[b]Part 25 - Another Time, Another Life - Section K[/b]

[u]June 2002, Roswell, New Mexico[/u]

"Michael called from Dallas." Maria said as Liz shook her keys and inserted the correct one into the door of the small apartment she and Max shared. "He and Isabel are close to tracking Ava down. They think she's avoiding them though."

Liz sighed, wearily removing the Crashdown antenna from her head as she wandered into the small front hallway and almost tripped over Serena's stroller. She frowned, folding it up and shaking her head, concerned at Max's unusual forgetfulness. But he had other things to think about of course. "I wonder why she's doing that?"

It had been close to a month since Isabel and Michael had headed out on their search for Ava. They had waited until Michael graduated from high school, which Max had insisted upon, although Michael had wanted to go sooner. They had traced her to an address in Lousiana through an old post card she had sent Liz and had quickly managed to follow her to Texas. They had not had any leads in a week or so though.

Max had insisted that they keep trying. He was taking Liz's warning about the need for a complete four square seriously, especially since he knew that there was no way Tess was ever going to return to Roswell.

She had told him as much in the letter she had sent him recently, taunting him with the fact that Sean had spoken his first word, that it had been "Daddy..." and that he had said it to Rath.

"Michael thinks that she might think that they're Lonnie and Rath. He's felt her trying to connect with him, to find out for sure."

"I don't blame her for being careful. Max is sure that Lonnie and Rath will go after her eventually to make sure that we never manage to make up a complete four square. They must have been shocked by how easily Michael and Isabel were able to hold them off in Wade. The fact that they never turned up again when the three of them went back to the cabin to find Sean seems to indicate that." Liz shook her head. "But I really hope they find her. It will be one less thing for Max to worry about."

Maria just nodded in agreement, continuing into the living room, but stopped abruptly, causing Liz's eyes to widen and her heart to thump erratically. But the affection in Maria's voice when she spoke made Liz realize that nothing was wrong. "He doesn't look very worried right now Liz," Maria whispered over her shoulder.

Liz moved up beside her, a slight smile appearing on her face. "He sleeps almost all the time when he's home Maria. He feels so bad about it, but the baby could care less. She just wants to be with him."

"I can see that." Maria replied softly, laughing slightly.

Max was sprawled on the couch on his back, sound asleep, Serena curled up on his chest, her tiny thumb firmly in her mouth. Her father had his arm wrapped around her, holding her in place. The baby's eyes were open, but she did not seem the least bit interested in moving, even when she caught sight of Liz and Maria.

"Kitchen." Liz mouthed, moving past Maria and gently placing a pillow against Max to hold Serena in place. She kissed the baby lightly on the top of her dark head, watched with satisfaction as her daughter closed her amber eyes and seemed to drift off. Liz stroked a hand lovingly down Max's face before joining her best friend.

"God Liz, he looks exhausted." Maria commented seriously as Liz put the kettle on the stove. "He's got to stay home more. He's burning himself out."

Liz just sighed again. "Maria, he's not going to stop until he finds Sean."

"He's not going to be any good to that kid if he runs himself into an early grave." Maria replied.

Liz swallowed, felt tears filling her eyes. "Don't you think I know that? But we [I]lost[/I] him Maria! He's stuck with that murdering witch and Max [I]has[/I] to find him."

Maria was at her side in an instant. "I'm sorry chica. I know this is awful for both of you. I just don't understand why it's so hard! Why can't Max connect with him? Find him that way? It doesn't make any sense!"

"He's tried. But there's just nothing. It's almost like Sean doesn't exist anymore. But we know he does because of the pictures Tess keeps sending."

Maria scowled. "She is such a bitch. God! I wish we had killed her when we had the chance."

"Maria, don't say that!" Liz reprimanded. "It's what [I]they[/I] would do." She added, referring to Lonnie and Rath and Nicholas and Tess. "We are not going to turn into them."

Maria took a deep breath. "You're right. I'm sorry. But Liz, if we don't kill them someday, they're never going to stop coming after us. You have to see that."

Liz stared at the professional photograph stuck to the fridge that they had had done just last week. It was actually a proof, one of several they had to pick their prints from. Her baby daughter's innocent face smiled out at her. "I know."

And she did. After they found Sean, they were going to have to deal with their enemies once and for all. Serena would never be safe as long as they were alive.

"Let's talk about something more cheerful." Maria broke the tense silence that had settled over the kitchen. "Like wedding plans. You and Max are still planning to drive to Vegas next week, aren't you? At least, that's what your mom told my mom yesterday."

Liz swallowed, wiped her eyes. "We were going to, but I think it's off. Max is going to Los Angeles tomorrow. It's where the last letter Tess sent was postmarked from."

"Oh Liz." Maria said, sounding disappointed.

"It'll happen eventually Maria." Liz replied impatiently. "We just don't have time right now. I have to work twelve hour shifts to support the three of us and I need to start planning for the move in the fall."

"So, you're still going then?"

"I need an education." Liz shrugged. "Northwestern is the only place that offered a full scholarship. Plus, Chicago is central. It will be easier for Max to go off on his trips from there."

"Liz, you're not saying that you don't think you'll have found Sean by the fall?" Maria sounded shocked. Liz didn't blame her. It was the first time she had openly admitted that she was beginning to doubt that they would ever find Max's son, her daughter's brother.

Liz swallowed, faced the sink and clutched the counter, trying to hide her face from Maria.

Because the guilt was about enough to kill her. If she hadn't gone into labour when she had, Max never would have left the baby with Tess. Tess never would have had a chance to escape and that innocent little boy wouldn't currently be in the hands of a madwoman.

But she had to be the strong one. She could not let anyone know that she didn't think that they were ever going to find Sean. Max needed her encouragement to keep him going because with every day that passed without that little boy, with every fruitless trip chasing down shadows, Max was becoming more and more desperate.

And with desperation, the unthinkable was beginning to appear very probable.

No one but Liz and Max knew that there was only one sure fire way to make Tess give Sean back. She had broached it in the last letter she had sent, although Liz knew that the idea had been percolating at the back of Max's mind for months now anyway. He had admitted it to her after showing her the letter.

If Max was willing to give himself up to Lonnie, Rath and Tess - if he was willing to join with them to create a full complement of the Royal Four - they would let Liz raise Max's son. It was in that instant that Liz had understood that Sean was in even more danger than either she or Max had ever thought. At least, in her heart, Liz had hoped that Tess loved her son, that she would not hurt him.

But to be so willing to give him up...He was a pawn to her, nothing more.

All Tess cared about was getting back to Antar. And she was willing to sacrifice her own son to do it. Because, without Max, the only clone of Zan left, no one was going anywhere. The granolith would not take them home without him.

When Liz had read the compromise in Tess's spidery handwriting, she had felt the world starting to spin completely out of control. Only Max's arm around her shoulders had prevented her from falling to the floor in shock.

If they didn't find Tess soon, Max was going to have no choice. They both knew it. Because neither of them was willing to allow an innocent child to be raised by Tess or Lonnie or Rath, especially now that they knew how little any of them really cared about him.

They needed some good news and they needed it soon. If Michael and Isabel could find Ava...Well, things might start going their way. If they could use the power of the four square, particularly Ava's DNA, which would be linked to Sean's, they [I]might[/I], just might be able to find him without resorting to the horrific idea of letting Max go.

"Liz?" Liz shook her head to clear it at Maria's questioning tone, turned away from the sink, plastering a confident expression on her face.

"Of course I know we'll have him by the fall." She replied cheerfully. "Max really thinks that this lead is the one. I was just talking about worst case scenario."

Maria frowned slightly, but finally nodded. "Okay." She did not look entirely convinced however. She picked up her bag, moved towards the door. "I'll call you guys if I hear anything from Michael, although I'm sure he'll call here first. The only reason he called me was because there was no answer here earlier. I guess Max was out with Serena?"

Liz smiled, indicated the stroller as she followed Maria towards the door. "They went to see his parents I think. He likes to walk her over there when he's home. It's like double bonus day for them when they get to see both of them at the same time." She reached out and gave Maria a quick hug. "Thanks for the ride. I love you."

"I love you too babe." Maria replied. "Get some rest." She paused in the doorframe though. "Oh, I almost forgot! I'm stopping at the Valentis on the way home. Mom told me that Kyle is sick or something so I'm bringing him one of her pies. He says it always makes him feel better. Do want me to say anything to him?"

"Just tell him we're still on for Friday." Liz replied, a pang of concern running through her at the news that Kyle wasn't feeling well. He was her rock, particularly when Max was out of town. Liz knew that he still had not forgiven Max for leaving with Tess, actually basically despised him because of it, but he had been nothing but supportive of Liz, dating from the days before Serena was even born. He knew that Liz loved Max and said he accepted it, but he didn't try to hide that it didn't make him at all happy. They had started to drift apart recently because of it. She could sense his disapproval and it was just another burden she felt unable to deal with and so she had been letting their friendship slide recently.

She was looking forward to Friday, when they had agreed to go see the new Star Wars movie together. They had seen the Phantom Menace on their first date in freshman year and had agreed then that no matter what, if they could, they would see the next one together too. Max had been amused when she had told him about it and had told her in no uncertain terms that he wanted her to go.

He knew how Kyle felt about him, but he had absolutely no issues with Kyle himself. He trusted him and was grateful for how he had been there for Liz when Max could not.

It was one of the many reasons Kyle's disapproval hurt her. She knew that Max didn't deserve it - none of what had transpired with Tess had been his fault after all. She had tricked him into sleeping with her and had then basically tried to destroy his life by taking him back to Antar. It had been fate that had brought him back to her and Liz was not going to lose him again, even if one of her best friends could not forgive him.

It was not an easy life, being with Max, but she loved him and he loved her. It was worth it to her. And Kyle was just going to have to accept that.

Liz put her problems with Kyle out of her head after she said goodbye to Maria. She had little enough quality time with Max as it was. She wasn't going to waste one of the few nights he was home worrying about it. Friday would arrive soon enough.

Crossing the living room quietly, Liz perched on the edge of the couch, leaned over and spoke softly into Max's ear. "Wake up sleepyhead. It's time to come to bed." He stirred, his long lashes fluttering, and moments later he was gazing up at her sleepily.

"Liz." She saw his arms tighten convulsively around Serena, making sure she was still securely on his chest. "What time is it? I was going to come pick you up."

"It's okay." Liz whispered, gently disentangling their daughter from his embrace and bringing the baby up against her neck. Serena squawked once but settled back into sleep almost immediately. "Maria drove me home."

A flash of guilt crossed his face anyway. "But I wanted to." He closed his eyes briefly, as though suddenly everything he wanted to do and couldn't until he found his son had come crashing down on him.

Liz kissed him lightly on the forehead. "And that's why I love you. It's really okay," she repeated. "Just come to bed."

And as Liz curled up against a still half-asleep Max minutes later she knew that she was right to make the sacrifices required to be with him. Being tired, having too much responsibility for someone her age, being alone half the time...It was worth it.

It was worth it because when she was in his arms, the rest of it went away.

Then they were just Max and Liz and their little baby girl and together they could do anything.

They would find Sean, they would find Ava. And then they would defeat Max's enemies and live the quiet, [I]normal[/I] life they both wanted.

It was only a matter of time before they would [I]all[/I] -every single person she cared about - achieve their happy ending.

It was her last thought and brought a slight smile to her face as she drifted off to sleep in Max's arms.

**************************************************

Time ran out on Friday.

When Liz left work to meet up with Kyle, she briefly considered stopping by the apartment to check on Serena. Max had spent the entire day with her, as he always did when he was home, but going eight hours without her baby was something Liz never got used to and she had been feeling antsy about her all day. When Max was out of town, her mom took care of the baby upstairs while Liz worked, and so she could run up for a little baby-time whenever she wanted to.

But Max deserved his time with their daughter too. He barely got to see her as it was. She would see Serena soon enough.

It was her anxiety over leaving her daughter for so long that was making her impatient Liz decided as she tapped her foot and stared down at her watch for the twelfth time in what felt like as many hours. But she had really only been waiting for Kyle for about ten. He was only five minutes late. He'd be there.

He showed up twenty minutes later. Liz was ready to jokingly ream him out - they were missing the previews and he knew that she always felt there was no point in seeing a movie without the previews - until she got a look at his face.

He looked terrible. He had dark circles under his eyes and looked like he had lost weight as well. Liz frowned. She had only seen him two weeks ago! What had happened to him?

"Kyle, what's wrong?" Liz demanded immediately, not even bothering with a cursory hello. "You look awful."

"Gee, thanks Liz." He replied in his usual sarcastic tone, rolling his eyes. It made her feel a bit better to hear him sounding so normal. "I've been sick. Migraines. Can't sleep properly because of them."

Liz softened her tone, hugged him lightly. "I'm sorry. I was just shocked. Have you been to the doctor?"

"They can't find anything to explain it." Kyle told her shortly. "Listen, I don't really feel up to a movie. Can we just go somewhere and talk?"

"Of course." Liz gently linked her arm with his. "Why didn't you call me? I would have come to see you. You shouldn't even be out."

"I needed some air." He looked around, as though trying to decide where he wanted to go. "Let's go to the park."

They walked along in silence, but it was not uncomfortable. Liz was beginning to get the idea that Kyle had something very specific to tell her and that he was just trying to work out in his own mind how he was going to do it.

They were settled on a bench before he tried. "Liz...I don't even know how to tell you this." He began quietly "I've needed to talk to you about this for a long time, but I didn't know how to and I wasn't sure that it was real..."

"Kyle, what is it?" Liz took his hand in hers, pleased that she could be strong for [I]him[/I] for once. He had always been there for her.

"I've been having weird dreams." He replied, shaking his head wearily. "It's another reason I haven't been sleeping well. For a couple of weeks now. They're about the night that Alex died."

Liz felt her eyes widen. "What about that night?"

"I don't know. It's vague. But basically I think that the details of exactly what I did that night are coming back to me." Kyle told her. "You know that I have some memories of the events Tess made me forget, but not all of them. The stuff I'm dreaming about though...it's weird. Alex is there and so is Tess...but it feels different somehow." He swallowed. "Liz, I think she may have been mindwarping me long before we thought."

"Kyle, what are you talking about?" Liz whispered, her heart beginning to pound.

"I've been getting these headaches Liz. I wake up with them every morning. And I've started to realize that this has happened to me before. I woke up with one the morning after Alex died. But I had them before that too."

"You think that they have something to do with the mindwarps?" Liz asked, furrowing her brow. "It would make sense." And suddenly what he was really saying hit her like a freight train. "Kyle, are you saying that you think that Tess is mindwarping you [I]right now[/I]?"

The implications of this were astronomical. It meant that Tess was right here in Roswell if she was doing it.

"Not right now Liz." Kyle corrected. "But I think that she has been - recently. I can't think of any other explanation for the way I've been feeling. It's just so similar."

Liz stood up. "We need to go to Max. He has to know about this."

"Oh, he knows." The voice sent a chill down Liz's spine. "Or he will as soon as he goes to pick up your little girl. His mommy didn't turn out to be the best babysitter after all."

She didn't want to turn around. If she didn't turn around, this would not be happening.

In the end, she didn't need to turn at all though. Because Tess Harding had moved around the bench and was staring down at her, her blue eyes gleaming with malice.

"Hello Liz. Long time no see. Not long enough of course, but what can't be helped has to be accepted." She turned her cold gaze on Kyle. "I see you didn't stay home like the good little boy I took you for Kyle." Liz glanced at him. He was clutching Liz's hand, clearly just as terrified as Liz was. "Your brain must not be quite as muddled from all those years of football as I had hoped. You're breaking the warp." Liz watched in horror as Tess closed her eyes, scrunching up her face like she always did when she was about to mindwarp someone.

"Oh Jesus." Kyle's hand squeezed Liz's convulsively. "I'm remembering." He looked over at Liz, his eyes wide. They were beginning to roll up in his head. "Liz, she's here for..." He cut himself off abruptly. An expression of complete clarity crossed his face. He opened his eyes, the blue so clear, it made Liz blink. "Liz, Sean is my son." He whispered it, so quietly she had to strain to hear him.

"Kyle?" Liz grabbed him by the open front of his jacket, forced him to look at her. "What are you saying? KYLE!"

But he could not hear her. Not any longer. He yelled in agony, releasing her hands and bringing his hands up to his head, as though trying to push Tess out. As Liz clutched at him, called to him, he stood up, took one step towards Tess, bellowing in fury, and then fell in a heap at her feet.

"Epic." The snort from nearby caused Liz to whirl. "I told ya you should have just done that ages ago."

It was Lonnie and she snapped her gum, grinning at Liz. "Got any last words?" She moved towards Liz threateningly.

"No!" This came from Tess, who came to stand between Lonnie and Liz. She was staring down at Kyle, a strange expression on her face, like she couldn't quite believe that he was lying there so quietly.

Liz fell to her knees at Kyle's side, ignoring Isabel's dupe completely. She brought her hand to Kyle's throat, felt for a pulse. She stared up at Tess in shock. "You killed him! Tess, you killed Kyle!"

She thought she saw a spasm of [I]some[/I] emotion cross the cool blonde's face. It might have been regret, but likely not. Whatever it had been, it was gone a moment later as her expression hardened right before Liz's eyes.

"It's not my fault," she whined. "He wouldn't do what I wanted him to, so he brought it on himself. He wouldn't go get the baby. We had to wait until Max left her alone today."

"What the hell is the matter with you?" Liz demanded quietly, shaking with disbelief, the grief at the loss of her friend still too new for it to even have begun to penetrate. She jumped to her feet, shrieking now. "What is [I]wrong[/I] with you? How can you come from the same place as Max and Isabel and Michael? You're evil!" This last bit was screeched as she went for the other girl's throat. She knew that she was completely losing control, but she just didn't care anymore. "You killed him! You've done nothing but betray the people you're supposed to love!" She screamed. "I HATE YOU!"

"Whoa little girl!" Liz felt Lonnie's arm come around her throat, hauling her off Tess. "None of this is Ava's fault. It's all Zan's. He's the one who won't come with us. If he would just leave [I]you[/I], none of this would have had to happen."

"Where [I]is[/I] Max?" Liz demanded, wrenching away from Lonnie and falling to her knees beside Kyle again, tears beginning to fill her eyes. She could barely speak around the lump in her throat.

"Likely following the clues we left him today to little Seanie." Lonnie shrugged, unconcerned. "He won't find him of course. But it was enough to make him leave [I]your[/I] baby with his mother." She smiled smugly. "Where Rath was waiting for her."

The world began to spin before Liz's eyes. She stared down at Kyle, still unable to believe that her vital friend was really gone, mindwarped into death by someone he had loved. "Serena." It was like a prayer on the wind as it passed Liz's lips.

And then she was running, running as fast as she possibly could, in the direction of Max's parent's house.

She stumbled across Diane Evans's body first. Liz knew without even touching her that her neck had been snapped. The awkward angle at which her head lay told her as much. But she didn't have time to mourn Max's mother.

There was no time.

"SERENA!" She screamed it, frantically running through the house Max had grown up in, calling her daughter's name, as though that would somehow change the fact that the baby was not there at all.

Max found her standing in the centre of the living room, Serena's blanket clutched against her chest, staring off into space.

"Liz!" He clutched her by the shoulders. "What's going on? Where is my mother?"

Liz just turned her head and stared towards the front door, because Max had obviously come through the back.

"I'll be right back. Liz, I'll be right back." When he returned, his expression was half shocked, half grim.

"Max..." Liz stared up at him, unseeing. "How could this have happened? How could they have just come [I]here[/I]? It's the last thing they were supposed to do." She didn't understand how her voice could be so calm. One of her best friends was lying dead in the park down the road. Her daughter was in the clutches of her worst enemies. Max's mother had been murdered in her own home.

Max pulled her against him. She could feel him shaking as she buried her face against his chest. "I've made my last mistake Liz." He whispered against her hair. "I have to stop thinking they're like us. They're [I]not[/I]. They don't think like we do, don't act like we would."

"Why? Why are they here?" Liz pulled away, practically shrieked it. "Where is my baby? Where is she?"

"It's the end Liz. They know it." Max replied quietly. "Michael called me earlier. He and Izzy found Ava. They must have known it was only a matter of time. They had one last chance and they took it. They won't hurt Serena. Not as long as they still want me." He paused. "They know that I [I]will[/I] trade myself for her. If they kill her, they lose me. They know it."

"They've been here for weeks Max." Liz told him, his words reassuring her slightly. "Tess has been mindwarping Kyle for at least two. How could we not have known?"

"We didn't want to know." Max closed his eyes, pulled her against him again, as though searching for strength. "Didn't want to believe that it would really come to this. Because we have no choice now."

Liz stared off into the distance, her cheek pressed against his chest, the soft leather so familiar and reassuring.

They had no choice.

"We have to kill them." His whisper was soft against her hair. She tightened her arms around him, clutched at the last moments of their innocence.

Because she knew it was true.

To be continued...