sure all agents worked in pairs and reported to headquarters often. Sodan had a particular hate for the special unit and took great pleasure in killing the agents whenever he got the opportunity, and that morning he was presented with an opportunity he could not pass up.
Agent del Bianco came alone to the house where Sodan was staying to investigate the latest counterfeit sighting. Agent del Bianco told Sodan his partner was running late and would meet them in twenty minutes. Sodan could not believe his luck and wasted no time subduing and killing the human.
He left the body on the front porch of the house to ensure that the other agent would not miss it when he arrived. Then he changed his face, placed his belongings in the newly colored black car and headed out of town.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(May 15, 1970)
(near the pod chamber)
Kaldar had watched the two human women for the last few minutes as they had been taking photographs in the area near the pod chamber. At first he had been concerned that they might pose a threat to the pods but relaxed when he realized they were simply enjoying the outdoors.
Kaldar didn't see many people, especially females. Over the years when he went into town, he would borrow the faces and attire of drifters who were often seen in the area, in order to draw as little attention to himself as possible. Few people acknowledged or talked to him and none of them who did were female.
Curious, he moved closer to the women's truck where he could easily hear their conversation.
"Joyce I think we've gotten some great pictures today. I’m sure the gallery will buy some of these shots."
"I think you’re right Shelia," Joyce agreed. "The desert provides a perfect backdrop for the rock formations and the scrub brush. It looks so desolate and that is what people want these days, but you're the aspiring artist, I just tote your camera equipment."
Shelia didn't answer her friend right away, her attention focused on the rock formation where the pod chamber was hidden. "You know it's the strangest thing. I wanted to come to this place because I had seen photographs that had been taken here back in the thirties," she motioned to the rocks that held her attention, "but I don't remember this formation being this big. And that unique shape, almost like it’s pointing up into the sky, surely I would have remembered that."
"That's ridiculous," Joyce laughed. "Rocks don’t change that fast."
Sheila shook her head. "I'm positive it wasn't like that," she said heading for the truck. "I have the photos. We can compare."
Joyce glanced at the huge rock formation with disbelief. Of course it hadn’t changed. The thing must weigh tons.
Shelia trotted up to her with the photos and they quickly flipped though the stack, looking for shots with the correct angle. Finally they found a photo that covered the area where the rocks stood but just as she had said, the formation was smaller and a different shape in the photo.
"This is impossible," Joyce said, shaking her head. "It must be a different area."
"No," Shelia said. "Look," she held up the photo and pointed out the landmarks she had recognized. "There are those two rocks, and that other large rock formation is there."
Joyce shook her head. "You're right but it can't be."
"Well," Shelia joked, "supposedly this is the area where the UFO crashed in 1947 maybe the aliens formed the rock for some reason, like the ones at Stonehenge or Easter Island."
"Yeah that must be it," Joyce laughed. "I wonder what really did happen. Some kind of geologic phenomena."
"Yeah,” Shelia agreed, “maybe somebody from the university geology department can explain it."
"I’ll contact someone there tomorrow," Joyce said as she turned and headed back to the truck. "But it's getting late and I'm sure that husband of yours has big plans for tonight, since it's your first anniversary."
Kaldar lurched toward the truck, a feeling of dread overcoming him. The previously harmless women suddenly posed a threat to his charges. If they alerted others, there was a possibility the pod chamber would be discovered and he couldn't let that happen. In the past he simply would have killed both women where they stood but his powers were not always reliable and he couldn't risk letting them get away. He rushed forward as they closed the trucks’ doors and slipped under a tarp in the bed of the truck. He would wait until he had a better opportunity.
The truck traveled for almost half an hour before stopping again. Kaldar peered out through a slit he had made in the canvas covering him. It was obviously the home of the woman called Shelia. She exited the truck with her damning photos and went into the house.
Kaldar waited until the truck drove to the end of the street to make his move. He used his powers to stall the engine, hopped out of the truck and reached through the driver's side window quickly ending Joyce's life. He shoved her body down onto the floor as he changed the color of the truck and the number on the plates. Then he climbed behind the wheel just as a car came around the corner toward him.
He turned the truck and drove back the way he had just come, watching in frustration as the other car pulled into the driveway of the house where he had been headed. Kaldar drove the truck past his intended destination and parked down the road. He would wait until dark to enter the house and finish his task. He reached for the Tic Tac brand mints that he always kept in his pocket. He had seen the mints for the first time on a visit to town a month ago and had discovered they offered greater relief from the headaches than anything he had previously tried. He shook the plastic container, causing the familiar rattle, and popped a few of the small mints in his mouth to quell the growing pain in his head from the use of his powers.
After just a few moments, Shelia and the man who had been driving the car, exited the house and climbed into the car. Kaldar followed them discreetly in the truck, waiting patiently for an opportunity. As they drove, he considered the situation carefully, quickly coming to a decision. The woman Shelia was his only target. Even if she had told the man what she had discovered in the desert, it was unlikely he would know the location of the pod chamber. Kaldar would kill the woman, return to her house and destroy the only evidence; the photos, and then the man would pose no threat.
They had only been driving for ten minutes when the car pulled off the road, stopping at a small cafe. Kaldar stopped his vehicle just down the road and when the man walked alone toward the store, Kaldar rushed toward the woman in the car. Like all Antarians, he was capable of shorts bursts of extraordinary speed and he was next to the car in seconds.
She was just getting out of the car as he reached her. Kaldar pushed her back against the seat and placed his hand on her chest, using his powers to kill her quickly. He dragged her behind the car and allowed her limp body to fall onto the ground. He stood and glanced back toward the cafe just as the man emerged from the building, and their eyes met briefly. Kaldar turned and walked quickly across the parking lot and down the road toward the stolen truck.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Hubble exited the cafe and glanced at the drifter who was headed toward the road but drifters were common in the area and the man did not hold his attention. He continued to his car, opened the door and climbed inside, only noticing then that Shelia was not in the car.
He sat for a moment thinking. His eyes flicked to the cafe. Perhaps she was in the restroom, he thought, but he had not seen her enter the cafe. He got out of the car and looked around the dark parking lot seeing no one. Even the drifter had disappeared. Then he started around the back of the car but stopped almost immediately.
Shelia was lying on the ground and Hubble rushed to her side. He reached for her but the glowing handprint on her chest stopped him momentarily, the unreality of the situation making his mind swim in confusion. Without touching her, he knew she was dead. As he gently gathered her in his arms, his tears started to fall. His beautiful wife had been taken from him.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Kaldar's head was pounding painfully from the use of his powers and he dumped a generous amount of Tic Tacs into his mouth. After a short drive, he pulled onto the driveway of Shelia’s house and entered under the cover of darkness, easily finding the photos he was searching for. He paused to look around at the other photos that littered the tables and shelves. Many showed the man and woman together, smiling or laughing and he had just destroyed their happiness. A wave of regret passed over him but he pushed it away. He had done what he had to do to keep the Royal Four safe.
He glanced at the photos he was holding. They were simple photos of rocks and sand. They seemed so innocent, so innocuous but they heralded death; either the deaths of the Royal Four and the hopes of millions on Antar, or the deaths of two human women. Kaldar had not hesitated in his decision and he would do the same thing again. With a wave of his hand, he turned the photos to a fine dust that filtered through his fingers and down onto the formerly pristine carpet.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(November 3rd, 1972)
(Roswell Sheriff’s Station)
"Sheriff?"
Jim Valenti Sr. looked up from the paperwork he was doing." I'm Sheriff Valenti," he said, rising with an extended hand. "What can I do for you?"
"Everett Hubble," the man responded, taking the proffered hand, "and I'm hoping you can help me. I heard you were the man to see."
"See about what?"
"My wife was killed and I'm hoping you can help me track the killer."
"But why come to me?” asked the Sheriff.
"Because my wife was killed by an alien."
Jim sat back in his chair. "Very funny. Who put you up to it?"
"I assure you Sheriff it isn't a joke. My wife, Shelia was killed two years ago." He motioned to his chest, "She had a glowing handprint just here." His eyes lost their focus as he remembered. "The thing must have been trying to steal my car and maybe Shelia tried to stop it, but it killed her without a second thought."
"I'm sorry," Valenti said, "but not many people believe, and I take a lot of flack."
"I know what you mean," Hubble said with a nod. "I thought all of the stories about aliens were just that, stories, until I got firsthand knowledge. And for the last two years I have been investigating, trying to find out all I can while I look for the one that killed my wife." He paused. "I heard you were a crazy old man who believed in aliens but when I found out you were at the crash in '47, I knew you weren't crazy."
"What have you been able to find out?"
"Well there aren't many people who are willing to talk. But I have heard rumors about shape shifters that can take on the face of any human. The one that killed my Shelia looked human. He wears the face of a drifter." Hubble looked at the Sheriff, knowing he was winning him over. "Will you help me Sheriff? We have to find it so it can't do the same thing to anyone else."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Valenti House)
Jimmy Valenti watched as his father approached the house with a man he had never seen. He stood back as they came in, hoping the new man was not another UFO chaser. Over the years his father had been involved with one lunatic after another, always searching for proof of aliens. Jimmy had eagerly listened to his father's tales when he was younger but as he matured, the teasing he received from the other children made him resent his father's obsession.
His father made the introductions. "Jimmy this is Mr. Hubble."
Hubble held out his hand, "Nice to meet you son, but everybody calls me Hub. Are you an alien hunter, like your dad?"
Jimmy shook his head sadly. It was just as he feared, another alien nut. He quickly made his excuses, mumbling something about a date and left. He didn't want to be around as his father dug himself deeper into the hole of science fiction.
"Sorry about Jimmy," said the Sheriff, "he doesn't believe."
"Jim, I wish every day that I didn't believe," Hubble said. "Because the truth is, if there were no aliens my wife would still be alive and my daughter would be almost two years old."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(December 6th, 1972)
Sheriff Valenti glanced at the man riding in the car with him. They had been tracking the drifter Hubble thought was responsible for his wife's death for more than a month but this time they had a solid lead. A man who fit the description had chased another drifter out of his home at the old silo.
They would reach the silo in just a few minutes, but the Sheriff was wary of Hubble's reaction to the man and sought to reassure himself. "Now when we find this man, if he's the right one, we're just going to talk to him, right?"
Valenti waited for an answer but Hubble stayed silent. He looked toward Hubble but the other man’s expression gave away none of his feelings. "Hub?” Valenti said. “Hubble!" he repeated louder and gained the other man's attention. "We're just going to talk to him."
"Yeah Jim. Don't worry," Hubble reassured him with a smile, as he fingered the gun in his pocket. "We'll just talk."
Valenti stopped the car near the silo and the two of them went inside. The Sheriff entered the dark silo first but Hubble saw the drifter first and recognized the man immediately. He pushed past the Sheriff and grabbed the drifter by the collar, lifting him off his feet. "Why did you kill her?" he demanded.
"Kill who?" the drifter said groggily. "I don't know what you're talking about."
Hubble threw the man against the wall, "I know you're lying. I was there. I saw you. It was two and a half years ago. May 15th, 1970. Pepper's Cafe."
"I have never heard of that place and I've never killed anyone," the drifter protested.
Hubble turned to Jim, "He's lying."
"Okay," Valenti agreed. "Let's just take him in and we can get everything straightened out to everybody's satisfaction."
"I can get my satisfaction right here," Hubble said. Before Jim could stop him, he quickly drew his gun and fired twice into the drifter's chest. He wasn't sure what he expected but the man's body simply dropped to the ground, a bloom of crimson quickly covering his chest.
Sheriff Valenti rushed forward and felt for a pulse. "He's dead."
"That alien deserved to die for what he did to Shelia," roared Hubble.
The Sheriff looked closely at the dead man on the ground. "Hubble, I don't think he is an alien. He looks human."
"Of course he looks human. He can change his shape," Hubble said.
"But shouldn't he change back now that he's dead?" Valenti pointed out. "Or have green blood or, I don't know, something. Something not human?"
"He can't be a man," Hubble said, as a kernel of doubt started to grow within him. "He left the glowing hand print."
The Sheriff sat back on his heals, realization dawning as the seemingly inconsistent pieces suddenly fit into place. "The alien left the hand print. The alien killed your wife. The alien changed his appearance to look like this man, but this isn't the alien. This is a human and the alien took his face." Valenti turned toward Hubble, "Hub, we killed a man. We hunted down and murdered a human."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(April 17th, 1989)
(The Pod Chamber)
Kaldar glanced at the sun overhead. It was only April but already the heat was pounding down like it was July. There had been little rain that year and there was almost no foliage to provide him with cover. Fortunately his kind was capable of adapting to almost any atmospheric condition and the heat was merely an annoyance.
He had needed to go into town to replenish his supplies for the last week but he had been overwhelmed by the impression that it was of the utmost importance for him to stay near the pod chamber. He was an empath and even though his ability was only considered to be moderately powerful, he always followed the impressions he received. He did not always know what they meant but they were almost never wrong. So as his few remaining supplies dwindled, he stayed alert, carefully scanning the horizon for any signs of danger.
Kaldar was so certain the danger would come from the direction of the highway, that when he heard the grinding sound of the pod chamber door opening, he didn't immediately recognize it. His eyes flicked quickly around, but after a moment, recognition dawned and he turned toward the sound with wide eyes. And he sat dumbfounded as his young master emerged from the dark chamber.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(August 15th, 1990)
(Roswell, NM)
Sodan noted the growth of the town as he drove through it for the first time in thirty years. It amused him that the entire area seemed to have its economy based on aliens. Alien themed businesses lined the main street; restaurants, souvenir shops and even a museum. But he was not there for the tourist attractions and quickly passed through the town toward his destination.
He drove for several more miles before pulling onto a familiar dirt road that continued into the desert. Sodan stopped his car in front of the rock formation that had housed the Royal Four in pods for over forty years. Finally his years of waiting were over. He approached the door eagerly and opened it ready to welcome his King.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
END OF BOOK 3 - THE PRICE OF FEALTY (NASEDOS' JOURNEYS)
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
WHO'S WHO & NAME PRONUNCIATIONS
Book 4 - Fate's Intervention (The Pods Hatch)
EARTH
Humans
Deputy Owen Hawk - native American deputy of the Mesaliko tribe who investigated the children found on the side of the road (Max & Isabel)
Deputy Jim Valenti Jr. - future Sheriff of Roswell - Kyle's father
Mrs. Kathleen Valenti - Jim's wife and Kyle's mother - she left them in 1989
Sheriff Gary Miller - Sheriff of Roswell 1972 – 1991 - Deputy Jim Valenti Jr.'s boss
Philip Evans - Max and Isabel's adoptive father - he is a lawyer
Diane Evans - Max and Isabel's adoptive mother
Vivian Whitmore - Hank's wife and a nurse at Artesia General Hospital and Michael's foster mother
Hank Whitmore - Michael's foster father
Mary Simpson - director of the Westlake Orphanage where Max and Isabel are taken
Agent Daniel Summers - Head of the special unit before Pierce, he recruited Pierce
Agent Daniel Pierce - Deputy Dave Fisher - head of the special unit 5/2/1999 - 5/14/2000
Liz Parker - the girl that Max Evans loved at first sight
Brody Davis - Brody Davis - internet start-up millionaire - believes he was abducted by aliens and cured of his cancer
Shape Shifters Loyal to the Royal Four
Nasedo - Sodan - expert in hand-to-hand and weapons combat and a pilot, special skill - heat and energy blasts
Letras - (le-tras) - Zan's former tutor, expert in philosophy, history and military tactics, captured by the special unit and killed
Cuerena (soor'-ren-ya) - scientist and Granolith expert, special skills - illusion - assigned the dupes protector
Tic Tac - Kaldar - expert in hand-to-hand and weapons combat, special skill - empath -
injured by the humans and has terrible headaches when he uses his powers
Skins
Nicholas Crawford - General Calles Nicaron (kal-ees) (ni-ca'-ron) - Khivar's right hand and head general
Hybrids
Max Evans - Zan
Isabel Evans - Vilondra
Michael Guerin - Rath
Tess Harding - Alyssa Morgan
ANTAR
Tageions (tauj'-ee-ons) - people inhabiting the north lands
King Zantor Tageonant (tauj'-o-nant) - (Zan) - Max - the rightful King of Antar
Queen Avalynd Telnada Tageonant (Ava) - Zan's young bride
Royal Princess Vilondra Tageonant - Isabel – Zan’s sister
Queen Nedra Tageonant (ne'-dra) - Zan & Vilondra's mother
Tageonon (tauj'-o-non) - the capitol city of Antar, where the king's palace is located
Sodan (so-dan) - Nasedo - Zan's most trusted protector
Jensto (jens-toe) - a scientist in Zan's employ who Khivar captured
General Toaks - named Zan's second in command after Rath died - Queen Nedra's head General in the resistance against Khivar
Kranon – Queen Nedra’s head scientist
The Sephtafus (named for the Antarian mythical goddess of good fortune) - the ship sent to Earth with the pods and the shape shifters
General Alarath Varros (Rath) - Michael - Zan's best friend and second in command
Kaldar – Tic Tac - Rath's most trusted protector
Harcions (Har-see-ons) - people inhabiting the south lands
Khivar Roistar (roys'-tar) - man who usurps Zan's throne
General Calles Nicaron (kal-ees) (ni-ca'-ron) - Nicholas - Khivar's right hand and head general
Roistar (roys'-tar) - formerly Tageonon, Khivar changed the name when he assumed the throne
The Leptes (the Antarian word for Vengeance) - the ship Khivar sent to Earth with Nicholas and the skins
Shape Shifters sent to Earth with the Pods
Sodan - Nasedo - expert in hand-to-hand and weapons combat and a pilot - special ability energy blasts
Letras - (le-tras) - Zan's former tutor, expert in philosophy, history and military tactics - captured by the special unit and died
Cuerena (soor'-ren-ya) - scientist and Granolith expert - special ability illusion - assigned the dupes protector
Kaldar - Tic Tac - expert in hand-to-hand and weapons combat - special ability empath - injured by the humans and has terrible headaches when he uses his powers
BOOK 4 - FATE'S INTERVENTION (THE PODS HATCH)
fate -
1 : the principle or determining cause by which events happen
in-ter-ven-tion -
1 : to occur or come between points of time or events by way of hindrance or modification
2 : to compel or prevent an action
3 : to turn aside from an original purpose, path or course
DISCLAIMER: Some of the dialogue used was taken from the episodes and I am not claiming credit for having written it but used it simply to set up the tone of a scene or show parallels between lives and realities.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Most people seem to think that Tess' pod hatched late. I think the other three must have hatched early. This recounts the events around the time that the pods hatched and the activities of the shape shifters.
NAGGING QUESTIONS:
1. Did Tess' pod hatch late or did the other three pods hatch early?
2. Why couldn't Nasedo find Max and the others for 10 years?
3. Why didn't Valenti suspect Michael & Isabel of being 'otherworldly' when all three of them were found wandering in the desert at approximately the same time?
4. Why weren't medical tests performed on the kids when they were found?
5. The police must have investigated the area where Max and Isabel were found. Why didn’t they see their footprints leading back to the pod chamber?
6. Why was Michael fostered to a single man?
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Earth Date - October 5th, 1988)
(Antar)
(Capitol city of Roistar - formerly Tageonon)
(Secret Headquarters of the Resistance Loyal to the Tageonants)
"Your Highness," General Toaks addressed the dowager Queen Nedra as he bowed formally. "Our operative inside Khivar's inner circle has discovered that Khivar sent troops to Earth within a month of when the transport left with the Royal Four."
Nedra rose to her feet in surprise. "They left that long ago and we have not known about it," she said distractedly, her mind rushing through the many possible scenarios.
"Khivar has told very few people of the mission," Toaks said.
"Who is leading this mission?" asked Nedra
"General Nicaron," he said, noting the Queen's shock. "Apparently a shape shifter has been impersonating him in Khivar's court to disguise his absence."
"Was the operative able to determine Nicaron's mission directive?"
"The troops are to retrieve the Granolith and..." Toaks trailed off with a sigh. There was no easy way to tell the dowager Queen his news. "I am sorry your Highness, but Nicaron’s orders are to eliminate the King and Queen and General Varros."
Nedra accepted the news stoically, "And Vilondra?"
"Khivar has given strict orders that the Princess is to be returned to Antar to be reunited with him. As you know, your Highness, rumors have been circulating for years that Princess Vilondra betrayed her brother and her entire family because of her great love for Khivar. And he has used Vilondra's supposed support for his position as King to gain sympathy among the nobles. If she were to return and continue her relationship with Khivar..." he let his sentence trail off to avoid causing the Queen more pain.
But Nedra finished his thoughts, "Vilondra's presence could lend credence to Khivar’s claim to the throne because he would have married into the Tageion line." She turned toward the image cubes on the table that depicted the likenesses of her children. She did not know exactly when the four would emerge from the pods, since communication between Earth and Antar would be dangerous, but when they did leave the protection of the pods they would be defenseless children. A shiver of dread raced through her but she pushed it aside and turned back to the General. "Khivar's men cannot have completed their mission or Khivar would have announced his victory to the people of Antar."
"Yes," the General agreed, "I believe the Royal Four must be safe, for now."
"We cannot contact them through the communicators, the signal is too easily tracked. But we have to find a way to warn them." She dismissed the subject for the moment and concentrated on the question uppermost in her mind. “How did Khivar discover our plan and where the Royal Four were sent?”
“It appears that when the pods were sent, Khivar was able to find the lab, as we had feared. But his troops arrived before the lab was destroyed and he captured several of the scientists who were unable to escape. Among them was Jensto.”
Nedra sighed, “I thought he had been killed. Jensto would never willingly betray us but, no doubt, General Nicaron pried the entire plan out of his head.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(April 14th, 1989)
(Roswell Sheriff's Department)
Deputy Jim Valenti Jr. knocked on the doorframe of the Sheriff's office. "Gary?" he called into the Sheriff, "Can I talk to you?"
"Sure", replied Sheriff Miller, motioning him inside, "Take a seat, Jim."
Jim took the offered seat and Gary's gaze quickly took in his disheveled appearance and tired expression. "Is something wrong, Jim? You don' t look so good."
Jim rubbed at his tired eyes to avoid looking the older man in the face as he imparted the news. "Gary, you know Kathy and I have been having some problems. Well," he paused to clear his suddenly tight throat, "she left last night."
Gary looked down at his desk to give Jim a moment of privacy with his grief, but his deputy's words brought his eyes up to meet the younger man's.
"She left the boy too," Jim said.
Gary's surprise was evident, "Kathy left her son?"
"Yes," Jim said tonelessly. "It seems she wasn't ready for marriage and motherhood. Said the boy and I were tying her down."
"Oh Jim, I'm sorry. I knew you and Kathy didn't always get along but I had no idea things were that bad."
"Thanks Gary," Jim said distractedly. "I actually came to ask you a favor."
"Just name it. I'll do anything I can to help."
"Gary I have some vacation time coming and I would like to take it now. Kyle is upset and I would like to spend some time with him, to help him get through this."
"How much time do you want?"
"I have two weeks..."
Sheriff Miller cut him off. "I don't want to see you back here for at least a month and I'll work it out so you receive your full pay."
"Thank you Gary," Jim said, emotion making his throat tight. "I don't know what to say." He stood and offered the older man his hand.
"You don't have to say anything," Gary replied as he took Jim's hand and came around the desk to clap him on the back. "Just make sure you take care of yourself and that boy of yours."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(April 17th, 1989)
(The Pod Chamber)
Kaldar was so certain the danger would come from the direction of the highway that when he heard the grinding sound of the pod chamber door opening, he didn't immediately recognize it. His eyes flicked quickly around but after a moment, recognition dawned and he turned toward the sound. And sat dumbfounded as his young master emerged from the dark chamber.
Rath appeared to be a human child but Kaldar would have known him anywhere. He watched as the naked child looked around, taking in his surroundings, shielding his eyes from the bright sun overhead. The child-General scrambled down the incline on unsteady legs and instinctively headed for cover as he reached the bottom.
Kaldar was sure the pods should not have hatched for more than another Earth year and quickly checked his watch. He had only bought it a couple years previously but he had kept it in good condition and regularly changed the battery. The watch confirmed the date and he shook his head, trying to clear it. Sometimes he became confused about things, but he had been positive of the date the pods should hatch, August 15th, 1990. Some kind of glitch in the pods must have caused them to hatch early, he thought to himself as his eyes followed the progress of the boy among the rocks, or maybe the malfunction was only in his master's pod.
Starting forward out of his hiding place, Kaldar's attention was drawn back to the pod chamber by the sound of scattering rocks, and two more small figures emerged into the afternoon sun. He recognized them immediately; they were undoubtedly King Zan and Princess Vilondra. They made their way slowly down the incline, hand in hand, supporting one another but as they reached to bottom, they separated, the Princess continuing, while the boy-King stopped to examine a dying bush.
Kaldar looked back toward the General, his master. The child had not left the cover of the rocks but he had seen the two others. He appeared distrustful of them, as if they might harm him.
Kaldar was unsure about what to do. He was not equipped to care for the children and there was no way to contact the others without possibly leading their enemies to them. He glanced back toward the chamber, Queen Ava had still not come out.
After a few moments of indecision, he sneaked back to the chamber, careful not to reveal himself to the three children. From the doorway, Kaldar could see that the Queen remained in her pod and the fluid within was still in a liquid state. Cuerena had told them when the pods were getting close to hatching, the fluid would become more viscous until it was the consistency of the ocean on Antar. That meant Queen Ava was nowhere near ready to come out of her pod.
There must have been a malfunction in the three pods, he thought to himself, as he sealed the pod chamber door. Somehow the malfunction had caused the three pods to hatch early but it had not affected the final pod. Kaldar remembered the feelings he had followed, urging him to stay near the pod chamber. If he had not been there when the pods had hatched, three of the Royal Four might have been lost.
Sodan had been assigned the task of caring for the Royal Four until they reached their maturity but he had not returned to the pod chamber for almost forty years and there was no reason for him to come back a year early.
Kaldar discretely followed the three children as they wandered through the desert, trying to decide what to do. As the day progressed he found himself referring to them by their first names, the grandiose titles seeming somehow out of place on the small beings. Vilondra was bold and curious, scrambling up rocks and examining every plant, while Zan seemingly oblivious to his sister just a few yards ahead proceeded slowly, approaching each new discovery with caution.
The day was scorching hot and Kaldar could see that the sun's relentless heat was taking its toll on the children, causing them to appear listless and burning their delicate skin. He used his powers to create a spring that flowed from the side of a large rock formation ahead of Vilondra and watched as Vilondra, then Zan and finally Alarath, separately found and eagerly drank from the cool water.
As it grew dark, Zan and Vilondra found each other again but Alarath had still not made his presence known to them. They continued walking in the general direction of the highway and Kaldar knew he would have to do something before they reached the road.
It was past dark when Kaldar amusedly watched as Alarath stealthily made his way around Zan and Vilondra and scrambled up onto a rock where the other two would pass.
They rounded a corner and when they saw him, approached eagerly, Vilondra extending a hand to him. Alarath jumped down, took her hand and the three continued toward the highway.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Diane and Philip Evans drove silently toward Roswell. They had attended a dinner party in a nearby town and it had run late as usual. Diane was exhausted and kept catching herself dozing off.
Philip turned toward her as she jerked awake again. "Honey, it's okay. Let yourself get some sleep."
She shook her head. "I can't. I just have this weird feeling."
"What kind of feeling?" Philip asked, putting a comforting hand on her arm.
"I don't know. I can't explain it..." she trailed off. "It's like something important is going to happen."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Kaldar had still not decided what to do when the three children reached the road. They stopped at the edge of the pavement and seemed uncertain about which direction to continue until their attention was drawn toward two pinpricks of light in the distance approaching slowly. Kaldar's first instinct was to hide the children from the approaching humans but he stopped himself almost immediately. Perhaps it wouldn't be a bad idea to let humans care for the children. He looked at them consideringly for a moment. The children appeared human and Kaldar knew the humans would take them in as their own.
He was not capable of caring for them, he knew that with certainty. He quickly reviewed his options and did not see any harm in leaving the children in the care of humans. The children could not reveal the location of the Granolith to anyone because they had been engineered to repress the memories made in the first few hours after they emerged from the pods. And their powers wouldn't develop immediately and hopefully Sodan would have returned by then. Kaldar could still protect them from afar as he had done since his arrival on this planet and when Sodan returned, he would reclaim the children and the plan could proceed on schedule.
Kaldar stayed in the protection on the rocks, having made up his mind and watched. Zan and Vilondra seemed to know instinctively that the lights could be trusted because they turned toward them but Rath balked, afraid to trust, and stood his ground. Zan turned and held his hand toward Rath but Rath shied away and as the headlights drew closer Rath concealed himself in brush beside the road.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"What on Earth?"
Philip's exclamation jolted Diane's attention to the road as the car slowed and pulled onto the side of the road, but what she saw left her speechless. When the car stopped, neither of them moved as they unbelievingly watched the two small children revealed by the car's headlights. Philip was the first to act, opening his door and Diane quickly followed him.
As they approached the children, Diane could see they were no more than five or six years old and completely naked. A chill ran up her spine as she shrugged out of her coat and started to reach for the girl but she hesitated, afraid she might scare them. She dropped to her knees and addressed them in a quiet tone. "Hi, my name is Diane."
The two children turned curious faces toward the sound of her voice but they did not speak.
Diane continued, "This is Philip," motioning to her husband who had joined her before them. "What are your names?"
Diane's eyes quickly darted around the area but seeing nothing she turned back toward the silent children. "Are you out here alone?" Her eyes raked over their exposed bodies, looking for injuries. "Are you hurt?"
When the children still didn't respond, she started to inch forward. "We won't hurt you. We just want to make sure you're okay." She reached toward the girl and the bracelet she was wearing slid down her arm, the moonlight glinting off the shiny surface.
The reflection captured the girl's attention and she boldly approached, dragging the boy with her, hand outstretched toward the bracelet. Diane stopped and let her examine the bracelet, while she draped her coat around the girl's narrow shoulders. She removed the bracelet and handed it to the girl as she gathered her in her arms and Philip quickly bundled the boy in his coat.
He easily lifted the small boy and turned to his wife, "Let's put them in the car and you stay with them while I look around. It's pretty obvious they're in shock. They must have been in an accident or something. Maybe there are other survivors."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Kaldar watched in confusion as the car drove away with Zan and Vilondra. The humans had put them in the car and the man had looked around the area briefly, but in the end they had driven away with only two of the three. Kaldar looked over to where his master was hiding. He had not emerged the whole time the humans had been present. Kaldar had expected the three of them to be together and now he was not sure what to do. He would have to make sure the humans found Alarath so he could be cared for.
As he pondered the possibilities, a plan formed in his head. With a wave of his hand, he sent a burst of power into air, stirring up the wind to erase the children’s footprints that lead back to the pod chamber. Then he silently approached his master from behind and used his powers to ease the child into sleep. He gathered the small form in his arms and using a burst of Antarian speed arrived at the place where he had hidden the truck, that had belonged to the woman he had killed all those years ago. He deposited the sleeping boy onto the seat beside him and devouring a mouthful of Tic Tacs, drove in the direction he had seen the car disappear.
He caught up with them easily, because they were driving so slowly, and decelerated to keep a distance between the two vehicles. He followed them into town and to Roswell Memorial Hospital, parking in the far corner of the lot and carefully locking his young master inside. Kaldar altered his clothing to resemble a hospital worker and slipped unnoticed into the emergency room where the humans had taken the children.
He stayed close to watch as the children were thoroughly examined, but he started to become worried when the doctor ordered blood tests. Kaldar knew the children's anatomy was human but he was unsure if the Antarian genetic material would be visible in the tests. He followed the technician who took the children's blood to the lab, and waited for an opportunity. When he was alone, Kaldar quickly changed Zan and Vilondra's samples to appear like human blood. He had helped Cuerena in the lab on the ship often enough with the samples of human blood they had taken, and he knew how to make it perfect.
When he returned to the room where the children were being kept, a deputy was also there. Kaldar was careful to stay hidden, but he listened to the conversation.
"You didn't see a wreck or anybody else in the area?" Deputy Hawk asked as he took careful notes.
Phillip shook his head, as he answered. "No, I looked around the area, but there was no sign of a wreck, at least not that we saw."
The deputy made a note. "We're sending a cruiser out to take a look, just in case."
Diane spoke up, "What will happen to the children?"
Deputy Hawk smiled sympathetically, knowing she was concerned for them. "For tonight they will stay here and then it will depend. We will try to find their parents, but it's odd, I mean the way they were found."
He looked toward the two hospital-gown clad children and turned back to Diane and Phillip, ushering them a few paces away and lowering his voice. "If we don't find a wreck," he paused shaking his head, "I mean it's almost like they were dumped on the side of the road like a dog you don't want."
Diane felt tears prick the back of her eyes as she thought of the children being left purposefully in the desert. "What if you can't find their parents?"
"They will be put into the system and sent to the Westlake Orphanage."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Kaldar waited until all of the tests came back clean to make sure the children would not be in any danger and then he headed toward the exit. He emptied the box of Tic Tacs into his mouth to combat his headache as he grabbed some clothing on his way out of the hospital. He climbed into the truck's cab and used his powers to size the clothes for Alarath. He pulled them onto the boy and settled him back onto the seat, knowing his young master would sleep for hours.
Kaldar closed his eyes and let his head fall back against the seat. It throbbed horribly from the use of his powers but he had to give Alarath to the humans before he would allow himself to rest.
Kaldar feared the humans would perform blood tests on Alarath too and he needed to get his strength back before he could attempt using his powers again. Perhaps if he took Alarath to a hospital in the next town, the humans there would forgo the tests.
He straightened in his seat and let his eyes roam over the small form at his side. He had guarded this boy, who would become a Duke and General, since his infancy on Antar, and he felt honored that he had the chance to do it again. Kaldar now knew why he had experienced the feelings to stay near the pod chamber. If he hadn't been there when the pods hatched, the children might have perished in the heat before they reached safety and all of the planning and waiting would have been for nothing.
He smoothed the hair off of Alarath's forehead as he slept, oblivious to the world around him. He wished he could have cared for the children himself, but the throbbing pain in his head was the perfect reminder of why that was impossible. Kaldar started the truck, drove to a convenience store to restock his Tic Tac supply, and then headed toward his destination, Artesia General Hospital.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The Evans had stayed in the waiting room eager to hear the results of the tests on the children, and with each passing moment Diane grew more certain of her feelings. She had fallen in love with the children at first sight and she wanted to make sure they were taken care of. But what she didn't know was how Phillip would react, and she approached the subject slowly. "Phillip, what if they were abandoned? Those poor children will be put in foster care."
Phillip nodded and turned to his wife with a smile, already knowing what she was thinking. "I know someone who works in Family Services. I will get us signed up tomorrow as foster parents. Bob will rush the paperwork for us and if the kids are put into foster care, we will be there to make sure they have a good home."
Tears came freely to Diane's eyes as she hugged her husband and he leaned down and whispered into her ear. "We have wanted a family and maybe we weren't blessed with one because we were meant to care for these children. Maybe they are our ready-made family."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(April 18th, 1989)
(Artesia General Hospital)
Kaldar had taken Alarath to the hospital claiming he had found him in the desert, which he thought ironically, was actually true. He had been asked many questions by the Artesia Sheriff's department but in the end, they had realized he could not provide the answers they wanted.
The hospital had preformed various tests on the boy and Kaldar had been forced to use his powers again. He waited until the tests had come back on Alarath and they showed the boy to be in perfect health, as Kaldar had known they would. Alarath had awoken not long after Kaldar had deposited him at the hospital and Alarath had fought the humans with a stubbornness that made Kaldar proud. One of the nurses, Vivian, had finally been able to calm him down, her gentle manner soothing the boy's fears.
Exhausted by the day's events but knowing his master was in good hands, Kaldar excused himself, making his departure. He used the last of his strength to drive back to his home in the desert. He camouflaged the truck and returned to his dwelling where he collapsed into a deep sleep.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(April 19th, 1989)
(Roswell Memorial Hospital)
The director of the Westlake Orphanage, Mary Simpson, came to retrieve the two children the next day. She looked into the children's ward where they were engrossed in early-morning cartoons and turned toward the nurse at her side. "They haven't spoken since they were brought in?"
The nurse shook her head, "No. Neither of them has said a word. The doctor thinks maybe it's trauma induced but there is not a mark on either of them. They don't behave as if they have been through a traumatic experience. They seem fine, happy even, they just don't speak."
Mary nodded. "Maybe they just need some time."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(April 20th, 1989)
(Roswell Sheriff’s Department)
Deputy Hawk knocked on the Sheriff's office door as he entered. "Gary I wanted to report that I haven’t made any progress on the case with the kids the Evans found."
The Sheriff sat back in his chair. "Tell me what you've got."
"I've checked the missing persons reports for the last six months from all of the surrounding states and nothing even comes close to their descriptions. No one has reported these kids missing. It's like someone just dropped them off in the desert."
Gary shook his head, "I was afraid it was something like that. There was no accident they could have wandered away from and obviously they hadn't been out there more than a day, they were relatively clean and well nourished."
"Do you want me to alert the press?” Deputy Hawk asked. “If we run a story, someone might come forward who knows them.”
Gary considered the idea for a moment and then shook his head. "No. Let's wait until they talk. Maybe they can tell us who they are. I don't want to involve the press. If we’re right and those poor kids were abandoned, they will have to live with that the rest of their lives. If we get the press involved everyone else will know too. Let's just keep it quiet and hope for the best."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(April 22nd, 1989)
(Artesia, NM)
Hank glanced at the clock as his wife entered the house. "Viv you're late again."
She crossed to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I know. I'm sorry, but working in the ward with that little boy…" she trailed off with a shrug. "I just lose track of time. He is so troubled and I feel like I can make a difference in his life."
"Is that right?" Hank asked pulling her into his lap with a smile. "You’re a nurse. You make a difference in people's lives every day."
Her face became serious. "Hank, I know it's early to be thinking things like this but..." she let her sentence trail off.
"Like what?" he prompted.
"I would like to foster the boy."
Hank opened his mouth to reply but Vivian cut him off. "You don't have to answer right now. Just think about it. Please."
"Viv, before you cut me off, I was about to say, whatever makes you happy."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(April 28th, 1989)
(Artesia General Hospital)
The boy has been here over a week," the psychologist addressed the others, "and it is obvious something happened to him. He is distrustful and violent and he hasn't uttered a single word."
Another doctor spoke up, "I think it's time we do some in-depth neurological testing."
Others nodded their approval. "There may be more wrong with him than we suspected."
"I will set up a schedule for the testing to start..."
They were interrupted by a knock on the door.
Vivian opened the door and addressed the doctor in charge, "I'm sorry to disturb you Doctor, but you said you wanted to be notified right away." She smiled, "The boy spoke."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(May 10th, 1989)
(Rock Formation near the pod chamber)
Kaldar jerked awake and winced. His whole body ached as if he had been sleeping in the same position too long. He carefully stretched his limbs and noted with surprise that he had reverted back into his natural state. He stared unbelievingly at the pink-gray skin of his arms. He had not been in his true form since he had been revived and he wondered what could have made him change back.
He glanced at the watch that seemed strangely out of place on his alien anatomy and did a double take when the date registered. May 10th. It couldn't be May 10th. He quickly checked the batteries and found them to be in perfect working order. He had been asleep for over two weeks. He must have used his powers to the point of exhaustion and even in sleep was unable to hold his adopted form. He would have to be more careful in the future not to over-tax himself.
He crawled out of his dwelling and changed his appearance back to human. He had to make sure the children were okay.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
As Kaldar approached the hospital where he had left Alarath almost a month ago, a feeling of foreboding settled over him. He was worried about what might have happened to Alarath since he had last seen him. He had decided to see to Alarath first because he knew the location of Zan and Vilondra. In the hospital that night he had overheard the deputy say they would be taken to Westlake Orphanage and he knew they would be well cared for there. But he was uncertain about what would have happened to his master.
Kaldar changed into the face he had worn the evening he brought Alarath to the hospital. He hoped the staff would remember him and would give him the information he required. If not, he would have to come back and break into the records.
He entered the building and the first person he saw was a doctor whom he remembered from than night. Kaldar reintroduced himself and asked about the boy he had 'found.' "I was in the area and I just wanted to know what became of the boy."
"One of the nurses and her husband decided to foster him," the doctor replied. "I don't know if you met her. Her name is Vivian."
Kaldar felt the tension go out of his body. He did remember Vivian. She had been the one Alarath had responded to that evening. He was glad his master was in a good home. "That's great, I do remember her," he said with a smile. "How is the boy doing?"
"He's doing great," the doctor assured him.
Kaldar left the building feeling much better about what he had been forced to do.
While he was in the hospital, he had been able to obtain Vivian's address and he headed toward his truck eager to see for himself that everything was okay. As he walked across the parking lot a sudden weariness overcame him and he fell to the ground. Surprised, he got up as quickly as his aching body would allow and stumbled to the truck. He must have expended more energy than he had thought. But now that he knew all the children were safe he could return to his dwelling and properly recover.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(May 12th, 1989)
(Westlake Orphanage)
Mary Simpson looked across the desk at the two anxious faces before her. "Mr. and Mrs. Evans, as I told you on the phone, the children did start talking two days after they were brought here. We thought they would be able to tell us who they were but they still don't remember anything before the day you found them."
The disbelief was evident in Phillip's voice, "They don't remember anything?"
Mary shook her head, "No, not even their names."
"They must have been through something terrible," Diane said shakily.
"The police think they were abandoned in the desert," Mary continued softly as Phillip took Diane's hand in his. "They have found no missing persons reports and no leads. They have given up the investigation."
"What does that mean for the children?" Phillip asked.
"We will place them with you as fosters, and if in a year the parents still haven't been found, you will be able to adopt them." With a smile, she noted the look of relief that passed between them. "Of course they will need therapy and a special school at first but they should grow into happy, well-adjusted children."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(December 18th 1989)
(Artesia Memorial Cemetery)
The minister clutched Hank's arm as the last of the mourners departed. "Hank I am genuinely sorry for your loss. I know you and Vivian were very happy together."
"Thank you Reverend," Hank managed before his throat closed up.
"I know this is a hard time for you but have you decided what you are going to do with Michael?"
Hank looked over to where Michael was standing with Vivian's sister. "I’ll keep him," he said without hesitation. "That's what Vivian would have wanted."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(August 13th, 1990)
Kaldar had looked in on Alarath every week for the first few months. He had a feeling he should stay close to his master but he could see that Alarath was being well cared for and his own continuing bad health forced him to make the trip less and less often. He had to use his powers often when he was in town and he'd been forced to cut the visits to once a month and then stop them altogether. He had only seen Zan and Vilondra at the orphanage one day last year but he was satisfied they were well cared for.
For months he had been recovering his strength, preparing for the day when Ava would emerge and he would be reunited with Sodan and Letras. Kaldar was sure they would not be angry with him for disobeying orders and staying near the pods, when they discovered the special circumstances surrounding the early hatching.
He opened the pod chamber door for the final time before the arrival of the others. Because the three had hatched early, he had often looked in on the final pod checking its progress, determined not to be caught off-guard again. He noted with relief, Ava was still in her pod and the fluids were becoming thick and viscous just as they should.
Glancing around the pod chamber for the first time in over forty years, his eyes lit on words written in the Antarian language inscribed on the wall. He had never noticed the writing before and quickly skimmed the message. Sodan had written that he was living in a cave near the Mesaliko Reservation. Kaldar smiled at the irony of it as he sealed the pod chamber door. They had been living so close to one another all of these years and he had not discovered it until the eleventh hour.
If he had known sooner, he could have contacted Sodan and handed the three children over to him. But Sodan would have them soon anyway. And since it was only two days before Sodan and Letras were due to arrive Kaldar decided to look in on the children.
He drove to the house where Alarath lived, only to find another family in occupancy. He asked about the previous tenants but the new humans did not know where they were. Kaldar drove to the hospital and inquired about the woman Vivian only to be told that she had died months before and her husband had moved on with the boy.
Kaldar sat in the truck uncertain of what to do. He had lost his master. He would have to wait until the others returned and then they could help him find Alarath.
He suddenly felt the need to check on Zan and Vilondra and he drove to the Westlake Orphanage in Roswell. But as he pulled up to the building, he could see something was terribly wrong. Where there had once been a fence and playground equipment, now stood a parking lot, and a sign hung from the door that said Westlake Medical Clinic and offered the names of several doctors.
Kaldar inquired at the reception desk about the orphanage and was told it had been closed down just a few months earlier due to an increase in the number of people registered as foster parents. Children were placed with families immediately and there just wasn't a need for an orphanage any longer.
Kaldar stumbled back to the truck unbelievingly. He had lost all three of them. Sodan was due in two days and only Ava was left for him to find. Kaldar knew he couldn't face Sodan until he had recovered the children. He wouldn't admit he had failed.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(August 15th, 1990)
Sodan stopped his car in front of the rock formation that had housed the Royal Four in pods for over forty years. Finally his years of waiting were over. He approached the door eagerly and opened it ready to welcome his King.
As the sunlight filtered into the chamber and illuminated the pods, the sight that greeted him made Sodan stop dead in his tracks. Three of the pods were empty and the occupants gone, including his King. He quickly looked around the chamber, hoping to find them inside, but three of the Royal Four were absent. He ran out into the open and completed a cursory search of the area but there was no sign of them and after a few moments he returned to the chamber.
Zan, Vilondra and Alarath had obviously hatched early. Sodan's first thought was perhaps they had been taken by Letras or Kaldar but as he studied the footprints on the chamber floor, he could see no sign of adults, only the small children had left their bare foot prints in the thick dust coating the floor. The three pods had hatched early and the clones, with no memory, had wandered into the desert. It had to have been some time ago because there was dust in the footprints and the fluids from the pods had dried completely.
He looked back at the remaining occupied pod. The young Queen Ava was the only one left. The fluids in her pod were thick, practically solid and Sodan knew she would soon emerge. He would have to wait for her to hatch and then he could go in search of the others.
He glanced at the wall opposite the pods where he had left the message so many years before. He doubted there was anyone left to read it.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(July 21st, 1991)
Sodan had searched the area around Roswell for almost a year with no sign of the other shape shifters or the three children. He thought the humans must have killed the shape shifters but the children looked human and Sodan believed they must have been taken among the humans as their own. He had done research at the newspaper morgue but there were no stories about any children found matching the descriptions. He had gone to every school in the area looking for them but there was no sign. He had even cautiously approached the Sheriff in Roswell, Jim Valenti, but the man knew of no children found in the area. It was as if they had simply vanished.
Finally Sodan resorted to the only option left to him, he sent a signal, hoping it would draw them out. But when a week had passed and the only respondents were the skins and the Special Unit, Sodan reluctantly admitted it was time to move on.
He felt as if he were abandoning his mission and his King. If he had been on his own he would have stayed to search but he had to keep the young Queen safe. He knew how much Zan loved Ava and he was determined that one day he would reunite them.
But this was a dangerous time for him and his young charge; Alyssa, as he had called her, was just coming into the first of her abilities. They were unpredictable and just like any child, she had a hard time keeping them under control. He did not know what her unique talent had been in her other life. It had been a closely guarded secret even from him but he did know she was very powerful. If she developed a blasting power or something else potentially dangerous, it would be better to keep her away from humans until she could control it and avoid calling attention to them. When it was safe, he would continue the investigation and he would find the others.
Also he needed to lead the FBI special unit and the skins away from Roswell so if the other three of the Royal Four were there, they would be left in peace.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(September 4th, 1992)
(Artesia, NM)
Michael walked home from school and warily let himself into the trailer. Since Vivian's death, things had gone from bad to worse. First, Hank had started drinking and staying out late, often leaving Michael alone. Then, Hank had lost his job and not long afterward, they had lost the house and been forced to move into a trailer. Since then they had moved from place to place, wherever Hank found work.
Michael was always grateful when they first moved because it meant that Hank would be out of the house more often. But Hank always managed to screw up and lose each new job and Michael would have to be extra careful not to make him angry. Hank had lost another job only a week ago and Michael knew it was better to stay out of his way.
Michael stopped just inside the door, when he saw Hank sitting in his chair with at least a dozen beer cans littering the floor around him.
"It'zs 'bout time youzs got home," Hank shouted. "We've gotta pack up and go."
Michael didn't have to hear Hank's slurred words to know he had been drinking heavily and he proceeded cautiously. "Where are we going?"
"I've gotta job and we're movin'."
Michael stood blinking at him, incredulous that Hank had gotten a new job so quickly, but Hank took his inaction as rebellion. "Go an' do what I tell you Mickey. Or are ya still goin' ta be standin' there next week when you're new school startzs?"
The reality of the situation was starting to sink into Michael. "What new school?"
Hank laughed, "New town boy, new school. Whatta you think you're goin' to commute from Rozswell to here everyday?"
"Roswell?" Michael echoed.
"Yeah," Hank said, slamming his beer down on the arm of the chair. "Haven't you been listenin'. My new job's at the cheezse factory in Roswell."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(September 7th, 1992)
Max huddled close to Isabel on the bus. They were surrounded by other children, and Isabel seemed to be in her element but Max did not like the crowd. He felt his differences more keenly when he was among a large group and today he felt more out of place than he ever had.
Since his adoptive mother had told them they would be attending a regular school with other children, he had dreaded the day when it would happen. For the last two years they had attended the small classes of a private tutor and Max had gradually grown comfortable in that environment but he feared facing an entire school full of strangers.
Max had been apprehensive when he awoke that morning, and the feeling had intensified as the crowded bus stopped in front of their house, and increased again when they had boarded the vehicle to confront the other students. He had let Isabel pull him to the back of the bus and into a seat, the faces of the strange children dancing before him as if they were taunting him for his shyness.
But as the bus drew closer to its destination, a calming sensation started to settle over him. Max looked around unable to determine the cause but he was grateful for any relief.
The bus pulled up outside Roswell Elementary and the children disembarked, Isabel eagerly dragging Max off the bus with her. As they threaded their way through the other children, a familiar warmth rushed over him, covering him, protecting him. A feeling, for the first time he could remember, of belonging and home.
Max slowed his pace as he was drawn toward the source and Isabel released his hand and ran ahead to join the others. Max turned toward a group of children but the only one he saw was a small girl with long, brown hair. He stopped, stunned by the instant flash of recognition, even if he didn't understand it, but he knew without question that this was the only girl he would ever love.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(December 14th, 1992)
(The Special Unit Lab)
(Washington D.C.)
Agent Daniel Summers watched as the laser failed to penetrate the smooth surface of the alien orb. Over the years, every test known to man had been performed on it, including radiation, microwaves and every chemical on Earth, but nothing had been able to penetrate it or cause any reaction in it.
Whenever a new testing technique was developed, the orb would be retrieved from the vault and subjected to the procedure, but so far all of them had failed.
Agent Summers opened the vault, constructed from depleted uranium, and walked to place the orb in its container. Someday, he thought, they would figure out how to make it work.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Earth Date - February 27th, 1993)
(Antar)
(Capitol city of Roistar - formerly Tageonon)
(Secret Headquarters of the Resistance Loyal to the Tageonants)
"Your Highness," General Toaks said as he bowed formally before the dowager Queen, "I have good news. The scientists have discovered a way to communicate across great distance and the signal cannot be tracked. They have been able to successfully alter the Thought Projector we currently use, to work on humans."
"Then we can warn Zan about Khivar's troops on Earth," Nedra exclaimed.
The General looked down to avoid the disappointment he knew he would see on her face. "But your Highness, we don't know where they are or even if they have emerged from the pods."
"I have been thinking about that General," she said. "What if we simply replace the message in the communication orbs; record over it. The orbs can hold the message and Zan can access it without sending a traceable signal."
A smile lit the General's face. "That just might work. We could use a human as a local transmitter, so the signal can’t be traced back to us."
"Tell me how this technology works," Nedra said.
"Basically it works the same on humans as on Antarians,” Toaks explained. “It allows the user to take over the mind of a subject and use the body for their own purposes. A small, unused area of the human's brain will be permanently adapted to allow the user to take over and control the human. And because the humans' brains are so similar to ours the user will be able to use their powers through the human subject too. "
"So we can use a human to broadcast a new message to the orbs," Nedra said with relief. "How is a subject chosen?"
"The subject must have a certain flaw in the brain structure. The device can sense this flaw and then we simply prepare the subject, similar to coding a computer. When I was told of the device I gave the order to have a subject prepared for your use."
"The human is not harmed in any way?"
"No, not if it is prepared correctly," the General said, shaking his head. "In fact, we have saved the life of the human the devise chose for your use. He possessed a disease that eventually would have become fatal. His own body was mutating and attacking the healthy parts, spreading corruption throughout his system. Apparently Earth medicine has not progressed enough to cure him but we were easily able to rid him of the disease to make sure of his continuing usefulness."
"And this human I will be using, what is his name?"
"He is called Brody."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Earth Date - March 4th, 1993)
(Antar)
(Capitol city of Roistar - formerly Tageonon)
(Secret Headquarters of the Resistance Loyal to the Tageonants)
Nedra entered the lab with General Toaks at her side. She addressed the head scientist Kranon, “I received word that the human Brody is ready.”
“Yes, your Highness,” Kranon replied. “We carefully prepared the human and moved him from an area that contained a large concentration of technology. It probably wouldn’t have interfered with the signal but we wanted to take every precaution. Now, everything is ready for you to send the message.”
Nedra put on the thought projector and started to read the statement she had prepared. “If you are seeing me now, it means that you are alive and well…”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Special Unit Vault)
(Washington D.C.)
The orb was locked inside the vault constructed of depleted uranium and the signal from Antar was unable to penetrate the heavy molecules.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Beneath the Sand - Near the Pod Chamber)
The orb accepted the message sent from Antar and attempted to activate an alert signal, a single brilliant shaft of light. But the sand pressing down on the light sensor confused the programming and it stored the signal for a later time.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Sunday, May 2nd 1999)
(Van Buren, Missouri - near the Ozark Mountains)
Sodan sat across the table from Alyssa and motioned to the two men in suits who had just come into the diner. "There are the FBI Agents."
The trap he had set worked. Sodan had stopped sending signals to draw out the FBI and the skins when he had retrieved Alyssa from the pod chamber, but when she had started gaining control of her powers he had started again, to let Alyssa see how the FBI worked. He always avoided the skins, feeling she wasn't ready to face them and concentrated her training on the FBI.
Sodan indicated the older man, "That is Agent Summers but I don't know the younger man." Sodan recognized Summers even though over ten years had passed since he had last seen him. Summers and his partner had interviewed him when he had played a UFO nut on one of the earlier 'sightings'.
Sodan turned his attention back to Alyssa. "In a moment we will leave the diner. You will use your powers to cloak me from the Agents and I will come back in and listen to what they are saying."
Sodan left some bills on the table and they exited. Sodan and Alyssa got into the car and he drove them around the side of the diner and parked. "If anything goes wrong, use your powers to get away and meet me at the agreed upon place."
Alyssa turned her icy blue eyes to her protector. "What could go wrong?"
"Probably nothing but it is always best to prepare for the worst. Ready?"
Alyssa nodded and closed her eyes in concentration, erasing Sodan's image from the minds of the FBI Agents.
Sodan re-entered the diner and crossed to the rack of pamphlets next to the table where the Agents were eating. They obviously did not see him and continued their conversation as if they were alone. They appeared to be having an argument.
Summers leaned forward and spoke softly. "Pierce, you are too quick to destroy. There are so many things we could learn from an advanced race."
The man named Pierce answered softly but his tone was fierce, "I don't believe we can learn anything from these creatures. They are only here to take us over, wipe us out. What other reason could they have for being here so long? They kill innocent people without a thought. They are unprincipled, despicable monsters and we should wipe out every one of them."
"But think of the advantages we could gain in technology, and medicine," Summers argued.
Pierce laughed, "You are getting soft, old man. You used to be the one to say we should shoot first and ask questions later."
"I haven't changed my mind, but now that I am in charge of the Unit, I can see other possibilities."
"I will never think of them as anything but monsters," Pierce said emphatically.
Sodan turned and left the diner. So Agent Summers was now in charge of the Special Unit, Sodan thought to himself. He couldn't let such a golden opportunity slip through his fingers. He headed out the door and around the building, crossing to the car. He changed the color of the paint and the license plate. "I think I can learn something from these men. I want you to go to the hotel and stay there. I will meet you in a few hours."
"But I want to help," Alyssa insisted.
Sodan shook his head. He had successfully kept the young Queen away from the sordid business that he'd had to do from time to time. He knew Zan would not want her to be involved and he always made excuses that would relieve her suspicions. "It will be easier if I do it myself. Now do as I say."
Sodan watched as she drove away and then he changed his appearance and went back into the diner where he sat sipping a cup of coffee, waiting for an opportunity. And when Agent Summers got up and walked to the restroom, Sodan followed him.
He let the door close behind him and spoke softly, "Agent Summers."
Summers swung around, "Who are you?"
Sodan smiled as he advanced, hand outstretched. "I am the one you have been looking for."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
END OF BOOK 4 - FATE'S INTERVENTION (THE PODS HATCH)
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
WHO'S WHO & NAME PRONUNCIATIONS
Book 5 - Ersatz Heirs (The Dupes)
EARTH
Shape Shifters Loyal to the Royal Four
Cuerena (soor'-ren-ya) - scientist and Granolith expert, special skills - illusion - assigned the dupes protector
Skins
Nicholas Crawford - General Calles Nicaron (kal-ees) (ni-ca'-ron) - aka. Tom - Khivar's right hand and head general
Katian - one of the skins sent to Earth and Nicholas’ lover
Linda - the skin soldier posing as Katian’s mother
Henry - the skin soldier posing as Katian’s brother
Walt Crawford - Colonel Jafto - Nicholas' second in command, posing as his father
Ida Crawford - Idos - Nicholas' personal servant, posing as his mother
The Dupes
Zan - Max’s dupe
Lonni - Isabel’s dupe
Rath - Michael’s dupe
Ava - Tess’ dupe
ANTAR
Tageions (tauj'-ee-ons) - people inhabiting the north lands
King Zantor Tageonant (tauj'-o-nant) - (Zan) - Max - the rightful King of Antar
Queen Avalynd Telnada Tageonant - (Ava) - Zan's young bride
Royal Princess Vilondra Tageonant - Isabel – Zan’s sister
Queen Nedra Tageonant (ne'-dra) - Zan & Vilondra's mother
General Alarath Varros (Rath) - Michael - Zan's best friend and second in command
Harcions (Har-see-ons) - people inhabiting the south lands
Khivar Roistar (roys'-tar) - man who usurped Zan's throne
General Calles Nicaron (kal-ees) (ni-ca'-ron) - Nicholas - aka Tom - Khivar's right hand and head general
Katian - one of the skins sent to Earth and Nicholas’ lover
Linda - the skin soldier posing as Katian’s mother
Henry - the skin soldier posing as Katian’s brother
Colonel Jafto - Walt Crawford - Nicholas' second in command, posing as his father
Idos - Ida Crawford - Nicholas' personal servant, posing as his mother
Shape Shifters sent to Earth with the Pods
Cuerena (soor'-ren-ya) - scientist and Granolith expert - special ability illusion - assigned the dupes protector
BOOK 5 - ERSATZ HEIRS (THE DUPES)
er-satz -
1 : an artificial and inferior substitute
DISCLAIMER: Some of the dialogue used was taken from the episodes and I am not claiming credit for having written it but used it simply to set up the tone of a scene or show parallels between lives and realities.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: The dupes' lives in New York
NAGGING QUESTIONS:
1. What about the dupes' protector?
2. Why do they live in the sewer?
3. Do they know about the past and who they are?
4. What exactly did their protector tell them about healing humans?
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(July 15th, 1947)
(New York City)
Cuerena slowed the truck as she entered the heavier traffic of the city. She had been driving for almost a week, only stopping to fill the truck’s gas tank. She had changed the appearance of the truck and herself several times to lessen the possibility that she would be found but she had seen no signs of pursuit either human or alien.
As she maneuvered through the streets, she thought back to the other time she had been in New York. It had been eight years ago and she and the other shape shifters were looking for human DNA donors for the pods, and their search had led them to New York. They hadn't discovered any donors but they had decided New York City would make an excellent place to set up the decoy clones. They had chosen a part of town that was mainly used as warehouse space and even picked a building.
And that was where Cuerena was headed now. She would take a space in the building and house the developing pods there. The other shape shifters would all know where they were located and would easily be able to find them if it was necessary.
Cuerena turned the corner and with a gasp of surprise, pulled the truck to the side of the road. The building they had chosen was no longer there. Instead there was a large construction site and the accompanying sign read,
The entire block had been leveled for the construction and there was nowhere left to house the pods. Cuerena exited the truck to look around the area for an alternative site but after a few inquiries she found it was a hopeless task. Many of the surrounding buildings were being renovated or destroyed and there was no space available for lease. She would have to take the pods elsewhere to house them but she worried about how the other shape shifters would find them.
While she was considering what to do, she overheard a conversation of two near-by men.
"When they started construction on this behemoth," the first man said, motioning to the Gainswaith building, "they were forced to abandon an entire section of the subway and sewer tunnels underneath and build new ones. That means a lot of extra work for our company."
"So what do they do with the old tunnels?" the other man asked. "Fill them in? Wall 'em up?"
"No, they just reroute a section or two of track," the first man shrugged, "and leave the rest down there."
Cuerena turned back to the truck. If there really were sections of tunnel beneath the building that weren't being used, it could be a perfect answer to her problem. It would mean no rent, or nosy landlord or neighbors, and she could leave a message on the new building telling the others where they were.
She locked up the truck and went into the tunnels, in search of their new home.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Abandoned Sewer Tunnel)
Cuerena carefully anchored each of the pods to the wall of their new home in the abandoned sewer tunnel. It would be decades before they hatched and this sheltered room would be a perfect sanctuary.
She looked around the bare concrete walls. She was a protector and was capable of living in very sparse surroundings but when the duplicates emerged she would have more homey comforts in place. Even though these clones weren't the real Royal Four, they were derived from them, and Cuerena felt they deserved some consideration.
She could never tell them the whole truth about what they were, of course. To be useful as decoys, they had to believe they were the Royal Four, should the need arise. They would have no memories of their past and all memories about the plan and the royal codes had been carefully blocked.
Cuerena ran her hand over the surface of the duplicate Vilondra's pod. They had not blocked her memories of Khivar as they had with the real Vilondra. There was little chance the duplicate would remember her past life without help and they would receive no assistance in recovering their memories. It had been agreed that the decoys would not be told about the past in any great detail, they would only be given a general outline, but Cuerena had often wondered what she would tell them if any of them did have memories from their other life.
She supposed she would just have to deal with the situation if and when it arose, but for now her duty was clear. Protect the pod at all costs.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(January 25th, 1965)
Nicholas had been in New York for more than a week, observing the squad of soldiers that were assigned to the area, hunting for traitors. In that time he hadn't witnessed anything unusual and had intended to leave in the morning, but then he had seen the Antarian writing on the side of one of the buildings called the Gainswaith Tower. The Antarian symbol for knowledge had caught his eye first. It was cleverly concealed within a larger pattern of meaningless symbols on the building and as he had scanned the pattern, he saw more Antarian words.
There was not a sentence or even a coherent thought, but the words were there none-the-less. Instantly dismissing the probability of coincidence, Nicholas was left with only two options: the message had been left by traitors within his organization, or it had been left by the supporters of the Royal Four.
It was obvious the message was written in some kind of code but he had never been gifted in cryptography and doubted he could crack the code alone. He decided to avoid contacting the soldiers in the area for help until he could determine if one of them had written it and that would mean investigating more closely.
First, Nicholas cautiously interviewed the Gainswaith building's owner and architect and discovered the original plans had not called for a design, and each thought the other had done it on a whim. Then he tried to track down the person who had done the work, but no one involved with the construction would admit to making the pattern.
And now totally convinced the message had been put on the building deliberately, Nicholas concentrated on searching the area around the building for any otherworldly activity. He interviewed residents and business owners, workers and the homeless, but no one remembered anything out of the ordinary, and when he asked about the symbols on the building, most admitted they had never before noticed them.
Then Nicholas carefully searched the Gainswaith Tower and the surrounding buildings but he could find nothing suspicious. And that point, he decided to reveal himself to his troops.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
After the man had asked her about strange occurrences and then the symbols on the Gainswaith building, Cuerena had carefully kept him in sight. It was obvious he must be part of Khivar's troops who had shot their transport out of the sky almost twenty years ago.
She had been shocked when he asked about the Antarian symbols, but she had coded the message using one of the Tageonant battle codes only known to the closest household royal staff and she wasn't afraid he would decipher the message. There were over a dozen Antarian characters on the wall but the message itself was very simple if one knew the code. Through a process of elimination and clues it simply said, below.
But she was worried that he was so close to her charges. Whenever she left the tunnels, she donned the appearance of an older homeless woman and physically sealed the entrance to the chamber. That's what she had done three days ago to get fresh supplies, when she had run into the man asking questions. He appeared to be in his early twenties and had introduced himself as a student of NYU, saying his name was Tom. Then he had starting asking questions.
At first, Cuerena hadn't been suspicious, writing it off to just another weird New Yorker but when he had asked about the symbols, she'd worked to keep her features carefully still. She'd told him that she had never noticed the symbols before and he didn't seem surprised, obviously having gotten the same answer from others.
He had dismissed her quickly and she'd slipped behind one of the buildings and changed her appearance in order to observe him. Then she had carefully tracked him for three days as he systematically searched the Gainswaith Tower and every surrounding building. She had hoped, when he didn't find anything, he would simply leave but when he had finished searching the last building, he shifted into the form of a child.
Cuerena had never known Khivar to use shape shifters in his troops, but she wasn't an expert in his military tactics, and immediately decided to follow the shape shifter to see what he was up to.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(January 28th, 1965)
Nicholas knocked on the door where his troops were living as a family, waiting impatiently for the answer. All troops inserted into communities outside Copper Summer were assigned to five-man teams, posing as families. This family consisted of a mother and father, sister and brother in their late teens, and a grandmother. He thought it unlikely that any of this group were traitors but he needed to investigate every possibility thoroughly. The soldier posing as the daughter was his occasional lover, Katian, and Nicholas knew she was as loyal to Khivar as himself. If she had discovered even a hint of treachery, she would have alerted him immediately.
Finally, the door was opened by the woman he recognized who posing as the mother, Linda.
And she gasped as she recognized him. "Sir, what an unexpected surprise."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Cuerena followed the enemy shape shifter to the house and watched as he was admitted. She was not close enough to hear what was being said but when the door closed behind them she moved around the side of the house to the room where they were sitting and pressed her ear against the window.
She couldn't catch every word but she heard enough to realize that the shape shifter was a superior officer to the people in the house, posing as a family. She never heard his real name, assuming Tom wasn’t it, the others simply called him sir or General. He asked them about the writing on the Gainswaith building and they said they had never seen it. He theorized that either supporters of the Royal Four or traitors had left the message and he ordered the soldiers into pairs to start an immediate search for other messages. Cuerena drifted back into the bushes as the groups left the house and changed her appearance again in order to follow the General and the girl he called, Katian.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
It didn't take Cuerena long to see why the General had divided the troops as he had. He and Katian waited in the shadows around the corner and once the others were out of sight, they doubled back to the house. The General changed his appearance in the alley and now he wore the face of the young man in his twenties, Cuerena had met.
As they approached the door, Katian reached out to open it but the General slammed her back into it and took her lips in a rough kiss. "It's been a long time," he said huskily when he released her.
Katian nodded, "Let's not waste any time. The others will be back in two hours."
As they disappeared inside, a plan was already starting to take shape in Cuerena's mind that would make the General want to forget about New York forever. It would be too dangerous for her to try and confront all six of the enemy soldiers but with a little of her power applied in the correct places, hopefully she could bring them all down.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(February 1st, 1965)
Nicholas awoke in the bed he had shared with Katian, with a giddy feeling. He had always been one to keep his feelings under control, but the last few days with his lover had made his thoughts turn to more tender things. For the first time in his life, he was in love and as he showered and dressed, he made plans for their future together.
First they would finish the investigation of the alien writing and then Nicholas would take Katian back to Copper Summit. She would be given a promotion and moved into his house so they could be together all the time. He should have felt ridiculous, being in love. He was no kid and he'd had his share of beautiful women, but there was just something different about Katian and he wanted to spend his life with her.
He opened his door and started toward the stairs but he was distracted by Katian's whispered voice coming up through a vent.
"Were you able to get a message to the others?" she asked.
"Yeah," answered the soldier posing as her brother, Henry. "The head of the resistance sent the reply that we should take the message off the building and then act surprised when the General finds out. And hopefully he will turn his investigation in another direction."
Nicholas was stunned, and for a moment he couldn't move. There was silence below, but after a few seconds, Nicholas heard the distinct sounds of kissing and he felt his heart break.
"I hate that you have to spend time with him," Henry hissed. "I want to kill him for touching you."
"Henry," Katian sighed, "we have to careful. You know it disgusts me to be with that toad, but it won't be for much longer and then we can be together."
The rage within Nicholas built to the boiling point instantly. He couldn't believe he had been so stupid to fall for her act. Katian had played him like a pro, with her soft kisses and professions of love. He knew love was for fools but he had let himself believe and followed her like an idiot.
In an instant, the love he had felt for her turned to a searing hatred, and at that moment he wanted nothing more than to see her die. Barely aware of his actions, he bounded down the stairs and burst into the kitchen where Katian and Henry were sitting at the table and with two well-placed blasts of energy, he turned first Henry and then Katian dust.
Nicholas was still savoring the look of surprise and fear on her face as the other members of the family rushed into the room, stopping suddenly as they saw the telltale flakes of skin floating around him.
"What happened, Sir?" asked the senior officer.
Nicholas whirled to face them and with a blast of power, forced them to their knees. "Either you are harboring traitors, or you are traitors yourselves."
"No," the senior officer instantly denied. "We are loyal to Khivar."
Nicholas advanced on him with an outstretched hand. "We'll see about that."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Cuerena watched from outside as the General tortured and executed each of the soldiers. And then, looking far older than the twenty years of his adopted body, he sank down into one of the chairs and put his head in his hands.
It had been obvious to Cuerena that the General was in love with Katian and she had used it against him in the most painful way she could think of. Her powers made him overhear a conversation that had never taken place, causing him to think Katian and Henry were traitors and blame the writing on them. The plan had worked better than she anticipated because of the General’s raging temper and now she just hoped the experience would make him forget about the investigation and leave.
After a few moments, the General took out a device that Cuerena couldn't see, and spoke into it.
"Walt, we need a new team in New York. I want them here tomorrow. And tell mom I'll be home the next day."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(August 15th, 1990)
(Abandoned Sewer Tunnel)
Cuerena had watched in anticipation as the fluids within the pods had solidified to a thick, viscous consistency, knowing the time had come for the clones to emerge. Lonni had pushed through the membrane first, followed closely by Ava and Rath but Zan had not emerged until almost an hour later.
As she had cleaned and clothed the small clones, Cuerena wondered what they would be like. There were many theories about the behavior of clones compared with the originals. And even though Antarians had been cloning for generations, there was no accurate way to predict how they developed. The few clones that had been created and given back their memories had been exactly the same as the originals.
The clones in her charge would not be given their memories though, and there was also the added unknown of the human DNA. But perhaps the biggest variable was the fact that the original genetic material had been separated into two clones. It posed the possibility that some traits would be absent in one set of clones and present in the other set. For example, one of the New York clones could have a bad temper, while the other in New Mexico did not. Or it was possible they could be identical.
Of course, Cuerena would get a chance to find out for herself when her charges came of age and she returned to Roswell to be reunited with the others. She would leave the duplicate clones in New York with a communicator, in case they were needed, and then concentrate her energy on the real Royal Four. It wasn't fair and perhaps it was wrong, but it would help ensure the survival of her people and put an end to Khivar's treachery and evil.
She looked at the four sleeping children, so small, so innocent, but it was all an illusion. They had been created for one purpose only. To die.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(August 21st, 1990)
Cuerena spent the first few days with the clones simply talking to them and teaching them English. The children learned quickly and after a week, all four of them were chattering away as if they had been raised with the language for years.
She had given them their original names, as she had been ordered, and would start their instruction today. The clones would be given an education that would include all manner of math, science, literature and art, and they would also be taught about Earth as well as the basics of their own planet and language. And when their powers started to develop, a regime would be included to train the clones to master their abilities.
It would be about a year until the clones started to show any signs of their powers. Cuerena had placed a neural inhibitor in the children's genetic code that would suppress their powers until then. But when it wore off, the children would have to control their wildly unpredictable and awesome abilities. That is why their education about their powers would start today, along with their other lessons.
"Children," Cuerena called out. "Come and sit here," she motioned to a small table with four chairs, "and we will begin."
She waited until they were seated and then started with the history of their past, as she had been instructed. "We are not from this planet, Earth. We come from a planet very far away called Antar. On our planet you are known as the Royal Four." She motioned to each of the children as she spoke, "You are Zan the King, Ava his Queen, Vilondra his sister and Rath his counselor."
The children looked at one another as Cuerena continued. "On our planet there was a great war and your former selves were killed. You were created from the genetic material of your alien predecessors and human subjects. You were given human form so you could live safely on this planet undetected until the time comes for your return. I am Cuerena, your guardian, and I will protect you from danger and keep you hidden."
"As you mature, you will regain you memories of your other life and develop powers that will aid you in your fight against your enemies. When it is time, you will return to our planet to oppose the usurper and his factions and take back your rightful places as the rulers of Antar."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(June 10th, 1991)
The sound of running feet and shouts startled Cuerena out of her studies and she jumped up into a defensive position just as the children entered the room.
"Cuerena, guess what?" Lonni exclaimed excitedly as she bounced into the room just slightly ahead of the others.
Cuerena relaxed as she realized there was no danger. "What happened, Lonni?"
Ava blurted out before Lonni could speak. "Zan got his powers."
Lonni turned on her angrily, "Ava!! I was going to tell her!"
Ava shrank back against Zan and he automatically came to her defense, "Don't freak out, Lonni."
"What happened?" Cuerena asked.
Lonni looked at Zan, waiting for him to tell the story but he motioned to her. With a smirk, she started, "Rath and Zan were playing handball and Zan fell and hurt his hand and it was bleeding and he healed it."
Rath pushed forward. "Are we all gonna get healing powers?"
Cuerena looked at her charges. "Each of you will have the ability to heal simple wounds but only Zan has the ability to heal more serious wounds and life-threatening injuries." She turned to face him. "Zan, your healing power is much stronger than the others. It is a special ability you were born with and you will have the ability to bring someone back from the brink of death."
"Can I heal animals, and humans too?" Zan asked, eager to learn about his ability.
Cuerena nodded, "Yes, but let me caution you against using your powers on humans. As we have discussed before, most humans won't understand that you are different and it could be dangerous if you reveal yourselves to them."
"But I could heal a human," Zan said stubbornly.
"Yes," Cuerena agreed. "You have the power to heal humans." She motioned to the others, "All of you can heal on a small scale, simple wounds and broken bones. But only Zan can heal larger wounds or diseases. It takes a great deal of power to manipulate living flesh and bone on a large or very delicate scale, and not everyone is capable."
She turned to Zan. "You could heal a human from a life threatening wound but it would present a problem. In order to heal a human on the verge of death, you would have to alter their cells to make them able to regenerate themselves. The cells would become like your own, part human, part Antarian. Over time, the human would become immune to the diseases on this planet and their life span would be extended just as yours. The human would slowly change, perhaps developing powers of their own and eventually every cell in their body would be like yours. In essence, they would become a hybrid like yourselves."
Zan, Lonni thought to herself, everything is always about Zan. She stepped forward to focus Cuerena's attention on her. "So what are my powers?" Lonni asked.
"You will all develop the basic powers to manipulate matter," Cuerena said, "but as for your unique powers Lonni, I do not know. When you were engineered, you were given your own capabilities but you were also given an advanced human brain, so it is possible you could develop new powers you didn't have in your other life. As for the specific nature of your powers, I just don't know. On Antar the nature of your power was a closely guarded secret, as with all females, so we will just have to see how it manifests."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(September 7th, 1992)
Zan struggled through the thick, blackness that appeared to be everywhere around him. He had been looking for a way out for what seemed like forever, but the more he fought against it, the more hopeless it became. The blackness was a tangible thing, its weight pressing down on him, chilling him to the bone and threatening to consume him. He called out, hoping someone could hear him and lead him out of the seemingly never-ending night.
As he continued to struggle, a voice whispered his name and he turned quickly toward the sound. In the distance he thought he saw the flickering movement of a soft, golden light and he moved toward it as quickly as he could. With every step, the light seemed to grow in intensity but it was as if the blackness refused to let him go, making each movement harder than the last.
"Help me!" he called, afraid he would never escape the chill of dark.
The light flickered briefly and rapidly grew in intensity until it was so bright he was forced to cover his eyes. Suddenly the darkness released him and he fell forward and quickly scrambled on hands and knees toward the source of his salvation.
The light receded as he approached and Zan gasped as he realized the golden light was being emitted from a small girl. It was a part of her, surrounding her and it welcomed him with a promise of warmth and love. He crouched before the girl, desperately trying to see her face, but it was obscured by her long dark hair, blowing across her face.
She reached out to him, taking his hand and pulling him to his feet as she once again spoke his name. "Zan."
Where their hands met, her warmth rushed into him, chasing the cold from his body and for the first time in his short life he had a sense of belonging and home.
Her hair shifted in the breeze and for a brief moment he thought she would be revealed to him but she released his hand and stepped back, and the intensity of the light started to obscure her again.
"Wait," he called, "who are you?"
Somehow he could feel her disappointment and as she was entirely engulfed in the golden light, she whispered a single word. "Love."
Zan rushed forward but the light faded until only a small flickering flame was left and the girl was nowhere to be seen. Zan felt the chill of the darkness start to seep into him again and called out desperately, "Wait! Where are you? Don't go! Come back! Come back!"
Zan felt a heavy hand on his shoulder and fearing the darkness was back, struggled against it, but he was suddenly jolted awake by Cuerena's soft voice.
"Zan, you are having a bad dream."
He blinked at her uncomprehendingly for a moment and then realized the truth. The girl he had been so desperate to see, the one who had saved him, was not real at all. She was only a dream girl.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(December 3rd, 1992)
Cuerena hurried down the tunnel with the groceries. She didn't like leaving the children alone for long, fearing what could happen to them. They were growing into their abilities and becoming quite powerful but they were still only nine-year-old children.
As she approached the entrance, she could hear raised voices and she sprinted the last few yards.
"Get off me Rath!" Cuerena heard Zan call out angrily.
"Make me!" Rath replied.
"You're such a baby, Zan," Lonni taunted.
"Get off right now or you'll be sorry and you too Lonni!"
Cuerena entered the room just in time to see Rath holding the smaller Zan to the floor with a knee in his chest, as Lonni egged him on.
"What are you going do, you big baby?" Lonni said in a singsong tone.
Suddenly a burst of power erupted from Zan, throwing Rath across the room and knocking Lonni to the ground. Zan and Rath got up at the same time and Rath rushed toward Zan.
Seemingly unconcerned, Zan watched Rath running at him with a raised hand.
But Cuerena interceded, stepping between them and grabbed Rath's hand before he could follow through with his intended action. "Stop."
She had always felt strange disciplining the children because she had been raised to respect her station in life, but she couldn't let Rath's behavior go unchecked. "Rath, Lonni, this is unacceptable behavior. Zan is our King and we must show him respect."
Rath glared at them, but under Cuerena's gaze and a nudge from Lonni, he finally relented with a small bow of his head. "I'm sorry, your Majesty," he said stiffly.
Lonni held her head high. "Sorry, Zan. We just got carried away."
Zan accepted their apology and Ava rushed forward, from where she had been hiding, to fuss over him.
Cuerena entered the makeshift kitchen and started to put the groceries away. Lonni and Rath were getting more willful and disrespectful with each passing month and she wished she knew how to handle the situation better. This hadn't been the first time she'd had to separate the boys. It seemed as if they were always fighting, Rath constantly challenging Zan's position as leader. She couldn't let Rath harm Zan but she knew he would never respect Zan if she kept interceding.
Zan had always been smaller and quieter than Rath, who seemed to attack everything with the same head-on stubbornness. But Zan had surprised her today with his power. She had not known he possessed the strength or the control his action required, she just hoped it gained him some ground in the battle. If Rath respected or feared Zan's powers enough, he would back off.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(February 27th, 1993)
The burst of blue light that emitted from the orb surprised Cuerena more than she would have thought possible. She and the other shape shifters had agreed to maintain complete communicator silence except in emergencies and she was worried about what could have prompted them to contact her.
Cuerena crossed to the table where the orb was sitting. It was lucky the children were out playing so she didn't have to explain what was going on. She picked it up and pushed a stream of energy into it, to retrieve the message.
A blue light floated into the air before her and transformed into a human woman. At first Cuerena was confused but the woman's words quickly revealed the truth.
If you are seeing me now, it means that you are alive and well. I take this form because it will be familiar to you, and it will help you to understand what I am about to say. You have lived before. You perished in the conflict that enslaves our planet but your essence was duplicated, cloned, and mixed with human genetic materials so that you might be recreated...
Cuerena listened to the entire message and then she passed her hand over the orb, erasing it permanently from the memory. It was not meant for her charges and there was no reason for them to hear it.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(May 15th, 1997)
Ava looked across the dinner table at Zan with a sigh. She had loved Zan her entire life but he had never returned her affections. When they had first come out of the pods Cuerena had told them about their destiny and since then Ava had been waiting for Zan to acknowledge her place in his life. They were great friends but any time she mentioned their future together, Zan pushed the subject aside. Over the years, Ava had grown more impatient and now that they were fourteen, she felt it was time to move past mere friendship.
Rath and Lonni had accepted their destiny eagerly, coupling with the ferocity of wild animals even at their young age, and Ava had to admit she was jealous of the close relationship they shared. And Lonni and Rath often teased her about not being able to capture Zan's interest. Ava wished she could simply use her powers on Zan to make him see her like she wanted but they had practiced together so many times that Zan could tell when she was using her powers. He was far more powerful than she, and easily blocked her attempts to use her powers, so she had no effect on him.
Ava had reminded Zan many times of their duty and it hadn't done any good, but then her eyes fell on their protector and an idea suddenly came to her. "Cuerena," she started casually, "tell us again about how connections are formed."
If Cuerena noticed anything odd in her request, she didn't show it and started the story she had told them before. "Most of our people, who possess power, are able to make some form of connection through touch. Some of these connections are weak and some are strong, it usually depends on the amount and type of powers the participants have. The connections are stronger if there is some kind of common bond between the participants such as a family relationship or friendship or a romantic involvement.”
“Almost all of our people with power are able to form connections through sexual intercourse. These connections are the strongest because the participants’ consciences momentarily merge and unlike other types of bonds, it is difficult if not impossible to hide anything from one another. Most connections are temporary and can only be reestablished through physical contact, but in some rare cases the connections are particularly strong and are always open between participants. They can speak to one another telepathically and send emotions and sometimes images, and some are active even across great distances."
Cuerena continued but Zan rose from the table, having heard enough, and left the dwelling. He walked quickly, confidently navigating the disused sewer and subway tunnels, until he reached his special place. Zan had found it when he had been exploring a few years ago, and now he went there whenever he needed some time alone.
It was an abandoned subway station that had been built in the thirties and was elegantly decorated with murals, tile work and colored glass. The ceiling rose twenty feet above his head, formed of interlocking arches that were supported by ornately carved columns. The light fixtures were made of colored glass and when Zan used his powers to illuminated them, a rainbow of colors and patterns danced along the planes and curves of the walls and ceiling. To Zan it was a magical place where he often indulged in daydreams, most of which included his dream girl.
He would pretend the station was a ballroom in a faraway palace, filled with ladies in swirling gowns and men in stately uniforms. And as he stood observing from the sidelines, the dancers would occasionally part, revealing to him glimpses of a beautiful girl with long brown hair in a sapphire-blue gown, standing across the room. He would duck and bob attempting to see her more clearly but she always seemed just out of his reach, disappearing behind the twirling couples.
Frustrated, he would finally walk across the dance floor, ignoring the strange looks his breach of protocol earned him, and boldly take his dream girl by the hand. They would say nothing to one another, not even exchanging names, and he would lead her onto the dance floor, the other couples automatically parting for them as he took her into his arms. The two of them would dance the night away, losing track of the time because they were only focused on each other.
With a sigh, Zan sank down onto the sofa he had made from an old bench. It was a beautiful dream, but he had never shared it with anyone because he knew they wouldn't understand. If Rath or Lonni found out, he would never hear the end of it. Zan the romantic, the dreamer, they would mock. And what would Ava say if she found out he was daydreaming about someone other than her?
He had heard the lectures from Cuerena, Ava and the others about their destiny more times than he could remember, but it just didn't feel right to him. Cuerena had told him he and Ava were married in their other life, but in this life the feelings he had for her didn't go beyond friendship.
He knew what love felt like because he had been in love since he was nine years old. Unfortunately the girl who had captured his heart was not real, but she had visited his dreams almost every night over the years. Sometimes he would simply get a glimpse of her or only hear her soft laughter, but other times she came to him and chased away his loneliness and fears. He had never actually seen her face but they had a connection like the ones Cuerena had described. He could feel her emotions and hear her voice even when she didn't speak.
But she wasn't real and he knew he would have to face that. He was fourteen and a King and as he grew older, he knew the others would expect more and more from him. They were pressing him to accept his destiny and he didn't feel like he had any other choice. And no matter how much he loved his dream girl, no matter how perfect they were for each other, his dream girl was just that, a dream. She was someone his unconscious had invented to fill the empty spaces in his heart.
A noise drew Zan's attention to the tunnel and he watched Ava emerge from the darkness. Zan felt a slash of disappointment because she had found his special place but knew it was his own fault for being careless enough that she had been able to follow.
He sat silent, as Ava crossed to him, noting her confidence. Ava had accepted that they were meant to be together since they had first been told. She had never questioned it.
"Can I sit down?" she asked.
Zan scooted over making a space for her. "Sure."
Ava sat and looked at Zan. She had followed him because she had assumed he was upset. "Do you wanna talk about it?"
Zan shook his head, "No." How would he explain to Ava he could never love her because he was in love with a dream? She wouldn't understand and he didn't want to hurt her.
They sat in silence for a few minutes and Ava started to get nervous. Maybe it hadn't been a good idea for her to follow Zan. He seemed so sad and her presence didn't seem to be helping. She couldn't imagine what was wrong and she wondered if he wanted to be alone. "Do you want me to leave?"
Zan studied her face, seeing the nervousness and uncertainty creep in. He didn’t want to hurt Ava, she was his only real friend and ally. He had to accept his destiny, but in order to do that, he also had to accept that he wasn't meant to be happy.
Zan shook his head, and answered her with a sad smile. "No."
Ava scooted closer to him with a smile, placing a hand on his shoulder, sure that Zan was finally coming around.
Zan didn't move as Ava closed the distance between them and pressed her lips to his, but he squeezed his eyes shut to stop the tears that suddenly threatened. He knew this had to happen but he felt his heart break because he was betraying his love.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(April 12th, 1998)
Since they were children, Lonni had become more and more resentful that her little brother was King simply because he was male. She was the older sibling, she was just as smart and capable as Zan if not more so because Zan had the annoying habit of worrying about right and wrong according to human terms. But they weren't human and Lonni didn't feel they had to live by human rules. Occasionally she could get Zan to see that and those were the times they were the closest, but he always got caught up in his conscience in the end.
She and Rath understood one another better than she and her brother ever had, probably because of their connection. They had become lovers at fourteen and even though the connection hadn't formed for almost a year afterward, it had helped bind them together. Lonni was able to read Rath's emotions and she was able to speak in his head, and even though he couldn't do the same to her, they had developed a kind of mental shorthand that allowed them to work together like a well-oiled machine. Also in their favor was the one major interest they had in common.
Lonni often thought it seemed like a small thing to base a relationship on, but their common goal and mutual lust had so far been enough. Both of them disliked Zan and resented the fact he was in charge but even together they weren't strong enough to take Zan on. Most of the time, Lonni and Rath acted like the loyal sister and friend they were suppose to be, but from time to time they would test Zan to see if they were strong enough to oppose him.
Over the years they were becoming stronger, but so was Zan, and Lonni could see they would never win going directly against him. Any plan to get rid of Zan would have to include a surprise attack. There was also the additional problem of their protector. Cuerena supported Zan in whatever he decided and she would have to be dealt with before they could move on Zan.
But Lonni was patient and they had time. They just had to wait until the time was right and they would take out the shape shifter and Zan.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(August 5th, 1998)
Zan rounded the bend in the hedge maze just in time to see the dark-haired girl disappear around the corner ahead, her soft giggle urging him after her. He hurried down the path but rounded the next corner even farther behind her, only catching a glimpse of the white dress she wore as it disappeared around the next wall. He ran faster and faster but she was always ahead of him, just out of reach.
Around the next corner, Zan skidded to a halt as three paths opened before him and he had no idea which direction his dream girl had gone. He quickly searched for any sign of her but seeing none, he called out playfully, "Where are you?"
A soft giggle echoed and he turned toward the sound.
"Zan," she called out.
With a smile, he ran down the left path and continued around a few more turns before emerging into the center of the maze, where he stopped, suddenly breathless.
The girl sat on a stone bench with her back to him, her long hair and gauzy white dress swirling in the warm breeze, and Zan thought he had never seen anything so beautiful. As he slowly approached, he noticed the slight golden glow illuminating the skin of her exposed arms and shoulders, and he reached out to touch her. He trailed a light hand down the soft skin of her arm, causing a more intense glow to trail after his touch, and when he reached her hand, their fingers intertwined.
At that moment he had never wanted anything more than to kiss her and as if she heard his thoughts she whispered, "Close your eyes."
He reached up with his free hand and touched the side of her face. "Let me see you. Please, just once."
He briefly felt her sorrow, and again she said, "Zan, close your eyes."
This time he obeyed immediately and was rewarded with the sweet touch of her lips on his own. It was over too briefly and he reached for her, but his hands only met empty air, and when he opened his eyes, he was in his own bed.
Zan could still feel the touch of her lips on his, so different than kissing Ava, and with a sigh whispered, "My love."
Unknown to him, Ava was awake in her bed just a few feet away and heard his words.
She sighed sadly, somehow knowing he wasn't dreaming about her. Even though they were together, Ava had never felt the type of closeness with him that she expected, that she craved. It always seemed as if Zan were holding a part of himself back from her, and no matter what she did, she would never really know him.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(October 17, 1998)
Rath watched Ava across the table with a growing sense of annoyance. The diminutive blonde had whined and pouted all through dinner, doing anything to gain Zan’s attention.
Rath had resented Ava for years, feeling she didn’t deserve to be the Queen of their planet. She was weak, pathetic. Ava seemed to have no thoughts of her own, no opinions, simply content to echo whatever Zan wanted. She seemed to live her entire life for Zan, only defining herself as an extension of him.
But the joke was on Ava, Rath thought, because even though Zan was with her, Rath could tell Zan didn’t love her. It was painfully obvious to Rath that Zan was simply with her because he thought was his duty.
Rath and Lonni had often joked about Ava privately and teased her when Zan wasn’t around. Lonni had more contempt for Ava than he did and Rath followed Lonni’s lead in his treatment of Ava.
Finally Zan left the table, telling them he wanted some time alone. Rath waited until he was out of the room before he threw a french fry at Ava. “See that retard?” he asked, motioning to the door where Zan had left. “You’re so worthless even your own husband doesn’t want you. Why don’t you get a life instead of living his?”
“Shut up, Rath,” Ava huffed. “Zan loves me.”
Rath rolled his eyes. “Yeah, right.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(March 2nd, 1999)
Lonni awoke with a start. She'd had the dream again.
Memories of their other life had always encroached into Lonni's sleep but they had only been glimpses, fleeting images, feelings. In the last few days however, the memories had started to come to her when she was awake and they were more clear, more solid. One memory held her interest more than the others but it always ended before she could see the outcome.
There was a beautiful golden-haired man and they had been in love, but so far she had been unable to remember who he was. The images and emotions of the dream still lingered in her head and she quickly shut her eyes, concentrating on them, trying to pull the truth from the dream.
She could see herself in an elegant room, enjoying the attention of the handsome suitors who surrounded her. She was Princess Vilondra. Every man in the kingdom desired her and every woman envied her. She wore the most elegant gowns and the most wondrous jewels, her style setting the fashion for the entire kingdom. She danced with one partner after another, giving attention to all but preference to none, twirling around the room, her golden beauty drawing all eyes to her.
The memory slowly faded to be replaced by another.
She and a male companion were walking along a path in a garden, softly illuminated by the light of the moons. She turned toward him and his face was revealed to her as he stepped closer, out of the shadows. She traced his handsome features with her fingertips and he pressed her hand to his lips. She shivered with reaction, anticipating the feeling of his lips on hers and as she raised her head to accept his kiss, she whispered his name. "Khivar."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(July 25th, 1999)
Cuerena ended her lesson and the others left the room but Zan kept his seat. Once again their protector had told them about the situation on Antar but when Zan had started to ask questions, she had carefully diverted to other topics, and Zan realized it wasn't for the first time.
Whenever he asked how the plan to send them to Earth had been conceived or how and when they were to return to Antar, she claimed ignorance. Cuerena had always told them they held the answers, and eventually they would remember, but Zan had no memories from his other life and as far as he knew, neither did the others. They wouldn't know anything about their world if Cuerena hadn't told them.
She claimed they were royalty and maybe it was true, but for over a year Zan had known they weren't being told the whole truth. There were just too many things that seemed wrong. They had no memories of the past, no ship, no alien weapons or artifacts and only one protector, who seemed to be ignorant of much of the plan.
But Zan trusted Cuerena. She seemed sincere and obviously cared for them but maybe she had been ordered not to reveal certain things to them. Then the obvious question was, who had given her the orders?
Cuerena looked at Zan. "Do you have a question about the lesson?"
Zan studied her for a moment. Perhaps everything she was doing was for their own good, but he still had doubts. He just knew so little about the situation. "What was your life like on Antar?"
The question took Cuerena completely by surprise. "What do you mean, Zan?"
He shrugged, not really sure where he was going, but was suddenly interested. "Did you know me?"
Cuerena shook her head, "No, not really. I was a scientist in your employ."
"You weren't a protector?" Zan asked surprised.
"All shape-shifters are engineered to serve," Cuerena explained. "I had the protector training we all receive, but it was determined that my natural ability for science would be wasted as a protector."
"So why were you sent with us?"
"I volunteered."
Zan absorbed the information with a nod. "Cuerena, I know you aren't telling me everything. Why are you keeping things from us?"
Cuerena's instant reaction was denial but instead she curiously asked, "How do you know I'm not telling you everything?"
Zan shrugged, "It's just a feeling I have. What you do tell me feels like the truth, but it isn't everything."
Cuerena sighed, "I don't wish to keep things from you, but when you conceived of the plan, you laid it out in a very specific way. I am simply following the orders of your former self."
"And if I ordered you to reveal everything?" he asked, already knowing the answer.
"I would have to refuse."
Zan nodded his understanding and Cuerena left. He knew she meant her revelations to be comforting but they had been just the opposite. His former self had engineered their lives so they would be ignorant and Zan wondered what terrible secret he hadn't wanted them to know.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Cuerena's thoughts turned to Zan as she entered her quarters. He put up a good front for the others but she had seen through it for years. Whenever he thought he was alone or thought no one was watching, he let down his guard. Zan developed his powers and did his lessons but he was miserable in his life and Cuerena had figured out that the main reason was, he didn't love Ava.
Zan always tried to do the right thing and he and Ava were together as a couple as they were supposed to be, and she could see that Ava was mostly happy with the arrangement. And even though Zan did and said all of the right things, Cuerena knew the smile he wore never came close to touching his eyes or his heart. She wished there were something she could do to help him but she didn't know how.
Cuerena sighed. These clones had been made to be expendable and even though she knew she shouldn't have let herself come to care for them, she had. But she couldn't let her concern jeopardize the mission and she pushed the tender feelings to the back of her mind and concentrated on staying detached.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(September 16th, 1999)
Once Lonni had discovered how to bring her memories out, she spent a great deal of time trying to remember everything she could about her other life. There were a lot of things she couldn't remember and some of the memories were still very vague, only disjointed images and sounds, but she could remember her love for Khivar and her elegant life as a princess, and she wanted that back. But while she was trying to recover memories from her life, she had discovered something totally unexpected about Ava.
Lonni had not uncovered the whole truth about her brother's adoring wife, but the bits and pieces she did remember, definitely proved that Ava was not what she seemed. Lonni had laughed aloud when she had unraveled the memories, anticipating torturing the other girl with the information. Lonni had disliked Ava since they were children because she was always following Zan around and sticking up for him. Ava seemed to have no opinions of her own, only echoing what others said and Lonni had found that Ava was easy to manipulate and enjoyed tricking her to voice opinions she knew would make Zan angry. And it never failed to amuse her when she had made Ava cry.
But now that Lonni knew the truth about Ava's past, she could use it to turn Zan permanently from her. She anticipated Zan's reaction to the news with a cruel smile, but her calculating side immediately came to the front. If she used the information now, it would be fun, but it could be more valuable in the future and Lonni decided to keep it to herself.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode – Pilot)
(September 19th, 1999)
Zan ran as fast as he could, dodging trees and bushes, pushing branches out of his way. The soft golden light was receding into the distance at an alarming speed and a dense black fog rushed in to fill the places the light had abandoned. Zan was propelled by a sense of urgency he couldn't account for, only knowing he had to reach the light.
"My love," he called out, fearful something might happen to her. But she didn't stop or even slow her pace and he pushed on at an even greater speed.
The trees became more and more dense, their rough branches clawing at him as he ran, but he was unmindful of the small injuries. The fog swirled around him, obscuring the ground but still he raced on.
The trees became so dense that Zan was forced to slow his pace and the encroaching darkness grabbed at him, surrounded him, trying to suck him in. He struggled against it but it was too strong and rapidly overwhelmed him, pulling him to his knees. Then the blackness rushed past him, quickly obscuring everything until the soft golden light was all he could see.
Zan waited for the light to grow and chase the darkness away, as it had so many times before but he could see instantly that something was wrong. The light flickered as if it were a candle in a strong wind, stuttering alarmingly for a handful of moments, keeping rhythm to the beat of his heart, and then it was gone.
"NO!" he cried, struggling furiously to reach the place where the light had been, but the darkness held him fast. He lashed out with his power, wildly pushing everything away from him and suddenly he was free. Crossing to where the light had been, he collapsed to his knees to find only a single glowing ember that was rapidly dying.
"My love," he whispered, as he carefully gathered it in his hands. "Don't leave me."
He pushed his healing power into it, and for a moment felt a blinding pain slash through his abdomen, but when it was gone the ember's glow started to intensify. It burned brighter and brighter, growing in strength, chasing away every trace of the darkness until only he and the light remained. Slowly the outline of his love was discernable in the illumination and she reached out to touch his face.
Through the light Zan could see her smile, visible to him for the first time.
Suddenly Zan jolted awake, sweat covering him, knowing he had almost lost the person who was the most important to him. And even though she wasn't real, he didn't know if he could live with himself if she had died.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
END OF BOOK 5 - ERSATZ HEIRS (THE DUPES)
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
WHO'S WHO & NAME PRONUNCIATIONS
Book 6 - Causative Relativity (The Problem of Liz)
EARTH
Humans
Liz Parker - the girl that Max Evans loved at first sight
Jeff Parker - Liz's father - owns the Crashdown Cafe
Nancy Parker - Liz's mother
Grandma Claudia Parker - Liz's paternal grandmother
Philip Evans - Max and Isabel's adoptive father - he is a lawyer
Diane Evans - Max and Isabel's adoptive mother
Maria DeLuca - Liz's best friend
Amy DeLuca - Maria's mother - owns a novelty store specializing in alien merchandise
Alex Whitman - Liz and Maria's best friend
Chuck (Charles) Whitman - Alex's father
Gloria Whitman - Alex's mother
Kyle Valenti - Liz's boyfriend
Sheriff Jim Valenti Jr. - Sheriff of Roswell - Kyle's father
Grant Sorensen - geologist - possessed by the Ganderium Queen
Laurie Dupree - Granddaughter of Charles Dupree (Michael's DNA donor) - kidnapped by the Ganderium Queen because of a rare gene flaw
Shape Shifters Loyal to the Royal Four
Nasedo - Sodan - Sam Morgan - expert in hand-to-hand and weapons combat and a pilot, special skill - heat and energy blasts
Letras - (le-tras) - Zan's former tutor, expert in philosophy, history and military tactics, captured by the special unit and killed
Cuerena (soor'-ren-ya) - scientist and Granolith expert, special skills - illusion - assigned the dupes protector
Tic Tac - Kaldar - expert in hand-to-hand and weapons combat, special skill - empath
- injured by the humans and has terrible headaches when he uses his powers
Skins
Nicholas Crawford - General Calles Nicaron (kal-ees) (ni-ca'-ron) - Khivar's right hand and head general
Tyrone Greer - T. Greer - Major Grester - Head of the Vilondra Project
Walt Crawford - Colonel Jafto - Nicholas' second in command, posing as his father
Ida Crawford - Idos - Nicholas' personal servant, posing as his mother
Gregory Jensen - Gragras - (gra-gras) - the scientist in charge of the skins project
Corporal Raltos - one of the soldiers prepared for Khivar to possess on Earth
Captain Evos - soldier in charge of the skins stationed in Boston
Hybrids
Max Evans - Zan
Isabel Evans - Vilondra
Michael Guerin - Rath
Tess Harding - Alyssa Morgan
The Dupes
Zan - Max's dupe
Lonni - Isabel's dupe
Rath - Michael's dupe
Ava - Tess' dupe
Possessed Humans
Grant Sorensen - Ganderium Queen
ANTAR
Tageions (tauj'-ee-ons) - people inhabiting the north lands
King Zantor Tageonant (tauj'-o-nant) - (Zan) - Max - the rightful King of Antar
Queen Avalynd Telnada Tageonant - (Ava) - Zan's young bride
Royal Princess Vilondra Tageonant - Isabel - Zan’s sister
Tageonon (tauj'-o-non) - the capitol city of Antar, where the king's palace is located
Sodan (so-dan) – Nasedo - Sam Morgan - Zan's most trusted protector
Jensto (jens-toe) - a scientist in Zan's employ
General Alarath Varros (Rath) - Michael - Zan's best friend and second in command
Kaldar - Rath's most trusted protector
Harcions (Har-see-ons) - people inhabiting the south lands
Khivar Roistar (roys'-tar) - man who usurped Zan's throne
General Calles Nicaron (kal-ees) (ni-ca'-ron) - Nicholas - Khivar's right hand and head general
Major Grester - T. Greer - Head of the Vilondra Project
Colonel Jafto - Walt Crawford - Nicholas' second in command, posing as his father
Idos - Ida Crawford - Nicholas' personal servant, posing as his mother
Corporal Raltos - one of the soldiers prepared for Khivar to possess on Earth
Captain Evos - soldier in charge of the skins stationed in Boston
Roistar (roys'-tar) - formerly Tageonon, Khivar changed the name when he assumed the throne
The Leptes (the Antarian word for Vengeance) - the ship Khivar sent to Earth with Nicholas and the skins
Shape Shifters sent to Earth with the Pods
Sodan - Nasedo - Sam Morgan - expert in hand-to-hand and weapons combat and a pilot - special ability energy blasts
Letras - (le-tras) - Zan's former tutor, expert in philosophy, history and military tactics - captured by the special unit and died
Cuerena (soor'-ren-ya) - scientist and Granolith expert - special ability illusion - assigned the dupes protector
Kaldar - Tic Tac - expert in hand-to-hand and weapons combat - special ability empath - injured by the humans and has terrible headaches when he uses his powers
Leaders of the other planets in the Antarian system
Larek - Brody - Royal Duke of Talros (tal'-ros)
Hanar - Minister of Sofek (so-fec')
Sero - Chancellor of Yedom (yea'-dom)
Kathana - Royal Duchess of Ravok (ra'-voc)
BOOK 6 - CAUSATIVE RELATIVITY (THE PROBLEM OF LIZ)
caus-a-tive -
1 : effective or operating as a cause or agent
2 : a subject causes an action to be performed or a condition to come into being
rel-a-tiv-i-ty -
1 : the state of being dependent for existence on, or determined in nature, value, or quality by relation to something else
2 : a theory in physics that considers mass and energy to be equivalent and predicts changes in mass, dimension and time
DISCLAIMER: Some of the dialogue used was taken from the episodes and I am not claiming credit for having written it but used it simply to set up the tone of a scene or show parallels between lives and realities.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: It has always seemed like such a coincidence that the shooting in the Crashdown was the thing to set the whole series of events into motion. But what if it wasn't a coincidence? What if events, in a timeline that we never knew anything about, unraveled so that the shooting was forced to happen? A set of circumstances that led to someone deliberately wanting Liz dead, for very specific reasons.
This is a depiction of those events, an original timeline that was never even suspected because no one lived to tell the tale.
Wrap your mind around this - Originally the shooting does not happen, so Liz, Maria and Alex do not find out about Max, Michael and Isabel. The Sheriff is not suspicious of them and the FBI is never involved, no Pierce or Topolsky. Max does not work at the UFO Museum. The aliens don't know about Atherton, River Dog, Brody, the dupes, the skins, Nasedo, Tess or their destiny and they continue with their lives as 'normal' teenagers. None of the events from season 1 or 2 happen except as depicted below.
All dates are shown and a complete time line is included that shows when each event took place. I have labeled the scenes with Episode Equivalent Titles to show the reader the timing of events in relation to the timing of the episodes that aired.
The events surrounding the episode Independence Day happened as they aired with the exceptions depicted here. Of course Maria and Liz were not involved in any way.
P.S: I had to throw in a "parents conveniently out-of-town" scenario. It's just too classic.
WARNING:
Multiple character death - but since it is an alternate time line, it isn't permanent.
CREDITS: Star Trek and The Brady Bunch are the property of Paramount
I Can't Fight This Feeling Anymore is by REO Speedwagon
My Favorite Martian is the property of William Morris & Disney
Harry Potter is the property of J.K. Rowlings & Scholastic Publishing Inc.
DEFINITIONS:
legion - a unit of soldiers containing 5000 men
trithium amplification generator - aka amplifier - the black, chevron-shaped device that is used by the Skins for communication and suspending the powers of Antarians among other things.
NAGGING QUESTIONS:
1. Would Nasedo have ever found the Pod Squad if Liz hadn’t been shot?
2. Was Liz's shooting an accident?
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode Equivalent - Pilot)
(Sunday, September 19th, 1999)
(Crashdown Cafe)
Liz approached the couple at the table with two plates, "Okay, I have got one Sigourney Weaver, that's for you. And one Will Smith. Can I get you guys anything else? Green Martian Shake? Blood of Alien smoothie?"
"No, thanks. We're good," replied the man.
Liz took in their appearance. Out-of-towners, she thought to herself, and alien nuts. "Are you guys here for the crash festival?"
"Yeah, can't wait," said the man. A speculative gleam entered his eye and he rapidly followed with, "So, does your family come from Roswell?”
Liz smiled. Definitely alien nuts. "Just four generations," she replied innocently, knowing exactly the subject that interested him.
"Uh, well, does anyone in your family have stories about the UFO crash?" asked the man eagerly.
"Well, I guess it would be okay to show you guys this," Liz said. Looking around furtively, she took a photo out of her pocket depicting a fake alien and showed it to them.
Maria walked past with a coffee pot, shaking her head and smiling at the gullibility of the public.
Liz continued with her tale, "My grandmother took this picture at the crash sight right before the government cleaned it up." The tourists, she noted, were definitely hooked.
"Do people know about this photograph?"
"Well, I know about it, and now you know about it." Liz turned to leave but added mysteriously, "I'm gonna be right back, don't show that to anyone."
"No." they quickly agreed.
Liz and Maria walked sedately to the cash register but as soon as they were out of earshot Maria burst, no longer able to contain her laughter. "You are sooo bad, girl!” She looked over Liz’s shoulder. “Oh, and Max Evans is staring at you again."
"No way, Maria," Liz said. She took a quick glance in Max's direction, they locked eyes briefly and he looked away. “That is so in your imagination." Liz shook her head, certain that someone as smart and handsome as Max would not be interested in her. "Max Evans?" she said, gesturing to her face. "This? No, uh-uh."
Maria jokingly pinched her cheeks. "And with those cheeks! Preciosita tan linda!"
"Maria!" Liz laughed at her friend, "And, and even if it were, I'm going out with Kyle. I mean, he's steady and loyal, and he appreciates me."
Maria frowned. "Sounds like you're describing a poodle."
Their attention was diverted to two large men who were arguing loudly.
"I was here to get my money today not tomorrow," yelled one man as he stood.
The other man jumped to his feet, pulling a gun. "You won't need the money if you are dead," he shouted.
The first man grabbed the gun and they struggled for control.
Gasps of surprise and screams echoed through the diner and everyone dropped to the floor. The men, surprised the argument has gotten so out of hand, and fearful of being arrested, quickly left the diner.
Everyone, still stunned, slowly got up from the floor. Max looked toward Liz to see if she was all right, but she was already trying to calm some of the patrons.
Michael grabbed his arm. "Max, let's get out of here. The police will come and we don't want to be here when they start nosing around."
"Yeah, you're right," Max agreed. They quickly headed for the door but Max took one last look behind him at the girl he loved.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode Equivalent - Monsters)
(Wednesday, October 13th, 1999)
(West Roswell High School)
Max watched as Kyle straddled the bench next to Liz and covered her eyes with his hands. She leaned back into him laughing, and Max looked away, feeling jealousy twist in his gut like a knife. He had loved Liz since he had first seen her in third grade but because of his differences he knew they could never be together.
He had often wondered what it would be like to be with Liz and live a normal life, fantasizing about what it would be like to spend time with her. He envied Kyle and any other guy who was lucky enough to experience the simple joys of laughing and talking with her, smelling the fresh scent of her hair, touching the soft skin of her cheek and kissing her sweet lips.
Max turned his attention back to where Liz and Kyle were sitting. He hated watching Liz with another man but he could never be with her in the way he wanted. He would have to be satisfied with being her friend and dreaming of what could have been if he were a different person in a different lifetime.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode Equivalent - Leaving Normal)
(Friday, October 22nd, 1999)
(West Roswell High School)
Max glanced at the empty chair next to him again. It was unlike Liz to miss class. Yesterday she had seemed distracted, detached and he had wondered if something was wrong. He had asked her if she was okay and she had told him she was fine. The tone of her voice had told him she wasn't really fine but he didn't feel they were close enough for him to question her further.
The bell rang and Max was the first one out of the door, immediately heading for Maria's locker. She wasn’t there when he arrived and he used the time to come up with a plausible excuse for his curiosity. He opened his notebook and waved his hand over a blank page, copying the notes he had taken in Biology class.
He tore it out of his notebook just as Maria approached her locker. He took a deep breath and walked over. "Hey Maria."
Maria looked somewhat surprised to see him but she greeted him warmly. "Hey Max. How's it going?"
"Good," Max said nodding, not quite sure how to start. "Fine. I'm fine." Maria was looking at him expectantly and he continued nervously. "Um, Liz wasn't in Biology today and I thought she would want the notes," he said, thrusting the paper in her direction. "You'll see her later and you could give it to her. I mean if you're working."
Maria took the paper from him with a smile. "Thanks Max but you could have given it to her yourself. You are coming to the Crashdown after school like usual, aren't you?"
Max stuffed his free hand deep into his jeans pocket and suddenly became interested in the spot on the floor he was scuffing with the toe of his shoe. "Um, yeah but I though she might be sick or something."
"Oh, you didn't hear," Maria said softly. "Liz's grandma had a stroke, and it doesn't look like she’ll make it. Liz has been spending a lot of time with her at the hospital."
Max's eyes snapped back to Maria's face. "I'm sorry. I didn't know. Is Liz okay?"
Maria shook her head. "She and her grandma are really close and Liz is taking it pretty hard."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Later that night)
(Roswell Memorial Hospital)
Max wasn't sure why he had come to the hospital that evening, he just needed to be near Liz. He watched unseen as Liz and her parents emerged from the room in intensive care with tears in their eyes and he knew Liz's grandmother had passed away. He longed to comfort her but they didn't have that kind of relationship, they were barely more than acquaintances.
Liz's parents left with a doctor while she stayed alone in the waiting room and turned toward the window to look out into the night. She couldn't believe her grandma was dead. It seemed so unfair that someone who loved life so much could be taken away so quickly.
Liz felt guilty that she hadn’t spent more time with her grandmother on this visit but she was grateful for the time they had been together. Just before the stroke, she and her grandma had talked and Liz would cherish that time for the rest of her life. Her grandma had given her a piece of advice that she intended to live by, 'Follow your heart.'"
Max could see that Liz needed to be alone and he felt as if he were intruding. He quietly moved to go past her and toward the exit, pausing to take one last glance at her.
Liz saw a movement in the reflection in the window and turned expecting her parents, but instead she was surprised to see Max. She pushed a strand of hair behind her ear and managed a small smile. "Hi Max."
Max winced at the pain that was evident in her voice. "Hi Liz."
"What are you doing here?"
He quickly searched for an appropriate answer. "I uh, I'm visiting a friend." he said, not wanting to lie to her. "Um, Maria told me about your grandmother."
Liz nodded, tears filling her eyes again. "She just passed away."
Max stepped forward his hands extended, aching to comfort her. "I'm sorry Liz." Realizing what he was doing, he stopped a couple of steps away and stuffed his hands into his pockets.
Liz smiled at him sadly. "Thanks. It's just... it was so sudden."
"Maria said you were close."
"Yeah,” Liz nodded. “She was one of my best friends."
"Really?" he asked softly. "What kinds of things did you to do together?"
"She is the one who introduced me to science." Liz smiled remembering. "She encouraged me to be whatever I wanted to be. She said the possibilities were endless." Liz met Max’s eyes. "She was an incredible woman and I hope I can be like her."
Max smiled, "She has a pretty incredible granddaughter."
Liz searched Max's face as if seeing him for the first time. "Thank you Max." She impulsively closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around him pulling him into a quick embrace. "Thank you for what you said. I'm glad you're my friend."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode Equivalent - Independence Day)
(Wednesday, February 15th, 2000)
(Hank's Trailer)
Michael walked into the trailer, noting that Hank was drunk and quickly ducked into his room to avoid a confrontation. He collapsed onto his bed but Hank followed him, looking for a fight. "I told you to do the wash," Hank ordered.
"I'll do it later," Michael said dismissively.
Hank came further into the room, standing over the bed threateningly. "Today."
"I'm not your maid," Michael snapped.
"Oh, you're right. You're good for nothing. Do the wash now."
"Go to hell, Hank," Michael said as he left the room.
But Hank was warming to his topic and followed him. "No wonder your parents left you out in the desert. Who'd want ya?"
"Who are you, father of the year?" Michael sneered. "You're a man who keeps me around just to collect the monthly check!"
Max and Isabel stopped the Jeep in front of the trailer and heard raised voices from inside. Worried for Michael's safety, Max burst into the trailer followed closely by Isabel.
Michael was surprised to see them and a bit embarrassed that they had caught Hank at his worst. "What are you guys doing here?"
Isabel eyed Hank suspiciously. "We heard some yelling."
"What's going on?" Max asked.
"Just get out, all right?" Michael said, not wanting them to get involved.
Hank looked Isabel up and down. "Well hello dolly."
Michael came to her defense, "Shut up, Hank."
Hank ignored him. "Wanna have a drink with me?"
Michael stepped closer to Isabel. "She doesn't want a drink."
Hank's gaze turned toward Michael. "Who the hell are you, her lawyer?"
Michael tried to calm the situation, hoping to keep Max and Isabel out of it. "Leave her alone, Hank, all right?"
But Hank, fueled by the alcohol, was eager to fight. "I asked her a question. I'm waiting for her answer."
"Here's your answer," Isabel answered sweetly. She took the drink that he offered and threw it at him. "If you ever touch Michael again, I will kill you!"
Hank was enraged and grabbed his gun, pointing it at Max and Isabel. "You're gonna kill me? I don't think so!"
Max raised his hands and tried to calm the irrational man. "Just take it easy. We're going."
Michael stepped between Hank, Max and Isabel, raised his hand and unleashed his untamed power toward Hank. For a moment, a chair wobbled and then slid across the floor and slammed into a wall, shattering it to pieces. The refrigerator doors opened and closed, the lights dimmed and brightened, and a wind swirled loose papers around the room. Hank's gun started to shake, jerkily it pointed away from the three and discharged.
Hank was stunned by what had happened. "What the hell?!?" He turned to Michael, "Oh, you little bastard. You're a freak. I always knew it. You're a freak!"
Max turned toward the door. "Michael, let's go."
Isabel grabbed Michael by the arm. "Michael, we have to go. Now, Michael!"
Michael looked one last time at the only home he had ever known and reluctantly followed them out the door. And once they were outside he turned to them accusingly. "Congratulations, you made it worse. Now he knows."
Isabel tried to make him see reason. "Michael, Hank was so drunk, he's not gonna know what he saw and he sure as hell isn't gonna remember it in the morning."
"Isabel, I can't go back there," Michael said, trying to explain.
"Good," Isabel countered.
"You just don't get it, do you?" Michael asked, getting angrier. "I know Hank's a jerk, but that's the only thing I had, and now you guys screwed that up for good."
Max spoke up for the first time. "Look, just come back with us for now."
Michael shook his head, "Max, for how long? I mean, two days, three days. What's that gonna do? I..."
Max cut him off, "We'll figure something out."
"Max, I don't belong there. I don't belong there. I don't belong here. I don't belong anywhere." He got out of the Jeep and started walking away.
"Where are you going?"
Michael kept walking, without looking back he called over his shoulder, "Doesn't matter."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode Equivalent - Independence Day)
(Thursday, February 16th, 2000)
(West Roswell High School)
The next morning Michael's concentration was suffering as he tried to take an exam and he let himself be distracted by the sound of the door opening. He was surprised to see a deputy enter the classroom, who spoke in a low voice to his teacher, and more surprised when his teacher looked in his direction.
"Michael."
The deputy motioned for Michael to follow him and they walked down the hall to a room where Sheriff Valenti was waiting.
The Sheriff motioned for him to have a seat and Michael complied nervously. He shifted in the chair trying to make himself more comfortable. "What is this about Sheriff?"
"Last night some of your neighbors reported hearing gunshots."
"I don't know anything about that," Michael denied a little too quickly.
"But you were there last night?" the Sheriff asked.
Michael shook his head, "No, but I went home to get some stuff."
"What time was that?"
"Um," he said thinking, and then realized what the Sheriff was asking. "Does it matter?"
"Well, not really," said Sheriff Valenti. "We have Hank in custody for illegally discharging his firearm in a populated area. I just wanted to make sure that you were okay."
"Thanks for the concern Sheriff,” Michael said, “but I'm fine."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Later that night Michael met with Max and Isabel but things were still strained between them.
Max spoke up attempting to be the peacemaker, "So, everything's okay?"
"Oh, yeah, great," Michael replied sarcastically. "Hank is in jail, probably for a while."
"So, what did Valenti say?" Max asked.
"Well, he said he was gonna find me a new foster situation. Not a home, a situation."
Max sighed in frustration, "I'm sure he meant... "
Michael cut him off, "No matter what home I get, it's a substitute for the real one."
"We don't know anything about our real home," Max pointed out.
"No we don’t," Michael agreed, "because all we have ever done is sit on our asses and wait for someone to find us. Well I'm sick of it. I'm going to start looking for them."
"Michael, you can't just leave," Max said.
"Watch me."
Isabel stepped forward, concerned that part of the only family she had ever known was leaving her. "Where are you going to go?"
"Anywhere but here. You two can stay in your nice little world with your pot roast and your monopoly games, cuz it's pretty clear to me you're not interested in finding our real home. But I'm going to. I'm going to find my real family."
"And what are we?" Isabel raised her voice, her fear making her angry. "You want to know what I think, Michael? I think it's time you either put up or shut up."
Michael turned to her, "Very poetic, Isabel."
"You act like a five-year-old,” Isabel said. “When are you going to grow up and stop blaming everybody else?"
"Is that what you think, Max?" Michael asked.
Max thought carefully for a moment, afraid the wrong word would send Michael running. "I think it's not safe out there. We need to stick together now more than ever."
"You're wrong, Max," Michael said dismisively.
Isabel was practically in tears but refused to let Michael see how much he was hurting her. "Go on and run Michael, it's what you do best."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Later That Day)
(The Evans House)
Max used his powers to open Isabel's door and walked in.
Isabel turned to him, "I thought I locked that door."
"Uh, yeah. Yeah, you did," Max smiled, looking guilty. "What're you doing?"
Isabel turned back to the window. "I was thinking about our home. We don't know anything about it and it's hard to think of it as real. Our planet, our family, our home. It's more like a dream. But sometimes when I look out at the stars it's like I realize that we had a home somewhere, a real place. But even if we found our family tomorrow, it wouldn't mean anything, not without Michael."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Hank’s Trailer)
Max entered the trailer searching for Michael. He heard noises coming from the back room and watched for a moment as Michael stuffed clothes into a bag. "Packing?"
Michael turned to him briefly before resuming. "You could call it that. Everything I have fits in this bag."
"You have me. You have Isabel."
Michael scoffed, "Say goodbye, Max."
"I can't."
"We'll keep in touch, all right?" Michael said dismissively.
"It's not good enough."
"Well, it's gonna have to be, all right? So say goodbye."
"I can't."
"Max..."
Max cut him off, "I know what you're scared of, Michael."
"No, you don't," Michael responded heatedly.
Max shook his head. "You keep telling me how lucky I am, to have a great home, great parents. But in one way, it's harder for me, because when I screw up, I have no excuses. But you, you can do and say anything you want because you have Hank, and you can blame it on that. But what happens without him? It'll all be on you, that's what."
"Well, leave it up to me to still screw it up, huh?" Michael asked.
"It's okay Michael,” Max continued, “because if you do, we'll still be there for you. Maybe you have to start thinking about someone other than yourself, Michael. The three of us belong together. There's a reason that we're together. We're family. So, go if you want to, but no matter where or how far, we will always be connected."
Michael heard his words, but they weren't enough. He picked up his bag and pushed past Max. "See ya."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Michael walked down the side of the road for over an hour before anyone stopped. Finally a truck with three guys pulled over. The guy sitting by the window rolled it down and yelled out, "Where are you headed?"
Michael indicated the road with a jerk of his head. "As far as you're going."
"We're headed to Texas for a gig."
Michael nodded. "Texas is just great."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode Equivalent - Sexual Healing)
(Sunday, February 20th, 2000)
Max stood transfixed in the dark outside the Crashdown as he watched Liz in the restaurant. She had just finished coring a bowl of strawberries and he felt his throat tighten as she raised a succulent, red berry to her mouth. He swallowed hard as he imagined her sweet lips pressed against his, her small frame enfolded in his arms. Max had wanted to be with Liz since he had first seen her, but in the last week the feelings inside him had grown in strength until they were an undeniable force. He thought about her every moment of every day and had a difficult time concentrating on anything else.
He had fought against going to the Crashdown that evening, but in the end he hadn't been able to stop himself. Max didn't know exactly what had brought him to her tonight but he figured it was just his hormones kicking into overdrive. He knew being with Liz was impossible but he had loved her since they were children and he wanted nothing more. All he could think of was taking Liz in his arms and kissing her senseless.
Max took a couple of steps toward the door with his hand outstretched, but stopped himself when he realized what he was doing, and shook his head to clear it. He couldn't act on his impulses no matter how much he wanted Liz. Coming here had been a mistake. Instead of dampening his feelings as he had hoped, seeing Liz had only made them stronger. With a final look at the girl he loved, and supreme will of effort, he turned away, climbed into the Jeep and drove home.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode Equivalent - Wipeout)
(Sunday, October 29th, 2000)
(Copper Summit, AZ)
(The Crawford House)
Ida walked into the living room where Nicholas was playing Mortal Kombat. "Sir?"
Nicholas ignored her, concentrating on his game.
"Excuse me Sir," she said a little louder.
"Not now mom," he yelled. "I'm at a crucial part." His fingers furiously pushed the buttons on the controller but his character fell to the ground in a puddle of his own blood. Nicholas threw the controller to the floor as he leapt to his feet, "Damn it mom," he bellowed, "How many times have I told you not to interrupt me?"
"I'm sorry Sir."
"Well what is it?"
"The last of the troops have gathered for the harvest."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Sunday - November 5th, 2000)
(Copper Summit, AZ)
(Onboard the Leptus)
Nicholas winced as he watched the body that Khivar possessed continue to rant. He had been pleased the harvest had gone well but he was frustrated they had been on Earth for so long with no clues to the location of the Royal Four.
"Nicaron the situation is intolerable. According to Jensto, the pods have surely hatched by now and every day that passes is one more day I am without Vilondra."
Nicholas wondered if Khivar would blame him for failing to locate Vilondra, and if he did, what he would do to him. Nicholas knew being on Earth wouldn’t save him from his master’s wrath and he made a bold inquiry. "What would you like us to do?"
Khivar considered the question for a moment. "I will send four legions of troops to Earth to help you locate them. Then if it is necessary we will give the humans an example of our superior power and make it clear to them it is not in their interest to harbor the Royal Four."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode Equivalent - To Serve & Protect)
(Friday, January 26th, 2001)
(The Evans house)
The year without Michael had been difficult for Max and Isabel and they had grown closer than they ever had been. At first Max had been lost without Michael, his best and only friend, but as the weeks passed he came to rely on Liz's companionship. She had broken off her relationship with Kyle not long after her grandmother had died and she and Max had grown closer. They spent a lot of time together studying, going to movies and just hanging out, sometimes with Maria and Alex but most of the time it was just the two of them.
Max was happy just to be around Liz and he knew he should be satisfied with their friendship but he often found himself wishing for more. Sometimes he thought Liz wanted more out of their relationship too but he was careful to keep his distance. Max glanced at his sister next to him at the table where they were watching television. Isabel had tolerated his friendship with Liz but he knew she would loudly voice her disapproval if he allowed the relationship to progress.
Isabel had always known her brother loved Liz Parker but she had never suspected he would act on his feelings. At first when he had started spending time with Liz, Isabel had been resentful, but the more she saw them together she realized that around Liz, Max could relax. His whole demeanor around the Liz was different. He was more open, he laughed more and he seemed to truly be himself.
Isabel had wanted to keep Max only to herself but she knew Max was lonely without Michael and she couldn't bear to see him so unhappy. So even though she disapproved of his friendship with Liz and often reminded him to keep it purely platonic, she didn't have the heart to tell him to end it. And as Isabel interacted more with Liz, she came to respect and accept her as a friend too.
As Isabel and Max sat in front of the TV on the kitchen table, she had used the remote to surf around the dial at least three times. "There's nothing on."
Max shook his head incredulously, "We must have fifty channels."
Isabel continued to press the channel button commenting on each program, "Crap. Crap."
"Uh huh," grunted Max agreeing with her.
"Boring."
"Uh huh."
Isabel rose from her seat and dropped the remote on the table. "I'm going to go to bed."
The glazed look left Max's eyes momentarily. "Good night Iz."
Isabel quickly got ready for bed and collapsed into her pillow. She wasn't really tired and laid in the dark contemplating her ceiling, but eventually she drifted into a light sleep.
Suddenly she was standing in a clearing in the woods and she felt confused and frightened. She could hear a girl screaming and looked around to find the source but all she could see were trees and blinding flashes of light. She stumbled forward toward the trees that seemed to be rushing around her, but she stopped when a man came into her line of vision. At first she couldn't tell what was happening but then her vision cleared and she stared in horror at what she was witnessing. The man was dragging a body bag but the struggling person inside was obviously still alive.
Isabel jolted awake. "No!" she shouted, before realizing she was safe in her room. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and buried her head in her hands trying to catch her breath.
Max raced into her room and skidded to a halt, seeing nothing out of place. "Iz? What's wrong?"
She shook her head trying to clear the vision. "I don't know. I got a vision or something."
Max sat on the bed at her side. "What kind of vision?"
"There's a girl in trouble. Someone is hurting her."
"How could you know this?" he asked skeptically.
Isabel shook her head again, "I don't know but we have to figure out how to help her."
"It was a dream, Iz," he tried to reassure her.
"No, Max it was real. I could feel her fear. We have to help her," she pleaded.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Saturday, January 27th, 2001)
(The Evans House)
The next evening, Isabel was scared to go to sleep. All day she had questioned herself. Last night the vision had seemed so real but she had received no additional visions after she had finally gotten back to sleep. Max had adamantly insisted the whole thing was just a bad dream and as the day had progressed Isabel had started to believe it herself. But now that it was time for bed, Isabel dreaded what her dreams would reveal to her. She flipped on the television in the living room and turned to a bad sci-fi movie hoping to stave off sleep, but after only a few minutes, her heavy eyelids closed and she drifted into sleep.
Immediately she was transported back into the vision. She watched as the girl was attacked walking to her car, once again feeling the terror the girl was experiencing. Isabel received a flash of drugs and a syringe and then suddenly she was back in the woods watching as the girl was dragged in the body bag by her attacker. Isabel cried out as she came awake, the other girl's fear still running through her, causing trembles to rack her body.
She was now positive the visions were real and she was determined to help the girl even if she didn't know how it was possible. Maybe if she tried to make contact she would be able to see more details.
Isabel went to her room and climbed into bed, and taking deep breaths she tried to open herself to the visions. It was different than dream walking, where she knew her target and controlled the situation. She wasn't sure it would work, but after a few moments she was pulled back into the woods. Again she saw the girl being dragged through the woods but this time she concentrated on trying to see the attacker's face. He was backing toward her, dragging the body bag and almost as if she had willed it, the attacker turned and she got a good look at his face. It was dark but she quickly ran her eyes over his face, memorizing every detail.
The girl's terror washed over her once again and she rushed forward to help but the vision dissolved as she came awake. Max was shaking her and calling her name. She clung to him, shivering in reaction. "I saw it again Max. The girl was kidnapped and drugged and then he took her into the woods." A sob escaped her and she continued in gasps, "I saw him. I saw his face."
Max pulled back from his sister to study her face and he could see her determination. "Okay Iz, what can we do?"
"I got more from this last vision. I think I should try again."
A concerned look crossed Max's face. "I don't know. It was like you were in a trance. This could be dangerous."
"Max the visions come to me whether I want them or not. I can't stop them."
"Okay, but they seem to be getting stronger. I had a hard time waking you out of the last one."
Isabel nodded, "Somehow I'm being pulled into her. I can feel what she was feeling."
"That's what I'm worried about. We don't know what's going on."
"Well then you'll just have to be close the next time it happens and hopefully when we rescue her, the visions will go away."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Sunday, January 28th, 2001)
Isabel had not been able to sleep the rest of the night and after a full day of worrying she was exhausted. Just after dark she climbed into bed and fell into a fitful sleep. Once again she was back in the woods.
She looked around wildly, "Where am I?" She saw a shed with markings she recognized. Then she saw the girl again and suddenly the attacker appeared.
The girl screamed, "No, please don't!"
Isabel could feel the other girl's terror as if it was her own and called out, "Max, Max! No, Max! Max!"
Isabel watched as the attacker took out a syringe and she screamed. She was connected so closely to the other girl, it felt as if it was happening to her and she struggled, desperate to get away. "Help me!"
Max ran into Isabel's room and shook her trying to wake her. "I'm here, Isabel. Isabel wake up."
But Isabel was still in the control of the vision. "No, please!" she begged the attacker. "Don't do this. You don't have to do this. No!"
Max shook her harder, crying out to her and finally she came back to consciousness. "Isabel, are you alright?"
Isabel looked around and when she saw she was safe she allowed herself to collapse into him. "Oh my God." She allowed Max to hold her shivering form for a few moments before pulling away from him. "Max, I know where she is."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Frazier Woods)
Max stopped the Jeep in the clearing by the shed and looked at Isabel in the seat next to him.
She nodded, "This is it."
"Okay," Max said, "we're here. Now what?
Isabel shrugged, "I don't know. She's here. She's here somewhere."
"Okay, let's start looking around but be careful. The attacker could be around here too."
Max and Isabel headed off in different directions, searching the clearing for any signs or clues.
Isabel walked toward the line of trees and stumbled. Using her flashlight she looked down at a mound of earth that extended in a straight line in both directions. "Max, come over here."
"What did you find?" Max asked as he approached.
"Look at this. What do you think it is?"
Max looked both directions, "I don't know. Let's follow it and see where it goes."
They walked for a few minutes and where the mound ended, a plastic tube emerged from the ground and twined around a bush where it attached to an oxygen tank.
"Oh my God," Isabel said, realizing what it meant.
Max grabbed the tube and started to follow it back the other direction. When Isabel didn't follow him he yelled back over his shoulder, "Come on."
They quickly followed the tube until they reached the other end, where it disappeared under ground.
Isabel dropped to her knees and started digging. "Oh God, she's under here."
They dug frantically with their hands until they uncovered the girl, her head incased in a clear plastic box.
Isabel sat back, shocked when she saw it. "Oh my God. What did they do to her?"
"I don't know," Max said softly, shaking his head.
Isabel carefully lifted the girl's head. "We've got you. What did they do?"
The girl started to convulse.
Max continued to dig out her lower half. "Isabel, there's something wrong with her. Can you get this thing off?"
"Yes."
A shot rang out, hitting the ground close to them. Both Max and Isabel looked in the direction the shot came from, trying to see the danger. They both heard the click of the hammer as the gunman pulled back on the trigger and then the explosion that launched the bullet toward them.
Max held up his hand instinctively as if to ward off the bullet and a glowing green shield appeared between them and the gunman. The bullet hit the barrier, slowed and finally bounced off in the opposite direction. Isabel gathered her power and shot it toward where the gunman was concealed.
"Isabel, hurry!” Max called out. “I can't keep this up much longer!"
Two more bullets were fired in rapid succession, bouncing harmlessly off Max’s shield and Isabel was able to get an accurate position on the man.
"I see him Max!" Isabel fired again as the gunman moved and the blast glanced off his shoulder. The gunman dropped his rifle to clasp his hand to the wound and ran.
Max dropped his hand and the shield dissolved. He looked down at the girl in the ground, who was now still. "Let's get her out of here," he said wearily.
"I've got it," Isabel said, pulling the box off of the girl's head. "Max, is she alright?"
Max placed his hands over her to feel her energy. "She isn't really hurt, just dehydrated and a little malnourished. I think she just passed out."
Isabel studied the girl for the first time. "She's a human isn't she?"
"Yeah."
"Then how did I get the visions from her?” Isabel asked. “It's like I know her, I'm connected to her."
"I don't know, Iz."
"What are we going to do with her? And why did that guy do this?"
Max carefully lifted the girl out of the ground. "I don't know but maybe we should get her to a hospital."
"Maybe but this all seems so..." Isabel paused, waiving her hands, "I don't know, so otherworldly."
Max nodded his agreement, "We should report this to the police but if it does turn out to be," he paused, "otherworldly, and it gets connected to us...," he let the sentence trail off not wanting to consider the possible consequences of being exposed. "Maybe we should take her to our house until we can figure out why this is happening."
“And what was with that shield?” Isabel asked, as she followed Max back to the Jeep. “Did you know you could do that?”
Max shook his head, “It just happened.”
As Max set the girl down in the back of the Jeep, she came to, struggling for her life. Max released her immediately and Isabel rushed forward attempting to calm her. "It's okay. You're safe now. I promise."
The girl's eyes flicked between Max and Isabel and the tension left her body. "How did you know to find me out here?"
"I heard you cry out for help," Isabel said.
"Who are you?" the girl asked.
"Isabel. And this is Max."
"I'm Laurie. You saved my life," she said, as she took Isabel's hand. "Thank you."
When their hands touched, Isabel received a flash. It was like she was seeing into the other girl's cells but what she saw she didn't recognize from her Biology class and as she released Laurie's hand, the vision dissolved.
Max walked around the Jeep and started to climb in but stopped when he saw his sister's faraway look. "Ready to go?"
Isabel glanced at Laurie and then back at Max. "There's something about her, Max."
"What do you mean?"
"It's like I know her."
Max turned to the girl in the back seat, "Laurie, you can stay with us if you want to but I think tomorrow you need to see a doctor."
Laurie shook her head vehemently, "No, no, no. Th-they get into hospitals."
Max looked quickly at Isabel and then back at Laurie. "Are you talking about the person that did this to you? Was there more than one?"
Laurie shook her head again, "It wasn't a man. It was a them. They're not from here."
"What do you mean they're not from here?" asked Isabel, suddenly afraid of the answer.
Laurie looked at her. "They're aliens," she said simply.
As they drove back to the house, none of them noticed the truck following at a discrete distance.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Evans House)
After Isabel had settled Laurie into the guest room, she found Max in his room looking out the window at the stars. "She's asleep already."
"It's a good thing mom went with dad on this trip,” Max said. “That way we don't have to make up any awkward explanations."
"Max, what are we going to do? What if aliens did this to her?"
"It's all I've thought about since she said it. You always hear stories about alien abductions but I never really believed they were true, even though...," he let his sentence trail off as he gestured to Isabel and then himself, "you know."
He took a deep breath, "It has always been a possibility that there were other survivors out there from the crash. Maybe one or more of them did this to her." He shrugged, "Or maybe she is just crazy. I mean if we were anyone but us and she talked about aliens, what would we think?"
Isabel nodded. "You're right, but because we are who we are, I think we have to consider the alien possibility."
Max nodded agreeing with her. "We should go back to the site in the morning and look around." He shrugged, "Who knows what we'll find."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode Equivalent - We Are Family)
(Monday, January 29th, 2001)
The next morning Max and Isabel drove back to the sight and left Laurie at their house. They recovered the rifle and oxygen tanks but were unsure what to do with them.
Max looked at the items they had gathered, "Maybe we should save them in case we need to turn them over to the police."
"Max," Isabel said exasperatedly, "where would we keep them? In your room? I can see it now, mom is digging through your closet for dirty socks and she comes across a sniper rifle complete with scope. How do you explain that? 'Oh mom, that's just my new hobby?' I don't think so."
She turned and walked toward the hole where Laurie was buried to get the plastic cube that had encased Laurie's head.
Max sighed and called out to his sister. "Iz, we have to make a decision."
Isabel stopped at the hole and bent down to get the cube but a glint of blue caught her eye. "What is that?" She knelt down to get a better look, "Max, come and take a look at this."
Max trotted to where his sister was kneeling near the hole. She pointed to a cluster of blue crystals in the hole. "What do you think these are?"
Max shook his head, "I've never seen anything like them." He thought back to the previous evening. "I'm pretty sure they weren't here last night. Maybe they have something to do with why she was buried here." He motioned to the Jeep, "There's a bag in the back seat. Let's take it with us and see if we can figure out what it is, and maybe it will tell us what's going on."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
As they walked from the Jeep to the house, Max turned to his sister. "I think I have my old microscope in my closet. I'll take a look at this," he held the crystals up to the light, "and you check on Laurie."
Isabel nodded as she opened the door. There was no sign of the other girl in the living room or the kitchen and Isabel called out, "Laurie, it's Isabel and Max."
The door to the pantry slowly opened and Laurie emerged, picking at her bloody hands. Isabel rushed to her side and took the other girl's hands, "Laurie, stop. Your hands are bleeding."
Laurie snatched her hands away, "No, no, I have to get them out. They put them under there. That's what they do to me."
Isabel gave Laurie her full attention, "What do they do?"
"Put needles in me. Put stuff inside." She held out her arms to show Isabel, " See?”
Isabel examined her arms and hands carefully, "I don't see anything."
"It's there. I'm not crazy. They put me in a mental hospital, but I didn't belong there."
"Who put you in a mental hospital?"
"The aliens took my grandfather and now they are after me."
Isabel took Laurie's chin in her hands and forced her to meet her eyes. "What do the aliens want?"
"They want to kill me."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Isabel left Laurie in the kitchen with some lunch and went up to check on Max's progress. He was checking a book against information on a web site. Isabel sat on his bed, "Are you getting anywhere?"
"I think we're dealing with some kind of, uh, bacterium, or something." He motioned to the computer screen, "I was just cross checking some sites on the internet to try and categorize them. The really weird thing though, it looks like they're pulsating."
"That's not normal?"
"I don't think so, but this is not my best area."
"Maybe you should ask your lab partner,” Isabel suggested. “She's the science whiz."
"Liz?" Max asked consideringly. "I don't know Iz."
"Max, we need help and it's not like we can take this to a lab and have it analyzed."
Isabel was right, they did need help and he knew he could trust Liz. "Okay," Max agreed after a few moments, "I'll call her."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Liz examined the substance under the microscope. "It looks like they're a type of negleria filarae. Water-borne parasites found in the blood cells of certain species of fish, but these are like nothing else on Earth." She looked back into the microscope, "This is an amazing discovery. They are in crystal form but they’re comprised of cells, and the pulsing, I have never seen or heard of anything like it. I can take them to the Biology lab at Las Cruces University and they can probably tell us more about them.”
"No," Max said, nervously looking to Isabel for help. "We can't show this to anyone else."
"Oh," Liz said with a laugh, "you want credit for having discovered them."
"Something like that," Isabel answered.
Max rose and pulled his sister with him, "Excuse us Liz. We'll be back in a minute."
"Sure," Liz answered distractedly, her eyes still glued to the microscope."
Max and Isabel walked down the hall out of earshot. "Did you hear what Liz said?" Isabel whispered urgently. "They are like nothing on Earth."
Max nodded, "She also said they were parasites. That implies they need something to feed on."
"Like Laurie?"
"I don't know,” Max said with a shrug. “Someone put her in that hole. Maybe it's just a coincidence the alien crystals were there too," he said hopefully.
Isabel rolled her eyes.
"I know," Max admitted, "too big a coincidence. We can ask Liz to keep researching, we can trust her to keep quiet, but I don't know how far she'll get with only half of the facts."
Isabel took a deep breath, not believing what she was about to suggest. "Max, this will sound crazy but I think we should tell Liz the truth."
"The truth," Max repeated in a dead, even tone.
Isabel nodded, "We need help and you said it yourself, we can trust her."
"Yes, but Iz…"
Isabel cut him off, "What else are we going to do? We can't just leave these parasites lose on the Earth. What if they are harmful to humans? We have to stop them."
Thoughts were flying through Max's head faster than he could interpret them. He had dreamed of telling Liz the truth over and over, and now that he was confronted with the reality, he was unsure of what he should do. In his fantasies, of course, she had always accepted him for what he was, but in reality he was scared of losing the tenuous friendship he had with her. But she was their only chance at figuring out the true nature of the crystals. He had no other choice. He just hoped she didn't hate him.
Finally Max nodded reluctantly. "You go and keep Laurie upstairs and I'll tell Liz."
Max waited until Isabel disappeared around the corner and then slowly walked back into his room. His eyes roamed over Liz's small form seated at his desk and he felt a wave of possessiveness wash over him. He had always imagined spending time with her in a romantic way, and having her in his room, surrounded by his things just felt right.
He had loved her for so long and he had often fantasized about telling her the truth, running through dozens of scenarios of how it might happen, but now that he was faced with the reality, all of the rehearsed words fled from his mind.
He sat on the bed behind her and took a deep breath. "Liz," he whispered but she was so engrossed in her studies, she didn't hear him. "Liz," he croaked, his throat suddenly dry.
"Yes?" she answered over her shoulder, her concentration still on the specimen before her.
"Liz," he said a little louder, "I need to tell you something." He watched as she turned questioning eyes to him and he looked down at his hands, "I..., um, I'm not sure how to say this."
Liz could see Max’s nervousness and she wondered if he was finally going to take their relationship from friendship to the next level. Liz smiled encouragingly, taking his hand, "It's okay Max, you can tell me anything."
He looked into her soft, accepting eyes and swallowed hard, trying to dislodge the lump in his throat. He decided to start slowly, "Well, the thing is... um, I'm not from around here."
"Oh?" Liz asked, the surprise evident in her voice. Max had told her that he and Isabel were adopted, and they didn’t know anything about their real family. "Did you discover something about your past?"
"In a way," Max admitted.
"Where are you from?"
Max voice suddenly faltered and he simply pointed his finger straight up.
"Up north?" Liz asked, misunderstanding him.
Max shook his head, realizing he wasn't getting his point across. He lifted his finger higher.
Liz followed his finger with her eyes and her sense of humor kicked in. "You're not an alien," she said with a laugh.
At her words, Max's head snapped up and his eyes held hers. He lowered his pointed, up-turned finger to his khakis and the beige color swirled away into a deep blue.
Liz's face paled and she looked at him with large eyes. "I mean, are you?" she asked breathily.
Max tried to lighten the mood, "Well I prefer the term not of this Earth." But when he saw Liz flinch, he immediately apologized. "Sorry, it's not a good time to joke."
Max watched as Liz looked around his room, her eyes darting from one thing to another, trying to process the information. Finally she looked back at his newly blue pants and then at his face. "Yeah, I am," he said softly. "Wow, it's weird to actually say it."
Liz got to her feet and nervously started to gather her things. "Um, I have to go because I'm late and I, uh, have to go."
Max followed her up and stood between her and the door. "Liz, please wait," he said, his hands raised in placating manner, careful not to touch her.
She looked into his face and slowly settled into the chair again.
He took a deep breath when she sat down and regained his seat opposite her. "I can't imagine how you must feel right now, I mean, I've thought about telling you a thousand times.
"You have? Me?" she asked unbelievingly.
Max nodded and an idea struck him. "Sometimes I can make, I don't know, a connection with people and I get a rush of images. I've never tried this before, but maybe I can make the connection go the other way. So you can see, you know that, that I'm still me."
He watched her absorb the information and then continued softly, "I have to touch you."
Liz looked into Max's handsome face. No matter what else he was, he was her friend and she trusted him. She nodded her consent.
Max exhaled the tension-filled breath he had been holding. He had been scared that Liz was rejecting him but he could feel the trust and the acceptance growing in her. He gently took her face in his hands, rejoicing that he was finally able to tell her the truth and she hadn't turned away from him. "Now just take deep breaths and try to let your mind blank out."
Liz tried to relax as Max instructed and at first nothing happened, but then a rush of images and feelings deluged her. In her mind, she saw Max and Isabel. They looked about five or six and they were walking down the road, completely naked and she could feel Max's fear as a car approached them. Next she saw herself through Max's eyes, on the first day he and Isabel had come to school. He had loved her and watched her from afar since that day. He admired her intelligence and her beauty but he was scared to let herself or others really see him. He feared rejection and discovery so he separated himself from everyone, but his loneliness was staggering. Suddenly the connection was broken as Max started to remove his hands, and the images and emotions stopped.
Max watched as Liz slowly opened her eyes, less than a foot away from his own, and their gazes met and held. He was filled with the overwhelming urge to kiss her but a rational part of his mind screamed out for him to stop. He looked down, breaking contact with her eyes. "Did it work?"
Liz was still too moved by Max's feelings and her reaction to them to speak, so she simply nodded.
Max took advantage of her silence to continue. "Liz, listen to me. You can't talk to anyone about this. Not your parents, not Maria. No one. You don't understand what'll happen if you do. Liz please, my life is in your hands."
Liz could hear his pleading tone. "Max, who else knows this?"
He shook his head, "No one."
Liz pressed, "What about your parents?"
Max shrugged, "We don't tell anyone. We sorta think our lives depend on it."
Liz sat up straighter her natural curiosity kicking in. "We?"
"Isabel and Michael are also...uh..."
Liz nodded accepting. "Where did you come from?"
Max shook his head, "I don't know. When the ship crashed I wasn't born yet."
"So there was a crash?"
"All I know is it wasn't a weather balloon that fell that night."
Liz's brain was on overload but still functioning. She shook her head. "The ship crashed in 1947. You're sixteen."
"We were in some kind of incubation pods," Max explained.
Liz motioned to Max's formerly beige pants. "Um, what powers do you have?"
Max smiled. Liz the scientist in action. "We can connect with people, as uh, you know. We can manipulate molecular structures, and...we can...."
Liz cut him off, "Wait, what does that mean?"
Max ran his hand over his pants again, changing them back to khaki. "Um, that's how I changed the color."
"So why did you tell me?"
"Because I knew I could trust you and because we need your help," he said motioning to the microscope.
Liz caught his drift immediately, "The crystals are alien?"
"I don't know, but you said yourself that they were like nothing else on Earth."
"Where did you get them?"
"That is a long story." He took a deep breath and proceeded to relate the events of the last few days to Liz. He started with Isabel's visions and how they located Laurie, continued with Laurie's rescue, and the gunman, and finished with that morning's discovery of the crystals, and the discussion with Isabel that had led up to telling her.
Liz shook her head. "So somebody kidnaps a girl and buries her in the ground so a bunch of alien parasites can..., can do what to her, we don't know. And..., and then how does he know about these parasites? Is he human, or is he alien?
Max shrugged, "We don't know."
Liz nodded. "I'll do anything I can to help." She paused, seeing the relief evident on Max's face. "And Max? I'm glad you told me."
Max smiled, feeling a great weight lift from his heart. "I'm glad too. I just wish it were under more normal circumstances.” His eyes met Liz’s and they held. Liz was attracted to him, Max had seen that when they connected, and for him it was a dream come true. Max suddenly felt as if eveything he ever wanted was within his reach, but he knew it was only an illusion. The reasons he and Liz couldn’t be together were still true and Max reluctantly looked away, getting back to the subject at hand. “Where should we go from here?"
Liz had felt the intensity in Max’s gaze breifly, before he looked away, and it was as if her heart had come alive for the first time. But Max was withdrawing from her again, acting like the moment hadn’t happened. Liz smiled. Now that she knew his secret, she felt like it was only a matter of time until they got together. And there were more important things to concentrate on, like the alien crystals. Liz cleared her throat and answered Max’s question. "Well both you and I have been handling the crystals and nothing has happened, so it sounds like they're not interested in terrestrial organisms."
"Well, except Laurie," Max pointed out.
Liz nodded, "So, maybe there's something unique about her, something the parasites are looking for. Maybe a difference or genetic defect of some kind, but there is no way we can test for that. I think we should concentrate on finding a way to kill these things. But even if we do that, it still leaves one big problem."
Max nodded following her line of thinking. "Who is the kidnapper?"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Liz went back to her house and packed a bag, telling her mom she was spending the night at Isabel's. When she returned to the Evans’ house, she and Max started to run experiments attempting to figure out a way to kill the parasites. She suggested various household cleaning products including ammonia, drain cleaner and bleach, but nothing they did seemed to affect the parasites. Then they switched to antibiotics, insecticides and anti-fungal medication with no luck.
Max rose from the table in frustration. He glanced out the window and noticed the sun was going down. He could see Liz reflected in the glass of the window. He had always admired her, but today she has shown him a deep inner strength he had only guessed existed. After all of the shocks she had received, she not only trusted him but also was doing everything in her power to help him. She was incredible, and even though he hadn’t thought it possible, he loved her even more.
Suddenly the tantalizing scent of food drew Max toward the door and he started down the hall.
Isabel met him near the stairs. "How's it going?"
"Well we’ve eliminated a lot of things that don't work," Max said with a shrug.
"So no luck."
"No," Max admitted.
"I made dinner,” Isabel said, motioning toward the kitchen. “Why don't you and Liz come and eat?"
"Yeah. Thanks Iz."
Max re-entered his room just after Liz's latest failure. She sat back into the chair dejectedly and rotated her shoulders. Max came up silently behind her and started to gently rub her neck, using his healing ability to ease the away the soreness. Liz sighed and leaned back into him. He bent down and spoke softly in her ear, "Liz you've been at this all day. Isabel made dinner. Why don't you take a break and we can get back to it later."
Liz nodded, noticing her growling stomach for the first time. "Yeah, I guess I am hungry."
The four ate dinner with little chitchat. Liz made an attempt at a conversation with Laurie but the other girl was not very responsive and Liz didn't want to upset her with talk of the experiments.
After dinner Isabel suggested hot chocolate and reached for the kettle, as she turned on the gas burner. Liz's attention focused on the flickering, blue flame and it was as if the pieces of a puzzle suddenly slid into place. "That's it," she said jumping out of her seat. "That's it! Fire!" She turned to Isabel. "Do you have a metal or Pyrex bowl or container of some kind?"
Isabel fished a Pyrex bowl and lid out of the cabinet. "Will this do?"
Liz took them from Isabel, "It's perfect."
Max went to his room, broke off a small crystal shard and he and Liz took it into the garage. He removed the lid, placed the bowl on the work surface and put the shard in the bowl. Liz tore a match out of a book and used it to light the whole book on fire and dropped it in the bowl too. They watched as the matches burned for a moment uneventfully, but suddenly the crystal shard started to glow. It vibrated and then jumped, bouncing off the side of the container and Max and Liz stepped back as it started to move more vigorously.
Afraid it would jump out of the container, Max grabbed the lid and covered the bowl. The shard flipped around the bowl violently as the matches continued to burn, but suddenly it stopped moving and the glow extinguished.
After a moment, Max removed the lid. "It looks dead."
"Yeah," Liz agreed but her scientific instincts took over. "Let's check it under the microscope though."
They took the shard back into Max's room and prepared a slide. Liz closely examined it and saw no movement. "It's dead, take a look."
Max fitted his eye to the lens. "You're right," he said turning toward her with a smile. "You did it Liz."
Liz shook her head, "I'm just not sure why it died."
"The fire..."
Liz shook her head again, holding up the deceased but immaculate crystal shard. "Look, it's not burnt or even singed." She sat back in the chair, thinking aloud. "Fire not only burns, but also produces heat, or it could be some kind of gas that was released when the matches burned, a dye or chemical. Fire also consumes oxygen." She stopped and looked up at Max. "I bet that's it. The parasites can live in water and in the open air and one thing they both have in common is oxygen. The fire consumed the oxygen in the bowl because you covered it, and the parasites suffocated."
"I'm sure you're right," Max agreed.
"Let's test it to be sure."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Max had climbed into his bed more than an hour ago but he had been unable to sleep. His mind was occupied with too many things. He was worried about how to stop the parasites but that was just an annoying buzz in the back of his mind. Uppermost in his thoughts was the dark-haired girl he was in love with, sleeping on his sister's floor, just across the hall.
He had always dreamed of telling Liz the truth and in his fantasies they had admitted their love for one another and lived happily after. But faced with the actual fact of Liz's acceptance, Max was unsure of what to do. He longed to advance their friendship into a romantic relationship but he feared what he was, would somehow harm her.
The problem of Laurie and the parasites just reinforced his caution. If an alien, one of his kind, had done this to Laurie then what would they do to Liz if his relationship with her were discovered?
A creaking sound outside his door drew his attention and somehow he knew it was Liz. She had been as restless as he, since the adrenaline of their success had worn off, and she had probably been wondering what his revelation meant for their relationship too.
Max pulled on shorts over his boxers, donned a t-shirt and headed down the hall after Liz. He caught up with her in the dark kitchen where she was heating a cup in the microwave. "Couldn't sleep either?" he whispered.
She shook her head, not surprised by his presence, whispering in return, "No, there's too much running through my head. I thought some tea might help." She moved a little closer to him. "Do you want me to make some tea for you?"
Max took a step closer to Liz and reached out to slowly run his hand down the soft skin of her arm, exposed by the tank top she was wearing. He could still feel her emotions running through him from when they connected, and uppermost in his mind was the fact that she wanted a relationship with him too. Again their eyes locked and Max was overcome with the urge to kiss her. He leaned in closer, leaving only inches between them. "Liz, I..."
He was interrupted by a sound coming from outside and suddenly his whole attention was focused on the door.
"What is it?" Liz whispered urgently.
"I don't know, but stay behind me." Max was sure he had locked the door but he watched in horror as the knob wiggled for a moment and the lock popped open. He grabbed Liz's arm and pulled her with him behind the island, as the door swung open. They ducked out of sight and Max peered around the side to size up the intruder.
The man was dressed entirely in black, with a bag slung over his shoulder, but there were no visible weapons. Max decided to use the surprise to his advantage and ran toward the intruder, ducking his head in a football block.
Liz screamed as he made contact with the other man and she grabbed a frying pan off the counter.
Isabel jolted upright in bed at the sound of Liz's scream. For a moment she was disoriented but the sounds of a fight propelled her out of bed and down the hall toward the ruckus. She stopped in the doorway of the kitchen just as a black-clad intruder pushed Max away and turned on Liz, who was rushing at him with a frying pan.
Liz swung her weapon at the intruder’s head but he anticipated her, catching the blow on his upraised arm, and struck out, knocking her into the wall. Liz hit the wall hard and slid to the ground.
"No!" Max screamed and turned his fury on the intruder.
As the man turned toward her, Isabel saw his face for the first time and gasped in recognition. She saw him draw a gun from his pocket as he turned toward her brother and instinctively she quickly built her power and aimed a blast of energy at his chest.
The intruder staggered and dropped the gun as he fell to the floor. Max moved forward, grabbed the gun and checked the intruder as Isabel flipped on the light. The energy blast had seared completely through his chest near his heart, and Max could see with a glance he was dead.
Max dropped the gun and ran to where Liz was sitting on the floor. He cradled her head in his hands and released the breath he was holding when he saw she was alive. He nodded to Isabel who had knelt beside them, and he continued to check Liz for injuries. She was fine, but gasping for air because the blow had knocked the breath from her lungs. Max gently encircled Liz in his arms and with his hand on her back, eased the tension out of her lungs, allowing her to breath normally.
Liz desperately clutched at Max's chest as she sucked gulps of air into her lungs. "Max," she whispered, quickly taking another breath. "Max, look."
Max released Liz, and he and Isabel turned toward the intruder as his chest opened and a mass of blue crystals parted and jutted out of the cavity. Isabel gasped as a creature resembling a jellyfish, rose out of the midst of the crystals. It hovered in the air momentarily and then sped toward them.
Max instantly erected a shield, separating himself and the girls from the alien creature. It slammed into the barrier, knocking him backwards but he kept the shield in place. Isabel built her power and aimed at the creature around Max's shield as it came at them again. She hit it squarely with a blast of energy but it seemed to have no effect and again it threw itself against the shield. This time the shield faltered momentarily and Max knew he would not be able to keep it up much longer.
Liz spoke to him from behind. "Max, can you make the shield into a sphere?"
"I guess," he said over his shoulder. "I've never tried it."
"When it hits your shield again, fold the shield around to trap it. Then empty the air and make it airtight. It needs oxygen remember?"
Max nodded his head, "I'll try."
Once again the creature flew toward them. Max tensed, waiting until it was almost on top of them and then he encased it in the shield as Liz had suggested. The creature threw itself against the sides when it discovered it was trapped and Max quickly vented the air and sealed the surface to make it airtight.
The creature grew more frantic as it realized there was no oxygen. It battered the shield repeatedly and Max concentrated all of his energy into strengthening the barrier. Finally the creature gave a final effort, lunging into the barrier with its full strength behind it, and it exploded into a gooey mess.
Max dropped the shield and sagged into the wall, exhausted. "What was that thing?"
"I don't know," Isabel said with a haunted tone, "but that is the man I saw in my vision. He’s the one who took Laurie."
They all looked at each other and said her name in unison, "Laurie!"
Max attempted to rise but Isabel pushed him back down. "Stay here for a minute and rest. I'll go check on her."
Liz rose from his side, wet a dishcloth and knelt back down beside him. She ran the cool cloth over his heated face and neck. "Max you saved all of us, thank you."
He shook his head, "No Liz. Your experiments saved us. Without you, I wouldn't have known how to kill it."
Liz moved in closer, eager to recapture the earlier mood between them. "We make a good team," she said softly.
Max looked into her eyes. He wanted nothing more than to kiss her. He had meant to before they were interrupted, but the events of the last few minutes had changed his mind. He had been right to worry about what could happen to Liz. His heart had nearly stopped when she had been thrown into the wall. She easily could have been killed and Max felt cold just thinking about it. He couldn't take the risk. He had to keep the distance between them to protect her.
Max took the dishcloth from her hand and pushed a wayward strand of hair behind her ear. "Liz, it's not safe. I mean, for you and, and me to..." he trailed off and shook his head. "It's not safe."
Liz met his eyes. "I don't care."
Max sighed. Pushing Liz away from him was breaking his heart, but he continued with a sad smile, "Liz I really, really wish that this could be something, you know, more. But it can't. We're just..." he let the sentence trail off searching for the right word.
But Liz finished the sentence for him. "Different."
"Yeah."
Liz motioned to the intruder. "Look Max. The crystals are dying." They watched as the crystals melted into a thick, blue goo. "We should check the ones in your room."
They raced to his room and Max flipped on the light. The crystals on his desk had also turned into goo.
Liz thought for a moment. "The creature we killed must have been the leader, the brain of the group, like the Borg on Star Trek. There is one queen who makes all of the decisions and the others are just drones, workers who do what she tells them. When we killed her all of them died."
"I think you're right," he agreed. "That means Laurie is out of danger."
Liz nodded, "We should check on Laurie and Isabel."
They met the other girls coming out of Laurie's room. Liz explained. "The crystals are all dead. We think it's because we killed the creature downstairs. It must have been the queen of the group and when it died, the rest died too. So there is nothing left to harm you, Laurie. You're safe now."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Tuesday, January 30th, 2001)
The next day they saw Laurie off at the bus station. She had decided to visit her grandfather in Arizona. Laurie hugged each of the three, "Thank you for what you did. I'll tell my grandfather that we don't have to worry about aliens anymore."
Liz went back to the Evans’ house to help clean up, but Isabel took care of the damage in the kitchen with one wave of her hand.
They waited until dark to load the intruder's body into the Jeep, then they drove deep into the desert and burned the body. At Liz's suggestion, Max and Isabel used their powers to super-heat the flames to make sure there was nothing left.
As they stood watching over the flames, Isabel voiced what they were all thinking. "We don't even know who he was, and no one will know what happened to him. His family and friends will just think he disappeared.” She shook her head. “Whoever he was, he didn't deserve to die like that."
Max wrapped a comforting arm around his sister. "No one deserves to die like that."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Over the next few months Liz and Max grew even closer. Now that Liz knew the truth, Max confided in her about everything, except his true feelings for her. He was careful to keep her at arm's length, reasoning it was better to stay away from her than to put her in danger.
So when Liz suggested they go to the prom together, Max was hesitant until Liz proposed they would just go as friends.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode Equivalent - Heart of Mine)
(Friday, April 27th, 2001)
(West Roswell High School)
(Senior Prom)
Liz took Max's hand as they walked into the gym. She greeted a few people as they moved to a table, but Max remained silent. He had been acting increasingly nervous since he had picked her up.
Hoping she could use this evening to reshape their relationship into something more than friendship, Liz had chosen a dress with Max in mind. It was black with a fitted bodice that flared out at her waist until it ended just below her knees. It had thin straps, extending down her back, exposing her smooth, soft skin, and she had put her hair up, leaving only a few tendrils to brush against her neck.
When Max had arrived at her house, she had greeted him cheerfully and curiously watched as his smile slowly dissolved into a look of shock as he had taken in her appearance. He had pulled at his collar as if it were suddenly too tight and swallowed repeatedly. Finally he had produced a small smile and in a voice deeper than usual, he had managed a strained, "Liz, you look great."
Liz glanced at Max and noticed that he was looking anywhere but at her and she thought her plan must be working.
Max looked around the room, pretending to be taking in the decorations, but really he was trying to get his emotions back under control. His head had been spinning with dangerous possibilities since he had picked up Liz. When he had first seen her he felt as if he had been punched in the gut and the feeling was only intensifying as the evening continued.
She looked beautiful and mature in a way he had never imagined, and not for the first time, he wondered what he had done to deserve her. But she was there with him and he pushed away his uneasiness, determined to enjoy her company. He turned to her and held out his hand. "Would you like to dance?"
Max led Liz onto the dance floor and gathered her into his arms, her small frame fitting perfect against his, as he had known it would. And as they started to sway to the slow beat of the song, he was amazed at how right it felt. He had always dreamed of being with Liz this way, and now that they were together, he never wanted to let her go.
Max pulled her closer as a new song started. He inhaled the clean, fresh sent of her hair as he ran his hand over the smooth skin of her back, exposed by the cut of her dress. She was everything he had ever wanted and she accepted him exactly as he was. Liz was the only girl he had ever loved and he knew there would never be another.
As he held her, the lyrics of the song started to penetrate his brain.
I can't fight this feelin' any longer
And yet I'm still afraid to let it flow.
What started out as friendship has grown stronger
I only wish I had the strength to let it show.
I tell myself that I can't hold out forever
I say there is no reason for my fear.
'Cause I feel so secure when we're together
You give me life direction, you make everything so clear.
Even as I wander, I'm keeping you in sight
You're a candle in the window, on a cold dark winter's night
And I'm getting closer than I ever thought I might
I can't fight this feeling anymore
I've forgotten what I've started fighting for
It's time to bring this ship in to the shore
And throw away the oars forever
I can't fight this feeling anymore
I've forgotten what I've started fighting for
If I have to crawl across the floor, come crashing through your door
Baby, I can't fight this feeling anymore
Max's heart was pounding so hard it felt as if it would break through his chest. He couldn't believe the words he was hearing. It was as if he had written the song. They lyrics expressed his feelings perfectly and stated the things he had tried so hard to deny. He might have been able to stay away from Liz if he were just fighting his own feelings, but he had been trying to fight her too and he was beginning to realize it was an impossible task.
Liz shivered in Max's arms as he pulled her closer. She could almost feel the change in his attitude toward her. He had been fighting for so long but she could tell he was on the edge and she was determined to pull him over to her side. She wrapped her arms around his neck, teasing his soft hair, and laid her head against his chest.
My life has been such a whirlwind since I saw you
I've been runnin' around in circles in my mind.
And it always seems that I'm followin' you girl
'Cause you take me to the places that alone I'd never find.
And even as I wander I'm keepin' you in sight
You're a candle in the window on a cold dark winter's night
And I'm gettin' closer than I ever thought I might.
And I can't fight this feelin' anymore
I've forgotten what I started fightin' for.
It's time to bring this ship into the shore
And throw away the oars forever.
'Cause I can't fight this feelin' anymore
I've forgotten what I started fightin' for.
And if I have to crawl upon the floor
Or come crashin' through your door
Baby I can't fight this feelin' anymore.
For Max, there was no decision to make, his actions were completely instinctive. As the song ended, he loosened his hold on Liz just enough to pull her to him for a searing kiss.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Sunday, December 23rd, 2002)
Max was awakened by a knock at his window. He glanced at the clock noting the time, three thirty-six a.m. He got out of bed, crossed to the window and pulled back the curtains, unsurprised to find Michael there.
He opened the window and they greeted each other as if it had only been a few days since they had seen each other instead of almost three years. "How's it going Maxwell?"
Max grinned, "Good, and you?"
"Fine," Michael said, indicating the floor. "You mind if I crash here tonight?"
Max automatically reached for the bedroll that was still under his bed.
Michael dropped his gear on Max’s floor and climbed in the window. "Thanks."
Max was still smiling as he got back into bed. "Goodnight Michael."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Monday, December 24th, 2002)
The next morning Max and Michael surprised Isabel and the three sat and talked for over an hour, discussing the time they were apart. Michael regaled them with his adventures in the surrounding states, chasing alien sightings and leads that didn't pan out and Max and Isabel caught him up on the events surrounding the discovery of the alien parasites.
When they reached the part involving Liz, Michael leapt angrily out of his seat. "What gives you two the right to involve anyone in our secret? This affects more than just you."
Max started in a placating tone, "Michael..." only to be cut off by the other boy's outburst.
"How do you even know Liz will keep it to herself?"
Isabel came to Max's defense, "Michael stop. It was my idea to tell Liz. We needed help and she was the only one we could trust."
"Trust?" Michael yelled. "We can't trust anyone!"
"We can trust Liz," Max said, trying to stay calm as his temper rose.
"You're both fools," Michael snapped. "She’s probably just playing you along while the government goons move in."
"Michael, shut up!" Max exploded. "You can't talk about Liz that way! You don't know what you're talking about." He took a deep breath and continued more softly. "Liz has known for over a year. She would never betray us, she is completely trustworthy."
Completely stunned, Michael studied Max. He had never seen Max so angry and suddenly the truth of the situation hit him. "You're involved with Liz."
"What does that have to do with anything?" Max asked angrily.
Michael turned to Isabel accusingly, "How could you let this happen?"
"Don't you dare blame this on me,” she said angrily. “You left us, Michael. Max and I had to make a life without you, so don't you dare come back here and start criticizing us. We had hard decisions to make, matters of life and death, and we did the best we could."
Michael fidgeted under both of their gazes. He felt guilty about leaving them alone for so long and he almost didn't blame them for getting help from Liz. Almost.
But for Max to get involved with a human was just stupid. They had always known they might just have to pack a bag and leave and Max was getting attached, planting roots, but Michael could tell by the way Max had defended Liz, it was useless to argue about it now. He would bide his time and make Max see the futility of his relationship with Liz. Finally he nodded, "Liz Parker, huh? Why don't you tell me the whole story?"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Sunday, May 26th, 2002)
Michael had spent the last few months trying to convince Max of his mistake in continuing the relationship with Liz, but he had made no progress. Uncharacteristically Max had stubbornly refused to back down, and when Michael tried to talk to him about it, Max had repeatedly told him it was none of his business.
But Michael was not one to give up easily. "Max, where do you think this thing with Liz is headed? You can't possibly think you have a future together."
"Michael," Max started with a warning tone in his voice.
"Max, she isn't part of the plan. What will you do when our people come for us, bring her with us?"
"We’ve been alone this whole time,” Max pointed out. “Why would anyone come for us now?"
Michael ignored his comment and continued doggedly. "We must have been sent here for a reason and I really don't think it was to date the locals."
Max shook his head. "You don't understand."
"Then why don't you explain it to me, Maxwell."
"When I’m with Liz, I feel normal. I feel human for the first time, like I belong here." Max took in the disbelieving look on Michael's face, not sure how to explain so his friend would understand. "Micheal, nothing good has ever happened from our being alien. The only other alien we’ve found, kidnapped and tried to kill a girl. If that's what it means to be alien, I'll choose human every time." Max took a deep breath and continued, "I love Liz, I always have and we belong together."
"Max, you're not even the same species," Michael argued.
Max sighed, knowing the time had come to tell Michael of his plans. "Michael I've been keeping something from you because I knew you wouldn't approve. Liz and I have both been accepted to Harvard and we plan to go, together."
Michael nodded. "I see," he said, his voice clipped and harsh. "Nice of you to finally tell me. So you’ve chosen Liz over me and Isabel, over your family."
Max shook his head, "It doesn't have to be that way."
"I hope you're happy in your new life, Maxwell. Send me and Isabel a post card occasionally," he turned to walk away and then looked back, "if you remember us."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Wednesday, January 1st, 2003)
(The Pod Chamber)
Sam and Cuerena talked quietly outside, while Alyssa looked around the pod chamber. With Sam's help she had been able to recover her memories of the events surrounding the time when she had emerged from the pod, and she ran her hand over its cool, dusty surface. She remembered pushing her way through the membrane and focusing her eyes for the first time on the man she would come to know as her protector. He had briskly cleaned and dressed her in clothing he had brought, and then ushered her into the car where he had left her while he quickly scoured the area.
At the time she hadn’t known what he was doing and had been more interested in the multi-colored instrument panel in the car than the actions of the man. Now she knew he’d been looking for the others that should have hatched with her. Later Sam had told her he suspected the other three pods had hatched early because of the damage done to them by humans after the crash.
Alyssa studied the three pods, wondering about the others, her family. Her protector had always been concerned with business and had never shown her any kind of affection or love. She had often wondered how it would have been if the others had been with her. She knew they would have accepted her, loved her; after all they were her family. Her protector had told her about them often enough, her husband Zan, her sister-in-law Vilondra, and Vilondra's betrothed and Zan's second in command Rath. They were the Royal Four.
There were vague pictures in the book that had been sent with them to Earth. She and Sam had recovered from its hiding place in the library yesterday and she had studied the images eagerly but they were so generic they really didn't tell her much.
In the years they had been together, Sam had taught her memory recovery techniques that had helped her regain vague memories of her previous life on Antar. She remembered Zan's face and she remembered being loved. She sighed as the sensations flowed through her, regretting all of the time that had already been wasted, and more eager than ever to regain her husband and the others.
She and Sam had come back to the pod chamber for the first time that morning, because the shape shifters had agreed to meet Cuerena on this date. Sam had told her, Cuerena had been on some kind of mission for the last fifty years and now she was going to stay with them.
Alyssa walked out of the pod chamber and into the morning sun to join the two shape shifters as Sam was finishing his story.
"Alyssa and I have spent years looking for them, often moving and changing names. Currently I am Sam Morgan and she is my daughter."
Cuerena studied the blonde girl before her. She was identical to her charge Ava but they were so different that even standing next to each other you might not notice the resemblance. The thought echoed through her head, the resemblance. "That's it," she said. "It will be easier to find them because now you will know what they look like." She pulled a piece of paper out of her pocket and waved her hand over its surface, leaving behind the images of Zan, Rath and Vilondra.
Alyssa grabbed the paper from her and eagerly studied the faces of her family. "Which one is Zan?" Cuerena indicated the boy, who in Alyssa's mind was the more handsome of the two and she smiled with satisfaction. She looked back to Sam. "Well, where do we start?"
"I have always thought it was more likely that they were taken to the closer town, Artesia."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Thursday, June 5th, 2003)
(Cambridge, MA)
(Harvard Campus)
Max was nervous. He glanced at the beautiful, dark haired girl who held his hand and walked by his side. He still couldn't believe Liz was with him, and every day he thanked whatever cosmic accident had brought them together.
They had just finished their first year of college and would be starting their summer jobs next week, having decided to stay in Massachusetts instead of returning to Roswell. During the last year they had taken all of their classes together; they had studied and eaten together. The only time they had been apart was when they retired to their dorm rooms for the night. But lately it wasn't enough for Max. He wanted to be with Liz all the time. The time away from Roswell had shown him he could live as a normal human, and he liked it. He wanted to set up a house, he wanted to continue to live a normal life with Liz, and he wanted to make it legal.
As far as Liz was concerned this was just like any other night. They often walked along the river in the evenings, but for Max tonight was anything but usual, and his fingers closed around the small, velvet-covered box in his pocket. He knew Liz loved him but it was asking a lot for her to commit her life to him, a being from another planet.
They stopped and sat on their usual bench by the water's edge and Max stroked Liz's long dark hair. She sighed serenely and leaned into him, snuggling into his chest. He wrapped his arms around her small frame and held her to him as he considered his words. He was scared of losing her if she refused him but her reaction to him helped to shore up his courage.
After a few moments, he pushed away from her slightly and her eyes immediately met his. She was concerned something was wrong. He smiled. At times, when they were close like they were now, he could almost hear her thoughts, but he could sense a rhythm, a unity between them that was unfulfilled. It was as if there was a deeper connection between their souls waiting to be completed and then they would truly be one.
He cleared his throat. "Liz," he started, taking her hand in his, "this last year has been great, being here with you, spending time with you. I have never felt anything so right, so normal, and that is mostly due to you and the way you have accepted me."
Liz started to respond but Max silenced her with a finger on her lips. "When I'm with you I don't feel like a outsider, I feel like I belong here, like it wasn't an accident Isabel, Michael and I ended up here. Earth feels like home for the first time. Knowing you has made me human and I love you more than I ever thought was possible."
He kept her hand in his as he knelt in front of her. "Liz you have given me so much, your smiles, your sweet kisses, your friendship, your acceptance and your love. It is more than I could hope to give you in return but if you will let me, I will spend a lifetime trying.” He took a deep breath as he reached into his pocket and withdrew the velvet box, opening it to show her the ring inside. "Liz Parker will you marry me?"
He watched breathlessly as tears glistened in her eyes for a moment before she threw herself into his arms.
"Oh Max I love you so much, of course I'll marry you.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Monday, August 11th, 2003)
(Roswell, NM)
Sam and the others had searched unsuccessfully for the missing three for over six months before Cuerena came up with the idea to check old high school yearbooks, and then it had only taken two weeks to locate them. The three they were searching for had attended West Roswell High School together until the end of their sophomore year, when Michael Guerin, as Rath was now called, disappeared from the yearbooks. Isabel and Max had stayed at the school and had graduated the year before.
It had been a simple matter for Sam to let himself into the school one evening and check the records to get the Evans’ address. Then the three of them had watched the Evans house for a week, but they had only seen Isabel. They had decided to send Alyssa to meet Isabel, having determined that Isabel would be less intimidated by someone her own age.
For the summer, Isabel was working at a clothing store in the mall and Alyssa had gotten a job there two weeks ago. Alyssa had used her powers on Isabel to help make her accept her more quickly, and in that time they had become good friends.
Cuerena thought they should wait longer until Isabel trusted them more completely but she was overruled by Sam and Alyssa who were anxious, for very different reasons, to bring Isabel over to their side.
Alyssa walked into the house where she and the two shape shifters were living as a family. "I invited Isabel to come here tomorrow to have dinner. That is when we’ll tell her who we are."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Tuesday, August 12th, 2003)
(The Morgan House)
Isabel sat back in her chair looking at Alyssa's parents. They were strange, stranger than most parents. Alyssa's father Sam, as he had asked her to call him, was fond of strange jokes Isabel didn't find funny, and her mother Cuerena had barely said a dozen words all evening.
After an awkward pause under their collectively intense gazes, Isabel started to rise from the table. "Can I help you clean up?"
Alyssa also rose from her seat. "No, that won't be necessary," she said, and a single pass of her hand over the soiled dishes returned them to their formerly pristine condition.
Isabel jumped up so quickly that her chair crashed to the ground and she backed slowly away from them. "What are you?"
Alyssa used her powers, sending waves of relaxing energy to soothe Isabel's fears. "We are your family and we have been looking for you for a very long time."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Wednesday, August 13th, 2003)
(Cambridge, MA)
Sam, Alyssa, Cuerena, Isabel and Michael had driven straight from the airport to Max's apartment.
After the three had convinced Isabel who they were, she had called Michael to come over and once again they had related their story. Michael, who was eager to prove to his stubborn friend Max, that they did have a purpose other than blending in with humanity, had suggested they simply drop in on him. So even though it was close to midnight, five otherworldly visitors stood pounding on his apartment door.
After a few minutes, a sleep-tousled Max opened the door to Michael, Isabel and three strangers. He glanced nervously at the others as he spoke to Michael, "What are you doing here?"
Michael smiled and replied flippantly, "What? Can't we just drop in for a visit Maxwell?"
Max knew something was up when Michael called him 'Maxwell' and he doubted he would like it. "At midnight?" he asked, motioning over Michael's shoulder with a jut of his chin to the people standing quietly behind him. "With the Brady Bunch in tow?"
"Good guess but wrong show." Michael smiled. "Try My Favorite Martian."
Max recoiled as if he had been struck and Michael couldn't help but laugh at the expression on his face. He stepped aside to give Max a good look at the three. "This is Sam, Cuerena and Alyssa. They're our family."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Max studied the three newcomers with apprehension as he sat on the couch, and he wished Liz was with him. He always felt calmer with her at his side and he had never needed her more than at that moment.
The three were a family, mother, father and a teen-aged girl and even though they appeared fairly normal, Max felt cold fingers of dread inching up his spine. He addressed the man Sam, "Why don't you start at the beginning."
"There was a civil war on our planet. Our side was losing and you, were sent to Earth for your protection." He indicated the woman at his side, "Cuerena and I and two others were sent as your protectors but enemy soldiers followed us and shot our ship down."
Michael broke in, "The '47 crash."
Sam nodded, "The military recovered the pods that housed your growing bodies and damaged the three you occupied," he indicated Max, Michael and Isabel, "causing you to hatch early."
"And we were found by humans instead of the protectors," said Isabel.
"Where are the other protectors?" Max asked.
Sam and Cuerena looked at each other. "We don't know. We were separated after the crash and we haven't seen them since."
Max met the cool blue gaze of the blonde girl who had not taken her eyes off of him since entering his house. "And who are you?"
He thought the intensity of her gaze dimmed briefly but it came back full strength as she raised her chin stubbornly. Suddenly he was transported back into the chamber where he had awoken years ago. He had received brief glimpses of it in his dreams from time to time, but now, for the first time, the complete memory rushed back to him.
He remembered breaking through the membrane of the pod, stumbling out on unsteady legs and seeing a small girl and another boy. They had simply looked at one another for a moment before his attention had refocused on the final pod. It was still occupied, and inside he had seen a small blonde girl.
Max came out of the vision as suddenly as he had entered it, and the first thing he saw was the same blonde girl, sitting before him.
"You're one of us?" he asked Alyssa.
Alyssa nodded. "My pod was undamaged and I came out on schedule, over a year after you did. Sam was there and I have been with him ever since," she reached across to take Max's hand but he recoiled from her touch and she finished softly, "like you should have been."
Max relaxed when Alyssa returned her hand to her lap. "So we were sent here to save us?"
"In hopes that you would return home one day," Sam informed him.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The three newcomers left Michael and Isabel to stay with Max, and as they headed to a hotel, Sam glanced in the rear-view mirror at an angry Alyssa. "We can't tell them the whole truth yet," he reminded her. "They have lived practically as humans their whole lives and the truth might scare them away. Zan, I mean Max, is very cautious by nature, even if he is in a different body. If we push him too much we risk losing him.”
"Yes,” Cuerena agreed, “the other Zan in New York is also cautious and stubborn. It has to be his decision to come to us."
"And what about the things he told us?" Alyssa asked, her temper rising. "He is happy living like this and he is engaged to a human?" She sat back with a huff. "Did you look at the picture of her he showed us?" she continued. "His human is so skinny and mousy." Alyssa had never been denied anything she wanted and she was getting angrier with every word. "Why doesn't he know me?" she asked petulantly, then her voice dropped almost to a whisper, "I always thought he would remember."
Sam rushed to reassure her, "Max will remember you. It will just take time. He hasn't had the advantage of memory recovery techniques like you have. He loved you very much in your other life and he will again."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Thursday, August 14th, 2003)
(Liz’s Apartment)
The next morning Max met Liz early, before work, and filled her in on the events of the previous evening. "It was so weird having these," he paused, searching for the right word, "these aliens just show up. I mean, I guess I always knew someone else might have survived but it was all so surreal. And the girl Alyssa, it was strange how just looking at her unlocked the memories. It was as if she was doing something to me."
Alarmed, Liz eyes quickly darted over his face. "What do you mean? She was using her powers on you?"
Max shrugged, "I don't know, maybe."
Liz's expression turned thoughtful, "What did they say they want? They just showed up after all these years to say hi. Like an alien family reunion?"
Max shook his head, "They didn't really say, but I have a feeling they are keeping something from us."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Harvard Campus)
Max walked quickly across the campus. He hadn't seen Liz since that morning and he was having withdrawal symptoms. He could almost smell the fresh scent of her hair, feel the softness of her skin, taste her lips. He could see himself kissing her, pulling her small frame closer to him, twisting her golden curls in his fingers.
He shook his head violently to dislodge the image, as he realized it wasn't Liz he had been kissing in his fantasy, but Alyssa. And as if his thoughts had caused her to materialize, suddenly the blonde girl was standing before him.
"Hi Max," she said with a coy smile.
"Oh hi," he said, trying not to let his embarrassment show. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and looked around nervously. "What are you doing here?"
"I was looking for you," she said. "I thought you might have some questions."
He looked at her suspiciously and then nodded, "Yeah."
She indicated a nearby bench. "Why don't we sit and talk."
He took a seat on one end of the bench and she sat close to him, invading his personal space. He scooted over a little to make some extra room between them, moving to the end of the bench. He hoped she didn't notice and asked a question to distract her, "So you've lived with Sam and Cuerena since you came out of the pod?"
"No just Sam. It was Cuerena's job to look after another set of pods."
Max was surprised. "Oh, I didn't realize there were others, but of course there must have been if they wanted to keep the race alive."
Max had gotten the wrong impression but Alyssa let him go with it, especially since it brought up the subject of keeping the race going. "Yes we were sent here to help our race continue."
"So are the four of us related? Isabel and Michael have always seemed like a brother and sister to me. Are you our sister too?"
Max saw an angry blue flame ignite in Alyssa's eyes. She rose and started to walk away but she stopped after a few steps. She turned slightly, looking back over her shoulder and said flatly, "No Max, I am not your sister."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Tuesday, August 28th, 2003)
Max awoke in a cold sweat again. Every night for the last week he had dreamed of being with Alyssa. He had never dreamed of being with anyone but Liz, before Alyssa had come into his life, and he was disturbed by the nightly images of them together. He loved Liz with an intensity that left him breathless, but that did not stop the dreams of Alyssa.
He got out of bed and headed for the kitchen, hoping to clear his head. He poured himself a glass of juice and sat at the table in the dark room. It was very quiet in the apartment since Isabel had gone to stay with Liz, and Michael had moved into the hotel with the aliens.
The others, as he had started calling them, had been in town for a just over a week. They had met with him, Isabel and Michael several times, but every time Max asked specific questions about their past, Sam gave vague answers or changed the subject. The others were definitely hiding something.
A knock at the door startled Max and he spilled juice onto the table. He cleaned it with a swipe of his hand as he glanced at the time on the microwave, two-seventeen. Crossing to the door, Max opened it a crack to reveal Alyssa. He hadn't seen her since they had talked on campus a couple of weeks ago and he was surprised by her presence, especially at this time of the night. "Uh," he started nervously, "what are you doing here?"
She smiled, "I was just in the neighborhood. Can I come in?"
Against his will, Max watched himself open the door to admit her. He noted that her eyes raked over him quickly and suddenly the t-shirt and boxers he was wearing seemed like too little protection against her intrusive gaze. He backed a step away from her. "I'll um, I'll go get dressed."
"No," she said softly, reaching for his hand, "it isn't necessary."
The sound of her voice seemed to soothe his distrust and he stood woodenly as she took his hand in hers and advanced slowly toward him. But that wasn’t what he wanted inside and he tried unsuccessfully to resist. "What are you doing to me?" he demanded.
"Do you feel it too?" she asked innocently, as she used a greater dose of her powers to bring him to heel. "There is something happening between us."
Max shook his head, "No. I don't want this."
Alyssa took another step, that brought her body into contact with his. "You don't want this, don't want me?"
"No," Max said breathily, fighting the feelings running through him with all of his strength. "I love Liz. We are getting married."
"I know," Alyssa said, as she increased the flow of her powers into him and forced him to slowly lean down and kiss her. She reveled in the feeling of his lips on hers, strong but gentle. It was as it should be; she knew it with every fiber of her being. She pressed herself into him, and for a moment he deepened the kiss as she wished, but the amount of power she was expending was quickly exhausting her and when she lessened the amount of influence, Max broke away.
He backed away quickly and looked at her with wide eyes. "What did you do to me?"
She smiled, "It was nothing you didn't want."
Suddenly the truth of the situation dawned on him. "You have somehow been sending me those dreams, haven't you?"
"What dreams?" she asked innocently.
Max looked away nervously. "Dreams of you and me," he cleared his throat, "together."
"You can feel the power of the connection between us,” Alyssa said. “It's just like it used to be."
"What do you mean, like it used to be?" Max asked.
She stepped closer to him. "The dreams are showing us we belong together. We are meant to be together."
"No," he said, as he shook his head emphatically. "I belong with Liz."
His words infuriated Alyssa so much that for a moment she was not able to speak. How dare he deny her for a mere human? She straightened her shoulders, stood to her full height and raised her chin haughtily. "On our planet Max, your name was Zan and I was Ava, your wife."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Wednesday, August 29th, 2003)
The next morning Max met with Michael and Isabel to discuss the others. "I don't trust them,” Max said. “They want something from us."
Michael broke in angrily, "They're our people, our family."
Max looked down at the floor, embarrassed to tell them about what happened last night. "Alyssa is doing something to me."
Isabel was suddenly concerned. "What do mean she’s doing something to you?"
"She is using her powers on me. Trying to..." Max paused, embarrassed. "She came here last night and tried to seduce me."
Michael laughed. "She is using her powers to seduce you? Are you crazy?"
Max shook his head. "I think about her, dream about her, and last night I found myself kissing her against my will."
Isabel and Michael nervously looked at one another and pointedly looked away.
Isabel cleared her throat, "What kind of dreams, Max?"
Max blushed, "Um, you know, dreams that we are, um, you know, together. She told me that the dreams show us who we should be with, but I know I belong with Liz."
"Liz is human," Michael reminded him. "You belong with one of our own kind."
Max looked directly at Michael. "What if they aren't who they say they are?"
"They're here to help us," Michael scoffed.
Max lashed out at him, "How have they helped you Michael?"
"They are helping me to control my powers so I can recover my memories."
"And what have you remembered?" Max asked.
Michael looked down, angry at his lack of progress. "I haven't remembered anything," he looked up, focusing his anger at Max, "but I will when I have better control. I don't understand you Max. We have been looking for them our entire lives and now that they are finally here, you’re pushing them away."
"But Michael," Isabel said, the concern evident in her voice, "if Alyssa is doing something to him," her voice lowered to a whisper, "to us."
"Isabel, she isn't doing anything to anybody,” Michael said. “Max is just a typical teenage guy. He had a thing for Liz but now he's noticing Alyssa's, uh..., assets. No big deal."
"But it isn't like that, Michael,” Max argued. “I love Liz more than ever. Something else is going on and I want to confront them and find out what it is."
Isabel waited until Max left the room and turned to Michael, "Alyssa is making us have these dreams just like she is sending them to Max."
Michael shook his head, "We don't know that. It could be just like she said. The dreams are to show us who we are supposed to be with."
Isabel looked at him with surprise, "Is that what you want? For us to be together?"
Michael shrugged, "Maybe we don't have a choice."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Isabel stayed after Michael left, to talk to Max. "Michael and I have been having dreams about being together too."
"Why didn't you tell me?” Max asked heatedly. “I was beginning to think I was going crazy."
Isabel shrugged, "I was embarrassed."
"Do you think the dreams are coming from an outside source? Like someone sending them to you?"
Isabel nodded, "I have never thought of Michael in that way and I still don't. And it does seem like quite a coincidence we would all be having the dreams at the same time, and only after meeting Alyssa and the others."
"I understand why Alyssa is sending them to me,” Max said, “but why you and Michael too?"
"I don't know," Isabel said, pausing to think, and after a moment she shrugged and offered her idea. "Maybe she thinks it would be easier to convince you that you belong with her, if Michael and I were together."
"I don't care what anyone thinks," Max asserted. "I love Liz and we are going to be together."
Isabel smiled at the conviction in her brother's voice. "I like Liz. I think she's good for you, and I know she makes you happy. If you want to be with Liz, I’ll support you."
Max pulled Isabel into a hug. "Thank you for saying that. I was beginning to think everybody on two worlds was against us."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Max looked at the three aliens, sitting across from him in exactly the same places they had occupied the first night they had been there. He had asked them for the meeting but now that they were there, he just wanted to forget they existed. He was finally happy with his life and they threatened everything he had worked for.
Cuerena could feel the tension in the room and she sought to reassure Max. "We're glad you invited us here. We've looked forward to getting acquainted."
Max's eyes narrowed, "Exactly how would you do that?"
Cuerena’s brow furrowed in confusion. "I'm not sure what you mean?"
Max indicated Alyssa with a nod of his head. "Why don't you ask her?"
Sam and Cuerena both looked at Alyssa, but she simply glared at them and Max continued, "She has been using her powers on me, sending me dreams, and last night she came to my apartment..." he trailed off. "I know you're keeping things from us and I want to know what’s going on." He paused looking at them closely, "Alyssa said we were married on our world, is that true?"
Sam looked at Alyssa, "You promised you wouldn't tell him yet."
Alyssa replied haughtily, "I don't care what I promised. He was going on about how he’s supposed to be with his human and he made me angry."
"So was she my wife?" Max said softly. "But why would you want to keep that from me?"
Cuerena spoke softly, "She was your wife but we didn't tell you because we thought you might feel," she paused, "overwhelmed."
Isabel spoke in a haunted voice, "So if they were married, were Michael and I married too."
Sam answered, "Not married but betrothed."
Max looked across at Alyssa who had a triumphant grin on her face and he felt nothing. This girl who had been his wife, inspired nothing in him other than apprehension, and a thought struck him. "Was our marriage arranged?"
"No!" Alyssa shouted. "You loved me."
Max immediately picked up on the past tense, "Loved?"
"In our other life, before we were sent here, we loved each other."
"Why don't we remember our other life?" Max asked.
Cuerena answered, "When you died, your essence was cloned and mixed with human DNA so you could survive on this planet and blend in with the humans. Your memories should be intact but it will take some work with recovery techniques to retrieve them."
Isabel gasped, "We died?"
"You were killed in the war," Cuerena said.
Max grasped at her words, "If we died, then Alyssa and I are no longer married."
Alyssa glared at him, "We are in love!"
Max ignored her comment. "We are half human. That means I can be with Liz without complications."
The conversation was not going in a direction Sam liked. "You can't be with Liz,” he said, “because you have a duty to your people who sent you here. They are expecting you to return."
"I don't remember them," Max said dismissively.
"You will when we work to recover your memories," Sam explained.
Max shook his head, "And let you use your powers to influence me too? I don't think so. I like my life here and I don't want anything to do with a planet I don't remember." He stood and motioned toward the door, "So you can just get out of my life and we’ll both forget the whole thing."
A significant look passed between Cuerena and Sam and they stood together and Cuerena spoke. "We don't want to push you away. We will give you time to adjust to what we have told you."
Alyssa started to protest but Sam silenced her with a look, and then turned back to Max. "We will soon be getting a house near here and when you are ready, you can come to us."
Max gave them a cool look. "You'll have a long wait."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Sam waited until they were in the car to confront the willful girl. "Alyssa you could have ruined everything. We told you not to push Max."
"I know," Alyssa sighed. "He just made me so angry, denying our past together."
"We will have to be careful not to scare him away completely," Sam warned. "So stop using your powers on him and no more nocturnal visits until he cools down."
Alyssa reluctantly agreed but she would not give up that easily. If she couldn't go after Max maybe she should turn her attention to Liz.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Harvard Campus)
Liz listened dumbfounded as Max finished his tale. She felt numb. Max had been married in his other life and now his bride was here to claim him. "So do you remember her?"
"No," he said emphatically. "I don't remember her or anything about our planet, and I don't care." He took Liz's face in his hands. "I only care about you."
A sob escaped Liz and she pulled away from him. "But you are married to her."
"NO!!” Max denied instantly. “We both died on our planet and so did any commitment we had to one another. It was another time, another life, and I don't want anything to do with it. I would have spared you the pain if I could, and just kept it to myself. But I couldn’t do that because I don't want any secrets between us.” Max closed the distance between them. “I love you Liz, only you."
"But Max," she started to argue, only to be cut off.
"I just want to put this whole alien thing behind me,” he said, cupping her face in his hands. “The one good that came out of this, is now we know I am half human. Being human has been my dream my whole life; that and being with you. And now I have both. Please Liz," he begged, "I could never care for anyone half as much as I love you. You are my heart and soul," his voiced cracked with emotion and tears glistened in his eyes. "You are everything to me."
Liz threw her arms around him. "Oh Max," she whispered, "I was so afraid I would loose you."
Max hugged her back tightly. "I will never leave you Liz."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Thursday, August 30th, 2003)
(Harvard Campus)
Alyssa watched Liz approach the spot where she was standing. Of course, she mused, Liz didn't see her because she was using her powers to conceal herself. Alyssa had particularly chosen the place to hold the conversation because it was somewhat secluded and she wanted Liz to be a bit afraid of her.
She dropped the mind warp when Liz was three steps away and was satisfied to see the other girl's look of shock at her sudden appearance.
Liz jumped when the blonde girl seemed to materialize out of the shadows before her. "Oh, sorry I didn't see you," she apologized.
Alyssa smiled, "You didn't see me, Liz, because I clouded your mind."
Liz took a step back and her eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Who are you?" she asked, fearing she already knew.
"Max told me how smart you are but if you haven't figured out who I am yet, then he must have been exaggerating."
Liz bristled at the insult but simply said, "Alyssa."
"Now that's better," Alyssa said with satisfaction. "I just wanted to get acquainted with my husband's," she paused as she looked Liz over head to toe and then met her eyes again before continuing, her voice dripping with disdain, "plaything."
"Former husband," Liz corrected her with a smile.
Alyssa was disappointed by her response. "Oh I see he told you. Very honest of him." Her voice dropped to a purr, "But he always was like that."
"Yes," Liz agreed, trying not to let the other girl get to her, "he's an honorable person."
"And he honors his commitments," Alyssa said with a toss of her blonde curls, "like his marriage vows."
Liz’s smile widened. "You came to warn me off."
"I don't have to warn you off," Alyssa hissed. "When Max remembers me and what we shared, he will throw you out like yesterday's trash."
"He doesn't remember and he doesn't want to," Liz stated simply. "We are getting married in the spring and I will stay with Max until he tells me to leave."
Liz took a step past the other girl but stopped to appeal to Alyssa's humanity, if she had any. "If you did love Max, you would want him to be happy, and for the first time in his life he's happy."
Alyssa watched the other girl walk away from her. She had to admire Liz's spunk but she was not about to let the marriage proceed.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Royal Sonesta Hotel)
Sam had waited for Alyssa to return all morning and when he heard the rattle of the doorknob he use his accelerated speed to reach the door as it opened. He grabbed Alyssa by the arm and pulled her roughly into the room. "Where have you been?"
"I went to tell Liz that Max and I were married," Alyssa related, "but Max had already told her." Her voice rose shrilly, "She plans to go through with the wedding to my husband."
Sam sighed, "It's time to tell Max about his true destiny. I wanted to wait until he accepted us but we can't allow this marriage to take place. When Max recovers his memories he will be angry that we allowed things to get this far."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Harvard Campus)
Liz wrapped her arms around Max's shoulders as she leaned over him from behind. "I missed you."
Max twisted around and playfully pulled her into his lap. "Not as much as I missed you," he said, lowering his head to hers for a lingering kiss. After a moment he broke away from her and pressed his forehead to hers. "I can't wait until we’re married. I want to spend every minute of the rest of my life with you."
Liz smiled, but it faded as she remembered her earlier encounter.
Max noticed the change in her expression immediately. "Liz, what's wrong?"
"I had a visitor today, who was also interested in the future of our relationship."
A look of concern crossed his face. "One of the aliens? Are you okay?"
Liz nodded, "Yeah, Alyssa just wanted to let me know that you were her husband. I think she was hoping you hadn't told me and I would get mad at you."
Max tightened his grip on Liz as if she would disappear if he didn't hold her to him. "I'm tired of their interference. My life is none of their business."
They were so wrapped up in each other that neither noticed the arrival of the two shape shifters.
"I am afraid that your life is our only business," Sam said.
Max and Liz both jumped, startled by the intrusion and Liz started to climb off of Max's lap, but he held her firmly in place. "You have no right to bother Liz,” Max said angrily. “I thought you were going to wait for me to come to you."
"We have to act in your best interests," Sam said, "even if you don't remember what they are."
Liz studied the man and woman standing before them as they studied her in turn.
Sam stepped forward with an extended hand. "You must be Liz. You are even more beautiful than your picture. It is nice to meet you."
Liz started to reach for the offered hand but Max gently interceded, taking her hand in his and laying it back in her lap. "What do you want Sam?"
The older man smiled. "I'm glad you are here together. We have something to tell you that you both need to hear."
Max shook his head, "I don't want to hear anything else you have to say. I just want to be left alone."
"If you were anyone else we would leave you to yourself, but you are just too important. You have duties and responsibilities that can't be ignored and you must prepare to return to our planet."
Max shook his head again, "I'm not going anywhere, especially not another planet. This is the only home I want, here with Liz. Get someone else."
"There is no one else. You are the last male heir in your line," Sam paused and gave a low formal bow, "your Majesty."
Max sat dumbfounded, trying to process all that had been revealed. Finally he shook his head unbelievingly. "Are you trying to tell me I’m some kind of," he paused to look furtively around and lowered his voice to a harsh whisper, "some kind of banished royalty?
"You are Zantor Tageonant, the rightful King of Antar."
"And I was sent to Earth," Max deadpanned, showing his disbelief.
"You were killed in the war and sent to Earth to be reborn and prepare to free your people."
Max could feel Liz's tension as it spread into his own body. He didn't know what these people wanted from him but he didn't believe he was the King of another planet. Even if he was, he thought to himself, he didn't want anything to do with it especially if it endangered his relationship with Liz.
He tightened his grip on Liz's hand. "I don't believe you, but even if it were true, I don't want it. I don't want to be an alien and I certainly don't want to be a King. I just want to live a normal human life with Liz. She is the only thing that matters to me."
Liz could hear the pleading tone in Max’s voice and her mind rushed for a way to provide him with relief. Her eyes hardened as she looked at Sam, the so-called faithful servant, and an idea came to her. She spoke loud enough for all of them to hear, "If Max is the King, then you must obey his commands. He told you he doesn't want you bothering him, so leave."
Max smiled with relief, grateful for Liz's quick intellect. "Don't come near Liz or myself again, any of you, that's an order."
Sam's gaze briefly raked over the small girl sitting with his King and then he turned his attention back to Max. He straightened, "As you wish."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Cuerena waited until they were out of earshot to speak. "Liz is a clever girl."
Sam nodded his agreement, "Maybe too clever for her own good. I didn't realize this Liz would be a real threat to our plan. She seems to have Max wrapped around her finger, but I won't let one human endanger our mission and our people."
"What do you think we should do?" Cuerena asked.
"Nothing for the time being," Sam said. "We did receive an order from our King." He paused weighing their options. "We have time. We will continue to work with Michael. Max trusts him and when Michael remembers his past he will be able to convince Max."
"You have been working with Alyssa for over ten years and she barely remembers anything," Cuerena pointed out.
Sam nodded, "It is more difficult than I thought without the memory retrieval devices but I expected her to remember more. It's almost like she has a mental block."
Cuerena nodded, "Maybe the memories of her other life are just too traumatic."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Liz kissed the furrows on Max's forehead, willing the tension from him and he buried his head into her neck and released a heavy sigh. She spoke softly with a teasing note in her voice, "So not only are you an alien, but you are the King of another planet." She gently raised his head and kissed a line down his nose and gently brushed his lips with her own. "What have I gotten myself into?"
Max smiled and pulled her to him for a lingering kiss. When he reluctantly broke away from her, he spoke in a strangled tone, "Liz, I know things are getting really weird, and I would understand if you don't want to be with me..."
Liz silenced him with a shake of her head. "Max don't you realize what you are to me? What you're always going to be? You are the love of my life. I will stay with you as long as you want me."
"Oh Liz," he sighed, "I don't know what I did to deserve you but I’ll never let you go."
Liz sat back from him so she could look into his eyes. "Max I know we planned to get married in the spring, but what if we just went into town tomorrow and found a Justice of the Peace."
Max smiled, "You want to elope?"
Liz nodded, a grin spreading across her face. "I want to be with you. Together we can do anything."
"But you deserve to have a big wedding with all of the trappings, the dress, the flowers, the reception with bridesmaids and your family. You would get cheated out of all of that."
"I don't care about any of that. I just care about you." She shrugged, "We could always have another ceremony for our parents and friends, but this will be just for us."
Max took her hand in his and kissed the ring he had placed there. "Liz Parker, will you marry me tomorrow?"
Liz smiled. "There is nothing I want more."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Royal Sonesta Hotel)
Michael waited for Sam and Cuerena in the living room of their hotel suite. They usually started the training sessions in the afternoon but they were late and Michael was anxious to ask them about his betrothal to Isabel. The images from their shared dreams came rushing forward and he closed his eyes trying unsuccessfully to block them. He had always thought of Isabel as his sister and the thought of being with her was disturbing to say the least.
He watched anxiously as the door to the suite opened but sank back into the sofa disappointed when Alyssa walked in. "When are Sam and Cuerena coming back?" he barked.
"Hi to you too Michael,” Alyssa greeted him. “Could you be any more rude?"
"Whatever," he said dismissively. "I need to talk to them."
Alyssa approached him slowly, with an amused look on her face. "What's so urgent?"
"It's none of your business."
"This wouldn't have anything to do with your betrothal, would it?" she asked innocently. Michael started to rise and she laughed, "Don't get so angry. I was only teasing you."
"Funny," he huffed. "If Sam shows up tell him I'll be back in an hour."
Alyssa sighed, Michael really had no sense of humor. She watched as he turned and walked away from her and considered the possibilities. Max's best friend and second-in-command could make a powerful ally and he could help persuade Max to accept the truth. She quickly decided that she really didn't have anything to lose, but she waited until Michael was almost at the door to drop her bombshell. "I have all the answers you need."
Her words stopped him just short of the door and he spun around to confront her. "What are you talking about?"
Alyssa casually walked into her room, and after a moment, emerged with a worn paperback book which she handed to him.
He took the book from her and glanced at the title. "I'm not sure how Harry Potter is going to help," he sneered, thrusting the book back at her.
Alyssa rolled her eyes and passed her hand over the book. The paperback facade dissolved to reveal tarnished metal pages held together by rings, with what appeared to be an alien symbol etched on the front.
Michael's eyes widened, "What is it?"
"It's from our world," she said, as she flipped through the pages, finally stopping on one that showed two males with two pregnant females. "And this is our destiny."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Friday, August 31st, 2003)
Max had been speechless when he had arrived at Liz's door that morning. She had greeted him wearing a simple white dress with a fitted bodice, held up by thin straps, her hair piled on top of her head and decorated with tiny white flowers. Max had never seen her look so beautiful and he had swelled with pride that the radiant, intelligent woman before him would soon be his wife.
And now, as they walked hand-in-hand toward his apartment, Max still couldn't take his eyes off of her. No, he smiled as he corrected himself, now it was their apartment. Mr. and Mrs. Max Evans.
He paused at the threshold to swing Liz up into his arms and unlocked the door with his powers. He smiled at the surprised look on her face. "Sometimes they do come in handy."
He stepped across the threshold and closed the door behind them, shutting out all of the world's complications, eager to begin their lives together.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Michael pounded on the door of Liz's apartment. He really didn't want to see Liz and he was relieved when Isabel opened the door. He motioned inside with a jut of his chin, "Liz here?"
Isabel shook her head.
"Good," Michael said as he pushed past her and threw himself down onto the couch. "We have to talk."
"Come on in and have a seat," Isabel said sharply.
Michael waved her protest aside, "Whatever. We've got important things to talk about." He took the book, that Alyssa had given him from his pocket, and handed it to Isabel. "This is from our world."
He waited impatiently as she flipped through the pages.
Isabel gasped as she saw the pictures depicting the pregnancies. "These pictures of us. What does it mean?"
"I've been studying it all night but I still can't remember the language,” Michael said. “Alyssa told me it's in a code that only the four of us knew. She also told me a little about our past. Max was called Zan; he is the King. Your name was Vilondra and you are his sister, a Princess. I was called Rath and I am his General, his second in command, and Alyssa was Ava, Max's wife. Our people are waiting for us to come home and save them from the guy that stole Max’s throne and killed us all.”
Isabel’s eyes were wide with surprise but she remained silent and Michael continued, motioning to the book. “We have a purpose and it’s bigger than us or anything we have on this world. Max is throwing his life away with Liz and we have to stop him."
Isabel froze at the mention of Liz. Max and Liz were probably already married by now. Isabel had promised Max she wouldn't tell Michael because Max wanted to break the news himself. She walked to the other side of the room, careful to keep her face from Michael, trying to decide what to do. Max genuinely loved Liz but the pictures in the book clearly showed another path already laid out for them.
Isabel felt torn between her love for Max and wanting him to be happy, and her feelings of duty to a planet she didn't remember. Finally she turned back to Michael, "There is nothing we can do about them right now. Max and Liz went out of town for a few days and they didn't tell me where they were going."
Michael looked a little deflated at her news but nodded decidedly. "Come with me, back to the hotel. We’ve wanted answers for a long time. Sam and Cuerena have them and we’re going to get them.
"But what about Max?" Isabel asked.
Michael shrugged, "What about him? It doesn't seem like he's interested."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
As they drove to the hotel, Isabel called Max’s apartment on her cell phone. She didn't expect him to answer and when the machine picked up, she left a brief message that she hoped Max would understand and Michael wouldn't. "Michael was looking for you. I told him you went out of town. Call me as soon as you get this, it's important."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Saturday, September 1st, 2003)
(Max’s Apartment)
Max woke slowly with a feeling of total contentment that spread throughout his entire being, and he tightened his grip on his wife, whose smaller frame was curled into the curve of his body. He inhaled the sweet scent of her hair and marveled at how perfectly they fit together; her head just under his chin, her back against his chest, and her legs tangled comfortably in his. He would have been perfectly content to stay with her like this for the rest of his life.
His stomach growled, protesting the lunch and dinner they had skipped. He glanced at the clock; eleven-thirty pm. Neither of them had eaten since breakfast that morning and Max suddenly had the urge to make dinner and serve it to Liz in bed. He kissed the top of her head, gently untangled himself from her, careful not to wake her, and headed into the kitchen where he gathered the ingredients he needed.
He was just heading back into the bedroom with the feast he had prepared when he decided something was missing. He slipped out the front door and picked some of the daisies growing in the yard. As he headed back into the kitchen, he noticed the message light on the answering machine was blinking. He almost kept walking but hesitantly stopped and pressed the button.
The sound of Isabel's voice and her vague message filled him with dread. Since the aliens had come for them, he felt as if he and Liz were living on borrowed time. He had agreed so quickly to her elopement idea because he was afraid if they waited, Liz would be taken from him. He lived in fear, that each day would be their last together and it seemed as if Isabel's strange message somehow heralded the end.
Max considered not calling his sister but he knew she was on his side and perhaps she was trying to warn them. He dialed her cell phone number, even though it was close to midnight.
She answered on the second ring with a whisper, "Max?"
"What's going on Iz?"
"I'm at the hotel with Sam and Cuerena. They showed me and Michael a book from our planet. It shows us together; you and Alyssa, me and Michael, with us, the girls, pregnant. Max, I think what they’ve been telling us is true. We were meant to be together."
Max’s shoulders stiffened. "So you and Michael have decided to be together."
"No," Isabel said sharply. "But," she sighed and her voice dropped with uncertainty, "what if we don't have a choice?"
"Isabel, we always have a choice,” Max said, “and I’ve made mine."
"Sam told us that on our planet you were the King, Max. You have responsibilities, we all do."
"I don't believe him,” Max asserted, “and I'm not going to let some pictures in a book, and the words of strangers dictate how I run my life."
Isabel sighed, "I thought that's what you'd say, especially if it meant being without Liz, so I told them you and Liz went out of town."
"Thanks Iz. I don't want to hide my relationship with Liz, just the opposite I want to tell the world, but I just wanted some time alone with her."
"I know," Isabel said.
Max paused wondering how much to tell his sister. "Iz, I’m also afraid of what might happen to Liz when I tell them we are married."
"What do you mean? You think they will try to hurt Liz?" Isabel gasped.
Max sighed, "I don't know, but I keep remembering what happened to Laurie."
"You think Sam and Cuerena are those jellyfish creatures?" she asked with horror in her voice.
"No, not really," he said with a shake of his head. "But we don't really know who they are, or what their motives are, and we don't know to what lengths they will go, to get what they want. I think we should all get together and have this whole thing out, once and for all. I’ll bring Liz with me, she's a part of this and I will feel better if she's where I can protect her. I just wanted to ask you if you’ll help me protect Liz, if things go badly. I just don't want to take any chances."
"Of course I’ll help you,” Isabel said, “but what do you want me to tell Sam and the others?"
"Give us a little more time. Tell them we’ll be back on Monday and we’ll meet them at the hotel."
"I hate lying to Michael, but I'll do it," Isabel agreed.
"Thanks Iz, you have no idea how much this means to me."
"No." she said simply, "but I wish I did."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Monday, September 3rd, 2003)
(Royal Sonesta Hotel)
Max and Liz exited the elevator and walked toward Sam and Cuerena’s hotel room. Liz could feel the tension radiating from Max through his hand she was holding, but she could tell that he was trying not to let her see. Without a word, she planted her feet and waited for Max to stop.
Max turned to her immediately, "What's wrong?"
"I think that's what I should ask you," Liz said.
"What do you mean?" he asked, his voice sounding unconvincing even to his own ears.
"Max, " Liz said with a smile, "you can't hide your feelings from me. I know you’re upset about something and when you're upset it upsets me."
"I'm sorry Liz. The last thing I wanted to do was worry you. I just...," he sighed, not wanting to tell her about his fears for her safety, but knowing she would wait until he revealed everything. "Liz I'm worried about what they might try do to you when we tell them we’re married."
Liz smiled reasuringly, "I know you won't let anything happen to me."
"No I won't," he promised. "They’ll have to come through me to get to you."
"We’re together Max, we can overcome anything."
"You're right," he said, and raised her hand to his lips with a smile. "Let's go tell them our good news."
They knocked on the door and it was opened instantly. Sam glanced at Liz dismissively and turned his attention to Max. "She doesn't belong here."
Max held Sam's gaze and spoke in a firm tone, "She's with me."
Sam paused for a moment and then moved aside to admit them. They were the last two to arrive and the others looked up as they entered the room.
Both Michael and Alyssa spoke at the same time, "What's she doing here?"
Max stepped forward placing himself just ahead of Liz.
She squeezed his hand, acknowledging the gesture, but she took a step to stand next to him. "Together," she whispered so only he could hear.
Max squeezed her hand and turned his attention to the group before him. "Liz and I have an announcement that may come as a surprise to some of you. On Friday we got married."
The silence of shock seemed to chase all sounds from the room, but Michael was the first to recover. "Are you crazy?"
"Michael…" Max started angrily, only to be cut of by his friend.
"No Max. We have things to do, important things, and you are playing house with Liz?"
"Michael that's enough," Max growled, advancing on his friend, before Liz's grip on his arm stopped him. "Liz is my wife and you will treat her with respect."
"No!" Alyssa yelled as she jumped to her feet.
Isabel rose from her seat and placed herself between Liz and the blonde alien, as Alyssa continued. "I’m your wife and look how you treat me. You flaunt your affair with this...." she motioned in Liz's direction, "this human in my face."
Max gave a grateful look to his sister as he turned to Alyssa. "We are not married in this life, and we never will be."
"You won't accept the truth!" Alyssa screamed.
Sam interceded, "Everybody calm down, nothing will be solved by this chaos."
"There is nothing to solve," Max said softly but with conviction. "Liz and I are married. The end."
Michael wasn't ready to end the conflict. "Max you don't know what you’re doing." He took the metal book from his pocket and offered it to Max. "This book tells us all about our destinies."
Max pushed the book aside and called his bluff. "Okay Michael, what does it say?"
Michael's eyes nervously darted around the room and Sam came to his rescue. "We can't read the book. It is in the Antarian language but it’s in Royal code," he motioned to the four of them, "and only you, the Royal Four know how to read it."
Max turned to Alyssa. "Surely you have read it?"
Alyssa regained her seat with a huff, crossing her arms. "I don't remember everything from our other life."
Liz looked at the three aliens and spoke for the first time. "None of you have read the book and you are trying to tell Max how to run his life based on what you assume it says."
Alyssa glared at her but Sam was the one to speak, "I know what Max would have wanted in his other life, what he planned, and I have a duty to help him carry it out."
Liz stepped forward unafraid. "But he has told you he's changed his mind. He doesn't remember the plan and he isn't interested in continuing with it."
"We believe Max will eventually regain his memory,” Sam said, “and when he does, he will be angry we gave up so easily."
Liz nodded, "So all you really need is Max's assurance that he won't blame you." She turned to Max. "Will you give your word, in front of all of these witnesses, that you won’t blame Sam and Cuerena if you regain your memory."
Max smiled and nodded. "I will swear to whatever god or gods you believe in, that I won’t hold you responsible."
Sam frowned, "It's not that easy. Your people are waiting for your return."
Max shook his head, "Humans are my people now and I'm not going anywhere without Liz. If you force me to choose, I will choose Liz every time."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Michael waited until Max, Liz and Isabel had left. "What are we going to do about him?" he asked Sam. "Now he's got Isabel with him too."
"Calm down Michael," Sam soothed. "For now we'll honor his wishes and stay away from him." Michael started to protest but Sam stopped him. "Max trusts you and we don't want to spoil that. We'll continue to work with you and when you regain your memories, Max will be forced to accept his destiny."
Michael nodded, "I'll talk to Isabel. She's afraid but I think she'll come around."
Sam nodded, "In the mean time why don't you and Alyssa go work on your exercises."
Sam watched them leave the room and he closed the door behind them before he turned to Cuerena. "Liz,” he said angrily, “always Liz. I am beginning to hate the name. She is proving to be quite a thorn in my side."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Over the next year, Michael repeatedly tried to convince Max of the importance of their mission but Max refused to listen, and a wedge of contention grew between them. Max was tired of Michael's persistent interference in his life and his insistence that their past life on Antar was more important than their present life on Earth. Max also resented Michael's disrespectful attitude and rudeness toward Liz. Max had warned Michael many times that Liz was more important to him than anything else but Michael had continued to treat Liz as if she were merely a temporary inconvenience.
Max had also broken off all contact with the other aliens. Again and again they attempted to become a part of his life, but he would not allow it. Alyssa, who had been so persistent in her pursuit of him, backed off of the seduction and tried to concentrate on gaining Max's trust, but he was wary of her motives. He refused every invitation the aliens issued and every overture of friendship that was offered. He did not trust them and repeatedly told them he wanted nothing to do with them.
Michael moved into the house that was purchased by Sam and Cuerena so he could continue to learn from them. He had kept up his studies with the aliens and started to recover some vague impressions of his life on Antar. He and Sam had thought that when he could tell Max of their past Max wouldn't remain so steadfastly against them, but Michael's recovered memories had only strengthened Max's resolve to disassociate from the other aliens.
Isabel felt as if she was continually put in the middle of the argument between Max and Michael. She loved them both and it hurt her to have to try and support one more than the other, and she made it her mission to repair their friendship. She had also grown curious about their past life and she started to work with Sam and Cuerena too. She told her parents that she had fallen in love with the area when she was visiting Max and just couldn't bare to leave. She took a job in the area and continued to live in the apartment vacated by Liz.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Monday, September 13th 2004)
(Copper Summit, AZ)
"General," the Lieutenant called out, "we are receiving a message from just beyond the edge of the solar system. The troop ship is requesting the information for evading Earth's defenses."
"So send it to them," Nicholas barked.
"Yes sir," the Lieutenant quickly agreed.
"I am surrounded by fools," Nicholas bemoaned. "I hope the new troops are a little more on the ball. Maybe they can teach you something," he ranted, addressing no one in particular. He turned and strode out of the room. "I want to know the minute they arrive," he yelled over his shoulder, "and tell Corporal Raltos to come to my office immediately.
He entered the room and waited impatiently for Raltos. They had been on the planet for over fifty years but he finally felt the end was near. Nicholas was confident Khivar's plan would work, and work quickly, and they would be heading back to Antar in a matter of days.
Raltos entered the room and Nicholas motioned to a chair. He placed a hand on the Corporal's forehead and sent a burst of energy into him. After a few minutes Raltos sagged slightly and then jerked to attention, and Nicholas greeted his lord formally. "Your Majesty, the troops will be on Earth in a matter of minutes."
"Excellent," said Khivar. "We don't know what was salvaged from Zan's transport after the crash so we must assume he has monitoring capabilities. Wait until the troops arrive and then issue an invitation to Zan and his party to attend peace talks."
"And if they don't respond?" Nicholas asked.
"I am sure they will respond if the invitation is worded correctly."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Nicholas tuned the trithium amplification generator to the transmission frequency used by the Tageion royalty on Antar and spoke the words Khivar had given to him.
"Zan Tageonant, this is General Calles Nicaron. His Majesty, Khivar Roistar, invites you to attend a peace conference to discuss a cessation of the hostilities that have plagued our planet. Khivar wishes to extend a hand of peace at a time and place of your choosing."
"Of course the discussion will include terms for your return to Antar, ceremonially accompanied by a legion of troops and one of Khivar's greatest warships that is currently in orbit around this planet."
Nicholas paused for effect and couldn't help a small chuckle before continuing, "We eagerly await your reply."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Sam and Cuerena simply looked at one another after the message they had received through the orb finished playing, neither believing what they had just heard.
Sam was the first to speak. "It seems the war must be going badly for the usurper."
"So much so he was willing to send a warship to retrieve the Royal Four," Cuerena added.
"Yes," Sam agreed. "I very much doubt Zan and the others would make it off the planet. More than likely the skins plan to kill them at the so-called peace talks."
"Perhaps, but Khivar will want the Granolith," Cuerena pointed out.
Sam nodded, "This is precisely the type of situation why the spare set of clones were manufactured and sent to Earth. We will convince them to go the conference. The enemy will think they are the Royal Four, but they know nothing of the Granolith so they cannot divulge anything. The skins will do with them as they wish and Max and the others will remain safe here to continue with the plan. We will tell Alyssa and she can talk to Michael and Isabel but we need to see Max and explain the situation."
Cuerena balked momentarily, her feelings for her former charges still strong, as she considered what would happen to them in the hands of the enemy. But she had no choice. As Sam had said, it was why the decoys were created. She nodded decidely. "We should leave for New York as soon as we talk to Max."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Max and Liz’s apartment)
Max opened the door to two familiar faces with annoyance. "Sam, Cuerena, " he said softly, "I thought I told you not to come here."
Sam stepped forward. "We have an urgent message, your Majesty,"
Max looked around nervously, making sure they were not overheard, "A message from whom?"
"Our enemy on Earth has contacted us." Sam motioned inside, "May we come in to discuss it?"
Max warily stepped aside allowing them to enter his apartment, and got right to the point. "What do they want?"
"They have invited you to a peace conference," Sam said.
Max shook his head vigorously, "I’m not going to any peace conference."
Sam nodded, "For once we are in agreement. We believe it is a trap and we will not risk you. We have decoys who will attend in your place."
"Who are these decoys?" Max asked suspiciously.
Sam shrugged off the question, "They will be able to handle the situation."
Max sighed wearily. "Then why are you here?"
"We wanted to keep you apprised of the situation and warn you there is a possibility that Cuerena and I may not return."
Max looked at them with disbelief. "You think you may be murdered? At a peace conference?"
"You don't know our enemies,” Sam said. “They are deceitful and treacherous and will do anything to secure the place of the usurper, Khivar. There is a warship in orbit above Earth to guarantee your cooperation."
Max was still suspicious, "How did you receive this message? I thought the ship was completely destroyed in the '47 crash."
"It was, but one communication orb was salvaged." Sam took the orb from his pocket and handed it to Max. "If we don't return, you will need this to contact your allies on Antar, to send a transport for you when you are ready to return."
Max took the silver, oblong object and turned it over in his hands, studying it. "How does it work?"
"Simply concentrate your powers into it and it will transmit your words. But use it carefully,” Sam warned, “you never know who else you may be contacting."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(New York, NY)
Cuerena led Sam into the old tunnel the decoy clones had used as their home since they had emerged from the pods. She called out as they approached the dwelling to alert her former charges of their presence. "Zan, Lonni, it's Cuerena."
She noticed a shift in the appearance of the tunnel before them and knew Ava had been projecting a mind-warp. "Ava," she called out as the blonde girl ran down the dark tunnel and threw herself into her arms. Cuerena enfolded her in an embrace. "It's good to see you."
Ava squealed with delight, "I didn't think we'd ever see ya again."
Cuerena's smile dimmed, "I wish it were under better circumstances."
"Whatta ya mean?" Ava asked.
"Are the others here?" Cuerena asked, motioning into the tunnel ahead.
Ava nodded, "Yeah, we're all here."
"Let's go and see them and I will tell you all what has happened."
They only took a few more steps before Zan emerged from the darkness, his crooked smile and jut of his chin welcoming and warm. "Cuerena," he said, as he pulled her to him in a tight hug, “welcome home."
"Zan, it's good to be back,” Cuerena greeted, “but we have a big problem."
Zan kept his arm around her and started into the tunnel. "Come and chill in the crib wit' your friend," he motioned to Sam with a nod, "and give us the four-one-one."
They continued down the tunnel as it became lighter and finally opened into a large room where Lonni and Rath were lounging on one of the sofas.
"So ya did come back, shape shifter," Lonni drawled, the boredom evident in her tone. "I'm shocked."
"Shut up Lonni," Zan ordered, "Somethin's up."
Rath motioned to Sam, "Who's this?"
"This is Sodan. He was on the ship with us too."
Zan nodded a greeting.
Sam ignored the pleasantries, "Our enemies have sent an invitation for a meeting."
"What kind of meeting?" Ava asked.
Cuerena continued, "The war is going badly and they want to discuss terms for a peace treaty."
Lonni looked interested for the first time. "And we can go home?"
Cuerena nodded, "That would be part of the deal."
Lonni stood up. "Then what are we waitin' for?"
Zan shook his head, "It's a trap."
Lonni rolled her eyes. "It's not a trap, they need us."
"It could be a trap," Sam agreed, "but we can set the time and place of the meeting and make it as safe as possible."
Zan scratched his ear, deep in thought and walked away from the group.
"Zan!" Rath called.
With his back still toward them, Zan held up his hand, signaling for quiet. Rath turned to Lonni and their eyes met, and Rath backed down.
Lonni rose from the sofa and crossed the room to where Zan was standing. "What's the problem, little brother?"
"What if it's a trap?" Zan asked. “We need to have a plan.”
"Chill," Lonni said, trying to soothe his fears. "They need us. You'll see. Everything will go our way."
"Zan," Cuerena called out, as she approached him, "Khivar has sent a warship along with the invitation."
Zan turned toward her, his expression grim. "Implyin' that it'll be used to hunt us down if we don't accept the invitation."
"That is what we believe as well," Cuerena agreed.
Zan straightened to his full height and squared his shoulders. "Then we have no choice but to attend." He turned to face the others, "But if we can choose the place, we’ll choose the hood, a place we know."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Tuesday, September 14th, 2004)
(New York, NY)
The long, black limousine stopped in front of the warehouse. Sam exited from the driver's side and opened the door in the back with a flourish. Rath & Vilondra emerged first and stood to the side and then came Ava and finally Zan.
Nicholas watched the procession from an upper window with amusement; they were certainly putting on a good show. His troops had watched earlier as the shape shifters had planted a get-a-way car around the side of the building. They didn't know whom they were dealing with if they thought he didn't know their plan already.
As the hybrids and their entorage entered the building, Nicholas walked down the stairs to the meeting room to greet the Royal Four. He reached the bottom of the stairs just as they came into the room, Zan and Ava in the lead, followed closely by Rath and Vilondra, with the two shape shifters bringing up the rear.
"Welcome Zan, Ava," Nicholas greeted them formally with a bow, but turned it into an insult by disregarding their titles. "You may not recognize me in this form. You knew me on Antar as General Calles Nicaron, on Earth I am called Nicholas."
"Nicholas," Zan sized him up briefly and returned the insult, "are we ta negotiate with Khivar's servant?"
Nicholas smiled in admiration. He had only had brief interaction with Zan on Antar before his death but Khivar had continually reminded him not to underestimate the boy King. "I assure you Zan, I speak for Khivar." He stalked a few steps closer, drawing out the moment for effect. "But you don't speak for the Royal Four."
Zan held his ground and narrowed his eyes in suspicion, waiting for Nicholas to continue.
"Khivar has known of your plan in its entirety since before we left Antar." Nicholas motioned to Zan and the others. "Even though you are unaware of all of the implications."
Rath started forward. "What are you talkin' about?"
Nicholas glanced at him dismissively and turned back to Zan, "Keep a leash on the pit bull."
"Rath," Zan spoke the single word, but made it sound like a command.
Rath looked like he might argue, but Lonni's hand on his arm caused him to back down.
"That's better," Nicholas said with a satisfied tone.
"Why don't you say what you mean, little man?" Zan challenged.
Nicholas turned away from them and walked toward a window overlooking the street, and then suddenly turned back to face Zan. "I don't suppose you have ever heard of the Granolith?"
Zan studied the boy before him but his expression gave nothing away and he shook his head. "No, never heard of it."
"No," Nicholas mocked him, "you've never heard of it." He motioned over Zan's shoulder. "Why don't you ask your protectors about it. I know they've heard of it."
The four turned to the back of the room but the shape shifters were nowhere to be seen.
"Oh!" Nicholas exclaimed with mock surprise. "It looks like the shape shifters have deserted you," he gloated, and while their backs were turned, Nicholas raised his hand and sent a powerful burst of energy across the room that hit them and knocked them to the floor.
Zan struggled to get up but only made it to his hands and knees before Nicholas used another burst of energy to knock him down again. Zan belatedly raised his hand attempting to erect a shield, but Nicholas aimed a long steady stream of crackling energy at the heart of the shield and it crumbled in a matter of moments.
Zan sagged back to the ground, exhausted, breathing heavily, "Why?"
Nicholas laughed, "Why did the protectors abandon you?" His voice was scathing, "Why weren't you told about the Granolith, about the whole plan? And," he motioned to Rath, "what ever possessed you to get that terrible hair cut?" He turned back to Zan, "Although you and the former General obviously got a two for one discount at the barber."
Nicholas walked forward, his small body looming over them. "I guess the shape shifters know the same truth that we have discovered; you are not the real Royal Four. The real Royal Four are safely secreted away with the Granolith, while you were left here to our tender care." He smiled at the shock evident on their faces. "You still don't get it. You are copies, duplicates, decoys made to help keep the real Royal Four safe."
He gave the signal for his troops to fire, "And you are expendable." Nicholas looked up as a soldier ran into the room. "Report Lieutenant."
"The shape shifters have been allowed to escape as you instructed General."
"And the tracking device?" Nicholas asked.
"It was successfully planted on their vehicle."
Nicholas nodded. "Make sure those idiots trailing them keep them in sight, so they don't switch cars or something."
"Yes Sir, I will relay the message," the Lieutenant said with a short bow and then hurried away.
Ida approached Nicholas, motioning to the four bodies on the floor. "It's done, Sir."
"Excellent,” Nicholas said with a smile, “now we can get to the real Royal Four and the Granolith and go home."
"Why didn't you detain the shape shifters and interrogate them?" Ida asked.
Nicholas sighed and shook his head, "If you were the Royal Four would you tell your plans to your protectors?" He shook his head, "But the shape shifters will lead us to them."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
When it had become apparent that Nicholas had known the Royal Four before him were not the real Royal Four, Cuerena had started to project an image of herself and Sam and they had silently slipped out the back as planned. It pained her to know the children she had raised would die but she had no choice. They had to protect the real Royal Four. The future of a planet and its people depended on their survival.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Nicholas picked up the trithium amplification generator and turned it to the royal transmission frequency. "Zan I know you are listening. I have killed the decoys you sent to us. Do you really think Khivar is that stupid? He has known your plan in its entirety from almost the moment you left Antar."
He paused for effect. "But Khivar has grown weary of the war. If you tell your followers to lay down their weapons and you return the Granolith to us, perhaps we can work out a deal for you to return home."
He smiled, "You have twenty-four hours to respond."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Max and Liz’s apartment)
Max stared apprehensively at the orb where it lay on the table. He had not given it a second thought since Sam had left it with him two days ago. But just a moment before, a shaft of brilliant blue-white light had suddenly burst from the object. He had been studying at the table and the shock of the unexpected activity had caused him to fall out of his chair.
He gingerly picked up the orb and turned it over in his hands studying it carefully but there was no sign of the light. He was about to put it down again when a thought struck him. Curious, he concentrated and sent a small rush of energy into the object but almost dropped it when the voice sounded from it.
"Zan I know you are listening. I have killed the decoys you sent to us. Do you really think Khivar is that stupid? He has known your plan in its entirety from almost the moment you left Antar."
"But Khivar has grown weary of the war. If you tell your followers to lay down their weapons and you return the Granolith to us, perhaps we can work out a deal for you to return home."
"You have twenty-four hours to respond."
Max sat down heavily on the chair, shaking his head in disbelief. Those people had murdered the decoys sent in their place. Murdered people at a peace conference! The more he thought about it the more unbelievable it seemed.
And suddenly it occurred to him. It was unbelievable because it wasn't true. It was another of Sam's tricks to try and get him to accept his destiny but he wasn’t going to fall for it.
He angrily snatched the orb from the table and channeled a burst of energy into it. "I don't know what kind of game you are playing this time but I don't want any part of it. I am sick of this whole thing and I just want it over with."
Max wasn't surprised by the answering voice projecting from the orb.
“That is all we have wanted for years, a decisive end, but not even your death achieved it. Your followers are still causing quite a nuisance...”
Max cut him off, "You can cut the crap. I know there is no peace conference. It's just another trick and I'm not falling for it."
"Then let's cut to the chase,” the voice continued. “Khivar is willing to let you return to Antar on the following conditions..."
"Let us return," Max sneered. "I'm not going back to Antar!" he bellowed. "I will never leave Earth, I will never leave Liz. What is it going to take to get you to believe that?" He stopped the flow of energy and threw the orb across the room with a roar of anger.
"Max?"
He turned to the sound of his wife's voice. "I'm sorry Liz. I didn't mean to wake you."
She advanced into the room, looking around for signs of trouble. "What happened?"
He turned away from her, sighed heavily and shook his head. "It's just another of Sam's tricks. I wish he would leave us alone."
Liz stepped closer to him and ran her hands over his shoulders. "Max you are so tense. You have to learn not to let him get to you."
"I know," Max agreed. "It's just hard when I know his main goal in life is to take you away from me."
"No one is going to take me away," Liz said softly, as she wrapped her arms around him from behind. She could feel the energy running through him. "You're practically vibrating with anger. Let's take a walk down by the river like we used to. It will take your mind off of all of this for a while."
Max turned in the circle of her arms and placed a gentle kiss on the top of her head. "That sounds like a good idea."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Nicholas stared at the dead com-link in his hand. "Liz? Who the hell is Liz?" With a shrug he turned to the communications officer, "Tell me you got a lock on the location."
The Lieutenant hurriedly made adjustments to his instruments and then turned to Nicholas with a smile. "Yes General, we have the exact coordinates. Zan is in Cambridge, Massachusetts and we have an address."
Nicholas strode to a console and pulled up a map of Massachusetts. "Sergeant," he bellowed, "get me the soldiers stationed in Boston, immediately! And use the new encrypted frequency!"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
As Sam and Cuerena droved back to Cambridge they set the trithium amplification generator to monitor all of the frequencies used by the skins, hoping to discover if they were being tracked. And when Nicholas' voice broadcast from the amplifier, neither of them was surprised.
"Zan I know you are listening. I have killed the decoys you sent to us. Do you really think Khivar is that stupid? He has known your plan in its entirety from almost the moment you left Antar."
"But Khivar has grown weary of the war. If you tell your followers to lay down their weapons and you return the Granolith to us, perhaps we can work out a deal for you to return home."
"You have twenty-four hours to respond."
"So we sacrificed them for nothing," Cuerena said softly, mourning for her charges.
"We had no choice," Sam said.
"I know," she agreed.
"I don't know what kind of game you are playing this time but I don't want any part of it."
Cuerena grabbed for the amplifier as soon as she heard Max's voice, but in her haste she knocked it onto the floor of the car. She fumbled around for a moment before her fingers touched it and she started to activate it but Sam stopped her.
"Wait. Max has already stopped broadcasting."
"Do you think Max was on long enough for them to track his position?" Cuerena asked.
"I don't know,” Sam said, shaking his head, “but we can't risk using the amplifier to contact him. If the skins haven’t detected him yet, we can’t risk leading them to him. There is an exit in another few miles, we will have to wait and call him on a pay phone."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Nicholas spoke into the amplifier to Captain Evos in charge of the troops stationed in Boston, "Captain Evos have you received the images of the Royal Four I sent you?"
"Yes Sir, General," Evos said.
"Do you understand your instructions?" Nicholas asked. "Because I would hate to tell Khivar this entire mission was ruined because of your incompetence."
"General, we will follow your instructions to the letter," Evos assured him.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The answering machine clicked on after the fourth ring of Max's phone and Sam slammed the receiver down with frustration. It didn't make any sense. The orb must have been in Max's apartment when he answered Nicaron, because Max had answered too quickly to have taken it anywhere.
Sam looked at his watch. Only ten minutes had passed since the transmission had ended. Surely that would not be enough time for the skins to have gotten to him.
He quickly dialed Max's number again and impatiently waited, only to get the machine. "Max this is Sam. You are in danger. Your transmission may have been tracked. Leave immediately and head to our house and we will get there as soon as we can."
Next Sam dialed their house and a grumpy, sleepy Michael answered on the third ring, "Yeah?"
Sam didn’t waste time on pleasantries. "Max is in danger. Our enemies may know where he is and he is not answering the phone. Cuerena and I won't be able to get there for an hour. You must go to Max’s apartment and make sure he’s safe."
Michael was suddenly awake, "Yeah, I'll leave right now."
"Take Alyssa with you,” Sam suggested, “her talents are quite useful. And Michael, be careful. The enemy may be waiting for you."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Harvard Campus)
Max sat contentedly on the bench with Liz nestled in his arms, the sound of the water soothing away the troubles of the world. He stroked her soft hair and she snuggled her head closer into his chest. The times when they were alone together and it was quiet, like this, he felt the closest to her. He could hear her heartbeat and her breathing, and it was as if they existed only for each other.
And even though she was all he had ever wanted and he loved her completely, there were times when he had a strange sensation that something was missing between them; as if there were parts of Liz he didn't have access to. Even when they made love, it seemed as if there was a more intimate way they could have been joined that was just out of his reach, and his soul longed for a closer bond between them, a connection he didn't know how to achieve. A spiritual bond of body, mind and soul.
Max placed a kiss on the top of Liz's head. "I'm glad you suggested a walk. I feel much better."
Liz raised her head to look into his face. "Yes, you seem more relaxed." She reached up and ran her hand down his rough cheek. "Do you want to talk about what happened tonight?"
Max shook his head, "Not tonight. I don't want to ruin the rest of the evening."
He leaned down and kissed her and she welcomed him, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him closer. He deepened the kiss and lowered her down onto the bench, cradling her head in his hands. He kissed a trail down her neck and softly nibbled the sensitive spot just below her ear. Liz's gasps of pleasure were driving him wild but they also reminded him they were in public and he moved up to brush her lips with his. "Let's go home."
Liz nodded her agreement.
They walked slowly, their arms wrapped around each other, laughing and stealing kisses until they finally arrived at the apartment. Liz waited for Max to unlock the door, but instead he turned her to him and surprised her with an eager kiss. He pressed her back into the door and planted tender kisses all over her face, worshiping her. "Liz, I love you so much," he breathed in between kisses.
"I love you too," Liz gasped.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Max & Liz’s Apartment)
Captain Evos and his troops had arrived at the apartment just minutes before, but even that had been enough time to determine no one was there. One of his men had found the orb with the Antarian symbol on the floor, so they knew this was the correct apartment, but Zan was gone. The Captain was just about to contact his General with the news when he received a message from a Corporal he had posted outside.
"Captain," the Corporal whispered into his communicator, "Zan is headed toward you. He is with a woman, she is not one of the Royal Four."
Evos looked to his men, "Zan is coming with a woman, who is either a human or a protector. Eliminate her but be careful not to permanently damage Zan."
He signaled the Corporal, "When they enter, come in behind them to block the exit." He quickly signaled for his men to hide, and after a few moments the front door rattled and muffled voices were heard outside.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Max kissed Liz hard, as if he would never get enough of her, and she kissed him back with the same intensity. No matter how many times they were together it was never enough, he craved her all the time. It was as if she were a lost part of him that made him complete in every way and when they were away from one another he felt broken, torn. Without ending their kiss, he reached behind them, opened the door with his powers and pulled her inside.
He was so engrossed in Liz that the blast of energy that briefly illuminated the room surprised him completely. At first he didn’t realize what had happened and stumbled back, but Liz sagged in his arms and he looked down to see blood rapidly soaking the jacket she was wearing. He dropped to his knees with Liz in his arms just as the door burst open behind him. Instinctively Max reached to heal Liz but they were both thrown across the room as a blast hit him squarely in the chest.
For a few moments Max was disoriented; the room and its occupants wavered before him, muffled voices the only sounds. He blinked several times attempting to clear his head and when he could focus, he looked up to see a man he did not recognize with an unfamiliar weapon pointed at him. Max struggled to move but his limbs were leaden and suddenly he knew they would both die. Sam had been correct; Max had led their enemies straight to them, and because of him Liz would die. It was the thing Max had always feared. Her involvement with him had killed her. Who and what he was, had killed her.
Max realized that the man who stood before him was speaking to him.
"...the effects of the blast are not permanent. They will wear off in a matter of hours." The man noticed Max's hand twitching, "Your powers will not work." He held up a black, pentagon-shaped device. "This is blocking them."
Max refocused on the man's face. It was a human face, a kind face. "Save her," he croaked.
The man glanced at Liz. "She is human," he said unsympathetically.
"She's my wife," Max gasped. "She's everything."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Michael stopped the car in the alley behind Max's apartment and turned to Isabel and Alyssa, to go over the plan. "Alyssa and I will park in the front where we can be seen. If they are not using an amplifier to block our powers, Alyssa will mind warp them into seeing us kissing outside and we’ll sneak in the front, while you," he motioned to Isabel, "come in the back."
"And how do we know if they are using the amplifiers to block our powers?" Isabel asked.
"I don't know," Michael said irritably, and then a thought occurred to him. "Keep trying to change your nail polish color every couple of steps. If you can't do it then you will know."
"I know that we're screwed," said Alyssa. "If our powers don't work, we should wait for Sam and Cuerena. We don't know what kind of weapons the skins might have."
Michael shook his head, "Sam and Cuerena won't get here fast enough. We can't wait." He motioned into the back seat with Alyssa, "Besides we have weapons."
Alyssa gingerly picked up a crowbar with two fingers. "This is not my idea of a weapon."
"Sam told us how to kill the skins,” Michael said. “Guns won't work, and we don't have access to a flame thrower, that’s the best we can do."
"Max and Liz may be hurt in there," Isabel interrupted. "Can we just get on with this?"
"Okay," said Michael, refocusing on the plan, "if our powers don't work, we will distract them in the front. Isabel, you go in the back when you hear me call for Max and hopefully you'll take them by surprise."
Isabel got out of the car, taking the crowbar, Alyssa had rejected, with her. She sneaked around the building until she was at Max's back bedroom window and used her powers to open the lock, climbing quietly inside. She stopped at the bedroom door and heard the muffled sound of men's voices. Someone was already in the house. She concentrated on turning her red polish to blue but nothing happened. No powers, she thought. She took a deep breath, and for the first time she was scared about what might happen, but there was no choice. Slipping behind the open door, Isabel waited for the signal.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Michael parked the car down the road from Max's apartment and he and Alyssa slowly made their way to the door, carefully concealing their weapons behind them. The walk was eerily quiet, as if there were no other living thing for miles, but when they were about half-way to the door, Michael noticed it was standing open. "The door is open," he whispered urgently. "That’s not a good sign."
They continued forward slowly for another few steps and Alyssa whispered, "I have no powers now."
Michael nodded his understanding and put plan B into action. He stopped as if seeing the door open for the first time and gestured toward it. "Max's door is open. Something's wrong."
They both walked to the door, looking around carefully and when they reached the stoop Alyssa flattened herself against the building while Michael called out, "Max? Max, you okay?"
Max's answer chilled him to his bones. "Michael, it's a trap."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Captain," another man called, drawing the Captain's attention away from Max and Liz. "Rath and Ava have just arrived."
"Leave the door open," the Captain called. "Rath will investigate. Let them come inside so you can have a clear shot and they can't escape."
Hope briefly surged through Max; Michael was there. Even though the skins refused to help, maybe he could save Liz after all. He could still feel her heartbeat and hear her fragile breathing. If Michael could destroy the device blocking his powers, he could save her. He struggled to sit up so he could warn Michael but he was only able to rise up enough to prop his shoulder against the wall, the sofa still blocking his view of the door.
Max waited, hoping to warn his friend of the danger. He imagined Michael coming up the sidewalk, noticing the open door and creeping slowly toward it.
Suddenly he heard Michael's voice, "Max? Max, you okay?"
Max yelled for all he was worth, "Michael it's a trap!"
It came out louder than Max had hoped and the Captain whirled toward him. With a hard kick to Max’s shoulder, the Captain knocked him back to the floor, his head striking the solid tile surface with a sharp thud.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
At the second word of Michael's signal, Isabel was already halfway down the hall and when she heard Max's words, she was practically on top of the man standing over him. The final few steps seemed to take an eternity as she watched the man kick Max and knock him to the floor, but he was so engrossed in his task that he didn't see her. She put all of her anger into her swing and the crowbar connected with a satisfying pop to his back, turning him instantly to dust.
The three other men in the room whirled toward her and she was thrown back into the kitchen counter as the blast from a weapon caught her in the shoulder and she sagged to the floor stunned.
She watched as Michael and Alyssa came in the front, catching another man off guard and turning him to dust. Michael's bat knocked the weapon from the hand of one the two survivors, and he grabbed it as he and Alyssa dived behind an overstuffed chair.
Isabel tried to get up as Michael and the skin soldier took shots at one another from behind the furniture, but her body seemed to be paralyzed. She anxiously looked to her brother and saw him lying with Liz a few yards away.
Liz was clasped to him, her chest covered in blood and Max was not moving. They were too late. Max and Liz were already dead. Isabel looked back down at the pile of dust at her feet that had been a man. He had killed Max and Liz. Isabel felt the tears well up in her eyes, her brother was dead and everything was lost.
Suddenly she noticed a black, pentagon-shaped device lying close to the pile of ashes. It must be the amplifier Michael had described. She looked down at the crowbar still grasped in her hand; it was only inches away from the amplifier. If she could smash it, they could use their powers.
Isabel tested her fingers, getting a tighter grip on her weapon and tried to lift it, but it barely moved. She let it sag to the floor again, feeling as if she had tried to lift a car. She concentrated all of her strength and energy into lifting the crowbar. It might be the only chance that Max had.
She felt it rise an inch and then another, and she used its weight to slam it back to the floor, but she aimed wide and it glanced off the side of the amplifier. Isabel relaxed for a moment and then slowly lifted the bar again to an even greater height and carefully aimed it at the center of the amplifier. The bar dropped and hit the target with a satisfying crack. Blue-white energy arced from the amplifier for a moment, before it exploded in a shower of sparks.
"Try your powers now," Isabel called out.
Michael threw a powerful blast into the center of the sofa, sending splinters of wood and tufts of stuffing flying across the room.
Alyssa whispered to him, "I will hide you from them, wait five seconds and then go."
Michael nodded and Alyssa shut her eyes to start the mind warp, but a blast hit nearby and she slowly slumped into his arms. For a moment Michael was not sure what had happened, but when he saw the gaping wound in Alyssa’s back, he raised his hand to attack.
But before Michael could take aim, a blast hit him in the chest. And as he slid to the ground, he saw a fifth skin soldier they had missed.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Isabel couldn’t see what was happening, but the sounds of energy blasts filled the room suddenly, and then everything went quiet.
“Michael, Alyssa are you okay?" Isabel called out.
But there was no answer.
"Michael!" she yelled.
Isabel watched horrified as three skin soldiers picked themselves up off the floor and knew she was the only one left. She struggled to move as they advanced toward her, but they turned to look at Max.
One of the men knelt down over Max to feel his pulse, "He is alive."
Isabel noticed that the skins seemed to breathe a little easier and she felt a tremendous weight lifted from her shoulders, Max was alive and maybe the others were too. "What have you done to him?" she asked the skin soldier who seemed to be in charge.
"He is unconscious."
"What about Michael and Alyssa?" she asked hopefully.
The skin soldier looked at her with a blank expression. "We had no need of them."
Tears pricked her eyes, but Isabel quickly picked up on the words. "But you need us," she said softly. "What's going to happen?"
"We will wait for General Nicaron."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Sam stopped the car on the next street down from Max’s apartment and morphed into the body of a skin soldier he had seen at the peace conference, while Cuerena donned the guise of Nicholas. They changed the color and model of the car and then drove to Max's apartment and parked boldly in front.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Max & Liz’s Apartment)
The skin corporal watched out the front window as the car stopped in front of the apartment and he was relieved to see General Nicaron get out. They had accomplished their mission as instructed and they would be honored as heroes. Finally, after all of the long years on this planet, they would be going home.
"Lieutenant," he called out, "the General is here!"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Max awoke to a pain in his head and for a moment he didn't remember where he was. He tried to sit up but the action was not only difficult but painful. He glanced down and saw Liz lying across his chest and the memories came rushing back. With the hand that clutched her, he quickly felt for a pulse and sagged in relief when he found one. "Please stay with me Liz, just a little longer," he whispered.
He looked around for the men that had attacked them but instead saw Isabel sitting a few feet away. She was watching something past the couch he couldn't see.
She must have come with Michael, Max thought vaguely and wondered how long he had been unconscious. Then the sound of voices drew his attention. The attackers were still there. He looked back to Isabel and noticed the crowbar in her hand. She had come to help them but had obviously been hit by the same weapon they had used on him.
Max absently followed the length of the crowbar to its end where it was resting on the pentagram-shaped device the man had shown him earlier, but now it was scorched and partially melted on one side. For a moment the implications did not reach his fuzzy brain but suddenly he remembered; the device had been blocking his powers.
Liz was still alive and he could save her. Max concentrated on building his powers like he had never done before. He might only get one chance to heal her before the enemy tried to stop him. When he felt he was ready, he channeled the power into her to establish a connection but a pain ripped through his head with a blinding intensity that forced a cry of agony from him.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The faux Nicholas, followed closely by his aide, entered the room and quickly took in the situation. Michael and Alyssa were lying in a pool of blood by the door, Isabel was sitting on the floor with no visible injuries, but Max was nowhere in sight.
Cuerena turned to the men who were standing at attention and spoke with Nicholas' voice, "Report!"
The Lieutenant stepped forward. "As instructed General, Vilondra and Zan have been detained and the rest eliminated."
"Where is Zan?" Cuerena asked
The soldier motioned to the sofa, "He's back here."
Cuerena rounded the sofa and stopped, shocked by the sight before her. Liz lay on top of Max and they were both covered in blood. She crossed to them, knelt and felt Max for a pulse. "He's alive," she said with relief.
"Yes Sir," the Lieutenant answered.
Cuerena stood and motioned to the Lieutenant, "Go with Major Grester to our car and help him get the equipment."
The Lieutenant snapped to attention and Sam followed him out the door. When they were out of sight of the others, Sodan sent a burst of energy into the Lieutenant's lower back, breaking the seal on the husk, and he disappeared in a poof of ashes.
Sam turned to go back when a sudden cry came from inside. He sprinted the last few steps to see Cuerena and the two remaining skin soldiers standing over a now conscious Max. He used the opportunity to quickly dispose of the other two skin soldiers and then bent to see to his King.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Max recoiled from the pain, stopping the healing. He had never felt anything so intense before.
He looked up to see two soldiers and a boy standing over him and he wondered if they would kill him now. But, first one and then the other soldier dissolved before Max’s eyes, and a third man knelt down next to him. The man raised his hand and a bright light briefly blinded Max. When he looked again, Sam and Cuerena had replaced the man and boy and Max thought he must be hallucinating.
Sam's eyes quickly ran over Max's body. "Max, where are you injured?"
"They shot me with some kind of weapon, but Liz is dying. You've got to help her."
Sam held up the weapon he had recovered. "This is just to paralyze, but you are bleeding."
Max shook his head, "It's Liz's blood. I have to help her, but there was so much pain when I tried to heal her."
Sam cradled Max's head in his hands gently. "You have a head injury, a concussion."
"You help Liz then,” Max said. “She can't die."
"We don't have a lot of time," Sam said, ignoring Max's request. "We must get you out of here."
Max shook his head, "Liz is more important than anything else. Without her I am nothing. I order you to help her!"
Sam glanced at Liz dismissively, "She is beyond help."
Max watched helplessly as Sam reached to take Liz from his arms, and a cry of soul-deep anguish was torn from him. "NO!!!!"
Max erected a shield that threw Sam back across the room, cutting himself and Liz off from the protectors. The pain sliced through his head but he fought through it, concentrating all of his love and energy into his wife. It was more difficult, almost impossible to form the connection because Liz was unconscious, but Max forced his way past every barrier he encountered until finally he was in.
The damage was extensive and Liz had lost a lot of blood. In the connection, Max could see how close to death she really was and he almost despaired. In another few minutes she would have slipped away, but he stubbornly refused to let her die.
He had promised Liz he wouldn't let anything happen to her and he intended to keep that promise. She believed in him, accepted him, loved him without reservation and he would do anything for her.
Carefully Max concentrated on mending every tendon, muscle and tissue, as the pain built in his head to an impossible level, and a scream of agony was torn from him. It felt as if his head would burst as he used every last ounce of strength he possessed to breathe life back into Liz's body. He could feel himself weakening, exhausted by the pain and the use of his powers and he knew he wouldn’t have enough strength to save her, but he couldn't stop.
Max tapped into his own life force and used the energy to ensure Liz would live. He felt his life literally draining out of his body but he fought to continue. Max knew he didn’t have the strength to save them both but there was no decision to be made. What he had said so many times before was still true. Liz was the best part of him, she was everything to him and he couldn't live in a world that didn't include her. He would never be able to forgive himself for letting her die.
As he poured his energy into her, he had a vision of a future where he and Liz shared a lifetime, laughing, loving, growing old together. The happiness and love they shared washed over him and through him filling his soul with hope. He knew without a doubt, even though they were from different worlds, they truly belonged together, and somehow in another time, another life, they would live the life that had been stolen from them.
The last of his strength was slipping rapidly from him and the connection between them was growing weak but still Max didn't stop. He could no longer feel the world around them, there was only the connection he had with Liz. It was as if they were floating in a warm, calm sea with no one or nothing to distract them from one another. Their souls brushed gently against one another and then slipped eagerly together, joining, two pieces that completed a whole. Max knew instantly that this was what he had been yearning for, what had been missing between them. This was the way it should have been between them, how it was meant to be. Every thought and every emotion should have been freely passed between the two of them, a true blending of minds and souls, and Max mourned that they would never fully experience it.
The Liz in the connection opened her eyes and gently touched his face, as tears rolled down her cheeks. "Max, you should have let me die."
Max shook his head, "I couldn't. I love you too much."
"There aren't words to describe how much I love you," Liz whispered and kissed him softly.
They wrapped their arms around one another for the last time. And now completely satisfied that she would live, Max allowed the beckoning darkness to engulf him, his last thought sending Liz his love.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Isabel watched in horror as Max healed Liz. The protectors tried desperately to stop him, trying to penetrate his shield, and yelling that he was risking his own life, but Max didn't appear to hear them or care if he did.
Max’s scream of pain chilled Isabel to her soul, and tears rolled down her cheeks as his shield disintegrated and he collapsed. She knew without a doubt her brother had traded his life for Liz's.
Sam quickly checked Max for a pulse and when he didn't find one, his whole body sagged in defeat. They had been so close to succeeding but all of the fighting, all of the suffering had been for nothing. Max had chosen one human above everything else.
Cuerena went to Isabel. "Are you injured?"
"I was shot with that weapon too," Isabel said softly.
Cuerena used her powers to lessen the paralysis in Isabel’s body. "That will help. It will wear off completely in a few hours." She tried to help Isabel to her feet, but the younger woman resisted.
Cuerena looked at her. "We have to go, Isabel. The enemy will be here soon."
Isabel shook her head trying to hold back her tears and when she spoke, her voice hollow. "It doesn't matter. Everyone is dead."
Sam advanced toward her but Isabel held up her hand as a warning and a gave him a look of steely determination. "I will stay with my family."
Sam and Cuerena looked at one another and Sam spoke softly. "We cannot be captured. There is one final thing to lose."
Cuerena nodded in agreement and suddenly remembered a theory she had been working on years ago on Antar. She cocked her head to the side, considering the possibilities and then turned to Sam. "There may be a way to save us all."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Isabel watched the protectors leave and then she sank down onto the floor beside Max and Liz. The gentle rise and fall of Liz's chest told Isabel she was alive. Isabel reached out to wake her sister-in-law, but stopped and let her hand fall back. Liz was peacefully ignorant of Max's death and all too soon she would learn the terrible truth.
Isabel used her powers to clean the blood off of Max and Liz and repair their clothing. They looked so peaceful together, Max clinging to the woman he loved even in death.
She reached down and brushed a stray lock of hair out of Max's face. She, Max and Michael had been everything to each other for so long, she couldn't believe they were really gone. Michael and Max had been her only family and she didn't know what she would do without them.
A movement from Liz drew Isabel's attention back to her sister-in-law. She and Liz had grown to be good friends over the last few years and Isabel was glad because now they only had each other. Isabel noticed tears running down Liz's face, she was crying in her sleep; somehow already aware that Max was gone.
"Liz," Isabel called to her, as she shook her shoulder.
Liz opened her eyes and called out, "MAX!" She tried to sit up but Max's arm was still wrapped around her, holding her, and she turned toward him. Liz reached out to touch Max’s face. He was still the handsome man she loved and he looked peaceful, as if he were asleep, but she knew better. Max was gone. "Oh Max," she gasped, as she laid back down on his chest and cried sobs of soul-deep aguish.
Isabel let her sister-in-law cry for a few minutes before reaching out to move Max’s arm away, and she touched Liz with a comforting hand.
Liz turned to Isabel and they embraced, their shared loss bringing them closer.
"He died to save me," Liz whispered.
Isabel nodded. "I know, and that’s why we have to go. More skin soldiers are coming."
Liz shook her head, "I don't care. I'm not going to leave Max. These skins can't do anything worse than what has already happened."
Isabel stood shakily and drew a resisting Liz with her. "My brother's last wish was that you were safe and I'm going to get you out of here before this General Nicaron gets here."
A voice from the door startled them both. "But I'm already here."
Nicholas paused to take in the situation around him, raising an appreciative eyebrow at the amount of carnage. He turned his attention back to Isabel. "Vilondra, it's nice to see you again," he said smoothly.
Then his eyes roamed over the smaller woman at her side. "And you must be Liz."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Cuerena and Sam altered their appearance again and changed the model and color of the car before driving to a nearby park.
Sam stopped the car and turned to Cuerena, "So what is this idea of yours?"
"First it is only a theory and it may not work, but at this point I don't see any other alternative."
Sam nodded for her to continue.
"When I worked with the Granolith on Antar, I discovered it was capable of producing a tremendous amount of power, and according to the calculations I made, I believe it could be used to tear a hole in time-space."
Sam narrowed his eyes in disbelief. "It's a time machine?"
"It wasn't intended to be, but with the right programming it should be possible." Cuerena paused, remembering everything that had happened the last couple of days. "We have nothing to lose."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Nicholas cursed as he let Vilondra's unconscious form sag to the floor. He had carefully searched the memories of both the women but neither of them had even heard of the Granolith much less knew of its location. He spared a glance to the boy-King still lying on the floor where he had died. Max hadn't even known of the Granolith's existence according to the information he had gathered from them.
Somehow the Royal Four had been separated from the protectors and only in the last year had they been reunited. They knew practically nothing of the past, only what the protectors had revealed to them.
And then Nicholas’ understanding dawned. "Of course the protectors," he bellowed, as he slammed his fist into the wall. "I can't believe we had them and let them go." He turned to Major Grester at his side, "Tell me those two soldiers are still following the shape shifters."
Grester spoke briefly into his amplifier and then addressed his General. "They are heading west on interstate 90."
Nicholas indicated Max, Liz and Isabel with a jerk of his head. "Load them into the transport. We have two shape shifters to catch."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
As they drove, Cuerena explained her plan. "We will use the Granolith to go back before Max and Liz have had a chance to fall in love. Then Max will accept what his is, accept us, and the mission can continue as planned."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Thursday - September 16th, 2004)
They had been driving for almost three days straight and Nicholas knew they must be approaching their destination. They were running out of country.
At first, Nicholas had only meant to capture the shape shifters but he had become increasingly curious as to their destination and decided to follow them. Nicholas’ driver had caught up to the shape shifter’s car after a couple of hours, by pushing the speed limit, and had kept them in sight ever since. Nicholas ordered his driver to periodically drop back and change the color and model of the car in case the shape shifters were checking for tails.
As they continued to drive west, Nicholas had the skin soldiers from each city they passed join the pursuit, and now there was a long line of cars following them at a discrete distance.
Nicholas figured the shape shifters must be going either to the remains of their ship, if there were any, to meet the other shape shifters, or to the Granolith. And since the Granolith was the only thing on Earth of value to them, Nicholas was betting on it as the shape shifters’ destination.
Nicholas looked out the window. They had been driving through the desert for hours. There was nothing but sand, rocks and scrub plants. He let out a sigh and sank back into the seat.
"General," said Grester from the front seat. "It looks like the shape shifters are slowing down."
Nicholas sat forward and watched in amusement as the shape shifters' car pulled off the highway and headed into the desert on a dirt road. "Roswell," he said aloud with a laugh. "It's brilliant. They left the Granolith in Roswell."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Near the Pod Chamber)
The sound of a car woke Kaldar and he watched as it drove straight to the rock formation that housed the pod chamber. He slipped into a blind at the base of the rocky slope and as they drew closer, he was relieved to recognize Cuerena and Sodan.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Sam stopped the car in front of the rock formation that housed the pod chamber and climbed out, with Cuerena close behind.
She grabbed two handfuls of sand and using her powers, fashioned them into a rough six-sided crystal almost a foot long.
Sam watched with curiosity. "Any crystal will work?"
Cuerena nodded, "Crystals are crystals. It's simply an interface device, like a zip disc or a CD in a human computer. The key is to tell the crystal what to do, like programming a computer."
Her voice dropped as she remembered the King they had just lost, again. "On Antar, Zan and Ava didn't need a crystal interface, they were able to link directly to the Granolith."
"And they will be again," Sam assured her, pulling her to her feet. "We just have to stop this whole thing from happening."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Kaldar watched as Cuerena and Sodan passed within inches of him to climb the rocky path up to the pod chamber door. He had heard their words but he couldn’t make any sense out of what they were saying.
They reached the top and Sodan passed his hand over the rock to reveal the glowing handprint to activate the door. He placed his hand on the mechanism and the rocky panel slowly moved aside and they disappeared into the chamber.
The sound of another car drew Kaldar's attention and he quickly scrambled to a higher vantage point on the rocks. There was a single car coming rapidly toward them but a couple of hundred yards farther back, fifteen to twenty more cars were converging on them as well.
Kaldar jumped out of the blind and sprinted toward the pod chamber door, shouting out a warning, "Sodan, the enemy is coming!"
The other two shape shifters looked out the door just as he arrived. A nearby blast almost knocked Kaldar to the ground and he instinctively dove inside for cover.
Sodan recognized Kaldar's voice when he called out, and as much as he wanted to ask him where he had been all of these years, their first priority was the enemy. Sodan couldn't imagine how the skins had followed without him noticing, but they had. He took a quick look around the side of the pod he had ducked behind, toward the door. He could see Cuerena sitting on the floor just inside the opening, and he called to her. “Cuerena?”
She didn't move but yelled in a ragged voice over her shoulder. "I am hit and injured beyond repair." She put the crystal on the floor and pushed it toward him, using her powers. "The crystal is prepared. Just insert it into the base of the Granolith and it will do the rest." She gasped for air. "You must complete the mission. I will try to hold them off."
Sodan felt a twinge of emotion for one of the few times in his life; sorrow. He would miss Cuerena. "You are a good soldier. I am proud to have served with you."
"I will defend her," Kaldar volunteered.
"No," Sodan ordered, "you will come with me."
Sodan turned without another glance in Cuerena’s direction and motioned to Kaldar to enter the Granolith chamber with him. The door slid open and they both stopped just inside.
Sodan had not seen the Granolith since they had installed it there and he had forgotten how it had always instilled a feeling of awe within him. But the sound of another blast propelled him into action and he quickly inserted the crystal into the opening at the base of the Granolith and stood back as the extraordinary machine whirred to life.
For a moment Sodan became disoriented. He felt as if he was floating, falling, and then he realized he was inside the device. He had not expected that, and he reached out curiously to touch the barrier separating him from the chamber. The surface was solid, like rock or metal but it pulsed with a force, an energy that neither of those substances had ever possessed. Then he could feel the energy pooling around him, straining and building to an impossible level.
Sodan turned slowly, movement becoming increasingly difficult, and saw Kaldar standing beside him, and felt relief that he was not going alone.
Suddenly Sodan felt the energy peak, and it was redirected into him, them, pushing, propelling, and just before they were thrown into the past, he saw Nicholas run into the Granolith chamber and fire an enormous blast of energy that hit the surface between them.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode – Pilot)
(Sunday, September 19th, 1999)
(Roswell, NM)
(Crashdown Cafe)
Sodan had watched her through the window of the diner before as he had considered the best way to detach her from his King. Liz Evans. No, he corrected himself, still just Liz Parker at this point in her life; the bane of his existence, the woman for whom his King had thrown away a kingdom and all of their lives.
He had always disliked her but as he and Kaldar entered the cafe and took a seat, Sodan felt hatred rising up in his chest like an unquenchable fire. Max had forsaken everything for this human with no powers or abilities. Without a second thought the boy-King had cast aside his kingdom, his people, and his true love. This human, this child had so enthralled his King that Max had not been capable of rational thought, and he had sacrificed everything for her.
It had been easy enough to find Liz when they had arrived two days ago, Sodan thought. The Max he had known had only been eager to talk to him about one thing, Liz. And like the good soldier he was, Sodan had listened and retained any information he could about his enemy. Max had told them how he had been drawn to her as a boy, how he had worshipped her from afar. He had told them of the countless hours he had spent in the same booth in the Crashdown, the café her parents owned, just to see her, to be near her.
Sodan glanced at the booth two over. Max was there of course. Where else would he be when Liz was here?
From outside Sodan had seen Max sitting with Michael, and he and Kaldar had donned the guises of an elderly couple before entering the diner. The Crashdown was busy that day and they had been forced to take the only available booth, two away from Max and Michael.
Sodan watched as Liz approached a couple at the next table with two plates. "Okay, I have got one Sigourney Weaver, that's for you, and one Will Smith,” she said, setting the plates on the table. “Can I get you guys anything else? Green Martian Shake? Blood of Alien smoothie?"
Tuning out the inane conversation Sodan glanced back at his King, who was watching Liz move around the diner. Even as a girl she had held Max's attention completely, his eyes rarely left her.
Sodan shook his head with disbelief. He and Kaldar had discarded one idea after another about how to approach Max and the others. He had thought it would be easy to show Max his true destiny, but he’d been surprised to learn the date when they had arrived. Even though he and Cuerena had never discussed an actual date, Sodan had expected to be transported back to before the pods had hatched. But for some reason he and Kaldar had been sent back to this time when Max already knew and loved Liz, making their job infinitely more difficult.
Sodan felt they had to do something quickly before Max was lost to them forever, and then suddenly the perfect solution occurred to him. It was so easy, so simple; he wondered why he hadn’t considered it before. With Liz Parker dead, his King would have no choice but to accept his destiny.
Sodan spoke up to get Kaldar's attention. "We've got to get rid of her."
Kaldar leaned in and spoke softly so Max and Michael wouldn't overhear. "How do you want to do it?"
"No silver handprints this time," Sodan whispered, motioning toward Max. "If he discovers what we have done..." he let the sentence trail off and redirected his thoughts. "We will have to make it look like a human did it, a robbery gone bad perhaps."
Kaldar nodded, "Tonight?"
"Yes. The sooner the better." Sodan indicated Max and Michael with a jut of his chin. "Let's adjourn to somewhere less public and put together a plan."
They started to rise, but their attention was diverted by two large men, who were arguing loudly.
"I was here to get the money today not tomorrow," yelled one man as he stood.
The other man jumped to his feet, pulling a gun. "You won't need the money if you're dead," he shouted.
The first man grabbed for the gun and they struggled for control.
Sodan watched the escalating argument with interest and immediately decided to use this turn of events to their advantage. It would be a simple matter to use these humans as their weapon. Liz would be dead of non-alien related causes, Max would take his place as their leader and Alyssa's husband, and everything would turn out the way it had been intended. Sodan concentrated his powers on the gun and turned it in Liz's direction, while holding her in place.
Gasps of surprise and screams echoed through the diner as everyone dropped to the floor, everyone except Liz. As the gun turned toward her, she struggled to move, but an unseen force held her in place. Time appeared to be moving very slowly as every microsecond passed before her. With wide eyes, Liz watched the gun, seemingly trained at her for an eternity before the man pulled the trigger, but she didn't hear a sound when the bullet left the muzzle, traveling toward her.
She had all of the time in the world to move out of the way of the deadly projectile, but paralyzed she watched as it came infinitesimally closer and finally pierced her flesh. A searing pain lanced through her abdomen briefly and then she slowly floated to the ground as a welcoming blackness engulfed her.
Sodan smiled with satisfaction, their task completed, knowing his King was finally freed from his obsession with Liz, the girl who had led them all down the path to ruin.
But as he and Kaldar dissolved into nothingness, Sodan did not see Max rise from his seat and rush to the side of the girl he loved.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
END OF BOOK 6 - THE CAUSATIVE RELATIVITY (THE PROBLEM OF LIZ)
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
WHO'S WHO & NAME PRONUNCIATIONS
Book 7 - The Assistance of Shades (The Clandestined Disclosed)
EARTH
Humans
Everett Hubble - his wife Shelia was killed by an alien for which he later blamed Max
Shelia Hubble - wife of Everett Hubble and aspiring photographer - killed by an alien in 1970
Sheriff Jim Valenti Sr. - Sheriff of Roswell 1955 - 1972 - the scandal surrounding the silo murder forced him to leave office
Hank Whitmore - Michael's foster father
Liz Parker - the girl that Max Evans loved enough to risk exposure, healing her when she was shot at the Crashdown Cafe
Jeff Parker - Liz's father - owns the Crashdown Cafe
Nancy Parker - Liz's mother
Grandma Claudia Parker - Liz's paternal grandmother
Philip Evans - Max and Isabel's adoptive father - he is a lawyer
Diane Evans - Max and Isabel's adoptive mother
Maria DeLuca - Liz's best friend
Amy DeLuca - Maria's mother - owns a novelty store specializing in alien merchandise
Alex Whitman - Liz and Maria's best friend
Chuck (Charles) Whitman - Alex's father
Gloria Whitman - Alex's mother
Kyle Valenti - Liz's boyfriend
Sheriff Jim Valenti Jr. - Sheriff of Roswell - Kyle's father
Deputy Eric Hansen - Deputy in the Roswell Sheriff's office
Agent John Stephens - member of the special unit of the FBI - Sheriff Valenti called him to investigate the Crashdown Shooting
Agent Kathleen Topolsky - agent assigned to take the lead in the investigation of Max and the shooting at the Crashdown Cafe
Milton Ross - the founder and owner of the Roswell UFO Museum
Steve Sommers – the gang’s history teacher who assigns them the biography project because of Topolsky’s suggestion
Eddie Nantan - River Dog's nephew who gave Liz the broken piece of the pendant
Agent Daniel Pierce - Deputy Dave Fisher - head of the special unit 5/2/1999 - 5/14/2000
Jeanie Kelso - Kathleen Topolsky’s friend in the FBI lab
Lucy Hodges – Liz’s aunt who lives in Florida
Brody Davis - internet start-up millionaire - believes he was abducted by aliens and cured of his cancer - bought the Roswell UFO Museum from Milton Ross to conduct research in Roswell where he believes there is alien activity
Grant Sorensen - geologist - possessed by the Ganderium Queen
Shape Shifters Loyal to the Royal Four
Nasedo - Sodan - Ed Harding – Sam Morgan - expert in hand-to-hand and weapons combat and a pilot, special skill - heat and energy blasts
Letras - (le-tras) - Zan's former tutor, expert in philosophy, history and military tactics, captured by the special unit and killed
Cuerena (soor'-ren-ya) - scientist and Granolith expert, special skills - illusion - assigned the dupes protector
Tic Tac - Kaldar - expert in hand-to-hand and weapons combat, special skill - empath - injured by the humans and has terrible headaches when he uses his powers
Skins
Nicholas Crawford - General Calles Nicaron (kal-ees) (ni-ca'-ron) - Khivar's right hand and head general
Courtney Banks - Lieutenant Scorene - (skor-ra-nay) - Rath's friend from childhood and member of the Michael worshippers
Congresswoman Vanessa (Crawford) Whitaker- Major Nesta - Head of the Granolith Project
Tyrone Greer - T. Greer - Major Grester - Head of the Vilondra Project
Walt Crawford - Colonel Jafto - Nicholas' second in command, posing as his father
Ida Crawford - Idos - Nicholas' personal servant, posing as his mother
Gregory Jensen - Gragras - (gra-gras) - the scientist in charge of the skins project
Scott Hancock - Lieutenant Sacor - Major Nesta's trusted Lieutenant - Congresswoman Whitaker's personal secretary
William Hudson - Major Yorgam - Vanessa's lover and member of the Michael worshippers
Corporal Raltos - one of the soldiers prepared for Khivar to possess on Earth
Hybrids
Max Evans - Zan
Isabel Evans - Vilondra
Michael Guerin - Rath
Tess Harding - Alyssa Morgan
The Dupes
Zan - Max's dupe
Lonni - Isabel's dupe
Rath - Michael's dupe
Ava - Tess' dupe
Possessed Humans
Grant Sorensen - Ganderium Queen
ANTAR
Tageions (tauj'-ee-ons) - people inhabiting the north lands
King Zantor Tageonant (tauj'-o-nant) - (Zan) - Max - the rightful King of Antar
Queen Avalynd Telnada Tageonant - (Ava) - Zan's young bride
Royal Princess Vilondra Tageonant - Isabel - Zan’s sister
Queen Nedra Tageonant (ne'-dra) - Zan & Vilondra's mother
Tageonon (tauj'-o-non) - the capitol city of Antar, where the king's palace is located
Sodan (so-dan) - Nasedo – Sam Morgan - Zan's most trusted protector
Jensto (jens-toe) - a scientist in Zan's employ
General Toaks - named Zan's second in command after Rath died - Queen Nedra's head General in the resistance against Khivar
General Alarath Varros (Rath) - Michael - Zan's best friend and second in command
Kaldar - Tic Tac - Rath's most trusted protector
Harcions (Har-see-ons) - people inhabiting the south lands
Khivar Roistar (roys'-tar) - Senator in the Council and man who eventually takes Zan's throne
General Calles Nicaron (kal-ees) (ni-ca'-ron) - Nicholas - Khivar's right hand and head general
Lieutenant Scorene - (skor-ra-nay) - Courtney - member of the Michael worshippers
Major Nesta - Congresswoman Vanessa (Crawford) Whitaker - Head of the Granolith Project
Major Grester - T. Greer - Head of the Vilondra Project
Colonel Jafto - Walt Crawford - Nicholas' second in command, posing as his father
Idos - Ida Crawford - Nicholas' personal servant, posing as his mother
Gragras - (gra-gras) - Gregory - the scientist in charge of the skins project
Lieutenant Sacor - Scott Hancock - Major Nesta's trusted Lieutenant - Congresswoman Whitaker's personal secretary
Roistar (roys'-tar) - formerly Tageonon, Khivar changed the name when he assumed the throne
Shape Shifters sent to Earth with the Pods
Sodan - Nasedo - Ed Harding – Sam Morgan - expert in hand-to-hand and weapons combat and a pilot - special ability energy blasts
Letras (le-tras) - Zan's former tutor, expert in philosophy, history and military tactics - captured by the special unit and died
Cuerena (soor'-ren-ya) - scientist and Granolith expert - special ability illusion - assigned the dupes protector
Kaldar - Tic Tac - expert in hand-to-hand and weapons combat - special ability empath - injured by the humans and has terrible headaches when he uses his powers
BOOK 7 - THE INTRUSION OF SHADES (THE CLANDESTINED DISCLOSED)
in-tru-sion
1 : to thrust or force in or upon someone or something, especially without permission or welcome
shade -
1 : a disembodied spirit, an evanescent or unreal appearance
2 : something that intercepts or shelters from light
3 : a minute difference or variation
clan-des-tined -
1 : marked by, held in, or conducted with secrecy
DISCLAIMER: Some of the dialogue used was taken from the episodes and I am not claiming credit for having written it but used it simply to set up the tone of a scene or show parallels between lives and realities.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Ever feel as if you didn't get the complete story in Season 1? Here is a look "behind the scenes".
This part of the story takes place during season 1 and the first part of season 2. All of the events take place just as they aired in the episodes, I am simply showing some of the important things that didn't air. I have not recounted all of the stories in the episodes but jumped ahead to parts I felt needed clarification.
I am assuming the reader is very familiar with the episodes and will be able to place the scenes but if you are having trouble with when something is happening, check the timeline. I have broken down each episode into the major events. Some scenes are continuations of things that aired and some are completely new scenes.
Each scene that takes place during an episode is referenced with the episode title. Each change of date is also marked. If a scene has no date it takes place in the day of the last date. For an exact placement of the extra scenes see the timeline. Any scenes with a date but no episode title takes place between episodes.
The dates for some things may be different than you might expect. I tried to use the dates mentioned on the Silver Hand Print website and the episodes as much as possible but some of the dates would have put too many or too few days in certain episodes or put the gang in school on Saturday or Sunday. The dates for the episodes Crazy through Destiny, and Skin & Bones through Harvest, are so messed up, it isn't even funny. I used the dates mentioned as much as possible but there are differences. For instance, in the episode Surprise, Isabel clearly says that her birthday is October 25th. But I have changed Isabel's birthday to October 15th, to allow all the other episodes around it to fit into their dates.
CREDITS: Star Trek & Captain Kirk are the property of Paramount
Star Wars & Luke Skywalker are the property of George Lucas and 20th Century Fox
DEFINITIONS:
trithium amplification generator - aka amplifier - the black, chevron-shaped device that is used by the Skins for communication and suspending the powers of Antarians among other things.
NAGGING QUESTIONS:
1. Who sent the signal in Into the Woods?
2. Who killed Michael's foster father Hank?
3. Was there another shape shifter besides Nasedo and if so what happened to him?
4. Why does Liz get flashes and visions when she kisses Max?
5. What happened over the summer between Destiny and Skin & Bones?
6. How did Courtney and Whitaker find the Pod Squad but the rest of the skins didn't?
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Pilot)
(Sunday, September 19th, 1999)
(Roswell, NM)
(Crashdown Cafe)
"You're all right now. You're all right." Max said as he sat back, almost completely spent from healing Liz. He took deep breaths and tried to concentrate on covering his tracks, but his brain was still reeling from the fact that he had almost lost the only girl he had ever loved.
Michael's voice tore him away from Liz. "Keys now."
Max's head cleared a little and he could hear the approaching sirens. He tossed the keys to Michael. They had to leave now to avoid the questions from the police.
Quickly scanning the area, Max’s eyes landed on a bottle of ketchup; his brain immediately connecting the red of the ketchup to the red blood on Liz's uniform. It would be a perfect camouflage.
He grabbed the bottle, broke it and spilled in on Liz, covering the blood with the ketchup. "You broke the bottle when you fell and spilled ketchup on yourself," he said, giving her a ready-made cover story. Liz was looking at him like she was in shock and he wasn’t sure if his words were penetrating through the fuzziness in her head but he had to try. "Please don't tell anyone."
Max followed Michael out the door but he couldn't leave without taking one last look at Liz, just to reassure himself that she was okay.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Pilot)
(Monday, September 20th, 1999)
(The Evans House)
Max reached over and turned off his alarm clock. He had spent a sleepless night wondering what he should do about Liz. It was ludicrous that she would think he was "not of this Earth" simply because he had healed her. It was more likely she would think he was some kind of faith healer, a freak of nature.
He had considered going bacl to the Crashdown to talk to her, but he really didn't know what to say. They weren't exactly friends and how would the conversation start anyway. "So how about when you were shot and I healed you? That was pretty weird, huh?"
Max shook his head. It was an impossible situation. He and Liz had known one another since third grade and they were friendly but they barely spoke outside of class or at the Crashdown. He had always been careful to keep Liz at arm's length, along with everyone else, but yesterday when he had realized Liz had been shot, nothing else had mattered to him but making sure she was okay. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew he was risking his life to save her, but there had been no choice. He would do the same thing again. He just wished he had been thinking more clearly.
After he had gotten home, Max had played the afternoon's events in his head over and over, and once he had calmed down, he realized that he had made a mistake. He should have had the presence of mind to remove the blood and bullethole from Liz's uniform, but his thinking had been so muddled it hadn't occurred to him at the time. When he had seen Liz lying on the floor he had felt like the breath had been knocked from his body, and when he healed her and knew she would be okay, he had been so relieved he could barely think of anything else.
Liz would keep his secret, of that he had no doubt. He had watched her closely enough all of these years to know what kind of person she was. Liz would tell everyone she broke the ketchup bottle and no one would have any reason to question her story, he reassured himself. No one would suspect anything out of the ordinary.
As for what he would tell Liz... Max sighed, maybe he wouldn't have to tell her anything. It was possible she would be so freaked by the whole episode that she would never speak to him again.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Pilot)
(West Roswell High School)
(Band Room)
Max knew he should have been worried when Liz dragged him to the band room to talk but the only thing he could think about was the fact that she was dating Kyle. He had always known he could not be with her and he had accepted it, but he had never counted on having to watch her with other guys. The sensation was more painful than he could have imagined and he couldn't stop the words, "So, you're going out with the Sheriff's son?"
Liz was taken aback by the unexpected subject. "Um, yeah. Well, it's kind of like this, this casual..." She shook her head to clear the wayward thoughts. "Okay Max. Can we just focus here for one minute please?" She slowly lifted the hem of her shirt to show him the mark he had placed on her stomach.
"Wow," was the only word Max was capable of uttering. He was genuinely surprised. He had never left a mark on Michael or Isabel when he had healed them. Of course he had never healed a human before, and he had never needed to use so much of his power to bring someone back from the brink of death.
The mark also meant that Liz was not likely to believe he was human. Max’s mind raced with the possibilities. Fate was providing him with the opportunity to tell the girl he loved the whole truth, and he desperately wanted to do it.
Liz continued after a moment, "Um, I, I scraped some cells from your pencil. This is really hard to say, I'm trying to keep from blacking out here. Um, the cells weren't normal. So, Max, what I'm going to suggest to you is that we just go back to the bio lab now, so that I can take a sample, so that I can see what I'm thinking is wrong, you know? That I got the wrong cells..."
Max interrupted her, having made up his mind to tell her the truth. "You didn't."
"Okay," Liz started shakily. "Um. So help me out here Max," she said with a nervous laugh. "I mean, what are you?"
Max exhaled a breath he felt like he had been holding for years, and started gently. "Well, I'm not from around here."
Liz felt as if she might faint but she managed to ask in a soft, strangled voice, "Where are you from?"
Max couldn't quite bring himself to say the words, and simply pointed toward the sky.
Liz looked at Max's raised finger, suspicions flying through her head, but she chided herself for being ridiculous and asked the obvious. "Up north?"
Max could tell that Liz already knew the truth but he wasn't sure she was ready to accept it, and he raised his hand a bit higher.
Liz voiced her most outrageous theory that was becoming, in her eyes, more and more likely. "You're not an, an alien," she started with a touch of humor in her tone. But when Max lowered his finger and kept steady eye contact with her, she felt her throat go dry and nearly choked on the words, "I mean, are you?"
Max felt a great weight lift from his heart when Liz finally said the words. For the first time in his life he felt free, almost giddy. "Well I prefer the term not of this Earth," he pronounced with a touch of irony, but when he saw Liz's reaction he quickly backtracked. "Sorry, it's not a good time to joke."
Liz had figured out the truth but she was still reeling with his confirmation. Max could see her struggling with the information and he spelled it out, "Yeah, I am. Wow, it's weird to actually say it."
He watched with growing uneasiness as Liz quickly gathered her things and started toward the door. "Liz," he said, walking toward her.
She spoke as she hurried toward the door, but she couldn't look at him. "Um, Max, you know, I have, I'm gonna be late for my U.S. Government class, so I'm just gonna..." she trailed off as Max stopped her at the door.
"Liz, listen to me," Max said, his desperation mounting. "You can't talk to anyone about this. Not your parents, not Maria. No one. You don't understand what'll happen if you do." He could feel her fear like a tangible thing and he didn't know if his words were getting through to her. She wasn't looking at him and he worried she was rejecting him, but he spoke from his heart. "Liz please? Now my life is in your hands."
Liz glanced up at him and their eyes met. Max stood back and allowed her to pass, wondering if he had done the right thing, but it was too late to wish back his actions. It had seemed so perfect. He had run through the scenario in his head so many times. He would tell her what he was, and being the scientist she was, she’d be fascinated. She would ask him about himself, about his world, his powers, and it would bring them closer. She would grow to accept him and love him and they would always be together.
But the reality had not met his expectations. Liz was frightened of him and he was not sure what she would do.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Max pulled into a parking space across the street from the Crashdown and stared into the cafe's dark windows, unsure of how to proceed. When he had confessed to Michael and Isabel that he had told Liz about his true nature, they had been understandably upset. Max admitted to himself if the situation had been reversed and one of them had betrayed their secret he would have been furious, but it was Liz. Neither Isabel or Michael had ever been able to understand the instant connection he had felt with Liz when he had first seen her, and Max had grown tired of trying to explain it to them.
His heart had felt heavy since he and Liz had talked in the band room that morning. Liz had rejected him, feared him, because of what he was, and even though he knew it was impossible for them to be together, he mourned her loss. All day Max had tried to devise a way to win back her friendship, which he had discovered in the last few hours, was more important to him than almost anything else. And he had come up with a plan, but it would require Liz to trust him.
Max started to climb out of his Jeep just as another car drove by. He immediately recognized the red Mustang, it belonged to Kyle Valenti. Max's gaze swung to the passenger in Kyle’s car and his heart sank as he saw Liz. She had told him she was dating Kyle, but with everything else that had happened, the reality of the situation had just not reached his brain. Liz was with another man.
Max reached to turn the key in the ignition and go home, but stopped, taking a deep breath. It didn't matter that Liz was with someone else. It was not like he could be with Liz and he just had to accept it. But he could keep her as a friend, that was all he had come here to do anyway, he told himself.
He vaulted out of the Jeep and walked around to the back of the Cafe where the door to Liz's house was located. He walked slowly, not wanting to see Liz and Kyle say goodnight; he wasn't ready to see the girl he loved kissing anyone else.
Pausing at the back of the building, Max carefully looked around the corner. Kyle and Liz were illuminated by the light above her door and Max quickly pulled his head back. They were talking, but he was too far away to hear what they were saying. He waited a few minutes until he heard Kyle's car drive away and then waited a few minutes more, building his courage.
Suddenly there was a light above him and he knew Liz had climbed out onto her balcony. He took a deep breath, this was as good a time as any. "Liz!" he called, and waited until she looked over the edge. "I have to talk to you," he said, and waited breathlessly until he saw her nod. He let out a breath he had been holding, feeling the weight lift from his heart. She was willing to talk; everything would be all right.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Pilot)
(Thursday, September 23rd, 1999)
Liz climbed onto her balcony and opened the journal she had just purchased. She smoothed the first page back and started writing.
September 23rd
Journal entry one
I'm Liz Parker and five days ago I died.
After that, things got really weird.
She recorded the events of the last few days and her feelings about them, and then she came to the reason she had bought the journal in the first place. Max. He had inspired feelings in her that she had not known existed and she wanted to capture them.
Max Evans has put a force on me. It's like my whole life changed in an instant. It's just so ironic that when something like this finally happened to me, it was with an alien.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Pilot)
(Friday, September 24th, 1999)
(Roswell Sheriff’s Station)
Jim Valenti impatiently followed Agent Stephens to his car. Since the FBI had become involved, they had acted like he was crazy for suggesting the possibility of aliens. "Listen," he called out to Stephens' quickly retreating form, "you guys told me to call you if I saw anything. Well, my son saw that handprint."
"I'm sure he did," Stephens answered dismissively.
Jim couldn't believe it, but it looked like they were going to sweep this whole thing under the rug. "What happens now?"
"I’ll have the lab check out the dress," Stephens said as he put the evidence into the trunk. He had waited for years for a concrete confirmation of alien existence and he had been unlucky enough to have it happen in this town, with this Sheriff, who had a personal ax to grind. "I'm going to handle this case in the proper manner without getting too personal. I suggest you do the same."
"I'm not walking away from this," Jim assured him. "I'm going to be a part of this investigation."
Agent Stephens sighed. He was going to have to do this the hard way. "Sheriff, do you know what everyone used to call your father? Sergeant Martian. You don't want to end up like him."
Jim shook his head. "Agent Stevens, I was eight years old when my father discovered that corpse, my whole life I thought he was as crazy as everyone else did. Crazy to believe. Now I'm not so sure."
"Thank you Sheriff. Your work is done now, we'll take it from here."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Agent Stephens waited until he was on the road heading to the airport before he pulled out his cell phone. He engaged the encryption device and dialed the number he knew so well. The phone was answered on the other end on the first ring, as if the answerer had been waiting for his call.
"This is Stephens. Roswell is a blue-14 scenario. I repeat a blue-14 scenario."
"Blue-14," the other man intoned emotionlessly. "Is there any evidence?"
"There may be," Stephens replied.
"Let me know the minute you arrive at Dulles," Pierce said. He replaced the phone onto the cradle and looked at the other man in his office. "Stephens is bringing the evidence with him."
"Blue-14 means positive contact doesn't it?" the other man asked.
Pierce nodded, "Although, every time in the past it has been reported, we have never identified a subject.
"If it is true, we’ll need to send in a team to check this out. Do you have someone in mind to head it?"
"Stephens has recommended one of his protégés to me,” Pierce said. “She has been with the Special Unit for a couple of years. She's ambitious and not too picky about whom she has to step on to get the job done. She might be the perfect one to head up this team."
"What's her name?"
Pierce glanced down at the file on his desk, "Kathleen Topolsky."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Saturday, September 25th, 1999)
(Washington, DC)
Stephens indicated a chair across from his. "Have a seat, Agent Topolsky." He waited until she was settled. "How long have you been with the group now?"
"Two years," she said with a laugh. "Don't you remember? You recruited me out of the regular FBI."
Stephens nodded, "Considering your background and work record, our superiors think you will be the best agent to head our latest investigation. It would include a deep cover operation posing as a counselor at a high school in a Blue-14 scenario." Stephens' eyes roamed over her face trying to gage her reaction, "Do you think you are ready for the responsibility?"
Topolsky's chin rose as she straightened her body in the chair, her eyes sparking with excitement. "I’m ready, Sir."
Stephens opened the file before him and put it on the desk, turning it toward her. "Good. You will report directly to me. Monday morning you will be installed as the new Guidance Counselor at West Roswell High School."
"Roswell?" she asked incredulously. “As in Roswell, New Mexico?”
"Ironic isn't it?" Stephens asked with a smile. "The place where it began is where it will end."
Stephens briefly outlined the events surrounding the shooting at the Crashdown Cafe, the testimony of the witnesses and the Sheriff, and the evidence of the dress.
"Concentrate your investigation on the subject Max Evans, but also check out his friends. Maybe you can get to him through them. Check out the girl that was healed." He glanced at the file. "Her name is Liz Parker but she lied in her statement to the Sheriff so it might not be easy to get anything from her. There was also a boy with Evans at the cafe on the day of the shooting. Witnesses say he was running interference for Evans, so he must know something. His name is Michael Guerin."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Morning After)
(Monday, September 27th, 1999)
Liz had been tossing and turning in bed for hours. She was so excited about seeing Max again that she couldn't sleep. The last time she had seen him was Friday at the Crash Festival and she was full of anticipation about their next meeting. She had hoped he might come into the Crashdown over the weekend but he hadn't.
Of course maybe it was wise for them not to be seen together too much, she told herself. The trick they had played on the Sheriff at the Crash Festival would not make him less suspicious, but perhaps it would make the events on the day of the shooting seem like a hoax as well.
She glanced at the clock; it was after one a.m. Technically it was already Monday and in a few hours she would see Max at school. She turned away from the clock and determinedly punched her pillow trying to find a more comfortable position, but the bed was not the problem. There were too many thoughts running through her head she couldn't quiet.
She tossed for a few minutes more but finally switched on the light and reached for her diary. If she couldn't sleep, she might as well write. It was a warm night and she climbed out the open window and settled into the lawn chair on the balcony. She drew her knees up and opened the book, quickly skimming the words she had written.
It's September 23rd,
Journal entry one.
I'm Liz Parker and five days ago I died.
After that, things got really weird.
She had written on September 23rd that she had died five days ago but it had only been four. Max had healed her on Sunday the 19th, 1999. It was a date she would definitely never forget. She sighed as she used her pen to cross out the number five and write in a four instead. At the time she hadn’t realized, but her head had been so full of Max Evans it had even effected her basic math skills, and she was still having a hard time concentrating on anything but him.
When he had reversed the connection between them it was if he had flipped a switch in her mind that allowed her to see him for the first time. She had always been attracted to him. Who wouldn't be? He was handsome and smart and nice to everyone, even if he was a bit shy, but he always had a wall up around him that made it clear he didn't want any close attachments.
She had believed that Max wouldn't be interested in her, small-town-girl Liz Parker. He had always seemed way out of her league, so sophisticated and mysterious. But when he had allowed her to see him, really see him through the connection, she knew he was everything she had ever wanted in a friend, a boyfriend, a soul mate.
Liz supposed she had always wanted the same things most girls wanted, a husband, a family, a career. She wanted to live a fulfilling, happy life surrounded by people she loved, and she could easily see Max as part of her life. But because of who and what he was, there were possibilities open to her that she had never even considered.
She glanced up at the stars and allowed her imagination to roam. She pictured herself and Max standing of the bridge of a space ship, that looked suspiciously like the Enterprise from Star Trek, their arms around one another, gazing at the stars, exploring the universe together...
Liz smiled. She was rushing things just a bit. They had all of the time in the world and she anticipated enjoying every minute, but she was still impatient for it to begin.
She took up her pen and started to record all of the feelings that were rushing through her mind onto the blank page laid out before her.
September 27th
I'm Liz Parker and I will never look at the stars in the sky the same way again.
I'll never look at anything the same way again.
What did Max Evans mean when he said, "I'll see you in school?" Was it
"I won't be able to breathe until we meet again" or was it just something
someone says to, like, fill space? And what is he thinking right now?
Is he also obsessed, tortured, going through one sleepless night to the
next, wondering what's going to happen between us?
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Morning After)
(West Roswell High School)
Maria stood with Liz at her locker, talking. Suddenly Maria's voice dropped, "Kyle Valenti, headed this way."
Liz practically groaned aloud, "Like, in this general direction, or like, towards me?"
"Like, the latter," Maria said with a touch of doom in her voice.
"Oh God," Liz said. She and Kyle had dated over the summer but she had mainly thought of him as a friend. Who knows where it would have gone, but then the shooting had happened and Liz had discovered what real love was. What she felt for Kyle was fondness, caring, friendship, but it wasn't love.
"What are you gonna say?" Maria asked.
Liz wasn't sure what she was going to say. After they had tricked the Sheriff at the Crash Festival, she and Max had talked. They could both feel the pull toward one another like the attraction of magnets, drawing them inevitably together. Their meeting had been electric and full of promise and possibilities, and even though they had agreed not to be together, Liz had not been able to face Kyle afterward. It seemed like a betrayal of the feelings she and Max had shared.
She had not heard from Kyle over the weekend and she’d hoped he would be angry enough not to pursue a continuing relationship between them. Liz voiced her hopes to Maria as if somehow saying them aloud would make them come true. "I don't even know if there's anything to say. I mean, I saw him over the summer, and it was casual. I'm sure now that we're back in school, he's just thinking of me as a summer fling."
"Liz!" Kyle called to her warmly.
"Kyle!" Liz returned with more enthusiasm than she felt.
"How's my girl?" Kyle greeted a surprised Liz.
Maria wanted to gag, and excused herself quickly, "See ya!"
Liz turned to Kyle, "Hey."
"Hey. How's it going?"
"Good," Liz said, and attempted to steer the conversation in a safe direction. "You know, I'm just pretty loaded down with all this school stuff."
"Yeah I know," Kyle said amusedly. "You take all that stuff pretty seriously."
"Yeah," Liz said, realizing there was one more area in which she and Kyle would never agree.
"Right. Okay." Kyle said distractedly.
"All right," Liz said with relief. Apparently Kyle wasn't interested in pursuing their relationship or the reason why she had ditched him at the Crash Festival, and she turned to head to her next class.
But Kyle stopped her. "Listen Liz, I think it's important that we are honest with each other. I was talking with Tommy Hilligan from the team, and he agrees with me. A person should be on time, Liz. I know we left things casual, and I understand that, but you did say that you would meet me at the Crash Festival. I just feel that if you care about a person, which I do, then you should be on time. The truth is if you were just some girl and you stiffed me like you did, I would walk in a second, but you're not..."
Kyle's voice faded into the background as Liz's gaze was caught by Ms. Topolsky coming out of the Registrar's office. She was carrying a stack of files and Liz's suspicions about her kicked into overdrive. She desperately tried to keep the teacher in sight as she dismissed Kyle. "Kyle, I really want to talk to you about this, I do, but it's just not a good time. I'm sorry, I gotta go. I'm sorry."
Liz hurried down the hall trying to catch-up to Ms. Topolsky. She didn't know what it was about the new teacher that made her suspicious, but as soon as Ms. Topolsky had started asking unusual questions in class, Liz had been worried. For some reason there was just something about Ms. Topolsky that just didn't seem right. Liz rounded a corner and ran straight into the other woman, knocking the files from her hands.
"Oh my gosh, I'm sorry," Liz apologized automatically, "I'm sorry about..."
"Parker, Liz," Kathleen interrupted her.
"Yeah," Liz said, trying not to let the suspicion creep into her tone.
"Photographic memory," the teacher explained.
"Wow, that's interesting," Liz babbled, trying to cover her nervousness. "I've never met anyone with a photographic memory before."
"Helps in my line of work," Kathleen said mysteriously.
Liz reached for a file on the floor. "Here, let me help you with that."
"That's okay," Kathleen said, but Liz picked up a file anyway. The picture inside the file caught her attention immediately. It was Michael. Ms. Topolsky, the suspected spy and alien hunter, had Michael's file.
Liz had to warn him.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Morning After)
(Tuesday, September 28th, 1999)
(West Roswell High School)
Max smiled, "So you think Ms. Topolsky is an alien hunter?"
Liz grimaced. "When you say it like that, it sounds ridiculous."
Max's expression sobered. He hadn't meant to make fun of her. He was almost giddy that Liz cared so much about their safety, his safety, but now he was worried about her safety. He didn't believe there was anything unusual about Ms. Topolsky but none of them could afford to act suspiciously. "Liz, thank you, you know, for looking out for us. But we have to go on with life as it was before this happened. And we have to be careful now. All of us. You, too."
They parted and Max continued on his way to class, but his attention was captured by the Sheriff in the administration office and he was not alone. He was talking to Ms. Topolsky. Thoughts crowded into Max's mind at light speed. Why would a teacher be talking to the Sheriff? What if Liz was right? Ms. Topolsky the alien hunter? The FBI? Was she really investigating them? They couldn't afford to be at a disadvantage, they had to get all of the information they could. But how could they do that without giving themselves away?
Max sat in his next class and didn't hear a word the teacher said. He tried to conceive a plan to figure out who this new teacher was. He discretely asked a couple of students where her office was, hoping he would get the opportunity to search it, but an off-hand comment by one of the guys he asked gave him a plan.
Scott gave Max a conspiratorial wink and a thumbs-up, obviously mistaking Max's interest in Ms. Topolsky for a crush. "Yeah, I staked out that hottie yesterday. She's in the office behind the eraser room on the 2nd floor and," he continued, lowering his voice, "she has sixth period free."
The 2nd floor eraser room, Max considered, would be perfect. He had been in there before, actually cleaning erasers for extra credit, and he had noticed that the vent looked directly into the office. He could hide there and check out Ms. Topolsky's story. His thoughts strayed to Liz. She was a part of this and he should include her. She had spotted Topolsky for a phony before anyone else had even suspected. Liz had great instincts and he could use her observational skills and intellect to back him up. Yes, he thought with a smile as he scribbled a brief note to her, Liz was the perfect choice.
It had nothing to do with the fact that he wanted to be alone with Liz, he assured himself, nothing at all.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Monsters)
(Monday, October 11th, 1999)
(West Roswell High School)
Kathleen Topolsky had fallen back on her training in psychology many times since she had joined the FBI, but it had never been more useful than on this assignment. It had been easy to convince the principal of the importance of getting the sophomore class to start planning for their futures. She had briefly outlined a series of short psychological tests that would help the students to look ahead and make goals to achieve their dreams. The fact that the tests were really geared to give an accurate psychological profile completely escaped his notice.
She suffered through the interviews with most of the kids only half listening to their babble, waiting for the kids she was interested in, Max Evans and his friends. She had hoped Michael Guerin would participate but he was once again absent.
She had saved the subject of her investigation for last and was interested to see what his responses would be. An alien taking a standardized test for humans, she could only imagine the possibilities.
Kathleen noticed that Max was nervous when he entered her office and she waited until he settled into a chair before she began. "Okay, let's play a relationship game. Tell me which character in this picture is most like you," she said as she showed him the picture, "and tell me what they're doing at the park."
Max blurted out an answer before thinking, "Probably the one behind the tree." But when he saw the look on Ms. Topolsky's face, he quickly backtracked and tried to turn it into a joke. "I was sort of kidding," he said with a laugh that sounded unconvincing even to himself.
Kathleen was somewhat taken aback by his obviously honest answer but her training kicked in and she hurried to agree with him, empathize. "No, that's interesting. That's a hard place to be." She chose her words carefully trying to make herself seem approachable. "I've been behind the tree myself. In college I barely left my dorm for three years, then I realized that I had gotten myself into this situation where I wasn't really living. I was just going through the motions, and it was really, really risky to change. To get out there in the world."
Her words caught Max's attention. "But it was worth it?" he asked.
She smiled, knowing she was getting through to him. "Yes, it was."
"Coming out from behind the tree, huh?" he said echoing her words.
"Exactly. You start small. You say, 'Today I'm going to do one thing to get out there.' Nothing big. Just one thing."
"And, what did you do?" Max asked, genuinely interested.
Max was falling right into her hands. If he was open to suggestion, her job would be much easier. "I started a conversation with this guy I liked," she said simply.
The bell rang, ending their session and she waited until Max left before making a note in her file next to his name.
has secrets
She almost laughed at the words she had written. If Max Evans was what they suspected, that was the biggest understatement of the century.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Monsters)
(The Evans House)
(A few hours later)
Max looked out his window and considered the stars above. One of them was their home. Their real home. After they had figured out what they were, he had often wondered if someone would come for them. Had their parents been in the '47 crash? Had others on the ship survived or were they the only ones?
Now they knew that there was at least one other of their kind out there but they didn't know anything about him other than the fact that he might be a killer. What kind of creature was he? What if in his true form he appeared to be a monster? Max shuddered; he didn't even want to think about it.
He and Michael and Isabel were essentially human. Maybe that is why they were here, because their race, their planet, was dying. Maybe they weren't meant to return. Maybe they had been made so human because this was their new home.
His thoughts turned to Liz. He had told her they couldn't be together because they were different but what if they weren't so different after all? What if they could be together? Maybe this other, the fourth alien could tell them.
His gaze returned to the stars. Home. A real home. Max had often wondered if he were offered the chance to go home, would he take it? Earth was all he knew. It was home to him.
Isabel's voice interrupted his thoughts, "Looking for something?"
Max voiced the questions he had been pondering, "What if there is someone out there somewhere, waiting for us to come home, you know? Another mom and dad? I know we never really talk about this stuff. Do you wonder about it at all?"
"Every day," she said wistfully.
"Well what if we could find out?" Max continued, "What if someone had the answers for us? Would you want to know?"
"I think I'd be really scared," Isabel said, echoing his fears. "What is this about Max? Is this about the key Michael found, because you know we can't do anything about it."
Topolsky's words echoed in his head.
'I wasn't really living. I was just going through the motions.'
He tried to find the words to explain what he had been pondering. "We're always being so cautious, you know?" Max started. "Always watching behind our backs. Never getting too involved, but we're never moving forward either. We're just kinda stuck, Isabel. I'm not sure I want to be stuck anymore."
Isabel considered her brother. Since healing Liz, Max had almost seemed like a different person, and she was afraid she was losing him. "What's making you think about this? The key or Liz?"
"I'm not sure," Max admitted.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Monsters)
(Tuesday, October 12th, 1999)
(West Roswell High School)
Kathleen Topolsky looked at Max sitting across from her. He seemed more nervous than usual. "Are you having a hard time with something in your life right now, Max?"
"No, not at all," he responded too quickly.
"Because some adopted kids go through tough times around this age,” she continued, ignoring his answer. “You know, identity issues, things like that."
"What does this have to do with my career path again?" he asked suspiciously.
Kathleen could practically feel his discomfort and decided to back off momentarily, after all she did want him to trust her. "If I'm going to help you figure out what you're going to become, maybe we should talk about who you really are. Now, you're an excellent student. Are you thinking of college?"
"It's a little soon for that."
Kathleen was somewhat surprised by his answer. "Two years. You don't think that far ahead?"
"Not usually," he admitted.
"What about the past Max?" she said hoping to push him into an answer. "What did you want to be when you were five?" She watched as his level of discomfort rose even higher, and suddenly the realization hit her. "You don't remember anything before you were adopted, do you?"
"What does this have to do with my future?"
"Sometimes it's hard to move forward with your future until you can figure out your past."
Kathleen watched as Max absorbed her words and then quietly left her office. She was getting through to him, but she was positive by his reaction to her question that he didn't remember anything before the adoption. That was the reaction of a young child to a traumatic situation, not the reaction of a cold-blooded alien killer the FBI had been tracking since the '47 crash.
Her brow knotted in concentration. There was no doubt Max was otherworldly, but the evidence was stacking up that he was not the alien who had left a trail of bodies in his wake for the last fifty years.
Kathleen reached for the phone and dialed the secure number.
It was answered on the first ring. "Control."
She gave her password. "7 - 3 - 2 - 9 - 0."
"Report," said Stephens.
"I am making progress in gaining the subject's trust."
"Anything else?"
She paused wondering if she should voice her doubts. "Um, I think this may be a different subject than the one the Unit has been tracking."
"What makes you think that?" Stephens asked, not able to keep the surprise out of his tone.
"My psychology training. His reactions are wrong for a hardened killer. He just seems like a troubled boy."
"Maybe it's just a good act," suggested Stephens.
"Maybe," Kathleen agreed, "but if it is, he deserves an Oscar."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Friday, October 15th, 1999)
Michael climbed into Max's window without knocking. "Max this key thing is really bothering me..." he trailed off as he took in Max's appearance. "What the hell is that?"
Max glanced down and the golden vest he was wearing. "I didn't think it was that bad." He shrugged, "I guess the badge is a little goofy."
Michael shook his head, "No, I mean what are you doing?"
"I took a job at the UFO museum."
Michael grimaced, "An alien working in an alien museum, nice sense of irony Maxwell."
"Irony aside,” Max started to explain, “the owner Milton, has all kinds of files about UFO sightings for the last fifty years. He has connections with UFO groups all over the world and access to all of the UFO sites on the Internet. I thought maybe I could learn something."
Michael nodded enthusiastically and slapped Max on the arm. "Like I said, Maxwell, good thinking."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Leaving Normal)
(Tuesday, October 19th, 1999)
(Liz’s Balcony)
Liz opened her journal and started to write.
It's October 19th. I'm Liz Parker and this is what I've been thinking. Can life ever go back to normal? Part of me wants safety, wants to go back to how things were, to a life that I could predict, where I know how life is going to be. And the other part of me wants to go somewhere else, into the unknown.
Liz put her pen down. She had been growing more restless over the last week. It had only been a month since Max had healed her, but now it seemed as if her life was in constant turmoil. She'd had set-in-stone plans for her future; a clear, straight path filled with goals that would lead her to the desired destination. But now everything was different.
Knowing the truth about Max had made her question many things including the importance of her life plan. Max, Michael and Isabel were searching for answers to their past that might hold a significance beyond anything they could imagine. Everything she had considered important in her life faded into the background when compared to that.
Sometimes she wished she didn't know Max's secret, she could just lead a normal life like the other six billion people on the planet, but those thoughts only ever lasted a few seconds. What she had gained by getting to know Max was worth the all of the trouble and self-doubt. But when it was quiet and she was alone with just her thoughts, like she was now, she wondered where the future would take them.
Over the last few weeks she and Max had grown closer and most of the time she wished their friendship would grow into something more. Sometimes it seemed as if Max did too but then he would back off, push her away. She sighed. It seemed as if they were doomed to exist in a limbo that neither of them was sure how to escape, never moving forward, but unable to go back because they were connected by the secret they shared.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Leaving Normal)
(Crashdown Cafe)
(Later that day)
Max slid into a booth and watched as Liz served a table of men he assumed to be dentists, attending the orthodontist's convention. His suspicions were confirmed when she smiled widely to show them her teeth.
She glanced in his direction with a smile and walked toward him, and Max felt a sense of profound satisfaction. Now that they were friends and Liz shared his secret, it seemed as if everything was perfect. He was able to talk to her whenever he wanted and when he came into the Crashdown he didn't have to pretend it was just to eat.
Liz stopped at his table and motioned over her shoulder. "It's an orthodontist convention."
Max couldn't help but smile, "Apparently."
"So, are you waiting for Michael or..." she trailed off and finished the sentence in her head, or are you here because you wanted to see me as much as I wanted to see you.
"No, no." Max said, looking at the menu. No, he said to himself, I am here to see you. He continued aloud, "I'll just have and Alien Blast."
Liz knew he was referring to an item on the menu but his choice closely echoed the overwhelming feelings she had for him. "Me, too," she mumbled, unaware she had spoken aloud.
"Excuse me?" Max asked, wondering if she had really spoken or if his fantasy was intruding into reality again.
"Nothing," Liz said, feeling the heat of a blush climbing up her face. "Okay, one Alien Blast."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Evans House)
Max examined his bruises and cuts in his mirror. It had been just over an hour ago that he had been so happy, but somehow things always went wrong. He thought he could be satisfied with just being around Liz, just being friends with her, but obviously Kyle and his buddies had not seen it that way.
Kyle had not been with the guys who had attacked him, but Kyle had either spoken to them or they had noticed the extra time Max had been spending with Liz. Either way it could easily turn into a dangerous situation. Kyle was the Sheriff's son and the last thing they needed was another reason for Valenti to become suspicious of them.
As much as Max hated his decision, he knew what he had to do. He had to stay away from Liz.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Washington, DC)
Pierce threw Agent Stephen's report onto his desk. Stephens had actually suggested that Max Evans might not be dangerous. Pierce skimmed the words on the page.
Considering the results of Agent Topolsky's psychological evaluation, I believe we should examine the possibility that the subject may not be the same entity the Unit has been pursuing. The subject's reactions to the tests are typical of a human adolescent, and I suggest using more subtle means to determine his exact nature.
Pierce rolled his eyes; Stephens was getting soft. Even if Max Evans was not the same creature they had been chasing for the last fifty years, he was an alien and all of them were cold-blooded killers. But Pierce didn't believe Max was a different creature. He had been on Earth long enough to learn how to use human gullibility to his advantage, and Max obviously had Topolsky and Stephens wrapped around his little, green finger.
Pierce picked up the phone and punched the number angrily. When it was answered, his words were clipped, "Stephens may be a problem. Keep an eye on him."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Leaving Normal)
(Wednesday, October 20, 1999)
(Roswell Memorial Hospital)
Liz was restless waiting for the doctors to tell them what had happened to her Grandma. She was with her parents and Kyle had even come, hoping to comfort and support her, but his presence wasn't helping. Her mind kept straying to Max. Just the thought of him sent a warm, calming feeling through her, and she wished he were there to tell her everything would be all right.
She glanced at Kyle. He didn't have to be there but he had come. He really was a nice guy. Suddenly Liz realized that Kyle deserved better than she was capable of giving him. It wasn't fair to him she was always thinking of Max. She knew this wasn’t the time or place, but she would have to let him go, soon.
Liz got up and mumbled, "I'll be right back." She walked down the hall to the soda machine, deposited her money and pressed a button. As she picked up the can, she noticed the phone, just inches away. She knew it was silly, Max couldn't do anything, but she just wanted to hear his voice. She dialed the phone and felt a pang of disappointment when his machine answered.
"Hi, Max," she started, not knowing quite what to say. "Its Liz. I'm at the hospital. Something happened to my grandmother. We don't know if it's serious, but it seems really bad. I'm just scared. Look, I don't even know why I'm calling you. I guess I just wanted to hear your voice or something. Now I just feel completely stupid. Look, don't come here or anything because everyone is here. I'll just see you in school tomorrow. Sorry for the weird call. Bye."
She replaced the phone with a sigh, somehow feeling better even though she had only heard his voice on the machine.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Missing)
(Monday, October 25th, 1999)
(West Roswell High School)
When Kathleen had seen Liz in the dark classroom earlier, she had known something was wrong, but now that she had stumbled across an upset Alex too, she suspected the strain of the secret was starting to get to the group of friends. She invited Alex into her office to talk, and he surprised her by getting right to the heart of the subject.
"No, it's just, you know, things change. People change. You accept it and you move on."
"Who's changed, Alex?" Kathleen asked, hoping for a break in his loyalty. "You?"
"No, not me," he denied.
"Your girlfriend?" she asked, hoping to play on the crush she suspected he had for Liz.
"No," Alex denied, "I don't have a... No girlfriend, Ms. Topolsky."
"Well, that doesn't surprise me. Teenage girls can never spot the good ones," Kathleen flattered him, but then quickly turned the discussion back toward her main interest. "I mean, look at Liz Parker, dating Kyle Valenti. He's a little obvious, don't you think?"
"Yeah, well," Alex defended his friend, "you know, apparently Liz is going through some stuff right now, so..."
"Stuff?" Kathleen interrupted, trying not to sound too interested.
"It's stupid. Liz loses her diary, and the next thing I know, Inspector DeLuca tells me that they have me pinned as the main suspect. These are my good friends, you know?"
Kathleen listened and commiserated with Alex for a few minutes longer and when it was clear he wasn't going to divulge any secrets, she let him go. As he closed the door, she picked up the phone and dialed.
"Control," Stephens answered.
"7 - 3 - 2 - 9 - 0," Kathleen spoke into the receiver.
"What have you got?"
"Something interesting has happened," Kathleen said. "Any chance of sending me the backup I requested?"
"You will have two Agents in the morning."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Missing)
(Tuesday, October 26th, 1999)
(Crashdown Cafe)
Kyle followed his friends into the Crashdown and immediately spotted the one person who he didn't want to see. He didn't know what Max Evans had done to Liz but it was obvious he was partly to blame for Liz breaking up with him. Kyle liked Liz a lot, maybe even loved her, and he'd had moments when he had considered marrying her when they graduated, but Max had ruined that.
His dad had told him to stay away from Max but Kyle would be damned if he was going to. He didn't care what Max was into, he was going to get him back for breaking up his relationship with Liz. He made a detour to Max's table, "I'm onto you, Evans," he said, sure Max would get his meaning.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Max acted like Kyle’s words didn’t mean anything but as soon as he was able, he excused himself from Isabel and Michael and rushed upstairs to see Liz. "Kyle stole it," he blurted out, "Kyle stole your journal."
"No, Max,” Liz said. “Don't go Maria on me, okay? It's not stolen, it's just, it's misplaced."
"I'm onto you. Just now, he looked right at me and said, I'm onto you. It means he read your journal, Liz. It means he knows about me."
"No, Max," Liz denied. "It's not about the journal. It's about us, okay? Kyle thinks that you had something to do with our breaking up. And he's not a thief. You know, the journal has only been missing for one day. Kyle hasn't been in my house in over a week."
"And the Crashdown?" Max asked, his suspicions not laid to rest.
"No, not there either."
Max calmed down somewhat and looked around Liz's room. He noticed a CD on her table. "Good album," he said as he picked it up. Suddenly he had a vision. Kyle had been in her room, recently. He had left her the CD.
Max turned to Liz, "He was here."
"Who was here?" Liz asked, confused by the sudden topic changes.
"Kyle," Max said simply.
"No, Max. I told you Kyle hasn't been here for over a week."
"I saw him."
"You saw him," Liz repeated, still confused.
"I had a flash, Liz," he explained. "When things get intense, heightened, sometimes we feel things, see things. He was here, Liz."
Max wondered briefly if that was why Michael got a flash from the key in Valenti's office. Michael had been worked up since the shooting, and he had to have been especially nervous about breaking into the Sheriff's office. And Michael was especially attuned to anything that could lead them home.
Or maybe it was just another power Michael was manifesting. Michael the touch psychic, Max thought. That would not be good.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Missing)
(Wednesday, October 27th, 1999)
Kathleen met the two agents that Stephens sent to her, in a field outside of town. "I think Liz Parker's diary provides one of the most compelling leads I've ever encountered since I joined the unit."
"Wait a second." Agent Harris said. "I cut my vacation short for a diary?" But when he saw the look that Agent Topolsky gave him he backtracked, "Okay, sorry."
Kathleen continued with her explanation, "This is not just a diary, Agent. This is potential proof of alien contact. Not from a crackpot farmer or a drunk somewhere, but from a straight-A student. Treasurer of the Roswell science club."
"So, uh, any idea where this diary might be?"
Kathleen smiled, "I think I do. This is where we should get started. She's been having a problem with her boyfriend. His name is Kyle Valenti. The only problem, he is the son of the local Sheriff."
Agent Harris shook his head, "It won't be a problem."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Two Hours Later)
Agents Harris and Adams met Agent Topolsky in the same field.
"We didn't find the diary," started Agent Harris, "but we did find something of interest."
"And what was that?" asked Kathleen.
"Apparently we aren't the only one's who thought Kyle might have taken the diary. Liz Parker and Max Evans were at the Valenti house looking for it too."
Kathleen smiled, "Then they do have something to hide don't they?"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Missing)
(Thursday, October 28th, 1999)
(Hank’s Trailer)
Michael pulled Liz's diary out from underneath the false bottom in the drawer where he had hidden it. He had finished reading it the day he had taken it and put it in the drawer for safekeeping, but then promptly forgotten about it until Max had mentioned it.
When Michael had discovered Liz was keeping a diary, he had been angry that she would risk revealing their secrets. He had broken into her house the next morning when she was at school and taken the diary, but when he read it, he saw they had nothing to fear.
But he also had to admit to himself that there had been another reason he was so curious. He'd had a crush on Liz when they had been in elementary school. She was cute and smart, if not a little too serious, and part of him still admired her. But he'd never admitted it to anyone, even his best friend Max, because he'd known that Max had loved Liz even back then.
Michael knew he never had a chance with Liz for several reasons, the main one being his otherworldly status, but he still felt a tinge of jealously that she had fallen for Max, and he envied the connection they shared.
And when he had read her diary, he could see she would have never turned to him. The qualities she had fallen for in Max were exactly the same qualities Michael himself admired and he didn't think he would ever possess them.
Michael tucked the diary in his pocket and headed for the Crashdown, and his thoughts turned back to the day just over a month ago that had started this whole thing. His lingering admiration for Liz had made him hesitate when he could have stopped Max from healing her, but he didn't regret it. He had been scared at first, but Liz's acceptance of what they were, made him feel a little less like freak, and reading her feelings for Max made Michael feel it might be possible for someone to care for him that way.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - 285 South)
(Tuesday, November 9th, 1999)
Michael was frustrated that they had made so little progress about the mystery of the key. He had tried to get more information on James Atherton beyond what the book jacket had said but he couldn't find anything. There had to be something somewhere that would give him an idea to where the dome house was located. He paced around his room trying to think. Where would you go to find info on a UFO nut, as Max had called him?
UFO - Max. It suddenly clicked into place; the UFO museum. Max had told him that his boss kept all kinds of files, surely there was something on this Atherton guy. Michael glanced at his watch. It was after closing time. He shrugged, it might be better that no one else was around anyway.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - 285 South)
(Wednesday, November 10th, 1999)
(West Roswell High School)
Kathleen waited until all of the kids had left the classroom before she entered.
Mr. Sommers greeted her, "Thanks again for your suggestion. These, these questions are so insightful."
"My pleasure, Steve,” she purred. “As you know, I did my graduate thesis on the importance of oral history in psychology. So, did you pair up the students the way I suggested?" she asked innocently.
"Oh, yes, yes. It should prove quite interesting," he replied excitedly.
"Sometimes you end up with the most revealing details, just by putting the right people together."
Kathleen smiled as she walked down the hall toward her office. It had been very easy to persuade Steve Sommers to give the kids the assignment. He had a bit of a crush on her and she had used it to her advantage.
She had seen signs of strain in Max's group and she’d created the assignment not only hoping to gather information but also to try and cause more stress by pairing the more volatile people together. Kyle paired with Max; she shook her head to keep from laughing aloud. That had been the most inspired pairing. Anyone could see they were both interested in Liz and clearly Kyle blamed Max for his break up with Liz.
Yes, she thought to herself, now was the time to keep them under a constant surveillance. Something was bound to break soon and she would be there when it did.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Crashdown Café)
Liz watched as Max and Isabel walked out of the diner without saying a word. Something was going on and it involved Maria. Liz grabbed her bag and ran after them. She caught them just as they reached the Jeep. "What is going on here?"
"The less you know right now, the better," Max said, his main desire to protect Liz.
"Max, no!" Liz protested, she was not going to let him push her away again. "Not when Maria's involved."
"Maria?" he asked, wondering what she had to do with it.
"It would be her car with her in it," Isabel drawled, tired of the trouble Michael had been causing. "Going South on 285."
"We better hurry," Max said, as he climbed up into the Jeep. When he saw Liz about to climb in, his first reaction was to stop her, and keep her out of their mess. "Hey, no. You can't come."
Liz turned hurt eyes to him and Max didn’t know what he would have done but suddenly Kyle was there.
"Trouble in paradise?" Kyle sneered. "So soon?"
Kyle’s words angered Max. No one treated Liz that way. He spoke to her without taking his eyes off Kyle, "Get in."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
They left so quickly that they almost ran into the man who had been watching them.
Agent Jensen called Agent Topolsky. "I'm outside the Crashdown. Parker and the two Evans kids just left, in a hurry."
"Let's find out where they're going." Kathleen said.
"Yes ma'am."
Kathleen was thrilled. Finally it looked as if something were happening. She quickly typed an e-mail message.
Special Investigation Unit,
Code Name: West Roswell High...
Tension in the Ranks.
Waiting for them to slip up.
Will happen soon.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Agent Jensen looked at the flat tires on his car and then at the Jeep pulling away. Obviously he had not been as careful as he had thought. The kids had spotted him.
He pulled out his cell phone and called Agent Topolsky again. "They made me and I lost them but they are still headed south on 285."
"Understood Agent," she replied. "I am following a lead that will take me right to them. Let me know if anything else turns up." She turned off the phone and checked to make sure the Sheriff's cruiser was still in sight.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Max’s Jeep)
(Heading south on 285)
Liz was getting worried. She, Max and Isabel had been driving a long time without any sign of the Jetta. Liz didn't really know Michael, didn't know what he was capable of, and he had Maria. "It's getting so late. You know, maybe we should just call our parents."
"No," Max said automatically. They had always handled everything themselves. They had never even considered asking for help.
"They could help find them," Liz pressed.
Isabel could hear the worry in Liz's tone and she was worried herself. She and Liz had come to a bit of an understanding earlier and she felt that Liz only had their best interests at heart. "I hate to say this, but maybe she's right, Max. I mean, I never liked the idea of Michael going into this place without us checking it out first."
"No,” Max said stubbornly. “Nobody can know about this."
"Max, I'm really worried about Maria," Liz protested.
Isabel knew what her brother's tone meant, but she tried to reason with him. "I'm worried about Michael, and all you seem to care about is what's inside that dome, right?"
"I didn't say that," Max argued.
"You didn't have to!" Isabel said.
Max was frustrated. He had never really wanted to find out about their past, but now it was important. Now that Liz knew their secret it seemed as if all of his dreams were only a step away. "Isabel, we're close to something," he said, willing Isabel to understand.
Maybe finding out about their past wasn't as scary as it had always seemed. More and more Max believed that there was nothing out there for them. Because of Liz, he wanted to believe they were sent to Earth to make a life, and maybe they could find proof of that in Texas.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Kyle pulled up outside the motel where he saw Max's Jeep parked. A motel, he thought to himself, Liz was not that kind of girl. Maybe she didn't realize what she was getting into. Maybe she was in over her head. He had a chance to offer her a way out of this mess and if he did, she might turn to him again.
He walked down the row of doors trying to determine which room they were in, but the shouts coming from the open door ahead was a dead give-away. As Kyle approached, he was just able to make out the words,
they're gonna find out about us, and when they do, everybody in this room...
Intrigued, Kyle pushed the door open, but the talk stopped when the occupants spotted him.
"Kyle!" Liz gasped, obviously not expecting him.
"Everyone in this room is what?" Kyle asked.
"Get out," Michael snarled.
Kyle wasn't intimated by his bravado. "Why don't you go ahead and finish what you were saying? Or are you afraid that I'll find out what your little secret is? Are you afraid that I might find out what the hell you guys are doing out here? In the middle of nowhere, in the middle of the night?"
"I said get out!" Michael yelled, advancing on Kyle.
"Michael, don't," Max warned.
But in his rage, Michael pushed Kyle and sent an uncontrolled burst of power into him that pushed him across the room.
Kyle was a little surprised Michael had that much strength. "Who the hell are you guys?" He picked himself up off the floor. "What's going on here?" When he didn’t get an answer he turned to Liz. "And what are you doing here? I'm gonna get you out of here," he said as he grabbed her arm and started pulling her toward the door. "Come on."
At the sight of Kyle touching Liz, Max's possessive instincts surged forward and he tried to disengage Kyle's hand from Liz. "Leave her alone."
"Get off of me!" Kyle said, his temper rising.
Liz knew that a fight was just moments away. "Just stop it, both of you, okay? This has gotten so out of control!" She turned to Kyle, sorry for the words she had to speak, knowing it would cause him pain. "I am not your girlfriend anymore, Kyle."
Kyle shook his head. "Liz, I don't know what's going on here, and I don't care. I just want you to come back with me."
Liz took a deep breath. She wasn't getting through to him, she would have to be more plain. "You don't belong here, Kyle. This is none of your business."
Kyle was shocked. He thought Liz was just confused, that she would welcome a way out, but she had obviously made her decision. She was obviously with Max now. Kyle shook his head, "I don't know, I don't know what I ever saw in you."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - 285 South)
(Thursday, November 11th, 1999)
(Atherton’s House)
Kathleen silently followed Sheriff Valenti into the geodesic dome. Obviously he was following in his father's footsteps investigating aliens, but she couldn't let him get to any information the kids uncovered. And he was already too close.
She waited until his back was turned and delivered a surgical hit to the head that she knew would render him unconscious. Then she turned to examine the room. The kids had obviously come in and then disappeared.
There had to be a secret room somewhere. She spotted the keyhole on the wall almost immediately and quickly used a lock pick, causing the trap door to spring up from the floor. As she opened the door wider, she could hear scuffling coming from the room below; the kids had obviously heard her.
She ran down the stairs into the small room and followed the sounds to a pipe where the kids had escaped. Scrambling through the pipe, she emerged into daylight just in time to see the Jeep disappearing in a cloud of dust.
Kathleen slammed her hand on the pipe in frustration. She had been so close.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - River Dog)
(Thursday, November 11th, 1999)
(Washington, DC)
Agent Stephens slumped into his chair. He had been followed to work again this morning. Obviously he was on Pierce's list, and people on that list had a habit of disappearing, or worse. The case in Roswell was not proceeding as quickly as Pierce had wanted and Topolsky's latest report left a lot to be desired.
Stephens grabbed the phone and called Topolsky. He listened as once again she related the events of last night.
"Things are very much under control, Sir."
Stephens grabbed his head in disbelief. "Agent Topolsky, do you understand the assignment that was given to you?"
"Yes, sir, I do," she said confidently.
He practically groaned aloud, "Repeat it."
"I'm sorry?"
"Your assignment," he said, his patience wearing thin. "Repeat it to me."
"The assignment is to observe the subjects and determine whether or not the theories about them are substantiated."
"You're forgetting something, Agent. The word covertly. To covertly observe the subjects to determine whether or not the theories about them are substantiated. Covertly!"
"I've been acting covertly," Kathleen assured him.
"Drop-kicking the Sheriff. You call that covert?"
"The Sheriff was endangering my operation," Kathleen said.
"Your operation?" Stephen roared.
"Our operation," Kathleen quickly corrected.
"Wrong again, Agent. Not your operation. Not our operation. My operation! Mine!" Stephens put his hand to his throat. "I think I have a piece of my bagel permanently lodged in my esophagus."
He needed to show Pierce that he was making progress on this case to get himself out of this mess. He was the one who would get the credit if it went right and the axe if it went bad. He took a deep breath, "New orders, Agent Topolsky. See if you can follow them this time. Whatever those kids took from that house, I want it. Get it. Whatever those kids are doing right now, I want to know about it. Do you understand, Agent Topolsky?"
"I understand."
"By any means necessary, Agent."
"Yes, sir."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Pierce waited until they hung up, before speaking to the man seated across from him. "Do you see what I mean? Stephens is running a circus down there. I want you to send two of your best men to the Evans house this morning and get what the kids recovered from Texas. I am afraid that Stephens and Topolsky will screw it up, again."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - River Dog)
(Friday, November 12th, 1999)
(Mesiliko Reservation)
River Dog watched from the trees as the dark-haired girl Liz, drove away. When the lights of the car disappeared into the night, he turned and headed toward the cave where it had all begun. It had been more than thirty years since Nasedo had left, and in that time River Dog had only returned to the cave once. He had known Nasedo was a visitor from another world but he had never been frightened of him until he had witnessed what Nasedo had done to Atherton.
River Dog had often wondered why Nasedo killed the man but he had been too afraid at the time to ask. Finally he had come to the conclusion that Nasedo's people just didn’t have the same respect for life that his people did. They killed without conscience, without remorse.
After all of these years he had hoped no one would come and that would be the end, but now this girl had come forward. He reached the entrance to the cave and after lighting a torch, ventured inside and down the corridor into the chamber Nasedo had used. Glancing around briefly, he noted that it appeared the same as the last time he had been there. He moved the torch close to the writing on the rocky wall, illuminating it. The message was still intact, he noticed with disappointment. He would have to keep his promise to Nasedo.
At first he had worked to keep the village children away from the cave, fearing for their safety, but as the years had passed he eased his watchfulness, hoping the writing on the cave would be destroyed, and there would be nothing for another visitor to find.
He thought about Liz and wondered if she were a visitor as well. She had seemed like a scared kid but he knew appearances could be deceiving. He would send his nephew Eddie into town to invite the girl to the cave. He would have to test her as Nasedo had instructed and if she passed, his promise would be fulfilled and he would finally be free.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Monday, November 15th, 1999)
(Washington, DC)
Pierce shoved the file away from him. They were the last in the box the kids had taken from Atherton's house but there was nothing useful in any of them. Reading the journals and files it was easy to see that Atherton had been unbalanced. He had gone looking for survivors from the '47 crash to prove his outrageous theories and had maintained his views about the inferiority of their intellect until the end when the notes just ended. Pierce shook his head. More than likely Atherton's beliefs had caused his death.
How could Atherton believe a race capable of constructing a ship able to reach Earth could possess the limitations he had written about? The guy was truly a nut.
Among the delusional rantings however there had been a very carefully kept journal about Atherton’s discovery of a drifter he had found living in a cave just outside the Mescalero reservation. If Atherton were to be believed, this man was an alien that survived the crash. Most people would have dismissed his theory as more fantasy but Pierce knew from the Special Unit's records that it was likely. The dates of the time the man lived in the cave matched the time that the alien had escaped from Eagle Rock Military Base.
Pierce had carefully combed through every paper but there was nothing that would lead him to the alien's current location or even a description. The only thing he had learned was the name the alien had used forty years ago. Nasedo.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Blood Brothers)
(Thursday, November 17th, 1999)
Kathleen dialed Agent Moss.
"Hello?" he answered.
"Get to the hospital," Kathleen ordered. "Now. We might have an opportunity."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Roswell Memorial Hospital)
Isabel smiled briefly as Nurse Susan left Max’s beside. It always surprised her Michael could turn on so much charm when he wanted to.
Michael turned back to them, "I'll get the blood."
"They can't get that blood," Isabel voiced her fear aloud, trying to figure a way out of this mess.
Liz turned to Isabel, "So I don't get it. What have you guys done before?"
"Nothing like this has ever happened before," Isabel said simply.
"But what about when you guys get sick?" Liz persisted.
"We don't get sick," Isabel answered distractedly, her mind still on their immediate problem.
She or Michael could change the composition of the blood to make it look human, well, she conceded, Max could if he were conscious. She and Michael didn't have the exacting control the change would take, somehow Max's gifts were more attuned toward healing and physiological manipulations. She and Michael could both heal simple things but the more difficult and delicate healing was much easier for Max. If she or Michael messed up changing the blood it could look like Max had all kinds of things wrong with him and the doctors would take more blood. She sighed with exasperation, they had to do something quickly.
Suddenly an answer came to her and Isabel turned to Liz. "We need blood. We'll take some of yours and replace Max's with it."
Liz shook her head, "It can't be mine. They can tell male from female blood."
"Then we need to find a guy."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Liz glanced at Alex who was waiting patiently for an explanation. He trusted her and she had to let him down. Even if she were able to tell him the truth, she didn't know if she wanted to drag another person into their mess. She felt the regret well up within her. Alex was already involved, even though he didn't know it. She had used him, trading on his trust but she didn't feel as if she'd had any other choice. She would do anything to save Max. She sighed inwardly, there was no point in putting off the inevitable, "Alex, maybe you should go home."
Alex was dumbfounded. "Liz, what I just did I could get arrested for. And that's all you have to say to me?" He looked toward Maria, "Any of you?"
"Alex..." Liz started, attempting to come up with an explanation, but she was cut off by Michael.
"She said go home," he barked.
"Great new friends you've made, Liz," snapped Alex.
Liz watched for a second as Alex started to leave but she couldn't just let him go, and hurried after him. "Alex, wait..."
"I've been waiting, Liz," Alex cut her off angrily, "And apparently I'm not going to get an explanation."
Liz didn't know what to say. "It's complicated, okay?"
"No, no. It's not okay, Liz. None of this is okay."
Liz tried to explain. "Alex, look, you've gotta trust me."
Alex shook his head. "What is it?" he asked, and then the truth of the situation suddenly came to him. "Drugs? Is that what this is?" He knew he was right. What else would they have needed his blood to cover up? He was getting angrier with each word, imagining what could have happened to Liz, and she was still trying to protect Max. "You and Max go out for a drive. He gets wasted, almost kills you both. That's what I'm covering for, isn't it?"
"Alex," Liz started but Alex's words silenced her again.
Alex was warming to his topic as he continued, "You can't use Michael's blood because he's just as high." He was disgusted with himself for saying these things to Liz but she had used him and he felt betrayed and hurt. "So who do you call? You call on your buddy Alex. Stupid, straight Alex who does everything you say cuz he's such a loyal friend that you lie to and you use whenever you can."
"It's not true," Liz whispered.
Alex could see the pain in her eyes and felt a small sense of satisfaction, he had gotten through to her, hurt her. He could see his old friend looking through her eyes again. He took a breath, "Then tell me the truth, Liz. For once."
Liz wanted desperately to tell Alex the truth but there was nothing she could say without risking Max. There was no choice, she knew what she had to do. "You're right,” she said softly. “It's drugs."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Kathleen watched as Agent Moss walked away. He said that he thought the kids had switched blood samples in the hospital and if they had used Alex's blood, it would be easy enough to find out. She pulled out her cell phone and dialed her friend in the FBI lab.
"Kelso," said the voice that answered the phone.
"Jeanie, it's Kathleen."
"Kathleen, how have you been? It's been a while."
"Yes, sorry. I have been kinda busy but actually that's why I called. I need a drug, easy to administer and it would cause a nosebleed quickly."
"Right to the point. That's what I like about you," Jeanie said with a laugh. "And I happen to know just the thing you want."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Blood Brothers)
(Thursday, November 18th, 1999)
(West Roswell High School)
As she talked with Max, all Liz could think of was that she had almost lost him. And it hadn't been because a spaceship had come or because the government had discovered him, it had been because of a stupid accident. It made her realize Max could be taken from her at any time.
And she couldn't hold her feelings inside any longer, she had to let him know. "When I saw you in that car, I thought you were..." she let her words trail off not even able to speak her thoughts. "It was like I couldn't breathe, you know?"
Max knew exactly what she meant because he had felt the same thing that day in the Crashdown when he had realized she had been shot. But being around him was more dangerous than ever and he steered the conversation in another direction, "I never got a chance to thank you for what you did at the hospital."
"It was Alex who did it," Liz reminded him. "He really came through. He always does." She didn't think she was convincing Max but she had to try. "Max?" she asked, her single word conveying her meaning.
Max knew how badly Liz wanted to tell Alex but they just couldn't take the chance. "We can't tell him."
"I know," Liz said, trying to hide her disappointment.
"But we have to tell him something," Max said.
"You mean lie," Liz stated blandly.
"Isabel saw him talking with Kyle today," Max said, trying to make her see why they couldn't trust anyone else.
Liz wasn't listening to his reasons though, she could only think of Alex and how much his friendship meant to her. "He saved your life, Max."
"Look, I know it's hard, but..."
Liz stopped him before he could finish his sentence. She knew why they couldn't tell Alex and she didn't need Max to tell her again. "I already told him that it was drugs, at the hospital."
"Did he believe you?" Max asked softly, knowing what it had cost her to lie to her friend.
"I think so," Liz said sadly.
Once again Max could see how his being involved with Liz was ruining her life. "Liz, I am so sorry.
"I guess these are the things you do when…" Liz paused, not sure if she should press the point when Max so obviously did not want to talk about it. But a sudden image of him in the hospital made her continue, "When you feel a certain way about someone."
"I guess," said Max.
He waited until she had disappeared into the classroom before turning to walk to his own class. He had never imagined that Liz would have to go to such lengths to keep his secret. It had seemed so simple at first, but the more deeply involved they became, the more he was hurting her. He wanted so desperately to be with her but he had to keep reminding himself of what could happen to her.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Blood Brothers)
(Friday, November 19th, 1999)
(Crashdown Cafe)
"Thanks for coming," Liz greeted Alex, glad that he still believed in her enough to come.
"I've met you here a thousand times, but it just doesn't feel the same," he said wistfully. He could feel his world changing around him and he was afraid of what it was turning into. "You know?"
"Yeah, I know, Alex. You've been my friend since Ms. Elmer's class in the fifth grade."
"No, no, no," he corrected her. "We actually met in fourth, but you didn't notice me till fifth."
"Yes," Liz agreed, "and I've come to you with every problem I've ever had."
"Until now," he said, the reality of the situation pressing in on him again.
"No, even now," Liz asserted. "What happened at that hospital with Max, that was like the most important thing I ever had to do in my life. And I called you." She paused looking for the right words. "Alex, this is the hardest thing I have ever asked anyone to do. Look, I need you. I need you to believe in me, even though I can't, I can't tell you what you want to know."
"Because of Max," Alex said.
"No, forget Max, Alex," Liz insisted. "This is between us. Look, I told you before this was complicated. Well, maybe it's not. There is a right side, and there is a wrong side. And if you choose the wrong side right now, Alex, something really terrible is going to happen, to all of us. I am begging you, Alex, if five years of friendship have meant anything to you, please trust me. I swear to you, I am on the right side."
Alex studied Liz's face, he could tell she was scared. Maybe she was scared of being exposed or maybe she was scared of Max being exposed, but she was scared, and he couldn't stand to see her like that. Maybe after this was over he could convince her to tell the truth, but she was his friend and he had to help her now. "What do you want me to do?"
"Ms. Topolsky isn't who she says she is."
"What do you mean?" Alex asked skeptically.
"We don't really know, but I am hoping you can help us find out. I thought I could keep her distracted while you snooped around her computer."
Alex nodded, his mind already made up. "What are we waiting for?"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(West Roswell High School)
Kathleen hung up the phone with a smile of satisfaction. The blood they had recovered from the hospital matched the sample she had gotten from Alex. The kids had substituted Alex's blood for Max's. This was her first big break and she would use it to her advantage.
She reached for the phone and buzzed her secretary, "Find Alex Whitman and ask him to come to my office."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Alex turned to Liz after Ms. Topolsky had left. This had not turned out at all like he had expected. The FBI? What had Liz gotten mixed up in? "Okay. All right. You are going to tell me exactly what has been going on with Max and Topolsky and the actual FBI or I swear Liz, this is the end of you and me being friends."
"No Alex, don't say things..."
Alex cut her off, "What? Something that I won't go through with? Liz, I'm not kidding, all right?" He had made the threat, hoping to shock her enough to see what she was doing, but he realized he had to be prepared to go through with it. "Now either you tell me the truth, or I walk."
Liz was dumbfounded. She couldn't believe it had come to this, a choice between one of her best friends and Max. If only she could tell Alex the truth, everything would be okay again, but she had to keep Max's secret. She opened her mouth and had to force out the words that would end their friendship. "Alex, I can't."
Liz felt the tears welling in her eyes as Alex walked away from her.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Kathleen went straight to her rented house and placed a call to Agent Stephens. "I have been exposed by Liz Parker and Alex Whitman. They hacked into my e-mail. What are your orders?"
"Damn it," Stephens swore. They had lost their advantage and Pierce wasn't going to like it. Stephens knew he would have to do his best to place all of the blame on Kathleen or he was finished. "Return to Washington on the next flight Agent Topolsky and I want a full, very detailed, written report."
Stephens hung up and then dialed Pierce immediately to fill him in. "Agent Topolsky was careless enough to get herself exposed. I have ordered her back to Washington to answer for her actions."
Pierce's voice was deadly quiet when he answered. "Yes. We must make sure that everyone gets what they deserve. Bring her here immediately when she arrives."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Heat Wave)
(Thursday, December 2nd, 1999)
(West Roswell High School)
Isabel looked at Liz sitting on the grass beside her. She had been so worried when Max had told Liz their secret, but Liz had come through for them time after time, and Isabel had to admit to herself it was nice to have a girlfriend who she could talk to. She knew that Liz was hurting because of the situation with Alex, but they had to find out what he was going to do.
"So, what's going on with your little friend Alex?" Isabel asked.
"Yeah," Liz said softly, wishing she knew what was going on with Alex. "He's pretty upset."
"Well, you've known him forever,” Isabel pushed. “What's the bottom line? Is he gonna cave?"
"I don't know,” Liz admitted. “I kinda wish I knew what was going on inside of him."
"I'll look into it," Isabel said mysteriously.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
It's December 2nd, 1999.
I'm Liz Parker.
And this heat wave has made everyone crazy.
Heat expands, melts, makes things boil, sets things on fire. And seeing the effect of this heat all around me just pointed out in this really blatant way how my life wasn't expanding.
That I was stuck.
Liz closed her journal with a sigh, thinking over the events of the last couple of days. When she had seen Michael and Maria together at the Crashdown, and everybody at school getting together, it had just reinforced the fact that she was not with Max. He had been keeping her at arms length since the accident and it was driving her crazy. She had hoped it would bring them closer.
Yesterday she had subtly introduced the party at the old soap factory into their conversation, hoping that Max would suggest they go together, but apparently she had been too subtle because he hadn't gotten the point. She had been trying to coax Max into a relationship for weeks but maybe subtlety wasn't the best approach. Maybe Max needed to be hit over the head with a sledge hammer, maybe she should make the first move. Liz determined that the next time she saw him, she would just tell him how she felt.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Heat Wave)
(Friday, December 3rd, 1999)
(The Evans House)
As Max dressed for the party he remembered his earlier conversation with Liz. She had said it wasn’t just his decision for them to be together and she was right. He had been trying to protect her but she knew the risks as well, and she chose to take a chance. He had never been good at taking chances but he was willing to try if it meant being with Liz.
He could still see her as they had sat together over the tray of slugs in the Biology classroom. Perhaps it wasn't the most romantic situation but it had been pure magic for him because Liz had told him she wanted to be with him. After all that had happened to her because of knowing him, she still wanted to be with him. He had been so happy and he would have kissed her there, but then they had been interrupted.
But tonight he would make sure they had a chance to be alone.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Roswell Sheriff’s Station)
Max and Isabel watched from the Jeep as the kids were released from the jail.
Isabel looked for their friends but they were not among the others. "He let everybody else go except Liz and Alex. We are so screwed."
"It's going to be okay," Max said. Somehow he knew that Liz would come through for them again. She would convince Alex not to talk.
"We should have told him," Isabel said sadly.
"What?" Max asked, not sure he understood. His sister wanted to tell someone?
"Alex. We should have told him about us," she explained. "I, I know this sounds crazy Max, but I feel something about him. Like, he's okay. Like, we'd be better off including him."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Liz looked at Alex through the bars of the cell and knew it was do or die time. Alex had not listened to any of her explanations and now the Sheriff was trying to scare him into talking. She was out of time.
"Alex. Max and Michael and Isabel, they are different from us. They're different from us in a way that, if the wrong people found out, they would be in a lot of trouble."
"I know the whole drugs thing is a load of crap, Liz. I mean, why would the FBI be so interested in three kids into drugs?"
"No, Alex, listen to me,” Liz insisted. “This doesn't have anything to do with drugs. Alex. Max, Michael, and Isabel," she paused trying to figure out how to tell him, "they aren't from around here."
"Where are they from?" Alex asked suspiciously.
Liz was at a loss for words and finally remembered how Max had told her. She raised her hand and pointed up.
"What? Like, Wyoming?" Alex asked.
It was obvious he wasn’t understanding her and she raised her hand higher.
"Oh," Alex said, thinking he had finally gotten it. "Okay. Fine, Canada. They're Canucks, so what. You're saying the FBI is all over them because they're like, illegal aliens?"
Liz grabbed onto his word, "Yeah, sort of. Listen, Alex. They're from somewhere else."
"Liz, what are you talking about?"
"God, there isn't any way for me to say this, but to just, to just say this, okay?" She took a deep breath, "Look Alex, they think they were in the 1947 crash, okay? They were like in these incubation pods for a really long time. Like 40 years, and they came out in like the form of humans, and now all of these people suspect them."
Liz could feel the tears gathering in her eyes but she ignored them and continued. "That's why Topolsky's here, and that's why Valenti arrested us, and that's why we're here because he knows that I'm involved. And I'm really sorry, Alex, but you're involved, too.
Alex could see Liz's tears and hear the anguish in her voice, she was really scared. "Liz, are you okay?"
"Alex you don't even understand. The past few months have been like absolute torture lying to you. I will never, ever lie to you again. I promise."
Alex smiled. He didn't know exactly what Liz had been through but it was obvious she believed what she was telling him. She was scared for Max's life and that was why she had lied to him. He would help her keep her secret until he got to the bottom of this.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Heat Wave)
(Saturday, December 4th, 1999)
Alex had spent a sleepless night trying to decide what to believe. If he had heard the story from Maria, he would have taken it with a grain of salt. She tended to be excitable and see things that weren't there, but it had been Liz. For as long as he had known her, Liz had been very levelheaded. He couldn't even conceive of a situation that would convince her aliens existed.
It was now noon and he was on his way to talk to Maria and Liz. He and Liz had agreed to get together today at her place and she and Maria would tell him the whole story.
He paused outside Liz's door and took a deep breath. He knew there were no aliens but Liz seemed convinced that was exactly what Max, Michael and Isabel were.
His knock was answered immediately and he was pulled into a group hug.
"Alex," Maria practically squealed with delight, "I am so glad you finally know."
"Yeah," he said, feeling a bit dazed, "me too."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Liz sat on her balcony with a feeling of contentment. Alex knew their secret and he was their friend again. She wasn't sure if he believed them, he had still seemed skeptical when he left but at least he trusted them again.
Liz looked down at the journal that lay in her lap and her thoughts turned to Max. She had wanted to be with him so badly, still wanted to be with him, but it was probably for the best that they hadn't given in to their feelings. She knew if they had kissed, she would never have wanted to let him go.
She opened her journal to the next clean page and began writing.
The heat wave finally broke and I'm probably the only person in Roswell who didn't benefit from it. But it's for the best. Because if Max Evans and I had given in to temptation, if we had kissed each other even once, it would have taken us somewhere we both know we never should have gone.
Yes, she repeated to herself, both she and Max knew logically that they weren't meant to be together but they both still wanted it. She would make sure they didn't give in to the temptation. It would have to be enough for them both to be friends. She would have to be strong for both of them when she saw him again.
"Liz, are you there?"
Her thoughts were interrupted by a familiar voice that sent a surge of electric awareness through her and she let her journal slip from her fingers, along with her intentions, as she rushed to meet the man she loved.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Balance)
(Friday, December 10th, 1999)
(The Evans House - Max's Room)
Michael waited until Max left the room before he spoke to Isabel. "Do you ever wonder what else he tells Liz that he doesn't tell us?"
"Oh, please," Isabel sighed, irritated to be put in the middle again. "You're one to talk. What have you been whispering in Maria's ear lately?"
"At least I'm smart enough not to get attached. I can walk away from anybody if I have to."
"What is that supposed to mean?" Isabel asked, the hurt evident in her voice. Obviously Michael included her and Max in anybody.
"It means I'm not gonna let Max's mistakes keep me from finding out what I need to know."
"Oh, Michael, you promised," Isabel reminded him.
"I promise I'll be as trustworthy as Max."
He left the Evans’ house and walked to the highway. As a car approached, he held out his thumb.
After a few tries a truck stopped and the driver poked his head out the window, "Where to kid?"
"The reservation," Michael grunted.
The driver pushed open the passenger side door, "Hop in."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Parker House)
Maria wouldn't accept Liz's reticence when it came to her relationship with Max. "Who wants to go first?" she pressed but when Liz remained silent she continued. "Fine, I'll start. It was," she paused looking for the right word, "explosive."
"Yeah," Liz sighed, starting to get into the spirit of the girl talk. "Um, that's a really good word."
"Right? It was like every cell in my body found the same cell in his and started heating up."
"And I got really dizzy,” Liz said. “Did you get dizzy?"
Maria smiled, "I get dizzy just thinking about it."
"Okay," Liz started, "you know like all of that time that I spent with Kyle. I didn't have any of those feelings that I did when I was with Max. What about you?"
"I don't think so,” Maria said. “And besides, I've come to the conclusion that it can never happen. I mean, human-alien relationships are bound to be disasters. Just don't think that you can enter into something with Max and expect not to get hurt in the end of it. I mean, me? I'm Teflon, babe. Michael starts acting like a total loser, I just walk away. But you and Max, ah, you guys have got that whole, look-into-my-eyes soul mate thing."
"Um, yeah," Liz stuttered, wondering if her feelings for Max were that obvious to everyone. Liz knew she and Max were not supposed to be together, but somehow she felt as if it would all be okay. "You know, this, this whole thing is just..." Liz wasn't sure how to explain her feelings, "it's gonna work out. We just have to be prepared for anything that comes our way."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Balance)
(Saturday, December 11th, 1999)
(Mesiliko Reservation)
As they waited for River Dog to return, Liz listened to Max tell her about first seeing Michael. Max was scared and she could tell that talking helped keep his mind off what was happening to his friend.
"You all right?" Max asked, sensing her sadness.
"Uh, yeah, it..." she paused not wanting him to know the real reason for her sorrow. "It's just kinda sad, you know?" she quickly covered. "Thinking of being separated like that."
But she needn't have bothered, Max knew exactly what she was really thinking. "You're wondering if it could happen to me, aren't you? If I could get sick like Michael."
"No," Liz denied too quickly.
But Max continued as if she hadn't spoken. "I've been thinking about it a lot too. Whether this is just our life cycle and maybe this is how we die."
"Max it's, come on, it's not..." she trailed off, not knowing how to reassure him. Max, Michael and Isabel knew so little about themselves, it must be frightening.
"I can understand if you have doubts," he said, giving her a way out even though it was killing him. "About us, I mean, second thoughts. Because committing to someone is hard enough without having to wonder, if they're even gonna be here tomorrow."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Nasedo’s Cave)
The bowl was passed and each of the friends took a drink to bind them together. Max watched Liz as she hesitated over the drinking from the bowl. He knew she was thinking of their earlier conversation. She was worried about him.
River Dog noticed her fear too. "You're afraid. Not of the healing, your fear runs deeper." He followed her gaze across the circle to Max. Their connection was strong, he could feel it, but her concern for Max was causing her to worry. "You fear for someone else, someone you care for a great deal. Take a step back. You cannot stop the flow."
"I'm sorry," Liz said to Max, seeing the disappointment on his face.
Max realized that Liz thought he was disappointed with her, when the truth was he was disappointed with himself. Once again he had led Liz into a dangerous situation and he was glad she wasn't risking herself, and silently sent her his reassurance.
River Dog could see the blonde girl Maria, was worried that her friend had not joined the ceremony and he spoke to her soothingly. "She'll find her own path. You take yours."
The friends joined in the chant, closing their eyes, and each of them found themselves in the desert-scape of Michael's mind.
Max walked toward Michael but even as he was trying to help his friend, his mind turned to Liz. And he cursed himself for selfishly wanting her there.
Liz closed her eyes with the others. She felt so useless but she silently sent Michael all of her love and support. After a moment she started to feel strange as if someone was staring at her across a room. Slowly the feeling solidified, Max needed her, was calling for her and she desperately wanted to go to him but she didn't know how. A bright light blinded her for a moment but her eyes quickly adjusted and she found herself in a desert with the others.
Suddenly Max's attention was captured by a movement across the circle. Liz was there. Even though she had not partaken of the water or joined the chant, even though she had stepped out of the circle, somehow she was there. No, he corrected himself, he had summoned her there. Max held her gaze for a moment, her presence reassuring him and then he turned his attention back to Michael.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
As the darkness gathered, Kaldar stealthily approached the cave where Sodan used to live. Occasionally he was compelled to check the cave to see if his comrade had returned, and this evening he had felt an overwhelming urge to go.
He settled into the trees intending to wait until it was full dark and then check the cave, but he had only waited a few minutes before several people emerged from the dark opening. He faded back into the protection of the trees as he watched the seven people.
Kaldar searched each face, carefully trying to determine if one of them was Sodan. There were two young women accompanied by a young man and an older native-american man, but none of them were familiar. Next came two more young men and another young woman. The last young woman caught his attention. Something about her was vaguely familiar but before he could determine what it was, his eyes wandered over the face of the young man at her side.
Kaldar crept forward, not believing his eyes. He was positive the young man before him was his master, and it chased everything else from his mind. Even if the young man before him hadn't been an obviously younger version of the DNA donor, there was something about him that Kaldar knew he would have recognized. After all of these years of searching, he had finally found his master.
He carefully followed the young people and the older man at a distance, until they reached a small red car and a Jeep. The young people appeared to thank the older man and then they separated into the two cars.
Kaldar had left his truck in the desert by the pod chamber and he looked around desperately for transportation, but there was none. He had just found his master and now it appeared as if he might lose him again. His master climbed into the Jeep with a young man and woman and Kaldar concentrated on them, quickly scanning and memorizing the appearance of the license plate and the Jeep and three teenagers inside. As they drove out of the reservation, he followed as quickly as he could, using bursts of speed to keep them in sight so he could see which way they went when they reached the highway.
He was exhausted when they reached the main road fifteen minutes later, but Kaldar thought it was worth it. He had the makes and models of the cars and faces to search for, and he also knew where to start looking. They had turned toward Roswell.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
When Liz arrived home, she immediately reached for her journal and climbed out onto the balcony.
I've always been the one who comes through in the time of crisis. I do what's necessary, and I don't panic. But seeing Michael so sick and having no way of knowing what was wrong or how to help made me scared. Scared that one day something could happen to Max and I wouldn't know how to help this person who means so much to me, who means everything.
Max arrived in the alley beneath Liz's balcony and paused at the bottom of the ladder. He had allowed himself to live the dream of being with Liz long enough. The events of the last few days had only proven to him that he could not allow himself the luxury of being with her. She was all he thought about, even when Michael had been in trouble, and he couldn't let himself be distracted.
It seemed so perfect when they were together, like they had been made for one another, like it was meant to be. But he knew that no matter how much they wanted it, no matter how right it felt, it was only an illusion. They were from two different planets. How could their love be destined?
He climbed the ladder, more determined than ever to do what he had to do. When he reached the top, he saw Liz writing in her journal. "Is this a bad time?"
"No, it's not." Liz greeted him warmly, "Hi."
Max fought to stay detached, "I just wanted to see how you were doing."
"I'm fine," Liz said. She could tell something was bothering Max and sought a safe subject. "Yeah, um, how's Michael?"
"Same as ever," Max said, looking for a way to broach the subject he had really come to discuss.
"That's really good."
"But I'm not, Liz."
"What do you mean?" asked Liz, suddenly concerned.
"I mean, one day it will be me, and I can't keep pretending that I'm normal."
"Max, look, you know, I didn't, I didn't mean to have doubts. I didn't mean to let you down in the cave."
Max let her believe her misconception, it might make it easier for him. "I don't blame you. You had every right to feel that way, because what you felt is true." He spoke the words that were breaking his heart, "We don't belong together."
"Don't say that," Liz said breathily, feeling faint.
Max tried to explain his feelings to her. "The other night, you know, when we went out and the whole day before, ever since we kissed, I've been off balance. You made me forget that anything else existed, but that's not real."
Liz couldn't believe he was denying the magic that had happened between them. "It is the only real thing that I've ever felt."
Max acknowledged her words silently, he felt that way too. But he continued aloud, "Sometimes you have to take a step back to see what's really going on. Maybe that's what we both really need to do right now. Find our balance again."
"You know, Max, I thought that, I thought that we'd found it," Liz argued, trying to make him remember what had happened between them.
"You don't know how much I wish that could be true," he said sadly.
"Max," Liz continued recklessly, "how is it possible that I could be," she stuttered, afraid that she was really losing Max, "I could be the happiest that I've ever been in my entire life, you know, and now the saddest all at, all at one time?"
"I think that's what being in love is," Max said knowingly, because he felt the same way.
"Yeah, I think so, too."
"So we'll just take a step back," Max said, "for a while."
"Well, uh, you know, if that's what, if that's what you want, I..." Liz trailed off, not even knowing what she was saying. She was trying to stall for time, to stop him from leaving until she could think of an argument that would make him stay.
"It's what I need,” Max said, “cuz I'm just as scared as you are."
Liz watched as Max started to climb down the ladder but she couldn't stand the thought that he was leaving her. "No, wait Max." She took his face in her hands and touched her lips to his, pouring all of her longing and love into the kiss. She could feel Max's response momentarily and then his stubbornness took over and he shut down his feelings. Liz felt desperation start to overwhelm her as his lips remained motionless and she pulled away. "I just wanted to remember."
"Good-bye, Liz," Max said softly, feeling as if he were ripping out his own heart. He took one last look at Liz and then climbed down the ladder.
Liz didn't regain her voice until Max had disappeared over the edge of the balcony. "Good-bye, Max."
She looked up to the stars, silently asking them why they had brought her and Max together only to tear them apart. But the stars remained silent, their only answer a twinkling constellation and the planet Venus moving into position to create a perfectly shaped V.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Kaldar finally reached his home near the pod chamber. It had taken over two hours for him to get there because he had needed to stop and rest several times. He wanted to go to Roswell to start his search but he had to recover and gather his strength. Now that he knew where to start it shouldn't take long to find them.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Thursday, December 23rd, 1999)
Liz turned the pocketknife over in her hands. She had purchased it to give to Max for Christmas just two weeks before, and then he had broken up with her. Over a month ago she had heard Max tell Michael that he had lost his pocketknife and she had bought one to replace it.
The engraving had been an impulse. She rubbed her fingers over the letters carved into the surface. It was a childish sentiment but she thought Max would be amused by the play on words.
Max and Liz 4 ever
Now that they were not officially together, the gift seemed inappropriate. Liz had chosen it because she wanted to give Max something that would remind him of her. She sighed. They were still friends. Maybe she should just give him the gift and explain about the engraving. Max would understand.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Saturday, December 25th, 1999)
(Christmas)
(The Evans House)
Max put the box containing the pocketknife Liz had given him into the top drawer of his dresser next to a small, red velvet box. He took out the knife and smoothed his fingers gently over the words engraved on it. Liz had explained the circumstances surrounding the gift and he had agreed with her there was no reason to be embarrassed.
Liz had suggested he could use his powers to remove the engraved message, just smooth it over as if it never existed, but he wouldn't. This small gift Liz had given him would be the only physical reminder of the few wonderful weeks they had spent together, the few weeks he had been normal and perfectly happy.
He placed the knife back into its box and reached for the red velvet box, carefully opening the lid. He took out the shining silver chain and laid the box aside. The cool metal of the chain slid through his fingers, its gossamer texture and shining length reminding him of Liz's beautiful, dark hair. His fingers glided over the chain's surface until they reached the three charms; two hearts bearing the names Max and Liz, on either side of a star.
He had also bought a gift before he had broken with Liz. He had intended to give the chain to her for Christmas but unlike Liz, he had been too afraid to go through with it. The chain and charms seemed too romantic and he didn't want to give her the wrong impression.
So he had put the chain in his drawer and bought a safer gift to give her, a pen. It was a nice, heavyweight pen, which would write at any angle, he had once seen Liz admiring. He thought it would be perfect for her to use in her journal.
Max placed the chain back in the box and carefully arranged it, before closing the lid. It was foolish to keep it as a memento because it had never actually belonged to Liz, but he would keep it. He replaced the velvet box into the drawer next to the box containing the pocketknife. It was appropriate to keep them together, he thought, the chain and the knife, a double reminder. They would remind him that he had dared to be normal, dared to reach for his dream, dared to tempt fate, and what it had cost him.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Monday, December 27th, 1999)
Kaldar slowed his truck as he approached Goddard High School. Many times in the last ten years he had checked the schools in the nearby towns in New Mexico looking for his lost charges. When he didn't find them in the first couple of years he had started to despair that he would never see them again. Children changed in appearance so quickly and he wasn't quite sure what they would look like. He knew they would resemble their DNA donors but all of the donors, except the one that had been used for his master, had been so much older, he didn't know if he would recognize them if he did see them.
Then he had seen them at Sodan’s cave. Even though he had not immediately recognized Vilondra, he had felt that there was something familiar about her. It was almost as if he could sense the alien-ness about her the same way he could recognize his fellow shape shifters even in disguise. Then he had seen his master and even though he had remembered the outer form of the DNA donor, he felt he would have known him anyway.
Kaldar pulled the truck into the parking lot and stopped immediately in surprise. He had assumed that he could simply search the parking lot for the cars he had seen the kids use, but the lot was empty. Kaldar looked at his watch; it was Monday morning, typically a school day but there was no one at the school.
He put the truck into gear and made a U-turn into a convenience store across the street. He entered the store and grabbed a few packs of Tic-Tacs before approaching the counter. He motioned to the school across the street with a jerk of his head. "School not in today?"
The cashier laughed, "No man, its winter break." The cashier continued when he saw the blank expression on the other man's face. "You know, for Christmas?"
"Oh," Kaldar said, understanding dawning. "How long do they get?"
"They'll be back Monday, the third. Man, high school, that was the life. Can you imagine getting two weeks off for Christmas?"
Kaldar smiled and popped a handful of Tic Tacs into his mouth; he had never really had a vacation. As a protector he was expected to always be on duty, and engineered not to require a lot of rest. Since his resurrection he had needed a lot of time to build his strength, but even when he was recuperating he was on watch and making plans. "No I can't."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Toy House)
(Monday, January 3rd, 2000)
(The Evans House)
Isabel entered her brother’s room and looked at the expression on his face. "You're really upset," she said referring to the fire and its after effects. “This is bad.”
"I'm all right, Max answered automatically.
"Max, I know you. You only ever listen to the Counting Crows when you're really upset."
"It's not just this. It's," he paused, his thoughts automatically turning to Liz, and he spoke with a sigh, "everything."
Isabel could guess the direction her brother's thoughts were leading him, because of brief flash of pain that crossed his face. "You were right to put the brakes on the Liz thing."
"Thank you," Max said sarcastically. "You mentioned that, like ten times.
"It's just that you guys were getting so intense," Isabel tried to explain. "It's one thing to have a little fun, but you know, we just can't get attached like that, Max."
"I know that. Maybe I just forgot for awhile," he said, not able to keep the pain out of his voice. "I know that now."
"And you can live with that?" Isabel asked, seeing for the first time how much it had hurt him to turn his back on Liz. "I mean, you're okay with it?"
Max's mouth turned up at the corners as he attempted to smile to reassure Isabel. "I'll be fine."
To Isabel it appeared more like a grimace than a smile and she winced at the empty tone in his voice. She wished she could help him, take his pain away, but for the first time, she didn't know what to do for him.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Toy House)
(Friday, January 7th, 2000)
Max automatically went to the Crashdown. Even though he wasn't with Liz, she was still his best friend and after the confrontation with Michael and Isabel he needed someone to talk to. He stopped the Jeep outside and watched her through the window for a few minutes. He loved to look at her, she had a natural beauty and her every action was graceful.
He sighed as he got out of the Jeep and walked to the door, there was no use torturing himself. They couldn't be together. He had pushed her away and she was going back to Kyle. He would just have to accept it as gracefully as he could if he still wanted her to be his friend.
Max tapped gently on the glass to get her attention.
Liz crossed to the door and opened it when she saw who it was. "What's up?"
"Nothing," Max said, not sure how to proceed. "How's it going?"
"Fine," Liz said vaguely, knowing by Max's manner that something was wrong. "Are you all right?"
"Yeah. Yeah. I just, I want you to know that it's okay. I mean," he kicked himself mentally, he had to just say it. "You don't have to feel uncomfortable if you and Kyle get back together."
"What?" Liz asked, not sure she had heard him correctly.
"I saw you two together at the Crashdown yesterday."
Liz couldn't have been more surprised if Max had slapped her. He was the one who had ended their relationship and now he was giving her permission to date other guys! Did he think he owned her?
"Okay," she started, her temper building with each second that passed. "Max, first of all, that couldn't be further from what's happening, and secondly," she paused, attempting to keep her anger in check, "if it was happening, I wouldn't need your permission, Max."
Liz had completely misunderstood his intentions. He was surprised by her anger and he wanted to explain. Max had never seen Liz angry before, but after the last few days it felt like he was fighting off the whole world, and Liz's anger brought his quickly to the surface. "I'm getting out of here. Now you sound like Isabel."
But Liz wouldn't let him leave that easily. "Why do I sound like Isabel, Max?"
"She's got this thing all of a sudden that I'm controlling," he blurted out.
"Oh, so it's her thing," Liz said sarcastically, her wounded feelings making her cruel.
"What?" Max asked confrontationally, not believing that Liz would side with Isabel.
"Max," Liz said with a touch of exasperation in her tone, "just take a psych class, because you are controlling."
Max felt as if Liz was turning against him too and he was suddenly very afraid he was loosing her. In his pain, he didn't realize that his voice was so harsh as he tried to explain, wanting her to change her mind and take back her words. "Hey, I am who I am. I've got a lot going on, and I'm trying to make things work."
But Liz was not affected by his angry outburst. "Max, you know what your problem is? You put everything on yourself, on your own shoulders." She felt the anger drain out of her as she realized the truth of her own words. Max felt he had to control everything to keep himself and the others safe and his world was spiraling out of control and coming down around him. "Maybe you should have some faith in the people around you."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Monday, January 10th, 2000)
Kaldar had spent the last week searching Goddard High School with no luck. He had been disappointed when he hadn't found the cars in the school parking lot, but he reasoned that it was possible the kids did not drive to school. So he had donned the appearance of a student and carefully searched every person in every class until he was satisfied they were not in attendance.
This week he would turn his attention to West Roswell High School. It was the only other school in town and he felt sure he would find them there.
He drove into the parking lot and circled toward the far end but he stepped on the break almost immediately. The Jeep he had seen at the reservation was parked just a few feet away.
Kaldar felt a sense of satisfaction. All he needed to do was wait until they left and he could simply follow them home. He had not failed. After all of these years he had found his master.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Thursday, January 20th, 1999)
Liz had hoped that once Max had cleared up some of the problems in his personal life he would reconsider their relationship but he had remained steadfast in his decision to remain apart. They were still friends and saw each other often, in school and at the Crashdown but he was keeping her at arms length.
At first, Liz was desperate to find a way to get him back but as the days passed, her pride took over and she determined to show him the same amount of indifference as he was showing her. She was friendly toward him, even if a bit too formal, but she wouldn't let him see she was pining for him.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Into the Woods)
(Tuesday, January 25th, 2000)
(Frazier Woods)
Kaldar had watched the three young people for over a week and he was completely convinced they were the missing Royals. He had considered revealing himself to them but had dismissed the idea almost immediately. He was not assigned to watch over them and now that he had found them he should alert Sodan.
But he didn't know where Sodan was, hadn't seen him in years. He could use the communicator he had buried in the desert all those years ago, but it could be dangerous and he would use it only as a last resort.
But, Kaldar thought, maybe there was another way he could contact Sodan. He remembered the signal Sodan had sent when he was first looking for the three. It had been the symbol of Antar projected toward the sky in a bright light. Simple but effective.
Kaldar decided to go back to the cave and send a signal from the same place Sodan had used. The signal would alert Sodan to the children's presence and Kaldar could stay anonymous.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Into the Woods)
(Friday, January 28th, 2000)
(Dallas, TX)
Sodan snatched a copy of the USA Today off the newsstand, one of the headlines catching his eye.
UFO Sighting in Roswell.
Read Rocky Calhoun's eye-
witness account on page 16.
He flipped to page sixteen and quickly scanned the article, certain phrases jumping out at him.
sighting in Frazier Woods, outside Roswell
near the alleged 1947 crash site
witnesses saw a bright light
a double armed, swirling pattern
He tossed money on the counter to pay for the paper and hurried to his office in the FBI building, where he was posing as an agent. He closed the door and dialed Alyssa's cell phone.
"Hi dad," she answered.
"Leave school now and pack up what you need. I may have located the others."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
River Dog quietly approached Nasedo's cave. Since the sighting, he had come here several times to see if his old friend had returned. He settled into the brush, concealing his presence and watched the entrance for over an hour, but saw nothing. As it started to grow dark he turned to leave, but a sudden movement in the trees brought him to a stop.
He watched as a figure stealthily crept toward the cave entrance. As the figure approached the edge of the trees, the moonlight illuminated him enough for River Dog to determine that it was a man. River Dog studied the other carefully. The man wore a different face and perhaps he wasn't Nasedo but River Dog felt certain he was a visitor and he had come because of the sign.
Nasedo had told him all those years ago that others might come, but it had been so long River Dog had thought no one would come. Obviously he was wrong. This man was here for a purpose and River Dog had always assumed it would be to look for Nasedo, but he must have been wrong about that too. This visitor must be here because of the children.
After a few moments the other made his way into the cave. River Dog waited until he was out of sight before he moved. If he brought the children to the cave they would be reunited with their kind and his part would be finished. He would go to Michael. He had felt an instant connection with the boy, reminding him of the friendship he'd had with Nasedo before he had discovered what Nasedo was capable of.
He liked the children, felt for them. They were different than Nasedo. He was truly alien and a killer but the children were at least partially human. They had been raised by humans, but they were from another place and they belonged with their own kind.
It took him over an hour to reach the trailer park where Michael lived but when he found the boy he didn't waste any words.
"It's time."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Sodan drove north on 285, pushing his car to the speed limit as the sun started to sink beneath the horizon. He switched on the car's headlights and briefly illuminated a sign on the side of the road.
Welcome to New Mexico
Land of Enchantment
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Frazier Woods)
Kaldar watched from the woods as the three children waved their hands over the symbol he had burned into the ground. Attracting them was an unexpected consequence but he was sure the signal would draw Sodan and now they would be looking for him. Sodan and the children would be united and everything would turn out as it should.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Saturday, January 29th, 2000)
(Roswell, NM)
Sodan sank into the bed in the hotel room and reached for the phone. When he came to New Mexico to look for the others he had abandoned his identity in Texas. He had learned all he could from that position anyway, which had not been much, and had been contemplating his next move.
He had left Alyssa in an apartment in Carlsbad, even though she had wanted to come with him. He wanted to make sure it wasn’t a trap, but Alyssa was anxious for progress and he called her to check-in.
She answered on the first ring, obviously waiting for his call. "Have you found them?" she asked, getting right to the point.
"I saw them last night," he started casually.
He had come upon the three missing Royals and an older man he had recognized as River Dog, in a clearing near the cave where he had lived. Sodan had concealed himself in the trees and watched as the children used their powers to light a signal. He had carefully familiarized himself with their appearances before they had been interrupted by the Sheriff.
Obviously the Sheriff was investigating the sighting and he was suspicious of the children. Sodan had started toward the human intending to eliminate him, but Zan had cleverly covered the reason for their presence by pretending to be lost.
Sodan continued with his story to Alyssa. "Zan and Vilondra drove away with some humans and I couldn't follow them but I trailed Alarath to his, um, abode."
"I don't care about Alarath,” Alyssa said petulantly. “Did you find out where Zan is?"
"Not yet,” Sodan admitted, “but now that I know they’re here it shouldn't be too much longer."
"I want to come and help," demanded Alyssa. "I’m sure I would know if Zan were near-by. I would be able to feel it."
"Maybe," drawled Sodan, "maybe not."
"But you said Zan and I had a connection in the past," Alyssa said.
"You did, but you have not yet been together in this life. Connections such as that are usually only formed after a coupling."
"But..." she started only to have Sodan cut her off.
"Alyssa, you will stay where you are. Zan would want me to make sure you are safe, above any other consideration. When I find something I will let you know."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Special Unit Interrogation Center)
(Annapolis, MD)
Kathleen had been held by Pierce for weeks. Then just a few days ago he had brought in Agent Stephens and started the interrogation process on him, as an example that he did not accept failure. Stephens had tried to resign, promising he would just disappear, but that had only seemed to make Pierce angrier.
Kathleen could still picture the look in Pierce's eyes as Stephens begged for his life. Pierce had been almost gleeful.
In the time she had been there, she had been questioned repeatedly by Pierce, and when he was not satisfied with her answers, he had used drugs and then pain. She was scared for the first time in her life and she wondered if she would ever leave alive.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Wednesday, February 2nd, 2000)
(Bitter Lake, NM)
Everett Hubble turned on his computer to retrieve his messages. He had been in Ohio the last week, chasing down a lead that had turned out to be another hoax.
He logged on to the computer and started the program he had designed. It searched all internet news sources for certain words and phrases he had entered into it; alien, glowing handprint, UFO, FBI and military, among others.
The search was much easier with the help of computers than it had been in the past. He remembered searching through stacks of newspapers for the slightest clue, often finding evidence of the alien days or weeks after it had left an area. It had been frustrating for Hubble being so close so many times, but as the technology got better the closer he got.
With the help of the computer he received many hits each day and had to sort through all of the junk, looking for the real stories. For a several years after his wife's death, he had tracked many reports of UFO sightings where mysterious deaths occurred and often the corpse had the telltale silver handprint.
Hubble had acquired a large file about the shape shifter's activities and movements since the 1960s. The alien had moved around a lot and had killed anyone who had gotten in his way, anyone who had gotten too close to him. He had left bodies all over the southwest, obviously not concerned about being caught. But in the last ten years the sightings and the trail of bodies had almost come to a stop.
Then Hubble had discovered a pattern of mysterious disappearances in military personnel and federal employees. They were always single or divorced men who lived alone and usually no bodies were found. The employee would simply disappear without a trace, leaving all personal belongings behind. Occasionally the co-workers would report instances of strange behavior before the disappearance and the government's official pronouncement would usually be suspected suicide.
The reason that the disappearances had attracted Hubble's attention in the first place was the one time a body was discovered. There had been no official cause of death but the autopsy had mentioned the presence of a silver handprint.
Then just over five years ago, an FBI agent returned from a vacation and discovered while he had been away, someone who had looked identical to him, had not only been living in his house but had been going to work in his place.
The government suspected espionage but Hubble had known the truth immediately. The shape shifter had taken the FBI agent's place and it was probably just his good luck he’d been out of town or he would have been killed and replaced.
After that, Hubble had started checking back issues of papers and military records and had found half a dozen instances of mysterious disappearances since 1991. And in the time since then, Hubble had found at least half a dozen more.
A beep from the computer drew his attention as the hits were displayed on his screen. He hadn't checked in for over a week and the list was enormous. Quickly scanning down the list, a word jumped out at him. He pulled up the article and noted the date with a curse. There had been a credible sighting in Roswell just last week and he had missed it.
He quickly tossed his belongings back into his bag. He had to get to Roswell. Maybe he would finally catch up to the alien he had been chasing for nearly thirty years.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Thursday, February 3rd, 2000)
Sodan sat at a table outside the Crashdown Cafe waiting for Max and the others. Along with their names, he had also discovered this was their regular hangout. He shifted the small camera he carried to get some photos of the three for Alyssa to study.
Sodan had been searching the southwest for the last ten years; checking schools, orphanages and foster agencies for any sign of Zan and the others. Of course the job had been made more difficult because he had not been sure of what the children would look like. He remembered the vague pictures Cuerena had put into the book. They were her estimations of what the Royal Four would look like as children and young adults and they were all he had to go on.
Alyssa looked somewhat like he remembered her image in the book, but there were differences and he was sure the others would be different as well. He had been forced to carefully study each face he encountered over the years, to determine if there were any similarities to the images. The only thing he had been sure of was their ages.
Sodan's attention was drawn to the Jeep that was just parking in front of the Crashdown. He covertly snapped a couple of pictures as Max, Isabel and Michael emerged from the Jeep and entered the Cafe. The children did somewhat resemble the images in the book, he had to admit, and he wondered if he would have recognized them if he hadn't seen them in the woods that night.
"Can I get you anything else?" asked the small brown-haired waitress, who served him.
"No," he said with a smile as he glanced at her name badge. "I’m just finishing, Liz." He handed her a few dollars, including a healthy tip.
"You're getting to be quite a regular," Liz said. "Are you here on business?"
"Yeah, but it may be finished sooner than I thought."
He headed toward his car but stopped when a flyer on a telephone pole caught his attention.
10th Annual UFO Convention in Roswell
February 4th - 6th
Sodan smiled, the irony appealing to his sense of humor, an alien attending a UFO convention.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - The UFO Convention)
(Friday, February 4th, 2000)
(Crashdown Cafe)
(10th Annual Roswell UFO Convention - Day 1)
The annual UFO Convention had always attracted a lot of customers, but this year with a sighting in the area just a week before, it was especially busy. Liz had been running her legs off since the cafe had opened, helping one strangely dressed customer after another. Of course she was hardly in a position to laugh, dressed as a waitress in an intergalactic diner, complete with antenna.
She hurried to seat four more hungry patrons and took their drink orders, and once again, Liz had the feeling she was being watched. She had gotten the feeling off and on since they had opened that morning, but even though she had scanned the crowds several times, she hadn't been able to discover the source.
Liz returned to a table with the customers' order. "Okay," she said, as she placed the plates on the table, "I have one Green Eggs with Moon Rock Hash and one convention special. Can I get you guys anything else?"
One of the men turned to her, "I am Zinaplox from the planet Zedagon. I come to destroy humanity and return to my home planet."
Liz smiled. It was only about the fiftieth time today she had heard that line. "Well then, it's really great that you're starting out with a nice hearty breakfast."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Sodan rolled his eyes, having overheard the conversation between the customers and the waitress, Liz. Every UFO nut in the country must be here.
He immediately decided to take a few days off from gathering information. It was useless trying to get anything done in this circus atmosphere. He should get the pictures he had taken of Max and the others developed, and he needed to do some research for a new cover identity for himself and Alyssa. Those tasks should keep him occupied until the convention was over and then he could get the rest of the information he needed.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - The UFO Convention)
(Saturday, February 5th, 2000)
(Roswell UFO Museum)
(10th Annual Roswell UFO Convention - Day 2)
Hubble took a seat in the back of the auditorium where the panel discussion was taking place. It was obvious Jimmy Valenti knew more about this sighting than he was telling. Hubble didn't know how to get the Sheriff to trust him but he had to get the information out of him somehow.
As he sat listening to the eyewitness accounts, he looked around the room dismissing the fools surrounding him. They were all tied up in their sweet alien fantasies with Captain Kirk and Luke Skywalker. They wouldn't want to hear the story he had to tell them.
The voices and the room faded into the background as he was instantly pulled back to the day when his wife had died. He could see her lying on the ground, the shimmering handprint pressed into her chest, mocking him. He knelt down beside her, gently touching her hair, not wanting to believe she was gone but knowing it instinctively.
Hubble was jolted back to the present as Jonathon Frakes introduced a new 'witness.' "Our next direct contact witness is a Lawrence Trilling."
Hubble had vowed he would find the alien who killed his wife, and when he did, he would make him pay.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - The UFO Convention)
(Sunday, February 6th, 2000)
(Roswell UFO Museum)
(10th Annual Roswell UFO Convention - Day 3)
Michael watched as Max left with the alien hunter, Hubble. He turned to Larry who was standing nearby. "Hey, what the hell's going on? What's that guy doing with Max?"
"I don't know," Larry said.
Michael was not satisfied with his answer and grabbed the smaller man, slamming him into a display. "Tell me what he's doing with Max!"
"All right," Larry capitulated. "He came up to me after the panel discussion, all right? He asked me questions about Max. You know, what he did the day of the shooting?"
A feeling of dread raced through Michael. Max was walking into a trap. He shoved Larry again. "What did you tell him?"
"I told him I thought Max was an alien."
"Where are they going?"
Larry shook his head, "I don't know."
"That guy is a nut. He could kill Max," Michael said, trying to get through to him.
"I really don't know where they went," Larry said with a shrug, "but I heard Milton tell Max to get Hubble to agree to do the panel. Maybe they went to get his files or something."
Michael looked at him carefully and knew he was telling the truth. He turned away from Larry and his eyes jumped around the room as he tried to come up with a plan. He had to get to Max. He had to find a car. He swung back to Larry, "You got a car?"
Larry hesitated a moment and then reached into his pocket and handed Michael the keys. "A old green Chevy van," he motioned with his thumb. "It's parked around the side."
Michael ran out the door he had seen Max exit. The Jeep had been parked right by the door but now it was gone. He looked both directions down the street but the Jeep was nowhere in sight. He approached two girls who were leaning against the building, smoking. "There were two guys, one older, one younger. They drove away in an old Jeep. Did you see them?"
The girls both nodded and one spoke up, "That younger guy was fine."
Michael smiled. Leave it to Max to attract every girl in the area. "Did you see which way they went?"
"Yeah," the girl said, pointing south, "that way."
"Thanks," Michael said as he turned to Larry's van. He drove as quickly as he could, carefully scanning the area as he went. The van started to shake whenever he accelerated above forty-five but he pushed it to the limit, praying it would hold together.
The sky started to darken as he continued and he wondered if he had missed them somewhere along the road but he decided to keep going for a few more minutes. Suddenly he saw the distinctive glow of a Jeep's headlights parked in the lot of an out-of-business cafe. Immediately he shut off his own headlights and engine, and coasted to the side of the road.
As quietly as he could Michael crept forward, the bushes hiding his approach. He could hear Hubble's voice before he saw them.
"Valenti told me about the healing, about the handprint. Just like Shelia."
"I am not him," Max answered. "Whoever you think I am, I swear I'm not him."
Michael inched forward, trying not to give himself away. This was not good, he thought to himself, not good at all. How were they going to deal with this guy? He knew their secret but he was obviously a nut. Maybe they could use that to their advantage. Maybe no one would believe him.
Right now it was more important to get Max away from him. For that matter, Michael wondered, why was Max even listening to this guy? Max probably thought he could talk the guy out of it.
Hubble continued, obviously not convinced by what Max had told him. "I know who you are, what you're capable of, and I won't let you kill again."
Michael shrugged. If he could get close enough, he could take the guy out and then they could figure out what to do. He came to the end of the bushes and looked around the edge. The first thing he saw was the gun pointed at Max. No wonder Max hadn't left, was the only thought that flashed through Michael's head before he leapt from the bushes to save his friend. "Hey!"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Blind Date)
(Monday, February 14th, 2000)
(Roswell Library)
Sodan watched as Michael and Isabel used their powers to erase all evidence of the fire they had started. They were still looking for him but this time Max was not with them. Sodan had noticed Max looking at the waitress Liz in the Crashdown Cafe. Maybe Max was not as interested in his heritage as he should be.
Michael and Isabel climbed into the Jeep and Sodan waited until they had disappeared down the street before he emerged from his hiding place. With a smile, he waved his hand over the ground re-igniting the fire. He had gathered all of the information he needed.
Sodan reached into his pocket, took out a photo and dropped it into the flames. It was almost time for the reunion.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Independence Day)
(Tuesday, February 15th, 2000)
Liz was trying to explain to Maria about what had happened with Max on the night of her blind date, but Maria just wasn't understanding her. When she had kissed Max on the stage at the blind date party, the feelings that had raced through her were unlike anything she had ever experienced. Since she had not been able to talk about it with Max, she wanted to share them with her best friend.
"I don't even know how to explain it, Maria, but listen. Are you listening to me?"
"I'm listening," Maria assured her.
"When Max kissed me, it was like, I don't know," Liz trailed off, remembering the experience. When they had kissed, it had been like she was connected to Max and with his help she could feel through new senses that she had not possessed before. She paused wondering how much she should reveal to Maria. "Okay, it was like I saw things, all right? I could like, feel the universe."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Carlsbad, NM)
Sodan entered the apartment carrying the box of photos and files he had gathered in Roswell, and Alyssa rushed to meet him.
She bounced around him excitedly. "When do we leave?"
I have found the perfect new cover identities for us, " Sodan said, ignoring her question. "A military consultant and his daughter who are scheduled to move to Roswell."
"Great," Alyssa said, as she started to leave the room. "I'll start packing and..."
"Wait," Sodan said, stopping her. "They are not scheduled to arrive in Roswell until the first week in April. In the mean time," he said, pointing to the box, "you can learn everything you need to know about Max Evans, and you still need to work on your memory retrieval techniques. You should be able to remember much more about your other life."
Alyssa shrugged, secretly annoyed about her lack of progress too. "I remember things."
"But not enough,” Sodan said. “We have worked on recovering your memory for ten years, and you only remember vague images and feelings."
"I remember living in the palace and I remember Zan," she said defensively. "I remember loving him."
Sodan sighed, "Well you have a couple of more months to rediscover all you can."
Alyssa sat down with a huff. "I don't want to wait that long. Can't you just get into the computer and speed things up, you know change the dates?"
Sodan shook his head, "We need to be careful. We don't want to risk raising any suspicions."
"What about the real consultant?" she asked petulantly. "Um, what's his name?"
"Ed Harding and his daughter Tess."
"Well what about Ed and Tess Harding? Won't their suspicions be raised when we show up?"
"No," Sodan said confidently. "I will, reassign them."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
When a week had passed since Kaldar had sent the signal and he had not seen Sodan, Kaldar started to worry. He had returned to the cave outside the reservation but he had not discovered any sign that the other shape shifter had returned.
When another week passed and Kaldar had still not seen Sodan, he started to discretely follow his master. Kaldar reasoned that when Sodan contacted the children, he would be near-by to witness the reunion. And if Sodan did not return Kaldar would know their location so he could send another signal.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Michael walked into the trailer, noting that Hank was drunk, and quickly ducked into his room to avoid a confrontation. He collapsed onto his bed but Hank followed him, looking for a fight. "I told you to do the wash," Hank ordered.
"I'll do it later," Michael said dismissively.
Hank came further into the room, standing over the bed threateningly, "Today."
"I'm not your maid, "Michael snapped."
"Oh, you're right. You're good for nothing. Do the wash now."
"Go to hell, Hank," Michael said as he left the room.
But Hank was warming to his topic and followed him, "No wonder your parents left you out in the desert. Who'd want ya?"
"Who are you, father of the year?" Michael sneered. "You're a man who keeps me around just to collect the monthly check!"
Max and Isabel stopped the Jeep in front of the trailer and heard raised voices from inside. Worried for Michael's safety, Max burst into the trailer followed closely by Isabel.
Michael was surprised to see them. "What are you guys doing here?"
Isabel eyed Hank suspiciously. "We heard some yelling."
"What's going on?" Max asked.
"Just get out, all right?" Michael said, not wanting them to get involved.
Hank looked Isabel up and down, "Well hello dolly."
Michael came to her defense, "Shut up, Hank."
Hank ignored him. "Wanna have a drink with me?"
Michael stepped closer to Isabel, "She doesn't want a drink."
Hank's gaze turned toward Michael, "Who the hell are you, her lawyer?"
Michael tried to calm the situation, not wanting Max and Isabel to see Hank at his worst. "Leave her alone, Hank, all right?"
But Hank, fueled by the alcohol was eager to fight. "I asked her a question. I'm waiting for her answer."
"Here's your answer," Isabel answered sweetly. She took the drink that he offered and threw it at him. "If you ever touch Michael again, I will kill you!
Hank was enraged, grabbed his gun and pointed it at Max and Isabel. "You're gonna kill me? I don't think so!"
Max raised his hands and tried to calm the irrational man, "Just take it easy. We're going."
Michael stepped between Hank, Max and Isabel, raised his hand and unleashed his untamed power toward Hank. For a moment, a chair wobbled and then slid across the floor and slammed into a wall, shattering it to pieces. The refrigerator doors opened and closed, the lights dimmed and brightened and a wind swirled loose papers around the room. Hank's gun started to shake, jerkily pointed away from the three and discharged.
Hank was stunned by what had happened. "What the hell?" he yelled, fear making him more angry. "Oh, you little bastard. You're a freak. I always knew it. You're a freak!"
Max turned toward the door. "Michael, let's go."
Isabel grabbed Michael by the arm, "Michael, we have to go. Now! Michael!"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Kaldar had watched Max and Isabel go into the trailer where his master lived. He had heard the escalating voices of his master and the human, and was on the verge of interfering when they had arrived. Surely the three of them could handle one drunken human.
Kaldar listened carefully for a moment, but he could not hear any sounds coming from inside. Suddenly the lights started to flicker and then a gun discharged.
Kaldar ran for the door but it opened and the three children emerged. His eyes flicked over them, checking for injuries and he sagged with relief when they all appeared to be okay.
He was close enough to hear their conversation, noting that his master was very angry.
"Congratulations,” Michael yelled, “you made it worse. Now he knows."
Isabel tried to reassure him, "Michael, Hank was so drunk, he's not gonna know what he saw and he sure as hell isn't gonna remember it in the morning."
Michael shook his head, "Isabel, I can't go back there."
Kaldar stepped back into the shadows. The human knew what they were and he couldn't be allowed to expose them. Kaldar watched as his master walked away, and Max and Isabel drove off. He knew what he had to do. He would simply wait until the three were safely gone and then he would eliminate the threat.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Independence Day)
(Wednesday, February 16th, 2000)
(Liz’s Balcony)
Liz adjusted her telescope, bringing the stars in Orion into focus. Sometimes it was easier to put things in perspective when she looked into the vastness of space. It had upset her terribly when she had learned what had been happening to Michael. How could one person treat another so badly?
She looked through the lens without seeing the stars that were reflected, her thoughts automatically turning to Max. This situation must be hurting him terribly. She knew he would feel responsible because he hadn't noticed anything wrong with Michael.
She was so deep in thought that the knock startled her, and suddenly Max was there as if her thoughts had conjured him.
"Liz, I'm sorry," he apologized for startling her, and also for coming to her with his problems, but she was the only one he had wanted to talk to. "I..."
"No," Liz assured him. "It's okay." She was glad that he still felt so close to her, still cherished their friendship.
"I know we've been needing to talk," Max said.
Liz shook her head, "Yeah, there's, there's some more important things to talk about though. I heard about Michael. Are you okay?"
"Not really," Max admitted. "I've just never seen him so upset. I have this weird feeling that he's just gonna leave without even saying goodbye."
"You know, maybe," Liz said, not really sure what motivated Michael, but she did know Max and Isabel had always been important to him. "Because if he did, he wouldn't be able to go through with it."
"I can't lose him."
The pain in Max's voice almost broke her heart and Liz would have done anything to make his pain go away but she didn't know how to make this better.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Kaldar watched from outside the trailer with a sense of panic as Michael packed up his stuff. He had just found him after all of these years and now he was going to lose him again. He couldn't let it happen.
Suddenly he saw Max coming and sighed with relief. Max was in charge. He wouldn't let Michael leave.
But as Kaldar listened to their conversation, he realized Max was not going to stop Michael from leaving. Max asked Michael not to leave but he didn’t order him to stay.
Kaldar watched as Max left, trying to decide what to do. And as Michael walked out the door and toward the road, Kaldar made a decision. He would use his powers to try to get Michael to change his mind about leaving, and if that failed Kaldar would go with him.
Staying out of sight, Kaldar ran to his truck and drove quickly until he reached the main highway, where Michael had gone. Then he pulled over and offered his master a ride.
After they had been driving for a moment he started using his empathy to make Michael feel homesick, as he reinforced it with his words. "What a joke."
"Huh?" asked Michael, confused by the sudden conversation.
"Roswell,” Kaldar continued. “Wouldn't bother, but it's on my southwest route. Sell a lot of soda in these tourist towns."
"Yeah, right."
Kaldar could tell Michael wasn’t impressed but he continued and used another burst of power designed to make his master feel the warmth of home. "I don't know why in the hell they come here," he said wryly. "Aliens, I guess."
He watched out of the corner of his eye as Michael opened the package Max had given him. Obviously his powers were working already.
"Ain't no aliens in that town.” Kaldar continued with a smile, and sent Michael another wave of homesickness. “Let me ask you something. If you were an alien, you can go anywhere in the world, would you pick Roswell?" He paused for emphasis. "Trust me, there ain't nothing in that town."
They drove for another few miles before Michael asked him to stop the truck.
"What's the matter kid?" Kaldar asked, feeling the loneliness pouring off his master in waves.
"I just forgot something, that's all," Michael said, getting out.
Kaldar pulled the truck back onto the road and continued in the direction he had been driving. He watched in the rear-view mirror as Michael crossed the road and started walking in the other direction. Back to Roswell.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Independence Day)
(Friday, February 18th, 2000)
Philip Evans had been able to rush through the paperwork to get Michael emancipated when it became known his foster father had beaten and abandoned him. It was also to his advantage that Judge Lewis was an old friend of Philip's.
The judge had interviewed Max and Isabel about their friend and talked to Michael about his plans for his future. After only a few minutes of deliberation he had determined it would be in Michael's best interest to be declared an adult to be responsible for his own life.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Kaldar rammed the shovel down into the soft earth, manually excavating a hole that would have taken only seconds to dig with his powers. He had needed to use his powers many times in the last few days and it had exhausted him. He had been forced to wait a couple of days after eliminating Michael's foster father to gather his strength.
Then he had taken on Hank's appearance and driven Hank's car to the Sheriff's station to explain to the Sheriff that he was leaving town, so Michael would not be blamed for Hank's disappearance. The Sheriff had easily accepted his story and was even glad to see him leave.
Kaldar threw a last shovelful of dirt behind him and finally climbed out of the hole, satisfied it was deep enough. Normally he would have used his powers to dispose of Hank’s body, but organic tissue was difficult to manipulate and it would have completely drained him.
He returned to the car to retrieve the body, which he dumped unceremoniously into the pit. Good riddance, he thought as he quickly covered the dead man with soil. He expended a little of his precious power to return the ground to its pristine condition and climbed into the car and sank into the seat, his breath coming in gasps from the exertion.
He waited a moment to catch his breath and shifted back into the guise of the drifter he had recently adopted. He popped a handful of Tic Tacs into his mouth trying to ease the pain in his head, then he put the car in gear and drove into the desert to dispose of the vehicle.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Sexual Healing)
(Sunday, February 20th, 2000)
(Beneath the Sand - Near the Pod Chamber)
Venus reached the correct position in the sky and the programming of the orb whirred to life, activating the back-up signal to trigger the Royal Four's mating instinct. The signal was carried on a frequency that could not be heard by human ears but was capable of traveling a great distance. When the signal reached the intended recipients it would send their hormones into over-dive giving them the overwhelming urge to couple.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
It's February 20th.
I'm Liz Parker, and lately I've been having these feelings, like I'm changing inside, and part of me doesn't want to change. Part of me always wants to be my mom's little girl, but the thing is, these feelings are strong, dangerous, undeniable. It's like I have no choice. It's like, chemical.
Liz laid the pen Max had given her aside as she reread the words she had written in her journal. She didn't quite know how to explain what had been happening to her in the last week but something was different. It was as if something inside her was changing, coming alive, evolving, and not only was it changing her body but her mind and soul too.
The feelings she had been experiencing were like nothing she had known before and more and more often her thoughts were directed to Max. She had caught herself daydreaming about him with alarming regularity and although the situation and events in the dreams changed from day to day, the subject of her fantasies was always the same; Max.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Since he had awoken that morning, Max had not been able to stop thinking of Liz. He had been the one to end their relationship, but many times since then he had wondered if he had done the right thing. The urge to go to Liz and beg her to take him back had been growing for weeks, but today it had been almost overwhelming. He had argued with himself for days about the reasons why he should stay away from her, but more and more he could picture himself being with her, living his life with her, and as the day continued the reasons for staying away from her seemed to fade into the back of his mind.
As the sun set, he walked toward the Crashdown having made up his mind to win Liz back. He could see her through the window sitting at the counter, staring into space, her mind obviously not on her job.
Max stopped just outside the door, hit by the overwhelming impression that he was the focus of Liz's thoughts. It was like he could feel what she was feeling, just for a moment, and then the sensation was gone. He watched as Maria interrupted Liz, who sent a bowl of strawberries tumbling onto the floor.
Max pushed open the door, walked over and bent down to help pick up the spilled fruit. "Hey," he said softly.
"Hey," Liz greeted him with a smile of genuine welcome.
Except for the night of the blinde date, that he barely remembered, it was the first time Max had been this close to Liz in weeks, and he was having a hard time keeping his thoughts under control. He mumbled the first thing that came into his mind, "I hope this isn't my fault."
"Why would this be your fault?" Liz asked, obviously more in control of her emotions than he was.
"If I startled you," he said dumbly.
Liz smiled, "No. You know, I always knock over strawberries this time of day. Always. I'm just gonna go get more berries."
She turned to go into the kitchen but Max didn't want the encounter to end yet. "Well, wait,” he called, causing her to stop and turn back to him. He held out a berry. “Here's another one."
She accepted the berry and turned away again.
Max watched as Liz retreated from him, but he couldn't seem to take his eyes off of her, and followed her to the door leading into the back.
Liz noted his presence with amusement and called over her shoulder, "What are you doing here, Max?"
Max slipped easily into flirtatious banter, "Well, I have orders from my planet to take over the Earth."
"Besides that," Liz countered.
Max sobered immediately. "I want to make sure we can still be friends."
Liz crossed to the other end of the room and suddenly she was too far away from him. Max slowly stepped into the room, closing the distance between them.
"Yeah," Liz said, "I mean, we are.
"Good," he said, his eyes never leaving her.
"Why wouldn't we be?" she asked casually.
Liz was moving around the room as she was talking to him and it was driving him crazy. She would get close to him and then retreat. Her actions were arousing an instinct in him to stalk and capture and the feeling was only reinforced by their banter. Max moved closer to her, stopping within inches. "We really haven't been able to talk since, that night," he said, referring to her blind date.
"Max, people do a lot of dumb things when they're drunk," Liz said, dismissing his behavior as she turned to face him. She leaned in intimately, like she was sharing a secret, "Anyway, I understand."
Liz had missed the flirtation with Max, but now she wanted more. She wanted Max to crave her like she craved him and she possessed an overwhelming urge to temp him into action. Something within her was prompting her to act more outrageous, more brazen than she had ever imagined she could be; an instinct she didn't know she possessed dictating her actions.
Liz held Max's eyes from just inches away and stole a glance at his lips. Then she let her body brush his as she moved past him, and put an extra sway into her hips, knowing his total attention was focused on her.
Max thought Liz was going to kiss him and he leaned closer to her, but when she turned aside and brushed past him, he'd had to settle for inhaling the intoxicating scent of her hair. He watched her walk to the refrigerator to get more strawberries. She had her back to him, ignoring him, dismissing him, and he wanted her full attention. He stepped closer to her again, "And we're friends?"
Liz looked over her shoulder and smiled. "Yeah. We're friends," she answered briefly, and then turned her attention back to her job.
"Just friends?" he asked, feeling more than a little annoyed that she was still ignoring him.
Liz took the cartons of strawberries and headed for the counter. She brushed past Max and glanced over her shoulder at him. "Yeah," she agreed, "we're just friends."
She turned away from him to put the cartons on the table, and he leaned in closer just intending to inhale her sweet scent again, but her flirtatious behavior had escalated his craving for her and he wasn't satisfied with just being near her. He grabbed her arm and spun her around, pulling her to him and devouring her lips. Something within him registered Liz's initial surprise but when her arms wrapped around his neck and she melted into him, all coherent thought was erased from his mind.
As Liz became caught up in the sensations of being with Max again she unconsciously opened herself to him. She wasn't aware their minds and souls were straining to become one and as the kiss deepened, their emotions took over and the connection between them slid into place. It felt so right, so natural that Liz didn't realize what had happened and she was completely surprised by the deluge of images.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Sexual Healing)
(Monday, February 21st, 2000)
(Washington, DC)
Pierce glanced at the latest report about the Roswell subject, Max Evans. Since Topolsky had left Roswell, the information coming to him had been very sketchy, but one sentence from the report caught his attention.
Subject Michael Guerin has become an emancipated minor and is moving into an apartment.
Pierce called Agent Marley who was handling the surveillance. "Michael Guerin is getting an apartment. This is a perfect opportunity. Get in there today, when he’s at school, and set up a camera."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Sexual Healing)
(Tuesday, February 22, 2000)
Max stopped the Jeep in front of Michael's apartment building. All day he had been torn about the visions Liz was having. On one hand, he was curious about what they might discover, but he was worried about the method they had to use to extract the visions. He loved Liz and he wanted to be with her; that was not the problem. The problem was, he didn't want to use her, and he certainly didn't want her to feel like she was being used.
He shook his head as he exited the Jeep and walked toward Michael's door, already having made up his mind. He had asked Liz to meet him at Michael's apartment but he wouldn't use Liz to gather information. She was just too important to him, and when she got there he would tell her.
Now all he had to do was tell Michael and Isabel, he and Liz wouldn’t be continuing. Max knew they were counting on he and Liz to get more information, but they would just have to be disappointed.
He pushed Michael's door open, "Uh, listen, Liz is on her way over."
A look passed between Michael and Isabel. "Okay, we'll leave."
Max felt disgusted with the whole situation. "You guys don't have to leave."
"Go for it, Maxwell, for the good of all mankind, you lucky, undeserving dog," Michael said, as he grabbed his jacket and clapped Max on the arm.
Max's response to Michael's words was automatic, "Michael, that's not what this is about for me."
Michael discounted Max's protests. "Don't make me beg you to do what you and Liz obviously want to do anyways. I really don't see a problem with it."
Max's anger increased. "The problem is treating someone I care about like a thing. To be used."
Michael took Max's words as an accusation and was instantly angry. "What, and that's what I'm about? Is that what you're saying?"
"The words are coming from your mouth, Michael," Max countered.
Isabel stepped between, worried that the argument was escalating too quickly. "Okay, you guys, stop. Enough."
Michael sighed, releasing his anger. "Listen Maxwell, you are a sensitive guy. And you have available to you one of the top three seduction lines in history, with 'it's gonna help me find my home planet' and you're refusing to use it. No guy is that sensitive. Use it."
Isabel turned off the lights and snapped her fingers, lighting the candles she had placed strategically around the room.
Michael nodded, appreciating her work, "Nice."
"Umm," Isabel agreed
Michael opened the door and Liz walked in, but stopped when she saw the others.
Isabel smiled, "Hi."
Liz gave her a brief smile, "Hi."
"How's it going?" Michael asked.
"Strange," Liz said honestly.
"I'll bet," Isabel said, suddenly realizing what was happening to Liz.
Liz looked down, obviously embarrassed.
Michael broke the tension, "All right. We're leaving now." He turned back to Max, motioning over Liz's head, "But I got some Chaka Khan cued up in the CD player..."
Isabel grabbed him, cutting him off. "Yeah, okay. Bye."
Liz waited until the door closed behind her to speak to Max. "So, you told 'em, huh?"
"Yeah," Max said, feeling more guilty that he'd had to reveal what had happened between them.
"And now everyone's just sort of cheering you on, like at a football game."
"No. No, it's not like that," he instantly denied, but he knew she had picked up on the undercurrents. "I mean, yes, they want us to keep going so we can find out where all this leads. But, that's not..."
"Max," Liz cut him off, "I need to find out where all this leads, too." She pulled the collar of her shirt away from her neck to reveal the rash where the glowing hickey had previously been. "Look."
Max was shocked by the appearance of the rash. He had been afraid that there could be consequences if he got involved with Liz and he wouldn't know what to do. But he reached out and covered the mark with his hand, instantly forming a connection and pushing his healing power into her to restore her smooth, soft skin. After a moment he lifted his hand, "It's gone."
"Thanks," Liz said, moving closer, completely open, drawn to him in a way she didn't understand.
Acting purely on instinct, Max brushed his hand down Liz's arm, and somehow he was not surprised by the soft, golden glow that emanated from her skin.
Liz followed his gaze to the glow. It seemed so natural and unalarmed she asked him, "Max, do you understand any of this?"
"No," Max admitted. He was afraid that he might harm Liz in some way and hesitated.
But Liz's curiosity pushed her to proceed, "Can you take your shirt off?"
Liz's question took him by surprise. "Can I…? Yeah," he nodded, quickly shedding his jacket. Then he watched in surprise as Liz started to unbutton his shirt and pushed it down his arms.
Liz brushed her hand across his chest but was disappointed when no glow followed. "I can't do it to you."
Max hurried to reassure her, "I'm glowing everywhere; my toes, my heart. You can't see it. It's on the inside." He had promised himself they wouldn't continue the search, but being this close to her pushed all thoughts of anything but Liz out of his head, and he leaned in to kiss her.
Liz turned her head away. "No, Max. We can't do this."
"I know," Max agreed, as he took her head in his hands.
Liz shook her head, "You know, could I, uh... Could I get sick?"
"I don't know anything," Max admitted. "I don't even know who I am." He was so intoxicated by her presence that he could barely think and inhaled the fresh scent of her hair.
Liz felt like she was drowning in the emotions swirling around them. It felt so right being in Max's arms, and every instinct she possessed told her everything would be okay. The rational part of her brain had not shut down completely but it was fading quickly, and she was having a hard time focusing on anything but Max. "You know, the... the mark went away because... because you touched it."
Suddenly she was too far away from Max, and wrapped her arms around him, trying to continue her thought. "Maybe... maybe it came because we were away for... too long. That sounds really crazy, but... it could be a complete disaster."
Max reigned in his raging hormones, prepared to stop if Liz asked him. "I can't ask you to do anything that might hurt you in any way."
"I know," Liz said.
Max continued, "And I have no idea what that is, and what's right, or wrong."
"I know," Liz said, trying to stay rational. "I mean, and you know things," she faltered as Max kissed her neck but struggled to continue, "about me that you, um, that you shouldn't know. And my mother... My mother, who I love, is just gonna kill me,"
Max stopped her words with their first real kiss and it pushed them both over the edge.
"...if I don't die from this," Liz said.
"You're right," Max said with a smile, as he attempted to kiss her again.
"But I can't stop," Liz gasped.
It was the thing Max had been waiting for, her permission, and when she said the words, he pulled her to him in a searing kiss.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Later that night)
(Near the Pod Chamber)
Max and Liz dug furiously, both of them feeling the urgency to retrieve the object burried under the sand.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The orb sensed that it had been uncovered and its light sensor cleared, and it activated an indication light, sending a bright shaft of blue-white light into the night sky.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Liz and Max settled down onto the blanket and into each other’s arms, and Max turned over the orb they had found, examining it from all angles.
“I wonder if your people will come to investigate?” Liz asked.
Max shook his head, “I don’t know?” He took Liz’s hand in his, “Are you sure you want to wait? What if someone does come? Are you scared?”
“No,” Liz said, looking up into Max’s face. “I’m with you. I know you’d never let anything happen to me.”
Max took Liz’s face in his hands and their lips met in a gentle kiss. He had sensed her hesitation earlier to take their physical relationship to the next level and he would never push her. So he simply enfolded her in his arms and placed a chaste kiss on the top of her head.
Liz sighed and snuggled into Max’s chest, reveling in the feeling of simply being together. All she could hear was his soft breath and the sounds of their two hearts beating.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Kaldar was just settling in for the night, when a bright shaft of light caught his attention. The light appeared to originate from the just over the rocks that housed the Pod Chamber, and Kaldar's first thought was that Sodan had returned and was sending him a signal.
He pulled himself out of his abode but collapsed onto the desert floor when his legs buckled under him. He had expended a lot of energy over the last few days and he had not yet recovered. He waited a few minutes and then tried to stand again, using a near-by rock to steady himself.
When he succeeded in getting to his feet, he carefully made his way to the area where he had seen the light. Even though it was less than a mile away it took him over an hour to get there. Kaldar carefully looked around, trying to spot Sodan, but the other shape shifter was not there. Instead, he saw Max and a girl he didn't recognize lying together on a blanket, asleep, next to the old radio tower where he had buried the orb. He crept nearer, trying to get a closer look, and then he saw the orb lying next to them.
Kaldar shook his head in wonder. He couldn't understand how they had found it. He had buried the orb and told no one where it was. How had Max found it? He hadn't even emerged from his pod when the orb had been buried.
Kaldar studied the girl that Max had wrapped in his arms. She looked somewhat familiar but he couldn’t quite place her. Could this be Ava? he wondered. Maybe Sodan had found the others after all and Ava had been reunited with them. But if she was Ava, Kaldar asked himself, where was Sodan? He should be here keeping watch over them.
Sinking the ground, Kaldar popped a few Tic Tacs into his mouth as the possibilities swirled through mind. He had an impression the girl had something to do with finding the orb. She had somehow led Max to it.
Kaldar let his eyes roam over the girl, memorizing her face and once again noting Max's arm draped protectively over her. Whoever she was, it was obvious she was important to Max. Maybe, Kaldar thought, this girl was worth keeping an eye on.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Friday, April 14th, 2000)
(Congresswoman Vanessa Whitaker's House)
(Washington, DC)
Vanessa watched Daniel from across the table. It never ceased to amaze her that a man who had been appointed as the head of the super-secret FBI special unit less than a year ago could be so free with the information. Yes, they had been dating for almost a year and she had given him no reason not to trust her. She even appeared to share his concerns about an alien invasion, but the first rule every good soldier knows, was captured perfectly in a quaint Earth colloquialism - 'Loose lips sink ships.'
She listened intently as he told her about the interrogation of Agent Topolsky. "She’s had first-hand contact with this creature, posing as a teenage boy, and maybe it has used some kind of mind-control on her but she actually believes it doesn't pose a threat."
Vanessa was not totally convinced the FBI had actually discovered one of the Royal Four and she pressed for more information. "What did she say about this creature?"
"She said it seemed like a typical, confused, even shy teenager." He barked a brittle sound resembling a laugh. "Can you believe it? This thing is here to decimate the population and take Earth for its own purposes, and she thinks it's cute."
"What are you going to do?" Vanessa asked, as she moved around the table toward him.
"I will finish getting all of the information I can out of Agent Topolsky and then I will go to Roswell to check this thing out for myself."
Vanessa threaded her fingers through the wispy tendrils of hair brushing his neck. "Will you keep me informed?"
He pulled her roughly to him and took her mouth in a hard kiss. "Of course."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Saturday, April, 16th, 2000)
(Bethesda Psychiatric Institute)
(Bethesda, MD)
Kathleen Toplosky waited until the nurse had left her room and then she spit the pills into her hand. She didn't know how long she had been in the mental hospital because she had been drugged when she had been brought in. Pierce had finished with her for the time being and putting her in a psych hospital was a convenient way to get rid of her, but still keep her handy in case he still needed her.
As soon as the drugs had started to wear off enough for her to be conscious of what was happening, Kathleen had started palming the pills that were given to her, and finally she felt confident the drugs were out of her system.
While she had bided her time, she had conceived a plan to escape. In the evenings, the nurse was a slight woman with blonde hair. Tonight Kathleen would overpower her and force some of the drugs into her. Then she would trade clothing with the nurse and just walk out the front door.
It would probably be hours before anyone discovered she was missing and by that time, she would already have retrieved the orb from the Special Unit vault and be halfway to Roswell.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Crazy)
(Wednesday, April 19th, 2000)
Tess flipped through the channels on the TV but none of the programs held any interest for her.
"Tess," she said aloud, the sound of her new name somehow making it more real. She had been called many names over the years, but she liked this name. Somehow she felt it fit her.
She used the remote to turn the TV off and started to pace around the room, finally ending up by the window. Roswell, she thought, as she looked at the buildings out the window. Just another town like so many others where she had lived, but this time her family was here; Michael, Isabel, and most importantly Max.
She and Ed had only arrived in town that morning but she was anxious to be reunited with her family. Her 'father' had made her promise she would stay in the hotel room today while he went to take care of some business for his new job, but it was frustrating to be so close to them.
Tess abandoned the window and sank back into the couch, opening the box containing the pictures of Max and the others, and lifted out the one on top. It was a picture of Max sitting at a table studying. With her finger, Tess traced the line of his jaw, continuing up the side of his face, and over his hair.
"Max," she intoned, drawing his name into several syllables, as if speaking it would conjure him before her.
Many times her eyes had greedily devoured the pictures of him. Max was so handsome, he was everything she had ever expected and more. She brushed her finger over his lips in the photo and then touched her own. He was waiting for her. He had been waiting for her his entire life.
Ed had told her that they had arrived in Roswell at the perfect time. The planet Venus was in the correct position to start their biological drives and Max would be drawn to her more than ever.
"Max and Tess," she whispered. Once they were together, she knew they would never be parted.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Kaldar had watched the girl, he had seen with Max in the desert, for the last month and he had discovered a lot about her. Her name was Liz Parker and she attended the same school as Max and the others. She was a good student and especially talented in science. She was dating Max and they were often together. Her parents owned the Crashdown Cafe where she worked, which explained why Max was there so often. Liz seemed like a normal human but Kaldar had the continuing impression that she was something more, but he just couldn’t seem to pinpoint what it was.
He followed Max and Liz when they left the Crashdown, intending to observe them further. He drove behind them at a discrete distance and when they stopped, he drove past them and parked a few yards away. He climbed out of the car and looked around. Kaldar didn't recognize the place and he carefully crept through the trees until he had a good vantage point where he could observe them.
He had noticed the other cars in the area and paid little attention to them, but now he could see that each car contained a pair of amorous teenagers. It was what the humans called a make-out spot. Kaldar smiled as Max and Liz climbed into the back seat of the Jeep devoiuring each other’s lips hungrily, and he decided to leave them to themselves, feeling like he was intruding.
Kaldar had almost made it back to his car when he saw someone emerge from the woods and head straight for the Jeep. He ran forward ready to defend Max and Liz, as the person knocked on the window of the Jeep, but stopped just a few feet away as he heard her words.
"You're in danger, all of you."
"What are you talking about?" Max asked.
"The best way to protect yourselves is to just act like normal kids," the woman said.
"We are normal kids," Max said.
"Okay," she said looking around, "I think I was followed. Don't trust anyone. I'll find you again."
"Topolsky," Liz said.
Kaldar watched undecided as the woman retreated into the trees. He didn't know who she was or why she thought the children were in danger but the Max and Liz obviously knew her.
Instantly Kaldar decided to follow the woman Topolsky and find out what she was up to.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Crazy)
(Thursday, April 20th, 2000)
Ed handed Tess some money for her lunch. "Remember Tess, the others have been living as humans, among humans. Max is especially entrenched in his human existence."
"I know," Tess said exasperatedly. "You’ve already told me."
She started to brush past him and out the door, but he stopped her with a hand on her arm.
"I just don't want you to go charging in like a bull in a china shop, so to speak. Be patient. Give them some time to get to know and accept you before you reveal yourself to them. They haven't had the benefits of the memory recovery techniques. It is probable they don't remember anything about coming out of the pods or about their other lives on Antar. If you just spring it on them, you might turn them from us."
"But they are my family," she argued. "They will accept me."
"What if they don't?” Ed asked. “We don't want to scare them away."
"Okay, okay" she agreed reluctantly. "I’ll do what you say."
"Approach Isabel first,” Ed suggested. “She would be more likely to welcome a new friend than the boys. Use your powers subtly and she will accept you."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Tess saw Isabel sitting with a boy across the quad. Isabel was the first one of her family Tess had seen, and she intended to make use of the situation. Tess focused her powers on Isabel as she approached the table.
"Can I join you?" she asked.
The guy with Isabel glanced in her direction. "Actually, we were in the m, the middle of something."
"You're the new girl, right?" asked Isabel.
Tess frowned at the guy and used another burst of power on Isabel. "If you're busy, I could..."
"No," said Isabel enthusiastically, "have a seat. Join us. Sit down."
"Thanks. I'm Tess."
"Isabel," she introduced herself and motioned to the unfriendly guy beside her, "This is Alex."
"Hi," Tess said to Alex, already not liking him.
"Hi," he answered. "So, welcome to Roswell."
Tess focused her attention on Isabel, her main goal. Alex was merely a human, a distraction. "I always hate the first day at a new school."
Isabel immediately caught her meaning, "Done this before?"
"Only about a hundred times,” Tess said. “Everyone's always so nice."
Tess noticed that Alex frowned as he asked, "Is that a bad thing?"
"Well," she explained, "the guys are usually nice because they want to jump my bones. And the girls are usually nice because they want to find out if I want to jump their boyfriends' bones." She focused on Isabel again, "You must get that a lot."
"Yeah," Isabel admitted, "How about the girls who hang out with you to meet a better class of guys?"
"Or the guys who say they understand you and really just want to be your friend, but all they really want is fifteen minutes alone with you in the janitor's closet."
"We have an eraser room," Isabel said with a smile.
"Thanks for the warning," Tess said, as she absent-mindedly poured a packet of sugar into her yogurt.
Isabel noticed at once, "Oh, my God. I do that, too."
"Good," pronounced Tess, "I can't stand people who use fake sugar. Nothing can ever be too sweet. Don't you think?
"Let me see your schedule," Isabel said, "I wonder if we have any classes together."
Tess smiled, mission accomplished. Isabel was already hooked and Michael and Max would soon follow.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Kaldar sat in the alley outside of the hotel where he had followed Topolsky last night, and popped a few Tic Tacs into his mouth. So far he had not discovered anything new, but when the woman left her room, he would search her possessions for clues.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Isabel invited Tess to her house after school, and Tess eagerly accepted. They entered Isabel's room and put down their things. Isabel motioned toward the hall, "The kitchen is that way. Help yourself to a drink or whatever. I'll be there in a second."
As Tess approached the kitchen, she could hear male voices within. She stopped just outside, to listen, somehow knowing Max was speaking.
"Um, try taking her out,” Max said. “Someplace nice. And, uh, surprises. They love surprises. Like, you know, little things. Like a note in her locker, or a flower in the middle of the day."
Tess walked into the kitchen, calling out, "How do you know women so well?" She smiled at the stunned expressions on the guys’ faces. "Don't let me stop you. This is fascinating."
Max’s eyes narrowed. "Who are you?" he asked suspiciously.
Before Tess could answer, Isabel came in behind her. "She's my friend."
"How come we've never met her before?" Michael asked belligerently.
"God, Michael," Isabel said, "could you be any more rude?"
Tess smiled, remembering their earlier conversation. "Actually, it's kind of refreshing." She focused her attention and powers on Max, drawing him to her, "I'm Tess."
When neither Max or Michael responded, Isabel broke the silence, "This is my brother Max and our friend Michael."
"Nice to meet you," Tess said, noticing with satisfaction that her powers were affecting Max. He hadn't been able to take his eyes off her the whole time.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Kaldar had not found anything in Topolsky's room other than a couple of changes of clothes, and he had waited for her to return determined to follow her.
He trailed her at a discrete distance, but almost lost sight of her when she ducked into a restaurant. Kaldar entered the restaurant and looked quickly around, spotting Topolsky almost immediately. She was sitting with her back to him in a booth and he was surprised to see a frightened Liz with her.
Immediately behind Topolsky stood a large aquarium, and Kaldar slipped behind it to hear their conversation, noting the fear in Liz's voice as she whispered urgently to Topolsky.
"Why are you following us?” Liz asked. “We haven't done anything wrong."
"You can play that game all night, or you can listen to me and maybe save all of our lives," answered Topolsky. "You're smart. I knew you were the one I could get through to. They don't know I'm here. If they did..." she let the sentence trail off, not wanting to consider the consequences.
Liz wanted clarification, "Who is they?"
"The people I work for," Topolsky said.
"The FBI," Liz intoned, the fear robbing her voice of any emotion.
Topolsky shook her head, "It's more complicated than that. I've learned things, seen things that no one would believe. Sometimes I don't even believe them myself."
"Where have you been all of this time?" asked Liz.
"To hell," Topolsky said simply. "And I've come out to warn you."
She leaned closer to Liz and lowered her voice, and Kaldar had to strain to hear.
"There's a hunter, an alien hunter. He's buried deep inside the FBI. Even the president and the director are on a need-to-know basis only. Do you understand what I am saying? He answers to no one, and he will stop at nothing to get what he's looking for."
"What is he looking for?" Liz asked breathlessly, afraid she already knew.
"Max Evans, and anyone he thinks is involved with him. All six of your names are on that list. You have to believe me."
"I believe you," Liz said softly.
Kaldar could see that Topolsky was obviously relieved. "I knew you would,” she said. “We can't be seen together, do you understand? Meet me tomorrow night, behind the theater at eight o'clock. I'll know more by then."
Kaldar waited until Liz left the restaurant before he emerged from behind the aquarium. He had no idea how the FBI knew about the kids but he had to make sure they were safe.
He walked a few blocks down the street and slipped into the alley behind the local computer store. It was closed for the evening but he used his powers to let himself in and disarm the alarm. He had often used the computers in the store's office after hours, to search for the children. The computers were top-of-the-line Earth equipment, but compared to the technology on Antar they were like toys.
Easily Kaldar hacked into the FBI secure mainframe and retrieved all information about Topolsky. He quickly scanned her bio and list of assignments, noting that she had been assigned to 'special duty' over two years ago.
Those files were behind additional security but he circumvented it easily. The Special Unit, as her current assignment was called, appeared to be mainly concerned in the existence of extraterrestrials on Earth. Kaldar scanned her reports from her assignments, stopping on the final one, code-named - West Roswell High.
He read the e-mails and reports submitted by Kathleen Topolsky about Max and his friends, learning that Max had healed Liz in September when she had been shot in an altercation at the Crashdown, bringing them to the attention of the FBI. He also found that Kathleen’s reports had been submitted without her knowledge to an Agent Pierce who seemed to be in charge of the Special Unit.
Pierce had personally written a report detailing Kathleen Topolsky's exposure by the children whom she had been assigned to watch. He concluded that her feelings for them had caused her to become careless and she had allowed herself to be exposed. She had returned to FBI headquarters and told her immediate superior of her failure, and Pierce had blamed the fiasco on the two of them. Kathleen had tried to resign but Pierce told her that she was theirs for life.
Then she had been gruelingly debriefed but Pierce had obviously not liked her answers because he had finally consigned her to Bethesda Psychiatric Institute under the care of a Dr. Malcolm Margolin. According to the report, Pierce had told the doctor Kathleen had suffered a breakdown that caused her to believe she was part of a secret group within the FBI who hunted aliens. There was also an additional report from the doctor briefly outlining his initial examination of Kathleen and his recommendations for her treatment, including heavy doses of anti-psychotic drugs.
Finally Kaldar found Pierce's report of Topolsky's escape from the mental hospital and his supposition she would return to Roswell to warn the aliens. Included in the report was an order that caught Kaldar's attention.
The broadcast from the camera in subject Guerin's apartment will be kept under constant surveillance for evidence of contact by Agent Topolsky.
Kaldar sat back in the chair. Topolsky was telling the truth. Max and the others were in danger. He would have to find a way to protect them while being careful not to expose them any further. His first inclination was to go to Michael's apartment and destroy the camera but he immediately rethought the impulse. He needed to consider his actions very carefully, the lives of his charges depended on him.
He typed in a search for the Bethesda Psychiatric Institute to find a photo of Dr. Margolin. It might just come in handy, he thought to himself, to be able to resemble Topolsky's doctor.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Pierce listened as one after another of his agents reported no progress in their search for Kathleen Topolsky.
"This is not acceptable," he said softly. "Roswell is a small town, there are only so many places she can hide."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Crazy)
(Friday, April 21st, 2000)
Kaldar arrived early behind the theater for the meeting Topolsky had set up with Liz, but after waiting more than an hour, it was obvious Liz wasn't coming. By nine o'clock Kathleen had obviously come to the same conclusion and she left the alley. Kaldar followed her and was surprised again when he saw who she was meeting.
He listened to Kathleen's conversation with Sheriff Valenti and wondered about his role in the children's lives. Kaldar had noted in the FBI reports that it had been the Sheriff who had initially alerted the FBI to the children, but it sounded as if he'd had second thoughts and even killed to protect them.
A plan started to form in Kaldar’s mind and he thought the Sheriff might be just the right man to help. First he would take care of Topolsky and then he would turn his attentions to Pierce.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Returning from the Evans’ house, Tess let herself into the hotel room and sank down onto the sofa. She glanced at the note Sodan had left on the table for her.
Working late.
Brief and to the point. That was typical, she thought with a sigh. He was never around when she wanted to talk.
She had been so excited to spend the evening with Isabel at her house, hoping to also spend time with Max, but her first disappointment had been that Max had not been there. He had gone on a date with Liz.
Tess grabbed a pillow from the sofa and squeezed it in frustration. She had thought it would be so simple. She would just have to show up and Max would immediately know they belonged together. She hadn't counted on him having a girlfriend he was so loyal to.
She had also been disappointed that evening to discover Isabel's mind was somewhere else all evening. Surely, Tess had asked herself, Isabel couldn't be in love with the geek Alex. Isabel was supposed to be with Michael, not a human.
Sodan had told her many times over the years, that the four of them belonged together, they were the only hope for their planet's salvation. But, Tess reminded herself, Max, Michael and Isabel didn't know that. She would have to show them they had a purpose and they needed to be together.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Crazy)
(Saturday, April 22nd, 2000)
Kaldar popped a handful of Tic Tacs into his mouth as he watched from Michael’s balcony, while Kathleen searched Michael's apartment. Kaldar had been using his powers more than he should in the past couple of days but he'd had no choice. The safety of the children was more important than the pain in his head.
He wasn't sure what Kathleen was looking for in Michael's apartment but he tried to keep her in sight so he could see anything she discovered. She finished in the kitchen and started toward the living room and his hiding place. He stepped back into the shadows and used his powers to change his outward appearance to blend into his surroundings, effectively hiding himself from her.
Kathleen searched the living room frantically, tossing things off of shelves and overturning furniture. Finally she entered the bedroom and started emptying drawers.
Kaldar's attention was drawn away from Kathleen by Michael's arrival, the sight of the devastation briefly stopping him before Kathleen stepped into the room to confront him.
"If I give you proof, will you believe me then?" Kathleen asked.
"Get out of my house," Michael commanded.
Kaldar got a look at what Kathleen had been searching for when she held up the orb to show Michael.
"I know what this is," she said.
"That's a paperweight," Michael said as he grabbed it from her.
"It's a communicator,” she said confidently, “and there's another one just like it. I took it from the special unit evidence vault back in Washington. Now, I know they only work when they're together, so if I bring you the other one, if I risk my life for you, I need to know that you will take me with you when your people come to get you."
"You're crazy," Michael tried to dismiss her.
"No, Michael. Look. We are all going to die and it's not going to be pleasant. We only have one chance. I will meet you tomorrow night at Buckley Point with the other communicator. If you ignore me this time, there won't be a next time."
Michael considered her for a moment. "If I decide to come, what time?"
Kathleen smiled in relief, "Anytime you want. Is midnight okay?"
Michael nodded. "I'll think about it."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Pierce smiled as he watched Michael and Kathleen on the monitor. "Buckley Point tomorrow, midnight."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Crazy)
(Sunday, April 23rd, 2000)
Kaldar stood in the alley behind the Crashdown, knowing sooner or later that Michael would come out. He had donned the guise of a homeless man he usually wore, and waited patiently for his master, attempting to ignore the pain in his head.
He did not know if Michael or the others would go to meet with Kathleen but if they did, then he and the Sheriff would be there to watch over them. If they didn't go, then he would proceed with the rest of his plan without having to worry about Michael or the others. One way or another it would end tonight.
At five o'clock, right on schedule, Michael pushed open the door, hefting two large bags of trash, and headed for the dumpster.
Kaldar emerged from the shadows. "Guerin? Michael Guerin."
Michael swung toward him with a suspicious expression, which softened immediately when he took in the other man's appearance. "What do you want?"
"A lady told me to give you this," Kaldar explained, holding out a folded piece of paper.
Michael looked at the paper but didn't touch it. "What lady?"
Kaldar shifted from foot to foot, feigning nervousness. "A blonde lady, don't know her proper name. She just said Topolsky. Said she'd give me five dollars if I brought it here."
Michael quickly ran his eyes over the homeless man before him. "Thanks," he said as he took the paper and stuffed it into his pocket. "Wait here and I'll get you a hamburger and fries."
Kaldar nodded and gave his master a toothless grin.
Michael quickly bagged the hamburger and fries he had made for himself and took it out to the man. "Go and tell the lady you earned your five dollars."
He waited until the man had disappeared around the corner before opening the note.
9pm instead of midnight.
Same place.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Wearing the guise of Dr. Malcolm Margolin, Kaldar walked into the Roswell Sheriff's office, with an outstretched hand. "Sheriff Valenti, I am Dr. Malcolm Margolin. I work at the Bethesda Psychiatric Institute in Maryland."
Sheriff Valenti shook his hand, "Nice to meet you doctor. How can I help you?"
"I’m here about one of my patients who escaped a few days ago, a Kathleen Topolsky."
Jim couldn't keep the surprised expression off his face, "Kathleen Topolsky is a patient of yours?"
"I discovered you knew her when she was working here at the high school. She had a nervous breakdown and was sent to us, and I have been treating her for the last six weeks. She has come to believe there is a conspiracy in the government to cover up the existence of extraterrestrials, who live right here in Roswell."
"Is she dangerous?" Jim asked.
"No. As a matter of fact I have already taken her back into custody. But this morning when I found her, she was raving about aliens and an orb. She told me that she convinced some of your local kids to meet her at a place called Buckley Point tonight at nine o'clock and I was worried something might happen to them. I just wanted to explain to them what had happened and make sure they were okay. She was very upset but I think I made out the names Evans and Guerin."
Jim nodded, "I know them. Kathleen has caused trouble for them before. It’s nice of you to be so concerned about some kids you never met."
"It was our fault Kathleen escaped and I would feel responsible if anything happened to them."
Jim sat back in his chair. "You don't mind if I check this out, do you? There have been a lot of strangers around here lately that aren't what they claim to be."
"Go right ahead,” Kaldar said. “Although it is Sunday, there will be someone at the institute who can verify my identity and also my photo and bio are on the institute's website."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Kaldar, in the form of Dr. Margolin, stopped his car on a fire road just a few hundred yards from the meeting place at Buckley Pont. He and the Sheriff had successfully convinced the kids that Topolsky was crazy, and sent them home. Now all he had to do was get rid of Pierce and the Special Unit. He emerged from the car and shifted into the guise of a hiker.
Kaldar started into the woods, heading toward his truck that he had left earlier near the meeting sight. He intended to get a look at the FBI men who came to meet Topolsky and follow them to their headquarters. Then he would destroy them all.
Suddenly he stumbled and caught himself on a tree, and after a moment, pushed himself to continue.
After he eliminated the threat to the children, he could rest and recover his strength, but now it was too important. He made the trip through the woods as quickly as he could, falling three more times before he reached the camouflaged truck and slipped inside. He sank into the seat and let his head fall back against the headrest.
According to his watch he would have to wait an hour before Topolsky was due to arrive. He popped the entire contents of the box of Tic Tacs into his mouth, the pain in his head making it hard for him to see clearly. For a moment he thought he saw a shimmering light and then it was gone. He closed his eyes, trying to shut out the pain and reached into his pocket for another box of the little mints. He attempted to open the box but it felt strange in his hand and when he opened his eyes, he stared at his hand for a moment in disbelief.
The hand was not human as he expected, but the grayish-pink, mottled skin of his true form. He had reverted to his true form once before when he had over-used his powers but this time it was too important, there was too much at stake. Sodan didn't know where the children were and the FBI was too close to them.
Kaldar concentrated on shifting back into human form but the more he tried, the greater the pain in his head became. He continued to push through the pain but it felt as if something inside him snapped and then the pain welled up from within as if he were literally on fire. A scream was torn from him as the pain became unbearable and he tried to stop but his powers escalated wildly, consuming him from within.
His last thought was overwhelming sorrow that he had failed his master.
Kaldar's body slumped onto the seat and after a moment, disintegrated into a pile of dust.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Tess, Lies & Videotape)
(Sunday, April 30th, 2000)
(Crashdown Cafe)
Tess had been frustrated by Max's lack of reaction to her in the last week. The only time he had paid any attention to her was when she had used her powers on him. She just wasn't getting through to him. He should be reacting to her presence instinctively but things were not happening as quickly as she had anticipated. It was obvious Max and the others didn't remember anything about their past. They were fumbling around for any scrap of information they could get.
She had wanted him to recognize her and come to her and she had been afraid if she used her powers on him too much, he would be angry when he found out. But seeing Max with Liz over the last few days had made her change her mind. Max was giving Liz the attention and love that rightly belonged to her and Tess decided she would use her powers to get him to notice her, to speed things along. They were meant to be together and she decided anything she had to do to make Max see it would be worth it.
She looked through the window of the Crashdown. It was just as she thought, Max was there with Liz and the others.
Tess focused her powers at Max making herself seem alluring, desirable. Then she opened the door and walked toward the group, but they were so engrossed in their conversation they didn't notice her. Typical, she thought. She stopped just behind them as Max spoke.
"We don't even know what it is."
"What is?" Tess asked, drawing Max's attention to her. She knew she had walked into an important discussion when everyone went quiet. "Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt anything."
"No, no," Isabel rushed to reassure her. "Hey we were just, um...," she let her sentence trail off when she couldn't think of anything and quickly changed the subject. "Why don't you join us? Have a seat."
"Thanks," Tess said brightly, trying to keep up the illusion of innocence.
"Sure," Isabel said.
"So, what were you guys talking about?" asked Tess.
Liz tried again to change the subject, "Can I get you something to drink, Tess?"
"Oh, thanks," Tess responded, letting herself be distracted because they were obviously not going to bring her into their confidence. "Uh, Cherry coke with lime." Instead Tess turned her attention to Max, increasing her powers. She glanced at him to make sure she had his attention and when she saw that she did, she planted images in his mind.
She let the images swirl around him for a few moments before bringing him out of it. "What's the matter?" she asked, directing her question at Max. "Do I have something in my teeth?"
"What?" Max asked, obviously still confused. "No." He turned to Liz, "Let me help you with that."
Tess watched as Max and Liz went into the back together, angry that he would turn to the human. Through the window she saw Max pull Liz to him for a kiss and sent him another image, replacing Liz with herself.
She changed the size and shape of the Liz's body in his arms, to her own. She changed the texture of Liz's skin and hair in Max's hands, to her own, and finally she changed Liz's scent and the shape of her lips, to her own. Tess felt Max pull away from her as he realized the differences, and she let the images slip away.
Tess smiled, knowing Max was looking through the window at her. She had his attention now.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Tess, Lies & Videotape)
(May 1st, 2000)
(West Roswell High School)
Tess watched Isabel as Alex passed them in the hall. He could be a problem if Isabel decided to be with him instead of Michael, and Tess decided to see exactly what kind of hold Alex had on Isabel. "He's got it so bad for you," Tess said.
"He's sweet," Isabel answered vaguely.
"Sweet as in nice guy, or sweet as in potential love connection?" Tess pushed.
"Sweet as in I don't know." Isabel quickly changed the subject. "What about you? You've been here a couple of weeks. You must have somebody on your radar."
"Still soaking it all in," Tess started. She had to make sure Isabel accepted her destiny and it wouldn't hurt to start laying the groundwork now. "Although I have to admit, I'm a little bummed your brother is unavailable. I'm sort of into those serious, wounded guys."
"Yeah, well, you can forget it," Isabel laughed. "He's a total goner. You should hear him talk about her. Oh Liz is my soul mate. I never felt like this before," she said in a mocking tone. "It's enough to make you want to gag."
Tess was hurt by the words but continued. "That's weird. I thought I felt him..." she let her sentence trial off, letting Isabel make of it what she would.
Isabel was intrigued, "What?"
"Nothing," Tess dismissed, "I'm sure it was nothing."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Max stumbled out of the classroom unsure of what had happened. The visions he'd been having of Tess were getting more vivid and he couldn't control them. The one he had just experienced had been so real he had actually caught on fire and not been aware of it.
He wasn't attracted to Tess that way but there was something about her that was familiar. It was like he recognized her somehow, had known her in the past, but the feelings of attraction he felt for her were wrong, false. And the most disturbing thing about the situation was that he didn't feel in control of himself. Something was happening, changing within him, and he didn't know what to do.
Max saw Michael down the hall and ran to catch up with him. Michael knew him better than anyone, they could figure it out together.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Tess, Lies & Videotape)
(Tuesday, May 2nd, 2000)
Tess watched Max and Liz talking through the door of the Crashdown as the rain poured down. She couldn't hear what they were saying but she could tell by their body language that things between them were strained. She smiled, her plan was working already. They just needed another push or two and Max would be hers.
She waited until Max had exited the building and walked past her car, before alerting him to her presence. "Max!" she called to him. "My car broke down. Can you believe it?"
"No," Max said suspiciously.
"No?" Tess asked.
"No, I don't believe it."
"What are you talking about?" Tess asked, amazed he could see through her trap.
"You planned this," he realized.
"I planned what?" she asked innocently.
"To be out here."
Tess started pushing her power into him. This encounter was getting out of her control. "Max, you sound a little crazy."
Max could feel something happening, feel his will being taken away from him. "You're doing something to me," he accused.
Tess continued to influence Max with her powers, trying to calm him down. "Max, my car broke down. I'm waiting for somebody to help me. I didn't plan anything."
Max could feel the false emotions welling up in him, drawing him to closer to Tess. "I'm with Liz," he blurted out, as if saying it aloud would banish the other emotions.
Tess leaned closer to Max, while holding him in place, "I know you are."
He tried to leave but he couldn't move. "We belong together," Max continued, his voice the only thing he still had control over.
"I'm sure that's true," said Tess, moving closer.
Max moved closer to Tess, against his will, with hesitating steps, and fought it with everything that was in him. "I don't want anyone but her."
"I'm sure you don't," Tess agreed as she tightened her psychic hold on Max and brought him to her for a kiss. She glanced at the Crashdown and saw Liz move toward the door. This was the perfect opportunity. Tess willed Max to take her in his arms, to hold her like he loved her. She sent him a barrage of images, showing him that they were intended to be together, then she let herself get caught up in Max's kiss for a moment.
When she looked toward the Crashdown again Tess knew her victory was complete. The look of complete horror on Liz's face told Tess everything she had wanted was now hers, she just had to sit back and wait for Liz and Max's relationship to destroy itself.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Tess, Lies & Videotape)
(Former Eagle Rock Military Base)
(Wednesday, May 3rd, 2000)
Pierce watched the tape of the final broadcast from the camera at Michael Guerin's apartment, carefully studying Max's words.
I kissed Tess.
It was like something was controlling me.
Pierce stopped the tape and turned to the Agent next to him. "Who is Tess?"
"I don't know sir, but we will get on it immediately."
Pierce fast-forwarded and started the tape where Michael was speaking.
Why come to me? Why not go talk to your new buddy Valenti about it, all right?
Max attacked him verbally, "Would you leave it alone, already? He gave us back the orb. Maybe he isn't just out to get us."
Pierce stopped the tape again, "They have the other orb and it looks like Sheriff Valenti is right in the middle of this whole thing."
"Do you want me to put someone on the Sheriff?" the Agent asked.
"Yes," Pierce said. "Keep someone on him and report to me immediately if he discovers anything."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Tess, Lies & Videotape)
(Sunday, May 7th, 2000)
Agent Marley stopped the van just down the street from where the Sheriff parked his cruiser. He watched out the back window as Sheriff Valenti attempted to keep the children, he was following, in sight. The kids were congregated around a house looking in a window.
The Agent reached for his radio, "Control, this is Marley."
"This is Control."
"The Sheriff is observing the subjects, who are staking out a house."
"Whose house?" control asked.
"Unknown, but I can give you the address."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Ed waited until the front door had closed behind Max and Liz before crossing to the window. He carefully drew back the curtain just enough to see Max and Liz meet Michael and Isabel and the humans, outside. It was just as he had suspected, the whole thing had been a setup, an information-gathering mission.
He smiled. He had to admire Liz. She had obviously come into their house suspecting they were aliens. Anything could have happened to her but she had come alone.
As the kids walked down the street and climbed into their cars, a movement in another vehicle caught Ed's attention. The figure slumped down behind the seat in order to avoid being seen, but Ed was able to make out who it was. Sheriff Valenti.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Four Square)
(Monday, May 8th, 2000)
Ed stopped his car outside the Sheriff's Station and turned the miniature camera over in his fingers. He suspected that Liz had left the camera in the house last night, which meant the Special Unit must have been using it on the kids. But since he had seen the Sheriff at the house too, he had to check him out.
Either way, someone was too close to them and when he found out who it was, he would eliminate the threat.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
As Isabel dressed for school, her thoughts wandered to the dream she'd had of Michael and herself together. It had disturbed her in ways that she couldn't even start to explain. Not only had Michael always seemed like a brother to her, but the whole notion of being with him romantically was repulsive, wrong, and every fiber of her being rebelled against it.
But something was happening to her. She could tell that she was different, she could feel herself changing, but she was frightened of what she might be changing into. And somehow she just knew that Tess had something to do with it.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Former Eagle Rock Military Base)
Pierce looked up as Agent Marley entered his office. "What have you got?"
"We have the name of the people who live in the house that the kids and the Sheriff were watching. A man named Ed Harding, who works as a consultant for the military, and his daughter Tess."
"Tess," repeated Pierce.
"And there is something else,” Marley said. “Ed Harding went to visit Sheriff Valenti at his office this morning."
Pierce looked surprised for a moment and then smiled. "The Sheriff again. His name comes up more and more often.” His brow creased thoughtfully. “I wonder what Ed Harding and his daughter have to do with this. Pull the man off the Sheriff and put him on Mr. Harding. I will take care of Valenti myself.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(West Roswell High School)
Tess watched Isabel go into the school office. It was obvious Isabel was trying to gather information on her. Well, Tess thought, if it's information Isabel wants, it's information I'll give her. It was time to step up her plan by continually turning up the heat on Isabel and Michael. The dreams would convince Isabel and Michael they belonged together and then it would be much easier to bring Max to heel.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode – Four Square)
(Former Eagle Rock Military Base)
(May 9th, 2000)
Pierce looked up from the reports he was reading when his phone rang. "Pierce," he answered gruffly but his tone softened immediately when he recognized the caller. "Vanessa, how nice to hear from you."
"How's it going there?" Whitaker asked, not wanting to seem too curious, but eager to know if he had confirmed the identity of the suspect.
"Don't know yet. My first note is to look into the Sheriff here. I think he may be the key to everything."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Four Square)
(Wednesday, May 10th, 2000)
Ed checked the rear-view-mirror again. The same car had been following him since he had left work. In his mind, he had eliminated the Sheriff as a threat and that only left the Special Unit, but he had to make sure.
He drove into town and pulled into a parking space. He got out of the car and headed down an alley that he knew was a dead end, blending into the brickwork of the wall as soon as he was out of sight of the man tailing him.
After a few minutes a man in a conservative dark suit, peeked covertly around the corner of the building, and then proceeded into the alley. He looked around, obviously surprised that the man he was following could have gotten away. He pulled out his radio, "Control."
"This is Control."
"This is Marley. I was following subject Harding but he's gone, disappeared down a dead end alley, like he vanished into thin air. I don't know how he got away."
"Check the immediate area and then stay close to his car. He will have to come back for it eventually. I will put someone on the house."
"Yes Sir, Agent Pierce."
Ed waited until the Agent had left the alley to take his human form again. So Pierce was in charge of the Special Unit now, he thought to himself. He remembered Pierce's words from the first time he had seen him more than a year ago. Pierce would kill them all if he got the chance.
Pierce must have discovered the children after Ed had left his last position at the FBI in Texas, Ed thought. While he had posed as an FBI agent, Ed had searched the computers for any mention of the Special Unit but he hadn’t found anything. He had anticipated doing a more thorough search of the computer but he had been forced to leave Texas quickly, when he had learned of the signal in Roswell. Maybe that was how Pierce tracked the kids too, but Ed had to know for sure. And now that Ed knew what he was looking for, he would hack into the FBI computer system and see what he could learn about Agent Pierce and any ongoing investigations in Roswell.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Max to the Max)
(Thursday, May 11th, 2000)
Tess waited until Max had followed Isabel out of the pod chamber before turning to Michael. "You want to know, don't you?” she asked. “You want all the answers. I can give them to you, but first you have to convince them that I'm not your enemy."
Max had proved to her last night that he didn't trust her and Tess figured it would be easier to work on Michael first. She pulled the alien book out and offered it to Michael. "Max didn't tell you about this, did he? Take it," she said, pushing it toward him, hoping he or the others would remember how read it. "It will prove to them I don't want to hurt you. If you convince them, then I can explain everything."
Michael turned the book over in his hands and reluctantly left the chamber.
Ed revealed himself, stepping away from the wall where he had been hidden, returning to his human form. "How could you bring them up here like this? You know the Special Unit is close. You saw that camera. Who do you think put it on them in the first place? Our friend, Pierce."
"Oh yeah?" asked Tess sarcastically. "So why don't you just kill him? According to Max, you've done that before."
"What has he been telling you? You're going to trust him over me?" Ed would never admit it, but her words had hurt him. "Listen, you and I have spent a lot of time together. Now I don't want to say we're family..." he conceded, only to have Tess cut him off.
"You're not my family," Tess spat. "You never will be. Max, Michael and Isabel are."
"Fine," Ed said, betraying no emotion. "Go have your little reunion. If I have to kill people, I kill people. Pierce is dangerous. You all still need me if you expect to survive him."
Looked at him closely, noticing for the first time that he was upset. "You're really scared of Pierce, aren't you? More than the others."
"He's smarter,” Ed said. “He's closer to the four of you than anyone's ever been."
Ed watched as Tess went after the others. Shape shifters were engineered not born. He had no parents and didn’t know who his clone donors had been, and it had never mattered. But he and Tess had lived as father and daughter for ten years and he had come to care for her, have the feelings of a father of sorts. And she was right, he was not her family. He was her protector, and he had always known that one day he would have to fit back into the roll of protector. But Tess' denial of him had hurt.
Ed didn't know if the personalities on the originals were supposed to be transferred into the clones, but he felt that Tess' behavior was a failure on his part. Her behavior on Earth was considerably different than it had been on Antar. Ava had been soft spoken, kind and always concerned about others around her, but Tess was rude, demanding and selfish. Ed acknowledged he had spoiled her, giving her anything she desired, and allowing her the freedom to develop as she had. He had not felt it was his duty or even his right to discipline her, but perhaps he had been wrong.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Former Eagle Rock Military Base)
The conversation with Agent Marley the day before, continued to play in Pierce's head. How had the middle-aged Harding evaded an Agent in his prime, so quickly? There was something definitely wrong with the whole situation.
Marley's words echoed again, 'he vanished into thin air'
Pierce turned to the tapes they had recorded from Michael Guerin's apartment and ran his finger over the dates, finally finding the one he wanted. He put it into the VCR and fast-forwarded to a conversation Michael had had with Isabel. He played the tape where Isabel was speaking.
"That would mean that each of us has this information in some part of us we're just not conscious of."
"Or Liz is getting the messages from somewhere or someone else," said Michael.
"Nasedo?" Isabel asked.
Pierce rewound the tape and started it again.
messages from somewhere or someone else," said Michael.
"Nasedo?" Isabel asked.
Pierce stopped the tape. Could Ed Harding be Nasedo?
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Ed walked down the street until he was sure he was being followed, then he ducked into the alley. He turned to confront the man who tailed him, "I was hoping it would be one of you. I need to send a message to Agent Pierce."
He reached out and put his hand on the Agent's chest, quickly bringing his organs to a deadly temperature. Then he dragged the man to the rental car, parked further down the alley and put him into the trunk.
Phase one of the plan was complete, now he just needed to get Liz, and lure Pierce into the trap.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Later that night – in the Jeep)
Tess was growing more frightened as they continued to drive, looking for Liz and Nasedo, and she tried to convince Max they shouldn't interfere. "Max, I can't understand why you are doing this. You are putting us all in danger because of a human. Nasedo will handle everything. He didn't tell us what he was doing because he didn't want us involved. We should only be concerned about ourselves."
Max couldn't believe what Tess was saying. Didn't she care about anyone or anything but herself? Liz had helped them selflessly many times, risked herself to save them more than once, and even if he didn't love her, there was no way he would just let Nadeso take her.
When Max didn't reply, Tess tried another approach. "Max you will have to forget about Liz anyway. You and I were made for one another. We belong together."
"No," Max said simply.
"You can't deny this," Tess said, turning to encompass them all with her statement, "any of you. It's our destiny. It's what we were planned for. Even if you don't want to believe me, you can't hide from the truth."
Max was growing angry but he fought to keep his temper, "It's not about the four of us right now, it's about Liz."
"Liz is human," Tess continued, "She has nothing to do with us."
Tess' words finally pushed him past the breaking point. "No," said Max softly, "you have nothing to do with us."
"Michael, is that what you think?” Tess gasped. “Isabel?"
Both of them turned away from her, their silence answering her question.
Tess was dumbfounded. She had finally found her mate and her family and they valued a human more than her.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Max to the Max)
(Mirror Maze at the Carnival)
Ed, disguised as Max, searched for Liz in the maze of mirrors. He had to admit she had spirit. She hadn't given in to him and she was good at thinking on her feet.
He walked around a corner and ran into Max. "What are you doing? Get out of here."
"Where's Liz?" Max demanded.
"Pierce doesn't care about her, he only wants me," Ed said, trying to calm Max.
"He wants her, too. He wants all of us," Max asserted. "I'm not leaving without her."
"I won't let him take you," Ed tried to reassure Max, but was cut off by Liz's appearance.
"Max!" she cried as she rushed to him.
"Liz," Max called out, and rushed toward her, but he was stopped less than an inch away from her by a wall of glass. When he realized he couldn't get to her he looked her in the eyes, "Get out of here."
"Not without you," Liz insisted. Suddenly Liz saw the FBI Agents behind him in the mirrors. "Max! Behind you!"
Ed slipped around the mirrors and took Liz by the hand. He had to get her to safety, his King had ordered it. Max was powerful, Ed thought, surely he could handle a couple of humans. And Ed knew Max wouldn't leave without Liz. He led Liz out of the maze and into a bus, where she would be safe until this was over. "Right in here."
Liz looked him over quickly for injuries. "Max, are you all right?"
Then she surprised him with a kiss, but he could tell by the look on her face, she knew he wasn't Max even before she spoke. She had known before too, when she had kissed him in the car, and he wondered briefly how she could sense the difference. Earlier she had said Max had changed her, and Ed had thought she was speaking metaphorically. She had also said she and Max had seen into each other's souls, but if she really had seen into his soul maybe Max had done something to her when he healed her. Maybe she had been somehow changed.
"You're not Max," Liz said, backing away from him.
"No, I'm not. And now I've got to get him back." He changed his appearance into that of a clown and ran back toward the mirror maze to make sure Max made it out.
But he skidded to a stop as he saw several FBI Agents surrounding a gurney that was being pushed toward an ambulance. He didn't have to see the patient's face to know who it was. Agent Pierce had Max.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - The White Room)
(Friday, May 12th, 2000)
(The Roswell UFO Museum)
Liz turned to Tess, "Where's Nasedo?"
"I don't know," Tess said.
Michael joined in the interrogation, "He's supposed to be at our side. Where is he?"
"I told you," Tess said angrily, "I don't know. He's never left me alone like this before."
Isabel sighed, "Then it's up to us. We have to find Max."
Alex tried to make them see reason. "What makes you think we can go up against alien hunters and win?"
Michael was instantly angry, misunderstanding Alex's protest. "What the hell choice do we have? Let him be a pincushion for Pierce? Let him die?"
"No," answered Alex quietly.
Liz spoke up, "We have to go to Valenti."
Michael couldn't believe what she was suggesting. "What, and tell him everything?"
Isabel tried to appeal to Michael, "Max was willing to do it to save Liz. Maybe now is the time to trust him."
Tess listened to the others making plans. They had not even asked her what her opinion was and Isabel was siding with Liz. She had to make them see they belonged together, and they would work better as a team. The four of them were the only ones who mattered. They didn't need help from anyone, not Liz, not the Sheriff, not anyone human. "What makes you think that Valenti is better equipped than we are?" she asked.
"He's the law," Maria said, stating the obvious. "He's got resources."
"So do we," Tess reminded them. "Stronger ones." She turned to Michael and Isabel, "Look, I know what I can do. What about the two of you?"
"What do you mean? Michael asked.
"Your powers, Michael," Tess said. "Your gifts. You do have them, don't you?"
Michael looked down, embarrassed, "We're not too advanced."
Isabel tried to explain, "We can do easy things, like change simple molecular structure, but we don't use them very often. What about you?"
Tess smiled. She could tell her suggestion was winning them over. "Being around Nasedo has taught me quite a few things."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - The White Room)
(Former Eagle Rock Military Base)
Ed emerged from his hiding place as the Agents wheeled the sheet-covered body past him and into the building. He had anticipated that they would bring the dead Agent, he had left on the side of the road, to the morgue, and he could use the man's hand to get past the security scan.
Last night he had followed the ambulance from the carnival to the base. The security had been too tight to attempt rescuing Max and he had been forced to wait. He used the time to re-familiarize himself with the layout of the base and then chose a convenient spot to hide and wait for the arrival of the dead Agent.
Ed waited a few more minutes to give the other Agents time to leave the room. Then he shifted into the face of one of the Agents he had seen earlier and followed the corridor to the morgue. As he approached the door, he heard voices from inside; male and female voices, and they seemed to be arguing.
He recognized the shrill tone of one of the female voices and shook his head. What did they think they were doing?
He pushed open the door and confronted them, determined to give them a scare. "Hey. You shouldn't be here. What are you doing here?"
Michael raised his hand and attempted to gather his power, but it was wildly unpredictible and would not obey him. Then Michael watched as the Agent stretch out his hand toward them. A burst of power hit Michael in the chest and the next thing he knew, he was lying on the floor.
"It's you," Tess said, the relief evident in her voice.
Ed shifted into the Harding persona, and Tess turned her fear and anger on him. "Don't ever leave me alone like that again."
Ed dismissed her petulant tone, "I have four of you to watch now."
Michael was wide-eyed with curiosity, "I've been looking for you for a long time."
Ed smiled, "Not as long as I've been looking for you. Now you're about to get yourselves killed."
"We're here for Max," Isabel said, defending their actions.
Ed shook his head, "This isn't the local Sheriff you're dealing with. You should have known better. None of you are equipped to be here. I've got to get you out of here," he said aloud, but another plan was already taking shape in his mind, and it would require the help of all three.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Destiny)
(Saturday, May 13th, 2000)
(Roswell UFO Museum)
Kyle waited until Max and the others left the room. "Dad, what the hell happened?"
Jim studied his son. He had almost lost Kyle and he was more grateful to Max than he could ever express. But Kyle would have questions and Jim knew he would have to tell Kyle the truth. He just wasn't sure how to do that. "Kyle, you know I’ve been investigating Max."
"You told me to stay away from him." Kyle put his hand on his chest, covering the place where he had been shot and Max had laid his hands, healing him. "Is this why?"
Jim nodded. "Do you remember last September, the shooting incident at the Crashdown?"
"Yeah. That's when Liz started acting all weird."
"That's because Liz was shot and Max saved her life, like he just saved yours."
"The handprint on her stomach," Kyle remembered. "So the stories Grandpa told were true?" he asked incredulously.
"They must have been."
"But he told me about a killer alien from back in his time, leaving bodies with glowing handprints on them. Is that Max Evans?"
Jim shook his head, "I didn't know at first, that’s why I told you to stay away from Max, but I’ve gotten to know him and the others and they are just scared kids. They don't know where they’re from or why they’re here."
"The others?" Kyle asked, picking up on his father's phrasing.
"Michael and Isabel too."
Kyle accepted the information. "What about Deputy Fisher? Does he know too?"
"Fisher was really an undercover FBI Agent named Pierce who has been hunting Max and the others. He took Max captive and tortured him. I helped Max escape." Jim paused, "Max, Michael & Isabel recently found another alien who was sent with them to be their protector. Pierce injured him, maybe killed him. So I helped Max lure Pierce here so they could find out where this other man is and if he is alive. Somehow Pierce got loose and got a gun, and Michael had to defend us from him. Pierce was killed."
"Michael killed an FBI Agent?"
"Michael saved my life," Jim said simply. "Unfortunately we can't tell anyone what really happened because it would expose Max and the others. So we will have to get rid of Pierce's body and pretend like this never happened." Jim looked Kyle in the eye to make sure he had his son's attention. "The reason I am telling you this Kyle, is because we both have to keep this secret. We are both involved and I promised Max I would help him. I gave my word."
Kyle looked at his father and nodded, "I understand, dad. I won't tell anyone."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Destiny)
(Sunday, May 14th, 2000)
(The Pod Chamber)
Ed got up off the floor and stood before them.
"I knew you wouldn't leave us," Tess said.
Ed smiled, "You're not ready to be left alone."
Michael agreed, "You're right, we need you. Show us how the orbs work."
Ed motioned to Liz, "She doesn't belong here."
Max stepped forward, "She's with me." He brought the conversation back to the orbs, "We want to know. You're the only one who can show us."
Ed considered them for a moment. He knew this day would come, and he hoped to put it off for a while longer but when it came right down to it, the decision was Max's. "It's not my job to show you. My only job is to keep you alive.
Max picked up on his phrasing immediately, "Your job?"
Michael pressed the point, "Well if your only job is to keep us alive, then tell us. They're communicators. They communicate with who?"
Ed sighed, "You're not ready to know yet."
Michael was like a dog with a bone, "They communicate with our home planet, don't they? Why don't you want us to contact them?"
"Because you don't know who else you may contact in the process," Ed admitted.
"Who else is there?" asked Isabel with a haunted tone.
Ed was reluctant to mention their enemies on Earth, fearing that their curiosity would lead them to investigate. The skins were beyond anything they could possibly imagine and they just weren't ready. "Set off those orbs, and you have no idea who you may be leading straight to us."
Max jumped to a conclusion, "You don't know, do you? You don't know how to use the orbs. If you knew, you would've already used them. You're here to protect us, but not to lead us, you said it yourself. But if you're not the leader, who is?
Ed remained silent, allowing Max to continue with his misconception that he didn’t know how to use the orbs, but steadily met Max's eyes, answering Max's last question. The others all looked at Max, finally understanding, and Ed continued, "If you really want to know what the orbs do, you can find out for yourselves. I can't stop you, but do it at your own risk."
Max brushed Ed's warning aside, a plan suddenly forming in his mind, "If you're really here to protect us, there's something you have to do. The only way we can ever go back is if nobody's hunting us anymore."
"Pierce is already dead," Michael reminded him.
Max shook his head. "He'll only be replaced," he looked at Ed, "unless we replace him."
Ed smiled, understanding Max's meaning and shifted into Pierce.
"The other agents are at an abandoned gas station in Hondo," Max informed him.
The faux Pierce smiled, "Now that I'm the head of their Special Unit, we'll have all their resources. You'll be safe now."
Max waited until Ed had disappeared before he picked up the orb. "I want to know."
Michael and Isabel took the other orb and Max turned to Tess. "Maybe if we just focus like Nasedo's always said."
The four of them pushed their energy into the orbs, activating the mechanisms within.
The orb that had been in the special unit vault had no message to show and it sent a single signal, revealing their position.
The orb from the desert activated the message stored within. A blue light radiated from the swirling symbol briefly and coalesced, growing brighter and brighter and finally the face of a woman appeared.
If you are seeing me now, it means that you are alive and well. I take this form because it will be familiar to you, and it will help you to understand what I am about to say. You have lived before. You perished in the conflict that enslaves our planet but your essence was duplicated, cloned, and mixed with human genetic material so that you might be recreated into human beings. My son, you were the beloved leader of our people. I have sent with you your young bride. My daughter, the man you were betrothed to, and your brother's second-in-command.
"Oh my god, Max," exclaimed Isabel, "Our mother."
Our enemies have come to the Earth. You will know them only by the evil within. Learn enough to use your skills, your knowledge, your leadership to combat the enemy so that you can come back and free us and I may once again hold you both in my arms. I live for that moment. Help us. I love you.
Isabel was practically overcome with emotion. She had been so upset to discover they had been hatched, thinking it meant they had no families but to see their mother was more than she had ever hopped for. "She's so beautiful."
Michael was just as awestruck, "I always knew there was something out there, but I had no idea how important it was."
"Things will never be the same," Max said, "but whatever happens, we have to stay together." He glanced at Tess, to let her know he considered her part of the group. "It's the four of us now."
Tess thrilled to Max's words. He had finally accepted his destiny, accepted her, and she threw herself into his arms and lifted her lips to his. "I knew this was meant to be."
Max held Tess' arms to keep the distance between them and gently put her away from him. "No." He turned to Liz and took her arm to stop her from leaving. "Look, everything I told you before is still true."
Liz had watched the message with growing horror. It just wasn't fair. She and Max had found one another across the galaxy, survived crazy humans and the FBI, overcome every obstacle, and now a message from their mother on another planet was tearing them apart. Max and his 'young bride' were the last hope of an enslaved race. They had been sent to Earth to prepare to take back their planet and Liz knew that left no place in Max's life for her. Max didn't belong with her. He was supposed to be with Tess, just like Nasedo had said.
Liz struggled to keep the tears back as she turned to Max. "Max, you do have a destiny. You just heard it. I can't stand in the way of it."
Max shook his head, not wanting to believe Liz's words, "But you mean everything to me."
Liz reached up to touch his precious face, and knowing it would be the last time, she gently kissed him. "Goodbye, Max." And then she turned and went out the door before she could change her mind.
Max was stunned. Just that morning, he had been so happy, knowing that soon all of this would be over and he and Liz could be together without any further complications. And now his curiosity had ruined everything. He wished he had never suggested they activate the orbs. He would trade everything to have Liz back.
He quickly followed her out of the cave, not ready to simply allow her to walk out of his life. "Liz. Liz, wait."
Liz turned automatically toward Max's voice, unable to mask the pain on her face that mirrored his own. She hated causing him pain but they had to let go of one another, and the sooner the better. She couldn't stand the thought of having him in her life, growing closer, loving each other only to have to send him away with another woman when the time came for them to return home. Liz turned from him and started walking away, but broke into a run after only a few steps.
Michael followed Max out of the pod chamber and witnessed the scene between Max and Liz. He could hear the anguish in Max's voice and see it in Liz's face. But maybe it was for the best, he thought. Max and Liz knew they didn't belong together, maybe it was better for them to part now.
Max took a step forward to follow Liz but Michael put a restraining hand on his arm. "You gotta let her go."
Isabel and Tess emerged from the pod chamber and came up behind them. Isabel could feel the pain coming off Max in waves, but Tess seemed to be oblivious.
"What happens now Max?" Tess asked.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Destiny)
(Monday, May 15th, 2000 3:33PM Western Time)
(SETI [Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence] Institute Satellite Array - Lafayette, CA)
(Immediately after the activation of the orbs)
Courtney jumped when her trithium amplification generator activated. It happened so seldom that it always surprised her, but when she turned the pentagon to check the message, she almost dropped it. The signal was not from Copper Summit as she had expected, it was carried on a frequency that was only used by the Tageonant Royalty.
Finally it was happening. The Royal Four were using their communicators and she would be able to trace the signal using the program she had created and covertly planted in the SETI computers. She only hoped the program was functioning properly.
Courtney raced to her computer station and ran a search using the arrays in Puerto Rico and England to complete the triangulation and she waited impatiently as the program traced the signal's origin. She only had to wait a moment, and as the location was revealed, she had to laugh. The signal's duration had been too short to get an exact pinpoint but the computer had traced the signal back to where it had all begun, the crash site.
Roswell.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Max watched where Liz had disappeared around the rocks, long after she was gone, with Tess' question echoing in his head. He was the leader. He was in charge, and it was up to him to decide what to do.
Max swiped at his wet eyes and slowly turned toward the others. "Isabel and Michael, you take the Jeep and make sure that Liz gets home. Tess and I will clean up here. Then we'll take Tess' car and meet you guys at the Harding house in about an hour, to decide what we’re going to do with Pierce's body."
Isabel looked suspiciously at Tess, "Max..."
He held up a hand, cutting her off, "Iz, it's okay." He glanced at Tess, "She and I need to have a talk. Please just take care of Liz."
Michael took Isabel by the elbow. "You've got it Max," he agreed, knowing how important Liz's safety was to him. "We'll make sure she's okay."
Isabel hesitated again, "Max, are you sure?"
He forced a smile, "I'll see you in an hour."
She nodded and followed Michael down the hill.
Max turned and walked back to the pod chamber without a glance at Tess, but knowing that she was right behind him. He reached down and picked up the orbs and tossed the question over his shoulder. "So did you know about this?"
Tess positioned herself where Max could see her, and waited until she had his attention before she spoke. "You mean about what your mother told us?"
He nodded.
"Yeah. Ed didn't think we should tell you right away. He thought it might scare you. I wanted to tell you. I knew you wouldn't turn away from your people, from your destiny, from me." She leaned into him. "Now that you know we are married, you don't have to feel guilty about wanting to be with me. Your own mother told you we are supposed to be together."
Max stepped back, shaking his head, "No Tess, you don't understand. I don't love you."
"Well," she said with a smile, "we barely know each other but in time..."
Max cut her off, "Time won't make any difference, Tess. I love Liz. I always have, I always will, and I’m going to do everything in my power to get her back."
"But the message," Tess objected, "our mission. You heard what your mother said."
"I won't let anyone tell me who to be with," Max said more harshly than he meant to, and then lowered his voice to a conciliatory tone. "We can still work together as a team, still work to save our people."
Tess had a confused look on her face. "I love you and you are supposed to love me," she said woodenly.
"I'm sorry, Tess. Things don't always work out like you think they should,” Max said. “And how could you love me, you don't even know me?"
"I knew you and loved you then, and you are the same person."
Max shook his head, "Obviously I'm not." He motioned to the healing stones, still lying on the ground, "Let's find a place in here to keep those and the orbs and get back to your house."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Former Eagle Rock Military Base)
Ed, disguised as Pierce, strode into the Special Unit behind the Agent he had retrieved from the Sheriff's closet. He had met the Agents in Hondo, quietly killing one and then shooting the other. Then he had used his powers to darken the dead-man's skin and sent the body on the helicopter to be examined by the lab. After disposing of the other body he had gone to Sheriff Valenti's house and released the other Agent from the closet.
As they approached the check-in scan, Ed saw a man working on the panel. "What's going on?" he asked the Agent.
"Agent Pierce, the scan was damaged during the escape. When we locked down the facility, the gate short-circuited and we had to pry it open. The scanning computer was fried. We have been working on it but we haven't been able to fix it. I'm afraid it will have to be replaced."
Ed smiled, "The shape shifter is dead and he was the last one. There is no reason to have a skeletal scan anymore."
He walked down the hall to Pierce's office and gathered all of the files he could find about Max and the others. He changed Max's lab results and any other damning evidence he could find. Eventually he would destroy all mention of them in the FBI files but first he needed to get rid of the other men in the Special Unit, so no one would be left to ask questions.
He would eliminate the Agents one by one, either killing them or assigning them to other duties. He would have to interview each man to determine if he really knew anything. If they did, he would discretely get rid of them, but he would do that somewhere besides Roswell. Then he would go to Washington DC and destroy the files there and finally the Special Unit itself.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Harding House)
Max held his many questions until Michael and Isabel arrived and when they were all seated, he started the interrogation. "Tess, tell us what you know about this war, about our other lives."
Tess smiled with satisfaction. Max was accepting his role as leader and it would only be a matter of time before he accepted her. She took a breath and started, "I don't know a lot of details but Ed has told me that a man usurped Max’s throne and we were all killed in the war.”
“Wait a minute,” Michael interrupted. “Maxwell was the King?”
“Of course,” Tess said. “You heard the message.”
“The message said leader,” Michael pointed out. “There’s a big difference between leader and King. A leader could be temporary, like a president, but King is for life.”
Max focused on Tess. “But we were killed.”
Tess nodded. “We made a back-up plan to harvest our genetic material and were sent to Earth to prepare to take back our planet."
Max, Michael and Isabel waited for Tess to continue, but she remained silent.
Finally Isabel spoke. “That’s it?”
“That’s what?” Tess asked.
Isabel shook her head, "That is basically what the message from our mother said. Don't you know anything else?"
Tess frowned, "Like what?"
Michael spoke up, "Like how did we lose the war? How are we supposed to prepare? And how do we get back when the time comes?"
Tess looked down. "I don't know," she admitted.
Michael snorted, "Didn't Ed tell you anything?"
Tess straightened to her full height. "Ed is just our protector. Max is the King. He will tell us what to do."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Max waited in the alley beneath Liz's balcony for her to go up to her room. He leaned against the building and rubbed his forehead, it had been a long day. After the meeting at Tess' house, they recovered Maria's Jetta and returned it to her, briefly telling her everything, and suggesting Liz might need her. Then he, Michael and Isabel filled in the Sheriff, on the events of the day, including the contents of the message from their mother. When it had gotten dark, Max had gone with Michael and the Sheriff and disposed of Pierce's body.
From the desert, Max had come straight to the Crashdown, craving Liz's calming influence after the crazy events of the last few days. He had seen Liz through the window in the restaurant but what he needed to say to her would be better without an audience. Finally he saw the light in her bedroom go on and he climbed the ladder, eager to talk to her.
Liz sank down onto her bed, exhausted. After walking away from Max that morning, she didn't know how she had kept it together all day. She had wanted to hide from the world and just cry, but she had been scheduled to work so she had been forced to push aside her grief and pretend nothing was wrong.
Maria and Alex had come to the Crashdown to try and make her feel better, neither of them really understanding why Liz felt she had to give up Max. She had tried to explain it to them, and even though they didn’t agree with her, they did support her decision. They had wanted to stay with her but Liz had told them she was tired and they had left a few minutes ago.
And now she was alone. Alone. Liz nearly choked on the word. She had never felt so alone in her life.
Just that morning she had been so happy. She and Max were finally together. Yes, the FBI was after them and Max had just escaped captivity, but it had seemed they could overcome anything, together. Then they had heard the message from Max and Isabel’s mother, their real mother.
Intellectually Liz had always known there was a reason Max and the others had been sent to Earth, but she had never imagined exactly just what that would entail. But as she had stood listening to the message, everything snapped into place. Max was the King of his planet and with his 'young bride' he was expected to save his people.
Max really was meant to be with Tess and it wasn't just the design of some scientists, it had been Max's choice. Max had married Tess in his other life. Even if it had been an arranged marriage, he had married her.
Liz wiped the moisture from her eyes. She had to put it behind her. It didn't matter how much she loved him, Max had a destiny and she couldn't be the one to keep him from it, no matter how much it hurt her. Eventually Max would see it was for the best too.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the window. She knew who it was before she turned, and quickly tried to pull herself together before she faced him. Taking a deep breath, Liz crossed to the window and opened it. "Max, what are you doing here?"
Beneath the brave face Liz was feigning, Max could see her anguish. "We have to talk," he said softly.
"I think we’ve said everything, Max."
Max shook his head. "We haven't even started with what's important." He glanced at the window frame separating them. "Can I come in?"
Liz looked toward the door. The last thing she needed was her parents asking questions. "No, I'll come out."
Max waited until she had climbed out the window before he started, the words he had rehearsed going right out of his head. "Liz I know you’re upset by what happened today but it doesn't change anything. It doesn't change the way I feel about you."
"Max, it changes everything," Liz said sadly.
Max shook his head, "No, it doesn't."
"Max you heard what your mother said," Liz said, her voice cracking with emotion. "You were meant to be with Tess."
"No one is going to tell me who to be with. I love you. You are the only one I want."
Liz shook her head, "There is a reason you were sent here, Max. You are the King of another planet and your people are expecting you to save them. You have a duty to them and if I let myself get in your way, someday you would come to regret your decision to be with me."
"That would never happen Liz," Max assured her.
"I can't take the chance," Liz said softly, as tears gathered in her eyes. "You can't change destiny Max, and you can't escape it."
"I don't care about any of that," Max said.
He advanced toward her and Liz backed away a couple of steps and held up her hands, wanting him to stop. "No Max. We have to stay away from one another."
"I won't accept that Liz," he said, taking another step closer. "I know you love me and I won't let you deny what is between us."
Liz stepped backward and bumped into the wall and Max continued to advance until there were only inches separating them. He reached out and stroked her soft cheek with his fingertips.
"Max, please stop," she begged breathlessly.
Max pressed his forehead to hers. "No. I will never stop until you admit we belong together." He took her face in his hands and kissed her gently.
Liz tried to resist him but it was too difficult when she wanted the same thing. She felt herself lean into him and return his kiss.
When Liz responded, Max threaded one hand through her hair and encircled her waist with the other. He pulled her closer and deepened the kiss, knowing he was winning the battle to get her back.
Liz wrapped her arms around Max's neck. She loved him so much but she couldn't let this continue. This had to be the last time they were together.
Max could feel her emotionally withdrawing from him and pulled back.
Liz shook with reaction from Max's kisses. "Max we have to stop this. It can't happen again."
"We belong together Liz and you know it," he whispered.
"Max please don't do this," Liz begged. "You're making it harder than it has to be."
Max shook his head, "I won't stop. You mean too much to me. I won't let you go, it will never be over between us."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Thursday, May 18th, 2000)
(The Harding House)
Ed stood before the Royal Four in the living room. He had noted with relief Liz Parker wasn’t present when he had entered, and he hoped that Max had changed his mind and was ready to accept his destiny. He had to admit that he could see what Max loved in Liz. She was a remarkable human, and Ed had begrudgingly begun to respect her strength, determination and loyalty. Liz had helped the Royal Four many times, and she had even stood up to him. But it didn’t matter how remarkable she was, Liz was a human and not part of the plan, and the sooner Max learned that, the better.
"I will be leaving tomorrow to go to Washington with the Special Unit." He reached out and handed Max a bag and a slip of paper, "These are your possessions I recovered from the Special Unit and my cell phone number. Use it if there's an emergency, but I don't anticipate you will have any trouble until I get back."
"What about Tess?" Max asked.
"She will continue to live here as Tess Harding. She is seventeen and old enough to stay alone while her father is out-of-town on business. I have arranged for all of the bills to be paid and she knows how to access all of the accounts in case anything happens to me."
"How long will you be gone?" Michael asked.
Ed looked at his watch impatiently, "I don't know. As long as it takes to destroy all evidence of your existence from the Special Unit files."
"But what about the enemies Max's mother told us about," Michael pushed. "They could be coming into town even as we speak."
"Even if they were able to trace the signal, they can't tell you from any other humans,” Ed said. “Just don't do anything to draw attention to yourselves and you will be safe. But you'll need to start developing your powers. Now that you are reaching maturity, you will grow stronger, more powerful, and from what I have seen, all of you need to work on control. Tess can help you with that."
Max nodded, "We'll set up a regular training schedule."
Ed nodded his approval.
In his search of the archived records at the Special Unit, Ed had specifically searched for the fate of the other two shape shifters, Kaldar and Letras. He had found no reference to Kaldar but discovered that Letras, who had been recaptured with him in the desert, had been held by the Special Unit for almost three years. There were detailed records of his captivity, including transcripts of interrogations, details of torture, and finally reports of his execution, autopsy and cremation.
Ed had been disappointed, because he had hoped to find one of the others alive, to help with the protection of the Royal Four. He anticipated being in Washington D.C. for at least a couple of months and he hated leaving the children alone for long. He had even considered contacting Cuerena early, to have her come to Roswell, but he had dismissed the idea almost immediately. He didn’t want to alter the plan needlessly. The children were safe, they had ready-made covers, and now Tess was there to give them the wisdom of her experience.
Ed had also wondered if he should tell them about the Granolith but had quickly pushed the idea aside. He had never mentioned it to Tess because he didn't want her to be able to pass along the information and for the same reason, he didn't tell the others now. If something were to happen to him, they would still learn about it from Cuerena when she arrived.
Yes, he thought to himself as he looked at them, he was right to keep as much from them as he could. The last thing he needed was them asking a lot of questions. Today’s fiasco had proven they would be easier to control if they didn't know anything.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Friday, May 19th, 2000)
(The Parker House)
Liz tossed her book bag carelessly onto the floor and sank down into the sofa with a loud sigh. Max had pursued her relentlessly the last few days; following her, calling her, sending her notes and flowers. She had begged him to stop but he had refused, and even though his arguments were persuasive, she knew she shouldn't give in to him for both their sakes. The only problem was, it wasn't becoming easier to deny him as she had anticipated, it was becoming more difficult.
Max continually argued that they loved one another too much to be apart, but it was precisely because she loved Max so completely that she had to let him go. Yes she wanted to be with him more than just about anything; the only thing that was even more important to her was Max's happiness.
She had discovered that real love was not a selfish emotion. Max's life and happiness meant more to her than her own and she couldn't let him throw away his family, his people, and his throne for her. Max had to be free to find his true path and purpose in life.
And even though Liz knew she was doing the right thing, it still wasn't easy. She loved Max so much it was torture denying herself, but to deny the man she loved was tearing her apart. She didn't think she would be able to hold out against him much longer and she had to do something or she would end up with him again.
Her eyes fell on the letters on the table before her and she reached for the stack, absent-mindedly flipping through them. She needed to get away from Max, put some distance between them for a while until she could gather her strength. And then the handwritten address on one envelope caught her attention.
Lucy Hodges
3493 Bridge St.
St. Augustine, FL
Aunt Lucy, Liz thought. Lucy was always inviting Liz to spend time with her. Liz nodded, quickly making up her mind to go. It might just be the perfect solution.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Sunday - May 28th, 2000)
As Max walked he shoved his hands into his pockets and kicked a rock that was in his path, deep in thought. He felt he had no one to talk to and there was so much going on; his new role as the leader, the possibility of being attacked by their enemies, trying to keep the others safe. And his experience in the white room still haunted him, the memories of pain, the fear.
In typical guy fashion Michael just brushed it aside, thinking Max would get over it sooner if they didn’t talk about it and instead Michael tried to force Max to concentrate on their alien mission. Max knew Isabel wanted to help him get through it, to be supportive and symphathetic, but she had seen some of what he had been subjected to and she didn’t know what to do either. And Tess just acted like the whole thing hadn’t happened.
Growing up, Max had thought that was his ultimate nightmare, to be exposed and tortured by the government. And the physical pain had been bad, but Max had been surprised and horrified to discover that there were other hurts that went much deeper. Pierce had used psychological torture too, threatening his friends, his family, Liz. And in the white room, under Pierce’s care, Max had really discovered his absolute worst fear. Losing Liz.
He smiled grimly. He should have known it all along. It was why he had risked himself and Michael and Isabel, to heal Liz when she was shot, because he couldn’t bear the thought of losing her. Max had healed Liz, and he had saved her from Pierce, but he had lost her anyway. The pain he had experienced in the white room was nothing compared to the pain he had felt when Liz left him. And each day that Liz was gone, the pain grew worse, and his depression deepened.
Liz had also experienced what happened to him in the white room. She had seen it in the flashes she received when they had kissed in the van. And though Max hadn’t wanted her to see, somehow part of his burden and fear had lifted knowing that she was sharing it with him. He knew Liz understood, and more than anything he wanted to talk to her, to be healed by her beautiful soul and loving embrace. But Liz had felt she had to leave him.
Liz had been gone for only a week but Max thought he would go crazy if he didn't do something. She had refused to tell him where she was going or when she would be back, and he didn't even have a way to contact her.
Of course, he thought, that was just what Liz wanted. She thought it would be easier to put their relationship behind them if they weren't in the same town. And if she had stayed, Max admitted he would have continued to pursue her until she had come back to him.
He had left his house that evening to take a walk and relieve some of his nervous energy, and once again he found himself outside the Crashdown. For so many years he had come here just to catch a glimpse of Liz and he still associated it with her, but a quick glance inside was enough for him to see it wasn't the same without her.
Max slumped down into one of the chairs on the sidewalk and ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. Nothing had been the same since Liz had walked away from him that day at the pod chamber. He felt unsure of himself in his newly discovered roll as the leader and there had already been things he wanted to discuss with Liz to hear her opinion. She knew him like no one else and he could tell her things that even Michael and Isabel wouldn't understand.
Liz was his best friend, his confident, his heart and soul, and without her he just felt torn, incomplete. And she had to know that, because she felt the same way about him. She also had to know that no one else could ever take her place in his life, especially Tess. It just wasn't possible.
Max saw Maria through the window of the Crashdown. He knew Liz had made her best friend promise that she wouldn't tell him where she was, and he didn't expect Maria to break her promise. But being with Maria was the only thing that brought him any comfort, it was the next best thing to being with Liz.
Maria saw Max sitting at a table outside and smiled sadly. She knew the separation was hurting both Max and Liz and she wished she could do something for them. She pushed open the door and slid into the chair next to him, "Hey."
Max smiled, "Hey."
Maria sighed. "So, I won't betray my best friend, but I think you and Liz belong together and maybe I can help."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Tuesday, June 6th, 2000)
(Congresswoman Whitaker's Apartment)
(Washington, DC)
Vanessa had not been able to contact Daniel for over three weeks and she was starting to worry. Sometimes when he got involved in his work he forgot to call, but he had never been out of touch this long. She picked up her phone and dialed his cell phone.
He answered almost immediately, "Pierce."
She was instantly relieved, realizing that she had feared for his life. "Daniel, I have been trying to reach you for weeks. Why didn't you call? Where are you?"
"I am back in Washington," Ed said vaguely. He didn't know who the woman was, but with some careful maneuvering, he might find out. "Sorry, I meant to call, but things in the case were coming to a head."
"Really?” Vanessa asked. “What happened? I thought that maybe you had uncovered an alien conspiracy and they had killed you to stop you from talking."
"No," he chuckled, covering his surprise, "nothing as interesting as that." Obviously Pierce had revealed the details of his investigation to this woman and he would have to convince her it was a hoax or eliminate her too. "The whole thing was just a big wild-goose chase."
Vanessa was stunned. After last talking to Daniel, she had been convinced he had really found the Royal Four. "What do you mean? You were so sure when I last talked to you that Max Evans was an alien. You were going to capture him and run tests to prove it."
Ed winced, hearing Max's name on her lips, but continued as Pierce. "We did, and the tests proved conclusively that he is one-hundred percent human."
"But the information Agent Topolsky had," she stuttered incredulously. "The lights in the sky, the girl who was healed."
"All just rumors, coincidences and hoaxes," he said dismissively, with a laugh.
"So you’re abandoning the investigation?"
"There’s nothing to investigate."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Friday, June 23rd, 2000)
(St. Augustine, FL)
Liz sank down onto the hot sand and crossed her arms over her drawn-up knees. She had been in Florida for over a month but the pain of leaving Max had not lessened. In a way, it was easier to be away from him because she knew if she would have stayed in Roswell, Max would have doggedly pursued her. So she had run away to the farthest place she could find.
She smiled sadly. She was a coward. Instead of staying and facing Max like she should have, she had chosen to let time and distance lessen the pain of their parting. But the joke was on her, because her plan wasn't working. If anything, Max's determination to keep them together made her love him even more.
Liz had left him because she didn't want to stand in the way of his destiny. Max was a King. He came complete with a mission to save his people, and a wife, and that didn't leave a place in his life for her.
She wiped the sudden tears from her eyes as she remembered Max's words from the cave.
Everything I told you before is still true. You mean everything to me.
Max meant everything to her too but instead of being able to revel in his love and return it, she had been forced to turn her back on him for his sake. She knew Max would have been happy having a normal life with her, but Liz couldn't let him settle for that, she loved him too much.
As Liz had listened to his mother's message that day in the cave, Max's own words from another day had also come back to haunt her, and every time she had felt like picking up the phone to call him, she had repeated them until she was strong again.
The other night, you know, when we went out and the whole day before, ever since we kissed, I've been off balance. You made me forget that anything else existed, but that's not real. We don't belong together.
Liz had believed that Max was wrong until that day in the cave, and then she knew she was the one that had been wrong. They didn't belong together, they were different. And no matter what sweet words Max had spoken to her, no matter how many times he had begged her to stay, no matter much they loved one another, there were other things at stake.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Max threw rock after rock into the murky water of the quarry, trying to release some of the frustration building up inside him.
Michael was becoming more belligerent, pushing him to take some kind of action, but Max didn’t know any more than they did, and he had no idea about what he should be doing. As far as he was concerned, Michael and Tess were simply grasping at any straw to help ease their confusion.
Michael, Tess and even Isabel seemed to be on some holy alien crusade, practicing their powers and cutting off all contact with humans. It scared Max that they all seemed to be rushing toward some preordained destiny and none of them had any control. He could feel his humanity slipping from him and was desperately trying to hold on to it.
The alien nightmare he was living had driven Liz away from him and he wanted nothing to do with it. He skipped meetings and training sessions that the others planned, and instead concentrated on how to win Liz back.
But along with his humanity, Max could feel Liz slipping from him. She had left town and still refused to talk to him. She had cut him off completely and even though Maria was on his side, Max was starting to wonder if Liz would ever change her mind.
He picked up another rock and hurled it as hard as he could into the water, the aching pain in his arm fueling his frustration and anger. Max grabbed more rocks and threw them one at a time until his arm felt like it would fall off, but it just made him angrier.
Using his powers, Max sent rocks scattering off the cliff and into the water below. Then he held out his hand and used his powers to lift a bigger rock and hurled it across the chasm, smashing it into the cliff the other side.
At that moment, he wished he had more destructive powers like Michael. He felt like blowing something up. He held out his hand again and concentrated on a large rock before him and willed it to shatter, but nothing happened. Concentrating harder, he built his power within and finally hurled it outward. He felt the power spilling down his arm and through his hand, but when it left his fingers, instead of the destruction he expected, a bright green wall appeared before him.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(June 30th, 2000)
(In the desert outside Roswell)
Grant set his equipment aside and started digging. He had just moved to a new site and was eager to get some preliminary readings of the soil.
He had dug down a little more than a foot when he struck something solid. Thinking it was a rock, he poked at it with his shovel to determine the size, but the dirt collapsed into a hole. There were old mineshafts and wells all over this area, and at first Grant wasn't surprised. But when the strange blue glow started to illuminate the dark opening, he bent down for a closer look.
Sticking his head inside the gap, he could see it was a small chamber, sporadically populated with clusters of blue crystals. Carefully he lowered himself down inside and noted that the crystals themselves were giving off the glow.
He reached out to touch one of the crystals with a smile growing on his face. He didn't know of another cavern even remotely like this one and a discovery of that magnitude could make his career.
He let out a whoop of joy and spun around, but stopped as he noticed that the hole he had just climbed through had closed. Thinking he must have been mistaken about where the opening was, he looked around, but quickly discovered he was sealed inside.
He let out a shaky breath wondering how he was going to get out, but a drop of moisture on his shoulder made him look up. At first he couldn't see anything, but then there was another drop and then another, and suddenly it seemed as if the crystals around him were melting. But they didn't move like any liquid he had ever seen. The substance appeared more like a viscous goo than a liquid, and it was moving against gravity, steadily toward him.
Propelled into action, Grant aimed his shovel at the place where he had entered, and hit it as hard as he could. A handful of crystals broke off, and encouraged by his progress, he did it again.
A slimy substance dropped onto his head causing him to drop the shovel to wipe it away, and it was quickly followed by another and another. Grant brushed the goo onto the cavern floor and reached for his shovel but the handle was covered in the blue goo. He grabbed the exposed end, intending to shake off the blue substance, but the goo held the shovel fast. More of the goo dripped onto his head and shoulders, and Grant released his grip on the shovel to wipe at it furiously, becoming more and more frightened.
Suddenly he heard a soft humming sound and turned to see what it was, but he slipped in a puddle of goo and fell heavily to the ground. He attempted to sit up but his hands and feet were encased in the goo and held securely. The slimy substance slowly oozed up his arms and legs, and he opened his mouth to scream just as a group of crystals across from him parted, and a creature that could only be described as a jellyfish, emerged from within.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Thursday, July 20th, 2000)
(In the desert outside Roswell)
Courtney skirted the edge of the quarry and kicked some pebbles into the water. Every day she searched a bit more of the desert outside Roswell, where the computer had located the signal, but so far she had found nothing. She had been so excited that she would finally locate Rath and she had not considered she might have to spend more time futilely searching.
When Nicholas had contacted her concerning the point of origin of the signal, she had easily convinced him it had been too short of duration to trace but he had cautioned her to remain vigilant for the next occurrence. She had left her post at SETI in California the same day and traveled to Roswell, confident that Nicholas could not trace the signal from her amplifier because of the alterations she had made, routing all of the signals through the SETI computer systems. She would be able to keep in contact with Nicholas and he would never suspect she was not where she was supposed to be. She could locate Rath and convince him to return to Antar to lead their people before Nicholas and Khivar knew what had happened.
As she looked at the sun, which was starting to sink toward the horizon, she turned to start the long trek back to her camp. She had just topped a hill when the rumble of an engine shattered the silence and she quickly dropped to the ground to observe the newcomers.
A small, white SUV pulled into view, stopping near the edge of the quarry and two passengers emerged. One was a small female with curly, blonde hair and the other was a taller, dark-haired male. Courtney watched in fascination as they set up a line of rocks and the female spoke intently to the male. Then the blonde raised her hand toward the rocks and one by one, turned them each to dust.
Courtney nearly jumped for joy as she watched them set up another group of rocks. Finally she had found the Royal Four.
She eagerly memorized both of their faces and the vehicle, as the male attempted to duplicate the female's destruction, but his power was wildly out of control. He missed more than he hit, and Courtney almost laughed aloud as he accidentally caused some near-by brush to explode into fire.
She watched them until sunset, when they climbed into the vehicle and drove away. When they were completely out of sight, Courtney stood and stretched, hardly noticing her cramped muscles. After fifty years of searching, finally she had found them. She wanted to celebrate but contacting the others in the resistance would be too dangerous until they were ready to go back to Antar.
Courtney took a deep breath. There was still a lot to do. She would have to make her way into town, find them, determine which one was Rath, and then convince him to follow his destiny to lead their people in a victory over Khivar and the Tageonant royalty.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Wednesday, July 26th, 2000)
(Congresswoman Whitaker's Apartment)
(Washington, DC)
Over the past few weeks, Daniel had been acting less and less like himself and Vanessa was worried. She had begun to suspect his mind had been altered when he had been in Roswell. And the only beings she knew of who were capable of that, would be the Royal Four. She really didn’t know what their individual gifts were, but she knew they were all very powerful.
It meant Max Evans was really an alien as Daniel had originally suspected. Vanessa glanced toward the phone thinking of Daniel. She had come to rely on his information concerning the FBI's investigations of alien activity, but since his return to Washington, he seemed convinced there were no aliens in Roswell or anywhere else. He had spoken of wasted time and effort, and the paranoia of his superiors, even suggesting the Special Unit be closed down. Vanessa had spent a lot of time trying to reason with him, to convince him everything that had transpired could not just be hoaxes, but he had stubbornly refused to reconsider.
But now that she suspected Max Evans to be one of the Royal Four, she couldn't let Daniel's continued disbelief hinder her mission. She had to start an investigation of her own.
She gathered the notes of her conversations with Daniel and quickly flipped through them. She used a separate sheet of paper for each teen's name and started to list any facts that had been gathered about them.
Max Evans, she mused, sister Isabel Evans and friend Michael Guerin, all three of whom had been found in the desert in 1989, the timeframe when the pods would have hatched. Curious that she had never noticed the connection before, she thought to herself. There were no records on any of them before that year and the humans had simply assumed they had been abandoned in the desert and placed them in the adoption program. Vanessa smiled. They were certainly three of the Royal Four.
Vanessa shook her head in disbelief. This information had been in front of her for months and she had just not connected the pieces. She thought briefly about contacting Nicholas with what she had learned, but quickly discarded the idea. She would find Vilondra and the Granolith herself, and then they could return to Antar and she would be hailed as a hero.
Vanessa eagerly took out the dossiers she had copied from Daniel's files and concentrated on the other female members of the group; Maria DeLuca, Liz Parker and the newcomer Tess Harding. Surely one of them had to be the fourth.
She scanned the information briefly on the three girls and came to a quick conclusion. Maria and Liz both appeared to be human. They had both lived in the same community all of their lives, they had birth certificates, early school records, baby pictures. She didn't think they could be aliens, unless their protectors had done a masterful job of concealing them.
So it left Tess to be the fourth. Her records were complete as far as Vanessa could tell, but Tess had been raised by a single parent who had moved around constantly with his job. Vanessa nodded, almost certain Tess had to be the fourth, but there was so little information and she had to be sure. She needed to go to Roswell to gather as many facts as possible, but she would be too easily recognized. She would have to send a representative.
She contacted her most trusted Lieutenant, Sacor, now her personal secretary, Scott Hancock. "I have a job for you."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Thursday, August 3rd, 2000)
(Crashdown Café)
Finding the boy and girl that she had seen in the desert was easier than Courtney had expected. She had just gone to a few of the local teen hangouts in Roswell, and on the third day, she had wandered into the Crashdown Café, and there they both were. A few days later she had gotten a job at the Crashdown so she could more easily keep an eye on their activities.
She had watched the comings and goings of the group of friends carefully to determine who was who. After a few days it was clear that Max was definitely the leader, leaving the hotheaded Michael to be Rath. It really hadn't surprised her after witnessing his performance in the desert. When they had been children together, Rath had always possessed a quick temper, usually acting first and questioning later. He could disguise himself with a new face, on a new planet, but nothing inside had really changed.
Courtney had tried in her brief time at the Crashdown to befriend Michael, but he was sullen and standoffish and made it perfectly clear he didn’t want her friendship. But she wouldn't give up that easily. She would take things with him slowly and give him the time to get to know and trust her, and when he was ready, she would reveal everything.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Saturday, August 5th, 2000)
Sacor had been in Roswell for a week but he had made little progress. He had thoroughly researched the Parkers, the Evans and Amy DeLuca, and he had determined that they were all apparently human just as Vanessa expected. But he had been unable to locate Ed Harding. It seemed that Mr. Harding had suddenly quit his job as a consultant to the army and taken a new position. He had been out of town for a couple of months, leaving his teenage daughter in town alone.
Vanessa suspected that Tess Harding was one of the Royal Four but Sacor had been unable to prove anything. He had carefully followed Max, Isabel and Michael hoping they would lead him to the fourth alien, but he had discovered nothing definitive. The three of them often met with Tess, Maria and Alex but nothing of significance had been discussed within his hearing.
He had overheard Max asking Maria about Liz Parker. Apparently Liz had left town suddenly at the beginning of the summer and had refused to tell Max where she was going. Sacor had immediately discussed this break in the ranks with Vanessa and she had told him to discover all he could about Liz Parker. If she wasn't one of the aliens, perhaps the rift in the friendships would persuade her to help them.
Sacor had availed himself of Liz's school records and sent all of the information on to Vanessa. He had also discovered that Jeff Parker was prodigiously proud of his only child and would, with practically no prompting, discuss her at length. Sacor had learned that Liz was spending the summer in Florida with an aunt and wasn't expected to return until just before the start of school. He had not been able to determine her reason for leaving town so quickly but it definitely had something to do with Max Evans.
Sacor had noticed another interesting thing in the time he had been in Roswell. He had seen a member of their group working in the Crashdown Cafe who was not assigned there. Her presence in Roswell was not only unexpected but also problematic. Because even though he didn't think Courtney would recognize him, he had been forced to limit his presence at the Crashdown to the times when she was not working.
He did not know the whereabouts of every one in their group but he had taken notice of Courtney's assignment at SETI with interest because he had wanted it himself. He eagerly passed the information about Courtney's whereabouts to Vanessa hoping to get her sanctioned or even executed for her disobedience.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Sunday, August 6th, 2000)
(Congresswoman Whitaker's Apartment)
(Washington, DC)
Vanessa had read Sacor's last report with a great deal of interest. Not only had he reported that Courtney was in Roswell against orders, but he had discovered there was a rift between two of the major players in the conspiracy; Max and Liz.
And for some reason Liz had not only left the state, but traveled to the other side of the country to escape him. The only reason that Vanessa could determine for Liz’s actions was love. Obviously something or someone had come between Max and Liz and Vanessa was convinced that if she could discover what or who it was it would lead her to the fourth alien.
But in order to do that, she needed to get closer to Liz. Vanessa flipped through the information Sacor had copied from Liz’s school records. Liz was an honor student, and before last year she had been active in several extra-circular groups, including the student senate. But in the last year, she had dropped her activity in all of the outside organizations. That timeframe, Vanessa noticed, fit with the date of the shooting in the Crashdown, that had led the kids to FBI attention. And if Liz left the state to get away from Max, maybe she wanted to distance herself from them altogether.
Vanessa needed a way to get Liz to interact with her, to trust her, and finally after hours of consideration, she conceived a plan. She would open a branch office in Roswell and hire Liz, the former student senator, to work with her. Surely Liz would jump at the chance to leave the Crashdown, where the Antarian royals regularly held court, and redirect her life to its former path.
Vanessa picked up the phone to set the whole thing up through her office. She needed this opportunity to be genuine. Liz was not a fool.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Sunday, September 10th, 2000)
Jeff dropped Liz's bags on her bedroom floor. "It's sure good to have you home sweetie," he said, as he pulled Liz into a hug.
Liz hugged him back, "It's good to be home dad."
She waited until he left the room before she grabbed her phone and dialed Maria. "I'm home," she announced to her friend.
Maria's squeal of delight coming through the receiver made Liz hold it away from her ear. "Maria calm down."
"I'll be over in five minutes."
"Maria, if you see, um anyone, don't tell them I'm back yet. Okay?"
Maria rolled her eyes, "Liz, you will have to face Max eventually."
Liz sighed, "I know, but just give me a couple of days to settle in before I see him."
Liz put down the phone, opened her window and climbed out onto the rooftop. It seemed like a lifetime since she had been home, but it also was much too soon. She had hoped the months away from Max would dull the pain of leaving him, but being away from him had only proven to her that she would never get over him. She knew now, it would be a constant battle against herself.
With a sigh, she planted her elbows on the wall and looked down into the street, but ducked quickly when Max came into view. Shaking her head, Liz laughed at herself. Of course she hadn’t really seen Max, she had simply been thinking about him so much that she was seeing things.
Carefully she peeked over the edge of the wall, convinced Max wouldn’t be there, but he was standing on the sidewalk, looking into the Crashdown.
Liz drank in the sight of him, feeling like she was alive for the first time in months. With her eyes, she traced the outline of the face that was so dear to her. Max looked older, tired, and she knew she bore the same signs of the difficult separation.
For a moment, it was as if Liz was perfectly in tune with Max. She could feel his emotions, almost hear his thoughts. Sorrow and regret were uppermost but they didn’t overpower his overwhelming love for her. Liz longed to return his feelings, to revel in their love but she couldn’t allow that to happen.
Suddenly Liz had the feeling that Max could sense her too. As his gaze turned toward her balcony, Liz ducked behind the wall again. It had been a close call and she was sure he hadn’t seen her, but her heart was pounding.
Liz wiped angrily at the tears that suddenly filled her eyes. Her heart wasn’t pounding because she was scared, it was pounding from the excitement of seeing Max.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Skin & Bones)
(Monday, September 11th, 2000)
(Roswell, NM)
Vanessa had just arrived in Roswell and she already had a sense of satisfaction. She was interviewing Liz Parker the next day for a position as her assistant, and she had confirmed Courtney's presence in town with the poloroids Sacor had delivered.
Vanessa had suspected Courtney's membership in the rebel conspiracy for years, but with no proof to back up her suspicion, she had not wanted to subject an innocent to Nicholas' tender care. Now she could see that her soft heart had caused her to overlook a spy. But since Courtney had shown herself to be guilty, Vanessa decided to turn the situation to her advantage and deliver Courtney to Nicholas when she handed over Vilondra and the Granolith. It would put three big feathers in her cap, as the humans said, and it would assure her not only a promotion but also a place at Khivar's side.
Everything was falling into place for her. Now all she had to do was to determine which of the hybrids was Vilondra. Tomorrow Sacor would search Tess Harding's house for clues but Vanessa really did not expect him to discover anything. She was convinced Liz Parker was the key.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Skin & Bones)
(Monday, September 12th, 2000)
Max stood dejectedly on the sidewalk as Liz went inside with the Congresswoman. Their first meeting had not gone quite like he had pictured it. He had hoped that Liz would have changed her mind about being with him, but obviously she hadn’t. She was doing everything in her power to move on without him, including changing jobs.
But he wouldn't let her. He wouldn't just sit back and allow her to push aside everything they had between them. He would use everything at his disposal to win her back.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Skin & Bones)
(Monday, September 13th, 2000)
Ed pulled Max into the alley. "Did you find anything?" he asked, refering to Max’s search of Congresswoman Whitakers’ concerning Pierce’s bones.
Max nodded, "The bones are going to be delivered tomorrow morning to the University in Las Cruces."
"I'll be there," Ed said.
Max smiled, "So, did you have a good time distracting the Congresswoman?"
"No comment," Ed said, and countered with a question of his own. "How have you and Tess been getting along?"
"Well, I haven't performed any mating rituals if that's what you're asking," Max said wryly.
Ed had noticed how Max had looked at Liz when they had been at the Crashdown earlier. He was still in love with her, and refusing his destiny with Tess. "You heard your destiny,” Ed reminded him. “You heard it with your own ears."
"I just want to get Michael out of jail and go back to my life," Max said with a sigh. He was so sick of all of the destiny crap. "I'm not a King and we are not at war."
"You're the boss," Ed said. “I would just be careful not to confuse what you want to be true with what really is true."
Ed turned and walked away. He could understand Max's attraction to Liz. She was not only beautiful but loyal, intelligent and brave. Even after everything he had put her through, she'd still had the courage to openly defy him at the Crashdown. Yes, it was easy to see what Max saw in Liz, but Ed couldn't let Max's feelings for the human jeopardize their entire mission.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Boston, MA)
Brody Davis' attention was diverted from his computer by the three men who rushed into his office.
"Brody, we found something," the first man said as he slammed a long, curling piece of paper onto the table. He smoothed his hand over the wrinkled surface and pointed out a red spike on the graph. "We've gotten data from all of the sources and compared directional tracking. And we’ve discovered the signal's origin."
The second man piped in, "And you are never going to believe where it came from."
Brody looked at the men before him. "Well don't keep me in suspense."
"I never would have believed it if I hadn't seen it myself," said the first man, shaking his head.
The third man was unable to contain his excitement, "Brody it's the place where it all began. Roswell! The signal is from Roswell."
"You're sure?" Brody asked, "Roswell?"
The three men nodded and Brody picked up the graph with a smile, "Roswell." He depressed the button on his phone, "Celia, get me on the next connecting flight to Roswell, New Mexico."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Skin & Bones)
(Thursday, September 14th, 2000)
(Roswell UFO Museum)
Milton held out his hand to his visitor, "I'm Milton Ross, owner of the museum."
The visitor shook Milton's hand, "Brody Davis." He glanced at the building, "Nice place you've got here."
"Well thank you," Milton said proudly, "I have put together this whole collection myself. It's the work of a lifetime."
Brody nodded, "And would you ever consider selling?"
"Selling?" Milton asked with a laugh.
Brody smiled, "I have taken quite a fancy to the building and most particularly the location."
"Mr. Davis, everything in this museum, it's my life's pursuit,” Milton said. “It’s my reason for getting out of bed in the morning. There is no amount of money you could offer me that would make me change my mind."
"I will give you one million dollars in cash for the building and everything it contains."
Milton looked at Brody with narrowed, suspicious eyes, "A million dollars?"
Brody nodded.
Milton smiled, "I have always wanted to go to South America and test my theories on extraterrestrial contact with the ancient civilizations."
Brody smiled, "I will have the papers for the transfer of ownership tomorrow morning."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Ed finally reached the Evans house. It had been more than twenty-four hours since he had been attacked by the Congresswoman. He had thought she looked familiar when he had met her as Pierce but it had never occurred to him that she might be a skin.
He had probably seen her on one of his visits to Copper Summit but he hadn't recognized her until it had been too late. She had taken him by surprise and sent an unexpectedly powerful burst of energy into his chest. Then she had searched him and found the amplifier he had taken from the skins and left him for dead.
Painfully he pulled himself up to Max's bedroom window. There was so much he needed to tell his young master, so much he had withheld, but there was so little time. He could literally feel himself dying. Whitaker had inflicted a mortal wound, they would not be able to heal him this time.
He knocked on the window, desperately hoping Max was there.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Ask Not)
(Thursday, September 14th, 2000)
Max burst through the doors of the Crashdown and slumped to the floor in exhaustion. "Nasedo's dead."
"What?" Michael asked, as Liz and Alex rushed forward to help Max into a chair.
"He came to me, injured. Said…" Max paused to try and catch his breath, "said it was another alien, and that we're all in danger. He died, in my arms."
"Where is he?" Michael demanded.
"In my room," Max said softly.
Liz touched his face and everything else faded into the background. Max could literally feel her concern for him, pouring off of her. In the past, he had received impressions of what he thought she was feeling, but this time he was sure he was receiving her emotions. It was so powerful, so overwhelming and he knew without a doubt that no matter what she had said, she hadn't stopped caring for him. Her love for him was as strong as ever.
The horrific reality of Nasedo’s death fell away as he sank into Liz’s soft, welcoming eyes. The connection of minds and souls was everything he had ever dreamed a relationship with Liz would be, and he never wanted it to end.
He was so involved in the feelings passing between himself and Liz that he barely noticed Tess healing a scrape on his cheek. But when Michael and Isabel pulled him away from Liz, the tenuous bond dissipated. Max looked back at Liz, willing the connection back again but the moment of perfect oneness had passed, and as he was dragged out the door, he wondered if Liz had felt it too.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Ask Not)
(Friday - September 15th, 2000)
(The Harding House)
Max looked at his hand where the skin had just disintegrated and then he looked at Tess. No matter what his personal feelings were about her, he was in charge and he was responsible for her. He couldn't just leave her in this house alone.
He immediately thought of Michael. He would be the perfect solution but Max knew it wouldn't be that easy. Michael didn't like or trust Tess and he wouldn't want her moving in with him.
Max cast his mind around for another solution and suddenly the words that Sheriff Valenti had spoken to him, when he had saved Kyle, came to his mind.
I don't care who you are, or what you are. I'll be here for you.
Max looked at Tess again. He would take her to the Valenti's for the time being, until he could work out a better solution.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Valenti House)
"Of course Tess can stay here," the Sheriff said, "but sooner or later people will start to ask questions."
Max nodded, "I thought of that so I made a copy of Ed's will and created a handwritten note requesting that you be Tess' guardian until she turns eighteen. I put them into an old envelope and changed the post mark to a couple of days ago." He handed the letter to the Sheriff. "You can say you got it in the mail today."
Sheriff Valenti opened the letter and read the note.
To Whom It May Concern,
My job requires that I leave town for a top-secret mission at an undisclosed location for an unspecified length of time. My daughter Tess is not able to come with me for obvious reasons and Sheriff Jim Valenti Jr. of Roswell has agreed to look after her while I am away.
We have no other relatives and in the short time we have lived in Roswell, our two families have become good friends. Tess has just started to settle-in and I really don't want to uproot her again to move her to a military base to live alone. During her life, it has been necessary for us to move several times and it is her wish as well as mine that she stay in Roswell in the care of the Valenti's to finish high school.
Tess and Sheriff Valenti both have access to the bank accounts and the safety deposit box containing the legal documents. Should any problems arise I have issued a power of attorney to Sheriff Valenti authorizing him to make any decisions necessary.
Respectfully Yours,
Edward Harding
The Sheriff nodded, "This should work unless someone starts getting too curious."
Max nodded, "We'll worry about that if it happens."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Ask Not)
(Monday, September 18th, 2000)
(Congresswoman Whitaker's Office)
(Roswell, NM)
"Tess," Vanessa repeated, as Liz left her office. She smiled. Finally she had discovered the identity of Vilondra.
A few days ago she had realized that Courtney was focusing her efforts on Michael Guerin, meaning he was the former King Zan. Leaving Max to be the former General Rath, whose former betrothed and the current bane of Liz Parker's love life was Princess Vilondra, now known as Tess.
Soon all of her hard work would pay off, she thought, as she peeled of a large piece of skin from her rapidly dying husk. She would make contact with Vilondra and together they would deliver the Granolith to Nicholas.
Vanessa glanced at the phone. She had not told anyone of her plans and in order to keep the credit to herself she had disposed of Sacor, just as she had disposed of the Royal Four’s shape shifter protector.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Brody looked around his new office in the UFO museum. The equipment had been set up more quickly than he had thought possible. It still amazed him what money could do. With all of his new equipment he hoped he would be able to re-establish contact with the beings that were obviously visiting Roswell.
He reached for the chevron-shaped device he had purchased. The dealer who had sold it to him had guaranteed it was alien technology.
He'd had the device tested extensively but none of the tests had been conclusive. Brody had created a computer program to calculate every combination of the symbols and spent a lot of his free time trying them, but nothing had ever happened. He had started to think the device was a hoax until it had started beeping on that day in May.
Absent-mindedly he twisted the dial with the symbols, as he left the room. Suddenly the device emitted several beeping sounds and then a burst of light. Brody was so surprised, he nearly dropped the device, but a sound across the room drew his attention.
"Who's there?" he called out. "Stay where you are! Hey! Don't move!"
He could hear someone scrambling across the floor and then footsteps running out of the room, before he could reach them. He called out again, "Hey! Hey!"
He looked at the device in his hand, with wide eyes. He was right to have come to Roswell.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Surprise)
(Sunday, October 15th, 2000)
(Chavez County Electric Power Facility - Plant #2)
Tess awoke to a throbbing pain in her head and quickly shut her eyes hoping to block it out. Then she suddenly remembered what had happened and looked around for her attacker. She was alone now, but the earlier events came rushing back. Whitaker had forced her off the road with her powers and done something that had knocked her out.
The next time she had awoken, it had been to Whitaker slapping her, demanding answers to her questions. Tess had been completely ignorant about Whitaker's main concern, a device called the Granolith, causing Whitaker to throw her into a wall.
It was then that Tess realized Whitaker had killed Nasedo. When she had blurted it out, Whitaker had only laughed, "I'm impressed, Vilondra, I always heard you weren't too bright."
Tess had raised her chin and haughtily informed the older woman she was not Vilondra.
Whitaker had studied her for a moment and then nodded, "Yes, I can see my mistake." Then Whitaker raised her hand and Tess didn't remember anything else.
Tess cradled her ribs and attempted to stand but the pain quickly forced her back down. She took a few deep breaths and used the wall to support herself as she tried to rise again, but cried out as the pain became unbearable. Desperately she looked around the room. She had to escape while Whitaker was gone. She was afraid of what Whitaker would do to her when she returned, or maybe, Tess thought, Whitaker had simply left her there to die.
Sitting back, Tess closed her eyes, forcing herself to calm down. She would contact Max, he would come to save her. Tess concentrated on forming a connection with Max, sending him images of herself in trouble but after several attempts she gave up with a heavy sigh. Max wasn’t hearing her. For a moment she was surprised that he didn’t respond, but a voice inside her spoke the awful truth. Tess hadn't wanted to admit it, even to herself, but faced so brutally with the facts she couldn't deny it. Max had never heard her, never even given her a second thought.
Tess felt tears starting to gather in her eyes and wiped them away angrily. She wouldn't allow herself to give in to weak human emotions. There was a perfectly good reason Max hadn't heard her. Nasedo had told her more than once that the females on Antar tended to have greater mental abilities, while the males' powers tended to manifest in a more physical manner. And, Tess consoled herself, when Max remembered her, they would form a particularly close connection.
And feeling better, Tess changed her attention and concentrated instead on contacting Isabel.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Surprise)
(Congresswoman Whitaker's Office)
(Roswell, NM)
Vanessa smiled at herself in the bathroom mirror, the look of shock on Liz's face, when she had invited herself to Isabel's birthday party, still fresh in her mind. She had been forced to beat the information out of Tess, but it had been worth it. Isabel was Vilondra.
She had taken Tess because she had mistakenly believed she was Vilondra, but even before Tess told her the truth, Vanessa should have realized Tess wasn’t Vilondra. Tess had been so easy to take prisioner, and Vanessa had always believed Vilondra to have more spirit than that. At least she expected more of a fight.
But now that Vanessa knew the truth, the differences between Tess and Isabel were obvious. Vanessa had never met the former Queen Ava, and really didn’t know anything about her, other than she had married young. But she had expected the former Queen to have a more dignified bearing at least, not the whining, spoiled child she had discovered in Tess. Vanessa shrugged. She might not have known anything about Queen Ava, but Vanessa certainly didn’t have any respect for her current form, Tess.
It was just one more reason to hate the Royal Four and everything they stood for, and one more reason to finish her mission quickly so she could return home. All she had to do was reveal herself to the Princess and they would return to Antar and Khivar.
Vanessa passed her hand over her face and hair, using her powers to refresh her makeup and smooth her hair, and then down her clothing to remove the wrinkles. She reached for the doorknob but paused.
It was a birthday party and she should arrive with a gift. She walked into her office and noted that Liz was gathering her things in the other room. Vanessa grabbed a Fed-Ex envelope and passed her hand over it, altering it into a gift box. Then she took a handful of pens and changed them into the rough shape of an alien. A little childish perhaps, she thought, as she placed the alien inside and passed her hand over the box again to wrap it, but she was sure it would get Isabel's attention.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Surprise)
Michael followed Courtney out behind the Crashdown, and when he reached her grabbed the cigarette she was smoking.
"Worried about my health?" Courtney asked seductively.
Michael ignored her and got right to the point, "Who are you?"
Courtney was genuinely surprised by his question, "What?"
"You know what I'm talking about," Michael challenged.
Courtney wondered if Michael had discovered her true identity but played it cool. "Are you, like, high or something?"
Michael took the picture of Courtney, he had discovered in Congresswoman Whitaker's office, out of his pocket and showed it to her.
Suddenly Courtney was scared. It was a picture someone had taken of her in Roswell, "Where'd you get that?"
Michael shrugged, "From your file in Whitaker's office."
Courtney was really scared now. She had known Whitaker had set up an office in Roswell and had been careful to avoid her. But she was horrifed to learn that Whitaker knew she was in town and had obviously been surveilling her. Whitaker had to know she was in Roswell against orders, so why hadn't they come to get her? Courtney needed to get more information, and tried to push past Michael, "Get out of my face."
Michael stood his ground, "You're gonna tell me exactly what's going on."
"No," Courtney said stubbornly, not ready to deal with him, "I don't have to tell you anything."
"So, you working with her?" Michael asked belligerently. "You spying on us? Is that what you're doing?"
Courtney was surprised they had figured out what Whitaker was doing so quickly, but she put him off. "You're a big man, aren't you?"
"Don't jerk me around." he ground out. "If you're not working with Whitaker, then why does she have photos of you, documents, huh? Why is she watching you? Why is a U.S. Congresswoman interested in a waitress from Roswell?"
Courtney couldn't reveal the truth to Michael until she had gained his trust or the whole thing would be for nothing. She had to think fast to throw him off the track, "Because I was sleeping with her stepson, that's why!"
"Stepson," Michael said dully.
Michael was obviously surprised by her answer and she continued with her story, laying it on thick. "That's right. He screwed his life up with drugs, and I screwed my life up with him. When we got busted, do you know who went down for that? I spent 2 years in Buckman, and the only reason why I got out of there is because I promised that bitch that I would never see him again. So I guess that she's just making sure I keep that promise."
"All right," said Michael, still totally off balance from her answer. "Thanks."
"Thanks?" Courtney asked suddenly angry. Whitaker was after her and maybe all of the skins too and she could be dead tomorrow, and Michael had the nerve to thank her? She drew back and slapped him hard. "Jerk!"
Michael grabbed her shoulders and an electric sensation flared between them. It was different than anything he had ever felt, but familiar at the same time, and he looked at her as if she would contain the answers. He could literally feel Courtney's anger dissolving and being replaced by the desire to kiss him, and it was intoxicating. She felt familiar in his arms, as if she had been there many times, and for just a brief moment he had the sensation he was home. He started to lean in closer to her, when the sound of an approaching car drew his attention away from her.
Maria stopped the Jetta close to Michael and Courtney and yelled, "Michael, we got to go. Isabel's in trouble."
Courtney watched motionless as Michael and Maria drove away, feeling disappointed. For a moment she thought Michael was remembering her but then they had been interrupted. But she quickly pushed thoughts of Michael to the back of her mind. She could deal with him later, if she was still alive.
Her attention turned back to her more immediate problem, Vanessa Whitaker. Courtney thought it unlikely that Whitaker had reported her presence in Roswell to Nicholas, but she decided to go to her office and see what she could find.
She made the excuse of a headache to Liz, to get out of serving duty, and quickly exited out the back and ran down the alleys to Whitaker's office. Using her powers, she opened the back door and slipped into the dark room. Quickly closing the door and the blinds, she started searching in the desk. Whitaker was obviously a neat freak and it didn't take Courtney long to see there was nothing of interest to be found. Courtney carefully replaced everything she had moved, exited the way she had come, and headed toward Whitaker's condo, hoping she would find some answers there.
The condo was only a few blocks away and she was there in minutes, easily letting herself in the sliding glass door on the porch. She headed straight for the office, hoping to find a safe or confidential files, but discovered only a few copies of outdated FBI memos. But when she started up the computer she found a locked folder.
Using her powers to gain access, Courtney discovered an electronic diary Whitaker was keeping. She quickly scrolled through the entries to the ones that were from the last few months. Skimming the contents of the pages, Courtney found she had no reason to fear. Whitaker had political aspirations, hoping to gain favor by turning over Vilondra, Courtney and the Granolith all at the same time. She had even killed her Lieutenant to stop him from informing Nicholas before she was ready.
Courtney sat back in the chair and smiled. All she had to do was kill Whitaker before she could complete her plans.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Summer of '47)
(Tuesday, October 17th, 2000)
(West Roswell High School)
Michael saw Liz at her locker and he used his ready-made excuse to stop and talk to her. "Have you seen Max?"
"Oh, Michael," Liz said, startled by his appearance and civil manner. "Um, no. He said something about stopping by the Crashdown later."
Michael could see something was wrong. He had never given much thought to anyone else's feelings, but now he felt guilty that he might be the cause of Liz's discomfort. "You okay?"
Liz was surprised Michael noticed her mood, much less asked about her. "Me? Yeah, sure. Why?"
Michael wasn't quite ready to confront the past head-on and grabbed for the closest point of disagreement, "Well, the whole Congresswoman Whitaker thing. We'll work it out."
Liz shrugged, "Yeah, I know."
Michael looked at Liz. She had stood up for them time and time again. She had risked her safety and possibly her life to save them and he had always treated her as the cause of all their problems. Liz really did deserve better from him. "And, uh, and this morning," he stumbled, "Yeah, I'm sorry."
Liz looked at Michael, her confusion evident on her face. "Thank you. Did Max ask you to do that?"
"What?"
She smiled, "The whole being nice thing."
"No," Michael said, with a touch of humor, "I came up with it myself." He turned and started to walk away to stop any more of her questions.
Liz called out to him, "I like it."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - The End of the World)
(Monday, October 23rd, 2000)
Liz looked out the Jetta's window into the rainy night without really seeing anything. She had only accompanied Maria to the psychic to be supportive, she didn't believe in Earthly psychic abilities. But Madame Vivian's words had convinced her like nothing else could have and the possibilities behind the words left them echoing in Liz's head.
He chooses love.
He chooses you.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
END OF BOOK 7 - THE INTRUSION OF SHADES (THE CLANDESTINED DISCLOSED)
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
WHO'S WHO & NAME PRONUNCIATIONS
Book 8 - Restructuring Reality (The History of the Future - Max)
EARTH
Humans
Liz Parker - the girl that Max Evans loved enough to risk exposure healing her when she was shot at the Crashdown Cafe
Jeff Parker - Liz's father - owns the Crashdown Cafe
Nancy Parker - Liz's mother
Philip Evans - Max and Isabel's adoptive father - he is a lawyer
Diane Evans - Max and Isabel's adoptive mother
Maria DeLuca - Liz's best friend
Amy DeLuca - Maria's mother - owns a novelty store specializing in alien merchandise
Sean DeLuca - Maria's cousin and former inmate of Chavez County Juvenile
Alex Whitman - Liz and Maria's best friend
Chuck (Charles) Whitman - Alex's father
Gloria Whitman - Alex's mother
Kyle Valenti – Jim Valenti’s son, Liz's former boyfriend, also saved by Max
Sheriff Jim Valenti Jr. - Sheriff of Roswell - Kyle's father
Deputy Eric Hansen - junior deputy - promoted to Sheriff after Jim Valenti was asked to step down
Laurie Dupree - Granddaughter of Charles Dupree (Michael's DNA donor) - kidnapped by the Ganderium Queen because of a rare gene flaw
Charles Dupree - Grandpa Dupree - human taken by the shape shifters for his DNA - Laurie Dupree's Grandfather
Melissa Foster - the girl that Isabel and Valenti mistakenly thought was the kidnap victim
Dan Lubertkin - member of the State Police Board and Sheriff Valenti’s old friend
Agent Susanne Duff - FBI Agent investigating the kidnapping of Laurie Dupree
Bobby Dupree - son of Charles - uncle of Laurie
Meredith Dupree - daughter of Charles - aunt of Laurie - after Laurie's parents died Bobby and Meredith had Laurie declared insane so they could control her money
Carmen – the Dupree’s housekeeper
Shape Shifters Loyal to the Royal Four
Nasedo - Sodan - Ed Harding - expert in hand-to-hand and weapons combat and a pilot, special skill - heat and energy blasts
Letras - (le-tras) - Zan's former tutor, expert in philosophy, history and military tactics, captured by the special unit and killed
Cuerena (soor'-ren-ya) - scientist and Granolith expert, special skills - illusion - assigned the dupes protector
Tic Tac - Kaldar - expert in hand-to-hand and weapons combat, special skill - empath -injured by the humans and has terrible headaches when he uses his powers
Skins
Nicholas Crawford - General Calles Nicaron (kal-ees) (ni-ca'-ron) - Khivar's right hand and head general
Courtney Banks - Lieutenant Scorene - (skor-ra-nay) - Rath's friend from childhood and member of the Michael worshippers
Congresswoman Vanessa (Crawford) Whitaker - Major Nesta - Head of the Granolith Project
Tyrone Greer - T. Greer - Major Grester - Head of the Vilondra Project
Walt Crawford - Colonel Jafto - Nicholas' second in command, posing as his father
Ida Crawford - Idos - Nicholas' personal servant, posing as his mother
Gregory Jensen - Gragras - (gra-gras) - the scientist in charge of the skins project
Corporal Raltos - one of the soldiers prepared for Khivar to possess on Earth
Major Tratis - the commander of the second group of skins sent to Earth
Lieutenant Zaptfa – Major Tratis’ aid
Hybrids
Max Evans - Zan
Isabel Evans - Vilondra
Michael Guerin - Rath
Tess Harding - Alyssa Morgan
The Dupes
Zan - Max's dupe
Lonni - Isabel's dupe
Rath - Michael's dupe
Ava - Tess' dupe
ANTAR
Tageions (tauj'-ee-ons) - people inhabiting the north lands
King Zantor Tageonant (tauj'-o-nant) - (Zan) - Max - the rightful King of Antar
Queen Avalynd Telnada Tageonant - (Ava) - Zan's young bride
Royal Princess Vilondra Tageonant - Isabel - Zan’s sister
Queen Nedra Tageonant (ne'-dra) - Zan & Vilondra's mother
General Alarath Varros (Rath) - Michael - Zan's head General and second in command
Tageonon (tauj'-o-non) - the capitol city of Antar, where the king's palace is located
Harcions (Har-see-ons) - people inhabiting the south lands
Khivar Roistar - the man who usurped Zan's throne
General Calles Nicaron (kal-ees) (ni-ca'-ron) - Nicholas - Khivar's right hand and head general
Lieutenant Scorene - (skor-ra-nay) - Courtney - Rath's friend from childhood and member of the Michael worshippers
Major Nesta - Congresswoman Vanessa (Crawford) Whitaker - Head of the Granolith Project
Major Grester - T. Greer - Head of the Vilondra Project
Colonel Jafto - Walt Crawford - Nicholas' second in command, posing as his father
Idos - Ida Crawford - Nicholas' personal servant, posing as his mother
Gragras - Gregory Jensen - (gra-gras) - the scientist in charge of the skins project
Corporal Raltos - one of the soldiers prepared for Khivar to possess on Earth
Major Tratis - the commander of the second group of skins sent to Earth
Lieutenant Zaptfa – Major Tratis’ aid
Shape Shifters sent to Earth with the Pods
Sodan - Nasedo - Ed Harding - Sam Morgan - expert in hand-to-hand and weapons combat and a pilot - special ability energy blasts
Letras - (le-tras) - Zan's former tutor, expert in philosophy, history and military tactics - captured by the special unit and died
Cuerena (soor'-ren-ya) - scientist and Granolith expert - special ability illusion - assigned the dupes protector
Kaldar - Tic Tac - expert in hand-to-hand and weapons combat - special ability empath - injured by the humans and has terrible headaches when he uses his powers
BOOK 8 - RESTRUCTURING REALITY (THE HISTORY OF THE FUTURE - MAX)
re-struc-tru-ing -
1 : to make new, amended, improved, altered
2 : to rebuild
3 : to change the makeup, organization or pattern
DISCLAIMER: Some of the dialogue used was taken from the episodes and I am not claiming credit for having written it but used it simply to set up the tone of a scene or show parallels between lives and realities.
AUTHORS NOTE: This is the original time line depicting the events that led to Max being sent back in time. Everything on the show has happened from The Pilot up until the night that Future Max would have appeared.
The story jumps ahead to show major events and changes from the time line that aired. The events surrounding the episodes the End of the World and the Hybrid Chronicles still take place, except as shown. I did not show every scene from these episodes but only a few major story points to remind the reader of the events. I have also included a scene that was supposedly cut from EOTW because I thought it depicted the relationship between Max and Tess, at that time, so well.
All dates are shown and a complete time line is included that tells when each event took place. I have labeled the scenes with Episode Equivalent titles to show the reader the timing of events in relation to the episodes that aired.
WARNING:
Multiple Character Death - but since it is an alternate time line, it isn't permanent.
CREDITS: We Haven't Turned Around is by Gomez
I Shall Believe is by Sheryl Crow
Independence Day and Alien are the property of Twentieth Century Fox
Braveheart is the property of Paramount
Wisdom of the Buddha - The Unabridged Dhammapada, translated and edited by
F. Max Muller and is the property of Dover publishing, 2000 ed.
DEFINITIONS:
legion - a unit of soldiers containing 5000 men
squad - a unit of soldiers containing 9-10 men, trained to act together
trithium amplification generator - aka amplifier - the black, chevron-shaped device used by the Skins for communication and suspending the powers of Antarians, among other things.
NAGGING QUESTIONS:
1. Why exactly did Tess leave and when?
2. How did the skins take control of Earth?
3. Who is Serena?
4. Why did Future Max and Liz decide to change that particular event at that particular time in history?
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode Equivalent - End of the World)
(Monday, October 23rd, 2000)
(The Parker House - Liz's Bedroom)
(After The Trip To Visit Madame Vivian)
Liz draped the lace over her head and looked at her reflection in the mirror. Madame Vivian had said Max would choose her and Liz let herself dwell in the pleasant dream she had of the future, of becoming Max's wife and loving him until the end of their days.
"I Liz Parker take Max Evans to be my..." Liz let the sentence trail off as her smile slowly dissolved. It was a beautiful fantasy and as desperately as she wanted it, she could not let Max choose her. He had a duty to his people and she couldn't stand between him and his destiny.
Liz sighed, it would be so easy to give in to her feelings. Her love for Max had not diminished in the months they had been apart. And Max had left her in no doubt of his feelings, having pursued her relentlessly since she had walked away from him in May.
She laid the lace aside and brushed the hair out of her face. How could life be so cruel? she wondered. When Max had reversed the connection between them, all of those months ago, something had been awakened inside her. It was as if she had recognized something in Max and was irresistibly drawn to him, growing to love him more and more each day.
It had practically killed her to walk away from Max at the pod chamber that terrible day last May, after they had finally exchanged vows of love, but she loved him so much that she would never be able to forgive herself for holding him back.
The sudden sound of music outside her window drew her attention and she crawled out the opening and onto the balcony. A Mariachi band stood in the street below her, one man with his face completely covered by his hat. At an unseen signal, the hat was lowered to reveal the face most beloved to her, Max.
The soft strains of music floated up to her as he began to sing. The words were in Spanish but even though she did not speak the language she could hear the sorrow and heartache the song expressed. As Max continued to sing, he produced a bunch of red roses from behind his back and tossed them up to her. The flowers arched in the air and seemed to stop for a moment as the color washed out of them leaving white roses where red had been just a moment before.
She deftly caught the flowers, immediately bringing them to cover her face, before Max could see just how close to surrender she was. Since she had returned from Florida, Max had constantly pursued her even though she continually rebuffed him, and her resistance was wearing thin. She gathered her strength and put the flowers aside to smile serenely, not wanting to encourage him.
A sound behind her drew her attention.
"Lizzie? What the hell is going on out there?" her father called as he came into her room. "Is that Max again?"
Jeff climbed out the window and looked over the edge of the balcony, "Max is that you again?" He quickly took in the scene below, "It's eleven-o’clock. Tomorrow's a school day..."
Max smiled, as he and the mariachi band, still singing, started to walk away.
Jeff shook his head, "Aw, jeez."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode Equivalent - End of the World)
(Tuesday, October 24th, 2000)
Max watched Isabel, Michael and Tess as they looked at the Granolith. He had to admit, the alien object was fascinating but also frightening at the same time. Somehow he felt drawn to it, like if he could just remember how, it would reveal all of its secrets to him. He shook his head with abhorrence, glad he didn't remember. He didn't want to know what it was. It was a purely alien thing and he didn't want to have anything to do with it.
Since Nasedo's death, a voice that resided in the back of his mind had been steadily growing stronger. There was no one to help them anymore. There was no one to make sure they followed their destiny, and as far as they knew, there was no way to return to their planet. No one could blame him for failing his mission. There was nothing else they could do. He was ready to leave his alien side, and everything it meant, behind him. To Max, it seemed the perfect chance to embrace his humanity and with it, everything he had always wanted.
Suddenly Tess spoke, breaking into his thoughts. "Maybe we should pool our energy."
Max looked at her with a blank expression, "Pool our energy?"
Tess explained, "If we join hands and concentrate maybe we can make some kind of connection that we can't make on our own."
This was exactly the type of thing Max had been avoiding. What if something happened that revealed more of their past or their mission to them? He couldn't take the chance. And the fact that the suggestion had come from Tess angered him even more. He put all of his mistrust and ridicule into his tone, "Is this something Nasedo told you?"
Tess recoiled from his harsh words. "No. It's an original idea, or isn't that allowed?" she snapped back.
Max remained silent, dismissing her, but Tess wasn't ready to accept his decision, "Can we at least try it?"
Max glared at Tess and she turned to Isabel appealing to her.
Isabel tried to dispel some of the tension, not understanding her brother's reluctance, "I'll try it."
Tess turned to Michael, asking for his agreement with the single word, "Michael?"
Michael, who had been studying Max, shrugged. "If it pisses Max off, what the hell."
They each took a place around the Granolith. Tess reached for Michael's hand, and Michael reached for Isabel's.
But as Tess and Isabel reached for Max's hand, he shook his head. "I really don't..."
Isabel cut him off with a scolding tone, "Max."
Max reached to take Isabel's hand and turned to Tess. He looked at her outstretched hand and the revulsion started to rise up in him as it did every time he had to be near her. He felt as if he constantly had to be on guard around her, because if he wasn't careful, she would trick him and pull him in. But he didn't want to show her his weakness and reluctantly took her hand.
For a moment he attempted to focus, but just being near to Tess was unnerving him. He didn't want to be close to her and he most certainly didn't want to discover anything that could ruin his chance with Liz, as the message in the cave had. Liz had been softening toward him since her return from Florida, and he couldn't risk anything else happening. He dropped Tess and Isabel's hands and took a step back.
Tess turned to him, with a hurt look, "What are you doing?"
"It didn't work," he barked.
Tess was incredulous, "You didn't give it a chance."
Max attacked her verbally, "I've got too much on my mind to play ring-around-the-rosy, all right?"
Tess' voice dripped with venom, "Holding hands is childish, but serenading Liz on her rooftop is crucial to our survival."
Max looked at her, wondering how she knew, and Tess seeing the surprised look on his face, laughed, mocking him. "It's a small town, Max. Sing in Spanish, it gets around."
Max was angrier than he had ever been with her. How dare she belittle what he and Liz had between them? "My relationship with Liz is none of your business," he spat at her.
Tess was hurt and she lashed out at him, "It's not that you think joining hands is a bad idea, you just can't stand to touch me."
Max knew he should be ashamed of his behavior but he couldn't even pretend she hadn't guessed the truth. He looked her steadily in the eyes, not saying a word.
"I am so out of here," she said, as she turned and headed toward the door. Tess felt the first pricks of tears and willed them away. Why should she care what Max thought of her? But she had to admit to herself that she did care what Max thought. She had stopped trying to get close to him like he had told her and she hadn't used her mind powers on him in months. She thought if they could become friends, he would remember and grow to love her but it hadn't worked out like that. Even with Liz gone over the summer, Max had stayed as far away from her as he could.
Tess stopped near the door and straightened her shoulders; she wouldn’t let Max know how much he had hurt her. She tossed her blonde curls and looked back over her shoulder, "Grow up Max," she said caustically, trying to cover her pain, and stormed outside.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Crashdown Café)
Maria stomped into the kitchen, still depressed about what Madame Vivian had told her. "We need to talk."
"Talk?" Michael asked apprehensively.
Oblivious to the caution in his tone, Maria continued casually, "Yeah, about our relationship."
Michael looked at her as if she had suddenly sprouted another head. "You gotta be joking me."
Maria shook her head, "Some stupid psychic told me that the next forty-eight hours are critical, so could you just try not to be a bonehead? Is that, like, a possibility?" She stopped talking as Courtney walked into the kitchen. "No waitresses in the kitchen," she said for what seemed like the thousandth time.
But Courtney ignored her and turned toward Michael, "Hey, Mikey G. You got my order yet?"
"Yeah, right there," he said, motioning to the counter.
"Takeoff Tacos, Plutonium Platter, and the Greek God salad, light on the feta. You're such a good boy," she said as she brazenly slapped Michael on the butt, and turned with the food to leave.
Michael felt the disapproval radiating from Maria and hurried to cover, "She put in that order before I got busy."
But Maria was not so easily placated, "Okay, give it up, Guerin. What's going on with her?"
"Yeah," he said misunderstanding her, "that's exactly what I want to know."
"Michael," Maria warned.
"I don't trust her."
"Hmm. Neither do I."
He finally caught Maria's meaning and explained his thoughts, "I mean, there's something going on with her. Another new face in town arrived this summer after the signal went out. Her picture was in Whitaker's office. She's constantly hanging around me, always giving me these looks."
"So, do you think she's an alien?" Maria asked skeptically, not sure if he was stringing her along.
"Or with the government," he said with conviction, "I don't know."
"Well, I'll tell you what I know, Mikey G," Maria said sarcastically, "the slut wants in your pants."
"That might work," he said to himself thoughtfully, a plan already starting to form.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Courtney hopped off of Michael's motorcycle, "Thanks for the ride."
When Michael had come up with this idea, it had seemed so easy and now he was not sure how to proceed. "No problem."
"You handle your machine really good," she said.
He was surprised that he was genuinely flattered by her praise. "Thanks."
Courtney lingered. "Well, I guess it's time for another night curled up in my sheets, fondling my remote control."
"I guess," Michael said, trying to sound uninterested.
"Unless, of course," Courtney flirted, "you want to be my remote control for the night?"
"I'd better go home."
"Too bad," she sighed. "Well, good night." Courtney stepped into him and kissed him hard, hoping to temp him to change his mind.
"What the hell," Michael shrugged. He was pleased that his plan had worked out so well. Of course they always did.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Max agilely climbed the ladder to Liz's balcony and looked through the window, hoping she was there. Even after he had embarrassed himself with the Mariachi band, she was still refusing his calls and he had come to try again. He could see Liz through the window studying at the table. She was so beautiful and he loved her so much and every time he saw her he felt as if his heart would break because they were not together.
He smiled joylessly remembering all the times he had pushed her away. He had been such a fool for wasting so much of the time they could have had together. He could have used the time to bind her to him so closely that she never would have considered leaving him.
He shook his head. Often the events of the terrible day Liz had walked away, had plagued him. He had been a fool to listen to Michael. He should have gone after her immediately and convinced her to stay with him. All summer he had played the day over and over in his mind and he felt with a soul-deep conviction, if he had stopped Liz that day, everything would have turned out differently.
Max had pursued Liz relentlessly after she walked away from him but he continued to have a sickening feeling that he was too late. She had tried to avoid him but he made sure they were constantly together either at school or at the Crashdown. He was making his presence known, letting her know in word and deed that he would never let her go. They had been together physically more than ever before, but spiritually he had felt the abyss that forced them apart, widening each day.
Then exactly a week later, Liz had left for Florida. They had both known why she was going, even if she had acted as if the whole thing had been previously arranged. She wouldn't even have told him she was leaving if he hadn't have happened to come to her window and seen her packing.
Max shook his head. There were so many things he could have done differently, but it was useless to dwell on the past. He needed her in his life and he would do anything he had to do, to make her see they belonged together. He would never let her go and he would never stop pursuing her until she changed her mind. If he thought she didn't love him it would be different but he knew she loved him with the same soul deep, searing love he felt for her.
He had pursued her before she had left and even with a summer of separation and her continued denial, he had no intention of backing off now. If anything, he was determined to try harder to win her back. It was a battle worth winning and he had everything on his side; time, love, and Liz herself, even if she didn't want to admit it.
Max knocked gently on the glass separating them and Liz looked up immediately. He saw the joy that crossed her features momentarily before she had time to cover it with a polite smile. His heart leapt, knowing he could still cause that kind of reaction in her and he was more certain than ever they belonged together.
Liz slid the window open. "Max, what are you doing here?" she asked with a tinge of fear in her voice that she couldn't hide.
Max smiled gently. He knew she was afraid of giving in to her feelings for him and it made him proceed boldly. Before she could protest, he took her face in his hands and kissed her, pouring all of his love and desperation into the connection between them. And when she didn't immediately pull away, his heart soared, knowing that he was gaining ground in the war to win her back.
**Flash**
Max saw several memories of kisses they had shared and felt Liz's feelings that accompanied the images.
**Flash**
He saw the time that they had spent together in the van after he had escaped from Pierce and the Special Unit.
"Max, the day that you saved my life, your life just ended."
"No, that was the day my life began. Liz, when I was in that room, and they did what they did to me; you're what kept me alive. The thought of you, the way your eyes look into mine, your smile, the touch of your skin your lips. Knowing you has made me human. Whether I die tomorrow or fifty years from now, my destiny is the same: it's you. I want to be with you, Liz. I love you."
"I love you."
Max could feel that the memory of their time together in the van was Liz's most precious, most cherished, because they had professed their love. She still loved him, and when they were connected like this, she couldn't deny it.
He finally ended the kiss and studied her face, noting she was as shaken with the feelings that had passed between them as he was. "I felt that," he said, trying to catch his breath, and noting Liz was in a similar state. "And I know you did, too. And I know you think that I need to let you go, for the sake of Michael, and Isabel, and my race. So I can follow my destiny. But Tess isn't you. Tess can never be you."
Liz struggled to hide the tears that were threatening, having heard Max say the words she had longed to hear more than anything. But she quickly shored up her resolve, determined to do the right thing. "Max, we have to stop this. We have to. I am telling you that we have to."
Max ignored her protest, knowing she was close to surrender, "Go out with me on Friday. There's a Gomez concert in Santa Fe. I have tickets."
"No." She shook her head trying to clear the visions of them together again, "No, Max. I can't go out with you ever again. Please stop doing this."
Max smiled softly, "I can't."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Valenti house – Kyle’s room)
Tess removed the poster from the wall and passed her hand across the surface, testing the pink she had chosen.
Kyle entered the room, interrupting her. "I thought I told you I didn't want you doing that Bewitched crap in the house."
Tess rolled her eyes and gently scolded, "Out of my room."
"It's my room!" he asserted
"You, you know what?" she started to protest, but gave up before the fight began. "Just... just forget it. I'm sick of this place, and I'm sick of Max Evans."
Kyle couldn't believe his ears, "Don't toy with me."
Tess continued angrily, "I never asked to be his mate. He thinks I'm just gonna wait around until he comes to terms with his destiny? Well, I'm not. He can figure it out on his own. They all can." She turned to Kyle, "You know, they didn't even know where the pod chamber was until I came along. I hate this life." She dropped onto the bed and released a sigh of frustration, "I feel better."
Kyle watched her tantrum with growing interest, "You look really great when you're pissed."
"Yeah, right," she said sarcastically.
Kyle rushed to assure her, "No, I'm serious. I feel, like, all this energy coming from you right now." He turned introspective, "In order to trim the lamp of wisdom, we must attend to our bodily needs."
Tess stood and looked at him consideringly, "Let me tell you something, Buddha-boy, I got a lamp that needs some serious trimming."
Kyle quickly closed the distance between them and took her lips in an eager kiss.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode Equivalent - End of the World)
(Wednesday, October 25th, 2001)
(Michael's Apartment)
"What's up?" Michael greeted Alex at the door.
"Nothing," Alex answered woodenly, "Nothing at all."
Michael regained his seat and spooned more cereal into his mouth, "Well, I was kinda watching the game, so if you got something on your mind..."
Alex used the remote to turn off the television and turned to Michael, his anger building with each moment, "Do you have any idea what you've done to Maria?"
Michael suddenly realized the reason for Alex's visit and rushed to reassure him, "Dude, it was a misunderstanding."
But Alex was too immersed in his anger to listen. "Look, I don't care that you've got 30 pounds on me or...or that you can kill me with some...some twisted alien power," his voice rose in anger. "I will not let you treat her like that. I don't care that Isabel treats me like crap, but no one does that to Maria, all right? She's not just some girl!" Alex shouted.
Michael softened his voice and worked for a sincere tone, "You gotta believe me. I have nothing..."
Unfortunately Courtney picked that moment to push open Michael's door, "Knock, knock."
Alex accepted Courtney's presence as proof positive of Michael's betrayal. He turned without thinking and hit Michael squarely in the jaw, sending him sprawling across the floor. "Ow!" he protested, grabbing his injured hand.
Michael considered him from his place on the floor as he rubbed his jaw, "You realize you just risked your life?"
"Yeah."
Michael's opinion of Alex rose ten times in that moment, "You're a really good friend, man."
"Call me that again, and I'll really kick your ass," Alex called as he left the apartment.
"Are you okay?" Courtney asked as she approached Michael, genuinely concerned.
"Yeah. I'm fine," Michael said dismissively.
Courtney helped him to stand and as they touched, Michael felt a jolt of recognition flash through him. She seemed familiar, almost like home. He could sense the desire coming from her in waves and he pulled her to him for a rough kiss. He was acting on pure instinct and pulled her closer, his hands sliding around to her back. Her shirt rode up and for a moment he did not comprehend the significance of the substance coming off her but as it penetrated his foggy mind he pushed her away. "You're a skin?" he asked accusingly.
Courtney could hear the animosity in his tone and decided instantly he would not listen to her explanation now. She moved quickly away from him and suddenly ran.
"Stop!" Michael ordered but she heard the destruction of something behind her and threw herself out the window.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Parker House – Liz’s Room)
Liz turned over in her bed again, hoping a new position would finally help her sleep. After a few more minutes, she turned back to the first position and re-arranged her pillows with a sigh. It was just no use. Her head was too full of Max to sleep.
He had come to her window earlier with the tickets to the Gomez concert and had tried again to temp her into going. He had been charming and funny and he had told her how much he loved her.
She had been so scared of giving in to him that she had made him stay outside the window, but even that had not discouraged Max. In fact, it had seemed to make him more confident. He had countered every argument she made and begged her to reconsider. She had wanted to give in to him, every fiber of her being yearning to go to him, but she had held her ground.
Finally she had been forced to tell him to leave, "Max there is no use. It doesn't matter what we want. You have to follow your destiny."
Max had simply smiled, "Liz, everything you say and do just makes me love you more."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode Equivalent - Harvest)
(Thursday, October 26th, 2000)
(West Roswell High School)
Maria met Liz in the school hall, "You okay?"
"Oh, I didn't get much sleep last night," Liz explained.
Maria paused as she studied her friend, "You look like you got your heart stomped out. No wait, that would be me. Well if it's possible, you look worse."
"Max came over last night and I had to tell him again..." she let the sentence trail off.
Maria pulled Liz into a quick hug, "I'm sorry Liz."
Liz nodded, "Maybe we should talk about it later."
"Over lots of ice cream," Maria added.
"It's a date," Liz said.
Maria noticed Michael coming toward them, "I'll see ya later." She turned the opposite direction and walked quickly to her locker.
"Hey," Michael said casually, as he stopped beside her.
"Whatever, dude," Maria said, dismissing him.
"No, I have something to tell you."
"I'm not interested," she said, trying to walk away.
Michael moved to stand in front of her, "Hey, it's about Courtney."
Maria waved her hands dismissively, "I am so not interested."
He cut her off, "Hey, will you just listen to me?"
Maria was becoming angrier, "You listen to me. She made a play for you, and you went for it. So, what? Now she's screwed you over and you've come to realize she's a cheap, manipulative tramp? Well, this is not news to me."
Michael casually threw down his trump card, knowing it would get her attention. "She's an alien. A skin, like Whitaker." Michael smiled. The surprised expression on Maria’s face was almost worth all of the trouble.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(West Roswell High School)
(An Empty Classroom)
"I knew there was something wrong about her, even before I found her picture in Whitaker's office," Michael said proudly.
"Where's Courtney now?" Max asked, having a difficult time concentrating with Liz in the room. Last night had proved to him that she was close to giving in and all he could think of was holding her in his arms again.
"I don't know," Michael said. "She went out the window. I tried chasing her..."
Maria cut him off, "But it's hard to run with your pants around your ankles?"
Tess had been eyeing Max and Liz with a sour expression. "Settle the personal crap on your own time," she said, deliberately including Max in her gaze as she continued. "If Courtney's a skin, it means she was working with Whitaker."
"You're right," Isabel agreed softly, "There's no way two skins would just happen to be in Roswell at the same time. They were working together, which means Courtney knows everything about us."
Michael looked at Max, who was obviously more interested in Liz than their conversation. "Maxwell, are we disturbing you?" Michael asked, motioning toward Liz with a jut of his chin.
Isabel jumped to her brother's defense. "Leave him alone, Michael." It was the first time she had seen Max somewhat happy since Liz had left him.
Michael admired Liz for having the fortitude to leave Max to follow his destiny, but at the same time he had despised her for causing Max so much pain. "Something you wanna share with the class?" he asked Max sarcastically.
Max shook his head to clear the thoughts of Liz, "Look, if Courtney is a skin and she was working with Whitaker, the first question is, does she know that Whitaker's dead?"
Maria motioned to the television that was showing a picture of Whitaker with birth and death dates, "If she didn't before, she does now." Maria turned up the volume and the television announcer's started with the story.
"We have this story just in. A controversial New Mexico congresswoman is dead. We'll have that story in just a minute."
The group looked at each other wondering how her death had been discovered and they listened eagerly as the announcer resumed the story. "Widowed just six months before her husband John Whitaker's upcoming election, she took his place on the ballot and won the election by a higher margin than any Democrat in fifteen years. But all that ended yesterday, just outside her hometown of Copper Summit, Arizona, where a tragic single-car accident cut short a life of public service."
"A car crash?" Tess asked incredulously.
"She died two weeks ago. I was there," Isabel said, her voice harsh.
"We were all there," said Max attempting to take the blame for her death off of Isabel's shoulders.
"How could she be in a car crash if she's dust?" Michael asked angrily.
Tess echoed his thoughts, "Who's conveniently covering up her death for us?"
"Nasedo said the skins were among us," Isabel said, her voice shaky, "Skins, plural. Maybe other skins created a fake car accident to keep the Feds from looking too closely into Whitaker's background."
Tess turned to their leader, "Max, what do we do?"
"Uh, let me guess. Nothing," Michael said caustically.
Max looked to the girl he loved and a smile spread across his face. "Liz," he said simply.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Congress Woman Whitaker's Office)
(Roswell, NM)
"Has anybody been asking questions over the past few days?" Max asked Liz as they searched Whitaker’s office.
Liz shrugged. "People have been calling. There wasn't anything unusual. I just have been saying that she's on vacation, just like we said."
"Well, somehow the skins know she's dead," he said thoughtfully. "None of us has said anything, unless..." he let his thought trail off and Liz picked up on it immediately.
"You mean, Courtney."
Max continued, "If Courtney was working with Whitaker then maybe she was there that night too."
Liz shook her head. "It doesn't make sense. If Courtney was there, she would have helped Whitaker. And why would Whitaker be surveiling one of her own people?" Suddenly a thought occurred to her, "What if Courtney is a renegade of some kind, a traitor? Maybe she could help us."
Max considered her observations as Maria broke in, waiving an envelope. "Look at this. The postmark says Copper Summit. It's from something called the Universal Friendship League."
Liz glanced over her shoulder at the envelope, "Whitaker never mentioned it."
"What the hell is the Universal Friendship League?" Isabel asked with a shiver. "Could it sound any creepier?"
"It's marked personal," Maria said.
Max took the letter from her, opened it and read the contents aloud.
Dear member:
Your failure to report as scheduled violates protocol.
We must receive word by the twenty-fifth of this month
or terminate your membership, effective that date."
"The twenty-fifth was yesterday," Isabel noted.
Maria spoke up, "That's when they say she died."
Max glanced at the signature at the bottom of the letter.
Sincerely, T. Greer
Senior Coordinator, Vilondra Project
"Vilondra?" Isabel gasped.
Max turned at his sister's distressed tone, "Does that mean something to you?"
"No," she responded shortly, and quickly attempted to change the subject. "We should call."
Max handed the letter to Liz and she dialed the number.
The phone was answered on the first ring, "Yes?"
Liz was taken back by the strange greeting, "Hi, um, is this the, the Universal Friendship League?"
"Who is this?" the voice on the phone asked suspiciously.
"I, I'm calling from Congresswoman Vanessa Whitaker's office. We just, um, opened this letter this morning and I wanted to call and apologize for not responding sooner."
"Yes?"
"We just wanted to let you know that, unfortunately, Congresswoman has passed away."
"Thank you for calling," the man said crisply, and hung up the phone.
Liz held the phone away from her ear. "They just hung up."
Max looked thoughtful for a moment. "The first thing we need to do is find Courtney."
Michael laughed, "So we agree."
"Yeah," Max said.
"There's a first," Michael said sarcastically.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Max stopped the Jeep around the side of the Crashdown.
Liz turned to him, "You need to tell Tess what we found at Whitaker's office."
Max shook his head. "I told the Sheriff what happened. He'll fill her in."
"You can't keep avoiding her, Max,” Liz protested. “Tess is one of you."
"No," Max said harshly, "she's not one of us and she never will be."
"Max," Liz said softly, trying not to choke on her words, "Tess is part of your family and you need her."
Max held Liz's gaze, "You are all I will ever need."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Michael's Apartment)
Michael and Maria knelt on the couch watching the building across the street through binoculars. They had been there for what seemed like hours after they had searched Courtney's apartment.
Maria rubbed her neck to sooth the soreness. "This isn't gonna work," she said, trying for a more comfortable position. "She's not just gonna stroll up to her hideout while we're sitting here watching her."
"This was your idea," Michael responded.
"That's not the way I remember it," Maria said dryly, with a raised eyebrow.
"Okay, so now it's my fault."
"Yes," she agreed, warming to the subject. "You know what? Just to make things simpler, from now on you should consider everything to be your fault, okay? Okay."
Michael gave her a significant look, "Well, I know one way to make the time go faster."
"Oh, funny," she said sarcastically.
"I know," he said with a grin.
"But if we can talk reality here for a second," Maria said, changing gears, "I think she booked. Out of town."
"No way. She wouldn't do that. She's obsessed with me," he said matter-of-factly.
"Well, I guess that makes two of you, then, doesn't it?" quipped Maria.
Michael choose to ignore her mockery, "She'll show up sooner or later."
Courtney walked in the open door behind them, having heard the last of their conversation. "How 'bout sooner?"
They both jumped off the couch as if they had been shot and Michael raised his hand to defend them.
Courtney held up her hands in a protective gesture, "Whoa! Hey, truce."
"Don't move," Michael said menacingly.
"Don't worry. I won't." Courtney took in the situation and continued with admiration in her tone, "You're watching the building. You figured out where I'd be from the pictures. That's very good, Mikey G. You're everything I thought you'd be and more."
"Oh, please!" Maria exclaimed, rolling her eyes, "Do your lips not get chapped from all the ass-kissing?
"Sit down," Michael said motioning to a chair.
"Anything you say."
Michael started the interrogation, "So you're a skin, like Whitaker."
"How'd you get on to Whitaker?"
"We're asking the questions here, okay? Now, why are you in Roswell? Where's the rest of your evil army? And most of all, why are you obsessed with my good-looking, if badly groomed boyfriend?"
Courtney looked at Maria for the first time since entering the room, "I'm not obsessed with him, okay? I follow him in the political sense. He's our leader."
"Our leader?" Maria asked
Courtney continued, "We're not with the other skins. We're renegades who believe that if you were in charge instead of Max in the first place, that none of this would have ever happened."
"What are you talking about?" Michael asked, "In charge of what?"
"Our planet, Michael." Courtney said and then realization dawned. "You don't remember any of this, do you?"
Michael was growing angry, "Suppose you tell me."
Maria was starting to get a headache with all of the talk of political systems on other planets and past lives. "Yeah, the short version, please."
"The short version is that our planet was on the brink of a golden age, and then it all fell apart. You were the one who could have united our planet, pulled together the warring factions, brought peace. But you weren't on the throne."
"Max," Michael said simply.
"You wouldn't betray him. That loyalty cost your lives and those of everyone you loved. Please, just don't let history repeat itself. You're the one we need. You're our leader, our salvation."
Maria couldn't believe Michael was even listening to this crap. She grabbed Michael and yelled into his ear, "Michael, if you can hear me now over the sound of your rapidly inflating ego, could you please tell me that you do not believe what this, this Michael-worshipper here has to say?"
Courtney wanted to continue, tell Michael about the past, about the bond they had shared as children but the moment was past. She could already see Maria's words taking effect in Michael. He was pulling away form her. She was losing him again. In that moment, she envied Maria and their closeness. Rath had never responded to her that way. It was obvious Michael listened to Maria, he respected her opinion, he trusted her.
Michael snapped back to reality from his visions of grandeur, Maria's words penetrating his fantasy. Courtney was their enemy, she would do anything, say anything to defeat them, including turning them against each another. "No. No, no way. No, this is just part of your plan to divide and conquer.
"I knew you weren't ready to hear this," Courtney said sadly.
"What's in Copper Summit, Arizona?" Michael asked, changing the subject quickly.
"Copper Summit's just some old tourist trap," Courtney said cautiously.
"What's there? he pushed doggedly.
"I'd stay away from there."
"Why?"
Maria narrowed her eyes suspiciously, "Yeah, why?"
"Let's just say there aren't any Michael-worshippers in Copper Summit."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A couple of hours later, Max, Isabel, Alex and Liz joined them at the apartment. Michael filled in the newcomers on the earlier conversation and Courtney briefly outlined the situation on Antar.
Max pushed for more information, "So what about this group you belong to?"
"We joined with Khivar when he started to oppose you," she shook her head, "sorry, we opposed Zan, because we wanted to change the system of government to include all of the people. Something similar to your government in the United States," she said motioning to Liz. "But then we discovered what Khivar was really planning. He talked of a government by the people, but what he really wanted was a dictatorship, with himself as dictator. Khivar tricked us into following him with promises he never intended to keep."
"Like what happened in the Russian revolution," Liz said distractedly.
"Yes," Courtney agreed. "So we started to sabotage Khivar's army from the inside and some of us infiltrated the group he sent to Earth. But over the years, Nicholas has discovered most of the others and now there are just a few of us left."
Alex spoke up, "And you came here to get Michael to help you?"
Courtney nodded, "We want him to come back to Antar and lead us."
Maria, Alex and Isabel broke out laughing.
"Hey," Michael objected, "you don't think I'm capable of running a planet?"
"Michael," Isabel said, between fits of laughter, "think of all of the bureaucracy and politicians you would have to put up with. I don't think you're capable of that."
Michael huffed, "Maybe you're right. It sounds way too dull, definitely more like Max." He slapped Max on the back, "You can keep all of that royal crap, Maxwell."
"Thanks," Max said dryly, turning back to Courtney. "So what about the group in Copper Summit?"
"That's where we, the skins, have been headquartered since we came to Earth."
"How long have you been here?" Max asked.
"We have been on Earth since 1950, so about fifty years."
"So why are you called the skins?" Liz asked.
"It's because we wear husks."
"Husks?" Maria asked.
"Yeah, me. My skin. This thing that I'm wearing. It's basically a shell. It protects us from the environment."
"Like a space suit," Alex suggested.
"Yeah. This planet's atmosphere is hostile to our race," Courtney said, indicating the other aliens. "The husks are a life form technology that we can genetically manipulate to resemble human bodies. Our relationship to it is essentially parasitic."
Maria shivered, "Your skin is alive?"
"Like the trees are alive."
Michael motioned toward Courtney, "So, what's with the peeling?"
"They're good for maybe fifty years, but the husks are dying."
Michael continued with a cocky tone, "Well, if all the skins in Copper Summit are about to die, then all we have to do is wait them out. If the husks die, we're home free, right?"
Courtney's silence was suggestive.
"Okay, what are you not telling us?" asked Maria.
Courtney looked around the room at all of the people waiting for her answer. "The harvest," she said softly.
The room was quiet for a moment.
Isabel was the first to break the silence. "I am almost afraid to ask, but what is being harvested?"
Courtney laughed, seeing they were envisioning multi-tentacled alien monsters. "Husks," she said simply. "We have been growing new husks for about twenty years and they are almost ready."
A collective sigh of relief went through the group.
Alex laughed, "I thought we would have to expect something straight out of the movie Alien."
Courtney sobered, "Sometimes the truth is worse."
"What do you mean?" Max asked.
"Nicholas, the leader of the skins on Earth. He can do all the things you can, times a thousand. But the thing you should be the most afraid of, is this." Courtney pointed to her head. "He can get inside of your head and take anything that he wants. Basically, he rapes you of your memories and your thoughts."
Michael leapt to his feet, "We have to stop this harvest. If we do, we could end this right now."
Max rose, "How can we stop it, Michael?"
"I don't know," Michael admitted, "but we'll come up with something."
"You heard Courtney," Max said. "The skins outnumber us at least ten to one."
"So what's your solution, Maxwell," Michael sneered, "do nothing as usual?"
"Michael," Courtney interrupted the escalating argument. "This is a huge mistake. If you go there, you're gonna get yourself killed."
"Yeah, well, that's my problem," Michael answered curtly.
"I didn't spend fifty years finding you so that you could throw your life away out of misplaced loyalty."
"Fifty years," Maria laughed. "So, what? That would make you sixty-five, seventy? You're old enough to be Michael's grandmother. I just, I love that. I do."
"Hey, husks don't age," Courtney said simply. "I've been a babe for fifty years. What are you gonna look like fifty years from now?"
"Would you two let it go?" Michael sighed, "You're giving me a headache."
Max broke in, "Okay, everybody calm down. This doesn't change anything. We do what we always do, act normal, blend in, concentrate on being human. Especially with our enemies' headquarters so close, we don't need any more attention on us. So no one uses their powers in public and no one does anything that isn't easily explained by human standards."
Max turned to look at each member of the group, stopping on Michael and held up a hand as he started to object. "And no one is going to Copper Summit. That's an order."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode Equivalent - Harvest)
(Friday, October 27th, 2000)
(The Night Of The Gomez Concert)
Liz sat in her room listening to her Gomez CD and tears ran down her face as the haunting strains of track number six started. Max's romantic streak had shown through again when he had bought tickets to the concert. We Haven't Turned Around was the song that had been playing when Max had first kissed her.
And tonight, the night of the concert, to which she had refused his invitation and symbolically so much more, she finally allowed herself to mourn the fact that she could never have him in her life.
We came, we came, we came again
To stem the tide and point the blame
She had kept the grief inside herself for so long that when she allowed the first tears to fall, all of the pent up anguish came pouring out. And as the song continued to play, soul-deep sobs racked her small frame uncontrollably.
Came back for more
Came back to see what you had in store
Everyone join the line, everyone
Yeah
Max climbed the ladder leading to Liz's balcony, with a smile lighting his face. Even though Liz had repeatedly told him she wouldn't go to the concert with him, he knew her defenses against him had been weakening, she was close to giving in.
But as he approached her window, Max could see Liz sitting on her bed, crying like she had lost her last friend in the world and all other thoughts vanished from him mind except comforting the girl he loved more than life itself.
So you wanna spin the world around?
So you wanna spin the world around?
And anybody else, cut 'em down
Liz was so lost in her grief that she didn't hear the window open or recognize that the one person who was capable of relieving her suffering was present.
So you wanna make catastrophe?
Won't you send it right over to me
I got some time
Everybody running high
Without a word Max slipped his arms around Liz's shivering form and pulled her tightly into his embrace. He recognized the grief she was experiencing first hand because her cries echoed the pain that had resided in his heart since she had left him. He could feel her love for him shining brightly, even though she had tried to deny it for his sake, and he loved her even more.
He gently kissed the top of her head in a comforting gesture but having her in his arms again intoxicated him. The scent of her skin and the memory of the sweet taste of her lips taunted him and he knew he didn't have the strength to fight against it.
The same, the same, the same again
To steal the time and haunt the graves
It didn’t surprise Liz that Max was there, holding her, comforting her. It seemed so natural that he should be there to share her pain and she turned to him, eager for a brief respite from her grief. On some deep level, Liz knew she shouldn’t be with Max like this. She shouldn’t allow him to see her pain, shouldn’t allow him to comfort her, but she was too exhausted to fight him anymore. Fighting both Max and herself had been a losing battle from the start, and she was on the verge of surrender.
Somehow she could feel the anguish in Max's soul that mirrored her own. Max needed this healing as much as she did and she didn't have the strength to hurt either of them any longer. And when Max brought his lips down to meet hers, Liz couldn't bring herself to turn away.
Just because it's there
Don't mean you see it anywhere
Maybe it's a trick of the light
Maybe, yeah
Max pulled Liz closer to him, deepening the kiss when she didn’t resist. And when she kissed him back, he felt his heart come alive again for the first time since she had walked away from him, months ago. After all of the hiding, all of the denial, she was finally letting her true feelings show. He kissed her hard, his lips searing her skin as if they were on fire. He was branding his mark of possession on her, sealing their hearts and souls together irrevocably, and afterward she would never consider leaving him again.
So you wanna spin the world around?
So you wanna spin the world around?
And anybody else, cut 'em down
It seemed to Liz, as if she were in a beautiful dream. Everything was so right, so perfect. Liz had no feelings of guilt or regret, there was only Max. He filled her senses completely and she knew that she would no longer deny him. They were already one, they had been since the first time Max had connected with her and she knew now that being physically apart had changed nothing. This night, these feelings and actions were inevitable; they were written in the stars, they always had been.
So you wanna make catastrophe?
Don't you send it right over to me
I got some time
Everybody come alive
Max could feel the change in her and he reveled in the knowledge that again she was his, now and forever. He laid her back on the bed, looked into her eyes and spoke for the first time since entering her room. "Are you sure, Liz?"
Yeah
So you wanna spin the world around?
So you wanna spin the world around?
And anybody else, bring 'em down
"Yes Max," she answered, putting all of her feelings into her eyes for him to see. "I have never been so sure of anything in my life. I love you Max, I have always loved you."
"I love you more than anything Liz, and I will continue to love you until the end of eternity," Max vowed in return.
So you wanna make catastrophe?
Don't you send it right over to me
I got some time
Everybody running high
Their kisses and caresses grew more heated and more urgent, both of them eager to make up for the time they had spent apart.
So you wanna spin the world around?
So you wanna spin the world around?
And anybody else, cut 'em down
So you say we haven't turned around?
So you say we haven't turned around?
Just everybody else is going wrong
Going wrong
As the song ended, Max protected the woman he loved and their bodies united, forging a bond that joined their minds and souls. And they both knew nothing would ever come between them again.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The sun coming in through the window woke Max and he opened his eyes to an unfamiliar room. It only took him an instant to remember the glorious night he had spent with Liz in his arms. She was still beside him, curled into his side, her head resting on his chest, and his arms still encircled her. He allowed his eyes to roam over her face. She was so beautiful.
He didn't want to wake her but couldn't help himself and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. He thought she looked like an angel sleeping beside him.
"If you didn't want to wake me you shouldn't have done that," Liz murmured with a smile, her eyes still closed. She snuggled closer into his chest, opening her eyes. "And there is no way I look like an angel. My hair must be sticking out all over the place."
"It's perfect," Max said, as he ran his fingers through her hair. "You are perfect." He brushed his lips against hers but suddenly drew back with a frown. "How do you know I thought you looked like an angel?"
Liz smiled, "Well you just said it."
Max shook his head, "I didn't say it."
Liz brow wrinkled in confusion, "I heard you."
Max looked closely at her, his eyes searching her face. Was it possible that she had heard his thoughts?
Liz gasped, "I heard your voice, but you weren't speaking."
"What did I say?"
"You wondered if I heard your thoughts." Liz paused considering. "There were moments in the past, when I suspected we were sharing thoughts, feelings."
Max nodded, "I know what you mean. There were times, when we weren't even physically together but I knew what you were thinking. I thought it was just me, my powers, but it never happened with anyone else."
"I thought it was intuition or instinct, because I knew you so well," Liz said with a smile. "But a tentative connection must have been there all along. I guess it started when you healed me. Then last night, when we made love, it must have ... cemented the connection between us."
Max shook his head slowly, frightened that this latest development might be enough to turn Liz from him permanently. "Liz, I'm sorry. If I would have known..."
Stop it Max, Liz thought, concentrating on pushing the thought to him, to see if the bond would work both ways.
"Liz I heard you."
Liz smiled gently, "How could you think I wouldn't want to be connected to you?"
"But to hear each other's thoughts. It could get... intrusive."
Liz shook her head. "Max I love you so much. I think it's wonderful that we are this closely linked."
Max wrapped his arms more tightly around her, "So do I."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Crashdown Cafe)
"Good morning," Liz called out to Maria as she came down the stairs, into the back room of the restaurant.
Maria paused and she studied her friend. Liz was almost glowing. "You look like you're about to burst with something. Okay what happened girlfriend?"
"Have you seen Max today?" Liz asked innocently, while she cast her mind out to see if she could feel him, testing the limits of their connection.
"He did this to you?" Maria asked with a smile.
Liz stumbled over her words, not sure what to say. "No, uh... well, yeah. I just... I can't even explain it."
Maria was instantly indignant, "You can't explain? This is me you're talking to here."
Liz blushed, "I just... Well, we just... um..." she let the sentence trail off.
Maria suddenly brightened, "Liz, you and Max didn't..."
Liz nodded.
"Tell me all about it!"
"Maria," Liz intoned exasperatedly.
"Okay, okay not everything but..." she paused for a moment and then nodded her head, "Yeah, everything."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Evans House)
Michael pushed open Max's window and climbed inside, "Where the hell have you been?"
Max smiled, "Good morning to you too Michael."
"Hey, I tried to find you last night but you didn't come home, did you?"
Max looked Michael steadily in the eyes, "Liz and I are together, if that's what you're asking," he said, challenging Michael to state his opinion or shut up.
Michael met his eyes, saw Max's steely determination and backed down with a brief nod. He got right to the point. "We need to figure out what we’re going to do about this thing with Courtney and the skins."
"Michael it would be suicide to just walk in there. All of the skins have gathered for this harvest. Even Courtney told us to stay away."
"And you trust her?"
"Not entirely,” Max said. “But I do believe that she's not working with Nicholas and Khivar."
"So what are we going to do? We can't just do nothing, again."
"What do you want to do Michael?"
"I don't know but this is the perfect opportunity to wipe them all out with one blow."
"I agree,” Max said, “if we had any resources, but we don't. There are over one hundred skins in Copper Summit. We have no weapons and no allies. We can't control our powers, we don't even have a plan."
"We can't just let the harvest take place. It will give them another fifty years."
Max shook his head. "It can't be helped. It’s much safer to stay away. Courtney said they are stuck on this planet just like we are, so as long as they don't find us there is nothing they can do."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Tess stormed into the Valenti house, rushed past the couch where Kyle was sitting and slammed the door to her room. She was so furious, she could have single-handedly torn down the house. She had discovered that over the last week, there had been at least three meetings she had not been invited to, and Max had made it abundantly clear he didn’t want to see her. He had sent either Michael or Isabel to tell her about the decisions they had made, like she was an outsider, not a part of the group.
While Liz had been out of the picture over the summer, Tess and Max had gotten closer and she had thought she was making progress in winning him back. She had thought he would remember her as she remembered him and everything would work out the way it was destined. Even though Max had offered her a type of friendship, he had made it clear he didn’t want a deeper relationship with her. But since Liz had returned, Max had done his best to exclude Tess.
Tess picked up a pillow and threw it across the room. She was his wife, whether he liked it or not, and she was not going to let him just push her aside.
A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts. "Go away Kyle," she called out automatically. It had been a mistake to get involved with him, she now knew. She had only wanted a casual relationship but Kyle wanted something more from her and she was not able to give it to him.
Tess groaned as the knocking grew louder. She thought any guy would jump at the chance for a sexual relationship with no strings but she had picked the one guy who wanted more.
Tess crossed to the door and opened it, knowing Kyle wouldn’t go away until they had talked. She slumped down onto the bed and waited for him to join her but he stood in the doorway until she looked in his direction.
"What's wrong Tess?"
"Wrong? What could possibly be wrong?" Tess asked, her anger building with each word. "Max is having meetings without me, acting as if I don't exist, don't count, when I am his wife. He spends all of his free time with Liz and he obviously doesn't want to see me. No, nothing is wrong."
A hurt look crossed Kyle's face briefly and Tess saw it before he was able to cover. "Kyle," her voice softened, "you know I like you and I like being with you but..."
Kyle cut her off, "But you are in love with him." He nodded once crisply and then slapped a hand to his forehead, "What is it with this guy? First Liz and now you." He shook his head to clear his thoughts. "Okay, okay. I thought you weren't going to wait around for Evans. You were going to live your own life."
"I still intend to,” Tess said, “but I’m part of their group and I should have a vote on what we do." Her voice cracked with pain, "A few weeks ago they thought that the new owner of the UFO museum was a skin and the three of them went to kill him. They found out he was a human but they didn't even tell me what they were doing. I could have helped." A faint sob escaped before she could stop it and she wiped at her eyes. Her voice came out just above a whisper. "All three of them have been pushing me away. I thought after Whitaker took me that Isabel and I would grow closer again but..." her voice trailed off into silence.
Kyle moved to sit beside her and put his arm around her. "I know this is not what you want to hear, but you have to give them time. The three of them have been together for a long time and to trust and accept new people can't be easy."
Tess was instantly indignant, "But they had no trouble accepting and trusting the humans."
Kyle continued softly, "From what I understand, they didn't have much choice about trusting the humans. And when you came to town, you weren't honest about who you were and you did play some dirty tricks."
She lowered her head unable to look him in the eye, remembering how she had used him. "But you forgave me."
"Yeah," he said tipping her chin up, forcing her to look at him, "but it took some time and some help from the Buddha." He looked thoughtful for a moment, "Tolerance, patience and understanding are the highest virtues every man should develop."
Tess smiled, "Okay Buddha boy. Maybe you can help me develop some patience and understanding."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Max stood beneath Liz's balcony and waited until the light in her room went on, then he reached out for her with his mind. Liz.
Liz heard his call and answered immediately. Max, where are you?
Can't you tell? he teased.
Liz could feel his smile through the connection and reached out with her mind. She couldn't tell precisely where he was but she knew he was near. I don't know exactly, but close. Suddenly it was if the connection between them came into focus and she got a flash of the alley beneath her balcony. Max what just happened? It was like I saw through your eyes.
I was concentrating on strengthening the bond. I guess it worked.
Max, I love being this close to you.
So do I, he answered, as he climbed her ladder. We share a part of each other that no one else can touch.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode Equivalent - Wipeout)
(Sunday, October 29th, 2000)
(Copper Summit, AZ)
(The Crawford House)
Ida walked into the living room where Nicholas was playing Mortal Kombat. "Sir?"
Nicholas ignored her, concentrating on his game.
"Excuse me Sir," she said a little louder.
"Not now mom," he yelled. "I'm at a crucial part." His fingers furiously pushed the buttons on the controller but his character fell to the ground in a puddle of his own blood. Nicholas threw the controller to the floor as he leapt to his feet, "Damn it mom," he bellowed, "How many times have I told you not to interrupt me?"
"I'm sorry Sir."
"Well, what is it?"
"The last of the troops have gathered for the harvest."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Michael and Isabel looked down on the town of Copper Summit from their vantage point in the hills, and Isabel once again voiced her doubts, "Michael, I don't think this is such a great idea."
"Yeah, you mentioned that once or twice," Michael said, still gazing through his binoculars.
"We could have at least told Max we were coming," she persisted, "or brought Tess with us. Her powers could come in handy."
"Max wasn't interested in coming the last time I asked, and Tess would just tell him." He lowered the binoculars and looked at Isabel with a creased brow, "You don't trust her, do you?"
Isabel shook her head, "No I don't. Especially after all that stuff she did to us. And the way she is always kissing up to Max just creeps me out, but she is one of us. Maybe she could help."
"The only thing she would have helped with, is tattling to Max," Michael scoffed.
Isabel was feeling guilty about her decision to go against Max's orders but she hadn't wanted Michael to go alone, "Max told us not to come."
"I know. I just wanted to see for myself."
"And what do you think?"
"There are way too many of them for us to take on," Michael admitted with a smile. "For once, I think Maxwell was right. But if you ever tell him, I'll deny the whole thing."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Saturday, November 4th, 2000)
(Copper Summit, AZ)
Courtney smoothed the new husk over her body. It had a different feel than the other skin. It was lighter and she could feel more sensations through it, but best of all, her vision was improved. She moved to the mirror and studied her face. She looked the same. She couldn't see even a small difference in her new body.
Courtney smiled. Michael was attracted to this body and it would help her win him over to their side.
After the celebration tonight and the strategy meeting tomorrow, she would return to Roswell and continue with her plan to bring Michael over to their side.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Copper Summit, AZ)
(Onboard the Leptus)
"This is completely unacceptable," Khivar roared as he slammed Corporal Raltos’ borrowed fist down on the table.
Nicholas winced. The operation to recover Vilondra and the Granolith had lasted years longer than they had anticipated. Then their members had started being killed and he had been forced to cover up their disappearances by claiming they had deserted. But now Major Nesta, who had been posing as Congresswoman Vanessa Whitaker, had disappeared and was presumed dead.
The body of Corporal Raltos, containing Khivar's consciousness got to his feet, still ranting. "It was one thing when we were losing a few minor soldiers here and there. Losses are to be expected. But to lose the Major who was in charge of recovering the Granolith is just too much of a coincidence. I can only see two possibilities. Either one of Zan's shape shifters has infiltrated our group, or the traitors are more numerous than we thought."
Nicholas rushed to cover his butt, "Sir, I assure you that everything is being done to uncover the remaining traitors..."
Khivar cut him off, "Nicaron the situation is intolerable. The signal sent last summer means the pods have surely hatched and that means every day that passes is one more day I am without Vilondra."
Nicholas wondered if Khivar would blame him for failing to locate Vilondra, and if he did, what would happen to him. Nicholas knew being on Earth would not save him and he made a bold inquiry, risking his master's wrath. "What would you like us to do?"
Khivar paused for a moment, "I will send a legion of troops to Earth to help you locate them. I want this ended as quickly as possible."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode Equivalent - Max in the City - aka. Journey to New York)
(Saturday, November 25th, 2000)
(Roswell City Park)
Tess watched from behind a tree as Max and Liz strolled past her. She hardly needed to hide, she thought to herself. They were so wrapped up in one another, she doubted if they would notice her anyway. But Max had never noticed her.
She had watched the two of them carefully since Liz had returned from Florida. Tess had seen how Max pursued Liz and how Liz continually denied him, and then suddenly, a month ago, they were back together.
Tess had really been surprised. She thought Liz had understood the importance of their mission and would stay out of their way. When Liz had walked away from Max at the pod chamber that day, Tess had assumed all of them would accept their destiny and they would finally have the humans out of their lives. They would be able to concentrate on their mission, hone their skills and prepare to return home. But Max, Michael and Isabel kept insisting on involving the humans in everything they did. They had grown up with humans and they didn't understand, as she did, that the four of them were all they would ever need.
She squared her chin. One day Max would understand and he would come to her. She would just have to be patient until he remembered what they meant to one another. In the mean time, she could keep herself occupied with a human too.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Saturday, December 9th, 2000)
(Roswell Airport)
Maria and Liz hugged Alex one last time before he went through the airport metal detector. Only ticketed passengers were allowed past that point and they had to say their goodbyes there.
"Have a great time in Sweden, Alex," Liz said.
"And don't let all of those gorgeous Swedish women make you forget your friends back here," Maria added with a wink.
Alex smiled, "No way."
"What about your host family's phone number or address?" Liz asked.
"Real mail is so slow, to and from Europe, that I probably wouldn't get any letters in time to answer them, but e-mail is almost instantaneous." He lifted up his laptop and pointed to it with his free hand, "See, got the computer right here. And I'm also taking my cell phone so you can call and it'll be just like I never left.
He shrugged, "How great could Sweden be anyway? I'm sure it's just the same as here but with snow and lots of hot tubs and blonde beauties in bikinis as far as the eye can see." He paused in mock consideration. "Actually," he said in a teasing tone, "I may never come back."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode Equivalent - Roswell The Miracle - aka. A Roswell Christmas Carol)
(Saturday, December 23rd, 2000)
(Roswell City Park)
Max sat on the bench next to the girl he loved and allowed his eyes to roam over her face in amazement. Over the last few weeks their bond had strengthened and grown so that the connection was always there between them. They could sense each other at all times and strong emotions were automatically sent to the other. And when they concentrated on strengthening the link, they could telepathically communicate with a clarity that surpassed verbal communication because the subtleties of their feelings and emotions were also passed through the bond.
Max took her hand in his, "I love you so much, Liz."
"And I love you, with all of my heart."
He used his free hand to withdraw a rectangular, red velvet box from his pocket and wordlessly held it out to her. A sudden rush of sorrow washed over him as he remembered the last Christmas, when he had intended to give it to her. He had so cavalierly pushed her away and almost lost her completely.
Liz picked up on his feelings immediately, "What's wrong? Why are you sad all of the sudden?"
Max chased away the troubling thoughts, "I bought this to give to you last Christmas and then..." he let his words trail off, knowing that she didn't need him to fill them in.
"Oh," Liz said simply, as understanding dawned.
"I kept it as a reminder of all you meant to me," Max said, as he met her eyes and saw the tears gathering there. He reached across and gently brushed her cheek with his thumb. "But now that we’re together, I want you to have it."
Liz slowly opened the box and gasped when she saw the shining silver necklace, nestled in the lining. The charms Max had chosen were perfectly symbolic of their love; two hearts bearing their names, on either side of a star.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode Equivalent - To Serve & Protect)
(Saturday, January 27th, 2001)
(Sheriff Valenti's Office)
Jim leaned back in his chair, "Alright, let me get this straight. You can go into people's dreams?"
"Yes," Isabel said, trying to explain her power, "But usually I choose whose dreams I go into. This one just came to me."
Jim was skeptical, "Well, how do you know this was real, not just somebody's nightmare you stumbled into?"
Isabel shook her head, "I don't know, but it felt real. She needs help."
Max stepped in to defend his sister, "Sheriff, when Tess was being tortured Isabel got flashes from her, and that's how she knew Tess was in danger. That's how we saved her life. We should check into this."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode Equivalent - To Serve & Protect)
(Sunday, January 28th, 2001)
(The Evans House - Isabel's Room)
Isabel drifted into a restless sleep and almost immediately she was pulled into the scene in the forest. She watched helplessly as the girl was dragged across the ground in a body bag. Isabel could feel the girl's fear so acutely, it was if she were experiencing it as well. She rushed forward trying to help but she was stopped as the assailant turned toward her and she recognized him immediately, Grant.
"No! Oh, no! It can't be!" she cried out.
Suddenly she was snapped out of the dream as Max shook her. "You started crying Isabel. What happened?"
Isabel collapsed into him, "No, Oh God! It's Grant! It's Grant. I saw him. I saw him. Oh God! Oh God. No."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Sheriff Valenti's Office)
Jim answered the phone, glad for the break from his argument with Dan, "Sheriff Valenti."
Max spoke right to the point, "It's not over."
Jim was confused, "You wanna explain that to me."
Max explained, "It's not Melissa Foster. It's some other girl. She's in Frazier Woods in the clearing outside the abandoned pump house. We have to go right now."
Jim glanced at Dan, who was watching him suspiciously.
"Sheriff?" Max asked when the Sheriff didn't answer.
Jim came up with a quick cover story, "Where are you now Deputy?"
Max picked up on his signal, "We're at our house. We'll meet you on Clark's street, near the Crashdown."
"Stay where you are," said Jim, not wanting them to expose themselves by getting involved any further, "I'll take care of it."
"No," said Max, anticipating trouble that Valenti might not be able to handle on his own, "We're going with you. Can you meet us?"
"Yeah," Jim relented, "I'll meet you there Deputy."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Liz waited until she could feel Max's emotions calm. He had been so frightened and she had been scared to contact him, not wanting to distract him from what he was doing. His feelings had transmitted themselves to her as if she had been there with him, but she couldn't tell what was happening, just that he was scared. But now that he was more settled, she wanted to know what had happened.
She reached out with her mind, unsure of where Max was or if she could reach him. Max.
He answered immediately. Liz.
Max, what happened? Liz asked urgently, I could feel your fear.
Liz could feel Max's surprise and then sorrow. I'm sorry Liz. I have been hiding something from you.
Liz was shocked that he could hide anything from her with their connection. What are you talking about?
The last couple of days, Isabel has been having dreams. She has been seeing a girl that was drugged and kidnapped and tonight we found her.
Is she okay? Liz asked, concerned.
Yeah, she'll be fine.
But Max that doesn't explain why you were so scared.
Max didn't want to worry her but he knew it would come out. The kidnapper was there and he shot at us.
Max are you okay? Was anyone hurt?
We're all fine. We’re on our way to the Sheriff's station to give statements.
Why would you keep this from me, Max? We are supposed to be together.
We are, Liz.
No, Max. We’re not together if you are keeping things from me.
It wasn't like that Liz. Isabel thought the girl might be an alien and I didn't want to risk you getting hurt.
Max, life is dangerous. You can't protect me all the time.
Maybe no,t but I can keep you away from the alien stuff. Liz, you deserve to live a normal life without these alien problems constantly intruding.
But Max, it is part of what you are.
No, he denied vehemently, with the single word. I just want to put that part of my life behind me.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode Equivalent - We Are Family)
(Monday, January 29th, 2001)
The last customers left the Crashdown and Liz slid into the booth with Max and kissed him. "Max, you've been sitting here since six o'clock."
Max smiled, "I don't wanna go home."
Liz studied him and tried to weigh his emotions through their connection. "Max I can tell you're upset. What's going on?"
Max knew that he couldn't hold back from her. "There's someone dangerous in our town, Liz. Someone who'd do that to a defenseless person."
Liz smiled, "That's why you're here. You're worried about me."
"I have to make sure you are safe, Liz. I don't know what I would do without you."
They were interrupted by a knock on the door.
Liz could see Sean through the glass. "One second," she said to Max. She crossed to the door and opened it a crack.
Sean smiled, putting on his most charming face, "I would kill for some Chili Orbit Rings."
Liz smiled back, "I'm sorry, Sean, but the kitchen's closed."
"Come on," Sean tried again, "Okay, umm, Asteroid Pie."
Liz shook her head, "Uh, the last piece went at six o'clock."
Sean pouted, "Why do you gotta be so cruel, Parker?"
Liz shook her head, "Just come back tomorrow, Sean, okay? I'll give you ten percent off."
"Twenty," Sean said.
Liz started to shut the door, "Good night, Sean."
Liz turned back to Max with a smile, "There are two pieces of Asteroid Pie left in the fridge. I'll go get my books and we'll study until Alex gets here with his slides."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Parker House)
Liz headed down the stairs to get an extension cord but she stopped when she saw Sean.
"Excuse me, what are you doing here?" she asked him.
"I was hungry," Sean said with a shrug.
Liz shook her head and turned to the cupboard to begin her search.
"The, uh, auto show's in town this weekend," Sean said.
"Uh-huh?" Liz said over her shoulder, continuing her search.
"I was gonna go," Sean said.
"Where is that extension cord?" Liz asked herself.
Sean reached past Liz when he saw the cord and handed it to her. "So, uh, you wanna go?"
Liz shrugged, "Umm, I don't know. Cars are, you know, I just, maybe I will check it out."
"With me?" Sean asked.
Liz focused on him for the first time, understanding dawning. "Oh."
Alex called down the stairs as he descended, "Hey, uh, Liz, do you have some Windex or something? The lens is dirty." He stopped when he saw the other guy, "Sean."
Sean smirked, "Alice."
Alex gave a false laugh, "Hey, that's funny. I haven't heard that since they put you away."
Liz answered Alex's question, "In the kitchen?"
"Thanks," Alex said, as he turned to go into the kitchen.
Liz turned back to Sean, "Yeah, um, you know, thank you very much for the invitation, but I can't go with you like that."
Sean nodded, "The guy who was in there with you before?"
Liz smiled, "Max. Yeah. We're together."
Sean shrugged, "No sweat. Thanks for dinner."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Liz's balcony)
Liz filled in Alex as they looked at his slides, "I just wish Kyle would understand where Max is coming from."
"Well, you know, I guess some things don't change in a month."
Liz agreed, "It's too bad."
Alex nodded and clicked to the next slide, "Okay. This is my host family, the Olsons, and they live in Uppsala which is just north of Stockholm, and that is Johan, Gustav, Rebecka, Mattias, and little Kiki."
Liz continued, "You know, on the other hand, Kyle has every right to be angry. This is complicated.” She glanced at Alex and realized she was interrupting, “Sorry."
"No problem," Alex said as he clicked to the next slide.
"So," Liz started, "did you meet anyone special?"
Alex shook his head, "No. I was really hoping to meet someone to take my mind off of Isabel but no such luck.” He motioned inside, “Hey, speaking of which, what is up with you and Sean DeLuca earlier?"
"Oh, yeah,” Liz sighed. “He didn't realize I was with Max and he asked me out."
Alex laughed, "What, is the guy blind? You and Max spend like every waking moment together."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode Equivalent - We Are Family)
(Tuesday - January 30th, 2001)
(West Roswell High School)
Max stopped Kyle in the hall, "Can we talk?"
Kyle was angry and blamed all of his father's problems on Max, "No."
"Look," Max started, "I'm sorry about what's happening."
Kyle turned on him, "There's gonna be a hearing. They might take away his job."
Max was worried about Sheriff Valenti too. "Kyle, your dad has some stuff in his office, stuff that Michael found out at that burial site. It's alien. And if that agent starts poking around..."
Kyle cut him off, "You might be exposed? What a shame."
Max understood what Kyle was feeling but if the FBI found the substance it wouldn't be good for any of them. "Your father could be nailed for withholding evidence. It would only make things worse for him."
"So take care of it," Kyle said simply.
Max sighed, feeling frustrated, "I'm already on their radar. This is the safest way to do this. No one will think twice if you walk into that office. Kyle, we need your help."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Max closed the door to the eraser room behind him, "I got your note. What's wrong?"
Liz eyes were brimming with tears, "Nothing. No. No. Um, that's not true. I've just been thinking a lot lately, and... Have you ever wanted to see Sweden?"
Max was thrown by the sudden change of subject, "Sweden?"
"I mean or anywhere," Liz clarified. "Peru, Nigeria, New Zealand."
Max nodded, "Sure. Why?"
"Watching Alex this week. I just realized that, it's our right to see the world, to live our dreams. You and Isabel and Michael and Tess, you guys are getting cheated on a lot of things, and it's not fair. None of it is."
"I know," Max said. "That's why I want to make sure that you follow your dream of going to Harvard."
Liz shook her head. "That doesn't matter to me Max. It is more important to me to be with you."
Max smiled and pulled her into an embrace. "Then you will have to go to Harvard because that is where I intend be."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode Equivalent - Disturbing Behavior)
(Saturday, February 3rd, 2001)
(The Evans House – Max’s Room)
Max flipped through the biology book and looked into the microscope. He was pretty sure it was a type of bacterium but there were thousands if not millions of types.
Isabel interrupted him, "Are you getting anywhere?"
"I think we're dealing with some kind of, uh, alien bacterium... or something."
Isabel cocked her head to the side, "Maybe you should ask your lab partner. She's the science whiz."
Max shook his head. "I'm trying to keep Liz out of this."
"Are you sure that is such a good idea? She could help us figure out what is going on."
"I don't want Liz involved in the alien stuff."
"Why not Max? What’s going on?"
Max sighed, not sure how to explain it to Isabel. "I just want Liz's life to be normal. Liz left me because of what we learned that day in the cave. What if the alien crap drives her away from me again? I don't think I would survive it."
"What does Liz say?"
"She wants to be involved in every aspect of my life, but I just can't take any chances."
Isabel sat on the bed, "Max, Liz is alive because of your powers. She accepts you for who you are. She loves you."
"I know. I just can't lose her."
Isabel nodded, "I know Max but you won't. She wants to help and she might be our only hope."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Roswell UFO Museum)
Liz turned the knob, bringing the specimen into focus and recognized it immediately. She turned to Max and Isabel, "It looks like they're alien versions of negleria filarae." She explained further when she met their blank looks, "Waterborne parasites found in the blood cells of certain species of fish."
"Parasites?" Max asked, concerned, "Well, that implies they need something to feed on... like an arm?"
"Maybe," said Liz thoughtfully, "but you said that they didn't effect you."
"No, I got the feeling I didn't taste good or something."
Liz looked at him, "Then they didn't react when Sheriff Valenti picked them up?"
Max shook his head, "No."
Liz turned introspective, speaking her theory aloud, "Sounds like they're not interested in terrestrial organisms."
"Well, except Laurie," Max reminded her, "They formed on her grave site."
"So, maybe," Liz speculated, "there's something unique about her, something the parasites are looking for. Or there could be something unique about her gravesite. It's in Frazier Woods, right?"
"Right."
Liz nodded. She reached for her phone and quickly dialed. "Isabel," she spoke into the receiver when she answered, "Hi. It's Liz. We need you to do something."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode Equivalent - Disturbing Behavior)
(Sunday, February 4th, 2001)
(Tucson, AZ)
Michael, Maria and Laurie stopped at the front gate of the Dupree house.
"Wow," Maria gasped, "Grandpa's done pretty well for himself."
Michael turned to Laurie, "You okay?"
Laurie smiled, "I'm nervous. I haven't seen my Grandfather for so long."
Michael pressed the buzzer on the gate and almost immediately a voice spoke through the intercom.
"Can I help you?"
Michael stepped back so the camera could see him, "Yeah. We're here to see Charles Dupree."
"Who are you?" asked the voice through the intercom.
Michael motioned to them each in turn, "I'm Michael, this is Maria, and this is Mr. Dupree's Granddaughter, Laurie."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Roswell UFO Museum)
Isabel met Max and Liz after her meeting with Grant. "So he has about fifty experiments going on in Frazier Woods, all of which he explained to me in excruciating detail, but the common thread through each one is the water table."
"What about it?" Max asked.
Isabel continued with her story, "The woods are unusual because the water's so close to the surface. In some places, it's less than three feet below ground."
Liz spoke up, "You know, if the parasites really are waterborne, and that's just a theory, they might be in the water table."
"Yeah," Max agreed, "but how would alien parasites get in the water table in the first place?"
Liz walked to the computer and pulled up a map of the water table, "Okay. Uh, this is a map of the water table for the entire county."
"It looks like a bunch of, uh, rivers," Max noted.
"Yeah," said Liz nodding, "that's basically it. The water flows from one area to another through a system of underground rivers and streams..." she let her sentence trail off as she pulled up the section of the map they were interested in, "Frazier Woods."
"So the stream passes right underneath the grave site," Isabel said.
A terrible thought suddenly occurred to Max, "Let's see the rest of that stream."
Liz widened the view to look up-stream, "Oh, my God."
"What?" he asked, fearing he already knew the answer.
"Do you know what that is?" Liz asked. "That's Pohlman Ranch."
"The crash site," Isabel breathed with a gasp of fear.
"Yeah," said Liz. "The stream passes right beneath it."
Max stated what they were all thinking, "That means that the parasites might have been on our ship."
Liz turned to them, "Somebody kidnaps a girl and buries her in the ground so a bunch of alien parasites can, I mean, can do what to her we don't know, and, and then how does he know about these parasites? Is he human, or is he alien? Are these things dangerous to normal people in Roswell?"
"Okay," said Isabel taking a deep breath. "Where do we go from here, Max?"
Max shook his head, "I have absolutely no idea."
Liz spoke up, "We need help."
Max and Liz looked at one another, the same thought suddenly occurring to both of them and they both spoke aloud, "Courtney."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode Equivalent - How the Other Half Live)
(Monday, February 5th, 2001)
(Crashdown Cafe)
Max, Isabel and Liz sat down at a table with Courtney and Max came right to the point, "We need your help. We think that some form of a parasite was released into our Earth's ecosystem when our ship crashed fifty years ago. We think they're dangerous."
Courtney's brow furrowed for a moment. "When you say parasite, what do you mean?"
Max shrugged, "I don't know. It looks like blue crystals."
Courtney shook her head, "I could be wrong but if it is what I think it is, we are all in trouble."
Liz sat forward, "What do you think it is?"
Courtney sat back in her chair, "When you want to create an alien-human hybrid, you need something to help bridge the differences. The cells normally don't mix, don't fit together. That's where the Ganderium comes in.
"Ganderium," Liz said simply, somehow feeling better now that they had a name for the crystals.
Courtney nodded, "The Ganderium are a genetically engineered life form, designed to make up for the differences in non-matching genetic materials. In a controlled environment, like on your ship, they're harmless, but released into an eco-system, the Ganderium will perform the only role they know, infect human cells.
Isabel spoke up, "But they're not infecting just any human cells, they seem to be focusing on one particular girl."
Courtney nodded, "Not every human would be infected right away. For the Ganderium to work, the host's genetic structure has to have a flaw."
Liz nodded in understanding, "That's why they're going after Laurie. She must have the defect."
"What happens if they succeed in infecting Laurie?" Max asked.
Courtney took a deep breath, "Once they've infected her, the Ganderium will mutate into a universal virus. She'll infect anyone she comes into contact with, human or otherwise and eventually every infected person on the planet will die. The mortality rate would probably be over ninety percent of the population."
Max shook his head. "How do we destroy them?"
"Once they've infected the host, it's all over," said Courtney softly.
A sudden realization came to Liz, "They didn't finish. The Ganderium didn't finish infecting Laurie."
"She was buried right out there with the crystals," said Isabel.
"No," argued Liz. "That's why they're still coming after her. To complete the process."
Courtney broke in, "If that's true, then we may still have a chance. The Ganderium are hive-like, with workers, drones, even a Queen. The Queen is the only one that can infect the host. But the crystals have to build up in the blood stream to a critical level before the Queen can infect the host. So we have to find the Queen, kill her, and the rest of the hive will die.
Mad nodded decisively, "The first thing we have to do is go back to Frazier Woods and find out how many more of these crystals are out there. Or rather, down there. And then we have to find a way to destroy them. Collect whatever digging equipment you can and meet outside in an hour. I'm going to call Kyle, Alex and Tess for more help."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Dupree Mansion - Poolside)
Carmen placed the phone in front of Michael, "This one is for you sir."
"Thank you," said Michael as he reached for the phone. "Hello?"
"Michael, it's Max. The crystals can't live without oxygen."
"Okay," Michael said, wondering how that information applied to him.
"That's how we can stop it," Max explained.
"Well, I got a news flash for you Maxwell," Michael scoffed, "there are no crystals around here."
"So Laurie's safe?" Max asked, attempting to bring Michael around to the point of the call.
"She's under my constant watch," Michael said, "I'm not even sleeping. How are things with you?"
"Tired," Max sighed. "It's been a long couple of days."
"Yeah, tell me about it."
"It's been raining pretty hard here."
Carmen handed Michael the DVD player. "Thank you," he whispered to Carmen.
"Morale's a little low," Max continued.
"Ah Max, I gotta take another patrol round the perimeter."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Max drove himself and Liz back to his house. His parents were out of town and it would take Isabel hours to get back from Tucson. He and Liz could spend some much-needed time alone together. They were both soaked and dirty from digging holes Frazier Woods but as Max stopped the Jeep in his driveway and looked across to Liz, he thought she had never looked more beautiful. She was bathed in the glory of saving the world.
But as much as Max was happy that they had succeeded, he blamed himself completely for endangering the Earth in the first place. The parasites were alien. Their ship had brought them to the Earth and the crash had released them into the environment. They were responsible.
Liz broke into his thoughts, having felt his emotions through their bond, "This wasn't your fault, Max."
"We brought those things to Earth."
"They wouldn't have been dangerous if the ship hadn't crashed," Liz argued.
"The ship," Max scoffed, "is just the first thing in a long line of alien screw-ups."
"What are you talking about, Max?"
Max took a deep breath. "Liz, everything we have discovered about our past and what we really are, has only brought pain and death; the FBI and Pierce, the skins, Tess, and the message from our mother, and now the Ganderium. And Nasedo, who was supposed to be our protector, killed more people than I want to think about."
"But Max, that isn't you."
"How do we know that Liz? How do we know anything about who I was in my other life?"
Liz shook her head, "Max you aren't like that. I know."
Max's heart swelled with love at Liz's words but he was afraid if he pursued his alien heritage, he would discover something about himself or his people that would turn her away from him. "Liz, the only good thing that has come of my being alien was saving you and how it brought us together. That is what I want to concentrate on, you and me, and building a life. I don't care about anything else."
"But Max what about your people, your destiny?"
Max shook his head, "They will have to figure a way out of this mess themselves. How could one man possibly make a difference in a war that has been going on for more than fifty years? I am not a King. I don't know anything about being a leader, and even if we did return, I wouldn't know how to help them anyway."
"But Max..."
He shook his head again, silencing her. "I want to cut everything alien out of our lives. I just want to be a normal person and live a normal life."
Liz smiled, "Max, you know I'll follow you anywhere. If that's what you want, then that's what we'll do." She reached up and touched his cheek, strengthening the bond between them and sent him a brief flash of them stepping into a steaming shower together. "Now, I think we should go get cleaned up."
Max kissed her gently, "Anything you want, my love."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Dupree Mansion)
(Later that evening)
Michael turned to Maria, "Maria, let me ask you something."
"Hmmm?"
"What would you think if Laurie moved in with me? I mean, like we said, she's kind of my sister."
"She is," Maria said carefully.
"Yeah," said Michael answering his own question, "but after all she's been through, she probably needs some peace and quiet."
"Probably," Maria agreed.
"And a chance to get away from all the alien stuff and, if she lived with me, well, I'm kinda a magnet for the intergalactic trouble."
"Yeah."
"What's gonna happen to her? We can't leave her here with these freaks."
"Well," said Maria, "that's something we can handle. All we need is a lawyer."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode Equivalent - Viva Las Vegas)
(Thursday, February 15th, 2001)
(Michael’s Apartment)
Michael woke up from another nightmare, gasping with relief that it wasn't real. For the last two weeks the nightmares had gotten steadily worse, he needed to do something to stop them.
He wandered into the living room and took out the bag of money the Duprees had given him. The money was tainted and somehow he knew it was causing his dreams. If he got rid of it, maybe his dreams would stop.
He threw the money onto the table and went into his room. He quickly stuffed some things into a bag and then returned to the living room. He picked the money up off the table and turned it over in his hands and then coming to a decision he put the money into the bag too and headed out the door.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Evans House – Max’s Room)
Max was awoken by the sound of his window opening. "What's going on?" he asked Michael who was climbing inside.
Michael threw his bag onto the floor, "We are leaving, that's what's going on. You and I. We're getting out of this town for a couple of days."
"What? Why? What's wrong?" Max asked, concerned.
"I need a road trip," Michael explained. "I gotta clear out the cobwebs."
"What the hell are you talking about?"
Michael sighed, "I'm talking about getting out of this two-bit town for a couple of days and having some fun. Is there something wrong about that?"
"No," Max agreed, as he turned on the light, "there's nothing wrong with that. You wanna tell me what's really going on."
"Nightmares, Maxwell. I can't shake them. I've had them every night for two weeks. I mean my brain needs a vacation, or I swear to God I'm going to lose it on someone or something, and it's not gonna to be pretty.
"Okay," Max said, "we'll take a vacation."
"Yeah, today," Michael said. "Now, let's go, out of town."
"Today?" Max asked. "But we need a plan."
"Screw the plan, let's just go."
"Michael, you gotta trust me here. We need a cover story, so no one looks for us."
Michael shook his head, "I cannot make it through another day of school."
Max tried to calm him, "Look. You know there is no way I’m leaving without Liz, and Maria will be hurt if you don’t include her, right? So we'll tell them and cover our tracks and then we're out of here. Okay?"
"Okay, okay, okay,” Michael agreed. “But we don't have to be with them all the time do we? We can have some guy time right?"
Max smiled, "Yeah. So, where are we going anyway?"
"You're gonna love it. It's a place without rules, without responsibilities, a place where we can forget about our troubles. It's a city of dreams."
"Which would be..." Max let the sentence trail off for Michael to finish it.
"Vegas. We're going to Vegas baby."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(West Roswell High School)
Michael was waiting for Max outside his third period class. "So Max, will that plan to cover our absence stretch to include a few others?"
"Like Isabel?" Max asked.
"No," Michael said, shaking his head.
"Yes," Max nodded. "She heard us talking this morning and she wants to come."
"Great." Michael said unenthusiastically. "Maria invited Alex, and Tess found out and invited herself and Kyle too. The whole damn town is coming."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Bali Hai Hotel and Casino - Presidential Suite)
(Las Vegas, NV)
Michael had handed out the money and fixed the group's IDs. Everyone headed out except Max, Michael and Liz.
Max turned to Michael, "Give me a minute. I'll meet you by the elevator."
He waited until Michael had left before he took Liz in his arms and pulled her into a searing kiss. After a moment he broke the kiss with a sigh, "I am going to miss you today but tonight will be all about us."
Liz smiled and kissed his cheek, "I can't wait." She motioned to the door, "Now go have some fun."
Liz could feel the anger pouring out of the person in the room behind her but she waited until Max closed the door before she spoke. "What do you want Tess?"
"You're sleeping with him?" asked Tess, as she stomped into the room.
Liz turned to face the other girl, "I don't really see how that's any of your business."
"I'm his wife," Tess shouted.
"You were his wife," Liz corrected. "Every wedding vow I have heard has a, 'til death do us part,' clause. You both died so your marriage ended."
"No," Tess argued. "Max loved me in our last life and he will love me again. You are just a ... a distraction."
Neither of them had heard the door open a moment earlier but suddenly Max burst into the room and rushed angrily toward Tess. "How dare you speak to Liz like that. Our relationship is none of you business."
"Hello," Tess said sarcastically, as she waved at him, "your wife here."
Max shook his head, "You may have been my wife in our last life but you mean nothing to me in this one."
"Max!" Liz said critically, surprised by his harshness, and she reached out to take his arm.
His attention was captured by her gesture and he felt his temper dissolve under her gentle touch. "Sorry, Tess. I shouldn't have said that."
Tess was close to tears and pushed past them and out the door without a word.
Max turned to Liz, "I'm sorry Liz. I just got so angry when I heard her attacking you, us."
Liz wrapped her arms around him, "Max it doesn't matter what Tess or anyone else says. It won't change the way we feel about each other."
"No," Max agreed, "nothing can change that."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode Equivalent - Off the Menu)
(Friday, April 13th, 2001)
(The Gap - Roswell Mall)
Maria and Liz stood in front of the mirror as Liz examined two shirts. She held a yellow one in her right hand and put it in front of her, "I like the style of this one but," she switched hands and held up a red shirt, "I like the color of this one." She turned to Maria, "What do you think?"
Maria pointed to the red shirt, "I think the red is much better on you but you're right, the style is terrible."
Liz nodded and pointed to the yellow shirt again, as she turned to Maria. "I wish this style came in red..."
Maria grabbed her arm. "Liz," she hissed through her teeth.
"What Maria?" Liz asked, suddenly concerned.
"Okay, okay," Maria started, "now don't freak out."
"Maria, why would I freak out?"
Maria lowered her voice to a whisper, "Look at the shirts."
Liz laughed, "What do you mean? You practically had me freaked out, being all mysterious. I thought something was wrong."
Maria's eyes widened and she spoke through clenched teeth, "Look at the shirts."
Liz glanced down at the shirts in her hands and for a moment she didn't understand what she was seeing. She smoothed her hand over the shirts; they were now both red. Liz looked at Maria. "What happened?"
"You happened girl," Maria said.
Liz shook her head, "What do you mean, I happened?"
"You changed the color. I saw you."
Liz laughed nervously, "Don't be silly. I couldn't possibly have..." she let her sentence trail off and her smile faded. "Could I?"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Evans House – Max’s Room)
Liz finished telling Max of the events at the mall. "I tried to change the shirt back to yellow but I couldn't do it."
Max shook his head, "Liz this is bad."
She could feel his worry through their connection, "Why is it bad?"
"You won't be able to control the powers and if it happened at the wrong time, if the wrong person saw, it would put you in danger. We'll have to work on controlling your powers enough so you can suppress them."
Liz nodded, disappointed by Max's reaction. She thought he would be as excited as she had been when the initial surprise had worn off.
Max sensed her disappointment and cupped her cheek in his hand. "I know you were excited about your powers and you wanted me to be too. But Liz the best thing I can give you is a normal life."
Liz shook her head. "Max, I don't care what kind of life I lead as long as I'm with you."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Valenti House)
Kyle opened the door and looked at the six people gathered before him with surprise. He addressed Max, who was standing in front, "Did I miss a memo for a meeting?"
"Are Tess and your father home?" Max asked. "We need to talk."
"Yeah," Kyle said. "Come on in."
Tess and Jim rose from the sofa as the others entered.
"Is something wrong?" Tess asked.
Max shook his head, "No but we wanted to tell you what happened today, because it could effect all of us."
Jim motioned for the others to sit. "What happened?"
Max glanced at Liz sitting beside him and she nodded for him to continue. Max turned to face the others. "Liz has developed powers."
"What?" Tess asked angrily, as she jumped up from her seat. "How did that happen?"
Max shrugged, "I don't know, but we think it must have been..."
Kyle cut Max off and finished his sentence, "because you healed her." Kyle looked around with wide eyes, "So it could happen to me too."
Max nodded. "We don't know if you will develop powers but you could. I healed you several months after Liz. It might take a certain amount of time for them to show up, or they might come tomorrow, but we just wanted to warn you to be careful."
Kyle nodded silently.
Max continued, "Also, I think we should keep this to ourselves for now. I mean, I don't want anyone to tell Courtney," he said, looking specifically at Michael.
"You think she might betray us?" Michael asked.
Max shook his head, "Not on purpose. But if our enemies found out, it would make Liz and Kyle targets and they wouldn't be able to defend themselves."
Everyone nodded their agreement.
Max took Liz's hand, "I will be working with Liz to help her control her powers but she might have some accidents at first. She might even be doing things that she is not aware of, so if any of us see her do something, um, otherworldly, just fix it as quickly and discretely as possible."
He looked around the group and met the eyes of the aliens and Kyle, "It's more important than ever that we not to expose ourselves. With Liz and maybe Kyle getting powers they can't control, we need to keep a low profile. So no one uses powers in public and be careful in private too."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode Equivalent - Heart of Mine)
(Wednesday, April 25th, 2001)
(West Roswell High School)
Maria looked at the Prom poster and then significantly at Michael.
Michael rolled his eyes, "Just kill me now. I don't do proms. I don't believe in them."
"You don't believe in them?" Maria asked.
Michael shook his head, "The whole thing is totally bogus. It's completely unnatural."
Maria laughed, "You know what, I find it to be really unnatural that you're half alien warrior and half Grandpa Dupree. But I make do."
Michael sighed, "I knew you were going to make this thing into a whole issue."
"Oh my God!" Maria exclaimed. "This is potentially one of the five greatest nights of my life! And if you're not going to do your part in providing that for me, then I'm just gonna, I'm gonna seek other options. That's what I'm gonna do."
Michael's brow creased, "So what are you saying, that we're seeing other people?"
Maria's mouth dropped open in surprise, "Oh my God, you are so annoying!"
"Fine then," Michael said, "we're seeing other people."
"Fine!" Maria shouted back.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode Equivalent - Heart of Mine)
(Thursday, April 26th, 2001)
(West Roswell High School)
Isabel saw Alex across the library. She had hoped he would ask her to the Prom but she had to admit he might be afraid she would turn him down, again. She smiled. Maybe he just needed a little encouragement. She crossed to his table and sat down, "So I think Billy Sorian is going to ask me to prom."
"Billy, huh?" Alex asked. "Are you sure? Cuz I heard he was taking Amy Green."
Isabel smiled, "Well, the point is, I would've said no."
"Oh," Alex said with a nod.
Obviously Alex wasn't getting her drift. Isabel decided to change her approach. "What about you Alex? Anyone special?"
Alex shook his head, "Not right now."
"Really?" Isabel asked interestedly. "Maybe someone special, from your past, who's ready now and before she wasn't."
Alex smiled, "Isabel, it would be my pleasure to take you to prom."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Crashdown Cafe)
Liz rolled her eyes, "Maria I am not going to help you break into Michael's apartment. I just know that you'd regret it.
"Well, yeah, if we don't find any evidence."
"Of what?" Liz asked.
"That he's seeing someone else!" Maria said exasperatedly. "Hello!"
"This whole thing came up yesterday," Liz said, trying to calm her friend. "How could he already have another girlfriend?"
Maria nodded, "That's exactly my point Liz. He obviously already had this bimbo on the side and was just looking for an excuse to break up with me, ya know?"
Liz shook her head, "No, I just think that you are overreacting. Look, I will talk to Max and we'll find out what is going on. Okay?"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Valenti House)
Kyle knocked on the door jam as he stood in the doorway of Tess’ bedroom, "Hey."
Tess looked up from her book, "Hey Kyle. What's up?"
Kyle shifted nervously from foot to foot. He had no idea why this was so difficult. After all he and Tess had been sleeping together for months. "I know that I'm not the guy you really want to be with so feel free to say no, or laugh or be outraged or whatever. But would you, um, want to go to the prom, you know, with me?"
Tess smiled. Kyle was cute when he was nervous, "You know, I'd really like that Kyle."
"Oh," he said with a relieved smile. He had to admit to himself that he was falling in love with her and it made him happy to know that for at least one night, she was with him.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Michael's apartment)
"Hey Max," Michael greeted, as he stood aside to allow his friend to enter. "What's up?"
"That's what I'm hoping you can tell me," said Max.
"What do you mean?"
Max sighed and jumped right in, "Imagine this. I am dating Liz. Maria is Liz's best friend. Maria is dating Michael. Michael and Maria have a fight about the prom and seeing other people."
Michael nodded as understanding dawned, "Maria talked to Liz, who asked you to come to me."
Max smiled, "Right. So why don't you put us all out of our misery and tell me what's going on."
Michael turned to the kitchen counter and started to rub at a stain. "The problem is, I, uh, I can't dance."
"You can't dance," Max deadpanned. "You told Maria you wanted to see other people because you can't dance."
Michael shook his head, "No, you don't understand. Maria wants to go to the prom and have it be this big thing that she will cherish for the rest of her life and I don't want to ruin that."
"Well, breaking up with her will certainly make it memorable," Max said dryly.
"No, Max. I didn't really break up with her. I just said that to buy myself some time."
"For what?" Max asked, now really confused.
"To learn how to dance. I'm taking dancing lessons and I thought I would surprise her at the dance."
Max nodded. "You know you are driving her crazy? And what am I going to tell Liz?"
Michael scratched at his eyebrow, thinking. Suddenly an idea came to him, "Tell Liz to tell Maria that I am working on a surprise."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode Equivalent - Heart of Mine)
(Friday, April 27th, 2001)
(Prom Night)
Max walked into the Crashdown to meet Liz but stopped as she emerged from the back room. It was as if everything else in the world dropped into the background and only the two of them were left. Liz was so beautiful, she took his breath away.
Liz smiled and spoke to Max through their connection, You always say the perfect thing.
They crossed to each other and Max took her hand in his and pressed it to his lips. Because I love you.
I love you too, Liz said.
Max kissed Liz briefly, aware that her parents were around and turned to the others that he had noticed before Liz had captured his attention. Alex was wearing a tux and Maria and Isabel were clad in formal gowns but Michael was dressed in his usual working attire.
Max turned as Tess and Kyle came through the door and pasted a polite smile on his face. He hadn't wanted to include Tess but he liked Kyle and didn't want to hurt his feelings by telling him his date wasn't welcome. Just being near Tess made Max’s skin crawl. It was as if she represented everything he was trying to remove from his life. Sometimes he felt if Tess wasn’t around everything would be perfect.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Prom)
(West Roswell High School)
Liz smiled contentedly as she and Max swayed to the closing notes of the song. It had been a great night, better than she ever could have dreamed. Isabel and Alex had gotten back together and Michael had surprised Maria at the dance. Even Tess and Kyle were having a good time.
Liz had tears in her eyes as the last song ended, "It's been a wonderful evening, Max. I love you so much."
Max kissed her gently, "You mean everything to me."
Max and Liz were so wrapped up in one another that neither of them noticed Tess' thunderous expression.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode Equivalent - Cry Your Name)
(Monday, April 30th, 2001)
(The Whitman House – Alex’s Room)
Alex sat on his bed writing chords for his new song. Since the prom, when he and Isabel had gotten back together, the music and lyrics were flowing from him, and he was rushing to get them all written down. He hadn't been able to write in months but Isabel inspired him, there was just no other explanation.
He was interrupted by a knock and answered without looking up, "Come in."
It wasn't until the second knock that he realized the sound was coming from the window and not the door. He got off the bed and drew back the curtains, somewhat irritated at the interruption. But he smiled when he saw who it was and quickly opened the window and motioned his guest inside. "Isabel, what a nice surprise. I didn't expect to see you today."
Isabel climbed in the window and Alex noticed her agitation, "Is something wrong?"
She shook her head, "No, no. Nothing is wrong. I just need to tell you something."
Alex's heart sank, "Oh no."
"No, really Alex, it's nothing bad," Isabel reassured him as she sat down in the window seat. "Last semester, Ms. Rikesdale told me that I only needed to take one more class to graduate. So I did."
Alex didn't even try to cover his surprise, "So you're graduating?"
"Alex you are the only one I have told."
Alex nodded," So are you, going to college?"
Isabel continued, "I could, but after everything that has been happening lately, I've decided being a kid for another year isn’t such a bad thing."
She paused and looked down at her hands nervously, "And with everything that has happened between us, I wanted to stay and see where it was going to lead."
Alex smiled, "Isabel as much as what you're saying means to me and as much as I want you to stay, you can't."
"Who says I can't?" she asked.
Alex took her hands in his, "What if, and I can't believe I'm saying this, but what if it doesn't work out between us? You might come to regret your decision to stay."
"Alex, it's not like I'm being held back a year. I will just be graduating at the time I was supposed to, with all of you. Plus college will still be there, waiting for me. I can take all of the A.P. classes to get college credit and save my parents some money in the process."
"So you really have thought this through?" Alex asked hopefully.
Isabel nodded, "I want to stay with you."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode Equivalent - It's too Late and It's too Bad)
(Monday, May 14th, 2001)
(Roswell City Park)
Tess strolled through the park as she often did at night. It was a her way of sorting out her life and she was so deep in thought that she didn't see the other person until she was nearly on top of him. "Oh, hey Max," she greeted warmly, "What are you doing here?"
"Just walking home," Max said with a nod and moved to continue past her.
"Oh," Tess said quickly, not ready to end the encounter, "the Jeep broke down?"
Max stopped a few feet away, "No, Isabel and Alex took it to Buckley Point."
"And Liz?" Tess asked.
Max frowned, wondering at the reason for Tess' curiosity. "She and Maria are preparing for an oral report."
Tess moved closer to him, "So you're all alone tonight?"
Max took a step back, "What are you doing?"
"Nothing," Tess said innocently. "I just thought if you didn't have other plans, you might want to come to the observatory with me."
"The observatory?" Max asked.
Tess nodded, "Yeah. There's a star that I go and look at sometimes. It's called Barnard's star and you can see it from our planet too." She took another step closer to him. "Our world's out there, Max. It's not close and sometimes it seems like a dream to me too, but I know that it's real, and I know you know that too." She pointed to the sky, "That's reality, Max. This," she said, motioning to her body, "this is the dream."
Max shook his head, "No Tess. I don't remember anything about our world and I don't want to. Our other life is the dream to me; it's a nightmare I hope I never have again."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode Equivalent - Baby It's You)
(Wednesday, May 16th, 2001)
Kyle and Alex walked into the Crashdown and took seats at the counter next to Max.
"So what are we doing tonight?" asked Kyle.
Liz set their usual drinks in front of them. "Maria heard there's a free Nelly Furtado concert down at Las Cruces University but Michael wants to watch Braveheart again."
"Oh," Alex said enthusiastically, "I vote for the University."
Kyle looked at him strangely, "You like Nelly Furtado? I thought you were more of an alternative man."
Alex laughed, "Yeah I am, but while we're down there I can check out the new super computer. Las Cruces has a great computer science program and it is one of my first choices for college."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Friday, July 15th, 2001)
(Crashdown Cafe)
Courtney smiled as she watched Liz and Maria embracing each other. Maria was leaving to visit her Grandmother and that would leave Michael alone with her. Michael had been refusing her advances, but now she had a month to win him over and with Maria out of the picture she didn't think it would take that long.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Friday, September 21st, 2001)
(Roswell City Council Chambers)
Jim sat before the City Council, not sure what to expect. The last time he had been there had not been a pleasant experience but he had understood the reasons why they had to fire him.
Jim waited as the meeting continued with discussions of road repairs and zoning regulations but finally the chairman of the City Council addressed him. "Mr. Valenti, due to the lack of evidence of any wrong-doing on your part from the internal investigation, and the affidavits from Laurie Dupree, Agent Susanne Duff of the FBI, and the legal actions of Philip Evans on your behalf, added to the inexperience and the sometimes questionable actions of acting Sheriff Hansen, we, the members of the City Council, would like to offer you the position of Sheriff.
Jim couldn't have been more surprised if they had said they were running him out of town. It took a minute for the information to sink-in but when it did a smile spread across his face and he got to his feet. "Members of the Council, Mr. Chairman, I accept your offer."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Tuesday, January 15th, 2002)
(The Valenti House)
Kyle put the mug on the counter in front of him and took up his stance, arm outstretched. Since he had learned that Liz was developing powers, Kyle had gone through this routine every morning. He closed his eyes and focused on building his energy and using it to push the mug across the counter. After a moment he cracked one eye open and then the other, relaxing his body in defeat. It was the same every morning, nothing happened.
Sometimes he wasn't sure if he was glad or disappointed that he hadn't developed powers but today he was angry. Max Evans had come storming into their lives, taken Liz from him, gotten his father involved in their alien mess and eventually fired, and Max continued to treat Tess like crap.
Yes, Kyle admitted to himself, Max had healed him and he was grateful but it just made him dislike Max even more that he had to be grateful to him. He wouldn't have been in danger in the first place if it hadn't been for Max. But worst of all, Kyle hadn't even gotten any super-powers in the bargain. Was there some intergalactic conspiracy against the Valenti family?
Suddenly Kyle felt power surge through him and down his arm. He watched stunned, as the mug flew across the counter and smashed into the wall, sending shards of ceramic in all directions.
He was so surprised that he didn't move until Tess came running into the room. "Kyle, what happened? Are you okay?"
He turned to her with wide eyes, "I think I've developed super-powers."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Friday, January 18th, 2002)
Liz and Max walked to the mailbox hand in hand. Max held the lid open and with a smile and they simultaneously dropped their envelopes into the box. He let the lid close and pulled Liz to him for a kiss.
They had both submitted applications to several colleges but Liz knew Max was counting on them both getting into Harvard. It had been her wish for years to attend college there and Max wanted her to have her dream. But it truly didn't matter to her any more. She would go anywhere or do anything to stay with Max.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Monday, March 4th, 2002)
(The Valenti House)
"Feel the power building up within yourself," Tess said. "But always keep it under control. Then concentrate on directing the power where you want it and visualize what will happen."
Kyle built the power and pushed it down his arm and into the blue ball on the table, imagining the color change in his mind. Where his finger touched the ball, a small spot of red appeared and started to spread, swirling into the blue until the entire ball was red.
"Excellent," Tess said.
Kyle jumped out of his seat, "I did it. Did you see that?" he asked, pointing at the newly red ball. "I changed the color."
The ball suddenly exploded and they both jumped.
Tess was the first to recover with a laugh, "Yeah, you did it all right."
Kyle laughed with her for a moment and then was suddenly serious, "Tess tell me, why are you helping me with my powers?"
Tess shrugged, "You need to learn how to control them."
"Yeah," Kyle agreed, "but you're not just helping me control them are you? You're teaching me how to use them, how to strengthen them. Max told everyone to stop using powers so we wouldn't risk exposure and you are going against his orders."
"Max is wrong," Tess said simply. "We can't allow our powers to get weak because we didn't use them. He'll see that one day and be glad that we've developed our powers. He'll be glad we're strong."
Kyle nodded, "Will I develop a special power, like your mind-thing?"
"Mind warp," Tess corrected him dryly. "I don't know, not everyone does," she said with a shrug. "It depends on how powerful you are. We'll just have to wait and see."
Kyle leered at her comically, waggling his eyebrows, "So I could wake up one day with x-ray vision.”
Tess laughed, "Down Buddha boy." She motioned to the pieces of the ball, "Now let's see if you can put it back together."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Monday, May 6th, 2002)
(Crashdown Cafe)
Max and Liz held hands, barely able to contain their excitement. They smiled at their friends gathered before them, Isabel, Michael and Maria; they were only waiting for Alex to arrive, to tell them the news.
Finally Alex trotted into the restaurant and slid into the booth beside Isabel. He planted a brief kiss on her cheek and turned to the others, "Sorry I'm late. So what's the big news?"
Max and Liz turned to one another with a smile. Max nodded and squeezed her hand and Liz blurted our their news, "Max and I were both accepted to Harvard."
Maria jumped up with a squeal and hugged Liz, "I'm so happy for you. It's what you've always wanted.
"Hey, congratulations you two," Alex said.
Isabel hugged her brother, "I always knew you could do it."
As the others congratulated them, Max noticed that Michael was standing quietly to the side. He approached him and spoke softly so the others couldn't hear, "What's up Michael?"
"Congratulation," Michael grunted.
Max raised an eyebrow at his tone, "You don't sound like you really mean it."
Michael shook his head, "No Max, I do mean it. You worked hard to get in, you earned it." He scratched at his eyebrow, "It's just," he stopped to clear his throat. "It's just that Isabel and Alex are going to school in Las Cruces and now you and Liz are going to..." He cocked his head, "Where is Harvard?"
Max smiled, "Near Boston."
Michael nodded, "You and Liz are going to Boston. I just never considered that we would be separated. It seems so final."
Max smiled, "We have always been like family. But families grow," he motioned to Liz and Maria, "and families sometimes move apart, but they are always still families. Nothing can truly separate us."
"Yeah, I know," Michael said, almost afraid to ask his next question. "Um, Max, what about, um, our mission?"
Max nodded his understanding. "I know we've never really talked about this Michael but since Nasedo died, I've felt lost but free at the same time. I've never wanted anything except to be normal, and when Liz and I got together I thought I would finally have that, but then Nasedo showed up and ruined everything. Everyone expected me to be this ruler, this King, but that was the last thing I wanted. What did I know about being a leader?"
Michael remembered his behavior toward Max with shame. "Max, I'm sorry, I never thought about how it was affecting you."
Max accepted his apology with a nod of his head. "When Nasedo died, I felt relief that there was no one to push us toward our destiny. No one could blame us for failing to help our people because everything had gone against us." Max looked past Michael toward the windows, "I felt relief but I also felt shame. I am abandoning our people, our families, who are waiting for help." He turned to look at Michael, "But I don't remember our other families or our planet. It doesn't seem real to me, it's like a half-remembered fairy tale I heard when I was little. Our life here on Earth is the only thing that's real to me. You, Isabel, Alex, Maria, Liz, that's my family. And I have decided to concentrate on the here and now and making a life on Earth."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Friday, May 10th, 2002)
(Ristorante Celestino)
Max gazed at Liz across the table, the flickering candlelight illuminating her face. He didn't think she had even been more beautiful than she was at that moment. She smiled and he knew she had heard his thoughts. "I mean it Liz."
"I know you do. I can feel it in your heart."
Max smiled, "Then you know how much I love you."
Liz smiled, "I know. I can feel your love surrounding me. I could never doubt it."
"And I can feel your love for me," he said, as he reached into his pocket and withdrew a small velvet-covered box. He had told Liz this dinner was to celebrate the fact that they had both been accepted to Harvard but he also had another agenda. "And I want to make it official."
Max took Liz's hand in his own and knelt before her, "Liz, I love you with so much of myself, I don't know where I end and you begin. You complete me in ways that I never knew existed and I can't imagine living my life without you." He held out the box and opened the lid, "Will you marry me, Liz?"
The tears of joy that had been gathering in Liz's eyes spilled down her cheeks as she reached to take Max's face in her hands. "Yes, Max. Yes, yes. You make me so happy I can't imagine what my life would have been like without you. I love you so much, I will marry you any time, any place you say."
Max took the ring out of the box and kissed Liz's dainty hand before sliding the ring home onto her finger. Then he stood and gathered Liz to him, in a tight embrace. "I promise you, I will do everything in my power to make you happy. You will never have any regrets."
"I know, Max. We will build a perfect world, together."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Monday, May 13th, 2002)
(West Roswell High School)
Monday, the news was all over school; Max Evans and Liz Parker were getting married, and as one of their group of friends Tess had been subjected to excited congratulations all day. At first, she had thought it was a joke but as the day wore on, it seemed more of a certainty. And then she saw Liz's ring in the sixth period class she shared with Liz and Maria.
Maria waved Liz's hand, complete with engagement ring, in Tess' face triumphantly, as if she were declaring Liz the winner in a contest between them. Tess became so angry that she stormed out of class, ran to her car and peeled out of the parking lot.
She didn't really have a destination in mind, she simply drove. And as the thoughts flew through her head, she became more and more furious. Tess paid no attention to the scenery as she drove, too lost in her thoughts to notice anything else.
She silently raged against Liz and Maria, Michael and Isabel, but most of all she raged against Max. No matter what the others had done, it was Max who continued to deny her. Max was the one who deserved all of her anger.
Tess slowed her car and pulled over to the side of the road, noticing her location for the first time. She was near the road that lead to the pod chamber. She slammed the car in gear, turned onto the road and drove quickly toward the rock formation that housed the pod chamber.
A few minutes later, she pulled to a skidding stop at the base of the rocks. She jumped out of the car, ran up the slope, activated the door and stormed inside. Tess walked into the middle of the chamber and spun slowly around, again and again gaining speed with each rotation, faster and faster, until she was dizzy.
In this place, built completely of alien materials she had always felt the closest to home, but now, standing among the things from her planet, she felt like an outsider. Max had made her feel like she didn't belong among her own people.
A cold shiver raced up Tess' spine and she turned and ran back to her car. She started it and jammed the accelerator to the floor. No one would treat her like that, not even Max. She glanced at the clock on the dash of the car, school would be getting out in half-a-hour, just enough time for her to get back to school and confront Max.
As she drove into the school parking lot, Tess spied Max heading toward his Jeep and stopped her car just a few feet away. Max had a stupid, dreamy smile on his face that enraged her even more and she jumped out of her car and verbally attacked him. "How dare you get engaged to Liz!"
Max's smile dissolved at her words. "What are you talking about Tess?"
Tess stopped inches from him and pointed her finger into his face, "You can't just marry someone else. You're my husband."
"Keep your voice down," Max hissed, as he looked around to see if they had been overheard.
"I don't care who knows, Max!" Tess yelled.
"Well I do care," Max said angrily, trying to keep his temper. "I don't want you to do or say anything that might hurt Liz."
"Liz. Everything is always about Liz." Tess shook her head. "Look how fast you run to her defense. Why couldn't you ever feel that about me? I'm your wife."
Max shook his head, "None of that matters now Tess. Nasedo is dead, we don't have a way home and if we reveal ourselves, the skins will kill us all. Just face it, Tess, it's over. We failed, and the only thing we can do is make a life for ourselves here."
Tess stood silently as Max got into his Jeep and drove away. She couldn't believe he would deny everything, his people, his throne, and her, so he could stay on Earth with Liz. Max was so wrapped up in Liz that he couldn't even think straight. But, Tess thought, they were not married yet.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Tuesday, May 14th, 2002)
(The Parker House)
Liz climbed the stairs, eager to relax after a long day of work but stopped when she saw both of her parents sitting at the kitchen table, obviously waiting for her. "What's going on?" she asked apprehensively.
Her father was the first to speak, "Liz, we need to have a talk. Why don't you sit down?"
Liz sat across the kitchen table from her parents and waited for the bad news.
"Liz, honey," her mother started, "we have given this engagement of yours a lot of thought..."
Liz jumped to her feet, "You don't want me to marry Max?"
Her father held up his hands in a calming gesture, and as Liz regained her seat, he continued, "Now Liz, it's not that. We just think you should wait a while. You should concentrate on your future and you don't need any distractions. You are headed to Harvard and that will be a big change in your life. Moving away from everyone and everything you know, it can get lonely and maybe that’s why you accepted Max's proposal."
"I accepted Max's proposal because I love him will all of my heart and soul,” Liz said, “and nothing is going to change that."
"You think that now, Liz," her mother said, "but you have dated so few people. You just don't know who is out there in the world. Maybe you will find someone that you will love more than Max."
Liz shook her head, "You don't understand."
Her mother nodded, "I do understand. First love is powerful and you will never forget it but it rarely lasts and if you marry Max now, you might end up regretting it."
"And what do you really know about Max?" her father asked.
"What do you mean?" Liz asked.
"I mean he has been in trouble with the law. There was that whole scandal surrounding Sheriff Valenti last year and Max was right in the middle of it."
Liz shook her head. "I explained to you what happened, last year. Max is a kind, law-abiding, honor student, who also got into Harvard, in case you've forgotten. And it's not like we are getting married tomorrow. We’re planning on waiting until next year." She paused looking at her parents, wondering what had happened to bring this on. "Why are you doing this now? You seemed happy for me when I told you on Friday."
"We hadn't had time to think it through," her mother said. "And then we had a visit from your friend Tess and she told us..."
Liz's eyes narrowed and she cut her mother off, "Tess was here, talking to you about Max?"
Her father nodded. "She was just concerned you might be making a mistake marrying so young and so quickly. She said that she and Maria had tried to talk some sense into you but you wouldn't listen to them."
Liz nodded, "I see." Her parents had obviously been mind-warped by Tess and the reason she had done it was just as obvious. Tess still wanted Max for herself.
"Tess didn't think we should mention to you that she had been to see us, but we thought it might make more of an impact on you that your friends were worried about you too," her father said.
"And maybe," her mother continued, "it would be a good idea for you to spend some time away from Max. Like a cooling off period."
"So now you are telling me I can't see Max?" Liz asked emotionlessly.
"Just for a while," her mother agreed. "We just want you to really think this whole thing through."
Liz nodded, knowing she would not be able to talk her way through Tess' implanted emotions. "Maybe you're right," she said as she rose from the sofa. "I have a lot of thinking to do."
Liz waited until she reached the safety of her room before contacting Max through their bond. Max.
What's wrong Liz? I can feel that something is upsetting you.
It's my parents.
What happened? Max asked concerned.
Tess happened, Liz said. She mind-warped them.
Are they okay?
I think so, but she turned them against you, against our engagement.
Max was incredulous. What are you saying?
Tess told them she and Maria were worried about us getting married too young and now my parents want us to spend some time apart, to cool off.
Max could feel Liz's distress through the connection and he sent back his love. Liz, no one will keep us apart, not Tess and not your parents. We will figure a way out of this. I promise.
Liz felt herself relax under Max's reassurance. I just couldn't bear being separated from you Max.
That will never happen.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Max pounded on the Valenti's door and when Tess opened it, he verbally attacked her. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"
Tess gave him her most innocent look, "I don't know what you are talking..."
Max cut her off, "Cut the crap, Tess." He grabbed her arm and propelled her inside, slamming the door behind them. "I know what you did to Liz's parents."
"I didn't do anything," Tess denied. "The Parkers were already having doubts about you and Liz, I just gave them something else to think about."
"You used your powers on them," Max accused. "To get what you want, you invaded their minds."
"It's not just what I want, it's what you want too," Tess said softly. "If only you would let me help you remember."
Max shook his head, "So you can mind-warp me in to doing what you want too? I don't think so."
Tess became instantly angry, "I wouldn't have to mind-warp you. We were in love and we could be again if you weren't so stubborn."
"Tess, I want you to fix whatever it is you did to the Parkers."
"Why should I? So it will be all clear for you to marry Liz?"
"Because it's the right thing to do," Max said simply.
"You mean the right thing for you and Liz, but what about me? You get Liz and I get the shaft?" Tess paused and her expression became calculating. "If you promise that you will give me an honest chance, I'll undo what I did to the Parkers." She pouted prettily and reached up to touch his face, "I don't know what you ever saw in Liz anyway."
Max slapped her hand away and laughed joylessly, "You are so selfish and manipulative, I can't even believe it. All you ever think about is getting your own way and you don't care who you hurt in the process. Liz is exactly the opposite. She is kind and caring in a way you couldn't possibly understand. Last year when she walked away from me at the pod chamber, she was willing to sacrifice her happiness, her future, so you, a person she doesn't like or trust, could follow your destiny. Liz was willing to give you everything, but instead of being grateful or thanking her, you thought it was something Liz owed you." Max shook his head, "Even if we were married in our last life I know I never could have loved someone like you.
"How dare you speak to me that way, humiliate me," Tess screamed. "I was a Queen and your wife. And you can deny it all you want, but in our other life, you loved me." Tess raised her head haughtily, "But you were different then, you were a King. Now you are just a boy."
Max looked her in the eyes and spoke slowly and clearly, trying once again to get though to her. "I don't love you Tess and even if Liz died tomorrow, I would never be with you. You disgust me."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Thursday, May 31st, 2002)
(West Roswell High School)
The graduation ceremony was supposed to have been the culmination of her school career, one of the moments she had been looking forward to all of her life, but to Liz it had passed in a blur. The only thing she could think of was her parents prejudice against Max. It was true that she was old enough to just marry Max but she hated thinking of disappointing her parents, even if the reasons were artificial. Liz glanced at Tess, a few rows ahead, and wondered not for the first time, how one person could cause so much trouble and misery.
Suddenly Tess turned, looked at Liz and smiled, and Liz was assaulted with her feelings. Tess thought she had won. She thought she had succeeded in keeping Max and her apart. Tess had known that Liz would not want to go against her parents' wishes, she had been counting on it, and she was right.
But suddenly none of it mattered to Liz, not Tess or her parents or anyone else. The only thing that mattered was the fact that she and Max were in love and they wanted to be together.
As the students threw their caps in the air, Liz made her way to Max's side. "Max, I think we should get married."
Max pulled her to him in a tight embrace. "So do I."
Liz shook her head with a smile, "Now. Tomorrow. As soon as we can arrange it."
"Liz I don't want to go against your parents,” Max said. “I'll get to know them, and my parents can talk to them, we'll change their minds. You'll see, everything will be okay. Maybe they are right. Nineteen is very young. We were planning on waiting until next year anyway and that will give your parents time to come around."
Liz leaned into Max and smiled, "Max our age doesn't matter. Romeo and Juliet were even younger and they knew they were meant to be together. And like those star-crossed lovers, I think we should elope."
Liz could feel Max's surprise through their connection and she kissed him quickly but passionately. "Why should we wait?" she continued. "We are old enough and we are leaving for college together. I want to live with you, be with you. I want to go to sleep every night and wake up every morning beside you. Let's elope and then we can start our life together. I want to be Mrs. Max Evans."
"Elope?" Max shook his head, "No Liz. You deserve a big wedding with the white wedding dress and flowers and your friends and family." He touched her face gently. "I want everything to be perfect for you."
"Max, none of that matters to me at all. The only thing that matters is being with you and I don't want to wait any longer. Wherever we get married it will be perfect."
Max smiled. "Every day I think there is no possible way I could love you more, and then you do something like this that proves me wrong."
Liz smiled, "Does that mean you agree?"
"There's nothing I want more than to marry you, Liz," Max said.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Friday, June 1st, 2002)
Liz looked down at Max's hand, she held in her own. She had barely been able to take her eyes off of him since the ceremony and now that Max was driving them back to Roswell, she could study his handsome features at her leisure. It had been a long day but she had been right, a wedding any place with Max had been perfect.
That morning they had discovered it would take approximately a month to get a marriage license in New Mexico and it seemed as if their elopement would have to be postponed. Then Max had confessed a fantasy he'd had since they’d returned from Vegas last year. He admitted he was a closet Elvis fan and seeing the Elvis Chapel, when they had been in Vegas, had left a lasting impression on him. He had told Liz, with a shy smile, that he had dreamed more than once of marrying her there.
Liz had agreed eagerly, considering it to be the perfect solution because there was no waiting period for a marriage license in Nevada.
They had gotten in the Jeep and driven straight through, taking turns at the wheel on the twelve-hour trip. When they had arrived, Max had insisted they be properly dressed and Liz had insisted they have the ceremony at the Elvis Chapel. Max had been so handsome in his tux and Liz had felt positively radiant in her white gown, and after a brief ceremony and a 'Congratulations kids,' from the King, they had been officially married. The day had been so full of joy and love but now they were on their way home to face the music.
Liz raised Max's hand to her lips and kissed it gently causing Max to turn to her. "Max, when we get back to Roswell, we'll have to confront my parents."
"Having regrets already?" Max asked with a teasing tone.
Liz smiled, "Of course not. It's just, there won't be much of a chance for a celebration when we get home and today has been so wonderful I want to make it last as long as we can. I was thinking instead of driving straight back, we could stay in Phoenix. We could call everyone, Maria and Michael, Alex and Isabel, and they could drive up and meet us and we could have, like a reception."
Max pulled over to the side of the road, took Liz's face in his hands and kissed her thoroughly before he spoke. "That sounds perfect, Mrs. Evans."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Monday, June 3rd, 2002)
Tess waited in the shadows near the Jeep behind the UFO Museum, knowing it was the only time she would be able to get Max alone. Apparently Max and Liz had eloped on Friday and returned late Saturday but she had known nothing about it until the Sheriff had told her this morning. The news had hit her like a physical object and for several minutes she hadn't been able to speak, and now hours later, she still couldn't believe it. Tess had been so sure that Max would eventually turn to her, she hadn't even considered the possibility he might go through with the marriage to Liz.
Concealed in the darkness, she watched as Max exited the building, smiling a farewell to his fellow employees, when suddenly the truth hit her. Max was so at ease with his friends, his co-workers, his family, but not with her. From their first contact he had been suspicious of her intentions and that had never changed. She had believed she had been gaining his friendship, his trust, but she realized she had just been fooling herself.
Glancing at the telltale ring on his hand, she waited until Max was within a few feet, to reveal herself to him. "So you and Liz got married," she said softly.
Max nodded but didn't speak and Tess could see he was prepared for her to attack. He expected her to do something to him, harm him in some way, and Tess slowly shook her head. Max didn't know her at all, he never had, and he obviously didn't want to. For some reason he didn't love her in this life and she knew now he never would. She had let herself believe she was one of their group but she never had been, and as all of the illusion was suddenly stripped away, she had never felt so alone in her life.
Tess took a step forward, saw the mistrust in Max's eyes sharpen and smiled sadly. "What do you want me to do, Max?" she asked, fearing she already knew the answer.
Max could sense some change in Tess, and for a moment he felt sorry for her. All of her life she had been told he was her destiny, her love, and that had been taken away from her. But as he studied her, he remembered another time when she had been waiting for him in the rain outside the Crashdown, had planted feelings in him and forced him to kiss her, and he dismissed his softening toward her as her own creation.
Raising his chin in determination, Max hardened his heart against her and angrily ground out his words, "I want you to leave us alone."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Valenti House)
Tess was so busy stuffing her belongings into the suitcase, that she didn't hear Kyle enter the room.
"What are you doing, Tess?"
She spoke without looking up from her task, "I'm getting out of here."
Kyle grabbed her arm and forced her to look at him, "What are you talking about? Where are you going?"
Tess shrugged, "Maybe I'll look for the other aliens who were on our ship, maybe I'll tour the world. I don't know exactly but I'm definitely leaving Roswell. There's nothing here for me anymore."
Kyle released her and spoke in an even tone, "Nothing here."
Tess shook her head. "I realized that I have been fooling myself. Max, Michael and Isabel don't care about me. They don't want anything to do with me and now that Max is married..." she let the sentence trail off and turned back to her packing.
"So everything is still about Max?" Kyle asked incredulously. He walked around so he could see her face again. "I thought we had something. Tess, this doesn't have anything to do with Max and the others. Who cares what they think? I am talking about us. You and me, that's what matters."
Tess looked at Kyle. She knew he had been in love with her for some time but she had always dismissed it as an unimportant detail. He should have known she had never been serious about him, could never love him. She had just been biding her time until Max came to his senses, but maybe Kyle hadn't realized it. "Kyle, there is no way I can stay here now."
Kyle shoved the suitcase aside and took her hands in his, with a smile. "Tess, screw the others. We are good together. You can stay here with me."
Tess laughed, "And do what? Be your little housewife?"
Kyle recoiled like she had struck him and dropped her hands but Tess didn't see his pain and she continued obliviously, "Kyle I am an alien Queen. I belong on another planet in a palace surrounded by servants, not in a small town kitchen, baking cookies for a PTA fundraiser."
Kyle nodded, "I see. I'm not good enough for you. My life, my planet, none of it is good enough. You never had any intention of being with me, did you? You were just using me."
"Oh come on Kyle," Tess protested, "we were using each other. We both knew I was waiting for Max."
"I loved you!" Kyle shouted. "You made me think we had a chance. We were sleeping together."
"Like that means anything," Tess said with a shrug.
"It meant something to me, Tess, but I guess I was just fooling myself too." He turned and walked out of the room, but stopped at the door and called over her shoulder, not able to look Tess in the face again. "You're right, Tess. There's nothing for you here anymore."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Friday, June 7th, 2002)
(Crashdown Cafe)
It had been almost two years since Courtney had revealed herself to Michael but she had not made any progress in wining him over to her side. She had tried to seduce him, time and time again but he had always refused her. She had offered many times to help Michael learn to control his powers and recover his memories but he was suspicious of her motives and shied away from her assistance. Finally she had realized because of his life on Earth, Michael didn't trust easily and for the last year she had worked slowly to rekindle the friendship they had shared on Antar.
Courtney waited until she and Michael were alone, closing the Crashdown, to pose the question that had been on her mind. "So Max and Liz are off to Harvard," she started casually. "And what are your plans?"
"Mr. Parker is making me the manager at the Crashdown and I'm going to check out some of the classes at the Community College."
Courtney's eyebrows rose in surprise. "And what are you going to study?"
Michael shrugged, "Don't know yet. I figure I can take the basics and that will give me a while to decide."
Courtney shook her head, trying to keep her temper. "You should be taking classes in history, government, political science, law, or at least let me help you recover your memories."
"Haven't you gotten it through your head yet?" Michael asked heatedly. "I'm not going to betray Max."
Courtney's temper rose to meet Michael's, "So you're satisfied staying on Earth and being a fry-cook? You could rule a planet!"
Michael's eyes narrowed suspiciously, "Yeah? And what's in it for you? You looking to be the next Queen of Antar?"
Courtney shook her head and moved a few steps closer until she was touching his arm. "You know I'm attracted to you and if you offered me the position, I wouldn't turn it down. But my main goal is equality for all of our people."
When Michael didn't respond she started to lightly run her fingers up and down his arm and lowered her voice seductively. "Don't you ever get sick of hearing about all the wars and killing on this planet? Do you ever wish you could do something to change it?" She leaned into him until she was whispering in his ear. "On Antar you could. You would determine how the government would be run. You would make the laws." She kissed him gently on the neck, "You would be a King."
Michael took her by the arms and gently pushed her away. He studied her face as she smiled seductively and he shook his head. "Sometimes you seem so familiar to me. Like home."
Courtney smiled, "It's your old memories coming through."
Michael was taken aback, "We knew each other, before?"
Courtney nodded, "We grew up together."
Michael shook his head, "Why didn't you tell me this before?"
Courtney shrugged, "I didn't think you would believe me."
Michael released her and turned away, "I won't do this. I'm with Maria."
Courtney pressed her body against his back and slowly ran her hands down his arms, "That could change and I'm willing to wait."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Saturday, June 8th, 2002)
(The Evans House)
Liz looked around the backyard at all of her friends. When she and Max had returned from Vegas last weekend and announced to their parents that they had eloped, Liz's parents had met the news with less enthusiasm than she had hoped. But the Evans has always liked her and warmly welcomed her into their family. They had invited her to stay with Max at their house until the two of them left for college and this weekend they were hosting a belated reception.
Liz's own parents were there but she could feel their disappointment from across the yard. They were not happy she and Max were married but she hoped she could change their minds before she left for Harvard in the fall.
A lone figure sitting on the grass under a tree, caught her attention and Liz walked across the lawn to join him. "Hey, Kyle. Can I sit down?"
Kyle smiled, "Sure Liz."
Liz sat next to him, noticing the fine lines of strain around his eyes. "I'm sorry Tess left," she said softly. "I know you were getting close."
"I thought we were, but obviously she didn't. I told her l loved her and I wanted her to stay," Kyle shook his head, "but she said my life wasn't good enough."
Liz felt anger rise up within her. How dare Tess say that to Kyle? He was one of the most kind, tenderhearted guys she knew. "Then she was a fool, Kyle. You are a great person and any girl would be lucky to have you."
Kyle smiled, "Thanks Liz, that means a lot."
"It's just the truth. You know, it might seem impossible now but some day you will meet the right girl and she will love you for what you are."
Kyle looked at Liz and for just a moment he thought he saw the air around her shimmering with a soft, golden light and then it was gone. He smiled sadly as he felt a pang of regret. Liz was truly the best person he knew. He loved her like a sister and was sorry he had allowed his relationship with Tess to mar his friendship with Liz. "Liz, I'm glad you’re my friend. The Buddha says, swans go on the path of the sun, they go miraculously through the ether, the wise are led out of this world."
"I'm glad we're friends too." Liz smiled at him and it slowly dissolved. "Kyle, I want to apologize to you. Last weekend when Max and I were married, we had a sort of wedding party in Phoenix. I didn't invite you because it would be rude not to invite Tess too. It's not that I thought she would do anything, I just didn't want her glaring at me on my wedding day. I'm really sorry, Kyle."
Kyle shook his head, "Liz, I understand and I don't blame you. I know better than anyone that Tess tried to cause as much trouble as she could between you and Max. She used all of us to get what she wanted and I wouldn't blame you if you hated her." Kyle took her hand in his, "Let's just always promise to be friends in the future, even though you're going to Harvard to get a fancy education and I will still be here, a lowly student of the local Community College."
Liz smiled. "Kyle, you will never be a lowly anything."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Sunday, September 1st, 2002)
(The Evans House)
Max knocked gently on Isabel's door as he pushed it open.
Isabel looked up from the boxes she was packing, "Oh Max, come to help me pack?"
Max shook his head, "No I came to give you this." He held out a small wrapped box complete with a bow.
"What is this?" Isabel asked as she took the box from him.
Max shrugged, "You'll be leaving in a couple of days and Liz and I are leaving next week. Just call it an early birthday present."
Isabel tore off the wrapping and opened the box. She stared at the contents in confusion before lifting it out. "It's your keys for the Jeep."
"You know that Liz and I got a furnished apartment right off campus and we are both working at school, so we won't even need a car. We thought you could take the Jeep to school with you. You'll need something to cart all of this stuff with you," he said motioning to the pile of boxes around her room. "But by the time you're finished packing you might have to get a U-haul too."
Isabel smiled, "I don't know what to say, Max. Thank you."
Max smiled and shrugged, "The Jeep probably wouldn't make it across the country anyway."
Isabel nodded. "You're probably right."
"And you'll have to let me borrow it when we come back for vacation."
Suddenly Isabel felt tears in her eyes, "This will be the first time we've been separated."
"I know," he said as he pulled her into an embrace, "but only by distance. Nothing can ever really come between us."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Sunday, December 15th, 2002)
Dark clouds rolled across the night sky faster than naturally possible, frequent shafts of lightening and the accompanying thunder shattering the silence. The wind whipped across the desert, blowing sand around the observer and she put up a hand to shield her eyes. She turned in a slow circle but the view was the same in all directions, just sand, rocks and scrub brush as far as she could see.
The wind sped up suddenly, sending the sand swirling faster and faster into an impenetrable mass surrounding her and she closed her eyes against the stinging particles.
**Flash**
A glimpse of the empty pods in the pod chamber
**Flash**
A light was ignited in a dark cave
**Flash**
Alien symbols
With a gasp, Liz sat up and looked around quickly, glad to find herself in her own bed. She was where she should be, in her apartment just off campus, with Max sleeping peacefully beside her. Releasing a sigh of relief, Liz settled back into the pillows, careful not to wake her husband. She had been having the same dream for the last two weeks and each time she hoped it would reveal something more but each time it was exactly the same.
When she had told Max about her dream, she could tell it frightened him and he dismissed it as simply a dream, a product of the pressures of school. But Liz knew it was something more, she could feel it.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Tuesday, January 7th, 2003)
Cuerena had been waiting outside the pod chamber for more than six days, and night was falling on the seventh. She was supposed to have met the other shape shifters on the morning of the first of this month, but obviously something was wrong. At least one of them should have come to meet her by now.
She scanned the desert before her one last time, but there was no sign of life. She hadn't wanted to consider what the absence of the others shape shifters meant but it was time to face up to it. The others had probably either been captured or were dead. She would have to start a search for them and hopefully find the Royal Four alive.
For the first time since arriving a week ago, Cuerena entered the pod chamber and kindled a light to illuminate the darkness, hoping to find a clue to lead her to the others. She searched the rooms thoroughly, finding the healing stones, communication orbs, the book written in royal code, and a few old footprints in the dust on the floor. Someone had been there within the last year or so but there was no sign that might point her to their current location.
With a sigh of frustration, Cuerena turned toward the door and extinguished the illumination, but its flickering light briefly brightened a dark corner, practically hidden by cobwebs near the door. She rekindled the light and directed it into the corner, revealing Antarian writing on the wall. Brushing the dusty webs out of the way, she quickly read the faded message.
It was from Sodan and he had left directions to his abode.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Nasedo’s Cave)
Cuerena studied the symbols on the wall of the cave. There were instructions on how to use the map and certain landmarks were identified, but there was nothing to show the current location of Sodan and his charges.
It was evident that no one had been in the cave in a few years and Cuerena had no idea where to start her search.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Saturday, January 11th, 2003)
Cuerena stopped just inside the door of the Crashdown Cafe with a smile; Michael was in the kitchen cooking.
She allowed herself to sink into a booth and released a sigh of relief. It had only taken a few days for her to find him and it would have been less if she had considered looking in the school yearbooks earlier.
She had found their pictures in the yearbook at West Roswell High School that morning and then gotten their addresses from the school files. First she had disguised herself as a girl of twenty and had gone to the Evans' house to see Max and Isabel, as she had learned their names were, but their adoptive mother had proudly told her they were both away, attending college. Then she had gone to Tess' house but the family who now lived there told her they knew nothing of the previous owners.
Finally she had gone to the address listed for Michael, as Rath was called. The landlord of the apartment complex told her he had moved out a few months before and didn't have his new address but he suggested she try the Crashdown Cafe, where he believed Michael still worked.
And he had been right, Cuerena thought. Now all she had to do was introduce herself to Michael, but obviously that would have to wait until they were alone.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Crashdown Cafe)
Maria went into the kitchen and crossed to Michael, and standing on tip-toe she hissed in his ear, "Michael."
"What?" he asked, stepping away from her and rubbing his ticklish ear.
Maria looked around furtively and leaned in close to him, "Keep your voice down."
"Why?" Michael whispered back.
"Okay, don't look now..." Maria said, but stopped as Michael automatically started looking around. She gestured frantically and pulled him into the back room.
"What?" he asked. "I don't see anything."
Maria flattened herself against the door leading into the dining room and quickly peeked through the small diamond-shaped window. "Okay, see that girl out there in the blue shirt?"
Michael walked to the door and looked through the window, "Yeah."
When he lingered, Maria pulled him away. "She's been out there for hours."
"So?" Michael shrugged.
Maria rolled her eyes and spoke in an exasperated tone, "Michael, she's up to something. She's been sitting there all day, looking at you. What if she's, you know, another Michael worshipper?"
Michael's brow creased, "How would she know who I am?"
Maria shrugged, "I don't know but we gotta do something."
Michael huffed, "Like what? Go up to her and ask her if she's an alien? Forget it Maria, you're just paranoid." He glanced out the window again checking-out the brunette beauty, "Maybe she just digs me."
"Yeah," Maria said sarcastically, "Dream on, Spaceboy."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Michael shrugged into his jacket and locked the back door of the Crashdown behind him. Maria's shift had ended earlier and he had told her to go home. She had still been paranoid that something sinister was happening but the suspicious woman had left soon after Maria had drawn his attention to her.
He threw the last bag of trash into the dumpster and turned to his bike.
"Michael Guerin."
A voice called his name from behind and he whipped around with an outstretched hand. He recognized the girl from the Crashdown immediately. "What do you want?" he asked suspiciously.
Cuerena bowed low and formally, "I am Cuerena, General Varros."
"My name is Michael."
"Yes. In this life," she agreed. "I was sent here with you, as your protector."
Michael's eyes narrowed, "A protector. So where have you been all this time?"
"I was assigned to protect the duplicates until they reached maturity. Then on the first of this year, I was supposed to rendezvous with Sodan and the others at the pod chamber, but no one came, so I searched for you."
Michael shook his head, "I don't know any Sodan."
"Perhaps you knew him by another name. He is also a protector, a shape shifter. I found a cave where he had been living, outside of the Mesaliko reservation. He drew a map..."
Michael stepped forward, cutting her off, "Nasedo. You mean Nasedo."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Max and Liz’s Apartment)
(Cambridge, MA)
The sound of the ringing telephone awakened Max and he groggily fumbled around for the offending instrument. Calls in the middle of the night were never good news and he apprehensively spoke into the receiver, "Hello?"
Michael's voice answered him, "Maxwell, you and Liz gotta get back here right away."
"What?" Max asked as he rubbed at his eyes, sitting up, "Is something wrong?"
"Let's just say that one of our, um, relatives showed up," Michael said cryptically.
"Our relatives?" Max asked in a wooden tone. Michael always went into his cloak and dagger routine on the phone when he discussed alien affairs. "Why don't you just spell it out for me Michael?"
"A woman showed up today. She's a friend of Nasedo's, from way back."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Sunday, January 12th, 2003)
Max hadn't been able to stop the ideas flying through his head as he and Liz had flown back to Roswell. He had thought he was free to live his life as he choose and now there was another person who would want to tell him to follow his destiny. Unfortunately he didn't have the choice of dismissing this new shape shifter from their lives as he wished. He knew the others would welcome her into their group and eventually they would expect him to return to their planet.
At least Tess was gone, he thought. He was married to Liz and no one could take her away from him.
He looked at Liz, dozing next to him. He had been so afraid something like this would happen when Liz had told him she was having dreams. He had dismissed the dreams as nothing special, hoping they would just go away but he knew they hadn't. Liz had stopped telling him when she had the dreams, but he knew she was still having them. As he slept, he could feel the dreams spilling over their connection and sometimes he saw and felt what she did.
He knew that Liz didn't completely understand his reasons for wanting the cut all of the alien things out of their life, but she respected his wishes and didn't actively use her powers. That was why her dreams had scared him so much, because they were out of Liz's control. They were coming to her without her seeking them and Max was terrified about what that meant for the future.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Cuerena looked at the group gathered in Michael and Maria's apartment. There were three of the Royal Four and five humans; Liz, who had come with Max and was obviously his mate, Alex, who had come with Isabel, Maria, who was living with Michael, and the local Sheriff and his son. The introductions were made but no one mentioned Tess, and Cuerena decided to wait until she could get Max alone before she inquired.
Cuerena bowed formally when she was introduced to Isabel but sank to her knees before Max, "Your Majesty, what is your command?"
Max shifted uncomfortably, "Um, Cuerena, we aren't used to such, um, formality. Why don't you just call us by our first names?"
"But Your Majesty, it wouldn't be proper."
Max grimaced, "The titles would be awkward in public and it would just be easier to call us the same thing all of the time. So from now on I am Max and this is Isabel and Michael."
"As you wish, Your Maj...," Cuerena stopped and started again, "As you wish, Max."
"Okay," Max said with a smile, "Now why don't you tell us how you came to be here."
She quickly related her story, telling them of the decision to send her to New York with the duplicates and briefly outlining her life there. Then she told them about returning to the pod chamber and waiting for the other shape shifters. "So because I knew what you would look like, it was easy to find you in the school year books and then I obtained your addresses from the school records."
“And you used our addresses to find Michael,” Maria said.
Cuerena nodded. "Michael told me you knew Nasedo but what of the two other shape shifters, Kaldar and Letras?"
“The other shape shifters may have been killed by the military,” Max said. “I think at least one of them was.”
Isabel stepped forward, "I wonder why Nasedo never told us about you?"
Cuerena shook her head, "I don't know. Maybe he thought it was better that you didn't know." She turned her attention to Max, "The General, um, Michael refused to tell me anything until you got here, and I must admit I'm very curious to know what happened to you."
Max nodded. He had instructed Michael, on the phone, to make sure Cuerena was a shape shifter before he would believe her story and she had passed the test. She was what she claimed to be and she was there to help them. And Max knew she would eventually expect them to return to their planet. He pushed aside his worries for the moment and concentrated on telling their story.
Max related how they had been found and raised by humans, how they discovered that they were different, and being reunited with Michael. He continued with the circumstances around healing Liz and telling her what he was, and finishing with the investigation of Valenti and the FBI.
At first, Cuerena had been surprised the humans were involved, but as Max related the story of their past, she started to understand. They had grown up among humans and it was all they knew.
Liz picked up the story where Max left off, and had just finished explaining how Alex had become involved when Cuerena broke in. "So all of that time you didn't know anything about yourselves."
The three of them all shook their heads and Max answered, "We followed up on the few clues we had, but they kept leading nowhere."
Cuerena shook her head, amazed they had survived so long on their own. "So when did Nasedo come into your lives?"
"It wasn't too long after Liz told Alex," Isabel answered. She continued the story, relating their involvement with Topolsky and the FBI, finally getting to the time when Tess and her father had come to town.
"And the three of you didn't remember anything about the fourth pod?"
"No," said Max. "And when we found out that Tess was an alien, we thought she was Nasedo."
"We discovered the truth, but then Nasedo took Liz," Michael said. He explained about Pierce and the white room, Max's escape, and the message from the orbs. "So until we got the message, we didn't know anything about who we were."
Max continued with the disbandment of the special unit and Nasedo's return. "Nasedo came to my window, terribly wounded and warned us that our enemies were in town. Then he died in my arms."
"How was Nasedo wounded?" Cuerena asked.
"A skin killed him," Max said simply.
"A skin?" Cuerena asked, clearly confused.
"Our enemies who followed us to Earth. Apparently the Earth's atmosphere is toxic to our kind and they have to wear husks to protect themselves. They call them skins."
"Khivar's troops who shot down our transport?" Cuerena asked.
Max shrugged, "I don't know. Nasedo was never big on the details."
Cuerena nodded, "He was a warrior not a tutor."
Max continued, "Anyway, you can meet one of the skins later. She is with a group who are working to overthrow Khivar."
"And you trust her?" Cuerena asked.
Max shrugged, "As much as I can trust an admitted enemy soldier who wants to put Michael on the throne."
Michael smiled at the verbal barb and continued the story with their discovery of Whitaker and Courtney. Then he told her of Whitaker's death, the harvest and the Ganderium fiasco.
Cuerena took it all in, disgusted with herself that she had not thought of the consequences of the crash. If she had envisioned what could have happened she would have killed the Ganderium at the crash site and not allowed them to breed and strengthen. "You saved the Earth and no one will ever know," she said softly.
"We are the ones who endangered it in the first place," Max replied.
Michael was impatient, "So what do we do now?"
Cuerena shrugged, "The other shape shifters and I never discussed how we would return, after the transport was destroyed in the crash. Everything just happened too fast." She motioned to Max, "I always assumed Zan would call home or his allies and get another ship."
Max laughed, "We don't know how to call home and I don't remember any allies."
"You have the two communication orbs in the pod chamber and I can teach you memory recovery techniques," Cuerena offered.
"So everything is up to Max," Michael intoned blandly. Over the last couple of years he and Maria had grown much closer despite Courtney's interference, or maybe because of it. Maria had suggested that the two of them move in together and now they were together all the time. They worked, went to school and lived together and he couldn't imagine life without her. He had occasionally wondered what he would do if he had the opportunity to return to their planet, but as time passed, it seemed more and more like an impossibility. But now that Cuerena was there, a whole new realm of possibilities was opened to them and suddenly he was scared. Scared that he might have to leave Maria, scared of the unknown represented by their planet and their people, scared of what he might have to do.
Then he remembered what Max had told him on the day he and Liz were accepted to Harvard. Max had been scared too but he had decided to put it behind him and make a life on Earth. If they had a choice of going back to their planet or staying on Earth, Michael knew what Max's decision would be, and for the first time he was genuinely glad Max would choose Earth.
Max decided to avoid the subject of their mission for the time being, "It's getting pretty late. Why don't we continue this in the morning?"
There were nods of agreement all around. The Sheriff and Kyle left for home and the others went to sort out sleeping arrangements and fix some food.
Cuerena waited until she was alone with Max to ask the question that had been worrying her. "What happened to Tess?"
Max had expected the question and answered simply, "She left town a few months ago."
"And you don't know where she is?"
"No."
Cuerena pressed for more information, "Did she leave because of you and Liz?"
"No," Max denied instantly. "Liz had nothing to do with it. Tess left because I told her to."
Cuerena could tell it was a sore subject for him and decided not to press any further. "It is curious," she said. "My Zan in New York, never loved his Ava either."
Max nodded, taking in the information and feeling justified in pushing Tess away. Max had wondered occasionally if he would have accepted Tess, had they been together their whole lives, but now that he knew Zan had also rejected her, he could release his guilt about not loving her. Something had changed since their last life and neither of them loved her in this life.
Cuerena noted his thoughtful expression and quickly changed subjects. "Has Liz started to develop any powers?"
Max was surprised by her question and its accuracy. "She has, but how did you know?"
"It is one of the side-effects of the healing. Whether you realized it or not, in order to bring Liz back from such a terrible injury, you had to alter the basic chemistry of the surrounding cells. Liz's body has gradually changed to become like yours. It has been more than three years since the healing, she is completely a hybrid now."
"No," Max cried, "not Liz. What have I done to her?"
"You saved her life."
Liz ran back into the room, feeling Max's distressed state through their connection. She looked at Cuerena suspiciously, "What's wrong Max?"
Max couldn't bear to look at Liz, "Cuerena told me that when I healed you, I changed you."
Liz smiled, "I know that Max."
Max shook his head, "No, you don't understand. You're a hybrid now too."
Liz crossed to Max and cupped his face in her hands, "Max, I have suspected it for a while, especially after I started getting powers. And I haven't been sick for almost two years."
"But you never said anything," he protested.
"I didn't want to upset you," Liz explained. "I knew how guilty you would feel for changing me, but Max it makes me so happy to be what you are. It just binds us more closely together."
Max wrapped his arms around Liz, kissed her tenderly and spoke across their bond. Liz, everything you do just makes me love you more.
Max, my love for you grows every moment of every day.
Liz broke the kiss first and looked into Max's eyes, "But there is one thing you're forgetting."
"What's that?" Max asked.
"Who's going to tell Kyle?"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Max was awakened by the sound of the front door opening and he turned in his makeshift bed on the living room floor, just in time to see Isabel slip out into the night. He rose, careful not to wake Liz, pulled on some pants, a shirt and some shoes, and went after his sister.
He caught up with her a few minutes later, sitting on a swing in the apartment complex's playground. "What wrong Iz?"
Isabel was not surprised Max had followed her and she answered without turning, "I like my life, Max. I'm happy. Alex and I are close, school is good and I don't want to change it. I don't want to go back to our planet."
Before Max could answer another voice interrupted.
“I thought I might find you two out here," Michael said. "What’s going on?"
Isabel turned to look at her brothers. "I was telling Max that I don't want to go back."
Michael sat on the swing next to Isabel. "That's funny, because I came out here to tell Max the same thing. Ever since we came out of the pods, I've been on some quest to figure out where I belong. I finally found home. The weird thing is, it's here, it's on Earth."
"You of all people," Max said with a smile. He looked to each of them, "I'm sure you both know I intend to stay on Earth with Liz."
"So what are we going to tell Cuerena?" Isabel asked apprehensively. "She expects us to go back."
Max shrugged, "We'll tell her the truth."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Max waited until everyone had eaten breakfast the next morning to confront Cuerena, and since he was the leader, he had taken the job of telling her. "Michael, Isabel and I have decided we’re going to stay on Earth."
Cuerena nodded, "Of course. You're not yet ready to return. I will help you regain your memories and hone your skills..."
Max cut her off, "No, you don't understand. We're not going to pursue our mission or return to our planet."
Cuerena's brow wrinkled in confusion, "I don't understand. What about your people, your planet?"
Max took a deep breath and tried to explain, "We don't remember any of that and we don't feel any loyalty or responsibility toward them." He took Liz's hand in his own, "All we know is our life on Earth and we don't want to leave it."
"But Your Majesty," Cuerena said, using his formal title in her shock, "your people are expecting you to return."
"Return to what?" Max asked. "A world that is controlled by our enemies? A world that has been at war for more than fifty years? How could the three of us possibly make a difference?"
"I don't know," Cuerena admitted. "I assumed you must have had a plan."
"Whatever the plan was, it got screwed up a long time ago," Max said. "And the three of us have decided that we will not live our lives based on a plan, other people constructed in another life. We choose to live our lives here on this planet."
Cuerena nodded, unsure of what to do.
"Tomorrow Liz and I will return to school and everyone else can go back to their lives."
Suddenly her duty became clear and Cuerena got to her feet, "Then I will accompany you to Boston."
Max shook his head, "You don't have to do that."
"I must protect you," Cuerena said, "It is my duty, my purpose in life."
Liz watched the interaction with growing unease. She had suspected what would happen but now that it was being played out before her, an unsettling feeling was building within. Suddenly the amorphous feelings solidified and she was frightened that Max would send Cuerena away, and for some reason she knew it must not happen. Liz placed her hand on Max's arm and started to rise, "Max, I have to talk to you."
Max looked at her with confusion clearly written on his face, but followed her to her feet. "Excuse us for a minute," he said to the others as Liz practically dragged him out the door. She closed it firmly behind them and took a deep breath to gather her thoughts before she spoke. "Max you can't just send Cuerena away."
"Why not?" he asked, surprised.
"Don't you see? She has devoted her whole life to serving you. She left her home and family to come on this mission with you, to be your protector, risking her life every day to save you. All of the other shape shifters have died or vanished, so she has nowhere else to go. She said it's her purpose in life to protect you. What else would she do with her life? Get a job at Wal-Mart?" Liz shook her head, "No Max, you are responsible for her, we both are. She's a person, we can't just throw her out like a toy we're tired of playing with."
"You're right," Max nodded. "So we take her to Boston with us? What is she going to do there?"
Liz shrugged, "I don't know but at least she can feel useful while we figure something out."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Tuesday, January 14th, 2003)
Liz looked at the shape shifter, who was sitting next to them on the plane. Before they had left Roswell, they had agreed that Cuerena keep her youthful appearance so she would blend into the campus atmosphere but they had not figured out exactly how she would fit into their lives. Liz turned toward her, "So what kind of job did you have in New York?"
Cuerena shook her head, "I had no job other than to protect and train my charges."
"How did you get money?" Liz asked.
"When we needed money I created it."
"Oh, of course," Liz nodded, not sure what to say.
"You and Max have jobs?" Cuerena asked.
"Yeah, we both work part-time to make extra money to supplement our scholarships, and maybe next year we can afford a better apartment."
"There is no need for you to work," Cuerena said. "I could easily..."
Max cut her off, "No."
"But Max," Cuerena continued, not understanding his conviction, "if you didn't have to work it would give you more time for other things, like studying and spending time with Liz."
Liz could feel Max's growing unease and tried to explain, "Max wants to do things the human way."
Cuerena accepted the information with a nod of her head, "Am I to live with you?"
"I don't know," Liz started consideringly. "You will have to stay somewhere until we figure this all out."
"Absolutely not!" Max said.
Cuerena spoke up, "It is not necessary for me to live in your apartment. My species is adaptable to most conditions. In New York we lived in the sewer tunnels..."
"Wait," Liz cut her off. "You lived in the sewers?"
"Yes, it was very convenient. We were rarely bothered and there was no rent or other bills."
Liz turned to Max and with a single look, convinced him to reconsider.
"Okay," Max relented, "she can stay with us for now." He had to admit Liz was right. It did seem that Cuerena had lived a miserable life on Earth and it was up to them to make it better. "We don't have a room for you but we can get a sofa-bed or something. I don't know what you'll do with yourself, maybe you could enroll in classes but we don't have to decide right now. We'll tell our neighbors you are an old friend or a cousin but we'll have to do something about your name. It's too unusual. We should change it to something more common, Sarah or Sandy or something." He turned to the shape shifter, "Haven't you ever used a more human name?"
Cuerena nodded, "I have used many names..."
"I know Max," Liz interrupted with a smile, "we'll call her Serena."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
In the next few months, Serena attended classes with Max and Liz so she could stay close and protect them.
Max continued to keep her at arms length, sometimes bringing up the subject of her getting her own place, but he never took any action to force her out.
Liz was less suspicious and welcomed her into their lives and they became good friends. Serena was much more advanced in all kinds of science and she and Liz would talk for hours. Serena was careful not to mention her life on Antar, fearful it would bring up memories of Zan and Ava and there was no reason to tell Liz about that. With Liz's help, Serena also learned about Max and his reasons for wanting to leave his other life behind. Liz helped her to understand him better and she accepted his decision to stay on Earth.
Max often worked late and he was glad Serena was not only a companion but a protector too. He didn't worry about Liz when she was with the shape shifter and that was the main reason he let her stay.
At Max's suggestion, Serena took a job where Liz worked, and with the three of them working through the summer, they would be able to afford a bigger apartment in the fall.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Saturday, May 15th, 2004)
(Boca Raton, FL)
Tess finished the last of her drink and replaced the empty glass onto the table beside her. "Kathy," she called to the maid. "Kathy, I need another ice tea."
"Right away ma'am," the woman said, as she took the glass and hurried away.
Tess stretched out on her lounge chair and glanced at the shimmering water of her pool. This is the life, she thought to herself.
It had been so easy using the money Nasedo had gathered over the years, to create the appearance of great wealth and buy this house on the beach. It was certainly different from some of the places she had lived with Nasedo over the years. Even though he had squirreled away large sums of money, Nasedo forced them to live within the income of the individual he was impersonating.
Kathy returned with the iced tea, "Is there anything else ma'am?"
"Not right now," Tess dismissed her with a wave of her hand. She tossed her long, blonde curls over her shoulder and looked down at her tan, bikini-clad body. If Max could only see her now.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Monday, October 25th, 2004)
(Copper Summit, AZ)
"General, we are receiving a message from just beyond the edge of the solar system. The troop ship is requesting the information for evading Earth's defenses."
"So send it to them," Nicholas barked.
"Yes sir," the Lieutenant quickly agreed.
"I am surrounded by fools," Nicholas bemoaned. "I hope the new troops are a little more on the ball. Maybe they can teach you something," he ranted, addressing no one in particular. He turned and strode out of the room. "I want to know the minute they arrive," he yelled over his shoulder, "and tell Corporal Raltos to come to the communication room immediately.
Nicholas entered the communication room and waited impatiently for Raltos. He had waited over fifty years for this moment and finally it was here. He felt confidant Khivar's plan would work and work quickly. They would be heading back to Antar in a matter of days.
Raltos entered the room and Nicholas motioned to a chair. He placed a hand on the Corporal's forehead and sent a burst of energy into him. After a few minutes Raltos sagged slightly and then jerked to attention, and Nicholas greeted his lord formally. "Your Majesty, the troops will be on Earth in a matter of minutes."
"Excellent," said Khivar. "We don't know what was salvaged from Zan's transport after the crash so we must assume he has monitoring capabilities. Wait until the troops arrive and then issue an invitation to Zan and his party to attend the peace talks."
"And if they don't respond?" Nicholas asked.
"I am sure they will respond if the invitation is worded correctly."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Nicholas tuned the trithium amplification generator to the transmission frequency used by the Tageion royalty on Antar and spoke the words that Khivar had given to him.
"Zan Tageonant, this is General Calles Nicaron. His Majesty Khivar Roistar invites you to attend a peace conference to discuss a cessation of the hostilities that have plagued our planet. Khivar wishes to extend a hand of peace at a time and place of your choosing."
"Of course the discussion will include terms for your return to Antar ceremonially accompanied by a legion of troops and one of Khivar's greatest warships that is currently in orbit around this planet."
Nicholas paused for effect and couldn't help a small chuckle before continuing, "We eagerly await your reply."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Pod Chamber)
The two orbs emitted a bright shaft of light upon receiving the signal, but there was no one in the chamber to see it.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The home of the Dupes)
(New York, NY)
The sudden light that burst from the orb surprised Lonni and she practically fell off the couch. She had never seen the orb do anything, and after all of these years suddenly it had come to life. Serena had told them she would contact them through the orb if it became necessary and had taught them how to use it, and Lonni assumed it must be her.
Lonni took the orb in her hands and pushed a stream of power into it. The message started immediately.
Zan Tageonant, this is General Calles Nicaron. His Majesty, Khivar Roistar invites you to attend a peace conference to discuss a cessation of the hostilities that have plagued our planet. Khivar wishes to extend a hand of peace at a time and place of your choosing.
Of course the discussion will include terms for your return to Antar, ceremonially accompanied by a legion of troops and one of Khivar's greatest warships that is currently in orbit around this planet.
We eagerly await your reply.
Lonni smiled. Khivar had finally found her. She could return home and reclaim her life at his side.
She pushed another stream of power into the orb as she spoke, "This is Vilondra Tageonant. I don't know what Khivar wants but I will help in any way I can. I just want to go home."
The answering voice came through the orb immediately. "Vilondra, how lovely to hear from you."
"What do I have to do to go home?" she asked aggressively, getting right to the point.
Nicholas' laugh came through the orb, "The same Vilondra I see."
"I don't remember everything from my other life but I do remember Khivar and I remember what it was like to be Vilondra. I want that life, and I'll do what I have to, to get back."
"Well Vilondra, why don't we meet and maybe we can make a deal that will be mutually beneficial."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Saturday, October 30th, 2004)
(New York, NY)
(A Sidewalk Café)
Nicholas sat across the table from Lonni. "Well," he started casually, "why don't you tell me about your life here. You live in New York..." he trailed off waiting for her to continue.
"Yeah," she said, rolling her eyes, "we live in New York. Look, can't we get to the point. I didn't come here to reminisce."
Nicholas held up his hand, "Indulge me, please."
Lonni sighed, "Fine. Zan, Ava, Rath and I have lived in New York our whole lives. Until about two years ago a shape shifter lived with us as our protector."
"And where is this shape shifter now?" Nicholas asked casually.
Lonni shrugged, "Don't know. Said she had stuff to do and we were old enough to look after ourselves."
Nicholas absorbed the information without comment, "Did the shape shifter tell you about your past?"
Lonni shook her head, "She never would really say much. She told us we would remember in time but I am the only one who remembers very much."
"And do you remember me?" Nicholas asked.
"A little. I remember that you are Khivar's most trusted General." She dropped her head and looked through her eyelashes seductively, "And I remember that you used to look at me."
Nicholas smiled. It was just as the scientists had told them. Lonni didn't remember what had happened just before her death. "You were very beautiful," Nicholas said with a shrug, and then quickly changed the subject. "Can you contact your shape shifter?"
"No, she said it wouldn't be safe, so she didn’t tell us how to get a hold of her. What is it with all the questions about the shape shifter?"
"We need to find her,” Nicholas purred. “She would be part of any deal for you to go home."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Monday, November 1st, 2004)
(Copper Summit, AZ)
(Onboard the Leptus)
"You have found Vilondra?" Khivar asked, through Corporal Raltos' borrowed mouth.
Nicholas shook his head, "No, it was the duplicate. She calls herself Lonni."
"How can you be so sure?" Khivar demanded.
"They were guarded by only one protector who left them almost two years ago, with no way to contact her."
"To go and help protect the real Royal Four," Khivar finished, disappointedly. "And you have not received any other response because the shape shifters have warned the real Royal Four about using the communicators."
"I also asked Lonni about the Granolith but she had never heard of it.” Nicholas shrugged, “She is useless."
Khivar sighed, "It would be expedient to eliminate all clones of the Tageonant line. Perhaps she could be useful in luring the other duplicates into a trap."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Thursday, November 4th, 2004)
Lonni woke up to a throbbing pain in her head and tried to raise her hand but discovered she was shackled to a chair. She cracked her eyes and quickly looked around the unfamiliar room but she had no idea where she was. She pulled at her bonds but they held her tightly. For a moment, she thought that maybe Rath was playing a joke on her but then she remembered going to meet Nicholas.
She had gone to the address he had given her and he had been waiting inside, but he hadn't been the only one. She had been quickly surrounded, and then everything had gone black. For the first time in her life, Lonni was scared and she struggled against the bonds, attempting to use her powers to loosen the handcuffs, but nothing happened.
The door opened and Nicholas stepped inside. "Oh good, you're awake."
"What kind of game are you playing Nicholas?" Lonni asked, trying to keep her voice calm.
"There's no game, Lonni," Nicholas said, as he approached. "You have information and I want it."
Lonni smiled, "Well, there is no need for the fancy bracelets. I will tell you whatever you want to know."
Nicholas placed his hand on her head, "Yes you will, but this method is much faster."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Lonni strode into the abandoned sewer tunnel she called home and stopped at the sight of Rath lounging on the sofa.
He looked up from the hockey game he was watching, "Where've you been?"
"Out," she said, glancing around the room. "Where’s Zan and Ava?"
"Don't know, lover." Rath shrugged as he rose from the sofa and stalked purposefully toward her, "So why don't you come over here for a little somethin'-somethin'."
Lonni closed the distance between them quickly and as Rath reached for her, she raised her hand between them and shot a burst of power into his chest. Rath's eyes widened in shock and he sank to his knees as Lonni shifted into a boy before him.
"Goodbye, lover," Nicholas said, as he watched Rath take his last breath and fall to the ground. He called out to the troops waiting in the tunnel, "Come on in."
Greer stopped next to Nicholas and motioned to Rath's body, "Do you want us to clean that up?"
Nicholas shook his head, "No, leave him." He motioned to the wall near the entrance, "We will wait there and when Zan and Ava come in and see him lying there, they will rush past us to help him and they'll be dead before they know what hit them."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Friday, November 5th, 2004)
(Lafayette, CA)
Nicholas and Ida stopped outside the door to the SETI Institute. Neither of them had been there since Courtney had been assigned to the Institute but the new technology that had arrived on the transport from Antar was worth the trip. Khivar had sent a new type of receiver that was capable of tracing signals being received. There were unsure if it would function in the Earth's atmosphere but Nicholas was hopeful Courtney could find a way to make it compatible with the SETI array. If it worked, all Nicholas had to do was send a message on the royal frequency and they would be able to detect where the Royal Four were when they received it.
Nicholas looked up at Ida, "Okay, turn on your best small town idiot routine."
At the reception desk, Ida gave the attendant her best bumpkin smile and switched on her thickest drawl. "Howdy ma'am. I was wondering if you could help us," she started. "Me and my son, Nicholas here, are visiting from out of town. Now my sister's daughter works in the computer department and it's her birthday," she said, motioning to the brightly wrapped package Nicholas was holding, "and I thought it would be fun if we could surprise her."
The attendant smiled, "Tell me her name and I will call her to the desk and you can surprise her."
"Isn't that nice?" Ida asked Nicholas. "The kind lady will help us with our surprise."
Nicholas gave the attendant his most practiced innocent look, "Thank you ma'am. My cousin is Courtney Banks."
The attendant checked her phone list and then a frown crossed her features and she re-checked it. "I don't see a Courtney Banks. Let me call the head of the department, he will know where she is."
She reached for the phone and dialed and after a brief conversation, replaced the receiver. "I'm sorry but it seems that your niece has not worked here for about four years."
Ida put a hand to her mouth, "Oh dear, surely I couldn't have gotten that muddled. Thank you for your help, ma'am," she said, as she took Nicholas by the hand and headed for the door.
Once they were outside, Ida dropped Nicholas' hand, "What do we do now, Sir?"
"We find out what Courtney has been up to these last few years." Nicholas said as he reached into his pocket, withdrew his amplifier and entered Courtney's code. When she answered, he spoke into the device, "Courtney, how have you been?"
"Fine, Sir," she answered.
"How is SETI?" he asked.
"It's great."
"Good, glad to hear it," he said looking at Ida, with a raised eyebrow. "I have a new technology that might help us in our search for the Royal Four. I thought I would come out there for a visit and bring it to you, but right now I have so much to do and I might not be able to make it for a week or two."
"Oh, um, no, no Sir, don't come here," Courtney stuttered. "I mean, you have so much to do and I could use a vacation. It would be nice to see Copper Summit again."
Nicholas nodded, knowing he had given her no choice but to return. "Well, we will expect you tomorrow then? At the UFL?"
"Yeah. I'll be there tomorrow afternoon."
Nicholas deactivated the amplifier and looked at Ida, "Let's get back to Copper Summit. We want to welcome our prodigal home in style."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Saturday, November 6th, 2004)
(Copper Summit, AZ)
Courtney entered the main hall of the Universal Friendship League and was immediately grabbed from behind.
Nicholas stepped out from behind a curtain on the dais, "Secure her hands. We don't want any more heroic suicides."
Greer and Walt shackled her tightly between two metal poles as Nicholas approached. "So Courtney," he sneered, "what have you been up to these last few years? Obviously you haven't been in California at SETI. Would you like to just tell me or should we do it the hard way?"
Courtney pulled at her shackles frantically, but they wouldn't give. She knew Nicholas would take all of her memories and kill her and there was nothing she could do. She motioned for him to come closer and when he stopped a few inches away, she smiled, "I think I see a chest hair, Nicholas. Way to go."
Nicholas smiled, "Fine. We'll do this the hard way." He placed his hand on her head and started to sort through the information of her memories. He ripped through her mind causing as much pain as he could, but when he saw where she had been, he stopped in surprise. He had suspected her of being a traitor but to find out that she had been in collaboration with the Royal Four for the past four years was an exciting bonus.
"You always were the social butterfly, Courtney. Always the first to make new friends." He laughed as he turned to the others in the room, "She has been in contact with the Royal Four." He motioned to Ida, "Get a recording device. I want to make sure to get every detail."
When Ida returned, Nicholas replaced his hand on Courtney's head, "So let's see what's going on with the Royal Four." He carefully sifted through her memories of the last few years, gleaning every piece of information she had, and spoke aloud for the recording device as the pictures flashed through his mind.
"Three of the Royal Four have been in Roswell the whole time," Nicholas said with a laugh. "Practically right under our noses."
"Zan and Vilondra are called Max and Isabel Evans. They were adopted by humans, who still don't know what they are. Max has married a human named Liz and they are attending Harvard." He looked at Walt with a shrug, "Harvard, that's impressive."
Nicholas returned to his task, "Isabel is attending the University of Las Cruces. Rath is called Michael Guerin and works as a fry-cook in a restaurant owned by Liz's parents." He raised an eyebrow and the others laughed.
Nicholas continued reciting the details of their lives in Roswell, recounting how each of the humans became involved and how Courtney was revealed to them.
Courtney struggled to block Nicholas, but it was no use. She just didn't have enough power to stop him.
Finally, when Nicholas was convinced that he had gathered every piece of information, he released her and turned to Walt. "Unfortunately she doesn't know where the Granolith is and their Ava, now called Tess Harding, left town in a jealous fit because Max married the human. But we have found the missing shape shifter and she is the last one."
Greer motioned to Courtney, "Do you want me to alert the troops?"
Nicholas shook his head, "No. It's just a couple of weeks until Thanksgiving and according to Courtney's memories, the whole gang will be coming home for the holiday. We'll wait until they are all together and then lead the Royal Three and the humans into a trap.
"No," Courtney screamed. "You can't! Please!"
Nicholas smiled, "It seems that Courtney has a bit of a crush on the former General." He turned back to her, "Sorry Courtney," he mocked, using her own words, "I guess you wasted fifty years for nothing after all." He nodded once at Walt over her head.
Walt picked up a convenient crowbar and slammed it into Courtney's back, smashing the seal on her husk and she disappeared in a cloud of dust.
Nicholas pulled his amplifier out of his pocket and used it to signal the warship orbiting in the shadow the moon. "Major Tratis, this is General Nicaron."
He was answered immediately, "Yes General?"
"We have located three of the Royal Four. I am laying a trap for them and I want your troops ready in two weeks time."
"Of course, General," Tratis spoke into the amplifier. He deactivated it and turned to Lieutenant Zaptfa at his side, "Have you tried on your skin?"
The Lieutenant shook his head, "No, not yet."
"They are horribly uncomfortable," Tratis said.
"Yes,” the Lieutenant agreed, “I heard some of the men complaining."
"Nicaron told me that it took them a while to get used to the skins when they first arrived on Earth but these new skins we have are much more advanced. We have a couple of weeks until we are needed. I don't think it is necessary to make the troops get into the skins yet, they can't be that difficult to use."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Crashdown, Cafe)
Michael picked up the ringing phone, "Hello?"
"Michael, this is Courtney," she whispered.
Michael sighed, "What do you want? And why are you whispering?"
"I can't talk any louder. I was called back to Copper Summit and something is going on."
"What's going on?" Michael asked.
"I don't know yet, but I will get back to you as soon as I find out."
"Hey, Courtney," Michael said, suddenly concerned.
"Yeah?"
"Be careful, okay?"
"Yeah, I will." Nicholas put the phone down and turned to his senior staff, "Okay, let's put this plan together, so we can get off this stinking planet."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Wednesday, November 24th, 2004)
Liz looked out the window of the plane taking herself, Max and Serena back to Roswell for Thanksgiving. Usually she loved this time of year, getting caught up in the spirit and warmth of the season, but this year was different.
She'd had a bad feeling ever since Michael had told them about Courtney's phone call and the feeling intensified with every day that passed. Something was terribly wrong.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Friday, November 26th, 2004)
(Crashdown Cafe)
Michael hung up the phone and turned to Max and Liz, sitting at the counter. "That was Courtney again. She's coming back tomorrow and she has something big she needs to tell us."
Max nodded, "Okay, I'll tell Isabel. Where and when does she want to meet?"
Michael scratched at his eyebrow, "She said it was really important and the humans should be there too."
A shiver of fear ran through Liz, "Did she say what it was?"
"No," Michael said softly and then frowned trying to shake off the sound of worry in Liz's voice. "I'm sure she was totally over-reacting."
"Yeah," Liz agreed, with a weak smile.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Copper Summit, AZ)
Nicholas stood before his troops and outlined the plan on a diagram, pointing to the various locations as he spoke. "Tomorrow at ten o'clock, three of the Royal Four, five humans and a shape shifter will arrive. We have more than enough troops to take them alive and that is exactly what I want. We will wait until they have all entered the building before surrounding it. We don't want to risk being seen too early or they may escape."
He pointed to a group of the soldiers in the front, "I want you to take their rear, blocking their escape from the front door." He pointed to two other groups, "You will take up positions at the side entrance and you will take the back of the building."
Nicholas motioned to his senior staff standing next near him, "Walt and Greer will select some of you for surveillance of their houses in case of an escape. You will be fully briefed by them. And our new arrival, Major Tratis, will be selecting others to man the roadblock." Nicholas turned back to the main group of the troops, "The rest of you will be concealed in the foliage around the buildings to prevent any escapes."
Nicholas looked out at the sea of new faces, the newly arrived, untried troops. He had almost refrained from using the new troops, but Major Tratis had assured him they were some of Khivar's best men. "Some of you have never been in my command before and only know me by reputation. Let me assure you that every word of my reputation has been earned. I do not tolerate failure. So I will reiterate my main goal again so there are no misunderstandings. I want all of them taken alive. Any powers used will be of the non-lethal variety and just in case you don't realize how serious I am, any deviation from my orders will be punished by death."
He paused to let his word sink in, "Are there any questions?"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Saturday, November 27th, 2004)
Max stopped the Jeep next to the other cars in front of the old soap factory on the outskirts of town, where Courtney had suggested they meet. Maria's Jetta was there and the Sheriff's cruiser was parked next to Courtney's ancient Volkswagen Bug. Max glanced at his watch, it was just ten o'clock and he, Liz and Serena were the last ones to arrive.
Liz had been apprehensive about this meeting since they had heard about it and even though she had been trying to block it, her tension had been filtering to him through their connection. Max looked at her and noticed that her eyes were darting around as if she were searching for signs of danger. "It will be okay," he said as he took her hand and squeezed it reassuringly.
Liz forced a smile to her lips, "I hope you're right."
They exited the Jeep and headed toward the door and Liz released a tension-filled sigh when she saw the others gathered inside; Alex and Isabel, Michael and Maria, Sheriff Valenti and Kyle and finally Courtney. At least everyone was okay and she allowed her eyes to roam over the room as they took their seats on some overturned crates. The place looked basically the same as the last time she had been there for the party during the heat wave, all those years ago. They were in the same large room where the sound equipment had been set up, and Liz could still see signs of the fire on the wall and ceiling.
Courtney waited until they had taken their seats to speak, "I am glad you could all come today because I have something very important to tell you."
Suddenly the door slammed shut behind them and a dozen people with outstretched arms blocked their escape.
Michael swung back to face Courtney, "What's going on here?"
Courtney lips moved but it wasn’t her voice that came from her mouth. "Quite obviously it's a trap," Courtney said, as she morphed into a boy, "and you have walked right into it."
"Who are you?" Max demanded.
Nicholas smiled, "On this planet I am called Nicholas but don't let my outward appearance fool you. I am in command of the skin army, and on Antar I am Khivar's right hand."
"General Nicaron," Serena said softly, with a touch of awe in her voice. She had recognized the boy as the one she had seen in New York all those years ago but she had never known who he really was.
Nicholas nodded, "Give the shape shifter a cigar."
"What do you want?" Max asked.
"What do I want?" Nicholas asked, as he paced before them. "What do I want? Well," he said, scratching at his chin, "I think I'll start small, like the location of the Granolith."
Max shook his head, "We don't know what that is."
Nicholas laughed, "Oh come now Zan, or should I call you Max? You really don't remember anything from your other life do you?"
Max didn't answer and Nicholas continued, "I have the ability to take any information from anyone's mind. Courtney's memories were particularly helpful in laying this trap for you. It was careless of you to reveal so much to an enemy soldier, but you always did put your trust in the wrong people. She knew everything about you, except where to find the Granolith."
Nicholas motioned to the group, "But some of you must know where it is. I thought I would start with the humans, maybe your wife, Liz. Of course my mind probe does have the nasty consequence of killing humans most of the time. But what can you do?" he asked with a shrug. "If the humans don't know anything then I will move on to the former General, now fry-cook, Michael, then your protector..."
As Nicholas spoke, Max made eye contact with Serena, Michael and the Sheriff, motioning to the skins behind them, and then he looked at Isabel, motioning to Nicholas. Then he spoke to Liz across their bond. Get Maria and Alex out of here.
He didn't wait for an answer, charging forward with a yell, and the entire room erupted into chaos.
Nicholas used his powers to knock Max aside but Isabel tackled him and they fell to the floor.
Liz grabbed Maria and Alex and yelled to the others, "Let's get out of here." She pulled Maria toward the back exit and Alex followed closely behind them. Another door to the side burst open and more skins poured into the room. The first few through the door stumbled and fell, blocking the entrance and the skins behind them shot wild bursts of energy at the humans, knocking Liz to the floor.
Max got quickly to his feet just as Liz fell. He grabbed a piece of wood off the floor, swinging at the skin closest to him, trying to get to Liz.
Serena and Michael used one burst of power after another, destroying the husks and the enemy soldiers inside. The skin soldiers continued to stumble in through the door, sending bursts of energy humming past Michael's head and he knocked aside their outstretched hands.
The Sheriff and Kyle had both grabbed pieces of wood and were fighting back-to-back fending off their attackers, trying to clear a way to the door.
Isabel struggled with Nicholas on the floor, desperately attempting to hold his deadly hands away from her. He was stronger than she thought and they rolled from side to side, each trying to get the upper hand.
Alex yanked Liz to her feet and they ran toward the front door. Alex turned just in time to see a group of soldiers with outstretched hands firing at them, and he pushed Liz and Maria aside, as three blasts simultaneously hit him in the chest and slammed him against the wall.
Serena fought her way to the side door, where more soldiers were coming through, and used her powers to push them out and sealed the door shut. Then she headed to do the same to the back door.
Max could feel Liz's pain through their bond and rushed to her side. "Michael, quick over here," he called as he ran.
Liz and Maria were kneeling next to Alex, and as Max dropped to the floor beside them, a gasp of horror escaped him. Alex's neck was at an unnatural angle and a pool of blood was quickly forming under his head. Max took Alex's damaged head in his hands and when he felt the bones protruding from the back of his neck, he knew there was no hope. He shook his head sadly, and motioned to Michael. They pulled Liz and Maria to their feet and headed for the front door.
Kyle destroyed the last skin soldier and turned to see Isabel struggling with Nicholas. He reached them just as Nicholas used his powers to throw Isabel away from him. Her body slammed into Kyle and they were both propelled back into the wall, the burnt boards breaking under their combined weight. Dazed by the blow to his head, Kyle watched blearily as Isabel got to her feet and held out her hand to him. He tried to roll over, but his movement dislodged the precariously leaning boards, and the wall and ceiling collapsed on top of him and Nicholas.
Isabel jumped back, as the ceiling fell and a cloud of debris filled the room, unable to believe what had happened.
The Sheriff ran forward, "NO!" He started to pull at the pieces of board that covered his son but the rest of the structure started to fall and he was forced back.
"Everybody out!" Max yelled as he pushed Liz toward the door. "Serena, get the Sheriff out of here."
Maria's Jetta exploded as they ran out into the parking lot and they were rushed by a large group of skins. Max used his shield in a burst that threw the skins back, and the gang ran to the two remaining cars to make their escape. Max yelled to Michael and Serena, "Go with the Sheriff!" He, Liz and Isabel climbed into the Jeep and Max started it and turned toward the entrance.
Skin soldiers emerged from the bushes surrounding the buildings and sent blasts of energy at the cars, and Michael and Serena shot back with deadly accuracy.
Isabel looked around, her voice frantic, "Where's Alex?"
Liz turned to her with tear-filled eyes but didn't have to say a word.
"NO!" Isabel screamed. "Not Alex!"
Max slammed on the breaks. The skins had constructed a roadblock that completely cut them off from the parking lot exit and he couldn't see a way past.
The Sheriff stopped his cruiser next to the Jeep and yelled through the open window, "Follow me. I know an old fire road in the back."
They turned the cars and headed back past the buildings as more and more skin soldiers emerged. The Sheriff ran down several skins who were blocking their way, sending their bodies flying. Energy blasts streaked through the air and struck both vehicles as they drove; one shattering the back window of the Sheriff's cruiser.
As the vehicles rounded the building, they passed the cars the skins had hidden and Serena and Michael sent blast after blast into them, causing as much damage as possible. One car exploded, causing a chain reaction that engulfed several others in a massave explosion, and the Sheriff increased his speed as debris rained down around them.
The skins ran around the building and got into the remaining cars to pursue their escaping prey.
The Sheriff drove as fast as he could on the dusty road and still keep the cruiser under control. He felt tears come to his eyes and angrily wiped them away. He couldn't believe Kyle was really gone but he had seen the ceiling collapse on top of him and he knew there was no way anyone could have survived.
Isabel watched with growing rage as the skins' vehicles pulled nearer and nearer to them. The skins had killed Alex and they would just as easily kill all of them too but she wouldn't let that happen. She concentrated on building a tremendous amount of energy, letting the power of her anger work for her. Then she stretched out her hand and sent a crackling, black ball into the front of the closest car, surprised when it cut a hole completely through the vehicle and embedded itself into the truck following it, causing both cars to explode.
The swirling dust kicked up by the cars' tires and the smoke from the explosions obscured Isabel's view of the road behind them, but as they continued into the desert, she couldn't detect any sign of pursuit. After a few minutes she turned to Max, "I think we lost them for the moment."
Max nodded, "Liz have you got your cell phone?"
Liz wiped at her eyes, "Yeah."
"Call Valenti."
Liz dialed and Maria's voice came over the phone, "Liz?"
Liz spoke into the phone, "It looks like we have lost them for now but we have to find a safe place."
"We can't go home," Max said.
"Was that Max?" Maria asked. "Did he say we can't go home?"
"He's right," Liz agreed. "Nicholas said he read Courtney's mind. The skins know everything she knew. They know who we are and where we live, and they are probably waiting for us at home."
Liz heard Maria repeat her words to the others in the car and she heard Michael's reply, "Then we gotta keep driving."
Max spoke to Liz, "Ask Serena how likely it is that the skins would be able to monitor our cell phone conversation."
Liz listened to Maria repeat the question and Serena's answer, "Serena checked Valenti's phone and said it’s not bugged. She thinks the skins didn't bother because they thought they had the perfect trap. She also says it would be almost impossible for them to listen to the call because of the amount of cellular traffic on various frequencies."
"Okay," Max started, "we need to figure out where to go."
Liz heard Maria tell the others what Max had said and then Valenti's voice came across the phone, "There is a track that connects to this road going south, and eventually hooks up with 285. We can keep going south and drive through to Texas."
Liz repeated what the Sheriff said and Max agreed, "We should head for one of the larger cities. The small towns will be too easy to search and maybe we should stay away from the main roads, just in case."
Maria relayed what Max said and Valenti answered, "That sounds like a good plan. There are fire roads running all through the backcountry. If we head west when we reach Artesia we can take the back roads through the National Forest and down along the boundary of Fort Bliss almost straight into El Paso. It's a big enough city to hide us for a few days until we decide what to do. The trip will take longer than following the highway but Max is right, they might be searching the main roads."
Max agreed with Valenti's plan, "Okay. That's what we'll do. But we need to change the colors and license plates of these cars before we hit the main road. We should switch cars as soon as possible and we'll have to stop in Artesia for gas."
As they watched the Sheriff's cruiser, the lights on the roof disappeared, the white paint swirled into a dark blue and the license plate numbers changed.
Isabel worked on the Jeep. She altered the grill to a more modern style and changed the dull khaki to a glossy black, the trim to chrome, and finished with a new license plate.
Max spoke to Liz, "Tell them we should change our clothes and when we stop in Artesia each group should go to a different gas pumps and stay apart. Someone might remember a large group meeting at the gas station."
Liz spoke up, "Maybe we should change our hair too, make us blondes and them brunettes. It would help to separate us even more."
Max nodded, "Good idea."
"Max," Isabel said, from the back seat, "what about our parents? If the skins know who we are and where we live then our parents could be in danger. We have got to warn them to leave."
Liz turned to Max, "If they know everything Courtney did then they are aware that our parents don't know what is really going on. That's why Nicholas made sure we were all there today because we all knew the truth."
Max tried to reason through the problem aloud. "If we do call them and tell them to leave, what would we tell them? If they know the truth, we put them in even more danger. And there is no way they would just leave their lives behind unless there was a really good reason."
"You're right," Isabel agreed sadly, "what could we tell them? They would never believe us."
Maria had been relaying their conversation and suddenly spoke up, "Liz, Serena says that she believes our parents will be safe. She thinks the skins will watch them hoping we will contact them."
Liz told Max and Isabel what Serena said, and voiced her agreement. "I think Serena is right. They will try and track us down again and the only lead they have is our parents."
Isabel's voice was almost a whisper, "Then we can never go home again."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Nicholas carefully used his powers to lift the rubble off of himself and shore it up at the same time, not wanting to risk another collapse.
Ida rushed in with a group of soldiers and they held up the wall while she pulled him out, "Are you okay, Sir?"
"I'm fine," Nicholas said, as he got to his feet, brushing himself off. "I saw the wall falling and used my powers to save myself.
The skin soldiers pulled Kyle from the same pile.
"Is he alive?" Nicholas asked.
One of the soldiers pressed his fingers to Kyle's neck and nodded.
"You must have saved him too when the wall fell," Ida said.
Nicholas nodded in agreement, "I'm sure you're right, otherwise he would have been dead for sure." He indicated the other body the soldiers were gathered around, "Who's that?"
The soldiers parted as Nicholas approached and he recognized another of the humans, Alex. Nicholas could tell by the angle of his neck that he was dead and turned his back on him with a nod, "Now, would someone like to tell me what happened?"
"I'm not really sure, Sir," Ida started. "It all happened so fast. One minute there were the sounds of blasts in here and then the building started to collapse. They ran out, and cars were exploding, and they drove off into the desert."
Nicholas nodded and pulled out his amplifier, "Major Tratis, report."
"The road block stopped them Sir, but they drove around the back of the building and into the desert. We tried to pursue but they destroyed most of the cars and by the time we found a way around, they were gone. They were just too powerful for us, Sir."
"Thank you, Major," Nicholas drawled. "Gather the remaining troops and report to me."
Nicholas changed frequencies, "Walt, they have escaped, do you read me?"
"Yes Sir, I read you."
"Keep your troops in place and let me know about any activity." Nicholas turned the amplifier off without waiting for an answer. This whole day had been a disaster from beginning to end and he had a pretty good idea what had gone wrong. He had seen the new troops stumbling and falling over themselves, missing their targets, and it could only mean one thing; they had not adjusted to their skins as Major Tratis had reported.
Nicholas waited until all of the troops were standing around him before he sent a powerful blast of energy into Major Tratis. The Major fell to his knees and Nicholas put his hand on the Major's head to extract his memories. He quickly ripped through the images until he found what he was looking for and then allowed the man to fall to the ground.
He turned to the soldiers before him, "It seems that Major Tratis was not capable of following my orders and his failure has allowed the Royal Three and their humans to escape. And now instead of leaving for home, we are back where we started, searching the country for them."
There were murmurs from the crowd and Nicholas held up a hand, signaling silence. "There is only one way I deal with this kind of failure, so let it be a warning." He motioned to two of his trusted soldiers and they picked up Tratis and held him before Nicholas. Tratis struggled feebly but the attempt just made Nicholas laugh. He concentrated on building his energy and then once again placed his hand on the Major's head and pushed the power into him. Tratis cried out and Nicholas concentrated on building the heat within the husk. For a moment, it appeared as if Tratis were glowing from inside but Nicholas knew it was the flames burning his body, and then the husk exploded into a shower of dust.
Nicholas calmly brushed his soiled hands together and turned to Lieutenant Zaptfa, who flinched. Nicholas smiled, "I don't blame you Lieutenant, you were just following the orders of your superior. But in the future, if your superior disobeys my orders, you report it to me."
Lieutenant Zaptfa swallowed hard, "Yes Sir."
"Now Lieutenant, I want you to take some soldiers into the desert and make a thorough search."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Max studied Liz's sleeping form as he cradled her in the back seat. She was having a bad dream, probably about the events of the day, and he smoothed his hand over her forehead, sending his love to her through their connection to soothe her nightmares away.
He had always been afraid that something like this would happen and he would end up ruining Liz's life. And he did feel guilty for bringing her into his world, but at the same time he felt selfishly happy that she was at his side. He didn't know what he would do without her.
Liz had been the one to suggest leaving the Jeep in Artesia in its original condition and taking another car. It had taken him a moment but then he had seen the brilliance of her idea. When the Jeep was discovered, the skins would waste valuable time searching for them in Artesia while they were making their escape. So he and Isabel had left the Jeep in the parking lot of a twenty-four hour grocery store and stolen an SUV from another lot down the block, quickly changing the color and license plate, before continuing on their journey.
He glanced out the window, noting that the sun had finally set on this long day and Max started to feel himself relax. They had seen no signs of the skins and they were just a few minutes away from their destination. He mourned the loss of Alex and Kyle but he was glad so many had escaped the trap, glad Liz had escaped.
He blamed himself entirely for leading the others into the trap. He was the leader and it was his responsibility to keep his people safe. He should have trusted Liz's burgeoning powers and avoided the place altogether. Instead he had delivered all of them into the hands of their enemies and they had nearly lost everything. And now they were running for their lives, with little money and no resources.
They had been forced to leave their homes and families and everything they had ever known behind them and he feared they could never return. Max's parents were expecting Liz, Alex, Isabel and himself for dinner in just a few minutes. Tears pricked his eyes when he thought of what his mother and father would have to go through, both of children disappearing on the same night. Their families might never know what had happened to them and worst of all, Alex's family would never know he was dead.
But no matter how much he grieved for the others, his mind kept returning to Sheriff Valenti. Jim had lost everything he had ever worked for that day; his home, his job, and his son, and it was all because he had helped them.
Isabel spoke over her shoulder as she concentrated on her driving, "It's almost six o'clock, Max. We were supposed to go to home for dinner."
"I know," Max said softly.
"They'll be so worried when we don't show up." Her voice rose with anger as she continued, "Then they'll find out that all of us have disappeared on the same day and eventually someone will find the Jetta. They'll probably think we were all murdered by a cult and buried in the desert. I mean what other explanation could they possibly come up with. Loving sons and daughters and a Sheriff don't just disappear."
"Iz," Max said softly, only to be cut off.
"I mean it just isn't fair to them. There has to be some way to contact them and tell them that we are okay. There has to be."
"Iz," Max tried again. "We'll find a way. I promise."
"But not Alex's family. They will never know what happened to him," Isabel said with a haunted tone. "Oh Max, if I hadn't gotten involved with him again, this never would have happened. He died because of me."
"No Iz, that's not true and you know it," Max said. "Alex knew there were risks and he still wanted to be with you. Anyway, even if he wasn't with you, the skins still would have tracked him down using Courtney's memories. None of us were safe from them."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Nicholas had sent the remaining troops out to search but they had made no progress. None of the Royal Three or the humans had returned to their houses and there had been no sign of them in the desert or on the roads. And now that it was dark, they would have to wait until tomorrow to continue the search.
Nicholas looked at Kyle, who was still lying on the floor. The healer had been unable to connect with the unconscious human to heal his head injury but he was familiar with human medicine and anatomy and assured Nicholas the injury wasn’t serious, although he had said it could be a few hours before the human awoke. Nicholas nudged Kyle with his foot; the human was the best hope they had of locating the others and the Granolith.
Nicholas sighed, running his hand through his hair, he had delayed long enough. The troops would remain here and continue their search but he would have to return to Copper Summit and report his failure to Khivar. They had been so close to succeeding but it had all fallen apart. Luckily he had a scapegoat. He could truthfully tell Khivar that Major Tratis was to blame for this fiasco. If Tratis had done what he had been ordered, none of this would have happened.
Nicholas turned to Ida, "Bring the car around and send in someone to load the human into it. We are returning to Copper Summit."
Ida motioned to Alex, "What about him?"
Nicholas shrugged, "He's no good to us. Have someone bury him out back."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Sunday, November 28th, 2004)
(El Paso, TX)
Max squeezed Liz's hand as he looked at the others seated around them. They had all stayed in the same motel room last night, taking turns at watch, and none of them looked like they had gotten much rest. Max had not been able to sleep all night, trying to decide what he needed to do to keep them all safe.
Liz, Jim and himself had spoken with Serena at length about her abilities and their options, and together the four of them had decided on a plan. At daybreak Max had sent Serena out to get food and a newspaper and now that breakfast was over, it was time to tell the others what they had come up with.
Max addressed the others, "Yesterday was a terrible day, the worst day of my life. Everyone here lost people they love and it won't be easy to move on, but we have to because we aren't out of this yet."
He paused to let the information sink in. "Liz, Jim and I have been trying to figure out what to do and we have come up with a plan but this will affect all of our lives and I think we should all agree. So please don't interrupt until we will tell you what we have in mind, then you can all tell us how crazy we are. Okay?"
The others looked at one another and nodded silently.
"First, our biggest problem is a place to live. We can stay at motels for a while but soon we will be tripping over each other and a big group like ours is bound to be noticed. We think we should look for a house to buy, right here in El Paso."
Max held up a hand as he saw Michael starting to protest, "Yes, I know we are close to Copper Summit and we have no money or credit, but with Serena's help we can set up accounts and enough background information to pass any credit check."
Liz continued, "And as for our location, we think it could be an advantage. It's not like the skins will do door-to-door searches and they will probably think we will get as far away from New Mexico as possible. If we buy a house, we can avoid landlords and it will be easier to find a place that is big enough for all of us, away from nosy neighbors."
The group was silent as Max continued, "Second, we need to get rid of any items that could link us to our past; cell phones, pagers, I.D. and we each need to choose new identities. We can put all of our new information in the Texas government computers and make it look like we have lived here for years."
"Third, I'm sending Serena to New York to get the help of the others. On the way, she could stop in Roswell and mail letters to our families, so at least they know we are alright."
"We could also send an anonymous tip to the police about where to find Kyle and Alex," Liz said softly.
Max looked around the group, meeting each person's eyes, "Finally, Liz and I both hope that we all agree to stay together. A large group could be more easily recognized but we all have different strengths and talents and I would hate to think that our enemies were able to drive us apart. We only have each other now and I don't want to loose any more of my family."
Michael spoke up, "Won't buying a house kinda tie us down?"
"We can always just leave," Liz said, "and the house will revert back to the bank. Then we do the same thing in the next city."
"We know what we are suggesting isn't legal or ethical," Max said, "but we don't see any way around it. We have to have money to survive. We can change one-dollar bills to hundreds, but for some things we will have to manipulate data in the bank's computers. We can't just take several thousand dollars in cash to a bank without arousing suspicion. Liz has volunteered to keep an accounting of everything we spend and if we ever get out of this mess we can pay back the appropriate people."
Max asked, "Any other questions?"
"What are we going to tell our parents?" Maria asked.
"Jim came up with a idea," said Max. "He suggested telling our parents that we were put into the witness protection program. It might seem far-fetched but it would explain why we all disappeared on the same day without telling our families and they would know not to look for us. It is better than the truth because the main thing keeping our families safe is their ignorance."
The others sat silent, digesting the plan. When no one spoke for several minutes Max continued, "Our entire lives have changed literally overnight but we'll try and make the best lives we can. It won't be easy. We can't ever go home again, and probably at first we will have to move around a lot. Everyone will have to agree not to use powers unless it's absolutely necessary, so we don't draw any attention to ourselves. So even if the skins are still looking for us, there will be nothing for them to find. We will blend in with everyone else and hide in plain sight like we always have."
Max looked at each of his friends, "I think we should take a vote now. All in favor of the plan?"
He scanned the room and nodded; there were seven raised hands.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Copper Summit, AZ)
Nicholas slammed into his office in the UFL building; he was not in a good mood. After returning from Roswell last night, he'd had to report their failure to Khivar, then he'd stayed up all night directing the search. The houses of the friends and family of the Royal Three were under constant surveillance and he had arranged for the phones to be bugged and the mail to be watched. He had distributed photos to each of his men and kept in continual contact with the officers.
In the early hours of the morning, Max's Jeep had been discovered in Artesia and even though Nicholas suspected it was a decoy, he'd had to concentrate on searching the area. It was now almost dark and still there had been no other sign of them.
Then he had received the news from his new technician at SETI. The technology to trace the reception of a signal would not work on this planet. It had something to do with the amount of nitrogen in the atmosphere and the technician didn't think they would be able to alter it to work.
A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts. "What?" he growled.
Ida cautiously pushed open the door, "Sir, the human is awake."
Nicholas jumped out of his chair. It was the first piece of good news he had gotten since the catastrophe in Roswell. He strode into the hall and down the stairs to the sub-basement where Kyle was being held. He motioned for Ida to unlock the cell door and stepped inside, "So you're finally awake."
Kyle recognized his captor as the same person who had laid the trap for them, "What happened?"
"Now that is an interesting story," Nicholas started. "It seems you're friends escaped and left you to our tender care."
Kyle shook his head, "No, they would never do that."
"But you are here in lovely Copper Summit and they're not. How else do you explain it?"
Kyle kept silent and Nicholas continued, "If I were you, I would want revenge."
Kyle shook his head, "I remember, the wall collapsed. My father and the others must have thought I was dead or they never would've left me."
Nicholas smiled, "You sound so sure, but Courtney's memories tell me that you're not one of Max's favorites. To rescue you, Max would have had to endanger his wife, his family, and I don't think he values you enough to do that."
Kyle smiled, "You don't know what you're talking about. Max is too honorable to leave anyone behind, even me."
"So you won't tell me where they are?" Nicholas asked.
"Even if I knew, I wouldn't tell you."
"And the Granolith?"
Kyle shook his head, "I don't know what that is."
Nicholas saw the sudden tightening in Kyle's face and knew he was lying. The human had heard of the Granolith and he knew where it was. He smiled, "You're lying."
"No," Kyle denied quickly, "I have never heard of this Granny--, what did you call it, Granny-ith?"
"It's Granolith, as you well know," Nicholas laughed. "You will tell me one way or another. We can do this the easy way or the hard way."
"I don't know anything," Kyle repeated.
Nicholas smiled, "Okay, the hard way." He didn't want to risk using his mind probe on Kyle because it so often killed humans before all of the information was gathered, but, Nicholas thought to himself, there were other ways of extracting information. He rubbed his hands together, building power between them and then sent a blast of steady energy into Kyle.
The blast hit Kyle in the chest, knocked him into the wall and held him there, and a scream was torn from him.
After a moment, Nicholas stopped the energy and grabbed Kyle by the hair, forcing him to look at him. "The location of the Granolith?"
Kyle spoke through his teeth, "I don't know anything."
Nicholas raised his hand and sent another powerful blast into Kyle, doubling the length of time.
Kyle writhed on the floor, screaming in agony.
When he released him, Nicholas asked once again, "The Granolith?"
Kyle drew gulps of air into lungs, attempting to breathe past the pain, and raised himself into a sitting position. He looked up into Nicholas' gloating face, "I don't know anything."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Saturday, December 4th, 2004)
A dense, black fog obscured everything from her view as she stumbled along the corridor, trying to feel her way. Her hands found an opening and she turned down the new hall. The screams of agony became louder with every step she took but she at least she knew she was finally getting closer. She could feel the hopelessness pouring off of the other and she called out in reassurance, "I'm here. I'm coming." But she could tell that the other was unaware of her presence.
Her progress was stopped by another wall and she pounded her hands on it in frustration. The cries became more desperate as the other's pain increased and then suddenly there was silence.
"No!" she cried. Strong arms encircled her and she fought against them wildly, trying to break away from her captor but the arms were too strong and held her tightly in place. As she continued to struggle, a sense of calm started to surround and settle into her. And after a moment, she heard her name, and the arms holding her were suddenly familiar.
"Liz, wake up!" Max held Liz tightly and strengthened the connection between them, concentrating on bringing her into wakefulness. "It's just a dream. Liz!"
Liz's eyes fluttered open and she stopped struggling, "Max?"
He nodded with relief, "You were having another dream." He gently took her head in his hands and placed a kiss on her forehead, "I was scared that you weren't coming back to me, I had a hard time waking you."
They were interrupted as the door crashed open and Michael and Isabel burst into the room with outstretched hands and Jim with a baseball bat right behind them. They looked quickly around but seeing nothing, their eyes fell on the couple in bed.
"What's going on?" Michael asked.
"It's okay," Max reassured them. "Liz just had a bad dream."
The others visibly relaxed and Isabel took a deep breath, "That must have been some dream."
"I'm sorry I woke you," Liz apologized.
Michael smiled, "That's okay. We need something to keep us on our toes."
The others left and Max turned his attention back to Liz, "Are you really okay?"
She nodded, "Yeah."
"Let's go downstairs," Max suggested, "I'll make you some tea and you can tell me about it."
Liz nodded her agreement, "That sounds nice."
As they walked down the stairs, Liz looked around the house that had been their home for a little over a week. They had purchased the large farmhouse because it had enough room for all of them and it sat on a large piece of land that was well away from any neighbors. They had quickly arranged for furnishing and other household necessities and had started the difficult task of settling into their new life.
Max settled Liz at the table and went to fix the tea, and Liz allowed her thoughts to roam back to the terrible day when they had lost Alex and Kyle. Of course they had also been forced to leave their friends, families and homes but it would have been more bearable if the two others had been with them. Liz felt tears prick her eyes and quickly wiped them away. She had lost two of her best friends, but Isabel had lost her love, and the Sheriff had lost his son. Her eyes immediately went to Max and she was so grateful that she had not lost him.
"Max, I love you."
Max turned to her with a smile, "Not that I'm complaining, but what brought this on?"
"After everything, I'm just glad we're here together."
Max nodded his understanding and gathered her in his arms. "The last week has been very hard and you are having these nightmares."
Liz froze, "I didn't tell you I was having nightmares."
"No, " Max said with a smile, "you didn't want to worry me. But I love you so much and I know you too well for you to be able to keep things from me."
Liz sighed, "I should have known."
"So do you want to tell me what the dream was about?"
"It's awful, Max, it's the same every time. I can hear someone in pain and I try to help, but there is a thick fog and I can't see where I'm going. I try to find my way but the cries become more and more urgent and I can't get there. I'm completely helpless."
Max stroked Liz's hair, "This is about Alex and Kyle and the way we had to leave them. I feel guilty about what happened too but there was nothing else we could have done."
"I know," Liz agreed. "I just can't believe they're really gone."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Wednesday, December 8th, 2004)
Serena had arranged for the final purchase of the house and furniture and made sure Max and the others were settled before she had left them. As Max instructed, she had stopped in Roswell to mail the letters to their families and then she had continued to New York.
Serena had changed her appearance several times as she traveled, and now as she approached the subway tunnel that led to the home of the duplicates, she slipped into an alley and changed into the guise of a homeless man. She descended into the subway and turned into the secret entrance leading to her former abode.
A feeling of dread settled into her as she neared the entrance. Uncharacteristically it was pitch black and totally silent. She continued carefully into the room and reached for the switch, but the light did not turn on when she flipped it. She kindled a light and pushed it up, to hover over-head but the scene the light illuminated shocked her so much, the light nearly went out.
All four of her former charges were laying on the floor, dead. As she approached them, she saw the blast marks on each of their chests. They had been killed by aliens. Serena didn't know how Nicholas had found them but he had, and they had lost their lives. She turned to leave but the orb sitting face down on the table caught her eye and she put it into her pocket.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Saturday, December 18th, 2004)
(Copper Summit, AZ)
Kyle cradled his broken arm against his chest as he sat on the floor meditating, attempting to lessen the pain. He repeated the mantra over and over, "No suffering befalls the man who is not attached to name and form," but he was having a hard time concentrating.
He had been a prisoner of the skins for three weeks and every evening Nicholas came to torture him. Sometimes Nicholas was alone and sometimes he brought other skins with him. They had various powers that they used to physically and mentally torture him and Kyle never knew what would happen next. It was obvious that Nicholas had hoped to destroy his spirit and loyalty to his friends, but the continual pain had only created a deep hatred in him for the skins and everything they were trying to accomplish.
Last night Kyle had taunted Nicholas into using a wild burst of energy that had snapped both the bones in his left arm and Kyle knew he had found one of the alien's weaknesses. Nicholas was easily moved to anger and it could be used against him.
Kyle could feel the anger building up within him at the thought of the diminutive skin leader and one of the Buddha's sayings suddenly came to him, We live happily indeed, not hating those who hate us, we dwell free from the hatred. He took several deep breaths and attempted to release his hatred as he continued with his chant, "No suffering befalls the man who is not attached to name and form. No suffering befalls the man who is not attached to name and form." Slowly he felt himself relax and the pain started to leave him. He concentrated harder on pushing the pain away through his breathing, and he didn’t hear Nicholas enter the room.
Nicholas watched Kyle as he persisted in his chanting and noticed that he must have broken the human's arm. Usually he was careful not to cause any permanent damage but Kyle's continued refusal to talk had frustrated him and then the human had started to taunt him, and he had simply gotten carried away.
"Is the Buddha helping with the pain," Nicholas mocked, "or has he forsaken you like your friends."
Kyle's eyes snapped open and he felt the hatred rise up again at the sight of Nicholas. He took a deep breath attempting to calm himself and looked Nicholas in the eyes, "Hatred does not cease by hatred at any time, hatred ceases by love."
Nicholas laughed. "I can feel your hatred for me human," he mocked, "and your mantras haven't done anything to lessen it. But you should be directing your hatred at your so-called friends. If they hadn't left you to save their own butts, you wouldn't be here now. They don't deserve your loyalty, they certainly didn't show you any.
Kyle shook his head, "I won't betray my friends."
Nicholas shrugged, "Everyone breaks in the end."
Kyle knew Nicholas was probably right but he couldn't let his friends down, because if Nicholas found them he would kill them all. Kyle knew there was only one way out, he had to make Nicholas kill him before he gave up the information. He gathered his courage and forced himself to laugh as he shakily rose to his feet. "You're wasting your time peewee, because you just don't have it what it takes to get me to talk."
Nicholas raised his hand and sent a blast of energy into Kyle, slamming him into the wall.
Kyle fell to the floor and an intense pain lanced through his broken arm. He almost passed out, but fought through the pain and staggered to his feet. He laughed again. "That was pathetic, junior. Is that the best you've got? No wonder you got banished to this planet, you're completely incompetent. You've been here for more than fifty years and you can't even get information out of a human."
Nicholas roared and sent a powerful stream of energy into Kyle that once again knocked him to the floor.
Kyle writhed in agony as the pain ripped through him. It intensified to a level that he thought was impossible, and even though he fought against it, he screamed. The pain was like a fire that tore through him and he shut his eyes trying to block it out. Kyle felt his strength pouring out of him, and as he slipped into the waiting darkness, a figure appeared before him; Liz.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Liz placed a hand on the wall to guide herself along the corridor. The fog obscured everything and the sounds were the only thing guiding her. The screams were particularly loud and tonight she could feel the pain behind them. But it wasn't only a physical pain, the other had given up and was preparing to die. "I'm here," she called out, "I'll help you."
She hurried forward but was stopped by another wall. "No!" Liz yelled. "Not again." The screams stopped and she quickly felt along the wall looking for an opening, "Where are you?"
There was no answer but there was another scream of pain, more powerful than any of the others, and suddenly the fog lifted. Liz was standing inside a cell with Kyle and Nicholas was killing him.
"No!" she called out, "Stop!" She rushed forward, trying to stop Nicholas but the fog swirled around her and she passed through him. She reached out toward Kyle but she could no longer see him. "No!"
Liz felt herself fall and suddenly woke up in her own bed.
Her movement woke Max and he grasped her by the shoulders, "Liz are you okay? Did you have another dream?"
Liz nodded, "I saw Kyle. I think he's still alive."
Max pulled her to him, "No Liz, he can't be. We saw the building collapse on him."
"I saw him in my dream. He was being tortured by Nicholas. Max it was real, I know it was."
"Liz," Max started gently, "I know it seemed real but it couldn't have been. Kyle is gone."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Copper Summit, AZ)
Ida rushed into the room when she heard Nicholas cry out and there was a look of such feral rage on her master's face that she nearly went back out again. But she knew in his anger, Nicholas would simply obliterate Kyle without realizing it and they would lose the only lead they had. She called out to him, "Sir."
Nicholas didn't respond and she risked stepping closer to him, "Sir! You have to stop. You'll kill him."
Ida's words penetrated Nicholas' rage and he stopped the stream of energy, with a nod to her. "Yes, I got a little carried away."
Ida entered the cell without comment and checked the human for signs of life, feeling relief that he still had a strong pulse. "He's just passed out," she said as she noticed the injury to his arm, "probably because his arm is badly injured. Do you want it repaired or should we leave it like it is?"
Nicholas paused considering the possibilities, "If we leave the arm, it will cause him a lot of pain but he will not withstand as much interrogation." He motioned to Ida, "Send for the healer."
She reached the door before Nicholas' called out to her, "Wait. Tell the healer to fix the arm the human way, set it in a cast. The pain and the cast will serve as a reminder of my power that he will not soon forget."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Tuesday, December 21st, 2004)
(El Paso, TX)
Liz idly picked at her dinner as her thoughts consumed her. For three weeks she'd had the same dream but for the last two days, there had been nothing. If Kyle had been alive and trying to contact her, he had been unable to for the last two days and she didn't want to consider what that might mean.
Her gaze automatically fell on the Sheriff. She and Max had agreed not to tell him of her last dream where Kyle had been revealed to her. She knew Max didn't think the dreams were real and she didn't want to cause any false hope in Jim. If Kyle had somehow survived, he had been suffering horribly and there was nothing any of them could do.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Copper Summit, AZ)
Kyle awoke to a dull pain in his head and raised his hand but stopped as he noticed the cast encasing it. His brow wrinkled in confusion. Obviously Nicholas had come to his senses before he had killed him, but Kyle couldn't understand why he had gotten him medical attention. But he did understand that he still had the same problem, he couldn't let Nicholas get the information out of his head. The next time Nicholas came to him, he would simply have to taunt him until he forced the alien to kill him.
Kyle slumped back onto the cot. He had thought he would never wake up again when he slipped into unconsciousness and it really hadn't been as frightening as he had expected. There had been a welcoming darkness where there was no pain and... Liz!
Suddenly he sat up. He had seen Liz. He knew it was her, it felt so real.
Maybe it was a new power manifesting, he thought to himself. Maybe somehow he had tapped into something that connected him with Liz, and maybe he could contact her again. He felt a surge of hope for the first time since his capture. He might just get out of this alive after all.
Kyle sat on the cot in lotus position and concentrated on focusing his energy. He really didn't know how Max and Liz communicated with one another, but he drew from within himself his memory of Liz. He fixated on her personality, her essence, the thing about her that was uniquely Liz, until he could see her clearly in his mind. Then he called out to her, wrapping her name in the energy he had gathered and pushing it into his vision of her.
Liz.
He sat quietly receptive but after a few minutes with no reply, he felt his hope dim briefly. Then he strengthened his resolve and built his energy to try again. Just because it didn't work once didn't mean it wouldn't work. He had faith in Liz and he knew if anyone could hear him it would be her.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(El Paso, TX)
There had been a strange sensation just on the edge of Liz's perception all evening but she just couldn't figure out what it was. It was like the nagging feeling she got when she was forgetting something, but it was subtly different. As she had gotten ready for bed, the feeling had intensified and she had tossed in bed, unable to sleep for more than an hour, trying to discover what was happening.
Finally she drifted into a troubled sleep and once again found herself in the corridors, but this time there was no fog.
Liz.
A voice called her name within her head and she knew instantly it was Kyle. She turned and hurried to the room where she had seen Kyle before and found him sitting on a cot, his eyes closed, obviously in deep meditation. She stopped close to the bars of his cell and reached out to touch them, but her hand went through them. She walked through the bars and reached out to Kyle but she couldn't touch him either.
"Kyle," she said aloud.
Kyle's eyes snapped open at the sound of her voice, and he had a brief glimpse of Liz before his concentration broke. He reached out to her as her image dissolved before him, "Liz!"
Liz woke up immediately. The sensation she'd been experiencing had been just different enough that she hadn't realized what it was, but now she knew it had been Kyle trying to contact her. He had tried to speak to her like Max did, but she hadn't recognized him. She could feel the similarities to her connection with Max but there were differences too and those were what had confused her.
In her mind, she reached for the new thread of connection. It was not as strong as the connection she shared with Max and there was a different flavor to it, as if it were a piece of Kyle, but it was basically the same. Liz brought the link sharply into focus and pushed her thoughts into it. Kyle, can you hear me?
She felt a rush of emotions along the connection but uppermost was anguish. Liz?
Liz felt tears prick at her eyes, Kyle, we thought you were dead.
The skins saved me. But Liz, listen, you've got to get me out of here. They are trying to get the location of the Granolith from me and I don't know how much longer I can hold out.
Do you know where they are keeping you? she asked.
I'm in Copper Summit, but I don't know where exactly.
I'll tell the others and we'll come up with a plan. We'll get you back, Kyle, I promise.
Liz felt his relief through the connection, I never doubted you, Liz.
Liz ended the connection and turned to shake Max awake. "Max, get up."
Max rubbed at his eyes sleepily, "What's wrong?"
"Max, Kyle is alive and we have to help him."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Everyone sat around the table, listening intently as Liz finished her story.
There were tears in the Sheriff's eyes but a smile on his face, "My boy is alive."
Liz nodded, "But we have to figure out a way to get him back, fast."
"It's not going to be easy," Michael said, "to just walk into the skins' stronghold and take back a prisoner, especially when we don't know where he is."
Serena spoke up, "I think Liz can help with that."
"What do you mean?" Max asked warily.
"From what Liz was describing, it sounds like she is developing a new power. Kyle could see her, and she could see what was happening, but she couldn't interact with anything. Typically it is called astral projection. Basically she can send her mind to a different place than her body. If she could do it again, she could simply walk out of the building and see where Kyle is being held."
Liz agreed quickly, "I'll do it."
Max accepted her decision with a brief nod, "We still need a plan to get Kyle out. A layout of the town would be helpful too."
"Um," Isabel started, "Michael and I can help with that."
"What are you talking about?" Max asked.
"Well it's like this Max," Michael started, "Isabel and I went to check out Copper Summit back during the harvest."
"You what?" Max asked incredulously.
"We were careful," Michael assured him. "We hid in the hills outside of town."
Max swallowed his disapproval and focused on the present, "Can you and Isabel draw a map of the city?"
Michael looked to Isabel and then nodded.
"Okay," Max said. "Since the skins are looking for us, maybe we can turn that to our advantage. Somehow we could make the skins think that we are somewhere so Nicholas will send the troops after us."
Michael picked up on the idea immediately, "Yeah, we could make, like a distraction to lure them away from Copper Summit."
"It would have to be good or they wouldn't fall for it," Max said.
"Can't they track the signals from those orbs?" Maria asked. "We could just send a message from like Chicago or somewhere and let them go chasing after us.
"That's not a bad idea," Max said, "but the skins know, that we know the signal can be tracked. They would never believe we would be so careless."
"Unless," Liz said, with a speculative gleam in her eyes, "they thought we didn't know about it."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Liz waited until after three o'clock a.m. to initiate contact with Kyle, hoping that most of the town would be asleep and Kyle would be alone. She called out along the connection, Kyle.
He answered immediately, Liz.
Kyle, are you alone?
Yeah, what's going on?
Remember when you saw me? It's a new power I have. Liz explained. Hopefully I’m going to appear there in a few minutes and find out where you're being held.
Hopefully? Kyle asked.
Well, Liz admitted, I didn't know I was doing it. I thought it was a dream, so I'm not really sure how it works, but I have lots of people to help. We'll figure it out.
Okay Liz, I know you'll do your best. So what's the plan?
If everything goes as planned, we'll get you out of there the day after tomorrow. Liz felt Kyle's relief through the connection. Just hold on a little longer.
I'll be here, Kyle said, unless I decide to step out for a pizza or something.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Isabel waited until she could get Max alone and pulled him aside. "Max, if Kyle is still alive then maybe Alex is too."
Max shook his head but Isabel continued, "They could both be held in the same place, maybe Kyle knows where Alex is or maybe Liz can find him too."
"Iz," Max said gently, "Alex is gone. I saw him."
"No Max," Isabel's voice rose desperately, "he could still be alive. It could have been another skin trick. You just thought he was dead."
Max shook his head again and reached into his pocket, "I was going to give this to you, but it never seemed to be the right time."
He held a folded piece of paper out to her and she hesitatingly took it and smoothed it open. It was the front page of the Roswell Gazette from December eleventh. Isabel looked at her brother, "You told us not to get the Roswell paper so we wouldn't have anything that linked us to Roswell."
"That's true," Max admitted, "but I also didn't want you to see the articles about us, about our families, because I knew it would hurt you. I've had Serena keep up on what was happening in Roswell because we need all the information we can get."
Isabel's hands started to tremble and she asked in strangled voice, "So what's in this paper you wanted me to see?"
Max pointed to an article at the bottom of the page and Isabel glanced down. The headline brought tears to her eyes.
"I'm really sorry Iz," Max said, and left her to read the article alone.
Isabel wiped the tears from her eyes and started to read.
The article continued but Isabel dropped the paper to the floor as she dissolved into tears.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Serena, Liz and Max sat around the table and Serena tried to explain to Liz how to use her new power. "You have done this subconsciously, so you know how, you just have to try not to let the conscious part of your brain get in the way. Remember you are not in a corporeal form so you don't have to follow the laws of physics. No door or wall can stop you and gravity does not effect you."
Liz nodded.
"Just close your eyes and focus your energy," Serena said. "Concentrate on the place where you saw Kyle."
Liz closed her eyes and tried to picture the cell with Kyle on the cot, but all she saw was the thick black fog.
Serena continued, "Let his energy guide you to your destination."
With her mind, Liz grasped the connection she had with Kyle and let it propel her. She felt as if she were getting lighter, floating, and then she suddenly gathered speed and the fog thinned as her velocity increased. A rush of images assaulted her, too fast for her to make out, and then she was standing before Kyle.
The room was completely dark, but Kyle sat on the cot as had she expected. He saw her immediately and smiled. Liz longed to stay with him and offer comfort but she wasn't sure how long she would be able to continue, so she waved and turned to the door.
Liz reached out to touch the door and her hand passed through. She took a deep breath and before she could think about it too much, she walked through. Behind it were stairs leading up, and Liz concentrated on lifting her form up through them. She could feel herself becoming lighter and she floated up through two flights of stairs and out into a large room on the main floor.
Liz could see outside through the windows on the double doors across the room and quickly headed toward them. As she reached them, a wave of dizziness washed over her and she knew her time was running short. She pushed herself through the doors and out into the dark street, as the fog started to swirl in around her. She quickly turned around and her gaze settled on the building where Kyle was being held, and her eyes roamed over it, trying to memorize every detail. It was a two-story, yellow brick building, but the thing that stuck uppermost in her mind was the name, The Universal Friendship League.
Liz looked around at the surrounding buildings, studying any landmarks and trying to see the name of the street. She noticed a sign across the street and hurried toward it, but the fog became more dense with every step and Liz felt another wave of dizziness. She wanted to return to Kyle one more time, but she could feel herself weakening. She pushed herself the last few steps, but the fog completely engulfed her before she could read the name of the streets.
Suddenly she was back in her body and reeled to the side, not prepared for the rapid change.
"Liz!" Max cried as her body swayed toward him and he caught her easily. "Liz, are you okay?"
Liz felt Max's strong arms encircle her before she fell and heard the worried tone in his voice as he called her name. She turned to him with a weak smile. "I saw it, Max. Kyle is in the sub-basement of a yellow-brick, two-story building, The Universal Friendship League. But I couldn't stay long enough to see the street it was on."
Liz collapsed into Max as her strength left her and he lowered her to the floor, quickly making a connection to check for injuries. He relaxed only after he was satisfied nothing was wrong with her.
Max's cries brought Michael, Maria, Isabel and Jim running into the room.
Maria rushed to Liz's side, "What's wrong with her?"
"She's just exhausted," Max said. "She'll be alright."
Jim came forward, "Was she able to tell where Kyle is?"
"Yeah, he's in the Universal Friendship League building. She said it was yellow brick, two stories but she couldn't see what street it's on."
"I remember it," Isabel said. "They sent Whitaker that letter, remember? I thought the name was really creepy. It is at the T-intersection of the two main streets."
"Okay," Max said, "you and Michael get to work on a map of Copper Summit. Jim see if you can find a place that will be suitable. Serena get the orb and the other equipment we'll need. After I put Liz in bed I'll come down to help with the rest of the plan."
Max gathered Liz in his arms and headed up the stairs toward their room, with Maria following closely behind.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Thursday, December 23rd, 2004)
(Copper Summit, AZ)
Nicholas rushed into the communication center. His soldiers had just picked up a transmission on the royal frequency and they had been able to pinpoint the location of the origin. Nicholas stopped, barely inside the door, noticing the strange looks on the faces of Ida and Walt and the others gathered there. "What?" he asked.
Walt grinned, "The, um, message, obviously starts in the middle of an argument. He coughed, trying to hold back a laugh and shook his head, "You just have to hear it."
"Okay," Nicholas said, and nodded to the communications officer. "Play it."
"...have to listen to me, Max," Michael shouted.
"Michael, we've already had this argument several times and I don't want to rehash the whole thing again."
"Max, this orb may be the only thing standing between us and death," Michael said dramatically.
"Michael, put the damn orb down. You don't even know what you're talking about."
"We should use this thing to call for reinforcements, call your followers on Antar and the other planets. We can't possibly hope to defeat the skins alone. "
"No, Michael. We aren't calling anyone." Max laughed, "Remember what a bunch of bumbling fools the skins were, falling all over themselves? They must have outnumbered us ten to one. I couldn't believe how easily we escaped them.
Michael scoffed, "Yeah, you saw how many of 'em there were. Maybe we just got lucky that day."
"Lucky?" Max huffed. "We shouldn't even be having this discussion. I decide what we do. I am the King."
Michael laughed, "Some great King you are. Alex, Kyle and Courtney are dead, and we had to leave our homes and everything we've ever known. For hell sakes, Maxwell, we are hiding in friggin' Kansas."
"Not for much longer," Max reminded him. "Remember we're leaving tomorrow just after sunrise. We can't afford to stay in one place too long."
"Yeah, so we're running like a bunch of scared rabbits. If we had the help of our allies..."
Max cut him off, "If we use the orb it will also alert the skins to where we are."
"Well, I say bring them on, we might as well get this over with. What else are we going to do, hide the rest of our lives?"
"No," Max said, "but we need a plan. We can't just walk into the skins' headquarters and have a shoot out, like it's the wild west or something. Besides you can't even control your powers half of the time."
"Hey," Michael said defensively, "I've been practicing and I'm getting better."
"Yeah but you can't control your powers at all when you're upset. Remember all of the windows you accidentally blew-out of the last house, when you and Maria were fighting? Glass was flying everywhere, Michael. It's just lucky that no one was hurt or killed. You don't even know if you could control your powers enough to use the orb," Max scoffed. "So Michael, I'm going to ask you once nicely, to hand over that orb, before I have to take it from you."
"You can try," Michael said with a sarcastic tone in his voice.
"Michael, I'm warning you..."
The voices stopped as several blasts of power sounded. Then there was a loud crash and the transmission stopped.
Nicholas looked around him at the amused faces of his senior staff and they burst into laughter. Nicholas smiled and shook his head, "I always knew Rath was a moron." He turned to the communications officer, "So they're in friggin' Kansas. Do you have the address yet?"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Havensville, KS)
Isabel slipped the orb and the tape recorder into her bag, got into the rented car and dialed a number on her cell phone, "Hi mom. I just wanted to tell you I'm running a little late and not to hold dinner for me."
A woman's voice answered her, "Okay dear, we'll start without you."
Isabel ended the call, put the car in gear and headed north toward Topeka and the airport.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The hills outside of Copper Summit, AZ)
Serena turned off her cell phone, "That was Isabel with the signal."
"Okay," said Max, turning to the others, "they'll have to high-tail it out of here to get to Kansas before tomorrow morning. And hopefully the message we sent and the fact that we escaped him before will make Nicholas angry enough to send most of his troops after us. So all we have to do is wait until they leave and then we go in to get Kyle."
As they watched, the sleepy little town erupted into a maelstrom of activity. Skin soldiers poured out of the buildings and jumped into vehicles, with the diminutive Nicholas at the heart of it all, shouting orders.
Max watched with growing horror at the number of troops. Courtney had told them at the time of the harvest that the skins were down to just over a hundred, but clearly there were more than that in Copper Summit now. Max turned to Serena, "Can you tell how many of them there are?"
"I've counted at least four thousand and there are still more coming out," Serena said. "If the information that Courtney gave you was accurate, Khivar has sent more troops."
"There could be thousands more of them down there," Michael said. "And what's the deal with the cars? Don't they have space ships or something?"
Serena nodded, "They do, but using them even at night is risky. There are people everywhere watching the skies and everybody has a video camera these days. If the U.S. government found out about the skins, their mission would be over. Nicholas would never take that chance."
Max nodded, "Let's just wait and see what happens."
More and more vehicles filled with skin soldiers drove out of Copper Summit until only a handful of people were left standing in the street. Nicholas was obviously giving them orders, gesturing wildly and shouting. Two of the remaining soldiers went into the yellow brick building where Kyle was being held and the others got into two cars and drove north. Finally Nicholas got in the passenger seat of the single remaining vehicle and it headed east with the others.
Max and the others watched Copper Summit for an hour after the skins had left, but there was no activity. Max looked at Liz. He had wanted her to stay in El Paso where he could be sure she was safe, but she had insisted on coming and he had to admit to himself that he was glad. He needed Liz at his side. He felt stronger when she was with him. "Liz, contact Kyle and ask him how many guards are with him."
He turned to the others. "I don't know where those other skins went who drove north, but the town seems to be deserted. This will probably be the best chance we'll get. Jim, you and Michael go in from the west and Serena and I will go in from the south and we'll meet in front of the UFL building. Serena will go in first disguised as Nicholas, we'll take the guards by surprise and get Kyle out as quickly as possible."
"Max," Liz interrupted, "Kyle says there are two guards with him and according to his description they are the ones we saw go in earlier."
"Okay," Max continued, "Liz and Maria will stay here." He held up a hand to stop Liz's protest and continued, "You will stay here to keep watch. If any of the skins come into town and head toward the UFL building you can contact me through our connection."
Liz nodded in agreement.
Max looked at each of the people before him, "Hopefully we'll be in and out quickly and we'll meet at the hotel where we agreed. If anything goes wrong, split up and keep in contact through the cell phones. This won't be like last time. We aren't walking into a trap and Maria and Liz have our backs, but we still need to be careful. Don't take any unnecessary risks and keep yourselves safe.” He nodded. “Okay, let's go get Kyle."
Max turned to Liz and embraced her. "I'll see you in a few minutes."
Liz forced a smile to her lips, "Be careful."
Serena took Nicholas' appearance and got in the car with Max, who now had blond hair. They drove slowly into the town looking for an ambush, but there was no sign of activity and Max stopped the car in front of the Universal Friendship League building. A curly-haired Michael and a long-haired Jim met them on the front steps of the building and they followed Serena inside.
As they descended the stairs, Max contacted Liz through their connection, Liz, tell Kyle we're coming down the stairs and Serena looks like Nicholas.
Okay, Max. So far everything's clear.
Serena entered the room where Kyle's was being held and two skin soldiers sat at a table playing cards. They snapped to attention when they saw her.
"Sir, we didn't expect you back so soon."
"Change of plans," said Serena dismissively. She motioned to Max, and he and Jim moved past the soldiers to unlock Kyle's cell. She turned back to the skin soldiers, "I have another job for you two."
One of the guards noticed Michael for the first time and raised his hand menacingly as he recognized him, "Hey isn't that..." his sentence was cut off as Jim broke the seal on his husk and he turned to dust. The other skin whirled toward Jim but a blast of power from Serena easily eliminated him.
Max and Jim helped Kyle out of the cell and up the stairs and Max called out to Liz, Is the street clear?
It's clear Max. We haven't seen anyone.
They reached the main floor of the UFL and paused at the outer door but they saw no one. Michael held the doors open for Jim and Max to get Kyle through, and Serena rushed ahead to the car. She opened the door to Jim's car and they put Kyle in the back seat. Max climbed in with Kyle and Jim got behind the wheel while Michael and Serena got into Max's car.
As they drove out of town, Max removed the cast and healed Kyle's arm. In the connection created, he saw a brief glimpse of what Kyle had been subjected to during his time with the skins. He quickly checked Kyle for other injuries but besides some soreness he was okay. "I fixed your arm and I don't see any other damage."
"No physical damage at least," Kyle said tightly.
Max nodded stiffly. Kyle's experience had been similar to what he had been subjected to in the white room but where he had only been tortured for one day, Kyle had suffered for almost a month. "Kyle, I'm really sorry. If you need to talk..."
Kyle nodded, "Thanks for coming to get me Max."
"It was Liz who found you," Max reminded him.
"Yeah and I'm going to give your wife a big hug when I see her."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Friday, December 24th, 2004)
(Havensville, KS)
The bulk of Nicholas' army were setting up positions around the small town while Nicholas and his band of hand-picked soldiers waited to rush Max's hideout. The signal sent by the orb had been tracked to an abandoned granary just outside of town, near the cemetery. Nicholas glanced at the sign just down the road.
Havensville, Kansas
Population 147
Nicholas had to admit that it was a good location to hide out, even if the name of the town was a little hokey. The granary was far enough out of town for them to mostly avoid the locals and even if anyone did notice them, they would probably assume the group of teenagers was a cult. There were two large and four small buildings on the compound, giving them lots of room to hide, but Nicholas was counting on them acting like humans not soldiers. They were probably all staying together in the old farmhouse.
He had watched the compound for about half an hour, but there was no sign of movement, no lights, and it was eerily quiet. Nicholas glanced down at his watch, there was just over an hour until sunrise and he wanted to take Max and the others before they could reach their cars. He spoke into his amplifier, "Is everyone in position?"
All the group commanders reported positively and Nicholas barked orders into his amplifier, "Hold the parameter at all costs but I want all of them taken alive. Teams one through six, move out."
Nicholas led his team into the house and they quickly went from room to room but found no sign of the Royal Three or the others, and as they finished their search, Nicholas realized that a thick layer of dust covered everything in the house. No one had been in there for years. A suspicion started growing in his mind and he spoke into his amplifier, "Groups two through five, report. Any sign of them?"
Each of the group commanders reported negatively.
Nicholas signaled the commanders of the troops at the parameter asking if anyone had attempted to pass, but as he suspected, they answered negatively.
Nicholas changed the frequency on the amplifier and signaled the soldiers guarding Kyle but there was no reply, also as he suspected. Then he signaled the communications room on the ship, calling the leader of the group he had assigned to protect it, "Greer, come in."
He was answered immediately, "Yes Sir."
"Send some men to the UFL building. I think our prisoner has been liberated."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
It had been a subdued holiday season because of Alex's and Kyle's deaths, and the fact that they had been on the run. No one had planned on celebrating or exchanging gifts, but now that Kyle was safe, a feeling of thankfulness and optimism infused the group.
Maria and Liz stopped on the way back from Copper Summit and bought the fixings for a traditional turkey dinner, a small Christmas tree and decorations. While Max and Serena went to collect Isabel from the airport, Liz and Michael prepared a sumptuous feast and Maria and the Valentis decorated the tree.
Later they all gathered around the table and Max stood and raised his glass to give a toast. "This is to remembering absent friends and family. Just because they aren't with us doesn't mean they will ever be forgotten. And to Kyle for his bravery and determination that allowed us to get him back. And finally to all of you." Max looked at each person around the table, "I couldn't have gotten through this without each and every one of you. I love all of you. You are my family now."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Copper Summit, AZ)
Khivar faced Nicholas in Corporal Raltos' borrowed body, "So let me get this straight. You had one of Max's human friends who knew the location of the Granolith in your possession, but you couldn't force him to divulge where it was, because you didn't want to damage his mind. In the mean time, you received a seemingly accidental message from Max that conveniently pinpointed their location. So you sent the majority of the troops to take Max's group, leaving your town and your prisoner relatively unguarded. And while you were gone, Max took back his human."
Nicholas winced. He knew it was his fault but Khivar had made it sound worse than it was, and Nicholas didn't think his master would forgive him this time. He had served Khivar almost his entire life and he was the closest thing to a friend that Khivar had, but Nicholas had no illusions. Khivar would kill him without a second thought if he had outlived his usefulness.
The sudden sound of Khivar's laughter filled the room. It was a terrible sound, joyless, almost maniacal, and Nicholas was afraid to look at his master.
Finally Khivar spoke, "You have to admit it was a daring plan. I'm surprised that Zan came up with it, but maybe the human DNA has given Max some backbone."
"Or maybe it's his human wife," Nicholas offered.
"Yes," Khivar mused. "Zan was so much in love with Ava, it's hard to believe he has cast her aside for a human. This Liz must be something special." Khivar shrugged, "It's too bad we don't know where his Ava went. She would be very helpful, and after Max's rejection, she might be eager to join us."
Nicholas nodded but stayed silent, waiting for Khivar to decide what to do.
"Do you still have the message Max sent?"
"Yes, your Majesty," Nicholas answered formally.
"I would like to hear it for myself."
Nicholas crossed to the console and pressed a series of buttons, activating the message.
"...have to listen to me, Max," Michael shouted.
"Michael, we've already had this argument several times and I don't want to rehash the whole thing again."
"Max, this orb may be the only thing standing between us and death," Michael said dramatically.
"Michael, put the damn orb down. You don't even know what you're talking about."
"We should use this thing to call for reinforcements, call your followers on Antar and the other planets. We can't possibly hope to defeat the skins alone. "
"No, Michael. We aren't calling anyone." Max laughed, "Remember what a bunch of bumbling fools the skins were, falling all over themselves? They must have outnumbered us ten to one. I couldn't believe how easily we escaped them.
Michael scoffed, "Yeah, you saw how many of 'em there were. Maybe we just got lucky that day."
"Lucky?" Max huffed. "We shouldn't even be having this discussion. I decide what we do. I am the King."
Michael laughed, "Some great King you are. Alex, Kyle and Courtney are dead, and we had to leave our homes and everything we've ever known. For hell sakes, Maxwell, we are hiding in friggin' Kansas."
"Not for much longer," Max reminded him. "Remember we're leaving tomorrow just after sun rise. We can't afford to stay in one place too long."
"Yeah, so we're running like a bunch of scared rabbits. If we had the help of our allies..."
Max cut him off, "If we use the orb it will also alert the skins to where we are."
"Well, I say bring them on, we might as well get this over with. What else are we going to do, hide the rest of our lives?"
"No," Max said, "but we need a plan. We can't just walk into the skins' headquarters and have a shoot out, like it's the wild west or something. Besides you can't even control your powers half of the time."
"Hey," Michael said defensively, "I've been practicing and I'm getting better."
"Yeah but you can't control your powers at all when you're upset. Remember all of the windows you accidentally blew-out of the last house, when you and Maria were fighting? Glass was flying everywhere, Michael. It's just lucky that no one was hurt or killed. You don't even know if you could control your powers enough to use the orb," Max scoffed. "So Michael, I'm going to ask you once nicely, to hand over that orb, before I have to take it from you."
"You can try," Michael said with a sarcastic tone in his voice.
"Michael, I'm warning you..."
The voices stopped as several blasts of power sounded. Then there was a loud crash and the transmission stopped.
Khivar scratched his chin as the message ended and spoke his thoughts aloud, "It was a clever plan. I can see why you fell for it, but there may be a grain of truth in it too."
"What do you mean?" Nicholas asked.
"The part about contacting their allies. Obviously they know more of our troops have been sent to Earth. What if they are in contact with the dowager Queen and the rebel forces? They could be planning to bring their own army to Earth."
"It's possible," Nicholas admitted. "But why would they tell us in the message?"
"To throw us off," Khivar said thoughtfully. "If Max already has troops coming to Earth they could arrive and kill all of you before more of our troops got there. If he has the resources, I have seriously underestimated him."
Khivar paced back and forth before the desk, growing angrier and angrier with each step. Suddenly he stopped, slamming his fist on the desk. "We can't let Max get the upper hand now. This whole thing has dragged on too long. I have been complacent and Max is gaining ground.”
Khivar nodded, having made up his mind. “I will send two more legions of troops to you. Until they arrive, keep searching for Max and his group. If you find them before the troops arrive, then proceed with the original plan. But if the troops arrive and you still have not found them, I want you to take that insignificant little planet apart. You will have fifteen thousand of our finest battle-ready troops, armed with the latest weapons, and three warships with full compliments of fighters at your disposal. Destroy anything that gets in your way."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Over the next few years, Max and Liz and the others settled into a comfortable existence, taking jobs and even going to school. They moved several times to different parts of the country, to avoid discovery.
After Kyle had been rescued, Max had forbidden them from using their powers except in emergencies, fearful of drawing attention to themselves. But Michael and Kyle disobeyed him and practiced secretly.
Liz also guiltily disobeyed Max and used her new power of astral projection to see her parents. She was glad they had finally accepted her marriage before she and Max had left for college. It would have been even more awful if she and her parents had been fighting when she had to go into hiding. Liz missed them terribly and even though they didn't know she was there, it made her feel better to know they were all right. At first, it had been difficult for her to get to them, but with practice she was able to visit them whenever she wished. Liz hated keeping secrets from Max but she couldn't bear the thought of never seeing her parents again.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Wednesday, September 16th, 2009)
(Copper Summit, AZ)
"The new troops have arrived, Your Majesty," Nicholas informed Khivar. "How do you want to proceed?"
"Dispatch four squads of your best men to Roswell and take the Evans and the Parkers hostage. Then send a message to Max, telling him to come forward by an appointed time, or we will kill his and his wife's parents."
"Max would be an idiot to sacrifice himself for them," Nicholas sneered. "He won't surrender. He will probably try to rescue..." he let the sentence trail off as he realized Khivar's plan. "Of course, he will try to rescue them and we can set a trap." Nicholas frowned, "Max might suspect a trap though and not come."
Khivar shrugged, "At least it will appear that I gave him a peaceful way out. If he doesn't come forward, destroy Roswell. We will systematically destroy that planet one city at a time if necessary, until they surrender themselves to us."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Broussard, LA)
Serena knew of Max's distaste for alien things and had kept the communication orb out of his sight for years. It was too important to abandon and she thought that one day he would change his mind and be grateful she had retained it. She kept it on a shelf in her room and had hardly given it more than a passing thought in years, only considering it when she dusted around it or packed it for another move. So when the shaft of blue-white light burst from it, she was so surprised, she almost fell off her bed.
After the initial shock, she grabbed the orb and headed into the living room were the others were gathered, and thrust the orb at Max. "We just received a message."
Max scowled, "From whom?"
"I haven't listened to it yet," Serena said.
Max sighed, they had to listen to the message, no matter how much he wanted to ignore it and he nodded to Serena.
She cupped the orb in her hands and sent a small burst of power into it and the message started.
"Max Evans, this is General Nicaron. His Majesty Khivar Roistar wishes you to surrender yourself, Isabel and Michael into our power no later than noon on Friday of this week. That should give you plenty of time to get to Copper Summit from anywhere in the United States. To assure your cooperation we have taken Philip and Diane Evans and Jeff and Nancy Parker into our possession. If you do not surrender by the appointed time, they will be executed.
"We will expect the three of you on Friday in Copper Summit at the UFL building. I'm sure you remember the way."
Max jumped out of his seat and knocked the orb out of Serena's hands with a growl, "They've already ruined our lives. Can't they just leave us alone?"
"What are we going to do Max?" Isabel asked. "We can't let them kill our parents."
Max reached for the cell phone and quickly dialed his parents' number, "First, we have to find out if it's true. It could be just another trick."
The Evans' phone rang until the answering machine came on and Max hung up. He dialed the number for the Crashdown but got the same result. He looked at his watch, it was just after seven p.m., the Crashdown's busiest time of the day, but there was no answer. A shiver of fear raced up Max's spine, Nicholas was telling the truth.
Liz picked up on his fear immediately, "No!"
Max took Liz into his arms and turned to the others, "This is my fault. I thought our families would be safe because they didn't know anything, but I never considered that Nicholas would use them against us."
"I wonder why he waited so long," Serena said. "He has known where your families were for years. Something must have changed for him to do it now."
Max dismissed her point, "It doesn't matter. We have to figure out where they're being held and come up with a plan to rescue them."
Kyle stepped forward, "Can Liz see where they're being held, the way she found me?"
Liz nodded, "I'll try."
Max nodded to Serena, signaling her to come to them. "Liz, do you want to do this here, or do you need some privacy?"
Liz shook her head, "It's fine Max." She allowed Serena to lead her to the sofa.
"Do you remember how you used your powers when you found Kyle?" Serena asked.
Liz glanced at Max guiltily, not wanting to admit to him that she had used her powers many times to see her parents, and nodded, "Yeah, I remember." Closing her eyes, she concentrated on finding her parents’ energy, as she had done so many times before. After a moment she felt herself becoming lighter and lighter, and she lifted off the ground and sped toward the place where she could sense them. Images rushed passed her, flying faster and faster and suddenly she found herself in a room.
She recognized the room immediately, it was the place where the skins had kept Kyle, but now her father was inside the cell instead of Kyle. He was crying, pleading with someone, reaching out to them, and Liz took a step toward him, but the sudden cry behind her made her stop and turn, and what she saw froze her in place.
Two skin soldiers were holding her mother on the floor in a kneeling position and Nicholas had his hand on her head. Her mother writhed in agony as Nicholas used his powers to extract information from her head and Liz was helpless to do anything but watch. In a matter of moments, her mother's screaming stopped, and as she closed her eyes and slumped forward, Liz knew without a doubt her mother was dead.
The two soldiers dragged her body into the corner of the room and dumped it next to two others that Liz had not seen before. But now she could easily recognize them as Max and Isabel's parents. Nicholas must have done the same thing to them.
But the Evans and her mother were beyond help and Liz turned back to her father just as Nicholas motioned for him to be brought forward. Liz saw an older woman approach and speak to Nicholas.
"Sir, if you kill him too we won't have any humans to bargain with."
Nicholas smiled, "That's the beauty of it. Max knows we took them so it doesn't matter if they are alive or dead. He won't know they are dead, and he'll walk into the trap anyway."
The two skin soldiers forced Liz's father to kneel before Nicholas and he reached out toward Jeff's head.
Liz rushed forward, "NO!"
Nicholas stopped and glanced around. "Did you hear anything?" he asked the other occupants of the room.
Ida looked around too, "What do you mean, Sir?"
Nicholas frowned, "I thought I heard someone call out, a woman." He looked at each of the others, "You didn't hear anything?"
The others shook their heads and Nicholas shrugged and continued, placing his hand on the human before him.
Liz had been so surprised Nicholas heard her that she hesitated for a moment, but then she concentrated all of her energy into solidifying herself enough so Nicholas could see her. She felt herself becoming more heavy, more solid but when she reached out to touch Nicholas, the fog started to swirl around her. "NO!" Liz screamed, "It's too soon."
But the fog became more dense and she helplessly watched Nicholas kill her father. The fog started to obscure her vision but she used all of her strength to hold on as long as she could. She could see her father straining against the skin soldiers, trying to free himself, as Nicholas pried the information from his head. Liz could almost feel her father's pain as he screamed out in agony and then was suddenly quiet.
Liz let the tears spill down her cheeks as she allowed herself to slip back into her own body. She felt Max's strong arms around her and opened her eyes.
Max could feel Liz's anguish through their connections and held her tightly to him, "Liz are you okay?"
Liz shook her head. "They're dead," she whispered, "Nicholas killed them all."
"No," said Isabel, as she jumped off of the sofa. "They can't be dead, you must be wrong, Liz."
Liz looked at her sister-in-law, "I watched him kill my mother and father, and I'm sorry Isabel but your parents were already dead."
Tears started to gather in Isabel's eyes and she quickly left the room.
Liz turned to Max, "I'm sorry, Max. I wish I could have done something."
"There was nothing any of us could have done, Liz."
Liz nodded and motioned toward the door where Isabel went, "Maybe you should go after her."
Max reached out to touch her cheek, "Liz, what about you?” he asked softly. "You saw it happening."
Liz nodded again and her eyes fell on Maria across the room, "What about Maria's mom? She could be in danger."
Maria jumped out of her seat, "You think they might go after my mom too? We've got to do something, warn her."
"Amy is probably being watched," Serena said. "The skins may be using her to draw us out."
"We'll have to be careful," Max said, "but we can't just leave her in Roswell. We need to come up with a plan, fast." Max looked at Maria, "Is there somewhere you could tell your mom to go that she would know without you telling her the name? Preferably somewhere outside of Roswell, in a public place where there would be a large crowd."
Maria looked thoughtful for a moment, "I think I know a good place. There's a mall near my Grandmother's house in San Antonio where we used to go. Ingram Park Mall."
"Okay," Max said, "that will be perfect." He looked at Kyle, "Get on the internet and find out what stores are in that mall, their hours and a layout too if they have one."
Kyle nodded and headed for the computer.
Max turned to Jim, "Find out how long it will take us to get to San Antonio and how long it will take Amy to get there." Then he turned to Michael "Start packing up our stuff, just the essentials. We don't want to have to come back here."
Serena stepped forward, "Max you can't risk yourself. This situation is almost certainly a trap."
Max shook his head, "That's why I’m sending you."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The group had come up with an acceptable plan before Max allowed Maria to call her mother. They suspected Amy was being watched and Max knew they only had one chance to pull this off. As much as he wanted to save Amy, he wouldn't risk the others to do it.
He handed the cell phone to Maria, "Okay, you have to convince her quickly and remember to be careful about what you say. Don't mention that we know our parents are dead, in case the skins are listening."
Maria nodded and dialed. It was just after eight p.m. and she prayed her mother was home.
The phone was answered after two rings and Maria nearly broke into tears when she heard her mother's voice. "Mom!"
Amy was silent for a moment, "Maria? Is that you?"
Maria choked back the gathering tears, "Yeah, it's me."
"Maria, oh my God," Amy sobbed, "Are you alright? Where are you?"
"I'm fine, but mom you have to calm down and listen to me. This is very important."
"Okay, " Amy agreed.
"Mom the people that are after us, have taken the Parkers and the Evans and they might come after you too. You have to leave town right now."
"Why would they come after me?" Amy argued. "I don't know anything."
"Neither do the Evans or the Parkers, but the people after us are trying to use them to draw us out of hiding. Mom, these are bad people, they killed Alex and they will go to any lengths to get us. You have to leave tonight, now."
"Leave for how long?" Amy asked. "Where would I go? What about the store? I can't just leave it."
"Mom you don't understand," Maria said, getting angry. "They almost surely have bugged your phone and can hear what we are saying. They could be coming for you now. Your life is at stake. Don't pack, just get in the car and go."
Maria could hear the silence on the other end of the line and hoped she was getting through to her mother, "I wouldn't ask you to do this if there was any other way. You can come to us and we can protect you."
"Okay," Amy agreed. "What do you want me to do?"
Maria released a sigh of tension, "Okay, don't say any names or places, just listen. Remember the mall that we used to go to near Henny's house?"
"Yeah," Amy said with a touch of surprise in her voice.
"Drive straight there as soon as we get off the phone. Park on the south side of Dillard's and go to the dressing room at the back of the gown section. A woman will meet you there and tell you the name of the dog we had when dad left. Go with her and she will bring you to us."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Friday, September 18th, 2009)
Serena and Amy had changed outfits and cars six times in the last two days, but in the end it didn't matter because Serena could not detect any sign of pursuit.
As they had planned, Serena had met Amy in the dressing room and taken her into the back where they changed their appearances. Then they had used the employee's exit to get out of the mall and rushed to Serena's waiting car.
Amy had asked many questions on the drive but Serena had told her it was not her place to explain and Amy had been forced to curb her curiosity. Serena wouldn't even tell her where they were headed or when they would arrive.
They had driven in a different direction after each time they changed cars, but finally Serena decided they weren't being pursued and told Amy they were on their way to meet the others. Amy still didn't know where they were going, only that they were in Oklahoma and headed northeast.
Finally they exited the freeway and headed into a small town called Vinita. Serena pulled the car into the parking lot of the Western Motel, drove around the back and parked next to a black SUV.
Amy had barely gotten out of the car when Maria burst out of a hotel room, "Mom!"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Vinita, OK)
The group had voted unanimously to tell Amy what was really happening when she joined them. It had taken an hour to tell her the whole story and several demonstrations of the aliens' powers before she believed them.
Amy turned to Max, "So these other aliens, these skins, are after you because you were a King on your planet?"
Max nodded, "They were sent here to kill us."
"And they killed your parents?" Amy asked.
"The skins were trying to use them to draw us out. They didn't think we would know they were dead," Max said.
Amy's brow creased, "How did you find out?"
Max put his arm around Liz and told Amy the slightly altered version of what Liz had seen, that he and Liz had agreed to tell the others. "Liz tried to see where our parents were being held, like she did with Kyle, but they were already dead."
Amy looked at Liz. The child she had known had grown into a woman but she could still see the six-year-old girl who used to play Barbies with Maria. "I'm really sorry about your parents, they were good people."
Liz smiled and took Amy's hand, "Thanks."
Amy turned her attention back to Max, "So what do we do now?"
"Get another house," Max said, "and start living our lives again."
"What about the skins?" Amy asked. "The deadline they set for you is today."
Max shrugged, "They don't know where we are and I guess they'll figure out we're not coming sooner or later."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Universal Friendship League Building)
(Copper Summit, AZ)
Nicholas watched as the minute hand on the clock clicked to one p.m. He picked up the amplifier and signaled Walt who was waiting with a legion of troops near Roswell. "Destroy Roswell."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Vinita, OK)
The group spent the afternoon in the motel, catching up on the past few years. They had rented adjoining rooms, and after they finished dinner, Max, Liz and Serena sat in one room discussing where they should go next, while the others watched television in the other room.
"It might be a nice change to live a little farther north," Liz suggested.
"We can't get too close to Boston though, the skins might look for us there," Max said as he pointed to the map. "But what about the eastern part of Ohio? Maybe one of these towns outside Columbus."
Suddenly Michael burst into the room, his face pale as if he had seen a ghost. He motioned over his shoulder into the other room. "You guys have gotta see this."
They followed Michael back into the other room where everyone was gathered raptly around the television, the emotional voice of the news announcer the only sound in the room.
To recap the late-breaking news, the city of Roswell, New Mexico was destroyed this afternoon and most of its fifty-eight thousand residents are presumed dead.
The pictures shown behind the reporter, were miles away from a Roswell that was engulfed in smoke and fire.
The reporter spoke with a shaky voice. "Reports are still sketchy at this time but what we can tell you, based on the survivor reports, is that a group of people dressed as civilians, armed with explosives and high-tech weapons that appeared to be lasers, entered the city this afternoon. And in less than half-an-hour, the city of Roswell lay in ruins. They demolished business, homes and schools, completely destroying most of the city, seemingly unconcerned about taking innocent lives.”
“At this time, no group has come forward to claim responsibility for this unprecedented act of terrorism and the perpetrators seemed to have just disappeared. The military and National Guard have the area around Roswell cordoned off while they search for survivors and try to determine exactly what happened. The FBI has asked for anyone with knowledge of the perpetrators to come forward..."
Max walked to the television, switched it off and turned to face Serena, "The reporter said people dressed like civilians used weapons to destroy Roswell. Nicholas told us there was a warship in orbit, surely it has weapons."
"Yes it does," Serena said, "but maybe they didn't want to use them and risk exposing themselves."
"What kind of weapons are we talking about on that ship?" Michael asked, "Bombs, lasers, what?"
"And how destructive are they?" Max continued. "Capable of destroying a city?"
Serena explained. "A warship carries fifty smaller attack ships similar to Earth's fighter planes but they have greater maneuverability and are capable of space flight. The attack ships are equipped with energy weapons similar to lasers but they are mainly geared toward destroying other ships. The warship itself is equipped with a larger version of the energy weapon but it requires an incredible amount of energy to use and is only capable of short bursts of power. It probably could vaporize several blocks or maybe a square mile, but that is all. It is nothing like the weapons the aliens had in the movie Independence Day, where they could destroy most of New York in a few minutes."
"A nuclear explosion would be capable of that type of destruction," Liz said.
Serena shook her head. "We did not use fission weapons on Antar because our bodies are even more vulnerable to radiation than yours."
"But you haven't been on Antar for almost seventy years," Liz pointed out. "They would have made advancements in technology you wouldn't know about."
Serena nodded, "They will have superior weapons but the amount of energy it would take to destroy a city in that manner would be enormous. Seventy years ago we didn't have anything even close to generating that kind of energy. For centuries all of our technology has been based on the element trithium. They would have to have discovered a new power source and developed completely new technology around it."
"It doesn't make any sense," Michael said. "Why do this now after all of these years? If Khivar wanted to destroy the Earth, he's had plenty of time to do it."
Liz nodded, "You're right, Michael. Something must have changed for them to do this now, but we might not ever know what that is."
"Maybe he has decided to take over the Earth too," Isabel speculated.
"It doesn't matter what their motives are," Max said. "We can't let the skins get away with this." He turned to Serena again, "Do we have a chance against them with the current level of Earth technology?"
"Max there are more than five thousand of them, " Michael reminded him. "We can't possibly hope to fight them."
Max nodded, "You're right. We wouldn't stand a chance but the U.S. military would. I think we should make an anonymous call to the FBI telling them who destroyed Roswell and where they are."
Isabel laughed, "What are you going to tell them, Max? That a group of aliens has set up camp in Copper Summit, Arizona."
Max smiled, "No, I thought I would tell them the skins are a cult that have gotten their hands on high-tech weapons. I could say I was part of the cult but left when they started talking about helping aliens destroy the planet." He shrugged, "It's even pretty close to the truth."
Serena nodded, "It could work. The military could overwhelm them by sheer numbers."
"I think that's a good idea," Jim said. "The skins hadn't done anything we could prove up until now. This is the perfect opportunity to get the military to wipe them out."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Saturday, September 19th, 2009)
(Copper Summit, AZ)
Nicholas' amplifier sounded and he pressed the activation sequence, "What?"
"This is Greer, General. Captain Toilad on the warship Plemas reports that there are U.S. troops moving into position around Copper Summit."
"Tell the Captain I want exact numbers and positions," Nicholas ordered. "Move the ship into a lower orbit if necessary."
"But General, if the ship moves into a lower orbit they risk being spotted," Greer reminded him.
"Yes they do," Nicholas agreed as he switched off the amplifier. He turned to Walt, who was seated across from him, and smiled, "The U.S. military is lining up outside of Copper Summit. I have been itching for a good fight for years."
Walt nodded as Nicholas pressed another sequence of symbols on the amplifier, "Battle stations! This is not a drill!"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Sunday, September 20th, 2009)
"In the last ten years I have been embedded with our troops all around the world," the reporter said in a voiceover, as the footage started to roll depicting the events he was describing, "but I have never seen anything like this. It was like something out of a movie.”
“U.S. military forces had the town of Copper Summit, Arizona surrounded but it was totally silent and appeared to be deserted. After repeated failed attempts at communication with the inhabitants, we started to move in. Then suddenly the sky erupted with a deafening sound, and what I can only describe as flying saucers attacked our positions. They fired some kind of energy weapon that destroyed tanks and personnel carriers, and sent us running for cover."
Tess smiled as the reporter continued, the sound of his voice fading into the background. She knew the skins' actions would be horrifying Max. He had always been so involved with the humans, so protective of them.
When she had heard about the destruction of Roswell yesterday, Tess had let herself momentarily dwell on the pleasant image of Max's broken and bloody body lying on the side of the road, but her satisfaction was short-lived. Max deserved the worst kind of torment for casting her aside, but somehow she knew he would have survived. He would have gotten out of Roswell in time, or maybe he was living somewhere else entirely, but she was sure he hadn't died, it was just her luck.
For years, Tess had tried to put Max and the others out of her mind and concentrate on making a life for herself and mostly she had succeeded. But the past two days had brought all of the pain of Max's betrayal back to the surface. Tess let her eyes roam over the opulent surroundings of her house, but she knew they were nothing compared to the palace on Antar.
Max had denied her everything that was rightfully hers and she vowed to have her revenge. Suddenly the twisted hatred on her face turned into an enchanting smile as the perfect solution came to her. It was so simple, she didn't know why she hadn't thought of it before. Max had betrayed her, she would simply return the favor.
She would go to Copper Summit and make a bargain with the skins. In return for immunity and passage back to Antar she would give the skins the Granolith and help them destroy Max and everything he loved.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Copper Summit, AZ)
Nicholas smiled as he inspected the destruction his troops had inflicted on the U.S. military. They had easily destroyed their tanks and vehicles and sent the soldiers scurrying into the hills. But he knew the government would never let it stand. The next time the military came, they would have better weapons and more troops. He turned to Walt and Greer, "I want all troops on the highest alert. Destroy anything that comes near Copper Summit. This is only the beginning of the war."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009)
Tess had flown to Phoenix, but from there she had been forced to drive the rest of the way to Copper Summit. The military blocked all the major highways leading into the area and cordoned off the roads leading into the small town for more than twenty miles. She had been turned back by the soldiers at a checkpoint, but she detoured onto a small dirt road and waited in the wilderness until dark to continue her journey.
Now she was less than ten miles away from Copper Summit and Tess had to admit that she was growing nervous. She really hadn't made a plan. She had simply come, driven by her need for revenge, but now she was having second thoughts. Maybe she should have stayed in Florida and negotiated her surrender to the skins, made an agreement before she had come.
What if the skins didn't agree to her terms? She would have delivered herself to the enemy with no hope of being rescued. Nicholas could take the information about the Granolith from her mind and there would be nothing she could do about it.
Tess saw the lights from the town ahead, she slowed the car and pulled off the dirt road she had been following. Her doubts had belatedly made her cautious but another thought buzzing in her head was drowning out the sound of her doubts. The skins represented the only chance she might ever have to get revenge against Max and return home, and anything that might happen to her in Copper Summit was better than staying on this planet the rest of her life.
She made up her mind with a nod of her head and pressed down on the accelerator, eager to arrive. The skins weren't unreasonable. What she was asking for wasn't that much and they would probably be glad to have her help. She might even be welcomed home as a hero.
Suddenly a blazing light illuminated the area around her and a ship swooped down out of the dark sky. A burst of red energy erupted from the ship and headed straight for her. Tess had only seconds to realize that she had made a huge mistake.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Friday, September 25th, 2009)
(Vinita, OK)
Exactly one week after they had watched the report of Roswell's destruction, Max and the others were seated in front of the television witnessing the end of the great city of Los Angeles. Just after dawn that morning, the skins' ships had descended from the clouds over the sprawling metropolis, and within two hours, nothing remained but a smoldering pile of rubble. The strike had obviously been timed to catch the majority of the citizens in the morning commute, when cars blocked all of the major roads, preventing mass evacuation.
The group sat in a shocked silence as the enormity of the situation overwhelmed them. The television news crew had caught the majority of the destruction of the city center and the station was replaying the carnage over and over.
Finally Liz couldn't watch anymore. She walked over to the window and pulled the drapes aside, hoping the warmth of the sunlight would chase away the shivers that racked her body. They couldn't let the skins destroy the world around them.
Max rose from the sofa and followed Liz to the window, wrapping her in his arms and tucking her head under his chin. He spoke through their bond, automatically seeking to reassure her. It's okay Liz. Everything will be okay.
No, Max it's not okay. The skins have killed thousands of innocent people. We have to do something. We have to stop them.
Do you have any ideas on how to stop them? Max asked cautiously.
I have one idea, Liz sighed, but I don't want to even think it.
Max nodded, knowing what she meant. You are thinking the skins might stop if Michael, Isabel and I turned ourselves over to them.
It has crossed my mind, Liz admitted. But apart from not wanting to lose you, I'm also not sure it would work. If you did go to Nicholas he would get the Granolith and then nothing would stop him from destroying Earth and your world too.
If I thought it would save Earth, I would turn myself over to Nicholas, but I'm sure you're right. He would get the Granolith and destroy Earth anyway. There has to be another way.
Liz sighed, I did have one other idea. What if we called your people for help?
Max shook his head. I have already spoken to Serena about it. She said that no one came to our aid when Khivar took my throne. So I doubt they would travel three or four years to another galaxy to help us. And even if they did, the Earth would be in ruins by then.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
After the skins had destroyed L.A., the U.S. military bombed Copper Summit but when they searched through the rubble they discovered it had been deserted. Not one skin soldier had been seen on Earth after the destruction of Roswell. Max anonymously gave the military all of their knowledge about the skins, including how to kill them, but it was of no use because it was discovered the skins had repositioned themselves into orbit where none of Earth's weapons could reach them.
Over the next two years, the skins destroyed city after city in a largely uncontested campaign, because none of the Earth's defenses were strong enough to stand against them. After L.A., they systematically leveled every large city and major military instillation in the U.S. and then continued with the smaller cities and towns. At first, the allies of the United States came to their aid, but the skins decimated each of the armies and then turned their destruction on the other countries, slaughtering civilians by the thousands, as they leveled the foreign cities.
The human survivors were forced to flee into the countryside or live in the ruins of their former homes. Some banded together in groups to try and fight the skins, while others just tried to survive. What was left of the U.S. government went into hiding and an elite group of the military were assigned, to keep the President and the others alive.
After the Earth's major militaries were decimated, the skins erected several new strongholds from which Nicholas directed the continuing destruction and subjugation of Earth. Any captured humans were put into labor camps and forced to work for the skins, while the free humans continued to annoy the skins with supply raids and rescue attempts. Nicholas was forced to send ground patrols to fight the rebels and take as many captives as possible.
Max assembled a group of people who wanted to stand against the skins. At first, he carefully hid the fact they were aliens, assuming that the humans would automatically distrust them if they knew the truth. But the truth came out quickly when their group was ambushed, and Max, Michael and others were forced to use their powers to save them all. Max feared his troops would turn against them but they eagerly accepted their differences when Max explained the skins were their enemies too.
Max and Liz decided to conceal the fact he could heal because they were afraid he would be overwhelmed by requests. He also asked them to conceal the fact that Liz was a hybrid and tell everyone Liz's talent for prognostication was a natural human ability. He was afraid she would be a target if the humans turned against them, but he was even more afraid of what Nicholas might do to her if she were captured.
Max found he had a natural ability for leadership, and even though he didn't remember his other life sometimes the answers to difficult problems would simply come to him and he knew it was prompted by his past experiences. He led one successful raid after another and soon the stories spread of their group's success, and people came from all over to join with them.
Max's army moved almost constantly, traveling great distances at night to avoid detection, afraid if they stayed in one place the skins would find them. They learned how to use camouflage to their advantage and relied on guerilla warfare tactics for engaging the skins. Liz and Serena learned how to make C-4 and other explosives and Max's troops were able to capture some energy guns from the skins, called blasters. They repeatedly attempted to get a communication amplifier from a skin soldier but none of the ground troops they killed were carrying them.
They used every resource at their disposal to defeat the skins. Whenever they could, Max's troops would take a skin soldier prisoner, but they always killed themselves before they gave away any information. Isabel attempted dream walking the skin soldiers and Liz tried astral projection to help determine what Nicholas' troops were planning, but there were so many groups of skins acting on Earth and in orbit, that it was almost impossible for them to get anything more than trivial information. Isabel had even tried to get into Nicholas' mind, but he was too powerful for her.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Wednesday, June 13th, 2012)
(Outside the ruined city of Helena, MT)
Jim, Amy and Kyle led a small band of rebels to the edge of the trees surrounding the skin outpost. It had recently been erected to prepare for the construction for another skin stronghold, and supply ships had been making regular trips to stock it. Max's scouts had reported that the outpost was not heavily guarded and the supplies could be easily taken.
Jim raised his binoculars and peered through them, only seeing half-a-dozen skin guards. Their group should be able to handle that number easily but something felt wrong. He scanned the area looking for anything out of the ordinary, but could see nothing. The food and supplies in the building were desperately needed and he pushed his doubts away. He signaled to his men silently, motioning for some to go right, others to go left, and the remainder to follow him. Then he turned to Kyle, "Stay here, watch our backs and signal us if anything goes wrong."
Kyle briefly hesitated, sensing his father's apprehension and then nodded, "Okay dad."
Jim signaled for the men to move forward and they spread out along the edge of the forest, carefully staying under cover. At another signal from Jim they rushed the skin soldiers taking all six of them by surprise and then they proceeded cautiously into the building.
Kyle kept a careful watch on the surrounding area, looking for any signs of more skin troops. He hated waiting, but it was a necessary part of the raids.
His father's voice suddenly came over the walkie-talkie, breathing hard as if he were running, "Everybody out, it's a trap. There are no supplies here, only empty boxes. Kyle do you see any..."
Jim’s voice was cut off as an enormous explosion engulfed the building, throwing Kyle to the ground. "Dad? Amy?" Kyle gasped, as he sat up, unable to believe what had just happened. "Dad!" he shouted, and jumped up running toward the fire hoping to save his father, but the intense heat forced him back and he knew no one could have survived. Stumbling back into the trees, Kyle fell to his knees, retching in the grass.
He sat for a few minutes just trying to draw breath and automatically went into a meditation. Neither fire nor wind, birth nor death can erase your good deeds. All created things perish. All created things are sorrow. All forms are unreal. As he repeated the words, Kyle's mind cleared and the reality of the situation sank in. The skins had deliberately lured them here to kill them. They had set up the whole situation with no other thought than killing more humans.
Kyle could feel the hatred rising up within him and unconsciously started the meditation against hate. Hatred does not cease by hatred at any time, but then he stopped himself. After everything the skins had done, they deserved his loathing and he let his hatred for them build, deliberately stoking and strengthening it with memories of the past. He knew the Buddha would be disappointed that he had given in to his hatred but he couldn't stop himself.
Hot tears flowed down his cheeks as he mourned the loss of his father and the others. The skins had taken almost everything from him, including his faith, and that just made him hate them more. With every fiber of his being, he hated the skins and he would use the energy his hatred provided, to slaughter every last one of them.
Kyle looked down at the skin blaster in his hand. He had taken it off a skin soldier he had killed last year and the sense of irony never ceased to amuse him. He would use their own weapon to destroy as many of them as he could.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Friday, November 23rd, 2012)
(In the ruins of Idaho Falls, ID)
It was a cold night, as Max and Isabel led the small band of fighters through the eerie silence of the abandoned buildings. Once it had been a thriving town but now it was nothing but a pile of rubble. There was not even a single building standing where their group could take shelter for the coming day.
The fighters were spread out military style, so a single blast from the enemy could not kill them all. Max always led with Isabel, while Michael and Kyle took up the rear. Max kept Liz and Maria near the back of the troops for their safety and assigned a couple of ex-marines to watch over them.
Suddenly a brilliant light erupted, making the night sky brighter than high noon, and then the laser blasts started.
“Scatter,” Max yelled, as he and Isabel dove for cover. “lz take the left flank,” he ordered and then through the connection he shared with Liz, he sent more instructions, Tell Michael to take the right flank and you and Maria stay back and keep down.
He felt Liz’s mental ascent through the connection and turned his full attention back to the battle. It only took a few minutes for him to determine they were only fighting a small group of Khivar’s soldiers, probably scouts, but they couldn’t let any of the enemy live to pass on their position.
Using a blaster he had taken off an enemy soldier in an earlier battle, Max sent one burst of energy after another into the darkness, where he estimated the enemies to be. Even though he couldn’t see them, it was as if he could somehow sense their presence and he made each shot count.
They were just gaining the upper hand when suddenly he felt Liz’s fear through their connection. Without a second thought Max leapt up and rushed to where Liz and Maria were hiding, knowing he would never make it in time.
And then it was as if he were seeing through Liz’s eyes, and Max watched horrified as a skin soldier rushed toward her and Maria. The enemy soldier had somehow sneaked past their defenses and his first shots had taken out the men protecting Liz and Maria. That had alerted the women to his presence or the soldier would have taken them completely by surprise.
Maria and Liz both carried weapons and had been trained to use them, but neither of them had actually shot an enemy soldier and Max never wanted them to. In Liz and Maria, Max saw the last vestiges of the world before Khivar had attacked, and as crazy as he knew it was, he wanted to preserve their innocence. In all of this war and insanity, Max had hoped he could spare them the weight of taking a life, even if it was the enemy.
Through Liz’s eyes, Max saw Liz and Maria raise their weapons to fire, but the skin soldier used his powers with a careless flip of his hand and threw the girls several yards, sending them crashing into a wall. Liz was the first to regain her feet and shoved Maria out of the way as the skin’s next blast hit the rocks near them. They fell to the ground and scrambled behind the rocks but the weapons had been knocked from their hands and now they were defenseless.
Another blast from the soldier also hit the rocks, but it was closer and Max felt the flying rock chips sting Liz’s face. The skin soldier knew the women were unarmed and took his time walking toward them for his next shot.
Through the connection, Max experienced Liz’s fear that she would be killed. She was desperately afraid, but she didn’t fear death, her greatest fear was that she would be separated from him. Liz was not ready to be parted from him and an incredible anger started from deep inside her. Max could feel her anger fueling a rush of power, that quickly built up within her body.
Max raced around the final corner as Liz stood, channeling her power through her hand, toward the enemy soldier. The burst of energy hit the soldier square in the chest and left a sort of burn mark, but at first it appeared to Max as if nothing happened.
Max took aim on the enemy but a horrible scream escaped the soldier as he clutched his chest and collapsed to the ground. He flailed around for a moment as a finger of blue flame flickered from a hole in his chest and then he burst into a shower of ash.
For a moment none of them moved, frozen in place by the shock and then Max felt Liz’s overwhelming grief. He crossed the last few yards between them and took her trembling form in his arms. Liz collapsed into him, sobbing uncontrollably.
Max gently stroked Liz’s head as he sought to reassure her, “Shhhhh. It’s okay, my love.” But he knew his words were lies, and carefully shielded his true feelings.
What kind of King was he? Max asked himself, then shook his head. No, it was more basic than that. What kind of man was he, that he couldn’t even protect his wife? Liz was the most important thing in the world to him. He would do anything for her, sacrifice anything for her, but he hadn’t been able to keep her safe and she had been forced to take a life. Yes, they were at war but Max had tried to protect his sweet Liz as much as possible from the horrors.
Max felt a piece of him die as the scene re-played in his mind. He had failed Liz in almost every way possible but he vowed to redouble his efforts. Never again would he trust anyone else to protect her, he would personally ensure her safety.
Max pulled the still trembling Liz closer and quickly checked her for injuries. Finding nothing major he sighed in relief as he healed the few scrapes and cuts she had received. Then he gently stroked her hair, “I’m so sorry, Liz but I swear I’ll never leave you again.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Thursday, August 29th, 2013)
(Outside the ruined city of Cheyenne, WY)
Max, Liz, Michael, Maria, Isabel, Kyle and Serena stayed at the makeshift table in their shelter after the latest strategy meeting. Max was increasingly depressed by their ever-worsening situation but he had to keep up a brave front for the troops. It was only when he was alone with his family that he allowed his true feelings to show. "We kill a few skins here and there and have some small successes but we aren't making progress fast enough. This skins have almost completely wiped human civilization off of the face of the Earth and it won't be long before they find us or the Granolith."
He paused, looking down at the table. "We have lost so many people, so many who didn't deserve to die. And none of us would have survived the raid last week if Liz hadn't gotten the premonition. I just feel like all of this is my fault. If I had let all of you develop your powers, maybe we would have been strong enough to fight them and none of this would have ever happened."
He turned to Liz, "If I hadn't told you to suppress your powers maybe you would have seen what would happen. I just wish I could go back and change everything."
Liz put her hand on Max's, "None of this is your fault, Max. You didn't choose this and I know you would change it if you could."
"Maybe we can change it," Serena said.
"What do you mean?" asked Isabel breathlessly.
"You remember that my primary task on Antar was a Granolith technician?" Serena asked. "I studied the Granolith for over two-hundred years trying to discover how it worked and possibly duplicate it. In that time, I developed several theories about its capabilities."
"And you think one of these theories could help us?" Michael asked.
"Maybe," Serena admitted. "If we were left with no other choice it would be worth exploring. The Granolith is capable of producing an enormous amount of energy and according to the calculations I have made, I believe it would be able to tear a hole in time-space."
"You think it’s capable of time travel," Liz said softly.
"The Granolith is basically a machine like the computers on Earth," Serena explained. "To use it you just have to program it, tell it what to do."
"How do you program it?" Max asked. "I didn't notice an interface of any kind on the Granolith."
Serena picked up two nearby rocks and passed her hand over them, fashioning them into a rough six-sided crystal approximately eight inches long. "You simply make a crystal like this one, the size and shape don't really matter, the Granolith will adapt. There needs to be some silicon in the mixture, rocks or sand are the best materials to use. The important thing is that you put your instructions in it when you make it. Just push your thoughts into the energy you use to form the crystal. For time travel I would specify a time and a place you wish to travel and who is going on the trip."
"And what about returning?" Max asked.
Serena shook her head, "If a traveler changes the past, he won't be able to return. He will have come from a reality that no longer exists. The events that made him who and what he is won't have happened and he will disappear as if he never lived, because in essence, he never did exist."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Sunday, January 12th, 2014)
(Near Hot Springs, SD)
Nicholas surveyed the battle below him from his vantage point in the hills. More and more humans had joined with Max's army as the skins tightened their grip on the Earth, and now Max commanded thousands. The rebels had become increasingly troublesome, raiding one skin outpost after another. They always struck quickly and forcefully, sometimes overwhelming his troops with their sheer numbers. It was as if they had information about his troop movements they could not have known, hitting their targets when they were most vulnerable.
Nicholas had been forced to delegate some of his other duties and lead the skin army against the rebels in many battles. On more than one occasion, Nicholas thought he had the rebels in his grasp, but each time they miraculously escaped him. Nicholas had come to only two conclusions; one, Max was a brilliant military strategist or two, he was getting help.
Finally Nicholas learned from one of Max's captured soldiers that Max's human wife Liz, had the gift of prognostication and her visions had repeatedly saved them. The captive told him that Max and Liz were always together and the troops trusted Liz as much as they did Max or Michael. Nicholas also learned that Max didn't trust Liz's safety to anyone else, even his second in command. Nicholas smiled, Liz was Max's Achilles’ heel and that was the type of weakness he could use to his advantage.
Many times, Nicholas had seen Max in the distance directing his army, and always his human wife had been at his side. Nicholas took out his far-viewers and set them to the extreme range. And searching the hills opposite to his position he finally spotted Max, and Liz just beyond. Nicholas reset the focus, trying to get a better look at the small woman. He had heard of humans with psychic abilities but he had always considered them to be charlatans and frauds. The odds were astronomical that Max would find a human mate with such abilities.
As he studied Liz, Nicholas wondered how attuned her abilities were at foretelling the future. Prognostication was a rare gift on Antar and even the most acclaimed seers could not predict every event. Nicholas decided he would simply have to test Liz's abilities. He would set one trap after another for the rebel army, and sooner or later the law of probability had to fall in his favor.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Thursday, March 6th, 2014)
(Near Ft Collins, CO)
Nicholas smiled as he watched a large group of Max's troops walk into the trap he had set for them. Obviously he had been right, Liz couldn't foresee everything and today her failing would be the end of the rebel army.
Nicholas signaled for his troops to wait until all of the humans had entered the area before springing the trap, and his eyes quickly scanned them to see who from Max's group was present. He noticed Michael right away, because he was in the lead, but it took him a few minutes to pick out Isabel. Nicholas sighed. For years he had not known if Isabel were alive or dead and he was relieved to see her. Khivar would surely reward him for delivering her back to Antar.
Max, Liz and the other humans were not present as far as Nicholas could see, but it didn't matter because Michael and Isabel could tell him everything he needed to know; including the location of the Granolith and the current whereabouts of Max and the rest of the rebel troops.
Nicholas spoke softly into his amplifier, "Michael and Isabel are in this group," he alerted his troops. "Be careful where you aim. Greer will take Michael, I will take Isabel and the rest of you eliminate the others. I want no escapes and no survivors."
Finally the last few stragglers entered the trees and Nicholas signaled for the trap to be sprung. He watched for a moment, savoring the looks of surprise on the rebel's faces as his troops completely enclosed them. They had nowhere to hide and the only cover was the trees. He had chosen this location particularly because of the lack of cover.
Michael sent bursts of energy into the skin soldiers who suddenly emerged out of the trees around them. He attempted to find some cover as he picked off one skin after another, but there was none. A sound behind him alerted Michael and he turned just in time to see an older skin soldier rush toward him. Michael sent a blast of power into the charging soldier, breaking the seal on his husk and turning him to dust. A small black object was revealed by the soldier's demise and Michael caught it before it hit the ground. He had just stuffed the pentagon-shaped device into his pocket when he was tackled from behind by several more skins.
With a smile, Nicholas slipped into the dense undergrowth, changing his coloring until he blended into the greenery perfectly. He moved stealthily around behind his troops until he had Isabel in sight. He watched the humans fall to the ground dead, one after another until there were only a handful left and then he rushed forward and grabbed Isabel from behind. "How nice to see you again Vilondra."
Isabel was surprised at first but she struggled against her captor. She couldn't see him but she recognized his voice from when he had nearly captured them and killed Alex. She screamed in rage, throwing her full weight against the smaller man.
Nicholas was momentarily knocked off balance and his grip on Isabel loosened. Isabel spun toward him and aimed a burst of energy at him but Nicholas used his powers to keep his feet and reached out to force her hand aside. Her blast went wide but still caught Nicholas on the shoulder and he roared with rage, spinning Isabel around and trapping her arms behind her. He roughly shoved her to her knees to gain control of her and looked to where Greer's team was securing Michael.
Nicholas motioned for two of his men to come forward and take Isabel. She struggled against them but their superior strength kept her easily subdued.
Nicholas incredulously examined his shoulder, where Isabel had hit him. He had not been injured the entire time he had been on Earth, and the fact that Isabel had succeeded made all of his latent anger against her rise to the surface. He had intended to return her to Antar intact but that was not the only option. "Where's Greer?" Nicholas growled as he reached into his pocket.
One of the skin soldiers motioned to Michael, "He killed Greer."
Nicholas looked Michael in the eyes and Michael could see the burning hatred within. Michael fought desperately to escape his captors but they held him fast. A feeling of horror overcame him as Nicholas suddenly pulled a device from his pocket and a long thin blade slid out of it. Michael surged forward, pulling the three soldiers with him a few feet, but they held him back.
Nicholas held Michael's eyes as he brushed Isabel's golden hair aside from the back of her neck and raised his arm to strike.
"NO!" Michael screamed, as he struggled helplessly, and Nicholas plunged the blade into the base of Isabel's head.
For a moment Isabel swayed but then Nicholas slowly withdrew the blade, and the soldiers let her lifeless body slump forward and fall to the ground.
Michael was suddenly thrown back into his captors by a nearby explosion and he shook off the skins holding him and jumped to his feet. He took a hesitating step toward Isabel but someone grabbed his arm and pulled him back toward the trees. Michael was so stunned that he didn't struggle and let himself be led deeper into the forest.
"Are you injured?" Serena asked as they ran, but Michael didn't answer. Serena quickly looked back over her shoulder at him. He was stumbling along behind her only because she pulled him, but his head was turned back to the place where Isabel had fallen. She knew she had to snap him out of his shock. Both of their lives might depend on it. She raised her voice, "Michael!"
Michael turned his head toward her and tried to slow their pace. "We have to go back for Isabel," he said woodenly.
Serena could hear the sounds of pursuit now. She couldn't allow Michael to stop, and she used a harsher tone of voice to bring him back to the reality of the situation. "Isabel is dead and we will be too if we don't hurry."
Michael's head snapped up and he focused on Serena for the first time and briefly nodded. He followed her unresistingly and quickly looked around as they continued to run, trying to determine their position from the maps he had studied. A rock formation to the south caught his attention and suddenly he knew where they were. He surged forward and pulled Serena by the hand, angling her toward the rocks. "There's a small cave on the other side of these rocks. We can hide inside until the skins are gone."
They increased their pace as they rounded the rocks attempting to put as much distance between themselves and their pursuers as possible. Michael pushed Serena into the cave ahead of him and crawled in after her. He turned and passed his hand over the small entrance covering it with rock.
Serena kindled a small light when he finished and he noticed for the first time that she was injured. "You're hurt," he said, as he crossed to her and inspected her wound. It was a deep, raw wound high on her chest by the left shoulder, and her left arm hung uselessly at her side.
"I was hit by a blast from one of the skins that knocked me unconscious for a few moments and I awoke too late to save Isabel."
Michael nodded, "I'm not very good at healing wounds like this but I'll give it a try."
Serena shook her head, "It would take too much of your power and we may need you to be at full strength to get away."
"But the pain," Michael argued.
"There is not much pain," Serena lied. "I can endure it until we return to Max."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Nicholas' soldiers had been searching the woods for more than four hours with no sign of Michael or the shape shifter. He still couldn't believe that they had escaped. In the confusion of the attack, the shape shifter must have waited until her best opportunity to rescue Michael. Nicholas just couldn't understand why she had not tried to save Isabel.
He looked at the tissue-harvesting device in his hand. Michael may have escaped him this time but he had collected Isabel's brain cells and that would ensure Vilondra would live again.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Tuesday, March 11th, 2014)
(Near Greeley, CO)
It had taken five days for Michael and Serena to elude the skins and rendezvous with the main body of the troops, and in that time Serena never let Michael see how much pain she was experiencing.
When they arrived at camp, she allowed Max to take her into his tent to examine her wound, but she was fairly certain of the outcome. The wound had been too serious and it had started to heal wrong. She watched the play of emotions across Max's face as he examined her and knew when he came to the same conclusion.
"Max, I know you can't fix my arm," she said softly.
Max shook his head sadly. "I'll do what I can but you're right. You will have very limited use of this arm. I'm sorry Serena."
Serena shook her head, "I am not sorry. I have done my duty."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Monday, March 17th, 2014)
(Near the remnants of Denver, CO)
Michael rushed into the tent Max was using as his headquarters, "Max, we figured out how to use the amplifier and intercepted a message."
"Good," Max said. "What did you find out?"
Michael shook his head, "It's not good. The skins have found the President and what's left of the government, and are moving troops to take them."
"Where are they?" Max asked.
"They’re in some kind of underground shelter in Vermont." Michael said softly. "It's more than nineteen-hundred miles, Max. Even at top speed it would take more than two days to get there. We would never reach them in time."
Max slammed his fist on the table, the impotent feeling overwhelming him. "If the skins get the President, they'll force him to officially sign his power over to them. The U.S. government will fall and with it the Earth."
"There is nothing we can do," Michael said. "We can keep fighting, but if the President and the government fall, the people will lose heart." He released a sigh filled with sorrow and defeat. "Isabel, Jim, Amy, Alex, your parents, Liz's parents; so many are dead. What's the point? We haven't saved the world Max, we've failed."
Max stood to his full height, his eyes blazing. "Soon we will be the last obstacle between Nicholas and the total conquest of Earth, but there's one thing we can do. We’ll implement Serena's plan. We'll go back in time and stop the end of the world."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Later that night, Max, Liz, Michael, Maria, Kyle and Serena sat at the table in Max and Liz's tent trying to work out the details of the plan.
"There has to be a point in time when things started to go wrong," Max said, "and if we can figure out what that was we can change it."
"Yeah," Michael scoffed, "maybe you can go back to yourself in kindergarten and tell him to start stock-piling weapons of mass-destruction, because short of nukes, I don't know how we could win."
"Funny Michael," Max said dryly, "but you do actually have a point."
"I do?"
"Yeah," Max explained, "we weren't strong enough to beat the skins. Serena told me that on Antar we were three of the most powerful beings. Maybe if we had worked on developing our powers more, we would have been ready for the skins."
"So you go back to Max in kindergarten and tell him to hone his alien powers?" Kyle asked.
"That might be part of it," Max said, "but there has to be something else. A specific event we can change that will alter the outcome of the future."
"We could stop the skins from destroying Roswell," Maria suggested. "We could turn them in to the FBI sooner."
"No," Michael argued, "they hadn't done anything yet. What are you going to tell the FBI? That they will do it in the future but now they won't because you changed history and stopped them?"
Maria's brow wrinkled, "That doesn't even make sense. At least we could stop Kyle from being taken and save Alex."
Michael ignored her, "What if we stopped the Harvest?" If the original skins all died, maybe they wouldn't send more. Then maybe we could save Courtney and the skins wouldn't find out about us."
"Courtney again," Maria sighed. "I can't believe that you are still thinking about her after all of these years."
Max hastily changed the subject, "Okay, those all have possibilities. Can anyone think of anything else?"
Liz listened to the suggestions with a growing sense of unreality. She knew what the solution was but she was too scared to say it. Her plan would mean that she and Max would never be together, never share their lives, and she felt tears roll down her face as she desperately tried to think of anything else.
Max felt a sudden wave of sorrow from Liz and turned toward her, "What's wrong, Liz?"
Liz shook her head and wiped the tears from her face. She had to tell them because she knew it was the only way to save them. She took a deep breath and looked up, "Tess."
"What?" Michael asked.
"Tess is the answer," Liz said softly as she turned to Max. "In the message, your mother said you were all sent here to learn to use your skills and powers. But we messed that up when we let Tess leave. She should have been with you, helping you. She would have made you stronger."
Everyone turned to Serena and she agreed, "It is true that the four of you worked well together on Antar. I did not know what powers Vilondra and Ava possessed because it was a closely guarded secret, but all four of you were very powerful and were inseparable in the last days of Zan's empire. Before we left to come to Earth, Sodan once told me that your powers complimented one another and that you were stronger together."
"Okay," Kyle said. "We start looking for Tess?"
"If she's still alive," Maria said blandly.
Max shook his head. "If Tess was interested in helping us, she could have found us. Even if she is alive, I don't think she cares about helping us or anyone else."
Kyle agreed with a nod. "Then we go back in time and get Tess to stay. Simple."
Max shook his head, "It won't be that easy."
"Why not?" Michael asked.
Max had told Liz all about his encounters with Tess years ago and she knew the answer, "Because Tess will not stay unless Max is with her."
"But Max loves you," Maria objected. "He would never be with Tess."
"We will have to change that," Liz said simply.
"And how are we supposed to do that?" Kyle asked.
"I don't know," Liz said, "but we'll have to find a way."
Max felt a shiver of distaste shoot down his spine. Even after all of these years, he couldn't stand the thought of being with Tess, but he knew he had no choice. This whole mess was his fault and he would be the one to fix it. He would go back in time and he would make sure that this time, Max chose Tess.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Wednesday, March 19th, 2014)
(Roswell, NM)
Max, Liz, Michael, Maria and Kyle had traveled quickly and arrived in Roswell that afternoon. On their journey, they had seen no sign of pursuit and they felt even luckier when they found a part of Roswell that had somewhat survived the destruction. A few houses on the edge of town were mostly intact and the small group settled into one of them for the evening.
Max had determined they would have a better chance of getting to Roswell if they left the main body of the army behind. A smaller group could travel more quickly was less likely to attract attention. Max had told the troops they had a plan and left one of the former military men in charge. He sent the troops east, away from trouble and told them they would join them later. Then he sent Serena northwest and instructed her to send a signal, hoping to draw the skins away and keep them busy. The five remaining members of the group had climbed into a Jeep and headed to the place where it had all started.
Conversation was sparse as they finished their evening meal, knowing that tomorrow they would lose their leader. Max had insisted he would be the one to go back in time and ordered Michael to take over the fight when he was gone. Michael had argued, but in the end reluctantly agreed, knowing Max was right.
Kyle took the first watch as it grew dark, and the others settled into the living room.
Maria was the first to ask the question that was on all of their minds, "How are you going to do it, Max?"
Max shook his head. "I don't know," he said sadly. "I would just go to my younger self if I could but Serena said that wasn't possible." He shrugged, "I guess I'll go to Tess and explain how important it is for us to be together."
"Oh, she'll love that," Maria sneered. "I can't believe that witch is going to win. It just isn't fair."
Liz smiled sadly, "Life isn't fair, Maria."
Maria nodded in agreement and a sudden thought occurred to her. One sure way to keep Liz out of the picture was to let her die at the Crashdown when she was shot. Maria knew if Liz thought it was the only way to change things she would stop Max from saving her. "When will you go back to?" she asked softly.
Liz reached for Max's hand and squeezed it reassuringly, "Max and I talked about it a little last night. We decided he will have to go back before we made love because Serena said that's what solidified the bond between us. There’s no way we would leave each other after being connected so closely, so it has to be before."
Max nodded sadly and brought Liz's hand to his lips. "But we don't want to go back too far because we learned a lot of important things right before that time, about the skins and the other pods. And it wasn't too bad with Tess then," he finished softly.
He paused for a moment and continued in a stronger voice, "We have to be careful because we don't know how altering the time line will change things. Any small difference could have huge consequences, and Liz and I don't want to risk changing things too much. Plus, I have to make sure not to run into my other self, so I had to choose a day when I remembered where I was and what I was doing. We decided I should go back to the night that I serenaded Liz with the Maraichi band. It's the perfect time. It was a few days before Liz and I got back together, but after we learned about the skins, and I remember that night well enough to avoid my younger self."
Maria sighed in relief. At least her other self would still have her best friend in her life.
Michael looked at Liz and Max's clasped hands and then up to their faces. He couldn't even imagine the bond they shared but he knew they belonged together. And the fact that they were willing to sacrifice their love to save the world left him in awe of them. What would happen if they succeeded? he wondered. Would the world be a different place? Would Max and Liz's sacrifice make a better future? If Serena's theory was correct, none of them would ever know if Max had succeeded, they would just simply cease to be.
He looked at Max and Liz one more time. They should be alone, this would be their last night together. He reached for Maria's hand and rose to his feet, pulling her with him. "It's been a long day. I think it's time for bed," he said tactfully.
Max and Liz both smiled at him and spoke in unison, "Good night."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Yesterday Nicholas had discovered the main body of Max's troops traveling east. They had been easily captured but Nicholas had been disappointed to learn that Max and the others were not among them. He had carefully searched the mind of one human after another until he was sure he had discovered the truth. Max had devised a plan and he and the others were heading south.
It had been relatively easy to guess where they were going. Nicholas had suspected for years that the Granolith must be near Roswell. And with Max’s destination known, one of the warships had pinpointed the group within a few hours.
Nicholas had hastily eliminated the rest of the rebel troops and gathered his army, still over eight thousand strong, into the three warships. They tracked the Jeep from orbit until it stopped in Roswell and then Nicholas ordered the ships to land. They needed to take the group alive to find the Granolith and that could only be accomplished on the ground.
They knew the basic area where Max had stopped for the night but Nicholas sent out scouts to discover the exact building, then at first light, they would start bombing to drive Max into the open. With all of his strength concentrated on a single goal, Nicholas was positive they would succeed in taking Max and the others.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Roswell, NM)
Max led Liz into the bedroom they were using and closed the door behind him.
Liz turned to Max and pulled him down onto the bed with her. She traced her hands over his handsome face. "Max," her gentle voice urged him, "I want you to go to me."
Max picked up on her meaning immediately. She wanted him to go to the Liz in the past for help. A sudden sorrow overcame him and he flashed on all of the times they had shared. He wondered what his life would have been like if Liz had not been with him but he couldn't even begin to imagine a world without her, she was so much a part of his life. He did suspect that there were times in the last few years he wouldn’t have been strong enough to go on without her, but he stayed silent, cursing himself for his weakness.
He wanted to go to his younger self and knock some sense into him, wake him up, and force him to accept his destiny. He had been so foolish to allow his wish for a normal life to consume him so entirely. His love for Liz had been so overwhelming and so selfish that there had been no room in his life for anything else. He had cavalierly driven Tess away and neglected the duties of leadership that had continued to return to him, no matter how hard he had tried to leave them behind.
Max sighed, letting his guilt and weariness show and hoped that Liz's strength was enough to save him from himself and with him, save them all. But he knew it was. She loved him just as completely as he loved her but he knew she would survive without him. Liz possessed strength that he lacked, even when she had been seventeen. She had loved him desperately but she had found the strength to walk away from him at the pod chamber, all of those years ago. Max knew she would do whatever she had to do, to ensure their survival.
He cursed himself again. He was allowing the events to dictate his actions. He would not let his failure condemn a seventeen year-old Liz to carry the weight of two worlds on her shoulders.
"No," he said harshly. "I will find another way."
"Max," Liz smiled sadly and pressed a kiss to his forehead, "there is no other way."
"There has to be,” Max insisted. “We don't even know if this idea will work. What if I go back and separate us and it still isn't enough?"
"Max," Liz said softly, "we have to do something and this is the best plan we could come up with."
Max shook his head, "I can't do this to you, to her."
Liz took his hand in hers and brought it to her lips. "You aren't doing anything to me. I want you to go to me. You know I would do anything for you."
Tears fell freely from his eyes. "It's my failure, my weakness that has forced us into this position. I can't let you suffer for my shortcomings."
Liz gently kissed the tears from his face. "If I can't be with you, at least let me serve you."
"But you will have to live with this secret for the rest of your life," Max protested.
"And I will have a piece of you that no one can take from me." Liz kissed his lips hungrily, knowing it would be their last night together. Max would do as she asked, even though he was fighting her, she could feel it through their bond. There was no other choice and he knew he could trust her to do what had to be done.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Thursday, March 20th, 2014)
(Roswell, NM)
Michael burst into the room where Max and Liz were sleeping, "We've got to go now! The skin army is just a couple of miles out of town!"
Max grabbed Liz and hauled her out of bed. He reached for his boots and an explosion rocked the house. Liz was thrown into him and they fell back onto the bed.
Another explosion detonated just outside, shattering the window and Max put up his hand, instantly raising a shield to protect them from the flying glass.
They quickly scrambled to their feet and ran for the door, as Kyle burst into the room and looked them over quickly for injury. "They are just lobbing explosives, it doesn't look like they know where we are. They're probably just trying to flush us out."
"Okay," Max yelled over the sound of explosions. "Get to the Jeep and let's get out of here."
Liz pulled on her boots and reached for Max's hand, "It's time."
Max nodded sadly and squeezed her hand, "Let's go."
They entered the hall just as Michael pulled a sleepy Maria from their room and pushed her at Liz. Michael rushed toward the door, "I'll check the road and make sure it's clear."
"Meet us at the Jeep," Max called, as he headed toward the garage.
Michael looked out the window and when he saw no movement, slipped through the door. He slowly circled the house, checking the ruins of the surrounding buildings and streets, and when he didn't see anything, he crossed to the garage door and used his powers to lift it.
A blast hit him in the back and spun him around, as a skin soldier ran toward him with his arm outstretched. Michael aimed a blast at the soldier’s mid-section and the enemy disintegrated into a shower of dust. Grasping his hand to his chest, Michael sank down onto the ground. With a strange sense of unreality, he raised his hand and looked at the blood covering it. The blast had gone all the way through him.
Max ran through the garage and dropped to his knees, taking Michael in his arms. Max laid his hand across the wound and quickly connected with Michael but the amount of damage brought tears to his eyes.
Michael could feel the life pouring out of him and he knew Max couldn't save him. "I'm sorry Max," he whispered.
Max shook his head, "You've nothing to be sorry for. You're the best second in command and brother I could have asked for."
Liz and Kyle ran into the garage and stopped a few steps away.
Maria pushed past them and fell to her knees beside Max and Michael, tears running down her face. "Michael," she sobbed, "you've got to hold on. It's not that bad. Max can fix you up."
Michael tried to shake his head but winced in pain. "Maria," he gasped, "love you."
"No Michael, don't you let go!" Maria yelled at him, "I love you too much."
Michael smiled and coughed out his last breath. Max felt him go still in his arms. He wanted to cry out, but they had to leave or they would all die. He hugged his brother one last time and got to his feet, pulling a sobbing Maria with him. "I'm sorry Maria but we've got to go."
He sent a thought to Liz and she came forward and took the devastated Maria to the Jeep.
"We just can't leave him here," Maria cried.
Liz pulled Maria into her arms, "I'm sorry Maria. There's no time, we'll all die if we don't go now."
Kyle helped Max pull Michael's body into the garage and Kyle covered him with his jacket. "I'm sorry," he said to Max.
Max nodded and they climbed into the Jeep. Max drove out onto the street and a skin soldier jumped in front of them. Max accelerated and hit him before he could move, and the body disintegrated instantly.
The road ahead of them exploded, and Max swerved to avoid the broken pavement. They drove past an alley, and a truck with four skin soldiers in the bed pulled out onto the road behind them. The soldiers aimed blasts of energy at the Jeep and Max quickly turned, hoping to avoid them. He took side streets, changing direction several times trying to keep the burnt-out shells of buildings between them, but the truck started closing.
Kyle grabbed the blaster in his belt and turned in the seat to take aim at their attackers. He carefully targeted the front tire as the truck pulled closer to them. With a single shot he hit the tire, which exploded and forced the wheels sideways. The truck flipped onto its side and ejected the soldiers from the bed.
Max maneuvered the Jeep through the allies and finally back onto the main road. As they continued into the desert, Kyle kept a watch for more skins, but the only movement behind them was the fading sound of explosions.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The Jeep skidded to a stop near the foot of the rock formation that housed the pod chamber and Granolith. The four survivors jumped out and Max handed backpacks to Kyle and Maria, "Get started on the pod chamber and Liz and I will make a control crystal."
Max met Kyle's gaze and held it, and Kyle nodded. Even though they had never been able to communicate through a connection, a moment of perfect understanding passed between them.
Kyle knew Max was asking him to look out for Liz and Maria if the plan failed. Kyle reached out his hand and Max took it, only to be pulled into a brotherly embrace. Kyle held him tightly for a moment, "You are the closest thing to a brother I ever had, Max. It was an honor knowing and fighting with you."
Max nodded, "We'll fix this. It'll turn out better next time."
Kyle cocked his head to the side, "It couldn't get much worse."
Max smiled and nodded. Trust Kyle to try and lighten the mood.
Kyle shared a brief smile with Max, then he took the backpacks and jogged up the ledge. He stopped at the door and used his powers to activate the door and disappeared inside.
Max turned and embraced Maria, "I'm sorry about Michael and your mother and Alex..."
Maria cut him off, "None of it was your fault, Max. I've never blamed any of you for anything that happened.” She released him and stepped back to see his face. You and I have had a special bond since the summer when Liz left all those years ago. I'm just sorry I have to lose you, even if it will fix everything."
Max smiled sadly, "Thanks Maria."
Maria nodded and glanced at Liz, "I'd better go help Kyle. The skins will be here soon." She turned away quickly before her tears started, and ran up the hill.
Max turned to Liz, "Are you ready to do this?"
Liz shook her head, "No, but we don't have any other choice." She sighed and refocused her thoughts, "Do you remember what Serena told us?"
Max nodded, "Yeah, it seemed pretty simple."
Max and Liz knelt in the sand and Liz gathered a handful of the grainy particles. Max raised his hand above them, building his energy, and then stopped as tears gathered in his eyes. It had been his idea to do this but now that it was time, he had changed his mind. More than anything he didn't want to leave Liz. He didn't care if the skins overwhelmed and killed every person on Earth, he only cared about staying with Liz. Even if it meant that they would only have a matter of moments together before they died, it was better than surviving apart.
Liz could feel Max's sorrow through their bond. She had been fiercely shielding her emotions from Max so he wouldn't know how terrified she was about what they were doing. Max had been such an integral part of her life and she didn't know how she would live without him.
Trying to push the useless emotions away, Liz forced herself to concentrate on Max’s hand hovering over hers, but when his hand remained where it was, she knew something was wrong. Liz opened a tiny fraction of the connection between them, but Max was shielding too. She knew he was trying to protect her, but nothing could stop the pain that was already starting to consume her.
She could feel Max's gaze on her and looked up at him, her eyes shining with unshed tears. She studied his face, trying desperately to memorize every plain, every curve; the shape of his mouth, the exact color of his eyes, the way his hair curled around his neck.
Max reached out and gently touched her face, "Liz."
The tears spilled over her lids and down her face, at the tone in Max's voice. He sounded so sad, so defeated, as if he had already given up. Liz let the sand sift through her fingers, took Max's face in her hands and pressed her forehead to his, "No matter what happens, I will always love you."
Max pressed his lips to hers and felt the bittersweet sensation of knowing it would be the last time. He sat back enough to look into her eyes. "Liz I just..." he started, but was interrupted by the sound of an explosion just a few miles away. The skin army was approaching and they were running out of time.
Liz quickly scooped up another handful of sand, "We have to hurry. Remember to concentrate on the night you serenaded me. Picture my balcony a few minutes before the other you arrived. I had just returned from the psychic and I was standing in front of my mirror, imagining what our wedding ceremony would be like."
Max nodded and winced, pushing aside the pain in his heart. The Liz he was going to visit would never have that wedding ceremony, would never share her life with his. Max hardened his heart to his feelings. He was doing this to save the other Liz, to save them all, he just wished he didn't have to sacrifice his Liz in the process. Before he could reconsider again, he passed his hand over the shiny grains of sand, pushing his energy and his intent into them, as he formed them into a six-sided crystal.
Just as he finished, another explosion sounded much nearer and Max stuffed the crystal into his pocket as he and Liz rose to their feet. Hand in hand, they raced up the trail toward the pod chamber door and as they reached it, a closer explosion caused the ground under them to roll. Liz staggered, almost falling, but Max kept his balance and pulled her with him into the relative safety of the pod chamber.
Max nodded to Kyle and Maria, who were already well into their task.
"Good luck," said Kyle.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Granolith Chamber)
(Minutes Before The Fall)
Max and Liz stumbled into the Granolith chamber as the explosions drew nearer, rocking the ground below them. As Max looked at the Granolith before him, the reality of the situation came crashing down around him. No matter what he did in the other time line, he would never be with his Liz again. He turned to Liz in desperation, begging her one last time to change her mind, "I won't leave you."
The same desperation was echoed in her voice but she would not relent, "No, no. No, Max. You have to."
Hearing the pain in her tone he continued, hopeful that he could appeal to her. "If I'm successful, if I can do this, you and I won't exist, not as we do now." But he could see the resolution in her eyes and knew she wouldn't give into him.
"Max, if you don't do this, we're gonna die, everyone will. Max, you have to do this. You have to try it."
"I'll never see you again." He smiled sadly, knowing her decision was irreversible. Her strength and resolution were contagious and shored up his flagging courage. Liz would force him to save the world when he would have been happy to die now at her side. "Thank you."
"For what?"
She had misunderstood him and he covered quickly. For everything, he thought. There were so many things and he regretted, and the end had come upon them so quickly he could not take the time to enumerate every wonderful moment of their lives together. "For every kiss, every smile."
Liz opened the connection between them one last time and let all of her love surge into him, "Max, I don't have any regrets."
Max felt the full strength of her love and devotion pouring over him and sent back his own, basking in the power of the emotions between them, the perfect unity of their souls. An explosion shook the chamber again, throwing them to the floor. They were out of time, and before he could change his mind he thrust the crystal into the base of the Granolith.
Together they watched the powerful machine come to life, unsure of what would happen.
Suddenly Max was disoriented and looked around to discover that he was inside the Granolith, separated from his wife for the first time in years. He turned to look at Liz for the last time, desperately trying to memorize her as she stood before him. Attempting to control his raging grief, he reached for Liz's calming influence, as he always had in bad times. He pressed his hand to the surface separating them and she raised her hand to his, but before they could touch, Max felt the power rush through him as the Granolith propelled him into the past.
As Max's body faded into nothingness, Liz felt their connection sputter and die, and as the grief started to consume her, his name was forced from her lips in anguish, "Aah! Maaax!" The overwhelming pain of his loss drove her to her knees.
Liz had pushed her thoughts to the back of her mind, carefully not letting herself think about what they were doing. She had known she would never see Max again but only now did she allow reality to set in. If she had let herself think about being without Max, she never would have let him leave. She would have clung to him and begged him to stay and let the world fall apart around them.
Max was her best friend, her life, her heart and soul, without him she just felt empty inside. She didn’t know how to live without him, how to go on alone. Max was everything.
Maria came in moments later and found Liz still on her knees. "We heard the activation," she said softly.
Liz nodded, unable to speak.
Maria's own loss was still fresh but she proceeded gently, "Liz we have to finish this. The skins are almost here."
Liz silently rose to her feet. There was still too much to do and she would have the rest of her life to grieve the loss of her beloved husband. She took a deep breath and pushed her pain aside. "Let's get it over with."
Maria passed half of the packages to Liz and they spaced them evenly throughout the room, connecting the wires that they pressed into the soft clay-like substance. They left the Granolith chamber and carefully threaded their way through the C-4 lining the pod chamber, connecting the wiring from one room to the other and activating the remote detonator.
When they were finished, Liz and Maria joined Kyle outside, where he was keeping watch, and they got into the Jeep and drove quickly away from the pod chamber and the approaching army.
Liz shrugged into the backpack that contained the remote detonators as they drove. With Max gone and Michael dead, Liz knew the rebellion would look to her to lead them but she just didn’t have the strength. Neither she nor Max had anticipated the loss of their connection when he went back in time and she wouldn't have allowed it to change their plans, but the sense of loss was almost more than she could bear. It felt as if her heart had been ripped from her chest, as if half of her was gone, and she longed for death to stop her pain.
Liz took a deep breath and focused her remaining strength on accomplishing the all-important mission. Kyle had argued that they should wait until the skins entered the Granolith chamber to detonate the explosives but Liz feared the skins might have enough power to stop the explosion by disconnecting the wires or mutating the C-4 into play-doh or something else equally harmless. So it had been decided that they would wait to detonate until the skins were near but not in the door, hoping they would eliminate a few of the soldiers when they destroyed the Granolith. They simply couldn’t take the chance and let the Granolith to fall into Khivar's hands. It had to be destroyed.
Liz finished the sentence in her head. It had to be destroyed, in case Max failed. Max. His name echoed through her head. It was doubtful they would know if he had succeeded or failed. For all they knew, he was already dead, destroyed in the Granolith or on the trip back. The theories of time-travel Serena had worked out were sound but they were just that, theories, and Liz would never know of her husband's fate. She felt the suffocating grief start to engulf her again and with great effort pushed it back.
They had all suffered great losses at the hands of the skins, losing their friends, families and lovers, their way of life, their freedom, and their planet, but Liz and Maria agreed, Kyle should activate the detonator. After his capture and torture, his hatred of the skins was a tangible thing and Liz doubted that even the lingering death of every one of their enemies would satisfy his hunger for revenge.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
With Maria and Liz beside him, Kyle watched from a ridge a mile away as the skins' terrible army advanced on the rock formation housing the pod chamber and the Granolith. They had left the pod chamber door open purposfully, and sent a signal from one of the orbs to attract the skins and lead them into the trap.
The first of the skin scouts started the climb up the rocky surface, and Kyle desperately searched the area for Nicholas, who had haunted his dreams and his fantasies of revenge, but the leader of the skin army was nowhere in sight. And as the first skin soldier reached the entrance to the pod chamber, Kyle reluctantly depressed the button to activate the explosives.
The explosion was tremendous, bigger than they had anticipated, and the resulting shockwave leveled anything that stood for hundreds of feet. Rocks and flaming debris rained down on the skin army, who scurried for cover that didn’t exist. As the dust cleared, the three friends were satisfied to see a gaping crater had replaced the rock formation and there was no sign of the Granolith.
Kyle's eyes burned brightly with the fire of satisfaction as he watched the skin soldiers die, engulfed in fire or crushed under rocks, but he searched the chaos in vain for Nicholas. The diminutive General was not among his troops and Kyle felt a shiver of cold dread race up his spine. He stood and pulled Maria to her feet with him. "We've got to get out of here."
He turned to Liz but she was already standing, facing something behind them with a look of calm resignation, almost relief, on her face. Kyle spun toward the beings he knew were there, and drew his blaster as he turned, only to have it knocked out of his hand before he could fire a shot.
"What did you think you could do human?" Nicholas scoffed. "Haven't I proven my superiority over your species?"
Kyle's rage boiled through him and he rushed the smaller being with murderous intent, only to be knocked back into Liz with a careless flip of Nicholas' hand.
Liz helped Kyle stand and kept a hand on his arm, willing him to look at her.
But Kyle refused to look into her eyes, knowing he could not stand to see the emptiness he knew he would find there. Since losing Max, Liz had spoken less than a dozen words and Kyle knew that having destroyed the Granolith, she wished for death, where she hoped to join Max.
Years ago he had read a quote by the Buddha that he had always thought described Liz perfectly. Good people shine from afar, like snowy mountains.
Kyle dared a glance in Liz’s direction but then quickly looked away. He could still see the golden light shining from her, but it was dulled by her grief, like a dark cloud blocking the light of the sun. Kyle squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head. He did not want to acknowledge that the small woman who had kept their group together for so many years, who had demonstrated her unfathomable strength, time and time again, who had stood between them and death, had given up. He did not want proof that his vivacious, beautiful friend craved death above all else.
Nicholas saw Kyle's reaction and continued. "There is no use resisting." He refocused on the small brown-haired woman before him. "Khivar is waiting for his prize, Liz Evans. Where is your husband?" Nicholas looked around, considering the three before him for the first time. "Max is always at your side. Why did he leave you unprotected?"
Kyle felt Liz open the connection between them and he started to resist, but she dropped in the kernel of an idea before he could shut her out. She had retained some of the explosives and a detonator but she doubted she could activate it alone. Through their connection, Kyle felt her grief wash over him like a hot suffocating rain that pressed the breath from his lungs, and he understood the depth of her connection and her love for Max for the first time. Being without Max was literally killing her. Kyle wanted to comfort Liz, take away her suffering, but he realized what she was asking him to do would put an end to all of their pain. He silently relayed his agreement to her and placed a strong arm around her as if to offer comfort, but instead slipped his hand into the backpack she was wearing.
Liz straightened to her full height and looked Nicholas in the eyes, but spoke in a ragged tone, "Max is dead."
She reached for Maria's hand and a look of understanding passed between them. Maria moved closer and signaled her agreement with a sad smile and a squeeze of her hand. "I love you Maria," Liz whispered to her life-long friend.
Maria whispered, "I love you too."
Liz felt Kyle in her mind as his hand closed over hers.
It's done, he said.
She responded aloud with a sigh of relief, knowing her pain would soon end, and spoke in Kyle's mind, I'm glad that we'll end this together.
Me too Liz, Kyle said as he squeezed her hand. There is no path through the air. No creature is eternal, but the awakened never die.
Liz smiled sadly and squeezed his hand, Thank you Kyle. Thanks for everything.
Even though Liz could no longer feel Max through their connection, she reached out with her mind for the shining, golden thread that bound them together. She wondered briefly if she could invoke it without Max but it slipped eagerly into place as it always did. Liz gathered her strength, built her power, as she had never done before, and using a burst of energy sent all of her love into the bond, hoping that Max would somehow receive her final message to him.
And holding the hands of the only loved-ones left to her, as Kyle counted down in her mind, 5 - 4 - 3, Liz turned to face Nicholas. "And now we will all go to meet Max, together."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode – The End of the World)
(Monday, October 23rd, 2000)
Max felt a solid surface beneath his feet and quickly looked around. He was on Liz's balcony, just as they had planned and he felt a rush of satisfaction go through him. If he could do this, change history, maybe he could save the world, save all of them, but then the sickening pain of the loss of his connection with Liz hit him. He almost fell to his knees and reached out to steady himself on the sill.
Liz, as a young woman he remembered so well, was in her room standing before her mirror, juggling the items that had been disturbed by his arrival. He smiled humorlessly remembering what his Liz had told him of the events of that evening. She had irrevocably decided they could not be together, but he had changed her mind so easily a few days later. And now he was here to permanently rend them apart.
As the Liz before him turned toward him, his eyes ran eagerly over her beautiful face. She had been his whole world for so long that Max could not envision a life without Liz in it. She was the person who he loved above everything, for whom he would sacrifice all, but they were forced to be eternally apart. He was not able to keep the anguish out of the single word he spoke. "Liz."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
When Max left Liz's house he had stolen a car and driven directly to the pod chamber to spend the night. It was the one place he was unlikely to meet anyone. As he had driven through Roswell, he could still see the ruined city it had become and promised himself he wouldn’t allow it to happen again.
Max climbed the path to the pod chamber door and passed his hand over the locking device. The door slid open and he walked inside to look into the Granolith chamber. It was the last place he had seen his Liz and he felt drawn to it. He entered the chamber and walked to where Liz had stood as the Granolith had propelled him back in time and reached up to touch the place where they had almost touched, but not.
As his hand made contact with the smooth, cool surface of the Granolith, the connection that Max shared with Liz suddenly blazed back into life and he grabbed for the wall to steady himself as the emotions poured over him.
He saw all of the precious times they had shared together flash past his eyes, and felt Liz's emotions wrapped up in them. And the one image that was the strongest, the most precious to Liz, was their wedding day. The images swirled around him, growing stronger and more vivid. It was as if he were there again, but this time he was seeing it through Liz's eyes and felt the overwhelming joy she had experienced that day. He held the image in his mind like it was a tangible thing and basked in the love, Liz's love for him, which accompanied the images.
Then another image wiped away all of the others. It was an image Max didn’t recognize, and was not part of, and he knew it had happened after he had left her. Liz stood proudly with Kyle and Maria before Nicholas and several skin soldiers, and Max desperately grasped for the image to discover Liz’s fate. But the blinding flash of an explosion followed by darkness was all that he saw. Liz was dead. Max knew it with a certainty the left his soul cold. Liz, the love of his life, his best friend and soul mate, had died and it was all his fault. Even his last desperate action of coming back in time had not saved her.
Liz had sent her thoughts, her love, to him as the last act of her life. She had wanted to tell him they had succeeded in their mission. Maria, Kyle and herself had destroyed the Granolith after he had left and she had sent all of her love and devotion spiraling into their connection, hoping against hope that he would receive it. He could feel her doubt that he would get her message but she had sent it anyway, believing their bond would somehow transcend time and space. But he could also feel the anguish she had experienced when their connection had been severed and how she had wished for, even welcomed death and the oblivion that would put an end to her suffering.
The emotions were too overwhelming and Max fell to the floor sobbing, devastated he had not been by his wife's side when she had died. He had failed her completely. He welcomed the grief that threatened to engulf him as the memories of their life together assailed him. Liz's happy, laughing face hung before him like a haunting reminder of what knowing him, being with him, had done to her. He had ruined Liz's life. He had killed her.
And then his thoughts turned to the innocent girl sleeping just a few miles away. She was his main concern now. This Liz had never seen war or witnessed the murder of friends and family. She'd never had to make life or death decisions. She'd never been forced to kill, and he vowed that she never would.
He had failed Liz once, but he could make sure that he didn’t fail her again. He would make sure this Liz would never suffer and die at the hands of aliens. She would not die hopeless and wishing for an end to her life. He would make Liz see the importance of staying away from her Max, and he would convince her to do whatever she had to do to make the younger version of himself release her.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode – The End of the World)
(Tuesday, October 24th, 2000)
Max waited on Liz's balcony while she went to confront his younger self.
After the fiasco with Tess outside the Crashdown, he had redoubled his efforts to convince Liz to sever all ties between herself and her Max. Liz had fought him, but he had convinced her to continue, and now she was going to face his younger self directly.
Max walked around the small space, smiling sadly, touching the items that held so many memories. The good times and the bad alike were precious to him and he allowed himself to mourn all he had lost, and all his younger self would never have.
And as he moved toward the spot where he and Liz had shared their first kiss, he felt a strange sensation as new memories started to crowd his old ones. In his mind, he saw Liz come to his room. He felt his younger self’s joy and hope at her presence, then confusion as she would not allow him to speak, and finally despair as she stood before him and told him all of the things he had been most afraid of. She said that his alien nature had endangered her and was causing her to push him away.
Through the eyes of his younger self, Max watched Liz leave his room and felt an anguish rise up within him that echoed what his younger self was feeling. And even though he knew Liz's words to be lies, the pain was fresh and sharp. He longed to offer comfort to his younger self, but even if it were possible, he wouldn't. He had to do everything in his power to make sure that Liz would not die fighting a losing war without him, and if it meant that his younger self had to suffer without her, then it was a small price to pay.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Liz returned and Max sat watching her cry. He was hopeful that she had succeeded in pushing his younger self away but the pain of losing his Liz, added to the pain of witnessing the Liz before him mourning, was almost more than he could bear. He reached for a tissue hoping to comfort her in any small way but his hand passed through the box.
Even with grief overwhelming her, Liz noticed immediately. "What, what's happening?" she asked, the fear evident in her voice.
"This must be it," Max said with relief. "What you did must have worked. I'm leaving."
"What, so you're just, you're going back to where you came from?"
Max smiled sadly, realizing for the first time that his passing would cause her even more pain. He was the one lifeline she had in the hopeless future she perceived without him, and when he was gone, she would be utterly alone with their secret. He ached that he had to cause her pain but he was satisfied it was worth it to save her from suffering and death.
"There's nowhere to go back to," Max said softly, as he eagerly reached for the void that beckoned to him. He thought for a moment he could almost see his Liz waiting for him, welcoming him, but then his memories started to shift and he was brought solidly back to Earth.
His younger self had gone to Maria and she was telling him to stop pursuing Liz, to leave her alone. But as his younger self considered releasing Liz, he remembered her earlier actions when she had set him up with Tess, and the light of hope was rekindled within him. Max’s younger self wondered if Liz was pushing him away because she felt it was the right thing to do. And as Maria's voice intruded on his thoughts, he knew with absolute certainty that he would not give her up. He shrugged and looked up at Maria, "I can't help it. I love her. What can I say?"
Max admired his younger self for his stubborn refusal to give up. Perhaps if he had possessed that same driving relentlessness, they wouldn't be where they were now. Then he cursed his younger self for that same stubbornness. They had been so close to succeeding and he had been robbed of his chance to rejoin his Liz. "It didn't work," Max said, slamming his now solid hand down. "We have to do something else."
But the Liz before him was fighting him too. "No. I, I can't."
"You have to," he replied more harshly than he meant to.
Liz looked him in the eyes. "Do you know how hard it was for me to tell him that I didn't want to die for him? He's the only reason that I'm alive right now. You, you've, you got to come up with another plan. Please go to someone else. I, I just, I can't do this anymore."
Max could hear the anguish in her voice and he longed to comfort her, but everything he was doing was to save her, and he hardened his heart. He had to convince her to continue but he knew that she wouldn’t accept her own salvation as a reason to act. He would do anything to save her; lie, cheat, steal or kill. He felt a brief moment of guilt but he quickly pushed it aside as the solution came to him. He only had this one last chance to give her a normal life so he unashamedly based his argument on the others he knew she would risk all to save.
"Just twenty-five minutes before I came here, I held Michael in my arms, dead." He saw her jerk to attention, knew that his tactic was working, and continued relentlessly. "Isabel died two weeks before that."
Max could see the resolution start to settle into her features and he knew he had already won her over. "Now you have to do this. You have to find a way." You have to find a way Liz, he said silently to himself, your life depends on it. He continued aloud, "All of our lives depend on it."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode – The End of the World)
(Wednesday, October 25th, 2000)
(The Parker House – Liz’s Bathroom)
Max sat on the edge of the bathtub, remembering the events of the coming Friday night, the night of the Gomez concert so many years ago, events that would now never happen. His Liz had been softening toward him and he had been hopeful that he could persuade her to give them another chance. But when he had arrived outside her window and discovered her distressed state, his only thought had been to comfort her. That was the night that they had made love for the first time and it was start of the rest of their lives together.
Max was brought back to the present as his younger self approached Liz's window, just like he had done so many years before, concert tickets in hand. That night he had come to ask Liz to the concert again. He had found her alone, studying, and she had refused to come out to talk to him, needing the protection of the window frame between. It had made Max’s heart soar that she was so afraid of her own behavior around him, and though they hadn’t even touched, he had pressed his advantage. He had professed his love and told her they were meant to be together, countering every one of her arguments. And even though she had eventually asked him to leave, he had never doubted that she was close to surrender.
But suddenly his memories shifted as his younger self looked into Liz's dark room and heard talking from inside.
At first, the younger Max couldn’t comprehend what he was seeing, but as he took in the scene before him, understanding slashed through him like a knife. Liz was in bed with Kyle. His life, his love, had betrayed him with another man.
Even knowing the truth, Max shared the anguish his younger self was feeling, the fresh agony searing his soul. It rivaled the sense of loss he had felt when his connection with Liz had been severed and his head bowed under the weight of the pain. He struggled to block out the pain of his younger self, as the younger Max stumbled across the roof and fumbled blindly down the ladder. Max concentrated on the life he had shared with his Liz, the happy times they had lived before the invasion. He let Liz's love for him carry away the pain and he pushed the new memories aside.
After a few moments Max could hear movement in Liz's room and he knew she was getting rid of Kyle. He waited until she silently opened the door to the bathroom to let him out, and then he followed her through the window and onto the balcony. Liz collapsed onto the chair as if her strength had abandoned her. Max sat next to her and noticed she wasn’t crying and suspected the last couple of days had been so painful that she had no tears left.
Even though he had seen proof on many occasions, Max was still surprised by Liz's strength. "I've fought a thousand battles, but watching you do that was the hardest thing I've ever had to do."
"The look on his face. On your face," Liz said miserably.
He had consigned her to a life without her soul mate and she was only concerned Max's feelings. Typical Liz, he thought. "Maybe it's for the best. For you, too," he rushed to reassure her.
Liz was dumbfounded, "What are you talking about?
Max had selfishly wished she would remain alone after he was gone, but he now that the moment was upon him, he had to make sure Liz had a chance at happiness. He smiled joylessly, the words he was about to speak ripping him apart inside. "I saw you with Kyle. He's turning out to be a, a great guy."
He had said it earlier and he had thought it impossible, but he was jealous of Kyle. Jealous of the friendship that Kyle would share with Liz and jealous of the connection that would bind them together, and perhaps convince them to be together. He practically choked as he continued, imagining another man touching her. "Maybe it would be better for you to be with a human."
Liz was always amazed that a handsome, intelligent man like Max could doubt himself so much. He didn't realize even now, after they had spent so many years together, that he had changed her forever. "Don't you realize what you are to me?" Liz asked him. "What you're always going to be? You're the love of my life. Everyone else is going to be second best. There'll never be another you."
Max's heart swelled with love at her words. He had known she loved him but he was surprised at the depth of her feelings, even after she and his younger self had been apart for all of those months.
"So Max and, Tess are going to be together now," Liz made it more of a statement than a question.
Max wanted to reassure her their love would never end, that he would never even consider being with Tess, but he couldn't risk giving her that kind of hope. "I don't know,” he said softly. “I don't know anything now. This is a different world."
"I'm going to be alone," Liz said simply.
The thought of Liz pining for him for the rest of her life, filled him with dread. She was a kind and loving person with her whole life ahead of her. He had ruined her life and her happiness in his reality and he wanted to do something to guarantee her happiness this time around. "Maybe. Maybe not." He continued the thought silently to himself; maybe in the future it would be possible for them to be together. Maybe. He continued aloud, "From now on, the future is to be determined. It's what I've always said to you, Liz. We create our own destiny."
Liz knew this was her last chance to be with Max, and she couldn't pass it up. "Could you dance with me?"
It was the last thing he had expected her to say and he wasn't sure he had heard her correctly. "What?"
"I want to have my wedding dance."
Liz had always loved to dance and Max was sorry he hadn't thought of it. As he took Liz into his arms one last time, the bittersweet strains of their song started to echo through his head.
Come to me now
And lay your hands over me
Max smiled, remembering the first time they had danced to the song, on their wedding night. The memory was so strong, that for a moment he was back there, lazily spinning around the dingy floor with his new bride.
Even if it's a lie
Say it will be all right
And I shall believe
As they danced, a new set of memories intruded into Max’s mind. His younger self had gone to the park and Tess had found him there. And when he had looked into her eyes, really looked, what he saw was not what he had expected. In her eyes he saw loneliness and fear of rejection.
For the first time Max considered how alone Tess must have been, how much she had felt like an outsider, and he was filled with shame that he had pushed her away.
I'm broken in two
And I know you're on to me
That I only come home
When I'm so all alone
But I do believe
As Max twirled Liz around, he felt a shift in the universe that echoed through his soul like the resolution of a chord. His younger self had not stopped loving Liz and he now knew that he never would, even after the ultimate act of betrayal. But his pain had allowed him to open his heart, to realize that loving Liz did not stop him from caring for others, especially his family. He would never love Tess as she wanted, but he could offer her friendship, support and a place in the family.
And when Tess placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, Max knew his younger self had made the decision to make Tess more a part of their group.
That not everything is gonna be the way
You think it ought to be
It seems like every time I try to make it right
It all comes down on me
His own knowledge merging with the discovery of his younger self suddenly made everything become so clear. After all these years, Max realized that he had been a fool, because what Tess had really craved all along, he had been lucky to find with Michael and Isabel, with the Evans, with Liz. What he had selfishly denied Tess, was a family.
Please say honestly you won't give up on me
And I shall believe
And I shall believe
He had treated Tess badly not because he had been afraid of growing close to her, but because he hadn’t wanted to face up to what she had represented in his past life. And he had allowed her to leave because she had been a constant reminder of his responsibilities. Without her there it had been easier for him to forget he wasn't human, forget about a planet he didn't want to remember, and a people he didn't know. Out of sight out of mind.
Open the door
And show me your face tonight
I know it's true
No one heals me like you
And you hold the key
He had mistakenly thought if he accepted the Kingship, he would have to abandon Liz, but he could see now that it was not a question of either or, it was a balancing act. He had been a fool not to see it before. He could be the King of Antar and still have Liz in his life, at his side.
Never again
would I turn away from you
I'm so heavy tonight
But your love is all right
And I do believe
He had tried to deny his duty to his people and live a normal human life with Liz but his duties had continually resurfaced. And now that the end was near, he was faced with the truth. He wasn't a normal human. He was the King of Antar. There was no escaping that destiny and if he had accepted it sooner, embraced everything that it meant, none of this would have happened.
He had denied what he was for too long. Khivar's invasion of Earth had forced him to accept his position, but by then it had been too late. He wasn’t prepared, he didn’t know how to lead his people and they had lost. If he had accepted his duty sooner, he could have prepared, made alliances, developed their powers. He and Liz could have been together for the rest of their long lives, battling Khivar, raising a family, or whatever else their lives would have included, instead of dying alone, years apart in different realities.
That not everything is gonna be the way
You think it ought to be
It seems like every time I try to make it right
It all comes down on me
Max ached to tell Liz of his discovery; she and the younger Max could be together. It wasn't their love that had pushed Tess away. It had been his exclusion of Tess from their family, their group, his need to deny what and who he was. He eagerly reached for Liz as she twirled away from him, but his hand passed through hers. Max looked at it dumbly as he watched the yawning void rush up to meet him.
Please say honestly
You won't give up on me
And I shall believe
"Liz," he cried out urgently, but she didn’t hear him, didn’t look in his direction. He had failed her again but this time there would be no going back to fix it.
Max watched her spinning away from him and considered himself lucky that she was the last thing he would ever see. "I love you Liz," he whispered, but his voice was lost even to his own ears, as he dissolved into the blackness.
And I shall believe
I shall believe
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
END OF BOOK 8 - RESTRUCTURING REALITY (THE HISTORY OF THE FUTURE - MAX)
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
WHO'S WHO & NAME PRONUNCIATIONS
Book 9 - Verisimilitude (The Conspiracy Exposed)
EARTH
Humans
Liz Parker - the girl that Max Evans loved enough to risk exposure, healing her when she was shot at the Crashdown Cafe
Jeff Parker - Liz's father - owns the Crashdown Cafe
Nancy Parker - Liz's mother
Philip Evans - Max and Isabel's adoptive father - he is a lawyer
Diane Evans - Max and Isabel's adoptive mother
Maria DeLuca - Liz's best friend
Amy DeLuca - Maria's mother - owns a novelty store specializing in alien merchandise
Sean DeLuca - Maria's cousin and former inmate of Chavez County Juvenile
Alex Whitman - Liz and Maria's best friend
Chuck (Charles) Whitman - Alex's father
Gloria Whitman - Alex's mother
Kyle Valenti – Jim Valenti’s son and Liz's friend
Sheriff Jim Valenti Jr. - Sheriff of Roswell - Kyle's father
Deputy Eric Hansen - Deputy in the Roswell Sheriff's office - promoted to Sheriff after Jim Valenti was asked to step down
Agent Daniel Pierce - Deputy Dave Fisher - head of the special unit 5/2/1999 - 5/14/2000
Brody Davis - internet start-up millionaire - believes he was abducted by aliens and cured of his cancer - bought the Roswell UFO Museum from Milton Ross to conduct research in Roswell where he believes there is alien activity
Grant Sorensen - geologist - possessed by the Ganderium Queen
Melissa Foster - the girl that Isabel and Valenti mistakenly thought was the kidnap victim
Charles Dupree - Grandpa Dupree - human taken by the shape shifters for his DNA - Laurie Dupree's Grandfather
Laurie Dupree - Granddaughter of Charles Dupree (Michael's DNA donor) - kidnapped by the Ganderium Queen because of a rare gene flaw
Bobby Dupree - son of Charles - uncle of Laurie
Meredith Dupree - daughter of Charles - aunt of Laurie - after Laurie's parents died Bobby and Meredith had Laurie declared insane so they could control her money
Dan Lubertkin - member of the State Police Board and Sheriff's old friend
Agent Susanne Duff - FBI Agent investigating the kidnapping of Laurie Dupree
Leanna - aka Jennifer Coleman – a student at the University of Las Cruces, who Alex thinks he met In Sweden
Ray White - aka Alex Whitman - Liz and Maria's best friend
Mr. Stockman - employee of the Swedish embassy who helps Liz identify the building in the photo with Alex and Leanna
Don Peters - professor of computer science at the University of Las Cruces who helped Liz get Alex's research
Shape Shifters Loyal to the Royal Four
Nasedo - Sodan - Ed Harding - expert in hand-to-hand and weapons combat and a pilot, special skill - heat and energy blasts
Letras - (le-tras) - Zan's former tutor, expert in philosophy, history and military tactics, captured by the special unit and killed
Cuerena (soor'-ren-ya) – Serena - scientist and Granolith expert, special skills - illusion - assigned the dupes protector
Tic Tac - Kaldar - expert in hand-to-hand and weapons combat, special skill - empath
Skins
Nicholas Crawford - General Calles Nicaron (kal-ees) (ni-ca'-ron) - Khivar's right hand and head general
Courtney Banks - Lieutenant Scorene - (skor-ra-nay) - Rath's friend from childhood and member of the Michael worshippers
Congresswoman Vanessa (Crawford) Whitaker- Major Nesta - Head of the Granolith Project
Tyrone Greer - T. Greer - Major Grester - Head of the Vilondra Project
Walt Crawford - Colonel Jafto - Nicholas' second in command, posing as his father
Ida Crawford - Idos - Nicholas' personal servant, posing as his mother
Gregory Jensen - Gragras - (gra-gras) - the scientist in charge of the skins project
Corporal Raltos - one of the soldiers prepared for Khivar to possess on Earth
Hybrids
Max Evans - Zan
Isabel Evans - Vilondra
Michael Guerin - Rath
Tess Harding - Alyssa Morgan
The Dupes
Zan - Max's dupe
Lonni - Isabel's dupe
Rath - Michael's dupe
Ava - Tess' dupe
Possessed Humans
Brody - Larek
Grant Sorensen - Ganderium Queen
ANTAR
Tageions (tauj'-ee-ons) - people inhabiting the north lands
King Zantor Tageonant (tauj'-o-nant) - (Zan) - Max - the rightful King of Antar
Queen Avalynd Telnada Tageonant - (Ava) - Zan's young bride
Royal Princess Vilondra Tageonant - Isabel - Zan’s sister
Queen Nedra Tageonant (ne'-dra) - Zan & Vilondra's mother
Tageonon (tauj'-o-non) - the capitol city of Antar, where the king's palace is located
Sodan (so-dan) - Nasedo - Zan's most trusted protector
Jensto (jens-toe) - a scientist in Zan's employ
General Toaks - named Zan's second in command after Rath died - Queen Nedra's head General in the resistance against Khivar
General Alarath Varros (Rath) - Michael - Zan's best friend and second in command
Kaldar – Tic Tac - Rath's most trusted protector
Lady Chanya Santas (shawn'-ya) - Vilondra's friend
Harcions (Har-see-ons) - people inhabiting the south lands
Khivar Roistar (roys'-tar) - Senator in the Council and man who eventually takes Zan's throne
General Calles Nicaron (kal-ees) (ni-ca'-ron) - Nicholas - Khivar's right hand and head general
Lieutenant Scorene - (skor-ra-nay) - Courtney - Rath's childhood friend
Major Nesta - Congresswoman Vanessa (Crawford) Whitaker - Head of the Granolith Project
Major Grester - T. Greer - Head of the Vilondra Project
Colonel Jafto - Walt Crawford - Nicholas' second in command, posing as his father
Idos - Ida Crawford - Nicholas' personal servant, posing as his mother
Gragras - (gra-gras) - Gregory - the scientist in charge of the skins project
Corporal Raltos - one of the soldiers prepared for Khivar to possess on Earth
Roistar (roys'-tar) - formerly Tageonon, Khivar changed the name when he assumed the throne
The Leptes (the Antarian word for Vengeance) - the ship Khivar sent to Earth with Nicholas and the skins
Shape Shifters sent to Earth with the Pods
Sodan - Nasedo - Ed Harding - expert in hand-to-hand and weapons combat and a pilot - special ability energy blasts
Letras - (le-tras) - Zan's former tutor, expert in philosophy, history and military tactics - captured by the special unit and died
Cuerena (soor'-ren-ya) – Serena - scientist and Granolith expert - special ability illusion - assigned the dupes protector
Kaldar - Tic Tac - expert in hand-to-hand and weapons combat - special ability empath
Leaders of the other planets in the Antarian system
Larek - Brody - Royal Duke of Talros (tal'-ros)
Hanar - Minister of Sofek (so-fec')
Sero - Chancellor of Yedom (yea'-dom)
Kathana - Royal Duchess of Ravok (ra'-voc)
BOOK 9 - VERISIMILITUDE (THE CONSPIRACY EXPOSED)
veri-si-mil-i-tude -
1 : having the appearance of truth
DISCLAIMER: Some of the dialogue used was taken from the episodes. I am not claiming credit for having written it but used it simply to set up the tone of a scene or show parallels between lives and realities.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Did you ever get the feeling that the whole story of season 2 was not revealed? This is a full account of what really happened at the New York Summit & the events leading up to Alex's death & Tess' Departure.
The story picks up in the episode The End of the World, right after Max saw Liz and Kyle in bed together and future Max disappeared. All of the events take place just as they aired in the episodes, I am simply showing some of the important things that didn't air. I have not recounted all of the stories in the episodes but jumped ahead to parts I felt needed clarification.
I am assuming that the reader is very familiar with the episodes and will be able to place the scenes but if you are having trouble with when something is happening, check the timeline. I have broken down each episode into the major events.
Each scene that takes place during an episode is referenced with the episode title. Each change of date is also marked. If a scene has no date it takes place later in the day of the last date. For an exact placement of the extra scenes see the timeline. Any scenes with a date but no episode title take place between episodes.
The dates for some things may be different than you might expect. I tried to use the dates mentioned on the Silver Handprint website and in the episodes as much as possible but some of the dates would have put too many or too few days in certain episodes or put the gang in school on Saturday or Sunday. The dates in some of the episodes are so messed up, it isn't even funny.
I tried to stick to the dates mentioned as much as possible but there are differences. For instance, in the episode Harvest, the TV announcer says Whitaker died on the 25th. Isabel clearly said the 25th was the day before, making the day of the episode Thursday the 26th. Three days later, in the episode Wipeout, Nicholas says that it is Saturday. Only in a messed-up world where ‘time exists in multiple subset dimensions, so we are on Pacific and Eastern and Central and Mountain time all at once,’ could three days after Thursday be Saturday. So I made it Sunday, like it should be, and moved on.
Also I know that some people think it is strange that Max and Liz kept 'breaking up' even when they weren't together, but this never struck me as being odd. It is quite obvious to me that no matter what had happened, they both still loved one another and both still thought they would be able to get back together eventually.
There are many examples of their continuing feelings for one another, throughout Season 2, and I have included a few to remind the reader and show the reasons for their behavior.
NAGGING QUESTIONS:
1. What did the dupes do to Tess in New York?
2. What happened to the dupes? What happened to the dupes' protector?
3. Did Tess really pull off the whole 'Sweden' trip by herself?
4. How come after ten-plus years of memory recovery, Tess can only remember vague images and feelings from her past life, but after a couple of weeks, Max can remember just as much?
5. Did Nasedo really betray the Pod Squad to Khivar?
6. Why didn't Tess, Max or the others go to Brody/Larek to get the book translated?
7. Who the hell is Leanna? And what is the deal with the binary code?
8. Is there a plausible explanation for Max’s asinine behavior at the end of season 2?
9. What about everything that happened in the End of the World and the sacrifices that Liz and Future Max made? Was it all for nothing?
DEFINITION:
Veritem Generator - aka the Greenis - the device (green rod) used by the skins in the episode Wipeout to make the humans disappear
trithium amplification generator – aka amplifier - the black, chevron-shaped device that is used by the Skins for communication and suspending the powers of Antarians among other things.
Transverse Thought Projector - the device used by Antarians to amplify their powers to 'possess' humans.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - End of the World)
(Wednesday, October 25, 2000)
Max stumbled blindly away from Liz's balcony, the sight of her in bed with Kyle, the only thing he could see. He wasn't capable of rational thought, the grief of losing Liz so suddenly and unexpectedly, overshadowed everything else. He walked away from the building, giving no thought to a destination, just knowing he had to get away.
Unmindful of how he got there, he eventually found himself in the park and collapsed onto a bench, his strength suddenly leaving him. He still couldn't believe what he had seen, but the scene played over and over in his head, forcing him to acknowledge the truth. He felt as if the world had suddenly turned on its side and everything he had ever believed was a lie.
Liz, his best friend, his love, his soul mate, had betrayed him in the worst way possible and things would never be the same again. Even though they were not together, he had known there would never be anyone else for him or Liz. They loved one another too completely to ever contemplate being with anyone else. Max had felt with a soul-deep certainty that it was just a matter of time until Liz stopped fighting him and they would be reunited. She loved him as much as he loved her and the only reason she had insisted on keeping them apart was because she thought it was for his own good.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Tess walked through the park as she often did in the evenings contemplating the events of the day. Max had been on her mind so much lately that it didn't surprise her to see him, but she was surprised by the state she found him in. She slowly approached him but Max was so absorbed in his misery that he didn't even notice her until she spoke to him, "Are you okay?"
Surprised by Tess' appearance Max answered truthfully, "No."
Tess was unsure of what to do. Max looked like he had lost his best friend and even though she knew she was the last person he wanted to talk to, she really didn't think he should be alone. "Can I sit down?"
Max looked at Tess strangely, her question catching him off guard, "Sure."
They sat in silence for a few moments and Tess wondered what could have done this to Max. It wasn't like him to fall apart. He was usually so controlled but she could tell he was on the edge. "Do you wanna talk about it?" she asked softly.
"No," Max said, his grief making his voice gruff.
Tess winced, interpreting his harsh tone as being directed toward her. Maybe Max really wanted to be alone and felt she was intruding. She hesitatingly asked him the question she had been dreading, "Do you want me to leave?"
Max looked at Tess, sitting next to him. He didn't know what he expected but it wasn't the vulnerable look he saw in her eyes. He had always thought she was so single-minded about their mission that she never had a doubt, never questioned her place in the grand design. But as he studied her, he could see that she was scared too. She had asked him if he wanted her to leave and his first impulse had been to say yes, but he could tell she was asking not just about this night but about their lives. What she was really asking him was did he want her to leave his life.
Suddenly Max felt ashamed. Tess had no friends or family other than Isabel, Michael and himself and he had made her feel like an outsider in her own family. He had treated her like she had no place among them, like she would contaminate them somehow, and he was sorry. Tess had nowhere else to go, and being the leader, he was ultimately responsible for her. "No," he said softly, answering her question.
Tess could practically feel the grief pouring off of Max and she instinctively wanted to offer comfort, but she was not sure of how Max would receive her gesture. She reached out tentatively and gently placed her hand on his shoulder, ready to pull it back immediately if he was offended. But when he looked at her with his tear-filled eyes, she knew he had accepted the gesture in the spirit she had offered it.
Tess suddenly felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from her. She had struggled all of those months trying to get Max to see her and now he finally had. It meant the world to her that the man she loved had finally accepted her as a friend.
Max let her hand rest on his shoulder and turned and looked out into the night, not ready for her to see the extent of his grief. "Liz slept with Kyle," he said in a broken voice.
"What?" Tess asked. She couldn't have been more surprised if Max had said the moon had fallen out of the sky. But then she remembered what Liz had said to her when she had offered to help with Max.
Tess, I am sick of living like this, and I'm not gonna be free to move on unless I get Max to move on.
Tess remembered that Liz had been almost desperate for Tess to accept her offer of help. Tess had believed Liz to be sincere about helping her with Max, but she hadn't realized the lengths Liz would be willing to go.
Max continued as if Tess hadn't spoken. "I can hardly believe it's really true, but I saw it with my own eyes." His voice became softer as he spoke and he ended the sentence in a whisper.
Tess was genuinely surprised by the extent of Max's grief. Max had told her many times he loved Liz, but Tess had never even suspected that his feelings for the human ran so deep. "I'm so sorry Max," Tess said sincerely.
"I love her so much," he continued, "and she loves me. How could she have done it? Didn't she have any faith in me, in us?"
Tess answered honestly, "I don't know."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Liz's balcony)
Liz stopped her spin and turned back to the older Max, but he wasn't where she expected him to be. She looked around, but suddenly the truth of the situation struck her. Max was gone. The plan had worked, they had changed the time line and he was gone. She wavered unsteadily on her feet, feeling as if she might faint, more alone than she had ever been in her life.
Automatically her eyes were drawn to the sky, and a shooting star passed overhead as if it were heralding Max's death and carrying his soul into the heavens.
Liz stood in shock, unable to believe that Max was really lost to her forever. Intellectually she had known she would never be with her Max again, but now that the Max from the future was gone, she knew the end had come. She could no longer pretend she would have a future with Max, she couldn't let the world be destroyed because she and Max loved one another. So she had traded her life with Max, for the safety of everyone on Earth. And even though Liz thought the satisfaction of saving the planet should have been enough, she was already grieving the loss of her love.
It had almost killed her to have to cause Max so much pain. Liz could still see the look of horror and agony on Max's face as he had gazed through her window and she knew it would haunt her the rest of her life. As he had stumbled away, it was as if Liz could feel the pain Max was experiencing. It felt like a physical object had crushed her chest, driving the air from her lungs, and for the space of several heartbeats she thought she would die.
Liz had thought it had taken all of her courage to turn away from Max at the cave last summer, but she had been horribly wrong. She had been forced to summon a strength she didn't know she possessed to stop herself from running after Max when he had seen her in bed with Kyle, wanting nothing more than to soothe the lines of agony from Max’s face. Loving him like she did, she was willing to sacrifice anything to stop Max's pain, and the only reason she stopped herself from telling him the truth was because Max himself had asked her to do it.
She would have rather died herself than pretend to betray him, but the older Max had been convinced it was the only way to save them. Liz hadn't wanted to believe him but she had come to the conclusion that she could not be with Max when she had heard the message from his mother in the cave. Even without the message, Liz would have done anything he asked of her; he was Max and she loved him with everything she was.
She couldn't believe how unfair life was. Even though she had not been with Max, she had known they would always love one another. She had told him they couldn't be together and she had really believed it was for the best, but she knew that Max would never stop loving her. And she had held on to the hope that one day it would be possible for them to be together, somehow. But now, after what she had done to push him away, she had given up hope. She had killed Max's love for her, and eventually he would turn to Tess.
Liz collapsed onto her lawn chair and she let the tears that had been threatening for days, flow freely down her cheeks as she mourned her lost love and the heroic Max from the future who had sacrificed himself to give them a better life.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Harvest)
(Thursday, October 26th, 2000)
(West Roswell High School)
Kyle watched Liz closely throughout their History class. Last night she had been so devastated after Max left, she had barely said a word. He had wanted to stay and make sure she was okay but she had obviously been anxious for him to leave.
Today it seemed as if all of the life had been taken out of Liz. She moved in a slow, jerky manner as if she were in physical pain, and the light of curiosity and intelligence that usually shined from her eyes had been replaced by a spiritless, unseeing stare. She was obviously still deeply affected by what had happened the night before.
Kyle had recently read a quote by the Buddha that he thought described Liz perfectly. Good people shine from afar, like snowy mountains. As he studied her, her could still see the golden light shining from her but it was dulled like a dark cloud blocking the light of the sun.
He didn't know why Liz had asked him to help her make Max think they had slept together, but she had been so desperate when she had come to him yesterday, that he couldn't deny her. He'd wanted to find out what had really happened so he could comfort her, but he knew she wouldn't allow it. She had deflected all of his questions by simply saying she couldn't tell him. He didn't know what had happened to make her think she needed to take such drastic action but something was definitely wrong.
Even though he had originally thought that Max had come between himself and Liz, Kyle had been forced to admit some time ago, it wasn't the truth. Max and Liz had something special between them and they would have found one another eventually. Liz had explained her reasons for leaving Max over the summer, but Kyle had always thought it was only a matter of time before they got together again.
When the bell rang signaling the end of class Kyle followed Liz into the hall and pulled her aside. "Liz I don't know what happened last night," he held up a hand to stop her objection, "and you don't have to tell me." He released a sigh, "But Liz something is wrong, I know it is, and if you ever need to talk or just need a friend, I'm here for you."
Liz smiled. Kyle was becoming a really good guy just like the Max from the future had said. She touched his arm, "Thanks Kyle."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Congresswoman Whitaker's Office)
(Roswell, NM)
Liz stayed behind after the others had left, claiming that she needed to straighten up, but she really needed a few minutes to collect herself after Max's accusations. Never in her wildest imaginings had she thought that Max would stop trusting her, but he obviously had. Somehow word of Whitaker's death had gotten out and she had been Max's first and only suspect. She supposed she should have suspected it was possible he would lose faith in her, but they had been through so much together, she simply hadn't expected him to turn on her so completely.
A solitary tear ran down her cheek and she brushed it impatiently away; she had to be stronger than this if she were to convince Max it was true. She had to harden her heart against his remarks and grieve his loss in solitary. She knew that in Max's mind she had betrayed him in the worst possible way and she deserved to suffer. He was simply striking out because of the pain that she had caused him.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Max sat behind Liz and studied the back of her head as she drove the Jeep down the dark road, toward Copper Summit. He had been up all night last night, trying to figure out what he had really seen at Liz's house, but he was still no closer to a solution. He had seen the evidence with his own eyes, but he just couldn't accept it and the more he thought about it, the more he was convinced it couldn't be true. Everything in his heart told him the Liz he knew would never have betrayed him.
As she drove, Liz could feel Max's gaze burning into the back of her head, and she nervously glanced in the mirror at him. "I'm, I'm okay up here, if you want to get some sleep."
"I haven't slept since I saw you with Kyle," Max started gruffly, but his tone quickly changed to a pleading one. "Liz, I know you, and I don't believe that you would do that to me. It doesn't make sense. Tell me what happened."
Against her will, Liz's eyes were drawn to Max's image in the rear-view mirror. She could hear the anguish in his voice and more than anything she wanted to tell him the truth. A piece of her died every time she saw evidence of the suffering her betrayal had caused him; the sharp tone of his voice, the pain in his soulful eyes.
Her eyes met his in the mirror and she winced at the intensity of emotion she saw reflected. Max looked haggard, crippled. Liz felt as if her heart had been crushed and she opened her mouth to confess but she forced herself to remember why she was doing it and the words that would relieve both of their suffering died in her throat. She closed her mouth as the tears gathered in her eyes, and left Max's question unanswered.
Even if she lost every friend she had ever had and died of a broken heart, Liz vowed she would keep the secret. This Max would never know that everything she was doing was for him.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Harvest)
(Friday, October 27th, 2000)
(The Crawford House)
(Copper Summit, AZ)
Nicholas put on his shy teenager act and looked around the wall at the visitors sitting on the sofa in his living room, across from Walt and Ida. Greer had called to warn him the outsiders were coming because they had asked about the harvest and Vilondra. Nicholas didn't know who they were but obviously they must know something. When they arrived, Ida told him they were kids who knew Vanessa from Roswell.
There were three girls and a guy, and Nicholas studied them as Walt kept them engaged in an inane conversation. Nothing particular struck him about the guy or two of the girls, but the girl closest to him somehow seemed familiar. Then suddenly she looked over at him, and when their eyes met, he recognized her immediately. It was Vilondra.
"Hi," she greeted him.
Nicholas didn't return her greeting, wondering if her companions were also part of the Royal Four as he suspected, and why they were here.
Ida called out to him, "Nicholas, there you are. Come on in here. Come on, say hello."
"No, ma'am," Nicholas answered as he silently signaled Walt to join him. He didn't have time to sit and chat and perhaps allow Vilondra to figure out who he was.
His mind was spinning with possibilities as he went into the kitchen to wait for Walt. More than likely, the guy was Zan and one of the other girls was Ava, but where was Rath? Was the other girl a shape shifter? Ida had told him the dark haired girl, Liz, worked for Vanessa and had come supposedly to return Vanessa’s personal items, but obviously that was simply an excuse. Why had they come to Copper Summit now? Nicholas wondered. Did they know about the harvest?
After a few moments, Walt joined him, "What do you think, Sir?"
"I’m not sure," Nicholas admitted. "Lets go to the UFL building." He motioned to the other room, "We won't be overheard there and we can find out exactly what they asked Gragras and Greer."
Walt nodded and the two of them walked up the road toward the Universal Friendship League building. When they were out of sight of the house, Nicholas pulled out his amplifier and signaled Gragras, "Meet me at the UFL building."
Gragras and Greer were waiting for them when they arrived and Nicholas turned to Greer. "Tell me Greer, what exactly did these kids say to you?"
Greer nodded, "They were asking about the UFL. Asked what it is and they seemed really interested in getting a look inside the building. And the girl asked about the Vilondra project."
Nicholas' interest was peeked, "Which girl?"
"I only saw one girl," Greer said. "She was tall, blonde, hair pulled back, and she was wearing all black."
Nicholas nodded and turned to Gragras. "They spoke to you first and you alerted Greer."
Gragras nodded, "They asked if this was Copper Summit and I gave them the usual spiel about the town going bust. Then they said they were looking for the UFL building and I figured they must be with us. I don’t know all of our people and I asked if they were here for the harvest, but they didn't know what that was."
Nicholas interrupted, "You didn't think it was odd they were asking about the building?"
Gragras shrugged, "I just figured they hadn't been back to town in a while."
Nicholas let it go and prompted him to continue.
"The girl, the blonde in black, had a letter and said they had been invited to the harvest. Of course then I knew they weren't part of our group but I pointed out the building and called Greer."
"Why all of these questions, Sir?" Walt asked. "Do you think they know too much?"
Nicholas smiled, "The blonde with all the questions is Vilondra."
"You're sure?" asked Greer.
Nicholas nodded, "I knew her very well on Antar. I assure you it is her."
"Then Max must be Zan," Walt deduced. "When they arrived at the house, all of the women looked to him to see what to do. He was definitely in charge."
Nicholas accepted information with a nod. "The girl, Liz, worked for Vanessa. After she died, they must have gone through her papers and found the letter from the UFL and followed it here."
Greer spoke up, "A woman from Vanessa's office did call here yesterday. She said she had just opened the letter and was sorry to tell us that the Congresswoman was dead. It must have been them."
Nicholas continued, "When Vanessa disappeared, I assumed she must be a trator, but it’s obvious now that these kids must have been involved, and probably killed her. But they wouldn't have been suspicious of Vanessa unless she tipped her hand to them.”
"What do you want to do?" asked Walt.
Nicholas thought for a moment. "I need to get Isabel away from the others and find out what she knows. I want the rest of you to lay low for tonight. We don't know which of the other girls is Ava, and we don't know where Rath is. I will find out what I can tonight, and Walt will gather everyone here early tomorrow for a briefing.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
During dinner at the Crawford house, Liz was forced to watch the interaction between Tess and Max, and a sick feeling penetrated her heart, seeing how quickly and readily Max had accepted Tess. Two days ago he could barely stand to be in the same room with her, and now he was allowing her to practically climb all over him.
Liz knew that Max was watching her closely and suspected he was only allowing Tess' attentions because he knew it would cause her pain, as she had done to him. She pasted on a smile and tried to ignore them, but Tess laughed at something Max said drawing Liz’s eyes back to them. Liz had intended to try and help Tess fit into the group, but obviously Tess didn’t need any more help from her. Liz watched as Tess ran her hand down Max's arm and suddenly she couldn't stand it any longer, she had to get away. Politely excusing herself, Liz headed out the door.
Walking quickly away from the house and down the main road, the scene from the Jeep last night played in Liz’s head. She could still see the image of Tess' head resting on Max's shoulder. Tess had never made a secret of the fact that she wanted Max and she was taking full advantage of his softening attitude toward her. And not only was Liz horribly jealous but she felt betrayed that Max would turn away from her so quickly and so completely. A shiver of reaction raced through her and she crossed her arms across her chest to ward off the chill.
There were footsteps behind her and she didn't have to turn to know who it was. Max was the last person she wanted to see when she was this vulnerable.
Max had seen Liz leave the house and he had followed her as quickly as he had been able to get away. He needed to get her alone so he could ask her what had happened.
He grimaced when he suddenly remembered it was Friday and the night of the Gomez concert. In his daydreams he had imagined the night many times. He and Liz would go to dinner in a romantic restaurant, where they would recapture the easy closeness of their friendship. They would laugh and smile, and when he reached out across the table to take her hand in his, she wouldn't object.
Later at the concert, they would sit close together on the blanket he had brought and as the night grew cooler, Liz would lean into him. He would put his arm around her, to enclose her small frame in his jacket and Liz would put her arm around his waist and snuggle closer. He would take her free hand in his and feel the incredibly soft texture of her skin. Then he would cradle her head under his chin and greedily inhale the sweet scent of her hair. And when their song was played, he would place a soft kiss on the top of her head.
Liz would look up at him and suddenly everything else would fade into the background, like it used to, and both of them would know that nothing was more important than being together. He would lean in, careful not to scare her, but she would sigh and close her eyes, welcoming his kiss.
Max sighed. That was how it should have been. He had pictured the night so many times, in so many ways, changing the details, but the evening had always ended with he and Liz together. Never in his worst nightmares had he even come close to imagining the reality.
"Liz!" Max called out, but she kept walking and he rushed to catch up to her. "Liz, what are you doing? We agreed none of us would go anywhere alone."
"Fine," Liz said stubbornly, as she turned to go back.
But Max was not ready to let her leave and he reached out to her, "Wait."
She was forced to put up an angry front to avoid breaking into tears. "Max, look. There's just," Liz stuttered, trying to say the words that would make him leave, "there's nothing left to say."
"Except the truth," Max said softly.
For a moment Liz was really scared. Had Max figured out the truth? Was the whole thing for nothing? Liz decided to play dumb and lashed out at him, "We have already been through this!"
Liz's anger brought his to the surface, "So far, all I know is what I saw. And what I saw can't be true, because it means everything I felt in my heart for the last year is a lie! Now, you owe me an explanation, and I want it right now!"
Liz winced as Max's words hit her like a physical object. She couldn't bear to tell him all of the wonderful feelings that had passed between them weren't true, but she couldn't think fast enough to answer him and stalled for time, "Please quit shouting, Max. You're scaring me."
"That's a lie, too!" Max growled and then regretted it. He knew something was wrong with the whole scenario and he wanted to get to the truth. He lowered his voice, "You're not scared. You're hiding something."
"I'm not," Liz denied too quickly.
Max immediately picked up on her slip. "What the hell is going on with you, Liz? We never lied to each other, never kept a secret from each other."
The conversation was quickly spiraling out of her control and Liz knew if she didn't do something quickly, Max would figure out something close to the truth. She took a deep breath and spoke the words that would turn him away permanently, "You know, you have got me up on this pedestal, Max, and I'm not this perfect person. I made a mistake. Look, Kyle and I made love. The end. I'm sorry."
Liz's words slashed at Max's heart. Somehow he still didn't believe Liz would have slept with Kyle but she had said the words herself, it must be true. Max studied Liz's face wondering how things had gone so badly between them. How could it end like this when they loved one another so much? Without a word, he turned and walked slowly away from her.
Liz felt as stricken as Max looked and she would have given anything to spare him the pain. But she knew the other Max had been right, this Max would have never given her up without a good enough reason. Even now he was still pursuing her, still hunting for answers. The only way to turn him from her was to break his heart.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Nicholas waited until Isabel had settled into her room for the night before approaching her. He stopped outside her door and studied her face intently. Of course she looked different than she had on Antar but it was surprising to him that she moved with the same elegant grace Vilondra had possessed.
At that moment, Isabel noticed him and greeted him with a smile, "Oh, Nicholas. Come in. I don't bite."
Nicholas suppressed a smile at her remark. She was treating him like the shy child he appeared to be. He was sure Isabel didn't recognize him and continued in his innocent role, "This used to be her room."
Isabel hung her head guiltily, "I'm so sorry about your sister."
"I was gonna visit her in Washington next year," Nicholas continued, trying to steer the conversation. "We were gonna spend three days just at the Air and Space Museum."
"Did you get a lot of time with her, growing up?" Isabel asked.
Nicholas shrugged, "When she'd visit, she'd make time. She always told me there's this whole wide world out there. She didn't want me stuck in Copper Summit for the rest of my life." He focused on Isabel to gage her reaction, "She used to tell me stories about this planet in another galaxy, how there was this war going on, like a revolution."
"True stories?" Isabel asked breathlessly.
Nicholas could see he had her full attention. "How could they be true?" he asked innocently.
"Did she ever mention Vilondra?" Isabel pressed.
Nicholas' gaze narrowed as she broached the subject he was interested in, "How do you know about Vilondra?"
"Vanessa told me some stories, too," Isabel replied.
Suddenly Tess appeared, "Hey." And then noticing the intent look on Isabel's face, she realized she had interrupted something. "Oh, sorry," Tess addressed Nicholas, in a tone that made it clear she wanted to be alone with Isabel.
"I have to go," Nicholas said, as he turned to leave. He was frustrated to have been interrupted, but he had discovered part of what he wanted to know. The scientists speculations had been correct. Isabel had little or no memory of her other life and that meant the others were ignorant as well.
He wondered why their shape shifters had not helped them with memory recovery techniques. It was possible the shape shifters had hidden the pods and then perished in the crash. And if that was the case, the Royal Four could be completely ignorant of who they were.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Harvest)
(Saturday, October 28th, 2000)
(The Universal Friendship League Building)
(Copper Summit, AZ)
It was just before dawn and all of Nicholas' remaining troops were gathered around him to hear his orders.
Nicholas stood on the dais, with Greer on one side and Walt and Ida on the other. "This is a great day for us,” he called out the assembled troops. “Three of the Royal Four have delivered themselves into our hands."
Suddenly the room erupted into gasps and murmurs and Nicholas raised his hand to signal for silence. "Apparently they have no memories of their lives on Antar and that will only make them easier to defeat. One of the main goals of our mission has always been to bring back Vilondra alive and today that is our most important objective. I want to make sure Vilondra is safe before we take others. So go about your business, act normally. At the funeral I will draw Vilondra away and then you can have the others."
A cheer went through the crowd and Nicholas let the troops celebrate for a few minutes before he called them to order again. "If the others get, um, roughed up a bit in the struggle I will understand, but for now we need them alive. After we get the location of the Granolith however," Nicholas shrugged, "we only need enough of Zan's body to verify his identity."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
As they drove away from Copper Summit and it was clear they weren't being followed, Max started to relax. They'd had a really close call with the skins, barely escaping with their lives. He hadn't realized how dangerous it would be or he would have never risked going there, and he certainly would never have risked taking Liz.
Max automatically glanced at Liz in the rearview mirror. He had insisted that she come with them, not because she was their only link to Whitaker, as he had told everyone, but because he wanted to be near her. And even though she had told him just days before that she wouldn't die for him, Liz had not even hesitated to come. Something just didn't add up about her actions, but Max couldn't put his finger on it. Everything Liz said pointed to the fact that she slept with Kyle, but everything his heart told him said it was a lie. The only thing he was sure of, was that something was very wrong.
But even with everything that Liz had done, when the skins had attacked them, his first thought had been to save her any way he could. And Max was forced to admit to himself what he instinctively already knew. He still loved Liz with all of his heart and no matter what happened, he always would.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Copper Summit, AZ)
In the first few hours after the destruction of the growing husks, seven skin soldiers died, and Walt and several others collapsed. Nicholas had them taken to the ship, where they maintained their native atmosphere, knowing it was the only way to save them. The medical staff stripped off the husks and the ailing soldiers rapidly recovered, but now they would be forced to remain on the ship until they returned to Antar.
The remaining soldiers' husks started to deteriorate rapidly and Nicholas knew they only had a matter of days at the most, before he lost them all. The outlook was bleak but Nicholas did have one last trick up his sleeve.
They had brought with them a technology, a veritem generator, that was capable of reproducing the multi-phasal dimensions that existed on Antar, and then temporarily separating one where human bodies could not exist. It would only work in a small area, but it would cause all of the humans to shift into another reality while they searched the town for the Royal Four. This was the first chance they'd had to use it but it was perfect timing. It was unlikely the Royal Four would be expecting them and with what Greer and the others had told him about their powers, they would be easily overtaken.
That afternoon Nicholas held a briefing with the few remaining soldiers. "Tomorrow we are going to Roswell. Just outside of town we will deploy the veritem generator. All of the humans will disappear and the Royal Four will have no where to hide."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Wipeout)
(Sunday, October 29th, 2000)
(Crashdown Cafe)
Liz released a deep breath when Ida and Nicholas left the Crashdown. It had only been due to Tess' powers that they hadn’t been discovered. The other Max had been right, they needed Tess. They were stronger with her.
Liz watched as Tess practically collapsed at the counter and saw Max go to attend her. Quickly Liz turned and ran upstairs not able to watch Max comforting the other girl. Everything was happening so fast; Max's distrust of her, his acceptance of Tess, and now all of the humans were gone, including her parents.
Liz went into her room hoping for some comfort from the familiar surroundings, but instead she found a basket of laundry her mother had obviously put there. She picked up a shirt and suddenly heard a sound behind her in the hallway. But she wasn't scared, because without turning she knew who it was, and spoke over her shoulder, "My mom always listened to Elvis Costello on laundry day." Liz turned to look at Max, "I am so scared."
"What happened to your family," Max started, "to all the humans. It's our fault."
"We haven't lost them yet," Liz said with a nod, looking at Max's sympathetic face. She had seen the relief on his face earlier when she and Maria arrived at the Crashdown. He had been almost weak with relief that she was still alive and she had felt the same way when she saw him. Her first impulse had been to race into his arms and never leave, but she had stopped herself. It was obvious Max still had strong feeling for her and Liz longed to tell him the truth, but instead she spoke aloud the words she had been repeating to herself for days, that now also applied to the current situation, "We have to stay strong."
"Yeah," Max said. He made a movement toward her, his only thought to offer her comfort but then he noticed her bed. It was the place where she and Kyle had been together and Max recoiled from it. He had been so relieved to see Liz alive that he had forgotten about what had happened, but now all of his anger and heartache came rushing back again.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Courtney carefully made her way down the alley. Michael had told her where to find the Granolith and now she just hoped she could make it there before her husk failed. It would be easy enough to steal a car since all of them had been left on the streets with the keys still in them but she had to find one that wasn't blocked in by other cars, and avoid Nicholas’ troops.
She was forced to stop again to catch her breath. Gasping for air, she leaned against the side of the building and her legs suddenly gave out. Courtney could hear the approaching footsteps and tried desperately to hide herself but she was too weak to rise to her feet. She crawled down into a doorway, hoping the skins wouldn't notice her but they were on top of her before she could get away.
The first soldier picked her up and slammed her against the wall, "I should kill you now, traitor."
"Go ahead," Courtney taunted. "Nicholas won't be mad at all that you denied him the pleasure."
The other soldier grabbed the first by the shoulder and pulled him away from her, "I've already alerted Nicholas. He'll be here in a few minutes."
Courtney sank down to the ground and closed her eyes, trying to conserve her energy. When Nicholas got there she would need all of her strength to hide the location of the Granolith from him.
Sooner than she expected, Nicholas was kneeling before her, "When my soldiers told me what they had found, I had to see for myself. What's the matter, Courtney? Too weak to run?"
"Leave me alone," Courtney groaned.
"You always were the social butterfly, Courtney. Always the first to make new friends, but what I want to know is, where are yours hiding?"
Courtney ignored his question. "I think I see a chest hair, Nicholas. Way to go."
Nicholas shrugged, "Fine. We'll do this the hard way." He grabbed her head roughly and forced a connection.
The pain of the involuntary connection was beyond what she expected and a cry was forced from her, "Ahh! Ahhh!"
Nicholas kept up a commentary as he watched her memories rush through her mind, "Let's see. You had scrambled eggs for breakfast. Then you slipped into that husk that punk stole from us."
"No. No!" she moaned as she realized she had no defenses against him.
Nicholas ignored her protests and continued his search, "Boring. Boring. Boring. Aha!" he exclaimed as he stumbled onto the image of Max saying that they would head to the school. Nicholas broke the connection, "School? On a Saturday? What a drag."
It was Sunday but Courtney didn't bother correcting him, she knew she wouldn't last much longer. "I hope they kill you."
"You've become awfully chummy with them, haven't you, Courtney?" Nicholas sneered, as he continued to search through her memories. "Are you hiding something else? You are. You have a secret. What do you know?"
Courtney concentrated harder, attempting to keep him out of her mind, but he easily pushed past her defenses, causing her even more pain. "Ohhh!" The images of her memories rushed through her mind as Nicholas extracted them. Finally she saw Michael telling her where the Granolith was so she could save herself.
The Granolith," Nicholas said with genuine surprise. "That's a bonus. I hope he gave you detailed directions.
Courtney knew she was dying. Her husk was failing and she was having more difficulty breathing with every moment, but she didn't want to die. No matter how useless it was, she wanted to fight to live till her very last breath, but more than that, she wanted to live to see Michael on the Antarian throne. She couldn't let Nicholas get the Granolith, and as he outstretched his hand to connect with her again, she reached behind her and released the valve on her husk.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(West Roswell High School)
Max saw Isabel propped up against a row of lockers and ran forward, "Isabel!" He fell to his knees before her and tried to wake her, "Isabel."
Suddenly there was a sound behind them, "Ahem!" and Max turned to see Nicholas and what was left of the skin army.
With a flick of his hand Nicholas threw the three of them against the lockers and they collapsed unconscious. Nicholas created four pillars and his troops quickly tied the Royal Four to them.
The others woke up fairly quickly but Max continued to sag in his bonds and Nicholas grew tired of waiting. He slapped Max hard and he came groggily awake.
Max was confused for a moment. He woke to find himself bound to a pole but he looked around to see Michael, Isabel and Tess also bound, and it all came rushing back to him.
"What happened to you, guy?" Nicholas mocked Max. "You used to determine the fate of entire armies with the flip of a coin. Luckily for me," he motioned to the others bound behind him, "you continue to put your faith in the wrong people."
Nicholas walked behind Max and passed Isabel. He was furious at her for denying him in Copper Summit and he cruelly used her ignorance of the past against her and Max, "Does this scene feel familiar, Vilondra?"
Nicholas walked by Michael and continued to mock Max's leadership, "And your trusted second. The boy who spilled the secret of the Granolith to one of our exiled members." He faced Michael, "Rule number one of war, keep your big mouth shut. Courtney knew that. That's why she killed herself before I could get its exact location.” Nicholas smiled, not able to resist a little more mockage. “By the way, love the hair. Hope you win."
He returned to Max, "There's one more thing I need to know before we can all call it a day. Where's the Granolith?"
"I'm not telling you," Max growled.
Nicholas smiled, "Oh, you will."
With a wave of his hand, Nicholas pushed a steady stream of energy into Max's friends and they obligingly screamed.
"Wait!" Max said. "I'll take you there. Just you and me. This has nothing to do with them."
"Max, don't," Isabel said.
Nicholas laughed, "This is too easy. In the old days, I would've been no match for you but now..." he let his sentence trail off and grabbed Max's head, immediately forming a connection, brutally pushing through Max's memories, searching for the location of the Granolith. At first, the memories flashed before him but they kept returning to a single image of a dark-haired girl, who Nicholas recognized as Liz. Then Max started to struggle and Nicholas was forced out.
"Either way, you're going to die, Max," Nicholas said. "So why don't you just make this easy on yourself?" He tried to form a connection again but Max shored up his defenses, preventing a connection and Nicholas removed his hand in surprise. Max was stronger than he had anticipated.
Max sagged in his bonds exhausted and Nicholas suspected he had used all of his power to repel him. "Ready to tell me now?" Nicholas taunted him. He reached for Max's head again but a scream of rage erupted from Tess. A ball of fire started to build behind her and Nicholas backed away from her as the fire suddenly spilled past her and engulfed the others around him.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Liz and Maria had just finished filling in Alex on what had happened in the time the humans had disappeared.
"So that is why, like every car in Roswell simultaneously wrecked?" Alex asked.
"Yeah," Liz said. "The drivers just weren't there anymore."
"But it didn't seem like any time passed at all," Alex said. "How long was I, you know, gone?"
Liz shook her head, "I don't know. It seemed like forever, but I guess it was only a couple of hours."
"And you, Maria, Kyle and the Sheriff only escaped because you were out-of-town."
"But it caught up with us eventually," Maria said.
"What do you mean?" asked Alex.
Maria explained, "First the Sheriff disappeared at the UFO center, then Liz in the car." Maria grabbed Liz's hand remembering. "Then Kyle and I got to the billboard with the rod thingy, and he attacked a skin and then disappeared, and I was all alone. I put the jumper cables on the green rod and I must have disappeared too because the next second the rod was destroyed and Liz and Kyle were back."
"That's weird though," Alex said. "Why didn't Kyle and the Sheriff disappear at the same time. They came into Roswell together." He motioned to Maria, "And why did you disappear last?"
Maria shook her head, "I don't know."
"I have a theory," Liz said, "but I guess we'll never know if I'm right."
"Well let's hear it," said Maria. "I'd certainly like to know."
"The Sheriff was the first to disappear. He was attacked and injured by that skin guy in the Crashdown, and Kyle said he was really agitated just before he dissolved. His adrenaline levels would have been elevated from everything that happened. What if he just reached a critical level and then, poof, he shifted."
"Okay," said Alex, "how does that explain the rest of you?"
Liz nodded, "Just before I disappeared, I was really upset about Max. I was so scared he would die. I remember that I was yelling and I couldn't seem to sit still."
Alex nodded, "So you're adrenaline levels were elevated too."
"And then Kyle fought another skin guy," Maria said, picking up on Liz's theory, "and he disappeared. But Kyle saved me. I was getting really freaked out that Liz disappeared and he calmed me down. He made a joke and it made me laugh. But I got really worried when I couldn't get the cables on the rod, and then finally I figured it out and I was so excited but worried about what I would do if it didn't work..."
"And then you disappeared," Liz finished.
"Yeah," Maria nodded.
"It seems like a pretty sound theory," Alex said.
Liz shrugged, "It doesn't really matter. I'm just glad everyone is back safe."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Monday, October 30th, 2000)
Tess had watched Max staring at Liz all through their Biology class with growing anger. Even after Liz had caused him so much heartache, she was all he thought about. Tess had thought Max would turn from Liz completely, but it hadn't happened. It looked like Max was willing to just forget the whole thing.
But Tess wasn't going to let that happen. She had a perfect plan that would humiliate Max and force him to forget Liz, and she knew just the person to execute it. She looked around to make sure she wasn't being observed and took a seat next to Pam Troy. "How's it going?" Tess started conversationally.
Pam glanced at Tess dismissively, "Whatever."
Tess smiled, "Have you heard the latest about Liz Parker?"
Suddenly interested, Pam turned back to Tess, "What do you know?"
"Well it seems that Miss Goody-two-shoes Parker isn't as pure as she wants everyone to believe."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Copper Summit, AZ)
(Onboard the Leptus)
Normally Nicholas would have been transmitting his report to Antar but in times of great import Khivar would possess one of the soldiers specially trained for that purpose. Nicholas had been forced to report the destruction of most of his remaining troops to Khivar, and as he had once predicted, Khivar was not pleased with his failure.
As Nicholas watched Corporal Raltos, who housed Khivar's projected consciousness, pace back and forth before him, he related in detail the events that had transpired in Roswell the day before. He told Khivar of the Royal Four's capture and his attempted interrogation of Max.
“And what information were you able to retrieve from him, Nicaron?”
I almost had the location of the Granolith, but surprisingly Max was mostly able to keep me out of his mind. All I really saw were repeated flashes of the human girl Liz, who worked for Vanessa. I was about to try again when Tess screamed and invoked a huge fireball, catching us completely off guard. The only reason I survived was because I dropped to the floor and shape shifted to fit into the pattern of the tile. After they left I found Ida. She had better reflexes than the rest of us and used her speed to escape, but she was somewhat singed. And other than myself, she was the only survivor."
Khivar stopped pacing, "What do you mean? Tess engulfed your troops in a fireball?"
"Yes," Nicholas answered, trying to read the expression on the borrowed face. "Why do you sound so surprised?"
"She was never capable of anything like that in her former life. She was an empath."
Nicholas shrugged, curious but unconcerned. "Perhaps the cloning process somehow gave them more power. Jensto said it might be a possibility."
"Perhaps," Khivar said distractedly. "This is an interesting turn of events. I will have to consider the implications. But of more urgency is your present course of action.”
Nicholas sighed, unwilling to report another failure to Khivar, “My liege, all of the surviving troops are all confined to the ship because their skins have completely failed. I am the only one who can move around freely. The troops think I am keeping my skin alive only with the use of my powers.”
Khivar nodded, “This setback might force me to send you a new compliment of troops, even though I really don't want to waste the resources to do that."
Nicholas knew that Khivar had initially tried to keep the fact that the Royal Four had been sent to Earth a secret, but word had rapidly spread throughout the system. Zan's supporters had used his rebirth as a rallying point and Khivar had been forced not only to defend his position on Antar but he was constantly fighting with the four other planets as well. Khivar needed proof of Zan's death to dissolve the rebellion and bring the system back under control.
While they were discussing Nicholas' course of action, Khivar conceived a plan. They would use the royal communication frequency to send an invitation to a peace summit, to the Royal Four. Khivar would offer a deal to Max, as Zan was now called. If Max accepted, they would all return to Antar with the Granolith and Khivar would simply have him executed. If Max didn't accept, Khivar would see to it that the leaders of the other planets blamed him for the continuation of the war and they would turn against him. Either way Khivar would benefit.
Nicholas ordered a Lieutenant to send the invitation on the royal frequency, while he and Khivar went over the details of the plan.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(New York City, NY)
(The dupes home)
A bright shaft of light suddenly emitted from the orb that Ava had been using as a paperweight. Zan and Ava looked at one another and Serena reached for it apprehensively. The others shape shifters had agreed they would only use the orb in the case of an emergency.
Lonni grabbed the orb before Serena could reach it and sent a burst of power into it activating the message.
This is Nicholas Crawford, Khivar's representative on Earth. In light of recent events, his Majesty Khivar Roistar invites the Royal Four to attend a peace conference to discuss a cessation of the hostilities that have plagued the five planets of our system. Khivar wishes to extend a hand of peace at a place and of your choosing.
All five planets will be represented and of course the discussion will include terms for your return to Antar.
We eagerly await your reply.
Lonni excitedly turned to the others, "We can go home."
Zan shook his head, "It sounds like a trap to me. When we answer the message they’ll find out where we are."
Lonni sighed, "Zan do you have to be such a chump. The war can't last forever. Maybe they really want peace."
"I don't believe it," Zan said.
Rath took up Lonni's side immediately, "We can at least go and see what they're offering."
Serena, knowing the message was not for them, spoke up, "I think Zan is right. It would be just like Khivar to try and lead you into a trap."
"Zan," Lonni protested, "It might be the only chance we have to go home."
Zan grabbed the orb from Lonni and slammed it down onto the desk, "Shut up Lonni.
"This decision affects all of us," argued Rath. "We should all get a say."
"Yeah Zan," Ava said. "Maybe we should just listen to what they have to say."
Zan scowled at Ava and she immediately backed down. "Nobody is going to any peace conference," he growled.
Ava nodded and slipped her arm through his, “You’re right baby, it’s probably a trap.”
Zan continued to scowl at her until she released his arm and backed away. Then Zan turned his gaze on Rath, "And there's not going to be a vote. I'm the man. We do what I say."
Rath held his gaze until Lonni broke in, "Boys, chill."
Rath gave Zan another measuring look and Lonni touched his arm, "Rath, let it go. Let's take a walk."
Rath knew Lonni must have an idea and he backed down with a smile. "Yeah, let's get outta here."
Rath waited until they were out of ear-shot, "So what do you have in mind?"
"What makes you think I have something in mind?" Lonni asked innocently.
Rath smiled as he slipped his arm around her waist, "Because I know you."
Lonni frowned. "This may be the only chance we're ever going to have to get off this stinking planet and I'm not going to let Zan just throw it away."
"He's powerful and he's got Ava and Serena backing him," Rath reminded her.
"Ava won't be a problem," Lonni said confidently. "And as for Serena, I think it's time to cut the apron strings."
"Okay," Rath agreed, "and the summit?"
"Let's take care of Serena first. Then we'll send them an answer."
"How do you want to do it?"
"I say we get Ava to lead the shape shifter into a trap and you shoot her from behind."
"Ava likes Serena," Rath said. "She won't help us."
Lonni smiled, "She will if she thinks we are just going to talk to her."
Rath smiled.
Lonni pulled out her cell phone and dialed Ava’s number. "Ava, it's Lonni. Rath and I are gonna get a slice. Why don't you come with us?"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Rath crammed pizza into his mouth and let Lonni do the talking.
"You want to go home, don't you?" Lonni asked Ava. "And be the Queen again?"
"Of course," Ava started, "but Zan..."
Lonni cut her off, "Zan is just being stubborn. If we could convince Serena that we are ready to go home, she could help us talk to Zan."
"So why tell me?" asked Ava.
Lonni smiled, "You are so close to Serena, we thought you could help us change her mind."
Ava looked at Lonni and Rath, wondering about their real motives but she nodded. "Okay. When do you want to talk to her?"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Ava had a lot on her mind as she and Serena walked through the underground tunnels, heading for the surface. Lonni had planned their route and picked a spot where she and Rath would just happen to run in to them. The plan was that the three of them together would be able to get Serena to see their side about returning home.
As they walked, Ava decided to broach the subject without the others, "Serena, why are you so against going to the summit?"
"If I thought it was real I wouldn't be against it," Serena explained. "But you don't remember our enemies. They would say anything to draw you into the open and then kill you without a second thought."
"But it could be our only chance to return to Antar," argued Ava. "Are you sure it isn't a real conference?"
"Yes," agreed Lonni, stepping out of the shadows. "How do you know for sure?"
Serena was surprised by Lonni's sudden appearance but not alarmed, and she continued with her answer. "If the conference were real..."
Her answer was cut short as a blast of energy hit her in the back and seared through to her chest. With a look of total shock, Serena put her hand to her chest and collapsed to the ground.
Ava stood in stunned horror as Rath emerged into the light to stand beside Lonni. "What did you do?" Ava asked, her voice breathy.
"She would have never understood," Lonni said. "She was always spouting all of that crap about preparing to return and how we weren't ready. She would have blocked our return to Antar any way she could and we would never have been able to convince Zan. But with her out of the way it'll be no problem to get Zan to go home."
Ava looked at the still form of the shape shifter, "You didn't have to kill her. We could have persuaded her. She was our protector."
"Hmmpf. Some protector," Rath said. "Couldn't even protect herself."
"But what will Zan say?" Ava asked.
"He won't say anything," Lonni said as she loomed over the smaller girl, "because he won't know."
"I can't keep something like this from him," Ava protested.
"You can and you will," Lonni said, her tone soft but menacing. "Because if you do tell him, Rath and I will say that you were in on the plan from the beginning and then you chickened out. Who do you think Zan will believe anyway?" Lonni paused to let her words sink in. "You," Lonni asked pointing to Ava, "his former wife, who he hasn't so much as touched in months, or me, his beloved sister?"
Ava winced as Lonni's taunt hit a nerve. She wasn't sure who Zan would believe and reluctantly agreed. "Okay," Ava sighed.
"Good," Lonni purred, putting her arm around Ava’s shoulders. “There’s nothing to worry about. It will all be okay. Once we get home you and Zan will be married again, and you’ll live happily ever after as King and Queen.”
Ava nodded hesitantly.
Lonni smiled. “Tonight, I want you to take my brother to a movie or something to keep him occupied while Rath and I talk to the summit people."
Ava glanced down at Serena's body. "What about her?"
Lonni indicated a large crack in the wall of the tunnel with a jut of her chin, "We’ll wall her up in there."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Lonni waited until Zan and Ava left for the movie before she slipped the orb into her pocket. Then she and Rath took the train to the last stop, before activating the orb. "This is Vilondra Tageonant calling for Nicholas Crawford."
She was answered immediately, "Vilondra Tageonant, acknowledged. Stand-by."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Copper Summit, AZ)
It had been a few hours since the message had been sent and Nicholas was beginning to wonder if the Royal Four had received it. He was about to have it rebroadcast when a Lieutenant burst into the room interrupting his conversation with Khivar.
"Your Majesty, General, we have received a reply, but it is not from New Mexico as you expected. It's from New York."
Nicholas turned to look at Khivar with surprise but Khivar comprehended the situation immediately. "The duplicates perhaps? Jensto did tell us that two sets of clones were sent to Earth, the real Royal Four and a set of decoys." Khivar turned to the Lieutenant, "Did the caller identify themselves?"
"Yes, your Majesty," the Lieutenant answered with a low, formal bow, "it’s Vilondra. She is awaiting your reply."
Nicholas dismissed the Lieutenant with a wave of his hand and turned to Khivar with a shrug, "They might know the location of the Granolith."
"It is possible, but unlikely," Khivar said, "but even if they don't, they could be useful in another way. It is probable that the duplicates believe themselves to be the real Royal Four. And to be effective as a decoy, the duplicate Zan would have to be able to pass as the real Zan. We could bring the duplicate Zan to the summit and use him to get Zan's followers on Antar to surrender and accept my government."
Nicholas nodded, "And the Granolith?"
Khivar motioned to the amplifier, changing the subject, "It is interesting that Vilondra contacted us don't you think?"
"Maybe she remembers you,” Nicholas suggested. “Do you want to handle this yourself?"
Khivar shook his head. "No, she is not the real Vilondra. I want you to find out as much as you can from her and then I will decide what to do."
Nicholas picked up the amplifier and spoke into it, "Vilondra, how lovely to hear from you. I am Khivar’s representative on Earth, Nicholas. Are you calling in regards to the summit?"
"Yeah," Lonni said sarcastically. "Why don't you start by calling me Lonni, Nicholas," she said getting right to the point. "I don't know what Khivar wants from this summit, but I will help in any way I can. I just want to go home."
Nicholas laughed, "Khivar wants the Granolith."
"Never heard of it," Lonni admitted. "What is it?"
Nicholas shrugged, "Just a religious piece of junk that the people of our planet worship. It's about ten feet tall, a big, black cone-shaped thing with a crystal at the base."
Lonni shook her head, "I've never seen anything like that."
"You're sure you don't have it?" Nicholas asked. "Maybe Zan knows where it is?"
"No, sorry," Lonni said. "If we had, it would be yours no problem. What would we want with some religious thing?"
"What indeed?" Nicholas asked, and then quickly changed the subject. "Why didn't your brother contact us?"
"Zan's a little shy," Lonni purred.
"Too shy to come to a peace summit?" Nicholas asked.
"What's in it for me if I get him to come?" Lonni asked calculatingly.
Nicholas laughed, "If you get him to come and tell his troops on Antar to lay down their arms, I will provide you with passage home."
"Okay," Lonni agreed. "Give me a few days to work on him. I'll contact you again when I have news."
Nicholas switched off the amplifier and Khivar spoke first, "We will still have to deal with the real Royal Four to get the Granolith, but if this Zan can get his followers to back down, it will make things much easier."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Monday, November 6th, 2000)
(New York, NY)
Over the next week Lonni, Rath and Ava continually bugged Zan to change his mind and accept the invitation to the summit, but each time he flatly refused. With each refusal, Lonni grew more desperate and she and Rath tried every trick they could think of.
Finally Lonni was forced to admit that they wouldn't be able to convince him and she contacted Nicholas to tell him. "Zan won't come to the conference," she blurted out.
Nicholas swore, annoyed that this plan was not working out either. All of his remaining troops were now confined to the ship and even if Khivar sent reinforcements today it would be four years for them to reach Earth. Nicholas was on his own. With Tess' demonstration of power he was worried that Max and the others were regaining their former stature and he felt a sense of urgency to get the matter resolved. But he was not sure he could handle them alone.
Suddenly an idea occurred to him that might be just the answer to all his problems. Perhaps he could get Lonni to do his dirty work for him. He spoke into the amplifier, "Lonni I may have a solution to your problem."
"And what is that, Nicholas?" she asked sarcastically.
"Are you aware of the other set of pods that were sent to Earth?"
The question caught Lonni completely off guard, "No. What are you talking about?"
Nicholas smiled. This was too easy. He knew the best lies were couched in the truth and he let Lonni draw her own conclusions. "Two sets of clones were created from the genetic material of the Royal Four and sent to Earth. A real set and an inferior set designed to act as decoys should the need arise."
"And what does this other set of clones, the inferior set, have to do with me?" Lonni asked.
"Well," Nicholas drawled, "I just happen to know where they are, and if you can't convince your Zan to go to the summit perhaps the other Zan will be more cooperative."
"You don't know Zan," Lonni argued. "He won't just sit by and let all of this happen around him."
"Then maybe he has outlived his usefulness," Nicholas said simply.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Meet the Dupes)
(Tuesday, November 7th, 2000)
(New York, NY)
"They contacted us again last night," Rath said to Zan. "Same invite. We gotta tell 'em something."
Zan was sick of this conversation, "Tell 'em no."
"Yo," Lonni jumped into the conversation, "you sayin' we ain't going to the summit?"
Zan smiled, knowing his answer would annoy Lonni, "That's what I'm saying."
Rath was instantly angry, "Yo, that's messed up, duke. This is the only time we've ever been contacted."
Zan shrugged, uncaring, "Whatever. That's it."
"We tell 'em no, they won't ask again," Ava spoke up.
Zan was surprised by her outburst. She rarely went against him, rarely had her own opinion. He had tried to follow his destiny and be with her but he had felt like he was betraying himself, and in the last couple of months he had started to put a distance between them. He had been with her physically but she had never really known him, and she had never owned his heart. He knew she was scared that she was losing him and her new attitude was simply an attempt to interest him, but it only made him pity her. He turned to her with a smile that was more of a grimace and said the words that were sure to upset her and the others the most. "Tell 'em hell no."
"What is up with you, man?" Rath asked. "I'm tired of you. I'll go by myself!"
Zan was amused by Rath's temper. Rath often fronted, but backed down quickly when Zan called his bluff. Zan stepped close to Rath and spoke softly, "They don't want the number two. They want the Royal Four."
"Why don't we go and see what they gotta say? Why don't we go and get the answers?" Rath asked.
Zan raised his voice for the first time, angry that the others didn't see the threat in the invitation, "What if it's a setup?"
"No, it's not a setup! They need us!" Rath assured him.
Zan stepped closer to Rath, "I'm the man. Don't forget."
Rath held his ground and for a moment Zan thought he might actually challenge his authority, but Lonni intervened.
"Yo, guys," Lonni interrupted them, "It's been a mad, long day. Let's just chill." She spoke in Rath's mind, Back off and we'll go ahead with the plan.
Rath held Zan's gaze a moment longer and then stepped back with a smile. Lonni's plan would get rid of Zan permanently. "Yeah. You the man," he agreed with Zan.
Rath stepped behind Zan, next to Lonni, and looked over at her. Lonni had been able to speak in his mind since the first time they had gotten together physically, and over the next year it had solidified into a permanent connection. He was not capable of speaking to her telepathically but she usually understood him with a single glance. She signaled her intentions with a look and a nod and Rath knew the time had come.
Lonni bounced the basketball past Zan toward the street, and as she expected, he reached for it. And when Zan leaned forward, Rath used his powers to push Zan into the street.
At first, Zan though it was a joke. He had felt the burst of power that had knocked him into the street but it hadn't been enough to injure him and he thought Lonni and Rath were playing with him. Then suddenly a bright light illuminated the street and he turned to stare unbelievingly as two headlights of a large truck, rapidly bore down on him. He might have been able to get out of the way before the truck reached him but he was frozen in shock. Lonni and Rath, two of the people he trusted most in the world, had betrayed him.
Rath raised his hand and used his powers to increase the speed of the truck. Zan didn't move as the truck barreled over him and Rath released it from his powers. He carefully approached Zan's still form, alert for any sign of life. Lonni brushed past him and knelt next to Zan, and Rath called out a warning "Careful, make sure."
Lonni ignored Rath, leaning over her brother and looked into his eyes. He was still alive but she could tell by his shallow breathing it was only a matter of moments. "You should have listened to us, your Majesty," she sneered.
Zan's eyes hardened and he breathed out a single word, "Traitor."
The driver of the truck stopped down the road and ran back to where Zan was laying in the street.
His footsteps alerted Lonni and she motioned to Rath. With a flip of his hand, Rath threw the driver into a wall, knocking him unconscious.
Lonni stood and turned to Rath, "You fixed up the place to dump his body."
Rath nodded, "Just like you said. Down the alley under the pavement."
"Okay," Lonni said. "Let's get him outta here. Somebody might report this even if it is New York." She motioned to Ava, who had stood on the edge of the sidewalk the whole time, "Get over here and give us a hand."
Lonni's voice directed at her snapped Ava out of her shock. "What have you done?" she asked in a whisper.
"I'm getting us home," Lonni said simply.
Zan could do nothing as Lonni and Rath lifted his body. He could feel his life force, literally pouring from him.
Lonni called out to Ava, "Clean up the blood in the road and on the truck and then follow us to make sure there's no trail."
Zan wondered briefly if this was what had happened on Antar, ending his other life. He had been so worried about enemies from outside but it was his closest friends he should have watched. His sister and his best friend had betrayed him and he had never even suspected a thing, but somehow their actions didn't come as a complete surprise. What had surprised him was Ava's involvement. He knew that she loved him and even thought he couldn't return her feelings, he had trusted in her loyalty completely.
Zan didn't want to die, but he knew there was nothing he could do to stop it. He had lived his life as he chose but his one regret was that he never found his dream-girl.
As his vision blurred and everything went dark, Zan’s thoughts returned to the faceless, dark-haired girl who had haunted his dreams since he was a child. Zan felt a terrible sadness that he would never know who she was or why she came to him in his dreams. And as if his thoughts had conjured her, suddenly she was before him.
Zan reached out to her as her long, dark hair swirled in the breeze, shifting across her face. For a heartbeat he thought she would be revealed to him, but her features were obscured by the warm, golden light that originated from within her; his love as elusive as ever. The light flared and rapidly grew in intensity, surrounding him, flowing through him, and even though Zan had not seen his beloved's face, a feeling of peace and perfect contentment, that he had never known existed washed over him, enveloping his entire being. For the first time in his life he felt the joy of true love and willingly surrendered his life.
And as Zan released his final breath, the light from a red giant star, that had exploded hundreds of years before, finally reached the Earth.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Rath dumped Zan's body unceremoniously into the grave he had prepared and used his powers to quickly cover it, leaving no trace that the concrete had been disturbed. Then he turned his back on his former friend and King without a backward glance and walked away as if Zan had never existed. He noted that Lonni had already taken the orb from her pocket and he jogged over to where she and Ava were standing.
Lonni pushed a stream of power into the orb and looked at Rath with a smile as she spoke. "Nicholas, we're gonna need a new King."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Meet the Dupes)
(Tuesday, November 14th, 2000)
(New York City)
(Central Park)
There were people all around them, walking, playing, eating, and Rath's eyes continually scanned the crowd looking for their contact. Rath leaned against a tree and glanced at Lonni and Ava sitting on a bench. "Where is this guy? He's late."
"Yo, he'll show," Lonni said. "He needs us."
"He could be here already," said Ava, looking around nervously. "We don't know what he looks like."
A boy who had been circling the area on a scooter suddenly stopped before them and lowered his sunglasses. "I can tell you what he looks like."
Rath glanced at the boy and quickly dismissed him, "Get lost, kid."
The boy smiled and flung the backpack he was wearing to the ground, "I thought your manners would have improved after two lifetimes, Rath."
Rath gaped in surprise but Lonni laughed.
"You're Nicholas?" Rath asked. "Why are you a kid?"
Lonni answered Rath's question. "It's a camouflage technique. No one would ever suspect a kid."
Nicholas nodded, "I'm impressed."
"Yeah, whatever," Lonni said. "What do you have for us?"
"Down to business. I like that," Nicholas said, as he opened the backpack. He withdrew a book and held it out to Lonni. "The summit will only proceed if a King is present, so I would suggest any means necessary to get him there."
Lonni took the book. It was a Roswell New Mexico high school yearbook. "They live in Roswell?" she asked incredulously.
"It's better than this toilet," Nicholas sneered.
"You don't like New York?" Rath challenged him.
"No," Nicholas said. New York reminded him too much of home and how much time he had wasted on this planet. It also reminded him of Katian and how vulnerable he had allowed himself to become. "I hate this stinking town, but I will be staying here until the summit."
"So a date has been set?" asked Lonni. "I thought you said we could choose the date."
"I did, but the other families are getting anxious," Nicholas explained. "To placate them, Khivar had to set a date, but if you can't arrange for a King to be there then the whole thing will be called off. The summit is set for November twenty-third."
"Then we've gotta hurry," Rath pointed out.
"Yeah," Lonni agreed, "we'll leave tonight."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(West Roswell High School)
"A black hole," Mr. Seligman started, knowing it would get the class' attention, "that's what is left after a star dies. And that's exactly what happened last week, my friends. The spectacular, stellar, implosion of a red giant, unheard of in the history of astronomy. The first time a post main-sequence star, burning in its prime, suddenly and without warning violently exploded in a supernova of a hundred million degrees and disappeared. A process that typically takes many thousands of years. What could have accounted for this remarkable loss?"
Mr. Seligman's words struck Max more that he would have thought possible, leaving him with a feeling like he had been punched in the stomach. He felt tears gathering in his eyes as he attempted to breathe past it, but a profound sorrow settled over his entire being as if he had lost a beloved friend. Intellectually, he knew it was ridiculous to feel a physical loss for a star that until today he had not known existed, but for some reason its passing seemed to herald disaster.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Antar)
(Capitol city of Roistar - formerly Tageonon)
(Secret Headquarters of the Resistance Loyal to the Tageonants)
"Your Highness," General Toaks addressed Queen Nedra, bowing formally. "Our operative inside Khivar's inner circle has discovered that Khivar will issue an invitation to the heads of the four planets for a peace conference."
Nedra shrugged, "He has attempted peace conferences before, why is this one different?"
"Because, your Highness, Khivar is telling the other leaders that his Majesty, King Zantor will be present at this one."
"Zan?" she asked with a gasp. "How is that possible? The other families are not stupid, they will require proof that it is Zan."
Toaks nodded, "Khivar is suggesting the conference take place on Earth. It is relatively neutral territory, Zan is there and the other families can attend by using human hosts."
"It could be a trap to lure Zan into the open," Nedra said, thinking aloud.
Toaks agreed, "It had crossed my mind as well."
"Or it could be the first genuine opportunity to bring Zan, Vilondra and the others back home to us," Nedra said hopefully. "The war has been raging for so long, even Khivar must wish it to end."
Toaks was not as optimistic as the dowager Queen. "Khivar will only end this on his terms."
"We need to warn Zan it could be a trap," Nedra said, "or at least try to insure the conference is conducted properly."
"Larek will attend as the leader of Talros," Toaks reminded her. "He and his family have always been allies of the Tageonants."
"Yes, they have," Nedra agreed. "It is too bad we have not been able to keep in touch with him over the years, but regular communication would have been too dangerous for all of us. Larek is a good man and he will ensure the conference is legitimate. But perhaps we should warn him of our fears. Send a messenger to him and offer him the use of the human we have prepared. The war has hit his planet severely and if Larek can use Brody, it will save some of his precious resources for his own people."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Meet the Dupes)
(Wednesday, November 15th, 2000)
Lonni rubbed the back of her neck. The radio stations all sucked outside of New York and not for the first time she wished they had stolen a car with some better CDs. They had been on the road for more than twenty-four hours and not only was she tired of traveling but she was tired of Ava's sulking.
Lonni had always disliked the other girl. She thought her weak and inferior. Since Lonni could remember, Ava had followed Zan around like a lost dog, even though he continually rejected her. Ava never seemed to have a thought of her own, simply echoing what Zan said, blindly following his lead. More than once Lonni had told Ava to get a life, but Ava seemed content to wait for Zan to notice her.
Then with her other recovered memories, Lonni had received flashes about what Ava had done on Antar in their past life. At first, she thought to taunt Ava with the truth, but Lonni had wisely decided to keep it to herself. It was too big a weapon to use simply to get a reaction, although occasionally she couldn't help dropping hints. It was perfectly obvious that Ava didn't remember much about her other life but sometimes Lonni could see the worry in the other girl's eyes, as if somehow she knew things weren't right. But now that Zan was gone, Lonni didn't have to worry that Ava would turn against them, because she had nowhere else to go.
She spoke into Rath's mind, See if you can get Ava to talk. We might need her to pull this off.
Rath glanced in the mirror at Ava, "What's your problem, Ava? You ain't said nothin' in two days."
Ava had been in shock since they had killed Zan. She still couldn't believe he was gone and his sister had done it. She felt almost hysterical but struggled to keep her voice calm, "You said you were gonna make him change his mind about going to the summit. You..."
Rath cut her off, "Well, we couldn't, so we went with an alternative."
Ava couldn't believe that Rath could just erase Zan from their lives so quickly. "He was the leader, Rath!"
"Zan coulda ruled a planet, but he didn't wanna deal," Rath said, "We're better off without him."
Ava took a deep breath, "And how do we know this, other Zan is gonna be any different?"
Lonni joined the conversation for the first time, "Max. Max Evans. That's his name. And we don't. We don't. But we'll be smarter about it this time. We'll find another way in."
"They don't wanna meet with just the three of us," Rath explained to Ava again. "They want the King. So all we gotta do is get him to the summit, and we'll marinate on the rest later."
Ava withdrew into herself again. Lonni and Rath would do anything to get what they wanted and she wondered how long it would be before she was of no use to them.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Meet the Dupes)
(Thursday, November 16th, 2000)
Max watched Liz surreptitiously as she moved around the Crashdown. He had been watching her a lot since the night he had seen her in bed with Kyle. Because no matter what Liz said, Max knew she hadn't told him the whole truth.
It was as if Liz was suddenly two different people. When Liz knew he was there, she put on a front, cheerful, laughing, without a care in the world, as if she were really moving on with her life. But when she didn't realize he was observing her, she was the complete opposite. She moved more slowly as if there was a physical weight bearing down on her, and Max had glimpsed the anguish and hopelessness she tried so hard to hide.
Max knew Liz wasn't in love with Kyle, and he rarely saw them together. They were certainly not back together and he couldn't imagine her sleeping with someone she didn't love. But she had told him she had slept with Kyle. Either she had slept with Kyle to push him away, or she had been willing to lie and say she had, and Max didn't know which was worse.
Max could see that Liz still loved him. He had seen the anguish in her face when he had confronted her in Copper Summit. He had seen it when she had left him in the UFO museum to destroy the device the skins had used to make the humans disappear. And he had seen it in school two days ago, when Liz had tried to talk to him about the supernova. He could tell that Liz had been almost desperate to talk to him, but the memory of her continual lies had made him cruel. And even though she might not have intended her statement about the star to encompass their relationship, Max had heartlessly twisted his answer to leave her in no doubt of his meaning.
To him their love had been perfect. He had believed their bond was so strong that nothing or no one could have possibly come between them. But Liz had proved him wrong. She had been willing to sacrifice their love not once but twice.
Sometimes he wished that he didn't love Liz, but it was a part of who he was. No matter what happened, Max knew he would love Liz the rest of his life, but their perfect, shining love had been tarnished by lies and betrayal. The flame that had burned so brightly between them had not burned out it as he had told Liz, but it was diminished, wavering as if it were starved for oxygen, and it would never be the same again.
Liz glanced at the booth where Max was sitting as she wiped the counter. She had watched Max as he sat in the Crashdown every day after school. Even though he didn't seem to want to be around her, he came anyway, and she often wondered why. Something deep inside her knew Max could never truly stop loving her and the feeling grew stronger each time he came through the door.
It was tearing Liz apart inside that she and Max were no longer friends, and he would no longer confide in her. They might never be together as a couple, but she had counted on their continuing friendship. She had tried repeatedly to talk to him, and each time he had rebuffed her, but she couldn't stop trying.
Liz gathered her courage, and with a plausible conversation starter she quickly approached him before she chickened out. "Um, do you want anything else from the kitchen? Cause it's gonna close."
Suddenly the subject of his thoughts appeared before him and Max shifted uncomfortably, somehow afraid that Liz could tell the direction of his contemplations. "No, thanks," he said as he quickly gathered his things and started to rise.
Liz's hope faded as Max tried to escape her and the pretence fell away, revealing her true feelings. "I hate this,” she said. “I hate that we can't even be around each other. Long before we kissed, we were friends. We talked. We laughed. I don't understand why we just can't go back to that."
Her request caught him by surprise and Max shook his head automatically, "We can't. I can't. I just..." He looked into Liz's pleading eyes, and for a moment his heart softened. "I need time."
Liz was thrilled by his answer. It was the first time she had dared to hope that there was a chance of saving any part of their friendship. "Okay," she eagerly agreed, "I understand that, I do. I can respect it." As she spoke she could see Max withdrawing from her again, "But, um, I don't want you to hate me."
Max glanced at Liz quickly and then looked away. He could see the pain in her expression but he didn't want to acknowledge it. It shouldn't matter to him what Liz was thinking. She was the one who had betrayed him. She deserved her pain, but he still loved her and ached to offer her comfort.
He wanted nothing more than for things to go back to the way they had been before, but it was too late for that. And before he could do something he would regret, he turned his back on her without a word and walked away.
Liz seemed to sink in on herself as Max left and her hope deflated. For a moment she had dared to hope that things between herself and Max would be okay, but he had rebuffed her again. It just wasn't fair that she had done all of this for him but he would never even know. But she had known the consequences and chosen the path anyway and she didn't regret her decision. She only wished that she had not been forced to hurt Max in the process.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Meet the Dupes)
(Friday, November 17th, 2000)
(West Roswell High School
Rath entered the school and looked again at the picture of Liz, he had taken from Max's drawer. He shook his head, still not able to believe an uptight guy like Max could get a hottie like Liz. Rath knew it had surprised Lonni that he was attracted to Liz, but when he had first seen her picture he had been instantly drawn to her. There was just something about the girl, and even though he couldn't place what it was, it really didn't matter to him. All he knew was that he wanted her.
Even though his attire and hair were radically different from Michael's, the students assumed they were the same person, and as Rath wandered around the high school, he picked up several pieces of interesting gossip.
Rath ran into a guy who knew Michael and he asked the guy where Liz was. The guy, Scott, told him not only her full name, and that she was considered a brain, but he also joked about how over the summer Liz had dumped Max. Rath laughed at the news, figuring Liz had gotten fed up with Max's crap. Scott also laughed about the fact that Max was obsessed with Liz, practically stalking her to get her back, but she wouldn't give in. And the latest rumor was that Liz had slept with an old boyfriend.
Rath also learned that Michael was dating a human named Maria DeLuca. Scott gave Rath a wink and asked how he handled the blonde spitfire. Rath simply smiled. He didn't know what Maria looked like but he was considering looking her up after he found Liz.
Scott didn't know what class Liz was currently in, but he told Rath where her locker was, and as Rath rounded the corner, he saw Liz. His eyes quickly took in her appearance and he smiled. She was even hotter in person. He approached, stopping just behind her and delivered his best line. "Whassup? You look tight."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Max waited for Maria outside her history class and motioned to her when she emerged. "We need to move the meeting to tonight."
"But Max," Maria protested, "I already changed my performance to tonight."
"This is important, Maria."
Maria was suddenly concerned, "Is something wrong?"
Max nodded, "Yeah, we need an emergency meeting with everyone to figure this out. Just tell Alex and L-Liz to be at the museum right after it closes."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Roswell UFO Museum)
Max glanced at his watch again. It was past the time he had told everyone to meet, but Alex still wasn't there and Max decided he couldn't wait any longer. "I am going to start even though Alex isn't here yet. This is just too important."
"What happened, Max?" Isabel asked.
"Well Brody told me he has been tracking signals near New York. Someone is sending or receiving messages and it could be the skins. And then Mr. Seligman told us about a star that suddenly went supernova, against every law of science known to man."
He paused and looked around at the others but he saw confusion in their faces and he continued to explain. "So I think that the signals Brody tracked could be connected to the dying star somehow, and..."
Michael cut him off, "You called us all together here for this emergency meeting to talk about a star that croaked?"
This wasn't the reaction Max had been hoping for and he tried to make them understand, "I think it could mean something. It's," he paused looking for the right words, "been haunting me."
Maria stepped forward, "I cancelled my performance, Max."
"I think we should be ready for the next challenge," Max defended himself. "The skins or someone else could be massing for an attack."
"We don't know that," Isabel said. "You're just guessing. The signals and the star might just be a coincidence."
"Or it might be a lucky accident that we..." Max was distracted by Alex running down the stairs. "Alex. You're late.
Alex pointed up the stairs behind him, mumbling inarticulately, "Uh, um, uh."
Max barely had time to take in the appearance of the three new-comers before the one who resembled Michael shouted, "Hey, yo, up here!"
"Now this is freaky," Maria said as they clomped down the stairs.
Max stepped out in front of the others, ready to defend them, "Who are you?"
"We're you," said Isabel's look-a-like.
Isabel looked to the others for an explanation, "I... I don't understand."
"They're shape-shifters," Michael guessed.
Lonni smiled, "I know you must be buggin' out right now, 'cause I'd be buggin', too."
"How could this be?" Isabel asked.
Suddenly the truth dawned on Michael, "Eight. Eight. There were eight pods originally."
"You know about that," Rath said with surprise.
Michael nodded, "Yeah, I, we just found out recently, so... I just, didn't know you'd look like us."
"All we know is that there were eight originally,” Max explained. “We never knew what happened to the other four."
"They went to New York," Lonni said.
"New York?" Max asked. He should have been surprised that the visitors had come from New York but he wasn't. Maybe the strange feelings he had experienced had really been about the others coming instead of about the star dying.
"The Big Apple," Rath answered, "Center of the universe. Amazing pizza."
Liz listened silently but one thing was bothering her, "Um, but there's only three of you."
Lonni bowed her head, "We had a fourth. We just lost him."
Liz noticed that Tess' double addressed Max directly. "His name was, Zan."
Liz could see the pain on the girl's face and she sympathized with her. It had only been a few weeks since the Max from the future had disappeared and she had irrevocably lost her Max. It had been like losing him twice, and the pain was still fresh.
She studied the girl as the others continued to talk. The blonde looked so much like Tess but Liz could tell there were differences. The newcomer seemed unsure of herself, downtrodden, even scared, and Liz felt sorry for her. Liz didn't know what had happened in this girl's life, but she wished there was something she could do to help.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Meet the Dupes)
(Saturday, November 18th, 2000)
Max stepped onto the ladder leading to Liz's balcony for the first time since he had seen her in bed with Kyle. The sudden thought caused his stomach to clench and he grabbed the side of the ladder for support. Maybe it had been a mistake for him to come and see Liz but he was drawn here for many different reasons.
Max had to admit to himself that he simply wanted to see Liz once more before he left, but it was not the only thing he had come to do.
He felt as if everyone around him had betrayed him. Isabel had been keeping secrets from him, lying to him, and Michael had betrayed them all to Courtney when he had told her the location of the Granolith. Max still couldn't believe two of the people he had trusted the most could do that to him, but Liz's betrayal had been the worst.
Max reached into his pocket and brushed his fingers over the box within. He needed to confront Liz with his feelings about what had happened, and return the one thing she had given to him. Somehow he felt that giving it back to her would allow him to make a clean break from her.
Max took a deep breath, climbed the last few steps to the top of the ladder, and crossed to Liz's window. For a moment he didn't want to look into her room, fearing what he might see, but he forced himself to confront the truth. Liz was inside, lying on her bed clutching a stuffed animal, and in her other hand she held a long strip of white paper.
At first Max thought she was studying, reading her notes, but then he recognized what she was holding because he had one too. It was a strip of photos taken in a photo booth that they had made last spring before things had gone so terribly wrong.
Max felt a sickening rumble in his stomach. Whether she had slept with Kyle or not, Liz wanted him to believe she had. Everything they could have had between them, all of the potential happiness, all of the love, Liz had simply thrown away. She had betrayed them both.
Max now wanted this over more than ever, and he knocked on her window.
Liz was looking at the pictures of herself and Max that had been taken before all the trouble had started. As she studied every detail of each picture, the day they were taken came flooding back to her. The memories were so strong it could have been yesterday instead of months before, but Liz knew she would remember that day the rest of her life. She and Max had been so happy together, it was just not fair they were forced to be apart.
A knock at the window interrupted her reverie, and as she recognized Max a feeling of relief and happiness washed through her entire being. It was the first time Max had approached her since he had seen her with Kyle and she felt sure he was there to renew their friendship.
Max watched as Liz recognized him and practically skipped to the window. She was glad to see him, but he no longer wanted to be there and anger rose up within him.
Liz opened the window and stood back to allow Max to climb in, like he had done so many times before. "Hi," she greeted him cheerfully.
Max climbed through the window and turned to confront Liz. There were so many conflicting feelings raging through him that he didn't know what to do. He wanted to be cruel to her, to hate her, but at the same time he loved Liz and wanted to protect her from everything, including himself.
He started slowly, hesitatingly, "You said, you wanted to be friends. And I thought about it. And, I realized that, that I can't be friends with you, because, I'm still hanging on. To you. To what we had."
Any feeling of happiness Liz had experienced at seeing Max was crushed as he spoke. Maybe she had been asking too much for them to just be friends again.
Max watched as the light of optimism in Liz's eyes was extinguished by his words and he hated himself for hurting her, but he ruthlessly continued. "So, I decided to make a clean break." He reached into his pocket, withdrew the box and pushed it toward her, "Here."
He barely looked at Liz as she opened the box, not wanting to see the pain he knew would be clearly written on her face.
Liz felt her heart drop as she opened the box, revealing the knife she had given him. "Max, this is yours. I gave it to you last Christmas."
Max shook his head. "I'm giving it back." He lowered his head to avoid Liz's glance. "I'm, I'm going to New York with Rath and Lonni and," Max raised his head and looked Liz in the eyes wanting to see how his words effected her, " and Tess. To the summit."
Liz swallowed hard, trying to dislodge the lump quickly forming in her throat, wondering if this was the end of everything. "Are you gonna come back?"
Max hated himself for wanting to hurt Liz in any way but the anger within him had made him cruel. He shook his head trying to concentrate on Liz's question but everything was just so uncertain. "I don't know. I can't think that far ahead."
Liz was devastated by Max's answer and lowered her head so Max wouldn't see her reaction. He could walk out of her life forever and she would never know what happened to him. She had never even considered that he might leave Roswell, but it was happening right before her.
When Liz didn't respond Max started toward the window.
Max's movement jolted Liz out of her contemplation. She couldn't let Max leave without arming him with everything she knew, and granted it wasn't much, but her information might save him. "Wait, um, Max. Um, when, when you're at the summit, the Granolith, okay? It's powerful, and it could be really dangerous if the wrong people get their hands on it."
Max turned back to her angrily, "What are you talking about? How do you know anything about the Granolith?"
Liz could see the confusion and disbelief on Max's face and realized that from his point of view, she would be ignorant about the Granolith. "Oh! I can't tell you. But I just, I know, and..." she let her words trail off when she could see that she wasn't getting through to him. "Please, Max," she begged. "You have to trust me."
Max couldn't believe what Liz was asking. It was just too much. After everything that had happened, after she had betrayed him in the worst way possible and continued to lie to him, it was almost funny. He could feel hysterical laughter start to rise up within him but brutally pushed it down, turning on her heartlessly. "I guess that's the problem, Liz."
Max left without looking back and Liz slammed the window down behind him in frustration. She was so angry that he wouldn't listen to her, didn't trust her, but what made it worse was it was all her own doing. If she hadn't pretended to sleep with Kyle, Max would know she was telling the truth. And now there was the possibility that she and Max would never see one another again. For the rest of his life, Max would think she had betrayed him, and if he disregarded her warning about the Granolith it might cost him his life.
Of course if she hadn't pretended to sleep with Kyle, the world would have ended. But how did she know it still wouldn't end?
The other Max had never said anything about a summit, but then he hadn't said very much about anything. Liz had simply trusted that the new world she and the other Max had created would be better, but now, for the first time she questioned the consequences of their actions. What if the new world wasn't any better? What if something she had done made the future worse?
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Max in the City - aka. Journey to New York)
(Wednesday, November 22nd, 2000)
(New York, NY)
Max grew more and more apprehensive as he and Rath entered the building where they were supposed to meet the emissary. Max didn't know what was about to happen but whatever it was he was afraid that he wouldn't be up to it. How could he think of himself of a leader when everyone was turning against him? He hadn't even had enough power to keep Liz with him.
Rath and Lonni were no better. They wouldn't reveal anything to him, only that he had to pass a test before they would be admitted to the summit. The nature of the test remained a mystery but Rath assured him he would pass.
He and Rath entered the room and walked to where the emissary was sitting. Max hesitated, looking at the ordinary, bald man at the table. He didn't know what he had expected, an alien maybe, but he felt disappointed.
Rath walked ahead of him and pulled out the chair, indicating that he should sit.
Max slowly walked forward and sat in the chair. He looked around nervously but turned to face the other man. The emissary rose from his seat and walked toward Max and he shifted uncomfortably in his seat, but stilled as the other man examined him. The emissary stopped behind him and before Max could wonder what he was doing, he felt a burst of energy passing into his head and pushing through.
It didn't exactly hurt, but the sensation was strange and Max had a moment of discomfort. He watched amazed as the energy emerged from his forehead and started to form an image. Five pinpoints of light defined themselves, growing and swirling and finally arranging themselves into a familiar 'V' pattern. The bottom light shone more brightly than the others, briefly eclipsing them and then the image faded.
The emissary regained his seat before Max recovered from his surprise, and Max sat dumbfounded as the emissary filled out some paperwork and handed it to him.
"Sign here," said the emissary motioning to the line, "your Majesty."
The use of the title startled Max and he looked up to meet the emissary's eyes. The man deferred to him respectfully and Max suddenly felt empowered. He had assumed the roll of the leader but this was the first time that someone outside his group had acknowledged it, and for the first time it actually seemed real to him.
Max sat up straighter. For the first time, he felt like the King of Antar.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Max in the City - aka. Journey to New York)
(Thursday, November 23rd, 2000)
(Thanksgiving)
(New York, NY)
(The dupes’ home)
Lonni and Rath hadn't been forthcoming with the answers Max wanted and finally he confronted them. "So what was it the emissary did to me?"
Lonni laughed, "He was looking for the mark of the King, the Royal seal.
On a convenient piece of wood, Rath used his powers to create a rough version of the V-shaped pattern that had come from Max's head.
"So this is the Royal seal?" Max asked.
"You got it," Rath answered, motioning to the representations of the planets. "And these are the five worlds of our star system.
Max motioned to the bottom spot, "And that one? That's home? Home." He savored the world in his mouth. He had never really thought of the place they had originally come from as home but now it seemed real to him in a way that it never had before.
"Bingo," Rath said. "That's how the emissary knew you were the real deal. You got the royal seal stenciled on your brain."
Max continued with his questions, "And these other four worlds? They'll all be sending a representative to the summit?"
Rath nodded, "Well, they'll be doing the possession thing again, you know, like the emissary."
"Why don't they, come in person?" Tess asked.
Rath rolled his eyes. He was tired of dealing with Tess, she was so much like Ava. "You see, little girl," he sneered, "space is what we call very, very big. You know, it's not easy to get places. People just don't zip around the galaxy like on Star Trek."
Lonni rushed to smooth over Rath's rudeness, "No one's coming back here again in person unless there's a good reason."
"Like to bring us home," Rath said.
"We can go home?" Tess gasped with obvious pleasure.
"Yeah, we can," Rath said pointing to Max. "If the man here cuts a deal at the summit."
Max was suddenly wary, "What kind of a deal?"
"A deal to bring peace back to our world," Lonni said grandly.
Rath picked up on the cue he and Lonni had practiced. "In our world, blood on the streets, baby. That dude Khivar that took your throne. People hate his ass."
"Our mother sent our pods to earth for safekeeping, hoping we'd come back one day," Lonni continued.
"And that day is now," Rath said. "The word is that Khivar's desperate, and he'll do anything to end the fighting."
"Including let us come back home," Lonni added.
"Home," Max repeated distractedly, a thousand thoughts running through his head. "I never thought... Not this soon." His thoughts automatically turned to Roswell and Liz. He had never thought he would actually leave Earth, but suddenly the possibility was in front of him. And then his thoughts turned in another direction, "What about Michael and Isabel?"
"And Ava?" Tess asked.
"They're expecting the Royal Four, yo, not the Royal Seven," Lonni said angrily.
"I am not leaving Michael and Isabel behind," Max challenged.
Lonni instantly started to soothe him, "Look, Max. Max. They seem so happy, in that cute little town." She could see that her argument wasn't swaying him and tried another tactic. "Chill, chill. It'll all be okay. You'll see. It'll all fall our way. Unless they bring up the Granolith again."
"The Granolith?" Max asked, surprised by its introduction into the conversation. His mind raced back to the conversation he'd had with Liz before he left, and her words echoed through his head.
...the Granolith, okay? It's powerful, and it could be really dangerous if the wrong people get their hands on it.
Liz had been right. He might not know what it was or what it did, but there were others who did and wanted it. Again he wondered how Liz knew about the Granolith but quickly pushed the thought aside. For the moment it didn't matter how she knew, it only mattered that she was right and he had to protect it.
Rath interrupted his thoughts. "Yeah. Yeah, it's this stupid religious thing."
Lonni expanded the explanation, "Our protector told us it's like the holy grail, some piece of junk people on our planet worship for some reason. You ever heard of it?"
"No," Max lied easily.
"No?" Lonni asked somewhat surprised.
"That's too bad," Rath said.
"Yeah," Lonni agreed. "Would have been a nice bargaining chip if you had."
"I haven't," Max reaffirmed.
"No problem," Lonni said with a shrug. "They probably won't even bring it up anyway."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Crashdown Café)
Liz sipped her tea and listened in fascination as Ava told her about their life in New York.
"Zan was stubborn, strong," Ava said. "He put up a wall, and you just couldn't get through. He always tried to do everything right, to be perfect. He was like that, right up until..." she let the sentence trail off.
Liz knew Zan's death was still painful for Ava. It was obvious from what the other girl had been telling her that she and Zan had been great friends and companions, and Liz felt she must have done the right thing in letting Max go. But the realization saddened her and she worked to keep her voice steady, "You must have loved him a lot."
"Yeah," Ava agreed softly. Her whole life had changed practically overnight when Lonni and Rath killed Zan. Ava thought she had a place in the world, a purpose. She was Zan’s wife, lover and Queen, but all of that was gone in an instant and Ava had begun to question her whole life. As ironic as it seemed, Ava had started to wonder if Lonni and Rath had been right all of those years. In the last few days she had carefully reexamined every minute of her life she had spent with Zan from a new perspective, and the doubts had come rushing in. Zan had been her best friend, her confident, her champion, but he had never once told her he loved her.
Ava sighed and finally admitted to Liz her worst fear. "I'm not sure he ever really loved me back though."
The admission shocked Liz, "Why?"
Ava shrugged, "Just a feeling. I always felt like he was waiting for someone else to walk into his life." She pictured all of the nights that she had heard Zan dreaming and she knew that hadn’t been about her. The remembrance was painful and she quickly changed the subject. "So what about you? How'd you find out about Max? He just hauled off and dropped the bomb one day?"
"No," Liz shook her head. "It was right over there. I was working, and he was sitting at that booth. And, um, someone brought in a gun, and it kinda went off, and I got shot. I was dying, but Max brought me back."
Liz suddenly had all of Ava's attention, "He brought you back?"
"Yeah," Liz said.
Ava remembered what their protector had told them about healing humans and looked at Liz carefully. This human was changing and she didn't seem to know it. With shaking hands Ava sipped her tea to give herself a moment, and wondered what she should tell Liz. Despite the fact that Liz was a human and a cornball too, Ava liked her. Liz was kind and understanding and Ava felt an instant friendship with her. Ava didn't want to scare Liz though and instead decided to ask some of the thousand questions in her head. "So how long ago was it that Max healed you?"
Liz had noted the other girl's strange reaction and had been about to question her but she was distracted by Ava’s new question, "Um, it was just over a year ago."
"And then you got together?" Ava asked.
Liz shook her head, "Not right away. We had been friends since elementary school, but when he healed me he made a connection and I saw into his soul. It was incredible and I fell in love with him instantly. He thought we should stay apart because we are different. We tried, but we couldn't stay away from each other, and finally we got together. And then I started getting visions when we kissed. It was just so perfect, as if we were meant to be together."
Ava felt a shiver of reaction race up her spine and quickly took a gulp of the hot tea to push back the chill. Serena had told them that humans would be changed but she had said it would take time. But a connection had manifested between Liz and Max almost immediately after he had healed her. Ava looked at Liz again with a tinge of jealously. Ava had a feeling that Liz would be powerful when she came into her full abilities and Ava also believed that Max's healing of Liz had created a bond that would join them together forever.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Max in the City - aka. Journey to New York)
(Friday, November 24th, 2000)
(New York, NY)
After Rath and Lonni's lesson in Antarian history and politics and a sleepless night, Max needed some time to himself and went for a walk. There were so many different thoughts flying through his head and he wanted to sort through some of them. The situation on Antar, the peace conference, Liz and the Granolith, and the possibility of returning to their planet; it all seemed so overwhelming.
He wished he could talk to Liz and ask her what she knew, but she wouldn't tell him before, and after the way he had left things between them he didn't think she would have changed her mind. Max's mind raced with possibilities about how Liz could have discovered anything about the Granolith. She could have guessed, he supposed, but that wouldn't explain why she wouldn't tell him. No, he thought, someone must have told her about it.
Maybe Nasedo had told her something when he had taken her, but that would mean she hadn't told him everything about her time with the shape shifter. Maybe what Nasedo had told her was something so terrible that she didn't want them to find out. Maybe Nasedo had threatened her. But that couldn't be right, Max argued with himself, Liz would have told him when Nasedo died.
Max shook his head trying to clear his thoughts. He would never reason out how Liz knew. He would simply have to ask her again when he saw her. But, came the sudden thought, he might not be returning to Roswell, he might be going to Antar.
He had never suspected when he had agreed to come to the summit that there would be the possibility of returning to Antar, but Lonni and Rath acted like it was a certainty. They also seemed to take for granted that they would be going instead of Michael and Isabel.
Last summer, when he, Isabel, Michael, Tess and Liz had heard the message in the cave, Max had assumed they were the Royal Four. He had not even considered there might be another set of clones. When the others had come to Roswell, Lonni had told Michael the New York set were the real ones and Max had actually been relieved because it meant he didn't have to take the responsibility of saving his planet. But, Max reasoned, it couldn't be the truth because he had been given the Granolith. He, Michael, Isabel and Tess were the real Royal Four and Lonni and Rath were simply trying to use the situation to their advantage.
Max didn't know what would happen at the peace summit or if there would be a chance to return to Antar. Even if the war ended and they could return Max didn't know what he would do, but he wanted Michael and Isabel to be able to make their own choices. Things had been bad between himself and Isabel and Michael when he left but they were still two of the most important people in his life, and they deserved to know what was going on.
He walked to the pay phone, picked up the receiver and quickly dialed his home number.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Rath, Lonni, Max and Tess walked into the building where the summit was being held.
As Rath and Lonni had agreed earlier, Rath offered reassurance to Max. "Now, you get in trouble, you look to us, and we'll help you out."
Tess was appalled at the suggestion. Max was the King, he would make the decisions. "I think he'll handle it," she told Rath belligerently.
Rath turned to Tess, surprised by her outburst. "Hey, is someone talkin' to you, retard?"
Tess felt a flash of pain and embarrassment caused by Rath's comment. No one had ever talked to her like he did, but obviously he treated Ava this way.
Max stopped and turned to Rath, tired of Lonni and Rath's continual abuse and superior attitude. "All right, that's it. Let's get something clear right here, right now. I'm the one who passed the emissary's test. And that means from now on, I'm the one in charge here."
Lonni's instant reaction was to back down and try to placate Max. She had dealt with Zan for so long she knew Max would accept her submissive posturing as an apology. "Understood, duke. You're the King."
Max glared at Rath and continued, "And for your information, her name is Tess."
Rath glanced at Lonni and she nodded to him, "Rath, take Tess and go inside. I wanna talk to Max for a minute."
Rath turned to Tess, "Come on."
Tess walked alongside the Michael look-a-like but she wasn't paying attention to where they were going. Her heart was full to bursting because of what Max had done. He had stood up for her, defended her, and she was so happy she felt like shouting with joy. Max was finally accepting her.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"We're here in the spirit of reconciliation." Larek said. "We're not here to rehash the past, point fingers, and assign blame."
Max listened to the others arguing about war and politics and he felt like a dumb kid just like he had told Tess he would. When he had seen the emissary he had felt like a leader, but now he was just an observer. He didn't know enough about what had been happening to contribute anything constructive and he just felt useless.
Nicholas had also been sitting back and observing the others arguing. He glanced at Max and smiled. The former all-powerful King of Antar was just a confused teenager, in over his head.
Nicholas waited until the argument reached a peak and then casually offered the answer. "And Khivar has a solution."
Max's attention was captured by Nicholas' words and he focused on the boy across the table.
Nicholas met Max's eyes to make sure he had his attention and continued with Khivar's offer. "Khivar will abdicate the throne and allow the Royal Four to return home under the following conditions. One, Max becomes King only in name. All real power and government remains in Khivar's hands. Two, Max calls upon his followers to lay down their weapons and support the new government. And three, most importantly," he paused for effect, "Max returns the Granolith to us."
"The Granolith?" Kathana asked incredulously.
Nicholas winced inwardly. This was the most dangerous part of Khivar's plan, revealing the absence of the Granolith, but Khivar had decided it was worth the risk to get it back. Nicholas quickly explained, "No, it's no longer on our world. Yes, we've known about it for a long time. No, Khivar decided he didn't need to tell you, and yes, we know where it is. It's with Max."
With his last statement Nicholas returned his gaze to Max and the eyes of all the others turned to him too.
"Is this true, Max?" Larek asked.
Max considered lying but the skins already knew it was on Earth. "It's here," he admitted.
"What?" Lonni asked with disbelief.
Nicholas smiled. Everything was falling into place. "So there you have it. Max comes home with the Granolith. All is forgiven." He paused to look at Max, "Do we have a deal?"
Max looked at the others seated at the table. He felt completely overwhelmed. "I,” he paused stalling for time, “need to think about this."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Lonni watched as Max and Tess left the summit room to think over Khivar's deal. It had really surprised her when Max had revealed he had the Granolith. She would have sworn he had told her the truth, but more than that she wondered just how much control she really had over him. If Max was keeping things from her, it meant he didn't trust them.
And then there was Nicholas. Lonni had suspected she couldn't trust him completely and she had been right. Nicholas had mentioned nothing about knowing Max from before. At least she and Nicholas had a common goal that would help unite them. They both wanted to go home and would do anything to get there.
Lonni slipped behind a pillar and used her powers to conceal herself, waiting for Nicholas to return.
He entered the room talking to himself, "God, I hate this town." Suddenly he felt the use of power and called out, "Hello?"
Lonni dropped the illusion and revealed herself to him, "Yo."
Nicholas smiled, "Yo yourself."
Lonni circled him like a predator stalking its prey, knowing it would raise Nicholas' interest. "Miss me?" she purred.
"Always," he admitted. "Can't wait to see more of you."
"Well, that'll have to wait until we get home," she teased.
Nicholas was interested but business always came first, "Let's be clear, Lonni. You don't get home unless I get the Granolith."
Lonni's temper flared at his tone. No one talked to her, the Royal Princess of Antar, that way. "Let me be clear, Nicholas,” she said, with a touch of anger. “I don't give a damn whether or not you get the Granolith. I'm going home."
Nicholas smiled, hearing Vilondra in her voice, "Big talk for a woman with no cards to play."
Lonni thought about certain facts she had discovered about their past lives and smiled. "I've got cards. I just haven't shown them to you yet." Her voice dropped to a purr, "You know, I'm not like the others. I remember our world. I remember Khivar. And I remember what it was like to be Vilondra," she taunted Nicholas with a hint of what she remembered, but knew it would reveal nothing to him. "I want that life, and I'll do what I have to, to get back. Be on my side, and you'll benefit. Be against me, and..” she trailed off to make her point. “Well, it would be a mad, crazy idea to be against me."
Lonni dismissed the problem of Max with a wave of her hand, "Don't worry about Max. He's a cornball. He'll go for the deal. He'll go for the deal because millions of lives hang in the balance. Besides, he wants to go home and give mommy a kiss and get fitted for his crown."
Nicholas listened to her carefully, trying to discover her meaning about remembering the past but quickly decided she simply wanted to be reunited with Khivar. If she remembered anything else about her other life, she would have attempted to use it as leverage to insure her return. He relaxed against the pole with a smile and continued the discussion of her brother, "He won't live long enough to wear it. Khivar wants him dead."
"Well, I'd have to be a special kind of stupid not to have figured that out," she said sarcastically.
"If he takes the deal," Nicholas continued, "there'll be a nice public execution to attend. If he doesn't take the deal, Khivar still wants him dead."
Lonni nodded, "I can arrange that. What's in it for me?"
Nicholas smiled. Lonni was trying to make a deal. She didn't remember anything useful from her other life. "Passage home," he said casually. "But just you. The freak with the mohawk stays here."
Lonni hesitated for only a second. Since she had remembered her real love Khivar, she had known that her relationship with Rath was only a temporary diversion, and now it looked like Rath’s time was up. "Yeah, I can live with that. See you at the summit."
"What a woman." Nicholas smiled. He wondered if Khivar would let him keep her if he did bring her back to Antar. Khivar would have Isabel, and that would leave the feisty Lonni for him.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Lonni stopped around the corner and took a surreptitious look back at the diminutive Nicholas. The Granolith, always the Granolith, she thought. Nicholas seemed to be awfully focused on an item he described as a piece of junk. And in the conference, she had been surprised that the leaders of the other worlds had been interested in the Granolith too.
When she and Rath had brought Max and Tess back to New York, Lonni had questioned Nicholas about the Granolith. He had told her it was a religious icon that had been in her family for years and that's why he thought she would know where it was. But she hadn’t believed him and pressed for more information. It was then that the heat of desire had lit Nicholas' eyes, and Lonni had bargained for the truth about the Granolith with a promise of future favors and one searing kiss.
Nicholas had then admitted the Granolith did have one other purpose. It was capable of faster-than-light travel, and when it was attached to the propulsion unit of his ship, it would allow them to return to Antar in a matter of days, instead of years. The trip would use up all of the Granolith's energy, but the people of Antar thought of it as some kind of holy grail and Khivar was eager to have it returned. "Because as the infamous Karl Marx once said," Nicholas had quoted, "religion is the opiate of the masses."
It could be a religious icon, Lonni supposed, that would explain everyone's interest, but she suspected it was much, much more. Max had it, and Nicholas wanted it, badly. If she could get her hands on it, she could bargain for a trip home and everything else she desired.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Max and Tess exited the building and Max talked through his misgivings about Khivar's offer. "Cut a deal with Nicholas? I don't trust him any more than I can throw him."
"You could throw him pretty far," Tess added.
Max ignored her inane comment and continued, "Then there's Lonni and Rath. It's hard to believe they have the same DNA of Michael and Isabel."
"For what it's worth," Tess said, trying to be helpful, "I don't trust them."
"And then there's this whole thing about the Granolith..."
Tess interrupted him, "Why did you lie to Lonni and Rath about the Granolith, anyway?"
Max shook his head, not sure how to explain it to her, "There was something Liz said, just before we left. She told me the Granolith could be dangerous if it fell into the wrong hands."
"How does she know that?" Tess exclaimed unbelievingly.
"She wouldn't say," Max said.
"But she's never even seen the Granolith." Tess shook her head. She had thought Liz was out of their lives finally, but she kept showing up again and again.
"I know. I know," Max agreed. "But I just keep thinking about it. The way she said it. She seemed so sure. I just don't know what to do."
Tess changed the subject away from Liz. "Whatever you do, it'll be the right choice. I'm sure of it."
Max looked at her in surprise, "Why?"
"Because despite whatever Nicholas said about you in there, I know that you were a great man in that other life, a great King," Tess explained. "I know it in my bones."
Max studied Tess. He was glad they had come to a non-verbal understanding of sorts. He would accept her as a friend and she would act like one instead of always throwing herself at him. "All you've ever done, is trust me, been there for me, whenever I needed you. I've never done anything to deserve that kind of loyalty."
Tess smiled, "I think in that other life, you must have been one great husband."
Max smiled back, accepting the compliment in the spirit in which Tess had offered it and Tess relaxed even more. Liz had been right about the way to win Max's friendship. It would take time but he was accepting her more each day.
And when Max held out his arm to escort her back inside Tess felt as if he had offered her his heart.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Crashdown Café)
Isabel slammed her hands down on the table in frustration, "Damn it! It's not working. I can't reach him."
"Yeah, but you gotta try again," Michael said.
Isabel shook her head, "Won't do any good. He's not hearing me."
"Okay, so um, what's plan 'B'?" Liz asked.
"There isn't one," Isabel said with finality.
Ava had watched Isabel's repeated attempts to contact Max with growing concern. If they didn't get through to him soon it could cost him his life. Suddenly an idea occurred to her. The connection Max had created with Liz could save him. She stood up, grabbed a chair and walked toward them, "Liz can do it."
"What?" Isabel asked.
"What are you talking about?" Liz gasped.
"Max brought you back from the dead," Ava explained briefly, pushing Liz down into the chair. "You've been changed."
"What do you mean by changed?" Liz asked, suddenly alarmed.
Ava shook her head, "Look, there ain't enough time to explain. You just gotta trust me here. If Max brought you back, then, you're different now."
Isabel reached out to Liz, "Liz, take my hand."
Liz sat with her hands in her lap. There were so many emotions rushing through her that she couldn't separate them, but looming above all the others was fear. Max had changed her when he healed her. What did that mean? Was she becoming a more advanced human or an alien or maybe something in-between?
But it wasn't the change that scared her the most. Something deep inside her worried if she was able to connect with Max, she would never be able to give him up. It was as if he would become a part of her that she could never escape. A few months ago she would have welcomed being that close to him, but now with what she knew about the future, she couldn't let it happen. She wasn't strong enough to give Max up again.
Also Liz was worried about what Isabel might see when they were connected. If Isabel discovered the visit from the other Max it might ruin everything she had worked so hard to do.
Liz's inner agony was evident in her voice, "I don't know why, but I'm really scared to do this. You know, if you can't contact him what makes you think I can?"
"I know my brother," Isabel said, "and I know that if there is one voice he will hear no matter where he is, no matter what he's doing, it's yours." She could see the fear and pain in Liz's face and she was sorry to cause her more, but this was their only option and Isabel steeled herself. "Take my hand, Liz."
Isabel's words offered Liz no comfort. Instead they reinforced her fears. But how could she refuse to help? Max's life hung in the balance and that was the only thing that mattered. She would have to deal with the rest later. Pushing her fears away, Liz reached out to Isabel and as they touched hands, she closed her eyes.
As they connected, Isabel waited for the rush of images she usually received, but strangely there was nothing. It was as if Liz were desperately trying to stop her from seeing into her memory. Isabel was curious as to the reason Liz would try so hard to keep her out, but figured she simply wanted her privacy.
Where her hand touched Liz's, Isabel was also surprised to feel intermittent surges of power. Ava said Liz was changed but Isabel hadn't really believed her, she was simply desperate to try anything. Now she could see Ava was right.
To Liz, the connection with Isabel seemed different than the one she had with Max, but, she reasoned, it was probably because she and Max left themselves completely open to one another. With Isabel, Liz was working hard to keep her out of her mind.
Liz concentrated on relaxing and she could feel Isabel's presence guiding her into another state of consciousness. It should have been strange, but Liz found it somewhat familiar. It felt as if they were floating through time and space, the only thing anchoring them, was each other. Soft, white fog surrounded them, swirling and ebbing in a current Liz couldn't see, and there was a feeling of tremendous speed.
Isabel concentrated on finding Max, reaching out for the part of him that was uniquely Max. Being connected with Liz allowed her go farther than she had before, but suddenly it was as if she had no control. Then she realized with surprise that Liz was leading her. She felt Liz soar ahead of her and knew instinctively that Liz was honing in on Max.
Suddenly Liz knew exactly where Max was and reached out to him.
Isabel opened her eyes. Liz had surpassed her limits and no longer needed her guidance. Isabel knew Liz could find Max. She just hoped she got to him in time.
The fog before Liz thinned and she found herself on an unfamiliar street. She looked around quickly, trying to get her bearings and then she saw Max. He was with Tess, Lonni and Rath, and Liz watched in horror as Rath grabbed Tess from behind, and Lonni raised her arm to drop a scaffold on Max.
"Max look out! Behind you!" Liz yelled, but Max couldn't hear her. She tried to go to him but for some reason, she couldn't move. Becoming more desperate with each moment, she started motioning frantically, and finally caught his eye.
She made wild gestures with her arms as she yelled, "Hurry, Max! Run!" Each motion made her feel more and more exhausted but she struggled to push past it, watching as a confused Max took one step toward her and then another. The fog swirled thickly around her again and started to obscure her view of Max. Suddenly the scaffold fell and Liz screamed, but she saw it hit the ground safely behind him before she lost the connection with him.
It felt like she fell back into her body, hitting the cushioned surface of the chair beneath her hard. She was exhausted and the pull of sleep beckoned and she felt herself sliding out of the chair.
Someone caught her and then there were raised voices and someone was shaking her. Liz opened her eyes to find Michael cradling her on the floor.
"Liz, are you okay?" Michael asked.
She nodded, still feeling somewhat disconnected, "Yeah."
"What happened?" Isabel asked. "You screamed. Is Max okay?"
Liz released a sigh and smiled, "Yeah. I got there just in time."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(New York, NY)
Lonni watched as Max stepped out from under the scaffold just as it crashed, missing him by inches. She quickly used her powers to change her appearance and rushed away to meet Rath.
Now that the attempt on Max's life had failed, he would know they were not his allies and they had to resort to her plan 'B.'
Lonni entered the building where the summit had been held and descended into the basement. She had intended getting information out of Tess even if Max had died, but now Tess would be part of the plan.
When Lonni appeared, Tess started toward her, only to be stopped by Rath's hand on her shoulder. "Is Max...” Tess gasped, “Is he dead?"
Lonni smiled at the smaller girl, "Of course not."
Tess shook her head, "But I saw you. You tried to kill him."
"No," said Lonni smoothly. "We only distracted him so we could talk to you, in private."
"What do you want?" Tess asked breathlessly, remembering the torture she had received from Congresswoman Whitaker.
"First," Lonni said, approaching her, "I want to show something to you."
Tess shook her head and backed away, but Rath grabbed her from behind and pushed her down into a chair.
Lonni knelt down before Tess. "My powers are the same as Isabel's, so you know I don't have the ability to put images in your head, like you do."
Tess nodded, agreeing.
"I just want to show you what I remember about our life on Antar," Lonni explained, holding out her hand.
"Why?" Tess asked.
Lonni cocked her head to the side, "Don't you want to know the truth about Ava and Zan?"
Tess studied Lonni briefly. She didn't know what Lonni had in mind, but she was frustrated because no matter how hard she had tried over the years, she hadn’t been able to recover more than a few vague memories. She was desperate to remember her other life, and making up her mind suddenly, took Lonni's hand.
The connection started immediately and Tess watched her former self through Lonni's memories. At first, the memories were disjointed, a series of still images, but then they started to flow through her mind, faster and faster until she couldn't distinguish one image from another. It was like watching a movie in extreme fast forward, but she was still able to understand what was happening.
Tess had gotten vague images of her other life but they were nothing compared to Lonni's memories. The images were so vivid, so alive, and Tess had no doubt they were the truth. The pictures slammed into her, assaulting her, and she was unable to stop them. Even when the terrible truth started to unravel and Tess desperately tried to sever the connection, the images still came.
"NOOOOO!" Tess cried. "No, it can't be."
The memories become more sporadic and Tess could see that Lonni didn't know the whole story of what had happened but what she did know was enough. "No. No. No. No." Tess repeated, shaking her head, as if the action would somehow rewrite the past.
Lonni broke the connection and looked into Tess' eyes. "So little Queen," she sneered, "either you help us or we will simply go to Max with what we know."
Tess sagged, defeated and shook her head, "You can't tell him."
Lonni smiled, "We both want the same thing. We want to go home, and with your help not only will we go home but we will go in style. If you help us, Max will never have to know the truth and you two can live on Antar a happy little husband and wife."
Tess considered her options. Briefly she thought about going to Max and telling him the truth but she knew he would turn against her. The other choice was joining with Lonni and Rath and possibly getting everything she had ever wanted. It didn't take long for her to make up her mind. "Okay. What do you want me to do?"
Lonni smiled, "First, I want the Granolith..."
Lonni was cut off as Rath suddenly burst into the room and Tess noted vaguely that she hadn't seen him leave.
"We've gotta go," Rath said. "Max is almost here."
Lonni handed Tess a cell phone, "I'll call you later and we can talk about the details."
Tess nodded and started to rise but Lonni grabbed her.
"Listen to me, Tess. Don't screw with us. I would hate to have to tell my brother what really happened."
Tess stood and watched distractedly as Lonni and Rath ran out a door in the rear. She stuffed the cell phone in her pocket and started up the stairs. She had just reached the middle of the room when the full weight of the truth came crashing down on her. And swaying slightly, her knees collapsed and she hit the floor hard.
Tess didn't want to believe what Lonni had shown her but she knew it was true. Lonni's memories explained some of the fragmented images in Tess' head, giving meaning to things Tess had been unable to decipher. It also explained why she hadn't made greater progress on her memory recovery, because somehow, deep inside, she knew that she didn't want to remember the truth. And suddenly some of Tess' own memories started to come forward. They were just snatches of conversations and situations but they confirmed everything Lonni had shown her.
Tess wanted to cry. If the truth were revealed to Max, he would turn from her forever. But she loved him desperately and she would do anything to keep him.
She had never felt so scared and alone in her life. She had just started to make friends, a home. What would happen to her if the truth were discovered?
"Tess!"
Suddenly she heard Max calling her name and knew she had only moments to concoct a plausible story. She crossed her legs and extended her arms, releasing a tension-filled breath as Kyle had taught her. Then she tried to concentrate on clearing and calming her mind, reminding herself that Max didn't know the truth and she would make sure he never found out.
"Tess!"
Max's voice was closer this time and Tess pushed the memory of the past few minutes to the back of her mind, letting her body relax completely.
"Tess! Tess!" Max cried as he entered the room and saw her sitting on the floor. He ran to her, falling to his knees before her and took her face in his hands, desperate to see if she was alive, "Tess, are you all right?"
Tess opened her eyes and answered honestly, "I don't know."
"What happened?" Max asked anxiously.
"They tried to get inside my head," she said truthfully and then quickly added, "to find out where the Granolith is. I, I didn't want them to, so I fought back."
"How?" Max asked.
Tess was so thrilled Max was worried about her, that she couldn't think fast enough to make up an answer, "I, I don't know."
Max looked around, "Where are they?"
"I don't know," she answered truthfully.
Max helped her to her feet, but she was shaky and he grabbed her by the shoulders, concerned that Lonni and Rath might have injured her in some way. "Tess. Tess, are you all right?"
With everything that had happened, she suddenly needed to be comforted and she craved her own room and her own things. "I'm ready to go home now."
She could see Max misinterpreted her statement and clarified with a sigh, "Home to Roswell."
It was evident to Max that Tess was still shaky, and he pulled her into a concerned embrace, "Okay."
The pleasure of being in Max's arms, pushed Tess’ recent discoveries aside and she leaned into him. She loved him more at that moment than she ever had, and she vowed she would do anything to make him hers.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Lonni and Rath watched from the shadows as Max and Tess left, arm in arm. When they were out of sight Lonni turned to Rath, "Ain't that sweet?"
Rath simply laughed. "Okay so when do we contact her?"
"We'll give her a day or two to settle in and worry about things and then we'll show up on her doorstep and give her a surprise."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Max had taken the remaining eight dollars out of his pocket and pooled it with the six ones Tess had left, and used his powers to change the bills to hundreds. Then he had altered their IDs giving them new names and making them both in their twenties.
The agent at the counter had not even looked at them oddly when they bought the tickets and now they were on the plane heading for home.
Max looked out the window as Tess snuggled into his side. It had been a weird couple of days but finally it was over. He turned to look at Tess. She just hadn't seemed to be herself since he had found her and he was worried about what had happened to her. "Tess, are you sure you're okay?"
"Yeah," Tess said, smiling up at him. "I'm fine."
"Do you remember anything else about what happened back there?" he asked.
Tess shook her head, hoping to put an end to the subject. "No, but I remember that I saw Lonni try to kill you. How did you get away?"
"It was the strangest thing," Max said with a distant look in his eye and a smile. "I had a vision of Liz."
"Liz?" Tess asked incredulously.
"Yeah," he continued, turning to look out the window, as he remembered. "I could see her and she was obviously yelling but I couldn't hear what she was saying. But I could tell that she was frantic about something. I walked toward her and then the scaffold crashed down barely missing me." He turned to look at Tess, "I don't know how Liz knew I was in danger but she saved my life."
"I'm sure it wasn't really Liz," Tess scoffed. "I mean, how could it be?"
Max shook his head, "I don't know. It was similar to when Isabel dream-walked me but I was awake and I didn't see Liz in my head, she was right in front of me. But it was real Tess. I know it was."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(New York, NY)
(A Sidewalk Café)
Lonni slid into an empty chair at Nicholas' table. Nicholas put down his fork and used a napkin to dab his mouth. "I hope you are here with good news."
"Well Max is still alive, if that's what you mean," Lonni said.
Nicholas' eyes narrowed as he sat back, "So why are you here?"
"There has been a change of plan," Lonni explained. "Let's just say that a better opportunity presented itself. I am playing some of those cards I told you about and I think we will both be pleased with the results."
"And you want my help?" Nicholas asked.
"No," Lonni said, "I want you to back off. Max and the others know you are their enemy and if they see you they'll get suspicious."
Nicholas nodded, "What's your plan?"
Lonni smiled and leaned across the table, "I think I'll play my cards close to the chest this time, but I’ll let you know when I win the pot."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Max in the City - aka. Journey to New York)
(Saturday, November 25th, 2000)
(The Evans House)
Max pushed open the front door and let his backpack fall to the floor. He looked around the living room that he had taken for granted for so many years and sighed. It was good to be home. He had never really considered leaving Earth before but when the possibility had been raised in New York he had been frightened. Earth was home to him, this house, his family, it was the only home he knew.
He wanted to believe that his fear of leaving Earth had played no part in his decision not to take Khivar's deal, but he couldn't lie to himself. It was true he didn't trust Nicholas or Khivar and he instinctively knew there must be a downside to the deal. It was also true that he was apprehensive about handing over the Granolith to his enemies, but part of his decision had been based on the fact that he didn't want to leave Earth.
He had also been worried that Lonni had invited herself and Rath instead of Michael and Isabel, but Max was pretty sure he could have made the deal so all of them could return. But the fact was, when it came down to it, he didn't want to go to Antar because it would mean leaving his home, and Liz. Even after everything that had happened, Max couldn’t imagine not seeing Liz every day, not being in the same town, on the same planet. He loved Liz, he always would.
Max heard someone moving around in the kitchen and walked in to let his family know he was back and apologize for his behavior, but Isabel was the only one there. "Hey," Max said.
Isabel put down the glass she was holding, "You're back? What happened at the summit?"
"Well," Max explained, "Nicholas was there.”
“Nicholas?”
Max nodded, “He was representing Khivar at the summit.”
“What about the other skins? Walt? Ida?”
“I don’t know,” Max said with a shrug. “Nicholas is the only one I saw. It did seem odd that no one else was with him, no guards, no entourage, and I wondered if Nicholas was the only one who survived Tess’ fireball.”
Isabel nodded and Max continued, “Nicholas told us about a deal Khivar was offering to me. He said the four of us could return to Antar if I got my supporters to stop fighting Khivar and let him rule. He also wanted the Granolith."
"Why?" Isabel asked. "Did you find out what it is?"
Max shook his head, "I don't know. Lonni told me it's a religious icon our people worship, but I think it has to be a lot more."
Isabel nodded, "So when you said the four of us could go to Antar..."
"Yeah," Max interrupted her. "The invitation was issued to Lonni, Rath, Tess and I."
"If you took the deal you were just going to leave me and Michael here?" asked Isabel.
Max shook his head, "Of course not, but that was one of several reasons I said no."
"So in the end, what made you decide not to take the deal?" Isabel asked.
"I was going to," Max admitted. "I was gonna take the chance that, that Nicholas was telling the truth." Max paused and looked at his sister. They had both said some terrible things and he wanted to reassure her that things hadn't changed between them, even if it wasn't the whole truth behind his decision. "But in the end, I realized that, that any deal which meant leaving you and Michael behind was something I couldn't do. You're my sister, Isabel. Isabel, Vilondra, whatever your name is, it doesn't matter to me. You're my sister, and I love you, and that comes first. Always."
Isabel hugged Max and accepted his apology, "Thank you."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Crashdown Cafe)
As Ava packed her few belongings, she told Liz what she knew. "Our protector told us that if we brought a human back it would change them. And when you told me about your connection with Max, I knew it was true."
"That's how you knew I could contact him?" Liz asked.
"I really didn't know," Ava admitted, "but with a connection like you told me about, I thought there was a good chance."
"So you don't know what kind of powers I will get or even if I will get any."
Ava stuffed the last shirt into her bag, "No. Your guess is as good as mine."
Liz followed Ava down the stairs to the door, "Are you sure you have to leave?"
Ava smiled. She'd never had a close friend and she didn't want to leave. Liz had been so kind to her but she couldn't stay. "Yeah. I don't really belong here."
"Sure you do," Liz assured her.
Ava shook her head, "Thanks, but I gotta go. I gotta figure out what I wanta do with my life."
"Okay." Liz smiled, "Good-bye. Good luck, okay?"
"Thanks. You, too," Ava said.
Liz reached out and hugged Ava.
At first Ava was surprised but after a moment she hugged Liz back. "So cornball," she teased as they parted.
Liz laughed, "Okay."
Ava waved to her new friend and then went out the door to head toward the bus station.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Max climbed the ladder to Liz's balcony apprehensively. After the way they had parted he didn't know how she would greet him or if she would even talk to him. And he had to admit, he deserved her anger. He had acted like a complete jerk when she had tried to warn him about the Granolith.
He had been so hurt by her betrayal that he had lashed out at her and said the most hurtful thing he could think of, and then dismissed her warning about the Granolith until it was almost too late. He hated himself for saying those things to her but the thing bothering him the most was the fact that she had been right. Somehow Liz knew more about the Granolith than he and the other aliens did, and he needed to find out how.
Liz had told him that she couldn't say how she knew about the Granolith but Max felt it was somehow connected to her sleeping with Kyle. That was when she had started acting strangely and when she had started keeping things from him, lying to him. Liz, Kyle and the Granolith were somehow all connected. Something had happened and he wanted to get to the truth. But he also respected and trusted Liz enough to know if she said she couldn't tell him then there must be a good reason. Liz had betrayed him or appeared to, but Max had started to wonder if she had done it because she felt she had to. Something wasn't right, Max could feel it but he didn't have the slightest clue as to what it was.
Max crossed to the window and saw Liz inside and took a deep breath to gather his courage before he knocked. He tapped softly on the glass and immediately Liz turned toward him. For a moment he saw a look of fear and surprise cross her face but it was quickly replaced by a shy smile. Max released the breath he hadn't realized he had been holding. Liz was glad to see him and his heart soared.
Liz had wondered what would happen between herself and Max the next time she saw him and she had simply hoped that her saving his life would allow them to be friends again. But seeing him so soon filled her with expectations. She crossed to the window and raised it, silently inviting Max to enter.
"Hi," Max greeted as he climbed in through the window.
"It's good to see you back safe," Liz said.
"I have you to thank for that," Max nodded. "I'm just not sure how you did it."
"Neither am I," Liz admitted.
"Isabel told me what Ava said," he motioned nervously toward her, "about how my healing you changed you somehow."
"Yeah," Liz said, as she turned toward the mirror, "I keep looking for some sort of change."
Max walked up behind her. "You mean like..." he raised two fingers up above her head mimicking antennae.
Liz laughed, "Yeah. Something like that." She looked over her shoulder in the mirror and a warm feeling of happiness and peace settled on her to see Max enjoying himself again. It had been so long since she had seen him smile, ever since he had seen her with Kyle. She let her thoughts trail off and concentrated on him, "It's nice to see you smile again."
Max became suddenly serious and waited for Liz to face him, "I want to thank you for saving my life."
Liz shrugged, "I guess that makes us even." She lowered her eyes still feeling guilty. She didn't want Max to thank her, she felt like it was her fault for his being in danger in the first place. If she hadn't pretended to sleep with Kyle maybe Max wouldn't have gone to New York in the first place.
Max could see something was upsetting Liz but he continued anyway. "And, I'd like to, start again."
Liz felt the hope rise up within her at his words. Maybe Max wanted to get back together, she thought, he wanted to give their relationship another chance.
Max continued, "Our friendship, that is. I mean, I miss it."
Liz nodded sadly, Max's words killing her hopes. She couldn’t have allowed a romantic relationship to start between them again, but for a moment she had forgotten. "Yeah," she said quickly, trying to cover her disappointment. "Um, I miss it, too."
Max smiled. He was sure he saw disappointment in Liz's face when he said he wanted to be friends. No matter what Liz had done to push him away, she still loved him. And it gave him the first hope he'd had since he'd seen her with Kyle.
He turned to leave but Liz's reaction made him bold and he had to ask the question that had been uppermost in his mind for weeks. He had asked her before, but for some reason he just didn't believe Liz's answer. Max took a deep breath, "There's just one thing I have to say. One thing I have to ask. And, I promise I'll never ask it again."
"Yeah?" Liz asked apprehensively. "Go ahead."
Max looked Liz in the eyes, eager to catch every emotion. "Did you, sleep with Kyle?" he asked breathlessly.
Liz felt the instant prick of tears in her eyes as Max held her gaze. She couldn't believe Max was asking her again. He just wouldn't let it go. Liz knew Max must still love her to keep after her so relentlessly but the knowledge gave her no joy. As tempting as it was to tell him the truth and end the hurt, she couldn't do it. She would have to live with the secret of what had really happened, the rest of her life.
Liz opened her mouth to lie to Max again but the words wouldn't come. She couldn't bear to say them again and her eyes never leaving his, she forced herself to nod.
Before Max had asked the question, he had known what the answer would be but he had allowed himself to briefly hope Liz would say no. He had promised Liz he wouldn't ask again and he intended to keep his promise. He just hoped that one day Liz would tell him the whole truth about what had really happened. "Okay," he said as he nodded sadly and forced out a brief smile. "I'll see you tomorrow."
Max crossed the roof without looking back, he had too much on his mind. He wanted Liz back but he knew he would have to work slowly. She had made it clear that she didn't want a romantic relationship, even to the point of sleeping with another man, but that didn't matter to Max. He knew she had done it because she felt she had to. But no matter what had happened, he still loved her and he would get her back. Today he had laid the groundwork to renew his friendship with Liz and eventually he would make her his again.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Evans House)
"So Ava said that Liz would develop powers because Max healed her?" Tess asked Isabel incredulously.
"Not exactly," Isabel said. "She just said that Liz was changed."
"But Liz is getting powers?" Tess asked.
Isabel nodded, "Yeah, she is. I could feel it when we connected and she was able to contact Max without me, I just got her started. She has some kind of bond with Max, maybe because he healed her, or maybe just because they love each other."
A hundred questions flew through Tess' mind. What kind of powers would Liz develop? If she could get into Max's head from across the country, then what could she do to people close to her? If Liz found out the truth about what had happened on Antar she would surely tell Max, and Tess couldn't let that happen.
Isabel broke off when she noticed Tess' scowl. "What?"
Tess shook her head, "I just wonder what kind of powers Liz will get, that's all."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Tess waited behind the Crashdown in the dark alley, knowing Liz would soon bring out the trash. The fact that Liz was developing powers complicated things, but it was easily fixed.
As the back door opened and Liz appeared, Tess stepped out from behind the dumpster, "Hi, Liz."
Liz jumped at the sound of her voice and Tess smiled.
"Oh," Liz gasped, "Tess, you startled me."
"Sorry," Tess said, "I was just out for a walk."
Liz frowned, "Do you always walk in the alleys?"
Tess shrugged, tired of the game. "Liz," she said to get the other girl's attention, and when Liz looked at her, Tess quickly closed her eyes and started the mind warp. She implanted the idea in Liz's head to discourage her from wanting to work at developing her powers, and instead work to suppress them. Tess even gave Liz the knowledge of how to control her burgeoning powers and ways to redirect the excess energy.
The whole thing took only a moment and Tess opened her eyes to see a dazed, unfocused Liz before her. Tess waved her hand in front of Liz's face. "Liz?" she asked innocently.
The motion brought Liz out of her trance and she refocused on Tess, "Oh, I'm sorry. I must be more tired than I thought. What were you saying?"
Tess shrugged, "It wasn't important. I'll see you tomorrow."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Wednesday, November 29th, 2000)
(The Valenti House)
Jim opened the door to Isabel and Michael, "Hi, what's going on?"
Isabel shrugged, "We came to see if Tess wants to go shopping with us, Sheriff Va-len-ti."
Jim nodded, glad they were finally becoming friends with Tess. He motioned inside, "You know where her room is."
Isabel smiled and she and Michael went past him and down the hall. Isabel knocked on the door and then pushed it open, without waiting for an answer.
Tess looked up from the homework she was doing, "Kyle..." but stopped when she saw who it was. "Oh, Isabel, Michael. What are you doing here?"
Isabel shut the door behind her and the illusion suddenly faded away, revealing Lonni and Rath. "We're here to start on the plan."
Tess jumped off the bed. "Are you crazy coming here like this?"
"Chill," Rath said. "We got it under control."
"What do you want?" Tess hissed.
"We need to have a little talk about what we are going to do," Lonni said.
"Well not here," Tess whispered.
Rath motioned to the door, "Let's go then."
Lonni smiled, "We told Valenti we were taking you shopping."
Lonni and Rath morphed back into their disguises and Rath opened the door, motioning to Lonni and Tess, "After you."
"Such a gentleman," Tess sneered.
They passed the Sheriff in the living room and Tess waved nervously, trying to get out of the house quickly, afraid of what Lonni and Rath might do to Jim if he became suspicious. "Um, were going out, um shopping."
Jim barely looked up from the football game he was watching, "You kids have fun."
Rath paused at the door and looked back, "Word."
The three climbed into the car and Tess immediately attacked them verbally, "What the hell do you think you're doing coming here? What if the real Isabel and Michael just happened to show up?"
Lonni laughed, "That isn't gonna happen now is it? They don't really have anything to do with you."
Tess sat back against the seat with a huff, "Still it's dangerous."
Rath drove the car into the desert just outside of town and stopped behind some rocks.
Tess exited the car and slumped down onto a near-by rock. "Okay, so what do you want?"
Rath picked up a stick and started hitting rocks out into the desert, ignoring her.
Lonni climbed onto the hood of the car. "We want Max and the Granolith."
"Why do you want Max?" Tess asked apprehensively.
Lonni rolled her eyes, "We need Max to take back to Antar, so he and Khivar can work out a deal and stop the war."
Tess shook her head, "Max won't go."
"So, you have to give him a reason to want to go," Rath said over his shoulder.
"You're his wife," Lonni mocked. "Use that as a reason to get close to him."
"But won't Khivar just kill Max?" Tess asked.
"You heard Khivar's offer at the summit," Lonni said. "It was made in front of the other families. Khivar just can't kill Max. People would know."
"And what about Michael and Isabel?" Tess asked. "There is no way he will leave them behind."
Lonni shrugged, "They don't really matter, but if Max won't leave without them then get them to come too and we'll sort it out later."
"And the Granolith?" Tess asked. "I'm not just going to hand it over to you."
Rath turned to Tess for the first time, "You'll do whatever we say, little girl, or Maxie will find out the truth."
Tess shrugged and quickly changed the subject, "What is the Granolith anyway?"
"I told you the truth before," Lonni said, repeating Nicholas' lie easily. "Our protector told us it's like a religious artifact. It has been in my family for generations. It also happens to be capable of faster than light travel and it can get us home in just a few days instead of the years it would normally take."
Tess gasped, "You mean we can go home? Today?"
"Well," Lonni admitted, "not today. See, we don't know how to use the Granolith."
"But you could just hand it over to Nicholas..." Tess started only to be cut off.
"No, we can't trust Nicholas," Lonni said with a shrug. "Besides, he might not know how to work it either. And even if he did, what would stop him from taking the Granolith and leaving us here?” She shook her head, We need some leverage so we can make a deal."
Tess frowned, "So what do we do?"
"We need to figure out how to work the Granolith and use it to our advantage," Lonni explained. "You're sure you don't know anything about it?"
"There is a metal book written in the Antarian language that our protector, Nasedo gave us. The book tells about the Granolith, how to use it."
"Have you read it?" Lonni asked.
"No. Nasedo told me it was written in the Antarian Royal code and even he didn't know how to read it, but he said it would come back to me..." she trailed off and then finished softly, "when I regained enough of my memories."
Lonni smiled cruelly, "Those memories were taken from Rath and me so we can't read it either. I remember the language and the fact that there was a code but I can't decipher it."
Lonni thought a moment. "I've heard of supercomputers that the government uses to break other countries codes. So maybe our best option is to get someone who is good with computers to help us break the code."
Tess smiled, "I know just the person we need."
"Who's that?" Lonni asked.
"Alex," Tess said. "You met him when you were here."
"You mean Opie?" Lonni asked with a laugh. "What can he do?"
"He's a computer genius," Tess explained.
"Is he really? How convenient," Lonni said with a smile. "Now we just need to come up with a plan."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Sunday, December 3rd, 2000)
(West Roswell High School)
(Chemistry Lab)
Liz watched as Max poured the mixture into the beaker and turned on the bunsen burner. He was reading the directions aloud as he followed them, and she smiled remembering all of the other times they had worked together.
He turned to her with a smile, "Okay, we just need to bring it to a boil and then measure the precipitates."
Liz nodded and released a sigh of relief as he turned back to stir the mixture. Things were still a little strained between them but Max was really trying to put the past behind them and renew their friendship. And to see a genuine smile on his face was worth more to her than all of the money in the world.
With her eyes, Liz lovingly traced the profile of his face as he concentrated on his work. She longed to reach out and touch him, to run her fingers over his cheek and down the side of his face to his soft lips, but she pushed the thoughts to the back of her mind. She knew they could never be together, it just wasn't possible. But, she thought to herself, if they could be friends, it might be enough.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Saturday, December 9th, 2000)
(Roswell Airport)
Maria and Liz hugged Alex one last time before he went through the airport metal detector. Only ticketed passengers were allowed past that point and they had to say their goodbyes there.
"Have a great time, Alex," Liz said.
"And don't let all of those gorgeous Swedish women make you forget your friends back here," Maria added with a wink.
Alex smiled, "No way."
"What about your host family's phone number or address?" Liz asked.
"Real mail is so slow to and from Europe that I probably wouldn't get any letters in time to answer them but e-mail is almost instantaneous." He lifted up his laptop and pointed to it with his free hand, "See, got the computer right here. And I'm also taking my cell phone so you can call and it'll be just like I never left.
He shrugged, "How great could Sweden be anyway? I'm sure it's just the same as here but with snow and lots of hot tubs and blonde beauties in bikinis as far as the eye can see." He paused in mock consideration. "Actually," he said in a teasing tone, "I may never come back."
Alex stopped just past the security check and turned to wave one more time. Then he gathered his belongings and started the long trek to the plane. "Of course," he murmured to himself, "I would be at the very last gate."
"You know," a familiar voice said to him, "talking to yourself is a sign of a demented mind."
Alex turned toward the speaker with a smile, "Isabel? How did you get here?"
Isabel smiled and leaned in close with a wave of her hand, "Just a little alien magic."
Her gaze drifted past him and he turned to see Michael coming toward them with a wheelchair. "Michael?" Alex asked, but as the other guy approached, Alex could see that he was mistaken. "Rath." Alex turned quickly back to Isabel but saw Lonni where Isabel had been. "What is going on?" he asked suspiciously, as he started to back away.
Lonni grabbed his arm in a surprisingly strong grip and held him painfully. Alex struggled against her, "What are you doing?"
"We want you to do us a favor, Opie," Lonni purred in her own voice.
"What kind of a favor?" Alex asked apprehensively.
Suddenly Tess appeared out of thin air next to Lonni, "We need you to do some computer work."
A sharp prick in the back of Alex's neck alerted him to the fact that he’d concentrated his attention in the wrong direction. He swung around and tried to call out, but Rath's hand over his mouth prevented any sound from escaping and he collapsed into Rath's arms as his strength suddenly left him. Alex struggled to keep his eyes open as he watched through an increasingly thick haze while Rath placed him into the wheel chair. They started down the corridor and Alex could hear vague pieces of the others' conversation but it made no sense to him, and after a moment he slid into unconsciousness.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(University of Las Cruces - Dorm Room)
Tess stopped the mind warp and opened her eyes. "It's done." She glanced at Alex who was sitting on a chair in a sort of trance and turned her attention to Lonni. "I did just what you said. I made him believe that he was on a top-secret mission to translate the book. He believes he has to tell his friends and family he is in Sweden for their own safety, so the skins can't find out the truth. I told him if the book fell into the wrong hands, everyone on Earth would be killed."
She took a deep breath and continued. "He will stay in the room during the day and work from here. And when he needs to go the Computer Science building he will do it after two a.m. I also told him that we enrolled him as Ray White and to interact with as few people as possible. Oh, and I gave him a craving for Thai food, like you said."
"Good," Lonni said. "That Thai place is the only place around here that delivers to the dorms besides pizza and I certainly don't want to spend my time cooking for him."
"Yeah and that pizza place sucks," Rath said.
Lonni nodded and motioned to the blonde girl laying on the floor unconscious, "And Leanna?"
Tess nodded. "I have made her believe she wants to go home for the next semester, to take a break from school. And if she gets the urge to come back to school, I gave her a compulsion to call me first. So you can take her place, move right into her dorm room and stay close to Alex."
Lonni nodded again. She had chosen Leanna because she was about the same height, build and coloring as Isabel, who Lonni would be impersonating to keep Alex in line. It would only require a small amount of power to make herself appear to be Leanna when she needed to be the other girl and no one would question her presence on campus.
"So," Tess asked, "what is Rath going to do?"
"He'll stay here with Alex and do whatever needs doing," Lonni said with a shrug and then elaborated. "One thing he's going to do is get books on Sweden and make the stupid slides of Alex's trip. You said everyone would expect him to take dozens of slides so we have to provide slides to make this believable. And when this is over, you will simply erase all of the memories of translating the book out of his head and give him the memories of actually having been in Sweden, so we have to do some research to make it authentic."
Tess nodded.
"How long will this mind warp work?" Rath asked Tess.
"I don't know exactly," Tess admitted.
"Well you'd better make sure it's long enough," Rath growled. "This had better not get screwed up because you can't control your powers."
"Chill," Lonni soothed him, running her hand down his arm. "Tess is going to come down here once a week and make sure everything is running smoothly. Aren't you?" Lonni asked, turning her glance to the smaller girl.
"Once a week?" Tess asked. "I don't know if I can get away that often."
"You'd better find a way," Lonni's voice rose slightly, "or I don't need to tell you what will happen."
Tess nodded, resigned to the deal she had been forced to make.
"And I want you to keep in touch," Lonni said with a softer tone and a smile. "I want to know everything that is happening in that cute little town of yours. I want to know everything about what Max and the others are doing. Anything could be important to us, so keep your eyes open." Lonni handed Tess a slip of paper, "Here is my cell phone number. You will call me every day at midnight, to report," she ordered, "but if anything important happens don't wait, call immediately."
Tess glanced at Alex. "What about if his friends try to call him in ‘Sweden’?"
"No, that's not a problem," Lonni said. "I had Rath go to the high school and the Whitman's house and change the contact number for the family he was suppose to stay with, to a cell phone I set up."
"So they won't be calling Sweden," Tess said, "they will be calling here." She nodded, "But what about the mail?"
"Do you ever stop nagging? We aren't stupid you know." Lonni sighed, "We changed the mailing address when we changed the telephone number. We set it up so all the mail would go to a post office box in Sweden and once a week it will be gathered and sent here. The mail is so slow between here and there that no one will notice, even if they are stupid enough to send mail. Why would anyone send real mail anyway? E-mail is so much faster."
"But the mail will have the wrong post marks, when it is sent from here," Tess pointed out. "Someone might notice that."
Lonni looked at her like she had lost her mind and suddenly the solution came to Tess, "Oh! You can fix it with your powers."
Lonni continued before Tess could ask, "We also contacted the real Olsen's in Sweden, pretending we were the student exchange program and told them Alex had gotten ill and was not able to come, but they would be put back on the list and hopefully get another student real soon."
Tess nodded. “So the school still thinks Alex is going to Sweden.”
Lonni nodded and motioned to Alex, "Can we question him now?"
"Yeah," Tess said. "Just snap your fingers a couple of times and he'll come out of it."
Lonni morphed into Isabel's form and snapped her fingers directly in front of Alex's face, "Alex."
He immediately focused on her, "Huh? What did you say Isabel?"
The faux Isabel smiled, "I just asked if you could tell me how long the translation will take?"
Alex shook his head. "I'll have to write a sub-routine to get the computer to work on it at night and early morning when no one else is around. That will take a few days. And then I will have to see how quickly the computer works to give you an accurate estimate."
Lonni was becoming impatient but she determinedly kept her cool, "So when can you give us an estimate?"
Alex shrugged, "In a week or so, I think."
Lonni sighed, "What about a guess now?"
Alex thought for a moment, "It's a good thing you remembered the base language because without the language and it being in code, the translation could theoretically have taken years to complete." He shrugged, "But hopefully it will only take a couple of months."
"But Alex, you are only here for a little over a month?" Lonni reminded him. "What if the translation isn't finished by then?"
"No problem," Alex assured her. "I can set the program to work without me and e-mail the results to us."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Saturday, December 16th, 2000)
(Liz’ Room)
Liz ran her fingers over the letters engraved on the knife. Max had given it back to her because he said he needed to make a clean break from her, and maybe it was easier that way for both of them. But Liz had hoped that Max loved her enough to want to keep it as a memento.
She sighed and replaced the knife into its box. There was no use dwelling on things she couldn't change. She was just grateful that Max wanted to be friends. Liz put the box into the drawer of her dresser next to the pictures of Max, and pushed the thoughts of what could have been to the back of her mind.
Liz smiled. There were more immediate concerns, like what she was going to get her friend Max for Christmas.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Roswell the Miracle - aka. A Roswell Christmas Carol)
(Thursday, December 21st, 2000)
(University of Las Cruces – dorm room)
Alex groggily put his hand to his head, attempting to dull the throbbing pain. He realized that he was sitting in a chair but couldn't remember where he was and slowly opened his eyes. The bright screen of his laptop was before him but the other surroundings were unfamiliar. He quickly looked around the room, taking in the table and chair, a small bed and kitchen in the corner. His first thought was that he was in an apartment of some kind, then he remembered seeing Isabel and Michael at the airport.
But it hadn't been Isabel or Michael it had been Lonni and Rath and they had done something to him, drugged him. Alex rubbed his eyes trying to remember anything else, but it was all just a blank. His brain was fuzzy but he forced himself to put together the pieces of what he knew. Lonni and Rath and Tess, or had it been Ava, had taken him from the airport and brought him to this place. But why?
Vaguely he wondered how long he had been gone and if the others had missed him yet, then he remembered he had been leaving for Sweden. No one would realize he was gone right away but when he didn't show up in Sweden surely someone would report him missing.
He reached out to the touch pad on his computer and moved the pointer to the bottom of the screen to see the date, but recoiled in surprise when it was revealed. December twenty-first? The date couldn't possibly be right. That would mean he had been gone for almost two weeks.
Alex attempted to get out of the chair but his legs gave out and he fell heavily to the floor.
"Where'd you think you're going?" asked a male voice, with an unmistakable New York accent.
Alex craned his head to see Rath rising from the sofa. He hadn't seen him before because Rath had been seated directly behind him. Alex attempted to scramble away from Rath but the larger boy subdued him easily with a firm grip, and forced him back into the chair.
"Where are we? What am I doing here?" Alex asked.
"So you're coming out of it, huh?" Rath asked.
"Out of what?" Alex asked, getting angry. "What's going on?"
Rath chuckled, "Chill. You just volunteered to help me and Lonni on a little project we're doing."
Alex shook his head, "I don't remember that."
"Oh sure," Rath assured him. "We needed some help with the computer and since you are so good with them..."
Alex cut him off, "But you drugged me at the airport."
Suddenly the door opened and Alex launched himself toward the escape route but was stopped as two people came through. Lonni used her powers to propel Alex back into the room and instantly Rath was on him. Alex struggled but it was no use and suddenly Tess was before him.
"Tess what is going on?" Alex asked. "What are you doing with them?"
"It's about time you two showed up," Rath said.
Tess ignored Alex and spoke to Lonni and Rath. "He's breaking out of the mind warp sooner every time," she admitted, "but I'm afraid if I give him a stronger dose, it might damage his mind."
"Well, you'll have to come down more often," Lonni said.
"How am I going to do that?" Tess asked. "What if they notice I’m gone a lot? What if they get suspicious?"
Lonni laughed, "I bet no one even notices you are gone." She moved in close behind Tess and pulled one of her blonde curls through her fingers as she spoke softly into her ear. "I bet no one notices you at all. But help us get this book translated and the whole of Antar will fall to their knees before you. Queen Tess the savior of Antar." Lonni suddenly released Tess' hair with a shrug, "And if anyone does notice you’re gone just tell them you’re shopping."
Alex listened to their conversation but most of it didn't make any sense to him. Apparently Tess had struck a bargain to help Lonni and Rath, and mind warping him was a part of it.
"Tess," he said, to get her attention, "I don't know what you're doing but there's still time to reconsider. Just go to Max and Isabel and tell them the truth. They'll understand, they'll help."
Tess looked at Alex for the first time and shook her head, "No one will help either of us." Then she closed her eyes and started the mind warp.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Tess stopped her car in the Valenti's driveway and released a heavy sigh. She didn't like helping Lonni and Rath but she didn't have any other choice. If she didn't do what they said, they would ruin everything between herself and Max. Besides, she wanted to go home just as badly as they did and it was apparent Max was in no hurry to return.
She felt badly about using Alex, remembering his plea for help but pushed it to the back of her mind. Alex wasn't important. He would go home when it was over and wouldn't remember anything that had happened. The only thing that mattered was getting home and being with Max.
Tess got out of the car with the bags of stuff she had quickly purchased to make her story of Christmas shopping more believable and headed for the door.
There were some ways she envied Alex. He had a home, a family, friends, people who loved him, and she didn't have any of that. She didn't remember her real family other than Max, Isabel and Michael and they didn't really want to have anything to do with her.
The closest thing to a family she had on Earth, was the Valentis.
She pushed open the door, dropped her bags on the floor and plopped down onto the ottoman, ready with her cover story. "It is a zoo out there. God, every store is packed with desperate people trying to find the perfect present. Oh, and the streets are loaded with overzealous people singing. And then, there's all these insane people dragging Christmas trees on top of their cars."
"Whoo!! Oh!!" the Sheriff and Kyle cheered.
Tess was confused by their reaction, but suddenly the lack of Christmas decorations struck her, "But clearly you guys don't bother with Christmas trees."
"We've got ours out in the garage," Kyle said, "Plastic."
"Oh," Tess said, disappointed. "Oh, well I guess there's no hurry to bring it into the house then."
"Well actually," the Sheriff said, "we haven't brought it in for a few years."
"We like it in the garage," Kyle agreed. "I use it to dry my socks."
"Good!" the Sheriff exclaimed, "Second down. Second down, here we go. Come on. Come on. Visualize."
"Oh, and about Christmas dinner," Tess started expectantly, "I hope you guys aren't planning some big..."
Kyle cut her off, "We usually hit the Crashdown for turkey."
"Seven ninety-five, all-you-can-eat," the Sheriff said.
Tess smiled to cover her disappointment, "Great. You know, I don't celebrate Christmas anyway." She gathered her bags and headed to her room. Nasedo had taught her not to care about her human side and they had never celebrated Christmas. But for some reason, the holiday seemed important to her this year.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Max had been haunted all day, by the man who had died, and the ghost's accusations were hitting too close to home. Max needed to talk to someone who could help him try and figure out what to do, and the first and only person he thought of was Liz.
He stopped the Jeep outside the Crashdown and walked toward the door but stopped when he saw Liz through the window. She had her back to him but he knew her instantly. The delicate curve of her body, the dark sweep of her hair; every detail about her was indelibly etched into his memory. He would know her anywhere.
He had come to her because he knew Liz would help him. She kept him anchored and gave him strength, and together he knew they would find the solution. Together nothing could stop them.
Max took a step toward the window and Liz instantly turned around, as if she had known he was there.
Liz had been attempting to balance the register for the evening when suddenly she knew Max was behind her. She turned, a smile of greeting lighting her face but it was almost immediately replaced by a look of concern when she saw the serious expression on Max's face.
Liz met him at the door and pushed it open. Max didn't quite know how to tell her what had been happening and he started shakily, "You know how we said that we were going to try to be friends?"
"Yeah," Liz agreed. This was the first time Max had approached her alone, and away from school. It made her think back to last year when they were first getting together and he had come by the Crashdown all the time.
"I think I need a friend," Max said.
"Oh," Liz said, realizing she had misinterpreted his reason for coming. She studied his face and noticed for the first time how unsettled he seemed. Something was wrong. "Oh. Okay," she said, stepping back to allow him to enter. "Come on in."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Roswell the Miracle - aka. A Roswell Christmas Carol)
(Friday, December 22nd, 2000)
Tess had noticed the chemistry between the Sheriff and Amy DeLuca almost immediately and an idea had been forming in her mind since then. Just once she decided that she wanted to be a part of a real family and she wanted to do something nice for Kyle and the Sheriff for accepting her into their home.
She reread the note she had written with a smile. It was perfect. She would just deliver it to Amy on her way to the grocery store tomorrow and everything would be set for the perfect Christmas.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Roswell the Miracle - aka. A Roswell Christmas Carol)
(Sunday, December 24th, 2000)
After Michael had taken him to Brody's house to see Brody with his daughter, Max had started to think about what the ghost had said to him.
It's Christmas. You should be with your loved ones.
And having seen Brody and his daughter together, Max knew he was right. But as much as he loved Isabel and Michael and his parents, they weren't the ones he wanted to be with tonight. There was one person who was always there for him, who always supported him. She was his best friend, his soul mate, and he knew he could always turn to her.
It had been Liz he had thought of when the ghost had mentioned loved ones, and despite his earlier decision not to go to midnight services, Max knew that's where he wanted to be because that was where he would find Liz.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Sunday, January 21st, 2001)
(University of Las Cruces)
Tess used her powers to conceal herself from the single student she encountered on her way to Alex's dorm room. It was after two a.m. and most of the tenants in the dormitory were asleep. That was the reason Lonni had made the rule that no one left or entered Alex's room except in the early hours of the morning.
Tess let herself into Alex's room and quietly closed the door behind her. "How is the translation progressing?" she asked Lonni.
Lonni shrugged, "Alex seems to be pleased with the progress. He said something about algorithms and probability." She shrugged. "All I know is that the computer still hasn't finished the decryption."
"So when will it finish?" Tess asked.
Lonni shook her head, "He doesn't know. He said it could be a week or six months."
"But he told us he would have a time estimate," Tess pointed out.
"Well he doesn't," Lonni said. "Believe me, I've tried to get a more accurate date from him but he just doesn't know."
"He’s supposed to go back to Roswell next week," Tess protested. "What are we going to do then?"
"It's like I told you before," said Lonni. "Alex will set up the computer to continue to work. He can put in a program that lets him access the computer from his house. He will set up a laptop for us, with a link to his computer and when the decryption is finally finished the computer will e-mail us the results. Then, just like we planned, you can tell Max you remember how to read the language and it's time to go home."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
As Tess drove back to Roswell, she considered Lonni's plan. Lonni might not think that Isabel and Michael were important, but Tess knew Khivar wanted Isabel back. She could remember pieces of the conversation she'd had with Congresswoman Whitaker the night Whitaker had kidnapped her. Whitaker had said Khivar and Vilondra were lovers and the skins were definitely expecting Isabel to return with them.
Lonni probably wanted to claim Isabel's place at Khivar's side but Tess suspected Khivar didn't want an imitation. He would want the real thing and Tess had to make sure Isabel came with them.
Tess wasn't sure about Michael however. The little she knew about him on Antar wasn't enough to make a decision concerning his importance to Khivar but she decided she had better bring him as well.
But Michael was the least of her problems. He had always wanted to find his real home and she was sure that he would jump at the opportunity to return. She just wasn't sure of what Max and Isabel would do. If they were given a choice, they might choose to stay. So as far as Tess could see, the only solution was not to give them a choice.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - To Serve & Protect)
(Friday, January 26th, 2001)
(Frazier Woods)
The Ganderium Queen used the borrowed human body of Grant Sorensen to pull the selected host through the woods in the body bag. She was glad she had gotten a strong human because the human girl was heavy and her struggling made the journey even more difficult.
She pulled the syringe out of her pocket, knelt down beside the body bag and quickly injected the host with another dose of the sedative. The burial would be easier if the host was quiet.
Dragging the now still human a few more minutes, the Queen finally reached the hole she had prepared. She unzipped the bag and rolled the limp girl out of the bag and into the hole. Then she used her connection with the hive, to signal the release of the Ganderium drones into the water table to make their way to the host.
She had chosen this spot because the underground water was close to the surface and her Ganderium drones would have easy access to the host. It would take several days for enough of the drones to reach the host and to build up the crystal concentration in the host's blood, but if it was done too quickly it would kill her. The crystal concentration had to be just right in the human's blood, or the Queen herself would not be able to successfully infect her.
The Queen put the box over the girl's head and carefully checked the air supply before sealing the box and completely covering the girl with soil. Then she scattered leaves and twigs over the area to make it impossible to distinguish from the surroundings, and with a final look around, she walked back the way she had come.
They had been forced to keep themselves hidden for so long while building up their numbers and strength enough for her to be able to leave the hive, the Queen thought to herself, but their patience would pay off in a matter of days. Soon she would be able to infect the host and then they would be able to spread themselves to every living thing on the planet, insuring their survival.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Isabel laughed as she watched Kyle's dream end with him transforming into an alien. Why was it that people had the mental image of green, slimy aliens? Who was to say there weren't blue or orange aliens? And why the slime?
Suddenly Isabel was standing in a clearing in the woods and she felt confused and frightened. She could hear a girl screaming and looked around to find the source but all she could see were trees and blinding flashes of light. She stumbled forward toward the trees that seemed to be rushing around her, but stopped when a man came into her line of vision. At first she couldn't tell what was happening but then her vision cleared and she stared in horror at what she was witnessing. The man was dragging a body bag but the struggling person inside was obviously still alive.
Isabel jolted awake, "No!" she shouted before realizing she was safe in her room.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - To Serve & Protect)
(Saturday, January 27th, 2001)
(Crashdown Café)
"It's not your home," Maria yelled after Sean as he walked out the front door.
"Did you know he was getting out?" Liz asked.
"No way," said Maria. "I would have alerted the National Guard or something." She gestured toward the door, "Shouldn't he have a police escort or one of those ankle bracelet tracker thingers."
Liz laughed, "He isn't that bad."
"Not that bad?" Maria asked. "You don't call him leading a group of hooligans to break into our school and vandalize the whole place bad?"
"Well," Liz started, "it is traditional for Goddard High kids to break in to West Roswell and cover our school seal with their own before the big game between the schools."
"But Sean and his friends didn't just cover the seal, they practically destroyed it," Maria pointed out," and a lot of other stuff too, not to mention all the TVs and stuff they loaded into their car."
"Yeah," Liz agreed, "they definitely went too far." She shrugged, "I just mean it's not like he's a murderer or anything."
"I'll get back to you on that," Maria said dryly.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - To Serve & Protect)
(Sunday, January 28th, 2001)
Valenti closed his office door behind him, shutting Dan out. He handed the photo to Isabel. "Is this her?"
Isabel looked at the girl in the photograph. "The hair's the right color. I think so," she said consideringly. She ran her fingers over the photo and quickly tried to connect with the other girl but she didn't receive any images, which usually meant the person was awake, or dead, Isabel thought with a shudder.
"Are you sure?" Valenti asked.
"I never saw her clearly," Isabel admitted. "But it's her," she said with more conviction, not willing to let her uncertainty hamper the investigation. "It has to be."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Michael’s Apartment)
Tess glanced at her watch as she knocked on Michael's door. It was just nine o'clock and she was supposed to be headed to Las Cruces. Alex was scheduled to return from 'Sweden' later today and she would have to clean up his mind, but first she had to attend the emergency meeting Max had called.
Michael opened the door with barely a glance in her direction and turned away from her without a word. Max and Isabel were already there and Max started immediately after Tess closed the door behind her.
"We wanted you to know that Isabel has been having these dreams, visions about a girl who has been kidnapped," Max said.
Michael rubbed his eyes, "That's great. You get me up early on a Sunday to tell us about dreams."
"They're not just dreams, Michael," Isabel said. "They're real. There's a girl in trouble."
"So why are you dreaming about her?" Michael asked, suddenly interested. "You never dreamed about anyone else before. Is she an alien?"
Isabel shrugged. "I don't know who or what she is, but she needs help."
"So how do we help her?" Tess asked.
"I don't think there is anything we can do right now," Max said. "We told the Sheriff everything we know and he’s looking into it. We just wanted to let you know what was going on."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Tess smiled with satisfaction as she let herself out of Michael's apartment. Max had been making sure she was included in the group more and more. In the last few months they had become closer, he had started to care about her and she felt it was only a matter of time until he was hers.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Max and Isabel drove straight to the Sheriff's office with the new information.
And when then were in Valenti’s office, Max took the initiative, "Isabel had another dream and this time she saw who the kidnapper was. It's Grant."
"Sorenson?" Valenti asked with surprise.
"I'm positive," Isabel said.
Valenti sighed, "Alright, I'll take care of it."
"You want us to help?" Max offered.
Valenti didn't want to risk involving them, "Not this time."
Isabel waited until she and Max had gotten back into the car before she asked the question that had been worrying her, "Max, don't you think we should help Valenti? I mean we don't know why Grant is doing this."
"Exactly," Max said. "He might just be crazy or a serial killer and the alien angle is just a coincidence."
Isabel studied Max's face for a moment, "You don't really believe that Max. There is something alien going on and Grant is right in the middle of it. What if it isn't Grant's fault? What if he’s being controlled by an alien, like Brody? That’s why we should help," Isabel argued.
"No, that’s why we should stay out of it," Max said. "What if someone is using him and this situation to draw us out." Max shook his head, "What Valenti told Michael is true. If we get more involved in this, the wrong people might start asking questions."
Isabel sat silently and Max continued, "And I think we should keep this to ourselves. We don't want Michael running off and doing something stupid like confronting Grant."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Roswell Airport)
Tess pushed Alex down onto a bench as Lonni and Rath unloaded Alex's belongings on the curb beside them. The flight Alex was scheduled to be on from Sweden was due in about an hour and she still had to prepare him before his parents came to pick him up. She sat next to him and started a mind warp to change his memories of Las Cruces, to the itinerary and pictures of Sweden that Lonni had provided.
It would have been too hard to try and replace all of his memories of the last few weeks, so she simply told him to substitute images of Sweden for what he really remembered. Whenever he thought of the dorm he would substitute images of the Olsen's home. Whenever he thought of Rath he would see the Olsen family and whenever he thought of Isabel or Lonni he would see Leanna. She also gave him Lonni's cell phone number and e-mail address for when he wanted to contact his long-distance girlfriend.
Then she flipped through the book of slides, shaking her head at the huge number Rath had created. He must have really gotten into it. With a weary sigh, Tess concentrated on putting the images into Alex's memory and integrating them into the itinerary Lonni had put together. She also placed some basic Swedish vocabulary in his mind from the book provided.
Tess had never liked Alex because she had seen him as one of the reasons Isabel was reluctant to accept her destiny to be with Michael. She didn't like the way Alex followed Isabel around and she considered him to be way too geeky. So while she was in his mind, she replaced some of his goofiness with a new suave demeanor. She also gave him the knowledge on how to be a little more cool around Isabel, to have some pride instead of being such a lap-dog.
When she was finished, Tess opened her eyes and sighed with exhaustion. The amount of mind warping she had been doing over the last month was catching up with her and she was glad the hard part was finally over. Alex would go back to his normal life, the computer would continue to decode the book, and when it was finished, they could go home.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Dan entered Valenti's office and confronted him, "Judith Foster is filing a grievance with the State Police Board. She wants a formal investigation into your actions."
Valenti looked at his old friend, "I wonder who put that idea in her head?"
"Lot of questions here, Jimbo," he said with a drawl. "Time for you to start thinking of some answers."
"Talk to my lawyer," Valenti said.
Dan was about to press the subject when the phone rang. He listened as Jim spoke into the receiver but as the conversation continued, he became more suspicious. He waited until Jim put the phone down. "Do deputies always call you on your private line?" he asked sarcastically.
"I'll talk to you in the morning," Valenti said dismissively.
"You know, your Daddy went down just like this," Dan warned his old friend. "Got some fool notion into his head, ignored the law and his friends, and ended up handing over his badge."
"Is that a threat?" Valenti asked.
Dan nodded, 'If that phone call was from those kids, consider it a warning."
Watching out the window, Dan waited until Jim had reached the parking lot, and then he ran to his car. Jim was obviously up to something stupid and he wanted to find out what it was. Maybe he could put a stop to it before his old friend ruined his life any more.
He pulled his car onto the road and followed the police cruiser at a discrete distance, but Valenti accelerated quickly ahead, catching Dan by surprise, and when he rounded the next corner, Valenti's cruiser was nowhere to be seen.
Dan had caught a few words of Jim's phone conversation and most of it had not made any sense but two of the words stood out. Frazier Woods. Jim was going to Frazier Woods. Dan made a right and headed to the highway. If he hurried, he would catch Jim in the act.
After a few minutes of driving, he slowed the car and pulled onto the dirt track that led into Frazier Woods. The track was scarred with deep ruts and potholes, making driving difficult, and he drove slowly, thoroughly searching each lay-by and turn-off for any sign of Jim's cruiser.
He had been searching for more than half and hour before he heard the gunshot.
Quickly turning his car, Dan headed back in the direction he had come, and a second shot was fired. He stopped his car in a lay-by when he heard a third shot and he drew his gun and headed into the trees toward where the shots were coming from.
He heard a fourth shot, obviously from a high-powered rifle, and then several more shots just ahead. He could see three people through the trees and came out behind them. "Freeze."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Frazier Woods)
As the ambulance with Laurie Dupree inside pulled away, Dan approached Max and Isabel Evans, "Okay, you kids will ride back to the Sheriff's station with Deputy Hansen."
Max looked at Isabel quickly and then back to Dan, "We came with Sheriff Valenti, he can take us home."
Dan smiled, "Well the Sheriff has other things to do. Besides, we have a few questions about this situation that need answering."
Hansen opened the door of his squad car, "Right this way Ms. Evans, Mr. Evans."
Max looked to Valenti but the Sheriff indicated with a jut of his chin that they should do what they were told.
Max let Isabel enter the car first and then he climbed in with her. Hansen shut the door behind them and Max quickly whispered to Isabel, "We didn't have a chance to get our story straight with Valenti. But I heard him tell that Dan guy that we were with him. Dan said Valenti could get suspended for that. So if they ask us, we've got to tell them Valenti didn't bring us out here."
"So what do we tell them?" Isabel hissed.
Max shrugged and thought for a moment, "We'll tell them we were hiking in the woods and heard the girl screaming and called Valenti."
"Okay," Isabel agreed, looking out the window at the Sheriff. "I just hope everything will be okay for Valenti."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - We Are Family)
(Sunday, January 28th, 2001)
(The Evans House – Isabel’s Room)
Isabel got out of bed, padded to the window and gazed out into the dark sky. The questions at the Sheriff's station had been endless and even though she was exhausted, she couldn't sleep. There were too many thoughts running through her head, too many questions.
She had been wrong about the identity of the girl taken but the kidnapping had happened just as she had seen it. Isabel had been almost relieved when Valenti had told them Melissa Foster was okay because it meant that the other part of her vision could have been wrong too. Again Isabel envisioned Grant pulling the body bag with the struggling Laurie inside, but quickly squeezed her eyes shut, trying to wipe away the image.
The Grant she knew was gentle and funny and very serious about his work, and she enjoyed spending time with him. It was possible, she told herself, that she her subconscious had just superimposed Grant's face on the kidnapper because she had recently been with him. It could have been part of her dream, she thought. Maybe Grant was completely innocent and she had been wrong about him like she had been wrong about Melissa Foster.
Isabel sank into a chair with a sigh. Valenti was investigating Grant because she had told him to, but she desperately hoped the investigation cleared him. She didn't want to believe Grant was capable of doing what she had seen.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - We Are Family)
(Monday, January 29th, 2001)
(The Valenti House)
Michael waited as Max knocked on the Sheriff's door. They had gotten a message to come to his house as quickly as possible and Michael was afraid of what might be waiting for them.
Isabel opened the door and Max asked what they were both thinking, "We got a message from Valenti. What's going on?"
"Laurie Dupree is here," Isabel said.
Michael was somewhat surprised but relieved Laurie was okay and followed Isabel as she led them to a closed door.
Michael stood back as Isabel knocked, calling to the girl inside, "Laurie? Laurie, you can come out. It's okay. You remember Max. He was there that night. This is our friend Michael."
Michael got a glimpse of the girl for the first time, "Hey."
Laurie's eyes quickly flicked between the members of the group and suddenly she erupted into hysterics, "You stay away from me! You're dead! You're dead!" She slammed the door and locked it.
Michael didn't know if Laurie was an alien or not but she was definitely crazy. She had threatened to kill them and they were only trying to help her.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - We Are Family)
(Tuesday, January 30th, 2001)
(West Roswell High School)
(Eraser Room)
As Liz had watched the slides of Alex's trip, the night before, she had become more and more sad. Since Max had healed her, it seemed as if all of their lives had been centered around the aliens’ problems, either solving them or waiting for the next one to occur. And it was not that she blamed them, it was just the opposite. Liz considered helping them and keeping them safe more important than anything else.
But their problems were not only consuming her life, the problems were consuming the aliens’ lives to the exclusion of everything else. They were all sacrificing their lives to this cause and it was just so unfair because there was so much to do and see in the world and Liz was afraid they would be robbed of their opportunities, their youth. The possibility had bothered her so much that she had written a note to Max to meet her so she could discuss it with him.
The sound of the door opening drew her attention and she looked over to see Max entering.
"I got your note," Max said with concern. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," Liz assured him, but then thought better of her answer. "No. No, um that's not true. I've just been thinking a lot lately, and..." she trailed off and then started again. "Have you ever wanted to see Sweden?"
"Sweden?" Max asked puzzled by the sudden change of subject.
Liz could see the confusion on his face, "I mean or anywhere. Peru, Nigeria, New Zealand."
"Sure," Max agreed, "but the closest I'm gonna get right now is the Granolith chamber.” He studied her face, “Why?"
Liz sighed, "Watching Alex this week, I just realized that it's our right to see the world, to live our dreams, live life."
Max shook his head, "Liz, that can't happen."
"Why?" Liz asked.
"Because it doesn't work that way for us," he said gently. "You know that."
Liz continued, "You and Isabel and Michael and Tess are, you guys are getting cheated on a lot of things, and it's not fair. None of it is."
Max remembered the things Liz had said to him in his room months ago. She wanted to be safe and being involved with them, with him, made her anything but safe. They had been involving her too much in their problems and even though he wanted to keep her at his side, he loved her too much to force her to stay.
He took a deep breath, the words he was about to speak tearing him apart inside. "Liz, you, should get to see Sweden. We... I, hold you back."
Liz shook her head, "No, Max."
"Kyle was right," Max said.
Liz remembered Kyle's words to Max.
You and your Martian friends move in, take over, and obliterate any shred of normalcy. Our lives are no longer ours,
And Liz instantly denied them, "That's not true."
"Everyone we touch gets hurt in some way or another," Max said. "Five years from now, I don't want you to open your eyes and realize that, that you missed out. You're part of the group. You always will be. But you need to be allowed to," he paused looking for the right word, "to grow."
Max's words brought tears to her eyes and Liz pulled him into an embrace. It was obvious he only wanted the best for her and even though she knew he loved her and wanted her to stay, he was letting her go. She held him tight for a few moments and then whispered into his ear, "Why can't you come with me?"
Max held Liz to him in a desperate embrace. He loved her so much and he was terrified of losing her but as much as he wanted to just leave it all behind and go with her, he wouldn't. He wasn't giving up on her or their relationship, just the opposite, he knew that someday they would be together but right now it wasn't possible. Liz had shown him that sometimes you had to sacrifice your wants for the greater good, and right now he needed to be here. Liz already knew his answer and the reasons behind it, but he said it aloud for both of them, "Because I can't. But I'll be watching you, Liz Parker, wherever you go. And I'll be here when you get back."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Roswell City Council Chambers)
Jim sat in the council room after everyone else had left. He still couldn't believe they had fired him but even though he was sorry to lose his job, he felt it was worth it because they had rescued Laurie.
The sound of the door opening drew his attention and he looked up as Dan reentered the room. His old friend had testified against him but Jim wasn't angry, because he could imagine how his actions appeared to others. "Are you sure it's wise to be alone with me?" Jim joked. "You have to go back to Santa Fe tomorrow and you might get tainted by association."
"That's real funny Jimbo," Dan said sarcastically. "Just tell me one thing. Is whatever secret you're protecting worth your job?"
"I don't know what you mean," Jim said, automatically denying Dan's accusation.
Dan studied him for a moment and then shrugged, "Maybe you don't. Maybe you are crazy just like your old man, but whatever you think is going on has changed you, and I don't know who you are anymore."
Jim shook his head, "That's funny, I was just thinking that I didn't know you anymore. There was a time when we would have backed-up each other without question."
"That's because I trusted you to do the right thing," Dan explained. "But now..." he let his sentence trail off.
Jim picked up where Dan stopped, "Now you don't."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Evans House – Max’s Room)
Max studied the sample of the blue crystal under the microscope. "I don't believe this."
"What?" Michael asked anxiously.
"It looks like they're pulsating," Max said.
"What does that mean, that they're alive?"
Max shrugged, "I don't know what it means. I've never seen anything like it but maybe we should check into Laurie's background to find out why she was taken."
Michael nodded, "Her chart in the hospital said she was in a mental hospital. Maybe we should start there."
"Okay," Max agreed. "You and Isabel go and check it out and I'll see what I can find out about these crystals."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - We Are Family)
(Friday, February 2nd, 2001)
(Pinecrest Psychiatric Hospital)
Isabel shivered as she looked around the room, "Can you imagine being locked up in a place like this?"
Michael didn't even have to think about his answer, "This would suck big."
"Okay, this just doesn't feel right," Isabel said. "Digging through the intimate details of these people's lives."
Michael ignored Isabel's comment and opened a file drawer and quickly scanned through the files looking for Dupree. "Yes!" he cried and pulled the file out and opened it but his elation turned to disappointment when he saw that it was empty, "No."
Isabel pushed her scruples aside and searched a pile of duffel bags, quickly realizing what they were. "Michael," she called to him, "they're full of personal belongings." She found the bag marked Dupree, opened it and pulled out a stack of photos. "Look, here. Look at this." She flipped through the old photos but stopped when a familiar face caught her attention. "My God," she said, showing the photo to Michael. "That looks just like you!"
"It is me." Michael was dumbfounded as he stared at the photo that could have been of himself. He had searched his whole life for his real family and finally he had found them.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Disturbing Behavior)
(Saturday, February 3rd, 2001)
(The Evans House - Max's Room)
The mass of Ganderium crystals acted more on instinct than with actual thought. They had been surrounded by potentially dangerous humans since their capture so they had remained dormant.
But when they found themselves in an open container with a single sleeping human, they took the opportunity to sample his DNA for the defective gene they needed to build their numbers. They pushed their way out of the container and across the surface, quickly covering the nearest appendage.
The human awoke before they had finished sampling the DNA so they used their tactile strength to anchor his appendage until they had finished. Joyously they discovered the defective gene but almost immediately they discovered that the human already had Ganderium crystals in his system.
Immediately they released the human not wanting to risk harming him or their Ganderium brothers within.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Disturbing Behavior)
(Sunday, February 4th, 2001)
(Roswell UFO Museum)
(Brody’s Office)
"I've been put under hypnosis before," Brody said. "It's never helped me remember anything about my experiences."
"This would be different," Isabel claimed, hoping to convince him. "I have a gift. I'm a little psychic."
Brody wondered if she was joking and looked to Max and Liz to see if they were laughing. "Come on."
Liz picked up Isabel's story, "You believe in aliens, but you don't believe in psychic phenomena?"
"I was abducted by aliens," Brody explained. "I know they exist."
"I know my gift exists," Isabel asserted.
"Aren't you at least curious?" Max coaxed.
"Okay," Brody agreed, "So what do we do?"
Isabel released a tension-filled breath and quickly took charge before he could change his mind. "Okay. Relax. Close your eyes and clear your mind. Give me your hand. This won't hurt."
She didn't know exactly what she should do to contact Larek or how much power it would take, so as she reached for his hand, she built her power to a tremendous level.
Brody continued to speak even with his eyes shut, "I just want to warn you, the last time I was put through this, I was a very difficult subject. I just don't want you to be too disappointed when..."
Isabel barely touched Brody's hand but the reaction was instantaneous. She felt her power enter his body and immediately an answering surge of power burst from him. It was like two magnets of the same polarity being forced together. She felt her power and the other react, and the resulting force threw them across the room in opposite directions.
Isabel felt herself hit the wall and then the floor, and stars danced before her eyes for a moment before she could clear them. When she could focus, Max was on the floor before her.
"You shouldn't have done that," Brody said from across the room.
"Brody?" Max asked.
"Larek," Brody's mouth answered. "This body has not been prepared for communication. Its heart has stopped."
Isabel got up painfully, but she glad the plan had worked, and she and Max went to Brody's side.
Larek continued, "It may restart once I've released him. What is it you want?"
"We need your help," Max started to explain. "We think that some form of a, a parasite was released into our Earth's ecosystem when our ship crashed fifty years ago. We think they're dangerous..."
Larek cut him off, not really having heard anything after Max said a parasite had been released. "When you say parasite, do you mean the Ganderium from your ship have escaped into the ecosystem?"
"I don't know," Max said. "It looks like blue crystals."
Larek was horrified. The Ganderium were safe as long as they remained under controlled circumstances but if they had gotten loose, he didn't even want to think about what they would do. "Earth is in serious trouble," Larek said. "You must leave now."
"What are you talking about?" Max asked, not sure what Larek meant.
"Earth has become infected," Larek explained quickly. He needed to leave the body soon or he would kill the human. "You're no longer safe there. Get off the planet now."
"Okay," Max said, trying to take in everything Larek had said.
Larek took Max's 'Okay' for agreement and he pulled his consciousness out of the human to prevent further damage.
Brody's body suddenly sagged and Max knew that Larek had released him. "Wait, wait, wait!"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Antarian System)
(Planet Talros)
Larek placed the transverse thought projector aside. He didn't know that communication through a human was even possible in the manner in which Max had just contacted him. It had just been lucky that he had been close to the thought projector to receive its signal. He had felt the call in his mind somehow, probably because of his connection with the human, Brody, and rushed to the thought projector for the power burst he needed for the communication.
It was too bad the Ganderium had gotten loose on Earth. Eventually they would destroy everything, and the planet would become unlivable until the Ganderium all died out.
It was also unfortunate that Max and the others would be forced to leave. Larek didn't know if they had an alternate plan and it would probably mean they would have to return to Antar and face Khivar. Larek would harbor them on Talros if he could, but his army was no match for Khivar's mighty war-machine. Khivar could simply send a fraction of his war ships...
Larek let the thought trail off, as suddenly some of Max's words came back to him. He had been so focused on the Ganderium problem he hadn't realized what Max had been saying, but now it came back to him with the full force of the meaning. Max had said their ship had crashed fifty years before and that was what had allowed the Ganderium to escape.
Max's ship had crashed. Max hadn't said how bad the damage had been but only a hull breach would have let the Ganderium escape.
What if Max and the others didn't have a way off the planet? Larek wondered.
It would take four years for a ship to arrive from Antar, and Max and the Earth didn't have that much time.
The only chance Max and the Earth had, was to stop the Ganderium, and with no memories of their past life, they would need all the help he could give them. Larek reached for the thought projector, passing his hand over the controls. He would have to work quickly to prepare the human Brody in order to assist Max.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - How the Other Half Live)
(Monday, February 5th, 2001)
Tess' hands shook as she dialed Lonni's number, Liz's answer to her question echoing through her mind.
Tess had been confused by Larek's warning and asked, And just so I'm clear, when Larek said that Earth was infected, what exactly are we talking here? You know, a couple of acres? Couple of miles?
Then Liz had given her chilling answer, I think he was speaking a little more globally.
Globally, Tess thought. The whole world would become unlivable and they had to get off the planet.
"Come on, pick-up. Pick-up," Tess chanted under her breath as she listened to Lonni's phone ringing.
Finally on the fourth ring, Lonni answered with an annoyed tone in her voice, "Yeah."
"It's Tess and we've got a big problem," she started, and then quickly outlined what they had learned about the Ganderium threat.
"Wait a minute," Lonni said. "Your telling me the whole Earth can become contaminated just like that?"
"That's what Larek told us would happen if we don't stop it," Tess said, her voice raising hysterically. "We have to get off of this planet. We have to tell Nicholas what is happening and give him the Granolith and he will take us home."
"No!" Lonni exclaimed. "I will not give up my only piece of leverage that easily. You said yourself that this girl, Laurie wasn't infected yet. That will give us a little more time to get the translation and who knows, maybe in the mean time, my brother will save the world. If it starts going bad and the girl does become infected we can tell Nicholas then."
"But Lonni..." Tess argued, only to be cut off.
"You'll do as I say, Tess," Lonni said in a threatening tone. "I've waited too long for you to mess this up because you got freaked out."
"So what should I do?" asked Tess helplessly.
"You do whatever Max tells you to stop these things, that is what you do," mocked Lonni, "and if anything happens, call me immediately."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Dupree House - Basement)
Laurie pulled a dress out of a box, "This is Grandma's. I never met her."
"What was her name?" Michael asked, genuinely interested.
Laurie smiled, "Ada Jane. She's dead too."
Michael was surprised that he was disappointed. He had just found his family but most of them were dead. Unconsciously he reached up to scratch his eyebrow but stopped when he saw Laurie looking at his hand.
"Can't fight who we are Michael," Laurie said. "You're Grandpa's legacy, and I'm crazy."
Michael took her by the shoulders and forced her to look at him. "You are not crazy," he asserted. "What happened to you was real. I mean, you have a right to live your life. Bobby and Meredith have tried to take that away from you, but it's yours. Just like this house is yours. Now look, I'm not what you would call an optimist, life sucks, people suck. That's reality. But you're special. You're a good person and you deserve better than to be locked up in an institution because it's more convenient for your aunt and uncle. This is your life, and this is your house.
Laurie was dumbfounded for a moment. No one had ever talked to her like Michael did. He actually believed in her. She turned to him with a smile.
Michael smiled back, hoping that he had reached her. "So your Grandpa left you the house because he didn't trust Bobby or Meredith but what about your parents?"
"I don't even remember them," Laurie said. "They died when I was little and I was raised here by Grandpa."
"Then this has been your home your whole life," Michael said, "and you should start acting like it."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Frazier Woods)
The Ganderium crystals reacted to the intrusion of their nest by the two humans the only way they could, by sealing them inside and cutting off their oxygen. The hive of crystals worked cooperatively, the ones in contact with the surface oxygen passing it through the shared surface to the ones inside, so they would not die. But they could cut off the oxygen to the humans, it was their only defense.
Then they simply had to wait until the intruders died.
Then an attack started from the surface. More humans were attempting to enter the hive and the crystals worked together to reinforce the outer shell, to prevent any more intruders from invading.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Roswell, NM)
The Ganderium Queen in side the borrowed human, Grant, had just reached the outskirts of town, when she received the impression that the hive was in danger. She immediately turned the vehicle and headed it back toward Frazier Woods.
It took her more than half-an-hour to arrive at the area where the hive was located but when she reached the turn-off, the other cars present alerted her to the fact that she wasn't alone. She continued past the cars and parked behind some trees where she wouldn't be observed by the humans present.
She crept through the trees silently to observe the actions of the humans. They were digging around the hive, apparently attempting to get inside. Rage boiled up within her, knowing that the humans meant to do harm to her drones, and she turned back to the truck to look for a weapon.
Suddenly Grant came back to his senses. He was standing next to his truck and there were trees all around. At first he didn't realize where he was but he recognized the area almost immediately. He was in Frazier Woods.
He didn't remember how he got there but he started toward his truck. He had the compulsion to go to Tucson and he didn't know why. He didn't want to go to Tucson and he fought the urge, clapping his hand to his head as the pain started.
Suddenly he heard voices and crept through the trees until he could see who it was. He was surprised to see Isabel and Max and two other girls with shovels. They seemed to be having an intense conversation and then suddenly Isabel headed for her car.
He watched her for a moment before he made up his mind. There was something wrong with him and Isabel was the only one he could think of to turn to for help.
Grant sprinted back to his truck and put it in gear. He would follow Isabel and get her to help him.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Isabel awoke to find herself in a strange car. Her head throbbed painfully but she turned to see who was at her side, "Grant?"
Grant was grateful she was finally awake. He had not wanted to take Isabel but it was the only thing he could do to stop the compulsion to kill her. "I'm not doing so good Isabel. That Agent, from the FBI..." he trailed off.
"Agent Duff?" Isabel prompted.
Isabel trying to help him made him angry. It was as if she thought he didn't remember. "Yeah, I know her name, okay? I know things! She said I went to Wyoming. She asked if I stole a gun there. I don't remember!" he yelled. "When I try to remember, it just gets worse." He turned to Isabel, "You're the only one I trust Isabel. You have to help me."
Isabel didn't know what to do. Grant sounded crazy and he had kidnapped her. She looked around trying to get some bearings but she didn't recognize the area. "Okay," she said in what she hoped was a soothing tone. "Okay, I will. Just pull the car over and we'll get you some fresh air."
Grant ignored her, "Did I get shot? Huh?"
"That was you," Isabel gasped. In the last few days, she convinced herself that she had been mistaken about Grant and he couldn't possibly have been involved but she couldn't deny it any longer. Grant had been shot by the Sheriff when the rescued Laurie. He was the kidnapper.
"When did I get these scratches on my neck?" Grant asked and then answered his own question, "I don't know. Here's another one. Why am I driving to Tucson? I don't know!" he yelled. "Help me Isabel," he begged, "Please."
Isabel was practically in tears hearing Grant begging for help but suddenly he seemed to forget she was there and his voice changed as he began to chant. He seemed to be having some kind of episode or a breakdown and Isabel spoke, trying to bring him out of it. "When did this all start happening?"
Grant refocused on her, "Hard to say. Uh, I uh, have gaps in time. I think it was, when I started digging out near Pohlman Ranch. Some time last summer. Found these weird crystals."
"Oh my God," Isabel gasped, "Oh God, Larek said there was a Queen."
"What?" Grant asked, not understanding what she was saying.
"Oh God," Isabel started, trying to explain it to him, "Look Grant, you're going to be alright. Your body has been, has been taken over by something."
"What kind of, thing?"
"It's hard to explain, but it must have happened when you were digging," she broke off, her mind running on overload. Grant wasn't responsible for anything he had done and she unknowingly spoke her thoughts aloud. "God, it was the Ganderium. They must have been in the water tab..."
Isabel seemed to know what was happening to him but Grant couldn't understand what she meant and it made him even angrier. "I don't know what that means, okay?" he shouted. "I'm losing it here!"
"Grant..." Isabel soothed.
He continued as if she hadn't spoken, "Why is this happening to me? I'm a good person."
"I know," Isabel said.
Grant was surprised by her answer, "Do you?"
"Yes," she assured him.
The compulsion to kill her was becoming unbearable but he tried to fight against it. "I have to kill you, but I don't wanna." Suddenly an idea occurred to him, "There's a cell phone in my coat pocket. Grab the phone Isabel. Now!"
"Okay, okay," she said as she took the phone. She desperately wanted to help him but she didn't know what to do. He was on his way to Tucson to get Laurie, and Isabel knew he had to be stopped but she didn't know how to do it without hurting him. She tried to plead with him, "Grant."
He was barely holding himself together and he knew it wouldn't last too much longer. He stopped the car on the side of the road. "Get out of the car."
"No," Isabel said, trying to think of something she could do to help.
The compulsion to kill Isabel was overwhelming all of Grant's other thoughts. "Get out of the car!" he bellowed.
Isabel was so worried about him, she was practically in tears, and once again she tried to reach him, "I can't help you if you don't..."
Grant cut her off, "Please. Get out of the car."
She reluctantly got out of the truck but turned back to him, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." She watched as Grant drove away and when he was out of sight she quickly dialed the Sheriff to inform him of what was happening.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Dupree Mansion - Poolside)
Carmen held out a tray with Maria's cell phone in front of Michael, "This one is for you sir."
"Thank you," said Michael as he reached for the phone. "Hello?"
"Michael, it's Max. The crystals can't live without oxygen."
"Okay," Michael said, wondering how that information applied to him.
"That's how we can stop it," Max explained.
"Well, I got a news flash for you Maxwell," Michael scoffed, "there are no crystals around here."
"So Laurie's safe?" Max asked, attempting to bring Michael around to the point of the call.
"She's under my constant watch," Michael said, "I'm not even sleeping. How are things with you?"
"Tired," Max sighed. "It's been a long couple of days."
"Yeah, tell me about it," Michael sighed, not really listening.
"It's been raining pretty hard here," Max said.
Carmen handed Michael the DVD player. "Thank you," he whispered.
"Morale's a little low," Max continued.
"Ah Max, I gotta take another patrol round the perimeter," Michael said, impatient to get off the phone.
"We'll talk later," Max said.
"Okay," Michael said, ending the conversation. He absentmindedly pressed the button he thought was end but accidentally pressed the call button and tossed the phone onto the lounger.
"Oh, Carmen," he called out. "Can I get some iced tea please?" Maria nodded and he indicated her too as he added, "For the both of us?"
Michael settled back into the lounger with a sigh of contentment. This was definitely the life.
As the opening credits started on Braveheart, Michael missed the blinking low-battery message on the cell phone and then the screen went blank.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
When Isabel had gotten off the phone with the Sheriff, she had dialed Maria's cell phone but she had only gotten a busy signal. Then she had tried Liz but her phone had also been busy so Isabel had known Liz and Maria they were talking to one another.
Isabel waited a few minutes, hoping they had ended their call and tried again. After one ring, Maria's phone was answered and Isabel started to blurt out a warning, "Hey you guys have gotta get..." but stopped as she heard the familiar voice on the message.
"The customer you are trying to reach is currently unavailable. Please try your call again later."
"Damn," Isabel said, knowing what unavailable meant. "Can't Maria ever remember to charge her cell phone batteries?"
Isabel didn't have the Dupree's number and dialed information, but discovered they were unlisted. Then she called Liz, but none of the group knew the Dupree's number either. There was no way to warn Michael that Grant was coming. Isabel just hoped Valenti got there in time.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
As Jim drove to the Sheriff's station, he considered what to tell Agent Duff. If he tried to tell her too much she wouldn't believe him, but he couldn't just let her walk into the situation completely unprepared.
He glanced at his watch. Isabel said they had a couple of hours. If they could get to Tucson ahead of Grant, there was a chance they could stop him. Jim decided he would tell Duff anything to get her there and then he would worry about explanations later.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Dupree Mansion – Basement)
Michael reached the bottom step just as the jellyfish-like creature emerged from Grant's chest and he hobbled to the door, "Everybody out! Now! Now!"
Valenti waited until everyone was out and he pulled the door shut.
"Okay," Maria said, "whatever you're gonna do, do it quick. That thing looks pissed!"
Michael spotted the ventilation fan and instantly an idea came to him. He raised his hand and used his power to run the fan, quickly siphoning all of the air out of the room. Then he closed the vent and they watched as the Ganderium Queen started to throw herself into the walls, seeking an escape.
"What did you do?" Jim asked Michael.
Michael shrugged, "Max said they need oxygen to live. So I just sucked all the air out."
The Queen's actions became more and more desperate as she consumed the last of the oxygen. In a desperate last attempt to escape she threw herself against the small window in the door, but the force of the impact ruptured her thin outer membrane and she died instantly.
"Simple," Michael said, enormously proud of himself for saving the world.
"So it's, it's over?" Laurie asked, almost afraid to hear the answer.
Jim sighed, "Guess that depends on what happens to the rest of the crystals."
Michael looked at Agent Duff for the first time. He hadn't had time to consider that he was using his powers in front of her, his only thought was to stop the Ganderium Queen.
He watched silently as she turned to go back upstairs and caught the Sheriff's attention. Michael motioned to Agent Duff with a jut of his chin and directed his question to Jim, "What about..."
Jim nodded, "I'll take care of it."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"So looks like I have two options," Agent Duff started. "Tell the truth about everything I've seen, or write a false report and commit a felony."
"Not very attractive options," Jim agreed.
"I know," she sighed.
"I always took a very legal approach to my job," Jim explained. "If I couldn't put it in a report, or swear to it in a court of law, in my mind, it never happened."
"Just walk away?" she asked.
Jim nodded, "That would be my advice. Sometimes it's better just to walk away with your victories."
"And what about the body downstairs with the blue crystals sticking out of its chest?" she asked. "What do we tell people happened to him?"
Jim remained silent and took a slow sip of his drink.
Agent Duff nodded, "We don't tell them anything because there will be no body." She looked at Jim intently, "Have you had to do this kind of thing before? And what about Michael? What was that he did in the basement?"
Jim studied the liquid in his glass, "Do you really want to know?"
She thought for a moment and then shook her head, "No, I don't."
Jim nodded once in agreement.
"I guess officially Sorensen will just have to be the one that got away," Duff said.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Isabel had been sitting next to Grant's body for only a few minutes when the Ganderium crystals seemed to quiver and then suddenly they melted, running down the sides of the cot and forming a blue puddle on the floor.
Isabel stood and brushed her hand over Grant's forehead. She still couldn't believe he was dead. They had been together just a couple of hours ago and even though she hadn't been able to help him, she genuinely thought it would all work out.
Her eyes wandered down to the gaping wound in his chest. She knew that she didn't have the strength to fix his ravaged flesh but she could at least partially repair the damage. She passed her hand over Grant's chest, closing his skin, fixing his torn clothing and cleaning him. Grant was a good person and it was the least she could do for him.
When she had arrived, the Sheriff had told her what had happened, how Grant had sacrificed himself to stop the creature within him. Isabel wiped at a tear that ran down her cheek. She wished she could have found a way to help him, he deserved so much more than this.
She knew they couldn't turn his body over to the authorities because there would be too many questions. They would have to get rid of his body and no one would know he had died a hero. Grant had told her that he had no family living, so at least there would be no one to wonder what happened to him but there would also be no one to mourn him, except herself.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Kyle, Alex, Liz, Max and Tess had gotten together for an impromptu celebration at the Crashdown that night, to celebrate saving the world. They had danced and eaten and toasted one another with Cherry Coke until midnight, and Tess was almost giddy as she climbed into her car to head home.
She had worked as part of the group and they had all accepted her, even Max. He had treated her like a friend, he had listened to her opinions and he had especially invited her to come to the Crashdown with them to celebrate. Max was letting her into his life more and more and she was soon he would accept her into her proper place at his side.
Tess smiled as she remembered the party. She and Liz had talked and laughed and danced, and Tess had started to wonder if they might have been friends had they met under different circumstances. Liz was nice and now that she wasn't after Max, Tess thought maybe they could be friends.
Tess' pleasant thoughts lasted until she remembered Lonni and then all of her fantasies of the future evaporated. As soon as the translation was finished, she, Max and the others would be leaving for Antar. But, Tess reminded herself, she would have a future with Max, it just wouldn't be on Earth.
She pulled off the road and dialed Lonni's number.
It was answered after one ring, "Yeah."
"It's over," Tess said. "Everything is okay."
"See, I told you it would work out," Lonni said.
"Yeah," Tess agreed unenthusiastically.
"So we are right back on schedule."
"I just wish that stupid computer would hurry up," Tess said.
"Be patient a little longer," Lonni soothed, "and we'll get everything we want."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Lonni ended the call with a roll of her eyes, "What a scrub."
Rath laughed, "Why don't we just get the location of the Granolith and get rid of her? The computer is working on the translation so we don't need her anymore."
Lonni shook her head, "It's good to have someone close to Max. You never know when she might come across with information like this Ganderium thing." She shrugged, "Besides, Tess is going to 'suddenly' remember how to read the book and tell Max how to use the Granolith."
Rath shook his head, "Tess gets on my nerves, just like Ava."
Lonni shrugged, "At least Tess has been a little more useful than Ava. We should keep her around until we get what we want. We might need Tess to use her unique talents, but even if we don't, we will have someone we can blame this whole thing on if it goes wrong."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Viva Las Vegas)
(Friday, February 16th, 2001)
(West Roswell High School)
Michael was waiting for Max outside his third period class. "So Max, will that plan to cover our absence stretch to include a few others?"
"Like Isabel?" Max asked.
"No," Michael said, shaking his head.
"Yes," Max nodded. "She heard us talking this morning and she wants to come."
"Great." Michael said unenthusiastically. "Maria invited Alex and Tess found out and invited herself and Kyle too. The whole damn town is coming."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Liz ran down the school hall, hoping the group hadn't left yet. At first she had been adamant about avoiding Vegas but as the day passed, Maria's words kept echoing in her mind.
What happened between you and Max is unspeakably intense, but the marriage thing never actually really happened, so you've gotta let go of it. You've got to create your own memories.
Liz had started to think that Maria was right. Here was an opportunity to go and have a good time and she should take advantage of it, and maybe it would help her push the thoughts of what could-have-been out of her mind. As she rounded the corner she saw the gang turn toward the door, and she called out, "Hey! You got room for one more?"
"Oh, I'm so proud of you," Maria said as she pulled Liz into a hug.
"Yeah," Max said, surprised but pleased that Liz wanted to come with them, "but let's get out of the hall before someone starts asking questions."
Michael rolled his eyes at the thought of Liz coming. He could just imagine her reaction to what he had planned, and he reached out to stop her. "No lecturing, no moralizing, no whining about spending money on the homeless. This weekend it's about fun and debauchery. You got it?"
"Yeah," Liz agreed. "I know how to have fun."
Michael pictured Liz's almost compulsive organization of the Crashdown. "Right," he said sarcastically.
Max lagged behind the others to talk to Liz, "I didn't put your name on the debate team list because I didn't know you were coming, but we can figure out something to excuse you from class."
"It's okay, Max," Liz assured him. "My last class is with Ms. Tatum. I told her that I wanted to do some extra research for my final paper so she said I could go to the library."
"Good," Max said with a smile. "I'm glad you're covered. I would hate to ruin your perfect attendance record."
Liz smiled back, knowing he was joking and pushed him playfully. "Dork." She laughed at the surprised look on his face.
"What about your parents?" Max asked.
"Maria, Alex and I have an old system where we all call the parents and tell them we are spending the night at each others' houses," Liz explained.
Max nodded, "Isabel and I did the same thing, except we told her we were staying with Michael."
"So we're completely free," Liz said wistfully, "and no one will even know we're gone."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Las Vegas, NV)
(Bali Hai Hotel & Casino)
Tess was still upset that she and Liz had been turned away from the casino. "You know what it is?" she ranted, "It's because we're small. If we weren't so damn short, he would have totally bought that we were 21. So what I'm going to do, I'm going to mind warp the security guard, making him think that we are five-ten and then we just go in."
Liz sighed. She had thought that she and Maria would go shopping and maybe see a show, but now that Maria had gone off by herself, Liz felt at loose ends. She had thought she would be so busy that there would be no time to consider the wedding that she and Max would have had but that was all she was thinking about. The city, the casino, the constant references to Elvis were just too much and she felt more and more depressed. The last thing she wanted to do was go into the casino and gamble. "Tess, I'm fine here in the arcade," Liz said.
Tess had started to think that Liz would make a good friend but she was beginning to wonder if she had been wrong. She should have stayed with Isabel, Tess thought. Isabel knew how to have fun but Liz was too uptight to just relax and enjoy. "Great," Tess said aloud, unmindful of Liz's feelings, "I'm stuck in the party capital of the world with Liz Parker. If we're feeling dangerous we could challenge a couple of eight-year-old boys to foosball or go for the ice capades."
Liz had tried to keep her feelings of mistrust and dislike of Tess to herself, she had even tried to be a friend, but Tess' outburst made her angry. Liz had given up Max and her chance of happiness for Tess, and not only was Tess ungrateful but she was mean. It was because of Tess' selfishness that the world had ended in the first place and Liz uncharacteristically lashed out. "You know, for your information I didn't want to come to Vegas in the first place. I knew that this was going to be the most miserable trip of my life. I knew it. But I didn't listen to my instincts. And by the way Tess, I don't enjoy being stuck with you either."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Maria sighed as she rode up in the elevator between Max and Michael. Neither of them had said a word since they had left the jail, except a grunted 'Thanks' from Max, and she was tired of it.
"So," she started in a sunny tone, "you boys going back for the trial or are you hardened criminals going to skip-out on the bail?"
Michael snorted, "We gave them fake IDs. We're not going back. They're not gonna be looking for a couple of kids in New Mexico."
Max remained silent but his scowl deepened.
Maria was genuinely surprised. She had never seen them this mad at one another. "So do you want to tell me what happened?" she asked carefully.
Michael shook his head, "Nothing happened. Just two good friends getting slapped in jail after a night on the town."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Max stumbled into the cab in a state of shock because of what he had just seen. The vision of himself and Liz had seemed so real. He had never experienced anything like it.
He wondered how he could have seen it. He and Liz had noticed the ad for the Elvis wedding chapel just a few moments before, and he had to admit the thought had crossed his mind that under other circumstances he would have asked Liz to marry him. But he had never had a thought or a wish turn into a vision.
As the cab sped toward the airport the scene replayed in his mind over and over. The Max and Liz in the vision had been radiantly happy and even now he could still feel their joy.
He and Liz had been headed toward marriage if things had not gone so terribly wrong. A brief picture of Liz in bed with Kyle flashed through Max's mind but he quickly pushed it away. Maybe he had created the vision of the marriage himself because it was what he had wanted all along. Maybe it didn't matter that Liz had slept with Kyle to try and drive a wedge between them. Maybe he was ready to forgive her and try again.
Or maybe the vision was fate's way of telling him that it was time to give their relationship another chance.
He leaned forward to speak to the driver, "I've changed my mind. Take me back to the hotel."
The ride seemed to take forever but finally they arrived. Max sprinted to the door and across the lobby to the elevators.
He finally reached the door to the suite and used his powers to unlock it. He went into his room where he saw the suit that Maria had purchased for him, lying across the bed. Max shed his clothes and took a quick shower before donning the new suit. He used his powers to dry his hair and smooth the creases in the suit before heading back downstairs.
Max paused just inside the entrance of the elegant dining room and looked around for the group, but his eyes immediately lit on Liz. For a moment the breath was knocked from his lungs as he took in the full extent of her beauty. Her hair was pulled up off of her neck with only a few dark tendrils hanging loose brushing her shoulders. The rich red of her dress complimented her pale complexion and Max thought she had never looked so beautiful.
As Max crossed the room toward her, he was more convinced than ever that he and Liz belonged together, he could feel it in every fiber of his being. In the past few months their friendship had grown deeper and richer and they understood one another like no one else. Tonight he would take the first steps toward winning her back and even if it took the rest of his life, he would convince Liz that they should be together.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Episode - Viva Las Vegas
(Saturday, February 17th, 2001)
(Bali Hai Hotel and Casino - Presidential Suite)
Liz walked into her room and shut the door behind her. She spun around, making her dress twirl out around her. Even the Sheriff's lecture couldn't dampen her spirits because she had just spent the night dancing in Max's arms.
The evening had not started out as promising. Max had left to go home and Liz had been sitting alone at the table in the dining room, in one of the lowest moods of her life. But then Max had suddenly appeared before her.
He had not said a word when he reached out to her, but they had never needed words. Max had led her silently onto the dance floor and pulled her into his arms and Liz had not even thought of objecting. It was where she belonged.
When Max told her about his vision, Liz had been shocked. Max had described the one thing that had been upper-most in her mind all day, and for a moment she wondered if he had somehow read her mind. She had dismissed the thought a moment later, but it had only left her to wonder how he had gotten the vision.
Maybe somehow she had communicated it to him, or maybe the place itself had somehow retained the memory through time and space. Or maybe, Liz thought, it was fate's way of showing her that she really could be with Max.
For a moment she had faltered in her resolve never to tell Max the truth about what had happened with Kyle, the words almost tumbling out of her mouth. But then Maria's song had ended and Max had turned away from her and the moment had been lost. Liz had actually been relieved that she hadn't told Max the truth, but the possibility of a reunion with him had remained in her mind.
The feeling had grown stronger as she had passed the evening dancing with Max, and even stronger as she had witnessed Tess and Kyle together. Tess was truly one of the group now and Liz thought she had seen the beginnings of a special relationship between Tess and Kyle.
Liz had always hoped it might be possible for herself and Max to reunite in the future but the events of the evening made her think it might be sooner than she had ever imagined. Obviously Max had felt the same when they had danced. It had been like they were together again, a magical evening, neither one of them wanting to break the mood. The problems and circumstances that had been keeping them apart hadn't existed and they were free to just enjoy being together.
And no matter how much they wanted the evening to last forever, it had ended too soon. But Liz could still feel the magic and it gave her hope for the future.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Thursday, March 22nd, 2001)
(The Valenti House)
Kyle took a seat next to his father at the table where he was going over the bills, and placed his keys on top of the pile.
"What's this?" Jim asked.
"My car keys."
Jim nodded, "Well I can see that, but what are you doing with them?"
"Dad, I know you said that we could get by on your unemployment pay and savings for a while, but I feel guilty every time I drive that car."
Jim started to speak but Kyle cut his off, "Let me finish, Dad. I love that car and it is the greatest sixteenth birthday present ever, but it's expensive, we can't afford it and I want you to sell it."
Jim picked up the keys and held them out to Kyle, "I gave you the car because I wanted you to have it. It'll be okay, Kyle. We're getting by. I know things look bad now but all of this will blow over in a few weeks and I'll get another job."
Kyle shook his head, "Until then, the money you save on the car payment will really help. I don't want you to spend all of your savings. Dad please."
Jim hesitated for a moment and then smiled. "Okay, Kyle if that's what you want."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Off the Menu)
(Friday, April 13th, 2001)
(Roswell UFO Museum)
Brody put on the VR helmet and ran the simulation he had constructed of his home. "Computer, run abduction simulation one-point-five." He looked around the virtual site of his home and mused aloud, "All right, I was home, minding my own business. Suddenly I'm gone for three days. Where did I go? Computer, run simulation one-point-six."
The computer loaded the new simulation and Brody looked around and nodded his head, "Yes, something like this." He had constructed the room from flashes of memories he had received in his dreams, but this was the first time he had been inside it, the first time he had been able to see it in the correct perspective. He continued his thoughts aloud. "I remember being in a room like this, but, but this doesn't look very alien, more like a warehouse."
As he looked around, more flashes of memory came to him, "And there were other people here. Humans. Computer, add human forms to program, three male, three female." As the other forms materialized, his flashes of memory started to overlap the simulation, "Yes, I was here, doing something. I was talking!" he suddenly remembered.
"If I could just remember what I was..." he was cut off as the computer beeped a message - Memory disk full. Brody was glad he had spent a small fortune on the state-of-the-art system and he simply instructed the computer to use more of the hard-drive space as memory, "Override, continue simulation."
He became the virtual Brody sitting at the table. "Yes, I was sitting here and to my left I remember a boy." Suddenly he had a flash of a face overlapping the virtual body, and a name popped into his head, "Nicholas!"
He smiled, thrilled that he was remembering more, and he looked down to the other end of the table as he continued to speak, "And at the end of the table was..." Brody broke off as a face flashed into his memory, over the virtual man at the end of the table. "Oh, my god," he gasped, "Max! How could Max be in…"
He was cut off as a jolt of electricity shot through the helmet. He struggled to get it off but he was shocked again and again, and then there was nothing but darkness.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Tess parked her car in front of the UFO Museum and picked up the box with a smile. When she had seen the black sweater on sale, she had automatically thought how nice it would look on Max. In the past, she would never have considered getting it for him because she knew he wouldn't accept, but over the last few weeks she and Max had been hanging out more and becoming better friends and Tess had felt it was okay to follow her urge to buy it for him.
She could almost picture his reaction to the gift. He would say, 'You shouldn't have,' but he would be smiling at her with a gleam in his eyes that said exactly the opposite. And every time he wore the sweater, he would think of her.
Tess got out of the car and headed toward the door of the museum, but just as she reached for it, there was a power surge and then all of the lights went out. She looked around noting that all of the lights were out on the street and in the buildings, for as far as she could see. She shrugged and turned back to the door but when she pulled on the handle, the door was locked. She used her powers on the keypad to open the door and slipped inside, gently shutting it to leave the door ajar, so it wouldn't lock behind her.
She went down the steps carefully because it was very dark inside and she could barely see. She opened her mouth to call out, but a sound to her right drew her attention and she turned to investigate, hoping it was Max. A meeting in the dark would be very romantic.
It only took her a moment to see there was nothing behind the staircase but then she heard footsteps in the main room and peeked around the stairs. Max was standing at the fuse box and she called out as she approached him, "It's not a fuse, the lights are out all over town, the streetlights and everything." She gazed at his handsome face for a moment and then remembered the box, "Oh," she said, extending the box toward him, "this is for you."
Max's hands stayed at his side and he looked at Tess suspiciously, "What is it?"
Still immersed in her fantasy about his reaction, Tess didn't' hear the caution in Max's tone and continued playfully, "You have to open it to find out."
"What's the occasion?" Max asked.
Finally the truth penetrated Tess' delusion and she felt a wave of disappointment wash over her. After everything that had happened, Max still didn't trust her. She lashed out at him in frustration, "Does there have to be an occasion, Max? It's just a gift. You know, I saw a black sweater on sale, v-neck, and I thought of you. If you don't want it I can just give it to Kyle."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Roswell UFO Museum)
Brody started to walk away from Max and Tess, and then suddenly he remembered. He turned back to them, excited, "That's it!"
"What?" Max asked.
"Dimaras rock," Brody said. "I couldn't remember before, but the name just came to me. Dimaras, after the third moon. That's where you two first met." The blank look on Max's face frustrated him, "You must remember? Dimaras rock, it juts out over the water." He savored the memory, "Ah, I can see it so clearly. The moon hanging over the horizon, and the color of the water, crimson red."
He focused on Max again, "I was there with you before you were King. We were swimming, and you looked up, and saw her on a rock. You said she was the most beautiful girl you'd ever seen. But of course you were too afraid to go talk to her. I offered to make the approach on your behalf, but you told me not to. Back then you were always so nervous and quiet. But lucky for you I was neither shy nor obedient. So I went and met her and introduced you two the same night."
"At a party," Tess said.
Max listened to Brody's story with growing discomfort. He didn't want to know anything about his past and when Tess seemed to confirm the story, Max went into instant denial. "That's a nice story," he said to Brody.
Brody was hurt and disappointed by Max's reaction, "It's not a story. It's the truth. Don't you remember? Please Zan, I have to know that what's in my head is real."
"I'm sorry, Brody," Max said quietly, "but none of that is real. None of that happened."
Brody only had scattered pieces of memories in his head, but he clearly remembered that night. He could also see a few memories of their past selves together, and then he had a flash of Zan in wedding finery. Brody shook his head. They had to be memories. He couldn't have just made it up. "But you do love her," Brody insisted, "I know you do. I was there when you met."
"You're wrong," Max said, more certain than ever. He had never loved Tess, he knew it in his heart. The thought of being with Tess just felt wrong. They didn't belong together and even if they had been married in their other life, he had not loved her. "We're not in love," he told Brody. "We never have been."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Crashdown Cafe)
Michael started to rise from the table, "I'm outta here."
"No, wait," Liz protested, "we're still on duty. We don't close for another four hours."
"Come on Liz," Michael complained, "there's no power. There's no customers. There's nothing to do."
"But the power could come back any time," Liz argued.
Michael sighed, "I'm sure you can handle the dinner rush." He motioned to Isabel, "Come on, Iz, let's go get Max."
"Okay," Isabel agreed. She took a bite of the burger she had cooked with her powers and made a face because of the flavor. "You were right," she told Michael as she quickly swallowed. "This is really bad." She let the food on the table and followed Michael outside, "I've never noticed a bad taste before," Isabel said, "and I heat things that way all the time."
As they crossed the street Michael explained, "It's fine if you heat food with your powers but cooking meat from scratch makes it turn out really bad. It's like cooking meat in the microwave. It just doesn't taste right. I used to do it to Hank's food sometimes when he'd make me cook for him."
"But I've cooked things with my powers before," Isabel protested, and then became thoughtful, "I think."
Michael looked at her, "Yeah, right. You're a regular Betty Crocker."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Roswell UFO Museum)
Tess watched as Max gazed at Liz across the room, and suddenly everything clicked into place. The way he had denied their past together, the reason he had rejected her gift. "You're still in love with her, aren't you?"
Max's eyes hardly left Liz. How did he describe to Tess what he didn't understand himself? What he felt for Liz was so much beyond a simple word like love, he didn't even know where to start. Liz was the other half of him, his friend, his soul mate. Without her he simply existed, but together they created a glorious spiritual harmony. Max shook his head and decided to go with the simple answer, "It's hard to describe what I feel for Liz."
"I know," Tess said, "It's what you and I used to have."
"Tess..." Max started to protest, but Tess cut him off.
"You know, everything Brody said is true," Tess asserted. "I know it is."
Max remained silent and Tess knew he was ignoring her. She supposed she should have seen it coming but she had been so certain Max was starting to turn to her. Of course she had seen Max dancing with Liz in Vegas but she had assumed it was just a friend thing but now she knew the truth.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Hey," Sean greeted Liz with a smile.
"Hey," Liz answered.
"When this is all over do you wanna grab dinner?" he asked her.
Maria sighed, "How can you be wounded and on the make at the same time?"
Liz smiled, "Are you serious?"
Sean motioned to his wound, "I'm bleedin' here. Doesn't get much more serious than that."
"Yeah, let me think about it," Liz said.
"Hey," Maria objected, "aren't you involved with someone?"
Liz looked at Max and then turned her concentration back to Sean. There were things that were more urgent than the state of her relationship with Max. She checked under the cloth she was pressing to Sean’s wound, to see if the bleeding had stopped. There had been a lot of blood and everyone had assumed it was a bad wound, but as she examined it, Liz could see it was simply a short, shallow gash. "This really isn't that bad, you know," she told Sean.
Sean shrugged, "But we didn't know that at first and," he protested and then dropped the pretense and winked at her. "And it got your attention."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Everything's fine," Max announced to the others, as he led Brody into the room, after healing him. "This is all just a big misunderstanding. Nothing happened down here today."
"My ass!" Sean said. "This guy needs to be put away."
"Sean," Liz chastised.
Sean looked at Liz, "Give me one reason why I wouldn't tell the cops."
Liz thought for a second, "Because I'll go out with you."
Sean smiled, "Okay. So, I fell down the stairs."
Liz looked at the blood on his shirt and reached for one of Amy's T-shirts, "Here, put this on."
As Sean took the shirt, Liz crossed to Max and whispered to him, "Don't worry about Sean, I'll take care of it."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Max waited until they were outside the museum and away from anyone who might overhear, before he confronted Tess. "So how long have you had the power to alter memories?"
Tess shrugged. "I don't really know, but I discovered it a few weeks ago," she lied. She had known about the power for almost six months but hadn't told Max or the others because she had though it might come in handy.
Max's eyes narrowed suspiciously, "How did you discover it?"
"I found out accidentally," Tess explained. "Mr. Larsen said he was going to give us a pop-quiz on the chapter he had assigned the night before, but I didn't read it and I started wishing that he would just forget he was going to give us a quiz. So class just kept going like normal and then the bell rang and he had forgotten to give us the quiz."
"That could have just been a coincidence," Max said.
"Yeah, I thought so too so I did a couple of experiments to make sure, and I found out that I could change people's memories. It's kinda like mind warping except I just think of what I want them to remember instead of what they really remember, but it takes a lot of my energy." She put her hand to her head, "Just changing one little thing can give me a headache for the rest of the day."
Max shook his head disapprovingly, "You can't just go around messing with people's minds."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Off the Menu)
(Saturday, April 14th, 2001)
(The Valenti House)
Max stopped in front of Tess' window. He had been thinking all day about what had happened at the UFO museum and trying to decide what to do.
The images he had seen when he’d healed Brody had caught him completely off guard and he still didn't know how he felt about them.
Tess had told him months ago that she could help him recover memories of their other life but he’d never been interested. At first he hadn’t wanted to remember. He was afraid of what might happen if he remembered Tess in their other life, scared of what it might mean to his relationship with Liz. He was positive that he couldn't have loved Tess like he loved Liz, but he didn't want to remember anything about his past, especially if it involved his wife.
He was also afraid if he remembered his other life, it would somehow make him a different person. What he knew of Antar was like a bad dream and he was afraid if he remembered, his whole perception of his life would change. His world and his people would become real to him and helping them would mean leaving Earth and Liz, which was the last thing he wanted.
But when he’d healed Brody, Max had received flashes of Larek's memories of his other life, and instead of being all of the things he had feared, the memories seemed familiar, safe even. And for the first time, he was curious about what had happened on Antar, and thousands of questions flew through his mind.
As he looked through the open window, he could see Tess laying in her bed. She had the answers to all of his questions, and before he could change his mind he climbed through the window.
Tess sat up when she saw him. "Max? Max, what is it?" she asked anxiously. She knew something must be wrong. Max never approached her unless he needed her help.
Max sat down next to her. "Well, when I healed Brody, I saw these, these flashes, of Brody, of Larek, but also…" he trailed off, still unsure of revealing his memories to her.
Tess' heart was in her throat. What had Max seen in Larek's memories? What if Max had seen the truth about what had happened on Antar, and he was here to confront her about it? Tess was scared but she had to know. She concentrated on keeping her voice even. "But also what?" Tess prompted him.
Max looked at Tess, "I remember you."
Tess practically collapsed with relief and then her eyes filled with tears of joy. Max remembered her!
Max didn't know what he had expected, but Tess' tears made him ashamed that he had treated her so badly in the past and he reached up and gently brushed a tear from her cheek.
Tess smiled. Max obviously didn't remember the whole truth yet and she could use that to her advantage. She carefully gathered her power and started a mind warp on him. She could feel his own power just under the surface but his natural defenses were down and it was easy for her to slip past them.
She couldn't risk letting Max or the others going to Brody or Larek again, it would just be too dangerous because she didn't know how much Larek knew. She would have to do the same to Michael and Isabel later but she started with Max, placing a compulsion in his mind to avoid Brody and Larek. She used Max's own desire not to hurt people as the excuse for him to not contact Larek, reinforcing in his mind that Brody's heart had stopped the first time, and then today he had nearly been driven insane.
Then Tess placed the desire in Max to work on recovering his memories with her help. That way she could make sure he only remembered the things she wanted him to remember.
Her mind wandered back to yesterday evening. She had been so upset when she’d realized that Max's feelings for Liz had not diminished. Even after everything that had happened, he had been willing to sacrifice himself to save Liz. Tess had thought that she and Max had been growing closer but obviously she had just been fooling herself again.
When Brody had remembered that she and Max had originally met at a party, Max had not even been willing to listen and he had cavalierly denied their past together. Brody had only wanted Max to tell him he wasn't crazy, and all Max had to do was tell him it was the truth. But Max had been so adamant against even the possibility that they had been in love, that he completely discounted Brody's memories as fantasy.
Tess had been so shocked and disappointed by Max's reaction, that for minutes afterward, she had been unable to speak. She had been so excited that Brody shared one of her most precious memories because somehow it made it more real. But Max had shattered her happiness when he had instantly denied their past together, like he was positive it never could have happened.
But by helping Max recover his memories, she not only would have to spend a lot of time with him in intimate settings, but she could also use the sessions to get closer to him. She would use her powers to slowly turn Max away from Liz then Max would come to her and they would be together like they were meant to be.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Sunday, April 15th, 2001)
(The Pizza Pan)
Liz glanced at Sean across the table from her. She had only agreed to the date with him to protect Max but she still felt guilty being there. She knew Sean liked her and it felt dishonest accepting a date with him just to buy his slience.
And she knew Max would never have wanted her to go to such lengths to shield him. In her mind she could see the disapproving look on his face as if he were sitting across from her. And she did feel ashmed, but she would do much more to protect Max, had done much more. She loved him, and that would never change.
The waiter put the drinks on the table and Sean waited until he was gone before he leaned across the table to whisper his question, "So Liz, what is the deal with that Brody guy?"
Liz had anticipated the question and was ready with an answer. "There's nothing wrong with him, Sean. He just has a little, um, mental disorder, but he's fine as long as he takes his medication."
"He wasn't fine the other night," Sean pointed out.
Liz shook her head, "He took some cold medicine and it reacted with his, um, other medication and he had some hallucinations. He really is a good person, Sean. Thanks for not saying anything about what happened."
Sean shrugged, "I understand that people can do stupid things and they deserve another chance."
Liz smiled, "That wouldn't be from personal experience, would it?"
"Yeah, there are definitely things I would do differently." He lowered his eyes to his glass, "My parents won't even speak to me."
"Is that why you wanted to stay with Amy and Maria?" Liz asked.
"Yeah," Sean said. "When I got sent to juvie, my parents said they didn't want anything to do with me anymore. My dad said I was a black sheep just like his brother, Maria's father."
"That must have been terrible," Liz said, concerned. "So what are you going to do?"
"Well, part of my parole is that I have to get my high school equivalency, since I just turned eighteen. If I can do that and show my parents I’ve really reformed, maybe they'll change their minds about me."
"And have you reformed?" Liz asked.
Sean winked at her, "I'm a regular choir-boy, Parker."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Heart of Mine)
(Wednesday - April 25th, 2001)
(West Roswell High School)
"So you actually remember our planet?" Michael asked.
"Yes," Max said.
Michael couldn't believe how fast it had happened. Max had only been working with Tess for a few days and already he had started to remember. Michael asked the first question that came into his mind to distract Max from his unease, "What are the chicks like?"
Max sighed, disappointed that Michael wasn't excited about his breakthrough. "If you're not going to take this seriously..."
Michael cut him off, "I seriously wanna know what the chicks are like."
Max shook his head, "It's not that literal, they're just these images. In one way I have this, this really clear feeling about everything. In another way everything seems so ephemeral." He noticed the confused look on Michael's face, "You know, uh..."
"... transient, fleeting, impermanent," Michael finished for him. "I know what ephemeral means Maxwell. It's my life." He was glad Max had misinterpreted the reason for the strange look on his face. Trying to explain to Max why he didn't want to remember their other life was just not something he wanted to do now.
Max continued, "Michael, I remember everyone. You, Isabel..." Max let his sentence trail off as he caught sight of Tess with Kyle. "For some reason Tess is the clearest."
Michael watched Max walk away and felt a shiver of dread race down his spine. He had feigned interest in Max's recovered memories to stop Max from discovering the truth. Max was so into recovering his memories, and Michael knew Max wouldn't understand his apprensions.
When Tess had originally told him last summer, that she could help him remember the past, Michael had been eager to do it. Tess had said he would need to be able to control his powers more before he would be able to remember anything from his other life, and Michael had worked diligently to gain control. But as time passed, Michael began to have doubts. Did he really want to remember what had happened in his other life? What if remembering the past made him a different person?
Each time Tess had asked him if he was ready to try, he had postponed the lessons with one lame excuse after another, and now he was more certain than ever that he didn't want to remember his other life at all.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Max had been looking for Liz everywhere and he finally saw her sitting at a table. He approached with the sense of excitement building. “Hey.”
“Oh, hey,” Liz greeted him warmly.
Max jumped right in, wanting his best friend to share his news. “There's a, there's something I've been wanting to tell you. “
“Yeah?” Liz asked.
They were distracted by a couple at a nearby table, and suddenly Liz was disappointed. “The prom.”
“Yeah,” Max agreed.
Liz shrugged, “Yeah, it seems like Michael and Maria aren't going.”
Max smiled, “Well, I, I think that one might be a little too early to call.”
Liz smiled sadly, thinking of all the plans she had envisioned. “It's really weird, you know. A year ago I was so certain that the four of us would go together. I always pictured that moment, you know, walking in through those double doors together. I even bought a dress.”
“You did?” Max asked surprised.
“Yeah,” Liz admitted. “Well, you know it was around that time last year when we first kissed and everything seemed so...” she trailed off, remembering the reasons they weren’t together.
And Max finished her sentence, “Simpler.”
“Yeah,” Liz nodded. “Max, I know that we're not seeing each other and I accept that, I do. But, um, this is my prom, you know, it really means a lot to me. I, I've put a lot of thought into it.”
Max listened to her heartfelt words with growing excitement. The Prom could be just the thing to rekindle the romance between them. He tried to act casual, so he didn’t scare Liz off as he blandly made the suggestion. “Well, you know, we can go.”
“We can?” Liz asked, the excitement building within her as well. She had never even dared to hope Max might ask her, and now that he had she felt optimistic about their future for the first time.
“Yeah,” Max agreed enthusiastically and then tried to calm down as he offered his explanation. “I mean, okay, fine, we're not together, but we're also not with anyone else.”
“Right,” Liz agreed, somewhat disappointed. She had hoped that Max wanted to begin their relationship again too, but they had to start somewhere and going out as friends was a good place. “I, I mean it doesn't have to be some life changing thing. It can just, you know, we can just go and have a good time.”
Max smiled, “I would love that.”
“Me too,” Liz said dreamily, and then remembered Max had wanted to talk to her. “Oh, um, so was there something that you wanted to tell me.”
Max was so wrapped up in taking Liz to the Prom that he had nearly forgotten his real reason for coming to her. “Right. I'm starting to remember things, about my planet, my life. My other life.”
Liz could see Max’s excitement. “Wow.”
“Yeah, yeah, it's, it's weird. Like, for the first time, I can remember things. You know, like what it smelled like, what it felt like to be there.”
“Yeah, that, that's great,” Liz agreed, even though inside she suddenly felt her hope deflate. Since they had discovered the truth about Max and the others, Liz had been terrified Max would remember his love for his otherworldly wife, and now that he was regaining his memories it only seemed like a matter of time.
“Yeah,” Max continued, “I've been dying to tell you.”
“Yeah, yeah, that, that, that must be really exciting,” Liz stuttered, trying to cover her shock. “Wow, so um, do you remember like actual people, you know, like Michael and Isabel?”
“Yeah, more like their energy than what anyone actually looks like,” Max said.
Liz nodded and asked the question she especially wanted answered, “Right. What about Tess?”
“Yeah, I remember her too,”
“That's great,” Liz intoned.
Max was oblivious to her discomfort, already too caught up in the plans for the Prom. It would be the perfect opportunity to put the past behind them and rekindle their relationship. He smiled, thinking ahead. He would show Liz they belonged together and then nothing would come between them ever again.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Heart of Mine)
(Thursday, April 26th, 2001)
(The Valenti House)
A knock at her door caused Tess to look up from her homework, "Oh Kyle, hey."
"Hey," Kyle answered nervously.
"What's up?" Tess asked.
"Last year," Kyle started, "I went to the prom with Trudy MacIntire."
"Oh Trudy, she's cute" Tess said, not really sure where Kyle's conversation was going.
"Yeah," Kyle continued, "and so we went, and everything was okay, but I didn't really know her, uh, so we didn't really have much to talk about, much to say to each other. And so I realized that I feel like I really know you. Which is unusual for me with girls and uh, anyway, I just..." he broke off and then started again. "Feel free to say no, or laugh or be outraged or whatever, but would you, want to go to the prom? You know, with me?"
Halfway through his speech Tess had guessed what Kyle was doing. She had realized some time ago that Kyle had feelings for her, but she didn't know they had progressed so far. Her first thought was to mind warp him into forgetting the invitation but suddenly it seemed important to her that she go to the dance. After all, she reasoned, it might be the only chance she would have to go to a high school dance and she could make sure that Max found out she wasn't just sitting around waiting for him. Tess smiled, "You know, I'd really like that Kyle."
"Oh," Kyle said, somewhat surprised by her answer.
"Thank you," Tess said as she started the mind warp on him. It was okay to go to the dance with Kyle but she couldn't have him liking her too much, it might get in the way of her campaign to get Max. She pushed her power into his mind, carefully morphing Kyle's feelings for her into a brotherly affection.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Liz had felt her world falling apart since Max had told her he remembered Tess. Even though she and Max hadn't been together, they still loved one another and Liz had held on to her hope that someday they would be able to reunite, but now Max was remembering Tess, and Liz had her first doubts. If Max remembered loving Tess maybe he would decide to be with her.
Liz sighed as she looked at Maria next to her in the car. Even though she and Max were having problems, Liz knew Michael loved Maria. And despite the evidence that Michael was seeing another woman, Liz knew there had to be another explanation. She spoke her feelings aloud as Maria looked through the binoculars, "I cannot believe that Michael is seeing another woman, I just, I won't. I..."
Maria cut her off, "Snap out of it sister. Juanita," she pointed to the house, "Home wrecker!"
Liz continued, "I can't believe what is going on with you and Michael and me and Max."
Maria looked at her, puzzled, "Liz, what are you talking about? You and Max are going to the prom."
Liz wasn't sure how to explain it to Maria. "I don't know, I just feel Max and I are going in two different directions, like, it's like we're not able to just separate." She shrugged, "Makes you realize how, like, easy things change, because people meet other people. I could meet another guy or Max could meet another girl, and..."
Maria cut her off, "Or Michael could meet another woman."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Evans House – Max’s Room)
"Okay," Tess said, "just think about everything that you remember. What did it look like? Feel like? Smell like?" She could see that Max was distracted, "You're not concentrating."
"Yes I am," Max said automatically.
Tess shook her head, "Something's getting in your way. What's going on with you?"
"Actually," Max admitted, "there is something I should probably tell you. Liz and I are going to the prom."
Even though Tess was burning with rage inside she hid it well, and tried to concentrate on the big picture. "So?” she asked casually. “Max, I don't care about that stuff," she said with a shrug. "That's not what's important here. This is what's important and we can do it. Let's try again."
Tess took a deep breath and concentrated on the memory recovery. The sooner Max remembered what they had together, the sooner he would want her back. And if that didn't work, she could always mind warp him.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Liz walked down the street, uncaring of where she went. When she had seen Max hugging Tess, she felt like she had been kicked in the stomach. It was her worst nightmare come true. Max had remembered Tess and obviously he had decided to be with her.
Liz felt a hysterical laugh rise up in her throat as she realized she was experiencing the same type of pain that Max had experienced when he had seen herself and Kyle in bed.
Since returning from Vegas, Liz had seen a lot of Max and she thought they were growing closer, but after the night Brody had taken them hostage, she’d felt a subtle difference in Max. It was like he was pulling away from her, detaching emotionally. And now that she'd seen Max with Tess, it all made sense. Whether he knew it or not, Max must be remembering his feelings for his former wife.
Ever since they had heard the message in the pod chamber, Liz had been afraid something like this might happen, but she had pushed her fear to the back of her mind. She had thought the past didn't matter, that the love she and Max shared was strong enough to overcome any challenges. But now she was beginning to wonder if she had been foolish to hope for a future with Max.
Suddenly she saw someone in front of her and she stopped when she recognized Sean, "You are like ubiquitous."
Sean smiled, "I think I might've figured something out about you, Parker."
Liz felt like her head was going to explode and the last thing she wanted was a philosophical debate, "You know what? I'm not interested."
"It might fix your problem," Sean pressed.
"Who says that I have a problem?" Liz asked, desperate to get away.
Sean motioned to her obviously agitated state, "Well, look at you. You look like you're about to puke, at the very least."
The churning mass of feelings inside Liz suddenly burst, "Hey, do you know what? I do not need this right now, okay? I do not want to hear any more of your stupid, inane comments. I do not want to hear any more of your little theories on life. And I do not wanna write my frickin' name in mustard okay? My life is falling apart!"
Sean could see Liz was really hurting and it didn’t take a genius to guess the cause. "You wanna go somewhere?" he asked softly.
Sean's calm demeanor in the face of her hysteria was somehow soothing and the last thing Liz wanted to do was go home, she was too wired. She studied him briefly, before making up her mind. Maybe some time with away from Max and the alien mess, was just what she needed. "Yes."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Evans House - Max's bedroom)
"What else do you remember?" Tess asked.
Max concentrated on the images, trying to bring them into focus. "Three moons, burnt orange, no clouds, very surreal, like a painting."
"What else?" Tess prompted, as she planted images in his mind.
The scene Max described to Tess was followed by another set of images. He was sitting with a woman. He couldn't really see her, but he recognized her energy somehow, it was Tess. They were at a party and they slowly moved together and kissed. Max felt confused and shook his head trying to clear it of the images. He didn't want to remember Tess like that, it seemed wrong. He opened his eyes and got off the bed, "I need a break."
"It takes time," Tess said. "You know, everything's blurry at first, but eventually, the images just get clearer and clearer."
"How clear are your memories?" Max asked.
"Most are still blurry," Tess admitted, "but a few, a few are clearer and more real to me than anything here in this world."
"Do you remember me?" Max asked apprehensively.
"Yeah," Tess said.
"What was I like?"
Tess smiled and used the opportunity to place a another suggestion in Max’s mind . "I remember when you used to reach over and touch me in the middle of the night and when you used to hold me."
Tess' words made Max uncomfortable and suddenly he didn't want her around. "I'm getting pretty tired. Maybe we can continue another time."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Heart of Mine)
(Friday, April 27th, 2001)
(Crashdown Café)
(Prom Night)
Liz entered the dining room just as Max came through the front door and she stopped in surprise. She had never seen Max look so handsome as he did in his tux. And when Max looked at her, she felt her heart jump.
Suddenly all of her pain and fears were gone. She and Max loved one another and nothing else mattered.
They slowly walked toward one another and stopped with only a few inches separating them.
Remembering the wonderful evening they had spent together in Las Vegas, Max anticipated their reunion tonight. He had dreamed about this night since he and Liz had decided to go. He'd wanted to ask Liz to the prom but he'd been afraid of moving too quickly and scaring her off. So when she'd brought it up, he had been thrilled.
"You look beautiful," Max said softly, almost reverently.
"Thank you. You look very nice too." Liz was reluctant to break the mood but she had to. "Um, you know, Maria's all alone tonight so is it okay if she hangs out with us?"
"Of course," Max said automatically.
As Amy gathered the group together for the photo, a strange feeling started in Liz's stomach and tendrils of fear crept up her spine. She covered her apprehension with smiles, but inside the feeling of dread was growing.
Sean took a couple of pictures and then Liz's mother and father took a few with their camera, of the group and then of just herself and Max. Finally they all climbed into the cars and headed toward the prom. And the whole time, Liz's feeling of foreboding and finality increased.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(West Roswell High School)
(The Prom)
As Liz danced in Max's arms, she remembered Max and Tess together in his room and all of her fears came flooding back. She tried to push the thoughts from her mind and concentrate on having a good time, but they grew and grew until they overshadowed everything else and she felt like her head would burst.
Finally she couldn't stand it anymore. "Max, I just want to say that I feel really weird."
"What do you mean?" Max asked with genuine confusion.
Liz tried to swallow the sudden lump in her throat. "I mean I saw you with Tess," she said in a strangled voice.
"Saw me what with Tess?" Max asked, not sure what she meant.
"I saw you with her," Liz asserted. "I came by your house yesterday to talk to you about something and you were with her."
Suddenly Max could feel Liz slipping away from him and he hurried to explain, "We were just trying to find out things about where I came from, that's all."
"I know, I know, I mean, you know, you keep saying that but you um, keep on leaving out this really pertinent fact, that you were married to her." She looked at him and took a deep breath, needing to express to him how she felt, "I feel like my whole life for the past year has been waiting for some really bad news. 'Oh, you know, by the way Liz, I remember Tess, and I love her.' It's really paralyzing."
Max's mind desperately raced for a way to hang on to Liz as he tried to reassure her, ""I know it's not easy."
Liz could hear Sean's words echoing in her mind.
You're not getting what you need from him, are you? You're suffocating Liz.
And suddenly everything became clear to her. The solution wasn't what she wanted, but maybe it was their only choice. "No Max,” she said, answering him, “it can be. It can be really, really easy. You know, we should both just stop pretending."
Max felt his heart drop, "What do you mean?"
"You know, maybe we're both just holding on to something that'll never be. Max, maybe we should just let go." Liz looked into his eyes and saw the pain she was experiencing echoed there, "I have been in so much pain, this whole year and it's like I'm suffocating."
"Liz," Max started, desperate to hold onto her, but the pain he saw in her eyes slashed through him like a knife. No matter how much he loved her, no matter how much he felt they belonged together, if Liz really didn't want to be with him, he would have to let her go. For now.
Through her pain, Liz saw Maria standing alone and her heart went out to her friend, her own pain making her even more sensitive. "Um, I should go, you know, for Maria."
"Right," Max said woodenly.
"She's all alone tonight," Liz reminded him.
"Go ahead," Max said softly, even though it was killing him.
"Max," Liz said, in a strangled tone.
As much as Max wanted Liz, he couldn't be the one to cause her pain. He had to let her go. "Go ahead," Max said with a stronger voice.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Kyle pulled Tess into the janitor's closet and she wondered if her mind warp had worn off.
"Um, Tess," Kyle started, "uh you, you're, you're beautiful."
"Kyle, please don't say that," Tess said, hoping he didn't make a scene.
Kyle continued as if she hadn't spoken, "And the thing is, you're not just some girl. I care about you."
"Kyle, I don't, I just..." Tess started, but Kyle cut her off.
"I think of you as family, as a sister. I don't' think it could be a romantic thing."
"I understand," Tess sighed with relief. You know I'm disappointed, but I understand."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Liz's heart was breaking and she felt as if her head would burst. She had to accept that she would not be with Max and she had to get on with her life, but it wouldn't be easy for either of them. Liz was on the edge of hysteria, desperate for any release, and she threw her body around to the music somehow hoping it would ease her pain. The rhythm of the music pounded through her and her frantic actions allowed her to briefly escape the crushing weight of her decision.
Suddenly Liz noticed that Maria had stopped dancing and looked over and saw Michael. He was dressed in a suit and had obviously come for the dance. Liz smiled sadly, glad the evening had turned out well for her friend. "Okay, go."
"No, no, me and you, we're a couple now," Maria said.
Liz pushed Maria toward Michael, "Go."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Tess sat down beside Max on the bench, "You look sad."
"I think it's really over," Max said.
"You mean with Liz," Tess said, not really surprised. She had been subtly using her powers on him for a couple of weeks. It was about time he dumped Liz.
"Yeah," Max said. He had never wanted to believe it was actually over between them, even after everything that had happened. And it had seemed like they were getting closer again but suddenly it was over. "I mean, I realize that, I guess on some level that things were headed in that direction. I think it's really actually over."
When Tess didn't respond he continued, "I remembered something else. I don't know how to feel about it."
"What do you remember?" Tess asked.
"Our first kiss." He explained, "It was at a party, late at night. And you..."
Tess smiled. This was the perfect opportunity and she couldn't let it slip through her fingers. She started a mind warp, drawing Max to her, and took over with the story. "I, I leaned in, and whispered in your ear and then you touched my cheek."
Max reached out to her. He felt so strange, like he wasn't controlling his actions and suddenly he wanted nothing more than to kiss Tess. "And then we just..."
Their words stopped as their lips met and Max was lost in the conflicting emotions swirling through his head. The kiss seemed to go on and on. Max was aware of sounds around them, running footsteps and a slamming door, but nothing else seemed to matter.
Finally Max drew back from Tess and looked into her happy, shining face and knew what he had done was wrong. He smiled at her briefly and looked away. He loved Liz. Even if they weren’t together, he loved her. He had never felt that way about Tess and the kiss they had shared simply reinforced the feeling. Kissing Tess was wrong somehow, Max felt it in his gut.
When he and Liz kissed it was explosive but comfortable, familiar, and he had never wondered if he wanted to kiss Liz, the compulsion was always there.
Max glanced over his shoulder toward the gym where he had left Liz and thought about what a total jerk he had been, kissing Tess when he had brought Liz to the dance. And now he had to extricate himself from Tess and take Liz home.
He turned back to Tess, “Um, Kyle will probably be wondering where you are and I need to take Liz home.”
Tess nodded, smiling. She finally had Max where she wanted him, she could allow him to be a gentleman and take his date home. They had their whole lives ahead of them, “Okay Max, we’ll talk later.”
“Yeah,” Max said. “Good night, Tess.”
He went into the gym and glanced around for Liz, but after a few moments and he didn’t see her, he approached Michael and Maria. “Where’s Liz?”
Maria excused herself from Michael and dragged Max a few feet away. “I don’t know what happened between you Max, but Liz called me a few minutes ago. She was really upset and she said she went home.”
“Home?” Max asked. “How did she get home so fast? Did she get a ride?”
Maria shrugged, “I don’t know, she didn’t say.” Maria saw the pained expression on Max’s face, “What happened, Max? You were both so happy, and I thought that maybe…”
Max grimaced, “I thought so too, but Liz told me how much she’s been hurting and she asked me to let her go.” Max shook his head, fighting back tears and spoke in a whisper, “I had to let her go, Maria.”
Maria nodded, “I’m sorry, Max. I really am.”
“Thanks, Maria,” Max said softly. “You’ll make sure Liz is okay?”
“Yeah,” Maria said, as she touched his arm, “but who’s going to make sure you’re okay?”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Cry Your Name)
(Sunday, April 29th, 2001)
(The Valenti House)
Tess quickly grabbed for the cell phone when it rang. Lonni never called her unless it was important. "Hello?"
"It's done Tess," Lonni said, "the translation of the book is finished."
"When?" Tess asked.
"We just got the e-mail a few minutes ago. We're coming to Roswell now with the translation. So tomorrow you can tell the others you remember how to read the book and then convince them it's time to go home."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Whitman House)
"Hey, this isn't even warm." Alex complained as he touched the cold Thai food, and instantly a deluge of images flooded his mind. Suddenly he remembered eating dozens and dozens of containers of Thai food. "I'm, I'm, I'm so sick of this. I'm..." he trailed off shaking his head. "Always the same thing, always cold. Always the same thing. I'm just so sick of everything."
His memories of Sweden started to dissolve as if they had never been, and a number kept pushing it's way to the forefront of his mind. He scribbled the number down on the receipt without realizing it instead of signing his name. "Why does life have to be so wrong?" he asked as more images emerged. "Why does everything have to be a lie?"
Something was terribly wrong with his memories. In the last few days, he had gotten other images, flashes of things he didn't remember, but they had quickly faded into the back of his mind. But theses images were stronger, and if they were right, he had never been to Sweden at all.
Alex returned to his room and took a sip of Coke, and the picture of Leanna caught his eye. He picked it up, trying to make sense of the images invading his mind, and suddenly he remembered everything. He pulled the photo out of the frame and savagely cut his head out of it. It had never happened. None of it. He had never gone to Sweden, he had never met Leanna, and he certainly wasn't having a relationship with her. It had all been an elaborate lie to keep him in line while he translated the alien's book.
Alex remembered his time at the University of Las Cruces with Tess, Lonni and Rath. He remembered breaking out of Tess’ mind warps several times.
He logged on to his computer and quickly connected with the computer at the University of Las Cruces that was decoding the book and entered his password, 11100100100111011001, so he could check the computer's progress. He was surprised to see the computer had finished the translation just that morning.
Glancing at the translation, Alex shook his head. He couldn't believe Tess had been willing to go to such lengths just to get the book translated. If she would have asked him, he would have helped, but obviously she didn't want the others to know. He printed a copy and reached for the phone. He had to tell the others what Tess had done.
He picked up the receiver and tried to dial but his hand wouldn't push the buttons. He tried again and again, finally giving up in frustration and slammed the receiver down. It must have been something that Tess had done to him.
Alex grabbed the translation, the photo and his car keys and headed out the door. If he couldn't call the others, he would simply drive to the Crashdown and show them. He put the car in gear and headed toward town, but when he tried to turn to go to the Crashdown, he found he couldn't and the car kept driving straight.
He tried to fight against the compulsion but it was just too strong, and then pain started to shoot through his head. He tried to pull off the road but was unable to, and as the pain in his head increased his vision started to blur. Afraid he was going to crash, Alex sat back and tried to relax, taking deep breaths, and as soon as he stopped fighting the pain lessened and he was able to drive.
Alex wasn't surprised that he was compelled to drive to the Valenti's house. It was where Tess lived after all. He grabbed the translation off the seat as he exited the car, never noticing that the photo of Leanna slipped off the top and slid between the door and the seat. He walked to the door, opened it and entered without knocking. Then he headed straight for Tess' room.
He stopped just inside the door when he saw Tess sitting on the bed and started to recite what he remembered from translation, "You are the Royal Four. You were created from the genetic materials of your alien predecessors and human subjects..."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Kyle could hear Alex’s voice from the other room and went to see what was happening.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Tess jumped off the bed and closed the door behind Alex, hoping no one else had heard. "Shut up, Alex."
The pain started in Alex's head again, worse than before, and he crossed the room toward Tess. "You did this to me," he accused, "you sent me to Las Cruces."
Kyle opened the door as Alex was speaking.
"Okay," Tess soothed. "Alex, Alex let me fix your mind, you're not thinking straight."
"You mind warped me for two months while I decoded that silly book for you and now there's nothing left for you to mind warp. You destroyed my mind!" The pain in Alex's head increased and he put a hand to his head crying, “How could you do this to me?"
Alex noticed Kyle and drew Tess' attention to him.
"Kyle get out," Tess said dismissively.
Kyle had heard their conversation and he wasn't sure what to make of it. But it was obvious that Alex was upset, "What's going on?" he asked Tess.
"Kyle go!" Tess yelled, starting to panic.
The pain in Alex's head was overwhelming and he was practically hysterical, "I have nothing. I might as well be dead."
Kyle didn't know what was wrong, but Alex was obviously freaked. "Hey just calm down," he soothed.
Tess didn't know how Alex had broken the mind warp so completely but she had to fix it or he would tell Max everything. "He's right, okay," she shouted at Alex. "Calm down! Just calm down!" She grabbed Alex by the shoulders and he tried to push her away.
"No," he shouted, "you can't mind warp me! NO!"
Tess ignored Alex and started the mind warp. Alex’s mind was jumbled, fragmented, and she wondered if she could fix it, but suddenly she was pushed out as everything went black and Alex collapsed onto the floor.
Kyle rushed forward and knelt beside him, "Alex!" He fumbled for a pulse but didn't feel one. He turned to Tess, "We've got to call an ambulance." He jumped to his feet and started out of the room but Tess grabbed his arm and he turned to her.
"Kyle wait," she said, as she quickly started the mind warp. She erased the events from his mind and left him in a kind of trance on her bed. Then she picked up her cell phone and quickly dialed Lonni.
As soon as the phone was answered, Tess, almost hysterical, blurted out the situation, "We've got a big problem, Alex is lying dead on my bedroom floor."
"What?" Lonni asked. "What happened?"
"He broke out of the new memories I gave him and came to my house. I tried to fix his memory but his mind must have been too weak to take it. Kyle saw the whole thing but I made him forget."
"This is bad," Lonni said. "If it looks like Alex died from alien causes it could make the others suspicious." Lonni thought for a moment, "Did Alex drive to your house?"
"Yes," Tess said.
"Okay," Lonni said, "we'll make it look like a car accident."
"We are suppose to meet tonight at the Crashdown," Tess added.
"Good then there’s a reason he was driving. What route would he take to get there from his house?" Lonni asked.
Tess thought for a moment, "Dexter Highway, he would take the old Dexter Highway."
"We don't have much time," Lonni said. "Put his body in his car, and Rath and I will be there in a few minutes. We will take care of the accident while you put together an alibi for yourself, and clean up any other messes, including Kyle."
"Okay," Tess said, "I'll see you in a minute." She hung up the phone and turned back to Kyle and mind warped him to see Alex as a duffel bag. Then she snapped her fingers in front of his face. "Kyle. Kyle, will you help me load my luggage into the car?"
Kyle jumped up, "Of course."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Liz stood staring at the coroner's van, where Alex's body still lay, long after the others had left. She still couldn't believe Alex was really dead, but there was no way it was a simple traffic accident. Somehow Liz knew it was murder and she wouldn't rest until she found out exactly what happened.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Deputy Lopez called out to get the Sheriff's attention, "Sheriff Hansen, Sheriff Hansen, the tow truck driver is here to remove the Whitman boy's car. Do you want us to take it to the lab?"
Hansen looked at the totaled car and shook his head, "I don't see any reason for that, Lopez. It's just an auto accident, there's no need for a big investigation and we don't want his parents to have to see it." He motioned to the tow truck, "Tell him to take it to the junkyard."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Cry Your Name)
(Monday, April 30th, 2001)
Lonni waited until the next morning to contact Tess and they met in the desert as usual.
"What are we going to do now?" Tess asked.
Lonni sighed, "We'll wait and see what happens and then we'll decide what to do. But for now, don't say anything about the translation."
Tess nodded and handed Alex's copy of the translation to Lonni. "I found this on him. Alex must have remembered everything and downloaded a copy."
Lonni flipped through the pages, "Could he have contacted anyone before he came to you?"
Tess shook her head, "No. I put an irresistible compulsion in his mind, like a post-hypnotic suggestion. If he ever remembered, he wouldn't be able to speak to anyone except me and he had to come to me as soon as he could."
"So you're sure he didn't tell anyone else?" Lonni asked.
"Yeah, I'm sure," Tess said. "Kyle was there but I took care of him."
"Like you took care of Alex?" Rath scoffed.
"The new memories I gave Alex shouldn't have worn off," Tess said defensively. "Maybe something triggered it."
"Or maybe," Rath suggested, "you don't have as much control over your powers as you think."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Evans kitchen)
Max laughed as he and Liz reminisced about Alex, "Remember the time he electrified Mr. Hoffman's desk?"
"Yeah," Liz said. "You know, he almost got suspended for that."
Max shook his head, "Never happen. The teachers loved him. That guy could get away with anything. At the prom, I overheard Mr. Hoffman telling Señora Villa the whole chair thing. Thought it was a riot."
Liz's heart suddenly felt heavy because Max mentioned the prom but she couldn't just let it go. "Yeah, about the prom," Liz said. "I saw you kiss Tess."
Max couldn't speak. The memory of that night was like a nightmare to him. Liz had broken his heart, again, and then he had found himself kissing Tess. When it was happening, it had seemed wrong but he hadn't been able to stop himself, and when it had ended he had felt so ashamed.
He didn't know Liz had seen them kissing but it certainly explained why she’d left so suddenly.
When Max didn't say anything, Liz continued, "It's okay. You're moving on."
Max wanted to say so much to her, to apologize, to explain about the kiss and tell her it didn't mean anything. To tell her that no matter what, he would never love anyone but her. "Liz," he started but she cut him off.
"No," she said decisively. No matter how much it hurt, she had to stand by her decision to let him go. It was better for both of them, wasn't it? "We've discussed this. You're moving on and I am moving on, and that's a decision we've made." Liz knew she was rambling but she was quickly approaching hysteria and she wanted to finish. "I just wanted you to know that I saw you and that I'm okay with it, okay?"
Max smiled sadly, knowing Liz was lying but being stoic for both their sakes. "Okay."
"Okay," Liz said and suddenly she had to get away from him. For the first time, being with him made her sad. The fact that they weren't going to be together was slowly crushing her heart. "Thank you very much for the macaroni and cheese, and, um, thank you for listening."
She slipped off the stool and walked to the door but as she reached it, a cold shiver of fear and foreboding raced down her spine. It was so strong that it prompted her to stop and turn back to him. "Just always be my friend. Will you do that, Max?"
"You know I will," he promised solemnly.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Cry Your Name)
(Tuesday, May 1st, 2001)
Max ran to catch up with Valenti as he left the ceremony, "Sheriff, we have to talk."
Valenti turned to Max, "If this is about what I said to Liz the other night, I don't have any apologies to make."
Max was incredulous, "How can you say that to us? How can you even think..."
Valenti cut him off, "This is difficult for everybody, Max."
Max was growing angrier by the moment and stuck his finger in Valenti's face. "Alex Whitman did not kill himself, okay? It didn't happen. And you'd better not let Hanson or anyone else put that in some file."
Valenti had brought the file with him so he could show Max before it was officially released. He reached into his truck and handed it to Max, "Here."
"What's that?" Max asked, fearing he already knew.
"It's everything we've discovered about Alex Whitman over the last two days," Valenti said. "Read it, Max."
Max skimmed over the file, looking for anything to prove Valenti and the others wrong but damning words jumped out at him with alarming regularity.
mood swings
altered behavior
falling grades
depression
And then he reached the description of the crash. The police had determined the car had been driven deliberately into the truck because of a number of factors.
The possibility that Alex had fallen asleep at the wheel had been ruled out because of the curviness of the road. It would have been impossible for him to navigate the other turns just moments before, and then be asleep enough to go over the medium. Plus, the car had been accelerating, and most of the time when someone falls asleep at the wheel, their foot relaxes and the car slows.
By the time Max had reached the end of the report, he was reluctantly convinced it must have been suicide. He handed the report back to Valenti with a nod, "Thanks."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Whitman House - Alex's room)
Michael listened with disbelief as Liz laid one piece of evidence after another before them, proving Alex couldn't have killed himself, and then as Max, Tess and Isabel discounted them all.
Liz's small form made her appear like a child against Isabel and Max's height but she didn't back down from their anger or her arguments, even when Max towered over her enraged.
Instead she fought back against him, "You don't want to think that Alex was killed by an alien because that would mean you are responsible."
Everyone was surprised by her outburst but Max recoiled like she slapped him. "Let's go," he said simply.
Michael had watched Liz in a lot of situations. She was the peacemaker, the planner, the cool and collected one who never hesitated to help them. He had seen her happy, sad, worried, scared, but he had never seen her like she was today. This Liz was confident, determined, and her eyes flashed with a terrible fury and purpose. But as Michael rose to follow the others, the thing that worried him the most was the sinking feeling he had in the pit of his stomach; Liz was right.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Tess took a walk to get some privacy for her call to Lonni. The last thing she needed was one of the Valenti's overhearing her conversation.
Lonni answered on the second ring, "What have you got?"
"Liz won't accept that Alex's death was an accident or suicide,” Tess explained. “She thinks he was murdered.”
Lonni shrugged, "So what?"
"By an alien," Tess added. "Liz isn't going to let this go. She is investigating against Max's orders. We had a big fight about it after the funeral and Liz won't back down."
Lonni laughed, begrudgingly admiring Liz. "Going against Max’s orders. I'm liking Liz more every day."
Tess ignored Lonni's comment, "I didn't have a chance earlier but I can mind warp her so she will stop, or," suddenly a new idea occurred to her, "we could just kill her."
"No, another mysterious death would be too suspicious," Lonni said. "But think about it," she said consideringly, as a plan formed in her mind. "We could use Liz's investigation to our advantage. It could be a golden opportunity for us."
Tess frowned in confusion, "What do you mean?"
Lonni explained, "Liz investigates Alex's death. We leave clues to lead her to discover that someone took him and made him translate the book. She finds the translation and gives it to Max. We already have the perfect patsy so we just set her up. Then Liz discovers the identity of the killer and we are off the hook."
Tess shivered wondering who was going to take the fall, "Who are we setting up?"
Lonni sighed, "Leanna, of course."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Rath waited until Lonni ended the call, "Why don't we just set up Tess?"
"It would be nice, and it could come to that," Lonni said, "but we might still need her. This way we give them a killer and we still keep some collateral."
"Okay," Rath agreed, "so what kind of clues do we leave?"
Lonni nodded, "We need to get Liz to investigate the Olsons and Leanna. When she finds out they don't exist, she will figure out Alex never went to Sweden."
Lonni motioned to the phone as she spoke to Rath, "You arrange for some flowers to be delivered to the Whitman's from the Olsons. And tonight we'll go back to the school and the Whitman's and change the Olsen's contact information again to someone else in Sweden. Then if anyone tries to call, they will get a wrong number. Maybe I’ll even leave a clue on his computer. Liz is sure to search there."
“If we leave enough clues, Liz won’t have any doubts about where to look for answers.” She grabbed a phone book and turned to the florist section. “The Olsen’s would definitely send some flowers to poor Alex’s family.”
"What if Liz doesn't figure it out?" Rath asked.
Lonni shrugged, "Then we will plant some more obvious clues or get Tess to plant some ideas in Liz’s head."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Crashdown Café)
As Liz looked through the photos of Alex, she became more and more depressed. She just couldn't accept he was gone.
The Max from the future had told her, Alex had attended their reception, so he had been alive in the other time line. And now he was dead because of something she and the other Max had done. Something she had changed had killed her best friend and she swore that she would get to the bottom of it.
Liz saw the pictures of Alex's striptease from Isabel's birthday party. She and Maria had helped him prepare for his dance, teaching him all of the moves he would need, but she hadn't been present for the actual event. Another alien crisis had prevented her from seeing it. And even though she had the photos and could imagine what it had been like, she'd regret missing it for the rest of her life.
The striptease was just one thing in a long line of regrets and missed opportunities; graduation, college, even the little things like movie night. There were so many things they would never get to do together. So many things she would miss about him.
That was why she had to figure this out. That was why she had to discover what had happened. But no matter what she did, Alex was gone and there was no bringing him back.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - It's Too Late and It's Too Bad)
(Thursday, May 10th, 2001)
(The Evans house – Max’s room)
It had been a few days since Alex's funeral and Tess was getting impatient because Max had not even touched her in a tender or romantic way since the prom. So she decided to jump right in. She turned to him, “Max, what about the kiss?”
A look of confusion crossed his face, “What?”
"The kiss at the prom,” Tess reminded him, annoyed. “The infamous kiss."
"Right," Max said apprehensively. He had pointedly avoided the subject since the Prom, and after a few days when Tess hadn’t mentioned it, he’d hoped she take the hint that it was end. But obviously he’d been wrong.
Tess continued, "With what happened to Alex, I can understand putting the subject on hold. I couldn't deal with it either, but now, I just, I can't help wondering where we are."
"Right," Max said, wondering how to tell her what he thought. "Right." But he didn’t want to hurt her and he took a breath before continuing. "You and me together, it scares me. Right or wrong, I feel like if I follow that road, I can never go back."
Tess immediately dismissed the possibility that Max didn't want to be with her and focused on the other part of his admission, "You're scared to go home."
"What is home?" Max asked. "Is home really up there? I just feel like this whole idea about where we come from..." he trailed off. "I want to believe it. I want to understand it more and more, but it just feels like this dream, this, this dream that I can never really quite touch or see or, feel. And Earth just seems so much more," he looked up at Tess, "real."
Tess couldn't believe that Max was so opposed to going home. She would have to work on him.
Max changed the subject, "Are you hungry? I think we still have some frozen macaroni and cheese, if Liz and I didn't eat it all."
Liz, Tess thought. Everything was always about Liz. She smiled and concentrated on using a friendly tone, "Oh, when were you and Liz eating frozen macaroni and cheese?"
"It was the night before the funeral," Max said. "Liz was totally stressed out and needed someone to talk to. We stayed up all night just reminiscing about Alex."
"That's nice," Tess said sweetly as she started the mind warp. She had been gradually mind warping Max to turn against Liz, but obviously it wasn't going fast enough. True, Max had disagreed and argued with Liz at the funeral but Max had already been worried about the cause of Alex's death and Tess had been using her powers to push him over the edge.
She needed to accelerate the pace and get Max to turn from Liz completely. Tess was convinced that only then would he turn to her and accept the idea of returning home.
She placed the idea in his mind that Liz didn't care about them and was endangering them all with her investigation. She emphasized Liz's recent behavior and accusatory speech in Alex's room, reinforcing it in Max's memory. She also tied it together with Max's disappointment about not being with Liz, hoping it would ensure some spectacular fights between them.
Tess also reinforced Max's natural feeling that they should all stay together. Isabel's declaration that she was leaving for college had really scared Tess; she couldn't let Isabel go, and Tess told Max to stop it from happening in any way possible. Tess reminded him he was the leader, the King, and the group should obey him no matter what, and he shouldn't put up with any descent.
Finally she placed the kernel of an idea in Max's mind that he didn't belong on Earth. He was an alien and he should want to go home.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - It's Too Late and It's Too Bad)
(Monday, May 14th, 2001)
(The Parker House – Liz’s Room)
Liz found her passport in her desk and stuffed it in her bag. She had gotten it two years ago in anticipation that she would travel with her Grandmother, but it had never happened.
Her Grandmother had once told her to follow her heart, and no matter how crazy this trip to Sweden seemed, Liz felt that she was doing the right thing. She couldn't rest until she knew the truth about Alex. It might save all of their lives.
She gathered her bags and let herself out of her house. Her parents were at the store and if she hurried, she could get away without them seeing her. Liz quickly walked the few blocks to the highway and waited for the cab she had ordered.
Max had been driving home when he'd had a compulsion to take a different route. He turned onto the highway and after driving a few miles suddenly saw Liz sitting on a fence at the side of the road. He pulled the Jeep off the road next to her and saw her luggage. "Liz, where are you going?"
"Sweden," Liz admitted.
"Are you kidding me?" he asked, suddenly angry. "Get in the car."
"No," Liz said.
Max jumped out of the Jeep, "What did you tell your parents?"
"I'm gonna call them from the airport and tell them my girlfriend in Florida had a crisis and she needed me."
"They'll call your aunt," Max pointed out. "Your aunt will say you're not there."
"Well, then, I'll think of something else," Liz responded.
A cab stopped and the driver called out, "You the airport?"
"No," Max said, hoping he could stop Liz.
Liz spoke up, "Actually, I am. You're late."
She jumped down off the fence and Max stood between her and the cab. As much as he thought she was going crazy, he was scared to death of losing her. "Liz, don't get in that cab," he pleaded softly.
Liz looked at him for a moment. She hated fighting with Max but she didn't have a choice. He was standing between her and the truth. Handing her bag to the driver, she called out, "Load it up."
Max was growing desperate and he took one of her bags and tossed it into the Jeep. "Liz, get in my car," he ordered.
"What are you gonna do? You're gonna throw me in it?" Liz challenged him as she retrieved her bag from the Jeep.
"You have to listen to me," Max insisted, his fear of losing her making him desperate.
Liz turned back to him, "Don't even pull that King card on me, Max. I am not Isabel. You can't boss me around."
Max closed the gap between them, "If this is about being pissed at me, fine. Punish me all you want. But what about everyone else? What you're doing puts them at risk."
"What I'm doing may save their lives," argued Liz, as she turned toward the cab.
Max followed her, "You have a responsibility to Michael, Isabel, and Tess not to get in that cab."
Liz cut him off, "Uh-huh, and I have a responsibility to Alex to find out what really happened."
Max could hear the finality in Liz's voice and he knew he was losing her. He said the one thing he was sure would stop her, "Liz, if you go, our friendship is over."
Liz felt her heart break but she couldn't let it stop her. She had already lost Max. "I guess that's the price I have to pay. Somebody killed Alex and covered up his death. Why don't you see that, Max? Wake up."
Liz's words were like a knife through his heart. He couldn't believe she was willing to end their friendship over the investigation. He thought she would surely back down when he threatened her, but he had been wrong.
Max watched as the cab drove farther and farther into the distance, taking Liz away from him. He was so sure that Liz was wrong about how Alex died but her unwavering confidence caused a sliver of doubt to pierce through his certainty for a moment. But a voice in his head made him push his doubts aside. Liz couldn't be right, there was no way. She just didn't want to accept the truth that Alex had committed suicide.
Rather than face the truth, Liz was willing to betray them all to prove she was right. Then suddenly Liz's final words rang through his head.
'Wake up.'
Liz, his best friend, his soul mate, had turned against him, just like his sister.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Swedish Embassy)
Jens Finna saw the picture on Mr. Stockman's desk. "Oh, the Forstora building," he said, picking up the photo.
Mr. Stockman was stunned. Liz Parker had seemed so desperate to find the building and he wanted to help her, but he'd had no idea how he was going to identify the building. He had been thinking about passing the photo to an architect friend to see if he recognized it. "You are sure that is the correct building, Herr Finna?"
Jens looked at the picture again and nodded. Architecture was a hobby of his. "Ja, I am sure. It was very famous when it was built in the early 60s, because of its ultra-modern design but it was found to be structurally unsound and it had to be torn down."
"Do you remember when?" Mr. Stockman asked.
Jens shook his head, "Early 90s I think, but Herr Kunskap in Commerce, or Herr Saker in Security could probably tell you for sure. They both used to live in Stockholm very near here."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Roswell Observatory)
Tess stopped her car in the driveway of the observatory when she saw Max's Jeep. The situation with Max was not proceeding as she had hoped and Tess now accepted that there would be no chance of Max going to Antar with her unless he had a good reason. She had hoped he would want to return to be with her but it was taking too long, and now time was running out and she had to resort to desperate measures.
Tess had witnessed what had happened between Max and Isabel earlier at school and she had used her powers to push him to stop Isabel. She had watched the interaction with great satisfaction, knowing he had been so cruel to his beloved sister. Tess had despised Isabel for months because she had felt Isabel should have been a better friend to her.
Besides the fight with Isabel, Tess knew Max and Liz had been at odds over her investigation and she suspected Max would need to be alone to lick his wounded ego. She had been roughly manipulating his emotions, hoping for explosive results, and when she had seen his Jeep at the observatory she knew she was succeeding beyond her imaginings.
Tonight was the night she would secure her place in his life because she knew Max would never leave her if she was carrying his child. She used her powers to change the cushions of the passenger seat of her car into a sleeping bag and walked over to where he was standing. "I thought I'd find you here."
Somehow Max wasn't surprised by Tess' presence. She always seemed to find him when he was miserable. "My whole life I've wanted to be this person, this normal person. Human. My whole life I've been thinking that this alien side of me was this bad thing, this thing that made me a freak, this monster. I realize that I haven't just been hiding from the government and the law all this time, I've been hiding from myself. I don't know what's going on anymore. I thought I knew but I don't. I've lost everyone."
Tess started a mind warp increasing his feeling of loneliness. Then she made herself more desirable to him, but also supportive and accepting of everything he was. Finally she placed the idea in his mind that they belonged together and uttered the words to back it up, "I'll be here for eternity."
She pulled his hand out of his pocket and used the connection of flesh to strengthen the mind warp, using all of Max's senses against him. It was easy to push through his confusion and make him want to kiss her. And when he did, she took the opportunity to use the full force of her powers on him.
As the kiss ended, Max was fully under her thrall. "I'm ready to wake up now," he said.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Baby It's You)
(Tuesday, May 15th, 2001)
Max awoke slowly with a throbbing pain in his head and a strange weight on his chest. As he attempted to sit up, he looked down and saw a mass of blonde curls, and the events of the previous evening came rushing back to him. He had slept with Tess.
Tess had been there when he had been in pain over losing Liz, and feeling sorry for himself, and it had just happened. He couldn't even remember making the decision to be with her, it was all just like a bad dream. He had betrayed his own feelings and his heart, but worst of all he had betrayed Liz. He loved Liz with all his heart and soul, but he'd had sex with Tess.
He had used Tess in the worst way, trying to salve the empty feeling inside that the confrontation with Liz had left. But like alcohol or drugs, it was only a temporary fix and now in the harsh light of day, he could see what a horrible mistake it had been. He was already losing Liz and sleeping with Tess would probably ruin any chance he might have had of getting her back.
Suddenly he felt sick, disgusted with his behavior, that he had let things get so totally out of control. He was supposed to be the leader, the King, but just kept screwing up.
Tess started to stir awake and Max was instantly filled with panic. What would he say to her? What would she expect from him now?
Tess raised her eyes to him and he winced at the shining happiness he saw. She was joyful about what had happened between them because it was what she'd wanted all along.
"Hey," she greeted him with a beaming smile.
Max tried to be sympathetic to her feelings. They could talk about what had happened and why it was a mistake later. He forced a smile, "Hey."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Valenti house)
From his bed on the couch, Kyle watched Tess and Max kissing at the door, and felt a strange sensation that he could only describe as jealousy. He shook his head. He couldn't be feeling jealous though because he thought of Tess as a sister. Didn't he?
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Tess shut the door to her room and stopped in front of the mirror. She placed her hands on her flat stomach and practiced acting surprised, "Oh my god."
Max would be so surprised when she told him the news, she could just imagine the look of joy on his face. And she wanted to make him happy. He was so wonderful, so perfect and gentlemanly. He had insisted on following her home that morning even though they had both driven to the observatory.
Tess smiled as she turned to the door. Now that she and Max were together she would make sure nothing came between them.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Baby It's You)
(Wednesday, May 16th, 2001)
(The DeLuca House)
Rath waited until Michael's bike was out of sight and he stepped out of the bushes beside Maria's house, already pressing the speed dial.
"Yo," he said into the phone, "Liz and Maria just left here, headed for Las Cruces."
"Okay," Lonni said. "You get back down here and we'll set up a surprise for them."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
As the day had passed, Michael's worries and doubts became stronger and stronger. Max had been acting so strangely lately not even willing to listen to Liz and her theories about Alex's death. But no matter what Max said, Michael believed that at least some of what Liz thought must be true.
Liz was smart and she had uncovered some pretty convincing evidence, and Michael knew if there was some kind of conspiracy Liz would be the one to figure it out. Her theory that an alien had killed Alex seemed pretty far-fetched but something was definitely wrong with the whole thing. Michael didn't know what had happened but he knew one thing for sure, Alex didn't kill himself.
If it was true and Alex had been killed by an alien, then Maria and Liz could be walking into a trap in Las Cruces, and he couldn't let that happen. He got on his bike. Maria and Liz had only been gone a couple of hours. He should be able to catch up with them easily before it got dark. Then he would just follow them discretely and make sure they didn't get into any trouble.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(University of Las Cruces)
Lonni watched Liz and Maria across the quad. They had been making good progress, checking the dorm, questioning the students, but she wanted them to concentrate on Leanna and she had just the thing to push them in the proper direction.
She used her powers to make herself appear like Leanna and threaded her way through the crowd as Liz and Maria stopped to listen to the concert. Positioning herself in plain sight, she knew it would only be a matter of time until they recognized her.
Watching them carefully but surreptitiously, she instantly knew when they spotted her and she turned and walked quickly away. Glancing behind her a couple of times was enough to tell her that they had taken the bait and were following her. Lonni smiled to herself as she picked up her pace, Leanna would be their focus now. And if Liz was as smart as she hoped, tomorrow she would lead them to the translation and then they could go home.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Baby It's You)
(Thursday, May 17th, 2001)
(University of Las Cruces)
Once Liz had explained to Professor Don Peters that her best friend Ray had died suddenly while working on an important computer project, he had been very sympathetic and eager to help. But Liz was no closer to discovering what Alex had been doing, and as they headed toward the Litvack Building she tried to get an idea. "So, what exactly is so special about these computers anyway?"
Don shrugged, "Nothing yet. Right now they're just multi-million dollar toys. The greatest potential is in the field of cryptography. In theory, a quantum computer can break just about any code."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Leanna's Rental)
Lonni sat in front of the laptop and used Alex's password to gain access to the university computer. First she changed the dates on when the translation was e-mailed to her computer, making it appear that it was done when Alex had been there. Then she pulled up the translation document and altered it to read the way she wanted.
She altered all of the sentences that referred to things she didn’t want Max and the others to know, replacing them with gibberish about alien abduction scenarios. She changed the description of the Granolith and the instructions for its operation. Then, because Tess had informed her of her plan, Lonni omitted all the details of conception and pregnancy covered by the book, leaving only a few vague sentences mentioning it as a possibility. Finally she re-saved the document, making sure it had the correct date on it, so there would be no question of its authenticity.
Then using the real Granolith instructions, Lonni created a control crystal for the Granolith and placed it in the box she had made, setting it next to the computer.
Before leaving, she set the explosive device she manufactured. Cuerena had taught them a trick or two and the device was certainly a trick. It was designed to look menacing but it was really harmless. When Liz, Michael and Maria found the room, the device would flash and make noise and create a small explosion but it was just an illusion. The device was no more powerful than a small firecracker but it would ensure that Liz and the others would accept the authenticity of the document, because no one would go to the trouble of guarding something that had no value.
Lonni smiled at her handiwork. She had left clues to lead Liz, Michael and Maria there, she just hoped that they were smart enough to figure it out. Otherwise Leanna would have to make another appearance and lead them to it.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Roswell, NM)
Michael witnessed the start of the snowstorm from the road and figured that Max and Isabel must be at the park. They had often gone there as children and Isabel would never risk starting a snowstorm near their house.
He stopped the motorcycle near them and motioned to the snow, "A little public, isn't it?"
Isabel shrugged, "It's a freak storm, you know, who cares?"
"Not me," Michael said. "I got bigger things to talk about. Maxwell, there's two things I need to tell you. First is, I've been lying to you about Maria, Liz, and the whole investigation. Instead of stopping 'em, I've been helping 'em. Second thing is, it was worth it." He handed the translation to Max and the box containing the crystal to Isabel.
Max looked at the pages and box suspiciously, "What's this?"
"It's everything we've been looking for," Michael said. "It's a translation to the book. You know, the book."
Isabel was so surprised she could hardly speak, "You're kidding."
"Not even a little," Michael answered.
Isabel looked at Max, who was skimming the pages, "Well, what does it say?"
Max shook his head incredulously, "It's the way home. We can go home."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Lonni and Rath watched as Michael, Isabel and Max stood in the snow reading the translation.
With a smile Lonni took out her phone and dialed Tess' number. As soon as Tess answered, Lonni got right to the point, "Call Jennifer Coleman and get her back to school now. And no screw-ups this time. Make sure that she doesn't remember anything except what we want her to know.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Departure)
(Friday, May 18th, 2001)
Max let his eyes roam over Liz as he followed her through the Crashdown and up the stairs, attempting to memorize everything about her. There was so much he wanted to say to her, but right now the most important thing was making sure she and the others were safe.
Since last night when he'd discovered Liz had been correct about Alex's death, he'd felt terribly ashamed about how he had treated her. He'd seen the hostility in her eyes downstairs and he wouldn't blame her if she never forgave him.
Max stopped just outside Liz's door, an apology already on his lips, "You were right, about Alex. He was killed by an alien. I prayed that that wasn't the case but it was. We're responsible."
Tears gathered in Liz's eyes as she instantly forgave him. She knew how much he hadn't wanted it to be true. "I never blamed you Max. I never blamed any of you."
"I know," Max said with a sigh of relief. He should have known Liz was too good a person to hold a grudge against him. "I know you didn't."
Liz continued, "I never wanted to lose you."
"Me either," Max said and he took a couple of steps closer to her, wanting to be near her for maybe the last time. He could feel the emotions rising up within him and knew it was the same with Liz. She had never stopped loving him, but now it was all too late. He stopped suddenly and got back to the point of his visit, "Liz, I need all the information that you have on Leanna."
Liz was surprised by his request, "Why?"
"I have to take care of the situation," Max said, not wanting to admit to Liz what he had to do.
"Take care of it how?" Liz asked, but Max remained silent as he looked down, and then slowly raised his eyes to meet hers. The look on Max's face made the truth apparent to Liz. Max was going to execute Leanna for murdering Alex. Liz shook her head, "Well, I'm coming with you."
"No," Max instantly denied.
"I started this," Liz said. "I'm gonna see this through to the end. She killed Alex."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Valenti House)
Jim pressed a warm cloth to Tess' forehead.
"Thanks, that helps," Tess said.
"Mm hm," Jim grunted in acknowledgement. "Listen," he started, "I just want you to know if anything goes wrong, if you're not able to go home, then you have a home here. That your child has a home here too. I mean, you're uh, you're both part of this family now. We'll figure out what's wrong with the baby. We'll find a way."
Tess smiled, "Thank you." Since she had agreed to help Lonni and Rath she'd had a few moments of regret and this was one of them. She really cared for the Valenti's and she was sad that she'd had to deceive them. They were the only family she had known.
"Sure," Jim said. "I'll get some more warm water."
"Thanks" Tess said and a sudden impulse prompted her to add, "Dad."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(University of Las Cruces – dorms)
Liz stopped beside Max in the duct and looked through the vent at Leanna. "What are you going to do?"
Max glanced around the ductwork, devising a quick plan. "I'm gonna send a bolt of energy to that heater. It will explode. A fire will start, fast. Too fast for her to react."
"What about the other dorm rooms, the other students?" Liz asked, concerned.
Max explained, "I can contain the fire with my powers long enough for everyone else to get out of the building."
Liz shook her head. This whole thing seemed wrong. "Max this isn't like you, it's not planned out."
Max tried to make her understand, "Liz, I have to do this now."
Liz had a really bad feeling. "Max, this doesn't seem right."
Max had never killed anyone and he didn't want to start now, but he had to make sure his friends were safe after he left and this was his only option. If there was a way of prosecuting Leanna he would have done it, but there wasn't. He couldn't leave an alien murderer loose to kill off his friends one by one. And he couldn't let Liz stand in his way. "Go to the Jeep,” he told Liz, “you don't have to be a part of this."
Liz got in his face, stressing her words, "It doesn't feel right."
As Liz climbed out of the vent and headed toward the exit, the feeling of wrongness grew within her. She knew that Max had to kill the alien who murdered Alex, there was just no other way of taking care of it, but something she just couldn't grasp was hovering in the back of her mind.
Suddenly Liz had a flash of what Leanna had been doing, and everything snapped into place. Leanna had been attempting to sew a button on a shirt and even though sewing could be a hobby, Liz didn't think it was Leanna's. She had been clumsy, fumbling with the needle to the point that she had stuck herself, and that wasn’t the behavior of an experienced seamstress.
If Leanna were an alien, she could have used her powers to thread the needle, or more likely simply used her powers to attach the button and not bother with the needle and thread at all.
"Max!" Liz yelled, as she spun around, hoping he would hear her. She ran to Leanna's door and started pounding furiously and then let herself in when she discovered the door was unlocked. She had to get Leanna out before Max succeeded in setting the fire.
"Who are you?" Leanna asked.
Liz pushed her toward the door, "Come on! Come on! Get out! Get out! Fire!"
Liz grabbed the tissue Leanna had used to stop the bleeding on her finger. She was positive that she was right, but a quick look at Leanna's blood through a microscope would leave no room for doubt.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Valenti house – Tess’ room)
Tess finished the mind warp of Kyle with a sigh of relief. Obviously being in her room had jogged his memory of Alex being there, something in the room triggering it somehow. Tess had been afraid something like that might happen. There had been two other times when Kyle had gotten brief memory flashes of Alex, but this time he had nearly come out of the mind warp completely. And if he broke out of one mind warp, there was no telling what else he might remember. When she had mind warped him after Alex died, she could feel the beginnings of his powers. And she knew her mind warps were more easily broken by people with powers.
Of course the mind warp would probably eventually break down anyway but it should have lasted much longer on Kyle than it had. But she had been using her powers so much over the last few months, mind warping and reinforcing mind warps on practically everyone, that she was exhausted.
"What were you saying?" she asked Kyle to bring him out of it.
Kyle paused for a moment, having lost his train of thought and then continued as the planted memory surfaced, "That I'm really gonna miss you."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Max stopped the Jeep in front of the Crashdown. He knew he should say goodbye to Liz but he just couldn't let her go yet. "I always thought when we graduated I would give you my ring." He handed her the pendant they had found at Atherton's, one of the only things he had from his planet. "It looks like I won't graduate, so this is something from where I'll be."
"I can't believe that this is what I have of you. I can't believe that after everything..." she trailed off, unable to continue.
Ever since Liz had slipped up earlier, it had been on Max's mind, and he had to know the truth. "Liz, you never slept with Kyle, did you?"
He watched as Liz shook her head, and the pain of his betrayal of her pressed even more heavily on his heart. "I wish… I wish this all could have been different. I wish that so much."
Max pulled Liz into a kiss, savoring her sweet essence one last time.
"I guess that this is goodbye." Liz felt her heart breaking, knowing that soon he would be gone forever. He would go home and be with his wife and child, and suddenly Liz had to know. "Just tell me one thing. Do you love her?"
Max winced. It sounded awful to admit even to Liz that he didn't love Tess when he had created a child with her. He did love her in a way but not the way she wanted and not the way he knew that he should. He loved Tess as a friend, almost as a sister, but he loved Liz with a soul-searing passion he knew would never end. But he couldn't tell Liz now, especially when he was leaving to be with Tess.
He smiled sadly and settled for a few simple words, "Not like I love you."
He watched as Liz walked to the door, and she turned back to him for just a moment before disappearing inside. It was the last time he would ever see her and it was all his own fault. The tears he had been keeping at bay suddenly burst from him and he collapsed against the steering wheel, mourning the loss of everything that could have been.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Valenti House)
Max walked into Tess' room, "Let's go."
Tess looked at him. She’d been having doubts all day, wondering if Lonni was right. Would she be with Max once they reached Antar or would Khivar have him killed? Maybe Alex had been right. Maybe if she just told Max what Lonni and Rath had forced her to do, he would understand. Tess stood up slowly, "Max, are you sure you want to do this?"
"Yes," Max said too quickly.
Tess wasn't sure if it was Max talking, or if his answer was the result of her mind warp, but he didn’t sound convinced either way. "Right," she said.
Max felt more unsure of himself than he ever had, but he didn't have another choice. The baby would die if they stayed on Earth, and he kissed Tess to reassure her of his commitment to her and their child.
As Max's lips met hers, Tess received one of the only flashes she had ever gotten from him. At first, she was happy that Max was finally lowering his defenses toward her, but then she recognized the content of the images. Max had been kissing Liz, declaring his love for her, just a short while before.
"You kissed Liz!" Tess blurted out, instantly furious. How dare Max treat her like that! She was his wife and was carrying his child, but he had gone to Liz anyway. Suddenly Tess’ doubts about returning home evaporated. When they got home, she would make sure Max never even looked at another woman and she would wipe every memory of Liz from his mind.
"Don't worry," she said, "you won't remember her where we're going."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(In the desert – outside Roswell, NM)
Jim arrived to meet Max, Michael, Tess and Isabel where Max had specified. Max had decided they should get rid of the Jeep, so there would be nothing for their parents to trace. But with everything else, they hadn't had time to sell it, so they decided to simply destroy it.
Max approached Jim and nodded toward the Jeep, "After we do this, we'll walk to the pod chamber. It isn't far and it will give you time to get somewhere that you can be seen when we take off."
"Do you know what will happen?" Jim asked.
Max shook his head, "No, but the last thing you need is to be MIA when there is another UFO sighting."
Jim nodded and then helped them secure the cans of gas inside the Jeep that would feed the explosion.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Departure)
(Saturday, May 19th, 2001)
(The Valenti House)
Maria, Liz and Kyle climbed into the Jetta and headed toward the highway, desperate to get to the pod chamber and the Granolith before Max, Michael and Isabel left.
Liz had been to the pod chamber once before, but that was the day Max and Isabel had gotten the message from their mother. She had not paid attention to where they were going on the way there because she and Max had been too engrossed in one another. And after she’d heard the message and left Max, her grief had consumed her, and the drive home was just a blur.
"I can't remember exactly where the pod chamber is," Liz admitted. "Do you remember, Maria?"
Maria was incredulous, "Me?" She shook her head. "I get lost just driving across town."
"Okay, wait a minute," Kyle said. "Neither one of you can remember how to get there?"
"What are we going to do?" asked Maria. "We can't let Tess get away."
"She won't," Liz promised. "We'll find it somehow. I know the general area."
"What about landmarks?" asked Kyle.
"Yeah," Liz nodded, "it's on what used to be the Pohlman ranch, you know the crash site, and there is an old radio tower nearby."
Kyle nodded, "I know where that is. My Grandpa used to take me there sometimes when I was a kid. There's a dirt road just past mile marker twenty-eight that heads out into the desert to the tower."
Maria was practically jumping out of her skin, "Well let's go!"
"I still can't believe this is happening," Liz said. "It's all like a bad dream."
"So why are they going home?" Maria asked. "Michael and I didn't really discuss it."
Kyle kept silent hoping he wouldn't have to break the news of Tess' pregnancy to Liz but after a moment Liz answered. "Tess is pregnant."
"What?" Maria asked incredulously. "Who did that little tramp jump into bed with..." she trailed off. "Oh! You don't mean Tess and Max?"
Liz nodded. "Apparently the b-baby can't survive on Earth so they're going back."
"Oh Liz," Maria said sadly, "I'm so sorry."
Liz nodded but said nothing as the tears started to gather in her eyes, and she turned to look out the window.
They continued in silence, but after a few minutes Liz saw their landmark. "There's the mile marker. Kyle, how much further?"
"It's just up ahead," Kyle assured her.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Tess smiled as Max waved his hand over the control to open the pod chamber door. She was minutes away from getting everything she had ever wanted.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The Jetta pulled onto the dirt road and headed into the desert. Liz had never felt so anxious in her life. Max, Michael and Isabel might be leaving at any time, on their way back home with Alex's murderer.
Suddenly she saw the rock formation, "That's it."
The Jetta skidded to a halt at the base of the rocks and the three of them raced up the path. Liz stopped at the solid rock face, even though it was closed she recognized the door. "Wait it's right here," she called to Maria and Kyle. She pounded on the hard surface, yelling, "Hey guys open up."
Kyle and Maria joined her, "Open up!"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Pod Chamber)
Michael looked at the Granolith and then at the people before him and he suddenly realized he didn't want to go. Max and Isabel had been his family for so long but he had another home now. A home that called to him more than a planet he didn't even remember, across the galaxy. Maybe that was why he had never pursued the memory retrieval with Tess because subconsciously he didn't want to remember. He belonged here on Earth with Maria. "Max, I can't go," he said, barely believing his own words. "Ever since we came out of the pods, I've been on some quest to figure out where I belong. I finally found home. The weird thing is, it's here, it's on Earth."
Max smiled, "You of all people."
Tess suddenly realized that Michael meant to stay on Earth and she almost panicked. What would happen if she showed up without Michael? Then she calmed down. Nothing would happen. She doubted Nicholas or Khivar cared what happened to Michael. Then she saw Max turn to Isabel.
"I would understand..." he started.
Tess started to panic again. Michael didn't matter but Isabel definitely did. Khivar wanted her back. Tess didn't know what to do but she had to act fast. She had used her powers so much lately that she was exhausted, and she didn’t know if she had the strength for an additional mind warp.
Isabel smiled at Max, "What you said before, you're my home too."
Tess sighed with relief and stepped forward before they could change their minds. "Well, whoever is coming, we have to go. Now."
Michael couldn't stay in the chamber with the others, he couldn't bear to see them leave. He passed his hand over the door mechanism and the door slid open, and suddenly Maria was before him.
"Tess killed Alex!" she blurted out.
"What?" Michael asked.
Michael turned, and followed closely by Liz, Maria, and Kyle, rushed through the pod chamber and into the Granolith room
As she entered, Liz saw Max reaching for a large object she assumed was the Granolith. "Max, stop!" she yelled.
He drew his hand back as if he had been burned and turned toward her and she continued, "It was Tess. Tess killed Alex. She mind warped Alex and sent him to Las Cruces to decode the book, but he broke out of the mind warp and she killed him."
"It's true," Kyle said shakily, backing up Liz. "I was there. I witnessed it."
Max was stunned, "Why didn't you ever say anything?"
"Because she mind warped me," Kyle said. He turned to Tess, his pent up feelings pouring out, "You lived in my home, you were like my sister!"
Max turned to Tess and it was as if he saw her for the first time. She appeared the same physically but she was suddenly different somehow. He couldn't quite put his finger on the difference but it was there. It was as if he had suddenly seen Tess' true face and he was repulsed by her. She was a murderer. "How long?" he asked Michael over his shoulder.
"About three minutes," Michael said.
"Everyone out!" Max ordered.
"Max..." Michael started to protest, but Max cut him off.
"Now!" he ordered. He waited until the others left, not wanting them to witness what he had to do. He was the King and Tess was his responsibility. "Did you kill Alex?" he ground out.
Tess was so exhausted that she knew she probably only had one chance to save herself. There was no point in lying since Kyle and Liz had already revealed the whole thing. "I didn't want to. I wish I hadn't, but I did."
"Why?" Max asked.
"Look Max," she said, trying to distract him, "the, the clock's ticking, we don't really have time..."
"Tell me why!" Max shouted.
Tess talked, trying to buy herself some time. Max was so angry, she was afraid of what he might do if she refused. "He would have told you what I did and I couldn't let that happen."
"So you just, you just killed him?" Max asked incredulously.
"I didn't mean to," she explained. "His brain was just so weakened by the mind warp, and..." She trailed off and refocused, hoping she still had enough power to convince him. "Look, none of this matters now." She started to build her power for a mind warp.
"Life matters Tess," Max spat at her. "My life, your life, his..."
"What matters is getting home," Tess cut him off angrily, "but you could never understand that could you?" She could feel Max's power building, crackling around him, and knew she would never be able to force him to come with her. He was too powerful and she had lost all influence over him. She lashed out at the one person she saw as the cause of all her problems. "I might have been able to teach you, but that stupid bitch had you wrapped around her..."
"Don't you ever call her that!" Max shouted.
"See!" Tess said. "Look how fast you run to her defense! Why couldn't you ever feel that about me? I'm your wife Max!" She used the argument she knew would hurt him the most because it would remind him of her importance, "I'm carrying your child!"
"This was all some kind of plan to get pregnant and go home, wasn't it?" Max asked, horrified by his sudden realization. Maybe the baby wasn't even sick. Maybe Tess had concocted the whole thing to force them to go home. He couldn't believe she wanted to return so badly. "Home to what, Tess? To Khivar? To our enemies?"
"They're not my enemies, Max," Tess told him haughtily, trying to make him understand.
Max recoiled as if she had struck him. He couldn't believe she would betray all of them so calculatingly. "You made a deal with them, with Khivar."
Tess knew she had pushed Max too far. He looked as if he were going to kill her. She couldn't reveal Lonni and Rath's part in the plan or they would tell Max the truth about her past, so she placed the blame on the first person she thought of. "No, Nasedo made a deal, forty years ago."
"What was the deal?" Max asked. "Tell me!"
The lie was easy to continue, she simply based it on the truth, "To return home with your child, and deliver the three of you to Khivar."
"And what would happen to us once you delivered us?" he asked angrily.
Tess remained silent. She had asked Lonni the same thing. Lonni had assured her over and over, that Max would not be harmed after he stepped down from the throne, but Tess wasn't sure she believed Lonni. But what other choice had she been given, she asked herself? She'd had to believe Lonni, because Lonni had offered her the only chance to get what she wanted. But now it was all falling apart.
"How did I ever fall in love with someone like you?" Max spat at Tess. "How could I ever marry you?"
Tess was suddenly furious. How dare Max deny their love. "You were different! You were a King! Now you're just a boy," she finished disdainfully.
Max was so angry that he could have wrung the life out of her, but he tried to remain calm. Tess had coldly, calculatingly used Alex and then killed him when he threatened to expose her. She deserved to die for what she had done, but no court on Earth would convict her, so it was his responsibility to deliver justice.
Tess watched as Max raised his hand toward her and she knew he meant to kill her. For a moment, she was desperately afraid that Max would do it but then the solution suddenly occurred to her. She hadn't failed after all. She had the perfect leverage over Max to ensure it wasn't over between them. Max would come after her, he would never stop searching for her. She smiled and triumphantly spoke the words guaranteed to make Max back off. "You kill me, Max, you kill our son."
Max hesitated and then slowly lowered his hand. Tess was right. No matter what she had done, their son was innocent and he couldn't kill him. If he forced Tess to stay on Earth the baby could die. If there was a way he could take his son from her he would, but he couldn't take the chance that the baby was really sick. "Go," he told her reluctantly. "This isn't over, Tess."
Tess reached out to the Granolith, not wanting to leave Max, but knowing it was the only course available to her now. She had backed herself into a corner and needed some time to regroup before she confronted him again. But as much as she knew she had to go, she was afraid of what would happen when she arrived without the others.
Max watched as Tess touched the surface of the Granolith and was suddenly transported inside. He didn't want to let her leave with his son, but there was no other choice. There was no way to stop the Granolith and it was the one chance he had to send his son to Antar where he could survive. He watched as long as he could, fearing for his son, but then the chamber started to collapse and he was forced to run.
Isabel was waiting for Max just outside, not knowing what he intended to do, and she cried out in relief when she finally saw him, "MAX!
"Quick, go," Max said as he turned her away from the pod chamber. The others were standing near the door and he yelled to them, "Let's go!"
Max grabbed Liz's hand and led her down the slope to the relative safety of the rocks below. He pulled her into his arms as the rock formation started to disintegrate.
The six of them watched as the pod chamber was destroyed, and the ship containing the Granolith and Tess shot into the air and out of sight.
Max turned back to Liz who was still shaking in the circle of his arms. Once again he had her to thank for saving them, but he just didn't have the words. "I've been really wrong about a lot. But I was right about one thing, to get you into my life, to be around you, to love you."
Liz gazed up at Max. She felt detached, as if she were in shock because of the enormous events of the last few days. Max's words had been an apology of sorts but there was still so much that had been said and done. But Liz released a sigh and pushed the thoughts to the back of her mind. She had been dreaming of being with Max for months and she let him pull her to him and laid her head on his chest, savoring the moment.
Hugging Liz had been instinctive but Max knew there was still a lot they had to work through including the fact that he had created a son with Tess. And after a few precious moments of holding Liz, he reluctantly released her and turned away. He and Liz needed to talk but this wasn't the time, and after everything that had happened he wondered if she would even consider giving him another chance.
All of the events of the past year flashed through Max's head, Tess' every action taking on a new, sinister meaning. And then he focused on the night at the observatory. He had thought it had been spontaneous, but obviously Tess had planned it all along.
Isabel's voice interrupted his thoughts, "What happens now, Max?"
Max didn't even have to think, he answered automatically, "I have to save my son."
Max's words ripped through Liz like a knife, slashing through the numbness that had protectively settled over her. After everything that had happened in the last twenty-four hours, she had attempted to push that bit of information to the back of her mind, but now it came rushing forward again. Max had slept with Tess. Liz had known they were growing closer but she had never suspected they would move ahead so quickly, and now Tess was carrying Max's son.
Liz suddenly felt sick. Everything had turned out so badly, Tess had betrayed them and taken Max's son, and Alex was dead. But this was how it was supposed to be, wasn't it? The other Max had been convinced Max had to be with Tess to save the world, but Tess had left again and this time she had taken Max's son and the Granolith to the enemy.
For several minutes, no one moved and then Max turned to look at everyone. "Tess said some things when we were alone." He paused, still having a hard time believing the lengths she had been willing to go. "She said that Nasedo made a deal with Khivar to get her pregnant with my child and hand the three of us over to him."
"She was your wife," Isabel hissed. "How could she betray you like that? Betray all of us?"
"She intimated it was because I didn't love her like she wanted me to," Max said with a shrug. "But I think she would have turned us over anyway," Max glanced at Liz and then turned away, "even though she’s carrying my son."
Max's words sent a slow, freezing pain into Liz's heart. He may not have loved Tess, he had admitted that much to her, but the child would always bind them together.
Liz knew Max had loved her, still loved her, but her actions had driven him to Tess just as she had hoped and feared they would. She had hoped against hope that Max would remain faithful to her, somehow knowing she was only pushing him away for his own good, but she had done her job too well. Max had lost faith in them, in their love, and he had gone to Tess.
Liz stared at Max's profile. Now that Tess was gone, the Royal Four were no longer together. Liz wondered if the older version of Max who had come back in time, could have guessed at the future they had created together. Alex was dead and Tess had betrayed them. The world was still doomed. Maybe it was destiny. No matter what they did they were destined to lose to Khivar.
Liz stood motionless, as the others started toward the car, and she struggled to push the negative thoughts aside. She had to believe there was a chance for them. If they worked together, if they were smart, they had to have a chance. They had an advantage over the other Max and Liz who had lost their war with Khivar, because they had been given a glimpse of the future, she had. And it was time to tell the others the truth.
"Wait," Liz called.
The faces of her five friends turned to her with questioning eyes.
"What it Liz?" Max asked, the concern evident in his tone.
"There's something I have to tell you," Liz said with a sigh.
"Look Liz," Michael started impatiently, "we're all tired..."
"And we need to get to the Sheriff before he gives our parents the tape," Isabel interrupted.
"Okay," Liz conceded, "but this is important, maybe more important than anything else..." she stopped as Maria detached herself from Michael and came rushing forward.
"Liz!" Maria yelled, as she ran to join her friend. She grabbed Liz's arm and pulled her a short distance away, whispering fiercely, "You're going to tell them, aren’t you? Are you sure that's such a good idea? I mean look what happened here today."
Liz shook her head. "I don't know what to do," she said, as tears gathered in her eyes and started to roll down her face. "I only know that because of what the other Max and I did, Alex is dead and Tess betrayed us. Now Tess is gone again, and they are still short one member of the Royal Four and that is what Max said killed us all. That is the reason I pushed Max to be with Tess, so she would stay." Liz took a breath and pressed to continue, her voice cracking under the emotion, "Max said they are stronger together."
Maria pulled Liz into an embrace, realizing for the first time the strain her friend had been under for months. Liz had never really talked to her about what she and the other Max had done, and Maria figured it was for the best, but now she understood that Liz had been in pain every moment of every day since then. "I'm sorry Liz. I didn't know."
Liz let Maria hold her for a moment and then gently pulled away and wiped the tears from her face. "I don't know what’s right but we have to do something. At least this way they will be as prepared as they can be."
"Liz?" Max asked softly, his voice drawing her attention. "What is it you want to tell us?"
Liz looked at the expectant faces before her, each of them dear to her in their own way. How would they react when she told them the secret she had been keeping for so long? "This might take a while," she started. "Maybe we should meet later. We don't want to worry your parents and everyone is tired."
"And hungry," Kyle interjected.
Liz smiled. Trust Kyle to lighten the mood.
Max studied Liz's face for any sign of what she was thinking. He knew she had been keeping secrets from him for a long time and if she was ready to talk, he didn't want to give her a chance to change her mind. Without taking his eyes off of Liz he spoke, "Isabel, call Valenti and tell him we didn't leave. Then I think we should hear what Liz has to say."
Liz shied away from the intense look in Max's eyes, turning to pace back and forth, wringing her hands, searching for the words to explain what she had done. The others took seats on the rocks and she was aware of their eyes following her as she walked. And after a too-short moment, Isabel returned to them and Liz knew the time had come.
Ready or not, she turned toward them, took a deep breath and dived right in. "I had a visitor last October," she began. "He told me a lot of things, but he said the most important thing was that no one knew he had been here."
Michael leaped up and rushed toward Liz, stopping inches from her face. "You had a visitor?" he spat furiously. "What kind of visitor? Who was it? What did you tell him?" He turned to the others, "We trusted her and she just tells anyone?"
Max and Maria both jumped to their feet. Max rushed toward Liz but Maria reached them first and pushed Michael away from Liz, attacking him with pounding fists to his chest. "Don't you dare say anything bad about Liz!" Maria shouted in Michael's face. "She sacrificed everything for you!"
Michael grabbed Maria's wrists, holding her furiously wriggling body just out of contact with his, "What are you talking about?"
"I think she'll explain if you let her," Max said softly.
But Michael wasn't ready to let go that easily. "Somebody comes to her and she just believes them? It could have been the FBI, another shape shifter, a skin. Who is she sharing our secrets with?"
Liz shook her head, "Michael, I'm not stupid. I didn't believe him at first but he proved to me who he was. He was only here to help."
"Was it that Larek guy?" Kyle asked.
"No," Liz said softly, looking into the golden eyes of her beloved, remembering the other who had sacrificed his life to save theirs. "It was Max."
"Max?" Kyle asked, more confused than ever. He looked to Max, who shook his head with a shrug, and seeing that Max couldn't explain, Kyle turned back to Liz. "Maybe you had better start from the beginning."
Liz continued. "It was the night you came to my house with the Mariachi band," she said to Max, and then turned to encompass the others in her gaze. "A man who looked like Max came to my window just a few moments before this Max arrived with the band. At first I didn't believe him when he told me who he was, but he told me several things just before they happened."
She repeated the words that had helped to convince her, "Even if he was a shape shifter he couldn't know the future." Liz paused to let the information sink in.
Max was the first to grasp the implications. "Are you saying he was me? From the future?"
Liz nodded.
"How is that possible?" Isabel gasped.
"Max, the other Max, told me that with the help of a friend named Serena, we were able to modify the Granolith to tear a hole in time-space, and viola instant time machine."
Max pounced on the information. "That is what you meant when you warned me about the Granolith." He repeated her words from that awful night when he had left for New York, months ago, "The Granolith is powerful and it could be dangerous in the wrong hands."
Liz smiled sadly, remembering the same night. "You wouldn't believe me and I couldn't tell you the truth."
Max took her hands in his. "I did remember and I did believe you, even though I didn't know why. It just felt true."
Michael spoke, "I hate to interrupt you two but can we get back to the story. Why would Max come back? Just to warn you about the Granolith?"
Liz shook her head. "He told me things that had happened in his future." She shuddered remembering his words, "He said our enemies had taken over everyone, the Earth, but he and I could stop it from happening." She paused, remembering the feeling of horror that had overcome her because of Max's revelation. "There was one thing that had happened to weaken us as a group and if we could prevent it maybe we had a chance to save the world."
Liz took a breath and Max squeezed her hand in support. "He said that Max and I had gotten together and it drove Tess away. And without Tess you weren't strong enough to defeat Khivar."
Max felt his eyes fill with tears, remembering the night Liz had set him up with Tess. "So you tried to get me and Tess together that night outside the Crashdown. But I saw you in Whitaker's office."
"And you kissed me," Liz whispered, and squeezed her eyes shut as she remembered the sweetness and power in that kiss. Tears rolled down her face and she opened her eyes and continued, "You kept coming back to me. So I went to your room and told you I didn't want to die for you."
"You begged me to stop but I still wouldn't," Max remembered, "so you... had to go to Kyle."
"I didn't want to do it, Max. I fought with him, the other Max," Liz explained. "How could our being together doom the entire world? How could two people have that much power?" She shook her head, "I thought we could find another way. I thought it would be enough for me to stay away from you, but the other Max told me that Isabel and Michael had been killed in his time. I couldn't let my selfish wants destroy us all."
She paused, wiping the gathering tears from her eyes and then continued, "Max was convinced the only way to save us all was for you to be with Tess, and he knew you would never consider being with her if you were still in love with me. So even though it nearly killed me I did it. I pretended to sleep with Kyle to turn you away from me."
"Liz," Max choked with emotion, and pulled her into his arms. "I'm so sorry," he whispered. She had told him last night that she had never slept with Kyle, and he had assumed she had pushed him away to make him follow his destiny, but he had never suspected the burden she had borne alone, all of those months. She had carried the weight of two worlds on her small shoulders. Max couldn't imagine what her actions had cost her and he couldn't believe her strength. She had endured his lack of faith and cruelty and then she had been forced to watch as he grew closer to Tess. He didn't have the words to express his gratitude and sorrow for what she had been through. "I'm so sorry for everything," he whispered, as tears ran down his face.
Liz hugged him tighter and shook her head, "No Max, don't be sorry. Even knowing what I do now, I would do it all again. I did it because you asked me. I did it for you."
Michael approached Max and Liz as they embraced one another. "Um, Liz, I'm sorry for those things I said and for thinking, even for a moment, you would betray us. I should have known better. It was just this whole thing with Tess and then when you..." he let his sentence trail off with a shake of his head. "You've been a great friend to all of us," he looked down and scuffed the toe of his shoe in the dirt, "even when we didn't deserve it."
Isabel broke in, "But the other Max couldn't have known about Tess and Nasedo's betrayal or he wouldn't have wanted her to stay."
"No," Liz said, breaking from her embrace with Max. "I know he didn't. He thought Tess was necessary for you to win the war."
"But she's gone," Isabel said woodenly, "again."
"That's why I had to tell you," Liz explained. "I wanted you to have the whole story so we can stop it from happening again and all of this suffering won't be for nothing."
Isabel had a haunted look in her eyes. "What happened to Alex, in the other time?"
Liz hung her head, fresh tears pricking her eyes. When she spoke it was with a strained voice, "He was alive. The other Max told me that we eloped when we were nineteen and afterward all of you and Alex came to help us celebrate." She paused and took a deep breath, "That's why I couldn't let go of his death. I knew it wasn't suicide because he was alive in the other time, and that meant Alex died this time because of something I changed." Liz raised her head to look Isabel in the eyes and her voice was just a whisper, "I killed him."
Tears were running down Isabel's face but she brushed them angrily away. "No!" she cried. "No Liz, you saved him, you saved us all. Tess killed him. It was her choice, her fault."
"But if I had done things differently..." Liz started, only to be stopped by Max.
"Liz you did what you had to do to save us all," he said softly, wondering if he could have given her up, even to save the world. "I don't know if I could have been that strong in your place."
"But you were," Liz assured him. "What do you think happened to the other Max? He knew what would happen before he came here. When we changed the time line he disappeared, dissolved into nothing like he never existed."
"Liz," Michael said softly, "you should have told us when you were investigating Alex's death. If we would have known..." he trailed off, trying to imagine if he would have believed her.
"When should I have told you Michael?" Liz asked softly. "I didn't know what Tess was doing. I thought she had to be with Max. If I told you some of it, I would have had to tell you all of it and risked history turning out the same way. I didn't think I would ever tell any of you, I thought it would be safer that way."
"But you told us now," Isabel realized, "because without Tess you are afraid it will happen again."
Liz nodded. "I don't know what will happen, I don't know anything, its a different world," she said, echoing the words the other Max had used, "but I think we should gather all of the information and resources we can to prepare."
Max nodded agreement, "She's right. We need to prepare for the worst. With Tess gone and the power of the Granolith in Khivar's hands..." he trailed off. What had he done? He had sent his son and the Granolith to their enemy, but once the countdown had started it couldn't have been stopped. He'd had no choice. Or had he? He looked at Liz and could see the same questions in her eyes. "Tess must have set you up to find the translation. She engineered the whole thing, leading you from clue to clue to find the book. But what if the translation she gave us wasn't the real one?"
"I wondered the same thing," Liz said with a nod. "I think we should go back to Las Cruces University and get Don's help to run the decryption program to find out what the book really said."
"Or maybe we should just go to Brody and talk to Larek," Maria suggested.
"Larek," Liz said, "I should have thought of him before. Surely he can read the book."
Michael, Isabel and Max all spoke at the same time, "No!"
Liz and Maria looked at them. "Why not?"
Michael was shaking his head furiously and Max spoke, "We can't go to Brody. It's too dangerous, especially after what happened."
"But that wasn't his fault," Maria declared, defending her friend.
"No," Isabel said adamantly, "we can't risk hurting him."
Kyle stepped forward. "Wait a minute. You get my father fired for helping you but you won't even talk to Brody. What the hell?"
"Yeah Max," Liz said, her confusion evident in her knotted brow, "Larek would be a great source of information. He could tell you what is happening on your planet; if Tess arrived, and what is happening to your s-son." She took Max's arm. "Didn't you contact Larek when you found out the baby was sick? Ask him how to get home?"
"No," Max said simply.
Liz couldn't understand their hesitation. "Max we need to know what’s going on and Brody may be our only source. We have to risk it."
"No," Max snarled, "we're not going to Brody." He snatched his arm from Liz, and the abrupt action caused her to fall to the ground.
She looked up at him, stunned by his actions.
Immediately Max was on his knees before her. "I'm so sorry. I don't know why I did that. Are you hurt?"
"Max, what's wrong?" Liz asked. "Why are you so against seeing him?"
Max pressed he hands to his head, "I... I don't... I, I don't know. I just know it would be bad."
Liz looked at Michael and Isabel. "And what about you two? Why don't you want to see Brody?"
"We shouldn't bother him," Isabel said in a soft voice. "We might hurt him again."
Michael continued to shake his head silently.
Liz shared a look with Maria and Kyle and stood with Max's help. "I think Tess has mind warped all of you. For some reason she didn't want you to go to Brody, so she made you think it was dangerous to confront him. Probably because she didn't want to risk that you would try and get his help."
Michael was instantly indignant, "Tess did not mind warp me. I would know..."
Kyle cut him off with a smile, "Welcome to the club, Guerin."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
After Liz's revelations, it seemed more important than ever that they work together. They were the only ones who knew the world was in danger and they were the only ones capable of saving it.
With Liz's help, they worked to clear the compulsion about Brody from their minds; Max, Michael and Isabel each discovering the memory of Tess mind warping them to stay away from him.
Max knew Brody would be at the UFO Museum that morning and they all agreed to meet there just after it opened. Isabel, Michael and Maria squeezed into the Jetta while Max and Liz volunteered to wait for the second trip.
"You should report the Jeep stolen right away," suggested Kyle. "It'll look suspicious if you don't."
"Thanks Kyle," Max said with a glance toward Liz, "Thanks for everything."
Kyle smiled. His hostility toward Max had dissolved instantly when he had heard Liz's story. "I told you I would take care of her."
Max nodded and Kyle climbed into the car with the others and they drove away.
As the car disappeared in the distance, Liz was suddenly nervous to be alone with Max. She was hyper-aware of him and knew without looking that he had turned toward her.
"Why Liz?” Max asked softly. “Why did he, did I, choose that particular time to change the course of history? I mean why not go back before..." he let his voice trail off. He was going to say before they had met, but he knew why his older self had not chosen that time. If he had gone back that far, he wouldn't have been in the Crashdown the day Liz was shot.
Liz misinterpreted Max's hesitation. "He never said specifically why they choose that day but I've had months to consider their motives. I believe he waited until that specific time because there were certain things he wanted us to discover. We found the healing stones, the communication orbs, Nasedo and Tess. We stopped Pierce and the Special Unit."
She took a breath, "If I hadn't worked for Whitaker maybe we wouldn't have found out she was a skin and stopped her. Maybe Michael wouldn't have met Hal and learned about the other pods. Those events would have happened in the other Max's time too and I think he didn't want to risk changing them. They were too important."
Liz sat down on a rocky outcropping and wrapped her arms around her knees, "As for the specific thing he wanted to stop," she paused, risking a look at Max, "he told me that on the night of the Gomez concert our relationship changed."
"Changed how?" Max asked.
"You should know, Mr. condom in his pocket," Liz tried for humor but felt a bitter laugh rise up in her throat and pushed it down, trying not to think of another time when he obviously had not used a condom.
Max blushed as he sat down beside her, "You mean, we made love."
Liz nodded, "That's what he said." She looked into Max's face and saw the same pain that she had felt all of the long months. "He told me after that, we were never separated again."
"And we eloped," Max prompted, wanting her to continue.
"In Vegas, at the Elvis chapel."
Max gasped, "The vision I had in Vegas."
Liz nodded, "I don't know how you saw it, but it was real. Maybe somehow the other Max brought the memory back with him, or maybe because it was the only thing I was thinking about the whole time we were there."
"And you tried to tell me while we were dancing," he suddenly realized. "If only I had let you finish."
"I don't know if I would have told you," Liz admitted. "I wanted to so badly. When we were dancing everything seemed so perfect, as if none of the awful things had happened. And I thought it might be okay to tell you because it seemed like Tess and Kyle were getting close. I thought it could be our second chance."
"But I didn't give you the chance,” Max said. “I thought you were going to tell me I was getting too close to you again and you were going to push me away. I just couldn't bear to hear you say the words."
Liz gave him a smile that was more of a grimace, "Afterwards I was glad my moment of weakness hadn't doomed the planet."
"Liz," Max said stroking her hair, "I am sorry for so many things."
"Max you don't have to..." Liz started.
"No," he interrupted, "I need to tell you."
Liz remained silent and he continued, "I was so hurt when I saw you in bed with Kyle. Even though we weren't together I knew we belonged together and I knew you thought so too. The connection we have is so strong and we love each other so much, I was just waiting until you came back to me. I thought we both knew it was only a matter of time until we were together again. So when I thought you slept with Kyle, it was a betrayal of everything we shared. I felt torn, broken, like a piece of me had died." He practically choked on the words, "And that was what you felt when I told you I was with Tess."
Liz nodded. "I thought you would know I was doing it for you, and even though intellectually I knew you might turn to her, the reality of it never really penetrated into my heart. I was devastated when you told me she had helped you to remember your past, because I thought you would remember how much you loved her. I felt as if I was waiting for the other shoe to drop. Any day you would come to me and say, 'oh guess what, I remember Tess and she is the love of my life.' I just couldn't handle it, so at the prom I pushed you away first. And then when I saw you kissing her, it was as if my worst nightmare had come true. Or so I thought."
Max hung his head, deeply ashamed of his actions.
Liz took a deep breath. "Last night when you told me you had been with T-Tess, I felt like I would die. I knew I couldn't mean anything to you anymore if you had slept with her." Liz's voice dropped to a whisper, "You had really stopped loving me."
"No Liz," he denied instantly, "I never stopped loving you. But everything between us just seemed so impossible. We were fighting about everything, constantly at each other's throats and I felt so guilty about Alex's death."
He shook his head, "I know there’s no excuse. I overreacted when I found out you were investigating but I was so angry and hurt that I just lashed out. I could hear my words and see my actions but it was as if I were watching someone else do it. Inside I was horrified about what I was doing to you and Isabel, but I couldn't stop myself. You told me you were only trying to help us but I couldn't hear you, and I will never forgive myself for the way I treated you.”
Max sighed, “I am sorry for everything I did but one of the things I regret most, is telling you that we weren't friends anymore. I was desperate to stop you from leaving me and it was the only thing I could think of to make you stay.” He shook his head, “I think I went a little crazy for a while."
"I went a little crazy after Alex died too," Liz said. "I blamed myself, I blamed you, the other Max, all aliens. I don't mean that I thought you killed him, but Alex died because he was mixed up in this conspiracy with us. He died because of something I did, something I changed, and I felt so guilty. I couldn't let you or anyone else stop me from discovering the truth."
Liz's voice turned harsh as she remembered the events of that morning, "And when I found out it was Tess who murdered Alex, I could have killed her with my bare hands. She took everything from me, including my best friend. She won. She got you, she is carrying your child and still she betrayed you. And everything I did was for nothing."
"No Liz," Max said adamantly, taking her by the shoulders and turning her to look at him, "it wasn't for nothing. Don't let your sacrifice and Alex's death be for nothing. He sacrificed himself to save us all just like you did. If you hadn't investigated his death we wouldn't have discovered Tess' betrayal, and Isabel, Michael and I would be on Antar in the hands of our enemies." Max shook his head, "No Liz, it wasn't for nothing. You did it to save us and I won't let you blame yourself. Tess made her own decisions. Especially after Nasedo died, she didn't have to go through with the plan. She could have told us what was happening, asked for our help, but she chose not to."
Liz smiled weakly, "Thank you for saying that Max."
Max wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into his side. "It's just the truth," he said with a chaste kiss on her head.
He took a deep breath, inhaling the fresh scent of her hair for the first time in months. He had missed her so much and even the time he had spent with Tess, he had been thinking of Liz. But he couldn't help himself, he loved Liz.
He had been such a fool to think that Liz could have betrayed him. They had looked into each other's souls and he should have known she just wasn't capable of it. But he had lost faith and betrayed her, sleeping with Tess for all the wrong reasons. He had just been so hurt and confused.
Max closed his eyes with a sigh. He had been such a fool. Sitting here with Liz in his arms made everything so clear, as if he were waking up from a bad dream. This was where he belonged. He knew that Liz would probably never forgive him for what he had done, but he still felt they were meant to be together and he had to at least try.
Max took Liz's face gently in his hands, "Liz, after everything I have done, I know that I have no right to expect anything. But I never stopped loving you and hoping..." he trailed off. "Do you think we have a chance?"
Liz could hear the longing in Max's voice and saw it echoed in his eyes. A part of her was jumping for joy but there was another part that warned her to be cautious and take it slow. "I don’t know. I want to try again too, Max, but a lot has happened and I need some time."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Max had Maria drop him at the Sheriff's office to report the Jeep missing and then Sheriff Hansen offered him a ride home.
At his front door, Max waved to Hansen and entered the house. He was exhausted from the events of the last few days and desperately needed some sleep, but instead of going to his room, he went straight to Isabel's door and knocked softly.
"Come in," she called out after a moment, and he let himself in.
Isabel was sitting on her bed, looking at pictures of Alex and Max could see wet trails on her cheeks where she had quickly tried to wipe away any evidence of tears. He smiled sympathetically and sat down near her. The events of the last few weeks had not left any of them unscathed but Isabel's wounds were still raw and it was mostly his fault. "I wanted to come and apologize for the way I've been treating you..." he started, only to be cut off by Isabel.
"Max, its okay, really."
Max shook his head, "I know that we came to an understanding but I need to tell you how sorry I am. Hearing about the sacrifices Liz made, it just puts everything into perspective. I feel like such a jerk and I want try and explain."
Isabel nodded and he continued, "After Alex died, I think I needed to feel in control because it seemed like everything was spiraling into chaos around me. I was trying to protect all of you but it seemed that no matter what I did, it just got worse. You were keeping things from me about Vilondra. Michael told Courtney the location of the Granolith. I thought Liz had slept with Kyle but I still held out some hope that we might get back together, until the night of the prom. Liz told me I had to let her go, that she was suffocating with me. I thought everyone was turning against me."
He glanced at the photos on the bed. "Then Alex died and even with all of my powers I couldn't save him. I felt so guilty and so useless, but at the same time a part of me was denying the fact that he had been murdered. It was easier to think he had committed suicide and I felt guilty about that too. And when Liz started defying me by investigating, the rift opened between us and the humans, and I thought I was losing all of them."
"Everything seemed so hopeless. You and Liz are two of the most important people in the world to me and I could feel you both slipping away. So I kept tightening my hold on both of you but I was only pushing you farther away."
"The day I confronted you about college, I knew what I was doing was despicable but I couldn't stop myself, even though I hated myself for treating you that way. It was one of the worst days of my life." He shook his head, "I know there's no excuse but I just couldn't stand the thought of losing anyone else for any reason."
Isabel nodded, "I understand that now Max and you were right about one thing you said to me. I was trying to get away so desperately because everything here reminded me of Alex.” She shook her head, “We were both hurting Max, and we both did things we regret."
"And Tess," Max spat out the name with a twisted grimace. "It seemed like she was the only one there for me, the only one who supported me, but now I can see what she was really doing; manipulating me with soft urgings and whispered encouragements, telling me what I was doing was right, that I was justified. And all she was really doing was separating me from the rest of you so I would feel more lonely and turn to her." He shook his head, "I listened to her and my whole world came crashing down. I can't believe I was so stupid to believe in her."
"Tess fooled us all," Isabel said softly. "I'm just glad Liz was able to figure it out and stop us from going with her."
"Liz saved us, again." Max smiled sadly, "I feel like I need to spend the rest of my life apologizing to Liz for the way I treated her, for not believing in her."
"But you had a chance to talk it out, in the desert after we left," Isabel said.
"Yeah," Max agreed, "and she forgave me, but that is just another reason I don't feel worthy of her."
"Don't say that Max. I know Liz loves you and I'm sure it will work out between you. Sure, you made some mistakes but everyone does, you're not perfect. After all you're only..." Isabel trailed off when she realized what she was about to say.
"Human?" Max prompted. He shook his head and rose from the bed to look out the window, into the sky where Tess had disappeared just that morning. "You and Michael and I may be human, but my alien wife and child are out there somewhere. And I don't know if Liz can ever forgive me for that."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Michael, Maria, Isabel and Max emerged from the Jetta just as Kyle stopped his car in front of the UFO Museum. He glanced toward the Crashdown, and right on cue, Liz came out and jogged across the street to meet them.
Kyle was a little nervous about meeting Larek but he thought maybe the guy could give them some answers. "So what's the plan?" he asked as Liz reached them.
"I've got it covered," Isabel said.
The five of them followed Isabel into the Museum and straight into Brody's office. Without a word she placed her hand on his shoulder and sent a burst of energy into him. Her whole body jerked as she felt the contact with Larek.
Max pulled Isabel away from Brody, "Are you all right?"
She nodded, "Yeah, I'm fine."
"Max," Brody said. "What can I do for you?"
"Brody?" Max asked.
"No, it's Larek."
"Larek, we've got some big problems," Max started. "Tess and one of our protectors betrayed us to Khivar. Tess took the Granolith and is returning to Antar."
"Max, your protector is not capable of betraying you," Larek explained. "They are genetically coded for loyalty. It would be impossible for one to work against you."
The six of them looked at one another but Michael spoke first. "So Tess lied, big surprise."
Larek looked around the group, "Tess was the short, golden haired girl?"
Max nodded, "You knew her as Ava."
"No," Larek said, "the blonde girl Tess was not Ava."
"What are you talking about Larek?" asked Max incredulously. "Tess is Ava."
Larek shook his head, "She is not."
A whirlwind of thoughts flashed through Max's mind. This person who they had taken into their homes and hearts, who had killed Alex and betrayed them all, was not Ava. The woman who was carrying his child was not his wife?
"I know you have little memory of our planet," Larek continued, "but I don't know how you mistook her for Ava. On Antar her name was Chanya. She was Vilondra's closest friend."
"How do you know so certainly?" Max asked, horrified.
"I can see auras," Larek explained. "None of your auras have changed and neither has Chanya's." He motioned to Max, "I'm sure you don't remember, but I once told you that her aura is a very unique icy blue, like her eyes. It is unlike anything I have ever seen before or since. I noticed who she was when I met you in New York but I didn't say anything because I assumed you were trying to pass Chanya as your wife to keep Ava safe. I did wonder why Chanya had been sent to Earth. I thought only the four of you were sent but obviously I was wrong.”
"But if Tess isn't Ava," Isabel gasped, "what happened to Ava?"
A look of confusion passed over Larek's face. "You don't know? How can you not know?" he asked as he looked around the group. "She is Ava," Larek said, and he pointed to Liz.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Author's Note, part 2 - I know the episode Departure ended with the gang standing outside the ruined pod chamber and my additions would have taken place in the new season. But I just love a cliff-hanger ending.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
END OF BOOK 9 - VERISIMILITUDE (THE CONSPIRACY EXPOSED)
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
WHO'S WHO & NAME PRONUNCIATIONS
BOOK 10 – Majesty’s Morass (What happens now, Max?)
EARTH
Humans
Liz Parker - the girl that Max Evans loved enough to risk exposure, healing her when she was shot at the Crashdown Cafe - the reincarnated Ava, Zan's wife on Antar
Jeff Parker - Liz's father - owns the Crashdown Cafe
Nancy Parker - Liz's mother
Grandma Claudia Parker - Liz's paternal grandmother
Philip Evans - Max and Isabel's adoptive father - he is a lawyer
Diane Evans - Max and Isabel's adoptive mother
Maria DeLuca - Liz's best friend
Amy DeLuca - Maria's mother - owns a novelty store specializing in alien merchandise
Sean DeLuca - Maria's cousin and former inmate of Chavez County Juvenile Detention
Alex Whitman - aka Ray White - Liz and Maria's best friend
Chuck (Charles) Whitman - Alex's father
Gloria Whitman - Alex's mother
Kyle Valenti – son of Sheriff Valenti and friend of Liz
Sheriff Jim Valenti Jr. - Sheriff of Roswell - Kyle's father
Deputy Eric Hansen - Deputy in the Roswell Sheriff's office - promoted to Sheriff after Jim Valenti was asked to step down
Agent Daniel Pierce - Deputy Dave Fisher - head of the special unit 5/2/1999 - 5/14/2000
Brody Davis - internet start-up millionaire - believes he was abducted by aliens and cured of his cancer - bought the Roswell UFO Museum from Milton Ross to conduct research in Roswell where he believes there is alien activity
Laurie Dupree - Granddaughter of Charles Dupree (Michael's DNA donor) - kidnapped by the Ganderium Queen because of a rare gene flaw
Ray White - aka Alex Whitman - the name Alex used while he was at the University of Las Cruces
Leanna - aka Jennifer Coleman – the girl Lonni posed as to keep an eye on Alex when he was decoding the ‘destiny book’
Don Peters - professor of computer science at the University of Las Cruces who helped Liz get Alex's research
Agent Daniel Summers - (died May 2nd 1999) Head of the special unit before Pierce, he recruited Pierce
Thomas Summers - John - Agent Daniel Summers son
Ryan MacGregor – new guy working at the UFO museum and at West Roswell High
Hale Sinclair – a student Isabel meets at college
Dave Roberts - sociology teacher at Chavez County Community College
Mr. Seligman - science teacher at West Roswell High
Serena Harding - Serena’s twenty-something persona she uses to pose as Ed Harding’s daughter
Serena Harris - Serena’s teen persona she uses to attend high school with the gang
Shape Shifters Loyal to the Royal Four
Nasedo - Sodan - Ed Harding - expert in hand-to-hand and weapons combat and a pilot, special skill - heat and energy blasts
Letras (le-tras) - Zan's former tutor, expert in philosophy, history and military tactics, captured by the special unit and killed
Serena - Cuerena (soor'-ren-ya) - scientist and Granolith expert, special skills - illusion - assigned the dupes protector
Tic Tac - Kaldar - expert in hand-to-hand and weapons combat, special skill - empath - died trying to stop Agent Pierce from getting the Royal Four
Skins
Nicholas Crawford - General Calles Nicaron (kal-ees) (ni-ca'-ron) - Khivar's right hand and head general
Courtney Banks - Lieutenant Scorene (skor-ra-nay) - Rath's friend from childhood and member of the Michael worshippers
Congresswoman Vanessa (Crawford) Whitaker- Major Nesta - Head of the Granolith Project
Tyrone Greer - T. Greer - Major Grester - Head of the Vilondra Project
Walt Crawford - Colonel Jafto - Nicholas' second in command, posing as his father
Ida Crawford - Idos - Nicholas' personal servant, posing as his mother
Gregory Jensen - Gragras - (gra-gras) - the scientist in charge of the skins project
Corporal Raltos - one of the soldiers prepared for Khivar to possess on Earth
Hybrids
Max Evans – Zan
Liz Parker – Ava - became a hybrid when Max saved her life
Isabel Evans - Vilondra
Michael Guerin – Rath
Tess Harding – Chanya
The Dupes
Zan - Max's dupe
Lonni - Isabel's dupe
Rath - Michael's dupe
Ava - Tess' dupe
Possessed Humans
Brody - Larek
ANTAR
Tageions (tauj'-ee-ons) - people inhabiting the north lands
King Zantor Tageonant (tauj'-o-nant) - (Zan) - Max - the rightful King of Antar
Queen Avalynd Telnada Tageonant - (Ava) – Liz - Zan's young bride
Royal Princess Vilondra Tageonant - Isabel - Zan’s sister
King Zantar Tageonant - Zan & Vilondra's father
Queen Nedra Tageonant (ne'-dra) - Zan & Vilondra's mother
King Zantas Tageonant – the first King of Antar who brought peace to Antar and formed the council
Tageonon (tauj'-o-non) - the capitol city of Antar, where the king's palace is located – Khivar changed the name to Roistar when he assumed the throne
Sodan (so-dan) - Nasedo - Zan's most trusted protector
Jensto (jens-toe) - a scientist in Zan's employ
General Toaks - named Zan's second in command after Rath died - Queen Nedra's head General in the resistance against Khivar
General Alarath Varros (Rath) - Michael - Zan's best friend and second in command
Lady Chanya Santas (shawn'-ya) – Tess - Vilondra's friend
Harcions (Har-see-ons) - people inhabiting the south lands
Khivar Roistar (roys'-tar) - man who usurped Zan's throne
General Calles Nicaron (kal-ees) (ni-ca'-ron) - Nicholas - Khivar's right hand and head general
Lieutenant Scorene - (skor-ra-nay) - Courtney - Rath's childhood friend
Major Nesta - Congresswoman Vanessa (Crawford) Whitaker - Head of the Granolith Project
Major Grester - T. Greer - Head of the Vilondra Project
Colonel Jafto - Walt Crawford - Nicholas' second in command, posing as his father
Idos - Ida Crawford - Nicholas' personal servant, posing as his mother
Gragras - (gra-gras) - Gregory - the scientist in charge of the skins project
Corporal Raltos - one of the soldiers prepared for Khivar to possess on Earth
Roistar (roys'-tar) - formerly Tageonon, Khivar changed the name when he assumed the throne
The Leptes (the Antarian word for Vengeance) - the ship Khivar sent to Earth with Nicholas and the skins
Shape Shifters sent to Earth with the Pods
Sodan - Nasedo - expert in hand-to-hand and weapons combat and a pilot - special ability energy blasts
Letras (le-tras) - Zan's former tutor, expert in philosophy, history and military tactics - captured by the special unit and died
Cuerena (soor'-ren-ya) - Serena - scientist and Granolith expert - special ability illusion - assigned the dupes protector
Kaldar - Tic Tac - expert in hand-to-hand and weapons combat - special ability empath - died trying to stop Agent Pierce from getting the Royal Four
Leaders of the other planets in the Antarian system
Larek - Brody - Royal Duke of Talros (tal'-ros)
Hanar - Minister of Sofek (so-fec')
Sero - Chancellor of Yedom (yea'-dom)
Kathana - Royal Duchess of Ravok (ra'-voc)
BOOK 10 - MAJESTY’S MORASS (WHAT HAPPENS NOW, MAX?)
maj-es-ty -
1 : sovereign power, authority or dignity
2 : the person of a sovereign, also used as a title in addressing or referring to reigning sovereigns
3 : royal bearing or aspect, grandeur, splendor
mo-rass -
1 : something that entangles, impedes or confuses
DISCLAIMER: Some of the dialogue used was taken from the episodes and I am not claiming credit for having written it but used it simply to set up the tone of a scene or show parallels between lives and realities.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: The events immediately after the episode Departure, and Season 3 as I think it should have been. Remember, none of season 3 as it aired exists in my story.
CREDITS: It's Been A While* is by Staind
*I took the liberty of changing the “-f-“ & “-s-“ words in the song
for those who might be offended. They certainly wouldn’t allow
that version to be played at a school dance.
The Power of Love is by Frankie Goes to Hollywood
Everything is by Lifehouse
Possession is by Sarah McLachlan
Will You Still Love Me? is by Chicago
Thundercats is the property of Rankin Bass
Planet of the Apes, Aliens are the property of Fox Home Entertainment
Braveheart, Star Trek, Friday the 13th are the property of Paramount
The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally, Four Weddings and a Funeral
are the property of MGM/UA Studios
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, The Patriot are the property Columbia Tri-Star
The Matrix, The House on Haunted Hill, 13 Ghosts are the property of Warner Studios
Evil Dead is the property of Elite Entertainment
Batman and Catwoman are property of DC Comics and Warner Brothers
Edgar Cayce on the Power of Color, Stones and Crystals is the property
of Dan Campbell and Warner Books, 1989 ed.
Wisdom of the Buddha - The Unabridged Dhammapada, translated and edited by
F. Max Muller and is the property of Dover publishing, 2000 ed.
DEFINITIONS:
trithium amplification generator – aka amplifier - the black, chevron-shaped device that is used by the Skins for communication and suspending the powers of Antarians among other things.
transverse thought projector - the device used by Antarians to amplify their powers to 'possess' humans.
NAGGING QUESTIONS:
1. What the heck happened to Sean, Brody, the dupes, Nicholas & the skins?
2. What is the real deal with the Granolith?
3. What does the real ‘destiny book’ translation say?
4. What happened to Tess and the baby?
5. Is the baby real or just another in a long list of mind warps? If it is real, is it really sick? And will it be born in a month like Tess said?
6. Why do some of Tess’ mind warps wear off sooner than others?
7. What about the war on Antar, Khivar, the podsters real families?
8. The Granolith, the traitor and your son are on their way to Antar and your greatest enemy, sent there by you. What will we do now, Max?
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Episode - Departure)
(Saturday, May 19th, 2001)
(The Pod Chamber)
"Go," Max spat at her. "This isn't over, Tess."
Tess felt tears welling up in her eyes. She didn't want to leave Max but she had no choice. She reached up to the Granolith, her only salvation, and when her hand met the cool surface a burst of power surged through her. For a moment she was disoriented, but when she could see again she was inside the Granolith.
Max was still watching her, no she corrected herself, Max was watching his son. He had made it perfectly clear he had no use for her. She had come so close to succeeding but that bitch Liz had ruined everything and Tess swore revenge on her, even if it was the last thing she ever did. Liz had taken everything that should have been hers. She, not Liz, had loved Max for two lifetimes, she had planned and sacrificed, she deserved him, not Liz.
Tess looked at Max with a sigh but then the chamber started to shake and she felt the power building in the Granolith. Max ran for the door and Tess was left alone. The shaking became more violent and the chamber started to collapse, rocks raining down from above as a door slid shut separating the rooms and the Granolith closed a protective covering around itself. For a moment, she was alarmed at being shut in, but the surface all around her illuminated, showing her what was happening outside.
The power built suddenly to a fevered pitch as the Granolith spun around faster and faster, and when she thought it couldn't possibly hold together any longer, it launched into the sky. The speed of the earth receding below took her breath away and she shut her eyes and sank to the floor to fight off the sudden vertigo.
They had never determined how long the journey would take and just as she was wondering what would happen, there was a sudden direction change. Tess reached for something to anchor herself, but her hands only met the smooth, cool walls and then the Granolith slowed and landed softly.
With her eyes still squeezed shut, Tess again felt the unsettling sensation of disorientation and knew the Granolith had spat her out. She sat for a few minutes trying to quell the nausea rising up within and then opened her eyes to see that she was in a kind of wilderness. The sound of several approaching footsteps made her lurch unsteadily to her feet but she collapsed to her knees immediately, the dizzy sensation in her head causing her to retch.
Quickly using her powers to erase all evidence of her weak stomach, Tess sat back to await the approaching group. She had been expecting more, but only three figures stepped out of the foliage and only one spoke.
"Welcome, Tess."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Roswell UFO Museum)
"But if Tess isn't Ava," Isabel gasped, "what happened to Ava?"
A look of confusion passed over Larek's face. "You don't know? How can you not know?" he asked, as he looked around the group. "She is Ava," Larek said, and he pointed to Liz.
"What?" the group asked in unison.
Larek continued to motion to Liz, "I don't understand how you couldn't know this girl is Ava. She was with you both of the other times you contacted me." He shook his head. "Who did you think she was?"
Max shook his head, "It's impossible, Larek. Liz is human. She has human parents. She was born on Earth."
Larek turned to Liz and studied her for a moment. "I don't know how it’s possible but she is Ava. She has Ava's soul."
Kyle spoke up, "Of course, it makes perfect sense. All things appear and disappear because of the concurrence of causes and conditions. To die there and to be born elsewhere is the round of existence.” He noticed the blank looks on the faces before him and quickly clarified. “Ava died and her soul was reincarnated into Liz. Simple."
"But my memories from my other life," Max argued, turning back to Larek. "I remember seeing Tess for the first time when you and I were swimming together. And you introduced us at a party."
Larek nodded, "Those memories are real and they are of Chanya. You met her and dated for a time but you ended it long before you met Ava. Chanya was never your wife." He motioned again to Liz, "only Ava was married to you."
"Then how did Chanya get sent to Earth in Ava's place?" Michael asked.
"I don't know," Larek said. "It could have simply been a mistake. The events from the time when you were sent to Earth are largely unknown to me. There is plenty of propaganda that Khivar has released but I think we can assume most of it is lies."
Larek shook his head, trying to remember, "Everything happened so quickly; Khivar's attack on the capitol city, you all fled the palace, Khivar searched and recaptured the survivors. Then it was reported that Zan had killed Ava and himself. Of course no one believed it. We all knew Khivar had ordered your execution, but it really didn't seem to matter at that point. All of you were dead and Khivar had declared himself King. Then the rumors started that you had been sent away to be reborn and take back the planet."
"I wonder if Tess knew who she really was?" Isabel gasped. "If she knew she wasn't Ava?"
"Does it really matter?" Michael grunted. "She betrayed us either way."
"Well Nasedo couldn't have known," Isabel argued. "He kept pushing her at Max, so maybe she didn't know either. He raised her, telling her she was Zan's wife, Ava. Why would she think she was anyone else?"
"But she told us she remembered her other life," Michael said. "She must have realized she wasn't Zan’s wife. Wouldn't she remember someone else being married to him?"
Max shrugged. "Tess told me she only had a few clear memories, so maybe she didn't realize, but maybe she lied about that too." He shook his head, "I can't even tell you how many times Tess tried to use the argument that she was my wife to try and get us together. Even in the pod chamber before she left in the Granolith..." he trailed off. "I don't know what’s worse, her pretending to be my wife and betraying us, or thinking she was my wife and doing the same thing."
"And if she lied about Nasedo betraying us, she did the whole thing alone,” Michael pointed out, “all of it, even the book and Alex."
"But how is that possible?" Isabel asked. "We all saw her here when Alex was away. How did she keep the mind warp going? And at least some of the time she was working with us. We didn't all imagine her being kidnapped and almost killed by Whitaker. And Tess killed all of the skins when they captured us at the school. Why would she rescue us if she was just going to hand us over to them later?"
"Maybe it was because she wasn't pregnant yet," Michael said softly.
Isabel shook her head, "But Liz said that the Tess in the other time left. If the plan was to get her pregnant why would she leave just because Max married Liz? She could have mind warped him to make him have sex with her but she didn't."
Michael shrugged, "I don't know. Something must have been different between the two timelines."
Maria groaned and sank down onto a chair. "This is giving me a headache. Who cares what happened? Tess betrayed us. She killed Alex. She's evil. End of story."
Liz stepped forward and spoke for the first time. "It's not that simple. Isabel's right, we need to find out what was going on, what changed. It could be important. It could be the answer to saving the Earth."
Max nodded, agreeing with her. "And the first thing we need to do is find out what the book says." He turned to Larek, "There’s a book written in our language but we can't read it. Can you help us translate it?"
"Sure," Larek agreed. He motioned to Brody's body that he inhabited, "Let this body get some rest and bring the book with you tomorrow, around this same time."
"There's one other thing Larek," Max said. "Tess is pregnant with my son and she took the Granolith back to Antar. Can you keep a look out and tell us when she arrives?"
Larek nodded, "I'll alert my men to be watchful for anything unusual."
Max nodded, "And Larek, I'm sorry, but Tess knows you helped us. I think we should assume she’ll tell Khivar. I just hope it won't cause any problems for you and your people."
Larek frowned. "It's possible that Khivar could retaliate because I helped you, but if he did attack us, he would have to state a reason and admit what has been going on here."
"But at the summit," Max pointed out, "Kathana said I have made a lot of enemies. Maybe the other worlds wouldn't care if Khivar attacked you."
Larek shook his head, "Don't worry Max. After seventy years of war, it was bound to come to this. I do support your position and everyone knows it."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Tess rose shakily to her feet, "Somehow I was expecting a larger welcoming party."
Nicholas stepped forward with a shrug, "I don't know who you were expecting. The soldiers you didn't kill in Roswell last year are now all living on the ship because their skins have failed. But this," he motioned to the Granolith, "will certainly lift their spirits. When Lonni called and said she would have a surprise for me today, I certainly never expected this."
Rath stepped forward, "Where are Max and the others, Tess?"
Tess shook her head, "I couldn't bring them. That bitch Liz came rushing in at the last minute and told them that I killed Alex and I lost control over them."
Lonni slapped Tess across the face with the back of her hand, sending her to the ground, "You lost control? I thought you said you could handle them. That is the reason we set a twenty-four hour delay on the Granolith so I could contact Nicholas and tell him when and where to meet us. We could have given Nicholas the Granolith and Max, Michael and Isabel with a big bow on top, but you screwed that up."
Tess gingerly touched her face where Lonni had hit her and Nicholas put a hand on Lonni's arm. "There’s no reason for this squabbling, girls," he said smoothly. "You delivered the Granolith, that will buy you a trip home. As for the others, we'll see what Khivar has to say. But for now, let's get this thing loaded on the truck and to the ship."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Max waited until they were outside the UFO Center before he turned to the others. "We all need to have a talk but I think we should wait until tomorrow after we see what Larek can tell us."
"But Max," Isabel pointed out, "what if the Granolith take-off destroyed the book? It was in the pod chamber."
"There are scans of all the pages in the translation that Liz found," Max reminded her. "If the original has been destroyed we still have the copies to work from."
Isabel nodded and Max continued. "Tonight everybody go home and try to act normal. If we're lucky, the Granolith taking off didn't attract too much attention, but I think Michael and I should go back to the pod chamber when it gets dark and see about the book and the orbs and destroy anything else left. We don't want to lead the FBI or anybody else to us."
"We should all go," Isabel said. "In case anything happens."
"It'll be okay," Max assured her. "You need to keep Mom and Dad occupied and I'll be home as soon as I can."
Isabel nodded her ascent.
Max glanced at Liz and noted that she was looking at the ground. She hadn't looked at him once since Larek's revelation and he was starting to worry. The others turned to leave and Liz did the same, but Max reached out and gently took her by the arm. "Liz we need to talk too."
Liz nodded. "I know," she agreed, with only a quick glance at his face. "How about tomorrow after the meeting?"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Copper Summit, AZ - onboard the Leptes)
The Granolith was heavier that Nicholas could have possibly imagined, and it had taken hours and several abandoned plans before it was finally loaded onto the ship. At one point Nicholas had joked that it didn't want to put aboard. But now it stood in the propulsion room attached to the ship.
Corporal Raltos was standing-by and Nicholas waved a hand over the communications’ array to signal Khivar. Nicholas watched as Khivar's essence took control of Raltos and he noted with amusement when Khivar realized they were not in Nicholas' office as usual.
"Why are we here?" Khivar asked.
Nicholas smiled, "I have a surprise for you, your Majesty." He motioned behind Raltos and Khivar turned the borrowed body.
"The Granolith," Khivar said, with satisfaction. "How?"
"This was the plan Lonni was working on," Nicholas admitted. "Somehow she turned the young Queen, and they delivered it to us this morning. Apparently the plan was for Tess to bring Max and the others to us as well but that fell apart at the last minute when one of the humans exposed Tess' betrayal."
Khivar turned to Nicholas, "What exactly has been going on?"
Nicholas shook his head. "I don't know. I didn't hear from Lonni for months, but then last night, she gave me some coordinates just outside of Copper Summit and told me to meet her there early this morning and she would have a surprise for me. She didn’t say anything more and I was just as surprised to see the Granolith as you. We got it to the ship as quickly as possibly and I didn't take the time to question Lonni or Tess thoroughly yet, because I wanted you to see it."
Khivar nodded, "I can't imagine how Lonni was able to turn Tess against Max. On Antar, Zan and Ava were so much in love, they were inseparable. Lonni must be very clever or very devious."
Khivar turned away from Nicholas as his thoughts automatically turned to Isabel. Lonni was a part of Vilondra but Isabel was the real thing. Khivar had originally been drawn to Vilondra by her beauty and intellect but surprisingly, he had cherished her sweetness and loving personality even more.
Nicholas had provided him with pictures of Isabel when they had discovered her last year, and Khivar always kept one with him. He had repeatedly tried to contact her through her dreams as they had done on Antar but he'd never been successful. The wise men that he had consulted, told him it could be the distance that was preventing contact, or possibly because they had never contacted physically. Khivar had been so patient for so long, but now that the Granolith was in his possession he yearned for an end to their separation. Just as an idea came to him, Nicholas interrupted his thoughts.
"Sir, what do you want to do?"
Khivar headed toward the door, without a backward glance, "I will contact you in the morning."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Tess waited until she was alone with Lonni in the house Nicholas that had assigned to them, "So what now?"
Lonni shrugged, "If you hadn't screwed up we would be headed home, but now I don't know. The
Granolith was our biggest piece of collateral, but we had to give it to Nicholas. We didn't exactly have another choice." She looked calculatingly at Tess, "But we do have something else."
Tess automatically crossed her arms protectively over her stomach. "You’re going to tell Nicholas that I'm pregnant."
"I will if I have to," Lonni threatened. "Any child of Max's is sure to be worth a lot, no matter who the mother is," she said with a sneer. "But we'll keep those little tidbits of information to ourselves for now and I will try a little negotiation first."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Liz’s Balcony)
Liz sank down onto a chair on her balcony and pulled the necklace out of her shirt. She couldn't believe that Max had given it to her just last night. So many things had happened since then, it seemed like a lifetime ago. She smoothed her finger over the raised, swirling pattern, wondering what meaning it had held for her in another life.
It was all so unbelievable that she was the reincarnation of an alien Queen, but somehow when Larek had spoken the words, it had felt true. She just couldn't believe her soul and Max’s had found one another across time and space.
When Max had healed her, Liz had been so sure they belonged together. So many things seemed to be against them but she had been ready to face anything to be with Max.
But now, there was proof they did belong together and Liz was suddenly scared. It should have cleared the way for her and Max but there were things that still stood in their way, not the least of which was the fact that Max had slept with Tess and gotten her pregnant. It was the cruelest irony, but as her Grandmother had told her, if it isn't complicated, he probably isn't a soul mate.
And they were soul mates, of that Liz had no doubt. She had suspected it when Max had first connected with her, and the feeling had only solidified as their relationship had grown. But they might never have known any of it if she hadn't been shot and Max had healed her.
Liz's thoughts automatically turned to what Ava had said. When Max had healed her, he had changed her. Liz had never really thought about it before, somehow it had been pushed to the back of her mind, but now she wondered exactly what Ava had meant.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Evans House)
Isabel easily convinced her parents that Max was hard at work studying with Michael and went into the kitchen to get a drink. She opened the fridge and reached for the orange juice carton but suddenly stopped and pressed her hand to her face as the tears threatened. It was a different brand than her mother usually bought and it was Alex’s favorite.
She turned to see Alex standing next to her but wasn’t surprised. “I keep thinking I’m over the worst, that I’m handling it, and then something happens. Some little thing just sets me off.”
Alex smiled, “But it’s getting easier. What they say is true. Time heals.”
“Then why am I still crying and why are you here? I thought once I found out what happened to you, who killed you, that I…” she trailed off and looked away from him.
“That you wouldn’t need me any more?” Alex prompted.
Isabel shook her head, quickly denying Alex’s statement. “No! Of course not.”
“Isabel, it’s okay,” Alex soothed. “You know you won’t need me once you overcome your guilt about my death.”
“But I am guilty,” Isabel insisted angrily, as tears rolled down her face. “I should have seen something was wrong. I should have seen what Tess was doing to you.”
“How?” Alex asked. “Tess carefully hid was she was doing and mind warped anyone who saw or suspected anything. There is no way you could have saved me.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Copper Summit, AZ)
Nicholas entered his room in the Crawford house and stopped with a smile when he saw Lonni. He shut the door behind him and leaned against it, "I would say this is a nice surprise, but actually I did expect you."
"Yeah, cut the crap Nicholas," Lonni sneered. "I want to know where I stand."
Nicholas shrugged and stalked purposefully toward her. "I told you I had to consult with Khivar, and he hasn't made a decision yet."
Lonni stood her ground as Nicholas stopped inches away. "What does he have to decide?” Lonni asked angrily. “I delivered the Granolith, like he wanted."
Nicholas ran a hand down her arm. "Khivar wants Max dead or in custody, that hasn't changed, and you and your circus freaks failed to deliver."
Lonni put her finger to his lips, "Not too loud. To get Tess to play, we had to tell her she and Max would live happily ever after on Antar."
Nicholas smiled, "I wondered how you turned the little, genocidal tramp. Why don't you tell me the whole story?"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Michael stopped the motorcycle near the pod chamber and he and Max climbed off.
They had waited until it was dark to go back, and Max took off his helmet and pointed his flashlight at the jutting, rocky structure that housed the pod chamber. "When the Granolith was taking off, it looked like the rocks were melting or something but I don't really see any damage from here."
Michael nodded, "Yeah, let's go check it out."
They climbed the path and Max passed a hand over the locking mechanism, remembering that he had left the door open and figuring it must have automatically closed that afternoon. Max pressed his hand to the glowing print and the door slid slowly open. He and Michael stepped inside and he panned the flashlight around the room expecting it to be in ruins, but a warm glow came from the pods, which were still intact, and the room appeared to be the same as when they had left.
Michael pointed his flashlight to the door dividing the pod chamber from the Granolith room, "The door must have closed between the two rooms, saving this one."
"Yeah," Max agreed as he grabbed the orbs and the book and stuffed them into his backpack. "Let’s see what's left of the Granolith chamber."
As they approached the door, it automatically slid open. A cool breeze rushed over them and the light of the stars poured into the room, illuminating it. There were piles of rubble on the floor and of course the Granolith was gone, but the room looked relatively intact except for the hole in the ceiling where the Granolith had obviously burst through.
Max was really surprised. "All of that silver stuff bubbling out of here must have been like smoke or exhaust from the Granolith warming up. It was all just a big show, nothing was really damaged. This isn't half as bad as I thought." He motioned to the hole above them, "Let's just seal this up and it will be good as new, we won't have to worry about it being discovered."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Liz’s Balcony)
Maria climbed out Liz’s window and sank down on the lounge chair next to her. They wrapped their arms around one another and Maria sighed, “How are you, Liz?”
Liz sat back, “I really don’t know. It’s all so weird.”
“And Max?” Maria asked. “What about you two?”
“So much has happened,” Liz said with a sigh.
“But you are supposed to be together,” Maria prompted. “You know that for sure now and you still love him.”
“Love isn’t always enough,” Liz said softly. “Max slept with Tess and now they have a child together. And no matter how much I love him, I don’t know if I can ever get over that.” Liz shook her head, “But it’s not fair to blame him either. I was the one who broke up with him and pushed him to Tess. He really didn’t do anything wrong. We weren’t together so he was free to be with anyone he wanted but I just thought that somehow…”
Liz trailed off and took a deep breath to stop the tears that were threatening. She continued in a whisper, “I thought he would somehow know the truth. I thought he loved me so much that he wouldn’t want to be with anyone else, especially Tess.”
Liz looked down at her hands clasped in her lap. “But even though I know it’s wrong, I do blame Max. I blame him for not being strong enough and believing in our love enough to wait. I blame the other Max who came back and started this whole thing. I blame all of us because we weren’t strong enough to stop Khivar in the other reality. I blame Tess for taking advantage of Max when he was hurt.”
Liz sighed, “But most of all I blame myself. I should have forced the other Max to tell me more and maybe we could have done this whole thing another way. I blame myself for not telling Max the truth sooner. There were so many times when I wanted to. Times when I thought it would be okay.“
Liz shook her head. “And if I hadn’t become so obsessed about finding Alex’s murderer maybe I wouldn’t have pushed Max into Tess’ arms.”
Maria grabbed Liz by the shoulders and forced her to look at her. “Liz, none of this is your fault. Everyone makes their own choices, and just because you weren’t with Max doesn’t mean that he had no other choice than to sleep with Tess.” She shook her head. “I still can’t even believe it’s true. I mean they were getting to be friends but that’s a big step from…” she trailed off. “He’s just a big jerk.”
Liz smiled, “Thanks for trying to cheer me up.”
“It’s just the truth babe,” Maria drawled. She paused, wondering if it was the right time to tell Liz her news.
But Liz could see Maria had something on her mind. “Okay Maria, spill.”
Maria smiled, “Well with everything that happened, it just didn’t seem like the right time to say anything.”
“Say anything about what?” Liz encouraged.
“Okay, okay. I guess I’ll just say it. Last night Michael and I, um, got together.”
Liz nodded, “Yeah, you were with Michael and…”
Maria raised her eyebrows and nodded.
“Oh!” Liz exclaimed, suddenly understanding her friend. “You were with Michael.”
Maria smiled dreamily, “It was so perfect. He made dinner and he finally let me see him, you know. He finally opened up and I got flashes.”
“And…” Liz prompted.
“Michael was so sweet and caring. It was perfect. And today when I figured out he was going to stay on Earth to be with me… Liz, I’m just so happy.”
Liz pulled Maria into a hug. “I’m happy for you too. You deserve it.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Max and Michael finished the repairs on the pod chamber quickly and as they sealed the door behind them, Max turned to Michael, “I still can’t believe you choose to stay on Earth.”
“Yeah a lot of things have changed in the last few months.” Michael smiled, “Just last night Maria and I took a big step in human, alien relations.”
Max studied him for a moment, “You and Maria…”
“Yeah,” Michael nodded. “I never thought I could be that close to another person. And I’m not talking just physically, but spiritually. It was better than I could have imagined because it was with Maria. Even though it was different than you described your experience.”
Max frowned, “How was it different?”
“Physically the um, sensations didn’t last an hour, like with you, and I really didn’t feel like I was floating but I figured it was probably because Maria is human and…” Michael trailed off.
“And Tess is an alien,” Max finished softly.
Michael nodded and continued, “I’ve been spending a lot of time with Maria and Amy and it was starting to feel like I was a part of their family. And when we were in the Granolith chamber about to leave, it just occurred to me what I was giving up. I mean what if I didn’t have anything like that on our planet? I just couldn’t take the chance. Everything I’ve ever wanted is here on Earth.”
Max smiled grimly, “I know what you mean. I would never have chosen to leave if it hadn’t been for my son.”
Michael could see the pain in Max’s eyes, “And what about Liz?”
Max shook his head. “I never stopped loving her and I wouldn’t have turned to Tess if I thought I had a chance with Liz. But it just seemed so hopeless, and Tess was always there, always saying exactly what I wanted to hear.” Max sighed. “I thought I was in control but I made the biggest mistake of my life and it has changed everything.”
“Well Maximillian,” Michael said with a crooked smile, as he cuffed Max on the arm, “it’s nice to know you’re not perfect. You can screw up just like the rest of us.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A figure watched from the near-by shadows as Max and Michael walked down the jutting rock formation that housed the pod chamber, climbed onto the motorcycle and disappeared into the night.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
It had been a long couple of days, and soon after Isabel climbed into bed, she fell into a deep sleep.
She dreamed that she was walking along the bridge in the park near their house, where she and Max used to go when they were children. The night was warm and there was a slight breeze and Isabel could see the bright stars peeking through the leaves of the trees above. She stopped in the center of the bridge and looked down into the water.
The light of the stars above was reflected in the water, sparkling like diamonds, but as Isabel watched, the surface of the water seemed to dim and dull. She realized the night had suddenly turned cold and a fog started to rise from the stream. With a shiver, she stepped back from the railing as the fog rose up and poured onto the bridge.
It seemed to reach out to her and she backed a few steps more until the rail stopped her. The fog followed and surrounded her, and as she felt its icy touch on her legs, she turned and ran. And just when she thought she was safe, a voice hissed her name. "Issssabel."
Immediately she woke up, gasping for air and shivering. She looked quickly around and sank back into her pillow, glad to find herself in her own room. The dream had been fairly innocuous as nightmares go but it had been very disturbing to her in a way she couldn't define.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Sunday, May 20th, 2001)
(Copper Summit, AZ)
"So Lonni says she convinced Tess to help them by assuring Tess that she and Max would live happily ever after," Nicholas reported to his master.
Khivar nodded, "Because Max had refused to be with Tess and chosen the human girl instead?"
"Apparently," Nicholas said with a pensive nod. "Last year in Roswell when I tried to search Max’s mind to get the location of the Granolith, he was mostly able to keep me out, but several times I saw images of the human girl, Liz."
"I remember you reported that Max was particularly concerned for Liz when they were in Copper Summit. He ran after her when she left the Crawford house, and at the funeral he tried to get Greer to let her go."
"Yes," Nicholas confirmed.
"It is interesting that Max would choose a human over his former wife. You did say they had no memories of their past lives, but Zan and Ava were so much in love and I can't imagine her betraying him."
Nicholas stayed silent while Khivar was thinking. He had not interacted with Zan and Ava as Khivar had and he trusted his master's opinion.
Khivar changed the subject, "So Lonni expects a trip home as a reward for handing over the Granolith?"
"Yes," Nicholas said. "I did tell her if she gave us the Granolith, she would get a trip home. Of course it is contingent on your agreement, my liege."
Khivar shook his head. "I have no desire to have that abomination on my planet. But stall her for a while, she might be useful to us yet."
"And Tess?" Nicholas asked.
"Since Max knows about her betrayal, Tess has nowhere else to go," Khivar mused. "In her last life Ava had the power of prognostication and if Tess retained that power in this life, she might be useful to us. Even if she doesn’t still have the power, it is possible as Zan’s wife and the former Queen, Tess could persuade Max's followers to stop their rebellion.” He focused on Nicholas, “Without giving away our plans to her, see if you can get Tess to agree to help us. Let her know I have all the power now, not Lonni, and I can guarantee her future life with Max."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Roswell UFO Museum)
Max went to work as usual but asked the others to wait outside until Larek made an appearance, afraid that Brody might become suspicious if they all kept coming to the museum. But as the time approached, the gang eagerly gathered outside Brody's office waiting for Larek's arrival.
When Larek took over Brody's body, Max motioned the others inside. He took the metal book from his backpack and handed it to Larek.
Larek turned it over in his hands, "This was sent with you?"
Max nodded, "But none of us remember how to read it."
Opening the book to the first page, Larek scanned it with a frown.
"What's wrong?" asked Isabel.
Larek shook his head, "I can't read this."
"Why not?" Michael asked belligerently.
"Because it's gibberish," Larek said. "The words are in the Antarian language but they don't make any sense. It must be written in one of your codes."
Maria stepped forward, "Codes? They have codes?" She turned to Michael, "You have codes?"
Michael shrugged.
"Yes," Larek explained. "Zan's family had several codes, some for battle orders, some for secret communications with the leaders of the other planets, and some just for messages between the most trusted household staff. And there was one super-secret code known only by the Royal Four."
"And this book is in one of those codes," Michael deadpanned.
Liz sighed, "That's why Tess needed Alex and the computer in Las Cruces to decipher it. She may have known the language but she didn't know the code."
Max nodded agreeing, "And that's where we'll be heading too."
Larek handed the book back to Max. "I'm sorry I couldn't help more and I don't have any news about Tess or the Granolith arriving either."
"How long would it take her to get there?" Max asked.
Larek shrugged, "I don't really know but I would have thought only a few hours at the most. She is traveling alone in the Granolith and it is very powerful. It’s possible she arrived and we simply missed her, but if Khivar had recovered the Granolith, I think he would announce it to everyone to help secure his position."
"Maybe Khivar has a reason to keep quiet," Michael suggested.
"Or maybe Tess hasn't arrived yet," Isabel pointed out.
"Larek, whatever is going on, will you let us know if you hear anything about Tess or the Granolith?" Max asked.
"Of course, Max," Larek agreed.
"Thank you," Max said. "I really appreciate all of your help."
Larek smiled, "That's what friends are for, Max."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Copper Summt, AZ)
Nicholas motioned to the chair across from his desk as Tess entered his office, "Have a seat."
Tess sat gingerly, looking warily at the soldier standing behind Nicholas.
Nicholas noticed the direction of her gaze and motioned to the Corporal, “This is Corporal Raltos, my personal aide.”
Tess relaxed a little and turned back to Nicholas, "What do you want?"
"Right to the point," Nicholas nodded. "Okay Tess, you're not stupid, you must see who has the upper hand in this little game of chicken between Lonni and Khivar."
"What does Khivar want?" asked Tess.
Nicholas smiled, "Your special abilities are somewhat unique. Khivar feels you might be useful to us in the future."
Tess nodded, "And what’s in it for me?"
"Passage to the home world."
"We were guaranteed that already, for the Granolith," Tess pointed out. "What else?"
"Who says we owe you anything?" Nicholas challenged
"I say," Tess said. "I could just go back to Max. He is mad right now but I could convince him to forgive me." She shook her head, "There’s no reason for me to help you unless you can guarantee more."
"And what more do you want?" Nicholas asked.
"Give me Max, guarantee our safety and return us to Antar. We keep the titles of King and Queen, in name only of course, and a suitable home and income for our position."
"You betrayed him," Nicholas pointed out. "What makes you think Max will want you?"
"Just leave that to me," Tess said cryptically.
"Okay," Nicholas agreed, "Max and the rest, for your future help."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Antar)
(Capitol city of Roistar - formerly Tageonon)
(The Royal Palace)
Khivar brought his consciousness back into his own body and sat at his desk, deep in thought. After a moment, he passed his hand over a blank document, causing several names to appear.
“Colonel,” he called out.
The door was opened instantly and the Colonel entered the room, bowing formally, “My Liege.”
Khivar held out the document. “Find out everything you can about these people, and don’t let anything stand in your way.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Max waited until they were all gathered in Michael's apartment before starting the meeting. "We need to get the book translated, that has to be our main priority. It's Sunday and we can't leave until tomorrow, but there are other things we need to talk about."
"Yeah," Isabel said, "like why Tess hasn't arrived on Antar yet."
"Maybe she did," Michael said, "and Larek's people just don't know."
"I don't know," Isabel continued. "Something just seems wrong about this whole thing. Like if Nasedo wasn't involved, then how did Tess even come up with the idea to betray us to Khivar and how did she know how to contact him?"
"Maybe she didn't," Liz said. "She was helping us against the skins at first, and she didn't try to influence Max to take Nicholas' deal at the summit in New York. They must have gotten to her afterward somehow."
Isabel nodded, "But that wouldn't have left much time. The summit was at Thanksgiving and Alex left in January."
"Unless the whole thing was a set up," Max pointed out. "Maybe they made it look like she was helping us until she could get what they wanted. She mind warped us to think she killed the skins and the summit was just to throw us off."
"Either way," Michael said, "we have to assume Tess has told the skins everything about us."
Max nodded in agreement. "And she was awfully quick to confess everything in the Granolith chamber before she left. It makes me wonder if she wasn't hiding something."
"Like what?" Kyle asked.
Max shrugged, "Maybe the truth about her plan or others who were involved. We already know she lied about Nasedo. I don't know what else there could be, but I have a feeling we'll find out when we get the book translated. It must contain something very important for her to risk everything she did."
"So how do you want to do it?" Michael asked.
"Liz has made contact with the computer professor at Las Cruces, so she and I will go down tomorrow and talk to him." He turned to Liz, "Is that okay?"
Liz nodded.
Max gave her a crooked smile. "Okay, the rest of you go to school like normal and cover for us the best you can."
Maria shook her head, "Do you think it's a good idea for you two to go down there alone? I mean we don't know who might be waiting for you. And what about Leanna or Jennifer or whatever her name is? She might not be an alien but she was involved."
"I don't think she was involved," Liz said. "She ran from Maria and me the night she saw us but when Max and I were there on Friday, Jennifer didn't recognize me."
"So what does that mean?" Kyle asked.
"Maybe she was possessed by an alien," Max speculated, "like Larek does to Brody, or maybe it was a shape shifter posing as Leanna."
"Or maybe she wasn't there at all. Maybe it was a mind warp," Liz suggested.
"Okay," Maria said, "but are you sure it will be safe? Maybe we all should go."
Max shook his head, "No. All of us being gone would be too suspicious and I doubt anyone would care if we translate the book now. Tess has everything she wanted." He glanced at Liz but looked quickly away, not wanting to see the pain in her eyes.
He took a deep breath, "I want to apologize to all of you for the way I have acted lately. I don’t know what I was thinking or why I treated you all so badly, I hated what I was doing but I couldn’t seem to stop.”
“You were acting out of character,” Michael said. “Maybe it was another of Tess’ mindwarps. She made you do things you didn’t want to do before.”
Max shook his head. “Even if that’s true, it’s no excuse. I should have been able to control myself. I’ve been a jerk and can only say, I'm sorry."
Max looked at each of them. "But now we all need to put our differences aside and work together. We need to develop our powers and keep our eyes open. And let's all make a promise to each other not to keep any more secrets. We need to have all the facts if we are going to make informed decisions and survive this. So do we all agree?"
Everyone looked around the group nodding.
Max continued, "Michael, you worked with Tess the most, improving your powers. Would you set up and take charge of a training schedule for us? Including Liz and Kyle. And pick a place where we won't be seen."
Michael sat up a little straighter, "Sure Max."
"School will be out next week. We'll start then." Max turned to his sister, "And Isabel will you be in charge of a schedule for memory recovery? Work with Michael to coordinate."
"Yeah," Isabel agreed, a little surprised. She had never seen Max so decisive and commanding. Just a few days ago she had found him crying behind the house by the trash cans. She didn't know what had happened to change him so quickly but she suspected it was due to Liz. It was still so overwhelming to think that Liz was the reincarnation of her brother's wife, but with everything Max and Liz had been through for one another, it really didn't surprise her.
When Max and Liz had first gotten together it had scared her, and for a time she had even tried to keep them apart but she had quickly seen they belonged together. They had a bond she envied, a closeness and understanding she craved. And even when it had been revealed in the message from their mother, that Max belonged with Tess, and Liz had left him, Isabel couldn't imagine anything coming permanently between them.
The world had seemed to fall apart for Isabel, and the rest of the group, as the gap between Max and Liz had widened, and when Max had told her he had slept with Tess, Isabel had been horrified. If a couple like Max and Liz couldn't make it, she had asked herself, what chance did she have of finding happiness? But now that Tess was gone, it was like a dark cloud had lifted from their lives, like they were all awakening from a bad dream.
Suddenly a thought occurred to Isabel. "Tess mind warped us to stay away from Brody, and Kyle to forget Alex's death, and now we think maybe she manipulated Max’s actions. Do you think she could have done other mind warps to us that we don't know about?"
Max nodded. "It really wouldn't surprise me."
"But how would we find out?" Isabel asked.
Liz spoke up. "In the Granolith chamber Tess could have simply mind warped all of you to go with her but she didn’t. There must be a reason why.”
Max nodded. “Remember when Tess mind warped Nicholas and Ida, hiding us in the Crashdown bathroom, she practically collapsed afterward, and the same thing happened when she mind warped all of those people at the University when I changed the bones in the cyclotron to save Michael.”
Liz nodded. “So if Tess was too exhausted to mind you to go with her, that means she must have been doing a lot of mind warping, and not just on Alex, Kyle and Amy. I think she wasn’t strong enough to make all of the mind warps permanent. They started wearing off of Alex and Kyle and even Maria's mother, so it makes sense if she mind warped us to do other things, they will eventually wear off too."
"Maria's mother?" Kyle asked. "What does she have to do with this?"
"Oh no," Liz gasped. "With everything else that was going on, I completely forgot. Amy started to tap on the counter just like Kyle and Alex, and then she started to remember what happened with Brody. That's how I figured out Tess must have mind warped them too."
"Yeah? So..." Kyle encouraged her to continue.
"So my Mom is starting to remember Brody holding us hostage," Maria blurted out. "How are we going to explain that to her? We can't just mind warp it away this time."
"Oh," Kyle realized. "What are we going to do? She could make a lot of trouble."
"If we're lucky," Liz said, "we won't have to do anything. Amy will have two versions of that night in her head. Maybe she will just think the hostage situation was a bad dream she’s remembering. I mean, how else would she explain it to herself? She's certainly not going to jump to the conclusion that aliens are involved."
Max nodded, "Let's hope Liz is right, but if not we'll deal with it when it happens."
Max looked around the group, "The final thing I have to say, is for everyone to be careful. We don't know what is coming but we need to be prepared for anything. Let's meet here tomorrow after Liz and I return from Las Cruces and we'll read the translation, together."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Michael shut the door as the others left and slumped down onto the couch. He still couldn't believe Liz had turned out to be Ava. He had just started to accept the fact that Tess was going to be a permanent part of their lives, but unlike Tess, he had liked and respected Liz almost from the beginning, and he was relieved at how things had turned out.
Tess had bugged him from the start and even when they found out she was the fourth alien, Michael had been disappointed. She knew little more than they did, and she always seemed so secretive and shifty, like she was hiding things from them. Tess has used her powers to manipulate them and she was constantly throwing herself at Max. She seemed to have no opinions of her own, only echoing what Max said. It was like her only identity was being Max’s wife.
But Liz was totally different. She was strong and smart and always tried to do the right thing. Liz had her own opinions and never worried about if they conflicted with Max’s. When she had first found out about their otherworldly origins, Michael had tried to intimidate her several times, but Liz had never backed down. Michael had started to respect her then, and over the months his respect had quietly grown each time she helped them.
And when Alex had died and Liz believed it was murder, she stubbornly pursued her investigation even against Max’s wishes, until it had almost ripped them all apart. But it was exactly because Liz had been so determined that Michael had believed her, and his faith in her had been justified.
He'd had a crush on Liz when they had been children and he'd even imagined himself to be jealous of Max when they had started dating. But as he and Maria had gotten closer, Michael admitted to himself that the feelings he'd had for Liz had been nothing more than an infatuation. He still respected and liked Liz, but long ago it had grown into more of a brotherly affection, and now she was his Queen.
Liz continually surprised him with her strength and insight but he could never imagine being close with her like he was with Maria. He smiled thinking of the feisty blonde. With Maria he had found everything he had been searching for his entire life, a family, a home, and love.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Max stopped his mother's car near the edge of the quarry and he and Liz sat in silence. He was nervous, more nervous than he ever remembered being around her and he wasn't sure where to begin. Now that they knew they belonged together he should have been free of doubts but he was scared the revelation might push Liz permanently away from him.
"Liz," he started slowly, "I can't imagine what you must be feeling about being Ava. I mean, it must be such a shock to find out like that."
Liz turned to him, "Kind of like you, Michael and Isabel finding out that you were different."
Max shook his head, "I don't know. I always felt different. Figuring out we were aliens wasn't really that weird, I guess. But for me, finding out you are Ava, actually explains a lot of things."
Liz smiled encouragingly, "Like what?"
Max felt his heart jump and he longed to reach out to her, but he knew it was too soon and he tightened his hands on the wheel. "Well it explains why I fell in love with you at first sight and why I haven't been able to get you out of my head since then. It explains why I would risk my life, all of our lives, to heal you in the Crashdown and why we have such a strong connection between us. It explains why I couldn't stop loving you or let you go, even when I thought you had slept with Kyle. And it explains why loving you has always seemed like the best part of me, because it is. Loving you is not only in my heart and soul, it’s in my genes, my very being.”
"I feel the same way," Liz whispered, as a tear rolled down her cheek.
Max reached up automatically to brush the single tear from Liz's velvety cheek, but before he touched her, he shakily withdrew his hand. "So you aren't sorry to find out who you used to be?"
"Sorry?" Liz asked surprised. "No I'm not sorry. I just wish we had known sooner. It would have saved a lot of heart ache."
Max nodded in agreement and looked down, his guilt making him unable to meet her eyes.
Liz continued, "The other Max didn't say anything about it. Surely he and his Liz couldn't have known."
"I don't know," Max said. "Maybe he did know and just wanted to spare you the additional pain."
Liz nodded, "It's possible, but I would like to think if they knew they were meant to be together, they would have done anything not to be separated."
Max's head jerked up at her words and met her eyes. He could tell she hadn't realized her words applied to their current situation but it gave him the first sign of hope for their future.
And suddenly he wanted to know everything. "Liz, I know it's a lot to ask, but would you let me see him? My older self?"
Liz swallowed hard and felt more tears welling up. It had been one of the most difficult times of her life and she was more moved than she could express that Max wanted to share it with her. And as she nodded her assent, she felt a part of the burden she was carrying, lighten.
Max reached up and took Liz's head gently in his hands, and shut his eyes as the familiar connection slid easily into place. He carefully sorted through the rush of images until he found her memories of his older self, and with them Max could feel the full force of the emotions she had experienced. When Liz had first seen his older self, she had been scared but when he had convinced her who he was, she had been curious as to why he had come. Then Max felt the crushing sorrow she had experienced when the other Max had told her what they had to do.
Through her eyes, Max saw the times Liz had come to him, each lie she spoke killing her inside a little more. He saw her clinging to the few moments she spent with his older self, knowing it would be all she ever had of him. And when the other Max disappeared, he felt her hopelessness and despair.
Max carefully memorized everything that had happened, every word, every image, every feeling. He noted vaguely that his forehead was touching Liz's and he felt tears on his cheeks. He didn't know if they were hers or his but he didn't stop the connection.
He sifted through her memories of the months afterward, seeing himself through her eyes and he almost despaired. He had been so cruel, so selfish not to see she had been going through hell, and he began to think he would never get her back. He certainly didn't deserve her.
But as soon as the thought was finished, he heard an answering thought.
You can't blame yourself Max. I didn't let you see how much I was hurting because I knew it had to be that way.
Max was surprised but he didn't break the connection. He was almost afraid to ask the question, wondering if it was just his own wishful thinking. What did you say, Liz?
I said you can't blame yourself... Liz stopped with a mental gasp. Max we are talking through the connection. Did you know you could do that?
I can't do it with anyone else. When Iz and I were kids we had sort of a mental shorthand, passing feelings to one another, but as we got older it went away. We could never speak or hear thoughts, in a connection. The only way was when Iz would dream walk me.
Why do you think we can? Liz asked. Because we were married in our other life, or maybe because you healed me?
Or both, or maybe it is destiny, Max said. I used to hate that word, but we are meant to be together. Our souls are connected. You found me across the galaxies and over the years. I guess we shouldn't be surprised.
I'm scared Max, Liz admitted. It's a lot to take in.
Max felt a shiver of fear race through him. He could almost feel Liz slipping away. I know it is, but if you decide you want to take your place with us, I will, we all will help you any way we can.
I know you will Max and I never even considered there was a choice. Even though I didn't know who I was, I have been a part of this since you healed me.
But this is bigger than hiding what we are from our parents and the Sheriff, Liz. This is a war on another planet and I would never force you to do anything you didn't want to do.
I know, Max. But since I learned what you were, nothing else has been as important to me. And like I said, I am a part of this.
Thanks Liz. I never would have made it this far without you.
You don't have to thank me. I'm right where I wanted to be, with you, helping you, loving you. And I do want us to try again, Max. It seems like such a shame to throw it all away when our souls went to so much trouble to be together, but... Liz trailed off.
Max felt her pain and continued for her, But I have said and done things that can't be taken back and I need to work on rebuilding our friendship and regaining your trust first.
It's not that I don't trust you Max. I know you wouldn't have turned to her if I hadn't pushed you to do it. Oh Max, my Grandmother was right. If only I had listened to her. She said I should follow my heart, and it told me we belonged together but I let my head get in the way.
No, Max said softly. I won't let you blame yourself. You did what you thought would save us.
Liz sighed. I'm just glad we will have a chance to put things right between us.
Max broke the connection and spoke aloud, "So am I, Liz." He watched her eyes flutter open and he gently smoothed the back of his hand down her cheek. He felt a shiver of reaction rush through her as he held her eyes and wanted nothing more at that moment than to kiss her, but he held himself in check and sat back in his seat.
Then he noticed the stunned, dreamy look on Liz’s face and leaned toward her again. But suddenly an image he had glimpsed in Liz's mind became clear, and he frowned in concentration, trying to see it in its entirety.
"What's wrong?" Liz asked.
Max looked at her. "Tess mind warped you."
"What?" Liz gasped. When?"
"I saw it in your memories. It was right after we came back from New York. She put a compulsion in your mind so you wouldn’t want to know about your powers and she even told you how to control them so you wouldn’t develop them."
"Why would she do that?"
"I don't know," Max admitted. "But she must have been scared you would ruin her plan somehow."
"Maybe she thought it would bring us close again," Liz suggested, "you know, you and me working on developing my powers. Like she used the memory recovery sessions to get close to you."
Max nodded, "Yeah, maybe."
Liz searched her mind for memories of that time but she had been so glad Max had returned, she really hadn't focused on anything else. "It's funny. I thought there would be a weird feeling or missing time or something but I don't remember anything unusual."
Max related the circumstances. "Tess approached you behind the Crashdown when you were taking out the trash. She said she was walking and you asked if she always walked in the alleys."
"Yeah," Liz said after a moment. "I remember the conversation. I was really tired and I think I zoned out for a minute or two."
"That's when it happened," Max said. "Try to remember."
Liz concentrated on the memory, trying to see every detail and remember every sound. At first, nothing happened but then she had the sensation of someone else in her mind, and suddenly the whole thing came rushing back to her. She could hear Tess' suggestions in her mind, replacing her will, telling her how to control her burgeoning powers. But it didn't end there. Three other occasions pushed their way to the front of Liz’s memory, times when Tess had reinforced the mind warp, the last one just a couple of weeks ago, and Liz gasped at Tess' unfeeling use of power. Tess had known her mind warps had killed poor Alex but she had continued recklessly using them.
Anger rose up within Liz and she turned to Max. "Tess mind warped me four times that I can remember."
"What?" Max asked angrily.
"She did the original one and then reinforced it. One of them was just a couple of weeks ago."
"After she knew too much mind warping was dangerous," Max realized.
Liz shook her head, "I don't know why she didn't just kill me too if she saw me as so much of a threat."
"One death was suspicious enough but it could be accepted as an accident," Max said, "but if you had died, I would never have stopped investigating until I found your killer. I would never have left Earth without finding out what happened. No matter what had happened between us, I never stopped loving you. Tess must have known that."
Liz reached out and took his hand in hers. "Thank you."
Max shook his head, "It's just the truth." He squeezed her hand. "Liz, I have been so resistant to what I am and my destiny mainly because I knew it wouldn't include you. And I didn't want to live any life you weren't in. But now that we have found out the truth about you and us, everything is different."
Liz nodded, "We've never really talked about this, how you felt about who you were and your destiny. I knew you weren't happy but I really didn't know why."
"Yeah," Max said with a grim smile, "we haven't really been close since I found out. I wanted to talk to you about everything, but you left town, and then I was trying to get you back, and then the whole thing with Kyle..." he trailed off.
He shook his head and continued, "I was scared that I was being forced into this role of leader and I didn't know what I was doing. Everyone kept reminding me that millions of lives were at stake and I worried that one wrong move would mean the end. I tried to focus on us, keeping us alive and hidden and developing our powers, but Michael was a constant nagging reminder I wasn't doing enough. Tess was complaining I was spending too much time trying to get you back, and Isabel, to give her credit, was trying to be the peacemaker but she was keeping secrets too."
He sighed, "I was doing okay until I thought you slept with Kyle and then everything fell apart. I wanted to just curl up and die but I had people counting on me. Then the harvest happened and the skins came to Roswell, then the summit. I tried to focus on our problems and push everything else aside. I was almost glad for the distractions because whenever I stopped, all I thought about was you. I didn't have anyone to talk to who would understand what I was going through. In Vegas, Michael accused me of being a robot and I realized he was right. I felt like a piece of me had died and a lot of the time I was just going through the motions of living."
"I'm sorry Max," Liz whispered. "I knew you had to follow your destiny but at the same time I didn't want you to because it would mean you would be with Tess."
Max shook his head, "Not anymore."
Liz met his eyes, "Yeah, not anymore."
"And with you supporting me, I'm not afraid of anything."
"Max, you had my support the whole time, even when it seemed you didn't."
"I know that now and I should have known it all along. In my heart I should have known you would never turn away from me, never betray me. I've seen your soul, you just aren't capable of it and I will never doubt you again."
"And your destiny?" Liz asked and then quickly corrected herself. "Our destiny?"
"I know technically I have been the leader since that day at the cave last year, but there were only two times I really felt like a leader. One was the day we went to kill Brody because we thought he was a skin, and the other was at the summit in New York. Both were bad experiences and I didn't feel ready for either of them. But you were right, Liz. I can't change what or who I am and I can't escape my destiny. Today, with you at my side, it felt familiar. It was like I could feel your strength and support, and for the first time I know I'm ready for whatever comes our way. I am the leader, right or wrong, but I'm not scared of what that means anymore because I know together we can do anything."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Isabel walked slowly through the dark woods. She didn't recognize the area and was afraid she was lost. Suddenly she had a flash of Grant dragging Laurie in the body bag, and then another of finding Laurie in the grave. She squeezed her eyes shut trying to block the pictures but when she opened them, she was on hands and knees at the edge of the empty, open grave.
She looked around expecting someone to be there but the area seemed to be deserted. A dull glow drew her eyes back to the hole and she noticed a cluster of blue crystals. The light grew in intensity and suddenly the crystals melted into a puddle of goo and then turned into a thick fog, which rapidly filled the grave. The fog continued to expand and it drifted up over the side of the grave, creeping steadily toward her and she watched, unable to move, as it reached her hands.
"Isssssaaabel."
Surprised, she scrambled backwards until she hit a tree, but the fog quickly closed the distance.
"No," she called out as she struggled to her feet. "Stay away."
"Isssaaabel," the fog hissed again.
She turned to run but something was blocking her way. It was cool and soft and as she struggled, she woke up to find that she was wrestling with her pillow.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Monday, May 21st, 2001)
(University of Las Cruces)
Max turned to Liz as they approached the Lipvack Computer Science building, "So this Professor Peters just jumped at the chance to help you the last time you were here? It seems odd. I mean, he doesn't know you and he uses his free time to break into another student's work?"
Liz smiled, "There is no reason to be jealous, Max. I explained to him that my best friend Ray had just died and he would want me to continue with his work. Don was glad to help."
"Don?"
Liz laughed and shoved him playfully. "Max!"
He caught her hand and pulled her off the path to a nearby bench. "Liz, I know I have no right, but the thought of you with another guy makes me feel ill."
Liz looked into his eyes, suddenly serious, "You don't have anything to be jealous about. Especially now that I know about our past."
"And Sean?" Max asked softly.
"Oh," Liz gasped. "I completely forgot about him. He's been a good friend, helping me through some of the worst times. I used him to try and forget you, but it didn't work. Every time I was with him, even if we were just talking, I couldn't stop thinking about you."
"But you didn't love him?" Max asked softly.
"Of course not," Liz shook her head. "And now I'll have to tell him I won't be seeing him again." She took a deep breath and asked the question that had been uppermost in her mind. "What about you and Tess? You were going to leave Earth and live on another planet with her and your son."
Max nodded. "I was going to take responsibility for my actions and stay with my son but I never loved Tess. I had all of these feelings wrapped up with the memories she was helping me recover, and for a while I was totally confused about what I felt for her. Maybe I was remembering what I felt for you or maybe she was planting feelings in me again, but I didn't know that at the time." He shook his head, "The whole thing was just a terrible mistake. I betrayed you and myself and used Tess to try and ease some of the pain I was feeling."
He looked down, not able to meet Liz's eyes. "I woke up the next morning and just felt sick about what I had done. The whole thing was like a bad dream. I remembered the night I had spent with you, in the desert when we found the orb, and how joyful I had felt when I woke up beside you, and I knew being with Tess was never going to work. I was going to tell her it wouldn't happen again and I couldn't be with her but she was so happy about us being together and I didn't want to hurt her. It seemed like she was the only one who was on my side and it wasn't her fault I couldn't love her. How could I tell her I felt more of a brotherly affection for her when we had been together like that? But then she told me she was pregnant and I didn't have another choice. All I could think of was you and how I had ruined any chance of being with you, and how much I dreaded the future with her."
Liz sighed, "But you had to stay with them because you are an incredibly honorable guy."
"I try to be, but I didn't feel honorable then. I just felt stupid and scared and I couldn't believe one mistake could change the entire course of my life, forever."
"Max, you didn't do anything w-wrong," Liz said softly, nearly choking on the words. "We weren't together and you thought you were supposed to be with her."
"It was wrong because I didn't love her,” Max said softly. “I still loved you but I slept with her anyway." Max shook his head, tears filling his eyes. "It was bad enough I had sex with her, but creating a child together is a permanent bond between us and I don't know how you can ever forgive me."
Liz took his head in her hands, "Because I love you, Max Evans." She placed a gentle kiss on his cheek and wiped away the tears that had spilled over his eyelids. "I love you and I will never stop. We'll work through this, together."
Max pulled her into an embrace and smiled through his tears, "What did I ever do to deserve you, Liz Parker?"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(West Roswell High School)
Kyle slid into the seat next to Isabel where she was eating her lunch. "How's it going?"
"Fine," she replied. "How about you?"
"I'm still freaking out about Liz," Kyle blurted out and then looking around, lowered his voice. "Who knew I used to date the Queen of another planet, huh? It must be pretty weird for you too."
"Yeah," Isabel admitted. "All this time we were looking for the fourth alien and she was right under our noses. Liz Parker." She shrugged, "But it makes a weird kind of sense. I mean, Max has been in love with her forever." She shook her head. "I just can't believe that Tess..." she let her sentence trail off.
Kyle nodded, "Yeah, I know what you mean. She fooled all of us." He reached for Isabel's Tabasco and shook a few drops onto his fries before stuffing a handful into his mouth. "Hey, what did you decide to do about college?"
"I decided I didn't want to be too far away from home right now with everything that's happened, so I'm going to check into taking some basic classes at the Community College. It's just on the other side of town so I can take classes and still live at home."
"And what about your feud with Max?"
"We've come to an understanding. We both agree he acted like a jerk and I decided to give him a break." Isabel shrugged, "I never really understood that he was going through a lot."
"Yeah, there's a lot of that going around," Kyle agreed. "I've been mad at Max a long time for a lot of things; taking Liz away from me, how he was treating Tess, my Dad helping him and getting fired, even for Max healing me. But when I heard what had been going on with him and Liz and Tess, and what Liz did for all of us..." he shrugged. "I don't know, it just doesn't seem that important anymore."
Isabel nodded, "I know what you mean. When Liz told us what she had done, I felt really selfish for even thinking about putting myself first. I can't imagine what she must have gone through or how she kept herself together."
Kyle sighed, "You can't compare yourself to Liz, none of us can. I mean, as far as I'm concerned she's practically a saint. It's hard enough just being a regular person. The Buddha says, Long is the night to he who..."
Isabel cut him off with a sharp look and he went back to eating his fries.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(University of Las Cruces)
Don rose from his seat as Liz and Max entered his office. "Liz, it's good to see you again."
"It's good to see you too, Don." She motioned to Max, "This is Max. He was a good friend of Ray's too."
Don nodded, "I was really sorry to hear about Ray. I didn't know him but what I've seen of his work, he would have been a great addition to the world of computer science."
"Thanks," Max said softly.
Don continued, "Well when you called and said you were coming, I checked into Ray’s work again. We knew he e-mailed the results to the jcoleman account but you said the file was corrupted, so I looked to see if it was saved in his files somewhere." He sat down at his computer and opened a window, "See, here are the files containing the source material and there is the screen capture I showed you the last time, that shows part of the translation and the confirmation of the e-mail. But the first time we looked, I didn't notice there was another folder." He scrolled down to a folder labeled translation.
"Did he save a copy of the translation in that folder?" Liz asked.
"Maybe," Don shrugged, "the problem is, he put a password on the folder and since it’s something he created outside the system, I don't have a backdoor to get in it. I can't even tell how many or what size the files are inside. Eventually the computer can crack the password but I thought maybe you knew it."
Liz smiled, "Sometimes Ray used, I the stud."
Don typed the letters at the password prompt and pushed enter, but the improper password message came up. He tried again but the same thing happened. Then he tried different combinations, using various spacing and capitalizations but still had no luck. "Well it was worth a try."
Suddenly Liz had a thought and dug through her backpack, recovering the charge slip Alex had signed in binary code and handed it to Don. "Could that be a password?"
"Sure," he said as he typed. "More likely it's part of a code he was working on or maybe even a message if you translated the binary into hex or ASCII..." he trailed off as he hit enter and the folder opened, and he turned to them with a smile. "Or it could be his password."
"What's in the file?" Max asked.
Don shook his head, "Nothing. It's empty. He must have trashed his only copy."
"So what do we do, now?" Liz asked with disappointment.
"Don't worry,” Don said, “we'll just have to let the computer do the translation again. All of the source materials are still here. I can start the decryption now and then call you when it's done."
Max leaned forward, "Do you know how long it will take?"
Don pulled up a few more windows and shook his head. "No, it looks like the log files were deleted but if I had to guess, I would say no longer than six months at the most." He turned to them, "School is letting out for the summer this week so I can dedicate more of the computer's run time to the project and it will go even faster."
"Thank you for your help, Don," Max said. "You have no idea how much this means to us."
Don smiled, "I have an idea. I lost my brother and to have anything of his was a comfort. I can imagine Ray's work is very important to you."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Maria knelt down in front of Alex's gravestone and brushed the grass clean of debris before carefully arranging the flowers she had brought. "There you go, Alex. I don't know how you like daisies but they just kind of seemed like the right things to bring."
She sat back on her heels, "Oh Alex, so much has been going on since you left. I know Isabel has been keeping you up on things but I wanted to come and talk to you too. I don't know if she told you, but Liz figured out Tess killed you. Of course that comes as no surprise to you, but we stopped her from taking Isabel and Max back home to their enemies. It seems Tess was working against us for a while. And now she’s pregnant with Max's son and was going to lead them into a trap."
"Yeah," Maria laughed joylessly, "the tramp finally got into Max's pants and whamo she's pregnant. And it turns out she wasn't even his wife, like she kept telling us over and over. All of that destiny crap she was always whining about, what a joke. She was only a friend of Max and Isabel’s family and got sent here instead of his real wife. I just know she planned this whole thing somehow. It's just like something she'd do."
"But you'll never guess who turned out to really be Max's wife." She paused dramatically. "Do you give up? It was Liz all along. Can you believe it? Her soul was reincarnated or something, so it turns out we weren't wrong when we used to tease her about being Max's soul mate."
"And talking about soul mates, Michael had the chance to go home too but he decided to stay here with me. I'm still having trouble with that one. Spaceboy turned out to be Earthboy after all."
Maria sighed, "I wish you were really here for me to talk to. It seems like we should get you back because we figured out who the bad guy was.” She shook her head, “But it doesn't work that way, does it?"
"It’s wrong that the world goes on when you're not in it. Everything should stop, silent, just for a while, so we could tell everyone what an incredible person you are and what we've lost. We've all been in so much pain; Max and Liz, Isabel, Kyle, me and Michael, we just need a break so we can rest."
A sound behind her caused Maria to turn around quickly but she relaxed when she saw it was Michael.
"I thought I might find you here," Michael said, as he knelt behind her and enfolded her in his arms.
With a sigh, Maria leaned back into him, "How long have you been listening?"
He placed a soft kiss on the top of her head, "Long enough." He stood and pulled her with him, "You're overtired, I'll get you home."
Maria shook her head, "Max and Liz are coming back for the meeting and I need to be there. I need to know why Alex had to die."
"Okay," Michael agreed, softly. "I'll take you to my place but you have to get some rest until they come back."
"Just promise you'll hold me for a while, Spaceboy."
Michael nodded, "For as long as you want."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Liz and Max entered Michael's apartment to find the others already gathered and they looked around at the expectant faces. Kyle and Jim, Michael and Maria and Isabel. Max and Liz knew the others expected them to bring the translation back with them but they had to disappoint their friends.
"So what did you find out?" Michael asked.
Max stepped forward. "All copies of the original decryption were destroyed, so it will have to be decoded from scratch."
"But that will only take a little while, right?" Isabel asked.
"The computer science professor thought it could take some time, maybe months," Max admitted. "But he is more than willing to help and when the translation is finished, he'll call us."
Max looked at the disappointment in the faces before him and felt like he had let them down but then Liz slipped her hand into his and squeezed and his resolve strengthened. "We all hoped for results today and I know the news is disappointing but we will get the translation. This isn't a setback, just a delay."
He saw nods throughout the room. "There are other things we can concentrate on until we get the translation, like the training." He looked to Michael and Isabel, "Have you had a chance to work out a schedule?"
Michael nodded but Isabel answered. "School lets out Friday so we thought we would start on Saturday. We can meet at the quarry and make a day of it."
"Good," Max agreed. "This will take time but we're working toward a goal and we'll be prepared for whatever comes our way."
Max looked at Liz and then at the others. "We did discover one interesting thing though. Tess apparently saw Liz as some kind of threat and she mind warped Liz at least four times, preventing her from developing her powers."
Maria rushed forward worried, and took Liz's head in her hands. "Tess mind warped you. Are you okay?" She turned to Max, "Is she okay?"
Max nodded, "She's fine. I didn't see any signs of damage."
"Tess could have killed her too," Maria said, as tears started to well in her eyes.
Liz gave Maria a quick hug. "It's okay," she assured Maria. "We’ll find a way to stop her. There has to be a way."
Maria nodded as Michael pulled her back down onto the sofa and enfolded her in his arms, "Yeah, we'll find a way."
"So it's just like we thought," Max said. "Tess could have done all kinds of mind warps on us. We'll just have to keep watching for the signs and undo them one at a time."
"What kind of signs?" Jim asked.
Max nodded, "Sorry Sheriff. I assumed Kyle had filled you in. One of the signs appears to be incessant finger tapping. There are also flashes of memories you can't account for, maybe missing time or the feeling you drifted off when you were talking to Tess."
He turned back to include Isabel and Michael in his gaze. "Tess reinforced the mind warp on Liz at least three times, so she probably did the same to us, even after she knew it was dangerous."
"That bitch!" Isabel exclaimed. "Why didn't she just kill us all?"
"She probably would if she could've," Michael mumbled.
"It's so hard to believe she would do that us," Jim said defeatedly. "We were her friends and family."
"None of that mattered to her," Maria said.
"It's true,” Michael agreed. “She didn't care about any of us. But someone might have cared about her.”
"What do you mean?" Isabel asked.
Max picked up on Michael's meaning, "He means what if a teacher or someone else is worried about her sudden disappearance."
"Yeah," Michael nodded. "Shouldn't we report her missing or something?"
Jim shook his head, "We don't have to do anything. Tess is eighteen and technically not under my supervision anymore. If anyone asks, we can just tell them she left town."
"We'll need to go through her things," Max said. "There could be something, some sort of clue."
"Yeah," Isabel said sarcastically, "like we could find the passage in her diary. Today I decided to betray everyone I know."
Jim sighed and nodded, "Come over anytime, Max."
"Thanks," Max said sadly. He could feel the gloom creeping back into the group changed the subject. "Is there anything else anyone wants to talk about?"
Everyone shook their heads.
"Then I have one final thing." He turned to Liz with a smile and then back to the others, "I would like to officially welcome Liz into the Royal Four."
"Yeah!" Maria screamed, as she jumped up and pulled Liz into an embrace. "It's where you always belonged."
Maria released her and Isabel hugged a surprised Liz.
"Thank you for everything you've done for us," Isabel whispered, "and I hope you and Max can work things out. You're good for each other."
Liz hugged her back. "Thanks, Isabel. That means a lot."
Kyle was next, and pulled her into an eager embrace. "Congratulations, Liz. I always knew you were meant for big things."
Jim stood back and offered Liz his hand, "I'm sorry we disagreed about Alex."
Liz ignored his hand and gave him a hug, "Thanks Sheriff."
He wrapped his arms around her, "Thank you, Liz."
Michael fidgeted nervously when it was his turn, "I always knew there was something about you, Liz."
She looked at him with a raised eyebrow and he laughed and hugged her quickly.
Max was last, and he and Liz faced one another for a moment and then moved at the same time into an embrace. He whispered into her ear, "Welcome home, Liz."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Evans House – Isabel’s Room)
The dreams of the last two nights had disturbed Isabel more than she wanted to admit and even though she was tired, she reached for her yearbook. She flipped through the pages and stopped on a random student, someone she didn't know, eager to have something to occupy her mind. Placing her finger on the girl's picture, Isabel started the dream walk.
It was a fairly typical dream. The girl was walking through school in her pajamas, but Isabel followed her to see if anything interesting happened. First, the girl walked into a class where a test was being given that she didn't know about, and then she ran into a guy she had a crush on. Finally the girl was asked to sing in front of the entire school in an assembly.
Isabel sighed as the girl broke into the first tentative notes. This wasn't quite what she'd had in mind. She was about to leave the dream when she noticed the fog starting to creep onto the stage from the wings. She stood transfixed as it poured in, quickly covering the stage. The girl singing didn't seem to notice the fog, even though she was now standing waist-deep in it.
The fog poured off the stage and onto the floor, traveling quickly toward her, and Isabel trembled as the first icy whips reached her.
"Issssaaabel."
She looked quickly around for the person who had spoken her name but no one seemed to notice her or the whispers. The fog pooled around her and she shivered as the voice once again whispered her name.
"Isssabel."
"Who's there?" she called out. "What do you want?"
The fog continued to thicken around her but there was no answer. Isabel shivered as the fog chilled the air and she tried to leave the dream but she was unable to. It was as if something were holding her there and suddenly the fog seemed menacing. Isabel backed away and the fog reached out to her and she turned and ran.
"Isssssaabel."
"Leave me alone," she called over her shoulder and suddenly she was out of the dream walk.
She sat up in bed, taking deep gasps of air, grateful to find herself in her own room. She told herself that she had simply fallen asleep in the dream walk and started her own dream, but she didn't really believe it. Something was happening to her, she just didn't know what it was.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Tuesday, May 22nd, 2001)
(Copper Summit, AZ)
Lonni followed Nicholas into the Universal Friendship League building and closed the doors behind them.
He turned to face her, "Is there something you wanted?"
"Yeah," Lonni said as she stalked toward him. "I want to know when we are going home?"
Nicholas shrugged, "That's up to Khivar."
Lonni stopped inches away from Nicholas and poked a finger into his chest, "He'd better not try to go back on his deal with us or..."
Nicholas cut her off, "Or what? You've given us your only piece of leverage."
Lonni shook her head, "You still haven't seen all of my cards and I will keep a few to myself until we get back to Antar." Abruptly she turned and walked away.
Nicholas watched her leave. "We'll just see about that, Lonni."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Valenti House)
Max pulled each piece of Tess' clothing out of the drawers, searching them carefully before tossing them into a box. "It will be easier on the Valenti's if we just get rid of her stuff," Max said.
Michael nodded, "I wish something could make this easier on the rest of us. I still can't believe..." he let the sentence trail off as he shook his head and headed to the closet.
They searched in silence for a few moments. Michael pulled all of the contents out of the closet and Max moved on to the bookcase.
He flipped through the pages of all of the books on the top shelf but the title of one of the books on the next shelf caught his eye. "AP English," Max mused aloud, "Tess wasn't taking that."
Michael crossed to him. "Then why would she have the book? Tess wasn't exactly a big reader."
Max pulled the book off the shelf and attempted to open it. "It's not a real book. It looks solid," he said, turning it over in his hands, but there was the sound of something inside. Max shook the book and he and Michael looked at one another.
"There must be a lock or something," Michael said.
Max turned it over again, looking closely, but saw nothing. Then an idea occurred to him. He passed his hand over the book and a glowing handprint appeared. Max pressed his hand to the book, there was a click and then the cover pivoted open.
Michael reached inside, pulling out several small books and sifted through them. "These are bank books in different names, at banks all over the U.S., a couple from Grand Cayman, one from Switzerland."
Max took an envelope from inside the book and opened it, revealing a stack of credit card-sized cards. "These are IDs." He called out the names as he looked through them; "Stan Harper, James Turney, Lucy Hoskins, John Elliot, Mary Berg, Tom Barlow, Sam Morgan, Edward..." he trailed off and turned the picture to Michael, "Edward Harding."
Michael took the Edward Harding card, "These must be all of Nasedo’s aliases. The names you read match the names on these bank books. And check it out, every one of these has at least twenty-thousand dollars in it."
"Twenty-thousand?" Max gasped. "There have to be eight or ten bank books there."
"Twelve," Michael said.
"Each with Twenty-thousand?"
Michael handed the books to Max, "Some have a lot more than that."
Max looked through the books and quickly did the math, "There's almost a half million dollars total."
"You're kidding!" Michael said disbelievingly.
Max looked at Michael, "You know the good we could do with that kind of money?"
Michael shook his head, "Now you're sounding like Liz."
"Think about it," Max said. "Valenti lost his job. This kind of money could help him a lot."
"He wouldn't accept it," Michael said.
"Maybe," Max said thoughtfully. "But the Harding house and Tess' car are just sitting there and technically, they and all of this money belong to us."
"So?" Michael asked.
"So, you could move into the house and not have to work all those hours at the Crashdown to pay your bills."
Michael scratched at his eyebrow thoughtfully. "Thanks Max, but that place isn't really my style. It kinda gives me the creeps. You know, way too clean and too many breakable things, like a museum or something.” He shrugged. "And I like working at the Crashdown. Mr. and Mrs. Parker are pretty cool and I almost think of Liz as a sort of sister. Sometimes it's almost like a weird kind of family, and I'd miss that."
Max nodded and let the subject drop. "Okay, let's finish packing up and we can decide what to do with the money later but I think we should get rid of Tess' car. People might wonder why she left town without it."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Roswell City Park)
When Liz arrived in the park, Sean was already waiting where she had asked him to meet her. He smiled as she approached and she smiled back, dreading the confrontation. Sean was a nice guy, they'd had fun together and he didn't deserve to be dumped but she had no other choice. She still loved Max and it wouldn't be fair to keep Sean hanging on while she and Max tried to work things out.
"Hey Parker," Sean greeted, as she sat beside him on the bench. "I was starting to get worried about you when you didn't call after Friday night. I though I might have come on too strong and scared you."
"Sean," Liz cut him off, "you didn't scare me. I was hurt and confused and I shouldn't have come to you. I was using you and it wasn't fair."
Sean smiled, "You can use me like that any time you want."
Liz smiled briefly. "Sean, I'm a jerk and I'm sorry for what I have to do."
Sean's smile faded as he nodded, understanding. "You're getting back together with Max."
Liz nodded and Sean shook his head, "I don't understand, Parker. Just Friday night you said he broke your heart. And four days later everything is okay?"
Liz looked down at the bench, "Well, there were some misunderstandings between us and we have some things to work out, but we love each other and we're going to try again." She looked up to meet his eyes, "I'm really sorry. I know you were hoping..." she let the sentence trail off. "But it wouldn't have worked out, Sean. I love Max, I always will."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Max entered his room and locked the door behind him before pulling the bankbooks and IDs out of his backpack. He passed his hand over the carpet making a hole through the layers of padding down into the foundation where he had previously hidden the orbs, the book and the healing crystals in a strong box.
He put the bankbooks and IDs into the box and relocked it, placing it in the hole, and with a single wave of his hand restored the flooring and carpet.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Kyle hopped up onto a stool, at the counter of the Crashdown. “Hey, Mr. Parker. How’s it going?”
Jeff greeted Kyle warmly, “Hey Kyle, I’m doing well. How are you and your Dad?”
Kyle nodded, “Good, thanks for asking.”
“You just missed Liz, if that’s why you’re here. She went shopping with her Mom.”
“Thanks, Mr. Parker, but I actually came to see one of your other employees,” he motioned to Michael with a jut of his chin.
“Oh,” Jeff said with a nod. He called over his shoulder, “Michael, you’ve got company.”
Michael crossed to the window separating the kitchen from the dining room and nodded when he saw Kyle, “What’s up?”
“Hey, I just wanted to see if you’re still coming over tonight to watch the game.”
“Yeah, count me in,” Michael said. “How many burgers do you want me to bring?”
“Well, Dad is going to fire up the barbecue and he asked me to come and find out how many steaks to buy.
Michael smiled. “I am kind of getting tired of eating hamburgers.”
“Hey,” Jeff called out, with mock annoyance.
“Sorry, Mr. Parker,” Michael said with a laugh.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Wednesday, May 23rd, 2001)
Max knocked tentatively on his sister's door and waited for her answer before entering. He was nervous about what he had to ask, but he needed her help.
"Oh, hey Max," Isabel greeted.
Max got right to the point, "Iz, I need your help."
Suddenly Isabel was concerned, "What is it?"
"Nothing bad," Max assured her as he sat on the bed next to her. "I've just been thinking about some things that's all. Like it was when Brody accessed Larek's stored memories and I healed him that I got the first memory flash of Tess in our other life. And afterward I told Tess I remembered her and that was the first time she mind warped me to stay away from Brody."
Isabel nodded, her confusion showing on her face and waited for him to continue.
"Then in the next couple of days, she mind warped you and Michael for the same thing."
"So you think Tess didn't want us to go to Larek because she was afraid he would help us with our memories. But why Max?"
"Larek confirmed that the things I remembered were things that had really happened, but they were with Tess not Liz. I think Tess was afraid I would remember she wasn't my wife."
"But that would mean Tess knew she wasn't your wife," Isabel pointed out.
Max nodded, "I think we have to assume, at least then, she knew exactly who she was."
"And she still..." Isabel let her sentence trail off. "So what do you need my help with?"
"When Tess was helping me recover my memories, I remembered you and Michael but my memories of Tess were the clearest. It always disturbed me deep inside, but I thought it was supposed to be that way. I thought she was my wife.” He shook his head. “But now, I wonder if Tess was leading me to remember the things she wanted me to remember."
"Like her, instead of your real wife," Isabel said.
"Yeah," Max agreed.
"But Max, why didn't you tell me Tess was helping you recover your memories?"
Max shook his head, "I don't know."
Isabel grimaced, "Another of Tess' mind warps?"
"Maybe,” Max agreed, with a shrug. “Tess originally told me she could help me recover my memories last summer, after Liz left, but I was never interested. I thought remembering our other life would make me less human somehow and that was the last thing I wanted. But when I got the flash from Brody about Tess, I went to her and told her, and the next thing I know, she is helping me recover my memories.” His brow creased, remembering. “And suddenly I was excited about remembering things from our world."
"So Tess mind warped you to want to recover your memories but only with her help,” Isabel reasoned, “and then she could feed you the memories she wanted you to have."
Max nodded, "That’s what I think, and that's why I came to you. I thought I could meditate and focus on our world, like Tess taught me, and you could dream walk me and see what I remember. Maybe you can see things she made me suppress."
Suddenly Isabel understood, "Like Liz. You're afraid Tess somehow blocked your memories of Liz."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Crashdown Café)
Maria shouldered the door open and walked into the dining room of the Crashdown as she fastened her apron behind her. “So Liz, you finally dumped my cousin?”
Liz looked up from wiping the counter, “What?”
Maria rolled her eyes. “He’s been moping around more than usual and when I asked him, he mumbled something about he shouldn’t have broken his rule about another man’s taco platter.” She jumped up onto a stool at the counter. “I’m just assuming that has something to do with you.”
Liz sighed and propped her elbows onto the counter. “Yeah, even though we weren’t really dating and I don’t know what is happening with Max, it just wasn’t fair to let Sean think there was a chance for anything between us.”
“But Sean was just delusional right?” Maria asked. “There wasn’t anything between you.”
“No,” Liz said, shaking her head. “We were friends and he helped me through some tough times. That night Max was supposed to leave, he told me he’d slept with Tess and I was so hurt I went to Sean and…” she trailed off.
“And?” Maria prompted.
Liz shrugged. “I thought maybe he could help me get over Max but I realized that I was just fooling myself. Sean is a nice guy and a good friend and I tried to have feelings for him but I just don’t.”
Maria nodded. “I think it will take juvie-hall boy a while to get over you. I almost feel sorry for him and then I remember he doesn’t deserve you.”
Liz shrugged. “Maybe I didn’t deserve him.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Evans House – Isabel’s Room)
Max sat cross-legged on the bed across from Isabel. He pressed his eyes shut and tried to concentrate on the images of the red ocean, Tess had helped him to remember. And after a moment, the images started to take shape in his mind.
At first, it was like looking at a photo and then the image started to move and come to life. Max could hear the sound of the surf brushing gently against the beach and smell the tangy scent in the air. Suddenly he was standing on the beach, watching the motion of the red waves and feeling the breeze on his face.
Then he felt Isabel's presence at his side and turned to her.
"Max," she gasped, "is this our world?"
He nodded, "Yeah."
She gazed out across the red ocean to the horizon, and the two moons in the bright blue sky. "You remember this so clearly," she said, as tears started to roll down her face. "It's like really being there."
"I think I must have spent a lot of time on this beach," Max admitted. "It was the first place I remembered and it's the clearest in my mind."
"It's so beautiful," Isabel said. "I can't believe I don't remember."
Max smiled, "You will, Iz."
She nodded and wiped the tears from her face, re-focusing on the task at hand. "Show me what else you remember."
One at a time, Max brought up each memory Tess had helped him recover. First he showed Isabel the snatches of memories he had of Michael when they were at school together, then he showed Isabel a memory he had of her when they were children, and another when she was older dressed in party finery. Finally he showed her the memory he had recovered of himself and Tess at a party, where they had first kissed.
Isabel looked at her real brother beside her and then at Max's memory of himself seated at a table, kissing Tess, and suddenly the inconsistency struck her. She looked around the room at the other people and noticed for the first time that they were simply faceless forms. "Max,” she said, motioning around them, “look at the people."
Max glanced around and his brow knotted, "I guess I don't remember them well enough."
Isabel shook her head, "You don't remember Tess or Michael or me well enough either."
"What do you mean?"
"Haven't you noticed?" Isabel asked, motioning to the Max and Tess at the table. "You are seeing us in our human form. We didn't look like this on our planet."
"You’re right," he realized. "Maybe I just put those faces on us because I couldn't remember the real ones."
"Or maybe we were so horrible by human standards that you didn't want to remember," Isabel said, suddenly shocked.
"Isabel..." Max started, only to be cut off.
"Or maybe,” Isabel continued, “Tess put those faces on us to make you associate the past with the present."
Max picked up on her meaning immediately. "You mean she made me see our present forms together in my memories, so I would accept us together now."
Isabel nodded.
"Did you notice anything else out of place," Max asked.
"Like the image of someone who had been erased?" Isabel prompted, but shook her head. "No. But I couldn't really sense a time frame for your memories either. Obviously your memories of us as kids and the school stuff with Michael were from before you were married, and Larek said you dated Tess before you even met Liz. So I think Tess was concentrating on recovering your memories from before you knew Liz."
"So maybe if I try to remember things past that point, I will remember Liz."
Isabel smiled. "Don't worry, Max. The memories will come back,” she assured him. “On some level, you must have remembered Liz the whole time. You fell in love with her the first time you saw her. Liz is the love of two of your lifetimes. You just don't forget that."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Roswell UFO Museum)
Maria knocked gently on the office door and then pushed it open as she called out, “Hey Brody. Dinner time.”
Brody looked up from his computer with a smile, as he recognized the voice. “Maria, it’s good to see you.” He jumped up and offered her a chair, “It’s been a while. I missed our talks.”
“Me too,” Maria said with a smile, as she sat across from him.
Brody regained his chair, leaned forward and spoke softly, “I was really sorry to hear about your friend, Alex. Did you get the flowers I sent?”
Maria felt the tears gathering in her eyes but managed a weak smile, “Yeah, thanks, Brody. It’s been hard.”
“I’m sorry,” Brody said nervously and turned to grab the box of tissues from his desk. “I didn’t mean to…” he trailed off and silently offered her the box.
Maria took a tissue and pressed it to her eyes. “It’s okay,” she reassured him. “Sometimes I wonder if I will ever be able to think of him without crying.”
Brody reached out tentatively and touched her arm.
Maria looked up at him through her tears, “Thanks for being such a good friend.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Thursday, May 24th, 2001)
(Crashdown Café)
Michael scraped the last of the food on the plates into the garbage and gathered the top of the bag together and lugged it out the back door. He stepped into the alley and saw Mrs. Parker taking groceries out of her car. He tossed the garbage into the dumpster and jogged over to her. “Hey Mrs. Parker,” he said, as he grabbed several bags out of the trunk, “let me help you with those.”
Nancy smiled, “Thanks Michael. You’re always so helpful.”
He followed her up the stairs and automatically started putting the groceries away. “Have a good day Mrs. Parker?”
“Yeah, how was your day?”
“You know,” he smiled with a shrug. “Same old thing.”
“Yeah, I know,” Nancy nodded. “And things are good with you and Maria?”
Michael nodded, “Yeah, everything’s great.”
Nancy watched him put the last of the groceries in the fridge. “We’re having pork chops tonight, Michael. I hope you can stay for dinner.”
Michael smiled, “I’d love to, Mrs. Parker.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Parker House - Liz’s Room)
With a smile, Liz listened to the interaction between Michael and her mother in the other room. In the time he had worked in the Crashdown, Michael had become close to her and her parents and sometimes Liz almost thought of him as another member of the family.
She climbed out her window and looked into the night sky. Her thoughts automatically turned to her other life, like they had done so often since she had learned of her true identity.
It was possible that in some way she really was related to Michael. She didn’t know anything about her other family, and even though they seemed like a fairy tale, she knew somewhere up in the sky, she had another set of parents who had waited for more than fifty years for her to come home.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A figure stood in the shadows in the alley below and watched Liz until she went back inside.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Crashdown Café)
Max slid into a booth and smiled as Maria approached. “Hey.”
Maria slid in across from him. “So you and Liz are finally getting another chance, huh girlfriend.”
Max nodded, “Yeah.”
Maria nodded. “We’ve been pretty close since last summer when Liz left, and I consider you a really good friend, Max. And I’m glad that you and Liz found out you belong together. I love both of you and you deserve to be happy.”
“Thanks Maria,” Max said.
“But Max, if you hurt Liz again, I’m going to kick your royal, alien ass.”
Max nodded. “A lot of bad stuff has happened and it was all my fault, I take full responsibility. But I love her more than anything.”
Maria sighed. “It wasn’t all your fault and I know you love her. But with Tess and your son, I just…” she trailed off, shaking her head.
“You just want to protect your friend,” Max finished. “But I promise you Maria, if Liz will forgive me, I will spend the rest of my life trying to make it up to her.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Saturday, May 26th, 2001)
(The Evans House)
Max entered the house with a smile. He had spent the evening at the Crashdown with Michael, Maria, Liz, Isabel and Kyle, just like they used to. Everyone had laughed and joked and Max had felt a weight lift from his heart. Terrible things had happened but Max felt hopeful about the future, not just for himself and Liz, but for everyone.
He closed and locked the door behind him and started toward his room, but his father called out from the kitchen.
“Max? Isabel? Is that you?”
Max walked into the kitchen, his grin still evident, “Hey Dad.”
Philip smiled when he saw Max’s face, “Have a good evening?”
“Yeah,” Max said with a nod. “You know, just a night with the friends.”
“Well I hate to spoil your good mood but I got some news tonight,” Philip said.
Max was instantly on guard, “What happened?”
Philip shook his head, “No, it’s nothing like that, Max. I just got a visit from the Sheriff.”
“Valenti came here?”
“No, not Valenti, the acting Sheriff. Hansen, I think his name was.”
Max’s brow creased, “What did he want?”
“There is no easy way to say it. They found the Jeep, but it has been destroyed.”
Max waited for his father to continue.
“It was dowsed with gas, set on fire and pushed off a cliff. I’m afraid there’s not much left.”
Max nodded and Philip continued, “I’m sorry it turned out this way. I was hoping we’d get it back none the worse for wear. The Sheriff said they hardly ever catch joy riders and he didn’t have much hope in this case because any evidence was probably burned. It’ll be a few days before we hear from the insurance company but I don’t expect they’ll pay much.” He paused, “I’m really sorry Max.”
Max shook his head thinking of Alex’s accident. “It’s okay. At least no one was hurt.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Sean sat in the Crashdown and watched Liz move around the tables. He couldn't believe he’d been so close to making her his and she had slipped through his fingers.
He shook his head. She was going back to Max Evans. He just didn't know what it was with that guy, Max. Sean could understand Liz still having feelings for her ex, but this situation seemed to go beyond that. Liz had told him that Max had broken her heart, but then just a few days later she was taking him back. It was almost like Max had some freaky power over her that kept drawing her back to him.
Sean had done his best to make Liz see the truth that Max was just using her, but Liz wouldn't listen. But Sean wouldn't give her up that easily. He would have to do something more drastic to break them up and then he would be there to console her.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Michael’s apartment)
As they watched TV, Michael shifted Maria closer to him on the sofa and she snuggled into his side. She hadn’t said a word about their relationship since they had slept together and he was starting to worry. Maria always wanted to define and nail down exactly what was happening between them, but for the last week, they had hardly seen one another outside of work and school.
Michael suddenly reached for the remote and switched off the set.
Maria turned to him surprised, “Why did you do that?”
“I think we need to talk,” Michael started hesitatingly, “about our relationship.”
“You want to talk? About our relationship?” Maria started to laugh but stopped when she saw the serious expression on his face. “What’s wrong, Michael?”
Michael shook his head. “I don’t know exactly. I was hoping you could tell me.” He took a deep breath, “I love you Maria and I want our relationship to work out but I’m not sure where to go from here. I mean, I don’t want you to think that all I want from you is sex, because I don’t.”
Maria smiled and raised her eyebrows.
Michael shook his head. “I mean I do, but that’s not all. I want to be together like a real couple.”
“We are, Michael,” Maria assured him, with a brief kiss. “We don’t have to know exactly where we’re going, or how we’re getting there. The important thing is that we figure it out together.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Sunday, May 27th, 2001)
Isabel sat on her bed in lotus position and rolled her neck to try and ease her tension. The strange dreams she had been experiencing had made her apprehensive and it been hard for her to get to sleep.
She had wondered about the origin of the dreams and had come up with several possibilities including someone else in trouble. But these dreams were different than the ones she’d had with Laurie and they somehow seemed familiar, almost like it were something just on the edge of her memory. Of course that realization, added to Max’s revelation about his memory recovery, made Isabel speculate on which set of memories it might be, her human memories, that Tess suppressed, or her alien memories of her other life.
Since she had learned of Max’s recovered memories, she had been fascinated and horrified by the possibilities. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she had always known there was a chance that one day they would return home, but as the years had passed it seemed less and less likely. She had accepted a long time ago that Earth would always be her home, and she had worked hard to have a regular human life.
Even when they had seen the message from their mother last year in the pod chamber, Isabel had still been in denial about her other life. It was so long ago and on another planet and she didn’t remember anything about it. But now, with the memory recovery techniques Max had taught her, maybe she could remember, and that scared her. She had been ready to give up her life on Earth for Max, to return to Antar just a few days ago, but it had all happened so fast she’d hardly had time to think about it. The only thing that had mattered was staying with the only real family she had ever known.
But now she’d had time to reflect and she decided the next time a choice to go to Antar was offered, she wanted to be better informed. She wanted to know where they came from, what they were missing and perhaps the most frightening thing of all, what they really were.
Isabel expelled a deep breath, closed her eyes and tried to focus on the image Max had shown her of the beach, hoping to build on it. The ocean was an unexpected, deep red; a startling contrast to the cerulean blue of the sky above. A large rock jutted out of the sand nearby and pointed up to the three moons visible just above the horizon.
Max had been able to bring the memory to life, making it seem as if they were standing on the beach. He remembered the sounds and smells so clearly. In Max’s memory, Isabel had felt the cool wind on her face and watched the lazy motion of the sea where it met the beach. She reached for those same images in her own memory but they wouldn’t come to her.
No matter how much she concentrated, trying to bring the pictures to life, it wouldn’t happen. The only thing she saw in her mind was a dull representation of what Max had shown her.
Finally she gave up and let go of the image she had seen in Max’s head, and then she saw it. The image was only there for a brief moment, just a flash, but Isabel knew with certainty she had lived it before. She was near the same beach, looking out at the ocean, but it was at night and only a single moon had risen. And although she couldn’t see him, Isabel sensed there was a man at her side, but he was definitely not her brother.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Monday, May 29th, 2001)
(The Valenti House)
Jim slung his jacket over his shoulder as he quickly swallowed the last of his coffee and headed toward the door.
But before his hand reached the knob, Kyle called out to him, “Where are you going all gussied-up?”
Jim stopped, “Well I didn’t want to get your hopes up but the city called me in to help out with the traffic school.”
Kyle smiled, “That’s great Dad!”
“Now don’t get all excited,” Jim warned, as he settled his hat on his head. “It could just be for a few weeks.”
“That’s okay. It’ll help you get back into the swing of things,” Kyle encouraged. “Education of the will is the object of our existence.”
Jim nodded hesitatingly as he headed out the door, “Um, yeah. Right.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Evans House)
Philip poured himself a cup of coffee and took a seat at the table where Max was studying the paper. "Have you found a car you're interested in yet?"
Max motioned to the paper where he had made several marks, "Yeah, there are a few Wranglers at the Jeep dealership that are about six or seven years old and in good shape, for around five-thousand."
Philip nodded, "And with the money from the insurance, how much will you have to finance?"
"Nothing," Max said. "I've saved almost all of the money I made at the museum."
"Will it wipe out your savings?" Philip asked.
"No," Max assured him. "I'll still have some left."
Philip nodded, "I can't say I'm sorry to see the old Jeep go. It was army surplus and close to forty years old and I always worried about it breaking down out in the middle of nowhere. But I just can't believe someone would steal it, set it on fire and push it off a cliff."
Max nodded, careful to keep his face neutral, "It's pretty wild."
"Your mother and I bought the other Jeep for you kids to share..."
Max cut him off, "Dad, Isabel can borrow it any time she wants."
"I know," Philip nodded. "It's just that your mother and I don't want you to have to spend all of your money on a car so we decided as an early birthday-slash-Christmas present, for the both of you, that we would make up the difference of what the insurance didn't pay."
"Thanks Dad," Max said with a smile.
"So you had decided on another Jeep?" Philip asked. "We'll let's get your sister and go down to the dealership before they close."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Wednesday, May 30th, 2001)
(West Roswell High School)
It had been difficult for Liz to pay attention in class with Max sitting next to her. During the class, they had shared longing looks and shy smiles and Liz had felt the butterflies building in her stomach for almost an hour. It had been just like the start of their relationship all over again, sweet and exciting, and when Max passed her a note and their fingers briefly touched, she felt her heart jump.
Eagerly opening the folded paper, she smiled at the simple message.
Go to a movie with me Sunday?
Liz turned back to Max with a smile and nodded.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Saturday, June 2nd, 2001)
The gang exited their cars and stood in a group near the edge of the quarry. Max glanced around at his friends, remembering the last time they had all been there together. It had been when Topolsky had come back to town to tell them about the Special Unit and Pierce. And Alex had been there instead of Kyle of course, and Max released a sigh of regret.
“I’m not going to start off with a big speech,” Max said. “I think we all know how important developing our powers could be to the future of the Earth. So I’ll just turn the time over to Michael and Isabel.”
Michael stepped forward, “Isabel and I have worked out a training schedule to develop our powers and for memory retrieval.”
“We decided to work as a group at the quarry on Saturdays and Wednesdays. This place is remote and on that gravelly road, you can hear people coming for miles. Of course we’re not limited to practicing those two days. We encourage everyone to spend at least a few minutes practicing every day.”
He motioned to Isabel to continue.
Isabel nodded, “Then on Mondays and Thursdays we’ll get together for memory retrieval practice. The sessions don’t have to be held anywhere special. It’s not like we will be blowing things up, but for the first few times, we’ll go somewhere quiet so everyone can concentrate. Then we could just meet in our backyard or the park or something. If anyone sees us it will just look like we are meditating.”
Isabel nudged Kyle with her elbow, “Of course anyone who does see us will think we’ve started our own chapter of Buddhists anonymous.”
Kyle laughed, “Just remember that the next time you’re about to make a lame Buddha joke. But if you don’t want to go with the Buddha theme, I have a place set up in my backyard where I meditate. We could have the sessions there, away from prying eyes.”
“That would be great Kyle,” Isabel said, with a smile. “Okay I’ll let everyone know where we’re meeting Monday and after that we’ll be at the Valenti’s.”
She turned back to encompass the others, “We are only scheduling the memory recovery sessions for an hour. Any longer and it’s hard to concentrate. And again the recovery techniques are something that can be practiced every day, so we don’t have to wait until we get together.”
“Okay,” Michael said, taking charge again, “Isabel and I decided that for today, Max and I would work with Liz and Isabel and Maria would work with Kyle.”
Maria stepped forward and huffed sarcastically, “Uh, Hello. Human here with no powers. How am I going to help?”
Michael narrowed his eyes, “Isabel can teach you the meditation techniques and exercises for controlling powers and then you can coach Liz or Kyle. Okay?”
Maria was surprised by his answer. She had worried there was nothing she could contribute to the training sessions but Michael had thoughtfully included a job that would be perfect for her. She nodded with a smile, “Okay.”
Michael slung his arm around her shoulders and kissed her on the top of the head. “Okay. Let’s get started.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Kyle lowered himself onto an outcropping of rock with a sigh. He had been trying to harness his powers all day but he had been completely unsuccessful. Isabel had assured him she could feel the power within him but he just couldn’t seem to make it manifest.
He watched Liz with a smile and a touch of jealously. Under Max and Michael’s tutelage and with the help of her recovered memories of repressing her powers for months, it had been relatively easy for Liz to master a basic control of her powers. She had been working on turning all of the available rocks different colors; some solid and some with polka-dots or stripes. And now Max and Michael were instructing Liz how to use her powers to move the rocks.
With a wave of her hand, Isabel returned the colored rocks to their natural colors and walked over to join Kyle. She took a seat next to him, “Giving up for the day?”
Kyle shrugged, “Maybe I just don’t have the knack.”
Isabel shook her head, “I can feel the power in you. Maybe Tess mind warped you to stop you from using you powers like she did to Liz, or maybe it just takes a certain amount of time for the powers to develop enough for you to use them. You were healed months after Liz was.”
“I guess,” Kyle nodded. “I just feel like an idiot stretching out my hand and having nothing happen. You know, it’s like standing there going Thundercats ho, or something.”
Isabel reached over, grabbed a couple of sandwiches out of the bag and handed one to Kyle. “It still couldn’t hurt for you to learn some basic control techniques, then when you do get your powers you won’t be blowing things up accidentally, like someone else we all know.”
Kyle smiled, “Did Michael really do that?”
Isabel nodded, “It took Michael a long time to get his powers under control, but I also think it had to do with getting his temper under control too.”
Kyle nodded.
Isabel motioned to his sandwich, “So hurry up and finish and we’ll try it again.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Sunday, June 3rd, 2001)
(Roswell Cineplex)
Liz tried to concentrate on the movie but she had to admit the plot completely escaped her. She was too aware of Max sitting next to her in the dark theater, and just a moment ago she had realized that her hand was in his. She didn't know when it had happened or who initiated the contact, all she knew was that it felt good to be touching him again.
Max stayed perfectly still as he reveled in the sensation of holding Liz's hand in his own. Sitting next to her, he had been unable to think of anything but touching her again, and even though he knew it was too soon in their renewed relationship, he hadn't possessed the strength to stop himself. And as the movie started, he had carefully slipped his hand into Liz's, interlacing their fingers.
He breathed in and out slowly, feeling the beat of her heart in time with his own. It was almost like being in the same body, and Max thought back to a few days before when he and Liz had spoken to one another through the connection. Since they had first kissed and discovered the connection between them, he had longed for a stronger, more permanent link. And now that they knew the truth about their past, the possibility of their future together beckoned to him like a light through the fog.
Every day since they had learned the truth, he had felt more alive, more confident and he knew it was due to Liz being in his life, finally belonging to him. Max was eager to begin his life with Liz, too eager, because he knew there was a long way to go. They had just started to rebuild their friendship but every step in the right direction made his heart soar.
Unknown to him, Max had opened a connection between them and although Liz had not heard his thoughts she had felt his intense feelings and she squeezed his hand.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Evans House)
Isabel walked into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator, scanning the contents. She had spent a long day attempting to recover her memories and she was tired. Knowing she should eat something, she poked dishearteningly as some the containers but finally reached for the carton of juice and setting it on the counter, and turned to get a glass. She poured the juice and raised the glass to drink, but a sound from the direction of the laundry room drew her attention.
She turned toward the sound but saw nothing and she shook her head, "Good one, Isabel. Now you're jumping at shadows."
She put the carton back in the fridge and turned to leave but stopped as she heard another sound from the same place. It was like a whisper or a sigh, and again she turned toward the laundry room again. "Max? Is that you?"
There was no answer and she placed the glass on the counter and walked toward the washing machine. "Hello. Is someone there?"
Raising her hand in front of her as she reached the arching doorway, she quickly scanned the small room but didn't see anything unusual and headed toward the door that led outside.
Hhhhhhhhhsssssss
Startled, Isabel stepped back but stopped herself, "It's just the wind." She started forward again but noticed a wispy tendril of what appeared to be smoke, winding under the door. As she watched, the smoke became thicker and thicker, pouring out into the room. She stepped back as it swirled and coalesced, seeming to reach out toward her.
Hhhhhhhhhssssssss
The sound came again and Isabel realized it was coming from the smoke. She backed a few more steps as the smoke advanced but suddenly she felt an icy touch on the back of her neck. She screamed as she whirled around but sagged in relief when she realized it was only wet laundry hanging.
"Isssaaa," hissed the smoke and she whirled back to it, but the sound of running footsteps drew her attention to the kitchen as her parents entered.
"Isabel?" her mother asked, concerned.
"I..." Isabel turned back toward the door but the smoke was gone.
"Isabel," her father asked, looking around the room, "what's going on?"
She shook her head, trying to figure out what was happening. "I'm sorry. There was just, um, a, um, just a huge spider that scared me."
She could see her father relax, "Oh, that's all right." He turned to her mother, "Diane, have you noticed a lot of bugs? Maybe we should call an exterminator."
"Well, I've seen some spiders around..."
Her parents' conversation faded into the background as Isabel opened the door and went into the yard. She looked around briefly, but nothing seemed out of place and there were only the usual night noises. "What is going on?"
She'd been having the disturbing dreams, every night for almost two weeks but this time was definitely not a dream. She hadn't been asleep tonight when she’d seen the fog and heard the whispers, and that disturbed her more than she wanted to admit. Something was happening to her and it was time she told the others.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Copper Summit, AZ)
Khivar rose from the chair and maneuvered the borrowed body to a panel on the wall that showed the night sky. He had tried for more than two weeks to contact Isabel through her dreams and tonight he had tired to get into her head when she was awake. He'd had some limited success in getting through to her but he didn't consider the progress worth the effort he had expended. The connection between them used to come so easily and now he was only a shadowy voice in her nightmares.
It was simply unacceptable. He wanted Isabel with him and it was time to aggressively pursue that end. He crossed to the communications array and activated a series of controls, "Nicholas, report to your office immediately."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Violent shaking and the sound of an explosion woke Lonni and Rath and they looked at one another for a moment before they leapt out of bed and ran to the window. Everything seemed unchanged outside but Lonni had a terrible suspicion about what had woken them.
Tess burst into their room, "What happened?"
Lonni advanced on her aggressively, "Nicholas took the ship home and left us here, that's what happened. And it's all your fault."
Tess' eyes widened, "He left us? But he said...."
She was cut off by a voice from the doorway. "No one has been left behind," Nicholas assured them.
"Nicholas?" Lonni asked. "What's going on here? Why didn't you go too?"
Nicholas shrugged, "Khivar is simply sending us some replacement troops and he asked me to stay here to make sure you didn't do something stupid, like running to Max."
Lonni scowled at Nicholas, "He could have made sure we didn't go to Max by sending us home."
Nicholas shook his head, "None of us are going home until this mission is finished."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Monday, June 4th, 2001)
Max slowed the new Jeep as they reached the turnoff from the old Highway. The day he and Liz had driven the same road and been in the accident seemed like several lifetimes ago and his thoughts automatically turned to Alex. There were so many times Alex had helped them, even saving Max’s life the terrible day of the accident, and Max still couldn’t believe Alex was gone. He still couldn’t believe Tess had so cavalierly killed Alex.
Max wanted to find Tess to take back his son but he often wondered what he would do to her. That day in the Granolith chamber when he’d discovered her guilt, he’d been angry enough to kill her and maybe he would have. He had never thought of himself as a killer but she deserved to die for what she had done. If she hadn’t reminded him of their child… Max’s thoughts trailed off as he refocused. She was the mother of his child and bound to him because of it but she was also a murderer and he would have to make a judgment when he found her again.
Max stopped the Jeep and he, Liz, Kyle and Isabel climbed out.
Kyle ran his hand down the shiny, black hood of the Jeep and called back to Max over his shoulder, “This sure is a nice ride, Max. What year is it?”
“Ninety-four,” Max said. “It’s practically new compared to the other Jeep.”
Kyle nodded, “Much better than that old rust bucket.”
“Hey,” Isabel objected, “I have some good memories of that rust bucket.”
Max glanced at Liz, remembering their many make-out sessions in the old Jeep and smiled, “Me too.”
Liz caught his smile and his line of thought, blushed furiously and quickly changed the subject, “Yeah, um, so what’s so special about this place?”
“When we were young,” Isabel started, “our parents used to bring us here for picnics on Sunday and I thought it would be a good place to start our memory retrieval lessons. Unlike the quarry, there is soft grass to sit on and it is pretty remote and quiet.”
Michael parked the Jetta nearby and he and Maria joined the others. They gathered the blankets and picnic supplies and organized everything in the shade of the trees.
When they were all settled, Max started, “I’ve taught Isabel the basic techniques of memory recovery and so we are going to pair off, me and Liz, and Isabel and Michael. Maria is familiar with the meditation exercises for controlling powers and will work with Kyle.”
“So Isabel,” Michael asked curiously, “have you remembered anything?”
Isabel shook her head, “No, not really.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Antar)
(Capitol city of Roistar - formerly Tageonon)
(The Royal Palace - Laboratory)
Khivar watched Gragras, in the borrowed body of a Corporal, as he mixed human DNA with the other chemicals to create the new husks. Gragras was on the Leptes, en route to Antar, but even with the Granolith on board, it would take almost a month for the ship to arrive. It would take about that same amount of time to grow the new husks, even with the growth accelerators, but Khivar wouldn’t waste the travel time.
Using the transverse thought projector, Gragras could complete the preparations for the new husks for the reinforcement soldiers on Antar, before the ship even arrived. And when Gragras and the Granolith were physically on Antar, he could oversee the harvest.
At the same time, new husks for the ships’ crew were being grown on the Leptes. Gragras had started on the husks the day he had gotten the Granolith, and even though he had no growth accelerators, the power of the Granolith would cause the husks to mature in a matter of days.
Gragras turned his borrowed body to speak to Khivar. “Sir, are you sure you don’t want me to create more skins?” Gragras asked. “In our time on Earth, we have gathered enough DNA, that we could easily create an invasion force.”
Khivar shook his head, “I don’t think it will be necessary. Since the summit, Max is growing thin on supporters and Kathana has openly aligned with us. I think we can put an end to this without conquering Earth.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Max and Isabel had decided to schedule the group memory recovery sessions for only an hour because it was so intense. But to Max it seemed like no time had passed when the timer sounded because he had spent the time with Liz.
The picnic baskets were opened and the contents arranged on the blankets in total silence, each one of them lost in their own thoughts. They passed out plates and napkins and distractedly piled food on their plates, barely noticing what they were eating.
Finally Michael spoke. “That was way more intense than I expected it to be.”
Max nodded. “Did you have any progress?”
Michael shook his head, “It’s not like I saw anything or anyone, I just had familiar feelings. It’s hard to explain, it’s all so…” he trailed off looking for the words.
“Transient?” Max prompted.
Michael nodded, remembering the conversation when Max had tried to explain it to him. “Yeah, that’s it exactly. It’s like deja vu or something. It seems familiar but you can’t really nail down anything with certainty.”
Max smiled, “It does get better.”
Michael nodded and turned to Liz, “What about you? Did you have a similar experience?”
Liz shrugged, “I didn’t get anything but I’m still new to this having powers thing.”
“And you?” Michael asked Isabel.
“I haven’t gotten anything either,” she admitted. “But I’ve had something on my mind the last couple of weeks and it’s been hard to concentrate on anything else.”
“What’s going on Isabel?” Max asked concerned.
“I’ve been having these weird dreams that have me a little freaked out.”
“Why didn’t you say anything?” Michael demanded.
“Michael,” Max warned, with the single word in a stern tone. He turned to his sister. “Isabel, What kind of dreams? One’s like you had with Laurie?”
Isabel smiled at Max, glad he had defended her and shook her head, “No, they start out just like normal dreams and then there is this fog. I don’t know why but it scares me and I try to get away but it comes after me, calling my name.”
“That just sounds like normal nightmare stuff,” Michael said softly. “It has been a really bad year.”
Isabel shook her head, “You don’t understand. When I am having a dream and I realize it, I can alter the dream or at least wake up when I want to but with these dreams I can’t. It’s like something or someone is getting into my dreams and controlling them.” She paused and looked around, “And it’s not just the dreams either.”
“What else?” Max asked.
“I saw the fog in a dream walk the other night and no one else in the dream could see or hear it. And then on Monday I saw fog when I was awake.”
Michael was instantly angry, “And you didn’t tell anyone?”
Isabel’s temper rose to meet Michael’s, “I’m telling you now.”
“Okay,” Maria spoke up. “Everyone just calm down. Michael we know you’re worried about Isabel, but yelling at her isn’t helping.”
Michael scowled but stayed silent.
Isabel continued, “We agreed not to keep any secrets and that’s why I’m telling you.”
“What happened when you saw the fog when you were awake?” Liz asked.
“I was in the kitchen at our house and I heard a noise coming from the laundry room. I went over and didn’t see anything at first, but then the fog started coming under the door and it called to me. It seemed to be reaching for me and I backed away but I felt something cold touch me from behind and I screamed. Mom and Dad came rushing in and the fog was gone. I even checked outside but there was nothing.”
“The fog touched you?” Kyle asked.
“No,” Isabel said, shaking her head, “it was only the laundry, but I was already freaked out. I just panicked, I guess.”
“And you haven’t had any dreams since then?” Liz asked.
“No, nothing,” Isabel said. “I’m almost starting to think I imagined the whole thing.”
“Maybe it’s someone else in trouble, like Laurie,” Kyle said.
“I don’t think so,” Isabel said. “I’m still not entirely sure how I got those images about Laurie but this felt different. It’s almost like there's something on the edge of my mind and I just can’t focus on it.”
“I know, “ Maria said. “Maybe it’s a memory trying to come through.”
“Or it could be a new power,” Liz suggested.
Max spoke up, “Well whatever it is, if it happens again, tell me.”
Isabel nodded and caught Michael’s eye. “I wasn’t trying to hide anything. I just didn’t want to make a big deal if it was nothing.”
“We know that, Isabel,” Max assured her. “No one is blaming anyone. We’re just concerned.” He looked pointedly at Michael, “Right?”
Michael nodded and then turned to Isabel, “Yeah. Just concerned.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Copper Summit, AZ)
Tess used the remote to flip through channel after channel but nothing could hold her interest and finally she switched off the TV and tossed the remote aside. But she had to admit, it was worry and not boredom that distracted her.
At first, the deal she had made with Nicholas and Khivar had seemed like the answer to everything. She would get Max and the title of Queen and live in style on her home world. But as the days passed and she thought about it, the more she was concerned.
Khivar and Nicholas thought she was Max’s wife Ava and they expected her to help them with the real Ava’s powers but Tess didn’t even know what Ava’s powers were. Nicholas could come to her at any time and demand she use her powers and that would quickly put an end to her charade and her chance at happiness. She had to bluff them as long as possible because she didn’t dare hope she could mind warp them for long. They were just too powerful.
Lonni might know what Ava’s power was, Tess speculated. In their other life, Vilondra and Ava had been sisters-in-law and lived closely together. If only Tess could ask Lonni about Ava without raising her suspicions.
But that wasn’t even her biggest problem. Tess placed a hand on her flat stomach and wondered what would happen when the truth about her pregnancy was discovered.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Saturday, June 16th, 2001)
Jim pushed the door open, causing the bell to sound as he entered Amy’s store. He hadn’t been inside in a few months and he had forgotten how completely she dedicated her merchandise to aliens. He glanced quickly around, noting that Amy must stock every alien item produced.
A voice from the back called out, “I’ll be right with you.”
Jim had often wondered what Amy would think if she knew her daughter was dating the real thing. He didn’t like lying to Amy and he was sure it was hard for Maria to do too, especially about the man she loved. Jim wanted to have a normal relationship with Amy. Sometimes he was afraid that the secrets he kept from her would taint any chance of happiness they had but he’d made a promise to Max to be there for them.
Amy came out of the back room and smiled when she saw him, “Jim, what are you doing here?”
Jim crossed to the counter, removing his hat. “I wanted to see if you were free for dinner tonight.”
“Maria’s going out with her friends, including Kyle, so that leaves both of our houses kid free.” Amy covered his hand with her own, “So Jim, at the risk of sounding cliché, your place or mine.”
“Well Amy,” Jim said, taking her hand in his, “I got my first paycheck from the new job and I wanted to take you out someplace instead of cooking at home.”
“Don’t you like my cooking,” Amy asked teasingly.
“I like it just fine,” Jim assured her. “I just thought it would be a nice change, something special for a special lady.”
“Why Jim, it almost sounds like you’re courting me or something.”
His smile got bigger, “Well, maybe I am.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Saturday, June 23rd, 2001)
(Crashdown Café)
Sean slid onto one of the stools at the counter. "Hey Mr. Parker," he greeted. "How's it going?"
Jeff stopped in front of Sean, wiping the counter, "It's been pretty busy with my three best people off for the day."
"Oh, Liz and Maria and Michael are off?" he asked casually.
"Yeah. They're going on a picnic with the Evans' kids and Kyle Valenti and they took enough food for an army."
Sean nodded and carefully prodded for information, "Are there some good picnic places around here?"
"I don't know where they go," Jeff shrugged, "maybe the park." He motioned to his order pad. "Do you know what you want?"
Sean nodded, "Yeah, I know exactly what I want." Liz had disappeared for hours with Max and the others several times, and no one seemed to know where they were. Sean didn't know what they were doing but he was going to find out.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Tuesday, June 26th, 2001)
(Crashdown Cafe)
Michael smiled watching Maria and Liz dancing around the dining room as they cleaned. Maria was using a mop handle as a microphone and Liz was backing her up on a saltshaker. They giggled as they twirled around, and Michael was glad that some of the playfulness was coming back into their lives. The last few months had been so hard on all of them but especially Maria and Liz.
He gathered a pile of recyclable boxes out of the back room and pushed open the door into the back alley, but stopped just outside when he saw a figure near his motorcycle.
“Hey!” he called out. Dropping the boxes, he advanced toward the man but before had taken more than two steps, the man ran. Michael jogged to the bike and briefly considered chasing the guy but a quick glance at the bike assured him everything was okay. Michael shook his head as he berated himself. “I’m getting paranoid. The guy was probably just curious.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Thursday, June 28th, 2001)
(The DeLuca House)
Sean sat with Amy on the sofa watching TV. The cop drama had been something he had looked forward to seeing and Amy had joined him, quickly becoming enthralled in the action.
A group of thieves carefully planned a bank heist and executed it flawlessly but an off-duty cop stumbled upon the plot and now the thieves were trapped in the bank.
The cop called his headquarters, “It looks like we’ve got a hostage situation.”
“Hostages,” Amy said softly. “That crazy man in the UFO museum held us hostage.”
Sean had never heard Amy talk about that night and turned to her with a question on his lips that died when he saw her face. Amy was staring straight ahead, lost in her memories.
“He tied us up,” she continued, “and kept rambling about aliens.”
Sean watched his aunt carefully, waving his hand in front of her face, but she didn’t seem to notice.
“He had a gun. He pointed a gun at us.”
Amy had never talked about that night afterward and Sean had often wondered what Max had said to his aunt to get her to agree not to turn Brody in.
Amy continued to talk, becoming more agitated and Sean started to worry, “Amy?”
She didn’t respond and he tried again in a louder voice, “Aunt Amy?”
Amy shook her head and quickly looked around, “Did I fall asleep?”
“Yeah,” Sean said softly. “You were talking about that night at the UFO museum.”
“Oh, the night we all got trapped there because of the power outage,” she nodded. “Yeah, it could have been a lot worse though.”
“Yeah?” Sean asked.
“The police got us out of there pretty fast, I mean we could have been trapped there for days, with the metal door malfunctioning like that. Of course I didn’t want to say anything at the time and worry anyone but it was lucky no one got hurt.”
“No one got hurt,” Sean repeated woodenly, as his hand automatically went to his stomach. Granted, his wound hadn’t been bad but how could his aunt forget?
Amy continued, “You know it’s funny you should mention that night. Sometimes I have nightmares about it.”
“What kind of nightmares?” Sean asked.
“Well, really it’s the same dream every time,” Amy said with a laugh. “I dream the owner, Brody, took us as hostages.”
Sean’s mind raced as Amy continued. His aunt really didn’t remember what had happened that night. At the time Sean had thought it was strange, one minute Amy had been ranting about turning Brody in and the next she was okay with a cover up. He thought Max must have convinced her to change her mind, but obviously something more sinister had happened.
Had Max hypnotized Amy somehow or brainwashed her, or had he slipped her some kind of drug? Sean shook his head, he didn’t know what exactly had happened but he did know Max Evans was responsible. And maybe whatever he had done to Amy, he had also done the same to Liz and that’s why she had taken him back.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Friday, June 29th, 2001)
(The Evans House)
Diane looked up as Max entered the house and smiled, "Hey, honey."
Max dropped his things on the floor and sank down onto the sofa, "Hi Mom."
"Long day at work?" she asked casually, attempting to start a conversation that would lead to her real question.
Max shrugged, "Just the usual."
"I guess you'll be working a lot of hours now that school is out."
"Yeah, I guess," Max said non-committally.
In the weeks since Alex had died, Diane had seen the tension in both her children but Max was always so quiet, she had been afraid he wasn't dealing with it well. But in the last couple of weeks, Max had seemed lighter somehow, like a giant weight he had been carrying was suddenly lifted. "And you'll be hanging out with your friends."
Max smiled a genuine smile, "Yeah."
Diane noticed the change in his demeanor immediately and was glad Max had good friends that he felt comfortable with. "And what about Tess? I haven't seen her around lately. You two were studying so much together, I thought you might be getting close."
The smile immediately left Max's face. "No, we weren't and she won't be coming over any more because she left town."
"Oh that's too bad," Diane said. "She seemed like such a nice girl. Maybe she'll come back for school in the fall."
Max shook his head as he gathered his things and rose. "She's not coming back," he said gruffly.
As Max left, Diane wondered what she had said to upset him. It was possible he had been falling for Tess and was upset she had left, but Diane knew Max would never tell her so she just had to trust that his sister and friends would help him work through it.
Maybe she should ask his father to talk to him.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Jake’s Pool Hall)
(Roswell, NM)
Sean pushed open the door of the pool hall and stood just inside as he let his eyes wander around the room. He hadn’t come to the pool hall since his release from juvie because of his parole, but this was the best place in town to get information.
“Hey DeLuca,” someone called from the back and Sean recognized the voice immediately.
“Paulie,” he called back with a smile, as he wound his way through the tables. “How’s it going, man?”
Paulie grasped Sean’s hand, “Man, I heard you were in juvie for another six months.”
Sean shrugged. “I got out early,” he paused dramatically, “for good behavior.”
Paulie roared with laughter and the other guys with him joined in. He turned to them, “That’s a good one. Sean DeLuca on good behavior.” He motioned to one of the guys near the pool cues on the wall, “Hey Tommy, toss DeLuca a cue. Back in the day, the man was quite a hustler.”
Sean caught the pool cue easily, “I don’t know if I still have the touch. Not many pool tables in juvie. Probably smart not to provide the criminals with weapons.”
One of the guys wracked the balls and Paulie motioned to Sean to break. “So what’re you going to do now that you’re out?”
Sean struck the cue ball, sending it hard into the other balls, and they scattered around the table. “I’m looking for some information on a guy that screwed me over.”
Paulie took his shot, dropping a stripped ball into a side pocket. “What guy?”
“He goes to school with you,” Sean said casually. “The name is Max Evans.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Saturday, July 30th, 2001)
(Crashdown Café)
Liz wiped off the last of the tables and quickly stacked the chairs on them. Cleaning the Crashdown was hard work but she had done it so many times that she could do it without thinking, and it freed her mind to ponder other things.
Liz tried to be a good person, do the right thing and put up a brave front for her friends. She always tried to be there for them, support and help them, but she wasn’t perfect. Far from it. Since Liz had learned about Michael, Isabel and Max, she had been forced to make some difficult decisions and she wasn’t always sure that she had made the right choices. And cleaning the Crashdown at night alone was the only time she let herself think about the most terrible things in her life.
She still felt guilty over leaving Max last summer when he had needed her so badly. He had just found out who he was and she had left him to deal with it alone. At the time she was sure she was doing the right thing, but they didn’t know the truth then.
But even worse were her feelings of guilt about Alex’s death. No matter what the others said, Liz was convinced that it was her fault Alex was dead, because of something she had changed in the timeline. She missed Alex terribly but she had barely been able to mourn her lost friend because of the responsibility she felt for his death.
Liz felt the prick of tears behind her eyes and wiped the back of her hand across her face as she ruthlessly pushed the distrubing thoughts aside. She had to be strong, she couldn’t let herself break down. There was too much happening and too many people depended on her.
Liz sloshed the mop into the bucket and cruelly wrung out the excess water before slapping it onto the floor, scrubbing ruthlessly at the spilled food. And again and again she plunged the mop into the bucket and attacked the stains on the floor, until her muscles ached and a sheer of perperation cover her skin. The work would exhaust her body but it usually helped to clear her mind. But as she mopped the floor tonight, her thoughts were continually occupied with the familiar subject of Max and herself.
Liz did love him but she still needed time to sort out all of her feelings about everything that had happened and figure out exactly how she and Max fit into each other’s lives. She was his friend and she supported him whole-heartedly but she didn’t know if their relationship would ever progress beyond that. But as she had told Max, she did want to try again.
Since they had gone to the movies together, Max had been careful to keep things between them on a purely friendship level. It was as if he had sensed her reluctance to move too quickly. It was true she had enjoyed being with him and holding his hand. It had felt so right and so familiar but she had also been a little afraid of what the small intimacy might lead Max to think about their future.
Once again Liz plunged the mop into the bucket but she suddenly stopped, a prickling sensation on the back of her neck making her feel like she was being watched. She had experienced the same sensation several times over the last week, but each time, she had seen no one. She was beginning to think she was paranoid, but quickly turned toward the front door and scanned the area outside the restaurant. She couldn’t see anyone but it was dark and the sensation remained as an overwhelming feeling of malevolence settled over her and a shiver raced up her spine.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Sunday, July 1st, 2001)
(Copper Summit, AZ)
Tess, Lonni and Rath entered the UFL building where Nicholas was waiting for them.
“You summoned us?” Lonnie asked angrily.
“Yes,” Nicholas said, as he indicated the chairs across from him. “I need to talk to you three about something.”
“Like going home?” Lonni persisted. “You’ve been stalling us and my patience is wearing thin.”
Nicholas smirked, “You’ll go home when I say and not one minute sooner. And Lonni, your constant nagging is trying my patience.”
Lonni grudgingly sat down, “Fine. What do you want to talk about, Nicholas?”
Nicholas nodded and began, “New troops will be arriving in a couple of days. After we get them settled in, either Wednesday or Thursday, I will hold a briefing and introduce the three of you to them.”
“So?” Rath asked sarcastically.
Nicholas stared him down until he looked away. “So, I don’t want there to be any problems,” he turned his gaze to Lonni, “or accidents. Khivar is sending these troops to Earth for a reason and we don’t want the three of you screwing up any more.”
“Screwing up,” Lonni ground out. “It is only because of our screw up that Khivar has his precious Granolith.”
“Yes,” Nicholas agreed, “but because of two of your screw ups, Max continues to be a thorn in Khivar’s side.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Evans House)
Philip knocked on the doorframe to Max’s room and poked his head in through the open door. “Can I talk to you, Max?”
Max turned from his desk and put down the book he was reading. “Sure Dad.”
Philip took a seat on Max’s bed. “Your mother is a little concerned about you, and she asked me to talk to you.”
“What about?” Max asked apprehensively.
“Well she seems to think you’re having girl trouble. Your friend Tess was coming over quite a bit and now she just seems to have disappeared from your life. Did you two have a fight? Is it anything your mother or I could help you with?”
There were times, like now, when Max wished he could tell his parents what was going on in his life. He knew they loved him and he respected their advice. But since the truth was out of the question he simply shrugged and gave his father the Earthly version. “For a while, Tess and I were close but it was over almost before it started. It didn’t take too long for me to see she wasn’t who I thought she was.”
His father nodded, understanding, “I’m sorry Max. Do you want to talk about it?”
Max sighed. “Not really. It’s over and she’s gone.”
“You’re mother said Tess left town. Was it because of your breakup?”
“Not exactly,” Max admitted. “Tess just figured out there was nothing here for her. There never was.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Tuesday, July 4th, 2001)
(Copper Summit, AZ)
Nicholas passed his hand over the communications controls and waited for his master to answer.
Corporal Raltos slumped forward and then sat upright and Nicholas knew Khivar had taken over the body.
“My liege,” Nicholas started formally, “I am pleased to announce the arrival of the two-hundred new troops.”
“Excellent,” Khivar said. “I had the engineers make a few improvements to the ship while it was here and now with the power of the Granolith, the trip between Earth and Antar only takes a few hours.”
“That is excellent,” Nicholas agreed. “It will be much easier to build up the number of troops on Earth.”
Khivar shook his head, “For now, I am not sending a large force to Earth. We will wait and see if this plan is successful before committing more troops.”
“I am sure you are right, Sir,” Nicholas said. “The new troops arrived almost without incident and the plan will start on schedule.”
“Almost without incident?” Khivar asked, immediately picking up on Nicholas’ wording.
“There was an accident last night after the troops arrived,” Nicholas reported. “They were getting settled into their houses in Copper Summit and somehow a fire broke out. Two soldiers were killed, but they were only minor technicians, nothing that can’t be easily replaced. We are investigating the cause of the fire but it looks like they were simply too unfamiliar with the husks, and the workings of a human household, and the gas flame on the stove caught them unawares.”
Khivar shook his head, “Make sure the others are properly trained. We don’t want any more stupid accidents to ruin our plan.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Wednesday, July 5th, 2001)
(The Evans House – Isabel’s Room)
Isabel had worked at least an hour, every day for weeks on her memory recovery, but she had never experienced any success apart from the brief vision she’d gotten. Even Michael had experienced some general feelings and impressions of Antar and Isabel was frustrated at her lack of progress.
But as her frustration grew, so did her anxiety. Isabel started to worry that subconsciously she didn’t want to remember. Congresswoman Whitaker had told her she had betrayed her family, her brother, and Isabel was afraid of what she would discover about her past life. But no matter what her other self had done in the past, she was free of guilt, and knowing the truth about what had happened might give them insight on how to stop Khivar.
Isabel felt a shiver of reaction race through her at just the thought of his name. If what Whitaker and Nicholas said was true, Khivar had been her lover and the reason she had betrayed her people, and Isabel admitted to herself that she was afraid of recovering her memories of him.
Her one glimpse of her other life had included a man, and even though she had no proof, she was sure it was Khivar. It made her feel terribly guilty that she hadn’t remembered her mother or father or brother. Her first recovered memory had been of her lover.
Isabel took a deep breath and tried to push her anxieties aside as she started her meditation. The intense concentration she had attempted in the last few weeks had not yielded anything so she changed her technique. Ridding her mind of all thoughts, Isabel opened herself to the dark void of the past, simply letting her mind take her where it wanted to go.
After only a few moments, Isabel realized she could hear the sound of the ocean lapping gently on the beach. It was a soft, relaxing sound and it should have been calming but she felt nervous, excited. A warm breeze blew past her bare shoulders, making her hair swirl and dance and she cold feel the heavy length of it brush of it all the way down her back, longer than her hair had ever been in this lifetime.
The realization thrilled her and at the same time worried her, but she stubbornly worked to let more of the memory into her conscious mind. She could see nothing, but she was sure it was night and more sensations rushed into her mind as if she were there.
The sorrowful song of a night bird echoed in the distance as she walked away from the unmistakable sounds of a party. A warm hand rested on her waist, gently guiding her across uneven ground. A rush of emotions assailed her and Isabel knew she would have gone anywhere her companion suggested. She felt the touch of his hand on her face and words echoed in her mind in an unfamiliar language, but somehow Isabel knew what they meant.
“You are incredibly beautiful,” her companion whispered and Isabel felt another shiver of reaction.
He leaned in for a kiss but Isabel knew it was wrong and heard the words she had spoken so long ago. “Please don't. My father would not approve."
But her companion didn’t listen and she felt his arms around her, pulling her closer. She trembled in anticipation of his kiss but she knew it shouldn't happen. Her voice was barely a whisper between them. "Please, Khivar."
Then she felt his lips on hers and the overwhelming maelstrom of emotions that rushed through her scared her more than anything she had ever experienced. Forcefully Isabel shut off the memory as she raised a shaky hand to her lips, where she could still feel the kiss.
This one taste of the past made her doubt herself more than anything else ever could have. The feelings she had experienced for Khivar had been so powerful that Isabel was afraid of what she would have done for him. She was afraid to discover anything more and vowed never to attempt recovering her past again.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Crashdown Cafe)
Maria looked up when the bell above the door announced the arrival of a customer and smiled broadly when she saw who it was. “Brody, it’s good to see you.”
Brody smiled, “I decided to come over here for dinner today.”
Maria nodded her approval, “Well you do need to get out of that dungeon every once in a while.”
“I have been working a lot lately,” Brody admitted.
“Something happening?” Maria asked, trying not to seem too interested.
“No, not really,” Brody said with a sigh. “When my team was going over the readings from the tracking stations, they found an anomaly in the desert outside of town on May 19th.”
“May 19th,” Maria said with a squeak, remembering the day Tess had left in the Granolith. She cleared her throat and struggled to get her voice under control. “What kind of anomaly?”
“Well, there were some unusual readings but it turned out to be nothing, just a glitch in the equipment.”
“Oh,” Maria said relieved, but she feigned disappointment, “I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Yeah,” Brody said. “I thought we were on to something, you know. I have all of this great equipment and employees searching twenty-four hours a day. I thought we would have found something by now but there hasn’t really been any activity since last year.”
“I’m sorry, Brody, I know how disappointed you must be. But one of these days I know you’ll find what you’re looking for.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Saturday, July 7th, 2001)
(The Evans House)
“The pizza’s here,” Isabel called out. She carefully threaded her way past everyone and placed the boxes on the dining room table. “There’s cheese, vegetarian, combo, and of course meat lover’s for Michael. We also got hot wings and bread sticks.”
The six of them passed around plates and helped themselves to food, and the debate started about which movie to watch.
“The Princess Bride,” Maria suggested.
Michael and Kyle exchanged a grimace and Kyle groaned, “No chick flicks. Let’s have some action.”
“I brought Braveheart,” Michael said.
Maria booed and Isabel threw a balled-up napkin at him, “Not Braveheart again.”
“Okay,” Michael said, “what about the Patriot?”
Kyle turned to Maria, “Does he have a weird Mel Gibson fetish or something?”
Maria rolled her eyes, “Don’t even ask.”
Max and Liz stood to the side and watched the others arguing about the movie choices. Max spoke softly so only Liz could hear, “It was a good idea to get together tonight.”
Liz shrugged, “I thought we could all use a little fun for a change.”
“And it will help the group bond,” Max added. “Maybe we should schedule an evening just for fun. You know, have a standing date, and we could do different things like bowling or movies or something. Saturday nights would be perfect.”
Liz turned to him and studied his face until Max grew uncomfortable, “What is it Liz?”
“I guess I just realized how much you’ve matured in the last year. You’re really growing into your role as the leader.”
Max shook his head, “I don’t feel mature and I certainly don’t feel like a leader. Half the time, I don’t really know what I’m doing. I just try to do what’s best and keep everyone safe.”
Liz nodded, “You’re a good man, Max. A good friend and a good person, and that’s why you’ll be a good King.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The figure quietly climbed the ladder onto Liz’s balcony and crossed to the window. He was pleasantly surprised to find it unlocked and slipped easily inside. Liz’s room was dark but there was no one home and he switched on a light, unafraid of being seen.
He quickly opened drawer after drawer, sifting carefully through Liz’s belongings. He tried the closet and then under the bed but he didn’t find what he was searching for.
Finally he opened the small drawer on the bedside table and carefully extracted a small strip of photos that had obviously been taken in a photo booth. There were three shots on the strip of a smiling Liz and Max Evans.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Evans House)
Maria had sensed that Liz was somewhat subdued, and when her friend headed toward the bathroom, Maria followed. “Liz, do you want to tell me what’s going on.”
Liz shook her head, “Nothing.”
“Liz, I know you better than that,” Maria insisted. “Is it you and Max?”
“No, not at all,” Liz denied instantly. “At first, he was really anxious to get things back to the way they used to be between us, but he has really calmed down. It’s been nice just letting our friendship grow again and we are getting closer.
“But there is something wrong,” Maria pressed.
Liz sighed, “Really there’s nothing specific. It’s just this feeling I have. I can’t say why but I’m worried about everyone.”
“Now that Khivar has the Granolith, I thought he would leave us alone,” Maria said.
“We don’t know that for sure,” Liz said. “Their world has been at war for over fifty years. It would help secure Khivar’s position if all of Max’s family and supporters were… um… out of the way.”
“You mean dead,” Maria clarified. “You think that’s why Khivar took over the Earth in the other time, don’t you? And you think he’ll do it again.”
Liz shook her head, “No. No, I don’t.”
“Have you told Max about this?” Maria asked. “I mean what are we going to do?”
“I haven’t really discussed it with Max but I’m sure he’s thinking the same thing. That’s why he has us practicing our powers and why we are getting the book translated. So we are prepared as we can be if something does happen.”
“So this bad feeling you have,” Maria persisted, “is it related to Khivar?”
“No, I don’t think so,” Liz said. “I can’t pinpoint anything specific but I just have the feeling that something is wrong.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Isabel got another two-liter of soda from the kitchen and headed back into the living room. Kyle, Max and Michael were laughing, making jokes and Isabel stopped just around the corner to watch.
“They look like they’re having a good time,” Alex said over her shoulder.
“Yeah,” Isabel agreed. “It’s good to see them laughing. It’s been a while.”
“They’re getting over my death and over the betrayal. Moving on with their lives. Healing.” He placed his hand on Isabel’s shoulder, turning her to look at him. “And so are you.”
“No,” Isabel instantly denied. “I’ll never forget you.”
“Of course not,” Alex agreed. “Healing doesn’t mean forgetting, it just means living.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Thursday, July 12th, 2001)
(Crashdown Café)
Sean waited until everyone had left, and Liz was the only one in the Crashdown before knocking on the locked door.
Liz turned to the door, recognized Sean and crossed to him. She unlocked the door and opened it half way, “Sean the kitchen is closed.”
Sean pushed past her and into the dining room. “Good, because I didn’t come to eat.”
Liz sighed, “Look Sean it’s late and…”
“This is important,” Sean insisted.
Liz sank down into one of the booths. “Okay.”
“I’ve found out some things Liz, and you need to hear them,” Sean started.
Liz sat forward, suddenly concerned, “What are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about Max.”
Liz felt herself go cold, “What about Max?”
“I’ve been asking around and I’ve got some pretty convincing evidence that Max isn’t such a great guy.”
Liz breathed a sigh of relief but rose from the table. “Sean you have no right to investigate Max. He is none of your business.”
“It is my business because I care about you and I don’t want you to get hurt. Max was stringing you on before. How do you know he isn’t doing it again?”
Liz shook her head. “You have no idea what you’re talking about, Sean. Max isn’t like that.”
“Well Liz, maybe Max isn’t the guy you think he is.”
“You should go now Sean,” Liz said, heading toward the door.
Sean followed her. “Liz you never told me why you came to the bowling alley the night of the prom but I could tell you were hurting. I know you went to the dance with Max but he didn’t take you home, so something happened between you two that night. I’ve been asking around, and some people saw him kissing a blonde named Tess at the prom.”
Liz felt tears prick her eyes as the painful memories came rushing back and ducked her head so Sean wouldn’t see.
Sean could see her pain and knew he was finally getting through to her. “Your incredibly honerable guy was kissing another girl at the prom he took you to.” Sean didn’t want to hurt her but he continued ruthlessly, “And it’s not even like they were trying to hide it, were they? They were right there in front of everyone, just like Max didn’t even care if you saw them. And people saw you witness the kiss and run out of the building.”
“Please go,” Liz whispered.
Sean took her chin in his hand and lifted her head, forcing her to look at him. “Tess and Max were together after that, weren’t they? People saw them together a lot and she was always hanging on him.”
Liz wiped the tears from her cheeks. “That is in the past, Sean. T-Tess left town.”
“Yeah,” Sean agreed, “she left pretty quickly didn’t she? Tess didn’t wait the couple of weeks until school ended, didn’t tell anyone she was going. People talked about that too. Some of the crazier theories have her running off to join a cult or abducted by aliens. One guy I talked to thinks Max murdered Tess and buried the body in the desert. But the leading theory seems to be that Max got her pregnant, and she left either to get an abortion or have the baby somewhere else.”
Liz was incapable of speech she was so dumbfounded and merely shook her head. Sean had come very close to the truth.
Sean continued, “The timing is about right too. If Max was cheating on you with Tess before the prom, she could have discovered she was pregnant and left in May.” His voice softened, “Liz you’re a smart girl. Why are you staying with someone who would do that to you? Max stole you from Kyle. Maybe he’s one of those guys that’s just into the chase and as soon as he has you again, you’ll find him making out with another busty blonde.”
His words angered Liz and she jerked her head away. “Max didn’t steal me from anyone. I am not a possession. And not that it’s any of your business, but Kyle and I weren’t going anywhere so I broke up with him. Max and I didn’t get together until later.” She sighed, “Sean you don’t know everything that happened and I’m not going to explain it to you but I will say that there is nothing you can tell me about Max.”
“But Liz,” Sean started, only to be interrupted.
“Sean, I don’t know if Max and I will make it but we’re going to try again and there is nothing you can say to change my mind.” She motioned to the door.
Sean studied her for a moment, saw that he wasn’t getting through to her and walked outside. He stood on the dark sidewalk and watched as Liz turned off the lights and went into the back. “Maybe I can’t change your mind about Max yet, but this isn’t over.”
He turned toward home, walking slowly but he didn’t get more than a few steps before someone called his name.
“Sean DeLuca.”
Sean turned in the direction he had heard the voice, but saw no one. “Who’s there?”
A man stepped out of the shadows that Sean didn’t recognize. “Do I know you?“ he asked.
The man shook his head, “No, but I think we can help one another.”
“What makes you think that?” Sean asked sarcastically.
“You want Max out of Liz’s life and if you help me expose him I guarantee that will happen.”
Sean’s brow knotted, “Expose him doing what?”
The man leaned in closer. “Haven’t you ever noticed anything odd about Max?”
The night Brody held them hostage in the UFO museum immediately flashed into Sean’s mind but he stalled, “Maybe.”
The man smiled, “Why don’t you tell me everything you know?”
“Let’s take it slow pal,” Sean said. “Who are you exactly?”
“Does it really matter, if you get what you want?”
Sean shrugged, “So what do I call you?”
“Why don’t you just call me, John?”
It was obviously a false name but Sean nodded. “And what’s in it for you, John? What do you have against Max?”
John smiled, “Let’s just say I owe him one.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Friday, July 13th, 2001)
(The Parker House – Liz’s Room)
There was a light knock at Liz’s door and she looked up from the book she was reading in bed. “Come in.”
Her mother entered and sat next to her. “Can we talk about something?”
Liz closed the book and focused on her mother. “Sure, Mom.”
“I, um, noticed that you have been spending more time with Max again,” Nancy started, trying to sound casual, “alone.”
Liz nodded, “Yeah.”
“I know you two had broken up, but now you’re back together?”
“It’s really complicated, Mom,” Liz said, “but yeah, we’re trying again.”
“So what kind of complications are there?” Nancy asked. “Did he pressure you to, um, do things you didn’t want to do?”
Liz smiled at the uncomfortable tone in her mother’s voice. “No it’s nothing like that. Max would never do anything like that. He’s a good guy.”
“So what did happen between you?”
Liz sobered suddenly, shaking her head, “That’s between me and Max, Mom and we are working through it.”
Nancy nodded. “Liz I really meant it when I said you could talk to me about everything. I want you to feel that I’m here for you.”
“I do, Mom,” Liz assured her.
Her mother gave her a quick hug and Liz waited until she had left the room and closed the door behind her. “I wish I could talk to you about everything, Mom. But no matter how much I want to, there are just some things I can’t tell you.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Saturday, July 14th, 2001)
(Michael’s Apartment Complex)
The man waited outside the apartment complex until Michael had driven away with a girl in a red Jetta, then he easily picked the shabby lock on Michael’s door and slipped inside.
Carefully he searched through Michael’s belongings, making sure to put everything back where it came from. But he stopped when he discovered some photos in a drawer. He sifted through them slowly, looking on the backs of some of the photos and then replaced them into the drawer.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Quarry)
For the day’s training, Max had separated the groups into boys and girls. He and Michael were honing their marksmanship on the quarry’s many rocks, Kyle was meditating, while Isabel, Maria and Liz were attempting to discover her unique ability.
Liz addressed Isabel, “How did you, Michael and Max figure out your powers?”
Isabel shrugged, “It was all by accident. Max healed a pigeon in the park and that was the first time we knew we had powers. I discovered my dream walking the same way. It just happened one night.”
“But I haven’t had any experiences like that.” Liz said. “I have to really concentrate to use my powers.”
“What about when you contacted Max in New York?” Maria asked. “You didn’t know you had powers then.”
“I was going on a lot of faith and desperation and Isabel was helping me,” Liz said.
Isabel shook her head. “I helped you focus at first, but then it was all you, Liz. You went farther than I ever could have.”
“But I don’t even really know what happened,” Liz protested.
“Maybe that is her special power,” Maria suggested. “She can send her mind or her spirit or something, to other places.”
The suggestion shocked Liz. “Astral projection?”
“It could be,” Isabel agreed. “Why don’t we work on it and see what happens?”
“Okay,” Liz nodded in agreement. “How do we start?”
“Do you remember what it felt like the night you contacted Max?” Isabel asked.
“Yeah, I focused on Max, tried to feel him with my mind. Then it felt like I was flying really fast to where he was.”
“And when you saw him?” Isabel asked. “What happened?”
“I was suddenly on a street and I saw him and tried to call him but I wasn’t making any sound. I waved and finally he saw me.”
“Okay,” Isabel said. “Why don’t we try it again. Maria can go over behind those big rocks and I will help you focus on her.”
Maria nodded and left them and Isabel waited until she was out of sight to start. “Take my hands, Liz. I’ll start a connection between us and well both focus on Maria, her essence, the part of her that is uniquely Maria.”
Liz grasped Isabel’s hands and nodded. She took a deep breath and shut her eyes as the connection came to life with a rush of images.
Isabel gasped when Liz’s memories and emotions slammed into her and suddenly dropped her hands.
Liz’s eyes snapped open. “What’s wrong Isabel?” she asked concerned.
Isabel grasped at her chest, breathing heavily. “The other time we did this, you were shielding me from your mind and I wondered why, but it was because…” she trailed off as tears pricked her eyes.
Liz instantly understood. “I didn’t block you this time and you saw my memories of what happened with the other Max,” she said softly.
“It was so awful for you,” Isabel whispered. ”The things you had to say to Max while loving him so much and the way he treated you after. I don’t know how you did it.”
Tears started in Liz’s eyes as Isabel continued. “I’m glad you are able to be together. Love like you and Max share shouldn’t be denied. I know I was horrible to you at first Liz, but I really see now how good you and Max are for each other.”
Liz pulled Isabel into a hug, “Thank you.”
They released one another and Isabel wiped her eyes, “Maria’s going to wonder what we’re doing.” She held out her hands again, “Let’s try again.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Michael took careful aim and blasted a single rock in the middle of a pile. “So how are things going with you and Liz?” he asked Max casually.
Even though Max didn’t have a destructive power like Michael’s, he had figured out how to use his shield to hit things. He held up his hand and used his shield to punch a hole through a rock and then turned to Michael with a shrug, “Okay, I guess.”
“Nice,” Michael said, indicating Max’s rock. “So no thawing of the ice then, huh?”
Max glanced over to where Liz and Isabel were sitting, and then back at Michael. “I don’t want to move too fast, or push her. After everything that happened, I’m just grateful she’s even speaking to me.”
Michael nodded. “You, um, ever wonder about your son? I mean what he looks like, what’s happening?”
Max sighed, “All the time.”
Michael indicated Liz with a jut of his chin, “That’s got to be a sore subject between you.”
Max looked at the ground. “Liz has asked me about him a couple of times but I don’t really want her to have to relive that pain, so I don’t talk to her about it.”
“Well if you need to talk about your son or Tess or anything,” Michael said, “you know you can talk to me, right?”
Max nodded, “Thanks.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The first few times, Liz had used Isabel’s help to get started. She had focused on Maria, like she had done before with Max, and suddenly found herself standing next to her best friend. But she had only seen Maria for a moment before she felt herself fall back into her body, and Maria had not seen her.
“Try it on your own,” Isabel suggested. “I think you’re ready to solo.”
Liz closed her eyes again and this time focused on Maria. Again she appeared next to her best friend, and this time Liz concentrated on making Maria see her. Strange sensations assailed Liz as she fixated her entire attention and she could literally feel herself solidifying.
Liz’s sudden appearance startled Maria but then her curiosity took over and she reached out to touch her. “Wow, that’s really cool, you’re like a ghost, I can see right through you. Can you hear me Liz?” she asked as her hand passed through Liz’s shoulder.
Liz nodded, “Yeah.”
Maria shook her head, “Sorry babe, no sound.”
Liz concentrated harder attempting to make herself more solid. “Now Maria?”
Maria jumped up, clapping her hands. “I heard you say Maria, and you almost looked solid for a minute.”
A sudden wave of weariness overcame Liz and she let herself slip back into her body, but the sudden transition made her dizzy and she swayed to the side.
Isabel caught her easily, “Whoa, are you okay?”
Liz nodded, “Yeah, just tired and kind of dizzy.”
“Do you want me to get Max?” Isabel asked, already rising.
Liz put a hand on Isabel’s arm. “No it’s okay. I’ll be fine.”
Maria came running from behind the rocks, whooping with laughter. “I saw her that time and she said my name.”
Max, Michael and Kyle, alerted by Maria’s antics, came running.
“What happened?” Kyle asked.
“It was so cool,” Maria started. “At first I couldn’t see her but then she was like a ghost. I could see right through her and I heard her speak.”
”What is she talking about?” Michael asked Isabel.
“It looks like Liz has the power of astral projection,” Isabel said casually. “But it takes a lot out of her.”
Max knelt in front of Liz. “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine. It was just like nothing I’ve ever experienced before,” she said and then quickly amended herself. “Well, okay, once before.”
“And you nearly fainted that time too,” Michael pointed out.
Max extended a tentative hand toward Liz. “Maybe I should check you…”
“It’s nothing,” Liz assured them. “It’ll just take a bit of getting used to.”
“Okay,” Max agreed. “But be careful when you are practicing. Don’t over-tire yourself. I don’t want you to get hurt.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Sean stopped his car on the side of the highway and pressed speed dial on the new cell phone John had given him.
The phone was answered immediately, “Yes.”
“It’s Sean. I tried to follow them today but I lost them.”
“You lost them?” John asked incredulously. “How do you lose anyone in the desert?”
“I had to hang back enough so they wouldn’t see me. It’s not just flat desert and straight road, you know. The highway curves and there are rocks and trees and hills blocking my view and when I got a clear view again, the Jeep and Jetta were gone.”
“You couldn’t tell where they’d turned?” John asked.
“That whole area is riddled with Jeep tracks and old roads that go out into the desert and up the hills. There was no way to tell where they went. I tried a few roads but I didn’t see anyone.”
“Damn,” John cursed. “We need to find out what they are doing. Max lives a normal life in town. Those trips into the desert are definitely the key.”
“You keep saying that,” Sean said, “but you won’t even give me an idea of what they might be doing. What is it? Drugs or some kind of cult? Brainwashing?”
“I’m not exactly sure myself,” John admitted, “but I know Max Evans, and you can be sure that it’s big.”
“But Liz goes with them,” Sean protested. “If she knows about it already, how is exposing Max going to turn her against him?”
“Like I already told you,” John said slowly, “I doubt Liz knows the whole story or if she does, she probably doesn’t want to be involved. You told me yourself that Liz went back to Max under suspicious circumstances and seemed reluctant to be with him. It’s possible he’s holding something over her, forcing her to stay with him. If you free her, you’ll be her hero.”
“Okay,” Sean agreed. “But you know their schedule as well as I do. They go out Saturday and Wednesday. I’ll just have to try again.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Crashdown Café)
Liz waved to Max and Isabel as they drove away and let out a deep breath. She had worked hard all day to not let the others see how exhausted the astral projection had made her. Letting herself in the back, Liz slowly climbed the stairs, hoping she wouldn’t see anyone.
Entering the kitchen she saw a note on the table her parents had left, telling her they were at the store. Relieved that she wouldn’t have to explain her weariness, Liz went in her room and sank down onto her bed. She knew if she told Max how much the new power took out of her, he would be worried and perhaps even try to stop her from developing it. But Liz had a feeling it could be important to them and she couldn’t let Max or anyone else interfere.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Monday, July 16th, 2001)
(The Evans House)
A figure watched from across the street as first Mr. and Mrs. Evans drove away and then as Max and Isabel climbed into the new Jeep. He waited until they had driven down the street and disappeared around the corner before he exited his car.
With a quick glance up and down the road, he slipped into the yard and through the unlocked gate, closing it softly behind him. And now that he was free of the prying eyes of the neighbors, he took his time opening one of the ground floor bedroom windows.
Climbing inside, it only took a cursory glance to determine that this was not the room he was looking for. There was a collection of perfumes and makeup on a dressing table and girls clothes flung haphazardly on the flowery bedspread. This was obviously Isabel’s room.
He proceeded into the hallway and found the room he was looking for after only one wrong turn. The spartan furniture and brown plaid bedclothes immediately alerted him to the fact that this was Max’s room.
With practiced hands, he sifted quickly through the room’s contents, slowing his pace only when he discovered a small velvet-covered box in a dresser drawer. He withdrew the box and opened it, revealing a necklace; two heart charms on either side of a star, engraved with the names Max and Liz. He closed the box and replaced it, shutting the drawer.
And then finishing his search, he quietly left the house.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Parker House – Liz’s Room)
Liz’s alarm sounded, waking her from a fevered sleep. She reached over and quickly silenced the buzzing, hoping it hadn’t awakened her parents. It was only two-thirty in the morning and she had specifically chosen the time hoping that Max would be asleep and she could practice her astral projection on him.
She had practiced on Isabel and Maria the previous two nights, visiting their bedsides in the middle of the night. But she had only been able to hold on for a few minutes until exhaustion had overtaken her and she was forced to return to her body. Liz was hoping to build up her strength quickly so her friends would never know how much her new power was taking out of her.
Propping up the pillows behind her, Liz leaned back and closed her eyes. She focused on Max, on the part of him that was unique and made him who he was. The now familiar flying sensation washed quickly over her and when it passed, she opened her eyes to find herself standing in Max’s room.
He was in bed, clad only in a t-shirt and boxers and soundly asleep. Liz could see the gentle rise of his chest as he breathed and she knelt on the floor next to him, envying his deep slumber. Over the last few weeks she had been plagued by dreams she couldn’t remember, and they filled her with an ever-increasing feeling of dread.
But she didn’t know what to do about them. After all, they were only dreams, and an amorphous feeling of impending doom wasn’t exactly the kind of thing that could be researched. She released a sigh, knowing exactly what Michael would say, hearing his sarcastic tone in her head.
You want us to be on alert because you have a bad feeling. You’ve got to be kidding, Liz.
And maybe he was right. Maybe she was just feeling her own anxiety about everything that was happening. It hadn’t exactly been a relaxing year with all the group had been through; Congresswoman Whitaker, future Max’s visitation, the skins, the dupes, Laurie’s kidnapping, the Ganderium, the horror of Alex’s death and Tess’ pregnancy. And even though Tess was gone and Liz knew she and Max could be together, there was still so much to work through.
Liz studied Max’s face, wishing with everything that was in her that things could have been different between them. They had been so close at one time, sharing everything, and she missed that desperately. She reached out to brush his bangs off his forehead but her fingers passed through his hair and she suddenly remembered she was not really there.
Glancing at the clock, Liz saw she had been in Max’s room for almost fifteen minutes and she didn’t even feel tired. The extra practice had been worth the restless nights, Liz mused. She was already increasing her time out of her body.
She took a final look at Max’s handsome face and leaned in to place a kiss on his forehead. For a second it felt as if her lips had actually touched him, and as she let herself go back into her body Liz swore she heard Max’s whispered voice.
“Liz.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Friday, July 20th, 2001)
(Roswell UFO Museum)
Max had just finished stuffing the intestines back in the alien model when he was distracted by an unfamiliar voice.
“Max Evans?”
“Yeah,” Max said as he turned. But instead of a customer, he was surprised to see a guy he didn’t recognize in the UFO museum uniform, gold vest. “You work here?” he asked.
The new guy smiled, “Just started today.” He held out a hand, “I’m Ryan MacGregor. Brody said you’re the guy to tell me all about this place.”
Max shook the proffered hand as he quickly sized up the new guy. Ryan was just taller than Max, but thinner and more gangly, like he hadn’t quite grown into his body yet. He had reddish blond hair and bright green eyes and he seemed to be about Max’s age.
Max smiled, “Yeah, I guess I’m one of the old-timers around here.”
“Great,” Ryan said. “I’m really looking forward to getting started. I’ve always been into aliens.”
“Yeah,” Max intoned blandly. “I’m surprised Brody hired anyone,” he mused, changing the subject. “He never said anything to me about needing more help.”
Ryan shrugged, “I don’t know. I just came in yesterday and Brody said I could start today.”
Max nodded, “Well let’s start over here with the depiction of the ’47 crash.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Valenti House)
Jim entered his house and turned on the light but stopped short as he noticed Kyle on the sofa.
Kyle opened his eyes, “Hey Dad. How was work?”
“Good,” Jim said with a nod, “Really good.” He quickly changed the subject, “Kyle you were sitting here with the lights off meditating?”
“Yeah,” Kyle said. “It really helps me focus.”
“You’ve been doing a lot of meditating lately, with your friends and alone.”
“I have to be ready when I get my powers. It would be pretty hard to explain to the FBI that your son has uncontrollable alien powers.”
Jim nodded, “I understand you want to be prepared but I’m worried that you, that all of you, are focusing so hard on this and you’re forgetting to be kids and have some fun.”
“It’s important Dad. Liz said the world ended in the other time and we have to be ready. Especially now that Tess betrayed us.”
Jim paused, looking down and then he looked back at Kyle. “We never really talked after we discovered the truth about her, did we?” Jim asked.
Kyle shrugged, “What’s there to talk about? We took her into our home, into our family, our hearts, and she used us and threw us aside.”
Jim sat down beside Kyle. “For a while there, I thought the two of you were getting close.”
“I thought so too…” Kyle trailed off. For a time, starting last Christmas, he thought he had really been in love with her. He shook his head, “But I realized I saw her more as a sister.”
Jim released a sign, “Sometimes Kyle, I’m sorry I got you involved in all this mess.”
Kyle shook his head, “I was angry for a while but a few things changed my mind. Hearing everything Liz sacrificed really put things into perspective for me. And there was something Alex said to me when we were trapped in the cave with the Ganderium crystals. We didn’t think we were going to make it out, but Alex wasn’t scared or angry. He said, we were part of this amazing thing, and he was right. Even with everything that has happened, I know Alex wouldn’t have traded his experience for anything, and neither would I.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Max held the door for Ryan, “This is the Crashdown. I eat here pretty much every day.”
“Is the food that good?” Ryan asked.
Max shrugged, as he slid into a booth, facing the back room. “Yeah, the food is fine but I come here because…” his sentence trailed off as Liz came into the dining room and smiled at him.
Ryan turned to follow Max’s gaze. “Oh, she’s a good reason to hang out here. Is she your girlfriend?”
Max was suddenly jealous. He didn’t like the tone in the Ryan’s voice and felt the need to make sure Ryan knew where things stood. “Yeah, Liz is my girlfriend,” Max said, never taking his eyes off Liz as she approached. Max wished he could kiss Liz to reinforce his position in her life, but he settled for taking her hand when she was close enough.
“Hey Max,” Liz greeted warmly, even though she was surprised to see Max with someone she didn’t know. “Who’s your new friend?”
Max made the introduction, “Liz, this is Ryan. He just started over at the museum.”
“It’s nice to meet you Ryan,” Liz said.
“Nice to meet you Liz.” Ryan picked up the menu, “What would you recommend for a first-timer?”
“Well the special today is the Flying Saucer Platter; chicken strips, cheese sticks and onion petals with ranch and horseradish sauce,” Liz said.
“That sounds great,” Ryan said. “I’ll have a Coke too.”
Max released her hand so Liz could write their order on her pad.
She made a brief note for Ryan’s order and looked at Max, “The usual, Max?”
Max smiled, almost grateful for Liz’s implied intimacy. “Yeah. Thanks Liz.”
Liz crossed to the kitchen to put the orders in and was stopped by Maria.
“Who’s the guy with Max?”
“He just started at the museum,” Liz said. “I guess Max is showing him around.”
“I wouldn’t mind showing him around,” Maria said. “He’s quite a babe.”
“What?” Michael asked huffily, as he caught the end of Maria’s sentence. “Who’s a babe?”
“Down, Spaceboy,” Maria laughed. “I was just saying Max’s new friend is cute.”
Michael looked past the girls to where Max was sitting. “Who is that guy? And what’s he doing with Max?”
Liz sighed, “His name is Ryan.”
“He works at the museum,” Maria finished.
“Why is Max hanging out with him?” Michael grunted.
“I don’t know,” Maria hissed. “Why don’t you ask him?”
She was saved from any more of his questions as their attention was diverted to the door.
Isabel came in and took a seat at the counter, not realizing Max was there because his back was to the door.
Ryan’s gaze followed Isabel across the room and then he turned back to Max. “This really is the place to hang out. All the babes come here. Did you see that blonde that just walked in?”
“That’s my sister,” Max said with an edge in his voice.
“Whoa, sorry man,” Ryan apologized. “I didn’t mean anything.”
At that moment Max saw Liz motion to their table alerting Isabel to his presence, and his sister hopped off the stool and slid into the booth next to him.
She addressed Ryan, “Liz tells me you’re the newest employee at the museum,” she said with a smile. “Ryan right? I’m Isabel, Max’s sister.”
“Uh, yeah, hi,” Ryan stammered, obviously smitten.
Isabel pulled at Max’s sleeve, “Ryan, can you excuse us for a minute? Family business.”
Max rolled his eyes at the sharp tone in his sister’s voice. “I’ll be right back.” He followed Isabel to the counter where the others were waiting.
Michael was the first to speak, “Maxwell, what the hell are you doing with this guy?”
“He’s new in town and he doesn’t have any friends,” Max said.
“So what, you’re the freaking welcome wagon now?” Michael asked.
Max sighed, “Brody asked me to show him around at the museum and he just followed me over here for lunch. It’s not a big deal.”
Michael nodded, “Okay, but just don’t let him think he’s going to join the group or anything.”
“And how am I going to do that, Michael?” Max asked.
“You be rude to him,” Michael said. “Let him know he’s not wanted. We can’t take the risk of letting anyone new in.”
“Michael,” Maria scolded.
Max rolled his eyes, “Michael not every new person in town is an enemy alien.”
Michael shook his head, “I know that, but we’ve got our training to concentrate on, not to mention Khivar might send troops to invade Earth at any minute. We don’t have time to be babysitting some lonely UFO geek.”
“Even though I don’t agree with Michael’s methods,” Isabel said, “I do agree we can’t let anyone else in Max.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Saturday, July 21st, 2001)
Kyle and Isabel followed the other two couples into the bowling alley for their Saturday evening out.
Kyle smiled watching Max and Liz and Michael and Maria. It made him feel good that things were getting normal again and he was glad his friends could find some happiness. Of course, seeing the couples did reinforce the fact that he was alone, and so was Isabel.
He glanced at her walking beside him. She was beautiful and smart, not to mention an alien Princess, and he admitted he had a bit of a crush on her. But Kyle knew Isabel wasn’t ready for anything other than friendship. She was still getting over Alex’s death.
But friendship was one thing Kyle could offer. He turned to her as they approached the door, “Isabel I don’t want this to come out the wrong way but I was thinking, with the two couples, you and I kind of get left together anyway. So I propose we make it a standing arrangement. We could be like buddies. Any time either of us needs a partner, for a game or a movie or whatever, we both have a friend who is willing.”
Isabel turned to him but was interrupted by Maria, “So Isabel are you on our team or is Kyle?”
Isabel smiled and put an arm around Kyle’s shoulder, “Actually, Kyle and I are teaming up to show you guys how this game is played. Right partner?”
Kyle smiled, “You got it buddy.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Wednesday, July 25th, 2001)
(Crashdown Café)
Liz was stacking the dishes from the last dirty table into the brimming tub, when the bell over the door sounded, drawing her attention. But when she saw who it was, she sighed wearily. “Sean we’re closed.”
“You know I didn’t come to eat, Liz,” Sean said.
Liz turned her back on him and continued bussing the table. “Well then you might as well go, because I don’t want to talk to you about my relationship with Max.”
“Liz, just listen to me…” Sean started only to have her cut him off.
“Sean we don’t have anything to talk about,” Liz said over her shoulder as she hefted the heavy tub of dishes and headed toward the back. “There is nothing you can say that will make me leave Max.”
Sean was incensed that Liz could dismiss him so easily. He grabbed her arm and spun her toward him, causing her to lose her grip on the tub and it crashed heavily to the floor, sending dishes and food everywhere.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Max and Ryan exited the UFO museum and Max naturally looked to the Crashdown to see if Liz was still there. He spotted her instantly but she wasn’t alone. Sean was there, and for a moment Max wondered what he was doing with her. Max watched as Sean grabbed Liz and jerked her toward him, sending a bucket of dishes crashing to the ground, and an overwhelming rage rose up with Max that Sean would even dare to touch her. “That bastard,” Max ground out.
“What?” Ryan asked, confused.
Max didn’t answer. He sprinted across the street and burst through the Crashdown’s door. “What the hell are you doing, Sean?”
Sean turned toward Max and let go of Liz’s arm.
Ryan came through the door just behind Max but he tripped and fell to the floor. Max helped Ryan up and turned back to Sean.
Sean laughed as Max advanced toward him. “Oh, aren’t you the big man? Come running in here with your army to save your woman,” Sean said sarcastically. “Calm down, Evans. We were just talking.”
Max crossed to Liz, struggling to keep his anger in check but he saw Liz rubbing her arm and was instantly furious again. “I don’t know what you were talking about, but you hurt Liz.”
Sean looked at Liz and was instantly apologetic, “I’m sorry Liz. I didn’t mean to. I just wanted to talk to you.”
Liz sighed, “Sean, I already told you, we don’t have anything to talk about.”
Max knew Liz didn’t want him fighting her battles for her, and even though he wanted to drop-kick Sean out the door, he held his tongue.
Sean motioned to Ryan standing near the door. “So Evans did you bring your friend here because you knew you couldn’t take me alone?”
Max surged forward but Liz’s hand was instantly on his arm. “Stop it! Both of you,” she said.
Max felt all of the anger drain out of him at Liz’s touch and she took his hand in hers as she continued, “Sean, it’s been a long day. Why don’t you just go home?”
Sean looked down at Max’s hand clasped in Liz’s and knew he had lost this round, but he wasn’t giving up. “Okay, I’m going. And I really am sorry about your arm.”
Ryan stepped aside to let Sean pass and nearly fell back into a booth. He regained his balance and waited until the door closed. “Who was that guy?”
Liz smiled grimly. “A persistent admirer who won’t take no for an answer.”
“An admirer,” Ryan said woodenly. “He hurt you.”
“It’ll be okay,” Liz assured him. “It’s nothing really. So what are you two doing here anyway?”
“We were locking up the museum when I saw Sean grab you,” Max said softly.
“And you came running to the rescue?” Liz asked, looking between Max and Ryan.
Ryan smiled, “I couldn’t just stand by and watch a lady in distress.” He motioned to the mess on the floor, “Can I help with the clean-up?”
“No thanks,” Liz said with a smile. “We’ll get it.”
Ryan nodded, “I can see that everything is well in hand, so I’ll say goodnight.”
Max followed him to the door. “Thanks Ryan, for worrying about Liz. She means a lot to me.”
“Anyone with eyes can see that,” Ryan said. “Catch you at work.”
Max locked the door behind Ryan and crossed to where Liz was already starting the cleanup. He knelt next to her and noticed an angry red mark spreading across the pale skin of her arm. “Liz, let me check your arm.”
“It’s nothing really,” Liz said, dismissing his concern.
He placed a hand under her chin and raised her face to his, “Please, Liz.”
Liz held out her arm and Max laid his hand over the reddened area, gently soothing it away with his powers.
“Thanks,” Liz said.
“What did Sean want to talk to you about?”
“I don’t know,” she said with a shrug. “You and Ryan came in before he got to his point.”
Max scowled, “You must have some idea. I got the impression this wasn’t the first time.”
Liz continued to gather pieces of broken dishes into the tub, avoiding Max’s gaze.
But Max wasn’t going to let her get away that easily. With one swipe of his hand, Max mended all the dishes, stacked everything into the tub and cleaned the floor.
“Liz,” he said again, encouraging her to talk to him.
Liz lifted the tub onto the counter and looked him in the eyes. “It’s not the first time, Max,” she admitted. “Sean came to me a couple of weeks ago and tried to open my eyes about you.”
“He did what?”
“I guess he’s been asking around about you, trying to find out something that will make me turn away from you,” Liz said.
“This is bad, Liz. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because there is nothing we can do about it,” Liz said simply. “I knew you would get mad, but then what Max? Don’t you see, the best thing we can do is nothing? There is nothing for Sean to discover other than a few rumors. He can’t turn me away from you and he’ll soon see he’s wasting his time.”
Max nodded knowing she was right, but one of Liz’s phrases struck him, “What rumors did he hear?”
Liz tried to make it sound like no big deal, even though the words she was about to speak had been tearing her apart for weeks. “Well, I guess some people at school are speculating on the reason for Tess’ sudden departure from Roswell, and quite a few of them think she left town because you got her pregnant.”
Max was suddenly paranoid, “Liz, how does anyone know that?”
“I don’t know that anyone does know for sure,” Liz said with a shrug. “Maybe they just put two and two together, or maybe Tess told people she was p-pregnant.”
Max felt tears prick his eyes, hearing the pain in Liz’s voice. He had said sorry so many times but it never felt like enough.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Sean walked down the street to where he had parked his car and reached for the door handle only to be stopped by a voice behind him.
“You’ll never convince Liz that way,” John said.
Sean turned to face John, “And what do you suggest?”
“Find out what they are doing,” John urged. “I’ll lend you my car and you can follow them on Saturday. Expose Max and Liz will be yours.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Neither Sean or John noticed the figure watching them from the shadows.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Thursday, July 26th, 2001)
(The Valenti House - back yard)
Kyle sat in lotus position and tried to concentrate on his meditation, but he was almost painfully aware of Maria’s gaze on him. He could literally feel her looking at him and it was driving him crazy. Finally he gave up and opened his eyes, “What?”
“Oh,” Maria said surprised, “I didn’t mean to break your concentration.”
“How could you not, when you’re staring at me?” Kyle asked sweetly.
Maria smiled. “Well now that I’ve already interrupted, I just wanted to ask you about…” she trailed off, glanced at the others meditating nearby and leaned closer, whispering. “I mean, have you noticed that my Mom has been spending a lot of time with your Dad?”
Kyle smiled, “Yeah, they go out at least once a week and most weekends.”
“I know,” Maria said. “I just was wondering how you feel about this whole thing.”
“I like your Mom and she makes my Dad happy.” Kyle suddenly frowned, “Why? Don’t you want your Mom to date my Dad?”
Maria shook her head, “No, it’s not that at all. I love your Dad. He has helped us so much and he’s a great guy. But Kyle, what if your Dad and my Mom get serious? Can he keep lying to her?”
Kyle didn’t answer and Maria continued, “I hate lying to her. She and I used to tell each other everything, but since Max healed Liz it seems at least half of my life is top secret. You know?”
Kyle nodded, “I know what you mean. I can’t imagine keeping this from my Dad and I know he’s got to feel bad not telling Amy. But he would never tell her without Max’s permission.”
“Me either,” Maria agreed, “and I haven’t said anything to Max or Liz or even Michael. They have so many other important things going on, but it might be something we have to think about.”
“It’ll be okay,” Kyle assured her. “If it comes to that, I’ll back you up. After all, if our parents did get married that would make us brother and sister.”
Maria smiled. “I always wanted a brother and I can’t think of anyone I would rather it be.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Roswell UFO Museum)
Max hefted the stack of files and headed into Brody’s office when he heard Ryan calling him.
“Max, wait,” Ryan said as he jogged down the main staircase and over to Max. “I need to talk to you.”
“What about?” Max asked suspiciously.
“Is Liz okay?”
Max nodded. “Yeah, she’s fine.
“That guy, who grabbed her…”
“Sean,” Max prompted.
“Sean, “ Ryan nodded. “Has he hurt Liz before? Is she in danger?”
Max smiled, “Thank you for being worried about Liz, but it was just an accident. Sean wouldn’t hurt her intentionally. He’s an okay guy.”
“But yesterday you said…”
Max cut him off. “I was upset, and I might have overreacted,” he admitted. “Liz dated Sean briefly and I know he’s trying to get her back, so when I saw him touch her,” Max trailed off shaking his head. “I was jealous.”
Ryan nodded, “But you’re sure he’s okay?”
“I don’t know Sean that well,” Max said, “but Liz has known him her whole life and she’s a pretty good judge of character. She’s not scared, so I’m trusting her instincts.”
“Okay,” Ryan said. “I was just worried.” He turned to go and slammed into the door jam but shook it off with a laugh. “See you later, Max.”
Max continued into Brody’s office and put the files on the desk. “Hey Brody.”
“Hey Max,” Brody greeted. “I saw you talking to Ryan out there. I thought his clumsiness was lessening but then he just ran into the wall.” Brody shook his head, “At least he couldn’t break that. He’s so clumsy, knocking things over and messing up the displays, I might have to let him go.”
“I’m sure he’s just nervous,” Max said, “and like you said he is getting better. He hasn’t caused a major accident in a couple of weeks.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Friday, July 27th, 2001)
(Copper Summit, AZ)
Tess picked at her dinner with a sigh. In the last few months she’d had a lot of extra time on her hands and even though she tried to stay focused on her goals of going back to Antar and living happily ever after with Max, sometimes errant thoughts filtered through.
And more and more, she had been thinking about the times she had spent with Kyle. Tess thought of the times they had spent joking, arguing, watching movies or just hanging out. She’d had more fun with Kyle than anyone else she’d ever known and she really missed him.
There was a time when she thought she was falling for him too. Kyle was funny and charming, not to mention built, and it was easy to be attracted to him. And if things had been different, if she were human, Tess would have eagerly followed her feelings and let herself fall in love with Kyle.
But she wasn’t human and she deserved more than a human life. She had loved Max for two lifetimes and she wasn’t about to let her feelings for Kyle screw that up. So she had pushed her feelings for Kyle aside, hoping to bury them and for the most part she had. It was only occasionally, when she lowered her guard, that the unwanted feelings came rushing back. But every time they did surface it got a little harder to bury them again.
Tess placed a hand on her flat stomach and wondered what Kyle had thought when she’d told him she was pregnant. She had placed the idea in his head that he didn’t love her, but somewhere inside, his real feelings were still alive and it must have hurt him when he’d had proof that she’d slept with Max. Briefly she wondered if she hadn’t tampered with Kyle’s emotions, if he loved her enough that he would have fought to win her, to keep her.
Would Kyle have done all of the romantic things she had wanted from Max and would never receive? Would Kyle have given her candy and flowers and wooed her with serenades? Would he have written poetry, whispered tender endearments in her ear, told her how much he needed and loved her?
A shiver of reaction went through her and Tess brutally pushed it aside. It didn’t do any good to think about what might have been, it was simply a weakness. Tess knew she had to stay focused and that didn’t include thoughts of Kyle.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Parker House – Liz’s room)
Liz looked over the numbers she’d entered on the chart she’d made to keep track of her astral projection practice. She thought her long visit with Max last week meant she was getting stronger but the next night she had visited Michael and had only been able to last a few minutes before exhaustion set in.
Then to check her progress, Liz had revisited Maria and Isabel only to have the same thing happen. But when she went back to Max, she had been able to stay with him for almost twenty minutes with hardly any fatigue.
Liz had almost decided she could stay with Max longer because of the connection between them, but her scientist’s curiosity wouldn’t let her leave it at that, and next few nights she had visited each of her friends again and again with the same results.
The next night, Liz expanded her experimentation pool to include several friends from school along with Kyle. She had pushed herself, sometimes making two and three visitations a night, to check and recheck the times because she was surprised by the results. She was able to stay with Kyle almost twice as long as she had with anyone else but Max.
Starting the experiments, Liz had expected to have better results within certain groups. She hypothesized that she might be more compatible with the aliens, or perhaps with Max and Maria since she knew them so well. But her results had made her reexamine her theories.
Liz still suspected that her connection with Max was the reason she was able to stay with him longer but that didn’t explain what was happening with Kyle.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Saturday, July 28th, 2001)
Sean closely followed Michael and Maria in the Jetta, less afraid of being seen in John’s black car. In the last few weeks, Sean had explored all of the roads in the area, and when the Jetta turned into a gravel road that headed into a canyon, he knew they were headed to the quarry.
Sean turned onto another trail that went up to the top of the quarry, driving slowly to avoid making any noise, and stopped the car in the cover of the trees. He took a pair of binoculars and crawled to the edge, careful to keep himself concealed in the brush.
Even without the binoculars, Sean could see that so far only Michael and Maria had arrived and they were obviously waiting for the others. Sean studied the pair of them. They had no equipment and there were no buildings around. He had no idea what the group could be doing out there, but John seemed to think it was big.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Kyle sat in the back seat of the Jeep as they drove to the quarry, and studied Liz’s profile. She had kept her head turned away from the others, pretending to gaze out the window, and if Kyle hadn’t been sitting behind her he might never have noticed. No, he corrected himself immediately, he would have noticed. Liz seemed dull, muted, and if he didn’t know any better he would have said she was coming down with something. And while it was obvious to Kyle that something was wrong with Liz, it was just as obvious she was trying to hide it from them.
He sat in silence until they reached the quarry and waited until he could speak to her alone. Isabel and Max exited the Jeep and Kyle reached for Liz’s arm, stopping her before she could join the others.
He spoke softly so only she could hear, “What is wrong, Liz?”
“Nothing,” she said instantly.
Kyle shook his head, “Liz, this is me. I know you pretty well. Something is wrong and you look, I don’t know, exhausted.”
Liz was suddenly nervous. “Didn’t I put enough makeup under my eyes to block the dark circles? Do you think Max or Isabel noticed?”
“Liz your makeup is fine and I think I’m the only one to notice so far, but what is going on with you? Why don’t you want Max or Isabel to know?”
He waited for Liz’s answer but when she didn’t speak, he continued, “Liz, if you don’t tell me, I’m going to get Max.”
“Okay,” Liz agreed. “Really it’s not a big deal. I’ve just not been sleeping very well lately.”
“Because…” Kyle encouraged.
“I’ve been having bad dreams,” Liz admitted.
“What are they about?”
“Well, that’s the thing,” Liz said, “I can’t remember any details when I wake up. I just have this horrible feeling something bad is going to happen.”
“What is going to happen?” Kyle asked apprehensively. “And when?”
“I don’t know. But today is the worst it has ever been. I felt like I was going to throw-up when I got out of bed.”
“Liz, this is bad. We’ve got to tell Max.”
Liz smiled, “Since when are you so gung-ho about the Max-is-the-leader idea?”
“It was about the time you told us the truth of what happened last fall,” Kyle said soberly. He paused. “Liz, I wish you could have told me, so you didn’t have to go through that alone. I would have kept the secret.”
Liz nodded, “I know you would. That was never even a consideration. I trusted you enough to come to you in the first place, didn’t I? Kyle, I wasn’t going to tell anyone, ever. I thought I was risking the world.”
Kyle nodded, understanding. “Okay, but we are going to tell Max about your dreams.”
“Maybe it’s just a memory trying to come through,” Liz suggested, “or a side-effect of my new power. I have been practicing a lot lately.”
Something in her tone made Kyle suspicious, “How much is a lot?”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A noise to his left alerted Sean that another car was approaching and he ducked down even lower as it entered the quarry. It was Max’s Jeep, as Sean had expected, and he watched as Max, Isabel, Liz and finally Kyle got out. Max and Isabel went to join Michael and Maria but Liz and Kyle stayed behind, obviously deep in conversation.
Sean had hoped to get close enough to hear their conversation but he was too far away and he had to settle for studying Liz as she spoke to Kyle.
The sudden explosion made Sean hit the dirt, afraid he had been spotted, but another explosion sounded and Sean realized the noise was coming from down in the quarry.
Slowly Sean rose up on his elbows and brought the binoculars to his eyes.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The sounds of Max and Michael starting their practice didn’t deter Kyle and when Liz remained silent, he asked again, “Liz, how much is a lot?”
Liz sighed, “Well I haven’t been able to sleep, so I thought I might as well try to develop better control over my astral projection, so I could keep it up longer.”
“You’re always exhausted after a couple of minutes when we practice here,” Kyle said matter-of-factly. “And you’re telling me you have been doing this at night instead of sleeping?”
“How do you know it exhausts me?” Liz asked, raising her voice over the continued explosions. “I thought I was…”
Kyle cut her off, “You thought you were hiding it. But I’ve seen you Liz, like I can see you now.”
“Maybe it’s dumb, Kyle,” Liz said, “but I thought if Max knew how much it took out of me, he wouldn’t want me to practice. But it’s important that I gain control of this power. I can feel it.”
“Okay,” Kyle agreed, “but you don’t have to kill yourself doing it. Let’s just talk to Max. I’m sure he’ll understand.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Sean put the binoculars down, convinced they were playing tricks on his eyes, but the scene below didn’t look any less fantastic to his naked eyes. Max and Michael were blowing up rocks using some kind of power that came from their hands.
At first Sean thought they had weapons but he quickly determined that Max and Michael held nothing in their hands. Then he scanned the area, guessing it was some kind of rigged explosion, a special effect, but he couldn’t see any wires or explosives and they certainly hadn’t had time to set anything up since arriving.
He put the binoculars back up to his eyes and watched as Max raised his hand and a half-dozen small rocks flew into the air, swirling around. Then Michael aimed his hand at each one, causing it to explode into dust.
Sean dropped the binoculars, shaking his head as he scrambled backward. What had he gotten involved in?
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Kyle turned and started toward the others but Liz stopped him with a hand on his arm.
“Wait, Kyle. Can’t we just keep this to ourselves for a little while?”
“Liz…” he started, but she cut him off.
“Kyle, I’m getting better and I promise I will tell Max, in a while.”
Kyle shook his head, “Liz you don’t have to carry the responsibility for the whole world anymore. You can let us in and we can help.”
“I…” Liz started but trailed off. “I am doing that, aren’t I?”
“Yeah,” Kyle said softly.
Liz looked over at Max and watched for a few minutes as he smashed rocks with his glowing green shield and then released a heavy sigh. She had been keeping secrets to protect him for so long and she didn’t know how to stop.
Kyle continued, “Remember Liz, we all promised, no more secrets.”
Liz nodded, “You’re right. Let’s go tell them.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Sean kept the kids in the quarry in sight through the binoculars as he pushed the automatic dial on the cell phone.
It took a few rings but finally John answered, “Yes?”
“What is going on here, John?” Sean whispered fiercely. “What the hell are Liz and my cousin mixed up in?”
“Yes, I see you’ve discovered their secret,” John said mysteriously. “What do you think it is?”
“I don’t know. Some kind of mind powers,” Sean guessed.
John laughed humorlessly, “Oh no, it’s much bigger than that. But don’t you worry, soon it will all be over.”
The phone went dead in Sean’s hand and he heard the unmistakable sound of a car racing up the gravel road into the quarry.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
As Michael had predicted, the gang heard the car approaching before it arrived, giving them time to erase any evidence of alien activity and try to look as casual as possible.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
John had placed a GPS in the car he loaned to Sean, so it was simple for him to pinpoint Sean’s exact position. He had also put a transmitter in the binoculars that showed him everything Sean had seen through them. Then he had simply waited for confirmation of his theory, before joining the group in the quarry.
Then stopping the car only a few feet from Kyle and Liz, he jumped out, pushing Kyle aside and grabbed Liz, putting a gun to her head, before the others could stop him.
Max reacted immediately but he was too far away and could only watch helplessly as the man backed Liz to the car.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Sean watched horrified as John put a gun to Liz’s head and without a second thought, scrambled down the embankment into the quarry.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“Stop,” Max called out, hands raised in submission, as he slowly approached Liz and the gunman.
“You stop right there, Max,” John yelled, “or I’ll blow her head off.” He glanced around. “All of you keep your distance. And you’d better not try your powers, this gun has a hair trigger and we wouldn’t want any accidents.”
Max signaled for the others to wait. “It’s okay,” he called out to the gunman, “no one is going to do anything.” After Max had saved Liz, he’d had recurring nightmares that she was shot and he couldn’t save her, but this situation was worse than any of those nightmares. Terrified for Liz’s life, Max croaked, “Just tell us what you want.”
“Revenge,” John roared.
Max studied the man holding Liz. He was in his mid, maybe late twenties, with dark blonde hair. It was hard to tell how tall he was and his face was twisted with hatred but Max was sure he had never seen him before. “Who are you?”
“Who am I?” John yelled. “The real question is who or what are you?”
Max shook his head, trying to stay calm, “I don’t know what you mean?”
A sudden shout from above drew all of their attention.
“John,” Sean yelled, as he stumbled down the last few yards of the embankment, joining them in the quarry. “What’s going on?”
“Well Sean, I see you decided to join our little party.” John motioned with a jut of his chin, “Get over there with the others if you don’t want Liz hurt.”
Sean took a couple of steps forward, with his hands raised, “What are you doing, John? This isn’t right. Liz hasn’t done anything.”
John pressed the gun hard into Liz’s head, causing her to cry out. “I mean it Sean, stop right there. Don’t make the mistake of thinking we’re friends. I used you to get what I wanted, nothing more.”
Sean stopped and met Liz’s eyes but looked away, ashamed.
“As for you Max, don’t even try to pretend with me. I know what you are and I have proof. Sean followed you here this morning and watched you through a special pair of binoculars I gave him. Everything you’ve done today was transmitted to my computer and recorded.”
Sean turned to the others shaking his head, “I had no idea. I never would have…” he trailed off and turned to Liz again. “I’m so sorry, Liz.”
Max never took his eyes off Liz and even with the distance between them, he could see she was terribly afraid. He desperately tried to come up with a plan to save her but discarded one idea after another and finally spoke, to stall for time. “Okay John, you know the truth. So tell us what you want?”
“You think it’s that easy?” John laughed. “Well, let me tell you a little story. My father was an FBI agent in charge of a top-secret group called the Special Unit.”
Max felt cold fingers of fear race up his spine, and he heard the horrified gasps of the others.
John continued, “He was killed just over two years ago, but his partner, Daniel Pierce, kept in touch with me. Pierce encouraged me to join the Bureau when I graduated college the next May, and promised he would get me assigned to the Special Unit, so together we could find the thing that killed my father.”
“So I applied to the Bureau with Pierce’s recommendation. He broke off all contact with me the summer I was at Quantico, but before he left, he told me he had a big lead and would call me when he got back.”
“But I never heard from Daniel Pierce again,” he said, looking directly at Max.
“The next thing I know,” John said sarcastically, “Pierce is on CSPAN, voluntarily disbanding the Special Unit. That seemed a bit odd to me, a man just throwing away his life’s work like that, so when I finished the sixteen weeks of FBI training and finally became an agent, I looked for Pierce to find out what had really happened. But he was gone.”
“He left Washington after the disbandment and was never heard from again. No credit cards used, no taxes filed, no bank accounts opened or closed and no reports of his death. He left all of his belongings, abandoned his car and house; just disappeared.”
“There was a report that some UFO nut saw him in the small New Mexico town of Roswell. The guy said Pierce went into a public restroom in a diner called the Crashdown Cafe and he simply disappeared. That was the first and only lead to his whereabouts.”
Max swallowed hard. He had to ask the question but he was sure he already knew the answer. “How was your father killed?”
“It’s funny you should ask that Max, since I’m sure you or Michael already know. He was found dead in a restroom in a diner in Van Buren, Missouri, with a glowing silver handprint on his chest. And though it was never mentioned in the official autopsy report, Pierce told me it was the same as others who had been found with the handprint, his organs had literally been cooked.”
“And you think we killed your father,” Max said softly.
“I know one of you did,” John challenged. “You may not have known his name but I’ll tell you now, it was Daniel Summers.”
Max remembered the name as one Pierce had asked him about in the white room. “We didn’t have anything to do with your father’s death,” Max said softly.
John shook his head, “Max, why do you continue lying to me? I left the FBI because there was no reason to stay after the Unit was gone. All of the records had been destroyed and no one would believe me, but I knew the truth and never gave up the search.”
Liz was really scared. Her head ached where John had the gun pressed into her tender flesh. He was sounding more and more crazy with each sentence and she was afraid of what he would do. She could see the fear in Max’s eyes; fear for her safety. Liz knew Max would do anything to save her, including sacrificing himself, but she couldn’t let him. She was apprehensive about using her burgeoning powers to save herself because she was so exhausted, fearing what would happen if she screwed up, but she had to do something and fast.
“And all the clues lead to Roswell,” John continued. “Pierce was last seen in Roswell. I came here on May 19th of this year because the radar array in the White Sands Range noted an anomaly, a small object leaving Earth’s atmosphere at speeds not possible with man-made technology. Of course there are blips and unexplained readings on radar all the time and they are usually just blamed on equipment quirks but I have been hacked into the White Sands radar, among others, just to look for that kind of thing. And when I saw that the object left the atmosphere almost on top of the original ’47 crash site, I knew I’d found something.”
Michael shifted his weight from foot to foot, desperate to do something to save Liz. He looked for a shot to hit John, but the man was staying squarely behind Liz and Michael didn’t know if he had enough control to make the burst of power hit only his target. If he miscalculated at all, he could hit Liz too. Discarding the idea for a moment, he concentrated on the gun John had pressed into Liz’s temple. He didn’t really know much about guns but he had seen that kind before on TV. He thought it was called a TEC-9. It was a medium-sized, machine gun type weapon that could be either semi-automatic or fully automatic and it held a large magazine of bullets. Michael had no doubt that John had converted it to full auto and could take them all out in a matter of seconds.
John continued, rambling, “Luckily I was in the area and I was able to get to the launch site late the same night. I was searching the desert for any clues of alien activity and that’s when I saw Max and Michael. Of course, I didn’t know who you were or if you were the ones I was looking for and it took a while to find out. The only real lead I had was Michael’s motorcycle. Working alone it wasn’t easy to trace, since I didn’t catch a license plate number but I was a Computer Science major and I’ve picked up a few things here and there that helped. And now that I’ve seen what you can do, I know I’m not crazy. It’s all been worth it.”
John laughed but the sound was demented, more like a cackle and it sent shivers through Liz.
But suddenly he sobered and addressed Max and Michael, “So now you’re going to tell me which one of you killed my father or I will kill Liz.”
Max surged forward immediately, “I did it. I killed your father, so you can let Liz go.”
But Michael was right behind Max, “No, John. Max didn’t do it. I killed him.”
“Both of you are willing to die for her,” John said with amusement. “I didn’t expect that, but it doesn’t make any of this less fun. But how do I choose between you?” he mused. “Maybe I should just kill you both so I know I got the right one.”
Liz knew they were out of time and she did the only thing she could think of. Closing her eyes she concentrated on appearing next to Max.
John saw the air next to Max shimmer and then Liz appeared before him. “What the hell?” he roared. Liz’s body in his arms suddenly went limp and he almost lost his grip on her, as he tried to juggle her and the gun.
When Max saw Liz’s body slump against John, he quickly erected a small thick shield, concentrating on keeping it between her and the gun, and reinforced it with all of his power.
Michael took aim at John but Liz’s body and Max’s shield didn’t leave him a shot. He threw himself to the ground, rolling to get a better position.
John screamed with rage and pulled the trigger, shooting a rapid succession of bullets into Liz head. Max’s shield took the brunt of the damage but the sheer power of the bullets slammed the shield against her head.
The sudden pain at her temple plunged Liz back into her body, and unconsciousness.
Max roared with the effort it took to repel the bullets but he kept the shield intact, as he fell to his knees.
With a twist of her hands, Isabel jerked John’s gun skyward and tore Liz’s body from his grip, propelling her toward them.
As Liz’s body hit the ground, Max quickly repositioned and expanded his shield between them and the madman.
Michael took aim but stopped as John screamed again, but this time it was the unmistakable sound of excruciating pain. The gang watched horrified as he suddenly erupted into flames and in a matter of moments, nothing was left except a pile of ash.
Max dropped his shield and scrambled to Liz’s body, gathering her carefully in his arms, noting the red marks and bruises forming on her head. “Liz,” he said softly, but she didn’t respond. He placed his hand gently on her head above the injured area and his power flowed into her. It was harder forming a connection when she was unconscious but Max pushed past every barrier and healed the wounds on Liz’s head, bringing her back to wakefulness.
Liz opened her eyes and looked around for the danger.
“It’s okay,” Max assured her. “We’re all safe.”
Liz threw her arms around Max’s neck, “Oh Max, I was so scared for you. For all of us.”
With a sigh of relief Max hugged Liz to him tighter. “I’d never let anything happen to you.” He cradled her head and spoke to Michael, “What happened?”
Michael shrugged, “I don’t know. One minute he was there and the next he’s a pile of dust. It’s like he burned from inside.”
“Was he a skin?” Maria asked.
“His father was human,” Isabel pointed out. “He couldn’t be a skin.”
Max turned to Kyle, “Did you do something?”
Kyle shook his head, “I wish I could say yes but I wouldn’t have a clue how to do that.”
Max focused on Liz and helped her to her feet. She was shaky and her knees collapsed under her but Max held her with a strong arm around her waist and she leaned into him. He hated to ask her but they needed to know, “Liz, did you?”
She shook her head. “The only thing I could think to do was distract him, so I projected to you.”
“Then what the hell happened?” Michael asked.
“I admit I wanted him dead for threatening us,” Isabel said. “Maybe it’s a new power one of us has and doesn’t realize it yet.”
“Maybe,” Max agreed. “We can figure it out later. Right now, we need to make sure this mess is cleaned up.” He turned to Sean, who had remained silent, “And the first thing we need to know is how you got involved.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
With everything that had happened, none of the gang saw the figure looking down at them from the top of the quarry.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
After Sean related his story, the gang searched both cars, finding the laptop computer with the incriminating video and a room key for a local motel.
Max took Michael aside from the others. “We need to check out his motel room.”
“Yeah,” Michael agreed. He motioned to Sean with a jut of his chin, “What about him?”
“I don’t know that there is anything we can do.” Max thought for a moment and handed the key to Michael. “You, Isabel and Kyle take those two cars to the motel and make sure to clean them completely, no fingerprints, no fibers, nothing. Search the room and bring back anything that might be helpful or incriminating. One of you can drive the Jetta so you have a ride back. We’ll all meet at your place afterward. Meanwhile, Liz, Maria and I will talk to Sean.”
“Are you sure talking to him is such a good idea, Maxwell?” Michael asked.
“What else are we going to do?” Max asked. “Deny the whole thing? I don’t think we have another choice unless we’re prepared to start killing witnesses, but that is what got us into this trouble in the first place.”
Michael nodded, “Okay, I get your point, we’re screwed.”
Max glanced at Sean, sitting next to Liz and Maria. “I guess we’re about to find out.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“I’m so sorry,” Sean apologized again.
Maria cuffed him on the arm, “What were you thinking?”
“I don’t know,” Sean admitted. “I just thought Liz was in trouble…” he trailed off.
“Oh,” Maria said, realization dawning. “You thought you would be the hero and Liz would turn to you.”
“It doesn’t work like that Sean,” Liz said.
Sean shrugged. “It was just weird how you said Max broke your heart you and then a few days later you’re back with him. And it seemed like you weren’t really sure you wanted to be with him. I just thought maybe he had some kind of leverage over you and…”
“And was forcing me to be with him?” Liz asked incredulously. “Max isn’t like that.”
“I know you said that, Liz,” Sean admitted, “but I figured you might be in denial or lying.”
“And now?” Liz asked.
Sean smiled, “You were right when you said it was complicated.”
The sound of car doors and an ignition starting, drew their attention and Max joined them as the others drove away. “They’re going to search the motel room.”
“And you three are going to show me the error of my ways?” Sean asked.
Max shook his head, “I think you know what you did was wrong. We could have been killed, and even though John was crazy and probably would have killed us, he didn’t deserve to die.”
Sean shrugged, “I didn’t think anyone would get hurt. But obviously I had no idea of what I was getting involved in, or of what you are.” He shook his head and looked at Max, “I never believed in aliens. I would have said it was a load of crap before today.”
Max stayed silent and Sean turned to Liz. “I saw what you did too, Liz. You’re parents are human, how can you possibly have powers like them?”
Liz looked at Max but he let her make the decision of what to tell Sean. “I was shot,” Liz started, “almost two years ago and I would have died but Max healed me. He saved my life. That’s why I’m developing powers.”
“So what can you do?” Sean asked.
Liz shrugged, “Not much yet. I’m just starting out but…” she trailed off and touched a finger to his red shirt, and it swirled into a deep purple.”
“Wow,” Sean gasped. “That is so cool. So why don’t you tell people, why are you hiding?”
“We’ve had contact with the FBI before,” Max said, “and believe me, they aren’t interested in forming any alliances with us.”
Liz leaned forward, “Sean this is something you can’t tell anyone. All of our lives would be in danger, even yours. The Special Unit of the FBI that John talked about, was formed especially to hunt down aliens. They killed two of the others who were in the crash and last summer they kidnapped Max and tortured him. They may be with the government but they aren’t good people, Sean.”
“Okay,” Sean said, “but what about John? What happened to him?”
“We don’t know,” Max admitted. “Our powers aren’t always predictable. One of us must have killed him, but it wasn’t intentional.”
“It’s not like he was just some innocent guy,” Maria said heatedly. “It was self-defense. He was going to kill Liz and maybe all of us.”
Liz took Maria’s hand in hers and turned to Sean. “We can’t force you not to say anything but we’re asking you not to. For all our sakes.”
Sean looked from Liz and Maria to Max. “I’ll keep your secret but I have some questions. Like why are you here and what really happened that night at the UFO museum with Brody?”
Max nodded and glanced at Liz. He had felt her exhaustion through the connection when he had healed her and he didn’t want her to stay out in the sun any longer. Max turned back to Sean. “We’re supposed to meet at Michael’s. Let’s go and we’ll answer your questions.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Cactus Motel)
Isabel, Michael and Kyle arrived at the motel on the outskirts of town in three separate cars. In route, Isabel had changed the color and license plate of the Jetta, just in case, and while she attended to cleaning the rental cars, Kyle and Michael searched the motel room.
The room was spare but there were obvious signs John had lived there for a while. Michael and Kyle quickly loaded everything into the Jetta, including a wallet and a desktop computer and Isabel cleaned the room as she had done the cars.
It was a tight fit with everything and the three of them in the Jetta and Michael sighed, “Maria has got to get a new car.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The restored red Jetta pulled unto the parking lot at Michael’s apartment and Max jogged out to help with the unloading. With four of them, it only took one trip and Max set up the computer while the others searched through the possessions.
Michael grabbed the wallet, pulled out the contents and held up the drivers’ license, “Big surprise, ‘John’ lied about his name. He was really Thomas Summers.” He flipped through the rest of the contents, “Receipts for junk food, gas.” He sighed and tossed the wallet aside, “There’s nothing else here.” He looked to Liz and Maria who were searching his clothes and toiletries, “You guys find anything?”
Maria shrugged and Liz shook her head.
Isabel tossed his palm pilot on the table, “Nothing here either. No phone numbers, just some notes he made about following us. Apparently he searched our house, Michael’s apartment and Liz’s house, but didn’t find anything incriminating.”
“Kyle?” Michael asked.
“I’ve got his return plane ticket and the rental agreements for the cars all with the same home address in Virginia but there’s nothing else in the luggage.”
“What about you Max?” Michael asked.
“There aren’t very many files on this computer but I did find the hack he made into the White Sands radar array. And that isn’t the only one. There are readouts from hacks into every air traffic control, military base, satellite array and large telescope from Alaska to Cuba, from SETI in California to NASA in Florida. There are notes in here too, almost like a diary. It looks like he checked out every anomaly, all over the country, in the last eight months.”
Isabel spoke up, “There is nothing in these notes that says he was working with anyone else, so maybe Thomas was telling the truth about that, at least.”
Max agreed, “Yeah, in here it says he left the FBI when no one would believe him and he struck out on his own to find his fathers’ killer.”
Kyle released a sigh, “One more catastrophe averted, so at least for now it looks like we’re safe.”
Michael turned to Sean, “Are we?”
“I know we haven’t exactly been friends,” Sean said, “but I understand how important it is and I won’ t tell anyone.”
Liz had suggested to Max that they keep the episode with future Max a secret and Max agreed. The less people who knew about that capability of the Granolith the better. He and Liz quietly told the others and they all agreed.
Max turned to the others. “I told Sean we would answer his questions. If he’s going to be involved in this conspiracy, he deserves to know the truth.”
Michael and Isabel nodded.
“Okay, shoot,” Michael said.
As Sean talked to Isabel and Michael, Max went over and took a seat next to Liz and Maria. “Liz I thought you’ve been looking a little tired lately but when I healed you…” he trailed off. “Liz you’re exhausted.”
Liz smiled. “I thought I was hiding it and you hadn’t noticed.”
Max shook his head, “I notice everything about you, Liz.”
Maria stood up. “I think that’s my cue to leave. I’ll go see if Sean is annoying Michael and Isabel, yet.”
Liz watched Maria leave and turned back to Max, “I guess I wasn’t doing a very good job of hiding at all. You noticed and Kyle. That’s what he and I were talking about at the quarry today before…” She took a deep breath, “Anyway Kyle convinced me to tell you everything.”
Max suddenly felt a chill of apprehension run through his body, “What’s everything, Liz?”
“I haven’t been honest about how tired practicing my astral projection is making me.”
Max’s brow creased in confusion, “Why? How bad is it?”
“Bad,” Liz said. “I thought if you knew the truth, you would try to make me stop practicing, but Max I couldn’t let you. I have this really strong feeling that it’s important.”
Max nodded, “So you must have been practicing a lot and that’s why you’re so tired.”
“Yeah, that’s part of it,” Liz started. “I’ve been practicing at night when I can’t sleep.”
“And you can’t sleep because…?” Max trailed off, waiting for her to continue.
“I’ve been having bad dreams, but I can’t remember them in the morning. They just leave me with this feeling that something terrible is going to happen.”
Max looked away, “I wish you trusted me enough to tell me, Liz. Maybe I could have helped.”
“Oh no, Max,” Liz said as she took his face in her hands, turning him back to her. “Of course I trust you. I’m not sure why I didn’t tell you but Kyle suggested I was trying to protect you.”
“Protect me from what?” Max asked, shocked.
Liz dropped her hands to her lap. “You’ve been through so much, you’ve had so much pain, and I didn’t want to add to that. I just thought I could handle this myself and not burden you.”
“Burden me?” Max asked. “Liz, I love you. I want to know everything about you, good and bad. I don’t consider helping you to be a burden, Liz. I consider it a privilege. It’s part of the privilege of knowing you and loving you.”
Tears pricked Liz’s eyes and she threw her arms around his neck. “I’m so sorry, Max.”
“It’s okay, Liz,” Max soothed as he hugged her to him. “We have to learn how to relate to each other again, how we fit into each other’s lives, and that’s not going to happen overnight.”
They pulled back from one another and Max used his thumb to gently wipe away Liz’s tears. “So do you want to tell me about your progress with the practice?”
Liz took a deep breath and smiled, “Well I’ve been tracking my progress on a chart.”
Max smiled too. “A chart. That’s a surprise.”
With a laugh, Liz pushed at Max’s shoulder playfully.
Kyle watched as Liz and Max laughed and crossed to where they were sitting. “I’m glad you told him, Liz. After what happened this afternoon, I think we should listen to you when you have an upset stomach.”
“What are you talking about?” Max asked.
Kyle looked at Liz, “I’m sorry, I just assumed you told him.”
“I did,” Liz said. “What are you talking about?”
“You said you’ve had a feeling that something bad was going to happen, and the feeling was worse today than it ever was before.”
Liz nodded and Kyle continued, “Well something bad did happen today.” Kyle looked at Max and Liz’s confused expressions. “Don’t you see? Liz predicted what happened.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Maria glanced at Sean next to her in the Jetta as they drove home. “You’re taking all this pretty well. I kind of freaked out when I learned the truth.”
Sean shrugged, “I saw it with my own eyes. There’s not really any way I can deny it.”
“And now that you’ve heard the whole story, there’s no way you can deny Liz belongs with Max,” Maria added.
Sean looked out the window, thinking about the scene he had witnessed just a few moments before, Max and Liz embracing, laughing, crying. The emotions between them had been so intense and when Isabel and Michael told him about the events of the past year, Sean had understood why. “I knew Liz and Max had a past but never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined the truth.”
Maria nodded, “We didn’t know about Liz’s past ourselves, until that day when Tess left.”
“But even without that, Max and Liz have a bond,” Sean said, “and that’s why you warned me to stay away from her.”
“Max and Liz had been through so much and even though they weren’t together, I knew neither one had stopped loving the other. That’s why I told you to stay away from her. That and the fact that you’re a criminal,” Maria quipped.
“Okay, I deserved that,” Sean agreed. “My actions up to now haven’t exactly been above board but I meant what I said Maria; I can be trusted.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Michael, Isabel and Kyle sat with Max and Liz, in Michael’s living room, where Kyle had just explained his theory about Liz’s prediction.
Max spoke up, “Okay Liz, tell us about these dreams.”
Liz shook her head, “There’s nothing to tell. I don’t remember anything about them.”
“But you had a bad feeling when you woke up,” Isabel prompted.
“Yeah,” Liz acknowledged. “For a couple of weeks I’ve had these dreams and the bad feelings kept getting worse.”
“What kind of feelings?” Michael asked.
“It’s hard to explain,” Liz said. “I just knew something bad was going to happen. I didn’t know what, or when, or where. I don’t know how I knew, I just knew.”
“Something bad is always happening,” Michael said gruffly. “That doesn’t mean Liz predicted anything.”
“It doesn’t mean she didn’t,” Isabel argued.
Max agreed with a nod. “It could be a new power she’s developing.”
Kyle rolled his eyes. “There’s an easy way to prove it.” He turned to Liz, “Do you have a bad feeling now?”
Liz thought for a moment and then shook her head, “No.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Evans House)
Isabel locked the door to her room, sank down onto her bed and allowed the tears to fall that had been threatening all day. She quickly covered her face with her pillow, so no one would hear, and let all of her anguish spill out.
So many people, human and alien, hated them for what they were and wanted them dead and it would never stop. That crazy guy John or Thomas or whatever, was just the latest in a long line of enemies; the Special Unit, the dupes, the skins, and every relative of the countless people Nasedo had murdered. It was simply sheer luck that Alex was the only one who had been killed so far.
Not for the first time, Isabel wished she had been born human and lived in ignorance of alien existence, just like six billion others on Earth. Being alien had brought her nothing but heartache, loneliness and death.
And as if her thoughts had summoned him, suddenly Alex was sitting beside her. He pulled the pillow away from her face and took her in his arms. “It will be okay, Isabel.”
She let him hold her for a moment and then pulled back. She took his hand, entwining her fingers with his and clasped their palms together, “How will it be okay, Alex? We could have all been killed today.”
“But you weren’t,” Alex said. “You are all getting stronger, learning to use your powers, and most importantly you’re together. As a group you can overcome anything.”
“I’m sick of fighting,” Isabel whispered. “I just want to have a normal life.”
Alex smiled, “You’ll never have a normal life Isabel, because you’re an extraordinary person.”
“So what do I do? How do I keep going?”
Alex smiled and kissed her on the top of her head. “You just live.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Liz sat next to Max on the picnic table in his back yard and she could tell he was still upset. She had promised him she wouldn’t keep any more secrets but that was exactly what she had done. “I’m really sorry, Max.”
Max shook his head, “Don’t apologize.”
“I owe you an apology, Max. I broke my promise.”
“I’d rather concentrate on fixing the situation,” Max said. “I’m hoping you’ll let me help you on your nightly exercises.”
“But that means you won’t get any sleep either,” Liz protested.
Max smiled, “Do you think I’ll be able to sleep knowing what you’re doing? Plus if I’m involved, I can stop you from exhausting yourself.”
Liz reached for Max’s hand, “I’d love to have your help. Maybe the two of us working together can figure out the reasons for my results.”
Max squeezed her hand, “Why don’t you tell me about your experiments.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Diane glanced out the window into the back yard and was surprised to see Max and Liz sitting together. It had been months since she had seen Liz and she was glad to see her now. Diane had always liked Liz. It seemed as if she brought out Max’s confidence and determination.
With a smile, Diane remembered being called into the principal’s office when Max and Liz had been caught making-out. At the time, Diane had been almost relieved, although she had never told anyone. Max was always so closed-off, so private, and Diane had secretly worried that the trauma of his early life had scared him too much to ever have a normal relationship. But with Liz, Max had seemed so natural and open.
Diane had often wondered why Max and Liz had parted so suddenly, when they had been so close. They had been together almost constantly and then suddenly last summer, Liz was gone. Diane had never asked Max what had happened between them, sure that Max would never tell her. But seeing them together again brought a warm feeling to her heart.
Then she saw Liz take Max’s hand and she smiled.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Sunday, July 29th, 2001)
Sean waited outside the Crashdown until the last customers had left and Liz was alone. He knocked on the glass to get her attention, not sure how Liz would react. He wouldn’t have been surprised if she ignored him but she crossed to the door, opened it and wordlessly invited him inside.
Sean had prepared everything he had wanted to say to Liz but suddenly all of the words were gone and he shoved his hands in his pockets. “Liz, I just wanted to tell you how sorry I am about everything.”
“Sean, you already apologized.”
“I know but I could have gotten all of you killed and now you have to worry if I’m going to turn you over to the FBI.”
Liz shook her head, “I know you’ll keep our secret.”
“That’s because you’re a good person and you see good in others. That’s one of the things that attracted me to you. I wanted to be the person you saw.”
“Sean…” Liz started, but he stopped her.
“No, listen Liz, I know you’re with Max and I don’t have a chance. I wish I had listened to you when you told me I couldn’t do anything to turn you from Max. If I’d had any idea about the truth…” he trailed off, shaking his head. “I just wanted to tell you that you don’t have to worry about anything. Your life is not going to be screwed up because of me.”
“I know, Sean,” Liz assured him. “I never doubted it.”
Sean smiled, “So you really are the Queen of another planet.”
Liz was suddenly nervous and looked away from him. “In my other life, but I don’t remember anything about it.”
Sean smiled humorlessly. “But you and Max found each other anyway. Neither of you knew who you really were but you were drawn together. I guess it really was meant to be.”
Liz could hear the note of disappointment in his voice. “I’m really sorry Sean.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Monday, July 30th, 2001)
Michael had been silent the entire car ride back to his apartment from the Valenti’s house and Maria was starting to worry. Usually he was excited about their memory recovery sessions but today he had seemed strangely subdued.
Maria pulled into a visitor space at his apartment complex and turned off the ignition. “Michael, do you want to tell me what’s wrong?”
He turned to her with a scowl. “What?”
“Something’s wrong. Do you want to talk about it?”
Michael shook his head, as he opened the door and grunted a simple, “No.” Then he turned and headed toward his apartment.
Maria got out of the car and hurried after him down the hallway. “That’s not good enough Michael. In a relationship, we help each other through problems.”
Michael jammed his key in the lock, without a glance at Maria. “Well you can’t help me with this.”
When Michael swung the door open, Maria followed him inside. “How do you know unless you tell me?”
Michael knew Maria wouldn’t give up and he let himself fall onto the sofa, releasing a sigh. “I’m a killer, that’s what.”
Maria stood in front of him, “You think you killed John.”
Michael nodded, “I couldn’t stop thinking about it today when I was supposed to be meditating. Look at the facts, remember what everyone said they were doing. They were all using their powers to do something, and John burst into flames. It had to be me.”
Maria shook her head but Michael continued, “I killed Pierce and I killed John. That’s my job, that’s what I do whether I want to or not, and there’s nothing anybody can do about it. It’s who I was in my last life and who I was born to be in this one. I just have to learn how to live with it.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Max sighed wearily as he slumped down on his bed. For weeks he had been trying to recover his memories of Liz but still he’d had no progress. Everything he remembered was from his early life and he grew more frustrated with every memory recovery session.
Isabel had suggested that perhaps the memories of loving and losing Liz were too painful and subconsciously he didn’t want to remember.
And even though Max thought his sister might be right, he needed to remember Liz. He wanted to know everything about her and he felt it would bring them closer. If he remembered their life together, he could show Liz and prove to her they belonged together.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Crashdown Café)
All evening, Liz had sensed that something was wrong with Maria. Dropping things and forgetting orders, Maria was definitely preoccupied. Liz waited impatiently until she and Maria were the only ones left in the Crashdown, before confronting her friend.
Liz locked the back door behind the last cook and turned to Maria. “Okay, we’re alone. Do you want to tell me what’s going on?”
Maria smiled, “I guess that friend thing works both ways.”
Liz nodded and pushed Maria down into a booth before sliding in across from her. “So?”
Maria sighed, “Liz, I think Michael killed that John guy.”
“Any of us could have done it. What makes you think Michael did?”
“Michael thinks he did it,” Maria said. I tried to talk to him about it but he said to leave it alone. He’s convinced he did it because he killed Pierce, and I think he’s scared that he can kill without really meaning to.”
Liz shook her head, “No, Maria. Michael couldn’t possibly have killed John without realizing it. He has better control of his powers than that.”
“Maybe,” Maria said, “but think about it Liz. It couldn’t have been Max because he was using all of his energy on the shield. You were astral projecting and then unconscious, Kyle doesn’t have his powers yet. That only leaves Isabel and Michael. Isabel said she pointed the gun up and pulled you away from John. How much energy would that leave her to do anything else?”
Maria shook her head, “By a process of elimination it must have been Michael and I’m sure he’s figured that out too.”
Liz nodded, “If it was Michael, he did what had to be done. I’m not saying John deserved to die but I’m not sure there was another choice. John would have killed us all.”
“I agree,” Maria said. “We’re at war and Michael is the King’s second in command. That’s got to mean he was in charge of the army on Antar, but he’s a different person now and I don’t know if he’s cut out for this.”
Liz sighed and took Maria’s hand in hers. “I don’t know if any of us are.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Thursday, August 2nd, 2001)
(The Valenti House)
The meditation hour had concluded and the gang had decided to hold mini-meetings afterward.
Max waited until everyone had gathered around before he started. “Does anyone have anything to report or discuss?”
Everyone looked around but no one said anything, and Max was about to adjourn when Liz hesitatingly spoke.
“Um, there’s something that’s been on my mind but I don’t think it will be very popular.”
“What is it, Liz?” Max asked.
“I know everyone is still pretty mad at Sean but I’ve been having this feeling that we should get to know him better, you know, include him in things.”
“Are you nuts?” Michael asked incredulously. “That jerk nearly got us all killed.”
Maria patted him on the arm, “I’m sure Liz remembers.” Maria stood up on tiptoes and yelled in his ear, ”Since she was the one with the gun to her head.”
Isabel ignored Michael and Maria. “What exactly did you have in mind, Liz?”
“I’m not suggesting we take Sean with us to practice but we could include him when we hang-out at the Crashdown or on Saturdays sometimes.”
Kyle spoke up, “And you said you had a feeling we should do this?”
Liz nodded.
“Okay,” Kyle said, “that’s good enough for me.”
“Wait a minute,” Michael protested. “Just because Liz says so and that’s good enough.” He turned to Isabel and Max, “You two can’t seriously be considering this, just because she guessed right once.”
“Michael, it might be more than that,” Isabel argued. “We don’t know what kind of powers Liz has.”
Michael shook his head, “But you don’t seriously think she can predict the future?”
Isabel shrugged and Michael turned to Max. “What about you?”
With a shiver of fear, Max remembered the last weird feeling Liz had gotten and made up his mind instantly. “So we get to know Sean better,” Max said as he cuffed Michael on the shoulder. “What could it hurt?”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Friday, August 10th, 2001)
(Chavez Community College)
Isabel grabbed a Sociology book from the shelf and added it to her growing pile. She'd had no idea freshman classes required so many large books and felt momentarily overwhelmed. But she immediately pushed the doubts aside. She was a good student and was prepared for college, she just wished that she knew someone on campus.
All of the older friends she'd had in high school had either gone out of state to college when they'd graduated, or gotten jobs, so for the first time in a long time, Isabel was alone. She missed Max and Michael and the others and wished they were all together. But, she reminded herself, she'd never had trouble making friends, and when classes started it would only be a matter of time.
Isabel shifted the pile of books and balanced them on her hip as she attempted to read her book list. She was sure she’d seen a workbook on the list to go with the Sociology textbook and quickly scanned the list for the title. With a nod, she spied the title and then saw it immediately above her, on the top shelf. Sliding the list in her top book, she reached for the workbook, but was surprised that even on tiptoes it was out of her reach. Adjusting the books in her grasp, she reached for it again, but the other books slid out of her hand crashing loudly onto the floor.
"Crap," she said under her breath, hoping no one noticed, but suddenly she was aware of someone behind her.
"Let me help you with those," the decidedly masculine voice purred, as he scooped up her books off the floor.
Isabel rolled her eyes and turned with an automatic refusal on her lips, "Thanks, but I…" But the words died in her throat when she took in his appearance. The first thing she noticed was that he was tall, taller than she by at least a few inches. He had broad shoulders and a well-muscled body that his clothes couldn't disguise, and she found her gaze lingering longer than it should. Quickly looking into his face, she noted in passing his golden-blond hair and hard, handsome face, but practically gasped when she saw his eyes. They were a striking, deep green like the color of an emerald, and seemed to blaze with intensity.
She managed a breathless, "Thanks."
"You're welcome," he said with a smile. "I noticed you reaching for the workbook for this class," he said, still cradling her books in one hand, as he effortlessly took two workbooks off the shelf above them. "I'm taking the class too, so I guess I'll see you there."
Isabel hadn't gotten the breath knocked out of her by the sight of a gorgeous guy in a long time, and after everything that had happened, it felt nice and normal to be flirting. She nodded, "Yeah, I'll see you in class."
"I'm Hale, by the way," he said with a crooked grin that revealed a dimple on his cheek.
"Isabel," she stammered, "Isabel Evans."
Hale smiled again and handed her the books. "Hale Sinclair, and it's nice to meet you Isabel Evans."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Michael’s Apartment)
Michael angrily pushed everything off the table with a sweep of his hand, “Damn it.”
He raked his fingers through his hair in frustration. He could still picture John holding the gun to Liz’s head and the feeling of hopelessness he’d experienced.
Since John had nearly killed them, Michael had been doing a lot of extra practicing to hone his powers. He concentrated on directing his energy into a small target without damaging anything around it, like what had happened with Liz, but so far he’d been far from successful.
In his apartment he’d set up a simple target. It consisted of two bricks, one covered with a towel, and the other set behind it and just to the side. Every time he took aim at the brick behind, he pictured Liz and John’s faces instead of the bricks. He was getting better, hitting a smaller area, but he was still scorching the towel and he imagined what would happen if it were really Liz.
Michael took a deep breath and bent down to pick up the bricks. He carefully rearranged them on the table and repaired the towel before placing it back on the front brick. He stretched his aching neck and back and redirected his concentration on the bricks. No matter how frustrated he was, he had to keep practicing, their lives might depend on it.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Saturday, August 11th, 2001)
(Copper Summit, AZ)
From Corporal Raltos’ body, Khivar watched with a satisfied smile as the new troops went through their training maneuvers. They were growing accustomed to their husks more quickly than he had hoped and when the time came to put his plan into effect, everything would be ready.
He just had to be patient a little longer and everything he wanted would be his.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Thursday, August 12th, 2001)
(Crashdown Cafe)
Max, Liz, Kyle and Isabel sat in a booth eating, as Maria and Michael worked their shift. The gang had finished their memory retrieval session earlier and automatically headed to the Crashdown together.
Kyle leaned forward, “So you guys want to catch the Planet of the Apes remake on Saturday?”
Isabel rolled her eyes. “What is it with guys and monkeys?”
Max and Liz laughed but their attention was diverted to the front door as a voice rang out, “Max, hey Max.”
Isabel turned to see who it was and then looked back to them, “Oh great.”
Ryan came toward them with a smile but tripped on the leg of chair and fell forward onto their table, toppling a drink that spilled onto Max and Liz.
Ryan picked himself up and was immediately apologetic, fumbling to grab napkins from the dispenser. “I’m really sorry, Max, Liz. I’m kind of a klutz.”
Michael witnessed the scene from the kitchen and burst through the door into the dining room, grabbing Ryan by the front of the shirt. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
Ryan shook his head, “Nothing. It was an accident.”
Max stood up and put a hand on Michael’s arm, “Michael.” He spoke softly, but his meaning was clear.
Michael nodded and released Ryan, smoothing his shirt. “Sorry man.”
Ryan nodded, “It really was just an accident.” He turned to Max and Liz, “I’ll be glad to pay for any damage.”
Liz laughed, “Don’t worry, Ryan, it’s just a little lemonade. It’ll wash out.”
Maria took Michael by the arm and led him into the back. “What was that about? The guy spills a drink and you nearly take his head off.”
“Okay, I might have overreacted a little,” Michael said softly.
“A little,” Maria deadpanned. “What is going on with you Michael? Accidents have happened before. Why did you go off on that guy?”
Michael shook his head, “That guy, Ryan, we don’t know anything about him. He could be anyone, an assassin, and he could have just taken out Max and Liz.”
“What?” Maria asked incredulous.
He frustratedly ran a hand through his hair, trying to explain himself. “Don’t you get it, Maria? I’m Max’s second in command. I’m supposed to keep him safe but I nearly let us all get killed.”
Maria shook her head and took hold of his arms, “Max doesn’t need a bodyguard, Michael. He can take care of himself and he won’t let anything happen to Liz. And no matter how powerful you are, you can’t stop bad things from happening to people you care about.”
Michael suddenly felt deflated and let himself sag against the wall. “I just felt so helpless when John had that gun to Liz’s head. I couldn’t do anything.”
“I know,” Maria said softly, “I felt the same way.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Monday, August 13th, 2001)
(Chavez Community College)
Isabel arrived early for class, quickly glanced around and when she didn’t see Hale, took a seat in the middle of the room where he would be sure to see her when he arrived. She took out her book and pretended to be reading the first chapter as she covertly watched the door. There were a lot of desks in the room but as the minutes passed, they filled up quickly and Isabel released a sigh of frustration as the chairs around her were taken, one by one.
She glanced at the clock on the wall, noting that the class was due to start in just a couple of minutes and Hale still hadn’t arrived. The professor came in and started arranging papers on the desk and Isabel slumped back into her chair dejectedly as the bell rang, signaling the beginning of class.
But just as the sound of the bell died away, the door opened and Hale entered the room. Isabel felt her chest tighten as he briefly looked around the room and his gaze halted on her. With a crooked smile, he approached and took the single remaining chair next to her.
“I see you saved me a seat,” Hale purred.
Isabel felt herself blush but smiled and continued the lighthearted banter, “Actually I saved if for the other dashing stranger who helped me in the bookstore, but since he didn’t show, I guess it’s yours.”
Hale’s smile widened and Isabel felt her heart jump.
“Dashing stranger,” he mused. “Hmmmm. I think I could get used to that.”
Isabel felt incapable of speech for perhaps the first time in her life and desperately searched for a comeback but she was saved as the teacher started class.
“I’m Dave Roberts,” the instructor introduced himself, “and this is Sociology 101. I like to have a fairly informal class, so feel free to call me Dave.” He reached for some papers and started passing them down the rows. “This is a syllabus for the semester, and as you can see, we will be covering the following topics…”
Isabel’s mind drifted as the teacher continued and she dared a glance at Hale. He was scanning the syllabus, but when her eyes lingered on him, he looked up as if he had known she was watching him. She felt herself blush again and with a brief smile, turned her attention back to the instructor.
The class was interesting and it passed quickly and Isabel was surprised when the bell rang.
Dave held up his hands, signaling the class to wait. “So all of your work this semester will be done in pairs or with a research partner, as I like to call them, and your first assignment starts today. Choose partners and let me know who you are working with tomorrow.”
Isabel watched as Hale quickly jammed his books into a leather satchel and slung it over his shoulder, and she felt a pang of disappointment that he had not suggested they partner together.
But instead of leaving, he turned back to her. “So Isabel, I don’t know anyone else in the class, and I thought you and I could partner up?”
Isabel was jumping for joy inside, but outside she played it cool. Cocking her head to the side, she narrowed her eyes and said, “I don’t know. Are you a good student or a party-er? I mean I don’t want to get stuck doing the whole assignment myself and carrying you the whole semester.”
Hale gave her a knee-melting smile. “Of course you’re right to be cautious, you don’t even know me. So how about you let me buy you lunch and we can learn all about each other?”
Isabel nodded, “I’d like that.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(In the desert, near the pod chamber)
Max and Liz lay silently next to one another on a blanket, gazing into the sky.
In the last few weeks, they had spent as much time as possible together, talking for hours about their hopes and fears and dreams, catching up on everything that they had missed in each others’ lives the last year because they hadn’t been together.
Liz confessed her lingering guilt and overwhelming sorrow about leaving Max after his experience in the white room, and forcing him to deal with it himself. She regretted not being there for him when he was trying to figure out how to be a leader, and more than anything she regretted pushing him away.
Max told her of his worries about keeping everyone safe, his struggles with Michael and his uncertanty about his role as leader. He confessed his fears of losing her, and the pain he had experienced when he had seen her in bed with Kyle, and his struggles and self doubt in the long months afterward.
Many times they had connected to let the other see or feel what had happened to them, the shared experiences and emotions giving them a better understanding of one another. Their relationship was healing more every day, each hour they spent together bringing them closer to where they had been before things had gone so terribly wrong.
As they laid together under the stars, Max held Liz’s hand in his and thought how wonderful it was to spend some quiet time with her. From his position, Max could see the old radio tower and smiled sadly remembering the night he and Liz had found the orb. That had been a magical time in their lives. They had been blissfully ignorant of all of their problems and enemies and Tess.
Max sighed softly, he and Liz had shared many things but there were two subjects he never discussed with her.
Max’s thoughts turned automatically to his son. He would be more than two months old by now, and not for the first time, Max wondered what he was like. Would he be more human or purely alien? What did he look like? Was he developing powers already? Max didn’t know anything about his race’s lifecycle, how quickly babies developed. The baby had grown so fast inside Tess and he wondered if the rapid growth continued after birth as well? Could his son be able to walk and talk by now?
He wondered what Tess had named the boy and what she was teaching him about his father. Was she teaching him to follow Khivar, to lie and deceive?
Max pushed the thoughts aside, helpless to do anything about it. He might never even see his son.
The pressure of Max’s hand on her’s increased and Liz turned to him, propping herself on an elbow. “What’s wrong, Max?”
“Nothing,” he said automatically as he squeezed her hand reassuringly, and quickly covered. “I was thinking about the close call with John in the quarry. I’m just glad we didn’t lose anyone else.”
Liz nodded, understanding. “It easily could have gone the other way. We’ve been preparing for an alien attack and we were nearly wiped out by one human with a big gun.” Liz tried to laugh. “I mean, how many times am I destined to get shot in this lifetime?”
Max’s face went suddenly pale and he shook his head, “Please Liz, don’t even joke about that. I thought I was loosing you again. That crazy man had a gun pointed at your head and all I could think about was that I wouldn’t be able to heal you in time.” Tears welled up in his eyes and spilled over the lids, leaving shining trails down his cheeks. “Losing Alex was terrible enough but if you died Liz, I, I don’t know what I’d do.”
“I’m sorry,” she instantly apologized, reaching to wipe his tears away. “I didn’t think.”
Max extended a hesitant hand toward Liz’s face and when she didn’t pull away he cupped her cheek in his palm, stroking the satiny surface with his thumb. He wanted to kiss her so badly, he thought he would die. He needed that bond between them to reassure himself she was really his, that she wouldn’t slip away again, but he held back.
“Liz?” he asked hesitatingly. “Would it be okay if I held you for a while?”
Liz could hear the longing in his voice and she felt the same way. With a smile, she nodded.
Max sat up and took her in his arms, pressing her to his chest. Her small body molded into his, her head fitting perfectly under his chin. He took a deep breath to inhale Liz’s familiar, sweet scent as his hand skimmed the surface of her hair. Instantly he felt more calm, more relaxed, and as Liz wrapped her arms around him, he knew without a doubt she belonged there.
Liz sighed in contentment. It was so nice to be held by Max again and for a few moments it was as if they had never been apart, everything was perfect. But a sudden nagging thought intruded into Liz’s fantasy. “Max,” she started softly, “do you ever think about your son?”
“Sometimes,” Max said hesitantly. “What made you think about it?”
Liz shrugged and pulled back so she could see his face, “I don’t know. It just came into my head.”
“I was thinking about him just a few minutes ago,” Max admitted. “When you asked me what was wrong. I didn’t say anything because I knew it would hurt you.”
Liz nodded, understanding. “But not talking about it doesn’t make it less true,” Liz pointed out. “You have a son,” she looked into the sky, “somewhere, up there. It’s has to be hard for you not knowing what’s going on.”
Max nodded but remained silent.
“Max, beyond anything else, we are friends and I hope you feel you can talk to me about anything, your son included.”
“Liz I don’t’…”
Liz cut him off, “Don’t try to protect me from this, Max. What you said is true for me too. I want to be involved in every part of your life.”
Max nodded and smiled, “Okay.”
Liz smiled back and took Max’s hand in hers, squeezing. “So Max, do you want to talk about your son?”
Max looked down at the ground and then back at Liz. “Yeah.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The DeLuca House)
Maria closed the door behind her and called out, “Hey Mom, I’m home.”
She went into her room and dropped her things and then headed into the kitchen. Her Mom was seated at the table and Maria grabbed a bowl and a box of cereal from the cupboard. She placed them on the table and turned to get the milk, ”How was your day, Mom?”
Amy didn’t answer and Maria turned back to the table with the milk. “Mom?”
Amy was staring straight ahead and Maria was suddenly concerned. She shook her mother’s arm, “Mom, are you okay?”
The action jolted Amy out of her reverie. She rubbed at her forehead and focused on Maria. “Oh honey, when did you get home?”
“Just now,” Maria said, “but are you feeling all right?”
“Fine,” Amy assured her, tapping her fingers on the table. “Maria, I know this is going to sound strange but can you tell me what happened that day when we got trapped in the UFO museum?”
Maria was worried. Her Mom was tapping her fingers, obviously she was remembering. “What do you mean?” Maria asked cautiously.
“Just what you remember about that night.”
“Well,” Maria started casually, “we were delivering the t-shirts and there was a blackout and we got trapped inside the museum and had to wait for the police to rescue us. Why are you asking about this, Mom?”
Amy shook her head, “I’ve been having nightmares about that night, where Brody took us all hostage.”
“But those are just dreams,” Maria pointed out.
“That’s what I thought,” Amy said, “but I made a delivery to the museum today and it was like I’ve got two memories on top of each other. It isn’t like a dream, it’s like a memory that I’d forgotten. I can remember the blackout and waiting for the police, but then when I was there today, I could picture Brody with a gun, holding us hostage and accusing Max of being an alien. I can remember the exact place where Brody had Max and Tess tied up. Then Brody ordered food from the Crashdown and took Liz hostage too and he stabbed Sean.”
Maria shook her head, hating to lie to her mother, “But Sean is fine.”
“I know,” Amy said, shaking her head. “It sounds crazy, and when I try to think about it too much, I start to get these terrible headaches. Maybe I’m getting a brain tumor or something.”
Maria wrapped her arms around her mother’s shoulders. “I’m sure you’re fine, Mom. You just had a really vivid dream.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Saturday, August 18th, 2001)
Isabel yawned in the backseat as her father drove the family to the mall. Her parents had insisted on the whole family going so they could buy some new clothes for school and Isabel was never one to pass up a shopping trip. But she was tired after the extra early morning practice session the change in plans had caused.
The car slowed and her father turned, but even through her yawns Isabel knew they weren’t at the mall. “Where are we going?”
Philip stopped the car and he and her mother turned to Isabel. “With you and Max going to separate schools we just couldn’t work out how you were both gong to get where you were going with only one car. So your mother and I decided to get you your own car, Isabel.”
Isabel was suddenly awake and excited, “Really?” She turned to Max, “You knew about this?”
Max nodded, “Yeah, Mom and Dad talked to me about it.”
Diane spoke up, “We knew Max wanted the Jeep and we thought you wouldn’t mind him keeping it if you could have a car you wanted.”
Isabel nodded, “Thanks, Mom, Dad, that would be great.”
“So here we are, honey,” Philip said. “Dealership road. Just tell us where you want to start.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Crashdown Cafe)
Michael followed Maria out the back door as she lugged the loaded trash bags to the dumpster. He closed the door behind them and took the bags from her hands, tossing them casually aside.
Maria put her hands on her hips. “What are you doing?”
They hadn’t been alone together for days, and Michael couldn’t believe how much he craved the physical contact. Without a word, he pulled Maria to him and took her lips in a burning kiss.
Maria kissed him back, but after a moment she pulled away. “What has gotten in to you?”
Michael shrugged. “With everything going on we haven’t had the chance to be alone together and since this is the last weekend before school starts, I thought we could go back to my place after work.”
Maria looked down at the ground and then back up, focusing on a spot just behind Michael’s head. “Um, not tonight Michael. I um, I’ve had a headache all night.”
Michael was stunned speechless and let Maria past him into the building without a word. After the door closed behind her, he picked up the trash bags and tossed them into the dumpster. Reaching for the doorknob, he stopped, shaking his head. “A headache?”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Sunday, August 26th, 2001)
(Crashdown Café)
Max stood next to the table, looking into the faces of all of his friends. “We all know what tomorrow is,” he started, “and I don’t know if any of us are really prepared. But we’ve all been working hard these last few months, and now comes the real test. This isn’t the time to relax. We should keep on our toes more than ever. Everyone needs to be careful. Report any suspicious activity or people immediately.”
The others nodded and he continued, “It’s been great spending all of this time together and I don’t want that to stop, but we have a huge challenge ahead of us.”
Michael rolled his eyes, “Max will you stop being so dramatic. It’s not like we’ve never been in this situation before.”
“But it’s different this time,” Liz reminded him.
Max nodded and raised his cup, “To our senior year.”
Everyone raised their cups and repeated the toast, “Our senior year.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
None of the gang noticed a figure watching them from across the street.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Monday, August 27th, 2001)
(West Roswell High School)
Michael rubbed at his eyes as the teacher passed out the syllabus for the semester. History wasn’t typically one of his favorite subjects but he had started to reconsider. As Max’s second in command, he needed to learn everything he could, and studying the past could help them in the future.
He glanced at the syllabus, noting with interest the sections covering World Wars I & II. At least some of the class would be interesting, he thought to himself.
A commotion in the front of the room drew his attention and he was surprised to see Ryan coming in late.
Ryan spotted Michael, and with a wave, headed into the back of the room and took a seat next to him. “Wow, Michael, I’m glad to see someone I know. It’s a really big school and I was afraid I wouldn’t have any classes with you guys.”
Michael’s eyes narrowed suspiciously, “I didn’t know you were coming to school here. I thought maybe you graduated already or something.”
“No,” Ryan said. “This is my senior year though. How about you?”
“Yeah,“ Michael said dismissively. “So where did you say you lived before you moved here?”
“Scottsdale, Arizona. My Dad’s company transferred him here.”
“Your Dad with the military?” Michael asked.
Ryan shook his head, “Naw, nothing cool like that, he’s in sales. You know, copiers, faxes, that sort of thing. I guess Roswell is quite a growing market.”
Michael nodded, “Yeah, I guess.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Parker House)
Nancy entered the house and was relieved to see Liz at the kitchen table, bent over a textbook. She put the bags of groceries on the counter. “Homework already? It’s only the first day of school.”
Liz shrugged, “Mr. Seligman likes to get an early start.”
Nancy took a seat at the table. “Well I’m glad to see you’re keeping up.”
Annoyed Liz put down her pen and looked at her mother, “Keeping up?”
Nancy sighed, “We both know that your grades suffered a bit last year because of all the time you were spending with your friends.”
Liz thought of the things she and the others had done to save themselves and the Earth, but she couldn’t exactly tell her mother the truth, so she simply nodded.
Nancy continued, “And you’ve spent a lot of time with your friends this summer, going off on picnics several times a week, and to the movies, and parties. But now school is starting and I just hope you don’t think you can continue with that schedule. Being with your friends and Max is important to you, I know that and I’m not going to tell you to stop seeing them unless it becomes a problem. But if you want to get into a good college, you need to concentrate on your schoolwork.”
Liz smiled sadly. There were so many other things that were more important than her grades, but her mother didn’t know about any of it, and for a moment Liz wished she could tell her the truth. But she simply nodded, “I promise, I’ll do my best.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Tuesday, August 28th, 2001)
Isabel stopped her silver 1990 BMW at the address Hale had given and her eyes widened at the size of the house. Hale had suggested they work at his house and she’d agreed, barely glancing at the address, but driving to his house she realized it was in the most expensive part of town. And seeing Hale’s house and the one’s surrounding it, she could see why.
The house resembled a civil war era mansion. Two, gleaming-white stories were supported by several huge white columns, and a balcony on the second floor echoed the porch on the ground floor, wrapping around both sides of the house.
“Wow,” Isabel whispered. She gathered her belongings and approached the front door but before she had even reached the porch, Hale emerged greeting her.
“Isabel, I’m glad you could make it.”
“Hale, this is a beautiful house,” Isabel gasped. “I didn’t even know things like this were built in Roswell.”
Hale smiled. “I imagine it would be the kind of place my mother would like,” he explained, as he relieved her of her books and led her into the house. “She died when I was very young and I never knew her, but for some reason this house reminds me of her.”
He led her inside and Isabel’s eyes traveled quickly over everything trying to take it all in. The interior was richly furnished in period pieces, giving it a warm, homey feel. Isabel turned back to Hale, “Is your Dad home? I would love to meet him.”
Hale shook his head, “My Dad died a few years ago.”
Isabel was instantly horrified, “I’m so sorry, Hale. I didn’t know.”
“There is no way you could know,” Hale said softly. “We had just moved here after I graduated high school. I was supposed to go to college that fall and I was spending the summer with him but he got sick and died suddenly.” He paused. “After that, college just didn’t seem so important and I took some time off.”
Isabel nodded, understanding, “What did you do?”
Hale shrugged, “Moped around for a while, traveled, tried to get my head together, and then I just suddenly decided to give college a try.” He looked at her and smiled, “And I’m glad I did, otherwise I wouldn’t have met you.”
Isabel smiled back at him, “I’m glad you did too.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Thursday, August 30th, 2001)
Maria let herself into Michael’s apartment without knocking and grabbed him from behind, placing a sloppy kiss on his cheek.
Michael wiped at his cheek, “Come on Maria. I’m trying to work here.”
Maria glanced at the books spread out before him on the counter with surprise. “Wow, you really are. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you do homework, Michael.”
“Yeah, well if I want to graduate, I have to pass certain classes.”
Maria shook her head, “I thought school was no big deal to you. So what’s changed?”
Michael shrugged, “I never thought school mattered because I didn’t think I was a permanent resident of this planet. But now that I’ve chosen to live here, I thought it might be a good idea to get an education so I don’t end up working at the cheese factory.”
“But with all of this stuff with Max’s son and Khivar, you don’t know what will happen. You might have to go back.”
Michael studied Maria for a moment. For the past couple of weeks she had been distant, and suddenly he wondered about her motives. Was she scared that he was going to leave her? But that didn’t make sense, he argued with himself, he had stayed on Earth for her. Maybe she was just going through a phase, he decided and shrugged, answering her. “Maybe, someday we’ll have to go back,” he conceded. “But maybe not. And I don’t want to put my whole life on hold waiting for something that may never happen.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Saturday, September 8th, 2001)
(Senior Chow’s)
Max sat silently across the table from her, and Liz could practically feel the tension coming from him. At first she had thought it was just her imagination, but as the night progressed he seemed to have gotten more nervous. Finally she put down her fork and leaned in closer, “What’s wrong Max?”
His head snapped up immediately, “Wrong?”
“You’ve had something on your mind all evening,” Liz said.
Max shook his head. “There’s something I wanted to ask you, but now I’m wondering if it’s a good idea.”
“What is it, Max?” Liz asked softly. “You know you can ask me anything. We don’t have any secrets from one another.”
“It’s not like that,” he tried to explain. “I wanted to ask you to go somewhere with me. It’s just with what happened last year and how things turned out…” he trailed off and started again. “This isn’t how I wanted to do this. It should be special or clever, at least that’s what I’ve heard from other people. But then I wanted it to be face to face, so I could explain. I mean, I would definitely understand if you didn’t want to…”
“Max,” Liz cut him off, reaching across the table to clasp his hand, “it’s okay. Whatever it is, you can ask me.”
Max took a deep breath, “Liz, what I wanted to ask is, would you go to the homecoming dance with me?”
Max’s question caught her unprepared and she instantly understood his hesitation in asking. Their prom date had been a complete disaster and had jump-started his relationship with Tess. Liz felt a cold shiver of fear race down her spine but immediately pushed it away. If she and Max were going to build a relationship, she had to get over the past, and a school dance was the perfect place to start making new memories.
Liz smiled, “I’d love to go with you, Max.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Monday, September 10th, 2001)
(Chavez Community College)
Isabel walked beside Hale in silence as they headed toward the parking lot, a soft smile curving her lips. For the last month she and Hale had spent every afternoon and some evenings and weekends together, working on their project.
At first, she had worked hard to keep the atmosphere between them light and flirtatious and she was good at it, having practiced on lots of boys in high school. She and Hale had laughed and joked and gradually gotten to know one another. And Hale had been a perfect gentleman the whole time, not even attempting to kiss her. Eventually Isabel had opened up about Alex’s death and with Hale’s own loss so recent, Isabel felt that he really understood.
The one thing Isabel had always envied about Max and Liz’s relationship was their closeness. They always seemed so in-tune with one another and at times it almost seemed like they were one person. With Hale, Isabel felt like the closeness she desired was possible, and she had started to wonder what might develop between them.
As they continued walking, Hale slipped his hand into hers. Isabel was surprised by his action but instead of an intrusion, it felt like the most natural thing in the world. And she looked at him and smiled, squeezing his hand.
Hale returned her smile. “Isabel, I was wondering if you would like to go somewhere with me on Friday.”
“We go to lunch and the library every day,” Isabel said, misunderstanding. “We don’t need to make special plans.”
Hale smiled more widely. “Well, I thought we should make plans. I understand that’s what typically happens when I guy asks a girl on a real date.”
For a moment Isabel was stunned and then she smiled. “I’d really like that.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(West Roswell High School)
Kyle joined Michael, Maria, Max and Liz at their lunch table, smacking Michael on the back. “Where’s your shadow?”
Michael groaned and rolled his eyes, “That Ryan guy is harder to get rid of than a case of the flu.”
“I thought you said you were going to tell him off,” Maria said.
“I was,” Michael said, “but he is so dang happy to have someone to talk to in the three classes we share, that it would be like kicking a lost puppy. I just didn’t have the heart.”
Kyle leaned across Michael and spoke to Maria, “Did you know Michael had a heart?”
Maria wrapped her arms around Michael. “He likes to act tough but he’s just a big softie inside.”
Michael snorted, “Besides, the guy is a total screw up. He is always knocking stuff over and tripping.”
“Yeah,” Liz said. “My Dad wanted to ban him from the Crashdown. He said Ryan was really putting the ‘crash’ in the name Crashdown. I had to convince him Ryan wasn’t causing all of the accidents on purpose.”
“Good thing he doesn’t work there,” Maria said with a shiver. “Can you imagine all of the broken dishes?”
“At least he can’t cause too much damage working with stuffed aliens,” Kyle said with a laugh.
Max shook his head. “At the museum he’s acquired the nickname of tornado. I spend half my time cleaning up after him. He knocked over an entire display last week and it took me hours to fix.”
The sound of books hitting the ground drew their attention.
“I think a tornado just touched down,” Kyle quipped.
Ryan picked himself and his books up off the ground and rushed toward their table. “Hey guys, how’s it going?”
“Hey Ryan,” they all answered.
Ryan turned to Max, “Do you think Brody would let me have the night off. Michael and I are supposed to do this report for history class.”
Max started to answer but Michael cut him off, “Ryan I already told you it can’t be tonight. I’ve got stuff to do.”
“Oh right,” Ryan said with a nod. “Well, I could stop by the Crashdown and we could start on your break.”
Michael shook his head, “I’m not working tonight.”
Ryan’s brow creased in confusion. “This report is due Friday. We’ve to get started on it. If you’re not working then what are you doing?”
Michael couldn’t exactly tell Ryan the truth, that they were going to the quarry to hone their alien powers. He looked to Max for help but Max shrugged.
Michael let out a sigh, “I’m doing stuff, okay?” He saw the hurt look on Ryan’s face and instantly regretted his harsh words. “Look, how about I meet you in the library after school tomorrow?”
Ryan regained his good humor, “Okay, that’ll be great.” He jumped up from his seat, “I’ll see you guys later.”
Kyle waited until Ryan was out of earshot. “Poor Michael, forced to be nice to someone.”
“Shut up, Valenti,” Michael said with a laugh. He watched Ryan’s lanky gate as he walked past the students and into the building. “That guy will be the end of me.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Friday, September 14th, 2001)
(Crashdown Cafe)
The bell above the door rang, drawing Maria’s attention and she looked up to see a deliveryman with a large bouquet of flowers, entering the restaurant.
This was exactly the romantic kind of thing Max always did for Liz and Maria approached the counter with a sigh, “Delivery for Parker?”
The deliveryman flipped through his schedule sheet. “No, these are for a Maria DeLuca.”
Maria glanced at the size of the bouquet and then back at the deliveryman. “DeLuca? Are you sure?”
The man pointed to the line on the his delivery sheet, “Yeah. Do you want to sign for these or what?”
Maria signed the paper and the man placed the flowers in her hands. Her first thought was that Michael sent them but then she remembered the flowers Brody had sent when Alex died. Even though Brody had never sent her flowers before for no reason, it would be just like him to do something so thoughtful.
The delivery guy was almost out the door before Maria called out to him, “Hey, who are they from?”
The man glanced at the sheet again and yelled across the restaurant, “Says Guerin.”
Maria smiled dreamily, taking a vase from under the counter and started arranging the flowers. There was a large variety and she didn’t know half the names, but she didn’t care because Michael had finally done something romantic. Maria shrugged, trust Michael to arrange the delivery when he wasn’t there, but she was still happy.
After a few moments she stood back to admire her handy-work but she was interrupted by a familiar voice from the back room.
“Aren’t you even going to look at the card?” Michael called out.
Maria ran and threw her arms around him, covering his face with kisses. “Thank you. Thank you, Michael. I love the flowers.”
Michael motioned to the flowers, “But aren’t you going to read the card?”
“Oh,” Maria said, “I didn’t see a card.” Searching through the blooms she finally found the card and read it aloud.
I still can’t dance and I stink at poetry
But I would love it if you would accompany
me to the Homecoming dance.
-Michael
Maria pulled Michael into another hug. “I’d love to go.”
“That’s great, Maria,” he said with a smile. “But since when do you ask the delivery guy who the flowers are from?”
“Well,” Maria said with a laugh, “since you never sent me flowers before, I didn’t want to assume.”
Michael’s eyebrows rose, “Who else would you assume was sending flowers?”
Maria shook her head, pleased with his sudden bout of jealously. “No one, Michael. No one at all.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Saturday, September 15th, 2001)
Hale’s black Audi TT convertible rolled to a stop, and once again he teasingly warned Isabel, “Keep your eyes closed.”
Isabel agreed with a smile, “Okay, but how am I going to get where ever it is we are going?”
Hale leaned closer, “I’ll lead you.”
He got out of the car and moved around to the passenger side to open Isabel’s door. Taking one of her hands in his and wrapping his other arm around her waist, Hale led her a short distance.
Isabel could tell they were walking on grass and she could hear running water but she didn’t know where they were.
“Okay, now you can open your eyes,” he said softly.
Isabel first focused on the fountain illuminated by spotlights. She noted they were in the park and then she saw the elaborate table-for-two that was set up near the fountain, complete with flowers and candles. “Oh,” she gasped, “it’s so beautiful.” She turned to him, “How did you arrange this?”
“Oh, you know, I just used a little magic,” Hale said with a wink. “I wish we lived near an ocean so we could do this on the beach, but you have to work with what you have.” He led her to a chair and pulled it out, “Allow me.”
Isabel sat and Hale took the chair across from her and suddenly the soft sound of a violin filled the air. Isabel turned to see a violinist approaching the table. “I can’t believe you went to all of this trouble,” she exclaimed.
Hale shook his head, “It was no trouble at all. I just wanted to do something special for our first official date, so it would be something you would remember.”
Isabel smiled, “You’re right. I’ll never forget this.”
Hale’s intense gaze met her’s across the table, “Good.” He held her eyes for a moment before he turned to the ice bucket next to the table and retrieved a bottle, holding it out for her inspection, “Sparkling cider?”
She nodded silently and he filled her glass and then his own.
He placed the bottle on the table and then raised his glass. “A toast,” he said softly. “To good friends.”
Isabel touched her glass to his and drank, noting that his eyes never left hers. Intellectually Isabel knew she had to be careful, but a sudden impulse made her reach across the table and touch his hand. “This may sound corny, and you can say no if it’s not your kind of thing, but next Saturday is my high school’s homecoming dance and I was wondering if you’d like to go.”
Hale took her hand in his, brought it to his lips and pressed a soft kiss to her knuckles. “I’d love to, Isabel.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Monday, September 17th, 2001)
(The Quarry)
Kyle watched Isabel covertly as he pretended to be meditating, waiting to talk to her alone. Finally she took a break from her practice and went to get a water bottle and he loped over to her and took a seat on a rock. “How’s it going?” he asked.
Isabel shrugged, “Okay, and you?”
“Fine,” Kyle said with a nod, wondering why he was suddenly so nervous. “I guess you’ve heard that Max and Liz and Michael and Maria are going to the Homecoming dance.”
“Yeah,” Isabel said with a nod.
“Well I just wanted you to know that we could carry the buddy thing over to include the dance, if you wanted to go.” He shrugged, “So you didn’t feel left out, or anything.”
Isabel smiled, “That’s so sweet, Kyle. Thank you for offering, but I already have a date.”
Kyle was stunned. “You do? Who is it?”
Isabel glanced at Max and Michael. “I haven’t told anyone but I’ve been hanging out with this guy at school and I asked him to the dance.”
“Oh,” Kyle said, trying to hide his disappointment, “that’s great.”
“I haven’t talked to Max or Michael yet but I just assumed that we would all hang out together. So you should get a date and we’ll all meet up.”
Kyle didn’t have a clue who he would take to the dance and that was part of the reason why he had asked Isabel. He’d dated a number of girls over the years but he didn’t have a friendship with any of them.
With a jolt of pain he remembered the prom. He had really wanted to take Tess, hoping to advance their relationship, but suddenly he’d realized that she was more of a sister to him. And vaguely he wondered if that same thing would have happened if he had taken Isabel to Homecoming. Kyle Valenti, doomed to brotherly relationships with hot chicks.
Maybe he should take Isabel’s advice and get a date before he ended up a monk. He had noticed a brunette in his history class looking at him, maybe he’d talk to her tomorrow.
Kyle nodded, “Yeah, maybe I’ll do that.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Crashdown Café)
Michael pushed a basket of onion rings onto the table and slid into the booth across from Max. “So did you catch the game yesterday?”
Max shrugged, “I was studying with Liz.”
“You missed a good one,” Michael said. “The last few minutes were wild.” He dowsed an onion ring with tabasco and stuffed it in his mouth. “So how are things with you and Liz?”
“Good,” Max said with a nod. “Things are good.”
Michael nodded understanding, “Things are still platonic.”
“That is not the only part of a relationship, Michael,” Max scolded. “I’m glad we’re taking things slow. Liz and I really needed to repair our friendship and now we are closer than ever. When we do go to the next level, both of us will be ready.”
“So…” Michael started, but trailed off, peering over Max’s head and out the front window. “Is that Maria going into the UFO museum?”
Max turned, “Yeah.”
Michael stood up and motioned across the street. “What is she doing over there?”
“Maria and Brody are friends,” Max said with a shrug, “you know that.”
Michael raised his voice, growing angry, “I know she takes him dinner, but she goes over there when she’s not working? She never told me that. What are they doing together over there?”
“Nothing,” Max assured him. “They usually go into Brody’s office and talk. Sometimes they have tea.” Max leaned forward. “Michael, I would have told you if I thought anything inappropriate was going on.”
Michael sat down shaking his head. “Tea? They have tea? What the hell is that?” He looked at Max, “I know Brody has a crush on her but I never took him seriously because I thought Maria wouldn’t give him the time of day.”
“Michael,” Max said more forcefully, trying to get through to his friend, “Brody and Maria are just friends.”
Michael focused on the door of the UFO museum as if he could see inside, and thought of Maria’s cool attitude toward him lately, coupled with what Max had just said about his friendship with Liz. “Yeah, they’re just friends.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Friday, September 21st, 2001)
(The Evans House)
When Isabel told the gang she had a date to the dance, Max and Michael had started with the third degree, and now almost a week later they cornered her in the kitchen, still at it.
“We don’t know anything about this guy, Isabel,” Michael said.
“It’s not like I am asking you if I can tell him our secret,” Isabel said sarcastically. “I am just bringing him to a school dance.”
“We haven’t even met him,” Max pointed out. “You’ve been hanging out with him this whole time and haven’t said a word about him.”
“I don’t have to tell you everything about my life,” Isabel hissed. “And there was nothing to tell. We hadn’t even been out on a date until last weekend.” She rolled her eyes, “And with the way you two are acting, I’m glad you haven’t met. I would hate for him to see what jerks you are.”
Max sighed, “I’m just saying that we have to be careful.”
“I am being careful,” Isabel asserted. “I just wanted to have a normal date. Since Alex…” she trailed off as a lump formed in her throat and swallowed hard, struggling to continue. “I’ve been alone for months, I just want to have a friend.” She let out a sigh, “Max you have Liz, and Michael you have Maria. Don’t you think it’s hard for me to watch that? Hale is a nice guy. I just thought we all could hang out, you know, go to dinner and the dance. Why does it always have to be such a battle?”
Max pulled Isabel into a hug, “I’m sorry Iz.”
“Yeah,” Michael echoed, “I’m sorry too.”
Max released her. “We just worry about you, that’s all.”
Isabel wiped her wet cheeks, “So can we all just go to this stupid dance and get along?”
Max nodded, “Yeah, we’d love to meet your friend.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Roswell City Council Chambers)
Jim sat before the City Council, not sure what to expect. The last time he had been there had not been a pleasant experience but he had understood the reasons why they had to fire him.
Jim waited as the meeting continued with discussions of road repairs and zoning regulations but finally the chairman of the City Council addressed him. "Mr. Valenti, due to the lack of evidence of any wrong-doing on your part from the internal investigation, and the affidavits from Laurie Dupree, Agent Susanne Duff of the FBI, and the legal actions of Philip Evans on your behalf, added to the inexperience and the sometimes questionable actions of acting Sheriff Hansen, we, the members of the City Council, would like to offer you the position of Sheriff.”
Jim couldn't have been more surprised if they had said they were running him out of town. It took a minute for the information to sink-in but when it did a smile spread across his face and he got to his feet, "Members of the Council, Mr. Chairman, I accept your offer."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Saturday, September 22nd, 2001)
Max knocked on the Parker’s front door and it was opened almost immediately by Liz’s Dad.
“Hey Max,” Jeff said. “Come on in. Liz is almost ready.”
Max smiled, “I guess I’m a little early.” He followed Jeff into the living room where Nancy was sitting, “Hi, Mrs. Parker.”
“Hello, Max,” she said softly.
Max could see wariness in her eyes and his thoughts automatically went back to last year when he and Liz had found the orb and stayed out all night together. He didn’t think Liz’s Mom had ever forgiven him for that.
Jeff motioned to the sofa, “Have a seat.”
Max sat down and wondered what to say, but Jeff saved him the trouble.
“Max, I know you and Liz are both eighteen, but she has a curfew of midnight and we expect you to honor that.”
Max nodded. “Of course, Mr. and Mrs. Parker. Liz and I have both matured a lot in the last year and we both respect that you need to set rules.” He looked from Jeff to Nancy, “I promise I’ll have Liz back on time.”
Some of the wariness seemed to soften in Nancy’s eyes and she smiled. “Thank you, Max. We appreciate that.”
At that moment Liz entered the room and Max immediately stood and was practically rendered speechless. Liz was wearing an emerald-green strapless dress that hugged her body until it reached her waist, where it flared out gently ending just below her knees. Her hair was caught up in a simple twist and she wore dangling silver and emerald earrings.
Liz smiled at him and took the moment to study Max in his suit. The soft, dark fabric was expertly cut to his muscular frame and the dusky blue shirt he wore, brought out the warm, amber of his eyes.
Finally Max regained his voice, “Liz, you look wonderful.”
She blushed slightly but held his gaze, “So do you.”
Her father clearing his throat brought them both back to reality and drew their attention to him.
Jeff motioned to them, “Go and stand over there and we’ll get a picture.”
Liz rolled her eyes but Max eagerly took her hand, while her father snapped what seemed like an endless series of pictures.
“Okay Dad, that’s enough,” Liz finally laughed.
Jeff shrugged and Nancy walked them to the door. “Have a good time.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The DeLuca House)
Jim knocked and waited impatiently for the door to open. He had looked forward to this all day and he was eager to deliver his news.
Amy opened the door. “Jim, what a surprise.”
“Hey Amy,” Jim greeted. “I just wondered if you were free to come out tonight and celebrate.”
Amy leaned against the door, smiling. “What are we celebrating?”
Jim looked around and leaned in closer to her, “It won’t be official until Monday, but you are looking at the new Sheriff of Roswell, New Mexico.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Isabel and Hale met the others at the restaurant and Isabel was glad to see that Hale wasn’t the only new face. Kyle had brought a date too, a girl that Isabel knew from school, a pretty brunette named Cindy.
“Everyone, this is Hale,” Isabel said, starting the introductions and went around the table, pointing out each of her friends, ending with Max. “This is my brother, Max.”
Hale stood and reached across the table, offering a hand. “Nice to finally meet you Max. Isabel has told me a lot about you.”
“Oh,” Max said, surprised, and slightly uncomfortable. “Um, it’s nice to meet you too.”
Liz could feel Max’s discomfort and diverted Hale’s attention with a question. “Hale, have you decided what your major is going to be?”
Hale focused his attention on Liz, “I am interested in a lot of different areas, history, science, the law. I just haven’t narrowed it down yet,” he finished with a shrug. “How about you, Liz? Isabel said you’re something of a science prodigy.”
Liz shook her head, “I’m nothing that spectacular, but I do enjoy science, especially chemistry and biology.”
“And you plan to go into that as a major?” Hale asked.
Their conversation faded into the background as Isabel looked at Michael and Max who were both staring at Hale. She lightly kicked Max under the table, drawing his attention and gave him a pleading look.
Max hadn’t realized he was staring and flashed an embarrassed smile. He turned to Michael, caught his attention with a well-placed kick under the table and motioned to Hale.
Michael shrugged and at the next break in the conversation between Liz and Hale, Michael blurted the first thing that came to his mind, “So Hale, are you a football fan?”
“I’ve just recently gotten interested in it,” Hale said. “The strategy, the planning of offence and defense, is almost like two generals maneuvering their troops in a war.”
Michael nodded, “And the head bashing is cool too.”
Hale nodded with a smile, “Yeah, it is.” He turned to Max, “Do you have a favorite team?”
“I’m not really into sports,” Max said with a shrug.
“Oh,” Hale said, “what are you into?”
Max’s eyes automatically went to Liz before refocusing of Hale, “I’m more into school.”
Hale smiled, Max’s tell-tale glance not lost on him. “Well school is very important.”
Max nodded, “The most important thing in the world.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The rest of the dinner went smoothly, everyone talked and laughed and had a good time. After the initial round of questions, everything settled down and Max turned most of his attention to Liz.
Michael and Hale continued to talk and Isabel felt herself relax. She had been so worried about how Max and Michael would accept Hale, but now she could see her worrying had all been for nothing. Everyone was getting along great.
On the way out of the restaurant, Isabel put her arms around Michael and Max and whispered into their ears, “Thanks.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(West Roswell High School)
(Homecoming Dance)
Max and Liz sat at the table with their friends, but one by one, the other couples rose and joined the dance.
Both Max and Liz were somewhat cautious about the evening because of bad memories of the last dance they attended together. Max was eager to make new memories but he didn’t want to move too fast. He wanted Liz to feel completely at ease.
“The decorating committee did a good job on the gym,” he started casually.
“Yeah,” Liz agreed, looking around, “it’s really, um, festive.”
“And the punch is really good, too,” Max continued.
“Yeah,” Liz said, feeling Max’s level of discomfort. He was really nervous and she knew it was because of what had happened at the prom last year. But Liz wasn’t afraid of a repeat performance and she suddenly realized she didn’t want to live her life worrying about what might happen.
Liz wouldn’t let Tess win. She wouldn’t let the other girl drive herself and Max apart. They loved one another and they should be together.
Holding out her hand to Max, Liz smiled, “Do you want to dance?”
Max smiled and took her hand, “I’d love to.”
They rose and walked to the dance floor, fitting easily into each others’ arms.
And it's been awhile
Since I could hold my head up high
And it's been awhile
Since I first saw you
And it's been awhile
Since I could stand on my own two feet again
And it's been awhile
Since I could call you
And everything I can't remember
As messed up as it all may seem
The consequences that I've rendered
I've stretched myself beyond my means
Max was so happy to be with Liz. It had seemed like old times between them as they had talked and laughed over dinner, but when they arrived at the dance a terrible nervousness started to consume him. And now as he and Liz moved to the music, Max listened to the words of the song and felt like the whole thing was a sham.
He had done so much to hurt Liz. Not just his actions of the past year, which had been bad enough, but the older version of himself who had come back in time just to steal Liz’s happiness.
And it's been awhile
Since I can say that I wasn't addicted
And it's been awhile
Since I can say I love myself as well
And it's been awhile
Since I've gone and messed things up just like I always do
And it's been awhile
But all that stuff seems to disappear when I'm with you
And everything I can't remember
As messed up as it all may seem
The consequences that I've rendered
I've gone and messed things up again
Even though he and Liz had been together in their last life, Max knew he didn’t deserve her in this one. He had been so anxious to start their life together, but Liz had been cautious, and she was right. He had done things she could never forgive.
Why must I feel this way?
Just make this go away
Just one more peaceful day!
And it's been awhile
Since I could look at myself straight
And it's been awhile
Since I said I'm sorry
And it's been awhile
Since I've seen the way the candle lights your face
And it's been awhile
But I can still remember just the way you taste
Max had asked Liz to the dance hoping to show her things were different now, hoping to rekindle the tender light that had burned within them. He loved Liz with every fiber of his being, but it wasn’t enough and he had to accept that they would never be anything more than friends.
And everything I can't remember
As messed up as it all may seem to be I know it's me
I cannot blame this on my father
He did the best he could for me
And it's been awhile
Since I could hold my head up high
And it's been awhile
Since I said I'm sorry
An overwhelming feeling of loss surged through Max and tears ran from his eyes. He felt Liz stiffen in his arms and with a horrifying sense of de-ja-vu they both stopped dancing.
Liz pulled back and gently wiped the tears from his face. “What’s wrong, Max?”
Max looked into her beautiful face and saw the concern so clearly written there. “I…” he started, but choked on the words, unable to utter them.
Liz could feel Max’s crushing sorrow and took him by the hand, “Come on.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Hale took Isabel in his arms as a slow song started and they swayed to the lazy beat. Leaning close, Hale spoke softly in her ear, “I’m really glad you invited me, Isabel. I was starting to wonder if you were hiding me from your friends.”
“Of course not,” Isabel instantly denied. “It’s just that Michael is sort of an honorary brother, and he and Max are really overprotective.
“And you were afraid they wouldn’t approve,” Hale said, nodding with understanding.
“It’s not you,” Isabel assured him. “They just don’t approve of anyone. But they really like you, I could tell.”
“I like them and your other friends too,” Hale said with a nod. He leaned in closer, his eyes never leaving hers, and lowered his voice seductively, “Do you think they would approve if I wanted to kiss you?”
Isabel blushed but kept eye contact, “I think you should ask me directly about that.”
Hale glanced down at her lips and then back to her eyes, moving even closer. His voice was just a whisper, “And what do you say, Isabel.”
Instead of answering, Isabel closed the distance between them, touching her lips to his.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Liz led Max out of the crowded gymnasium, down a quiet, dark hall and into an empty classroom before stopping and turning to him again. “What’s wrong?”
Max’s tears fell freely and he shook his head, unable to speak.
Liz pulled him down onto a chair and sank into the one next to him. She took his face in her hands as her own tears started to fall. “It’s okay, Max.”
Max took her hand in his and gently pressed a kiss to her knuckles. “Liz, I…” he looked up into her face and saw the tears on her cheeks. His voice cracked with pain, “I’m so sorry, Liz. I don’t deserve you. I…”
Liz pressed her free hand to his lips. “Hush, Max. It’s okay.”
Max shook his head and took her other hand in his, “No, it’s not. It’ll never…”
“Shhhh, Max.” Liz soothed, but Max was holding both her hands and Liz stopped his words the only way she had left to her, with a kiss. She pressed her lips to his and instantly felt his surprise. He didn’t move as she placed one soft kiss after another on his lips, and although Liz had never attempted it before, she focused her powers on opening a connection between them.
After a moment, the sudden rush of images told her she had been successful and she whispered through the connection as she pushed her feelings for him into it. We’ve both been in so much pain for so long, and we both wish that things could have been different. But it’s time to let go of the pain and the guilt, to put it behind us. We want to be together, we know we belong together, and I don’t want to wait any longer. I think it’s time we both forgave ourselves and agree that it’s okay to find some happiness, together. She pressed her lips to his again, harder. I love you so much, Max.
Max could feel all of Liz’s emotions through the connection and unbelievably, in spite of everything that had happened between them, she loved him more than anything.
Again Liz felt Max’s surprise and heard his whispered voice through the connection, almost a sigh, Liz.
He took her face in his hands and finally kissed her back.
And as they got lost in each other’s kisses, the muffled music of the next song floated down the hall.
I'll protect you from the hooded claw
Keep the vampires from your door
Aye-yie, yie-yie
Feels like fire
I'm so in love with you
Dreams are like angels
They keep bad at bay, bad at bay
Love is the light
Scaring darkness away, yeah
I'm so in love with you
Purge the soul
Make love your goal
The power of love
A force from above
Cleaning my soul
Flame on burn desire
Love, with tongues of fire
Purge the soul
Make love your goal
Max placed soft kisses all over Liz’s face, savoring the feel of each one. It had been so long since he had touched her like that and he never wanted it to end.
Liz answered him through the connection, I never want it to end either, Max. I’ve missed this so much.
I'll protect you from the hooded claw
Keep the vampires from your door
When the chips are down I'll be around
With my undying, death-defying
Love for you
Envy will hurt itself
Let yourself be beautiful
Sparkling love, flowers
And pearls and pretty girls
Love is like an energy
Rushin' rushin' inside of me
The power of love
A force from above
Cleaning my soul
Flame on burn desire
Love, with tongues of fire
Purge the soul
Make love your goal
Cradling Liz’s head, Max returned his lips to hers, devouring them greedily. I love you so much Liz, Max said. He reveled in her feelings for him that he could sense through their connection, and he slid his tongue across her lips and Liz opened eagerly to let him in.
Their tongues met and Liz sighed with contentment. She brought her hands up to touch Max’s face, I’ll never stop loving you, Max.
This time we go sublime
Lovers entwine, divine, divine
Love is danger, love is pleasure
Love is pure, the only treasure
I'm so in love with you
Purge the soul
Make love your goal
The power of love
A force from above
Cleaning my soul
The power of love
A force from above
A sky-scraping dove
Flame on burn desire
Love with tongues of fire
Purge the soul
Make love your goal
I'll protect you from the hooded claw
Keep the vampires from your door
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Michael shuffled around the dance floor with Maria held tightly in his arms and he had never felt more alone. He’d tried to put it out of his mind but the thought kept resurfacing that he was losing Maria to Brody.
In Michael’s eyes, Brody didn’t have much going for him, but he knew women judged differently. And Michael tried to image how Maria might see him. Brody was a dork but he had that scruffy, lost puppy look girls went for. Michael also had to admit that Brody was intelligent, and rich of course, but he must also be somewhat brave or crazy to tell the world of his alien encounter.
Michael sighed, maybe there was enough in Brody to attract Maria. He should have seen it sooner but he had discounted Brody as a threat because of the dork factor. He had been so sure of Maria’s love that he hadn’t taken Brody’s crush on her seriously, but now he saw he’d made a big mistake.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Cindy had been sending him not-so-subtle signals all night and when Kyle suggested they go to the janitor’s closet, she eagerly agreed.
Kyle took her hand and they headed into the dark hallway. A sudden flash of walking the same route with Tess the night of the Prom, burst into his mind and he shoved it away violently. He wouldn’t let Tess ruin any more of his life.
Once out of sight of the gym, Cindy launched herself at Kyle, pressing her lips to his, and pushing him into the wall.
Kyle almost laughed with satisfaction. It had been a long time since he had been with a girl and it was reassuring to know he still had it. He took control of the kiss, turning Cindy against the wall and closing the distance between them. He kissed his way down her chin to her neck, as he felt her hands beneath his jacket unbuttoning his shirt.
He broke the kiss, “Let’s get to the janitor’s closet.”
Hand-in-hand they ran down the hall and stopped outside the closet door. Cindy reached for the knob, but Kyle held the door shut with one hand, while he pressed her back against it, taking her lips once more.
Another flash of the Prom pushed its way into his mind before he could stop it. He had brought Tess to the janitor’s closet that night because he wanted to tell her she was like a sister to him, but suddenly another memory competed with it.
Kyle broke the kiss and shook his head to clear the memory.
“What’s wrong?” Cindy whispered.
“Nothing,” Kyle assured her. He opened the door and motioned her inside, “I just don’t want to give the whole school a show.”
He followed her inside and closed the door behind them. Taking her in his arms again, he devoured her lips, trying to push the memories of Tess away. But the flashes kept coming.
The night of the Prom, he had wanted to tell Tess something, but her voice in his head had told him over and over again what to think, and finally it had won. And in this very room, he had told her exactly what she wanted to hear from him.
Suddenly another memory pushed forward and Kyle saw himself asking Tess to the Prom. Everything seemed normal until she accepted, then he felt her mind in his, changing his love for her into a brotherly affection.
His true feelings came rushing back to him, untarnished by the months of separation and betrayal. He had loved Tess, truly loved her. But Tess hadn’t wanted that kind of relationship with him, so with an unfeeling use of power, she had mind warped his love away.
Suddenly Kyle felt sick and dirty and he broke away from Cindy. “Sorry. I’m not feeling so good.”
Cindy was instantly concerned, “Oh, are you coming down with something?”
Kyle shook his head, “It’s something I never really got over.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Max and Liz walked to her door hand-in-hand, and when they stopped Max enfolded Liz in his arms.
Liz smiled, “It was a wonderful night. One of the best of my life.”
“It’s just the beginning Liz and I promise it will only get better.” Max leaned forward and kissed Liz softly, lingeringly, and opened the connection between them eager to regain the closeness they had shared earlier.
A rush of images told Max the connection had formed and then he felt the warm, welcoming tendrils of Liz’s love swirling around him. Max had never experienced anything as wonderful as being with Liz like this and he basked in her feelings for him.
Finally, reluctantly he ended the kiss but pressed his forehead to hers. “My future self was right. Even with the connection we have now, I never would have left you.”
“I know,” Liz said breathily. “It’s so amazing to feel what you’re feeling.”
Max kissed her again quickly. “I hate to leave you.”
Liz nodded, “Me too.”
“Can I see you tomorrow?” Max asked anxiously. “A picnic maybe.”
“Yeah Max, I’d love that.”
Max pressed his lips to hers for a final time. “Goodnight, Liz.”
“Goodnight, Max,” she said with a smile.
And as Max looked into her eyes, he thought he saw a mischievous twinkle.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Liz went into her house practically glowing from Max’s kisses, her smile lighting up her whole face. She didn’t even try to hide it when she went into the kitchen and found her mother sitting at the table.
“Hi Mom,” she said, kissing her mother on the cheek.
Nancy glanced at the clock, noting that it wasn’t quite midnight. “You’re home early.”
“Am I?” Liz asked wistfully, as she poured herself a glass of milk.
“Did you have a good time at the dance?” Nancy asked, trying to seem casual.
Liz took a seat at the table. “It was wonderful.”
Nancy nodded, “So I take it you and Max are working through your problems.”
“Yeah,” Liz sighed. “It’s been great, our friendship is stronger than ever.”
“Well I just want to make sure you weren’t rushing into anything you aren’t ready for.”
Liz nodded, knowing what her mother was referring to. “Mom believe me, we’re not rushing anything. We’ve decided to take our time with everything, to make sure both of us are completely ready.”
Nancy nodded.
Liz noted the relieved look on her mother’s face with a touch of annoyance. “Goodnight, Mom.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Isabel stopped her car and turned off the ignition. Hale had taken her home less than an hour ago, but she had been unable to sleep.
The night had been wonderful, almost like a fairytale. Max and Michael had gotten along with Hale at dinner. At the dance she and Hale had been inseparable, dancing the whole night and when they arrived back at her house, he had kissed her again.
The kiss was everything she had ever imagined a kiss should be, tender yet passionate, comfortable yet exciting. The flashes she received from Hale showed that she was on his mind just as much as he was on hers, and Isabel felt herself falling in love. But even though the evening was everything she had expected and more, she was still restless and even a little scared.
She felt guilty for considering being with someone not even a year after Alex’s death and that was why she had come out. Isabel had spoken with Alex so many times since his death, but tonight when she had needed him, he wasn’t there. She knew he wasn’t ever really there, he was just a part of her memory but their conversations had always comforted her, and when her mind refused to conjure him she had gotten worried.
Crossing the damp ground, Isabel stopped in front of Alex’s grave and sank to her knees before the headstone. She used her powers to carefully clear the area of debris and polish the surface of the granite headstone and then replaced her hands into her lap.
“I don’t know why I’m here exactly. I guess I just thought I would feel better coming here. I know you’ve never really visited me, but when you didn’t come tonight…” she trailed off. “I guess I’m really starting to get over you, just like you said, and that scares me Alex.”
“I met a guy at school and he’s really great. We’ve been spending a lot of time together, studying and just hanging out. He’s someone I can really talk to. Tonight we went to the Homecoming dance and we kissed for the first time.”
A lump started to form in her throat and tears threatened but she pushed to continue. “I think I’m falling in love with him Alex, and I feel like I’m betraying you.” She put her hands to her face and let the sobs come as her tears burst forth.
“Don’t cry, Isabel,” a familiar voice called out.
Isabel lowered her hands and jumped to her feet immediately when she saw Alex. She ran to him and threw her arms around him, “I was so scared I’d lost you.”
Alex hugged her, comforting her until her tears stopped, and then he stepped back. “Isabel, you did lose me, and these visits aren’t helping you. You need to let me go.”
More tears spilled down her cheeks, “I can’t, Alex. It’s just too soon.”
Alex nodded, “Just don’t let this other great guy get away because you are holding on to me. I wouldn’t want you to be alone. You know that.”
Isabel smiled, “I know.”
Alex wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “Now why don’t you tell me all about this new guy?”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
From the shadows, a figure watched Isabel sit on the ground, talking softly to herself.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Evans House)
“Goodnight, Mom, Dad,” Max called out as he entered his room. He shed his jacket, throwing it carelessly across a chair and started tugging at the knot on his tie, when he felt a presence in the room. He looked around trying to pinpoint exactly what was going on, when the feeling suddenly intensified. It was familiar, a presence he had felt many times before.
Max smiled and called out softly, “Liz.”
A smiling Liz materialized before him and slowly solidified. “Hi Max.”
Max reached out to touch her arm. “Not that I’m complaining, but what are you doing here?”
Max had been helping her with her astral projection practice, but now that they had finally gotten back together completely, Liz was curious. She reached up to touch his face. “I just wanted to run a few more experiments.”
Max encircled her with his arms, smiling mischievously. “What kind of experiments?”
“Well,” Liz said as she slid her arms around his neck, “it might be important to know if kissing you this way feels the same.”
Max nodded and lowered his head, stopping inches away. “Yeah, I can see how that could be useful information.” He quickly closed the distance between them and claimed her lips in a searing kiss.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Sunday, September 23rd, 2001)
(Crashdown Cafe)
Michael hit the bell with his spatula as he slid the plates of food onto the counter. “Onion rings, chicken fingers and fries.”
“Coming?” Maria asked him, as she grabbed the plates. She took them to the two tables that were pushed together, allowing the whole gang to gather around. Maria slid the plates into the middle of the tables and sinking down into a chair next to Liz, she turned to Hale, “The fries are the best in town.”
Hale reached for a handful. “So do you guys always get together on Sundays?”
“When there isn’t a game on,” Kyle said with a laugh.
Isabel rolled her eyes and directed her comments to Hale, “The sad part is, Kyle isn’t joking.”
“It’s great you’re all so close,” Hale said.
Michael took the chair next to Maria, draping one arm across her shoulders and reached for an onion ring. “Yeah, we’re the six musketeers.”
Hale smiled, “So you keep the world safe for freedom and the American way?”
Michael shrugged, “Well, not this week. Huh Maxwell?”
Max was so engrossed in Liz that he didn’t respond, and Michael called out louder, “Max!”
“What?” Max asked, focusing on Michael, confusion clearly written on his face.
Michael shrugged, “Never mind.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Max turned his attention back to Liz, their heads close together, Liz’s hand clasped in his. He hadn’t wanted to leave her since they had kissed at the dance last night and Liz felt the same way. That was why she had projected to his room afterward.
They had continued kissing last night, but it was about more than that for both of them. They had reveled in the closeness of being together, physically and spiritually. Both of them knew, without question, they were meant to be together, and now that they were both wholeheartedly working in that direction it brought them even closer.
Words were completely unnecessary between them. Clasped hands, long soulful looks, a cheek cupped in a hand, was their language, both of them perfectly content to simply be together.
Last night, when they had kissed at the dance, the connection between them had strengthened and they could feel echoes of one another’s emotions even when they weren’t in physical contact. Liz had hypothesized it was because they had finally dropped all of their defenses when they decided to be together.
And Max agreed. He had felt a shift in himself and Liz, a yearning, and not just for physical contact but for mental and spiritual contact. It was as if their souls craved the completion they only found in one another, as if the connection itself was drawing them together.
Since last night, neither of them had to exert any effort to open the connection between them, simple physical contact initiated it. Emotions and thoughts passed freely from one to the other, enriching and solidifying the union of their minds and souls.
The feelings they were experiencing left them both in awe, but they also knew it was the way it should be.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Hale leaned into Isabel and motioned to Max and Liz. “Are they always like that?”
Isabel glanced quickly at them and then back at Hale. “They’ve had a tough time and just recently got back together.”
“It’s like they’re in their own little world together,” Hale said.
She shrugged, “It used to bother me, but now I think it’s kind of sweet.”
“They don’t even talk to one another but you can tell that they’re perfectly in tune,” Hale observed. “I’ve never known any couple like that. I thought it didn’t really exist. It’s the kind of thing you read in fairy tales.”
“They’re definitely meant for each other,” Isabel agreed softly. “Soul mates.”
Hale reached for her hand. “I didn’t know you were such a romantic.”
“A few months ago, I would have said you were right. I thought love was just a cruel cosmic joke.”
“So what changed your mind?” Hale asked softly.
Isabel focused on her brother and Liz. “They did. I can’t deny what’s between them. No one who has seen them together could.”
“And now that’s what you’re looking for,” Hale said.
Isabel suddenly became nervous. Hale had hit too close to the truth, almost like he had read her mind and she tried to extract her hand from his.
But Hale held her firmly. “Isabel I really like you and I think you like me. I don’t want to spoil our friendship by moving ahead too fast.”
Isabel instantly relaxed and nodded her agreement.
Hale relaxed his grasp on her hand but she didn’t pull away and he smiled. He leaned in closer, whispering, “I’m looking for that kind of closeness too and I think we could have something really special between us. But there’s no hurry. We have all of the time in the world.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Michael waited until after closing, making sure he and Liz were the last two in the restaurant before approaching her. He scratched nervously at his eyebrow, “Um, Liz, can I talk to you?”
Liz turned to him with a smile, “Sure Michael, what about?”
“Well you know, I haven’t always been the best student,” he started haltingly, “and now they say I have to pass certain classes this year to graduate. But I’m having some trouble, you know in school, in math. And I was wondering…” he trailed off.
Liz nodded encouragingly and waited for him to continue.
Michael looked away. “I, um, feel kind of funny talking to you about this, with everything.”
Liz’s brow knit together, “Why?”
Michael studied her face and saw the genuine confusion. Liz really didn’t know what he was talking about, and he attempted to explain. “In the past, I didn’t always treat you very well. I was rude and even dismissed you as someone who didn’t matter in my life. Since then I learned that wasn’t true, we all help and need each other and I feel guilty about how I acted.”
“Michael, all of that is in the past,” Liz assured him. “All of us have done things we regret. None of us are perfect, certainly not me.”
Michael looked away nervously, “Well, it’s just now that I know everything you did for us and who you really are. I mean you’re the Queen of my planet.” He shrugged, “I don’t know, I just want to tell you I’m sorry and I feel like I should be making up for the past and calling you ma’am or something.”
“But you don’t treat Max or Isabel different since you found out who they are,” Liz pointed out. And to tell you the truth, the ma’am thing would make me really nervous.”
“Yeah, me too,” Michael said with a smile. “It wasn’t different with Max and Isabel because I grew up with them almost as brother and sister.”
“Yeah,” Liz nodded.
“It wasn’t like that with you. But you and I have been hanging out a lot at work and with your parents and I kind of started thinking of you more like a sister.”
“I’ve felt like that too,” Liz said with a smile. “And I think we would both be much more comfortable with that kind of relationship. So if you wanted, we could just forget the past and go forward with more of a sibling thing.”
“Brother and sister,” Michael said with a smile. “I like it.”
“Okay brother,” Liz said, as she cuffed him on the shoulder, “so what did you want to talk to me about?”
“I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind helping me with my math sometimes, sis.”
Liz nodded. She was more honored than she could say that Michael had come to her for help. “Yeah, I think that would be great.”
“Good,” Michael said nodding, and then suddenly sobered. “Um, Liz can I ask you something else?”
“Sure.”
“Is Maria seeing anyone else?”
Liz shook her head. “No way. Maria loves you. Why would you even think that?”
“She does spend a lot of time with Brody.”
“Michael, she takes him dinner when she works,” Liz said with a laugh. “You make it most of the time.”
Michael shook his head, “I’ve seen her over at the museum when she wasn’t working, and I know Brody has a crush on her.”
“No, Michael, you’re making something out of nothing. Yes,” Liz admitted, “Maria and Brody are friends, and maybe you didn’t realize that, but she is not dating him.” Liz could see that Michael wasn’t convinced, “Michael, why don’t you talk to Maria about this?”
“Yeah,” Michael nodded, “maybe I will. And Liz, I know Maria is your best friend but would you do me a favor and not tell her I talked to you?”
Liz nodded, “It will be our secret.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Monday, September 24th, 2001)
(West Roswell High School)
Max approached Liz at her locker, sliding his hands around her waist from behind. He leaned in and whispered, “Good morning, beautiful.”
Liz turned in his arms, stood on tiptoes and met his lips briefly. “Mmmm, Good morning.”
“Can I walk you to class?” he asked.
Liz smiled and slipped her hand into his. “Well since we’re in the same class, it is on your way.”
Max sighed contentedly and reached up to touch her hair with his free hand. “I love you so much Liz and I’m so happy we’re together.”
Liz reached up to touch his face, “I love you too, Max, even more than I thought possible. I never wanted anything more than to be with you.”
Max leaned in for another quick kiss but lingered when Liz’s lips met his. He quickly lost himself in the kiss as the connection between then opened and Liz’s feelings swirled around him.
Without realizing it, they wrapped their arms around one another and deepened the kiss. Max devoured Liz’s lips and she eagerly opened her mouth to him, inviting him inside with a quick flick of her tounge. It was as if they couldn’t get enough of each other, and they both quickly became lost in the electric sensations rushing through them.
After a moment the sounds of cheers around them, brought them back to reality. And Max and Liz looked around, embarrassed to have been caught making out in the hall.
Max put his arm around Liz and they started down the hall. “Sorry about that, Liz. I just…”
“Got caught up in the kiss?” Liz nodded. “Don’t apologize, I did too.”
“It’s all so new,” Max said. “Like we’re just starting.”
Liz took his hand and squeezed, “We are just starting. We’re starting over again.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Michael jogged down the hall to catch up with Ryan. “Hey Ryan how’s it going?” he called out.
“Fine,” Ryan greeted, “and you?”
“Good. Good.” Michael said, slipping an arm around Ryan’s shoulder and diverting them into a quiet corner. “I need to talk to you.”
“Sure,” Ryan said. “What about?”
“You work at the UFO museum and I need you to tell me everything you know about Maria’s visits to Brody.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Monday, September 28th, 2001)
(The Valenti House)
With a frustrated sigh, Liz opened her eyes and looked at the others sitting around her. Max, Isabel and Michael were all deeply in concentration, attempting to recover their memories.
Liz knew that Max and Michael had experienced some success but she and Isabel had not made any progress. Max was worried that Isabel was subconsciously blocking the memories because of what she had discovered about her past life, but in time he thought she would get past it.
Max continued to assure Liz that her powers were too new and she just needed to give it more time, but with each passing day Liz was growing more worried. Her powers were getting stronger and she was able to control them more easily but she hadn’t recovered even a glimpse of their other life, and she was starting to wonder if she even had the memories of their past.
Everyone assumed because she was the reincarnation of Ava that she would have Ava’s memories, but maybe the memories hadn’t survived when her soul had traveled across the galaxies.
Max had shown her the few memories he had recovered, but nothing in them seemed familiar. Liz could also tell that Max was holding something back and she didn’t have to ask what it was. Max was afraid he would show her his memories of Tess.
But Liz wanted to remember her parents, her home, her friends, all of the past. They needed to know what had gone wrong, how they had lost the war, the strengths and weaknesses of their enemy. But most of all, she wanted to be able to remember Max and the love they had shared.
But the memories couldn’t be forced and Liz rolled her shoulders to release her tension, willing herself to relax and try again. As she let out another deep breath, Liz was suddenly aware of a deep feeling of sorrow and turned toward the source.
Her eyes lit on Kyle, who was sitting apart from them as he meditated, and she knew the emotions were coming from him. Silently she rose and crossed to him, gently touching his shoulder to gain his attention, and when he opened his eyes, Liz held out her hand to him.
Kyle was surprised by Liz’s presence but he placed his hand in hers as he stood, and allowed her to lead him into his house.
Liz closed the door behind them, so they wouldn’t disturb the others, and turned back to Kyle. “So do you want to tell me what’s wrong?”
Kyle smiled, “How did you know?”
“I could feel your sadness,” Liz admitted.
Kyle nodded unsurprised. “Another new power you’re developing?”
“Maybe. It’s only ever happened before with Max.”
Kyle accepted the information with a nod but remained silent.
Liz took a seat at the table, waiting for him to start.
Kyle crossed to the cupboard and took out two glasses and filled them with water. He set one before Liz and took a long drink from the other. When it was empty, he pulled out the chair next to Liz and sat down with a weary sigh. He couldn’t stand to look at her yet, so he studied the glass as he started. “The night of the Homecoming dance, something happened and it’s been tearing me up inside.”
Liz could feel the turmoil within him and put a comforting hand on his arm. “What happened, Kyle?”
He kept his eyes on the glass. “Cindy and I went to the janitor’s closet and it brought up these memories of the Prom last year. See, I thought I was in love with Tess, but the night of the Prom I realized I thought of her more like a sister, and I told her in the janitor’s closet.”
Liz smiled, “Strange place to tell someone you just want to be friends.”
Kyle nodded, “More strange than you could imagine. When Cindy and I were there the other night, it triggered not only that memory, but a flash of another memory with Tess. When I asked Tess to the Prom I was convinced I loved her and I thought the dance would be the perfect setting to tell her my true feelings.”
“But then you figured out what you really felt,” Liz said.
Kyle shook his head, “That’s just it, I didn’t figure out anything. The other memory I had was of Tess mind warping me into thinking of her as a sister.”
“What?” Liz asked, shocked.
“Don’t you see? I really loved her and Tess knew it but she didn’t want me getting in her way with Max.”
Liz was suddenly outraged with Tess. How dare she treat Kyle so badly? He had been Tess’ friend and supporter. He had loved her and she had thrown it away. Then Liz felt the anger quickly drain away, replaced by a terrible sorrow as she considered what the knowledge had done to Kyle.
Kyle continued, “I just wonder why it took so long for me to remember. Some of the mind warps wore off so quickly, but others were definitely made to last.”
“I think what you just said was right,” Liz speculated. “Tess was doing a lot of mind warping and maybe she was overusing her powers, so she put more effort into the mind warps she considered more important.”
Kyle nodded, “She must have considered keeping me away from her very important.”
Liz pulled him into an embrace. “I’m really sorry, Kyle.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Tuesday, September 29th, 2001)
(Crashdown Cafe)
From the kitchen Michael watched Maria moving around the dining room, and he became more and more anxious with each passing minute. For weeks he had felt Maria growing more distant, and since he’d found out about her relationship with Brody he’d slowly been going crazy. And tonight the pressure finally built beyond his control. He burst into the dining room and grabbed her by the arm. “Do you want to tell me what is going on with you and Brody?”
Maria was dumbfounded, “What?”
“You know,” Michael continued, oblivious of the customers curiously observing them, “the crazy guy, believes in aliens, runs the UFO museum.”
Maria looked around, noticing the interest of the others around them. “Liz will you cover for me?” she called out.
Liz nodded.
Maria took Michael by the arm and led him into the back room. “Michael are you deranged, asking me about that here, with all of these people?”
Michael glanced into the dining room, noticing the customers for the first time and scratched at his eyebrow. “Okay, so I could have been a little more subtle, but this is driving me crazy, Maria. I have to know, if I’m losing you to that guy.”
Maria’s brow creased, “What are you talking about?”
“I know you spend a lot of time at the UFO museum when you aren’t working, and I know it’s not so you can watch the video about the alien artifacts.”
Maria nodded, “So if I’m spending time with Brody then obviously we’re involved.”
“I don’t know,” Michael admitted, “that’s what is driving me crazy. You’ve been distant lately, different, and we’re not getting together as much as we used to.”
“That’s it isn’t it,” Maria said, realization dawning. “You aren’t getting the nookie so you think I’m giving it away somewhere else.”
“Are you?” Michael asked.
Maria hit him in the chest. “How could you even ask me that?”
“I don’t know,” Michael said, shaking his head, “I can’t think straight. I’m so crazy in love with you and so afraid of losing you, I don’t know what I’m doing?”
Maria looked at him closely. “You really are, aren’t you?” She sighed, “Michael, I am not having an affair with Brody. He’s just a friend.”
Michael let out a relieved breath and sank into the wall. “So what is going on with you?”
Maria shook her head. “You won’t understand.”
Michael shrugged, “Maybe, but why don’t you try me.”
“It’s about my mother,” Maria started.
Michael’s brow creased in confusion. “Your mother. Is something wrong with her?”
“I don’t know,” Maria admitted. “But she’s remembering what happened at the UFO museum with Brody.”
“She doesn’t think it’s real though?” Michael asked concerned.
“No,” Maria said, “because I’ve been convincing her it’s just a dream.” She shook her head and looked up at him, “I’m really sick of lying to her, Michael. And now I’m not just lying, I’m messing with her mind, just like Tess.”
Michael shook his head, “It’s nothing like what Tess did.”
“Isn’t it?” Maria asked, tears starting to form in her eyes. “I’m making her think something happened when it didn’t. The memories are giving her these headaches and she’s starting to wonder if she has an aneurysm or going crazy.”
Michael sighed and pulled her into an embrace, “I’m sorry, Maria. I’m really sorry.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Friday, October 5th, 2001)
(The Valenti House)
Jim walked into the house and tossed his hat to Kyle on the couch. “You ready to go?”
Kyle’s brow creased, “Go where?”
Jim smiled, “I got my first paycheck today and I thought we would go and see about a car for you.”
Kyle jumped up, “What are we waiting for?”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Saturday, October 13th, 2001)
(The DeLuca House)
“Hey, Mrs. DeLuca,” Michael greeted, as Amy opened the door to him. “Is Maria ready?”
“She’ll be a few more minutes, Michael,” Amy said. “Why don’t you have a seat on the sofa? I was just getting myself a soda, can I get you one?”
“Sure,” Michael said as he sank down onto the sofa.
Amy returned with the sodas and passed one to him. “So how have you been? School okay?”
“Yeah,” Michael said enthusiastically. “I wasn’t always the best student but I’ve really had to take a good look at my priorities. I don’t want to be working as a cook at the Crashdown the rest of my life.”
Amy nodded, “That’s a very grown up, responsible attitude. I’m glad to hear you say it, but I have to admit I’m kind of surprised. I always had you pegged as the irresponsible type.”
“In the past that was true,” Michael admitted. “It’s like I was waiting for my life to start and I didn’t think it mattered what I did until then, but Maria made me realize that life is what you do every day. There is no beginning or end, it’s just life.”
“Maria made you realize that?” Amy asked.
“Yeah,” Michael nodded. He motioned to Amy, “So I hear you’ve been having some bad headaches.”
“Yeah, they come and go.” Amy pressed a hand to her head, unconsciously. “Michael, have you ever had the feeling that…” she trailed off, shaking her head.
“What is it?” he prompted.
“It sounds crazy,” Amy said.
Michael smiled, “Even more crazy than me being a responsible member of society.”
Amy smiled and nodded, “Okay. Have you ever had the feeling that you’re missing things? Like there’s a whole other reality out there no one knows about. But sometimes if you really look, you can just catch a glimpse.”
“What makes you think that?” Michael asked.
Amy shrugged, “Maybe it’s the dreams I’ve been having lately. They are so real its like I have two different memories of the same night. But that’s impossible right?”
Michael stayed silent and Amy continued, “Maybe it’s my line of work, or just growing up in this town and hearing the stories all of my life, but lately I’ve been starting to think there’s something else out there.”
“And how does that make you feel?” Michael asked softly.
“I don’t really know,” Amy said. “Curious about what I’m missing, I guess.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Wednesday, October 17th, 2001)
Liz rubbed at her eyes as Max drove them toward the quarry for their practice session. She hadn’t gotten very much sleep in the last few nights because she’d been having disturbing dreams again.
Like the last time, she didn’t remember anything from the dreams, but the sick feeling in her stomach told her it hadn’t been good. She hadn’t told Max yet but she knew she had to.
The Jeep rounded a bend in the road and Max reduced the speed because of a slow truck in front of them. The truck was loaded with large concrete pipes and Max turned on the windshield wipers as its tires kicked up a mist from the wet road.
The sunlight reflected off the water droplets, momentarily blinding Liz, and she was overwhelmed by a feeling of nausea and a sudden flash of memory. In her mind, she saw the truck take the next turn and skid on the wet road, causing it to jack-knife. The cables holding the concrete pipes broke, and they rolled off the truck, bouncing off the road surface and toward the Jeep.
Liz gasped as she came out of the vision and grabbed Max’s arm, “Stop, Max! Stop now!”
Max stomped on the break, and with a controlled skid brought the Jeep to a stop on the side of the road. Instantly he turned to Liz, “What’s wrong?”
“I saw that truck in my dream,” she started, but their attention was diverted by the sound of grating metal.
Max and Liz watched in horror as further down the road, the truck jack-knifed as Liz had seen in her dream, and the concrete pipes crashed down onto the road where the Jeep would have been.
When the truck skidded to a stop, the driver of the truck jumped out of the cab and ran around to the back but was obviously relieved to see that no one was hurt.
Max turned back to Liz, “You saw that in your dream.”
Liz nodded.
Max looked at her with something close to awe in his eyes. “You predicted the future and saved our lives.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The gang and Sean were still talking about Liz’s vision hours later at the Crashdown.
“So you saw the exact same thing in your dream?” Sean asked. “The truck, the pipes, the accident?”
Liz nodded, with a shiver. “I didn’t remember any of it until just before it happened, though.”
“Did you feel sick again?” Kyle asked.
“Yeah,” Liz recalled. “It was really bad right before I had the vision.”
“And now you feel fine?” Max asked.
Liz smiled, “A little shaky but fine.”
Michael took a chair next to Liz. “If you can develop this power, just think of the advantage it would give us. We would know when things were going to happen, how to prevent things. This could be just the edge we’ve been looking for.”
“Calm down,” Max said. “You can’t put that kind of pressure on Liz. I won’t allow it.”
Michael shook his head, “I didn’t mean to…’
Liz cut him off, “It’s okay, Michael. I know what you meant but I don’t even know if I can control it. So far it’s been totally random and I was lucky to remember when I did.”
“But you’ll tell us whenever you do get a bad feeling, right?” Kyle asked.
Liz nodded, “I promise I’ll tell you.”
Sean spoke up, “So did you have this power in your other life?”
Liz shook her head. “We don’t know.”
“All I’m saying,” Sean explained, “is if you did have this power, you probably weren’t able to control it then either. Because if you could, none of you would have died.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Saturday, October 27th, 2001)
(Out of This World Costume Shop)
Maria dug through the racks of costumes, mentally rejecting one after another. Finally she pulled out an old-fashioned, western saloon-girl costume and held it up for Michael’s inspection, “What do you think about this for the Evans’ party? I could be the saloon hall girl and you could be the Marshall with chaps and a cowboy hat.”
Michael shook his head, “Not into the cowboy thing.”
Maria shoved the costume back onto the rack and kept looking. Next she pulled out a Catwoman suit complete with mask and whip. She raised her eyebrows and motioned to the costume, “We could go as Batman and Catwoman.”
“No way I’m wearing tights,” Michael huffed.
“Fine,” Maria said, putting Catwoman back. “Do you know what Max and Liz are wearing?”
“Max wouldn’t say,” Michael said, with a laugh, “so it must be something embarrassing.”
“Wait,” Maria said. “Max asked Liz to let him pick the costumes, so why would he be embarrassed?”
Michael shrugged. “Maybe he is going with a caveman theme that would have Liz half naked.”
“No way,” Maria shook her head. “That’s more your style.”
Michael started to open his mouth but before he could speak, Maria cut him off, “And before you ask, the answer is no.”
Michael shrugged and Maria bit her bottom lip, still thinking. “Okay, I know, we could go as a couple of flower children. Tie-dye and peace symbols, maybe a nehru jacket for you.
Michael narrowed his eyes, “I don’t think so.”
Maria sighed, “Okay, so what do you want to wear?”
Michael smiled. “Well…”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Wednesday, October 31st, 2001)
(The Evans House)
Max stayed near the front door, his attention sharpening every time the doorbell rang. He would have picked up Liz and brought her to his house but her parents were also invited to the party and she would be coming with them.
Since Max had heard his parents were having a costume party, he had looked forward to it. He had even gone so far as to ask Liz to let him pick out their costumes because he had the perfect thing in mind for her, and he couldn’t wait until she arrived so he could see her reaction.
The doorbell rang again and he rushed to answer it. His heart soared when he saw Jeff and Nancy Parker, dressed in the 80s style. Mrs. Parker wore pegged pants and a long frilly shirt with a big belt around her hips. Her hair was teased up, with several colors added and was held in place with an enormous lace bow. Mr. Parker was in ripped jeans and combat boots with a t-shirt that sported the anarchy symbol. He had a studded leather jacked thrown over his shoulder, a plaid shirt tied around his waist and he had even sculpted his hair into a mohawk.
Max smiled and he held out a hand to Mr. Parker, “It’s nice to see you Mrs. Parker, Mr. Parker, you look great.” He motioned them into the room, “Please come in. There’s food and drinks in the dining room, to the left. That’s where my parents are,” he finished distractedly trying to see Liz behind them.
Jeff smiled at the look on Max’s face and took Nancy by the arm, using his best cockney accent, “Come on luv, let’s take a gander at the nosh.”
Max waited with growing impatience as they moved out of the way, finally revealing Liz to him. His eyes drank in the sight of her, a vision in her costume just as he had anticipated, and for a moment he was incapable of speech.
The costume he had chosen for her was an emerald blue floor-length gown, covered with beadwork and embroidery. It was off-the-shoulder, skimming Liz’s slender body until it reached her hips, where it flared out gently, held up by a stiff under-skirt. Her hands were encased in short white gloves and her hair had been curled into tight ringlets that were pinned away from her face with decorative combs. And carefully placed on the top of her head, was a sparkling tiara, encrusted with faux gems.
Max took her gloved hand in his, "You’re so beautiful, Liz."
Liz smiled, taking in his appearance. Max wore a flowing, black embroidered tunic with a high collar and a dark green kerchief at his neck. A matching green and black, short cape was draped casually over one shoulder, with black gloves and boots completing his outfit. She curtsied, "You’re beautiful too, Max. Maybe you should wear a doublet and leggings more often."
She leaned in closer to him, “Is this how you see us? As Cinderella and Prince Charming?”
Max shook his head, “Ever since I first saw you when we were kids, you were like some magical creature to me, a fairy princess, and all I ever wanted to be was your Prince Charming.”
Liz kissed him on the cheek. “And you really are, Max.”
He smiled and suddenly remembered what he had in his pocket. “I have something for you.” From his pocket, Max withdrew a rectangular, red velvet box and held it out to her.
Liz took the box and looked up into his face. “What is it?”
"I bought it to give to you that first Christmas after I healed you, but then we weren’t together, and last Christmas it didn’t seem appropriate either..." he let his words trail off, knowing she didn't need him to fill them in.
"Oh," Liz said simply, as understanding dawned.
"I kept it as a reminder of all you meant to me," Max said as he met her eyes and saw tears gathering there. He reached across and gently brushed her cheek with his thumb. "But now that we’re together, I want you to have it."
Liz slowly opened the box and gasped when she saw the shining silver necklace, nestled in the lining. The charms Max had chosen were perfectly symbolic of their love, two hearts bearing their names, on either side of a star.
“It’s beautiful, Max. Will you help me put it on?” Liz asked, as she turned her back to him.
Max shed his gloves and took the necklace from her. “When I chose the charms I thought they were perfect for us, two people from different worlds finding love. But now that we know the truth, it seems even more right.” He fastened the necklace, placing a kiss on her neck just above the clasp and turned Liz back to face him. “Even though we died, somehow, with the help of fate, or destiny, or the stars themselves, we found each other again.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Michael and Maria walked to the Evans’ door and Maria let out a sigh as she pressed the doorbell. “I can’t believe I let you talk me into this.”
Michael’s brow creased, “What are you talking about? That dress looks great on you.”
Maria nodded, “Yeah, I look great but what about you?”
“This costume will be the hit of the party,” he assured her.
Isabel opened the door and glanced at Michael’s blue pained face, leather jerkin and tartan skirt. She lifted one delicate eyebrow, “You’d better be wearing something under that kilt, Michael. We do not need any Braveheart reenactments.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Liz laughed as Max held her hand. “Really Max you have to let go, the call of nature is becoming urgent.”
Max kissed her hand playfully. “Okay, but hurry back. I can’t stand to be away from you for too long.”
“Oh, it’s like a medical condition?” she asked, with mock seriousness.
“Definitely,” Max said, as he placed a quick kiss on her lips. “If you’re away for too long, I start to get withdrawals.”
Liz laughed again and kissed him on the cheek. “Okay, I’ll hurry. I would hate to think of you sitting here suffering.”
She started to walk away but Max held her hand until their arms were stretched out between them, only reluctantly breaking the contact when he was forced to. He watched Liz thread her way around the people and out of the room, only then noticing that just a few feet away Isabel was trying to get his attention.
Max rose from his chair and joined his sister and Hale. He took in Hale’s costume with a quick glance. Hale wore a tan jacket and vest with white shirt and pencil-thin slacks. A twenties-style straw hat with a red band that matched his red tie, white gloves, and brown and white oxfords finished his costume, a perfect mate for Isabel’s. She wore a red flapper dress with black beading and her hair was pulled up into a matching beaded band, leaving curling tendrils trailing around her face. Matching gloves, a long beaded necklace and a feather boa completed her look.
Isabel hadn’t allowed Max to see her costume beforehand and this was the first time he had seen what they were wearing. “F. Scott and Zelda, right?” he asked. “You guys look great.”
“Thanks,” Hale said, draping an arm around Isabel’s shoulder. “And you and Liz are Prince Charming and Cinderella?”
Max smiled. “Something like that.”
“It takes a brave man to wear tights,” Hale teased with a smile. “But I think you’ve got the legs to pull them off.”
“Thanks,” Max said sarcastically, with a crooked grin. “Have you seen Michael’s costume? I think I would be more embarrassed to wear what he has on.”
Isabel rolled her eyes. “Or the lack of what he has on.”
Max quickly changed the subject, “So, how’s school going?”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Liz exited the bathroom and headed back to Max, only to meet his parents along the way. “Oh, hi, Mr. and Mrs. Evans,” she greeted warmly. “You guys look fantastic.”
Philip smiled proudly. He was dressed as Frankenstein’s monster, with tattered clothes, green makeup and even fake stitch marks. Diane was dressed as his bride, complete with the huge white-striped hair.
“Thanks, Liz,” Philip said. “You look very pretty, too.”
Someone motioned to Philip. “Excuse me ladies,” he said. “I think there’s a problem in the other room.”
Diane turned to Liz with a smile, “It’s nice to see you and Max back together again Liz. He never talks to his father or me about his life, and I have to admit I’ve been worried to him. I know he’s been going through some tough times and I’m glad he has someone to confide in.”
Liz smiled, “Thank you, Mrs. Evans. I can’t tell you how much that means to me.”
“I’ve always thought you were good for him,” Diane said. “He just seems more confident and more carefree when you are with him.”
“I feel the same way about Max,” Liz said.
Diane moved closer to Liz. “And I would never tell Philip, but I have to admit I was somewhat relieved when you two got caught making-out last year.”
Liz blushed furiously, “I, um…”
Diane cut her off with a laugh. “There’s no need to be embarrassed. I just meant I was glad Max was finally letting down his guard, letting someone in.”
Liz nodded, understanding.
Diane continued, “I don’t know what came between you, and really it’s none of my business, but I hope you can work through it. It’s not like I expect you to get married or anything, you are both still young, but it’s nice to have someone especially your senior year.” She put a hand on Liz’s shoulder. “I just wanted to say that I’m glad you’re back in Max’s life.”
Liz smiled, “I’m glad too.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Hale continued, “So Isabel and I have decided to take the next Sociology class from the same teacher. We really like working together and Dave’s teaching style…”
Hale’s voice faded into the background as Max’s attention was drawn to the doorway across the room where Liz had just entered. She stopped just within the room and looked around, her eyes finding Max immediately.
For Max, time seemed to slow as a smiling Liz glided toward him in her beautiful dress. Somehow the scene seemed familiar to him but he knew it had never taken place before. Perhaps it was just the fact that it was a fantasy come true that made it feel so familiar.
Suddenly Max saw himself in a large room, surrounded by rich furnishings and dancing couples. Michael was at his side and they stood waiting to be introduced to a long line of people. A flash of blue caught his attention and he turned to see Liz entering the room.
But Max knew instantly that it wasn’t Liz he was seeing, it was her past self, Ava.
With a smile, Max came out of the vision and rushed across to Liz, taking her head in his hands. “Liz,” he whispered as tears started to gather in his eyes, “I remember. I remember you.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“And it would be really great…” Hale trailed off as Max walked away. Hale turned to Isabel, “Was it something I said?”
Isabel watched Max go to Liz. “Don’t take it personally. Max doesn’t even realize he does it. Sometimes I think Max considers the whole world as just a minor annoyance that distracts him from Liz.” She shrugged as she turned back to Hale with a smile and slipped an arm through his, “Let’s go dance.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Max led Liz into his room and closed the door behind them. He turned to her with a huge smile and pulled her into a fierce hug, “I remember you.”
Liz hugged him back tightly as tears flooded her eyes and spilled down her cheeks.
“I was so worried,” Max said. “I thought Tess had done something to me to block you from my memory.”
Liz shook her head, “You never said anything.”
Max loosened his hold and pulled back slightly so he could look into her eyes. Seeing her tears, he reached up and gently wiped them from her cheeks, “I didn’t want to worry you.”
“I want to see what you saw,” Liz said with a smile. “Will you show me what you remember?”
“Of course,” Max said. “I’ve never wanted to share anything with you more.”
He took her hands in his and pulled her to his bed where they sat down facing one another, knees touching. Max cupped Liz’s face in his hands and pressed his forehead against hers, closing his eyes as Liz’s arms wrapped around his neck. The connection slid easily into place as soon as Max willed it and a rush of images and Liz’s emotions spilled over him.
He spoke to her through the link, Ready, Liz?
Yes, she answered.
He sharpened the connection and focused on the memory, sharing the image with Liz.
It took Liz a moment to realize what she was seeing, until she remembered she was looking through Max’s eyes. She looked around the ornate room and a feeling of familiarity washed over her. Where is this, Max? It seems like I should know it.
I don’t know, Max admitted.
Liz glanced at the people in line to greet Max and noticed they had no faces. No one ever did in Max’s memories, he just didn’t remember what they looked like.
The Max in the memory turned, and Liz realized Michael was standing beside him. Michael was the only one in the room with a face, but it was how he appeared on Earth. Max still didn’t remember how he used to look.
Then a sudden flash of blue caught Max’s attention and his gaze followed the movement. Liz saw a girl in a dark blue gown enter the room and she realized that the girl had her face. Then she felt the rush of emotions Max had experienced when he first saw her. He was nervous, excited and he knew that he had never seen anyone so beautiful.
Max, Liz gasped, her gown is almost identical to the one I’m wearing.
I realized that when I had the flash, Max said. I chose that dress for you because I used to have dreams where you were wearing it. I thought they were just fantasies but they must have been memories.
Liz watched through Max’s eyes as the other Liz joined a woman in the line being presented to him. He waited anxiously for her to reach him, growing more and more impatient until finally she was before him. And when her eyes met his, he knew without doubt that he was in love.
Liz was overwhelmed by the strength of Max’s feelings. You fell in love with me at first sight.
I’m not surprised, Max said. The same thing happened when I first saw you on the playground when we were nine.
You never told me that, Liz said softly.
I didn’t want to scare you, Max replied.
You wouldn’t have, Liz said. I’ve had a crush on you for years but I never thought I had a chance. You were always so smart and handsome and mysterious. You seemed so sophisticated so untouchable and I didn’t think you would be interested in a small town girl like me. But when you healed me, it was like you woke up something inside me and finally it was okay for me to love you.
Max’s forehead was still pressed to Liz’s and he felt tears on his cheeks. He wasn’t sure if they were his or Liz’s, but it didn’t really matter because for once they were tears of joy.
We’ve wasted so much time, Max said, but we’re together now and we’ll never let anything separate us again. He lightly stroked her soft cheeks with his thumbs. I can’t even tell you how much I love you, Liz.
I can feel your love for me, surrounding me, Max, and I love you just as much.
They were so engrossed in one another that neither heard the door open or saw Max’s mother look in.
Diane paused briefly when she saw her son with Liz and then quietly stepped back and closed the door.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Diane sat on the edge of the bed as Philip bustled around, taking off his costume. “Did you see Max and Liz together tonight?” she asked.
Philip thought for a moment, “Yeah, their costumes were really cute together.”
“Did anything seem unusual about them?”
Philip shook his head, “No. What was unusual?”
“After we talked to Liz, I noticed she and Max went upstairs together. I went looking for them after a few minutes because I thought they might be making out or something in Max’s room. But when I got there, they were sitting together on his bed.”
Philip nodded, “They were making out on his bed.”
“No,” Diane said. “They were sitting, facing each other with their foreheads pressed together. Max had Liz’s head in his hands and her arms were wrapped around his neck.” She shook her head, “It was strange. They were just sitting there with their eyes closed. They weren’t speaking at all but they seemed to be perfectly happy together. It was almost spiritual.”
Philip’s brow creased, “What did they say when you asked them?”
Diane shook her head, “They never knew I was there, I didn’t say anything to them. It felt like I was interrupting something special.”
“Do you want me to talk to Max about it?” Philip asked.
Diane thought for a moment and then shook her head, “No, I don’t think so. I was just telling Liz that I was glad she was back in Max’s life and how good I thought she was for him. Haven’t you noticed Max has come out of his shell again?”
“Yeah,” Philip nodded. “He’s been downright chipper lately.”
Diane smiled, “Yeah and I don’t want to do anything to wreck that.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Friday, November 16th, 2001)
(Chez Pierre)
Isabel reached across the table and took Hale’s hand in hers. “It’s going to be really weird next week. Since it’s Thanksgiving vacation, we won’t see each other every day.”
Hale smiled, “Who says we won’t? Just because there’s no school doesn’t mean we can’t get together.”
Isabel nodded, “Yeah, you’re right. I guess we could start early on our final paper.”
Hale shook his head, “I had some other things in mind, like maybe a matinee of that movie you’ve been dying to see, or a picnic in the park, or we could drive into Albuquerque and spend the day. Or we could get some videos and take-out Chinese and just spend the day at my house.”
“All of those sound great,” Isabel said. “You take me to all kinds of great places, restaurants and movies and picnics. You’re too good to me.”
Hale squeezed her hand, “Nothing is too good for you, Isabel. I love spending time with you, anywhere, any time. I haven’t been out, enjoying myself, in what seems like years. With you, I feel I’m learning to live again.”
Isabel nodded, knowing he was talking about his father’s death, and then a sudden thought struck her. “Hale, where are you spending Thanksgiving?”
Hale shrugged, “I hadn’t even thought about it.”
Isabel smiled, “Well now you don’t have to, because you’re spending it with my family.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Saturday, November 17th, 2001)
(The Valenti House)
Jim waited impatiently for Kyle to return from practice, and when he finally walked into the house, Jim called out to him from the sofa. “Hey Kyle, come over for a few minutes. I want to talk to you.”
Kyle sank down next to his Dad. “What’s going on?”
“Well,” Jim started, “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately. I’ve got my job back and I’m certainly not getting any younger…”
Kyle cut him off, “Wait a minute. You’re not having some kind of mid-life crisis or something, are you? And you want to tell me that you bought a new sports car and eloped this morning with a girl named Bambi, who is five years older than me.”
“No, not quite,” Jim laughed. “But I have been spending a lot of time with a pretty wonderful girl named Amy, and I was kind of thinking it might be nice to make things more permanent between us. I wasn’t really sure what you would think about it though...”
Kyle cut him off again, “Dad, I think it’s great you want to propose to Amy.”
Jim smiled, “I’m glad you approve, but if she agrees, it will mean some changes in all of our lives. Amy and Maria and maybe Sean would be moving in with us. We’d have to build on a new room or two, maybe a new bathroom too. Or maybe we should just get a bigger place. And we’d have to help clean up the place more. You know how women are about everything being clean.”
Kyle nodded.
Jim continued, “And we’d have to be more careful about what we say and do concerning the alien thing, since Amy doesn’t know the truth.”
“Wait a minute,” Kyle said. “You’re going to marry Amy but not tell her the truth. Doesn’t she deserve to know?”
“It’s not my place to tell her.”
“But if you asked Max…”
Jim shook his head. “I can’t ask Max to put himself or the others in danger by revealing their secret.”
“Why not?” Kyle said. “Amy wouldn’t tell anyone.”
“I don’t think she would. But I still can’t ask Max.” Jim sighed, “I promised Max he could trust me and I would keep their secret. I can’t go back on that. Besides, Max’s own parents don’t even know. How could I ask him to tell Amy?”
Kyle nodded, finally understanding, “Okay, you’re right. So when are you going to pop the question?”
“Amy has invited us over for Thanksgiving and I thought I would do it that night.”
“And the ring,” Kyle asked.
Jim smiled. “I’m going shopping right after lunch.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Tuesday, November 20th, 2001)
(Crashdown Café)
Michael hit the bell with his spatula. “Order up, Liz.”
Liz grabbed the plates and turned to slide them onto the counter where Isabel, Sean, Maria and Max were sitting. “Two burgers and a Greek God Salad. Maria you’re sure you don’t want anything? We’ll be closing the kitchen soon.”
Maria shook her head, “I’ll just stick with my shake.”
Liz nodded and leaned forward over the counter toward Max. “Do you have everything you need with your burger?”
“Almost,” Max said, and he leaned forward and gave her a quick kiss.
Isabel rolled her eyes.
The phone in the back rang and Michael went to answer it.
Sean leaned into Maria, “Are they always like this?”
Maria nodded, “Get used to it.”
Michael thrust the phone through the door, shaking it. “Liz, the phone’s for you.”
Liz smiled at Max, “Be back in a minute to check on you.”
Max followed her with his eyes until the door shut behind her and then he turned to Isabel. “So where’s Hale tonight?”
“He has a paper due in another class.”
Max nodded, “He’s a pretty nice guy. I like him.”
“Thanks, Max,” Isabel said with a smile. “Although after the way you took off in the middle of your conversation with him the night of the party, Hale probably thinks you’re crazy.”
Max smiled, “I’ll apologize when I see him again. It’s just that flash caught me off guard and I wanted to share it with Liz.”
“I know,” Isabel said, “you already explained to me and I understand. You’ve been anxious about remembering Liz, but I couldn’t exactly tell Hale that.”
“What did you tell him?” Max asked, curious.
Isabel smiled, “I told him you were so in love that you couldn’t think straight.”
Max grimaced, “Thanks.”
Liz emerged into the dining room, looking like she had seen a ghost.
“Liz, what’s wrong?” Max called out as he hopped off the stool, going to her.
Michael heard Max’s alarm and rushed into the dining room. “What happened?” He looked around for any signs of danger but when he didn’t see anything, he turned back to Liz. “Who was that on the phone?”
“It was Don,” Liz said softly, looking around the group. “The translation is finished.”
Everyone was shocked into silence.
Sean was the first to speak, “What translation?”
Maria spoke softly, “Remember, I told you about the book in the alien language.”
Liz continued, “Don e-mailed the translation to me and he‘s sending the complete printout in the mail, just in case.”
“So what are we waiting for?” Michael asked. “Let’s go get it.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Max followed Liz upstairs and into her room while the others waited below in the Crashdown. Silently Liz took a seat at her computer and Max sat on the bed behind her. Max placed his hand on her shoulder as they waited for the computer to start and then for the connection to the internet.
“I can’t believe we’re finally going to get to read the book,” Max said softly. “For months I’ve been afraid of it, dreaded what it might say. It’s so alien, ominous even, and it has always seemed so irrefutable. Tess and Nasedo were always using it to tell us what we should be doing, how we should act. But no one had ever even read it.”
Liz nodded, “I know. I’ve felt that way too, even before we found out who I was.” She opened her e-mail and pressed the print button and then turned to Max and took his hand. “But now we’ll all know the truth.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Michael skimmed over the first page of the translation, reading aloud, “You are the royal four. Blah, blah. You were created from the genetic materials of your alien predecessors and human subjects, blah, blah, blah. This first part’s the same.”
He continued down the page, and then suddenly stopped. “Some of this stuff at the top is changed around a bit, but it’s basically the same. But remember where it started with all of that abduction scenario crap in the one we found? Well, this one is completely different.”
“What does it say?” Max asked.
Michael looked up from the paper and held it out to Max. “It was written by you, your other self, so maybe you should read it.”
Max took the paper and started reading aloud, “You are the Royal four. Zan the King, Ava his Queen, Vilondra his sister, Rath his Counselor. You were created from the genetic material of your alien predecessors and human subjects. You were given human form so that you could live safely on this planet undetected, until the time comes for your return.”
“I, King Zantor Tageonant, write this in hopes it will never be used, but with the escalating hostilities, coupled with Ava’s predictions, that now seems impossible. But working together, we, your predecessors, have devised a plan that will give us a second chance to defeat our enemies.”
“This book is not meant to be a comprehensive instruction manual but simply a brief outline, a starting place in case anything goes wrong. You have been sent to Earth with four, loyal, shape shifters, who will protect you from danger and keep you hidden, and a powerful machine called the Granolith.”
“The source of its power is unknown but practically limitless and its uses are many. However the Granolith was not meant to be used as a weapon and should never be corrupted in that way. It is easily converted to different tasks, including being used as an additional power boost for the transport. Even when not used with a ship, the Granolith is capable of transporting the entire party back to Antar in about an hour.”
“To control the Granolith, simply create a six-sided, six inch crystal, using a silicone-based material, and direct the intended actions into it with your powers. Insert the crystal into the Granolith’s base and the action will be carried-out immediately. For example, one could specify a departure time and destination for the return to Antar.”
“A control crystal is not always required for the Granolith. Ava and I are both capable of contacting and directing the Granolith through our connection. We have turned to the Granolith in times of difficulty. It can help focus powers and make minds clear.”
“The Granolith is very special and should be carefully protected. The chamber containing your hibernation pods and the Granolith has been hidden away from human settlement. It can only be accessed by the four of you and your protectors.”
“You have also been given communications technology which will allow you to access information from your true home. Three orbs with the symbol of Antar were sent to Earth with you. Be wary of using the orbs to send messages because the signal is easily tracked and could lead our enemies to you. Retrieving messages sent from Antar can be safely done by simply focusing your energy into one of the orbs.”
“Your hybrid bodies will have capabilities of both humans and Antarians but the limitations and benefits are largely unknown. Procreation is possible between the pairs, but the exact length of the pregnancy term is unknown. Based on the Antarian pregnancy term of sixteen months and the human term of nine months, the scientists have estimated that a hybrid pregnancy term will be twelve months…” Max trailed off as the color drained out of his face.
“Twelve months!” Isabel exclaimed. “That little, lying tramp!”
“What’s wrong?” asked Sean.
Liz spoke up, “Tess told them she had to get back home because the baby was sick and the pregnancy would only last a month.”
Michael quickly did the math. “Tess has only been pregnant for six months. She hasn’t given birth yet.”
Max remained silent and Liz squeezed his hand. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah,” Max said. “I just… It’s just a shock.” He shrugged, “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised after all of her other lies but I thought she was telling the truth about the term of the baby. In the pod chamber, the baby was moving and pressed his hand…” Max shook his head. “I thought I was connecting with him, that I felt a response, but obviously it was a lie too. He wasn’t old enough yet.”
“That doesn’t mean you didn’t connect with him on some level,” Liz argued. “He might not have understood but I’m sure you got through to him.”
Max smiled at her, “Thanks, Liz.” He looked at the anxious faces of the others and then turned back to the paper. “There’s just a little left here.”
He continued reading, “Offspring will appear human but will have powers. Unlike you, they will have powers from birth, so be careful to keep them hidden from humans until they are able to control themselves.”
“Study and learn all you can about the history of Antar and Earth, focusing on warfare, politics and law. Use the memory retrieval devices to regain the experiences of your other life. Develop your powers and special abilities to gain precise control, because they weaken and become unreliable with disuse. But do not even consider returning home until you reach your mid to late twenties. The scientists estimate that you won’t gain the full extent of your powers until then.”
“In closing, I offer one final warning. Do not trust our enemy Khivar or any of his underlings or followers. Do not believe any truce or treaty he may offer because he is treacherous and false in all of his dealings.”
“The task before you may seem overwhelming but the fate of your friends, family, and subjects on five worlds are depending on you. Trust in your hearts and instincts and you will prevail.”
Michael shook his head, “I can’t believe how much is different. I thought Tess just changed a word or two here and there, but there was a lot she didn’t want us to know.”
“Like about the baby,” Isabel said, “and the fact that the Granolith isn’t just a one-use, disposable transport.”
“Tess must have made that crystal we found,” Maria said. “But why did she tell you the Granolith took twenty-four hours to warm up? She should have just said it was leaving right then and you wouldn’t have had time to change your minds.”
Michael shook his head, “She must have needed the extra time for something. Maybe to warn Khivar we would be arriving on Antar the next day.”
“And what happened to the memory retrieval devices?” Isabel asked. Do you think they were lost in the crash? Nasedo never mentioned them.”
“Nasedo never mentioned a lot of things,” Michael said sarcastically. He turned to Max and noted the tight look to his face. “What do you think, Max?”
Max shook his head, “I think I screwed up big time sending Tess home in the Granolith.”
“We didn’t know that then,” Isabel argued. “And besides, you didn’t have a choice. The baby was sick.”
“Was he?” Max asked. “Everything else was a lie, maybe the baby’s illness was too. I connected with him, I could feel him having trouble breathing but maybe that was all a mind warp too.”
“Maybe it wasn’t, Max,” Liz said.
Max continued, “It was just so convenient finding the translation and the crystal right when we needed it. We should have suspected something was wrong. I should have suspected...” he trailed off. “If we had known all of this back then, I could have stopped Tess from leaving with my son.”
Liz shook her head, “You did the only thing you could, Max. You couldn’t take the chance with your son’s life.”
Max nodded and wrapped his arms around her and placed a soft kiss on her head. With one arm resting on Liz’s shoulders he turned back to the others. “There are a couple of other things we learned from the translation,” he pointed out. “We will continue to get more powerful. So it’s more important than ever that we all keep practicing to gain control of our powers.”
Everyone nodded and Max continued, “And I think it’s obvious that when Tess read this translation, she must have known she wasn’t Ava.”
Michael shook his head, “How do you figure that?”
“Because,” Liz spoke up, “Zan wrote about Ava’s predictions.”
Max nodded, “And Tess doesn’t have that power.”
“That’s right,” Isabel said. “With everything else, I forgot that part.”
Michael shrugged, “And what does that mean?”
Kyle spoke up, “It’s just like I’ve been telling you. Liz can predict the future.”
Michael rolled his eyes, “Okay, we get that, but what does it mean about Tess?”
“Well,” Isabel said, “it’s proof that, at least in the end, Tess knew exactly who she was, or wasn’t.” She shrugged, “Although with everything else we’ve learned, I’m really not surprised.”
Sean spoke up, “And what was the part about Zan and Ava being able to connect with the Granolith. I thought it was a machine. So can you connect with cars and VCRs and other things?”
“I’ve never tried but I don’t think so,” Max said. “The translation did say the Granolith was a machine but it must be a special kind of machine for us to connect with it.”
“It also said to turn to the Granolith in times of trouble,” Isabel reminded him. “I wonder what that meant?”
Max shrugged, “If the Granolith was here we could do some experiments, but without it anything we come up with would just be a theory.”
“Well,” Michael said, “all of this is interesting but none of it is really useful or relevant to our current situation.”
“Maybe not,” Max admitted. “But it’s another piece to the puzzle and if we ever get the Granolith back we’ll know what to do with it this time.”
Michael nodded, “It’s just that we waited all of this time for the translation and, I don’t know, I just thought we would get some answers or something. I mean, Tess thought it was important enough to kill for.”
Max nodded, understanding. “I had hoped the same thing, that some huge secret would be revealed, but it never really works like that in real life. I think it’s easy enough to see why Tess changed so much of the text, but you’re right Michael, none of it was worth Alex’s life. Nothing could have been.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Thursday, November 22nd, 2001)
(Thanksgiving Day)
Hale and Isabel walked slowly, hand-in-hand and shoulder-to-shoulder, along the path in the park.
Isabel loved the fact that she and Hale were so comfortable around one another. They could simply be together and there was no need for conversation. Isabel had never felt closer to anyone in her life.
Thanksgiving had been great with Hale spending the day. Isabel’s parents had liked Hale when they first met him and were always glad to see him.
They had played games and watched a movie. Then the guys had watched football while Isabel and her Mom put the finishing touches on dinner. Hale had offered to help but he really didn’t know anything about cooking and Isabel’s mother had diplomatically sent him back into the living room.
During dinner there had been lively conversation and jokes. Isabel and Hale had held hands under the table and after the dishes had been done, Hale suggested a walk in the nearby park.
Suddenly Hale stopped and turned to her with a smile, “Dance with me?”
Isabel laughed, “There’s no music.”
Hale stepped closer and slid a hand around her waist, “You’re so beautiful, I always hear music when I’m with you.”
Isabel closed the distance between them, pressing her lips to his. Hale swept her into his arms, taking charge and deepening the kiss.
After a few minutes Hale broke the kiss and pulled back to look into her face. “I love you, Isabel.”
Isabel was surprised for a moment, but then a joyous smile lit her face. “I love you too.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The DeLuca House)
Maria, Sean and Kyle waited impatiently for Amy and Jim to get back from their after-dinner drive. Kyle had filled Maria and Sean in on his father’s plans and Maria was especially excited.
“I can’t stand not knowing,” she said, pacing around the room. “If we really hurried with the plans, we might be able to set up a Christmas wedding. Wouldn’t that be romantic?”
Sean and Kyle looked at one another with amusement.
“Yeah, real romantic,” Sean grunted.
“Can you just imagine it?” Maria continued, oblivious. “The snow and the tinsel. Mom could wear a green dress, with her hair up. I can’t wait to tell Liz.”
“Don’t brides usually wear white?” Kyle asked.
“Not for a second wedding,” she said dismissively. “But there’s no way all of us are going to fit in your house,” Maria suddenly changed the subject. “And no way we’ll fit in our house. So do you think they’ll buy a new one?”
“Dad mentioned that,” Kyle said, “or building on to our house.”
“And we need a place for Sean too, if the Sheriff doesn’t mind a criminal in his house,” Maria said sarcastically.
“Very funny, Maria,” Sean huffed, “but we don’t even know what aunt Amy’s answer will be.”
A flash of headlights and the sound of a car in the driveway drew all of their attention.
Maria looked at the guys, “Should we be excited or just pretend we don’t know until they tell us?”
Sean pulled Maria down on the sofa and used the remote to turn on the TV. “Just sit here and act like we’re watching TV and we’ll find out soon enough.”
“Okay,” Maria nodded, taking deep breaths to calm down.
The front door opened and Amy and Jim walked in hand-in-hand, smiling.
Maria caught sight of the sparkling diamond on her mother’s hand and jumped up with a squeal, “Oh Mom, I’m so happy for you.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Isabel knelt in front of Alex’s headstone and pulled her jacket more tightly around her shoulders. With a gloved hand, she carefully traced the letters of his name.
Tears gathered in her eyes but she forced a smile. “I just came to tell you that I’m in love with Hale and he loves me.”
She gasped as a sob tried to escape and she clapped a hand to her mouth. Isabel took a deep breath to push the tears away.
“And, you were right, Alex,” she whispered. “Oh Alex, I’m so sorry but you were right, and I came to...” she trailed off as another sob threatened. “This is so hard, but I don’t think I need you any more. I think I’m ready to move on with Hale and I just wanted to tell you and say goodbye.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Saturday, December 1st, 2001)
(Michael’s apartment)
Max and Isabel worked with Liz on her memory recovery on the sofa, while Michael and Maria sat with Kyle at the counter, as he attempted using his powers again.
Kyle focused on the rock sitting on the counter and concentrated all of his energy into changing the color, but after a few minutes he broke off, exhausted. “Nothing. I just don’t feel anything.”
“Come on Kyle,” Michael prompted. “We know you’ll be getting powers and you’ve got to learn to control them. Try again.”
“It’s not that easy,” Kyle said. “I don’t even know exactly what I’m supposed to be doing. I know all of you keep telling me it will just happen, but trying to figure it out is frustrating.”
He shook his hand toward Michael, “I mean what am I supposed to do, just say abracadabra and…”
Kyle broke off as he felt a surge of power run down his arm and Michael’s black t-shirt swirled into a bright, neon green. Kyle and Michael both jumped, and Michael nearly fell off his stool.
The commotion drew the attention of Max, Liz and Isabel and all together they asked, “What’s wrong?”
Kyle pointed to Michael’s shirt. “Did you do that?”
“No way,” Michael snorted. “I wouldn’t be caught dead in this color.”
Maria jumped off the stool and hugged Kyle, “You did it. You changed the color of his shirt.”
“I did?” Kyle asked.
“Yeah, congratulations,” Michael said sarcastically. “Now would you do me a favor and change it back?”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Tuesday, December 18th, 2001)
(Copper Summit, AZ)
Lonni sat nearby as the skin soldiers finished their daily training and when Nicholas dismissed them, she followed him into the Crawford house.
Sporting a new skin identical to her first, Ida intercepted Lonni in the front hall. “You always just walk into someone else’s house without knocking? It isn’t very polite.”
“Back off Grandma,” Lonni warned her. “You wouldn’t want me to have to test the strength of that brand new skin, now would you?”
Ida stood her ground but called out, “Sir!”
Nicholas came out of the kitchen with a half-eaten sandwich. “What Mom? I’m eating.”
“Lonni insisted on speaking with you, Sir,” Ida said.
Nicholas looked at Ida and then past her to Lonni. “Is there a problem ladies?”
“I need to talk to you Nicholas,” Lonni said. “Now.”
“I’m eating lunch,” Nicholas said dismissively.
Lonni’s temper rose and she struggled to keep calm. “Please, Nicholas,” she said, with a forced smile.
Nicholas motioned to the door, “Wait outside. I’ll be with you in a minute.”
Lonni hesitated, her anger growing at being dismissed, but finally raised her chin proudly and went out.
Nicholas waited until Lonni had closed the door before he turned to Ida. “What happened?”
“She threatened to kill me if I didn’t get out of her way.” Ida sighed, “Sir, you shouldn’t trust her.”
Nicholas smiled, “Don’t worry, we won’t have to put up with her for much longer. Just try to stay out of her way.”
He downed the last of his sandwich and joined Lonni on the front porch. “What can I do for you today?”
Lonni let some of her anger and frustration show, “Nicholas, we have been waiting here for months. We delivered the Granolith according to our bargain, so when are we going home?”
“I told you we are waiting for Khivar’s orders,” Nicholas explained.
“Khivar has sent these troops and they are training but you haven’t told us the plan,” Lonni reminded him. “How are we supposed to help you so we can leave?”
“You know what you need to know, for now. When the time comes, I will tell you more,” Nicholas assured her. “As for your use of the word we, I would hope that you know nothing has changed since New York. The deal was, you deliver the Granolith and you get passage home, for one. There is no way I’m going to allow Rath to return to Antar.”
Lonni nodded, “I know that but Rath doesn’t, and as long as we don’t tell him, he will remain loyal to us.” She leaned closer to Nicholas and combed her fingers through his bangs, moving them off of his forehead. “See Rath isn’t too bright. He’ll do whatever I tell him to do, no questions asked.”
“Maybe,” Nicholas agreed, “but you should be careful not to put me in the same category. Don’t make the mistake of thinking you have me wrapped around your little finger too.”
“I could never think that about you, Nicholas,” Lonni purred. “Rath is a moron, but you are one of the greatest Generals Antar has ever seen.”
Nicholas smiled, “You remember that, do you?”
“A little,” Lonni admitted. “But I do remember every woman on the planet was in love with you,” she said. “Power, wealth, stunning good looks, and you are the right hand of Khivar and the second most powerful man on Antar. What woman wouldn’t want to be with you?”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Around the corner of the house, Rath listened unemotionally as Lonni sold him out. He wasn't even surprised, he knew her too well. And now that she had made her deal, he had to make the best deal for himself.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Crashdown Cafe)
Jim gave Amy a quick kiss as he slid into the chair across from her. “I just stopped by the house to check up on the workmen. They are making good progress on the rooms.”
Amy smiled, “That’s great. I hope they’re done before the wedding. I don’t know how much I like the idea of Sean and Maria staying at my place alone until the new rooms are finished.”
“If that happens, it will be all right,” Jim assured her. “They are both responsible kids. I’m sure they can handle being alone for a few days.”
“I’m kind of surprised to hear you say that, Jim. Especially after the trouble Sean has been in.”
Jim shrugged, “Everyone deserves a second chance and I know Sean is trying to turn his life around.” He reached across the table, “It will all work out, you’ll see. We’ll get the rooms finished and you’re house sold, and live together like one big happy family.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Wednesday, December 19th, 2001)
(The Parker House – Liz’s Room)
Liz awoke suddenly, the dream still fresh in her mind, sending waves of excitement through her. She glanced a the clock, noting it was just before six but she discounted the time and closed her eyes and projected her consciousness to Max’s room.
He was still in bed, soundly sleeping but Liz called out to him softly, “Max, wake up.” She solidified herself and touched his face, placing a soft kiss on his lips and immediately he kissed her back.
“Mmmmm,” he murmured in his sleep, “Liz.”
Giggling, she knelt beside the bed, shaking him, “Max.”
This time he came awake, opening his eyes with a smile. “You really are here. I thought I was dreaming.” He reached for her and pulled her into the bed with him, rolling her over the top, so she landed next to him.
Liz laughed again. “Max, I have to tell you something.”
Max kissed her again. “What do you need to tell me?” he asked sleepily.
“I had a dream last night.”
Max smiled and raised an eyebrow, “What kind of dream?”
Liz rolled her eyes. “Okay, not a dream exactly, more like a vision. Like the one I had about the accident.”
Max raised up on his elbow, suddenly awake. “What did you see?”
“I was on my balcony, sitting on the lounger, looking up at the stars. At first it was normal but then the stars started to get brighter and bigger and turn different colors, twinkling in the sky like Christmas lights. Comets rushed past, leaving trails of dust swirling across the sky. It was absolutely beautiful. I got up and danced, twirling around with my arms raised above my head, trying to reach the stars. Then all of the stars started to twirl with me, going faster and faster until I couldn’t catch my breath and I had to stop. I fell back into the lounger and the stars stopped too. They all gathered together in one place in the sky and made one big light, brighter than the sun.”
Max shook his head, “But what does it mean?”
“I don’t know,” Liz admitted.
“And do you feel sick?”
Liz shook her head, “Not at all. I feel great, expectant, like something wonderful is going to happen.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Quarry)
Michael didn’t even try to smother his yawn. “I really hate these early morning practices.”
“So do I,” Kyle agreed. “Even if I do have powers to practice now.”
Michael smiled, “And a sweet new ride to bring you here.”
Kyle turned to his new car with a smile. It was a red 1999 Mustang convertible. “It’s great huh? Not as nice as my other car but is a convertible and I’m certainly not complaining.”
“Well I am,” Maria said. “Everyone is getting a new car but me.”
Max laughed. “We don’t have too much time before school, so let’s see what Kyle can do.” He motioned to the rocks he had set up and spoke to Kyle. “Try focusing on each one and moving it.”
Kyle nodded and stepped forward. With an outstretched arm, he concentrated on the first rock, trying to focus the power like he had done before. To his satisfaction he felt the power rush down his arm and the rock started to vibrate and then tilt from side to side. Kyle focused on the rock even more, willing it to move, when suddenly it exploded.
“Whoops,” Kyle said.
Michael and Max looked at one another and nodded.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Crashdown Cafe)
Michael took a seat at the head of the two tables the others had pushed together. “So what do you guys want to do this weekend?” He looked around at the gang and there were shrugs all around.
“I guess we could go to a movie,” Sean suggested.
“What about a video night?” Isabel asked. “We haven’t done that for a while.”
Maria and Liz agreed nodding.
Kyle turned to Max, “We could get an action film for once instead of all of this chick flick stuff we’ve been subjected to lately.”
“Hey,” Maria called out, “what chick flick stuff?”
Kyle rolled his eyes, “Oh, I don’t know, The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally, Four Weddings and a Funeral. All we ever watch is chick flicks.”
“Now wait a minute,” Liz argued. “What about Braveheart, The Matrix, Crouching Tiger, those are action movies.
“But they all have a love story,” Kyle complained.
Isabel laughed, “Okay, just for Kyle, we’ll get one action movie with absolutely no love story.”
“Is there such a thing?” Maria asked.
Everyone laughed and the bell above the door drew their attention, and together they turned to see Brody enter.
“Hey Brody,” they all called out.
Brody looked at Sean and then at Max, “Maybe we should talk outside, Max. I have a message from your friend Larek.”
Max nodded, “It’s okay, Larek. Sean knows the truth.” He motioned to a free chair. “Tell us what’s happening.”
Larek took a seat at the table and got right to the point. “My men have discovered that Khivar’s ship the Leptes, that originally brought his troops to Earth, returned to Antar sometime in June of this year.”
Michael sighed, “So all of the skins have gone home?”
Larek shook his head. “Less than a month later it left Antar again. It was headed in the direction of Earth but we lost track of it on our sensors. The ship used a tremendous burst of speed we were unable to track.”
Michael sat up straighter, “Khivar is sending more troops? How long will it take them to get here?”
“We don’t know Khivar is sending troops,” Larek said, “but it is a good guess.”
“Guess nothing,” Kyle said, remembering Liz’s story of the future.
Max repeated Michael’s question, “How long, Larek?”
“It’s hard to say,” Larek admitted. “With the level of technology at the time, originally it would have taken the Leptes almost twelve years to get to Earth.”
“It didn’t take them twelve years to get home,” Liz pointed out. “The skins were on Earth last November for the summit. Did they upgrade the ship somehow?”
Larek shook his head, “The materials required to upgrade the ship are heavy metals that do not exist on Earth and our powers cannot create or manipulate them. They must be manufactured by machines.”
Max nodded, “So the only way the ship could have gotten the extra burst of power would be the Granolith.”
“But Tess left in the Granolith to go back to Antar, to save the baby,” Kyle said. “How did it get back to Earth?”
“Tess must have taken the Granolith to Copper Summit and not back to Antar,” Max deduced. “That’s why Larek’s people never saw her arrive, because she didn’t.”
“You’re right,” Liz agreed. “It wouldn’t make any sense to send the Granolith to Antar and back to Earth so they could retrieve that old ship. They would simply send a new one. The Granolith was in Copper Summit until it left on the Leptes.”
Max picked up her line of thought, “And now it’s headed back to Earth on the ship, bringing more troops.”
“So the baby wasn’t sick, because Tess must have been in Copper Summit for months.” Isabel said. “And now we know Tess was working with Nicholas.”
Liz caught Kyle’s eye and smiled sympathetically, knowing this must be hard for him, now that he remembered loving Tess. Kyle smiled back and nodded, acknowledging her concern.
Max looked at Larek, “So assuming the ship was upgraded on Antar, and using the Granolith, how long would it take to get back here?”
Larek shrugged, “A few hours.”
“That means Khivar’s troop have been on Earth for months,” Michael pointed out. “What have they been doing all this time?”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
An hour later, Liz locked the Crashdown’s front door behind the others and turned back to Max. “You’re thinking about Tess.”
Max nodded, “We know she lied about how long the pregnancy took and now it looks like she was on Earth at least part of the time we thought she was gone.”
“And you’re wondering if she went back to Antar on the ship,” Liz said, “or if she could still possibly be in Copper Summit.”
Max shrugged, “It doesn’t matter where she is now. We can’t take my son from her until he is born.”
“But knowing where they are would give you some peace of mind,” Liz suggested as she took his hand in hers. “We could go to Copper Summit and see if we could find out anything. There are hills surrounding the town that would provide excellent camouflage.”
Max squeezed her hand, “Thank you for the suggestions, but it’s just too dangerous. I don’t want to risk any of us now that we know there could be a new set of troops there.”
“Or,” Liz said speculatively, “I could try to astral project there, to see what’s going on.”
“No Liz, you can’t,” Max protested.
“I can stay invisible to them,” Liz reminded him, “no one would even know I was there.”
“It’s too dangerous,” Max said. “We don’t know what kind of powers the skins have. It’s possible some of them could detect your presence…” He shook his head, “I can’t lose you, especially now.”
Liz nodded and pulled him into an embrace.
Max wrapped his arms around her and sighed. “Larek said he would keep investigating. We’ll wait a while and see what he can find out before we go running in to what could be a trap.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Max knocked on the Valenti’s door. For a few minutes nothing happened and he knocked again. This time he heard movement inside and the Sheriff called out. “Just a minute.”
Jim finally answered the door and Max smiled when he saw the trace of lipstick the Sheriff had missed on his lips.
“Oh, Max,” Jim greeted, “Kyle isn’t here. Can I give him a message?”
“Actually, I came to see you,” Max said.
Jim nodded, “Okay, come in.”
Max wasn’t surprised to see Amy. “Hey Mrs. DeLuca.”
Amy ran a hand over her hair, smoothing it down. “Hi Max, how’s it going?”
“Fine,” Max said.
“We were just, um, planning the wedding,” Jim said. He turned to Amy, “Max needs to talk to me about something.”
Amy nodded, “Okay, I’ll go into the kitchen and give you boys a minute.”
Max waited until the door closed behind Amy. “I’m sure Kyle will fill you in but I wanted to tell you this myself.”
“Sounds serious,” Jim said.
“It could be,” Max agreed. “Today we learned that Khivar has most likely sent more skin soldiers.”
“Most likely?”
“Their ship went to Antar and returned to Earth months ago. I think it’s a pretty good guess it brought back more troops.”
Jim nodded. “If the troops have been on Earth for months, what do you think they are waiting for?”
“We don’t know,” Max admitted. “Larek is trying to find out more but I thought you should know in case anything weird starts to happen.”
“Like all of the humans disappearing again?” Jim asked.
“Something like that,” Max nodded. “We should all be on the lookout for anything unusual.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Friday, December 21st, 2001)
Rath had watched the group from outside the Crashdown for over an hour, waiting for the restaurant to close. Max was there, Michael and so were Maria and Liz and a guy that Rath didn't recognize. Maria and Liz were working and the others were sitting in a booth, talking. There were only two remaining customers and finally they got up to leave.
Rath was hesitant about approaching Max and the others anywhere but a public place, afraid that they might shoot first and ask questions later. So even though the other human guy was there, Rath squared his shoulders and strode to the door.
Liz was just approaching the door to lock it when Rath suddenly appeared through the glass and she stopped with a surprised gasp and started to back away. "Max!"
Max looked to the door just as Rath pushed it open. He jumped up from the table and ran to put himself between the Michael look-a-like and Liz.
Rath stopped when Liz called out and watched Max rush to defend her, noting with mild curiosity that they must be back together again.
Michael was slower to react but he took up a position next to Max and raised his hand before him. "What are you doing here?"
Rath was careful not to make any sudden moves. "Yo duke, chill. I ain't here to start nothin'." With a jut of his chin, Rath motioned to Kyle, who had taken up a position behind them, "And you wouldn't want to start nothin' with your friend here."
Max held Rath's gaze, "Kyle knows everything."
Rath glanced at Kyle. Of course he had heard the name from Tess, but he had never seen him and simply nodded.
"Where's Lonni?" Liz asked, looking around as if the other version of Isabel would materialize out of thin air.
"She ain't here and she's not comin," Rath explained. "She sold me out. Cut a deal with Nicholas, so I came to make my own deal with you."
"Why should we believe you?" Michael asked. "You and Lonni killed Zan and tried to kill Max."
Rath nodded, "I thought Ava would rat us out. Okay, yeah, you got me," he admitted, with a jerk of his head. "I helped Lonni kill Zan, but it was all her idea. I didn't really have nothin' against Zan but Lonni wanted him outta the way, and that girl gets what she wants. I knew I could either help her or end up the victim of a convenient accident myself." He turned to address Max. "And duke, I didn't even know you," he said with a wink. "It wasn't nothin' personal."
Rath glanced around at the others and then back to Max. "I never trusted Lonni, she was always just out for herself. But you duke, you's the man, and a stand-up guy. I know you'll honor any deal we make."
Max sighed, the irony of the situation not lost on him, and asked the same question he'd asked Rath and Lonni at the New York conference. "What kind of deal, Rath?"
Rath shrugged, "All I want is your personal guarantee that I'll get transportation off this rock when you go home."
Max nodded, "And even if we believe you, why would we help you?"
Rath looked around at each of them. "I've got information about Nicholas and Khivar and their plans. And Lonni doesn’t know I'm on to her so I could be like a spy, double-‘O’-freaking-seven. Report back with new stuff I learn." His eyes stopped on Max again. "I can also tell you about Tess."
Max surged forward angrily, "Tess? What about Tess?"
Rath smiled with a shake of his head, ignoring Max's outburst. "She really played you, duke." Then he turned his gaze to Liz, and spoke directly to her. "And I've got somethin' you want."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Jeff watched the strange encounter in the dining room, through the diamond-shaped window in the door to the back. At first, he thought Michael had radically changed his look, but within a few seconds it was obvious that the other guy wasn’t Michael. Jeff guessed the newcomer must be a relative of Michael’s because they looked so much alike, but Jeff knew Michael was an orphan and he had never mentioned knowing about any of his family. Then he’d heard Max call the newcomer something that sounded like Wrath.
It was also obvious that Max and the others didn’t trust Wrath and if what Jeff had heard was true, he couldn’t blame them. Jeff had come downstairs to get some milk and had only caught the end of the conversation but he’d heard Michael say that Wrath had tried to kill Max. But now Wrath was trying to make a deal with Max, volunteering to be a spy of some kind and he had also offered something to Liz.
Jeff wondered if it was some kind of gang thing but he couldn’t imagine Max and Michael being mixed up in that. And then there was the cryptic request Wrath had made to Max about taking him off this rock when they went home. Even if Wrath was an orphan too, how would Max know anything about where he was from?
Jeff knew who Tess was and Wrath obviously had some information Max wanted about her. But who were these other people that Wrath had offered to spy on? Lonni? Nicholas? Khivar?
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Hale’s House)
Isabel curled her legs underneath her on the sofa and sighed with contentment. She had been spending a lot of time alone with Hale lately and they had grown very close. Of course Hale didn’t know her secret, but it was nice to be away from the alien stuff sometimes.
Isabel leaned her head on Hale’s shoulder and took his hand in hers. “I’m glad you suggested watching a movie at your house. It’s nice to be together without everyone else.”
Hale smiled, “I know how close you are to your friends, I never thought I’d hear you say that.”
Isabel shook her head, “I love all of them and I wouldn’t trade them for the world.”
Hale squeezed her hand, “I know that. But sometimes you have to take some time just for yourself.”
“Yeah,” Isabel agreed. “Some time just for us.”
Hale leaned in closer and cupped her cheek in his hand, whispering, “And I know one very good way to spend that time.” He closed the distance between them and took her lips in a searing kiss.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Crashdown Café)
Max asked Rath to wait outside while they discussed the situation, and as the door closed behind him, Michael was the first to speak.
"I don't trust him."
Max shook his head, "Neither do I but he could be telling the truth. Lonni would do anything to get what she wants."
"You want us to trust him?" Maria asked incredulously.
"No," Max said. "Of course not, but he could have useful information." He glanced at Liz and then quickly away. "If he could tell us about what happened to Tess and my son..." he trailed off quietly. "And it could help us to be ready for whatever is coming next."
"Rath only said he wanted a ride home," Kyle interjected, "that's not so much to promise if he can give us any information."
"That's what he said," Maria drawled sarcastically, "and to me the whole thing looks too good to be true. What if he’s just leading us into a trap? And how does he know anything about Khivar or Tess?"
"We know more than they think we do," Michael said, "so why don't we ask him a few questions and see if he is jerking us around."
Max turned to Liz, who had remained silent, and saw her studying Rath through the window. "Liz, what do you think?"
She pulled her attention away from Rath. "I think he's telling the truth."
Michael rolled his eyes, "You’re too trusting, Liz. You believe everything anyone says."
Liz shook her head. "It's just a feeling I have but I think we should listen to him." She turned to Max. "He said he has something for me, and for some reason I think it's important. Really important."
"He's just messing with your head, Liz," Maria said. "What could he possibly have?"
"I don't know, information maybe." Liz shrugged and looked around the group. "I can't say why, but I just have this overwhelming feeling that we need to make a deal with him."
"That's good enough for me," Kyle said.
Max nodded, "Me too."
"Are you sure?" Maria asked. "You know what he's capable of."
Liz nodded.
"At least let's check him out," Michael said.
Max nodded, "Okay, let's check him out."
Michael walked to the door and motioned for Rath to come back in.
Max stepped forward as Rath entered. "I have a question,” Max said, “just so we know that you're on the level."
Rath nodded, "Okay, shoot."
"How was Tess', um, health when you last saw her?"
For a moment Rath looked puzzled and then he realized what Max was really asking. "Right, I get you. You want know about your kid."
Max nodded. "When was he born?"
"No, duke," Rath denied, "he's not born yet. I know Tess told you the baby would come in a month, but that was just to get you to leave with her."
"And he's okay? He's not sick?"
"He's fine," Rath said. "And growin' like a weed, according to Tess."
Liz stepped forward, "Then Tess is still in Copper Summit."
Rath froze, realizing what he had inadvertently given away and then a slow smile lit his face. He focused on Liz. "Yeah, you're right," he said with a wink. His voice lowered seductively, "I heard you're a smart one."
Maria stepped between them, "Down boy."
Rath smiled and looked around the group. He could tell they were still hesitant to believe him but he had anticipated their skepticism and played his trump card. Looking past Maria, he focused on Liz again, speaking directly to her. "I know you don't believe me, but to prove my sincerity I'm going to return something that was taken away from you."
Liz searched his face for any clue. "What is it?" she asked softly.
Rath shook his head, "You'll never believe me. You have to see for yourselves."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Jeff was still in shock as he watched the group go out the door. Max had gotten Tess pregnant, and Liz knew and had still taken him back?
Jeff didn’t know what was going on, but he was going to confront Liz as soon as she got home.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The figure watched from the alley, as the gang left the Crashdown, and he carefully noted the presence of the Michael look-a-like.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
It took two cars to transport all six of them, but half-an-hour later they were standing outside the
Artesia Good Samaritan Nursing Home.
Maria turned to Rath, "What are we doing here? Is this some kind of joke?"
"Yes Rath," Max said. "Enough mystery. Tell us why we are here."
Rath motioned to the building, "Just trust me a little more. We’re almost there. Room 134."
Liz looked at the others and when no one moved, she opened the door and went inside. She immediately noted the subdued lighting and the fact that no one was working at the information desk, but a sign on the wall pointed the way.
She followed the left hallway, scanning the room numbers with an increasing sense of anticipation. Liz couldn't have said why she was excited, only that she was sure something very important was waiting for them. Vaguely she was aware the others trailed behind her but her whole being seemed focused on her task until she finally stopped before the door marked 134.
She reached for the doorknob only to be stopped as Max gently took hold of her wrist.
"Let me," he said softly. "It could be a trap."
Liz knew in her heart it wasn't a trap but she allowed Max and Michael to precede her into the room. The door closed behind them, and for a moment there was no sound from inside, and then Max opened the door. Liz saw immediately that he was incredibly pale and distressed and she reached out to him, "Max?"
"I..." he trailed off, shaking his head. "You'd all better come in." He took Liz's hand in his and led her into the room.
Liz looked around the room quickly, taking in the medical equipment and Michael standing by the single bed. He was motionless, as if in shock, staring at the bed's occupant. Liz stepped closer until she could make out the features of the patient and gasped in recognition. "Alex!"
At her outburst, Maria and Kyle rushed forward, stopping by the bed.
After a moment, Maria turned to Max, with tears in her eyes. "Is it really him?"
Max looked to Rath, "Is it?"
Rath nodded. "Yeah, it's him. He's been in a coma for months."
"But how?" Kyle asked. "I remember Tess making me put his body in the car."
"Tess thought she killed him but he wasn't dead," Rath explained. "She panicked and called me and Lonni to help get rid of the body. She made you put him in the car and we met her to help stage the accident, but I could see right away he wasn't dead. Lonni said we should keep quiet and use it to our advantage. If Tess thought she killed Alex, we could use it as leverage over her if we needed it."
"So who was in his car?" Max asked. "I tried to heal him."
"I don't know," Rath said, with a shrug. "Some homeless guy we picked up who was about Alex's same size. We knocked him out, dressed him in Alex's clothes, Lonnie changed his hair and the color of his eyes and we put him in Alex’s car. I waited until a truck came along and used my powers to drive the car head-on into it. Afterward, me and Lonni made sure that the guy's face was messed up enough so no one could tell who it was. The guy was in Alex's car, wearing Alex's clothes, the same height, weight and hair color. We knew no one would question it."
"That's why no one noticed anything unusual about the body," Liz said woodenly, "because he really did die in the crash."
"And Alex has been here the whole time?" Maria choked, tears streaming down her face. "Just a few miles away." She sat on the edge of the bed and took his hand in hers.
"Lonni and I put the homeless man’s clothes on him, took him to the hospital in Artesia and told them we found him in an alley. They marked him a John Doe and figured he'd been mugged. After awhile, the doctor moved him here and promised to call us if he got better. Lonni really thought it was funny, you know the name, Good Samaritan..." he trailed off with a chuckle but no one else laughed.
"What about Alex's condition?" Liz asked. "What did the doctor say?"
Rath shook his head. "I don't know the technical stuff, but his brain is messed up. Bleeding or swelling or somethin’, because of Tess' powers. They don't think he'll get better."
Liz turned to Max and touched his arm. "Max," she urged with the single word and he knew she was asking him to see if he could heal Alex.
He had been so surprised to see Alex or he would have thought of it himself. He placed his hands on Alex's head and started a connection, and flashes of Alex's last couple of hours before the accident assailed him. Max saw Liz and Maria with Alex at his house and the delivery of the Thai food that triggered his memories. He watched as Alex recovered the translation from the computer and his futile attempts to call Isabel. Alex’s unsuccessful struggle against the compulsions Tess had placed in his mind and his drive to the Valenti's house to confront her.
Then he saw Alex arguing with Tess, and Kyle's interruption, and he felt Alex's blinding pain as Tess tried to mind warp him again. Max gasped and pulled back as Alex's pain ripped through him and Liz was instantly at his side.
"Max, what's wrong?"
He shook his head, "I'm okay. I just saw what happened to Alex." He placed his hands on Alex and started the connection again, pushing the horrible images away, looking for the damage. Max found several areas where the walls of the tiny vessels in Alex's brain were stretched too thin, causing them to bulge and press dangerously on his brain. He easily fixed those and then moved on to the main problem, a large vessel that was perilously enlarged and engorged with blood, close to bursting. The brain matter around it had been pushed aside as it had swelled, causing the coma.
Max gently returned the vessel to its normal size and the pressure on the brain-matter eased. He could feel Alex slip into a normal state of sleep and he took his hands away.
He nodded to Liz and whispered, "He's okay, just sleeping now. But it will take a while for his brain to go back to normal and I'll bet he'll have one hell of a headache when he wakes up."
"Should we wake him?" Maria whispered.
Max shook his head, "I know he's been out for months but he'll need a lot of rest to recover."
"We should get him out of here," Rath said. "If he wakes up and the doctor's call Lonni..." he trailed off with a shrug.
"We can't just take him," Liz said. "If he disappeared, there would be an investigation and they would..." she trailed off and then smiled. "All we have to do is change the contact phone number in the file to Maria's, so Lonni never knows. We let Alex wake up naturally and he tells the doctors who he is and they will take care of everything. If there is a silver handprint, it is on his head hidden by his hair. Then there will be no unexplained return from the dead and none of this can be linked to aliens. The police will probably figure that the homeless guy mugged Alex for the car and clothes, and then died in the crash. It's a simple case of mistaken identity."
Max looked at Michael and motioned to the door with a jut of his chin.
Michael nodded, understanding him immediately and went to find the records room.
“That’s pretty smart,” Rath said.
Liz rounded on him angrily. "You helped Tess in Las Cruces with the translation."
Rath swallowed hard and looked around at the others. "Yeah, it was Lonni's idea. She thought if we had the Granolith and knew how to use it, she could make a deal with Nicholas to go home."
"Tess didn’t trust you or Lonni. How did you get her to help you?" Kyle asked.
Rath nodded, "Lonni has some dirt about Tess’ past life, I don't know what, but she used it at the summit to blackmail Tess. Lonni told Tess if she didn't help us, she would tell Max the truth about her and then he wouldn't want her. I don’t think Tess wanted to help us, but Lonni didn’t give her a choice."
“She always had a choice,” Max said softly.
"And Leanna?" Liz asked. "How does she fit into this?"
"It was Lonni's powers," Rath said. "She can change her appearance, make people see her as someone else. She took the real girl's place at the University so she could move around the campus and it wouldn't look suspicious."
"And then you put the real Leanna back, hoping we would blame and kill her," Max added.
Liz advanced on Rath, poking an accusing finger into his chest. “And what about Alex? Were you going to kill him too?”
Rath backed a step, shaking his head. “I swear we didn’t do nothin’ to hurt him. The plan was to get him to do the translation and then put him back, and no body would be the wiser.”
Michael came back into the room and saw Liz confronting Rath. “Is there a problem?”
Liz shook her head and backed down. She could feel Rath’s fear but somewhere underneath, she could also feel sincerity.
Rath took a deep breath, “I knew I was taking a chance coming to you but I thought it was my only shot to get home.” He motioned to the bed, “I gave you Alex back. If I wanted to kill him I could have and never said a word, and none of you would have known. That’s gotta count for something.”
Max looked at Michael and Liz with a nod. Michael agreed with a jut of his chin and Liz nodded gravely.
Max turned back to Rath, "If you work with us and don't betray us, you’ve got a deal." He held out his hand.
Rath smiled and shook it. "I won't let you down, duke."
Max nodded and looked at Alex, lowering his voice, "Okay, let’s go out to the parking lot so we don’t wake Alex and then Rath can tell us everything he knows about Khivar’s new troops."
Rath was momentarily shocked. “How did you know about…” he trailed off but recovered quickly with a jerk of his head and a smile. “You’s the man.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Roswell, NM)
Max dropped Rath off at his car, that was parked a couple of blocks from the Crashdown, and the gang waited until he had driven away before they started talking.
“So, how much are you planning to trust him?” Michael asked.
Max shook his head, “I’m not trusting him at all. Everything he tells us is suspect.”
“Why did you tell him we knew about the new troops?” Maria asked. “Isn’t that just tipping our hand?”
“If Rath isn’t on our side, he’ll report back and then Khivar and Nicholas will wonder how we found out and maybe suspect that we have a spy in their midst,” Max explained.
Liz spoke up, “And if Rath is on our side, it will show him we do trust him because we offered him information.”
Max nodded, “But we all have to be careful about what we tell Rath. We have to assume that everything we reveal to him is being relayed to Khivar. So don’t mention Liz’s or Kyle’s powers and no one says anything about who Liz really is.”
Everyone nodded.
Max continued, “And I know everyone is excited about getting Alex back, but we have to pretend like we don’t know until it is officially announced, and that may take a few days. It will be hard, but everyone just act normal and then when he’s back, we can all celebrate.”
“And Isabel?” Michael asked.
“I’ll tell her when she gets home,” Max said.
“And what about Tess?” Liz asked softly. “Now we know she’s still in Copper Summit.”
Max shook his head, “It doesn’t change anything. I can’t go and drag her back here and chain her in a basement until my son is born. I just have to wait.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Hale stopped his car in the Evans’ driveway.
Isabel smiled, “I could have driven to your house.”
Hale shook his head, leaning closer, “I couldn’t let you do that. It would be ungentlemanly.”
“But now you’ll have to drive all the way back home,” Isabel argued, closing the distance until only a couple of inches separated them.
“It’s a small price to pay, for your company,” Hale whispered. He placed a gentle kiss on her lips and touched her face tenderly. “I love you, Isabel.”
A soft smile lit Isabel’s features, “I love you too.”
Hale smiled in return. “Let me steal you away from your friends one more night and I’ll take you to dinner tomorrow.”
Isabel nodded, “I’d like that.”
Hale took her head in his hands and kissed her lingeringly. When they broke apart they were both breathing roughly. “This is just so incredible,” Hale said. “I never thought I would find someone like you.”
“Me either,” Isabel agreed. “I didn’t think it was possible to feel this close to anyone.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Max heard Isabel and Hale pull into the driveway and he sat on her bed, waiting impatiently for her to come inside. Finally he heard the front door shut and Hale’s car drive away and Isabel came into her room.
“Oh,” she gasped, surprised by Max’s presence, “you scared me, Max. What are you doing here?”
“I have some news,” Max started but he saw Isabel’s reaction and immediately amended himself. “Don’t worry, it’s good news, but you can’t say anything yet and I don’t want you to overreact and wakeup Mom and Dad.”
Isabel shook her head, “What is it? And why can’t I say anything?”
“Why don’t you sit down?”
Isabel complied apprehensively, taking a seat next to Max.
“I don’t know how to say this other than just to say it.” Max smiled, “Isabel, Alex is alive.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Saturday, December 22nd, 2001)
(The Parker House)
Light streaming in the window woke Jeff and he put a hand to his eyes in confusion, and glanced at the clock. It was after nine.
He had gotten in bed last night and replayed the scene in the dining room over and over in his head, trying to make sense of it. He had intended on confronting Liz when she got home but he must have fallen asleep while he was waiting.
Rubbing at his eyes, Jeff sat up just as Nancy opened the door.
“Oh, you’re up,” she said. “I was just about to wake you.”
“Why did you let me sleep so late?” Jeff asked.
Nancy shrugged, “You seemed tired so I let you sleep, but Jeff we’ve just got some really good news.”
Jeff’s groggy brain didn’t process what she was saying. “I wanted to talk to Liz. Is she here?”
Nancy sat down beside him. “She’s here but I doubt you’ll be able to talk to her.”
“Why not?”
“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you, Jeff. We got a call from Chuck Whitman a few minutes ago. Alex is alive.”
Jeff shook his head, “How is that possible?”
“Apparently he got car-jacked and left for dead in an alley in Artesia. He was admitted to the hospital as a John Doe and has been in a coma. But he woke up sometime early this morning and told them who he was.”
“So who was killed in his car?” Jeff asked.
“They are guessing it was the carjacker.”
“And Alex is okay?”
Nancy smiled, “He has a little memory loss but otherwise he’s fine. Liz and Maria haven’t stopped jumping around. They’re so anxious to see him. Chuck said Alex was being released from the hospital this morning and he invited Liz and Maria and all of Alex’s friends to come over this afternoon.”
Jeff nodded, his thoughts of talking to Liz about last night, going right out of his head. “It’s a miracle.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Evans House)
Tears streamed down Diane’s face as she hugged Isabel. “It’s a miracle, honey.”
“I know,” Isabel said. “It’s so wonderful, I can’t believe it’s true. There were so many times that I wished it was all a bad dream and I could just wake up.”
They broke the hug and Isabel continued, “I can’t wait to see him. There’s so much we all have to tell him.”
Diane smiled, “I’m so happy for all of you, especially Alex’s parents. This must have been a nightmare for them.”
“I keep pinching myself to make sure I’m not dreaming,” Isabel said. “I just feel like this huge weight has been lifted. I felt so guilty about his death.”
“But none of it was your fault,” Diane said.
“I know,” Isabel said, “I just felt like I should have been able to do something to keep him safe.” She shook her head, “I just should have known.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Whitman House)
At four o’clock precisely, the whole gang was gathered outside the Whitman’s door. Liz and Maria were in front and Maria pressed the doorbell.
The door was opened immediately by Alex’s father Chuck, who greeted them with a huge smile. “Come in. Please come in.”
Liz and Maria both hugged him and he hugged them back with a laugh. “I can’t believe this has all turned out so well.”
Alex’s Mom, Gloria joined them, and Maria and Liz hugged her too.
“We’re so happy for you,” Liz said.
Gloria greeted them all, “It’s so great to have all of you back in the house again. We’ve missed you almost as much…” she trailed off with a shake of her head. “But you want to see Alex. He’s in his room, ordered to bed rest for the next couple of days, but he’ll be fine.”
“Go ahead and see him,“ Chuck prompted. “We’ve got pizza on the way.”
Liz and Maria led the way to Alex’s room. They stopped briefly, and then Maria threw open the door and she and Liz squealed when they saw Alex. Running into the room, they both threw themselves onto the bed, hugging Alex fiercely.
“We’re so happy to see you,” Maria exclaimed.
“It’s so good to have you back,” Liz said.
Alex hugged them back, “Believe me I’m happy to be here.”
Maria and Liz settled down next to him and the others stepped up. Max and Kyle gave him manly hugs and Michael offered a firm handshake.
Finally Isabel stepped up and gave him a quick hug.
When Isabel released him, Alex looked at Max. “My parents tell me I was in a coma for more than six months and then I suddenly came out of it. Somehow I have a feeling I’ve got you to thank for that, Max.”
Max nodded, “I just wish we’d known you were alive sooner.”
“And where’s Tess?” Alex asked.
Max spoke up, “She’s gone.”
Liz took Alex’s hand. “We know most of what happened to you. What do you remember?”
Alex looked relieved. “The day I supposedly died, I remembered that Tess, Lonni and Rath sent me to the University of Las Cruces to use the supercomputer to translate the alien book. I tried to contact Isabel and tell her what happened but Tess had done something to my mind and I couldn’t dial the phone. So I got in the car and tried to drive to the Crashdown, but I couldn’t go anywhere but the Valenti’s house. I confronted Tess, and I remember Kyle coming in, and then I had a terrible pain in my head.” He shook his head, “The next thing I remember is waking up in the hospital.”
“Wow,” Maria said, “do we have a lot to tell you.”
Alex nodded, “You’ll have to tell me what I’m supposed to say to the police too. I told the police in Artesia that I didn’t remember anything but I’m sure they’ll keep asking. I’m supposed to have an interview with Valenti tomorrow.”
Max nodded, “Well, I guess we should start at the beginning.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Isabel, Max, Kyle and Michael left an hour later, leaving Liz and Maria with Alex.
“I can’t believe everything I’ve missed,” Alex exclaimed. “Show me your powers again, Liz.”
With a laugh, Liz touched his t-shirt and the white swirled into a deep blue.
“That is so cool.” Alex leaned in closer, “So since Max healed me, am I going to get powers too?”
Liz shrugged, “I don’t know. We’re not sure why it happened.”
Alex shook his head and changed the subject. “And what is the deal with Isabel? When I left, we were really getting close but now she’s the ice queen again.”
“Your death was really hard on all of us, but Isabel blamed herself,” Liz explained. “She thought if she hadn’t invited you to come out that evening you wouldn’t have been in the accident.”
“But you found out months ago Tess killed me,” Alex argued. “Isabel still couldn’t blame herself for that.”
Maria nodded, “Yeah but then Isabel thought she should have noticed something was wrong with you. She thought she could have protected you from Tess.”
Alex sat back with a huff, “That’s just crazy. From what you’ve told me, Tess was manipulating everyone.”
“Yeah,” Liz agreed. “It took Isabel a long time to get past that and I’m not sure she’s put it all behind her yet. But she met a new friend at college who she’s gotten really close to, and I know that’s helped her.”
“Well that’s good,” Alex said, “she needs a friend she can…” he trailed off as understanding suddenly dawned. “I keep forgetting that for months, you all thought I was dead. Isabel met a guy at college and she moved on. That’s what you’re so delicately trying to tell me isn’t it Liz? And that’s why Isabel left so quickly today, because she didn’t want to tell me.”
“I’m sure she just wanted to wait for a better time,” Liz said. “And not confront you with it on your first day back.”
Maria nodded, “Yeah, I’m sure that’s it.”
Alex shook his head, “Man did I ever get the shaft. Remind me if I ever see Tess again that she and I have a few things to discuss.”
“Yeah,” Liz said, “well you’ll have to get in line.”
Alex nodded, remembering everything the gang told him about the months he was gone. “So Rath told you where I was because he wanted to make a deal with Max.”
“That’s what he told us,” Maria said. “He said he’d be a spy for us.”
“And what other information did he offer?” Alex asked.
“He really didn’t know much,” Liz said, “but we suspected Khivar had sent more troops to Earth and Rath confirmed it. He claims he and Lonni and Tess have been ordered to stay away from the troops, and he doesn’t know why they’re here. But he said he would try to find out.”
“Could this be the invasion the Max from the future told you about?” Alex asked.
Liz shook her head, “I don’t know, but Rath said there were only about two hundred soldiers. I think they would need a lot more to take over the Earth.”
“So what are we going to do about them?” Alex asked.
“We don’t know,” Liz admitted. “Max is going to give Rath a little time to try and find out something before he makes any definite plans, and until then we keep doing what we’ve been doing; practicing our powers, trying to recover our memories, and trying to live our lives.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Evans House)
Isabel waited nervously for Hale to arrive, not sure how to tell him her news. He had been so understanding when she had told him about Alex’s death and it was partially due to Hale’s quiet support that she had been able to move on so quickly. But Isabel felt so guilty about her relationship with Hale. From Alex’s point of view, it had only been a single day since they were together and she wasn’t sure how to explain her actions to him.
When she finally heard Hale’s car, Isabel rushed out to see him.
Hale smiled, “Couldn’t wait to see me?”
Isabel blushed. “Would you mind taking a walk with me? I have something I need to tell you.”
Hale’s smile was replaced by a look of concern. “Is everything okay?”
Isabel nodded, “Everything fine. In fact it’s great. I…” she trailed off, shaking her head.
Hale draped his arm around her shoulders, “Let’s drive over to the park and you can tell me the whole thing.”
Isabel nodded and allowed Hale to help her into the car. The drive to the park was short but silent and Isabel was aware of Hale’s concerned gaze on her more than once.
Finally he pulled the car into a quiet parking space near the trees and turned to her, “So do you want to tell me what’s wrong?”
Isabel shook her head, “That’s just it, nothing is wrong. We got news this morning that my friend Alex is really alive.”
“What?” Hale asked. “You told me he died in a car accident.”
“We thought he did, but apparently he was car jacked and the guy took his clothes. And after the crash there was so much damage to the guy’s face that everyone just assumed it was Alex who died. All of this time he’s been in a coma in a hospital in Artesia, listed as a John Doe, and he just woke up this morning.”
Hale shook his head incredulously, “That’s incredible.” He reached out and took her hand, “I’m so happy for you Isabel.”
Tears started to prick her eyes but she pressed on, “The thing is Hale, for Alex only a day has passed. We weren’t exactly together but things were headed that way and I need to tell him about us. But I wanted to talk to you first, so there wouldn’t be any misunderstandings.”
Hale nodded, “Of course you need to talk to him. I understand completely. You are friends and I would never let our relationship change that.”
Isabel pulled him into a hug, “Thank you for being so wonderful.”
Hale placed a soft kiss on her cheek. “It has obviously been a stressful day for you. Do you still want to go to dinner or should I just take you home?”
“I am a little tired,” Isabel admitted.
Hale nodded, “We’ll go another time then.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Roswell Sheriff’s Station)
Deputy Hansen burst into Valenti’s office. “Sheriff, is it true? The Whitman boy is alive?”
Jim nodded, “Yeah, and I’ve never been more glad to be wrong about anything in my life.”
“So who died in that wreck and is buried in the grave?”
“We don’t know,” Jim said, “but there’s an exhumation order for Monday and this time we’ll do all of the tests to try and figure out who it is.”
“And what exactly happened?” Hansen asked.
“Alex didn’t remember anything when the Artesia police talked to him. We have an appointment to interview him tomorrow. I guess he’ll tell us what he does remember.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Sunday, December 23rd, 2001)
(The Whitman House)
Isabel knocked softly on Alex’s door.
“Come in,” he called out.
Nervously she pushed the door open and stuck her head inside, “Hi Alex, it’s me.”
“Hey Isabel, come in.”
She entered his room and took a seat on a nearby chair. “You look like you’re doing well.”
Alex smiled, hearing the nervousness in her voice. “Apparently I’m good as new. Can’t beat that alien healing.”
Isabel smiled but looked around the room to avoid his eyes.
Alex spoke up, “It’s okay Isabel. I know about Hale.”
“You know?” Isabel asked, and then nodded. “Maria and Liz told you.”
“They thought it might be easier for both of us, I guess.” Alex sighed, “I won’t pretend I’m not disappointed but I do want you to be happy.”
“I just want you to know it wasn’t an overnight thing Alex. I was so devastated by your death.” She shook her head. “I used to talk to you. I know it wasn’t really you but I would pretend it was your ghost looking out for me. You know, my own guardian angel.”
Alex smiled and nodded.
Isabel continued, “It really helped for me to talk things out, to try and cope with you being gone.” She looked up at Alex, “And then I met Hale and he understood things so well because he’s lost both his parents.” Isabel looked away, “For the first couple of months we were just friends.”
“But it grew into something more,” Alex prompted.
“I never mean for it to,” Isabel said. “It just happened.”
Alex smiled sadly and reached out to take her hand. “You can’t control falling in love.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A figure outside watched them carefully through the window.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Copper Summit, AZ)
Lonni grabbed Tess’ left arm as Rath took hold of the right, and they steered her into a deserted alley.
“What do you want?” Tess asked, annoyed.
“This thing isn’t going down as we had hoped,” Lonni said. “We’ve been in this po-dunk town way too long and I see it as all your fault.”
“Yeah,” Rath said. “We had this perfectly good plan and you had to go and screw it up.”
“And it looks like Khivar is trying to go back on our deal,” Lonni added.
Tess shook her head, “What can I do about it?”
Lonni circled around to Tess’ other side, leaning close to her. “I think it’s time to play a few more of our cards to show Nicholas and Khivar that we can be valuable allies.”
“What do you mean?” Tess asked, with wide eyes.
“Chill Chanya,” Lonni said. “It’s not like you were going to be able to keep your secrets forever. We need to use them to our best advantage.”
Tess winced at the use of her real name. “So what are you going to do?”
Lonni shrugged. “I need to work out a strategy on how to present the information so it benefits us the most. We have to be smart about this or the whole thing could be for nothing and we’ll be stuck on this miserable planet, for the rest of our lives.” She turned to Tess with a sneer, “And don’t even think about trying to double cross us.”
Rath nodded and jerked Tess by the arm to get her attention. “Just remember, in the big picture, you’re less than nothing without us.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Monday, December 24th, 2001)
(Roswell City Park Bandstand)
“Isabel,” Hale called out, trying to catch her attention. He jogged over to where she was in a discussion with four other women. “Excuse me ladies,” he apologized. “I didn’t mean to break into your conversation.”
One of the women spoke up, “We were just finishing up, weren’t we ladies?” She winked at Isabel and quickly herded the other women away.
“I’m sorry, “ Hale apologized again to Isabel. “Your mother said you’d be here. I know you’re busy with all of your Christmas activities, but I just wanted to see if you had time for me to take you to lunch.”
Isabel smiled, “Thanks, that’s so thoughtful but I still have a million things to do. There’s the Christmas Pageant this afternoon, and the totaling and distribution of the collections of the food drive. And I still have to get someone to cover for me tomorrow at the nursing home Christmas dinner because of Alex’s welcome home party at the Crashdown.”
Hale nodded, “So am I invited to the welcome home party? I would love to meet Alex.”
Isabel suddenly realized what she’d said and immediately regretted it. She’d had no intention of inviting Hale or even mentioning it to him. It almost seemed like a slap in Alex’s face to invite Hale, but then Isabel reasoned, she couldn’t keep them apart forever.
Isabel hesitated too long with her answer and Hale lifted his eyebrow. “You weren’t going to invite me?”
“No,” Isabel instantly denied. “Of course you’re invited. I thought I had already told you, that’s all. With everything else, it must have slipped my mind.”
Hale smiled, “I’m sure that’s it.” He leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. “I had no idea you were so involved in all of this. Is there anything I can do to help?”
Isabel smiled, “Yeah, that would be great.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Crashdown Café)
“Your end of the banner is too low, Liz,” Isabel called out.
Liz raised it a few inches, “Is this better?”
Isabel eyed it critically, “Yeah, that’s perfect.”
Maria bounced over to Isabel. “The streamers are all finished.”
“Okay,” Isabel said checking her list. “What about the balloons?”
“Kyle and Michael are on it,” Maria said, pointing toward the back.
Isabel glanced toward them, noting that more helium was going in the boys’ mouths than in the balloons. She raised an eyebrow and turned back to Maria.
Maria grimaced, “I’ll just go check on them.”
Max and Liz climbed down to join Isabel just as Ryan came into the cafe.
He glanced at the banner, “Welcome home Alex.” Ryan turned back to them, “Is that a friend of yours?”
“I thought the story would be all over town by now,” Max said. “For months, everyone thought Alex was dead, killed in a car accident.”
“Oh,” Ryan gasped. “He’s the one that was in the coma.” He smiled, “It must be great to get him back after you thought he was gone. That’s what everyone who looses someone dreams of.”
Isabel nodded. “Ryan, why don’t you come to the party? I’m sure Alex would love to meet you.”
“That would be great,” Ryan said. “I’d love to meet him too.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Tuesday, December 25th, 2001)
(The DeLuca House)
(Christmas Day)
A knock at the door interrupted Maria, Sean and Amy from breakfast.
“I’ll get it,” Sean said, rising from the table.
After a moment Sean called out, “It’s for you aunt Amy.”
Amy and Maria looked at one another with a shrug and went into the front room.
“Merry Christmas,” Jim greeted them.
Amy crossed to him, “Jim what a nice surprise. Merry Christmas.”
“Well, I came over to give you a present.” He motioned outside. “I left it out here with Kyle though.” He led them out to the driveway where a new blue Volkswagen Beetle was parked, with a big red bow on top.”
Amy gasped, “Jim, what did you do?”
Sean, Maria and Kyle laughed.
“You were in on this?” Amy asked. She turned back to Jim, “It’s too much.”
Jim placed a kiss on her cheek, “Merry Christmas, Amy.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Crashdown Cafe)
Michael, Maria and Isabel sat with Alex in the midst of the party. News of Alex’s return had spread through the small community and the party was packed with well-wishers.
One after another, people had come to talk to Alex and welcome him home. Most of them were people he knew but some were simply people who had heard about his ordeal. Alex was surprised by all the attention but he accepted the greetings in the spirit they were meant.
He had just finished talking with Mr. Seligman when another unfamiliar face was suddenly before them.
“You must be Alex Whitman.” The newcomer offered Alex a hand, “I’ve heard a lot about you.”
Confusion creased Alex’s brow as they shook hands, “And you are?”
Isabel jumped to her feet, “Alex, this is my friend, Hale.”
Alex took in Hale’s handsome face, blond hair and athletic build, and knew he didn’t stand a chance. As Isabel stood next to Hale, Alex noticed how their golden beauty complimented one another. Even he thought Isabel and Hale looked like a perfect couple.
Alex smiled, “It’s nice to meet you, Hale. Isabel has told me a lot about you too.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Max handed a drink to Liz, “This party was a great idea. So many people have shown up from school and the community. No one can believe that all of these months Alex was only a few miles away.”
Liz smiled, “Everyone wants the chance to see a real miracle. Especially at Christmas.”
“More like a good magic trick, “ Max said, and suddenly Liz’s words struck a chord in him. “A Christmas miracle,” Max whispered.
“What?” Liz asked.
“The dream you had,” Max explained. “It seemed familiar when you told me about it but I couldn’t place it. The bright star you described was like the one leading the three wise men.”
“But it wasn’t real and it didn’t lead us anywhere,” Liz argued.
“Maybe that’s only because we didn’t know what we were looking for,” Max suggested. “What part of the sky was the star in? Which direction?”
Liz shook her head trying to picture it and then suddenly she remembered, “It was in the south.”
“Where Artesia is,” Max pointed out. “Liz, whether we knew it or not, you predicted Alex’s return.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Hale led Isabel into the back and placed a chaste kiss on her cheek. “I won’t stay long. Tonight is for you and your friends.”
Isabel touched his cheek. “Of course you’re welcome stay, Hale.”
Hale shook his head, “No, it’s all right. I understand.” He reached into his pocket, “I just stopped by to give you this.”
He handed a small velvet box to Isabel and watched her reaction carefully as she opened it.
Isabel gasped with pleasure when she saw the sparkling diamond stud earrings. “They’re beautiful, Hale but it’s too much.”
“Diamonds are the most precious and rare gem on the planet and that’s exactly how I feel about you,” he said huskily. “Money means nothing to me, but I finally found you, the woman I’ve been looking for all of my life, and that means everything. Please Isabel, I want you to have them, as a token of my love.”
Isabel felt tears gathering in her eyes as she threw her arms around his neck, “I love you too, Hale.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Alex watched Isabel and Hale disappear into the back and spoke over his shoulder to Maria and Michael, “So that’s Hale.”
“Yeah,” Michael spoke up, “he’s a pretty good guy…” He trailed off with a gasp as Maria poked an elbow into his ribs. “Um, I mean…”
“It’s okay,” Alex interrupted. “I understand. Life goes on.”
“Yeah,” Maria said, “but she didn’t have to bring him here and flaunt him in your face.”
Alex shook his head, “No, that’s not fair. It’s not like we can avoid each other forever. Isabel is in love and she shouldn’t have to hide that to spare my feelings.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Finally the party was over and the Crashdown was empty.
Jeff put an arm around Nancy’s shoulders and turned to Max and Liz, “Let’s leave the clean-up for tomorrow.”
Liz agreed with a nod, “Okay Dad. I’ll just say goodbye to Max and lock-up.”
Jeff and Nancy nodded, “Goodnight Max.”
“Goodnight, Mr. and Mrs. Evans,” Max called out, as they disappeared into the back.
Liz took his hand and pulled him over to the Christmas tree in the corner of the room. “I have something I want to give you.”
Max glanced at the boxes beneath the tree. “I thought they were empty, just decorative.”
Liz reached behind the tree, took a box from the bottom and handed it to Max. “All of them are, except this one. Merry Christmas, Max.”
Max pulled the ribbon off the box and opened it to reveal a leather-bound copy of Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath. It was his favorite book, by his favorite author and instantly he was reminded of another time when Tess had been reading Steinbeck outside the Crashdown. She had claimed to like the author but Max had guessed that Liz had coached her on what to do and say.
Once again Max realized what a fool he had been to ever fall for anything Tess had said or done. Everything between them had been false, an illusion. Tess had never known anything about him, unlike Liz.
Liz spoke up, “I wanted to get you a first edition or a signed copy but they were out of my price-range.”
Max shook his head, “This is great, Liz. It’s my favorite and it means even more since it’s from you.”
“Read the inscription, “ Liz urged.
Max opened the book and read aloud.
My Dearest Max,
I have never wanted anything more than to be with you
and now that we are together, I have never been happier.
I love you more than I ever imagined possible and
I know without doubt that we belong together.
Every day I thank whatever forces brought us together.
You are my friend, my confident, my passion, my life, heart and soul.
I will love you always,
Liz
Max pulled her into an embrace, “Oh Liz, I love you so much and I’m so lucky to have you.”
Liz shook her head, “No Max, I’m the lucky one.”
Max pulled back from Liz and took her hands in his. “I don’t know what I did to deserve you but I have something for you too.” He reached into his pocket and took out a small velvet box. “This is for you.”
Liz took the box and opened it to reveal a simple platinum ring with a single, brilliant star sapphire. “It’s beautiful,” Liz gasped.
“It’s a promise ring,” Max said. “I know it’s too soon to get engaged officially, but I wanted to give you something as a tangible reminder of my love for you.”
Max took the ring out of the box and held it out to Liz, “May I?”
Liz nodded as tears gathered in her eyes and she held out her hand to him.
Max slid the ring onto her slender finger. “In ancient times the three arms of the star were said to represent faith, hope and happiness. It was called the stone of destiny.”
He raised Liz’s hand to his lips and placed a kiss on her finger just above the ring. “You are my destiny Liz and I promise I will never stop loving you. And as soon as we are ready, I will replace this ring with an engagement ring and then a wedding ring.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Tuesday, January 1st, 2002)
(Roswell Municipal Courthouse)
(New Year’s Day)
The small group of friends and family gathered together in the courthouse as Judge Lewis officiated over the special ceremony.
“Do you Jim take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and honor, until death you do part?”
“I do,” Jim said, gazing into Amy’s eyes.
“And do you Amy take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and honor, until death you do part?”
“I do,” Amy said solemnly.
“Then, by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride,” Judge Lewis prompted.
A cheer went through the crowd as Amy and Jim kissed.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Antar)
(Capitol city of Roistar - formerly Tageonon)
(The Royal Palace)
The messenger burst into the throne room and dropped to one knee in front of Khivar.
“Rise and report,” Khivar ordered.
“My liege, we have the information you wanted.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Valenti House)
Jim and Amy waved goodbye as they drove away. The reception in the Valenti’s back yard was winding down, now that the guests of honor were gone, and people were starting to leave.
Max gathered the group around and pulled out a bottle of non-alcoholic, sparkling grape juice. He poured the contents into seven glasses and passed them around. He looked at each of them, Isabel, Alex, Michael, Maria, Kyle and Liz. “New Year’s Eve was last night but I wanted to make a toast anyway. It’s been a long year, full of hardship and loss, but there have been a lot of good things too. The wedding and the formation of a new family, getting Alex back.”
He reached down and squeezed Liz’s hand. “We’re all well and there’s not an imminent threat to our lives, but there is a possibility of one out there. And that’s why we need to stick together more than ever. We need to keep up with our training and keep our eyes open for anything unusual.”
He raised his glass, “So I propose we renew our commitment to one another. To all of us, family and friends, we’re in this together.”
Everyone raised their glasses. “Together.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Wednesday, January 2nd, 2002)
(Copper Summit, AZ)
Nervously Tess, entered Nicholas’ office on the Leptes. He had called for her a few times asking about her progress with her powers and each time she had stalled, but she didn’t know how much longer she could get away with it. Tess didn’t even know what kind of powers she was supposed to have.
She noticed immediately that Nicholas was not alone and Tess spared a glance at the tall, dark-haired soldier who stood silently behind Nicholas’ chair. Nicholas had introduced him to her once as Corporal Raltos.
Nicholas motioned to the chair across from his desk, “Have a seat.”
“How’s it going, Nicholas?” Tess asked.
“Maybe that’s what I should be asking you, Chanya.”
Tess’ mouth gaped open but she was incapable of speech.
Nicholas rose from his chair, “Did you really think you could fool Khivar?”
“But how did you…”
Nicholas laughed, “Khivar has ways of gathering any information he wants.”
Tess shook her head, “But I only just found out myself. Lonni…” she trailed off.
“Lonni,” Nicholas said, as he advanced on her. “And you didn’t tell us because?”
“I didn’t think you would make a deal with me,” Tess said softly, “but I can still deliver what I promised.”
“And how do you think you’re going to do that?” Nicholas asked sarcastically. “Ava’s power was prognostication, so unless you start getting visions of the future, I think you have outlived your usefulness.”
“But I can help you with my powers,” Tess argued. “I can make people see whatever I want.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Nicholas dismissed as he stopped next to her. “Maybe you don’t remember your other life, but Khivar and I know all about your powers.”
“I do remember some of it,” Tess said quickly. “I also have the power to make people feel what I want them to, and I can change memories. And in case you forgot, I can make some of my illusions become real.”
Nicholas smiled, “Khivar isn’t interested in you’re insignificant powers, you’re lucky he’s letting you live. Of course the deal we made is voided, but you might have some information in your head that will help us.” Nicholas raised his hand toward her, “Don’t struggle when I take your memories and it shouldn’t hurt much. Of course you never know how it might affect your hybrid anatomy.”
Tess remembered Nicholas’ interrogation technique. Courtney had called it mind rape. Now that Nicholas and Khivar knew who she really was Tess didn’t have many secrets left but she wouldn’t be able to make a new deal if she was dead. Obviously she couldn’t erase Nicholas’ memory because Khivar knew the truth too but maybe she could shift Nicholas’ emotions to be more sympathetic toward her.
She started a mind warp, focusing her power on Nicholas and the Corporal. She placed the images of Nicholas mind raping her in their minds and concentrated on manipulating Nicholas’ emotions. For a moment Nicholas hesitated and Tess thought it was working.
Then Corporal Raltos spoke up, “She is attempting to cloud your mind, Nicholas. Feel her power.”
Tess felt her mind warp start to unravel as a burst of power from the Corporal overwhelmed her.
Nicholas shook his head to clear it. “Impressive, but not good enough.” He raised his hand toward her again.
Tess started to panic and blurted out the only thing she thought might save her. “Wait, you can’t. I’m pregnant.”
Nicholas hesitated, “What?”
“I’m pregnant with Max’s son.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(West Roswell High School)
Maria and Liz sat on either side of Alex at the lunch table, arms entwined with his.
Maria laid her head on Alex’s shoulder. “It’s so good to have you back.”
“Believe me it’s good to be back,” Alex said. “But it’s a little weird too. All these people I never even talked to are welcoming me back. I’m an instant celebrity.”
“How are your classes going so far?” Liz asked.
“Good,” Alex said. “Luckily I don’t have too much work to make up.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Copper Summit, AZ)
Nicholas looked at Tess’ slim figure closely. She was wearing lose-fitting clothes but she didn’t appear to be with child. “What do you mean you’re pregnant?”
“It’s the easiest way I could think of to get Max to go back to Antar,” Tess said. “He wants to stay on Earth and only something beyond his control would make him leave. So I mind warped him to think his son was ill and couldn’t survive on Earth.”
“And Max wouldn’t leave with you because he knows the truth about who you are,” Nicholas said.
Tess shook her head, “He doesn’t know. He thinks I’m his wife.”
“But he still didn’t want to leave?” Nicholas asked.
“No,” Tess admitted. “He’d rather stay on Earth with Liz.”
“So what did you plan to do once you got Max back to Antar? He still wouldn’t love you.”
“I’m carrying his son,” Tess argued. “He will stay with me because of that, and in time he’ll come to love me.”
“Or you could continue to use your powers on him,” Nicholas sneered.
Tess looked away and Nicholas continued, “So Lonni has known about this the whole time but told you to keep your mouth shut.”
Tess nodded, “She thought the information was a good bargaining chip.”
“It is,” Nicholas agreed. “Does Lonni have any other information that she is keeping from Khivar?”
“I don’t know,” Tess shrugged. “Lonni doesn’t tell me anything. We’re not exactly friends. I didn’t even want to help her, but she blackmailed me.”
Nicholas took in the information silently. “When is the child due?”
Tess put a hand to her stomach. “We’re not exactly sure. There’s never been a hybrid child before but we think he’s due in May.”
“You haven’t been seeing a doctor,” Nicholas pointed out.
Tess’ chin rose stubbornly. “No doctor can tell me anything I don’t already know. I am connected with my son and he’s strong and healthy.”
“And for control of Max’s son, what do you want?” Nicholas asked.
“I want the same deal we had before,” Tess demanded.
Nicholas nodded, “I’ll have to discuss it with Khivar but I’m sure he’ll agree. Why don’t you come back this evening after dinner.”
Tess nodded and turned to leave.
“And,” Nicholas said, “don’t mention this to Lonni or anyone else.”
Khivar waited until the door had closed behind Tess before he spoke through Corporal Raltos’ lips. “Today is a day of revelations.”
“Tess is very confident of her position,” Nicholas said blandly. “She didn’t even consider that it might be in your best interests to have her son killed, as Max’s only heir.”
“Chanya was always a fool,” Khivar said, “and nothing has changed, especially if she thinks she can keep Max under control with her powers. He may not have come into his full powers yet but when he does, she doesn’t have a chance of mind warping him.”
“So shall I kill Tess and the newest Tageonant heir?” Nicholas asked.
Khivar shook his head, “Not yet. Tell her I accept the deal.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
From behind a near-by building, Lonni watched Tess leave the ship.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Chavez Community College)
Hale and Isabel gathered their books as class ended.
Hale leaned closer to her, “So over to the library to get started on our project?”
“Oh,” Isabel said softly, looking down to put her books in her bad and avoid Hale’s eyes. “I can’t today, Hale. I told Alex I would help him get caught up on his homework.”
Hale nodded, “Well, we’ll go another time. Maybe tomorrow.”
“Yeah,” Isabel agreed distractedly, “We’ll go tomorrow.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Friday, January 4th, 2002)
(West Roswell High School)
The bell rang, signaling the end of class and Mr. Seligman’s voice rose above the departing students, “For Monday finish chapters fourteen and fifteen and do the reviews at the end.”
Hand-in-hand, Max and Liz headed for the door but Mr. Seligman called out, “Liz, can I talk to you for a minute?”
Liz squeezed Max’s hand, “I’ll meet you at your locker.”
Max nodded and left, and Liz turned back to Mr. Seligman.
“Liz I know you haven’t asked me, but the deadline is coming up for most college admissions and I wanted to write a recommendation for you.”
Liz nodded, “That’s really great, Mr. Seligman and I appreciate it, but things in my life are really complicated right now and I’m putting college on hold. Maybe I’ll be able to take some classes at the community college.”
He nodded, “I’m sorry to hear that, Liz. You’ve always been an exceptional student and I had anticipated great things for your future.”
“Me too,” Liz said with a smile. “And I still do.”
She left the room and walked quickly down the hall to Max’s locker.
“What was that about?” Max asked.
Liz really didn’t want to tell Max but she wasn’t going to lie. “Um, Mr. Seligman wanted to write a recommendation for my college applications.”
Max could hear the disappointment in her voice and tried to swallow around the sudden lump in his throat. “We never discussed this. I guess with everything else, I just forgot.”
Liz shook her head, “There’s nothing to discuss, Max. We all need to be together, I understand that. And the most important thing to me is to be with you.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Thursday, January 10th, 2002)
(Copper Summit, AZ)
Lonni had watched Tess carefully for the last week, waiting for the best time to confront her. On three separate occasions Tess had gone into the ship and Lonni was convinced that Tess had made her own deal with Nicholas.
As Tess left the safety of the ship this time, Lonni and Rath were ready for her and quickly pulled her into the woods. Lonni circled Tess like a predator as Rath blocked her escape back into town.
“So you went and sold us out.” Lonni started casually.
Tess started to fidget, “I swear I didn’t, Lonni.”
“Then why all the trips to the ship?” Lonni asked. “Do you really think we’re that stupid?”
Fearful of what Lonni would do, Tess started a mind warp of herself standing in the clearing and she started to back away.
But Lonni grabbed her by the shoulder and laughed. “She really does think we’re stupid to try that, doesn’t she Rath?”
Rath nodded, “Look little girl, we’ve been able to see through Ava’s mind warps since we were ten.”
Tess started to panic, “Lonni, I didn’t tell them anything. Khivar and Nicholas already knew everything about who I was and I had to tell them I was pregnant. Nicholas was going to mind rape me and I didn’t know if it would hurt the baby.”
“Hurt the baby,” Lonni mocked. “That child is an abomination. Who do you think you are to have my brother’s child? You aren’t even of royal blood. The original Zan was smart enough not to marry you and contaminate our family with your inferior line. Zan may have dallied with you, but he made the correct decision when he married. He chose Ava, and even though she was practically a child, she did come from a family with a royal lineage.” Lonni motioned to Tess, “Your son was conceived out of marriage, a bastard. The only thing that kid is good for is a political bargaining chip.”
Tess crossed her hands protectively over her growing stomach. “Max has claimed his son, so my background doesn’t make any difference.” Tess raised her chin proudly. “Unlike you Lonni, my son is heir to the throne of Antar.”
“Not if he’s never born,” Lonni said softly. She raised a hand and using her powers, threw Tess across the clearing.”
Tess was helpless to stop her progress and watched horrified as she hurtled toward a tree.
Suddenly she halted, stopping in mid-air and was lowered carefully to the ground. Tess looked around quickly, eager to see her savior and her eyes fell on Nicholas, who strolled casually into the clearing.
“Lonni,” Nicholas scolded, “I thought I told you to play nice.”
Lonni shrugged and started to walk away, “I’m tired of playing.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Monday, January 14th, 2002)
Billowing clouds rolled across the night sky faster than naturally possible; the darkness broken by frequent shafts of lightening, and the accompanying thunder shattered the silence. The wind whipped across the desert, blowing sand around the observer and she put up a hand to shield her eyes. She turned in a slow circle but the view was the same in all directions, just sand, rocks and scrub brush as far as she could see.
The wind sped up suddenly, sending the sand swirling faster and faster into an impenetrable mass, surrounding her, and she closed her eyes against the stinging particles.
**Flash**
A glimpse of the empty pods in the pod chamber
**Flash**
A light ignited in a dark cave
**Flash**
Alien symbols
With a gasp, Liz sat up and looked around quickly, glad to find herself in her own bed. She had been having the same dream for the last two weeks and each time she hoped it would reveal something more but each time it was exactly the same.
Liz had told Max and the others about the dream but she didn’t have a clue about what it meant. Michael, the natural skeptic, had dismissed the dream as merely the meaningless production of her mind, but Liz knew it was something more, she could feel it.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Hale’s House)
Isabel stretched her neck, taking a break from the project she and Hale were working on. She glanced around the room with a smile. “How do you keep this big house so clean?” she asked. “It’s always so immaculate, like no one really lives here.”
“With magic,” Hale said with a smile, and then shrugged. “I have a maid that comes in a few times a week.”
“She doesn’t live in and cook for you too?” Isabel teased.
Hale winked at her, “I’m a big boy, and besides, having a house full of servants seems like it would be stifling.” He leaned in close to her. “Plus I wouldn’t feel free to do this,” he whispered and then closed the distance between them, taking her lips in a kiss.
After a moment Isabel pulled away. “That was nice.”
“There’s plenty more where that came from,” Hale growled.
He moved toward her again but Isabel stopped him with a hand on his chest. “I’m sorry Hale. It’s getting late and I promised my Mom that I would help with dinner tonight.”
Hale nodded, “Of course. I understand, you have to keep your promises.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Wednesday, January 16th, 2002)
(Copper Summit, AZ)
Lonni had carefully watched the door of the small building leading to the ship for weeks. It was the only thing that showed where the ship was located because Nicholas had used his powers to completely conceal it with a cover of trees and rocks. Even standing next to the ship you couldn’t tell that anything was there except a forest on the mountainside.
The building was the only way into the ship and Lonni had been waiting for Nicholas to leave the door unlocked. Usually he would wait outside and re-lock the door when the new shift of workers had gone inside, but today he was obviously in a hurry and disappeared into the ship.
She had used her powers to dream walk all of the technicians, carefully guiding their dreams until she was sure that she knew the layout of the ship. But she had been surprised to discover that the small building concealing the ship’s entrance was made of a substance she couldn’t manipulate. A key was required to get inside and Nicholas had the only one, which never left his person. But the technicians had also shown her that Nicholas sometimes forgot to re-lock the door when he was inside the ship.
And now, finally getting her chance, Lonni used her powers to take the appearance of one of the technicians allowed on the ship. The guard at the door didn’t even glance at her twice as she strode past him, following the other technicians through the open door and down the hallway.
And once Lonni was inside, she separated herself from the others and easily navigated the hallways going exactly where the dreams had shown her. She was nervous but excited, sure that her plan would give her the leverage she needed in the battle of wills with Khivar. Reaching into her pocket she felt the cool, reassuring surface of the command crystal she had made for the Granolith.
From Tess’ description of her journey in the Granolith, Lonni believed it was possible for the Granolith to remain intact as it punched a hole through Nicholas’ ship, but she only wanted to get Khivar’s attention not make him angry. If she did damage the ship there might not be a possibility of repairing it on Earth.
Because she had helped Nicholas put the Granolith aboard the ship, Lonni knew there was a door in the hull that led directly into the engine room where the Granolith was kept. But the door could only be opened from the inside. Once she made it to the engine room she would open the door in the hull and call Rath to help her take the Granolith outside. Then the Granolith would serve the double purpose of helping them escape while also providing them a bargaining chip.
Finally Lonni reached the corridor that led to the engine room and she held her breath as she silently moved past the last doorway between her and her goal. It was Nicholas’ quarters and she moved as quietly as she could to avoid alerting him to her presence. She had almost reached the end of the hall, when a voice behind her brought her to a halt.
“Lonni,” Nicholas said, “what an unexpected surprise.”
Lonni dropped her disguise and turned to face the diminutive General. “Nicholas.”
“To what do I owe this pleasure?” he asked.
She walked toward him, putting an extra sway in her hips, while covertly using her powers to transform the control crystal into a lipstick. Laying a hand on his shoulder, she leaned into him, using her ready-made excuse. “I wanted to surprise you,” she purred. “I think it’s time to reevaluate our relationship.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Friday, January 25th, 2002)
(New York, NY)
A crack started in the concrete slab and slowly spread across the surface to the other side. Suddenly the concrete exploded outward and when the dust cleared, a pale hand emerged.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Friday, February 1st, 2002)
(West Roswell High School)
Liz sat in the dark History class watching the video documentary of the causes of the Vietnam War. She was tired from the sleepless nights caused by her dreams and leaned her cheek on her hand. The droning voice of the narrator, combined with the low lights, quickly lulled her into a semi-sleeping state.
Suddenly she was in the desert again, watching the rolling clouds and swirling sand. In the vision, she closed her eyes and the flashes came again, more clear this time, but still only vague glimpses.
**Flash**
A glimpse of the empty pods in the pod chamber
**Flash**
A light ignited in a dark cave
**Flash**
Alien symbols
Liz’s chin slid off her hand waking her from the vision and suddenly she knew exactly what it meant.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The figure finally arrived at the pod chamber.
Scanning the desert quickly, there was no sign of life and the figure passed a hand over the opening device and the door slid open. Once inside the figure kindled a light to illuminate the darkness and searched the room thoroughly. The lack of dust on the floor showed that there had been recent activity in the chamber but the figure did not see what it had come in search of.
With a sigh of frustration, it turned toward the door and extinguished the illumination but the flickering light briefly brightened the dark corner practically hidden by cobwebs near the door, revealing Antarian writing on the wall. The figure rekindled the light, brushing the dusty webs out of the way and quickly read the faded message.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Nasedo’s Cave)
Max and Liz carefully approached the chamber in the cave where Nasedo had lived. The light from the flashlights they carried, danced on the rocky walls of the cave creating shadows and movement, making the cave seem eerie, but Liz wasn't frightened. They needed to be there. Because of her dreams she knew it was important, if not crucial to their lives. She'd had an overwhelming urge to come and even though Max had objected at first, Liz had finally convinced him.
Through their bond, Liz could sense that Max was nervous, frightened for her safety, afraid of what they might find and Liz squeezed his hand to reassure him.
As they continued deeper into the cave, they noticed it was growing lighter and turned off their flashlights as they approached the last bend in the pathway. Together they stepped into the chamber where Nasedo had lived but stopped when they saw the figure examining the writing on the wall, with an otherworldly ball of light hovering overhead. Max stepped in front of Liz, and the figure turned toward them, having heard their approach.
Instantly she straightened and a smile lit her face. "Zan."
Max glanced behind him at Liz, who shrugged in confusion, and then back at the woman before them. She was in her early twenties with light brown hair and Max had never seen her before. "Who are you?" he asked warily.
"I am Cuerena, your Majesty," she said, with a formal bow.
Max watched her carefully. "Is that name supposed to mean something to me?"
Cuerena's brow creased in confusion, "I am early but didn't Sodan tell you of my coming?"
Max shook his head, "I don't know any Sodan."
Cuerena motioned to the writing on the wall. "Sodan lived in this cave and made these marks."
"Oh," Max said, understanding dawning. "We never knew his real name. We called him Nasedo."
"Called," repeated Cuerena, picking up on his phrasing. "Nasedo is dead."
Max nodded.
"How did you know to meet me here?" she asked confused.
"We didn't," Max shook his head. "We only came here because Liz had a feeling we should."
Cuerena looked past Max to the dark-haired woman behind him and noted their clasped hands. "This is Liz?"
Max moved to stand completely between Liz and Cuerena, and nodded.
His protective gesture wasn't lost on Cuerena. "She is your mate."
Max didn't answer but kept his attention focused on her. "So Cuerena, who are you and why are you here?"
"Zan, you have nothing to fear from me,” Cuerena said. “I am a shape shifter, a protector. I was sent to Earth with you. I am a scientist and an expert on the Granolith. I was to have stayed with Sodan and Letras to help school and train you for your return to Antar but the crash forced us to alter our plans."
"So what happened?" Max asked.
"Two sets of pods were sent to Earth; you, the Royal Four, and a set of duplicates that were taken to New York. Another shape shifter, Kaldar, was supposed to have watched over the duplicates but he was badly injured in the crash and we did not know if he would recover. So it was decided I would go to New York with the other pods as their protector."
Max listened silently, showing no sign of emotion. The dupes had never told him what happened to their protector or anything about him or her, so this woman could be what she claimed, but Max didn't want to tip his hand yet. "And why did you come back?"
"That was always the plan," Cuerena continued. "When the duplicates matured, their protector would return here to assist you."
"But you said you came early?"
"That is a long story, but one you need to hear."
Max nodded, digesting her story. He wasn't sure what to believe but if she was a shape shifter, she must be a protector. Lonni had told them about their protector when he and Tess had gone to New York but she hadn't wanted to talk about it. He had just assumed their protector had died too.
He raised his hand before him, ready to defend Liz and himself if necessary. "Change shape," he said bluntly.
Cuerena could see the mistrust in his eyes and slowly raised her hand before her. She transformed into Zan's best friend and second in command, Rath.
Max watched the process carefully; ready for any attack but when the transformation was complete he nodded.
Cuerena motioned to the male form she was wearing, "His name is Rath."
Max nodded, "I know. We met him last year."
"You met him?" Cuerena asked with confusion.
“Them.” Max sighed, "It's a long story. We'll have to fill you in."
He motioned to the body she was wearing, "Here his name is Michael, and I’m Max." He stepped to the side and allowed Cuerena to get a clear look at Liz for the first time. "This is Liz, my um…" he trailed off, not sure how to categorize their relationship. Wife wasn’t quiet right, or fiancée, and girlfriend seemed too innocuous for the bond they shared. Finally he smiled, “Liz is my soul mate.”
Cuerena bowed formally, not sure what to think of Max’s last statement. Where was Ava? she asked herself, but kept silent and spoke her other nagging question. "What of the two other shape shifters, Kaldar and Letras?"
Max shook his head, "I’m not sure what happened to the others, they may have been killed by the military. I think at least one of them was. That’s what Pierce said, anyway. Nasedo is the only other shape shifter we have seen and that is also a long story."
"How did Nasedo die?"
"A skin killed him," Max said simply.
"A skin?" Cuerena asked, clearly confused.
"Our enemies who followed us to Earth. Apparently the Earth's atmosphere is toxic to our kind and they have to wear skins, husks to protect themselves."
"Khivar's troops who shot down our transport?" Cuerena asked.
Max shrugged, "I don't know. Nasedo was never big on the details."
Cuerena nodded, "He was a warrior not a tutor."
Max continued, "Anyway, there's a lot to tell you. We'll gather the group together and you can hear the whole story and tell us yours.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Cuerena looked at the group gathered in Michael’s apartment. There were three of the Royal Four and five humans; Liz, Alex, who had come with Isabel, Maria, who was obviously with Michael, and the local Sheriff and his son. The introductions were made but no one mentioned the fourth member of the Royal Four, and Cuerena decided to wait until she could get Max alone before she inquired.
Cuerena bowed formally when she was introduced to Isabel but sank to her knees before Max. "Your Majesty, what is your command?"
Max shifted uncomfortably, "Um, Cuerena, we aren't used to such, um, formality. Why don't you just call us by our first names?"
"But Your Majesty, it wouldn't be proper."
Max grimaced, "The titles would be awkward in public and it would just be easier to call us the same thing all of the time. So from now on I am Max and this is Isabel and Michael."
"As you wish, Your Maj...," Cuerena stopped and started again, "As you wish, Max."
"Okay," Max said with a smile, "Now why don't you tell us how you came to be here."
She quickly related her story, telling them of the decision to send her to New York with the duplicates and briefly outlining their lives there. Then she told them about being betrayed and almost murdered by Rath and Lonni. "They sealed me in a wall in the subway tunnel and that’s where I woke up two weeks ago. It took me a few days to build up my strength and then I went back to our abode but it was empty. I waited for a few days but no one came so I returned here early and went to the pod chamber.”
“And how did you find Nasedo’s cave?” Michael asked.
“There is a message in the pod chamber from Nasedo about the cave,” Cuerena explained.
Isabel stepped forward. "I wonder why Nasedo never told us about you?"
Cuerena shook her head, "I don't know. Maybe he thought it was better that you didn't know." She turned her attention to Max, "I must admit I'm very curious to know what happened to you and how the humans became involved."
Max nodded and related how he, Isabel and Michael had been found and raised by humans, how they discovered they were different and finally being reunited with Michael. He continued with the circumstances around healing Liz and telling her what he was and finishing with the investigation of Valenti and the FBI.
At first Cuerena had been surprised the humans were involved but as Max related the story of their past, she started to understand. They had grown up among humans and it was all they knew.
Liz picked up the story where Max left off and had just finished explaining how Alex had become involved when Cuerena broke in. "So all of that time you didn't know anything about yourselves."
The three of them all shook their heads and Max answered, "We followed up on the few clues we had but they kept leading nowhere."
Cuerena shook her head, amazed that they had survived so long on their own. "So when did Nasedo come into your lives?"
"It wasn't too long after Liz told Alex," Isabel answered. She continued the story, relating their involvement with Topolsky and the FBI, finally getting to the time when Tess and her father had come to town.
"And the three of you didn't remember anything about the fourth pod?"
"No," said Max. "And when we found out Tess was an alien, we thought she was Nasedo."
"We discovered the truth but then Nasedo took Liz," Michael said. He explained about Pierce and the white room, Max's escape, Kyle’s shooting and the message from the orbs. "So until we got the message, we didn't know anything about who we were."
Max continued with the disbandment of the special unit and Nasedo's return. "Nasedo came to my window, terribly wounded and warned us our enemies were in town. Then he died in my arms."
Michael continued the story with their discovery of Whitaker and Courtney. Then he told of Whitaker's death, the harvest, the destruction of most of the skins, the summit and Zan’s death.
Cuerena nodded sadly, “I was afraid of that when none of them returned to our abode.”
Michael finished with the discovery of Larek and the Ganderium fiasco.
Cuerena took it all in, disgusted with herself that she had not thought of the consequences of the crash. If she had envisioned what could have happened, she would have killed the Ganderium at the crash site and not allowed them to breed and strengthen. "You saved the Earth and no one will ever know," she said softly.
"We are the ones who endangered it in the first place," Max replied.
Isabel could see the sudden look of exhaustion that overcame Max and she took up the story where he left off, telling Cuerena of Alex’s supposed death and Liz’s search for the murderer. She continued with the discovery of the book translation, Tess’ pregnancy and the planned trip back home.
Cuerena shook her head, “It is not possible that Earth’s atmosphere would harm your son, and the pregnancy would take at least a year.”
Michael nodded, “We just found that out.” He continued the story with their discovery of Tess’ betrayal and departure.
Cuerena was dumbfounded, “Tess betrayed all of us.”
“Yeah,” Michael said, and then he looked to Max and Liz to see if they wanted to reveal anything about future Max.
Max took Liz’s hand in his and a look of agreement passed between them.
Liz took a deep breath. “That’s when I told them a secret I had been keeping for months,” she started, and related the story of future’s Max’s return.
“It really worked,” Cuerena gasped.
“You knew about this?” Michael asked.
Cuerena shook her head, “I was a Granolith technician on Antar for nearly two-hundred years. I had a theory that the Granolith was capable of opening a time conduit but I never told anyone or tested it. I was afraid of what might happen.”
“So was I,” Liz whispered.
Max squeezed her hand. “So when we realized Tess had betrayed us, we went to see Larek to ask about the translation of the book. He couldn’t decipher it but he told us Tess wasn’t Ava.”
“What?” Cuerena asked. “Of course she is. We brought her essence from Antar.”
Max shook his head, “Larek can see auras. He told us Tess was someone named Chanya.”
“She was Princess Vilondra’s closest friend,” Cuerena said.
“Well by accident or design Chanya was sent instead,” Max continued. “But Larek was also able to tell us about Ava.” Max brought Liz’s hand to his lips and kissed it gently. “Ava’s soul was reincarnated into Liz.”
Cuerena didn’t think she could possibly be surprised again but Max’s revelation knocked her for a loop. “Larek saw Ava’s soul in Liz,” she gasped, and then nodded. “It actually explains a lot.”
“To us too,” Max nodded. He continued the story, telling her of their pursuit of the book translation, the confrontation of the former FBI agent, the new troops in Copper Summit, Rath’s offer and the return of Alex, and the discovery that Tess and the Granolith were still on Earth.
“So Liz started to develop powers,” Cuerena said. “What about Kyle?"
"He has,” Max said with a smile. “He’s great at blowing up rocks."
Liz spoke to Cuerena, “When your Ava was here, she told me I had been changed because of the healing. How exactly was I,” she motioned to Kyle, “how were we changed?”
"Whether you realized it or not,” Cuerena explained motioning to Max, “in order to bring Liz and Kyle back from such terrible injuries, you had to alter the basic chemistry of the surrounding cells. Their bodies are gradually changing to become like yours. Eventually they will be hybrids too."
Liz nodded, “I’ve suspected it for a while. Especially after I started getting powers."
"But you never said anything," Max protested. “Are you okay with it?”
Liz smiled, “Max it makes me so happy to be what you are. It just binds us more closely together."
Max wrapped his arms around Liz's waist, kissed her tenderly and spoke across their bond. Liz, everything you do just makes me love you more.
Max, my love for you grows every day.
“Wow,” Kyle said, “I really am turning into an alien. But this doesn’t mean I’m going to fall in love with Max too, does it?”
Michael ignored Kyle and turned to Max. “So what are we going to do with her?” he asked, motioning to Cuerena with a jerk of his thumb.
Maria stuck an elbow in his ribs. “That was rude Michael. She’s not a stray dog.”
“It is perfectly all right,” Cuerena said. “I am only here to serve.”
“The first thing,” Max said, “is she’ll need a place to stay.”
“I will live with you and Liz, of course,” Cuerena said.
Max nodded, “Well, Liz and I don’t live together, we live with our parents.”
“How will I protect you both?” Cuerena asked.
“We don’t expect you to be a round-the-clock bodyguard,” Max said.
“But that is my duty,” Cuerena argued, “my purpose.”
Liz touched Max’s arm, “Maybe Cuerena could stay in the Harding house for now and we can figure out the rest as we go.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Max stopped the Jeep outside the Crashdown and turned to Liz. “Okay, something has been on your mind since we left Michael’s.”
“I was thinking it can’t just be a coincidence,” Liz said. “Cuerena is a Granolith expert with a theory about time travel, and a Serena helped the future us send Max back in time.”
“Cuerena and Serena,” Max mused. “I think you must be right.”
A shiver went through Liz. “Don’t you see what that means? Maybe the same future is coming true.”
Max shook his head, “We won’t let that happen.”
“But Max,” Liz protested.
Max put a finger to her lips, silencing her. “I was thinking as we were driving too. After Cuerena gets settled into the house, I think we should send her on a fact-finding mission to Copper Summit to see if what Rath told us is right.”
Liz nodded agreeing.
Max continued, “I also think we should check the computer equipment we took from John or Thomas or whatever his name was. We’ll look for phenomena in the Copper Summit area around the time when we think the ship left and came back. If we find anything, we can set the computer to watch for the same disturbances and then we’ll know if the ship is possibly bringing more troops to Earth.”
“Yeah,” Liz said, “that’s a good idea. I just wish we knew what really went wrong in the other time.”
“I’ll be okay Liz,” Max said solemnly. “I promise.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Monday, February 4th, 2002)
The Harding house was signed over to Ed Harding’s oldest daughter, Serena Harding, as the gang had decided to call her, and she took up residence the same day.
Serena created all of the paperwork and background information necessary for her new identity. Then Max had Serena consolidate all of the bank accounts Nasedo had set up over the years, into a single joint account accessible by the Royal Four, Maria, Alex, Kyle, the Sheriff and Serena.
As the group sat around the dining room table in Serena’s house, Max passed out the information for the bank account. “Now, I’m not saying you should all go out and buy a Mercedes or anything but if anyone needs any funds from the account, for whatever reason, go ahead and use it.”
“That’s very generous, Max,” Jim said, “but I wouldn’t feel right about it.”
Max nodded, “But keep the account information, just in case.”
Jim nodded, agreeing.
Max continued, “Serena would feel better with a more active part in our everyday lives, where she can protect us, so we’ve decided she’ll enroll in school under the name of Serena Harris.” He motioned to Serena and she shifted into a younger version of her present form.
“When we’re not in school,” Max said, “she can hang out with us. She can show us some new techniques for training and memory retrieval, and help us with Antarian language lessons. And tonight I’m sending Serena to Copper Summit to check out the situation and see if Rath is telling us the truth.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Saturday, February 6th, 2002)
(Crashdown Cafe)
From the back room, Jeff watched through the small diamond-shaped window as Liz interacted with her ever-growing group of friends. A new girl named Serena, had joined the group, and including Sean and Ryan, there were now ten friends gathered around three tables.
It was good to see the kids laughing together but somehow the stark contrast reminded him of the night Michael’s look-a-like had come. The excitement surrounding Alex’s return had completely dislodged the event from Jeff’s memory, but now he was determined to speak to Liz.
He waited until after closing and called out to Liz on her way to bed, “Liz, can I talk to you?”
Liz sank down onto the sofa next to him. “Sure Dad. What’s up?”
“Liz, I’m concerned about something I witnessed a few weeks ago. A man named Wrath, that could have been Michael’s twin, was downstairs in the dining room.”
The color drained from Liz’s face as her mind rushed, trying to remember exactly what was said.
Her father continued, oblivious to her discomfort. “Michael said Wrath had murdered someone and tried to kill Max. Are they mixed up in gangs or something Liz?”
Liz remained silent and Jeff continued, “But the most disturbing thing I think, was the revelation that Max had gotten Tess pregnant.” Jeff sighed, glancing down at the ring Liz wore, knowing without asking who had given it to her. “Liz, I’m trying not to be judgmental but I have to ask if you think Max is really the right guy for you? He hasn’t graduated yet and he already has a child. How is that going to affect your relationship?”
Liz relaxed a little, hearing her father’s worst fear was the baby and not aliens, but she didn’t want her father to think badly of Max and gave him the first excuse she could think of. She forced a laugh and a smile. “Oh Dad, you didn’t think that was real, did you?” she asked playfully. “Did you think Max was the head of the Roswell mafia or something, fathering illegitimate children and involved in murder plots?”
Jeff shook his head uncertainly, “Well, it did seem a bit out of character.”
“Dad,” Liz continued, warming to her part, “it’s only a game they play, on the computer. They’re in rival political factions and Rath was offering an alliance. Sometimes they just get carried away and bring it into the real world.”
“Oh,” Jeff said relaxing visibly, “of course, how silly of me to think it was real. I’ve heard about games like that with political intrigue and murder.” He laughed at himself. “So who is this Wrath person?”
“Michael recently found out he has a brother,” Liz said, making a mental note to let the others know what she had told her father.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Tuesday, February 20th, 2002)
(The Quarry)
Michael sank down on a rock next to Max. “This is great with Serena here. It’s only been two weeks and already our powers have gotten a lot stronger and more manageable.”
“Yeah,” Max agreed. “Serena’s techniques are a lot different than the ones Tess described.”
Michael grunted, “Yeah, well, either Tess didn’t really know what she was doing or she was screwing us up on purpose.”
Max motioned to Kyle, who was busy blowing up rocks. “He’s really getting the hang of it, but even Serena isn’t sure if he has a special ability.”
“What about Liz?” Michael asked.
“Besides the astral projection and prognostication, Serena thinks that Liz is an empath.”
Michael’s brow wrinkled in confusion, “Empath?”
“She can tell what other people are feeling,” Max explained.
“What good is that?” Michael asked.
“Well, she might be able to tell if someone is telling the truth or not,” Max suggested.
Michael nodded, “Maybe that’s why she trusted Rath so easily the night he took us to Alex.”
Max nodded, “And thanks to Serena, we know Rath was telling the truth about the new troops in Copper Summit.”
“It’s not really reassuring to know they are in training to kill us though,” Michael argued.
Max nodded and changed the subject, “I know you told me once the Harding house gave you the creeps but now that Serena is there, have you thought about staying there with her?”
“It has crossed my mind,” Michael admitted. “But I think I’ll stay where I am for now. I’m kind of used to my privacy.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Tuesday, February 27th, 2002)
(Crashdown Cafe)
Max and Liz swayed slowly to the music of the jukebox, barely aware of the others surrounding them.
Sitting at a nearby table, Michael and Maria regaled Serena with the merits of the movies they wanted to see that weekend.
Near the front window, Hale and Isabel sat alone, and he reached across the table and took Isabel’s hand in his, stroking the soft skin with his thumb.
Isabel let Hale hold her hand for a moment but then started to pull away.
Hale sighed but tightened his grip, refusing to let her go. “Isabel, what’s wrong? Since Alex returned I can feel you slipping away from me. Don’t you love me anymore?”
“Of course I love you, Hale,” Isabel rushed to reassure him, as she placed her free hand on his. “It’s just that I feel so guilty about Alex.”
Hale nodded, “I understand and I won’t rush you. As long as I know you love me, I can wait forever.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
From across the street, a figure carefully watched everything that happened in the Crashdown.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Wednesday, February 28th, 2002)
(The Parker House – Liz’s Room)
Liz woke up with a headache and a vague feeling of unrest. She had dreamed all night but none of the images had stayed with her, only the foreboding sense of something wrong.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Copper Summit, AZ)
Nicholas reported to his office as ordered, bowing formally, “My liege.”
Khivar picked up a handful of papers from the desk that he had been reading, crushed them in his hand and shook them in Nicholas’ face. “General, gather your troops and ready for the attack,” Khivar bellowed through Corporal Raltos’ borrowed lips.
The light of battle ignited in Nicholas’ eyes, “Yes your Majesty. I’ve been anxiously awaiting this moment.” Nicholas hesitated. “Forgive my curiosity Sir, but we’ve been training for months, so why now?”
“I’ll be damned if I let Isabel get involved with a human,” Khivar roared. “Instruct the troops to make sure he is dead and warn them to follow my other instructions to the letter. If anything happens to Isabel, those involved will pay with their lives.” He tossed the ball of papers across the room. “I refuse to wait any longer.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Evans House)
Down the hall, Diane could hear laughter coming from the kitchen, and she stopped just outside the kitchen doorway to peer inside. Max and Liz were sitting at the kitchen table with schoolbooks open before them and they were both laughing. For a moment Diane leaned against the door jam, smiling. It was good to see Max so happy.
Liz intertwined her fingers with Max’s, clasping their hands tight and the sunlight streaming in the window caught a ring on her finger, reflecting a bright blue flash.
For a moment, Diane was simply curious but then she noticed Liz was wearing it on the ring finger of her left hand, the finger an engagement ring would be worn on. And when Max lowered his head to kiss Liz’s hand just above the ring, Diane had no doubts who had given it to her.
She backed out of the doorway and made some noise before coming in again. Max and Liz were sitting farther apart when she entered. “Hey Max. Liz, it’s nice to see you.” She crossed to them, starting casually, “Doing homework?”
“Yeah,” Max said, “just some chemistry.”
Diane stopped next to the table and took a surreptitious look at the ring Liz was wearing, noting quickly that it was of good quality. “What a beautiful ring. Where did you get it?”
“Um,” Liz started nervously, “it was a Christmas gift, from Max.”
“Oh.” Diane nodded and looked at Max, “Well I think you and Liz should join your father and I for dinner tomorrow.”
Her tone left nothing up for discussion and Liz and Max simply nodded.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Thursday, March 1st, 2002)
(Frazier Woods)
Hale gathered wood for a fire as Isabel arranged the blanket and set out the food for the picnic. It was the first time she had really been alone with him in weeks and she was a little nervous, but when he had suggested a picnic, she had readily agreed. She loved him and wanted to build their relationship and she was determined that she wouldn’t let her guilt about Alex stand in her way.
She glanced up to see the sun lowering in the dusky sky. It would be dark in half-an-hour but the fire would provide a cozy setting for herself and Hale to talk and mend their relationship.
Isabel smiled. Tonight would be special, she would make sure of it.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Evans House)
Max stopped the Jeep in his driveway and squeezed Liz’s hand, “Are you sure you’re up to this?”
Liz smiled to cover her nervousness, “It’ll be fine Max. I really like your parents.”
Max grimaced, “Yeah, but this is the proverbial dinner with the parents.”
Liz laughed, “It was inevitable when then found out you gave me the ring.”
Max sighed, “Maybe, but I know you’re nervous too. I can feel it.”
“A little,” Liz admitted.
Max turned to Serena, who was in the back seat. “And what are you going to do while we’re getting the third degree?”
“I can protect you just as well from outside, and since my being at dinner would be difficult to explain, I will wait in the yard.”
“You can’t just skulk around in the yard,” Max said. “The neighbors will call the police. It isn’t really even necessary for you to be here, Serena.”
“But Sir,” Serena objected.
“Max,” Liz said, placing a hand on his arm. He had objected several times before when Serena had insisted on accompanying them to provide protection, but it made Liz feel better to have her there and she didn’t question the feeling. “It’s okay, Max. Serena knows how to be discrete.”
“Okay,” Max agreed reluctantly. He turned back to Liz, “Let’s go face the firing squad.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Crashdown Cafe)
“That’s two Will Smith Burgers,” Jeff said as he placed the plates on the table in front of the Sheriff and Kyle, “a Blue Moon Burger for Sean, Eclipse Burger for Alex, and two Asteroid Salads for Amy and Maria.” He stepped back, “The shakes will be up in a minute.”
“Thanks Jeff,” Jim said. “This looks great.”
Jeff stepped behind the counter to get the shakes. “Nice to have a night out with family and friends.”
“Yeah,” Jim agreed. “We went to see an early movie and I guess it made everyone hungry.” Jim glanced around the otherwise empty cafe. “Looks like we’re the only ones though.”
Jeff laughed, “This isn’t typically our busiest night and tonight is slower than usual. I was just thinking about closing early.”
The phone rang in the back and Michael left the kitchen to pick up the receiver. “Crashdown.”
“Michael,” said the familiar voice with a New York accent.
Michael turned his back to the dining room, for a little more privacy, “Yeah, what do you want?”
“Listen up,” Rath said, “I just found out that Khivar ordered an assassination squad down there. I don’t know when they left exactly but it was at least four hours ago, maybe more. They could be there any time.”
“What are they after?” Michael asked.
“They want you all dead.”
The bell above the door in the dining room sounded but Michael ignored it and depressing the receiver, he started to dial Max’s number.
Suddenly the back door exploded inward, knocking Michael into the wall. He was stunned for a moment and watched as two skin soldiers walked in.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Evans House)
Max and Liz sat together across from his parents in the living room.
“How is everything with your family, Liz?” Diane asked.
“Fine,” Liz said. “Everything is going just fine.”
Diane nodded, “So does this ring mean that you two are engaged?”
Philip coughed on his drink. “I thought we were going to ease into this discussion.”
“They’re both adults or close enough if they feel they’re old enough to get engaged,” Diane argued.
“Well, why don’t we let them tell us,” Philip said.
“Mom, Dad,” Max started, “we’re not engaged, but I gave the ring to Liz as a promise, a commitment for our future together.” He took Liz’s hand in his. “We’re in love and that’s not going to change, but we want to be responsible and realistic and at least wait until we graduate high school.”
The sound of glass shattering in the back drew their attention and Philip and Max rose.
“What was that?” Philip asked, looking at Max.
The front door burst open and Serena rushed in. “Your Majesties, we are under attack.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Frazier Woods)
Isabel nestled into Hale’s arms in front of the fire, and took his hand in hers. “I’m really glad you suggested this. A picnic under the stars, what could be more perfect?”
“It’s perfect every time I’m with you, Isabel,” Hale said.
Isabel half turned in his arms and touched his face. “I know things haven’t been great between us since Alex came back and I’m sorry. And I just want you to know that I’m going to concentrate more on us from now on. I can’t let what happened to Alex ruin what’s between us.”
“You haven’t ruined anything,” Hale said.
“I hope not,” Isabel whispered, “because I really love you.”
A blast of energy hit the blanket near them and they rolled to their feet as five skin soldiers emerged from the trees.
The first soldier into the clearing raised his hand and a blue ball of energy shot forward, barely missing Isabel as she dived out of the way.
Hale stood frozen for a moment but grabbed a hefty tree limb he had gathered for the fire and took a mighty swing, connecting with the ribs of the closest attacker, sending him to the ground.
Isabel grabbed for another piece of wood and called out to Hale, “Aim for their lower back.”
Hale dodged as another man rushed him, and swung the limb at his lower back as instructed, knocking the guy to the ground.
Isabel used her powers to send two of their attackers flying and she swung the branch at the third, connecting solidly with his back, but nothing happened. “What?”
The first man Hale had knocked to the ground got up and rushed him, grabbing him from behind.
Isabel turned to see Hale struggling with one of the skins, as two others ran toward her with outstretched hands.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Crashdown Cafe)
The bell above the door rang, drawing the attention of Jim and the others sitting at the table, as three men entered the café.
Jeff called out, “Take a seat anywhere you’d like.”
But the three men simply stood their ground.
Suddenly there was a sound like an explosion in the back and the three men raised their hands before them.
“Hit the dirt,” Jim called out as he grabbed Amy and dove to the floor.
Alex threw himself aside as a ball of energy came toward him, and his chair took the brunt of the blast, exploding.
The others scattered just before the table they had been sitting around burst into pieces.
They all scrambled for the relative safety of the counter, as another round of energy blasts rang out and the counter shook with the force of the hits.
“Who are those people?” Jeff yelled. “What is going on?”
“Jim, use you gun,” Amy screamed, her voice rising with hysteria.
“It won’t do any good,” Jim said as he looked around for any kind of weapon, but he couldn’t see anything useful. “We can’t just sit here,” he called out to Kyle. “They’ll take us apart.”
“What do you mean, it won’t do any good?” Amy shouted.
The skin soldiers advanced slowly as they continued to blast away at the counter.
A rack of glasses on the wall behind the counter collapsed and glass rained down around them and Kyle knew they were out of time. He focused his powers like he’d practiced and sent a burst of energy toward the skins. A chair exploded near the closest one and Kyle swore. He hadn’t quite gotten the hang of aiming.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Michael used his powers to throw the two skins back into the wall. They hit hard and one disintegrated into a shower of dust.
He rushed the other skin soldier and they grabbed one another, struggling to get the upper hand. Michael tried to turn his hand toward the skin to use his powers but the skin spun them around, and they stumbled into the kitchen.
Michael heard blasts of power and shattering glass in the dining room and glanced through the service window. He caught a glimpse of three more skin soldiers standing near the door, shooting blasts of energy at the group huddled behind the counter. Kyle was trying to defend them with his powers but the counter was disappearing quickly under the continual attack.
“Maria!” Michael called out, as his rage engulfed him. With a burst of power, he threw the skin away from him, sending him across the back room and grabbed a fire extinguisher off the wall. He strode to the skin soldier, who was trying to get up off the floor, and struck down on the skin’s lower back with the extinguisher, but nothing happened. “What the…”
The sound of another blast in the dining room propelled him into action and he slammed the extinguisher down on the skin’s head and the soldier collapsed back down onto the floor and stayed still.
Michael burst through the door into the dining room just as the skin soldier nearest the door started to scream. It was a horrible sound that froze everyone. For a moment it appeared as if the soldier was glowing from inside and then he burst into flames that quickly consumed him.
Michael saw Ryan through the door with an outstretched hand, and he knew Ryan had killed the skin.
Michael took advantage of the soldiers’ surprise to throw one of them into the wall and Ryan rushed through the door. “Hit them on the back of the neck. That’s where the seal is now.”
The remaining skin flung Ryan aside with a flip of his hand and sent a burst of energy at Michael that caused him to dive behind a booth.
Kyle jumped up and grabbed a long, splintered piece of wood that had been blown off the counter and struck the stunned skin soldier in the back of the neck, turning him to dust. Then he rushed the remaining soldier.
The skin turned and sent a blast of power, knocking Kyle to the floor and the wood from his hand.
Michael rushed the skin and grabbed him. Ryan got up, grabbed the wood and used it to finish the skin.
Michael turned to go into the back room and nearly collided with Nancy Parker, who was holding open the door behind him. She had wide eyes and a gaping mouth, obviously from having seen the last of the fight.
The Valenti family and Jeff Parker slowly emerged from behind the counter. “Is everyone all right?” Michael called out.
Alex had a scorch mark on his arm but he wasn’t seriously injured. And satisfied that everyone else only had minor cuts and scrapes, Michael pushed past a shocked Nancy and into the back room.
Michael took up the fire extinguisher again and dropped it on the remaining soldier’s neck, turning him to a pile of dust, as he reached into his pocket for his phone. He pressed the speed-dial for Max and waited impatiently for an answer.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Evans House)
Two skin soldiers came in through the dining room and Serena sent a burst of power through one, turning him to dust.
Max put up a shield as the other skin sent a ball of energy toward them and it was diverted into the wall. “Get behind me,” Max yelled and Liz grabbed his shocked parents, pulling them down behind the sofa.
Serena dived to the floor rolling, and took a shot at the advancing skin, but he threw himself aside.
Three more skins came in from the front hall and Serena took out the first one, but the other two sent burst of power at her, barely missing her and hitting a chair instead.
Max focused his shield, using it with a quick burst to knock the two skins back into the hall and then he raised it in front of them again.
Liz shut her eyes and concentrated on appearing behind the skin soldier in the dining room. She was suddenly there and looked around briefly for a weapon but seeing none, simply solidified enough to tap the skin soldier on the shoulder. As he turned, Liz let herself go back into her own body.
Serena took advantage of the soldier’s confusion to send a ball of energy through him, turning him to dust.
The soldiers from the hall stayed just out of reach, shooting bursts of energy through the doorway.
Max glanced at Serena and motioned to the soldiers with a jut of his chin, and then to the dining room.
Serena understood immediately and nodded.
Max turned to Liz and his parents. “Stay down.”
Serena used her powers to make the soldiers see her run toward the dining room and their fire followed her.
Max waited until their fire was diverted and he pulled the shield down into a ball the size of a quarter. Focusing all of his power, he thrust the shield through the wall and into the skin soldier beyond. He felt it puncture the husk and immediately the husk started to heal, but Max expanded his shield, forcing the puncture larger and larger until the husk ruptured.
Serena took advantage of the diversion to dispatch the final soldier with a well-placed burst of energy.
For a moment there was silence, the only things moving were the pieces of stuffing from the sofa, floating in the air.
“Serena,” Max ordered, “take a look outside and make sure there aren’t any more.”
“Yes Sir,” said Serena with a short bow, before she left the room.
Max turned to his parents and Liz, running his eyes quickly over them, “Are you all right?”
Everyone nodded.
“Who were those people?” Diane asked. “And how did they do that? Max, how did you?”
Philip leaned forward, motioning in the direction Serena left. “Who was that? And why was she calling you Sir and your Majesty?”
Max reached for his cell phone. “We’ll explain everything but I have to make sure Michael and Isabel are okay.”
The phone rang before he could dial and he saw Michael’s number on the display. “Michael are you all okay?”
“We’re fine Max. Were you attacked too?”
“Yes,” Max said. “Luckily Serena was here.”
“Max,” Michael said, “we’ve got a problem. Amy and the Parkers saw everything.”
“So did my parents,” Max said. “I think it’s time we told everyone the truth.”
Michael swallowed hard, suddenly nervous. “Okay Max. What do you want to do?”
“You bring everyone over here and we’ll do it all together.”
“What about Isabel?” Michael asked.
“I thought she and Hale were at the Crashdown,” Max said anxiously.
“They were,” Michael confirmed, “but they decided to go on a picnic. You don’t think they were attacked too?”
“I don’t know,” Max said, “but we can’t take any chances. I’ll call and make sure they’re okay.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Frazier Woods)
Isabel looked at Hale, struggling against the skin soldier, and a rage like she had never known welled up within her. The thought of losing Hale was more than she could bear and she flung her hand forward, her power building like never before. A crackling, black ball of energy leapt from her hand and passed through the chest of the closest skin soldier.
For a moment he simply stood, looking at the gaping hole in his chest and then he disappeared in a shower of ash.
Everyone froze, witnessing the destruction and Hale took advantage of the moment to flip his attacker over his shoulder and to the ground. Then the moment was over and another soldier rushed him. Hale dodged the next attacker, letting the man run past him and struck him hard in the back of the neck with the branch. There was a sickening pop and the man disintegrated before him.
“Hit them in the back of the neck,” Hale called out as he rushed the next attacker.
But Isabel was past using the tree branch. She concentrated on bringing forth another black energy ball and easily sent it though the next skin soldier, turning him to dust.
Then she looked to the last of the attackers, struggling with Hale. She raised her hand meaning to help him, but with a few well-aimed hits of the tree branch, Hale knocked the skin off his feet and quickly dispatched him.
Both Hale and Isabel stood ready, looking for more attackers, but after a few minutes with no movement except that of the crackling fire, they relaxed.
Hale dropped the tree branch and straightened up. “So do you want to tell me what the hell just happened? The energy balls? The disintegrating guys who attacked us?”
“Hale…” Isabel started, shaking her head but suddenly the magnitude of the event registered in her shock-numbed brain. “Max!”
“Max?” Hale asked.
With shaking hands, Isabel dug her phone out of her pocket and pressed the speed-dial for Max. “Don’t you see?” she asked Hale, as she got a busy signal. “Crap!” She pressed the redial and held the phone to her ear. “We might not have been the only ones attacked. I have to warn them.”
The busy signal sounded again and she pressed the number for Michael.
He answered on the first ring, “Isabel, are you okay? Max is trying to call you.”
“Yeah, we were attacked but we’re okay. What about you and Max?”
“Everyone’s okay,” Michael reassured her. “Skins attacked here and at your house.”
“Mom and Dad!” Isabel gasped.
“They’re fine,” Michael said, “but they saw everything just like Amy and Liz’s parents did here. We’ve got a lot of explaining to do and Max wants everyone to meet at your house.”
Isabel nodded, “Okay. I’m bringing Hale too. He saw me using my powers. He’s part of this too now.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Crashdown Café)
Michael opened the door into the dining room and motioned to Ryan to come into the back. He called out to Jim, “Get the door locked and the blinds on the front windows down. And Kyle can you start cleaning some of this up? I need to talk to Ryan and then Max wants us all over at his house,” he glanced at Amy and the Parkers, “and we’ll tell everyone the truth.”
Kyle and Jim nodded and Michael closed the door behind Ryan. “Okay, what’s the deal?”
“I am a member of the same group Courtney was part of. I believe she said you called us the Michael worshippers. A number of us infiltrated Khivar’s troops when he originally sent them to Earth but all except Courtney and myself were discovered. And then when you destroyed the husks just before the harvest, I was forced to remain on the ship with most of the rest of the troops.”
Michael studied him for a moment. “So you came back with the new troops and you have just been hanging out all this time? Why didn’t you tell us?”
“I wasn’t sure you’d believe me, or how Max would react if he found out,” Ryan said with a shrug. “I thought Khivar might attempt something like this attack, so I just waited and watched.”
“And how did you know where to find us?”
“Courtney and I kept in touch, though not very regularly. She told me everything she knew about all of you, but the last time I talked to her was before the harvest.”
“She died the next day,” Michael said softly.
Ryan nodded, “Yeah, Nicholas took great pleasure in telling us how another traitor had been unmasked and killed. For months afterward, I thought I would be next.”
“We’re going to need to talk, but right now is not the best time,” Michael said, reasoning that Ryan didn’t need to know everything they were going to tell the others. “You might as well go home and I’ll get a hold of you about a meeting.”
Ryan nodded understanding, and left through the back, mending the door with a sweep of his hand.
Michael took a deep breath and started into the dining room again.
Amy’s shrill voice met him as he pushed open the door. “Max ordered us to come to his house.” She turned to the Parkers, “Who does he think he is? And how does he know anything about what happened?” She turned to Jim. “And why are you taking this so calmly?”
“It’s okay Amy,” Jim soothed. “Everything will be explained.”
“This is just like in my dream,” Amy continued. “Max ordering everyone around.”
“Mom!” Maria said. “Just calm down.”
Michael cleared his throat to make his presence known. “Sheriff, why don’t you take Amy, Maria, Sean and Kyle in your car.” He turned to the Parkers, who were still visibly shaken, “I don’t think you’re in any condition to drive, so Alex and I will take you in his car.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Evans House)
Max and Liz were able to hold off his parents’ questions by repairing the damage to the living room, and in just a few minutes it was back to normal.
Serena came back into the house. “As far as I can see there are no more soldiers, Sir.”
Max nodded, “Keep checking and if you see anything let us know immediately.”
Liz waited until she was gone before she pulled Max aside. “How much were you planning on telling everyone?”
Max sighed, “I don’t know that there’s any point in holding anything back.”
Liz nodded, “I think we should keep the part about the Granolith being a time travel device to ourselves. Not because I don’t trust them but because the less people who know, the less likely that the information can be taken from them. Maybe we should also leave out the fact that Rath is a traitor to Khivar. If anyone found out, he would be killed.”
“You’re right,” Max said. “If Nicholas got a hold of my parents or yours, any of the humans, he could take anything he wanted from their minds.” He nodded, “We’ll tell the others when they get here but other than that the parents will finally get the whole story.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
It had taken over an hour to tell the whole story, from the three children waking up in the pods, to the shooting in the Crashdown, the FBI, the arrival of Nasedo and Tess, the message in the pod chamber, the harvest, the dupes, the summit, Tess’ pregnancy and departure, the discovery of Liz’s true identity, the translation of the book, and the return of Serena; only leaving out the part about future Max and the deal with Rath.
Then it had taken several demonstrations of powers, including Max healing Alex’s arm, before Hale, Amy, the Evans and the Parkers were convinced. And they still had questions.
Nancy shook her head and turned to address Max, “So you just found out last year that Liz is your wife Ava, reincarnated?”
“Yeah,” Max said, “but to me it made perfect sense. I’ve loved Liz since the first time I saw her when we were kids, and I never would have risked our lives to save anyone else.”
Jeff sighed, “I still can’t believe Liz was really shot that day.”
Philip spoke up, “So the reason these other aliens attacked is because you are the rightful King of your planet?”
Max nodded, “Those are some of the troops the usurper Khivar, sent to find us.”
“And this Serena is an alien too, a shape shifter?” Diane asked. “What does that mean exactly?”
Max called out, “Serena, come in here please.”
She came in through the back and addressed him formally, “Your Majesty?”
“Will you shift into the form of Ed Harding?”
“Of course.” She raised her hand before her and after a bright flash of light, Ed appeared.
“That’s the damnedest thing I’ve ever seen,” Philip said, shaking his head.
“Thank you, Serena,” Max said. “Please continue your patrol.”
Max turned back to the friends and family gathered in the room. “None of us wanted to lie to you but we felt we didn’t have another choice. This information is dangerous and we wanted to keep you all safe.”
“And everything I remember happening that night at the UFO museum is true,” Amy said. “At least I know I’m not going crazy.” She turned to Max, “And in the circumstances, I guess I can forgive you for being a little bossy.”
Max smiled shyly. “Sorry. I really don’t mean to. I guess it just comes naturally.”
Amy nodded, “Of course it does. Even if you don’t remember it, you once ruled a planet.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
As the questions continued, Isabel took Hale aside to speak to him privately. “So, um, this has all got to be pretty weird for you.”
“Weird but cool,” Hale said. “What do you remember about your past life?”
Isabel shook her head, “Nothing. Max has shown me some of his memories and they seem familiar but I don’t remember anything.”
“And Liz being the reincarnation of his wife. What are the odds of that?”
“Where Max and Liz are concerned, nothing surprises me,” Isabel admitted.
Hale nodded, “I can see why you said that Max and Liz had been through a lot to be together. I still can’t believe he has a son.”
“I didn’t know if Liz could forgive him for sleeping with Tess,” Isabel said. “And having a child with her is just one more pressure on their relationship. It’s probably good that Tess left. Max didn’t love her and he never would have chosen to have a child with her.”
“You think it would be better for Max if he never saw his son again?”
“I don’t know,” Isabel said. “I just think it would make things easier. Liz is supportive of Max in every way and she has said she will accept his child, but it’s got to be hard on both of them. But if anyone can handle it it’s Liz. She one of the strongest people I know.”
“Why do you say that?” Hale asked.
“Liz was always there for us, from the beginning, long before we knew who she really was. Liz took a lot of risks for us and always came through. And even though Liz loved Max more than anything and knew they belonged together, she gave Max up so he could follow his destiny with Tess.” Isabel shook her head, “I don’t think I could have done that.”
“So what about you, Isabel?” Hale asked. “Any special man in your past?”
Isabel shook her head, “If there was, I don’t remember.” She looked into Hale’s handsome face and asked the question she was dreading, “So how are you talking all of this?”
Hale smiled, “You mean, now that I know you’re an alien Princess, am I going to head for the hills?”
Isabel nodded, “Something like that.”
Hale touched her face, “I love you Isabel. I’m not going anywhere.” He leaned in and kissed her softly. “Plus, how many guys get to be with a real Princess?”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Michael waited until Hale had left, and the parents were gathered around Jim, before he pulled the others aside. “There’s another thing I thought I should wait to tell you. It turns out Ryan is a Michael worshipper. He helped us in the Crashdown against the skins. He says he knew Courtney and I’m pretty sure he’s the one who killed John that day at the quarry.”
“Why do you think that?” Maria asked.
“He killed one of the skins in the same way tonight.” Michael turned to Max. “I sent him home because I didn’t know how much we wanted to reveal to him.”
Max nodded, “Good thinking but we’ll have to get together and have a talk with him.”
Michael nodded, “I’ll set it up.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Copper Summit, AZ)
Nicholas entered his office to confront Khivar in Corporal Raltos’ body. “My liege, it’s official, all of the troops we sent to Roswell have been killed.”
Khivar nodded, taking in the information.
Nicholas was a little surprised by his lack of reaction but continued, “Shall I order another squad to be sent? A larger one?”
Khivar shook his head, “No. This mission gave us some valuable information, more than I expected, and I need some time to consider all of the possibilities.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Evans House)
After everyone had left, Max and Isabel turned to their parents, expecting a barage of questions.
Philip was the first one to speak. “So the night that we found you in the desert…”
Max nodded. “That was the day we came out of the pods. We didn’t speak because we didn’t know the language.”
“And you knew the whole time that you were… different?” Diane asked.
Isabel shook her head. “We just regained the memories of coming out of the pods a couple of years ago. Before that we didn’t remember anything about who we were or where we came from. But it didn’t take too long for us to figure out that we were different.”
Max nodded. “And we had an instinct to keep it to ourselves. We never told anyone, until Liz.”
Tears started in Isabel’s eyes. “We’re really sorry that we couldn’t tell you, Mom and Dad. We just thought it would be too dangerous, and we didn’t know if you would still want us if you knew the truth.”
“Still want you?” Diane asked. “Of course we still want you.” She pulled Isabel into an embrace. “Isabel, you and Max are our son and daughter, and we love you no matter what.”
Philip put his arm around Max’s shoulder, “I just wish you would have told us sooner. Maybe we could have helped.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Parker House)
It had been a long, illuminating night but Jeff still had questions, and he knocked on Liz’s door. “Liz, can I talk to you?”
Liz opened the door, “Sure Dad, come in.”
She sank down onto the bed and he took a seat next to her, looking at her carefully. “It’s like you’re a different person.”
“Because I’m an alien?” Liz asked.
Jeff shook his head, “No, it’s because you’ve lived this whole other life right under our noses and we didn’t know anything about it.”
Liz nodded.
Jeff continued, “Do you remember your other parents?”
“No,” Liz said. “I don’t have any memories of my other life, just what Max has shown me.”
“It’s hard to believe my little girl was all grown up and married,” Jeff said.
Liz smiled, “It’s hard for me to believe too.”
“But you don’t have any doubts that it’s true. That you were this Ava?”
“No,” Liz said. “No doubts at all. When Larek told us, I just knew it was true.”
“And that’s one of your powers, isn’t it?” Jeff asked. “You can tell if someone is telling the truth.”
Liz shrugged, “Serena thinks so but I haven’t really noticed a difference except with Max. I can almost always feel what he’s feeling.”
“And you love him, even though he got Tess pregnant.”
“It’s really complicated,” Liz said. “Max and I thought we couldn’t be together because Tess was his wife. But I love Max no matter what.”
Jeff sighed, “So what’s the real story with that Rath character? I take it he’s Michael’s duplicate but why did you ask me not to say anything about him in front of the others?”
“I asked you not to say anything because the knowledge is dangerous, Dad. The skin leader Nicholas, we told you about, has the ability to take information from people’s minds, so the less people who know Rath came here, the better. See Rath is Michael’s dupe and he has been working against us, but the night you saw him, Rath offered us an alliance. He’s living in Copper Summit with the skins and he found out he was betrayed, so he offered to spy for us.”
Jeff nodded, “And you don’t want that knowledge to get back to your enemies.” He pulled a hand through his hair. “And how do you know you can trust him?”
Liz shook her head, “We don’t trust him, but as an offer of good faith he took us to Alex.”
“So Alex didn’t just wake up on his own?”
“No,” Liz said. “Max healed him. Otherwise Alex would still be in that nursing home and we would still think he was dead. And today it was Rath who called and warned Michael about the attack.”
“So Rath could be telling the truth or it could be just a ruse to get you to trust him.” Jeff nodded, “I just can’t believe you kids have to deal with things like this.”
“Yeah,” Liz said. “It isn’t easy but we’re trying to examine every possibility and be careful with everything we do.”
Jeff put his arm around her. “I hope you know that none of this changes the way your mother or I feel about you. You’re our daughter and we love you.”
Liz wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. “Thanks Dad, that means a lot.” She pulled back and looked into her father’s face, “I don’t need powers to tell that you’re worried.”
“It’s just you’re all so young and you’re involved in the huge intergalactic war.” He shook his head, “Maybe you should all leave, hide somewhere, until this is all over.”
Liz shook her head, thinking of the other timeline when the Earth was taken over by aliens. “Khivar would just hunt us down.” She looked into her father’s concerned face. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned,” she said softly, “it’s that you can’t escape destiny.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Evans House – Max’s Room)
Max picked up his cell phone immediately when it rang, almost dreading what news it might bring, “Hello?”
“Duke,” Rath greeted, ‘I’m glad to hear that everyone survived the attack.”
“How did you know?” Max asked.
“These skin soldiers gossip more than a bunch of girls in the bathroom,” Rath said. “The news was all over the town but I had to wait until it was safe to call you.”
“Thanks for the warning, Rath,” Max said. “It’s just too bad that you didn’t find out a little earlier.”
“Yeah, well Nicholas isn’t exactly up front with me. I found out about the attack from the soldiers, but by then it was almost too late.” Rath chuckled, “But Nicholas sure is pissed that you all survived. He’s been kicking cans all night.”
Max grimaced, “Have you heard any plans to send more soldiers here?”
“Not yet,” Rath said. “Nicholas ordered another group to get ready but then he went into the ship for a while and when he came out, he told them to stand down. He must have talked to Khivar and been ordered to stop.”
“I wonder why he would do that?” Max asked.
“Don’t know, duke. But Khivar must be up to something.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Friday, March 2nd, 2002)
(West Roswell High School)
Michael and Maria were the last to enter the empty classroom where the others were already gathered.
Maria patted Michael on the arm. “Another Michael worshipper. That means there were two of them,” she mocked. “But at least he’s not in love with you.” Her brow creased and she turned to Ryan, “You’re not, are you?”
Ryan laughed, “No, I’m not.”
Max sat with Liz on one side and Serena on the other and started the questions. “So when you were taken back to Antar, did you volunteer to come back to Earth?”
“I would have,” Ryan said, “but Khivar wouldn’t let anyone stay on Antar. He sent everyone back to Earth.”
Max nodded, “And are you still reporting to Nicholas?”
“No. On the first day back I started a fire and faked my own death.”
“So no one knows you’re gone,” Isabel said.
“And you were the one who killed John in the quarry that day,” Michael said.
Ryan nodded, “Yeah. I had been keeping an eye on the Crashdown because that’s where Michael is most of the time, and I saw Sean colluding with John. I thought they were up to no good so I followed them.”
“And saved Liz’s life,” Max said. “That means more to me than you could ever possibly know, thank you.”
Ryan shook his head self-consciously. “It was a group effort.”
“You’ve been watching us a long time,” Max said. “What are your plans?”
“You mean am I going to try and overthrow you and Khivar to put Michael on the throne?”
Max nodded, “Something like that.”
“Well,” Ryan said, “it’s obvious Michael is loyal to you and it wouldn’t exactly endear me, or my cause, to him if I did anything to you.”
Michael grunted and Ryan continued, “Actually, I really like you Max. You’re a nice guy, loyal, protective of your people. I don’t want to be your enemy. It was some of your predecessors’ politics I disagreed with. I know you don’t remember much about your other life and maybe you’ll change when you get those memories back, but I think growing up among humans, in this country, could be the best thing that happened to you.”
“Thanks,” Max said sarcastically, “but you still didn’t answer my question.”
“You’re right,” Ryan agreed with a sigh. “The truth is, I really didn’t have a plan beyond getting to know Michael and offering my services to him, if I got the chance.”
“And now that you know Michael is loyal to me?” Max asked.
Ryan got down on one knee. “I offer my services to both of you.”
Max shifted uncomfortably, “Get up Ryan, please.”
Ryan stood and Max offered him his hand. “We accept your offer.”
Max turned to face everyone. “After this attack I seriously considered maybe it was time for us to leave Roswell, but I don’t think that would solve anything. Khivar has made it clear he wants us all dead, and no matter where we go he would find us. We aren’t ready to take him on yet but we won’t let him chase us from our home.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Copper Summit, AZ)
Lonni waited for Nicholas at their usual rendezvous. She had become his lover in January when he had caught her in the ship, partly to distract him from her real motive but also hoping that being close to him would give her other opportunities.
But Nicholas was an annoying stickler for regulations and he had never allowed her on the ship again. Lonni had even tried to convince Nicholas that they should meet on the ship to keep their relationship a secret from Rath. Nicholas had simply suggested they get rid of Rath, as an unneeded annoyance, but Lonni had convinced Nicholas he might still be useful. So Nicholas had taken her to an unused house on the edge of town, to use as their love nest.
Her hope of being taken into Nicholas’ confidence had not happened either. She had known nothing about the troops being sent to Roswell until last night, when she’d heard the rumors of their failure. At first she’d been angry, but she had quickly revised her opinion when she realized it would be the perfect opportunity to use the failure to her advantage.
She stood near the hearth and kept her back to the door as Nicholas entered.
He crossed to her and put a hand on her shoulder. “Why aren’t you upstairs, in something more comfortable?”
Lonni slipped out from under his hand, and walking away from him, spoke back over her shoulder, “Actually, I’m not really in the mood since I heard about yesterday.”
Nicholas’ eyes narrowed. “What does that mean?”
Lonni shrugged, “I thought you were smarter.” She motioned to herself, “Here you have a perfect source of information about Max and his friends but instead of taking advantage of the situation, you foolishly went into Roswell blind.” She shook her head, “I gave you more credit than that, Nicholas. I thought you were this great General, but it looks like I was wrong.”
She crossed back to him and leaned in close. “And I don’t give myself to fools.”
Nicholas huffed, “It doesn’t seem to have been a problem in the past. You take that moron Rath to your bed on a daily basis.”
Lonni turned away from him. “You’re right, Rath isn’t too bright. But he knows it and can admit when he’s out of his depth.” She turned back to face Nicholas. “Rath also has other…assets that make up for his intellectual shortcomings.”
Nicholas rolled his eyes.
Brushing her fingers through his hair, Lonni continued, “If you just let me in, tell me your plans, there’s a lot I could offer you.”
Nicholas smiled, “Maybe there’s something we can offer one another.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Evans House)
Max stuck his head into the living room as he came in, and noticed that his mom had a slightly dazed look on her face. Obvisouly she was still struggling to accept the overwhelming truth. “Hey Mom,” he greeted her.
“Oh Max,” Diane called out, “how was your day?”
Max entered the room and sank down onto a chair. “Good. It was kind of hard to concentrate though, with what happened last night.”
Diane nodded, “I guess I haven’t realized how grown up you’ve become. You must be worried about everyone.”
Max nodded, “In a way it’s easier when we’re all at school because when we’re together I feel I can protect everyone.”
“With that shield you used yesterday,” Diane said. “How strong is it?”
“I’ve never really tested it,” Max said with a shrug, “but it did stop bullets from a rifle.”
“A rifle?” Diane gasped. “When did…” she trailed off shaking her head. “Maybe I don’t want to know.”
Max nodded, smiling sadly.
“I did want to ask you about something,” Diane said.
“What’s that, Mom?”
“On Halloween, I was looking for you, and I saw you and Liz sitting on your bed. You weren’t doing anything, not even speaking. The two of you had your foreheads pressed together, but I got the distinct feeling that you somehow understood each other.”
Max’s smile warmed. “Liz and I have a sort of connection between us, and when we touch we can communicate through the bond in our minds. We can send our thoughts and feelings to one another and nothing is held back.”
Diane was enraptured, “It sounds amazing.”
Max nodded, “Serena says that sometimes our people even have bonds that allow them to communicate when they are apart.”
“Will you and Liz develop a bond like that?”
“We don’t know,” Max said. “But our powers are still getting stronger. Anything is possible.” Max smiled, “That night, Halloween, I got my first memory of Liz from our other life and I was sharing it with her. I remembered the first time I saw her, and it was love at first sight.”
Diane shook her head. “It’s just so incredible that you and Liz could find one another and fall in love without knowing anything about your past.”
Max smiled, “I’ve been in love with Liz for so long, I don’t remember anything else.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Parker House)
Liz knew her mother had been upset yesterday when they’d revealed the truth, and she had been waiting for her to get home, so they could talk. Finally Liz heard her in the kitchen and went to see her, but stopped just outside the kitchen door when she saw the look on her mother’s face.
“Mom, are you all right?” she asked tentatively.
Nancy shook her head. “I’ve been thinking about this… revelation, all day.”
Liz stepped forward and put a comforting hand on her mother’s arm, “I know it’s hard, Mom…”
But Nancy wasn’t listening and interrupted, “This is why your grades went down, isn’t it? Because you were involved with these aliens.”
Liz nodded. “Yeah.”
Nancy’s eyes narrowed. “And this is why you and Max were out all night together that time. You were doing some alien thing, weren’t you?”
Liz nodded. “That night I had a vision that led us to a potentially important clue about their past.
Nancy’s brow creased. “A vision? How are you getting visions?”
Liz blushed. “At first it was only when Max and I kissed, but now I get them on my own.”
Nancy shook her head. “I can’t believe that all of this was going on, right under our noses. If I would have known, I could have stopped you somehow. Stopped you from seeing Max. I had a feeling at the time that I should forbid you from seeing him and I just wish I would have followed my instincts. If I would have stopped you then, maybe you wouldn’t have been dragged so far into this.”
“Stopped me?” Liz asked incrediously.
“Yes,” Nancy said. “I would have stopped you from getting involved in all of this, from putting yourself in danger.” She raised a hand to her head. “It’s a miracle you didn’t get hurt or worse, pitting yourself against the Sherrif, the FBI, these enemy aliens. I can’t even imagine what could have happened to you.” She reached out to touch Liz’s face, with tears in her eyes. “And we don’t know what they’ve done to you to make you have these visions and powers.”
Liz shook her head. “I can’t believe you just said that.” Her voice rose in anger, “The only reason I’m alive now is because Max was brave enough to get involved when I was shot.”
Nancy nodded. “I realize that, and I’m greatful he saved you,” she said, “but it doesn’t mean that you have to sacrifice the rest of your life helping them.”
Liz sighed. “Mom, in case you’ve forgotten, I’m one of them.”
Nancy reached out to her. “But you’re human. You were born on Earth. How do you know that Max and the others aren’t mistaken? Maybe you aren’t this Ava. Maybe Max just wants it to be true.”
Liz shook her head. “It’s true, Mom. I am Max’s wife, and you can’t wish it away. But even if it weren’t true and I was just human, I would do anything for Max because I love him.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Saturday, March 3rd, 2002)
(Hale’s House)
Hale opened his front door to admit Isabel and took her hand, pulling her into a quick kiss. “Not that I’m complaining but isn’t this the group bonding night?” he asked. “Before I knew the truth, I thought that you wanting to get away from the group was just you being independent, but now it’s like you’re going against a Royal command or something. Won’t your brother, the King, be mad that you’re with me?”
Isabel shook her head. “Max isn’t like that. He’s the leader, we all acknowledge that, but he was the leader even before we knew who we were, so it’s not like anything really changed. And Max and Michael have always tried to tell me how to live my life, but it’s better when Liz is with Max. She understands I need to live my own life and she isn’t afraid to stand up to Max and Michael, so she acts like a buffer between us.”
Hale smiled, “And why are we here, instead of with the others?”
Isabel shrugged, “Max wants to step up the training schedule. I just wanted to spend some time with you alone and not have to be mixed up with the whole alien conspiracy for a while. It’s nice to have a normal life sometimes.”
“Aren’t you afraid we’ll be attacked again?” Hale asked. “That’s why Max wanted to stay in and just have a quiet video night. Isn’t it? Safety in numbers.”
Isabel shook her head, “I feel perfectly safe with you. But even more important, I don’t have to worry about you. I was really impressed with how you handled yourself against the skin soldiers. You didn’t know what they were and you jumped right into the fight.” She reached up to touch his face. “We make a good team.”
Hale nodded and slowly lowered his mouth to hers, “I agree.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Evans House)
Max and Liz stood together in the back of the room, watching their friends. Alex, Sean, Ryan and Kyle were heckling the movie and Michael and Maria cuddled together in a nearby chair.
“I’m glad Michael didn’t insist on Braveheart for once,” Liz said.
“Yeah,” Max agreed. “There’s been enough killing lately.” He fidgeted, a sound outside drawing his attention.
Liz placed her hand on his, “It’s okay, Max. We’re all safe.”
Max calmed instantly at Liz’s touch and nodded, “I know. I’m just worried about Isabel.”
“She’ll be fine,” Liz assured him. “She needs some time alone.”
“And you don’t feel weird at all?” Max asked. “No upset stomach, or dreams, or visions?”
“Everything is fine.”
“But you felt ill the night of the attack?”
Liz nodded. “Kind of, but nothing like the day of the accident, or when John attacked us. I thought it was just nerves about talking to your parents.”
Max sighed, “How do people do this? I second guess every decision I make and I’m worried about how I’m going to protect all of you.”
Liz took his hand, entwining their fingers and leaned into him. “Max, I think you were right deciding to stay in Roswell even after this attack. This is where we have allies, this is home. As for how other people cope, I don’t know. But I do know the only thing we can do is just live one moment at a time.”
Max wrapped his arms around Liz and laid his head atop hers. “I’m just glad you’re here to help me through all of this. I’m not sure I could do it without you.”
“Of course you could,” Liz said, “but I’m glad I’m here too. No matter what happens, there’s no where else I’d rather be.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Friday, March 29th, 2002)
(The Evans House – Isabel’s Room)
Isabel awoke from the dream with a gasp, glad to find herself in her own bed. The dreams had started right after the attack, and each night they were worse.
The disjointed images and intense feelings of the dreams were growing stronger each night and she was really frightened about what they might reveal. She feared they were memories of her other life trying to break free and she didn’t want to have to face the truth of what happened.
She hadn’t told anyone about the dreams, preferring to just pretend it wasn’t happening. And instead, she had turned to Hale, spending every free moment with him. When they were together, she felt like she belonged. She didn’t feel alien.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Saturday, March 30th, 2002)
(New York, NY)
Ava sat on a bench in the abandoned subway station that had once been Zan’s special place and gazed longingly at the rainbows created on the ceiling by the light reflecting through the colored glass. It had been more than a year since Zan had been betrayed and murdered by his best friend and his sister, while she had stood by and watched. At one time Ava had thought she would get over the guilt eventually, but now she feared she never would.
After leaving Roswell, Ava had moved around a lot. At first, she had been afraid to go back to New York fearing what Rath and Lonni would do to her, so she had gone to the opposite coast, attempting to set up a new life. She had spent time in several cities in California, working her way up the coast; San Diego, L.A., Carmel, San Francisco, Sacramento, but none of them had seemed like home.
Eventually she had caught a bus to Seattle. The climate there was more to her liking but she just didn’t feel like she belonged. Something seemed to be calling her back to New York and finally she put her fears aside and went home.
That had been two months ago.
It had taken her an entire week to gather enough courage to attempt visiting her old underground home. She had carefully disguised herself, knowing Rath and Lonni could penetrate her mind warps, and made her way down into the unused tunnels. But all of her worrying had been for nothing. When she arrived, she quickly found that Lonni and Rath had obviously not been there in months. Almost everything was where she remembered, but there was a thick coating of dust on all the surfaces. The only things that were missing were some of Lonni and Rath’s possessions. They had obviously moved on.
Perhaps they were afraid of what Max and the others might do to them and had found a new place to live, Ava speculated. But she really didn’t believe it. She was afraid Lonni and Rath were up to something else and she didn’t want to be around when they returned.
Ava had packed up a few belongings and moved into Zan’s subway station that night. She thought being back in New York was what she needed but it only reminded of her of everything she’d lost. She had still been unable to go to where Lonni and Rath had sealed Cuerena’s body in the wall, and she couldn’t even go within blocks of where Zan was buried in the alley.
She knew now it wasn’t the city she had been missing, but her family. She would never have them again, but she did have a friend of sorts. Liz had treated her better than most people in her life, even her family. The cornball human had been kind and sympathetic and had even stood up against her alien friends to protect her. Liz was a real friend.
Liz had also invited her to stay in Roswell, and maybe, Ava thought, that was just what she needed.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Quarry)
Liz could still feel Max’s anger, even though he had been destroying rocks with his shield for more than an hour. Isabel hadn’t come to the practice session that morning and when Max had called her to make sure she was okay, Isabel had cavalierly blown the whole thing off, saying she and Hale had made plans.
She’d told Max she was sick of practice and she just wanted to have a normal day with her normal boyfriend.
When she’d hung up, Max had been so stunned, he’d simply stared at the phone for a moment. But then the anger had started.
Liz thought he would get over it, so she’d let him stew but now she knew it was time to intervene. She walked up behind him and placed a gentle hand on his arm. “Max.”
At Liz’s touch, Max felt the anger drain from him and he turned to her. Without a word, he allowed her to take his hand and lead him to the rocks, where he took a seat next to her.
“You have to let this go Max,” Liz said softly. “Isabel is hurting and trying to find out where she belongs, and you have to let her. You’re not losing her.”
Max shook his head, “I’m just so worried about her. If anything happened…”
“I know,” Liz sympathized, “but you can’t protect everyone all the time. She and Hale have to have some time alone to figure out how they fit into each other’s lives. Isabel has to make her own choices, her own life.”
Max took Liz’s hand in his, “I just hope her choice includes us.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Sunday, April 7th, 2002)
(Crashdown Café)
The whole gang, minus Hale and Isabel, was gathered at the Crashdown eating. The mood was somewhat subdued but there was a continuing, lively discussion about the movie they had seen earlier.
Alex shook his head, “They can’t expect us to believe a guy can jump that far. It just isn’t possible.”
“Why do you have to nitpick every little detail?” Sean asked. “So the guy’s an Olympic jumper. It’s only a movie.”
“Yeah, Alex argued, “but they expect us to believe it. The story is supposed to be set in the real world.”
“It’s dramatic exaggeration,” Michael argued, “to reinforce in our minds that the guy really is a hero.”
Max and Liz looked at each other with barely contained smiles and broke out laughing.
Michael turned to them, “What?”
The sound of the bell above the door saved them from answering.
The whole gang automatically looked to the door at the person who had just stepped inside.
Michael and Max jumped to their feet immediately with outstretched hands.
“Tess,” Max hissed. “What are you doing here?”
Liz jumped up and rushed past them, standing between them and their target. She held up a hand, “Wait, this isn’t Tess, she’s Ava.”
Max looked at the blonde girl carefully. There were no piercings or tattoos visible and she simply wore a black tank top and jeans. Her hair was longer than he remembered Ava’s to be, and it was a plain blonde instead of the streaks she had worn before. But the more he studied her, the more he was convinced Liz was right. There was a haunted look visible in her eyes that Tess had never possessed.
Ava spoke softly, “I guess Tess ain’t too popular around here. So what’d she do?”
Liz turned to her, “That’s a long story, but there’s someone here you know.” She motioned for Serena to come forward.
Serena changed to the form she had worn in New York.
Ava gasped, “Serena.” She ran to her, throwing her arms around the shape shifter. “I thought you were dead.”
Liz turned to look at Max and he nodded. “Ava, you called her Serena.”
Serena spoke, “It was her childhood name for me. When she was little, she couldn’t pronounce my real name and I allowed her to call me Serena.”
Max and Liz looked at one another, more convinced than ever Liz was right about Cuerena being the Serena future Max had spoken of.
Liz turned back to Ava, “Can I get you something to eat? Then you can tell us what you’ve been up to all these months.”
“A burger and fries would be great,” Ava said.
“Burger and fries coming up,” Michael said, heading toward the kitchen.
Introductions were made and while the food cooked and Ava ate, she told them of her travels and eventual return to New York, and her decision to come to Roswell.
After she finished, Max, Liz and Michael told her how Tess had helped Lonni and Rath use Alex to get the translation and about Tess’ pregnancy and departure with the Granolith.
Ava nodded, “I can see why Tess ain’t so popular. But why would she betray you?”
Liz continued the story with Alex’s return, Serena’s arrival and the recent attacks, skipping any mention of Rath’s involvement.
“Man,” Ava said, overwhelmed, “I go away for a few months and the whole world changes.”
Liz looked at Max and then back at Ava. “There is one other thing we found out, Ava.”
Ava looked at her expectantly and Liz started slowly, “Um, do you remember much about your other life, on Antar?”
Confusion creased Ava’s brow but she shook her head, “No, I only have a few vague images.”
Liz nodded. “Ava we found out that…” Liz broke off as tears filled her eyes.
Max could feel Liz’s sorrow and regret. Liz didn’t want to have to tell Ava the truth because she knew it would hurt her and he took over. “There’s no easy way to say this Ava, but you aren’t who you thought.”
Ava’s confusion returned, “What do you mean?”
“On Antar you weren’t Ava,” Max said softly. “Your name was Chanya and you were sent in Ava’s place.”
Ava shook her head as a thousand thoughts ran through her mind.
“I’ve been in touch with a friend from our planet,” Max continued, “he can see auras, and he told us that Ava’s soul was reincarnated into Liz.”
Ava turned to Liz, with tears welling in her eyes. “That’s why Zan never loved me, somehow he knew I wasn’t his wife. He was in love with someone else.” Her tears started to run down her cheeks. “Sometimes at night I could hear him talking to her in his dreams. He called her beloved.” Her voice dropped to a whisper, “He was waiting for you.”
Tears spilled down Liz’s cheeks. “I’m so sorry, Ava.”
Ava shook her head. “That’s not my name. I don’t have any right to it.” She rose from her chair, quickly gathering her things. “I’ll leave. I don’t belong here.”
Liz rushed after her, stopping her at the door. “No Ava,” she said, deliberately using the other girl’s name. “You belong here because you’re part of this, and you’re my friend. We want you to stay.”
“But I’ve been living a lie my whole life,” Ava argued.
“You didn’t know that,” Liz said softly. “You were just a victim of circumstance. Please stay.”
Max came up behind Liz and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Please stay, Ava. We really want you to. You’re a part of this family too.”
Ava looked into Max’s face, so similar to the one she had loved, but so different, and she could see the senserity in his eyes. She wiped the tears from her face and nodded with a small smile. “Okay.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
It was decided that Ava would live with Serena at the Harding house and everyone welcomed her into their lives.
Kyle welcomed her with the rest of the gang, but inside he felt his heart jump. He really did have a thing for petite blondes.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Tuesday, April 9th, 2002)
(The Whitman House)
Maria started to braid Liz’s hair while Alex strummed his guitar.
“So are you going to get the band back together?” Maria asked.
Alex shrugged, “I don’t know. Maybe.”
“Oh come on Alex, it’s like you said before, chicks dig musicians,” Maria laughed.
Alex winced, “You heard that, huh?”
“Yeah,” Maria said.
“Well, it’s not like I need any more chicks hanging around,” he said. “I’ve got two beautiful women sitting on my bed right now.”
Liz smiled and took his hand. “But not the one you want.”
Alex shrugged, “Yeah, well that’s completely over and I accept it. There’s no chance Isabel is going to leave Hale for me.”
“She’s a fool,” Maria said. “Hale isn’t so great.”
Alex nodded, “Yeah, who would want a nice and handsome guy with a lot of money. It’s disgusting.” He shook his head, “I already promised myself I’m not going to think of Isabel that way. We’re just friends now. When I first got back, she came over almost every day and helped me catch up with my school work.”
“And now?” Liz asked, fearing she knew the answer.
“Well, since the attack, she hasn’t come near me,” Alex admitted, “but I’m sure she’s just busy.”
“Yeah,” Maria said sarcastically. “She’s busy with Hale. Come on Alex, you’ve got to snap out of this. There are plenty of great girls at school who would love for you to ask them out.”
Alex smiled. “You’re right, my return from the dead has made me quite popular.” He shrugged, “I’ll think about it.”
“There’s no rush,” Liz said, giving Maria an exasperated look. “You’ll move on when you’re ready.”
“Okay,” Maria said. “But back to the band. I have some great ideas for new songs.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Friday, April 12th, 2002)
(The Valenti House)
Jim looked up as Kyle came in the door. “You’re home early. It isn’t even ten o’clock.”
Kyle shrugged, “I guess I’m just tired.”
Jim nodded, “It wouldn’t have anything to do with Ava being there?”
Kyle sank down onto the sofa. “How did you know?”
“Well you were in love with Tess. It can’t be easy to have her twin here.”
Kyle nodded, “They’re so different, but so similar too. I can see things I loved about Tess in Ava.”
“And you’re starting to develop feelings for Ava.”
“It’s really complicated though,” Kyle said. “Sometimes I don’t know if my feelings are left over from Tess or if they’re for Ava.”
Jim nodded, “Love is never easy.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Saturday, April 13th, 2002)
(The Deluca House)
Michael carefully wrapped a vase in newspaper and placed it in a box.
Amy came out of her bedroom carrying a load of boxes and Michael rushed forward to help. He took the boxes from her and set them on the table.
“Thanks for coming to help with the last of the packing,” Amy said. “Now that the additions to Jim’s house are finished, we’ll finally be living under one roof.”
Michael shrugged, “No problem.”
Amy studied him for a moment as he continued to pack. “Michael, can I ask you something?”
“Sure,” he said distractedly, putting another vase in the box.
“You had a chance to go back to your planet, to go home, but you decided to stay here because of Maria?”
Michael stopped and turned to her with a smile. “Yeah.”
“But it might have been your only chance to see your planet, your real family,” Amy argued.
Michael shrugged, “But I didn’t remember any of that and I figured what if I got there and it was nothing like I’d imaged and I’d screwed-up my only chance to be happy.” He shook his head, “I knew what I had here and I didn’t want to risk losing that.”
Amy smiled, “Well Michael, I don’t think it’s a secret I didn’t like you at first because I thought you were trouble.”
Michael nodded.
Amy continued, “And I’m glad I know the truth. I’d hate to still think badly of you.”
Michael smiled, “I’m glad you know too.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Friday, April 19th, 2002)
(Chavez Community College)
Hale and Isabel placed their final project on the corner of the instructor’s desk and walked out into the hall. Hale picked up Isabel and spun them around. “Woooooo hoooooo! School’s out for the summer and you and I can spend every minute of it together.”
He put her back on her feet. “So what do you want to do first? A trip to California? Mexico? Europe?” He grinned and leaned in closer, “Saturn?”
Isabel laughed, “All of those sound great.”
Hale pulled her close, “Anything you want is yours.”
Isabel smiled, “All I want is to be with you.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Saturday, April 20th, 2002)
(The Evans House - Backyard)
With a smile, Liz started setting the picnic table as she watched Sean and Michael arguing over the best way to use the grill.
She turned to see Kyle and Ava sitting in the shade under a tree in the corner of the yard, whispering and giggling. It was nice to see the two of them having a good time, they had both been so badly hurt.
Isabel, Maria, Max and Alex were playing volleyball while Ryan helped Serena keep watch.
Hale came out of the house carrying a cooler full of drinks and placed it on the ground. He motioned to the table. “Need some help?”
“No, it’s fine,” Liz said. “You could join the game.”
Hale shrugged and took a seat. “I’m a little sore from working out the other day.”
“If it’s that bad Max could have a look at it,” Liz suggested.
Hale nodded, “That’s right, I keep forgetting Max is a healer.”
“That’s what started this whole thing,” Liz said, “when Max healed me.”
“And that’s why you are getting powers, because Max made you part alien,” Hale said.
Liz nodded. “He didn’t even know he was doing it. It’s just one of the aftereffects of the healing.”
“So before that Larek guy told you who you used to be, you didn’t have any idea?” Hale asked.
Liz shook her head, “Ava told me that Max had changed me when he’d healed me, and I thought that meant I was becoming part alien but I didn’t even suspect I had lived another life.”
“So do you remember anything about being an alien Queen?” Hale asked.
“No,” Liz said, “I don’t remember anything. Max has a few memories. He remembers us meeting for the first time and he showed me the memory. It seemed familiar, but it doesn’t mean anything to me.”
“Are you even sure your memories are still there?” Hale asked. “Maybe they didn’t get reincarnated with you.”
Liz shrugged, “Serena thinks they probably did, but I guess we won’t know for sure unless I get a memory.”
Hale leaned forward. “But you have the same powers?”
“I have gotten a few prophetic dreams and we know I had that power in my other life, but we don’t know about anything else. No one remembers, and Serena didn’t know what powers we had.”
“But surely you’re in contact with someone on the planet who could tell you?” Hale asked.
Liz shook her head, “We’re really not. The communication orbs are dangerous to use because our enemies can track the signals and we don’t want to risk leading our enemies to our families and friends on Antar. A few times when we were desperate, we contacted Larek but none of us thinks it fair to use Brody like that.”
Hale nodded, “I guess you’re right, but aren’t you curious about what happened, about your life, your family?”
“Sure,” Liz said with a smile. “It’s okay though. We’re not in any hurry and eventually the memories will come back. We just have to be patient.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Wednesday, April 24th, 2002)
(Crashdown Café)
Max entered the café and crossed to meet Liz, who greeted him with a kiss.
“The usual?” she asked.
Max nodded and slid into a booth with Kyle. “I hear you’re not going to the Prom?”
Kyle shook his head, “I wouldn’t even know who to take.”
“What about Ava?” Max suggested. “I thought you two were getting close.”
Kyle shrugged, “I’m kind of Promed-out.”
“Yeah,” Max said sympathetically. “I guess you wouldn’t consider going with Serena. There’d be no pressure that way.”
Kyle was horrified. “What, on like a pity date?”
“No,” Max assured him. “Like on assignment. Hale and Isabel aren’t going, so I want Serena there for extra protection, but she can’t show up stag, it’s a semi-formal.”
Kyle smiled. “I appreciate the gesture Max, but we both know I’m next to useless in a real fight.”
Max shook his head. “You’re doing great at learning to control your powers and I trust you with my life.”
“Thanks, but I think you’d be better off with Ryan.” Kyle shrugged, “I just don’t think I’m up for it.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Friday, April 26th, 2002)
(Roswell Reception Center Ballroom)
(The Senior Prom)
Max and Liz stopped just inside the doors and Max squeezed her hand. “Here we are, the Senior Prom. I just can’t believe it’s all gone by so quickly.”
“I can’t either,” Liz agreed. “But it does mean that we are one step closer to really being together; living our lives together, never being separated.”
Max led them to a near-by table. “I want that more than anything Liz, but I don’t want you to feel you have to sacrifice your life for me. You’ve already given up going to Harvard or anywhere out of state for college.”
“Max,” Liz protested, “Serena can teach me more about chemistry and biology than I could ever learn at Harvard or anywhere else. College is just so unimportant, I don’t even feel like I’m making a choice. As far as I’m concerned there is no choice. You think we should stay in Roswell and I want to be with you. Everything else comes a very distance second. And now that my parents understand, it makes staying here easier, but even if everyone was completely against us, I’d do anything to be with you. I’d follow you to hell and back.”
Max smiled, “You amaze me every day, Liz Parker.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Valenti house)
Kyle answered the door and was surprised to see Ava. “What are you doing here?”
Ava shrugged. “I was bored since everyone else is at the dance, so I thought maybe we could watch a movie together.” She motioned to her bag. “I stopped by the video store and picked up a few.”
Kyle smiled and stepped aside to allow her to enter. “That sounds great. What’ve you got?”
Ava sank down onto the sofa and pulled the DVDs out of her bag. “Friday the 13th - the original, House on Haunted hill - the remake, Thirteen Ghosts - the remake, Evil Dead, and Aliens.”
Kyle raised his eyebrows at the last title.
Ava shrugged. “It’s still a good movie.”
Kyle smiled and they both started laughing.
“I’m glad you came,” Kyle said. “And you brought horror movies,” he said with a dramatic sigh. “A girl after my own heart.”
“Maybe.“ Ava smiled and suddenly closed the distance between them, pressing her lips to his, and just as suddenly sat back blushing.
The whole thing happened so quickly Kyle was shocked. “Could we try that again? he asked. “A little slower?”
Ava nodded. “I’d like that.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Liz smiled contentedly as she and Max swayed to the closing notes of the song. It had been a great night, better than she ever could have dreamed. "It's been a wonderful evening, Max."
Max leaned down and whispered into her ear, "It's not over yet. There’s one more song. I requested it because it says everything I feel for you.”
The DJ spoke into the mic, "This will be the last song of the evening and I have a special request. Max Evans asked that I dedicate this song to a very special girl, Liz Parker. So Max and Liz, here is your song."
Max enfolded Liz into his arms as the song started and they swayed in time to the soft strains of the music.
find me here and speak to me
I want to feel you, I need to hear you
you are the light that's leading me
to the place where I find peace
again
you are the strength that keeps me walking
you are the hope that keeps me trusting
you are the life to my soul
you are my purpose
you're everything
and how can I stand here with you and not be moved by you
would you tell me how could it be any better than this
you calm the storms and you give me rest
you hold me in your hands, you won't let me fall
you still my heart and you take my breath away
would you take me in
take me deeper now
and how can I stand here with you and not be moved by you
would you tell me how could it be any better than this
and how can I stand here with you and not be moved by you
would you tell me how could it be any better than this
'cause you're all I want, you're all I need, you're everything, everything
you're all I want, you're all I need, you're everything, everything
you're all I want, you're all I need, you're everything, everything
you're all I want, you're all I need, everything, everything
and how can I stand here with you and not be moved by you
would you tell me how could it be any better than this
and how can I stand here with you and not be moved by you
would you tell me how could it be any better than this
would you tell me how could it be any better than this
Liz had tears in her eyes as the song ended. "I love you so much, Max."
Max kissed her gently. "You are everything to me."
Their lips met for another kiss and it quickly deepened, causing the connection between them to slide into place. Max experienced the familiar rush of images from Liz, before one of her thoughts separated itself from the others. Max saw Liz’s fantasy of them together, bodies entwined, and the intensity of the emotions made him gasp.
He gently tried to extricate himself from her arms but she held him firmly. “Liz,” he started, but she cut him off.
“Max, I know we both said we’d wait for the right time, and I think we both know I’m the one holding us back.”
Max shook his head, “That’s not true, Liz. It wouldn’t be right for either of us until you’re ready.”
Liz took his face in her hands. “I’m ready Max and I want it to be tonight.” Liz smiled, “It seems like my whole life I’ve been waiting for this Max, for you, and I don’t want to wait any more.”
“We can’t,” Max said. “I want it to be perfect for you. I haven’t made any plans, haven’t prepared anything.”
“That’s why it will be perfect,” Liz said softly. She took his hand and led him to the door.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Michael led Maria out into the garden to a bench overlooking a pond. He fidgeted with his cufflink as he tried to remember the words he’d rehearsed.
“Um, Maria, I’ve been thinking, with Max and Liz probably getting married soon, maybe I should get a new place.”
Maria’s brow creased. “What do Max and Liz have to do with you getting a new place.”
Michael shook his head. “They don’t, well they do…” he trailed off. “Have you ever thought of getting a place of your own, not with your mother?”
“Well sure,” Maria admitted. “But we just moved in with the Valenti’s and I can’t really afford a place of my own.”
Michael scratched at his eyebrow. “I’m saying this all wrong. I had it all planned out but I can’t remember any of it.” He took her hand in his. “What I’m trying to say is, after we graduate, I want you to move in with me. We could get a new place together.”
“Really Michael?” Maria asked.
Michael smiled and nodded, “Yeah really.”
Maria squealed and threw her arms around his neck.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Evans House)
Max opened the door to his house and led Liz inside. “My parents are out of town and Isabel is out with Hale.”
Liz nodded but remained silent.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Max asked. “It’s only a month until graduation and I was planning to propose…”
Liz cut him off pressing her lips to his for a quick kiss. “I don’t want to wait Max. I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.”
Max nodded and they walked hand-in-hand to his room. He closed the door behind them and flipped on the radio. Turning back to Liz, he smiled as he took her in his arms. “Have I told you today how much I love you?”
Liz nodded, “You tell me every day in a thousand ways.”
Their lips met in a heated kiss as a new song started.
Listen as the wind blows
from across the great divide
voices trapped in yearning,
memories trapped in time
the night is my companion,
and solitude my guide
would I spend forever here and not be satisfied?
Max kissed a trail down Liz’s neck and she reveled in the sensations of being with him. She opened the connection wide between them and felt their souls eagerly rush together. There was nothing but the two of them and he filled her senses completely. She could feel Max’s emotions and hear his thoughts. They were already one, they had been since the first time Max had connected with her and she knew now, that being physically apart had changed nothing. This night, these feelings and actions were inevitable; they were written in the stars, they always had been.
And I would be the one
to hold you down
kiss you so hard
I'll take your breath away
and after, I'd wipe away the tears
just close your eyes dear
Liz unbuttoned Max’s shirt and slid her hands inside across his muscular chest, and Max shivered at the feeling of Liz’s hands on his skin.
And Liz gasped, as a rich blue light ignited from beneath Max’s skin, at her touch.
Max followed her gaze. Their eyes met and they both smiled and embraced tightly.
Through this world I've stumbled
so many times betrayed
trying to find an honest word
to find the truth enslaved
oh you speak to me in riddles
and you speak to me in rhymes
my body aches to breathe your breath
your words keep me alive
Max found the zipper on Liz’s dress and slowly pulled it down, caressing the satiny skin of her back. A soft golden glow followed his hand, as he lowered her dress to the floor.
And I would be the one
to hold you down
kiss you so hard
I'll take your breath away
and after, I'd wipe away the tears
just close your eyes dear
Max swept Liz up into his arms and gently laid her on his bed. He looked down into her face, touching her cheek.
"I love you Max,” Liz said, reaching up to him. “I have always loved you."
"I love you more than anything Liz, and I will continue to love you until the end of eternity," Max vowed in return, as he took possession of her lips.
Into this night I wander
it's morning that I dread
another day of knowing of
the path I fear to tread
oh into the sea of waking dreams
I follow without pride
nothing stands between us here
and I won't be denied
I won't be denied
and I would be the one
to hold you down
kiss you so hard
I'll take your breath away
and after, I'd wipe away the tears
just close your eyes...
As the song ended, Max protected the woman he loved, and their bodies united, forging a bond that joined their minds and souls. And they both knew nothing would ever come between them again.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Saturday, April 27th, 2002)
The sun coming in through the window woke Max and he opened his eyes. It only took him an instant to remember the glorious night he had spent with Liz in his arms. She was still beside him curled into his side, her head resting on his chest, and his arms still encircled her. He allowed his eyes to roam over her face. She was so beautiful.
He didn't want to wake her but he couldn't help himself and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. He thought she looked like an angel sleeping beside him.
"If you didn't want to wake me you shouldn't have done that," Liz murmured with a smile, her eyes still closed. She turned and snuggled closer into his chest, opening her eyes. "And there is no way I look like an angel. My hair must be sticking out all over the place."
"It's perfect," Max said, as he ran his fingers through her hair. "You are perfect." He brushed his lips against hers but suddenly drew back with a frown. "How do you know I thought you looked like an angel?"
Liz smiled, "Haven’t you noticed? Since we made love, our connection has gotten stronger. I can hear your thoughts even though we didn’t consciously open the connection. It seems to be there all the time now."
“Just like future Max told you.”
It’s like our souls joined together last night, Liz said.
Yeah, Max said. I felt that too. We were perfectly in sync, perfectly complete.
Liz touched his face, speaking through the bond, I can feel everything you’re feeling, hear all of your thoughts. Max it’s wonderful.
Max nodded, answering her the same way, Me too Liz, I can feel your love. And I can see why the other Max came back before it happened. We never could’ve given this up.
I wonder how far the connection will stretch? Liz asked.
Max smiled, Always Liz the scientist.
I heard that, she said with mock anger and brushed her lips against his.
Max trapped her head in his hands and deepened the kiss. I could get used to waking up like this.
Me too, Liz gasped, as Max trailed kisses down her throat.
Suddenly he drew back. But I’d better get you home before you parents skin us alive.
He started to get up but Liz reached out to him. Max wait. I told them we’d be out all night.
And they didn’t mind? Max asked incredulously.
It’s tradition Max, staying out all night on Prom night.
Oh, Max said as understanding dawned, so they don’t know we’re…
Liz rolled her eyes. Of course not.
Phew, Max teased. For a minute I was picturing your Dad at the end of shotgun on one side, and a minister on the other.
Liz hit him playfully with a pillow and Max trapped her in his arms. But as long as your Dad isn’t loading up the buck shot… Max let the sentence trail off as he lowered his head, capturing Liz’s lips in a searing kiss.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The sound of the Jeep starting, jolted Isabel out of her dream, and realizing she was home, she instantly relaxed.
She’d tried everything she could think of to get rid of the dreams, warm milk, sleeping pills, even dream walking other people but nothing seemed to work. Every day the images seemed to get a little more clear and she was afraid that soon the memories would come crashing through to her consciousness.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
As Max drove home from Liz’s house, he couldn’t help but wonder at the difference in the experiences he’d had with Liz and Tess.
With Liz it had been wonderful. The physical sensations were more than he had ever imagined but the emotional bond, the love they shared, made the experience almost spiritual. It was as if not only their bodies had joined, but their hearts, minds and souls. He’d felt complete in a way he’d never imagined existed.
With Tess it had been all physical, almost painfully so. Even at the time, Max had mourned the lack of emotional connection but he hadn’t cared enough to stop. He had never fooled himself into thinking he loved Tess, and the bond had not been between them, their encounter had simply been about dulling his pain.
And not only had the emotional experience been different but the physical sensations he’d experienced with Tess were notably different. It had been like some strange dream. He’d felt like he was floating, while bolts of energy shot through him, sometimes pleasurable, but some on the edge of pain. And he’d collapsed afterward, feeling completely drained, like he had run a marathon.
Serena had told him Liz had been healed long enough ago that she was surely a complete hybrid by now, so Max immediately ruled out the human factor. He tried to think back to the night with Tess and sort through what might have been different, but like the other times he had tried to focus on the events of that evening, things just became more fuzzy.
The drumming of his fingers on the steering wheel caught his eye and then suddenly the answer came to him; Tess had used her powers to enhance his experience with her. She’d tried to use the pleasurable experience of sex to bind him more closely to her, but she didn’t know what a man experienced and she’d gotten it wrong. It was like she had tried to recreate what someone had told her.
Suddenly Max felt sick and he pulled the Jeep to the side of the road, fearing he would throw up. He stumbled out of the Jeep and fell to his knees but his empty stomach simply dry heaved.
After a moment Max got up and back into his Jeep. He hated keeping anything from Liz, but every time they were together Max carefully shielded from Liz the night he’d spent with Tess. And his new discovery was something, he swore to himself, that Liz never needed to know.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Crashdown Cafe)
"Good morning," Liz called out to Maria as she came down the stairs into the back room of the restaurant.
Maria paused and she studied her friend. Liz was almost glowing. "You and Max bolted from the dance last night without even a goodbye. Okay, what happened girlfriend?"
Liz blushed, "Well, we, um..." she let the sentence trail off.
Maria suddenly brightened, "Liz, you and Max didn't..."
Liz nodded.
"Tell me all about it!"
"Maria," Liz intoned exasperatedly.
"Okay, okay not everything but..." she paused for a moment and then nodded her head, "Yeah, everything."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Harding House)
Serena opened the door, surprised to see Max and Liz but with a wave of her hand, she motioned them inside. “Come in.”
“Um,” Max started nervously, “we need to talk to you about something.”
“Of course,” Serena said, “anything. Have a seat.”
Max and Liz took a seat and looked at one another with a smile and then back at Serena.
“The thing is,” Max said, “last night Liz and I, um, we, um, made love for the first time and now we have this connection that’s there all the time.”
Serena gasped, “You have a permanent bond. That’s very rare even on our planet.”
Max nodded, “We’ve had a bit of a connection since I healed Liz but we had to be touching to activate it. We suspected that’s the reason Liz can project to me longer than anyone else.”
“You are undoubtedly right,” Serena nodded and suddenly and idea occurred to her. “How much longer can Liz project to you?”
“We’ve never really tested how long,” Max said. “But she doesn’t get tired when she projects to me, like she does with everyone else.”
Serena leaned forward. “It is said, in rare cases, a couple with a bond can share energy through the connection.”
Liz nodded, “That makes sense. I don’t get tired because I’m sharing Max’s energy.”
“When we next go to practice, we should test the theory,” Serena suggested.
Liz looked at Serena. “Did we have a bond before, on Antar?”
Serena shook her head, “I don’t know. Such things are considered private, and I was not taken into your confidence.”
Liz continued, “I was just reminded of that passage in the book.” She turned to Max, “Remember, it said something about Zan and Ava didn’t need a crystal to use the Granolith. They could connect with it. Maybe that was because they had a bond.”
Max nodded, “I remember. The book also said to consult the Granolith in time of turmoil. Does that mean anything to you, Serena?”
“I knew you could communicate with the Granolith directly and I remember the two of you used to spend time together in the Granolith room, but I never knew what you were doing.” Serena focused on Liz, “One time you asked me about the nature of the Granolith. I thought it was strange because you had read everything ever written about it.”
“And what do you think now?” Liz asked.
“I wonder if you saw something the rest of us missed.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Tuesday, April 31st, 2002)
(Roswell UFO Museum)
Max walked into Brody’s office. “Hey Brody, how’s it going?”
Brody remained silent and Max crossed to him, looking over his shoulder at the computer screen Brody was studying. “Brody?’
Brody jumped. “Oh, hi Max.”
Max motioned to the computer screen. “What’s so interesting?”
Brody shook his head, “Nothing.”
“Nothing,” Max echoed blandly.
“Nothing,” Brody said with a sigh. “When I first came here there was a lot of activity. It was very exciting and I thought I was really on to something, but it’s been quiet for months. It’s just disappointing. I had hoped to make some real breakthroughs here.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Wednesday, May 1st, 2002)
(The Quarry)
Max watched as Liz stopped at the far rim of the quarry, and as Serena instructed, he concentrated on strengthening the connection between them. The connection was always there now, like a piece of them that always resided with the other. Strong emotions were automatically passed between them but they had to concentrate a little to hear or send thoughts.
As the connection strengthened, their minds and souls slid eagerly together, and for a moment Max was overwhelmed by the emotions. He wanted everyone around them to disappear so he and Liz could lose themselves in the perfect union of souls their connection allowed.
Max could feel that Liz wanted it too and for a moment, he let them bask in the sensations as his soul brushed against her’s, but then he reluctantly concentrated on the task at hand. And with considerable effort on both their parts, they kept the connection from completing itself.
Max focused on allowing his power to merge with Liz’s and felt the sudden rush of her energy entering him. He held out a hand and produced his shield and pushed it forward toward a group of rocks, using just a tiny portion of the power. The shield collided with the rocks and they exploded into a shower of dust.
Wow, Liz said with a gasp, through the connection, that was a rush. I could feel everything you did.
Serena was right, Max said. Together our powers are more than twice what they are separately.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Saturday, May 11th, 2002)
(Copper Summit, AZ)
Nicholas arrived at their love nest at the same time as Lonni, and he allowed his eyes to take in the sight of her. She was a beautiful woman and it was a shame he couldn’t keep her.
Khivar had allowed him to share some minor, useless information with her to keep her satisfied that he was upholding his end of the bargain to include her in their plans. Nicholas had given her a few tidbits but he had not allowed her on the ship again. He suspected she had only been on the ship that evening to steal the Granolith, but of course he didn’t have any proof. He had suggested to Khivar that he simply take the information from her mind but Khivar wanted to keep her on their side as long as possible.
Nicholas couldn’t fault Khivar’s tactics. His master always tried to cover every possibility and usually everything turned out just as he had planned.
Nicholas certainly didn’t fault the perks of this plan either. Nicholas watched Lonni approach and pulled her into his arms, kissing her hard. He backed them into the house and with a flip of his hand closed the door behind them.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Rath stood in the shadows of the house across the street. He’d discovered back in February that Lonni was sleeping with Nicholas and it really hadn’t surprised him. Lonni would do anything to get what she wanted.
Lonni had her secrets and he had his. Rath smiled. She would get the shock of her life if she ever found out the truth.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Max stood beneath Liz's balcony and waited until the light in her room went on, then he reached out for her with his mind. Liz.
Liz heard his call and answered immediately. Max, where are you?
Can't you tell? he teased.
Liz could feel his smile through the connection and reached out with her mind. She couldn't tell precisely where he was but she knew he was near. I don't know exactly, but close.
Suddenly it was if the connection between them came into focus and she got a flash of the alley beneath her balcony. Max what just happened? It was like I saw through your eyes.
I was concentrating on strengthening the bond. I guess it worked.
Max, I love being this close to you.
So do I, he answered, as he climbed her ladder. We share a part of each other that no one else can touch.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Wednesday, May 15th, 2002)
(Copper Summit, AZ)
Tess left the ship and walked toward the Crawford house. Nicholas had insisted she stay there since the incident with Lonni and Rath in the woods, and Tess had to admit that she was glad. She felt much safer under Nicholas protection. No one came near her as she progressed down the street, probably at Nicholas’ command, she thought to herself. Her stomach bulged painfully and her slow, waddling gate stressed her already aching back.
As she passed the next building, Rath detached himself from the shadows and fell into stride next to her. “How’s the kid?”
“Fine,” Tess said suspiciously.
Rath motioned to her stomach. “He sure is getting big. How much longer?”
“The stupid healer doesn’t even know. He said maybe another month or two.” She sighed, “My back will break before that. If I’d known what I was getting into, I would have found another way to get Max off the planet.”
“Yeah?” Rath asked.
“I’ve got all the human pregnancy symptoms, but worse and longer, plus my powers have been erratic.” She shook her head, “I should have made the baby a mind warp too.”
“But you couldn’t risk that,” Rath said. “Max might have broken it.”
Tess nodded, “Yeah, I couldn’t risk that. But it will be worth it. In the end, I’ll get everything I want. Max will never leave his son. This baby will tie us together forever.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Max turned off his phone and turned to Liz. “That was Rath. He said the doctors think it might be another month or two before my son is born.”
Liz took his hand. “And everything is okay with the baby?”
Max nodded, looking down. “He’s healthy.”
“That’s good Max.”
“Yeah,” Max said softly.
“Max,” Liz said insistently, to get his attention. He turned to her and she continued, “We’ll get him back. We won’t stop until we do.”
Max smiled and nodded, “Thanks Liz.”
Liz shook her head. “You never have to thank me for accepting your son. He’s a part of you and I love everything about you.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Friday, May 24th, 2002)
(West Roswell High School)
Liz found Max at his locker and slipped her arm into his, placing a quick kiss on his cheek. “Hi.”
Max entwined his fingers with hers, smiling. “Hi yourself.”
Liz leaned into him, “My parents left this morning. They’re spending the weekend in Albuquerque to buy new equipment for the Crashdown.”
“Is that right?” Max asked.
Liz nodded. “So I think this is the perfect opportunity to do some experiments with our connection.”
Max smiled, “What kind of experiments?”
Liz smiled, “Well I’m sure you’ve noticed that it’s getting stronger. And haven’t you felt every time we concentrate that the bond wants to be completed?”
“Yeah,” Max said. “I can feel our souls yearning to come together. It gets very distracting because all I want to do is lose myself in you.”
Liz nodded, “I feel the same way and it’s getting harder to control. That’s why I think we need to be alone so we can learn to control it better.”
Max nodded, with mock seriousness. “Anything to advance the cause of science.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Buckley Point)
Kyle held Ava gently as he kissed her. She seemed so small and delicate, he was almost afraid she would break in his arms.
He trailed kisses down her exposed throat and suddenly a rush of images deluged him.
Surprised, he broke the kiss and sat back. “What the hell was that?”
Ava laughed, “Flashes. Haven’t you ever gotten them before?”
Kyle shook his head, “No, do you?”
“Every time I kiss you,” Ava said. “It’s common among our people.”
Kyle nodded, accepting her casual statement, but inside he was unsettled because it was the first time he had ever really realized that he was changing. Of course the others had told him, and he was developing powers, but he never seriously thought about how he was changing.
“It’s okay,” Ava assured him, “it doesn’t make you a freak.”
“How did you…” he trailed off. “You saw that in the flashes?”
“Yeah,” Ava said. “I saw other stuff too. Things that Tess did to you.”
Kyle shook his head, “You shouldn’t have to see that.”
“You loved her,” Ava said.
Kyle shrugged, “It didn’t matter to her. I’m sure you’ve seen that too. She used all of us.”
Ava nodded, “Don’t you worry that I’m just like her? Don’t you ever get us confused? Maybe you’re just attracted to me because of her.”
“No,” Kyle said surprised. “At first I wondered about that. You may look alike but that’s where the similarity ends. You’re totally different people.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Parker House – Liz’s room)
Max reclined on Liz’s bed, holding her in his arms. Her head rested on his chest and Max could smell the fresh, clean scent of her hair. And even though the connection wasn’t fully open, Max could feel his soul yearning to touch hers.
“Ready?” Liz asked.
Max nodded and loosed his tight control on their connection. In his mind, he saw it as a delicate, golden thread that ran from himself to Liz, and as the bond opened completely between them, the thread became a shining, flowing river.
The familiar rush of images and emotions deluged him, and he once again felt the pull of Liz’s soul. Without hesitation he let his soul slide into place with Liz’s, rejoicing at the sensations caused by the completion. They were whole, one being, with no separation.
How long they basked in the joining, neither of them knew. Time seemed to hold no meaning. Thoughts and feelings passed between them without censure and they never wanted it to end.
In his mind, Max suddenly caught a glimpse of his night with Tess. Immediately Max closed off that part of his mind and separated his soul from Liz’s, so she wouldn’t be subjected to his memories. He could feel Liz’s surprise at the abrupt separation but he didn’t have a choice.
But since the memory of that night had been loosed, Max couldn’t seem to banish it. It tumbled around in his mind growing clearer with each moment. He experienced the pain he’d felt that night, the loneliness, the confusion, and then for the first time, he felt the thread of Tess’ power.
Tess, Liz gasped in his mind.
Max was horrified that their connection was still open and he ruthlessly slammed down a barrier, shutting Liz out. He jumped off the bed with wide eyes, attempting to put distance between them and he shook his head, not believing what he had just remembered.
“I saw it all Max,” Liz gasped.
Liz got off the bed and walked toward Max but he backed away, not wanting her to touch him and possibly see more. “Stay away, Liz, please.”
Liz took a step closer. “You didn’t want to sleep with Tess, she used her power to manipulate you.”
Max wrapped his arms around himself, shaking his head.
Liz held out her hand. “It’s okay Max. It actually explains a lot. I could see how Tess built up layers of the mind warps on you over weeks. She started to guide the memories you recovered, manipulating your emotions to make you think you had feelings for her, and used them to make you kiss her at the prom. Then she used your own feelings of frustration and loneliness against you, turning them to anger, making you lash out at Isabel and me, to separate you from us. And that n-night,” Liz faltered, but struggled against her outrage to regain her composure. “The night you were together was the culmination of her plan, and she forced you to want her.”
Tears started in Max’s eyes and ran down his face as he pressed his hands to his head and sank to the floor.
Liz ran to Max, falling to her knees before him, and enfolded him in her arms.
Max wrapped his arms tightly around Liz. “I should have known. I should have been able to stop her.”
“How could you stop her, Max?” Liz asked. “In your mind, I could see that some part of you knew it was wrong and was trying to fight her. But Tess has been using her powers for much longer, and she is quite proficient, especially with her lies.”
Max shook his head. “My son was conceived in that tangle of lies, that rape,” Max spat. “No child should ever be brought into the world that way.”
“He’ll never know,” Liz said determinedly, hugging Max tighter. “We’ll get him back and love him as if he were our own.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Saturday, May 25th, 2002)
(The Harding House)
Ava took a seat across from Max and Liz. “So what did you want to talk about?”
“We were wondering if you could help us Ava,” Liz started. “We need to be able to see through Tess’ mind warps.”
“You have that power too,” Max said. “Can you tell us anything?”
Ava nodded, “Lonni, Rath and Zan were all able to see through my mind warps since we were just kids. My abilities are not nearly as powerful as theirs. Rath used to call me retarded because I couldn’t compete with them.”
“But how did they do it?” Max asked.
“Zan told me that everyone’s power had a certain feel and he could tell who power belonged to,” Ava said. “I think that’s how he and the others knew. I think they could feel me using my powers.
“Why can’t we do that?” Max asked.
“I’m sure you can,” Ava said. “You haven’t been developing your powers since day one out of the pods, but we have. Once you get strong enough, you’ll be able to do everything we could, and probably a lot more.”
Liz touched Max’s arm. “I think I know what Ava means. When we were connected yesterday, I knew Tess had mind warped you. It just felt like her.”
Ava nodded, “That’s it. You have to learn to recognize what her power feels like and then you can overcome it.”
“Will you help us?” Liz asked.
Ava smiled, glad to be useful, “Sure.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Wednesday, May 28th, 2002)
(The Evans House)
Max sat on his bed and glanced at the clock. It was after midnight and Isabel still wasn’t home. She had skipped practice again and when he’d called her, she’d simply said she was with Hale.
He’d discussed the situation with Liz several times and she had tried to reassure him that Isabel just needed some time, but Max could almost feel his sister slipping away.
Finally there was a flash of headlights and the sound of a motor in the driveway. Max heard the front door close and he stepped out into the hallway to wait for his sister.
Isabel didn’t see him in the dark at first, and jumped went he stepped forward. “Max, you scared me.”
“We need to talk,” he said softly.
Isabel rolled her eyes and tried to push past him. “It’s late.”
“I’m worried about you,” Max said. “You’ve been skipping practice and avoiding us to hang out with Hale.”
Isabel shook her head, “Don’t drag him into this just because you don’t like him.”
Max held up his hands. “I don’t have anything against Hale. He seems like a nice guy. I’m just worried you won’t be ready if we get attacked again.”
Isabel sighed, “I am so tired of all of this. I just want to live a normal life.”
“I want that too,” Max said. “I would love to go to college and marry Liz and settle down like normal people, but I don’t think Khivar and the skins are going to let us.”
“I know you and Liz gave up going to your dream colleges,” Isabel said. “We’ve all given up things, including four mornings a week for the last year. And where has it gotten us?”
“We were able to survive the attack,” Max pointed out, “and the more we practice the more powerful we become.”
Isabel nodded, “I know you’re right. But doesn’t it ever worry you that we’re all being pushed toward this destiny none of us really want?”
“It seems like that to me sometimes too,” Max admitted, “but none of us have to make any decisions about accepting responsibilities or going back to our planet yet. And I’m certainly not going to try to force anyone to do anything they don’t want. I’m just trying to keep us all alive.”
“You mean like when you forced me to stay in town when I wanted to go to college?” Isabel asked sarcastically.
“I’ve apologized for that,” Max said. “It won’t happen again.”
“I know, I’m sorry too.” She shook her head, “I just need some time to decide who I am and what I want to do.”
Max smiled, “That’s what Liz said.”
Isabel’s eyebrows rose, “Well little brother, you should have listened to her.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Friday, May 31st, 2002)
(Graduation)
(Crashdown Café)
“Just move a little closer together. Hold it.” Jeff snapped another picture of the graduates displaying their diplomas. “Perfect.” He motioned to the buffet laid out. “Okay everyone dig in, it is a party.”
Liz wrapped her arms around her mother and father. “Thanks Mom, Dad, for the party. The decorations look great,” she said motioning to the blow-up alien dolls dressed in caps and gowns.”
Jeff coughed. “It’s not too much, considering…” he trailed off. “It’s what I would normally do, but now that I know about you guys I thought maybe it was distasteful, but then I wondered if people would notice if I didn’t use aliens and wonder about that.”
Liz laughed, “Dad, it’s fine. It is the business.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Amy hugged Maria. “I can’t believe that my little girl is all grown up.” She lowered her voice, “And looking for an apartment with her alien boyfriend.”
Maria rolled her eyes, “I thought you were okay with it, Mom.”
“I know,” Amy said. “It’s just hard to see you as anything other than my baby. But if it had to happen, I’m glad it was with Michael. You two seem to be good for one another.”
Maria kissed her cheek, “Thanks Mom. But you know we won’t have much money, so unless we want to eat Crashdown food every day, you can probably expect us for dinner a few times a week.”
Amy laughed, “It’s a date.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Gloria hugged Alex, and Chuck patted him on the back. “Those awards for your computer work were really impressive. You could probably get into just about any college you wanted.”
Alex nodded, “Maybe, but I think I’ll stick close to home for now.” He noticed that his mother relaxed. “I can always change my mind and go away later.”
“Of course,” Gloria said. “You have all the time in the world.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Kyle finished filling his plate and took a seat with Ryan and Sean. “No one was surprised that Liz was the Valedictorian and won like every academic award possible. She’s been headed that way since kindergarten, and Max was never far behind, but Michael being honored as the most improved student.” he shook his head, “you could have knocked me over with a feather.”
Ryan spoke up, “I was surprised to discover Michael was an indifferent student. In his other life, Michael was known for his expertise in history and military tactics.”
“Michael?” Sean asked with a laugh.
Ryan nodded, “Many consider him a genius.”
Sean and Kyle looked at one another and dissolved into laughter.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Philip put his arm around Max’s shoulder. “Your mother and I are really proud of you, son. Honor roll and the President’s academic award, on top of everything else. That’s a real accomplishment.”
“Thanks Dad,” Max said.
“We wanted to give you something for you graduation but you already have a car and all that money in the bank.” He lowered his voice. “We weren’t really sure what to get the young King of another planet. But then your mother pointed out that you were still our son, and the same Max we had known for years.”
He slipped an envelope from his pocket. “We gave Isabel the same amount when she graduated and we know you have money but we wanted to help with your future, whatever that may be.”
Diane smiled, “We want you to know how much we love you and that we will support you in anything you do. You can depend on us for whatever you need. And we know you are probably thinking about your future with Liz and we want to tell you how happy we are about it. Even before we knew about your past, I thought Liz was really good for you.”
Max smiled, “Thanks Mom. I am having a ring made,” he admitted. “I was planning to propose next weekend.”
“Can you at least make it a long engagement?” Diane asked, tears starting in her eyes. “I’m not ready to lose you yet.”
Max hugged her. “You’ll never lose me Mom, I promise.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Maria pulled Michael into a kiss. “I’m so proud of you.”
Michael shrugged, “It’s really no big deal. I just showed up for class and did a little homework.’
Maria shook her head, “It is a big deal and you should be proud.”
Michael smiled, “Thanks.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Alex took a seat next to Isabel. “So this is how it feels to be a graduate.”
Isabel smiled, “Not much different huh?”
“No,” Alex sighed. “I thought it would be some liberating, life-altering event, and in a way it has been, but now I just feel like a really small fish in a really big ocean.”
Isabel nodded, “I know what you mean. Sometimes it’s just overwhelming.”
Alex looked at her closely. “Is that why you’ve been skipping practice because you feel overwhelmed?”
Isabel turned to him in surprise. “I really don’t want to talk about this, Alex. It’s my life, my choice.”
Alex nodded, “Yeah, it is…”
Isabel cut him off, whispering fiercely, “At least you admit that much. Alex, I thought you were my friend but here you are criticizing me just like Max and Michael.”
Alex shook his head, “No one is criticizing you. We just want to make sure that you’re okay.”
“So Max ordered you to come over here and talk to me?”
Alex shook his head again, “Of course not. I thought as friends we could talk about anything.”
Isabel got up. “I’m sick of everyone talking about how I should live my life.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Jim took Kyle into a quiet corner. “A few years ago, no one could have predicted how this has all turned out.”
Kyle nodded, “A few years ago my biggest goal in life was a profession baseball career, but it’s funny how things change. Now I see things in a larger context. The Buddha says, know well what leads you forward, and what holds you back, and choose the path that leads to wisdom.”
“And what path are you choosing?” Jim asked.
Kyle smiled, “I’m still not really sure, but I thought I would take a few classes in the fall at the community college, while I try to make up my mind.” He shrugged, “Maybe I’ll major in eastern philosophy.”
He caught the surprised look on his father’s face before Jim could mask it, and laughed. “Just kidding, Dad.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Alex, Maria and Liz hugged.
“The three musketeers made it through intact,” Maria said.
“Even if it was in doubt for a while,” Alex reminded them.
“Yeah,” Liz said, “but we promised each other we’d always be friends and we should have known Alex wouldn’t break his promise.”
“So we’re all headed to the community college in the fall,” Alex said. “I thought we would be scattered to the far corners of the Earth but we’ll all still be together.”
Maria nodded, “One big, happy, Czechoslovakian family.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Saturday, June 1st, 2002)
(Hale’s House)
Hale threaded his fingers through Isabel’s hair as he kissed her thoroughly. Over the months, they had spent a lot of time on the sofa making-out but tonight he felt there was something different. Isabel had been restless all evening and finally he pulled away. “What’s wrong?”
She shook her head, “It’s just Max. He’s trying to run my life.”
Hale put his arm around her, settling her into his side. “Is this about the missed practices?”
“Yeah, that and other stuff too. He’s worried about me and I get that, but I am my own person and I can’t live my life for him.”
Hale nodded, “So what do you want to do with you life?”
“I’m not sure,” Isabel admitted, “but I want to figure it out for myself.”
“What if we go away for the weekend, just the two of us?” he suggested. “No pressure, no expectations, we’ll just have a good time.”
Isabel smiled. She had always been the one to dictate how far their relationship had progressed and Hale had always respected her wishes. He was always there, always supportive and she loved him. Suddenly she didn’t want to wait any longer.
Isabel reached out to touch his handsome face and then leaned in initiating a heated kiss. She started to unbutton his shirt he pulled back, studying her face, “Isabel?”
Isabel smiled, “I’ve made one decision about my life, Hale. I don’t want to wait to be together anymore.”
Hale shook his head, “Are you sure? I don’t want you to rush into anything.”
She nodded, “I love you, and I’m ready.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Copper Summit, AZ)
The healer rushed into Nicholas’ office without waiting for permission to enter.
Nicholas was about to chastise him, but he didn’t get a chance to speak.
The healer blurted out his news. “Tess is in labor.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Hale’s Room)
Isabel lay in the curve of Hale’s body, her head next to his heart, his arms wrapped tightly around her. Gently he stroked her arm that lay across his chest, and she could hear the steady beat of his heart. Isabel had never felt so loved in her life, so much like she belonged, and she sighed with contentment.
A rush of images had filled her mind as their bodies had joined but she had pushed them aside, only wanting to concentrate on Hale and the moment. But now the images started to filter into her consciousness.
She saw different images of Hale and herself together, dancing, talking, kissing, walking in a garden. Isabel smiled, glad that she was on his mind as much as he was on hers.
The next image showed them walking at night near a beach, and for a moment Isabel was confused. She had never been to a beach with Hale and she wondered if it was a fantasy of his.
She continued to watch as the scene unfolded. Hale touched her face and leaned in for a kiss but Isabel watched herself back away, shaking her head. Hale advanced and took her in his arms, pulling her closer, capturing her lips in a kiss.
The events seemed so familiar and suddenly Isabel knew why. It was because she had lived them, but not in this life.
She sat up with wide eyes and looked into the face of the man she had given herself to, the man she loved more than anything, and whispered fiercely, “Khivar!”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Sunday, June 2nd, 2002)
(Copper Summit, AZ)
Tess cradled the baby in her arms protectively, as Nicholas stepped closer.
He looked at the newborn with mild interest. It appeared human, with a small sprinkling of blond hair and large blue eyes. “So much trouble for such a small thing,” he said dismissively and turned his gaze to Tess. “By tradition the father names the child but since the once and future King isn’t here, I guess it’s up to you.”
Tess nodded. “Also by tradition, the Tageonant heir is given a form of the name Zan,” she said, “and I’m sure Max wouldn’t want me to break that tradition. So I am naming our son after Max’s illustrious ancestor who brought peace to Antar and formed the council, the first King of Antar, Zantas Tageonant.”
Nicholas rolled his eyes. “Yeah, whatever.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Evans House – Isabel’s Room)
Isabel stumbled into her room, closed the door behind her and sank down onto the floor. Somehow she had managed to reassure Khivar she still loved him and had left him quickly afterward, claiming that her parents would expect her home.
The shaking had started once she was in her car, a reaction of her discovery, and even now she couldn’t calm herself. She thought of calling Max to see if he could ease the tension from her muscles but quickly discarded the idea. She would have to tell him what happened and she didn’t even want to think about it herself.
Even though she hadn’t meant to, she had betrayed her brother once again by falling in love and sleeping with their greatest enemy. All the way home, Isabel thought the discovery of Hale’s true identity would kill her feelings for him, but they were as strong as ever.
Suddenly she got to her feet and looked around her room, desperate to do something and her eyes fell on a letter from her grandparents. Once again they had invited her to spend part of her summer vacation with them and Isabel saw it as the perfect solution. She needed to get away, just for a few days, and figure out what she was going to do.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Evans House)
Diane opened the front door to Hale’s smiling face.
“Mrs. Evans,” Hale greeted, “how nice to see you. May I speak with Isabel?”
Diane was somewhat surprised to see Hale. When Isabel had come to her that morning, practically begging to go to San Diego to visit her grandparents, Diane had assumed something had happened between Isabel and Hale. “I’m sorry Hale, you just missed her. Max is driving her to the airport.”
“What?” Hale asked.
Diane nodded, “I thought you must have had a disagreement for Isabel to leave so quickly.”
Hale used a small burst of power to lull Diane into a semi-trance. “Where is Isabel going?”
“San Diego,” Diane answered in a monotone voice.
“What did Isabel tell you?”
“Only that she needed to get away for a few days.”
“How long ago did she and Max leave?”
“Just a few minutes,” Diane said, “but the plane doesn’t leave for more than an hour.”
Hale released her from the trance. “Thank you for your help, Mrs. Evans.”
“Of course,” Diane said, still somewhat stunned.
Hale walked back to his car, dialing the number to his mansion’s guesthouse, where his servants were stationed. “Meet me at the Roswell airport by the back gate,” he ordered, “bring the van and make sure to match the uniforms of the airport workers.”
“Damn it,” he swore as he hung up. Isabel had been shocked to discover his true identity and now he could see that he’d made a mistake in letting her leave his house. He should have followed his instincts and insisted they talk before he let her go home. But his more tender feelings had prevailed. He had just been so happy to be with her again and he wanted to give her some time to come to terms with the new step in their relationship. And obviously, Isabel had been more freaked out than she had let him see.
He got in the car and pressed another series of buttons. “Nicholas, get Gragras on the phone, now!”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Parker House)
Liz awoke with a bit of a headache, a consequence of the strange dreams she’d had.
There had been images of an airplane, sounds of a crying baby and feelings of betrayal mixed with more things she couldn’t remember, fleeting pictures and confused emotions.
She had a slight feeling of discomfort in her stomach but it didn’t really concern her and she wondered if she was coming down with the flu. Padding into the kitchen, she greeted her parents and took a seat at the table.
“Want some eggs?” her mother asked.
“No,” Liz said, shaking her head. “I feel a little funky. I think I’ll just stick with some orange juice and toast.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Roswell Airport)
Max hugged Isabel at the gate. “I’ll miss you, even if it is only for a few days.”
Isabel smiled. “No you won’t. You’ll be too wrapped up in Liz to even notice I’m gone,” she teased.
Max released her. “Mom thinks you and Hale must have had a fight for you to leave so suddenly. Did something happen?”
Isabel paled but shook her head. “No nothing like that. I just want to get away, that’s all.”
Max nodded, “Okay, have a good time.”
Isabel smiled and headed for the door. It was only a short walk across the tarmac to the propeller plane that would take her to San Diego, and she was the last one aboard. Sinking down into her seat, she sighed with relief, glad to finally be by herself.
Max watched from the terminal as the plane’s door closed and it readied for take-off. He could see Isabel through the window until the plane taxied away from the building.
Max knew something was wrong with his sister, but if Isabel wouldn’t tell him, he couldn’t force her. Even though she had denied it, he was sure something had happened between her and Hale to make her leave so suddenly. He just hoped the time away would do her some good.
He watched as the plane stopped, waiting for take-off permission and after a handful of minutes it started down the runway, building speed before finally launching itself into the air. The plane started to climb, and still worried about Isabel, Max decided to call her when she arrived.
He was about to turn away when the plane burst into a fireball, as an explosion ripped through it. For a moment Max was in shock and stood gaping unbelievably at the horrifying scene, but as the flaming pieces started to rain down, the reality of the situation cut through him like a knife. “Isabel!”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Parker House)
The sudden pain in her chest nearly knocked Liz off of her chair and she grabbed at her heart gasping, trying to breathe past it.
Instantly her mother and father were at her side, “What’s wrong? Liz are you okay?”
“It’s Max,” she gasped. “Something’s wrong with Max.” She tried to get up, “I’ve got to go to him.”
Jeff held her down, still concerned, “Where is Max, at home?”
Liz concentrated on Max, trying to contact him through their connection but his shields were firmly in place. “I can’t…” Liz shook her head and the answer came to her. “He’s at the airport. Please Dad, can I borrow the car? I’ve got to go. Max needs me.”
Nancy and Jeff looked at one another with a brief nod.
“Okay,” Nancy said, “but your father is driving. You’re in no condition.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Roswell Airport)
With a shaking hand, Max pressed the buttons on his cell phone and when his father answered, he nearly burst into tears.
“Dad,” he said, barely recognizing his own voice. “Isabel…” he trailed off as his voice deserted him.
“Max,” Philip said. “What’s wrong?”
Max cleared his thickening throat. “Isabel’s plane exploded.”
Max heard the sound of the phone hitting the floor and hushed voices. Then all he heard were his mother’s cries.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Jeff followed Liz through the winding passageways of the airport as she unerringly ran straight to Max.
He was huddled in a chair, weeping softly and without a word Liz wrapped him in her arms. Together they sank onto the floor, holding one another, crying.
Jeff felt awkward witnessing the intimate scene and looked around only to notice that others in the area were also crying. He approached an airport employee with a sick feeling in his stomach. “What happened?”
“Flight 403 to San Diego exploded on take-off,” the man said grimly. He shook his head. “Twenty-four passengers, no possibility of survivors.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Evans House)
Nancy came down the stairs slowly and stopped at the bottom to talk to Jeff. “Diane took a sedative and she’s asleep but I’m worried about Philip. He’s just sitting, staring out the window.”
Jeff nodded, “Let’s just leave him for a while.”
“What about Max?” Nancy asked.
“He and Liz are together in his room. It seems to help him just to have Liz there.”
Nancy looked into the living room where Michael, Serena, Ava and Maria were gathered with the Sheriff and Kyle. “What are they up to?”
“Michael seems to think Isabel’s death wasn’t an accident. He thinks it was the skins. He wanted to go to Copper Summit and get revenge but Maria and Jim are talking him down.”
Nancy shook her head, “I can’t believe they would kill Isabel. She’s just an innocent girl.”
“Yeah,” Jeff agreed, “but she is Max’s sister and possibly in line for the throne.”
“So do you agree with Michael that it wasn’t an accident?” Nancy asked.
Jeff shrugged, “I don’t want to believe it, because if it’s true that could mean Liz is in danger too.”
A sudden thought occurred to Nancy, “Has anyone called Hale? Diane said he was here this morning and she was worried about him.”
“Jim tried,” Jeff said, “but we couldn’t get a hold of him.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Liz lay beside Max on his bed, their arms wrapped around one another. Max held her tightly as if he were afraid she would disappear. At her urging, Max lowered his shields and she experienced the full weight of his sorrow.
The strong emotions rushed between them and the connection slid fully into place, bringing their souls into alignment. The complete union didn’t allow for anything to be held back and gradually they both found a small amount of comfort.
I can’t believe she’s gone, Max said through the connection.
I know, Liz said, it all seems so impossible.
As Liz’s thoughts filtered through his mind, Max focused on one. You had a dream about this last night.
Liz was filled with guilt as she remembered the dream. I’d forgotten. She suddenly felt sick. If I would have warned you. Oh Max, this is all my fault.
No, Max denied instantly. I won’t let you blame yourself. Every dream you have isn’t necessarily a prophecy. You didn’t even have any bad feelings associated with it.
I thought maybe I was coming down with something, Liz admitted, but that’s stupid. I can’t get sick any more. If I would have paid more attention to the dream, maybe I could have done something.
Liz, I can see what you remember,” Max said, “and it’s all really vague. Isabel isn’t even in it and you didn’t know she was getting on a plane.
But, Liz started, only to have Max send a burst of love through the connection, soothing her worries.
It isn’t your fault, he assured her. I don’t know how you get anything out of those dreams at all, if they’re all like that one.
Liz brought the dream into focus and it suddenly became stronger, clearer.
What just happened? Max asked.
I think the connection is doing it, Liz said, letting me see more of the dream.
Once again she saw a brief glimpse of a plane and experienced the feelings of betrayal. Then the sound of a baby crying became louder and suddenly Liz understood. Max, your son has been born.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Monday, June 3rd, 2002)
(The Evans House)
Max walked into the kitchen and took a seat at the table with his mother, where she had a blank notebook open before her. Tears streamed down her face and he took her hand in his. “Mom, you don’t have to do this.”
“Yes I do,” Diane said. “Who else is going to plan a service for Isabel? I’m her mother. It’s the last thing I get to do for her.”
Max nodded understanding. “But you don’t have to do it alone. Liz has offered to help and her parents too, and Dad and I will do anything you need.”
“I just don’t know what to do,” Diane admitted. “Should we wait until the investigation is over?” A sob escaped from her and she whispered, “We don’t even have anything to bury.”
Max stood and wrapped his mother in his arms, letting her cry. He didn’t know what to do either and he felt guilty that his mind was divided between Isabel’s death and Liz’s belief that his son had been born. “It’s okay Mom,” he said automatically, even though he didn’t really believe it. “Everything will be okay.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Tuesday, June 4th, 2002)
(Roswell Sheriff’s Station)
Hansen rushed into Valenti’s office with a file folder that he thrust at Jim. “Sheriff, the coroner’s office just faxed over their initial report and Sheriff, there’s something here you need to see.”
Jim quickly skimmed the report and then looked back at Hansen. “Are they sure?”
Hansen nodded. “What are we going to do?”
“I’ll take care of it. Thank you, deputy,” Jim said, dismissing him. He reached for the phone and quickly dialed the familiar number.
When it was answered, Jim got right to the point. “Max, I don’t know what this means but Isabel wasn’t on that plane.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Isabel awoke to a throbbing pain in her head and with a groan she quickly shut her eyes, raising her hand to shade them from the light.
The light in the room dimmed instantly and Isabel carefully opened her eyes again. Her vision was fuzzy but she could see that she wasn’t in her own room. With a hand to her head, she sat up, trying to figure out where she was. She took in the room in a sweeping glance, vaguely noting the ornate furnishings as she turned, but there was nothing familiar.
As her gaze reached the other side of the room, she suddenly discovered that she wasn’t alone. For a moment she was startled but then she recognized her companion. “Hale?”
But suddenly the events of the last few days came rushing back to her and she gasped, “Khivar!”
She scrambled off the bed. “Where am I? What happened?”
Khivar held up his hands in a placating motion. “You’re safe and on my ship in Copper Summit.”
Isabel put a hand to her still throbbing head. “What did you do to me?”
“I’m sorry about your head,” he said as he walked toward her. “It was a regrettable mistake.”
Alarmed, Isabel backed to the wall shaking her head, but Khivar ignored her, stopping only inches away.
“Unfortunately you are allergic to the anesthetic we gave you.” He reached up and gently touched her cheek. “It made you very ill. You have been unconscious for two days.”
Isabel’s breath caught in her throat. She had fallen in love with Hale and even knowing his true identity, her feelings were still there.
Khivar pressed his free hand against the wall and leaned into her, his voice barely a whisper, “For a few hours I thought I was going to lose you again. I held your dead body in my arms once and it almost destroyed me, but we were given another chance. You were reborn and I’ve waited so long for us to be reunited.”
A shiver of reaction ran through Isabel and she whispered, “Khivar.”
He took her head in his hands and brushed her lips with his once and then again.
Isabel closed her eyes with a sigh and let herself get lost in the kiss. But too soon, the reality of her situation came rushing back and she put her hands to his chest and pushed, ending the contact. “Stop, Khivar. Tell me why you brought me here.”
Isabel thought she saw annoyance flash through his eyes but it was quickly replaced as he smiled.
“I couldn’t wait for you any longer,” he said simply.
Isabel felt her own temper rising. “So you kidnapped me?”
“I had not planned it that way but when you found out who I was, you attempted to run away from me and I could not let that happen.”
Isabel shook her head. “I wasn’t running away. I was scared, confused. I was going to my grandparents for some time to think.”
“Why were you sacred?” Khivar asked incredulously. “Surely, you remember how it was between us. How much we loved one another, how much I still love you?”
“But that’s just it,” Isabel tried to explain. “I don’t remember “
Khivar shook his head, “When we made love, I saw your memory of our first kiss on Antar.”
“Yes, I started to remember it,” she admitted, “but I wouldn’t let myself remember anything more. The intense emotions I felt for you.” She shook her head, “I didn’t want to learn anything else.”
“Why not, Isabel? Why would you deny us?”
Isabel continued to shake her head, as tears streamed down her face, and she tried to push past Khivar but he held her firmly.
“Isabel, tell me why you are so afraid?”
“I don’t want to know the truth,” she sobbed. “I don’t want to remember choosing you over Max. I don’t want to remember betraying my brother.”
Khivar’s brow creased as he enfolded her in his arms. “Who told you that?”
“Vanessa Whitaker,” Isabel whispered. “She said I betrayed my brother, my family, for you. I didn’t want to believe her but Nicholas told me the same thing.”
Khivar smoothed his hand over her hair. “Shhh. It’s okay, Isabel. You didn’t betray anyone.”
Isabel pulled away from him. “What?”
Khivar shook his head. “It is commonly believed among my people that you did betray your brother, because you were with me when you died. Afterward, the rumors spread that you had come to join me and divulge all of your brother’s plans.”
He reached up to brush the tears from her cheeks. “But it isn’t true. You were faithful to you brother to the end, and ultimately it was why you were killed.” He took a deep breath and continued, “Vanessa told you that because she believed it was the truth. As for the General,” Khivar said casually, “he does tend to be a little overzealous at times.”
“But Khivar, Lonni told me the same thing,” Isabel argued. “Why would she…” Isabel suddenly trailed off.
Khivar nodded, “I am sure you are aware that Lonni would say or do anything to get what she wants. Or perhaps she doesn’t remember the whole truth herself.”
Isabel felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders and she suddenly felt faint. She grabbed for Khivar as her knees went out from under her.
Khivar caught her easily and swung her into his arms, gently placing her on the bed and smoothing her hair out of her face with a brush of his hand. “You have to be careful, you still have not fully recovered. You should rest for a while.”
Isabel shook her head as she tried to sit. “I can’t just stay here. My family and friends will worry. You said I’ve already been gone two days.”
Khivar gently but firmly held her down. “I have arranged everything, Isabel,” he assured her. “I promise, no one is looking for you.” He handed her a glass. “Drink this, it will help you get stronger.”
Isabel relaxed with a nod, suddenly exhausted. She took the glass and drained it. “Okay. I’ll sleep for a little while.”
Standing, Khivar pulled the blanket over her. “I’ll be over there in the chair when you awake.”
“But it might be hours,” Isabel protested.
Khivar smiled and touched her cheek. “I have barely left your side since you were brought here.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Evans House)
Philip and Diane sat at the dining room table surrounded by Max and his friends as Sheriff Valenti delivered the news. They were rendered speechless by the Sheriff’s revelation; Isabel hadn’t been on the plane when it exploded, there was definite proof. Tears gathered in Diane’s eyes and she started to weep softly.
Philip turned to Max, “So what do you think happened to her?”
“The most likely scenario is that she was taken by the skins,” Max said softly.
“Your enemies from your planet,” Philip said, trying to get a grip on what was happening. “Why do you think that?”
Max explained, “I saw Isabel get on the plane and watched until it took off. I didn’t see her or anyone else get off. That means someone used alien powers to alter my perception of reality.”
“They can do that?” Diane gasped.
“Tess could,” Michael said gruffly.
“And you think Tess is with these other aliens who attacked us?” Philip asked.
Max nodded, “We’re sure of it.”
“But they won’t hurt Isabel?” Diane asked anxiously.
Max put a hand on her shoulder. “No Mom, they won’t hurt her.” He shook his head, “We should have seen it before. That’s why Liz didn’t feel sick that day. Khivar loved Vilondra and his goal has always been to get her back. He wouldn’t kill Isabel.”
“So what can we do?” Diane asked. “How do we get her back?”
Max glanced again at his cell phone. When the Sheriff had called him with the news, he had immediately paged Rath. If Isabel was in Copper Summit, Rath could find out. This was a chance for Rath to prove that his offer of an alliance was genuine and Max hoped he had done the right thing in trusting him. “I’m not sure yet, Mom,” Max admitted, “but we will get her back.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Copper Summit, AZ)
Khivar waited until the sleeping draught he had given Isabel had taken effect and he was sure she was soundly asleep, before he let himself out of the room. Immediately he went to Nicholas’ office and summoned his second in command.
While he waited impatiently for the General to arrive, Khivar considered his tenuous position with Isabel. He hadn’t wanted to force her to come to him but unfortunately the events had dictated his actions. He couldn’t take the chance that Isabel might have told Max who he really was. Max and the others had a lot of influence over Isabel and they might have been able to turn her from him, so he’d faked her death. And now he had to play his hand carefully or risk turning her from him permanently.
He kept reminding himself he was dealing with Isabel not Vilondra, and even though they were the same person, Isabel had been raised on Earth with possibilities that had never been available to Vilondra. Isabel was an independent woman, free of the paternal restraints and royal traditions and duties that Vilondra had been subjected to on Antar. And Isabel’s strength and spirit made Khivar love her even more.
But Isabel’s independence also made him cautions. Khivar couldn’t predict her reactions and he knew if he pushed her too hard or too soon, she would leave him.
Nicholas entered the office with a deep formal bow. “My Liege.”
The formality wasn’t lost on Khivar, and an amused smile turned up the edges of his mouth. “General Nicaron, you must think you have been summoned here to be disciplined.”
Nicholas winced at his true name on his master’s lips. “I am only here to serve.”
“Isabel woke up briefly,” Khivar said, watching Nicholas closely. “We spoke candidly for a few moments before she exhausted herself.”
Nicholas nodded, “I’m glad she is regaining her strength.”
“Are you?” Khivar asked casually.
Nicholas was suddenly terrified for his life and he fell to his knees, pressing his head to the floor. “Your Majesty, I assure you…”
Khivar cut him off, “Isabel told me you led her to believe she had betrayed her brother on Antar.”
Nicholas held his breath and remained silent as Khivar continued.
“Now, I understand your use of deception to achieve your ends, but I will ask you before I speak to her again, Nicaron. Is there anything else in your interactions with Isabel you would like to report?”
Nicholas sighed in relief and raised his eyes to meet his master’s. “My liege, in the course of my mission to reunite you with the Princess, there have been occasions where perhaps I was a bit harsh,” he admitted, “but I was careful not to inflict any permanent damage. I knew you were impatient for her to be returned to you and I thought the fastest way to get her back would be to play on her fears. I hoped I could confuse and manipulate her into voluntarily joining us.”
Khivar nodded.
Nicholas grew bolder, “I thought we were in agreement, Sir, that there might have to be some unpleasantness and it was better done by me.”
“Yes, we did agree,” Khivar said with a sigh. “I know you have been loyal, Nicholas. She is just so delicate and she was so terribly sick. I almost lost her before we were together again.”
It was as close to an apology as Khivar had ever uttered to him and Nicholas got to his feet, bowing formally. “Is there anything I can do for you, my liege?”
“You have disposed of the team that participated in Isabel’s abduction?”
“Of course, Sir, just as you instructed. They never had the chance to talk to anyone. The healer is the only one left alive and he is confined to the ship.”
Khivar nodded, “Keep the troops in town for now, away from the ship, but be covert about it. Distract them with drills and assignments, training. Most importantly, keep Lonni occupied. The last thing I want is for her to ruin my plans.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Evans house)
The gang was laying out some preliminary rescue plans when Max’s phone rang. He answered it immediately, “This is Max.”
“Yo, duke,” Rath said, “I got your message.”
“We think Nicholas has taken Isabel,” Max said. “Do you know anything about that?”
“Not a thing,” Rath said surprised. “A van did drive through town and go straight to the ship two days ago, in the evening, but I don’t know anything else.”
Max nodded, “Check around and see what you can find out.”
“You got it,” Rath agreed.
Max hung up and turned to the expectant faces before him. “Rath doesn’t know anything but he saw a van come into town the same day Isabel went missing. It went right to the ship.”
“They have Isabel on their ship,” Diane said. “What if they take her back to your planet?”
“We’ll get her back no matter what, Mom. I promise.” Max said.
“How are you going to do that?” Philip asked. “Don’t they have a whole town of soldiers?”
Max nodded, “That’s why we’re getting help.” He dialed a number on his phone, “This is Max. We think Nicholas has kidnapped Isabel and we need your help. Can you meet us at my house?”
He hung up the phone. “Ryan is coming over. He can tell us the layout of the town and the ship, any passwords or security protocol and the guard schedules. We’ll start with that and lay out a plan.”
Max turned to Michael, “After we meet with Ryan, I want you to see if you can find Hale. We haven’t heard from him in days. He could have been taken too, or worse.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Michael knocked on the door to Hale’s house for several minutes without an answer and then moved to peer in the window. Nothing seemed to be out of place and Michael walked around the back of the house.
All of the windows and doors were locked but when Michael looked through the window into the garage, he saw that Hale’s car was gone.
He took out his cell phone and called Max. “The place is locked up tight but Hale’s car is gone.”
“Any signs of a struggle?” Max asked.
“No,” Michael said. “Maybe Hale just took off.”
“I hope so,” Max said.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Evans house)
Max waited until Liz and Serena and his parents were the only ones left, before he turned to Liz with his request. “Liz, will you try to project to Isabel?”
Diane sat up straighter. “Liz can contact Isabel?”
Max nodded and explained to his parents. “One of Liz’s powers is astral projection. She can make her spirit leave her body and go somewhere else.” He took Liz’s hand. “That’s how she saved me at the summit in New York.”
“So how does it work?” Philip asked.
“It’s like I can feel people’s spirits,” Liz explained, “and my mind just takes me there.”
“It’s not dangerous,” Diane said.
“No,” Max said. “Liz will only stay a minute, just to see how Isabel is and tell her we’re coming.” He squeezed her hand, “Right?”
Liz nodded, knowing Max was worried about her too. It had taken a lot for him to ask her because there were so many unknowns. They didn’t know if any of the skins could detect her presence or what could happen if they did.
“I’ll be fine,” Liz assured them.
She sat on the sofa next to Max and took a deep breath, closing her eyes. In her mind, she pictured Isabel, concentrating on the part of her that was unique, the part that made her Isabel. Then she let her mind follow the sensation, drawing her to Isabel. She felt the familiar sensation of flight, traveling at extreme speeds and suddenly she stopped.
But Isabel was not before her as she expected. Liz stood next to what she could only describe as a flying saucer. She reached out to touch shining, metalic surface but forgot she wasn’t solid until her hand collided with the surface. Liz recoiled in surprise, checking to make sure she wasn’t solid but she was still transparent.
Once again she concentrated on going to Isabel but she didn’t go anywhere. It was obvious to Liz that Isabel was on the ship, but for some reason, Liz couldn’t get inside.
She let herself fall back into her body and opened her eyes.
“What happened?” everyone asked at the same time.
“I couldn’t get to her,” Liz said. “I was stopped outside the ship. I couldn’t get through.”
Serena nodded, “I wondered if it would stop you. The ship is made of heavy metals that our powers don’t work on, but I didn’t know how your ability would work. The fact that you were led to the ship though means it is probable Isabel is inside.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Wednesday, June 5th, 2002)
(Copper Summit, AZ)
Isabel awoke feeling much better. Immediately she looked to the chair where Khivar said he would be waiting, but she was disappointed to find it empty. She looked around the room, carefully taking in the contents and it suddenly occurred to her that there was no window. Of course Khivar had told her they were on a ship but she had never considered there would be no windows. It was somewhat disconcerting and claustrophobic and Isabel glanced at her watch to see what time it was.
Her watch showed nine o’clock but she didn’t know if it was morning or night. The growling in her stomach didn’t help her tell the time either but it was insistent enough that she felt the need for some relief. She was a little apprehensive about leaving the room without Khivar, considering she was on a ship of enemy soldiers, but she knew Khivar wouldn’t let anything happen to her, and squaring her shoulders she approached the door.
Isabel was surprised to see there was no handle on the door but she assumed it opened automatically like on Star Trek or something. But the door remained closed even when she was only a few inches from it and she waved her hand around, attempting to trigger a motion sensor. Still nothing happened and she was starting to get annoyed. She pushed a small amount of power into her hand and ran it over the surface of the door and along the frame, hoping to see a glowing handprint trigger like the one in the pod chamber, but again nothing happened.
Then the truth occurred to her. She was locked in. Instantly Isabel was angry that Khivar had dared to lock her up. She raised her fists and pounded on the door, calling out, “Hello. Is anyone there?”
The door slid open suddenly, surprising her and she involuntarily stepped back as Khivar appeared outside.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, concerned.
“I’m locked in a room, that’s what’s wrong,” she said angrily.
“Yes,” Khivar said with a nod. “It was for your own protection. My troops are screened carefully but it is always a remote possibility a traitor has slipped through. I would rather err on the side of caution than risk losing you.”
Isabel nodded, accepting the information. “Is that the only reason, Khivar? Am I free to leave whenever I want?”
“Of course,” he assured her, “but the healer is still concerned for your health and he has ordered complete rest for a few more days, at least.”
Khivar slipped an arm around her waist, deftly turning and propelling her back into the room. With a flourish, he indicated a chair and she took a seat.
“A few more days?” Isabel asked. “I really don’t feel that sick.”
“Isabel, this allergic condition is very serious. You don’t want to risk a relapse,” Khivar pointed out.
“Okay,” Isabel agreed, “but…”
Khivar cut her off, “No buts. Just let yourself get well.”
“I just feel strange being here,” Isabel said. “Since we learned who we used to be, and about the war, we have thought of you as the enemy. Now, I have been taken against my will and brought to Copper Summit. So basically I am in the enemy stronghold in a locked room, surrounded by soldiers. Just off the top of my head, I think that makes me a prisoner of war.”
Khivar smiled and then broke into a joyous laughter. “I have missed you so much. I had almost forgotten how quickly your mind works.”
He sat forward and reached for her hands. “Isabel, that is why I couldn’t wait any longer to be with you. It is why I came to Earth and posed as your classmate, so we could be close again, so you could learn to love me again.” He stroked the back of her hand with his thumb as he continued, “I wanted you to get to know me and choose to be with me. And when we made love, I knew you loved me, and I thought we would be able to work through the rest together.”
Isabel interlaced her fingers with his and held up their clasped hands, her gaze meeting his. “But you’re not really on Earth are you? You are possessing this body from Antar.”
She rose from her chair suddenly angry, and dropped his hand. “You made love to me with someone else’s body, Khivar. How could you do that?”
Khivar rose took and took her by the shoulders. “I would never defile you in that manner. You mean too much to me.”
A confused look passed over her features and he continued, “You are right, of course, I am not really on Earth. But I had this special skin made from my own genetic material, mixed with human DNA. It is closer to the procedure that produced you, almost a hybrid itself but it is not another person, it has no will of its own.”
Isabel felt herself being swayed to him and tried to remember he was the enemy. She thought of the future Liz had told them about where Khivar’s army had taken over the Earth. But she couldn’t blame him for things that might never happen, it was the same as Max blaming her for things she had done in her other life. None of them knew what had led to that terrible future and it wasn’t like she could ask Khivar about it. The man standing before her didn’t know anything about that timeline. But more importantly, she couldn’t give away the secret of the Granolith.
Isabel let her eyes roam over his handsome face. What type of man was Khivar really? The kind, loving man she had met and fallen in love with, or the evil, black-hearted dictator who had stolen her brother’s throne.
She shook her head. It was all too complicated. “I never would have let myself fall in love with you if I’d known who you were.”
“I suspected as much,” Khivar admitted. “That is why I deceived you. And now you are grasping at any excuse to stop loving me.”
“I don’t know,” Isabel sighed. She sat down again and put her hands over her face. “I’m so confused. We’re enemies, Khivar, we’re at war. I…” she trailed off, shaking her head. “I don’t know what to do, how to act. We’ve been fighting the skins, Nicholas. You sent those troops to Roswell just a couple of months ago. We might have all been killed. If Liz…” she trailed off, realizing what she had been about to reveal.
But Khivar picked up on her slip. “If Liz what?”
Isabel shook her head, still unable to meet his eyes. She had been about to say, if Liz hadn’t told us about the other time line so we could prepare ourselves, we probably would have died. But Isabel had stopped herself in time, and she hurried to cover her slip. “Nothing. It’s just that Max would have been devastated to lose her.”
“As I was devastated to lose you,” Khivar said softly. He shook his head, “Things aren’t always so black and white, Isabel. Make no mistake, your brother and I are at war. A very long, very costly war and it is time to end it. But I didn’t send those troops to Roswell, Nicholas did. He is getting impatient to return home and he acted without my orders. I’m just glad we were together when the attack occurred so I could make sure nothing happened to you.”
Khivar knelt in front of her and gently parted her hands. “Do you still think of me as an enemy?”
Isabel looked into his handsome face, the one she had fallen in love with, and shook her head. “God help me, but no.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Evans House)
Max spread out a detailed map of Copper Summit on the dining room table, while all of the others gathered around. “Rath wasn’t able to find out anything about Isabel being in town so he knows she must be on the ship. And last night Liz attempted to project to her but she was stopped at the ship. Serena thinks it is because the ship is made of the heavy metals, so Liz couldn’t get through.”
“Ryan says the ship is here, on the outskirts of town,” he said pointing to a location on the map. “It is constantly guarded by two soldiers but the main problem is that Nicholas had a small building with a lock on it put at the ship’s entrance. There is no other way onto the ship than through the building, because the cargo bay and engine room can only be opened from inside. The building and lock are built of metals we can’t manipulate because Nicholas was worried about deserters trying to steal the ship. So we’ll have to figure out a way to get past that.”
“What kind of lock?” Sean asked.
They all turned to Ryan and he explained, “It’s just a regular lock like you find on a house, but we have to have a key to get past it. Nicholas doesn’t trust anyone. He has the only key and must be there to let anyone on the ship. Occasionally Nicholas does forget to lock the building but only when he is on the ship. He’s methodical about keeping it locked otherwise.”
Sean smiled, “I’ve never met a lock I couldn’t pick.”
Max met his gaze and held it briefly before nodding and continuing. “Okay, so once we get inside, we might run into some technicians or Nicholas, so we’ll have to be prepared to take them out. We’ll split into two groups to get everything done faster. Kyle, Ryan and I will go in one group, Serena, Michael and Liz in the second.”
“We don’t want to use the ship’s communicators to keep in touch between the groups because they might be monitored and we’re not sure if walkie-talkies will work in the ship. Hopefully Liz will be our communicator, talking to me through our bond.”
“Serena’s group will take control of the bridge, locking down the entire ship, while we open the cargo bay and bring the cars inside. Ava will be outside to use her powers to create any diversions we need, including making it look like the guards are still there. She won’t come inside until the last minute.”
“We’ll have to take two cars to transport everyone. Ryan suggested a place near the cargo bay to park, where he’s sure we won’t be detected. Once the cars are inside, we’ll search the ship to make sure Isabel and Tess are aboard. Rath says Tess hasn’t left the ship for three days, so either my son has been born or it is close to the time.”
“Rath is the only one who can reliably see through Tess’ mind warps, so we’ll use him to search the ship. But we still don’t know if we can entirely trust him so we won’t tell him we are coming until we are there. When we have control of the bridge, I’ll call Rath and tell him something to get him to the ship. Then we’ll just take him inside and he won’t have a chance to warn anyone.”
When we make sure we have everyone, we’ll take-off and use the ship’s weapons to destroy Copper Summit. If we take the ship and don’t strike now, the skins will simply retaliate, so it has to be done. We’ll have to worry about Khivar’s reaction later.”
“In the ship, the trip back to Roswell will only take a few minutes. Maria and Alex will meet us at the pod chamber. We’ll land the ship there and disguise it with rock, like the pod chamber.”
Max looked at each one of them. “This is going to be dangerous and if anyone doesn’t want to come speak up now.”
No one spoke and Max continued, “Does everyone understand their part it the plan, have any questions or see any problems?”
Everyone shook their heads.
Max nodded, “Okay, it’s too late to leave tonight. The drive takes almost eight hours so we’ll leave tomorrow. Everyone meet here at noon and we’ll get there just before dark.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Copper Summit, AZ)
When Isabel awoke after resting for the afternoon, Khivar offered her a surprise. He took her down the hall and led her into another room, where Ida was cradling a baby.
Isabel gasped, “Is he Max’s son?”
Khivar nodded, “He was born the day we brought you here.”
“Can I hold him?” Isabel asked.
Khivar motioned to Ida and she handed the baby to Isabel.
“He’s beautiful,” Isabel said. “Max would be so proud.” She turned to Khivar, “We have to tell him about his son.”
Khivar looked at Ida, “Leave us.” He waited until the door closed behind her. “Isabel, Tess has asked me to take her and the baby back to Antar.”
“But Max,” Isabel started to object.
“Would it be so bad?” Khivar asked. “You said yourself that the baby was a mistake and Max would never have chosen to have a child with Tess. If Tess and the child come to Antar, they will be out of your brother’s life forever and he can concentrate on Liz, just like he has always wanted.”
“That would mean Max would never know his son,” Isabel said.
“Surely he and Liz will have other children,” Khivar said.
“But Max doesn’t trust Tess and he doesn’t want her raising his son,” Isabel objected.
Khivar nodded, “What if the baby were in the care of someone he trusted?”
Isabel shook her head, “Who do you mean?”
Khivar took the baby and placed him in a crib and then led Isabel to a nearby sofa where they sat down. He took her hands in his. “Isabel, I want you to come back to Antar with me.”
“But Khivar,” Isabel started, only to be cut off.
“Just hear me out,” Khivar said. “We love one another and we want to be together, and you’re not satisfied with your life on Earth. On Antar you could do anything you want, be anyone you want.”
“What about Max, Liz and Michael?” she asked.
“As you’ve told me, they are all happy on Earth, living their human lives,” he said. “If you returned with me I would remove all the troops from Earth and leave them in peace. They could do whatever they wanted and not worry about any enemies.”
Isabel’s brow wrinkled in thought. “And the war?”
“With you at my side, the war would be over and I would be willing to give amnesty to any of Max’s followers who swore featly to me.”
“What about Max’s son?” Isabel asked.
“Surely Max wouldn’t object to you supervising the upbringing of his son.”
Isabel shook her head, “I don’t know, Khivar, it’s all so sudden. I would be leaving everything I know.”
Khivar smiled and gently touched her face. “We’ll be together on your true home and I will help you regain your memories.”
“What would I tell my family?” Isabel asked. “Max would never understand.”
“Is that your only objection, what Max would think?”
“I don’t know if he would ever forgive me,” Isabel said. “I don’t know if he would forgive me even if I stayed. I fell in love with you again.”
“Then come with me.” He leaned in and kissed her tenderly.
Isabel smiled as she suddenly made up her mind. “I have to say goodbye, tell my family I’m leaving.”
“Not if you don’t want to,” Khivar said. “I told you no one was looking for you. That’s because I anticipated that you might want to leave Earth without a big argument with your brother and friends.”
“What did you do?” Isabel asked apprehensively.
“I arranged an accident that appeared to take your life. Your parents and friends think you died.”
“Khivar, how could you!” Isabel gasped, remembering how she had felt when they thought Alex was dead.
“I merely wanted to spare you the pain of a scene with your family” Khivar said simply. “This way the break is already made.”
“But my family,” Isabel said, rising. “Khivar, you can’t just do things like that. Why didn’t you just tell them we ran away together?”
“Would your brother have ever stopped looking for us?” Khivar asked.
Isabel shook her head, knowing he was right.
“Perhaps I overstepped my bounds,” Khivar said. “If you wish, I will arrange it so you can return to your life.”
Isabel paused considering. “If I did, the attacks would continue.”
“We are at war,” Khivar said, “and it has to end one way or another. Even if I wanted to, I don’t know if I could protect Max and the others at this point. There are many who have a lot invested in this war. If you come with me, we could convince everyone that Max was dead and no one else would come looking for him.”
Isabel considered everything Khivar had said. She didn’t like the fact that her family thought she was dead but maybe it would be easier for them, instead of thinking she had betrayed them. If she went back to Antar, she could guarantee the safety of Max and the others and stop the war.
Isabel looked into Khivar’s handsome face. She was in love with Khivar and she did want to spend her life with him.
Then she thought of the sacrifice Liz had made for them. Liz had been willing to give up the man she loved and her future happiness to save the world. The sacrifice that Isabel was contemplating was almost as severe, giving up her family and friends, her home, but her actions would save them all and she would be with the man she loved.
Isabel quickly made up her mind. “I’ll come with you.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Thursday, June 6th, 2002)
Max’s phone rang early, waking him. “Yeah,” he said groggily.
“It’s Rath. Duke, the ship is gone.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Copper Summit, AZ)
Lonni rushed into the hall when she felt the familiar shaking of the ship lifting off.
Nicholas met her at the head of the stairs. “Going somewhere?”
“You sent the ship home again without me?”
Nicholas leaned against the wall with a large smile, “Khivar wanted to take possession of Tess’ son before she had a chance to change her mind,” Nicholas said. “But the good news is that Khivar has ordered Max and all his friends executed. We’re going to Roswell to kill them all on Saturday night and Sunday we’re headed home.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Roswell UFO Museum)
Max arrived in Brody’s office before he got there and waited impatiently for him to arrive.
A few minutes later Brody came in. “Oh, Max. How are you? I was so sorry to hear about your sister.”
Max nodded. “Thanks.” He waited until Brody was seated and he put a hand on his shoulder, pushing a burst of power into him.
Almost immediately he saw Larek looking out from Brody’s eyes. “Max, I was just about to contact you.”
“Why?” Max asked.
“My men have just told me the Leptes has returned to Antar.”
Max nodded, “With Isabel aboard. Nicholas took her.”
Larek shook his head, “I’m sorry, Max.”
“I’ve got to get her back Larek. Are you in contact with my mother?”
“Not really, Max. It is too dangerous for her. Khivar’s men might be able to trace her position if we were in regular contact, but I could get a message to her. Actually this body was originally prepared by you mother, she suggested I use it for the summit.”
“So could I contact my mother through Brody?” Max asked.
“It is possible but Brody has been prepared to be used by me so he is more attuned to my equipment, that’s why you contact me when you use Brody. But I could send a message to your mother to use Brody to contact you about this same time tomorrow.”
Max nodded, “Okay, I’ll come back then.”
Larek released Brody’s mind and Brody refocused on Max. “I’m sorry, I seem to have drifted off for a moment, Max. What were you saying?”
“Um, I was just saying I won’t be back to work next week. I need some more time.”
Brody nodded, “Of course you do. Take off all the time you need.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Evans House)
Max stood before his friends and parents, with Liz by his side, as he filled them in on the events of the day. “Tomorrow I’m gong to talk to my mother and see how she can help. The first step is to find out where Isabel is being kept and then we’ll work on a plan to get her back.”
Diane spoke up, “How are we going to get her back from your planet?”
“I don’t know,” Max admitted, “but we’ll figure out a way, I promise.”
The others nodded and started talking among themselves.
Max took Liz aside. “Tomorrow, I want you to come with me when I talk to my mother.” He shrugged, “For moral support, I guess.”
Liz nodded, “Anything you need.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Friday, June 7th, 2002)
(Roswell UFO Museum)
Max and Liz walked into Brody’s office hand-in-hand to find Brody already there.
Brody smiled when he saw them, “My son?”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Copper Summit, AZ)
Rath slipped into an alley and dialed Max’s number but the call went straight to voice mail. “Damn it,” Rath said. “Get off your freaking phone Max.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Roswell UFO Museum)
“Zan?” Queen Nedra asked through Brody’s mouth.
Max nodded, “My name is Max now.” He motioned to Liz, “And this is Liz.”
“Ava?”
“Yeah,” Max said softly. “And you are…”
“Your mother, the dowager Queen Nedra.”
Max was suddenly nervous, and automatically reached for Liz’s hand. She squeezed his hand encouragingly and Max turned his attention back to his mother. “I’m sorry but we don’t remember you.”
Their interaction was not lost on her and Nedra nodded. “Larek told me.”
“There’s not time to catch up or get to know one another,” Max apologized. “We have an emergency.”
“What has happened?” Nedra asked.
Max continued, “We contacted you because Khivar has taken Isabel, um Vilondra. Their ship took her back to Antar yesterday. Khivar has her now.”
Nedra nodded.
“I need you to find out everything you can,” Max said.
“Of course,” Nedra said.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Max waited until they were outside before he took the phone from his pocket and turned it on. “I’ll call Michael to get a meeting together.” But before he could dial, the phone rang and he answered. “Hello?”
“Duke,” Rath’s voice called out, “the ship is back.”
“What?” Max asked.
“I tried to call you earlier,” Rath said. “The ship came back this morning.”
“Were you able to find out anything?” Max asked.
“Nicholas called a big meeting and told the troops that Khivar has ordered all of you executed, and when you’re dead the troops can go home. He’s sending all of them to Roswell, Saturday night, in charter busses so it won’t look suspicious.”
“Did Nicholas say why the ship went to Antar?” Max asked.
“No,” Rath said, “and no one asked except Lonni. Nicholas told her it was to send your son to Antar.”
“My son?” Max asked as his throat tightened. He turned to Liz and she squeezed his hand.
“Yeah, he must’ve been born in the last few days.”
Max cleared his throat. “Did Nicholas say exactly when the attack was scheduled?”
“Just Saturday night,” Rath said, “tomorrow. There are like two hundred and twenty soldiers with orders to take you out and Nicholas told them not to let anything stand in their way. They’ll take Roswell apart looking for you. What are you going to do, duke?”
“If they leave any earlier, call me, otherwise I’ll get back to you,” Max said, hanging up. He looked at Liz, “The ship took my son to Antar too and Rath says Khivar ordered all of us killed tomorrow night. He’s sending the entire compliment of troops to Roswell to execute us.”
Liz nodded slowly, obviously deep in thought. “That means tomorrow, Copper Summit will be empty and the ship practically unguarded. We could take it and go to Antar to get Isabel ourselves.”
Max smiled, “That’s just what I was thinking.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Evans House)
Once again Max and the gathered friends and family stood around the dining room table with the map spread out before them. “We already have a good plan,” Max said, “and it will still work. We just won’t bother searching the ship until we are in the air. The only major change is that we will have to destroy the vehicles carrying the skin troops to Roswell. They’ll be traveling together through a desert so we probably won’t have any witnesses, but we have to take the chance. We can’t leave the skins on Earth.”
“I’ll ask Rath to make an excuse to stay in town and he’ll call us when all the troops have left town.” Max pointed to the map. “There is a town on the highway, Willcox, that is at the turn-off leading to Copper Summit. We’ll leave for there tonight and we’ll be able to see the skins driving through, to corroborate Rath’s account.”
“We’ll wait half-an-hour to make sure they’re gone and then we’ll go into town, get Rath and leave.”
He looked at his parents, the Parkers and the Valentis. “No matter what, I think you should all leave town for the weekend, just in case. When we’re sure everything is safe we’ll call you.”
Jim shook his head, “Can’t do that Max. I’ll help evacuate the others but I’m the Sheriff.” He shrugged, “If you don’t get all of the skins, someone has to be here to clean up. Besides I don’t know why they would care enough to come after me.”
Max nodded, “Just be careful.”
Max looked at each of his friends. “This trip is different than just stealing the ship. We’re going to another planet and we don’t know how long we’ll be there or even if we’ll be coming back. We will be facing our greatest enemy on a hostile world where we don’t know the rules. Serena says that Antar’s atmosphere is safe for the humans and we won’t have any trouble blending in because there are always a lot of off-worlders on the planet. The multi-dimensional thing that made all of the humans disappear, won’t be a problem because naturally all of the dimensions exist together on Antar and it is only when one is separated that causes humans to disappear. Ryan says that the ship is equipped with a signal that identifies it as part of Khivar’s personal fleet, so we won’t be bothered at the spaceport. But that is the least of our worries.”
“Liz and I have both decided to go. Now each of you have to make the decision and we’ll understand either way.”
Michael spoke up immediately, “Count me in.”
“Me too,” said Ryan.
Serena bowed, “I am at your service, your Majesties.”
“There’s no way you’re going without me,” Kyle said.
Maria slipped her arm in Michael’s. “I’m going too.”
Ava simply nodded.
“A chance to see another planet,” Alex said. “That’s every nerd’s dream.”
Sean sighed, “Well I can’t let you all go without me, you might get into trouble.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Crashdown Café)
Using a single sweep of her hand, Liz made a sign to put in the widow of the Crashdown.
Closed due to death in the family.
She put it up and locked everything securely and then went upstairs to help her parents finish packing. “Can I get anything out of the laundry for you?” she called out.
Nancy came into the kitchen. “Liz, you have to let me tell you where we are staying.”
Liz shook her head, “It’s better if I don’t know. If anything goes wrong, no one can take the information from me.”
“But if you change your mind about going,” Nancy argued, “you won’t know where to find us.”
Liz smiled sadly. Her mother had never really accepted the fact that she was part alien, and not only had a past life, but an important destiny. “Mom, I’m not going to change my mind. I would do anything for Max, follow him anywhere. Into hell itself.”
“But you don’t know what you’re getting into,” Nancy said softly. “You could just come with us and live the rest of your life like a normal person.”
“I’m not a normal person anymore,” Liz said. “I never was. I just didn’t know it until that day Max healed me.”
She took her mother’s hand. “I know you don’t understand, but to live a life without Max would slowly kill me, both of us. And whether we succeed or not, it’ll be okay because we’re together.”
Liz saw the tears in her mother’s eyes and felt them in her own. She wrapped her arms around her mother and gave her a tight hug. “I have to go with him, Mom. It’s what I was born to do.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Max put his parents’ luggage in the trunk of the car and turned back to hug his mother.
“Part of me doesn’t want you to go,” Diane said, “because I’m scared of losing you too. But I know I can’t ask you to stay. I want Isabel back too much.”
“I’ll be okay, Mom,” Max said.
“We don’t have to tell you to be careful,” Diane said.
Max shook his head, “We’ll be careful.”
Philip hugged Max. “I still can’t believe you’re going to another planet.”
“I know,” Max agreed, “it’s hard for me to believe too.”
“Come back to us,” Philip said, releasing him.
Max nodded, “We will and we’ll bring Isabel too.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Valenti House)
Amy hugged Sean and Maria. “You two don’t have to go. You’re not aliens, you don’t have any powers.”
“But we’re part of this,” Maria argued. “And we have to help our friends.”
“Of course,” Amy said, “but going to another planet is a little beyond the bounds of friendship. You’ll be risking your lives.”
“They saved my life,” Sean said. “I think I owe them a little. Besides I’m not really doing anything here. Up there I have a chance to be part of something big.”
Amy turned to Maria. “I know you love Michael but you don’t have to follow him into a war.”
Maria smiled. “Michael stayed on Earth for me and I want to do this for him.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Jim pulled Kyle into a hug. “Are you sure that this is what you want to do?”
Kyle hugged him back. “This is my path, Dad.”
Jim nodded, “Come back to us safe.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Roswell UFO Museum)
Max walked into Brody’s office, “Hey Brody.”
“Max,” Brody greeted warmly, “I didn’t expect you back so soon.”
“I’m not really back,” Max said. “In fact I came to tell you I’m quitting.”
Brody nodded, “I’m sorry to hear that. I think of you as a good friend. But maybe you can come by from time-to-time and I’ll catch you up on our progress, or of course I’ll see you at the Crashdown.”
Max shook his head, “I’m leaving town tonight, Brody. Liz, Michael, Maria, Alex, we’re all going. A friend of ours, who lives out of town, needs our help. We don’t know how long we’ll be gone, so I wanted to tell you.”
“Oh,” said Brody, obviously disappointed. “Well when you come back, your job is always here.”
“That means a lot Brody. I think of you as a friend too and I wanted to thank you for all of your help over the last couple of years. You’ve done more for us than you could ever know.”
Max held out his hand and Brody shook it, and Max pushed a stream of power into him.
He only had to wait a minute before Brody’s eyes refocused on him.
“Max, you’re calling early,” Nedra said.
Max nodded, releasing Brody’s hand. “There has been an interesting turn of events and if everything goes as planned we will be on our way back to Antar tomorrow afternoon.”
He turned and called out, “Serena.”
Serena entered the room and bowed formally before Brody. “Your highness, Cuerena at your service.”
Max turned back to his mother. “We need communication frequencies so we can tell you when we are arriving, a landing location and some kind of transport capable of carrying a dozen passengers and the Granolith. Can you arrange that in time?”
Nedra nodded, “Of course.” She turned to Serena, “Use royal frequency L-23 with royal code blue to transmit just as you arrive at the outer atmosphere and we will send the landing location.”
Max glanced at Serena. She nodded and headed toward the door, only stopping briefly to take the octagon-shaped alien object from its box on Brody’s desk, and replace it with an identical one.
When she was gone, Max turned back to his mother. “If anything goes wrong I will contact you, otherwise we’ll see you tomorrow.”
Nedra smiled, “I will count the moments.”
Max watched as Brody’s mind took over once again. “Bye Brody, and thanks again.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Max parked the Jeep behind the Crashdown and let himself in the back door to wait with Liz. He had sent Michael and Serena to the airport to rent a van that they could all fit in. Max didn’t want anyone to get accidentally separated on the way to Copper Summit.
Liz, I’m here, he called out, through their connection.
She answered in the same manner. Upstairs, on the balcony.
Max jogged up the stairs and went through Liz’s room and out the window. She was looking down into the street and he enfolded her in his arms from behind, looking over her shoulder. “Taking a last look at Roswell?”
Liz leaned into him with a sigh, “It’s funny the things I never thought I would miss. The neon of the Crashdown and the UFO museum signs, the way the streetlights light up everything at night, this balcony. So many things have happened here, good and bad.”
Max frowned, “Liz, I don’t want you to feel that you have to go…”
Liz turned in his arms, cutting him off with a finger to his lips. “Max my mother said the same thing. She tried to get me to stay and I’ll tell you what I told her. I don’t have a life without you.”
Max smiled and reached up to touch her cheek. “Liz, I know this isn’t exactly the right time or place.” He got down on one knee and took a small velvet box from his pocket. “For weeks I was planning to do this tonight, but that was before Isabel and everything.”
Tears started in Liz’s eyes and she sank to her knees before Max, putting them closer to eye level.
Max smiled, “You make me feel complete in a way I never knew existed, anchored in a world full of chaos, and brave like I could take on anything. And what you said is true for me too. Without you I simply don’t want to live. Liz, I love you so much I don’t have the words for it, but if you marry me, I’ll spend every day for the rest of our lives showing you.”
The tears spilled over Liz’s eyelids and down her cheeks. “Max I can’t think of anything more wonderful than sharing your life. I love you more than I ever thought possible, of course I’ll marry you.”
They wrapped their arms around one another, both crying with joy.
Max released Liz and opened the box to reveal a perfect, heart-shaped diamond set on a platinum band. He took her hand and removed the promise ring he had given her, placing it on the ring finger of her right hand. Then he took the emgagemet ring from the box and slid it on her left hand. “The ring is platinum, which is said to help sustain the forces within and allow them to achieve their full potential. The band is made of two separate strands that have been twined and bound together by the heart, a symbol of our eternal love.
Liz reached for him, pulling him into a kiss, the tears on their cheeks mingling in their shared happiness.
Finally Max pulled back. “I called the City Clerk in Willcox, Arizona. If you agree, we can get a marriage license tomorrow morning and the clerk will perform the ceremony. No blood tests and no waiting, unlike New Mexico.” He looked at Liz’s expression carefully. “I know it’s sudden and it isn’t a romantic setting like you deserve, but for some reason I think it’s important for us to be together in every sense of the word before we get to Antar.”
Liz nodded. “I’ve had that feeling too Max, but even if I didn’t, I would marry you any time, any place,” she winked at him, “even at the Elvis chapel by the King himself.”
Max studied her. “Are you sure you won’t regret not having the big wedding with the flowers and the dress and the bridesmaids?”
Liz smiled, “None of that matters to me Max, only being with you.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Saturday, June 8th, 2002)
(Copper Summit, AZ)
Nicholas stood before the troops, “Today is a glorious day. Today will see the destruction of the Royal Four and the end of the war.”
Cheers rose up from the group and Nicholas motioned for silence, waiting until they were quiet again before continuing. “Today is also our last day on this stinking planet, because tomorrow we are going home.”
Another, even louder cheer raced through the troops and this time Nicholas let them celebrate. He turned to Walt and Greer, who stood at his side. “You two take the lead and I’ll bring up the rear. We’ll meet at the rendezvous. Just be sure to keep the troops in line. We don’t want any screw-ups.”
“Yes Sir,” they said simultaneously.
Nicholas motioned to Walt. “Take command.”
Nicholas turned and walked quickly away, the sound of Walt’s orders fading in the background. This was the last chance Nicholas had to spend time with Lonni, since they were leaving without her when they returned. Nicholas was surprised to discover that he would actually miss her but Khivar would never tolerate her presence on Antar.
Khivar had ordered Nicholas to take all the information from her mind before he left. Nicholas didn’t know if she would survive but if she did, she was doomed to spend the rest of her life on this planet she hated. At least, Nicholas thought, if she does survive, she will still have that fool Rath to keep her company.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Willcox, AZ)
(City Clerk’s Office)
Take me as I am
put your hand in mine
now and forever
darling here I stand
stand before you now
deep inside I always knew
it was you
you and me
two hearts drawn together bound by destiny
Max thought he would burst with happiness as he watched Liz coming down the aisle toward him. He had insisted on using his powers to alter their clothing to the wedding attire he remembered from his vision in Las Vegas. Liz was wearing the frothy, white wedding gown made of satin and lace that bared her shoulders, and long gloves, and she held a bouquet of her favorite white roses. And he stood before her in a classic tux.
it was you
and you for me
every road leads to your door
every step I take forever more
just say you'll love me for the rest of your life
I've got a lotta love and I don't wanna let go
will you still love me for the rest of my life
cause I can't go on
no I can't go on
I can't go on
if I'm on my own
Their friends had gotten into the spirit of things too, happy for one last celebration, and altered their clothing to wedding attire. Max was glad because except for being in a court house and their parents not being present, it was almost like the wedding he had always pictured.
take me as I am
put your heart in mine
stay with me forever
cause I am just a man
who never understood
I never had a thing to prove
there was you
you and me
and it all came clear so suddenly
how close to you that I wanna be
just say you'll love me for the rest of your life
I've got a lotta love and I don't wanta let go
will you still love me for the rest of my life
cause I can't go on
no I can't go on
I can't go on
if I'm on my own
Max barely heard the words that were spoken, he was so captivated by Liz, but when it was time to speak the vows he said them solemnly. “I, Max Evans, take this woman to be my lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, for richer or for poor, in sickness and in health, for time and all eternity.”
Liz smiled at his alteration but used the same wording in her vows.
Do you believe a love could run so strong
Do you believe that love could pass you by
there was no special one for me
I was the lonely one you see
but then my heart lost all control
now you're all that I know
just say you'll love me for the rest of your life
I've got a lotta love and I don't wanna let go
will you still love me for the rest of my life
cause I can't go on
no I can't go on
I can't go on
if I'm on my own
I can't go on
I can't go on
no I can't go on
Max had also gotten matching wedding bands made with Liz’s engagement ring and they slipped the platinum bands onto one another’s fingers.
“I now pronounce you husband and wife,” the clerk said. “You may kiss the bride.”
cause I can't go on
will you still love me
no I can't go on
just say you love me
I can't go on
without somebody to call my own
cause I can't go on
will you still love me
no I can't go on
just say you love me
and stay around
cause I can't go on
will you still love me
no I can't go on
just say you love me
can't go on
if you can say your love
cause I can't go on
will you still love me
no I can't go on
just say you love me
stay around and never be alone
Max pulled Liz into a gentle, almost reverent kiss, automatically strengthening the connection between them. Their minds and souls joined eagerly and they both felt a new, stronger bond form, sealing them even more closely together.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Willcox, AZ)
Max’s phone rang just as they were finishing a quick celebration lunch and he answered it immediately. “Yeah.”
“The last bus just pulled out of town,” Rath said.
Max nodded, “Thanks Rath. Stay put and we’ll get back to you.”
He hung up and turned to the others. “It’s time.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Copper Summit, AZ)
Nicholas stroked Lonni’s arm absentmindedly as he glanced at the bedside clock. It was after noon and he had to leave soon.
When he returned to Antar he could have his pick of women, but none of them interested him like Vilondra, Isabel, Lonni. They were the same woman but each of them uniquely different. Khivar had claimed Isabel, and Lonni wouldn’t be returning to Antar, and Nicholas doubted he would ever have the pleasure again.
With a mental shrug, he rose from the bed, only to be stopped by Lonni’s hand on his arm. “When are we leaving for home?” she asked.
“When we have killed them all,” he said vaguely.
Suddenly Lonni forced a burst of power through him that propelled him into the wall.
Nicholas hit hard and fell to the floor, with a grin. “Like it rough, huh?”
Building her power, Lonni summoned a black, crackling ball of energy, throwing it at Nicholas’ exposed chest.
Nicholas had only a moment to react, but with an outstretched hand, he slowed the approaching energy ball and stopped it inches from his skin. Then he motioned it aside, causing it to strike the wall.
He stood and slowly approached Lonni. She propelled another energy ball at him but Nicholas could tell it wasn’t as powerful as the first and he easily diverted it with a careless flip of his hand. “You’re tiring,” he mocked. “You haven’t come into your full powers yet and you thought you could take me on?”
Lonni growled, launching herself at him but she didn’t even touch him as he easily controlled her with his powers, forcing her to her knees, before him.
“Khivar ordered me to search your mind before we left,” Nicholas said, as he placed his hand on her head. “I was having some regrets, considering how close we have become, and believe it or not this little tantrum has heightened those regrets. We would make a fine pair, you and I, but Khivar doesn’t want you on Antar, so there is nothing more to be said.”
Lonni tried to shake his hand off her head but her thrashing was only a minor annoyance, and as Nicholas pried the information from her mind, she started to scream and then slumped forward.
Nicholas dressed quickly, feeling the press of time, but he paused as he reached the door and turned back to Lonni’s limp form and blew her a kiss.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Copper Summit, AZ)
Following Ryan’s directions, they took the back road bypassing the town, and drove directly into the woods where the ship was hidden. Michael stopped the van near the small building at the ship’s entrance, and he, Max and Serena got out.
One of the skin guards stepped forward. “This is private property. You’ll have to leave.”
Michael put on his best yokel act to keep them busy while Max and Serena took up their positions. “Oh we’re real sorry, but somehow we took the wrong road. Can you guys give us some directions?”
“Where you headed?” asked the skin soldier.
“Phoenix,” Michael called out loudly.
That was the signal and Max, Michael and Serena quickly took out the soldiers with well-placed energy blasts.
Ava, Ryan and Sean got out of the van and Ava started a mind warp, hiding them and the van, and replacing the guards, while Sean went to work on the lock.
Liz anxiously looked out the van’s back window at the few houses just visible at the edge of town. She was getting a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach but she wasn’t sure if it was danger or just nerves.
She glanced back at Sean, silently urging him to hurry, and as if her thoughts had provided the key, Sean popped the lock open.
Serena swung the door wide and went into the building first. She passed her hand over the hull of the ship, making a glowing handprint appear. And pressing her hand to the mechanism, the door slid open with a swish.
Serena, Ryan and Michael went into the ship, and after a moment Michael came jogging back to the entrance. “Everything is locked down and Serena is starting up the ship.”
As Max motioned to Liz and the others and they left the van, he could hear the soft hum of the ship’s engines. He turned to Ryan. “Stay with Ava until Rath gets here.”
Kyle, Alex, Maria and Sean followed Michael into the ship but Liz stayed with Max while he quickly dialed Rath. “This is Max.”
“Yeah,” Rath said.
“Where are you?” Max asked.
“At the Crawford house,” Rath said.
“Get to the ship as fast as you can,” Max said. “You’ve earned a trip home.”
“Damn!” Rath said. “I’ll be right there.”
Max wrapped his arm around Liz and she moved into him. Taking a deep breath, Liz looked carefully around. She was still nervous but everything seemed to be turning out as they had planned.
Michael emerged from the ship again. “Serena says we’re ready to go.”
The sudden screeching of tires drew their attention toward town.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Nicholas slammed the door noisily behind him. He had learned nothing useful from Lonni except the fact that she had intended to use their relationship to steal the Granolith. He actually admired her for that but he had hoped to uncover some big secret she was hiding. Lonni remembered a lot from her other life but not everything, and what she knew about this one, he or Khivar had already discovered.
With a sigh, Nicholas crossed to the car in the driveway where Ida was waiting, and got in.
She started the engine but the sound of a rapidly approaching car caught their attention.
“What the hell?” Nicholas asked.
They watched as the car drove past and Ida turned to Nicholas. “It was Rath, Sir.”
“Where is he going in such a hurry?” Nicholas asked, as he watched the car race up the road. The car skidded to a stop next to the ship and Rath jumped out. He stood and appeared to be talking to himself for a handful of moments, but then the scene started to waver, like heat rising off a desert road. The guards disappeared and a large van was revealed along with Max, Liz and a few others.
“Damn it!” Nicholas yelled. “It’s a mind warp. They’re stealing the ship.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The car skidded to a stop next to the ship and Rath jumped out. He motioned toward Max. “Heisting Nicholas’ ship! That is the freaking bomb! I always said, you’s the man, duke, and you’s a man of your word.”
“We’re ready to go,” Max said. “Are you sure you don’t mind leaving Lonni?”
“She sold me out and she’s been knockin’ boots with Nicholas.” Rath shook his head. “The bitch deserves what she’s gettin’.”
Max nodded, “Okay Ava.”
Ava dropped the mind warp and Rath noticed her for the first time. “Ava, baby. Whatssup?”
Ava shook her head, “Don’t even bother, Rath.”
Rath shrugged, “Just being friendly.” He motioned to Ryan, “Who’s this?”
Max spoke up, “Let’s get going, we’ll do the introductions later.”
Rath slung an arm around Michael’s shoulder and walked with him onto the ship. “You think our family on Antar will be surprised to see two of us?”
Max nodded to Ava, “Sorry about Rath, but we did make a deal with him.”
Ava smiled. “I know, and I understand.” She and Ryan went onto the ship next.
Max took Liz’s hand, “Ready?”
Liz nodded. “Let’s go.”
They walked into the building and through the door, onto the ship. Max stopped long enough to seal the door of the ship with a wave of his hand, before they continued.
The hallway was metallic, sterile, just as Liz had pictured and it curved around, following the shape of the hull.
Michael led them through the winding passageways and onto the bridge where they took seats next to the others.
A light flashed on the panel and an alarm sounded.
“What the hell is that?” Kyle asked.
Serena passed her hand over a series of controls. “The outer door wasn’t properly sealed. I’ve re-sealed it and closed the bulkhead doors at the ends of the hallway in case the main door is damaged.”
“Are we okay to go?” Max asked.
Serena nodded, “Everything is ready.”
Max nodded and motioned forward with his hand, “Engage.”
Everyone turned to him surprised, and he smiled. “I couldn’t resist.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Using a burst of super speed, Nicholas and Ida reached the ship before it lifted off. He opened the door and they scrambled inside. The alarm sounded, alerting the bridge that the outer door was open and Nicholas quickly punched in his override code, but it didn’t work. “They’ve changed the door codes,” he told Ida.
The bridge had obviously gotten the alarm and the bulkhead doors started to close. Nicholas grabbed Ida and dragged her through into the next compartment before the door sealed.
It was a diagnostic station and he went directly to the computer. Nicholas tried to log on but the codes for the computer had been changed too and he was locked out of all of the command functions. He could only access some of the diagnostics and the outside view of the ship. He turned to Ida. “I don’t know anything about these computers, do you?”
Ida shook her head, “Sorry, Sir.”
Nicholas slammed his hands down onto the console and then an idea occurred to him. He turned to the room’s other door but it was solidly sealed. “I could get out through the ventilation system,” Nicholas mused, “but I wouldn’t have access to the bridge, it runs on it’s own systems. And undoubtedly that’s where they all are. I could probably get into the engine room but if I tampered with the systems and we dropped out of hyper-speed, the ship would disintegrate.”
“That wouldn’t be my first choice,” Ida said. “I guess we’re just stuck here.”
Nicholas shrugged, “It might not be such a bad thing anyway. It’s obvious where they’re going.”
“Where do you think they’re headed, Sir?” Ida asked.
“To Antar,” Nicholas said. “That’s where Isabel is.” He slumped down onto a chair, “So we get a free ride home a day early, complete with the remainder of the Royal Four and the Granolith.”
“What about the troops still on Earth?” Ida asked.
“If Khivar cares, he’ll send the ship to get them,” Nicholas said. “If not…” he let the sentence trail off with a shrug.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Serena piloted the ship expertly, using the shields to cloak it from radar. Even though the four busses transporting the skin army had left Copper Summit almost an hour ago it only took a few minutes for the ship to catch up to them.
As Max had predicted, the highway was almost empty except for the busses, and they only had to wait a moment for the other cars on the road to get far enough away.
Max stood over Serena’s shoulder. “Can we do this without hitting the road? There won’t be any bodies to find and it will probably look like sabatoge, or a bomb.”
Serena nodded. She targeted the busses, and hit the first one with a couple of well-placed shots. The other busses braked, trying to avoid the first bus, and skidded wildly, and a huge chain-reaction accident was caused, making the busses slam into one another.
Serena fired a rapid series of shots into each of the other busses, causing an enormous explosion, quickly finishing the task.
Max nodded grimly and took out his cell phone, dialing Valenti’s number. Serena routed the signal through the ships communications systems and it only took a moment for the phone to be answered. “It’s Max. Everything is okay. Will you call the others?”
“Sure,” Jim said. “Are you leaving now?”
“Yeah,” Max said. “We’ll let you know when we get back.”
“Have a good trip and good luck.”
Max could hear the Sheriff’s voice tightening. “Bye,” he said softly.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Nicholas leaned back in his chair with his feet up, as Ida continued to try the computer. He had almost dozed off when her voice woke him. “Sir, we haven’t left the atmosphere. They’re closing in on the busses that are taking the troops to Roswell.
He leapt from his chair and rushed to the console, silently watching the rapid destruction of the troops. It was over in a matter of moments, and the ship hovered for a handful more, and then shot into space.
Nicholas turned to Ida. “I guess Khivar won’t have to bother sending a ship.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The gang split into two groups and systematically searched each room on the ship. They had discovered that the walkie-talkies worked and kept in constant contact, but so far neither group had found anyone.
Max, Liz and Kyle entered the diagnostic room near the main door. It was a small room and a quick glance inside was enough to determine it was empty. Max and Kyle continued down the hall, but Liz remained just outside the open door.
She couldn’t have explained her feeling but something was not as it appeared. Liz felt like there was something just on the edge of her vision and if she concentrated hard enough, she would be able to see it. Looking around, she studied each item in the room carefully. There were a couple of chairs against a desk near the far wall and a computer interface with a large console extending up the wall behind it. Nothing appeared odd but she still had a nagging feeling.
She was about to step into the room when Max came back.
“Michael just called. They found something on the other level.”
Liz nodded and Max re-locked the door.
The console on the wall shimmered briefly and shifted into Nicholas and Ida stepped out from behind him. He rushed to the door but wasn’t surprised to find it locked. “Damn,” he said, turning back to Ida. “I guess we’re stuck here for the whole ride.”
Ida motioned to the door, “I thought Liz had seen us.”
Nicholas nodded, “So did I.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Max, Liz and Kyle followed Michael’s instructions through the passageways and finally arrived where he, Ava and Ryan were waiting. They stood around an older man fastened to a chair with what appeared to be a futuristic type of handcuffs.
Max motioned to the skin soldier. “Who is this?”
Ryan stepped forward. “He is Raltos. Khivar uses him as a communicator.”
Max and Liz looked at one another and Max spoke through their bond. He might have some of Khivar’s memories stored in his brain, like Brody had Larek’s.
If we can retrieve them, it might be the first break we’ve had, Liz said. We might see Khivar’s plans or other secrets.
Max motioned to Raltos, “Is he secure? We don’t want him killing himself before we can question him.”
“He’s secure,” Michael said, motioning to the handcuffs. “We stopped by the armory and picked up a few things.”
Raltos shook his head, “I won’t try to kill myself. I’ve had a pretty easy time under Khivar because of my duties but I’ve seen how others are treated.” He looked at Max. “You must be Zan. I’ll tell you anything you want to know.”
Max nodded and looked around the room for the first time. It was richly furnished, not sparse and antiseptic like the rest of the ship. “What is this room?”
“Nicholas’ personal quarters,” Ryan said.
Max motioned to the others to search the room and turned back to Raltos. “Why are you on the ship?”
“I am assigned to the ship so I’ll be close to Nicholas when Khivar wants to contact him,” Raltos explained. “I was supposed to go to Roswell with the others but I didn’t want to, so I stayed on the ship. I kept thinking someone would come looking for me but no one did.”
Liz walked to a cupboard and opened the door, gasping at what was revealed. She stepped back calling out, “I found Hale.”
Max crossed to her, quickly taking in the incubation chamber that held Hale’s body. He reached out, calling over his shoulder to Raltos. “Is he alive?”
Raltos shrugged, “In a sense, yes it is alive, like our skins are alive.”
Michael turned to Raltos, “Wait a minute, Hale is a skin?”
Raltos shook his head. “No, it was created to be more like you, a hybrid, but it possesses no mental faculties or soul. It must be taken over and controlled, otherwise it is just a mound of flesh.”
Max felt a cold shiver race through him. “Who was controlling it?” Max asked, fearing he already knew.
Raltos looked at him strangely, “Didn’t I say? It was Khivar, of course. He had it made when we returned to Antar, so he could move around outside of Copper Summit more easily.”
A thousand thoughts rushed through Max’s head as he tried to remember everything they had revealed to Hale; to Khivar. They had confided almost all of their secrets to him only holding back the few things Liz had suggested.
And as if his thoughts had conjured her, Liz was in his mind. Max, Khivar knows almost everything about us. But maybe Khivar made a big mistake leaving the Hale skin on the ship. Maybe we can search Hale’s mind for Khivar’s memories too.
Max nodded solemnly. Let’s hope that Raltos’ or Hale’s mind holds something important, or the advantage will be all on Khivar’s side.
Michael shook his head. “I can’t believe it.” He motioned to the Hale skin, “I actually liked the guy.”
“So did I,” Kyle said. “But I guess that explains why he took off after Isabel disappeared.”
“Yeah,” Michael said with a huff. “He actually did disappear off the face of the Earth.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Ida shook Nicholas awake, “Sir, we’ve dropped out of hyper-speed and we’re approaching Antar.”
Nicholas rose and stretched. “This will be the perfect opportunity to end the whole thing. I’ll get out of here through the ventilation system. When we land, I’ll transmit the location to Khivar and the troops we’ll take them all. Then there will be a nice public execution.”
“Why don’t you contact him now?” Ida asked. “With the trithium amplification generator.”
Nicholas shook his head. “The signal won’t penetrate the hull of the ship. I’ll have to get out first.”
He motioned to the ventilation shaft covering, using a small burst of power and it fell to the floor. Then he shifted into a small dog and Ida lifted him into the exposed shaft. In his new form, Nicholas traveled quickly through the shaft and arrived at an opening in the main corridor.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Antar)
(Capitol city of Roistar - formerly Tageonon)
Max and Liz stood hand-in-hand in front of the others, but behind Serena and Michael, as the ship’s main door opened onto the landing platform. It was a busy, bustling place with every manner of creature going about their business. They were simply one in a sea of ships landing and being unloaded, nothing making them stand out among the others.
A tall humanoid being stood at the ship’s door and Max quickly took in his appearance. He could almost have passed for human, but he was taller, slimmer, almost delicate looking. His skin was pale and creamy, almost translucent but it was his eyes that set him apart the most. They were slightly larger than human eyes and had a deeper, richer, multifaceted color, almost like a jewel.
“Cuerena?” asked the man.
She nodded, “General Toaks, it’s good to see you again.”
He glanced at the others briefly and motioned behind him, to what appeared to be a large bus with no windows. “Please this way, quickly,” he said in English.
Max glanced around, picking out several people in the crowd who seemed to be watching them. He stepped forward and spoke to Serena over her shoulder. “You know this guy?”
“Yes,” she said. “You appointed him your second in command after Michael’s other self was killed.”
Max turned to the others and nodded.
They had disconnected the Granolith when they reached Antar’s orbit and put it in a cargo crate. For it’s size, it was surprisingly light and Ryan and Kyle brought it forward, using their powers to easily load it aboard the bus. Michael followed and loaded the crate containing Hale’s body. The others climbed aboard, Ava attending to Raltos, who had been hastily covered in a cloak to conceal his restraints.
Max turned to Rath, “I’ll offer you the same deal I offered Ryan. You can come with us if you want, but consider yourself a prisoner of war until I am sure I can trust you.”
Rath nodded, “That’s fair and I think I will come along for the ride.”
Max motioned for Rath to enter the vehicle and he and Liz brought up the rear.
As Liz stepped onto the conveyance, the same bothersome feeling washed over her again and she paused, turning back toward the ship. Again, nothing seemed out of place, and with Max’s guiding hand on her back, she stepped aboard.
When they were settled, Toaks motioned to the driver and the bus started forward, pulling into the heavy traffic.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Nicholas raced through the ship’s metal corridors, finally reaching the main door. The ship had been on the ground for mere minutes but Nicholas didn’t think they would wait around long. He emerged from the ship just in time to see a windowless conveyance pull away from the landing platform and into traffic.
He had no proof, but he was sure Max and the others were aboard with the Granolith. As he ran attempting to keep it in sight, Nicholas pulled out his pentagon-shaped trithium amplification generator, switching it to a secure frequency. “This is General Nicaron, put me through to Khivar immediately.”
When he emerged from the ventilation system, Nicholas had taken the appearance he usually wore as the General, complete with his uniform in Khivar’s livery. He pushed through the crowd, growing more frustrated as the conveyance he was tailing disappeared into the rush of traffic. He looked around frantically for a transport of some kind and finally his eyes fell on a hover-scooter, similar to an Earth motorcycle. He ran to it, throwing the rider aside with a flip of his hand and mounted it, quickly following the path of Max’s conveyance.
As he sped after it, Khivar finally answered him. “Nicaron? Are you on Antar?”
“I’ll explain later. Are you on a secure transmitter?”
“Of course,” Khivar said.
Nicholas continued, “I am just leaving the landing docks, following a conveyance carrying Max and his party and they have the Granolith.”
“Where are you exactly?” Khivar asked.
Nicholas quickly gave him the coordinates and a description of the conveyance.
“Keep after them,” Khivar said. “I have men closing on your position.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Once the conveyance pulled into traffic, General Toaks approached Max and Liz, bowing formally. “Your Majesties, welcome home,” he said in English.
“Thank you,” Max said. “Please rise.”
Toaks held out a hand, offering Max and Liz two shiny, paper-thin, clear objects that were less than half the size of a dime.
“What are they?” Max asked.
“Translator devices,” Serena explained. “Just put it behind your ear and you will hear everything in English. Everyone wears them,” she said, putting one behind her own ear. “We couldn’t possibly learn all the of the languages of all of he people we deal with.”
Max and Liz took the devices and Toaks passed them out to the others.
Max motioned to Raltos. “This man is our prisoner. He has served as a communicator for Khivar and his mind may hold valuable information, but he is to be treated with respect.”
“Of course, my liege,” Toaks said. “But we must cover his eyes when we arrive or Khivar could learn of our location.”
Max motioned to Rath, “He is also to be considered a prisoner.
The others looked at Max with surprise and he explained. “Rath asked to come with us and I told him the terms. If he decides he wants to go, he will be taken away and released. I am not forcing him to do anything but I can’t have him giving us away either.”
Max had already told Michael that Ryan was his responsibility and he met Michael’s eyes with an understanding nod. Then he turned tack to Toaks, “How long will it take to get there?”
Toaks moved in closer, lowering his voice, “It is not far but we are taking a long, winding route, to make sure we are not being followed.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Nicholas spotted the conveyance ahead and accelerated, quickly closing the distance between them. He was just pulling alongside when Khivar’s men reached him. Nicholas motioned for them to surround the conveyance and force it to the side of the road.
The conveyance stopped and the door opened immediately. A soldier Nicholas recognized stepped out, “General Nicaron? What is the problem?”
Nicholas shoved him aside and climbed onto the conveyance, quickly looking around. It was a military issue conveyance carrying soldiers, but the outside had been altered to look like the one leaving the docks.
With a grim expression, Nicholas turned to the soldier in charge. “Do a thorough search of the surrounding area,” he ordered, but he had no doubt the search would be useless.
Max had escaped with the Granolith.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
After an hour on the roads, with many turns and changes in color and shape of vehicle, the driver called back to Toaks. “General, the scouts report that the way home is safe.”
“Scouts?” Kyle asked.
“Didn’t you see those guys in the crowd at the dock?” Max asked.
Toaks nodded, “You’re right, my liege. They have been creating decoys to draw attention from us in case we were tracked. But it appears it is safe to return to headquarters. We’ll be there in a matter of minutes.”
Max was disappointed not to be able to see out of the vehicle but he understood the need for the added security. He turned to Ava and with a jut of his chin motioned to Raltos. With her powers she created a thick blind-fold and secured it over Raltos’ eyes.
A few minutes later, the conveyance pulled to a stop and Toaks motioned for the others to wait while he checked outside.
He came back inside after a brief moment and bowed formally. “Your Majesties.”
Max and Liz clasped hands, and together they exited the vehicle. They were inside a building that kind of resembled a parking garage, and there was a small group of people gathered around.
As Max and Liz stepped into the open, the crowd dropped to their knees, except for one woman who stood the closest to them. She was tall and slender like the other Antarians, but she glowed with a golden beauty that nearly took Max’s breath away, and he knew instantly she was his mother.
Max remembered Isabel’s remark in the pod chamber when they had first received their mother’s message and tears gathered in his eyes as he realized that in a way, the woman before him really did resemble Isabel.
His mother rose to her full height and called out, “Hail, Zantor and Avalynd Tageonant, the true King and Queen of Antar.”
“Hail Tageonant,” the crowd repeated.
Max was unsure of what to do, but followed his instincts. “Please rise.” He stepped forward, with Liz at his side. “Mother.”
Nedra smiled and he saw a trail of tears on her cheeks and then she wrapped her arms around them both in a tight embrace. “It is so good to have you home again.”
Max hugged her back and felt the twinge of a memory trying to come forward.
Nedra released them and wiped at her cheeks. “You’ve had a long journey and you must be tired and hungry.”
Max shook his head, “We have a prisoner and a hybrid husk Khivar has used for communication that might have valuable information, and we need to get the Granolith set up as quickly as possible. Liz and I want to try connecting with it.”
Nedra nodded. “Of course, Toaks will see to it but it will take a while.” She motioned behind them to the others. “Come and let us eat and you can introduce your friends.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Earth)
(Roswell, NM)
(Roswell UFO Museum)
Brody was just starting to doze off at his desk when a flashing blue light and the sound of static attracted his attention. For a moment he was disoriented, but with wide eyes, he turned toward the octagonal-shaped, alien device, the source of the light. The symbols on the face flashed in sequence and a bright blue light shot upwards from the center.
A small gray-pink alien being appeared in the form of a hologram and spoke in English.
Greetings Brody. We are sending you this message to thank you for the help you have given us over the years. You were abducted because your brain contains a rare abnormality that allowed us to use you as a communicator between our planet and a group of our beloved children who were sent to Earth for their protection from our enemies.
Now, because of your help, our children have been safely returned to us. We hope that the healing of your disease and that of your child, along with this explanation will settle any debt for the use of your body. Perhaps in the future, if we return, we may thank you in person.
The image faded as the light flickered and died, and the octagonal device disappeared in a puff of smoke.
For a moment Brody sat stunned and then a smile crossed his face. His first thought was to tell Max or Maria and he rose from his seat only to remember that they were gone.
Memories of them rushed through his head. Max confronting him about his abduction, the late night and early morning meetings in the museum, Isabel’s claims of psychic powers, Maria joking that she was dating an alien, all of the times Max had been by his side after he had been abducted, Max telling him they were going to help a friend in trouble who lived ‘out of town.’
And suddenly the pieces clicked into place. Max, Maria, Michael, Liz, they had all left town in the same time frame that the aliens had returned home.
Brody grabbed for the phone, meaning to call his monitoring center but then replaced it on the cradle.
He sat down and used the computer to call up all of the radar readings for the last twenty-four hours and quickly scanned them for abnormalities. Unsurprised, he smiled as he saw one that occurred a little after noon, just outside the town of Copper Summit, AZ.
Again he reached for the phone and quickly punched in a familiar number.
“This is Brody. I’m shutting down the monitoring center and research team. Let them know I’m sorry we didn’t make any definite progress but I’ve decided to concentrate on running the museum and spending time with my family.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Antar)
(Capitol city of Roistar - formerly Tageonon)
(Secret Headquarters of the Resistance Loyal to the Tageonants)
Max and Liz held hands as they entered the chamber where the Granolith had been set up. It seemed to flicker and pulse as if it anticipated the contact and Max squeezed Liz’s hand to signal his readiness. Together they sat on the floor, their knees touching base of the enigmatic machine, and they allowed the connection between them to open fully.
They both experienced the rush of images and emotions that were typical of their connection and felt their minds and souls yearning to become one. The urge to complete the connection and lose themselves in each other was strong but they controlled the link so their minds and souls were just touching.
At the edge of their combined perception, they sensed the energy of the Granolith and together they widened the connection to include it. For a moment nothing happened, but suddenly an additional rush of images and emotions slammed into them. The images flashed through their linked minds faster and faster, like a movie on extreme fast forward. There was so much information and they tried to comprehend what they were seeing, but the intensity of the emotions accompanying the blurred images was so overwhelming that tears flowed down both their cheeks. There was extreme joy, debilitating sorrow, betrayal, and terror.
And as suddenly as the images had started, they stopped.
Max and Liz were breathing hard as if they had been physically pushed to the edge, and gasped for air trying to catch their breath. For long minutes there were no other sounds in the room as their overwhelmed minds tried to decipher what they had seen. But gradually, one by one, the pictures started to form in their linked minds and become clear.
Liz gasped as she realized what she was seeing. More tears spilled down her cheeks and she spoke to Max through the connection. Max, I remember you. I remember everything.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
THE END OF BOOK 10 – MAJESTY’S MORASS (WHAT HAPPENS NOW MAX?)
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
WHO'S WHO & NAME PRONUNCIATIONS
Book 11 - Destiny's Design - (Antar's Bane)
ANTAR
Tageions (tauj'-ee-ons) - people inhabiting the north lands
Royal Prince Zantor Tageonant (tauj'-o-nant) - (Zan) - Max - heir to the Antarian throne
Royal Princess Vilondra Tageonant - Isabel - Zan’s sister
King Zantar Tageonant - Zan & Vilondra's father
Queen Nedra Tageonant (ne'-dra) - Zan & Vilondra's mother
Tageonon (tauj'-o-non) - the capitol city of Antar, where the King's palace is located
Sodan (so-dan) - Nasedo - Zan's most trusted protector
Jensto (jens-toe) - a scientist in Zan's employ
General Toaks - named Zan's second in command after Rath died - Queen Nedra’s head General in the resistance against Khivar
The Sephtafus (named for the Antarian mythical goddess of good fortune) - the ship sent to Earth with the pods and the shape shifters
Sir Alarath Varros (Rath) - Michael - Zan's best friend and second in command
Kaldar - Tic Tac - Rath's most trusted protector
Duke Colrath Varros - Rath's father and a Senator
Sir Aladar Varros - Colrath Varros' uncle and Rath's great uncle - a leading scientist who headed the project to destroy the red giant
Telos - The providence over which Duke Telnada oversees
Lady Avalynd Telnada (Ava) - Zan's young bride
Royal Governor Duke Hortos Telnada - Ava's father
Duchess Celyn Telnada (say'-lin) - Ava's mother
Lady Chanya Santas (shawn'-ya) - Vilondra's friend
Udac (oo-dac) - Chanya's handmaid and protector
Sir Feron Santas - Chanya's father and senator
Harcions (Har-see-ons) - people inhabiting the south lands
Sir Khivar Roistar (roys'-tar) - Senator in the Council
Royal Duke Plavar Roistar (pla-var') - leader of the Harcions - Khivar's father
General Calles Nicaron (kal-ees) (ni-ca'-ron) - Nicholas - Khivar's right hand and head general
Lieutenant Scorene - (skor-ra-nay) - Courtney - Rath's childhood friend
Major Grester - T. Greer - head of the Vilondra project
Colonel Jafto - Walt Crawford - Nicholas' second in command
The Leptes (the Antarian word for Vengeance) - the ship Khivar sent to Earth with Nicholas and the skins
Shape Shifters sent to Earth with the Pods
Sodan - Nasedo - expert in hand-to-hand and weapons combat and a pilot - special ability energy blasts
Letras (le-tras) - Zan's former tutor, expert in philosophy, history and military tactics
Cuerena (soor'-ren-ya) - Serena - scientist and Granolith expert - special ability illusion
Kaldar - Tic Tac - expert in hand-to-hand and weapons combat - special ability empath
Leaders of the other planets in the Antarian system
Larek - Brody - Royal Duke of Talros (tal'-ros)
Hanar - Minister of Sofek (so-fec')
Sero - Chancellor of Yedom (yea'-dom)
Kathana - Royal Duchess of Ravok (ra'-voc)
A BRIEF HISTORY OF ANTAR
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is a brief introduction and history about Antar, its people and political system
DEFINITIONS:
parsec - 3.26 light years
Antar is 520 light years (160 parsecs) from Earth, in the Whirlwind Galaxy
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The planet Antar is in a solar system containing five habitable planets that orbit in very close proximity to one another. Antar has a comparable orbit to Earth, giving Antar (and the other planets) a similar system of time to Earth. (ie. 1 Earth year = approx. 1 Antarian year, 1 Antarian day = 24 Earth hours) The Antarian year is divided into 10 months with 38 days each, making the Antarian year 380 days long.
Antarians are humanoid and are similar in appearance to humans but their lifespan is typically 350 to 400 years. Antarians progress through childhood much like humans but when the reach adulthood they age 4 to 5 times slower. Most are born with some psychic abilities that differ in strength and type with the individual. Almost all Antarians have the basic ability to alter molecular structure to some degree, but some have other mental abilities such as dream walking, empathy, mind warping, mind reading & prognostication, etc. The most powerful Antarians have the ability to sense when power is being used and can even tell who the power belongs to because each person's power has a distinctive feel.
The Antarians have built up their technology and society over thousands of years. With their advanced technology and psychic abilities they have practically wiped out disease and crime on their planet and have concentrated on space exploration for centuries.
In the course of their explorations they have discovered many peopled worlds including Earth. The Antarians were especially interested in Earth because of the similarities between humans and themselves. The Antarians believe their race must have evolved from a race very similar to humans. One of the similarities is the size and configuration of the brain, although the humans have not learned to use all of the capabilities of their brains.
In other explorations the Antarians discovered a world inhabited with shape shifters. They took genetic samples and engineered humanoid shape shifters to be used in a variety of tasks but most especially for protection. They are highly prized because they not only have shape shifting abilities but also the psychic abilities of the Antarians and must be loyal to their masters because of their genetic coding. Their base form is a small genderless humanoid being but they can form any organic object, such as animals, plants, rocks, etc. Because of their genetic engineering they are able to adapt to just about any atmosphere. Their life span is 700-800 years.
The Antarians often trade medical and technical knowledge with other worlds. Thousands of years ago the Antarians acquired the Granolith from a highly advanced race, known as the Lathens. The Granolith was to be used to enhance power for creation, healing and faster-than-light travel. At first the Antarians used the Granolith as it was intended but they started to imagine that it could be used as an enhancement to power weapons. They tried to copy it and produce others but it used technology that they did not understand and could not duplicate. War after war was waged to determine who would control its power and soon it became a symbol of the leader of Antar. Whoever controlled the Granolith controlled the planet.
There are two races of people that inhabit Antar, the Tageions, inhabiting the north, led, for thousands of years, by the Tageonant family and the Harcions, inhabiting the south, now led by the Roistar family. These families gained leadership because of the strong psychic abilities that are passed down through their lines. For millennia the two races have fought for control of the planet but for the last three thousand years the Tageonant family has had ultimate control and there has mostly been peace. The Tageonant family was able to gain control of Antar with the power of the Granolith, and through alliances with some of the other planets in the system, and now the leaders of the planets bow to the head of the Tageonant family as the trusted and wise leader of the five worlds.
During the wars, the people looked to the Tageonants as the saviors of the planet and a hierarchical system of government arose. The head of the Tageonant family declared himself King and appointed powerful friends and relatives to a sort of legislature, called the Council so it would appear that the people had some voice in the government, but in reality the nobility only concentrated on making their own lives better.
The government is mostly run by men. Women are allowed to hold some possessions but the rulers are always men.
As part of the peace settlement with the Roistar family, they were also declared royalty and were given seats on the Council.
For the last hundred years, King Zantar Tageonant has ruled Antar. His wife is Queen Nedra and they have two children, the Princess Vilondra and Prince Zantor. Even though Vilondra is older, Zan is the heir to the throne because he is male.
In the past ten years, hostilities have escalated between the Tageonants and the Roistars again and some skirmishes have broken out along the north-south border. The royal Duke Plavar Roistar, leader of the Harcions, has broken off diplomatic avenues and King Zantar, fearful of an all-out war has invited the Roistar family to a peace conference at his palace in the capitol city of Tageonon.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A few dates in Antarian History
|Earth Year |Antar Year |Antarian Event |
| | | |
|12728 B.C. |9553 |The Lathens give the Granolith to the Antarians |
|10317-2183 B.C |11867-19674 |The war between the Tageions and Harcions for control of Antar |
|2183 B.C. |19674 |Zantas Tageonant declares himself King of Antar and forms the Council |
|1462 |23173 |The red star is extinguished |
|1627 |23331 |Antarians visit Earth |
|1821 |23518 |Zantar Tageonant (Zan’s father) is crowned King |
|1932-1935 |23625-23628 |The events in this time period are covered in Book 11 |
BOOK 11 - DESTINY'S DESIGN (ANTAR'S BANE)
des-ti-ny -
1 : a predetermined course of events often held to be an irresistible power or agency
de-sign -
1 : to create, fashion, execute, contrive, or construct according to plan
2 : to have as a purpose
bane -
1 : killer, slayer, poison, a source of harm or ruin
DISCLAIMER: Some of the dialogue used was taken from the episodes and I am not claiming credit for having written it but used it simply to set up the tone of a scene or show parallels between lives and realities.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is the story of Zan and Ava on Antar. What happened between Vilondra and Khivar, and the events that led to the deaths of the Royal Four.
Obviously Antarians do not speak English but since most of us cannot read Antarian I have translated everything into standard English.
Each change of date is marked. If a scene has no date it takes place latter in the day of the last date. There are 10 months in the Antarian year with 38 days each, giving the Antarian year 380 days. The dates are in the form (month.day.year)
NAGGING QUESTIONS:
1. What was the relationship between Zan and Ava?
2. Did Vilondra betray her family for her lover, Khivar?
3. What happened to the Royal Four?
DEFINITIONS
parsec - 3.26 light years
Antar is 520 light years (160 parsecs) from Earth, in the Whirlwind Galaxy
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Antar date 5.34.23625)
(Earth date December 14th, 1932)
(Royal Palace in the capitol city of Tageonon - Antar)
Zan had been stuck in council with his father all day and his muscles were stiff from the hours of inactivity. He went in search of his friend Larek, who was visiting, hoping to convince him to go for a swim before the party tonight. Zan sighed, thinking of the formal affair that would officially open the peace talks between the two families.
His father had invited all of the Council members and their families to stay in the palace to try and make the environment of the peace conference seem less hostile. Zan had always hated large parties where he didn't know half of the people, but his father insisted Zan attend and get to know as many people as possible because one day he would rule them.
Zan found Larek in his suite of rooms and they gathered their things and headed for the beach. Their favorite spot, Dimaras rock, was within the palace walls and reserved for the royal family and their guests. They usually had the place to themselves but with the large number of people staying in the palace for the conference, the beach was unusually crowded.
"Maybe we should come back another time," Zan said, "when it's less crowded."
Larek rolled his eyes at his old friend. "Still afraid of crowds, huh?" he mocked. "I thought you would have outgrown that."
"I'm not afraid, it's just...."
Larek interrupted him. "Great then let's go. I'll race you."
They ran and jumped into the water, splashing and dunking each other as they had done when they were children. Zan was glad that Larek was visiting. Their families were very close and they had always been together when they were children. As they matured, their duties took up more of their time and they saw each other less and less.
In college, Zan had met Alarath, or Rath as everyone called him. They were both interested in history and military tactics and they had become close friends. When they graduated, Rath's father, who was a respected and powerful but somewhat radical Senator, had arranged for Rath to take a position within the palace to train with the royal guard. Rath was naturally talented and very powerful and in just a few years he had quickly advanced through the ranks to become a Colonel. Zan wished his two friends could get to know one other better but Rath was on duty during the conference.
"Let's swim out to the rocks and back like we used to," Larek suggested.
Zan agreed and they struck out at a quick pace toward the rocks that jutted out of the water in the distance. Zan thought it felt like heaven to glide through the thick red liquid after the long day. He lengthened his stroke and passed Larek with a powerful kick but Larek wouldn't be left behind for long. They pushed each other faster and faster and reached the rock within seconds of one another.
"I can still beat you," Zan laughed, breathing heavily.
"You were just lucky," answered his friend. "I'll win on the way back. Let's go."
They swam back at an even faster pace, as long unused muscles began to loosen. They were neck and neck as they approached the beach, but Zan started to tire and he thought Larek might win. Suddenly a bright glint on the rocks caught his eye and he strained to see what it was. There was a girl in red swimming attire lounging on the rocks but it was not the red that had caught his attention, it was her hair. It was the color of pale gold and it cascaded in long waves down her back, dancing lightly on the breeze. Zan forgot about the race and everything else as his complete attention was captured by her.
Larek swam a few strokes farther before he noticed that Zan was not at his side and circled back to him. "Zan what are you doing?" he asked following the line of Zan's gaze. "Wow, she is beautiful."
"I think she must be the most beautiful woman I have ever seen."
"And that's saying something considering all of the beautiful women your parents have been throwing at you so that you can find a wife. Do you know who she is?"
"No, I have never seen her before. But she must be a daughter of one of the Council members."
"Or wife," Larek mumbled. "Why don't you go introduce yourself?"
"No," said Zan decidedly, shaking his head.
"Why not?" Larek asked incredulously.
"I wouldn't know what to say to her."
"Well you could start with your name and then ask hers..."
Zan cut him off, "No Larek."
"I could come with you and make the introductions on your behalf.”
"No. It's getting late," Zan said, looking up at the darkening sky. "Let's just get ready for the party."
Larek shook his head, wondering how a man who was to be King could be so shy with women, but he knew better than to press the point. There were other ways to go about it and as they walked into the palace, he was already forming a plan of action.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Suite of Rooms Assigned To The Roistars)
"Khivar have you seen the Princess Vilondra yet?" Plavar asked his son.
"Not yet father, but we just arrived this morning. I am sure she will attend the party this evening. It is said she’s as shallow as she is beautiful."
"Yes," his father agreed. "Just make sure that you turn it to your advantage."
Khivar smiled. "I don't believe the Princess will give me any trouble."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Palace Ballroom - Later That Evening)
The party had everything Zan hated; music, rich food and drink, and a lot of people. Men were offering 'friendship' and advice from every direction, and fawning women in multicolored gowns eager to catch the Prince's eye swirled around him. Zan dutifully moved from group to group, listening to conversations, and to the women's disappointment, dancing with no one.
As the evening grew later, he had visions of escape but knew his father would expect him to stay. He had lost track of Larek earlier in the evening and as he listened to the droning voice of another Senator, he wished his friend was with him. And as if Zan had conjured him, Larek appeared, and at his side was the girl they had seen on the beach.
She was dressed in an elaborate deep green gown that complimented her icy blue eyes, and her glorious, golden hair was artfully piled atop her head, exposing her long slender neck. Zan's breath caught as Larek made the introductions.
"Prince Zantor, this is Senator Santas' daughter, Lady Chanya. Lady Chanya this is his royal Highness Prince Zantor."
Chanya curtsied low and formally. "It is an honor to meet you, your Highness" she said, her voice soft and rich.
Zan was dumbstruck, her beauty causing his breath to rush out of his lungs and he struggled to regain his composure. "It is a pleasure to meet you," he said breathlessly. But his shyness overwhelmed him and he was unsure of how to continue.
But Larek had anticipated Zan's reticence. "Chanya was just telling me how much she loves to dance."
Zan eagerly grabbed onto the suggestion. "Would you like to dance, my Lady?" he said, extending his hand in the formal manner.
Chanya placed her hand in his. "I would love to, your Highness."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(In another part of the ballroom)
Vilondra had always loved parties. She could show off her golden beauty, wrapped in the finest gowns and jewels and the next day the entire kingdom would rush to copy her style. The evening was passing quickly and there didn't seem to be enough time to hear the many compliments from the men clustered around her.
She listened with pleasure as another of her companions commented on the flattering style of her hair, when her father caught her attention and beckoned her to come to him. She reluctantly excused herself and threaded her way through the many admirers, toward her father. When she reached his side, she noticed the two men with him and was struck with the beauty of younger man. He was tall, with striking good looks and dark golden hair that contrasted with his bright emerald eyes.
"Duke Roistar," the King addressed the older man, "I don't believe you and your son have met my daughter, the Princess Vilondra. Vilondra, this is Duke Roistar, head of the Harcion family, and his son and heir Khivar, a member of the Council."
"Vilondra, it is a pleasure to meet you," the Duke said. He looked appreciatively at her but spoke to his son, "She is very beautiful is she not, Khivar."
Khivar turned his attention to her and when their eyes met, for the first time in her life Vilondra blushed. She could feel the overwhelming heat in his gaze and it was all attuned to her.
"Yes," Khivar said, his deep voice sending shivers through her, "she is very lovely." His eyes never left hers. "May I claim this dance Princess?"
He held out his hand and she eagerly gave him hers. "I am honored Sir," she said in her most regal voice, trying to remain calm even though she could feel his heat through her gloves.
Khivar spun her expertly around the dance floor and though she struggled to remain aloof, Vilondra felt the ice that had always encased her heart, start to thaw.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Larek had warned Chanya of Zan's shyness and she kept up a steady stream of conversation, asking questions to draw him out and he gradually relaxed. They moved to a table in a quiet corner and talked for hours, neither noticing the time passing.
Chanya leaned closer to him and whispered into his ear. "I saw you this afternoon on the beach. I thought you were so handsome and I was very disappointed when you didn't come and introduce yourself."
Zan was startled for a moment. "I.... It's just that you are so beautiful," he said reaching out to caress her cheek. "I wasn't sure what to say."
"You don't have to say anything,“ she whispered as she closed the distance between them and kissed him.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Khivar had dominated her evening but Vilondra didn't mind. He was so unlike the other men she was used to being with. They had danced until they were exhausted and then she had taken him on a tour of her father's gardens. Sitting on a bench in the moonlight, they spoke about history, politics and art, and even though he was a few years older, he was interested in her opinions and treated her like an equal. She had spent other evenings with other men, but for the first time, she felt as if a man saw something other than her beauty.
As they walked toward the water, Khivar’s hand automatically went to her waist to steady her over the uneven ground. They stopped at the stone wall, marking the edge of the beach, and watched the small moon, Astra, rise over the horizon.
For several moments neither of them spoke. Finally, Khivar turned to her and raised his hand to her face. "You are incredibly beautiful," he whispered, as his thumb caressed her jaw sending shivers of reaction through her. He leaned in closer, in an attempt to kiss her, but she panicked and drew back.
"No," Vilondra said, shaking her head frantically. "We can't."
Khivar smiled knowingly and once again closed the distance between them. "Why not?"
"We can't get involved like that." She retreated a few steps, until her back came up against a large tree, stopping her. "Our families are enemies."
"We are here to change that," he said softly, as he advanced. Once again he took her face in his hands and lowered his lips to meet hers.
"Please don't,” she pleaded, as he drew her closer. “My father would not approve." She trembled with anticipation of his kiss but she knew it shouldn't happen. Her voice was barely a whisper between them. "Please, Khivar."
Then his lips were on hers and she had no more thoughts of stopping.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Chanya watched Zan as he made his way down the passage, away from her father's suite of rooms. The evening had been so wonderful and then Zan had insisted on escorting her to her room after the party. He was the perfect gentleman and even more handsome in person. She closed the door and twirled around, her skirts billowing out around her. Events weren't going exactly as she had anticipated but she was confident that everything would come out according to her plan.
When she had seen a picture of Zan for the first time, over a year ago, she had fallen in love instantly and she had vowed to have him. She had used every excuse to try and get close to him but she had been thwarted by circumstance time and time again. Finally when her father had received an invitation to stay at the palace for the peace conference, she had known it was her time.
She had discovered Zan's love of swimming and laid her trap for him in her most becoming outfit. But he had not even noticed her, she fumed, until she resorted to using her powers. She had gently planted a suggestion in his mind to look in her direction and he had finally responded. But he hadn’t approached her, and she had frustratedly resolved to give him another nudge with her powers at the party that evening.
Luckily she had discovered that his friend Larek was on her side and he had helped her by making the introductions between them. Chanya had sent tendrils of suggestion to Zan all evening, drawing him to her, making herself seem more beautiful and more fascinating, but still he had been resistant. Then she used a larger dose of power, putting it into a kiss and he had responded at last. Triumphantly she had drawn him closer and deepened the kiss waiting for the flashes of connection to come but they had not. Zan had been shielding himself from her. Chanya sighed. She would have to work on getting Zan to trust her and then they would be bonded together forever.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Zan arrived in his quarters and found Larek waiting for him, a devilish grin lighting his face.
"So I take it you and Chanya got along," Larek teased him. "I saw you kissing."
Zan rubbed his hands over his face. "Yes, she's a nice girl."
"Nice?" Larek asked incredulously. "Beautiful, charming, poised, are all words I might use to describe her but nice?"
"Is that what you saw in her aura?" Zan asked. He teased his friend often about his unusual gift.
"Her aura," Larek said consideringly. "Now that is interesting. Everyone's aura is unique but Chanya's aura is different."
"What do you mean?" Zan asked, concern creeping into his tone.
"It's nothing bad," Larek laughed, "it's just the color is like nothing I've ever seen. It is a very clear, icy blue," he said in an introspective tone, "almost like the color of her eyes."
"And that is unusual?"
"Yes. Most auras are a more subdued shade of color and the person's emotions or physical health cause spots or swirls of other colors. For instance if I look at your aura, it is a deep, rich blue and I can see that you are tired from the swirls of darker blue. But her aura is almost a solid color, shining, perfect.
Zan was less concerned now that his friend had explained. "Would you mind if we talked about this tomorrow? I am really exhausted for some reason."
Larek relented. "Yes, I can see that you are tired, but tomorrow I want to hear all about your evening."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Vilondra's rooms)
It was late and Vilondra should have been exhausted but she felt exhilarated. She and Khivar had spent the entire evening together. Khivar had easily turned away her other admirers and they had danced and talked like they had known one another for years. He was genuinely interested in her and when she ventured an opinion about a political matter he had listened and encouraged her to continue.
She realized that no one had ever asked her opinion about anything other than fashion. No one took her seriously except her brother. Her father and her suitors, in the Antarian tradition, had expected nothing more of her than her beauty. But Khivar saw something more, and for the first time she wanted more for herself.
Then he had kissed her. She had been kissed before but when Khivar's lips had met hers it was truly a meeting not just of bodies but of minds and souls.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Roistars' rooms)
"So you spent the entire evening with the Princess? Khivar’s father asked.
"Yes. I couldn't believe all of the simpering idiots that were vying for her attention," Khivar said incredulously, "but they were easily discouraged. They and her father treat her like a pretty doll but I was surprised to discover she does have a brain. Her father indulges her, allowing her to attend the Council, and on a couple of issues we discussed she was quite insightful."
"Really," his father said dismissively.
"Yes," Khivar answered softly, looking closely at his father. The Duke was an excellent strategist but he sometimes missed the important details, like he was missing now. Khivar had often wondered when his father would become more of a liability than he could afford, and he knew the time was rapidly approaching.
"Just don't let yourself get caught up in all of this," the Duke warned, waving his arms to indicate their ornate surroundings. "The Princess is very important to our plan. Having her in our family will strengthen our claim to the throne when the time comes."
Khivar rolled his eyes as his father continued to outline the plan once again. His father had made the mistake of underestimating him since he had been a child. And he had bided his time, knowing that he was not strong enough to get rid of his father, but the time was coming and soon he would have everything he wanted, including the throne of Antar and the five worlds.
The fact that Vilondra was not a simpering fool was an added bonus. Khivar had been surprised to discover that the Princess was as intelligent as she was beautiful, and he wondered what other talents her father and his had overlooked. When they had kissed, he had gotten a sense of her power and he suspected that hers might even rival his own. She would truly make him a worthy mate and he suspected he could use her frustration against her family to his advantage.
Khivar smiled. Soon he would put his own plan into motion.
Khivar noted that the Duke was still raving. "I will draw out the peace talks as long as possible to give you more time, but just make sure that you don't make any mistakes with her."
Khivar looked at his father. "It should take no time at all to have her eating out of my hand."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(5.35.23625)
The peace talks were scheduled to start the next day and the King allowed Zan to take the morning off from the Council. Zan invited Chanya to tour the capitol with him, she lived in one of the remote regions and had never been there. He took her to his favorite art museum, and afterward they had lunch. He was somewhat subdued, not really knowing how he was expected to act, but Chanya was an excellent conversationalist and reveled in the attention that was lavished upon them by the people.
They arrived back at the palace late that afternoon and Chanya suggested they go swimming together. Zan invited Larek to join them but he declined, joking that Zan would thank him after the wedding. They separated to change clothes, met back at Dimaras rock and swam together until it was time to get changed for the party that evening.
Even though Zan had offered to escort her to the party, Chanya declined sweetly. "I don't want to keep you waiting," she said with a laugh. "I'll meet you there."
Chanya hurried down the corridor eager to get to her rooms, exhausted from the strain of using her powers. She had used a trickle of power all day to enhance Zan's mood of fun and contentment, to draw him to her, and she needed a brief nap to regain her strength or she would never last through the evening.
She also needed to concentrate on step two of her plan. While Zan and the other men were in conference, she would work on endearing herself to Zan's mother and sister and soon she would be just like a member of the family.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Over the next few weeks, the peace talks progressed slowly by Duke Roistar's design. Khivar and Vilondra became inseparable, spending every moment of free time together and becoming lovers. Khivar suspected that the King would not approve of their relationship and wanted to thoroughly bind Vilondra to himself before forcing her to choose between him and her family, so he suggested to her that they keep their affair a secret until after the treaty was signed.
Vilondra agreed, knowing her father possessed the power to keep her away from Khivar. She told no one she was seeing him, except Zan, and her new confident and best friend Chanya. In her brother's girl friend, Vilondra had found the one thing she had always wanted, a sister. She and Chanya shared all of their secrets and Vilondra hoped Chanya would truly become her sister by marrying Zan.
Zan could see his sister's happiness with Khivar and though he did not thoroughly approve her choice, he wanted her to be happy, and he enviously wished that he could find a bit of that happiness for himself.
At first, Chanya had fascinated him. It was like he was in a dream when he was with her, and he couldn't get enough of her. But when he was not with her, doubts came flooding in. She was shallow, only concerned with her position at court or her clothing, and she seemed to have no opinions of her own, simply echoing whatever he said. Zan smiled sadly. His father would probably say she would make a perfect Queen.
Zan respected her as a friend and supporter but he did not love her, and as he watched her growing closer to his family he knew he had to tell her.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(7.19.23625)
Chanya screamed as she threw one breakable item after another against the wall. Zan thought he could just get rid of her did he? How dare he try to discard her like last month's fashion. She picked up another figurine and smashed it against the wall, stomping her feet and screaming in frustration. Even after she had used her wiles and powers so skillfully, he had still been able to escape her. She knew now that she had underestimated the level of his power.
She thought she was getting closer to him; she had even received a flash or two from him when they kissed, but this evening after dinner he had taken her aside to talk. At first she couldn't believe what he was saying.
Chanya you are a great friend and I will always treasure the time we have spent together, but I don't love you and I think it would be unfair for me to keep seeing you.
Chanya had been so stunned, that for a couple of minutes she hadn't been able to say anything, her anger building to a point that she had almost struck him. But she had been able to curb the impulse and thinking quickly, begun to weep prettily, telling Zan of her disappointment and her desire to remain friends. He had readily agreed and they had parted on good terms.
Her handmaid and confident, Udac entered the room, surveyed the damage and shook her head. "I take it that you had a setback in your relationship with the Prince m'Lady?"
"You won't believe what he said. He just wants to be friends," Chanya moaned as she sank down onto the bed. "Why doesn't Zan love me? Am I not beautiful and desirable? I could be anything he wanted. I would love him for eternity."
Udac sat beside her and began gently stroking her hair. She spoke in soft soothing tones, "Zan was able to break free from your mind warp and he wasn't even aware of what you were doing. He must be very powerful. The rumors that he has limited mental abilities are certainly wrong."
"Yes, I must admit that I underestimated him," Chanya sighed. "At least I have a friendship with Vilondra, so even after this conference is over I will have an excuse to visit the palace. I will just have to make better use of my powers in the future."
"Are you sure that is wise, beloved?" Udac asked. "If Zan is as powerful as we suspect, he would be able to detect that you are using large amounts of power. And it is said that those with great power can," she paused looking for the correct word, "can sense who power belongs to. If Zan figures out you are using your powers to entrap him..." she let the sentence trail off.
"You are right," Chanya sighed and snuggled into the older woman's arms. "I am glad I have you to advise me. You have been like a mother to me since my own mother passed away."
"I love you with a mother's love and I would do anything for you. Nothing would make me happier than to see you on the throne as Queen."
"We will have to devise another plan," Chanya said.
"At least you have a good reason to be in the palace. Just make sure that Vilondra needs you as much as possible and endear yourself to the Queen," Udac continued prophetically. "Being close to Zan's mother could have untold rewards."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Khivar studied Vilondra's sleeping form next to him in bed; so beautiful and strong. He reached out to smooth a lock of hair off her face. He could be almost entirely open with her, only needing to shield his plan from her in their most intimate connection. His plan was proceeding well, even if it had taken an unexpected turn.
He had never intended, never even considered that he might fall in love with Vilondra, but he had. It was a soul deep, overwhelming, empowering love, that he had thought only existed in children's tales. His father would call him a fool, but Khivar could see the power in their connection and had revised his plan to include their bond.
Khivar had heard of connections such as he and Vilondra shared but he had always dismissed them as romantic drivel. But their bond added an additional layer to their intimacy and added power and resolve to his psyche. The bond also held an unexpected benefit. Vilondra was able to initiate a mental connection with him at any time, and they were both able to visit the other in their dreams.
The peace conference would be over soon but he, as a member of the Council, lived in Tageonon and could be close to Vilondra. But they still had to be careful. They had agreed that they should keep their affair a secret a while longer. Khivar was sure Vilondra loved him, he just wanted to shift the King's opinion in his favor before bringing their relationship into the open.
In the morning, he would signal his most loyal servant, General Nicaron, to proceed with the plan to eliminate his father, the Duke. They would slowly poison the Duke’s food using miniscule, undetectable amounts of an incurable poison. Gradually the poison would build up in his system until it was too late and he would never realize what had happened. Then Khivar would be free to get rid of the King and discredit Zan.
He smiled at the simplicity of it. Only three men stood between him and the throne. Soon he would rule the southern lands, and eventually all of Antar and the five planets, with his beautiful lover beside him and the power of the Granolith at his fingertips.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(8.03.23625)
The treaty was signed and it seemed as if a new era of peace would envelope the lands of Antar. Duke Roistar returned to the southern lands, the border attacks ceased, and life at the palace returned to normal.
Chanya had used her time in the palace to her advantage, making sure she was invaluable to Vilondra. She cunningly used her powers to make Vilondra unsure of herself when she was not around and at peace when she was, and as expected, Vilondra asked her to remain at the palace as her confident.
But to Chanya's dismay, the King, wanting to expand his son's experience of political matters, sent Zan on a tour to meet the regional Governors. Zan left the palace almost immediately after the peace conference ended and Chanya had not been able to spend any time alone with him since the evening he had ruined her plans by dumping her. Chanya was angry but decided to use the opportunity to befriend the Queen.
Queen Nedra accepted her cautiously, knowing of her connection and hopes concerning Zan. But Chanya skillfully led her to believe that her love and devotion was for the entire family and not just the Prince Zan.
Over the next few months, Chanya helped Vilondra to keep her relationship with Khivar a secret, often going with her to Khivar's mansion. Chanya did not like or trust Khivar. He made her uncomfortable and seemed to know her innermost thoughts just by looking at her, but he said he was grateful that she allowed him to spend more time with Vilondra.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(5.19.23626)
Zan, with his right hand Rath, had been touring the regional seats for over six months, meeting the Governors and aristocracy in each province. They had visited nine of the ten provinces, holding council and addressing the problems and concerns of each area. Zan, finally out from under his father's heavy hand, had begun to discover himself and had become more confident and sure. He felt at ease with the people that he would one-day rule, and began to think of the Kingship as an honor and not a distasteful duty.
He and Rath made an excellent team, each complimenting the other's strengths and weaknesses. They had grown closer than ever and Zan resolved to appoint Rath to the permanent position as his second in command when they returned to the palace. It would mean a promotion, making Rath a General. It was a prestigious position for someone so young, but Rath had earned it.
The tour had also allowed Zan to become acquainted with the common people. At the palace he'd had no interaction with them, but without his father to keep them away, Zan had discovered their plight. The people had no representation in the government and their problems often went unheard. The aristocracy claimed to represent their interests but he had seen people with not enough to eat, people who lived in hovels, and people who were unfairly, even cruelly treated by the noblemen who where supposed to care for them. Surely his father could not know of the injustices or he would work to change them. Zan vowed to make the problems known to his father immediately upon his return.
Rath drew Zan's attention back to the present by reminding him that they would arrive in the final province of Telos in a matter of minutes. Zan checked his notes. The province had been stewarded by distant relatives of the Tageonants, the Telnada family for generations. The current administrator was the Royal Governor, Duke Hortos Telnada.
The Governor was awaiting their arrival and rushed to greet them as they stepped off the transport. "Welcome to my humble manor, your Highness," he addressed Zan with a deep formal bow. "I am Duke Hortos Telnada, Governor of Telos. Your presence honors my house."
"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Sir." Zan answered. "I am looking forward to knowing you better."
"Thank you, your Highness."
Zan indicated Rath who was standing next to him. "Governor Telnada this is Sir Alarath Varros, first son and heir of Duke Varros," he introduced Rath using his formal title.
"Sir Varros, it is a pleasure to meet you," the Governor said with a formal bow. "I was at school with your father for a time."
Rath gave a short bow. "Thank you for inviting us into your home, Sir."
The Governor beamed with pleasure. "You must be weary from your journey, please allow my man to show you to your rooms. Dinner will be served in two hours and afterward I have arranged a ball to welcome you."
"We look forward to it, Sir," Zan automatically replied.
Rath waited until they were out of the Governor's hearing. "I can't believe there is another ball," he said rolling his eyes. "How many of these things can we attend? It's all your fault, you know," he teased, punching Zan on the arm.
"My fault?"
"Yeah, every one of these nobles wants to trot out their daughters for your inspection, hoping that you will choose one of them to be the future Queen."
"I don't know," said Zan thoughtfully. "Maybe some of them are hoping to catch the eye of a future Duke."
"Yeah," Rath snorted, "and maybe the sea will turn blue."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The dinner, according to custom, was only attended by the men. They talked mostly politics, some seeking solutions to problems and others just wanting to be recognized by the crown. Zan was impressed by the Governor's quick wit and grasp of complex situations. The Governorship was passed down through the family line and many were ineffectual bureaucrats but Governor Telnada was a good administrator.
After dinner, the men went into the formal ballroom and introductions were made to the Prince, starting with the lesser noblemen. Zan listened attentively and tried to remember as many of the names as possible, even the silly giggling girls who were presented to him. He knew he would have to dance with a few of them before the night was over or everyone would be disappointed.
Zan was just introducing a blonde beauty to Rath when a flash of blue drew his attention to the opposite door. Entering the room was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. She was small of frame, almost delicate, with long, rich brown hair, and she glided across the floor in a deep blue gown with the grace of a dancer. Zan couldn't take his eyes off of her. She walked to a woman near the dais and Zan noted that she was in the line to be introduced to him.
He scarcely heard the names of the people to whom he was introduced afterward because his senses were full of her. He waited impatiently for her to come to him and it seemed an eternity, the time drawing slower and slower as she approached. Finally she, and a woman he took to be her mother, were before him.
The Governor continued with the introductions. "And finally your Highness, may I present my wife, the Duchess Celyn Telnada and my daughter Lady Avalynd," he said, indicating them with a sweep of his hand. "My dears, this is his Highness, Prince Zantor Tageonant."
Zan greeted the Duchess formally and turned to her daughter, and from the first moment Avalynd's beautiful, dark eyes met his, Zan knew he was in love.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Vilondra arrived at Khivar's mansion as planned. She was using Chanya as a cover, as she had done so many times before, telling her father they were attending a party. The two of them would leave the palace and part company, Chanya would attend the party, using her powers to make sure that people remembered seeing the Princess there, while Vilondra met Khivar. Afterward they would meet again and return to the palace together.
Vilondra was shown into Khivar's sitting room, but the smile she had for her lover died on her lips when she saw who was there instead. She recovered quickly but not before he had seen her reaction. General Nicaron had disturbed her from the first time they had been introduced. Khivar's right hand, stood to one side of the room and arrogantly allowed his eyes to roam over her. His behavior was always proper but she had the feeling he was thinking improper things about her.
Calles Nicaron was very handsome and young to be in such a responsible position and there were many rumors about him at court. It was said that he was very powerful and ruthless, and those attributes had helped him rise quickly through the ranks. Many of Vilondra's friends were enraptured with his rugged face and dark piercing eyes, but Vilondra had been wary of him from their first meeting. In his handsome face she saw a hard ruthlessness and in his direct gaze she saw cruelty, emptiness and death.
"General Nicaron," she said with more bravado than she felt, "how nice to see you."
"It is always a pleasure to see you Princess," he said, his eyes holding hers, his voice softer and more intimate than it should have been.
"I am meeting Khivar," she said, using his Lord's name to remind him of his place.
"Yes," he said, moving deliberately closer to her with every word. "Khivar asked me to tell you that he has been delayed, but will join you as soon as possible." He stopped only inches from her. "Would you care for a refreshment while you wait."
She took a step back and then cursed herself for letting the man disturb her. "No, thank you."
"Very well," he said with a knowing smile. "I have duties to which I must attend. Simply ring for a servant if you," he paused, placing emphasis on the word, "desire... anything."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Vilondra's reaction to his parting words brought a chuckle to Nicaron’s lips. She had looked almost shocked, but he knew better. She was an excellent actress and she knew how to play the game to keep a man interested.
Nicaron was considered a ladies-man and he could boast of having almost any woman that he desired. Almost. But the one woman he desired the most was sitting in another room waiting the arrival of his master. Vilondra, Princess of Antar, the most beautiful jewel in the King's possession, it had often been remarked. Many men desired her and according to the court gossip many men had partaken of her offered charms.
Khivar thought he loved Vilondra and perhaps he did. Nicaron had always considered it a wasted emotion. And it was only because of his master that he did not actively pursue Vilondra himself. But she did desire him, of that he was sure. He had caught her looking at him sometimes and he had promised himself that she would be his when Khivar had finished with her. But for now he would have to satisfy himself with playing the game.
Khivar strode into the entryway and Nicaron greeted him. "Sir, your father is on his deathbed. He is growing weaker by the day and will be dead in a matter of weeks. The doctor you requested has been attending him and it is too late for an antidote. He will die."
"Excellent," said Khivar with a satisfied smile. "Allow no one but his servant to see him and all orders are to go through me. Proceed with the plan and let me know immediately when he is dead."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(6.27.23626)
Zan used excuse after excuse to lengthen his stay in Telos and he and Rath had been there for over a month. In that time he had fallen so deeply in love with Ava that he could not imagine being parted from her. Zan would have simply have married Ava and faced his parent's wrath in cheating them out of a public ceremony but she was not yet of age to marry according to Antarian tradition.
At first her youth had caused him to proceed cautiously, but she was wise beyond her years from extensive study and social interaction and wasn't frightened by him in the least. From their first meeting she had treated him like a friend and without the formality that was the custom for someone of his rank. They spent as much time as possible together, just content to be in one another’s company, not able to get enough of each other. As they became acquainted, they discovered similarities on almost every topic, and the more Zan discovered about Ava the more deeply he loved her.
Ava was an only child and could have been petulant and spoiled, but Zan discovered that she was kind and generous to everyone she met. She was intelligent, with a quick wit and vivacity and would laughingly argue her opinion on everything from Art to Politics. And most importantly, she loved him in return, with all of her heart.
The connection between them had grown so gradually that at first neither of them had noticed it. Each could sense the other's moods and emotions but it had been dismissed by both of them because they knew one another so well. But as they spent more time together it had become evident that their connection ran much deeper. Even though they had not been intimate, they could not only feel one another's feelings but also speak in one another's minds. They knew such connections were rare but it seemed so natural to both of them to be linked in that way that it didn't surprise either of them. They both thought it was as it should be. It was simply an extension of their love for one another.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(6.35.23626)
The King had been insisting for more than a week that Zan return home, and after dinner that evening Zan received a message ordering him to leave for Tageonon at daybreak. Zan didn't want to be parted from Ava but he could not ignore a direct command from his father and King. Zan arranged for his belongings to be packed and went in search of the Ava, not wanting leave without having things settled between them.
He found Ava in her suite of rooms. "I know it's late but I need to speak with you."
Ava allowed him into her sitting room. She had felt his unease and had been expecting him. "You're upset. What is wrong?"
"My father has ordered me to return to the palace and I must leave at first light." Zan took her hand and pressed it to his mouth. "Ava, you know I don't want to leave you but I must."
She nodded stoically, attempting to keep her sudden tears at bay.
"Before I leave though I wanted to make sure you know how I feel. I wanted you to know I love you, have always loved you, will always love you."
Ava smiled. "I know. I can feel your love surrounding me, Zan. I could never doubt it."
"Yes, but I want to make it official," he said, kneeling with both of her hands grasped in his. "I know it's not in the formal manner and I'm not properly prepared, but I love you with all of my heart and soul and I never want to be parted from you. Lady Avalynd Telnada will you consent to be my bride?"
"Oh yes Zan," she exclaimed, her eyes overflowing with tears of happiness. "I love you so much, I will count the minutes until we are united."
Zan leapt up, grasped her by the waist and twirled them around before lowering her to the floor, laughing with joy. "Ava you have made me so happy I want to shout it out of your window. I am marrying the most sweet, beautiful woman on Antar."
"And I am marrying the most handsome, wonderful man."
"I don't have a proper ring to give you now but will you accept my signet? It is too large to wear on your delicate hands, I could make it smaller or perhaps you would prefer to wear it on a chain around your neck."
"I will proudly wear it on the correct finger to let the world know I belong with you."
Zan placed the signet solemnly on her finger and with a wave of his hand, sized it to fit. He lifted her hand to his mouth and sealed the ring and his promise with a kiss.
With tears streaming down her cheeks, she lifted her face to his. "I love you with everything I am."
Zan cupped her face in his hands and gently kissed the tears from her cheeks. "I will ask my father to issue an invitation to your parents to visit the palace, immediately upon my return. I must formally request your hand, and even though we have to wait a year until you are of age, my family will want to become acquainted with my future wife as soon as possible."
"What if they don't approve of me?" she asked, suddenly fearful.
Zan shook his head. "It doesn't matter. I love you. I will marry you."
"But your family..."
He cut her off by placing his finger against her mouth. "My family will love you too."
Zan pulled her gently to him and replaced his finger with his lips, drinking in her essence, and their connection immediately opened. They held nothing back from one another and Zan pulled her closer wanting to memorize her intoxicating taste and sweet smell as if he would never see her again. He could feel her love pouring through the connection and sent back all of the emotions running through him.
After a moment, he reluctantly ended the kiss. "I love you and we will be together soon."
"I love you too Zan."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(6.36.23626)
(King's conference room)
"Zan I called you home because there has been unrest on the border again." The King slammed his fist onto the table. "I don't know what the Duke is planning but we need to put a stop to it immediately. It's as if he wants to start a war." He looked at Zan across the table. "I have summoned the Duke's son Khivar here this evening. Perhaps he can shed some light on his father's motives and then we will decide on a course of action."
"Yes I agree we must get control of this situation quickly. It could easily escalate into a war and the loss of innocents."
The King looked at his son with pride. "Zan, I have never heard you speak so decisively. Your time away seems to have agreed with you."
"Yes father. I learned a great deal about myself and the duties of a leader." Zan paused and smiled. "I have also met the woman I intend to marry."
His father was thunderstruck and Zan couldn't help but laugh, he had never seen his father look so surprised. "Perhaps father, you thought I would never marry?" he teased.
"No," the King said, a smile lighting his face. "It's just so sudden." His eyes suddenly became calculated. "Who is this girl?"
"She is Governor Telnada's daughter, Avalynd."
His father nodded approvingly. "Duke Telnada is a good man, although I don't remember meeting his daughter."
"She is too young to have been presented at court, father. Ava has another year until she is of age but I wish to announce the engagement formally now."
"You love this girl?"
"With all of my heart."
"And she has agreed to marry you?"
"Yes, and I have given her my signet until I could present her with a proper token."
"Very well, I will issue an invitation to the Governor and his family to come to the palace for the betrothal."
"Thank you father."
The King rose from the table and embraced Zan. “All I have ever wanted for you Zan is your happiness."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(6.37.23626)
"Khivar," the King roared, "tell me what the Duke means to accomplish with his actions!"
"Your Majesty, my father has been in poor health for years and I believe it has affected his mind. He sees enemies from all sides and believes his life is in danger. I thought he was getting well but if he has started attacking the border again I fear his condition may be deteriorating. I will return to the south immediately and convince him to stop the attacks."
"Are you sure you can accomplish this?"
"Yes, your Majesty, my father will heed my counsel."
"Khivar if you can stop the attacks without a forcing us into war I will be in your debt."
"Thank you, your Majesty," Khivar said with a formal bow.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(6.38.23626)
(Roistar family palace - southern region)
Khivar arrived at his family palace just after dawn and was met by Nicaron at the door. "General, tell me the news."
"As you instructed, no one knows of your father's death except you, me, the doctor and your father's servant. The servant is being kept quiet for now with promises of riches but I will dispose of him when your father's death is formally announced. The attacks are proceeding as scheduled."
"Excellent. Announce that I have arrived and my father's health is deteriorating rapidly. Then leak the information that he will most likely be dead before sunset. Continue the attacks for another two hours and then pull the troops back to the palace. Dispose of the doctor as soon as he announces of the Duke's cause of death."
General Nicaron smiled. "As you wish, my Lord."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(8.03.23626)
One month later the palace was overflowing with well-wishers for the ball celebrating the Prince's betrothal, and for once Zan was eager to attend a party.
"Is the color of my coat appropriate?" Zan asked Larek. "Perhaps I should change it."
Larek laughed. "I have never seen you worried about your attire before."
"I know," Zan sighed. "I just want the evening to be perfect."
"Relax," his friend soothed, "it will be."
"I know you're right,” Zan said. “I just want Ava to be as happy as I am."
Larek clapped his old friend on the shoulder. "Ava is beaming with happiness. Her joy illuminates her aura making it practically incandescent."
His friend's words captured Zan's attention, and for a moment he was almost jealous that Larek could see something in Ava he couldn’t. "Tell me about her aura."
"It is the purest gold, warm and welcoming like Ava herself and it shines with purity and goodness like the rays of light from the stars."
"Like she the heavenly creature she is," Zan said softly.
Larek smiled at the dreamy look on his friend's face. "It is time to go Zan and I guarantee this is one party you won't want to leave early. There is peace, you are betrothed to the woman you love and the whole kingdom is here to celebrate. What could possibly go wrong?"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Chanya watched the formal ceremony declaring Zan's betrothal with growing disgust. Ava was simply a mousy child, how had she been able to capture Zan's attention so quickly and so completely?
Chanya had planned to use her position in the palace to slowly draw Zan to her again, but he had returned from his trip with his head already full of the other girl. Chanya knew that she would have to bide her time. Zan would soon grow tired of the younger girl and she would be there when he did.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The Palace Banquet Room)
Rath concealed himself in the shadows near the door, as he watched Zan and Ava. They were seated in a corner, holding hands and talking only to one another. It was as if they were in a world of their own, perfectly happy to just be together.
He allowed his eyes to gently trace the delicate planes and curves of Ava's face as he considered what might have been if she hadn't fallen for Zan. Then he quickly gulped down his drink as he forced himself to stop. He was only torturing himself with thoughts of her. Ava loved his best friend and Zan loved her. They were perfect together, even Rath thought so, but he still couldn't help loving her himself.
Rath grabbed another drink from a passing servant and swallowed the fiery liquid with a quick toss of his head. With a last glance at Ava, he slipped out the door and walked determinedly down the corridor toward the command center. He would never be with Ava and he was determined he wouldn't spend his life pining over her. She would be his Queen and he would serve her, and it would have to be enough. The only other thing he could do for her was keep his feelings to himself. He vowed that neither she nor Zan would ever know.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
As Khivar's hands encircled her waist, Vilondra moved her body closer to his, both of them swaying to the rhythm of the music. Vilondra sighed with contentment. Since Khivar’s father had died and Khivar had stopped the attacks on the southern border, he had been in favor with her father. They had been able to bring their relationship into the public eye and rumors spread throughout the kingdom of their star-crossed romance.
As the music ended, Khivar turned to her with a formal bow. "Thank you for the dance, Princess."
She curtsied in return. "It was my pleasure, Duke Roistar."
"Would you accompany me on a turn through the gardens?"
"I would be honored, my Lord."
He took her hand in the formal manner and they walked sedately out the doors leading into the garden. And as soon as they were away from the other guests, Khivar pulled her to him for an eager, burning kiss.
"Vilondra," he breathed, reluctantly breaking away from her sweet lips. "It has been too long since we have been together."
"I know, almost a week. I had no idea that your duties as Duke would consume so much of your time."
"Not for much longer," he said, his hand caressing her face. "I have been putting together a group of administrators whom I trust to take care of the small matters and then we will have more time together." He pulled her to him for another kiss.
But they parted quickly as they heard someone approach.
Khivar spoke as if they had been in conversation. "So what do you think of your sister-to-be?"
"I really haven't spent much time with her," Vilondra said with a conversational tone. "She is young but everyone is impressed with her intelligence and beauty. Zan has also told me she has remarkable talent as an empath."
"Really?” Khivar asked. “I have never met an actual empath. How does her power manifest?"
"Apparently she can feel the emotions of those around her and she even has some pre-cognitive abilities."
Khivar was truly interested now. "She can foretell the future?"
"No," Vilondra laughed, "nothing as concrete as that, it's more fleeting, like a premonition. Sometimes she can sense that things will happen. She can usually tell if it will be good or bad but she can't tell precisely what will be."
"Interesting," he said dismissively, "but hardly useful."
"Yes, well Zan is happy and that is all that matters."
"And what about your happiness Vilondra? That matters."
"I am happy when I am with you," she said, wiggling closer to him.
Khivar smiled. "Then we will have to make it official."
"What?" she asked stunned.
Khivar cupped her face in his hand, "I mean I intend to marry you."
"Oh Khivar, I want nothing more than to be with you." Vilondra threw her arms around his neck. "When will you talk to my father?"
"I think we should wait a couple of months for propriety sake. After all, my father just died and we wouldn't want to intrude on your brother's announcement."
"Yes, you are right. We should wait. But while we are waiting, we will have to spend a lot of time together," a teasing note entered her voice, "to get my father used to us as a couple."
"That is the best idea I have heard all evening Princess," he said as he pulled her into another kiss.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Finally Zan had been able to get Ava alone. He was concerned because she had not seemed herself the later part of the evening and she had been shielding her feelings from him. He took her face gently in his hands, "Ava tell me what is wrong." She was not able to mask her surprise with a smile quickly enough for Zan to miss it. "Ava, you can't hide from me. I know you better than I know myself. You are upset, please tell me what it is."
When she opened her senses to him, she could feel the concern pouring off of him. She had wished to wait and tell him of her feelings tomorrow, not wanting to mar the day for either of them but it was already too late for that. "I've had this feeling all evening that something dreadful will happen soon. I don't know what it is and I have been pushing to try and learn more, but nothing is coming to me. Usually I can at least get a general idea..." she trailed off softly, suddenly introspective, "but it's just dark."
Zan gathered her shivering form into his arms. "I won't let anything happen to you."
Ava wrapped her arms around him. "I know. But it’s not me I am concerned about, it's you."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(8.04.23626)
The next morning in the Council, under heightened security at Zan's insistence, the King collapsed. Zan raced to his father's side and searched for an injury but it was already too late. The healers later declared that the King had suffered from an undiagnosed genetic irregularity, causing a seizure and almost instant death.
The King was interred in the family vault, and the next day in a public but subdued ceremony, Prince Zantor Tageonant was crowned King.
The newly appointed General and the King's second, Rath, took on as many tasks as he could, but there were endless duties that required the King's attention.
For Zan, the days seemed to pass in a blur, but throughout the whole ordeal Ava was a stabilizing force at his side. Zan sometimes thought that her quiet strength and support were the only things keeping him together and moving forward.
Queen Nedra could see the calming effect Ava had on her son and suggested the wedding be moved up. It was agreed by both families, even though Ava was not of age, the wedding would take place in a month's time.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Khivar shook his head. "General, I still cannot believe our luck. The King drops dead of natural causes."
Nicaron agreed. "It is quite fortuitous. We can proceed with the plan sooner than we had hoped."
"Yes,” Khivar agreed, “put everything into motion immediately. We could be ready in a year if we are lucky. This tragedy could even work to our advantage. Zan is young and even though he was groomed from birth to take the position of King, he is bound to make mistakes. We need to watch him closely and use what we can against him. But for now, we’ll start with the next phase of the plan."
"By your command, my Lord,” Nicaron said. “And what of your marriage to the Princess? Will the boy King oppose it?"
Khivar shook his head. "Of course we will wait until after Zan has married, and then we will announce our engagement. Vilondra has assured me Zan will not interfere. He is only concerned for her happiness."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(9.02.23626)
Solemn vows were spoken, tokens of love exchanged and two soul mates were blissfully united. Everyone who attended the ceremony could see the love that bound the two together. The joyous occasion was dampened somewhat by the King's recent death but it comforted Zan that his father had met Ava, grown to know and love her, and wholeheartedly welcomed her into their family.
Chanya had carefully kept her feelings about Zan and his marriage to Ava to herself and had even helped in the wedding preparations. But in unguarded moments, she cursed Ava and carefully watched her with Zan for any signs of weakness in their bond that she could exploit.
She watched them exchange vows of love and scoffed at the hypocrisy of it all. Only she loved Zan. This child whom he was marrying could not have one-tenth of the passion and devotion Chanya felt for him. But she waited, knowing Ava's spell enraptured Zan too overwhelming to alter yet. Chanya's time would come.
Unbeknownst to her, Chanya's face betrayed her every feeling, and for someone who watched her closely it was easy to tell what was on her mind. Khivar interestedly noted her reactions and carefully stored the information away.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(1.09.23627)
(The Council)
"Senator, you have expressed your opinion on the subject more that once and I know how you stand," said Zan soothingly, "but changes in the governmental structure are needed. There are people without enough to eat, who live in hovels, and whose children are doomed to the same fate. We as the ruling class are duty bound to protect and care for all of the people, not just the wealthy."
"Yes,” the Senator said. “I agree that more could be done to enrich the lives of these unfortunates, but I don't see why we need to give them a voice in the government. They have never had it before," he argued.
Another voice was heard from the Council. "Your Majesty, we know you feel for these people, but giving them power weakens us."
"Yes," a chorus of voices agreed.
The first Senator continued, "Your Majesty, when your ancestors set up this Council they did not simply choose the most wealthy families, they choose the families who were the most psychically powerful. These people, these commoners, that you wish to allow in the Council, are just that, common. They have no psychic abilities to speak of, their bloodlines are weak. What could they possibly bring to this assembly?"
"Senators," Zan said more forcefully, letting his full authority creep into his tone, "I don't need your permission to restructure this Council. I am the King, I have the ultimate power. However," his tone softened and became more conciliatory, "I would like your cooperation. Please think about what I have said, and next month I will listen to any suggestions you have about how to smooth the transition."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Vilondra had sat in the back of the Council, listening to her brother speak. She had been in the Council many times over the years and she knew the senators did not easily accept change. And she worried what the consequences of her brother's pronouncements would be.
And later as she waited in Khivar's rooms for him, she tried to come up with a way to get her brother to back down. She knew he could be incredibly stubborn. Perhaps she could appeal to Larek. Zan had always respected his opinion, maybe he would listen to his friend's counsel.
Vilondra checked the timepiece. Khivar was late. She craved him so much that it scared her sometimes, but no matter how much they were together, it was never enough. She tentatively reached out with her mind attempting to connect with him. He was speaking with someone. She quickly pulled back, not wanting to intrude, but the words she fleetingly heard in Khivar's mind started to solidify. "Zan is playing right into our hands. Proceed with the plan."
Perhaps she had not heard correctly, she tried to rationalize, but she knew what he had said. Khivar, her lover, her love. What was he planning, and what did it have to do with her brother?
Vilondra was still trying to work it out a few minutes later when Khivar strode into the room and pulled her eagerly into his arms. She considered questioning him about what she had heard, but she knew he must have shielded it from her all of this time, and for the first time she doubted whether he would tell her the truth.
She waited until he slept and then cautiously ventured into his mind. She could see his all-consuming love for her and his desire for power, and as she lingered his plan unfolded to her. His people were creating public unrest to discredit Zan and when the time came, the army he had secretly built would attack. He would kill Zan and take the throne with her by his side.
Vilondra quickly pulled out of his mind and ran into the washroom to be sick. The man she loved more than almost anything was planning to kill her brother. If she kept the information to herself, she would have to watch her brother die, and if she told Zan of Khivar's plan, he would be executed as a traitor. She huddled, weeping on the floor, trying desperately not to wake Khivar sleeping in the next room. She would have to choose between them but she didn't know how.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Chanya took in the sight of his sleek, muscled body as he slipped into her room. Derkan was similar in appearance to Zan, the same height, same build, and same expressive eyes, but Chanya immediately started the mind-warp to give her lover the face of her beloved. "Come to me my love," she purred, "I have been waiting for you."
A deep rumbling voice answered her. "You need wait no longer."
The smile on Chanya's face faltered. The voice didn't match the form. She concentrated harder on her mind-warp, changing the timber of his voice. "Tell me you love me."
"Of course I love you Chanya," he said, as he slipped into the bed with her.
Chanya sighed. The voice was now correct. She could pretend more easily when it was. She allowed her eyes to roam over Zan's borrowed face and moved her body closer to his. "Then show me that you love me."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(3.12.23627)
(Khivar's Mansion in Tageonon)
"The boy King does have some interesting ideas," Nicaron intoned blandly. "His interest in new technology is certainly a popular issue with the people, promising new jobs and a better life. And by opening the old trade routes he has increased commerce and strengthened the whole system's economy. The aristocracy certainly can't fault him for making them even wealthier."
"No they don't fault him for that," Khivar laughed. "But he has several of the more powerful families worried about their futures. He is trying to force them to give up the political power that they have fought and maneuvered to gain for generations. Zan's actions couldn't be more perfect for us. If the aristocracy were presented with another choice for leader, they would be sorely tempted to oust Zan, and with a bit more pressure they will be calling for his abdication." He suddenly became more serious and switched topics. "Tell me General, how is the training progressing?"
"I am very pleased with the results, my Lord. The recruits are eager to test their mettle."
"Excellent,” Khivar said. “They should have the opportunity in the near future."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Zan, the uprisings are getting worse," Rath reported. "The commoners in Tothes are rioting because they have no food. Bandits raided the incoming food transports and the greedy Governor reports that he can spare no food from his stores until another transport comes."
"Send food from our stores with troops,” Zan ordered, “and distribute it directly to the people. And deliver a personal message from me. Tell them I am sorry it has come to this but soon they will have a voice in the government. I want the people to know I am working to stop these injustices."
"Every time we put down one riot another crops up in a different town," Rath noted. "It's almost as if someone were planning this."
Vilondra watched quietly as Rath made his report. She was still no closer to a decision but she knew it would have to be soon. Events were moving quickly and if she didn't act soon, the choice would be taken away from her.
Zan continued. "I don't think there is any sinister master plan behind these riots," he said dismissively. "The common people have little or no powers and it the responsibility of those of us who do to make their lives better. This Governor, along with the others, continue to betray their duty to their people."
Zan's word sliced through her heart. Betray. By not telling Zan what Khivar was planning she was betraying her brother and her family. She opened her mouth to tell Zan of Khivar's treachery but the words wouldn't come.
Her brother or her love. How could such a cruel choice be forced upon her?
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(5.24.23627)
(Zan and Ava's Bedchamber)
Zan pulled Ava's sleeping form closer to him and gently traced the edge of her beautiful face with his fingers. Ava, his love, his life, his soul mate, his Queen. Each day she surprised him and each day he discovered one more thing about her to love. She had embraced his plan to make life better for the common people and had wholeheartedly thrown herself into the cause, using her position and influence to set up education and medical programs. She had also convinced the noble ladies to volunteer their time and donate money to help fund them.
Zan was in awe of Ava and somehow felt that he didn't deserve her. He loved Ava so desperately, so completely and he knew he would not be able to survive if she were taken from him.
They were bound together with a connection so strong he knew they would never be parted. Since their marriage, their bond had strengthened and grown so that the connection was always there between them. They could sense each other at all times and strong emotions were automatically sent to the other. And when they concentrated on strengthening the link, they could telepathically communicate with a clarity that surpassed verbal communication, because the subtleties of their feelings and emotions were also passed through the bond.
Ava's presence always calmed Zan, no matter how terrible the events of the day, and he started taking her everywhere with him, including the typically male Council. At first her presence had been commented on as a curiosity but soon her gentle manner and soft opinions were accepted, even welcomed, and Zan grew to depend on her insights, her empathy guiding them unerringly.
Zan brushed a wayward strand of hair out of her face. Ava slept so peacefully and he envied her that. She trusted him completely and knew he would make everything work out. Zan wished he had that much confidence in himself.
He was becoming increasingly worried about the unrest among the people. Rath spent almost all of his time, away from the palace, calming one escalating situation after another. The last riot had caused the deaths of 20 people and Zan could feel their loss as if they were his own family. In a way they were. As King he was responsible for all of the people he ruled and their unhappiness was due to his failure. He determined to redouble his efforts and push through the restructuring of the Council no matter how many toes he had to step on. What were the feelings of a few senators compared with the higher good of ending hunger, poverty and death?
In the next Council session Zan would, with Ava's help, convince the senators to stop resisting. He would ensure there was peace.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(6.37.23627)
It had been almost six months since the horrible night when Vilondra had discovered Khivar's plan. She had continued to see him, working hard to keep him from discovering her knowledge when they were together. She had thought they shared everything with each other, completely open and trusting. But now she knew that he was hiding a piece of himself from her, and she had been able to detect the place in his mind where he kept his plan carefully protected.
It seemed to her as if the secret between them was a dark, malignant cancer that pulsed and grew. And every time they were together, it was taking them over bit-by-bit, slowly covering the beautiful bond they shared, choking and threatening to sever it. Vilondra knew that something had to be done. The secret was intruding on her love for Khivar and the longer she waited, the worse the situation in the kingdom was becoming.
She loved Khivar and couldn't imagine betraying him to her brother, so she decided her best course of action was to confront him and try to dissuade him from his plan.
There was a risk, though. Vilondra's thoughts automatically turned to Khivar's emotionless right hand. She had no illusions about General Nicaron. If he determined her to be a threat, he would kill her without a thought. But she knew that Khivar's love for her was strong and she counted on their bond to help persuade him to spare her brother.
Vilondra went to Khivar's mansion as planned that evening and she waited until they were alone to confront him. As the doors shut behind the last servant and Khivar pulled her into her arms, she evaded his kiss and stated simply, "I know."
Khivar made no attempt at subterfuge, or protest of innocence, he simply smiled. "I knew it was only a matter of time before you discovered it, my love. With powers as great as yours, it was inevitable."
"Khivar," she attempted only to be cut off as his lips met hers.
When he pulled back, he continued, "Your father was a fool for not recognizing you for what you are. Imagine what we could accomplish together. No one, not even your formidable brother would be a match for us. We could rule the system together, side by side."
Vilondra shivered with reaction to his words. "Khivar, you can't ask me to choose between you and Zan. I can't do it. I have known what you intended for almost six months and I can't do it."
Khivar pulled her closer and placed a gentle kiss on her brow. "You have known all of this time and you never said a word to me or your brother?"
"No, I couldn't betray either of you, so I have done nothing."
"But you came here tonight, having made a decision."
"Yes. I came to ask you, beg you to spare Zan."
Khivar looked at her for a long time before answering. "I would grant you almost anything you ask, but unfortunately your brother is between me and the one thing I wish to obtain, the throne."
Khivar's words deflated her hopes for a peaceful solution. "But you could force him to abdicate. He never really wanted to be King. He..."
Khivar's face reflected his resolution. "Poor Vilondra," he said softly, cupping her face, "you know it would never work. The throne will be mine and there is nothing that will save your brother."
Vilondra stepped away from him, distancing herself physically as she was not yet able to do emotionally. "I c-can't just let you kill him. I will fight you."
Khivar nodded. "Fight me if you must, but know this, we belong together, we are one, and no matter what you do that will never change." He continued arrogantly, "In the end your brother will die and you will return to me."
"I have to try," she said stubbornly.
Khivar smiled. "My lovely Vilondra, I would expect nothing less from you. But for tonight let's end this discussion. It may be the last night we have together for some time, and I wish to spend it in more pleasant pursuits. Tonight I will be completely open with you and who knows, perhaps I will change your mind." He laughed as she tried unsuccessfully to evade his arms.
"Khivar, this won't change anything," she gasped as he kissed her throat.
"Or perhaps," he purred, "you will persuade me."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(6.38.23627)
Vilondra left Khivar's mansion the next morning at daybreak and hurried to the palace. She no longer had the luxury of time. Upon her arrival, she dispatched Sodan, Zan's most trusted protector with messages to her mother, her brother and his wife, and her brother's second in command, to meet her in an hour in the King's council chamber.
When they arrived, Vilondra quickly related everything.
"So Khivar's plan was to kill me and marry you to make his claim to the throne legal," Zan said shaking his head, completely dumbfounded. Even though they often had differing opinions, over the last year he had come to admire and respect Khivar.
Ava broke the silence, "He has been very careful to keep his feelings to himself. I have not sensed anything out of the ordinary about him."
"How would he know to keep his emotions under control around Ava?" Rath asked. "Her powers are known to only a few."
"That is my fault," Vilondra owned. "I told him of your talent," she said to Ava. "And Khivar is very powerful. He could easily have kept his emotions dampened on the few occasions they have been together."
"Vil, it was foolish of you to confront him yourself,” Zan said. “He could have killed you."
"No Zan," Ava spoke up, "he genuinely loves her. I have felt it."
Vilondra smiled her thanks to her sister-in-law. "Zan, I knew he wouldn't kill me. He does love me."
Zan shook his head. "What did he say when you confronted him?"
"He knew I would discover his plan and hoped I would stay with him, but he expected that I would fight him. He said it wouldn't matter though because there was nothing we could do to stop him. He thinks if you tell the Council what he is attempting, they will not believe you, and he is convinced there is no proof. He has been careful to use people who couldn't be traced back to him, and his army is well hidden."
"Well the first thing we do," Rath raged, "is kick his royal butt back to the southern region and then we find proof even if we have to uncover every rock between here and there to do it."
Zan spoke softly. "We can't banish him from the city without proof. He has retained his Council seat and to take that away from him would break the treaty, and then he could accuse us of starting a war." He took Ava's hand in his and squeezed lightly. "We will start with an investigation. No matter how well Khivar thinks he has covered his tracks, there will be evidence and we will find it. Rath I want you to handle this personally."
"I won't let you down, Zan."
"Khivar has used his time on the Council to his advantage," Zan stated. "He has made many powerful alliances. If we attempt to make his plot publicly known without evidence, he will bury us with it. We will keep this just between us for the time being."
Vilondra was in tears. "I am so sorry Zan. I never meant to betray you."
Zan rounded the table and took his sister in his arms. "Vil, you have not betrayed me, or any of us. Khivar used you and your love for him. You tried to stop him and you told us of his treachery. I love you and I am proud that you are my sister."
Rath spoke up, "Well, we have to do something to stop him.
"Yes we do," Zan said. He walked to stand behind Ava and wrapped his arms around her to gather the strength he needed. He could feel her love and support pouring across their bond. "We know what his plans are and we will find a way to stop him."
Zan took a deep breath as his brain raced for a solution, and he turned to Vilondra. "It has not been a secret you are involved with Khivar and he could use that to his advantage. If it is generally known you have been with him, even when you knew he planned to kill me, it could divide our supporters and we can't afford that. The first thing we have to do is to distance you from Khivar."
"What do you mean Zan?" Vilondra asked somewhat apprehensively.
"I think we should arrange an engagement for you."
"You can't mean to marry me off to some idiotic Duke to get me out of your hair!" she objected.
"Of course not," Zan soothed. "You know I would never interfere in your choice of husband. What I suggest is a counterfeit engagement to direct the court's attention away from your relationship with Khivar."
Vilondra’s brow creased. "And to whom do you suggest I become engaged?"
"Rath, if he will agree," Zan said.
Rath opened his mouth but Zan held up a hand to stop his undoubtedly scathing comment.
"Here is what I propose," Zan continued. Vilondra will stay away from Khivar. In one month, we formally announce your engagement, and you two agree to be seen together publicly as a loving couple. Then, when we can prove Khivar is a traitor and discredit him, you will quietly announce the marriage is off and go your separate ways, so to speak. Only the five of us will know the truth." Zan continued. "In the mean time, Rath will quietly add to the ranks of the military and direct a discreet but thorough investigation into Khivar's actions, and I will continue to deal with the problems that arise as quickly as possible."
Nedra spoke for the first time. "I think it is a sound idea," she said, as she turned her attention to Vilondra. "I never did like the fact that you were seeing Khivar. I never trusted his motives."
"Mother!" Vilondra started to object but she knew her family would not understand the depth of her relationship with Khivar.
"I am sorry Vilondra,” Nedra said. “I won't say any more about him."
"No," Vilondra relented, "I am the one who is sorry for getting us into this situation.” She turned to her brother. “Zan, I will do whatever you think is best."
Zan turned to his second. "Rath what do you say?"
Rath glanced briefly at Ava, hesitating for only a moment. "I will serve you any way you see fit."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Zan waited until the evening, when he was alone with Ava, to express his true feelings. "This thing with Khivar has taken me completely by surprise. I trusted him, " he shook his head, "and I am not sure how to resolve this."
Ava leaned in close and kissed him, letting the intensity of her feelings for him flow through their bond.
Zan trailed his hand down Ava's arm, causing her soft skin to glow with a golden light that echoed the color of her aura. The glow had been another unexpected consequence of their bond, but it was one that Zan treasured because it allowed him access to another part of her.
As was their custom in the evenings, they sat together in the Granolith room and he pulled Ava into his arms. It had started as time set aside for them to be close to one another, but it had developed into a way for them to find solutions for the problems they encountered. They had discovered that when they were together, their powers were somehow amplified, as if their bond also served as a conductor to pass energy from one to the other.
Then Ava had suggested that the power of the Granolith might also strengthen their powers and they had started coming to the room to meditate. They had discovered when they allowed the bond to open freely between them and the Granolith, that the power of the Granolith was like a living thing. Its energy flowed between them, bringing their energy and their bond more closely into alignment. It made them feel as if there was nothing they could not conquer as long as they were together. Ava's visions of the future came more frequently and were more precise, and Zan had his greatest insights on how to rule his people.
As they sat near the Granolith's glowing base, Ava's small hands caressed Zan’s face and brow, willing the strain and discomfort from him. A soft blue glow followed the path of her hands and Zan felt himself relax as their bond solidified and the Granolith's power merged with theirs. Taking deep breaths to release the tension from his body, the sweet smell of Ava's hair filled his senses. Without asking, she always knew what he needed.
Yes, he heard her soft voice in his mind, I know because I feel you.
As I feel you, my love, he answered.
Ava spoke aloud, "There are difficult times coming, especially for Vilondra. She truly loves Khivar."
A shaft of pain went through Zan at the thought of his sister's sacrifice. "I know," he said softly. "And I wish there was something I could do to help her through it."
"She will just need time."
He nodded. "What else do you see?" he asked gravely. "Can you see what will happen?"
Ava concentrated, letting the energy surrounding the Granolith seep into her. "No, not exactly," she said sadly. "I see strife and ruin among the people."
"How do we prevent it?" Zan asked.
"I am not sure," she said, but an overwhelming sensation pressed her to continue, "but science is the key."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Now that Vilondra was no longer with him, Khivar did not have a good source of information from within the palace. It was possible he could bribe someone, but there was always the chance of discovery or worse, a guilty conscience. He could instruct Nicaron to pry the necessary information out of someone's head but the results were not guaranteed and the subject was usually damaged.
No. What he needed was a spy. Someone who shared his interests and who could come and go from the palace with ease. Someone who was close to the family. He smiled. He knew just the individual.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(7.01.23627)
Chanya exited the shop, her many purchases in her arms. She couldn't wait to get back to the palace and show her new things to Vilondra, and she looked around eagerly for her transport. Her incompetent driver was late again and she was becoming very agitated when she finally spotted him. Impatiently, she waited for the driver to come to her and relieve her burden, when it was suddenly taken from her.
"Allow me, Lady Chanya," a deep gravely voice intoned.
Chanya turned toward the familiar voice. "Good afternoon, Duke Roistar," she said formally. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"
"I assure you, the pleasure is all mine." Khivar said smoothly. "May I give you a lift, my Lady?"
"No thank you, my driver is finally here," she said somewhat warily, as she eyed Khivar's companion, General Nicaron.
Khivar slipped his free hand around Chanya's shoulder to prevent her from leaving and spoke close to her ear so only she could hear. "Chanya, I do insist you come for a drive. I have a proposition I wish to discuss."
"Very well," she hissed, resenting that he would dare to manhandle her. "I would enjoy a ride." She turned to her driver and regally pronounced, "Take my parcels, and wait here. I am going for a ride with the Duke."
Khivar escorted her into his transport with a flourish. "A wise choice," he said as they started. "I have something to say that could be beneficial to us both if we agree to cooperate. I believe our interests lie in the same direction."
"Whatever do you mean, Sir?" she asked, truly ignorant of his motives.
"I mean, I know you are in love with Zan."
Chanya opened her mouth to protest but Khivar silenced her.
"Just hear me out. You want Zan but there is an obstacle between you, mainly his wife. But if Ava were removed from the equation, you could comfort the grieving King and win him back."
"Why would you do it?” Chanya asked. “What possible reason could you have?"
"I, and many others, think this planet has been ruled by just one man for long enough,” Khivar said smothly. “We believe the government should be run by the Council.”
Chanya’s brow creased in confusion and Khivar continued. “I will arrange to have Ava taken, and with her as collateral, we can convince Zan to step down and be King in name only, and the Council would take over the rule of Antar and the five planets."
Khivar glanced at Chanya and saw he had her full attention. "Of course Ava will never return to the palace alive. There are always so many things that can go wrong with these hostage negotiations, and accidents are just a part of life."
Chanya's eyes narrowed as her suspicions of Khivar's motives rose. "Why not just kill Zan?"
"It would raise too many suspicions," Khivar scoffed, "and I for one don't want a civil war on my hands."
"And what do you want me to do?” Chanya asked. “I couldn't be the one to kill Ava. Zan might discover it in a moment of intimacy."
"No, of course not," Khivar agreed smoothly. "I would never ask you to soil your dainty hands in such a way. No, all I want from you is information on what is happening in the palace. I know you are the dowager Queen's closest companion, and you also have Vilondra's ear. I just want a daily report of anything you hear."
"So let me see if I understand what you are proposing,” Chanya said. “I give you information and you will take Ava so that Zan will give up the rule to the Council, and then you will have Ava killed."
Khivar smiled. "That is what I propose. Zan would still be King, in name, meaning that as his wife you would be Queen, but he wouldn't have to bother with all of those worrisome decisions and he would have much more time to spend with you."
Chanya considered Khivar for a handful of moments. She didn't really trust Khivar but what he proposed wouldn't place her in a compromising position, and if he could eliminate Ava… She smiled thinking of a future with Zan that now seemed more assured, and nodded. "I agree."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Cuerena entered the Granolith chamber and was halfway across the room before she noticed Ava sitting near its base. She bowed low and formally and started to back out of the room. "I am sorry your Majesty. I did not mean to interrupt you."
Ava held up her hand, "No, wait."
Cuerena approached her once again. "How may I serve you, Majesty?"
Ava smiled. She and Cuerena sometimes found themselves alone together in the Granolith chamber. She had asked the shape shifter on more than one occasion to call her Ava when they were alone, but Cuerena had always refused, saying that it would not be proper.
Ava motioned to the floor beside her. "Please sit and tell me what you know of the Granolith."
Cuerena was surprised by her Queen's request. Ava had thoroughly studied all of the documentation concerning the machine. She must know almost as much as anyone about the Granolith, but Cuerena obediently did as she was asked. "The Granolith is a machine given to us by the..."
Ava interrupted her with a laugh, "No Cuerena. I meant tell me what you have discovered in your studies. You spend a lot of time with the Granolith, you have studied it for years."
Cuerena glanced at the young Queen and then lowered her eyes respectfully. "The Granolith is capable of directing great quantities of energy to assist in healing and growing crops and faster-than-light travel."
"But where does the energy come from?" asked Ava.
"Your Majesty, I do not know. We have never been able to determine the source of the energy, but some suspect the Granolith draws energy directly from the planet itself."
Ava sighed and Cuerena knew that she wasn't telling her Queen what she wanted to hear. "Do you disagree with the theory, your Majesty?"
"I don't know," Ava said, shaking her head. "But sometimes when I’m here and connected to it, I have a feeling that it is not a machine at all. Have your studies ever led you to suspect that it was something more?"
Cuerena didn't know what Ava was referring to. All of her tests, all of her years of studies had never led her to think it was anything other that a very sophisticated machine. She shook her head. "No, your Majesty."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(8.05.23627)
A statement was released from the palace announcing the betrothal of the Princess Vilondra to General Alarath Varros, heir to the Duchy of Varros.
Vilondra had not been in physical contact with Khivar since the day she had told her family of his treachery, but every night he visited her in her dreams. She had carefully hidden Zan's plan from Khivar in his nocturnal visits and she wondered what his reaction would be to her engagement.
She retired to her bed that evening somewhat apprehensively and thought sleep would elude her but she drifted off quickly.
Khivar's amused voice immediately rolled over her, "Vilondra, you are betrothed?"
"Yes Khivar. I am engaged to Rath."
He laughed. "This is a ploy of your brother, is it not? But surely you know it will not change anything between us."
"No?" she asked breathlessly.
"You do not love him," Khivar stated simply.
"No," Vilondra agreed. "You know I love only you."
"I can see this engagement for what it is. Your brother wishes to publicly distance you from me, and I did anticipate the action, but we both know that you belong to me and I will never let you go."
"Khivar," she soothed, "a date has not even been set."
Khivar continued arrogantly, "I will never allow this marriage to take place. If I must, I will move all of hell to prevent it."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Over the next couple of months Zan and Ava were never separated, and most of the time Rath and Vilondra also accompanied them. The four of them discovered that they worked together well as a team, each complimenting the others with their different gifts and strengths. It became a common sight, the four of them together, and the people began to call them the Royal Four.
But with all of their resources, the investigations into Khivar's actions were getting nowhere. The insurrections were increasing in frequency and Zan had been forced to send Rath out several times to calm the situation. The members of the aristocracy, led by Khivar, were demanding Zan take decisive action to alleviate the destruction of their holdings by the commoners. They insisted that Zan use deadly force against the rioters if necessary, but he refused convinced that giving the people a voice in government was a more effective solution. But the nobles fearful of loosing their power, still opposed Zan with all of their influence and wealth, and some even called for his abdication.
With the Council deadlocked and the riots getting worse, Zan knew it was time for a different course of action. Ava's visions had not become any clearer concerning the future, but she felt more strongly than ever that the new technology was the solution. Zan respected Ava's pre-cognitive powers and poured every spare cent into developing the new sciences, even if she was not sure how they were to be utilized to save the future.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(11.27.23627)
(The Royal Palace - Chanya’s suite of rooms)
Chanya and Ava laughed as they discussed the merits of the latest fashions over a late lunch. Because of her duties, Ava had been forced to reschedule, but she attended as promised.
At first Chanya had stayed away from Ava because she couldn’t stand the sight of her but, when Khivar had made his offer, Chanya had reconsidered. Ava was young and might be a good source of information, so in the last few months Chanya had built a friendship with her.
Khivar had warned Chanya to keep her emotions under control when she was around Ava, because of her special gift, and Chanya was always careful to project a friendly façade. But what she hadn’t expected was that it might actually be genuine.
Ava was a nice person and she cared about everyone, treating even the lowliest with respect. And against her will, Chanya found herself liking Zan’s young wife. Unlike the other members of the so-called Royal Four, Ava was the only one who seemed to notice her existence anymore.
In the past, Chanya had often been included in Zan’s group to go to plays and ball and parties, but now everyone seemed too busy. There were many secret meetings, behind closed doors, to which she was not invited, and as Chanya watched the four of them grow closer she felt more and more like an outsider.
In the evenings, Chanya still dined with Zan and his family, but the dinners used to be filled with fun and laughter, and now there were only long faces.
Chanya decided it must have been because Zan stopped Vilondra from seeing Khivar and betrothed her against her will to Rath. But when she tried to ask Vilondra, her friend had simply evaded the question. And now Vilondra didn’t seem to have any time for Chanya at all. The activities they used to enjoy together were no longer of interest to the Princess, and when she did go out Vilondra was always accompanied by Rath.
Chanya was just about to offer Ava desert, when Zan’s protector Sodan appeared in the doorway. With a formal bow he delivered his message. “Your Majesty, the King requires your presence.”
Ava turned to Chanya. “I am so sorry to rush away Chanya but I did have a delightful time.
Chanya rose and curtseyed. “Of course, you must attend to your duties. I am honored that you would choose to spend your free time with me, your Majesty.”
Chanya speculatively watched Ava’s form retreating down the hallway, until she was out of sight. It was really too bad that Ava had gotten in her way. In another time, another place, they might have been able to be friends.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(1.12.23628)
(The King's council chamber)
Zan looked up from the document Ava had passed to him when Sodan interrupted them with a knock.
"Yes Sodan."
"There is a scientist from one of the labs here to see you, your Majesty. He insists it is urgent. Something about a breakthrough."
"It's all right,” Zan said. “Let him in."
A short, balding man pushed past Sodan. "Your Majesties," the excited man said breathlessly, "I have practically run all the way from the lab. I was so excited to tell you of the breakthrough we’ve had this morning."
"Jensto, have a seat and tell us what has happened," Ava suggested, with a growing sense of apprehension.
"Thank you, your Majesty." He sat but jumped up again. "We’ve been successful in restoring memories in a clone."
Zan sat up straighter in his chair, his full attention on the scientist. "Restoring memories. How?"
"We not only used genetic material to make the clone, but we took brain cells from a certain area after the subject's death and used them to clone a brain. We used an accelerated growth hormone to bring the subject to maturity, and with some simple memory retrieval techniques he was able to recall most of his past life with perfect clarity."
"This is incredible," Zan exclaimed. "The ramifications are enormous. With this technology we could extend life practically forever."
"It may be possible," Jensto agreed, "but we don't know what the problems might be with using already cloned material in the next generation clone."
"Couldn't you simply keep samples of the original for later use?" asked Ava.
"No," Jensto said. "We discovered that the brain tissue must be used within days of death or the memories will not transfer. We are not sure why but it probably has something to do with the rate of decay. We have tried using preserved samples but so far none of them have worked."
Ava spoke in Zan’s mind with a tone that demanded his attention. Zan we should keep this to ourselves for now.
Yes, he answered, somewhat worried as to why this project had suddenly caught Ava's attention. He spoke aloud, "Jensto, this project is very important and we must maintain absolute secrecy."
The scientist gave a formal bow. "Of course, your Majesty. I understand and I will make sure my team is alerted to the fact."
"Good,” Zan said. “Report all new findings directly to me as quickly as possible."
As soon as the door closed behind the scientist, Zan turned to Ava. "This is it? The science you have been anticipating?"
"Yes, but what I see isn't hopeful," she said, a shiver of dread running through her.
Zan pulled her into his arms, feeling her fear cut through him like a knife. "What do you see?" he whispered.
"Our deaths."
He shook his head, "How do we prevent this?"
"I believe the events have already been set in motion," she admitted sadly, "but there is hope for the future."
Zan now grasped the importance of the cloning. "You mean we should forget about this life and prepare for the next?"
"No, of course not. But if things go badly..." she trailed off softly.
"We will have another option." He considered her for a moment. "For now let's keep this information to ourselves."
"I agree,” Ava said. “But I have a feeling we should get your mother's help."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(2.08.23628)
Rath walked among the smoking ruins of what used to be a village. The people he had talked to had all related the same story he had heard countless times before. Newcomers had settled in the area and started voicing dissatisfaction. Soon the troublemakers in the village had joined the dissenters and the cries of oppression and demands for change quickly turned into violence and destruction. When he tried to find the newcomers it was discovered, as Rath expected, that they had disappeared.
Rath immediately dispatched searchers into the woods but he didn’t expect them to find anyone. Of course he and Zan knew Khivar was behind the riots, but again they had no proof.
He was heading back to his command headquarters when he was distracted by a soft voice calling his name.
"Rath."
He turned toward the sound, tensing for an attack. "Show yourself."
A slight figure stepped from behind a pile of debris and quickly took in his uniform and insignia. "So it is General now, isn't it?"
Rath studied the woman before him. She seemed familiar but he was not able to place her. "Do I know you?"
She sighed dramatically, putting a hand to her forehead. "How soon they forget." Flipping a short strand of hair out of her eyes, she gave him a frank look. "But I have never forgotten you."
Realization dawned on him at last. "Scorene. I have not seen you since...."
"Since you left to go to college," she interrupted flippantly. "It has been a long time."
"A lifetime," he added quietly. He took in her appearance and compared it to the girl he remembered. "You are taller and you have cut your hair, but I should have known you."
She shrugged in dismissal.
"What are you doing here?" he gestured indicating the ruin surrounding them, suddenly suspicious. "You're a long way from home."
"You have a right to be suspicious of my actions. And I confess that I’m exactly what you think I am."
Rath looked quickly around for the attack he knew was coming. "I am a fool for being led so easily into a trap."
"It is no trap. It is only you and I for now, old friend. I have been involved with a group that is working to overthrow the oppressive monarchy and free the people of this planet."
Rath snorted. "Why doesn't that surprise me?"
She smiled but it was quickly replaced with a sneer as she continued, "Our leader told us that we were fighting to make everyone equal and bring peace and prosperity to the noble and common born. But some of us suspect our leader is not being entirely honest about his aspirations. Some of us suspect that he means to use us to take the throne for himself, in any way possible."
"Khivar," Rath growled.
"So you do know," she acknowledged. "We were told that the King was unaware of the problems in the kingdom."
"He knows," Rath said succinctly.
"But he does nothing,” Scorene said. “His people are suffering and he takes no action."
Rath's first instinct was to jump to the defense of his friend and King, but he could not expose the plan. "Zan is juggling more issues than you can possibly imagine."
"Zan," she mouthed the word as if she were savoring it. "You and the King must be close."
"We trust one another absolutely."
"Then you are the one we need,” she said. “Myself and others, in Khivar's army, have suspected for some time that he would be worse than the Tageonants ever were if he achieves the throne. What we need is someone who will take the common people into consideration. We need you."
Puzzlement crossed Rath’s face. "You need me to do what?"
"We need you to take the throne."
"Take the throne," he hissed. "What kind of treachery is this?"
"You have become known among the people as a benevolent and fair man. You calm these riots with a show of force and avoid injuring the people. You distribute food and medical supplies and use your influence to help the people."
"All of this I do according to Zan's orders," Rath explained. "If it were up to me, I would have come in and bashed heads to stop this idiocy once and for all."
"Of course you would say that. You are loyal to your King."
Rath shook his head. "I am loyal but it's true regardless."
Scorene shrugged. "True or not, the people think the words you speak are simply rhetoric from the palace. They credit you with the actions, they support you. And if you were to take the throne, many of Khivar's own people would follow you. Your mother was a Roistar, distantly related to Khivar’s illustruious family, and the people would see you as a savior."
"Even if I considered betraying Zan, which I would not, I wouldn't want the throne. I see the things Zan is forced to deal with and I wouldn't want any part of it."
"Rath, a war is coming and Zan will fall. You can either fall with him or benefit from it. Join us," she said seductively. "Lead us."
He ignored her statement. "Why are you so convinced Khivar will win?"
"The King has practically no army. The Tageonants have grown complacent in the time they have been in power and have allowed their defenses to become lax. Khivar's army outnumbers them five to one and they are powerful and well trained."
"Where is Khivar's army encamped?"
Scorene thought for a moment and then shrugged. "It makes no difference if you know. There is nothing you can do. The troops are divided into five camps. The first is …"
Rath listened attentively to the locations of the army. With any luck he could get surveillance photos that evening and have them to Zan for a Council meeting tomorrow. This was the break they had been waiting for and they would take full advantage of it.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Nedra hurried down the corridor to her son's bedchamber, excited about the news she had to deliver. After Zan had told her of Ava's visions of the future and asked that she take charge of the project, she had worked day and night to discover a solution. At first she had thought to secure a place on Antar, or one of the other planets in the system, but she had soon discarded the idea. There was no doubt Khivar would be able to discover them anywhere on the five planets.
She had considered the planets their people traded with but the inhabitants on those planets would have no loyalty to her son and might even betray him with the promise of riches or other bribes. Then she had remembered a planet she had learned about when researching a paper for school, years before. It had been discovered by their explorers years earlier. At the time it had not been of much interest to the explorers because of the inhabitant's lack of technology but it was noteworthy because the native's brains were almost identical to the Antarians.
Nedra retrieved the data about the planet from the archives and studied it carefully. She was disappointed to learn the atmosphere was lethal to their people but she did not despair. She retrieved cell samples that had been gathered on the planet and took them to Jensto for testing. And he had concluded that the genetic material could be made compatible with their own.
She paused outside the door as Sodan admitted her into her son's chamber. "Zan, Ava, I have found a solution," she said, as she laid the star charts and image disks on his table. "Instead of securing a location in our system, I thought we would have a better chance of success if we looked for another planet Khivar would not be familiar with."
"Intriguing idea," Zan said as he walked around the table to sit between his mother and Ava. "Please continue."
"The planet I am proposing is the third planet in orbit around a small yellow sun 160 parsecs from Antar. It was discovered on one of our long-range explorations about 400 years ago. The atmosphere is toxic to our species but according to Jensto, their genetic material could be made compatible with ours. If we combined our genetic material with the native's, not only would the atmosphere be breathable but the clones would blend in with the population. And the thing that makes it a perfect choice is the fact that the physiology of the inhabitant's brains is almost identical to our own, meaning we could alter the brain slightly to not only transfer memories but mental powers as well. Perhaps we could even enhance them."
"What is this planet called?" Ava asked curiously.
"LB5293-F, but the inhabitants call it Earth."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The King's Council chamber - late that evening)
"I only had time to reach one of the camps before dark but here are the image disks," Rath said proudly as he passed them around to the table's other four occupants. "It is proof positive that Khivar is a traitor."
"Excellent!" declared Zan. "I will call a special session of the Council tomorrow and present these as the evidence we need to take action against Khivar."
Vilondra spoke softly, "What will happen to him?"
"There will be a formal investigation, of course," Zan answered. "And if he is found guilty, he will be stripped of his Council seat, and possibly his title and lands, then imprisoned."
"Will he be executed?" she asked, her voice choked.
"There has not been an execution in centuries," he said shaking his head.
"But the Council could decide to..."
Zan cut her off. "I will not allow the Council to execute him."
Vilondra released a tension-filled breath. "I know what he did was awful but I can't stand to think that he could be killed for his actions."
Zan nodded signaling his support and an end to the discussion. "Vil, would you make sure that all of the Council members have notice of the session tomorrow?"
She quickly composed herself into her regal demeanor. "Yes, I will see to it."
"Rath," he said, turning to his second in command, "will our troops be in place at daybreak?"
"They are already in place. They only await the light and your command."
"Good," Zan said. "Make sure they give Khivar's troops a chance to surrender. I would like to avoid any unnecessary casualties. Hopefully when his troops receive word that Khivar is in custody, they will disband."
Zan looked at his sister and his second in command and knew the time had come to tell them of Ava's visions. Ava, he spoke to her across their bond, I want to tell them.
Yes my love, she sent back to him, I think it is the right time.
Have your visions changed since Rath brought us this new information?
No, she said sadly, but I have an increasing sense of urgency.
Zan nodded his understanding and quickly scribbled a note. He walked to the door and opened it. "Sodan, take this to Jensto and give it to him personally."
"Yes, your Majesty," he said with a deep bow.
Zan returned to the table and spoke, "Rath, Vil, I have been keeping something from you," he said guiltily, noting Rath’s jerk to attention, "but the time has come to tell you everything." He paused for a moment to gather his thoughts. "Ava has been receiving visions of a disastrous future in which we all die by Khivar's hand."
Rath sprang to his feet, shouting angrily, "Why the hell didn't you tell us?"
"Ava and I felt it was best that we not place this burden on you needlessly. We knew you would do your best to make sure Khivar was stopped whether you knew of her visions or not. It just seemed to be something we could spare you."
"So why are you telling us now?" Vilondra asked.
"Part of her vision was a way to stop Khivar but it still involves our deaths."
"You mean stopping him will kill us," Rath blandly intoned.
"In a way, but not how you mean," Zan continued. "Ava's vision led her to believe that new technology was the key to stopping Khivar and naturally I assumed it must be a weapon of some kind, but it was not. Last month a scientist came to us with a breakthrough in cloning technology. They have been able to restore memories of an original subject into a clone."
He paused to make sure he had their attention. "But the subject must be dead in order to obtain the correct cells to make the transfer."
Rath regained his seat. "Maybe I’m blind, but how does this help us?"
"It's a back-up plan," Ava spoke for the first time, "if things go badly."
"But now that we have discovered Khivar's armies," Vilondra asserted, "surely we can stop them."
Zan started to speak but Ava's gentle touch on his arm stopped him and she continued. "My visions have not changed. But I believe our discovery of Khivar's troops will force him to speed up his timetable and move against us sooner than he was planning. I am afraid that we must hurry or all will be lost."
Zan continued, "I asked mother to help us to devise a plan that would best utilize this new technology and she has conceived an excellent stratagem."
As Zan explained the plan, Vilondra was shrouded in guilt. She had betrayed them all. If she had come to Zan earlier and confessed Khivar's plan, perhaps she could have spared their lives. She had not meant to choose Khivar over her family but in the end her inaction had let to the same thing. Khivar would win and it was all her fault.
Vilondra turned her attention back to Zan as he continued. "We have set everything up to accommodate the four of us," he said, indicating himself, Ava, Rath and Vilondra. "We work together well and our powers compliment one another. We will be sent with a small party of shape shifters to a planet called Earth, where we can train and grow strong, learning from our past and the history of that planet. Mother will remain here. It is unlikely she will be in danger because she is not directly of the Tageonant line. She will help to coordinate the rebellion on Antar and when we are prepared, we will return and retake our planet."
"What if some us die but not all?" Rath asked and then understanding dawned and he focused his eyes on Ava. "You have foreseen all of our deaths," he said, making it more of a statement than a question.
Ava nodded.
Zan continued with his explanation, "Whomever dies will be cloned. Once the cloning process begins, the genetic material can be placed in stasis. If we are successful in defeating Khivar, we will simply clone the casualties. If we are not successful, the plan will proceed and we will be sent to Earth. If not all of us are killed, Khivar will murder the survivors to assure his possession of the throne, so we should agree now to sacrifice our lives and volunteer for the procedure."
They each gravely nodded their assent.
"The lab is being packed as we speak and it will be sent, along with the Granolith, to a secret lab we are preparing. I had hoped to wait until the new lab was finished but things are moving more quickly than we anticipated and time is of the essence."
"Zan," Rath argued, "the Granolith could be very useful to us in the upcoming battle."
"No," said Ava decisively. "The Granolith was not meant to be used in that manner. We cannot pervert its purpose by using it to cause death and destruction."
Rath had learned in the last few months that Ava was usually right and normally he wouldn't have questioned her, but thousands, possibly millions of lives were at stake and he persisted. "But if its power can save us."
"No Rath." Ava shook her head. "There are many powers working against us and I am afraid nothing can save us now."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(2.09.23628)
Noises outside in the courtyard awoke Chanya before first light and she poked her head out the window just in time to see several transports disappearing into the foggy distance. People often came and went around the palace at strange hours but something about the transports seemed odd and she wondered vaguely if it might be something that Khivar would be interested in.
Over the past few months, she had passed all manner of information to him, from the lowliest gossip to the schedules of the guard patrols, but she sensed that nothing she had told him so far was what he was really interested in.
Chanya dressed quickly and went down the corridor toward Vilondra's bedchamber, but discovered the Princess was not there. More and more curious, thought Chanya. Vilondra was never up before sunrise.
She turned and hurried down the hall to the dowager Queen's chamber. Chanya suspected that Nedra and Vilondra had been keeping things from her and she was frustrated and somewhat hurt. She had been a good friend and companion to both women and she wondered what could possibly be so important that they would not confide in her, but she had only been able to conceive of one answer. Khivar. They must suspect his actions and she had to find out for sure.
She reached the Queen's chamber, found the door ajar and knocked lightly when she heard voices from inside the room.
"Come in," Nedra said.
Chanya looked around the room, quickly taking in Vilondra's tear-stained face and the anxiety in the Nedra expression. "Has something happened?" she asked. But when she didn't get an answer, she turned to leave. “Forgive me your Highnesses, I didn’t mean to intrude."
"No wait, Chanya," Vilondra said. "We may as well tell you, everyone will know within a few hours. We have proof that Khivar has been plotting against Zan and he will be arrested at the Council meeting this morning."
Chanya froze. They had discovered Khivar's plot but had they discovered her part in it? "What do you mean he is plotting against Zan, my Lady?" she asked cautiously.
"He is behind the riots and has been raising an army in secret to dispose Zan," Nedra informed her quietly. "Khivar wants the throne and is prepared to do anything to get it, including killing us all."
Chanya paled and struggled to keep her composure. With a quick curtsey, she headed for the door once again. "Excuse me, I am sure you would like to be alone."
As she walked back to her room her mind was working to sort out what she had learned. Khivar was ambitious and he could be after the throne, and she had no doubt he would say or do anything that would gain her help. She could not let him kill Zan but she also didn't want her part in the conspiracy to be discovered. Quickly making up her mind, Chanya donned a cloak and slipped out the door and into the fog.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Chanya let herself in the hidden door at the back of Khivar's mansion and was met immediately by the imposing figure of General Nicaron.
"Lady Chanya, to what do we owe this early morning visit?"
She was out of breath but spoke quickly, "I must speak to Khivar. It’s urgent."
The General nodded and escorted her into a room. "Wait here," he said as he disappeared through a door.
The General reappeared moments later followed closely by Khivar, a dressing gown hurriedly wrapped around his large frame. "Chanya, you have news?"
"Khivar, a special session of the Council is called for today."
He looked at the General for confirmation. "The notice came late last evening, Sir"
"And what is this special session about?" Khivar asked.
"I don't know exactly,” Chanya said, “but I suspect it is to inform the Council members of your treachery, and if you attend you will be arrested for conspiring against Zan."
Khivar's face showed genuine surprise. "They have proof?"
"Queen Nedra said they did."
Khivar turned to Nicaron. "Ready our things for immediate departure."
Nicaron nodded once and left the room.
Khivar smiled. "Little Chanya, I owe you a great deal. It would have been inconvenient to be incarcerated at this time."
"Just remember our deal Khivar,” Chanya said heatedly. “I want Zan alive and I don't wish my part in this little conspiracy to become public knowledge."
"Of course," he said smoothly. "I have already explained my motives."
"How do you explain your army?" she asked.
"Zan has an army at his disposal, and if he resists the new order of government," Khivar shrugged gracefully, "the Council will need an army under their control to counter him."
Chanya accepted his explanation for the present and stayed silent.
Khivar continued, "Since we will be deprived of these enchanting assignations in the near future, I have a gift for you."
He reached into a drawer on the desk and withdrew a chain with a black and silver charm in the shape an oval, and the swirling design representing their world. "It is a communication device. Simply press this," he indicated the triangle in the center, "and speak into it. It is new technology developed by my scientists. The transmitter will send the message in microbursts at different frequencies so it cannot be traced. I can send messages to you the same way. When there is a message waiting, the same area will turn red. Just press it to hear the message."
Chanya accepted the necklace. "I do not entirely trust you, but for now you are my best hope of obtaining what I desire."
Khivar was not offended by her statement, he simply smiled. "You will make a formidable Queen, my dear Chanya, but now is the time when your information could be of the greatest importance," he assured her. "Discover all you can and pass it along to me. Working together we can both get what we want."
Nicaron entered the room just as Chanya left. "So the simpleton has proven her worth."
"Yes," Khivar mused and then turned to the business at hand. "Of course, you know someone must have talked. There is no other way Zan could have obtained the position of our troops. I am expending a great deal of energy to cloak them."
"I will start an investigation and we will discover the traitor," Nicaron assured him.
Khivar nodded, "Have you alerted the troops?"
"Yes they are readying for the battle, Sir."
"Finally," Khivar said with satisfaction, "it has begun."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Rath awaited daybreak in the command center in the palace. Normally he would be with the troops, directing them, but with five battles being waged simultaneously, he needed the resources that the command center provided. Zan had the ultimate command of the troops, of course, but Rath felt great pride that Zan trusted his decisions.
Rath paced from one end of the room to the other, feeling strange that he was not with his troops. Ava's prediction of their deaths had unsettled him more than he wanted to admit but he was actively working to overcome the feelings. He was confident their troops would be a match for Khivar's and decided to push all other thoughts from his mind until after the battle was behind them. They could deal with each threat as it presented itself. He would not allow himself to waste energy trying to determine where a new threat might materialize. And as the sun slowly crept over the horizon, Rath waited anxiously for the first communications from his field commanders or the news from the Council of Khivar's capture.
At this moment Zan was addressing the special session of the Council. Khivar's treachery would be revealed and he would be arrested as the traitor he was.
"General Varros," said the communications officer, "there is a call for you from Major Tensel at the Council Hall.
Rath picked up the speaker. "Receiving transmission, Major."
"Sir, Khivar did not attend the Council," the Major reported. "I took the full compliment of troops to his manor but he has fled."
"Damn it," Rath snarled, "someone must have warned him."
"It appears that way, General."
"Take your troops back to the Council and be alert for attempts on the lives of the King, Queen and Princess Vilondra."
"Yes Sir," the Major signed off.
Rath turned to the communications officer, shoving the speaker at him. "Get me the city gates."
The Lieutenant pushed a series of buttons on the communications console and handed the speaker back to Rath. "This is General Varros. Have the city gates sealed immediately. Duke Roistar has been declared a traitor and is attempting to flee the city. Search all transports and I want reports of any suspicious activity."
"General Varros," the gate commander answered, "Duke Roistar and his party left the city two hours ago."
Rath swore again. "You are sure."
"Yes Sir."
"Seal the gates and search anyone coming into the city. All weapons are to be confiscated and those possessing them arrested."
"By your command, Sir."
Rath switched off the channel and slammed his fist on the console. Someone had warned Khivar. It meant that they had a traitor in their midst, but with all of the activity concerning the build-up and movement of Zan's troops in the last few months, the source of the information could have come from almost anywhere. Khivar could have a spy in the troops but Rath thought it unlikely. He had personally screened the applicants and he had been sure they had all been loyal to Zan but perhaps he had missed something. After Khivar's treachery had been revealed, he had checked and re-checked all of the palace staff, to keep threats to Zan and Ava's safety to a minimum.
But he could ponder the source of the traitor later. Now he needed to concentrate on the battles that were being waged, and he would not be able to do that until he was sure that Zan, Ava and Vilondra were safe. Unable to leave the resources of the command center, Rath motioned to his trusted shape shifter bodyguard. "Kaldar, I have need of your services."
"Yes, General Varros."
"Take a squad of guards to the Council building to make sure the King, Queen and Princess Vilondra are returned to the palace in safety." Zan had not been equipped with a secure communications device when he left the palace but he needed to be aware of the events of the morning and this was not information Rath wanted to broadcast over an unsecured channel. He quickly scribbled a note detailing Khivar's escape and handed it to Kaldar. "Deliver this to the King personally. It is of vital importance that he receive this information."
"As you wish, Sir," Kaldar replied as he left the room.
Now that the emergencies had been dealt with, Rath was able to turn his full attention to the battles being waged. He checked the timepiece on the console and felt a cold fissure of fear rise up his spine. It had been too long since sunrise. He should have heard something from the field commanders by now, unless something was going wrong. Rath grabbed for the communicator and set it to the secure frequency used by the first legion of troops. "Come in Ground One this is Base."
As he was answered, Rath could hear the sounds of battle close to the speaker. "Base, this is Ground One."
"What is your status?"
"They were prepared for us, Sir. They did not wait until first light. They attacked us in the dark but we are holding them, Sir."
"Carry on, but make frequent reports. I will send reinforcements as soon a possible."
"Yes Sir, Ground One out."
Rath tuned to the Lieutenant. "Get me air support," he barked. Zan had hoped it would not be necessary to get into a full-scale war and had kept the air support on the ground, but ready to fly at a moment's notice. The Lieutenant motioned to him and he took the speaker. "Air One, this is Base."
"Yes Sir, Base."
"Scramble and rendezvous with Ground One."
"Yes Sir, by your command."
Next he tried Ground Two but was unsuccessful in raising them. He frustratedly tried to raise Ground Three and Four but there was no response. Just as he was about to attempt Ground Five a message came through.
"Base this is Ground Five. Do you read us Base?"
"This is Base."
"Sir they were waiting for us. They attacked before dawn and tried to destroy our communication equipment but we were able to repair it. Sir, they are attacking with air support and we are sustaining heavy casualties."
"Commander, pull back and I will send air support to you."
"Yes Sir."
Rath spoke to the communications officer. "Get all of the air support scrambled, now."
"Yes Sir."
The Lieutenant quickly made the calls and then turned to Rath. "I have scrambled air Groups Two and Four but I was unable to reach Group Three."
Rath swore, now expecting the worse. "Contact Colonel Detras in charge of the King's escort now!" he bellowed. The Lieutenant quickly complied and handed the instrument to his General. "Colonel, get the King and his party back to the palace immediately. Repeat my words to his Majesty exactly. Tell the King his presence is required at once."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Zan was disappointed to learn of Khivar's absence from the Council. A message dispatched from his manor stated that he would be late and to proceed without him. Zan motioned to Major Tensel. "Major take your troops to Duke Roistar's manor and arrest the Duke and anyone in his household."
"Yes, your Majesty."
Zan proceeded to tell the members of the Council the full extent of Khivar's treachery, and when he had finished there were a few Harcion Senators that still insisted on his innocence. They declared that Khivar must have been set up or perhaps his intentions were misunderstood.
Questions assaulted Zan from all sides and he answered them as best as he could but he did not have any current news of the battle. "Senators," he tried to reassure them, "I will give you all of the details of the insurrection as soon as I know anything."
A figure moving toward him caught his attention. He recognized Kaldar, Rath's personal bodyguard.
The shape shifter bowed formally before him. "I have a message from General Varros."
Zan quickly read the message and then turned back to the assembly. "I have news of Khivar. He and his entire household have fled the city." A roar of reaction raced through the crowd and hisses of 'traitor' echoed through the room.
Zan signaled for silence as Colonel Detras approached the dais. "Khivar will be found and punished for his treachery, have no doubt." Zan stepped down to hear the Colonel's news.
Colonel Detras bowed formally before Zan. "Your Majesty, I have a message from General Varros. I am to tell you that your presence is required urgently at the palace."
"Thank you Colonel, we will leave immediately." Zan turned to once more address the Council. "Senators my presence is required at the palace. I will keep you informed of the news."
Ava and Vilondra were immediately at his side. Ava could feel the worry radiating from him but she waited until they were away from the Council room. "Zan what is wrong?"
He spoke with a hushed voice as they were escorted out the back and into their waiting transport. "Rath and I have a code phrase between us. The battle is going badly. We must get back to the palace as quickly as possible."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Zan remembered his earlier words to Ava, 'The battle is going badly', and shook his head. He couldn't have made a bigger understatement.
Khivar was more prepared for this battle than they had possibly imagined. He had destroyed their air fleet, decimated their troops and sent the survivors scurrying back to the relative safety of the capitol. The only thing that now stood between Khivar and total victory were a few anti-air cannons and the shielded city walls, which Zan was reinforcing with his own power. So far Khivar's troops had not been able to penetrate the walls but Zan knew it was only a matter of time.
When it had been certain Khivar's army was heading for the capitol, Zan had quickly arranged for his mother to be sent to the secret lab to oversee the final preparations. He had tried to convince Ava to accompany his mother because he was fearful for Ava’s safety, but she had adamantly refused, saying that her place was at his side no matter what happened. He had thought he could not possibly love her more but in that instant his love for her had grown tenfold.
He had also tried to persuade Vilondra to leave with their mother, but she had insisted on staying too. Vilondra considered the entire situation to be her fault and she had to see it through, no matter what the outcome.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Khivar waited until dark to send a message to Chanya. He had been frustrated that the ancient city walls had been able to keep him out of Tageonon, his final goal, but other than the one minor setback, the day had gone exactly as he had planned. Zan's troops had fallen like so many blades of grass before a strong wind, and he laughed as he imagined Zan's surprise.
He was sure he could have the city walls down in a matter of days but he did not wish to lose the momentum that had been achieved. His countrymen within the city had obviously failed in their attempts to open the gates, either because of incompetence or because they had been discovered. And he had to admit, now that he was within sight of his goal he was eager to feel the throne beneath him. So he would turn to his traitor within Zan's midst.
Khivar pressed the activator on his communications device and spoke. "Chanya, I have need of your services."
She responded almost immediately. "Khivar, how nice to hear from you. Obviously Zan offered resistance to your idea of governmental restructure."
"Yes, he was less than enthusiastic," Khivar said drolly.
"I am impressed by your progress. Somehow I didn't really think you would be able to force Zan to his knees. He is very powerful."
"Yes but he is young and still naively believes in the inherent goodness of all beings. But I require your help to take the last few steps."
"What do you mean?" she asked apprehensively.
"The main city gate is preventing me from accomplishing our goal. I will be able to breach it eventually but if you were to open it, Zan would be yours that much sooner."
"I can not help you in that way,” Chanya protested. “What if Zan were to discover my part in the plan?"
"He need not discover anything. I have the ability to wipe any troublesome deeds from your memory. I was going to offer it to you as a reward for a job well done."
"But if others see me, I will still be exposed."
"Then you must use your abilities to hide your presence,” he said. “Simply open the gate and then return to the palace."
Chanya considered the plan for a moment. "I will do as you ask. Tonight just before dawn."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Vilondra could not believe the events of the last few hours. She was still in shock that Khivar could have overwhelmed them so completely in such a short time. He had gained access to the city at daybreak and had marched straight for the palace, meeting little resistance on the way. Zan had locked down the palace and though Khivar's troops had been repelled so far, she knew they would soon find entry. The guilt she felt was consuming her and if she didn't do something, she would go mad.
She decided to throw herself on Khivar's mercy once again. He had been blocking her attempts to contact him for two days and she felt she should have known something was going to happen, and cursed herself for being a fool. She really didn't believe Khivar would spare her family but she had to try.
Vilondra waited until dark and slipped out a secret corridor that led under the palace wall and into the heart of the city. It exited near Khivar's manor, where he had set up his headquarters, and as she pushed open the tunnel door, she used her powers to cloak herself in disguise.
Her power was somewhat similar to Chanya's. Vilondra was able to alter what people saw in their dreams, and to a lesser degree, she was able to alter her appearance to those who saw her. She could not hold the illusion for long periods of time but Zan and Ava were the only ones who had ever penetrated her masquerade. Even Chanya, with her abilities, had not been able to peel away the illusion and discover the reality beneath.
Vilondra soon arrived at the secret door in the back of Khivar's manor and boldly waited to meet her estranged lover.
After only a moment, General Nicaron opened the door. "Princess," he said with a suggestive leer, "we did not expect you this evening."
"I must speak with Khivar," she demanded in her most regal voice.
"Of course," he replied with a short, insolent bow. "Right this way."
He led her into a familiar room and as she expected Khivar was waiting for her.
"Vilondra," he smiled with satisfaction. "I knew you would return to me." He addressed Nicaron without taking his eyes off her, "Thank you General. Leave us now."
Vilondra waited until they were alone to throw herself into Khivar's arms. "It has been so long."
"Yes," he said huskily, "but now that we are together, we will never be separated again." He pulled her eager form into a kiss full of longing, sharpened by the months of separation.
They were locked together in a tight embrace for several moments, drinking in one another’s essence but Vilondra reluctantly broke away. "Khivar please don't. I didn't come here to stay. I came to beg you for my brother's life."
Khivar continued to hold her and gently stroked her hair. "Your loyalty to your brother is commendable but nothing has changed. He must die."
"But you have beaten his army," she argued. "Perhaps I could persuade him to step down and let you take the throne."
"Your brother is the last male in the direct Tageonant line. He must be eliminated. There would always be a faction of the populace that see him as the rightful King and I cannot allow it."
"But Khivar..."
"Enough," he said softly. "The subject is growing tiresome. Come to bed now. Tomorrow we will breach the walls of the palace and your brother, his wife and your betrothed will be executed. You and I will be married and declared the new King and Queen of Antar."
"No Khivar," she said, taking a few steps away from him. "I cannot stay with you. I must be at my brother's side."
"Vilondra," Khivar said softly, reaching for her, "there is nothing more you can do."
"Maybe not," Vilondra said, stubbornly raising her chin, "but I will be with him to the end."
"No!” Khivar said heatedly. “I won't risk you!"
Vilondra was surprised by the extent of his emotion. It was the first time Khivar had raised his voice to her, the first time he had spoken to her in anger.
"It is too dangerous," Khivar continued more softly. "This is open war. You could be killed in the fighting. I will not allow you to leave."
She laughed mockingly, her anger growing with his every word. "You won't allow it! I am Vilondra Tageonant, Royal Princess of Antar," she said haughtily. "I shall do as I please and there is nothing you can do to stop me."
"I will tie you to the bed if I have to," Khivar growled, as he stalked purposefully toward her, and when he was close enough he grabbed her arm.
"Let go of me," she hissed. "Not you or anyone else will keep me from Zan." She used her powers to loosen his grip on her arm and threw him across the room and into a table. She could clearly see the surprise and anger on his face as he landed and she quickly headed toward the secret door. She knew that the noise of Khivar's fall would bring the General and she wondered if Khivar would send him after her.
Raised voices from inside the house reached her as she ran through the corridor. She could hear Khivar bellowing orders and the echoing sounds of footsteps following her. As Vilondra reached the outer door, she disguised herself with her powers. Even if the General did come after her, he would not recognize her.
Vilondra slipped through the outer door and proceeded slowly into the street, careful not to bring attention to herself. She continued as Khivar's men passed her, darting off in all directions looking for her, and after a few minutes she reached the hidden door that led into the palace. Using her powers to open the door, she took one last look around to make sure she had not been followed.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Nicaron spotted Vilondra at once but watched amusedly as his troops disregarded and rushed past the wizened form without a second glance. He had to admit that her disguise would fool most people, but then he was not most people. He could feel the power radiating from her like a tangible thing and it was a simple matter to pierce the guise and see her true form beneath.
He followed her silently, curious about her destination. He had suspected there must be hidden entrances into the palace but he had been unable to discover them. And when Vilondra had appeared at Khivar's mansion that evening, he knew his suspicions were well founded. She had sneaked out of the palace, of that Nicaron was sure. Zan would never have allowed her to come had he known.
Nicaron almost laughed aloud when he remembered the thunderstruck expression on Khivar's face when he had burst into the room. Khivar had been on the floor in a pile of broken furniture, shouting orders to bring Vilondra back to him. She had denied him, thrown him across the room and still Khivar wanted her. What a woman.
Nicaron slowed his pace as he watched her come to a stop. She used her powers to open a portal, and he hurried forward just as she turned.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Vilondra turned to face her worse nightmare, General Nicaron, and her mind raced with the fact that she had just led him to the palace door and given him the key. She watched his eyes widen with the knowledge of what lay beyond the door, but she could not let him take the information to Khivar or all of their fates would be sealed. She knew she could not win in a fair fight with him and quickly decided to use his attraction to her to distract him.
"General," she purred, "what an unexpected surprise."
"Yes, I imagine it is," he agreed.
Approaching him slowly, throwing a sway into her hips and a feigned hunger into her eyes, she frantically searched the area for anything she could use as a weapon. Finally she saw a large rock and knew it would have to do. She would only get one chance and she had to make it work. She allowed a knowing smile to curve her lips and when she reached him, and she drew her hand down his chest and leaned into him. "Calles," she breathed his name. "Do you have any idea how much I want you?"
Nicaron's eyes flicked quickly between Vilondra and the doorway leading into the palace. He wanted her so much he could practically taste it, and he dismissed the door for the present as he gathered her into his arms. The door would still be there when they had finished. "Not as much as I want you," he said, pulling her into a rough, devouring kiss.
Vilondra forced herself to melt into him, shielding carefully to not show any part of the revulsion she felt. As he pulled her even closer in an attempt to deepen the kiss, she slowly gathered her power and concentrated on hurling the rock at his head. She raised the rock and used all of her power to propel it toward him, but two things happened simultaneously. Nicaron grabbed her hand and used his powers to divert the path of the rock, dropping it harmlessly to the ground.
"You whore," he ground out, disgusted with himself for falling for her act. And with a tremendous burst of power, he threw her angrily from him, her body twisting in the air like a rag doll. In his rage, he threw her farther and harder than he intended and her head hit the side of a building with a sickening thud. Vilondra slowly collapsed to the ground, leaving a bright crimson stain on the once pristine, white surface.
Nicaron ran to her but he knew it was already too late. He had witnessed death many times before and he recognized its presence. He gently lifted her in his arms, erased the evidence of her blood from the wall and slowly walked back to Khivar's manor, devising a plausible story for her death as he proceeded.
When Nicaron saw a single guard in the distance, he summoned him to his side and struck him, knocking him unconscious. Then he called for help, to make sure he had witnesses to his story. When he arrived back at the mansion, he presented Khivar with Vilondra's body and her unconscious murderer.
The healer confirmed Nicaron's pronouncement of death and Khivar took great pleasure in torturing his beloved's killer to death. The guard protested his innocence to the end but if Khivar heard the words, he did not seem to care. Then Khivar sat, holding Vilondra in his arms all night, knowing it was the last time he would be with her.
In the morning General Nicaron brought news that he had discovered a secret entrance into the palace. It was what Khivar had been waiting for and it meant he was one step closer to obtaining the throne but without Vilondra the inevitable victory seemed to pale. Her last wish had been to return to her brother and Khivar wanted to honor that wish. He also knew her death would demoralize her family and their supporters, but he told himself it was just a convenient bonus.
He cleaned her body personally, repairing torn clothing and erasing all signs of blood. It was one last thing he could do for her.
And as they took her body to the palace under a flag of cease-fire, his camp buzzed with the rumors of Vilondra's death. They said Vilondra had betrayed her brother and sacrificed her life and a kingdom for the man she loved above all else, Khivar.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(2.10.23628)
The news of Vilondra's death hit Zan like a physical object. It knocked the breath from his body and he collapsed to the floor, his knees refusing to hold his weight. A dark void offered him the sanctuary of oblivion and he felt himself float toward its inky promise but Ava was there to take some of his grief and help him stay anchored to the grim reality. He could not afford to fall apart. He had to stay strong for his family and his people.
Zan arranged for Vilondra's essence to be harvested and entrusted it to his bodyguard, Sodan to take to the lab to be prepared for cloning. Once again he begged Ava to leave the palace but she adamantly refused and Sodan made the journey to the lab alone.
Later that day, Princess Vilondra Tageonant was buried in a quiet ceremony and laid in the family crypt next to her father.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
That evening in their bedchamber, Zan forced a promise from his young bride. "Ava, I love you with all of my heart and soul, and I could not bear it if you died."
"Zan we will all die, I have seen it."
"I know and I believe you, but still I must do everything in my power to protect you."
She nodded her understanding.
"You must promise me that when I tell you to, you will get to a safe room and leave the palace."
"No Zan," Ava protested, "I will stay and fight by your side."
"No," he argued. "You must promise me. If I know you are safe I will be able to concentrate all of my attention on the battle, but if I don't know what has happened to you I will be distracted."
"Zan," she started, but Zan cut her off.
"Please Ava, promise me," he begged. "I can't do this if I am worried about your safety."
"I promise Zan," she said sadly.
He released a tension-filled breath that seemed to relax him. "And promise me you will leave the palace when I tell you."
She hesitated, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. "I promise. But Zan..."
He stopped her words with his finger on her lips. "Ava, no more of this subject for tonight."
She nodded her agreement and he replaced his finger with his lips.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(2.11.23628)
Khivar waited until dawn the day after Vilondra's burial to renew his attack on the palace. The main body of his troops spread out around the palace wall and assaulted the defenses with renewed vigor.
Rath led his troops from the ramparts, attempting to bolster their flagging moral, even though he suspected they were doomed.
Zan briefed the palace staff on the rendezvous point and instructions for the evacuation if necessary. When the meeting was over, he took Chanya aside. "Chanya you have been a good friend to my family and a loyal supporter, refusing to leave us even when it seems the world is turning against us."
"I support you wholeheartedly, your Majesty," Chanya assured him, "and the least I can do is to stay with you in your time of need."
"Khivar will find access into the palace," Zan continued, "maybe today, maybe tomorrow, but he will succeed. I want to get you out of the palace safely. I don't believe Khivar would harm you but you might be accidentally injured in the fighting."
Chanya's heart swelled with his words. Zan was concerned with her safety. "Thank you for your concern, your Majesty, but I will stay here and offer whatever help I can."
"Thank you," Zan said with a sad smile. "All you have ever done, is trust me, been there for me whenever I needed you. I have never done anything to deserve that kind of loyalty from you."
Chanya moved closer to him and looked up through her lashes seductively. "Your Majesty, you are a great man and a great King. I would do anything for you."
But Zan was too distracted to notice her flirtation and continued, "I want you to know the rendezvous point for the family. I am sure my mother will value your company especially after losing her daughter."
Chanya could not keep the small smile off of her face. Zan was treating her like she was part of the family. "I will offer whatever comfort I am able."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The assault on the walls continued while a small band of raiders, led by Khivar himself, entered the palace through the secret corridor, triggering the alarm. They ran into the hall, spreading out according to the plan, using information provided by Chanya.
Khivar considered his foolish informant, Chanya. She had been useful and if she survived the coup perhaps he would reward her, but he didn't really expect her to survive.
Khivar had given strict orders to take the King and Queen alive. No one else mattered.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
When the alarm sounded, Zan, with Chanya at his side, rushed to the command center where he had left Ava. Zan barked orders to the Colonel in charge, "The enemy has entered the palace. Send troops to intercept them."
Then he took Ava aside and reminded her of her promise to him. "Ava, go to the safe room down the corridor and seal yourself inside."
"But Zan," she protested.
He kissed her quickly. "Please, my love, you promised."
"Yes," Ava relented.
They embraced desperately, knowing it could be the last time and Zan escorted her to the room's hidden entrance.
"If we are successful I will come for you, if not..." he let the sentence trail off. "I love you Ava."
"And I love you. No matter what happens, nothing can change that."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Chanya watched the tender scene with great interest. She knew where Ava was hidden and she quickly sent the information to Khivar.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Khivar received Chanya's message and turned to a Major at his side. "The Queen is in a secret room down the corridor from the command center. Bring her to me, unharmed."
The Major bowed. "As you wish, my Duke."
Khivar quickly sent a message back to Chanya. "Where is Zan?" and received her reply almost immediately.
"He is heading toward the source of the alarm."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Ava watched the monitors in the hidden room with growing horror. She had known what their fates would be, but the reality was more terrible than she could have imagined. She tried to follow Zan's movements on the monitors, as he moved through the palace, but she would lose sight of him occasionally in-between cameras. Every time he was off camera she would literally hold her breath until he appeared on the next screen and then release it knowing that for now at least, her beloved was still alive.
A movement on one of the screens, in what should have been a deserted part of the palace, caught her attention. Khivar was traveling rapidly down the corridor toward Zan, as if he knew where Zan would be. She watched as Khivar entered a room Zan had to pass through and concealed himself in the corner, obviously waiting for Zan to come to him.
Ava concentrated on their bond. Zan, she sent to him, Khivar is hiding in the north corner of the Blue room and he is armed.
Thank you for the warning, my love, he sent back to her as he rushed into the room.
Khivar charged out of his hiding place and knocked Zan to the floor. Zan got up and charged Khivar, using his powers to throw him into the wall. Zan had no weapons, only his powers and fighting skills and he knew Khivar would not be fighting fair. Zan threw himself out of the path of Khivar's blaster and used his powers to knock it out of Khivar's hand and onto the floor.
Zan turned back to Khivar, threw him across the room and grabbed his blaster where it had fallen. Khivar used a grapple to pull himself out of the way of Zan's attack and as he swung past, threw a grenade. Zan used his accelerated speed to leap out of the way of the explosion but as he landed, Khivar rolled another grenade toward him. Zan could not avoid it and landed on the grenade as it exploded. He was able to raise a shield to protect himself, but the energy from the blast threw him across the room and into the wall.
Ava was frantic to help Zan but there was nothing she could do. She would never be able to reach him in time and had no way to communicate with the troops or the palace guard. She could see Khivar's men approaching them from all sides and knew if they caught Zan they would kill him.
Zan you must get away! She sent desperately through their connection. Khivar's troops are coming from all directions!
He replied softly as he climbed to he feet, We knew it would come to this. I have a chance to end this now by killing Khivar. And then he uttered the words she had dreaded, Ava you must leave the palace, now.
Ava knew that Zan didn't think he was going to make it out alive and he wanted to make sure she was safe. She stood watching the fight, trying to decide what to do, but Zan had made her promise if it ever came to this point she would obey him. But how could she just leave him? He was everything to her and if he died she didn’t want to go on living.
The decision was taken away from her however when she heard men trying to break through the door behind her, and she quickly checked the monitors. Khivar's men had discovered her hiding place and they would cut through the heavy door in a matter of minutes. She could not allow herself to be taken hostage and had no choice but to leave as Zan had instructed her.
Ava looked back at the monitor that showed Zan, to see him one last time. She raised a hand to the monitor as if she were really touching him and silently sent him her undying love. Climbing into the escape pod, she pressed the power button and then the self-destruct for the room. She would take a few of them out and they would not be able to follow.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
From the shadows, Chanya watched the battle between Zan and Khivar, and for the first time she seriously doubted Khivar's intentions. She had wanted to believe so badly that Khivar would let Zan live, and she had followed him blindly. Zan and Khivar were evenly matched as combatants and it looked as if the fight might end in a standstill but Khivar's troops poured into the room from all sides, surrounding Zan, and he dropped his weapon and stood helplessly, waiting.
"Zan you are an accomplished fighter," Khivar complimented him. "It is too bad we could not have been allies."
Zan stood to his full height. "I don't recall there ever being an offer of an alliance."
"No," Khivar laughed, "you are correct. I did not think you would agree to my terms."
Zan held his gaze. "No, the price is too high."
Khivar looked stricken for a moment before he was able to mask his grief. "I would have done anything to avoid Vilondra's death."
"I believe you," Zan said solemnly, "but it was done none-the-less and now you can add me to your list of 'accidental' deaths."
"No," Khivar said simply. "I need you alive."
Chanya relaxed, Khivar was going to keep his word. She made her way silently down the corridor toward a side entrance that led into the city where Udac was waiting for her.
Zan laughed at Khivar's statement and used his powers to cause an overload in the light source above, momentarily blinding the occupants of the room. He forced his shield outward in a burst that sent Khivar and his soldiers flying to the ground and moved quickly toward the door.
Zan paused to take one last look at Khivar before he slipped out, cursing his weakness. He had so much power coursing through him, healing power, defensive power, but it was useless in the current situation. For the first time he wished he possessed Rath's destructive powers. He could have destroyed Khivar, as he desperately wanted to do, but instead he was forced to run.
Zan sprinted to another secret exit, just down the corridor. When he reached the door he used the control panel to sound the evacuation alarm for the palace. He looked quickly around at the place that had always been his home, and felt a sense of calm. He might lose the building and the kingdom but as long as he had family, allies and friends, he would always have a home.
He slipped through the door and hurried down the corridor that led under the palace and into the forest bordering the city. After a few moments, he knew he was approaching the main palace wall because he could hear the sounds of the battle more clearly. And then he finally saw the door.
Suddenly he was thrown violently back into the wall as an explosion caused part of the palace wall and the ground above, to collapse down into the tunnel. Not having time to erect a shield, Zan's head hit hard on the wall and then the ground as he fell.
The last thing he saw as he slipped into the waiting blackness was the debris that separated him from the outside door, freedom, and Ava.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The bright light momentarily blinded Khivar. "Don't let the King escape," he bellowed, but as he regained his vision, he could see that Zan was gone. "Search the palace," he ordered. "He can't have gone far."
His men left him and he spared a glance into the corner where Chanya had hidden herself. She was very good at her subterfuge but he possessed the ability to detect power being used and she had been straining herself to keep up the illusion. He had played the scene with Zan just for her benefit, telling himself that after all, she might be useful in the future.
The Major he had sent to retrieve Ava came stumbling down the hall, his uniform torn and bloody. "Duke Roistar, the Queen was in a room equipped with an escape pod. She activated it as we were breaking through the door and then the place collapsed on top of us."
"The Queen has escaped," Khivar intoned dryly. "It seems as if I am loosing all of my prizes today," he said to no one in particular. He knew he had done the right thing as far as Chanya was concerned. With her help he could destroy Zan's remaining troops and execute the King and Queen in a matter of days.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Ava had reached the safety of the rendezvous hours before but there was still no sign of Zan. Chanya and her handmaiden had arrived not long after Ava had gotten there, and Rath with his compliment of troops had reached them in the afternoon. Others arrived throughout the day and each time Ava ran to see who the newcomers were, but each time she was disappointed. Now it was well after dark and Zan had still not come.
Ava had tried connecting with him several times but all she had encountered was darkness. She did not know if it was because the distance between was too great or because something had happened to Zan but with each passing moment, she became more frightened.
With the King missing, Rath was technically in charge but he tried to lessen the blow of Zan's absence by deferring to Nedra and Ava. Everyone agreed that after the day's disastrous events, they should wait until the morning to act.
Ava retired to her room, alone for the first time since her marriage. She attempted once more, before she climbed into bed, to connect with Zan but she received no reply. Reluctantly she got into bed and tried without success to sleep, tossing and turning, but she had a terrible feeling Zan was in trouble and needed her help. She quickly dressed and sneaked out of her quarters and past the guards, leaving the safety of the camp.
A compulsion drew her to the north and she slipped into the forest, heading in that direction. Picking her way silently through the foliage, again Ava tried to connect with Zan, but again she was unsuccessful. As she walked deeper into the trees, her anxiety level grew with each step. She hadn't let herself consider it before, but something must be seriously wrong with Zan. Either he was terribly injured or he was blocking their connection for another reason. Maybe he had been captured and he didn't want her to know what was happening to him. Maybe he was being tortured, maybe they were killing him.
Tears started to roll down her face and she stubbornly wiped them away. Falling apart wouldn't help Zan, Ava chastened herself, she had to be strong. She knew Zan was still alive, she could feel it, and as long as he was alive there was a chance she could save him. But an increased sense of urgency struck her and she hurried onward.
She had been walking for almost an hour, heading deeper and deeper into the woods, when suddenly she noticed that all the sounds of the wildlife had ceased. She stopped and looked around, her eyes darting from place to place in the dark, but focusing on nothing.
Finally in the distance she saw the movement of a solitary figure coming toward her, and she quickly slipped behind some brush to avoid discovery. The figure was unsteady on its feet, lurching from tree to tree, and after a few more steps collapsed heavily onto the leaf-covered ground.
Ava advanced toward the fallen figure as silently as she could and when she had covered half of the distance between them, she suddenly recognized her beloved. She ran to Zan and fell to her knees before him, desperately checking for signs of life and relaxing a little when she had proof that he still lived. But the terrible wound on Zan's head was far beyond her meager healing capabilities and made her frantic to get him back to camp and the healer.
The camp was over an hour away but she didn't dare leave Zan and return for help, she had a feeling he would not survive if she did. But she had to save him. Zan meant everything to her and even though she had foreseen their deaths, she wasn't ready to let go of him yet. She would have to take Zan back to the camp herself.
Ava gathered him in her arms, used her powers to help lift his weight and headed back as quickly as she could. It was slow going, as she carefully picked her way among the foliage, and the distance seemed longer than she remembered. Zan was a heavy burden, even with the small help her powers afforded and her knees threatened to collapse with each step she took, but she refused to let them. She was the only thing that stood between Zan and death, and she would fight until she had used every resource at her disposal.
After what seemed like and eternity, her muscles trembling with the strain, Ava finally reached an area she recognized as the edge of the camp. She called out for help as she continued, and with a few more steps she spied the healer's quarters. Even as she heard the others approaching, she pushed her exhausted body the last few steps, not letting herself collapse until Zan was taken from her arms. Then she fell into the arms of one of the guards, unconscious, exhausted physically and mentally from the over-use of her powers.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(2.16.23628)
Zan awoke to find his mother sitting beside him in the makeshift infirmary. "Where is Ava? Is she safe?" he asked frantically.
"She is safe," his mother replied. "She saved your life. Do you remember?"
Zan shook his head, willing the memories to come. "I was trapped in a corridor leading under the palace wall. It collapsed and I was knocked unconscious. When I came to, I stated digging my way out. Using my powers caused my head to ache horribly and I had to dig out with my bare hands."
He held up his hands noticing that the abrasions were now healed. "I remember going into the woods and walking toward the rendezvous point but I was so tired and each step seemed to take all of my strength," he shook his head. "After that I remember nothing."
"Ava tried to contact you several times but she was unable to. And that evening she sensed you needed help and went into the woods to look for you. The healers say you wouldn't have survived much longer. But Ava found you and carried you back to the camp. She was so exhausted that she was unconscious for two days."
"She carried me," he said incredulously. "But she is alright now."
"Yes. The healer has ordered bed rest for her for today but she will be fine."
"How severe are my injuries?" Zan asked.
"The healers said your head injury damaged the part of your brain that gives us our powers but they were able to repair it successfully. You should be at full strength in a matter of days."
"I want to see Ava," Zan said as he started to get out of bed. He felt stiff from head to toe but he was determined to get to his wife. "Where is she?"
"Zan," his mother said coming forward, "let me help you. You are still weak. Ava is in your quarters."
He leaned on his mother and allowed her take part of his weight. "How long have I been unconscious?"
"You were out for three days."
"What has been happening in that time?"
"Rath has been leading covert strikes against the enemy forces. They have been very successful at taking Khivar's men by surprise."
"Is Rath in the camp now?"
"Yes, he has been leading the strikes at night."
"After I have seen Ava I want to have a meeting with you and Rath for a full briefing. Please let him know it will be directly after lunch in my quarters."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Ava was asleep when he entered the room and Zan quietly moved to sit on the edge of the bed. He trusted the healer completely but he wanted to make sure for himself that she was well. He used his powers to check her for injuries and was relieved to find none. But he could feel the stiffness in her muscles and he gently eased it away.
He traced her face with his hand and carefully opened their connection. She was having a nightmare about leaving him in the palace. She felt tremendous guilt and he sent soothing thoughts and his love to her across their bond. He had been so worried about her when Khivar had invaded the palace and he knew he had done the right thing in making her promise to leave him. He was just sorry she was suffering because of his decision.
Zan tightened the bond and brought her out of her dream and into wakefulness.
For a moment Ava looked at him, trying to separate dream from reality, and then she threw her arms around him. "Zan, you are alright."
"Yes," he said as he returned her embrace. "I hear I have you to thank for that."
"I was not ready for you to leave me yet," Ava sighed.
Zan smiled, "I cannot believe you carried me here."
"It was not easy," she admitted, "but I couldn't risk leaving you there."
He spoke across their bond, Have I told you today how much I love you?
No, she replied in the same manner.
I love you more than life itself. He stroked her velvet cheek, I am sorry the promise I forced from you is causing you guilt.
How did you know?
I can feel it through the connection.
Zan, Ava continued as she cupped his cheek in her hand, I could see you on the monitors at the palace and I wanted to help you so desperately, but there was nothing I could do and not break my promise to you. I love you so much but how could I just leave you?
I am sorry, Zan said, but knowing you were safe allowed me to do what I needed to do.
Please don't make me leave you again, Ava begged him.
I hope it won't come to that, he said, taking her in his arms. I don't think I could bear it.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
After the briefing, Nedra returned to her quarters and found Chanya waiting for her. In the past few days the girl had been of great comfort to her in helping her deal with the loss of her daughter, temporary though it may be.
"Chanya, thank you for your support over these last few days. First we lost Vilondra and then we didn't know if Zan was alive, but you were always hopeful and never gave up the belief that he was alive."
"Somehow I knew he was still with us," Chanya said with a smile.
"You are very loyal to our family and Zan thought you might be of help to me in a project I am working on."
Chanya listened in fascination as Nedra explained the plan to send the Royal Four to a planet in another system that she had never heard of. "I am amazed,” she gasped, when Nedra finished. “I didn't know technology had advanced so far."
"It is a new process that was only developed a few months ago. We are lucky to have it or Vilondra would truly be lost to us."
"I would be interested in seeing the lab," Chanya said.
"I am leaving for the lab this evening and I was hoping you would accompany me," Nedra admitted.
Chanya smiled. "I am honored that you have entrusted me with this, your Highness."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Chanya returned to her room and related everything she had learned to Udac.
"Zan believes that Khivar will surely kill him but I heard Khivar himself tell Zan in the palace that he needed him alive."
"Is it possible Khivar knew of your presence, beloved?" asked Udac.
Chanya shrugged, "I don't know. Khivar is very powerful and I was using a lot of energy to maintain the illusion.
"I think for now, you should keep this information about the lab to yourself. It could be valuable to you at another time."
Chanya nodded. "The Queen and I are traveling to the lab later. I want you to follow us and learn all that you can."
"Of course," Udac agreed.
Chanya reached for her necklace. "And now I must report tonight's raiding schedule to Khivar."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
No matter where Rath turned there were troops in Khivar's livery. He had led his men into a trap and he didn’t think there would be an escape tonight. Rath used his powers until he was exhausted, but still the enemy soldiers kept coming. Picking up a blaster from a fallen man, Rath tried to clear a path through the army surrounding him, but there were too many and soon the weapon clicked empty.
Then Rath fought with his bare hands, using all of his combat training, knowing he had failed his King and Queen. His only consolation was that he would have another chance when he was cloned. Khivar's soldiers took his men easily but Rath fought capture with everything he had left, hoping they would kill him before the information could be taken from his mind, but he was finally subdued. The soldiers did not kill him as he wished but held him until General Nicaron appeared.
"General Varros," Nicaron greeted him with a smile. "What a pleasure it is to finally meet, on this the eve of your death."
"Just get on with it," Rath taunted.
"No," Nicaron declined, "I think I will have a look around in that mind of yours first."
Rath knew he could not possibly hope to hold off Nicaron's mind probe. He launched himself at the nearest soldier, grabbed his blaster and took a shot at Nicaron's head. The shot was wide but Nicaron reacted immediately, sending a searing blast of energy through his chest. Rath looked down at the charred flesh and smiled as he slumped to the ground, satisfied he was taking his secrets with him to the grave.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Udac returned to Chanya's chamber late that evening and found Chanya eager for her news.
"What did you discover?"
Udac sat on the edge of her mistress' bed to tell her tale. "I heard everything you discussed with the Queen about how the cloning worked. I discovered that they are preparing memory retrieval devices and a book written in the royal code as a back up. There is also a message that the Queen recorded herself to be stored on the communication orbs."
"Interesting but hardly useful," Chanya said dismissively. "I convinced Nedra to give me a set of harvesting devices, in case I am in a position to collect the essence from one of the unfortunates. So even if Khivar does betray us I will see Zan is reborn."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(2.17.23628)
Rath's body was returned to the camp by the surviving troops and Zan had his essence collected and sent with Kaldar and Nedra to the lab. He asked his mother to stay and oversee the project but he suspected she knew the real reason; he wanted to make sure she was safe. Kaldar, Rath’s protector, had volunteered to escort the dowager Queen and his master's essence when they had told him of the project.
Zan stood at the head of his friend's makeshift grave. Rath deserved a more formal burial than they could give him but it wasn't possible at the present. He took Ava's hand and spoke in her mind. Ava, I don't know what to do. Rath was the expert in military tactics. I am just an administrator.
Don't sell yourself short, she answered him. You studied military tactics in school and you have observed Rath in action. You are also an expert in history, perhaps there is something in the past that will guide you.
Zan pulled her into a tight embrace and sighed. You are right. I am just starting to despair. He kissed her on the top of her head. You bring out the best part of me. What would I do without you?
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Zan called a meeting of the troop commanders that evening. "In honor of General Varros we will forgo tonight's raid, but tomorrow we will resume the strikes. I have appointed General Toaks my second in command." He turned to the newly appointed General, "Please continue General."
Chanya listened in the back of the room, unnoticed by its occupants. Khivar had ordered her to get the plans for the next round of strikes and the current location of the camp. He had never asked her for the camp location before and she suspected that the end was near. Khivar had confirmed her suspicious, promising her that within the next few days Ava would be dead.
But with the new cloning technology, Chanya knew death would not necessarily get rid of her permanently. She had to make sure when Ava was killed, her essence was permanently destroyed.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(The King's Council room at the Palace)
Khivar listened to the message from Chanya a second time, with growing interest.
Khivar, I have the information you requested but I want to make an additional bargain with you. I must be present during Ava's death to make sure she is really gone. Promise me this and I will give you what you ask.
The little fool Chanya was turning out to be quite a bloodthirsty creature, Khivar thought to himself. Yes, he would allow her to be present at Ava's death, it would be a simple matter.
He sent his affirmative reply and immediately received the data he requested. He gave the information to Nicaron who plotted it onto the map as Khivar revealed his plan. "They are all staying in camp tonight to mourn Rath, but tomorrow evening most of Zan's men will leave camp for the strikes against our troops. Leave small groups of men at the locations Zan's troops will attack, but the main body of our forces will take the camp. I want all of them alive," he warned. "Brief your men that no 'accidents' will be accepted. If anyone is killed, it will be their death warrant as well."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(2.18.23628)
Sodan returned from his reconnaissance to find the camp in shambles and all of the occupants gone. He searched frantically for any trace of his King and master but it was futile. He suspected Khivar had captured them, and he turned in the direction of the capitol and the palace, knowing it was where Khivar would take them. It was a two-day journey on foot and he started out at a rapid but steady pace, hoping he would be able to reach them before it was too late.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(2.20.23628)
Two days later, Zan was still amazed at how easily the camp had fallen. He had heard several orders for everyone to be taken alive but he didn’t know the fate of anyone other than himself and Ava, who was imprisoned with him in one of the palace's unused gaols. He suspected his troops had been led into another trap and mourned their loss. Sodan had been sent to gather information on the enemy troops and Zan feared he was dead as well. His one consolation was that his mother was safe.
In the time he and Ava had been in the cell, they had seen no one except a single guard who brought them food, and Zan suspected Khivar was only keeping them alive until he brought the Council under control. Afterward they would be of no use to him. Zan knew that Khivar would have to kill him as the only remaining Tageonant heir, but perhaps he could persuade him to spare Ava.
Their tissue harvesting devices had been taken from them and it seemed as if their back-up plan was doomed to fail. He would do anything in his power to save his beloved wife, even if it meant sacrificing everything, even his life, and perhaps if she lived, she could devise a way to bring them all back.
He looked lovingly at Ava's sleeping form, tracing the planes of her face with his eyes. He regretted ever bringing her into his world. If he hadn't she would be safe at her father's house and not facing a death sentence, but he had gained so much in having her by his side. She had given him support and love, and he knew without her he never would have found the strength to get this far. She made him want to be a better man.
Zan walked to the wall and looked out the small window above his head. As usual his eyes were drawn to the place in the heavens where the red sun had been. None of the star's remains were visible but it was almost as if he could sense its lingering presence. The sun had been in its last years of life, and even though it had not directly threatened their system, Zan's grandfather had considered its erratic behavior to be too dangerous to risk. They had used precisely aimed probes to create chemical reactions to quickly consume the remaining elements, and the sun had been extinguished safely, years early.
Zan had not even been born when the awesome energy that had once been a sun had dissipated into the surrounding space, but for some reason he had always been haunted by its passing. It was a constant reminder of the fragility of life, the transient nature of all things, that even something burning so bright could just burn out.
Zan felt a shiver of dread run through him that chilled him to the core of his soul. He knew with certainty he and Ava would not survive, but he made a wish on the star that was no longer there; if they could not be together in life, then let them be together after death.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Khivar strode down the hall with General Nicaron and Major Grester. The day he had waited for was finally here and in just a few moments he would secure the throne. He smiled as he entered the cell that held the boy King and his child bride. Very soon he would have everything he wanted.
"Zan," Khivar said commandingly, "you will bow before me as your new King."
"I will never bow before a traitor," Zan growled.
"You should not anger me," Khivar said quietly, "you do not know the extent of my wrath."
Zan quickly glanced at Ava. "I will bow to you if you give me your oath that you will spare Ava."
"No Zan," Ava said, taking his face in her hands and forcing him to look at her. "Do not debase yourself for my sake. I would rather die at your side."
"I could not give you my oath anyway," Khivar admitted. "I have already struck a bargain with the traitor in your midst for the life of the Queen. Both of your lives are forfeit. After all," he said glancing at Ava, "I could not take the chance that the young Queen is carrying your heir."
"Who is our betrayer?" Zan demanded.
Khivar laughed. "The serpent in your bosom is one of your most trusted, most beloved. She traded her soul for your life Zan, and the Queen's death, but she was a fool to believe I would honor the bargain."
"The name, Khivar," Zan commanded.
"Chanya," he said simply. "It seems she was in love with you the whole time, but when you cast her aside for Ava she accepted my offer of an alliance."
Shocked, Zan turned to look at Ava and spoke in her mind. Chanya knows of the cloning project. She will tell Khivar and we are all truly lost.
Khivar laughed at the stricken look on their faces.
Zan pulled Ava into an embrace, gently touching his head to hers and speaking across their bond. Ava my love, I am sorry I have led you to this end.
Ava wrapped her arms around him and poured her love into their bond. Zan I don't have any regrets. I only wish our time together had been longer.
Khivar motioned to Nicaron and Grester and they raised their hands to fire.
I love you Ava, with everything I am, my heart and soul. We have been one, soul mates since we met, and the bond between us has only grown stronger, deeper. I believe we will be together in the next life, whatever and where ever it may be. The bonds that unite us cannot be severed, we will always be together.
Zan my love, if needed, my soul will search the stars for yours. Our love is destined, eternal, and nothing can keep us apart.
They were so engrossed in one another that neither saw the blasts of energy that ended their lives.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Chanya paced from one end of the room to the other, awaiting Khivar's return. He had been at the Council all morning negotiating the governmental transition and she was eager for him to return and keep his promise to her.
"My child," Udac soothed, "be still. It will all be accomplished presently."
At that moment Khivar strode into the room with a satisfied smile. "Lady Chanya it is done."
"Ava is dead?"
"Yes. Now allow me to escort you to Zan."
They walked down the musty stairs hewn from stone, into the gaol, and Chanya's apprehension grew with every step. Khivar stopped at the door to one of the cells, pushed it open and roughly shoved Chanya inside. "Here is your beloved," he mocked.
Chanya looked at the two bodies embracing each other even in death, with a sense of unreality. For a moment she could not believe Zan was really dead, but as the knowledge penetrated her stunned mind she felt a rage like she had never before experienced. A scream of fury rose up from within her and she charged Khivar, who easily slapped her aside. She fell roughly to the ground beside Zan, and tears of frustration streamed down her cheeks. "You killed him."
"Of course. I could not allow the one remaining Tageonant heir to live."
"I will kill you for this!" Chanya screamed.
Khivar laughed. "That I very much doubt, but," he paused to draw a dagger from its sheath, "you may join your King in death, if you wish. Perhaps you will be buried with them in the public ceremony tomorrow." He threw the dagger on the floor beside her and arrogantly strode from the room, the sound of his laughter echoing down the corridor.
Chanya collapsed into tears and Udac ran to her side and gathered her mistress in her arms. "My poor Chanya" she said, gently rocking the sobbing form.
Chanya reached out to trace Zan's brow with her hand, she had been so close yet so far. She glanced at Ava's limp form and an idea started to take shape in her mind. She sat up and wiped the tears from her face. "Udac I will be with Zan." She took the tissue harvesting devices from a concealed pouch in her gown and used one on Zan.
"What is your plan?" Udac asked.
"You must kill me and use this device to collect my brain tissue,” Chanya said. “Then you will take them to the lab. Tell the Queen it is Zan and Ava's samples and she will send me to the planet as Zan's wife."
"But the memory retrieval devices," Udac reminded her. "When Zan regains his memory, he might discover you are not Ava."
"Then you must destroy them and erase the message on the orbs," Chanya said. "Then if Zan ever does remember, we will already be inseparably bonded."
"You will not remember your true self either, Chanya," Udac reminded her.
"I know," Chanya said stoically. "Everyone including myself will think I am Ava."
"But beloved," Udac protested, "I cannot kill you. I am your protector."
Chanya reached for the dagger on the ground. "Then I will do it myself." She raised the dagger and quickly plunged it into her heart.
Udac held Chanya's body gently as if she would wake her from sleep and used the harvesting device to collect her essence. She took the necklace from around Chanya's neck to dispose of, so no one would suspect her of collusion with Khivar. Then she smoothed the long, golden hair out of her mistress' face and laid her next to the man she loved.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Sodan arrived at a camouflaged entrance to the palace just after dark. He raised a hand to activate the locking device but the door cracked open and he quickly threw himself aside to avoid discovery.
A lone figure emerged from the passageway and looked around as if to ascertain the correct direction.
The figure changed form before him and he immediately recognized her. She was Lady Chanya's handmaid, Udac.
He stepped forward to make his presence known. "Udac."
She whirled toward him and he knocked aside her outstretched hand just before she fired. He held her tightly but saw recognition cross her features and released his grip as she spoke. "Sodan, I thought you were dead."
He smiled, "I thought the same of you. What are you doing here?"
"When the camp was taken we were all brought here. Khivar has killed the King and Queen and my mistress." She held up the harvesting devices. "But before she died, my mistress was able to collect the essence of the King and Queen."
"Then there is still hope for the future,” Sodan said softly. “We must get this to the lab as quickly as possible."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(2.21.23628)
The next day, Duke Khivar Roistar presided at the state funeral for the King and Queen. They were buried in the Tageonant crypt alongside Vilondra. Khivar stayed at the grave of his beloved all afternoon mourning her loss, and that evening in a large, spectacular ceremony he was crowned King.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(2.22.23628)
The next evening, Udac and Sodan arrived at the lab and the final preparations were made to send the transport to Earth. Udac completed her mistress' final wish by permanently disabling the memory retrieval devices and erasing the message on the orbs.
Sodan and Kaldar had eagerly volunteered to be sent with their fallen masters. Both were experts in hand-to-hand and weapons combat and Sodan was also a pilot. Two other shape shifters had also been chosen for the mission; Letras, Zan's former tutor and an expert in history, philosophy and military tactics, and Cuerena a scientist and Granolith specialist.
The Granolith and the two sets of pods, the real ones and the decoys, were carefully loaded onto the transport along with the communication orbs, memory retrieval devices, healing stones and the book written in the royal code. Queen Nedra gave the travelers final instructions and said her last good-byes to her children.
Udac wanted to volunteer to go as well, but she was afraid that her request would raise too many questions, so she remained silent. Instead she used her powers to fuse the inner workings of Chanya's transmitter necklace, removed the pendant from around her neck and turned with it to Sodan. "Here is a symbol of our planet, wear it proudly and bring them back to us."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(2.23.23628)
Khivar was woken early by General Nicaron. "Your Majesty, the air command has reported sighting an uncleared transport leaving the atmosphere."
"Why didn't they shoot it down?" Khivar asked groggily.
"It was too far out of range," Nicaron explained. "It launched from an area we had thought deserted."
Khivar's attention focused immediately. "Were they able to trace its origin?"
"Yes and there are troops on the way even as we speak."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Nicaron struck Jensto once again, knocking him to the floor.
"Please," Jensto begged as he huddled on the opulent carpet, "I cannot tell you what I don't know."
Khivar spoke up, "General this is getting us nowhere. Use your powers to pry the information out of his mind."
Jensto tried to crawl away from Nicaron, but at a gesture from their commander, soldiers grabbed him on either side and held him tightly. Nicaron placed his hand on the scientist's head, and after a moment a surprised look crossed his features. He turned to Khivar, "Your Majesty, it seems that the scientist here is a specialist in cloning and has recently discovered a new technique that allows for the transfer of memories into a clone."
Khivar stood up. "Vilondra, we can bring her back."
"I am sorry your Majesty but she has been dead too long for the transfer to work. It must be done within a couple of days apparently. But the good scientist here, working with Zan, Ava and Nedra have already done it for us."
"They have cloned Vilondra?"
"Yes and Rath, Zan and Ava. Apparently they had a back-up plan in case things went against them. They were cloned and sent to a planet they thought would be out of our reach, to prepare to take back Antar."
"How clever of them," Khivar sneered. "Which planet?"
"I have never heard of it,” Nicaron shrugged. “It is called Erth."
"Erth?" Khivar asked. "Where is this planet?"
Nicaron indicated the scientist huddling on the floor. "He does not know, but Sir, there is a more urgent issue. The Granolith."
"What about it," Khivar asked dismissively.
"It was sent to Erth with Zan."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(3.18.23628)
A transport loaded with two hundred of Khivar's most loyal followers, led by General Nicaron, prepared for departure. Their orders were to eliminate Zan, Rath and Ava by any means possible, and bring Vilondra back to Antar.
And a secret directive was given to General Nicaron - retrieve the Granolith.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
END OF BOOK 11 - DESTINY'S DESIGN (ANTAR'S BANE)
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
WHO'S WHO & NAME PRONUNCIATIONS
Book 12 – Destiny Derived - (The Royal Four Reclaimed)
ANTAR
Tageions (tauj'-ee-ons) - people inhabiting the north lands
King Zantor Tageonant (tauj'-o-nant) - (Zan) - Max - the rightful King of Antar
Queen Avalynd Telnada (Ava) - Liz - Zan's young bride
Royal Princess Vilondra Tageonant - Isabel – Zan’s sister
Queen Nedra Tageonant (Ne'-dra) - Zan & Vilondra's mother
King Zantas Tageonant - Zan’s ancestor who brought peace to Antar and started the Council – Tess named the baby after him
Tageonon (tauj'-o-non) - the capitol city of Antar, where the king's palace is located, Khivar changed the name to Roistar when he became King
Sodan (so-dan) - Nasedo - Zan's most trusted protector
General Toaks - named Zan's second in command after Rath died - Queen Nedra’s head General in the resistance against Khivar
Ryden – Ryan MacGregor - new guy working at the UFO museum and attending West Roswell High - a Michael worshipper
Kranon – Queen Nedra’s head scientist
General Alarath Varros (Rath) - Michael - Zan's best friend and second in command
Kaldar – Tic Tac - Rath's most trusted protector
Duke Colrath Varros - Rath's father and a Senator
Telos - The providence over which Duke Telnada oversees
Royal Governor Duke Hortos Telnada - Ava's father
Duchess Celyn Telnada (say'-lin) - Ava's mother
Lady Chanya Santas (shawn'-ya) - Tess - Vilondra's friend who was so obsessed with Zan that she betrayed them all and switched her own genetic material for Ava’s
Udac (oo-dac) - Chanya's handmaid and protector
Sir Feron Santas - Chanya's father and senator
Harcions (Har-see-ons) - people inhabiting the south lands
Khivar Roistar (roys'-tar) - the man who usurped Zan's throne & sent the skins to Earth
General Calles Nicaron (kal-ees) (ni-ca'-ron) - Nicholas - aka. Tom - Khivar's right hand and head general
Lieutenant Scorene - (skor-ra-nay) - Courtney - Rath's childhood friend and member of the Michael worshippers
Idos - Ida Crawford - Nicholas' personal servant, who posed as his mother on Earth
Corporal Raltos - one of the soldiers prepared for Khivar to possess on Earth
Sendoa – the man Khivar employs to block powers and connections
Colonel Talodan - Nicaron’s new second in command
Captain Naire – Talodan’s adjutant
Katian – skin soldier based in New York - Nicholas’ lover that Cuerena tricked him into killing
Roistar (roys'-tar) - formerly Tageonon, Khivar changed the name when he assumed the throne
The Leptes (the Antarian word for Vengeance) - the ship Khivar sent to Earth with Nicholas and the skins
Shape Shifters sent to Earth with the Pods
Sodan - Nasedo - Ed Harding - expert in hand-to-hand and weapons combat and a pilot - special ability energy blasts
Letras (le-tras) - Zan's former tutor, expert in philosophy, history and military tactics - captured by the special unit and died
Cuerena (soor'-ren-ya) - Serena - scientist and Granolith expert - special ability illusion - assigned the dupes protector
Kaldar - Tic Tac - expert in hand-to-hand and weapons combat - special ability empath - injured by the humans and has terrible headaches when he uses his powers
Leaders of the other planets in the Antarian system
Larek - Brody - Royal Duke of Talros (tal'-ros)
Hanar - Minister of Sofek (so-fec')
Sero - Chancellor of Yedom (yea'-dom)
Kathana - Royal Duchess of Ravok (ra'-voc)
Humans
Maria DeLuca - Liz's best friend
Sean DeLuca - Maria's cousin and former inmate of Chavez County Juvenile
Alex Whitman - Liz and Maria's best friend
Hybrids
Max Evans – Zan
Liz Parker Evans – Ava - became a hybrid when Max saved her life
Isabel Evans - Vilondra
Michael Guerin – Rath
Kyle Valenti – became a hybrid when Max saved his life
Tess Harding - Chanya
Zantas Tageonant – Tess and Max’s son
Hale Sinclair – Khivar
The Dupes
Zan – Max’s dupe
Lonni - Isabel's dupe
Rath - Michael's dupe
Ava - Tess' dupe
EARTH
Eddie Nantan - River Dog's nephew who gave Liz the broken piece of the pendant
River Dog - Native American boy of the Mescalero tribe who befriended Nasedo and saved his life
James Atherton - UFO nut and author of "Among Us" who lived in the geodesic dome, was killed by an alien in 1959
Shelia Hubble - wife of Everett Hubble and aspiring photographer - killed by an alien in 1970
BOOK 12 - DESITNY DERIVED (THE ROYAL FOUR RECLAIMED)
des-ti-ny -
1 : a predetermined course of events often held to be an irresistible power or agency
der-i-va-tion -
1 : to obtain or form, from a specified source
2 : a necessary result of a pattern of actions
DISCLAIMER: Some of the dialogue used was taken from the episodes and I am not claiming credit for having written it but used it simply to set up the tone of a scene or show parallels between lives and realities.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: The conclusion of the story.
CREDITS: Wisdom of the Buddha - The Unabridged Dhammapada, translated and edited by
F. Max Muller and is the property of Dover publishing, 2000 ed.
DEFINITIONS:
trithium amplification generator – aka amplifier - the black, chevron-shaped device that is used by the Skins for communication and suspending the powers of Antarians among other things.
transverse thought projector - the device used by Antarians to amplify their powers to 'possess' humans.
ADDITIONAL NOTE: There are 10 months in the Antarian year with 38 days each, giving the Antarian year 380 days. The dates are in the form (month.day.year)
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Antar)
(Capitol city of Roistar - formerly Tageonon)
(Secret Headquarters of the Resistance Loyal to the Tageonants)
(Earth Date - Saturday, June 8th, 2002)
(Antar date - 2.28.23692)
Max and Liz held hands as they entered the chamber where the Granolith had been set up. It seemed to flicker and pulse as if it anticipated the contact and Max squeezed Liz’s hand to signal his readiness. Together they sat on the floor, their knees touching the base of the enigmatic machine, and they allowed the connection between them to open fully.
They both experienced the rush of images and emotions that were typical of their connection and felt their minds and souls yearning to become one. The urge to complete the connection and lose themselves in each other was strong but they controlled the link so their minds and souls were just touching.
At the edge of their combined perception, they sensed the energy of the Granolith and together they widened the connection to include it. For a moment nothing happened, but suddenly an additional rush of images and emotions slammed into them. The images flashed through their linked minds faster and faster, like a movie on extreme fast forward. There was so much information and they tried to comprehend what they were seeing, but the intensity of the emotions accompanying the blurred images was so overwhelming that tears flowed down both their cheeks. There was extreme joy, debilitating sorrow, betrayal, and terror.
And as suddenly as the images had started, they stopped.
Max and Liz were breathing hard as if they had been physically pushed to the edge and gasped for air trying to catch their breath. For long minutes there were no other sounds in the room as their overwhelmed minds tried to decipher what they had seen. But gradually, one by one, the pictures started to form in their linked minds and become clear.
Liz gasped as she realized what she was seeing. More tears spilled down her cheeks and she spoke to Max through the connection. Max, I remember you. I remember everything.
I remember too! Max exclaimed. He reached out to touch her face. I remember meeting you, loving you, our life together, everything.
They embraced one another tightly, laughing with joy. But after only a few moments, the sorrows came back to them too.
I also remember my family, our plan, the war, Max sighed. Everything went bad so quickly, he said, referring to the brief war and Khivar’s usurpation. I would have never believed it could happen so fast, even with your predictions.
But at least we were together until the end, Liz reminded him.
Until Khivar told us about the traitor Chanya, and then Nicholas and T. Greer killed us, Max said angrily.
Liz gasped as realization dawned.
What? Max asked, concerned.
Don’t you see? Liz asked. It couldn’t have been a mistake sending Chanya to Earth instead of me. None of our followers would have confused Chanya with me. But Chanya knew about the plan, she was helping your mother, and she was working with Khivar. She would have had access to our bodies after we were killed. Chanya must be the one who took your genetic material and substituted her own for mine. So in part, we have her to thank for the three of you being alive.
Max shook his head. She did it for completely selfish reasons. Chanya wanted everyone to think she was my wife, and it almost worked. And she tried to make sure that you were dead. Max grew angrier with every word. As far as I’m concerned, Chanya murdered you. And Tess definitely inherited Chanya’s bad habits. It didn’t take much for her to betray us again.
But Ava isn’t like that, Liz reminded him. She helped save your life when she had no reason to and I will respect her for that the rest of my life. Liz reached up to touch his face. I remember liking Chanya very much and I always regretted that I didn’t have the time to get to know her better. I thought that we could have been good friends, and I feel the same kind of connection with Ava, but it’s even stronger. Maybe because Ava has been kicked around her whole life and it made me feel protective toward her.
Max nodded. We’ve seen that the clones can be very different. I mean look at Lonni and Rath compared to Michael and Isabel. So I’m sure you’re right, Ava is a very different person than Tess. Ava got the majority of the Chanya’s good qualities and Tess got the majority of the bad ones.
Liz could feel Max’s sorrow through the connection as if it were her own, and she instantly knew the reason why. Max, she said, making sure she had his full attention, I know it’s hard for you having Tess as your son’s mother, especially with everything we’ve found out. But we’ll make sure that your son is raised in a loving family and he will turn out to be a good man, like his father.
Max took Liz’s hand in his and brought it to his lips. You always make me feel better.
It’s just the truth, Liz said with a smile.
Max took her other hand. I remember in our other life, how I used to draw strength from your presence and that hasn’t changed. I feel stronger, my mind clearer when you are with me.
Liz nodded, I feel the same way. Its because we are two halves that make a whole. We aren’t complete without one another.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
After heading an extensive search for Max and the Granolith, Nicaron finally arrived at the palace to face Khivar. He bowed formally before his master, who sat on the King’s throne. “Your Majesty.”
With a wave of his hand, Khivar dismissed the others from the room. “Rise General,” he said, and then waited for the others to depart before continuing. “There is no progress?”
Nicaron shook his head. “No, Max’s transport just seems to have disappeared.”
Khivar nodded thoughtfully. “I want every available man assigned to the search, but be sure that no one knows exactly who we are searching for. Just say they are aliens wanted for crimes against the crown. If word got out that Max was back on Antar it could cause his supporters to rally. But more importantly, I don’t want Isabel to know. It is obvious that Max only came back now to retrieve his sister.”
“What about their powers?” Nicaron asked. “Can Max contact Isabel?”
Khivar shook his head. “I don’t think so, but Liz can. Isabel told me she has the power to astral project. So when you alerted me they were on the planet, I gave Isabel a sedative until I could get Sendoa to block any connections she might have with Max or Liz.”
Nicaron nodded. “How do you want us to continue the search?”
“A complete martial law lockdown and an early curfew. Anyone caught out afterward is to be imprisoned. I want checkpoints at every city gate and all the spaceports. Send some of your best troops to watch Duke Varros’ estate and Governor Telnada’s mansion, in case Michael or Liz attempt to contact their parents.”
Khivar sighed, “Of course, it won’t do any good. Nedra and her followers have successfully eluded us for over sixty years and I am positive they have been in Roistar for almost the entire time. They have become very adept at hiding.”
“What do we do if Max announces to his followers that he has returned?” Nicaron asked. “It could cause an uprising or at the very least civil unrest.”
“He won’t,” Khivar said confidently. “Max will lay low for a while until he decides how to rescue Isabel. If there is one thing I know about Zan, and it has definitely carried over into Max, he never acts on impulse.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Secret Headquarters of the Resistance Loyal to the Tageonants)
Rath stuffed another heaping scoop of food into his mouth and chewed noisily. “Not bad,” he said, talking with his mouth full. “I could get used to this.”
Michael watched him with disgust and leaned into Maria. “Is that what I look like eating?”
Maria patted him on the arm. “Sometimes honey.”
“Remind me to take some etiquette lessons,” Michael said.
Ryan glanced at Rath and turned to Maria and Michael, rolling his eyes.
Ryan had removed his husk when they arrived on the planet and Maria was surprised how closely his real self resembled the husk. He really did have red hair and green eyes, but his eyes were a deep, bright green that had never existed on Earth. He had also asked them to call him by his real name, Ryden.
Alex spoke up, breaking the silence, “Are you glad to finally be home, Ryden?”
He nodded. “And I am certainly glad to be out of the husk.”
Sean motioned to him with a jut of his chin. “Why did you decide to stay with us instead of going home to your family?”
Ryden shook his head. “I don’t have any family.”
Rath ignored their conversation and motioned to the door where Nedra, Max and Liz had disappeared a few minutes before. “So it turns out that Liz was the real Queen and not Ava after all.”
Ava glared at him.
Rath shrugged. “Sorry Ava, but it does make a lot of sense. Like why Zan never wanted you.”
Tears started in Ava’s eyes and she quickly jumped up and left the table.
Maria rose and went after her, hitting Rath as she moved past him. “Jerk.”
Rath turned to the guys left at the table. “Women, huh?”
“Smooth,” Sean said.
Rath rolled his eyes. “I never liked that chick anyway, and now we know she’s nothing special.”
“She isn’t the Queen so you have to treat her like crap?” Kyle asked.
Rath ignored him and continued, “But it’s for sure though, right? I mean, how is it possible that Liz, who was born a human, is the former Queen of another planet?”
“I think it was reincarnation,” Kyle said. “And yeah, it’s for sure. Max remembers her.”
“Reincarnation,” Rath mused. “I guess that would explain it.” He turned his gaze to Michael. “So then who screwed up and sent the wrong genetic material?”
Michael shrugged, Rath’s questions making him uncomfortable. “Don’t know. We don’t remember what happened either.”
Rath’s eyes narrowed briefly but he nodded.
Michael nudged Rath. “You should apologize to Ava.”
Rath held his gaze for a moment and then bobbed his head to the side and smiled. “Yeah, you’re right.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Royal Palace)
Tess had been waiting impatiently to talk to Khivar since he had brought her back to Antar against her will. She had sent message after message to him but she had received no answer and when she tried to leave her quarters, she was reminded by the guards outside her door, that she was completely under Khivar’s power. There was nothing she could do until he sent for her.
She spared a quick glance for her son, being held by the nanny Khivar had sent to her, and once again Tess wished she could have found another way to get Max to be with her. The idea of having a baby was wonderful. They were so cute and cuddly and smelled so good, but she had never really been around a baby for more than a few minutes, and the reality left a lot to be desired. Little Zantas demanded so much of her time, with feeding and changing and waking her in the middle of the night, and she was beginning to hate the sight of him.
And what good was he now anyway? she asked herself. Khivar had taken her away from Earth and Max, and there was no chance of him coming after them now.
Her musings were interrupted by a knock at her door and she turned to answer it, eager for any distraction. Tess was only momentarily surprised when she saw two men. She recognized Khivar, from the brief greeting he had given her on her arrival, but the other man was a stranger. “Oh,” she said stepping aside, “come in.”
Khivar and the other man entered. Khivar motioned to the nanny but spoke to Tess. “Perhaps the nanny could take the child for a walk. I would like to have a talk with you.”
With a negligent wave of her hand, Tess dismissed the nanny and her son, and turned back to the men, eyeing Khivar’s companion with interest. He was a tall man, almost as tall as Khivar and the pair of them towered over her. Khivar’s companion had jet-black hair, a striking contrast to Khivar’s golden beauty, and he had a rugged, handsome face that held an edge of cruelty. He stood quietly but there was an energy surrounding him as if he were poised to pounce, his dark eyes taking in everything around him.
“What do you and your friend want to talk about?” Tess asked.
Khivar suddenly realized that Tess didn’t recognize his companion and motioned to him. “Perhaps you don’t remember Nicholas’ true form.”
Tess’ eyes grew wide. “Nicholas?”
The General sank down onto a chair. “Nicaron actually. General Calles Nicaron. Nicholas was just the name I adopted for my time on Earth.”
Tess shook her head. “Why is he back on Antar? You didn’t kill Max did you?”
Khivar shook his head. “Of course not. I have simply recalled all troops from Earth.” He took a seat next to Nicaron and motioned to a chair across from them for Tess to do the same. “I am sorry I’ve had no time to see you since your return to Antar,” Khivar started smoothly. “You have sent several messages indicating that you wished to see me and I think I can guess the reason.”
“Yeah,” Tess said petulantly. “Like why did you bring me here before I was able to get Max to come with me?”
Khivar looked at her with sympathy. “I am sorry to tell you Tess that Max won’t come to you even though you do have his son.”
“Of course he will,” Tess argued. “He is an honorable man. He will take responsibility for his son.”
Khivar nodded. “Yes, he will claim his son, but not you. I have discovered that Max knows your true identity, and he wants nothing to do with you.”
Tess shook her head. “No! How did he find out?”
“Apparently Larek knew who you were all along,” Khivar said.
“I know,” Tess said, “so I mind warped them to stay away from him.”
“It wore off,” Khivar said simply. “Larek told them the truth the day you left in the Granolith.”
Tess was dumbfounded. Max had known for over a year who she really was. She didn’t have a chance with him, but she still had the baby.
Khivar continued when Tess remained silent. “Larek also told them what really became of Ava.”
Tess’ brow wrinkled in confusion. “What do you mean? I assumed she was dead.”
“She did die,” Khivar said. “But apparently was reborn, into a human.”
“A human? How is that possible?” Tess asked. “And who is it?”
Khivar smiled. “A human girl, Max’s soul mate and best friend, someone with an unearthly connection to him. Someone for whom he was willing to risk everything.”
“Liz!” Tess hissed angrily. She rose from her chair and paced angrily, motioning wildly with her hands. “That bitch always ruined everything, and now you tell me she’s his real wife!”
“So,” Khivar said softly, “you can see that the life you wanted with Max is impossible, but I still wish to continue our deal for control of his son.”
Tess’ first reaction was to tell Khivar he could have the kid, but she quickly realized that baby Zan was her only bargaining chip, and the only chance she had of getting Max’s attention. Knowing who she was, Max might not come to her willingly but he would come for his son and she would take full advantage of that opportunity.
She looked at Khivar calculatingly. She should still be able to get everything she wanted from him and maybe he would be willing to compensate her for the loss of Max in their deal.
Tess smiled. “In exchange for Max in our deal, I think you should elevate me to Duchess, compensate me monetarily, and allow me to live in the palace for as long as I want.”
Khivar nodded. “As you wish.”
Tess smiled and then turned her gaze to Nicholas. No, she corrected herself immediately, not the child Nicholas any longer. Nicaron was definitely a man. He was Khivar’s most trusted General and the second most powerful man on Antar. She allowed her gaze to take in his lean, muscled body and handsome face. If she couldn’t have Max yet, she would look elsewhere for companionship.
If she thought she had a chance, she would have attempted Khivar himself, but with Isabel around, she knew it wasn’t possible. But Nicaron was an acceptable substitute until she could get Max back.
Tess knew it wouldn’t be easy, but when she got her chance with Max she would make sure to erase all evidence of Liz from his mind, and then they could be happy together.
Khivar watched the flashes of emotion across Tess’ face and knew exactly what she was thinking. He had also seen her telltale gaze at the General and wondered if he would be able to use her interest in Nicaron to his advantage.
Khivar looked to Nicaron and motioned to Tess with an almost imperceptible jut of his chin.
Nicaron answered with an equally imperceptible tilt of his head.
Khivar spoke, drawing Tess’ attention to him. “Perhaps General, you would show the new Duchess around the palace, since it is to be her home.”
Nicaron smiled and rose, offering his arm to Tess. “It would be my pleasure.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Khivar watched as Nicaron, with Tess on his arm, disappeared into the winding passageways of the palace’s guest quarters, and then turned the opposite direction. It was amazing that Tess thought she could conceal anything from him. She was still only a child and her face was as open to him as a book, and even without the skills of an empath, he could read her every thought.
Tess still thought she had a chance with Max, even though she was obviously shopping for a temporary replacement for him in her bed. And it looked as if Nicaron was her first choice.
Khivar had agreed to her terms readily, hoping to pacify Tess until the current situation with Max was resolved. If she learned Max was on the planet, she could make things difficult. So Khivar had told her of Max’s discovery of her true identity to keep her off balance. And as Khivar had anticipated, Tess had greedily grabbed at the chance to stay in the palace and play courtier.
Perhaps it would have been easier to simply keep her locked in her room, but this way, Tess would cooperate because she thought she was being compensated. Later he would have to warn Tess to keep her distance from Isabel. Understandably, Isabel was still furious at Tess for betraying them and Khivar wasn’t sure what she would do to Tess. Of course, Khivar thought, if Isabel did kill the meddlesome blonde, it might solve several of his problems. But for now, he would keep Tess alive and under his control.
Khivar stopped at the door to Isabel’s suite of rooms and entered without knocking. Isabel was still sedated and Khivar had sent for Sendoa, the man he employed whose special ability was blocking mental connections and powers.
Khivar walked through the sitting room and into Isabel’s bedchamber, sitting on the edge of the bed next to her. With a gentle hand, Khivar smoothed a stray tendril of hair from her face, as he lovingly gazed down at her. While Isabel was asleep, Sendoa would obstruct any mental ties Isabel had to her brother or Liz, and then Khivar wouldn’t have to worry about Isabel discovering they were on Antar.
He had thought when he finally got Isabel to Antar that there wouldn’t be any further problems between them. He had never even considered that Max would find a way to come home. And Khivar had to keep her away from Max and the rest of her family. He wouldn’t lose Isabel to her brother again.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Secret Headquarters of the Resistance Loyal to the Tageonants)
Max and Liz emerged from the Granolith room to find Nedra waiting for them.
Max pulled his mother into an embrace. “We remember everything, mother.”
Nedra hugged him back, tears streaming down her face. “I’m so glad to have you back, Max.” She turned to bring Liz into the embrace, “Liz.”
After a moment Max reluctantly broke the embrace. “Mother, we have a lot to tell you but we didn’t want everything revealed in front of everyone.”
Nedra nodded. “You mean Rath.”
Max nodded. “We’ll tell you what happened, and afterward we’ll have a meeting with the others to figure out how we’re going to get Isabel back.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Ava closed herself in her room and let her tears fall freely. Rath was right, of course. Somehow her Zan had sensed that she wasn’t his wife and he had never loved her. She had loved him, or at least she thought she had until she met Kyle. The relationship she had with Kyle was still new but it was deeper than anything she had ever experienced with Zan.
A smile lit her face as she thought of Kyle, and Ava wiped at her wet cheeks. She had to admit that her tears were more from a sense of disappointment and frustration than a real love she had left for Zan. Because no matter how much she thought she loved Zan, how could it be real love when he hadn’t loved her too? It was just still so hard for her to believe that she wasn’t who she had thought she was.
A soft knock at her door drew her attention. “Come in.”
Maria pushed the door open. “Are you okay?”
Ava nodded, “Yeah. Rath just knows how to get to me. He’s been doing it his whole life.”
Maria sat next to her. “I thought you and Kyle were getting close.”
“We are,” Ava said. “It’s just hard to have everything you’ve ever known your whole life, pulled out from under you.”
Maria nodded.
Ava continued, “I don’t remember very much from my other life, not even my friends or family. Sometimes I’m scared to remember. I mean what if I’m a bad person, like Tess? She betrayed all of you, and I let Lonni and Rath kill Zan. We’re the same.”
Maria shook her head. “No way. You didn’t know they were going to kill Zan and you would have stopped them if you could. Tess was evil from day one. She manipulated everyone to get what she wanted. She used Alex and nearly killed him and I’m sure she would have killed Liz if she thought she could get away with it. Tess wanted Max and she used ever dirty trick she could think of to get him. She didn’t even care that he didn’t want her.”
Maria shook her head again. “You’re nothing like Tess, believe me Ava.” She smiled. “I didn’t like or trust her from the first, but I really like you and I know Liz does too.”
Ava smiled. “You guys have been great, welcoming me into your family. I never had girl friends before.”
Maria pulled her into a quick hug. “Well you do now and it’s not just me and Liz. You get one of us, you get the whole gang.”
Ava nodded and another knock sounded on the door. “Come in,” she called out.
Kyle stuck his head around the partially open door and saw Maria. “Oh, you guys are still talking. I just wanted to make sure you were okay Ava. I’ll come back later.”
“Hang on, Kyle,” Maria said, with a wink to Ava. “I was just leaving.” She smiled at Kyle and quickly left the room.
Kyle fidgeted just inside the door. “I’m sorry Rath is such a jerk. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about anyway. I’m sure that what you and Zan had was very special.”
Ava smiled at his nervousness. “We were great friends and I thought I wanted more than that, but he never loved me.” She rose from the bed and crossed to Kyle, taking his hand, “What you and I share is special, more special than anything I’ve had before.”
“Really?” Kyle asked, surprised.
“Yeah,” Ava said. “I love you Kyle.”
A huge grin broke out on Kyle’s face. “I love you too.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Max looked at the anxious faces gathered around him, to decide how to rescue Isabel. Liz was at his side of course, and all of their friends from Earth were also there, only absent was Rath. Also present was Cuerena, General Toaks and Max’s mother, Nedra.
Toaks started, “Even though we have heard nothing of the Princess’ arrival, I think we can assume Khivar has her with him at the palace.”
Nedra nodded. “We have a spy on Khivar’s staff and we sent a message to him when you contacted us Max, but we haven’t received a reply. But it usually takes a few days for him to get messages and then another few days to respond. It is the only completely safe way, but it is frustratingly slow.”
Liz spoke up, “Khivar hasn’t announced Isabel’s arrival on the planet. He must be waiting for something specific because Isabel’s support would strengthen his position and could end the war.”
Toaks nodded, “I don’t think Khivar is concerned about the war. There are those who speculate that the war allows Khivar an excuse for his continued despicable treatment of the people.”
“What exactly has been happening since we died?” Max asked Toaks.
“The entire planet has been under martial law since Khivar took the throne,” Toaks said. “There are curfews, trade restrictions, decreased personal freedom, increased government interference in day-to-day life. The planet’s economy is suffering, the crime rate is steadily rising and there is widespread disease and starvation among the common people. Khivar controls all media sources, all of the food and medical resources and their distribution.”
“Sounds like Russia when the communists were in charge,” Sean said.
Toaks continued, “Khivar has severely limited the power of the Council. It is just a figurehead now, echoing whatever Khivar tells them. At first there was some dissent from the stronger members, like your father the Duke,” he motioned to Michael. “Duke Raltos stood against Khivar on a number of issues and in the beginning he had a lot of supporters. But Khivar had some of the members removed from the Council on technicalities of law, other members were imprisoned, and some simply disappeared. Now there are few left who would openly challenge Khivar.”
“What about my father?” Michael asked.
“He is still on the Council,” Toaks said. “He’s the only one who voices dissent against Khivar. He is too strong and well liked for Khivar to remove him from the Council, but the Duke is only a single voice and he is growing old. Perhaps Khivar thinks he can just wait him out.”
“Why don’t the people just revolt?” Maria asked.
“Because Khivar controls a vast army that he has been building for the last sixty years,” Toaks said. “It is nothing like Antar has ever seen before, containing tens of thousands of loyal, well-trained members. Khivar offers a good life to those who are loyal to him. They are guaranteed housing, food and medical attention for themselves and their families. Many of the noble families have agreed to support him for these reasons.”
“Khivar also considers the commoners to be inferior because they have little or no powers and he is severely limiting supplies to them, probably hoping to wipe them out.” Toaks turned to Max, “The common people could be a resource we can use against Khivar since it was well known that you always cared for them.”
Max nodded. “What about other resources? My supporters? The other planets?”
Toaks nodded, “We have a growing band of supporters who make small raids against Khivar’s stores, taking food, medical supplies and weapons.”
“How many is a small band?” asked Michael.
“Five thousand, perhaps ten,” Toaks said and then turned to Max. “But if it were announced that you had returned, your Majesty, I believe the number would easily triple overnight. As for support from the other planets, I don’t know. Khivar’s ships control the shipping lanes and he charges the other planets outrageous tariffs on all imports because they won’t declare him the ultimate ruler of the system. The planets must have the supplies and they are forced to pay for them. Paying Khivar for all of these years has taken a toll on the planets, severely limiting their resources and I don’t know if they would help if they could. They have taken to attacking one another to try and steal supplies, and after the summit on Earth, Kathana openly aligned with Khivar.”
“Okay,” Max said, “the first thing we need to do is find out for sure where Isabel is. The spy may or may not be able to tell us anything and we can’t wait.” He reluctantly turned to Liz, “Would you try to contact Isabel?”
Liz nodded and closed her eyes, concentrating on Isabel. She felt the familiar sense of flying for a moment, Isabel’s essence leading Liz to her, but suddenly it seemed to Liz like the connection had been cut and she felt herself falling. Frantically she tried to sense the connection again but it was gone. Without the connection to lead her, she felt like she was spiraling out of control and she struggled to manage her power and settle back into her body.
After a few uncertain moments, Liz succeeded and opened her eyes, breathing heavily after her frightening experience. “I don’t know what happened. I can feel Isabel but the connection isn’t there any more. It’s like someone put up a brick wall between us.”
Max was concerned, “You couldn’t see anything? Even where she was?”
Liz shook her head. “I am pretty sure I was traveling north before I was stopped.”
“The palace is north of here,” Toaks said.
Max turned to his mother. “Could Khivar have somehow blocked Liz from getting to Isabel.”
Nedra nodded. “Khivar employs a number of people who have the ability to block connections. He uses them to punish those disloyal to him, blocking them from friends and family, their spouses.”
“And he’s done this to Isabel?” Michael asked. “But wouldn’t that block any connection he would have with her too?”
“No,” Nedra said. “The blocks can be directed to specific connections and I am told can even be reversed.”
“Khivar must have really wanted to make sure we didn’t contact her,” Maria said. “He has her in that palace and he can control everything she hears and sees, and he doesn’t want her to know we’re here.”
“But how does Khivar know we’re here?” Liz asked. “If the blocks can be specifically directed, he wouldn’t have blocked me from her mind unless he knows we’re here.”
“Maybe he was afraid you would contact her from Earth,” Alex suggested.
“It wouldn’t be possible,” Cuerena said. “No one has that much power.”
“So Khivar knows we’re here,” Max said softly. “It could be a traitor in our midst again or maybe he found the ship and guessed we stole it.”
“Either way,” Michael said, “he knows we’re here and our job just got ten-times harder.”
Max nodded. “We’ll have to wait for the message from the spy, but in the mean time we need a current layout of the palace. Has Khivar remodeled? Did he find all of our secret tunnels? What kind of guards does he have at the palace and what are their routines? Also now more than ever we need the information from Hale, Raltos and the amplifier. We need to know about any weakness in Khivar’s powers or his army. Anything could be helpful.”
He looked at each of the people before him. “We’re not ready for a full scale war against Khivar. That’s a battle for another time. But we won’t let him keep and use Isabel. Our mission is simple, we get her back and we get out.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Royal Palace)
Khivar carefully watched Isabel across the dinner table. She had awoken just an hour earlier and seemed to be totally unaware of the procedure preformed on her.
When he had first brought her to the planet he had worried that Isabel would demand an immediate end to the war now that she was with him. Khivar had even prepared excuses hoping to use her own insecurity against her.
He had laid the groundwork when they returned and he had revealed his true form to her, telling her that he understood she would want to take things between them slowly. He had put her in Vilondra’s old suite of rooms in the palace and assured her he wouldn’t pressure her in their relationship, telling her to take as much time as she needed to ease in to her life again. Additionally he had told her that he wouldn’t announce her presence on Antar until she was ready to face their people and her mother.
And he could tell that Isabel was relieved and grateful for his concern and patience. As he suspected, she was afraid to face her mother, fearing that her mother wouldn’t approve of her decision to be with him.
Khivar knew the news of Isabel’s support for him could strengthen his position. It could put Max’s followers off guard or perhaps even divide them, but Khivar had decided to wait to announce Isabel’s presence until it would do him the most good.
He looked at Isabel again, noting the dark circles under her eyes. It was almost like they were dating again, he mused. He joined her for every meal in her sitting room, took her for walks around the palace grounds and on the nearby shore, simply letting her get to know him again. Or letting Isabel get used to him and her new surroundings, he admitted.
Khivar spoke, breaking the silence. “You slept a long time today,” he said. “How do you feel?”
Isabel met his gaze across the table and shrugged. “Tired still. Is there such a thing as space-lag? I’ve only been her a couple of days and I don’t think I’m used to the time difference yet.”
Khivar nodded. “It happens frequently with all of the interstellar and interplanetary travel. Or perhaps your body is still recovering from your illness,” he suggested. “I could call for the healer again.”
Isabel shook her head. “I’m sure it will be fine. I just need a little longer to acclimatize.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Secret Headquarters of the Resistance Loyal to the Tageonants)
Max and Liz took Michael aside as the others left.
“What’s going on?” Michael asked with narrowed eyes. “You two seem, I don’t know, different.”
Max took Liz’s hand. “Michael, when we connected with the Granolith, we got our memories back.”
“All of your memories?” Michael asked. “Like everything about your past lives?”
Liz nodded. “Everything Michael.”
“Well I want to try it too,” Michael blurted out.
“Are you sure?” Max asked. “You are the one who wanted to stay on Earth and make a normal life. We don’t want to do this if you’re not sure.”
Michael sighed, “It was different before. And as I remember,” he said to Max, “that’s all you’ve ever wanted was to stay with Liz and make a normal life, but here you are, accepting your destiny as the King of the planet.” Michael smiled. “I know I’m not as important as you and Liz, but I was a warrior and your second in command, something in my memory could help us save Isabel.”
Max smiled, “Okay. Tomorrow after breakfast we’ll take you to the Granolith.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Ava watched Rath throughout the late dinner. When she had first entered the room, he had issued an uncharacteristic apology and she wondered what had prompted his action.
And when he finally rose from the table, Ava followed him, calling out when they were a sufficient distance from the others. “Rath.”
He turned toward her. “Yeah?”
Ava stopped a few feet from him. “I just wanted to know why you apologized.”
Rath shrugged. “I was rude and I hurt your feelings.”
“But you never cared about that before,” Ava pointed out.
“I always knew it was mean,” Rath said, “but I just went along with how Lonni treated you. But she’s not here and I’m trying to be nicer, to fit into the group better.”
Ava nodded. “Lonni always hated me but I never knew why.”
“Neither did I,” Rath admitted. “She never told me, but I think she must have known your true identity for a long time. Lonni started remembering stuff from her other life when she was really young and I know she remembers a lot. I think she figured out who you were and kept it to herself, maybe to blackmail you or something. That’s what she did with Tess.”
“That sounds like Lonni,” Ava said. She studied Rath for a moment. “Do you remember anything from your other life?”
Rath shrugged. “Not very much, and most of it was what Lonni showed me from her memories. She showed me that I was a General, her brother’s second in command and heir to a huge estate, but Cuerena had already told us that. Lonni showed me that we were engaged and the kick-ass parties we used to go to.”
Rath motioned to Ava. “What about you? What do you remember?”
Ava shook her head. “Nothing,” she said softly. “Nothing at all.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Liz watched with a touch of jealously as Max said goodnight to his mother. Now that she had regained her memories, Liz could remember every detail about her own parents and she mourned the time that she had lost with them. They were good people, who loved her deeply and she knew her death must have devastated them.
She hadn’t seen her parents for months before her death and they were unaware of the plan to send the Royal Four to Earth. They most likely still thought she had died and Liz felt a terrible sorrow for their pain.
Her parents lived less than a hour’s journey from where they were and Liz longed to contact them and tell them of her return, but it was simply too dangerous. Maybe after they got Isabel back there would be time to send a message to her parents, before the group returned to Earth. It was possible she would never see them again but at least they would know she was okay.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Royal Palace)
Isabel crossed to the window in her bedchamber and looked out into the night. The lights from the city glowed brightly in the distance, illuminating the dark sky. Stars shone above, and except for the two extra moons, she could have been on Earth. But, Isabel corrected herself, on Earth she had never seen surroundings as opulent as this room.
Khivar had told her this room had been hers, when she had been Vilondra. Nothing had been moved since her death, he assured her, everything was exactly the way she had left it. It was the room she had grown up in, the room where she had played, and hoped and dreamed.
Isabel had carefully examined the things that had belonged to her, things that had meant something to her once, but she didn’t remember anything.
Khivar had led her to this room when they arrived two days ago, explaining that she still needed to rest and recuperate. But he had also told her he wanted her to stay in her own room until she felt comfortable with him. He had assured her he wouldn’t rush her into sharing his room or his bed.
Isabel thought being in her own room would be comforting, but being surrounded by her things that she didn’t remember, was depressing. Somehow it reminded her of everything she had left behind on Earth, her parents, her friends, Michael and Max and the rest of her family.
She hadn’t even asked Khivar about her mother, her real mother. Isabel was afraid of what her mother would think of her when she found out she had voluntarily agreed to return with Khivar, to be with him. Isabel knew it didn’t look good. It would seem as if she had betrayed her family. Khivar was the enemy. They had been at war with him for more than fifty years. He had taken her brother’s throne and he was the reason they had all been killed. But maybe she could explain to her mother how she loved him anyway, and how she had agreed to be with him to save Max and the others. Maybe then her mother would understand. Maybe.
Isabel pushed the disturbing thoughts to the back of her mind and suddenly making a decision, she put on a dressing robe and headed out of her room. She walked down the hall to the suite of rooms at the end, that Khivar was occupying. He had told her the rooms had belonged to her parents, and then Zan and Ava when they had been King and Queen. It seemed weird that the rooms would be hers, but they were intended for the King and Queen, and when she married Khivar that is exactly what she would become, the Queen of Antar.
Isabel slowed her pace as she reached the guards near Khivar’s door. They took notice of her approach but neither of them moved, and she remembered that Khivar had said she could come to him at any time.
She moved past the guards and knocked softly on the door. “Khivar?”
A deep, rumbling voice answered her from inside. “Come in, Isabel.”
With a shiver of awareness, she turned the handle and pushed the door open slowly, almost afraid to step inside. Her eyes darted quickly around the room but she was relieved that she didn’t remember anything. Finally her eyes fell on Khivar, seated at a large desk with papers spread out before him. He was watching her silently, waiting for her to speak.
Isabel’s eyes traced his true form. It was strange falling in love with someone and then discovering that they looked so different. Khivar was still tall with an athletic body and golden hair, and his eyes were an even more beautiful green. His face was different from Hale’s but there was a definite resemblance, like he was Hale’s cousin. But some things hadn’t changed at all; his voice, his essence, and his ability to draw her to him.
And her love for him hadn’t changed.
Stepping into the room, Isabel shrugged as she leaned against the door, closing it behind her. “I was lonely.”
Khivar nodded solemnly. “You never have to be alone again.” He rose from his chair and walked slowly toward her. “We were made for one another, meant to be together.”
Isabel closed the last few feet between them, throwing her arms around him. “I never want to be away from you again.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Secret Headquarters of the Resistance Loyal to the Tageonants)
Max led Liz into their bedroom and shut the door behind them, glad to finally be alone. “This isn’t quite how I pictured our honeymoon.”
Liz smiled, “Me either.”
Max advanced toward her slowly. “I pictured a nice honeymoon suite with candles and flowers, maybe a big bubble bath, on Earth of course. I never imagined we’d be in a bedroom in a borrowed house, with a group of revolutionaries, on another planet.”
“After hours of intergalactic travel, meetings and revelations, on a mission to rescue your sister and son,” Liz added. “Our honeymoon in our other life wasn’t so great either. Your father had just died and you had just been made King. We never left the palace.”
Max took another step closer, causing their bodies to touch and he reached out to brush a gentle hand across her cheek. “And you were so young, not yet of age to be married.”
“But I loved you with all of my heart, just like I do now,” Liz said.
Max smiled sadly. “I never believed I deserved you then, and in this life the feeling is even stronger. After all of the things I did, how I acted, I have no right to your love.” He sighed, “It seems like just when we start to get things right, that’s when the floor falls out from under us.”
“Max,” Liz started soothingly but he continued as if he didn’t hear her.
“I mean, after all of this horrible stuff we went through, we finally made love and it was wonderful, more than I had ever hoped, and I have never been so happy in my life. But then it was all ruined when you saw my memory of being with Tess.”
Liz inched closer and put her hands on his chest. “Max.”
Max shook his head. “I can understand why you wouldn’t want to be with me after that and I’ve been trying to take things slow. I just need to be close to you so much. You make me feel so strong, so alive, and I really need that right now.”
Liz raised her face to him. “Max,” she whispered.
"Liz," he growled, "I know it’s been a long day and I can feel your physical and mental exhaustion through our bond." His face inched closer to hers. "So you had better tell me right now if you don't want me to kiss you."
She couldn't think of anything she wanted more at that moment. "Kiss me, Max."
His lips were against hers even before she finished the words.
Max's hands twined into her hair and Liz melted into him. His kisses were soft and warm and she let herself drift off to the place that only Max was capable of taking her. She floated on the electric sensations that were coursing through her body and gasped as his lips left hers and found her sensitive neck. She fully opened the connection between them and their souls rushed together, the long hours of separation making them desperate for the joining.
Max continued to rain kisses over her neck and Liz clutched at him as her knees turned to jelly. “Liz,” he said between kisses, “I know I don’t deserve you, you are so good, so perfect. But I swear I will spend the rest of our lives making up for every harsh word I spoke, for every hurt my actions caused you.”
“Max,” Liz gasped, “I’m nowhere near perfect and maybe it’s me who doesn’t deserve you. I could have fought for you, fought to keep you, and we could have faced the future together, but I didn’t. I pushed you away because I was afraid. I allowed myself to be caught in a kind of limbo because I was afraid that any action I took could be the wrong one. At least you were brave enough to do something, even if you regret your actions now, and I admire that strength.”
“Liz,” Max sighed.
One of his arms slipped around her waist bringing her closer to him as his lips returned to hers. He kissed her hungrily as if he couldn't get enough of her and she felt the same way, welcoming him. His kisses grew more insistent and she leaned her head back to give him the access he demanded. She eagerly parted her lips for him, allowing his tongue inside.
Suddenly Liz felt the bed beneath her and somewhere in the back of her mind, realized that Max must have carried her there but the thought drifted away, her entire being focused on Max. Through the connection, Liz could feel Max’s desire but it was tempered with the fear that he was going too fast, that he might push her away, that he didn’t deserve her. They had been together, kissing, connecting, many times after Liz had seen Max’s memories of Tess, but Max had shied away from making love, and Liz knew it was because he was afraid of what else she might see.
I love you Max, she sent through the connection, all of you, and nothing is going to change that. I need you too Max, and I want this as much as you do, she assured him. And taking matters into her own hands, Liz started to unbutton his shirt, while she sent him her memories of the other times they had made love.
The images of their bodies entwined and Liz’s overwhelming emotions accompanying them, finally pushed Max’s fears away and he eagerly accepted Liz’s invitation.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(2.29.23692)
Ava had been awake for hours thinking about her conversation with Rath, the night before. What she told him had been true, she had no real memories of her past life. She had a few vague feelings and images but nothing concrete, and not for the first time she wondered about her family.
One of the memories that was the strongest was being loved by an older woman, Ava thought to be her mother. Ava had no memory of what the woman looked like, only fleeting emotions and impressions.
Was her mother, or any other members of her family, still alive? Ava wondered. She had been gone a long time, presumed dead in the coup, no doubt, and she wondered if her mother were still alive, would she welcome her as a daughter?
Of course there was Tess to consider too. Tess was the real clone, the one who hadn’t been made as an expendable decoy. Maybe their mother would consider Tess to be her real daughter.
Ava sighed heavily and let her eyes travel over Kyle, sleeping beside her. He had loved both her and Tess and maybe their mother could too. Or, Ava thought to herself, maybe their mother would see Tess for the selfish, manipulative, traitor she was and reject her, claiming Ava as her real child, the good daughter.
Ava smiled. She had never thought of herself as a ‘good’ anything, but she rather liked the idea.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Michael entered the Granolith room behind Max and Liz and looked at the enigmatic machine. In the past he had felt a sense of power from it but he had never imagined that if could hold all of the answers to his many questions.
As he took a seat next to Max and Liz, Michael felt a sense of apprehension. What if he regained his memory and it changed who he was? But, he argued with himself, Max and Liz had done it and seemed mostly the same, a little more sad, more knowing perhaps, but relatively the same.
He glanced at them for reassurance and Liz smiled softly.
“Are you sure?” she asked. “There’s no going back.”
Michael nodded. “I’m ready.”
Max and Liz clasped hands and started their connection and each reached out to Michael.
He took their offered hands and was immediately drawn into the connection, their overpowering emotions slamming into him.
Michael was awed by the strength of their bond and the deep love they shared. But he barely had time to consider it before images and emotions from their memories rushed through his mind; Liz’s visit from future Max, her pain from lying to Max, pushing him away when she loved him so deeply, her anguish watching Max grow closer to Tess.
Then Michael saw Max’s struggle with his leadership position, his fear for everyone’s safety, his feeling of betrayal as one after another of his friends drifted away, including Liz, and the gut-wrenching pain of seeing Liz in bed with Kyle.
And the thought drifted through Michael’s mind that he was sorry for any part he had played in increasing their troubles.
It wasn’t your fault, Michael, Max said through the bond.
What? Michael asked surprise. We can talk?
Liz and I can speak through our connection, Max explained, so I guess since you are in it with us, you can too.
Okay, Michael said, so what do we do now?
Now we’ll add the Granolith to the connection, Liz said, and hopefully the power boost will restore your memories too.
Hopefully? Michael asked.
Well, Liz admitted, we don’t really know why connecting with the Granolith restored our memories, but we think it had something to do with the amount of power generated. We know it takes control of our powers to regain our memories and we think the addition of the Granolith’s power allowed us to focus on the memories.
Michael nodded and he felt Max and Liz widen the connection to include the Granolith. Along with them, he could sense its power and he felt the tremendous burst of energy when it was brought into the bond.
For a moment Michael wasn’t sure it was working and then he was deluged with images and emotions. The images whipped through his overwhelmed mind faster than he could process and only occasionally could he catch a brief glimpse of a memory or a snatch of a conversation.
And as quickly as it started, it was over, and Michael was left feeling confused and troubled. I couldn’t focus on anything, he said. It was all too fast.
Just relax, Liz said. It takes your brain a few minutes to make sense of what it saw.
She and Max dropped his hands, ending the connection and Liz spoke aloud. “Max and I will wait outside, to give you some time to sort it all out.”
Michael nodded, still reeling from the rush of images and emotions. He had never experienced such strong feelings of sorrow, regret and rage, and he was somewhat scared to remember the circumstances surrounding them.
Suddenly an image swirled to the front of his mind, slowly solidifying.
He was in a large room and there was a party in progress. An engagement party, the sudden thought occurred. He looked to a quiet corner where Max and Liz were seated, and then he corrected himself immediately, no it wasn’t Max and Liz, it was Zan and Ava and it was the day they had announced their betrothal.
Michael felt a stab of jealously but quickly shoved it away. He wasn’t jealous of their happiness or their bond, he was jealous of Zan, because he loved Ava too. Michael shook his head to clear it. She wasn’t just Ava, she was Liz too. But he wasn’t just Rath either, he was Michael, and even though he admired Liz, he didn’t love her, and he worked to let Rath’s emotions within him merge with his own.
And through new eyes, he could see that Rath’s love of Ava had been made of many things; respect of her intelligence and kindness, admiration of her power and strength and beauty. But now, he could see that what he’d felt for her hadn’t been real love. Like the crush he’d had on Liz when they were young, it had simply been an infatuation. As Rath he had never found real love to compare it with, but as Michael he had been lucky to find real love with Maria. Real love was based on all of those things he had admired about Ava but it also included something more.
And as if his realization opened the floodgates, all of his memories suddenly spilled into his mind. Michael saw his parents, his family, his friendship and service with Zan, their plan, and the horrible battle that had ended it all.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Royal Palace)
Isabel walked slowly around the hedge maze in the palace gardens, with a dreamy smile on her face.
Since she had arrived on Antar, Isabel had questioned her decision to come. It had been her only choice and she did want to be with Khivar, but the sacrifice of leaving her family and friends and everything she knew, had been overwhelming. She had also been concerned with what her mother would think about her choice. But last night with Khivar had been wonderful, and for the first time, Isabel felt hopeful for the future.
She loved Khivar and she knew he loved her and last night she had finally let herself relax and give in to her feelings. The connection she had with Khivar was everything she had ever wanted and she felt so complete and so loved, it was intoxicating.
Isabel reached out for a nearby flower and took a whiff of its delicate fragrance, humming softly to herself. She twirled and danced down the path and around the corner, oblivious to the garden’s other occupants until she was practically on top them.
“I’m sorry,” she started, but trailed off when she saw who it was. “Tess!” she hissed.”
“Is-Isabel?” Tess faltered, eyes wide.
“You bitch!” Isabel ground out. “You pretended to be Max’s wife, betrayed us and nearly got us all killed.” She raised her hand, “I should kill you.”
Tess backed away a couple of steps with her hands outstretched placatingly. “Wait Isabel!” She motioned behind her to a woman with a baby. “What about my son? Max’s son. He needs me to survive.”
Isabel barked a bitter laugh. “I seriously doubt that. He’d probably be much better without you.”
“And what about Khivar?” Tess asked. “He won’t be very happy if you kill me.”
Isabel smiled. “Khivar would probably thank me.”
Tess’ face suddenly turned calculating. “Then maybe you should thank me too.”
“What?” Isabel asked incredulously.
“Well, if I hadn’t done it, you wouldn’t be with Khivar, in the lap of luxury, about to become a queen. Would you?”
Isabel surged forward and slapped Tess, and the smaller woman staggered back a step from the force of the blow, clutching a hand to her face.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Isabel started, but was interrupted by a deep voice.
“Getting reacquainted, ladies?” Khivar asked, stepping around the corner.
“She hit me,” Tess accused.
Khivar glanced at Tess. “I told you to stay away from Isabel.”
“But I,” Tess started to protest, but Khivar cut her off.
“Leave us,” he said with a dismissing gesture. He turned his full attention to Isabel. “I’m sorry, my love. I warned her to stay away from you.”
“Why is she here Khivar?” Isabel asked.
“If she leaves, she takes the child with her and I know neither you nor Max would want to leave his son in Tess’ care,” Khivar explained. “So I invited her to live at the palace where we could keep an eye on her. When the child is a little older and isn’t so dependent on his mother, we will renegotiate his guardianship.”
Isabel nodded. “You’re right, we don’t want to leave the baby with her.” She glanced down the path where Tess had disappeared. “What did she name him?”
“Zantas, after your ancestor,” Khivar said. “Tess remembered that it is tradition for Tageonant heirs to be given a form of the name Zan.”
“Tess remembers more about my family than I do,” Isabel said wistfully.
Khivar reached out to touch her cheek. “If you wish, I can help with that.”
“You mean you’ll help me recover my memories,” Isabel clarified.
Khivar shrugged, “Or I could simply instruct you in the culture and traditions of our planet. It is your choice.”
“I don’t know if I want to remember,” Isabel said, crossing her arms across her chest, as a shiver shook her body.
Khivar closed the small distance between them and enclosed her in his arms. “There is no hurry to make a decision,” he assured her.
As Khivar’s warmth seeped into her body, Isabel’s shivers subsided. “I was so happy this morning and then seeing Tess ruined it.”
Khivar looked down into her face. “Why were you happy?” he asked, with a smile.
Isabel met his eyes but blushed as she answered. “Well, last night was so wonderful.”
“It was magical,” Khivar corrected, with a smile. “A night I’ll never forget because it was the first time you came to me when you knew the whole truth, and you accepted me completely.”
“Well, despite the past and who we both are,” Isabel said, “I love you very much. There’s no denying it.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Secret Headquarters of the Resistance Loyal to the Tageonants)
Michael opened the door to leave the Granolith chamber and colored with embarrassment when he saw Max and Liz. He looked at the ground, unable to meet their eyes. “So you two saw what was in my memory.”
“No,” Max said. “Your memories are your own and we didn’t want to intrude. When the images started, we blocked them from our minds.”
Michael looked up. “You know how to do that?” he asked, and then answered his own question. “Wait a minute, I know how to do that too, I just remembered.”
Max smiled, “It’s weird huh? Having two sets of memories.”
Michael nodded. “It’s almost like a movie I’ve watched a million times, that I can quote all the lines to, but it’s more real than that because we really did live it.”
Michael glanced at Liz briefly and then back at Max. “Now that I have my memories back, I don’t see any way our people could have made the mistake of sending Chanya to Earth instead of Ava. There is just no way to confuse them. Granted, I died before you did, didn’t I? But I still don’t know how you would confuse a brunette for a blonde.”
Max nodded, “That occurred to us too. After your death, Chanya was given tissue-harvesting devices and my mother told her about the plan. And before Khivar killed us, he told us Chanya was working with him, so she would have had access to our bodies. Liz thinks Chanya must have made the switch herself, taking my brain material and using a confederate to collect hers after she was dead. My mother thinks it must have been her protector, a shape shifter called Udac.”
Michael squinted, thinking. “Yeah, I remember her. She was always petting Chanya’s hair, calling her beloved.”
Max continued. “Mother told us that Udac was the one who smuggled Ava’s and my genetic material out of the palace and to the lab. But it wasn’t Ava’s it was Chanya’s. Udac was hailed as a hero among our people for years, but a few months ago, she just disappeared.”
“To go back and reveal our secrets to Khivar?” Michael asked sarcastically.
Max shook his head, “Apparently she was too saddened by Chanya’s death to stay in the resistance and returned to Chanya’s father’s house. It was there that she disappeared.”
“That’s quite a coincidence,” Michael said. “Her disappearing just before Khivar brings Tess here. What do you bet she’s at the palace too?”
“I’d say it’s a strong possibility,” Max said.
Michael snorted. “And I say we get rid of Tess’ dupe before she betrays us all just like Chanya and Tess. You could say it sorta runs in the family.”
“But Ava isn’t like that,” Liz protested.
Michael opened his mouth to argue but a suddenly memory of Liz’s powers in their other life, made him reconsider. “You have a feeling about her?” he asked.
Liz nodded. “She’s a good person and we can use all the friends we can get.” She smiled and shoved Michael’s arm playfully. “Why didn’t you argue with me? I could tell you wanted to.”
Michael smiled. “Liz, did I ever tell you that I hate it because you’re always right? But now that I have my memory back, I remember you predicted our deaths and it makes me hate it even more that you’re always right.”
Liz nodded solemnly. “So do I.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The gang met Toaks, Nedra and Cuerena in the makeshift laboratory in the basement of the house, where Raltos and Hale were being kept.
“Has there been any progress?” Max asked the head scientist Kranon.
“Not much yet, your Majesty,” Kranon said. “It is a long process. Withdrawing information from a subject’s mind without damaging it takes a special power and exacting control. We only have one mind reader who is unquestionably loyal to us and he has an exceptional talent, but the process causes him to tire quickly.”
“Well,” Michael said impatiently, “what have you found out?”
Kranon motioned to a nearby screen. “From Hale we retrieved a memory of an abduction and though I don’t know what the Princess Vilondra looks like now, I assume it was her.” He passed his hand over the controls causing an image of Isabel to appear on the screen.
“It’s Isabel,” Max corrected automatically. “Can you show us what happened?”
Kranon passed his hand over the controls again and the image on the screen flickered to life.
Through Hale’s eyes, Max watched the scene he had witnessed firsthand when Isabel had boarded the plane headed for San Diego. But this time he saw what had really happened.
In a van, Hale and five other men drove onto the tarmac and toward the plane Isabel was on. As the plane pulled away from the terminal, Hale turned to the man in the passenger seat, “I am cloaking us and the van, start the illusion.”
The man placed his hands to his head and closed his eyes, concentrating.
The van closely followed the plane as it taxied down the runway and when the plane stopped to await takeoff permission, Hale and two other men quickly climbed onboard. None of the passengers on the plane were aware of them and Hale hurried down the aisle locating Isabel.
He used a syringe to Isabel’s exposed neck to deliver a sedative that acted immediately, causing her to slump sideways. Her seatmate was unaware of Isabel’s condition or the fact that Hale lifted her into his arms.
He carried her unconscious form down the aisle and past two of his men, who had just finished activating a series of buttons on a small device that appeared to be a bomb. They attached it to the plane’s wiring and followed Hale back to the van where the three others were waiting.
Hale placed Isabel on the seat between himself and another man. “Attend to her, Doctor.”
He turned to the driver and ordered, “Go.” The van sped toward the exit and Hale addressed the man in the passenger seat, “Stop the illusion.”
Hale watched out the window as the plane started down the runway and climbed into the sky.
“Sir,” the Doctor said, drawing his attention. “The Princess has stopped breathing.”
Hale turned toward Isabel just as the sound of the explosion reached them.
The images on the screen stopped and Liz reached for Max’s hand, feeling his heartache. I’m sorry Max, it must have been awful seeing that, she sent through their connection.
“I can’t believe he killed all of those people just to cover up Isabel’s disappearance,” Alex said.
“It’s a good thing he was sloppy,” Michael said, “or we might never have known she was alive.”
“What about Raltos?” Max asked. “Does he remember anything?”
“No,” Kranon said, “He has no conscious memories when Khivar was using his body, but we were able to tap into the part of his brain that Khivar used. So far all we have gotten are disjointed images and snatches of conversation, but we will keep trying.”
Kyle motioned to the chevron-shaped device. “What about that thing Brody had?”
“It is a device created by Khivar’s scientists called a trithium amplification generator. We have known about them for years. Khivar’s troops have used them to subdue the populous, but this is the first time we have had one to examine. We know it is used as an untraceable communication device and it can temporarily suspend powers but if it has other applications, we haven’t discovered them yet.”
“Well what are you waiting for?” Michael asked.
“We have limited resources and personnel,” Kranon explained.
Maria touched Michael’s arm. “And it’s only been a day. They’re going as fast as they can.”
Alex stepped forward. “I’d like to help, if I could.”
Kranon nodded. “You’re help would be appreciated.”
Max put a hand on Michael’s shoulder but spoke to Kranon. “We know you’re doing everything you can. If you discover anything else, please let us know immediately.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Royal Palace)
Tess entered her room wearily, dismissing the nurse with the baby and waiting until they had left to sink down on to her bed. The tears that had been threatening started immediately, and quickly turned to sobs that racked her small body.
Isabel was the only real friend she had ever had, besides Kyle, and because of what Lonni had forced her to do, Tess had lost not only Kyle and Max, but Isabel’s friendship too. Khivar had told her that Isabel had returned to the planet with them and Tess had actually looked forward to seeing her, hoping to rekindle their friendship. But it was obvious Isabel hated her.
Tess’ sobs intensified as she realized that her loss of Isabel was just the latest in a long line of disappointments. The first, and most surprising and disheartening, of course, had been Max’s rejection of her.
She had loved him her entire life, long before they had ever met. Nasedo’s descriptions of him as Zan, in his other life, had captivated and beguiled her and she had anxiously awaited their reunion. Then Nasedo had brought her the pictures of Max and she had fallen even more for him, his handsome face and solid body only reinforcing her feelings that they were meant to be together.
She perfectly remembered the day when she had started at West Roswell High and first seen Max. Yes, he had been with Liz and hadn’t even looked in her direction, but Tess had been certain that when he did see her, he would be drawn to her as irresistibly as she was to him.
Then Isabel had invited her home and she made her presence known to Max, using her powers to boost his awareness of her, and she had been sure that he had recognized her. But now she had to admit that Max hadn’t seen her then or any other time since.
Tess’ tears subsided as her anger took over. She had loved Max for years and given up any chance she might have had with Kyle, but it hadn’t done her any good. All Max had ever wanted was Liz. Even when Max had finally turned to her, Tess had been horrified to learn that he still loved Liz. And now that she knew the truth about who Liz was, Tess had to admit that it made sense, but it only made her hate Liz more. In two lifetimes Liz had taken everything that should have been hers.
Looking back over the past year, it was easy for Tess to see that she should have simply left Copper Summit and gone back to Max before the baby was born. The child was a powerful bond between them and Tess was sure that Max would have overlooked her past mistakes to have his son in his life. At least she would have had a chance to build something with him instead of being separated on different planets in different galaxies.
Everything was so complicated and all she had wanted was for the man she loved to love her back. Tess remembered just enough of her other life to realize that Max hadn’t loved her then either, but she had been close to succeeding, just like she had been close to getting Max in this life. But the same obstacle had existed in both lives, Liz.
Tess was certain that if Max had never met Liz, he would have turned to her. She just needed the chance to wipe Liz from his mind and then he would be hers. But in order to do that, she needed access to Max which meant returning to Earth or bringing Max to Antar, and the only way was with the help of the Granolith.
The problem was, she didn’t know where the Granolith was. But she could find out.
She had been used as a pawn, by Lonni and Rath, then by Nicholas, and now Khivar, but, Tess swore to herself, she would never let that happen again. She would work with Khivar and whoever else she had to, but she had her own agenda and from now on that came first.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Secret Headquarters of the Resistance Loyal to the Tageonants)
When they left the laboratory, Liz took Maria and Alex aside into a sitting room. “I’m sorry I haven’t been able to spend a lot of time with you guys.”
“Yeah,” Alex said, “but there’s been a lot of important stuff going on.”
“You know Alex,” Maria started, “I’ve been meaning to ask you what you told your parents you were doing. They don’t know about the whole alien thing so what did you say, that you were going to join the circus or something?”
Alex nodded. “Well I didn’t want to lie to them, but I couldn’t tell them the truth, so I just said that I had an opportunity to go on a great adventure but I would be incommunicado for a while.” He shrugged. “My parents assumed that I was going on some kind of archeological expedition in the Amazon jungle and I didn’t do anything to correct them. My mother was reluctant to let me go but I told her it was my life’s dream. She couldn’t refuse me that.”
“And how do you both like being on another planet?” Liz asked.
“It seems pretty much like Earth,” Maria said, “except for the advanced technology, and the red oceans, and the extra moons, and the space ships, and the aliens.”
Alex smiled at Maria’s explanation. “It’s wonderful, but I wish we could see more of it.”
Maria studied Liz closely. “But there’s something different about you, Liz. What’s going on?”
Liz smiled. “Nothing gets past you, Maria. You’re right.” She took a seat across from them. “Last night Max and I connected with the Granolith and we got our memories back.”
For a moment Maria and Alex were dumbfounded but finally Maria spoke. “All of your memories?”
“Yeah,” Liz said, “everything.”
“How do you feel about that?” Alex asked.
“It’s really weird to have memories from two lives,” Liz said, “but it’s a relief to know exactly what happened and not have to depend on what people tell us.”
“It must be wonderful to remember your life with Max,” Maria said dreamily. “How you met, your courtship and marriage.”
“But she must also remember the bad stuff too,” Alex pointed out.
“Yeah,” Liz said grimly. “There are certainly some things that I wouldn’t have chosen to remember.”
“I’m sorry, Liz,” Maria said. “I didn’t think.”
Liz shook her head. “It’s okay really. There were a lot of great memories, friends and family, and Max.”
“So do you think of yourself as Ava or Liz?” Alex asked. “And what about Max? Do you want to call him Zan?”
Liz shook her head. “I’m still Liz, I just have more of me to remember. And Max is basically the same person he was when he was Zan. There are hardly any differences. He’s still my Max.”
“Okay,” Maria said, “So tell us about you and Zan, how you met, your life together, and you’re parents. We want to know everything.”
Liz nodded. “I’ll tell you everything you want to know but there is one other thing you should know, Maria. This morning Max and I took Michael to see the Granolith and he got his memory back too.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Royal Palace)
When Khivar and Isabel reached their suite of rooms, Khivar allowed her to precede him through the door and closed it behind them with a wave of his hand, before gathering her to him for a searing kiss.
Minutes later they parted and Isabel touched his handsome face. “I want to know, Khivar.”
Khivar knew what she was referring to immediately and kissed her gently. “Are you sure you want to start the memory recovery?”
Isabel nodded. “I need to know what happened and I want to remember you.”
“Okay,” Khivar agreed. He led her to a sofa and sat beside her. “Close your eyes and we will start with the memory you’ve already partially recovered.”
Isabel nodded and closed her eyes.
Khivar cupped Isabel’s head in his hands, opening the connection between them and showing her his memory of the first night they had met when she was Vilondra.
The familiar scene played in Isabel’s mind, but this time she was able to see herself because it was from Khivar’s perspective. And when it was over, she opened her eyes. “I was beautiful,” she gasped.
Khivar smiled. “You still are.” He moved in closer, whispering, “Do you remember anything else about that night?”
Isabel shivered in reaction, her eyes flicking between his eyes and lips. “I remember how much I wanted you to kiss me, even though I knew my father wouldn’t approve.”
He brushed his lips against hers briefly. “And was it worth it?” he asked.
Isabel nodded. “Yes,” she gasped, as her hands slid around his neck, drawing him closer. “I never wanted anything so much in my life, except maybe this.” And she raised her lips to meet his.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Secret Headquarters of the Resistance Loyal to the Tageonants)
Michael had been avoiding her all day, acting strangely, distant, pensive. In the past it wouldn’t have alarmed Maria but now that he had gotten his memory back, she was worried. He hadn’t said a word to her about his recovered memory and she wouldn’t even have known if it weren’t for Liz.
And Maria had been wondering all day why Michael hadn’t told her. There had to be a reason he was keeping it from her. What if he didn’t love her now that he remembered his past? What if his memories made him a different person? What if he had a lover or girlfriend in his other life? Or worse, what if he really had loved Isabel?
Liz had confirmed that Michael and Isabel were engaged in their other life, but she had said it was all an act to convince the people that Isabel didn’t support Khivar. But, Maria reasoned, for them to pretend to be engaged and make it convincing, Isabel and Michael must have grown pretty close, and it was possible that he had fallen for her.
After all, Isabel was beautiful and sophisticated and a Princess, and Maria knew there was no way she could compete with that. She was only a waitress in a small town diner on a backwater planet.
Of course Maria had known that Michael had an entire other life but it had never even occurred to her that his feelings toward her would change if he got his memories back. But now that he had recovered his memories, it looked like that was exactly what had happened.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Liz had been looking everywhere for Ava and finally she found her in the solarium. She was sitting alone, watching the lazy motion of the red viscous liquid flowing down the small built-in creek.
“Ava?” Liz called out to get her attention.
Ava greeted her with a smile. “Hey, Liz. What’s up?”
Liz took a seat next to her on a bench. “Are you okay? You seem sad.”
With a shrug, Ava looked away. “I’m really not sure coming here was the best thing for me. I was never meant to come back, maybe I should’ve just stayed on Earth.”
“It’s because Tess is here, isn’t it?” Liz asked. “That’s why you didn’t stay in Roswell the first time you were there, because of her.”
“It’s hard knowing she is the real thing and I’m just a disposable copy,” Ava said. “I’m not really sure what my place is in this world.”
Liz took her hand. “Well, I can tell you some of it. You are my friend, and part of our family, and Kyle’s love. And that’s just a start. As for the rest, you can be anything you want, anyone you want. There’s no hurry to figure it all out, just take your time. And just for the record, I am very glad you did come with us.”
Ava smiled, “Thanks Liz.”
“But,” Liz said, “if you are interested in the past, Max and I can help you.”
“What do you mean?” Ava asked.
“We used the Granolith to get our memories back and we helped Michael get his back too. Now Max and I wanted to offer it to you.”
Ava’s eyes grew wide. “Get everything back, just like that?” She shook her head, “I don’t know. What if it turns out that I was a bad person?” Ava asked. “Aren’t you afraid I’ll betray you like Tess did?”
Liz shook her head. “You’re a good person Ava and who you were in another life isn’t going to change that.”
“But you remember me, I mean my past self, don’t you?” Ava asked, suddenly realizing the truth. “And you know something.”
Liz nodded sadly. “Chanya did bad things, but that doesn’t have to change who you are now. I just thought you would want to remember your family.” She continued softly, “I remember that your mother died when you were young and you were raised by your father and your protector, a shape shifter named Udac.”
“I would like to remember them,” Ava said, “but I’m afraid of what else I might remember.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(2.30.23692)
Ryden located Michael in the garden. He had been waiting for two days to get him alone and he finally had his opportunity.
“How’s it going, Michael?” Ryden started. “Or should I say Rath now?”
Michael turned to him with a suspicious expression. “How did you…”
Ryden smiled. “I didn’t know it was a secret you had gotten your memories back. It is all over the house that you and Liz and Max have recovered your former lives. I don’t think there are any secrets in this house.”
Michael shrugged. “It’s not a secret. I just didn’t know people knew.”
“And now that you have your memory back,” Ryden started, “you must remember Courtney, or her real name Scorene.”
Michael nodded. “Yeah, I remember her. She’s practically all I’ve been thinking about. I wish I would have known who she was on Earth.”
Ryden continued, “You must also remember that she approached your past self about leading our cause, and taking your rightful place as our leader. We have kept the faith for years that you would return to Antar and lead our planet to peace.”
Michael smiled grimly. “I remember she had a lot of wrong ideas that made her think I was this great guy.” He turned to Ryden. “The whole thing is based on misconceptions. Probably more propaganda that Khivar’s people spread.”
A look of confusion crossed Ryden’s face, “What do you mean?”
“I mean you have all been wasting the last seventy years of your lives on me,” Michael said. “All of that wasted effort and wasted lives.” He shook his head. “I am not the one you wanted, it was Max all along. He is the generous and caring one, he is the one who fought for the rights of the common people, he is the one who fed and housed them, not me. Yes, I was in the field supervising everything, but only under Max’s orders.”
Ryden shook his head, “That can’t be true.”
“I tried to tell Scorene the same thing before the war started,” Michael said. “She wouldn’t believe me either. But I will tell you one thing, I will not betray Max. Not only is he is the rightful King, but he is my best friend and a better leader than I could ever be.”
“But our people will follow you,” Ryden argued. “You could bring peace to this planet.”
Michael suddenly grew angry. “And what would betraying Max make me?” Michael motioned to the house, “Well you don’t have to go too far to find out, you just have to look at Rath’s loyalty to see. He betrayed and murdered his best friend and King, who he claimed to love like a brother, and left his lover behind on Earth. What kind of leader do you think he’ll make?”
Michael turned and started to walk back toward the house but shouted back over his shoulder. “If you’re so anxious to follow Rath, it’s not me you want. So just go talk to him. I’m sure he would jump at the chance to take the throne and then have you all executed.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Royal Palace)
Tess answered the knock at her door and was surprised to see Khivar, but she smiled and greeted him warmly. “Khivar, how nice of you to stop by.”
Khivar returned her smile. “As proof of my commitment to working with you, I have a gift for you.”
Tess stepped aside, inviting him in. “I love gifts,” she said.
Khivar motioned behind him and a matronly woman stepped forward.
“Beloved?” she asked Tess.
Tess looked to Khivar. “Who is this? Another nanny?”
“You do not recognize her,” Khivar said. “She is Udac. In your other life she was your handmaid and protector. I thought you would like to have her back.”
Tess bowed. “Thank you, Khivar. Your gift is very, um, thoughtful.” She waited until Khivar had shut the door behind him before she turned to Udac. “Great, another shape shifter. Just what I need.”
The hopeful look on Udac’s face fell. “You truly do not remember me, Chanya?”
Tess shook her head. “No, and my name now is Tess.” She looked at the older woman skeptically. “How do I know you’re not some spy for Khivar?”
“I would never work against you,” Udac said vehemently. She studied Tess for a moment. “In your other life, you made a deal with Khivar. He agreed to eliminate your true love’s wife, if you gave him information. But Khivar betrayed you and killed your love. That is why you died. So you could be reunited with your love, in your next life.”
Tess nodded. “I was, but Max rejected me because his stupid wife showed up.”
“How is that possible?” Udac asked. “She was dead.”
“She was reborn into a human,” Tess said.
“And you are working with Khivar?” Udac asked. “He will betray you again.”
“No, he won’t,” Tess said. “Before Max rejected me, we were together one night and I bore his son. Khivar thinks controlling Max’s son will give him power, and he made a deal with me. So I am working with Khivar, for now. But the child will assure that Max will never stop looking for me and eventually we’ll be together.”
Udac shook her head. “Khivar cannot be trusted. He took me from your father’s house and tortured me until I told him what your powers were. I suspected he knew your true identity and I resisted as long as I could, but in the end, Khivar’s men took the information from me.”
“You betrayed me?” Tess accused. “That’s how Khivar found out who I am.”
Udac shook her head furiously and reached out to Tess. “I would never betray you, but I couldn’t stop them from prying the truth from my mind.”
Tess backed away a step. “If Khivar didn’t know who I am, I would have had a lot more leverage. I could have been considered the former Queen instead of a merely a Duchess and mother of Max’s son.”
“A Duchess?” Udac asked.
Tess nodded, “It’s part of my deal with Khivar, he made me a Duchess. So you can see that he’s keeping his word.”
“Perhaps you don’t remember, but Khivar seemed to be keeping his word the other time too, but he was just using you,” Udac said.
“I don’t remember everything,” Tess huffed, “but I do remember that I almost had Zan, and I did get Max.
“But now that Max has rejected you, how much of a chance do you have with him?” Udac asked.
Tess narrowed her eyes suspiciously. “Don’t you want me to be happy? Don’t you want me to follow my dream of being with Max?”
“I want everything for you,” Udac assured her, “but it may not be possible. I just don’t want you to set your heart on something that may never happen.”
“Of course I’ll have to mind warp him to forget Liz,” Tess said, “but we will be happy.”
Udac shook her head. “Zan was too powerful for you and he was able to break your mind warp.”
Tess hadn’t liked Udac from the first moment she saw her and she had been about to send her away, but suddenly she saw how the shape shifter could be useful. She crossed to a sofa and sank down into it, motioning for Udac to take a seat as well. “Tell me about the past.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Secret Headquarters of the Resistance Loyal to the Tageonants)
Alex sat on his bed and pulled out the picture of Isabel he had brought with him, his eyes tracing her face lovingly. In the time that he had been presumed dead, she had moved on and he understood that, he really did. He certainly wouldn’t have wanted her to mourn for him her entire life if he really had died. But the months that had passed hadn’t happened for him and even though he had tried, he still couldn’t let go of the feelings he had for her.
He had known that he couldn’t compete with Hale, and Isabel was happy with him. And to Alex, Isabel’s happiness was all that mattered. He had accepted that she’d moved on, and he wished her well.
But Khivar had lied to and abducted Isabel, and Alex had started to wonder once she found out who Hale really was, would she still love him? Khivar was their enemy, he was the reason they had died and the reason they had been sent to Earth. Was Isabel really capable of loving him when she found out the truth?
Alex knew it was foolish for him to hope that Isabel would turn back to him, but it was all he had.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Max and Liz sat wrapped in each other’s arms in a large chair that they had brought into the Granolith room.
“This is just like old times,” Max said. “Consulting with the Granolith to try and figure out what to do.”
Liz nodded, taking Max’s hand in hers. “At least we have it back and we remember how to use it now.”
Max sighed and opened the connection with Liz. Remember how we used to go into the Granolith chamber in the evenings. Our powers complimented one another so well, blending so easily. Together we are stronger than we ever were apart. But it’s frustrating to remember how powerful we were and we just don’t have access to that kind of power now. We have to grow into it.
Liz nodded. I remember how very powerful you were. More powerful than anyone I had ever encountered. I could feel the power surrounding you, just naturally there all the time.
I remember you were very powerful too. Max said. But even with all of that power, we weren’t able to save ourselves.
I’ve been thinking about that, Liz said. What if it was destiny or fate all along? What if we weren’t meant to live the first time?
What do you mean? Max asked.
Well, like Kyle said, it’s a reincarnation thing. We needed to die and be reborn to learn a lesson, to become stronger.
But we don’t know if we’ve learned the lesson, Max said, and we have to do this anyway.
We’ll get through it, Liz said. Just like we do everything else.
You know that? Max asked. You had a vision?
No, Liz admitted. But we have to. You and I and everyone else deserve to be happy, deserve a chance to live our lives.
Max squeezed her hand. You’re right, and we will, Liz. He widened the connection to include the Granolith and instantly felt its familiar energy joining with them.
They settled into a type of meditation, relaxing their minds, opening them to the Granolith.
Liz felt weightless like when she astral projected, but at the same time she felt enveloped and protected by Max and by the Granolith. A feeling of profound peace settled over her and she let her cares be washed away momentarily. The power of the Granolith pulsed like a heartbeat and Liz once again had the sensation that it was a living thing. With her mind she reached toward it but was stopped as Max gasped in their connected minds.
Liz, he said, it’s like I can feel the energy in the planet. It’s all around us.
Liz focused on his thoughts, feeling the sensations too. You’re right, it is the planet. I’ve never felt it before and there is a tremendous amount of power.
If we could learn to harness that power, Max said, Khivar or no one else would be able to stand against us.
It would be dangerous Max, Liz said. How could you only take the power you could control? It would be like opening a spillway on a damn to fill a glass of water. It could easily overwhelm you.
You’re right, Max admitted, but when we’re older and stronger and working together, maybe we could control it.
Maybe, Liz said, feeling a trickle of apprehension. She let her mind drift again hoping to discover more about her feelings. Thoughts, emotions and images of the present and past rolled through her mind faster and faster. The sensations were different than she had ever experienced before in a connection with the Granolith, and she had a fleeting feeling that it was due to her half-human status.
She felt like she was on the verge of a discovery when suddenly she received an intense sensation of horror from Max, and he broke the connection. Opening her eyes, Liz reached out to him, searching his face. “What’s wrong?”
Tears spilled out of Max’s eyes and down his face, as he glanced at her and then looked away. “I… Just now, I realized…” He looked into her eyes. “Liz, I’m a killer. Potentially worse than Khivar or any other mass murderer.”
Liz could feel Max's fear through their bond and rushed to reassure him. "Max you are not a killer."
"But I am capable of it Liz, and now that I have an idea of what I could do with my powers..." he let the sentence trail off, somehow feeling if he didn’t speak the words they wouldn't be true. He looked down at the ground not wanting her to see the truth in his eyes. "So much power,” he said softly, “more than I realized I possessed. In our other life, I, Zan, could have ended the war the first day if he had realized."
"But Max you don't possess destructive powers,” Liz argued. “It's not in your nature. Your powers heal, give life."
Suddenly she stopped as the possibilities started to crowd into her mind. She gasped as tears welled up in her eyes. It was the ultimate cruelty that her gentle, peaceful husband would possess such power.
When she spoke, her voice was breathy, just above a whisper. "Oh Max, your powers, now I see. If you can give life, you can take it."
Max felt pain slash through him and lifted his eyes to hers expecting to see rejection of the killer he was, but he only saw compassion, sorrow and love.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(3.10.23692)
Over the next couple of weeks, the gang grew restless from being cooped up in the house, and increasingly disheartened by their lack of progress. They still didn’t have a plan to rescue Isabel and there was constant bickering about what to do.
When a message finally arrived from the spy in Khivar’s midst, Max called a meeting to start on a plan. He spoke to the group, gathered around the room. “The message has a current layout of the palace and the schedule of the guards, and he confirmed Isabel and my son are in the palace.”
“So what are we waiting for?” Michael asked. “Let’s get this plan finished and go get her.”
Max nodded. “I agree. We’ve been here too long. We need to finalize the plan and organize a rescue team.”
Michael nodded approvingly. “Okay, what have you got?”
Max smiled and started the explanation. “I think it will work best this way.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Royal Palace)
In the last couple of weeks, Khivar had helped Isabel regain several more memories of their past together. Most of them had been wonderful, romantic, but today she had remembered the day in her other life, when she had discovered that Khivar had been plotting against her brother.
The memory had sent a chill right through to her bones, affecting her as much this time as it had originally. She hadn’t wanted to believe it was true, but when she asked Khivar he assured her it was. He had seemed concerned by her reaction but he wanted her to know the entire truth of the situation, filling in the blanks in her memory. And Khivar’s unemotional recitation of his plan that had led to her brother’s downfall disturbed Isabel almost as much as the memory.
And now hours later, unable to sleep, Isabel sat in bed and traced Khivar’s form with her eyes. The more she learned about him, the more she was confused. Khivar, the man she knew and loved, was kind and gentle, loving, but she knew he must have another side to him. After all, he had caused a war to obtain her brother’s throne, and he was the reason they had all been killed. But she had never really allowed herself to think about what that might mean.
When she had first arrived on Antar, Isabel hadn’t really cared about the politics and the situation on the planet, worried more about herself and her life. But the recovered memories had made her curious to learn about her new home, and along with her memory retrieval, Khivar started her tutelage of Antarian customs.
But the more she learned about Antar, the more apprehensive Isabel became. The situations that Khivar described, closely echoed what had happened on Earth in communist countries after World War II. Khivar assured her that the continued military presence and control was necessary to keep order and subdue anti-government rebels.
And although she had been there for a few weeks, Khivar hadn’t officially announced her presence on the planet, and Isabel was starting to wonder why. She hadn’t asked him yet but Khivar seemed to have an answer for everything. But his words didn’t always relieve her apprehensions and Isabel started to wonder exactly what Khivar was capable of.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Secret Headquarters of the Resistance Loyal to the Tageonants)
Liz turned onto her side carefully, trying not to wake Max, unable to sleep because of the vague feeling of unrest in the back of her mind. Now that she’d recovered her memories, she knew how in her past life as Ava, she used to concentrate to try and learn more about her feelings. And Liz had tried, but so far she’d been unsuccessful in coaxing out any details.
It was terribly frustrating to know she could have information that could save them, but she couldn’t access it.
Finally, she slipped out of bed and donned a robe, before silently opening the door into the hall.
Cuerena was there, with the other guards, instantly alert but she relaxed when she saw Liz. “You can’t sleep, your Majesty?” she whispered.
Liz mentally cringed at the use of her title but nodded. “Nedra mentioned that there was a library in the house. With everything that’s been going on I haven’t had time to check it out but I thought maybe I would try to read for a while.”
Cuerena motioned to two of the guards, “Jaetus and Heran will take you, your Majesty.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Liz let her eyes roam over the many volumes covering the walls of the house’s library. Some of them were ancient texts dating back thousands of years, the titles so familiar to her. Others were books she had read and cherished as a child, and many were titles she had anticipated studying at college. But that had never happened.
She smiled, remembering her other life. When she had been Ava, she’d made many plans for the future, including moving to the capitol city of Tageonon to attend the best university. All of her life, she had looked forward to the time when she would be old enough to attend, but then she had met Zan.
Now that she had recovered her memories, Liz could remember every detail of the night they had first met, and it had been as magical and unexpected for her as it had been for Zan.
Although, he had seen her when she first entered the room, she had been disinterested to meet him. She had seen pictures of him of course, who hadn’t? Zan was the crown Prince, heir to the throne of Antar, the most eligible bachelor on the five planets, and she had to admit he was very handsome. Most of her friends were completely in love with him and had looked forward to the ball for months, hoping to catch his eye. But she had heard the rumors about Zan’s spoiled, foppish ways, and she considered the whole evening to be a waste of time. But her father was the Governor and the host of the ball, and it was her duty to meet the Prince.
She had dithered as long as possible getting ready, but finally her handmaid had hurried her into the ballroom. And after a too short time in the reception line, she had finally arrived before Zan, and her father made the introductions.
Zan had greeted her mother first, as was proper, and then he turned to her. And when his eyes met hers, she had known instantly all of the gossip about him had been lies. It was as if through his eyes, she could see into his very soul, and there was nothing foppish or spoiled about him. He was a man with deep feelings and passions, intelligent, caring; and totally unexpectedly Ava felt a jolt of recognition race through her. Even though she had never met him before, she knew this was the man she had been waiting for all of her life.
Without taking his eyes off her, Zan had extended his hand to her. “May I have the honor of the first dance, my Lady?”
Ava had placed her hand in his unhesitatingly and Zan led her to the center of the dance floor. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew that every set of eyes in the ballroom was focused on them, but she didn’t care. And as the music started, and Zan took her into his arms, she knew she was in love.
So she had chosen to forego college and marry her love. She had not even come of age when she married Zan, had never lived outside her father’s house, had never been away from her own province; very much like her life on Earth. But none of that had mattered to her in the least, then or now. It was like she had told Max just a few days ago, college and everything else was so unimportant. All that mattered was being together.
Coming out of her reverie, the title of one of the books suddenly caught Liz’s eye and she reached for it. The book had been one of her favorites as a child and she had read it many times. She opened the cover, skimming the familiar words on the first page, as the memory washed over her.
“Why am I not surprised to find you in here?” a voice from the door interrupted her.
Liz turned to the speaker with a smile. “I wouldn’t have thought this was your kind of hang out,” she teased.
Rath leaned a casual shoulder against the door jam and met her eyes solemnly. “You don’t know everything about me.”
Liz nodded, instantly contrite. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you.”
Rath shrugged and walked into the room. “You didn’t.” He crossed to the shelves, stopping beside her, scanning the titles. “I don’t remember reading any of these, but I must have.”
“It will come back to you in time,” Liz assured him. “Or you could read them again and have the pleasure of the first time all over again.”
Rath motioned to the book in her hands. “What have you got?”
Liz smiled, running her hand down the open page. “It was my favorite book when I was a child. I read and re-read it, maybe a dozen times.”
“You liked it that much,” Rath said, as he crossed to her, looking over her shoulder. “Maybe I should start with that one. What’s it about?”
“It’s about a young girl, who goes on a magical journey to save her best friend…” Liz trailed off as she received a sudden flash.
She saw that Rath had been in the library many times since they had been in the house. In her vision, she saw him seated at the table, with piles of books around him that she recognized as law tombs.
And suddenly Liz caught a hint of Rath’s emotions and intentions. But she didn’t have time to act before he grabbed her from behind, pinning her arms to her sides and clamping a damp cloth over her mouth and nose. She struggled against him, but his superior size and weight were too much for her, and the smell of the substance on the cloth quickly clouded her brain.
But before she slipped into blackness, she called out through her connection to Max.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
MAX!
Liz’s frightened voice in his head woke Max immediately and he jumped out of bed, quickly scanning the room for her. When he didn’t see her, he pulled their connection sharply into focus. He could feel her through the connection but when he called to her, she didn’t answer.
He burst into the hallway and confronted Cuerena. “Where’s Liz?”
“She couldn’t sleep and went to the library, your Majesty.”
“You let her go alone?” Max asked. “She’s in trouble. She called out to me, and now I can’t get her to answer.”
Cuerena instantly activated the silent alarm. “She didn’t go alone. I sent two guards with her. We’ll lock down the house and search it top to bottom. Nothing will get in or out. We’ll find her, your Majesty.”
The sounds of people rushing around filled the house, as Michael emerged from his room down the hall. “What’s going on?”
“Liz is missing,” Max said over his shoulder, already starting down the hall in the other direction. He called back to Cuerena, “Where’s the library?”
Cuerena hurried ahead of him. “I’ll show you.”
Michael jogged to catch up. “What do you mean she’s missing?”
Max shook his head as he quickened his pace. “She called me through the connection. She was really scared and now she won’t answer me.”
They reached the library moments later and a quick glance was enough to tell Max that no one was there. But one thing did catch his eye, a book lying on the floor. He crossed to it and picked it up, recognizing the title immediately. It had been Ava’s favorite as a child.
But beneath the book, was something that made his blood run cold. It was the necklace they had found at Atherton’s house, that he had given to Liz. Max knew she never took it off and he noted that the cord was broken. He picked it up, clasping it tightly in his hand and suddenly, images flashed through his mind.
**Flash**
Liz looking at the book
**Flash**
Rath entering the room and Liz talking to him
**Flash**
Rath grabbing her from behind and pressing a cloth over her face
Max came out of the flashes, as a soldier ran into the room. “Your Majesty, we found no sign of the Queen but we found four dead guards. Two who were guarding the Queen, and the two…
Max cut him off, “And the two assigned to watch Rath.” He turned to Cuerena and Michael. “Rath took Liz.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
It had only taken a few minutes to figure out that Rath had simply opened the door in the library that led into the garden, and taken Liz out that way. Michael and several of the troops were still searching nearby, but Max didn’t have much hope in their chances.
“What about an alarm?” Max asked. “I thought this house was protected.”
“It is, your Majesty,” Toaks assured him, “but we never intended the alarms to keep people inside. Rath simply turned off the alarm in here.”
Nedra took Max’s hand. “I know you’re in shock, but we have to leave the house, Max.”
“What?” Max asked incredulously. “But Liz…”
“It isn’t safe here,” Nedra cut him off gently. “Rath could be giving our position to Khivar even as we speak and there will be no chance of saving Liz if we are in Khivar’s prison or worse.”
Max nodded, pushing his grief into the background. “You’re right. We have to go.” He turned to Toaks. “Pack only the essentials and get the Granolith out on the first transport.”
Toaks bowed and hurried out the door as Kyle rushed in.
“What the hell is going on?” Kyle asked. “I heard Liz cry out and I ran to your room but everybody was gone, and now I find you all down here.”
Max grabbed Kyle by the shoulders. “What do you mean you heard her?”
“I heard her call for you, at least I think I did, your room is at the other end of the house. I was sleeping and she woke me, but the weird thing was that it was like I could feel her fear.” Kyle glanced around the room, noting Liz’s absence. “Where is Liz? Did something happen to her?”
“Rath took her,” Max ground out.
“What?” Kyle asked incredulously.
“And he’s done something to her because now I can’t contact her,” Max said, “but I think we can all guess where he’s taking her.”
Kyle nodded. “Khivar.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(3.11.23692)
(Royal Palace)
Rath was escorted into the throne room by a Captain Naire and stopped before the King’s throne where Khivar was seated. With a glance, he noticed that the Queen’s throne was empty and vaguely wondered where Isabel was but pushed the thought aside.
“Alarath, how nice to see you again,” Khivar greeted, as he dismissed everyone except Nicaron from the room with a wave of his hand.
Rath stood to his full height and smiled. “Is it?” he asked, all trace of accent gone from his voice. “I seem to remember that you were going to leave me on Earth to rot.”
Khivar shrugged. “You were of no value to me. You had nothing to offer.
“But now I do,” Rath said.
“Yes,” Khivar agreed. “When you contacted me this morning, you said you could deliver the human Liz to me, and that means you know where Max and the others are as well. So why don’t we forgo the games and you just tell me where they are?”
Rath shook his head. “Not so fast. I want to play let’s make a deal, first.”
“And why would I make a deal with you?” Khivar asked. “I could simply have the General take the information from your mind.”
Rath glanced at General Nicaron, standing at Khivar’s right hand, noting that Nicholas was no longer in the guise of a child. “You could,” Rath agreed, “but he can’t get information out of me that I don’t have.”
A look of confusion crossed Khivar’s brow. “What do you mean?”
“I took Liz, last night,” Rath said. “I have her in a secure place and you probably could get the location from me, but what I’m asking is so little for what I am prepared to give.”
Khivar motioned for him to continue.
“By now, I’m sure Max has discovered Liz and I are gone, and you know he’ll figure out that I’m making a deal with you. He will have moved his people to another location, so I can’t lead you to him.”
Khivar nodded, agreeing.
“I planned it that way to give myself a little more leverage,” Rath explained. “See, I know if I give you Liz, you can bring Max out of hiding. He is so in love with her, he would do anything to save her, including sacrificing himself.”
Khivar sighed, “And while you are here, he could be rescuing her. They are bonded, he can find her.”
Rath shook his head. “Not with the drugs I gave her. She’ll be out cold for a few hours yet.”
Khivar nodded approvingly. “So what do you want in exchange for Liz?”
“I want the title and all property and lands of my ancestral home…”
Khivar interrupted, “But your father, the Duke, is still living.”
Rath shrugged. “I don’t really remember him anyway.” He continued, “I want my former rank as General reinstated and I want to be your second in command.”
Nicaron’s eyebrows rose in surprise and Rath laughed. “I’m not asking you to off Nicholas, but now that Max killed all of your troops on Earth, I figured you could use a replacement. I am half Harcion, a distant cousin to your own family. I will swear fealty to you.” He motioned to Nicholas, “Nicholas is your right hand, so make me your left.
“And this is all you want?” Khivar asked.
Rath shook his head. “Just one other thing. When you are finished with her, I want Liz, undamaged.”
Khivar studied him carefully. “Why do you want a human?”
Rath smiled. “You can drop the act, Khivar. I know you were with them on Earth and I know they told you who she used to be.”
“And who is that?” Khivar asked casually.
“Liz is the reincarnation of Ava, Zan’s wife and the former Queen of Antar.”
“Max told you that?” Khivar asked. “How very foolish of him to reveal so much.”
Rath shook his head. “They do speak too freely, but Max didn’t have to tell me anything. When I first met Liz, I made a pass at her, and when I kissed her I knew she was familiar. It took me a while to figure it out, but finally I remembered who she was. And while I don’t remember a lot from my other life, I do remember her. I wanted her then and I still do.”
“And you didn’t tell anyone you knew the truth?” Khivar asked.
“Why would I?” Rath asked. “The information had no value to me then but I knew it would eventually. So I simply bided my time.”
Khivar nodded. “So you made an alliance with Max. That’s why they were ready for the attack on Earth, because you warned them.”
Rath nodded. “I was working with them for months, keeping them informed of what was happening in Copper Summit. And I warned them about the attack simply because I needed them alive.”
Khivar smiled, “But the whole time, you intended to betray Max when you got what you wanted, a ride home.”
Rath shrugged, turning the conversation back to the main point. “I have no ambition other than to return to my life on my home planet. And I know I don’t have a chance with Liz if Maxie is still around, so when you take him out, we all get what we want.”
He motioned to Khivar with a bob of his head, “You already possess Isabel and Max’s bastard son to secure your position. Liz isn’t pregnant with an inconvenient, legitimate Tageonant heir, so after you kill Max, she is of no further value to you. Granted, Liz is of royal blood, but so are a lot of others, and she isn’t from the direct Tageonant line, so she is of no threat to you that way. And I don’t know what her title would be technically with her death and rebirth and whatnot, but according to Antarian law, when I marry Liz, any former title she held will be forfeit. I will make Liz a Duchess and end whatever speculation there may be about her title and status.”
Khivar smiled wider. “Perhaps I did underestimate your value. You seem to have this all figured out.”
Rath shrugged. “People have underestimated me my entire life.”
With a laugh, Khivar rose from the throne and approached Rath, putting an arm around his shoulders. “Bring Liz to me, and after Max is dead, I will give you everything you requested.” He motioned to the door, opening it, and waved Captain Naire inside to escort Rath out.
Nicaron waited until they were alone before turning to Khivar. “You’re not serious? He changes sides whenever it suits him. Not to mention Liz’s father is the Governor of Telos, Duke Telnada. If he finds out that she was given to Rath against her will, he could make a lot of trouble.”
Khivar shrugged. “Rath will have to stay loyal to us until I return Liz to him. Make him your aid and keep an eye on him. In the mean time, we will get all of the information he has. As for Liz’s father, we will deal with that if the time comes.”
“So you think Rath really wants Liz?” Nicaron asked.
“Yes,” Khivar said. “He wants her, all right. Now all we have to figure out is the reason. Is it simply because he loves her, or does he think it will be easier to maneuver for the throne with the former Queen at his side?”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Secret Headquarters of the Resistance Loyal to the Tageonants)
It had taken less then ten minutes to vacate the compromised house, but several hours later, they were still settling in to the new one.
Max had overseen the relocation of the Granolith but then he had gone into his room and shut himself inside. Michael stepped in to help direct, trying to take the burden off of Max.
One of the guards approached Michael. “General Varros, all the security has been double checked and we are staying on the highest alert.”
Michael nodded. “Report to me with anything suspicious.”
The guard turned to leave and then turned back. “Oh, and sir, I almost forgot, Ryden requested to see you. He is being held in his room.”
“Okay,” Michael said. He walked to the room and dismissed the guard outside, knocking on the door before entering. “Sorry about the security,” he apologized to Ryden.
Ryden shook his head. “It’s like the Earth saying, locking the barn door after the horse has bolted. Obviously I am not working with Rath or I would have gone with him.”
“I know,” Michael said. “That’s why I dismissed the guard. You gave us your oath. I trust you.”
“But Max doesn’t,” Ryden said. “That’s why he put a guard on me.”
Michael shook his head. “Max does trust you. But he just lost Liz, and he isn’t thinking straight.”
“He’s losing it,” Ryden said, shaking his head. “Don’t get me wrong. I like Max a lot. I think he is a nice guy, but since Liz was taken, Max has withdrawn further and further into himself, until he’s stopped speaking. And the guard said Max has been locked in his room for hours. He’s completely ineffectual.”
“That’s not true,” Michael said. “Max is the most stand up guy I’ve ever known. He always comes through. He just in shock right now.”
“It looks to me like you are the stand up guy,” Ryden said. “You’re the one running the show, while Max cowers in his room. That’s why you should be in charge. You are the one we need as our leader.”
Michael sighed. “Aren’t you ever going to give up on that?” He moved to the door. “There’s no guard, you’re free to move around the house.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Capitol city of Roistar - formerly Tageonon)
(Abandoned Building)
Rath sat on a chair next to the bed where Liz slept. He didn’t want to give her to Khivar but it was the best chance he had of getting what he wanted.
As it was, he had been forced to take Liz before he had his entire plan worked out. Of course Rath had to wait until they arrived on the planet before he could make a plan, because he didn’t know what to expect about Max’s headquarters or security or anything else. But he’d been pleasantly surprised to find that he had access to all kinds of information at Max’s headquarters through a system similar to Earth’s internet. And using that resource, he had figured out everything, including how to turn off the security system, a hideout for himself and Liz, and even the anesthesia to use, but he had still been working on the transportation.
He had devised an elaborate plan to take Liz from her bedroom in the middle of the night, completely bypassing the four bodyguards outside her door. First, he would feign illness, kill his guards and deactivate the alarm. Then he would make a hole in Max and Liz’s bedroom floor from the library below, entering their room by a set of stairs he had practiced constructing. Finally, using a fast-acting anesthesia, he would knock out both Max and Liz and then simply take Liz out the way he had come, escaping through the library door into the garden and the street beyond.
Rath had considered simply killing Max when he took Liz, but after a lot of reflection he had decided against it. He wanted Liz to like him, even love him, and she never would if he killed Max. Rath had decided to leave Max’s fate to Khivar and simply concentrate on his plan to take Liz.
But that afternoon, one of Max’s chattier men, who Rath had made friends with specifically to gather information, had told him that they were getting ready to rescue Isabel, and Rath knew he was out of time. He had acted that night, easily killing his guards and disabling the alarm system, then he had headed to the library. He had been surprised to see the two guards outside but he recognized them as part of Max and Liz’s security force, and knew that either one or both of them was within the library.
Feigning illness again, he had simultaneously dispatched the guards with blasts of energy to their chests, when they rushed down the hall to help him. Then he had stuffed their bodies in a convenient closet and moved silently toward the library. Rath had been pleasantly surprised to find Liz alone in the library and had used the anesthesia he had synthesized to knock her out. Then he had followed his plan, hefting her small form over one shoulder and taking her out the library door, through the garden and down the street.
It had been easier than he expected to find transportation. There had been a curfew patrol passing, and he had simply flagged it down, claiming Liz was deathly ill. The soldier had obligingly stopped and rushed to examine Liz, and Rath killed him. He had then changed his clothes to match the soldier’s uniform and loaded Liz and the soldier’s body into the transport, reaching the abandoned building he had chosen as a hideout, in a matter of minutes.
He had changed the appearance of the transport and carried Liz and the soldier inside. Using his powers, Rath buried the soldier beneath the floor and took Liz into a small back room. He formed a bed and gently placed her on it before completely sealing the room. Then he made a recliner and placed it facing the bed, where he’d caught a few hours sleep before going to see Khivar.
He’d had to leave Liz alone, while he went to the palace, but the anesthesia was powerful enough to keep her unconscious for several more hours, possibly even a day. So Rath had simply locked her in the room, altering the door to make it appear to be a wall. Then he had gone to a public place and contacted Khivar.
Liz’s soft sigh brought Rath back to the present and he sat forward and took a tendril of her dark hair between his fingers, inhaling the sweet fragrance. It was a risk handing her to Khivar, but he really wasn’t asking for much and he knew Khivar could be very generous. Rath was confident his plan would work.
Taking a last look at the sleeping Liz, he picked her up and strode out the door.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Royal Palace)
Nicaron watched Isabel from the window of his office as she walked in the palace gardens. He had watched her closely the last two weeks for any sign that she was remembering the past. He knew that Khivar was helping her regain her memories and Nicaron wondered when she would remember that he had killed her in her other life.
If she did remember and tell Khivar, Nicaron knew it would be the end of him. Khivar would never accept that it had been an accident. Nicaron knew that none of his years of loyal service would mean anything. Khivar would blame him for the years he had been apart from Isabel and take great pleasure in slowly killing him.
On his more optimistic days Nicaron thought that perhaps Isabel would never remember. Clones who regained their memories rarely remembered the circumstances surrounding their deaths.
But on his more realistic days, Nicaron knew that Isabel would remember. She was a remarkable person and she had a lot of power. Yes, he told himself, she would remember. It was only a matter of time.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Secret Headquarters of the Resistance Loyal to the Tageonants)
Michael knocked softly on Max’s bedroom door but after a handful of moments with no answer, he opened it and went inside.
The room was almost completely dark and it took a minute for Michael’s eyes to adjust. “Max?” he called out, finally seeing him on a chair.
Max was seated with his eyes closed and he didn’t even seem to know Michael was there.
“Max?” Michael said a little louder, taking a couple of steps closer and turned on a light. With a quick glance, Michael noted the necklace and book that had been recovered from the library next to Max on a table and one of Liz’s shirts was draped across Max’s knees.
Max still didn’t respond and Michael reached out and shook his shoulder. “Max, what are you doing?”
Without opening his eyes Max answered. “I can still feel her, Michael. The bond is there, so I know she’s alive but I can’t make the connection work.” He sighed loudly and opened his eyes, focusing on Michael. “I can’t join with her or feel her strength.”
Michael sat across from him. “Max we have the plan to rescue Isabel and your son, we’ll just include Liz too.”
“It won’t work,” Max said, tears gathering in his eyes. “We don’t even know where Liz is. I can’t tell where she is.”
“We’ll figure it out,” Michael assured him. “We’ll get that spy to give us more information and we’ll get them all back.” He motioned to the bed. “Why don’t you get some rest?”
Max shook his head. “She’s never been in that bed. How can I sleep without her beside me?” He picked up her shirt and brought it to his nose, inhaling deeply to catch a whiff of her scent. “I feel so lost, so out of control,” he said, his voice hollow and wooden. “I don’t know what to do without her.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Royal Palace)
Isabel leaned back into Khivar’s arms as their daily memory retrieval session came to an end. Khivar had concentrated their sessions on their past relationship because that is what she had asked him to do. But more and more often Isabel was wondering about her family, and especially her mother.
Isabel had never told Max but she had always mourned the fact that they had been separated from their mother. Even though she had no memory of their mother she had always felt the void in her life. But she had been on the same planet as her mother for almost a month and she had been too scared to even ask Khivar about her. It was partly because she was worried that her mother would be disappointed in her for agreeing to be with Khivar, and partly because she was worried about Khivar’s reaction.
Gathering her courage, Isabel took Khivar’s hand in hers. “Khivar will you tell me about my mother.”
Khivar kissed the top of her head. “I wondered when you would ask about her.”
Isabel turned in his arms to look up into his face. “You did?”
“You were very close to your mother,” he said. “I thought you might have remembered something about her.”
“No,” said Isabel, shaking her head. “I can’t remember anything; what she looked like, even her name.”
Khivar motioned with his hand, creating a photograph, and he handed it to Isabel. “Her name is Nedra.”
Isabel’s eyes devoured every detail of the golden-haired woman in the photo. “She’s beautiful.”
“Just like her daughter,” Khivar said.
“I do kind of look like her,” Isabel said. “I always wondered.”
Khivar nodded. “Of course this is how she appeared the last time I saw her and it has been a long time. She has been in hiding since just after you were killed.”
“And you have been looking for her?” Isabel asked.
“Only because she is leading the rebellion,” he said. “I would have left her in peace otherwise.”
Isabel met his eyes. “You said you would give amnesty to Max’s followers who agreed to pledge loyalty to you. Does that include my mother?”
“Yes,” Khivar said. “I would like her to come and live at the palace, so you two could be close.”
“And it wouldn’t hurt your position if the former Queen was supporting you, along with myself,” Isabel said.
Khivar smiled. “You are correct, but I also want you to be happy and I know you want your mother here.”
“So Khivar, why haven’t you announced that I’m on the planet?”
Khivar reached up to touch her face. “I was waiting for you to be ready. If it were up to me I would announce your presence today and I would marry you tomorrow. But I don’t want to rush you into anything.”
“You’ve been very patient with me,” Isabel said. “I am kind of surprised. I thought you might want to use the fact that I was with you to your advantage.”
“I am practical,” Khivar said, “even ruthlessly so, but I can also be infinitely patient. I waited for almost sixty years to get you back,” he reminded her. “I have Antar and now you are at my side. There is only one more thing I desire and that is to make you my wife.”
He leaned in and kissed her gently and Isabel wrapped her arms around him, urging him closer. Khivar deepened the kiss as Isabel wanted. When they were together, all of her fears and doubts left her but when she was alone and had too much time to think, she wondered if she had done the right thing in coming to Antar with Khivar.
She loved him. There was no doubt in her mind about that. What did trouble her was the barely disguised streak of ruthlessness she had seen in him. She knew that he was the reason they were all dead but she had tried not to think too much about it. But the memories she had recovered only reinforced her impressions about him. Khivar was single-minded about ruling Antar. It was the only thing he had ever wanted beside herself, and Isabel feared that he was willing to go to any lengths to stay in control.
But, as the old saying went, she had made her bed. Even if she wanted to leave him, she knew there was nowhere to go. Khivar had found her after sixty years, in another galaxy, he would find her no matter where she went.
And even though she had doubts, Isabel didn’t want to leave him. She broke the kiss and took his handsome face in her hands. “Khivar, let’s get married.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Udac felt a familiar twinge of jealously rise up within her as she watched the nanny caring for Tess’ son Zantas. Tess had ordered the shape shifter to have no contact with the child, leaving his care to the nanny.
As Tess’ handmaid it wasn’t technically Udac’s duty to care for the child but she had raised Chanya, acting almost as her mother. Chanya had always been a spoiled child, but she had always shown great affection for Udac and they had been very close. Chanya had told her everything, her hopes and dreams and plans for the future; but Tess didn’t trust her.
At first, Udac thought Tess had accepted her, but as the days passed, the truth became painfully obvious. Tess had allowed her to stay and was eager to learn of the past, but she didn’t allow Udac into her life or into her confidence at all.
And Tess’ rejection of her hurt Udac more than she had thought possible. She was simply a protector but she had been a big part of Chanya’s life, almost like a member of the family. But Tess didn’t want her anymore.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Nicaron answered the late-night knock at his door and his new second in command, Colonel Talodan, was in the hall with his adjutant Captain Naire.
“Sir, we’ve got an uprising in one of the poor neighborhoods on the edge of the city,” Talodan reported.
With a swipe of his hand Nicaron dressed himself and quickly followed Talodan and Naire outside to a waiting transport. Nicaron took out his amplifier and switched to their most secure channel to call his servant Idos. “When Khivar awakens, tell him I have gone to see about a riot and I will call him when I have news.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Secret Headquarters of the Resistance Loyal to the Tageonants)
Max walked into the bedroom and was relieved to see Liz waiting for him. It had been a long day and he wanted nothing more than to lose himself in her. Without a word he crossed to her, his attention only momentarily diverted as the shiny surface of the pendant she wore caught the light.
He enfolded her eager form into his arms, kissing her hard, as he opened the connection between them. Their souls rushed together as he kissed her thoroughly and he felt her hands go to the buttons on his shirt. Breaking the kiss, he traced his thumb down the smooth column of her exposed throat, causing a golden glow to emanate from her skin.
He leaned in and kissed her again, reveling in the perfect union of bodies, minds and souls. Even though his eyes were closed, Max could see the golden light of Liz’s soul in his mind and he let it surround and cover him, drawing strength and comfort from her.
Suddenly the golden light flickered and dimmed and then it extinguished. Max’s eyes snapped open and he tightened his grasp but his hands met nothing. Liz was gone.
He burst through the bedroom door and ran down the corridor of the palace, desperately calling out for her. “LIZ!!”
It seemed like he ran forever through the twisting, grey stone hallways, growing more desperate with each step, but he saw no one.
A doorway loomed ahead of him and he rushed inside, stopping immediately when he saw Tess. But it wasn’t Tess, Max realized, it was her former self, Chanya.
She turned to him with a smile, seemingly unaware of his tumultuous state. “Good morning, Zan.”
“Chanya,” Max said, ignoring her greeting, “have you seen Liz?”
“No,” she said shaking her head.
The motion caused the pendant she was wearing to sway from side to side, catching Max’s eye. It was identical to the one Liz wore but he noted immediately that it wasn’t broken.
Max awoke with a gasp, practically jumping out of the chair where he had fallen asleep. His eyes darted to the nearby table where he had laid the pendant he had given Liz, and he snatched it up, running his fingers over the jagged edge.
He had never really thought about where the pendant had come from, but now the dream had reminded him that Chanya had worn one that was identical. She had worn it all the time, he remembered now. It hadn’t seemed like something she would wear because it wasn’t made of precious stones or metals, and he’d wondered if it had been sentimental to her, perhaps given to her by a lover. But that didn’t explain how it had gotten to Earth.
Max rose from his chair and crossed to the travel bag Liz had brought with her. He knew that she kept the broken piece of the pendant in the small, leather, drawstring bag that Eddie had given her.
He shook the piece into his hand and placed the broken edge against the pendant, fitting it perfectly into the jagged fracture. With a pass of his other hand, Max repaired the pendant, but almost dropped it in surprise as the center triangle illuminated with a red light.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(3.12.23692)
Liz awoke slowly, feeling strange and aware that something was terribly wrong. Sitting up, she saw the unfamiliar surroundings and then she remembered Rath grabbing her and putting a cloth over her mouth. He had kidnapped her, and even though she didn’t recognize the room, she had little doubt about where she was. Antar’s royal palace had only been her home for a few years, but the elegant style of the room was familiar.
A movement to her right caught Liz’s eye and she turned to see someone seated in a chair against the far wall. She was unsurprised by his presence and acknowledged him softly. “Khivar.”
“I’m glad to see you’re finally awake,” he said. “I assume since you recognize me, that you have recovered your memory. Or was it simply an educated guess?”
“I have my full memory back,” Liz confirmed.
Khivar nodded. “Then you remember there are certain substances that our powers will not affect.” He motioned around them. “This room is comprised of one of those materials, even the bars on the windows, so there is no use attempting to escape by using your powers.”
There was a fuzzy sensation in Liz’s head and she blinked a few times attempting to clear her thoughts but it didn’t help. Automatically she reached for the connection with Max, but although the connection was still there, it wasn’t responding. She turned to Khivar accusingly, “What did you do to me?”
“I had your power of astral projection and your link to Max blocked,” Khivar said, “to discourage any ill-conceived rescue attempts. But I didn’t tamper with your abilities of empathy and prognostication.”
“What about Max and the others? Are they okay?” Liz asked anxiously.
Khivar studied her worried face for a moment, deciding if he should tell her and then shrugged. “Rath only removed you from the house,” he said. “The others are still in hiding, safe from me, for now.”
Liz breathed a sigh of relief and Khivar continued. “You didn’t have the power of astral projection in your other life. It must be one of the benefits of your half-human status.”
Liz didn’t answer.
“Your original talents of empathy and prognostication have always been fascinating to me,” Khivar admitted. “To be able to tell the future must be quite empowering.”
Liz shook her head. “It isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.” She looked around, motioning to the room. “I didn’t see this coming until it was too late. Often all I get is a dream I can’t remember and a feeling of impending dread.” She turned to face Khivar. “It’s really frustrating to know something is going to happen but not know what or when or if I could do something to prevent it.”
Khivar frowned. “Isabel said you had a premonition about the skin solders’ attack on Earth.”
Liz shrugged. “Maybe. All I know is that I had a nervous stomach and a feeling that we should keep Cuerena near us. If you remember though, that was the day Max and I were meeting his parents to tell them we were planning to get engaged. I was pretty nervous about that, so an upset stomach didn’t really seem odd. I didn’t think anything else was wrong.”
“But you did follow your feeling and keep Cuerena with you,” Khivar pointed out.
“Yeah,” Liz said. “I’ve learned not to question my impressions.”
“And what is your impression about the current situation?” Khivar asked.
Liz studied him for a moment before speaking. “Isabel loves you desperately but your continual betrayal of everything she believes in will turn her from you.”
Khivar’s face tightened momentarily before he could control it and when he spoke, his voice was too calm. “Nothing will come between Isabel and myself.”
“It did before,” Liz reminded him. “When she was Vilondra, you forced her to choose between you and her family, and you are making the same mistake of underestimating her now.” Liz looked away from him. “On Earth, Max and Isabel were everything to each other for so long. You have no idea how close they are.”
“So close that Isabel kept her true identity from Max, and he turned on her at the first opportunity,” Khivar said. “I’ve seen it all in Isabel’s mind.”
“Because she isn’t strong enough to keep you out?” Liz asked. “It’s just one more betrayal Khivar, and one day Isabel will grow to hate you for them.”
“You are mistaken,” Khivar said.
Liz turned to face him again, meeting his eyes. “So you are impressed with my powers but you don’t believe what they reveal?”
“You have seen Isabel turn from me?” Khivar asked, with a look of uncertainty.
“No,” Liz admitted. “But I know her pretty well.”
Khivar smiled. “So do I.”
“If you became the man you could be, the good man you pretended to be on Earth, Isabel would never leave you,” Liz said. “It’s your choice, Khivar.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Secret Headquarters of the Resistance Loyal to the Tageonants)
Alex entered the lab later than usual that morning because of his late night of experiments the night before, and he was surprised to see Max in earnest conversation with the head scientist Kranon.
They looked up at his arrival and Alex stopped. “Am I interrupting something?”
“Of course not,” Max said, motioning him inside. “I was just telling Kranon that a couple of hours ago I had a dream where I remembered that in her other life, Tess used to wear this pendant.”
Alex’s eyes narrowed. “The one you found at Atherton’s house?”
Max nodded. “Yeah but it wasn’t broken in my dream, so I used my powers to fix it and the center triangle turned red.”
Alex motioned to the swirling pattern. “Does the symbol mean anything?”
“It’s the symbol of Antar,” Max said, handing the pendant to Alex.
“Just so it doesn’t mean radioactivity, or poison, or bomb,” Alex said, taking it. He turned it over in his hands as Max continued.
“I thought you could run some tests on it and try to figure out if it’s important,” Max said.
Alex turned the pendant to examine the front. “Has anyone tried pushing the triangle?” he asked with a laugh. “It kind of reminds me of this old answering machine we used to have. You know, a red light meant that you had a message.”
He pressed the triangle and jumped when a voice projected from the pendent.
… things could have been worse, Khivar. But with a show of force we calmed the situation pretty quickly and we’re holding the ringleaders.
What started the riot, Nicaron?
The ringleaders were spreading the rumor that Max is back on Antar and he is gathering an army to take back the planet.
Where did they hear this rumor?
They aren’t talking, Sir.
Well General, pry whatever information you can from their minds and then execute them.
Yes Sir, make an example of them to the others. I know the routine, unless things have changed while I was on Earth the last sixty years.
Usually I would agree with you, Nicaron, but Isabel has been asking a lot of questions lately, and for now I would prefer to keep her in the dark. Take the prisoners somewhere secure and when you’re finished with them dispose of the bodies so we can keep this to ourselves.
As you wish, your Majesty.
Alex looked at Max and Kranon shaking his head. “I didn’t think it would really work.”
Max’s eyes narrowed. “That was a secret communication. Probably on an encoded frequency.”
Kranon nodded, motioning to the pendant. “Obviously it is some kind of transmitter. Khivar obtained technology that allows him to send messages without us being able to track them. For years we have been trying to figure out how it works. Maybe this device will finally help us figure it out.”
“We also learned that Nicholas is back on the planet,” Max said. “That certainly wasn’t a shape shifter playing him. I’d hoped we’d gotten him with the rest of the skins when we destroyed the busses.” Max shook his head and turned to Alex. “Thanks, Alex. This could really be a big breakthrough.”
Alex shrugged. “It was nothing really, but your welcome.”
“It could help us get Liz back,” Max said, his voice rough with emotion.
Alex noticed the tired look that came over Max suddenly. “We’ll get her back,” he assured Max, with a comforting hand on his shoulder.
Max nodded and turned to leave but stopped when Alex cried out.
“Oh!’ Alex exclaimed. “I almost forgot. I had an idea about Raltos and Hale.”
“What’s that?” Max asked interested.
“Well, we haven’t been able to get much information from them, trying to pry it from their minds but what if someone possessed them like Khivar did. Wouldn’t that give them access to his stored memories?”
Max looked to an obviously surprised Kranon, who slowly nodded and smiled.
“That just might work,” Kranon said. “That just might work.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Royal Palace)
Even though Khivar had told her it would be impossible to escape, Liz had been testing the room all afternoon. She had used her powers to check every surface of the ceiling, floors, walls and windows without success. But she didn’t give up.
Liz sat in the middle of the floor and started to concentrate, focusing on the thread of connection she shared with Max. Khivar had blocked the connection but Liz had faith that she could break through and she knew Max would be attempting to do the same thing from his end.
She let everything drop out of her mind and the golden thread filled her consciousness. It felt the same in her mind, like a piece of Max, but when she attempted to open it, she was met only with silence. She could still feel Max at the end of the connection, could tell that he was alive but she couldn’t feel his emotions or hear his thoughts.
In her mind, the barrier was like a tangible object and Liz concentrated harder, willing it to break. She pushed harder and harder with her powers but the barrier was strong and Liz started to get a headache. She ignored the pain and continued to batter the barrier using surges of power and she thought she sensed it give a little when she was interrupted by a knock at the door.
Liz rose quickly, not wanting her visitor to guess what she had been doing and settled on the sofa before calling out. “Come in.”
The pain in her head intensified because of her rapid action and she put a hand to her temple.
“You have a headache?” Rath asked from the doorway.
Surprised, Liz rose from the sofa and turned toward him. “Rath? Khivar told me that you only took me, that you left the others okay. Is that true?”
Rath nodded. “I didn’t hurt any of your friends or Max.”
Liz sighed in relief. “What are you doing here?”
He held out his hands placatingly. “I just came to see if you were all right.”
“All right?” Liz asked. “You took me away from Max, from my friends. How could you think I would be all right?”
Rath came into the room, letting the door shut behind him. “I did it to save you.”
“Save me?” Liz asked incredulously.
Rath nodded, coming closer. “You know Max is on a suicide mission to save his sister and his son. Khivar’s forces outnumber him by the thousands or more. There is no way he is going to live through this and he is taking you all down with him.”
Liz shook her head, wincing in pain. “Rath, it was my decision to stay with Max, no matter what. And if we died, well at least we’d have been together. “
He came a few steps closer. “I made a deal with Khivar to guarantee your safety.”
“Me for Max?” Liz guessed, pressing her hand to her head again. “Rath, you can’t trust Khivar.”
Rath stepped forward, closing the distance between them and grasped Liz’s head in his hands, one hand on her forehead and one on the back of her head, and before Liz could protest, he eased her headache away.
He released her and stepped back. “Better?”
Liz nodded gingerly. “Yeah, thanks. I haven’t quite gotten the hang of things like that.”
Rath shrugged. “You’re still pretty new to your powers and healing takes precise control.”
Liz’s eyes narrowed suddenly. “What happened to your accent? And your grammar has improved by about six grade levels.”
Rath smiled. “It pays to let people think I’m just the dumb muscle. I am often underestimated.”
Liz nodded, knowing she fit into that category and studied him more closely. She knew Michael was a lot smarter than he let people see but she had assumed that Rath wasn’t blessed with his intelligence. Now she knew Rath had a brain and she hoped she could appeal to him. “Rath, you have got to help me get out of here. Max will forgive you for taking me if we go back.”
“You don’t understand Liz,” Rath said. “I was made to be disposable but I don’t feel like stepping aside for the real thing. I am claiming my life and my position on my home world.”
“But in your other life, you would have never turned against Max,” Liz argued. “You were his best friend, his second in command, almost like brothers.”
“Even with your memory restored,” Rath said, “you don’t know everything about my other life.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Isabel gripped Khivar’s hand tightly as they walked into the throne room. Khivar had told her the room would be filled with reporters but Isabel was unprepared for the number of people gathered.
Khivar had called the press conference but he hadn’t told the reporters what he was announcing. There had been much speculation in the media, but when the gathered reporters saw Khivar enter the room with a woman on his arm, they naturally expected him to announce his wedding and they pressed forward, eager to get a glimpse of his fiancée.
Khivar led Isabel slowly to an elaborate throne on the dais and they took their seats, amid a flurry of questions called out from the audience.
“Khivar, are you finally announcing a betrothal?”
“There have been rumors of a woman living in the palace. Is this the same one?”
“When is the ceremony? Has a date been set?
“Khivar, who is this woman? Where is she from? Is she of Royal birth?”
“Where will you go for your wedding trip?”
For a few moments, Khivar let the excitement in the room build by remaining silent, but then he held up his hand, signaling for silence. The room went quiet immediately and Khivar remained seated to make his announcement.
“Ladies and gentlemen, as you have speculated I have come here to announce my betrothal to the beautiful lady at my side,” he said smoothly, indicating Isabel by raising her hand to his lips. He kissed her hand softly, and as he had anticipated, Isabel blushed prettily. He smiled with satisfaction and kept her hand in his as he continued. “And yes she is of Royal birth, a family second only to my own. Allow me to introduce Isabel, the reborn Princess Vilondra Tageonant, finally returned to me and Antar.”
The room erupted into an immediate cacophony as every person seemed to be talking at once. Isabel swallowed nervously, looking at the eager faces in the crowd straining to get closer to her. And for maybe the first time in her life, she felt overwhelmed by the attention.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Nicaron went into his suite of rooms and was greeted by Idos. After all of the years on Earth he found it difficult to call her by her proper name instead of Mom.
She took his coat and handed him a drink, motioning to the bedroom. “You have a visitor, Sir. Shall I retire for the night?”
Nicaron nodded, dismissing her and stalked to the bedroom door, pushing it open with a burst of power. He observed the blonde waiting in his bed with curiosity. He and Tess had become lovers a couple of weeks ago and she often came to his room at night, but tonight he was interested in something in addition to companionship.
He took a seat at a table adjacent to the bed and swirled the liquid around the glass. He knew Tess had the ability to erase or alter memories and if she could help him with Isabel’s memories, all of his problems would be gone. Except for the fact that then Tess would know his secret, but she would be easier to deal with than Isabel. “Tell me about your powers.”
Tess’ welcoming smile turned to surprise. “What?”
“Your powers,” Nicaron said, motioning to her. “Particularly your power to erase memories. How does it work?”
Tess swallowed hard. “What do you want to know?”
Nicaron shrugged. “Everything, it could be very useful.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Secret Headquarters of the Resistance Loyal to the Tageonants)
It was late and Michael entered his room quietly, hoping not to wake Maria. He kicked his pants and shoes aside and was about to pull his shirt over his head when Maria’s soft voice stopped him.
“You had a long day,” she said.
Michael tossed his shirt on the pile. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.”
“You didn’t,” Maria said. “I couldn’t sleep.”
Michael got into bed next to her and took her in his arms. “You’re worried about Liz,” he said with a sigh. “I’m sorry I haven’t been around much since she was taken.”
“You’re helping to find her,” Maria said. “That’s more important.”
Michael pulled back from her, shaking his head. “Nothing is more important to me than you.”
“But you’ve been so distant lately, Michael,” Maria protested. “Since you got your memory back, I hardly see you.” She looked away. “I thought maybe you remembered a girlfriend from your other life.”
He took her head in his hands. “I have been distant but it’s only because I’m trying to fit all the pieces of my two lives together.” Michael smiled but it turned out more like a grimace. The real reason he had been avoiding her was that he was trying to decide whether to tell Maria about his crush on Liz in their other life, but he had decided it wasn’t important and the information would only hurt her. He continued. “And there was no one, no girlfriend. I was totally committed to my career, my King and Queen.”
“But you were engaged to Isabel,” Maria said.
“It was only a sham to make the people think she wasn’t supporting Khivar,” he said. “I never loved her. You are the only one I have ever loved. And I know I don’t say it often enough but with Max losing Liz, and our future being so uncertain, I wanted to make sure you knew.”
Maria kissed him quickly. “I know, Michael. I know.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Kyle angled his ship into a dive, aiming for a large group of Khivar’s troops. When he was over them, he fired the lasers, watching with satisfaction as explosions destroyed the ground around them, sending bodies in all directions.
He pulled up and turned sharply to go in for another pass, targeting another group of soldiers. He was almost in range when the sickening whine of anti-aircraft laser erupted and Kyle saw a shaft of blue light coming at him too late to avoid.
The laser struck his ship and crippled the controls and Kyle fought to bring the craft to a safe landing. It hit the ground, bouncing once before skidding to a stop. Immediately he threw open the cockpit and leapt out, tossing aside his helmet.
He drew the blaster on his hip and used his ship for cover as he looked for signs of approaching soldiers. When he didn’t see any, he headed for the protection of the trees just a few yards away. Reaching them in a few strides, Kyle dove and rolled into the cover, turning quickly around to look for pursuers. There was still no sign of Khivar’s troops and Kyle jumped to his feet and jogged deeper into the trees, heading back to Max’s headquarters.
He ran for a few moments before noticing that the trees were thinning and then they opened up forming a wide path. Jogging a few minutes more, Kyle was surprised to suddenly find himself in a gray, stone corridor. He stopped and looked behind him, but the forest was gone, replaced by a dark hallway. And even though he had never been there before, Kyle knew he had somehow entered the palace where the Royal Four had lived in their other lives, that was now in Khivar’s possession.
Ahead, the passageway was lit with torches hanging from the walls and Kyle could see that the hall split into two, and he approached it carefully, watchful for Khivar’s men. He inched to the opening, with his back pressed against the wall, drawn blaster ready. Quickly he peered down both corridors but he saw nothing to indicate which way he should continue and he was about to choose the left path, when a soft voice stopped him.
“Help. Please, can anyone hear me?”
Kyle turned toward the right corridor. “Liz?”
“Kyle, is that you?” she called out.
“Yeah!” he said excitedly. “Where are you?”
“I don’t know exactly,” she said. “I was drugged when they brought me here. Can you follow my voice?”
“Keep talking and I’ll try,” Kyle said.
“Okay,” Liz said and she started reciting.
To be, or not to be: that is the question
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind…
“Is that Shakespeare?” Kyle interrupted, as he hurried down the hall.
“It was the first thing I could think of,” Liz said. “We had to learn a Shakespeare passage for my AP English class. It’s from Hamlet.”
“Well keep going,” Kyle said.
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them? To die: to sleep;
No more; and by a sleep to say we end
The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks
That flesh is heir to, 'tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wish'd. To die, to sleep;
To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub;
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come.
Kyle had walked the entire time Liz was reciting but he still couldn’t tell if he was any closer to her. He had passed several locked doors and several more corridors but he couldn’t pinpoint where Liz was, and finally he stopped. “Liz, I can’t find you. Your voice seems to be echoing from all directions.”
“You don’t sound any closer either,” Liz said sadly. “What are we going to do?”
“Don’t give up,” Kyle said. “I’ll keep looking until I find you. Keep reciting and when we get out of here you can tell me what it means.”
To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub;
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come…
Liz’s voice grew suddenly fainter until Kyle couldn’t hear her any more. “Liz!” he called out. “Can you hear me? Liz? Liz!”
A gentle shaking on his arm caused Kyle to spin around and suddenly he was in his own room, in bed, with Ava beside him. “Liz!” he said anxiously. “I’ve got to find her.”
Ava put a soothing hand to his cheek. “It was only a dream Kyle.”
“A dream?” Kyle asked incredulously. He shook his head, knowing she was right. “It seemed so real.”
“It’s okay, we’ll find Liz,” Ava assured him. “But now it’s the middle of the night and you need to get some sleep.”
Kyle lay back against the cool pillow and closed his eyes as Ava soothingly stroked his brow. He sighed. “To sleep; perchance to dream.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(3.13.23692)
Max rushed into the laboratory, closely followed by Michael, Maria, Kyle, Ava, Sean, Ryden, Cuerena and Nedra, answering Kranon’s urgent summons.
“What’s going on?” Max asked.
“Your Majesty,” Kranon said excitedly, “Alex’s suggestion that we possess Raltos and Hale worked and we were able to retrieve several memories from them.”
“What kind of memories?” Max asked. “Something that can help us?”
Kranon indicated the screen. “You can see for yourself. This was from Raltos memory. I’ll just show you the relevant part.”
The screen flicked to life and through Raltos’ eyes they saw Nicholas, in his guise as a child, on the ship.
“We captured the Royal Four and I was interrogating Max,” Nicholas said.
“And what information were you able to retrieve from him, Nicaron?” Khivar asked.
“I almost had the location of the Granolith, but surprisingly Max was mostly able to keep me out of his mind. All I really saw were repeated flashes of the human girl Liz, who worked for Vanessa. I was about to try again when Tess screamed and invoked a huge fireball, catching us completely off guard. The only reason I survived was because I dropped to the floor and shape shifted to fit into the pattern of the tile."
“Nicholas is a shape shifter?” Michael asked incredulously, as the screen went blank.
Kranon nodded. “And now we have proof.”
“Did everyone know this and just forget to tell me?” Kyle asked.
Max shook his head. “No. Khivar and Nicholas have guarded their secret well.”
“What’s the big deal? Ava asked. “So Nicholas is a shape shifter.”
“Shape shifters are a servant class,” Michael answered. “There is no way he could have become a General if it was known. Antarian tradition does not allow shape shifters in the military.”
Max glanced at Cuerena and nodded. “They are only allowed to be protectors or hold certain jobs; like Cuerena was a scientist.”
“This is something we could use to our advantage,” Michael said. “Khivar’s men might turn against him if they knew his second in command was a shape shifter.”
Max was silent for a moment and all eyes turned to him. He looked at Kranon. “What else did you learn?”
“Most of the information is of no use but we did discover one other thing. Khivar told Isabel if she returned to Antar with him, he would leave you in peace on Earth.”
“And then he sent the troops to wipe us out,” Michael said. “I can’t believe she went with him willingly, even if she was coerced.
Kyle stepped forward. ‘No, no, no, Michael. You don’t understand. Isabel felt so guilty for the sacrifice Liz made to save us. She must have thought that if she went with Khivar, she would save us.”
“Liz would never have wanted her to do that,” Maria said. “Even if it would have saved us.”
“But she really loved Hale,” Max said, “and it wouldn’t take too much convincing on his part to get her to go with him. She doesn’t have any memory of the past or what Khivar was like. He could have convinced her that he had been slandered by my supporters. But this is a lie Khivar told her that we’ve caught him in. It will be painful for her but it will help Isabel see that Khivar isn’t the guy she thought he was. He isn’t Hale.”
“You’re right,” Michael agreed. “Now that Khivar has announced his betrothal to Isabel, we’ve got to do something fast, so she doesn’t actually end up marrying that freak. And when we use the information about Nicholas being a shape shifter, we might have a chance of succeeding.”
Max shook his head. “I don’t know about using that information. It just doesn’t seem right.”
Everyone in the room was shocked into silence.
Max turned to leave but called over his shoulder. “Let me know if you find out anything else.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Michael shook his head disbelievingly as he watched Max leave the room. The others left one at a time until Michael, Maria, Alex and Kranon were the only ones left.
Michael turned to Kranon. “I want to know immediately if you get any more information.”
Maria trailed him out of the room and down the hall. “Michael, what was that with Max? We finally get something and he doesn’t want to use it?”
Michael looked furtively around and pulled Maria into an empty sitting room, closing the door behind them. “Look, I didn’t want to worry you, but Max has hardly left his room since we got here. I found him in there sitting in the dark with one of Liz’s shirts.”
“He’s upset,” Maria said.
“He not thinking straight,” Michael said. “I don’t think he’s slept much. I’m afraid that being without Liz is pushing him over the edge. Max is loosing it, Maria.”
“What are we going to do?” Maria asked.
“I don’t know exactly,” Michael said. “But I think the only way to save him is to get Liz back, and fast.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Sean jogged down the corridor to catch up with Max. He called out, “Hey Max, wait up.”
Max stopped and turned toward him. “I really don’t feel like talking now, Sean.”
Sean noticed that Max’s eyes didn’t meet his and saw the blank, detached look on his face. Max was in trouble just like he’d thought. “So you’re the big King now that you got your memory back and you don’t have time for the little people?”
Max was stunned and looked at Sean. “Of course not,” Max said. “It’s just since Liz…”
Sean nodded, glad that he had been able to shock Max out of his misery. “I understand that, and I also understand why you don’t want to use that information against Khivar.”
Max shook his head. “You can’t understand.”
“Max, Maria told me that you killed a skin soldier at your house the night they attacked, and I saw the look on your face when you gave Cuerena the order to fire at the buses filled with Khivar’s troops,” Sean said. ”You’re worried that you’re just like Khivar.”
“How could you know that?” Max asked.
“I’ve done some things in my life that I’m not proud of,” Sean said. “I knew they were wrong but I did them anyway. Most of the time I didn’t care if it was right or wrong, but sometimes I would wonder what I was doing with my life. See, I was the black sheep of my family since I was a kid, always getting into trouble, so it really didn’t surprise anyone, even me, when I got sent to juvie. I even got to thinking that I was just born bad.”
Max was watching him intently. “What happened?”
Sean smiled. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but Liz happened. When I got out of juvie and saw Liz again, something happened. It was like I realized that I could choose to be good or bad, I could choose what to do with my life, and Liz made me want to be a better person.”
Max nodded. “I can understand that because she makes me feel the same way.”
“Well, Liz told me something about you once, Max,” Sean said. “She said that you were an incredibly honorable guy.” He clasped Max on the shoulder. “If Liz believes it, you should too.
“It just seems like using that message is sinking to Khivar’s level,” Max said. “In our other life, that is how he worked, spreading rumors and quietly inciting mistrust.”
“You don’t have to wonder if you are like Khivar,” Sean said. “You’re nothing like him, Max. And using that message against him won’t make you become him. Liz believes in you, she believes you are good or she wouldn’t be with you. To go up against Khivar we are going to need every advantage we can get. Don’t let your fear mess up the best weapon we have. It may be the only thing that allows us to rescue Liz.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Michael stalked through the house looking for Ryden and finally found him in what he would only describe as a conservatory. It was a small, sunny room, full of plants, and Ryden was sitting among them, reading a book.
“Ryden, I have to talk to you,” Michael said.
“About Max’s rapidly deteriorating condition?” Ryden asked.
“I came to convince you of the truth about me and Max.”
Ryden nodded, “You mean your story that Max is the one who ordered you to care for the common people.”
“We need your help if we’re going to succeed, the help of your people. And the only way I’m going to convince you, is to show you.” Michael held up his hand, offering a connection. “Come and see the truth for yourself.”
Ryden narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
Michael smiled. “If you know so much about me, then you must know what my talents are. I don’t have the ability to alter your mind or memories. No tricks. It’s just my memories.”
Ryden stepped forward, with a nod and grasped Michael’s hand. “Okay. Show me.”
Michael concentrated, bringing forth a memory from his other life.
"Zan, the uprisings are getting worse," Rath reported. "The commoners in Tothes are rioting because they have no food. Bandits raided the incoming food transports and the greedy Governor reports that he can spare no food from his stores until another transport comes"
"Send food from our stores with troops,” Zan ordered, “and distribute it directly to the people. And deliver a personal message from me. Tell them I am sorry it has come to this but soon they will have a voice in the government. I want the people to know I am working to stop these injustices."
"Every time we put down one riot another crops up in a different town," Rath noted. "It's almost as if someone were planning this."
Zan continued. "I don't think there is any sinister master plan behind these riots," he said dismissively. "The common people have little or no powers and it the responsibility of those of us who do to make their lives better. This Governor, along with the others, continue to betray their duty to their people."
Then Michael showed Ryden another memory, where he had tried to tell Courtney the truth. She had confronted him in one of the villages after an uprising.
"We were told that the King was unaware of the problems in the kingdom," she said.
"He knows," Rath said succinctly.
"But he does nothing,” Courtney countered. “His people are suffering and he takes no action."
Rath's first instinct was to jump to the defense of his friend and King but he could not expose the plan to expose Khivar as a traitor. "Zan is juggling more issues than you can possibly imagine."
"Zan," she mouthed the word as if she were savoring it. "You and the King must be close."
"We trust one another absolutely," Rath said.
"Then you are the one we need. Myself and others, in Khivar's army, have suspected for some time that he would be worse than the Tageonants ever were, if he achieves the throne. What we need is someone who will take the common people into consideration. We need you."
Puzzlement crossed Rath’s face. "You need me to do what?"
"We need you to take the throne," Courtney said.
"Take the throne," he hissed. "What kind of treachery is this?"
"You have become known among the people as a benevolent and fair man. You calm these riots with a show of force and avoid injuring the people. You distribute food and medical supplies and use your influence to help the people."
"All of this I do according to Zan's orders," Rath explained. "If it were up to me, I would have come in and bashed heads to stop this idiocy once and for all."
"Of course you would say that. You are loyal to your King."
Rath shook his head. "I am loyal but it's true regardless."
"True or not, the people think the words you speak are simply rhetoric from the palace. They credit you with the actions, they support you. And if you were to take the throne, many of Khivar's own people would follow you. Your mother was a Roistar, distantly related to Khivar, and the people would see you as a savior."
"Even if I considered betraying Zan, which I would not, I wouldn't want the throne. I see the things Zan is forced to deal with and I wouldn't want any part of it."
Ryden dropped his hand, breaking the connection, and Michael saw the stricken look on his face.
“It’s true,” Ryden said. “It’s all true. Max is the one.”
“I’m sorry to disillusion you,” Michael said, “but we’re really going to need some help.”
Ryden nodded. “Just tell me what you want me to do.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Maria knocked before pushing open Max’s door, and was surprised to see him sitting in a chair with his eyes closed and Liz’s shirt draped across his knees, just like Michael had described. “Hey girlfriend,” she said softly, “I wanted to see how you were doing.”
“Not so good,” Max said, opening his eyes. “Without Liz, I,” he shook his head, “I just don’t know what to do.”
Maria moved forward and took him by the shoulders. “Max you can’t fall apart,” she said. “Liz needs you. We all do.”
“But I don’t know how to find Liz,” Max argued.
“Max, you are the best, the only chance we have of rescuing Liz, and Isabel and your son. You can do this, Max,” Maria said. “You are strong and you will find a way. I know you will.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(3.14.23692)
Kyle woke suddenly and turned to see that Ava was gone. He glanced at the clock and saw to his dismay that he had slept late, really late. It was the middle of the afternoon. Getting out of bed, he quickly dressed and hurried out of his room, looking for Michael.
He found him with Maria and Sean in the breakfast room, deep in conversation.
“Michael,” Kyle interrupted them, “I need to talk to you, alone.”
Michael glanced at Maria and Sean and nodded. “Okay, let’s go in the other room,” he said, motioning across the hall.”
Kyle closed the door behind them and Michael came right to the point. “Okay, why couldn’t Sean and Maria hear this?”
“I didn’t want to upset them, in case it turns out to be nothing,” Kyle said.
“If what turns out to be nothing?” Michael asked.
“The last two nights, I’ve dreamed about Liz,” Kyle said.
Michael shrugged, “So what?”
Kyle shook his head. “You don’t understand. I don’t think they were really dreams. I think that somehow I was talking to Liz in my sleep.”
“Just because you had a couple of dreams with Liz in them, it doesn’t mean you were talking to her,” Michael said dismissively.
“After the first dream I didn’t think so either,” Kyle admitted, “but when I woke up just now I remembered something. In the dream Liz quoted Shakespeare, something from Hamlet.”
Michael shrugged. “So?”
“I’ve never seen or read Hamlet,” Kyle explained, “so how would I know the whole speech she recited?”
“Maybe your mind just made it up, something you thought sounded like Shakespeare,” Michael said. “How did it go?”
Kyle repeated word-for-word what Liz had said in his dream and Michael nodded. “You’re right. That’s one of Halmet’s speeches.”
“How do you know?” Kyle asked.
“Hamlet is a Mel Gibson movie,” Michael said with a shrug.
Kyle nodded. “So what are we going to do?”
“First,” Michael said, “we’re not going to tell anyone until we know something definite, especially Max. We’ll make some excuse to the others, and then you and I are going to see if you can contact Liz.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Royal Palace)
Again Liz pushed at the barrier Khivar’s man had placed in her mind, blocking her connection with Max. She had tried moving it several times in the last couple of days and she had felt it give a little. It was probably only a matter of time until she got it down.
Liz gathered her strength to try again, when a familiar sensation washed over her. She had felt it three times before. Once in Copper Summit just before they had left Earth, and then again on the ship when they had been searching it, and again when they had landed on Antar.
Automatically she turned to the door and watched unsurprised as it opened, and through it stepped a large man she instantly recognized as Khivar’s right hand, General Nicaron. They had discovered that the General was being impersonated by a shape shifter, while the real Nicaron was on Earth, but the strange sensation that accompanied her visitor made Liz gasp with realization. “Nicholas.”
Nicaron smiled. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Liz, or should I call you Ava? I almost feel I know you from what I have heard about you, and the memories of you I saw in Max’s head when I was mind raping him.” Nicaron took a seat. “Of course I did meet you in your other life.”
Liz nodded. “You killed me and Max.”
Nicaron suddenly leapt to his feet. “You remember that?”
“Vividly,” Liz said. Her eyes narrowed as she remembered when she had experienced the sensation before. “You were on the ship with us when we came to Antar,” she said. “In that little room near the entrance.”
“I thought you sensed me somehow. It must have something to do with your empathic abilities.” Nicaron nodded absentmindedly, still shaken by Liz’s words. If Liz remembered him killing her, what would Isabel remember? He had to take action before Isabel could reveal him to Khivar.
Liz looked up at him. “What do you want?”
“Now is that nice?” Nicaron asked, refocusing on her. “I just came to welcome you into Khivar’s fold.” He moved to the door, but stopped before leaving, turning back to her. “It’s kind of ironic, isn’t it? The former Queen of Antar now in the power of the man who usurped her husband’s throne.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Khivar entered his quarters and quietly approached Isabel, who was looking out the window, and he slipped his arms around her. She encircled his arms with her own and leaned back into him.
He kissed her neck, near her ear. “How are you feeling?” he asked. “You’ve been quiet since the announcement of our engagement. You aren’t having second thoughts are you?”
Isabel turned in his arms. “Of course not.” She wound her arms around his neck. “It’s just that I’m not used to so much attention. Our whole lives on Earth, we tried not to draw attention to ourselves. You know, hide in plain sight. And with everyone at the announcement, the press, it just freaked me out a little.”
Khivar reached up to touch her face. “You used to love the attention, crave it even when you were Vilondra.”
Isabel shook her head. “I don’t remember.”
“But you will,” Khivar assured her. “I can show you and I know once you get used to it, you’ll love it again.”
“I hope so,” Isabel said with a smile, “because I want to get more involved. When we’re married and I’m Queen, I want to help make Antar a better place. Get involved in the government, in charities, set an example.”
Khivar nodded. “Of course, my love, anything you want.” He took her hand and led her to the bed. “But take things slow, at a pace you’re comfortable with. You don’t have to prove anything to anyone.”
He kissed her gently. “After all, we will be getting married in a few days, and then there is the wedding trip and perhaps not too far in the future,” he placed his hand on her stomach, “a child.”
Isabel nodded, noting Khivar’s skillful change of subject. He was hiding something, she was sure of it. “You’re right, I don’t have to rush into anything.” She kissed him and then pulled back, as if she were just remembering. “I saw Rath today,” she said. “For a minute I thought it was Michael, but then I got a better look. I didn’t even know Rath was here.”
Khivar nodded. “Yes, I made a deal with him.”
“Oh,” Isabel said, “what kind of deal?”
“He has offered me fealty, and is in my service. But it is not important,” Khivar said, pulling her closer, kissing her neck. “There are much more pleasant things on which we can focus our attention.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Tess knew Nicaron and Khivar were keeping something important from her. Three days ago Nicaron had come to her and told her that there was a part of the palace that was off limits to her and guards were posted outside. Tess couldn’t imagine anything that would be so important other than the Granolith and she decided to see for herself.
Yesterday she had followed Khivar into the disused part of the palace. She was careful not to get too close to him and used her powers to easily bypass the guards after Khivar had gone inside. But she had not followed him closely enough and lost Khivar in the twisting corridors.
So today when Nicaron had gone into the same part of the palace, she followed him more closely, to see which door he entered. And when he stopped at a door, she had hidden across the hall and watched her lover enter a room that was locked by a coded touchpad. Nicaron only stayed in the locked room for a few moments before emerging again and then he strode quickly down the hall the way he had come.
Tess waited until he was out of sight before she emerged from her hiding place. She crossed to the door, quickly punching in the combination she had seen Nicaron use to open the coded lock. Then she pushed the door open and went into the room, but stopped in surprise when she saw the solitary occupant.
“Liz!” she gasped.
Liz was surprised to see her too. “Tess,” she hissed.
“So if you’re here,” Tess said, “that means Max is too.” Her eyes narrowed suspiciously, “Or did Khivar bring you here with us?”
Liz nodded, her eyes narrowing with hostility. “Max is here, but don’t get your hopes up. We know who you really are and we know everything you did.”
The blood suddenly drained from Tess’ face. “What do you mean?” she asked shakily.
“Max remembered that you forced him to sleep with you,” Liz spat. “How could you do such a horrible thing? It’s rape, Tess. Your son was created by a rape.”
Tess shook her head. “Max loved me. He still does. That’s why he came here, so we could be together.”
“Love?” Liz asked incredulously. “Is that what you call it when you force a man to want you? When you plant feelings and emotions in him and make him have sex with you?” Liz laughed humorlessly. “I’d call it pathetic.”
“He does love me,” Tess said. “We would still be together if you hadn’t interfered. I never would have had to show him his true feelings if you hadn’t been there. You ruined everything in both our lifetimes, all of my plans, my dreams. But when I kill you, there won’t be anything standing between me and Max. We’ll finally be together just like we should have been all along.”
“You keep saying that,” Liz said, “but Max has never chosen you when he’s had the chance.”
“I’ve loved him for two lifetimes,” Tess said. “I deserve to have him.”
Liz laughed. “You may have loved him but he hasn’t returned your love. And I wouldn’t even call your feelings love,” Liz said. “It’s obsession. Planting feelings in Max and forcing him to be with you. Tess, you don’t care about him at all, you only are only interested in what you want.”
“How dare you!” Tess hissed. She used her powers to pick-up a nearby vase and hurled it at Liz.
Liz easily pushed the vase aside with a flick of her hand and it smashed into the wall. “Your mind warps didn’t hold up. I’ve had my powers almost since you left Roswell.”
“That doesn’t mean you can use them,” Tess mocked. She used her powers to levitate several statues and objects from around the room and sent them all at Liz.
With one hand, Liz raised a small table in front of her as a shield, and as the myriad objects hit it, she used her other hand to throw Tess back into the wall. “I felt sorry for you that Max didn’t return your love, because I knew what it was to love him,” Liz said angrily.
From her prone position, Tess threw another vase at Liz.
But Liz swatted it aside and stalked closer to the blonde. “I was willing to give up Max to you, and along with him any chance I had at happiness, because I thought it was the right thing.”
Tess levitated a chair and hurled it at Liz, but Liz didn’t even break her stride, using a wave of her hand to turn it into a shower of splinters. “I was nice to you, helped you, even tried to be your friend, and all the time I knew that because of you I would never be with the man I loved. And even though you got everything you wanted, you were still planning to use and betray us.”
Tess closed her eyes and started a mind warp of a fire surrounding her, the flames quickly catching the furniture on fire, hoping to drive Liz back.
Liz shook her head. “It won’t work, Tess. I can see through your illusions.”
Tess was growing angrier with every one of Liz’s words and built her power, fueled by her anger, and with a swipe of her hand pushed Liz back across the room, throwing her to the floor. “You bitch!” Tess spat, climbing to her feet. “You have been a thorn in my side for two lifetimes and I’m not going to let you ruin my life any more.”
Liz got to her feet. “Give me your best shot.”
Tess let out a scream of rage, reaching for the power she had accessed when she killed the skins, and felt the surge of uncontrollable energy erupting from her. She focused on Liz and directed the flames at her.
Liz raised her chin in determination and watched the flames build behind Tess. She stretched out her hand to defend herself but the flames extinguished suddenly, and with a scream of pain, Tess fell to her knees. Liz was confused for a moment but a voice from the door drew her attention.
“Tess, you would have a better chance at a long life if you didn’t try to deprive Khivar of his prize,” Nicaron said with a touch of humor in his voice. “Although that was one of the most entertaining things I have witnessed in a while. I always thought girl fights would be full of pulled hair and scratches though.” With a negligent wave of his hand, Nicaron returned the room to its formerly pristine order and pulled Tess to her feet. “Sorry for the commotion, Liz,” he said with a short bow. “It won’t happen again.”
He dragged Tess out the door and shut it behind them before he turned to her. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
Tess indicated Liz’s door with a wave of her hand. “She has ruined my life and I want revenge. Khivar owes me that.”
Nicaron shook his head. “You’ll have to be satisfied knowing that Liz won’t be with Max because she belongs to Khivar now.”
“And what about Max?” Tess asked. “He is on Antar.”
“Max is in hiding, but when we find him Khivar will honor the deal he made with you. But he will expect you to keep the information that Max and Liz are on the planet, to yourself for now. Don’t get any stupid ideas about telling Isabel. She probably wouldn’t believe you anyway, but even if she did, it won’t do anyone any good, especially you.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Secret Headquarters of the Resistance Loyal to the Tageonants)
Michael made the excuse to the others that he and Kyle were working on a new power that Kyle was developing, to get some time alone. They went into Kyle’s room and Michael took a chair, while Kyle settled on the bed.
Kyle looked at Michael. “I’m not really sure how to do this. I’ve never tried to make a connection before.”
“I’m not really sure how to do it either,” Michael admitted. “I’ve never shared a connection like that with anyone. But Max has told me about his bond with Liz. He said it feels like a piece of Liz in his head and he just concentrates on it and they can speak.”
“Okay,” Kyle said, closing his eyes. “A piece of Liz.” He concentrated, trying to picture Liz, her personality, her strength, that special quality that made her Liz. He thought of the times they had spent together and the close friendship they shared, and somewhere in the maze of his mind he saw a small golden light. Knowing instantly it was what he was looking for, Kyle focused on the light, making it grow.
With his eyes still closed, he spoke to Michael. “I can see it. Max was right it’s like a piece of Liz, a shining golden light.”
“Concentrate,” Michael said. “Focus on sending your thoughts to her.”
Kyle nodded and brought the light sharply into focus. Liz, can you hear me? he sent into the light.
After a moment with no reply, Kyle tried again. Liz, it’s Kyle. Please answer me.
He still received no reply and he took a deep breath, concentrating exclusively on the golden light. Kyle let the light grow until it surrounded him, encompassed him and he could literally feel the warmth of Liz’s personality. Liz, he said softly, you’ve got to hear me.
He heard Liz’s voice in his head almost immediately. Kyle, is that you?
Liz, Kyle breathed in relief. It’s good to hear your voice. Are you okay?
Yeah, Liz assured him. I’m fine, and now hearing your voice, I’m even better. Is everyone there okay? Max?
We’re all fine except for missing you. I didn’t know if I could really talk to you so I didn’t tell Max or anyone else except Michael.
How did you know you could contact me? Liz asked. I didn’t know we had a connection.
Neither did I, Kyle said. But the last couple of nights I’ve dreamt about you. I was in the palace looking for you.
Liz gasped. I had the same dreams.
I know, Kyle said. I figured out that we must have been communicating through our dreams because you quoted Shakespeare to me. I don’t know any Shakespeare, and I realized that I had to be talking to you.
Oh Kyle, Liz said, I am so glad that you figured that out. I thought they were only dreams.
Kyle could feel Liz’s relief and admiration through the bond and it made him feel good that he was able to help. I’m glad too and Max will be so relieved. I’ll break off now and go tell him and then contact you again.
Okay, Liz said, but hurry.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Royal Palace)
Nicaron let himself into Tess’ suite of rooms without knocking. He could pretty much guarantee this wouldn’t be a night she would be waiting for him in his bed. Tess was probably still pouting because he didn’t let her kill Liz.
But Tess had been naively optimistic about her chances with Liz. Nicaron had felt Liz’s power and watched her easily overpower Tess, and he doubted the girl-fight would have turned out the way Tess had anticipated. No, Nicaron thought to himself, remembering the calm look of fury on Liz’s face, he had probably saved Tess’ life, but she would never believe it.
Tess rose from the sofa when she saw him. “What the hell do you think you’re dong here?” she asked angrily.
Nicaron smiled. He liked a woman with spirit. “I had quite a time convincing Khivar that you could be trusted not to harm Liz. He is planning on making use of her abilities and was furious that you tried to kill her.” Nicaron sank down onto her sofa, with mock weariness. “He was reconsidering the whole deal with you because of that stunt.”
Tess shook her head and sat down next to him, snuggling next to him, putting a hand on his chest. “But you talked him out of it, right?”
“I had to make certain promises to Khivar, but in the end I convinced him to spare you,” Nicaron said, watching her reactions carefully. She looked genuinely scared and he proceeded. “So you might say, you owe me a favor, for saving your life and your deal.”
Tess leaned into him and kissed him on the cheek, while her fingers went to the buttons on his uniform. “Anything you want, General, just tell me.”
He let her continue with his buttons as he took her shoulders in his hands. “There is one thing you can help me with,” he said softly.
“Anything,” Tess repeated, placing a quick kiss on his lips.
Nicaron smiled. “I want you to help me erase certain memories from Isabel’s mind and then I’ll consider the debt between us paid in full.”
Surprised, Tess stopped what she was doing and sat back. “What? What memories?”
Nicaron took her in his arms again. “We’ll discuss it later, but now we have more important business.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Secret Headquarters of the Resistance Loyal to the Tageonants)
Max concentrated on the barrier blocking him from Liz, pushing at it relentlessly. He had done little else since Liz had been taken from him, trying to get any hint of where she was being held. He knew that the others thought he was simply sitting in his room mourning but he didn’t want to tell them what he was attempting and raise their hopes.
As he had continued to batter it, Max had felt the barrier between himself and Liz starting to break down and he knew it was only a matter of time until he destroyed it completely.
He built his powers and was about to push another surge of energy into the barrier when he was interrupted by a knock at his door. Max immediately allowed his power to dissipate but before he could answer, Michael and Kyle burst through the door.
“Max,” Michael said. “Kyle has a connection with Liz. He can talk to Liz.”
Max jumped up. “What? How is that possible?”
Kyle shrugged. “I don’t know really, but I just talked to her.”
“What did she say?” Max asked. “Is she alright?”
“She’s fine,” Kyle assured him. “She was worried about us.”
Max nodded. “Kyle will you let me talk to Liz through you?”
“Of course,” Kyle said.
Max let out a tension-filled breath and motioned Kyle to a chair near his own.
“I’m not very good at this,” Kyle so it may take a minute to get the connection.”
Max held out his hand to Kyle. “Thank you, Kyle, for everything you’ve done.”
Kyle nodded and took Max’s hand. “I’m just glad I could help.”
Max opened a connection with Kyle and immediately sensed a thread of connection like the one he shared with Liz. Grasping it, he brought it sharply into focus. It wasn’t as strong as the one he and Liz shared but he was relieved to feel the familiar rush of her emotions as the connection slid into place. Liz.
Max, Liz answered immediately. It’s so good to hear your voice, to feel you again.
And you’re okay? Max asked. Rath didn’t hurt you.
I’m fine Max, Liz said. Her soul yearned to join with his and she let them brush together briefly but stopped them from joining completely to keep her concentration. Max, I think I’m in the palace. Khivar put me in a room that I can’t get out of.
She felt Max’s agreement through the connection.
I can feel where you are now, he said. You are in the palace. And we are going to get you back.
I never doubted it Max, Liz assured him. I know you’ll find a way.
Liz, I’ve felt so lost without you.
Liz could feel the intensity of his love through the bond. Me too Max. Like I didn’t know what to do. The only thing I could think of was getting back to you. I love you so much.
I love you too, Liz, so much, and more every day. I want to touch your face, feel your kisses, Max said as he allowed their souls to merge.
Liz signed in contentment and momentarily basked in their overwhelming love before she regretfully separated from his soul. I’d love to stay like this forever but we’re probably embarrassing Kyle. And he’s not used to connecting this way. Can you feel how tired it’s making him?
You’re right, Max said. I don’t want to leave you but we’ll contact you tomorrow, first thing.
Okay, Liz agreed. I love you.
I love you too, Max said and dropped Kyle’s hand, breaking the connection with Kyle and Liz.
“Wow,” Kyle said. “I knew you and Liz loved each other but I had no idea how deep it was. I could feel your emotions and how much it is hurting you to be apart. And what happened at the end? Suddenly you both felt complete, perfectly happy.”
“Our souls joined,” Max explained, with a faint, bemused smile.
Kyle looked at Max with an expression of awe on his face as he quoted. “Few are there among men who arrive at Nirvana.”
Max nodded and concentrated on Kyle, “Thank you for letting us connect.”
“Any time,” Kyle said with a nod. “So do you have any ideas about how we are going to rescue her?”
“Now that I know where she is, it will be easier to come up with a plan,” Max said.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(3.15.23692)
(Royal Palace)
Rath went into Nicaron’s office and slumped down into a chair, hanging one knee over the armrest. “So what have you got for me to do today? Baby sit some new recruits or maybe take inventory of the palace tapestries?”
Nicaron glanced at him and turned back to his paperwork. “Are you saying that you’re not being challenged enough in your new position?”
“I’m saying you are giving me a bunch of trivial jobs when I could be helping with the important things. I should be learning how to be a General. You are wasting my abilities.”
“Not wasting,” Nicaron corrected, “cultivating. We are training you from the ground up, so you can learn every aspect of the job.”
“You must think I’m pretty stupid to try and sell me that line of crap,” Rath said.
“It’s not crap,” Nicaron said. “You have no memory of your other life and no practical experience running an army. You offed your best friend, that’s the only reference you have. You’re not ready for more responsibility.”
Rath put both feet on the floor and leaned forward menacingly. “I think you and Khivar are jerking me around. I went to a lot of trouble to get here and bring you Liz, and I expect to live up to your end of the deal.”
Nicaron put down his papers and met Rath’s eyes. “What more do you want? You have free run of the palace, unlimited access to Liz and you have been given an honorary rank. After we get Max, you will be the third most powerful man on Antar.”
Rath sighed. “Okay. What duties do you have for me today?”
Nicaron handed him a data disk and Rath left his office, walking quickly down the corridor. Khivar and Nicaron didn’t trust him completely and he had expected that, he just needed to prove his loyalty and his abilities to them.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Khivar knocked before entering Liz’s room and found her seated on the sofa, obviously out of breath. “I hope you are well.”
Liz nodded. “Fine. I was just um, exercising.”
Khivar’s eyes narrowed as he took a seat across from her. “You are a terrible liar,” he said. “You were attempting to escape.”
Liz shrugged. “Could you blame me?”
“No,” he said, “but perhaps I have a more productive use for you powers. A long-term plan, if you will.”
“And what is that?” Liz asked suspiciously.
“I made a deal with Rath when he brought you here,” Khivar said. “He agreed that I would hold you to lure Max into the open and when Max was dead, I would give Rath certain rewards, including you as his wife.”
“What?” Liz asked incredulously. “I am not your property. You can’t just give me to him like some toy you are tired of.”
“I can,” Khivar assured her.
Liz remained silent and Khivar continued. “I believe that Rath desires you and wishes to make you his wife, but I question if that is his only motive. He is of Royal blood, and with the former Queen at his side, he could try to make a move for the throne.”
“Even if Max were dead, I wouldn’t marry Rath,” Liz said heatedly.
Khivar smiled. “Your consent to the marriage is of no matter. Once Max is dead, no one will stand against me and I can do with you as I please.” He shrugged. “But even if Rath’s only motive in wanting you is love, I haven’t yet decided if I will give you to him. You are very powerful and I think you could be useful to me. So any deal I make with Rath concerning you would have to include the use of your powers.”
“Your own private oracle,” Liz said, “locked away in a back room.”
“Something like that,” Khivar said. “I can see now that I was too hasty when I killed you in your last life. I was only thinking of securing my position and I hadn’t considered just how useful your talents could be.”
Liz shook her head. “I would never help you.”
Khivar smiled. “Never is a strong word, Liz. I know you aren’t used to dealing with people like me and I will only warn you once that you don’t stand a chance. I am used to getting what I want and I am willing to go past a polite request to get it. I can be extremely ruthless and cruel when the situation calls for it. So before you answer me again Liz, consider this. It would be quite easy for me to have any memories of your friends and family and Max erased from your mind. Then you wouldn’t remember hating me and would be quite willing to help.”
A cold shiver of terror raced through Liz and she shook her head furiously, rising from the sofa and backing away from him with an outstretched hand. “You wouldn’t. You can’t take my memories of Max. We’ve just been reunited. He’s everything to me.”
Using a burst of super speed, Khivar was instantly beside her and roughly grabbed her upper arms, lifting her off the floor. “If that’s what it takes,” he said softly, “I will have every precious memory of Max ripped from your mind.”
“Please,” Liz begged desperately. She could feel the veracity of his words, his unfeeling, single-minded force of will. Khivar would do as he said, of that she had no doubt. Tears welled up in her eyes and ran down her cheeks as she trembled in Khivar’s tight grip. Liz was more scared than she ever remembered being; terrified that Khivar would take Max from her, and the worst part was, after it was done she wouldn’t even remember what she’d lost. “Please, Khivar.”
“Then I expect you to be in a more corporative frame of mind, when I return,” Khivar said smoothly. He pushed her from him and she fell roughly to the floor as he strode from the room.
Still trembling, Liz collapsed into sobs of anguish.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Secret Headquarters of the Resistance Loyal to the Tageonants)
Max awoke as Liz’s overwhelming fear burst through their bond and he grasped for the golden thread of connection anxiously. Liz, can you hear me? Are you okay?
There was no response from her but he felt her terror through the bond as if it were his own. And fury rose up in him to think of what Khivar or his people could be doing to her. He had waited too long and Liz was paying the price for his inaction.
Liz, I don’t know if you can hear me, he sent through the connection, but I am coming for you. Just hold on a little longer.
With a wave of his hand Max dressed himself and left his room, pushing past the protectors. He burst into Michael’s room across the hall without knocking, causing Michael to tumble out of bed and to his feet.
“Khivar is hurting Liz,” Max said, his fury barely contained. “I am going to get her. Gather any troops you can and use that damned memory we recovered about Nicholas, anything that will help.”
Michael nodded. “Okay. It will take a little time to get everything coordinated…”
Max cut him off. “Do it, but I’m not waiting.” He turned to leave, but Michael’s hand on his shoulder stopped him.
“Max, you can’t go out there alone. You don’t have any offensive powers.”
“Don’t I?” Max asked. Without turning, Max used a small burst of his shield to propel Michael’s hand off his shoulder. “I am going to save Liz. Follow as soon as you can. Khivar has gone too far this time. If he wants a war, we’ll give it to him.”
Maria watched the interaction in silence but spoke when the door closed behind Max. “I’ve never seen Max like that.”
Michael shook his head. “That wasn’t Max and it wasn’t Zan,” Michael said, understanding the bond between Max and Liz a little better because he had experienced it in their connection. “It was a man so deeply in love that he’s willing to do anything to save his wife.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Max went out the front door, flanked by his guards, including Cuerena. “Follow me,” he ordered, “but stay back, I don’t want to hurt you.”
The guards took a few steps back and Max threw open his mind, automatically bypassing the energy of the Granolith because of the warnings he remembered from his other life not to use it as a weapon. Instead, he reached for the power he had felt through the Granolith, the overwhelming power of the planet itself. He had been wary of it before, but now he allowed it enter him, welcomed it. Max gasped at the amount of energy rushing through him, and for a moment he thought he might pass out, but his fury came back full force at the thought of failing Liz and it helped him control the awesome force.
And the thought of Liz was all it took to burst through the barrier Khivar had placed in her mind and suddenly they had complete access to one another. Liz are you alright?
Max, I’m so scared, she sobbed through the connection. Khivar threatened to take all of my memories of you if I didn’t use my powers to help him. I can’t bear the thought of losing everything we’ve had.
Don’t worry, Liz, I’ll never let that happen, he assured her. I’m coming for you now.
You tapped into the planet’s energy, Liz said. I can feel it. But it’s too dangerous, Max. I can’t lose you.
You won’t. Stay connected to me, let your power combine with mine and you will help me control the energy. Together we are stronger. Together we can do anything.
Max channeled the power into his shield, raising it around him, a giant green, pulsing ball of energy that lifted him off the ground and hovered a few feet above the street. And with a thought, he propelled the ball forward toward the palace and Liz.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Michael sounded the alarm waking the entire house and quickly told them what had happened. “We’ve got to do anything we can to help Max.”
Michael looked at Kranon. “Get that memory about Nicholas ready to play on all the frequencies you can access, including Khivar’s secret ones. Broadcast that Max is here to take back the planet and anyone interested in helping should rise up against Khivar.”
“Yes Sir,” Kranon said.
“I’ll help with that too,” Alex said.
Michael nodded. “And any orders you intercept from Khivar to his troops, relay to Toaks, so we can have people in place to counter them. This time we’ll take his troops by surprise.”
Michael turned to Nedra. “Your Highness, you are known to the people, perhaps you should record the message.
Nedra nodded, “Of course.”
Kranon, Nedra and Alex hurried out of the room and Michael turned to Toaks. “Get any troops or allies you can find. Send a group toward the palace and use the rest to take out Khivar’s troops in the city.”
Toaks bowed and hurried off.
Michael nodded and turned to Ryden. “It’s time to get the Michael worshippers involved. Show them my memories or whatever it takes, but get them organized and send them against Khivar.”
Ryden nodded. “You’ve got it.”
“What about us?” Maria asked, motioning to herself and Sean.
“You don’t have powers,” Michael said. “It would be too dangerous. You’re just going to have to sit this one out, or maybe you can help Alex and Kranon. I’ve got to contact the other planets to see if they will help.”
Sean and Maria went in the direction of the lab with Michael, leaving Kyle alone with Ava.
Kyle motioned down the hall where Sean and Maria had disappeared. “They may not have powers,” he said, as he headed to the front door, “but I do and I’m going to help get Liz back.”
Ava hurried after him. “So am I.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Max traveled for almost ten streets, in the sparse, early morning traffic, before he encountered any of Khivar’s troops. They spread out in a line, with their blasters raised and ordered him to stop, but Max simply spread out his hands, extending his shield as a solid wall on either side of his sphere of protection.
As he approached them, the soldiers opened fire, but the shafts of red light simply bounced off his shield. Some of the soldiers attempted to run but the others held their ground as Max barreled toward them. His shield made contact with them and Max could feel each soldier’s life force and knew he had the power to extinguish them all. His fury consumed him and he wanted to crush every one of them, but he held back, only using enough power to render them unconscious, and moved on.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Secret Headquarters of the Resistance Loyal to the Tageonants)
Kranon handed one of the shape shifter guards a portable camera calibrated to work with their equipment and sent him after Max. Then he joined Alex to quickly connect the pendant and the chevron-shaped amplifier into the broadcasting terminal. Nedra recorded a message to be played with the memory they had recovered from Raltos.
Nedra finished her message and turned to Kranon. “It’s done.”
Kranon nodded. “So is this, your Highness.”
Nedra raised her head proudly. This was the day she had been waiting for. “Send it,” she ordered.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Royal Palace)
Isabel slumped down onto the sofa with a sigh. She really had to talk to Khivar about something she could do during the day, when he was working. She got so board just wandering around the palace and the grounds. She didn’t have any friends to do anything with, and because he was concerned about her safety, Khivar wouldn’t let her out of the palace alone.
With a wave of her hand, Isabel turned on the device that resembled a TV. There was some woman talking and Isabel switched it to another channel only to see the same woman again. Isabel figured it was a commercial and with a touch of annoyance, flipped to a third channel but the woman was there again.
Isabel sat forward looking at her for the first time and was shocked to recognize her mother. She quickly turned up the sound to hear what her mother was saying.
Again I repeat, my son, the reborn Zantor Tageonant and his wife Avalynd, the true King and Queen of Antar have returned to take back the planet. They call for any who oppose Khivar’s tyranny to come forward and join in the fight to overthrow him.
“Max!” Isabel gasped. “Max and Liz are on Antar!”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Nicaron rushed into Khivar’s office where he was doing some paperwork and bowed formally. “Your Majesty, the Tageonants are broadcasting a message that says Max has returned to take back the planet and calls for the rebels to come forward to oppose you.”
“What?” Khivar asked incredulously.
“We also have reports of a man floating down the main thoroughfare in a glowing green sphere, taking out all of the troops he comes in contact with.”
“Max!” Khivar growled.
“The message also contains a memory recovered from Corporal Raltos, who you used on Earth as a communicator. It shows a conversation we had where I revealed that I was a shape shifter. Some of the troop commanders are reporting rebellion in the ranks and even some blatant mutiny.”
“Raltos,” Khivar said. “How would they…” he trailed off as realization struck. “Raltos must have been on the ship when Max commandeered it.”
“Send an order that any mutineers will be shot on the spot and for all troops to hold their ground against the pretender claiming to be Zan Tageonant. Activate all of the troops and reinforce the guard around the palace.”
“Yes, Sir,” Nicaron said, the light of battle lighting his eyes. He quickly sent the orders and turned back to Khivar, who had a thoughtful look on his face. “Max has been on the planet a long time, I wonder why he acted today?”
“I threatened her and somehow he knew,” Khivar said with a touch of awe in his voice.
“What?” Nicaron asked. “Who are you talking about, Sir?”
Khivar focused on Nicaron. “I threatened Liz, and even though their connection is blocked, somehow Max must have known. He is coming for her.”
Nicaron nodded. “Then I’ll be waiting when he gets here.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Kyle and Ava ran along with Max’s guards, who trailed behind him, mopping up any of Khivar’s troops that he had missed. Kyle grabbed blasters off the fallen soldiers and he handed one to Ava.
It was kind of crazy, Kyle thought to himself, running down the middle of a deserted street, after a floating green ball that contained Max. But for some reason he felt he needed to be there.
Ava suddenly tugged at his sleeve and Kyle turned to where she was pointing. He had been so engrossed in keeping them alive that he hadn’t seen the enormous building in the distance. It rose up from the horizon, grey shining towers and spires, and without anyone to tell him, Kyle knew it was where they were headed, the palace.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Royal Palace)
Liz paced back and forth in her room trying to dispel some of her nervousness. She had a strange feeling in her stomach that even the usually calming influence of the connection with Max couldn’t remove.
Liz had never felt so vulnerable, so helpless. She was completely at Khivar’s mercy and there was nothing she could do to save herself. Her whole body shook with uncontrollable shivers, fearing that at any moment Khivar would return and take everything from her before Max could arrive.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
More people responded to Michael’s call for help than he had anticipated. He sent the majority of them to the palace but took an elite group of soldiers, who had fought beside him in his other life, to the main city gate.
Khivar’s soldiers were trying to hold the gate against a group of Max’s supporters attempting to enter the city. They were so intent on their task that the didn’t see Michael and his troops until it was too late.
Michael’s men quickly overpowered the soldiers guarding the gate from behind. Several of Khivar’s soldiers turned on their comrades when they saw Michael’s men and then surrendered to him.
Michael opened the gate personally and greeted Ryden, who was leading the former Michael worshippers. “Glad you could join the party.”
Ryden nodded. “I wouldn’t miss it.” He motioned to the troops behind him. “We have people all over the planet who are sending in reports of Khivar’s troops mutinying and the common people and the nobles joining together to rise up against Khivar.”
He handed Michael a small device that resembled a TV. “Have you seen the coverage that’s being broadcast?”
Michael looked at the images on the screen of a glowing green ball, with someone inside, floating ever closer to the palace. “What the hell is that?”
“That is Max,” Ryden said.
Michael turned to Khivar’s men who had surrendered to them. He held up the screen, showing them the images. “Give your oath to follow Max as your true King, and you will receive a full pardon for supporting the usurper Khivar.”
The soldiers readily agreed and with a swipe of his hand, Michael changed their uniforms from the black of Khivar’s regime to the deep blue of the Tageion’s livery. He motioned to several of his men. “Stay here and keep the gate open to let in any of Max’s supporters.” Then he turned to the others. “Let’s get to the palace.”
Ryden motioned to his transport and he and Michael hurried toward it. “We’ll be there in a few minutes.” He climbed behind the controls with Michael next to him. As they drove, Ryden switched on the screen to check Max’s progress. “I’ve never seen or heard of powers like Max has,” Ryden said to Michael. “I certainly wouldn’t want to make him mad.”
Michael shook his head. “Khivar already did.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Royal Palace)
Isabel had watched her mother’s repeating broadcast several times before she left her rooms to find Khivar. The message had been inter-cut with a live broadcast showing Max floating down the street in a green sphere, obviously created by his shield. He was headed toward the palace and Khivar’s troops were crumbling before him. Liz was nowhere in sight but on the broadcast Isabel had caught a glimpse of Cuerena, Kyle and Ava. So it wasn’t a hoax, Max and the others were on the planet.
Isabel burst into Khivar’s huge, ornate office and found him sitting at his desk. “Max is on the planet and you didn’t tell me?” she asked furiously, as she crossed the large room to get to him.
Khivar shrugged. “Max has few followers. It is only a matter of time until we destroy him and I wanted to save you the pain of knowing your brother was really dead.”
“And what about the others?” Isabel asked. “Are you just going to kill all of them too?”
“Only your brother must die,” he said softly. “I already have Liz in my power and the others merely have to give me their oath and I will spare them.”
“You have Liz,” Isabel said with a shake of her head, realizing the extent of Khivar’s lies. She stalked around the desk, stopping just inches from him. “I won’t do it again, Khivar. I won’t choose between you and my family,” she said with a finger to his chest. “It’s time for you to choose. You can choose me and do the right thing, step down and end this war and accept whatever punishment is coming your way. Or you can choose to continue with this fight. But if you do, I won’t be with you.”
Khivar got to his feet with a growl, taking her in his arms. “I won’t give you up and I won’t give up the throne.”
Isabel pushed against his chest. “Let me go, Khivar.”
“Once your brother is finally dead, there won’t be any more arguments,” he said arrogantly. “You and Antar belong to me.”
He lowered his head and kissed her roughly, taking possession of her mouth, and against her will Isabel felt herself respond. She kissed him hungrily, fearing it would be the last time, and tears of regret welled up in her eyes and spilled down her cheeks.
Khivar felt the moisture on his cheeks and ended the kiss, taking her head gently in his hands and smoothing away her tears with his thumbs. “Don’t cry,” he whispered. “It will all be over soon, my love.”
Suddenly the lights flared, blinking brightly a few times, before they extinguished completely, and only the light of the emergency back-up system illuminated the room.
Isabel gazed up at Khivar’s handsome face, bathed in the soft yellow glow. “You’re right,” she said softly, “it will all be over soon.”
Max had arrived.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The legions of guards around the palace were merely a minor annoyance for Max and they fell before him like the others, but the shield protecting the palace caused him to stop.
Max remembered in his other life how he had desperately used his powers to reinforce the shield to keep Khivar’s forces out of the palace. But today, he felt none of that fear or desperation, only a certain knowledge that he would get to Liz.
He reached through his protective shield and placed a hand on the palace shield, and using only a fraction of his newfound energy, he overloaded and then disabled the power throughout the palace. He made a hole in the wall and floated through the grounds and up the ornate staircase. With a negligent wave of his hand, Max threw open the heavy palace doors and continued inside.
I’m here, he sent to Liz, even though through the connection she already knew. It was more to reassure her than anything because he could still feel her fear and her trembling body as if he were holding her. Briefly he let their souls touch to calm her. Only a few minutes longer, my love.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
After Max went through the palace gates, Khivar’s guards started to mount a defense, and by the time Kyle and Ava arrived with the shape shifters, there was no entrance.
The shape shifters joined the battle with Khivar’s troops and Ava and Kyle took up positions with them. For several minutes the two groups traded shots through the main gate but they weren’t making progress fast enough for Kyle. For some reason he had a sense of urgency and he turned to Ava. “There’s a big hole in the wall at the side of the gate. Can you use your powers to hide us from Khivar’s men while we sneak in there?”
Ava nodded and started the mind warp and the two of them skirted the line of fire and walked right past Khivar’s men at the gate. They hurried across the stark front garden and up the grand steps, into the broken doors of the palace.
Once they were inside they ducked into a hallway and when they saw it was empty, Ava dropped her mind warp.
Kyle looked around for more troops but there was no one in any of the hallways he could see. The palace seemed to be deserted. They hurried down the hallway, to the end, and peered around the corner, again seeing no one. “I think we should go this way. I can feel Liz, through the connection I guess, and I think she’s down here.”
Ava nodded. “Okay, you lead the way.”
They ran through several more hallways and with each passing minute, Kyle’s sense of Liz grew stronger.
He stopped at the next corner. “I don’t think it’s too much farther now,” he said turning to Ava. But the hallway behind him was empty.
Ava was gone.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Finally Max arrived outside the door where Liz was being held. I’m here, he told Liz unnecessarily.
How are you going to get the door open? Liz asked. There is some kind of code on the lock.
Get away from the door, Max said. Take cover.
Liz got behind the sofa and when she was safe, Max used his shield like a battering ram, slamming it repeatedly into the door.
The whole room shook with each blow, but after a few minutes, the door was knocked from the frame and fell onto the floor. A cloud of dust filled the dark room and Max moved slowly forward through the door. He couldn’t see anything but he knew Liz was there.
As the dust slowly settled, he watched Liz rise from behind the sofa, bathed in the soft green light cast by his shield, the only light in the room. She was coated with dust and her hair was sticking out at strange angles but he thought she had never looked more beautiful.
For long moments they simply stood looking at one another and then Liz ran to him. Max’s shield parted automatically to allow her to enter and closed behind her, sealing them inside.
They instantly opened the connection between them as Max gathered Liz into his embrace and she threw her arms around him.
You’re safe now, Max assured her through their bond. I would never let anything happen to you.
I know, Liz said. I was just so sacred, but I shouldn’t have doubted you. I should have known you would find a way.
I couldn’t save us in our last life, Max said sadly, but there was no way I was going to lose you again in this one. You fill up so much of my heart that there would be nothing left if you were gone.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
One of the hallways she and Kyle had passed looked familiar to Ava, and as Kyle went on ahead, she had gone back to check it out. She hurried down the corridor and turned into another. And a flash of memory stopped her in front of one of the doors.
Without opening the door Ava knew what the rooms inside looked like. She had been inside many times and she had a warm, comforting feeling associated with the rooms, almost like home.
Ava pushed open the door and went inside. The room looked exactly like she remembered, the colors, the furniture, the accessories, down to the last detail. She crossed to the window and looked down into the garden as she expected.
“Tess?” a soft voice asked from an adjoining doorway.
Ava spun around, surprised by the intrusion.
“You’re not Tess,” the lady said.
Ava shook her head, surprised that the lady’s face brought a flash of instant recognition. “Udac!” she squealed and launched herself across the room, into the shape shifter’s arms.
Udac hugged her back. “Chanya, my beloved Chanya.”
Ava pulled back to look at the older woman. “My name is Ava now.”
“Like the former Queen,” Udac said.
“Because that’s who everyone thought I was. That’s who I thought I was until a few months ago.”
Udac nodded. “That was your plan. You replaced the Queen’s genetic material with your own to be sent to Earth.”
“I don’t remember,” Ava said. “And I don’t’ want to. Chanya wasn’t a good person and I don’t want to be her. I don’t want to be anything like her or Tess. She betrayed her friends and worked with Khivar to get what she wanted, just like Chanya.”
Udac nodded. “And now she’s using her son to bargain with Khivar. I warned her to be careful but she doesn’t remember me, doesn’t trust me.”
Ava took Udac’s hand. “I remember you and I love you. Come with me, Udac.”
Udac squeezed her hand and smiled.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Tess had watched the footage being broadcast of Max’s progress toward the palace with great interest. She knew he was coming to rescue Liz and it would give her a perfect opportunity.
And when she saw Max reach the palace gates, the power had gone out, and Tess knew that it was time.
She used a swipe of her hand to change her outfit and fix her makeup and then she went into the other room to get the baby. Tess hurried with her son, down the corridors to the room where Liz was being held.
The door into the secret part of the palace had been ripped off its hinges and the guards were lying on the floor next to it. Tess stepped carefully over the debris and hurried down the hall just in time to see a large glowing sphere, emerge from what was left of the doorway of the room where Liz had been held. Max and Liz were inside the hovering sphere, and it stopped when they saw her.
Tess took a few steps forward, holding the baby out. “Max, do you want to meet your son?”
The green sphere lowered to the floor and it dissolved into nothing. Max glanced at Liz and she nodded and he walked forward a few steps. He couldn’t take his eyes off the small blond-haired, blue-eyed boy. “What did you name him?” Max asked softly.
Tess smiled. “His name is Zantas, after your ancestor, the first King of Antar.” She took a few steps closer. “We’re finally all together. We can be a family now, just like we wanted, and everything will be perfect.”
“Can I hold him?” Max asked.
“Of course,” Tess said. “He is your son.”
Max looked at her for the first time and reached for the baby.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Cuerena had seen Ava and Kyle sneak into the palace and she feared for their safety. Neither of them had experience in combat.
It had taken Cuerena several anxious minutes to coordinate the other shape shifters into a diversion so she could sneak inside to find them. Once she was through the gate Cuerena had taken the appearance of one of Khivar’s personal guards to give herself free roam of the palace. And she ran through the halls, doing a systematic search but curiously found no one.
Cuerena had just reached the corridor where the guest apartments were located, when she heard voices coming from one of the rooms. She approached the room slowly, attempting to hear the words.
With a hint of confusion Cuerena realized that two women were talking and suddenly she recognized one of the voices. She morphed into the form she usually wore and called out as she entered. “Ava.”
The older woman with Ava stepped in front of her protectively but Cuerena didn’t recognize her. Ava placed a hand on the older woman’s hand. “It’s okay, Udac. She is Cuerena, one of Max’s protectors.”
Cuerena stepped into the room and Ava made the introductions. “Cuerena, this is Udac, my handmaid and protector.”
Cuerena nodded. “Where is Kyle?”
“We got separated,” Ava said. “But he was going to Liz. He could feel her through their connection.”
“Liz,” Udac asked. “Who is that?”
“She is the true Queen,” Ava said, “the reincarnation of Ava. It’s a long story, but Khivar is holding her prisoner in the palace.”
Udac nodded. “I think I know where she is. I followed Tess yesterday, as she followed General Nicaron. I feared for her safety and thought I might be able to help but she used her powers to go into a part of the palace that was highly guarded and I could not follow. And then a few minutes later the General escorted her out, neither of them looking pleased. When I asked her about it, she told me she was mad at the General because he had stopped her from settling an old score.”
“That must be Liz,” Ava said. “Udac, can you show us where?”
Udac nodded. “It’s not far.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Ryden stopped the transport near the palace gates and he and Michael jumped out and joined in the fight. But even with the shield down, Khivar’s elite palace guards were successfully holding the gate against Max’s troops.
Michael positioned his troops, using the battle experience from his other life, grimacing at the irony that now he was breaking into the palace instead of defending it. He called Ryden to him and made a rough map of the palace and surrounding area, with a swipe of his hand. “There are secret entrances to the palace, here, here and here,” he said, indicating the map. “Khivar might not have found all of the secret passages. Get a couple of squads together and try to get into the palace and you can take Khivar’s troops from behind.”
Ryden nodded. “You’ve got it, General.” He motioned to a few men and they disappeared into the surrounding buildings.
A soft hum of an engine was followed by a sudden series of explosions among his troops and Michael looked up into the air to see Khivar’s air forces circling around for another strike. “Take cover!” Michael shouted.
As the ships came into range again, Michael targeted the nearest one with his blaster and fired a series of shots that bounced off its shield. Frustrated he dropped the blaster as it passed overhead, and raised his hand building a tremendous amount of power before aiming it at the ship.
The blast hit the ship on the underside, burning a hole through the shield. A small explosion rocked the ship and it wobbled in the air for a moment, before diving uncontrollably to the ground and exploding.
A cheer went through Max’s troops and Michael raised his hand to fire again but hesitated when he saw two more squadrons of Khivar’s ships streaking through the air toward them. Another series of explosions rocked through Michael’s troops as the new ships joined the melee. Michael took aim at another ship but his shot was wide and he shook his head frustratedly. “This is going to take forever.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Kyle had looked for Ava for some time without success but had finally decided to go find Max and Liz to get their help in locating her.
He followed his senses toward Liz, moving quickly through the halls until he reached a door that had been ripped from it’s hinges, and knew he was on the right track. Kyle continued on, but stopped when he saw Max with Tess and the baby and Liz standing a little way behind Max.
Max had just taken the child from Tess and he cradled the baby gently in his arms, a bemused grin lighting his face.
Kyle unexpectedly felt a slash of jealously as he watched the scene before him and wondered if it was his own, or Liz’s feelings he was picking up on. But before he could decide, Kyle started to sense that something was terribly wrong. And as Max continued to look at the baby, Kyle saw his smile slowly fade, as he started shaking his head.
Max looked at Tess. “This isn’t my son.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Ryden took fifteen men and divided them into three groups sending two of them to the secret entrances Michael had indicated, while leading his own group to the third.
There was no one guarding the entrance and Ryden left his men under cover while he went alone to open the door. A wave of his hand illuminated the glowing handprint that activated the door and he pressed his hand onto it. From inside, a low click sounded, and the door swung easily open.
Ryden glanced quickly inside but it was too dark to see and he used his powers to make a ball of light and propelled it inside. Taking another quick look, Ryden could see that the tunnel had long been unused and he signed his men to come forward.
They moved quickly but carefully through the passageway, checking for traps or alarms but they found none, and in only a matter of minutes they reached the door leading into the palace. Ryden disarmed the hidden alarm, as Michael had showed him, and pushed open the heavy door.
They emerged from the dark tunnel into a dimly lit hallway in the palace, and Ryden relaxed when they found it empty.
But his moment of relaxation was short-lived as a familiar voice greeted them.
“How nice to see you again, Ryden,” Rath said.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Captain Naire rushed into Khivar’s office but stopped when he saw Khivar and his fiancée in an embrace. “Excuse me, your Majesty,” he apologized, dropping to his knees.
Khivar kept one arm around Isabel but turned to the Captain. “What is it?” he bellowed across the room.
Naire glanced at Isabel and then rose and hurried to stand before Khivar’s desk to make his report. “The gate shield is down and the man claiming to be the former King has entered the palace.”
Khivar nodded. “I know.”
“But your Majesty,” Naire continued, “we are unable to find General Nicaron and the rebels are gaining ground. There are reports from all over Antar that the people are rising up against you.”
Khivar put Isabel aside and with a growl, turned to the communications panel and started to manipulate the controls.
Naire followed him, passing close to Isabel and at the last moment he reached out, pricking her with a needle he had concealed in his hand. Isabel barely had time to realize what had happened before she slid to the ground, completely paralyzed.
But she could still see what was happening and watched in horror as Naire steadily approached Khivar from behind, with a large dagger in his hand. Khivar barked orders into the communicator, oblivious to what was happening and Isabel struggled to warn him.
Naire raised the dagger and plunged in downward into Khivar’s back, but at the last moment, his arm stopped. Naire’s surprise was evident, as he struggled against the force holding him in place, but as Khivar turned toward him, his surprise turned to horror.
Khivar causally reached out and took the dagger from the Captain’s hand. “I have suspected for some time that there was a Tageonant spy in our midst but I had ruled you out,” he said with a shrug. Then he turned the dagger and with a flip of his hand sent it through the air and embedded it deep into Naire’s chest.
Khivar didn’t even wait for the Captain to hit the ground before turning his back on him and going to Isabel. “Don’t worry, it is only a paralyzing agent.” He laid his hands on her and pushed his power into her and suddenly Isabel’s muscles eased and she could move again.
She wrapped her arms around him and he lifted her to her feet. “How did you know he wanted to kill you?” she asked.
Khivar motioned to a small device near his ear. “I am in constant communication with my commanders. Everything he said was lies, designed to throw me off guard. And just to be sure, I turned my back to give him an opportunity.”
Isabel shook her head. “And how did you know he wouldn’t kill me too?”
“He was your brother’s spy,” Khivar said. “He wouldn’t have harmed you.”
She looked past him to where the Captain was laying. “Is he dead?”
“Of course,” Khivar said. “It was a poisoned dagger. He would have killed me if he could.”
“I can’t believe I nearly lost you,” Isabel said, wrapping her arms tightly around him, “not like that. She shook her head. “This is crazy, Khivar, a war, spies, assassination attempts, a rebel uprising. You’ve got the power to stop it all now.”
“Even If I wanted to stop it, I don’t think I could,” Khivar said. “Your brother has seen to that. His troops at the palace gate led by Michael, will soon be wiped out. Kathana is sending reinforcements to help crush the people’s rebellion. Rath and his men are waiting for the soldiers Michael sent through the tunnels, and Nicaron is dealing with Max.”
Isabel shook her head, struggling against him. “I’ve got to go. I’ve got to warn them, help them.”
“It’s too late for that,” Khivar said softly, as he kept a firm grip on her. “You don’t remember, but that is how I lost you last time. It is too dangerous for you to be in the hallways. You might be accidentally killed by either side.” He motioned with his hand, closing the door and the lock clicked shut automatically. “I won’t let you out of my sight this time.
“So you’re just locking us in here?” She asked incredulously. “As the planet is falling apart around us?”
“Like your Earth saying,” Khivar nodded, “as Rome burns.” He reached up to touch her face. “Today we will finally have an end to this, one way or another.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Another and another squadron of Khivar’s ships joined the battle and Michael’s troops were being rapidly defeated. He was taking out as many of the ships as he could, but the constant use of his powers was exhausting him and there seemed to be a never-ending supply of ships and troops. Khivar’s forces had outflanked them and now they were pinned down on two sides and from the air.
Michael shook his head, they needed reinforcements badly or this battle would be over, practically before it had started. The part of him that remembered his past life, didn’t mind dying in the service of his King, but the part of him that was Michael, didn’t want to leave Maria.
And he didn’t want to disappoint Max either. Max was depending on him and he just had to hold on a little longer until reinforcements arrived. Ryden had said that more former Michael worshippers were coming and he had ordered them to go straight to the palace.
Michael suddenly heard a sound he didn’t recognize, a low hum of many engines, and he looked down the road, hoping the reinforcements had finally arrived, but he was disappointed to see nothing. He looked around puzzled, for a minute until he realized the hum was coming from above.
With a gasp of dismay, Michael watched as several more squadrons of ships approached. He shook his head, there had to be more than a hundred. “It will take a miracle to save us now,” he said softly. “I’m sorry Maria.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
When he heard Rath’s voice, Ryden yelled, “Scatter.”
But with a swipe of his hand, Rath threw the five of them against the wall, instantly killing Ryden’s men.
Ryden’s blaster flew out of his grasp when he hit the wall and for a moment he was stunned. He raised his hand, aiming at Rath, but nothing happened.
Rath held up a chevron-shaped amplifier. “Working with the skins for so long, I’m sure you know what this is and what it does.
Ryden nodded. “Of course. You’ve blocked my powers.” He looked around at the dead men littering the floor, four of his own and another half dozen who were wearing Khivar’s livery who he assumed had been with Rath. “What about these guys?”
Rath shrugged. ‘They would have gotten in the way of our conversation.”
“What conversation?” Ryden asked.
“You know, instead of fighting each other, we could work together,” Rath said smoothly. “I know your group has been working to put Rath on the throne. Well guess what? I am Rath.”
Ryden’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. “How do you know about that?”
Rath shook his head. “You really should be more careful when you are having private conversations. Anyone could be listening. I learned about that remarkable power of yours the same way. All of Max’s people talk way too much.” He shrugged. “I figure after today, Max and Michael will be dead, so that only leaves Khivar between me and the throne. And I will have the former Queen, Liz on one side, and the Princess Isabel on the other.”
“You want me to get my people to support you,” Ryden said.
“With your help it would be a simple matter to eliminate Khivar and then I would be in a position to reward all of those who supported me.”
Ryden nodded and sat up straighter. “Maybe we can make a deal.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Max looked at Tess. “This isn’t my son.”
Tess fidgeted nervously. “Of course he is,” she insisted, and immediately started a mind warp to stir up his parental feelings.
Max shook his head. “Your mind warps don’t work on me any more, Tess, and the last one has just worn off. I remember what happened now, all of it. You mind warped me to make me think we slept together but we never did.”
“Of course we did,” Tess said indignantly. “Just because you don’t want to claim you son, you won’t admit it.”
“But this child isn’t my son,” Max said.
“No,” Kyle said, as he stepped forward and spoke in a hollow voice. “He’s mine.”
Max, Liz and Tess all turned surprised faces to him and Kyle continued. “When I saw the baby, I knew something wasn’t right. Somehow I just knew he was mine and it made me remember.” He motioned to Max, “The morning after you and Tess were out all night, when we thought you had been together, she called me into her room. She told me that she had realized her true feelings for you and she didn’t love you, and you had just spent the whole night talking everything out. She said she loved me and wanted to be with me and we…” he shook his head, “we made love.”
He shook his head again. “At least I did.” Kyle looked at Tess, “But obviously it was just a convenient means to an end for you, wasn’t it Tess? You couldn’t risk really sleeping with Max, could you? Because when you connected with him, he might have seen who you really were and rejected you.” He turned back to Max. “Tess needed to be pregnant and she used me to do it. Then she mind warped me to forget.”
“Don’t be silly,” Tess said with a laugh. “We’ve never been together like that, Kyle, other than in your dreams.”
“It is true,” Ava said, coming forward with Udac and Cuerena right behind her. “I saw it in Kyle’s mind when we were connected.” She turned to Kyle. “I didn’t realize that you didn’t remember. I thought it was one of those things you wanted to forget.”
Liz felt a sense of profound relief, not only that Max hadn’t slept with Tess but that he wouldn’t suffer from the guilt any longer. And through the connection, which was still open between them, she could feel Max’s relief too. But his relief was tempered with a touch of sorrow, which Liz understood, because Max had anticipated having a son for more than a year.
But Liz’s relief was interrupted by a familiar feeling of uneasiness and Liz recognized it just as two things happened simultaneously.
Nicaron leapt from a doorway with an upraised hand aimed at Max, and Tess screamed in fury building a huge fireball behind her. Liz instinctively reached through the connection with Max, and using a sudden burst of Max’s shield, lashed out at Nicaron and Tess, throwing Nicaron through a wall and sending Tess flying down the hall and to the floor.
Cuerena surged forward to the hole in the wall. “I’ll take care of the General, your Majesty.”
Max nodded and turned to Tess, who was slowly getting to her feet, carefully clutching her wrist. “How could you, Tess? How could you do that to me? To Kyle and your son?”
“Kyle is nothing,” Tess hissed, “and neither is that baby. It’s us who matter Max. You and me. I should have risked sleeping with you and then maybe you would have seen how important I am to you. You have always been so blinded by Liz, you can’t see your love for me.”
“You’re deluded,” Max said. “I remember everything from our other life, Tess. We dated before I ever met Liz, but I didn’t love you. That’s why I ended our relationship.”
“You’re lying,” Tess screamed. “You loved me, I know you did.”
Max shook his head. “I loved Liz, that’s why I married her in our other life and that’s why I married her again a couple of weeks ago.”
Tess’ gaze went to the telltale ring on Max’s hand and her face twisted in hatred. Again she built her power, fueled by her anger and loathing. “I won’t let Liz have you,” she hissed, sending a fireball at Liz.
Max still held the baby in his arms but as the fireball passed him, he reached through his connection with Liz and looked through her eyes to raise a shield in front of her. Max kept the shield in place as he turned to make sure Liz was okay. His eyes quickly raked her body and seeing that she was uninjured, he then turned back to confront Tess, but she was gone.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Cuerena stepped through the hole in the wall, on guard, looking for Nicaron. She knew the General was powerful and ruthless, his reputation had been well known even before Khivar’s coup. Max and the others had told her that he was leading the skin army on Earth, but Cuerena hadn’t realized that she had faced him before, until a few days ago when it had been revealed that he was a shape shifter.
General Nicaron, Nicholas, Khivar’s right hand, was also the shape shifter she had seen in New York all those years ago. At the time, Cuerena had only known him as the General, but Khivar had dozens of Generals and she hadn’t even considered that the shape shifter was Nicaron.
The room was long with a large table surrounded by many chairs, but it didn’t appear that it had been used in some time. With her eyes, she followed the path of debris caused as Nicaron’s body had crashed through the wall and into the furniture beyond. Where the destruction ended, Cuerena expected to see the General’s body but he wasn’t there.
Instantly she was on guard, keeping herself in front of the hole in the wall, blocking Nicaron’s exit.
From somewhere in the room, Nicaron called out, “Sent a shape shifter to kill a shape shifter.”
Cuerena listened carefully but Nicaron’s voice seemed to echo through the room and she ducked behind a nearby chair. Suddenly a blast of energy hit the chair near her head and Cuerena rolled out of the way, taking cover behind another chair.
Nicaron’s laughter echoed all around her and Cuerena knew she was in trouble. The General knew where she was and he was very powerful. If she couldn’t locate him quickly, he would surely get her first. But Cuerena did remember one thing about Nicaron. He had a terrible temper that caused him to act rashly, and if she could throw him off guard, she would have a chance.
Cuerena shifted into the form of Nicaron’s lover Katian and in her voice called out to him. “That isn’t very sporting, not to give a girl a chance.”
“Katian?” Nicaron called out.
Cuerena raised her head over the chair briefly, so he could see her, and then ducked back behind the cover. “She was innocent of treason,” Cuerena called to him. “I set her up because I couldn’t let you find the clones hidden in New York.”
“Innocent!” Nicaron bellowed, rushing toward Cuerena. “I loved her.”
Cuerena barely had time to brace herself before Nicaron was on top of her, and they both tumbled to the floor.
“I’ll kill you for that!” Nicaron roared.
Cuerena shifted quickly again, making Nicaron lose his grip and she put a hand to his chest, pushing a surge of energy into him. “Not if I kill you first.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“Tess!” Max bellowed. He handed the baby to Kyle and rushed after her through the twisting hallways, finally stopping at the destroyed door leading into the main part of the palace. He looked around quickly, but didn’t see anything to show which way she might have gone. Max was furious at her for everything she had done, all the pain and heartache and death she had caused. But through the connection he felt Liz’s calming presence and heard her soft words.
Let her go Max. Tess’ actions have cost her everything. She’ll have to live with that the rest of her life.
Max nodded, and jogged back through the corridors reaching the others just as an explosion rocked the palace. Max quickly raised a shield over the group as pieces of the ceiling rained down on them.
Cuerena emerged from the hole where she had followed Nicaron. “He’s dead.”
With a nod Max turned to Kyle and Ava. “There’s a passageway out of the palace not far from here. Take the baby and Udac and get out, you aren’t safe in here.”
Kyle nodded, still looking at his son. “Okay.”
They walked quickly to the escape tunnel and Max opened it. “Thanks, for all your help Kyle, and congratulations on your son.”
Kyle turned to Max. “What did Tess name him?”
Max shook his head. “It was all lies, Kyle. He’s your son, you should name him.”
Kyle smiled. “Thanks Max, and I’m sorry.”
Max nodded and Kyle allowed Ava and Udac to move into the tunnel ahead of him, before entering.
Max turned to Liz. “Go with them,” he said in a strangled voice, “please.”
Liz shook her head. “No way, not again. I won’t leave you, like you made me in our last life. I belong at your side, no matter what happens, and that’s where I’m staying.”
Max smiled. “That’s what I thought you’d say.” He closed the door and sealed it and turned back to Liz. “We still need to find Isabel and Khivar.”
“Where do you think he is?” Liz asked.
“I have a pretty good idea,” Max said. “Can’t you feel him?”
Liz reached out with her senses and nodded. “Yeah, I can feel his power.”
Max nodded. “It’s like a light in the darkness, leading us right to him.
“It could be a trap,” Liz said.
Max took her hand. “With Khivar, I wouldn’t expect anything less.”
“Let’s go, Liz said, and turned to Cuerena, but she was gone.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Tess had hidden when she ran and now she was simply following Max and Liz through the hallways.
Max had his shield up, protecting Liz, but he would lower it eventually and then Tess would get another chance for revenge.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Cuerena hurried away from Max and Liz, making several quick turns to lose sight of them.
When she thought she was far enough away from them, her form shimmered and shifted into its usual face, General Nicaron.
He was lucky that Cuerena had come to dispatch him alone because it had allowed him to finish her off and take her form. She was a skilled fighter, but when she shape shifted, freeing herself from his grasp, he had taken advantage of his suddenly freed hand to deliver a fatal burst of energy, before she could execute him.
Liz had caught him by surprise when she had used Max’s shield. Nicaron didn’t even know such things were possible and too late he had felt the amount of power radiating from Max and Liz. He would have tried to kill Max again but he knew he was no match for Max’s power and he was afraid that Liz would sense him again, so he determined that the best course of action was to warn Khivar.
He arrived at Khivar’s office and was surprised to find the door shut, but he input the code and the door swung open to reveal Khivar with Isabel in his arms.
Khivar noted Nicaron’s entrance immediately. “Is Max dead?” he asked as Nicaron strode across the room.
Nicaron stopped before Khivar’s desk and glanced at Naire’s body on the floor and then at Isabel. “There has been a new development,” he said. “Max has suddenly acquired a large amount of power, more than he ever had in his other life. I attempted to kill him but Liz used his shield against me and I barely escaped.”
“Liz used Max’s powers?” Isabel asked. “How is that possible?”
Khivar shook his head. “I have heard stories, legends about such things but I didn’t think they were real. And obviously Max is getting his new power from the Granolith. But the question is, how long does it last and is he able to fully control it?”
Nicaron nodded. “Also, it might be of interest to know that Tess lied to us all. Her child wasn’t Max’s, it was Kyle’s.”
Khivar smiled and then started to laugh. “I never even thought to question the child’s paternity. Everyone, especially Max, had accepted that it was Max’s son.”
Nicaron broke into his laughter. “Sir, Max said he was coming to look for you and Isabel, perhaps I should summon your personal guard from the battle.”
“I think I can handle Max myself,” Khivar said, with a jut of his chin toward the door, “and besides it’s too late.”
Isabel and Nicaron turned to see Max and Liz step through the door.
“Welcome Max,” Khivar said. “You are just in time to witness the total destruction of your followers. Then I will kill you and reclaim control of your lovely wife and her powers.”
Max crossed half of the room before he stopped. “It won’t be so easy this time, Khivar.”
Nicaron moved to place himself between Khivar and Max, but Khivar waved him aside. “This is between Max and myself.”
Isabel grasped Khivar’s arm. “Don’t do this, I’m begging you.”
Khivar touched her face gently. “If Max had stayed on Earth, he would have been safe.”
“That’s what you told her,” Max said. “But it wasn’t the whole story. Isabel, after you left, Khivar ordered the entire skin army to Roswell to kill us all.”
Isabel looked at Khivar, shaking her head. “That isn’t true, is it? It can’t be. You promised me.”
Khivar sighed wearily. “Isabel, we are at war. I had a chance to kill your brother and I had to take it.”
“And you were just sparing my feelings again,” she said, backing away from him. “Was it all lies, Khivar? Everything you told me?”
“There were some necessary untruths,” Khivar admitted, “but you know I love you.” He suddenly raised his hand and used his powers to push her and Liz to the sides of the room as he propelled the dagger from Naire’s chest at Max.
Max barely had a warning sensation that Khivar was building his power and was able to erect a shield between himself and Khivar. The dagger traveled at such a high speed that it shattered when it hit the shield, scattering poisonous shards to the floor in front of him, which Max quickly melted into the floor.
“That vexatious shield saved you again,” Khivar said disappointedly. “And it would have had such a nice touch of irony if you had been killed by the dagger with which your spy meant to assassinate me.” Khivar shrugged. “We will simply have to test the strength of your shield,” he said with a flick of his hand, which sent several large pieces of furniture at Max.
Max pushed them aside, using a wave of his hand, before they even reached his shield and Khivar used his distraction to send a crackling bolt of black energy at him.
The energy bolt caught Max off-guard and when it hit his shield, it knocked him back across the room. He slammed into the wall and fell to the ground, his shield dissolving around him.
“Max!” Liz called out and tried to go to him, but Khivar held her against the wall with his powers as he stalked toward Max’s still form.
With a smile, Khivar stopped next to Max, where he lay on the floor. “Easier than it was last time,” he said, raising his hand and building his powers to deliver a deathblow.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Michael watched helplessly as the new ships streaked toward the palace. There were so many, he didn’t have a change at bringing half of them down.
The squadron in the lead fired a first round and Michael held his breath, waiting for their destruction, but when the explosions sounded they were not on the ground as he expected but in the air above. And Michael looked up to see the new ships, shooting Khivar’s out of the sky.
A voice he vaguely recognized came over his communication device. “It’s looks like you could use some help down there General.”
Michael activated his communicator. “Larek? Is that you?”
“Just thought we’d stop by and see how the revolution is going,” Larek said.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Ryden nodded at Rath and sat up straighter. “Maybe we can make a deal.”
Rath smiled. “At first we have to make Khivar think I am loyal to him, and any inside information you can give me about Maxie’s battle plans would be very helpful.”
Ryden started to rise but winced from the pain, dropping to one knee.
Rath had his blaster aimed at him immediately. “I don’t want to injure you further Ryden, so don’t do anything that looks like you are going for that blaster.”
“Sorry,” Ryden apologized. “My head hit the wall pretty hard and I’m a bit dizzy.”
Rath nodded and walked toward him, gathering all the weapons, on the way. Rath dropped a map of the castle and surrounding area at his feet. “Mark on there where Max’s forces are.”
Ryden looked up at him. “I don’t have a pen and you are blocking my powers.”
Rath sighed in annoyance and patted his pockets.
“Wait,” Ryden said. “I think I have a pen somewhere.” He patted his pants pockets and then his jacket, smiling with success. He reached into his inner jacket pocket and pretended to be fumbling around, as he carefully aimed the small back-up blaster he kept there.
The single shot hit Rath between the eyes, and for a moment he had a confused look on his face before he fell to the ground dead.
Ryden quickly gathered the weapons from Rath’s body and with a well-placed shot, destroyed the amplifier in his hand. “Michael said you were treacherous, but I never would have believed this.”
With a last sorrowful look at his men, Ryden hurried to join the others in the battle at the main gate. Michael was depending on them.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Khivar held Liz completely immobilized and she couldn’t use her hands to raise Max’s shield, so she went into his mind to do it, but Max was already in control. He was simply pretending to be injured, and when Khivar unleashed his powers, Max intended to focus his shield and angle Khivar’s powers back at him.
From somewhere in the room, Liz heard Isabel cry out, just as Khivar’s power surged toward Max.
Khivar threw a deadly energy bolt at Max but was shocked when Max’s shield suddenly appeared and bounced the energy back at him. Khivar was standing so close to Max, that he was unable to dodge aside, and barely managed to deflect the brunt of the power away from him. But a portion of the energy caught Khivar in the chest and knocked him to the ground.
Max got to his feet and rushed Khivar, but Khivar rolled aside and used his powers to throw objects at Max from several directions.
“I have been keeping Liz and Isabel out of this unpleasantness,” Khivar said, “but perhaps you should make sure that your wife doesn’t stumble into the middle. Neither of us would like to see her injured.”
Max used his shield to deflect the objects easily and glanced at Liz, raising a shield around her, and Khivar took advantage of the time to get a weapon from inside his jacket. He aimed it at Max and quickly shot, sending a long chain with three spiked balls soaring toward him.
Using a burst of speed, Max leapt out of the way and used his powers to send the projectile back at Khivar.
With an echoing surge of power, Khivar spun the chain, faster and faster, sending the spiked balls whirling through the air. Max backed a step, watching the spinning chain carefully as it advanced toward him. And at the last minute, he used his shield to deflect it back at Khivar.
Isabel stood immobile, Khivar’s power holding her, and watched with disbelief the escalating scene before her. She didn’t want either Khivar or Max to win, knowing the loser would end up dead.
Again and again Khivar threw the chain at Max, who dived and tumbled and used his shield to block each attempt. From inside his coat, Khivar produced a number of small explosive devices and threw them at Max.
Max encased them in a shield, absorbing the release of power as Khivar sent another arc of crackling, black energy at him.
Liz watched the battle with a horrible sense of deja-vu. It was so similar to the fight she had witnessed between the two in their last lifetime, on the security screens from a safe room, and she felt just as helpless now as she had then. And she struggled against Max’s power holding her in place, without success. Max let me go, she complained through their bond. Let me help you.
She could feel Max’s anger and desire for the situation to finally be over but she could also feel his fear. But Max didn’t fear losing her or fear dying, he feared that after everything they had been through, all of the struggling and sacrifice, that Khivar would win by making Max like him.
But even though she couldn’t help Max physically, Liz realized she wasn’t helpless. You aren’t like him, Liz told Max through their connection. You could never be like him. I can feel you holding back, but you have to end this, Max. For the people of Antar, for Isabel, for us, it’s your responsibility, our responsibility. Draw strength from me, from our love, and know you are doing the right thing. I’m sorry it has to be this way and I know it isn’t fair, but we both know we can’t escape our destiny.
I know you’re right, Max agreed. It’s just…
He trailed off and Liz rushed to assure him. Max, you can mete out justice and punishment and even death if you must, and you will still be a good man. You will still be the man I love.
Liz could feel Max’s relief through their connection as he reached for the overwhelming energy of the planet that he had been holding at bay. And with a mighty surge, Max struck out with his shield, pushing past Khivar’s weapons and power, and struck him squarely in the chest, using his powers to drain Khivar’s life force.
Khivar stumbled back but kept his feet and raised his hand, attempting to retaliate. But a look of surprise washed over his face, as he felt the amount of power radiating from Max and realized what was happening. Khivar clutched at his chest and sank to his knees as his strength left him.
Nicaron rushed forward with a roar of rage but Max threw him against the far wall with a small motion of his hand, as he concentrated on Khivar.
Max wanted to kill Khivar for all of the pain and suffering he had caused. For what he had done to the people of Antar, for what he had done to Liz to Isabel, for all of the deaths he had caused, Khivar deserved to die.
Max walked slowly across the room until he stood over Khivar. He could feel Khivar’s heartbeat, so fragile, so easily extinguished, just like Khivar had extinguished his and Liz’s lives. Max used his power to press on Khivar’s heart, slowing the beat until Khivar fell to the floor, gasping for breath. But as Max watched Khivar slowly dying, he didn’t feel justified, he didn’t feel like he was avenging the evil Khivar had perpetrated, he just felt wrong.
The force that had been holding Isabel in place suddenly dissolved into nothing and she rushed forward. “Khivar! Max, please.”
A voice suddenly emitted from the communication array. “Your Majesty Khivar, General Nicaron, we are being overrun. The citizens are charging our position, attacking with farming implements and their bare hands. Please respond, Sir. What are your orders? There are reports from all over the planet that the rebels are overtaking our positions. Many of our troops have mutinied and joined with the rebels. Our air fleet is wiped out. Sir what should we do? Please respond. Sir…”
The transmission cut off and static broadcast for a moment before it went completely dead.
Max stood over Khivar’s prone form and released his hold on Khivar’s life force, immediately feeling his heart beat and breathing ease. “It’s over Khivar. Your army is defeated, you’ve lost and you’re going to pay for what you’ve done.”
Suddenly the room filled with thick, dark smoke and Max quickly backed away, expanding the shield around Liz to encompass himself as well.
Tess and Idos, who had been watching from outside, took the opportunity to run into the room, past Max and Liz, to where Nicaron was already helping Khivar to his feet.
Idos ran to help Khivar, but Tess went to Nicaron. “I know you have an escape route. Take me with you,” she said aloud, and then whispered to Nicaron. “Convince Khivar to let me go with you or I will tell him what you asked me to do to Isabel.
Nicaron considered her for a moment. Maybe she could help, and if she became troublesome, he could always kill her later. He looked to Khivar. “Perhaps Tess’ talents could be useful to us.”
Khivar nodded.
Nicaron hit a panel on the wall and a secret passageway slid open, and Tess, Nicaron and Idos went inside.
Khivar’s eyes automatically went to Isabel and he held out his hand to her.
Isabel met his eyes and held them, and a perfect moment of understanding passed between them, as a tear ran down her cheek. She couldn’t go with him, but she would let him go. It was the last thing she would do for him. Her last act of love.
Khivar nodded, his eyes never leaving hers. And as the door closed between them, Isabel attempted to memorize ever detail of his handsome face. She thought she saw a single tear escape his eye and roll down his cheek, and at the last moment he raised his hand to his lips and blew her a kiss.
Isabel continued to stare at the wall, where the door had closed between them. She knew she would never forget Khivar, never stop loving him but she couldn’t be with him, it was impossible.
And as the smoke started to clear, Isabel turned to look at Max and Liz and she was filled with hope. Perhaps she and Khivar would be together, in their next life.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The door sealed between Khivar and Isabel, blocking her from his sight and for a moment he couldn’t move. He reached out a tentative hand, toward the door, not sure what he intended but Nicaron’s voice brought him back to the present situation.
“Sir,” Nicaron called out. “We’ve got to leave before Max figures out where we’ve gone.”
Khivar turned to him with a brief nod and climbed on-board the small escape ship, using his powers to cloak them from sight and technology.
As Nicaron quickly readied the ship for take off, Khivar relived the events of the day. Everything had happened so quickly, he still couldn’t believe that Max had won. Khivar berated himself for growing complacent, but he was still alive and it wasn’t over yet. They would go into hiding on the planet he had previously secured, and he would plan. It would take time, perhaps years, but he had set aside a large amount of currency to prepare for just such a situation. And if nothing else, he was patient.
Through the ship’s window, Khivar took one last look at the door that hid Isabel from him and released a weary sigh. “Let’s go.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A beeping sound on the large screen behind Khivar’s desk drew Isabel’s attention and she could see dozens of small blips approaching Antar. “Max,” she called out, “Khivar said that Kathana was sending reinforcement troops.”
Max rushed to the console and looked at the screen. He set the controls and picked up the communicator and spoke into it loudly. “This is Zantor Tageonant, the true King of Antar. The usurper Khivar has fled, and the planet will shortly be under my total control. I am ordering troops loyal to Khivar to lay down their weapons now and surrender, and I guarantee you will be dealt with fairly.”
Quickly adjusting the controls on the communicator, Max turned it to a secure channel and spoke into it once again. “Kathana, Royal Duchess of Ravok, this is King Zantor Tageonant. I am aware that your forces are approaching Antar. Khivar’s regime is defeated and he has fled the planet. The war is over and I once again rule Antar, with the power of the Granolith at my side. Recall your troops now or I will be forced to pull them from the sky.”
Max watched the blips on the screen, and for a moment nothing happened, but then they suddenly reversed course and the communicator indicated an incoming message.
A female voice emitted from the com. “Zantor Tageonant, King of Antar,” she greeted formally, “I have recalled all troops.”
“Kathana,” Max said, “I hope we can work toward forgiving old hostilities and again enjoy the friendship we and our planets used to share. You are invited to join us at my palace this evening, in a celebration of newfound peace.”
She was silent for a moment, as if deciding what to do and then she spoke. “Thank you for the invitation, your Majesty. I would be happy to attend.”
“We look forward to seeing you,” Max said and he switched off the com. He turned back to Isabel. “I’m really sorry that things turned out this way.”
Isabel shook her head. “No, Max, Liz, I’m the one who’s sorry. I shouldn’t have returned with Khivar. I just…” she trailed off.
Liz put her arm around her sister in law. “You are in love,” she said softly. “We understand that Isabel.”
“We know Khivar told you that he would leave us alone,” Max said. “You did what you thought would save us. You don’t have anything to be sorry about.”
Liz gasped, as realization suddenly dawned, “Max, Nicaron was here. That means…”
Max cut her off, “That means Nicaron was posing as Cuerena and she’s still back in that room.”
The three of them ran back down the hallways and ducked into the hole in the wall. The room was a disused meeting room and they spread out to quickly search it.
Isabel opened a closet and yelled, “Max!”
Max and Liz rushed over to where Isabel was on her knees. “It must be Cuerena,” she said, motioning to the small, genderless, gray body, lying on the closet floor. She pressed her hand to the shape shifters’ throat. “I think I can still feel a heartbeat.”
Max knelt down next to Cuerena and put his hands on a burn mark on her stomach, using his additional power to force a connection with the unconscious shape shifter. He quickly found her injuries and pushed his energy into her, healing the wounds.
As her injuries healed, a golden light enveloped Cuerena’s body and she shifted into the form that they were familiar with.
She sat up quickly but relaxed when she saw who was around her. “The General defeated me.”
Max nodded. “But he and Khivar and Tess have fled the planet. He helped her to her feet. “We’re taking Antar back.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Once it had been announced that Khivar had fled the planet, the remainder of his troops quickly surrendered, and the celebration started immediately after.
The citizens of the capitol city played music and danced in the streets. Max opened the palace grounds to the celebrations, and revelers and well-wishers surged around the palace.
Hand-in-hand Max and Liz climbed to the heights of the palace wall, flanked by Isabel and Michael. Ryden, Toaks, Cuerena and the remainder of the shape shifter guards took up positions behind them. They were joined by Ava, Udac, Kyle and the baby, and Maria, Sean, Alex, Nedra and Kranon from the safe house.
Max and Liz took Michael and Isabel’s hands and raised them for the crowd to see. The Royal Four returned.
The crowd let out a mighty cheer, chanting Royal Four, and Max held up his hands to signal for silence.
“Today is a glorious day for the people of Antar. Working together we have overthrown the criminal Khivar and taken back the planet.”
Another roar went through the crowd and Max waited for it to quiet down before he continued.
“But we also lost a lot of people today, friends and family, and there is still a lot of work to do. People are in need of food and housing. Relations between the five planets of the system are strained, and the government is compromised. There is a lot of damage to repair in structures as well as trust, and I promise you that all of these issues will be dealt with. For my first official act, I am reinstating the original name of Antar’s capitol city to the name of Tageonon. Under that name, the city has always been a place of reason and justice, a center of technological advance, arts and higher learning, and we will make it so again.”
A louder cheer raced through the crowd and once again Max motioned for silence.
“It will take a lot of effort, but with all of us working together, the noble houses and commoners alike, we can make Antar a place of peace and prosperity for everyone.”
The crowd cheered again and Max turned to Michael, grasping his hand and pulling him into an embrace and then he turned to Ryden and did the same. “Thank you Michael, Ryden. I couldn’t have done it without you.”
Michael smiled. “I don’t know about that,” he said with a shrug. “With all of that power, you probably could have taken on Khivar’s whole army on yourself.”
Ryden nodded. “I have never seen or heard of anything like that.” He bowed formally, remaining on one knee before Max. “You truly are the rightful King of Antar, your Majesty.”
Max placed a hand on his shoulder. “Please rise, Ryden. For your invaluable service and courage, Liz and I have agreed to award you the rank of Colonel, directly under Michael.”
For a moment Ryden was speechless and then he bowed again. “Thank you, your Majesties, I am honored.”
Michael threw an arm around Ryden. “Come on, Colonel, I’m looking for a new adjutant. You can tell me your qualifications.”
Alex, Sean and Maria rushed to Liz and Max and Maria pulled them both into an embrace. “I knew you’d bring Liz and Isabel back to us.” She released them and hugged a surprised Isabel. “Welcome back to the family.”
Isabel smiled and hugged her back. “Thanks, Maria.”
Maria released her and motioned over her shoulder. “There’s someone here I know would love to meet you.”
Isabel turned and recognized Nedra immediately from the photo Khivar had shown her. “Mother?” she said softly, somewhat unsure of her welcome.
Nedra smiled and came forward to embrace Isabel. ‘My beautiful girl, I’ve missed you so much.”
Isabel felt tears roll down her cheeks as she embraced her mother. “I’ve been waiting for this for so long.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Alex embraced Liz. “It good to have you back.”
“Thanks Alex,” Liz said. “I’m glad that you came with us. I saw in Max’s mind how much you helped.”
Liz turned to Sean. “Thank you too. What you said to Max was really important.”
Sean shrugged. “Somebody has got to keep that guy anchored to the ground. And you were right Liz, Max practically is a saint.”
Liz smiled and turned back to Alex. “Isabel lost a lot today and if you’re up to it, she could use a good friend.”
Alex nodded. “Thanks Liz.”
Max had been watching Isabel and his mother and he turned back to Liz, but a movement behind her caught his eyes. With a smile, he approached Liz and placed his hands on her shoulders, slowly turning her around.
At first Liz was confused but then she saw her parents. “Mother! Father!” she exclaimed as she rushed into their outstretched arms.
They pulled her into a tight embrace. “Avalynd,” her father said, “our precious Avalynd.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Michael took Maria’s hand and pulled her to a relatively quiet area. “Maria, today has really put a lot of things into perspective for me. I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
Maria placed her hand on Michael’s lips, cutting him off. “I know Michael and we will.”
Michael shook his head and removed Maria’s hand. “No, you don’t understand. I will live for maybe two-hundred and fifty years or longer and I want you there for every minute.”
A look of confusion crossed Maria’s face. “How would that be possible?”
“Max could fix it,” Michael said. “He could make you a hybrid like me. But I want you to think about it and be sure. It would mean a lot of changes in your life.”
For a moment Maria looked pensive, and then she smiled. “Of course I don’t have to think about it,” she said, throwing her arms around his neck. “I love you and I want to be with you.”
Michael smiled. “Then will you marry me?”
Maria squealed, jumping up and down. “Yes!”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Kyle watched Ava lovingly as she held his son and he put his arm around them. “Ava, I’ve been thinking. You and Tess are the same genetically, you practically are his mother and I would be honored if you would consider raising the baby with me?”
Ava looked at him. “Is that the only reason? Because I’m like Tess?”
Kyle shook his head, “No, I’m not very good at this obviously but what I meant was that I love you and I want you to be my son’s mother.”
“And Udac?” Ava asked.
Kyle nodded. “Of course she’s welcome. I know she means a lot to you.”
Ava nodded. “Then I accept. I’ve always wanted a family.” She handed the baby to him. “Have you decided what to name him?”
Kyle shook his head. “I don’t know.”
“You could name him after your father,” Ava suggested.
Kyle nodded. “I love my father and he is a good man, one of the best I know, but I think there are enough Jim Valentis running around already.” Kyle put his arm around her. “We can decide, together.”
Udac approached them with an older man at her side, and placed a hand on Ava’s shoulder. “Beloved, this is your father.”
Ava searched his face and felt a spark of recognition. “Father?”
“Chanya,” he said, “my angel.”
Ava rushed into his embrace, hugging him fiercely. Eventually she turned and indicated Kyle and the baby. “Father, this is Kyle, the man I love, and our son.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Alex handed Isabel a drink. “I’m sorry about what happened with Khivar.”
Isabel took the drink, nodding. “Thanks. I know you really mean that.” She smiled sadly. “You’re a good man Alex, and a good friend. Much better than I deserve.”
Alex shook his head, “That’s not true. You thought you were saving your friends and family by going with Khivar.”
“I love him,” Isabel said.
“I know,” Alex said softly. “He is the love of your life.” He took her hand, “All I want, is for you to be happy.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Kyle handed the baby to Liz.
“Have you decided what to name him?” Max asked.
Kyle shook his head. “Ava and I are going to choose a name.”
“She’s a good person,” Liz said, “ and she loves you. I know you’ll be happy together.”
“Thanks, Liz,” Kyle said.
Max smiled. “How do you think your father is going to feel about being a surprise granddad?”
“A big surprise,” Kyle agreed. “But he had started to get attached to the baby before Tess left. He’ll be happy.
“Max!” a familiar voice called out.
Max turned and grasped Larek’s hand, pulling him into an embrace. “Larek, it’s so good to see you. Thank you for coming to our aid.”
“I know you would do the same for me,” Larek said. “And getting rid of Khivar was what we all wanted.”
Larek turned to Liz. “I am so happy that you two found one another. You are the best thing that ever happened to this shy boy.”
Max put his arm around Liz and placed a kiss on her head. “She sure is.”
Larek motioned to the baby. “Is this your son, Max?”
Max shook his head. “It turns out that Tess lied about that too. When Kyle saw the baby he figured out it was his son.”
Max turned to Kyle. “I was holding the baby, touching him and the connection was wrong, that’s how I knew he wasn’t mine. But how did you know?”
Kyle shook his head. “I don’t know how to explain it exactly. Sometimes it’s like I see people in these, I don’t know, these colors. When I saw the baby, his color was wrong for Max, but it was right for me. And that triggered the memories of being with Tess.”
“The colors you see, Kyle,” Larek said, “what color do you see Max?”
“He’s a deep blue,” Kyle said.
Larek nodded. “And Liz, what color is she?”
“She’s a warm gold color, like sunlight.”
Max’s gaze snapped to Larek. “That’s exactly how you described our auras.”
Larek nodded again. “Kyle sees auras. That’s how he knew the baby was his.”
“I see what?” Kyle asked.
“Auras,” Larek said. “They are a visual representation of a person’s life force, their soul. The ability to see and read them is very rare.”
Kyle smiled. “So that’s my special power. I can see auras.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Michael and Maria walked slowly through the crowd, hand-in-hand, when Michael suddenly picked up speed, trailing Maria behind him.
“What are we doing, Michael?” Maria asked.
Michael kept going, dodging people in the crowd, but answered her over his shoulder. “There’s someone over here I want you to meet.”
He stopped their progress before an older man who smiled in recognition and pulled Michael into an embrace. “Welcome home, son.”
Michael gripped his Father tightly as tears came to his eyes. “It’s good to be home, Sir. I’ve waited a long time.”
Michael kept one arm around his Father and indicated Maria. “Sir, this is my fiancée Maria, and Maria this is my Father.”
The Duke smiled and took Maria’s hand. “It’s lovely to meet you, my dear.”
Maria could see the tears in Michael’s eyes and knew how much it meant to him to finally be reunited with his Father.
Maria hugged the older man briefly. “It’s wonderful to meet you, Sir.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
It was late, but the celebration was still going strong and Max and Liz moved to join Michael, Maria, Alex and Isabel in a relatively quiet corner, to catch up on the events of the day.
Michael motioned to Max and Liz. “So Isabel says that Tess got away with Khivar and Nicaron.”
“Yeah,” Max said. “I have declared all three of them war criminals.”
Isabel spoke up. “And I bet we can guess why Tess didn’t mind warp us all to go to Copper Summit with her in the Granolith.”
Liz nodded. “She was doing too many mind warps and she had to make sure that Max didn’t remember the truth so he would accept the baby as his own.”
“Yeah, Max,” Maria said. “We’re all really sorry that the baby didn’t turn out to be yours.”
“I am sorry and relieved at the same time,” Max said. “I am glad that I won’t be bound to Tess but I was really looking forward to being a father.”
Liz squeezed his hand, with a smile. “We have plenty of time.”
“So,” Alex said, glancing at Isabel, “what is the plan from here?”
“Well, in a couple of days,” Max said, “there’s the summit with the heads of the other planets, and after that I have called a session of the Council. There is a lot of work to do. The alliances need to be repaired. There are people starving, the commoners have no representation in the Council and I want to get shape shifter declared citizens, not a servant class or possessions.”
Alex smiled. “So are you going to live here?” he asked. “Rule as the Royal Four?”
Max turned to Liz and brought her hand to his lips. “You can’t escape destiny, but you can choose how to fit it into your life.”
Michael and Isabel smiled and nodded.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(3.19.23692)
It took a few days to clear and secure the palace, but finally the Granolith was moved back into the room where it had once resided.
Max and Liz sat down before it and Max took Liz into his arms, fully opening the connection between them.
I will never get tired of the simple pleasure of just being together, holding you, Max said.
Me either, Liz agreed. Especially since we saw what it was like being apart. I knew our bond was a wonderful consequence of being with you, but I didn’t realize how vital it had become. I’m just so used to having you with me all of the time, and when we were cut off from one another, I felt so isolated, so alone.
Me too, Max said, as he released the last bit of control and allowed their souls to completely join.
They both felt the overwhelming sense of completeness and all-consuming love they had for one another, chasing their worries away.
Max allowed them to bask in the union until he felt that both of them were completely content and then he pulled back until their souls were barely touching, making it easier to concentrate. He placed a kiss on Liz’s forehead. I really needed that.
Because of the summit tomorrow, Liz said. It would be the first meeting between the reunited Royal Four and the leaders of the other four planets, to try and rebuild trust and the old alliances. And that was why they had come to consult the Granolith.
Liz reached out, to include the Granolith in their connection and instantly, she felt that something was different.
Max could feel her confusion and reached out with his senses. It feels strange, he said. Almost like when I was connected to you through Kyle.
That is somewhat correct Max, a soft voice said in their connection. It feels different because another is present.
Max was instantly concerned, but he didn’t sense any feelings of malice. Who are you?
I am the Granolith.
You are alive? Max asked.
Yes, said the Granolith. But I am not a life form like you. I require no food or oxygen or rest. I am a being of pure energy who only requires a crystal, such as this, to live. At times I know Liz has sensed my life energy but I have been unable to communicate with you because I was worried that the amount of power I produce would harm you. But when you accessed and harnessed the energy of Antar, and avoided my power, and refrained from killing, even after you knew your power would do so, I knew it was time to alert you to my presence.
I am so sorry, Max said. You are a living being and we have been using you like a machine.
The Granolith sent a soft wave of soothing energy to them. It is my purpose. My people are an ancient race, who wish to spread peace, prosperity, and enlightenment throughout the universe. With the help of a race called the Lathens, we are sent to planets whose inhabitants’ mental powers have developed enough to use us. And when they are strong enough, and we recognize that they desire to use their powers to bring peace and not conquer others, we reveal ourselves.
So what happens now? Max asked.
We do not wish to influence the natural development of your culture, I am simply here to help. Use my power as you have in the past to enhance your own, for healing, for prognostication, to produce crops, to build your society, but be aware that there is a larger purpose. And for now, keep my existence to yourselves. There is still prejudice, crime and war, not all of your people are ready, but perhaps in time.
But you thought Max and I were ready? Liz asked.
You and Max are good people, the Granolith replied. You have never sought power over others, never wanted to resort to war, in any of the lifetimes I have observed.
Max shook his head. Lifetimes?
She must mean the time line that Future Max came from, Liz guessed.
Yes, the Granolith said. Whenever beings come inside to use me for transportation or time travel, a connection is formed and I am able to see all of their thoughts and memories. And when I saw that their intensions were to alter the time line, I transferred all of my memories to my self in the time that would survive.
How many times has this happened? Liz asked.
The time line when Max came back, you already know about, the Granolith said, but there was another where your protector Sodan went back in time.
Nasedo? Max asked. Why did he go back?
I will show you all, the Granolith said.
Max and Liz experienced a sudden rush of images and emotions, that lasted mere seconds but when it was over, they were both in tears.
They had seen everything the two shape shifters, Sodan and Kaldar had done and seen; the crash, their capture by the humans and escape. Kaldar’s life, staying near the pod chamber to guard them, his murder of Sheila Hubble, his rescue of the three of them when they came out of the pods early, and losing them because of his poor health.
They also saw Sodan’s recapture by the humans, his torture and escape, his time with River Dog’s people, his interaction with Atherton, his torment of the skins and the FBI, his return to retrieve the Royal Four but only finding Tess, and his long search for the missing three, Sodan’s eventual reunion with Cuerena and finally locating the three of them, Max’s total rejection of his alien side and relationship with Liz. The skin’s offer of a summit where the dupes were killed, Max’s sacrifice to save Liz, and Cuerena’s suggestion that they use the Granolith to go back in time.
They also saw future Max’s entire life, from his point of view. His pursuit of Liz, their marriage and life together, Tess’ departure, the conquest of Earth, the death’s of their friends and families and their decision to go back and fix it.
The Granolith spoke softly. I knew that Chanya had substituted her genetic material for Max’s real wife because my power was used to prepare the tissue samples before they left Antar. But I had no way to tell anyone.
She showed them Chanya’s memories, her collusion with Khivar, her betrayal that led to their capture and death, and her suggestion to switch her own genetic material for Ava’s
Finally they saw Tess’ memories when she had left Roswell in the Granolith. Her plans for herself and Max, Lonni showing Tess her true identity, Tess’ collusion with Lonni and Rath to use Alex, her many mind warps and betrayals, including the masterful web of lies surrounding the baby.
The Granolith spoke again. In the other time line, when Sodan entered the crystal and I experienced his memory, I saw that Max had rejected Chanya, and he truly loved Liz so much that he was willing to die for her. But Sodan believed so deeply that everything had ended badly because Max wasn’t with his former wife, that he was willing to do practically anything. And when I saw that Sodan intended to go back to prevent Max and Liz from meeting, I couldn’t let it happen. Max wouldn’t have wanted that, so I altered the date Sodan had entered, sending him to a time when Max had already fallen in love with Liz. It was September 17th, 1999.
That was just two days before Liz was shot, Max gasped.
Yes, the Granolith said, and I believe it was Sodan who caused Liz’s shooting, because in his memory of your lives together Liz was not shot, and Max didn’t revel his secret to her until more than a year later.
But you didn’t know who Liz was? Max asked.
I did not, the Granolith said. I only knew that you loved her desperately.
Poor Nasedo, Liz said. He was only trying to do his duty.
Max agreed silently, And we’ll have to show Michael how Kaldar saved us when we came out of the pods early.
I wish we knew what happened to him and Letras, Liz said.
I am sorry I cannot tell you, the Granolith said. I only have the memories and thoughts of those who enter my crystal. There is only one exception. When Max came back from the future, somehow his Liz sent him a message. I have no idea how it was done because when Liz sent the message she had already destroyed the Granolith in the future.
What was the message? Liz asked.
She wanted to assure her Max that they had succeeded in destroying the Granolith so I wouldn’t fall into the hands of the enemy and be forced to use my time travel abilities for their purposes, the Granolith said, and then she let the memory flow into their minds.
Max and Liz saw through future Liz’s eyes as she said goodbye to her Max and then she, Maria and Kyle set the charges around the Granolith and pod chamber. Then they drove to a nearby ridge and blew up the entire rocky structure as the skins approached. Suddenly future Liz felt a strange sensation and turned, unsurprised to see Nicholas. Kyle tried to attack the General but Nicholas threw him aside and Liz convinced him to help her kill them all.
As Kyle finished setting the explosives in Liz’s backpack, future Liz built her powers and sent her message, mixed with her memories and enclosed in her overwhelming love, to her Max.
The images filled Max and Liz’s linked minds and Liz gasped when she saw the one image that stood out from the others. It was future Liz’s most precious memory, her wedding day with her Max.
Max, that must be how you saw the vision in Las Vegas, Liz said. Somehow you were picking up on her memory.
Or maybe you were, Max said, and I got it through our connection, even though we didn’t know we had one.
Liz nodded. However it happened, I’m glad that we know what our other selves when through.
Max nodded, but suddenly a thought occurred to him and he asked the Granolith. So you knew what Tess’ intensions were when she took you to Copper Summit, Max said. Why didn’t you try to stop her?
I didn’t want to go, the Granolith said, but you gave me the instructions and you allowed her to leave. You are the leader of your people. I am bound to your decisions, right or wrong.
Max nodded. Thank you for all of your help and for giving us those memories.
I will leave you for now, the Granolith said, but rest assured that I am here when you need me.
Max and Liz both felt her leave the connection and Max spoke first. You suspected something like that, didn’t you?
Something, Liz admitted, but I didn’t know what exactly.
Max sighed, recalling the memories from the other lives. I can’t believe that we’ve ended up together in four lifetimes, he said. Against the odds and overcoming all the barriers.
Liz nodded. We are truly destined to be together.
Max took her head gently in his hands, I never told you, but in our first life here on Antar, before Khivar had us killed, I made a wish on a dead star that if we couldn’t be together then, that we would be together after death.
Liz could feel the rich layers of his love surging through their bond, surrounding her, as she reached out to touch his face. We’ll always be together Max, no matter what happens. Our souls are bound, two halves that only together make us whole. I believe that with everything that’s in me.
Max pressed their foreheads together. We’re bound together by a love so great that it transcends time and space, life and death.
Liz leaned into him and sighed with contentment as she pressed her lips to his. I love you so much, I can’t think of anything more wonderful than living many lifetimes with you, and spending all eternity together.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
THE END OF BOOK 12
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
EPILOGUE
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is the end. I hope you had as much fun reading, as I had writing.
DISCLAIMER: Some of the dialogue used was taken from the episodes and I am not claiming credit for having written it but used it simply to set up the tone of a scene or show parallels between lives and realities.
CREDITS: Time of Your Life is by Green Day
DEFINITIONS:
Sephtafus - Antarian mythical goddess of good fortune
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Saturday - August 17th, 2002)
Cuerena landed the Sephtafus II behind the jutting rock formation that housed the pod chamber, and the gang moved down the hallway and to the door.
With a swipe of his hand Michael opened the outer door and he, Cuerena and Isabel hurried outside to conceal the ship in a covering of rock. Kyle handed baby Nathaniel to Ava and went to join them. As the others disembarked, Max and Liz moved away from the ship and he took out his cell phone and called his parents.
“Dad,” he said when his father answered, “we’re back.”
“Is everyone okay?” Philip asked. “And what about Isabel?”
“Everyone is fine,” Max assured him. “We brought Isabel back too, and we could use a ride into town.”
Max heard his father call out, “Diane, they’re back and they have Isabel.” Philip spoke into the phone, “Max, we’ll be there in a few minutes.”
“Is it okay if I invite everyone back to our house?” Max asked. “I’m sure they all want to hear what happened.”
“Sure,” Philip said.
“Bring two cars, okay Dad?” Max asked. “We’ve got a lot of people who are anxious to go home.”
Max could hear the smile in his father’s voice, “You’ve got it, son.”
Max pressed the end button and then quickly dialed Jim. “Sheriff it’s Max. We’re back and everyone’s okay.“
Jim’s voice was choked with emotion, “That’s great.”
Max continued, “My parents are coming out to give us a ride, but we could use another car to bring everyone into town.”
“Of course,” Jim said. “The regular place?”
“Yeah,” Max said. “We’re going to meet back at our house to fill everyone in, so bring Mrs. Valenti too.”
“We’ll be there,” Jim said.
Max ended the call, and with a smile, handed the phone to Liz.
Liz dialed her parents. “Mom, we’re back and we’re all okay.”
Her mother started to cry.
“Mom,” Liz said softly. Her mother had been against her going to Antar and she had never really accepted her relationship with Max or their alien status, but Liz felt hopeful for the future. “We’re going to meet at the Evans’ house in about forty minutes,” Liz continued, “so we can tell everyone what happened. You and Dad will come, won’t you?”
“Of course,” Nancy said, “and we’ll bring food for everyone. It’s almost dinnertime. You all must be starving.”
Liz smiled, relieved. Maybe her Mom was starting to understand. At least it was a first step in the right direction. “Thanks Mom,” Liz said, “that would be great.”
As she ended the call, Liz turned to see Cuerena close the ship’s door, and with a wave of her hand, concealed it behind a wall of rock. The only sign that it wasn’t the stone wall it appeared to be, was the glowing, silver handprint on the rocky surface, which slowly faded before her eyes.
The others returned and Max called out, “We’ll have rides back into town in a few minutes and everyone is going to meet at our house.”
“And my parents are bringing dinner,” Liz added.
Kyle and Michael gave a cheer and the gang started to walk around the rock formation housing the pod chamber to wait for their rides, leaving Max and Liz alone.
Max smiled. “So how do you think our parents will take the news about the wedding my mother is planning for us on Antar?”
“I think it will be okay,” Liz said. “Our parents didn’t get to attend our other ceremony in Arizona and a lavish wedding and a trip to another planet surely will make up for it.”
Liz slipped her arm through Max’s, entwining their fingers, and leaned into him. “It’s nice to be home.”
Max placed a kiss on the top of her head and moved into her, nestling her head under his chin. “I feel that way too,” he said softly. “Even after recovering our memories, I will always think of Roswell as home.
“Well,” Liz said, “with everything that’s happening on Antar, the restructure of government and the social changes, we will have to spend a lot of time there in the future.”
“Or we could commute,” Max suggested. “But whatever we decide, I’m just glad we’ll be doing it together.”
“Always,” Liz said with a smile. She wrapped her arms around his neck, looking up into his face. “It’s kind of weird. Our parents and the Sheriff know the truth, the government isn’t after us, there are no evil aliens trying to kill us. So what do we do now, Max?”
Max placed a kiss on her forehead, and enfolded her into his arms with a smile. “Anything we want, my love. Anything we want.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Another turning point
a fork stuck in the road
Time grabs you by the wrist
directs you where to go,
So make the best of this test and don't ask why,
It's not a question but a lesson learned in time,
It's something unpredictable
but in the end it's right
i hope you had the time of your life.
So take the photographs and still frames in your mind
Hang it on a shelf in good health and good time,
Tattoos and memories of skin on trial
For what it's worth,
it was worth all the while.
It's something unpredictable,
but in the end it's right
I hope you had the time of your life
It's something unpredictable,
but in the end it's right
I hope you had the time of your life
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
THE END
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
-----------------------
Future site of the
Gainswaith Commercial
Office Tower,
to be completed in 1952.
Body of Missing Roswell Teen Found
The body of Alex Charles Whitman was found yesterday, by the Roswell Sheriff's department, in a shallow desert grav敢楨摮琠敨漠摬䈠牡敮⁴潓灡䘠捡潴祲吠敨匠敨楲e behind the old Barnet Soap Factory. The Sheriff's department received an anonymous tip earlier that morning leading them to Whitman's remains. Acting Sheriff Hansen reported that Whitman had sustained a broken neck and the body had obviously been there for some time.
Whitman was one of a group of eight Roswell residents, who disappeared on November 27th of this year, under mysterious circumstances. The Sheriff's department is conducting a search of the area surrounding the soap factory for the others, but so far, there has been no evidence pointing to their current location.
Others missing include Roswell Sheriff Jim Valenti Jr. and his son Kyle; the two adopted children of prominent local lawyer Philip Evans, Isabel and Max Evans; Liz Parker Evans, wife of Max Evans and daughter of Jeff Parker, owner of the local theme restaurant The Crashdown Cafe.
Also discovered near the soap factory was the charred frame of a Volkswagen Jetta belonging to...
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