Sacrifice
A Sequel to Quietly into the Night
Conventional Couples
Rating: PG-13

Chapter Twenty-Five

Antar – Capitol City

The reunion between Max and Liz was all to brief. Instead of spending time becoming a family, they were forced to spend their time strategizing to end Kivar's reign. Naloch and Kyle made their way though out the city gathering intelligence. Armed with information, they'd make their way back to the tunnels under the warehouse to discuss what they'd learned.

"I think Liz and the kids should leave to go back home tomorrow," said Max. "Isabelle, if you want to go back with them, you should – Kyle and Michael too."
"No way, not a chance Maxwell," interjected Michael. "I'm not leaving anybody behind this time! When we leave, I'm the last one out!"
"Well I can't speak for Kyle," said Isabelle, "But I'm staying, and I'm willing to bet, he'll stay too." She looked pointedly at Saranara as she spoke.
"Max, I'm not letting us get separated again," said Liz. "But I can't help but think you are right about one thing. The kids shouldn't be here. It isn't safe for them. I think we should send Kam and Lexie back."
"But you can't send them back to an empty house," said Isabelle. "That wouldn't be safe either."
"I don't know," said Max thoughtfully. "Lexie knows how to use the phone to call Michael and Maria's house. Maybe we can send them back and tell Lexie to call Maria right away."
"It might work," said Michael. "Especially if Liz and Kyle communicate with them."
"But we haven't really perfected it," said Liz. "It's a hit or miss proposition, but I guess. It would be risky, but I think it would be even more risky for us to keep them here."
"So we'll do it," said Max. "We'll send them back tonight."

"I'm afraid that isn't going to be possible," said Naloch walking up to the small group. "Nobody can go back."
"What? Why not?" asked Max.
"I'm afraid that when the shop was destroyed, the transport orbs were destroyed too."
"You mean we're going to have to stay here forever!" shouted Michael in a rage. "I have a wife and a new baby waiting for me on Earth. I have to find a way home to them."
"No Michael," said Naloch calmly. "Not forever, I promise you that. We have people working on creating new orbs, but it takes time. You will go back, I promise you. As for the children, I agree, it isn't safe for them, but they are safer here with all of us than they are any place else."

Max and Naloch sat down and began to discuss the different options available to them. While the talked, Liz slipped away unnoticed and headed back into the tunnels. After a while, she stopped walking and slid down against the wall to sit on the floor. Pulling her legs up, she rested her head on her knees and began to sob.
"Liz," said Max softly. "What is it? What's wrong?"
"How can you even ask that?" she spat. "The only thing I wanted to do was keep my children safe. And here they are, stuck in the middle of a war that they know nothing about."
"But Liz, we're together, and that's what matters," said Max sitting down on the damp ground next to her.
"Right, it's really going to matter when we're all dead. The family that fights together dies together, that's us," she said bitterly.
"Liz!" said Max in shock. "What the hell is your problem?"
"My problem? MY problem. I'll tell you what my problem is Max Evans. I can't do this anymore. I can't fight, run, hide, think on me feet and kill anymore. I just can't do it. I can't. I can't. I can't!" she cried banging her fists on the ground. Max reached over and pulled her into his grasp and held her tightly while she cried until she was spent.

Once her tears were exhausted, Liz fell into a troubled sleep, wrapped in the warm embrace of her husband. Max held her tightly, occasionally brushing a strand of hair away from her face, and watched as she slept. He could see how troubled she was. It was obvious that the past three years had not been easy on her, and the future looked fairly bleak as well. He pressed a kiss on her cheek and she stirred in his grasp. She opened her eyes slowly and looked at him before she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his head towards hers. He kissed her tentatively at first, and then with more fervor. His hand slipped under her shirt and moved towards her chest, and he allowed his tongue to invade her mouth. Without warning, she gasped and pulled away.
"L-Liz? What is it?" he questioned looking at her fear filled eyes.

"No, no. Not again, not now. I can't do this right now," she moaned softly.
"Liz, what is it? Look at me damn it! What is it?"
"A vision," she whispered. "I haven't had a vision since right before you left Antar, and now that you're back, so are the visions."
"The last vision you had was right before I left? What was it Liz? I have to know."
"Kivar," she said dully. "I saw him. He took Lexie from me and kept her locked in that damn palace until she was old enough to marry."
"What else Liz," he said looking at her. He could tell by the way she avoided his eyes that there was more to this vision.
"No Max," she pleaded. "Don't make me say it."
"Does Kyle know? Did you tell him?" he demanded.
"N-no. I couldn't tell him – couldn't tell anybody. It was too horrible."
"Tell me Liz!" he yelled shaking her a little. "If you don't, it will just keep haunting you. Tell me damn it!"
"I saw him. He killed Kam. My little babies. He stole one and killed the other. Oh Max."
"What else," he said coldly, trying to hide the pain he felt for her hidden behind brusqueness.
"Everyone dead. Kyle he killed quickly. Isabelle was raped by him, and then by his soldiers until her body just quit. She couldn't take anymore suffering and she died. You and Michael," she began to cry, great gasping sobs of grief, anger and fear. "He tortured the two of you until your bodies were barely recognizable. When you finally died, he put your bodies on display for the people to view. M-mu-Maria, for Maria, he borrowed from Earth and had her stoned to death. I guess in retribution for her bashing his clone's skull in on Earth."
"What about you Liz? What did you see in your vision about you."
"Oh me? I was the lucky one. I got to live and watch this all happen. There! Are you happy now Max? I was tortured with that damn vision every time you kissed me or touched me for an entire week before you left for Antar. After you were gone, I never had another vision. I thought they were gone, but I was wrong."

"Liz, I'm sorry, you have to tell me, what did you see this time," Max said. His voice shook as his mind tried to process the graphic horrors his wife had described to him.
"Kyle? Where's Kyle?" Liz asked suddenly. "It's him, he's with a woman. He's in danger."
"What woman, who is she?" asked Max urgently.
"I-I don't know," Liz said. "She seems familiar, but I can't place her. Her hair is short, really, really short, and dark. She's really curvy, and she's dressed in black. Kyle has her by the arm, and they are standing next to an old building that burnt down or something. There's rubble all over the place. And I can feel an incredible danger all around them. Max, we have to find Kyle."

Earth – Roswell, New Mexico

Maria stepped out of the shower and towel dried her newly shorn hair. She got dressed quickly and picked up the sealed envelope and placed it in the cradle by Beth's feet. She picked up her small baby and cuddled her to her breast. Tears fell from her eyes as she kissed her and laid her gently back into the cradle. She scooped up her backpack, and the baby monitor and slipped out of the room. Pausing outside the room her mother and Jim were sleeping in, she eased the door open carefully. Turning on the baby monitor she placed it on the dresser and slipped out of the room. Grabbing her keys off the hook by the door, she stepped out of the house into the cool night air. She made the short jog to Max's house and, using her keys, opened the door and went inside.

Maria wandered around the house for a few minutes, picking up different things and putting them back down. She went upstairs to Max's room and looked for Liz's journal, but it wasn't there.
"It doesn't matter," she said to the empty house. "I know what I have to do." Opening her backpack, she quickly stripped out of her own clothes and put on the Antarian garb she had been hiding. She stuffed her own clothing back into the bag, and strapped it to her shoulders. She went back down to the family room and picked up the two orbs that were lying on the floor and fitted them together. The orbs began to glow. The light intensified, and she heard a slight humming noise come from the orbs. Tightening her grasp on them, she closed her eyes, and disappeared from sight.