Liz walked swiftly down the passage way, this was it! This had to be the
one! This was the only corridor she could find that matched Serena's
description. Liz' steps became swifter as she remembered her earlier
encounter. Just the thought of it made he heart quicken and a tingling
sensation creep it's way up her neck. Kivar. it's was just her luck that
out of all the people in the palace she could run into, she had found him!
Typical!
And yet even as Liz pretended to laugh at the occurrence inside she was fighting her feelings. Why was she struck with terror whenever she thought of him? Why did just the memory of his voice start her looking over her shoulder in fear? Why did she feel like he was there all the time? Like he had made some claim on her? She once again shivered looking round her shoulder one last time before coming to the corner.
A corner, she thought, isn't this where all bad things happen to me? I walk into people, I walk away from people, I block things out, I hide behind corners. Well this is one corner I'm sure as not gonna hide behind!
Liz stepped round the corner and found herself looking at a door, a bolted door! A jail door! The right door, she was sure of it. But she also saw. a guard.
Great! Just great! She thought, while eying his bulging muscles and terrifying eterior sheepishly. Well here we go again!
'Good evening.'
'Barrok.'
'Well then.. good evening Barok.'
'Excuse me madam, but this is a restricted area. But perhaps if you're free tomorrow.' his face twisted into a leering smile as he moved closer pressing himself up against her.
Lis swallowed the feeling of nausia that waved over her and fixed him with her eyes 'Oh.. sorry tomorrow night's not so good for me, perhaps one the day you grow a brain! Go to hell,' she said as she blasted him into a wall.
***
Max sat slumped, his head in his hands. Why had he done it? Why had he left? Surely he should have remembered how he felt that day in the Crashdown with Liz' life slipping away from him! That was why he had risked everything to save her, so why had he just left her down there with some alien killer? How could he even be sure she was alive, I mean sure he still felt a vague connection but how could he be sure he wasn't just imagining it to make himself feel better?
He'd slept with Tess! Why? How could he have done that to Liz, yes she slept with Kyle, but he loved her! He would have died for her, even now he would if he could. His body ached for a touch, a taste, even a smell of her. In his mind he could still see every curve of her body, every exquisite movement she made. He could even remember every sweet word she had whispered in his ear, just to hear her voice would be such welcome relief. And he had betrayed her in every way possible, and for what? Tess? How could he have been so stupid not to see through her? All she did was use him! Why?
Max looked over at where Isabel sat sleeping in a corner, and then at Michael who lay sprawled across the floor dreaming of Maria. He had destroyed their lives too! Taken everything away from them, everything they loved! He had wrecked so many lives because of his hurt, his pain, no, his selfishness! A tear rolled down his cheek as he thought about what he had done, everything he had destroyed! The pain he had caused hadn't just stopped at his friends, it went on to his parents, to the Valentis and even to the people of Antar. He had given Kivar a means to rule by, and now no one could stop him.
Max raised his head at the sound of voices outside, the sound of a bang and then some one playing with the lock. Oh great! Tess is back for more! thought Max as he slumped his head back in his hands. But that didn't sound like Tess, it sounded more like. 'Liz?'
***
Liz looked over at the guard who was slumped on the floor by her feet, she hadn't thought she could do that much. She hoped he wasn't hurt, but then again, he deserved it. She placed her hand on the lock and within seconds there was a small click. She pushed the door open and peered inside. 'Liz?'
Liz' heart skipped a beat as she heard the familiar voice, and saw the familiar figure running out of the darkness towards her. When it got within a meter of her it hesitated studying her for a second. Was she just one of Tess' mind games? And then the figure leapt at her, she wasn't she couldn't be! She felt Max' strong arms wrapping themselves round her, and she felt him taking deep intakes of breath, trying to savor her smell.
Max stood there in paradise, it was Liz! She was here! He was so caught up in the ecstasy of his feelings that it was quite some time before he noticed how she stood. Her body was stiff and unyielding in his arms and the face that should have worn a radiant smile was masked from him. 'Liz?' he asked quietly, unsure of himself for the first time.
Liz pulled herself out of his arms and walked further into the room, away from him. Her face, now hidden from him was covered in flames of anger. Did he just think he could run up to her and everything would be forgotten? All those years of heartache? All those years of pain? She forced her face into a small smile as she leant over Isabel. 'Isabel?'
Isabel stirred and then her eyes shot open, 'It can't be time yet. I'm not ready to die. I. Isabel? No one's called me that since. Liz?' she gasped in amazement. 'What, What are you doing here?' Her breath came short, was this really happening, could she really believe?
'I've come to take you home.' said Liz with a reassuring smile.
'Home.' asked Isabel her voice becoming immediately warm. 'You mean to Mom and Dad. I can be Isabel again, just Isabel?'
Liz nodded and smiled, and then turned and walked across the room to where Michael lay. She placed a gentle hand on his shoulder and lowered her head to kiss him on the cheek.
Michael lifted his head from the ground, 'Maria?' he asked drowsily.
'No, it's me Liz. But Maria's waiting for you, she's been waiting for a long time!'
'Have you come to take me to her?' asked Michael with hope.
'Yeah, come on. Lets go.'
Liz walked out of the door with Max following protectively at her heals. Max looked down in surprise at the guard, 'How-?'
'Lets just say he came on to me, OK?' replied Liz without even turning to look. 'I didn't come in here unnoticed, OK, so can we please hurry up before some one notices you're gone!'
Michael and Isabel sped up immediately, they were gonna go home, if they had to then they would fight, but if they didn't have to fight then that was even better! Max just followed, his head in turmoil, his heart heavy in his chest.
And yet even as Liz pretended to laugh at the occurrence inside she was fighting her feelings. Why was she struck with terror whenever she thought of him? Why did just the memory of his voice start her looking over her shoulder in fear? Why did she feel like he was there all the time? Like he had made some claim on her? She once again shivered looking round her shoulder one last time before coming to the corner.
A corner, she thought, isn't this where all bad things happen to me? I walk into people, I walk away from people, I block things out, I hide behind corners. Well this is one corner I'm sure as not gonna hide behind!
Liz stepped round the corner and found herself looking at a door, a bolted door! A jail door! The right door, she was sure of it. But she also saw. a guard.
Great! Just great! She thought, while eying his bulging muscles and terrifying eterior sheepishly. Well here we go again!
'Good evening.'
'Barrok.'
'Well then.. good evening Barok.'
'Excuse me madam, but this is a restricted area. But perhaps if you're free tomorrow.' his face twisted into a leering smile as he moved closer pressing himself up against her.
Lis swallowed the feeling of nausia that waved over her and fixed him with her eyes 'Oh.. sorry tomorrow night's not so good for me, perhaps one the day you grow a brain! Go to hell,' she said as she blasted him into a wall.
***
Max sat slumped, his head in his hands. Why had he done it? Why had he left? Surely he should have remembered how he felt that day in the Crashdown with Liz' life slipping away from him! That was why he had risked everything to save her, so why had he just left her down there with some alien killer? How could he even be sure she was alive, I mean sure he still felt a vague connection but how could he be sure he wasn't just imagining it to make himself feel better?
He'd slept with Tess! Why? How could he have done that to Liz, yes she slept with Kyle, but he loved her! He would have died for her, even now he would if he could. His body ached for a touch, a taste, even a smell of her. In his mind he could still see every curve of her body, every exquisite movement she made. He could even remember every sweet word she had whispered in his ear, just to hear her voice would be such welcome relief. And he had betrayed her in every way possible, and for what? Tess? How could he have been so stupid not to see through her? All she did was use him! Why?
Max looked over at where Isabel sat sleeping in a corner, and then at Michael who lay sprawled across the floor dreaming of Maria. He had destroyed their lives too! Taken everything away from them, everything they loved! He had wrecked so many lives because of his hurt, his pain, no, his selfishness! A tear rolled down his cheek as he thought about what he had done, everything he had destroyed! The pain he had caused hadn't just stopped at his friends, it went on to his parents, to the Valentis and even to the people of Antar. He had given Kivar a means to rule by, and now no one could stop him.
Max raised his head at the sound of voices outside, the sound of a bang and then some one playing with the lock. Oh great! Tess is back for more! thought Max as he slumped his head back in his hands. But that didn't sound like Tess, it sounded more like. 'Liz?'
***
Liz looked over at the guard who was slumped on the floor by her feet, she hadn't thought she could do that much. She hoped he wasn't hurt, but then again, he deserved it. She placed her hand on the lock and within seconds there was a small click. She pushed the door open and peered inside. 'Liz?'
Liz' heart skipped a beat as she heard the familiar voice, and saw the familiar figure running out of the darkness towards her. When it got within a meter of her it hesitated studying her for a second. Was she just one of Tess' mind games? And then the figure leapt at her, she wasn't she couldn't be! She felt Max' strong arms wrapping themselves round her, and she felt him taking deep intakes of breath, trying to savor her smell.
Max stood there in paradise, it was Liz! She was here! He was so caught up in the ecstasy of his feelings that it was quite some time before he noticed how she stood. Her body was stiff and unyielding in his arms and the face that should have worn a radiant smile was masked from him. 'Liz?' he asked quietly, unsure of himself for the first time.
Liz pulled herself out of his arms and walked further into the room, away from him. Her face, now hidden from him was covered in flames of anger. Did he just think he could run up to her and everything would be forgotten? All those years of heartache? All those years of pain? She forced her face into a small smile as she leant over Isabel. 'Isabel?'
Isabel stirred and then her eyes shot open, 'It can't be time yet. I'm not ready to die. I. Isabel? No one's called me that since. Liz?' she gasped in amazement. 'What, What are you doing here?' Her breath came short, was this really happening, could she really believe?
'I've come to take you home.' said Liz with a reassuring smile.
'Home.' asked Isabel her voice becoming immediately warm. 'You mean to Mom and Dad. I can be Isabel again, just Isabel?'
Liz nodded and smiled, and then turned and walked across the room to where Michael lay. She placed a gentle hand on his shoulder and lowered her head to kiss him on the cheek.
Michael lifted his head from the ground, 'Maria?' he asked drowsily.
'No, it's me Liz. But Maria's waiting for you, she's been waiting for a long time!'
'Have you come to take me to her?' asked Michael with hope.
'Yeah, come on. Lets go.'
Liz walked out of the door with Max following protectively at her heals. Max looked down in surprise at the guard, 'How-?'
'Lets just say he came on to me, OK?' replied Liz without even turning to look. 'I didn't come in here unnoticed, OK, so can we please hurry up before some one notices you're gone!'
Michael and Isabel sped up immediately, they were gonna go home, if they had to then they would fight, but if they didn't have to fight then that was even better! Max just followed, his head in turmoil, his heart heavy in his chest.