Max sat silently, chin resting on his hands, in the darkened room, watching the outline of Tess' figure rise and fall with her gentle breathing as he had done since she fell asleep. He couldn't believe he remembered…he couldn't believe he forgot! He had been an idiot. As soon as the words left his mouth, Tess smiled sadly and lay down to sleep her worst fears confirmed.
It wasn't till an hour ago that Max realized that he had failed to tell Tess that he wanted to return to Antar before the memories were returned. If he told her now, she'd think it was because of the memories, but it wasn't…but how could he prove that to her. How could he prove that he loved her now as Tess, with the same strength that Zan had loved Ava?
Tess gently turned over in her sleep, a hair falling onto her face as she rolled on her side. Max knelt by the bed, reaching out to brush the hair behind her ear. He sighed; he'd have to do something, anything to prove his love for her now, not what she had been.
He gazed at her hair, the beautiful golden curls that first set her apart from every other girl in the school, the first thing he noticed about her…followed by her eyes. He smiled at her hair, the curls were slightly limp from all she'd been through, but still was as gold as the first day he had seen it. Golden like the sun…like gold…like the buttercups Tess loved so much…
'That's it!' Max thought, jumping up softly with an idea. He quickly made his way out of the bedroom, waking up Michael and taking him with him on the way out.
I
I
I
Isabel sat irritably in the booth at the back of the restaurant. Max just had to call her and wake her from a good dream. She shivered slightly when she felt Michael join her; sliding in next to her…it reminded her of the dream. It was her favorite, she and Michael at the cliffs and…then it cut to her holding a small baby boy with Michael…
"You okay?" she heard Michael ask.
"Yeah," she replied, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "I don't know what Max was thinking calling me at the god forsaken hour of 3 a.m., to meet him in the park and look for buttercups? Buttercups of all things!" She sighed, taking a long drink from the sweetened coffee before her.
Michael laughed at her irritability. "Well, he's a man in love apparently."
She sighed, Michael was right. Max was in love with her best friend Tess. She knew that Max was trying to make it up to Tess over not believing that she hadn't killed Alex. She had tried to think of everything to make it up to Tess, no one had believed that she killed Alex more than her…no one felt guiltier. But then, Tess did seem to forgive her after Isabel mentioned that both her and Michael wanted to go to Antar. She figured that if Tess had still been angry or hurt at what Isabel had believed then she wouldn't have to her the truth about when she was Vilondra.
Isabel bit her lip nervously. She wanted to go to Antar, really she did, she wanted to make it up to her people for the war, for her cowardice of not wanting to go back earlier and help. But she was scared, so very scared that the past would repeat itself, that she might end up betraying everyone again without knowing.
"You okay?" she heard Michael ask again. She looked up into his eyes, seeing concern and worry and something else swimming in them. She nodded a little before Michael wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "Izzy…"
She sighed, he knew her too well. "I'm just…nervous I guess. I…I'm scared."
"About what?" Michael asked.
"About Antar. I'm scared that something will happen…that I'll…I'll…"
"So something stupid?" Michael supplied, laugher dieing on his lips as he saw the helpless, vulnerable look in her eyes. He hugged her close. "Nothing is going to happen."
"But how can you know that…"
"Isabel," he cut her off, raising her chin so that she would look him in the eye. "Do you trust me?"
"What?" she asked.
"Do you trust me?" he repeated. She nodded. "Good." He said, "Then believe me when I say that nothing will happen. I won't let it."
"You won't?" she asked, still the slightest bit uncertain.
"No, I'll protect you, I won't let anything happen to you, I promise. I don't know what I would do with out you…I…I…" he took a breath, he was about to tell Isabel something that might make or break their budding relationship. "I love you."
Isabel stared at the man before her. A man she had known through two lifetimes, a man who loved her for two lifetimes. A man she loved as well. "I love you too." She whispered, leaning in and pulling him into a kiss.
When they pulled away, they were smiling. And they continued to do so even as a PMSing waitress took their order.
I
I
I
Tess awoke to the glorious smell of blue berry pancakes wafting through the slightly open doorway. She sat up slightly in bed; looking over to the empty crib that Zan had been placed in last…EMPTY!
Tess jumped up out of bed; leg caught in the sheets enough to give her time to notice the small note on the bedside table.
Tess,
Before you freak out, Zan is with Alex visiting his other grandparent and Uncle…Jim and Kyle. I hope you're hungry; I have a surprise for you…
Max
Tess squinted in confusion at the note, not able to fathom in the slightest what Max could be planning. She placed the note down and carefully crept out of the room. She tried her best to hold in her laughter at the sight of Max in an apron…and the fact that it was probably Michael's, but it was just too funny when Max turned around to reveal that the words Kiss the Cook, had been embroidered on the front. She burst out laughing, soon noticing the dinning area.
"What is all this?" She asked looking at the stacks of Blueberry pancakes in the center of the table, with what looked like strawberry smoothies mixed with Tabasco sauce in the cups next to the plates. There was a vase filled with Buttercups, yellow and white, even some rare red and pink ones scattered about.
Then she smelled something coming from the direction of the oven, "Is that a Banana Pie?" she asked, stepping closer to Max.
He smiled, slipping off the apron and wrapping his arms around her waist. He nodded, leaning in to kiss her. When they broke apart Tess sighed contentedly, "A girl could get use to this…"
He laughed and led her to the table. They ate and laughed, ate and talked, ate and just enjoyed the feel of being together again. Once the breakfast was finished, the pie was brought out, and devoured within a few minutes. If anything, Tess learned that Max was an amazing cook.
Tess put down her fork, pushing her empty plate forward. "Why did you do all this Max?" she asked.
Max sighed, "I just…I wanted you to know that I know you. I love you, and I want to be with you forever, not Ava. I love you, Tess, like Zan loved Ava, but I, Max, love you." He took a breath, "I wanted to tell you before, that I…I wanted to go to Antar also. I didn't want you to think that I was going just because I remembered. I want you to know that I want to go because I want to, not because Zan does."
Tess searched his eyes, looking for any trace of doubt or lie…she could find none, he was telling the truth. And that meant more to her than anything in the world. She smiled, and Max knew that she accepted his words.
"So…" she started, "What have I missed down here in Roswell?"
Max laughed, "Well…ever wonder why Michael has so much Snapple around here?"
It wasn't until around 4pm that their conversation was interrupted. Kyle and Jim had come to drop off little Zan. Tess had laughed herself silly upon seeing her baby son dressed head to toe in football garb, they had taken him to his first and probably last football game…
A/N: Yay! I think that the next chapter might be the last; the pod squad leaves Earth for good, but not after helping Alex with one little thing…