Title: Demons

Author: Ellie

E-mail: kaniele@eircom.net

Category: Roswell Angst/Drama

Rating: R for language and adult type themes

Summary: Tess must fight her demons when she meets her family. Set after departure, when Tess arrives home. A fic to redeem her.

Archive: My site and whoever else would like it just ask.

Feedback: Love the stuff.

Dedication: To all dreamers who believe that while Max and Liz should be together Tess shouldn't be blamed for everything and to all who send me feedback. Y'all rock.

Important note: As this deals with the pod peoples home planet, there are of course going to be differences, like language and stuff, so just pretend it's like star trek or star wars and all those things don't matter please. I'm writing a story not a universe J

*** Equals flashback

Tess wiped her brow of sweat and sat up. So that was Daren, wow. It seemed she had been in love with him. But that was impossible, she thought the only man she ever loved was Zan. She swung her legs over the side of her small bed and lay her elbows on her knees, her face in her hands. There was obviously a lot she needed to learn about her past. Daren didn't seem to have changed much considering it was a long time since they had both been young. Maybe they aged differently here. Khivar certainly didn't look different.

Khivar, Tess's eyes flashed as she felt the bitter taste of bile rise in her throat.

"He makes me sick!" She said angrily. "I ruined my life for him and what does he do? He throws me in prison. I have to have some allies out there."

She stood and paced the room again. In a fit of anger she hit the door whilst screaming "Let me out of here"

Exhausted she stepped back and waited. No one came. She sighed and sat down again. Suddenly the door opened.

"Daren?" She jumped up hopefully. It wasn't Daren. A young man and woman walked into the room. The young woman addressed her haughtily.

"You will come now"

"Where?"

"No questions." She swept out of the room. Tess followed and the young man closed the door and walked behind Tess. She walked down many long corridors. Tess recognised them and knew where they were going. They walked into the big room and there stood Khivar. However there were no other people. He sat on a chair but rose when she entered. Giving a look to the others, they quickly left the room and closed the door.

"Care to take a seat?"

"No" Tess said watching him warily.

"Just being polite."

"You could have been more polite the last time we met"

"I must apologise, I was robbed of my joyous reunion with the Royal Four. It made me quite upset"

"Joyous?" He smiled patronisingly.

"Joyous for me. I always feel better after watching someone suffer, and by the hands of the gods, they would have suffered."

"And me?"

"Well you would have got your reward. Hailed as the heroine of our people. How sad that won't happen now." Tess looked down to the floor.

"My my, you wouldn't be a good queen now. Looking down to the floor when faced with a confrontation. How pathetic. Not sit down." He said with a warning tone. Tess sat on a chair as far from him as possible.

Immediately he stood and sat down opposite her.

"Now we can talk"

"About what?"

"Well what I am to do with you of course. I mean do I give you your reward, do I exile you to the eastern province, do I kill you?"

"No! Please"

"Shut up." He stood and strolled around the room.

" I must say I do enjoy this human side of you, Ava or is it Tess? Who cares? Are all humans as pathetic as you?"

"Only those who watch late-night TV." Tess shot back. Khivar looked confused.

"What?"

"Nothing" she muttered. He sat down again and took her hand. She shuddered.

"Look at me." Fighting back a wave of revulsion she looked into his deep grey eyes. If he wasn't so evil, she might consider him handsome.

"I am the one in charge, I am the one who decides your fate. I am King."

"No."

"Yes, I am. I rule this planet now because precious Zan was too scared, too cowardly, not enough of a man."

"He was ten times the man you would ever be." Khivar grabbed her face and squeezed.

"Is that so? So what did you sentence him to death when you went along with our deal"

"Because He's not Zan." She spat out.

"According to the genetic material, he is."

"That means nothing." She choked out quietly. He let go of her face. She rubbed it softly soothing her reddened cheeks.

"Maybe not, but I would still like to have met him. I suppose I'll have to settle for his son." Tess put a hand over her stomach.

"What do you mean?"

"That was part of the deal, I get your son." He gestured to her stomach.

"No!" She screamed.

"Yes" Khivar, said calmly.

"You will never get my child."

"If you don't give me your child. Then you won't have a life. You'll live in squalor and so will your child. You'll die in less than a month. Antar has no Zan or Ava supporters; All those rats went into hiding. You're safe while you're here, you walk out there, and they'll kill you. You and your precious Zan made bad decisions, decisions that made people starve, kill their pets for food. They won't want that to happen again. They'll terminate you before you get down the steps."

Tess felt her face wet with tears but made no move to wipe them. Khivar leaned forward and said quietly,

"Your son or death for both of you. Choose"