Title: Revelations (part 12)
Author: Angela Rae
Category: Max/Liz, Michael/Maria, Isabel/Alex, Kyle/Tess (M) (AR)
Disclaimer: I don't own any of these fabulous characters, more's the pity. They are the exclusive property of 20th Century Fox Television, Regency Television, Jason Katims, Melinda Metz and Laura J. Burns. To quote some of my favorite fan fiction authors, I'm just borrowing – I'll return them as I found them. Cross my heart!
A/N: Rated M for safety reasons… this fic is set at the end of "Destiny", ep 1:22 (with some S2/S3 canon thrown into the AR).
Okay, so I'm back after one very loooooong and unexpected hiatus. If you're still following this fic, then "thank you!" and sorry about dropping off the face of the earth like that. I know it can be incredibly annoying as a reader.
Anyway, here's the long overdue Ch12 – Thank You to musegirl for the fast and dirty edits to get this out there asap (You know I heart you, girl… and Yes anytime you feel like adding your red pen you may DEFINITELY gloat over reading it first ;)
Max's expression became considering as he looked at Tess. "What do we need to know?"
"Well, first off, Nesedo is meeting us at the pod chamber on Sunday afternoon. He sent me a message in Hondo," Tess handed Max the white card. He scanned it quickly and nodded, pocketing the small note. She sighed, "There's so much we need to go over before he arrives."
She was poised to continue when Isabel stepped forward, "But for right now, I think we should all get some sleep. Tonight's been pretty draining and everything else can wait for tomorrow."
As much as Liz wanted the information Tess so obviously had, she had to agree with Isabel. "You're right." She looked around at the group as she said, "Tomorrow's our last day of school before break and it's two days til Sunday anyway. There's a lot we need to decide together, but we shouldn't be doing it exhausted. We need clear heads to figure this out."
Max gave the final word. "Okay, we'll all go home, but we still have to stay together. No one goes anywhere alone tonight."
Michael spoke up, looping an arm around Maria's shoulders. The small blonde smiled up at him as he said, "I'm with Maria. I'm not letting her out of my sight."
"I'm staying with Isabel," Alex said, taking her hand.
"Liz, you should come home with us too. We'll call your parents and tell them we're having a sleepover at our place," Isabel suggested.
"Alright," Liz said. She pulled out her cell phone and stepped away to make the call.
Tess watched as they all paired off and couldn't help feeling left out, as usual.
Max watched as she slowly stepped back from the group but he wasn't going to give her a chance to pull away from them again. He caught her arm and his eyes met her startled glance. "Hang on a second, Tess. You're not going back to that house alone, either. We need to find you someplace safer to until we meet Nesedo and I know the perfect place."
(***)
When Sheriff Jim Valenti opened his door on the second ring somehow he wasn't surprised to find Max Evans on his front step.
"We need your help," Max said as Tess stepped out from behind him.
"Come in, come in," he quickly ushered the two kids into the house as he swept a sharp look at the street before closing the door.
"Tess needs someplace safe to stay for the next couple of days and you're the only person I trust," Max continued without preamble.
Jim ran his fingers through his hair and nodded, "Sure. She's welcome to stay as long as she doesn't mind the couch. We're a little short on space, I'm afraid." He swept out a hand to indicate the living room.
"It should only be for the weekend," Tess said hastily, a hesitant smile on her face.
Jim's expression softened as he noticed her nervous look. "It's okay, Tess," he said. "You can stay as long as you need."
"Thank you, Sheriff," Max said solemnly.
Jim just smiled and let out a quick breath. "Well, I'll just go get some clean sheets and a pillow," he said, "Be right back."
"Thanks, Max," Tess said, quietly, once the sheriff was out of earshot.
"You're welcome," he said, with a smile. He was glad this had worked out, but he really wanted to get back to Liz now.
He turned to go, but her hand on his arm stopped him short.
"Wait," she said. "There's just one more thing. It's something I would have told you earlier, but it's better that you find out without the others knowing too, at first."
She sighed, glancing to the side before meeting his eyes with resignation. "I don't really know how to say this the right way, so I'm just going to say it. It's different for you and Liz. The bond between you two isn't like what the others have."
"Tess…" Max glanced around uncomfortably.
"Look, Max," Tess cut him off, "You need to hear me out. I'm not trying to start something here. This is serious. Your connection with Liz is different and I know you can both feel it, you know?"
"Yeah, but…" Max drew out reluctantly, his expression concerned but also curious. "Are you trying to say that it's dangerous for Liz?"
"It depends on what you think is dangerous," Tess said, "I mean, if you think that being your queen is dangerous – since there's an entire alien race dedicated to seeing you both annihilated – then, yes, she's in danger, Max."
Max's shocked expression said he hadn't fully considered that aspect of things.
Tess rolled her eyes. "Honestly, Max, I've never thought of you as stupid. If you're really serious about saving our people you'll be exposing us all to danger again. What did you expect was going to happen? We're just going to waltz back onto our planet and our enemies will just hand back the crowns? They're going to try to kill us, Max – all of us.
I've trained my entire life to fulfill my duty, so I'm prepared for what lies ahead. But Liz doesn't know anything about being a queen, much less ruling an entire planet. Do you really think she's ready for what you've gotten her into?"
"I won't let anyone hurt her, Tess," Max said. His eyes were focused on something far away and his expression steely with determination. Then he looked at the short blonde and asked, "What about the bonding, what else do you know? Is it going to hurt Liz?"
Tess sighed. "No, the bonding itself shouldn't damage her in any way. I mean, it sounds like its changing her in some ways since she's developing abilities no human should have evolved to yet, but the bond is sound. Nesedo told me it would be like you and your queen aren't just connected but that you share the same mind, the same soul, once it was complete. He said that the bonding progresses in stages over a period of days. The final stage is intense and generates a large amount of ambient energy that causes a glowing effect that is the mark of the last seal.
You were both glowing tonight, Max. You're bonded to Liz on a level that the rest of us will never experience and it can only be broken by death. It's what sets the king and queen apart from all others. Nesedo said the depth of the bonding is rare and necessary because both of you will inherit a power that can change worlds."
"What power, Tess?" Max asked, confused.
"I don't know. Nesedo wouldn't tell me." Tess frowned when she admitted that. She was still a little put out that their protector wouldn't give up all his secrets, but she knew that he would give them the information when he thought they was ready for it and not a moment sooner. Nesedo was nothing if not consistent.
"We need to find out then, because we're going to need all the help we can get to do what we need to do and protect ourselves in the meantime," Max said.
Tess was about to say something more when the sheriff came back into the room, his arms overflowing with bedding. "I hope this is enough to make you comfortable," he said, his tone a little sheepish.
"I'm sure it'll be perfect," Tess turned away from Max with a little laugh, "Here, let me help you with that." She took one of the sheets and shook it out to lie neatly across the couch cushions.
"Well, it looks like you two have everything under control," Max said, "I'll see you tomorrow, Tess, and thanks again, Sheriff."
"See you at school, Max."
Jim grunted goodbye from behind the pile of down comforter.
(***)
The door squeaked on its hinges before opening just a crack. Amy DeLuca winced at the sound as she stuck her head into the darkened room.
Her eyes immediately went to the army cot in the corner and the still figure of the boy who was snoring lightly under her spare blankets. He was lying along the far wall – on the opposite side of the room from her daughter. His spiky hair stuck up at crazy angles on the pillow and his big feet hung over the edge, making her smile softly.
Quietly, she walked further into the room and over to the bed. Just like when she was a child, Maria had managed to kick all the covers down around her ankles as she slept with her arms flung out wide. Amy chuckled softly. No one knew how to take up space like the DeLuca women.
With the efficiency of long practice, she eased the covers up over her little girl and leaned down to press a quick kiss to her short blonde hair. She exited the room with a little sigh and silently shut the door.
Maria sighed too but didn't bother to open her eyes. She'd been expecting the nightly visit and had woken as soon as the door had opened. She snuggled under the blankets and was just about to fall back into dreams when she heard the soft screeching of the cot being dragged across the room.
She smiled when she felt a warm hand engulf hers and hold fast. The familiar feeling of Michael's mind brushing along hers with drowsy thoughts lulled her back to sleep.
(***)
Liz woke drowsily to the feeling of Max's arms lifting her from the air mattress Alex had set up for her on Isabel's floor. Her head rolled onto his shoulder and he settled her more securely against his chest before carrying her down the hallway into his room.
Her eyes opened as he slid her into his bed.
"You're back," she said with a quiet smile.
"Shh," he whispered at her ear, tucking his body around hers.
Liz laid a hand over the strong arm that pulled her more firmly into his embrace as she let the heat of his body surrounding hers and the perfection of their thoughts and emotions merging as one lull them both into a deep, dreamless sleep.
(***)
A swift knock at the door had him grabbing the remote to mute the television then glancing out the peephole before opening the door wide.
A short, ordinary-looking teenager stood on the other side of the threshold with a matronly woman to his left and a middle-aged man at his back. The young man brushed past him without a word, the others following him in, as Davis quickly stepped back to let them in.
The woman immediately began to rifle through the paperwork on the small table in the corner of the motel room. "Nicholas," the woman called out in a lilting voice, "over here."
Nicholas scanned the room slowly before his cold gaze came to rest on the subordinate still holding the door open. His expression was a mask of poorly concealed disdain and his posture betrayed an authority well beyond his years.
Then he walked over to the woman's side and held out his hand for the photos she had found. She smiled sweetly, the expression settling unnaturally over her features, as she handed them over then went to sit next to the older man on the bed.
Nicholas began indolently flipping through the first of the surveillance photos. Suddenly his fingers stilled as he pulled one picture from the pile and held it up. It showed a beautiful blonde girl coming out of a boutique, her hands clutching a profusion of bags and a satisfied smile on her face.
"This must be Vilondra," Nicholas said, his tone musing and strangely distracted. "Still so perfect. Ever the flawless princess, even in this limited form. I really don't know how she does it." He sighed. "Kivar will be pleased."
He stared at the photo for another long moment before dropping it back on the table.
"We've never been closer to complete victory," Nicholas said with relish, his smile turned chilling.
Davis cleared his throat and asked, "What are Kivar's orders?"
Nicholas made a tisking noise before pinning Davis with a cold, dead stare and saying, "Kivar is out of contact at the moment. And, ultimately, the only orders that matter on this backwater planet are mine anyway. I thought you understood that, Davis. I would hate to have to remind you of why. It would be quite painful… for you."
Davis wisely kept his mouth shut and bowed his head in salute to his superior, half expecting to die at that moment.
But instead, Nicholas turned abruptly and took the only chair in the room, before continuing, as if only concerned for the mission, "It is our duty to eliminate this threat to our king. We all understand that. The others will arrive here tonight and tomorrow we will begin planning the best way to obliterate the Royal Four, down to the last molecule. In the meantime, 'Project Vilondra' will go into full effect.
Until then, you will review everything you've gathered on them and their protector with me…now."
Nicholas sat back and listened with only half an ear as Davis gave his debriefing. His eyes drifted to the picture of the four young royals talking animatedly at a shaded table, their faces so open and carefree. He felt his mouth twist in derision at the new proof that they were still as soft as they had ever been.
Well, it would make his job easier. And, really, it hadn't been all that difficult the first time around either. He smirked, his eyes reflecting both childish glee and sadistic brutality, as he thought, Ready or not, Zan, here we come.
TBC…
A/N: Again, I know it's been awhile, but R&R is always appreciated. So, press the little blue button… :)