*FLASH*

Max turned to Liz, fear in his eyes.
" Liz, Tess is pregnant with my son. We're going home."

*FLASH*

Sitting in his jeep, Liz was close to tears as she said goodbye,
" I can't believe this is all I have of you." She whispered as she took the alien pendant out of Max's hands.
" Just tell me one thing do you love her?"
" Not like I love you." Max whispered, as he leant in to kiss her.

*FLASH*

Liz turned to Maria, her eyes wide and thoughts running through her brain at a million miles an hour.
" Tess did it. Tess killed Alex." Maria's eyes opened wide,
" What?!"
" Tess mind warped him, and when he broke out of the mind warp she killed him."

*FLASH*

Inside the granilith chamber, Max held his hand against the illuminate cylinder. Michael watched hesitantly. He knew it, he knew he couldn't go. He turned to Max,
" I can't go Max."

*FLASH*

" Tess did it, Tess killed Alex." Liz shouted at the top of her lungs. Max turned around to see Liz, Kyle, Maria and Michael standing in the Granilith chamber. He looked at them questioningly,
" Tess is this true?"
" I wish I hadn't, but I did." Tess shook her blond head,
" But that doesn't matter now. Max I'm carrying your son. Why could you never love me like you love her?" Max held is stare firm, as she backed away. He held his hand up to her face, as if to kill her. She stared at him,
" You kill me Max, you kill our son."
" Go Tess, but this isn't over."

*FLASH*

Max turned to Liz after watching his only way home escape him,
" I've been wrong about a lot, but I was right about one thing. To get you into my life, to be around you, to love you."

*FLASH*

Maria grabbed onto Michael.
" You opened the door and you came out, why? You stayed for me."

*FLASH*

Isabel turned to her brother,
" What now Max?"
" I have to save my son."

Prologue

Max shuddered as he walked into Liz's bedroom with her. In his memory danced the vision of Liz and Kyle, together in her bed. Liz turned to him,
" Max I'm home. You can go now, go home and get some sleep you know. It's been a hard time for all of us." Max raised his head, determined not to leave without telling her how he felt. He raised his tired eyes, as she switched on her lamp to brighten the darkening room.
" Liz I, we, are we-"
" We're not anything yet Max." She stared wistfully out of the window, and contemplated telling him about the visit she had had from Future Max a couple of months earlier. He touched her lightly on the shoulders; she closed her eyes,
" Max." she stuttered and turned around to face him. Her lips trembled as she stood so close to him.
" A couple of months ago, someone came to me. Someone from the future. Um, you might want to sit down," She said as he took a seat on her bed, looking totally bewildered,
" Liz, time travel isn't possible. Well, I mean." Liz looked at him, tears in her eyes. She could have almost smiled at the prospect of Max thinking time travel was impossible. After all, it wasn't so long ago she thought it wasn't possible for aliens to exist.
" Max, it was you. You came back to tell me that unless we broke up it'd cause the end of the world." She closed her eyes and gulped. Max furrowed his eyebrows and began to process this information,
" Liz, how could us being together possibly cause the end of the world?" He asked calmly, Liz sat beside him, preparing to tell him all the things she had wanted to tell him since the night he had seen her with Kyle.
" Tess wasn't here when your enemies came, or will come, or wherever we are. She left because of me, and without her, 14 years in the future, you lose to your enemies, and Michael and Isabel." Liz said, willfully letting her voice trail off; but Max pushed her for more information,
" Michael and Isabel?" Liz swallowed hard,
" They die Max." Max got up as his mind flickered with information. Liz had done all those things because he had told her to. Isabel and Michael died. Liz hadn't slept with Kyle. He spun around,
" I'm sorry Liz. God, I'm sorry." He said, approaching her once more. She looked at him,
" So that's why I did what I did Max, but what you did, that's not explainable." She turned and opened the window, physically asking him to leave. Max gazed up at her,
" I couldn't live knowing that you hated me." She bit her lip.
" I don't hate you Max. But you slept with Tess, she's having your child. How do you just get over something like that?" She asked him, leaving her window open and sitting down on the bed with him. She sighed, as the slight breeze flew through her window. Max lifted his head,
" I'm not asking you to get over it Liz, I'm asking you not to hate me." Liz did something then which may have changed her future forever. The soft breeze flowing through her window pushed her hair off her face, as she leant over and kissed Max gently on the lips. Pulling away, she whispered,
" I've never hated you Max."

" Michael you stayed. You stayed. And you stayed for me." Maria said, staring into his huge brown eyes. The same huge brown eyes that he rolled, every time Maria repeated the same words over and over again. He diverted his eyes away from her, as she snuggled into his chest. He watched the screen for a while, although his mind wondered. Tess was gone. His only way home was gone. He'd just given up everything for Maria. Michael felt like this was something completely new for him, something completely new and completely scary. He tightened his grip around her,
" Maria?" He asked quietly, she hummed, not taking her head off his chest.
" The reason I stayed is because this is my home." He said plainly. She opened her eyes, and lifted her head off his chest.
" But Michael, you've always been on this quest." She said as her voice trailed off.
" Maybe I found something out this time Maria. You're my home okay. Without you I don't know where I'd be." He said quickly, kissing her head. Maria felt like she was going to cry, as she lifted herself completely up until she was sitting next to Michael. She couldn't believe it, in the past two days, Michael had said more romantic things to her than they had during the 2 years they were 'seeing' each other. She smiled,
" I love you Michael." She said quietly, Michael's eyes flickered as he realized this was way too emotional by his standards. He cleared his throat.
" So I ain't eaten and that pastas still sitting on the table, go and heat it up." Maria laughed. There he was, her Michael. She laughed again as she got off his sofa and hit his playfully with a pillow, grabbing the pasta on the way to the kitchen.

Two days later.

" So yo, she's gone ain't she." The familiar voice ran through Isabel as she turned round suddenly.
" Ava? You're back?" Ava nodded slightly, as she pranced around the Evans' living room. Isabel stood open mouthed,
" Max!" She hollered. Ava settled herself on the sofa, kicking off her shoes. Max came out of his room, followed closely by Liz. He stopped as he realized she was sitting on the sofa.
" Oh my god." Liz whispered. Max dropped his glass,
" Ava, you're back."
" Talk about repetition. Yeah, I'm back. You're left without a fourth right? Here I am." Liz looked to Max. Looked like his destiny was back.

Chapter 1

Liz picked up her pace to a brisk walk as she wandered her way through Fraiser Woods. The sun had set hours earlier, and the eerie atmosphere that enveloped Fraiser woods after dark was beginning to make her jumpy. She walked with intent, and the heaviness of the bag on her back confirmed this. It was quiet, and Liz's confidence was faltering. She considered turning back, but no, she couldn't. Not now, not when she was so close. A twig snapped underneath her feet and she froze. She looked around. " Liz stop being stupid will you." She told herself. She'd done this millions of times before. But never alone. She began to move, but heard another twig snap. Her heartbeat quickened and she bit her bottom lip. She hadn't moved her feet. That twig didn't break because of her. A rabbit, that was all it was. Wasn't it? She quickened her pace again, wishing she had never left the security of her bedroom. But she knew the answer lay in Fraiser Woods. It had too. As she approached the stream, she took off her backpack and took out a sampling test tube. She cautiously bent down and removed a sample of the water, and did the same with the earth around her.
" Liz what are you doing here?" Liz turned around, her brown eyes opened wide. She knew that voice. She searched the area, her eyes twitching from left to right. She kept low, and slipped the test tube into the pocket of her brown winter jacket. She couldn't see anyone. What was going on?
" Liz, I said what are you doing here?" The voice surrounded her, louder than before. A flood of goose pimples stretched the length of her entire body. Her lips trembled nervously as she contemplated possible escape routes.
" Liz!" She was sure of it this time, she knew the voice. Though she couldn't see the body.
" Alex?" She called quietly. There was no reply. She placed her backpack back on her back and stood on the spot. She began to move, slowly at first.
" Liz why are you leaving?" The voice spoke again. This time the voice was eerie, haunting almost.
" I'm not Alex, I'm trying to help."
The voice laughed maniacally, making Liz feel less at ease. Her heartbeat began to soar, as she made the final decision to run. She ran, as fast as she could, weaving her way between the trees. She looked back, still running as fast as she could until she ran into the open arms of Max Evans.
" Max what are you doing here?" Max stared at her, his brown eyes seeing right through her.
" Liz, can't you just leave everything alone?" He said, not taking his eyes off her. Liz searched his face for some warmth or security.
" Max?" He laughed, just as the voice had done before. Isabel, Tess and Michael appeared, standing behind Max. Liz looked innocently at the Royal Four, searching for a friend.
" You should have left us alone Liz, You should have left us alone" They chanted, Liz backed away. They followed.
" No, you don't understand," Liz tried to reason, they chanted the same thing, over and over again. Until Liz gave up, and they battled her to the ground. Her eyes closed, as she saw Tess and Max embrace each other.

Liz sat bolt upright in her bed. Her heart racing and sweat running down her forehead. Maria sat beside her, holding her hand and looking at her strangely.
" Liz Parker, its 3am and your screaming the house down. Do you want to tell me what's going on?" She tied her blonde hair back and Liz sat herself up properly.
" Oh Maria" She said as tears streamed down her face. Maria rocked her back and forth as she watched her friend let her heartache out.
" Liz what is going on? I can't watch you beat yourself up anymore. Ever since Alex died,"
" That's it Maria, Alex. I think he's haunting me. And everytime I try to sleep, he's there. It's not real and I, I don't know what to do with myself. It's all my fault, if I hadn't listened to Max," Liz stopped herself. Maria broke their embrace.
" Future Max, I mean, he said Alex danced at our wedding, and if I hadn't disrupted the future, then Alex."
" Liz, be quiet. I'm saying this lovingly, as I'm your friend and all, but you're going crazy girl. If you didn't break away from Max, then the whole world would have ended. You've got to let go of Alex. He'll always be there for us; even if we can't see him." Liz nodded solemnly. Her eyes streamed with tears again,
" I miss him so much." Maria hugged her again, rocking her back and forth,
" Me too. Me too." The two friends sat on Liz's bed, silently sharing the heartache the last months had given them. They sat together, sharing the pain and anger they felt towards the world. But outside Liz's window, a familiar blonde haired alien stood and watched the two, a triumphant smile across her face. Her evil blue eyes caught the reflection of the moon, as she ran her hand through her short curly blonde hair.
" That'll show you, Liz Parker. Destiny is something you can't control."

The following morning, Isabel Evans sat at the breakfast table with Max, talking aimlessly about their plans for the afternoon.
" I'm going to see Brody, I want to make sure everything's gone back to normal."
" Oh wow, what a fun filled day." Isabel said, mocking him lightly. He smiled sarcastically.
" Well, I was going to stop by the Crash Down later,"
" How invigorating for you,"
" To see Liz." He said, an open look in his eyes as he silently asked Isabel for advice. Though Isabel was too busy eating her bowl of cereal to notice.
" I don't think she slept well last night, so she might be a little cranky."
" Isabel?"
" Hey I was bored okay? She's dreaming about you again. She's some weirdo you know Max, I think you're better off with Ava" Isabel put her spoon back into the cereal bowl, and looked surprised with herself. Max got up from the table and left the room, not wanting to hear anymore. Her shook his head as her walked away, not wanting to realize the reality in Isabel's words.

Liz wiped the counter at the Crash Down, and then went back behind the counter and rested her chin in her hands. She looked around the place, it was empty. " Another part of boring Liz Parker's boring life" she said to herself. Maria came bouncing out of the storeroom, a cheerful smile on her face.
" What are you so happy about?" Liz asked suspiciously.
" My mum's taking me shopping, to get a dress for the end of school dance." Liz's heart sank at the thought of the end of school dance. But she kept a smile on her face for the happiness of her friend. Maria glowed as she announced she was taking the afternoon off, Liz, too exhausted to argue, watched her go. Michael then walked out of the kitchen.
" So, what's up with her?" He asked, referring to his girlfriend. Liz rolled her eyes,
" She's excited about the dance."
" Well she can go by herself. I'm not going to some retro high school dance." spoke the rebel with a cause.
" Michael don't be a pain. Go with her." Liz ordered, she turned to face him, only the diner parted them.
" Oh, where did you learn to be bossy? Been working at it late night? Jeez Liz, you look terrible."
" Thanks for the compliment." Liz said as she threw a French fry at him. It stuck to his face, and she couldn't help but laugh. Michael, surprisingly happy, laughed too; the mood instantly lightened.
" Still holding that thing for Max huh?" He said, teasing her. She threw another French fry at him. This time he caught it in his mouth. Liz just stared at him.
" Come on, admit it babe, you got the hots for him and it's killing you now Ava's turned up." Michael said as he struck a nerve in Liz.
" You're asking for it Michael."
" Oh yeah, bring it on!" Liz took the bowl of cold french fries and tipped it over his head. Michael squirted the ketchup all over Liz's uniform and the two erupted into a food fight. Neither one noticed when a bemused Max walked onto the scene. They froze, and looked at Max, trying to suppress a smile each. Michael used his powers to clean himself off and nodded at Max as he walked out of the restaurant. Liz looked at Max, Ketchup dripping down the side of her chin.
" Are you busy?" He asked. Liz took a look around. His eyes followed.
" It doesn't look like it, why?" Her whole body trembled, waiting for him answer.
" I think we should talk." Liz nodded, secretly delighted at what she heard.
" I'm just going to clean up, I'll be right back." Max nodded as his eyes followed her into the back room, as he became more nervous about what to say to her.

" So let me get this right, you're like, the exact identical to Tess, but you're Ava." A confused Kyle sat on the sofa next to Ava, who was vegging out on chocolate cake and salt.
" Yeah, got it right in one." Ava said, pouring more salt onto her cake and devouring it. This was yet another conversation with Kyle that went no where. Her blonde hair covered her face, as she pushed it back with an annoyed expression. With Isabel's help, they'd managed to re-arrange Ava's features so that she looked exactly like Tess.
" Man is this confusing." Ava looked at him.
" Kyle come on, Ava/Tess, were the same person, same genetic material."
" Yeah, but I don't know whether to be happy or sad. I mean, Tess is on some whole other planet, but she wasn't really Tess in the first place. And she killed Alex. Aw man, is being an alien always this confusing?"
" Only to you." Ava replied, looking at the television. Kyle turned back and looked at the television too. " So do you have the powers Tess had?" Kyle asked quizzically. Ava rolled her eyes. She couldn't wait to get off this planet, and stop being around these dumb humans. But first, she had to destroy what was left of the Royal Four, except Max, and so they could both return to Antar. The only people who stood in her way were Michael and Liz, and she would get her way one way or another.

Liz sat down in a booth with Max, her heart pounding in her chest. Max looked across at the ever-beautiful Liz. He longed to kiss her again, and feel her soft lips against his. He desperately wanted to be with her, he ached when they were apart. After Tess was exposed, he thought that finally they could be together. Because Liz was his soul mate.
" So, what did you want to talk about?" Liz asked, an innocent smile on her face. She twiddled her fingers nervously.
" We haven't talked since that night before Ava," Max started, still mesmerized by Liz's beauty and innocence.
" Before Ava arrived, right." Liz said, trying to break the awkwardness between them.
" And I think we should talk about our, well, the way we are." Max said awkwardly.
" Sure, well Max, I know that your destiny is still with Ava, and I guess I cant change that so."
" But Liz, you don't understand how I feel..." Max started to plead with her.
" Max you know we can't be together. After Future Max, and, and what he said then." She pleaded with him, trying not to expose her true feelings. She ached to be with him, but loved him enough to let him live out his own destiny - a destiny she couldn't be part of.
" But Liz - I never asked to be part of this. I never wanted to be Zan; I never wanted to be with Ava or Tess. I don't want to have to live out my past again, that's not the way it has to be." His brown eyes melted into hers. He took her hand as a million different feelings ran through them both.
" Liz, isn't there any way we can be together?" Liz's brown eyes filled with tears as she held his gaze.
" I want to be with you so much." She whispered. Max squeezed her hands.
" Then we'll make it work. Michael and Maria work even though him and Isabel,"
" Wait Max, this is different. You're King of a whole other planet, I'll destroy that for you."
" Liz,"
" Max, no. And what about Ava? You're drawn to her, even if we tried to be together; there's a part of you that has to be with her. You can't control your destiny Max." Max nodded in defeat. He lowered his head. He held so much love in his heart for Liz, he was sure they were meant to be together. The pure feeling he had when he was around her. That was something he couldn't control. And neither could his destiny.

Chapter 2

Michael paced up and down on the basket ball court. He began to get impatient as he waited for Max to meet him there. He sat down on the bench and looked around. Familiar Roswell sights. The basketball nets, the same people on the courts, the same life. It was bothering Michael that he couldn't see more than what was on Earth. He wrestled with his conscious, as he had been doing since the night they found out who Tess really was. He shook his head in memory. He'd never expected to fall in love, but then again, he'd never expected to actually enjoy living on Earth. A tap on the shoulder interrupted his thoughts; a tired eyed Max greeted him.
" Man, what's eating you?" He asked, searching Max's face. The same 'Max' look greeted Michael, as Michael sighed.
" One day Maxwell you'll learn that were all in this together, you're not the only one." He said truthfully, beginning to dribble the ball. Max made no attempt to block him.
" Michael. It's Tess." Max started. He ran his eyes from left to right, searching the area. He beckoned Michael, and Michael raised an eyebrow at him.
" You mean Ava, boy, did we end up with the wrong chick. When she first came here, sure I was opposed. But you're right. She ain't Tess, she didn't make the deal. I mean, its obvious Ava is the one we." Max shook his head time and time again, Michael stopped.
" Max, what is this twenty questions? I ain't gonna stand here and guess all day." Michael shot at the basket ball hoop, but Max directed it away.
" Michael, its Tess and our son. I've been thinking."
" Well don't Max, it's not real. You didn't have sex and you don't have a kid. None of it's real." Michael said, dismissive of the situation.
" But I had a dream. It wasn't a dream. I was on our planet, and my son was calling out to me. Michael what if it is real and I'm letting them torture my son."
" Dude, are you completely psycho. Tess weren't pregnant. She was some stupid bitch who messed with the wrong aliens." Michael shot again, the ball swished through the hoop. Max got up and caught the ball.
" What if there was some way, some way I could contact her?" Max said, opened eyed and staring at Michael.
" Max. No, don't even go there, you know we can't do that." Michael stood in front of him, threateningly. Was it because he didn't want to know what he was missing? Or was it genuinely for Max's safety?
" But Liz said the future Max and her altered it's power to time travel. What if I could." Michael picked up his bags and moved away.
" Max, to be honest don't you think you've put us through enough already? It's not real. None of it aint real and if you want to drag Ava, Isabel and me into some stupid fantasy then you aint gonna do it easily. Leave it Max, for all of us." Michael stormed off towards the Crash Down. Inside Max was torn, his heart couldn't handle the possibility that he was rejecting a son. But his head kept wondering back to the memories between him and Tess that seemed so real.

" How about this one?" Liz held up an ultra-marine dress to herself. Maria surveyed her up and down. She studied her carefully.
" Want to look like something out of the black lagoon, wear that dress." She answered. Liz smiled sarcastically. She placed the dress back on the hanger. Ava walked out of a dressing room in a striking purple dress; a dress that had less material to it than something Liz or Maria would wear to bed.
" Well?" Ava said as she struck a pose. Liz and Maria nodded.
" Nice." They both said, secretly disgusted with Ava.
" Hey Tess!" Someone in the store called, Ava rolled her eyes.
" Do I have to put up with this?"
" Well, looking like her identical twin; which, well basically you are. You've got to expect it." Maria said. Ava rolled her eyes again and closed the curtain to the dressing room.
" So, what's going on between you and Max now?" Maria asked, a little too loudly for Liz's liking. Liz lowered her voice.
" Maria sshh, Ava's still in there." Maria looked at her friend.
" Okay then, well just ask me how mine and Michael's relationship is going?" She said, a smile forming across her face. Liz raised an eyebrow. Her jaw hit the ground.
" Maria you didn't!" She exclaimed. Maria nodded.
" And it was amazing. Uh! So amazing Liz you don't understand!" Maria said with conviction, Liz stared at her friend in dis-belief. Inside she was happy for Maria and Michael, but she also felt a strain of jealousy too. She ached to be that close to Max.
" Well, good for you." She said un-surely. She contemplated on how to phrase her next question,
" Was it, erm, normal?" She whispered. Maria laughed and Liz felt slightly embarrassed.
" Apart from the floating in the air, I guess so. And do you know what else is great? I know he loves me. He let me have the flash thing."
" Like what I saw when I kissed Max?" Liz asked. She again felt jealousy rise up inside her. She always thought that the flashes were special between her and Max.
" I guess so." Maria said without noticing how hurt Liz was by this.
" Hmmm, I think this is the beginning of something really great for us two." Maria sighed. Liz was hurt. She was happy for Maria, sure, but why could Maria be happy and she couldn't? The girls went back to searching for the right dress. Liz searched the racks aimlessly, wishing things could be different. Inside the changing room Ava had listened to everything that had been said. Her evil eyes danced with amusement. Maybe it wouldn't be so hard to get rid of Michael or Liz. If she could just cause a few disruptions then she'd be home quicker than it took to say Extraterrestrial.

Max knocked on the Valenti's wooden door. He stood in deep thought, and didn't notice when Kyle answered the door. Kyle stood there, bemused at the sight,
" Hey Evans, knock on my door for a reason or just to stare at me?" He said, Max looked at him, breaking out of his trance. He still looked blankly at Kyle. Kyle shook his head.
" My dad ain't home." He said, leaning on the doorframe.
" It's you I wanted to see." Max said. He felt uncomfortable standing with Kyle, especially after the way he had treated him after the whole Liz/Max thing. Kyle raised hi eyebrows.
" Will you take Ava to the dance for me?" He asked honestly. Max searched Kyle for an answer.
" Sure." Kyle agreed. Max was confused.
" Just like that?"
" Yeah, were going together anyway. Hey, just because Tess had the hots for you don't mean Ava does. She's different. You know." Kyle said, still leaning casually against the doorframe.
" Max nodded. Thanks Kyle, I'm sorry about the whole you and Liz thing." He started to apologize. Kyle waved a hand,
" No problem." He said as he closed the door. Kyle rested against the door for a moment, until he smiled smugly, as if he hid something. He laughed to himself and then went into the kitchen and helped himself to a slice of Chocolate cake.

Later that evening Liz stood in front of her mirror, looking at her reflection. She had bought a red dress, and was wishing she hadn't.
" What was I thinking?" She asked her reflection. The dress hung perfectly on her figure, showing off her best points. Elegant straps sat on her shoulders, and it hung all the way to the floor. She took her hair down and shook her head, still looking in the mirror. She sighed sadly. "If only I looked more like Ava," She thought sadly. Turning Max away again and again was getting harder. She wanted to believe him, that they were destined to be together. And half or her did. But half of her knew they couldn't, that Max had other responsibilities; a whole other life. She sighed again and pretended Max was standing next to her. He'd tell her that he loved her, and then they'd kiss. She laughed at herself, and then looked at the picture of Alex she had placed lovingly in a frame.
" Oh Alex. You'd know what to do." She said to herself.

Max stood outside Liz's window, just watching her. He too was ready for the dance, and had planned on asking Liz to go with him. The cool breeze shifted the leaves on the trees, but Max was caught in the sight of Liz prancing around in front of the mirror. He smiled lovingly, she was so innocent, she didn't need to be caught up in this. He watched as she took a photo of Alex off the side. He wanted to hold her. He wanted to make all the pain go away. Not able to stand it any longer, he tapped on her window, as she looked up. A smile was upon her face. He smiled too as she lifted the window.
" What are you doing here?" She asked him. She backed away from the window and quickly ran the brush through her hair.
" Well, I thought seeing as the prom didn't go so smoothly," He cringed at the memory,
" I thought I'd take you to this dance, to make up for it." Liz smiled innocently,
" A mercy date huh?"
" No Liz," He said as he took her hand,
" I want to go with you." Liz looked into his eyes.
"You've got yourself a deal."
" Let's get out of here." Max said, Liz nodded.
" Oh but wait.." She said, walking over to her chest of drawers. She took out a box, and handed it to Max.
" Seeing as were not annoyed at each other anymore, I think you can have this back." Max opened it to find the penknife Liz had given to him for Christmas. Engraved were the words, Liz and Max 4ever. Max smiled.
" If were exchanging gifts then here, put this on." He said as he placed the spiral pendant that he had given her around her neck. She smiled.

Michael knocked on Maria's door. Maria opened and looked at him.
" You're here?" Maria asked him questioningly.
" Yeah, it is the dance tonight. Isn't it?" He said smoothly. Maria smiled.
" Yeah it is, come in." She said, still surprised he had turned up on her doorstep. He sat down in front of the T.V and put on a DVD. Maria understood now.
" So you're not going huh?" She said, looking at him.
" Nope." He said, not taking his eyes off the TV. Maria sat down next to him and tried to cuddle up to him.
" But Michael." She said seductively.
" But Michael nothing." He said firmly. She pouted and leaned over to whisper something in his ear. He raised his eyebrows.
" Off to the dance we go then." He said as he stood up and morphed his clothes into a smart black suit. Maria looked coyly at him,
" What's the rush Space Boy?" He leant down and kissed her on the lips.
" The sooner we leave the sooner we get home." He said as they both smiled.

The school gym was decorated in balloons and streamers, and looked more like a cheesy wedding than anything else. Ava walked around attracting attention, as Kyle followed quietly behind her. Maria turned to Liz,
" Kyle looks unhappy. Do you think something's wrong?" She said, almost shouting over the loud music.
" No, I think Ava's a bit too much for him too handle." They both laughed as Michael walked over to Maria.
" Hey, wanna ditch and go to the Crash Down?" Maria looked at him, exasperated. Michael smiled.
" Only kidding!" He said as he took her hand and asked her to dance. Liz stood on the sidelines, surrounded only by her own loneliness. She looked at all the happy couples and sighed. Jealousy was becoming an emotion she felt more and more often these days. Liz felt two warm hands around her waist, she knew there was only one boy they could belong to. Max leant down, and whispered in her ear,
" Shall we go for a walk?"

" So, looks like Ava's created quite a stir," Liz said, trying to make polite conversation. Liz and Max walked hand in hand underneath the large oak trees on the field of Roswell High School. It was a fairytale evening, and the weather was beautiful. It was dusk, and the music from the dance played in the background, as the two enjoyed being in each other's company. They had escaped the company of Maria, Michael, Kyle and Ava.
" You don't need to be awkward around me Liz." Max told her.
" Oh." Liz said dejectedly. Max continued to lead her forward,
" Liz, there's something I want to tell you, something that I've been thinking a lot about." Liz nodded.
" What if. What if there was a way for us to be together?" Liz shook her head, telling herself to stay strong.
" There's no way Max, we've tried everything. Your destiny is decided."
" What if I don't believe in destiny anymore."
" Max you can't say that, you're Zan, ruler of a whole planet,"
" No Liz I'm not. I'm Max Evans. I'm 17 years old. I'm not in charge of the planet, I'm a teenager." Liz saw the reality shining through his words.
" I'm as much human as I am alien. In some ways I'm more human. I've been brought up here, this is my home. Do you know what I mean?" Liz's eyes stared at the ground.
" Liz," He tipped her chin up towards him.
" What if I changed my destiny?" He released her and led her to a lone tree, and told her to close her eyes. He moved his hand across the bark of the old tree and told her to open her eyes, on the tree he had inscribed the words:

" I can control my destiny. Liz, you are my destiny"

Liz stared at the tree, tears in her eyes. She turned to Max and stared lovingly into his eyes. Max returned her gaze, his heart aching and his lips tingling to his her.
" Max, I never stopped loving you."
" Liz, I." Liz brought her fingers to Max's lips.
" Let's just have tonight, us too, no one else. Pretending we're normal. I don't care what happens tomorrow. I care about today. And you. " Max tried to protest, but Liz took him gently in her arms and kissed him gently. Max's arms fitted perfectly around her waist, as he responded by kissing her urgently. The two embraced as they shared the most passionate and heartfelt kiss ever experienced. Max, controlled by his passion, moved down her neck, kissing her softly as he went. Liz enjoyed the moment, loving it, loving him for what he was, for what they had. She returned his kisses, unbuttoning his top button. Max held her in his arms, so tight, not wanting to let her go. He grazed his skin against hers, and he whispered in her ear,
" Liz, I love you." She pulled away from him and placed her forehead against his. She stared in his eyes. Tonight, Liz decided, would be for all the times she longed to be in Max's arms, for all the times she cried without him, for the love and the passion she felt. Tonight she was with Max Evans, not Zan.
" Max, I love you too." She pulled him closer as they kissed passionately, leaving their worlds behind them, and embracing the night for what it was.

Ava pouted.
" God, you'd think with alien powers they'd enjoy themselves a bit more!" She said, looking in a bathroom mirror. She stared at her reflection. She morphed herself into Michael.
" Oh Maria I love you!" She said and laughed at herself. Then she morphed herself into Isabel.
" Oh, I'm so unlucky, my boyfriends dead," She laughed again. She then morphed back into her original form. And looked into the mirror again.
" Oh Ava, why do you put up with this?" She said again. Ever since Tess had returned to their planet, she had been treated like royalty.
" It doesn't matter that the time-line is screwed." She said sarcastically. When Tess had returned to their home planet, Kivar had used his powers to retrieve all her memories of her past life. Now heavily pregnant with Max's baby, Ava felt ignored and alone.
" She's my mother too. What, do people just forget about me just because I'm not Zan's child?! I'm more alien than he'll ever be!" She said, throwing a lipstick at the mirror and breaking it into a million different pieces. She then looked at her reflection again. She fixed the mirror.
" Don't worry mum, I'll bring Zan home." She said evilly as she laughed at her mother's reflection in the mirror, only this time her face was streaked with blood.

" Max, this is crazy." She said as they ran into the pod chamber. Max had become overwhelmed with feelings, and wanted to show Liz as many things as he could tonight.
" Liz, I want you to be a part of my life. All of my life." Liz smiled.
" I've waited so long for you to say that." She kissed him, and again she received flashes. She saw her and Max, smiling. Everything she knew about Max she felt in his kiss. He broke away, and pulled her towards the Granilith. Most of its power had been used when Tess had been transported home, but the Granilith seemed to be regenerating itself.
" I'm going to turn it into a communicator." He announced. Liz looked unsure. Max kissed her again, and she forgot about all the doubts she had. He touched her, and held her tight. Liz felt something wasn't right. He continued to kiss her, and she kissed him back, though something wasn't right. Suddenly she drew back, unable to control the flashes in her head. She saw Max, Isabel and Michael, from the very beginning. She saw how scared Max was, and she saw herself trapped. She screamed, unable to stop the flashes.
" Max help me!" She said, as Max tried to touch her, but the force Liz was exerting repelled him.
" Liz what's going on? " He shouted. He searched frantically for some way to stop this. Liz now saw Tess and Max making love, she saw Tess laughing at her. She saw Ava. She saw their planet, and Isabel and Michael together, with a family. Tess stood with Max, as they watched a little boy and girl. The flashes kept going, Liz unable to stop them.
" Max make them stop!" She cried. He held her head and wouldn't her go, as he too became involved in the flashes. The final image saw Tess holding Max's son, and presenting him to Nicholas. Tess laughed and said, "You can't stop his destiny Liz." Liz screamed and with this Max and Liz were thrown apart. Liz lay on the floor as Max scrambled to get to her. Liz lay down, crying. Max stroked her hair, almost in tears himself.
" Tess, Max. I saw you and her together." Max shook his head. Liz still couldn't move.
" She's having your baby Max. And Antress, she's... Max." Max shook his head again and again.
" Liz are you okay? Who's Antress?" He cried helplessly. She still remained motionless on the floor.
" You have to save your son. You have to get to him. You can do it Max, with Isabel and Michael, and Brody."
" Brody? Liz can you hear me?" Max said, becoming more and more worried.
" Max, I can feel you inside me." Liz said quietly. Tears began to stream down her face. Max looked hopelessly. Liz shook her head and closed her eyes and stood still for a moment. Max still continued to stroke her hair, not knowing what to say or do. In an instant, Liz got up and moved away from him. She stood by herself in a corner, holding her arms.
" Max what just happened?" She asked him. She shook from head to toe, feeling as if she could explode any moment.
" I don't know." He said, walking towards her.
" No don't come near me!" She screamed, as she held out her hand. A green force field immersed. The same green force field Max could exert. Liz looked at her hand. And then looked at Max. She closed her fist. She looked at Max, open-eyed.
" I didn't know I could do that," Liz said quietly. Max stood there stunned.
" Me neither." He said. They looked at each other. Liz knew there was no turning back now.

Chapter 3

Liz tossed and turned, sweat running down her back. She wandered her way through mists of blue, purple and green, as she frantically searched for a way out. She was in a pool, a pool of thick water. It stopped her from getting somewhere. Somewhere she had to go but couldn't get to. Liz turned confused, not seeing left or right, but seeing shapes and figures. She heard rippling echoes of laughter filling the crowed waters; the sounds echoed a memory, a memory Liz didn't remember making. She emerged from the pool onto land, and looked around the barren place. She was cold and isolated, as she heard a moan come from her left. An injured man lay on the marshy ground, as Liz knelt by his side. Michael grasped her hand and looked into her eyes.
" Save me Liz." He taunted her; his eyes alight with pain. Liz searched for an answer, but in the vapid landscape she found no answers. All of a sudden, the atmosphere changed. She stood in a white room, Michael no where to be seen. She tried frantically to escape, as images of Brody and Nasedo flashed before her. Until she came face to face with a thin girl with long black hair and jade green eyes. She wore robes that flowed around her and a shiny metallic crown that sat on top of her long, straight black hair. Liz and the stranger stood in silence. The stranger looked at Liz, and then smiled. Liz felt calm in her presence, but didn't understand. Suddenly the mood changed again, as the cackling and laughter that had haunted her since Alex's death became louder. Then Liz came face to face with another woman. This woman laughed at her, frightened her, and threatened her all in the way she placed her eyes upon her.
" It's the end for you Miss Parker." She said as she erected a blue force field in Liz direction,
" Antress?" The woman laughed as Liz screamed.

Max awoke to the sound of Liz screaming. Her head rested against his shoulder as she screamed he opened his eyes and a green mist surrounded him. He shook Liz, until she woke up and sat bolt up right. She closed her hand again, and the force field disappeared. She looked at Max, and he looked at Liz.
" So, it wasn't an overnight thing then?" He said jokingly. Liz looked around Max's tidy bedroom.
" How did I get here?" She asked him curiously. She remembered last night, the dance, she remembered the oak trees, she blushed as she remembered her kiss with Max.
" You don't remember?" Max asked, raising his eyebrows. Liz looked up at him. She put her hand out in front of her and stretched it out.
" I remember about the flashes and the green field thing, but I don't remember anything after that."
" I brought you here, with me. You fainted, I didn't really want to leave you alone." He said as she stroked the side of her cheek. Liz nodded, still confused. Her fingers tingled, but she didn't feel like Liz. Well she did, but she felt.changed.
" I don't feel right." Liz mumbled. Max looked concerned.
" Do you hurt? We've got to figure out what's going on with you. After those flashes like that."
" No, I don't hurt. Max, this is like, totally weird. I mean, am I an alien now?" She asked him as she began to wriggle out of his arms. He smiled lovingly.
" Max what are you smiling at?" She asked him, worried. What if she was an alien now, that'd explain how she'd contacted Max whilst he was in New York. But what if it was worse than that.
" You're happy about this, aren't you?" She asked him, not particularly annoyed. She paced around his room.
" I mean, what if I've been abducted, or I've got like this virus or something. And I mean, what if I'm like dying or, or, or, God I don't know what's happening anymore." Liz said as she sat on the chair accompanying Max's desk and buried her head in her hands. Max got off the bed and knelt down in front of Liz. He smiled at her.
" Liz, don't you see what this means? You can experience all that I can, I mean, maybe were linked or something, I don't know what's going on. But, maybe, just this once, someone's done something good; for both of us." Max comforted Liz; Liz looked at him, and his child like innocence. She laughed and sighed.
" Why did I ever get involved with the Pod Squad?" Liz said jokingly. She smiled, and Max smiled too. They both laughed. Maybe Max is right, Liz thought. But something inside of her nagged her. There was something wrong. And she knew it. But she wouldn't worry the rest of them. Not just yet.

Michael awoke to a cool breeze flowing through Maria's bedroom. Under the warmth of her bed covers, his bare skin was cool as he held Maria tighter to him, careful not to wake her. He ran his fingers through her soft blonde hair and kissed her lightly on the head. Ever since Alex had died, he'd been so careful with Maria. He wanted to keep her wrapped up all day, so no one could hurt her. Thinking about how much Tess had hurt Maria by killing Alex made him angry, but he calmed himself. I'll get revenge, he promised himself. His mind wondered through thoughts provoked by the recent affairs. Max and Liz, he sighed, wondering why Max didn't just go with the flow. And he thought about Ava. She resembled Tess so much. But there was something that was different, so different about her. He decided it was just the grudge he held against Tess, and that things would smooth out eventually. That is, if Max stopped believing that his son was still out there. The sleepy groans of the beautiful woman he held in his arms broke into Michael's thoughts. He smiled as she awoke.
" What time is it?" She yawned, still not opening her eyes.
" 9am. We've got a couple more minutes." He said as he leant down and gave her a good morning kiss. She cuddled further into his arms.
" Hmm Space Boy, you sure make up for a lot of the things you put me through." She said, still half asleep. Michael laughed.
" You're not so bad yourself." He said teasingly. Maria smiled too. The two lay beside each other, reminiscing the events of last night, and the bond they now felt. Maria's ears perked up,
" Michael, did you hear that?" She asked, now fully awake.
" Hear what?" He asked as she covered his mouth with her hands. Maria's eyes opened wide.
" Michael honey," She said sweetly, Michael smiled,
" Yeah gorgeous,"
" My mum's home." Michael's eyes opened wide.
" As in your mum, right here? Right now?" Maria shrieked,
" YES!!" With that Maria leapt out of bed and pushed him on the floor, chanting,
" Quick, under the bed!" Michael's foot slipped under the bed as Ms. Deluca opened her daughter's door.
" Morning sweetie." She said harmlessly.
" Morning mum." She said, as she rested on the bed. Michael held his breath.
" Honey, I wanted to talk with you, you know, girl stuff." Maria nodded. She sat down next to Maria on the bed, Michael breathed in again.
" I'm not going to beat around the bush, so I'm just going to ask you. Have you and Michael." Michael suppressed a laugh.
" MUM! No, I don't even want to think about things like that." Maria said, her acting skills shining through.
" Oh good, and you know all about."
" Contraception, yeah mum, I know."
" Okay, just want to make sure my little girl's ok." She said as she got up and left. She closed the door as Maria and Michael both laughed.
" That was close." Michael said,
" Very close!" Maria said. A sharp knock came on the door. Michael threw himself on the floor.
" And honey," Ms Deluca said, Maria smiled sweetly.
" Don't push Michael under the bed so hard." Michael got up from the floor.
" Morning Ma'am." He said politely. Ms. Deluca rolled her eyes and shut the door as Maria and Michael just looked at each other.

" Try again." Max said, as he watched Liz stand in the middle of his room and try to create another force field.
" Max, I can't do it." She said, exasperated. She longed to get out of her clothes and have a nice long bath.
" Ok, I won't push you. Maybe you're just tired. You know, drained or something. Do you want to have a shower?" He asked, just becoming aware of Liz's irritability. She nodded.
" Just a quick one, I'll be out in a minute." Liz said as she closed Max's bathroom door behind her. Max smiled happily as Liz closed the door. Finally, finally maybe something good had happened. And his mind led him to one conclusion, if Liz was now half alien, then maybe, maybe they could finally be together. A sharp knock came at his door as Isabel walked in holding an assortment of clothes.
" Max, I need your opinion, do you think the blue shirt or the green shirt?" She said, he still gazed at the ceiling.
" Max are you listening to me?" She said as she threw the clothes at him.
" Huh?" He said, sitting up to look at Isabel.
" Max what's got into you, you're really spaced out lately. Now, I've got an interview at that really posh Solicitors firm today. Which should I wear?" She said as she held up identical shirts to herself. Max shook his head. Liz came out of Max's bathroom in a towel.
" You know Max I was thinking." Liz said as she walked out of the bathroom, with only a towel wrapped around her body and a towel wrapped round her head. Isabel shot daggers at her. Liz took a few steps back.
" Oh, I didn't know she was here." Isabel said, Max came to Liz's defence,
" Isabel, it's not what you think."
" You know what Max, I don't really care about it anymore. Just go on, throw it all in my face. I don't even think you care anymore." Isabel said as she stormed out of Max's room.
" Maybe I should talk to her," Liz offered. Max shook his head.
" I don't know what's wrong with her. We're all finally on some sort of easy patch, and she's." Max shook his head,
" Oh, I don't know." Liz, who had retired back into the bathroom, shouted through the door,
" I'll talk to her Max, I will." Liz said, as she slipped into a pair of jean shorts and a light summer vest, she emerged from the bathroom still towel drying her hair.
" Liz, I think there's something else we need to talk about." Max said seriously.
" Yeah?" Liz said as she sat down beside him,
" I mean, what are we now?" He asked awkwardly. Liz blushed remembering the thoughts she had had last night.
" Max, I think we know how we feel. But for now, lets try and figure out what happened to me in the Granilith chamber last night." Max nodded, he knew there were more important things at steak than his love life. But looking at her now as she dried off her hair, he wondered how long he could withstand the force that bonded him and Liz so tightly together.

Chapter Four

Michael sneezed for the third time as him and Maria walked to the Crash Down. Maria shook her head.
" That must be like the thousandth time you've sneezed Michael. I thought you alien types didn't get sick?" She pushed open the door and her and Michael stepped through into the busy diner. Michael shook his head,
" Thanks for reminding me. Man, I feel like I'm dying or something." Michael said, sniffing as he walked into the back room with Maria. Maria put on her work hat and Michael tied up his apron,
" Trust you. Aren't you the big warrior? And you can't take a little flu?" Maria teased him playfully and laughed as Michael went to kiss her.
" Uh huh, No way Space Boy. I don't want none of your space germs." Michael looked disappointed. He finished tying his apron and went to go into the kitchen, until Maria grabbed his hand.
" Well, you know, we could play doctors and nurses later." She said flirtatiously with a grin.
" As long as you don't feed me chicken soup." He said, pulling a face. Maria laughed, Michael could be such a baby at times,
" Get to work." She said as she kissed him on the cheek. They both smiled as Maria began to take her first order. She nodded as the couple and their young child placed their orders, and the young boy asked if she'd ever met an alien. Michael smiled from the kitchen, as he took three more aspirin. Man, this headache really bites. He thought glumly as he began to cook some fries.

" So, you know Kyle, I had a good time, at the school dance." Ava said as her and Kyle sat in a booth in the crowded Crash Down. Ava was becoming increasingly annoyed with the little boy sitting behind her, as the increasing loudness of the noise got worse. Kyle was pre-occupied; he didn't notice Ava say anything until she threw a French fry at him,
" Huh what?" Ava laughed at him. She fluffed up her curly blonde hair and looked at him flirtatiously, batting her over made eyelids.
" I said, the school dance was really fun. God Kyle, what are you thinking about? Most guys can't take their eyes off me, you don't even seem to be listening." She said as she smiled coyly. Kyle wriggled in his seat. Kyle took a deep breath. After an invigorating basketball match between him and his dad last night, he realised that Ava may not realise what kind of relationship he wanted with her. He'd also realised how much he needed to work out, after his dad managed to beat him in every game they played.
" Well, you know Ava, erm, I've been meaning to say this to you." Kyle began, he flinched as he got a feeling of déjà vu.
" You and me, well, no offence to you because you're beautiful, and fun and totally hot but."
" Okay, Okay Kyle I get it." Ava said dejectedly as she went back to eating her fries. Her face flushed a vibrant shade of red as she became more embarrassed.
" God you'd think they'd have more tobasco sauce in this place." She said obnoxiously. Kyle laughed at her, as she scowled.
" What do you find so funny?" She asked him, her voice full of venom. She glared at him, as she felt her hands heat up on the cool worksurface.
" Nothing, it's just, you're so like Tess. She loved Tobasco sauce. That and salt." Ava hid her feelings under a fake smile and looked at the table,
" Is that right?" She said, not really interested. She played with the straw in her strawberry milk. Kyle went on,
" I feel like I've lost a sister, but then, she killed Alex. How can I be so torn?" Ava shook her head.
" Beats me." She said, now obviously showing her lack of enthusiasm for the subject. Kyle looked at her, it was obvious to him too that she was pissed off with being called Tess all the time. No wanting to agitate her further, Kyle stood up and brushed himself off,
" Well, I better go. You know, Football and everything." Ava nodded,
" We're friends, right?" He asked her, as Ava looked up and smiled sweetly.
" Yeah, of course Kyle." She said. He smiled appreciatively, and turned and walked out of the diner. She sat in the booth alone and wallowed in self-pity. She got up and walked into the bathroom, where she paced up and down in the clean, pine fragranced room that housed three cubicles. All decorated in the same alien motif. Finally she stood in front of a mirror. She placed her hands either side of the pearl white sink and lifted her head. The ugly reflection of her mother greeted her, as icy daggers shot from her eyes.
" That's it, I'm fed up of this planet, I'm fed up of this look and I'm fed up of these pathetic human boys. And Michael doesn't even look sick yet. How am I meant to convince him that he needs to go home if he don't even look sick yet! Get yourself together!" She looked at her reflection and looked disgusted at herself.
" Oh Antress, what's the point? Max is wrapped up in that Liz Parker, and all they do is whine, whine, whine. You shouldn't have to put up with this. There's only one solution." She said as she applied her lipstick.
" I'll kill them, Liz, Michael and Kyle. I'll kill them all, and then I can go back to Antar and finally my mother will recognise me again; and poor, poor Zan died in a terrible accident. I'm Antress, daughter of Ava. And I shall get what I deserve." She said as she placed her lipstick back in her bag and walked out of the toilet and back into the busy world; with a new sense of passion, and a new purpose. She would get her way.

Liz took a cotton dab stick and brushed it against the inside of her cheek. She then rubbed it against a small glass slide and stained it with iodine. Max watched her, fascinated. The two had been in his room for hours now, trying to find the source of Liz's new found powers. So far they had drawn a blank, as Liz now investigated her cells again.
" There's no use, they're normal." Liz said as she sat next to Max on his bed. Max placed a protective arm around her and she responded by cuddling into his shoulder.
" As far as I can tell, there's nothing wrong with me. So, I'm suddenly just able to shoot green stuff out of the palm of my hands with no scientific explanation" She said, Max laughed, as he got up of the bed.
" Liz, come on, you're a scientist. We've done all the exterior tests, lets try sampling your blood cells." He said, as he took her finger and pricked it with a pin. He placed some of the blood on a slide.
" Ouch." She said as she sucked her finger. Max smiled lovingly as he brought the sample under the microscope and focussed it. He looked closely at the cells.
" Uh, Liz I think you better take a look at this." Under the microscope, Liz's blood sample looked far from normal. Some of her cells held the normal red haemoglobin pigment found in the human bloodstream, but some of them had begun to mutate.
" Max, I need a sample of your blood." Max repeated the stages on himself, as Liz placed the slide under the microscope.
" Oh my gosh." Liz whispered as she compared the two slides. Max stood at Liz's side impatiently,
" What is it Liz? What's wrong?" Max asked impatiently,
" Take a look at this." Liz said as she moved over so that Max could take a look at the slides. He saw it too,
" You've got alien cells Liz, you've got the same cells as me. But what are these bigger ones?" Max asked, referring to the lymphocytes in Liz's blood stream.
" They're cells that produce anti-bodies, you know, the ones that attack viruses when you're ill." Liz explained to Max.
" Liz, that means you're body is trying to destroy these cells. Will it make you sick? How did the alien DNA get into your body? Let alone into your blood stream? You can't just mutate so quickly, I know were basically advanced forms of humans, but Liz, this is impossible," Max said as he looked worriedly at Liz. Liz bit her bottom lip. This is what she had been afraid of,
" Max sit down, there's something I haven't told you." Max's eyes opened wide as he sat on the edge of his bed. Liz paced up and down on his navy blue carpet in front of him. She took a deep breath as she began to tell her story,
" Ok, I think I know what's happened, but you're not allowed to say anything until I'm finished, ok?" Max nodded, as Liz began.
" Ok, so here it is. Remember those crystals? The blue ones, the ones which were used to bind alien and human DNA together?" Max nodded,
" But Liz, we destroyed all those crystals, they couldn't have infected you anyway," Liz held her hands up,
" No but Max, what if I used them to bind our DNA together?" Max looked confused,
" Well, it's not really a 'what if', it's what I did. I didn't think it'd work, and I didn't think it had. But when the crystals latched on to me, it must've somehow inserted alien cells into my body, and started to mutate me. It's only now that they're starting to affect me, I don't know why though. They must've been in my body for over six months now." Max sat, stunned by what he was hearing.
" Max say something." She coaxed him, Max stood up,
" What am I meant to say Liz. I'm confused, you put yourself in danger, you put me in danger. And I mean, where do we go from here now huh? What are you, an alien? Or a human? It's going to complicate things so much." Max raised his voice, as he became more and more agitated.
" How could you have been so stupid?!" He shouted at her, Liz, with tears in her eyes stood face to face with him,
" You want to know why I did it?"
" Yeah Liz, why put yourself and everyone you know at risk?!" Max stood in front of her, waiting for an explanation.
" I did it for you Max!" She shouted at him, tears streaming down her face, she wiped them away and continued,
" Max, you know how I feel about you, and when we found those crystals, I thought I could finally find a way to be with you! I didn't care how much it hurt myself, and I killed the crystals afterwards. Max I'm not stupid, and I'm sorry for wanting to be with you. Don't you think I'm scared, don't you think I'd like to know what's happening to me?" Liz said as she finally collapsed from tiredness and exhaustion. She lay in a crumpled heap on Max's bedroom floor, as she buried her head in her hands and cried. Max sat next to her and put his arms around her. He rocked her back and forth, holding her tight in her arms.
" Liz, I'm sorry. I didn't ever mean to hurt you." He said as he gently pulled the hair out of her eyes. Her heartbroken brown eyes stared back at him, as he gently took hold of her face and kissed her. Liz kissed him too, as she did she began to receive vivid images. She pulled away from him, and shook her head,
" Max, when you kiss me, I saw things, I mean I see things, when you kissed me last night." She said,
" Like what?" He asked, searching her eyes for information. Liz shook her head,
" I don't know yet, I see people, places, and someone called Antress. I think, I think I see Antar. Max, I think we're in danger." She said as she looked at him, he took her in her arms again, as he kissed her head,
" I won't let anything happen to you Liz, I promise." Liz felt false re-assurance in his words. She felt that all of this, all of this was bigger than the two of them.

" Mum, I'm fine. Really." Isabel said as she twiddled the chord of the telephone wire round her fingers. Her mother had called from out of town, to check that everything as going okay.
" Yeah mum, I'm taking my pills. I am sleeping. I know, I know. Max is fine, but I think he's out at the moment so I'll get him to call you later? Ok, love you too mum, give my love to dad, bye." Isabel slowly placed the phone back on the receiver.
Isabel then sat at her large oak desk, staring at the blank computer screen. She tapped her fingers impatiently until She finally got up and picked up a picture of herself and Alex from the Prom. She stroked his face,
" Alex I miss you so much." She whispered as she sat on her bed, which was covered in a floral patterned cover. A familiar tear slid down her cheek slowly. A sharp knock came from the door as Isabel responded by putting the picture of Alex under her pillow and wiped her tears away,
" Come in." She said softly. Liz wondered shyly through the door. She tried to compose herself from her outburst with Max earlier.
" Isabel, I think we should talk." Isabel turned away from Liz, Liz stood at the door,
" I don't think we've got much to say to each other Liz so just leave ok." Isabel said rudely. Liz looked at the floor and turned to leave the room, but instead she stopped, and closed the heavy wooden door,
" You know Isabel, I really don't know what you have against me. I really do try to be nice to you, and I, I, I, well I think we should just be friends. Yeah." Liz said, Isabel still looked out of the window. Liz stepped from foot to foot as she waited for Isabel to reply.
" You don't get it, do you Liz?" Isabel said sadly, she turned round to see Liz, and for the first time Liz saw how much pain Isabel was in,
" You've got Maria, Maria's got Michael, and who have I got?" Isabel said in the same monotonous voice, Liz tried to comfort her,
" Isabel, you can always talk to all of us,"
" No I can't Liz! Will you stop being Miss Goody Two Shoes! I'm alone. And I hate this! No one cares how I feel. My boyfriend died, and no one even cares how I feel any more, I wake up every morning and wonder why it's worth getting up. Why is it worth going on if Alex isn't here? And when all I've got is Max, my brother, and you even take him away from me, who have I got?!" Isabel said as she collapsed into a flood of tears, Liz rushed to her side. Isabel, too upset to refuse found comfort in Liz's friendly gesture, as she cried on Liz's shoulder. As Liz's arm brushed against Isabel's bare skin, she started to receive flashes. She saw Isabel emerging from the Pod Chamber with Max, and Isabel growing up, Max by her side. She saw Isabel's pain, and as she tried to withdraw, the flashes got worse,
" Isabel, stop them!" Liz screamed, clutching her head. Isabel looked confused, and started screaming too as Liz's legs gave in, and she started to scream in pain. Inside her mind, mourning Isabel haunted her thoughts. She saw Isabel as Vilandra, in Michael's arms, then in Kivar's arms. She saw Max and Tess on their wedding day, she saw Tess pregnant and confiding in Isabel. As she cried for Alex Liz felt the heart breaking pain she was in, much like how she had felt about Max for the last couple of months, though a million times worse,
" MAX!" Isabel screamed as she tried to pick Liz up from the floor. Inches away from her, Isabel tried to touch her. Unable to control what was happening to her, Liz emitted the green-force field once again, preventing Isabel from reaching her. Isabel stood in shock as Max entered the room. On seeing Liz in pain, Max rushed to help her, but before he could reach her Liz's mind gave up and she collapsed on the floor. Max picked her up and laid her on Isabel's bed.
" Max what's happening, Liz did the force field thing, Max what's going on?" Isabel said as Max checked to see if Liz was still breathing,
" Isabel Liz isn't breathing." He said plainly, Isabel's eyes opened wide,
" Well make her breathe!!" Isabel exclaimed, Max lifted up Liz's vest top and placed his hand above her chest. Images of the night Alex died flashed before him, as he hesitated,
" Max, what are you doing? Quick!" Isabel screamed at him, Max concentrated on saving Liz.
" Stand back." Max instructed Isabel. Isabel moved back, her mind bursting from this surge of new information. A static blue charge flew between Max and Liz, as he healed her blue energy flowed between the two. Liz floated into the air, and as he heart started again, she fell back onto the bed. She breathed deeply, trying to catch her breath.
" What happened, Max, Max did I die?!" Liz said between breaths, Max held her close.
"You're heart stopped. Liz you're okay. You're okay Liz. Ssshhh, it's okay." Max said as he rocked Liz back and forth. Isabel still stood in the corner of her room, stunned. Liz drew away from Max and propped herself up. Her head was spinning and ached,
" Isabel, I felt you. I you again, something is wrong. There's something we don't know. Something about Tess. I saw Vilandra. And Max, Max, I can feel you. We're part of each other. You're right, there's a bond. A bond between all of us. Not just you and me, all of us. And Alex." Liz said, as her head began to spin again, she lowered herself back onto the bed. Isabel came back out of the corner of the room,
" Max, what's going on. Liz, is she an, an," Isabel stuttered. The whole thing was too much to take in,
" I don't know. It's a long story Isabel." Max said as he stroked Liz's brown hair, exhausted, she slept.
" So tell me it Max. I don't want to be pushed out anymore." Isabel said as she sat beside her brother. Max gave her a hug,
" I think we need to get everyone together. Will you go and make Liz a coffee?" Max said, and Isabel nodded. Isabel left the room, hurrying to phone everyone, Liz turned to Max,
" Max, Tess and Antress, they're," Max stroked her hair again,
" SShhh, sleep, please, sleep." He said as he kissed her on the forehead. Liz didn't protest. Inside Max knew what Liz was saying made some sense. There was something about the name Antress. And being connected to Liz meant that he knew, he knew something was wrong, terribly wrong. They were on the brink of something, something big. Something that involved all of them, not just him, Isabel, Ava and Michael. Everyone, including Liz, Maria and Kyle.

Chapter 5

Now alone in her florally designed bedroom, Maria stood at her full-length pine mirror. Going on yet another date with Michael, she decided she would look extra nice tonight. Wrapped solely in a towel, her damp blonde hair hung in loose ringlets against her bare skin, as she placed a violet dress on her bed. Maria smiled to herself, finally she was happy. Finally Michael was happy. She smiled uncontrollably as she reminisced in her state of bliss. Humming away to herself, she didn't notice Liz poking her head round the door and laughing,
" Ok if I interrupt?" She smiled; Maria smiled again, this time at the sight of her friend with a smile upon her face. A smile that had rarely been seen since Alex had died. Maria motioned for her to come in and patted at a spot next to her on the bed; and Liz obediently sat next to her.
" So, come on girlfriend, you and Max?" Maria said with wide eyes and a hungry mind waiting for gossip. Liz laughed, amused at her friend's typical teenage intent,
" Is this why you asked me over? And again, no hello?" She teased. Maria kept a straight face.
" Liz, I am your best friend, and I have rights you know! I have needs."
" And there's a need to know the ins and out of my personal life?"
" YES!" Maria screamed at her. Liz relaxed herself for the first time since she had left Max's house. Max and Isabel were rounding everyone up, they had decided it was time to tell the group about Liz's new found 'powers'. Liz lay on her back on the bed.
" He kissed me." She said with a smile on her face. "A lot."
They shared a wistful sigh. Maria too lay on the bed, and gave her friend that; I knew it, kind of smile.
" But I dunno Maria, he slept with Tess you know. Am I just meant to forget that? And what about when Sean comes back huh? What do I tell him?" Liz said, her brown eyes drilling holes in her friend's happiness. Maria looked at her friend in a sympathetic way,
" Liz! Can't you ever just be happy? Sean will get over it, trust me, it's Sean ok?" Liz nodded slowly as she placed her hands beneath her head and lay on them,
" And the whole Max and Tess thing? I mean, Maria come on he slept with her. And I always thought that, well you know Max'd be my first. He broke my heart Maria." Liz said, staring at the off-white ceiling. She chewed her bottom lip and waited nervously for her reply,
" Well Liz, I guess its up to you. I mean, the whole Tess thing weren't his entire fault, and the fact that he broke your heart wasn't entirely his fault either. You know, with that whole, Future Max thing. This whole thing is so messed up. I wish we'd never met Tess. Everything is her fault." Maria said as she lifted herself off the bed, Liz rolled onto her stomach and gazed at her friend's reflection. Maria glowed with a buzz of happiness filling the space around her. She smiled,
" Yeah. I always thought Tess was bad news. Ever since she arrived in Roswell. Argh, I swear if I ever got my hands on her I'd.And for killing Alex.And for tearing me and Max apart." Liz worked up a slow anger as she continued to curse Tess for everything that had gone wrong in her life. Maria smiled at her friend, laughing secretly at Liz's attempt to make reason with all the things that had gone wrong in her life. Given that Tess was too blame for an awful lot, she couldn't argue. As she caught Liz's reflection in the mirror, Maria's eyes widened,
" Liz." She said warningly, Liz ignored her and continued to raise her anger, Maria turned around,
" Liz!" Maria shouted at her friend, becoming increasingly aware that Liz's hands were beginning to glow a vibrant shade of blue. Liz stopped ranting on, and looked at Maria,
" What?" She said, Maria looked at Liz's hands, and Liz followed her gaze, Liz's mouth dropped wide open as she rotated her hands. A vibrant sea blue surrounded her hands, as they shook violently. To Liz, it felt like she had pins and needles, Maria began to shout,
" Liz! Quick do something!" She shouted in hysterics, Liz, not knowing what to do froze on the bed.
" LIZ!!! YOUR HANDS ARE GLOWING BLUE THIS IS NOT THE TIME TO JUST SIT THERE!!!" Maria, still in her pink towel, ran over to the bed and tried to move Liz, and before Liz could protest, Maria grabbed her arm. At that instant, Liz's head began to whirl. Inside her mind Maria's life flashed before her eyes, every moment Liz felt like she was experiencing, she saw Alex and Maria laughing, Michael and Maria making love, she felt how cold and isolated Maria felt when Alex had died, and she screamed, once again unable to control the flashes in her mind. Maria stood with her eyes wide with fright at her friend, until Liz stopped shaking and lay flat out on the floor. Liz breathed heavily, but didn't move. Maria knelt cautiously beside her friend, as Liz's eyes flew wide open, startling Maria,
" Oh my gosh Liz are you okay?! You just went totally alien on me! Sparks were like, flying out of your hands and Liz oh my gosh!" Maria said hurriedly. Liz still lay on the floor, trying to straighten out her thoughts. Liz turned to Maria to see her friend was crying,
" Maria it's okay, I'm okay." She said as she got up off the floor. She felt dizzy and weak again, but she would manage. She carefully put an arm around Maria, her cool hair brushing against Liz's hot face.
" Maria I'm not going anywhere, It's okay, we've always got each other." She said quietly. Liz had seen how scared Maria was now, and provided reassurance to her best friend in her heart felt words. Maria wiped her tears away,
" Liz, what happened? Are you.Are you one of them?" Liz sighed.
" It's a long story. We're meeting them in the dessert in half-hour. I'll explain it to you on the way there." Maria nodded, too shocked to protest. Deep inside there was a tiny bit of her that was envious of Liz, she obviously had powers that the Pod Squad did. Maria's mind whirled as she quickly pulled on a pair of jeans and a light T-shirt, and jumped into the car in which they sped to the dessert.

Max pulled up at the top of the road. He switched the engine off and unclipped his seat belt, and rested his head against the steering wheel. All of this was so confusing, Liz with alien powers? His mind sped through the possibilities the information held; though in true Max style he held the same anxieties for the situation. Liz got weaker and weaker each time she had flashes. What if it was hurting her? And who knew how the cells were affecting her. How long would it last? Max's head throbbed with the burden of responsibilities he held. With his eyes closed, he felt a familiar hand on his shoulder.
" You okay?" She said softly. Max lifted his head up and looked into Ava's ocean blue eyes. It was hard not to be disgusted with her, but he constantly reminded himself that Ava wasn't Tess. But he felt guilt when he looked into those eyes, guilt and regret. Tess had turned his life upside down, and for that, he hated her. Ava climbed into the car and sat next to him.
" You're thinking about Tess right?" She said as she pulled her belt across her. She cocked her head to the side and waited for a reply. Max lifted his head off the steering wheel and looked at her, bewildered he asked,
" You can read my mind?"
She laughed.
" No, I guess it's just the way you look at me. I can't help what went on with Tess, and this whole deal with the skins puts me in danger too. I mean, Tess is on our planet now. Who knows what she's doing up there." She said, she turned and looked away from Max's enveloped eyes,
" What do you mean? Do you think she'll hurt anyone?" Max asked, his eyes full of concern. He placed a hand on her shoulder,
"Zan," She whispered softly, a glaze swept over Max's eyes, she turned to face him yet again, she placed her expectant ocean blue gaze upon him,
" I can remember all of our lives, all our friends, I have this distinct connection with my homeland, our planet. You guys don't have that. You can't feel what's going on, there's a war, people are dying." Her own eyes glazed over as she looked into the distance. Max swallowed hard; he looked away, ashamed at himself,
" That's the difference, you're connected to our home. To us, this is our home. Earth, the people who live here. We've built our lives here, not knowing who we really are. I don't know how I can leave this, and Tess, what made her so different?" He asked her,
" This planet Max. It makes us all go crazy. Have you tried the alcohol here?" He shook his head,
" It's too strong. Makes us get drunk real fast, and their human ways are just so, pathetic. Take this democratic system of theirs. Crazy." He laughed and shook her curly blonde hair; Max sat far back in his chair, offended,
" Ava, this may not be your home, but it is my home. I don't remember Antar, and I have nothing to compare it to. The only connections I have with who I am are Isabel and Michael. I care about the people on our planet; I don't want them to suffer. I want to know more about where I came from, but this is my home now."
" So I'm not important? Zan, you loved our home, you and me both. You can't dismiss what we had. You say you want to know more, but its obvious you don't, you make no attempt to connect to our world. And what about Tess and your son? You didn't even return to Antar with her!" Ava said, her eyes blazing furiously. Max looked back at her, equally furious,
" How could have I gone with her! She killed Alex!" Max tried to stay calm, and gripped the steering wheel to help control his anger. Ava looked at him,
" Zan."
" Don't call me that. I'm not Zan!" Max blazed. Ava calmed down,
" Max, Tess is alive on our planet. She's having your baby, aren't you concerned at all?" She asked him, Max's human nature got the better of him.
" How do you know that?" He shot at her accusingly,
" Tess mind warped everyone, none of what we thought was real." He tried to convince himself. Ava sat calmly in her seat, bemused by his pathetic human attempt at reasoning,
" Your son is in the hands of Kivar. Whether you chose to believe it or not Max is another story. But how can you go on preaching that this is your home when your son is in his real home being brought up by Kivar and you're doing nothing to stop him!" She shouted menacingly. Max withdrew defeated from the argument, and Ava smiled triumphantly.
" Ava, whatever is going on in Antar is going on there. If Tess is having my son then I'll deal with that. But right now all I care about is Liz, and making sure she's safe." He said finally as he turned on the ignition and sped away, jerking Ava back into her seat. She scowled as he drove to the meeting point, and Max's head was reeling faster than it had been previously. Tess was having his son? Somehow he knew there was truth in that, but how much truth?

Kyle kicked at the earth in front of him. He sighed deeply and shielded his eyes from the blistering sun. Another meeting of the Pod Squad. He shook his head; no one had called him to tell him that there was something up, it was only because Liz had drove past him and told him to get in. He glanced across at Isabel, who sat on her own. He dragged his feet as he walked up to her, his chestnut brown hair glistening in the sun. He bend his knees and hovered next to her, she jumped,
" Kyle you scared me half to death." She said quietly. She went back to gazing over the dessert. Kyle sat down next to her,
" You thinking about Alex huh?" He stated, Isabel nodded quietly.
" Thanks for talking to me last night Kyle, I didn't have anyone else to call. I just needed to talk, you know, get it out of my system." She said thankfully, she turned to face him. Her light blue eyes obviously holding the pain she still felt from Alex's death. Her long blonde hair glistened, as she looked as radiant as always.
" It's okay. Any time you need to talk. I'm here." Kyle said. He didn't want to admit it, but it was nice talking to Isabel too. Since Tess left, he felt he was missing a sister. Isabel understood what it was like to lose someone you're close to, and Kyle felt re-assurance that he wasn't the only one still grieving for Alex. Kyle put a protective arm around Isabel as tears spilled over her eyelashes and rolled down her cheeks, as she placed her head on Kyle's shoulder.

" You've still got a temperature." Maria took her hand away from Michael's forehead. He protested,
" Maria will you stop fussing. I ain't a pet dog or nothing. I can take care of myself." Came the words of the tough warrior. Maria shrugged as Max approached with Ava, and Liz tensed up at the sight of the two walking together. Maria shot her a glance, and Liz didn't return it.
" Were all here, Liz, do you want to say something?" Max eyed Liz nervously. Liz bit her bottom lip. She looked at Maria for help,
" Is someone going to say something or are we all standing out here trying to get a tan?" Kyle said bitterly. Liz took a deep breath,
" Well, I, uh. Erm," Isabel looked at her,
" She was playing around with the blue crystals, the ones that banded our DNA together and she's an alien now." Isabel said quickly, as all eyes (and open mouths) fell on Liz. She looked at the ground nervously.
" That's not exactly true. I didn't mean to infect myself. And I'm not an alien so to speak. My cells have mutated and I think what's happened is I've accessed some of my brain that controls the powers that you guys have."
" So you're saying that you've got powers?" Kyle said slowly, and apprehensively.
" Yeah, kind of." Liz admitted, Max came to stand by her side.
" It's not a bad thing, don't look at Liz like she's done something wrong."
" It's just a bit of a shock to all of us." Maria said slowly, after hearing the explanation a second time, she was even more astounded.
" A shock? That's a bit of an understatement. How long have you known about this? And what can you do? You of all people Liz, you go on preaching about how we.argh you know what forget it." Ava screamed at Liz, Max stood in front of her to defend her.
" Don't scream at her, she's as much a part of this as you are." He said, as he shot icy looks her way,
" Woah, okay star crossed-lovers take a break will you." Michael said as he came between all three of them. He held them apart; Kyle was the first to speak.
" You know what? Ever since Alex died there's been a division between us all. Because what you guys don't realise is that we're all in this together. It doesn't matter if you're alien or human. And that really pisses me off, because I don't care what your past lives were, what we've got to care about is now so will you quit arguing about some stupid past life and start worrying about Liz." He said calmly and rationally.
" Kyle's right." Isabel said as she stood behind him,
" We're all in this together." Kyle drew apart from her,
" No were not, because none of you ever tell me what's going on. My dad and me have put ourselves on the line for you time and time again, and the time where it may just concern me, cos in case you don't remember I've been healed too, no one tells me anything." He said lawfully as he walked away, Ava chased after him.
" You're not doing a good job as leader Max." Isabel said spitefully as she too walked away. All that were left were Michael, Maria, Liz and Max.
" Well I can see were all happy campers." Michael said jokingly. Liz smiled at his attempt of a joke.
" This is bad Michael. I can feel it. There's something coming, and without all of us there we've got no chance of defeating it." Max said as he took Liz in his arms. Michael responded by putting his arms tightly round Maria, as the sun set in what may be one of the last quiet days in Roswell, New Mexico.

Ava stood and overlooked the two inseparable pairs and grinned evilly. There was nothing standing in her way now. Nothing at all. She lay Kyle's limp body on the harsh ground, and stared up at the sky,
" Antress is coming home Mother." He said surely, as she pointed her finger up to the sky and drew a golden mixture of random symbols and sent it into the atmosphere. Kyle moaned as his eyes closed firmly shut.

Chapter 6

Michael drummed his fingers on the table to the rhythm of the song that was playing on the T.V.
" Michael are you listening to me?" Max said as he stopped in mid sentence, Michael's occupied eyes looked up at Max.
" No." He replied simply, Max sighed and admitted defeat. It was three am and the two were lounging in Michael's apartment. No lights were on, only the dim glare from the television placed an eerie glow throughout the room. Michael lay on the long black sofa, with Max now sitting in the armchair across the way. Max placed his head in his hands.
" Maxwell will you quit worrying." Michael said, coughing afterwards. Michael shook his head and channel surfed, until a Baywatch re-run came to life and Michael settled quite content.
" How long have you been like this Michael?" Max questioned; concerned that Michael's 'illness' was still plaguing him. Michael seemed uninterested in the conversation, he shrugged.
" Week or so, think I've got the flu." He said without effort. Max raised his eyebrows,
" The flu? Michael keep an eye on things. I don't want you." Max said as he began to lecture Michael. Michael used his powers to stuff a discarded sock into Max's mouth. Max coughed it out and laughed.
" Fair enough. I know when I'm not wanted." Max said as he picked up his black suede jacket and pulled it on tight. His profile in the darkness of the room was that of a god, his chiselled cheekbones, his deep eyes, matched equally by his intense glare. Michael protested,
" Dude, I'm still trying to get a body count for Braveheart, you can't bail on me now." He said. He turned and looked at Max, he was greeted at the sight of a man with a mission. He smiled mockingly,
" Liz?" He asked, wiggling his eyebrows, Max stared intensely at Michael,
" Do you ever feel like you're just going to explode because you've got all these feelings inside you?" Max asked, pouring out his heart to Michael, Michael smiled knowingly.
" All too well my friend, all too well." Michael said, with that he went back to channel surfing as Max slipped silently through the door. Michael lay on the sofa and placed the remote on his chest. He coughed uncontrollably. Outside, Ava stared evilly through the glass window. She smiled cruelly as Michael reached for some aspirin, but doubled over in pain.
" It's no use fighting it Michael." She said as she slipped back into the cold, silent night.

Liz sat crossed legged on her bed. She rotated her wrist, which had ached since she had emerged the force field a couple of hours earlier. Dressed in her favourite blue tartan pyjama bottoms, and a discarded old T-shirt of Kyle's, her mind wondered. It was the first time she had been alone since discovering her powers, and the scientist in her was aching for answers. She was sure that her theory about the blue crystals was right. That by bonding hers and Max's DNA together, some of the alien genes had started to mutate Liz's body structure. She was also sure that it was these genes which we allowing her to access parts of her brain that she had never accessed before. As the aliens were very advanced humans, Liz had come to the conclusion that it was their ability to access more of their brain which made them able to access these powers. But her mind still reeled. Ever since she had contacted Max in New York she knew that she wasn't normal anymore. She laughed at herself. This must have been one of the most amazing scientific finds ever, and she couldn't tell anyone. She had begun to form a theory that the flashes she received were due to high surfaced emotions, which allowed Liz to access these feelings easily. She sighed and laid back. Her head hurt as she realised how late it actually was. Rolling over to switch off her light, a familiar tap came from the window. Liz groaned. It wasn't that she didn't want to see Max, it was the fact that he always chose the middle of the night to come and see her. Max used his powers to open the window, and Liz propped herself up. Her heart skipped a beat at the sight of him, though the events of the past two days had left her emotions highly surfaced, and the pain and resentment she felt after the Tess and Max thing still cut deeply into her soul; creating a wound that would take a long time to heal.
" Are you okay?" He said quietly, kissing her on the forehead. She nodded.
" A little tired and wierded out, but hey, I guess that's what comes of being an alien." She said jokingly. Max looked at her seriously. Liz recognised that this wasn't an alien visit; Max needed her to talk to. Her brown enveloping eyes drew Max closer to her, as she silently invited him to talk.
" Liz, I need to talk to someone, I'm going insane. I'm meant to be able to deal with all of this, but I can't." He hung his head, ashamed at himself. Liz tugged at his arm and positioned him so that her lay in her arms.
" Max, tell me what's going on. Just because you're an alien doesn't mean you don't have doubts and worries too." She said as she stoked his hair. Max sighed,
" Liz, you know that my heart always laid with you. Ever since I healed you, I've been mesmerised by you. I want to be with you." He started, Liz gulped, knowing that this was only the sweet beginning and next came something she didn't want to hear. He continued,
" I'm worried about Tess, well, no I'm not. I'm worried that my son is up there and Kivar has him. Even if I don't feel connected to Antar, I still have the responsibilities of making sure the war will end, but more than that Liz, I have parental responsibilities. I don't want anyone to hurt my son." He said, pouring out his heart. Liz gulped again, now in a very awkward position. She decided to try and suppress her feelings, as she intently asked him,
" You think he's on Antar?" A strange shiver came over her, as Goosebumps started to spread through her entire body.
" I know he is Liz. There's a way, I can feel him." Liz suddenly jerked unnaturally. Her eyes widened,
" Oh my god." She whispered, primarily to herself, Max sat up and looked at her.
" Max, when I get those flashes, I see this woman who looks like Ava or Tess, well you know what I mean. And then I see Isabel. And Tess is pregnant, but she's confiding in Vilandra. Max I think that when I connected to Isabel, I remembered some of her past life thoughts. Ava was pregnant before on Antar." Liz struggled to make sense of her now surfaced 'memories' of everyone. She tried to piece everything together.
" Liz, are you saying that I had a son in my past life? Does that mean my son is alive on Antar now? Liz think! This is important." Liz closed her eyes and tried to access all the random thoughts and feelings she had felt when she had touched Isabel and Max.
" No Max. It was only Ava, she held a daughter. You didn't know about her." Liz struggled aimlessly and gave up.
" Max I can't remember anymore. But in my dreams I see a tall woman with long dark hair. And the name Antress haunts me. Max, all this is so confusing. I don't know what's going on anymore." Max stared at her,
" How can you tell me you don't know anymore, keep trying Liz! This is important." Max ordered her, Liz's stubbornness rose inside her,
" Max I said I can't." She said, still trying to remain rational, but Max, bursting with a surge of lust for information, pressed her for more. Liz became more frustrated,
" Max I told you, I can't. I'm too tired. I'm."
" You're not alien." Max said sadly. Liz felt something go off inside her. It sounded like Max was disappointed in her. At one time, Max's opinion would have been law, and Liz would have been deeply hurt by this remark. Though this didn't make her feel disappointed with herself. It made her angry,
" What's that meant to mean Max? You think that because I'm not alien I don't understand what you're feeling?" She said in disbelief, Max still sat there in silence, confirming that is what he felt.
" That's it isn't it? I'm not alien so I don't feel scared, and alone, and confused? Well I can tell you one thing Max Evans. You have broken my heart so many times, how do think that made me feel? I did everything for you. Don't you realise how hard it was for me to turn you away like I had to after Future Max? Do you even think about how much it hurt me to have to push you away?!" Liz's hands began to heat up once more, as the pain and anger Max had caused her came to the surface,
" Liz, I didn't."
" You don't ever mean to Max! But that doesn't mean you don't hurt me. I've been wrestling with my mind all day. Max," She looked into his eyes, pausing, until she quietly confessed,
" You weren't there when I needed you the most. After Alex died, you were too concerned about Tess to even realise I was right." Max stared into her aching eyes and was pulled into the pain she felt. His eyes began to sting as tears of reality started to trickle down the side of his face. For the first time he saw how much he had hurt Liz,
" And then you slept with Tess. I always thought my first time, I'd, that you and me. That I would make love to you Max, and it would be magical, and romantic, and so special." Tears now streamed down her face too, as they sat inches apart in the familiar surroundings of her room. Max stared at Liz, and pictures of them together flew through his mind. He remembered how it had felt when he healed her; he remembered their first kiss. He remembered how he had trembled inside the first time he kissed her, his first kiss. He felt the tenderness, kindness and sincerity that surrounded Liz Parker. And now he saw how much pain he had caused her.
" Liz I," He choked on his words, Liz's hands began to heat up more, as she became angrier,
" And now what are we Max? You kiss me like I mean the world to you, but how am I meant to believe that after everything has happened? You were all set to leave Max, leave without me and not give it a second thought. Nothing has changed, you still have that responsibility." Angry tears streamed down her delicate face, Max leaned forward to wipe her tears away, she drew back,
" No Max don't." She said quietly, but he still persisted,
" I said don't!" She screamed at him as she held her hands up. A bolt of silver energy surged through her fingertips, as it pushed Max away and off her bed. Liz looked at her hands, and then scrambled off her bed to join Max on the floor. Whatever she had done had hurt him badly, as he lay motionless on the floor; Liz searched his face for sign of life,
" Max?" She said desperately, as she checked to see if he was breathing. With every second that passed she became more and more worried. She placed her hand on his chest and tried to heal him, though it was useless. She couldn't do it. She laid her head on Max's chest and began to sob,
" Max! Max! Please, get up! Get up Max! Please!" She cried hysterically. Movement came from his lifeless body, the first being in the form of a groan,
" Liz?" He whispered, still feeling drained from whatever Liz had done to him,
" Max, Max are you okay? Max I'm sorry I didn't." She said quickly, hovering over him and stroking his chestnut brown hair and staring into his brown eyes. Tears of relief flooded her eyes; Max placed a hand on the side of her cheek,
" I thought I'd lost you." She whispered, realising that whatever had happened in the past, she did love him. She held his hand next to her hot cheek. Max stared lovingly at her. He saw the tears build up in her delicate brown eyes, and drew her closer. Both their eyes shut, and their skin brushed lightly. He grazed her lips softly with his, and placed his hand at the back of her head, and kissed her in the most loving, sensual and magical way. He withdrew, and released his hold on Liz. She cried, with relief, with happiness, and with a fresh wave of understanding. Max whispered,
" Liz, whatever happens in the future, whatever happened in the past. I never stopped loving you. When I told you that you are my destiny Liz, I meant it with all my heart. You are my life Liz, it's you, it always has been. You are what keeps me breathing."
Liz looked deep within the boy she had placed her affections on for the past couple of years. Inside the firm exterior, she saw Max was just as hurt as she was. She lowered down and held him close.
" I couldn't live without you Max. I don't care about what has happened. Max," She looked at him one more time, the atmosphere showing the special and unique bond that kept the two together,
" You are my Destiny, Max." Tears now began to slowly ride down Max's face. He used his last amount of energy to sit himself up, and held this amazing, beautiful woman in his strong arms. He rocked her back and forth; telling himself silently that he would protect her against all costs. But when Liz had surged him with that power, something had happened to him. He knew now that the girl Liz referred to as Antress was alive, and dangerous. But what had been made even more certain, was that, deep down he knew that his son needed him, and needed him disparately. Brody was the key, and with Isabel's powers, yes, he was sure it would all come together. He looked out of Liz's window.
" Don't worry. I'm coming for you." He thought silently. The dark midnight sky held all the wonders of the universe, wonders that Max understood as much as any other being. Though as Ava placed Kyle's body in the old warehouse down town, she too looked at the sky. Though when she saw it, she had that connection with her planet, as she shouted into the open sky,
" I'm coming home."

Chapter 7

" My mum is going to have a fit if she catches you in my bed." Maria said hastily to Michael, as she probed her bathroom cupboard for some aspirin. She pushed past various bottles of aromatherpy oils, and a few scented candels, before reaching the container. She clicked the cupboard shut and checked her reflection in the mirror. After being woken up at 4am in the morning, she looked a state, not as bad as Michael did mind you. She fluffed up her hair and tip-toed back into her bedroom, being careful not to wake her mother, who, as Maria well knew, would really go ballistic at the thought of her precious daughter and rugged boyfriend sharing the same bed. Shutting her bedroom door slowly and cautiously, the fluffy blue carpet felt soft beneath Maria's feet as she stifled a yawn. Michael lay cuddled up in her king size bed, two duvets piled on top of him, an extra sheet and three hot water bottles. Maria sat carefully on the edge of the bed and placed a slender glass of water and the bottle of pills on her bedside table, next to her beloved Scooby-Do alarm clock. She ran her gentle touch through Michael's hair, and cooled his face down with a damp flannel. She looked at him, creases of worry forming in her forehead,
" Are you sure you don't want me to, uh, well I can't call a doctor. What about Max?" She asked Michael. He opened his eyes slightly, and the same helpless puppy dog eyes Maria fell in love with greeted her again. Michael made a half-hearted attempt to shake his head,
" I just wanted to be around someone, you know." He whispered quietly. Maria smiled slightly, gently running her hand down the side of his extremely hot cheek,
" You've really got a fever Space-Boy. Are you sure you should be taking aspirin? You know what alcohol does to you." Maria warned him, quickly resuming her mother-hen approach. Michael nodded,
" I used to take them all the time, before Max figured out how to use his healing powers when Hank." Michael didn't need to go into anymore details. Maria knew all the hurt he had endured whist living with Hank. It was a known fact that the only reason Hank had fostered Michael was for the monthly allowance; and had been nothing more than a worthless, alcoholic slob who would lash out at Michael whenever he felt like it. Maria helped him sit up, as she took out two small white pills and handed Michael the glass of water. His big brown eyes looked at her,
" Does it have tobasco sauce in it?" He asked cheekily. He attempted a half-hearted smirk at Maria, and Maria couldn't resist that smile playing on her lips from the sight of her adorable hybrid boyfriend.
" Yes it has tobasco sauce in it." She said, knowing that Michael loved his tobasco sauce. Her mother often wondered why she was constantly filling the cupboards with bottle after bottle of it. When Maria had told her she just had a craving for it, her mum had sat her down and had 'the talk' with her. Michael swallowed both pills and finished off the glass of water, before snuggling down in the covers again. Wrapped up in Maria's purple bedspread, he looked young and helpless. Not disturbing the covers, she lay down beside him. Facing him, she reminded herself that he was only seventeen years old. He looked younger in this light, with only the glow of the moon shining through her open window. The cool breeze made Maria shiver, and Michael asked,
" Are you cold baby? It's lovely and warm under here." He said, a coy invitation for her to slip under the covers with him. Maria smiled gently again, as she made a quick detour to her bedroom door and clicked it until it locked, and slipped under the covers with the love of her life.
" Can't you just get Max to heal you?" She asked quizzically, slipping into Michael's welcoming embrace. His strong arms lay across her waist, as he lay his head on her chest. Maria placed her flowing blonde hair behind her ears, and cradled her baby. Michael coughed,
" It's a human thing, I've just got the flu. It's a 24 hour thing." He said, dismissing it lightly. Maria's eyes opened wider,
" You said that like, 4 days ago Michael. I don't want to nag or anything," Maria said, a trail of concern found in her voice,
" Course you don't." Michael said teasingly.
" You're ill so I'll let that one slide." Maria said, swallowing her female stubbornness. Michael chuckled playfully, as he held Maria closer. There was something about being so close to her that made him feel safer, and instantly lifted his mood. That is, when she wasn't pissing him off. So he put it down to a 50/50 split on that. Maria gently closed her eyes and began to drift off to sleep again,
" But how did you have the energy to make it over here?" Maria asked curiously. When Michael had stumbled through her window tonight, he had hardly enough energy to make it to the bed. Maria reminisced about the times she had looked after him in the past. Michael stirred in her arms,
" I always have the energy to come and see you." He said, making Maria smile. She kissed him sweetly on the top of his head. It wasn't long before the regular breathing of Maria, and the quiet snores of Michael filled the room, as the two entwined lovers lay in each other's arms, fast asleep.

In a small downtown warehouse, Ava set up her fault lines. Kyle was now strapped tightly to a chair, and didn't have the energy to move. But that's the way she wanted it. She didn't know why she let him live as long as he did. Oh well, he was nice to look at anyway. She hummed merrily as she moved Kyle telepathically into the centre of the room. On feeling himself being moved, he opened his eyes. The lack of light made it hard to focus, but all around him were eerie glows of light. A musky smell filled the room, as Kyle coughed from the amount of dusk that lingered in the dirty air.
" Oh, you're awake." Ava said, unconcerned. She walked over to him and sat on his lap. Kyle, starving and dying of thirst looked at her incredulously. His gentle brown eyes locked onto her faint slanted blue ones,
" Ava, why am I tied up? Why have you tied me up?" He said calmly. He didn't know how long he'd been here, jeez, he didn't even know where here was. Ava got up and set a bag of chips, some french fries and a bottle of water infront of him. She telepathically undid his ties, as he automatically lunged at her in order to escape. Ava automatically put up a shimmering green energy force between them, and Kyle was repelled by this. She laughed at his oh so incredibly 'human' attempt to escape.
" It's no use trying to escape you know. There's no way you pathetic humans could even begin to imagine how strong we are." She said as she moved her hand and strapped Kyle back to the chair. Kyle shook his head.
" Why are you doing this Ava? I thought we were your friends, your family?" Kyle asked, struggling with the ties that banded his arms and legs together, making it impossible to move.
" I'm not Ava, I'm Antress. And you want to know about family? About a mother who disowns her own daughter?!" She said as she worked up a slow rage.
" You think I don't know what it's like to be abandoned? My mother walked out on us too." Kyle said, sharing his feelings with her. He wondered if this sore spot in her would be enough to convince her to untie him.
" You humans think you've got it so bad. Kyle, my mother, my real mother, Ava, disowned me because I wasn't Zan's child. She kept me a secret, and then when she was killed, I never knew what had happened to her. I was only 4 years old in human terms, and 50 years later, my mother returns to Antar. And I think maybe she'll accept me now, we're both older. But you know what? She didn't even recognise me. She has no memories of me! She still doesn't care!"
Kyle's eyes remained transfixed on Antress, who paced back and forth. In a strange way, Kyle could relate to Antress' struggle. His mother had done the same thing. He'd never known her.
" But I'm going to make her care." She said violently, in a voice so sinister even Kyle was afraid. Kyle watched as she paced outside the doors, and listened as the sound of a car pulled away. Sitting alone in the dark now, he looked side to side. He gulped, and silently prayed,
" Please, someone help me."

As Maria opened her eyes, she felt as if she were in an Earthquake. Everything shook, as she grabbed onto Michael for support. It was then she realised that it wasn't an Earthquake, Michael was shaking. She leapt out of bed and scrambled on top of the covers, trying to hold Michael still,
" Michael, Michael what's happening?!" She said, as quietly as she could. Michael's eyes remained closed, as Maria searched her mind for ideas.
" Michael!" She pleaded, tears beginning to form in her eyes. Her own hands were shaking with shock, as she reached for the glass of water. She threw it over Michael, but got no response.
" Think Maria! Think!" She said mentally, as she ran into the bathroom to get a damp cloth. She ran back in, to find that Michael had stopped shaking. She sat lightly on top of her lilac bedspread, rubbing the flannel over Michael's face.
" Michael, Michael get up." She coaxed him, tears falling down her cheeks. Michael's eyes slowly focussed before him,
" Maria?" He asked weekly, Maria bit her bottom lip. With covers upon covers piled on top of him, as well as numerous hot water bottles, there was no way Michael was shivering because he was cold. Maria still wiped his face with the flannel, as she tried to get him to talk,
" Michael you were shaking, Michael tell me what's wrong? Do I need to get those stones again?"
" Maria," Michael coughed as he beckoned her closer. His hair was drenched in sweat, and he was unusually pale and pasty. Maria leant forward,
" Maria, I think I'm dying." Michael whispered, as Maria drew back and stroked the side of Michael's face,
" No, No," She cried, tears falling from her pretty blue eyes,
" You're not dying Michael." She said. She pulled the covers off from on top of him and tried to cool his whole body down. She finally collapsed onto his frail body in a fit of tears and cried, Michael using what little energy he had left to wrap his arms around her. Michael's body was warm, way warmer than it should have been. Michael whispered,
" Call Max." Maria lifted her head, and reluctantly left Michael's side in order to grab the phone on her desk. She quickly dialled the Evans' number, as she watched Michael begin to shake violently again.

At the Evans' household, Isabel and Liz sat opposite each other, Liz with her hands around Isabel's face. Liz had been trying to retrieve Isabel's memories as Vilandra for nearly an hour now, but had been unable to make a connection. Max sighed, as Liz took her hands away from Isabel.
" I'm sorry." Liz said, disappointed in herself. Isabel shook her head,
" You said yourself, it's only when someone's really emotional that you can make a connection." She said, and smiled faintly at Liz. It was true that Liz was Isabel's most favourite person, but she wasn't so bad as humans went. Liz's eyebrows burrowed in concentration,
" Isabel, lets give it one more go. But try and think of something that makes you happy, or sad." Liz said, as she once again placed her hands around Isabel's face. They both breathed deeply, as Liz began to access Isabel's past. A few minutes later, Liz broke the mould and struggled to catch her breath. Max handed her a glass of water, as he waited patiently to hear what Liz had seen. Sitting on the Evans' leather sofa, Liz began to tell them what she had seen,
" Vilandra, Vilandra and Ava were friends on Antar." She said as she swallowed and looked at Isabel. Isabel's blue eyes were clouded over, as she feared that Liz would tell her what a horrible person Vilandra was. Isabel lived every day in guilt, knowing that she had been the one to get all of them killed. Liz swallowed hard and continued,
" I guess that's why Tess came to you first Isabel, in the very beginning." She said. Max began to squirm in his seat, as he began to get impatient. The dark circles that shadowed his eye reflected that he had spent the night trying to understand and take in everything that was going on. Liz looked at him and took another sip of water, and began to tell them about their lives on Antar.
" Max, when you were Zan and married to Ava, you weren't happy. I mean, you loved each other, but that wasn't enough for Ava. She wanted your full attention, but you cared too much about your people to be able to give it to her. When I went into Isabel's memories, I saw that Ava was having an affair with Rath's brother."
" Michael's brother?" Max asked. He and Isabel exchanged worried looks. Liz nodded,
" I don't know what he was called, but that's why Ava told Vilandra that she was pregnant with his child." Isabel stared at her, not able to take it all in.
" So you mean that Michael's brother got Ava pregnant? Max, if Michael and me were meant to be getting married on Antar, wouldn't that mean that the baby would have been our nephew or niece?" Max shook his head, v " I guess so. But Liz, what does all of this have to do with now?" Liz shrugged,
" All I know, apart from what I told you, is that Ava had a baby girl and called her Antress. And apparently no one ever told Zan." Liz said as she began to yawn again. Max placed an arm around her.
" Oh my God." Isabel said, completely amazed by what she had just heard. Liz looked at Isabel, and tears welled up in her eyes. Isabel caught sight at Liz staring at her, and instantly became alarmed and defensive.
" Liz, you saw something else didn't you?" Isabel said, Liz nodded calmly. Everything was quiet. Nothing made a sound, until Liz spoke again,
" You and Kivar, and I saw the war on Antar. Max, it's not your fault there are people dying. It's Kivar, he used Vilandra to get on Antar and try and destroy it." Liz's voice trailed off. The three of them sat in silence. Max was the first to brake the ice,
" I guess Tess really was a slut," He said, half jokingly. Liz bit back the burning desire she had to say, 'I told you so'. Isabel stood up and brushed herself down.
" Well, thanks for the history lesson Liz, but I don't know about you two but I'm starving." She said as she tried to act normal. She wandered her way into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. Liz turned to Max,
" Is she okay?" She asked quietly, so that Isabel couldn't hear her. Max shook his head,
" She feels guilty because she was the one who got us all killed." He said, equally as quietly. Liz nodded in quiet recognition. Everything was once again quiet, until the phone rang minutes later. Max snatched it off the side, and answered,
" Hello? Maria, Maria, calm down." Liz's eyes flew wide open. Max looked at Liz, and Isabel stared on from the doorway.
" Maria hold on, we'll be over as soon as we can." And with that he hung up, an ashen look upon his face.
" Oh my God what's happened?" Isabel said as she fought back that irresistible feeling that someone was in trouble.
" That was Maria. She says that." Max paused, unable to say it,
" Max what's wrong with Maria?" Liz said quickly, as she too felt the dread rise up inside her,
" Michael's at his, he thinks he's."
" Oh my god no." Isabel said, shaking her head violently with her hand over her mouth,
" He thinks he's dying."

Chapter 8

" Michael, Michael. Hold on." Maria pleaded, a fresh bowl of water by her side. She tenderly soaked Michael's frail body in water. Come on Max, Liz, anybody! Maria silently pleaded. It had been fifteen minutes since Max had said they were on their way, as Maria frantically tried to calm Michael down. Spread out across her bed, his muscular body glistened with sweat. Maria's tears fell onto his body, and trickled down his stomach. Maria placed a hand around his face,
" Michael, Michael. Max is on his way. Please hold on!" She sobbed, trying to get a response from him. Trying as hard as she could not to go into hysterics, she pulled off his trousers, so that all he was left in was his boxers. She hadn't taken his temperature, but there was no denying that no normal person would be able to withstand temperatures that intense. Maria looked at him, so helpless and in pain. She felt the tears grace her face again, as she hovered above him,
" Michael, I love you so much," She choked, pleading with him to open his eyes, give her some indication that he was still alive. As if her prayers were answered, Michael groaned. Maria instantly lifted her head and scrambled so that she was as close to him as possible,
" Michael, what's happening to you? What can I do?" Maria said as she felt her whole body shake through fear. She ran her fingers through Michael's wet brown hair, as he stared intensely into her open blue eyes. Maria watched as a single tear slid down Michael's cheek, as he lifted his hand and touched the side of her cheek,
" I will always love you Maria," He said. Maria broke down inside, as all the images of her and Michael together passed through her mind. She saw the two on their first date, at the prom, there first time making love. Then she realised what she was saying,
" No Michael. This is not the end, you can't leave me here alone!" Maria said forcefully between tears, she collapsed onto his chest, sobbing her heart out. She was loosing the man she loved the most,
" I'll never leave you," Michael whispered. Maria lifted her head and wiped away her tears,
" No you wont Michael Guerin, I won't let you. I love you with all my heart, you are not leaving me now!" Maria said, as she once again picked up the flannel and pasted his body in water. But as the tears streamed from her eyes, and her heart ached, she felt the overwhelming fear that she was loosing the man she loved.

" Wait Max." Isabel said as they pulled up in the Deluca's driveway. Max hastily turned off the engine and removed the keys. Liz hopped out of the jeep and hurried to the door, Max steadily running behind her.
" We can't just go storming in there, Maria's mum's going to be asleep. Liz, you distract her, and me and Max'll climb through the window." Isabel said as she wiped away the tears of fear that were slowly trickling down her face. Liz nodded in silent recognition, as she watched Max and Isabel shimmy up the tree. She knocked lightly on the Deluca's door; trying to slow down her heartbeat. What if Michael is dying? Oh my god what's happening? Liz thought impatiently as she knocked again, harder this time. She harshly brushed the hair out of her eyes. Her hands were shaking, as she knocked and knocked on the door. Why isn't she answering! Liz thought impatiently, as she silently prayed Max was healing Michael. Liz felt someone moving behind her. High on her adrenaline surge, her nerves were high. She ignored it, knowing that it was her responsibility to keep Amy Deluca occupied. But there it was again. That noise. Liz still ignored it, as she began to shout,
" Amy! Miss Deluca!" desperately to the door. But the noise returned. As Liz finally gave in and turned around. She gasped, and searched the familiar face for a reason as to why her hands were placed firmly over Liz's mouth. Liz struggled, trying to get out of the grasp of her abductor, until she finally collapsed. Her brown eyes fluttered shut, as the evil blonde dragged her limp body out of sight. So that when Amy Deluca opened the front door, all she saw was the normal scene she awoke to every morning. Green grass, blue sky, birds tweeting. Little did she know that her daughter's best friend was in danger, as she was dragged into the trunk of a small blue car.

Isabel paced up and down beside Maria's bed, watching Michael shiver. She desperately wanted to help, but none of them had a clue what was going on. She watched as Michael's eyes became duller and duller, loosing that 'Rebel without a cause' spark that made him so unique. She settled behind Max, who was frantically hovering his hands about an inch above Michael's body, trying to heal him. Isabel crossed her fingers. Please lord; don't take him away from me.
" How long has he been like this?" Max barked as he hovered his hands above Michael. Michael looked pleadingly into his eyes,
" Max, you have to save me. I'm not ready to die." He whispered hoarsely. Michael's eyes glazed over, as he realised what was at stake. He turned to his left and saw Maria, who was crying maniacally, refusing to let go of Michael's hand. Her long blonde hair, her open blue eyes. He turned back to Max and Isabel, his family. He couldn't leave now, there was so much he wanted to do, so much he wanted to see.
" I don't know." Maria cried, Isabel took two strides over to Maria. In one swift move she lifted her from sitting on the bed to up against the wall. Isabel gripped Maria tight, as Maria's feet dangled in mid-air.
" Now you listen to me. I am not about to lose another person I love. Now you tell Max all he needs to know!" Isabel said, her furious blue eyes raging into Maria's scared ones. Isabel let go of Maria, as her frightened blue eyes made Isabel scared too. Max looked up at the two,
" Will you concentrate at what is at stake here!" He shouted, shocking the other two. Isabel's eyes flew open with shock, as she screamed,
" MAX!"
A bolt of brilliant blue light ran through the room, knocking Isabel and Max off their feet. All shielding their eyes, they could not see a single object; as the intensity of the blinding pale blue light spread throughout the room. Maria held her hand out to shield her eyes. But as soon as the light had faded, Maria was the first to scream,
" No!!!!"
Max looked at Isabel, as she broke down into tears. Maria grabbed at the bed, as if Michael was hiding under the covers. Maria cried as she searched for him, and Isabel's cries filled the room. Max stood in shock, holding his sister close to him; supporting himself as much as her. He reached out a hand to Maria, and tried to stop himself from shaking as the tears of reality began to stain his face,
" Maria." He whispered, calling out to her, Maria looked up. Her tearstained cheeks were raw, and her normal optimistic blue eyes clouded over. She refused his hand. She shook her head violently.
" Don't say it. Max." She quivered. " Don't say it." Max gulped hard, as tears began to well up in his brown eyes. In the early morning light, the three of them reflected their age. Isabel's tears and loneliness haunted the room, as Max whispered,
" Michael's dead."
Maria let out a painful scream, as she burried her head in the covers that Michael had slept in, and Max held his sister close, rocking her back and forth. Suddenly, Max broke away,
" Maria, Isabel. Stay together." He ordered, as he jumped back out through Maria's window. Isabel shouted,
" Max! Where are you going?!" as she leant out the window. Her only reply was the roar of the engine of the jeep, as Max sped away.

CHAPTER 9

Storming through the Valentis doorway, Max headed with intent towards Ava's bedroom. Pacing forward, it was clear that this was no friendly visit. His eyes still raw with the pain from Michael's death, he slammed the door open. He stood in the doorway. To any human being, Max's physique would be threatening. Standing at over 6ft tall, with muscles and a firm jaw line, as Ava awoke, she knew something bad had happened. Max stood and stared at her. A look of disgust formed inside his normally loving brown eyes. Max stormed forward, and with one swift move hoisted her out of bed. Ava screamed, waking Jim Valenti in the process. With his strong arms, Max held her firmly against the wall. Her petite physique unable to combat his authoritative stance, and his intent and reason for being there. Max's angry eyes tore holes through her soul,
" Where is he?" He stated slowly, showing no emotion in his voice but the disgust he felt towards her. His voice was deep, and his grip tight. He looked directly into her eyes. Ava squirmed, but looked back innocently. Max shook her again, his arms still shaking from seeing Michael die. Ava shook her head,
" Who?" Ava replied innocently, her ocean blue eyes searching Max's face for reason. She quivered and shook; terrified that Max would harm her. All she found was hurt and anger, as Max refused to let her go,
" You know who! No we can do this the easy way, or the hard way," Max stated, with a deep, calm but menacing voice. He stared disgusted at Ava, his brown eyes showing the hatred that he felt towards Tess, and the anger and hurt that surrounded him by the fact that Michael was possibly gone forever. With no response, he shook her small body again. Her blonde curls bounced, as Max tightened his grip.
" I want to know where Michael is. You can tell me outright, but I'm warning you. I will kill you if I have to." Max said, bringing his face close to hers. Max set his jaw line firm, as Ava gulped. Jim Valenti came storming into Ava's room, and on seeing Max holding Ava against the wall, he threw himself forward,
" Max what the hell do you think you're doing?!" He shouted, lunging towards Max. Without a second thought, Max raised one hand and sent Valenti through the door, sealing it as soon as he had past. Valenti banged his fists on the door, as Max returned his stare back to Ava.
" Max put me down." She ordered, her bright blue eyes now sharing the same intense glare that Max had cast upon her. This only made Max more angry,
" Don't you tell me what to do! Michael is my family; I refuse to accept that he is dead. And I want you to tell me where he is!" He shouted, as Ava winced. Ava returned her gaze to Max,
" Oh my God? Michael's. dead?" She said, as tears began to well up in her eyes. Max felt his stomach wrench, as he loosened his grip a bit. Ava's feet now touched the ground.
" Don't pretend like you don't know. Michael isn't just my friend; he's my brother. I will not lose another person I care about so tell me where he is!" He screamed, furious at her. Feelings of overriding pain and anger filled his body, as he fought back the tears of reality that were calling his name. Ava looked at him long and hard, before spitefully saying, calmly and surely,
" I am not Tess. I haven't killed anyone, so put me down Max. Now." She ordered. She saw the pain in Max's eyes, as he realised she was right. Ava wasn't Tess. Max was blaming Ava for something that Tess had done. But he refused to back down. He threw her onto the bed, and stood in front of her.
" Use your powers. Find him. I don't care what it takes. Michael is a part of me, I will not lose him." Max said, as he felt his heart seize the words he spoke. He realised that what he was saying was true. Michael wasn't just a friend. He was a brother, he was family. And Max refused to admit that his family was being torn apart again,
" You can't order me around." Ava said fiercely, staring at him. Max clenched his fists at his side,
" I can do what the hell I want. You're the one who told me to take my position as King. Now do it." He said calmly. He watched as she closed her eyes, and Max guessed that she was searching for his soul. He waited impatiently, as the clock ticked. Jim Valentis screams could be heard on the other side of the door. Ava's eyes flew open. He searched her face for signs of emotion. Tears began to stream down the side of her face, over her ocean blue eyes, as she found the words to say,
" I'm sorry Max." Max fought the feelings to breakdown and cry, as Ava continued,
" But Max," she said, beginning to shudder, Max listened intently, as his eyes enveloped Ava's words,
" Kyle, Kyle and Liz, they're in danger." She whispered, as more icy bolts of reality shook Max's body. He looked at the small helpless figure on the bed. Small and fragile, Ava looked harmless on the outside. But by the amount of pain and hurt she had inflicted on him, he knew she was far more than innocent,
" What do you mean?" Max questioned. At this time, Valenti came crashing through the bedroom door, knocking it off its hinges. He stood tall in front of Max, questioning him,
" Max, I'll ask you once more. What is going on." Jim said, his slanted grey eyes searching the worry he found on Max's face. Max gulped.
" Michael is dead." He said without feeling, thinking that if he allowed himself to feel something, he may just lose it altogether. Valenti's eyes gawped at him, his eyes repeating Max's words. Max continued,
" Liz and Kyle are missing," He said, before turning to Ava and adding,
" Apparently." Ava stared at him,
" What do you have against me Max? The fact that I know who I am? The fact that I'm stronger than you?" She spat spitefully. Jim watched as the two approached each other. He shook his head in disgust.
Max was the first to speak,
" I feel nothing for you. You will help me find them. All of them." He said. Valenti left the room, frantically calling for his son. Max watched as his world began to fall apart around him, and he once again turned to Ava,
" If you have anything to do with this. I will kill you." He said forcefully. He stood still and quiet for a minute, confirming his promise. He walked out of the bedroom and through to the Spanish decorated kitchen. Valenti placed one hand on his chest,
" Max. I trust you. Where is my son?" He said quietly and calmly, as their eyes met. Max quivered,
" I don't know. But Sheriff, I will find him. Bring Ava and meet me outside the CrashDown in half an hour, I'll go and get Maria and Isabel." He said as he began to walk away. But Jim called out to him,
" Max! What about Liz?"
Max stopped in his tracks. Liz. Panic rose up in his throat as he ran towards the jeep and back to the Deluca household.

" Michae