Chapter Six

Tess scoffed at the three, shaking her head. "Thanks a lot for spying on me guys, my trust in you is completely shot."

Michael seemed to be the first to react, "What the hell was that?" he asked.

Tess laughed, "Maybe you didn't hear me say 'my trust in you is shot?'" She sat down, hand clutching her side. She bit her lip; the blood hadn't stopped. She cursed herself for not noticing the knife that the vamp had before it was embedded in her side. She glanced at Buffy, Spike, and Faith, they didn't seem to notice, it was too dark.

"Tell us." Max said, in a regal tone, drawing Tess' gaze back.

"What makes you think I'd tell you after all the shit…"

"I am the King. I can order you to tell me…"

Tess stood slowly, cutting off his sentence, "You do that and I will hate you forever…"

Max felt the breath leave him. He didn't know why, what Tess said had hit him hard. He couldn't speak.

Tess smiled sadly seeing the impact of her words. It was different this time, more…

She had to sit down…standing may not have been the best idea in the world. She felt dizzy. She lowered herself onto the tombstone, slowly so as not to draw anyone's attention. She sighed, hand loosing the grip on her side. She could feel her strength leave her…it was too dark to see just how pale she had become.

Then again, sitting down opened the wound worse. It was bleeding profusely. She started breathing deeply and quicker than she had been, trying to stay quiet.

She stood again, moving away from the group trying to leave as quickly as possible. Suddenly a green shield appeared before her. Her reactions were slowing and she fell backwards, moving into a backwards roll to avoid injury. She stood, it was all she could do not to scream and grab her side.

"We're not done here yet." Michael said as max held the shield up.

"Oh, I think we are." Faith said stepping up to pick up her stake.

Spike stepped forward just then, looking around oddly.

"What is it?" Buffy asked, "More vamps?"

Spike shook his head, sniffing the air, "No, it's blood…not slayer…not…" he sniffed, "human…" His gaze drifted over to Tess. "Tess…"

"What?" she asked, she didn't want them to see her injured; she didn't want them to worry. She sighed, "I'm fine…see…" She said before doing two back handsprings, landing in a piked salto. She stumbled, hands gripping her side.

"Tess!" she heard Faith call. She looked up in time to see Buffy, Spike, and Faith run towards her before she blacked out.

"Tess!" Faith called, cradling her limp friend in her arms. Buffy sunk down onto her knees searching her friend for injuries. She immediately found the stab wound. Spike knelt down, holding the bloodied knife.

"Tessie, I swear to God you better not die or I'll hunt your ass down and bring you back so I can kill you myself!" Faith said.

Spike glanced over at the gang in time to see Max's shocked expression fade as he ran over to Tess.

"I can heal her," he said bending over to reach for the wound. He closed his eyes in concentration, his hand just starting to glow when he was thrown back by a bright white light. He flew back, hitting a tombstone and breaking it in half.

Michael and Isabel ran over to Max asking him if he was alright. He ignored them, eyes focused solely on Tess. He had a flash when he had tried to heal her. It was a quick one, he wasn't even sure if it was real.

There was a blinding light and he saw Tess…only she was different. She was wearing a long simple blue gown, standing on a balcony looking out towards what Max realized was Demerias Rock. He saw her back to him and moved closer to her…till he walked into an invisible wall. Tess turned looking at him sadly. "I don't want you to heal me Max," she said as he opened his mouth to question her. "I've done everything for you and you've done nothing for me…so why start now?" She took a deep breath, tears in her eyes, "You don't care…"

The next thing he knew, he was hitting the tombstone. The group's attention was now focused on Faith as she picked Tess up, Buffy muttering something about a tree, before taking off.

Spike stood there a moment longer, "Well, come on…" No one moved, "Bloody Hell! You're all just going to sit there and let her die? Come on!"

He started to walk off as the Pod Squad stood. "He's right," was all Isabel said as she moved to follow.

Max took one step before a searing pain in his head made him stop. He grabbed his head in pain as an onslaught of random images, sounds, and sensations assaulted him. He knew they were bits and pieces of his life on Antar…he had felt the familiar pull at his soul with them just as when he looked at Tess.

Max felt a hand on his shoulder as the visions faded; it was Michael. "You ok?"

Max nodded, "Let's go."

I

I

I

The Pod Squad had followed Spike quickly as he made his way through the deserted streets of Roswell, till they reached the doors of a small hotel. Spike waited at the door, holding it open impatiently for the group to walk in. Once they were inside, he led them up the elevator, past the people who were still started to have seen two girls run by with a third girl in their arms.

They got off at the third floor and Spike led them down the zigzagging halls to room 318. He knocked franticly on the door waiting only a moment before Buffy opened it, letting them all inside.

Max looked up to see Faith quickly explaining what had happened to a short timid looking woman with short red hair. They had laid Tess down on the only couch in the room, as the red head kneeled down next to her. What they say next shocked them…

Despite the fact that they were aliens and had seen all sorts of crazy things in just the last few hours, they had never expected a bright red glow to emanate from the red head's hands, healing the majority of the wound right before their eyes. The only thought running through their minds as the red head stood was, "Is she an alien too?"

She startled the group by looking right at them and shaking her head 'no'.

Faith and Buffy moved past the red head to kneel by Tess as the red head walked over to them. "Hi," she said, "I'm Willow, one of Tess' friends from Sunnydale."

"Are you a Scoppy?" Michael asked, eye brow quirked.

"Scooby," she corrected, "And yes I am." Just then the group went flying back, hitting the wall behind them. "What the fuck do you think you guys are doing to Tess?" She asked, face flushing in anger. Willow normally didn't get angry very quickly, but these three…Tess had been one of her best friends and these three were making her life a living hell. "You three don't know how lucky you are that Tess is such good friends with all of us back in Sunnydale."

"Why?" Michael asked, standing in front of Isabel to shield her from any more random blows as he helped her stand.

"Because, for some reason unknown to me, Tess cares a lot about you three. She made us all promise not to hurt you. If it wasn't for her, you would be severely injured or possibly dead knowing Faith."

"But you…" Michael started.

"I wasn't there when she made us promise not to hurt you. I'm exempt." She said, creating a fireball in her hand.

"Willow don't…" she heard a voice say behind her. Tess was coming around, and awaiting her safety lecture from Faith and Buffy.

Willow took a deep breath, extinguishing the flaming ball of death, before heading out into the hallway to cool down.

"What do you want?" she asked, not bothering to turn to the person who followed her.

"You healed her." Max said simply, still confused as to why he couldn't.

"Yes, and your point?"

"I tried to but I…I…"

"You couldn't," She said simply again, "Tess wouldn't let you."

Max nodded, "Why were you able to when I couldn't?"

"Well, she trusts me," She said, turning away from him.

"She doesn't trust me?" he asked, seeing Willow shake her head 'yes', "Why?"

"Can you really blame her?" Willow countered, turning to face him. "She comes here, hoping that you all remember her. You don't. So she tries to fit in, you shun her. She tries to move on, and you constantly flaunt Liz in front of her! She doesn't need that! She doesn't deserve that! She hasn't done anything to merit that kind of mistreatment."

She shook her head in disgust going back in to check on her friend, leaving Max to sort out his thoughts.

A/N – So sorry for not updating sooner. I had so much to do, and two really good ideas for two stories that I had to write before I forgot. But I will try to update more. I think I have about five more chapters left…maybe?