[u]Part 23[/u]
"Max, I'm going with them."
Max turned his head and regarded Alex. They had all returned to the Crashdown and were now scattered around it, trying to seem as inconspicuous as possible. They were not taking Nicholas's threat that he was watching them lightly. Glancing around the café now, Max realized that any of the other customers in the restaurant could be Skins, watching, waiting for them to screw up. And making it clear that he was now working with Will would be a screw-up. They couldn't be sure that Nicholas didn't already know, after the lengthy meeting in the alley, but they wouldn't make it easy on him to be sure now either.
And, so, if Will was really going to succeed in liberating Isabel from his rogue henchman, than they couldn't be seen in each other's company any longer. To that end, Liz was sitting at a booth with Kate and Will, in order to explain the alien siblings' presence in her parents' restaurant, and Alex was acting as go-between, speaking to Will in the booth for a few minutes and then coming to report his plan to Max, who was seated at the counter beside Tess, nursing a cherry cola. Kyle was on Tess's other side and Maria and Michael were in the kitchen since they had been scheduled to work the late afternoon shift anyway. Their presence would not be questioned.
"Alex, I can't let you." Max began, then narrowed his eyes at the fierce expression that was beginning to cross his friend's face. "You're not going to take no for an answer, are you?"
"Glad you noticed," Alex said. "I really don't feel up to an argument right now."
"Me either," Max agreed, sighing. He rubbed a weary hand across his eyes, trying not to give in to his fear for Isabel. But if anyone would understand, it was Alex. "This isn't your fault Alex. I hope you know that."
"I know I'm not the one hurting her Max, but if it wasn't for me, she wouldn't have been in a position for that little bastard to get his hands on her. I can't just sit here and wait. I know that if there was any other way, you would be going too. I have the option and I'm taking it."
Max nodded, resigned. "Fine. I'll be glad to have someone with them that I know I can trust. With you there, I know that they won't forget that Isabel's safety is all that matters right now. Getting her out of there is priority number one Alex. We can find out what Nicholas is [I]really[/I] up to after. Make sure that Will remembers that. Please."
Max glanced over at the booth where Liz sat with Will and Kate, his heart hurting a little. He could see how tense Liz was, even from here. She was uncomfortable, still convinced that she was Serena, and still trying with every ounce of her being not to blurt it out to Will - or Khivar as she called him. It pained him to see her so conflicted, even though he knew that she was wrong. Somehow he was going to have to make her snap out of whatever mind-control she was presently under because he absolutely knew that she was not in love with Will. What had happened with the orb had only proven that it was he and Liz who were bonded, not Liz and Will.
They belonged together, no matter who they had been in their previous lives. He didn't care one bit if he had once loved Rowena. If Liz was Serena now, then it was Serena he wanted to be with. He just needed to prove it to her. As soon as Will left with Kate and Alex, he was going to do his best to make her remember who she really was. He was going to remind her what they meant to each other.
Because, in the end, this life was the only one that mattered. To him anyway. They would deal with all the problems left over from that other life and then they would forget about them. He was no longer Zan of Antar and he never intended to become him either.
Max did feel guilty that he was so concerned about this when his sister was in such deep trouble. But he also knew that it was absolutely imperative that they straighten this huge mess out once and for all. It was becoming ever more clear that he and Will were not meant to be enemies in this life- time, no matter what Will thought. They had all been sent in the same ship and that [I]had[/I] to mean something. It just had to. Nicholas's betrayal only reinforced this fact.
Nicholas's threats had revealed to them that memories could be changed. Max was beginning to realize that this was likely what had happened to Will and Kate. They remembered things, but they weren't remembering them [I]right[/I]. It was the only explanation. Maybe they weren't even supposed to have any memories at all, like he and Michael and Isabel.
Max was even starting to suspect that Tess's so-called memories were perhaps not natural either. Because, in the end, how much had he ever really trusted Nasedo? Not much. Maybe Tess had been programmed by Nicholas too, just as he was threatening to do with Isabel.
The Skins had killed Nasedo, which was why Max was pretty sure that the shapeshifters were not on Nichola's side. Maybe Nasedo had failed somehow, had allowed Nicholas access to Tess at some point during the many years they had been on the run. From some of the things that Tess had revealed over the months Max had known her, it did seem that she had often been left to her own devices. It didn't seem far-fetched that Nicholas might have gotten his hands on her somehow.
The important fact in all of this was that Nicholas was somehow connected to the shapeshifters, probably having killed them both. The odds were good that the Skins had murdered Will and Kate's real protector to gain control of their pods. It was the only thing that made any sense. Because there had been [I]two[/I] shapeshifting protectors sent on their ship with them. And if the second one wasn't dead, where was he? He [I]had[/I] to be dead.
Unless the shapeshifters were working [I]with[/I] Nicholas and the Skins, which didn't seem to make any sense, considering Nasedo had been murdered. But this conclusion did match the fact that Tess had memories of a life with him that Courtney had denied were true. It also matched the fact that Will, Kate and Jack had been raised in close proximity to the Skins. And if this was the truth, then the other shapeshifter [I]could[/I] be alive and working with Nicholas.
Max groaned, dropped his head into his hands, exhausted all over again. Why couldn't someone just remember and [I]know[/I] it was the truth?
"Max, are you okay?" Tess asked, placing her hand on his back.
"No," Max muttered, lifting his head. "But that doesn't really matter, does it?"
"We're going to get Isabel back," Alex told him firmly, mistaking his obvious frustration. "I swear to God, I will make sure it happens."
"I know Alex. Even if this plan doesn't work, we'll go after her the old- fashioned way," Max agreed. "I just hope it doesn't come to that."
Movement across the room drew their attention to the booth where the others were sitting. "Looks like it's time," Alex said, sounding a little scared, reinforcing to Max the risk Alex was willing to take for his sister.
Max smiled at him reassuringly, abruptly grateful that Alex Whitman had been brought into their circle. They didn't appreciate Alex nearly enough and Max knew it. "Thanks for doing this Alex. It will make it easier on Izzy, seeing a familiar face."
"I just hope that this is as easy as Will seems to think it will be," Alex sighed, watching Kate and Will leave through the exterior door. "I have a feeling this is going to get a lot worse before it gets better."
Max grimaced, wished he didn't agree. "Good luck," was all he said though.
Silence fell over the counter as the jingling bell of the door signaled Alex's departure. Maria and Michael had both come out of the kitchen to watch him leave and Liz had also joined them at the counter.
"What do we do now Max?" Tess asked, breaking the tension. Max thought he heard Kyle snort in derision behind him, sighed again. He wondered briefly if they would all ever just be able to get along.
"Liz and I need to talk," Max replied firmly. He turned his gaze from the door, met Liz's dark eyes. "Right?"
There was a long pause before Liz sighed, appearing resigned that this confrontation could no longer be put off. "I guess so. Let's go up to my room."
Max hopped off his stool and followed her through the swinging door to the back, not waiting for any of their friends to say anything. What had happened with the orb was between he and Liz. None of them even knew how significant it had been. They did not need in on this conversation, never even needed to know about Serena at all.
Because, as far as Max was concerned, all the Serena nonsense was about to be put to bed once and for all. She couldn't argue with the orb, with what the fact that they had been the only two able to make it work meant. But he wanted it dealt with and done. Because he [I]needed[/I] her, needed the connection back.
He missed her.
Max shut the door to Liz's room behind him, slowly turned to face her, trying to get his thoughts in order. He still couldn't [I]feel[/I] her, had no idea what she was thinking. It was making this supremely difficult. When she had been keeping the truth about why she had pretended to sleep with Kyle from him, he had always [I]known[/I] somewhere deep within him exactly what she was doing. It was only after he had known the truth that he had realized this, that it was why he had refused to fully accept it.
But, now, since she had decided that she was Serena - someone who no one else seemed to have any idea had ever existed, not even those with their memories intact - he had absolutely no idea how to even begin to guess.
For that reason, the ball was, in many ways, still in her court. He could question her as much as he wanted to. If she didn't want to find out [I]why[/I] the orb had only worked for them, then he was pretty much screwed. And, so, all he said was, "What happened?"
"What do you mean?" Liz asked, sounding tired.
"You know what I mean," Max replied, trying not to sound impatient. "With the orb. I thought you were connected to Will. That's what you told me."
Liz collapsed on the bed, shaking her head. "I really don't know Zan. I have no idea why it did that."
"I asked you to not call me that."
She looked up, met his eyes. "Why? It's your name. Just like my name is Serena, as much as you don't want to admit it."
Max narrowed his eyes at her, tried not to give in to the urge to just move across the room and pull her into his arms, to kiss her until she [I]remembered[/I] why he couldn't buy this, why he couldn't believe her. "I need more than just your word on this Liz."
"Serena."
"Liz," Max ground out through gritted teeth. "You are Liz Parker. Even if you are also Serena, you are still Liz. Why can't you be both? Everyone else with their memories is both. Kate remembers her past life but she knows it's not [I]this[/I] life. Tess too. I think even Will does, as much as he wants things exactly like they were. Where is [I]Liz[/I]?"
Liz's expression shadowed, as though this was the first time she had even thought about it. "I.I don't know. I just know who I am."
"How?" Max demanded. "How did you remember? What instigated it?"
Liz bit her lip. He could [I]not[/I] think of her as Serena, as much as he could see that she was [I]not[/I] Liz. This was Liz's body, but she was not in there. He knew Serena was right about that. He just didn't understand [I]why[/I].
He watched her closely. She was playing with the piece of fabric wrapped around her wrist, nervous.
"Why are you scared to remember being Liz?"
She closed her eyes, swallowed convulsively. "I'm just tired of it. I'm so tired."
Max felt his heart go out to her, moved forward and sat beside her, managing to resist the urge to touch her. He didn't want to upset her any more than she already was. "What are you tired of?" He asked quietly.
"I'm tired of not being allowed to be [I]me[/I]," she replied. "But I can't be. He'll never accept me."
"Khivar?" Max refused to acknowledge the jealousy that ran through his veins at the mere thought of Liz with Will. She was not saying these things to hurt him. She presently did not even remember[I]why[/I] they would hurt him.
"He loves [I]her[/I]. He'll never accept that the life he shared with her wasn't her at all." Her voice broke as she continued to finger the scarf. Max's eyes narrowed, wondered again why it was there.
"It seems to me that he has the right to know," Max suggested after they had sat in silence for several long moments. He was still looking at the piece of fabric, noticing for the first time that it seemed to be covered with some sort of strange design.
It almost looked like a stain. In fact, it looked a lot like [I]blood[/I].
"What is that?" He demanded, lifting her wrist and examining the cloth more closely. "Why are you wearing this?"
Liz wrenched her arm away from him. "Khivar gave it to me. It's our wedding cloth. It doesn't matter."
Max frowned, unsure why he thought that she was wrong. He was pretty sure it [I]did[/I] matter, but he couldn't figure out why. He shook his head, tried to refocus. "I need you to tell me about Zan and Rowena. Why did you take Rowena's place? How did they meet? What happened to them that made Zan turn into such a monster?"
"He wasn't a monster," Liz said softly. "That was not him."
"I understand that he wasn't like that to begin with," Max said, trying to hide his impatience. "What I want to know is why he changed. It obviously had something to do with Rowena."
"Of course it did. Everything was always about her." Her voice was not necessarily bitter, but there was something there that made Max shift uncomfortably. Liz seemed aware of it, because she smiled sadly. "I loved my sister, but it was tiring trying to live up to her."
"You said before that no one knew there were two of you?" Max could feel his confusion growing, rather than lessening. Why couldn't any of these people just be straight with them? To top it all off, he didn't even know if he could believe anything Liz was telling him, even if she thought she was Serena. What had happened to her to change her so completely?
The answer came to him so abruptly, he blinked, then stumbled to his feet in horror. How he couldn't have seen it before was beyond him. What was [I]wrong[/I] with him?
Nicholas could change people with his powers. He had as much as said so. He had said that he could make Isabel forget being Isabel, that he could bring Vilandra out and make her change sides again.
Which was exactly what had happened to Liz.
Which could only mean one thing.
Will had lied. He was in on it all along. And Max had just sent him back to his cohort, Alex in tow.
"What's wrong?" Liz was eyeing him. She perked up. "Did you remember something?"
"We need to go," Max said evenly. "Will isn't going to be able to get Isabel back." He didn't say anything more, had no idea how much she remembered about what had happened to her, nor if she had been working with Will all along to keep him off balance.
"What?" Liz called after him as he opened the door and raced down the hallway of the Parker's apartment. "Max! Max, wait!"
He ignored her, pounded down the stairs into the Crashdown's back room. The rest of their friends were waiting in the staff lounge, were all in the process of turning their heads to stare at him as he reached the bottom.
"Max! What's wrong?" Maria demanded, jumping to her feet. She had been sitting on Michael's lap on the couch, both of them obviously on a break. "Where's Liz?"
"I'm right here!" She was coming down the stairs after him, sounding out of breath. "He just freaked out. I have no idea what's going on. We were talking and then he went crazy."
"We can't trust them." Max looked directly at Michael. "Will is still working with Nicholas."
"[I]What?[/I]" Michael bellowed, already standing. "I told you Maxwell! Didn't I tell you?"
"What a minute!" Tess screeched, throwing her hand up in Michael's direction to cut off his rant. "Max, how did you find this out?"
"Liz isn't Liz," Max snapped. "She thinks she's someone named Serena and the only way she could possibly think that is if Nicholas mindraped her."
"Oh my God," Maria gasped. She turned her gaze from Max and stared at Liz. "Lizzie!"
"She won't answer to that," Max said grimly. "She doesn't remember being Liz."
"Jesus." This was from Kyle who had been standing listening quietly until that moment.
"Max! No! You're completely wrong!"
Max turned his head, felt his heart ache at the thought of what Liz must have gone through. How could he have not realized this earlier? He moved towards her, pulled her gently against him. "I'm so sorry Liz. This is all my fault. I never should have let you go to that motel last night. They'll pay for this. I swear. We'll find a way to get you your memories back and we'll make them pay."
She was pushing against him though. It took him a moment to realize it, but when he did, he released her instantly. "You idiot!" She snapped. "Will is [I]not[/I] working with Nicholas. I wasn't mindraped." She lifted her hand, pointed at the band of fabric around her wrist. "This is why I remembered."
"What?" Max demanded. "What are you talking about?"
"It has my blood on it. From before I mean," Liz said, more quietly, obviously relieved that she finally had his attention. She glanced around the room at the rest of the group, who were all staring at them in various degrees of shock and bafflement. She turned back to Max. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to call you an idiot. And I should have just told you in the first place."
"I don't understand." Max wondered if anything was ever going to make sense. He had actually, for once, thought that he had broken through some of the confusion, and now it seemed like he had been totally wrong.
"It has my essence in it," Liz explained patiently. "When I touched it, I remembered."
Max stared at her, understanding dawning, followed immediately by horror. "The blood?"
Liz nodded, seemed relieved that he had calmed down.
"What? Essence is portable?" Kyle asked, earning a round of shushes from everyone else. "What?" He demanded, glaring at them all. "If it's portable, then why the hell have none of the rest of you found yours?"
Max frowned. He could not take his eyes off of the fabric around Liz's wrist. Was it really responsible for shutting off their connection? What would happen if Liz took it off? Would [I]his[/I] Liz come back?
It could not be a good thing that an object was so capable of taking over someone's mind, whether it belonged to them or not.
"I want you to take that thing off," Max told Liz.
"What?" She looked flabbergasted. "No! It's mine. Taking it off isn't going to change anything. I'm still going to be Serena."
He crossed his arms. "Prove it."
"NO!"
"Where did you get it anyway?" Michael demanded. "And do we all have things lying around that might make [I]us[/I] remember who we really are?"
"Khivar gave it to me," Liz replied, seeming relieved that he had interrupted Max. "I won't take it off."
Max sighed heavily. Will had given it to her. He should have known. "Liz, please take it off."
"No!" She was beginning to sound hysterical now, like her control was hanging on by the smallest thread. "I can't let go again. I need my memories."
He moved forward carefully. She had backed up against the wall, was looking around like a caged animal. "Serena." Max said it firmly, making her pay attention to him.
Her eyes focused and she stared at him. "I can't lose myself again Zan. I [I]can't[/I]."
"Serena, Liz is not you. You know that. She [I]is[/I] Rowena. It's the only thing that makes any sense." Max had no idea where these words were coming from, but somehow he knew he was right. He remembered what Liz had told him on her balcony the night before - that he had recognized her when they were both children. That it was why she had finally believed that Will was telling her the truth about who she really was. "That cloth is screwing everything up," Max insisted now. "It does not belong to Liz. You know it doesn't."
Liz's gaze dropped to the cloth. She swallowed. "Then why did this body allow the essence to establish itself? I must be her."
"You're sisters - twins. Similar DNA. It's a simple mix-up. Just like before."
"You're wrong," Liz snapped. "I know you are."
Max tried not to allow his frustration to show. He could feel all of his friends standing tensely behind him. He knew it was probably killing Michael to not just move forward and rip the scarf away from Liz. But they had to do this right.
Because even if Liz [I]wasn't[/I] Serena, someone out there was. And whoever she was, she might want access to the memories Liz was now harbouring. He could not deny that other girl the chance. Because, despite the fact that he had absolutely no intention of ever being Zan of Antar again, having his memories would certainly fix a few of the things presently wrong in his life. He could not deny someone else that option.
And, in the end, whoever she was, she was Liz's sister.
"You said that even without the scarf on, if you are really Serena, you'll keep the memories," Max reminded her gently. "Take it off and find out the truth. I promise you that if Liz remembers everything, I'll stop trying to deny the truth. Even if she [I]doesn't[/I], I promise that I will not rest until we find the [I]real[/I] Serena. I won't abandon you. This is a win- win situation."
Liz closed her eyes, a shudder running through her small body. He could see her indecision. She was wavering though. All it would take was one more argument to push her over the edge.
"You said that you were tired of not being yourself," Max continued quietly. "You're tired of being mistaken for your sister. But if you keep doing this, you'll be condemning Rowena to the same fate. She won't be free. She'll be trapped forever and the real Serena - who has to be out there somewhere - won't ever know who she is. This is wrong. You know it is. Liz is [I]not[/I] Serena."
Her eyes snapped open, horrified as his words penetrated. As she understood that he was right. He knew she did. She started to frantically work at the knot on the scarf, as though she could no longer stand to have it around her wrist.
Max hurried forward, gently moved her hand away. "Here. Let me. It's okay." He quickly undid the piece of cloth, pulled it away from Liz's arm and thrust it behind him. Someone - he didn't care who it was - took it.
Liz collapsed against his chest. He could feel his heart racing. What if he was wrong? What if she still thought she was Serena? What on Earth would he do then?
She was not moving, was simply allowing herself to be comforted. He could feel her small frame trembling against him, ran his hands soothingly down her slender back. "It's okay. You're safe now. It's okay."
A small sigh escaped and the whisper he heard was so soft, he wondered at first if he had imagined it. But when Liz's arms came up to wrap tightly around him, he knew he was not wrong.
She had called him [I]Max[/I].
To be continued.
"Max, I'm going with them."
Max turned his head and regarded Alex. They had all returned to the Crashdown and were now scattered around it, trying to seem as inconspicuous as possible. They were not taking Nicholas's threat that he was watching them lightly. Glancing around the café now, Max realized that any of the other customers in the restaurant could be Skins, watching, waiting for them to screw up. And making it clear that he was now working with Will would be a screw-up. They couldn't be sure that Nicholas didn't already know, after the lengthy meeting in the alley, but they wouldn't make it easy on him to be sure now either.
And, so, if Will was really going to succeed in liberating Isabel from his rogue henchman, than they couldn't be seen in each other's company any longer. To that end, Liz was sitting at a booth with Kate and Will, in order to explain the alien siblings' presence in her parents' restaurant, and Alex was acting as go-between, speaking to Will in the booth for a few minutes and then coming to report his plan to Max, who was seated at the counter beside Tess, nursing a cherry cola. Kyle was on Tess's other side and Maria and Michael were in the kitchen since they had been scheduled to work the late afternoon shift anyway. Their presence would not be questioned.
"Alex, I can't let you." Max began, then narrowed his eyes at the fierce expression that was beginning to cross his friend's face. "You're not going to take no for an answer, are you?"
"Glad you noticed," Alex said. "I really don't feel up to an argument right now."
"Me either," Max agreed, sighing. He rubbed a weary hand across his eyes, trying not to give in to his fear for Isabel. But if anyone would understand, it was Alex. "This isn't your fault Alex. I hope you know that."
"I know I'm not the one hurting her Max, but if it wasn't for me, she wouldn't have been in a position for that little bastard to get his hands on her. I can't just sit here and wait. I know that if there was any other way, you would be going too. I have the option and I'm taking it."
Max nodded, resigned. "Fine. I'll be glad to have someone with them that I know I can trust. With you there, I know that they won't forget that Isabel's safety is all that matters right now. Getting her out of there is priority number one Alex. We can find out what Nicholas is [I]really[/I] up to after. Make sure that Will remembers that. Please."
Max glanced over at the booth where Liz sat with Will and Kate, his heart hurting a little. He could see how tense Liz was, even from here. She was uncomfortable, still convinced that she was Serena, and still trying with every ounce of her being not to blurt it out to Will - or Khivar as she called him. It pained him to see her so conflicted, even though he knew that she was wrong. Somehow he was going to have to make her snap out of whatever mind-control she was presently under because he absolutely knew that she was not in love with Will. What had happened with the orb had only proven that it was he and Liz who were bonded, not Liz and Will.
They belonged together, no matter who they had been in their previous lives. He didn't care one bit if he had once loved Rowena. If Liz was Serena now, then it was Serena he wanted to be with. He just needed to prove it to her. As soon as Will left with Kate and Alex, he was going to do his best to make her remember who she really was. He was going to remind her what they meant to each other.
Because, in the end, this life was the only one that mattered. To him anyway. They would deal with all the problems left over from that other life and then they would forget about them. He was no longer Zan of Antar and he never intended to become him either.
Max did feel guilty that he was so concerned about this when his sister was in such deep trouble. But he also knew that it was absolutely imperative that they straighten this huge mess out once and for all. It was becoming ever more clear that he and Will were not meant to be enemies in this life- time, no matter what Will thought. They had all been sent in the same ship and that [I]had[/I] to mean something. It just had to. Nicholas's betrayal only reinforced this fact.
Nicholas's threats had revealed to them that memories could be changed. Max was beginning to realize that this was likely what had happened to Will and Kate. They remembered things, but they weren't remembering them [I]right[/I]. It was the only explanation. Maybe they weren't even supposed to have any memories at all, like he and Michael and Isabel.
Max was even starting to suspect that Tess's so-called memories were perhaps not natural either. Because, in the end, how much had he ever really trusted Nasedo? Not much. Maybe Tess had been programmed by Nicholas too, just as he was threatening to do with Isabel.
The Skins had killed Nasedo, which was why Max was pretty sure that the shapeshifters were not on Nichola's side. Maybe Nasedo had failed somehow, had allowed Nicholas access to Tess at some point during the many years they had been on the run. From some of the things that Tess had revealed over the months Max had known her, it did seem that she had often been left to her own devices. It didn't seem far-fetched that Nicholas might have gotten his hands on her somehow.
The important fact in all of this was that Nicholas was somehow connected to the shapeshifters, probably having killed them both. The odds were good that the Skins had murdered Will and Kate's real protector to gain control of their pods. It was the only thing that made any sense. Because there had been [I]two[/I] shapeshifting protectors sent on their ship with them. And if the second one wasn't dead, where was he? He [I]had[/I] to be dead.
Unless the shapeshifters were working [I]with[/I] Nicholas and the Skins, which didn't seem to make any sense, considering Nasedo had been murdered. But this conclusion did match the fact that Tess had memories of a life with him that Courtney had denied were true. It also matched the fact that Will, Kate and Jack had been raised in close proximity to the Skins. And if this was the truth, then the other shapeshifter [I]could[/I] be alive and working with Nicholas.
Max groaned, dropped his head into his hands, exhausted all over again. Why couldn't someone just remember and [I]know[/I] it was the truth?
"Max, are you okay?" Tess asked, placing her hand on his back.
"No," Max muttered, lifting his head. "But that doesn't really matter, does it?"
"We're going to get Isabel back," Alex told him firmly, mistaking his obvious frustration. "I swear to God, I will make sure it happens."
"I know Alex. Even if this plan doesn't work, we'll go after her the old- fashioned way," Max agreed. "I just hope it doesn't come to that."
Movement across the room drew their attention to the booth where the others were sitting. "Looks like it's time," Alex said, sounding a little scared, reinforcing to Max the risk Alex was willing to take for his sister.
Max smiled at him reassuringly, abruptly grateful that Alex Whitman had been brought into their circle. They didn't appreciate Alex nearly enough and Max knew it. "Thanks for doing this Alex. It will make it easier on Izzy, seeing a familiar face."
"I just hope that this is as easy as Will seems to think it will be," Alex sighed, watching Kate and Will leave through the exterior door. "I have a feeling this is going to get a lot worse before it gets better."
Max grimaced, wished he didn't agree. "Good luck," was all he said though.
Silence fell over the counter as the jingling bell of the door signaled Alex's departure. Maria and Michael had both come out of the kitchen to watch him leave and Liz had also joined them at the counter.
"What do we do now Max?" Tess asked, breaking the tension. Max thought he heard Kyle snort in derision behind him, sighed again. He wondered briefly if they would all ever just be able to get along.
"Liz and I need to talk," Max replied firmly. He turned his gaze from the door, met Liz's dark eyes. "Right?"
There was a long pause before Liz sighed, appearing resigned that this confrontation could no longer be put off. "I guess so. Let's go up to my room."
Max hopped off his stool and followed her through the swinging door to the back, not waiting for any of their friends to say anything. What had happened with the orb was between he and Liz. None of them even knew how significant it had been. They did not need in on this conversation, never even needed to know about Serena at all.
Because, as far as Max was concerned, all the Serena nonsense was about to be put to bed once and for all. She couldn't argue with the orb, with what the fact that they had been the only two able to make it work meant. But he wanted it dealt with and done. Because he [I]needed[/I] her, needed the connection back.
He missed her.
Max shut the door to Liz's room behind him, slowly turned to face her, trying to get his thoughts in order. He still couldn't [I]feel[/I] her, had no idea what she was thinking. It was making this supremely difficult. When she had been keeping the truth about why she had pretended to sleep with Kyle from him, he had always [I]known[/I] somewhere deep within him exactly what she was doing. It was only after he had known the truth that he had realized this, that it was why he had refused to fully accept it.
But, now, since she had decided that she was Serena - someone who no one else seemed to have any idea had ever existed, not even those with their memories intact - he had absolutely no idea how to even begin to guess.
For that reason, the ball was, in many ways, still in her court. He could question her as much as he wanted to. If she didn't want to find out [I]why[/I] the orb had only worked for them, then he was pretty much screwed. And, so, all he said was, "What happened?"
"What do you mean?" Liz asked, sounding tired.
"You know what I mean," Max replied, trying not to sound impatient. "With the orb. I thought you were connected to Will. That's what you told me."
Liz collapsed on the bed, shaking her head. "I really don't know Zan. I have no idea why it did that."
"I asked you to not call me that."
She looked up, met his eyes. "Why? It's your name. Just like my name is Serena, as much as you don't want to admit it."
Max narrowed his eyes at her, tried not to give in to the urge to just move across the room and pull her into his arms, to kiss her until she [I]remembered[/I] why he couldn't buy this, why he couldn't believe her. "I need more than just your word on this Liz."
"Serena."
"Liz," Max ground out through gritted teeth. "You are Liz Parker. Even if you are also Serena, you are still Liz. Why can't you be both? Everyone else with their memories is both. Kate remembers her past life but she knows it's not [I]this[/I] life. Tess too. I think even Will does, as much as he wants things exactly like they were. Where is [I]Liz[/I]?"
Liz's expression shadowed, as though this was the first time she had even thought about it. "I.I don't know. I just know who I am."
"How?" Max demanded. "How did you remember? What instigated it?"
Liz bit her lip. He could [I]not[/I] think of her as Serena, as much as he could see that she was [I]not[/I] Liz. This was Liz's body, but she was not in there. He knew Serena was right about that. He just didn't understand [I]why[/I].
He watched her closely. She was playing with the piece of fabric wrapped around her wrist, nervous.
"Why are you scared to remember being Liz?"
She closed her eyes, swallowed convulsively. "I'm just tired of it. I'm so tired."
Max felt his heart go out to her, moved forward and sat beside her, managing to resist the urge to touch her. He didn't want to upset her any more than she already was. "What are you tired of?" He asked quietly.
"I'm tired of not being allowed to be [I]me[/I]," she replied. "But I can't be. He'll never accept me."
"Khivar?" Max refused to acknowledge the jealousy that ran through his veins at the mere thought of Liz with Will. She was not saying these things to hurt him. She presently did not even remember[I]why[/I] they would hurt him.
"He loves [I]her[/I]. He'll never accept that the life he shared with her wasn't her at all." Her voice broke as she continued to finger the scarf. Max's eyes narrowed, wondered again why it was there.
"It seems to me that he has the right to know," Max suggested after they had sat in silence for several long moments. He was still looking at the piece of fabric, noticing for the first time that it seemed to be covered with some sort of strange design.
It almost looked like a stain. In fact, it looked a lot like [I]blood[/I].
"What is that?" He demanded, lifting her wrist and examining the cloth more closely. "Why are you wearing this?"
Liz wrenched her arm away from him. "Khivar gave it to me. It's our wedding cloth. It doesn't matter."
Max frowned, unsure why he thought that she was wrong. He was pretty sure it [I]did[/I] matter, but he couldn't figure out why. He shook his head, tried to refocus. "I need you to tell me about Zan and Rowena. Why did you take Rowena's place? How did they meet? What happened to them that made Zan turn into such a monster?"
"He wasn't a monster," Liz said softly. "That was not him."
"I understand that he wasn't like that to begin with," Max said, trying to hide his impatience. "What I want to know is why he changed. It obviously had something to do with Rowena."
"Of course it did. Everything was always about her." Her voice was not necessarily bitter, but there was something there that made Max shift uncomfortably. Liz seemed aware of it, because she smiled sadly. "I loved my sister, but it was tiring trying to live up to her."
"You said before that no one knew there were two of you?" Max could feel his confusion growing, rather than lessening. Why couldn't any of these people just be straight with them? To top it all off, he didn't even know if he could believe anything Liz was telling him, even if she thought she was Serena. What had happened to her to change her so completely?
The answer came to him so abruptly, he blinked, then stumbled to his feet in horror. How he couldn't have seen it before was beyond him. What was [I]wrong[/I] with him?
Nicholas could change people with his powers. He had as much as said so. He had said that he could make Isabel forget being Isabel, that he could bring Vilandra out and make her change sides again.
Which was exactly what had happened to Liz.
Which could only mean one thing.
Will had lied. He was in on it all along. And Max had just sent him back to his cohort, Alex in tow.
"What's wrong?" Liz was eyeing him. She perked up. "Did you remember something?"
"We need to go," Max said evenly. "Will isn't going to be able to get Isabel back." He didn't say anything more, had no idea how much she remembered about what had happened to her, nor if she had been working with Will all along to keep him off balance.
"What?" Liz called after him as he opened the door and raced down the hallway of the Parker's apartment. "Max! Max, wait!"
He ignored her, pounded down the stairs into the Crashdown's back room. The rest of their friends were waiting in the staff lounge, were all in the process of turning their heads to stare at him as he reached the bottom.
"Max! What's wrong?" Maria demanded, jumping to her feet. She had been sitting on Michael's lap on the couch, both of them obviously on a break. "Where's Liz?"
"I'm right here!" She was coming down the stairs after him, sounding out of breath. "He just freaked out. I have no idea what's going on. We were talking and then he went crazy."
"We can't trust them." Max looked directly at Michael. "Will is still working with Nicholas."
"[I]What?[/I]" Michael bellowed, already standing. "I told you Maxwell! Didn't I tell you?"
"What a minute!" Tess screeched, throwing her hand up in Michael's direction to cut off his rant. "Max, how did you find this out?"
"Liz isn't Liz," Max snapped. "She thinks she's someone named Serena and the only way she could possibly think that is if Nicholas mindraped her."
"Oh my God," Maria gasped. She turned her gaze from Max and stared at Liz. "Lizzie!"
"She won't answer to that," Max said grimly. "She doesn't remember being Liz."
"Jesus." This was from Kyle who had been standing listening quietly until that moment.
"Max! No! You're completely wrong!"
Max turned his head, felt his heart ache at the thought of what Liz must have gone through. How could he have not realized this earlier? He moved towards her, pulled her gently against him. "I'm so sorry Liz. This is all my fault. I never should have let you go to that motel last night. They'll pay for this. I swear. We'll find a way to get you your memories back and we'll make them pay."
She was pushing against him though. It took him a moment to realize it, but when he did, he released her instantly. "You idiot!" She snapped. "Will is [I]not[/I] working with Nicholas. I wasn't mindraped." She lifted her hand, pointed at the band of fabric around her wrist. "This is why I remembered."
"What?" Max demanded. "What are you talking about?"
"It has my blood on it. From before I mean," Liz said, more quietly, obviously relieved that she finally had his attention. She glanced around the room at the rest of the group, who were all staring at them in various degrees of shock and bafflement. She turned back to Max. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to call you an idiot. And I should have just told you in the first place."
"I don't understand." Max wondered if anything was ever going to make sense. He had actually, for once, thought that he had broken through some of the confusion, and now it seemed like he had been totally wrong.
"It has my essence in it," Liz explained patiently. "When I touched it, I remembered."
Max stared at her, understanding dawning, followed immediately by horror. "The blood?"
Liz nodded, seemed relieved that he had calmed down.
"What? Essence is portable?" Kyle asked, earning a round of shushes from everyone else. "What?" He demanded, glaring at them all. "If it's portable, then why the hell have none of the rest of you found yours?"
Max frowned. He could not take his eyes off of the fabric around Liz's wrist. Was it really responsible for shutting off their connection? What would happen if Liz took it off? Would [I]his[/I] Liz come back?
It could not be a good thing that an object was so capable of taking over someone's mind, whether it belonged to them or not.
"I want you to take that thing off," Max told Liz.
"What?" She looked flabbergasted. "No! It's mine. Taking it off isn't going to change anything. I'm still going to be Serena."
He crossed his arms. "Prove it."
"NO!"
"Where did you get it anyway?" Michael demanded. "And do we all have things lying around that might make [I]us[/I] remember who we really are?"
"Khivar gave it to me," Liz replied, seeming relieved that he had interrupted Max. "I won't take it off."
Max sighed heavily. Will had given it to her. He should have known. "Liz, please take it off."
"No!" She was beginning to sound hysterical now, like her control was hanging on by the smallest thread. "I can't let go again. I need my memories."
He moved forward carefully. She had backed up against the wall, was looking around like a caged animal. "Serena." Max said it firmly, making her pay attention to him.
Her eyes focused and she stared at him. "I can't lose myself again Zan. I [I]can't[/I]."
"Serena, Liz is not you. You know that. She [I]is[/I] Rowena. It's the only thing that makes any sense." Max had no idea where these words were coming from, but somehow he knew he was right. He remembered what Liz had told him on her balcony the night before - that he had recognized her when they were both children. That it was why she had finally believed that Will was telling her the truth about who she really was. "That cloth is screwing everything up," Max insisted now. "It does not belong to Liz. You know it doesn't."
Liz's gaze dropped to the cloth. She swallowed. "Then why did this body allow the essence to establish itself? I must be her."
"You're sisters - twins. Similar DNA. It's a simple mix-up. Just like before."
"You're wrong," Liz snapped. "I know you are."
Max tried not to allow his frustration to show. He could feel all of his friends standing tensely behind him. He knew it was probably killing Michael to not just move forward and rip the scarf away from Liz. But they had to do this right.
Because even if Liz [I]wasn't[/I] Serena, someone out there was. And whoever she was, she might want access to the memories Liz was now harbouring. He could not deny that other girl the chance. Because, despite the fact that he had absolutely no intention of ever being Zan of Antar again, having his memories would certainly fix a few of the things presently wrong in his life. He could not deny someone else that option.
And, in the end, whoever she was, she was Liz's sister.
"You said that even without the scarf on, if you are really Serena, you'll keep the memories," Max reminded her gently. "Take it off and find out the truth. I promise you that if Liz remembers everything, I'll stop trying to deny the truth. Even if she [I]doesn't[/I], I promise that I will not rest until we find the [I]real[/I] Serena. I won't abandon you. This is a win- win situation."
Liz closed her eyes, a shudder running through her small body. He could see her indecision. She was wavering though. All it would take was one more argument to push her over the edge.
"You said that you were tired of not being yourself," Max continued quietly. "You're tired of being mistaken for your sister. But if you keep doing this, you'll be condemning Rowena to the same fate. She won't be free. She'll be trapped forever and the real Serena - who has to be out there somewhere - won't ever know who she is. This is wrong. You know it is. Liz is [I]not[/I] Serena."
Her eyes snapped open, horrified as his words penetrated. As she understood that he was right. He knew she did. She started to frantically work at the knot on the scarf, as though she could no longer stand to have it around her wrist.
Max hurried forward, gently moved her hand away. "Here. Let me. It's okay." He quickly undid the piece of cloth, pulled it away from Liz's arm and thrust it behind him. Someone - he didn't care who it was - took it.
Liz collapsed against his chest. He could feel his heart racing. What if he was wrong? What if she still thought she was Serena? What on Earth would he do then?
She was not moving, was simply allowing herself to be comforted. He could feel her small frame trembling against him, ran his hands soothingly down her slender back. "It's okay. You're safe now. It's okay."
A small sigh escaped and the whisper he heard was so soft, he wondered at first if he had imagined it. But when Liz's arms came up to wrap tightly around him, he knew he was not wrong.
She had called him [I]Max[/I].
To be continued.