Max looked at the clock for the tenth time. It was six-thirty, and there
was still no sign of Liz and Kyle. They had been gone for two days, and
everyone was waiting around Michael's house. He didn't want to admit it,
but he was worried. The truth was that he was terrified of Liz fighting
Tess and Kivar, but he knew there was no way around it.
"Knock knock. Where is everyone?" a voice called from the door, pulling Max from his thoughts.
"Come on in, we're in the living room." Jim called. Moments later, Liz and Kyle walked in, and Max jumped up to give Liz a hug. Kyle, Max, and Liz sat down, and a long silence ensued.
"Alright, that's it. I can't take it anymore. What happened?" Michael asked breaking the silence.
"Well." Kyle began
"Where should we begin?" Liz asked looking at Kyle.
Maria had sat watching her best friend in silence, and noticed a twinge of something in Liz's eyes. Quickly looking around she realized no one else had seen it. "What the hell happened?" she thought to herself, slightly afraid of the answer.
"Anywhere!" Isabel cried with fake anguish. "Before I ring your neck and my brother rings mine." She finished with a smile.
Liz smiled softly then looked down at her hands for a moment. Still looking at her hands, she began to speak. "Well, most of our powers are the same as yours. Kyle can do mostly the physical aspects, moving objects, blowing things up.." She said looking up at him with a smile.
"It was an accident, will you let it go!" Kyle exclaimed, and then continued more calmly, "Besides healing, and blowing up things. Liz can also move things, and she can create a force field like Max."
"Really. Do you know how?" Michael asked, "None of us could do that."
"Actually, I just pictured it there and there it was."
"Is it hard?" Isabel asked softly thinking ahead.
"No, not much." Liz said softly.
"Not much my foot. You can do it in your sleep, in fact you did."
"What?" Max exclaimed.
"Yeah, she overslept, so I decided to wake her up by throwing a small, tiny, cup of cold water on her head as payback, don't ask." He said looking at the others, " And as soon as the water came three inches from her face it began rolling along an invisible dome." Kyle finished, whiningly
"Poor baby." Maria said with a laugh. "So you have good control over it?" she asked Liz
"Yeah, according to Larrick."
"According to Larrick she has amazing control. Lets see," Kyle began as he counting items off on his fingers, "It's invisible, impenetrable, except on her side so you can throw things through it, oh, and the longest she held it was over three hours. And that was only because Larrick made her stop, she probably could have gone another three hours if not more."
"Wow." Max whispered looking at his wife in awe.
"Amazing Liz." Jim said softly and everyone shook their heads in agreement.
"Ok, anything else, or is that about it. Not that it isn't enough, it's more than enough." Michael said trying to make his statement sound right.
"Give up Spaceboy." Maria whispered with a smile.
"Should we tell them?" Kyle asked in his thoughts.
"Yes, but who? I don't think I can." Liz replied in hers.
"It will be okay Liz." He thought trying to reassure her. When she didn't answer he took a deep breath.
"Well.. Hello!" Michael exclaimed.
"Oh, sorry." Liz said quickly, almost guiltily, causing Max to look at her curiously.
"We were talking." Kyle said softly.
"No you weren't." Isabel said confused.
"Yes we were." Kyle replied just as softly.
"No you weren't." Maria told him thinking they had lost it.
"Yes Maria, we were!" Liz said dead seriously.
"You can communicate in your minds." Max whispered knowing the answer before they both looked at the ground guiltily.
"We didn't know how you'd take it." Kyle said quietly, Max knowing they meant him more than the others.
"Larrick says that with practice we all will be able to, except Jim. Some reason our minds are more open to the ability." Liz said softly.
"Cool!" Maria said enthusiastically.
Liz smiled then looked back at her hands that were clasped in on her lap. Max looked at her, and then turned to Kyle questioningly.
"She has one more power." Kyle said softly
"What's that?" Jesse asked.
Kyle looked at Liz then replied softly. "She can mind warp."
Everyone paused and Max looked at Liz. She was staring at her hands, and, as he looked at them he saw tiny crescents of blood begging to form where her nails rested.
Kyle took a deep breath as Max met his eyes. "She's terrified Max. And she won't listen to me or Larrick. She's afraid of it, and what we will think of her. She woke up last night after her first practice, screaming. She won't tell me about it, but whatever it was, it was bad."
Max looked back at Liz concerned and saw that the crescents were now ten tiny rivers of blood. He looked up at the others and saw that they had now noticed her hands as well. Slowly he slid to the floor and knelt in front of her. "Liz. sweetheart." He tried to no response. Realizing talking wouldn't work; he put his hands around hers and opened the connection long since perfected.
As he healed her he saw the last two days and the amount of strength she and Kyle possessed. He saw her reaction to the news of her mental capacities. He also saw how good she was at it. Better than Tess had been, better control and strength. He also felt her terror, she was so afraid of their rejection.
Slowly he focused his mind to show her how much he loved her, how much they all loved her, and the knowledge that they would never reject her. He finally felt her relief, and broke the connection.
"Thank you." Liz whispered.
"Your welcome." Max said back softly so only she could hear.
"Liz." Isabel began unsure, then continued when Liz looked up at her. "You're not Tess. You never will be. It's not the powers that make the person, you make the powers. Tess was going to betray us, regardless of what powers she used, you will use them for us, not against us."
"Thanks Iz." Liz said with a smile, and Isabel smiled back.
"So, where's Larrick?" Jim asked feeling the need for a subject change.
"He had to go back. Broodie will wake up at the UFO Center thinking he was on a camping trip thanks to some alien influence." Liz told them.
"Alright. What do you say we call it a night?" Max asked sensing how tired Liz really was.
"Okay. See you at work tomorrow Maria." Liz said as Max helped her outside.
"Make me a promise Max." Liz said as she got in the car.
"Anything Liz." He told her as he got in.
"Never keep your fear hidden. I sensed it all weekend. I wanted to call you so much, but Larrick wouldn't let me."
"Alright, I promise. I'll never keep my feelings hidden, if you won't either." He said with a smile.
"Promise. Now let's go home." She said leaning back and relaxing.
"Knock knock. Where is everyone?" a voice called from the door, pulling Max from his thoughts.
"Come on in, we're in the living room." Jim called. Moments later, Liz and Kyle walked in, and Max jumped up to give Liz a hug. Kyle, Max, and Liz sat down, and a long silence ensued.
"Alright, that's it. I can't take it anymore. What happened?" Michael asked breaking the silence.
"Well." Kyle began
"Where should we begin?" Liz asked looking at Kyle.
Maria had sat watching her best friend in silence, and noticed a twinge of something in Liz's eyes. Quickly looking around she realized no one else had seen it. "What the hell happened?" she thought to herself, slightly afraid of the answer.
"Anywhere!" Isabel cried with fake anguish. "Before I ring your neck and my brother rings mine." She finished with a smile.
Liz smiled softly then looked down at her hands for a moment. Still looking at her hands, she began to speak. "Well, most of our powers are the same as yours. Kyle can do mostly the physical aspects, moving objects, blowing things up.." She said looking up at him with a smile.
"It was an accident, will you let it go!" Kyle exclaimed, and then continued more calmly, "Besides healing, and blowing up things. Liz can also move things, and she can create a force field like Max."
"Really. Do you know how?" Michael asked, "None of us could do that."
"Actually, I just pictured it there and there it was."
"Is it hard?" Isabel asked softly thinking ahead.
"No, not much." Liz said softly.
"Not much my foot. You can do it in your sleep, in fact you did."
"What?" Max exclaimed.
"Yeah, she overslept, so I decided to wake her up by throwing a small, tiny, cup of cold water on her head as payback, don't ask." He said looking at the others, " And as soon as the water came three inches from her face it began rolling along an invisible dome." Kyle finished, whiningly
"Poor baby." Maria said with a laugh. "So you have good control over it?" she asked Liz
"Yeah, according to Larrick."
"According to Larrick she has amazing control. Lets see," Kyle began as he counting items off on his fingers, "It's invisible, impenetrable, except on her side so you can throw things through it, oh, and the longest she held it was over three hours. And that was only because Larrick made her stop, she probably could have gone another three hours if not more."
"Wow." Max whispered looking at his wife in awe.
"Amazing Liz." Jim said softly and everyone shook their heads in agreement.
"Ok, anything else, or is that about it. Not that it isn't enough, it's more than enough." Michael said trying to make his statement sound right.
"Give up Spaceboy." Maria whispered with a smile.
"Should we tell them?" Kyle asked in his thoughts.
"Yes, but who? I don't think I can." Liz replied in hers.
"It will be okay Liz." He thought trying to reassure her. When she didn't answer he took a deep breath.
"Well.. Hello!" Michael exclaimed.
"Oh, sorry." Liz said quickly, almost guiltily, causing Max to look at her curiously.
"We were talking." Kyle said softly.
"No you weren't." Isabel said confused.
"Yes we were." Kyle replied just as softly.
"No you weren't." Maria told him thinking they had lost it.
"Yes Maria, we were!" Liz said dead seriously.
"You can communicate in your minds." Max whispered knowing the answer before they both looked at the ground guiltily.
"We didn't know how you'd take it." Kyle said quietly, Max knowing they meant him more than the others.
"Larrick says that with practice we all will be able to, except Jim. Some reason our minds are more open to the ability." Liz said softly.
"Cool!" Maria said enthusiastically.
Liz smiled then looked back at her hands that were clasped in on her lap. Max looked at her, and then turned to Kyle questioningly.
"She has one more power." Kyle said softly
"What's that?" Jesse asked.
Kyle looked at Liz then replied softly. "She can mind warp."
Everyone paused and Max looked at Liz. She was staring at her hands, and, as he looked at them he saw tiny crescents of blood begging to form where her nails rested.
Kyle took a deep breath as Max met his eyes. "She's terrified Max. And she won't listen to me or Larrick. She's afraid of it, and what we will think of her. She woke up last night after her first practice, screaming. She won't tell me about it, but whatever it was, it was bad."
Max looked back at Liz concerned and saw that the crescents were now ten tiny rivers of blood. He looked up at the others and saw that they had now noticed her hands as well. Slowly he slid to the floor and knelt in front of her. "Liz. sweetheart." He tried to no response. Realizing talking wouldn't work; he put his hands around hers and opened the connection long since perfected.
As he healed her he saw the last two days and the amount of strength she and Kyle possessed. He saw her reaction to the news of her mental capacities. He also saw how good she was at it. Better than Tess had been, better control and strength. He also felt her terror, she was so afraid of their rejection.
Slowly he focused his mind to show her how much he loved her, how much they all loved her, and the knowledge that they would never reject her. He finally felt her relief, and broke the connection.
"Thank you." Liz whispered.
"Your welcome." Max said back softly so only she could hear.
"Liz." Isabel began unsure, then continued when Liz looked up at her. "You're not Tess. You never will be. It's not the powers that make the person, you make the powers. Tess was going to betray us, regardless of what powers she used, you will use them for us, not against us."
"Thanks Iz." Liz said with a smile, and Isabel smiled back.
"So, where's Larrick?" Jim asked feeling the need for a subject change.
"He had to go back. Broodie will wake up at the UFO Center thinking he was on a camping trip thanks to some alien influence." Liz told them.
"Alright. What do you say we call it a night?" Max asked sensing how tired Liz really was.
"Okay. See you at work tomorrow Maria." Liz said as Max helped her outside.
"Make me a promise Max." Liz said as she got in the car.
"Anything Liz." He told her as he got in.
"Never keep your fear hidden. I sensed it all weekend. I wanted to call you so much, but Larrick wouldn't let me."
"Alright, I promise. I'll never keep my feelings hidden, if you won't either." He said with a smile.
"Promise. Now let's go home." She said leaning back and relaxing.