Chapter Fourty-Two

The silence was deafening in Michael Gurrin's apartment.

The aliens and company were all gathered in pairs, each sticking to their allies, and standing further from their enemy as possible. Liz, Isabel, and Kyle stood on one side of the room near the window while Maria sat at the kitchen stool with Michael behind, his arms wrapped around her, while Max, Tess, and Eric stood opposite from Liz, Isabel, and Kyle. Eric had moved to Tess's side as she and Max attempted to explain the reason for the meeting. Tess was wrapping up her story, trying not to live anything out. She told everyone about Alex's offer to be her wingman, and his being a big help in decoding the destiny book. It was surprising how well everyone was taking the news, well and quiet.

"So Kivar killed Alex?" Liz asked wearing a tight smile, she spoke after a silence overcome her emotions. The sound of her voice was strained, she took a step to Tess, staring at her with a calm expression, "Question, is lying in your genes or is it something that you picked up from Nasado"

Tess glanced at Max and sighed, "Liz..."

"How dare you" Liz voice boomed, she was more than angry, it seemed as if her self control was broken, no more miss nice girl "You kill Alex, trash his reputation and thats not all, you call this meeting to lie to us...agaion, is this amusing to you?"

Max stepped in front of Tess, looking at Liz's vivid face, "She isn't lying Liz, please give her a chance to prove it"

Liz fell silence and her face fell, as she started to shake her head, "Son of a bitch"

Maria eyes widened, everyone in the room wore shocked expression. This was Liz Parker, after all and she was saying this to Max of all people. She was cussing Max, and her face showed no sign of regret. She could see the hurt flash in his eyes and for once, she didn't give a damn.

"Okay" Maria got of the stool, walked to Liz, and held her shoulder in comfort, then looked at Max who didn't break his gaze from Liz, "How is she going to prove it, Kyle was there you know?"

"Thats right" Isabel spoke as well, this was taking a lot from her, "Kyle why don't you tell us what you witnessed"

"Well" Kyle could feel everyone's else on him and he was uncomfortable being at the center of attention, well not always but he didn't like this situation at all.

"You did this to me" Alex was frantic as he yelled, "you sent me to Leucosis"

"Alex let me fix your mind, you are not thinking straight" Tess said unaware that Kyle was standing at the doorway.

Alex shook his head and stared up to see Kyle standing there staring at them, "You mind warped me for two months while I decoded that silly book for you and now there is nothing left for you to mind warp you destroyed my mind, how could you do this to me?"

Tess shook her head and then finally landed her eyes on Kyle, "Kyle get out"

"Whats going on?" He asked looking between his crazed friend and a desperate Tess.

Tess flung her arm, pointing towards the door as she exclaimed, "Kyle, go"

"I have nothing, I might as well be dead" Alex suddenly decided causing both Tess and Kyle to the young man.

"Alex, calm down" Kyle immediately stated, he didn't know what was going on but he knew he didn't want his friend to complement suicide.

"His right, calm down okay" Tess immediately agreed putting her hands on Alex's head, "Okay, calm down"

"No" Alex tried to grapple with Tess's hand, "You can't mind warp me...Nooo"

"She tried to enter his ming and her died" Kyle responded then shudded, "Then made me carry his body"

"You killed Alex, we accepted that" Maria said, afterall, it was somewhat true. "We hate you for that, you admitted it so why are you flipping the script"

They all spoke so calmly, and reasonable that it was a frightening. Michael was silent, Eric was not part of this discussion and he knew that Tess wanted to handle this on her own. Tess pushed Max out of her way, breaking Max and Liz's staring contest accept that now Liz eyes bored into hers. It was pure hatred, if there was such a thing and if Tess hadn't been the bearer of such constant emotional expressions she would be nervious.

"Thats was just the end" Tess explained, she wasn't calling Kyle a liar, he had been there and that was exactly what happened but there was more into the story than he knew, "Let me show you what really happened that night"

Alex stumped in Tess's room, his face wild, sweat dripping down his face. He looked so lost, so disfigured, he was fighting a losing battle. Tess was laying on her stomach, face way close to a book, her feet dangling in the air. As if by magic, or by an unknown force, Tess raised her head, her bright smile slipping from her lips.

"Alex" Tess whispered, kneeling on her bed, putting the book aside and studied him, "You look terrible, are you okay?"

Alex opened his mouth, trying to speak, but it was a struggle. His breath was shallow, like he was suffocating, "I am sorry Tess, I am not strong enough"

Tess looked as confused as anyone else watching the scene, Tess stood up and walked toward him slowly though noone could mistake the concern in her eyes, she reached with her hand and felt his head, "Alex you are burning...you should be at the..."

"He is inside,Tess" Alex whispered quickly breaking whatever barrier that caught up his throat, interupting his friend, Tess looked at him wearing a confussed face, so he went on to explain, "Kavir... he is...Ah...fighting me...inside"

Realization flew into Tess's and she made a grab for Alex's shoulder staring at him as if attempting to get into his head, she was concetrating hard, she stumpled back looking at Alex's in fear which as quickly disappeared replaced by determination. She grabbed his shoulders and looked into his eyes, while pleading desapparately, "Stop fighting me, Alex and tell me what happen"

Alex looked weak and subded, "I...the book...I was trying to find out...you know...the stone"

"Stone" Tess echoed trying to understand, then nodded, "The contacting stone"

"I touched...pushed something, I don't know" Alex stopped a moment, leaning against the wall, and then slipped into the floor, he was breathing way too fast at that point, "A bright light, blue...purple" He looked at Tess in resignation, "My head..trying..take over my mind...help, please"

Tess pushed her hair back in fastraution, closed her eyes, inhaling and exhaling, opened her eyes and looked at the pathetic creature in front of her, She dropped on her knees and looked at Alex then entered his mind, she felt a little resistance first. His mind trying to fight of her for a moment, but he must felt her essence and deamed her not a threat because he relented and stopped struggling against her. But she could feel his internal struggled against something dark. Finally inside, and she blinked against the dark enterior that was different from the light that always shone from Alex. Beside, Tess had been in other minds before and the things that people were able to create was specially indeed. Even murders had minds that created something.

Anything.

Only a light blinked from afar, she walked toward the light and stopped. A statue of Isabel was surrounded by light, figures that she would be Alex's angel of light, the light in the darkness

"Alex" Tess called out as loud as she could but all she could hear was an echo of her voice, "Alex"

Silence.

"Ah...the heart of Antar"

Tess froze, and turned around hoping against hope that it wasn't who she thought it was. It was english so maybe she was wrong because she couldn't be that lucky, but oh yes she was. Standing in front of her was Kavir in all his glory, looking as devilously handsome as ever, he was holding on to Alex, clasping his neck. Alex looked so disfigured, his lip broken, blood running down, he was tired and looked so lost and weak. Liz gasped, Maria clunched her teeth tighting her grip on her friend while Isabel just brought her hands on her face. It was harder for her.

"Oh, God Alex" Tess whispered, looking as bad as she felt, she cleared her features and looked up at Kavir's smirking face, "What have you done to him?"

"Scrambled his mind a little bit" Kavir said carelessly, with an air of arrogance tighting his grip of Alex's neck as Tess stepped threatening forward "I have to say he is rather a surprising human, stronger than he seems, he fought me nail and tooth..."

"Humans are surprising species" Tess said cluntching her teeth while watching Alex's struggle against Kavir's form, "Let him go now" She said in a rather commanding tone of voice, one that required respect, a voice of a Queen.

Kavir didn't seem impressed, instead his smirk increased tenfold, "Or what, your majesty"

Tess took a step forward, eyes on his, "I promise a quick painless death when I get to Antar"

Kavir moved his head backward and gave a bark of laugh, Alex who saw this as a change to get away, hit Kavir in his stomach with his elbow and stumbled toward Isabel's statue. Kavir attempted to go after him but found himself unable to move, he glanced at Tess shocked.

"So humanity has not made you weak, my Queen" Kavir drawled out, standing straight, forgetting about Alex.

"Why would you think such a thing?" Tess asked with a small smile of her own, a smile filled with amusement. But she seemed to be waiting for something, that would only explain why she was conversating with Kavir than attacking him.

Reports" Kavir said with a shrug, "According to my sources the royal four have been...shall we say...compromised, that they let their human emotions get in the way of their duty."
"Having human emotions doesn't make you weak" Tess said though she didn't seem to be buying her own words.

"Funny, emotions seems to have mad the 'King' weak" Kavir said crossing his arms and looking at her with an amused smirk, "falling in love with a human...a rather powerful distraction apparantly, his people are happy about that development. You must hate her?"

Tess's smile fell away as she blinked furiously, emotions, various of emotions appeared on her face, "He is not the only one to fall for a human, Rath also appears to have fallen in love as well, and let's not forget Valendra... Yes... Kavir, your Valendra, she is in love with a human as well, and I have to say she seems... more complete with him than she has ever seem with you...that maybe because you are a manipulative ass and he is a gentle soul"

Kavir heard Tess's declaration and his smile had slipped from his lips, his shoulders tense, "Valendra...in love with a human, I don't believe it"

Tess smiled suddenly, "Time for you to go" and using every once of power she had collected in the last few minutes, Tess threw everything she had at him, it was an invisible force that pushed Kavir on the floor before he began rolling away as if down a hill from Tess and Alex. Then he stopped, and stood up all of the sudden, completely surprising Tess.

"I take that back" Kavir said turning back to Tess, stretching, wearing the annoying smirk, "You have become weak"

With those words, and invisible force threw Tess backwards, she stumpled but caught herself before she fell, the painful look on her face was breathtaking. Alex seems to understand that Tess would get hurt if he didn't do something quick and Kavir was already raising his hands, preparing another attack. Alex ran towards Kavir, but he seemed aware of Alex's moves, Kavir turned and used the attack he had meant for the queen on Alex who fell flat on the ground, blood sipping even more so from his eyes, his nose and mouth. Tess looked from Alex to Kavir with a terrifying look that turned into anger. All of them blinked when Tess's form changed, replaced by a the beautiful vision that was Ava. An unidentifying rage seeping from her eyes, that had Kavir taking a step back. He had obviously misjudged just how important this human was to the queen. A lot of emotions in this world give us strength, and an unstoppable power base. And rage was never experianced in such a way, Ava was looking at Kavir, her eyes turning all black, she didn't have to do anything specially, didn't say anything, didn't raise her hand, as far as anyone could tell she didn't do anything neither did she scream like she did when Max, Isabel, Michael and herself were caught by Nikolas. But Kavir was obviously unnerved and something was happening to him. He was holding his head tightly, as if afraid it would fall of his shoulders then opened his mouth, letting out a piercing scream in the air, before completely disintergrating to nothingness. Immediately, Tess changed back, sighing she let relief flush of her and got out of Alex's mind.

"Alex" She whispered frightened, eyes flying opened to find Alex still laying on the floor, she rushing to his side, kneeled and placed his head on her lap, "Alex...hon, you are okay now, please open your eyes for me"

He opened his eyes again in the real world and looked up at her with a semi-confussed, semi-crazed expression, "Tess, what are you doing here?"

"I live here" Tess quickly said, helping him up and studing his blood-shot eyes wondering if he was worse, "Alex, are you okay? Do you know, do you remember what happened?"

Alex looked around Tess's head, shook his head, it was clear that he was psychically and mentally exhausted and that he had know idea what he was doing in that room. He placed his palms on his forehead before becoming completely still, then turned to Tess.

"What did you do to me?" He sounded accusatory.

"What?" Tess looked confused and tired, "I don't understand...Are you alright?" Tess raised her hand to check Alex's forehead.

"You mind-warped me" Alex said rather calmly backing away from Tess, then as if he wasn't in control grabbed a glass cup and threw it against the wall inticing a yelp from Tess as she jumped back, "Alex"

"You did this to me" Alex was frantic as he talked, not really saying anything but what his confused mind would think up, all his words were scrampled up, his memories...he didn't remember offering to help and because of that he came up with his own conclusion, "you sent me to Leucosis"

Tess looked shocked and confused that she didn't notice that Kyle was standing at the doorway, "Alex let me fix your mind, you are not thinking straight"

Alex shook his head and stared up to see Kyle standing there staring at them but didn't know how to stop himself, he had become adsentmindly weak, "You mind warped me for two months while I decoded that silly book for you and now there is nothing left for you to mind warp" Tess suddenly looked like vomiting, she was suddenly being blamed for something that she had never thought of doing before, it wasn't fair. But Alex worried her even more because he seemed to believe every word he said, "you destroyed my mind, how could you do this to me"

Tess shook her head and then finally landed her eyes on Kyle, "Kyle get out"

But Kyle had seen enough and said excatly what was on his mind, "Whats going on?" He asked looking between his crazed friend and a desperate Tess.

Tess tried to calm herself down and flung her arms towards the do as she exclaimed, "Kyle, go"

"I have nothing, I might as well be dead" Alex suddenly decided said causing both Tess and Kyle to devert their attentions to the mildly insane young man.

"Alex, calm down" Kyle immediately stated, he didn't know what was going on but he knew he didn't want his friend to complement suicide.

"His right, calm down okay" Tess immediately agreed putting her hands on Alex's head, "Okay, calm down"

"No" Alex tried to grapple with Tess's hand, "You can't mind warp me"

But Tess held on strong and before long she was in his mind once again. There, standing there was a miserible-looking, blood-shot Alex kneeling on the floor and behind him was Kivar in all his glory, hand on each side of Alex's head staring at a shocked Tess smirking.

"you" was all Tess could say.

"Me" Kivar said then started to laugh as Tess felt a pull all over her body and suddenly stood in the room, with Alex's body laying at her feet. She could tell he was dead, everyone could though his eyes were still opened.

Liz was still in shock after the scene that Tess had presented to one and all, infact everyone was shocked and needed some breathing room. Liz's gaze stared at where Alex's body had fallen and she had yet to believe that it had happened the way Tess said it had. Isabel moved a few feet to the couch and sat down, her eyes showing nothing, no feelings. She was afterall just mentally exhausted, it was too hard. Everyone in that room had been through a lot and had suffered so much in their little lives. They were still just teenagers, still just in highschool that it didn't seem fair, everything that had happed and all that they had witnessed.

"do you really expect us to buy that?" Liz asked tired of the silence that was overtaking the apartment, finally she lifted her gaze to Tess and everyone's attention shifted to her.

"Excuse me?" Tess said after a moment, trying to calm down her emotions, reliving that scene was major for her. To show them what had happened after everything that had happened. Eric held her shoulders, offering some support.

Liz eyes widened at the show of affection but she wasn't all disturbed, "How can we trust anything that you show us?" She asked, she wasn't about to believe anything that Tess had shown them without asking some questions, "You could be playing with our minds right now"

"Liz's right" Maria agreed with Liz then looked at Max, "Max how could you just buy her story. Can't you see what she is doing?"

This was unbelievable, Tess had gone out of her way to tell the truth and noone believed her, "Its the truth" She said desperately, maybe she had cried wolf so many times already.

"Right" Liz snapped, she was barely just in control of her emotions at that point and sacastically stated, "because you have been honest with us all this time we can buy anything you sell us"

"Look" Eric spoke for the first time during this entire situation and raised his arms, trying to play peacemaker, "lets just calm down here..."

"Oh shut up Eric" Liz shouted, this whole defending Tess game that Max and Eric played was already getting old, "Alex was my best friend and he doesn't deserve this" She yelled, why couldn't he understand that simple fact, Liz pointed her finger at Tess, "she killed him, made it seem like suicide, his reputation ruin because of the skank and now you think we should trust her, believe her pack of lies, well no thanks baby"

Eric fell silence at Liz's tirade, she was going through something that noone understood. If anyone had done that to Tess, he doubted that he would be thinking clearly either. He wanted to comfort her but he also didn't want Tess to believe that he was switching teams or that he was choosing Liz over her.

"she hid Alex's death" Kyle finally said, everything that Tess had shown led up until Kyle was present in the room and he wanted to believe that she was innocent. He wanted to believe that more than anything in the world.

"That right?" Maria agreed with a nasty smile, "you don't have to hide anything if you are so innocent"

"Why did you lie about his death?" Michael asked, he was trying to grasp the situation but he was already way ahead of everyone. He wasn't still sure that he trusted her, and she had lied so many times about everything in her life so far. But he had his doubts about her being absolutely responsible for Alex's death. She had never admitted that, never to anyone. She would say that she was responsible but seeing that scene, he could understand why.

Tess's eyes, and she almost smiled, "Do you believe I didn't do it Michael?"

"Michael you can't" Maria exclaimed turning to her boyfriend, "she is mindwarping you, she is trying to mindwarp all of us"

"Yeah but we saw right through it" Liz agreed with Maria, that had to be what Tess was doing, trying to gain more allies, trying to cover up what she had done. What was the point, thats what she wanted to know. Shit, she alread had Max, Eric believed her. Liz wasn't about to turn her over to the military because she would put Michael and Isabel in danger, right now, she believed that Max deserved everything he got for being all gulible and shit.

"If this was a mindwarp" Michael tried to explain, he already believed that Tess wasn't lying about Alex, "we would believe everything that she showed us without question"

"she isn't lying to you" Max said trying to convey a message to Liz through his eyes.

Liz shook her head, her days of utter believe in Max were gone.

"She isn't lying" Isabel spoke from the couch, everyone's attention shifted, it was as if she had been invisible before. This was a comfirmation of truth as far as Michael, Maria, and Kyle were concerned. Isabel was the one who had a reason to hate Tess beyond measure. She spoke as if she was absolutely sure of her words. Isabel raised her head to Tess, her eyes glistering with tears, "About Alex's death, this isn't a made up story that she came up with, those images would have a different vibe and aura around them but memories are deep and true and can't be changed, their infinate. So no, she didn't kill Alex, I believe"

Tess looked over the others, knowing that Maria and Kyle were probably the most swayed by Isabel's explaination. Isabel had nothing to gain by believing in Tess but she had admitted that she did. This was better than she had imaged this night going.

"Thank you"

"Don't" Isabel said standing up, "Because you still lied about who killed Alex, did you really think it was easy for us to believe that you killed Alex?"

Tess didn't know what to say and answered with a question instead, "Would it have been easy for you to know that Kivar killed Alex?"

"So you were tyring to protect Isabel?" Kyle asked from his corner.

Tess turned from Isabel to Kyle, "I was trying to protect all of you"

"How exactly?" Liz asked, nothat that she believed Tess like everyone else seemed to. They had done a completely one-eighty as far as she could tell but she was interested to know how Tess would spin this tale, "how were you protecting all of us?"

Tess sighed and shrugged her shoulders, "you all have sacrificed a lot for us, you have been hunted down, shot at, sent out of existance and almosted killed saving us." Tess shook her head, all things made sense when she did hid what really happened with Alex, "His death was pointless, his life, another sacrifice, I wanted his death to be as normal as possible"

"You made Alex into a suicide case" Liz pointed out

"It wasn't meant to turn out that way" Tess said filled with regreat, she was still not sure how much information she should divulge.

"Things don't seem to turn out the way you mean" Maria said, she wasn't sure how to act at that point but she still wasn't sure she trusted Tess, "Do you notice that?"

"maybe it should be a clue for you" Liz said, going on the offense.

"Okay, I was wrong" Tess said, everything had gotten so out of control after Alex's death, Max was losing faith, Liz had been suspicious and she had to take care of that situation, had to make Max realize that his destiny, she had that little quickie and then she got pregnant, everything had happened all at once, "I should have told you the truth from the beginning, I am so sorry"

"Sorry isn't enough" Liz said with a shake of her head, she looked at Max for a moment then turned to Maria, "I am so outa of here"

"Liz, wait" Maria said, calling out to her friend who had alread slammed the door shut. She made a move to follow but Eric caught her arm.

"Let me go" Eric requested, he looked at Tess who gave a nod to her head, giving her permission.

"I..." Isabel didn't know what else to say, she had to leave as well, after a long glance at Tess without a word turns and leaves the apartment.

Tess sighed and turned to Max, "go after her"

"are you sure?" Max asked, he was worried about her emotional state but knew that he needed to talk to Isabel alone.

"Max she needs you" Tess gave him a kiss on the cheek and watched his leave.

"Tess, I am glad that you didn't kill Alex" Kyle spoke stepping forward, he was really realived and absolutely happy that he didn't love a homicidial maniac.

Tess touched Kyle's cheek, but he pulled back. "Kyle?"

"But it doesn't change the fact that I carried his body" Even though Tess hadn't killed Alex, that fact couldn't change.

"Kyle, I am so sorry" Tess apologized again.

"Yeah, I know...you said that" Kyle sighed softening a little, "I want to say that I never wanted to believe that you killed Alex"

"And I never wanted you to hate me" Tess said with a sad smile.

"I never hated you" Kyle admitted, "I have to go tell dad, he will be very revealed"

Tess's face completely changed after that little revelation and smiled a little. Kyle smiled back and smiled a little then after nodding goodby to Michael and Maria left. Tess glanced at Michael and Maria and forced a smile. It wasn't over though, this wasn't all that she wanted to show them and the night was far from over.