Chapter Six:
Liz stared around her shielding her eyes from the glare of the sun with her hands. Taking a shallow breath she struggled to restrain the uneasiness hovering in the pit of her stomach. She tried so hard not to look in its direction, but her eyes wouldn't obey as it stole a glance at the debris left behind by the pod chambers departure a few yards away. Her heart slammed against her chest painfully then accelerated so quickly that she had to close her eyes against the dizziness that suddenly overwhelmed her. She tried to listen to what the others was saying, but she couldn't hear anything over the deafening roar of blood rushing to her face. 'He loves you. He didn't leave.' She kept repeating in her head. 'He loves you. He didn't leave.'
"Where do we start?" Michael asked leaning on the side of Maria's mom Jetta.
Max looked up from his hands and stared at the others scattered around him for a second before he answered. "Ava can be anywhere by."
"It's been almost a year.I'd say anywhere is a good assumption." Maria frowned. "Stop voicing the obvious and get to the point."
"Max, finding her will be like trying to find a needle in a hay stack." Isabel ran her hands through her hair in frustration as she sighed.
"Where do we start looking for a person that doesn't want to be found? I mean come on now.we're not just looking for a human here." Kyle stared out into the open space surrounding them for a second before he returned his eyes back to the group spread out around him. "We're looking for a alien who has the ability to mind wrap us into believing anything she wants us to believe." Damn he didn't want to be here, but he knew how important finding Ava was to the existences of his friends. He closed his eyes forcefully pushing the image of Tess that suddenly flashed in his head away. He didn't know if he could do it. Didn't know if he could keep his feelings for Tess from reflecting on to Ava. How can he ever look at her and not see Tess? Not feel her betrayal?
"Look." Max pushed up from the bounder he was sitting on. "The only thing I can come up with is for us to split up into pair's. Liz and I will go north, Michael and Maria south. Kyle you and Isabel go east."
"Hey.I'm not trying to be.you know what ever, but am I the only one here whose come up with the conclusion that Ava could have also headed west?" Maria demanded looking around her before her eyes settled on Michael. 'Road trip with space boy, definitely a plus in this whole alien mess.'
"We do what I just said and then if we don't find anything we'll all go west."
Liz turned her attention to Max tilting her head to the side. She knew she should try harder to hear the conversation drifting around her because it was important, but she couldn't. Taking a deep breath she tried to stop the tremors racing inside her as the memory of the last time she was here held her firmly in it's grasps.
"Maybe we don't have to go through this goose hunt." Isabel said turning to look at Liz. "Liz, you were the last one to speak with her. Did Ava say any thing that would tell us where she was heading?" When Liz didn't answer her, but kept staring at Max Isabel felt all the anger, frustration and pain she'd fought with everything in her to smother suddenly surface. The magnitude of her rage stripped her of all control as she yelled. "God.get your head out of the clouds, damn it. You can fantasize about my brother another time."
"What?" Liz mentally shook herself forcing herself back to the present. She drew her eyes to Isabel confused and shocked by the anger she felt directed at her. "I'm. I'm sorry." She turned away from Isabel scanning the others around her warily before her eyes rested on the ground in front of her.
"Lay off right now!" Max yelled frowning at Isabel. He shook his head trying to dispense of the rage that suddenly hit him. "If your upset you take it out on me.not her. You've seem to have forgotten it was my wreck-less behavior that created this mess so if your going to be mad at anyone you damn well better make sure I'm your target not Liz. She's done nothing to deserve it.nothing."
Isabel stared stunned at her brother. She's never seen him so angry and to have that anger directed at her.. She swallowed hard trying to blink away the tears that suddenly sprung into her eyes as she watched him, the only person who knew her better then she knew herself. It was so easy to fool Michael and the others. To make them think that she was okay, but Max.he knew. He knew and he never pushed. He respected her enough to let her fight her way through her pain, let her grieve for Alex, the only man who was able to breach the walls she stupidly imbedded around her heart. Let her grieve for everything gained in the past few months and then lost so suddenly. So the rage directed toward her was a complete shock. She took a deep breath fighting the tears threaten to fall as she stared at him, watched his body shake. Actually shake from the anger she could feel directed at her. "Look." Her breath caught in her throat as she turned away from him. 'This has nothing to do with Liz.God don't he understand that?' She asked herself looking back at him. ".we have to stop thinking like little kids. To much depends on it.Max. Our lives depend on it."
Max captured and held Isabel's gaze for a moment his eyes drawn into slits as he contemplated what she'd just said. He pulled his eyes a way and looked at Liz. Running his hands through his hair he quickly blew the air from his lungs as he scanned the other faces for their reaction before he brought his attention back to Liz. Damn, he knew Isabel was right. They did need to find Ava as soon as possible before their enemies did, but that knowledge didn't stop the protective instinct inside him that always reared its ugly head where Liz was concerned.
But now his urge to protect her seemed different. As if something inside him clicked and he finally understood that his love for her, her well being meant more to his sanity, his very existence then he'd ever imagined. He knew if he had to explain what he was feeling lately to the others he couldn't. He didn't understand it himself. Couldn't quite put his finger on its origin no matter how many sleepless nights he laid in bed trying to figure it out. Was it just a weird feeling induced by being separated from her for so long? A forgotten memory? Unremembered dream? He didn't know. He just felt with everything in him that if they were going to survive Liz was a vital piece of the puzzle and even with Ava without her they will be destroyed by their enemies.
'She's shaking.God what the hell's wrong with me?" He reprimanded himself as he quickly moved to stand in front of her. Drawing his hands up he cupped her face as he forced a smile to his lips
Liz stared into his eye as he caressed her cheeks. She sighed as the warmth of his touch raced through her evaporating the tremors holding onto her. 'Why do I only feel complete when I'm with you?' She wondered covering one of the hands on her face with one of her own.
"Are you okay?" Max whispered insuring the others didn't hear him. When she didn't answer, but just stood there staring at him his smile wavered for a second before he regained control and pasted it back to his face. He wanted this meeting over and over now, but he knew the others were waiting to hear her answer to Isabel's question so he forced himself to voice the words he couldn't seem to bring himself to care about at the moment. "Did Ava say anything that would tell us where she was heading?"
Liz shook her head as she tried to push everything, but the morning she'd caught Ava sneaking away in the early morning, their conversation racing through her head. "No.no she didn't."
"Okay.that leaves us with the goose hunt." Michael said annoyed. He looked at Maria standing beside him before he turned his attention back to Max. "Maria and I go south.
"Kyle talk to your father. Tell him to come up with a cover story for our absence." Max looked around him. "We leave tomorrow. What ever you have to do.do it." Extending his hand out to Liz he watched her the others forgotten. When she placed her hand in his he pulled her into his arms holding her close to him.
"You've got to be kidding, Max?" Isabel yelled frowning at him. "God.don't you realize the shit we're in? You can be with her any time you want. This is important, damn it. Our lives depend on this."
"Enough!" Max shouted pulling away from Liz as he stared angrily at his sister. "We do as I say." He yelled returning her frown with one of his own before he stared at the others. "If anyone else has something to say.say it now!" He shouted rotating his glare from one to the other holding their eyes for a moment before he moved on to the next. When no one said anything he cleared his throat loudly then returned his attention back to Isabel. He held her eyes with his as he said. "Meeting adjoined."
"Damn it Max.your." Isabel cried her heart racing. 'Is he joking? This can't be it? Can't be the only thing we can do? It can't be?'
"I've made up my mind." He yelled cutting her off, balling his hands into fists at his side. He's had enough. He didn't want to stand here angering with her.
Liz stared from one to the other taking deep breaths as the blood running through her veins accelerated causing a tingling warmth to spread inside her. 'This isn't right.this isn't right. She's not the enemy Max.' The words echoed through her as she closed her eyes. 'Calm down.'
"Max.maybe she's." Kyle stopped in med sentence when Max's head shot in his direction and he encountered Max's anger.
'She's not the enemy.' Max shook his head as the words flowed through him. 'Calm down.' His head swiftly turned to Liz his heart racing. He watched her for a second his head tilted to the side as realization of what had just transpired between them registered.
"Max." Isabel mumbled her eyes filling with tears once again. She tried to blink them away, but she couldn't. She couldn't stop the damn of tears that she'd fought against for so long from coursing down her cheeks.
He stared out at the open space surrounding them as he cupped his head within his hands. Looking up at the blue sky he stared at it for a second before he closed his eyes and shook his head. He sighed as Liz's words flowed through him again calming the rage bubbling inside him just as quickly as it consumed him. He took a deep breath as he made his way to Isabel stopping in front of her. Capturing her eyes with his he touched her cheek. "I understand Iz.I do. Trust me?" He begged staring intently into her eyes, refusing to let her break the connection he held on her. "Trust me. I won't let his death be for nothing."
Isabel closed her eyes as she covered the hand on her cheek with hers. "She can't get away with this.she can't."
"She won't." He tried to reassure her. "I won't allow her to get away with hurting anyone of us. I promise."
Isabel forced herself to laugh as she pulled away from him. "Don't make promises you can't keep."
Grabbing her shoulder he pulled her back to face him. "I promise." He said capturing her eyes once again with his as he tried to make her comprehend that he did understand.he did and he wouldn't rest until she paid for what she's done. "I promise she will pay .I promise."
Isabel didn't try to stop the tears running down her face any longer. Her body heaved with the pinned up emotions she'd fought to keep in control for so long. "I love him. I love him and he never knew." She cried covering her face with her hands her body trembling with her sobs. "He never knew.of God.what's wrong with me?" She asked him gripping his arms tightly with her hands. "What the hell was I so afraid of? And now it's to late. He'll never know.never know that I love him."
"Iz." Max felt so lost as he watched her break down in front of him. He didn't' know where to begin to make this right.
"Oh my God." Maria covered her mouth with her hands as she stared at Isabel shocked. She knew that Isabel cared for Alex. Anyone with eyes watching them could tell, but she never imagine that she care so much.
"I miss him.Max. I miss him so much that it's tearing me apart inside." She cried. "God.I can't let him go.I've tried.I've tried so hard, but I can't. Do any of you understand?" She glances around her at the others running her hands through her hair. "I can't."
Liz felt her own tears begin to run down her cheeks as she made her way slowly to Isabel. "We all know you love him Isabel and we miss him to." She placed a hand on her shoulder as she tried to smile through her tears. "And Alex." The words caught in her throat, but she made herself continue. "Alex's knew.he knew that you loved him. he knew."
"Oh God." Isabel cried. "Oh.God."
Liz pulled her into her arms holding her tightly to her. "We'll make her pay for this. We will." She stared over Isabel shoulders blindly as memories of Alex, Maria and herself laughing and joking around flooded her thoughts. "I love him to and I won't rest until she's paid for killing him. I promise.I won't rest."
"You promise?" Isabel asked holding tightly on to her, her eyes closed.
"I promise." Liz reassured her. Capturing Max's eyes with hers she swore. "No matter how long.no matter what it take's she will pay.she will."
Max stared in awe as Liz held his eyes with hers. He didn't know how to handle Isabel when her emotions over powered the control she always kept over herself. Even as a child he struggled with what to say to make the demons hovering in the background disappear. But Liz.Liz was able to dispense of the demons with just a few words.
It's strange how things work themselves out. A few years ago Liz was just a dream, a fantasy he never thought was open to him and then she was a blessing in a life of complete isolation from everything he yearned to embrace, but he knew would always be denied him. She was there like a beacon in a thunderstorm showing him that his wildest dreams wasn't out of his reach. That he could embrace this world and everything he's denied himself his whole life and still be who he is. And then fate.destiny stepped in and almost destroyed everything he'd come to believe in and she was gone from his life just as quickly as she'd entered it. Leaving him once again drowning in a world of isolation. And he clutched onto Tess like a man struggle to draw his last breath. Everything that Liz awoken in him dieing a slow and painful death and no matter what he did, no matter what he said he couldn't bring her light back into his life.
And then he was suddenly allowed to touch her again, but fate.destiny demanded to high a price for permitting her back into his life. Alex. the unborn child that never should have been, all victim's. Victim's to two worlds who demanded more then they are willing to give.
He shook his head trying to clear the words racing through his mind. He didn't want to think about the sacrifice they all had to make to reach this point in their lives. Tomorrow he will let it all sink in. Tomorrow when they are hunting Ava as if she is a animal he would let everything flow through him, but tonight. tonight he will ignore everything, but Liz.
Throwing his arms around the two females that meant everything to him he drew them tightly into his embrace. "We promise.we won't rest until she pays for what she's done. We promise."
TBC
Liz stared around her shielding her eyes from the glare of the sun with her hands. Taking a shallow breath she struggled to restrain the uneasiness hovering in the pit of her stomach. She tried so hard not to look in its direction, but her eyes wouldn't obey as it stole a glance at the debris left behind by the pod chambers departure a few yards away. Her heart slammed against her chest painfully then accelerated so quickly that she had to close her eyes against the dizziness that suddenly overwhelmed her. She tried to listen to what the others was saying, but she couldn't hear anything over the deafening roar of blood rushing to her face. 'He loves you. He didn't leave.' She kept repeating in her head. 'He loves you. He didn't leave.'
"Where do we start?" Michael asked leaning on the side of Maria's mom Jetta.
Max looked up from his hands and stared at the others scattered around him for a second before he answered. "Ava can be anywhere by."
"It's been almost a year.I'd say anywhere is a good assumption." Maria frowned. "Stop voicing the obvious and get to the point."
"Max, finding her will be like trying to find a needle in a hay stack." Isabel ran her hands through her hair in frustration as she sighed.
"Where do we start looking for a person that doesn't want to be found? I mean come on now.we're not just looking for a human here." Kyle stared out into the open space surrounding them for a second before he returned his eyes back to the group spread out around him. "We're looking for a alien who has the ability to mind wrap us into believing anything she wants us to believe." Damn he didn't want to be here, but he knew how important finding Ava was to the existences of his friends. He closed his eyes forcefully pushing the image of Tess that suddenly flashed in his head away. He didn't know if he could do it. Didn't know if he could keep his feelings for Tess from reflecting on to Ava. How can he ever look at her and not see Tess? Not feel her betrayal?
"Look." Max pushed up from the bounder he was sitting on. "The only thing I can come up with is for us to split up into pair's. Liz and I will go north, Michael and Maria south. Kyle you and Isabel go east."
"Hey.I'm not trying to be.you know what ever, but am I the only one here whose come up with the conclusion that Ava could have also headed west?" Maria demanded looking around her before her eyes settled on Michael. 'Road trip with space boy, definitely a plus in this whole alien mess.'
"We do what I just said and then if we don't find anything we'll all go west."
Liz turned her attention to Max tilting her head to the side. She knew she should try harder to hear the conversation drifting around her because it was important, but she couldn't. Taking a deep breath she tried to stop the tremors racing inside her as the memory of the last time she was here held her firmly in it's grasps.
"Maybe we don't have to go through this goose hunt." Isabel said turning to look at Liz. "Liz, you were the last one to speak with her. Did Ava say any thing that would tell us where she was heading?" When Liz didn't answer her, but kept staring at Max Isabel felt all the anger, frustration and pain she'd fought with everything in her to smother suddenly surface. The magnitude of her rage stripped her of all control as she yelled. "God.get your head out of the clouds, damn it. You can fantasize about my brother another time."
"What?" Liz mentally shook herself forcing herself back to the present. She drew her eyes to Isabel confused and shocked by the anger she felt directed at her. "I'm. I'm sorry." She turned away from Isabel scanning the others around her warily before her eyes rested on the ground in front of her.
"Lay off right now!" Max yelled frowning at Isabel. He shook his head trying to dispense of the rage that suddenly hit him. "If your upset you take it out on me.not her. You've seem to have forgotten it was my wreck-less behavior that created this mess so if your going to be mad at anyone you damn well better make sure I'm your target not Liz. She's done nothing to deserve it.nothing."
Isabel stared stunned at her brother. She's never seen him so angry and to have that anger directed at her.. She swallowed hard trying to blink away the tears that suddenly sprung into her eyes as she watched him, the only person who knew her better then she knew herself. It was so easy to fool Michael and the others. To make them think that she was okay, but Max.he knew. He knew and he never pushed. He respected her enough to let her fight her way through her pain, let her grieve for Alex, the only man who was able to breach the walls she stupidly imbedded around her heart. Let her grieve for everything gained in the past few months and then lost so suddenly. So the rage directed toward her was a complete shock. She took a deep breath fighting the tears threaten to fall as she stared at him, watched his body shake. Actually shake from the anger she could feel directed at her. "Look." Her breath caught in her throat as she turned away from him. 'This has nothing to do with Liz.God don't he understand that?' She asked herself looking back at him. ".we have to stop thinking like little kids. To much depends on it.Max. Our lives depend on it."
Max captured and held Isabel's gaze for a moment his eyes drawn into slits as he contemplated what she'd just said. He pulled his eyes a way and looked at Liz. Running his hands through his hair he quickly blew the air from his lungs as he scanned the other faces for their reaction before he brought his attention back to Liz. Damn, he knew Isabel was right. They did need to find Ava as soon as possible before their enemies did, but that knowledge didn't stop the protective instinct inside him that always reared its ugly head where Liz was concerned.
But now his urge to protect her seemed different. As if something inside him clicked and he finally understood that his love for her, her well being meant more to his sanity, his very existence then he'd ever imagined. He knew if he had to explain what he was feeling lately to the others he couldn't. He didn't understand it himself. Couldn't quite put his finger on its origin no matter how many sleepless nights he laid in bed trying to figure it out. Was it just a weird feeling induced by being separated from her for so long? A forgotten memory? Unremembered dream? He didn't know. He just felt with everything in him that if they were going to survive Liz was a vital piece of the puzzle and even with Ava without her they will be destroyed by their enemies.
'She's shaking.God what the hell's wrong with me?" He reprimanded himself as he quickly moved to stand in front of her. Drawing his hands up he cupped her face as he forced a smile to his lips
Liz stared into his eye as he caressed her cheeks. She sighed as the warmth of his touch raced through her evaporating the tremors holding onto her. 'Why do I only feel complete when I'm with you?' She wondered covering one of the hands on her face with one of her own.
"Are you okay?" Max whispered insuring the others didn't hear him. When she didn't answer, but just stood there staring at him his smile wavered for a second before he regained control and pasted it back to his face. He wanted this meeting over and over now, but he knew the others were waiting to hear her answer to Isabel's question so he forced himself to voice the words he couldn't seem to bring himself to care about at the moment. "Did Ava say anything that would tell us where she was heading?"
Liz shook her head as she tried to push everything, but the morning she'd caught Ava sneaking away in the early morning, their conversation racing through her head. "No.no she didn't."
"Okay.that leaves us with the goose hunt." Michael said annoyed. He looked at Maria standing beside him before he turned his attention back to Max. "Maria and I go south.
"Kyle talk to your father. Tell him to come up with a cover story for our absence." Max looked around him. "We leave tomorrow. What ever you have to do.do it." Extending his hand out to Liz he watched her the others forgotten. When she placed her hand in his he pulled her into his arms holding her close to him.
"You've got to be kidding, Max?" Isabel yelled frowning at him. "God.don't you realize the shit we're in? You can be with her any time you want. This is important, damn it. Our lives depend on this."
"Enough!" Max shouted pulling away from Liz as he stared angrily at his sister. "We do as I say." He yelled returning her frown with one of his own before he stared at the others. "If anyone else has something to say.say it now!" He shouted rotating his glare from one to the other holding their eyes for a moment before he moved on to the next. When no one said anything he cleared his throat loudly then returned his attention back to Isabel. He held her eyes with his as he said. "Meeting adjoined."
"Damn it Max.your." Isabel cried her heart racing. 'Is he joking? This can't be it? Can't be the only thing we can do? It can't be?'
"I've made up my mind." He yelled cutting her off, balling his hands into fists at his side. He's had enough. He didn't want to stand here angering with her.
Liz stared from one to the other taking deep breaths as the blood running through her veins accelerated causing a tingling warmth to spread inside her. 'This isn't right.this isn't right. She's not the enemy Max.' The words echoed through her as she closed her eyes. 'Calm down.'
"Max.maybe she's." Kyle stopped in med sentence when Max's head shot in his direction and he encountered Max's anger.
'She's not the enemy.' Max shook his head as the words flowed through him. 'Calm down.' His head swiftly turned to Liz his heart racing. He watched her for a second his head tilted to the side as realization of what had just transpired between them registered.
"Max." Isabel mumbled her eyes filling with tears once again. She tried to blink them away, but she couldn't. She couldn't stop the damn of tears that she'd fought against for so long from coursing down her cheeks.
He stared out at the open space surrounding them as he cupped his head within his hands. Looking up at the blue sky he stared at it for a second before he closed his eyes and shook his head. He sighed as Liz's words flowed through him again calming the rage bubbling inside him just as quickly as it consumed him. He took a deep breath as he made his way to Isabel stopping in front of her. Capturing her eyes with his he touched her cheek. "I understand Iz.I do. Trust me?" He begged staring intently into her eyes, refusing to let her break the connection he held on her. "Trust me. I won't let his death be for nothing."
Isabel closed her eyes as she covered the hand on her cheek with hers. "She can't get away with this.she can't."
"She won't." He tried to reassure her. "I won't allow her to get away with hurting anyone of us. I promise."
Isabel forced herself to laugh as she pulled away from him. "Don't make promises you can't keep."
Grabbing her shoulder he pulled her back to face him. "I promise." He said capturing her eyes once again with his as he tried to make her comprehend that he did understand.he did and he wouldn't rest until she paid for what she's done. "I promise she will pay .I promise."
Isabel didn't try to stop the tears running down her face any longer. Her body heaved with the pinned up emotions she'd fought to keep in control for so long. "I love him. I love him and he never knew." She cried covering her face with her hands her body trembling with her sobs. "He never knew.of God.what's wrong with me?" She asked him gripping his arms tightly with her hands. "What the hell was I so afraid of? And now it's to late. He'll never know.never know that I love him."
"Iz." Max felt so lost as he watched her break down in front of him. He didn't' know where to begin to make this right.
"Oh my God." Maria covered her mouth with her hands as she stared at Isabel shocked. She knew that Isabel cared for Alex. Anyone with eyes watching them could tell, but she never imagine that she care so much.
"I miss him.Max. I miss him so much that it's tearing me apart inside." She cried. "God.I can't let him go.I've tried.I've tried so hard, but I can't. Do any of you understand?" She glances around her at the others running her hands through her hair. "I can't."
Liz felt her own tears begin to run down her cheeks as she made her way slowly to Isabel. "We all know you love him Isabel and we miss him to." She placed a hand on her shoulder as she tried to smile through her tears. "And Alex." The words caught in her throat, but she made herself continue. "Alex's knew.he knew that you loved him. he knew."
"Oh God." Isabel cried. "Oh.God."
Liz pulled her into her arms holding her tightly to her. "We'll make her pay for this. We will." She stared over Isabel shoulders blindly as memories of Alex, Maria and herself laughing and joking around flooded her thoughts. "I love him to and I won't rest until she's paid for killing him. I promise.I won't rest."
"You promise?" Isabel asked holding tightly on to her, her eyes closed.
"I promise." Liz reassured her. Capturing Max's eyes with hers she swore. "No matter how long.no matter what it take's she will pay.she will."
Max stared in awe as Liz held his eyes with hers. He didn't know how to handle Isabel when her emotions over powered the control she always kept over herself. Even as a child he struggled with what to say to make the demons hovering in the background disappear. But Liz.Liz was able to dispense of the demons with just a few words.
It's strange how things work themselves out. A few years ago Liz was just a dream, a fantasy he never thought was open to him and then she was a blessing in a life of complete isolation from everything he yearned to embrace, but he knew would always be denied him. She was there like a beacon in a thunderstorm showing him that his wildest dreams wasn't out of his reach. That he could embrace this world and everything he's denied himself his whole life and still be who he is. And then fate.destiny stepped in and almost destroyed everything he'd come to believe in and she was gone from his life just as quickly as she'd entered it. Leaving him once again drowning in a world of isolation. And he clutched onto Tess like a man struggle to draw his last breath. Everything that Liz awoken in him dieing a slow and painful death and no matter what he did, no matter what he said he couldn't bring her light back into his life.
And then he was suddenly allowed to touch her again, but fate.destiny demanded to high a price for permitting her back into his life. Alex. the unborn child that never should have been, all victim's. Victim's to two worlds who demanded more then they are willing to give.
He shook his head trying to clear the words racing through his mind. He didn't want to think about the sacrifice they all had to make to reach this point in their lives. Tomorrow he will let it all sink in. Tomorrow when they are hunting Ava as if she is a animal he would let everything flow through him, but tonight. tonight he will ignore everything, but Liz.
Throwing his arms around the two females that meant everything to him he drew them tightly into his embrace. "We promise.we won't rest until she pays for what she's done. We promise."
TBC
