Liz looked uncertain as Max approached her, then downright nervous as
the rest of the group stood up and followed him. "Umm... sorry about
the way I acted earlier. I over-reacted." She said.
Maria stood with Liz, saying nothing. Max looked at her. He shook his
head.
"Liz," he said in a lowered voice. "I saw what I saw, so, tell me
what's going on."
Isabel, Tess, and Michael looked at her expectantly. "I don't think we
should talk about this here." Liz replied.
"Fine, where then?" Max said.
Michael looked at his friend, somewhat surprised at his urgency and
such.
Maria looked at Liz and gave her hand a soft reassuring squeeze.
"The back room?" Liz asked tentatively. Isabel nodded, looking over at
Max.
"Ok, let's go." Max said as he walked to the back room. Michael
followed. Maria looked at Liz and walked with her to the backroom.
Isabel and Tess followed Michael and they were all standing there when
Liz and Maria walked in. "What do you have to tell us?" Isabel asked.
"Well, it's hard to start really. I guess I could start by saying that
I'm adopted." She started.
Max looked at her. "Adopted?" He said. "Liz, why didn't you ever tell
me?" He asked.
"She just found out, genius." Maria said, then instantly shut up,
feeling bad for not letting Liz say everything herself.
Liz smiled at Maria, thankful that she was standing up for her and even
more when she didn't say anything else. "I'm not going to tell you the
whole history because I don't understand most of it myself. You saw
what you thought you saw earlier, Max. It more than shocked me when
the thing actually worked. And this is where it gets confusing." Liz
continued, looking over at Maria, silently asking for help.
Tess and Isabel listened intently, both figuring that it would be wise
to shut up and listen.
"You can do it girl." Maria whispered to her friend.
"Do what? What's going on?" Michael asked. Maria looked at him, then
quickly looked away. She wasn't totally completely over the break up.
Which was why the entire summer she had been able to form a nice lil
relationship with his answering machine.
"i'manalien, tessismysister." She said so quickly that she hoped no
one was able to understand her.
"I think I speak for all of us when I say 'what'?." Tess asked.
Liz cleared her throat. "I said I'm and alien and Tess is my sister."
She said, averting her gave away from the group, waiting for them to
say something.
Max and Tess paled slightly. Michael's jaw nearly dropped. Isabel's
eyes held not so well concealed shock.
"Liz looked over at Maria. "I told you this wasn't a good idea." She
said, temped to walk out.
Maria looked at her. "Their shocked, it's a normal reaction hun."
"Wait. My sister? I don't have a sister. I think I would have
remembered it." Tess commented, her shock lessening just a little bit.
"Our parents said something about blocked memories and gaps. Said to
figure it out myself." Liz supplied.
Max looked at Tess and Liz. The girl he loved, and the girl he was
said to be destined to be with were sisters?
"How do we know this is true? Not some like trick given to you by the
skins or something?" Michael said.
"I wouldn't know, but I figure that if we could somehow combine
memories, since mine are generally blocked, we'd figure something out."
She looked at Tess. "Would you know how to do that?"
"Uh....I guess we just......Uhm....OK I have no idea." Tess
said.
Maria looked at Liz. "Maybe if you two like touch that stone thing you
told me about, you'd get some info or something."
"Yeah. That might work, but should we do it here?" Liz asked.
"No." Max said.
"Anyone can just walk in here and see stuff they shouldn't see."
Michael added.
"So, the desert?" Liz asked.
"That works." Tess said.
Maria looked at Liz. "You wanna ride with me?" She said, knowing Liz
would feel weird riding in the jeep with the others. Max silently
hoped Liz would ride with him.
Liz looked at Max, then Maria. "I'll go with Maria." She said, walking
out of the back room. This was going to be one interesting afternoon.
Maria went and got to the Jetta. She got in and started driving to the
dessert.
Max felt his heart sink. He sighed and got in the jeep. Michael hopped
in the back. Isabel sat in the passenger seat like she usually did and
Tess sat next to Michael. "Do you really think she's telling the
truth?" Isabel asked.
"I dunno." Max said. He started the jeep and followed the Jetta.
Liz looked over at Maria after she started the Jetta. "How did I do so
far?"
They soon got to the desert and they walked the rest of the distance
to assure that no one knew where to find them. "What do we do now?" I
sabel asked impatiently.
Maria stood with Liz. Max looked at Liz, they all stood waiting for her
to say something.
Liz took out the stone and held it in the palm of her hand. She looked
over at Tess. "Well?" Tess walked over and touched it.
Suddenly a screen like area was projected in front of the group. In
the first vision, a girl about 20 or so was talking to a teenager. The
older one looked almost exactly like Liz did. The teen was obviously
Tess. It skipped to somewhere in the near future.
In the second vision the older girl, Liz, was standing on a balcony in
the arms of a man who looked a lot like Max, gazing up at the stars
and looking at one another lovingly.
The third vision was one of a huge palace. It zoomed in to show Liz,
Tess, and two older people walking into the palace and being accepted
by Max and Isabel. It flashed to them having dinner together and then
in a different room talking.
In the fourth vision, Liz was walking hand in hand with Max on a sandy
beach. He turned to her and knelt in front of her and pulled out a
small box with a ring in it. Tears of joy came to Liz's eyes as she
nodded. Max took her in his arms and spun her around happily.
In the fifth vision Max was standing at the altar, watching Liz was
down the aisle is an absolutely beautiful wedding gown. He was smiling
as if it was the happiest day of his life, and it was. The scene
flashed to them exchanging rings and then flashed to them kissing. They
walked down the aisle. The scene flashed yet again and they were at
the reception, and everyone was dancing with someone, even Tess.
The sixth vision showed Max carrying Liz into their room. The two
kissed passionately, knowing they were together, forever. The scene
flashed to the two in bed, together. His hands and kisses on every
inch of her. Liz's hands on his back.
The next scene showed an obviously pregnant Liz walking in the gardens,
Isabel walking next to her. They were talking and Isabel was smiling,
but something flashed in her eyes. In the next second, she knocked Liz
to the ground and another guy came from somewhere and hit her over the
head with something, rendering her unconscious. He picked her up and
carried her off.
The following scenes were shorted than the rest. Liz was in a cell like
area. She didn't look like she was in that good of shape. The guy
walks in with his arm around Isabel. They talk for a while and them
Isabel leaves, but not before kissing him.
Max sitting with Tess, his head in his hands, crying. Tess tries to
comfort him but she herself is crying. The palace has just received
word that Liz was kidnapped.
Isabel sneaks into the area surrounded the cell, carrying a tray of
food, telling Liz that she needs to eat so she can have strength. Liz
smiles weakly and asks her why she's doing this. Isabel replied that
she was faking everything and that they'll escape together. Liz smiles
weakly, taking the food. She's so hungry that she doesn't notice the
odd taste until she's eaten almost all of it. She looks up and Isabel's
face has completely changed. It's no longer full of love and concern,
but of deceit and anger.
Liz stated choking as she tried to get to food out of her system and
Isabel said something with a grin. There's too much of it in her system
to help her now. Liz starts spasming and it's apparent that she's
having seizures, but Isabel does nothing to help, she just watches.
Finally the seizures stop and Liz is lifeless.
The next scene is more like single scenes put together. Max and Liz's
family stood at Liz's funeral. He stood by her open casket sobbing.
Tess walked to him and hugged him, both crying. The scene flashed to
Max and his father, the king, having a heated discussion, the king
saying how the wedding between him and Liz's sister was being arranged.
Max refused to wed another, but the king said he had to do it for the
sake of the people.
Then the whole scene changes. It about a year in the future and
everything has changed. The next scene is proof of that. Max looks at
Tess, obviously not wanting to do this. With one last glare at his
father who was making him propose in front of the family, he took the
small box out of his jacket pocket and knelt in front of her. She
looked over at her mother who nods remorsefully and she says yes.
Max stood at the altar, clearly unhappy as Tess walks to him. She is
somewhat happy because she has always had feelings for Max, but still
is sad it has come to this circumstance. They flash to the reception.
Max dances with her, not holding her closely though, and looks at the
floor.
On the honeymoon, Max sits on the bed, looking broody. Tess goes over
to him, but when she tries to touch him, he moves away. After a while,
she gives up. Max leaves the room and sleeps somewhere else,
unbeknownst to Tess who stays in the room.
In the later future, Max and Ava are sitting at a long conference
table. There are a few scientists and some advisors. They are
discussing the idea of cloning Max, Isabel, Michael, and Tess, still
oblivious as to the fact that Isabel betrayed them, but knowing that
it was someone close. Tess tells the scientists to wait on their
decisions. They did after all say they needed a volunteer dead or
alive. Scene flashes to Tess' family home and Tess talking to her
mother, who's crying and nodding her head. The scene flashes again to
the same table. Tess volunteers Liz for the first test subject and
they decide that she would be perfect.
The screen disappears, leaving the six of them in the desert. All of
them speechless. The intensity of the scenes was too much for them,
Tess falls, slightly dazed.
Liz falls as well, just shortly after Tess. Everyone rushes over to
them, checking to see if they're ok. Everyone except Isabel, who's way
past shocked and into horrified.
Maria kneels by Liz. "Liz, hun, you ok?" She asks.
"Tess?" Max knelt by Tess.
Liz shakes her head, trying to clear it. Not only remembering those
particular memories, but she was being bombarded with about a thousand
smaller ones. "Help me up." She said simply. She just didn't think she
could stand on her own. Maria helped Liz to her feet.
Isabel stood back, she couldn't believe this. It was her fault, she
caused all of this. Tears came to her eyes.
Tess was pretty much content with staying there. Her head was filling
with other memories, family memories. She had always wondered why she
never remembered anything of Ava as a child. Now she knew why.
Max wasn't sure if he should stay with Tess or go to Liz. Michael
stood back, unsure what to do or say.
Tess managed to stand up, refusing to ask Max for help. Usually she
would but her mind was too busy for her to even think. She absently
noticed that Isabel was by herself, which wasn't really a good place
for her to be right now. She looked over at Michael. "I think someone
should be talking to Isabel." She said softly.
Liz looked at Max and Maria. "Well, I think that counts as proof." Liz
said lightly. She was shaking. It was as if her whole life was being
torn apart and rebuilt, her mind accepting all of this new stuff.
Michael nodded. Isabel shakingly went to the jeep. Michael followed.
"Isabel, Isabel wait." He grabbed her arm.
"I killed her Michael!" She screamed, turning around. Quickly. Michael
immediately let go of her arm. "I killed her!" She sobbed. Michael
pulled her into his arm, she cried on his shoulder.
"Shh, no, it wasn't you.....shhh." Michael comforted her.
Max looked up at Liz. He went over to her. "Are you ok?" He asked,
touching her arm softly.
Liz smiled faintly. "I'm about as ok as it's going to get, when I stop
shaking at least. So you believe me?" She asked.
Isabel sobbed. "But Michael, I killed her, no matter what lifetime it
was. I killed someone. Not only someone but my own sister-in-law- and
an innocent child that hadn't even been born yet." She managed to get
out. Michael simply held her, trying to comfort her.
"Of course." Max said. Before any side of his subconscious or brain
could stop him, Max took Liz in his arms and held her, very much like
how he had held her in the memories.
Liz relaxed in his arms, not only because she needed the support, but
because she missed being able to be held like this. "What about you?
How does this affect everything?" She asked.
"I don't know." He said. "But, it does prove something though. It
proves that I have always loved you." He said, laughing softly.
the rest of the group stood up and followed him. "Umm... sorry about
the way I acted earlier. I over-reacted." She said.
Maria stood with Liz, saying nothing. Max looked at her. He shook his
head.
"Liz," he said in a lowered voice. "I saw what I saw, so, tell me
what's going on."
Isabel, Tess, and Michael looked at her expectantly. "I don't think we
should talk about this here." Liz replied.
"Fine, where then?" Max said.
Michael looked at his friend, somewhat surprised at his urgency and
such.
Maria looked at Liz and gave her hand a soft reassuring squeeze.
"The back room?" Liz asked tentatively. Isabel nodded, looking over at
Max.
"Ok, let's go." Max said as he walked to the back room. Michael
followed. Maria looked at Liz and walked with her to the backroom.
Isabel and Tess followed Michael and they were all standing there when
Liz and Maria walked in. "What do you have to tell us?" Isabel asked.
"Well, it's hard to start really. I guess I could start by saying that
I'm adopted." She started.
Max looked at her. "Adopted?" He said. "Liz, why didn't you ever tell
me?" He asked.
"She just found out, genius." Maria said, then instantly shut up,
feeling bad for not letting Liz say everything herself.
Liz smiled at Maria, thankful that she was standing up for her and even
more when she didn't say anything else. "I'm not going to tell you the
whole history because I don't understand most of it myself. You saw
what you thought you saw earlier, Max. It more than shocked me when
the thing actually worked. And this is where it gets confusing." Liz
continued, looking over at Maria, silently asking for help.
Tess and Isabel listened intently, both figuring that it would be wise
to shut up and listen.
"You can do it girl." Maria whispered to her friend.
"Do what? What's going on?" Michael asked. Maria looked at him, then
quickly looked away. She wasn't totally completely over the break up.
Which was why the entire summer she had been able to form a nice lil
relationship with his answering machine.
"i'manalien, tessismysister." She said so quickly that she hoped no
one was able to understand her.
"I think I speak for all of us when I say 'what'?." Tess asked.
Liz cleared her throat. "I said I'm and alien and Tess is my sister."
She said, averting her gave away from the group, waiting for them to
say something.
Max and Tess paled slightly. Michael's jaw nearly dropped. Isabel's
eyes held not so well concealed shock.
"Liz looked over at Maria. "I told you this wasn't a good idea." She
said, temped to walk out.
Maria looked at her. "Their shocked, it's a normal reaction hun."
"Wait. My sister? I don't have a sister. I think I would have
remembered it." Tess commented, her shock lessening just a little bit.
"Our parents said something about blocked memories and gaps. Said to
figure it out myself." Liz supplied.
Max looked at Tess and Liz. The girl he loved, and the girl he was
said to be destined to be with were sisters?
"How do we know this is true? Not some like trick given to you by the
skins or something?" Michael said.
"I wouldn't know, but I figure that if we could somehow combine
memories, since mine are generally blocked, we'd figure something out."
She looked at Tess. "Would you know how to do that?"
"Uh....I guess we just......Uhm....OK I have no idea." Tess
said.
Maria looked at Liz. "Maybe if you two like touch that stone thing you
told me about, you'd get some info or something."
"Yeah. That might work, but should we do it here?" Liz asked.
"No." Max said.
"Anyone can just walk in here and see stuff they shouldn't see."
Michael added.
"So, the desert?" Liz asked.
"That works." Tess said.
Maria looked at Liz. "You wanna ride with me?" She said, knowing Liz
would feel weird riding in the jeep with the others. Max silently
hoped Liz would ride with him.
Liz looked at Max, then Maria. "I'll go with Maria." She said, walking
out of the back room. This was going to be one interesting afternoon.
Maria went and got to the Jetta. She got in and started driving to the
dessert.
Max felt his heart sink. He sighed and got in the jeep. Michael hopped
in the back. Isabel sat in the passenger seat like she usually did and
Tess sat next to Michael. "Do you really think she's telling the
truth?" Isabel asked.
"I dunno." Max said. He started the jeep and followed the Jetta.
Liz looked over at Maria after she started the Jetta. "How did I do so
far?"
They soon got to the desert and they walked the rest of the distance
to assure that no one knew where to find them. "What do we do now?" I
sabel asked impatiently.
Maria stood with Liz. Max looked at Liz, they all stood waiting for her
to say something.
Liz took out the stone and held it in the palm of her hand. She looked
over at Tess. "Well?" Tess walked over and touched it.
Suddenly a screen like area was projected in front of the group. In
the first vision, a girl about 20 or so was talking to a teenager. The
older one looked almost exactly like Liz did. The teen was obviously
Tess. It skipped to somewhere in the near future.
In the second vision the older girl, Liz, was standing on a balcony in
the arms of a man who looked a lot like Max, gazing up at the stars
and looking at one another lovingly.
The third vision was one of a huge palace. It zoomed in to show Liz,
Tess, and two older people walking into the palace and being accepted
by Max and Isabel. It flashed to them having dinner together and then
in a different room talking.
In the fourth vision, Liz was walking hand in hand with Max on a sandy
beach. He turned to her and knelt in front of her and pulled out a
small box with a ring in it. Tears of joy came to Liz's eyes as she
nodded. Max took her in his arms and spun her around happily.
In the fifth vision Max was standing at the altar, watching Liz was
down the aisle is an absolutely beautiful wedding gown. He was smiling
as if it was the happiest day of his life, and it was. The scene
flashed to them exchanging rings and then flashed to them kissing. They
walked down the aisle. The scene flashed yet again and they were at
the reception, and everyone was dancing with someone, even Tess.
The sixth vision showed Max carrying Liz into their room. The two
kissed passionately, knowing they were together, forever. The scene
flashed to the two in bed, together. His hands and kisses on every
inch of her. Liz's hands on his back.
The next scene showed an obviously pregnant Liz walking in the gardens,
Isabel walking next to her. They were talking and Isabel was smiling,
but something flashed in her eyes. In the next second, she knocked Liz
to the ground and another guy came from somewhere and hit her over the
head with something, rendering her unconscious. He picked her up and
carried her off.
The following scenes were shorted than the rest. Liz was in a cell like
area. She didn't look like she was in that good of shape. The guy
walks in with his arm around Isabel. They talk for a while and them
Isabel leaves, but not before kissing him.
Max sitting with Tess, his head in his hands, crying. Tess tries to
comfort him but she herself is crying. The palace has just received
word that Liz was kidnapped.
Isabel sneaks into the area surrounded the cell, carrying a tray of
food, telling Liz that she needs to eat so she can have strength. Liz
smiles weakly and asks her why she's doing this. Isabel replied that
she was faking everything and that they'll escape together. Liz smiles
weakly, taking the food. She's so hungry that she doesn't notice the
odd taste until she's eaten almost all of it. She looks up and Isabel's
face has completely changed. It's no longer full of love and concern,
but of deceit and anger.
Liz stated choking as she tried to get to food out of her system and
Isabel said something with a grin. There's too much of it in her system
to help her now. Liz starts spasming and it's apparent that she's
having seizures, but Isabel does nothing to help, she just watches.
Finally the seizures stop and Liz is lifeless.
The next scene is more like single scenes put together. Max and Liz's
family stood at Liz's funeral. He stood by her open casket sobbing.
Tess walked to him and hugged him, both crying. The scene flashed to
Max and his father, the king, having a heated discussion, the king
saying how the wedding between him and Liz's sister was being arranged.
Max refused to wed another, but the king said he had to do it for the
sake of the people.
Then the whole scene changes. It about a year in the future and
everything has changed. The next scene is proof of that. Max looks at
Tess, obviously not wanting to do this. With one last glare at his
father who was making him propose in front of the family, he took the
small box out of his jacket pocket and knelt in front of her. She
looked over at her mother who nods remorsefully and she says yes.
Max stood at the altar, clearly unhappy as Tess walks to him. She is
somewhat happy because she has always had feelings for Max, but still
is sad it has come to this circumstance. They flash to the reception.
Max dances with her, not holding her closely though, and looks at the
floor.
On the honeymoon, Max sits on the bed, looking broody. Tess goes over
to him, but when she tries to touch him, he moves away. After a while,
she gives up. Max leaves the room and sleeps somewhere else,
unbeknownst to Tess who stays in the room.
In the later future, Max and Ava are sitting at a long conference
table. There are a few scientists and some advisors. They are
discussing the idea of cloning Max, Isabel, Michael, and Tess, still
oblivious as to the fact that Isabel betrayed them, but knowing that
it was someone close. Tess tells the scientists to wait on their
decisions. They did after all say they needed a volunteer dead or
alive. Scene flashes to Tess' family home and Tess talking to her
mother, who's crying and nodding her head. The scene flashes again to
the same table. Tess volunteers Liz for the first test subject and
they decide that she would be perfect.
The screen disappears, leaving the six of them in the desert. All of
them speechless. The intensity of the scenes was too much for them,
Tess falls, slightly dazed.
Liz falls as well, just shortly after Tess. Everyone rushes over to
them, checking to see if they're ok. Everyone except Isabel, who's way
past shocked and into horrified.
Maria kneels by Liz. "Liz, hun, you ok?" She asks.
"Tess?" Max knelt by Tess.
Liz shakes her head, trying to clear it. Not only remembering those
particular memories, but she was being bombarded with about a thousand
smaller ones. "Help me up." She said simply. She just didn't think she
could stand on her own. Maria helped Liz to her feet.
Isabel stood back, she couldn't believe this. It was her fault, she
caused all of this. Tears came to her eyes.
Tess was pretty much content with staying there. Her head was filling
with other memories, family memories. She had always wondered why she
never remembered anything of Ava as a child. Now she knew why.
Max wasn't sure if he should stay with Tess or go to Liz. Michael
stood back, unsure what to do or say.
Tess managed to stand up, refusing to ask Max for help. Usually she
would but her mind was too busy for her to even think. She absently
noticed that Isabel was by herself, which wasn't really a good place
for her to be right now. She looked over at Michael. "I think someone
should be talking to Isabel." She said softly.
Liz looked at Max and Maria. "Well, I think that counts as proof." Liz
said lightly. She was shaking. It was as if her whole life was being
torn apart and rebuilt, her mind accepting all of this new stuff.
Michael nodded. Isabel shakingly went to the jeep. Michael followed.
"Isabel, Isabel wait." He grabbed her arm.
"I killed her Michael!" She screamed, turning around. Quickly. Michael
immediately let go of her arm. "I killed her!" She sobbed. Michael
pulled her into his arm, she cried on his shoulder.
"Shh, no, it wasn't you.....shhh." Michael comforted her.
Max looked up at Liz. He went over to her. "Are you ok?" He asked,
touching her arm softly.
Liz smiled faintly. "I'm about as ok as it's going to get, when I stop
shaking at least. So you believe me?" She asked.
Isabel sobbed. "But Michael, I killed her, no matter what lifetime it
was. I killed someone. Not only someone but my own sister-in-law- and
an innocent child that hadn't even been born yet." She managed to get
out. Michael simply held her, trying to comfort her.
"Of course." Max said. Before any side of his subconscious or brain
could stop him, Max took Liz in his arms and held her, very much like
how he had held her in the memories.
Liz relaxed in his arms, not only because she needed the support, but
because she missed being able to be held like this. "What about you?
How does this affect everything?" She asked.
"I don't know." He said. "But, it does prove something though. It
proves that I have always loved you." He said, laughing softly.