A/N: HERE'S CHAPTER THREE. SOME OF THE THINGS AREN'T ACCURATE. DON'T KILL ME FOR IT. THANKS FOR THE REVIEWS. HOPE YOU LIKE THIS ONE. IT'S A BIT LONGER THAN THE PREVIOUS CHAPTERS. ANYWAY MORE REVIEWS. ENJOY.

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Ava looked at him; her heart was beating so fast it felt like it was going to rip through her chest. She prayed that she heard him wrong, that the smug smirk on his face was not there.

"Is there a problem?" Khivar asked. He was waiting for her to protest, to panic, and to find some hasty excuse to stop him.

"What would that accomplish? You already have everything." She declared calmly. "Do you honestly need to go back and gloat that you've won?"

Khivar smirked at her, his face contorting into a creepy scowl. "We have unfinished business there." He replied cryptically.

Ava narrowed her eyes at him, holding her son tighter. "What business?" She asked. She was going to play this off, act as clueless as possible.

"We are going to finish off what you didn't." He declared bitingly. 

"I didn't forget to do anything." She defended herself.

"Don't play dumb, Ava." He said; sounding slightly annoyed with her. "You did everything except kill you husband." He said; his voice low and dangerous. Her heart sank at his words, and panic filled her thoughts but she refused to let him see how it affected her.

Ava glared at him, her voice calm and cool as she spoke. "What for? He's practically helpless. He and his friends can't get to Antar. I made sure of that."

"But he's still a threat! " Khivar argued heatedly. "I'm going to kill him and you are going to be there to watch."

Oh god, she thought fearfully. "You already have everything. What difference is his life going to make?"

"A lot of difference!" He hissed. "I can not afford to keep him alive. He could rise and take over and it could cost me. You got careless, Ava. You let him live. Your human half makes you weak."

She gritted her teeth, refusing to give him the satisfaction of losing her temper and defending herself. She watched him carefully, slightly afraid of the grim determination that gleamed in his dark eyes. She had to dissuade him from going. Despite her resentment towards Max and his family, she still cared.

She hated to admit it but it was the truth.

She had worked too hard to keep him alive, sacrificed to many things, too many lives to let him die now.

Khivar was not going to succeed in his plan of killing Max if she had anything to say about it.

"I'm going to finish him off and you and our son are coming along." He said taking Lex from her arms.  The child fussed in his arms, sensing that his mother was not pleased with Khivar.

"You mean my son." Ava irately corrected him as she tried to take Lex back but Khivar moved away.  He shifted Lex in his arms, holding him tighter.

"As far as people are concerned, Lex is my son. I am going to raise him as my own." He declared firmly. "And no one is going you say otherwise. Not even you, your highness."

He was right. As long as Max or Zan was not around, Lex was as good as Khivar's son. And she had secured that already.

Another sacrifice to add in the list of many that came along with this great plan.

Her so called destiny.

"You're both going. End of discussion."

Ava frowned at him, not liking where this conversation was headed. "Don't be foolish. We both know that Lex can't survive on Earth. I barely made it out alive while I carried him." She said crossing her arms angrily at him.

She looked more confident than she really was, but the truth was that she was shaking uncontrollably inside, a storm clouding her mind from thinking of how to warm Max, Isabel and Michael. And protect her baby at the same time.

Khivar shrugged his shoulders casually as he looked down at the child that looks so much like his mother except for the dark hair. "We'll just have to test that theory again, won't we?"

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"Max, I know you're hurting but this is important!" Isabel exclaimed impatiently, frustrated with her brother's behavior.

"You're not sure Isabel. What do you want me to do? All you have is a bad feeling and a nightmare." Max declared indignant as he shot his sister a look that said, go away.

"What if I'm right? What if we are being followed and they're out to kill us? What if something happens?" She insisted adamantly, crossing her arms in front of her.

Max sighed sharply. "We don't even know who they are, Isabel. I don't have time for this." He mumbled wearily.

"You never have time for anything." She said acrimoniously, walking away from him. "It's almost been a year Max, get over it."

Isabel didn't mean to be so harsh but she was scared and paranoid. She could feel trouble coming and Max was not listening to her. His mind was always drifting off, always occupied with troubled thoughts. She needed him. She needed the old Max to take charge and make them feel safe again, to lead them in the war that she knew was coming.

"What the hell do you want from me?" He snapped, glaring at her dangerously.

"I want my brother back, Max." She said unhappily. Uneasily silence fell between them. "I wish she never came to Roswell. I wish we never met her. Then you wouldn't be like this. You wouldn't be hurting."

"Yeah." He said absently.

"She made her choice. We all have to live with it. Don't blame yourself."  Isabel said, trying to console him the only way she knew right now.

"You don't understand Isabel. You can not possibly understand how I feel right now. How I've been feeling lately." He said angrily; his voice hoarse.

She glared at him, looking away and shaking her head with disappointment. "You're wrong. I understand perfectly how you feel. I lost Alex, remember? At least I thought I did. I know what it's like to mourn someone."  Isabel insisted.

"It's not the same."

"Yes it is! God, you are being so selfish." Isabel yelled. "I lost her too. You weren't the only one, Max. She was my best friend. She understood me more than anyone. I miss her just as much as you do. But I am not going to let her ruin me. She did what she had to do and I am forever grateful to her for that but I can't stop living my life. Neither can you."

"It does not compare, Isabel!" He yelled just as loudly.

"Yes, it does!" She argued. "I know you loved her but there's nothing we can do now. We've tried everything."

"No, you don't get it. Maybe I miss her but I am angry as hell with her. I blame her! Don't you understand? I am mad at her." Max exclaimed furiously, his chest heaving. "She took away my son. She made a big, monumental decision without even consulting me! For all I know she's dead along with our child. She didn't even ask. She didn't bother to think that I just might want my son alive." He said brokenly, but refused to cry.

Isabel looked at him. He was the shell of what her brother used to be and for the first time in a long time, she truly pitied him and hated Tess. This was her doing. It was so inconsiderate of her to not even think of the consequences. Not even think of Max or the baby's life.

But Isabel was torn between gratitude to her former sister in law and the hurt that her brother felt. She didn't know what to say, how to comfort him and yet justify Tess' actions at the same time.

"I'm sorry." She managed to choke the words out as she fought the urge to cry.

"Yeah, well, so am I." Max snarled bitterly before walking out of the house, slamming the door behind him.

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Kyle sat on the overly large rock quietly, his head titled back, his eyes slightly closed. He spent most of his time here, ever since Tess left.

It was as if he found some sort of comfort in this spot close to Nasedo's grave. His mind usually drifted back to his almost sister, to Tess. He missed having her around, having her bother him and make trouble. He missed having her at the house, cooking for him and his father, always making sure to leave out the Tabasco sauce before they could have their share.

His fondest memory of her was when she made turkey during Christmas. He remembered how the house smelled, how his father Jim had smiled at the feast that lay before their very eyes. It was the first happy Christmas that their family had in a long time and Jim and Kyle were grateful to her for that.

Now there aren't going to be any more happy Christmases to celebrate, no more delicious turkey carved perfectly by alien powers.

He had sat here for months now, just staring, thinking about everything and anything. Deep inside he knew that he was waiting, hoping so some sort of miracle to bring Tess back. That someday, out of nowhere, she would just show up, alive. Why he chose this spot was beyond him. It just drew him closer to his lost sister.

Nasedo, after all was her father, the man who raised her since she came out of the pod chamber and taught her everything. So if he was closer to him, then he was close to Tess.

Kyle opened his eyes, frustrated with his troubled thoughts. He hated it when he became nostalgic but it also gave him comfort.

"Oh my god." He gasped. Kyle watched in shock as the very familiar figure stood by Nasedo's grave, completely oblivious of his presence.

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She looked down at the unmarked grave, kneeling cautiously on the dry grass. It had taken a lot of courage to come back here. She looked at it for the longest time, unsure of what to do or say next.

"I failed." She finally spoke, her voice barely a whisper. "I failed you. I failed the mission. And I failed Max." Tess sighed heavily. Her hair hiding her tearstained face and he body slouched in defeat.

"I tried. I followed what you told me. I did everything you asked. Everything except deliver Max to Khivar. I couldn't do it. I'm sorry." She continued miserably. "Now Khivar is back and he's going to kill Max. You told me to protect him. But I don't know how. Tell me what to do, please." Tess whispered hopelessly.

She waited for a few minutes, silence surrounding her except the sound of the birds and rustling of leaves. She waited as if giving him time to speak from the grave, to give her some great advice on how to fix her mistakes and save the world.

But nothing came. Just silence and a warm hand on her shoulder that startled her. She leapt from where she was kneeling to find herself face to face with Kyle.

"Kyle?" She gasped, backing away from him instinctively.

"I thought I was hallucinating." He said numbly despite the many emotions that we reflected in his eyes.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, frantically looking around.

"I was going to ask you the same." Kyle replied quietly, his happiness masked.

"You can't be here." Tess declared uneasily.

"Oh? And we thought you were dead." He said sarcastically, his bitterness overtaking.

"You don't understand." She insisted, her face becoming marked with a frown.

"Humor me." He said, crossing his arms in front of him.

Tess sighed, shaking her head. "I'm sorry I have to do this." She said stepping closer to him, beginning to mind warp him.

He slapped her hand away angrily. "You are not brainwashing me, Tess. Besides, Michael is on his way."

Tess gasped. "No!"  She shrieked, looking terrified.

"Yes, so don't bother. You're going to have to explain why you lied to all of us." He declared angrily. "Don't worry. I told him to come alone." He added when he saw the panic in her eyes. She looked like she was on the verge of hysterics.

"You have no idea what you just did." She hissed angrily.  She wasn't angry Kyle, more like at herself for being so reckless.

"How about making it clear to us?" Michael's voice interrupted them as he came into view.

Tess' lip quivered. She wanted to run, to not explain to them why she was here and why she did what she did in the first place. She frantically searched mind for some great escape tactic.

"No more running, Tess." Michael said as he stood beside Kyle, ready to grab her if she tried to escape.

"You all have to leave Roswell." It was the first thing that came to her.

"Why?" Kyle demanded, watching her curiously.

"Because you're all in danger. Khivar is back and he's going to kill Max and anyone who stands in his way." She explained frantically.

"You're going to tell Max that yourself because he won't believe us. He won't listen to any of us." Michael insisted.

"No!" She hissed adamantly. "Make him understand. Make him listen. I don't care what you have to do, just get him to out of here and to safety."

"He deserves to know. After everything that you put him through, you owe him this at least." Michael argued.

"I owe him nothing. I have given him everything that I can. I have lived my life so that one day I could keep him safe. I tried my best. But I can't do that anymore. I've tried everything." She explained quietly.

"Tess-"

"You can't let him know." She pleaded.

"And you expect us to convince Max to just up and leave his whole life over a small information that isn't likely to convince him?" Kyle demanded.

"I don't expect you to do anything but save your friend. Just leave as soon as possible." She said quietly. "You can't let him know. I know Max. I know that he'd want to do the whole save-a damsel-in-distress routine. It'll get him killed. He'd fall for the trap so easily. That's why I'm here. Khivar brought me as bait."

"And you think that we won't save you knowing that now?" Michael asked incredulously.

"I don't know what to think but I'll be fine. I can handle myself." She replied firmly. She looked at Michael and Kyle unhappily. "He won't kill me. I promise you." She wasn't entirely sure of that but for now; she was going to make them believe it.

"How do you expect us to believe you? You lied to us before." Kyle stated resentfully.

"I did it for him. For all of them. I don't have time to explain this in one night. I promised him. I promised Zan years ago that I would defend his people, protect them and protect him. That's what I'm doing." She explained desperately.

"Well, I made a promise too and I'm hell bent on keeping it." Michael declared, remembering his promise to Zan and Ava.

"Rath, swear to me, like you have before that you will protect the life of your king, place him above anything in the world, so that the people of Antar may live." She said; her voice hushed and strange.

Kyle watched them curiously. In that moment, she was Ava, not Tess and it amazed him to hear her words, to listen to the courage in her voice.

"And you too, Kyle, on my father's grave, promise me that you'll keep Max safe." She said turning to him. "That at least you'll try."

Kyle nodded, touched by the sincerity of the moment.  "We promise." Michael said quietly for both of them and Tess nodded to acknowledge his words.

Kyle stepped forward, taking her by surprise, and hugged her tightly. "We better see you again or I'll never forgive you." He said kissing her hair.

Tess nodded. Hopefully, she thought.

But she knew she was likely to die. She had no purpose now, knowing that Max was protected by Michael and Kyle, except to keep Lex alive. To make sure that he grows up into someone good so that he could save his people from Khivar.

She would stand by Khivar if that's what it took to save her son, and his future. The future of a whole nation rested on the hands of her child.

It was a great burden and she was going to help her son carry it if she could.

If Khivar is going to kill her for her betrayal then it was worth it. It was worth it to know that Max was safe.

As for Lex, she was willing to take a chance on him and pray that he'll grow into a noble person, turn into the man that was his father--his true father, Max.

"Thank you." She said to Michael before walking away, refusing to show them the tears that blinded her eyes.