Author's Note: Thank you for all the wonderful feedback on this story. Just
a reminder that not all is as it seems. I like Will too, but try not to let
your affection for him make you forget that the Zan he is talking about is
NOT our Max. Plus, who's to say who is right anyway. History is written by
the victors. More details to follow. Who is good and who is evil will
remain ambiguous in this story until the very end. That being said, I'm
glad so many people are intrigued by the idea that the Royal Four might not
have been as wonderful as we were always led to believe (not that Max's
behavior on the show when he was "following his alien side" has EVER made
us believe so! LOL)
[u]Part 10[/u]
"Just let me check on her first Maxwell," Michael insisted as he turned the key in his front door and pushed it open. "She sleeps a lot. Her skin is totally giving out on her. I have to vacuum at least three times a day."
[I]Michael owns a vacuum?[/I] Max thought inanely. His mind was in turmoil, his concern for Liz and his fear of these new aliens, who were obviously stronger than any of them, making him feel jittery and unable to focus. When he realized that Michael was waiting for a response before moving out of the way, he said, "Fine. But we can't put this off Michael. I need to talk to her right now."
"I know." Michael pressed his lips together. "She's not our enemy though. Just remember that."
"Not [I]your[/I] enemy," Max said wryly. "She wants to overthrow [I]me[/I], remember?"
"Not [I]yours[/I]either," Michael shot back. "She didn't know you before Max. She was just some kid caught up in something she didn't understand. I explained to her."
"That I'm not a psycho killer?" Max sighed. For all he knew, he [I]had[/I] been a psycho killer in his past life. Although he didn't think so. Hadn't his mother called him the beloved leader of his people in the message from the orb? Of course, that could have been a mother's love speaking. Caligula's mother had probably loved [I]him[/I] too.
"I don't think she thinks you were a psycho killer Maxwell," Michael retorted impatiently. "She just thinks I'd make a better king." He grinned, in spite of the dire circumstances in which they presently found themselves. "I don't think she knew [I]me[/I] very well either. She just loved me from afar."
Max shrugged. "Who knows what any of us were like before Michael. Maybe you [I]were[/I] the one more suited to rule. That's what we're here to find out."
Max was a little ashamed that he hadn't thought of questioning Courtney about their past lives before, but he had been so wrapped up in the giant mess that was his relationship with Liz lately, it hadn't even dawned on him that they had a font of information right at their fingertips. It was only now that Liz and Alex were in danger that it had even crossed his mind that they were wasting a valuable resource. It had taken them almost a year to discover what little they [I]did[/I] know about themselves. To not find out all they could from Courtney before she died, even if it was filtered through the skin girl's own prejudices and loyalties, would be almost a crime.
He might not [I]want[/I] to know about his past life, but he finally understood that he [I]had[/I] to. If he didn't know why his enemies hated him, if he didn't know who he had been, he couldn't protect the people he loved, nor could he make the right decisions for everyone. As much as he didn't want the responsibility of it, every day his friends were turning to him more and more to make the major choices. Even Michael was doing so and that fact alone told Max that he had to start accepting that his new role was permanent and unchangeable. If all his friends accepted it, he had to as well, if only for [I]their[/I] sakes.
All in all, it sucked to be the king Max thought now as he watched Michael tap on his bedroom door and then enter to see if Courtney was okay. He was sure he wasn't the first to think so either. Power was coveted by many, but, in the end, the responsibility of it all - the inability to think about what [I]you[/I] really want because so many people are depending on you - was so exhausting, he was beginning to want to go to sleep and never wake up. The sheer irony of it was that having power and wanting to use it for good was the most scary proposition he had ever encountered.
It hadn't been this way when he had been with Liz though. Then he had felt strong and eager to face each new day, eager to solve any problems that came their way, if only so that he could go back to being blissfully happy that she loved him as much as he loved her. Even what he had endured in the white room had been bearable because she had been waiting for him when he escaped. The [I]thought[/I] of her had helped him survive it and [I]being[/I] with her after had healed him in a way that nothing else could have. Without Liz's love, her concern, he would likely [I]still[/I] be dealing with the psychological ramifications of what had happened to him there. But loving her had gotten him through it because he would have lived through the torture of a thousand Pierces if it meant keeping her safe. And now the only way to save her - to make sure she was never threatened again - was to find out exactly [I]who[/I] and [I]what[/I] they were fighting. It scared him to find out who he had been, was likely why he hadn't approached Courtney before, but he would do it for Liz. He would do [I]anything[/I] for Liz.
Michael appeared on the threshold of his bedroom, his face grim. "Okay Maxwell." Max grimaced, understanding that Michael's concern meant that Courtney's death was only a matter of time now. He felt bad about it, but couldn't see how they could do anything to help her besides what Michael was already doing in trying to make her as comfortable as possible as she faced her demise. Any chance of saving her had been destroyed with the harvest.
Max followed his friend through into the darkened bedroom, blinking to adjust his eyes. Michael crossed the room and leaned against the wall beside the head of the bed, his arms crossed as he waited expectantly for Max to speak.
"Hi," he said quietly to the blonde girl sitting up against a pile of stacked pillows on Michael's bed. He tried not a flinch at the peeling skin on her face or the way she couldn't help but reach up and pull some of it off as he watched. It was revolting but certainly wasn't Courtney's fault after all.
Courtney was staring at him, her blue eyes wary. "Hi. Gross huh? Trust me. It's better underneath. I was a babe at home. Not that you'll ever see that." She smiled weakly. Max relaxed slightly, could see that she was still trying to keep up the facade of being the sassy waitress he was used to. "Michael said you wanted to talk to me?"
"Yeah. Two of our friends are in trouble and I think you can help us find them."
Her eyes narrowed. "I'm surprised you would trust me enough to ask." She glanced at Michael. "I'm assuming you know who I am."
"I know that you're loyal to Michael," Max replied evenly. "And he's just as worried about them as I am."
"It's true," Michael put in here. "They're [I]my[/I] friends too Courtney."
"Is it the two girls?" Courtney asked. "Isabel and Tess I mean? Is they why [I]they're[/I] not here?"
"No, Liz and Alex," Max told her, glad that he had asked the others to wait for he and Michael at the Crashdown. "I came alone. I'm not trying to threaten or scare you Courtney. I just want answers."
She continued to gaze at him steadily, assessing, weighing. "You guys really [I]do[/I] care about humans, don't you?" She finally asked, sounding slightly surprised. She looked at Michael. "I thought you were just using Maria to get your kicks."
Michael's gaze darkened, but all he said was, "No."
Courtney smiled at him. "I should have known better. It wouldn't have been like you before either. I guess I was just messed up because it [I]would[/I] have been like Zan and I've seen him do it this time too - playing both Tess and Liz."
Max felt a flash of anger, but kept it in check by taking a deep breath. "You don't know me," was all he said, trying to keep his tone mild. "Whoever I was before, I'm not the same now."
"Max isn't like that," Michael added. "I've told you that Courtney."
She shrugged. "I know what I know."
"So you [I]do[/I] know more about who we were then?" Max asked. "Because that's why I'm here. I want to hear it all. I want to know [I]everything[/I] you know."
"Of course I know who you are," Courtney replied. "I'm still the same person I was on Sardica. I wasn't reborn like you were."
Max moved forward, tried to ignore the way Courtney's eyes narrowed with dislike. "Can I ask you some questions?"
"Sure," she said, sounding slightly flippant.
"Okay." Max started pacing, trying to get his thoughts in order. "You just mentioned Sardica. Is that where we're from?"
"No. Sardica was [I]my[/I] planet. You were the king of Antar. Antar holds the high kingship of the system. The king of Sardica is Khivar. He held that planet by your leave but now he holds both Sardica and Antar. There are five planets in the system," she added as an afterthought. "Antar, Sardica, Wendar, Valonia and Knosis. You were high king of them all, although you only ruled Antar directly."
Max frowned. He knew a little bit about feudalism from the world history course he had taken as a freshman. It sounded like where they came from was governed in that fashion. It was a little strange that a population advanced enough to have mastered space travel should be using such an outdated system, but it wasn't really important at the moment. He could deal with his inherent issues with monarchy later. "So my name was Zan? Is that right?"
"Yes. Your sister is Vilandra, your wife Ava and your second-in-command," she looked over at Michael, "is Rath." Max saw Michael's eyes narrow. It suddenly occurred to Max that it was a little strange that Michael hadn't asked Courtney anything about who he had been before this. It also showed how much Michael had changed. He was generally more concerned about keeping those he cared about safe these days than about finding out about their past. It was a major shift in Michael's personality and one Max would talk to his friend about later.
He also realized that Courtney referred to all of them being these people he had never heard of in the present tense. Because to [I]her[/I] it was who they still were. It only reinforced to him how dangerous it was for them not to know exactly how their enemies viewed them. He and the others knew that they weren't dangerous or evil, but beings who remembered them before didn't. It was a strange thought, but one he was going to have to get used to - the idea that people could hate him without even [I]knowing[/I] him. And it brought his next question easily to his lips. "What can you tell me about the Skins? Why do they hate us? And why don't [I]you[/I] work with Nicholas and the others?"
"The Skins are Sardicans," Courtney replied. "They support Khivar and chased you down here to kill you for his sake. They defeated you last time, but your mother cloned you and the Antarians refuse to accept Khivar as the high king because they all believe that you will come back some day. So even though you died, you are [I]still[/I] tearing the system apart."
"But you [I]don't[/I] support Khivar?" Max asked. "Why?"
"Khivar is an idiot," Courtney sighed. "He's more concerned about getting Rowena back than he is about facilitating the golden age we were right on the verge of accomplishing. He's no better than Zan, even if we are from the same race."
"Rowena?"
"Rowena was Khivar's wife. She was [I]your[/I] cousin by the way," Courtney told Michael. "You're not Antarian by birth. You're from Valonia but you were raised in Zan's court because you were betrothed to Vilandra pretty much at birth. It was why you were [I]our[/I] choice to rule the system in Zan's place. You knew Antar, its politics and its people. They loved you almost as much as they loved Zan. With Vilandra as your wife, they would have accepted you. She was Zan's heir anyway."
Max tried to take in all this information, tried to keep it straight in his head. "Okay, so you want Michael to rule. Why? You don't seem to have anything against Antar being in charge or any particular loyalty to [I]your[/I] planet. What is your issue with Zan?" He tensed, almost afraid to hear what she was going to say.
"I have the same problem with Zan I have with Khivar. You both worry about your personal lives more than you do about your people." She rolled her eyes. "You were forced by your father into a betrothal you didn't want and so you proceeded to make everyone in the system miserable as a consequence. Once you were king, you spent so much time trying to finagle a way [I]out[/I] of the marriage treaty, you ignored your [I]real[/I] job, which was to govern. So many splinter groups popped up as a result, its going to be years before they're all appeased and we can get the system back on track," she finished bitterly.
"So I didn't want to marry Tess?" Max couldn't help but feel a twinge of satisfaction. Somewhere, deep inside, he had [I]known[/I] it. He knew that he didn't love Tess. The attraction he had felt for her when she had first arrived in Roswell had been the result of a combination of mindwarping and the recognition factor that had pulled him towards Michael the first time he had met him too. She [I]was[/I] like him after all, even if he didn't love her. But, apparently, he had been just as unwilling to be with her before as he was now.
"No. It was a political match. Ava was the sister of the king of Knosis," Courtney replied. "You fought it for years, although no one really knew why. Ava was a nice enough girl and she loved [I]you[/I]. She was raised with you just like Rath was and no king or queen ever married for love. It's all about alliances, which Rath and Vilandra knew and accepted. It's why we wanted them on the throne instead of you. They would have fixed things." She glanced at Michael, her eyes softening. Max saw his best friend shift uncomfortably.
"But Zan obviously gave in," Max told her. He wondered if he should start saying [I]I[/I] instead of referring to the king of Antar in the third person. It was just too weird though. He didn't [I]feel[/I] like Zan. He didn't remember being Zan. He was listening to a story about a far off place he didn't recall at all and felt very little loyalty to. Although, maybe that wasn't so strange. It didn't sound like he had cared particularly about being king [I]before[/I] either.
"Yes. Right before you were killed you accepted it. The war was going so badly, you desperately needed Knosis's support."
"What was the issue with Khivar?" Michael asked when Max stayed quiet, thinking about what this all meant. "What did [I]he[/I] have against Zan?"
Courtney frowned slightly. "I'm not really sure actually. Sardica is the central commerce planet of the system. I think Zan allowed some tariffs to go through that shouldn't have?" This last was phrased more like a question, as though Max or Michael might have been able to answer her, which of course they couldn't. She shrugged. "I'm telling you, a lot of it was pretty petty. Big egos and little concern for the well-being of the populations affected. It was yet [I]another[/I] reason that Rath would have made a great king. He was a man of the people, having served in Zan's army for years. He wouldn't have let his personal problems interfere with the best interests of the system."
Max and Michael exchanged a look. "Well, it's not going to happen, so you might as well just forget it," Michael finally said firmly, his eyes still locked with his king's. Max had known that Michael would never betray him. When he had first heard about the "Michael worshippers" it hadn't even crossed his mind as anything other than a strange little bit of trivia. The implacable expression on his best friend's face now meant that Max had been right. Michael didn't care about leading. He just wanted to make sure that Max did it right. Suddenly all of his arguments with Michael over the years made perfect sense. He had been his advisor and friend in a past life and it had bled over into this one. The teenage human hormones tossed into the mix this time likely made his friend a bit more pissy than he had been as Rath, but he was still essentially the same.
Which meant that Max and the others were essentially the same as well.
He wasn't surprised about himself. He didn't want to be king, [I]was[/I] still more concerned about his personal life than about his people. Even now, when all this information was being thrown at him, deep down he was thinking about how it affected things with Liz, how [I]she[/I] would take this stuff. Because, deep down, in places he didn't like to think about, she was really all he cared about. He knew that it was the last thing she would want - that she wouldn't want him to throw away his responsibilities or his destiny for her sake - but it was what he [I]really[/I] wanted to do.
And, yet, he knew he couldn't. So he wondered what it all meant for he and Liz and hoped that it really meant nothing. Because if he hadn't loved his wife - Tess - in their past lives, what difference did it make if he loved her now?
"What about all these marriages and stuff?" Michael asked, as though reading Max's mind. "I don't still have to be with Isabel do I? I never bought that," he directed this comment to Max. The way he said it showed Max that he was actually asking on his king's behalf, not his own. Michael knew how little Max wanted any of the destiny crap to be necessary after all. He knew that it was the main issue standing between Max and Liz and he cared that they were both miserable - or at least it had been until the Kyle debacle. Max wondered if Michael suspected as he did - that if Liz had actually slept with Kyle, it had all been an elaborate plan to push Max away and to make him accept his future with Tess. "I [I]never[/I] bought it Maxwell," Michael repeated and this time Max knew he wasn't talking about [I]destiny[/I] at all. Somehow Max knew he was talking about Kyle and Liz. Michael set his jaw and continued in a rush. "Remember when Liz's journal was missing?"
Max blinked, but nodded, unsure why Michael was bringing that up at the moment.
"[I]I[/I] stole it. I asked Liz not to tell you and from the look on your face, I can see she didn't," Michael grimaced. He threw his hands up. "Before you get your panties in a twist, let me just tell you why I did it."
"Fine," Max replied through gritted teeth, his outrage on Liz's behalf barely contained.
"I needed to know what she was thinking, what she was about - if we could trust her," Michael said, not sounding sorry, even now. "And I found out what I needed to know about Liz Parker from that book."
"What is the point of this Michael?" Max asked, more confused now than angry.
"Liz Parker loves you. If she did the nasty with Valenti it was for [I]you[/I]." He paused. "Which is kind of disturbing actually, but I know it has to be true. The last thing that girl would [I]ever[/I] do is deliberately hurt you."
Max felt a flash of gratitude towards his best friend, even though he was still angry that Michael had violated Liz's privacy like that. And, yet, he couldn't help but like what Michael said. He took a deep breath and said what Michael needed to hear. "Thank you. It's what I suspected too, but I wondered if I was just kidding myself, coming up with excuses so that I could deal with it, so that I wouldn't have to accept that she doesn't love me anymore. Hearing [I]you[/I] say that means a lot."
Michael nodded stiffly and looked away, obviously slightly embarrassed now. He addressed Courtney gruffly. "So what about the marriages?"
Max felt his heart start to beat more quickly as he waited for Courtney's answer.
She shrugged, looking slightly wary after the exchange Michael and Max had just shared. Max wondered about it, but brushed it aside for the moment. "Well, I would assume that keeping the treaties that the marriages represent would be important to the Antarians, although Valonia is on Khivar's side anyway because of Rowena's marriage to him and because of what happened there."
"What happened?" Max asked.
"It was virtually destroyed by Antarian sky forces," Courtney replied darkly. "Under Zan's command, not Rath's," she added pointedly.
"And, yet, Rath still remained loyal? After Zan demolished his home?" Max demanded in disbelief.
"He loved Zan. He was loyal to the end."
The question of loyalty made Max think of Isabel and her certainty that she would betray him, that she had done it before and they were all doomed to relive the same paths they had trod before. He knew that his sister would [I]never[/I] turn on him and so it was the next thing he wanted to know about - why Vilandra had joined the enemy the last time. "What about Zan's sister? Vilandra. We've been told that she betrayed her brother? Is that true?"
Courtney's face lit up with admiration. "Vilandra was a good woman. After the razing of Valonia, she felt she had no choice. She took her forces and joined with Khivar. She tried to convince Rath to do the same, but he wouldn't."
Michael was frowning when Max looked at him as he spoke next. "So what I don't get is why you're still so loyal to [I]me[/I]? It sounds like Rath made some pretty bad choices. If Zan was the asshole this story seems to say he was, what was [I]my[/I] deal?"
"You insisted, at the tribunal of the five planets, that Zan had no control over the Antarian Sky Army, that he had trusted [I]you[/I] to command them and you failed him by allowing what happened at Valonia. Basically you took responsibility for the whole thing and refused to allow Zan to be blamed." She paused. "In fact, you even wanted to prove that Khivar was really behind it, although no one believed that because of his love for Rowena. He would never have hurt her people."
"What was my proof?" Michael asked, frowning slightly.
"I have no idea. They halted your testimony. The judge said it was ridiculous and that everyone knew that Khivar had nothing to gain by destroying Valonia. It was his only ally."
Michael looked at Max. "I think we need to find out exactly what happened on Valonia Maxwell. It might be the key to everything." Max could almost see the wheels turning in his best friend's head as Michael Guerin started to transform back into the general he had once been.
"You're probably right," Max agreed. "But right now we need to worry about Alex and Liz." He sat down on the bed beside Courtney. She didn't flinch away from him as Max half-expected her to do, but continued to gaze at him steadily. "There are two new aliens in Roswell. They don't look like Skins to me because they weren't peeling." He trailed off, grimacing at the fact that he had reminded her of the state in which she currently existed.
Courtney smiled slightly. "Don't worry. I've accepted that my time has come. And you're right. With the harvest gone, most of the Skins are likely dead by now. Any left would be too weak to be any threat to you." She narrowed her eyes. "Were they shapeshifters? We know that the Wendarians have a faction down here too. There were two sent with you in your ship." This comment reminded Max that they still hadn't asked Courtney about how they had all died and why they had been sent to Earth. But as she continued, he realized there would be time for that later. For right now, it was more important to find Liz and Alex and to understand who Will and Kate were. "Michael told me that you were in contact with one of them."
"Nasedo," Michael agreed. "But he's dead."
Courtney looked perplexed. "Maybe there were more of them?"
Max shook his head, sighing. "I don't know. They didn't shapeshift in front of us. It was weird. I felt like they were like [I]us[/I]. Seeing them - especially the girl - I felt like I [I]knew[/I] them. I was even sort of [I]happy[/I] to see her the first time I ran into her." He trailed off, totally perplexed as he voiced aloud exactly what he had felt when he had crashed into Kate that morning in the school hallway.
"They tried to kill you Maxwell," Michael reminded him. "I'm doubting she felt the same way."
"If that happened, they weren't Wendarians," Courtney added, sounding sure. "Antar and Wendar are allied." She paused, seemed to be thinking. "How did they try and kill you?"
Max quickly explained how Will had been capable of throwing lightening bolts and how he had spoken to him in his head. He also added that Kate had apparently teleported her brother and their two captives away, revealing [I]her[/I] gift. Max watched in fearful fascination as Courtney's face whitened.
"What is it?" Michael demanded when she reached out and clutched his hand.
"I don't understand. It doesn't make any sense," she muttered.
"What doesn't?" Max asked, his heart thundering in his chest.
"Well, those gifts." Courtney trailed off. "But it [I]is[/I] impossible. He's on Antar. I [I]know[/I] he is! I know that Nicholas communicated with him there a lot over the years." She seemed to be working a problem out in her mind, muttering to herself rather than speaking to Max or Michael. "It [I]might[/I] be her. She died soon enough." There was another long pause and then, "There's no other explanation though."
Michael glanced at Max, worried. Max just shrugged, but his hope that she would be able to give them the answer they needed had increased as he tried to follow the train of her thoughts.
Courtney finally looked directly at Max again. "I don't think you're going to like this."
"Tell me. Please."
"It just seems wrong somehow - in fact I know it [I]is[/I] wrong because he's still alive on Antar - but those gifts." Courtney pressed her lips together and finally just blurted it out. "It sounds like you faced Khivar himself this morning."
Before this information could even penetrate Max's muddled brain, a piercing ring made him practically jump out of his skin. Michael visibly flinched as well, but he seemed to realize more quickly that it was the phone. He hurried out of the room and was back a moment later, his expression perplexed.
"Michael, what is it?" Max demanded.
"That was Izzy at the Crashdown," Michael replied, sounding dumbfounded. And then he said what made Max's entire being sing with relief, something that made him forget momentarily the significance - and terror - of what Courtney had just told them. "They're back."
To be continued.
[u]Part 10[/u]
"Just let me check on her first Maxwell," Michael insisted as he turned the key in his front door and pushed it open. "She sleeps a lot. Her skin is totally giving out on her. I have to vacuum at least three times a day."
[I]Michael owns a vacuum?[/I] Max thought inanely. His mind was in turmoil, his concern for Liz and his fear of these new aliens, who were obviously stronger than any of them, making him feel jittery and unable to focus. When he realized that Michael was waiting for a response before moving out of the way, he said, "Fine. But we can't put this off Michael. I need to talk to her right now."
"I know." Michael pressed his lips together. "She's not our enemy though. Just remember that."
"Not [I]your[/I] enemy," Max said wryly. "She wants to overthrow [I]me[/I], remember?"
"Not [I]yours[/I]either," Michael shot back. "She didn't know you before Max. She was just some kid caught up in something she didn't understand. I explained to her."
"That I'm not a psycho killer?" Max sighed. For all he knew, he [I]had[/I] been a psycho killer in his past life. Although he didn't think so. Hadn't his mother called him the beloved leader of his people in the message from the orb? Of course, that could have been a mother's love speaking. Caligula's mother had probably loved [I]him[/I] too.
"I don't think she thinks you were a psycho killer Maxwell," Michael retorted impatiently. "She just thinks I'd make a better king." He grinned, in spite of the dire circumstances in which they presently found themselves. "I don't think she knew [I]me[/I] very well either. She just loved me from afar."
Max shrugged. "Who knows what any of us were like before Michael. Maybe you [I]were[/I] the one more suited to rule. That's what we're here to find out."
Max was a little ashamed that he hadn't thought of questioning Courtney about their past lives before, but he had been so wrapped up in the giant mess that was his relationship with Liz lately, it hadn't even dawned on him that they had a font of information right at their fingertips. It was only now that Liz and Alex were in danger that it had even crossed his mind that they were wasting a valuable resource. It had taken them almost a year to discover what little they [I]did[/I] know about themselves. To not find out all they could from Courtney before she died, even if it was filtered through the skin girl's own prejudices and loyalties, would be almost a crime.
He might not [I]want[/I] to know about his past life, but he finally understood that he [I]had[/I] to. If he didn't know why his enemies hated him, if he didn't know who he had been, he couldn't protect the people he loved, nor could he make the right decisions for everyone. As much as he didn't want the responsibility of it, every day his friends were turning to him more and more to make the major choices. Even Michael was doing so and that fact alone told Max that he had to start accepting that his new role was permanent and unchangeable. If all his friends accepted it, he had to as well, if only for [I]their[/I] sakes.
All in all, it sucked to be the king Max thought now as he watched Michael tap on his bedroom door and then enter to see if Courtney was okay. He was sure he wasn't the first to think so either. Power was coveted by many, but, in the end, the responsibility of it all - the inability to think about what [I]you[/I] really want because so many people are depending on you - was so exhausting, he was beginning to want to go to sleep and never wake up. The sheer irony of it was that having power and wanting to use it for good was the most scary proposition he had ever encountered.
It hadn't been this way when he had been with Liz though. Then he had felt strong and eager to face each new day, eager to solve any problems that came their way, if only so that he could go back to being blissfully happy that she loved him as much as he loved her. Even what he had endured in the white room had been bearable because she had been waiting for him when he escaped. The [I]thought[/I] of her had helped him survive it and [I]being[/I] with her after had healed him in a way that nothing else could have. Without Liz's love, her concern, he would likely [I]still[/I] be dealing with the psychological ramifications of what had happened to him there. But loving her had gotten him through it because he would have lived through the torture of a thousand Pierces if it meant keeping her safe. And now the only way to save her - to make sure she was never threatened again - was to find out exactly [I]who[/I] and [I]what[/I] they were fighting. It scared him to find out who he had been, was likely why he hadn't approached Courtney before, but he would do it for Liz. He would do [I]anything[/I] for Liz.
Michael appeared on the threshold of his bedroom, his face grim. "Okay Maxwell." Max grimaced, understanding that Michael's concern meant that Courtney's death was only a matter of time now. He felt bad about it, but couldn't see how they could do anything to help her besides what Michael was already doing in trying to make her as comfortable as possible as she faced her demise. Any chance of saving her had been destroyed with the harvest.
Max followed his friend through into the darkened bedroom, blinking to adjust his eyes. Michael crossed the room and leaned against the wall beside the head of the bed, his arms crossed as he waited expectantly for Max to speak.
"Hi," he said quietly to the blonde girl sitting up against a pile of stacked pillows on Michael's bed. He tried not a flinch at the peeling skin on her face or the way she couldn't help but reach up and pull some of it off as he watched. It was revolting but certainly wasn't Courtney's fault after all.
Courtney was staring at him, her blue eyes wary. "Hi. Gross huh? Trust me. It's better underneath. I was a babe at home. Not that you'll ever see that." She smiled weakly. Max relaxed slightly, could see that she was still trying to keep up the facade of being the sassy waitress he was used to. "Michael said you wanted to talk to me?"
"Yeah. Two of our friends are in trouble and I think you can help us find them."
Her eyes narrowed. "I'm surprised you would trust me enough to ask." She glanced at Michael. "I'm assuming you know who I am."
"I know that you're loyal to Michael," Max replied evenly. "And he's just as worried about them as I am."
"It's true," Michael put in here. "They're [I]my[/I] friends too Courtney."
"Is it the two girls?" Courtney asked. "Isabel and Tess I mean? Is they why [I]they're[/I] not here?"
"No, Liz and Alex," Max told her, glad that he had asked the others to wait for he and Michael at the Crashdown. "I came alone. I'm not trying to threaten or scare you Courtney. I just want answers."
She continued to gaze at him steadily, assessing, weighing. "You guys really [I]do[/I] care about humans, don't you?" She finally asked, sounding slightly surprised. She looked at Michael. "I thought you were just using Maria to get your kicks."
Michael's gaze darkened, but all he said was, "No."
Courtney smiled at him. "I should have known better. It wouldn't have been like you before either. I guess I was just messed up because it [I]would[/I] have been like Zan and I've seen him do it this time too - playing both Tess and Liz."
Max felt a flash of anger, but kept it in check by taking a deep breath. "You don't know me," was all he said, trying to keep his tone mild. "Whoever I was before, I'm not the same now."
"Max isn't like that," Michael added. "I've told you that Courtney."
She shrugged. "I know what I know."
"So you [I]do[/I] know more about who we were then?" Max asked. "Because that's why I'm here. I want to hear it all. I want to know [I]everything[/I] you know."
"Of course I know who you are," Courtney replied. "I'm still the same person I was on Sardica. I wasn't reborn like you were."
Max moved forward, tried to ignore the way Courtney's eyes narrowed with dislike. "Can I ask you some questions?"
"Sure," she said, sounding slightly flippant.
"Okay." Max started pacing, trying to get his thoughts in order. "You just mentioned Sardica. Is that where we're from?"
"No. Sardica was [I]my[/I] planet. You were the king of Antar. Antar holds the high kingship of the system. The king of Sardica is Khivar. He held that planet by your leave but now he holds both Sardica and Antar. There are five planets in the system," she added as an afterthought. "Antar, Sardica, Wendar, Valonia and Knosis. You were high king of them all, although you only ruled Antar directly."
Max frowned. He knew a little bit about feudalism from the world history course he had taken as a freshman. It sounded like where they came from was governed in that fashion. It was a little strange that a population advanced enough to have mastered space travel should be using such an outdated system, but it wasn't really important at the moment. He could deal with his inherent issues with monarchy later. "So my name was Zan? Is that right?"
"Yes. Your sister is Vilandra, your wife Ava and your second-in-command," she looked over at Michael, "is Rath." Max saw Michael's eyes narrow. It suddenly occurred to Max that it was a little strange that Michael hadn't asked Courtney anything about who he had been before this. It also showed how much Michael had changed. He was generally more concerned about keeping those he cared about safe these days than about finding out about their past. It was a major shift in Michael's personality and one Max would talk to his friend about later.
He also realized that Courtney referred to all of them being these people he had never heard of in the present tense. Because to [I]her[/I] it was who they still were. It only reinforced to him how dangerous it was for them not to know exactly how their enemies viewed them. He and the others knew that they weren't dangerous or evil, but beings who remembered them before didn't. It was a strange thought, but one he was going to have to get used to - the idea that people could hate him without even [I]knowing[/I] him. And it brought his next question easily to his lips. "What can you tell me about the Skins? Why do they hate us? And why don't [I]you[/I] work with Nicholas and the others?"
"The Skins are Sardicans," Courtney replied. "They support Khivar and chased you down here to kill you for his sake. They defeated you last time, but your mother cloned you and the Antarians refuse to accept Khivar as the high king because they all believe that you will come back some day. So even though you died, you are [I]still[/I] tearing the system apart."
"But you [I]don't[/I] support Khivar?" Max asked. "Why?"
"Khivar is an idiot," Courtney sighed. "He's more concerned about getting Rowena back than he is about facilitating the golden age we were right on the verge of accomplishing. He's no better than Zan, even if we are from the same race."
"Rowena?"
"Rowena was Khivar's wife. She was [I]your[/I] cousin by the way," Courtney told Michael. "You're not Antarian by birth. You're from Valonia but you were raised in Zan's court because you were betrothed to Vilandra pretty much at birth. It was why you were [I]our[/I] choice to rule the system in Zan's place. You knew Antar, its politics and its people. They loved you almost as much as they loved Zan. With Vilandra as your wife, they would have accepted you. She was Zan's heir anyway."
Max tried to take in all this information, tried to keep it straight in his head. "Okay, so you want Michael to rule. Why? You don't seem to have anything against Antar being in charge or any particular loyalty to [I]your[/I] planet. What is your issue with Zan?" He tensed, almost afraid to hear what she was going to say.
"I have the same problem with Zan I have with Khivar. You both worry about your personal lives more than you do about your people." She rolled her eyes. "You were forced by your father into a betrothal you didn't want and so you proceeded to make everyone in the system miserable as a consequence. Once you were king, you spent so much time trying to finagle a way [I]out[/I] of the marriage treaty, you ignored your [I]real[/I] job, which was to govern. So many splinter groups popped up as a result, its going to be years before they're all appeased and we can get the system back on track," she finished bitterly.
"So I didn't want to marry Tess?" Max couldn't help but feel a twinge of satisfaction. Somewhere, deep inside, he had [I]known[/I] it. He knew that he didn't love Tess. The attraction he had felt for her when she had first arrived in Roswell had been the result of a combination of mindwarping and the recognition factor that had pulled him towards Michael the first time he had met him too. She [I]was[/I] like him after all, even if he didn't love her. But, apparently, he had been just as unwilling to be with her before as he was now.
"No. It was a political match. Ava was the sister of the king of Knosis," Courtney replied. "You fought it for years, although no one really knew why. Ava was a nice enough girl and she loved [I]you[/I]. She was raised with you just like Rath was and no king or queen ever married for love. It's all about alliances, which Rath and Vilandra knew and accepted. It's why we wanted them on the throne instead of you. They would have fixed things." She glanced at Michael, her eyes softening. Max saw his best friend shift uncomfortably.
"But Zan obviously gave in," Max told her. He wondered if he should start saying [I]I[/I] instead of referring to the king of Antar in the third person. It was just too weird though. He didn't [I]feel[/I] like Zan. He didn't remember being Zan. He was listening to a story about a far off place he didn't recall at all and felt very little loyalty to. Although, maybe that wasn't so strange. It didn't sound like he had cared particularly about being king [I]before[/I] either.
"Yes. Right before you were killed you accepted it. The war was going so badly, you desperately needed Knosis's support."
"What was the issue with Khivar?" Michael asked when Max stayed quiet, thinking about what this all meant. "What did [I]he[/I] have against Zan?"
Courtney frowned slightly. "I'm not really sure actually. Sardica is the central commerce planet of the system. I think Zan allowed some tariffs to go through that shouldn't have?" This last was phrased more like a question, as though Max or Michael might have been able to answer her, which of course they couldn't. She shrugged. "I'm telling you, a lot of it was pretty petty. Big egos and little concern for the well-being of the populations affected. It was yet [I]another[/I] reason that Rath would have made a great king. He was a man of the people, having served in Zan's army for years. He wouldn't have let his personal problems interfere with the best interests of the system."
Max and Michael exchanged a look. "Well, it's not going to happen, so you might as well just forget it," Michael finally said firmly, his eyes still locked with his king's. Max had known that Michael would never betray him. When he had first heard about the "Michael worshippers" it hadn't even crossed his mind as anything other than a strange little bit of trivia. The implacable expression on his best friend's face now meant that Max had been right. Michael didn't care about leading. He just wanted to make sure that Max did it right. Suddenly all of his arguments with Michael over the years made perfect sense. He had been his advisor and friend in a past life and it had bled over into this one. The teenage human hormones tossed into the mix this time likely made his friend a bit more pissy than he had been as Rath, but he was still essentially the same.
Which meant that Max and the others were essentially the same as well.
He wasn't surprised about himself. He didn't want to be king, [I]was[/I] still more concerned about his personal life than about his people. Even now, when all this information was being thrown at him, deep down he was thinking about how it affected things with Liz, how [I]she[/I] would take this stuff. Because, deep down, in places he didn't like to think about, she was really all he cared about. He knew that it was the last thing she would want - that she wouldn't want him to throw away his responsibilities or his destiny for her sake - but it was what he [I]really[/I] wanted to do.
And, yet, he knew he couldn't. So he wondered what it all meant for he and Liz and hoped that it really meant nothing. Because if he hadn't loved his wife - Tess - in their past lives, what difference did it make if he loved her now?
"What about all these marriages and stuff?" Michael asked, as though reading Max's mind. "I don't still have to be with Isabel do I? I never bought that," he directed this comment to Max. The way he said it showed Max that he was actually asking on his king's behalf, not his own. Michael knew how little Max wanted any of the destiny crap to be necessary after all. He knew that it was the main issue standing between Max and Liz and he cared that they were both miserable - or at least it had been until the Kyle debacle. Max wondered if Michael suspected as he did - that if Liz had actually slept with Kyle, it had all been an elaborate plan to push Max away and to make him accept his future with Tess. "I [I]never[/I] bought it Maxwell," Michael repeated and this time Max knew he wasn't talking about [I]destiny[/I] at all. Somehow Max knew he was talking about Kyle and Liz. Michael set his jaw and continued in a rush. "Remember when Liz's journal was missing?"
Max blinked, but nodded, unsure why Michael was bringing that up at the moment.
"[I]I[/I] stole it. I asked Liz not to tell you and from the look on your face, I can see she didn't," Michael grimaced. He threw his hands up. "Before you get your panties in a twist, let me just tell you why I did it."
"Fine," Max replied through gritted teeth, his outrage on Liz's behalf barely contained.
"I needed to know what she was thinking, what she was about - if we could trust her," Michael said, not sounding sorry, even now. "And I found out what I needed to know about Liz Parker from that book."
"What is the point of this Michael?" Max asked, more confused now than angry.
"Liz Parker loves you. If she did the nasty with Valenti it was for [I]you[/I]." He paused. "Which is kind of disturbing actually, but I know it has to be true. The last thing that girl would [I]ever[/I] do is deliberately hurt you."
Max felt a flash of gratitude towards his best friend, even though he was still angry that Michael had violated Liz's privacy like that. And, yet, he couldn't help but like what Michael said. He took a deep breath and said what Michael needed to hear. "Thank you. It's what I suspected too, but I wondered if I was just kidding myself, coming up with excuses so that I could deal with it, so that I wouldn't have to accept that she doesn't love me anymore. Hearing [I]you[/I] say that means a lot."
Michael nodded stiffly and looked away, obviously slightly embarrassed now. He addressed Courtney gruffly. "So what about the marriages?"
Max felt his heart start to beat more quickly as he waited for Courtney's answer.
She shrugged, looking slightly wary after the exchange Michael and Max had just shared. Max wondered about it, but brushed it aside for the moment. "Well, I would assume that keeping the treaties that the marriages represent would be important to the Antarians, although Valonia is on Khivar's side anyway because of Rowena's marriage to him and because of what happened there."
"What happened?" Max asked.
"It was virtually destroyed by Antarian sky forces," Courtney replied darkly. "Under Zan's command, not Rath's," she added pointedly.
"And, yet, Rath still remained loyal? After Zan demolished his home?" Max demanded in disbelief.
"He loved Zan. He was loyal to the end."
The question of loyalty made Max think of Isabel and her certainty that she would betray him, that she had done it before and they were all doomed to relive the same paths they had trod before. He knew that his sister would [I]never[/I] turn on him and so it was the next thing he wanted to know about - why Vilandra had joined the enemy the last time. "What about Zan's sister? Vilandra. We've been told that she betrayed her brother? Is that true?"
Courtney's face lit up with admiration. "Vilandra was a good woman. After the razing of Valonia, she felt she had no choice. She took her forces and joined with Khivar. She tried to convince Rath to do the same, but he wouldn't."
Michael was frowning when Max looked at him as he spoke next. "So what I don't get is why you're still so loyal to [I]me[/I]? It sounds like Rath made some pretty bad choices. If Zan was the asshole this story seems to say he was, what was [I]my[/I] deal?"
"You insisted, at the tribunal of the five planets, that Zan had no control over the Antarian Sky Army, that he had trusted [I]you[/I] to command them and you failed him by allowing what happened at Valonia. Basically you took responsibility for the whole thing and refused to allow Zan to be blamed." She paused. "In fact, you even wanted to prove that Khivar was really behind it, although no one believed that because of his love for Rowena. He would never have hurt her people."
"What was my proof?" Michael asked, frowning slightly.
"I have no idea. They halted your testimony. The judge said it was ridiculous and that everyone knew that Khivar had nothing to gain by destroying Valonia. It was his only ally."
Michael looked at Max. "I think we need to find out exactly what happened on Valonia Maxwell. It might be the key to everything." Max could almost see the wheels turning in his best friend's head as Michael Guerin started to transform back into the general he had once been.
"You're probably right," Max agreed. "But right now we need to worry about Alex and Liz." He sat down on the bed beside Courtney. She didn't flinch away from him as Max half-expected her to do, but continued to gaze at him steadily. "There are two new aliens in Roswell. They don't look like Skins to me because they weren't peeling." He trailed off, grimacing at the fact that he had reminded her of the state in which she currently existed.
Courtney smiled slightly. "Don't worry. I've accepted that my time has come. And you're right. With the harvest gone, most of the Skins are likely dead by now. Any left would be too weak to be any threat to you." She narrowed her eyes. "Were they shapeshifters? We know that the Wendarians have a faction down here too. There were two sent with you in your ship." This comment reminded Max that they still hadn't asked Courtney about how they had all died and why they had been sent to Earth. But as she continued, he realized there would be time for that later. For right now, it was more important to find Liz and Alex and to understand who Will and Kate were. "Michael told me that you were in contact with one of them."
"Nasedo," Michael agreed. "But he's dead."
Courtney looked perplexed. "Maybe there were more of them?"
Max shook his head, sighing. "I don't know. They didn't shapeshift in front of us. It was weird. I felt like they were like [I]us[/I]. Seeing them - especially the girl - I felt like I [I]knew[/I] them. I was even sort of [I]happy[/I] to see her the first time I ran into her." He trailed off, totally perplexed as he voiced aloud exactly what he had felt when he had crashed into Kate that morning in the school hallway.
"They tried to kill you Maxwell," Michael reminded him. "I'm doubting she felt the same way."
"If that happened, they weren't Wendarians," Courtney added, sounding sure. "Antar and Wendar are allied." She paused, seemed to be thinking. "How did they try and kill you?"
Max quickly explained how Will had been capable of throwing lightening bolts and how he had spoken to him in his head. He also added that Kate had apparently teleported her brother and their two captives away, revealing [I]her[/I] gift. Max watched in fearful fascination as Courtney's face whitened.
"What is it?" Michael demanded when she reached out and clutched his hand.
"I don't understand. It doesn't make any sense," she muttered.
"What doesn't?" Max asked, his heart thundering in his chest.
"Well, those gifts." Courtney trailed off. "But it [I]is[/I] impossible. He's on Antar. I [I]know[/I] he is! I know that Nicholas communicated with him there a lot over the years." She seemed to be working a problem out in her mind, muttering to herself rather than speaking to Max or Michael. "It [I]might[/I] be her. She died soon enough." There was another long pause and then, "There's no other explanation though."
Michael glanced at Max, worried. Max just shrugged, but his hope that she would be able to give them the answer they needed had increased as he tried to follow the train of her thoughts.
Courtney finally looked directly at Max again. "I don't think you're going to like this."
"Tell me. Please."
"It just seems wrong somehow - in fact I know it [I]is[/I] wrong because he's still alive on Antar - but those gifts." Courtney pressed her lips together and finally just blurted it out. "It sounds like you faced Khivar himself this morning."
Before this information could even penetrate Max's muddled brain, a piercing ring made him practically jump out of his skin. Michael visibly flinched as well, but he seemed to realize more quickly that it was the phone. He hurried out of the room and was back a moment later, his expression perplexed.
"Michael, what is it?" Max demanded.
"That was Izzy at the Crashdown," Michael replied, sounding dumbfounded. And then he said what made Max's entire being sing with relief, something that made him forget momentarily the significance - and terror - of what Courtney had just told them. "They're back."
To be continued.