No I don't own em, wish i owned brendan cos he's fine.
The offspring, Gone away from the album Ixnay on the
Hombre used without permission. Warning. Angst.
Max pulled onto the main drag that housed the Crashdown
and paused. He could feel something in the air and it
tingled around him. Something was making him feel charged
and it shivered through his veins making him shudder.
He changed his course to Michael's place and pushed his foot
down on the gas.
Liz sat in the Crashdown her head resting on the top of
the counter. Maria was serving the few customers that populated
the cafe today and Liz was left to wallow in the lake
of misery her confrontation with Max had produced. Michael
looked anxiously over at Liz and motioned for Maria to come
over to him.
"What's up with Liz? I havn't seen her serve one customer today"
Maria pushed her hands into her alien apron pockets.
"She won't tell me, but I think it has something to do with
the whole Max thing." Maria covered her mouth with her hands
even as she said the words. Michael narrowed his eyes and looked
at her.
"What Max thing Maria?"
"Oh nothing" She laughed nervously "You know what I'm like,
thinking of stuff that's really not that important."
She made to turn away and Michael reached out and grabbed her
arm.
"Maria" His tone was low and warning.Maria sighed and looked
over at Liz then back to Michael. She sighed again and let
her shoulders slump.
"Maybe you should talk to Liz. Josè can handle the kitchen"
when he didn't move, she swatted his arm with her order book
and motioned him towards Liz. He glowered at her.
"Maria I am no good at this kinda thing, you said it yourself
Michael Guerin the emotional amoeba"
She shook her head as if to decree that she wasn't listening
to him.
"Michael I have a feeling that Liz just needs to talk to
someone who won't give her an opinion of their own."
Michael smiled down at Maria and her "prim" face as he called it.
"You mean someone who won't meddle?"
Maria gasped. "I do not meddle Michael, I merely advise."
Michael laughed and moved out of her reach as she scolded him.
He pushed through the double doors and took off his apron
and handed it to Maria. He sat on the stool next to Liz
and looked down at her. He sat there for a few minutes as he
thought of what to say. In the end he gave up and just let
his mouth do the talking, not his brain.
He touched her arm gently and she turned her head to look
at him.
"You ok?"
She didn't answer.
"Ok Liz, you know I am not very good at this thing. Why don;t
we go into the back and you can tell me what's wrong and I
can nod and shake my head in the approriate places?"
A ghost of a smile flickered across her lips and she sat up.
Michael moved away from the counter and Liz followed him into
the back. They sat down on the couch and for a few moments
They were just quiet. Then Liz began to speak.
"I suppose you know all about the thing with Kyle?"
Michael nodded.
"Well it didn't exactly happen." She looked down.
"What do you mean? You didn't sleep with Kyle?"
"I didn't sleep with Kyle no."
Michael sat up and smiled the simple act illuminating his
features and Liz could for a second, see why Maria liked him.
"Well that's great, I'm mean we should tell Max!"
Liz shook her head and then proceeded to tell Michael the whole
story. When she had finished she looked up at Michael and
saw his trust in her written all over his face.
He shrugged at her. "So Maxwell didn't take it so well, you're
not going to give up are you?"
"Michael if I push him I am just going to turn him further
away from me." She hung her head and pushed her hair back off
her face.
"Listen to me." Michael took her arm."Show him how you feel,
if you let him go then he won't ever go back. I know Maxwell
hell i've been his shadow for years."
Liz and Michael looked at each other with the mutual
understanding that two people have when they both know them.
*************************************************************
Max knocked again on Michael's door then pushed it open himself.
He stopped when he saw Hope sitting on Michael's sofa. He walked
in and closed the door looking warily at Hope.
"How did you get in here?"
Hope arched an eyebrow and nodded behind him. "The door, same as
you." She paused and then looked up at him her dark hair
framing her pale face. "She told you?"
"Yes"
"But it's not happily ever after yet." It was a statement.
"No, I flipped at her, I didn't believe her, I do now I need
to find her"
Hope sighed.
"I didn't mean that. I meant the Skins."
Max frowned and paced the room twice before he looked up at
Hope "The dream, it was real?"
"The Skins are coming for you, yes."She looked at him and
he almost fell back.
"Lani and Nicholas are leading the Skins." He shook his head
"How did I know that."
"I told you Max" She tapped her temple."You should be able to
do that with Liz"
"Liz"
Max caught the word and hung onto is like his raft in open sea.
"I have to get to Liz."
Hope stood and held out her hand. "Lets go."
Max and Hope arrived at the Crashdown at the same time
Michael emerged with Liz. Michael handed Liz and bunch of
tissues and Max felt the punch of guilt in his stomach as the
realisation that he had caused those tears hit him.
He pushed through the doors and over to Liz. Michael grasped
his arm and looked at him conveying his wishes of goodluck.
"We need to talk"
Liz nodded and led Max out of the cafe and upstairs to the
balcony. Liz opened her mouth to speak but before she could
say anything Max placed a finger on her lips. They stood like
that until Max moved his hand to push back her hair. Stood like
that just like they had so many months ago down stairs when
Max had shown Liz his soul, they communicated all the other
needed to know. Then completing this fiery and undeniable
link they brought their lips together to seal the bond.
*************************************************************
Maybe in another life
I will find you there
Pulled away before your time
I can't deal, it's so unfair
It feels
and it feels like
Heaven is so far away
And it feels,
yeah it feels like
the world has grown cold,
now that you've gone away.
Hope rubbed her arms absently under the big sweater as she sat
quietly at a booth. She always felt cold these days.Without Zan.
Poor Zan. Tears crept into her eyes as she remembered the first
night they had kissed, the night he had healed her. Then she
remembered the night they had first made love and the tears slid
silently down her face. Maria came over to her with some tissues
and a drink and pulled her into a hug. Hope marvelled at the
kindness of these strangers. Hope knew what she must do.
so that neither Max or Liz would ever feel like she did. She
looked around at Tess(Ava) and Kyle, at Michael(Rath) and Maria
and Isobel (Lanni) who would always be alone because she had
killed her love and would never know it.
She looked at the bubbles fizzing and bursting against the
glass and sighed.
/Hang on Zan, I'll be with you soon./
The skies were turning purple and in the minutes it took Max
and Liz to come downstairs the sky had gone black. Michael
looked out of the windows on this curiously empty town
and moved back restlessly. When Max came throught the door
with Liz's hand grasped in his he smiled breifly and then
jammed his finger towards the door.
"Trouble's coming Maxamillion."
Max nodded."It's the Skins."
Isobel looked up and Tess frowned." But we killed them. I
Killed them."
"Aparently not all.Nicholas and Lanni want us dead or with
Kavar. Either way we die."
"Do we have a plan?" Kyles face looked calm and collected
but his hands absently tore a paper napkin to shreds.
"Yeah." Max looked at Hope.
"We're gonna go out there and fight them" Her New york
tone full of force.
"That's it?" Marias eyes were incredulous.
Hope threw her glance to look at them. The Royal four
are strong enough to handle the leaders. I got a plan
though and if you know, Nicholas will. You havn't
learnt to control your thoughts yet."
Tess stepped forward. "I have."
Hope let her gaze fall over Tess. "With Nasetos guiding?"
Tess nodded and looked back at Max.
Hope nodded. "Then I don't trust you." She looked over
the four. "I suggest you start thinking. I need a word
with these"
Kyle, Maria and Liz joined Hope at the furthest corner
and they sat down.
"I need you to stay inside. Liz and Kyle, you can use
your gifts. You just have to concentrate."
"What gifts Hope?I don't know what to do" Liz lifted
pained eyes to Hopes empty ones.
"The gifts from Max when he healed you. If you can get
into some sort of deep meditation you will be able to
release them and use them to stem the main army.
Maria you will need to act as their guard, and
their anchor, if they get lost it will be up
to you to guide them back."
The others nodded and Liz looked at Hope.
"What about you?"
Hope missed her eyes and looked towards the door.
"Let's get you set up."
The four had worked out that they would concentrate
their energies on the leaders and then work down.
The turned as Liz moved to stand by Max's arm. They
hadn't noticed the others leave.
"Liz" Max placed his hand on her arm. "I know you
want to help, but it's too dangerous."
Liz looked up at him. "I know Max, Hope said that
I can use my gifts to help. I want to help Max"
The four looked at other and then nodded then the five
of them moved as one and headed for the door.
********************************
Max could feel his protective shield weakening
even as he concentrated his energy on The largest Skin
leader. Isobel was attacking Valandra, Michael, Rath
Tess the other main Skins leader and Liz-Nicholas.
He had worried about that choice when they first began
but Liz was managing to hold her own.
Around him he could feel the stillness in the air, he
heard the sigh tinged with sadness then issued from
Michael as Rath went down. Then a groan as Max's shield
flickerd. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Maria
on the balcony and Kyle and Hope.
He knew that they were holding back the masses of skins
as they fought. Valandras scream echoed through the air
as she collapsed next to Rath and as Max's shield finally
winked out they turned to help Max and Tess.
When the ashes from their immediate enemies drifted
around his face Max turned to help Liz.
He stopped and motioned to the others to do the same as
he saw Nicholas with his hands gripping Lizs head
and abdomen. Tears were running down the sides of
her face and Max looked up into Nicholas' eyes.
he saw the grin and then jerked as he felt the pain
lance through his body. As the blood ran through
Nicholas' fingers her let her body slump and
Max caught it.
"It never pays to bring your love into battle with
you Max"
Max roared and he let the sound fill the crowded streets
as Nicholas' body burst into ashes.
The roar carried on and Michael, Isobel and Tess placed
thier hands on Maxs' shoulders. They gasped as they felt
thier power surge into Max and flow out through his
hand into line upon line of skins. Finally when there
were no more left did he stop and slump over Liz's body
Ashes rained down on them from the sky as the three of them
embraced Maxs sobbing body Liz dead at his feet.
/Hope felt the pain pierce her very being and
absentmindedly regretted hurting Max, if only for a short
while. It had given Max the power to destroy the skins
She hadn't counted on him using the powers of the others
and she figured that he must have killed every skin still
on earth. She looked down at the scene. Max,Isobel, Tess
and Michael all embraced. Her own body in Lizs figure
lying at Maxs feet. Maria crying out as Kyle and Liz
lay passed out.
Suddenly she felt warm, a warmth that she had not felt
since Zan. She turned and saw him and he smiled.
She held out her hand and walked towards him, They stopped
and hugged and then carried on never once looking back./
When Michael pushed the door open Kyle was awake and sitting
over a cup of coffee. Maria was sitting next to him and
Michael rushed over to her. He took her in his amrns and
started kissing her face all over, along her jaw, her nose,
eyebrows, lips.
Kyle pulled Tess to him and Isobel sat Max down at the
first booth. She left him shocked and staring into
nothingness as she poured him coffee. She heard his gasp
and turned to see Liz in the door way.
"No,NO NOOOOOO."
They all heard Max's denial as he tried to stumble away.
Liz ran over to him and grabbed his arm but he shrugged
her off his eyes wide and shining with tears.
"Max, Max, it's me, Liz"
He tried to pull away and fell against the wall.
"no No you're dead, you're out there dead, I felt you
go I"
Liz's eyes filled with tears. "It was Hope Max, not me
She did so she could save you and go back to Zan. I know
you hurt but you killed them all Max everyone."
He stopped moving and looked down at her.
"Dead" he whispered.
Liz raised her self on her toes and kissed him. In that
kiss she put in everything. Their first kiss, the visions
her love for him. When she pulled away she felt her
cheeks wet with their mingled tears. He kissed her
forehead before sinking to his knees infront of her.
"I thought I had lost you"
"Shhhh Max, don't" She held him to her as he wept
Michael, Maria, Kyle, Tess and Isobel looked on, holding
each other and they watched the two as they both sobbed
their love, and their thanks and their grief to Hope.
