Hello! Long time! Sorry it's taken so long. I could give you a million excuses (valid ones too) but I feel like I've been writing pieces of this chapter forever and finally it has sort of come together and seems good enough to publish. I might change a few details, but the main ideas to move things forward are here and I feel like we're getting to the ending portions of this story. Exciting! I'm hoping for no more than 5 chapters and done! So prepare for the end. (Though if asked I may write some sort of sequel or filler of missing pieces someday since I love this story and using the Roswell characters.)

Thanks so much to kBeth82 and BirdsEye for the reviews and to all of you who added this to your follows/favs. You keep me writing. :-) And without further ado here is the new chapter.

Past, Present, Future

At the park Tess spots Max sitting on a bench deep in thought. She approaches and sits next to him. She tenderly squeezes his shoulder and gives him a supportive look. He smiles slightly, and she gets him to lay down on the bench with his head on her lap. She runs her fingers through his hair.

"Your hair is getting long."

"Yeah. Mom is gonna cut it this weekend."

"Okay." They're silent for a while as she keeps soothingly caressing his head. "You're thinking about what you saw when Adam healed you."

"I forgot them... everyone I was supposed to care for, my own mother."

"We all forgot."

"No. You wanted to go home and end the war. You knew. Even Michael always had the instinct to go find our home."

She shakes her head in disagreement. "I had Nasedo. He wronged me in many ways, but also helped me remember some true things. And from what I heard Michael was stuck in an awful situation with that Guerin man. It makes sense that he looked for a way out. You can't blame yourself for having a human family that made you happy, Max. And driving yourself crazy with guilt isn't going to help anyone. We just have to keep doing the best we can until it's the right time."

"Are we doing our best? We destroyed the husks, but my mother is just managing to hold on and hide our people in a place that I remember has practically no resources. It's taken me so long to see things clearly. If it wasn't for Adam, you would be under Kivar's control or dead with Iz and Michael to soon follow. I would screw everything up without even realizing the effects of my act-"

"Stop it," she orders. "I'm alive and we have Adam and my brother. We're stronger than ever before and you haven't messed anything up. You got to see our people surviving and believing in us. Someday we can save them, but right now we have to deal with the prisoners and focus on the present. We need to keep training. We need to learn and get all the help we can. Then we can fight back."

"What if I don't want to wait?" He asks, sitting up and looking at her eyes. She seems concerned and he takes her hands in his and speaks kindly. "For the first time in my life I feel like you said... like I am meant to be somewhere else. Antar and our galaxy are not a dream."

"I know, and you told me what you saw. You told all of us."

"I know I did, but I don't know if anyone understands. I didn't just see Antar. I smelled the air, saw the sky with two bright silver suns, touched the trunk of a blue tree and felt its energy flow through me. I watched and felt the pain of the slaves that Kivar keeps there. I saw how much they need me, us. It was so real and then the ruined stars and so many of our kind… they are taking shelter in caves near where Zan found Rath and Vilandra, where I remember fighting my best friend. Tess, I swear I felt the heat of the fire they had in the middle of the cave, their hunger and struggle. It was like I was sitting among them while they shared scraps and wished to be free, to someday go home."

"Max…"

"Do you believe me?"

"Of course I believe you. I just don't want to rush things. For the first time in a long time I'm scared. I'm so scared of this whole alien thing." He looks surprised at her admission. "I killed one too many aliens, including Nasedo, and Nicolas hurt you… and… I thought I would lose you. You almost died." She looks like she wants to cry. He pulls her into a hug.

"I'm here. I'm okay."

"What if Adam hadn't healed you in time?"

"He did. I'm fine." He pulls away, looks at her worried eyes and tries to explain. "I just want to help. I wanna go home and help."

"I do too. But I don't want rush into things. You can heal us, but if you're the one hurt… we can't depend on Adam saving you again. He's a baby. He shouldn't have that kind of burden. Please, I just want to take our time and be careful... I just… I remember what Ava felt when Zan died in her arms and when I almost lost you… I can't go through that. I don't want to feel that kind of pain. Please, Max." She can't stop the tear that rolls down her cheek.

"I'm sorry," he says as he cleans the stray tear with his thumb. "We'll deal with the prisoners, gain allies and keep reading the book and training. We'll stay safe until we are ready to fight back."

Two days later at the DeLuca apartment.

"You didn't have to stay and babysit me," Maria says.

"We're not babysitting. Can't we just want to hang out with our best friend?" Liz argues.

"Your best friend is not much company. I'm currently the pathetic version of myself."

"We've been there. When we had to let go of Tess and Max we were the pathetic ones," Alex adds.

"And you didn't even tell me about it!" She's ready to start a rant about that but stops herself. "You little sneak! Trying to help me forget about Brody by making me mad. Didn't know you had it in you." He shrugs.

"Ria, there's nowhere I'd rather be."

"Now chica, that's kinda pathetic." They smile but soon the sad worried look returns to Maria's face.

"It will be okay," Liz adds.

"We should have gone with them. I feel like a coward."

"You're not," Alex assures. "I don't want to go anywhere near the pod chamber and thinking of seeing skins again freaks me out. Neither of us is ready for that."

"And our friends are?"

"They don't have a choice," Liz says. "Can't let the skins Isabel imprisoned stay in cocoons forever."

"Kyle went."

"Yes, but we didn't face any of the skins like you and Alex. And he's gonna stay with Mrs. Evans, watching after Adam."

"I don't know how Isabel can do it. I don't want to step foot in Anquio's cave ever again."

"She'll have all the Czechs with her this time and Adam and her mom will be close enough at the resort."

"Liz is right. Plus, I think as long as Michael is there, and they know Adam is safe and nearby, she'll be fine," Alex adds.

"You've noticed too," Maria says.

"That they always have to know where the other is and if they're safe. Kinda hard to miss. Plus, Kyle keeps teasing Michael at school. Told him we miss the days when nookie with Isabel made him an almost happy looking Czech instead of the location Nazi."

"Bet Space Boy took that well," Maria says with a snicker.

"Didn't really get time to react. Max told Kyle that he never wants to hear the word nookie and his sister's name in the same sentence. Then Devers made us actually play basketball."

"Sounds more like football players' talk than our boys," Maria teases.

"Kyle is a football player and he probably said it on purpose. Goading Michael is always a good way to keep our minds away from worrying," Liz adds.

"That much is true. Can't keep the gloom and doom when Space Boy gets all pissy over a Valenti joke," Maria replies, smiling slightly.

They hear a knock. "I got it. You two pick a movie and put it in," Alex says, standing up and heading to the door. "Brody?"

The second she hears Alex say his name she feels like her heart stops and quickens all at once. She springs up from the couch at a speed that almost makes her dizzy and sees him, holding flowers as he stands on the threshold.

"Hi," he says. "I'm sorry to interrupt and not call or anything... can we talk?"

"We were just leaving," Liz says, pulling Alex.

Maria barely registers their hasty exit as she continues to stand still. The last time they spoke he was livid and disappointed and barely able to control himself. He yelled about how she was probably another alien who took over this poor girl's body, so they could continue to use him and give him episodes. He told her how much he wanted to force her to give him well deserved answers. But then said he wouldn't. That despite the evidence that she took his alien devices and lied and used him, he cared about her. That she got him to feel like he could go back and be his old self, the Brody before the divorce and abductions. That even if it was all lies, she made him want to live fully again and for that he would always be thankful. So, he didn't fight her for answers. He just demanded that she stay away from him and his child.

"Fairy godmother." Hearing him call her by the nickname Syd gave her surprises her. He used to call her that to make her smile and blush, but now it makes her want to cry. "I'm sorry." She stares. "I know the truth and I'm so sorry for what I said to you."

"I don't understand."

"You're the reason Syd is still alive. You got Max to give me my daughter back and you tried to protect me. You kept Larek's takeovers as short and painless as possible." Her eyes grow big, in shock. "You're no alien. You're the best thing that could have happened to me."

In the Montero, on the way to a lodge near Sierra Blanca Peak

"So, you told my boss about us without asking me?" Max asks angrily.

"You have enough dealing with that vision of our planet and our mom. I didn't want to add more on your shoulders and we made sure he would understand before we told him," Isabel argues.

"By poking in his head with your powers!" he accuses. The baby startles and starts crying.

"Her powers saved you from the white room!" Michael counters as he drives.

"Enough, both of you," Isabel warns, pointing to Adam. She gets busy in the backseat, trying to soothe him with a rattle and humming that tune she remembers from their planet.

Max turns and looks at her. "You said you wouldn't do it again."

"She did it for me. I wanted to fix some of the crap Maria is dealing with because of us. Be mad at me, but quietly so Adam settles."

Max is not sure if he wants to listen and understand or tell them how concerned he is that they meddled with Brody's head and told him about them or simply yell because once again Michael and his sister did something big without asking for his opinion. But he doesn't want to be the reason his nephew cries. He takes a breath, leans back on his seat, and stays quiet. After a while Adam calms and just makes baby sounds at his mother who smiles. Max decides he wants to understand. "So, you did this for Maria?"

"Yeah," Michael answers. "She helped us, so we gave her Brody back."

"He's a person, not a present."

"What daddy meant to say is that Auntie Maria needed our help to be okay, so we helped, isn't that right?" Max turns and looks at his sister like she's grown a second head. The baby talk thing still freaks him out, but at least this time it's not Michael acting sweet and comforting, which is even weirder. "And uncle Max has taken bigger risks. He once used his powers in public, in the middle of the Crashdown."

"You can't compare this to that. Liz was dying."

"What's the point of having powers if we don't use them to help the people we care about?" Michael questions.

"He's right. We couldn't change that Maria killed a skin for me, but we could and did use my powers to see how Brody would deal with our secret and then acted based on that."

Max looks at Michael. "You've never wanted to be a part of this world. Always looking for a way home and avoiding ties with people as you wait for the day we'll leave. Now, you've willingly told our parents and Brody. Why?"

"Because I'm beginning to think you were always right. With Iz and Adam and you and our friends and family, maybe I can belong here on Earth."

Max looks distressed. "No, you were right. There is a place out there where we belong. A place where we are needed. We have to go home and save our galaxy."

Isabel interrupts. "Maybe it's not black or white. Maybe we'll go someday and defeat Kivar or maybe he'll come to Earth. None of us knows what the future holds. But right now, this little guy is depending on me and Michael, and we need you, Max. We need you and Tess and our family and friends here, on Earth, together. Anquio, Courtney and Larek might be ready to help us go, but they don't really know what that we need to do to activate the Granilith or what happens if we make a mistake using it. Even if someone knew, we can't just go to a war-torn planet we barely remember. Kivar would send people to hunt us down, just like last week, more people like Nicolas and his soldiers. But it would be worse because we would be in a place we don't know and without people that we trust to help us. Max we could die and leave Adam all alone in an alien world. He's not old enough to survive on his own. We can't risk that. We won't."

Michael briefly turns and looks at her like she's the best thing in the world. "Yeah. And while we're on Earth, might as well use what we are to keep the people who care about us, like Maria, safe and happy."

Max sighs and gives into the situation. What's done is done. "What should I expect when I go back to work?"

"A man who will be thankful that you healed his daughter and hopefully back in a happy relationship with Maria," Isabel answers. Max looks at her incredulously. "Fine, he might be a little afraid, but nothing worse than when Maria thought we'd turn into monsters or when Kyle needed Buddha to cope with our existence."

The next day in Anquio's cave.

"You are our King. Your will is law and when you demand answers they must be given. Are you ready?" Anquio asks.

"You can do this," Tess whispers.

"We are with you," his dad says.

"I'm ready," Max assures.

They turn to Isabel and Michael. Michael takes Isabel's hand in his and says he is ready as well. Isabel breathes and nods in agreement. The Sheriff and Mr. Evans look at the four kids they've grown so used to and the new addition to their group. They glow and seem so different from the people they know and yet the same. Courtney focuses on looking in the cocoons. "These two," she says once she sees they are all ready. Isabel lifts her hand towards the cocoons that Courtney pointed out. Soon they open and two skins stare at them with fright. One looks like a man with dark skin, tired eyes and white hair and the other is a small Asian looking woman with long straight hair that is so black it seems almost blue.

"You must answer to your King," Anquio says. They kneel and look up at Max. "State your names," Anquio orders.

"Franh'ko, of the Meliatan clan, leader of the Taunobis of Western Golderia."

"Sab'nei of the Onima clan of Golderian Zaubratais."

Franh'ko looks at Courtney. "You're one of us. You know we had to."

"I came to Earth undercover for the defectors. I fight for Rath and the life bringer."

"The life bringer is a myth," he says.

"The life bringer lives," Courtney argues.

"My nephew is real and will be King," Max states. His voice is filled with conviction and certainty. His tone calm, just like he practiced with Tess and Anquio the last few days. It's as if what he says is a fact that can't be questioned.

The man looks between Max and then Courtney. "It can't be. Rath took the Princess… she's being illusioned to believe that baby is hers… she's on King Kivar's side."

"I am not!" Isabel argues. "I love my son and Michael!"

"Michael?" the woman, Sab'nei, questions.

"Me," he states, looking a lot more confident than he feels. He stares them down.

"General… I never wanted to fight you," the woman says, with a sad voice. "You're a descendant of our planet, of my clan. I know the King, Zan, made you do it. He made you take her because he didn't want peace. He was going to enslave us."

"Lies!" Anquio argues.

The man shakes his head. "No… Zan and Ava wanted Antar to rule all others with Plateia as main ally... Lord Kivar saved us by becoming King. We did what we had to, to be safe, to be free. We just need the Princess. Then we get to have peace."

"We will never have peace with Kivar!" Anquio argues.

"Franh'ko, the life bringer is real," Courtney insists. "He's only a baby but already one of the strongest Zaus I have ever seen. He has all Rath's and the Valyr's powers. He is Vilandra and Rath's son." The man continues to shake his head in denial.

"Isabel told us one of your own gave her life for him. Did you see that?" Tess asks.

"Isabel?"

"Me," she answers. "You were both here. You saw how the skin called Shankla died protecting my son. You can't deny that."

"Princess, please… we can't," the woman says.

"Why not?" Michael asks. They stay quiet for a while.

"Because if they believe, it means they were wrong. It means they helped start a war that has killed, enslaved, and displaced too many of us all based on a lie," Max says with sadness.

"No, please," the woman whispers.

"I know what it's like to make mistakes because of the influence of others," Tess says. "Don't refuse the truth out of shame or fear."

Sab'nei looks at Isabel. "But… you and Kivar were in love. He adored you and you mated in Golderia. It was my first assignment, just a guard in the Lord's forces. I could hear what you two were doing."

"I don't know what happened between Vilandra and Kivar, I don't remember. But I am sure that I love Michael."

"If Kivar loved her, he would help her, not hunt her down and try to kill Adam," Michael says.

Anquio speaks. "I was temporarily promoted to be the King's second after Rath and Vilandra disappeared. I saw when he fought Zan and asked to be judged for treason in her place. I was there when she tried to break him out. Pregnant Vilandra knocked out four guards and would have reached Rath if my sister had not gotten in her way. Ava begged her to stop and promised to take over his defense so that they could be pardoned and stay together. They loved each other," Everyone stares at him. "Kivar is a liar and an usurper. He didn't love our Princess. He killed her," Anquio adds.

"She died in the crossfire," Sab'nei whispers, with horror in her voice.

"What crossfire?" Anquio asked. "The Valyrs in the thrones died two stars before the great battle for Antar."

"Two stars?" Isabel asks.

"Two days."

Franh'ko shakes his head. "Princess Vilandra opened the palace doors so Kivar and Nickoli could infiltrate the castle with a small contingent and prepare for the great battle. Zan found them and fought them with his personal guard. She was accidentally killed during that skirmish."

"Zan's personal guard and all defensive forces of the palace reported to me. There was no skirmish! He was supposed to stay safe in his chambers, but he issued an order to find his sister at all costs. They did as he commanded and noticed she had granted Kivar access to the palace. He was the only one that got pass security, no Nickoli or anyone else. There were no signs of a struggle anywhere. He killed the Princess and the King."

The woman looks at him in disbelief. "But -"

"But nothing! She had an energy blow to the stomach, clearly directed at her child. It was bad, but anyone with combat training would have been able to block it and she was trained by Rath! I already told you how she disabled our guards trying to break him out. She would have protected herself if she thought there was a threat. Kivar tricked her somehow. There is no other way that she let a hit like that get to her. And with enough time and the elders' help, Zan could have saved her. But he was run through with a poisoned sword before more could be done. A golden sword laced with Golderian rankala powder. The same kind that killed Rath two stars later."

"It can't be. You have no evidence," Sab'nei says, doubt laced in her voice.

"It's the past," Max says. "What matters are our present choices. You have a chance to see the truth and side with us. My nephew is the life bringer. Why else would Kivar want to kill him? If he was just any baby and my sister loved Kivar, he could just come for her and they would go home. Why does he need you to kidnap her and kill an innocent child?"

"Because it's not her baby and you and her were illusioned by the Queen," Franh'ko answers, obviously questioning his own words.

"Kivar was one of the strongest illusionist in the Galaxy all those sun turns ago, so good he was able to hide that he was a master third class like my sister and me until the war broke out," Anquio argues. "And he's also a mind glider. After all this time, you don't think he's powerful enough to pull the Princess out of any of our illusions?"

"You're the Plateiaian Commander?" Franh'ko says. Anquio nods. "But… you died."

"The Queen mother saved my essence and brought me back to serve the Royals."

"I… I'm sorry," Sab'nei says, looking pale. Anquio looks at her surprised. "I deserve any judgement you request of your King."

"Why?" Max asks. She looks at Anquio again and seems unable to speak.

"You were there?" he whispers. She looks to the ground in shame and no one gets a chance to say more. The cave darkens, and bugs, bats and snakes attack her. Blue energy crackles as the Royal four, Courtney, Mr. Evans and the Sheriff scream at him to stop. Franh'ko gets in his way and they see the monster that Anquio showed them when he hatched. The skin runs to the back of the cave and tries to put up a shield, but quickly gets tossed around by the monster.

"Stop it!" Michael yells as he puts up a shield. Max runs to Sab'nei and tries to heal her. But bees, spiders and snakes continue to bite her and squeeze the life out of her.

"Stop. You know the plan. We need them on our side," Isabel states, defending her brother and Michael.

"Anquio please!" Tess begs.

"She killed them," he says, softly, almost as if the words hurt him.

"Who?"

"I command you to stop!" Max says and lifts his hand. The monster disappears and the animals retreat into crevices in the cave. Anquio falls to the ground touching his chest.

"No!" Tess screams as she runs to her brother. "Oh God!"

"I'm fine," he whispers. "But Taktra is wrong."

"I'm not! We need allies! The more Golderians know the truth the more they will turn on Kivar. He will be weakened."

"Do we really want murderers?"

The Sheriff kneels in front of him and puts a hand on his shoulder. "You wanted more help, remember? Think rationally and lead your troops. Don't lose control."

He looks at the Sheriff with a level of respect that he has only shown Michael and slumps against the cave. The energy in the room and his expressions disappear. He talks with a hopelessness that makes Tess want to cry. "Nickoli's ships blasted the crop areas and free land, almost everything was blown up. We tried to get home in time, Larek tried to help, but the troops landed long before we got close and destroyed the dome, the viewer, the entire citadel… every beacon of Plateia and our parents, the nobles, all our leaders. They took Anlo, some of the Enloars that helped with the Granilith, and every single Zaus child." Sab'nei sits up and looks at him with shame. "They were civilians. The younglings had nothing to do with the royals and my brother wasn't a warrior. But you still took him, just to try to build another Granilith."

"I thought we were going to Plateia to disable the threat of the Granilith and free the planet," Sab'nei squeaks. "I thought Ava had taken advantage of her people after being chosen as future Queen. But then… Nickoli killed everyone in the citadel… not just Palhars and then… the children..."

"You decimated my home," Anquio says.

"I quit fighting when I saw, but I couldn't stop him. I didn't know Nickoli would… I let as many survivors as possible escape, especially the little ones."

"Doesn't matter. Nickoli caught most of the ships on their way out of the planet. Still, my brother and the other enloards killed themselves and made sure Kivar got nothing. How does it feel to know all those deaths were for nothing?"

"I… I should be punished."

"Make up for it now," Max says. "Fight on our side, so we can go home and free everyone, not just Golderians or Plateiaians or Zaubretais or Taunobis, but everyone."

"What!" Tess says, looking like she wants to blow the woman up herself.

"We need to make sure the truth is clear and bring people together. Together, we'll be stronger and able to fight back," Max pleads.

Tess runs a hand thru her hair and then moves to leave the cave. Isabel gets in her way and whispers something in her ear. They turn back and look at Max. Tess nods. Max looks at Sab'nei. "You speak of what happened in Plateia. How can you follow Kivar if you know he killed innocent people and took civilians and children hostage from their home?"

"Lord Kivar didn't do it. It was Nickoli. He's insane."

"And whose orders was he following?" the Sheriff asks. "Soldiers, insane or not, in any planet, are bound by orders and punished if they break them. Was he ever punished?"

"Maybe. It took time, but he got sent to Earth as punishment," Franh'ko says.

Courtney intervenes. "Bullshit." She looks at Sab'nei. "You know that Nickoli was only punished after the Commander in charge rallied what was left of the Plateiaians and Antarians, showed up in Ak'ssoalha and freed the slaves in that encampment. In Kivars eyes, that and not realizing that the Enloars that knew of the Granilith would kill themselves rather than share their secrets were Nickoli's biggest failures. Those are the reasons he got sent to Earth with the skin of a kid. He was punished when the good guys did good things."

"Sentence me to die," Sab'nei interrupts, looking at Max.

"No," Anquio intercedes. "Dying is easy. Living with everything you failed to do hurts most." Sab'nei gasps and stares at him. "Look me in the eye and find a way to live with your past and your choices. Get your soldiers to fight for the right King."

Four days later. Phoenix, Arizona.

"So Zan let you go, just like that?" Nicolas asks.

"Yes," the skin officer answers. "He said they are not murderers. That they will defend themselves and their people, but they won't massacre everyone in their path when there's no threat. We were so outnumbered we weren't a threat in that cave so they let us go."

"Fool," Nicolas utters.

"You are the fool."

"Your majesty," the officer gasps and vows.

Nicolas vows his head and listens, tough his eyes are filled with discontent. "Zan is trying to turn our own against us. Promising the life bringer and peace and prosperity is of course what we should expect from him. But it will only go so far. He must give more to prove himself. So he uses righteousness, forgiveness and the option of freedom as his tools. A smart move that you could have prevented if you hadn't rushed and spread your forces all over this forsaken dessert."

"Of course, your grace," he says through gritted teeth.

"Assess what's left of your forces and have them join the battalion under my command." Nicolas gets a glint in his eye, but her orders erase it within a second. "We are not attacking, you simpleton."

"Then may I ask, what is your plan, Queen mother?"

"We need an heir to the throne, an alternate to this life bringer myth. And my son will accept only the Princess to deliver it. So we will forget the rest of the royals and accomplish your actual mission, Vilandra. Unsurprisingly, you have managed to make a mess of things that are perfectly simple. So now you will do as I say and before you know it, the so called life bringer will be gone and the little tramp will be ours."

"Leave us," Nickoli orders, getting all other officers out of the room.

"What is it now?"

"You may think this is an easy mission because we've located them. But they are remembering and getting their powers and Ava's brother is with them. Also the princess is still in love with Rath and they live together."

"Love," she says with derision. "Do you believe such a detail will get in my way?"

"It did before. You didn't anticipate them running away and making the life bringer."

"An admitted failure. Who would have guessed she had it in her to keep a hidden lover while mating with my son? And yet, for all the love she professed for the wretched soldier, one nice push and she welcomed my son in her home and led us to victory. Your failures are about to be corrected Nickoli. Play by my rules and you may come home yet."

I hope you liked it. I had the hardest time with so much going on and still lots of pieces I wanted to add were left out. But this gets the main ideas. We're moving on from the big attack on the husks to the end of the story and I admit I kinda like adding a bit of what the bad guys are cooking. It's fun to write those in, though I don't think I'll do that as much as I did in the last chapter. Anyway, I promise to try to include some cliffie goodness within the next 2 chapters. :) Tell me what you think, reviews are motivation.