A/N: HERE'S CHAPTER EIGHT. THANKS FOR THE REVIEWS. I PUT MORE M&M LIKE TEFLON SUGGESTED. ID ALSO LIKE TO THANK WOLF BITCH FOR HER RATHER "FRIENDLY THREAT" WHICH MOTIVATED ME. ANYWAY, MORE REVIEWS OR THE NEXT CHAPTER WILL TAKE A LIFE TIME TO POSTUP. ENJOY.

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Maria looked over at Michael. He looked so worried. More troubled than before and it was understandable.

"She'll make it." Maria whispered as she reached over and took his hands into hers.

Michael looked up at her, his eyes filled with concern and worry. "I doubt it." He said quietly, his voice strained. "If Max can't heal her, then there's no other choice." He didn't want to sound like he lost all hope but right now that was what he was feeling.

Maria shook her head, her blonde hair spilling in front of her eyes. "You can't think that. We've gotten out of bigger messes, Michael." She said reassuringly.

He shrugged his shoulders miserably. "I was supposed to protect her." He whispered as he pulled her closer to him for comfort.

"Michael, you can't protect everyone. Tess made her choice. It's not your fault." She said, wanting to console him.

"But still, I can't help but think that maybe, during the whole time I knew that she was alive, maybe I should have done something to make it better for her and Max. I knew she was putting herself in danger and I let her go on with it." He said. "I swore to her that I'd protect Max. I forgot that I was supposed to look after her too."

"Michael, don't do this to yourself. If Tess does die, then make amends before it's too late. I don't believe she'll die though. She's too strong for that. You're all too strong to just die." She said, sounding more convincing that she expected.

"For someone who's not a Tess fan, you sound awfully like you have a lot of faith in her." Michael declared, hinting no malice in his words.

"I didn't say I hate her. I don't approve of the things she did. Lying, getting Alex, you, and Kyle to lie to all of us; siding with the enemy for a while. Besides, Liz is my best friend. I'm supposed to be on her side, remember?" She smiled softly.

"This is the biggest mess that Tess has gotten herself into. I honestly doubt that she'll make it out of this. If there was something I could do..." Michael trailed off as he sighed exasperatedly.

"We all want to save her yet there's nothing we can do." Kyle piped in as he took a seat on the rather uncomfortable bench across from the couple. That was the biggest understatement of the day.

They were outside the hotel room, all huddled together yet spread far enough to look like they weren't having a private conversation or plotting something.

Michael sighed, not knowing what to say. He felt like a failure. He couldn't protect Tess in their past life, and he couldn't protect her now. He was supposed to be the guardian of the King and Queen, their most trusted and loyal warrior. He was supposed to be powerful; powerful enough to make sure that they lived to fulfill their destiny.

But here he was, sitting next to his human girlfriend and human friend, feeling unbelievably weak.

Michael knew that he loved Ava or Tess, whichever she was supposed to be. He knew that the Rath side of him cared about Ava, not like Zan had loved his wife but he loved her enough like family.

And now he was going to lose her again. They all were.

Michael knew how much that would hurt. He knew the feeling because he remembered, more than Max could. He remembered when Ava died years ago and it tore at all of them. He remembered crying for his friend, crying for the Queen that they lost and crying for the woman that he had grown to love as his little sister.

Her death had been more brutal in the past but it did not mean that it made the pain any less. Michael let go of Maria's consoling hand, stood up and walked over to the room.

Max was seated a few feet from the bed, his face buried in his hands while Tess laid on the bed, still unconscious.

"Max." Michael said uncomfortably, clearing his throat.

Max looked up, his eyes bloodshot. He looked like he hadn't slept in a decade.

"Where's everyone?" He asked as if it mattered.

"Kyle and Maria are outside, by the door. Liz and Sheriff Valenti went to get some food and Isabel and Alex are somewhere." He said, frowning a little.

"Oh." Max said absently as he returned his gaze to Tess.

"Can I have a moment with her?" Michael asked quietly and Max looked up as if realizing for the first time that he was in the room. Max sighed, not wanting leave Tess' side but letting Michael go anyway.

Michael waited until Max was gone and the door was closed to sit down.

"I don't know if you can hear me but I wanted to speak to you anyway." He started as he sat on the couch where Max had been. "Tess, we did a lot of things we regret but this is by far, the one thing I am the most sorry of. I should have told Max the truth. Maybe we could have avoided this. I know that I promised you that I'd protect him but he doesn't need me anymore. He needs you so don't die because although you did save his life, you aren't saving his soul." He said and for a few minutes, he paused. "Max's happiness is with you so live, please, for all of us. Don't fool yourself by believing that he doesn't love you because he does. He wouldn't be angry with you if he didn't care." He sighed again and walked over to the bed and took her limp hand and held it. "We all care. You were like a sister to me in Antar. You were family and I don't want to lose the only family I've got. Max told us that your son is alive. Live for him. He needs a mother." He said but he suddenly stopped, feeling that this was completely futile.

No matter what he would say, no matter how much he pleaded, Tess wasn't going to live even if she chose to. It wasn't in her hands to decide that. The poison inside her held the power and Michael, for the first time in his life, prayed for a miracle. He didn't believe in God or practice religion but in this case, he was willing to make an exception.

And he hoped someone up there heard him and would have pity.

He shut his eyes, feeling sadness engulf him. He was already grieving her. Michael let go of her hand and walked out of the room, feeling guiltier than before. Once outside, he glanced over at his friends and family and looked away immediately, unable to show them the tears in his eyes.

"I'm going for a walk." He said stonily and ran off before anyone could protest and stop him.

Max watched Michael run off but said nothing. There was absolutely no point in speaking. Everyone could feel their grief.

He stood up and returned to the room. He stood there for what seemed like an eternity, unable to muster that words that he long wanted to say to her. "I didn't want it to end like this." He finally spoke. "It wasn't supposed to be like this." He said sadly, his hands trembled as he fought back the urge to cry. "I know that I never thanked you so I'm thanking you now. You did a lot for me even when I didn't ask. You sacrificed everything for me when I'm not worth the trouble. And you were wrong Tess. I did love you. I still do. I don't know which part but I do love you."

Max sniffled as he shut his eyes tightly, letting hot tears run down his cheeks. He sat on the bed next to her, his body aching from exhaustion. "I…I don't know whether you'll live or die but please know that I care, although I failed to show it. I know that I let you down in a lot of ways. I can't be the Zan that you remember and I can't love you like he did but if you make it out of this, I swear I'll try the best I can to live up to what I was." Max stopped, not knowing what else to say. He had apologized, thanked her, and professed his love. What else was there to do? He wished that his words could heal her; that his love would make her better but Max knew better.

Their life was not a fairy tale. In fact, it was far from it. Tess was not Sleeping Beauty caught in a spell and his kiss wasn't going to wake her. No.

It would take a miracle to save them now.

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"Max, get out of here now!" Kyle yelled from outside and Max frowned for being interrupted but he got up anyway to see what was going on.

"This better be good." Max mumbled as he yanked the door open.

In front of him were Alex, Isabel, Maria and Kyle, a gun pointed to each of them. There were at least a dozen men surrounding them.

Max gulped. Could this day get any worse?

"Who are these people?" Max asked Isabel who looked frightened and pissed at the same time.

"I don't know who they are. They just came up to us, pointed a gun at our heads and demanded to see you." She said.

"See Zan." Alex corrected and Max could almost hear himself gasp. He turned to their captors.

"What do you want?" He asked and the man who appeared to be their leader stepped forward. Why or why they knew their alien identities was beyond Max but he assumed that this was definitely not good.

For any of them.

"We're here for Ava." He said gruffly and Max took a defensively stance and stood between him and the doorway. The man appeared to be in his forties, at least six feet, presumably alien and way stronger than any of them.

"Why?" He demanded, his protective instincts kicking in. Max could feel the blood rushing to his head as he started to panic. Hopefully, he didn't show it. His heart was pounding so fast in his chest that he felt like it was going to jump out soon.

"Step out of our way or she will die." The man said referring to Tess and Max's stubborn gaze faltered.

"Who are you?" He argued, still not moving.

The man shoved him out of the way, refusing to answer his question. Max stumbled to the side, feeling anger overtake him but the pleading look from Isabel's eyes told him not to do anything foolish that would likely get them killed.

Five more people followed the leader. They looked like angels of death, all in black as they walked inside the room, surrounding the bed where Tess was lying unconscious.

"What are you going to do to her?" Max asked angrily as one of them walked over to him and aimed a gun at his side. Whatever happens, he wasn't going to let them hurt her.

For a long time, no one answered him and he could feel the anticipation building up. Finally, the leader turned to him, meeting his eyes squarely. Max and anyone who paid enough attention could see that this man was a fan of Zan.

"Something that you failed to do. Save her." He answered coldly.

~*~

A/N: OKAY, SO THAT WASN'T REALLY EXCITING BUT I HAD TO PUT SOME SAD MOMENTS INTO THE FIC AND IM NOT REALLY READY TO END THE STORY YET. I KNOW THAT THE LAST PART WHERE THEY'RE HELD AT GUNPOINT IS CONFUSING BUT I'LL EXPLAIN ON THE NEXT CHAPTER WHO THESE PEOPLE ARE. IF YOU HAVE ANY IDEAS, FEEL FREE TO SUGGEST THEM. USUALLY, THE READERS HAVE THE BEST IDEAS. ANYWAY, REVIEWS PLEASE.