Sorry this took a while; I'm kinda hooked on Kingdom Hearts at the moment.
Chapter 31
"What the hell are you doing here?" Michael demanded.
"To stop you from using everyone!" Max exclaimed. "God Michael!" Max hurried over to Langley and helped him up and moved into the house.
Max made his way over to the living room and placed Kal on the couch. "Are you okay?" Max asked as Kal sat up, breathing weakly as sweat adorned his forehead.
"Give me time, I'll get my breath back – Zan," Kal told him and Max shook his head.
"Sorry, I don't go by that name, my name is Max Evans," Max told him. "I think my girlfriend would kill me if I changed my name." Kal nodded, warily.
Michael came into the living room, ready to tear strips off Max for interrupting.
"What the hell do you think you are doing?" Michael demanded, furious. Max stood up and faced off his second in command. Kal just watched them both to see what was going to happen. "Why are you so hell bent on destroying everything?"
"I'm not destroying everything, you are!" Max shouted back, causing Michael to take a step back at he looked at Max in shock. "I'm fed up doing this, I'm tired of having to run around after you and Isabel and picking up your mess. God, Liz is terrified that she is going to lose me because of you two!" Max ran a hand through his hair. "Ever since we found out the truth about our selves, it is one rule for you two and another for me. It's alright for you to go out and date people but it's against the law for me. It's alright for you two to use your powers but I'm not allowed to. All you and Isabel do is fuck around and in the end, I'm the one who picks up the pieces and deals with the consequences…well not this time – you and Isabel are on your own. You get in trouble – deal with it yourself!"
"What?" Michael demanded. Max shot him a glare.
"You heard me. You want to find your son, fine – don't drag anyone else into it. We're all glad that Tess is gone from our lives and we don't want her back in it. You want to find Tess – then be my guest but don't expect us to help you. We all want to get on with our lives. Liz wants to get past the fact that her life has been a lie. Maria wants to get back to normal – she wants her mom to be able to trust her again but she can't because Maria was dragged in to the stupid robbery with you. James is feeling alienated because his girlfriend was arrested. Alex is trying to move on with the fact that Tess killed Sarah, someone he loved. Isabel has finally moved on with a new guy but she can't do anything but you are hell bent on making sure that nothing goes our way," Max told him.
Kal just sat there, staring at Max, opened mouth. He couldn't believe what he was hearing from the King and realised that Max was right, he couldn't go by the name Zan anymore because he wasn't Zan anymore.
"So, that's it, you're giving up?" Michael asked and Max let out a bitter laugh.
"God, listen to you Michael. The way you're acting – you think it was me who was searching for Tess! I have a life here on Earth – one I'm very happy about and I don't want to leave Earth – I'm sorry that I don't follow your dreams but I have my own dreams to follow and nothing anyone could do to stop me." With that, he walked out of the living room and into the kitchen to get some air while Michael just stared at the spot where Max had left and Kal just stared at Michael.
Max just rested his elbows on the counter as he rested his head into his hands, groaning over the fact he had lost his temper. A part of him told him to go back and make amends with Michael but Maria and Liz's words kept rushing over him.
"How long are you going to keep paying for Michael's mistakes?" Max stayed firm. He knew that he couldn't be there to help Michael out all the time and he needed to make sure that Michael and Isabel knew that. He had his own life and he wanted to live it – not put it on hold.
His phone started vibrating from his jean pocket. He reached his hand in and pulled out the phone and smiled when he saw Liz's name on the ID screen before he flipped it open and held it to his ear.
"Hey baby," Max greeted into the phone and Liz smiled.
"When are you coming home?" Liz asked. "I miss you."
Max groaned as he closed his eyes. "I miss you too, believe me, but I need to make sure Kal is okay, he hasn't shifted in years and it took a lot out of him," Max explained and Liz nodded.
"Milton is coming up as well, he wants to talk to Michael, he shouldn't be long," she told him.
"Thanks, how's Maria?" Max asked and Liz sighed.
"She's fine, but Aunt Amy on the other hand, don't get me started," Liz told him.
"Lizzie?" a male voice called and Liz turned to the window, where her father was.
"Yeah Dad?" she asked.
"Just checking you're okay, tell Max I said hi," Jeff teased and Liz laughed.
"Dad says hi," Liz told him and Max laughed.
"Tell him I said hi back, Amy still in a bad mood?" Max asked.
"Yep, we're all doing our best but you know Aunt Amy," Liz told him and Max sighed. "Oh, baby," Liz called. "Isabel is getting married to Jesse."
"She's what?" Max demanded, startling Michael and Kal.
"You heard me," Liz told him.
"Jesse Ramirez? Dad's new lawyer?" Max asked.
"Yes," Liz confirmed and Max rolled his eyes.
"I'm gone for like a day and everyone pulls out the stops!" he muttered, rubbing his forehead as Liz smiled.
"Poor baby," Liz soothed and there was a knock, Max answered the door and smiled.
"Hey Milton, they're in the living room," Max told him and Milton nodded as he made his way into the living room. "Milton has just arrived, I have to go. I promise I will be back in Roswell soon," He told her.
"I'm holding you to that," Liz teased, causing Max to growl. "Love you."
"Love you too," Max, replied and they hung up.
Max made his way into the living room and sat down next to Michael, both boys were across from the shape-shifters. "You feeling better?" Max asked and Kal nodded.
"Er, yeah," Kal informed him and Milton grinned.
"Told you he was different, wait till you meet his girlfriend, Liz, that girl has fire and a backbone," Milton informed, proudly causing Max to laugh. "So, what happened?"
"To make a long story short, Michael got Tess pregnant and she left Roswell through the Granolith. It turned out that she killed Sarah, Alex's girlfriend, by mind warping her too much to decode the destiny book," Max explained and Milton looked at Michael before looking at Max and sighed.
"Why did she leave Earth?" Milton asked.
"Michael connected with the baby only to find out that it couldn't survive on Earth, I get the feeling that it was a mind warp from the way you're acting," Max told him and Milton nodded.
"Babies can live on Earth, wonder why she lied though," Kal informed.
"Naesco made a deal with Khivar, that Tess would get pregnant with Max's child and return home with us three," Michael explained.
"As I was with Liz, she turned to the next best thing – Michael," Max finished.
"Damn," Milton muttered. "If Shelia was here, she would kill Naesco herself if they were both still alive.
"Hey, you told me you had news about Sheila," Kal told him and Milton grinned.
"Liz Parker is Shelia's daughter," Milton told him and Kal looked at him, stunned.
"Liz, as in Max's girlfriend, Liz?" Kal asked and Milton nodded. Max pulled out his wallet, he pulled out a photograph and handed it to Kal, who took and looked at the picture of Liz. "She looks so much like Shelia," Kal whispered and Milton grinned.
"Act like her too but she has the soul of Ilstria, remember Zan's first love?" he asked and Kal grinned.
"Can't anyone? Man, she was so sassy that she had Zan tongue tied around her half of the time," Kal told him and shook his head as he handed the photo back to Max. "You take care of her," Kal told him and Max nodded.
"With my life," Max promised and Kal nodded, obviously satisfied as he watched as Max placed the photo back into his wallet then tucked his wallet back into his pocket.
"What do we do?" Michael asked.
"We can't use the ship, it's dead," Kal told him.
"There was only two ships brought here with you, the one Kal has and the other one that Tess has now got," Milton informed and Michael sighed.
"What do I do I now?" Michael asked.
"Go back home, there's nothing you really can do," Kal told him and Michael slumped in his seat, discouraged.
"Is there anything Michael can do to find Tess? I mean, don't you guys have contacts back on Antar and ask around?" Max asked. He wanted to help Michael out but he wasn't going to get fully involved.
"We can ask around but there is no way to get up there or to get them down – if what you say is true about Tess and Khivar – you'll be lucky if you'll ever get to see your son – although – I am wondering if Khivar knows about the deal being changed and that he now has Michael's child, not Max's," Kal told them.
"Max does have the seal you know, even if he had slept with Tess – it's doubtful he would have passed it on considering he really loves Liz," Milton told them.
Max held up his hand.
"Wait, are you saying my seal is genetic?" Max asked and they both looked at him and were struck at the same time at how much the royal four had a lot to learn.
"Yes," Kal told him.
"Any children you and Liz would have would gain the seal – in fact – Liz has the seal but it's dominate at the moment because she hasn't used any powers. Your children would be the heir to the throne," Milton finished.
Max just sat back, letting it all wash over him.
"So, I might never get to see my son?" Michael asked and Milton shrugged.
"It depends on if you ever go back to Antar or if Tess would come back down to Earth with your son. It can go either way or you could never see him again," Milton explained and Michael nodded with a stoic look on his face. "I'm sorry," Milton finished and Michael shook his head, brushing off the statement.
"I think I knew this the whole time, I just didn't want to admit it," Michael told them and they nodded in understanding.
"We better head back down to Roswell before my parents find out that I'm missing," Max told Michael and Michael nodded as they both stood up. "We'll see you back in Roswell." Max looked at Milton, who nodded. "It was nice to meet you, Kal." With that, Max and Michael left the house, leaving the two protectors behind, staring after them.
Liz made her way through the Crashdown, setting everything up as Maria got the glasses ready so that they could open up in time for the morning rush when the Crashdown bell jingled causing everyone to turn around and Liz to smile when she saw a familiar face.
"We're home!" Max exclaimed and Liz laughed as she hugged him. Max just wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her in closer.
Kyle, Alex and Isabel made their way in from the backroom, laughing at something Alex was saying when they stopped at the sight of Michael and Max return.
"You're back," Isabel stated. Max nodded.
"We'll have a talk later," Max promised her and Isabel nodded.
"So, what happened?" Kyle asked.
"The ship wasn't functioning properly. He couldn't get it to work," Max explained and Kyle nodded.
"I'm sorry," Michael spoke up and everyone looked at him. "I didn't stop to think what I would be putting you all through by looking for Tess. I didn't understand why you all were so against me finding my son but I understand now. Tess betrayed you all – she betrayed me too but I tend to forget it because I really cared about her and I really wanted to find my own son. Milton and Kal explained that I might never get to see my son again." The women sighed in understanding. "I'm not gonna stop looking for my son but I promise that I will stop dragging you into my mess." Michael took a deep breath. "I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for everything I put you through," Michael finished before leaving the Crashdown.
The gang watched as he walked away and Liz turned to Max.
"Do you think he'll be okay?" She asked.
"Only time can tell," Max told her as he kissed her forehead.
TBC