Part 21

Stonehenge, England, June 2002

Michael pulled away from Isabel, stared at her for a long moment, before jumping to his feet and turning his back on her.

"Michael?" She sounded frightened. "Michael, speak to me."

"I love Maria." He blurted, turning back to stare at her again. Her blonde hair was plastered against her face. The rain had started to come down in sheets while they had been… well, wherever the hell it was they had been doing - kissing, connecting…whatever it was, it had been ALL bad.

He tried to see impeccable Isabel under the mess she was in currently. Impeccable Izzy was his sister, his best friend.

But all he saw was Mirana - beloved Mirana…Mirana who had once made love to him in a rainstorm and had laughed all the while.

He almost bellowed in frustration, struggled to push that image out of his mind. Where the hell were these memories coming from?

In spite of that, the words he had just spoken were true too. It was Maria he loved. The guilt over the kiss he had just shared with Isabel was beginning to hit him in waves.

Maria was never going to understand. And he didn't even want to think about what Jenny was going to think. His daughter was going to be disgusted and revolted by him.

Michael stuffed his hands into the pocket of his jacket, sighed heavily. He reached down and pulled Isabel to her feet. "We need to get out of here." She was already starting to shiver. "It's freezing."

The stone circle around them was virtually deserted now, the rain having finally driven the tourists away. A single man stood nearby, under an umbrella. Michael frowned slightly when he realized that he was watching THEM and not looking at the monument.

"Let's get out of here now." He moved away from Isabel again. She trailed along behind him, seemingly still in a daze.

She didn't actually speak until they were in the car. "What are we going to do?" She whispered.

"We're going to forget any of this ever happened." Michael replied firmly. "It doesn't mean anything. We didn't learn anything that we need to know, so we forget it. The end."

"But Michael…the bonding…you said it would last across lifetimes…" He looked at her out of the corner of his eye as he started the car and pulled it out onto the motorway. He flinched when another car honked at him and swerved into the right lane. He was never going to get used to driving on the wrong side of the road. Isabel did not even comment though. She just continued to stare at him, waiting for an answer.

"I didn't say it." Michael corrected. "HE said it. I'm not him anymore."

And he firmly believed it. Whoever that had been, it was NOT him. He was NOT in love with Isabel. These feelings that he was having…somehow he just KNEW they were not real. Something or someone was doing this to them.

"Besides," he continued, "We don't even know what this bonding thing is anyway. Maybe Jaxon never did it. He didn't seem too jazzed about what was going on."

"Michael, you know he did it." Isabel said, beginning to sound impatient. "We know that Jaxon eventually came to accept our relationship, that you became his best friend." She nodded resolutely. "He did it. I know he did."

"Whatever. The point is, it means nothing anyway."

"Do you really believe the words that are coming out of your mouth or are you just trying to avoid having this discussion?" She snapped. Whatever weird Mirana state she had been in was clearly almost gone. That tone had been pure Isabel.

Isabel he could deal with. Mirana…well, that was a different story.

"Do you think that I'm lying to you when I say that I love Maria?" Michael flared back.

"No." She tilted her head. "I love Alex too. The way we feel about them has nothing to do with what we used to feel for each other."

"Used to. Right. There's what you need to concentrate on Isabel. Used to. We have to figure out how to stop this, and I mean immediately."

"Don't you think I would stop it if I could?"

Michael narrowed his eyes. "I'm beginning to think that you wouldn't." He muttered under his breath.

"WHAT?"

"You started this. I think you should stop it." Michael replied, with perfect common sense if he did say so himself.

"I am not even going to dignify that with an answer." Isabel snapped. "Fine. Don't talk to me. Seriously. I might punch you if I have to listen to your voice again before we get back to the hotel."

"Fine."

"FINE!"

The both sat in stony silence for the rest of the car ride.

Arriving at the hotel, somehow neither was surprised to learn that the mess in which they found themselves was only about to get bigger. Michael listened in resigned silence as the Sheriff told them that Maria, Alex, Jennetta and Ren were arriving the next day. Apparently Alex had found a way through the portal and that there was very little time to lose if they were going to make it work. He tuned out when the Sheriff began rambling on about the sun and solstices. Science had never been his thing.

As much as Michael was pleased that they were going to be able to try and save the others by finally getting to Illyria, the thought of Maria arriving was enough to make him want to cry - literally. He was never going to be able to hide this from her. She was going to know that something was wrong the minute she got off that plane.

He was going to lose her and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

The Citadel, Illyria

Liz sighed contentedly, snuggled back against Max's warmth. She had fallen asleep in his arms, amazed that there had been a way to feel even closer to him.

It had been perfect in every way.

And somehow she just knew that this is what her grandmother had meant about the bonding. They now truly belonged to each other, had given each other everything of themselves.

While she had already seen Max's soul more times than she could count, she now knew that their essences had combined in a way that was irreversible. Nothing could ever come between them again.

She was only half-awake when she became aware of Max lightly kissing her bare shoulder. "Mmmmmm…"

He leaned over and gently pushed her hair away from her ear, kissed the lobe before whispering, "Don't move. I want to imagine you exactly like this for the rest of the day." He began to move away from her.

Liz's eyes snapped open. "Where do you think you're going?" She rolled over onto her back, grabbed him, pulled him down on top of her. "I didn't even get my morning kiss."

Max grinned down at her. "Well, I think I can accommodate you there, if you insist." He sighed heavily. "It being such a chore and all."

Liz sighed lightly as his mouth came down on hers. He kissed her thoroughly, actually leaving her gasping for breath when he finally stopped.

He pulled back, tilted his head slightly. "You're right. This is a much better look for you. THIS is how I want to remember you for the rest of the day."

Liz blushed slightly. She knew that she was flushed and breathing heavily. Max, meanwhile, just looked amused.

"Where are you going?" Liz asked, more seriously this time, as Max managed to make it off the bed, although she was seriously tempted to grab him again and make HIM flush this time. She sat up, clutched the blanket he had pulled up over her shoulders to her chest. She began to frown as she watched him dress.

"To see Tarsus." Max replied. He pulled his shirt on, his dark head reappearing, the hair tousled. She felt her heart skip a beat at the lopsided grin he sent in her direction. "I do have to pretend to be king you know."

Liz quickly hopped out of the bed, the blanket trailing behind her. "Okay. I'm coming with you."

"Liz…"

"Max." She gave him a no nonsense look before rooting around in her suitcase for a pair of jeans and a heavy sweater. She was already beginning to shiver. Damn Illyrian cold!

Max didn't say anything, just watched her dress, an amused expression on his face.

"I know you're not arguing with me because you have every intention of leaving me here no matter what I say." Liz told him several minutes later as she pulled a brush through her dark locks. "But you're forgetting the new pact. No more over-protectiveness. We're living for the moment and in this moment I want to stay with you."

"Liz…"

"Max."

He finally just shook his head, held out his hand for her. "Okay. I give up."

Max pounded his fist against the wall where the entrance to the chamber was located. It slid back immediately. A guard stood there, his face completely impassive. "Yes your Highness?"

"We want to see Tarsus." Max ordered. Liz smiled to herself when he added, simply because he was Max, "Please."

"You may come with me your Highness, but the queen must remain here. His Lordship's orders."

"I am countermanding those orders." Max replied evenly. "We stay together."

The guard was beginning to look torn. "Well…" But he never had time to finish that sentence, whatever he had intended.

A sudden explosion rocked the floor beneath them with such force, Liz found herself face down before she knew what had hit her.

It took Max, Liz and the guard a moment to even process what was going on. It was Max who said first, "I think we're under attack."

"The Illyrians!" Liz exclaimed. "Do you think its them?"

But Max never had a chance to answer. Before Liz could even understand what was happening, the guard had grabbed her off the floor and thrust her back into her cell.

The last glimpse she had of Max was of him staring at her in astonishment from where he still lay on the floor, as the door slammed shut in her face.

"MAX!" Liz shrieked, pounding on the now smooth wall. "MAX!"

She pounded until her fists were bloody and bruised. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, she slid to the floor, barely managing to control her sobs.

Now was NOT the time for hysteria. She had to figure out a way to get out of there. The blasts were coming more frequently now, the floor shaking under her with each successive bomb or whatever the Illyrian equivalent was.

If she didn't get out of that cell, the Citadel's walls were going to come down on top of her. She needed to find Max. For some reason, they had been separated again.

Which meant that the most important thing was finding him because doing the exact opposite of what Tarsus wanted had to be the right thing.

She and Max could NOT stay separated. Their lives depended on it. Liz just knew it.

Tarsus had shown his hand again, had betrayed Max again, and even though this time it had been expected, it was not any easier to deal with.

How could they have both been so stupid?

She had to get to Max, HAD to. She just knew that he needed her.

And there was absolutely nothing she could do.