Part 22
Roswell, New Mexico
"Alex." Kyle spoke to his friend softly as he entered Maria's hospital room. Mrs. Deluca was asleep on the couch near the bed and he didn't want to wake her up. Alex's head had been lowered, his eyes closed, but it snapped up when Kyle said his name. "Is there any change?"
Alex shook his head sadly. "The doctors keep giving each other those looks...you know, those LOOKS?" When Kyle nodded, he continued, "They can't figure out what's wrong with her Kyle. I can tell they think the longer she's like this," Alex indicated Maria's still form, "The less hope there is."
"Well, don't give up hope buddy. I have some good news!" Alex frowned slightly, waited for Kyle to finish. "I just got off the phone with Liz. They have him Alex. Max is back."
Alex could not stop the grin from breaking across his face. "That's great!" He glanced down at Maria again, his smile fading. "I don't know if it's going to do any good at this point though." He stood up, leaned down to kiss Maria's forehead, brushing a lock of her strawberry-blonde hair away from her face. "Hang in there cutie." He whispered to her as he motioned for Kyle to follow him out into the hallway where they could talk more comfortably.
"So, what's the scoop?"
"Well, it's not all good." Kyle amended, as they walked toward the cafeteria to get some coffee. It was about nine in the morning. Kyle had gone home for a couple of hours of shut-eye and to wait for Liz's call. They had known that Liz, Isabel and Michael had been planning to open the portal to Illyria the night before...Liz had promised that she would call as soon as there was some news. "Max doesn't remember who he is. He really thinks that he's Jason, or Jaxon, or whatever the hell he calls himself there."
Alex sighed, grabbed a container of orange juice from the cooler near the cash register. "He IS Jaxon Falconer, unfortunately. So, then he's been brainwashed somehow. I hope this doesn't mean he won't want to try and heal Maria."
"Can you ever see Max Evans refusing to help someone, whether he remembers them or not?" Kyle asked wryly as he dumped half a container of sugar into his coffee. He saw Alex grimace, ignored him. Hanging out with Tess had convinced him of the inherent rightness of a goodly portion of sugar in most meals. "I mean, he healed ME for Christ's sake."
"I guess." Alex plunked his tray down on a Formica table, flopped into a chair. "How are Liz and Izzy taking it?"
"Well, Liz just sounded ecstatic. I've never heard her so happy...I didn't ask about Isabel. It was sort of a bad connection." He paused. "I didn't tell them about Maria, by the way."
Alex frowned. "Michael's going to be pissed."
"I know, but they have enough to deal with getting Mr. Memory-loss back to Roswell. It sounds like he's sort of being difficult. I heard a lot of screeching in the background."
"Oh great!" Alex smacked his hand against his forehead. "Don't tell me we're going to have to deal with the Illyrian version of the anti-Max. I don't think I'll survive another go-around on that roller-coaster of insanity."
Kyle sighed. "Who knows? Anyway, you haven't seen Tess have you? She isn't answering her phone again."
Alex took a bite of his omelette, scowled at it for a moment, then pushed it away. He eyed the bottle of Tabasco sitting on the table for a moment, casually picked it up and shook a couple of drops onto his eggs. His eyes nearly popped out of his head when he took a bite. "Michael..." Kyle heard him mutter under his breath. "I haven't seen Tess since early this morning." Alex told him finally, after having taken a large swig of water. "She slept on the other chair in Maria's room, but said she had to go see someone a couple of hours ago."
"I don't like the sound of that. I forgot to tell you that I saw Tess take off in a car with a stranger yesterday." Kyle rubbed his face wearily.
"Um, I hate to be the one to inform you of this Kyle, but Tess is allowed to have other friends." Alex looked sort of sympathetic. Kyle felt a flash of annoyance. It was embarrassing that everyone else seemed to know how he felt about Tess, that they all felt sorry for him that she didn't feel the same way.
"I know that. It's just that she was acting all weird...and then she started to bawl when she came in yesterday, going on about everything falling apart...I tell you, it wasn't right."
"Well, she's certainly been keeping up her part of the bargain where Maria is concerned." Alex commented, starting on his toast, seeming to have given up on his eggs entirely. "She isn't the most pleasant bodyguard around, but she has been guarding Maria's body."
"I still say something's up with her." Kyle muttered, pushing away from the table. "I'm going to find her." He paused before he left the cafeteria. "By the way, they're coming back later tonight. Liz called me from the airport."
"I don't get it." Alex looked up at him. "I thought they didn't know about Maria. What's the rush?"
"They think that getting Max into familiar surroundings might jar his memory or something like that...I don't know! I'm just passing on the info." Kyle felt his frustration mounting.
Everything was just so screwed up. They had all been holding out so much hope for Max's return. None of them had bargained on having to deal with someone who WASN'T Max...or who was Max in body, but not in spirit.
Kyle hoped that it didn't all end up being a big disappointment. He didn't think that any of them, but particularly Liz or Isabel, would be able to deal with it if the REAL Max never came back to them. Having him around, but not himself, might even make it worse. Alex was more than right. None of them wanted to deal with the anti-Max again.
Their bad-luck streak still seemed to be going strong. Weren't they ever going to catch a break?
* Dreams * Maria
She was huddled in the corner of the tent, her knees pulled up to her chest, shivering. One thing about this planet, it was never warm enough. In the approximately six months that she and Michael had been there she had gotten used to the twelve moons, the yellow sky, the serious lack of living conditions...but she would never get used to cold.
Illyria was a strange place, and not just in your typical different planet way. It was the fact that while the civilization here seemed light-years ahead of Earth in so many ways, in others they were hundreds of years behind. They had space-travel, portals from one planet to another, but they didn't even have toilets for God's sake!
Maria jumped off the cot, began to pace, kicking the skirt of her annoying gown out of the way.
Nothing was as they had expected. Not that they HAD expected to be stranded on a planet half-way across the universe, but really, she had not expected everything to be so similar - and yet different.
The Dernians LOOKED like humans. Tarsus had told her that it was a form they had taken to make Michael more comfortable during his first months on his home planet, but she didn't get THAT either. She had thought that it was Max they wanted, not Michael.
They hadn't learned much about what the Dernians wanted with them in general. No one wanted to talk to either of them. Michael was becoming seriously frustrated, barely able to sleep most nights. He spent his days wandering the camp, trying to pick up whatever information he could.
Everyone seemed to be waiting, waiting....for what exactly, neither Maria or Michael was sure.
They weren't totally clueless however. Maria had managed to get one of her guards to talk a little bit. She was a good wheedler - always had been.
The Dernians were a race of shapeshifters. They had been at war with the Illyrians for generations. It seemed that it was a war about progress versus the status quo. Her guard, Ren, had told her that the Illyrians, currently led by Queen Milena and her husband Hamor, were against the cleansing process that the Dernians had created. The cleansing was supposed to erase emotion, thus avoiding all the emotional entanglements that caused the people to not want to advance themselves to their full potential because they did not want to leave their loved ones - or their need for revenge against those they hated - behind.
Apparently the Illyrians were not shapeshifters, but were actually a race quite close to humanity. Maria had caught sight of one of them once. She had been a pretty girl before they had podded her for the cleansing. She had not survived it.
It seemed that some Illyrian physiology was too weak for the transformation, which was why they were against it. A small minority of Dernians were against it too - Nasedo was one of these.
Maria remembered when Max had been podded back on Earth. He had not seemed to undergo the same loss of emotion that Michael had. No one had understood it at the time, but Ren had explained that the process did not seem to have the same effect on all Illyrians. It either killed them or made them stronger, more in touch with their mental "gifts." No one knew why the process affected one Illyrian one way and a second another way.
Maria had come to some conclusions of her own, based on the little information she had been given.
By the monotone way he addressed her, Maria KNEW that Ren HAD undergone the cleansing. He was not unkind to her, but he certainly was not nice either. He was just weird - just like zombie-Michael had been weird.
Michael was a Dernian. There was no other explanation for the way he had been able to completely lose all emotion through the transformation he had undergone on Earth. Tarsus seemed annoyed that Michael's emotions seemed to have returned when they had made the journey through the portal. He guessed that something in there had messed with the cleansing, erasing it somehow.
Up until now Tarsus had not managed to convince Michael to be recleansed. Michael no longer seemed in any great rush to return to that state of stasis in which he had been trapped for months. He didn't talk much about it, but Maria guessed that he had missed his humanity more than he admitted. She remembered the couple of times back on Earth when a glimmer of the REAL Michael had seemed to be hovering just below the surface...he had not totally forgotten who he really was, and he didn't seem to want to again. Yet.
Max and Isabel were clearly Illyrian in their make-up. Max had undergone the transformation and had not been emotionally affected. Isabel was his sister, maybe even his twin if some of the rumours she heard were true. She had to be the same.
Maria didn't know about Tess. She hadn't heard much about the one they called Sabrya. The Dernians talked about Jaxon and Tristandor and Mirana all the time...but Sabrya was an enigma.
Maria gently pushed the flap leading outdoors aside, stared out at the camp scene in front of her.
She had not been outdoors in days. The Dernian hostility to her presence was becoming more and more pronounced daily and Michael was scared enough for her that he insisted she stay in their tent.
Ren told her it was her emotional humanity that made the others hate her. No one was allowed to stay in the camp without having undergone the cleansing. There was fear that if she was allowed to mingle with the Dernians, she might cause trouble. The Dernians could not afford dissension in their ranks. They were losing people every day as it was.
Maria was not really sure HOW they were losing people. If they were emotionless, why would they want to rebel? It was just another question to add to her long list. Not for the first time Maria wished that Liz was with her. Her friend's logical mind would come in handy right about now.
There was no explanation as to why it was okay that Michael still had his emotions. More confusion.
Maria suddenly stumbled backwards as Michael came barreling into the tent. He stared down at her as she fell to the floor. "Jeez Michael! Ever heard of making a dignified entrance?" She asked sarcastically as she climbed to her feet.
"Maria, there's no time. We need to get out of here!" Michael had begun to pack the meagre belongings they had managed to collect over the two months they had been there.
"What's wrong?" She demanded.
"They're coming to take you to be podded." He informed her, pushing her to start packing the food supplies they had in the corner of the tent. "Tarsus can't convince them to wait for Max any longer. They don't think he's coming."
Maria felt her heart stop. "I hope he's not. We don't need anymore of us stuck here."
Michael paused, glared at her. "Will you please get moving?"
Maria didn't budge. "I hate to inform you spaceboy, but we still have the little problem of the guards. Don't you think I would have been half-way to the Illyrian border by now if I thought we had any way of making it? Max and Isabel's family HAVE to be better than these freaks."
Michael frowned at her. "Just get packing. I'll deal with how we're going to get out of here."
Maria eyed him for a moment, realized that she could hear an increasing din erupting outside their tent. "I think we're too late." She whispered. Michael's eyes widened. She threw herself into his arms as the first Dernian came into their tent.
She breathed a little easier when she saw that it was Tarsus. He looked frazzled. He scowled when he noticed Michael standing there with a sack in the hand that wasn't holding Maria, clearly in the middle of packing. "Were you eavesdropping again Tristandor?"
"You're damn right I was!" Michael snapped back. "You never tell us anything. We're not just going to sit on our butts and wait for you guys to exterminate us."
Tarsus sighed. "I've told you a thousand times, no one is going to hurt you Tristandor."
"It's not ME I'm worried about." Michael replied. Maria could hear the tremor in his voice, felt him tighten his arms around her.
"It's HER fault we're in this mess!" Tarsus said in a monotone. "She's the one who forced us into the portal without Jaxon. If he was here, she would be perfectly safe."
Maria stepped away from Michael, stared at the shapeshifter. "Tarsus, you need to tell us what's going on. Why do they want Max so much? He's not even one of you."
"How did you know that?" Tarsus demanded, sounding annoyed.
"Duh!" Maria waved her hand in the air. "Eavesdropping! Which we wouldn't have to do if you told us anything, as Michael just told you." She constantly felt like she was talking in circles whenever she spoke with Tarsus. He really was the most frustrating alien - even worse than Michael.
Tarsus sighed, sank down on the cot. "There's only one possible solution to this." He informed them. "They want her podded immediately, but they are willing to let it go for a while if you do one thing."
"Well..." Maria urged him. He grimaced, as though what he was about to tell her was distasteful to him.
"It goes against every principle I believe in," He spat out, "But it has happened once before....when you married Mirana." He told Michael. Maria flinched at the thought of Michael and Isabel married. She would NEVER get used to that. "They want you to go into the Ring. If you come out alive, they will consider you bonded and then Maria will be safe for a while longer."
"Okay, sorry to keep saying this," Maria shook her head. "But I'm confused. Haven't we already been in the Ring?" She demanded. "We're alive! Hello?"
"That was different." Tarsus told her. "The Ring has many uses...it can be used to open or receive portals, but it can also stand in judgment."
"But we didn't do anything!" Maria screeched in frustration. "We didn't ASK to be brought here. Well, okay, maybe Michael did, but really, you tricked him! Why should WE be judged? In my opinion, you're the ones holding us here against our will...we'll just go."
"It's too late for that. There have been some rumours circulating throughout the camp." Tarsus shook his head. "It's an old legend really - about a chosen one. The annals tell of the birth of a child who is half Dernian and half Illyrian...that he will bind the people's together and end the strife."
"Which is why Michael married Isabel?" Maria asked. It was suddenly all becoming clear.
Tarsus looked like he didn't want to answer, but one look at Michael's face convinced him. Although Michael had not said a word since Maria had started demanding answers, he looked like he was on the verge of losing all self-control. Maria could see him fisting his hand as though he was doing his utmost not to lift it and unleash hell.
For some reason she had the feeling that if Michael lost it this time, he might bring all twelve of those moons down on their heads. He needed answers and she was going to get them for him.
"Tarsus, the time for wishy-washiness is over." Maria lectured the shape-shifter. He no longer scared her at all. She had come to recognize that he was really just a lackey. He was trying to hold the camp together for the mysterious leader he talked about who had yet to make an appearance. "Tell us what we need to know...and maybe we'll save your job for you."
Tarsus' head jerked up. "How did you know about that?" He demanded. Michael glanced at her, impressed.
"A good guess. You've been losing a little more control around here every day." Maria replied. "Ren told me that they were thinking of replacing you. So what's going on?" She paused. "We don't trust you, but you're the only one we know around here. Maybe we'll help you - but only if you help us first."
Michael still had not spoken. He was scowling slightly. Maria was sure he was irritated at her for taking control of the situation, but she KNEW him. He would never be able to control his temper for long enough to get the answers they needed.
Tarsus finally sighed. "Very well. No one knows if the legend is true, but none of my people want to take the chance. If you are transformed then you will be Dernian, thus no half-Dernian/half-Illyrian child. Or you will be dead, which will be just as satisfactory to them." He used his arm to motion around the tent. "I told you this living arrangement was going to cause trouble. Everyone believes that you two are living in here as husband and wife."
"Okay, stop, back that truck up buddy..." Maria ordered. "You've lost me again. I'm NOT Illyrian, I'm human...who cares if we're living in sin? Which we're not, might I add." Maria amended quickly. She could see that Michael wanted to smirk despite himself.
They were not sleeping together - yet. They had come darn close a couple of times though...the stress of their situation, the close quarters on which Michael had insisted for her safety, and the fact that the chemistry between them was still explosive...well, anyone could do the math on that equation.
"Your emotions make you close enough for most of my people." Tarsus told her.
"But what about Isabel?" Michael demanded. "Why would I have married her if a child between an Illyrian and a Dernian could cause so much trouble?"
"I will tell you the whole story." Tarsus sounded resigned. "Just stop interrupting."
Michael nodded, took a seat on a camp stool nearby. He pulled Maria down on his lap. She bit her lip at the noise that was still coming from outside. "Are they planning on coming in here anytime soon?" She asked nervously.
Tarsus shook his head. "They said they would give me all the time I needed. My last chance..." He added wryly.
"I assume you've guessed that Michael is an important Dernian?" Tarsus asked.
Maria nodded, but she could feel Michael tensing under her. "I thought you told Max that me, Isabel and Tess were insignificant." He demanded. Maria could hear a slight tremor in his voice. Even in his emotionless state at the time, that news had had an affect on Michael it seemed.
Tarsus rolled his eyes. "Well, you WERE insignificant to my plan." He told Michael. "I never said you were totally insignificant."
"Whatever." Michael sounded irritated.
"You are a member of the leading family in Dernia. If you haven't guessed, the Illyrians have always been in control of the planet. No one is really sure why, since we are more powerful..." That's right, puff yourself up a little more their alien-man, Maria thought to herself. "You have two sisters: Sabrya, or your Tess, and Danala."
"Danala? How does she fit into the four-square? Where is she?" Michael demanded.
"Stop interrupting!" Maria pinched his leg. He muttered ow, but shut up.
"Thank you. Danala is...er...well, she's not here at the moment." Tarsus hemmed and hawed a little bit, before continuing. "Anyway, in your past life, and apparently things haven't changed much Tristandor..." Tarsus scolded quickly, "You were a troublemaker. Our people have always undergone the cleansing on their sixteenth birthday...wait, I should amend that. It is really the second transformation. Babies are born, then podded for a few months until they mature to about the equivalent of seven years on your planet." He motioned at Maria.
"Why?" Maria wrinkled her nose. The whole podding process was gross to her. She still remembered seeing Max in that pod...it had not been pleasant.
"Babies are too easy to kill." Tarsus told her. "Older children can better protect themselves. Our people, both Illyrian AND Dernian, have always been podded. It just makes good sense."
"Okay." Maria was not convinced.
"At sixteen, Dernians undergo the cleansing. Or at least they're supposed to..." Tarsus frowned at Michael. "You chose not to." Maria felt an overwhelming sense of pride in her boyfriend. Always the rebel.
"You'd been reading a bunch of rot put out by the Illyrians, most of it written by their weak king, Jaxon Falconer. You were convinced that the transformation was wrong and when you happened to meet Mirana by accident one day, you told Danala that you would not do it."
"So Danala is my older sister?" Michael asked.
"Danala is your leader - and mine." Tarsus told him. Maria was still trying to get past the introduction of Mirana into this story.
"You're not saying that Tristandor..." She couldn't bring herself to say Michael..."Was in love with Mirana?"
Tarsus smirked at her. "Why yes, he was."
Maria felt Michael begin to stroke her hair reassuringly. "I'm not now." He whispered into her hair. "You know that." She felt minutely better.
Tarsus rolled his eyes again. "You ran away to Illyria. Jaxon Falconer welcomed you into his family with open arms. He thought that your marriage to his sister would result in the legendary child that was supposed to unite the two factions. But we managed to kill you before that happened." Maria felt her eyes widen. Tarsus spoke of murder so matter-of-factly. Everytime she began to forget that the shapeshifter was not like her, he said or did something to remind her of his emotionless state.
It was disturbing. She could understand why Michael had run away from these people.
"You had regretted leaving your younger sister Sabrya behind and tried to get her to come to join you. She was torn, but your secret letters about your life in Illyria convinced her to flee. She had developed an attachment to Jaxon through your letters about him as well and hoped that he would marry her to give the Illyrians an even greater chance of producing the chosen one."
"So Max married Tess?" Maria asked. Tarsus nodded.
"She was his bride, but never his wife." The shapeshifter amended. "We killed them both on their wedding night. No mating, no child. He didn't love her, by the way." Tarsus added. "It was a political marriage for Jaxon, not a love match like Tristandor and Mirana." Maria glared at him. She knew that he had said that just to annoy her.
She felt a momentary pang for Tess. She was not the girl's biggest fan, actually Maria quite despised her, but no one deserved to be a pawn in the great game of chosen ones. No wonder she was so desperate to have Max for herself.
It was ironic that Jaxon Falconer had had to journey half-way across the universe to find his real soulmate. Max would never love, and would never have loved, anyone the way he loved Liz.
"That was when Queen Milena had her wizard Lucianus clone you." Tarsus continued. "They sent you to Earth for protection while you were growing up. Illyria was placed under interdict by Lucianus, meaning that time basically stood still while you were gone. Time kept going in Dernia - which is why I am recounting this story from what I have heard, not from memory." Maria glanced back at Michael. He just shrugged, apparently as perplexed by that last statement as she was. "Nasedo, or Laren as he is known here - the traitor - accompanied you. There was also an Illyrian sent...I think her name was Salisa...it doesn't matter anyway since she died in that infernal crash...the one that made us all lose track of you."
"But Nasedo told us about ANOTHER alien who was captured by the Special Unit..." Michael said. "Who was that?"
"That was Salisa's husband, I think. He went but was not an official part of the mission, so I discount him." Tarsus waved his hand dismissively.
"Why can't I shapeshift?" Michael demanded suddenly. "If I'm Dernian, shouldn't I be able to shapeshift?"
"You're human you numbskull." Tarsus replied. "Your Dernian DNA was combined with that of the humans...you cannot shapeshift for that reason."
"But I was transformed for the journey through the portal." Michael sounded like he was trying to bring all the pieces together in his mind. Too much information at once, Maria figured. SHE had become lost about five revelations ago.
"I erased your emotions...all that hooey about changing your internal structure was just that...hooey. I had to make the stupid pod work. We brought them with us when we went to Earth in search of you all. They were damaged during the trip. You're still human." Tarsus frowned. "I still haven't figured out why your cleansing was deactivated with the trip through the portal...very odd."
"Maybe because it didn't really work on his human body?" Maria suggested.
"Perhaps."
"So, now why this judgment thing?" Maria continued, wanting to return to the matter at hand. "And why don't you want me to be killed anyway? You hate me."
"I don't hate you Maria. I don't hate anyone." Tarsus told her crisply. "You are a nuisance, but you are a card I want to have to play when Jaxon finally gets his irritating self through that portal. I have no idea what's taking him so long. He is so bloody noble, I expected him weeks ago."
"Well? The judgment?" Michael demanded.
"When you and Mirana were first married, Danala insisted that you be judged. You were, and you survived. She relented and let you stay in Illyria. It was only AFTER Sabrya ran away that she insisted on killing you all. She did not relish killing her siblings, but you had to be stopped."
"Who's doing the judging?" Maria asked, feeling her head whirling. It was going to take her several days to process all the information Tarsus was throwing at them.
"We have no idea." Tarsus replied. "But clearly a greater power. Many have been destroyed who have gone into the Ring for judgment... murderers, thieves...it is the only court on our planet and both factions subscribe to it."
Maria swallowed. The thought of potentially being destroyed did not appeal to her, but she realized that POTENTIAL destruction was preferable to CERTAIN destruction at the hands of the Dernian mob outside their tent.
She stood up, turned around to face Michael. "We have to do it Michael. We have no choice." He just stared at her sadly, finally nodded.
Tarsus looked relieved. "I will go tell them. Be ready in fifteen minutes."
They were the longest fifteen minutes of Maria's life.
She spent them lying on the cot, wrapped in Michael's arms, her face pressed against his neck. Neither of them spoke. It was only as Tarsus was pulling back the flap into the tent that Maria finally said what she had been willing herself to say the entire time.
"I love you Michael." He had stared down at her, his gaze unwavering.
"I love you too." It was not rushed like it had been the last time he had said it to her. That had been when he had pushed her away after he had killed Pierce, telling her that he loved her too much to risk having her around him.
Then it had seemed like a convenient excuse.
This time it sounded like he really meant it.
Michael took her hand in his, led her outside. A troop of guards was waiting for them. Maria kept her head down, refused to look at the faces of the assembled Dernians, all who hoped that she would be destroyed in the next few minutes...
She hated them.
The trip to the Ring was over too fast. Before she knew it, they were there, standing on the Illyrian/Dernian frontier.
Ren had told her once that the Ring was the only part of the border that was unfortified. Maria could see several Illyrians peering into the Ring from the other side, staring at them.
It amazed her that this one place should be so safe for both sides. As long as they were in the Ring, they were secure...
At least as long as they were not being judged, she amended in her mind, feeling herself beginning to panic.
She felt Michael squeeze her hand. "It'll be all right Maria. I promise."
Maria could see Tarsus standing nearby, a slight frown on his face. If Maria didn't know better, she would have said that he looked worried about them.
"Let's get this over with." Maria managed to choke out. A Dernian woman with fathomless black eyes came forward and handed Maria a green orb. She looked down at it, glanced back at the woman in confusion. Michael was given an identical orb.
Orbs! Maria hated orbs. They were what had started this whole extended mess in the first place. They should have all cursed the day that Max and Liz had found the first one in the desert. Or at least destroyed the damn thing when they had had the chance.
Maria exchanged one more glance with Michael. He took her hand again, pulled her into the circle.
She felt her heart stop as they advanced towards a stone lying in the centre of the circle. It looked like an altar. She didn't remember it having been there the last time she had been here.
"How long does this take?" Maria asked Michael after they had been standing near the altar-rock for what felt like forever. Nothing was happening.
Michael just shrugged, glanced down at his orb. "I guess we're okay...."
He was cut off by a burst of power so intense it knocked them both off their feet. Maria heard Michael yelling."WHAT THE...."
This was it. They had failed.
It took a moment for Maria to realize that she was still alive - that she had not been zapped into a million pieces.
Michael had somehow ended up on top of her, clearly trying to protect her, but she managed to shove his shoulder aside, creating a little space for herself to see.
The circle seemed to have come alive. Energy danced from standing stone to standing stone, culminating in a column of white light that reached towards the heavens.
It looked darn familiar to Maria.
It was a portal.
As quickly as it had materialized, the portal was gone.
And they were no longer alone.
Standing nearby, looking very young, very confused and very sad, was Max Evans.
His eyes found them a moment later.
He only said one word - or rather, a name. "Michael."
Part 23
Miami, Florida
Liz's eyes followed Max as he paced up and down the crowded area near the gate. He kept peering into the crowd, an angry expression on his face. She knew that it was just a mask to hide his true feelings.
Complete and utter terror.
He was most upset by the fact that Michael and Jennetta had ended up sitting together on the plane and had somehow bonded. Max had nearly had a conniption fit about that. Liz had finally managed to calm him down by forcing a pair of the airplane's ear-phones onto his head.
He had been so surprised by the music he had shut up abruptly, sitting back in his seat with a perplexed expression on his face.
"What is this?" He had finally asked, his tone interested.
"It's music." Liz had replied, not sure if they had it on Illyria. He had rolled is eyes.
"Well, I know that. I mean, who is singing it?"
Liz quickly plugged her own earphones in, turned the dial to the channel he was on.
You've got your ball,
You've got your chain,
Tied to me tight,
Tie me up again.
Who's got the claws in you my friend?
Into your heart, I'll beat again.
Sweet like candy to my soul,
Sweet you rock and sweet you roll.
Lost for you...I'm so lost for you...
And you come crash...into me...
And I come into...you...
She turned to stare at him. He was gazing at her, a strange expression on his face, like some memory was trying to break through.
Liz had swallowed. "It's Dave Matthews." She finally managed to tell him. "Do you recognize it?"
It was the song that had been playing at the Crash Festival the night she had thanked him for saving her life. It was one they both loved.
Max had closed his eyes briefly. When he opened them, he had turned away from her to stare out the window. "No."
Liz had felt her heart drop.
He had managed to stay calm for the rest of the trip, although he had sent Michael and Jennetta a few glares. Michael had been busy teaching Jennetta to play the video-game that was attached to the back of their seat. The little girl had been shrieking with delight. At one point they had both fallen asleep, Jennetta's head on Michael's arm. She had seen Max look at them, his lips compressed, but he had not said anything.
The minute the plane had landed Michael had picked Jennetta up, swinging her onto his back. "We're going to McDonald's." He informed them abruptly. "We'll meet you at the gate." Max had been so surprised he hadn't even tried to stop them.
"Trust Michael to leave us with all the luggage." Isabel had muttered. Max's sister had been a foul mood since she had woken up that morning, clearly upset and finding it hard to deal with memoryless Max.
Liz, on the other hand, didn't care it what form they had him. She was just glad that he was back. They would make his memory return. It was just a matter of time.
Mr. Evans had been more of the same frame of mind as Liz. His eyes had filled with tears when he had first seen Max and he had hugged him, although Max had held himself very stiffly, looking at Liz for clarification. "Welcome back son." Max had flinched at that.
"It's your father." She had mouthed to him. Max's eyes had widened, but he had brought his arms up to hug Mr. Evans back.
That one gesture, one of comfort for a man he didn't remember, had brought tears to Liz's eyes.
He might call himself Jaxon, but it was still THEIR Max behind those dark eyes. His compassion proved it.
Now he was slowly losing it again. Liz went over to join him. He had finally stopped pacing and was sitting stiffly in a chair, rubbing a hand across his face.
"How are you holding up?" Liz asked, unable to stop herself from touching his shoulder lovingly. She was pleased that he did not jerk away.
"Where are they?" He demanded. "How could I have been so stupid as to allow her to go off with him?" Max's eyes looked up at her in confusion.
"Because I think you know instinctively that you can trust him." Liz replied quietly. "Don't you?"
Max sighed. "I don't know. I don't know anything anymore. They both betrayed me Liz and I KNOW that you'll betray me too...you work for them."
Liz gently put her arm around his shoulders. "I don't work for anyone Max. I'm all yours - I always have been." He turned to stare at her, swallowed.
"Why do you have this power over me?" He asked her quietly. "It is like being in your presence soothes my soul. I don't understand it. Have you bewitched me through my dreams?"
Liz shook her head. "You love me." She replied. He didn't say anything, just continued to stare at her. His eyes lowered briefly to her lips. Liz held her breath.
"Jaxon! I brought you a Big Mac! These things are amazing! I have never been so full in my life!" Jennetta's voice broke the spell. Liz's head snapped around. She was unsurprised to see Isabel, Michael and Mr. Evans all watching them, hopeful expressions on their faces.
Liz felt the burden on her shoulders increase. She knew that they were all depending on HER to break through to Max. She wanted it to be her, but she didn't know if she was going to be able to do it on her own.
Max Evans had not just been about his love for her, Liz Parker. His entire existence had revolved around the love he had for every important person in his life. It had been that love that had gotten him into this predicament in the first place.
Liz turned to stare briefly at Michael. She had promised herself in the stone circle that she was going to forgive him...but seeing Max like this - so confused and torn...her animosity flickered briefly.
If Michael hadn't been so stupid as to let Tarsus of Dernia trick him...
She quickly forced the feeling aside. She didn't have time for that now.
Max was sitting stiffly again. "Is that right sweeting?" He moved away from Liz, went to pick up his small sister. Liz saw Isabel watching them, an expression of longing on her face.
Liz went to link arms with her friend. "It's okay Izzy. We'll have him back soon. Think about what we've accomplished already! He's here!"
Isabel smiled weakly. "I know." She said simply.
Michael came up to join them. He was watching Max and Jennetta, an unreadable expression on his face.
"You certainly seem to be getting along well with the little princess." Isabel snapped at him. Michael eyed her for a moment.
"She's your sister Isabel." He finally said in the most gentle tone than Liz had ever heard from him.
Isabel sighed. "I know. It's just hard to see him with her when he so clearly despises me." Tears filled her eyes. Liz and Michael exchanged glances.
"You have to be strong Iz. Max is going to feel bad enough as it is when he finally gets his memory back. They've brainwashed him somehow into believing that you and Michael betrayed him...but we'll get through to him. I promise." Liz smiled at her encouragingly.
"At least he seems to be getting along okay with our dad." Isabel replied finally, sounding pleased. They watched Max talking with Mr. Evans briefly, as Jennetta tugged on Max's arm, thrusting the hamburger up at him.
"He doesn't have an false bitterness towards him." Liz guessed. "He doesn't remember him at all. The problem with you is that he has fake memories."
Isabel sighed again. "I just hope getting back to Roswell makes him remember."
"Speaking of Roswell," Michael changed the subject. "We've been so busy getting Max back, we haven't even figured out how we're going to spring him back on the town. I mean, they think he's dead."
Liz frowned. "Well, I guess the amnesia will come in handy. We can just let it out that Max was swept away down the river, was found by someone, but couldn't remember who he was."
Michael grimaced. "This isn't All My Children Liz. Do you really think anyone's going to buy that?"
Liz shrugged. "I don't see what choice we have." She replied, feeling a little annoyed. Why was she the one who always had to come up with the solutions? "I mean, he's going to be there. They'll just have to accept it."
Michael scowled. "So much for not bringing attention to ourselves again. This is going to be the biggest news to hit that stupid town in a long time." He stalked away, clearly not at all happy.
"Why does he always have to be so difficult?" Liz demanded wearily, watching him go.
"He's Michael." Isabel replied simply. "That's explanation enough."
"But it's running a bit thin as an excuse." Liz muttered. Isabel eyed her for a moment, but let the comment go.
"Flight 285 to Roswell, New Mexico is boarding at Gate 3. Will the passengers needing assistance and boarding with small children please make their way to the gate now?" The announcement over the intercom snapped Liz out of her mild bitterness.
"Well, that's us. Only another couple of hours and we'll be home." Liz could tell from Isabel's expression that she was as scared as Liz was to find out what that was going to mean.
Roswell was home, but for Liz it would only be complete if Max came back to them entirely.
Because for her, Max Evans was her REAL home.
She followed Isabel onto the airplane.
Part 24
Roswell, New Mexico
Tess stared at Danala, seated across from her in a booth at Senor Chow's. "I can't do that!"
"You can and you will." Her sister replied, taking a casual sip of her Cherry Cola. "I told you that Liz Parker is all that is standing in the way of the salvation of our planet. It's up to you Sabrya. It's your job to see that your destiny as the mother of the chosen one proceeds uninterrupted."
Tess fell back against the booth. "But Liz is my friend." Tess whispered. "I don't love Max. Not to mention, he's not even here! How am I supposed to have a child with someone stuck on another planet?"
Danala shrugged, tossed her blonde head. "He'll be back. Sooner than we might expect." Danala scowled at her watch. "Dammit! I have to go. I have a date. Listen. I'll meet you at the pod chamber later tonight. Have a plan. I mean it Sabrya! You have to stop waffling about this. You've always known your destiny." Tess' sister stood up, came to stand beside her. Tess turned to look up at her sister, feeling sad and frustrated at the same time. Danala reached out a hand, brushed a curly strand of Tess' blonde hair off her forehead. Her voice became more gentle as she said, "You know you have to do this Tessie. For all of us. You have to help me save our people AND our brother. Isn't sacrificing one worthless little human worth that?"
Tess did not reply, just turned back to stare down at the burrito that was slowly getting cold in front of her. She felt Danala pause, but her sister left suddenly without saying another word.
She raised her head in time to watch Danala's form disappear through the front door of the restaurant.
Danala of Dernia. Her sister.
Tess had not believed it when the girl had shown up at her front door on the evening before Isabel, Liz and Michael had left for England. She had been in a bathrobe, having just taken a bath, trying to calm down her anger over being left behind.
It had been just one more bit of evidence that Isabel and Michael still did not truly want her around. It was always about Liz...Max and Liz...Liz and Max. Sure, Tess didn't want Max for herself any longer, but she DID want her place in the four-square. SHE was the one who should be going to help Isabel and Michael open the portal.
Tess had realized quite quickly upon leaving the Crashdown though that she wasn't really angry. She was just upset about life in general and was feeling lonely - not for the first time. Coming home to the empty Harding house was never easy.
She had even begun to convince herself that staying in Roswell would not be so bad. She was going to protect Maria for Michael...he HAD to trust her a little bit if he wanted her to do that. Didn't he?
And then fate had come knocking in the form of a sister she never knew she had.
Tess had opened the door, stared at the girl in astonishment. She knew her. Tess scowled. "What are you doing here?" She demanded in annoyance.
Danala had just stared at her steadily. "It's not what you think. Can I come in?"
Tess eyed her suspiciously. "We don't have anything to say to each other." Tess had replied snootily, but somehow she had known that she was going to let her in.
Against her will, Tess had followed the girl into her living room. She had been gazing around the room, an interested expression on her face. "Nice digs. I always knew Laren had good taste. He designed my throne room before he turned traitor." Tess had stared at her back.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Tess demanded. "Who's Laren?"
The girl turned, smirked. "Oh sorry. You know him as Nasedo, or dear old dad Ed? All these names - my other name is Danala by the way." Tess blinked at her.
"How do you know about Nasedo?" She whispered, feeling horror building up in her stomach.
The girl had sighed, rolled her eyes. "Because I'm one of you dummy."
"What?" Tess had forced herself to calm down. "I don't know what you're talking about...you're not one of us. We all hate you."
The other girl had continued to eye Tess, looking amused. "You really got screwed out of all your memories, didn't you? I'm your sister Sabrya. You do know that's YOUR name don't you?"
And suddenly it all became crystal clear to Tess. She had the journal. "It was you. You took it. Liz's journal." Tess hurried forward, grabbed the girl by the arm. "Where is it?"
The girl shook her off, scowled. "Of course I have it. But that doesn't mean anything. Who cares?"
Tess wondered suddenly if she should call Isabel or Michael. They had to deal with this immediately. The witch had already posted part of the journal...who knew how long it would be before she posted something truly incriminating. She realized that the other girl was still staring at her. She finally shook her head.
"You really don't believe me do you?" Tess' eyes narrowed. "Fine. I'll show you." Tess swallowed as Danala raised her hand. It began to glow and as Tess watched, the girl claiming to be her sister shape-shifted into a perfect replica of Liz Parker.
After that, Tess had listened.
Danala had told her the whole story... that Michael was her brother...that she and Michael had betrayed Danala and their whole race by running off to be with the Illyrians...that she and Max were fated to have a child that would save the whole planet...
When Danala had opened the pod chamber, that had been the final proof. "But where is your pod?" Tess had asked her sister.
"I didn't come with you dummy. I'm not human...I wasn't cloned. I'm still the same being I was fifty years ago when Laren kidnapped you all and brought you here to this Ring forsaken planet."
And for the first time Tess had not felt alone. She had a sister - one who WANTED to be her sister.
It was an amazing feeling.
Tess had remained a little wary. She had not liked the way that Danala had talked about Maria for example. Danala seemed to have a highly suspicious hatred for Liz's best friend.
"That little whore." Tess had heard her mutter once. "She almost ruined all my plans..." When Tess had asked her about it, Danala had quickly changed the subject. Tess had made sure that whenever she wasn't with Danala, she was with Maria.
Danala might be her sister, but Maria was her brother's love...and Tess had been amazed by how quickly she had loved the idea of being Michael's sister. She could not stand the thought of him being hurt...and losing Maria would hurt him.
Being with Danala became increasingly easy however. The future world she created for Tess with her words was magical...
"And when your child becomes the ruler of our planet, a golden age of peace and prosperity will emerge." Danala had told her only last night. Tess had closed her eyes, imagining being the mother of such a child...a child that would never leave her...that could fill the empty hole that had existed in her heart from the first day that Max had rejected her in favour of Liz.
It had never occurred to Tess that having this child with Max meant that something had to be done about Liz. She wasn't really sure...she supposed that she had assumed that Liz would just fade into the wood-work. Liz had walked away from Max once because she thought it was his destiny to be with Tess. Tess had just assumed that she would be willing to do it again.
Danala had quashed that idea over dinner this evening. "Of course she won't disappear Sabrya. You must take care of her. The hold she has over Jaxon is witchery I tell you! You must save him from himself."
"But I KNOW that Liz loves Max." Tess had replied, feeling distraught that she was going to have to hurt someone that she had come to like and admire. The way that Liz felt about Max...the way that she was willing to risk her entire existence for him... one couldn't help but be in awe of a person such as that.
And suddenly another thought had occurred to her.
What was Kyle going to say?
She had wondered briefly where that thought had come from, had hidden it away for examination later when she was alone.
What did Kyle Valenti have to do with her destiny anyway? Sure, they were friends - good friends - but he wasn't Max...
As Tess stared towards the door of Senor Chow's she realized that later had arrived. She swallowed when she saw Kyle peering in the front window at her, using his hand to shade his eyes.
She knew the exact moment he noticed her. Her heart skipped a beat.
Tess clenched her hands in her lap, steeled herself for the coming confrontation.
She knew he was mad at her...she didn't blame him. She had been acting like a maniac for days. The hot and cold treatment had to be hurting him.
And that was the last thing she wanted to do to Kyle...he was the only one who accepted her exactly as she was. He even seemed to like it when she was snarky...she didn't get it all.
"So, felt like Mexican huh?" Kyle demanded a moment later as he slid into the booth across from her. He was glancing around the restaurant suspiciously. "All alone?"
"Yes." Tess replied quietly. Kyle's eyes narrowed. He didn't say anything. The silence stretched out interminably between them.
"How's Maria?" Tess finally asked, flinched when her voice cracked. Kyle raised an eyebrow.
"Funny, I thought you'd know since Alex told me you slept on a chair beside her bed last night." Kyle sounded proud, but annoyed too, like her behavior was totally perplexing him.
"I meant since then." Tess snapped, being harsher than she intended because she felt awful and was trying to hide it.
"She's the same." Kyle finally replied. "I also heard from Liz." He continued. "They have Max."
Tess felt her heart skip a beat. Danala had been right...he was back. They COULD fulfill their destiny. Tess blinked, jumped when Kyle suddenly reached across the table and grabbed her hand.
"Tess! What the hell is going on with you? Why are you suddenly keeping secrets?" His eyes were no longer frosty. They were blazing with heat - a combination of anger and something that Tess could not quite name.
Tess wrenched her hand away from him. "I don't know what you're talking about." She replied. He sat back, glared at her.
"I don't believe you." He told her stonily. "I don't get it Tess. I thought that we were making some real progress...we're friends - or at least I thought we were. I was the one person you talked to..."
Tess felt her heart go out to him. He was right. He had been the one person she could depend on...the others had always run hot and cold with her...but not Kyle. Never Kyle.
But she didn't need him anymore. She had a destiny to fulfill, a sister who was depending on her.
"It's nothing Kyle." She managed to force the words out, keeping her tone cold. "And even if there were...you're the last person I would tell. You're not one of us Kyle, no matter how much you think you are." She saw him flinch.
"What...what do you mean?" She had never seen him look so vulnerable. He was trying to keep his voice steady, strong, but she could tell it was a trial.
"Just what I said." Tess replied clearly, feeling her throat closing up, as though her heart was trying to stop her from saying what she intended to say. "The only reason you ever found out anything was that you were dumb enough to get yourself shot. Do you think Max would ever have trusted you otherwise? You don't actually believe that?"
Kyle blinked. "No." He finally replied in a monotone. His face was blank, like he was desperately trying to think of a way to disentangle himself from this situation.
"Can you just like leave?" Tess finally asked. "I'm sick of having to explain myself to you." He stared at her for what seemed like forever.
And suddenly his eyes narrowed and he smiled. Tess felt her own eyes widen. She had never seen such an expression on his face before. She couldn't even begin to comprehend what it meant. "Actually, no. I can't leave." Kyle told her evenly. "I have something to tell you."
She wondered why she suddenly felt her entire body tingling from the top of her head to the tips of her toes...his eyes were smoldering, with something in them she had seen countless times, in Max's eyes when he was with Liz, in Michael's when he looked at Maria, even in Alex's when Isabel was around, but it had never been directed at her...
Never her.
Or at least not that she had noticed.
Where had she been?
"What?" She finally managed to squeak.
He stared at her a moment longer. "You can run Tess, but you can't hide from me. I know you're lying."
Tess wondered why her heart suddenly wanted to break with disappointment. "What?"
"Do you know why?" Kyle continued, tilting his head and eyeing her with a combination of amusement and annoyance.
"Why?" She squeaked again. Her heart had started to thunder.
"Because I'm in love with you." He replied simply. She felt herself stop breathing.
"What?"
"You heard me."
She could NOT deal with this now. There was NO WAY she could deal with this.
It wasn't meant to be. She was supposed to be with Max. Her sister had told her so.
But then why did she suddenly feel like leaping across the table into Kyle's lap?
Danala's voice suddenly ran through her mind. "It's your destiny to mother the child that will save our race...it is your duty. Don't betray us Sabrya..." Tess wondered how her sister had known she was wavering...but somehow she did.
They were connected. They were kin.
They were sisters.
Tess looked Kyle straight in the eye and told him. "I don't care." She forced herself to watch his eyes darken with pain. She had to end this insanity now. It was bad enough that she was going to have to take care of Max's soulmate.
She didn't need a soulmate of her own - she could not bear it.
Kyle finally closed his eyes to shut out her face. He slumped back against the booth. "Please leave." She heard him say, repeating the words she had given him moments before.
She didn't apologize. She wanted too, but she didn't. It had to be a clean break.
He was not for her. It was not meant to be.
Tess stood up, stared down at Kyle for a long moment. "Goodbye." She whispered. She walked out of the restaurant.
Roswell, New Mexico
"Alex." Kyle spoke to his friend softly as he entered Maria's hospital room. Mrs. Deluca was asleep on the couch near the bed and he didn't want to wake her up. Alex's head had been lowered, his eyes closed, but it snapped up when Kyle said his name. "Is there any change?"
Alex shook his head sadly. "The doctors keep giving each other those looks...you know, those LOOKS?" When Kyle nodded, he continued, "They can't figure out what's wrong with her Kyle. I can tell they think the longer she's like this," Alex indicated Maria's still form, "The less hope there is."
"Well, don't give up hope buddy. I have some good news!" Alex frowned slightly, waited for Kyle to finish. "I just got off the phone with Liz. They have him Alex. Max is back."
Alex could not stop the grin from breaking across his face. "That's great!" He glanced down at Maria again, his smile fading. "I don't know if it's going to do any good at this point though." He stood up, leaned down to kiss Maria's forehead, brushing a lock of her strawberry-blonde hair away from her face. "Hang in there cutie." He whispered to her as he motioned for Kyle to follow him out into the hallway where they could talk more comfortably.
"So, what's the scoop?"
"Well, it's not all good." Kyle amended, as they walked toward the cafeteria to get some coffee. It was about nine in the morning. Kyle had gone home for a couple of hours of shut-eye and to wait for Liz's call. They had known that Liz, Isabel and Michael had been planning to open the portal to Illyria the night before...Liz had promised that she would call as soon as there was some news. "Max doesn't remember who he is. He really thinks that he's Jason, or Jaxon, or whatever the hell he calls himself there."
Alex sighed, grabbed a container of orange juice from the cooler near the cash register. "He IS Jaxon Falconer, unfortunately. So, then he's been brainwashed somehow. I hope this doesn't mean he won't want to try and heal Maria."
"Can you ever see Max Evans refusing to help someone, whether he remembers them or not?" Kyle asked wryly as he dumped half a container of sugar into his coffee. He saw Alex grimace, ignored him. Hanging out with Tess had convinced him of the inherent rightness of a goodly portion of sugar in most meals. "I mean, he healed ME for Christ's sake."
"I guess." Alex plunked his tray down on a Formica table, flopped into a chair. "How are Liz and Izzy taking it?"
"Well, Liz just sounded ecstatic. I've never heard her so happy...I didn't ask about Isabel. It was sort of a bad connection." He paused. "I didn't tell them about Maria, by the way."
Alex frowned. "Michael's going to be pissed."
"I know, but they have enough to deal with getting Mr. Memory-loss back to Roswell. It sounds like he's sort of being difficult. I heard a lot of screeching in the background."
"Oh great!" Alex smacked his hand against his forehead. "Don't tell me we're going to have to deal with the Illyrian version of the anti-Max. I don't think I'll survive another go-around on that roller-coaster of insanity."
Kyle sighed. "Who knows? Anyway, you haven't seen Tess have you? She isn't answering her phone again."
Alex took a bite of his omelette, scowled at it for a moment, then pushed it away. He eyed the bottle of Tabasco sitting on the table for a moment, casually picked it up and shook a couple of drops onto his eggs. His eyes nearly popped out of his head when he took a bite. "Michael..." Kyle heard him mutter under his breath. "I haven't seen Tess since early this morning." Alex told him finally, after having taken a large swig of water. "She slept on the other chair in Maria's room, but said she had to go see someone a couple of hours ago."
"I don't like the sound of that. I forgot to tell you that I saw Tess take off in a car with a stranger yesterday." Kyle rubbed his face wearily.
"Um, I hate to be the one to inform you of this Kyle, but Tess is allowed to have other friends." Alex looked sort of sympathetic. Kyle felt a flash of annoyance. It was embarrassing that everyone else seemed to know how he felt about Tess, that they all felt sorry for him that she didn't feel the same way.
"I know that. It's just that she was acting all weird...and then she started to bawl when she came in yesterday, going on about everything falling apart...I tell you, it wasn't right."
"Well, she's certainly been keeping up her part of the bargain where Maria is concerned." Alex commented, starting on his toast, seeming to have given up on his eggs entirely. "She isn't the most pleasant bodyguard around, but she has been guarding Maria's body."
"I still say something's up with her." Kyle muttered, pushing away from the table. "I'm going to find her." He paused before he left the cafeteria. "By the way, they're coming back later tonight. Liz called me from the airport."
"I don't get it." Alex looked up at him. "I thought they didn't know about Maria. What's the rush?"
"They think that getting Max into familiar surroundings might jar his memory or something like that...I don't know! I'm just passing on the info." Kyle felt his frustration mounting.
Everything was just so screwed up. They had all been holding out so much hope for Max's return. None of them had bargained on having to deal with someone who WASN'T Max...or who was Max in body, but not in spirit.
Kyle hoped that it didn't all end up being a big disappointment. He didn't think that any of them, but particularly Liz or Isabel, would be able to deal with it if the REAL Max never came back to them. Having him around, but not himself, might even make it worse. Alex was more than right. None of them wanted to deal with the anti-Max again.
Their bad-luck streak still seemed to be going strong. Weren't they ever going to catch a break?
* Dreams * Maria
She was huddled in the corner of the tent, her knees pulled up to her chest, shivering. One thing about this planet, it was never warm enough. In the approximately six months that she and Michael had been there she had gotten used to the twelve moons, the yellow sky, the serious lack of living conditions...but she would never get used to cold.
Illyria was a strange place, and not just in your typical different planet way. It was the fact that while the civilization here seemed light-years ahead of Earth in so many ways, in others they were hundreds of years behind. They had space-travel, portals from one planet to another, but they didn't even have toilets for God's sake!
Maria jumped off the cot, began to pace, kicking the skirt of her annoying gown out of the way.
Nothing was as they had expected. Not that they HAD expected to be stranded on a planet half-way across the universe, but really, she had not expected everything to be so similar - and yet different.
The Dernians LOOKED like humans. Tarsus had told her that it was a form they had taken to make Michael more comfortable during his first months on his home planet, but she didn't get THAT either. She had thought that it was Max they wanted, not Michael.
They hadn't learned much about what the Dernians wanted with them in general. No one wanted to talk to either of them. Michael was becoming seriously frustrated, barely able to sleep most nights. He spent his days wandering the camp, trying to pick up whatever information he could.
Everyone seemed to be waiting, waiting....for what exactly, neither Maria or Michael was sure.
They weren't totally clueless however. Maria had managed to get one of her guards to talk a little bit. She was a good wheedler - always had been.
The Dernians were a race of shapeshifters. They had been at war with the Illyrians for generations. It seemed that it was a war about progress versus the status quo. Her guard, Ren, had told her that the Illyrians, currently led by Queen Milena and her husband Hamor, were against the cleansing process that the Dernians had created. The cleansing was supposed to erase emotion, thus avoiding all the emotional entanglements that caused the people to not want to advance themselves to their full potential because they did not want to leave their loved ones - or their need for revenge against those they hated - behind.
Apparently the Illyrians were not shapeshifters, but were actually a race quite close to humanity. Maria had caught sight of one of them once. She had been a pretty girl before they had podded her for the cleansing. She had not survived it.
It seemed that some Illyrian physiology was too weak for the transformation, which was why they were against it. A small minority of Dernians were against it too - Nasedo was one of these.
Maria remembered when Max had been podded back on Earth. He had not seemed to undergo the same loss of emotion that Michael had. No one had understood it at the time, but Ren had explained that the process did not seem to have the same effect on all Illyrians. It either killed them or made them stronger, more in touch with their mental "gifts." No one knew why the process affected one Illyrian one way and a second another way.
Maria had come to some conclusions of her own, based on the little information she had been given.
By the monotone way he addressed her, Maria KNEW that Ren HAD undergone the cleansing. He was not unkind to her, but he certainly was not nice either. He was just weird - just like zombie-Michael had been weird.
Michael was a Dernian. There was no other explanation for the way he had been able to completely lose all emotion through the transformation he had undergone on Earth. Tarsus seemed annoyed that Michael's emotions seemed to have returned when they had made the journey through the portal. He guessed that something in there had messed with the cleansing, erasing it somehow.
Up until now Tarsus had not managed to convince Michael to be recleansed. Michael no longer seemed in any great rush to return to that state of stasis in which he had been trapped for months. He didn't talk much about it, but Maria guessed that he had missed his humanity more than he admitted. She remembered the couple of times back on Earth when a glimmer of the REAL Michael had seemed to be hovering just below the surface...he had not totally forgotten who he really was, and he didn't seem to want to again. Yet.
Max and Isabel were clearly Illyrian in their make-up. Max had undergone the transformation and had not been emotionally affected. Isabel was his sister, maybe even his twin if some of the rumours she heard were true. She had to be the same.
Maria didn't know about Tess. She hadn't heard much about the one they called Sabrya. The Dernians talked about Jaxon and Tristandor and Mirana all the time...but Sabrya was an enigma.
Maria gently pushed the flap leading outdoors aside, stared out at the camp scene in front of her.
She had not been outdoors in days. The Dernian hostility to her presence was becoming more and more pronounced daily and Michael was scared enough for her that he insisted she stay in their tent.
Ren told her it was her emotional humanity that made the others hate her. No one was allowed to stay in the camp without having undergone the cleansing. There was fear that if she was allowed to mingle with the Dernians, she might cause trouble. The Dernians could not afford dissension in their ranks. They were losing people every day as it was.
Maria was not really sure HOW they were losing people. If they were emotionless, why would they want to rebel? It was just another question to add to her long list. Not for the first time Maria wished that Liz was with her. Her friend's logical mind would come in handy right about now.
There was no explanation as to why it was okay that Michael still had his emotions. More confusion.
Maria suddenly stumbled backwards as Michael came barreling into the tent. He stared down at her as she fell to the floor. "Jeez Michael! Ever heard of making a dignified entrance?" She asked sarcastically as she climbed to her feet.
"Maria, there's no time. We need to get out of here!" Michael had begun to pack the meagre belongings they had managed to collect over the two months they had been there.
"What's wrong?" She demanded.
"They're coming to take you to be podded." He informed her, pushing her to start packing the food supplies they had in the corner of the tent. "Tarsus can't convince them to wait for Max any longer. They don't think he's coming."
Maria felt her heart stop. "I hope he's not. We don't need anymore of us stuck here."
Michael paused, glared at her. "Will you please get moving?"
Maria didn't budge. "I hate to inform you spaceboy, but we still have the little problem of the guards. Don't you think I would have been half-way to the Illyrian border by now if I thought we had any way of making it? Max and Isabel's family HAVE to be better than these freaks."
Michael frowned at her. "Just get packing. I'll deal with how we're going to get out of here."
Maria eyed him for a moment, realized that she could hear an increasing din erupting outside their tent. "I think we're too late." She whispered. Michael's eyes widened. She threw herself into his arms as the first Dernian came into their tent.
She breathed a little easier when she saw that it was Tarsus. He looked frazzled. He scowled when he noticed Michael standing there with a sack in the hand that wasn't holding Maria, clearly in the middle of packing. "Were you eavesdropping again Tristandor?"
"You're damn right I was!" Michael snapped back. "You never tell us anything. We're not just going to sit on our butts and wait for you guys to exterminate us."
Tarsus sighed. "I've told you a thousand times, no one is going to hurt you Tristandor."
"It's not ME I'm worried about." Michael replied. Maria could hear the tremor in his voice, felt him tighten his arms around her.
"It's HER fault we're in this mess!" Tarsus said in a monotone. "She's the one who forced us into the portal without Jaxon. If he was here, she would be perfectly safe."
Maria stepped away from Michael, stared at the shapeshifter. "Tarsus, you need to tell us what's going on. Why do they want Max so much? He's not even one of you."
"How did you know that?" Tarsus demanded, sounding annoyed.
"Duh!" Maria waved her hand in the air. "Eavesdropping! Which we wouldn't have to do if you told us anything, as Michael just told you." She constantly felt like she was talking in circles whenever she spoke with Tarsus. He really was the most frustrating alien - even worse than Michael.
Tarsus sighed, sank down on the cot. "There's only one possible solution to this." He informed them. "They want her podded immediately, but they are willing to let it go for a while if you do one thing."
"Well..." Maria urged him. He grimaced, as though what he was about to tell her was distasteful to him.
"It goes against every principle I believe in," He spat out, "But it has happened once before....when you married Mirana." He told Michael. Maria flinched at the thought of Michael and Isabel married. She would NEVER get used to that. "They want you to go into the Ring. If you come out alive, they will consider you bonded and then Maria will be safe for a while longer."
"Okay, sorry to keep saying this," Maria shook her head. "But I'm confused. Haven't we already been in the Ring?" She demanded. "We're alive! Hello?"
"That was different." Tarsus told her. "The Ring has many uses...it can be used to open or receive portals, but it can also stand in judgment."
"But we didn't do anything!" Maria screeched in frustration. "We didn't ASK to be brought here. Well, okay, maybe Michael did, but really, you tricked him! Why should WE be judged? In my opinion, you're the ones holding us here against our will...we'll just go."
"It's too late for that. There have been some rumours circulating throughout the camp." Tarsus shook his head. "It's an old legend really - about a chosen one. The annals tell of the birth of a child who is half Dernian and half Illyrian...that he will bind the people's together and end the strife."
"Which is why Michael married Isabel?" Maria asked. It was suddenly all becoming clear.
Tarsus looked like he didn't want to answer, but one look at Michael's face convinced him. Although Michael had not said a word since Maria had started demanding answers, he looked like he was on the verge of losing all self-control. Maria could see him fisting his hand as though he was doing his utmost not to lift it and unleash hell.
For some reason she had the feeling that if Michael lost it this time, he might bring all twelve of those moons down on their heads. He needed answers and she was going to get them for him.
"Tarsus, the time for wishy-washiness is over." Maria lectured the shape-shifter. He no longer scared her at all. She had come to recognize that he was really just a lackey. He was trying to hold the camp together for the mysterious leader he talked about who had yet to make an appearance. "Tell us what we need to know...and maybe we'll save your job for you."
Tarsus' head jerked up. "How did you know about that?" He demanded. Michael glanced at her, impressed.
"A good guess. You've been losing a little more control around here every day." Maria replied. "Ren told me that they were thinking of replacing you. So what's going on?" She paused. "We don't trust you, but you're the only one we know around here. Maybe we'll help you - but only if you help us first."
Michael still had not spoken. He was scowling slightly. Maria was sure he was irritated at her for taking control of the situation, but she KNEW him. He would never be able to control his temper for long enough to get the answers they needed.
Tarsus finally sighed. "Very well. No one knows if the legend is true, but none of my people want to take the chance. If you are transformed then you will be Dernian, thus no half-Dernian/half-Illyrian child. Or you will be dead, which will be just as satisfactory to them." He used his arm to motion around the tent. "I told you this living arrangement was going to cause trouble. Everyone believes that you two are living in here as husband and wife."
"Okay, stop, back that truck up buddy..." Maria ordered. "You've lost me again. I'm NOT Illyrian, I'm human...who cares if we're living in sin? Which we're not, might I add." Maria amended quickly. She could see that Michael wanted to smirk despite himself.
They were not sleeping together - yet. They had come darn close a couple of times though...the stress of their situation, the close quarters on which Michael had insisted for her safety, and the fact that the chemistry between them was still explosive...well, anyone could do the math on that equation.
"Your emotions make you close enough for most of my people." Tarsus told her.
"But what about Isabel?" Michael demanded. "Why would I have married her if a child between an Illyrian and a Dernian could cause so much trouble?"
"I will tell you the whole story." Tarsus sounded resigned. "Just stop interrupting."
Michael nodded, took a seat on a camp stool nearby. He pulled Maria down on his lap. She bit her lip at the noise that was still coming from outside. "Are they planning on coming in here anytime soon?" She asked nervously.
Tarsus shook his head. "They said they would give me all the time I needed. My last chance..." He added wryly.
"I assume you've guessed that Michael is an important Dernian?" Tarsus asked.
Maria nodded, but she could feel Michael tensing under her. "I thought you told Max that me, Isabel and Tess were insignificant." He demanded. Maria could hear a slight tremor in his voice. Even in his emotionless state at the time, that news had had an affect on Michael it seemed.
Tarsus rolled his eyes. "Well, you WERE insignificant to my plan." He told Michael. "I never said you were totally insignificant."
"Whatever." Michael sounded irritated.
"You are a member of the leading family in Dernia. If you haven't guessed, the Illyrians have always been in control of the planet. No one is really sure why, since we are more powerful..." That's right, puff yourself up a little more their alien-man, Maria thought to herself. "You have two sisters: Sabrya, or your Tess, and Danala."
"Danala? How does she fit into the four-square? Where is she?" Michael demanded.
"Stop interrupting!" Maria pinched his leg. He muttered ow, but shut up.
"Thank you. Danala is...er...well, she's not here at the moment." Tarsus hemmed and hawed a little bit, before continuing. "Anyway, in your past life, and apparently things haven't changed much Tristandor..." Tarsus scolded quickly, "You were a troublemaker. Our people have always undergone the cleansing on their sixteenth birthday...wait, I should amend that. It is really the second transformation. Babies are born, then podded for a few months until they mature to about the equivalent of seven years on your planet." He motioned at Maria.
"Why?" Maria wrinkled her nose. The whole podding process was gross to her. She still remembered seeing Max in that pod...it had not been pleasant.
"Babies are too easy to kill." Tarsus told her. "Older children can better protect themselves. Our people, both Illyrian AND Dernian, have always been podded. It just makes good sense."
"Okay." Maria was not convinced.
"At sixteen, Dernians undergo the cleansing. Or at least they're supposed to..." Tarsus frowned at Michael. "You chose not to." Maria felt an overwhelming sense of pride in her boyfriend. Always the rebel.
"You'd been reading a bunch of rot put out by the Illyrians, most of it written by their weak king, Jaxon Falconer. You were convinced that the transformation was wrong and when you happened to meet Mirana by accident one day, you told Danala that you would not do it."
"So Danala is my older sister?" Michael asked.
"Danala is your leader - and mine." Tarsus told him. Maria was still trying to get past the introduction of Mirana into this story.
"You're not saying that Tristandor..." She couldn't bring herself to say Michael..."Was in love with Mirana?"
Tarsus smirked at her. "Why yes, he was."
Maria felt Michael begin to stroke her hair reassuringly. "I'm not now." He whispered into her hair. "You know that." She felt minutely better.
Tarsus rolled his eyes again. "You ran away to Illyria. Jaxon Falconer welcomed you into his family with open arms. He thought that your marriage to his sister would result in the legendary child that was supposed to unite the two factions. But we managed to kill you before that happened." Maria felt her eyes widen. Tarsus spoke of murder so matter-of-factly. Everytime she began to forget that the shapeshifter was not like her, he said or did something to remind her of his emotionless state.
It was disturbing. She could understand why Michael had run away from these people.
"You had regretted leaving your younger sister Sabrya behind and tried to get her to come to join you. She was torn, but your secret letters about your life in Illyria convinced her to flee. She had developed an attachment to Jaxon through your letters about him as well and hoped that he would marry her to give the Illyrians an even greater chance of producing the chosen one."
"So Max married Tess?" Maria asked. Tarsus nodded.
"She was his bride, but never his wife." The shapeshifter amended. "We killed them both on their wedding night. No mating, no child. He didn't love her, by the way." Tarsus added. "It was a political marriage for Jaxon, not a love match like Tristandor and Mirana." Maria glared at him. She knew that he had said that just to annoy her.
She felt a momentary pang for Tess. She was not the girl's biggest fan, actually Maria quite despised her, but no one deserved to be a pawn in the great game of chosen ones. No wonder she was so desperate to have Max for herself.
It was ironic that Jaxon Falconer had had to journey half-way across the universe to find his real soulmate. Max would never love, and would never have loved, anyone the way he loved Liz.
"That was when Queen Milena had her wizard Lucianus clone you." Tarsus continued. "They sent you to Earth for protection while you were growing up. Illyria was placed under interdict by Lucianus, meaning that time basically stood still while you were gone. Time kept going in Dernia - which is why I am recounting this story from what I have heard, not from memory." Maria glanced back at Michael. He just shrugged, apparently as perplexed by that last statement as she was. "Nasedo, or Laren as he is known here - the traitor - accompanied you. There was also an Illyrian sent...I think her name was Salisa...it doesn't matter anyway since she died in that infernal crash...the one that made us all lose track of you."
"But Nasedo told us about ANOTHER alien who was captured by the Special Unit..." Michael said. "Who was that?"
"That was Salisa's husband, I think. He went but was not an official part of the mission, so I discount him." Tarsus waved his hand dismissively.
"Why can't I shapeshift?" Michael demanded suddenly. "If I'm Dernian, shouldn't I be able to shapeshift?"
"You're human you numbskull." Tarsus replied. "Your Dernian DNA was combined with that of the humans...you cannot shapeshift for that reason."
"But I was transformed for the journey through the portal." Michael sounded like he was trying to bring all the pieces together in his mind. Too much information at once, Maria figured. SHE had become lost about five revelations ago.
"I erased your emotions...all that hooey about changing your internal structure was just that...hooey. I had to make the stupid pod work. We brought them with us when we went to Earth in search of you all. They were damaged during the trip. You're still human." Tarsus frowned. "I still haven't figured out why your cleansing was deactivated with the trip through the portal...very odd."
"Maybe because it didn't really work on his human body?" Maria suggested.
"Perhaps."
"So, now why this judgment thing?" Maria continued, wanting to return to the matter at hand. "And why don't you want me to be killed anyway? You hate me."
"I don't hate you Maria. I don't hate anyone." Tarsus told her crisply. "You are a nuisance, but you are a card I want to have to play when Jaxon finally gets his irritating self through that portal. I have no idea what's taking him so long. He is so bloody noble, I expected him weeks ago."
"Well? The judgment?" Michael demanded.
"When you and Mirana were first married, Danala insisted that you be judged. You were, and you survived. She relented and let you stay in Illyria. It was only AFTER Sabrya ran away that she insisted on killing you all. She did not relish killing her siblings, but you had to be stopped."
"Who's doing the judging?" Maria asked, feeling her head whirling. It was going to take her several days to process all the information Tarsus was throwing at them.
"We have no idea." Tarsus replied. "But clearly a greater power. Many have been destroyed who have gone into the Ring for judgment... murderers, thieves...it is the only court on our planet and both factions subscribe to it."
Maria swallowed. The thought of potentially being destroyed did not appeal to her, but she realized that POTENTIAL destruction was preferable to CERTAIN destruction at the hands of the Dernian mob outside their tent.
She stood up, turned around to face Michael. "We have to do it Michael. We have no choice." He just stared at her sadly, finally nodded.
Tarsus looked relieved. "I will go tell them. Be ready in fifteen minutes."
They were the longest fifteen minutes of Maria's life.
She spent them lying on the cot, wrapped in Michael's arms, her face pressed against his neck. Neither of them spoke. It was only as Tarsus was pulling back the flap into the tent that Maria finally said what she had been willing herself to say the entire time.
"I love you Michael." He had stared down at her, his gaze unwavering.
"I love you too." It was not rushed like it had been the last time he had said it to her. That had been when he had pushed her away after he had killed Pierce, telling her that he loved her too much to risk having her around him.
Then it had seemed like a convenient excuse.
This time it sounded like he really meant it.
Michael took her hand in his, led her outside. A troop of guards was waiting for them. Maria kept her head down, refused to look at the faces of the assembled Dernians, all who hoped that she would be destroyed in the next few minutes...
She hated them.
The trip to the Ring was over too fast. Before she knew it, they were there, standing on the Illyrian/Dernian frontier.
Ren had told her once that the Ring was the only part of the border that was unfortified. Maria could see several Illyrians peering into the Ring from the other side, staring at them.
It amazed her that this one place should be so safe for both sides. As long as they were in the Ring, they were secure...
At least as long as they were not being judged, she amended in her mind, feeling herself beginning to panic.
She felt Michael squeeze her hand. "It'll be all right Maria. I promise."
Maria could see Tarsus standing nearby, a slight frown on his face. If Maria didn't know better, she would have said that he looked worried about them.
"Let's get this over with." Maria managed to choke out. A Dernian woman with fathomless black eyes came forward and handed Maria a green orb. She looked down at it, glanced back at the woman in confusion. Michael was given an identical orb.
Orbs! Maria hated orbs. They were what had started this whole extended mess in the first place. They should have all cursed the day that Max and Liz had found the first one in the desert. Or at least destroyed the damn thing when they had had the chance.
Maria exchanged one more glance with Michael. He took her hand again, pulled her into the circle.
She felt her heart stop as they advanced towards a stone lying in the centre of the circle. It looked like an altar. She didn't remember it having been there the last time she had been here.
"How long does this take?" Maria asked Michael after they had been standing near the altar-rock for what felt like forever. Nothing was happening.
Michael just shrugged, glanced down at his orb. "I guess we're okay...."
He was cut off by a burst of power so intense it knocked them both off their feet. Maria heard Michael yelling."WHAT THE...."
This was it. They had failed.
It took a moment for Maria to realize that she was still alive - that she had not been zapped into a million pieces.
Michael had somehow ended up on top of her, clearly trying to protect her, but she managed to shove his shoulder aside, creating a little space for herself to see.
The circle seemed to have come alive. Energy danced from standing stone to standing stone, culminating in a column of white light that reached towards the heavens.
It looked darn familiar to Maria.
It was a portal.
As quickly as it had materialized, the portal was gone.
And they were no longer alone.
Standing nearby, looking very young, very confused and very sad, was Max Evans.
His eyes found them a moment later.
He only said one word - or rather, a name. "Michael."
Part 23
Miami, Florida
Liz's eyes followed Max as he paced up and down the crowded area near the gate. He kept peering into the crowd, an angry expression on his face. She knew that it was just a mask to hide his true feelings.
Complete and utter terror.
He was most upset by the fact that Michael and Jennetta had ended up sitting together on the plane and had somehow bonded. Max had nearly had a conniption fit about that. Liz had finally managed to calm him down by forcing a pair of the airplane's ear-phones onto his head.
He had been so surprised by the music he had shut up abruptly, sitting back in his seat with a perplexed expression on his face.
"What is this?" He had finally asked, his tone interested.
"It's music." Liz had replied, not sure if they had it on Illyria. He had rolled is eyes.
"Well, I know that. I mean, who is singing it?"
Liz quickly plugged her own earphones in, turned the dial to the channel he was on.
You've got your ball,
You've got your chain,
Tied to me tight,
Tie me up again.
Who's got the claws in you my friend?
Into your heart, I'll beat again.
Sweet like candy to my soul,
Sweet you rock and sweet you roll.
Lost for you...I'm so lost for you...
And you come crash...into me...
And I come into...you...
She turned to stare at him. He was gazing at her, a strange expression on his face, like some memory was trying to break through.
Liz had swallowed. "It's Dave Matthews." She finally managed to tell him. "Do you recognize it?"
It was the song that had been playing at the Crash Festival the night she had thanked him for saving her life. It was one they both loved.
Max had closed his eyes briefly. When he opened them, he had turned away from her to stare out the window. "No."
Liz had felt her heart drop.
He had managed to stay calm for the rest of the trip, although he had sent Michael and Jennetta a few glares. Michael had been busy teaching Jennetta to play the video-game that was attached to the back of their seat. The little girl had been shrieking with delight. At one point they had both fallen asleep, Jennetta's head on Michael's arm. She had seen Max look at them, his lips compressed, but he had not said anything.
The minute the plane had landed Michael had picked Jennetta up, swinging her onto his back. "We're going to McDonald's." He informed them abruptly. "We'll meet you at the gate." Max had been so surprised he hadn't even tried to stop them.
"Trust Michael to leave us with all the luggage." Isabel had muttered. Max's sister had been a foul mood since she had woken up that morning, clearly upset and finding it hard to deal with memoryless Max.
Liz, on the other hand, didn't care it what form they had him. She was just glad that he was back. They would make his memory return. It was just a matter of time.
Mr. Evans had been more of the same frame of mind as Liz. His eyes had filled with tears when he had first seen Max and he had hugged him, although Max had held himself very stiffly, looking at Liz for clarification. "Welcome back son." Max had flinched at that.
"It's your father." She had mouthed to him. Max's eyes had widened, but he had brought his arms up to hug Mr. Evans back.
That one gesture, one of comfort for a man he didn't remember, had brought tears to Liz's eyes.
He might call himself Jaxon, but it was still THEIR Max behind those dark eyes. His compassion proved it.
Now he was slowly losing it again. Liz went over to join him. He had finally stopped pacing and was sitting stiffly in a chair, rubbing a hand across his face.
"How are you holding up?" Liz asked, unable to stop herself from touching his shoulder lovingly. She was pleased that he did not jerk away.
"Where are they?" He demanded. "How could I have been so stupid as to allow her to go off with him?" Max's eyes looked up at her in confusion.
"Because I think you know instinctively that you can trust him." Liz replied quietly. "Don't you?"
Max sighed. "I don't know. I don't know anything anymore. They both betrayed me Liz and I KNOW that you'll betray me too...you work for them."
Liz gently put her arm around his shoulders. "I don't work for anyone Max. I'm all yours - I always have been." He turned to stare at her, swallowed.
"Why do you have this power over me?" He asked her quietly. "It is like being in your presence soothes my soul. I don't understand it. Have you bewitched me through my dreams?"
Liz shook her head. "You love me." She replied. He didn't say anything, just continued to stare at her. His eyes lowered briefly to her lips. Liz held her breath.
"Jaxon! I brought you a Big Mac! These things are amazing! I have never been so full in my life!" Jennetta's voice broke the spell. Liz's head snapped around. She was unsurprised to see Isabel, Michael and Mr. Evans all watching them, hopeful expressions on their faces.
Liz felt the burden on her shoulders increase. She knew that they were all depending on HER to break through to Max. She wanted it to be her, but she didn't know if she was going to be able to do it on her own.
Max Evans had not just been about his love for her, Liz Parker. His entire existence had revolved around the love he had for every important person in his life. It had been that love that had gotten him into this predicament in the first place.
Liz turned to stare briefly at Michael. She had promised herself in the stone circle that she was going to forgive him...but seeing Max like this - so confused and torn...her animosity flickered briefly.
If Michael hadn't been so stupid as to let Tarsus of Dernia trick him...
She quickly forced the feeling aside. She didn't have time for that now.
Max was sitting stiffly again. "Is that right sweeting?" He moved away from Liz, went to pick up his small sister. Liz saw Isabel watching them, an expression of longing on her face.
Liz went to link arms with her friend. "It's okay Izzy. We'll have him back soon. Think about what we've accomplished already! He's here!"
Isabel smiled weakly. "I know." She said simply.
Michael came up to join them. He was watching Max and Jennetta, an unreadable expression on his face.
"You certainly seem to be getting along well with the little princess." Isabel snapped at him. Michael eyed her for a moment.
"She's your sister Isabel." He finally said in the most gentle tone than Liz had ever heard from him.
Isabel sighed. "I know. It's just hard to see him with her when he so clearly despises me." Tears filled her eyes. Liz and Michael exchanged glances.
"You have to be strong Iz. Max is going to feel bad enough as it is when he finally gets his memory back. They've brainwashed him somehow into believing that you and Michael betrayed him...but we'll get through to him. I promise." Liz smiled at her encouragingly.
"At least he seems to be getting along okay with our dad." Isabel replied finally, sounding pleased. They watched Max talking with Mr. Evans briefly, as Jennetta tugged on Max's arm, thrusting the hamburger up at him.
"He doesn't have an false bitterness towards him." Liz guessed. "He doesn't remember him at all. The problem with you is that he has fake memories."
Isabel sighed again. "I just hope getting back to Roswell makes him remember."
"Speaking of Roswell," Michael changed the subject. "We've been so busy getting Max back, we haven't even figured out how we're going to spring him back on the town. I mean, they think he's dead."
Liz frowned. "Well, I guess the amnesia will come in handy. We can just let it out that Max was swept away down the river, was found by someone, but couldn't remember who he was."
Michael grimaced. "This isn't All My Children Liz. Do you really think anyone's going to buy that?"
Liz shrugged. "I don't see what choice we have." She replied, feeling a little annoyed. Why was she the one who always had to come up with the solutions? "I mean, he's going to be there. They'll just have to accept it."
Michael scowled. "So much for not bringing attention to ourselves again. This is going to be the biggest news to hit that stupid town in a long time." He stalked away, clearly not at all happy.
"Why does he always have to be so difficult?" Liz demanded wearily, watching him go.
"He's Michael." Isabel replied simply. "That's explanation enough."
"But it's running a bit thin as an excuse." Liz muttered. Isabel eyed her for a moment, but let the comment go.
"Flight 285 to Roswell, New Mexico is boarding at Gate 3. Will the passengers needing assistance and boarding with small children please make their way to the gate now?" The announcement over the intercom snapped Liz out of her mild bitterness.
"Well, that's us. Only another couple of hours and we'll be home." Liz could tell from Isabel's expression that she was as scared as Liz was to find out what that was going to mean.
Roswell was home, but for Liz it would only be complete if Max came back to them entirely.
Because for her, Max Evans was her REAL home.
She followed Isabel onto the airplane.
Part 24
Roswell, New Mexico
Tess stared at Danala, seated across from her in a booth at Senor Chow's. "I can't do that!"
"You can and you will." Her sister replied, taking a casual sip of her Cherry Cola. "I told you that Liz Parker is all that is standing in the way of the salvation of our planet. It's up to you Sabrya. It's your job to see that your destiny as the mother of the chosen one proceeds uninterrupted."
Tess fell back against the booth. "But Liz is my friend." Tess whispered. "I don't love Max. Not to mention, he's not even here! How am I supposed to have a child with someone stuck on another planet?"
Danala shrugged, tossed her blonde head. "He'll be back. Sooner than we might expect." Danala scowled at her watch. "Dammit! I have to go. I have a date. Listen. I'll meet you at the pod chamber later tonight. Have a plan. I mean it Sabrya! You have to stop waffling about this. You've always known your destiny." Tess' sister stood up, came to stand beside her. Tess turned to look up at her sister, feeling sad and frustrated at the same time. Danala reached out a hand, brushed a curly strand of Tess' blonde hair off her forehead. Her voice became more gentle as she said, "You know you have to do this Tessie. For all of us. You have to help me save our people AND our brother. Isn't sacrificing one worthless little human worth that?"
Tess did not reply, just turned back to stare down at the burrito that was slowly getting cold in front of her. She felt Danala pause, but her sister left suddenly without saying another word.
She raised her head in time to watch Danala's form disappear through the front door of the restaurant.
Danala of Dernia. Her sister.
Tess had not believed it when the girl had shown up at her front door on the evening before Isabel, Liz and Michael had left for England. She had been in a bathrobe, having just taken a bath, trying to calm down her anger over being left behind.
It had been just one more bit of evidence that Isabel and Michael still did not truly want her around. It was always about Liz...Max and Liz...Liz and Max. Sure, Tess didn't want Max for herself any longer, but she DID want her place in the four-square. SHE was the one who should be going to help Isabel and Michael open the portal.
Tess had realized quite quickly upon leaving the Crashdown though that she wasn't really angry. She was just upset about life in general and was feeling lonely - not for the first time. Coming home to the empty Harding house was never easy.
She had even begun to convince herself that staying in Roswell would not be so bad. She was going to protect Maria for Michael...he HAD to trust her a little bit if he wanted her to do that. Didn't he?
And then fate had come knocking in the form of a sister she never knew she had.
Tess had opened the door, stared at the girl in astonishment. She knew her. Tess scowled. "What are you doing here?" She demanded in annoyance.
Danala had just stared at her steadily. "It's not what you think. Can I come in?"
Tess eyed her suspiciously. "We don't have anything to say to each other." Tess had replied snootily, but somehow she had known that she was going to let her in.
Against her will, Tess had followed the girl into her living room. She had been gazing around the room, an interested expression on her face. "Nice digs. I always knew Laren had good taste. He designed my throne room before he turned traitor." Tess had stared at her back.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Tess demanded. "Who's Laren?"
The girl turned, smirked. "Oh sorry. You know him as Nasedo, or dear old dad Ed? All these names - my other name is Danala by the way." Tess blinked at her.
"How do you know about Nasedo?" She whispered, feeling horror building up in her stomach.
The girl had sighed, rolled her eyes. "Because I'm one of you dummy."
"What?" Tess had forced herself to calm down. "I don't know what you're talking about...you're not one of us. We all hate you."
The other girl had continued to eye Tess, looking amused. "You really got screwed out of all your memories, didn't you? I'm your sister Sabrya. You do know that's YOUR name don't you?"
And suddenly it all became crystal clear to Tess. She had the journal. "It was you. You took it. Liz's journal." Tess hurried forward, grabbed the girl by the arm. "Where is it?"
The girl shook her off, scowled. "Of course I have it. But that doesn't mean anything. Who cares?"
Tess wondered suddenly if she should call Isabel or Michael. They had to deal with this immediately. The witch had already posted part of the journal...who knew how long it would be before she posted something truly incriminating. She realized that the other girl was still staring at her. She finally shook her head.
"You really don't believe me do you?" Tess' eyes narrowed. "Fine. I'll show you." Tess swallowed as Danala raised her hand. It began to glow and as Tess watched, the girl claiming to be her sister shape-shifted into a perfect replica of Liz Parker.
After that, Tess had listened.
Danala had told her the whole story... that Michael was her brother...that she and Michael had betrayed Danala and their whole race by running off to be with the Illyrians...that she and Max were fated to have a child that would save the whole planet...
When Danala had opened the pod chamber, that had been the final proof. "But where is your pod?" Tess had asked her sister.
"I didn't come with you dummy. I'm not human...I wasn't cloned. I'm still the same being I was fifty years ago when Laren kidnapped you all and brought you here to this Ring forsaken planet."
And for the first time Tess had not felt alone. She had a sister - one who WANTED to be her sister.
It was an amazing feeling.
Tess had remained a little wary. She had not liked the way that Danala had talked about Maria for example. Danala seemed to have a highly suspicious hatred for Liz's best friend.
"That little whore." Tess had heard her mutter once. "She almost ruined all my plans..." When Tess had asked her about it, Danala had quickly changed the subject. Tess had made sure that whenever she wasn't with Danala, she was with Maria.
Danala might be her sister, but Maria was her brother's love...and Tess had been amazed by how quickly she had loved the idea of being Michael's sister. She could not stand the thought of him being hurt...and losing Maria would hurt him.
Being with Danala became increasingly easy however. The future world she created for Tess with her words was magical...
"And when your child becomes the ruler of our planet, a golden age of peace and prosperity will emerge." Danala had told her only last night. Tess had closed her eyes, imagining being the mother of such a child...a child that would never leave her...that could fill the empty hole that had existed in her heart from the first day that Max had rejected her in favour of Liz.
It had never occurred to Tess that having this child with Max meant that something had to be done about Liz. She wasn't really sure...she supposed that she had assumed that Liz would just fade into the wood-work. Liz had walked away from Max once because she thought it was his destiny to be with Tess. Tess had just assumed that she would be willing to do it again.
Danala had quashed that idea over dinner this evening. "Of course she won't disappear Sabrya. You must take care of her. The hold she has over Jaxon is witchery I tell you! You must save him from himself."
"But I KNOW that Liz loves Max." Tess had replied, feeling distraught that she was going to have to hurt someone that she had come to like and admire. The way that Liz felt about Max...the way that she was willing to risk her entire existence for him... one couldn't help but be in awe of a person such as that.
And suddenly another thought had occurred to her.
What was Kyle going to say?
She had wondered briefly where that thought had come from, had hidden it away for examination later when she was alone.
What did Kyle Valenti have to do with her destiny anyway? Sure, they were friends - good friends - but he wasn't Max...
As Tess stared towards the door of Senor Chow's she realized that later had arrived. She swallowed when she saw Kyle peering in the front window at her, using his hand to shade his eyes.
She knew the exact moment he noticed her. Her heart skipped a beat.
Tess clenched her hands in her lap, steeled herself for the coming confrontation.
She knew he was mad at her...she didn't blame him. She had been acting like a maniac for days. The hot and cold treatment had to be hurting him.
And that was the last thing she wanted to do to Kyle...he was the only one who accepted her exactly as she was. He even seemed to like it when she was snarky...she didn't get it all.
"So, felt like Mexican huh?" Kyle demanded a moment later as he slid into the booth across from her. He was glancing around the restaurant suspiciously. "All alone?"
"Yes." Tess replied quietly. Kyle's eyes narrowed. He didn't say anything. The silence stretched out interminably between them.
"How's Maria?" Tess finally asked, flinched when her voice cracked. Kyle raised an eyebrow.
"Funny, I thought you'd know since Alex told me you slept on a chair beside her bed last night." Kyle sounded proud, but annoyed too, like her behavior was totally perplexing him.
"I meant since then." Tess snapped, being harsher than she intended because she felt awful and was trying to hide it.
"She's the same." Kyle finally replied. "I also heard from Liz." He continued. "They have Max."
Tess felt her heart skip a beat. Danala had been right...he was back. They COULD fulfill their destiny. Tess blinked, jumped when Kyle suddenly reached across the table and grabbed her hand.
"Tess! What the hell is going on with you? Why are you suddenly keeping secrets?" His eyes were no longer frosty. They were blazing with heat - a combination of anger and something that Tess could not quite name.
Tess wrenched her hand away from him. "I don't know what you're talking about." She replied. He sat back, glared at her.
"I don't believe you." He told her stonily. "I don't get it Tess. I thought that we were making some real progress...we're friends - or at least I thought we were. I was the one person you talked to..."
Tess felt her heart go out to him. He was right. He had been the one person she could depend on...the others had always run hot and cold with her...but not Kyle. Never Kyle.
But she didn't need him anymore. She had a destiny to fulfill, a sister who was depending on her.
"It's nothing Kyle." She managed to force the words out, keeping her tone cold. "And even if there were...you're the last person I would tell. You're not one of us Kyle, no matter how much you think you are." She saw him flinch.
"What...what do you mean?" She had never seen him look so vulnerable. He was trying to keep his voice steady, strong, but she could tell it was a trial.
"Just what I said." Tess replied clearly, feeling her throat closing up, as though her heart was trying to stop her from saying what she intended to say. "The only reason you ever found out anything was that you were dumb enough to get yourself shot. Do you think Max would ever have trusted you otherwise? You don't actually believe that?"
Kyle blinked. "No." He finally replied in a monotone. His face was blank, like he was desperately trying to think of a way to disentangle himself from this situation.
"Can you just like leave?" Tess finally asked. "I'm sick of having to explain myself to you." He stared at her for what seemed like forever.
And suddenly his eyes narrowed and he smiled. Tess felt her own eyes widen. She had never seen such an expression on his face before. She couldn't even begin to comprehend what it meant. "Actually, no. I can't leave." Kyle told her evenly. "I have something to tell you."
She wondered why she suddenly felt her entire body tingling from the top of her head to the tips of her toes...his eyes were smoldering, with something in them she had seen countless times, in Max's eyes when he was with Liz, in Michael's when he looked at Maria, even in Alex's when Isabel was around, but it had never been directed at her...
Never her.
Or at least not that she had noticed.
Where had she been?
"What?" She finally managed to squeak.
He stared at her a moment longer. "You can run Tess, but you can't hide from me. I know you're lying."
Tess wondered why her heart suddenly wanted to break with disappointment. "What?"
"Do you know why?" Kyle continued, tilting his head and eyeing her with a combination of amusement and annoyance.
"Why?" She squeaked again. Her heart had started to thunder.
"Because I'm in love with you." He replied simply. She felt herself stop breathing.
"What?"
"You heard me."
She could NOT deal with this now. There was NO WAY she could deal with this.
It wasn't meant to be. She was supposed to be with Max. Her sister had told her so.
But then why did she suddenly feel like leaping across the table into Kyle's lap?
Danala's voice suddenly ran through her mind. "It's your destiny to mother the child that will save our race...it is your duty. Don't betray us Sabrya..." Tess wondered how her sister had known she was wavering...but somehow she did.
They were connected. They were kin.
They were sisters.
Tess looked Kyle straight in the eye and told him. "I don't care." She forced herself to watch his eyes darken with pain. She had to end this insanity now. It was bad enough that she was going to have to take care of Max's soulmate.
She didn't need a soulmate of her own - she could not bear it.
Kyle finally closed his eyes to shut out her face. He slumped back against the booth. "Please leave." She heard him say, repeating the words she had given him moments before.
She didn't apologize. She wanted too, but she didn't. It had to be a clean break.
He was not for her. It was not meant to be.
Tess stood up, stared down at Kyle for a long moment. "Goodbye." She whispered. She walked out of the restaurant.