A.N: SO I'M CONTINUING THIS FIC. I REALLY CANT JUST LEAVE IT
HANGING. ANYWAY, THANKS FOR THE ENCOURAGEMENT. I DIDN'T REALLY KNOW HOW TO
START OFF FROM THE HOSPITAL SO HERE IT IS. HOPE IT MAKES SENSE. ANYWAY, MORE
REVIEWS. I LIVE FOR THOSE. ENJOY.
~*~
Tess sat in the rather small and stuffy hotel room. She could barely recall how
or when she got here from the hospital but she remembered the intense silence
that fell over all of them. Max could barely stop himself from strangling her.
He and Michael almost got into a fight and Isabel was ready to kill her by the
time they reached the hotel.
"Guys, I think we should just all get some rest." Michael suggested
quietly, glancing over at Tess.
Max shot him a look and Isabel glared at him. "And let her escape?"
Isabel vehemently spat out. She had a bone to pick with Tess Harding and Isabel
wasn't going to let her get away with what she did that easily.
"If I wanted to run again I would have done so already." Tess said
quietly without looking at any of them. She was feeling incredibly tired and
all she wanted to do was say good bye to Max and leave already.
"Shut up." Isabel hissed.
"Isabel, stop it!" Michael said defending Tess. Isabel hadn't heard
the whole story and yet she was ready and willing to crucify Tess without a
second thought. Michael was sure that there was more to what she had told him.
There had to be. Tess wouldn't go this far without a reasonable explanation.
And only Max was getting the answers.
"You don't even know what she did! You keep defending her after everything
that she made us go through!" Isabel fought back, thinking of everything
that Khivar had told her. Why was Michael defending her? If she didn't know
better, Isabel would accuse him of betraying them too.
"Enough. Leave us." Max ordered and Isabel started to protest but
Michael pulled her away and closed the door.
They needed to talk.
Silence fell between them for what seemed like an eternity. Max was still
standing in the middle of the room, his eyes locked on Tess while she sat on
the bed, her back so straight it hurt. She was staring at the window, looking
at nothing in particular.
"Why did you do it?" Max finally spoke and she let a breath escape
her.
"I had no choice." She whispered stonily. She couldn't bring herself
to look at him. Despite her best intentions, she still felt that somehow she
failed him, failed all of them.
She could have told him that she did it because she loved him but she knew that
would not do anything. Max wouldn't believe her.
"You had a choice. You could have asked us for help. Asked me." He said; his voice filled
with so much anger and pain.
"But I didn't."
"No, you didn't." It was more of an accusation than a statement.
She shook her head and looked down at her hands. "Why would I ask for you
help when you were the one I was
trying to save?" She whispered. In her mind, it made sense. If only he
could see it her way.
"You sacrificed our child. My child." He said angrily. "You didn't even
bother to ask me." Other than the fact that she lied to him endlessly and
got his friends to lie as well, it was the fact that she robbed him of his son
that made him livid.
"If I asked you, you would have put yourself in danger. You always did
that and I couldn't. I knew that I couldn't." She answered firmly. As much
as Tess wanted to make excuses, she didn't have the energy to do it.
"But it was my child!" He yelled. She trembled at his voice.
"You had no right to make such an important decision without asking me!
You had no right to take our child's life away, even if it was for me."
"I made a promise and I intend to keep it. Don't tell me how wrong I
am." She suddenly got up and faced him. Tess could have told him then and
there that he was wrong; that their son was alive and healthy but she didn't.
Somehow, she wanted him to lash out at her. She wanted to see how far he would
go with his anger.
She looked so angry as she approached him that Max didn't know whether to be
afraid. "Don't you dare berate me when everything that I've done if for
you and your friends! Don't you dare yell at me when you have no idea what I
went through for you! I practically died for you! No, wait, correction. I did die for you and I am doing it again! When we were married I promised
you that I would stand by you, protect our family, and our kingdom. And that is
what I have done, Zan!"
Max flinched at the name. He was not Zan. A part of him was Zan but he was
still Max. But Tess had called him Zan. "Don't call me that." He said
his voice tense.
"Zan.
Do you hate the name so much?" She asked indignantly, her deep blue eyes
looking up at him. They seemed so empty. "Well, I don't care. Accept it
because it's who you are. You may hate this destiny crap but you're Zan. Inside
you, you're still Zan and a long time ago, you loved Ava. You loved me." She whispered.
She didn't even know why she said it.
It was pointless.
"Tess. We are not the same." He said grabbing her by the shoulders,
shaking her slightly. He wanted to slap some sense into her, make her hurt the
same way she did him. But he couldn't bring himself to it. On the way here, his
mind had been filled with so many scenarios, how he'd yell at her and get angry
at her for everything that she did but somehow, for some strange reason, he was
beginning to see her side.
"Don't say that because if you're right then I've just wasted my
time." She said pulling away as if burned. "Everything I've done will
be in vain. All the time I had to play nice, all the time I had to pretend to
like him, all the time I had to stop myself from coming back to Roswell and
telling you the truth. No, Max, don't tell me we're different people now. We
may be part human but inside, we are the people that we were decades ago. The Royal Four."
She chuckled as she sat back on the bed, tears in her eyes. Tess closed her
eyes as she hugged herself as if cold. "We're not so royal anymore, are we?
And we're not exactly four since I am no longer your wife."
Max was looking at her like she had lost her mind. She was speaking randomly,
like her thoughts came in pieces and she made no sense. "What happened to
you?" He asked in shock.
"I married your enemy. That's what happened to me." She whispered sullenly.
It hurt so much to say it that she could barely breathe. She was waiting for
his outburst.
"I expected you'd betray us sooner or later." He said. His voice was
so cold that it took her aback. He hadn't meant what he said but it slipped and
from the pained look in her eyes, he knew it hit home. He stopped thinking of
her as a traitor a long time ago from everything that Alex told him, from
Michael who tried to explain things to him but he wasn't about to tell her
otherwise. He had too much pride to just forgive her and kiss and make up.
No, he'd like to see her suffer a little. Grovel for forgiveness if possible.
She got up from where she laid on the bed and looked at him. How could he say that? Her eyes searched for
some indication of forgiveness in his voice, something to tell her that he
didn't really believe what he just said but there was nothing.
Tess walked over to him, raised her right hand and slapped him across the face.
"I do everything for you and still you see the wrong in it. I may never be
able to explain my actions but I swear this to you. Everything and I mean every
move; every thought; every disgusting thing I had to do with Khivar, I did for
you! I gave my life away; I prostituted myself to the one man that I hate so
that you would live! So that you would be happy here on Earth. I knew you
wouldn't leave Earth, wouldn't leave her
so I saw no other option. I married him! I thought, maybe, just maybe if he had
me and the heir of Antar, he'd be happy. He'd leave you alone but I was not
enough! I'm never enough." She said breathlessly, her voice breaking at
every word. She was looking at him angrily, all her energy put on her new found
hate for him.
Suddenly, she felt so alone.
You do a guy a favor and this is the
thanks you get. "But you don't have to worry because I made sure I
finished my mess. I cleaned it up so that you, oh great and wonderful leader of the gang here on Earth, wouldn't
have to lift a finger." She was practically yelling. Her voice was
breaking but she wouldn't cry, not in front of him. Not even when the hurt was
so unbearable that she just wanted to die right then and there.
"What do you mean?" He asked.
"Don't you worry, Max. You can go back to your wonderful perfect world
when this is all over." She smirked as she looked at the clock on the
wall. "Two hours. It'll be over and you can live happily ever after with
Liz Parker." She said throwing her hands in the air. "You can thank
me now Max Evans because I won't be around to celebrate with you later. I still
have things to do." Tess said as she headed for the door. It was over. She
did not want to stay anymore and look at him.
He had called her a traitor when every filthy, disgusting thing she did was for
him. Her sacrifice was for him and he still condemned her.
That was the last straw.
"You're not leaving. I may not be able to forgive you right now for doing
the things you did, for lying, for marrying Khivar but I don't want you to
leave." He said standing in her way.
Tess closed her eyes and exhaled. "Let me go, Max. I'll take it as a thank you but I should really go now.
Nice seeing you again. Sorry I didn't send you the divorce papers. I don't
think we have divorce in Antar." She said dryly, a small sarcastic smile
escaping her lips. She was being bitter and Max could hear it clearly in her
voice.
Max grabbed her by the shoulders again. "This is not a joke, Tess."
"Who's joking and don't call me
Tess." She said slapping his hands away. "Don't call me Ava either.
I'm thinking of getting a new name." She said as she stepped back from
him. "Don't look so mad, Max. You should be happy. You finally know the
truth. Your mortal enemy is gone and I am forever out of your way.
Yippee." She said flatly.
"You're not making any sense!" He argued.
"And you're not listening! You want me to say I'm sorry? Well, I'm not.
I'm not sorry for anything! I did what I believed was right and honestly, I
don't give a damn about what you think anymore. I've served you long enough,
your highness. You're safe. Now, give me my freedom." She said. When he
didn't' say anything, Tess shook her head. "I can't win with you, can
I?"
"I loved you and you lied." He said bitterly.
"Oh, don't even hold that against me. Don't give me that crap Max. I
deserve better. Besides, if there was a part of you that loved me, it was Zan.
Not Max Evans. I know that for sure." She said firmly. "Now, get out
of my way."
"No."
"God dammit, Max, get out!" She yelled as she pushed him out of her
way. Before her hands could reach the knob, Max grabbed her and locked the
door.
"I need to go!" She said fighting him off.
"Go where Tess? Back to Khivar?" He demanded.
Tess said nothing to indicate that he was right or wrong. She was just glaring
at him angrily, her arms crossed defensively in front of her.
"I don't owe you anymore explanations. I said more than I came to say. Now
let me go!" She yelled. Her head hurt from yelling, from him yelling at
her but if this is what it took for him to listen, then she was going to keep
on yelling.
"Yes, you do. You owe me a lifetime of explanations Tess and you're going
to give it to me." He said authoritatively.
Tess narrowed her eyes. "Says who?"
"Says me. Now, sit down!" He ordered. Tess had never seen Max so
furious at her but it was understandable considering what he went through.
Tess refused to move. "For someone who is supposed to be the past and
future ruler of Antar, you're incredibly stupid." She said. She was
pushing his buttons.
"Oh, am I? Care to explain to me why I am?" He said brusquely.
"Because you're wasting your time Max when right now, you could be with
your son." She said.
Max almost fell over by her words. "What?" He managed to choke out.
He prayed she wasn't bluffing; that this wasn't another one of her tactics.
She nodded silently. "I named him Lex. In Earth years, he's almost
two." She explained. Suddenly, the weight on her shoulders didn't feel so
heavy anymore. At least now, Max knew everything.
Max couldn't believe what he was hearing. "You mean-?"
"No, he didn't die. See that was the plan. Deliver the baby to Khivar and
he would raise it as his own. That way he has power as protector of the heir.
Then he married me which was a big bonus." She said offhandedly. "It
made him ruler. Big promotion if you ask me."
"You didn't know if you were going to live?" He asked.
"No." She whispered. "Max, is it just me or is it really cold in
here?" She asked but he didn't answer.
He was too lost in his thoughts. She hadn't killed his son. She had protected
the baby and him at the same time. Everything started to fall into piece and it
made sense. He sat there for the longest time, thinking, reevaluating
everything she said. Tess had been telling the truth.
"Tess, where is he now?" He suddenly asked, breaking his train of
thought.
No answer.
"Tess?" He asked again, looking over at her. She was sprawled on the
bed, her hair covering her face. He shook her softly but she didn't move.
"Tess?" He said shaking her harder this time. He moved her hair from
her face and saw that she looked completely drained of color. Her skin felt
cold to his touch. "Michael!" He yelled and the door immediately
burst open.
Everyone came running inside.
"What happened?" Michael asked, looking down at the unconscious Tess
on the bed.
"I don't know. She won't wake up." Max answered frantically as he
lifted Tess' head.
"How long has she been out?" Michael asked checking her pulse.
"I don't know. Five…ten minutes." He answered unsurely.
"Shit." Michael cursed. "She's not breathing. What did you
do?" He asked as he looked at Max for answers.
"Nothing.
She was just…what's wrong with her?"
"I don't know. Try healing her." Michael suggested and Max moved
towards Tess and pressed his hand on her chest. Her skin felt unnervingly cold
against his and he shuddered for a second. Max could feel the heat growing in
his hands, his energy passing through her body and he saw flashes of memory, of
the things that she did.
Max gasped as he let go, feeling his breath escape him. "She poisoned
herself." He said breathlessly. "My powers won't cure it." He
said.
"Did you see what kind of poison?" Jim Valenti asked.
Max shook his head. "It's not from Earth. She used it to kill Khivar
too."
"Why would she poison herself?" Isabel asked, confused.
"The poison needed a host and in order to pass it to Khivar, it had to be
in her first." Max said stiffly. Max cringed. He had seen what she had to
do, felt the repulse that she felt. It was horrible.
"Pass it how?"
"Sex."
The room fell silent.
"We can't just let her die." Kyle's strained voice interrupted.
"We have no choice." Max whispered as he lifted Tess' frail body close to his. "We can't get the cure here. We
won't get to Antar on time, even if we tried." He said. "She was
trying to leave because someone else had to the cure. Someone was holding it
for her and…I wouldn't let her go. I killed her."
"Max." Isabel asked, still confused.
"She never betrayed us. She even made sure that our son lived." He
looked up at all of them, the sad truth finally dawning on them.
Isabel watched in utter horror. She--they were so wrong. Again. They had been wrong, even from the start.
They were the traitors. They failed her.
Now it was too late to say sorry.
~*~
A/N: THIS CHAPTER PROBABLY SUCKED BUT OH WELL. ANYWAY, IF YOU GUYS DIDN'T GET
WHY TESS IS SUDDENLY UNCONSCIOUS, HERE'S THE DEALIO: SHE TOOK POISON SO THAT
SHE COULD POISON KHIVAR. THINK OF IT THIS WAY. IN EARTH ILLNESSES, IT WORKS
LIKE AIDS, YOU GET IT INSIDE YOU AND YOU PASS IT TO ANOTHER PERSON AND BOOM,
THEY GOT IT TOO. EXCEPT IN TESS' CASE, IT KILLS BOTH THE HOST AND VICTIM WAY FASTER. AND SHE WAS
TRYING TO LEAVE BECAUSE SHE WAS TRYING TO GET THE CURE. DAMN MAX.
PS. DON'T WORRY MAX WILL GET HIS SON AND I'M STILL
THINKING WHETHER TESS SHOULD LIVE OR DIE. WHAT DO YOU THINK? WHICH DO YOU THINK
WOULD MAKE HER MORE OF A MARTYR?? ANYWAY, NO REVIEWS, NO UPDATE..SO BASICALLY, THIS FIC IS HELD HOSTAGE.
YEAH, IM CRUEL BUT I ALSO HAVE THE FLU AND I DID THIS WHILE I WAS HALF ASLEEP
AND DELIRIOUS. YOU CAN THANK ME WITH YOUR REVIEWS.
