A/N: I WANT TO APOLOGIZE FOR NOT UPDATING SO SOON. UNFORTUNATELY, I HAD A HUGE WRITER'S BLOCK WHICH DIDN'T HELP ME AT ALL. THEN SCHOOL WORK STARTED PILING UP AND I JUST DIDN'T FIND THE ENERGY TO FINISH IT UNTIL NOW. BUT I'M BACK AND TO MAKE UP FOR THE LONG WAIT, I MADE THIS REALLY LONG. I WROTE TO POSSIBILITIES FOR THIS CHAPTER AND THIS WAS THE ONE THAT I LIKED. I HOPE YOU LIKE IT TOO. ANYWAY, THIS WILL BE IT FOR NOW BUT IT'S NOT THE END. ANYWAY, ENJOY AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW.
~*~

"I should go. I should go now." Tess whispered to herself for the third time in the last minute. Alex glanced up at her, looking sleepy as he stretched his arms and stood up from the rather uncomfortable couch.

"Morning." He mumbled as he looked at the clock. It said seven o'clock.

"Hey." She said looking startled. "You're awake."

Alex yawned and nodded his head. "Seems so. Kyle is still out, huh?" He said as he looked at his friend who was sleeping quietly on the reclining chair close to the bed.

Tess forced a smile as she glanced at the door again nervously.

"Don't even think of running." He warned her firmly.

She looked at him, slightly glaring. "Who said I was even thinking of that?" She demanded defensively.

Alex smirked as he walked over to the bathroom, stretching his arms at the same time. "I can read you like a book, Tess." He said as he closed the door behind him, leaving Tess to glower at his direction.

She flopped down on the bed, making a sound and startling Kyle who jumped from where he laid. "What's going on?" He mumbled.

"Sorry." She said quietly and Kyle nodded at her.

"What's the matter?" He asked with concern.

Tess slumped her shoulders as she took a deep breath. "I want to leave." She confessed, waiting for his outburst.

"Why?" Kyle asked worriedly.

"I can't stand it anymore. I don't want to talk to him. I have to go." She said hastily as she stood up. They both knew she was talking about Max.

"Don't be stupid Tess and run off. It's not worth it. It'll give him more reason to doubt you." He declared.

"That's not news to me, Kyle. Whether I stay here or not isn't going to change anything. He'll always hate me." She stated unhappily.

"Max loves you. Don't ever think otherwise." He said firmly.

"Right." She said with a scoff.

"Tess, it killed Max when you were poisoned. He stayed in this room like a crazy obsessed man because he wanted to stay with you, afraid that it might be the last time he'd ever get to spend with you. He showed devotion, and caring and love." He insisted.

Tess scoffed as she rolled her eyes. "Love. I hate that word." She mumbled cynically.

"No, you're mad at Max so you're making it seem like you don't love him but you do. And don't even try arguing with me." He said stubbornly. "You risked your life for him; you risked your son's future even when you knew that Max would hate you in the end although you were trying to do right by him. Don't tell me that's not love."

"That's duty." She argued stubbornly, crossing her arms.

"Tess-" He said impatiently but suddenly the door to the room opened and he was cut in the middle of his sentence.

Max stood in front of them looking wide eyed and shocked. "How…when?" He stammered.

Tess sighed as she gave Kyle a worried look. "Max, can you give us a minute here?" He asked as he gave the other man an apologetic smile.

Max narrowed his eyes suspiciously but from the way Tess looked, he nodded silently and walked back out again.

"Oh, God. I can't do this again." Tess groaned as she put her head in her hands.

"It'll be fine." Kyle whispered, rubbing her back softly. "Just talk. Listen to each other. I know it's hard but you have to trust me when I say that a lot of things have changed while you were sleeping. Just give him a chance."

"He doesn't deserve another chance." She argued irritably; her voice muffled in her hands.

"Maybe not but you're awake now and he wants to talk to you and I suggest you be nice to him. He loves you no matter what. Just remember that." Kyle declared and then he stood up and knocked on the bathroom door.

"Yeah?" Alex asked from behind the door.

"We have to go." Kyle announced and the door burst open.

"Is something wrong? Is Tess alright?" Alex asked worried as he peered into the bedroom, relieved to see Tess still sitting on the bed.

"Max is outside. He's waiting." Kyle told him.

Alex eyes widened and he nodded. "Oh. I'll be out in a minute." He said and closed the door back again.

"You can't leave me here by myself." Tess said to Kyle as he waited for Alex to come out.

"You two need some time alone." He insisted.

Tess shook her head, looking angry but more afraid. "What I need is to get away from that bastard outside. I don't understand why you're making me talk to him when all he's done is hurt me!" She exclaimed furiously.

"He's your husband. You can handle him. Now stop calling Max names." Kyle defended.

"Ex-husband from my past life." She clarified curtly.

"Whatever." He sighed impatiently. "About time." Kyle said when Alex came out.

Alex walked over to Tess and hugged her. "We'll be right outside the door." He said as he kissed her on the forehead.

Tess looked at him pleadingly but he brushed it off and followed Kyle out the door. "Hey Max." He said, giving his friend a warning look that told him to be nice.

Max gave Kyle and Alex a distracted nod and walked in the room. Tess had now moved to stand by the window, her back turned to him.

"Make it fast." She uttered brusquely as she turned to face him.  She looked calm despite her anger.

Max cleared his throat. "When did you wake up?" He asked, still looking at her.

"Last night." She answered with a shrug.

"Oh. Why wasn't I told?" He asked when he realized that it's been hours since she was awake and no one had bothered to wake him and tell him the good news.

Tess sighed. "I didn't want them to. But now you know. It doesn't really matter, does it?"

"Tess, can we talk?" Max asked uncomfortably.

"We're talking right now." She declared icily.

"Actually, I'm talking and you're just being angry." Max declared, slightly annoyed by her tone.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Did you want me to jump for joy now that I'm awake and you've graced me with your royal presence?" She said sarcastically. Her blue eyes turned dark as she glared at him.

"Tess, stop being sarcastic and just talk normal." He snapped at her and she scoffed.

"Don't you fucking yell at me, Max Evans. Who the hell do you think you are?" She asked angry, her voice harsh.

"I'm not yelling! I don't want to fight you!" He insisted sternly.

"Well, I don't care about what you want!" She retorted just as angrily. "Now, say whatever mean thing you want to say because you have about half an hour before I leave."

"You're leaving? Where are you going?" He asked, slightly shocked that she would just leave.

"None of you business." She declared as she defensively crossed her arms in front of her.

"I didn't come here to argue with you or say anything mean or yell or whatever it is that you think I came here for." He said as his voice grew calm. "I didn't even know you were awake. I just came to see you."

"Well, now you've seen me." She blurted out as she crossed the room and stood away from him.

"I thought you were dead, Tess. I honestly did, even when Kail came to save you." He decided to say.

"But you were wrong." She said, not surprised that Kail and his men were there to rescue him.

Max nodded. "And I'm glad." He stated quietly. "These past few days, all I wanted was for you to wake up. I thought I was going to go crazy."

"Where is this leading to, Max? I don't see a point to this conversation." Tess said severely as she glared at him.

"Then stop with the nasty comments and for once listen. Stop being angry." He said harshly.

"I don't want to listen to you. I'm through." She said quietly, shaking her head.

"Well, I'm not." Max insisted. "There are so many things I want to tell you. Hear me out, please." He said pleadingly.

Tess chuckled. "You know, that's the first time that I've ever heard you say please to me. Since I came back all you've done is yell at me. Before I blacked out, all I remember was that you were yelling." She said unhappily.

"I was wrong then. I didn't know the whole truth." He explained, feeling guilty. "I should have listened."

"But you didn't. But I guess that's my fault. It would never have come to this if I just did everything right."

"It doesn't matter. We're here now." He said walking towards her but she abruptly backed away on instinct.

"Sorry." She mumbled as she rubbed her hands on her arms nervously.

"It's alright. I guess you just have to get used to me." He answered softly.

Tess looked up at him, her eyes sad as she shook her head. "I don't plan on it, Max." She stated nonchalantly.

Max frowned. "What do you mean?" He inquired.

"I don't plan on getting used to you." She clarified with a gulp. "Just because you finally realized that you feel something for me-whatever it may be-does not mean that I'm going to stick around and pretend that we're the happy couple like we used to be."

"So that's it? You're just going to leave?" He demanded angrily.

Tess nodded. "Yes, that's it. It's that simple."

"You're not even going to try to make us work?" He exclaimed. "God dammit, Tess, I love you and you're just going to walk away!"

"That's right, Max. I am just going to walk away. We don't always get what we want. So get used to it."

"Like hell I am. I went through a year without you. I thought you betrayed me, then I find out you're alive and I'm tortured with doubts, with all these thoughts of you suffering. The next thing I know, I'm being beaten to death, and then you're dying from poison that you took. I am not going to let you go, even if it costs me my life. I lost you more than enough!" He argued fiercely.

She shook her head at him as she fought back the tears. "Don't do this to me!" She whispered brokenly as she sat down dejectedly.

"I'm not doing anything to you. I love you. I always will." Max said as he walked towards her. Max ginger put his arm around her and Tess pushed him away stubbornly.

"Don't touch me. I hate you." She said miserably.

Max nodded as he tried again and pulled her into a tight embrace, refusing to let her go even when she struggled to get him away from her. "I can live with that as long as you promise not to leave me again."

"I can't do this, Max. We're not going to work. Our life was a disaster in the past. It's not going to be any different now." She said as she buried her face on his shoulder. "I should have left while everyone was asleep."

"I wouldn't have forgiven you. I don't think we could both live with that." He stated.

"As long as you're finally safe, I can live with anything." She said softly and Max sighed.

"That's what makes me love you more." He whispered. He could feel that she was tense against his touch, that she wasn't letting her guard down just yet.

"Don't." She pleaded.

"I can't help it if I love you. You're selfless and stubborn and unpredictable, and kind." He continued.

"And you're a jerk for even thinking that I betrayed you." She said as she pulled away from him abruptly.

Max sighed, shaking his head. "I thought we were past that." He stated.

"We're not past anything. Zan would never have doubted me." She claimed and Max flinched.

"I can't be everything that Zan was." He said as he backed away from her.

"And that's too bad because he was a good man." Tess retorted.

"I'm sorry if I'm not good enough. I'm sorry that I can be like him but I love you. I can't change that." He snapped.

"I'm tired of this, Max. I really am." Tess said in defeat. "I wish we could go back to the way we were in Antar. Everything seemed so much simpler." She whispered as she wiped her tears away with the back of her hand.

"But we died in the war." He reminded her.

"I meant before the war. Everything was so easy." She sighed.

"Life wasn't meant to be easy, Tess. Everyone struggles." Max declared softly.

"But our life is so hard. I never wanted this. I never asked to be Queen. And I sure as hell did not ask to be brought back again for another brutal life." She whimpered.

"No, but we can't help who we are." Max stated.

"You're a real hypocrite, you know that?" She said unsympathetically.

"What?"

"You have the nerve to tell me that we can't help who we are when you won't even admit that deep inside you, you are Zan no matter what you believe!" She exclaimed furiously.

"Tess, let's not fight." Max pleaded.

"I'm not fighting. I'm telling you the truth!" She insisted. "You can't just be Max Evans and ignore everything else that is different about you."

"I have never denied who I am Tess! God, I've been stuck with who I am since I came here."

"Well, join the club!" She shrieked.

"What is wrong with us?" Max asked breathlessly.

"Everything. You love two women and well, technically, I'm still married to Khivar although he's dead." Tess stated.

"You're my wife." Max argued.

"Okay. Don't go territorial and possessive on me, Max. We haven't been married for decades. Let's not start with that again." Tess stated coldly.

"I just don't like the thought of you being touched by someone else, especially Khivar." He explained as a shiver ran down his spine. It really disgusted him that Khivar had his hands on Tess.

"Yeah." Tess said as she gulped. She was about to say something when a knock interrupted them.

Max groaned as he walked over to the door and opened it, obviously annoyed. Kail stood in front of him.

"What do you want?" Max demanded curtly.

"Just following orders." Kail replied as he gave Tess a nod.

Max frowned and then look back at Tess who was walking towards them. "Where are you going?" He demanded.

"Out." She answered as she pushed past him. "Don't worry, I'll be back." She added reassuringly as she glanced back at him.

Max nodded, feeling helpless but he trusted Tess. At least, he wanted to and he wanted to show her that. He sighed as he looked back at the empty room. He didn't know whether Tess would come back but he hoped that she'd stick to her word. He sat back down on the bed, suddenly feeling very tired.

He waited for a few minutes and still she didn't return. When he was finally ready to go after her, a knock interrupted his thoughts. Max looked up and saw Tess, holding a little infant in her arms.

"See? I didn't run." She weakly smiled at him as she walked towards him.

"Oh, God." Max whispered as he continued to stare at the infant in her arms. He looked about two years old.

"Say hi to Lex, Max." Tess said as she handed him her son but the little boy started to cry. She gave Max an apologetic smile. "He's not used to you." She explained.

"Yeah." He sighed uncomfortably.

"Max, he's still your son. It takes time." Tess insisted. She looked at Lex and smiled and kissed him on the forehead. "It's okay, honey. See? He's your father." She whispered to Lex who cooed when he heard her voice.

"He's beautiful." Max said tearfully.

"Yes, he is." She smiled proudly. "He has good genes."

Max nodded. "Hi, little guy."

"Say hi to Daddy, honey." Tess whispered and Lex giggled. "He likes you." She told Max.

"I thought I would never see him again." He told her tearfully.

"No matter what Max, he would have found his way back to you." She replied as she gave his hand a small squeeze.

"I missed two years worth of his life." He said unhappily.

"I'm sorry." She said.

"Me too." Max nodded. "Tess, please can we at least try for him? For our son?" Max asked as he looked up at her, truly feeling that he loved her.

Tess looked at him sadly. "I have a whole planet to run now Max, a son to raise, people to take care of, and an army to lead. Your life is here and I know that. We can't be together. I'm going back to Antar and I'm taking Lex with me."

Max frowned. "Who says you have to do this all on your own? Rightfully, I am the true King and Lex is my son. You're not just going to take him away from me." He argued.

"You don't know the first thing about being King and besides, everything you love is here." She insisted softly.

Max shook his head defiantly. "You and our son won't be."

"It doesn't matter. You'll see us when we visit you."

"That is not good enough. I want this. I want my family." He declared obstinately.  Why wont she listen to me?

"I know you do but not everything is going to fall back into place just because you want us to work so badly." Tess insisted.

"You're making excuses. I love you and you won't let me be with you and our son. I don't care if I don't know how to rule. You'll teach me. They'll accept that I'm king. You know all this time, I've been telling you how I feel and you never once said that you feel the same."

"I think I've pretty much proven how I feel." She stated stubbornly.

"Then say it."

Tess shook his head. "I'm not going to do this."

"You fell for him, didn't you?" Max asked in disbelief. "You spent two years in Antar with him. You're bound to feel something."

Tess shook her head. "Never." She swore.

"Then what is it?"

Tess looked down at her son, unable to look at Max. "I honestly don't know." She answered.

"Yes, you do!" He insisted.

"No, Max, I don't!" She argued tearfully. "I don't know why but I have a bad feeling about this."

"Tess-"

"We're going back and you're staying." She declared firmly.

"Like hell I am." He argued.

"I am Queen and what I say goes. Besides, you need to guard Earth from whatever enemies we still have here." Tess announced.

Max shook his head. "You're pulling rank on me?"  He asked, incredulously. 

"I'm saying what I think is best." She replied. "I'm not doing anything."

"Is this some sort of punishment for everything I've done to you?" He asked.

Tess sighed, still holding Lex. "I love you Max Evans but this how it has to be. Your home is here. I'm doing this for you. Trust me."

"I want to, Tess, but I still don't understand it." Max whispered in defeat.

"Go back to Liz, and if you still love then, alright. We can be together." She declared.

"But I already told you. I want you. Just you and Lex." He insisted.

"I believe you but a large part of you love her. I know that I can't make it go away but I need this-we need this. I want you to be sure, Max. I want to know that all this affection isn't due to gratitude and guilt." She explained quietly as she sat next to him and freed her one hand to hold his.

"I will go to you. I promise you that." He whispered.

"We'll see." She whispered.

"You still hate me, don't you?" He asked.

"No. No matter how much I want to hate you, I will always love you. It doesn't matter how far away we are from each other." She said as she sat next to him.

"I can't live without you, Tess."

"Yes, you can. You'll just have to for a little while." She sighed as she leaned and kissed him softly on the lips.

"I will always love you, Tess." He said as he returned her kiss. For a long time he held her there; her face buried in his collar bone while their son sat in contentment between them. "How long will this have to be?"

"For as long as you need it. There's no rush Max." She answered as she smiled at him.

"Ok." He answered, knowing full well that there was nothing that would change her mind. This was what she wanted.

She wanted him to be sure.

Max sighed. He owed her that in the least.

"Good bye, Max." She said as she pulled away from him.

"You're still going?"

She nodded. "I'm still going. Here, take him." She whispered.

Max looked at her with uncertainty. "I thought you were taking him with you." He said as he held Lex in his arms.

"I was but then I realized that I wasn't being fair. I've had a lot of time with him and you barely even got to hold him." She answered as a wave of emotions flooded her again. "Bring him back to me if you want to be with us but if you choose Liz, get Kail to take him. That way, it won't be so hard." She said tearfully as she bent down and kissed Lex on the forehead.

"Okay." Max answered.

"Good bye, Max." She said as she walked away from him and their son.

Max nodded sadly. "Good bye, Tess." He answered back. "For now."

~*~

A/N: I INTENDED THIS TO BE THE END BUT AS YOU CAN SEE, THEY DIDN'T STAY TOGETHER. I KNOW THAT I'M CRUEL BUT DO NOT FLAME ME, OKAY. THE WORDS JUST STARTED FLOWING AND IT ENDED UP THERE. THERE WILL BE ANOTHER CHAPTER OR TWO LEFT. PROBABLY JUST ONE. MAYBE I'LL WRITE A SEQUEL BUT THAT'S A HUGE MAYBE SO I GUESS, WE'LL JUST SEE HOW IT TURNS OUT NEXT. TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK AND DON'T BE MEAN OKAY GUYS.

THANKS.