[b]Part 27 - As the End Draws Near - Max POV[/b]

[I]Into the valley

The shadow of death

Creeps silently across the darkened sea.

This is it.

We stand alone.

We can see it all from here.

The starless night across the mountainside

No one left to talk to,

There's nothing left to say.

Into the valleys

The shadow of death

Creeps silently across the darkened sea.

You and me

We stand alone.

We can see it all from here.

Stretched far and wide,

The barren skies,

Fighting the silence

From deep inside.

Into the valleys

The shadow of death

Creeps silently across the darkened sea.

It's in you and me.

Oh, it's in you and me.

Oh, it's in you and me.

Sarah McLachlan[/I]

"Oh God. Not again." This is Maria of course. She collapsed against Michael following Ava's surprise appearance, but she bounces back quickly, as is always her way. She is suddenly right in front of me, her hands up. "Stay away from him or I swear to God, I will do to you what Tess has been itching for since she first showed up in Roswell. When will you blonde bimbos get it through your heads that all that destiny stuff is crap?" She looks at Isabel, rolling her eyes. "I mean, it's crazy! Am I wrong here?"

My sister's eyes are narrowed. "You're not crazy." She folds her arms across her chest. "None of us buy it."

Ava looks momentarily taken aback. She blinks her large blue eyes, bites her lip. "I…I'm sorry…I don't know what you're talking about."

"You and your skanky twin," Maria retorts. "That's what I'm talking about. Max loves [I]Liz[/I]. And just because they're not together right now, it doesn't mean you can just move in, whatever Tess may have done. You don't belong together. People belong with people they [I]love[/I]." She just shakes her head. "This just doesn't seem like that alien a concept to me." She pauses. "No pun intended. You were raised on this planet for Pete's sake."

"Maria," I say quietly, trying to get her to calm down. Because whatever it is that Ava thinks or doesn't think is of little consequence to me right now. She said that she could tell us where Liz is. That's all I care about.

Ava continues to stare at her. She then turns to look at me, perplexed. "I think something is getting lost in the translation here. I know that you and Liz love each other, that it all changed because you healed her. I meant I belong with all of you." She looks at Michael and Isabel in quick succession, frowning slightly at the unapproachable expressions on both of their faces.

They have both learned the lesson Tess taught well. They will not trust this girl easily.

But I know that right now, we have no choice. Liz is all that is important.

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"The pods were split up wrong," Ava replies. "I'm really part of [I]your[/I] four square."

"Convenient way to get us to trust her," Michael mutters. Maria snorts, disbelieving.

I sigh. This was certainly not the easiest conversation I had ever had. "How do you know this?" I ask, choosing to ignore my friends for the moment.

"I found the other protector," Ava shrugs. "He told me that [I]your[/I] protector split us up because he knew that Tess was more likely to betray you. She's one of them after all. They were programmed to be ruthless." I can hear in her voice that she is still bitter at how things ended between she and Lonnie and Rath. They were her family and they had been willing to completely betray her - not only by killing Zan but by abandoning her in Roswell.

Her last statement has caused everyone to stop muttering to themselves though. I can see that they are all listening now, including Valenti and Kyle.

"Where is the other protector?" I demand. "Why isn't he here now? Why did he let Nasedo do what he did?"

"He doesn't care about us," Ava replies, sounding a bit sad. "He likes Earth, wants to stay here. After he took us to New York, he basically decided to give up on us. He was tired of all the politics on Antar, didn't care what Nasedo did to any of us."

"What is wrong with our people Max?" Isabel demands, interrupting. "Why did they send these completely incompetent protectors with us? This is absolutely ridiculous!"

I don't disagree with my sister. The more I understand about the species that composes half of my DNA, the less I feel any urge to return to my home planet.

"I think something got screwy with them both after they escaped from the FBI," Ava tries to explain. "I don't think either of them was capable of caring about anything after that - anything other than themselves I mean."

"So who is he?" Michael asks again. "Can we at least meet him? Can he give us some information?"

"If we can find him." Ava sighs. "He wasn't too happy that I found him at all. I'm sure he's moved on. His name is Cal," she adds. "He was living as a producer in Hollywood and I think he's rich enough to disappear if he wants to."

I have met my sister's eyes in disbelief at this news about what happened to the other alien charged with the task of protecting us. It is just too odd to be processed at the moment.

"You said you could help us find Liz." I change the subject abruptly. These history lessons can wait until Liz has been rescued. I can feel myself getting more desperate as the minutes tick by. Somehow I just know that time is running out. I don't know how I know this, but I do.

"I felt him. I've felt him for a long time now, but I ignored it until the other day, when he stopped hiding from me. He's the one who took her, isn't he?"

I know who she is talking about. Sean. She can feel him because he is linked to her through Tess' DNA. They are technically the same person after all. In some ways, Sean is her son too.

"I don't understand." This is Valenti. "Who are you talking about? Sean Deluca? How can she [I]feel[/I] him?" He looks right at me. "Who is he Max?"

I wonder how he knows that I have figured out the truth about Sean. I haven't voiced any of my suspicions about it to anyone - the idea that Sean/Lazar is the future version of the child Tess left carrying. Because the explanation is just too long and complicated. It would have to include a complete discourse on that future version of myself who had screwed everything up, on the granolith and on how time travel was really possible.

Like I said, too complicated to get into now.

"He's Tess' child," I reply quickly. Everyone turns to stare at me. Kyle's mouth actually falls open. I can understand why he is dumbfounded. Because if Sean is Tess's baby grown up, then he just might be Kyle's son too. "Please don't ask me to explain it now. I know how he's here but we can't waste any time. We need to get to Liz."

"It's like the Future Max thing! He used the granolith!" Maria exclaims. I whip my head around to stare at her. "You know about that Max!"

"[I]You[/I] know?"

"Of course," she replies primly. "You didn't think Lizzie would hold out on me did you?"

I narrow my eyes at her. "How long have you known?"

"Months."

I clench my jaw. The fact that Liz had broken, that she had shared her pain with Maria is upsetting to me. Because it only reinforces to me how hard the whole experience must have been for her, what she went through because an idiotic future me had asked her to.

God, I love her. I have to get the chance to tell her once more. I just have to. Even if she never wants to be with me again, I have to tell her.

"Okay, can someone please tell me what the hell is going on around here?" This is Michael and he sounds pissed. "Future Max? Have you both gone completely psycho?"

"Never mind." I know I'm going to pay for that later, but Liz is all that matters. I look at Ava. "Take us to her. Please."

She glances around the room once more, as though knowing that by helping us she is severing her final ties to her other life - that she is making a life-altering decision here.

"I will."

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

We drive out into the desert, towards the remnants of the pod chamber. We have already checked out this way of course, but I believe Ava that she knows where she is going. She is sitting in the passenger seat of my parents' car, her blue eyes scanning the road ahead. Isabel is in the back seat behind me, the Sheriff and Kyle are bringing up the rear with Michael and Maria.

I feel a little uncomfortable bringing everyone along for this final confrontation with Sean. Somehow I just feel like this whole thing is really between Sean, Tess, Liz and I, but I know that no one would have agreed to stay behind.

It's the price you pay to have people care about you I guess. You can't protect them all the time. I think I'm finally learning this. You have to let the chips fall where they may because, in the end, trying to control everything only makes it worse.

The mess that future version of myself left behind has taught me this.

I think of the granolith still safely stowed in Maria's purse. I am still seriously considering destroying it when this is all over. Having the power to change the past and control the future - it is just not something anyone should possess. The idea that Khivar might be able to get his hands on it - that he apparently had if Sean being here is any indication…

It can't be allowed to happen.

Destroying that crystal will sever our final ties with Antar though. I know this deep in my bones. It is the only way we will ever be able to go home.

In the end, because of this fact, it's not a decision I can make alone. We are all going to have to agree. But I think I can convince them. Once they know the truth, I think Michael and Isabel and Ava will encourage me to do it.

I am feeling oddly at peace with myself as we pull off the highway and bump across the desert landscape. I can see that the sun is beginning to rise in the east, as though this decision has caused the dawning of a new era.

I can see the Jetta. I can actually see the car Tess had stolen when she kidnapped Liz. They are not right below the pod chamber it turns out, which is probably why we didn't find them when we were out here before. They are actually past it, hidden behind the soaring rocks.

I cannot see anyone near the car, pull to a stop as close as I dare go, unsure what Sean might have waiting for us.

As it turns out, Sean is incapable of doing anything at all.

He is the first figure I see. He is on the ground, huddled against the driver's door. And, I kid you not, he is [I]fading[/I] in and out as I watch him.

"What's happening to him?" Isabel is at my elbow. She sounds horrified.

Ava is already running towards him. "We have to keep him here!" She screams back over her shoulder. "Where's the granolith?"

Maria has it. I turn, scan the horizon for the Sheriff's truck. I can see it bumping towards us, but it is still a good two or three minutes away.

Two or three minutes Sean does not have it would seem. He is staring at his hand in disbelief as it disappears for a moment.

I have moved closer to him, cannot help myself from staring down at him in weirded out fascination.

This is potentially my [I]son[/I]. And he has done something major to the timeline it would seem, because he is disappearing. His time no longer exists.

"Where's Liz?" I can see that he is solid again. Something is still slightly off it would seem. I drop to my knees in front of him, cannot stop myself from grabbing him by the front of his jacket, forcing him to look at me. "Where is she?" I am almost yelling now.

He stares at me for a long moment, his blue eyes as cold as any I have ever seen. But I can see satisfaction there. He knows that he has won. "She's dead," he gasps hoarsely. He turns his head.

Night shadows still linger, the sun not yet fully in the sky. It's why I didn't see her right away. But as I follow his gaze, suddenly she is all I can see.

Liz. Oh God.

I release him, bolt to her side.

I gently lift her against me, push her dark hair away from her face.

She is completely serene in death, her beauty unmarked by any wound that I can see. But I know that she is gone. I cannot feel her at all.

"Liz…" My voice cracks as I pull her against me.

I cannot fix this. I cannot bring the dead back to life.

I failed her. I didn't get to her in time.

I am vaguely aware of my sister kneeling beside me. Her hand is on my shoulder. "Oh God. Max, I'm so sorry."

But I barely hear her. My entire being is focused on the fact that Liz is completely gone. I can feel the grief rising into my throat, choking me.

How can I go on without her? Even if we couldn't ever be together again, at least knowing that she existed - everything that was perfect about this world that I so wanted to call my own - would have made my life worth living.

But she is just gone.

I can feel that I am slowly losing it. Great gasps are coming from my body as I clutch her to me. I am aware of this you understand, but I have absolutely no control over myself.

She is so cold. How can Liz ever be this cold? She is always so warm and alive.

It is then that my sister gasps.

I look up with dead eyes, unsure how to focus. I am not crying though. Tears would not be enough.

"Max, look." Isabel is picking up Liz's arm, which is trailing behind her.

She is holding something clutched in her lifeless hand. I stare at it uncomprehendingly.

It is the granolith. The same granolith that is presently buried in Maria's purse. Maria, who I can hear sobbing as though from a great distance.

How can a dead person be holding onto something so tightly? It is glowing, alive, is casting a strange light over Liz's white hand.

I meet my sister's eyes. I can see that she knows immediately what I am going to do.

I hear her instant protest. "Max…"

But I ignore it of course. My hand is already closing around the crystal.

Because wherever Liz is, I want to be with her.

To be continued…