New Chapter! To all my readers and those special people who review...Nikkitan89, Emma 134, Gigga, Red-Rumm, Mangoaddict, Trude, Mony 19, somewhere87, Running-Wild22, Aoi-sama.. Thank you! I know some of you follow this story on RF, but I wanted to include you too. I wouldn't have the inspiration or the drive to write if it weren't for you guys. Please keep the reviews coming and let me know what you are thinking... Thanks again, and enjoy!

Chapter 25

The sun was shining bright over the desert sands, and everyone was squinting as they kept a look out for their turn off. The air was electric with excitement, wariness, and apprehension. All eight occupants of the Whitman minivan were silent, but their minds were racing with thoughts. Alex kept stealing glances at Isabel, who was in the passenger seat, and pressed down a little harder on the accelerator when he realized he was going 10 under the speed limit.

The day before, after Tess had come out of whatever she had been taken over by, pandemonium had broken out. Everyone's first question, of course, was "what was that?" Except for Isabel, who automatically recognized that it was the voice of the creators coming from Tess' mouth due to the presence exuded by her. You can't have the creators take over your body and not recognize it when it happens to someone else! Kyle had gently shaken Tess after he caught her, and she woke up almost immediately.

"You can stop shaking me now Kyle!" Tess exclaimed with amusement in her eyes.

"God Tess! I thought something happened to you… Are you ok? What just happened?" he said all at once. Michael was right behind him.

"I'm fine Kyle. I'm better than ever actually." She replied with a relieved smile.

"Are you sure you're ok?" Michael asked with a tinge of fear in his voice.

"No worries bro, I feel perfectly fine" she replied, giving his arm a squeeze.

Isabel had rushed over to Tess as soon as Kyle caught her and was now standing over her.

"What do you mean? If it looked and felt like I think it did, then the creators just paid us a visit."

"Yes they did" Tess replied. "They told me the message has been waiting to be triggered since our creation"

"What are you saying Tess?" Max asked, coming over to stand by his sister.

Liz, sensing Max's need for reassurance, came up and took Max's hand in hers and gave it a squeeze. He looked back at her and gave her a quick grateful smile. Michael getting impatient, as was his nature, was beginning to sweat. He couldn't believe what was happening…it was happening so fast!

Maria couldn't believe it what was happening either. She could tell the pieces of the puzzle were rapidly forming a picture for the aliens, and wondered with a stab of fear, what that was spelling out for her and her three human friends. She thought to herself "I can't lose him…not when I feel the way that I do! I love you so much Michael!"

Alex was thinking the same thing. His beautiful Isabel that he was only beginning to understand just how much he loved, was beginning to draw away from him. He thought to himself "Iz is now sharing memories with her past self Vilandra, and she's about to find the way home to her world. She's going to leave me alone in mine…"

Kyle was staring at the woman of his dreams in disbelief. "This is happening to fast…we haven't had our talk…she's on her way off of earth, and we'll never have a chance to be together…to have a family together…wait… a family?" He hadn't even realized himself, what Tess meant to him. She meant much more than he ever realized until this very moment. The moment he was faced with losing her…

"Well, I don't know how it was for Iz when she was taken over, but while the creators used me to speak through, they also gave me a little knowledge as to why it was happening."

"They didn't do that with me" Iz quickly replied. "I knew what they were saying when they were inside me, and I had the impression that I had their blessing while they were departing, but that's pretty much it."

"Well..." Tess began, "they told me the trigger was our understanding of the importance of family and the strength it brings…the meaning of life. They also told me it was my destiny to be the light; to lead the way home for us."

Various exclamations of shock and awe were heard all around as everyone struggled to take what Tess was saying in. The alien's common though was "We're going home?" The humans were thinking "We'll be alone…"

"Guys!" Max said loudly to stop the random murmurings of the group "We don't know what all this means right now, so I think we shouldn't drive ourselves crazy with speculation."

"Max…" Liz asked trying to hide the thick emotion in her throat "will you go? I mean if you find the way home…" Max turned her so he could face her fully since she was avoiding his gaze.

"Liz, I've told you before…you are my home….right here with you is where I belong" he said as he gathered her to himself.

Maria looked up at Michael and he took her hand a squeezed it before gathering her in for a hug as well.

"I can't believe we might have the chance to go home…" Isabel stated to no one in particular. "I have so many memories of it from when Vilandra added her memories to mine. I remember our mom and dad Max…I remember Dinah and Salvetar…I.."

"Don't worry Iz, we still don't know for sure what we'll find at that rock, in the desert." Max replied while sending his sister an encouraging look.

Conversations were being had by all the respective couples now, and the tension in the room was intensifying.

"Iz" Alex started and asked the question he did not know if he wanted the answer to "do you want to go home?"

"Oh Alex, I…you are so important to me…I know I haven't told you how much of how I feel. There has been so much going on lately." She replied while taking his hands in hers and pulling him down onto the loveseat closest to her.

"Yeah, I know." Alex replied while looking at his hands. "I also know I'm not being fair with you to ask you that question now." There was a brief moment of uncomfortable silence followed by a slightly frustrated sigh from Isabel.

"Whatever happens Alex, I want you to know that…" Alex looked up to meet her eyes "I never knew true love till I loved you" and she fell into his embrace as he hugged her back and was struck speechless.

Alex gripped the steering wheel just a little tighter, as thoughts churned in his mind. "How can she consider leaving me if she loves me? I love her…so much…" He stole another look at her out of the corner of his eye. God she was beautiful.

She was wearing a green V-neck top with tiny sleeves and brown jeans. She was wearing the green topaz necklace he had bought her for her birthday and it shimmered in the sun just like the green flecks in her hazel eyes. She hadn't wanted to accept the gift when he had presented her with it because of it worth, but Alex had insisted telling her "It's a precious stone for a special friend. You will do me a dishonor if you refuse!" and with that her resolve had crumbled. She wore it only on special occasions.

Max had Liz firmly against his side with his arm around her shoulders. She had her head on his shoulder and her eyes were closed as she breathed in his scent. She felt so safe when she was in his embrace. He had told her his home was with her… What did that mean? Would he stay and let Isabel, Michael, and Tess go back to their home world if they had the chance to go back? Could she honestly ask him to sacrifice that chance to be with her? "I'm being so selfish…" she thought to herself "He would be willing to stay for me, and I'm not willing to let him go." She pressed her lips to his neck and he nuzzled back against her mouth to give her better access. "I don't think I could ever let him go…" she thought as she wrapped her free arm across his waist.

Max felt Liz's gentle kiss and was comforted by her. He leaned into her to have even more contact with her and sighed in contentment. This is where he knew he was meant to be…in her arms. If he went back he'd be a king. He'd have a queen…Tess… he shuddered inwardly at that thought. They couldn't make them be married after all that has happened could they? He then gave himself a mental shake. "No, I'm meant to be with Liz. She is my home. Nothing will ever change that…" was his resolute thought.

Isabel shifted in her seat as she felt Alex's gaze on her once again. She was thinking to herself as she idly played with her necklace "How can I do it? How can I leave him? Maybe I won't have to…" she winced inwardly as her thoughts swirled. Her soul was telling her she'd never find a love like his…but her head was telling her if the chance arose, to go home. Her people needed her…right? She glanced over her shoulder at Tess, who seemed to be staring contentedly out the window. "How can she be so calm!" she thought.

Maria and Michael thought to themselves that they got the short end of the stick as they were separated by a seat. Max and Liz had quickly taken the back seat, letting Kyle and Tess have the first row so Tess could better direct Alex. That left Maria and Michael separated, Maria beside Liz, and Michael beside Tess. Michael of course liked being near his sister, but right now he really needed to feel Maria. She made him feel good about himself like no one ever could. Even with her wacky ways she was his rock. She completed all that was incomplete in him. He looked back at her and grabbed her hand, not caring that what he was about to do was against the law. He pulled her out of her seat and into his lap where she went willingly and quickly, almost as if the idea had been hers instead of his. He gathered her closely to his chest and positioned her face close to his own. "I love you Maria" he said in a whisper and with longing in his eyes. She let herself be encompassed in his arms and whispered back into his ear "I love you too Spaceboy" and squeezed him tight. She thought to herself "Please never leave me Michael…" as a tear escaped one eye.

Tess saw Iz look back at her out of the corner of her eye, and sighed as she pretended not to notice. "Everything will be fine, I just know it!" she thought to herself. "Why can't everyone else feel it?" Well she know that her human friends might not, but not Max, Michael, and Izzy. "I don't know how I know, but I know It will be ok."

Kyle reached for Tess' hand when she looked out the window again. She gladly laced her fingers with his when she felt him initiate the contact. His mind was a blur with confusion, but when he touched Tess, everything seemed to settle down. When she looked into his eyes she reflected peace, and something else…something that made his knees weak. If he had been standing, he knew his knees would have buckled…

As Tess looked back at Kyle she saw the desperation in his eyes and tried to send him reassuring feelings with her eyes. She took in his face and the strength of his hold on her hand, and couldn't help but feel more for him…so much more than friendship. She was so filled with…love… "I love him…" she thought to herself as she stared back at him. Finally admitting to herself that she now loved him, she then thought to herself "Will it be ok? Will I be queen when I go back? Will I have to be with Max?" The thought of that began to make her queasy, and she pushed that thought away. She knew the creators wouldn't do that to them…right? She looked up and saw a familiar group of bushes as well as a huge bunch of cane cholla cactus that marked their turn off.

"Alex, turn right there, after the big bunch of cactus."

Alex practically jumped out of his skin, after Tess' voice broke the silence in the van. He tried to calm his breathing as he replied. "Ok Tess" He looked over at Isabel, who was staring at him and gave her a reassuring smile…at least he hoped it looked reassuring. "Here we go…" he said as he made a right turn and the van started to bump along the sand and gravel.