DANGEROUS TIME
DANIELLE FRANCES DUCREST
Disclaimer: Roswell belongs to Melinda Metz, UPN, Twentieth Century Fox Television, and UPN. No copyright infringements were intended. This story was written for entertainment and not for profit.
Spoilers and Timing: This takes place after "Wipe Out" with spoilers for "Ask Not," "End of the World," and "Wipe Out."
Summary: A battle with the Skins goes horribly wrong. To correct it, Liz uses the granilith to go back in time. Will she succeed, or will history repeat itself all over again?
October 2000, Roswell, New Mexico
He had never felt so much pain. It burned inside him. He could feel it eating away at the flesh surrounding his heart. He clenched his teeth, but couldn't stop the cry that forced its way through them. He leaned heavily against a tree and breathed rapidly, clutching his chest.
The edges of his vision grew dimmer. With it came oblivion. It beckoned to him, claimed him. He wanted it so badly. It would make the pain go away.
He saw something on the edges of his vision. It was a building. His fading awareness told him he knew that house. It told him it was the Valentis'.
Something snapped inside his mind, bringing memories back to him. He had to get to that house. He had to let them know what happened. They had to be prepared.
He fought against the eternal darkness now. With all the strength he could find, he took a step toward the house, then another. He was almost there when another wave of pain shot through him, making the rest of the pain increase. He gasped and almost fell, but he forced himself to keep going. He had to warn them. It was the last thing he would ever do, but he had to warn them.
Finally, the door stood in front of him. He made it. He collapsed on the front step and knocked as heavily as he could on the door.
Sheriff Jim Valenti flipped through the TV stations. Seventy-eight channels of infomercials and bad movies. He sighed and turned it off.
It was then that he heard a soft knocking. His head shot up. He put his hand on his gun and listened for the noise again.
There it was. It came from behind the door.
He got up and walked cautiously toward it, gun in hand. When he opened it, he saw something on the ground on the edge of his vision. He looked down his gun at it.
It was a boy he knew very well. He lay, crumpled, on the front steps. He was covered in bruises, but what stood out the most was on his bare chest. It was a silver handprint directly over his heart.
"Max." Valenti set his gun down on the floor and pulled him inside.
"No," Max pleaded softly. He didn't have much time left. He had to tell him what happened before it was too late. But the alien teenager didn't have any strength to stop the sheriff. He tried again anyway. "No time."
Valenti eased him onto the floor and cradled his head in his lap. "Tess!" he called into the house. "I need you! Hurry!"
Valenti heard footsteps, and then his son and his adopted daughter appeared. "Oh my God," Tess said, clamping her hand over her mouth. She ran to them and knelt beside her former husband. She looked up and down his body. "Oh God. Max!"
"Can you help him?" Kyle asked. As much as he hated the alien, he wasn't heartless.
Tess placed her hand on his chest above the silver handprint already imprinted in his skin. She closed her eyes.
Following the steps Max had taught her, she began to heal him. She could feel her own alien power flow into Max. It healed the bruises and cuts on his face, arms, and legs, leaving unblemished skin behind them. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't heal the fatal damage the handprint had caused.
She opened her eyes and they started to water. She couldn't save him. He was going to die, and she couldn't do anything to reverse it. "I-I can't," she choked out as she started to cry.
"Tess," Max said weakly. She looked into his eyes and saw the pain in them, but there was also gratitude. "Thank you…for taking them…away."
He was thanking her for healing the bruises. They wouldn't do him any good. It made her feel guiltier.
"Who did this to you?" Jim Valenti asked. He would make them pay, whoever they were, for killing this man.
"Skins," Max answered. His breathing was shallower. "Six…of-"
His body jerked as another spasm hit. Max cried out, then fell back heavily against the sheriff. He looked even weaker than before, but he kept talking. They could tell how much pain it caused him to form the words. "At…park." He looked at Tess. "Tell Liz. Love…her."
His eyes closed.
The Valentis stared down at Max's prone form. None of them said a word. None of them could think of anything to say. They were all in shock as what they were seeing sunk in.
Tess started shaking her head, slowly at first, then more violently. "No. NO." Frantic now, she said, "We need Michael. He has the healing stones. He can heal Max!" She started to stand up, thinking of the phone in the living room.
"Tess," Kyle said, still starring down at Max's body. That one word made her freeze.
She didn't want to look down. She didn't want to see if it would happen. She didn't want to see Max turn to dust, just like Nasedo.
Involuntarily, her head moved to gaze down at his body. Then she knew her fears were true.
Max Evan's body crumpled into a pile of dust, covering the floor and Jim's arms.
*****
The other funeral attendees had walked away long ago, but Isabel, Diane, and Philip Evans and Liz Parker still stood at his grave. Diane and Philip didn't know what had happened to their son. There hadn't been a body to bury, just a marble and cement tombstone they placed in the cemetery. Liz stared at it, dead inside. Max was dead. Her lover, her soulmate, was dead. She had so many regrets. There were so many things she wished she'd done with him, so many secrets she wished she shared. She wished she'd told him that she didn't sleep with Kyle. He should have known that. Instead, he died with a broken heart. A broken heart she caused and could never heal.
She wished things had been different. If she hadn't done that to save the world, they would have been together. She would have been there when the Skins attacked him. He wouldn't have to die alone.
She read the inscription on the tombstone. 'Beloved son, brother, and friend, respected and loved by many.' It should say more. It should tell the world how loyal he was to his friends and how much he cared about people. It should say how he was such a great leader and the best person to fall in love with. Liz felt the tears come back to her eyes. "Oh, Max…"
Isabel was still in shock. Her brother was dead. He was the boy she'd grown up with. He was one of the few people she ever felt safe with. She didn't know what to do now. He couldn't be any of those things anymore. She sobbed. She didn't know if she'd ever feel safe again.
She looked up and met Liz's gaze. Whether she felt safe or not, there was something they had to do. Isabel told her parents that she'd meet them at the house later. Then together, the two girls turned and walked side by side to where the rest of their group stood. Everyone was there: Michael, Tess, the sheriff, Kyle, Maria, and Alex. Isabel felt the hole in her heart get bigger. It didn't feel the same without Max. It never would.
Maria walked over to Liz and put her arms around her. Alex approached Isabel and squeezed her hand. She smiled a little at him, but she didn't think she would feel happy for a long time, if ever.
Everyone turned and looked at Max's tombstone one last time. After a few minutes of intense silence, Michael asked, "Everyone brought a bat or club with them?"
There were nods all around. "They're in our cars," Maria answered.
"Okay, then," he said. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to prevent the tears from falling down his cheeks again. "Let's head out."
Sheriff Valenti had already investigated the park. A few witnesses had reported hearing a struggle near the pond, so he didn't have to make up an excuse. He told them he found some skin in a bush. He looked for more pieces of skin. Finding some, he followed the trail it left behind before he came to a building across the street.
Maria parked the Jetta a block away from the building. With her were Michael, Tess, and Kyle. She saw Liz park the jeep on the other end of the block, which held her, Isabel, the sheriff, and Alex. They were their escape vehicles in case they needed them. Maria, Alex, and Liz were their backup and would stay behind in the two cars.
Before Michael got out, Maria pulled him close and gave him a kiss. "Come back to me," she ordered.
"I will," he promised. He looked in the back at Tess and Kyle. "Ready?" Tess and Kyle nodded and held up their bats for his inspection. "All right, then." Michael slipped a walkie-talkie onto his belt. "Let's go."
They slipped out of the car and got down low behind some bushes. They crept toward the building. On the other end of the street, Isabel and the sheriff did the same.
Maria watched them go, worried. If these Skins were good enough to hurt Max, there was no telling if she'd see any of them alive again.
She made sure she had a bat where she could use it. Them she looked up again and saw them slip into the allies on either side of the building. Her heart skipped a beat when she lost sight of them. She clutched the wheel tightly. "You'd better come back to me, Michael Guerin."
Kyle brought his bat up, ready to swing it when necessary, and followed Tess and Michael into the alley. His thoughts kept flashing to the night before, when he watched Max's body turn into a pile of ash. He cast a worried look at Tess' back and thought of his father on the other side of the building. He sent up a prayer that they would all get out of there safely.
They approached a window and crept up to it. Peering inside, they saw a storeroom full of cardboard boxes. No one was around.
"We'll get in through here," Michael decided. He used his power to open the window and climbed inside. Tess and Kyle followed him.
A door was in the right wall. Tess and Kyle crouched behind a stack of boxes while Michael approached the door.
It opened before he reached it. Michael crouched down behind the stack.
He did it too late. The figure in the doorway looked directly at him. Michael and Kyle got their bats ready for a fight. The Skin looked over them then around the room, oblivious to their presence.
Confused, Michael saw this as his only opportunity. He struck the Skin in the head.
The Skin feel to the ground, surprised. Kyle hit the place on the Skin's back that would break the seal of his husk. Before the Skin knew what hit him, he exploded into a cloud of dust.
Michael and Kyle looked at the pile of dust. "It was as if he couldn't see us," Kyle commented.
"He couldn't," Tess answered.
Michael turned to her. "Did you do that?"
She nodded. "I made him not see us."
"Thanks," Kyle said. She smiled at him.
They moved to the door and peered out. Outside was an empty corridor. They moved into it.
Isabel and Sheriff Valenti found a door near the end of their alley. Isabel unlocked it with her powers and the sheriff peered inside with his gun. The room was pitch dark. He felt for a light switch but couldn't find one.
"Isabel, make a light," he told the girl behind him. She complied and created a silver light on her hand. She held it up so they could see ahead of them.
They were in a kitchen. Dirty dishes were piled in the sink and a few open cabinets were stocked with food, evidence that the Skins had been there for quite some time.
Isabel spied something on the counter. She walked over to it and picked it up. It crumbled to dust. Skin. She and the sheriff shared a look. There wasn't any doubt that Skins lived there now.
There was a door in the back wall. An open doorway to the left led into a carpeted hallway. They moved down it. At the end in the right wall was a door and another one was set into the back wall. Valenti was about to open the latter when they heard noises behind the other door.
Isabel took the walkie-talkie off her belt. "Michael, we're about to meet some Skins."
"Copy that. Where are you?"
"The south-west end of the house."
"Okay, we're approaching your position. Wait for us."
"Okay-" Isabel stopped when they heard footsteps coming from the kitchen.
The sheriff got his gun ready and Isabel brought her palm up. Her heart started to pound in her ears.
An unfamilair figure appeared in the kitchen doorway. Valenti fired, but the man used his power to put up a shield.
To the sheriff's left, the door opened.
They were surrounded.
Michael, Tess and Kyle heard the gunshots over the walkie-talkie. "Isabel!" Michael yelled into it, but she didn't respond. "Come on!" he told the other two. They gave up stealth and ran down the corridor.
The hall turned right. Two doors were in it. Michael ignored the one of the right and jerked open the one on the left.
They ran into a kitchen. Seeing nothing there that he was interested in, Michael kept going down a hallway in the right wall. Tess and Kyle followed him, but he hardly noticed. He had to help Isabel. He'd already lost one of the friends he grew up with. He didn't want to loose the other.
Hearing noises on the other side of a door on the right, Michael turned and opened it. They ran into the room.
"So nice of you to make this easy for us."
Standing in the middle of the room were three Skins. Behind them, a few computer screens displayed several rooms in the building in black and white.
Tess brought her hand up. "I wouldn't do that if I were you." the Skin standing in the middle said. "You might get hurt like dear Vilandra and her friend." He nodded to their left.
Kyle, Tess, and Michael looked in that direction. Three bunk beds leaned against the wall. On the floor in front of them was the body of Jim Valenti. Beside him was a pile of dust.
Kyle gasped. "Dad!" His father lay there unmoving. Blood trailed down onto the floor from a gash on his neck. Kyle couldn't believe it. His father, one of the few people he cared about, was gone from his life forever. He could feel himself break down inside. He looked at the pile of dust. Isabel's walkie-talkie lay on the ground next to it. He felt anger grow inside of him.
"Oh my God," Tess said. They killed Isabel and her adopted father. They'd managed to kill two of the royal four and the human that took her in even after he found out what she really was. She looked back at the Skins in terror. Would they get out of there alive?
Michael couldn't stop staring at what was left of Isabel's body. No. He'd lost her. His family, the only real family he'd ever known, was dead. And the SOB's that killed them were still standing.
"No!" he cried out. He turned and unleashed his power. He wanted them dead. If anyone else died that day, it would be them. He would see to it.
The unchecked energy blast hit the Skin on the right. He flew through the air before hitting the wall. As he slid down it, he exploded into a cloud of dust.
Kyle charged one of the others with his bat. The leader brought up his hand. Pain shot through Kyle and Michael, and they collapsed.
"Kyle! Michael!" Tess cried. Letting out a cry of rage, she held out her own hand. Fire she'd used only once before, even though she still wasn't sure how, flowed out of it and flew at the two Skins.
They moved out of the way. The fire hit the computers and they exploded in a shower of sparks. Some hit the walls and they burst into flames.
Coughing, Michael and Kyle stood up. "Come on, we've gotta get out of here!" Tess said, urging them toward the door.
"But my dad-" Kyle started towards him, but Tess stopped him.
"There's nothing we can do for him. We have to go. Now!"
Behind them, one of the Skins let out a howl of rage. "Tess! Kyle! Watch out!" Michael cried out.
Tess and Kyle turned and saw an energy blast heading straight for them and Michael. They didn't have any time to get out of the way. Michael shot his own energy blast at the Skins again and heard two screams.
Then the blast hit them.
*****
2008, outside of Roswell, New Mexico
The desert looked peaceful that night. A wind blew over the sand, bringing cool temperatures that were a blessing to anyone that was in the desert during the day.
There wasn't anyone for miles. In the distance to the left was an outcropping of rock many people had visited over the years, although it wasn't known by most of the population.
If anyone was there, they could look above them and see the stars clearly for miles in every direction. They would also see an object getting bigger and bigger as it continued its fall to the desert surface. It was a space ship, and it exploded when it hit the ground, killing the occupants and sending a shower of alien metal and fire in every direction, making the desert seem as hot as it was during the daytime.
Two more objects approached the surface, but they weren't crashing. One pursued the other. Both ships pulled up before they hit the surface. The pursuing ship fired at the other ship, but it maneuvered out of the way.
An explosion from further up in the atmosphere filled the night sky. Then, more ships could be seen in a fierce battle. A few ships' cargo bays opened up and men parachuted down to the desert's surface. As soon as they hit the ground, bullets, lazer blasts, and alien powers filled the air, killing however they hit. This battle was between two forces, the Skins against the Antarians and the humans. This was one of many battles in a war that had been going on for five years.
Inside the rock outcropping was a cave. In the cave were two people. They heard the explosions. "They've found our location," one of them, an Antarian, said.
"Not yet they haven't," Liz Parker replied. "Have you finished re-wiring the granilith, Zana?"
"Yes." Zana walked over to her, worried. "Are you sure you want to do this?"
Liz glanced at the open door to the granilith chamber, then behind Zana at the empty incubation pods. The four people that came out of those pods had died long ago. They should be there. They needed them to protect Earth.
Another explosion rocked the ground beneath their feet. They grabbed onto each other to stay upright. "We don't have much time left," Liz said. She looked at Zana. "I have to do this. They're supposed to be here now. Earth needs them." I need them, especially Max.
They didn't know what the outcome of the war would be. But if the Skins won this battle, they would have possession of the granilith, and they'd run out of chances to use it first.
Neither of them had enough weapons to last long in a fight. Zana's alien powers weren't strong enough to defend them, and Liz's gun was out of bullets. The lazer guns Liz had in a bag against the wall had enough power for only a few shots. They would loose if the Skins found them in there. If they were going to do anything, they had to do it now.
Liz picked up the bag and they moved into the granilith chamber. "For the past four years, you've been like a sister to me," Zana told Liz. "I don't want to loose you, but I know both of our races need the Royal Four if we're going to defeat the Skins. And I know you need to do this." She developed Liz in a big hug. "Take care of yourself."
"I will, I promise," Liz said, breaking out of the hug. "I'll miss you, Zana."
Zana gave her a weak smile. "Maybe we'll still meet when the timeline has been changed."
"I hope so."
Zana turned and walked out of the granilith chamber. Neither of them knew if it would be there after she did this, so Zana left it first.
When the door closed behind her, Liz took the crystal out of her bag. She looked at it for a minute. She thought about the future version of Max she'd gotten to know for such a short time. He'd changed history to save the planet from the Skins, and now Liz was doing the same thing. She didn't know if it would work this time.
She wondered if it was as hard for him to do it as it was for her. Liz had been through a lot of pain in the past eight years, but there had been good parts, too. Zana, Maria, and Alex had helped her through everything. They were such good friends. They'd grown closer after the others died. The official story was that Kyle and Jim Valenti burned to death in a fire, although the authorities couldn't understand why there was so much dust around them. The Evans never knew what happened to their children, but after several weeks of searching for Isabel they held a funeral.
If it weren't for Maria and Alex and later Zana, Liz wasn't sure if she would be there today, either. She knew the same went for Maria and Alex. At present, they were in one of the space stations in orbit around a planet several billion miles away. Liz hoped they were safe.
She thought about Max. He kept her alive for those few years. When he died, part her died with him. She hadn't loved a single man since then. She couldn't.
She thought of his sweet lips against hers. So much time had passed that the feeling was beginning to fade, but she could remember how much passion had been behind those few kisses.
Taking a deep breath, she inserted the crystal into the granilith.
Everything seemed to explode around her, then she was surrounded by purple light. Looking around, she realized she was now inside the granilith.
She could still see the granilith chamber through the purple shell. Slowly, she reached her hand out to it and touched the screen.
Then she was sucked up into the top of the granilith and the chamber faded from her view.
*****
A few days ago, Roswell, New Mexico
Max Evans walked down the trail of the park. He didn't really have a destination in mind. Night fell a while ago, but he didn't feel like going home yet. He kept walking, lost in his thoughts. He couldn't stop thinking about seeing Liz in bed with Kyle. His heart had broken then. He was so confused. Why would she sleep with Kyle? Why would she do it with him, and not with Max? Was it for love or for lust? Did she still love him?
There were so many questions he wanted to ask, but he was afraid to ask them. He didn't want to hear the answers.
He came to the pond. He sat down heavily in one of the benches and sighed. Liz had wanted him and Tess to be together. It was all he could do now. But why would Liz want that so badly? They loved each other so much. At least he still did.
A lightning bolt suddenly struck the ground only a few feet away. Max jumped to his feet and watched as a figure appeared out of thin air and fell to the ground.
He ran over to her as she got up. Then he stopped dead in his tracks.
"Liz?"
No, it couldn't be her. This woman was older, but the similarities were astonishing. He took a cautious step back. "Who are you?"
Inside, Liz was rejoicing. It worked. Standing before her was the man she hadn't seen in too long. "Max."
That was her voice, too, only older. Max wondered what was going on.
"It's me, Max. It's Liz."
Max shook his head. "No, you aren't her. You're older. You're a shape-shifter, aren't you?"
"No! Max, I'm from the future."
"The future?"
"Yes. I used the granilith to travel back in time."
He didn't believe her. "Prove it."
"Okay," Liz said, then thought of a way to prove her identity. "Ask me something, anything. Something only I would know."
"Okay," Max agreed. He searched through his memory for something to ask. "Where did Liz and I hide when we were running from the FBI?"
Liz closed her eyes, remembering. She'd been so worried about Max. Pierce had tortured him and lots of bruises were left on his body. "We hid in a junkyard in an overturned truck. You told me that I was the only thing that kept you going while you were with Pierce. You said your life began when you saved me at the Crashdown."
It is Liz.
Max thought, astonished. "Liz?" he asked. She nodded. He pulled her to him, unable to keep her away any longer. Their lips met and they kissed.Liz let him pull her to him. She'd been away from his lips for two long. She drank in the taste of them, refreshing her memory.
Flashes of images hit Max as the kiss deepened. A tombstone surrounded by mourners. The bodies of the Valentis lying in caskets next to pictures of Michael, Tess and Isabel. A building surrounded by flames and firemen. Liz, Maria and Alex staring at the building, crying. A space station in orbit around an alien planet. Two alien ships fighting each other against a backdrop of stars before one went up in flames.
They broke apart. "Liz, wha-? I saw flashes. I can't understand them."
Liz became aware of their surroundings. She remembered why she came back. "Where are we?"
Confused, Max answered, "In the park, why?"
She saw the pond. "Oh, shit." She looked around at the surrounding trees and darkness and took out a strange weapon Max couldn't identify.
"Liz?" he asked.
"There's a lot I can't explain right now, but I need you to trust me. Can you?" Liz asked, frantic. Please trust me, Max.
Remembering that this woman was the same Liz that slept with Kyle, he wasn't sure. He found himself nodding anyway.
Liz reached into her bag and pulled out another weapon. She handed it to Max. "Shoot this at anyone that you see coming this way."
"What? Liz, what is going on? Why did you come back in time? Tell me!"
They heard a noise. "We don't have time right now. Please, Max." Seeing him hesitate, she said, "There are six Skins that were sent to kill you tonight. I need your help stopping them."
"What?" He said, as the pieces slid into place. "They're gong to kill me, aren't they? That's why you came back, so you can stop them."
"They are not going to kill you." She pointed to a button on his weapon. "Press it and a lazer will shoot out of it. There's only enough power for a few shots, so don't waste it."
They heard footsteps approaching them. Six figures stepped out of the shadows and surrounded them.
"Hello, Zan," the leader said.
"Who are you?" Max asked.
"I'm known as Koren," he answered. He glanced at Liz. "This must be your human mate, Liz Parker. It's a shame that she'll have to die, too."
"Like hell I will," Liz said. "Max, now!"
Max fired. A lazer shot out of the barrel and slammed into Koren's chest. It blasted through him. He let out a scream before he fell in two parts to the ground, dead. A few minutes later, he exploded into dust.
Liz fired at two of them, dusting them instantly. The other one lifted his palm at her and pain shot through her. She cried out and fell to her knees.
All three dust clouds made it hard for Max to see his opponents. Suddenly, one of them stepped through Koren's dust. Max fired and he went down.
Now the Skins were down to two. Max heard Liz's scream and whirled around. "Liz!"
He saw the Skin that attacked her and fired at him. It hit the Skin and he turned to dust.
Max looked around for the other Skin, but he was gone.
He turned back to Liz. He dropped his weapon and helped her to stand. "Liz, are you okay?"
She nodded. "Yes." She looked around. "We did it. We changed history." She looked back at him. "I don't have much time left."
"What? You can't go back to your own time?"
She shook her head. "It's the end of the road for me. I'll just disappear." She looked at him, a smile on her face. "But now your safe, and that's all that matters."
"Why did you come back?" He asked again.
"Earth becomes involved in the war against the Skins. But something went wrong in this time. Something I had to fix, and I just did. Things will be better now."
They kissed again. When they parted, Max asked, "Liz, why did you sleep with Kyle?"
"I wish I didn't," she said sadly.
"So you really did sleep with him?"
She wanted to tell him the truth. But she remembered that Tess was important to Earth's survival. They needed all of the members of the Royal Four to defeat Kivar.
"Yes," she lied, and it broke her heart to see the hurt expression cross his face. "You have to be with Tess. It's your destiny."
"Do you still love me?" He looked into her eyes, searching.
"Yes, Max. Everyday of my life, I love you."
He closed his eyes, dreading the answer to his next question. "Do you love Kyle?"
She was silent for a long time, then she said. "Not like I love you. Not even close."
He opened his eyes to see her fading. "Liz!"
She noticed it, too. She looked into his eyes and smiled. "Goodbye."
Then she was gone.
*****
Liz sat on the bed in her room, looking at the pictures of her and Max that they took that day in the photo booth. Tears came to her eyes. She wanted to be with him. She wanted to tell him the truth about her and Kyle. She wanted the pain of the last few weeks to go away. If their lives didn't depend on it, she would have told Max the truth.
She heard a knock on her window. Putting the photos under her pillow, she walked over to it and peered outside.
"Max," she said, and her breath caught. He looked as handsome as ever. But what was he doing there?
She opened the window. "Max, what are you doing here?"
He stepped inside. "I had to see you."
Her heart filled with joy, but she knew she had to convince him to leave. "No, Max. We can't see each other anymore. You belong with Tess."
"I know," he said, taking a step closer to her. "But I still love you. I can't stop thinking about you." His head bent down toward her lips.
"Oh, Max," Liz said. Their lips met and they kissed deeply. When they broke away, neither of them wanted to stay away. So they didn't. They kissed again, more passionately this time.
Finally, Liz broke away from him and backed up a few steps. "Max, we can't do this."
"I know," Max said. "But do you want to stop?"
Liz looked down. She didn't want to stop. She knew if she looked back up into his eyes she'd loose any amount of control she had left. "No, but we have to. I'm not your destiny, Max. Tess is."
"Are you sure that's what you want me to do?"
Still not meeting his gaze, she answered, "Yes," and hated herself for it.
Several seconds later, she heard him turn and walk back out the window.
She looked up, but he was gone. She sat back down on her bed and tears came back to her eyes.
*****
Sheriff Jim Valenti flipped through the TV stations. Seventy-eight channels of infomercials and bad movies. He sighed and turned it off.
He heard a knock at the door and went over to it. When he opened it, he saw Max standing there.
"Hey, Max. Here to see Tess?"
"Yea," Max said.
"Come on in," he said. Max walked in. "Tess!" Valenti called into the house.
A minute later, Tess appeared. She smiled, a little ackward. "Hi, Max."
"Hey," Max said. "Can we talk?"
"Sure," she answered. "We'll go outside." They left through the front door.
Max didn't die that night. A few days later, Michael, Tess, Kyle, Valenti, and Isabel didn't die in the battle with the Skins. The Skin that got away in the park never gave them any trouble.
Max never told Liz or anyone else what happened in the park. He went out with Tess knowing it was what Liz wanted, even though he hated seeing her look so sad.
He hoped that one day they would be together again. He had hope again. He knew she still loved him, and love always found a way.
THE END