Max drive huridly to the Crashdown

They snuck in and up the stairs. Past Liz's parents room, and into Liz's. Isabel used motions to show that liz was asleep. Max used hands signals to tell Michael to help him with Liz. Isabel would keep her asleep while they moved her. Tess would mindwarp anyone if the need arose.

They begin the long silent ride to the POD chamber
On the way to the POD chamber

"What the hell do we do with her, and what if it wasn't her?" Isabel asked. Michael looked at Max, who shrugged. "We take it as it comes, that's what we've always done, until now it's always worked." Max said. "but it didn't because if Liz hadn't been saved we never would have been in this spot. We all know why this is happeneing, and it's not because of what we did." Isabel crossed her arms. Max shrunk down, and looked forward at the road. Michael put her head on his shoulder.

Tess took Max's hand and comforted him the way only she could. "You know it will all be okay." Tess said, the confiendece in her voice gave Max a sense of self. He swerved to a stop and climbed out. Michael hopped out as well. The girls follwed. Their arms ringed, protecting each other as the boys carried sleeping Liz into the chamber.

In the POD Chamber

"Put her over here." Tess suggested, they did. "Wake her up, Izzy." Max ordered. She touched Liz and entered her dreams, waking her up.

Liz sat up, breathing hard. Michael covered her mouth, keeping her silent. Not that anyone could hear but they didn't want to hear wining from her, just yet. "If I tell him to let go, will you stay quite?" Max asked, his voice deep, harsh and unforgiving. He was trying to put on an evil front.

Liz nodded. Michael let go. "What's this all about?" Liz asked. "What the hell did I JUST say?" Max said, angry. Liz covered her own mouth. "Max!" Tess yelled, smacking him on the shoulder. "Let her talk." Tess said. Liz began softly. "Whats going on, Max? Why am I in here?" She asked. Max laughed it off. "What did you say, who did you talk too, huh?" Max questioned, seriously. Liz shook her head, confused.

Michael began to grow angry. "Look!" Michael picked her up by the scruff of her shirt and slammed her into the stone wall. "Why did the army attack us, how do they know!" Michael snapped. Tess grabbed him by the arm. He let Liz go. Liz coughed from lack of air.

"Please, I didn't say anything! I swear! Max, look into my eyes, you know me, I would never do that, no matter how... upset, I was at you." Liz had changed her words. "You mean jelious, don't you?" Isabel said coldly. Liz shook her head. "No, of corse not, who would I be jelious of?" Liz protested, staring directly at Tess. "I know it's hard for your large over sized alien brains to comprehend something bad happening to anyone but yourselves, but I've been through a bunch, stuff you three, ah, four, put me through so why don't you shuve it!" Liz crossed her arms. Michael reached for her but Tess stopped him again.

"Max... Maybe Michael and Isabel should step aside and let YOU handle this, mmm?" Tess said, softly, so the others couldn't hear her. Max nodded. "Michael, Isabel... Tess. Let me do this alone, go check out the granolith, please." Max asked, he said it nicly, as not to affend anyone. They left with out arguement.

Max walks closly to Liz

I can't believe you acually stepped away from her. I was begining to think she was your air!" Liz said, reffuring to Tess. Max rolled his eyes at Liz, but controled his anger. He didn't want to hurt anyone. "Liz." Max said softly. "I still care about you... but I don't love you." Max said, getting it out of the way once and for all. Liz shook her head in disbelief. "I don't understand this, I know what your heart feels for me, I saw it in flashes!" Liz remined.

"Flashes I let you get. It's not the same with Tess. I kiss her and, I can't let her get anything. She's already in my head, she knows every detail of my mind." Max was trying to explain something that was unexplainable. Liz sat down. "I didn't say anything Max. The truth is that Jim was doing a search for Alex's killer. He kept saying it was alien related. I guess he called in the FBI. He probaly never meant it for you four." Liz said, her face went down, burdened with guilt. "Where did he search?" Max asked. Liz looked up. "Lots of places. Most resently. Las Cruises. At this university that has a super computer, but he couldn't find anything, he said it was a dead end." Liz explained. Max nodded. "Why didn't you tell me?" He asked. Liz frowned. "Jim said it was a dead end, that he was done. Since he didn't find anything I assumed there was no danger..." Liz explained. "Liz, with us, just living is dangerous." Max smiled. "It's okay. I'm sorry about Michael, he gets so protective over Isabel, and Tess, even me..." Max touched Liz's shoulder healing it.

"What happened between us?" Liz asked, begining to get upset. "I don't know, why does it hurt, I mean us, does it hurt you to think about it?" Max asked. Liz shook her head. "No, thats what I don't get, we were so involved then poof, it was like I didn't care." Liz admitted. "Yeah, but it was a relief... I notice your very happy with Kyle..." Max smiled. Liz blushed. "He's cool, yeah." "Oh, and you and Tess. I mean, wow!" Liz stated. Max smiled. Turning the other way, to call the others back. Liz's face changed from pleased to saddend, to angry. She went right back to pleased when Max turned to her. "We'll take you home now. Ok?" Max said, Liz nodded.

'Now we have to find out what Jim's been up to. Something doesn't fit...' Max thought, follwing the others out, and back into the jeep. They'd take Liz home first then he'd tell them what he knew.

On they way back to the POD Chamber

The silence was deafening. Isabel was tense, but leaned on Michael. Tess sat in the front seat next to Max. She glanced over at him, he was thinking hard about something. Tess sighed. "What is it?" She asked. Her voice carried itself, it sounded much louder than it was.

Max also sighed, much like Tess had. "It's what Liz said." Max began. Everyone listen in. "Did she do it?" Michael asked. "What did she say." tess asked, keeping a level head. "That Jim was searching behind our backs... about Alex's death. He acually thinks it was an alien that killed him." Max tried to laugh it of. But everyone stayed silent.

Tess dropped his hand. "Max." Tess said softly. Max looked to her briefly, then back at the road. "What?" He asked. "It was me... I think." Tess explained. "What do you mean, I think?" Michael said, with a deep rough voice. Tess gulped hard.

"He came into my room, out of no where. He started to babble about the royal four, and that we were made from our past alien selves and our human subjects. He knew everything, maybe more than us. I couldn't get an answer out of him, so i tried to get in his head..." Tess explained. The others listened in horror.

By this time Max had stopped the jeep and pulled off the road. "Go on." Max said, not angry, but very intrested.

"I couldn't get in. Then Kyle came into my room, and Alex freaked even more. He was saying things like um, you should have just killed me, they took everything, I mine as well be dead! I didn't know what was wrong. All i knew was that someone had really messed his head up. So I tried again to get inside him. This time he fought me. I pushed a little harder... he just, just colapsed on the ground... dead!" tess cried. She was shaking. Max let her lean on his shoulder. "Shh, shhh, It's okay..." Max soothed. "I ididn't know what to do, you still hated me, there was no way i could tell you, plus I didn't even know if I had done it!" Tess wailed. Max stroked her head.

Isabel spoke up. "It's okay, I mean we don't if you did it. And even if you did, sounds like you were framed to me..." Isabel tried to comfort her but it didn't work.
Michael tried as well. "Look, I killed a guy too, granted i knew I killed him, but just look at this way, he was gonna die anyway, right? I mean you said it yourself, his head was really messed up..." Michael finished. Isabel smacked him for being so insensitive. "Michael!" She hissed. He shrugged as if he didn't know. Isabel rolled her eyes.

"Theres more." Tess sniffled. "I couldn't just leave him in my room. So I mindwarped Kyle into forgetting what he saw, and made him think the body was a siutcase. He helped me take out to Alex's car. then i used my powers to drive it into another car." Tess looked up. They were silent, shocked. "I didn't know what else to do!" Tess cried, but no tears came from her eyes. "I was so alone, and sfriad!" She hugged Max. He closed his eyes. Tess accindently sent flashed of Alex's death to him. "Ah!" Max grabbed his head. Tess looked up. "W-what?" Tess troked his face. "It's okay. I got flashes, thats all..." Max assured.