Chapter Eight

Friday rolled around faster than either Max or Michael had expected as they soon found themselves wandering around Tess' street with Liz and Maria clinging to their arms…neither was too happy about that but it made for a good cover story of just going out for a walk. Michael repeatedly kept looking at his watch, counting down the minutes till it would be 8. They had just reached the Valenti's about a quarter to when they saw Kyle and Jim walking out, dressed neatly.

As they got closer it was clear that there was something attached to their heads. "What kind of hat is that?" Michael asked as Max mentally smacked himself…so much for a smooth meeting.

Kyle sighed in annoyance as he unlocked their car as Jim turned to the couples before them, a calm smile on his face. "It's called a Yamaka, Michael," the sheriff said.

"Well, how's it supposed to keep your head warm?" he asked, he had never heard of a Yamaka before, "It doesn't even fit on your head."

Jim gave a small laugh as Maria rolled her eyes. "It represents the Jewish faith Michael." She snapped, "The men wear it."

"I didn't know you were Jewish sheriff." Liz said. She had lived in this town her whole life; she would have thought that she'd have known what religion the local sheriff was.

"Oh we're not," Jim said laughing at their confused faces.

"Tess is," replied a voice from behind them. The group turned to see Faith walking over to them, wearing her black dress from before with…Isabel?

"Isabel?" Michael asked.

"Michael?" she shot back, "What are you doing here?" But judging by their guilty looks, she could guess the answer for herself. "Let me guess, you over heard something and instead of just asking Tess like I said in the first place, you decided to try to figure it out for yourselves?" She shook her head at their shocked expressions. 'Idiots…' she thought.

"Well…what are you doing here?" Michael countered.

"I was invited." She informed them, "Tess called me yesterday and asked if I wanted to come to a small ceremony at the Temple tonight. The chorus is giving a performance."

"Yeah man, you guys should hear Tess sing, she's amazing." Faith said ignoring the disbelieving scoff that Maria let out.

"Why don't you four come along, I'm sure we can fit you in here somewhere…" Jim trailed moving some things to the back of the car, making room for the four extra passengers.

Max and Michael exchanged glances before heading into the car, to be honest they were truly interested in what kind of performance the chorus was giving…even more interested in seeing for themselves just how amazing Tess could sing…

The temple was full of people; apparently word of the chorus' performance had spread through out the district. However the fabled chorus was nowhere to be seen. It was already past 8 and Max and Michael were starting to wonder whether or not they would actually perform at all. Maria and Liz's attention had already shifted from the crowd before them to some other thing since they were talking adamantly between themselves…that was until the lights dimmed.

A whispering, "Thus saith the lord," could be heard from the back of the room. The crowd turned to look back in that direction as a few dim lights started to make their way to the center isle. A line of people wearing masks with the bottoms open for their mouths and colored robes were making their way down the isle holding candles. They were walking slowly, almost like a wedding march as they whispered the beginnings of a song.

"Thus saith the Lord, since you refuse to free my people…All through the land of Egypt...I send a pestilence and plague, into your house, into your bed, into your streams, into your streets, into your drink, into your bread. Upon your cattle, on your sheep, upon your oxen in your field, into your dreams, into your sleep. Until you break, until you yield. I send the swarm, I send the horde. Thus saith the Lord…" The group suddenly stopped as two spotlights focused on two men standing at two podiums at opposing sides of the front of the room. One wore a white robe, one a black.

The white robbed figure sang first, "Once I called you brother, once I thought the chance to make you laugh was all I ever wanted..."

The masked people were marching again, "I send the thunder from the sky I send the fire raining down…" Max could clearly see a hint of curly blonde hair in a ponytail behind one of the first masks as they got closer to where he was sitting near the front, he was certain that that one was Tess.

"And even now I wish that God had chose another," The white one sang again, "Serving as your foe on his behalf, is the last thing that I wanted..."

"I send a hail of burning ice, on every field, on every town," the chorus sang.

"This was my home…All this pain and devastation, How it tortures me inside," The white one resumed, "All the innocent who suffer from your stubbornness and pride..."

"I send the locusts on a wind Such as the world has never seen. On every leaf, on every stalk, until there's nothing left of green!" The chorus said marching once again, "I send my scourge, I send my sword, Thus saith the Lord!"

"You who I called brother, why must you call down another blow?" the white one asked.

"I send my scourge, I send my sword!"

"Let my people go!" he shouted. "Thus saith the Lord!"

"Thus saith the Lord!" The chorus sang. There was one distinct high note that made the song sound even more menacing. Faith had started to clap loudly with the crowd, muttering something to Isabel about it being Tess.

"You who I called brother, how could you have come to hate me so? Is this what you wanted?" the black one sang as Max looked up at the chorus. They were still marching despite not singing. He could see Tess standing in the front right in the middle, fighting a small smile off her face to remain serious.

"I send the swarm, I send the horde..." the chorus sang as the last among them stood in the four steps of the alter, making it look like make shift risers.

"Then let my heart be hardened," the black one spat, "And never mind how high the cost may grow, This will still be so: I will never let your people go..."

"Thus saith the Lord…" the chorus sang.

"Thus saith the Lord," the white one answered.

"I will not..." the black one started, soon singing with his counterpart and the chorus, "Let your (my) people go!"

The high note was back again, and Max was watching this time, he could see that Tess was in deed the one holding the note up.

The song ended, as the chorus removed their masks and bowed to the audience applauding them. They filed off stage next to the alter where a section was made for them to sing.

The rabbi had been speaking of the hardships that their people had gone through, leaving Egypt and spreading their religion. He spoke of the dangers that awaited them, of the hope that seemed to prevail above all fear…

It was then that he backed away from his alter, as soft music started to fill the room. Max noticed as the chorus stood, a black haired girl whispered something to Tess, who looked extremely nervous. Tess smiled gratefully before stepping up starting to sing.

"Many nights we've prayed, with no proof anyone could hear. In our hearts a hope for a song we barely understood. Now we are not afraid, although we know there's much to fear. We were moving mountains long before we knew we could…" Max was entranced by her heavenly voice. It started off soft, timid even, but as the song went on gaining passion and strength, as did her voice.

"There can be miracles," she sang, looking out at the crowd gathered to celebrate an important day, "When you believe. Though hope is frail, it's hard to kill. Who knows what miracles you can achieve, when you believe somehow you will…you will when you…believe…" she had lost her breath at the last word as her eyes locked on Max's. She was once again nervous…she didn't know he'd be here, listening to her sing.

"In this time of fear," the black haired girl sang, stepping up next to Tess, thankfully drawing her gaze away from the alien king, "When prayer so often proves in vain, hope seems like the summer birds, too swiftly flown away. Yet now I'm standing here…"

She took Tess' hand in hers as Tess echoed her song, "Now I'm standing here…"

"With heart so full, I can't explain." The girl sang, soon joined by Tess, "Seeking faith and speaking words I never thought I'd say." Tess smiled gently at her friend's apologetic smile as her voice cracked a little from a high note.

"There can be miracles," They sang. "When you believe," the girl continued to be echoed by Tess' "When you believe…"

"Though hope is frail, It's hard to kill," the girl sang, once again echoed by Tess, "It's hard to kill…"

"Who knows what miracles," they sang, "You can achieve," the girl continued, "You can achieve…" Tess echoed.

"When you believe," They sang, "Somehow you will…you will when you believe..."

The girl sang the last word as she pushed Tess forward more with an encouraging smile.

Tess began to sing a beautiful tune in Hebrew, Max couldn't understand a word of it, but it was just amazing to listen to. "A-shi-ra la-do-nai ki ga-oh ga-ah. A-shi-ra la-do-nai ki ga-oh ga-ah. Mi-cha-mo-cha ba-elim adonai. Mi-ka-mo-cha ne-dar- ba-ko-desh. Na-chi-tah vi -chas-di-cha am zu ga-al-ta. Na-chi-tah vi-chas-di-cha am zu ga-al-ta. A-shi-ra, a-shi-ra, a-shi-ra..."

Soon she was joined in by the rest of the chorus behind her in a repetition of the last chorus, each measure gaining speed and volume. "A-shi-ra la-do-nai ki ga-oh ga-ah. A-shi-ra la-do-nai ki ga-oh ga-ah. Mi-cha-mo-cha ba-elim adonai. Mi-ka-mo-cha ne-dar- ba-ko-desh. Na-chi-tah vi-chas-di-cha am zu ga-al-ta. Na-chi-tah vi-chas-di-cha am zu ga-al-ta. A-shi-ra, a-shi-ra, a-shi-ra!"

"There can be miracles!" they sang, "When you believe! Though hope is frail, it's hard to kill!"

"It's hard to kill," Tess repeated, singing above the noise of the chorus, but still as beautiful and on pitch as ever.

"Who knows what miracles," They sang, "You can achieve!"

"You can achieve…" Tess sang.

"When you believe, somehow you will…" they sang, "Now you will…You will when you believe!"

Max could distinctly hear a few men in the back of the group add on another, "When you believe!"

Then the singing stopped, not a sound came from the chorus, "You will when you believe…" Tess finished softly.

The crowd roared with applause, many people were standing shouting praises to the chorus. Tess blushed and stepped back to her ranks as the Chorus made their way out of the room. The ceremony was over.

But the party had just begun. According to Kyle the Temple was celebrating Hanukah with a large bon fire outside along with dancing and refreshments.

The groups soon made their way out along with the crowd, Max in particular trying to find Tess. He spotted a flash of gold near the fire, which was already roaring with life. She was talking to Buffy, Spike, Cordy, and that Angel guy. Max shuddered slightly, every time Angel looked at Max, he felt as if he was trying to size him up. It tends to make a man a tad uncomfortable.

He could see that they were congratulating her on her performance as Faith pushed by dragging Isabel with her. He dared not get any closer though for fear of imminent death. It seemed that her group of eccentric friends were not too fond of him for some reason or another. A tugging at his arm drew him away from the sight of Tess as Liz dragged him over to the refreshment tables where Michael and Maria were in yet another argument. Apparently Michael had commended Tess' voice, and Maria was furious as to why he never did that for her voice…It would be a long night…

And so it was, Max had spent at least two hours trying to track down Tess once again all the while trying to loose Liz with out her knowing…it wasn't working. Tess was nowhere to be found and Liz was attached to his side. He was starting to loose hope, the bon fire was only supposed to last two hours, and he still had yet to find her…That was, until the Rabbi made one last announcement for the evening.

He had gathered them all around the fire speaking of traditional dances done in the old days. Some of the crowd groaned, they didn't want to learn a new dance…but the Rabbi just laughed. "No, no, no," he called, "You will not be the ones dancing…"

The crowd looked at one another trying to figure out what he meant when the sound of bells came from the side. A woman was standing there shaking what looked like a piece of wood with beads wrapped around it. The shaking noise went on for a moment or two before being joined by the drums of two men and one woman who were sitting at three small old drums hitting a very specific beat. Then a flute sounded, playing an upbeat melody, fitting in nicely with the overall music around. One of the men from before, the one who had worn black in the beginning of the evening, started to sing, "A single thread in a tapestry, though its color brightly shines, can never see its purpose in the pattern of the grand design..."

As he sang the female members of the chorus stepped up around the bon fire. It was all Max could do to keep his mouth shut and not drool. The female members were wearing something reminiscent of a Genie. They had on tops that stopped a little above their bottom ribs, some with sheer materials to make up sleeves, some with no sleeves at all, and pants that looked like bathing suit bottoms with sheer leggings.

But the one girl that had Max so entranced was Tess. She was wearing a dark blue top, almost exactly like the I dream of Jeanie top with light blue sleeves, and a light blue sheer skirt that went down to her feet with a few thick dark blue strips and a dark blue belt. Her hair was in a high ponytail with a few curls outlining her face, allowing her eyes to be seen, the exact color of her skirt. She started dancing along with the rest of the girls, a smile on her face.

"And the stone that sits up on the very top of the mountain's mighty face, doesn't think it's more important than the stones that forms the base." The girls started turning in circles slowly, moving their arms up and down, stepping around the bon fire, just moving with the music. "So how can you see what your life is worth or where your value lies? Ohhhh, you can never see through the eyes of man…" The girls had stopped moving around the fire, Tess stopped right before Max, their eyes locked, and neither one could move.

Tess stood there, staring at Max back to the fire, unable to move, to continue her dance. She could faintly hear the singing in the background, "you must look at your life…" she knew what was coming, "Look at your life through heaven's eyes…"

She managed to snap herself out of her trance just in time to lock arms with the girls next to her and do their dance around the fire, singing their lai-la-lais all the while. As their small chorus number ended, the girls dropped their arms and turned bowing slightly before continuing as the singer went on.

"A lake of gold in the desert sand is less than a cool fresh spring, but to one lost sheep, a shepherd boy is greater than the richest king. Should a man who'll lose everything he owns,
has he truly lost his worth? Or is it the beginning of a new and brighter birth? So how do you measure the worth of a man, in wealth or strength or size? In how much he gained or how much he gave? The answer will come. The answer will come to him who tries to look at his life through heaven's eyes! And that's why we share all we have with you, though there's little to be found. When all you've got is nothing there's lots to go around. Oh life can escape being blown about by the winds of change and chance…" As he said this, the girls spun off into the crowd, weaving in and out, around the many people of the crowd.

"And though you never know all the steps, you must learn to join the dance…" Max could see the girls returning to the fire each with a member of the crowd. And before Max knew what was happening, he felt himself being pulled up by Tess. "You must learn to join the dance!"

The chorus girls started their lai-la-lais slower this time, each holding out a scarf in their color to the person they brought up. Max took one end as he and Tess started to walk to the right in a circle. As the music picked up they turned to the left…pretty soon Max found himself spinning in a circle with Tess, laughing and not once breaking eye contact with the sprite before him. The music suddenly slowed and Max found himself right palm pressed to Tess' palm walking to the left, and then turning with his left palm walking to the right just as all the other dancers were doing.

"So how do you judge what a man is worth? By what he builds or buys? You can never see with your eyes on earth; Look through heaven's eyes! Look at your life! Look at your life, look at your life through heaven's eyes!"

As soon as the song had finished, the crowd cheered and praised the dancers. Tess stepped back from Max, eyes still locked with his. They were both breathing heavily staring at each other, waiting for the other to make the move that they were longing for. Taking a deep breath, Max stepped forward seeing a flash of a memory before him, of Ava waiting for Zan to do the same…

He took another step forward ready to close the gap between them when he was pulled back by something behind him. Liz had pulled his arm…pulled him away from the vision before him. He looked at her, breaking the contact he had with Tess, as she started speaking quickly about how great he looked.

Tess looked down to the ground beside her sighing. She had thought that Max was about to kiss her… "Hey Tess," she heard Faith say as she stepped up to her friend. Faith had noticed the pull that Max and Tess just shared, the moment that could have happened. Tess smiled sadly, "You wanna head back home?" Faith asked, knowing that Tess wouldn't want to stay long and watch the Max/Liz action about to happen. Tess nodded, to tired and downhearted to disagree…

Max had completely spaced on what Liz was saying, the only thought in his mind was of Tess and what just happened. He looked back up to where Tess had been to see her walking away in the distance with Faith. He looked down at Liz and for the first time ever, wished that he hadn't saved her…

A/N – So…I was trying to think of what religion to make Tess. I thought maybe Kyle rubbed off on her and she's Buddhist, or maybe Wiccan like Willow…but that was kind of Willow's thing, and Willow was my favorite character. One of my good friends was reading my story and she offered me some really good advice when I was stuck, she was Jewish so I decided that Tess being Jewish might be interesting…not to mention I loved the Prince of Egypt movie and the songs were amazing. I kept picturing Tess singing There can be Miracles and seeing Max in the crowd…I have absolutely no idea if the actual ceremony/temple meeting was like a real life one, my friend isn't really a practicing Jew so…I made up most of it based on memories of Catholic Mass.

Next chappy – Tess is depressed as she and Faith perform for a charity drive, Max and Angel have a little discussion, and Max makes a choice…

The Hebrew Lyrics in English are, "I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously. I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously. Who is like You, oh Lord, among the celestial. Who is like You, majestic in holiness. In Your love, You lead the people You redeemed. In Your love, You lead the people You redeemed. I will sing, I will sing, I will sing."