Chapter Thirty-One
Max and Michael both looked at her for a moment,
totally engrossed in their own thoughts, thoughts based on the same
objection. What in the world did Tess mean when she declared her
deception? What did she lie about her life? What was she trying to
hide? More importantly to Max of course was what the relationship
between Tess and Eric was? Michael smirked when Tess made her little
announcement then had the gale to look so ashamed of herself, looking
at her regrettable face one would think that she was an innocent
being but Michael wasn't fooled. Tess was no innocent and she was
playing them…he had to stop himself from looking at Tess as Rath.
"You lied" Max whispered softly staring at her in disbelief.
Michael turned to Max's tone and sighed, his king needed to get
a clue, "That's what she does Max…she has been lying to us
since she got here, isn't that right?"
Tess raised her face
as Michael turned to her. She really didn't want to divulge her
entire life story to either Max or Michael. It wasn't any of their
business, suddenly she regretted speaking the truth, but that was
only because Eric was here. She really needed to be alone with him so
she could explain a few things. She still couldn't believe that he
had come to Roswell and she was curious as to why. Fate maybe?
At
this point in time she really needed something to distract Max and
Michael with….
Tess got her wish as a small sound floated in
the room before an all out baby cry shrilled all around. Tess, Max
and Michael turned to floor on the corner where Zan was lying down
comfortable on some blankets with a white shit that sought of covered
her. It wasn't that cold.
Eric was the in a confusion state
being that he had no idea that Tess was a mother and that Max was the
father. He just assumed that one of the teenagers in the room had
taken up babysitting. He didn't really think that it was Tess
considering the fact that she had hated babies before and couldn't
be in the same room with babies or small children and Michael
definitely did not look like the type to want to have anything to do
with small children. Of course he got his answer as Max hurried to
the baby and took hold of him gently and began to quite the baby
quite affectively.
"So" Eric turned to find Michael's
attention shifted from the baby to Tess, "What was the truth and
what was the lie?"
Eric turned to Tess who's face was
turning, he really didn't understand all that was going on in that
moment in time but understood this much. Tess had somehow lied to the
two guys about who she is and considering whom she was, Eric wasn't
surprised. He himself remembered the day he had found out that Tess
was an alien…boy that had been something he didn't coming, he
hadn't believed her and laughed at her before she showed him prove.
"Do we really need to talk about this?" Tess asked softly
with an charming smile that Eric remembered using against him
whenever she wanted her way but looking at Michael Eric wasn't sure
that it was working apparently Tess understood that and she changed
tactics, "I mean Zan just woke up and he must be hungry, or need
his diaper changed or.."
"His fine" Michael snapped
interrupting Tess; he was starting to get annoyed at the former Queen
of Antar. She wasn't queen anymore and he was not authorized to
listen to her like he was to listen to Max and she wasn't his
friend anymore or the innocent Ava. Ava would not have killed Alex
and he wasn't about to live her alone in this lifetime while she
continued to manipulate either him or Max… granted she had almost
successed to that fact before her little slip.
"The truth would
be nice now" Michael said taking a threatening step forward.
"Leave her alone" Eric called out defensive of Tess, he may
not know what was going on but he really was stating not to like
Michael and everyone was aloud to be secretive. They would agree if
they had the kind of secret that would cost them their lives.
Tess
tired her gaze from Michael and turned to Eric with tear stained
eyes, "its okay, he deserves to know the truth…It's just so
painful to relieve, so I will tell you the truth Michael…."
Zan's cried interrupted the conversation once more. And this
time, the baby wasn't so quick to be quiet even in the safety of
his father's arms.
I will tell you the truth but…not today,
Tess thought to herself while sending waves of gratitude to her dear
sweet child. Tess glanced at Michael who had also turned his
attention to the crying child, his eyes awakening in a soft manner.
"Maybe you are right" Max suddenly said after trying to stop
the crying baby unsuccessfully looking up at Tess, "I don't think
he needs his diaper changed because I don't spell anything but he
might be hungry…what do you think?"
"You are asking the
wrong person there, buddy" Eric said trying to surprises the
laughter being in as all participates in the room turned to him
questioningly, "Tess knows nothing about babies."
There was a
silence as the three aliens looked at each other before Tess smiled
brightly as she turned and walked to Max.
"You might be right"
Tess said standing right next to him and took hold of the baby's
head, "But that's not it, I feed her before we left for the
restaurant"
"Then, why won't he stop crying?" Max asked
handing wondering how Tess's near appearance wasn't working. If
the baby wanted mommy near her then Zan should have gotten quite.
Tess kept caressing the baby's head softly then all the sudden
she looked up at Max wearing a big smile, "I know"
"What?"
Max asked in wonderment.
"It's such a beautiful day outside
Max, so sunny…don't you think?" Tess asked looking out of the
window and not waiting for an answer she went on, "He has been
couped up here long enough, I think that she needs to some air, from
the outside….say here is an idea, why don't you and Michael take
to the park"
Michael looked up at Tess with wide eyes, Is she
using her child as an excuse to avoid his questions about her
life…almost immediately he shoo his head, no way was Tess that cold
or heartless. If there was one thing he was sure about Tess and it
wasn't much was that she loved Zan. He was her child after all.
"I
mean it couldn't hurt could it?" Tess asked as she become
unsettled by Michael's stare before turning to Max, "Besides, you
need to bond and I need to stay here with Eric and…"
"say
no more" Max said returning her smile as he looked down on his son
before turning to Michael and nodding his head then looked at Eric,
he wasn't sure about leaving Tess and Eric alone but one look at
Zan and that disappeared left with only the need to be with his son
outside in daylight.
Eric watched the whole situation in silence,
boy some things never change; Tess had become even more manipulative
than ever. And looking at Tess and Max with baby Zan was an
unsettling picture…and who in their right mind would name their
baby Zan, must be short for Zander or something like that. He didn't
know why but that name reminded him of something but what…
Max
handed over the baby to Tess and wore a small jacket while she
attended the baby's needs. It wasn't long between Max, Michael
and Zan were ready to leave.
"I will be right back" Tess said
to Eric before leading Michael and Max who was carrying the baby out,
with a wave and a smile she called out to them, "Have fun you
three"
She sighed as she closed the door behind her, turning to
return to Eric. She couldn't believe that Zan heard her cries for
desperation or that his destruction had worked. The door opened
behind her and Tess turned to find Max walking in without the baby
mind you.
"What is it? Did you forget something?" Tess asked
hoping that he hadn't changed his mind about the park; he drew
closer towards wearing an unreadable expression until he was close
enough, their faces close enough to kiss and that's what Tess
thought. With a building of excitement within her heart she closed
her eyes waiting for the magic that was to come but after a moment or
two with out that feeling, Tess opened her eyes to find Max regaining
her with a thoughtful expression before he smiled.
"You lied
Tess, and tried to manipulate me" Max's smile brightened as
Tess's face went all pale; he loved it when he could to surprise
her. One of the few things that allowed him satisfaction and with
that thought in mind, Max moved kissed her then, intoxicating,
passion, forcing, and absolutely his.
When he drew back, Tess
would hardly control her breathing but somehow managed to lift her
head to look at him.
"This isn't over" Max said with a
charged voice before turning and striding out of the apartment.
What
wasn't over, the questions? Or the kiss? Tess didn't know what to
think as she turned to go Michael's room and found herself unable
to move from the floor as she met Eric's eyes.
"Zan" Eric
whispered with a thoughtful expression, staring at Tess in disbelief,
"He is Zan…but he is Liz's boyfriend"
Tess sighed studing
Eric for a moment before sitting on the cough eyes going to the
ground. She was thinking how to explain in a way that was
understandable to Eric but she wasn't sure that was going to be
make sense. Eric remembered her one way and he was going to like what
she had to say, he wasn't going to like what she had done, how she
had manipulated everything for her own gain…he wasn't going to
like or understand about Alex either…
"Tessa" Eric called
out silently as he sat next to her. This was a turn of avents that he
hadn't seen coming. Tessa had told him all about herself and about
the others as well, he knew things he shouldn't know at all but he
hadn't really thought that Tess would find Zan. Eric's thoughts
of the past was cut short as he had little stifflings beside him.
Eric turned to find Tess crying for a moment he was in shock mode,
Tessa wasn't one that cried much…but things are different now, he
thought as he took Tessa in his arms. The two stayed like that in
silent for a few minutes.
"Oh, Eric" Tessa was the one who
broke the silent as she looked up at him, "I am so glad you are
here…I really needed you"
"So that was your distress signal
I heard" Eric said trying to make light out of the situation, he
winked and smiled, "You are very loud"
Tess gave a small
laugh as she wiped her tears away with her hand, "Sorry, I have so
much that I need to tell you, so much that is horrible, so much that
would make you hate me…"
"That is an impossibility" Eric
said interrupting her, there was nothing that Tess could say that
would have ever change how he felt about her, "Tell me everything,
Tessa, tell me what happen ?"
Tess was silent for another
moment in time before she took a sigh and began to tell Eric what had
happened to her, how she had changed. After putting the finishing
touches, she refused to look at Eric afraid of what she would see in
his eyes because Tess had gone something that she hadn't wanted to.
She had told the truth, the truth about Max and Michael and Isabel,
the truth about Liz, about the deal with Kivar and worst of all, she
had told the truth about Alex…
"WOW" Eric said softly while
staring at the floor thinking about what Tess had told him. A tale of
destiny, love, hate, fury, jealous, tragedy, murder…This was the
load of a good gothic/romance noverl. He could write a book with this
and become totally rich… and who would think that the story was
true…
Who in their right mind indeed.