"You can talk to her telepathically? " Isabel asked as Max relayed the past nights events

through the bathroom door.

"Yeah, she can do it with me and Michael, but not Liz."

Iz opened the door. "That's not surprising is it?" Max stared at his sister in a silent plea for

explanation. "The connection between you and Liz is just that. You and Liz. Its not

surprising that she can't talk to the rest of us."

"I suppose that's true."

Isabel sighed as she walked past Max and into her room, sitting on her bed she began to zip up

her boots.

"Was there something else Max, you have that look."

"What look?"

"That look where you want me to do something, but you aren't quite sure how to ask."

Max smiled.

"I think maybe you should try it."

"Max..."

"What's the harm Isabel."

"I just don't know how I feel about her right now. I need more time."

"OK. Uh.I should tell you, Michael and I are going to teach her how to use her powers."

Isabel stopped fiddling with her boots and looked at her brother.

"What?"

"It was Liz's idea, to which Michael and I agreed."

"Are you sure that's the right the to do?"

"Michael made an interesting point. (Iz raised an eyebrow.) About our powers and how

dangerous they can be if we can't control them correctly."

Getting no response from Iz, Max continued. "We're going to start small, today at

Michael's after their shift at the Crashdown."

"I have plans."

"I know, I just wanted you to be aware."

"And now I am."

"For the record Isabel, I trust her."

"Yeah well, given your history..."

Max averted his sister's gaze.

"I'm sorry Max, that was a cheap shot, I shouldn't have said that."

"Its OK."

"I'd better go, I'm going to be late."

"All right, say hello to Kyle for me."

"I will."

***********

After their shift at the CD, Michael and the girls met Max at Michael's apartment.

"What's all this?" Sera asked, stepping around several rocks on Michael's floor.

"This is part of your training."

"Rocks?"

"Rocks."

"It's a big rock, she said pointing to one that lay on the kitchen counter. "can't wait to tell my

friends."

Maria and Liz snickered at the Buffy reference while Michael glared at the lot, impatience

evident on his face.

"Sorry." Sera said shaking off her giggles and giving Michael her full attention

"Fine, lets get started. Since your so enamored by the rocks we can start with those."

"Great.what do I do with them?"

"Break them."

"Break them?"

"Concentrate your power on them, visualize them shattering."

"Uh.OK"

Sera held out her hand toward the rock, it shook slightly on the table, but remained intact.

"Keep your focus."

Serena glanced at Michael and began again. The rock was reduced to dust in a matter of seconds.

"Oh my God!"

"You did it!" Liz said taking hold of Sera's shoulders.

"I can't believe it!"

"If we can save the congratulatory stuff for later..we have work to do."

Sera threw a look at Liz, who bit her bottom lip to keep from laughing.

She turned to Michael. "OK, what's next?"

***********

"How do you feel about all this" Kyle asked Iz as they finished their lunch.

"I don't know. Probably the same as you."

"Confused."

"Pretty much."

"So this training thing.what exactly are they doing?"

"I don't know. Max asked me if I wanted to join them at Michael's."

"I won't be mad.if you want to go."

"I don't know what I want to do where she's concerned."

"Now you sound like me."

"I shouldn't have brought it up. I know Sera's a strained point of conversation at the

moment. We could talk about Pam Troy."

"Wow look at the time I really have to go!"

"You thought I wasn't going to call you on that one?"

"It was a mistake, and one that I wish Sera never would have seen.

I hate it that she walked in on that.but I'm kinda glad she did too."

Iz raised her eyebrows at him.

"If she hadn't I don't know if I would have pushed Pam off before things

progressed..you know."

"Really?"

"Come on Iz, its been 3 years."

"Are you kidding?"

"Vicki Delany, night of the heatwave, old soap factory."

Iz smirked. "That is a long time..but Pam Troy?"

"I know I know!"

"OK, I'll stop. Sorry."

"Nah, its OK. I would have be kicking myself right now if I'd actually slept with Pam.

"You're not over Sera." It wasn't a question.

"No, I'm not.but I'm not sure what the next step is, I think I'm going to play it by ear."

"That's probably wise. You've got a good heart. It will lead you in the right direction."

"When did you get all sappy and romantic Ms. Evans?"

"I guess I'm like the reformed Grinch, you know when his heart breaks the measuring

device?"

"We have got to get you a new holiday program to watch!"

"OH! How about Rudolph's Shiny New Year?"

Kyle laughed and pulled his best friend into a bear hug.

***********

A few hours later, Maria surveyed the mess in Michael's apartment. Rock dust covered

everything in sight, from the furnishings to the occupants.

She shook her head a bit and laughed as a cascade of dust fell from her hair.

Turning toward the newest Pod Squad member, Maria adopted her best announcer

voice and asked Serena an important question.

"Sera Davidson, you've just mastered rock breaking, what are you going to do now?"

Sera laughed, "I'm going to Disney World...right after I get a broom and clean up the

mess I made."

"I don't have a broom." Michael confessed.

Sera stared at him for a moment before looking to Maria who shook her head and

rolled her eyes.

"So how do you clean?"

("Clean? Michael?" Maria laughed.)

Michael raised his hand towards epicenter of the mess.

"Like this."

Serena watched as Michael restored the apartment to its pre-rock status.

"OK! I HAVE to know how to do that."

Liz smiled. "Like that one do you?"

"Liz, do you know how easy clean-up at the Crashdown would be if we could

just do that?"

"Already looking for the easy way out. You two have created a monster."

Liz admonished, pointing toward Max and Michael.

"I'm not saying we have to use it all the time. Just when we have plans for the evening,

wouldn't it be nice to skip clean-up and have more time on a date with Max?"

"Oh no, you're not going to turn this around on me!"

Sera grinned at her friend, before turning toward the boys. "OK, how do I do that?"

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

Rock breaking, clean-up, simple molecular structure changes (transforming a bottle of water

into juice, and back again.) and levitation completed the first day of training.

Sera sent a bottle of Snapple from the counter to Maria's hands.

"So how do you feel?" M asked, twisting the cap off her Snapple.

"Exhausted!" Sera replied, taking a bottle of water from Liz.

"I think you did a fantastic job." Liz said smiling at her.

Sera returned the smile and blushed.

"You catch on pretty quick." Max agreed.

Maria nudged Michael, when he didn't respond, she glanced pointedly at him,

then jerked her head toward Sera.

"Hmm? Oh yeah. You did fine."

Sera tried to hide a smirk, but Maria caught it and matched it with one of her own.

"Wow, that's actually high praise coming from my Spaceboy."

"I'll take it as such. I really want to thank you, all of you. Ever since you told me

what I am, what I can do I've been really scared about this power.

The thought of using it, even in controlled circumstances, was pretty scary.

You've made it so much better than I ever imagined.

God, listen to me, I sound like a Dawson's Creek character giving one

of their sappy monologues."

"Don't even go there chica!"

"Sorry."

"Well, since we're all here, may I suggest that we work on something

a bit scarier than your powers?"

Everyone turned to face Liz.

"Our Government quiz is Monday afternoon remember?" she asked holding

her Government book aloft to see. "I thought since most of us were here

we could use the down time to study."

Serena looked at the group "Is there any power we have that makes

homework disappear?"

Michael regarded her for a moment before commenting.

"If you find it, let me know."

END CHAPTER