AN - I've slightly revamped the original story to make it longer. Only season one occurs in this AU. I've started to watch season two. Almost immediately I've been hit by the lack of tension and flatness of the story.

AN - I had to do a little astronomical study. The closest constellation I've come across is found in Pieces. The most significant star is Al Risha at 150 light years from Earth. Strangely enough, Venus entered this constellation in early February 2012, which just happens to correspond with my stories timeline. Did someone say fate?

'I always knew there was something out there,' Michael looked to the others, 'but I had no idea how important it was.'

'Things will never be the same,' Max allowed his eyes to rest on each and every being in the pod chamber. They lingered on Liz a little longer than the others as his heart suddenly sped up and his mouth went dry. Max couldn't begin to imagine what she might be thinking at this point. 'But whatever happens, we have to stay together. It's the five of us now.'

Smiling brightly, Tess looked up at her love, her destiny. She'd waited all her life for this moment, this signal from Max. 'I knew this was meant to be,' she moved to take the man she'd once called husband into her embrace.

'No,' Max reacted instinctively, his eyes never leaving Liz's shocked gaze. Pushing Tess away, he walked over to the girl of his dreams. He understood something the others didn't. Max, once the leader of his doomed planet had a flood of images as the specter of his mother spoke.

Healing Liz almost a year ago at the Crashdown café awoke his abilities in a way he'd never considered. A stream of images entwined Max's life with Liz's completely. A second connection forged days later cemented the undeniable bond between them. And that had just been the start.

In the healing cave with River Dog, there had been five stones and five lines of power. At the time they all thought the Indian Sharman chose it for his own purpose. Max knew better. Liz's fear stopped her from joining in the ceremony. She feared for his life making Max wonder what she'd unconsciously seen in the future. Yet, she'd appeared in his dreamtime without holding one of the crystals when he'd approached Michael. Even Michael turned around to acknowledge her presence.

Somehow Max knew. He understood his mother meant Tess to be his destiny is this life, just as she'd been in the last one. Max Evan's human side rebelled at the thought. It demanded he choose differently, choose an alternative path, one that meant something to him.

No, not my human side, Max's conscious whispered, the forces of the universe have conspired to give me another possible future. We perished before, perished because of whom we were and the bonds we made in our last lives. If we are to change our fate, then something has to change in this world. What is the point of reliving the same life with the same mistakes? Surely the outcome will be the same? The book is written not to tell us what to do but to make modifications, to erase past errors in judgment. We write our own destiny, a new future by looking to the past and understanding it.

By moving over to Liz, Max broke the strange hold Tess exerted over him. It only occurred when he became physically close. In that instant, Max knew it to be in her mind. A fantasy she projected from the life they once shared. He couldn't deny it but Max didn't need to embrace it either.

'Look,' Max attempted to explain everything going through his head and heart to Liz in a single glance. He didn't have a chance of communicating his intentions when his own mind hadn't yet figured it all out. 'Everything I told you before is still true.'

'Max, you do have a destiny,' Liz couldn't hold back the hurt. Although she felt things with her heart, her logical mind often weighed in. Right now, Liz Parker assimilated the facts before her and any hope died. 'You just heard it. I can't stand in the way of it.'

'But you mean everything to me,' he tried to put into words the ideas running rampant in his head. They seemed desperate to break through everything he'd learnt tonight. The maelstrom needed to settle for Max to think logically. Right now he ran on instinct.

Before Max managed to demonstrate his confusion, Liz leant in. She wanted, needed this last kiss. Unable to deny the woman he'd come to love, Max returned it. Time seemed to stand still for both of them. Still, Liz didn't allow the contact to last. If she did, she'd never find the courage to leave.

'Goodbye, Max,' Liz tried frantically to keep the tears from falling.

She had to get away before the water welling in her eyes formed into the ultimate expression of her devastation. Turning, she took one last look at Max Evans over her shoulder. This could be the last time she'd ever see him. With an internal sigh, Liz Parker forced her feet move. One step after another, she managed to find the strength and courage to continue forwards. Upon hearing the gravel crunching under Max's sneakers as he followed, she begged her body to move faster. All the time, Liz hoped he'd call her back.

'Liz,' Max couldn't help the pain entering his voice. He felt like someone tore him in half. What Pearce did to him in the White Room paled into insignificance compared to losing Liz. Even Pearce came to the conclusion Elisabeth Parker served a higher purpose.

'Liz,' Max called once again, hoping she'd at least stop. 'Liz, wait.' This time the girl of his dreams turned to look at him. The expression in her eyes spoke a million words. He'd lost her, completely, utterly and for a moment Max shut down.

Michael held out a restraining arm as Liz began to run and he felt Max start after her. 'You gotta let her go,' he stated as Tess and Isabel joined them. Staring into the distance, Michael stood beside his friend, watching Liz disappear into the scrub surrounding the pod chamber. He could feel the pain emanating off Max.

'What happens now Max?' Tess asked.

She seemed to simper and want to be close to him. In that moment Max knew. He knew why there'd been five healing stones, why Liz's fears stopped her from joining them and why it took the addition of Venus in Pieces to complete the pattern and unlock the truth.

'We get her back,' he turned to Michael and Isabel, ignoring the look of horror on Tess's face.

Taking off, Max used his abilities to follow Liz. He heard the others begin to follow but didn't have the time or energy to spare on them. The bruised and broken bushes gave away Liz's headlong flight without having to use his power to track her direction. Max saved his abilities to place every obstacle in her way, to slow her down so he'd be able to catch up.

'Liz,' he called in desperation, finally forcing a large boulder before her.

Without a choice, Liz stopped dead. 'What,' she cried, tears now streaming down her face as she turned to face Max. 'What more do you want from me?'

'I want you to make a new destiny with me,' Max implored, holding out his hand and willing her to take it, to join him. 'I've only just worked it out in my own mind. Don't you see, we're meant to be together?'

'How can you say that, Max,' the tears came harder. God, Liz thought, it's so hard to breathe with him this close to me. I can't take another step, I don't want to but what choice do I have. Max's fate is to be with Tess, not me. I'm not strong enough to stand by and hand him over to her.

'You started all of this, Liz and only you can end it,' Max pleaded. 'That day I healed you in the Café, it changed my safe world. I'd been discovered and had to face what is inside me. I couldn't hide anymore. The events of that day led Isabel, Michael and I on a journey. The one constant in that journey has been you.'

'That's not true,' Liz looked down at her shoes. The others stood a little apart, watching and waiting. 'You're the leader, the healer. You've never really needed me to be on this journey with you.'

'That's not true,' Max glared at her, willing the girl to look into his eyes. They'd always communicated that way. 'You're the only one who knew I'm a human alien hybrid and protected the secret with your life. Human, Liz. That destiny, that past you heard in the pod chamber is the alien part of me. It's not who I am, not completely,' he tried to get all the ideas out but they just wouldn't integrate fast enough.

Reaching for her when she refused to come of her own free will, Max embraced Liz. Pulling the woman against his body, Max ensured they met from head to toe. He could feel one of Liz's thighs trapped between his, her stomach and chest molded and held fast to him. Looking into her eyes, the window to her soul, he made sure she connected with him in a way she never had before. This time when their lips met, he streamed the images, the flashes he wanted Liz to see, the feel, touch and taste. The images that might lead her to the same conclusion he'd made.

You're our seer, our constant, my touchstone, Max invaded her mind with moments from their past. In the healing cave, Liz stepped away for fear of hurting Max. Standing on the alien symbol as he welcomed Michael back into the land of the living, she approached the middle, her place. The time in the astronomy lab as they discovered Venus joining Pieces to make the pattern complete. You complete me, Liz. More than that, you're the center, the one to hold us together.

'Do you understand?' Max asked, breaking off the kiss. 'Venus is the Goddess of love and fertility. In Roman mythology she survived the battle of Troy and led her people to safety across the water to a new land. Until the planet Venus aligned into the constellation, nothing could move forward because we didn't have a chance to find our past. Michael didn't understand the map until you aligned with us. Until you're with us, until you join us, we're not complete.'

'You're saying I'm the goddess of love?' Liz tried to understand his reasoning. Her mind overwhelmed with emotions.

'I'm saying you fulfil the same role for us,' Max used every weapon at his disposal. Holding Liz slightly away from his body, he eyes beseeched her to understand the meaning behind his words. 'You're the missing piece. I think my life only began the day I healed you. I'd never done anything like that before Liz, but I knew I had to with you because you were that important. I had to show me, the real me. I knew you'd understand,' he finished lamely.

'The book,' Tess held up the metal sheets almost as if taunting Max.

Releasing Liz, Max stormed over to the girl. Snatching it from her hand, he flipped through the pages. Suddenly the symbols took on a life of their own and he knew what he had to do. The alien letters began to glow. Waving his hand over the metal, the cryptograms moved and reformed, becoming words in English.

'This is what happened to us before, in our other life,' Max held the object in a single hand. 'It's not a destiny as you've always believed Tess. It's our history and we're supposed to learn from it. Learn not to make the same mistakes in this life unless we want history to repeat itself.' Turning to a once blank page, the one opposite the engravings of two pairs, Liz's image appeared in the middle of the V shaped star formation. 'This is the reason why Liz got all those flashes in February when we discovered the first orb. Without Liz we never would have been led to it. Michael, you and Isabel tried but couldn't make the same connections with Maria and Alex. In healing Liz, I changed her. I implanted part of myself inside her. I think I've made Liz one of us.'

'Nasedo said we're human,' Michael began but found the science beyond him.

'He needed you to get in and rescue Max,' Isabel reminded, 'because his bone structure isn't human.'

'Pearce showed me some of the tests,' Max added. 'Our skin, bone and internal organs are consistent with human physiology. Only our blood is different.'

'I'm not sure if Nasedo told me the truth,' Michael suddenly remembered the conversation. 'He said our powers come from the part of the human brain that hasn't been tapped into.'

'You think Max somehow activated that part of my mind?' the scientist in Liz instantly saw the association. 'You're saying I'm using some of the ninety percent of my grey matter that the best neurologists on this planet don't understand?'

'Maybe,' Max shrugged his shoulders, not really caring much about the how or why. He only knew it was and left it at that. Coming to stand beside Liz, he placed an arm around her. 'The fact is I knew I needed you here with me tonight. I don't think we could have healed Nasedo without you, just like we couldn't complete the ritual that saved Michael. You don't need to join in, Liz. You just need to be there for me to feed off your power.'

'Max, you're suggesting I augment you in some way?' Liz asked, shocked.

'More like a focusing lens,' he confessed with a shy smile. 'An arch won't stay up without the keystone and you're my mine. I believe it's our humanity that's changed us for the better and what's going to change the fate of our home world. Nasedo's not like us. He has no emotions or morality as we know it. It's what separates us from our alien heritage. You make me feel, Liz. Whatever the future holds, I need you at my side. Even Nasedo didn't argue when I told him you were with me. That has to mean something.'

'Max,' imploringly, Liz looked at him. One gaze into those amazing hazel eyes and Liz Parker knew she'd do anything for this man. 'I hope I'm strong enough.'

'I don't need to hope, Liz,' Max kissed her softly but quickly. 'I know you are. You shared my pain in that room, you saw what they did to me and you know it's only the thought of you that kept me alive.'

'I won't ever let that change,' Liz vowed, 'ever, I promise.'

A great big thank you to those who reviewed. I hope to have another chapter up soon and that you're taken note of the subtle changes.