“Geez, Maria! Stay on the frikkin’ road!” Michael gasped, coming awake, as they plowed through one cactus after another, finally coming to a stop against a large, tree-like saguaro.

“I couldn’t help it, Michael! A Firebird almost landed on us!”

“Give me the cedar oil, Maria!”

“What?”

“Give me the damn cedar oil! You’re hallucinating!”

Maria jumped out of the car, slamming her door behind her. Michael followed her out. As he exited the car, he looked back toward the road. Smoke was rising over the shrubs into the air. Maria ran toward the road, and Michael followed.

“There!” Maria said, pointing at the overturned Firebird and three of its detached wheels that were still spinning in the road.

“What the…? What happened to him?” Michael gasped.

“I don’t know, Michael. The Firebird was in front of us when it just blew up like a tin can with a firecracker under it then flipped over several times in the air and came down on its roof like that. I swerved to keep it from landing on us.”

“Oh! …Good thing, I guess,” Michael murmured.

“Was that an apology, Michael? ‘Cause if it was, maybe you could say it a little louder.”

“Yeah, uh, I…”

“You what?”

“I think we better help whoever’s in that car get out. I think it’s going to explode.”

Realizing that Michael was probably right, Maria followed him quickly to the overturned Firebird. Flames were coming out of the engine now and following the fuel line back toward the tank. Maria pulled on the door, but it was bent and wouldn’t open.

“Stand back,” Michael said. He waved his hand over the fuel line, causing an internal blockage in the line that began to starve the fire for fuel. Then, with the flames nearly out, he held up his hand and blasted the door. It flew into the air, landing on the other side of the road with a thud. Michael reached in and carefully pulled out a victim, a young, blonde-haired girl. Maria checked the car for any other victims but found none.

“Who is she, Michael?”

“I don’t know. She’s not from around here. I know that.”

“We’d better get her to Max,” Maria said, wiping the girl’s forehead, which was bleeding from a deep gash.

“She’s cute,” Michael commented, as Maria tended to the wound.

“You would notice that, wouldn’t you, Michael?”

“Well she is… She kinda looks like you… You know, the blonde hair and all.”

Maria smiled. “That’s not gonna save you, Michael… but it’s good enough I may let you live till another day.”

Michael reached down and felt the girl’s neck and back carefully.

“I don’t think anything’s broken… nothing critical anyway. She may not survive this head wound, though, if she doesn’t get help really soon,” he said, picking the girl up. Then he realized their car was still off the road.

“Can you get the car back over here, Maria?”

Maria didn’t answer. She just rushed back to the car and got in. Fortunately, it cranked and wasn’t trapped in the sand. With a little effort, in a couple of minutes, Maria had the car back on the road, Michael had the girl in the car, and they were turned around and headed back to find Max.

Suddenly, a second explosion blew what was left of the Firebird apart. Fiery pieces rained down all around them. Maria pressed the accelerator to the floor to put distance between them and the exploding vehicle as quickly as possible.

Michael watched in shock… “I put the fire out. Something else must have blown up in it.”

Inside the hidden desert chamber with the granolith, a greenish light glowed, as Max held his hand over the deep gash in the girl’s forehead.

“I can’t believe you, of all people, brought her here, Michael… and that you’re asking me to heal her. What was all this you said about my healing Liz?”

“That was a long time ago, Max. I… was wrong,” Michael said quietly, his voice trailing off and choking slightly. He looked at the blonde girl again. “Besides… she would have died without your help.”

“So would Liz,” Max reminded him.

Michael nodded. “I know. It’s just that… she… she kind of makes me think of Maria.”

Max smiled slightly. “It’s okay, Michael. I understand.”

The energy from Max’s hand began to close the wound. Soon, the deep gash had all but disappeared.

“Ow,” the girl started to say, as she regained consciousness. Then, feeling the pain go away, she reached up and ran her hand over her forehead.

“How did you do that?”

“If I told you, I’d have to kill you,” Max said with a straight face. “And I’d hate to do that after just saving you.”

The girl looked up at Max for the first time, apparently taking his deadpan joke more seriously than it had been intended.

“You! You can’t be here! I turned you into dust!”

She rubbed her head, momentarily confused. “…Didn’t I? But… it can’t be you. You’re dead.”

The girl looked up at Max again.

“You are Ford! But how?”

“My name’s not Ford,” Max said. “You should rest. Don’t try to talk.”

“No! You are Ford! I killed you!”

Liz appeared shocked.

“His name is Max,” Maria offered kindly. “Like he said, just rest. Everything will come back to you.”

The girl seemed confused. “Max? You’re not…” She shook her head slowly and reached up to touch Max’s face but drew back at the last moment. “Omigod! You could be Ford’s twin!”

Isabel smiled and just shook her head.

“What’s your name?”

“Buffy… Buffy Summers.”

“Buffy,” Max repeated, mulling it over in his mind. “Well, Buffy, I’m Max. But I guess you know that now. This is Michael, Isabel, Liz… and over there is Maria. So… what happened to you out there, Buffy?”

“I don’t know. If I had to guess, I’d say some night-loving bone pile got tired of trying to kill me the usual way and put a bomb in my car.”

Max and Michael both stared at her with an odd look. Buffy noticed their confusion.

“Oh, it’s just that… well, I have my enemies,” Buffy said.

“That’s hard to believe,” Max replied, looking her over perhaps a bit too conspicuously. Liz gave him a little kick.

“They’re all the same,” Maria whispered to Liz. “Know what was the first thing Michael says when we got her out of the car? ‘She’s cute!’”

Liz giggled. “I hope you got him good.”

“I’m waiting for the right opportunity,” Maria said.

“Where are you from?” asked Max.

“Sunnydale,” Buffy answered grimly, “But the early Spaniards called it ‘Boca del Infierno,’ which means ‘Hellmouth.’”

“Where’s that?”

“California. I came out here for a few days of peace and quiet. Good start, huh?”

Max grinned. “I know what you mean. We’ve got our enemies, too.”

Buffy looked Max and Michael over slowly, her eyes pausing and taking in every contour. Then she raised her eyebrows and smiled…

“Gee, that’s really hard to believe.”

Liz and Maria both giggled, and Isabel grinned, as they watched Max’s face turn only slightly redder than Michael’s.

“I didn’t know aliens got embarrassed,” Liz whispered privately in Max’s ear.

“Aliens?” Buffy repeated questioningly.

“You… you heard that?” Liz asked, shocked.

“I’ve got very good hearing,” Buffy said.

“Oh great!” Max exclaimed. “Now see what you’ve done! Now I have to kill her.”

Buffy was upright and in a defensive stance before Max had finished the sentence.

“Whoa, chill,” Michael said. “He was joking!”

Slowly, Buffy began to relax, as she looked around her at theirs and Liz and Maria’s faces.

“Hey, you didn’t really take all that crap seriously, did you,” Michael asked with a laugh… “about us bein’ aliens and all, I mean… Really! Aliens? Come on!”

“Czechoslovakian,” Maria said, trying to help.

Buffy looked at them carefully and nodded. “I’ve seen stranger things.”

“Stranger than Czechoslovakians?” Michael chuckled.

“Stranger than aliens,” Buffy said.

Michael started to say something, but Max stopped him. He could tell that Buffy wasn’t buying the Czechoslovakian routine. Something in Max’s sixth sense was telling him that Buffy sensed the truth. Michael felt it, too. Something about this girl was different. They wondered if she might be an alien herself.

“So what kind of enemies do you guys have?” Buffy asked. “Wait, let me guess! You’re aliens… The government, right?”

Michael looked at Max, wondering how or if he should answer. Max shrugged.

“Naw… they’re cake… no sweat,” Michael said simply, downplaying certain agents a bit too much.

“Then what enemies are you worried about?” Buffy pressed.

“Aliens… one called Kivar… and skins.”

“Skins?” It was Buffy’s turn to be confused.

“Yeah, well… it’s hard to explain,” Max said, attempting to turn the conversation around. “You never told us who your enemies are. Looks like they’re pretty dangerous.”

Buffy nodded. “They are… They’re vampires.”

Liz giggled, and Maria snorted unintentionally.

“I’m… I’m sorry,” Maria said. I don’t mean to be rude. It’s just that it sounded like you said, ‘vampires.’”

“I did,” Buffy replied in total seriousness.

“You a biologist or something?” Michael asked.

“Huh?”

“I mean… ‘vampires…’ You must mean bats, right? …‘cause, like, there’s no such thing as Dracula, you know.”

Buffy just looked at them.

Michael’s jaw slowly dropped. “She’s serious! She’s frikkin’ serious! …Vampires!”

“Michael,” Liz whispered, “She was just in a wreck. She hit her head. Give her a break…”

“No, they’re real. I’m not just imagining it,” Buffy said.

Now Liz was red-faced, having forgotten how acute Buffy’s hearing was.

“Look,” Buffy said seriously, “If I can believe that you’re a little green… whatever… why can’t you believe in vampires?”

“I’m not a little green whatever,” Liz corrected. “That would be Max and Michael… and Isabel.”

Buffy looked at Maria.

“Oh, I’m not a little green whatever, either,” Maria said, shaking her head. “Michael’s just my boyfriend.”

“So… what you girls have got going here is like this really long-distance romance thing?” Buffy asked.

Liz laughed. “Something like that.”

“Okay… well, at least they’re not vampires,” Buffy said with a grin. “”Vampires make terrible dates! Trust me! So… what are these ‘skins’?”

“Aliens,” Max answered… mostly loyal to our enemy, Kivar. They can only live here on earth by wearing an artificially-grown skin, which tends to be peeling all the time. That’s the best I can put it.”

“And I take it you guys don’t peel?”

“We were born here… in a manner of speaking. Our DNA was mixed with human DNA. The skins were not bioengineered for this atmosphere.”

“Ah, I see…” Buffy said.

“Uh… Buffy…?” Maria said hesitatingly. “I’m just curious… how does someone get on a vampire’s hit list?”

“Not just ‘a’ vampire, Maria… ‘all’ vampires, pretty much. It’s a long story, but the short answer is that I inherited the job of slaying vampires, and they took it kind of personal.”

“How do you inherit that job?” Michael asked. “People inherit money, jewelry, a house or something… but vampire extermination? Who’d you inherit that from? That sucks!”

“I’ll have to tell Giles that. Wait! I did, didn’t I? …maybe in a little different words. No… I think that’s pretty much what I said.”

“So let’s say we believe you about these vampires, Buffy… How do you know if someone is a vampire,” Isabel asked.

“I’m the slayer,” Buffy replied. “I know.”

It seemed unlikely… even impossible… but something about Buffy was convincing. Isabel, Liz, Maria… even Michael and Max… had the uneasy feeling that Buffy was telling the truth… at least the truth as she believed it… and maybe… well… it was hard not to believe this girl.

Buffy looked around the room. “Are you guys getting ready to go somewhere?”

“Yeah,” Michael answered. “Back to Antar.”

“Antar… That’s…?”

“Our planet, yeah.”

As Michael said this, Tess arrived and let herself in.

“That’s Max’s ‘queen’, Liz said, with obvious disgust in her voice.

Max didn’t reply.

Immediately, Tess noticed Buffy and shivered involuntarily.

“Who is this?” Tess asked. “Why have you brought someone else here?”

“She had an accident,” Maria replied. “Max healed her.”

“Max! Max! Max! …Sweet Max!” Tess said condescendingly, her voice dripping like poisoned honey as she ran her hand roughly over his cheek, giving him a mild slap disguised as a caress, “You can heal a bird or a puppy or something if you feel like you need to heal something… but don’t bring strangers here!”

“She going with you?” Buffy asked.

“Yeah,” Michael replied. “Max here is the rightful king. Tess is… the queen. It’s a long story.”

“Tell her about the baby,” Maria added disgustedly.

“Baby?” Buffy asked.

“Yeah, well… It’s just something that happened,” Max said. “Forget it.”

“I’d like to,” Liz said. “I wish I could.”

Buffy raised her eyebrows and pointed questioningly at Max and Tess. Liz nodded ruefully.

“I so don’t think so,” Buffy said.

Liz and Maria both looked at Buffy with surprise. Max and Michael turned to look, too.

“What do you mean?” Maria asked.

“Vampires don’t get pregnant,” Buffy replied.

There was a stunned silence in the room.

“Tess?” Maria asked, swallowing hard. “Tess is…?”

“I always knew she was a blood-sucking bitch,” Liz said to Maria.

On the other side of the room, Tess, walking toward the granolith, cast a cautious glance at Buffy.

“Max… Michael… We need to get into the granolith! It’s almost time!”

“I don’t think so,” Liz said sternly, stepping in front of Max. She wasn’t sure yet whether or not she really believed in vampires, but… she wasn’t about to let Max take that chance.

Tess turned and looked at Liz, surprised.

“Who asked you? I’m talking to Max and Michael!”

Liz had had enough. She had accepted Tess as inevitable before, because she had believed that Tess was carrying Max’s child, even though that very thought had deeply distressed her emotionally; but now, finally realizing that they had all been deceived –that she had been deceived- Liz was unable to stop her previously held resentment from rising quickly to the flashover point and turning into white-hot rage toward the source of all her pain. Liz raised her hand and released a powerful blast of energy, throwing Tess violently against the side of the cave.

Initially stunned, Tess quickly recovered and rose to face her attacker. She raised one hand while supporting herself with the other and blasted Liz off her feet, but she didn’t get the opportunity to finish the job. Max and Michael both blasted Tess at the same time. Stunned, Tess fell back against the wall…

“You don’t know what you’re doing! If I don’t show up on Antar, Kivar will destroy you… all of you! I am his…” Tess stopped without finishing her sentence.

“His what?” Liz prodded.

“His bride,” Tess answered. “He’s expecting me to return with Max and Michael.

“What does he want with Max and Michael?” Liz asked.

Tess didn’t answer. She just narrowed her eyes in deep concentration. Liz cried out in pain and collapsed to the ground. Maria tried to help Liz and was immediately overcome, too. Max and Michael seemed confused, looking around as though they were under the influence of something. Isabel seemed to be having trouble discerning who was who, as Tess’ mindwarp grasped and clouded her mind.

“There!” Tess screamed, pointing at Liz. “That’s Tess! Kill her! She wants to kill me!”

Max raised his hand toward Liz but hesitated. Tess increased her concentration and the power of her mindwarp. Max raised his hand again to destroy Liz. His hand shook, as his mind, less susceptive to Tess’ mindwarps than human minds, fought for control of its own thoughts. Tess pursed her lips tightly and concentrated harder. No one noticed as another form cartwheeled across the room until suddenly Tess was kicked off her feet. Then, just as suddenly, everyone’s heads began to clear.

Tess recovered quickly, lashing out at Buffy with the back of her hand then spinning around and using her foot to try to trip her. More nimble than Tess had realized, Buffy was able to avoid Tess’ foot and remain standing.

“I should have used more explosives,” Tess said, her face contorting into something vaguely grotesque. “I didn’t count on Max and Michael saving you. That was my mistake.”

“You?” Buffy said, surprised. “You rigged my car? How did you know…? We never met!”

“Word gets around,” Tess replied. “Where the slayer goes, word follows. You didn’t think you could just take a vacation, did you?”

“You may wish I had,” Buffy answered. “You’d have been better off.”

Tess laughed. “You haven’t dealt with me before… you’ve just played patty cake with imbeciles and morons. You won’t escape from me. I can guarantee that.”

“Save your guarantees, Tess,” Buffy replied tersely. “They may not be all they’re hyped up to be. What did you do? Put one of those mind voodoo’s on everyone to make them think you were pregnant?”

“Just Max. It was necessary. The fool wouldn’t be unfaithful to that nothing little wench…” Tess cast a sharp glance at Liz. “so I had to make him believe that he had been. Everyone else believed it, because he admitted it. You see? You can’t fight me. …Slayer! You’re a gnat …a minor annoyance. But I suppose killing you may provide me with some much-needed entertainment.”

Tess lashed out at Buffy again with all her fury, throwing a series of short power blasts. Tess’ energy bolts were not as powerful as Max or Michael’s, but they were still effective. Buffy was blown off her feet, and Tess was on top of her in a second.

Buffy used the momentum of Tess’ charge to roll over, taking Tess with her and winding up on top, straddling the raging vampire. She motioned to Liz to throw her the small stake she had dropped. Liz threw it to her. Buffy caught it and brought it down with both hands. Tess looked momentarily enraged then vanished into dust on the floor.

“What just happened?” Michael asked.

“You just witnessed the end of a vampire,” Buffy said calmly. Max and Michael stared at the dust that was once Tess, too stunned to reply.

“Tess was no vampire,” Michael said. “She was one of us. She came out of the pod when we did. How could she be a vampire?”

“She wasn’t born one,” Buffy said. “Somewhere along the line, your Tess played with some very naughty friends.”

Michael shook his head incredulously.

“She said something about this Kivar killing you all… Can he do it?” Buffy asked.

Max shrugged. “Maybe… probably. But it’s not like we’re just going to lie down and die for him. We will fight back!”

Buffy nodded. “But will you win?” She looked at their faces and knew the answer without getting a reply.

“Max, can you get into someone’s mind like she did to you and Michael just now?”

“I’ve never tried,” Max said. “It’s… invasive… It’s unacceptable.”

“Even if it’s Kivar… to save your lives?” Buffy asked.

Max was silent for a moment.

“What do you have in mind?”

“Kivar expects his bride to arrive on your planet with you and Michael in tow… I can only guess, but I don’t think he intends to give you a box of chocolates and the key to the city.”

“That’s a pretty safe assumption,” Max muttered. “He wants us executed publicly.”

“So if he saw her… Tess… arrive with you, he would not suspect any problem,” Buffy continued. “It might give you some advantage.”

“You mean, if I mindwarp him to think Tess is there when she’s not?” Max asked.

“Sort of.”

“Sort of? What does that mean?”

“I mean Tess will be there, but it won’t be Tess…”

“You?” Max asked.

Buffy nodded.

“Why would you do this?” Michael asked.

“My job is to slay vampires. If Tess was one, then maybe…”

“Kivar?” Michael and Max asked as one.

Buffy shrugged. “I think it’s a good likelihood. When does this bus leave?”

“This…? Oh, the granolith?”

Michael looked at his watch… “In six minutes… with or without us.”

Buffy nodded. “Then let’s not disappoint Kivar, okay?”

Six minutes later, the granolith shot skyward and quickly disappeared amongst the stars. On board were six people.

Seven galaxies from earth, the granolith settled gently to the ground at a site that had been predetermined by its builders. The amber-blue sky was clear and cool. It was late autumn on Antar. The trip had taken a mere seventeen minutes, because the granolith was more of a transporter device than a space ship. It is true that it moved through space, but it did so by converting itself –and all those onboard- into an energy pulse.

The door opened automatically, and “Tess” stepped out, followed by Max and Michael. Liz, Maria, and Isabel stayed inside for the moment to avoid making Kivar suspicious. As “Tess” stepped out of the granolith, she was met by several of Kivar’s guards and followers… and by one rather young, punky-looking individual who immediately repulsed Buffy viscerally.

“Nicholas!” Max and Michael both gasped to themselves.

Realizing that this could not be the “Kivar” the others had spoken of, Buffy chided the boy…

“Is Kivar sending children to meet me now?”

Nicholas smiled an evil smile that made Buffy feel like she needed a bath.

“Always the sharp tongue, huh, Tess? You’re lucky Kivar wants you. I wouldn’t keep you around for a moment myself.”

“If you need your diaper changed, I’m not a nursemaid,” Buffy said.

“Ha… Ha… Ha…” Nicholas laughed sarcastically. He motioned to the guards, and they grabbed Max and Michael.

“What’s this?” Max asked, feigning surprise. “I thought we were to be welcomed.”

“Oh, and you will be, for sure! You will be,” Nicholas snickered. “Kivar has your welcome all planned! It will be quite spectacular, I promise you!”

“Tied up?” Max asked.

“You won’t mind that for long,” Nicholas said with a grin.

“Look what I found,” one of the guards hollered, stepping out of the granolith with Liz, Maria, and Isabel restrained by the arms by a small chain that he held in his hands.

Nicholas grinned. “Tess, you brought us a bonus! When were you going to tell me about this?”

“I wasn’t,” “Tess” said. “I was going to give them to Kivar, not his troll.”

“Laugh while you can, Tess.” Nicholas said ominously. Then, turning to the small group, he huffed…

“Move it!”

The group was led along the river’s edge toward the royal residence, about a mile away. Once there, they were forced into the foyer then taken downstairs where they were met by another person. Buffy knew instinctively that this was Kivar.

“Well, well, Tess, I’ve got to admit, I didn’t think you could pull it off!”

“Why would you doubt me, Kivar?”

Kivar grinned. “Never mind. You did it. That’s what matters.”

Kivar motioned to several guards, and they grabbed “Tess.”

“What is this?” she asked, appearing to be shocked.

“You didn’t really think I cared about you, did you, Tess? I only needed you to bring these two back to Antar. Now that that’s done, you can share in their fate. You always did have too high an opinion of yourself! You’re not in my league. What I am you could never hope to be.”

“Too bad she’s not here to hear that,” Buffy said, throwing the guards over her head with barely an effort. Kivar looked at her, shocked and confused. As he stared, he became even more confused. Then he began to remove the mind blocks, mentally peeling back the layers of Max’s mindwarp that veiled Buffy’s true appearance to him.

“You’re not Tess! Who are you?”

“I’m your worst nightmare,” Buffy said calmly, as Max allowed his mindwarp to dissipate and go away.

“I’m your karma… I’m your nemesis… I’m the slayer!”

Kivar shuddered involuntarily then his face began to change, becoming something grotesque. Without hesitating, he attacked. Buffy spun to one side and kicked Kivar in the stomach with a well-placed roundhouse kick. Kivar groaned, but his fury drove him onward. He bridged the gap between himself and Buffy effortlessly and instantaneously, seeming to “float” rather than walk. As a result, he was on top of Buffy before she expected it or could prepare for it.

Kivar bared his teeth and prepared to sink them into Buffy’s neck. Buffy brought an arm up under Kivar’s chin, slamming his mouth shut on his tongue and slightly chipping one fang.

“Didn’t your mama teach you any table manners, Kivar? You eat like a slob.”

Furious, Kivar held up his hand and blasted Buffy with a bolt of energy that knocked her off her feet. She landed on her back fifteen feet away. No sooner had she hit the ground, however, than she was back up, cartwheeling across the space separating her from Kivar. She struck, but Kivar was ready. He grabbed Buffy by the throat, jerking her out of mid-air, then lifted her over him by her head. Buffy made a choking sound… then she brought both hands down in powerful karate chops on both sides of Kivar’s neck at once. Kivar screamed and released his hold. Buffy grabbed her stake, but Kivar was too quick, sidestepping her advance and blasting her from behind.

Buffy went down.

Kivar moved in for the kill. He knelt down over Buffy, spreading his cloak over her body, and sank his fangs deep into her neck, expecting to reap a reward of rapturous delight and sheer ecstasy… an almost sexual catharsis… from the blood of the slayer. But he didn’t get it. A powerful combined blast from Max, Michael, and Liz together blew him fifteen feet into the air. Before Kivar could hit the ground, Buffy had the stake in her hand. Kivar landed on it, piercing himself through the heart. The six watched as Kivar turned to dust. Most of the guards and followers, seeing Kivar defeated, fled. One remained in the room but made no effort to attack.

Max bent over Buffy and placed a hand over the bite marks on her neck.

“It’s too late,” Buffy said. “You will have to kill me now.”

“I won’t,” Max replied.

“You have no choice,” Buffy said sadly. “I was bitten.”

Max’s hand glowed green over the site of the wound, but Buffy knew it would not work. She shook her head. “Kill me now… while you still can! It’s no sin to kill a demon spawn.”

“You’re not a demon spawn,” Max said. “Michael! Liz! Maria! Isabel! Get over here!”

Max had them all link hands.

“I have no powers, Max! I can’t help you, Maria tried to protest.”

“We all have powers, Maria. You just don’t know how to access yours. Hold my hand.”

Maria did.

As the five companions concentrated, Max channeled their energies, and a powerful golden orb, like a miniature sun, began to glow at the site of the wound then expanded to cover Buffy’s entire body. As Max concentrated and raised his free hand, Buffy floated up from the ground into the air as though his hand were a magnet pulling her up.

“I… I feel something happening,” Buffy said. “I do!”

As the others watched, Buffy’s neck began to smoke… but it was not her skin that was burning. The dark, greenish black stream of sulphuric vapor was rising from the wound itself and seemed to be coming from the blood. As it rose into the air, it curled and hissed, appearing almost alive… and evil. Quickly, it was eliminated by the golden energy “sun,” which hovered over Buffy’s body like a purifying angel.

Within twenty or thirty seconds, the smoke coming from the wound had become considerably lighter. After sixty seconds, the smoke was white, and it no longer curled or hissed. Max lowered his hand, and Buffy settled gently back to the ground. As the five companions dropped their hands, severing the link that had bound them, the golden sun disappeared, taking the last wisps of smoke with it.

“How do you feel?” Max asked Buffy.

“Amazed,” Buffy replied… “Like I’ve just been… reborn. That’s the only way I can describe it. I think I really was just reborn. The bite of the vampire is death. You gave me life again.”

“You deserved any help we could give you. You took on our arch enemy for us, and now he’s gone… and you saved Liz from Tess…”

“Ding, dong the bitch is gone… the evil, blood-sucking bitch is gone,” Liz sang under her breath to the tune from the Wizard of Oz, clearly relishing the fact that Tess was no longer a factor in their relationship.

“Well, I guess we need to find a way back to earth now,” Max said.

Liz looked at him surprised.

“We’re going back?” Maria asked.

Max nodded. “Anyone who wants to… I don’t think I’m ready to leave earth for good just yet.”

Buffy nodded. I’m gonna miss you guys.”

“Well, you can keep in touch, Buffy,” Liz said. “It’s no big deal to drop us a call or an email from California, you know.”

“It might be hard from here, though,” Buffy said.

Michael’s mouth dropped. “You’re planning to stay here?”

“Not forever, Michael, but for a while… yeah.”

“Why?”

“Did you ever wonder why there are ‘skins’?”

“Yeah.”

“It’s because alien vampires don’t survive well in our solar system… even at night. It’s our sun they can’t handle, not the atmosphere.”

“So… the skins are vampires?”

“They’re Kivar’s followers. Your planet needs me… for a while.”

“Wow… Why didn’t Kivar peel? He wasn’t a skin?”

Kivar wasn’t an Antarian either. Come to think of it, I don’t know what Kivar really was. He’s gone by so many names over so many thousands of years.”

“Thousands?” Maria asked surprised.

Buffy nodded… “Count Dracula, Vlad the Impaler… The Prince of Darkness…”

“Dracula?” Michael said questioningly. “And I said there was no such thing as Dracula, didn’t I?”

“You did,” Buffy agreed. “Indeed you did… And I found out there are little green… whatevers.”

Max, Michael, Liz, Isabel, and Maria all laughed.

“Well, I have a feeling we’re leaving my kingdom in good hands,” Max said.

Buffy smiled. “I won’t be taking over your throne or anything like that, you know. I probably won’t even live in town while I’m here. I don’t speak Antarian. I’ll just camp out in the woods or something and slay vampires… uh, skins.”

As Buffy spoke, the follower of Kivar who had not run away returned… this time with Nicholas by the collar. Buffy spun around to face her, and Max and Michael both tensed.

“You should have run, too,” Buffy said. “Do you have a death wish?”

She looked at the girl again and tilted her head slightly, confused.

“You’re not a vampire.”

“I’m not a skin, no.”

“Why were you with Kivar then?” Buffy asked.

“I belong to the ALL. I was sent to infiltrate Kivar’s band of followers. I traveled with him… My name is Jalina.”

“You were on earth?”

“Yes.”

“What is the ALL?” Michael asked.

“The Antarian Loyalist League,” the girl replied. We are an underground group. If Kivar had known of us, he would have killed us or turned us into skins, too. Our goal as a group is to coordinate and organize Antarians who are waiting for our real king, Zan, to return and Kivar to be destroyed. I caught this one trying to get away.”

Nicholas squirmed and grimaced as Jalina held him tightly by the collar, lifting him just off the ground.

“Nicholas,” Isabel said, “I remember you looking quite different when we lived on Antar.”

“You do remember?” Nicholas asked, a slight grin starting to appear on his face.

“Yeah… some things. What happened? I thought you’d go back to your old body when you returned here… but you’re still the same little slimeball we knew on earth.”

Nicholas’ grin disappeared.

“They can’t go back,” Jalina said. “Once they put on the husk, they can never go back. They can get a new husk, but they can never return to what they were before.”

Isabel smiled. “Ah, well, Nicholas, I think this body suits you better. It brings out your petty, greedy, oily little character. The mature, handsome look just didn’t suit the real you.”

Nicholas winced. If his eyes could have killed by themselves, Isabel would have been dead several times over.

“Is he a vampire, too?” Liz asked.

“No,” Jalina replied. “Kivar made him take a husk with most of the others when they went to earth, but Kivar never got around to giving him… the bite.”

Isabel grinned. “Too oily. He was afraid he’d get indigestion.”

Jalina laughed. “Well, the ALL will know how to take care of “Nicholas” so that he won’t be a problem to anyone any more.”

Jalina dropped to one knee in front of Max.

“Your highness! You are the one we’ve been waiting for. Will you return now and rule Antar?”

“I… I don’t know… I mean… I came here for that… we all did, I guess. But I can’t… not right now,” Max stammered.

“But will you return… eventually?”

Max nodded. “Yes, you have my word on it.”

Jalina smiled. “That will be good news for our people.”

Jalina looked at Buffy. “Buffy, you do not need to live in the woods. And don’t even think of going into the Nan-torel! You are powerful, but I think even you might not survive there. You will be welcome in the homes of those in our group as long as you are here. When you decide to leave, we will provide you with the means to return home, as we will do for Zan and Rath and their companions now. We have several ships that are capable of making the journey to earth. They are old… and slow… It will take three weeks for you to reach earth… but they have been very well maintained and are in great condition. They should serve you well.”

“I don’t know what to say,” Buffy replied gratefully.

“Say you accept,” the girl said. “You have helped to kill Kivar. You will be a hero to all loyal Antarians. They will all want you to stay with them.”

“I accept,” Buffy said. “How can I say no to that?”

The girl beamed. “You can stay in my home first.”

Three weeks later, Max, Michael, and Isabel, together with Liz and Maria, worked to hide and camouflage their ship in the Roswell desert.

“Your Dad is going to freak, Liz! He’ll probably do more bodily harm to me than Kivar had planned to… for keeping you away three weeks without anyone knowing where you were.”

“Oh, I doubt he’ll hurt you, Max,” Maria said.

“You think not?”

“Naw. My mom will kill you first.” Maria smiled. “She’ll probably have Sheriff Valenti shoot you.”

Max grimaced. “I don’t suppose we could blame it all on Michael?”

Michael looked at Max. “You wouldn’t!”

Max grinned. “Naw. I’ll have to take the fall. Michael, it’s been nice knowin’ ya. Liz… Remember I loved you! Maria… uh… uh…”

“Can’t think of anything, huh, Max? That’s alright. I understand,” Maria said, feigning hurt.

Having finished hiding the ship, the companions hopped into Max’s jeep, “Bob,” and drove off toward town. It was late evening, and the sun had disappeared over the horizon. They had gone about three miles when Max began to slow the jeep.

“What are we slowing down for,” Michael asked.

“There’s someone in the middle of the road up ahead,” Max said.

Michael looked hard. At first he saw nothing, but then he saw that there was indeed someone standing in the middle of the road, in the darkness, a good ways up ahead.

“Geez, Max, you’ve got good eyes,” Michael said. I wouldn’t have seen him in the dark and dressed all in black like that.”

Everyone watched as they approached the lone figure.

“Isn’t he even going to move?” Maria exclaimed. “Does he want to get run over?”

“Probably drunk,” Isabel suggested. There’s a bar not far from here, I think.”

“I’ll give Sheriff Valenti a call on my cell phone,” Maria said. “Jim can come pick him up so he won’t get run over or something… not that there’s much traffic out here at night.”

Max pulled the jeep up in front of the lone figure. The figure still never moved, so Max pulled over slightly and began to drive around him. Suddenly, without warning, the figure leapt from the road and landed on the jeep’s roll bar. Maria and Liz gasped collectively. Isabel put her hands up instinctively to protect herself, and Michael swung around to face the unusual intruder.

Michael reacted instinctively, grabbing the lone intruder and attempting to throw him off the jeep. He was surprised by the intruder’s strength. It wasn’t going to be so simple. This was obviously not just some drunk. Max pulled the jeep over and jumped out to help Michael.

The intruder in black raised his head, and Isabel, Liz, and Maria all gasped…

“Omigod! It can’t be!” Isabel exclaimed. “It can’t be!”

The lone figure in black grinned, and his lips parted in a smile. The two canine teeth were longer –and considerably sharper- than they should have been. It looked like Alex, but it couldn’t be. They all knew that Tess had killed Alex. She had even as much as admitted it, saying that it had been an “accident,” though none of them had really believed that part.

Michael looked the intruder in the face…

“Alex? I saw your body, man! You were dead! We buried you!”

“Yes you did,” the enigmatic stranger admitted. “But as you see, I have returned.”

Maria was the first to say it, though everyone by now was beginning to realize the truth.

“Tess turned him into a vampire,” Maria said. “She didn’t kill him… she turned him into one of them.”

“Very bright observation,” Alex said with a grin. “Now I have to decide who dies here tonight and who becomes one of us.”

“I think I’ll pass on both offers, thanks,” Michael said, blasting Alex off the jeep with a power bolt from his palm. Max stood ready to offer up another power blast if needed. Alex didn’t give either of them a chance to get off another blast, however. Faster than they could react, Alex was on top of Isabel. Isabel attempted to shove him off but couldn’t. Max blasted Alex again, as Michael grabbed him and threw him off of Isabel onto the road once more.

Alex seemed to simply vanish from where he had landed, and before anyone could follow his movements, he was on top of Michael. Michael heard a flutter like bats wings one moment then felt teeth press against his neck. Perhaps it was the strength Michael received from the sudden surge of adrenalin coursing through his body that allowed him to throw Alex off. Alex was much stronger than either Michael or Max now.

“Sorry,” Michael said, puffing from exertion, “but I’m not that kind of guy.”

Not easily deterred, Alex seemed to simply vanish again. The companions looked around to see where he had gone. Without warning, he was on top of Liz. Max struggled to get him off of her but was only successful in keeping Alex’s teeth off her neck. Max laid his hand on Alex’s shoulder and sent a jolt of power through the nerves that controlled most of the muscles on that side of the body. Alex reacted instantly, falling backward and twitching with muscle spasms. His face momentarily turned into something that the companions did not recognize. Before Alex could fully recover, Max and Michael were both on top of him, trying to hold him down. It quickly became obvious that they would not be successful, even with their combined efforts.

Suddenly, without warning, Alex seemed to relax and stop fighting. Max and Michael looked around, perplexed. Isabel was lying on the seat of the jeep, apparently unconscious.

“What happened to Isabel?” Max yelled. “Was she hurt?”

”I don’t think so,” Liz answered. “She just seemed to go into a trance or something.” Liz motioned toward Alex. “I think… somehow… she’s communicating with him.”

“With Alex?” Michael asked, incredulous. “He’s a frikkin’ vampire!”

“Not to her,” Liz said softly. “If anyone can reach him, it’s got to be Isabel.”

Somewhere, in another realm, where smoky mists crawled up from the ground and swirled around their legs, Alex watched Isabel walk up to him.

“What did you do to me?” Alex asked. “What are you doing in my mind …to my mind?”

Isabel smiled. “I came looking for you, Alex.”

“You already found me… out there…”

Isabel shook her head. “Not him… you… Alex.”

Alex seemed confused.

“Somewhere… I’m not sure where… you’re in here. I don’t believe you’re gone.”

“Believe it!” Alex said, momentarily attempting to regain his vampire awareness.

“No!” Isabel said softly but assuredly.

“Why can’t I move?” Alex asked. “What have you done to me?”

“I put you into a dream state. Here, in the dream part of your mind, I control.”

“That’s not fair,” Alex said, grimacing.

“I’ll decide what’s fair,” Isabel said. She walked up to Alex and lifted his face up toward hers. Then she placed her lips softly against his.

Max, who was straddling Alex with Michael, suddenly jumped up.

Michael looked at Max. “What’s the matter with you, Max? We may still need to hold him down.”

“I know,” Max said, moving lower to straddle Alex’s legs. Michael looked at him questioningly. Max shook his head. “Do vampires get… you know… excited?”

Michael grinned. “Just hold him down, Maxwell. I’m sure it’s not you.”

In Alex’s mind realm, the mists swirled around him and Isabel, as Isabel laid him back onto the ground and laid herself on top of him.

“You can’t do this…” Alex tried to say. “There’s no Alex anymore.”

“I’ll decide that,” Isabel said, never completely taking her lips off of his.

Alex seemed to succumb. Perhaps it was the futility of fighting it… or perhaps it was… because “Alex” wanted it.

Twenty-five minutes later, Isabel came out of her trance. Max and Michael tensed, expecting Alex to become combative again.

“He’ll be calm for a while,” Isabel said. “Can we do what we did for Buffy?”

Michael looked at Max. “I don’t know,” Max said. “Buffy had just gotten bit. Obviously, Alex has been a full-fledged vampire for some time now. It may not be possible.”

“We have to try,” Isabel said. “It’s Alex.”

Max nodded and looked at the others. They all nodded, too. Without speaking, everyone joined hands around Alex, and Max channeled their energies into a golden purifying energy sun. The sun expanded, covering Alex’s body and turning the night around them into day. Alex began to grimace. His face went through various contortions and appearances. Max and Michael did their best to hold him down while still maintaining the contact with the group that was necessary to create the golden sun and draw out the reluctant “demons.”

Every pore in Alex’s body began to exude an oily, blackish smoke that curled and hissed as it rose into the air and was captured by the golden orb hovering overhead. The crackling hisses and pops of the foul-smelling smoke being extinguished in the purifying sun filled the air with the smell of sulphur. Alex yelled out something in an unknown, ancient tongue. No one understood it. But one thing they did understand. Alex was responding to the “treatment.” The smoke was getting lighter, and the hissing, popping, and crackling were abating. It was beginning to smell better, too. The foul stench of sulphur that had almost overcome the group was gone. Now Alex was beginning to stir… and instead of oily black smoke, his pores were producing sweat… pure, clear, clean sweat.

Alex opened his eyes. Isabel smiled at him.

“Welcome back, Alex.”

Alex smiled weakly and took Isabel’s hand. “Thanks, Iz.” He looked around him at the others. “Thanks,” he said weakly. It was all he could muster.

“Don’t worry about it, Alex,” Max said. “Just rest.”

Michael and Max helped Alex into the jeep and laid his head in Isabel’s lap. Isabel leaned over and kissed him softly on the lips; Alex smiled then his head rolled over slowly and he was asleep.

Michael looked back and grinned. “Put another one to sleep, huh, Iz?”

“You want to try having vampire demons exorcized from you and see how long you stay awake, Michael?”

“No thanks,” Michael grinned. “I’m sure he can use the sleep. I know I can.”

“That makes three of us,” Max said exhaustedly. “Keep Alex covered up back there. I don’t want to have to explain to anyone tonight how he came back from the dead.”

Max drove the group into town. He dropped Liz off first… Jeff Parker was standing at the door of the CrashDown.

“Max, Park the jeep and come in.”

Max grimaced and looked at Michael and Isabel. Michael smiled slightly. “I’m sympathetic, pal.”

“You comin’ in, too, Michael?”

“Not that sympathetic.”

Max nodded. He took a deep breath… then he parked “Bob” and walked into the CrashDown.

“Sit down, Max! Sit down, Liz!”

Max and Liz sat down.

Jeff looked seriously at his daughter and at Max for a time before speaking.

“Liz… about these last three weeks.”

“Dad, I can explain.”

There was a momentary silence.

“Okay, maybe I can’t,” Liz said after thinking it over.

“You don’t need to say anything,” Jeff said. “I understand.”

“You do?”

“Your mom and I… well, we told you we were going to that restaurant convention in Michigan for the weekend.”

Liz nodded. Actually, she had forgotten, but she did remember now that he mentioned it.

“You were going to be gone three days,” Liz said.

“Yeah, well, it was supposed to be three days, I know, and we would have called you… but I guess you heard about the snow storm –something called an ‘Arctic Blast.’ It knocked out all the lines, and we were snowed in at the resort with no communication. We tried to use our cell phones, but the towers were down, and nothing could get out or in. We just got back two days ago. I know how worried you must have been.”

“Oh,” Liz said weakly. Max just sat quietly, his mouth dry, wondering if he still had a voice or not.

“We figured that you two and Michael might have tried to go looking for us these last two days. I know you couldn’t have got through. The roads were impassible.”

Max was sweating, his skin clammy.

“Anyway, Max, I wanted to say, ‘thanks.’”

“For what, Mister Parker?” Max squeaked hoarsely.

“For trying to come after us… for taking care of my Lizzie for the last three weeks… for not being furious with us. And Max… It’s Jeff.”

Max nodded. Jeff offered Max his hand. “You’re sweating, Max.”

“Yeah, it’s… it’s hot.”

“It’s the middle of winter, Max.”

“Yeah… I mean, coming out of the cold into a warm room, you know… you feel hot at first.”

Jeff nodded. “Well… thanks, again, Max.”

“Don’t mention it, Mister Parker.”

“It’s Jeff.”

“Jeff.”

Max climbed back into “Bob” and drove silently over to Maria’s house. Michael didn’t ask what happened, and Maria was too concerned about what was going to happen. As they drove into the yard, they saw Sheriff Valenti’s official vehicle in the driveway. The door of the house opened, and Amy stepped out with Jim at her side.

“It’s been nice knowin’ ya’, Max,” Michael whispered, covering Alex up again with the blanket.

Max got out of his jeep and helped Maria out. Sheriff Valenti walked up behind him and pulled out his gun.

“Don’t shoot him!” Maria and Isabel both screamed.

Jim turned around and smiled. “Shoot him? Really, girls!”

“Uh, Jim, you do have your gun drawn,” Max said, pushing the barrel down gently with a finger.

“Oh! Yeah! Feel that steel, Max.”

Max touched the barrel of the gun. “It’s cold!”

“Yeah,” Jim said. “It was frozen solid for the last three weeks where we were.”

“You went to a restaurant convention?”

“Restaurant convention? Hell no.”

“Oh.”

“Amy and I took a quick trip up to New York then we decided to run on up to Lake Superior for a… a little fun on the ice. It was supposed to be a weekend snow trip, but… they had this Arctic Blast and, well, we got stuck there for three dang weeks. We just got back ‘bout an hour ago. Maria, I want you to know I was a total gentleman.”

“It’s alright, Jim. Mom’s a big girl. She can take care of herself.”

“Well… anyway… we… uh…”

Amy shushed him. “Darling, you must have missed me terribly.”

“Oh, I did, Mom!”

“Were you worried, Dear?”

Maria looked at Max and nodded. “We were very worried, Mom. You don’t know how worried!”

“Aw… Baby! I’m so sorry! I’ll try to make it up to you. You do understand don’t you?”

“Yeah, Mom. Sure. I understand. Don’t worry about it.”

“It looks like you’re off the hook, Jim,” Max said with a smile.

Climbing back into “Bob,” Max sighed a sigh of relief and looked up at the sky. “I wonder how Buffy’s doing up there.”

The End