Part 28

Liz flopped to ground, sighing heavily. She crawled forward, dipped her hand into the sparkling lake they had stumbled across almost inadvertently. She was trying not to show how relieved she was that Max had insisted that they stop to take a rest. She didn't want to be a burden to him and he had seemed determined to reach the Illyrian camp before dawn.

They had been crossing the waving grasses dividing the two countries for what felt like days. Liz wasn't quite sure why they were walking, but Max had insisted that it must be this way, that he still didn't entirely trust the Dernians and preferred to travel on their own.

He was still acting strangely, but every time she tried to ask him if he was okay, he started kissing her, connected with her, made her feel better. And yet…

Something was not right here.

Liz sat back on her heels, watched her boyfriend as he too drank from the lake. She was tempted to ask him if he was all right again. She could see the tension in the line of his neck, in the stiff way he held himself. Instead she said, "Are we almost there?"

"I think so." Max replied, now lying on his stomach, his head cradled in his arms, his eyes closed. "Its a couple more hours at most." He opened one eye, gazing at her lazily. "Can you make it?"

"I'm a little tired but I'll be fine." Liz replied. She continued to stare at him. "Max, I'm worried." He rolled over onto his back, reaching out and pulling her over to nestle against his chest.

"Why? What's wrong?"

"Something still doesn't feel right about this. I don't understand why Tarsus just gave up. He was in complete control. He had you in his power. Why would he do this?"

"Liz, when has anything he's ever done made sense?" Max asked dismissively. "It's fine. The war is over. Jennetta can come home and you and I can go back to Earth and can start pretending that we never knew I was an alien."

Liz pulled away, sitting up. "Max! I can't even begin to list his crimes. He killed my parents! He killed Nasedo! We're not just going to let him get away are we?"

Max sat up too, shrugging. "We're free Liz. That's all I care about. We're free to be together. Who cares about Tarsus?"

Liz just stared at him in open-mouthed amazement, could feel anger beginning to stir within her. Had he gone insane? "Max! Do you really think Jennetta is going to be safe on her throne as long as he is alive?"

Max quirked a grin at her. "I never knew you were so bloodthirsty!" He teased. "You worry too much sweetheart. It'll be fine." Something in that smile sent a frisson of fear down Liz's spine. Why did that smile look so familiar?

This was not Max. They had done something to him after all. Had they brainwashed him again?

"I…I think I want to go back." She said, standing up abruptly and beginning to back away from him. She tried to make her voice sound natural, but knew that she was failing miserably. "Don't you think it might be a better idea to wait for your army to come and get us at the Citadel?" She suggested, hoping she sounded more confident than she felt.

He just watched her, his head tilted slightly to the side, his beautiful eyes looking strangely amused. That feeling that she had seen him like this before…It was back with a vengeance. But this cheerful disregard for care and logic was not her Max - was not even what he had been like when he was Jaxon.

"Yes, its a good idea." She continued nervously, turning around and beginning to walk back in the direction from which they had come. "We'll just go back."

"You're not going anywhere." He barked it so abruptly, she jumped. And it all came flooding back so suddenly, it made her weak in the knees.

Flash*

"Pick one!" It had been said in that same abrupt, annoyed tone - like she was a mosquito he was tempted to swat but was having too much fun tormenting to do away with.

Flash*

"Don't believe everything you see."

How could she have been so blind? And yet, it made no sense with what she knew to be true.

Liz whirled, stared at Max in horror. She felt like she was reliving some horrible nightmare, which in reality she was.

She felt the sense of dejà vu again as she whispered. "You're not Max."

Max was smirking at her. "I should have known you were too smart to fool for long."

Liz continued to stare at him, backing away at the same time. She didn't understand why she felt that if she looked at him hard enough, his false face would fade away and she would see who really was.

She knew in her heart that this had to be Tarsus. But his behavior…It reminded her too much of the other shapeshifter who had once kidnapped her, who had enjoyed teasing and tormenting her…

"Nasedo?" She asked, knowing she was insane, that it couldn't be him. He had been dead for close to two years, or so Danala had told them.

But then why should they ever have believed Danala? She was a liar after all.

"I don't particularly like that name." The Max clone replied, sounding annoyed. "My real name is Laren. Use it."

"You ARE Nasedo." Liz breathed, her horror and shock so great, she stumbled, falling to her knees. "How? I don't understand."

"It's really very simple sweetheart." He replied, advancing on her. He grabbed her tightly by the upper arms, pulled her to her feet. "I never died."

"Why? I mean, I don't understand? Why did Tarsus let you take me?" Liz asked.

Nasedo quirked an eyebrow at her again. Liz looked away. It was making her physically ill to have to stare into his face while he was Max. Her Max's face would never look so casually cruel. "My, we certainly have a large opinion of ourselves, don't we?" He teased, running his hands through her hair. It was so much like the way Max did so - had done so, only last night. She gagged, remembering how many times she had allowed this THING to kiss her, to touch her, to connect with her.

How could she not have known that this was not Max? How could she have seen those flashes? She remembered clearly the dark and disturbing flashes Nasedo had given her the last time he had kidnapped her. How had he avoided that this time?

"Let go of me!" Liz shrieked, pulling away so abruptly he had no choice but to let her go.

"Really." Nasedo sounded annoyed again. "You've always been such a drama queen Liz. You're absolutely no fun to play with. If I didn't know better, I'd be convinced that you ARE Andrina's blood relative."

Liz whirled on him. "You betrayed her!" She shrieked. She knew that she was completely losing control of herself, but it was all just too much. How many times would she be separated from Max? How many times would their enemies win? "You betrayed my grandmother!"

Nasedo rolled his eyes. "I didn't betray her little queen. I used her. There is a large difference."

Little queen. There was only one other person who had ever called her that.

Tarsus. Okay, something VERY strange was going on here.

"Why?" Liz whispered, clamping down on her emotions, forcing herself to calm down. She had to get as much information as possible. For when she got back to Max. Because she had every intention of getting back to Max. It was not going to end for her here.

There was no way. Not after all they had been through.

"Because I want to rule." He told her. "I have always wanted to rule. And to do so, I needed Andrina, and I needed Milena, and now I need you."

"Is Tarsus working for you?" Liz demanded. It was the only explanation that made sense. "Did you both use Danala too?"

"Danala was an idiot." Nasedo replied disdainfully. "She thought that she controlled me, but she was the one being controlled. Her cleansing led her to the insane desire to reunite with Tristandor and Sabrya. She was obsessed with it. Because of that, she was easy to manipulate."

Liz had never felt more confused. "What do you mean the cleansing made her want to reunite with them?"

He was advancing on her again, but he answered her, despite the fact that she was backing away from him. "The cleansing drives Dernians insane. Its the unfortunate consequence of suppressing their emotions." He shook his head sadly. "They all fixate on one thing in their insanity. For Danala, it was the brother and sister she could not control and thus lost."

"And you fixate on ruling?" Liz guessed.

Maxedo smiled that charming, amused smile of his. "You think I'm insane do you little queen?"

"Why do you keep calling me that?" Liz demanded. "I'm not a queen!"

"But you are." Nasedo replied. "You are the bonded queen of the King of Illyria, at least in this lifetime. You are, in theory, the Queen of Earth."

Liz just stared at him. "You ARE insane." She whispered.

Nasedo tilted his head again. He had not stopped smiling. It was not charming anymore. In fact it was turning his Max face into a caricature and was darn creepy. "No, I'm not insane little queen." He paused, reaching out and grabbing her again. "For you see, I've never been cleansed." He gazed down at her, his eyes smoldering. "I still have my emotions Liz."

"Why am I supposed to care?" Liz demanded, very tempted to spit in his face, but unable to bring herself to do so while he looked like Max.

"Because, the unfortunate consequence of that fact is that…" For a moment, so short Liz was almost positive that she had imagined it, he looked almost vulnerable. "I have fallen in love with you."

With that, he pulled her against him and brought his lips down on hers.

*********************************************************



Illyrian Safe House, near Salisbury, England, Earth

"Michael."

Michael looked up from the magazine he had been casually reading. He was sprawled on the bed in the room Jemma had assigned to Maria. He had not wanted to disturb her while she was with Alex and so he had come here to wait for her.

And now the wait was over. He opened his arms to her. She came flying across the room, threw herself at him. Her lips were on his in a kiss so intense, it literally curled his toes. It beat the one they had shared in the meeting room a couple of hours ago by about a thousand watts.

"Michael, I missed you so much." Maria moaned, running her hands through his hair. He began to rain kisses down her neck.

The relief he felt to have her back with him was so overwhelming, he couldn't even reply. He just could not get enough of her. It was like he was finally waking from a nightmare.

A nightmare called Isabel.

At the thought, he stopped kissing Maria so abruptly, she could only stare down at him in a daze. "What's wrong?"

He bit his lip. She looked hurt. He was tempted to just start kissing her again, to avoid the confrontation that was about to come.

But he had to tell her. He owed her that much. "I have something to tell you." He said it quickly, knowing that if he didn't, he would chicken out.

Maria pulled back slightly, a shadow crossing her expressive face. "Is this about Isabel?"

Michael felt his heart stop. "What do you mean?" How did she know? Could she read his mind that easily?

"Michael, I know there's something wrong with her." Maria replied impatiently, sitting up and crossing her legs under her. "She was acting really weird when we were with Alex before."

"Weird how?" Michael demanded, suddenly so angry at Isabel, all he wanted to was find her and throttle her.

"I don't know. Just weird…" She paused. Michael reached up and shook her lightly.

"Maria! Tell me!"

"Well, she seemed all pissed off that you had told me about her nightmares." Maria said. "Like there was more that you were supposed to tell me."

Michael swallowed. Damn Isabel! She had set him up! Now the fact that he had been about to tell Maria the truth himself was not going to appease her. She was going to think that he was only telling her because Isabel had opened the can of worms.

She was trying to break them up.

It made Michael even more determined that that was not going to happen. EVER.

He belonged with Maria and his daughter. It was only when he was around Isabel that he doubted it. He had never been more positive than he was right now that she was doing something to him deliberately.

"There was. I just couldn't do it in front of Jenny." Michael admitted, grudgingly now, knowing that Maria was going to freak when he told her. She was going to think that he had been lying to her. "I've been having them too." He paused. "The nightmares I mean." He added at Maria's confused look.

"Really?" Maria sounded interested. "Are they really as creepy as they seem?"

"Creepy is a good word." Michael muttered. "Maria, the dreams aren't just dreams. We relive our past lives in them." He said it in a rush, hoping that she would just understand him so that he wouldn't have to spell it out for her.

Maria jerked in surprise. "Oh my gosh! Michael! You remember being Tristandor?"

"Er - you could say that."

"Well, what were you like?" Maria asked, excited for him. He could tell. She had no idea. It would never even cross her mind that he would betray her, even in his dreams.

"I was a romantic fool." He mumbled. "Maria, I remember being in love with Isabel."

She blinked, a strange look crossing her face. "Oh?" She replied warily. Michael peered up at her. She was on her knees beside him. Why was she taking this so well?

"Maria?" Michael sat up, grasped her by the arms. She looked like she had gone into a trance. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." She giggled, her tone so high-pitched, Michael flinched. "So destiny strikes at last I guess!" She climbed off the bed. "It's okay Michael. Really. I knew this would happen eventually. I've known ever since Tarsus first told us you used to love her."

She moved towards the door. "It's okay Michael. Really. I expected it. Its not like we're Max and Liz - we're not soulmates. I served my purpose. You have your daughter."

"Maria!" Michael leaped off the bed, slammed the door she had just opened closed. "Where do you think you're going?"

"I'm going to see Jenny." Maria replied. Her voice was so void of emotion, it was giving Michael the willies.

How on Earth had he lost control of this situation so completely? How could she not see that he wanted to be with her?

"Maria, I don't care!" Michael erupted, barely stopped himself from shaking her out of this strange state of detachment. "It's you I want to be with. She's doing something to me! I know she is!"

Maria flinched, the first sheen of tears appearing in her blue eyes. "Michael, its Isabel. Isabel would never do anything to you! Its just what's meant to be." She swallowed. "Its okay, really! You're meant to be together. You were reborn to be together."

"NO!" Michael backed up against the door she was still trying to leave through. "You're not going anywhere. Maria, it's you I want. I mean it."

"Michael…" She had lowered her eyes. "Please just let me go. Don't you understand it's easier this way?"

"It's NOT easier!" Michael exploded. "I won't give you up!" He grabbed her again, pulled her against his chest, desperate to make her understand. He couldn't lose her. This wasn't just about Jennetta either.

She was his life. In THIS life, she was the one.

Maria reached up and stroked his cheek lovingly. "You're scared. I understand. But it's easier for me to make the break now, before we go to Illyria. Because I know that once we're there, you're going to want to be with HER, and I couldn't bear it. It's easier for me to leave you." Her voice broke. "Don't you understand?" She paused. "I knew there was something wrong with Isabel." She added. "Don't you see Michael? Its happening already."

"What's happening?" Michael demanded, pulling her more tightly against him, refusing to let her go.

"I saw it in her eyes." Maria continued, clearly not even listening to him. She was back in her trance, almost talking to herself. "She wasn't Isabel anymore. She was someone else. She was Mirana. Your wife. Your soulmate."

"Who cares?" Michael said desperately. "I don't care."

"But you will, when you're him." Maria had her arms up around him now too. But it was not in the same way he was holding her. It was good-bye. He could feel it. "And I think you will be."

"Have you gone insane woman?" He yelled. "You're not even listening to me! I'm not Tristandor! I'm Michael! I AM MICHAEL!" He narrowed his eyes, a suspicion suddenly winding its way through his mind. "Wait a minute. Is she doing something to you too?"

A guilty expression crossed her face. "No! Of course not!"

And then he knew. "You're not Maria." He began to shake her. "Show me who your really are! Isabel! Is that you?" His rage was so great, he had to force himself to let go of her. He turned away, tried to collect his thoughts.

If he touched her again, he would kill her.

It was then that he woke up.

Michael lay in a cold sweat for close to a second, his heart beating so rapidly, he almost felt like passing out again. He rolled off the bed, pushed his way into the bathroom, turning on the sink and splashing cold water on his face.

It was only a dream. Thank the good Lord. He should have known. Maria would never have reacted that calmly to him leaving her. That should have made him suspicious from the very beginning.

Isabel. She had done it. She was losing it. Totally.

Michael padded back into the darkened room, stared down at the bed where Maria slept on peacefully, completely unaware of the torture he had just gone through.

They had gone to sleep together hours ago. Tonight was the night that they were going to open the portal and were going after their friends. Jemma had insisted that they needed their sleep.

He and Maria were sharing a bed, but they were not sleeping together. They hadn't since Jennetta. One alien baby as teenagers was more than enough. He had just wanted to be close to her.

She had seemed pleased, had fallen asleep in his arms. He had tried to work up the courage to tell her what had happened - that he had kissed Isabel, but had not managed to do it.

But that dream had made it imperative. Isabel was not holding back now. That dream had terrified him. What if that was how Maria really reacted?

Michael had a feeling that Isabel had not been trying to hurt him. She had been pushing him, yes, but she was truly convinced that they belonged together.

He knew she was wrong and he was going to prove it. Right now.

"Maria!" She stirred slightly. "Maria, wake up!" He stayed off the bed, didn't want anything to be like the way it had been in the dream.

Maria moaned, rolled over. "What is it Michael? Can't we make out tomorrow? I'm too tired." She reached out, clearly expecting him to be on the bed beside her. When all she felt was sheet, she opened one eye, stared over at him. "Why are you over there?" She inquired sleepily. She glanced at the clock. "Its four in the morning. Come back to bed."

"Maria, I need to tell you something, but you need to promise me that you are not going to leave me. You also need to promise me that you're going to flip out. I need you to flip out."

Maria sat up, clutching the blankets to her chest. "Michael, are you okay?"

"PROMISE ME!" He almost yelled it, couldn't help himself.

Maria jumped, blinked and then nodded. "Okay. I promise. Michael, what is this about?"

"I kissed Isabel." He blurted it out before he lost his nerve. He watched her closely. She was staring at him. She wasn't flipping out. Why wasn't she flipping out?

"You kissed Isabel?" She asked it almost thoughtfully. Michael felt is heart fall into his stomach.

"Maria! You promised me you would flip out! Why aren't you flipping out? Please get mad." He almost begged her. He had fallen to his knees beside the bed, grabbed her desperately by the hand.

"Oh, I'm mad." Maria replied, her eyes flashing as she pulled her hand away from him. "I'm just trying to think of the way to kill you that would be most painful." She told him pleasantly. And then she started to yell.

Michael closed his eyes in relief. Thank God.

He would tell her what was going on as soon as she had yelled herself to exhaustion. She would understand. He wasn't going to lose her.

But if he didn't deal with Isabel soon, he couldn't say how long it would be until he did lose her.

This had to end.

He would make it end. She was not going to get away with it.

He didn't love her and the sooner she accepted it, the sooner they could all go back to normal.