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.
