Chapter Twenty-Five
Poor Liz.
She had no idea what she was signing up for when she fell for Maxwell Evans now did she?
Liz ran as far away, as fast as she could from Maxwell Evans. He wasn't coming after her, that much was clear, he had his other life to consider now, his other love. Zan was inside now, inside her Max, and Zan was taking over. But she knew that Max was also in there, Max was still in there and she still loved him. God, why? She wanted to yell and shout and stump her foot, she felt like falling to the ground and never stand up again. She was losing Max, he said he wanted to think about his thoughts. Yeah, he wanted to find a way to break up with her in a civil manner, wanted her to not be so hurt. She should have explained to him, that she loved him and only him.
That she could not live without him, as he could apparantly live without her. This was the same guy who had stated that over and over again, when he had broken her heart over and over again. She could feel tears in her eyes, but they would not fall, it was as if she was numb, this was a dream, a nightmare she was having. This wasn't her life, this could not be her life.
Everything she had hoped was being dushed away in a huff, how was that fair. How was anything of this fair. This was Tess's fault.
What Liz couldn't understand was how Tess could be forgiven so easyly, how Max could just...
This was what Tess had constantly warned her about, not verbally but visually. The way she had come to town and put her claim of Max, it had been a tag of war between the two fo them for Max's heart. Liz had won the first round when Max refused to except his destiny with Tess, Tess the second when she had managed to get pregnant and be the first one Max took, Liz the third when she had found out about Alex.
Liz had thought the war was over back then, that she had won. Then Tess had the gallant to shown up, how dare that bitch show up after what she had done, and right after Max regained his memories as well?
This wasn't fair, this wasn't fair, God, please not Max.
Liz stoped in the middle of the streets looking up, before going on her knees, hands together like she was praying and she was. Praying to the god she believed in so much,"God, don't take him from me, please...I'm begging you"
Liz shook her head, giving a small laugh. Like god would grant her her wish, like he was going to allow Max and Liz to be together. She stood up, God, how pathetic was she?
She sighed and began walking home, laughing, wondering if she had really gotten on her knees in the middle of the street and prayed. It was so crazy and rediculas. She was either going to cry or laugh. Hey, she would rather laugh that cry anyday.
Maria flopped faceddown on her bed.
This was not good, this whole Tess coming back thing was not good. The girl had managed to turn their lives upside down without even trying, when she was gone, things were intense but for goodness sake it was better than this. This whole Max/Zan thing going on, did that slut have any idea what she had done? She had destroyed the bane of all exisence. If a love like Max and Liz couldn't make it after Max got back his memories, what about Michael and her. What chance did they have?
This wasn't good. This wasn't good. This wasn't good.
What if Michael starts remembering his past life.
He wasn't in love with Valendra, she knew that much, or did she? After all she had assumed that Max wasn't in love with Tess because it seemed impossible that Max would be in love with anyone but Liz. But here is the situation, Max regained his memories from Antar, Tess showing up out of noway, And stupid, stupid Max was treating her like she went of a vacation. He was treating her better now than he had before. Which was a lot better. It was funny, Liz and Tess switching places in Max's radar.
No, actually...this wasn't funny.
Liz, her best friend Liz was involved, how could she be worried about her freaken relationship when Liz was hurting, when Liz was the one losing the guy she loved.
Poor thing, Poor Liz.
Max was such an ass, he didn't really deserve her best friend anyway. Yes, Liz could do better, Liz will find a better match for herself, Maria was going to make sure of that. Liz had gotten her heart too many times by Maxwell Evans. Maria loved the guy, but come on. Enough was enough. Liz had suffered enough. Maria hoped against hope that she would not have to suffer in such a way.
She hoped she wouldn't have to lose Michael.
Kyle stopped shot, he stared at his front door for a moment.
He really didn't want to walk in there, not after tonight. Tess was back, the girl he had treated like a sister for a while, she had been the only one in the alien department he had completely liked. The only he had not been afraid of, because to state the fact. Kyle had to admit, even with growing up with Max, Michael and Isabel, he couldn't trust them for a while. Even though Evans had healed him. But Tess...
He still remembered the time he had thought he was in love with Tess, that he was developing a crush on her. When he had asked her to prom, then figuring out that his emotions, what he felt for Tess was the kind of love between a brother and sister. He remembered almost punching that guy who was being absurd about Tess. Asking him not to talk about his sister in such a manner.
What a surprise that was for him, and all the guys around him.
Kyle sighed a small smile appearing on his lips while tears formed in his eyes.
The breakfast every single morning, the dinners, a clean house, a well done laundry, the cake she had baked for him, the christmas dinner. Every single good memory of Tess flew into his mind before...
She had manipulated him into carrying Alex's body, why Alex?
That was something Kyle could not quite understand, why did she have to kill Alex? Kyle understood that Alex translated the destiny book, he got that, but why kill him?
It was that thought, that always repulsed Kyle, because even as he thought about Alex and his death. The probability of the pain he must have felt dying alone, because of Tess. How could he love such an evil creature.
Because he did, Kyle loved Tess, but he hated her too...
He hated that he loved her, he hated any good feelings he got when he was around her because that wasn't right...right?
It just wasn't right!
Kyle opened the door, and walked in to see his father leaning against the couch laughing at the t.v. As if sensing his presence, the former sherrif turned, his grin disappeared almost as soon as he noticed his son's face. Faster than a speeding bullet, Mr. Valenti rushed in front of his son, "What's wrong, Kyle?" He asked softly.
He didn't get an answer, he was taken by surprise when Kyle threw his arms around him and began to cry. Kyle couldn't help it. Right now, his emotion were in disarray. The smart father didn't ask any question, only allowed himself to hold his son tightly.
Max walked home alone, slowly mind you, knowing what was waiting for him at home.
He was feeling like an ass at this point.
What had he done?
Tess was back and Liz was crying, he had attacked Liz. He attacked Liz, then caused her more pain, she should have not seen that past scene with Ava. She should have never seen any on his past memories of Ava. That hadn't been fair.
He was such a jerk, a jerk who deserved the worst kind of torture, like real torture, with whips and razors and anything painful. Liz didn't deserve that kind of pain, hadn't the poor thing gone through enough? Why did she have to deal with this? His fault, how could he have treated Tess like that right in front of her? How could he have attacked her just like that then thought better of it afterwards.
Simple...no he wasn't mindwarped, he didn't believe he was...
No, he would know if someone was playing with his mind.
He had explained before, Zan's instincts to protect Tess had been to great, but to be fair she had attacked first...
No, nothing was fair about this situation, nothing was fair at all.
He remembered, danm it, and that made everything even more complicated. Why...why couldn't everything be easy? Why had he fallen in love with Liz, no...he wasn't going to go there. Falling in love with Liz was the best thing he had ever done. Then why was it so hard to be with her, why did he break her heart at every turn, why did he have to remember his past?
Was he sorry for remembering his past?
No..at least he didn't think so... No he was very realived about remembering who he was. But now he had the unfortunate appotunite of break someone's heart.
Max sighed walking up the driveway, what to tell his parents...
Oh God...
What to tell Izzy? That he had changed his mind, that he would never punish Tess for what she did to Alex? He had promised her, promised her that someone would pay, that Tess would pay. He had known even then that he would never hurt Tess, simple because she was the mother of his child.
Max opened his door, wishing with every fiber of his body to turn and leave this foreboding place, but he forced himself to be strong and walked into the livingroom and stopped. His parents who had been engulfed in conversation stopped, both standing up and looking at him.
They were waiting for him.
He took a deep breath...
Michael was laying on the couch, eyes closed trying not to remember how hectic and complicated life had just become. Why did Tess have to come back, especially right now, when Max was starting to remember his life and love for Ava...when he was starting to remember Ava and how maybe he had loved her? Everything was way too complicated and he couldn't forget Maria and Liz and what about Isabel? Wasn't he suppose to be with Isabel, wasn't he destined to be with Valendra? Michael shook his head, he was not suppose to think about this at all, it was giving him a headache...
He didn't know why but something, some force forced him to opened his eyes, startledhe found a pair watching him wearing a smile. He was about to panic before he realized that it was Tess, her golden locks moved as she come forward sitting on the table across from him. Michael became increasingly uncomfortable as Tess stared at him for a few minutes wearing that all knowing smile.
"Weren't you sleeping or something?" Michael asked trying not to feel the nerves running through his body.
Tess shrugged her shoulders moving to the seat beside him, glad he wasn't going to go of on her about..., "I was pretending, I wanted everyone to leave"
Michael nodded, then turned to her watching the glittering light around her face. She was rather beautiful, to be truthful, Michael had never felt any sexual desires for her as he did now. His past desires for Ava where coming back to him, transfering them on to Tess.
"What?" Tess asked, turning to find him looking at her expressionless. She raised her hand to pull her hair that had fallen on her face and noticed his intake of breath. Tess immediately looked away, something sort of an understanding coming forth in her mind.
"What do you remember, Michael?" Tess asked after a moment of silence, she turned back to Michael and with the surprise look on his face, Tess knew he didn't think she would know.
He took a deep breath finally looking from her and answered with one word, "You"
Tess nodded her head, making sure that she hid her smile, "What about me?"
Michael looked back at her finding her sitting in an almost expectant way, he didn't know if he should tell her or not, but judging by her face...
"You already know, don't you?"Michael asked taking another deep breath.
Tess turned to him again, her smile fully pledged on. Michael wasn't hiding the desire for her really well, anyone who had know Rath could tell. One had to be careful with Rath's emotions, most times he was an expressionless idol or rather show you what you wanted to see. Rarely did something hiden find it's way to the surface. Tess had sensed something different when she had looked at Michael at the beginning. That's why she made the reference about Rath. She knew Michael was confused at that moment and also knew that the guy had not recovered all his memories.
"Rath was not in love with Ava"
Michael turned to Tess surprised by the clarificationin her voice, "Yes, he was...I remember... the first time I saw you... at the village celebration...I remember how I felt, Tess... how Rath had felt in that moment."
"That's all?" Tess asked the question with raised eyebrows. If this was all the evidence he had for her...
"No" Michael answered quickly. Rather offended by her question, that wasn't the only memory he had of Ava, he wasn't going to come to the conclusion that he had loved someone deeply in a pastlife because of one memory flow. "I just...don't want to talk about those memories, they aren't who we are anymore."
Tess nodded her head, he didn't know if she was agreeing with him about the statement, that those memories weren't who they were or if she was going to respect his choice not to talk about it, "you still think you were in love with, Ava"
Michael didn't answer, Tess didn't know if the plan running through her head was going to work or not. She hoped it did...
Michael felt Tess's hand touch his shoulder, he turned to her wondering what she was doing but stopped short. Something was happening here, something in her eyes, the light was gone, infact the eyes were rather dark colored, black. Was she trying to manipulate him, mindwarp him...as she probably did Max. With that thought in mind, Michael jumbed from the couch, disparring all contact with Tess. The color flew back in her eyes, standing up as well, something akin to confussion showing up in her eyes.
"What was that?" Michael asked silently after a moment, looking at Tess suspiciously.
"I..ah...I" Tess fell silent not sure she understood at all, all she wanted was to prove to him that Rath had not been in love with Ava in that lifetime or any other.
Michael didn't even wait for her to continue, everything made sense now, Maria had been right, "You were trying to control my mind..."
"No"
"Mindwarp me like you did Max?" Michael didn't hear her denial, but watched closely as her face expression changed.
"What?" Tess was even more confused than ever, mindwarp max, when did she mindwarp Max? That had been her plan, basically because she didn't think she would ever had a choice but he remembered her so what will be the need to mindwarp anyone. Tess watched as Michael's mouth moved, as he explained about Maria and her thoughts on the sitiation. Tess smiled slightly, rolling her eyes...
Without thought and without another word, gently pushed Michael back on the couch...
To say the least Michael had been surprised by her action, his defences systems would have picked up but somehow they didn't. It was as if he knew by some instant force that danger had passed, he looked at Tess eyes full of confussion, "Oh...I had a dream about this once, only it was with Hallie Berry after I saw catwoman" Michael mumbled to himself.
Though loud enough for the statement to fall in Tess's ears. She straddled his legs, quicker than he could think fell on him and kissed him, full, intently. The kiss lasted a couple of minutes before she pulled back and looked down at his shocked gaze...
"Wow" Michael mummered in a glazed gaze..
"What?" She asked with wide eyes, cast down.
Michael finally looked up at her wearing a smile, "Nothing"
"Tell me" Tess said looking up at his eyes at that point, she wanted to know what he was thinking.
"Nothing" Michael repeated again...
Nothing...
He had felt nothing when Tess kissed him, he had been worried that he would feel something but nothing, the kiss had done nothing for him. Not the way he felt when Maria kissed him, not the way he felt when he...well when he drank snapple, because that was a fullfilling drink. He felt absolutely nothing.
"I didn't feel anything for you" Michael said at that moment, "I thought I would..."
"Well, of course not" Tess said with indifference, she already knew that, "I am not you soulmate or you love Michael, just like Ava's was never Rath's, she belonged with Zan"
Michael looked back at Tess, wearing another smile, she was rather beautiful. But he didn't feel that desire, what in the world was happening to him. Everything was so turned inside out, upside down. And it was all because of this little vixen right on top of him. But right now he was so grateful that he really hadn't been in love with Ava and that now his passion for her had been quenced down.
"I still don't trust you" Michael declared as Tess made her self comfortable atop of him, it was a comfort really.
"I wouldn't except any less from you" Tess said outloud then to her self she whispered his name, "Rath"
"There is something else" Michael said after about a moment, "Nikolas"
Immediately Tess's body tenses above him, Michael could feel that.
Tess got from Michael, standing up and looking down at him shaking her head mentioning another name that had crossed his mind for the last few days, and nights, "Don't ask me Michael?"
"You know something" Michael asked sitting up, pleading with his eyes to tell something, anything that would calm his thoughts. His wondering mind about Nikolas.
"NO" She quickly said, too quickly for his liking... she drew back when he stood up, turning away from him, "look Michael, I am tired...I have to sleep"
Michael watched silently as Tess retreated to his room.
Why didn't she tell him, he had to know damn it...
His mind could not take any of this, he had to force himself to remember...everything that had happened in his past life.