CHAPTER 14

Back at Max and Liz's apartment, things had begun to quiet down a little. Maria walked around the apartment, checking the rooms and wondering what time Michael would return. She smiled. He's probably sitting beside the crib watching Ella sleep. He would do that for hours when she was first born - just to make sure she was still breathing.

Serena stepped into the house from the balcony and smiled at Maria. She started to head towards the bathroom.

"Serena.could I talk to you for a second?" Maria approached the taller woman. God she looked like a supermodel.this was her love rival!

"Uh.sure, what's up?" Serena replied nervously. She had a feeling she knew what this was about.

"Michael told me about that day at the motel. I was kind of surprised but then it made sense. I've seen the way you look at him, Serena."

Serena blushed. She couldn't believe that Maria was talking to her about this. "What do you mean?" she croaked.

"I'm a rational person, Serena. I know that you would never put the moves on a practically married man. Things are different here on planet earth." Maria felt she was getting her point across.

All Serena could do was nod, she was mortified. "If everything goes wrong, and Josh gets taken to Antar, we'll have no choice but to go after him." Serena felt bad saying it but it was the truth.

Maria thought about this for a moment nodding. "Yes, you will. And you should know, Michael loves Max and Josh and would do anything for them. But he won't go to Antar and Max would never ask him. He won't leave Ella. If it was just me, then he'd go and come back. If you think he'll go to Antar and change his mind about you, you're wrong. This is his home - we're his family." Maria felt a stab of jealousy towards the woman who stood before her nervously fidgeting. She was the strongest link Michael had to his past and Michael had always wanted to know more about his previous life.

"Maria, I never came here to come between you and Michael. I don't love Michael, I love Rath and these past few weeks I've realised that they are two different people. You should understand Maria, that Rath was the love of my life - it's very hard to accept he's dead even if it was over 60 earth years ago." Serena's eyes filled with unspilled tears as she realised that she would never have her lover again.

"Rath would want you to move on, Serena. Michael wants you to move on. I can tell that you and Rohan have a thing." Maria looked at the girl sympathetically. Serena was surprised that Maria knew about her and Rohan.

"It's like a sixth sense, and I can see that he loves you very much. Rath wouldn't want you to spend the rest of your life dwelling on what will never be. Michael may be the closest thing you have to Rath, but as you said, they're two different people." Maria took Serena's hand as the tears rolled down the aliens cheeks.

Suddenly, Rohan burst through the door of the apartment, his face covered in blood. Max and Liz rushed from the balcony as did Kyle and Tess. Serena rushed to Rohan's side, wiping away her tears, her attention now completely focussed on her injured lover.

"Ro, what happened? Are you ok?" Serena swept his hair away from his blood and sweat covered forehead.

"I.I know where they are." Rohan choked before passing out.