And I'm back! I took my first set of PhD qualifying exams yesterday and kicked ass! I spent two weeks studying nonstop and barely sleeping. I just ate and studied and ate again and studied some more like an insane person. I'm so happy now. It's amazing to be done with that and move forward and have time to write again! I have one more set of tests next year but I refuse to think about it for at least six more months. Moving on, this was a hard chapter since it's an experiment in diary-style writing. I'm not sure if it worked. I'll probably go back to more dialog on the next one. Thanks to kBeth82 and XXThe for the reviews and ideas. I loved the ideas and they inspired some of this chapter.
Anyway, happy reading and remember reviews are a fanfic author's bread and butter so click the review button and make me want to keep writing. :-)
The Alien Child King that Died in my Arms
Sunday, February 11, 2001
It's been almost five months since my last entry. So much has happened and until today I couldn't bring myself to write any of it down. I guess I knew that once I did, it would be real and I wasn't ready for that. But today, I've come clean. I don't know where to begin. So much has happened since I stopped writing. Perhaps, it's best to start with a day that didn't break my heart or leave me feeling confused and uncertain.
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"Michael?"
He smiles sadly and says, "Close enough." Then he comes out of the shadows and she sees it's not Michael. He looks a lot like him, but shorter, younger, and with golden hair.
"Are you a shapeshifter?" she asks, scared as she grabs the pepper spray she's begun to keep on her at all times. She is ready to use it.
"Actually, yes. But I'm not using that power. This is what I really look like, Aunt Liz."
"Aunt? I'm no one's aunt. Why do you look so much like Michael?"
"You are my aunt. You helped papa Phil and nana Di raise me... you and Auntie Maria and Uncle Kyle and papa Jim." Then he looks at her with sad eyes. "Auntie Maria always said I looked just like my dad, but that I had my mother's hair and look older than I am, just like she always did."
"Your dad? Your mother's hair? Who are you?"
" Adam."
"What?"
"Aunt Liz, it's me."
"That's not possible. Who are you and how do you know about Adam?"
"I know because I am him. In this time, you just helped my parents start hatching me. That started a week ago, right? My mom got hurt helping uncle Max heal me but my dad and Tess healed her with the stones and his gazes."
"How in the world do you know all that?"
"Because it's me. You helped me come to this time. I'll prove it to you." She shakes her head no with shock. "Aunt Liz, thirteen years ago you found out I am supposed to be the life bringer. Tess and Uncle Alex decoded the part of the book that was written about me based on uncle Max's memories of Antar. I'm telling you the truth. I can open the pod chamber and show you my past and tell you everything. Please. I'm Adam, Adameus Tessan Guerin."
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He was just twelve, but kind and strong and wise; someone you want to protect and follow, just like his uncle. It was strange to see a young boy that looked almost like a replica of Michael, but who had these hints of Isabel and so many of Max's mannerism and his vibe. Maybe it was because he was raised first by Max and then the Evanses. But I think there was more. Kyle once said that he was our little Buddha so doing what we did was worth it. Perhaps he was right.
Through dreams and flashes, he showed me the future and his life. A life in which he loved me and Max and all our friends and family. A life in which he was an orphan and we took care of him as best as we could as we ran from his enemies. A life in which the world as we know it no longer existed. In Adam's world, Max's love for me led to death. He stayed by my side and after the day of the DNA transfer he didn't train or remember. Adam said that Max's biggest regret was allowing the four to drift apart. How Max so wished he would have done something to remain connected instead of letting three grow closer while he focused only on us. Adam told me that we moved in together after high school and left for college. But a few months after, Max had to become Adam's adoptive father. He said he used to not understand why his uncle had fought so hard to have him. Why he so willingly decided to quit college to deal with him and his uncontrolled alien powers and everything else. But then, once his uncle was gone, I explained. Max lived his life with me ridden with guilt, constantly dreaming of Isabel, Michael and Tess and his only way to atone was through Adam. In his world, I explained how raising him gave Max hope and how all his happiest moments came from seeing his nephew grow and get stronger and gain control.
I should backtrack and explain that Adam never knew of the seals. In the future he described Max, Isabel, Michael and Tess never got those and their enemies killed them all. Tess died first, our Junior year, at the hands of Nasedo. Adam said that he was named Adameus Tessan after her. He told me his parents died when he was one and a half, protecting him from the skins. He had no clear memories of them, just a few flashes and dreams. He said he used to dream about them in the desert, holding him and kissing his cheeks. But those dreams ended the day Max died. I guess that brings me back to future Max and Adam.
This part is hard because the day he showed me his last memories of Max and Alex, it almost broke me. They died in the outskirts of San Francisco when Adam was eight and Nicolas found us through Alex's job in Silicon Valley. I saw Nicolas dead but also Max bloody and barely breathing in my arms as Alex pulled a screaming Adam away from us and ran. Then I saw Alex telling Adam to keep running and pulling out a small device with an alien sign. The young boy tried to argue and begged Alex to stop but in the end Alex convinced him by saying that if he didn't run and live then Max had died for nothing and he would be doing this for nothing. So, he ran and got lost and ended up in the system for over a year. Then Sheriff Valenti found him and helped me and the Evanses get him back. They were able to adopt him quickly since they had documentation of being family and law enforcement vouching for them. Adam said that once his mom died, uncle Max had come clean and told his grandparents everything and that was the only reason they had allowed him to be his parent instead of them. Max was a better protector, but with him gone the Evanses were the only option.
Once we had Adam back we ran and learned to keep an even lower profile than before and constantly moved from place to place. Adam said I home schooled him and taught him logic and everything from books that mattered. He said I used to take him to the library in every town we stopped in. His grandparents gave him beautiful stories of Isabel and Max's childhood, as well unconditional love and care. Maria gave him music and funny stories about Michael and explained that though reckless and a knuckle-headed smart mouth, he was the bravest of us. Kyle and the Sheriff gave him Buddha and honor and bravery and spoke lovingly of Tess while teaching him to fix the van. And for a couple years we managed to be somewhat happy.
Then he showed me how Kivar took over everything, not just their galaxy. After Max defeated Nicolas and Alex bombed what was left of the unit that had been after us in California, the skins came back for revenge. They conquered Earth and found a way to use humans to enhance their reproduction. What he showed me was so disturbing. Camps filled with people that were forced into pods and used for their genes while kept in a permanent state of stasis until their hearts stopped. He also let me and Kyle see how Mr. Evans, Sheriff Valenti and Kyle all died at the entrance to the pod chamber from one simple move from Kivar. Maria, Mrs. Evans and I barely survived thanks to Adam's shields and snuck into the pod chamber. Then I got him to use the granilith to come back to this time to save us, to save Earth and the universe. I saw him crying and wishing he didn't exist, wishing no one had died for him. Maria, Mrs. Evans and I hugged him and told him to never say such things. That he was the best thing we had and we loved him. We told him we regretted nothing and we knew his parents, uncles and grandpapas didn't regret protecting him either. We put all our hopes in him and he followed through and activated the granilith.
It seems like an insane tale as I write it, but the images will forever live my head. I think Kyle remembers often as well. I think that's why he teases Michael so much when it comes to Isabel. He likes the idea of those two together and raising Adam. I admit I want that as well, which brings me to Kyle and how he became a part of this and helped me break Max's heart. I couldn't think of way to have Max get over me other than to see me with someone else and Adam was clueless about relationships. I thought Kyle made sense since we had a past, even if it had been brief and without the intensity of me and Max. I intended to simply ask him for a favor, but Kyle demanded to know more since what I asked could affect his connection with the aliens and Tess was becoming family. I was at the point of breaking and didn't know what else to do. Then Adam saved me from having to make a decision. He came out of hiding and told Kyle everything and hugged him and said he had missed him. Once he saw Adam and his memories, Kyle agreed with no further question. He also became determined to save Tess and help her even more than before to become a part of the group.
Max used to come every night almost at the same time to talk and ask me if I was ready to again be together, so we planned and used Max's routine. I never saw his face when he caught us and I don't want to imagine it. That night once Kyle left, I sat in my room just feeling… I can't even explain it. Then Adam came back and I reported that I heard Max climbing to my window and I was pretty sure he saw us and then left. It's strange how one of the saddest days of my life was probably one of Adam's happiest.
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"I'm sorry, Aunt Liz."
"It's okay. It's not like we lived happily ever after in the future. You told me we never married and then he died and the world was taken over."
"Uncle Max loved you. You told me once you didn't need marriage. That you knew he felt guilty that my mom and dad never got their chance, so you never pushed for more than what you two already had."
Liz smiles weakly at him and lets out a breath. "Well, I don't think he's coming back," she says, sadly. "How was your night?"
"Good," Adam answered, trying to hide the joy in his eyes, but failing.
"What was good?" Liz asks. He looks torn, like he feels guilty. "You can tell me. I could use a happy story tonight. It might help. Please."
"Okay, I hid in the pod chamber in the area I was born. I thought it would be the safest place. Then mom and dad walked in." Liz looks alarmed. "They didn't see me. I shapeshifted and hid by merging into one of the walls."
Now Liz lets out a breath but from relief. "So you're happy that you saw them."
"Yeah… mom was dressed up and so pretty and they looked happy. Dad said something about the wedding Nazi going Greek wild. She joked about him needing dance lessons and said that if he didn't like Greek wild he could stay home next time. They read Charlotte's Web, Three Little Pigs and The Gruffalo to the baby in the pod and talked to him, I mean me, a lot," he says with awe. "Auntie Maria was right. She's beautiful and he's a smart mouth. And they're strong. Mom and dad are really great and they love me, they really did love me."
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That was the one time I saw him smile, truly smile with no trace of sadness or worry in his eyes. Once he was done sharing we talked longer and worried. He wondered why he was still here. Maybe the rouse with Kyle hadn't worked and we hadn't changed enough. Kyle came the next day and he shared our concerns. We had to keep Adam in hiding. It wasn't as hard as we thought. Everyone assumed I was just busy with my new job and didn't question my absences, and living in a restaurant meant I could feed Adam without people noticing a meal was missing. Kyle brought some of his old clothes for him and invested in a case of Tabasco that we hid under my bed. Adam also shapeshifted into older people and just wondered around Roswell, between the pod chamber, my room, and the library. He even went to school once, which I didn't know until he told me that he had sat next to Tess in history class. I banned him from school or any impersonations of Kyle or the Sheriff after that. Honestly, the day I saw two Kyles in my room I freaked. Then Max, Isabel, Michael and Tess got the seals and Adam was hopeful as we saw the future slowly changing, even if it meant his mother had to face Kivar in the dreams. The four were training and learning to control their powers and the seals and even had a seal for the baby.
Soon came the day when Tess was supposed to die at the hands of Nasedo. We didn't have many details about how it was supposed to happen. Adam said we didn't really speak about that. That every time Tess' or Isabel and Michael's deaths came up, most of us adults just said that they died to make sure we all lived. He told us we always remembered the dates of their deaths and Max's and Alex's and every year we planted flowers for them wherever we were. But everyone tried to always talk to him about their lives, not their deaths. So that day we worried. Kyle tried to keep Tess home and only relented when she said she was leaving with Max to see Isabel. Then Atlas happened and Tess lived and Isabel killed Whitaker. We thought that had to be enough, but Adam stayed with us, until something in me snapped.
I couldn't keep worrying that Adam would be discovered or that I wasn't doing enough and that that awful future could still come true. So I told Max that I needed a human and he needed to let me go. I did it cruelly and it hurt me probably more than it hurt him but I was still so thankful that Maria went after him instead of sticking with me. That day I came home and Adam tried to console me. I wasn't crying, but he knew I wasn't okay. Then it was finally done.
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"What is happening?" Liz asked.
"I think we did enough. The future has been changed enough," he says as his hand begins to disappear. He touches his stomach with the hand he has left and falls to the floor.
"Are you… are you dying?"
"No, maybe? I think this version of me will be gone soon." He sees my desperation and smiles sadly. "The Royal Four will live and save us and the Whirlwind Galaxy. Then I can be… then the right me will be," he says with sincerity.
"Adam, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, I got Max to make such a mess," Liz says.
"It wasn't your fault and now you've saved the future. It's the end of this child king… but the right one will come... one raised by my parents. I… I want to be raised by my parents… so much."
Liz takes Adam's small hand to try to comfort him. "You will be… they will raise you and love you."
He nods, looking hopeful. "Tell uncle Kyle thank you and… to stay on the path and teach me about Buddha after I hatch… I love listening to him read to me about that. And hug Auntie Maria and get her to keep singing... and make sure she smiles… she has the best smile. And keep uncle Alex alive and uncle Max fighting for the right side and if you can… try to get mama Di and papa Phil to make up with my mom and dad. It hurt them to lose her when they weren't speaking."
Liz tries to smile at him but feels tears ready to spill. "I will."
"And… stay you. I love you. Thank you… for mom and dad. I felt their love and… I'm gonna have that. All my dreams will come true. Thank you," he murmurs weakly and then disappears leaving no trace.
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I called Kyle right away and that night, in his arms, I finally cried. I had lost Max for real and I watched an innocent and good boy die for all of us. I wept for what felt like hours. It took me weeks to feel better and I almost lost it the first time I saw Max and Tess flirting around Christmas time. It was subtle and sweet and I don't know if they even realized their playfulness. It hurt horribly. That is how Alex became involved. He saw me leave the diner and the silly talk of the holidays to hide in my room. After some prodding, it all came pouring out. At first I felt terrible, like I had betrayed Adam, but now I'm glad I told Alex. I needed one of my best friends involved because even though Kyle is great and I have learned to appreciate his soft side and how he can make me laugh, he didn't really understand the pain I went through. But Alex, he got to know first hand. Once I told him everything, he too decided to let go. We waited until Christmas was done and then he put distance. Though it as probably not as bad as it was for me, it was hard for him. He gave Tess the sweetest Christmas gift as a way to say goodbye and then cut ties with her. He could tell she was disappointed and hurt. But in the end it was what was needed. It pushed Max and Tess together. "I should have known better after Isabel," Alex once said as he half-joked that from now on we should probably listen to Maria when it comes to dating.
I thought everything had settled after Christmas, and though my heart hurt as I saw Max start to both support and lean on Tess, I began to heal. Alex and Kyle were the rocks at my side who understood my day to day struggle. Maria was the best of us and lifted my spirits without even knowing it. She knew something was up with me, but after her struggle to give up Michael and hearing me end Max's last hopes with my cutting words, she dropped all talk of me and Max. She said that when I was ready she would listen and she supported me no matter what. I love her so much for being there for me even without knowing the truth. That's Maria, and Alex and I leaned on her more than she knew. He focused on the band, school and a hack club he found online. I went back to concentrating on school and my labs and joined an advanced genetics seminar through UNM, Santa Fe. That kept me occupied three afternoons a week and I worked whenever I wasn't studying. Mom and dad were happy to have the old me back. Even more when they found out that Alex and I had started applications to Harvard, Stanford, and MIT. We also encouraged Kyle to start his applications to Eastern New Mexico and West Texas AM. The football coaches there were definitely interested in having him. Maria said she didn't know about college and might just try to make music on her own terms. But Alex still got her to submit a demo to Belmont.
Everything seemed okay, until today. I guess the entire weekend led to this. It started on Friday when Larek took over Brody's body and called a meeting. Maria called me upset. I understood. I wouldn't want my first kiss with a guy I really liked to be interrupted by an alien possessing him. She had a right to be mad and freaked out. Then we caught Michael and Isabel more than intensely making out. In a way it was a relief to see them together. Based on Larek's comments, their glows showed they are getting stronger as they grow together. There was hope for them and Adam and plenty of teasing material for Kyle. Then Larek told us about Tess' brother and the mission to get him out of a pod and the plan to attack the skins. The meeting was one crazy revelation after another and by the time we left I was terrified that someone may get killed. Alex and Kyle understood my fears but we couldn't say anything. And Max held Tess with such tenderness and care that he left no doubt there is something more than friendship going on between them. I thought I was ready to see them together, but I was wrong. I tried to not show how much it hurt and I thought I had succeeded, but I should have known insightful Maria would catch on. She stayed the night with me after we took care of Brody. Alex erased his surveillance tapes at the UFO center while Maria and I took Larek to his home. Once we settled in the living room, Larek gave us a brief farewell and acted as grateful as he probably could before leaving Brody's body. Brody was disoriented and freaked out as he realized he lost a big chunk of time. He asked if we were okay and Maria told him everything as fine, that he had made no sense for a bit and she called me for help and then we just brought him home. He apologized profusely and tried to explain that he had been abducted. I could tell Maria felt guilty about hiding what she knew and that he was horribly worried that he may have harmed her. She assured him everything was fine and that she would call him. She kissed his cheek and he looked so vulnerable and taken by her that I felt like I shouldn't be witnessing such a tender moment.
On Saturday, we went to the concert and saw Maria shine on stage as Alex and his band friends played three fantastic melodies. Their last song touched my heart. I wrote most of it as a poem about Adam and losing Max and hoping for a better future. Luckily he wasn't here to hear it. He may have figured out the message, but he was with Tess. He must have been with her all day since they stayed at Isabel and Michael's after the rest of us left and Kyle said she didn't come home until the morning and Max was with her.
Isabel and Michael came to the concert and looked good together, though we could tell both were tired and worried. Still they seemed okay and even danced for a short while. Michael did not look particularly happy about dancing in front of everyone, but Isabel said something about Greek wild, kissed him and got him to smile. We didn't get it, but I don't think we were supposed to. Later he made a couple of the mean girls from school fly out the place in fear. They sat next to us and had been staring at Isabel's belly with a look of distaste while constantly talking. Then we heard them say something about a slut along with a nasty comment about not really knowing who the father was. Michael turned to their table with a brutal scowl, told them they would never be a tenth of the woman that Isabel was, and threatened to show them what a delinquent he could be if they ever even whispered another word about his girlfriend or son again. Something about how he spoke shook even me and the girls left soon after, looking pale and scared senseless. Isabel told him that was unnecessary, but she had a hint of a smile on her face. Kyle gave Michael a hard time and started to call him papa bear.
I focused on Maria and Alex and tried not to think about Max's absence and what he could possibly be doing. My friends were happy and I was happy for them. Alex was jamming and smiling and Maria was glowing with joy. I knew the moment she saw Brody in the audience. Her eyes became focused on him as she sang and once she was done and got off stage she practically leapt into his embrace. I know she stopped by the UFO center around lunch time and she had been over the moon since then. He brought flowers to the concert and after she ran into his arms he said something to her and she kissed him. They must have had a good lunch talk. We all congratulated Maria and Alex and enjoyed the rest of the bands. Michael and Isabel left first. She threatened Brody and said Michael would be happy to break his bones if he hurt Maria. We laughed at that one.
Then this morning Max called demanding we have a group meeting as soon as possible. Maria and I couldn't get away until the afternoon so it didn't happen until two. We met at Michael and Isabel's place.
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"What's going on?" Maria asks.
"You tell me. You're the ones that have been hiding what you know about us and Adam," Michael answers scowling.
"Come again?"
"She doesn't know. She's the only one that hasn't lied to us," Tess says.
"What are you talking about?" Maria questions again.
Isabel looks straight at Liz. "I glided into your mind. I've been practicing. It's like dream walking, but more focused. I can prod the mind and not just see dreams, but also memories and ideas and plans. Liz, I saw Adam."
"What?"
"Don't act innocent and tell me why you have images of my son as twelve-year old in your head!"
"Stop," Alex orders, moving to stand defensively besides his friend. "She did what she needed to do. You know Liz. She would never hurt you or Adam."
"Like you would never hurt me?" Tess says with sarcasm pouring out of her.
"Tess I -"
"You lied to me. Both of you," she argues, turning to Kyle as well. "I heard you three talking about us in school. You knew about the granilith. You knew and you stopped helping me, both of you!"
"Wait, back up, Space Slut. What are you talking about?" Maria asks.
Max takes over the conversation. "Tess overheard Liz, Kyle and Alex talking about us and Adam and the granilith. She told me Friday night, after our meeting with Larek. She thought they knew something important and didn't want to tell us."
"So you send Isabel to mess with her head!" Maria accuses.
"He didn't send me. Tess, Michael and I had already agreed that I would investigate. But I'm glad we got my brother on our side."
"Your side? You think we're against you now? Unbelievable!" Kyle exclaims. "Tess, please. You know me. You know better than this!"
"Don't yell at her!" Max says protectively. "Tell us the truth. Tess heard Liz say something about her still being alive and not wanting us to die."
"And Alex said it would be for the best if we went back to our planet," Tess adds.
"Why?" Max asks.
"You don't understand," Liz answers.
"Exactly! We don't understand!" Michael argues. "Izzy says she saw flashes of Adam as a twelve year old talking to you and then disappearing. She thought our son died and woke up in tears," he adds, accusingly.
"He looked so much like Michael. He was with you, looking sick. He kept saying thank you and asking you to say things to Kyle and hug Maria and make sure she sings and smiles. And to keep Alex alive and Max fighting for the right side and to get us to make up with my parents. And he thanked you for us and said all his dreams would come true. Then he disappeared and you cried with Kyle," Isabel says softly. All the fight has left her eyes and instead she looks tired and worried. "How can that be, Liz? Why did Adam say that? Was that really him? Please, what is going on?"
"Liz, this is hurting my sister and Tess. You need to explain, all three of you." Max orders.
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So, we told them everything. From the moment Adam scared the life out of me in my room. To the night Kyle and I pretended to sleep together, to Adam's surprise at the seals and Atlas and… everything. I did my best to leave no detail behind. I apologized to Max for hurting him and not being able to stay by his side. I said I was sorry for Atlas, but that we didn't know the details about that and by then things had become different from what Adam knew so we couldn't have prevented it. And Alex told Tess he never wanted to hurt her and confessed how special she was to him, how he cared as even more than a friend. And Kyle explained that he didn't want to hurt anyone, but he didn't regret what we did because it was the right thing. We had to help Adam and change the future. Kyle did his best to express how special Adam was to us. How he could make Alkalean gazes and shapeshift and blow things up and heal and project his memories into our heads. How the two of them had amazing conversations about Buddha and peace and the world, and that's why Kyle helped me. I told them that Adam opened the pod chamber and showed us the granilith which is hidden behind Tess' pod. How he struggled with the guilt of having so many people die for him. How Kyle and I got to see Max, Alex, the Sheriff, Mr. Evans, and Kyle himself, all die. We told them all about Adam and our actions and how Alex found out after and was only guilty of keeping our secrets. I never expected that Michael would be the one most affected.
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They sit in the living room in silence. Maria looks stunned and sad and unsure of what to do. Tess and Max's faces are a mix of shock and anger and their eyes scream betrayal. Isabel is holding Michael's hand while crying and he looks… devastated.
"Izzy dies?" Michael asks. Liz nods. "And we don't get to raise Adam. He ends up in the system instead."
"Only for a year. Then the Evanses get him back."
"But Adam was still in foster care."
Liz shakes her head no. "He said it was a home for homeless boys, in Oregon."
"No," he whispers and grabs his head with his hands.
"Mikey," Isabel says and hugs him. He pulls away from her brusquely. "Michael?"
"Stay away," he orders as he stands. He moves fast and leaves.
Isabel stands and runs after him. "Michael!"
Everyone sits unsure of what to do. They hear the engine of the motorcycle and then see Isabel running back in. She grabs keys from the dining table.
"Isabel."
"What?"
"Maybe you should let him -"
"No, Max. I'm going after him."
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Today, I write as I continue to let go of the man I love and watch him turn into someone different from the sweet boy I fell in love with. Not better or worse, just different. Today, I saw Max demanding answers from me. He was in charge and strong and completely protective of his family. Then he looked confused and betrayed and hesitant and for the first time since I found out his secret, he didn't choose me. He found out that I didn't sleep with Kyle, that I only hurt him to save him and our friends and family and the future, but he didn't stay. Once Michael ran from us, with Isabel tailing him, Max looked at me stunned. He stared as if I was all that mattered, as if I had all the answers, and for one second I was hopeful.
Tess broke the stillness in the room by telling Kyle and Alex that she forgave them, but she didn't know if she could trust them again. She said trust is hard for her. Then she turned to Max. She had tears in her eyes, but not one of them spilled as she told him that she understood and wanted him to be happy. She told him to stay and be happy. Max didn't talk at all. He just stood still, looking at me, only me. Then the door to the house closed and it was as if that was his cue. He never said he forgave me or wanted us together again. Instead he ran and I heard him calling after Tess. Then he started the jeep and chased after her truck just like his sister had chased after Michael a few minutes earlier.
Today it all finally feels real. Somehow I have to find a way to truly move on. I have to move on and let Max have the Queen that would have died if I had lived the life where we stayed in love. Today, Tess lives and she's the one Max went after. I'm Liz Parker and I once mourned a boy who died trying to change the life of war and death he grew up in. I saw him accept the possibilities that such a change could bring and hope for a better future for all of us. Perhaps someday I'll be able to open up and accept a world full of possibilities and let go of the pain this has caused. Perhaps someday I too will find some happiness. Until then I find comfort in knowing that all my friends, even Tess, are alive and we are stronger and can help save both Earth and Antar. I get hope from my amazing friends who show me that they are worth everything and give me their unconditional support. Even after our aliens walked away, Kyle and Alex said they didn't regret anything. Maria was not happy that she didn't know, but she was still there for me, offering her kindness and support and holding me. So I find solace in having us and my parents and every person that walks into our simple diner, alive and safe on this amazing Earth. And I hope to soon see a miracle, to see the alien child King that died in my arms in this new world that we have made, where me and my friends, human and alien, maybe upset and scared and angry, but where he has the chance to be cared for by his parents. He can get his last wish, the one thing in the world he so longed for. Maybe it was all worth it if we can give happiness to one innocent boy. So today, I let myself feel everything and try to heal and move on and I finally write again.
Okay, first thing, given the feedback I got and the ideas that were shared and the ones that keep popping in my head for this story, I'm happy to say that this is now Rebel! So excited to have finally decided.
Now, tell me what you think. Was my experiment in writing from the first person point of view as mostly Liz totally awful or not? And what do you think on this twist for end of the world?