[u]Part 17[/u]

Liz rounded a corner and kept running, pushing herself to her physical limit. Beginning to feel the burn in her lungs from sheer exhaustion, she looked around for a place to hide. She wanted somewhere to be alone. To think. To just cry. And the old abandoned sheriff's station across the street seemed like the perfect place.

Forcing her legs to work, urging them on, one in front of the other, Liz ran across the street, and in through what had once been the front doors to the Roswell Sheriff's Office. Now there was nothing but the old frames, the glass having long been broken out. Heading towards the back, where she knew the jail cells were, Liz felt the tears brimming in her eyes, just as she felt her lungs would collapse on her. Heading into the nearest cell, Liz sprawled out onto what had once been a cot, the mattress now gone, and nothing but the metal slats that had once held it in place to hold her up. Despite the fact that they were hard and not the least bit comfortable, Liz was extremely grateful to have someplace to sit.

When she'd seen Pam kiss Max at the Crashdown, she'd been furious. She'd reacted brashly and hadn't thought before jumping into action. When she'd realized what she'd done, she'd not been the least bit embarrassed or ashamed of her actions. She had, however been utterly stupefied, as she'd been hit by a hard dose of reality. And so she'd run, all the while, her mind a jumbled mess of frantic thoughts.

She'd thought she could do it, had thought she was strong enough, courageous enough to do what she knew she had to do. She'd thought so four years ago and had even thought so as recently as two days ago, when she'd arrived in Roswell. She'd thought that she could walk away, leave behind everything she'd ever wanted in a desperate attempt to escape the unthinkable. But as she'd stood in the Crashdown café and watched her husband moving on, just as she'd asked him to do, Liz realized it wasn't strength or courage that she lacked. No, Liz Evans had all the strength and the courage she would need to save the world. What she didn't have was the heart. Liz knew that she didn't have the heart to walk away from the only man she now knew she'd ever marry and never look back. She didn't have the heart to forget the brief, but happy life she'd made with him. But mostly, above all, she didn't have the heart to stop loving him.

The way things were going, the way her life was turning out, there was little doubt she was being driven her mad. So how would she do this? How could she leave him again, knowing that how hard she tried, or how fiercely she fought, she'd never be able to stop loving him? How could she go on, without the love of her life, knowing that she'd spend life alone? She could do it to save the world from an untimely destruction. But would she be able to do it and save herself in the process? Because, in the end, that was all the engagement to Sean had been meant to do. She had thought that pretending she didn't love Max anymore could save her, but that was proving to be a big, fat lie.

Giving in to the pent up emotions she'd been keeping in check, Liz closed her eyes, and pulled her arms tightly around her middle as her body shook with loud, heaving sobs.

She was tired of being strong. She was tired of being the one that suffered. And she was tired of doing it alone. She needed someone. [i]Deserved[/i] someone. It wasn't [I]fair[/I] that she had to do this alone.

Why should she anyway? She'd made a promise to Future Tess four years ago, that she would tell no one what she'd been told. What she'd seen. But that was before she'd known it would be so hard. That was before she realized that she'd [i]never[/i] be able to get over Max. And it was before she'd started to doubt [i]that[/i] Tess had been telling the truth, that her intentions had been anything but good.

Future Tess had [i]told[/i] her. Told her that if she left Roswell, that things would fall into their natural places. That if she left, Max and Tess would fall into the roles that destiny had set aside for them. Future Tess had told her that once she was out of Max's life, he could carry on with what he had been meant to do, that he could do it with the younger Tess and save the world. But Future Tess been wrong.

Liz [i]had[/i] left. But Max and Tess hadn't fallen into the roles that had been set aside for them. In fact, they had rewritten the script altogether. They'd become friends, close friends at that. Tess had fallen in love with another man and Max was still clinging hopelessly to the love he'd shared with Liz. Nothing that Future Tess had said had come true. The child that was supposedly supposed to prevent those horrible things from happening hadn't even been conceived, much less born. It just didn't make sense. So why should she keep her promise? Future Tess had obviously been untruthful about some of the things she'd said, if not everything. It wasn't fair that she should have to keep her promise too.

There had to be some way for her to find out. To separate fact from fiction, and sort out the truth from the lies she knew were entangled in the story she'd been told. She needed to see Tess. Maybe there was something they could do. Together.

Turning on her side and pulling her knees up to her chest, Liz cried for herself. She cried for the heartache and pain she'd had to endure, and for the heartache and pain she knew was yet to come. She cried for Max. For the hurt and pain she'd put him through. She cried for the devastation she knew he'd had to endure when she walked out on him. And even still, she cried for Max and Liz. She cried for what they had been once, how magical their lives once were. She cried for the way things had been, and the way she knew they would never be again.

Lying in the dark room, Liz cried softly, her body shaking with intense emotion for several minutes, until her tears faded away, and all that was left was an empty hole. Taking a deep breath, Liz sighed and swung her legs over the side of the cot, and for the first time, took a good look around at her surroundings. Rubbing her tear streaked face, she realized she knew this place. Not just the sheriff's office, but [i]this[/i] place. She'd been here, in this exact spot before. And suddenly, before her eyes, the walls became cleaner, the floor a bit less dirty, and the metal slats beneath her become a bit softer as she found herself recalling a time when her biggest problems seemed to be a nosy sheriff and an overbearing school guidance counselor.

This was the cell she'd been in when she and Alex had been put in jail after the party at the soap factory all those years ago. And all she could think about was how scared she had been. Not for herself, not for Alex, but for Max. Everywhere she looked, she was reminded of the paralyzing fear she'd felt for Max in those few hours. The steel bars, the wall of the cell across from her where Alex had been, the small window through which the moon's soft light filtered in.

Liz couldn't help but laugh wryly at the irony of the situation. She'd run from Max, leaving him behind in the Crashdown, with Pam. But she found herself at one of the few places in Roswell she'd never been with Max, and even now, everywhere she looked, she was reminded of him.

Because [i]everything[/i]reminded her of Max.

The more Liz looked around at her surroundings, the more she thought of Max. And the more she thought of Max, the angrier she got. Why did she do this? Why did she let him get to her? Even after all this time, Max was her strongest weakness. He was still the only one who could see past all her facades, and see the truth at which she'd made an unsuccessful attempt to hide.

Now Max knew she still cared. He'd known all the right buttons to push and his timing had been precise. He'd taken all the right steps and had been rewarded by Liz's angry and jealous outburst. Now that he knew she cared, Liz knew he'd fight harder than ever to keep her from leaving him again. And he'd do it because he knew it would make it harder for her to leave. Max had known exactly what to do to make her all but admit it.

Liz narrowed her eyes. Max had planned this and had gotten the reaction out of Liz that he'd been hoping for. Which made her even angrier. She'd stepped right into his trap, and despite her valiant efforts, she'd all but admitted in front of everyone that she still loved Max. And that made her angrier than anything. She'd worked so hard and sacrificed so much in a futile attempt to give him up, and she'd let him ruin it all in matter of seconds with his well hatched plan to make her jealous.

"Aggggggh!" Liz cried out. Lifting her hand, she sent a bolt of bright green light towards the chair in the opposite cell, sending it flying against the wall, then shattering across the floor in a pile of broken wood.

That felt better. She'd always been able to quench her anger by using energy. More often than not, she'd be unable to use her powers, so she'd have to settle for throwing around some dishes, or kicking a nearby doorframe or a piece of furniture.

Standing up and raising her hand at the pile of cans in the corner of the small space, she smiled with satisfaction as they crackled and popped, disapearing amidst a shower of green fireworks. The room might be in almost total complete darkness, but she could see well enough to find something to take her frustration out on.

"Hmpf," she muttered triumphantly. Turning once more, she spotted a door across the hall that she knew led to what used to be the Sheriff's office. She raised her hand, and amidst a fury of bright jade light, the door was reduced to a pile of wooden scraps, much like the one that used to be a wooden chair in the next cell.

"Hey, you wanna stop throwing those things around before someone gets hurt?"

Liz whirled around in surprise, and lifted her hand, poised and ready to fire at the unwelcome intruder. How dare he follow her here! After the stunt he'd just pulled, how dare he come after her. Couldn't he just let her wallow in private? Drown in her misery in peace? He had no right. "What are you doing here, Max?" Liz demanded, still not lowering her hand.

"I came after you. I tried to catch you, but you were already too far away. Where did you learn how to run like that anyway?" he asked, leaning over with his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath.

"Go away," she said.

Max shook his head and smirked at her. "No can do, Liz."

"I can hurt you, Max," Liz said, her voice even and flat. She stared at him, her, expression menacing and unwavering.

Max stood up straight, and raised an eyebrow at her. Raising his hand, Liz watched as a bright green shield surrounded him, engulfing the room in its radiant glow, and Max grinned in satisfaction. "No, you can't, Liz."

Huffing angrily, albeit reluctantly, Liz lowered her hand and crossed her arms, glaring at Max through angry eyes. "What do you want?" she asked.

"We need to talk," Max said quietly, lowering his arm and plunging the room into almost darkness once again.

"We've done all the talking there is to do," Liz replied non-chalantly, trying to keep her voice free of emotion. The feelings stirring within her body were almost too much to handle. She could see Max, could faintly make out the outline of his features in the dull light. His tight cheekbones, his sharp jaw, his depthless tawny eyes. But the feel of him was the most overwhelming part. She could feel him all around her, in her breath, in her senses, in her blood. The room was oozing Max, and the air was getting thick and heavy. It was almost too much to take in. She needed to get out of here. Quickly. Taking a step back, Liz felt the roughness of the brick behind her as she hit the back wall. Liz groaned as she realized that there was nowhere to go, that Max stood between she and the only way out of the small cell. Shaking her head, Liz stepped to her right, and sat down on the edge of the cot's metal frame, and put her head in her hands, leaning her elbows on her knees.

Things would never be easy for her. First, she'd had to come to terms with the fact Max had someone else, then had to endure the intense feelings she'd felt after finding out it was Pam. And if that weren't enough, she'd had to deal with the fact that because she was jealous, she'd almost compromised her plan to leave town and never come back.

It was her place to make sure that the world never had to face the fate she had seen when Tess had visited her four years ago. It was [I]her[/I] destiny to live life alone, so that the rest of the world could go on with life around her. And Max's destiny was to somehow produce the heir, with Tess, that would save the world from an untimely destruction. That was the way it had to be. There simply was no other choice. She was willing to accept that. But clearly, just by coming here tonight, Max had shown her that he wasn't.

Now, on top of everything, she was going to have to fight him back.

Breathing heavily, Liz slumped her shoulders, and sighed in resignation. She flinched, and her body stiffened in response when she felt the cot shift slightly beneath her as Max sat down next to her.

"Why can't you just leave me alone, Max?" Liz asked, her voice shaky with emotion.

"I'm sorry, Liz. What just happened was a big mistake. [i]My[/i] mistake," Max said softly, fidgeting with his fingers as he spoke. "I just..I had to do something. I guess I just went about it the wrong way."

"Why are you doing this?" Liz could hear the weariness in her tone, sighed again.

"Liz, why do you keep running from me?" Max asked. "I don't understand it. You love me. I know you do. And you have to know I love you. So why do you keep running? Why can't you just give in, and stay here, with me, where you belong."

"I'm with Sean, Max. That won't change. I love him, and we're.we're getting married." Liz closed her eyes, hoping against hope that she sounded more convinced than she felt.

Max shook his head. "That's not how you [i]really[/i] feel about him, Liz. I know that for a fact."

"How do you." Liz started to ask how he thought he knew, but when she brought her head up to look at him, she already knew by the guilty look on his face. He'd seen it in the flashes. He knew she'd never slept with Sean, and chances are, he probably knew why. That she'd never even considered sharing a bed with anyone but him. But, if he'd seen that, then how much more had he seen? It was possible he'd seen it all. Future Tess, the flashes, the truth about the prophecy, everything. If that was the case then he knew it all. And she was too tired to fight him. "It's not what you think, Max..I.."

"You haven't slept with him."

Liz sighed at Max's statement. It wasn't a question. He [I]did[/I] know. "I don't know what to say to you," she said.

"Just tell me why, Liz. Why have you never taken that step in your relationship with him. You were going to marry him!" Max paused, but after Liz said nothing, he tried again. "I know why, Liz. I saw it in the flashes. I see it in your eyes. But I want to hear you say it. Please, I [I]need[/I] to hear you say it."

[I]I love you, Max. I love you with all my heart, and I always have. I don't want to leave you![I] She couldn't say it out loud, but stared at him, her lips pressed together, willing him not to read it in her eyes.

"Shhhh," Max said, pressing a finger to her lips, as though he could tell how much she was struggling against herself. "It's okay, you don't have to say anything. I'm not mad at you Liz. I'm hurt. Everytime I look at you, I remember how much I missed you, and how completely devastated I was when you left. And then I want to be angry until I realize that you loved me too. That you [I]still[/I] do. I know it hurt you to leave. So why, Liz? Why can't we take that and run with it? We [i]deserve[/i] it. Don't leave me again," he pleaded.

Liz watched Max with glazed eyes. What did she do to deserve him? What kind of person loved someone so unconditionally that they'd be willing to forgive the wrongs done in the past in order to proceed with a better future? Who in this world, or any other for that matter, possessed a heart so strong and so devoted that not even in the face of such miserable pain would the feelings it held falter?

Liz's eyes misted over with the intense wave of emotion she felt coursing through her body and from the equally intense swirls of emotion she saw glimmering in Max's eyes. He loved her. In spite of her faults, all of her shortcomings, and all her misgivings. He'd never given up on her, likely never would.

And it just wasn't fair that she couldn't ever give in.

"Max," Liz began, the pain and defeat evidence in her voice. She tore her eyes away from his piercing gaze and settled them on the concrete beneath her feet. "Please, I can't fight you. Just leave. You have to go. For me, for you, for Tess, for everyone. You don't understand what's at stake here."

Max sighed deeply, and eased off the side of the cot, moving quietly to his knees in front of Liz. He took his finger and tipped her chin up to look him straight in the eyes. "Maybe I don't, Liz. But if I don't fight for you, I know what I'll be giving up. And I'm not willing to do that. Not again. Whatever this is, the reason you're running from me, we can handle it. Me and you. We can overcome it, I promise."

Liz choked out a sob as her eyes frantically searched Max's face. Max had made promises to her before, heartfelt and filled with love. And he'd never broken even one of them. But this time, she knew it was one he'd never be able to keep.

"It's not possible, Max, it's just not," Liz cried through her tears.

"Tell my why?"

"Don't you see? It's because of you and me, Max. Four years ago, I had a visitor from the future. It was Tess. A future version of her that had traveled back in time to ask me to help her save the world. She knew the future. In the timeline she lived in, we never broke up. Our marriage lasted and [i]we[/i] were happy. But because of that, because you didn't follow your destiny, everyone suffered. Everyone."

Max shook his head, wiped the tears from her cheeks with his thumbs. "How is that possible, Liz?"

"It's in the Destiny Book. A prophecy, that only a child of your blood can fulfill. A prophecy that can save the world. In [i]her[/i] timeline, we never had kids. And the destined child was never conceived. All because we never had kids."

Max smiled and settled more comfortably on to the floor, easing between Liz's legs to look up at her tear streaked face and swollen eyes. "Well then, we'll just have to try harder this time around, won't we?"

Liz felt her heart shatter yet again at the thought of Max wanting to have a baby with her. It had been his dream for as long as she could remember. It had been her dream. It had been [i]their[/i] dream and he still didn't know it wasn't possible. "We [I]can't[/I] Max. It's my fault. I'm the one who kept that baby from being born. I can't conceive, Max. I'll never be able to have your child, or any children. Ever. I'm the reason the world ended."

And with that, Liz melted into Max's arms, falling to the floor with him, her body convulsing with heavy, anguished sobs. That was the real thing she'd never been able to admit. It was [i]her[/i] fault that everyone she'd loved had died in the other timeline. And it was [i]her[/i] fault that she and Max would never be happy. All because her body wasn't capable of conceiving a child. The child that was written of in Max's destiny.

She allowed herself to enjoy the feeling of his arms wrapped his arms around her, allowed him to comfort her, rocking her back and forth, running his fingers through her long, dark hair. She couldn't resist it any longer. She [I]needed[/I] this, if only to give herself the strength to try once more.

Liz threw her arms around Max's shoulders, grabbing the thick fabric of his shirt in her fists, bunching it up between her fingers, causing it to go taut around his back. She buried her face in the crook of his neck, and sobbed against the warm skin of his throat, barely registering the fact that her tears were soaking the collar of his shirt.

As Liz's sobs quieted down, she let go, let her arms rest across his back, her palms out spread, wanting to touch as much of him as possible. She closed her eyes, breathing in the unique scent that was only Max. She all but cried out in joy, remembering the intimate way her body fit to his, like they had been meant to hold each other close. She rubbed her forehead across his chin, reminiscing about the way it felt to feel the slight tickle of the stubble on his jaw. Her body was alive, relishing in the fact that once more, Max held her tightly in the warmth of his strong arms. She was memorizing everything about him all over again, knowing this fleeting moment of pure bliss couldn't last.

"Liz?" Max said softly after Liz's sobbed had completely subsided.

Liz closed her eyes, taking one more deep breath, inhaling as much of him as she could. She lifted her head, and brought her wide eyes into contact with his. She watched, her heartbeat accelerating more, if possible, as Max's eyes frantically searched her face. She felt his breathing against her chest, as his heart beat doubled in time with hers. When he raised a hand and wiped a loose strand of hair off of her temple, he trailed his finger downward, and cupped her cheek in his palm. Without thinking, Liz closed her eyes, and leaned into his touch, wanting to burn the feel of it into her mind. But the minute she did, she knew it was a mistake.

She felt Max shift his body slightly, and before she opened her eyes, her senses went into overload as she felt his mouth on her own. Groaning at the contact, Liz moved her lips against his, feeling his grip tighten around her waist.

"I love you, Liz. I've always loved you, and I always will," he said against her lips.

"I love you, Max, always," she whispered.

Liz's eyes flew open as she felt Max go rigid against her. She saw his eyes open wide, staring straight back at her. She'd said it without thinking. She'd had no intention of voicing her feelings for Max out loud, having done enough already with her actions because of Pam. But with Max's mouth on hers, and her senses going haywire, it had come naturally. And now Max had all the proof he needed to use against her. Straight from the horse's mouth.

Liz jumped up, wrenching herself from Max's grasp. She saw his startled look, and knew that she had to go, before she lost every bit of resolve she had, and gave into everything her heart and soul were telling her to do. She was at the exit to the cell before she turned around briefly to catch the shocked look on Max's face.

"I'm sorry, I can't do this." she said, tears streaming down her face. "I won't let them die because of me. I won't!"

And with one last longing glance, Liz Evans left her husband sitting in the floor staring after her.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Tess' heart dropped to the floor as she watched Max run after Liz. This had gone on too long. Someone had to do something. If she knew Liz Parker at all, she knew that her stay in Roswell was going to come to an end - and soon.

Things were spiraling out of control. Liz had broken her engagement to Sean, but clearly, still had every intention of leaving town again. Without Max. And Max, well, he had just gone straight off the deep end. He was making hasty decisions in his desperation and had become someone she wasn't sure she knew anymore.

Earlier in the day, she herself had tried the only thing she could think of. She'd gone to the Pod Chamber, and had read the Destiny book again, cover to cover. Nothing there. Nothing that jumped out at her. No hidden words providing any clues, no misunderstood sentences offering any answers.

But somehow, Tess couldn't shake the fact that everything hinged on that book. Something inside of her was telling her to read it again. She tried to [I]listen[/I] to each word, rather than read, tried to figure out any double meanings, any hidden agendas. She [I]knew[/I] the answer was right in front of her face. She just couldn't find it.

"What's happening?" Tess muttered to herself. "Things have gotten so out of control."

"They're crazy," Isabel said, shrugging her shoulders, although Tess hadn't really been addressing her. "Both of them. I don't know who to blame more. Liz for ever leaving or Max for ever falling in love with her in the first place."

Tess took a deep breath, listened to Isabel talk her feelings out. This was her fault. It wasn't fair that she let Isabel, or Michael, or anyone else blame Liz any longer. It was Tess Harding who had visited Liz four years ago and all but pushed her out of town. It was Tess Harding that had told Liz something that had made her leave. And as badly as she wanted to deny it, she knew that it hadn't all been true. Things just didn't click. Nothing made sense, except for the fact that the pieces of the puzzle didn't fit. And deep down, she knew it was her fault.

"Don't blame either one of them," Tess pleaded quietly.

Isabel scoffed at her, then turned and plopped back down into the booth they'd been in when Liz and Sean had arrived. "Then who should I blame?"

"How about the person at fault?" Tess asked hesitantly.

"You aren't making any sense, Tess." Isabel was glancing at her watch. "I thought Michael was meeting us here," she said, glancing towards the door.

Tess looked at Isabel, the gears in her mind slowly starting to turn. She couldn't ask Max for help. He was part of the problem, after all. Maybe, just maybe, Isabel was the answer. Tess had read the book over and over again. But Isabel and Michael had only seen it once and it had been before even [I]she[/I] knew how to read it. She'd long ago translated it into English, had changed the words on the pages so that they could all decipher it. But maybe she was missing something. [I]Maybe[/I] there weresome hidden words or double meanings.

Maybe she was looking at it through biased eyes, having already heard what it said from her future self without ever having actually read it. Trying a fresh set of eyes couldn't hurt. Isabel and Michael could help her. They [I]ould[/I] help her. They [I]had[/I] to help her. But she knew that they'd only help if they knew the truth. If they knew about her future self, and what she had done, was going to do.Whatever! Tess almost screeched in her frustration.

She was going to have to tell them the truth about why Liz left town, and what Future Tess had told her. About the future, about their destiny, and about the prophecy.

Taking a deep breath, Tess closed her eyes, conjuring up an image of Kyle in mind. Drawing strength from his lazy smile, and his echoed "I love you" in her ear, she moved suddenly towards Isabel before she changed her mind. Isabel jumped slightly. "Isabel," Tess said softly, "What I'm about to say might not make any sense at all. But I need you to trust me, and I need your help. I'll explain everything."

"Ooookkaaay," Isabel said slowly, giving Tess an odd look. "Are you okay? Are you in trouble? You aren't pregnant, but it's something else, isn't it?" Isabel's eyes widened in horror as she leaned across the table, close enough to Tess to voice her thoughts without anyone else overhearing. "Are you having an affair!?" Isabel whispered incredulously.

Tess shrank back, opening her mouth wide in horrified shock. "Isabel, how could you ask that?"

Isabel shook her head, confusion evident across her furrowed brow. "Tess, you're worrying me. Something's wrong, I know it. Tell me, please," she pleaded with her friend.

Tess turned around as she heard the front door open. Michael walked in and stopped briefly to look around. He nodded in their direction as he spotted them in the back of the restaurant.

"Just come on," Tess said, grabbing her purse, reaching across the table to pull Isabel along with her. "We're leaving. I'll answer all your questions on the way."

"Hey, where's the fire?" Michael demanded as Tess grabbed his arm with her free hand and ushered him out the door along with Isabel.

"You guys have to know the truth," Tess said stepping up to her car and putting the key in the door. "About Liz, and Max, and about why she left. We have to go the pod chamber."

"You know?" Isabel asked loudly.

"I know everything," Tess said. "And now you need to know too."

"Wait a minute," Michael said crossing his arms over his chest. "You mean to tell me this whole time, you've known why Liz left, why we all went through what we did, and you never said a word? Tess! We trusted you!"

"Michael."

"Tell me why we should go anywhere with you?" Michael asked defiantly, his temper and broody nature quickly bringing itself to the surface.

Tess turned and looked at Michael and Isabel, pleading with them. "Liz is innocent, Michael, and Max too," she added, casting a glance in Isabel's direction. "I think we can fix this. Nothing here has been the same since Liz left. I know you don't trust her, but I [I]know[/I] you still trust me. I need your help. Our future depends on it."

And somehow, Tess knew it did. Max and Liz belonged together. No matter how hard they tried, or what obstacles had been thrown their way, their feelings never changed. They still loved each other, and that had to count for something. It just had to.

"Fine," Isabel sighed, walking around and opening the passenger side door. "But I swear, Tess. You better tell us everything. And I do mean [I]everything[/I]."

Tess took a deep breath, waited for Michael to follow suit and get in the back seat, then she sat inside and turned the key in the ignition.

"So," she said, shaking her head and rolling her eyes to herself. She was really going to have to find a better operning line. She pulled the car into the street before continuing. "What do [I]you[/I] know about time travel?"

- - - - - - - - - - -

Twenty minutes later, Tess brought her car to a stop beside the rock formation that she'd come to know so well.

Michael and Isabel had been eerily quiet while she gave her side of the story, only asking minimal questions. She'd told them everything, and their persistent silence was causing her to doubt she'd done the right thing.

"Guys?" Tess asked, turning in her seat to face Isabel, sneaking a quick look at Michael in the back seat.

Tess was surprised when Isabel turned towards her, eyes filled with tears, her face contorted in a mixture of emotions.

"She left to save us?" Isabel's voice was shaky with emotion. "She left because she knew that we would die, and the only way to stop it was to give Max up?"

Tess nodded slightly, realization dawning on her. Isabel believed her. After she'd told them the truth, niether Michael or Isabel had voiced any opposition to her story. They believed her. Just as Kyle had. Because they [I]did[/I] love her.

As she watched the emotions play across Isabel's face, she realized something else. That despite everything, Isabel still loved Liz too. There was hope after all.

"Liz knew that Max would never agree to letting her go. She also knew that if she didn't leave, that Max's child would never be born. We [I]need[/I] that child, Isabel. And Liz believed that only another hybrid could produce that baby."

"Are you telling me that you and Maxwell have to have a baby?" Michael asked, piping in from the back seat.

Tess shook her head. "That's where it all gets fuzzy. According to the future me, our enemies should be here by now. We should already be experienced soldiers. That's what happened at this time in [I]her[/I] timeline, because there was no baby. But nothing that she said would happen has. She lied. I don't know why, or about what just yet. But I have to find out. Something doesn't make sense."

Tess took another deep breath, turned back to Isabel. "I don't belong with Max. I never have. My place is with Kyle. [I]Liz[/I] belongs with Max. He's always known it, and deep down, I think we have too. Everything she told me was based on this prophecy, and her only source of information was the Destiny Book. Something about this prophecy is funny," she said. "We have to read the destiny book and find out what before Max and Liz hit the point of no return. Neither one of them deserve that."

"I hated her," Isabel said suddenly, a lone tear slipping down her cheek. "When Liz left, I couldn't stand her. The thoughts I had about her. Everytime I saw Max, and how much he was hurting, I just wanted to track Liz down. And Tess, if I had, I would have killed her. I know I would have. And all because she'd left to protect us. I'm a terrible person!" Isabel brought her hands to her face and cried softly.

Tess watched with a heavy heart as Isabel accepted the truth. All this time, she'd been hurt. She'd taken out her hurt and anger by turning against Liz. But now, she was realizing that she'd had no right to hate her sister in law at all.

"Hey," Michael said. "We all thought things I'm sure we didn't mean. But we know the truth now, Iz," he said, leaning into the front seat, and taking Isabel's hand from her face. "Liz is part of us. Part of our [I]family.[/I] She always has been. And she's Max's world. We love them both. Now is our chance to redeem ourselves. So let's go help Tess," he said with determination. "We trust her and she needs us. Liz and Max need us. Heck, even the whole world needs us. We're gonna be superheroes!"

Isabel smiled at Michael's attempt to lighten her mood.

Tess smiled too, in spite of herself. She'd done the unthinkable. She'd turned big, bad, Michael Guerin into a big softie, eager to forgive his best friend's wife and to help fix the wrongs they'd all done in the past.

"So, are you guys in?" she asked, looking back and forth between the two.

Michael nodded, then turned to Isabel, waving his hand over her face. Her tears had been wiped away, including make-up smudges. Tess almost giggled. Isabel would never change, even in a crisis. "So, you game?"

Isabel nodded firmly, grabbing Tess's hand. "Let's go get that book," she said.

Tess flew across the seat, hugging Isabel tightly, and released her only to lean back to pull Michael close so she could kiss him on the cheek. "I knew I could count on you two."

Tess got out of the car. Michael and Isabel followed her up the side of the cliff to the entrance to the pod chamber. She waved her hand over the hiding place, placed her hand on the silver handprint, and led the way inside.

Just inside the door, Isabel stopped and stooped at the sleeping bag Tess had noticed earlier.

"This is Max's," she said. "When was he here?"

So that's who had been here, Tess reflected. It made sense now, knowing what he'd been through. She'd found the Destiny Book next to the bag and knew that's why he'd come. She could picture him lying in the small room, the book in his hands, searching it from cover to cover for the answers to his questions. But also, just as she had, she could also see him leaving, feeling lost and defeated after coming up empty handed. She wondered if he'd left the sleeping bag there with the intentions of coming back to try again.

"He's been reading the book," Tess said quietly. "He came here for the same reason we did. He got flashes from Liz last night. He knows all about Future Tess from me too. He's trying to figure it out."

"He's hurting so much," Isabel said softly, sitting down and leaning back against the soft blue bag.

"Well then," Michael said, sitting down beside her and picking up the book. "We'll just have to help him with that, won't we?" Isabel smiled, reached over to hold the part of the book closest to her, and made herself comfortable. Both she and Michael bent their heads over it, matching frowns on concentration on their faces. Tess wondered briefly if Michael had [I]ever[/I] looked at a book so intently in his life.

Tess was still amazed with the ease at which Isabel and Michael had forgiven Liz. She'd been prepared for a long, lengthy battle of wits with Roswell's resdent ice queen and her brooding, rebellious almost-brother. She'd even gone above and beyond at the Crashdown, ushering them out quickly and not answering questions until they were on their way, having been afraid she'd lose her nerve. But once she started explaining what was going on, she'd been surprised at the ease with which they'd believed her. They'd only asked a few simple questions and neither one of them had voiced any hostile feelings towards Liz.

In fact, they'd been more than surprised at the fact that Tess had forgiven her, and was readily trying to find a way to help her get back together with Max. Isabel had asked Tess what had made [I]her[/I] change [I]her[/I] mind. Tess hadn't had to think of the answer. It was simple, really, and she told them she didn't know why they couldn't see it. It was because Max loved Liz. For reasons that only he knew, he still trusted her, and didn't blame her for leaving him behind.

And Tess trusted Max. That was enough reason for her.

In the end, after they'd arrived at the pod chamber, Isabel's remorseful guilt and Michael's comforting words had given her the reason for their hasty approval of a girl they'd both despised just hours earlier. They loved her too. They'd loved her just as Max had, but in a different way. [I]She[/I] was [I]their[/I] family too. If there had been no Liz Parker for Max, there never would have been a Maria Deluca for Michael or an Alex Whitman for Isabel. It was because of this love, because of all that she'd given them, that they'd felt so betrayed and hurt when she'd left. But, in a most fascinating turn of events, it was also this fundamental love that pushed them to find a way to help bring her back.

Tess opened her purse and took out a stick of gum, popping it into her mouth. Looking around, she took a seat against the opposite wall, and waited for her friends to finish reading.

- - - - - - - - - - -

"This is hopeless!" Michael exclaimed an hour later. He threw the book completely into Isabel's lap and jumped up, running his hands through his hair. "We've read this thing through over and over and nothing! Why can't we find anything?"

Michael started pacing back and forth, in between Tess and Isabel, still muttering to himself and clearly upset.

"Michael, calm down," Tess urged, standing up to face him.

"But you said, Tess! You said we'd find an answer!"

Tess shook her head. Maybe this was a bad idea. She'd brought them here, and convinced them that they could find an answer. But so far, all they had done was almost memorize the Destiny Book, having read it through, cover to cover, at least three times. Maybe she was wrong. Maybe she'd just given them false hope.

"Michael, I didn't say for sure. I hoped that we'd-"

"Tess, Michael, come here for a minute," Isabel interrupted abruptly.

Tess turned around to see Isabel looking hard at the page in front of her, her brow furrowed in concentration. She walked over and knelt next to her, Michael right behind her.

"What?" Tess demanded, trying not to get excited. Her heart was thundering anyway. "Did you find something?"

"I'm not sure," Isabel replied. She handed the book to Tess, and turned it so that she could read it. "Look at this."

Tess followed Isabel's finger, and read the lines she'd indicated.

[I]The fate of the world rests in the hands of a child of a bonded love.

The hybrid king and hybrid queen, no others, must mate.

Blood of another will strengthen the line,

But only from one chosen by fate.

The child of this union will save the King and, thus, the world.

[/I]

"It's the prophecy," Tess said. "That's the prophecy that my child with Max is supposed to fulfill. "

"We already know about that, Isabel," Michael said, sounding impatient and not a little mad. Tess could see that Isabel's exclamation had excited him too and now he was annoyed that he was disappointed.

"Right. So now, read this." Isabel shifted slightly, and pointed at a passage a little further down on the page.

[I]This has been, and only by destiny will it be once more.

The King's child will be born,

Only by she who is made compatible to carry the life in her own.[/I]

"What, Isabel?" Tess asked. "I don't see anything. [I]I'm[/I] the one who was made compatible. Engineered? Reborn to be with Max?"

"Tess, what if this doesn't really mean what we think it means? What if you were just reading it wrong? Interpreting it's meaning differently than it was meant to be interpreted?"

"How do you think it was meant to be interpreted?" Tess asked wearily. This is what she'd hoped for - that Isabel or Michael could pull out something she'd missed. But she didn't want to get excited over nothing.

"We've just assumed that the queen is you, right?" Isabel asked, her excitement evident in her agitated movements and fast talking.

Tess shook her head. "The queen [I]was[/I] me," Tess said, trying to remain patient.

Isabel waved her hands and shook her head. "That's not what I meant. We know you're the queen. What I meant was, that we've all just assumed that the 'she' that's talked about in this prophecy is you, right? What if we're wrong?"

"Wrong, how?" Michael asked, his confused expression mirroring Tess's equally perplexed one.

"It says that this child has to be chosen by fate, that it's destined to be. That only one [I]made[/I] compatible can carry Max's baby. What if Max [I]made[/I] Liz compatible?" Isabel demanded.

"What would he have to do to do that?" Michael asked.

"He already has," Tess said, felt her eyes widening. How could she have been so stupid? Of course. It was perfectly obvious!

Michael was still staring at Tess questioningly, but Isabel had turned to her with hopeful eyes. "That day at the Crashdown." Tess continued, could hear her mounting excitement in her voice. "He changed her. Kyle's got powers - we've seen him use them guys, although he tries not too - so I'll bet you anything Liz has them too. Max has always said that that day was the day he wrote his own destiny. I can't believe it. He's been right all along."

Tess picked up the book, and looked at it, marveling at the fact that she'd never seen it before. The hidden meaning. The underlying words that she had never picked out.

"Max and I were destined to be together. But neither one of us feels it. He's [I]never[/I] felt it. What if healing her that day wasn't the only thing he did. What if he [I]made[/I] her his destiny? Like - by taking that huge risk - what if he changed her so that she was capable of carrying his child?" Tess asked.

"But I don't understand," Michael said. "Max and Liz were married before she left. They lived together before. How come she can't get pregnant?"

Isabel took the book back from Tess. "I think it has something to do with the missing page."

"What missing page?" Tess asked, blinking.

Isabel held the book up. "Look at the last two pages. They don't go together. Don't make sense. It goes right from talking about the baby in the prophecy to talking about a marriage. The first line on the next page starts with 'and this marriage will be legal and binding' I think we're missing a page."

"Well that's not going to help. We don't know where the page is!" Michael exclaimed in frustration.

"I know," Tess said standing up, her mind racing with questions that could only be answered by one person. "I know where it is. And I can get it back."