I'm so sorry for the long wait.

However, I've finally managed to finish this story. So if you read on, all the chapters are here. Thank you all for your beautiful feedback!

Alvernogirl and Sara, thank you for taking the time to write me some words.

Chapter 27

It was a tingle in his fingers that pulled him back to consciousness. It was as if small bursts of electricity were rushing through his fingers, up his arm and spreading out into the chest. Even though it was familiar electricity, it still held some foreign features. As the dream world started to disintegrate around him and reality started to solidify, the conscious awareness of her became even more pronounced. She was surrounding him in a way that he had never felt her before. It wasn't as if her essence was an addition to his soul, but her soul was so deeply intertwined with his that it had become a part of him. It was the most relieving, relaxing, passionate, warm, exciting feeling he had ever felt in his whole life. He slowly opened his eyes and the smile to match his feelings spread over his face. She was asleep. He could see the gentle rising and falling of her chest. Her long dark lashes were resting calmly against the red cheeks, the color telling of her regained health. Her long dark hair was tousled, lying in disarray on the pillow, some strands sneaking out and resting softly over her cheek. It was still lacking its long-forgotten shine, but Max new that it would come back. He could feel it just as certain as he could feel the beating of his own heart. She was okay. She would be okay.

His eyes traced the gentle features of her face. It was a long time since he had allowed himself to do so. Just look at her. The guilt about not being able to help her when she needed him had consumed him, paralyzed him, until he had barely been able to touch her. He had missed feeling her skin under his fingers as unhindered as his hand was now resting on her stomach, skin to skin. It was the return of the tingle in his fingers that brought his attention to her stomach. Slowly and carefully, to not wake her, he pulled up her shirt, revealing her stomach. He had to take a deep breath as her skin came into view. There were bruises – all over her abdomen. They were fading, but it hurt to see them nonetheless. He closed his eyes against the guilt that came rushing down on him. Their connection was so strong right now that if he started to wallow around in self-blame again, Liz would wake up. She needed her rest. Right now it felt as if he would do major harm to whoever disturbed her right now – himself included. He took a deep breath and swallowed heavily and tried to refocus on what he was supposed to do. It wasn't that difficult to find the source of the tingles.

Bright light was shining, spreading out underneath his hand, to follow the contours of his hand, making it appear as if his hand was glowing. But it wasn't him. With fascinated slowness, he lifted his hand and felt the connection pull back. It was as if there had been a rubber band in his arm and as he removed his hand it flew back up. Carefully, he placed his hand on her abdomen yet again and the tingles started. A smile spread over his face. They were talking to him again. They were communicating their joy that their mother was feeling better again. He could sense that they were tired too, but that the anxiety to feel him respond to them had won over the need to sleep. However, as they felt his gentle love spread over them through the connection, they started to pull away as sleep claimed their small bodies. Max felt as if his heart was going to explode. The relief was so great he wasn't sure how he was going to contain the emotion. Both Liz and his sons were alive. His eyes moved over to the little girl sleeping with her body pressed up against Liz's back. Her hair was just as dark as her mother's, just a little thicker and wilder, spread all over the white pillow. Her hands were pulled up to her face, both made into small fists. Her knees were pulled up to her stomach, but not as tightly as when they had first found her on Antar and she had wanted to escape reality. He was still worried about her. He could see the strain in her face, but it felt as if it would be easier to help her now that Liz was feeling better.

His heart clenched worriedly as a soft helpless whimper escaped his daughter's lips. He slowly rose from the bed, moving very carefully as the bed shifted at the loss of his weight and made his way over to her side. He lay down behind her and gently put his hand on her arm. She moved underneath his touch and he moved his hand up to her face, to brush the hair away from the side of her face. She stilled beneath his touch and he stayed there for a while, breathing in the smell of the peach soap Liz used to wash Emma. He loved her so much. A flash of how carefree she had once been, before Khivar had taken her from them, entered his mind and not for the first time – and certainly not the last – he cursed the existence of Khivar. He cursed his past and his destiny. Why couldn't he give them a normal life? Emma hadn't asked to be born the child of an alien king. She was such a wonderful child, why did he have to find Liz and her, and destroy it all? But the answer was so quickly in his head and so clear that he glanced over at Liz, suspecting that she was telling him. But she was asleep. He could feel through the connection that she was still unconscious. The voice was telling him what he already knew, but what he had a tendency to forget when he ended up in one of his vicious mind loops. If he hadn't found Liz, she would've died because of the cut off connection. Which again, was his fault. If he hadn't saved her that September day in 1999 on the floor in the Crashdown, she would never had been tied to him through an otherworldly connection and she would never have to be so sick because the connection wasn't open. But then again, as the voice of reason in his head once again pointed out, if he hadn't saved her then either, she would have died. She was teetering on the brink of death when he had run up to her that day. He could still see it as fresh in his mind as if it had been yesterday. That's when his life had begun.

He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Emma's forehead, before pushing up from the bed and as quietly as he could, crossing the floor and pressing down the door handle. He was momentarily taken aback when the door wouldn't open. Frowning, he pressed the door handle down again and pushed a little harder on the door. He found the root of the problem. Michael was lying in front of the door. He was now looking up at him groggily. Max looked further to the right and found Maria partly sitting, partly lying down next to the door, her lap occupied by Michael's head. They had both fallen asleep outside the door.
"Hey," Michael murmured, pushing himself up in a sitting position. He glanced back at Maria to see so that he hadn't woken her, but he didn't think there would be any greater risk of that happening since Maria had barely just fallen asleep after worrying all night about what was going on behind the closed bedroom door.
"Have you slept here all night?" Max whispered, a confused frown marring his forehead.
Michael slowly rose to his feet, wincing as his tired body protested. The consequences of the weird position his body had been lying in for a couple of hours was making themselves known.
"Maria came over last night to visit Liz and Mrs. Parker stopped her from going into your room. She freaked out after Mrs. Parker told her what had happened and called me. I called Isabel and Alex-" Michael nodded towards the TV couch and Max noticed that both had taken up residence there; Isabel curled up next to Alex, with her head on his chest. "-and we all waited out here. When you didn't come out, we figured that you were either…uhm… dead or you had fallen asleep. Everyone hoped for the latter alternative."
"Right," Max nodded.
"How about some coffee, man?" Michael started to walk towards the kitchen and Max followed.
"That would be great," he answered.

Michael made his way out into the kitchen and started to rummage through the cabinets. Max silently sat down by the table. His thoughts were all over the place, but at the same time he felt a deep feeling of peace within.
"You okay?" Michael asked and Max looked up at him in surprise. He still hadn't gotten used to the new Michael. The Michael that had been born out of the events on Antar. The one that looked after people and showed concern.
"Yeah, yeah," Max answered absent-mindedly. "I just have a lot on my mind."
Michael pressed the on button on the coffee maker and sat down opposite Max. "Right. So how is Liz feeling?"
There had already been too many turnovers the past few months. Liz had gotten worse only to be healed by Max, then starting to get worse again until she was successfully healed by Max again. Every time it happened, Max thought that it would be the last time; that she would get better. Now, even though he could feel through the connection that something was different this time, he was afraid to put too much hope in it. So there was only the shadow of a smile on his face when he answered.
"I think she's gonna be okay."
"You think?" Michael repeated carefully.
"Yeah, and the twins are doing fine as well."
"Okay," Michael agreed, letting Max get away with the vagueness of his answers. "She's asleep?"
A warm smile played in the corners of Max's mouth and he nodded. Michael couldn't help but feel his heart getting warmer at the sight. If someone finally deserved to be happy, it was Max and Liz. They had fought hard enough to be together. They had paid for their sins for several lifetimes ahead by now.

"I haven't had a chance to talk to you lately," Max said. "How are you, Michael?"
Michael snorted, as if it was preposterous that Max would ask such a thing. He was fine, he had always been fine.
"I'm doing all right," he answered with a wistful smile that Max immediately picked up on.
Max gave him a pointed look. "And how's Maria doing?"
Michael hesitated before he answered, but he couldn't hide the secret smile from lingering on his lips. "Actually, there's something I want to talk to you about…"
Maria took this opportunity to walk into the kitchen.
"Max," she stated. "I thought I heard your voice."
"Hey Maria," Max said softly and nodded towards the living room. "Sorry about worrying you guys."
"Is she okay?" Maria asked, taking the chair next to him and looking at him with big worried blue eyes.
"I think so," Max answered.
"You think so?" Maria asked. She obviously wasn't going to settle for that answer as easily as Michael had.
Max closed his eyes for a second, relishing in the sound of Liz's heartbeats through the connection. "I'm positive."
Tears formed in Maria's eyes and she looked up at him hopefully. "Really?"
Max smiled now, a smile that could've thawed ice. "Really."
Maria's smile matched his through the tears and she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. Max felt some of the weight normally resting on his shoulders melt away as he heard Maria's grateful whisper against his ear. "Thank you, Max. Thank you."

"I want to see her," Maria stated as she pulled back from Max, wiping the tears of relief and happiness from her cheeks. She had been so worried the last couple of weeks. She had known deep in her heart, even if no one else were telling her the truth straight out, that Liz was getting closer to death with every passing day. She had been so afraid that she would lose her best friend and that Emma would lose her mother. She had barely dared to let herself think about how Max would react. She remembered with clarity how he had reacted the first time he thought that Liz had died, before they found Liz. She never wanted to see her friend like that again. It would have been worse this time, because he and Liz were if possible even closer now.
"She's sleeping," Max answered.
"I'm just gonna go in there and watch her," Maria said and took an honest hold of Max's eyes. "Is that okay?"
He hesitated for a second or two. Even though he knew that Liz needed her rest, he also knew that Maria had been just as worried as he had been and nothing could've stopped him from seeing Liz, so why should he be the one to stop Maria from doing the same thing?
He smiled. "Sure."
Maria inhaled shakily, as if she was about to perform in front of an audience of over a thousand people… or just meeting her best friend.
"Thank you," she whispered and before they knew it she had left the kitchen.
"She doesn't say it, but she's been really worried," Michael said, causing Max to turn his eyes towards him. "She's been crying herself to sleep the last couple of weeks. I couldn't comfort her. It didn't matter what I said to her, because I wasn't the one she wanted to listen to. She needed Liz."
"We all do," Max said quietly.
Michael nodded slowly. "True that."

Memories of a time never to be forgotten washed over Maria as she slowly, and as quietly as she could, opened the door to Liz's childhood room. Memories of how they had both, with their long hair tied up in pigtails, been running through this door, which at the time had been covered in posters of kittens and horses. She could almost see the children in front of her, running past her into the room as she opened it. She could see them collapse in fits of laughter on the bed and just as soon as they had been rolling around on the bed with their laughter filling the room, they were off again to the Barbie doll house on the floor. Maria remembered that house with such clarity. They had both wanted that house so much for one Christmas. Liz had got hers, but Maria hadn't because her mother couldn't afford it. This resulted in a lot of sleepovers when they would sneak out of bed after Liz's parents had tucked them in and continue to play in the fantastic imaginary world of plastic food and sparkling evening gowns. The image of them as children slowly faded away as her eyes turned to the family sleeping in the large bed. When had they grown up? Liz was a mother and had a family of her own.

For some reason, which Maria couldn't quite put her finger on, a wave of cold loneliness streamed through her, and she reflexively put her arms around herself. Nothing had ever gone back to the same after Max saved Liz that day in 1999. Maybe it was the secret of Max's identity and what had really happened that had changed something in their once so indestructible friendship. Or maybe it was just the thought of growing up; changing and taking up another role in the world. Suddenly they were not only daughters and best friends, but also girlfriends and eventually lovers. Maybe it was when Liz had been getting sick after she and Max drifted apart the first time, and once again Liz hadn't let Maria in. It all came down to the secrets. The secrets had created holes in their friendship and shortly after Liz had been kidnapped, presumed dead and been living another life without knowing her real identity. Maybe it was just plain jealousy. Ever since Max came into Liz's life, Maria's role has changed. Now Liz didn't need to tell Maria everything because she could tell Max some of those things.

Maria slowly circled the bed, to come face to face with Liz's sleeping countenance and something was released inside of her. Something broke apart, like when a bad stone of cell growth disintegrate due to the effect of the eager chemicals in chemotherapy, and she sank down in the chair next to the bed. Her hands turned into fists, trying to direct the turmoil of her feelings into her hands so that she wouldn't cry. But her body was not going to be voluntarily controlled right now and her fists opened up to stop the flow of tears from her eyes from reaching her cheeks. Her gaze was locked on Liz's face, on the weariness that was still evident on her friend's face, as her bottom lip was trembling with relief and the tears in her eyes were dripping with gratitude for having her friend back.

Maria audibly gasped as Liz's eyelids started to rise, blinking, and she tried to will herself to silence the sniffles coming out of her mouth.
"Maria?" Liz asked sleepily.
This only made Maria cry even more, because it was the voice of her friend, not the bleak ghost of her friend.
"Don't cry," Liz whispered when all she got in reply from Maria was sniffles. "Come here."
She patted the space next to her, where Max had been sleeping before and Maria didn't need anymore persuasion than that. Brushing the tears, which wouldn't stop running, away with the back of her hand, she made her way over to the bed and laid down next to Liz. Liz immediately put one arm around Maria and pulled her into a hug.
"I was so afraid..." Maria sniffled into Liz's shoulder. "I was so afraid that you were going to die."
"I wasn't going anywhere," Liz answered, her voice gaining more strength with the gradual increase in wakefulness.
"Please, Liz, tell me that you were afraid. I need to hear that you were afraid."
There was a moment of silence as Liz struggled to overcome her constant need to reassure people that she was okay.
"I was terrified. I really thought I was going to die. It seemed so hopeless and Max didn't know what to do. I wasn't ready to go and it scared me so much. Death in itself didn't scare me. My body was longing to not feel pain any longer. What scared me was leaving all of you. Max, Emma, Alex, my parents, Michael, Isabel, and you; my sweet, sweet dearest friend."
Silence followed before Maria answered. "Thank you. It's good to hear that you are human after all."
Liz laughed softly. "Ironic that you should say that when I'm probably the least human that I've ever been right now."
Maria looked up at her and realized what she was referring to and joined Liz's laughter. "I love you, Liz."
"Love you too, sweetie," Liz answered and hugged her again.

TBC...