Epilogue

Liz rolled over sleepily and felt the space next to her in bed was empty. She opened her eyes to find Max looking out of the window at the horizon. It had been four months since they left New York. Four months since the battle that had taken a friend's life.

Before when Tess was thought to be dead Liz felt relief, but this time was different. This time she felt sadden by the loss and a bit guilty for the role she played in "outing" Tess as Alex's killer. They all felt guilty.

"Hey," Liz said as she came behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"Hey," he bent down to kiss her. "It's beautiful here."

"Yes it is," her latest vision had brought them to Canada. "Couldn't sleep?" Liz already knew the answer before she saw him nod.

"I keep having these dreams," Max replied. "I keep going over it in my mind; I should've been able to save her."

"You tried Max," Liz looked at him with comfort in her eyes.

"I wish I knew what she was trying to tell me," Max took a deep breath in.

"Me too," Liz paused briefly. "Maybe she made a mistake, maybe the worst really is over."

"Maybe," Max said convincingly even though he wasn't sure he was convinced. "I hope so, for our sakes and for Zan's." He was still unsure about his decision to let Ava take his son but with Tess' dying breath she told her to take care of him. After everything she'd been through, how could I deny her that? And she'd been right, I couldn't raise him on the run in a van.

"You did the right thing," Liz said reassuringly, knowing what he was thinking.

"Thank you," Max smiled at her, his thoughts still with his son. "Let's get the others; we still have a vision to solve."

…they're coming…

The young blonde awoke with a startle. She rose from the couch and immediately checked the car-bed that was located near the window. With all she'd been through, she had become more cautious.

"Zan," she called out when she realized the bed was empty. "Zan," her calls continued as she hurriedly came down the hallway.

"He's in here," a familiar woman's voiced echoed to her. "We didn't want to disturb your nap so he's helping me cook, aren't you?" The woman bent over and lightly pinched his cheek.

"Mommy," Zan waddled over to her, holding his arms above his head.

"Hey big boy," Tess scooped her child up in her arms. "Are you helping Auntie Estel cook?"

Zan nodded with a big grin on his face. "Down," he squirmed slightly. "Down."

"Okay," Tess returned him to the floor and walked over to the refrigerator, retrieving a soda.

"Are you okay?" Estel asked in concern, noticing a strange look on her face.

"Yeah," Tess pulled out a stool from the kitchen counter. "I was dreaming about my sister."

"I didn't know you had one," She was surprised how little she still knew about Tess' past or her family.

"My twin," sort of, she thought as she began emptying sugar packets into the bottle of soda. "She sacrificed everything for me and my son to get away." She had told Estel only bits of info on what happened to her while she was gone, sans all the alien details.

"Why don't you call her dear?" Estel continued stirring a big spoon around the pot.

"She died," Tess replied solemnly.

"I'm so sorry to hear that," Estel put the spoon to the side and came around the counter to sit next to her.

"She went on her own terms though," she gave a half smile, remembering how Ava managed to create a mental link before she passed.

"Tess, can you hear me?" Ava's voice echoed through her mind.

Tess blinked, kneeling down next to where her body was laying. "What have you done Ava?" The question was only in her mind but somehow Ava could hear her.

"I've kept my promise to you," Ava let her thoughts enter Tess' mind. "Now you can be free and I can be with my Zan." She took a labored breath and then said out loud, "My Zan."

Tess let her mind come back to the present day. "I have to get ready."

"You really like him, don't you?" Estel smiled warmly. "I remember when I was your age."

"He's the first guy who's ever liked me for who I am now," Tess returned the smile.

Estel just nodded. Sometimes things that Tess said were lost on her but for some reason she felt a maternal bond to her.

She hopped off the stool and took Zan by the hand. "Do you want to help Mommy get ready?"

"Yea," Zan smiled up at his mother and gave a giggle as she led him to her room.

She sat Zan on the chair next to the mirror and flicked her wrist, closing the door. "Should we do curly, straight, or leave it wavy?" She waved her hand, demonstrating each look while Zan clapped and laughed. "Wavy it is."

Tess sometimes questioned her decision to let them all believe she was dead but in the end, she felt it was for the best. Max would have left Liz to be with me out of some sense of responsibility and still pined for her or I would've constantly been the third wheel in their relationship? And three people in a relationship was no longer something she would settle for.

For the first time in her life, this life, Tess was truly happy. Through everything she had been through, all these dreams and nightmares, she finally found what she was looking for. Tess had finally found some peace and she was finally home.