[u]Part 18[/u]
"Where's Isabel?" Michael demanded as Max joined the group. They were all huddled on the cliffs over the reservoir, looking very small and vulnerable as he moved toward them. A chill descended his spine as he reflected on how completely useless he felt when it came to leading any of them. Maria was huddled into her usual frilly jacket, obviously cold and feeling lonely because she was being left out of the new bond between Alex and Liz. Tess stood as far away from Maria as possible, looking slightly uncomfortable as usual, although her face relaxed at the sight of him, which irritated him and then made him feel guilty. She was standing close to Kyle, who looked even more out of place and, on top of that, annoyed. The Sheriff did not look any happier to be there, still slightly upset that he had been kept out of the loop for so long.
The only person who seemed at all pleased with this meeting was Michael, whose arms were crossed over his chest in a business-like manner. The change that had come over his best friend since they had found out about their destiny never failed to amaze Max when he reflected on it. Michael was perfectly content to accept the role that had been shaped for him by others in a galaxy far, far away. Not for the first time, as his eyes lit again on Tess, Max wondered why he had never felt the same way.
But, now that he knew something about who he had been in his past life, Max realized that perhaps it wasn't quite so surprising.
He didn't want to be king. It was as plain and simple as that, but everyone here expected him to be anyway. They were all depending on him. Max felt a pang as he realized how absolutely lucky he was to have all these people and how ill prepared he felt to lead them, how unlikely it was that he would be able to protect them when the time came.
And, now, with the new knowledge that he likely didn't [I]deserve[/I] to lead them. it all seemed ten times more daunting.
He was trying not to let the horrible scene he had seen in Kate's subconscious replay itself in his own mind. He was trying to believe Liz - that whatever he had done in his past life, he was not the kind of person who would kill his own friends in cold blood (because he knew now that it was what Kate had been to him before). It had not been something he had ever expected to be forced to acknowledge. He had been a monster in his past life. The image of his own hands closing around Kate's neck from her perspective (well, it hadn't really [I]looked[/I] like him, being as he had looked like an alien and all but he knew it [I]had[/I] been him) - it would haunt him for a long time. He had [I]felt[/I] her despair and her sense of betrayal as the end had come. Because, in that connection, he had [I]been[/I] her at the moment of death.
What if Isabel was right and they were all doomed to repeat the same mistakes over in this life? What if instead of Kate this time, it was Maria or Alex or Michael? What if he somehow became responsible for Isabel's death? What about Tess or even Kyle? Hell, hadn't he already once almost gotten Kyle killed just because of who he was? What if next time it was [I]really[/I] his fault?
In fact, hadn't the end of the world once been his fault? A future version of himself had even come back to stop he and Liz from making the same mistakes after all.
Max glanced at Tess out of the corner of his eye, wondered if she was even now contemplating leaving town. If so, what could he do to stop her? He certainly wouldn't give up Liz. He just couldn't. He knew that, inherently, this was why he was a bad leader. He could not be completely selfless and that was what his friends needed now. Someone who wasn't concerned about his own wants and desires before their lives.
No, he could easily believe that he had been a bad king.
[I]I know you weren't like that. I know [/I]you.
Liz's voice penetrated his little pity party for one as he stared at his friends, as he wondered how he could ever be strong enough for these people.
Max steeled his spine. He could be strong enough because he had Liz. [I]She[/I] believed in him. She believed in him so much, she had been willing to destroy her own heart just because a future version of himself had asked her to. She was right after all. There was no way that he would [I]ever[/I] do anything to purposely hurt his friends. Whoever he had been before, he was not that person now and he wouldn't become him either. Hadn't he told Isabel earlier that whatever had happened before didn't matter? It was ridiculous that he wasn't letting himself see that the same thing applied to him.
He knew exactly who he was and nothing was going to change the fact that he was first and foremost Max Evans, son of Diane and Phillip, brother of Isabel, boyfriend of Liz. Zan of Antar might be a part of his past, but he was certainly not going to play any role in his future.
"She wasn't at home," Max told Michael briefly now, his voice firm, which pleased him. "I don't know where she went, but I'll fill her in later."
"I'm not surprised that she's run off," Tess said, sounding annoyed. "Alex was just plain [I]mean[/I] earlier."
Max glanced quickly at Maria, whose eyes narrowed, but she stayed quiet. Michael's hand instantly going to the small of her back was probably partly responsible for that, but at least she didn't say anything. The last thing they needed at the moment was more strife within their group. They needed to stay unified, needed to focus on their [I]real[/I] enemies.
He grimaced slightly when he realized that, technically, Liz and Alex numbered among them now. Oh, this was going to be fun conversation!
"He didn't mean what he said," Kyle was telling Tess softly. Max heard Maria snort, but ignored her, choosing instead to watch Tess's reaction to Kyle's words. Her expression lightened slightly and it was only then that Max realized that Tess's feelings had truly been hurt somehow. Had Alex said something to her? He made a mental note to do damage control later. The absolute last thing they needed at the moment was for Tess to feel like even more of any outsider. If they had ever needed their four square strong, it was now.
"Whatever." Maria stepped forward, deliberately turning her back on Tess. Max sighed despite himself. "Max, where are Liz and Alex? What is going on?"
Max ran a hand through his hair and sighed again. "It's a long story. But, before I start, I want you all to know that decision has been made and you're all just going to have to play along. I trust Liz to deal with this." He was actually surprised that he was able to say those words and mean them. Not that he didn't trust Liz. But his fear for her was just as great as his trust in her. He was still slightly amazed at himself that he had gone along with this at all.
He was guessing that, somewhere deep inside, the connection with Kate had freaked him out so much, he almost didn't trust himself with Liz. That was it, he was sure. At this point, with their complete lack of information, he almost felt Liz was safer with their enemies than she was around him.
He [I]knew[/I] who he wanted to be, he was determined that he would stay who he was, but that didn't mean that a small part of him wasn't still hearing Isabel's voice in his head.
[I]I will betray you. Because I did before.[/I]
The sheer irony of that statement now was that it seemed that he had deserved it. Vilandra's betrayal had been justified. Courtney had said so and his connection with Kate had only confirmed it.
He had killed in his past life. He could do it again.
"I don't like the sound of this Maxwell," Michael was saying, his grip around Maria's waist tightening. Max shook his head, forced himself to focus.
"I'm sure you don't," he replied mildly. "But it doesn't really matter what any of us think. This is Liz's call."
"Why?" Tess demanded. "What does she have to do with any."
"She has [I]everything[/I] to do with it," Max interrupted firmly. "Listen to me, all of you." He looked at them all one by one, meeting their eyes. "There is going to be absolutely no more questioning of Liz. Everything she has ever done has only ever been for our benefit." He looked at Kyle. "What you helped her to do." He paused. "Thank you."
Kyle looked uncomfortable, but nodded slightly, glancing at Tess, whose lips were pressed together tightly. Max shook his head slightly. He was [I]really[/I] going to have to talk to her alone later.
"Would you please stop being so cryptic?" Michael snapped. "We all know Liz and Kyle didn't sleep together. Alex told us. Why did she pretend she did?"
Max smiled slightly, despite himself. It really was hard to get to the point here. Because, dammit, there was just too much to tell. "She was trying to save the world," he finally replied quietly. "How and why, I can't go into right now." He looked at Tess again. "I need to talk to a couple of you privately about that first."
Michael looked like he wanted to protest again, but this time Maria was the one to reach out and stop him with a warning squeeze.
"Where did Liz and Alex go?" She asked.
"They went to see Will and the others again," Max told her gently. "I know they both wanted to talk to you first Maria, but there just wasn't time."
Maria's nostrils flared slightly. "Why are they shutting me out?" She demanded, her tone slightly high-pitched. "There is something weird going on with both of them. I can't believe Liz did all that stuff with Kyle." She was beginning to gesture wildly with her hands, her frustration so complete, "And she didn't even tell me! What is this all about Max?"
"It's about why Will and the others are here," Max said, searching his mind for the easiest way to tell the story. He shrugged, decided that it was best to just say it. They certainly weren't going to believe him at first anyway. Hell, he wasn't even quite sure [I]he[/I] believed it yet. "They want Liz. And, for the moment, she's going to pretend that they've got her. Alex went with her so that she wouldn't be alone."
"Hmm. Sources on the inside. I think I like it." Max looked at Michael, almost rolled his eyes at the gleeful expression on his best friend's face.
"Easy there General." The sheriff stepped forward. "I don't like the sound of this at all Max. Who [I]are[/I] these people? How do we know that Liz and Alex are going to be safe with them? Did they or did they not already try and kill you and Isabel earlier today?"
"Liz is sure that Will won't hurt her," Max reassured him. He tried to ignore the stab of concern this still caused him. He did not like the connection that existed between Liz and the other alien. He knew that this was no time for jealousy, but it wasn't fun to send the girl you loved off to bond with another man - particularly one you suspected she might actually, secretly feel connected to. Max and Liz had never been able to hide anything from each other when they connected and he had seen more than [I]just[/I] the Future Max stuff earlier that evening. He had felt her inherent trust in Will and it reminded him way too much of how she had trusted him after [I]their[/I] first connection.
It wasn't that he didn't trust Liz. It was that he remembered how completely out of control he had felt when Tess had first appeared in town. He had been attracted to her, mainly because of a mind-warp, but her familiarity had also pulled him to her. Liz's recognition of Will was a frightening thing. Max was all too aware that if it hadn't been for the fact that he had healed Liz, she [I]never[/I] would have known of [I]his[/I] feelings for her, never would have given him the time of day.
But Will she had recognized immediately. It was Will to whom she had been drawn at first sight.
The simple thought of it was enough to make his blood run cold.
Hell! This was a stupid plan! What if Liz [I]never[/I] came back?
[I]Then you'd deal.[/I]
He blinked as the thought appeared unbidden in the back of his mind.
[I]Even if she isn't meant to be with you, truly, you are strong enough to survive on the memory of what she was to you - on who you want to be [/I]because[I] of her. In the end, it's her choice. You can believe in her like she's always believed in you, or you can freak out and become useless to everyone, like you have been for the past couple of weeks. But you know which way is the right way.[/I]
"And you believe that she's right?" The sheriff asked. "Why Max?"
"Because of who she is to him," Max replied tightly. "She was his wife."
The silence that greeted this statement was so complete, Max could hear the water in the reservoir lapping lightly against the rocks far below.
"Pardon me?" Michael was the first one to regain the use of his voice. No surprise there. He would actually be the easiest one to convince Max was sure. After all, he had been there when Courtney had told them about Rowena.
"She's Rowena," Max told him. "I know it's true too. Earlier." He looked at Tess, feeling slightly uncomfortable, "Liz and I connected. She saw that the reason I was drawn to her from the beginning was because I recognized her."
"Who is Rowena?" Tess demanded.
"She's a link in their four square," Max replied. "Liz is like us. Will and Kate."
"Oh Lord." Michael's voice broke through Max's explanation. "I should have seen this coming."
"What?" Max asked, perplexed.
"Remember I told you that Hal Carver told me that there were [I]eight[/I] pods when he let Nasedo and that other shifter go?" Michael raised his eyebrows meaningfully. "I'm guessing our new pals were in those pods."
Max frowned. "That sounds highly likely. But it's kind of weird too. Why would our enemies have been sent in the same ship as us?" He looked at Tess questioningly. "Do you know [I]anything[/I] about this Tess?"
From the expression on Tess's face - dumbfounded amazement - Max could see that she didn't. "I'm only beginning to realize how much Nasedo [I]didn't[/I] tell me," she finally admitted, sounding hurt. "Why wouldn't he have told me about them? Shouldn't he have been responsible for them too?"
"Weren't there two protectors?" The sheriff interjected. "Maybe the other four were sent off with him?"
"Maybe." Max shoved his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket, sighing. "We just don't know anything. At least with Liz and Alex on the inside, we might get some answers."
He looked over at Kyle, who was clearing his throat. He looked disbelieving, which didn't surprise Max at all. "What I don't get here is why you think Liz is one of them. We [I]know[/I] she's human."
"Right!" Maria jumped in. "Alex was looking at baby pictures earlier today. He must have been trying to convince Liz that they were lying to her!" She pressed her lips together, annoyed. "Although I still don't get why it all had to be such a big secret."
"Liz has been living with secrets for weeks," Kyle reminded her. "Can you imagine having the weight of the world on your shoulders, like she literally did? Constantly having to worry that something you do is going to result in that." He looked impressed. "Poor Liz. I just don't get [I]why[/I] she thought you and she being together would result in that." He looked at Max questioningly.
Max glanced at Tess. "It's kind of difficult to say."
"Max! You keep looking at me weirdly!" Tess exclaimed. "Why? What aren't you telling us?"
"Tess, I don't want to do this in front of everyone," Max replied gently.
"Do what?" She sounded exasperated. "[I]I[/I] didn't end the world somehow!" She paused. "Wait a minute. I didn't, did I?"
"Of course not!" Max said quickly. "It's just that, well." By the expression on her face, Max knew that she wasn't going to let it drop. It was just time to tell it all it seemed. "You left town Tess. A.well, a visitor came back from the future, through the granolith, and told Liz that if she and I didn't break up, you were going to leave town and when our enemies came we wouldn't be strong enough without you and.well, the world ended because of it."
"Well, that's a cheerful story," Michael finally said after the silence had stretched out into what felt like eternity again. "I can't believe Liz even believed that. Who was this "visitor?" Doesn't Liz know not to trust strangers by now?" Max scowled at him. Michael's tone had been decidedly sarcastic during that last statement.
"I would [I]never[/I] leave you Max," Tess added. Max grimaced. Oh hell. He didn't like the expression that appeared on Kyle's face at that one. And he didn't like hearing [I]that[/I] either. He was just glad that Liz wasn't standing beside him.
"Well, be that as it may," he said, deciding that changing the subject was the best route, "Liz believed it. Because, the thing is, the visitor was [I]me[/I]."
"You? And you didn't know?" Michael demanded incredulously.
"Well, not [I]me[/I] me," Max amended. "But another me. From the future. I came back through the granolith."
"The granolith? I keep hearing that word," the sheriff said impatiently. "What the hell is a granolith?"
"That's one thing we need to find out," Max admitted. "Because when I connected with Kate earlier, I felt how much they want to get a hold of it. Until we know why, we're screwed. We know it can be used as a time machine."
"How does Liz know that it was you from the future?" Michael interrupted, obviously still stuck on the whole Future Max thing. "Couldn't it have been a trick? A shapeshifter?"
"Michael! Get over it!" Maria screeched. "Liz [I]knows[/I] Max, okay? If there's one person she knows, it's him."
Max shot her a grateful look. "It was me," he agreed. "I believe Liz. The important thing is [I]why[/I] I came back. It must have been [I]really[/I] bad."
"I would think that the expression "the end of the world" pretty much tells us that," Kyle muttered, earning a look from his father. "Sorry."
"That's not what I meant," Max continued, choosing not to be annoyed. "What I meant is that it must have been bad because it sounds like we were both giving up an awful lot to change things."
"What do you mean?" Tess asked.
"Liz and I were married," Max replied. "It's mainly why you left town Tess. Because you and I were never going to be together."
"Oh." Tess's mouth snapped shut and she looked befuddled. Max was surprised when she smiled slightly. "You know, I [I]was[/I] going to leave town a couple of weeks ago." She said it so abruptly, everyone stared at her in astonishment.
"You were?" Michael demanded, sounding more annoyed than anything. "Why?" Max stared at him again and raised an eyebrow. Michael had the grace to look a little embarrassed and he shut up.
"Because I felt like a total outsider," Tess replied quietly. "But since everything happened with you and Liz." She trailed off. "Max needed me. I couldn't leave him." She looked directly at Max, her expression troubled. "And now I don't think I could leave - ever." She paused, as though truly examining her feelings, then said quietly, "I know you don't love me Max. It still hurts." She shook her head, sending her blonde curls flying. "I can't say that I'm not still disappointed. I remember more than you do. I remember how we felt about each other before."
"Tess, I don't think any of that is real," Max replied gently. "I'm sorry. Didn't Michael tell you what Courtney said? We had an arranged marriage. We weren't in love."
"My memories aren't real?" Tess asked. "Max I [I]have[/I] them!"
"My question is, why does Tess have memories and we don't?" Michael said, changing the subject abruptly. "All this love talk is pointless. Who cares?"
"Michael!" Maria exclaimed. Max was surprised to see that she was looking at Tess with something actually approaching concern.
"What?" Michael snapped. "Hey, I'm sorry if my thoughts are preoccupied with the end of the world stuff. Liz made a sacrifice, I admire her for it, but it was [I]her[/I] choice. This is a different world now, am I wrong? If we don't figure out exactly how to make sure that whatever happened in the future doesn't happen again, everything she did to you," he looked at Max seriously, "Over the past couple of weeks will have been for nothing. Do we really want that? I've been here. It has not been pretty Maxwell. She did it though and now we have to use this second chance."
"Well, I'm not going anywhere," Tess said firmly. "So you can stop worrying about that." She looked at Max. "I really feel like we're friends now Max. I believe that my memories are real, but if you don't, there's not much I can do to change that." She paused. "My point is that, whether we end up together or not, I feel like I belong with you." She turned her gaze to Michael. "All of you. And now I feel like I have a purpose here apart from destiny," she admitted. "You [I]do[/I] need me."
"No one has ever disputed that Tess," Max told her. He paused. "I'm sorry if we made you feel like we didn't."
"I can't say that I blame you," Tess replied. "I wasn't exactly forthcoming when I first arrived. I went about everything the wrong way. I see that now. But it was Nasedo." Her expression darkened. "He was all about secrecy and that's how I was raised."
"Honesty really is the best policy," Maria interjected. Tess looked at her suspiciously. Max could see that she was wondering if the other girl was being sarcastic, was going for a dig, but Maria looked sincere. "I don't think any of us has done much to make you feel welcome Tess."
"You were looking out for your friend Maria," Tess said. "I can't blame you for that."
"Well." Maria shoved her hands deeper into her pockets. "Liz and I could have tried a bit harder with you. We just went into defensive mode right away."
"Okay!" Michael exclaimed. "You're both to blame! Enough of this lovey- dovey stuff! What is the plan here? What exactly is it that Alex and Liz are doing?"
Max didn't reply right away, still astonished that all the tension between Tess and Maria had been resolved that quickly. He wondered if he'd ever understand girls.
"Maxwell!"
Max shook his head, realized that he felt like a huge weight had abruptly been lifted off his shoulders. Tess was going to stay. It was one less thing they had to worry about and it was enough to make him want to shout for joy. Well almost.
"Right, sorry. Here's what's going on."
And, with that, Max launched into the plan he still wasn't entirely comfortable with but was going to support until his last breath because it was what Liz wanted.
By the time Max got home, it was close to one in the morning. He considered knocking on Isabel's bedroom door, which was by now firmly closed signaling that his sister was back, but the thought was so exhausting after the length of the meeting at the quarry, he realized he just couldn't face telling it all again right away. And then there was the whole thing with Alex, which Tess had filled him in on while he had driven her back to the Valentis, wanting a few minutes alone with her to make sure she was really okay (which she seemed to be). The fact that Isabel had so deliberately chosen to stay out of his way tonight seemed to indicate that she wasn't ready to talk about anything either. Morning would be soon enough.
He flopped back on his bed moments later, glanced at the clock and then at his answering machine. He felt a slight flash of concern that Liz hadn't called yet. It was pretty late. They had agreed that she and Alex would go to the motel and set things in motion but would then be home early.
He sat up, reached out and picked up the receiver, dialing Liz's number quickly. He heaved a sigh of relief when she picked up on the third ring, sounding like she had been sound asleep.
"Hi," he said gently. "Did I wake you?"
"Oh." There was a long pause. "Yeah. I'm just really tired." Max frowned. She sounded completely out of it.
"Liz, are you okay?"
"What? Oh. Yes. Max. Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry."
"You don't sound fine. You were supposed to call me."
"I know. Sorry. I just needed to go to sleep." There was another long pause, as though she was trying to focus. "How did things go with the others?"
"Pretty good," Max replied, settling back against the headboard of his bed. His heartbeat was slowing down now that Liz seemed to be getting her bearings. He couldn't blame her for being so tired. She had been dealing with a lot of stressful stuff lately. It was probably the feeling of finally being able to let go slightly that was making her want to sleep so badly. "I won't give you all the details right now, but just know that everyone is behind you. And we don't have to worry about Tess. She's okay with everything."
"I'm sure," Liz replied, sounding slightly annoyed. Max frowned again.
"Liz?"
"What? Oh sorry. No. Never mind. It's just that I got some interesting information from Will about sweet Ava. Apparently we weren't exactly the best of friends before either."
"Er, okay. So, everything's okay with Will then."
"Yes." Liz's voice softened. Max swallowed. Okay, why was Liz being so weird? "He's going to leave you alone. We were right Max. All he wants is to be close to me. When I told him I wouldn't be unless he stopped threatening you, he accepted it."
"That's good, I guess." Max realized that he had never found it this difficult to converse with Liz before. He didn't quite know what to say next. "Liz, are you sure there's nothing wrong? You sound kind of weird."
"I told you I'm tired," Liz almost snapped. Max blinked. "Listen, can we talk about this in the morning? I'm being a total bitch and I'm going to feel awful about it tomorrow."
"Okay," Max replied reluctantly. "Can we meet somewhere before school?"
"I don't think that's a good idea," Liz told him. "I promised Will that I'd give him a real chance. I told him I wouldn't see you for a few days. It was part of the plan Max. Remember? He has to think I'm really trying."
"I know," Max sighed. "But it sucks. I hate this plan."
"Well, I'm sorry, but it will all be for the best in the long run," Liz replied briskly. "I'll call you tomorrow night. I'm going to try and arrange for you and Will to meet. It might take me a couple of days."
"The sooner the better," Max insisted. "Liz." He was about to tell her that he was beginning to realize how bad a plan this truly was. He was glad that Will wasn't a threat to Liz, but the stress really seemed to be getting to her. All of this needed to be brought out into the open so that they could all work together.
He was beginning to understand that there had to be a reason that they had all been cloned and sent to Earth in the same ship and he was beginning to realize that it was likely because they were probably supposed to resolve things [I]here[/I]. They weren't supposed to be enemies anymore. That the other hybrids were hampered by the negative memories of him had started him wondering if he, Michael and Isabel [I]not[/I] remembering was for a reason. Clean slates and all that. So what had gone wrong with Will and the others?
"Night Max. I'll talk to you later."
He stared at the receiver in disbelief. She had just hung up on him! He had been right in the middle of a sentence.
Well, it was clear. This plan was not going to fly. Liz Parker would never hang up on him, especially after the hell they had recently been through. Will had done something to her. Max just [I]knew[/I] it.
It took all of his strength not to leap off his bed and head straight for the Crashdown to confront her. But she [I]was[/I] tired. Maybe sleep would help her fight off whatever Will was doing to her. She was safe at home for now. He'd call Alex quickly before he went to bed to make sure that she was alone, but then he'd leave her in peace for the moment.
But he was not going to risk Liz. It meant that the only way to resolve this was swiftly and cleanly. Which meant confrontation with Will. And he was not going to wait for Liz to set up some sort of summit. No way. She was already beginning to lose herself.
It would be tomorrow, Max thought grimly. First thing. They were going to end this once and for all.
"Where's Isabel?" Michael demanded as Max joined the group. They were all huddled on the cliffs over the reservoir, looking very small and vulnerable as he moved toward them. A chill descended his spine as he reflected on how completely useless he felt when it came to leading any of them. Maria was huddled into her usual frilly jacket, obviously cold and feeling lonely because she was being left out of the new bond between Alex and Liz. Tess stood as far away from Maria as possible, looking slightly uncomfortable as usual, although her face relaxed at the sight of him, which irritated him and then made him feel guilty. She was standing close to Kyle, who looked even more out of place and, on top of that, annoyed. The Sheriff did not look any happier to be there, still slightly upset that he had been kept out of the loop for so long.
The only person who seemed at all pleased with this meeting was Michael, whose arms were crossed over his chest in a business-like manner. The change that had come over his best friend since they had found out about their destiny never failed to amaze Max when he reflected on it. Michael was perfectly content to accept the role that had been shaped for him by others in a galaxy far, far away. Not for the first time, as his eyes lit again on Tess, Max wondered why he had never felt the same way.
But, now that he knew something about who he had been in his past life, Max realized that perhaps it wasn't quite so surprising.
He didn't want to be king. It was as plain and simple as that, but everyone here expected him to be anyway. They were all depending on him. Max felt a pang as he realized how absolutely lucky he was to have all these people and how ill prepared he felt to lead them, how unlikely it was that he would be able to protect them when the time came.
And, now, with the new knowledge that he likely didn't [I]deserve[/I] to lead them. it all seemed ten times more daunting.
He was trying not to let the horrible scene he had seen in Kate's subconscious replay itself in his own mind. He was trying to believe Liz - that whatever he had done in his past life, he was not the kind of person who would kill his own friends in cold blood (because he knew now that it was what Kate had been to him before). It had not been something he had ever expected to be forced to acknowledge. He had been a monster in his past life. The image of his own hands closing around Kate's neck from her perspective (well, it hadn't really [I]looked[/I] like him, being as he had looked like an alien and all but he knew it [I]had[/I] been him) - it would haunt him for a long time. He had [I]felt[/I] her despair and her sense of betrayal as the end had come. Because, in that connection, he had [I]been[/I] her at the moment of death.
What if Isabel was right and they were all doomed to repeat the same mistakes over in this life? What if instead of Kate this time, it was Maria or Alex or Michael? What if he somehow became responsible for Isabel's death? What about Tess or even Kyle? Hell, hadn't he already once almost gotten Kyle killed just because of who he was? What if next time it was [I]really[/I] his fault?
In fact, hadn't the end of the world once been his fault? A future version of himself had even come back to stop he and Liz from making the same mistakes after all.
Max glanced at Tess out of the corner of his eye, wondered if she was even now contemplating leaving town. If so, what could he do to stop her? He certainly wouldn't give up Liz. He just couldn't. He knew that, inherently, this was why he was a bad leader. He could not be completely selfless and that was what his friends needed now. Someone who wasn't concerned about his own wants and desires before their lives.
No, he could easily believe that he had been a bad king.
[I]I know you weren't like that. I know [/I]you.
Liz's voice penetrated his little pity party for one as he stared at his friends, as he wondered how he could ever be strong enough for these people.
Max steeled his spine. He could be strong enough because he had Liz. [I]She[/I] believed in him. She believed in him so much, she had been willing to destroy her own heart just because a future version of himself had asked her to. She was right after all. There was no way that he would [I]ever[/I] do anything to purposely hurt his friends. Whoever he had been before, he was not that person now and he wouldn't become him either. Hadn't he told Isabel earlier that whatever had happened before didn't matter? It was ridiculous that he wasn't letting himself see that the same thing applied to him.
He knew exactly who he was and nothing was going to change the fact that he was first and foremost Max Evans, son of Diane and Phillip, brother of Isabel, boyfriend of Liz. Zan of Antar might be a part of his past, but he was certainly not going to play any role in his future.
"She wasn't at home," Max told Michael briefly now, his voice firm, which pleased him. "I don't know where she went, but I'll fill her in later."
"I'm not surprised that she's run off," Tess said, sounding annoyed. "Alex was just plain [I]mean[/I] earlier."
Max glanced quickly at Maria, whose eyes narrowed, but she stayed quiet. Michael's hand instantly going to the small of her back was probably partly responsible for that, but at least she didn't say anything. The last thing they needed at the moment was more strife within their group. They needed to stay unified, needed to focus on their [I]real[/I] enemies.
He grimaced slightly when he realized that, technically, Liz and Alex numbered among them now. Oh, this was going to be fun conversation!
"He didn't mean what he said," Kyle was telling Tess softly. Max heard Maria snort, but ignored her, choosing instead to watch Tess's reaction to Kyle's words. Her expression lightened slightly and it was only then that Max realized that Tess's feelings had truly been hurt somehow. Had Alex said something to her? He made a mental note to do damage control later. The absolute last thing they needed at the moment was for Tess to feel like even more of any outsider. If they had ever needed their four square strong, it was now.
"Whatever." Maria stepped forward, deliberately turning her back on Tess. Max sighed despite himself. "Max, where are Liz and Alex? What is going on?"
Max ran a hand through his hair and sighed again. "It's a long story. But, before I start, I want you all to know that decision has been made and you're all just going to have to play along. I trust Liz to deal with this." He was actually surprised that he was able to say those words and mean them. Not that he didn't trust Liz. But his fear for her was just as great as his trust in her. He was still slightly amazed at himself that he had gone along with this at all.
He was guessing that, somewhere deep inside, the connection with Kate had freaked him out so much, he almost didn't trust himself with Liz. That was it, he was sure. At this point, with their complete lack of information, he almost felt Liz was safer with their enemies than she was around him.
He [I]knew[/I] who he wanted to be, he was determined that he would stay who he was, but that didn't mean that a small part of him wasn't still hearing Isabel's voice in his head.
[I]I will betray you. Because I did before.[/I]
The sheer irony of that statement now was that it seemed that he had deserved it. Vilandra's betrayal had been justified. Courtney had said so and his connection with Kate had only confirmed it.
He had killed in his past life. He could do it again.
"I don't like the sound of this Maxwell," Michael was saying, his grip around Maria's waist tightening. Max shook his head, forced himself to focus.
"I'm sure you don't," he replied mildly. "But it doesn't really matter what any of us think. This is Liz's call."
"Why?" Tess demanded. "What does she have to do with any."
"She has [I]everything[/I] to do with it," Max interrupted firmly. "Listen to me, all of you." He looked at them all one by one, meeting their eyes. "There is going to be absolutely no more questioning of Liz. Everything she has ever done has only ever been for our benefit." He looked at Kyle. "What you helped her to do." He paused. "Thank you."
Kyle looked uncomfortable, but nodded slightly, glancing at Tess, whose lips were pressed together tightly. Max shook his head slightly. He was [I]really[/I] going to have to talk to her alone later.
"Would you please stop being so cryptic?" Michael snapped. "We all know Liz and Kyle didn't sleep together. Alex told us. Why did she pretend she did?"
Max smiled slightly, despite himself. It really was hard to get to the point here. Because, dammit, there was just too much to tell. "She was trying to save the world," he finally replied quietly. "How and why, I can't go into right now." He looked at Tess again. "I need to talk to a couple of you privately about that first."
Michael looked like he wanted to protest again, but this time Maria was the one to reach out and stop him with a warning squeeze.
"Where did Liz and Alex go?" She asked.
"They went to see Will and the others again," Max told her gently. "I know they both wanted to talk to you first Maria, but there just wasn't time."
Maria's nostrils flared slightly. "Why are they shutting me out?" She demanded, her tone slightly high-pitched. "There is something weird going on with both of them. I can't believe Liz did all that stuff with Kyle." She was beginning to gesture wildly with her hands, her frustration so complete, "And she didn't even tell me! What is this all about Max?"
"It's about why Will and the others are here," Max said, searching his mind for the easiest way to tell the story. He shrugged, decided that it was best to just say it. They certainly weren't going to believe him at first anyway. Hell, he wasn't even quite sure [I]he[/I] believed it yet. "They want Liz. And, for the moment, she's going to pretend that they've got her. Alex went with her so that she wouldn't be alone."
"Hmm. Sources on the inside. I think I like it." Max looked at Michael, almost rolled his eyes at the gleeful expression on his best friend's face.
"Easy there General." The sheriff stepped forward. "I don't like the sound of this at all Max. Who [I]are[/I] these people? How do we know that Liz and Alex are going to be safe with them? Did they or did they not already try and kill you and Isabel earlier today?"
"Liz is sure that Will won't hurt her," Max reassured him. He tried to ignore the stab of concern this still caused him. He did not like the connection that existed between Liz and the other alien. He knew that this was no time for jealousy, but it wasn't fun to send the girl you loved off to bond with another man - particularly one you suspected she might actually, secretly feel connected to. Max and Liz had never been able to hide anything from each other when they connected and he had seen more than [I]just[/I] the Future Max stuff earlier that evening. He had felt her inherent trust in Will and it reminded him way too much of how she had trusted him after [I]their[/I] first connection.
It wasn't that he didn't trust Liz. It was that he remembered how completely out of control he had felt when Tess had first appeared in town. He had been attracted to her, mainly because of a mind-warp, but her familiarity had also pulled him to her. Liz's recognition of Will was a frightening thing. Max was all too aware that if it hadn't been for the fact that he had healed Liz, she [I]never[/I] would have known of [I]his[/I] feelings for her, never would have given him the time of day.
But Will she had recognized immediately. It was Will to whom she had been drawn at first sight.
The simple thought of it was enough to make his blood run cold.
Hell! This was a stupid plan! What if Liz [I]never[/I] came back?
[I]Then you'd deal.[/I]
He blinked as the thought appeared unbidden in the back of his mind.
[I]Even if she isn't meant to be with you, truly, you are strong enough to survive on the memory of what she was to you - on who you want to be [/I]because[I] of her. In the end, it's her choice. You can believe in her like she's always believed in you, or you can freak out and become useless to everyone, like you have been for the past couple of weeks. But you know which way is the right way.[/I]
"And you believe that she's right?" The sheriff asked. "Why Max?"
"Because of who she is to him," Max replied tightly. "She was his wife."
The silence that greeted this statement was so complete, Max could hear the water in the reservoir lapping lightly against the rocks far below.
"Pardon me?" Michael was the first one to regain the use of his voice. No surprise there. He would actually be the easiest one to convince Max was sure. After all, he had been there when Courtney had told them about Rowena.
"She's Rowena," Max told him. "I know it's true too. Earlier." He looked at Tess, feeling slightly uncomfortable, "Liz and I connected. She saw that the reason I was drawn to her from the beginning was because I recognized her."
"Who is Rowena?" Tess demanded.
"She's a link in their four square," Max replied. "Liz is like us. Will and Kate."
"Oh Lord." Michael's voice broke through Max's explanation. "I should have seen this coming."
"What?" Max asked, perplexed.
"Remember I told you that Hal Carver told me that there were [I]eight[/I] pods when he let Nasedo and that other shifter go?" Michael raised his eyebrows meaningfully. "I'm guessing our new pals were in those pods."
Max frowned. "That sounds highly likely. But it's kind of weird too. Why would our enemies have been sent in the same ship as us?" He looked at Tess questioningly. "Do you know [I]anything[/I] about this Tess?"
From the expression on Tess's face - dumbfounded amazement - Max could see that she didn't. "I'm only beginning to realize how much Nasedo [I]didn't[/I] tell me," she finally admitted, sounding hurt. "Why wouldn't he have told me about them? Shouldn't he have been responsible for them too?"
"Weren't there two protectors?" The sheriff interjected. "Maybe the other four were sent off with him?"
"Maybe." Max shoved his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket, sighing. "We just don't know anything. At least with Liz and Alex on the inside, we might get some answers."
He looked over at Kyle, who was clearing his throat. He looked disbelieving, which didn't surprise Max at all. "What I don't get here is why you think Liz is one of them. We [I]know[/I] she's human."
"Right!" Maria jumped in. "Alex was looking at baby pictures earlier today. He must have been trying to convince Liz that they were lying to her!" She pressed her lips together, annoyed. "Although I still don't get why it all had to be such a big secret."
"Liz has been living with secrets for weeks," Kyle reminded her. "Can you imagine having the weight of the world on your shoulders, like she literally did? Constantly having to worry that something you do is going to result in that." He looked impressed. "Poor Liz. I just don't get [I]why[/I] she thought you and she being together would result in that." He looked at Max questioningly.
Max glanced at Tess. "It's kind of difficult to say."
"Max! You keep looking at me weirdly!" Tess exclaimed. "Why? What aren't you telling us?"
"Tess, I don't want to do this in front of everyone," Max replied gently.
"Do what?" She sounded exasperated. "[I]I[/I] didn't end the world somehow!" She paused. "Wait a minute. I didn't, did I?"
"Of course not!" Max said quickly. "It's just that, well." By the expression on her face, Max knew that she wasn't going to let it drop. It was just time to tell it all it seemed. "You left town Tess. A.well, a visitor came back from the future, through the granolith, and told Liz that if she and I didn't break up, you were going to leave town and when our enemies came we wouldn't be strong enough without you and.well, the world ended because of it."
"Well, that's a cheerful story," Michael finally said after the silence had stretched out into what felt like eternity again. "I can't believe Liz even believed that. Who was this "visitor?" Doesn't Liz know not to trust strangers by now?" Max scowled at him. Michael's tone had been decidedly sarcastic during that last statement.
"I would [I]never[/I] leave you Max," Tess added. Max grimaced. Oh hell. He didn't like the expression that appeared on Kyle's face at that one. And he didn't like hearing [I]that[/I] either. He was just glad that Liz wasn't standing beside him.
"Well, be that as it may," he said, deciding that changing the subject was the best route, "Liz believed it. Because, the thing is, the visitor was [I]me[/I]."
"You? And you didn't know?" Michael demanded incredulously.
"Well, not [I]me[/I] me," Max amended. "But another me. From the future. I came back through the granolith."
"The granolith? I keep hearing that word," the sheriff said impatiently. "What the hell is a granolith?"
"That's one thing we need to find out," Max admitted. "Because when I connected with Kate earlier, I felt how much they want to get a hold of it. Until we know why, we're screwed. We know it can be used as a time machine."
"How does Liz know that it was you from the future?" Michael interrupted, obviously still stuck on the whole Future Max thing. "Couldn't it have been a trick? A shapeshifter?"
"Michael! Get over it!" Maria screeched. "Liz [I]knows[/I] Max, okay? If there's one person she knows, it's him."
Max shot her a grateful look. "It was me," he agreed. "I believe Liz. The important thing is [I]why[/I] I came back. It must have been [I]really[/I] bad."
"I would think that the expression "the end of the world" pretty much tells us that," Kyle muttered, earning a look from his father. "Sorry."
"That's not what I meant," Max continued, choosing not to be annoyed. "What I meant is that it must have been bad because it sounds like we were both giving up an awful lot to change things."
"What do you mean?" Tess asked.
"Liz and I were married," Max replied. "It's mainly why you left town Tess. Because you and I were never going to be together."
"Oh." Tess's mouth snapped shut and she looked befuddled. Max was surprised when she smiled slightly. "You know, I [I]was[/I] going to leave town a couple of weeks ago." She said it so abruptly, everyone stared at her in astonishment.
"You were?" Michael demanded, sounding more annoyed than anything. "Why?" Max stared at him again and raised an eyebrow. Michael had the grace to look a little embarrassed and he shut up.
"Because I felt like a total outsider," Tess replied quietly. "But since everything happened with you and Liz." She trailed off. "Max needed me. I couldn't leave him." She looked directly at Max, her expression troubled. "And now I don't think I could leave - ever." She paused, as though truly examining her feelings, then said quietly, "I know you don't love me Max. It still hurts." She shook her head, sending her blonde curls flying. "I can't say that I'm not still disappointed. I remember more than you do. I remember how we felt about each other before."
"Tess, I don't think any of that is real," Max replied gently. "I'm sorry. Didn't Michael tell you what Courtney said? We had an arranged marriage. We weren't in love."
"My memories aren't real?" Tess asked. "Max I [I]have[/I] them!"
"My question is, why does Tess have memories and we don't?" Michael said, changing the subject abruptly. "All this love talk is pointless. Who cares?"
"Michael!" Maria exclaimed. Max was surprised to see that she was looking at Tess with something actually approaching concern.
"What?" Michael snapped. "Hey, I'm sorry if my thoughts are preoccupied with the end of the world stuff. Liz made a sacrifice, I admire her for it, but it was [I]her[/I] choice. This is a different world now, am I wrong? If we don't figure out exactly how to make sure that whatever happened in the future doesn't happen again, everything she did to you," he looked at Max seriously, "Over the past couple of weeks will have been for nothing. Do we really want that? I've been here. It has not been pretty Maxwell. She did it though and now we have to use this second chance."
"Well, I'm not going anywhere," Tess said firmly. "So you can stop worrying about that." She looked at Max. "I really feel like we're friends now Max. I believe that my memories are real, but if you don't, there's not much I can do to change that." She paused. "My point is that, whether we end up together or not, I feel like I belong with you." She turned her gaze to Michael. "All of you. And now I feel like I have a purpose here apart from destiny," she admitted. "You [I]do[/I] need me."
"No one has ever disputed that Tess," Max told her. He paused. "I'm sorry if we made you feel like we didn't."
"I can't say that I blame you," Tess replied. "I wasn't exactly forthcoming when I first arrived. I went about everything the wrong way. I see that now. But it was Nasedo." Her expression darkened. "He was all about secrecy and that's how I was raised."
"Honesty really is the best policy," Maria interjected. Tess looked at her suspiciously. Max could see that she was wondering if the other girl was being sarcastic, was going for a dig, but Maria looked sincere. "I don't think any of us has done much to make you feel welcome Tess."
"You were looking out for your friend Maria," Tess said. "I can't blame you for that."
"Well." Maria shoved her hands deeper into her pockets. "Liz and I could have tried a bit harder with you. We just went into defensive mode right away."
"Okay!" Michael exclaimed. "You're both to blame! Enough of this lovey- dovey stuff! What is the plan here? What exactly is it that Alex and Liz are doing?"
Max didn't reply right away, still astonished that all the tension between Tess and Maria had been resolved that quickly. He wondered if he'd ever understand girls.
"Maxwell!"
Max shook his head, realized that he felt like a huge weight had abruptly been lifted off his shoulders. Tess was going to stay. It was one less thing they had to worry about and it was enough to make him want to shout for joy. Well almost.
"Right, sorry. Here's what's going on."
And, with that, Max launched into the plan he still wasn't entirely comfortable with but was going to support until his last breath because it was what Liz wanted.
By the time Max got home, it was close to one in the morning. He considered knocking on Isabel's bedroom door, which was by now firmly closed signaling that his sister was back, but the thought was so exhausting after the length of the meeting at the quarry, he realized he just couldn't face telling it all again right away. And then there was the whole thing with Alex, which Tess had filled him in on while he had driven her back to the Valentis, wanting a few minutes alone with her to make sure she was really okay (which she seemed to be). The fact that Isabel had so deliberately chosen to stay out of his way tonight seemed to indicate that she wasn't ready to talk about anything either. Morning would be soon enough.
He flopped back on his bed moments later, glanced at the clock and then at his answering machine. He felt a slight flash of concern that Liz hadn't called yet. It was pretty late. They had agreed that she and Alex would go to the motel and set things in motion but would then be home early.
He sat up, reached out and picked up the receiver, dialing Liz's number quickly. He heaved a sigh of relief when she picked up on the third ring, sounding like she had been sound asleep.
"Hi," he said gently. "Did I wake you?"
"Oh." There was a long pause. "Yeah. I'm just really tired." Max frowned. She sounded completely out of it.
"Liz, are you okay?"
"What? Oh. Yes. Max. Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry."
"You don't sound fine. You were supposed to call me."
"I know. Sorry. I just needed to go to sleep." There was another long pause, as though she was trying to focus. "How did things go with the others?"
"Pretty good," Max replied, settling back against the headboard of his bed. His heartbeat was slowing down now that Liz seemed to be getting her bearings. He couldn't blame her for being so tired. She had been dealing with a lot of stressful stuff lately. It was probably the feeling of finally being able to let go slightly that was making her want to sleep so badly. "I won't give you all the details right now, but just know that everyone is behind you. And we don't have to worry about Tess. She's okay with everything."
"I'm sure," Liz replied, sounding slightly annoyed. Max frowned again.
"Liz?"
"What? Oh sorry. No. Never mind. It's just that I got some interesting information from Will about sweet Ava. Apparently we weren't exactly the best of friends before either."
"Er, okay. So, everything's okay with Will then."
"Yes." Liz's voice softened. Max swallowed. Okay, why was Liz being so weird? "He's going to leave you alone. We were right Max. All he wants is to be close to me. When I told him I wouldn't be unless he stopped threatening you, he accepted it."
"That's good, I guess." Max realized that he had never found it this difficult to converse with Liz before. He didn't quite know what to say next. "Liz, are you sure there's nothing wrong? You sound kind of weird."
"I told you I'm tired," Liz almost snapped. Max blinked. "Listen, can we talk about this in the morning? I'm being a total bitch and I'm going to feel awful about it tomorrow."
"Okay," Max replied reluctantly. "Can we meet somewhere before school?"
"I don't think that's a good idea," Liz told him. "I promised Will that I'd give him a real chance. I told him I wouldn't see you for a few days. It was part of the plan Max. Remember? He has to think I'm really trying."
"I know," Max sighed. "But it sucks. I hate this plan."
"Well, I'm sorry, but it will all be for the best in the long run," Liz replied briskly. "I'll call you tomorrow night. I'm going to try and arrange for you and Will to meet. It might take me a couple of days."
"The sooner the better," Max insisted. "Liz." He was about to tell her that he was beginning to realize how bad a plan this truly was. He was glad that Will wasn't a threat to Liz, but the stress really seemed to be getting to her. All of this needed to be brought out into the open so that they could all work together.
He was beginning to understand that there had to be a reason that they had all been cloned and sent to Earth in the same ship and he was beginning to realize that it was likely because they were probably supposed to resolve things [I]here[/I]. They weren't supposed to be enemies anymore. That the other hybrids were hampered by the negative memories of him had started him wondering if he, Michael and Isabel [I]not[/I] remembering was for a reason. Clean slates and all that. So what had gone wrong with Will and the others?
"Night Max. I'll talk to you later."
He stared at the receiver in disbelief. She had just hung up on him! He had been right in the middle of a sentence.
Well, it was clear. This plan was not going to fly. Liz Parker would never hang up on him, especially after the hell they had recently been through. Will had done something to her. Max just [I]knew[/I] it.
It took all of his strength not to leap off his bed and head straight for the Crashdown to confront her. But she [I]was[/I] tired. Maybe sleep would help her fight off whatever Will was doing to her. She was safe at home for now. He'd call Alex quickly before he went to bed to make sure that she was alone, but then he'd leave her in peace for the moment.
But he was not going to risk Liz. It meant that the only way to resolve this was swiftly and cleanly. Which meant confrontation with Will. And he was not going to wait for Liz to set up some sort of summit. No way. She was already beginning to lose herself.
It would be tomorrow, Max thought grimly. First thing. They were going to end this once and for all.