End Run Book 2 - Chapter 16, a roswell fanfic

Chapter 16

Liz – June 10, 2006, Saturday 7:33 PM - Wyoming

They pulled up with groceries. Liz got Nate in the house and Pierce took three trips to and from the car for their bags and the food. Liz hugged Maria for a solid five minutes. They both cried uncontrollably. Maria led them through the house. "We've got a room for you guys. We tried to clean it up, but the previous occupants were sewer rats and I'm not too sure what they were doing in there."

"I'll fix whatever I have to." Liz nodded and followed with Nate attached to her leg.

"He is so cute. Those big blue eyes." Maria sighed happily but kept moving. "Everyone is out right now and I'm so glad I get you alone. I have to hear everything from third parties and they don't know you the way I know you."

"Thanks, Maria." Liz hugged her again and whispered. "Someday I'll tell you the whole story, but I can't today. He has ears everywhere and we're… fighting right now."

Maria looked at her friend, who was still smiling. "Okay. So, let's see what needs to be fixed."

Liz nodded as she looked around. "Okay, I've got the dresser and the bed frame. Just help me lift so I can see what I'm doing."

Daniel walked in and exploded. "What the hell are you doing? Don't lift that."

Liz sighed but let him take over lifting. Liz fixed the furniture and touched her husband to fill the gaps in her power. "See, all done."

"You're really good at that," Maria told her. "Let's put the boy in with the other boy and we'll eat and gossip until we pass out. Everyone else will be here in the morning."

"I guess that's my cue to… take a walk." Daniel told them and tilted his head at his wife. She sighed and rolled her eyes but made a motion with her hand. He kissed her firmly and left them to it.

"So very confused about this whole thing," Maria told her.

"It's complicated." That was the moment it hit Liz that she was having troubling flipping her switches. There were too many Pierce things mixed in with her real life. What even was her real life anymore?

"Alex was very pissed when he came back the last time."

"For reasons." Liz nodded, and they made dinner for themselves and the boys. "He looks just like Michael."

"He does." Maria grinned. "And yours looks… like… his father."

"He does." Liz nodded as she plated dinner for her husband and put it in the microwave for his eventual return.

"I don't fully understand what happened."

Liz glanced around. "The official story is that while I was being held captive and believed Max to be dead, I fell in love with my cellmate." Liz poured some hot sauce on her dinner. "I didn't know who he really was until after we escaped, and he was… hooked on me as well."

"When you say "hooked" what do you mean?"

"Like… um… the way I got us out was to create the beacon and he already was… into me but by doing that, it created a euphoria that he's taken to mean he's in love with me." Liz made a face. "Zan, Isabel, Kal, Tess and I decided to use that to shut down the special unit and reassign those faculties to track down the skins for elimination. Which is what I've been doing. Trouble is… I got pregnant… probably when we made the beacon."

"Wait, what?" Maria shook her head. "How exactly did you power the beacon?"

"By ramping up his energy so we created a loop, so I didn't run out of power before help came." Liz motioned with her hands. "We had… what was basically like… tantric sex."

"Really? He does that?" Maria motioned toward the windows. "It just… he looks really uptight."

"That's what Zan says but he's… professional. When we're doing things like hunting aliens, his focus is hunting but at home…" Liz took a breath and shut her eyes for a moment. "He's a good husband and father."

"Liz, petunia… is this worth all that pain?" Maria whispered. "You're so miserable."

Liz forced the tears from her eyes. "You're the only one that sees it."

"Of course, I do." Maria hugged her. "And when were you going to tell me that you're pregnant?"

Liz laughed and wiped at her eyes. "How'd you know?"

"The pound of pasta you just drowned in hot sauce, not to mention Papa Pierce yelling at you for lifting a mattress."

"It's new. Just a few days. It's what we're fighting about." Liz nodded and smiled at Daniel when he walked inside. She pointed toward his dinner. "Please don't tell anyone. It… raises tensions by… a lot."

"No, for sure." Maria nodded. "The gang is… very anti… everyone right now. I miss you and I can tell you're stressed." She tried to measure her words. "I'm just so glad I got to finally lay eyes on you for myself."

"Maybe you can come to visit in the fall," Daniel suggested. "She might be more pleasant to be around."

Liz growled and shoved a bite of pasta in her mouth, so she didn't say anything to him. Maria cleared her throat. "So, Liz was telling me what a devoted father you are. How do you find the time?"

"I make the time. It helps that I run my unit. I decide my hours."

"Michael is always running around. I hardly see him anymore."

"I think we're getting close to shutting down this Skin business." Daniel nodded but didn't join them at the table. "Hopefully we can stop delaying Liz's education."

"Oh, is that what's delaying my education?" Liz spun around. "Go to bed, sir."

"Cranky. See." He took a final bite, kissed her neck and disappeared into the giant area where the boys were playing with plush blocks.

Maria watched Liz turn away from the boys and dig into her plate. "Wow… "

"I'm so mad at him." Liz cleared her throat and kept her voice low. "There's like two levels to this. There's married me, who loves that guy and is grateful for the love and support and then there's the real me who hates this whole thing and she creeps out when he does things like manipulating me so that I get pregnant."

"What?" Maria hissed.

"There's the thing. He's still him. He loves me, and he's got this whole life plan thing." Liz took a breath and made sure they couldn't be heard. "His help rides on the whole part where I'm in it with him. So, in his perfect vision of life, we have a ton of kids and given I give birth in six weeks, this can happen a lot. It almost happened last year but it didn't take, and Nate was only a few months old. At some point, good Antarians will be the only aliens left on earth and I'm going to have to kill him and then I've got kids. Multiple kids now who are going wonder who their father was and he's a terrible person… professionally."

Maria was horrified. "What are you doing? We have got to get you out of there."

"When it's done." Liz sighed. "Okay. I feel better. I miss you so much."

"We need ice cream." Maria declared. They put away leftovers and cleaned up. Maria pointed to Pierce. "How big a risk is it that you guys are fighting right now?"

"Not very. I can fix it. I'm the one who's mad. He's mad that I'm mad." Liz motioned for Maria to watch. She put some ice cream in a bowl and took it out to Daniel. "You can share with them… a bit."

"Mom got us ice cream." Daniel took a bite then fed a bit to Nate and then to Sammy. Both babies mmmed for a bit. He leaned up to kiss Liz. "Thanks, honey."

Liz cupped his face and deepened the kiss. His arm slid around her waist. Liz pushed against his chest lightly. "We're going outside for a bit." She kissed him again. "We'll try not to get wrapped up in catching up. Holler if you need us."

"I got this. You'll see. Two babies, no problem." He kissed her again.

Liz took Maria outside. Maria was slack-jawed. "That was some… amazing acting."

"Not really. He's the only one I can lie to like that."

"But you have to go all in, right? You can't turn it off."

"Nope. He notices. He noticed early on. So… I'm his wife. We have strict condom use and we didn't the other night and it happened to coincide with my… re-upping his attention and bam. Pregnant." She took a breath. "I didn't think he knew that I did that… connecting to make sure he's still on task. He did. Totally did."

"So, he knows that you're not really into him?"

"No. He thinks I'm his loving wife who is mad because while I didn't plan this baby, he totally did. He absolutely did." Liz shook it off. "Tell me about your wedding. Michael absolutely didn't."

"It was kind of sad because I thought Valenti was dead and I had no idea about you, but I wanted you there." Maria made a face. "Apparently it stressed me out so much… I couldn't perform my wifely duty. Once I found out Valenti was still alive and I knew my mom knew I was okay… that fixed that but bam! Baby."

"Really?" Liz watched Maria talk about Michael and how he'd changed so much since they left home.

Maria snorted. "So, I've started knitting. Cause I can get him off my top half but not off my bottom half so I'm basically stuck until he's completed his completion. I'm getting sort of good at it."

"That's… gotta be an Antarian thing. I don't have that."

"Ah." Maria leaned forward. "Kyle says it happens to Tess, too. Says it's super awkward for him. He's a little glad they don't see each other anymore. Alex will not confirm or deny that it happens to Isabel."

"Kyle and Tess." Liz mused aloud. "That's… odd."

"It's on and off again. No odder than you playing house with former public enemy number one." Maria pointed out.

"I guess." Liz sighed. "I just wish I had a vacation from it. I mean… when he leaves to do FBI things… it's just me and Nate and that's good. But it's never for very long and I can't really go anywhere."

"Isabel said you had a meltdown after the last Skin showdown."

"He got hit and he was almost dead. If I hadn't needed him to finish the job, Zan would have let him die and it would have been over. I would have come back to the group." Liz sighed. "I guess I imprinted him and I need specifically him to make the big show happen."

"You're dealing with kind of a lot."

"Yeah."

"Honey." Daniel poked his head outside. "I put the boys down with fresh diapers. I'm headed up, too."

"Where'd you put Sammy?" Maria asked.

"He's in with Nate. I've got this, ladies."

"It's been two hours." Liz told him. "Cool your jets, Mr. McCallister."

"That's a high bar but attainable and I would love to make the sacrifice of body it would take to make that happen. Two down, three to go." He stepped out to kiss her neck.

"Let's please just get through the next six weeks." Liz shooed him off.

"Wake me when you come to bed." He kissed her again.

"Maybe." She patted his cheek. She turned back to Maria. Maria was shaking her head. When the door shut behind him, Liz tilted her head. "What?"

Maria pointed with her spoon. "That is a seriously handsome man and he wants… to bang you. A lot."

"He does. He's also got a dark and vile soul."

"Does that make it hard to do the banging? I can tell that there is a lot of banging going on." Maria gestured the way he went. "Like… regular banging."

"If I think about it too much, it gets too hard. I have to focus on just… playing the part." Liz told her. "Some parts are easier than others. Get into bed and shut off the brain. I can enjoy that. Play with the kid and enjoy that. Save my friends, on board. Then I feel guilty when I make sure he still loves me…"

"What?" Maria sat up.

"I'm not entirely sure I have to do that. I think he does… love me in his… psychotic way. He… was fixated on me longer than I think anyone knows. It scares me a bit." Liz shut her eyes. "I hate to do it because I never really met Agent Pierce. I saw something from inside him when I had to make sure he was who he said he was… so I know that it's in there. I've watched him plan some devious, devious shit… but I have never met Agent Pierce and it terrifies me."

"But he loves you."

"And as long as he does, I'll be fine." Liz nodded.

"There's nothing weird about him?"

"I mean… he's obsessed with lingerie… for me to wear, not him."

"Zan said that he doesn't let you… like go places without him."

"He doesn't like me to be around Zan because Zan looks like Max. We don't mention Max."

"So, he's insecure."

"Um… a raging bear of jealousy. So, I have to be… like… extra heavy on the seduction if the subjects come up or show up."

"Which is really hard because your husband is hideous… is the sex bad?"

Liz shook her head. "Not even close to bad. In the beginning… after we got out… I didn't want to but then he would just bring his A game and…" Liz blew out a breath. "If I fake an orgasm, he comes back with double the enthusiasm to get a real one. He knows the difference."

"What?"

"We have ripped so much lace and he knows my body. Things I didn't even know about my body, he knows."

"Did you and Max… ever?"

"Just a few times." Liz nodded. "Max is good… really good but he was inexperienced. We both were. Pierce… knows exactly what he's doing."

"Are you…"

"Glad I lost my virginity to Max instead of Pierce who was pretending to be a small-town deputy? Yeah. I am. Gives me some… hope that I have something to return to… if I can. I don't know how Max is dealing. Zan and Isabel have… kind of inferred that he's messed up by this whole thing."

"He is. He's out of his mind all the time." Maria nodded. "Even when it looks like he's okay... I can kind of tell how close to the edge he is."

"I can't talk about him." Liz could feel the moisture overflowing in her eyes.

"Okay."

"Especially not right now." Liz shook her head. "I have to do battle in the next couple of days and survive not looking at Max or talking to him and hopefully no one finds out I'm pregnant until after I go back home."

"Petunia…" Maria hugged her oldest friend in the world. "It's almost over right."

"What if I can't do it? What if I can't end it after this is all over? What if it's never over?" Liz started to hyperventilate but Maria helped her take deep breaths until she was calm.

"You're so strong, Liz. You're the strongest person I know. Maybe you don't have to do it. Maybe someone else can."

"It should be me." Liz cleared her throat and rubbed her face. "We should get to bed. Who knows what tomorrow brings."

They rinsed out their bowls and went upstairs so Maria could retrieve her son. Liz crawled into bed with Daniel once Maria had gone. He was dozing. Liz slid her hand across his chest and up his neck. His hand immediately covered hers. Kissed her palm and the other arm slipped under her to tug her on top of him. "Are we making up?"

"Just don't wake him up." She whispered.

"You're the noisy one." He told her as he unbuttoned her pants and shoved them down her legs. Liz got her knees free then worked on his pants. She sank down on him with her lip between her teeth. His hands slipped up her shirt to tease her nipples.

"Are you ever not ready?" Liz sighed as she moved.

"Sh." He thrust up and the bed creaked a little. "You're one to talk."

Liz opened his shirt and slid her palm across his chest as they moved. She bent her head to kiss his chest, his clavicle, his mouth. Felt his hands move down her body to her hips and sliding down to meet in the middle, thumbs parting her flesh and pressing together on her engorged clitoris. She mashed her mouth against his to keep the cries from coming out, cupping his face. Then she pushed up, rocking her hips, lifting her shirt so he could see her breasts in the half-light. His hands rested on her hips, thumbs running circles under her belly. When he came, his head tilted back, and Liz watched his face. Jaw clenched, nose flaring, eyes closed, face sweaty.

She pecked his mouth and pushed off to clean up. Maria was thoughtful enough to give them a room with a connected bathroom. She shed her clothes and found a nightgown in her bag. When she returned, he was still laying there with his dick out. "Put yourself away."

He watched while she checked on Nate in his crib. Still out. She found his sweats and tossed them at him. She found her robe and laid it over the edge of the crib. After a long moment, he kicked out of his pants and got washed up to put on his sweats. He picked up his slacks to fold over a chair in the room.

"Are you ever not ready?" Liz sighed as she moved.

"Sh." He thrust up and the bed creaked a little. "You're one to talk."

Liz got herself arranged on the bed, her hair tied back. He shut off the lamp and joined her, hand on her ribs. Liz drifted into a sort of doze but never really went to sleep. Around three in the morning, she heard the door open and shut downstairs. Footsteps of several people, fridge, other rooms opening and closing. Then she felt him. Max. She took a deep breath and slipped deeper into sleep. Felt Daniel's arm tighten around her middle as she finally slept.

Michael and Maria – June 10, 2006, Saturday 10:28 pm

Maria stirred when Michael climbed into bed with her. "You just got here?"

"I was outside for a long time. Keeping watch. Didn't want to accidentally punch him before we needed him." Michael grumbled and settled in. "Didn't mean to wake you."

"I just laid down a few minutes ago. You know I can't sleep without you."

"How is she?"

"Stressed out." Maria rolled closer to him.

"Sounds like she's working that stress out."

"What?"

"Listen. I think she's using a time-tested stress-relief method."

Maria held her breath and then realized the Pierces were roomed over her head. "They're fucking… right now?"

"Yep." Michael nodded. They lay there for a moment. "You want to?"

"I'm fairly certain my body is not going to let me and after hearing… still hearing this…" Maria glanced up. "How long have they been at it?"

Michael glanced at his watch. "A while."

"I mean… I think they're trying to be quiet but now that I hear them, I feel weird hearing them, but I can't not hear them."

"Agent Pierce has got some hangtime." Michael took his watch off. "Didn't know she was really, really doing this."

"He acts like he's in a normal marriage. She's… playing her part, I guess." Maria waited for him to settle so she could relax again. "I guess that… after seeing her, I don't know why Alex is so angry. I don't know why Isabel goes all Ice Queen about it. They asked her to do it and… I don't know how Liz thinks she's doing but… she's… scared."

"You think so?"

"You know how when Liz freaked out when you were sick. She couldn't come into the circle because she was afraid for Max. But then she joined in because saving your life was more important than her fear?"

"Yeah, so."

"Doing this is more important."

"Okay."

"Is it?"

"Zan says that if we had to do this on our own. None of us would be in one place for very long. None of us would be able to hold down a job. We'd all be living in sewers and out of RVs and constantly moving. Add the FBI still hunting us on top of that… this would go on for decades. Not years, not just…. A few months more. Decades. Sammy would be in on the fight and he's not even alien." Michael wrapped his arm around Maria and her breathing slowed. She was working herself up again. "I think they went to bed. Let's try to do the same."

"Okay." Maria took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"Yeah, that's good. Long in, slow out. Good air." Michael kissed her head. "You think Sammy is going to sleep all night."

"Oh yeah." Maria breathed. "Papa Pierce was in charge of the boys and they were worn out."

"You let him watch the boys."

"Apparently, he is a professional and he leaves the work persona at work."

"What?"

"It's what Liz says. Agent Pierce is the bad guy who does all the terrible things we're scared of. Mr. Pierce takes care of his family, loves his wife and kid and makes sure they have everything they need." Maria breathed in and out. "That's the guy I met tonight. He was polite and he treated Liz well, even though she's mad at him for a reason I'm not sharing tonight. He took over with the boys so Liz and I could have some time together. He invited me to come visit so Liz would stop being so cranky. He's got this kind of cool confidence that, frankly, is kind of hot."

"Hey."

"Just saying. Anyone who doesn't know her is going to see a happily married couple." Maria breathed in and out. "Anyone who knows Liz and looks at her is going to see how frayed she is."

"So…"

"So, Isabel and Alex are being assholes to her and she's taking it personally. Get them to stop."

"You know that Isabel doesn't take orders and Alex and I aren't… we don't have that kind of… rapport."

"Rapport? Who gave you a book?"

"You did."

"Oh, right." Maria drifted into an uneasy sleep. Michael kept watch over her. He couldn't sleep. Just couldn't. Maria wasn't really deep enough for him to be okay. He could tell. She still had tension in her shoulders. He listened to her breathing. Listening to Sammy breathing. He thought about just drifting off himself when he heard cars.

The front door opened, and voices filled the hallway. Maria sat up and grabbed her shorts so she could go meet whoever had arrived. Michael found his shirt to do the same. Babies and family. Maria opened the door and saw Max hauling in baby things. She turned to her husband. "At least they went to bed before he showed up."

Michael laughed in his throat. "It's not funny… but it's really funny."

Max – June 11, 2006, Sunday 2:08 AM - Wyoming

How he had become his sister's mule, he didn't know. He had the diaper bag and the playpen and the cooler of breast milk and her extra suitcase. She had chatted nonstop from the house to the jet to the airport to the house and he was so done. Alex had taken a nap with the boys. Alice had read through a stack of paper the whole ride. They left her at a hotel in the city. They had picked up Tess and Ava. Zan was right behind them in the driveway. Max nodded to the car already there. Isabel sighed. "That looks like Pierce's sensibly boring car."

"His car? They drove here? From Pittsburgh?" Max looked to Zan.

"I don't know, man. He does things the way he likes." Zan shook his head. "It's been a long day. I just need a bed."

"How many rooms does this place have?"

"We should have enough." Isabel glanced around as they walked in. "Max, put the pen down out here and put the cooler stuff in the fridge. I'll figure out the room assignments."

"Guys?" Maria came out of a room.

Max did as told. When he had deposited all of his armloads, he was watching his sister fidget. "What?"

"We, um… Alex and I always have this room over here. Maria already took a room for her and Michael. Zan and Ava have their room… which leaves us with one room to share… for you and Tess."

"Thought you said there were five rooms."

"Liz and Pierce have the last room."

Max took a breath and shut his eyes. He could feel her. She was falling asleep wherever she was. "It's fine. Tess and I can share the room."

"Yeah, it's fine." Tess nodded. "We're grown-ups."

"It's also… next door to…" Isabel gestured.

"It's fine." Max gritted his teeth but let Tess wrap her hand around his arm and lead him upstairs. He could hear Maria asking Isabel "when did that start again?" and kept on moving. He crashed on the bed and it was so quiet, he could almost hear her breathing in the next room. Tess stared at his face. "It's fine."

"You're tense." She pointed out as she sat on her side of the bed and kicked her shoes onto the floor.

"My personal demon is asleep on the other side of that wall." Max pointed out.

"Do you want to relax?"

"Not going to happen."

"I meant, do you want my help to relax?" Tess leaned over to whisper in his ear.

"I don't really feel like fooling around, Tess." Max shut his eyes and tried to ignore her. When she wouldn't leave him alone, he shot out of bed and set up camp on one of the couches. Isabel was still up. "Don't ask."

"Okay." She sighed heavily. "By the way, Alice couldn't take her eyes off you."

"Iz… not in the mood." Max shut his eyes. "She's like 12, anyway."

"She's 21. A whole two years younger than you."

"If we were human." Max rolled over. "Drop it."

"I hate seeing you like this."

"It can't get worse than it already is." He mumbled and fell into a fitful sleep.

Zan – June 6, 2006, Tuesday

Bag packed, Zan had an agent taking him to the airport. He had some things he wanted to check out before everyone arrived. He'd left the black site greatly irritated. Lannie still wouldn't give anything up. Rath just kept setting his bedding on fire and flipping off the camera or whoever looked in the window. Nasedo's body was still inert. Everything was as it should be. Pierce would bring Liz at the last second, so no one had to be awkward very long. They'd had a very odd conversation about how this trip was going to go. Pierce had mentioned a vacation but Zan had tuned him out, just like every other time Pierce mistook the two of them for colleagues. Eye on the prize.

These assholes were across the state line from the mansion in Wyoming, which said to Zan that Nasedo had leaked some pertinent information before being shut down. Zan's main concern was protecting the group. He had a very small Terran kingdom, but he was going to keep it alive.

He left some breadcrumbs to keep the Skins from leaving town and then he sat back to watch. He watched for two days before calling the troops to assemble. As he was getting out of the car, Ava pulled up with Tess. He didn't bother with a single other soul in the driveway. He wrapped his arms around her and inhaled her scent deeply. She made fun of his suit and then dragged him upstairs. He fell asleep with his nose buried in her hair and his arm wrapped firmly around her waist.

Noise. He woke to noise. People. He hated people. Clothes on, he found everyone awake and fueling up for the day. Time for the big show. He had to get Kal from his jet and back to the house.

Liz – June 11, 2006, Sunday 7:00 am

Liz did the rounds at breakfast, hugging everyone and kissing babies. Isabel was pregnant and Alex had a baby in each arm. No one was outright rude to Pierce, but no one had much to say to him. Liz made sure to be the self he knew, so he didn't get too offended, and realized how different it made her seem to her family by the looks they gave each other when they thought she couldn't see. Max kept his distance. When Zan arrived with Kal, the planning started. The royal four would come from one side and the Pierces would flank the other side. Kal would make up the difference with Max and Ava.

"You guys know that there are four babies now." Alex pointed out.

"And two fully human adults to care for them." Zan pointed out. "It's just for a few hours."

Liz met Max's eyes for a moment. It was heady. He was ready to kill something. She was less ready, but Pierce always shored up her reserves. Kal had the whole town scoped out. The cell was small, so they had to get them together and all at once or else it would attract attention. Pierce had a story in the event it went wrong but no one wanted to put him at the front of anything since the trials started the year before.

Liz kissed her son before leaving him with Maria. Daniel was right on her heels. Liz did the full gamut of kissing babies before she loaded up with Daniel, Kal, and Tess. Max and everyone else rode in the other car.

Max and Ava played bait, luring the Skins to a warehouse where everyone else was waiting outside. Liz stood alone in the doorway after they entered. She and Pierce had worked up some energy while they were waiting. She sent it out hot and heavy before they could move. Then he walked in behind her to slide his hands along her arms and give her a place to feed on. Zan led the group from the other end of the warehouse, a field enveloped the entire building to prevent anyone from leaving.

It was depressingly easy. Liz felt all the seals break at once. All fourteen of them. Fourteen. "Weren't there supposed to be 15?"

"What?" Zan called across the room.

"There were only 14," Liz called back.

"Liz!" Max called out.

Pierce whirled around and energy shout out of his hand. Liz touched his neck and aimed his energy more efficiently at the intruder… who looked like a teenaged boy. He was strong. He fought back. Liz edged in front of Pierce and switched to the primary position of power. Then she felt the others come to their aid. It took all of them to get rid of this one Skin. This one little boy who fought like hell and felt so wrong. Liz's powers kicked into overdrive and she reached with both hands. She had to lay her hands on him. She knew that. Pierce kept trying to pull her back, but she kept moving forward but it was like swimming in mud. She felt Max join in. Felt Ava.

The boy's eyes started to widen. Liz concentrated her powers on his head. How could this one boy be more powerful than the legions they had already destroyed? Then his eyes narrowed. "You're just a human."

"I don't know if the word 'just' applies." Liz could hear his voice in her head and she knew she hadn't spoken aloud.

"Why bother if there's nothing left for them?"

"There's Earth." Liz told him. "Antar's gone but Earth is here."

"How'd you get so strong?"

"Forged in battle." She felt Zan and Michael and Isabel and Tess.

The boy screamed and Liz didn't let go. She forged ahead and got her hands on him. He didn't just pop like the others. He exploded and Liz had to throw up a shield around him to contain it. Could feel how infectious it was. She condensed it down to almost nothing and then she set it on fire. It refused to die and she felt warmer by the second. One by one, she could feel them all leaving her until it was just her and Pierce. Just the two of them fighting it. Liz was losing steam but she kept pulling on his energy. She turned in his arms and shut her eyes.

Alex and Maria – June 11, 2006 Noon

"We have too many babies." Maria sighed as she made another bottle and sniffed for the source of the dirty rear end. Snacks and toys up to her neck.

"That's what Isabel says to me," Alex muttered. "Hey, don't give my kids sugar."

"Sorry." Maria found Chuck a snack more to Alex's liking. "I hate being left behind but I also do not want to be where the action is. My stomach is tied up in knots as it is."

"I did my share of running from the FBI and gangsters. I'm plenty happy to watch babies."

"I don't think we had to go through anything like that. Michael is so… naturally paranoid that he could adapt plans in the middle. He didn't even tell me the worst bits until they were long over." She looked at her friend. "Alex… are we still friends?"

"Of course." He turned to look at her.

"It's just… I don't feel like you like me anymore. No one talks to us. Doesn't bother Michael but… I miss you."

He stared at her for a long moment. "We're friends, Maria. Always will be. Talking or not talking… always friends." He took a breath. "Still a lot going on, you know. Hard to… make time."

"Yeah, I guess." She nodded at him. "Michael said you lost it on Liz… at the last one of these."

"I guess I did." Alex shrugged and took a seat amongst the babies so he could get at Freddie.

"I talked to her last night. To her and without him."

"And?" His face was stone. Maria cleared her throat. "What?"

"I think she's barely holding it together and we should get her out… and soon."

"Liz doesn't do anything she doesn't want to."

"You know that's not true. She sacrifices for others all the time."

"Liz has the capacity to be selfish, just like the rest of us and while I get that we need her to keep an eye on Agent Pierce, I do not believe she needed to become Mrs. Pierce in the process. I don't believe she needed to take such a hands-on approach to this whole thing."

"You think she wants to be with him instead of Max?"

"I know, or at least theorize, on how hybrid-human relationships work and maybe I don't know how Queen Liz's powers work, but I know sex doesn't equal baby but sex plus a very deep connection does. I think she's a lot more attached to him than she knows."

"What do you mean? She's got that sympathy thing?"

"Yeah. I think she's got Stockholm syndrome. I think that's exactly what's happened." Alex cleared his throat. "Isabel tells me all the time how I'm not the person I was. For good or for bad. I've become the person I needed to be in order to survive all this. So, I get it. Liz was in a hole being tortured for months, being preyed on by the most horrendous person I have ever met. So, she survived that. She didn't know her roommate was said horrendous person. Still, having this knowledge has not changed the relationship she developed with his subhuman piece of garbage… and that's our fault. We asked her to do this while she was still trying to figure out if being rescued was a dream." He shook his head. "So, yeah. Stockholm for sure. So, see this less as I'm blaming her and more that I'm protecting myself in case this goes bad and we never get her back."

"What?" Maria blinked. Her ears had to be playing tricks on her.

"My worst fear is that she's not as strong as we're hoping. That we go to one of these things and she dies. That we're not prepared enough, and we lose her because we're banking on her being the strongest and it's not true. That's my worst fear about Liz."

"Alex."

"And I know you can't live that way, with those thoughts in your head. Your blessed brain doesn't operate that way and I'm glad. You have hope. I have fear."

"Alex. I talked to her. She's lonely but I think she's got this. She's at her wit's end with him, but she's handling it and… I don't want her to, anymore."

Alex took a breath and looked over the kids for a moment. "What I'm getting at is this: I don't think this is the way it has to happen. I think Liz has chosen this as the simplest way because maybe it's the smoothest route. The path of least resistance because we all said it and we keep saying it: Liz is the strong one. But… She's just not anymore. I'm saying, and especially as someone who watched her lose her shit when he almost died, that Liz is broken and I'm not entirely sure we get her back. We don't get Liz from our childhood back."

"You think she's not trying?"

"I think, for her sanity, she's just passively controlling that man."

"You think that she has to make that connection… a deep one… to conceive?"

"Yes. I presume it's the same with you and Michael… Max and Tess, who you have to know are rabbiting these days. Hell. Zan and Ava. So maybe this little guy is a product of Beacon and not the regular deep connection. I can't fault her for that… what?" Alex stopped at the look on Maria's face. "Maria, why do you look like that?"

"She's pregnant."

Max – June 11, 2006, Sunday 2:42 pm

Max pushed his way to the front of his friends. Pierce had Liz in his arms, and he was freezing her with his apparently new powers. "What's wrong?"

"She's burning up." Pierce kept his hands on her. "I can't… She won't…"

"Let me try." Zan put his hands on her head and shut his eyes. "She's locked up."

"Iz." Max turned to his sister. "See if you can get in."

"I can't, Max. I've been trying since she booted us."

"Guys, we have to get out of here," Michael shouted out.

"You… keep doing that." Max told Pierce.

"I don't even know how I'm doing it."

"Just don't stop," Max told him. "Let's get her in the van."

"She's getting warmer," Pierce warned as he stood with her still in his arms. Zan helped levitate her to the van.

Max climbed in with them. "Liz? Can you hear us? We need you to wake up."

"When she… connects with me… she… touches the back of my neck." Pierce motioned. "I already tried."

"Give me a second." Max felt the car jerk over gravel roads. He had to concentrate. Liz was radiating heat by this point. He slid his hand under her head. "Liz. Come on. It's Max. Let me in."

"She can't die," Pierce told him.

"Will you shut the fuck up?" Max cut him a look. "Let me work." He tilted her head back. He was starting to breathe heavily. "Liz, listen to my voice. I'm going to help you. I need you to listen. I need to get in. I need to see what's inside." He focused on the crease of her eyelids. He sent energy into her body through the contact behind her neck. He felt her tighten up even more. Protecting something. Not herself. She was pushing him out. But not her. No. She wasn't consciously doing anything.

Panting, he broke out of it. He looked to Zan. "No good and she's getting warmer."

"I can't get in." Zan shook his head.

"Me, either," Isabel whispered.

Max looked to Pierce. "She's protecting something. She's hiding something. What is she hiding?"

"I don't understand."

"This thing… is in her mind and she's not protecting her mind. What is she doing? What is she protecting? Where is she going?"

Pierce's eyes shot down to Liz's hand, fisted over her belly. Max covered her hand with his. He focused and he saw. She was shielding a zygote. He placed his hand under her hand. He inserted his shield under hers. He shut his eyes and tried to get into her mind again. She relaxed once his stronger shield superseded hers. Then he could see the damage. The trap. The bomb. She was holding it tight but not as tight as she had been that baby. He could feel her drawing on Pierce's energy to feed the shield around the bomb and now that Max had the baby, she was reinforcing the shield around the bomb.

He felt the van stop, and everybody was crowding around. He knew what he needed to do but he needed Liz to help him. He reached for her. She appeared to him, the way she saw herself. A faint light surrounded her. "I can help. Trade me. You take the baby and I'll take the bomb."

"It'll kill you."

"I have better control over my powers, now."

"I'll just do it."

"Your attention is split, Liz. You have to let me take the bomb." Max pleaded. "You're draining Pierce and I don't know think he knows it yet."

Liz stared off into the darkness behind her. "If I give it to you. You can't take it inside yourself like I did. It will infect you. You have to carry it outside. You have to burn it off."

"We're at the mansion. Plenty of space."

"Not all at once. A breath at a time. Understand? Not blowing out a birthday cake of candles. Not blowing out a single candle. Not a deep sigh. Just little breath at a time."

"I got this." Max held his hands out. "Give it to me."

Max opened his eyes and he pulled the ball of energy out of Liz with his shield wrapped firmly around it. "Get her inside and keep everyone away from me."

Pierce grabbed Liz and took her inside. Max examined the area. He walked gently but quickly to the back end of the property. Zan and Michael followed him. Zan had his shield ready. Max remembered what she said. A breath at a time. He aimed the opening of the shield up and breathed. There was a loud explosion. "Okay, Max. Smaller breaths."

Max imagined a slit. A pinhole. Small breaths. Fire bled out. He heard shouting. He couldn't stop what he was doing. He'd been at it for half an hour when he heard someone calling his name.

"Max! We need you!"

Max turned and Michael held his hands out. The transfer went easily enough. Michael struggled for a moment. "Small bursts. Pinhole sized breaths."

"I got it."

Max ran up to the room where they'd laid Liz out. She was still sweating. Zan shook his head. "None of us can get in. We left Kal behind to handle the cleanup."

"Move." Max pushed Pierce out of the way. He felt her head. Too hot. "You have to stop touching her. You're feeding the traces of it."

Max found the little bits of the infection and drew them out. She was still protecting the baby. When he was sure he had all of it, he handed it off to Zan. "Take it outside and give it to Michael."

He looked Liz over. She was full of energy. Primed to fight a war and nothing to aim it at. He had to get in again. He slipped his hand under her neck and tilted her head back. "Come on. Come on." He cursed silently and said a prayer. "Someone grab Pierce. Hold him back for me."

"Got him." Isabel had him in a bubble.

Max shook Liz as hard as he dared and he feared it wasn't hard enough. "Open your eyes!" Then he slapped her. Her eyes opened just enough for him to make the connection. Then he was in a sea of Liz. Her body was in overdrive. Liz stood there in a sea of light. "Liz?"

"It burns."

"I know. Give it to me."

"No, it'll burn you too."

"It's okay. I can take it." He promised.

"Did you see him? Is he okay?" Liz gathered the light together.

"Pierce is fine."

"Not him." Liz huffed. "My son."

"He's fine. You protected him." Max promised. "You almost died but you protected him."

"Did you have to slap me?"

"If I could have done it any other way, you know I would have." Max gathered the light up and put it in a virtual pocket.

"Did it feel good?"

"To hurt you? No." Max stared at her. "Who are you?"

"Same as I ever was."

"No, you're not."

Liz turned her head and he followed her gaze. Rows of doors. Some were open, her younger days. Happier days. All the days with him were under lock and key. All the days with her husband were open but only just. "Promise me that we're getting close."

"You tell me. You're the all-powerful one."

"All-powerful is not all seeing." She touched her belly. "I didn't plan this. I didn't want this. But I have it."

Max took all the extra power with him when he shut down the connection. He felt her reaching for him, but he couldn't look at her anymore. Then he was sitting there looking at her. He shut her eyes and stood. "She's fine now but she's going to be weak."

Max rushed outside. Isabel on his heels. Michael was still bleeding out his explosive. Max unleashed his borrowed energy on a tree. Splinters rained down on them. Isabel shouted. "Max! stop it!" Then he took out another tree. Then another. Then Isabel whipped him around. "Max!"

"She's pregnant," Max told her. "All of this because she was protecting the baby." He turned back to the trees and blew up two more. Then he took the ball of energy from Michael and returned to bleeding it out slowly, taking out a couple of trees as he went.

It was dark when he finally rid himself of all the extra energy and the explosive. When he walked inside, everyone was silent. He took himself to shower in the room he was supposed to share with Tess. When he came out, she was carrying her bag. "I'm going to take their room. You can sleep in here."

"Where'd they go?"

"They left. Home, I guess." Tess shrugged. "You were… busy out back."

"Right." Max sat on the bed.

"Unless you want me to stay."

"I'd rather be alone right now." Max shook his head. He didn't sleep. He stared at the ceiling all night. He didn't wish he'd gotten to say goodbye to Liz, but he'd wanted to have an actual conversation with her before she left. He wondered what made them go so quickly.

TBC