Title: Mythology

Disclaimer: I don't own anything

Author's note: Okay, I know this chapter is shorter than usual (and has no Tess), so I am going to update rather soon. However, I will warn you all now that the next few chapters are going to focus more on Earth than Antar. I will, of course, include something about Antar in each chapter since their still is a war happening there, but for now, I am focusing a bit more on working out the details of the Evans' investigation and its consequences.

this is the stuff of legends…

Chapter Nine: The Lightning Strikes

Day 9

Isabel pushed open the door to her house and paused as she saw Jesse sitting on the sofa, staring at her. She bit her lip and gave him a short nod, then walked past him into her bedroom. She heard the footsteps behind her and knew that Jesse was standing in the doorway, waiting for her to say something. But she remained silent, letting him know that he would have to be the one to start the conversation.

"Where were you? You've been gone for a while."

"I was upset," Isabel replied softly. "I went for a walk."

"Can we talk?" Jesse asked hesitantly, taking a seat on the bed.

Isabel looked at him for a moment, her expression unreadable. Then she nodded slowly. "Sure, we can talk," she said. She took a seat next to him and folded her arms over her chest, waiting for him to speak.

"I'm sorry I looked in the filing cabinet," Jesse said softly. "I'm really…sorry."

Isabel gave a slight laugh. "Yeah, that makes it all better," she said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. She licked her dry lips and continued, "Jesse, you really hurt me with that. I thought…it was like you didn't trust me."

"I do trust you," Jesse said hurriedly, trying to reassure her. "I trust you and I love you. You have to believe me."

"Then why?" Isabel murmured, tears in her eyes. She loved Jesse as well, and she hated that she was playing him like this, but she had to. She had to, or she, Max, and Michael would be in serious danger, and that terrified her.

"I just…Isabel, sometimes it feels like you are so distant from me. Like there is something that you're keeping secret, something you share with Michael and Max, but not me. It scares me. I don't want to lose you."

Isabel nodded, hearing the jealousy in her husband's voice. The jealousy and the fear. She closed her eyes and sighed, suddenly wondering if she had ever been Jesse's to start with. "Jesse… Michael, Max, and I shared so much. Everything with Alex, everything with Tess…"

"Who's Tess?" Jesse asked, jumping at the opportunity to ask about the girl.

Isabel swallowed and looked away. "She and Max were…they dated last year. She was one of our best friends, and she and Max…uh…well, she got pregnant."

"What?" Jesse was astounded by the news, never expecting Max to be the teenager-father type.

Isabel nodded. "Anyway, Tess' father moved around a lot, because he worked for the army. Tess was here for a while, but then she had to move back to New York…" She wiped the tears out of her eyes and looked down at her hands.

"Izzy? What is it? What happened?" Jesse whispered, placing a hand on his wife's shoulder.

She turned and looked at him, her eyes wet and red. "We didn't know she was pregnant at the time. We would have asked her to stay if we did, but… Right before she left, she and Max got into a huge fight, and he told her he never wanted to speak to her again. Then, several weeks later, her father called to tell us that she was…was…"

"Izzy?" Jesse prompted, pulling her into a hug.

"She had an abusive ex-boyfriend in New York that we didn't know about. He had found out that she was pregnant and…" She broke down into sobs and Jesse pulled her tighter. She didn't need to finish the story, he had filled in the blanks for himself.

"Oh. God, I didn't know," Jesse murmured.

"It was just such a hard time. First with Alex, and then the news about Tess…"

Jesse accepted this in silence, thinking. Mr. Evans had told him that Valenti had said Tess moved back to the East Coast with her father. "Izzy? Did you tell anyone else? I mean, besides Max and Michael?"

Isabel shook her head. "No, no one else knew. Not even Kyle of Jim," she murmured, thankful that they had thought to talk to Valenti before trying to pull this entire story off. "They think she's still on the East Coast with her father."

Jesse nodded. All the ends tied up, and he was in love with his wife. He would tell Mr. Evans tomorrow that he was no longer interested in the investigation.

Max watched as Michael hunted through the refrigerator for a Snapple. He was sitting on a chair by the window, leaning against the cool glass and thinking about everything that had happened. Everything Isabel had told them.

"She forgave us," Max said at last, his voice thick with guilt.

Michael looked over at him sharply and nodded. "Yes," he agreed. "I never thought she would."

Max gave a dark chuckle. "I wish I could be there, fighting with her."

"We are going to be fighting with her," Michael pointed out. "Maybe not at her side, but we are going to be giving her our strength. The four of us will save Antar, save Earth." He opened the Snapple and took a sip, then walked over to Max.

"Yeah," Max nodded slowly, "but I wish I could be there, next to her."

"Are you starting to accept your destiny?" Michael asked in surprise. He had always assumed that Liz and Max would make it, no matter what.

"Not in the way you are thinking," Max answered softly. "I love Liz, and I always will. But I am accepting that I am the King, and it should have been me leading this battle." He slanted a look at Michael. "What about you?" he asked.

Michael frowned and looked away. "I don't know," he said at last.

Max raised his eyebrows at that, not expecting that particular response. "I thought you loved Maria," he questioned.

"I did," Michael said simply. Past tense.

"Do you still love her?" Max pressed.

"I don't know," Michael replied slowly, rubbing his eyes. "I think so, but I just… I don't know."

"And Isabel? Do you love her?"

"I don't know. Maybe," Michael said softly.

"So…what are you going to do?" Max wanted to know. "Isabel is married, and you are with Maria. If you don't know how you feel… What are you going to do?" His protective instincts flared suddenly, this was his sister they were talking about and if Michael hurt her…

Michael gave Max an unreadable look and sighed. "I wish I knew," he admitted quietly, gruffly.

Naj wiped the sweat out of his eyes with one hand and peered around through the bright sun. He and his scouting party had reached the foothills of Mt. Sinai in the early hours of the morning, only to discover it was already controlled by a contingent of the royal army. How Khivar had managed to take the mountain before the Resistance, Naj had no idea, although he could only assume that someone had informed the skin king of the Resistance's plans.

A spy.

He sighed and turned around. He needed to get back to Arya, to inform her of what happened. He was one of the few who knew that it was Arya who was leading the army, one of the few who understood how precarious their position was. Any little bit of information they had that Khivar did not could mean the difference between life and death.

He trudged slowly down the hill, back to his waiting soldiers. They were camped in the shade of a small hill. He greeted them all with a grim nod and gestured for them to prepare to move out.

He needed a plan. Arya would want his suggestions about what their next course of action should be. But what was it? They couldn't seek safety here anymore, and if they stayed and fought, they would die. What were they supposed to do? How were they supposed to win this?

There only choice was to camp on the other side of the mountain. They would be in between the curve of the Fel Mountain range and Mt. Sinai, which meant that, with the mountains at their back, Khivar could not attack from both sides. It would be a head-on fight, and that at least they had a chance at surviving.

Well, they had a chance at surviving it if the rumors were true, if the Queen really was coming. But if she was, she needed to get her quickly, before they were crushed. And if she wasn't coming…

Only a miracle could save them then.

Khivar stood by the farms. Night was falling, the moon cast tiny slivers of light over the peaceful homes. The fields of crops waved back an forth in the light wind like a sea of plants.

He had decided to come alone, leaving the battle in Nicolas' hands. This was a moment of triumph for him, and he wanted to savor every moment of it.

It was dark, too dark for him to approach Shalimar now. She could escape in the dark. It was unlikely she would, but he did not want to take any risks. Besides, he wanted to wait until daylight so he could see her face, see the look of horror when she realized that they had lost and he had won.

Tomorrow, he decided with finality.

Tomorrow, when the sun began in ascent, he would strike. And Shalimar, powerful though she may be, would be no match for him, or his gifts. He could take the information from her easily, and with it he could crush the one and only hope of the Resistance.

The Queen was as good as dead.

Next Chapter: The Hammer Falls

Due: Friday 3/3