Part 14

Liz watched the sun come up as she sat staring out the window, her back to the door. She leaned her head against the cool windowpane as she let a lone tear trickle down her cheek. She missed everyone so much, Maria, Kyle, Isabel and even Michael but especially Max.

God, I miss him so much! She thought as she sat there deep in thought.

She still couldn't believe what she had just found out that Leanna was an alien and she was from the future.

Serena, Liz mentally corrected herself. Serena not Leanna.

She knew that she wasn't really angry at the fact that Serena kept her identity a secret from both of them till now but she was angrier at the fact that she was put on the spot again. Once again she had been asked to sacrifice her happiness. The last time she had to give up Max and now her life.

Maybe this is someone's way of telling me that Max and I really aren't meant to be together. She thought bitterly.

She continued to stare out the window, watching the sun cast a pink glow across the sky. She didn't even move when she heard someone come in. She knew instantly it was Alex. She didn't know how as she he didn't say anything nor did she see but somehow she had formed a bond with him over these past few days which had never been there before and she could just sense him now whenever he was close. She expected him to say something but he didn't.

Alex just came and sat down beside her, not saying a word but just holding her hand and giving her his support. Finally after a few silent minutes Liz looked away from the window and turned to him. He was watching her intently, his eyes serious and thoughtful.

"What?" she asked, a bit irritably when he continued to watch her silently.

"I heard what happened." He told her gently.

"Oh."

"Yeah."Alex replied squeezing her hand. "I can't believe I didn't see how weird you were acting. I can't believe I wasn't there for you."

Liz looked up at him as he berated himself and gave him a scolding look. "You couldn't have done anything. Whatever had to be done was to be done by me and me only." She told him gently but firmly.

"But I could have been there for you." Alex argued. He gave her a small smile. "I could have knocked some sense in both of you."

Liz smiled sadly. "It had to be done. There was no other way."

Alex lowered his head, once again solemn. "I know.I know all the details." He looked back at her in slight awe. "I can't believe you actually managed to do that. It must have killed you."

Liz gave a short bitter laugh. "Now that I think about it I can't believe it myself. Either I was incredibly stupid or incredibly courageous." She shook her head, her voice low. "And I was neither. I knew what had to be done." She gave him a watery smile. ".And I just did it."

Alex didn't answer her. He just draped his arm around her giving her a hug. They sat that way for a while, both of them thinking about the others, both wondering how they were all doing.

Suddenly Alex said, "You can trust her you know."

"Serena?"

Alex nodded. "She is here to help." He told her.

"No, she's here to tell me to once again give up everything I long for." Liz replied. "In fact she already has."

"That wasn't her doing." Alex told Liz. Liz looked at him in surprise, having assumed that Serena had been behind the plane crash.

"She really wasn't." Alex asserted, seeing her look. "In fact she's here to prevent certain events that would have taken place had you returned to Roswell from the airport."

"What things?" Liz asked suspiciously.

"Let's just say very bad things."Alex replied uncomfortably, not wanting to repeat all that Serena had told him.

Liz didn't press further, but making a mental note to ask him later. She needed to ask him something else right now.

"Alex if she can do mind warps then does she have dual powers?" Liz asked. "She healed you remember."

Alex shook his head. "I asked her about that. She actually healed me by the healing stones. Apparently she got them from River Dog." Alex told her.

"But Michael took them away." Liz replied perplexed. "And how did she use them without us?"

"It seems River Dog had helped her get them from Michael. Michael has been going to River dog often this year." Alex told her. He smiled. "Apparently it was for Maria."

"As for how she used them they already had a part of our essence in them so she used that. I think that's why I am so aware of you. I absorbed a part of all your essences."

Liz nodded, taking this all in. "Why is she here?" Liz asked again, still not convinced.

"To help us change the future. The future that got messed up when our other versions decided to play God."

"But now so are we."Liz whispered.

"We are only correcting what has been wronged." Alex told her.

Liz bit her lip. "Alex, how can I trust her? She lied to me, to us!" Liz said.

"Haven't you lied to me? Remember the beginning of the school year? And Max? Haven't you lied to him?" Alex asked. "Does that mean that we shouldn't trust you?"

"But I had to protect you!" Liz argued.

"So did she!" Alex argued right back. "She lied to protect us."

Alex looked at her and made her look at him. "Can you honestly say that you can't relate to what she was trying to do?"

Liz slowly shook her head, finally realizing that maybe Serena had been trying to protect them. Maybe she had had no choice.