Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters. I only own Thaman and the things that happen that involve him.

Author's Note: Let me know what you think.

Chapter Four

" First order of business here " said Max. They were all standing in a circle outside in the desert again. They had all agreed that this was the only safe place to discuss what they needed to discuss. " We have to get that tape with the footage of the Granolith "

" That footage could help us, " said Thaman

" What do you mean help us? " said Michael. " It shows that there really are aliens on this planet. The FBI will probably start forming their Special Unit again and they're going to hunt us all down. "

" Yeah they managed to get Max the last time. I'll be damned before I let them take any of them again "

" Jim they will not form the Special Unit again. Nascedo did a good job in taking care of them, I give him that. The FBI is not what we have to worry about my Lord " said Thaman looking at Michael.

Michael looked at him strangely. It was weird to have this being so much more powerful than he was call him Lord.

" The least of our worries? " asked Isabel

" Yes my princess " said Thaman looking at her. " This is going to be better for us. If that footage goes to the authorities or some freak show person, then the skins will find out that you have left the planet. Cannot my highnesses see that this is going to make it look like you have left for Antar? This means that the skins will not be looking for you anymore. They will recognize the ship and know that they are stranded here on Earth. "

" So they're stuck on Earth with us? " asked Max.

" It will buy us some time until Khivar finds out that Ava alone is one the ship. Before this happens you must get rid of all his subjects here on Earth "

" Get rid of them? " said Maria

" You must kill them all " answered Thaman

" We can't just go around killing people, " said Max

" They are not people, they are enemies and you will have to do it if you ever plan on saving your mother and your son from Khivar. " he looked at Max and then at Michael. " They will be good practice for you to remember how you once fought in battle my Lord, " he said with some pride in his eyes. " You cannot blow up rocks forever " He said looking at Michael then at Max. " Your Majesty, you were the most powerful of all but you were betrayed and I will not let that happen again. I blame myself for all your deaths, which is why I offered myself this mission. "

" What about us measly humans? " asked Kyle " Where do we fit into this picture? "

" You are not capable of having the powers that the Royal Four have but you do have something useful to them "

" And that would be? "

" I am no a fore teller of events. I cannot tell the future. Your power will reflect on who you are. Only time will tell what exactly it is that you can do " he walked over to Liz. He grabbed her by the hand and led her away from Max.

" What are you doing? " said Max.

Thaman brought Liz to the center of the circle. " You Liz have already shown some of your power, " he said. " You saved his Majesty's life "

" But that wasn't anything. I had Isabel help me. I haven't been able to do it since "

" Because you never tried. " he looked at Max. " My King please trust me enough. I will not hurt you so please do not use your powers against me " he said

" Max? " said Michael.

" I trust you, " said Max looking at Liz.

Thaman smiled and looked at Michael and Isabel. " Please do not use your powers as well "

They both put their hands behind their backs. Thaman then looked at Liz. " Now Liz I want you to concentrate, close your eyes. " Liz looked up at this strange person who called Max his King and couldn't help but get scared. She had no idea what he was going to do but she had no choice. What powers could she possible have to save Max and the rest? She had already done a bad job in trying to save them before. She very hesitantly closed her eyes.

Watching her hesitation and knowing her feelings Thaman focused his eyes on Liz.

" Ah " screamed Liz. She opened her eyes. " You? " she said. She noticed that everyone else didn't notice. She looked around confused. Why weren't they all doing anything? She felt a shiver go up her spin when she realized what she was seeing.

" Yes it's me Liz, " said Nicholas. " Don't look so surprised. Don't you get it? You're the only that can see the real me. These pathetic creatures are going to die now. They think I'm their bodyguard but I'm not. Now I can shoot them all and they won't do anything about it cause they're so trusting and stupid. " he said as he put his hand out towards Max. " Now I can finally kill him and get it over with "

" No you can't, " she cried. She was shaking uncontrollably. Her eyes moved from Isabel and Michael but they still didn't react. Max just looked at the both of them with his trusting eyes. " Not Max "

Nicholas laughed at her mockingly. " You humans are so pathetic, always letting emotions get the best of you " A very large fire ball was forming in Nicholas' grasp. " Now you can watch me kill Max right in front of you ". He threw the ball at full speed toward Max. She knew Max could see the ball coming cause his eyes widened but he still did not move.

" NO! " screamed Liz reaching for Max. She closed her eyes on the impact she was about to see. She squeezed the automatic tears that came to her eyes with the thought. This was happening all over again, but this time he really would be dead when it hit. She squeezed her eyes shut almost not daring to open her eyes.

" Oh my God " she heard Michael say. Nobody else could say anything.

Liz opened her eyes quickly, trying to prepare herself from the sight she was about to see. Her eyes widened at the sight she saw in front of her. Max stood there stunned and amazed but alive and alert. He looked at Liz.

" Liz " he said.

The fireball had stopped mid way to Max's chest. It just stood there motionless in the air, sparkling and crackling. Liz dropped her out stretched hand and the ball fell to the floor at Max's feet. She looked at Nicholas. It wasn't Nicholas, it was Thaman.

" I told you, " he said. " You have gifts too "

Liz looked at Max again. His face was lit up and his eyes beaming. He ran over to her, half laughing, half-breathless. " Liz! " he screamed holding her up and spinning her around. " How did you do that? " he yelled, pride screaming from his face.

" I, I don't know. Thaman made me believe he was Nicholas trying to kill you and I just did it without thinking, " she said holding her head. She was somehow light headed and lost feeling in her knees. She collapsed in Max's arms.

" Liz are you all right? " asked Maria running over.

" It took a lot out of her. She will be fine in a few minutes. I just wanted to show you that you can all help us"

" But I don't have special powers " said Maria sadly. " I've never been brought back by an alien "

" You have other powers, " said Thaman looking at Michael. He leaned in toward Maria so that only she could hear his next words " You are the only thing keeping him going " he said.

" Hey what about me? " said Kyle pointing to himself. " I still don't know what I can do "

" We will not know for awhile but you will find out soon enough "

" So my son is part alien? " asked Valenti

" No, your son is not alien at all, he is what you might call some sort of super human "

" So I'm like Superman. Can I fly too? "

" Don't be stupid Kyle " said Michael rolling his eyes.

" I don't understand how this happens, " said Liz supporting herself on Max. " Because Max healed me I have powers. I don't understand how that happens "

" I am not entirely sure how it happens. But when his Majesty healed you he enhanced certain things in your body, this enhancement causes your body to function like normal but it also helps the body to function a little abnormally. You become more affluent in certain things "

" Future Max never said anything about me having powers "

" It could have very well been that he did not know about your powers. You may have never learned about your powers so you never knew you had them "

" Where were you in that reality? " she asked questioningly.

" Different realities have different results I could have been dead, " he said shrugging. " I myself wanted to ask certain questions when he arrived but could not risk letting him know I was here. I did not want to take a chance that he could be the enemy in disguise. "

" You can do a combination of what they can do can't you? " asked Liz

" I can do just a little of what they can do. Once they have learned their full power I will be powerless "

" So how can we get home? " asked Max

" My Lord, I cannot lead you. You must seek that out for yourself. I was brought here only to protect you. I only know little more than you do. As far as I know you have lost your way home. My hope is that you will not have to travel at all, Khivar will come to you once he realizes you have not followed Tess back to Antar "

" In fourteen years " said Liz looking out at the desert plain.

" So it seems. That gives Khivar plenty of time to assemble his people and invade Earth "

" So how can we stand a chance against an army? " said Kyle.

" Or we could figure out a way home for your majesties before he comes " said Thaman. " Your majesties must consider this, if you wish to return and fight on that ground we will do that. If you would prefer to have it here on Earth then I will help you in that as well "

Isabel and Michael looked at Max.

" We have to decide this as a group. I think it would be good if we all just slept for the night and considered it when we are fully awake. We've had a long couple of days "

Everyone nodded.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

" Maria? " asked Michael walking her to her front door.

" What is it Michael? " she asked drearily. She could feel her head getting light.

" Are you comfortable about what happened between us? " he asked shyly. " I mean you know. I know you're probably angry with me about not telling you everything before we… we "

" Michael " she said walking towards him. " I don't have any regrets. If I had to do over again I would do it again " she said stroking his hair. How could she regret him? It was just starting to hit her really hard just how much it meant that he was still there. If it weren't for him, Max and Isabel would have died.

" My big, brave Hero "

Michael smiles at her as he turns to walk away.

" Michael? " she called to him.

" Yeah? " he said turning towards her.

" You risked everything to stay on this measly planet. Are you going to resent me for it? "

" Maria, " he said coming towards her. " Of course I resent you " he said jokingly. He pulled her to him and kissed her hair." Just stay with me " he said. He pulled away from her and smiled as he walked in the direction of his house.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

" You know don't you? " asked Isabel

" Know what Princess? " asked Thaman

" About what I did, " she said putting her head down. She was sitting on her bed with Thaman sitting in her desk chair. He looked very uncomfortable sitting in her room with her. It had taken her a long time to convince him to sit there. Isabel sat there a little uneasy. She didn't know what he thought of her. Even though he only had spoken to her with respect, she wasn't sure if he really wanted to treat her like that or if he just hated her like most of her planet probably did." What Vilandra did. She betrayed her family "

" Yes I know what you did. I remember your past life."

" Why was I recreated when I was such a terrible person? "

" Princess, you were not a terrible person. Whittaker was not entirely right in what she told you "

" What wasn't she right about? Even the dupe Lonnie said the same thing. And Nicholas told me that I helped deliver my brother and Rath and Ava. I was a bad person on our planet. "

" Your highness please, you are being too hard on yourself, " he said trying to relax her. " Let me give you my history with your family and especially you. I shall be very frank so please forgive my boldness "

Isabel nodded. " Tell me everything. I don't want anything sugar coated " She exhaled and waited for him to tell her.

~~~~~~~~~~~

" Dad this is insanity " said Kyle sitting on the couch.

" You know what's insanity son is walking into the Crashdown in a time of trouble and seeing all six of you in a food fight " said Valenti

" Hey that wasn't my fault "

" I'm sure it wasn't, Max and Isabel are known to start food fights just out of no where "

" Dad can we focus here? I have secret powers too but nobody knows what they are "

" And? What are you complaining about? Isn't that what you always wanted? "

" I wasn't actually serious about it. This whole alien thing just really freaks me out and to find out that Tess was behind Alex's death. I mean can we trust these aliens. Who is this new guy Thaman? "

" Kyle, from our experiences with the three of them, haven't they shown themselves trustworthy? "

" But this new guy seems to know so much but he doesn't know enough "

" Nobody can know everything. "

" And another thing too. We're stuck in this whole alien mess again. I thought that after this morning we would finally be rid of them, but we're stuck with them all over again. What's the use of special powers when you don't use them recreationally. We're just going to bore ourselves with cover-ups. And you dad, you lost your job because of them. They're ruining you like grandpa "

" Son, I would give anything to fight with them. I miss my job but it's not as important as this. We're a part of something Kyle. Something that means so much to more people than we could ever imagine. Can't you feel proud that you're a part of something so big? "

Kyle sat up on the couch and hid his face in his hands.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Max clicked his hands and all the candles lit up on Liz's balcony. Liz was in the bathroom taking a shower. He walked around her balcony restlessly. He didn't know whether to sit or stand up or jump off the balcony in his frustration. Liz and him together again. He felt a tingle go down his spine as he thought this. Finally. He decided to just sit down. He looked up at the sky and smiled. For once he could just think happy thoughts and not have this nagging, overbearing feeling on him. He squinted when he thought about that night with Tess in the Observatory. She had been showing him the stars. Oh Max don't think about it he scolded himself. He felt dirty and used. Liz was so pure and clean. She had been saving herself for him and he gives it up to Tess. He hit his head with his hand. He thought about what had happened earlier. She had stopped that energy ball and saved him. That was incredible. So now they were the same. They wouldn't just be alien and human. They could be both to each other. They really would be different. Then he heard the screech of the water stopping in the bathroom.

Liz came out ten minutes later. Her wet hair swaying lightly on her shoulders. She had combed her hair already and was dressed in her PJ's. She smiled sweetly at him as she climbed out the window. Her face glowing against the candlelight. He stood up immediately.

" I'm sorry, " she said sighing, breathing in the fresh air. " I just needed to take a shower after everything " she pushed her hair aside and it fell lightly behind her shoulder.

" That's ok " he answered, looking at the floor.

" Come here " she said patting the spot next to her on the lounge chair. She was amazingly calm. He sat down next to her, his hands clammy. She sighed loudly again. Max could smell her shampoo and soap. It almost smelled like the bubble bath that he had given her so long ago. Looking at her, he put his arm around her.

Feeling his arm around her she laid her head on his lap looking up at his face. He looked down at her with only the look that he could give. He started stroking her hair. His eyes so focused on her it was as if he were eating her up.

" You're so beautiful, " he said touching her face softly as if he touched it so delicate it would break. She kissed his hand and started playing with it. He just watched her quietly.

" Max? " she said

" Yeah " he said almost whispering.

" I don't want to be alone tonight, " she said still watching her play with his hand. She was tangling it with her own. " Do you mind staying with me? "

He smiled at her. " Of course I'll stay with you " he said watching her play with his hand.

" I just want to hear you next to me, like that time in the bus " she said almost scared. She turned her face away from his and lay on her side with the side of her face on his lap.

That had been the best night of his life, falling asleep with her in his arms. Telling her that he loved her for the first time. To have her wake up smiling at him and just holding her. Even though what happened afterwards wasn't very romantic.

" I'm afraid, " she said finally.

" Of what? " he asked

" Of waking up and having this all be a dream. I don't want to wake up tomorrow and find that you've really gone to your planet " she said as her eye lids started becoming very heavy. She could feel her mind start to cloud. She raised his hand with hers towards her chest as if they were a Teddy Bear and hugged them.

Max sat there still stroking her hair with his other hand. It seemed only seconds later when he finally heard her snoring softly. He smiled to himself, gently lifting her light body up into his arms. He crawled with her back into her room; pulled the covers back and placed her softly on the bed. She immediately curled up and put her head comfortably on her pillow. She was breathing softly. Her face showing that she was probably dreaming. Max sighed as he watched her sleep. He could feel his head start clouding up too. He sat on the edge of her bed trying to stay awake. But the exhaustion of not sleeping for two days was coming over him too.