Disclaimer: You know the drill…the characters aren't mine. A lot of stuff in the beginning is taken from End of the World. God knows THAT'S not mine. Anything that makes sense and makes it all better, now that's mine. Seriously, Roswell and all characters belong to Jason Katims, 20th Century Fox etc. I'm just borrowing them.

Authors Note: I'm not very happy with the way the excerpt from the destiny book came out. It will probably be rewritten very very soon. But, as bad as it is, I think I managed to convey my point.

Rating: PG-13 – possibly to R

Chapter Twenty – Five United

Max's cell phone rang. He shifted is weight, using the opportunity to get some distance between him and Tess, and answered his phone. After a quick hello, he was silent. Finally he said, "We'll be there in twenty minutes." He stuffed his phone in his pocket and reached for his coat.
"Tess, Michael and I have to go. Isabelle was out in the Jeep and it broke down. We need to get out there and fix it for her."
"Why doesn't she just use her powers to fix it?" complained Tess.
"Because to fix it, she still needs some understanding of how an internal combustion engine works. Isabelle doesn't care how it works, as long as it does," explained Max.

"Well, why don't I drive you out to wherever she is, and after you fix it, we can go do something, alone," said Tess.
"Because I don't have any comprehension of how an internal combustion engine works either," improvised Max. "But Michael does. That's why he and I need to go."
"Well why can't Michael go then?" whined Tess.
"Because the last time I tried to fix a car with my powers," interjected Michael, "I fried the entire electrical system in Maria's Jetta. Her mother still hasn't forgiven me."
"I don't get it then, how do you expect to fix the car?"
"It's simple," explained Max. Michael figures out what's wrong and tells me how its supposed to work, and I use my powers to fix it.

"It sounds stupid to me, Max," said Tess in a whiney voice that grated on Max's ears. "When are we ever going to get to spend any time together?"
"Soon, Tess, soon. I promise," said Max. "But right now, Michael and I really need to get going. Do you want us to walk you to the video store before we leave?"
"Video store?" asked Tess, blankly. "Why would I want to go there?"
"Remember, you said you were on the way to the video store when you looked in and saw King Charming through the window?" asked Michael.

Tess froze for a second. She quickly closed her eyes and concentrated, trying to erase the last few minutes from the minds of Max and Michael. After several seconds passed, she opened her eyes and smiled, confident that she had erased the faux pas from their minds.
"I guess you two had better be going if you are going to go rescue Isabelle," said Tess, smiling innocently. "But before you leave, would you walk me down to the video store? I promised the Sheriff that I'd return some rentals for him."

"So, what's really up?" asked Michael, once Tess was safely inside the video store.
"I don't know for sure," said Max. "That was Kyle on the phone, and he sounded totally freaked out. He was going on and on about the granolith, and vibrations and music. And I think he said something about Antar too, but it was hard to keep everything straight, the way he was going on and on."
"Is Maria alright?" asked Michael, his voice alarmed.
"Yeah, according to Kyle, they're all okay, at least physically they are. Emotionally, that sounds like it's another story all together."
"Where are they, my place?"
"No they were at Alex's house, but Kyle said they'd meet us at the pod chamber."
"Why there?" asked Michael, as they strapped on their helmets and climbed on the motorcycle.
"I'm not sure," said Max. "He said he thought they needed the Granolith." After Max finished speaking, Michael kick started the motorcycle, and the two roared out of site


A short while later, Michael pulled the bike in along side the Jeep, hidden behind a large sandstone outcropping of stones. The hot desert sun beat down on their backs as the climbed the path to the rock that concealed the pod chamber. Max passed his hand over the rock, and the door slid open and he and Michael walked inside.
"What's the matter? What's wrong?" asked Max, while Michael moved across the chamber and took Maria in his arms.
"Are you alright, Maria?" he asked.
"I am now that you're here," said Maria, holding him tightly.
"Liz, Isabelle, what's going on?" demanded Max, looking around the pod chamber. "Kyle sounded seriously upset when he called."
"Relax, Max," said Liz, taking his hand in hers. "Kyle was upset, we all were, but we think we figured out."
"Figured what out?" asked Max. "Liz, what are you talking about?"

Liz and the others explained what happened both in the granolith, and in Alex's bedroom. Max and Michael listened to their story in amazement.
"So, Maria started playing an Antarian song on Alex's guitar?" asked Michael. "But how, how would she know the music for that?"
"We think being in the granolith chamber triggered something," explained Isabelle. "We want to try it again, but we need all of us to try it."
"Why all of us?" asked Max. "It happened before without Michael and I."
"It's something I read in the translation of the Dupes book," said Alex. "There is a destiny alright, and we're all involved in it."

"Wait," said Michael. "Before we do anything else, I want to say something. Maria, I'm sorry I didn't believe you before, at the pancake house. You were right; we shouldn't have stayed. Right after you left, Tess showed up." The other seven stared at Michael, amazed that he would admit that he was wrong and Maria was right.
"Wh-what did you say?" asked Maria.
"I said you were right, we should have left the pancake place together. I'm sorry I doubted you."
"That's what I thought you said," said Maria. "I love you Space Boy. But why are you doing this now?"
"Well, I figure whatever you guys want to try is either going to blow us all up, or worse, and if it does, I don't want to die with that on my conscience."
"Works for me," said Maria. She stood on tiptoe and kissed him deeply.

"Look, as much as I'm enjoying this little mini episode of Moonlighting," said Kyle. "I'd really rather just get on with this."
"Yeah," agreed Ava. "Too much of this will send me into sugar shock."
"Okay, we're done," said Maria. "For now," she whispered, so that only Michael could hear her. "Lead on McDuff."

Isabelle led the group into the chamber that hid the granolith. The imposing structure stood before them, silent.
"Okay," said Liz. "Isabelle was standing here," she said, moving the taller girl into position. "And Ava was over here. Kyle, you were here, facing Ava, and Alex, you were standing here, on the outside, facing Isabelle. Max, I want you to go stand over there, on the other side of the granolith, over by Isabelle, and Michael, you need to be here, next to Ava." Liz continued to arrange everybody until she was satisfied with their positions. "Okay, Maria, you know what to do, right?" she asked. Maria nodded and went and stood facing Michael. Liz double-checked something against a paper she was carrying and nodded, they formed two squares around the granolith, the aliens stood with their backs to the granolith, while the Earth contingent faced the aliens, and the granolith.
"Ready everybody," she asked as the granolith began to glow. "I'm going to step into position now. Remember, don't break the squares, no matter what happens." Liz placed the two copies of the destiny book onto the console in front of the granolith. She dropped the paper she was holding and stepped into the square, facing Max.

The granolith began to glow. The light started at the base of the granolith and moved up the shaft, climbing higher and higher. When it reached the top of the granolith, it burst out in a dazzling display. Beams shot out and enveloped each member of the two squares in individual chambers of light. Liz looked at Max, and then slid her eyes to Ava who stood next Max, and Kyle who stood next to her. They seemed to glow, as though the light had penetrated them and was now reaching out. As she watched, beams of light shot out, connecting the eight chambers of light. Liz could feel the power and knowledge fill her soul. She felt stronger than she ever had before, and it was if she knew the secrets of both her world, and Antar.

Suddenly it felt as though the Earth began to shake. Liz looked around, and saw that the chamber of light containing Kyle had begun to move. As she watched, she realized that she too was moving. The chamber of light containing Liz shifted so that she was standing next to Max. She looked and saw that Kyle was now standing next to Ava. Beams of light shot out and joined their individual chambers, creating one large chamber of light. More beams of light shot up to the top of the granolith, and the light that had once contained them all, began to travel back into the granolith. The light in the granolith burned bright for a minute, and then slowly began to fade darkening first at the top. The darkness moved down the granolith to the base and into the console. The two destiny books burned brightly for a minute and then faded out.

"What the hell was that?" asked Max, as he looked around at the others. Instead of the two squares that Liz had arranged them in; they now made one square. Each of the four corners was comprised of a couple consisting of one Earthling, and one alien, and they now all faced the granolith.
"Oh my God," said Liz. "It worked."
"What worked?" asked Max. "What?"
Liz didn't say anything, instead she walked over to the granolith and picked up one of the two destiny books and passed it to Max.
"Read it," she said.
"Read it?" said Max. "I can't read it, or can I?" He opened the book, and began to read out loud, in Antarian. After he read several passages, he went back and read them again, this time in English.

"We did not send you to Earth to live in solitude," Max read from the book. "Nor do we plan for you to stay together in your four square, segregated from the rest of your new world. In this world, you will find many opportunities for love. When you find those that you are destined to be with, you will know what to do. Their power, coupled with yours will activate the granolith and reveal all to you. No matter how many times you try this, unless you are with those which you are destined to spend eternity, the granolith will not activate." Max stopped reading, and looked around the room, his gaze settling on Liz. "Us?" he asked, his voice incredulous. "We're destined to be together?"
"We all are," said Liz. "We formed two squares, and activated the granolith and became one. We're supposed to be together," she said. "Forever."