Without You

by Fredlyn

ML&CC: Liz left Roswell and Max has turned away from his humanity. Will finding her help him discover what he has lost, or will it just make things worse? Pt 34 up! BTW my parts got all screwed up so now they are put up 1to10, 11to20, 21to30, then rest.

3. Chapter 21 to 30

Part 21

Maria followed behind Jesse as they disembarked the plane, unsure of Michael's reaction if he happened to be there waiting. She stood on her tip toes, looking over Jesse's shoulder, scanning the terminal, until she saw him. She pushed Jesse towards him, biting her lip in anticipation.

Michael didn't see Maria at first, just Jesse. Concern had passed over him until he saw the blonde head bobbing from behind his brother-in-law. He smiled to himself, as he started walking towards them. Patting Jesse on the back, he reached around him for Maria. Looking into her eyes, mesmerized, he yanked her into his arms.

Maria reached around and hugged him back fiercely, looking up to receive the kisses that she had missed these past few months.

Michael felt her stomach immediately. "What the hell?" He asked himself, as he pushed her to arms length and looked down at her wide girth. His mood blackened. Subdued by her condition he handed her the flowers as questions began to pass through his mind. He stopped himself, he knew at this time, with his anger and pain he shouldn't ask.

Maria felt the need to explain when she saw the turmoil in his eyes. "It's yours."

Michael looked straight into her eyes, wanting her to understand that question had not entered his mind. "I know." He answered succinctly. Noticing that Isabel had not gotten off of the plane; he walked past her to Jesse to get the next round of surprises.

Max sat at the edge of Liz's bed and watched as she slept. She hadn't woken up yet and, although Max knew the last few days must have taken a lot out of her physically and mentally, he still worried that maybe the healing hadn't worked. He reached down, gently pushing the hair out of her face. She stirred a little, showing more signs of life than she had during her coma, confirming that he had indeed managed to heal her broken body.

He sat back and closed his eyes. The ordeal had depleted his energy as well. He was amazed that even after everything he had put her through, she had loved him. He thought about how close he had come to losing her. Not just during the last few days but during the last few years. God, he loved this woman and no matter what happened he always would.

He let his mind wander to the dreams of long ago. Max admitted that he not only loved her but he wanted her, he needed her. He fantasized about being with her forever, holding her close to him so that no pain would ever come to her again. He thought about a wedding and children and growing old with her.

Just wanting to feel her touch, he reached towards her and took her hand in his.

Michael watched the road in silence, not knowing what to say or what to do, his mind torn between worry for Isabel and anger at Maria. Jesse had explained what happened to Isabel in detail but Michael didn't know what they were going to do. He knew they needed to get to Antar; that they had to find a way to save her but there wasn't a way, at least not a way he could think of.

The Maria situation was another story. The questions that churned in his mind caused his anger to elevate. "When had she lost all faith in him? Couldn't she trust him anymore? How the hell could she have kept this from him? Had she ever planned on telling him?" He was so furious at her. He couldn't believe that she hadn't seen fit to tell him that he was going to be a father.

Maria's bladder caused her to be the first to speak. "I have to go to the bathroom."

No one answered.

Maria was getting tired of this whole situation. "Did you hear me! We need to stop!"

"I heard you." Michael answered.

Maria turned towards him. "How long are you going to act this way?"

"What way?"

"Like an ass."

"Oh I'm sorry – I'm an ass." Michael answered sarcastically. "You walk off a plane pregnant. Hell, very pregnant! A condition you didn't think I had a right to know about and I'm supposed to be pleased?"

Maria rolled her eyes. She had been so worried that he wouldn't think the baby was his, she never thought about his anger at not knowing. "Look I'm sorry, but really Michael, YOU told me to leave. Hell you pushed me out the door! What exactly was I suppose to do? Just call you up and say something like 'Hi Spaceboy. I know you want nothing to do with me because of your alien bullshit but guess what, I'm pregnant.'?"

Michael looked over at her, his eyes hot with anger. "Yes Maria, exactly like that!" He was silent for a few seconds then asked the question that had gnawed at him since he first noticed her condition. "Were you ever planning on telling me!"

Exasperation filled Maria. "I don't know!" She lied. "Maybe I didn't want my child growing up, dealing with all this crap. Maybe I wanted him to have a normal life, one that doesn't include the alien abyss."

"And what if my child is an alien? Did you think about that!"

Michael didn't let her answer. He saw a gas station and pulled in; slamming on the breaks he turned towards her and yelled. "Fine, you don't want me to have anything to do with you or my child so as soon as we get back, I will make sure you have the means to go back to your human life!"

"Good!" Maria answered, getting out of the car and slamming the door.

Jesse sat in silence with Michael for a few seconds before deciding to add his two cents worth. "She spent the whole trip excited about seeing you and hoping that you would understand." When Michael didn't reply, thinking about Isabel, Jesse added sadly, "Is it worth losing her, Michael?"

Michael remained silent while Jesse got out of the car. "I'm going to get something to drink. Do you all want anything?"

Michael shook his head as he exited the car but Alden yelled, "Yeah I could use a beer."

Jesse nodded and walked away.

Alden waited for a minute or two and then stepped out of the car. He stared thoughtfully at the sulking Michael, considering what he should say. Michael's relationship was none of his business so he opted to steer the conversation in another direction. "Aliens?"

Michael had been so absorbed in the argument with Maria he didn't think about Alden being in the car. He thought about trying to cover the conversation but decided if Serena trusted this man he probably wouldn't freak out and give them away; at least not until he heard the whole story. And anyway, Alden would have to study the Destiny Book, so he was going to find out sooner or later. "Yeah, some of us are aliens."

Serena sure had a knack for getting involved in the craziest shit. Alden thought to himself. "Do these alien issues always include so much drama?"

Michael almost smirked at the question. Of course they did. He just shrugged. "I guess so."

"Well, no offense but I really don't need any extra drama in my life, so I think I'll take my leave of you now." Alden said as he turned and started to walk away.

Michael called after him. "Hey, I won't hold you against your will," Which was technically true, He wouldn't. But now with Isabel's life possibly on the line, Michael better understood the decisions that Max had made in the past. He motioned towards a pay phone outside of the gas station. "As long as you call Serena and explain why you aren't going to come with us."

Alden stopped when he heard Michael and cringed. The man was right; he should be the one to explain it to Serena. "Never mind." Alden turned around and walked back to the car. "Bring on the mind melds and anal probes; they have to be easier to endure than Serena's wrath."

Serena finally refreshed, walked quietly into Liz's room. "How is she?" She whispered.

Max looked up, still sad from his former realizations. "She hasn't woken up yet."

"She's been through a lot."

Max nodded.

"You need to get some rest."

Max shook his head. Until he was sure that she would be all right, he would not leave her side.

Serena seemed to understand. "I sent Ava to get you something to eat."

"Thank you."

Alden and Jesse followed Michael and Maria down to the granilith cave.

Hearing the commotion outside the door, Serena jumped up and ran out the door. "What the hell is going . . ." She stopped mid-sentence to see Michael, her old friend and two people she had never met before.

Alden smiled at the site of her. It had been a long time. "Ser, babe!" He held out his arms for the hug he was sure to get.

Serena squealed. "Alden!" She ran into his arms.

Finally they parted and Serena extended a hand to the others. "Hi, I'm Serena. You must be Jesse and Maria."

Smiling at her, Maria nodded, while Jesse took her hand. "Nice to meet you."

Jesse had finished with the niceties. He spoke up to the reason he was there. "Where is Max?"

Serena nodded towards Liz's room. "I'll get him for you." She turned to go back to the room but Jesse pushed past her.

"Max!" Jesse yelled urgently.

Max heard the yelling and walked out of the room and closing the door behind him. "Keep you voice . . ." He stopped short seeing the group standing in front of him. His eyes assessed each of them. He noticed first Maria's condition then his sister absence. He knew something had gone terribly wrong. "Where is Isabel?"

The question brought a deluge of answers. Max couldn't hear anything anyone said. Finally he lifted his hand. "SILENCE!" He yelled then angrily continued, "Jesse, tell me where my sister is!"

Jesse took a long breath before telling the tale of the abduction.

After explaining the alien soap opera, as he now called it, to Alden, Serena handed him the Destiny Book. "This is what needs to be translated."

Alden sat at a table in the granilith lab and opened the book and studied it for a few seconds. "It's not a language I've seen before." He closed the book.

"That's it?"

Alden smirked. "No babe, that is not it but before I start we need a beer – it helps me to concentrate."

Serena rolled her eyes and joked with him. "So you're still a lush?"

"No more then you, kiddo." He quipped but then got serious. "Ser, why are you mixed up in all this? These people, aliens, whatever, have more drama in their lives than you do."

Serena shrugged. "It keeps my mind off of my own problems and anyway, they need me."

"You can't save the world babe."

Serena shrugged again. "I know but I can help them save their world."

"Sometimes I think someone should lock you away to keep you out of trouble."

Serena smiled. "Already been tried. Let's go find you a beer so you can concentrate."

Liz's eyes fluttered open to find Max staring down at her. The last thing she remembered was Onuris coming at her. She looked up in his eyes and could see the love that he had denied all this time. "You were worried about me." She said almost gleefully.

Max grinned then shrugged.

She sat up and looked under the sheet that covered her, seeing the silver handprint starting to form. "You healed me?"

He nodded slowly.

Liz felt the joyful tears forming in her eyes. She reached out to him.

Leaning down, Max pulled her into his arms. Their love overwhelmed him as he bent his head down to kiss her lips. The sensation was intoxicating. He moved his hand around her neck pulling her closer, deepening the kiss; causing the beginnings of the connection that had been denied for too long.

His tongue found its way to hers as he used his other arm to pull her closer, lost in the ecstasy of the moment. He groaned at the feeling of her hand running softly up his chest. He realized his heaven as he felt her love for him, but then, knowing that she could feel his love for her, he realized his hell. In anguish, he disconnected himself from her.

He had known there would be consequences to his actions. He had known they could never connect again but he hadn't counted on the connection coming back so strong. If he could not control the connection he would never be able to touch the woman he loved again.

She reached up towards him, beckoning him back into her arms.

Max felt his arms instinctively start to reach back. He wanted nothing more than to feel her in them but he forced them down, knowing that he could not risk her seeing what he had seen.

She saw him pull back, but she would not be deterred. She moved her hand closer to him.

He saw it coming. He stood up and walked away from her.

"Max?"

He felt the tears in his eyes. He loved her so much. He shook his head as he turned away from her. Opening the door to her room, he said sadly, "I can't. Not now and maybe not ever."

He walked out, hearing her pleas as he did. She had given up her dreams for him, a long time ago and now he would do the same for her.

Maria sat on her bed, waiting for Michael. He had stayed to find out about Liz after learning what had happened. She was still in awe that Liz was even in the compound and couldn't seem to get her mind around the fact that Liz had not betrayed her loved ones.

Michael walked into the room, shutting the door behind him. He walked to the bed and sat beside her. He knew he had reacted badly. He took her hand and brought it to his lips, kissing her wrist, asking in his own way to be forgiven.

As if knowing his father was finally near, the baby started to kick. Maria pulled Michael's hand to her, placing it on her stomach, letting Michael know that she forgave him.

Immediately the baby kicked causing Michael to jump a little at the new sensation. He couldn't seem to find the words to express his feelings about this life growing in his lover's body. "He's strong." He finally said.

Maria smiled. "Like his daddy."

Michael sat smiling, comfortable in the moment, until Maria spoke. "What is going to happen to Isabel?"

Dejected, because there was nothing he could do he answered, "I don't know." He took a deep breath before continuing. He hated that he had to tell her once again that he would leave. "Max will find a way to save her."

Maria looked down sadly at her every expanding belly. She knew what that meant. That soon Michael would leave again. She put her game face. "Will you come back?"

Michael reached up and pushed a lock of hair behind her ear, then, looking directly into her eyes he answered firmly. "Yes. I will come back. I promise."

Maria nodded. She knew he loved her and he had every intention of keeping that promise. But she also understood that he would be going into a war zone and anything might happen. She pushed the tears back. "I was going to tell you about the baby."

Michael leaned forward to kiss her temple. "I know."

She turned towards him, reaching behind his neck to pull him towards her. It was time for the long awaited kiss and more.

Part 22

"Where is Isabel?"

Max could barely control his rage as he spoke in a low, carefully tempered voice.

Onuris shivered in response, but still he lied. "I believe Mexico Sire."

Max looked at him with fire in his eyes as he sneered, "What happened to my sister?"

Onuris hid his eyes. "I do not know your majesty."

Max lunged at him. Grabbing him by the throat, he jerked the alien to within inches of his face. He pulled every ounce of his power to his hand and started slowly burning Onuris' body from the inside. Through gritted teeth Max hissed, "I know Isabel is on Antar, and I know you had something to do with that. If you want to die quickly you will tell me what has happened. Otherwise, I guarantee you an agonizing death as I cook you slowly."

Onuris tried to free himself from Max's iron grip but to no avail. Max shoved him away roughly and barked the order. "SPEAK!"

Still feeling the heat in his body, Onuris knew he would not be able to take the torture his king would submit him to. "She is with Khivar."

"How the hell did Khivar know where to find her?" Max growled.

Onuris knew he could not inform the king on his mother's involvement. He knew the truth would not save him, not after he almost killed the human. "I told him." He said, bracing himself for what was to come.

Max instinctively raised his hand to Onuris, preparing to kill him, but stopped. He had to find out everything he could before they left for Antar. "Why did you tell him! Do you work for Khivar!"

Onuris shook his head. "I am a loyal subject of the crown your majesty. I only told Khivar when you brought the human girl to your side. I worried that you would stay on Earth to be with her instead of fulfilling your duty, instead of going back to Antar and freeing our people."

"So now I must go back to save my sister! Is that it! It is all about manipulation!"

Onuris nodded and looked up at the king. "Our people are suffering. If we do not save Antar soon our people will be all but extinct and then afterwards, your precious Earth will fall. You must save us, but you did not understand that. All you understood was what you believed you had here. I had to make you want to go home."

"Who else is involved? Asim?"

Onuris knew that his mission was complete. He knew there was no point in lying to the king anymore. "Asim did help me sire, but he is just a servant who followed orders."

Max motioned to the guards to come closer. "Asim is to be placed in another cell immediately."

The guards nodded and walked out to do their master's bidding, while Onuris braced himself for his death.

Max looked up at Onuris noticing his discomfort. "I will not kill you now." He snarled before walking out of the cell.

Alden took a big gulp of his beer. "Holy shit Ser! You've got to see this."

Rolling her eyes, Serena dutifully walked over to where Alden sat and leaned over him. "What now?" She asked, figuring that once again he had figured out some insignificant phrase on alien recycling that would once again make him all too proud of himself.

"This is a passage on the granilith."

Serena picked up his beer and took a sip. "What? Does it explain how to flush it?"

Alden grabbed the beer out of her hand. "No." He replied as he rolled his eyes at her.

Serena giggled. "Ok, ok, tell me what you found."

"Well," Alden began clearing his throat, "This talks about the granilith. See that symbol right there?" he stabbed the book with his finger and looked up her excitedly.

Serena followed his finger with her eyes and nodded, "Yeah, I see that. But what does it say about the granilith?"

"I don't have that part figured out yet." he waved at her dismissively and took another sip of his beer.

"Well then what the hell are you so excited about?" Serena barked at him in exasperation.

"You know Ser, you need a good shot of Tequila, make that two." Alden winked at her. "You're getting awfully testy."

Serena put her hands on her hips and looked at him pointedly, "Alden, you call me over here, shouting like you just found the alien cure for cancer and then all you show me is one symbol. You're damn right I'm getting testy; we're running out of time!"

He finally understood. "Ser, Ser, baby," Alden set his beer down, stood up and hugged her. "Relax cara. It's progress ain't it? We'll get it done."

Serena growled at him as she pushed herself out of his arms, "I swear to God Alden. At the rate you're going Max won't ever have a chance to kill you. I'm gonna do it myself!

Trying to feel close to her, Jesse walked around the room where Isabel had resided these last few years, running his hand over the things she had left behind when she had decided to break free of Max. He picked up a picture of them taken years ago at some party. He had believed then that they were a normal couple with normal problems. It was like looking at a picture of your youth, when you still believe that everything revolves around you. Now he knew better.

His vision started to blur with tears. Would he ever see her again? Could he or Max or anyone rescue her from the evil that was on another planet? Jesse was so lost in his thoughts that he never heard Max as he walked in silently.

"Hey." He started.

Jesse tried to hide it as he wiped his eyes with his shirtsleeve. "Hey. What's up?"

"Just coming by to see how you're doing?" Max answered quietly, ignoring the tears he had seen.

Blaming the situation on Max, Jesse answered angrily. "How do you think I'm doing! My wife is gone, probably in the hands of a mad man and I'm stuck here on earth, not able to do a damn thing about it. And you, the GREAT ALIEN KING, are standing here asking how I'm doing."

Worn out emotionally as well as physically, Max fought to keep his cool. "We are doing everything that we can."

"REALLY! You're the 'more advanced species.' Shouldn't you be able to snap your fingers and get her back for me!"

Hearing Jesse's words caused Max to lose all control. "YOU'RE RIGHT!" He got into Jesse's face. "I am more advanced! I am smarter and stronger then you and if MY SISTER had been with me she would never have been taken!"

Max looked into Jesse's guilt ridden face, feeling guilty himself that his tirade had caused the desired effect. Jesse inched slowly away from Max. Max knew Jesse wanted to say more, but Max didn't want to deal with it, at least not now. Instead Max turned away from him and exited the room.

"Excuse me, sir." Langley walked into Max's study.

Max looked up agitated. He had spent the last week trying to find a way home, a way to save Isabel. "What?"

"There is something you need to see outside."

"I don't have time for games, Langley – just tell me what it is."

Langley nodded; he had not been playing games. "It is a ship from home."

Maria had wanted to talk to Liz as soon as she returned, but she had been a coward. She worried that Liz would never understand how she could believe something so bad about her best friend. Today she had finally decided that, good or bad, she could no longer put off the reunion.

She walked slowly into Liz's room, stopping just inside the door. Her first instinct was to walk up to Liz and hug her, just like old times, but her guilt kept her from that action.

Finally Liz broke the awkward silence. "Hi."

Maria stared at Liz for a few seconds. How could she have ever believed that Liz had done all those horrible things? "Hey." She walked closer to Liz as Liz stood up. "It's been a long time." Maria finally said before mentally kicking herself for being so lame.

Liz giggled, knowing what Maria was thinking. "Yes it has." She covered the last bit of distance between them and held out her arms.

Relief passed over Maria as she wrapped her arms around her childhood friend. "I was worried you wouldn't forgive me."

Liz gently pushed Maria to arms length. "Forgive you for what?"

Ashamed, Maria looked down at her feet. "For not believing in you. For trusting them when they told me that you betrayed us."

Liz scoffed. "Please Maria. If I had been in your place, I would have believed it too. I'm still not sure I wasn't the villain in all of this."

"Michael told me that Max said you aren't and if Max believes that you are not to blame then you aren't. He seems to believe the worse about people you know."

Liz nodded her head. "I know. I feel so sorry for him."

"Well don't! He brought all his problems on himself!"

"Maybe, but I still . . ."

Just like old times, Maria cut her off. "What! Love him! You don't need that heartbreak Liz."

Liz smiled knowing that Maria and she would have to agree to disagree once again. "Let's talk about something else, like your stomach." Liz teased as all the tension disappeared.

Maria rolled her eyes and giggled as she rubbed her belly affectionately. "Well, that's something I can't blame Max for, it's all Michael's fault."

She began filling Liz in on the years that Liz had missed.

Langley followed Max through the desert to the vessel that was hidden in between some rock formations. Michael had already arrived and was waiting impatiently for Max before looking over the ship. "It's about time," he grumbled.

Max ignored Michael's caustic remark and started his examination of the craft. Langley directed Max and Michael to where the hatch should be.

"You hand will open the door, like it does for the pod chamber." Langley said as he motioned to an area next to the entry.

As Max placed his hand in the area Langley indicated, the hatch slid open and dropped a short ladder to the ground. Michael started up the ladder without any hesitation as Max followed.

When they entered the ship they saw what looked like a control room. There was a view screen that could not be seen from the outside and what appeared to be a large console in front of it. As they looked around, they noticed three more rooms; two of which seemed to be places to rest. The third resembled a galley, though neither Max nor Michael could decipher how the trappings might work.

"Where are the controls?" Max finally asked Langley.

"The ship is controlled with our minds." Langley walked over to the console and placed his hands it's surface. The device lit up with star charts as the floor began to rumble. "The ship is in excellent condition. We could try a test flight if you would like, but we might be detected."

Max shook his head as he looked around for the ship's pilot and crew.

Langley noticed his confusion and tried to explain. "It is probably on a remote."

Michael looked up, surprised. "A remote? From Antar?"

Langley nodded. "Our culture is far more advanced then this human planet."

Max nodded.

Michael looked on in disgust, but kept his mouth shut.

"I am not letting a remote take us back home. I can't be sure of who is in control of it." Max stated then turned to Langley. "Can you fly it?"

"It has been over fifty years, but I'm sure I can sir. I will need a few days to reacquaint myself with everything." Langley answered.

"Good. I want you to go over everything with Michael," Max ordered Langley. "We will leave as soon as we're sure it will work. How long will it take for us to get to Antar?"

Langley looked thoughtfully at the display in front of him. "Just over three weeks, if nothing goes wrong."

Michael immediately piped in, "Too long Max. I think we should give Serena and Alden some more time. Serena believes that if they can get the granilith to work, it will take us to Antar instantaneously."

"If we wait for them then we could be wasting time. I don't have a lot of faith in their abilities to get the granilith working properly." Max answered.

"Why not?" Michael questioned. "You seemed to believe that they could do it before this ship came."

"Because they're only humans."

Michael could not hold his tongue any longer. "You still believe that humans are beneath you, don't you!"

Max didn't know how to answer Michael so instead he just glared at him. He no longer believed that humans were beneath him, not really, but he also realized that they weren't as evolved. It was just a fact.

When Max didn't answer, Michael rolled his eyes but stopped himself from saying anything more. They had more important issues to worry about. "Whatever, Max. We have to decide what we're going to do."

Max did see the validity of Michael's arguments, but he knew they couldn't wait for something that might never come about. "They have until you and Langley figure out the operation of this ship. If they can't make the granilith work by then, we will take this ship to Antar. I know it will take longer but we can't afford to wait. Hopefully Isabel will still be alright when we arrive."

Quietly, Max slipped into the small room where Liz slept. He carefully avoided her during the day, not wanting the temptation to get the better of him, but during the night, this was where he could be found.

He knelt down at her bed side and watched as she breathed easily in and out. He fought the desire to reach out and touch her face, worried that even in her slumber the connection would form.

Days before, when he snuck into the room the first time, he told himself that he just wanted to make sure she was all right. Finally, he gave up on the pretense, knowing that he just needed to be near her.

He needed her, he knew that, but he couldn't have her. Part of him was relieved that he would leave soon, that the temptation would no longer be there. Of course thinking of leaving brought the pain back, knowing that he would be so far away.

In his fantasies he would come back and he would be able to be with her. She would be strong enough, with his help, to handle her memories or he would never have to let her see them. He would be able to control the connection they shared.

He stopped thinking of what may never be, watching as she slept. She looked so peaceful. Both Michael and Serena had told him that her nightmares had not been back since the healing. How could he ever give those back to her?

He looked up at the clock. He had been by her bed for hours. Although he hated to go, he knew he had to leave before she woke. He would never be able to explain his presence. He stood up and crept softly to the door.

Max, walking out of the kitchen, almost bumped into Maria. "Excuse me." He mumbled and then stepped back out of the way so she could pass. He couldn't really blame her, but Maria had barely spoken to him during the week she had been back.

Maria nodded slightly and walked past him to the refrigerator to get some milk.

Max started to walk out the door but stopped, surprised by how much he missed her friendship. He turned back, speaking softly. "Maria."

Maria looked up over the refrigerator door at him but didn't say anything.

Max walked a bit closer. "Can we talk?"

Maria glared at him. "I don't have anything to say to you Max! You are not my king, my family or even my friend anymore! So no we can't talk. "

She tried to push her way past him but he caught her arm. She looked up at him defiantly. "Are you going to kill me?" She asked in all seriousness.

Saddened, Max let go of her, knowing that he could not force her to listen.

Maria looked into his face and saw a glimmer of the boy she had known years before. The boy who would beg her to tell him everything about Liz, the one who would risk his life to save any one of them, the boy who had once been her best friend.

She shrugged. "Fine, if you want to talk, you go over there," she pointed to the far side of the kitchen. "I'll stay here and you can talk." She might have seen something in him from years before, something that made her want to at least hear him out, but that didn't mean that she trusted him.

Max honored her request and walked to the far corner of the room. Running his hands through his hair he sighed, gathering his thoughts. He looked into Maria's eyes and started, "I've made a lot of mistakes that I will never be able to fix. I know that will never atone for all that I put you and Michael through," He stopped, trying to find the appropriate words, but he couldn't. Nothing could ever atone for his sins. He looked up at her again saying all he knew to say, "I'm sorry. I wish . . ." Knowing what he wished would not make anything better he let his words fell off.

Maria, slightly stunned, studied him. There seemed to be so much regret in his eyes. She realized that regret was what made him look like the Max of her youth, but that was the only similarity to the boy she once knew. His eyes were so much older, he seemed to have aged decades in the amount of time the rest had only aged years.

She actually felt sorry for him, realizing the decisions he had made so they wouldn't have to, but that was as far as her sympathy would take her. She was still angry. He had done so much wrong and now, he was once again going to take the love of her life away. She looked down at her belly.

Max noticed the look, the wistfulness in her eyes. He walked carefully towards her, as he might creep up on a hurt animal, half expecting it to snap at him. He expected Maria to jump and run from him. When she didn't he inched closer, finally near enough to reach out to touch her shoulder.

Maria didn't startle. She had seen him coming, but when he touched her, she looked up at him with tears in her eyes.

He spoke with a certainty that he hadn't used in years, knowing that it was all he could do to begin righting his wrongs. "I promise you that he will come back to you."

The tears rolled down her cheeks as she nodded and turned to leave. She didn't understand why, maybe just because she needed to, but she trusted him.

Part 23

Serena paced back and forth in front of Alden. They had been working on the translation for nearly 48 hours. The breaks had been few and far between and the stress was starting to wear on her.

"Damnit Ser!" He yelled, frustration getting the best of him. "You're driving me crazy."

She stopped and put her hands on her hips. "I need to get out of here."

Alden gulped his beer then mumbled under his breath. "No shit."

"What?"

"Nothing." He looked back down at the book but feeling her glare on him, he looked back up. "Go! Take a break. I don't need your help right now."

"But the translation... "

"... can wait until tomorrow." He finished.

She shook her head. "We have to get it done. If we don't Max..."

Alden rolled his eyes. "...will what?" He had known from the beginning that Serena's initial assessment of Max, although may have been correct at the time, was completely wrong now. "Max will get it when he gets it and he knows that."

Turning back to the book, he waved her away, "Now go – PLEASE. I will get more done without you.

Serena looked as if she might say something smart-ass but then stopped, turned and walked quietly out the door.

"Thank God." He muttered, taking another drink from the can. He had known hours ago that she needed to leave and not just because she was making him nuts.

"You wanted to see me?" Michael asked, surprised that Max would take him away from his work on the ship.

Max nodded for him to sit down, but he hesitated to say anything. Michael was the only one of them that ever purposely blocked a connection from the one he loved. Max sought that ability, but he hadn't spoken to Michael or anyone about his feelings in so long, he didn't know how to start.

Michael scratched his eyebrow as he waited for Max to get to the point. He watched his leader squirm in his chair and knew this must be a big deal for him. He held his tongue for as long as he could before deciding Max needed a little push. He spoke as he started to rise. "Look Max, I have to get back."

Max watched as Michael got up and turned his back to him before he said anything. "I want to be able to touch Liz."

Michael stopped, awestruck. Not because of Max's statement, but because of the raw need that seemed to emanate from Max's voice. He turned around and studied him. There stood Max Evans, the mighty king of Antar, looking at him as if he were the savior of their race. "I don't know what you want me to tell you."

Max dropped down in a chair in frustration. Clearly, he would just have to spit it out. "Every time I touch her, a connection starts. How do I block that?"

Max had finally told Michael about the healing, about how little Lizzy Parker tried to stand up to Khivar to save them all. Michael didn't agree with Max's assessment of it though. He figured if Liz could do that, then she had the strength to deal with everything that happened. "Just let her know."

Max shook his head vigorously. "That is not an option. I won't do it. Not now. How do I block the connection?"

Michael started to get angry. Max was once again deciding other people's fates, but he knew he couldn't argue with Max about this, so he didn't. "You just shut down, close yourself off."

"But how?"

Michael knew it didn't matter how long Max questioned him about this, he would never be able to give him an acceptable answer. "It's not something I can just teach you how to do. You just do it. Hell, I would think it would be easy for you."

Max looked up, annoyed.

Michael shrugged. "Look Maxwell, I haven't tried to shut myself off from Maria in a long time, but that's all you've done to people for years. It really shouldn't be that hard for you."

Max knew he was right, but it was hard for him. He couldn't seem to find a way to shut down the connection between him and Liz. He wanted to, maybe even needed to, but if he couldn't; he knew he could never risk her sanity for a few moments of bliss.

Alden opened the door to his room to find Serena rummaging through his bag. He wasn't really surprised; he had known when he sent her away from the granilith lab what day it was. Every year this day was always hard for her. He had always tried to play the role of the supportive friend, tried to see her past the pain, but nothing he did was ever good enough. Only one thing seemed to bring her the comfort she sought.

With swollen eyes, she looked up at him. "Did you bring it?"

"Ser . . ." Alden started sadly.

But she cut him off, shaking her head. "I don't need any of your sage advice today."

He walked over to the bag and pulled out the bottle. Serena yanked it from him and started out his door.

Alden grabbed her arm. "That's not going to help. It's time to let it go. You didn't kill him. 'Life begins on the other side of despair'."

She pulled away from him and fled out the door. "FUCK YOU and fuck Sartre too!"

He tensed slightly as the door slammed.

Isabel sat on the luxurious bed in the rooms where her captors had placed her days ago. It was actually quite a nice place for a prison. She enjoyed the best Antar had to offer, beautifully decorated rooms, wonderful food and servants who saw to her every need.

She stared at the clock that had been brought to her. Actually, it wasn't a clock like on earth, but the metal bar showed time, at least as the Antarians knew it. It was funny – when it had first been brought to her, she had instinctively known how to read it and she was reading it now. It was almost time for her daily visit and God how she hated that visit.

Isabel got up off of the bed and went about preparing herself. She dressed then walked into the sitting room, taking a seat on the chair she had placed in the middle of the room. She felt safest there away from corners where she could be pinned down.

She heard him as he entered her room, but didn't bother to look his way.

"Vilandra." He spoke softly as someone might speak to a child so not to scare it away.

She sat unmoving, looking towards the window. He pulled a seat next to her and sat down, pleading for her attention. After a few moments of silence he asked, "How was your midday meal?"

She rubbed the bruise that still discolored her cheek. At the start of her imprisonment, she had learned that answers were required. She studied the violet colors coming from the middle of the windowpane. "Fine." She answered flatly. Answers were required... feelings were not.

"I'm pleased." He said smiling. He reached towards brushing his hand against her cheek. "Would you like me to heal your face?" He asked with regret in his voice if not in his eyes.

She answered as she did each day. "No, thank you."

"Is there anything you desire?" The question seemed to beg for a longer answer.

She glared at him through the corner of her eyes all the while thinking what she desired, her freedom. But she was a good captive. "No, thank you."

Khivar stood up, and as always, took her hand in his. She had known from the first touch that he was trying to connect with her, but thankfully, she had lost that ability as a teenager. "I will leave you for today my dear." He said, bowing politely.

She watched from her seat as he walked back through the door. There was a sadness to his walk that almost made her feel sorry for him. The door closed and she saw the bright light beyond it, locking her in. "You've been here too long – you need to get a grip." She said reminding herself that she was his prisoner and deserved her hatred.

Serena sat on a rock, looking off into the darkness. She took another swig from the bottle, feeling the warmth of the liquor as it slid easily down her throat. Her tears had ceased and now the anger had started its encroachment on her sorrow. She never noticed Michael walking towards her.

Michael heard her sniffle and realized that she had been crying. "Is this a private party?" Michael asked.

Serena shrugged, then motioned that he could sit down.

Michael sat down and picked up the bottle to look at the label. "What the hell! Absinthe? Isn't that shit supposed to make you crazy?"

Serena yanked the bottle away from him, shrugged again, and took another swig.

He wanted to offer her his shoulder to cry on as he had months before, but he didn't know how.

"Want to talk about it?" Michael asked softly.

Holding the bottle by the neck, Serena shook her head and continued to stare into the distance.

Michael chastised himself for being so bad at this. A man of action, he was the kind of person who wanted to fix whatever was broken, not sit helplessly in silence. But he forced himself to wait, to just be there for her.

It seemed like hours before Serena whispered out an explanation. "Someone I once cared about died today."

Michael wanted to put his arm around her, to make it all better, but something about her demeanor told him that she would not accept it and it wouldn't help. He finally just said all he knew to say. "I'm sorry."

Serena took another drink and shrugged again. "Nothing anyone can do about it now. Of course, if I . . . when it happened... "

She stopped. "Never mind, what's done is done."

Michael sat quietly not knowing what to say, watching as Serena continued drinking out of the bottle.

Max had just left Liz's room and wandered into the dark hallway towards the entrance to the cave.

"Max?"

He was startled by the whisper coming from the dark, but then eased, realizing that the voice belonged to Liz. "Yes."

"Were you in my room?" She asked quietly. The hope in her voice tore his heart in two.

He thought of lying, that would be best, but his desires got the better of him. Instead of lying, he just stood quiet and still, watching her silhouette against the moonlight coming through the entrance. He was awestruck as she walked towards him.

As she approached, she reached out for him. "Tell me the truth Max. Tell me what you are keeping from me."

Her hand was almost to his face, when he gathered his wits and moved away. He turned his back to her. "I'm not keeping anything from you."

She would not be dissuaded. "I can tell that you are. Please Max." She pleaded.

He shook his head and started to walk away.

He felt her fingers wrap around his arm before he could close off as Michael had suggested. He saw her love flash before him and was almost lost. He needed her so bad. He regained his senses and stopped the connection. His heart soared a bit when the connection stopped. Could he dare ask for more?

Liz felt the connection stop. "See – you are hiding something."

Max knew this battle had been lost. "Yes I am."

"I can handle it, Max."

Max looked down into her eyes as he tentatively caressed her cheek. Thinking of all the pain she'd endured to protect him he replied, "No, you can't. At least not now."

When he continued to successfully block the connection, he ran his hand down her neck. Playing with a stray lock of hair, he pushed it behind her ear, "I do love you Liz, but that's all I can give you right now, is that enough?" He asked, speaking of the connection that he had blocked.

Liz looked up with defiance in her eyes as Max leaned in and brushed her lips with his. He wanted to lose himself in her, but restrained himself, worried the connection would come back without warning if he wasn't careful.

Liz's mind wanted to argue, she wanted it all and all included a connection, but to feel him this close after she never thought she would again... she made a decision. She would do something for Max that she swore she would never do for anyone. She would settle. She would take what he would give her. She loved this man more than life itself and if he needed to approach this is small degrees, that was a small price for her to pay for the luxury of having him in her arms again. She answered his question silently by wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him closer.

Max savored the feel of her skin, he wanted more. He wanted to feel the heat of her next to him, wanted to surround himself in the essence that was Liz. A war raged within him, a battle between what his mind knew and what was in his heart. He wanted nothing more then to be with her, but he feared his ability to block the connection wouldn't hold.

As if sensing his conflict, Liz drew away from him. She took his hand, threading her fingers through his, turned and started to walk towards her room. When Max hesitated, she looked back at him, "Max, just be with me. I don't need anything you aren't ready to give. Just lay with me for awhile and be with me." He nodded his assent and followed her.

Upon entering her room, Liz led him to her bed. Without letting go of his hand, she stretched out and pulled him down beside her. Liz sighed contentedly as Max wrapped her in his arms. He kissed the top of her head and laid his cheek against her hair. Feeling a calm roll over him he hadn't felt in years, he closed his eyes.

Serena knew that Michael was uncomfortable and at first, she just didn't give a damn but finally, she put the bottle down and changed the subject. "So how long until you figure out how to use that ship?"

"I don't know." If he were honest with himself and her, he would say as long as possible. It wasn't that he didn't want to go – but he was torn - he hated that Isabel was with Khivar and worried about her safety, but he kept thinking of Maria and the baby. "What about the granilith?"

"That's a mystery also." She took another drink. "We are getting close."

He looked out across the desert, "It doesn't look like I will see my baby born."

Serena handed Michael the bottle, she couldn't alleviate his distress and honestly, tonight, she didn't care too but he could drown his sorrows with her. He just shook his head and pushed it away. They sat in silence for a while longer.

"Michael, I don't mean to be rude, but I really need to be by myself for a while." She picked the bottle back up and swallowed a big gulp. She noticed Michael's uneasiness so she added, "Don't worry. Alden knows where I am; he will come and collect me by daybreak."

Michael didn't want to leave her but Maria had taught him long ago that a grown woman can take care of herself. He decided to leave but would pass by Alden's room before he went back to make sure he knew where she could be found.

She sat in her drawing room looking out at the second sun setting in the north when he came in. She felt him long before he approached her but never acknowledged him.

The man didn't even bother to bow. Protocol was something he never became accustomed to. "When were you going to tell me?"

The Queen turned regally from the window to look at the man's face but didn't bother to answer.

"Well?"

"How dare you come into my quarters and demand answers to your questions. I made you and I can destroy you."

The man smirked. "You made me – that's true – but I know that you wouldn't destroy me. You need me too much." He walked over and stood over the queen. "Now, my queen..." the sarcasm dripping from his lips, "...when were you going to tell me that your daughter is on Antar? When were you going to tell me that you traded her to your worst enemy? When were you going to tell me about my part in your little play? When were you going to tell me that the one she loves must save her from the one who loves her?"

The queen turned back to the window. "What makes you believe you are the one in her heart?"

"Because I would still be fertilizing the earth if I weren't."

Note: is a quote by Jean Paul Sartre.

Part 24a

Serena woke to a well deserve hangover and one of Alden's goofy grins. "What?" She growled.

"Good morning to you, too." He said smiling.

She turned over in her bed and faced the wall, she needed to go back to sleep – at least until the pounding in her head went away. "Go away!"

"Get up babe." He nudged her a bit. "Coffee – I have coffee," he teased.

She turned to face him, propping herself up on one elbow and reached for the coffee.

"No, no, no." He jumped up and walked to the other side of the room. "If you want the coffee you have to get out of bed." He waited while she glared at him. "Come on Ser, we have work to do."

Serena prayed that the hot coffee would spill and scald him. When it didn't she shrugged, rolled out of the bed and walked over to him. Reaching for the cup she warned, "Waking me up so early better mean that you found the key to the translation."

"Well Ser, I think I did." He grinned. "But I need your help to make sure."

Serena took a long drink of the coffee and then handed the cup back to him, "I'll be there in fifteen minutes."

Max watched as his minions once again tore into Onuris. He needed to know who his enemies were before he got to Antar. Asim had told Max that Onuris was hiding something, protecting someone and Max wanted to know who. "You will tell me what I want to know."

Onuris looked up into the eyes of his king, his tortured voice begging for mercy, "I cannot tell you anything more sire."

Max carefully kept his face expressionless as he nodded to his men to continue. He had done this before; extracting information was nothing new to him. In the past, he'd personally handled some of the efforts. But this time it was different, he felt regret. He mentally kicked himself for it. If he felt this way over a man who almost killed the one he loved, how would he be able to fight, maybe even kill, people he knew nothing about?

Michael stood at the door watching the men work over Onuris. He shrugged, he never liked him anyway and after what he did to Liz... well, he deserved it. When Max finally turned around, Michael motioned for him to come out into the corridor.

"What?" Max demanded once he had closed the door to the cell.

Michael got straight to the point. "We're ready. The ship is ready."

Max nodded thoughtfully. He had made the decision that when the ship and Michael were ready, they would leave. That time was at hand. Isabel was his sister and a priority – the only thing that should matter was getting her back. However, it wasn't the only thing that mattered to him now. Now his heart was torn between his love for his sister and his love for Liz. Max knew this was a weakness, could see how it hindered what he must do.

Michael waited for an answer impatiently as he watched Max struggle with his demons. He understood that his friend was battling with a newly reawakened conscience, but he needed to know when they would leave. He had to deal with Maria and he couldn't do that without Max's decision. "Well?"

Michael knew when the choice had been made. He watched as Max's demeanor changed back to that of the king they had known and hated over the last few years. The eerie transformation sent a chill down his spine.

Max looked up and coldly replied, "We will leave at dawn."

With that, he turned and walked back to the cell.

Isabel stared down at her food as her captor sat watching her from across the massive table. He had insisted that they have a 'nice' dinner together. She rubbed the new bruise appearing on her arm as she tried to play her part. Just sitting with him made her sick, but being forced to eat with him was cruel and unusual punishment.

"How is your food my dearest?"

She shuddered and forced the bile she tasted back down. Hearing him speak to her like they were some happy couple was almost more than she could take. She wanted nothing more than to stand and throw the food in his face. Knowing this would get her nothing but more abuse, she forced herself to stay composed and merely nodded in response.

"Good." He put his utensil down. "Vilandra, is there anything I can do to make your stay more pleasant?"

"Rip out your tongue for starters," she thought to herself. "Impaling yourself on a rusty spike might be entertaining." But Isabel didn't answer, she just shook her head slightly."

"Vilandra, give me a chance to have your love again."

The sentence was almost a plea. Startled by the change in his voice, she looked into his eyes for the first time. There she saw not the eyes of a maniacal ruler, but something that scared her much worse. She saw in his eyes obsession, a need that defied understanding, and that need was directed towards her. The realization was disquieting.

Alden pointed to a symbol in the book, "And this means pit."

Serena nodded and wrote the word on the paper in front of her.

"Then the next symbol is again Antar or Antarians." He took a sip of his beer and grinned proudly at his accomplishment.

Serena stopped in the middle of what she was writing and started shaking her head, "Nope. Can't be right. If I put it in the same order as before then that passage says that the granilith will be used to remove hair from the pits while Antar falls."

They both chuckled before Alden dropped his head again to study the passage. He looked down at his notes. "I swear this key was working before," he mumbled.

Max hesitated at the door, already questioning his earlier decision. Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, he steeled himself not to allow his feelings for any of the humans to make him second guess himself, not even the one who completed his soul.

Serena noticed him first. "What's up?"

Max gave Alden a disdainful look and barked, "I need to speak to Serena alone."

Alden, not use to being commanded, almost told Max to go screw himself. When he saw the warning in Serena's eyes, he decided to keep his mouth shut. "No problem. I could use some fresh air and maybe another beer."

Max waited until Alden left the lab before he started, "You can stop."

Serena looked up at him, knowing he was telling her to stop work on the translation. "Michael has figured out how to fly your ship?"

Max nodded, "We're leaving tomorrow before dawn."

Serena started to argue, "You can't. The ship will take weeks to get you back to your planet!" She could hear her voice starting to rise, but she didn't care, this was important. "Alden and I have been working on the translation day and night. We're almost done."

"When! When will you have it done?" he growled. "My sister is up on Antar being subjected to who knows what from a man who killed us all in a past life. I can't risk waiting any longer!"

Serena understood his agitation. If it were someone she loved she would feel the same way, but she still fought him. The granilith was the only way to save some of her friend's pain. "Max you have to understand. The granilith could theoretically get you to Antar in an instant. After you do what it is you need to do on your planet, it could bring you back to the same moment in time you left. You all might be a bit older, but Michael could see his child born, no one would have to suffer the pain of wondering what happened to you. Liz wouldn't have to..."

Max cut her off, "I won't be coming back."

Serena stopped her arguments and looked at Max in awe. "You're not . . .?"

Max looked down, then back up into Serena's eyes, "I have accepted my destiny and whether I like it or not, I will have to stay on Antar, to rebuild, to rule, to keep the peace, to make sure that Antar as well as Earth are not destroyed."

Serena stood silently before whispering, "Did you tell her yet?"

When he didn't answer, Serena's thoughts went immediately to the men she had loved. One had been in and out of her life for years. The other, even if it had been in death, had completely left with no possibility of return. The later, save for one night a year, had always been easier to deal with.

"Max, I understand. I don't like it, but I understand." She looked thoughtful for a moment then continued, "You can't leave her hanging on, you have to end it completely. You have to make sure she understands you won't be back."

Max shook his head sadly, "I will before I leave."

Serena didn't know which of them she hurt for more, Max or Liz. She wanted to wrap them in her arms, she wanted to make it all right for them, but she knew she couldn't.

Max looked as if he might actually shed a tear as he changed the subject, "I need to ask a favor."

Serena nodded thinking that if she could do anything to make this better for them she would.

"I need you to destroy the granilith. Can you do it?"

Her first thought was no, absolutely not, never in a million years. It's too important. But when she looked into his eyes and saw how impassioned he was about this, she decided hear him out. "Why would you want to?"

He turned and stared at the machine towering in the center of the room. "I can't kill anyone, not anymore. When you let the others go, they are going to go back and tell whoever will listen about this. It can't be here when someone comes to investigate. It will be dangerous for everyone involved, especially Maria and the baby."

Serena understood what he was saying, but still didn't agree, "Max you realize you have a lawyer for a brother-in-law don't you?"

Confused Max nodded his head.

"Have you ever heard of a non-disclosure agreement?"

Max acknowledged his understanding, but that wasn't about to change his mind. "You can't force someone to sign one after the fact."

"We can... "

Max silently cut her off, the scientists were only half of it. The other half was much more important to him. He didn't want Serena to get it working because he didn't want the humans to be able to follow them. Although he knew that they probably couldn't use it without one of the royal four, he didn't want to take the chance. The risk was too great after hearing the horror stories that Onuris had finally shared with them.

Serena finally realized he wasn't going to budge and begrudgingly agreed. This was Max's call, not hers.

Michael walked through the door of his and Maria's room to find her lounging on their bed reading some baby book. He stood at the entrance, content with just watching her.

Maria looked up and frowned, "Did you know that I'm going to get a lot fatter these next few months?"

Michael forced a smile, "You'll be beautiful." He walked over to the bed and sat beside her. Laying his hand on her belly, he felt a kick. "Has he been kicking you a lot today?" He heard his voice crack as he asked.

Maria had suspected something was up when she had first seen him in the doorway, but now she knew. "You're leaving, aren't you?"

Michael rubbed his hand over her stomach again and slowly nodded.

Maria sat up and encircled him in her arms. As she did, she felt him start to shake and knew that there were now tears in his eyes. She held him close as her own tears started to flow.

Michael wrapped his arms around her. "I don't want to leave you. I don't want to leave our baby," he choked.

She tightened the embrace, knowing that this night he needed her to be strong. "You'll be back," she said forcefully.

She felt him nod his agreement through their tears, both of them knowing that he must go, but also knowing that their love would see them through. Someday they would be together again but right now, that gave them little comfort so they found it in each other's arms.

Max lay with Liz in his arms one last time. He knew this feeling of contentment was fleeting. That tomorrow he would leave, he would go back to Antar and win or lose, he would never return. If he won this war he had to stay to rebuild, to protect, to make sure this would never happen again and if he lost . . . he couldn't lose, he knew that. Not when Earth was at stake, not when Liz was at stake.

He pulled her closer, saddened that he had found this peace only before his death. Maybe not his physical death, but tomorrow he would be dead to himself, to this world and to Liz. He looked down at her sleeping. She was still everything he wanted, everything he needed, everything that made him human. He wished he could be that for her, but he knew that for her to have a normal life, he had to be something else.

"What's so great about normal?" He asked himself as he had years before. His answer then had been nothing, but now it had changed, now the answer was everything. Normal meant she could live without fear.

He pushed her hair from her eyes and looked once again into the face of the only woman he had ever or would ever love. He pulled her towards him and gently kissed her lips, savoring the touch.

Max closed his eyes, not to sleep, sleep would come later. No, he closed his eyes to remember, to heighten his other senses so he could treasure this moment in his mind. He tasted the sweetness of her lips, inhaled the fruity scent of her hair, felt the silky softness of her skin, and heard the quiet echo of her sigh. He imprinted in his mind the exact temperature of her breath on his neck as she exhaled and the way her heart felt beating against his chest.

He closed his eyes so that in two days or fifty years, when death was upon him and he was alone, he would be able to remember this moment with absolute clarity, remember the love, remember the peace, and remember her... remember his salvation.

Part 24b

Serena rolled over to find Michael standing over her. "What?" She asked as she sat up on her bed.

"I need a favor."

Not one to appreciate being awakened early, especially two days in a row, she almost rolled her eyes and spouted some smart ass remark but stopped herself. This was a hard day for all of them; they didn't need attitude to go with it. "What kind of favor?"

Michael sighed. "Take care of Maria and the baby. Take them to New Orleans or somewhere safe until I come back. I know she thinks that she doesn't need anyone to take care of her and you probably agree but, with me gone and the baby coming . . . "

Serena stopped him. "I understand."

He didn't think she did, at least not completely. "The baby could be alien."

"I know. If it's not a delivery I can handle, I have friend that won't ask questions. She will be fine."

Serena stood as Michael put his arms around her, giving her a big bear hug. "Thank you. You have been a great friend these last few months."

Serena hugged him tightly, feeling as if at any moment one of them might start to cry.

Michael, not one to get overemotional with anyone except Maria, pushed her back. "I really am sorry that I drugged you."

Serena grinned. "That's ok pharmacy man. I've forgiven you."

Michael smiled back. "Thank you." He said again then walked out the door.

Max found Langley by the ship, making the necessary preparations for the trip. "Is Onirus on the ship yet?"

Langley nodded.

"And Asim?"

Langley frowned as he looked at his leader. "There isn't enough room."

Max's face looked like it might explode. "And you're just telling me this now!"

"I'm sorry sir. I thought that we could put them both on if we got rid of some of the extra weight, but it did not work. I believe that Asim does not constitute the same threat as Onirus, so I made a choice."

Max didn't like it. He didn't want to leave either of the traitors behind. "Can Michael fly this ship alone?"

Langley nodded slowly, knowing that his time on Earth was about to be extended. "Yes sir, he can."

"Good." He knew Langley would not like his new order but it was necessary. "You will remain on Earth and keep the humans safe until my sister and Michael return."

It only rains a few days a year in the desert and today would be one of those days. Max watched the rain as he tried to gather the resolve to do what he believed must be done. He loved her, he always would, he knew that, but today he would leave, and he had to make it easier for her to move on. "I love you Elizabeth Parker." He whispered.

"What?"

Max tensed upon hearing her voice. He had been sure she was still asleep. Hoping that she had not heard his silent profession of love, Max shook his head while he stared out the window for another moment before he turned towards her. It was time. "We need to talk."

Something was very wrong. If his face hadn't given it away, then the way he spoke the words would have. She sat up swinging her legs over the side of the bed. She should have known as soon as she saw him. He was never there when she woke up. She looked up at him and nodded slowly.

Knowing that he would not be able to do this if he got too close, Max stayed on the other side of the room. "I'm leaving today." He started.

She had prepared herself for this since they found out what happened to Isabel. She looked at him with steady eyes. "I'm going with you."

"No you aren't."

She started to argue but he stopped her before she had the chance. "It's not safe for you. Not just because there is a war - but because you are human. We don't know if you could survive."

"You have human DNA Max. If you can survive, I can."

"I have alien DNA too." He knew he couldn't continue this lie for long. He loved her too much for that. He knew for a fact that she could survive on Antar. He had seen it in her mind. She had already survived there. "You will not be going – that's final." He stopped for a moment then added, "There isn't enough space on the ship for you anyway."

Believing that he could be right, she had no argument. She looked back at him and forced a smile. Sure, it was hard to see the one you love go off to fight a war but she had hope. Hope that he would be safe, that he would complete what he needed to and he would come back to her. Hope would have to be enough. "I understand. I will miss you Max. I lo . . . "

"No." He cut her off before she could say the words he didn't need to hear. "You don't understand Liz. I won't be coming back." He paused, gathering strength. "Even if we get Isabel back, even if we win the war, I won't be coming back to Earth."

Her face fell as she tried to fight the tears. "But . . . Max . . ." She couldn't continue, not without the dam breaking.

He walked over to her and, without looking into her eyes; he brushed the back of his hand across her cheek. "I wanted to tell you . . ."

He didn't continue. He couldn't continue. He wanted to tell her how sorry he was. Sorry for bringing her here, for believing that she had betrayed him, for being as bad as the alien who had taken years away from her. He wanted to tell her he hadn't meant to get Alex killed, tell her he was sorry for not being able to save him.

He wanted to tell her how much he regretted that knowing him had caused her so much pain and suffering, but he kept this all to himself. Not because he did not feel the anguish of the mistakes he had made, but because saying so might give her hope and he couldn't allow her to have hope – not for him.

"Forget me Liz. Have a good life, fall in love with someone worthy of you, have children, grow old, be happy."

She shook her head, the tears beginning to fall.

Max knew he shouldn't, but he couldn't stop himself. He cradled her face in his hands, knelt down and kissed the salty tears from her eyes.

A knock prevented him from going farther; from making a bigger mistake. He brushed his lips to hers, then crossed the room and opened the door to find Langley. "The ship is ready, sir."

Max nodded as Langley walked away.

Max turned but didn't walk back over to her. "I have to go." He said before he walked through the door, leaving her alone with her tears.

No words needed to be spoken; words were for the poets and songwriters. No, Michael and Maria just held each other through the morning, drawing their strength from the other. Langley had just come to say it was time but they still held on, not wanting to let the other go.

Finally, knowing he couldn't put this off any longer, he bent just a bit and softly kissed her lips. "I love you Maria." He said when they broke apart.

She smiled through her tears, keeping in mind Max's promise. He would be back. "I love you, Spaceboy."

The old nickname made them smile lost in bittersweet memories. Michael touched her cheek on last time. "Promise me you won't name that baby anything too crazy - like Michael Junior."

Maria looked up with a gleam in her eye. "You know I can't promise that, but I promise that a normal person will be able to spell it."

Max looked at Michael curiously as Michael walked alone towards the ship.

"She's not coming out. We've said our goodbyes."

Realizing that the scene might get quite emotional and Michael was not one to show emotion, Max nodded his understanding.

Jesse walked over to the ship, with a duffle in his hand.

"What the hell are you doing?" Max demanded.

Jesse looked at him, determination in his eyes. "I'm going with you."

"The hell you are."

"She's MY wife!" Jesse shot back.

"And my sister." He knew that would not be good enough. "Jesse, we don't know if humans can even breathe there. If you get on that ship you could just as well commit suicide."

"That's a risk I'm willing to take."

Max turned away from him. "Well, I'm not and it's my decision."

Jesse grabbed Max's shoulder and repeated, "She's my wife, Max."

Max glared at him. "Jesse, I know you love her and contrary to everyone's belief, I love her too. I want to get her back, but I don't know what Khivar has put her through. When we save her, she may need you and your love to get her past this. If you die you won't be able to help her." He knew he was getting through. "I promise if you stay here I will get her back to you." He had been making a lot of promises lately and he just hoped he could keep them.

Jesse finally relented and stepped away from the craft. Max placed his hand on the ship and the small hatch opened. Ava was the first to ascend, followed by Michael. Max looked longingly, one last time at the desert sky, and then started to climb into the craft.

"Max!" He heard his name over the thunder. He hesitated for a moment, then moved towards the door once again.

"Max! Please!" She yelled again, knowing, as she did when she decided to go after him that this moment was their last chance.

He knew he shouldn't. They had already said all they needed to say. He knew he should just get onto the ship, close the door and disappear, but he didn't. He stopped and turned around.

Liz stood before him as he did. She took his hand in hers, almost willing him to just stay. "Max, please."

He didn't look into her eyes. He knew if he did, he would never be able to stay strong. He focused on the rock behind her.

"Max don't leave like this. Please tell me you'll come back." She knew she needed something from him to see her through. If he left now, the way it was, he would never come back. She would never see him again.

He continued to stare, knowing that words would be the end of his strength.

She ignored his coldness, knowing it was a front. "I will always love you . . . always." She choked out.

He closed his eyes, strengthening his resolve, pushing the tears away. He had to stay strong for a few more minutes. If he didn't, then it would all be for nothing. He basked in her love for just a moment more before he opened his eyes forcing himself to look straight into hers and say coldly, "Love someone else."

With those words, the dam broke and tears streamed down her face. "Max?"

He shook his head, knowing he had to be strong. He turned around and entered the ship. As the door closed, Max nodded to Michael that it was time to leave, then collapsed on the floor and started to weep.

She watched as the ship flew up into the sky and eventually disappeared, all the while yelling behind it. "MAX!" But it was too late; Max was gone and they were both alone again.

Musical thought . . .

A Verse of At This Moment by Billy Vera and the Beaters that just kept going through my head.

What do you think
I would give at this moment
If you'd stay
I'd subtract twenty years from my life
I'd fall down on my knees
and kiss the ground that you walk on
If I could just hold you again

Part 25

"Come on Boo. You have to get out of this rain." Serena said as she and Maria wrapped their arms around Liz, lifting her from the wet ground to lead her inside the house.

Back in Maria's room, Liz sat on the bed, staring blankly at the wall while tears streamed down her face. Maria dried Liz's hair with a towel, while Serena found her a warm robe. She handed it to Liz. "You need to change, Boo."

Maria took the robe from Serena so she could help Liz change.

Serena watched in silence. Knowing that the two friends had a past that she was not a part of, she decided to leave them alone. She knew they had both said goodbye to the ones they loved today, that both were in pain and that the only difference was Maria had hope. "Are you alright?" She asked Maria, making sure they knew she was more than willing to stay, but wanting to give them an opportunity, in their grief to commiserate alone.

"We're fine." Maria said softly as she nodded her thanks to Serena.

Serena forced a half smile. "I'll be close if you need me."

Maria nodded and Serena walked from the room to find Jesse. She needed to speak to him before completing the task that Max had entrusted her with.

Maria ran a brush through Liz's hair. "They will be back." She whispered, trying to sooth both her and Liz's fears.

Liz could hear Maria but didn't bother to argue. Responding to the statement wouldn't have changed anything. Instead she sat paralyzed on the bed, willing herself to feel nothing – nothing except the tears that ran down her cheeks.

Serena walked down the hall to the room where she guessed Jesse might occupy. Opening the door she found the man sitting on the floor in the corner of the room alone looking defeated. She squatted before him and put her hand on his arm. "Can I do something for you?" She asked softly.

Jesse shook his head trying to cover the tears he had shed. "I just want to do something – to help. I should have gone with them." His hands went back to his eyes as he whispered, "She's my wife."

Serena understood the feeling of helplessness too well. "Do you want to tell me about her?"

Jesse didn't want to share his pain by talking about Isabel. Instead he lifted the hand that had been concealed and handed Serena a picture of Isabel on their wedding day that he had always kept with him.

Serena took the picture and studied it. Surprised to find that she remembered this girl from years before in New Orleans. She almost smiled at the coincidence but stopped herself. Partly because she remembered the girl alone not with her husband and partly because she wasn't sure how much of all this was actually coincidence anymore. She remembered Liz saying that they had met in an alternate life, that she had already figured out the granilith once before. That on its own was strange, add her meeting Isabel – well who knew how much of her involvement was predestined and how much was chance. Finally, she handed the picture back to Jesse. "She's beautiful."

He smiled a forced smile and nodded his head but offered no more.

Finally she determined that talking would not help the man but maybe what she had come to ask would. She was going to destroy the granilith but it would still be wise, just in case, if the few remaining scientists could be convinced to sign a non-disclosure agreement. "Jesse, I know you are hurting so if you don't feel up to it, let me know, but I have something you could help me with and maybe in the process help your friends, alien and human, alike.

Isabel sat in her place at the large table, waiting for her captor as she did every night. It seemed like it had been weeks, but she was no longer sure time moved the same as it did on Earth. She looked over at the time piece. He was late. She didn't know why she cared that he was, but she did.

Maybe it was because he was the only one who would speak to her, even look at her. The slaves he kept where loyal subjects of the crown and saw her as the betrayer, the sole reason their cause had been lost. The servants of the house, loyal to Khivar, had been kind and helpful at first. They had treated her as their saviors beloved, but she had learned that Khivar had been displeased, believing their actions inappropriate. Those servants had been replaced by ones that would not speak except to answer simple questions.

Basically, she was alone, relying on the whims of a man who kept her against her will. She looked at the timepiece again. She was starting to get hungry. She milled over some of what Khivar had told her these last days. He had told her that her father had been a mad man, killing peasants for the smallest of crimes. That she had joined him at first because she had believed that change was necessary. That their love had been a wonderful (at least in Khivar's words) byproduct of the shared goal.

She had tried to tune out his voice when he spoke of her family in such a way. She would not believe him, but some of his words had seeped through and she had begun to ask questions in her mind. For instance, knowing the tyrant that Max had become even after being raised by Philip and Diane Evans, wasn't it possible that their biological father would have the same faults and why would so many follow Khivar if they had not believed they were being mistreated?

Isabel sat up straight and put on her stone face when she heard the door open behind her. Khivar walked to the table, taking her hand in his, he urged her to stand. "I am sorry you had to wait, my dearest and I know that you must be hungry but if you will indulge me I have a surprise for you." He took her arm and threaded it into his leading her out of the door.

Isabel feelings seesawed between the fear of going somewhere unknown with this man and the excitement of finally being allowed to leave her small prison.

Serena looked at her watch. It was late. She had spent the afternoon helping Jesse convince the remaining scientists to sign the non-disclosure agreement. At first it had been slow going but now, after hours of persuasion and dipping into her personal fortune they seemed to have everyone in one accord. The only thing left to be done was for Jesse to draw up the papers and have each of them sign.

"Then we can leave?" One of the scientists questioned.

Serena nodded. "Tomorrow – yes, but just so you understand, you will be able to leave whether you sign the agreement or not." She wanted them to realize that signing the paper was their choice. If they felt it wasn't then they would not feel bound to the agreement. Of course she was pretty much buying them off – she knew that – but if that's what it took for Liz, Jesse, Maria and the unborn baby to be safer then that was what she would do.

Another scientist spoke up. "When will we get our money?"

Serena didn't exactly have a checkbook on her – she had been abducted but she was pretty sure she could get the funds wired tomorrow. "I will go into Roswell tomorrow and hopefully be able to cut checks for you by tomorrow evening."

Serena looked around the room, waiting for anymore questions but they all seemed to be satisfied. She looked over at Jesse. "You can handle this from here?" She asked.

"No problem." He answered content for the moment to have something to keep his mind occupied.

Serena smiled, satisfied to have helped him, at least a little. "See you later." She mumbled and took off, out the door to the cave."

Langley sat in the distance, watching the setting sun. Antar, with its two suns, went complete seasons without darkness making night a novelty to most Antarians; a novelty that Langley still enjoyed even after his many years on Earth.

His appreciation of the Earth and it's cycles did not cause him to miss home any less. He thought of the friends and family he had left behind, knowing how Khivar would punish them if he discovered Langley's part in helping the royals. Langley missed them but now he just hoped that his loved ones were still alive.

Looking towards the complex, Langley forced thoughts of Antar from his mind. Earlier, he had watched the humans move from the cave to the house. It angered him since Max would never have allowed them there. But he hadn't been surprised. Humans were weak and given the chance to take over more comfortable quarters they would. Now as he scanned the area he noticed that the Antarians were leaving too. "What is going on?" He asked himself. He had hoped to keep his presence a secret, at least for a while, but now, wondering what was going on, he stood up and headed back towards the house

"What are you doing in here?" Serena asked Alden as she entered the chamber that contained the granilith.

Alden shrugged. "I'm just looking at the symbols on the granilith. I was sure they would help me figure out this damn thing."

Serena waited but when Alden didn't continue, she began to get frustrated. "WELL, did they!"

Alden shrugged and took a drink of the beer he had in his hand. "I'm not sure. I think so. I have to check something first."

"Don't bother."

Alden raised an eyebrow. "Don't bother?"

Serena opened the box that contained the crystal key. "I promised Max I would destroy it once he was gone."

Alden, not able to believe his ears, actually put down his beer. It was so unlike Serena to give up on anything; she was too driven, well actually stubborn, maybe even obsessed. If she promised to destroy the granilith, that was what she was doing.

Before Alden could argue, Serena explained, "It's Max's decision. Not mine."

"How the hell are you going to destroy it? We don't even know exactly how it works."

"I don't have to know. I know the theory of it all, I can overload it. It will cause a bit of an explosion but in the cave, it should be contained."

Alden didn't like what he was hearing. "Should be? You don't sound too sure."

"Well, I've made sure all the occupants of the cave went up to the house. It will be safe for them there."

Nervously Alden asked, "And what about you?"

Serena rolled her eyes. "I'll be fine. I'll have plenty of time to get out."

"NO!" Alden shook his head profusely. "I'm not letting you do it Ser."

"How exactly do you plan on stopping me?" Serena asked putting her hands on her hips.

Visions of him picking her up and dragging her away screaming and kicking went through his head. It would serve her ass right. He thought to himself.

Serena continued. "I'll be fine, just get to the house, I'll be there as soon as I can."

Alden took a deep breath. He reminded himself that they respected each other and their decisions. He also knew that once Serena set her mind to something - nothing would keep her from it. Unless something changed her mind, she would eventually destroy the granilith or die trying. It was better for him to stay and help. To make sure that she made it out alive.

Alden let out a quick breath. "I'll stay and help." He noticed her beginning to argue but cut her off. "If it's safe then there's no reason I shouldn't stay and help and if it's not - well - let's just say, it won't be the first time someone has locked your ass up to keep you safe." He smiled and winked at her, hoping to soften her a bit.

It worked. Serena sighed loudly showing her annoyance, but nodded her agreement.

Isabel sat on the tarp that Khivar, trying to mimic the human custom of a picnic, had put down. He had explained to her that he had heard of it through some of his followers whom he had sent to Earth. When she asked about his need to have his soldiers on Earth he tried again to justify his actions.

"But, my dearest, I must admit that the main objective of my servants was to find you." Khivar looked almost ashamed by his admission.

Isabel looked up at him defiantly. "Really? You want me to believe that you loved me so much that you sent your slaves to find me and my family and kill us." She gave a haughty sneer.

Khivar reached for her face, but she turned away. "They were under orders not to kill you."

"But Max, Michael, Tess?"

"Zan, Rath and Ava were part of the government that we . . . that you swore to demolish. It was necessary so they . . . the government could not come back."

"And what about Nicholas and his mind rape? He tried to . . . to me . . . Did you love me so much. . ."

He looked her in the eyes. "If it was necessary he did have my permission." He paused for a moment before continuing. "Vilandra there was a time when you would have expected no less from him or me. A time when you would have insisted that I use any means to get the information to free your people."

She stood up and walked a few feet away from him. She didn't want to hear what she use to be."

Khivar stood and followed, finally reaching her, he grabbed her shoulders making her stop.

Isabel grimaced, knowing there would be fresh bruises. In the beginning she had thought he had meant to hurt her but now she knew that he did not understand his physical strength. The Antarians did not need the physical when the mental was so strong.

Khivar was learning to read her human emotions and upon seeing her discomfort, he loosened his grip. "Vilandra please understand." He pleaded as he raised one hand to the side of her face and traced her ear with one of his fingers.

Isabel shivered at the first caring touch she had allowed from him. She looked into his eyes and a flash went through her mind. It wasn't a flash like the connection she once shared with her first love but in that touch, her senses came alive. It was if she could remember the past life she had. She remembered the smells, the tastes, the way her eyes would get disoriented when the suns were both low at mid dusk. She remembered Khivar. For a moment she caught, in the most human of ways, a fleeting glimpse of why she had betrayed her family for him.

It hadn't been a love like Alex; that wonderful, first love that had made her heart soar. Nor had it been a love like she shared with Jesse, a mature love where her mind was at peace. No - this love had been something else, something that she couldn't or didn't want to understand. It might have even been less then love, more like an unhealthy obsession aimed at the one man, who in her last life, she could not have. She knew as she stood staring into his dark eyes, unable to move, unable to breath, that this passion had controlled her very soul as if she had sold it to Satan himself.

She pulled away as she regained her senses, looking defiantly at the devil's face. A smirk crossed his lips as he realized what had happened. How dare he? She wondered as she raised her hand to slap the smirk away.

He had seen it coming and grabbed a hold of her wrist. "My dearest Vilandra, just because you don't like what you see - does not mean it is untrue."

She twisted her wrist out of his grip, pushing herself away from him. She kept hearing Vanessa Whitaker's voice. "History is bound to repeat itself." It wouldn't. Not if there was a way that Isabel could stop it.

Max pulled himself off the floor, knowing that showing his anguish helped no one. It was time to harden his heart again, accept his responsibility and be the king he was born to be. He walked over to the control area where Michael and Ava stood, looking out the large window.

Ava had been the one most surprised by Max's breakdown and now, with him standing beside her, was uncomfortable. What was she suppose to do? She didn't know when her feelings had changed towards him but over the last few months, they had. She had always respected him and in some small way, maybe because he was her kind, maybe because of his resemblance to Zan, loved him but now her feelings went much deeper. She cared about him - all of him, his feelings and his well being. She felt he was a friend. And now her friend was in pain and she didn't know how to help him so she just stood next to him, hoping that some of her strength would find its way to him.

Michael stood on the other side of Max and pointed sadly. "That's Earth."

Max peered out the window focusing on the blue and white sphere that kept getting smaller and smaller, finally becoming just another light in the sky. Max knew it was time for him to be strong for all of them. He rested a hand on the other's shoulders. "We will see it again."

He knew it wasn't the right time to tell them the truth. That he would never see Earth again.

Part 26

"Hey there Frank," Kyle said, greeting his long lost neighbor. "How's Europe?"

Frank turned and shook Kyle's hand. "Pretty good but glad to be back."

"We're gonna have to go out for a drink soon."

Frank raised his eyebrows. "If you have the time."

"What are you talking about? I always have time for my friends."

"What would that little brunette think about that?"

Confusion passed over Kyle's face. "Brunette?"

"Cute girl about yea high," Frank lifted his hand showing her height, "brown hair and eyes. You were with her at the Crashdown the morning I left town. Said she was an old friend from high school but I thought there might be more." Frank shrugged. "Guess not."

Kyle didn't like what he was hearing but passed it off. "Oh yeah. No – nothing more than friends."

"Well then, how about tonight. We could go meet the guys at that new sport's bar."

Kyle shook his head. "Sorry Frank. I can't tonight . . . in fact, I just remembered the boss might need me to go out of town this week. I will definitely call you when I get back though."

Frank nodded. "No problem but I might go over there anyway, so if you stay around call me on my cell."

"Yeah – will do. Well, gotta get going. Good to have you back buddy."

Frank smiled and disappeared into his apartment. Kyle walked back to his, went in and shut the door.

Langley entered the house to find a few of the Antarian guards standing watch by the door. Dismissing them as they saluted, signaling their allegiance to Antar and to him as their superior, he got right to the point. "What is going on?" He demanded.

One of the ranking guards stepped forward. "The human scientist commanded us to leave the cave."

"And you did?" Langley asked in disbelief.

The guard nodded. "His majesty left orders that we were to obey her."

Langley's first instinct was to discipline the guard immediately; believing that obedience to a human was one order that these men should not have obeyed. "Tell me - what is she doing in the cave?"

"Sir, I believe she means to destroy the granilith."

Langley stopped for a moment staring at the guard in disbelief, the granilith was too important to Antar to allow anyone, even the king himself, to destroy it. The Antarians should know that! But he kept his anger in check, instead he turned back through the door and headed to the cave, that human would not destroy the granilith as long as he still lived.

"Vilandra – please stop!"

Isabel ignored Khivar's words as she ran up the stairs and through the doorway of her room, barring the door behind her.

The door rattled as he attempted to open it. She knew that eventually he would get in if he really wanted to but still she prayed that he would give up and leave her be.

"Vilandra." His voice pled from the other side of the door.

"My name is Isabel." She said defiantly. "I am not the person you use to know."

For a few moments, she heard nothing. She turned towards the door, almost making the mistake of opening it but then she heard his voice.

Not wanting to scare her, not wanting her to close up to him again, the silence had just been a chance for him to collect his thoughts. "I know you felt it. The passion we shared, the need we had for one another. Do not deny it Vila . . . Isabel." He placed his hand on the outside of the door; he knew that she stood behind it, listening. "I loved you. You loved me. If you would just give that feeling a chance again . . . " He stopped. Vilandra had never acted purely on emotion. She always had to weigh her feelings against her mind and soul. "Just think about it. Remember."

Seconds later, Isabel relaxed a bit, hearing his footsteps as he walked away, leaving her with the disturbing knowledge that once, even if it was in her past life, she had cared for him.

Alden stood near the granilith, watching the lights as Serena instructed. "Red, amber, off, red again."

Serena looked up. "Are you sure?"

Alden nodded, waited and then, after a few moments of silence asked. "Do you have enough money to pay off the scientists?"

Serena stared ahead at the panel in front of her. "I'm fine." She held up her hand, signaling him to be quiet for a moment. "Tell it to me again."

"Red, amber, off, red again." He watched as she nodded then asked again. "Fine?"

Serena walked over to where he stood and looked at the lights again.

"Ser?"

Serena looked directly at him wanting to put an end to his questions. "I put the house on the market."

Alden was noticeably stunned. "The house? You can't mean it! You love that house! It's been in your family almost two hundred years."

She shrugged. "It's just a 'thing'. Maybe someday I'll get it back." Although, she believed selling the house was worth it she still didn't want to discuss it. It still hurt. "It's already done." Walking back to the other side of the granilith, she asked him to repeat the sequence again.

"Red, amber, blue, off, red again."

Serena nodded as he said each; she placed the key into the slot.

The dream had returned. Only now, it was slightly different. The terror still consumed her and the man with the eyes still came to ease her fears. But that man – the man who she now knew was Max Evans would still vanish and leave her with the terror.

"NO! Don't go!" Liz cried out, sitting up in the bed where she and Maria had finally fallen asleep.

With her extra weight, Maria wasn't as quick to get up. "Liz? Are you alright?" She touched Liz's arm. "What's the matter?"

The vision Liz got from the touch was brief.

Maria lay on a bed bleeding uncontrollably while Serena ran around her, doing all she could to keep Maria alive. Liz looked down in her arms where a new baby laid. She pulled the blanket back to find the child blue from lack of oxygen. She reached down to touch its sweet face, to find that it already deadly cold.

Maria wailed. "Not me! The baby! Save my baby!"

Serena looked helplessly up at Liz, signaling that nothing could be done for the baby or for Maria.

Liz pushed Maria's hand away stopping the vision.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Maria asked.

Dazed by what she had just seen Liz didn't answer right away.

"Liz? Are you ok?"

Liz made herself speak. "The dream . . . yeah I'm fine. I just need to go take a walk and clear my head."

Maria tried to stifle a yawn. "Want some company?"

Shaking her head Liz answered, "No . . . no . . . you need to get your sleep. You have a baby you need to take care of. "Forcing herself to smile as she finished.

Maria was worried but nodded her agreement. Their friendship wasn't what it used to be. She would have to give Liz her space and she did need sleep.

Liz just wanted to find Serena and talk to her about what she had just seen.

"What the hell are you doing?" Langley asked as he entered the room.

Alden looked up at the alien but Serena never took her eyes off the panel. "Max wanted it destroyed." She answered.

Langley raised his hand forming an energy blast that caused Serena to fly across the room and land with a hard thump. Alden took a step towards Langley but another blast landed Alden on top of Serena. "Fuck!" Alden yelled as he landed. He looked down at Serena, seeing if she was hurt. Serena's eyes were opened but she seemed to be in shock. Langley lifted his hand once again. "You will not destroy the granilith - it means too much to my people."

Alden watched as Langley was lifted from his position and thrown to the opposite side of the room. His gaze shifted towards the entrance of the room where Liz stood with blood in her eyes.

"Stay away from them!" She yelled.

Langley jumped up into a defensive position, ready to blast the human. But as he looked into her eyes he realized that she was much stronger then he, almost as strong as the king himself. But even with this revelation, Langley only had one goal in mind. "Without the granilith . . ."

"Shut UP!" Liz growled while holding him at bay. She crossed the room to see how her friends fared. "Are you all ok?"

Alden nodded as he rolled off of Serena and held out a hand for her. When she didn't move he knelt by her side. "Sera . . .Sera! . . . SERA!" He repeated over and over again, worried that she did not respond.

Serena stared towards Alden for a few more moments watching as he became more and more frantic before she began to laugh.

"Dammit Ser!" Alden offered his hand to help her up.

Smiling, Serena took his hand, pulling herself off the floor. Her attention almost immediately shifted towards the granilith and with her eyes focused on the machine all laughter left her. "We have to get out of here NOW!"

Alden had forgotten until that moment that they had already begun the destruction of the granilith. He grabbed Serena's hand and pulled her towards the door.

Serena yelled towards Liz. "Come on! The granilith – it's going to explode!"

Liz realized at that moment that the granilith was the answer. If Serena could make it work, they could use it to get a message to Max. Max could save Maria and her baby. Instead of following her friend, she started to yell. "You have to stop it! Maria . . . baby! It's important!" Liz pleaded.

Serena shook her head. "I can't."

"I CAN!" Langley yelled from the corner where Liz held him at bay.

Liz looked at Langley, then back at Serena before dropping her hand and allowing Langley to do what he could.

Langley ran over to the control panel and reached for the key.

The three humans watched as Langley changed his appearance to a metallic liquid state. The liquid covered the control panel.

A blinding light encompassed the figure forcing the three humans to look away. Liz felt the power surround her first - she brought up a shield around her and her friends shielding them from what was happening.

Minutes later, Alden was the first to find his voice. "HOLY SHIT! What the hell was that?"

Serena walked to the figure that now lay beside the granilith. Langley had changed back into his human form for a moment, then as Serena bent down to touch him, he turned into a pile of dust.

Liz looked on in awe. "He knew it would kill him."

"The damn thing must be pretty important to him – to his people." Serena commented under her breath. Then looking to Liz she asked, "But why is it important to you?"

Out of breath from the excitement, Liz answered. "I had a vision. Maria and the baby. They won't survive. Max – if we can get a message to him – if we can get him to come back or if she can go there . . . He can save her."

Serena nodded then noticed the rod that lay on the ground next to where Langley's body had been. Picking it up, she turned to the others. "Guess we are going to need this then." Serena handed the key to Liz and mumbled to Alden under her breath. "Finish the translation."

Guessing her intentions, Alden grabbed her hand. "Sera, you can't keep them."

She pulled her hand from him. "I can. Everyone has their price."

Kyle's first thought was to go back to the Crashdown but if his memory had been erased by aliens then it stood to reason that the Parker's would have no memory of their daughter being in Roswell either. No, what he needed to do was something he swore he would never do again. He needed to involve his dad.

Calling his father was a problem for Kyle. Max and his alien army had only caused pain and destruction in his father's life but he knew that his dad knew more about where the aliens were then he did, at least these last few years. There were times when Max had still needed his father even though he was human.

Kyle knew out of respect for him and the loss he had endured when Tracy died, his dad never spoke to him about his alien involvements but that hadn't stopped him from helping and it hadn't kept Kyle from knowing that he was. Kyle understood his father's position even if he didn't agree. Max Evans had saved his son's life and that was a debt that Jim would never forget or stop repaying.

After almost an hour of debate with himself, Kyle finally picked up the phone and dialed the number.

"Yeah." Came the voice after five full rings.

"Hey dad . . . I have a problem." He paused drawing a long breath. "One of the extra-terrestrial kind."

Finally able to walk and clear her mind, Liz tromped through the desert until she came upon a rock that marked the place where Max had gotten into that 'damn' ship less then 14 hours before and with that action ripped her heart in two one final time. She looked up at the stars wondering how far from Earth he now was. The more time that passed the more real his leaving became. And that reality drove home his final words. "Love someone else."

Remembering those words started the flow of tears once more. Of course, she thought, how could she have expected more? After being apart for all those years – a few months could not bring back the love they had once shared, at least not how it had been. Her rational side understood that he didn't owe her any more but that part of her soul, the part that belonged only to him asked why he would just leave like that. That he could deny that part of himself – that part she knew still existed – that part that belonged to her – without a second thought.

Later, after the tears had dried, the anger began to creep up on her. It wasn't as if she didn't understand him needing to save his sister. Liz would expect nothing less from the man she loved, but to tell her that he would not return... and now Maria and the baby... How could they leave her friend like that – in the condition she was in? Hadn't they known that there was a possibility of complications? That something awful could happen?

"Damn Antar and damn Max Evans."

Lying on his bed, the man stared at the old photograph. The paper yellowed with time, the edges singed, probably from the war. The face that gazed back at him was not the same as the face he fell in love with but he could see beyond that. This girl had the soul of his Isabel.

Although he didn't require as much sleep now that he had been transformed, Alex closed his eyes, trying to find the dream plane. Since discovering her presence on Antar he had spent all of his nights and most of his days trying to find her one way or another; knowing she was safe was the only thing that mattered to him. But thanks to her 'mother', his search heeded no results.

"Isabel." He pleaded softly. "Help me find you."

Part 27

Serena kicked the granilith. "Fuck it!"

Alden looked up over the top of the alien's book, raising his eyebrows a bit at Serena's outburst. He had learned over the last few weeks that asking too many questions while she worked would only direct wrath towards him, though he suspected that this time, keeping quiet would not spare him.

"What the HELL are you looking at?" she barked.

Alden shrugged. "Just making sure you were alright."

"NO! I am NOT fucking alright!" Serena seethed. "Maria and her baby are living on borrowed time and now we have this translation of the book that tells us exactly how to operate the damn thing and even though I follow the directions word for word I can't get it to fucking work right!"

Alden cringed – not because of her anger, that he could handle, but because of her fear. He rarely saw Serena scared and that bothered him. She had actually become insecure in her abilities. His concern prompted him to stand up and walk over to her, despite her fury. He wrapped his arms around her and gently pulled her to him. Even as she tried to push him away, he tucked her head under his chin and held her. "Ser baby," he soothed, "we will make it work."

Tears formed in Serena's eyes. "Nothing we are doing is changing anything. Liz's visions all tell us one thing. Nothing we have done is going to make a damn bit of difference. Maria still dies – the baby still dies."

He rubbed her back, trying to ease her fears. "Then we have to do something else."

She looked up at him defeated. "I don't know what else to do."

"Call Erica." When she started to protest he added, "I don't think you have a choice."

Serena nodded and pushed herself out of his grasp. "I will in the morning." She looked up at the granilith then back at her friend. "She won't tell anyone?"

Determined to calm her fears he shook his head. "She won't."

Feeling a little better from Alden's assurance, she looked back at the granilith. "Bon-temps fait crapaud manqué bounda."

"Idleness leaves the frogs without buttocks?" He tried to stifle a chuckle, but it found its way out. "Why can't you just say let's get back to work?"

Isabel lay down on her bed forcing herself to close her eyes; to try and get some much needed rest. Fleeting thoughts of Jesse raced through her mind. She prayed he was alive and well, that he would let Max handle her situation. "Well, that is if Max even cares," she thought. "He's probably just happy that I now reside on Antar."

As sleep crept upon her and control of her thoughts started to leave, visions of Khivar replaced Jesse. Over the past few weeks Khivar had worn her down. In spite of her better judgment, she had begun to let her guard down. She would listen as he tried to convince her of her father's and then her brother's tyranny. She would let him touch her softly and with those touches, passion filled memories seemed to return.

When sleep finally came so did her dreams. It was always the same dream...

She's frightened by a storm that is blowing over the hills of Antar. Khivar lies beside her murmuring words of comfort in her ear. She snuggles beside him feeling the warmth of his strong body next to hers. She lifts her face to his as he bends to meet her lips. "You will always be mine." He whispers. "I will never let you go."

As the dream continues, another voice whispers her name.

"Isabel."

This has happened before but she has always ignored it. But this time she raises her head above Khivar's body and peers into the darkness. "Who's there?"

"Isabel."

She pulls away from the man who lay with her in her dream to get out of the bed. Walking towards the voice she asks again, "Who's there?"

"Isabel."

Following the voice to the far corner of the room, her eyes adjust immediately to the darkness. "Alex?"

He reaches out to her, pushing a tendril of her hair off her face. "Don't trust him."

Isabel looks over at the bed. Khivar is still there; this is still a dream. She looks back at Alex. "You're dead."

Hundreds of miles away, Alex lies in his room, wondering what to say next. Of course she would believe that – he was dead – at least to her. He knew that he had to do something, that she wouldn't heed his warning unless she believed he was real.

"I am not dead, I was reborn. You have to believe me." He pleads. "Please Isabel don't trust him." He reaches for her hand, willing her to believe.

Tears glistened in Isabel's eyes. She wanted to believe that Alex was actually there but years of dreamwalking others only serves to convince her that only in her dreams could Alex still exist.

Seeing her disbelief, Alex tries once more. "Don't trust in him Isabel."

She hears Khivar's voice calling to her, first from the bed and then from a place unknown. Turning towards his voice, she knows she must leave. She looks over at Alex one last time.

Disappearing from her dream Alex whispers his last words. "Trust in me."

Liz always dreaded this. Since the first vision, Liz avoided touching Maria as much as she could. But just as she had every few days since her first vision, Serena had asked her to. Strengthening her resolve, she marched into the kitchen where Maria sat eating determined to find out if Maria's future had been changed.

Cassandra had always told her that this was a gift, but every time she forced herself to look at Maria's future – every time she held the lifeless body of the baby in her arms – every time she looked into Maria's face as she died – she knew it was a curse as well.

Maria put down the novel she was reading and looked over at Liz. "Hey there. Want something to eat?" She pushed an uneaten half of her sandwich towards Liz.

"Thanks." Liz picked up the sandwich and took a bite. "So, how are you doing?"

"Pretty miserable actually." When Liz's face saddened, Maria felt the need to clarify. "The heat is terrible, I'm all swollen – I feel like a whale. I just want to get this baby out of me." Maria sighed then smiled. "Well – less then a month then I will be back to normal."

Well aware of Maria's due date, Liz forced a sympathetic smile. She understood that Maria was just an expectant mother who was excited to meet her firstborn, but to the small group who knew of Liz's visions, her due date was a ticking time bomb. "He'll be here soon enough."

"Or she will." Maria said smiling.

Liz decided to change the subject. "What are you reading?"

Maria picked the book up, handing it to Liz.

This was going to be easier then she expected. Over the past few weeks, she had become pretty adept at reading Maria. All she had to do was reach out and take the book from her hand, making sure to touch her in the process. Liz paused for a split second, bracing herself for the worst then reached out.

The room is different now, more like a hospital room. Liz no longer is holding a child – instead she sits next to Maria who lies on the bed crying and rocking a small bundle in her arms. A woman who Liz had never seen before walks into the room and looks at a few of the monitors then softly places a hand on Liz's shoulder. "Maria is going to be fine."

Maria looks up at the woman. "Why?" She asks through her tears. "Why did he die?"

The woman looks sympathetically at Maria. "I don't really know. You carried to term, he looks to be completely healthy, but he never took a breath. He tried, but it seems his lungs didn't fully develop."

Liz watches as Maria nods as if she understands and then goes back to rocking her firstborn.

The vision ended and Liz, forcing herself to be calm, took the book from Maria and looked at it. "Another trashy novel – huh?"

Maria grinned. "Well when your man is away you have to get your excitement somewhere."

The ship landed on a barren plain three weeks after it had left Earth. When its engines were powered down, Max looked over at his two comrades. "We're here."

Michael grabbed a nervous Ava's hand and tried to make light of the situation. "We might as well see what the fuss is all about."

Max nodded and lifted his hand to a panel beside the door. The panel glowed dimly and then the door opened with a hushed whoosh. The heat that rushed into the ship was stifling, worse then New Mexico in the middle of summer. Max turned one more time, making sure the others were ready before he descended down the ladder.

On the ground, the three took their first breath of the alien air. While oxygen did exist, the air felt heavier than that on Earth. The atmosphere was hot and humid, smelling of rock and decay with a faint undercurrent of spices. It seemed to caress the skin with a life of its own

The land was desolate, scorched from years of war and the two suns blazed above. A mysterious mist rose above desert sands, swirling among rolling hills of red clay. The fiery red of volcanic eruptions was visible in the distance. Harsh, jagged black rocks towered faraway against the backdrop of a brilliant sky painted in oranges, pinks and violet. The crescents of several large outlying planets were clearly discernible on the horizon, the largest showing many rings. Three moons were just beginning their climb to join the millions of stars already beginning to twinkle in the heavens.

Max squinted as he scanned the area, wondering where to go and what to do next.

"Over there." Michael pointed towards a hill in warning. The sound of Michael's voice was muffled and hollow, as though he were speaking through cotton.

Max and Ava followed the direction of his finger and saw a small group of people in flowing robes headed towards them. As the group came closer, the three lifted their hands ready to defend themselves.

Max was the first to lower his hand in recognition. Leading the small entourage was his mother. She walked close to him, bowed slightly, and then captured his face in her hands. "You have returned my son."

Her actions seemed to be a signal to those with her as they dropped to their knees and bowed before him.

Not sure what they should do, Michael and Ava stood behind Max, shifting back and forth. The queen noticed their discomfort and walked over to them. "I am pleased to see you both are well." She took one of each of their hands in hers then turned to the followers. "This is a happy day for your king and my children have returned home."

The followers replied in agreement as the queen went back to Max. "I know you have had a long journey and will need to rest. If you will follow me to my residence, I will see that your needs are met." She motioned for the followers to rise, then began to walk back towards the hills.

Max stood firm. "I will see my sister and son immediately!"

The queen turned calmly back towards her son. "I see you have seen her mind. She was a very brave woman."

"And you allowed me to believe she betrayed me!" he responded.

"It was necessary. You will come to see that." The queen answered.

Max fought for control of his temper. He knew now was not the time or place for the confrontation that would eventually come. Instead, glaring at her, he repeated his demand. "I will see my sister and son immediately."

"Yes of course. Your son resides at my residence. You may see him as soon as you wish." She hesitated for a moment before continuing, "But until your sister, as well as our world, is freed, she is lost to us."

"If it's a boy I think I will name him Alexander Michael, which will piss Michael off royally," she giggled, "but if it's a girl I haven't decided yet."

Jesse nodded, wondering if the baby would be named Isabel if his wife did not return.

The two continued their walk around the compound, taking advantage of the cooler evening air. Maria looked towards the horizon, noticing an object approaching in the distance. She pointed towards it. "What is that?"

Jesse looked up, adjusting his eyes to get a look where she was pointing. "It looks as if it's a car." He said with concern. "No one ever comes out here – we need to get the others."

"You run – I will catch up." Maria said in agreement.

"Hurry – We don't know who that is or what they want." Jesse said hastily before running off towards the cave.

A few minutes later Maria, Jesse, Liz, Alden, and Serena, along with a few of the Antarian guards, stood outside watching as the car came closer.

They watched as the car came to a stop and the occupants got out, revealing themselves as Jim and Kyle Valenti.

Liz was the first to greet the pair with a hug. "How did you know we were here?"

"Someone saw us together at the Crashdown – someone Max obviously didn't know about." Kyle explained showing his disdain of Max. "I put two and two together and realized that you must have been there, but Max made sure I didn't remember. I was worried. Max . . ." he stopped for a moment, wondering what she knew, "Anyway, I called dad and he had an idea of where the aliens were held up. We began looking, of course the great one – Max – decided to move the place so it took a lot longer then we thought. We had to . . . "

Listening to his son tell his story, Jim noticed Maria. Grinning, he cut off Kyle. "Holy shit girl you're pregnant!"

Maria laughed. "Yep."

"Amy doesn't know though – does she?"

Maria shook her head. "We've been kind of busy around here – I haven't had a chance to tell her."

"Too busy to tell your mother she is going to be a grandmother?" Jim chastised, then demanded. "Where the hell is Max?"

Liz tried to calm her own resentment as she started to explain all that had happened in the last eight or so months.

Part 28

The Queen led Max, Michael and Ava to a massive domed structure seemingly made of burnished metal. They entered through a small triangular
entryway to find a massive hall. There were no windows to be seen, yet it glowed as if sunlight still found its way in. The walls were ridged and decorated with ancient tapestries. They came to a small circular room at the end of the passageway where the Queen directed them to enter. Scanning the area, the only furniture they saw was a large table that sat to one side and a few upholstered chairs positioned around the rest of
the room. There were windows here formed in geometric shapes and covered with a thin translucent material instead of glass.

"Please make yourselves comfortable." The queen motioned to the chairs that were positioned around the wall. "I will beckon Zan."

Ava nodded and sat down in one of the chairs but Michael and Max continued to stand.

"Rand is to bring the boy to the solarium." The queen ordered to no one.

"As you wish your majesty." a disembodied voice answered.

She nodded and took a seat near Ava. Taking Ava's hand in hers, she held it fondly. "Earth was not kind to you?"

Ava could feel the woman's concern. Not knowing how to respond she finally just shook her head slightly.

With her long fingers, the Queen stroked her arm. "You will be happier now that you have returned home."

Ava forced a hesitant smile. "I am sure I will be."

A moment later the four looked up as Rand and Zan walked into the room. Max knelt to his son's level and smiled. He was tall for his age, with sandy hair and hazel blue eyes, the boy exhibited maturity far beyond his age.

Bowing his head, Zan took a step towards his father. "Father?"

Max lifted the boy's head and pulled him into an embrace. "There is no need to bow son."

Unused to the human custom of hugging, Zan did not reciprocate his father's actions but he did not pull away from him either. As his father continued to hold him, he turned his head and noticed the woman sitting by his grandmother. When Max let him out of his grasp, he walked over to the woman and knelt at her feet. Reaching for her hand he placed it on his face. "Mother."

Ava felt her body react to the boy. Her mind knew this child was not hers but her heart did not seem to care. She smoothed her hand over his face and felt tears come to her eyes. "I am not . . ."

The Queen cut her off. "Your mother is overwhelmed with joy to see you Zan."

Zan nodded and kissed the back of Ava's hand, then he turned back to Max. "Father, I am pleased you are alive and I am here to serve you."

Max shook his head. "I don't want a servant Zan, I want a son."

"I will do my best."

Max smiled. "You will do fine."

"Zan." The Queen interrupted the reunion. "Please go outside. I must speak to your parents privately. Afterward, I will send your mother out to you."

Zan nodded, bowed slightly and left the room alone.

The Queen looked at Ava. "Here on Antar, a child has an ingrained need for his mother. Fathers are rarely involved in a child's life so a mother is everything to our children. Since you found your way to my son, I did not feel the need to tell him of his true mother's fate." She motioned towards Max and continued, "A fate that may cause animosity between him and his father."

Ava understood. Her duty was not just to take Tess' place with the Royal Four, but to also take Tess' place as Zan's mother. She realized then that this duty would be easy for her to fulfill, for at this moment she wanted nothing more then to love and care for the child. She nodded her agreement.

"Very well . . . and Ava, although you did not give birth to him, you are his mother in every other sense. Do not feel as if you are not. Now, if you go through the door and turn towards your right, there will be another room on your left. You will find your son in that room." As Ava stood, the Queen added, "He may ask how he came to be on Antar. He is only to know that Khivar kidnapped him."

Ava nodded again and walked through the door to find the child.

During this exchange, Michael had paid close attention to the man who still stood with them in the corner of the room. There was something familiar about him but he couldn't place what it was.

The Queen finally noticed Michael's attention to the man. "You sense his essence Rath. Do you not?"

Michael shrugged. "He seems familiar."

"I did not know you were close on Earth."

Max finally turned his eyes towards the man. He seemed familiar to him as well but like Michael, he didn't know why. Finally he asked what they both wanted to know. "Who is he?"

Rand walked towards Max and Michael while the Queen explained. "He is the one your bride killed. The one you called . . ."

"Alex." Rand finished the sentence for the Queen.

Michael looked over in awe. "How can this be?"

The Queen smiled. "We knew of his importance long ago. When he was killed, we took his essence and combined it with an Antarian so he might live again."

Max studied the Antarian who claimed to be the first person he could not save while Michael walked over to him to have a closer look. He didn't look like Alex, though there were similarities. The facial expressions and mannerisms were the same, as was his height and build, though he looked rougher and larger somehow as if he seen his share of hard work. His hair was a touch lighter and his eyes were darker but when you looked into his eyes you saw the same wry, though playful, look in them that Alex always seemed to have.

Convinced that Rand was indeed their friend, Michael finally smiled. "Damn! Maria and Liz are gonna be thrilled when they find out. Not to mention Isabel."

Isabel's name brought any chance of a happy reunion to a halt. Instead, the three men stood in commiserative silence, thinking of how they would get the one they loved back from their joint enemy.

The Queen read their thoughts and was the first to break the silence. "We will get her back."

Max looked towards the Queen skeptically. "Why don't you start by telling me exactly how Khivar got his hands on her in the first place!" He demanded.

"What do you know?" She asked calmly.

"Why don't you just start at the beginning and tell me all that YOU know!"

The Queen looked into her son's eyes. "I am the one who found her on Earth, I am the one who went to Khivar and offered her to him." She saw her son's eyes burn with anger. Looking directly into them she added, "I will not apologize for my actions."

Max took a step towards her, looking as if he might kill the woman, but Michael grabbed his arm. "Hear her out Max."

Max glared at Michael but he knew he was right. He was angry but he needed her at least for now. He turned back to the Queen. "Why don't you elaborate and maybe I won't have to kill you."

The Queen let out a noise that could only be described as a snort, dismissing his outburst with a wave of her hand. "You are no longer on Earth Zan. You cannot kill me as easily as you could the humans, but you are the king and I will tell you what you want to know."

She paused for a moment, giving his anger time to subside before she continued. "Khivar had your son, the future of this monarchy. Zan is about to come of age and without the influence of our family, he would be lost to Khivar forever. I could not allow that to happen. So I weighed my options. I knew that Khivar would not hurt Vilandra and since she is already the woman she will become, I also knew that she would not be influenced by him."

Alex had been standing in the corner of the room quietly listening but the Queen's last line caused him to speak up. "That is not true. She has already been influenced by his evil."

The Queen looked sternly at Alex. "How would you know of that?"

"I have been visiting her in her dreams. She grows weary and is succumbing to Khivar's charms." Alex spat.

Michael jumped in at this point. "Then we need go now – we need get her away from him!"

Alex nodded his head in agreement but the Queen stopped them. "Rand, your report as well as your action in this matter concerns me, but we will discuss that at a later time."

Focusing her attention back on Max and Michael she asked, "Do you not think that I have tried to get her from his clutches? If I could get Vilandra out, then I could have just taken my grandson! But Khivar resides in the most fortified castle of Antar. I should know – I lived there for forty of your Earth years."

Max listened to the exchange before asking, "Then you must know of its weaknesses?"

The Queen shook her head. "There are no weaknesses. We will have to fight all the way to his inner sanctum to retrieve my daughter."

Max glared at her skeptically. "Tell me - how did Liz get out, then?"

Sighing, she tried to steer her son from the discussion that might ensue. She would tell him all he wanted to know about his heart, but it was a discussion best spoken in private. "It's simple, Khivar made a mistake." When the look on his face told her the answer she gave was not enough she added. "He believed her to be a weak human and let his guard down long enough for her to escape." She knew that would not satisfy him, but she tried to convey with her demeanor that she would continue when they were alone.

Max was not happy about his mother's evasive explanation but he understood that she would tell him later. He decided to wait for that time. He nodded his understanding before the Queen turned and pulled some papers from a compartment in the wall behind her. "Now we must go over what the resistance has been doing and what we can do to help them free the people of Antar as well as your sister."

Max, Michael and Alex walked over to the table where she now lay out the papers in front of her, ready to listen and learn.

The six humans sat at the table, eating and laughing, renewing old friendships as well as making new ones.

"So this one, drunk as a skunk…" Serena pointed towards Liz, "…decides that if I show my breasts to the nice policeman he would let us go."

"Well did it work?" Alden piped.

Serena swatted Alden while Liz smiled slyly and answered. "Of course."

The group giggled, seeing 'straight-laced' Liz acting so out of character.

"Well – just so you girls know – that will never work on me!" Jim interjected.

Kyle laughed. "Of course not dad – cause you are too old to appreciate them."

Jim snorted. "I may be old son, but I'm not dead."

"If you say so." Kyle teased as he rolled his eyes.

Jim tried to force a stern look but a grin came to his face instead. "Watch it son, I can still take you over my knee."

The grouped laughed some more before Maria rose from the table. "It's been fun but this mommy to be needs to go to bed."

"I'll walk with you." Jesse said as he stood up.

After a few minutes, Serena followed suit. "No sleep for me but," she nudged Alden, "You and I need to get back to work."

Alden nodded. "Grab some beer."

"Got it." Serena answered with it already in her hand.

As Alden stood, Jim caught Serena's eye. "Mind if I come along? I've always wanted to see the granolith, but Max never thought I should."

"Hell – why not." Serena motioned to the older Valenti. "Come on." Then she looked at Kyle and Liz, still sitting at the table. "You two be good now – you hear?"

Liz smiled and Kyle nodded his head. "Always."

"That's what I like to hear." Serena winked as she walked out the door, followed by the two men.

"I like your friends." Kyle said.

Liz grinned. "Yeah – they're great."

Kyle and Liz sat quietly for a bit before Kyle decided to start the conversation. "So I don't remember you being in Roswell."

Liz looked over at him. "I know."

"Want to tell me about it?"

Liz shook her head. "There isn't much to tell – other then what I've already told you. I didn't remember anything when I got there – you were helpful – Max came – I left with him and Ava mindwarped you."

The Queen motioned to Alex that they were finished for the time being and that he could put away the plans. "Now – would you like some sustenance?"

"Yes." Michael said quickly but Max shook his head. His questions had still not been answered.

The Queen looked towards Alex. "Rand, take Rath to his quarters and get him something to eat.

Alex slightly irritated at the queen's insistence of the use of Rand began to correct her but decided against it, instead he just nodded.

Michael looked over at Max. "Do you want me to stay?"

Max shaking his head was all the incentive Michael needed to follow Alex from the room. "I will see you in the morning then." He said as he disappeared out the door.

When he was completely gone Max looked over quizzically at the woman who kept telling him she was his mother. "Tell me what happened to Liz."

The Queen nodded. "She has amazing strength for a human. I would never have believed it if I hadn't seen it for myself. Khivar did awful things to her, when we found her; she had been hiding in the wilderness for days. Her bones had been broken many times over as well as her skin being torn from her body – he had killed her just to heal her so he could do it again. In the many years that I have watched Khivar and his brutality, I have never seen him take so much pleasure in hurting someone."

Allowing himself to feel Liz's pain once again, Max closed his eyes forcing away the moisture behind them.

She stopped in her tracks realizing that her son was feeling guilty for Khivar's brutality. When he seemed to recover, she decided to focus on what happened after she found Liz, though she knew that would not be any easier for her son. "When she was brought here we healed her body but her soul was destroyed. She was lost in the memories of it all. At night she would wake screaming. At first I believed the memory of the torture was what tormented her, but it wasn't."

He could actually feel the pity his mother had for Liz as the woman continued. "The girl could not live with her betrayal of you."

"I know all this!" Max spat, willing the woman to stop. "I saw it – I felt it – when I healed her from Onirus' treachery."

The Queen nodded her understanding. "Onirus' act upon her was not sanctioned and since you saw fit to bring him with you, he will be punished. He misunderstood why her mind had been erased. He believed that it was done so she would not remember being with us, so she would not tell you, but it was not that. I took her memories so she would not relive the horror – so she could forgive herself for the betrayal she believed she had committed."

Max felt the anger rise at her last sentence. "A betrayal you allowed me to believe she committed."

"I did and I am not sorry for that. For years you let her be, you trained and learned to make the hard decisions necessary for our fight. You would not have done that if I would have corrected the deception too soon."

This explanation did not ease Max's fury; in fact it actually escalated it. "I could have killed her."

The Queen shook her head. "I know you as only a mother can know a child. You may have thought you were able to kill her, but you were not."

Max took a long breath. He did not share his mother's faith in himself.

The Queen had to be honest with her son but tried to diffuse the situation. "Although she cannot be your wife – marriage to Ava is a necessity – she will make a fine consort when you ascend the throne."

Max looked at the woman incredulously. "I will not marry Ava and Liz will not be my consort!"

"You have given Antar the heir it needs and in the eyes of the people you are already married to Ava, so there is no reason why your heart cannot come to live with you here once our world is free. She will give you the strength as well as the moral center that you will need to rule."

Furious Max shook his head. "Although I take full responsibility for my actions, you have played me madam and it has worked to your advantage, but you will not control my life any longer. I will not bring Liz to Antar and force her to live as a second to Ava or anyone else."

"Consorts very rarely are perceived as a second. The first marriage to a crowned prince is arranged, seen by the people as just a way to continue the line, her place is defined by being the mother of the heir. The consort, or second marriage, is seen as one of love and she is respected as such."

Max shook his head. He didn't even know why he was arguing this point. Didn't he already tell Liz, and believed it, that he would not return. That she should find another life and another love. "It doesn't matter. Liz will not be returning to Antar. I have no intention of ever seeing her again."

"I guess that's what I don't understand!" Kyle could hear the annoyance in his voice. "I assume I told you how evil he had become, how he probably wanted you dead, so I want to know why the hell did you go with him?"

Liz shrugged and looked down at the floor. "You did but . . ."

"Holy shit Liz!" Exasperated, Kyle ran his hand through his hair. "You went with him because you still love him."

Liz spoke emphatically, "No – that wasn't it. I was worried about . . ."

"Damn it Liz. You were worried about me – weren't you?"

"You and Serena."

"Ok – I can accept that – but why . . . why did you stay?"

Liz looked up at Kyle, knowingly.

"You stayed because you loved him." Kyle rolled his eyes."

"Not anymore though."

"Uh – huh." Kyle didn't believe that but he knew Max. He knew that Liz would never be happy with the man he had become and he had to convince her of that. She had to let the memory of who Max used to be go so she could move on with her life. "He's not worth the trouble, Liz."

"I know."

"I don't think you do." Kyle stopped until Liz looked into his eyes. "He treats people like dirt . . ."

Not wanting to hear the list of Max's sins, yet again, Liz cut him off. "I know."

Kyle ignored her. "He threatened Maria – tried his own sister's sanity. These are people he is supposed to love for God's sake!"

Liz felt tears in her eyes. She had known what Max had done but she still didn't want to hear it. "I know Kyle." She croaked out.

Even though he wanted to continue, to tell her about Tracy, Kyle felt guilty for his brutal honesty so instead he waited for Liz to calm herself.

Liz took a cleansing breath. "He's done more." She said softly. "I thought he had changed. I thought he loved me. I thought he was trying to be the man we all once cared about . . . but then he left us."

That was the one thing that Kyle would have expected the old Max to do. Leave the humans behind while the aliens left Earth to fight a war. It might have been the wrong decision, but it was one that Max would have made years ago. He would have insisted that the journey or Antar or whatever was too dangerous for the humans. If any of them had argued, he would have just ordered them to stand down and the amazing thing about that is that the humans would obey.

Liz saw Kyle's confusion and began again. "I told you I could see the future. Well, I saw Maria's and the baby will not survive. Max should have stayed – in case something like that happened – he should have known there was a possibility . . ."

As Liz's voice dropped off she was interrupted by Kyle's father who had made his way back from the granolith cave. "How was he supposed to know? Did you tell him?"

Liz shook her head. "I didn't know."

"Liz, Max wouldn't have any reason to believe the child wasn't going to be completely healthy. His son was fine when he was born. Why would he think Michael and Maria's baby would be any different?" Jim asked. "I'm not saying that he was right, but he made a decision based on what he knew. He didn't know that Maria's child would die and . . . "

He stopped short as they heard the scream from the next room.

"NO!"

Part 29

"NO!"

Liz, Kyle and Jim ran from the kitchen into the hallway where Maria, had found her way to the floor where she now sat, yelling hysterically.

"No! You're wrong! No! How could you know that!" She wrapped her arms around her stomach. "My baby is fine! It has to be." Rocking now she continued to chant, over and over again. "It has to be."

Kyle squatted next to Maria and put his hand on her shoulder. "Maria." He said softly but when she continued to chant, he spoke louder. "Maria. Listen to me. We are going to figure this out. Your baby will be fine." With Maria still rocking and ignoring him, Kyle looked up at his father in disgust.

Jim, feeling guilty, whispered to Liz. "I didn't know she was there."

Liz nodded her head sympathetically then knelt down on the other side of Maria. "Listen honey, Serena is working on getting the granolith to work so we can get a message to Max and Michael. But we have to get you back to bed. You have to stay calm for the baby's sake. We can't have you going into premature labor."

The words of wisdom seemed to force Maria from her hysterics. She nodded her head and tried to get up. When she couldn't, Liz reached down to help. But instead of helping her friend up, she found her way into Maria's future.

Maria is on the bed in her room here at the house again.

Serena is at her feet. "You have to push Maria. The baby has to come out!"

Shaking her head frantically Maria yells back. "I will not! If the baby stays in the baby might live!"

The frustration on Serena's face is apparent. "If the baby stays in – you both die! You have to push Maria. NOW!"

Not prepared for the vision, Liz yanked her hand from Maria's arm and took a step back. Jim quickly took her place by Maria's side and the two Valenti's helped her up. "We'll take you to your room." Jim said soothingly.

Liz watched the scene for a moment until she regained her senses. "Yes, you two take Maria to her room. I'm going to go see Serena."

On her feet now, Maria pulled away from Kyle and Jim. "I'm going with you!" She declared forcefully.

Understanding that Maria needed to be involved now, if only to keep her calm, Liz shook off the protests she knew would come from the men.

Jim nodded his agreement. "Let's all go then."

Rolling his eyes, Kyle motioned for the other's to lead the way.

The Queen bid her goodnights to her guests and went up to her room where she fell down on a chair. The day had been exhausting for her and it still wasn't over. She summoned Rand with her mind and waited, thinking about the conversations she had earlier with her son. She had not argued with his belief that he would not see his heart again for she knew that he would. Zan loved the girl as she had once loved the King, and that kind of love would not be denied.

A knock on the door brought her from her thoughts. "Enter."

Alex slipped through the door and bowed. "Your Majesty."

The Queen nodded. "Please come and sit with me."

Alex did as he was asked.

The two sat quietly for a few minutes, thoughts of the day going though both minds. Finally the Queen reached out and rested her hand on Alex's arm. "Are they as you remember?"

Alex shook his head. "Not exactly. Max . . ." He looked over and noticing her distaste for the name, corrected himself. "Zan has not lost his ability to command those around him, Rath seems more cautious. Ava, I did not know."

"I wonder if things would have been different if this Ava had been with the four rather then the other."

"Maybe but I doubt it would be to your liking." Alex said with disdain.

The Queen looked over at the man whose destiny was as important as the Royals, and frowned. "You believe I am the monster that my son and his second think I am?"

Alex knew better then to tell her what he thought. Instead he answered as diplomatically as possible. "I know that you believe your actions are done for a greater cause, that one day you will have the world you have dreamed of."

She smiled. "It is almost at an end. If my faith is proven true then this world will become the utopia that we deserve."

Skeptically, Alex looked over at her. "But at what cost?"

The Queen ran her hand down his arm, to his hand and brought it to her face. "Do not worry. My daughter will live."

"I would like to be as sure as you are."

"I cannot understand why you are not. Don't you feel it in your heart?" When Alex shook his head the Queen squeezed his hand and placed it back on his chair. "You will see."

After taking a few moments to dwell on that thought the Queen looked over at Alex once again but this time her words were to chastise him. "You visited Vilandra in her dreams. You should not have done that."

Alex looked over ready to defend his deeds but the Queen stopped him before he could utter a word. "She is not in danger if Khivar believes he must contend with only her human but if he realizes that he must contend with one of my trusted advisors, who is human as she is but also Antarian like him, then he may feel he must go to more extreme measures to keep her. Those measures could do harm to her or to Antar."

"I don't give a damn about Antar at the moment but I will refrain from visiting her for her sake" at least after tonight. He thought to himself.

The Queen nodded. "That is all I can ask. Now we must hope that Khivar does not find out of your visit." She stood from her chair, signaling that this conversation was over. "You will be in the meeting of the Consul tomorrow."

Alex stood and bowed. "As you wish, Your Majesty."

"Good, now go and let me rest."

Alex bowed once more and left, leaving the Queen alone to rest and reflect.

As Isabel lay in her bed, her mind began to think, as it had these last few days, on her dream of Alex. Had it really been Alex or just her imagination? She remembered those months after Alex died, all the times she saw him. Back then it had been as it was a few nights ago – so real.

"Alex is dead." She reminded herself but the feeling of him being with her was so vivid. She tried to put it out of her mind so that she could sleep. Tomorrow Khivar had promised to take her outside of the castle walls again and she wanted to be rested so she could enjoy the outing and maybe, though she was doubtful, find a way to escape.

The thoughts continued seemingly for hours before exhaustion overtook her and she finally drifted into a dream state.

"Isabel." The voice came from the darkness.

Isabel immediately opened her eyes and swung up and out of her bed. "Who's there?" She asked to the night.

Seeing that this time she was alone, Alex walked out from the shadows.

At the site of him, tears came to Isabel's eyes but she forced herself to reject what she saw. "Alex, you aren't real, you can't be. You're dead."

Alex reached over to wipe a tear from her cheek.

Isabel moved her face into his hand and closed her eyes, feeling the sensation. "I want you to be real." She whispered.

Alex smiled at her. "I promise you, I am." He looked towards the door. "I have to go, Khivar can't find me here. You have to promise me you will stay strong. Max and Michael are here. We will rescue you soon."

Isabel looked up into Alex's eyes, she didn't know why she believed him but she did. "I will." She whispered.

Alex touched her face one last time and faded from her dream before a knock at the door woke her.

Jesse, hearing the commotion got out of bed and went out into the hallway. "What are you guys doing?"

Kyle, with a smirk on his face, was the first to answer. "We are all going to see Serena." With questions still written all over Jesse's face, Kyle lagged a little and whispered to him. "My father was talking about Maria's baby not surviving. Maria heard."

Jesse nodded, grabbed a t-shirt off the floor and followed the group down to the cave.

When the four walked into the chamber, Serena and Alden both looked up with a start. "What the hell?" Alden asked.

Serena scanned the group and upon seeing Maria and the worry that now resided on her face she knew what had happened. She walked over to Maria and put her hand on her shoulder. "We are doing our best."

Maria nodded and when Jim placed a chair behind her smiled up at him in gratitude and sat down.

"Can I speak to you privately?" Liz asked of Serena.

Serena nodded but Maria spoke up. "I don't want anymore secrets. It's my baby I think I have a right to know."

Liz turned towards Maria and sighed, then turning towards Serena she explained what she had seen. Ending with, "we have to do something – now."

Serena ran her hands through her hair in exasperation. "I'm trying. We have the translation of the damn book but when we try to follow it nothing happens. I don't know what else to do."

"Well try again!" Kyle exploded.

Serena didn't have a better idea so she just nodded.

"Let me help." Liz said.

Alden handed Liz the key and walked her over to the granolith. "When Serena tells you, put the key in that slot."

Liz nodded and waited for the signal. When it came she placed the key into the hole. Serena watched in awe, holding her breath as the granolith for the first time began to hum. But just when the group thought the answer had been Liz the sound ceased.

Alden looked over at Serena about to say something but found her hand in the air – telling them all to be quiet. Finally after a few minutes she looked back towards the group. "Dammit! It has to be an alien! Well, not alien." She was thinking out loud now. "We had an Antarian try already, maybe royal?"

When the group didn't seem to follow she tried to explain. "It has to be an alien that starts the granilith. Actually it has to be a specific alien – maybe Max. That's the only explanation why Liz can make it work but we couldn't."

"But it didn't work." Alden pointed out.

Serena rolled her eyes at him as if to say that she knew that but focused her attention back to the others. "Liz was healed by Max. He told me once that he thought his DNA mixed with a person that he healed. There must be some residual DNA left in Liz."

"Which means there isn't enough for her to start the damn thing." Alden stated.

Serena frowned and nodded her head.

Kyle stepped forward. "Max healed me too."

"It's worth a try." Serena said, looking towards Liz.

Liz handed Kyle the key. A few minutes later when Kyle placed the key into the hole the granilith hummed again for a few seconds and then died.

"FUCK! Maybe if we had an Antarian helping." Serena looked over at Jim. "Go see if you can find one of those Antarian guards that are always running around here looking useless?"

Jim nodded and ran out the door.

Serena looked back at the granolith and began to think out loud. "Maybe if Kyle and Liz both . . ."

"Yeoww!" Serena's words were interrupted by a painful scream from Maria.

Serena snapped her neck around to find a puddle on the floor by Maria's chair. "Shit – shit – shit." She whispered under her breath.

Liz walked towards Maria but Serena shook her head. "We have to get this thing working now!" She looked over at Jesse who was the closest to Maria, "Bring Maria over here." She ordered.

Without questioning Serena's intentions Jesse went over to Maria, picked her up and brought her to the granolith. Immediately the granolith began to hum.

"The baby!" Liz said excitedly.

Serena nodded. "Give her the key." Then as an afterthought she added, "Liz, Kyle, stand with her! Just to be on the safe side."

Maria felt another contraction. "OWW!"

Jesse held her firmly. "It's going to be alright."

"NOW!" Serena yelled. "Put the key in now!"

Maria gritted her teeth, forcing herself to ignore the pain and dropped the key into its slot.

Serena and Alden watched in awe as the four were sucked into the granolith.

Jim felt a tremor and ran back to find his son, Liz, Maria and Jesse in the machine. "HOLY SHIT!" The granolith tremors became stronger. Jim looked up at his son. "We need to get him out . . ."

His sentence was cut short when a light flashed; blinding them and a blast of energy knocked the three outside of the machine off their feet.

When the three found their bearings once again, they looked up at where the granolith had once been. "What happened to it?" Jim asked frantically. "Where did they go?"

Alden shrugged. "I think they went on a little trip."

Serena kicked Alden in the shin and looked sympathetically at Jim. "They should be on their way to Antar."

"Should be?"

Part 30

"Love someone else."

Although exhausted, sleep would not come to Max. Instead the last words he had spoken to Liz replayed over and over in his mind. Part of him would not admit that he had been so cruel but then he would remember the devastation written on her face, a memory that was seared in his mind, a memory that would haunt him forever even though he would spend a lifetime trying to forget.

"It was for her own good."

Rationalizing his decision, he repeated his mantra. Hadn't he done it for her, so that she could live, grow old . . . be happy? And eventually it would work. He knew it. She would move on and love someone else, she would have children and live without pain, she would grow old and die in the arms of her loved ones. He hated his decision and could barely deal with the outcome of it, but that was a hell of a lot better then living, more than likely, a very short life as a whore only to die as an outcast, worlds from her family.

These were thoughts that had plagued him every night since he had turned from her on Earth but tonight, regrets were mingled with all he had learned. He wanted to blame his mother for everything that had happened to him and Liz but he couldn't. She had played her part and God knew she had manipulated them but at the core, he had made his own choices and had to accept the consequences that came with them.

He forced himself to think of other matters that had been discussed.

He had asked her about the granolith.

"The granilith is not as you believe, a mere machine, it is much greater." The Queen answered.

"So then, what is so damn important about it?"

"Our essence," she began, "survives for a time after our bodies have died. The granolith summons that part of us to it, where it binds the people of Antar together. It shows us our history, gives us a greater sense of purpose as well as guidance from our ancestors."

Max thought on the answer then asked. "And if it is destroyed?"

"The essence of all Antarians that have lived before would be lost." She finished.

For a moment something close to guilt washed over Max. "It is gone."

Dismissively, the Queen waved her hand. "The granilith is in tact. If it were not, I would feel the loss."

The guilt was gone, replace by an irrational anger at Serena. "She promised to destroy it." He mumbled to himself. "What if someone finds it? What if they use it to follow us here?"

Softly, the Queen answered, "She will not follow you. Even if they have the knowledge to use the granilith, humans do not have the ability to make the it work, but when this is over, when you return . . ."

"I will not return!" Max said, cutting her off.

At that he sighed, his mind had brought him full circle.

"Love someone else."

When morning broke, Isabel had been uneasy about the 'dream' she had but now, hours later, as Isabel was escorted down a large stone staircase into an open courtyard, only the thrill of a day outside her prison consumed her.

Amazed by the varieties of flowers that grew throughout the area, she broke away from her escort to get closer. When she came upon a bloom that looked like a dark blue rose with gold edges she closed her eyes and took in the scent. It smelled almost tangy but still pleasing to her senses. She sniffed again and memories came to her about this place. These flowers were her father's, the king's. She could remember running from her brother through the courtyard while her father tended to his plants and her mother sat on a bench, pretending to read, but all the while laughing at the children's antics.

A hand rested on Isabel's shoulder bringing her from her memories. "Come Vilandra."

Isabel nodded her head and followed Khivar to an elaborate open carriage pulled by large animals that looked more like Earth's deer than horses. She ran her hand over the smooth shiny surface, feeling the coolness of the metal. Khivar offered her his hand and when she took it he helped her into the vehicle.

When they were comfortably in the carriage and Khivar had signaled for the driver to go, Khivar looked over at Isabel. "This will be a day the people of Antar will never forget."

Confused, Isabel raised an eyebrow towards him.

"The people of Antar have been praying for this day, the day when they would once again see their Queen."

"I am not their Queen." Isabel argued.

Khivar smiled proudly. "You are. The course was set in motion long before you faded from us. I was to be King and you were to be Queen. It was perfect."

Isabel rode in silent thought for a moment before questioning him more. "And the people . . . they wanted this?"

"They begged for it. Your father was not only a harsh ruler but an incompetent one as well. By joining with the other planets, he threw our world into a depression, the likes of which had never been seen. Hunger ran rampant and our people turned to a life of crime. The elder king kept the crime in check by giving these criminals harsh penalties but when Zan ascended the throne he did nothing for our economy and did away with the harsh sentences. This only led to a higher crime rate. The people were hungry and needed to work but were too scared to leave their homes. Eventually a revolution began. When we fell in love and you joined our cause we were the ideal couple to lead the new world. The people didn't want King Zan but they still wanted someone with royal lineage to sit on the throne. That is why they followed me. That is why they followed us."

Isabel listened quietly as Khivar recited his interpretation of Antarian history. It angered her to think that her father and brother could be responsible for so much pain and suffering but she kept reminding herself that this was only one side of the story and until she found out both sides she could not make a judgment.

He looked over the crowds who were cheering for the couple. "Look Vilandra. Look at your subjects. They are fed and clean and happy to see their Queen."

Isabel sat up and bit and waved at the crowd causing an uproar. "Will I be able to meet any of them?"

Khivar shook his head, knowing that he must think of a reason why she could not. Today, he had officers in the crowd who were weeding out the dissenters but he could not be sure if someone was picked to meet Vilandra that they would say what he would want them to say and he knew that killing a family in front of her would not make bring her closer to him. "Not today my dearest, but if it is what you wish I will plan an outing in the near future where you may meet a few and speak to them about their lives before and after the revolution."

Isabel nodded and settled back into her seat. She would like to speak to them and find out how much of what Khivar said was truth and how much was fiction.

After listening to the group debate for hours, Alex finally spoke up. "If we could break through Khivar's armies at Togron, then it would only take a few men to go into the south entrance and overtake the guards at his palace. We could free the Princess and hopefully kill Khivar. The war would be over."

A few of the Generals stopped and considered this but most shook their heads in disagreement. The Queen smiled condescendingly. "Hope is not good enough. Your human side is getting the best of you. Although, your words make is seem easy, I must remind you that Khivar is our priority. My daughter along with the people will be free once we are rid of him. Your plan does not guarantee that this goal will be fulfilled."

"I say let's go with Alex's idea!" Michael yelled, annoyed with the Queen's hesitancy. "I just want to get Isabel and get back to Maria before my child is born. I don't give a damn about this fucking planet!"

The Generals let out a collective gasp hearing that their commander did not care about their planet, but the Queen, concerned by what Michael had implied before that, turned abruptly towards him and asked. "Your human is already pregnant?"

Michael glared at the woman. "Yes she is!"

"When?" She asked sadly.

"Soon! Very Soon!" Michael yelled, annoyed with the questions. "Does that cause a problem with your schemes!"

"No, not with saving Antar." The Queen paused, knowing that her next words would cause her son's second to go into a rage, but it had to be said. If a human was pregnant by one of the Royal Four then something must be done. "The child is in grave danger on Earth. The baby cannot survive there."

The rage became apparent but a strength greater then his own stifled it long enough to ask, "Why?"

Disquieted by Rath's control the Queen answered. "If the baby is not 100 percent human then it will need to live on Antar for a few months. The air here will give it the immunities it will need to survive."

Max looked in sympathy towards Michael and then, believing her words to be a lie, back at the Queen in anger. "Would you mind telling us how Zan survived then?" He asked calmly.

The Queen nodded. "Zan's mother is Antarian. Her antibodies were passed to the child. Rath's child's mother is human. If she even survives the birth, she will not be able to do the same."

Michael seethed. "Even survives!" The Queen nodded causing Michael to go quiet for a moment, letting this new information sink in. He wanted to yell and scream, tell Max this was all his fault, blast this Queen into oblivion, beat the shit out of something or someone, but instead he just looked over at Max with determination in his eyes. "I have to go back."

Max nodded his agreement but the Queen tried to convince them it would be a mistake. "Rath you cannot go. Even if we did not need you here if you went you may not be able to get to her in time. The only chance the child has is for her to use the granilith to bring her to us."

Wondering how much the woman said were truths and how much were lies, Max glared at the Queen. "Earlier you told me that no human could make the granilith work!"

The Queen nodded. "I did, but that was before I knew . . ."

"Knew what?" Max questioned.

"Knew that one of the humans now carried Antarian Royalty."

Shaking his head in disgust Max mumbled under his breath. "They don't know how to use it."

Knowing that he could not leave Maria and the baby to chance, Michael, without saying a word, walked through the door, down the hallway, and exited the structure heading for the ship that brought him to this God-forsaken planet. He had one mission at the moment, and although he loved Isabel his responsibility was to Maria and their child.

"This is foolish." The Queen said to Max before issuing an order to one of the Generals. "You will bring Rath back."

As the General turned to go after him Max, taking control, stopped him in his tracks. "YOU WILL BOTH CEASE! He's going and no one is going to do anything about it!"

Turning back to his King the General bowed his obedience.

"Michael will do what he needs to do." Max continued as he turned towards the Queen. "We will fix one problem at a time and since you believe Maria and the baby are in danger and Isabel is not we will find a way to help Maria first." Max thought a moment. "We need to get a message to them."

As Alex slipped unnoticed out of the room, the Queen looked back at her son's face while she listened to his plans, and although it was not the ideal time she saw exactly what she had been hoping for since the day she sent him to Earth. Her son was back, prepared to take his place as Antar's King.

It had been a busy day. Khivar had given her a tour of the Royal City, then taken her to a marketplace that had been emptied for the two to shop and be served at an eating establishment. When they finally left, Isabel felt exhaustion overtaking her. As the carriage swayed she leaned back into her seat and drifted off into unconsciousness.

Khivar rode next to her in silence letting her sleep. He reached over and took her hand, pulling it to his face. "Vilandra," he whispered, "if you would only allow yourself to love me, allow me to love you, we can finally rule this as well as the other four worlds as we should have years ago."

Isabel stirred for a moment and pulled his hand towards her body, caressing it as she slept. "I love you," She said softly.

Khivar held his breath, thinking that Vilandra was beginning to come around until he heard her speak again.

"I love you Alex."