The gang parked the van in the middle of a forest. There was a small clearing surrounded by trees that made enough for a campfire. Liz stayed in the van, hugging her Grandma tightly and having a private conversation. Maria and Alex and Kyle caught up on old times by the fire. Isabel sat wrapped up in a blanket by herself, glancing every so often at Alex with a comfortingly look. Tess sat near Alex but not too close, she turned seeing Courtney sit down next to her.
"Michael and Max are walking around, navigating the area." Courtney explained. "They said it would be better to do at night when no forest rangers might be walking around." She added. Isabel nodded and some other people gave affirmative nods.
"So, me and Tess aren't the only dead people here, huh?" Alex said, breaking the tension. "Courtney, Grandma Claudia, Nasedo..."
"We also saw Atherton, Grant, and re-killed Whitaker." Maria added.
"But does anyone know why?" Alex asked.
"It wasn't an accident." Tess said. Everyone turned to look at her. "I could tell from Nasedo talking. This wasn't some strange apocolypse accident that they took in their favor. They planned it, they did this. Khivar did this."
"You would know, wouldn't you." Maria muttered. Tess looked up at her, but simply shook her head. Maria had all the right to say what she did.
"Maria." Alex said in a warningly tone. "She's been through enough." He said quietly. Maria looked at him kind of shocked.
"Well, okay. If you say so, Alex." Maria nodded. "I'm going to go see Grandma Claudia, want to come with?"
"Sure." Alex and Maria stood up and left, walking back into the van. Kyle scooted over next to Tess.
"Hi." He said, not looking at her.
"Hey." Tess said, not looking at him either, simply staring into the fire.
"I just need to get this off my chest, since I didn't exactly get the chance to say it last time." Kyle started. He cleared his throat. "When we found out what you did, I really hated you, I really hated you. I mean, we took you in, I called you my sister! When you came back, when it came time to...y'know vote. I realized that families stay families. If your brother goes off and impregnates an alien killer, you don't kick him out of your family because the alien killer killed one of your boyfriends." Kyle glanced up at Isabel quickly then back to Tess. "What I'm saying is, especially after what Alex has told us, about him trusting you now, you- you're still apart of my family. I know my dad would feel the same." Kyle said, looking up at her. Tess grinned, she felt tears come to the corner of her eyes.
"Thankyou, thankyou so much, Kyle." Tess said while wiping her eyes. She leaned over to give her brother a hug and he returned it.
"It's fine." Kyle nodded.
"I'm going to go into the van." Tess said, standing up and walking to the door. She stopped, noticing through the window at Liz, Alex, and Maria talking to Grandma Claudia

"So, you have...alien...powers, Elizabeth?" Grandma Claudia repeated, holding her grand daughter's hand. Liz nodded. "But- you did marry this Max Evans. I remember hearing about him when I last came to see you." Grandma grinned. "And you, Maria? Are you also gifted with this strangeness?" Grandma asked, in a cheerfully tone.
"Oh, no. I'm sane. I seem to be the only one now that Alex has deserted me and Kyle will do the same, soon."
"Alex? You have powers?"
"Ya." Alex blushed. "It's no biggie. Just, somehow throwing things into walls with my mind." Alex said.
"Show us!" Maria said, getting all jumpy.
"Um. Okay." Alex looked out the front window of the van and raised his hand at a dead tree. It didn't budge. Alex looked at his hand. "Hey! It's not working!" Alex said, tellig off his hand.
"Actually, Alex...something is." Liz said. Alex looked up, the dead tree was now blooming with leaves, like it was re-growing, or something.
"Whoa." Alex said. "Okay, that probably wasn't me, I'm sure it was Max, he must be coming back." Alex shrugged.

Tess stared in awe at the growing tree. She heard Alex talk and opened the door, practically falling in.
"No, Alex, Max and Michael aren't anywhere in sight. You did that!" Tess said excitedly, looking to the tree.
"Were you listening to our conversation or something?" Maria asked skeptically.
"Who is this?" Grandma Claudia asked.
"Alex's murderer." Maria replied. Alex shot her a warning look, which Maria returned with an innocent bat of her eyelashes.
"It's been atoned for." Alex said to Grandma Claudia. He turned and winked at Tess who grinned.
"Nice to meet you." Tess said, extending her hand, which Grandma Claudia took. "I'm one of the original hybrids." Grandma nodded and Tess let go of her hand.
"Well, I'm going to go see if there's anything those aliens can roast us outside." Grandma said, sitting up. Liz opened the van door and her and Maria escorted Grandma Claudia out, meeting up with Max and Michael who had just now returned.
Alex sat down and stared at his hands. "This is strange." He said.
"It's not the only thing strange." Tess added, sitting down next to him. "Alex?"
"Ya?"
"Thankyou. For trusting me, for forgiving me." Tess said.
"Tess, I never actually forgave you..."
"Oh." Tess looked down sadly.
"I can't beleive I forgot. Of course I forgive you." Alex added. Tess smiled.
"Like I said before, thankyou. Because of you, Kyle, and even Maria and Liz seemed to brighten up towards me. Well, me and Liz already cleared out our differences, but Kyle accepted me as his family again, and...I can't beleive I through this all away for Khivar."
"You didn't know better, you were raised by Nasedo. I don't think you could help it."
"You helped me." Tess said, looking up at Alex. Alex leaned down and kissed her softly. The van door opened quickly and Tess jumped up seeing Liz at the entrance. Liz's doe eyes were especially big now, like a deer infront of incoming car.
"Liz..." Alex started.
"I can explain." Tess cut in. Liz stared at them blankly.
"I just- came in here to tell you, you can change...my clothes are in the back..." Liz said, looking at the end of the van were her bag lay. "Michael says you can change into his, Alex." Liz stared back at them. Alex got up and walked over to her.
"Thankyou, Liz."
"Anytime..." Liz said, half in a daze.
"Liz, I just want you to know, if you're confused or unsure- what you just saw was not a mindwarp. I kissed Tess." Alex said clearly. Liz nodded slowly. "Please don't tell anyone."
"Why would I tell someone?"
"I don't know, but please don't. I don't know how'd they'd take it." Alex said, meaning, he didn't know how Isabel would take it.
"I won't..." Liz said, her voice trailing off.
"Thanks Liz." Tess said. Liz nodded and walked back outside. Tess turned to Alex with a smile. "I'm guess I'll change." She said, walking over and opening Liz's bag. She looked over her shoulder. "Well, don't just sit there and stare. Either leave or help me." Tess giggled. Alex smirked and walked over, kneeling down next to her and wrapping an arm around her waist. Tess felt so warm and happy inside, it was pretty scary actually. She'd never felt this type of joy before. Tess pulled out a peach spaghetti strap and jeans shorts. It'd be nice to finally get into some good clothes for once, she'd been wearing this same thing ever since she died. She pulled off the dirty shirt quickly and slipped on the new one, not really caring that Alex was watching her the whole time. "I told you not to just sit there." Tess teased. Alex grinned and crawled over to her, giving her a passionate kiss on the lips. Tess returned it, wrapping her arms around his neck. They continued to kiss each other until five minutes later when there was a knocking at the van's door.
"Where's the van key? Liz? Liz where did you put the van's keys..." Michael's voice said from outside. Tess quickly pulled away from Alex and through off her pants throwing liz's shorts and throwing her own clothes into a corner of the van filled with other clothes.
"Let me guess, laundry pile." Tess muttered, adjusting her hair. She ran to the van's door and opened it. "Hi Michael." She said cheerfully. Michael simply staired at her and walked inside as she walked outside. Tess walked over and sat next to Liz. "Thanks." She muttered quickly. Isabel and Maria glanced at Tess and Liz strangely.
"I still haven't talked to Alex." Isabel said softly to Maria. "I don't think he knows about... Jesse."
"Isabel, don't worry about Alex. He's not an immature little boy, he, he's not- I really don't think this is something you should be worrying about."
"Maria, the day he died we were on the phone planning dates. Then he died...You know...it's just...that's where he left off."
"Don't worry about it. Alex will understand." Maria reassured her.
"Maybe." Isabel shivered. "It's just so strange. I finally move on, and then I have to leave my husband, and he comes back from nowhere, and what does it mean? Should my feelings come back for him?" Isabel brushed a piece of hair behind her ear. Maria didn't know how to answer that...so she didn't. A few seconds later Alex walked out dressed in new clothing and Tess scooted over so that he and Liz could also talk and catch up with each other. Michael followed Alex out and plopped down next to Maria and Courtney. "What do we do now, Max?" Isabel asked.
"Why does everyone keep asking me." Max muttered, taking a bite out of the fish he had caught and cooked with his powers.
"You're the leader." Isabel said, taking a tiny bite of fish, and giving it a disgusting look.
"Isabel if you don't like it, go down the pond and catch your own." Michael muttered, feeling insulted.
"Isabel, I'm not god. I don't know how to handle this situation." Max looked at Michael, giving him a look that pretty much said to calm down.
"Well guess." Isabel muttered, standing up and walking off.
"I think we should all get some rest." Liz said, breaking the tension and silence. "I'll take Grandma Claudia into the van, we'll sleep there."
"I'll take the first watch and then switch of with Michael in a few hours." Max glanced at his watch. "It's about 11:30 now."
Michael nodded and walked into the van, pulling out a bunch of mats and blankets of different varietys. He handed one to everyone, and lay one down on the ground near the fire. Maria lay hers down next to Michaels and lay herself on the mat. Michael soon joined her and draped an arm around her as they fell to sleep. Courtney joined Liz and Grandma Claudia in the van and Tess slept near Kyle by the fire. Alex lay his mat inbetween Tess and Max and lay down. But he couldn't get to sleep.
"I'm going to take a walk." Alex announced to Max, the only one awake. Max nodded lazily.
"Be careful." He muttered staring at the ground. "Oh...and it's good to have you back." Max smild. Alex smiled and walked out of the clearing and into the forest. He walked along the dirt path, looking back every so often to prevent getting lost.

Tess shook slightly in her sleep. She was in the palace...Antar's palace. With Khivar... she had just handed over the royal three. Khivar said her reward would come soon. Tess waited with anticipation when Isabel came out of a room escorted by guards. Khivar patted the throne next to him and Isabel sat down. Tess looked perplexed. Tess was queen...not Isabel. Khivar continued to smirk and Tess's mind was puzzled. This always happened to her...Tess jerked her eyes open and sat up. She was still with everyone else...Max however was asleep and Michael had not waken up. Tess rubbed the temples of her forehead. Why is it that Isabel always comes first? Because she's Max's sister? She's more beautiful? What? What is it? Tess glanced next to her and noticed Alex was not on his matt. Standing up quickly, she ran into the forest, hoping to find him.