~Chapter 23~
As soon as she awoke, Victoria turned over to Max on the floor beside her. "Max, are you asleep?" She whispered.
He opened his eyes. "No, but you were."
"Yes. And I was dream-walking." -Victoria said, beginning a very quiet conversation between them.
"Who and how?" Max asked, surprised.
"I was in the baby's dream. I don't know how I was able to do it. Maybe he brought me into it." -Victoria.
"He? You said he." -Max.
"I'm having a boy." -Victoria.
"How do you know that?" -Max asked, frowning.
"I saw him and I held him, Max. It was his dream - I know it. I was in this warm, hazy place. It was comforting and safe. I think it was him dreaming of where he's at." Max started to say something, but she then told him about Isabel being there and their plan.
"You think that will work?" -Max.
"It'll have to. Let's just hope." -Victoria.
Max frowned, thinking of something else. "Wait a minute. If Isabel saw you there - were you still holding him in the dream?"
"Yes." -Victoria.
Max sighed. "That's not good. Everyone's going to know."
Victoria put a hand on his shoulder. "I told Isabel not to tell anyone for now. She said she wouldn't."
Max sat up. "The most important thing is for us to just get out of here - and sometime soon. Before it's too late."
"Agreed." -Victoria.
"And then, we'll worry about how we're going to tell everyone." -Max.
-
"A couple weeks ago, one of the others - the 'princess'- my double, was in my mind. She saw this place, but I don't think she knows where it's at." Lonnie said, turning to look at Bryce.
"Why are you just now telling me?" Bryce asked, angrily.
"Cause I stopped the problem before it was a problem. She's blocked from getting in again. And also 'cause I think the two is up to something." -Lonnie.
"What could they possibly do? Another stand - some fighting, it doesn't matter - they're too out-numbered. They're helpless without the aid of their powers." -Bryce.
"I'm not sure. But I betcha I wouldn't wait to find out when it's too late." -Lonnie.
Bryce walked back and forth, thinking. "I'll contain them individually." He stopped and said, "No. More than that. Simply splitting them up won't be quite the answer." He turned back to Lonnie. "I think one of them should be eliminated."
- -
Victoria had just closed her eyes and was about to try to meet Isabel again, when Max grasped her shoulder. "Victoria!"
She sat up quickly. He pulled her to stand next to him. And six men were there, with Bryce having just walked into the room.
"I've been informed that there may be a bit of trouble brewing. You see I just really have to eliminate the threat. First I've got to separate the two of you." He motioned to the men.
Anticipating a fight from the two, Bryce held up a hand, "Wait. Think before you act. I'd hate to see the little mother harmed in the fray. Would you like to see that Max?"
Max just glared at him, defiantly. "There is a lot of ways she could be harmed and I can still assure that she births my project." Bryce said, "Come with me calmly."
Victoria stepped forward and Max pushed her back. He stepped forward instead, and let the men take hold of him. Then Bryce sighed, "I was really going to use you in the equation, Max - but seeing as you performed your main service - I'll really just have to do without you."
Max realized then what they intended. And so did Victoria, but it was too late.
"Max!" Victoria screamed. He looked back at her then and they forced him away.
"Max!" Victoria ran to him, but she was pushed back by some of the men. She screamed and started to fight them, when she heard Max shout back at her, "Don't fight them!"
She threw herself away from the men. They left.
"Don't hurt him!" She screamed at the glass. She begged and threatened endlessly, pounding against the glass and walls.
Not long after, they came and sedated her and took her to another room.
- -
Isabel was lying on the couch in the hotel apartment back in Roswell. She'd told every one of the dream and seeing Victoria - minus the baby issue. They were all silent around her, expectantly. She was almost there.
Isabel met Victoria inside the baby's dream again.
But Isabel knew something was wrong. Victoria had been pacing and when she saw Isabel, she rushed to her frantically.
"Isabel, they separated us. They're going to hurt Max- maybe even kill him!" - Victoria.
"What happened? What changed?!" Isabel asked, extremely worried now.
"I don't know for sure, but I think for one, Lonnie told about you being in her dream. I can't help you with Lonnie. There's not a lot of time, Isabel!" -Victoria.
"What am I going to do?" Isabel asked. She started to panic out of fear and helplessness.
"Has Saelar come back?" -Victoria asked quickly.
"I don't know. I don't think so." -Isabel.
"Is he at the hotel?" -Victoria.
"No, we're all here. Why?!" -Isabel.
"You have to find him. He's supposed to protect us. He'll know what to do and--" Suddenly, Victoria looked behind her in the background.
Isabel looked too, but she couldn't see anything.
"They're going to force me to wake up." Victoria said.
"Don't-don't go yet, Victoria!" -Isabel.
"Isabel! Tell Michael I love him - in case.." She let her words fade.
As Victoria was disappearing, Isabel heard her once more, "Call for Saelar!"
- - Isabel woke up straight on the couch. Her stricken face alarmed everyone. Even more so, when she said her next words. "They're in trouble!"
She wouldn't listen to any of their questions. "There's not much time!" She yelled.
"Enough time for what? Isabel!" Michael shook her.
"Victoria couldn't help me with Lonnie. She thinks Lonnie told about the dream that I was in. They separated her and Max. And-" Isabel looked up at Michael then, remembering Victoria's words. "I don't think she thinks either of them is going to make it out of there alive."
"Why?" Michael demanded.
"She told me to tell you she loves you - in case---" Isabel didn't continue. Michael dropped his hands from her shoulder, his face losing its color.
"What else did she say, Isabel?" Liz asked, having jumped up from her seat.
"She thinks they're going to kill Max." -Isabel.
"No!" Liz shouted. "No way." She shook her head in denial. Maria and Kyle both went to her.
"Oh my God, honey-" Jesse said, taking Isabel in his arms. But she couldn't be comforted.
"Focus, people! What is there to be done?" Maria asked.
Isabel shook her head. "Victoria said to find Saelar. But he's not here- she thought he would be here by now."
"Were those her exact words?" Michael asked, after hearing the alien's name.
"Kind of. And then she said call to him. That's all I know. They were forcing her to wake up so she had to leave." -Isabel.
"Call to Saelar?" Michael paced back and forth in front of the glass balcony doors. "Call to Saelar? What the hell is that supposed to mean?! And what is he going to do?"
"Oh, she said he's supposed to protect us!" Isabel cried. "Those were her words."
Michael threw the glass door open and strode out onto the balcony. He didn't have much faith or trust in this mysterious older alien of whom Victoria knew a great deal more than he did. He'd helped her before. But where the hell was he now? He couldn't lose Max or Victoria. Neither one of them. And he felt helpless- backed into a corner, helpless. The anger burned so hotly in him. Even with the doors closed, the group inside could hear his angry yelling. "You sonovabitch! If you're supposed to protect us - where are you SAELAR?! Where the hell are you?" Michael railed out his anger, pounding the balcony rails.
- - -
As soon as she awoke, Victoria turned over to Max on the floor beside her. "Max, are you asleep?" She whispered.
He opened his eyes. "No, but you were."
"Yes. And I was dream-walking." -Victoria said, beginning a very quiet conversation between them.
"Who and how?" Max asked, surprised.
"I was in the baby's dream. I don't know how I was able to do it. Maybe he brought me into it." -Victoria.
"He? You said he." -Max.
"I'm having a boy." -Victoria.
"How do you know that?" -Max asked, frowning.
"I saw him and I held him, Max. It was his dream - I know it. I was in this warm, hazy place. It was comforting and safe. I think it was him dreaming of where he's at." Max started to say something, but she then told him about Isabel being there and their plan.
"You think that will work?" -Max.
"It'll have to. Let's just hope." -Victoria.
Max frowned, thinking of something else. "Wait a minute. If Isabel saw you there - were you still holding him in the dream?"
"Yes." -Victoria.
Max sighed. "That's not good. Everyone's going to know."
Victoria put a hand on his shoulder. "I told Isabel not to tell anyone for now. She said she wouldn't."
Max sat up. "The most important thing is for us to just get out of here - and sometime soon. Before it's too late."
"Agreed." -Victoria.
"And then, we'll worry about how we're going to tell everyone." -Max.
-
"A couple weeks ago, one of the others - the 'princess'- my double, was in my mind. She saw this place, but I don't think she knows where it's at." Lonnie said, turning to look at Bryce.
"Why are you just now telling me?" Bryce asked, angrily.
"Cause I stopped the problem before it was a problem. She's blocked from getting in again. And also 'cause I think the two is up to something." -Lonnie.
"What could they possibly do? Another stand - some fighting, it doesn't matter - they're too out-numbered. They're helpless without the aid of their powers." -Bryce.
"I'm not sure. But I betcha I wouldn't wait to find out when it's too late." -Lonnie.
Bryce walked back and forth, thinking. "I'll contain them individually." He stopped and said, "No. More than that. Simply splitting them up won't be quite the answer." He turned back to Lonnie. "I think one of them should be eliminated."
- -
Victoria had just closed her eyes and was about to try to meet Isabel again, when Max grasped her shoulder. "Victoria!"
She sat up quickly. He pulled her to stand next to him. And six men were there, with Bryce having just walked into the room.
"I've been informed that there may be a bit of trouble brewing. You see I just really have to eliminate the threat. First I've got to separate the two of you." He motioned to the men.
Anticipating a fight from the two, Bryce held up a hand, "Wait. Think before you act. I'd hate to see the little mother harmed in the fray. Would you like to see that Max?"
Max just glared at him, defiantly. "There is a lot of ways she could be harmed and I can still assure that she births my project." Bryce said, "Come with me calmly."
Victoria stepped forward and Max pushed her back. He stepped forward instead, and let the men take hold of him. Then Bryce sighed, "I was really going to use you in the equation, Max - but seeing as you performed your main service - I'll really just have to do without you."
Max realized then what they intended. And so did Victoria, but it was too late.
"Max!" Victoria screamed. He looked back at her then and they forced him away.
"Max!" Victoria ran to him, but she was pushed back by some of the men. She screamed and started to fight them, when she heard Max shout back at her, "Don't fight them!"
She threw herself away from the men. They left.
"Don't hurt him!" She screamed at the glass. She begged and threatened endlessly, pounding against the glass and walls.
Not long after, they came and sedated her and took her to another room.
- -
Isabel was lying on the couch in the hotel apartment back in Roswell. She'd told every one of the dream and seeing Victoria - minus the baby issue. They were all silent around her, expectantly. She was almost there.
Isabel met Victoria inside the baby's dream again.
But Isabel knew something was wrong. Victoria had been pacing and when she saw Isabel, she rushed to her frantically.
"Isabel, they separated us. They're going to hurt Max- maybe even kill him!" - Victoria.
"What happened? What changed?!" Isabel asked, extremely worried now.
"I don't know for sure, but I think for one, Lonnie told about you being in her dream. I can't help you with Lonnie. There's not a lot of time, Isabel!" -Victoria.
"What am I going to do?" Isabel asked. She started to panic out of fear and helplessness.
"Has Saelar come back?" -Victoria asked quickly.
"I don't know. I don't think so." -Isabel.
"Is he at the hotel?" -Victoria.
"No, we're all here. Why?!" -Isabel.
"You have to find him. He's supposed to protect us. He'll know what to do and--" Suddenly, Victoria looked behind her in the background.
Isabel looked too, but she couldn't see anything.
"They're going to force me to wake up." Victoria said.
"Don't-don't go yet, Victoria!" -Isabel.
"Isabel! Tell Michael I love him - in case.." She let her words fade.
As Victoria was disappearing, Isabel heard her once more, "Call for Saelar!"
- - Isabel woke up straight on the couch. Her stricken face alarmed everyone. Even more so, when she said her next words. "They're in trouble!"
She wouldn't listen to any of their questions. "There's not much time!" She yelled.
"Enough time for what? Isabel!" Michael shook her.
"Victoria couldn't help me with Lonnie. She thinks Lonnie told about the dream that I was in. They separated her and Max. And-" Isabel looked up at Michael then, remembering Victoria's words. "I don't think she thinks either of them is going to make it out of there alive."
"Why?" Michael demanded.
"She told me to tell you she loves you - in case---" Isabel didn't continue. Michael dropped his hands from her shoulder, his face losing its color.
"What else did she say, Isabel?" Liz asked, having jumped up from her seat.
"She thinks they're going to kill Max." -Isabel.
"No!" Liz shouted. "No way." She shook her head in denial. Maria and Kyle both went to her.
"Oh my God, honey-" Jesse said, taking Isabel in his arms. But she couldn't be comforted.
"Focus, people! What is there to be done?" Maria asked.
Isabel shook her head. "Victoria said to find Saelar. But he's not here- she thought he would be here by now."
"Were those her exact words?" Michael asked, after hearing the alien's name.
"Kind of. And then she said call to him. That's all I know. They were forcing her to wake up so she had to leave." -Isabel.
"Call to Saelar?" Michael paced back and forth in front of the glass balcony doors. "Call to Saelar? What the hell is that supposed to mean?! And what is he going to do?"
"Oh, she said he's supposed to protect us!" Isabel cried. "Those were her words."
Michael threw the glass door open and strode out onto the balcony. He didn't have much faith or trust in this mysterious older alien of whom Victoria knew a great deal more than he did. He'd helped her before. But where the hell was he now? He couldn't lose Max or Victoria. Neither one of them. And he felt helpless- backed into a corner, helpless. The anger burned so hotly in him. Even with the doors closed, the group inside could hear his angry yelling. "You sonovabitch! If you're supposed to protect us - where are you SAELAR?! Where the hell are you?" Michael railed out his anger, pounding the balcony rails.
- - -