Amends(Sequel to Shattered AU,M/M,A/I, Mature)Finished 12/26

[Anla]

Chapter 13 - Shards

"I'm finding my way back to sanity again
though I don't really know what I'm gonna do when I get there
and take a breath and hold on tight
spin around one more time
and gracefully fall back to the arms of grace"

---- "Breathing" by Lifehouse


"Yes!" Laurie dropped the controller and put her arms up in the air, laughing joyfully. "I go to the next level."

Kyle glanced at her with suspicion. "Are you sure you've never played this game before?"

"Nope." She leaned back against the couch and smiled at her companion. "But then, I have had first hand experience with facing alien invaders."

He considered that. "I guess that's true." Kyle put down his own controller and concentrated on her. "How are you handling everything?"

"Okay, I guess." Laurie laughed. "Maybe I got all my freaking out during my first trip to Roswell."

"It's a pretty big thing to find out that we're not alone in the universe," he pointed out.

"Yeah, but growing up with my grandpa, it wasn't exactly a new idea to me. I mean, you must have had some clue, growing up in Roswell."

Now it was Kyle's turn to laugh. "You might think that, but growing up in Roswell is actually the last place a person's going to learn to believe in aliens."

"Really?" She was surprised. She would have thought that the town residents would be firm believers in the Roswell conspiracy.

"Yeah. Most people around here know that the stuff sold in the stores is just tourist trap garbage." He snorted. "And this family in particular – well, let's just say my dad never bought into the whole alien thing."

"That is so weird. I mean, your dad is like the head of this whole alien-human family you guys have going here." Laurie turned to face him. "I know how important he is to Michael and Maria."

"Dad takes his role as one of the few parents in IKAAC seriously," Kyle agreed. He shook his head sadly. "Too seriously at times. He's been known to threaten us with grounding if we let alien-related situations get in the way too much. I'll have to tell you about Vegas someday."

"And what about you?" she asked. "You weren't a believer?"

"Not until Max saved my life," Kyle agreed. "That sort of changed my mind."

"Ah." Laurie thought back to that night when she was dug up and rescued. "You, too, huh?"

"Yeah." Kyle scowled, but Laurie didn't think his heart was in it. "Max does the whole hero thing a lot. It's kind of annoying at times."

Laurie smiled, shaking her head. "I don't know, Kyle. From what Michael tells me, you had something to do with defeating the alien crystals that were after me. So I guess you can do the hero thing pretty well yourself."

Kyle grinned. "Yeah, I guess I can be pretty impressive, too," he joked.

"I'm sure." She returned to the point, leaning her head against the couch. "How did you handle it when you learned about the aliens?"

"Turned to Buddha." Kyle nodded his head towards the statue on top of the tv. "You?"

"A lot of screaming," Laurie said dryly.

"Really?" he teased. "I hadn't heard."

Laurie picked up a pillow and swatted him with it. "Then, when things calmed down, I just wanted to get away for a while. Hence the tour of Europe."

"And then you came back."

"Then I came back," she agreed. Sighing, she stood up. "I should probably get going," she said, glancing at her watch. "But this was fun."

"Yeah, it was." Kyle stood up as well. "We should hang out some more."

"I'd like that." Impulsively, Laurie leaned over and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. "I'll talk to you later."

Kyle stood still for a second, then rushed to the door after Laurie. Before she was able to open the door and go out to her car, he reached over and held the door shut. "Hold on."

She turned to him, eyes wide. "What?"

"You caught me off-guard there," he pointed out. "I can do better than that."

Laurie smiled. "You think?"

"Oh, yeah." Grinning, Kyle put one hand behind her head and pulled her closer for a longer kiss.

"Mmm....." Laurie pulled away. "Not bad."

"I kind of liked it," he agreed. He was moving in for another kiss when there was a frantic banging on the other side of the door. Kyle jumped back, pulling Laurie away from the door as he glanced around for anything he could use as a weapon if this was an attack.

"Kyle, open the door!"

At hearing Isabel's voice, he sprang into action, unlocking and opening the door. "Isabel, what's the matter?" He could tell something was wrong from the wild look in her eyes.

"I didn't know where else to go," she started, then noticed Laurie standing there. "Oh," she said, taken aback. Isabel made a visible effort to calm down and pull herself together. "I'm sorry. I didn't know you had company."

"We came back here after catching a movie." Kyle was concerned. "Come inside." He closed the door then took another look at his friend. Isabel was dressed in an elegantly gorgeous dress, so he guessed she had plans with Alex. But from the way she was shaking, he didn't guess things went well. "Is everything okay? It wasn't an alien attack or anything, was it?"

"No, no," she hastened to reassure him. "It's nothing like that. It's just........" she cast a nervous glance at Laurie. "It's nothing. Just something I wanted to talk to you about, but it can wait until tomorrow. I'm sorry for interrupting." She turned to leave, but Kyle grabbed her arm, growing even more concerned when Isabel instantly jerked away from his touch.

"No, Isabel, you stay." Laurie said quickly. "I was just leaving anyway." She looked at Kyle as she turned the doorknob. "You'll call me?"

"You bet." He tried to give her a smile, but was sure that his concern for Isabel showed through it. When the door closed behind Laurie, he turned back to his friend. "What happened? Is Alex okay?"

Isabel started to laugh hysterically, wrapping her arms tightly around her waist as she bent over from the shaking. Kyle inched closer, then changed his mind when he saw her move slightly away.

"Come over here," he said, backing up towards the couch. "Sit down."

She followed him, obediently sitting down as the hysterics seemed to cease, at least for the time. Kyle looked at her, frowning. She was shivering. "Are you cold?"

Isabel looked at him, trying to concentrate. "Maybe a little," she admitted.

"Okay." Kyle glanced around quickly. "Here." It wasn't even remotely cold in the house, but he tried not to focus on that. First things first. He picked up his letterman jacket. "Put this on."

Isabel took the jacket. "Thanks." Taking a deep breath, she tried to pull herself together. "No, Alex is not okay."

"I figured." Kyle knelt down on the floor in front of her. "What happened, Iz?" he asked, carefully keeping his voice low and soothing. He didn't want Isabel to freak again.

"Your guess is as good as mine," she said sharply.

"I don't understand," he admitted. "Is Alex hurt? Did something new happen?"

She shook her head quickly. "No, nothing new." The blond girl shrugged. "Something's wrong with Alex," she said in a low voice. He had to lean closer to hear her. "I don't know what exactly, but he's afraid. And he won't tell me why." Isabel closed her eyes tightly. "He's afraid of me," she admitted.

"That's not true," Kyle retorted instantly.

Her eyes shot open. "No? Then why won't he tell me what's going on? Why does he jump away from me when I try to.........." Her voice trailed off.

Kyle's mind worked quickly. The way that Isabel was shaking, the possessive attitude Alex had been showing at times over the last week or two...... "You two haven't started glowing, by any chance?" he asked, trying to keep his voice light.

Isabel shook her head in disgust. "This isn't about sex, Kyle." At his look of disbelief, she went on. "Well, not completely."

"You're going to try to tell me that this isn't the tiasa stuff?" he countered. "'Cause remember, I unfortunately had a front row seat to way too much of the Michael-Maria drama. And I do mean way, way too much." He shuddered himself, remembering walking in on Michael and Maria in a state of much too much undress for his comfort level. Isabel looked away. "Yeah, thought so." Kyle sighed. "Great," he muttered. He really wasn't up to the job of being an intergalactic romantic advisor. Quickly asking Buddha for guidance, he pressed on. "I'm guessing things didn't go too well?" Isabel still kept silent. "Isabel, if you want to talk about what happened, then you're going to have to actually open your mouth and talk."

She sighed, shoulders sagging. "Saying things didn't go well would be like saying the Skins and us have a slight difference of opinion. Tonight was a disaster. Alex freaked out on me." She looked back at him. "How can I blame him? Everytime he looks at me, he must see Lonnie."

"I don't think that's true," Kyle argued. "Alex loves you, Isabel. You know that. I've never known any guy who's as head over heels whipped as Alex is." Isabel's glare was weaker than usual, but at least it was a start. He'd rather see her pissed with him than looking so defeated. "Maybe he's just not ready," he said. "Give him time."

"I've given him time!" she yelled. Isabel stood up and started pacing around the living room. "I've given him months. Something's been wrong ever since he came back, but I figured that if I just gave him time and space, he'd open up again." She turned back to him, a thoughtful expression on her face. "You're not denying it."

"Huh?" Kyle blinked, scrambling to cover himself. "I was just listening to what you were saying."

"Right," Isabel scoffed. "You know that something's wrong with Alex." Her eyes narrowed, a definite warning sign. "Kyle, don't you dare lie to me too."

"I wasn't going to." He leaned back against the back of the couch, exhausted. "Yeah, Alex has been kind of off lately. I just figured he was having some post-traumatic stress. And we all know about the whole hocus-pocus, reading our emotions thing." He hesitated. "Isabel, I really don't think it has anything to do with you."

She shook her head sharply. "You're wrong." She didn't sound angry now, just sad. Defeated. "It is about me."

"Look, maybe he's just not ready .........."

"I'm not even talking about sex, Kyle, hard as it may be for you to believe," she interrupted. "If he really doesn't want to sleep with me yet, we can wait. Of course we can wait." She sighed. Isabel didn't believe that was the problem anyway. She could feel the emotions surging from him when they got close, and knew that physical intimacy wasn't the roadblock they were facing. "It's the emotional distance. The secrets. The walls that Alex keeps putting up." She collapsed into the chair across from him. "Because he can't trust me anymore. Because, no matter how much he tries or denies it, he sees Vilandra in me." Her voice sank even lower. "Maybe he's right."

Kyle rolled his eyes. "Right. Because you're plotting the overthrow of the alien royal family and to take over the world."

"I don't know, Kyle." She met his eyes. "Maybe I'm more like Vilandra than I want to believe. I mean, can you honestly say I would never hurt anyone in order to get what I want?" She gave a pained grimace. "You of all people know better."

"Hey." In an instant, Kyle was off the couch and kneeling in front of her, carefully keeping his distance. "That was an accident. Look at me," he demanded sharply when she tried to look away. "You didn't mean to hurt me when you went into my mind. You made a mistake. Now you know better." He looked at her seriously. "That's ancient history, Iz. If I can get over it, why can't you?"

"Because my history seems to repeat itself," she replied. Her hands twisted nervously in her lap. "Alex was the one who made me believe that Vilandra didn't matter. That I could make a new life for myself. But now, if even he doesn't believe it........." She took a deep breath. "I'm not sure I can trust myself."

Kyle frowned. "Where's all this coming from, Iz? And don't tell me it's because of Alex," he went on quickly. "Because there's something more going on."

"I had a talk with Ardan the other day," she admitted. "He reminded me of some things from before."

"Ardan? Ardan, the alien dedicated to wiping out your entire family? The one who has spent his entire life lying and murdering? Yeah, that's someone I'd trust and listen to."

"It's not that simple," she countered. "He wasn't lying."

"You can lie even if you're telling the facts," Kyle argued. "The interpretation can still be messed up." Kyle leaned back, sighing. "Iz, you would never hurt Alex. Never. He knows that. Whatever's going on with him right now, and yeah, I'm sure it's major, what with the capture and almost getting killed a few times, is his issue. Not yours." His voice gentled. "Give him time. He loves you. He'll talk to you when he's ready."

Isabel looked at him. He could tell that she wanted to believe him, but was having a hard time accepting that. "You think so?"

"Yes." Kyle sat more comfortably, giving her a quick grin. "After all, Alex loooooves you," he teased. "Things will work out. The whole love conquers all thing." He squashed the twinge that he felt. At least for some people.

"Right." She scoffed, tossing her head, but she still laughed softly.

"Hey, he's still alive," Kyle said simply. And if that wasn't enough proof of how strong their love was, Kyle wasn't sure what would convince anyone.

"You're a good friend, Kyle." Isabel smiled warmly down at him. "Thanks."

"No problemo." Kyle stood up, heading to the kitchen. "Want a snack?" He hoped that Alex could work through his issues fast. But deep down, he was sure that things would work out in the end for Alex and Isabel.

Some people get the whole love thing right.

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When the pounding on the door started, Amy looked up from the tray of cookies she'd just put on the counter. "I'm coming," she said, going over to the front door. Michael hadn't come rushing down the stairs to stop her, so she figured it was okay, but still, she looked out the peephole just to check and see that it didn't appear to be an evil alien or an insane former FBI agent. She was surprised by who she did see, though.

"Alex," she welcomed him as she opened the door. "Michael and Maria didn't mention you were coming over tonight."

"Uh, they didn't know." He walked carefully past her into the building. "They around?"

"Michael's upstairs putting Lexy to sleep. Maria's at work." Amy peered at him, concerned by what she saw. "Alex, are you feeling okay?" He was flushed and seemed to be shivering.

"Yeah." Alex smiled at her, obviously intending it to be comforting, but it didn't fool her maternal instincts.

"You look feverish." She moved to take his temperature by putting her hand on his forehead, but he quickly jumped out of her reach.

"Really, Mrs. DeLuca, I'm fine." Alex's eyes darted around the room. "Will Michael be down soon?"

"Already here." Michael walked down the stairs, picking up speed when he saw Alex's state. Damn. He forced his voice to stay calm as he turned to Amy. "Those cookies smell delicious. Thanks, Mrs. DeLuca."

Amy looked from Alex to Michael. "Neither of you has any intention of telling me what's going on, do you?" Two overly innocent expressions looked back at her. She sighed. "I didn't think so." Grabbing her purse, Amy kissed Michael on the cheek before turning back to Alex. "Try to get some rest, okay?"

"Yes, ma'am." Alex managed a cheeky grin at her mothering. Over the years, he'd spent almost as much time at Maria's as at his own home, so this was nothing new.

As soon as the door shut behind Amy, Michael whirled to Alex. "How bad is it?" he asked quietly.

As if in answer, Alex's body trembled all over with the strength of the shudder he'd been fighting. He put his hands against the wall, holding on as the tremors tore through his body. Michael moved closer to help hold up his friend, but then stopped himself, realizing that the last thing Alex needed right then was anyone touching him. Anyone other than Isabel, that was.

When the violent trembling passed, Alex turned to his alien friend and gave a shaky laugh. "Pretty bad," he answered.

"Yeah, I see that." Michael pointed to the couch. "Sit down. Now." Obediently, the tall human went and sat on the couch. "How long has this been going on?"

"It comes and goes." Alex studied the carpet. Michael frowned. He'd had no idea that things had progressed this far. "It's starting for Isabel," Alex continued softly.

Oh. Michael caught his breath. Well, that explained that. "Stay there. I'm gonna get you something to drink."

When Michael returned with the orange soda, he saw that Alex was still in exactly the same position he'd been in when he left. It didn't look like he'd moved an inch. He handed Alex the glass. "Drink this."

Alex took a sip, then looked up at Michael, mouth twitching into a brief smile. "Playing mother hen, huh? You've really been domesticated."

Michael scowled, but that only seemed to amuse Alex more. Great – nobody took him seriously anymore. "What happened tonight?" he asked bluntly. Alex had been okay earlier when he'd helped him move.

Alex carefully put the glass on the table in front of him. "Isabel planned a romantic evening for us," he said, speaking his words with care as he avoided looking at the other teen. "And I freaked out." His voice took on a bitter quality that didn't fit him. "Story of my life these days. I wonder how long Iz'll put up with it."

Michael dragged a chair over so that he could sit near Alex, but not close enough to upset him. "Why did you freak?" he asked quietly. He wasn't worried about Isabel at the moment. Alex was his concern. "More memories?"

Alex nodded. Michael's eyes were drawn to his hands, seeing how tightly he was clenching them into fists. Any moment now he'd probably be drawing blood, his nails were digging into them so hard. It was clear that the mere thought of those memories was making him want to bolt, and Michael could certainly understand that. But things had gotten past the point where they could be safely ignored. "Alex, can you tell me what the memories are about?"

Alex glanced at him, surprised. "You want to talk about it?" he asked, tone shocked. "You, Michael Guerin, Mr. Silent Glower, want to actually have an open, emotional discussion?" He shook his head, bemused. "Maria would pass out from shock."

Michael scowled again. "I don't want to talk about it," he agreed. "But I think you need to get it out." Alex was a talker. "Is there someone else you'd rather talk about this with? You want to wait for Maria to get home?"

"No," Alex said quickly. He loved Maria dearly, but didn't want to talk with her or Liz about this. "It's just.........." He met Michael's eyes. "Do we really need to talk about it?" he said softly. "I kind of figured you might........" His voice trailed off.

Michael got it. Alex didn't think he would need to say anything to him because he expected that Michael already knew what he had to say. And with a sinking feeling in his stomach, Michael realized that he probably did. Still, Alex was the one who had to face it. "I didn't see the scars," Michael said softly. "Max had healed you by the time I saw you that day." Alex looked away, but Michael knew he was listening. "But Max told me about them. And yeah, I can guess what caused them." Now it was his turn to clench his hands into fists. He knew exactly what type of violence would leave each of the injuries Max had described. "Before, on Antar, that was what I was trained in. How to hurt people. I never really had the patience for the type of torture you went through, but....." He cut that line of thought off. "That's not what's freaking you out," he said, certainty in his voice. "Those aren't the injuries that you're afraid of. Those healed."

"Not all," Alex contradicted, shaking his head as he reached around to pat his back shoulder. "Lonnie still left her mark on me. Her brand." All the bitterness was gone from Alex's voice, leaving it exhausted and emotionless. Dead. "She said that I would always belong to her," he went on.

"The bitch was wrong," Michael shot back instantly.

"I'm not so sure." Alex sighed and picked up the glass again, not to drink, but just to give his hands something to do. "How did you do it?" he whispered.

"Do what?"

"Manage to put yourself back together," Alex explained. "After everything you went through with Kivar. The memories." He closed his eyes. "I feel like my mind is broken into these shards. Bits of me. Some Kivar. Some Lonnie. I'm not even sure what thoughts belong to me, what memories. Who I am." He opened his eyes again, expression demanding. "Tell me how you did it. How did you stay sane?"

"I leaned on all of you," Michael answered instantly. "I let you remind me of who I was." He raised his eyebrows. "Sometimes I'm not sure how sane I am," he admitted.

"Great. At least I'm in good company," Alex muttered, smiling a little. "I hate this," he said, frustration lacing his voice again. "I hate not knowing what's going on in my own head. I know that part of it's the tiasa making me all messed up, but it's not just that. How do I figure out who I am now?"

"You're Alex.," Michael said. When the other boy looked at him in confusion, he shrugged and went on. "Whatever you feel or think, it's you. Not anyone else." He leaned closer. "I've been thinking about it. You were able to fight off Kivar's influence last year. Nobody else ever did. Why do you think that was?"

"No clue," Alex admitted.

"Because you knew yourself so well that you could tell Kivar's thoughts weren't yours," Michael explained. "Because you had enough sense of self, and enough trust in the connection we all formed, that you were able to recognize the anger and suspicions Kivar sent you weren't really yours. They were foreign to you," he went on as Alex looked at him blankly. "Kivar's mind is totally opposite yours. You couldn't accept it."

Alex looked at him skeptically. "And I was the only one he ever tried to possess who had a healthy self-image?"

"You were the only one who had the connection we formed to give you support." Michael thought back to that night in the desert, the way the six of them had connected, how they had felt totally complete as they stood there, together. It was that strength which had allowed him to take the chance on defying Kivar and Lonnie when the baby was born. He'd had faith that the others would take care of Maria and Lexy. "You knew what Kivar wanted you to believe was wrong." He leaned closer. "So now you have to figure out what you want, what's right for you, and hang on to that. Just like you did last year."

Alex looked at the ground again, thinking hard. Michael waited. Wow, it was a clear sign that something was wrong when he was doing more talking than Alex. Finally, Alex spoke again. "It's not the sex that's the problem. I really, really, want to be with Isabel." He looked at Michael from the corner of his eyes, smiling slightly at the look on the alien's face. "Too much information?"

"A little," Michael agreed. "But that's okay. Go on."

"It's the rest. The mental connection." He sighed and leaned back, now studying the wall in front of him. "Isabel thinks that I look at her and see Lonnie. That I'm afraid she's going to hurt me or something," he got out in disgust.

"And?" Michael prompted.

"And she's got it all wrong," Alex argued. "I'm not afraid that Isabel would hurt me. I mean, she's the reason I'm still alive. I trust her."

Michael waited. Another long uncomfortable silence. "But?" he finally asked.

Alex grinned quickly. "You realize this is possibly the most I've ever heard you speak when Maria's not around, right?"

"Yeah, so you better make it worth my effort and get to the point," Michael shot back good-naturedly.

"Yes, sir," Alex mocked. Then he grew serious again, the expression in his eyes haunted and frightened. "I can tell the difference between Isabel and Lonnie. Now. I think I'm seeing the difference a little more everyday. What worries me isn't her hurting me. It's me hurting her. I'm afraid that Isabel will see things in the connection that will hurt her. She's been through enough because of me. Enough pain. Enough loss." He took a deep breath, gathering his courage. "Lonnie liked to screw with my mind, too, you know." When Michael simply nodded silently, he went on. "I had dreams. Vivid ones. And Isabel was in them."

"Yeah," Michael said slowly. "The dreamwalks the two of you shared."

"Uh, huh." Alex's eyes were fixated on one spot on the wall so that he didn't have to look at Michael. Not that he thought Michael would judge, but still.......... "They were pretty realistic. I got caught up in them. I actually forgot what was going on with Lonnie at times."

"The drugs probably didn't help," Michael pointed out.

Alex went on as if he didn't hear him. "But some of the dreams were different. Wrong somehow." He closed his eyes, the memories coming back. "Harsher. More, I don't know, wild or something. Not as much love, I guess." He opened his eyes and shot a quick glance at Michael from the corner of his eyes. His friend was watching in patient silence, face expressionless. "I think that it was Lonnie in some of the dreams. Not Isabel."

"She dreamwalked you, too." Not a question. "Makes sense."

Alex's fist hit the arm of the couch. "I should have known!" His voice echoed with the anguish. "I should have been able to tell the difference!"

"Come on, Alex," Michael said, trying to calm him down. "You were drugged and tortured. You can't blame yourself for Lonnie being able to trick you........."

"I'm not sure it was just dreamwalks," Alex interrupted. He turned to Michael, and the alien almost moved backwards from the sheer energy and pain in his eyes. "I think maybe some of it really happened."

Michael took a deep breath. "Yeah?"

"Yeah." Alex's gave a short laugh. "Of course, I'm still not sure. But some of it was real. And what I remember from the dreams – it went pretty far."

"How far?"

Alex shook his head. "How can I tell Isabel any of this? Lonnie always made herself look like Isabel before she would hurt me. Always. That's bad enough for Isabel to know. How can I tell her that I kissed Lonnie? That it might have gone a whole lot farther than kissing? How do I tell Isabel that?"

"It wasn't your fault. Whatever happened, it wasn't you cheating on Isabel." Michael watched as Alex stood up abruptly and started walking around the room. "You know that, Alex. You thought it was Isabel."

"And that makes it okay?" Alex paused, shooting Michael a glare. "If you found out that Maria had kissed Rath, that there was even a chance that Maria might have had sex with Rath, dreams or not," there he said it, "then you'd be okay with it?"

Michael stood up. "If Rath pretended to be me in order to get to Maria for any reason, then I would definitely not be okay with it. I would find him and I would rip his heart out." He walked up to Alex. "But I would not blame her. You were the victim in all this, Alex."

A sharp shake of his head. "I'm not the only one," he argued. "Isabel's being hurt by this, too. It might have been better if I stayed dead." He turned towards the door.

"No." Michael's hand shot out and clamped itself around Alex's arm, holding him in place despite Alex's immediate move to yank away. "Do you have any idea what it was like when we thought you were dead?" he asked, speaking quickly. "Any clue how messed up everything was? Liz practically went out of her mind. Maria cried almost constantly for the first month. Kyle blamed himself for what happened. Isabel shut down completely. The sheriff was drinking way too much, and Max was about ready to snap, he was repressing so much shit. And me?" Michael stopped then, remembering how close he'd come to totally losing what little grasp on sanity he had. And dragging Maria down into insanity with him.

Alex turned and stared at Michael. Their eyes met, and Michael wondered if Alex was able to see the memories rushing through his own mind. The killings at the factory. The explosion. The dreams of life on Antar, coming stronger and stronger all the time. The blind rage he'd felt when Maria was attacked, leading him to lash out at the sheriff. Almost choking Max to death. How easy it would have been to just let go and give up the fight.

"Let go," Alex said quietly. When Michael blinked at him in surprise, he gave an honest laugh. "Of my arm, Michael. Let go of my arm. I'm not going anywhere."

"Oh." Michael did as he was asked, and stepped back, embarrassed. "Sorry."

"It's okay." Alex was still smiling. "You told me once that I was a really good friend. Remember?"

"Yeah." Now Michael smiled slowly. "You said you'd kick my ass if I ever said it again."

"I meant it, too." Alex laughed softly. "You're a good friend, Michael."

"Don't let it get around," he cautioned.

"Wouldn't dream of it." Alex sat down again. "Wow – we're all pretty screwed up, aren't we?"

"I guess." Michael took his own seat, watching Alex carefully.

"I knew things had been bad, but I didn't realize.........." Alex sighed. "How did you find your way back from that?"

Okay, so apparently Alex had picked up on at least some of those images. "Maria," Michael said honestly. "Have you ever known her to let go of something she wants?"

Alex chuckled. "She is stubborn," he agreed.

"And I trusted the others," Michael went on. "I told Valenti what was going on. He helped me a lot."

"Like a sponsor for normal human behavior and coping?" Alex teased.

"I guess. Telling Max and Isabel about everything was the hardest," Michael admitted. "About Tymrath." He tilted his head to one side. "When did you figure it out?"

"I'm not sure exactly when all the pieces fell together," he said. "I guess right around when Kivar was sending me those dreams."

"But you never told Isabel?" Michael was surprised.

"Why would I? It was your deal. And you wouldn't hurt her," Alex said simply.

"You trusted me. Even with Isabel. That was a big deal." Michael watched him carefully.

"Maybe." Alex looked at him sharply. "You think I should tell Isabel everything, don't you?"

"I think you have to make another choice," Michael replied. "Just like you did with those dreams from Kivar. Figure out what's real to you and what you want."

"That simple, huh?"

Michael returned Alex's smile at the reminder of a long-ago conversation. "Simple but not easy."

"No, it won't be." Alex stood up again. Michael was relieved to see that while there was still some slight shaking going on, Alex seemed slightly calmer than when he'd arrived. "I think the worst part is not knowing what really happened," he admitted honestly. "Not knowing which memories are real, and which aren't."

"I know."

Alex walked behind the couch, leaning against its back. "That's why Ardan and the others hate Isabel so much, right? They're scared of psychic powers."

"After Kivar, can you really blame them?" Michael stood with him.

"No." Alex considered this for a minute. "Ardan wants to use me against Kivar somehow."

"Ardan sees everyone in terms of how they can be used for his own goals," Michael dismissed it casually. "I wouldn't worry about it too much."

"I'm not worried about Ardan," Alex agreed. He turned towards the door. "I have to go think. Thanks for everything."

"Hey." Michael stopped Alex, who turned back to his friend, surprised by how uncomfortable the alien now appeared. "Look, if you and Isabel do decide to go through with the tiasa," he stuck his hands in his pockets, "you know that birth control pills don't seem to necessarily work. Obviously." He gestured over to a pile of Lexy's toys. Alex waited, amused despite himself. "So, you have to........."

Alex took pity on him. "I've got it covered."

"Oh. Good." Michael relaxed. Okay, Maria was definitely doing any and all relationship conversations in the future. "You gonna be okay?"

"I think I might be," Alex said in a wondering voice. "Eventually." Then he looked back at Michael, flashing a true Alex smile. "Love you, man." he joked.

Michael rolled his eyes, laughing despite himself as he opened the door. "Get out of here."

------------------------------------------------

"I'm telling you, Liz, we need raises," Maria complained as she pushed the broom across the empty Crashdown dining room. "We have to present a united front against your dad. Maybe make a list of our demands."

"Demands?" Liz looked up from where she was wiping down the counter. "And what demands would these be, exactly?"

"I don't know." Maria paused, leaning on the broom handle as she considered the question. "Pay increases. At least one more waitress to help out during the dinner rush." She smiled mischievously. "Maybe valet parking?"

Liz laughed. "I don't even have a car."

"Which is something you so have to work on, girl." Maria pointed at her. "Here you are, going off to college in the fall, and you need some transportation."

Liz shrugged as she finished wiping the counter and headed out towards the tables. "I'm not sure they even let freshmen have cars on campus."

Maria stopped and stared at he friend in shock. "You're deprived of a car? Isn't that unconstitutional or something?"

Liz smiled, shaking her head. "I really don't think it constitutes a violation of my basic civil rights," she argued. Her head spun around as she heard the front door open. "I thought we locked....... Oh. Hi, Isabel."

Maria walked over to stand next to Liz. "Are you okay?" Isabel looked a little wild, hair slightly out of place (which for Isabel, was almost as bad as being seen in public without make-up), and eyes slightly red, as if she'd been crying. She noticed the fancy dress, and made the same connection that Kyle had. If Isabel was dressed up, it was for plans with Alex. "What happened?"

"I'm fine," Isabel said firmly, reaching behind her. Maria could feel the trickle of power from their friend as she securely locked the door behind her. "But I think we need to have a talk."

"Um......" Liz looked at Maria. She couldn't feel Isabel use her powers, but the look on the blond alien's face was making her nervous. Maria's look showed she was as clueless as she was. "What about?"

"Sit down." Isabel pointed to the stools at the counter. "Now," she demanded when neither girl moved. When she crossed her arms and glared, the two moved obediently to sit.

"Isabel, are you sure you're okay?" Maria got out, a little annoyed with herself. For goodness sake, she shouldn't let Isabel make her nervous. She lived with Michael Guerin after all. But the expression on Isabel's face made her Christmas-mode look peaceful and patient.

"What's going on with Alex?" Isabel blurted out. At the blank looks she received, she went on impatiently. "And don't try pretending that you don't know what I'm talking about."

Liz raised her hand timidly. "I don't. Honestly. I really am that clueless right now." She looked at Maria. "Do you have any idea what she's talking about?"

Maria shrugged. "Isabel, are you really planning on keeping us hostage here in the Crashdown until we, what exactly?"

"Yes," Isabel said instantly. "That's exactly what I plan on doing. You two aren't leaving until you tell me whatever it is that Alex is trying so hard to hide from me." Her glare was directed specifically at Liz this time. "And don't even try it, Liz. The two of you have been his best friends since the dawn of time. Am I really supposed to believe that you don't know what's going on with him?"

"Even if we did know something, Iz, and I'm not saying we do," Maria answered carefully, "we wouldn't really be filling our best friend requirements if we told you about it, would we?"

The lights in the dining room flickered ominously before they returned to their steady glow. Isabel's glare could have shattered glass, but Maria met it steadily. "He's hurting, Maria," Isabel finally exclaimed. "And I can't help him if I don't know what's going on. And I want to, I just want.............." She broke down and collapsed to the ground, shaking.

The two girls were at her side instantly. "Don't," Maria murmured quietly when Liz reached out to put her arms around Isabel. Liz looked at her with confusion for a minute, then nodded.

"Come on, Isabel," Liz said gently. "Why don't you sit down at a booth and try to calm down?"

"It's okay, Iz," Maria murmured as they all stood up together. "I promise, things will be okay."

Isabel just shook her head miserably. Confronting the girls had seemed like such a good idea. She hadn't counted on breaking down again like this.

"How about something to drink?" Liz offered. "Or some ice cream with tabasco?"

"Ice cream's always good for dealing with guy stupidity," Maria agreed. "It's like a magic cure." At Isabel's look, she went on defensively. "Okay, maybe not a cure exactly. But it's a good excuse for pigging out."

That got a small smile. "I'm sorry for going so........."

"Psycho?" Maria finished brightly. She and Liz slid into the booth across from Isabel. "Please, I've spent the last three years involved with Michael Guerin. If anyone can understand how crazed a guy can get you, it would be me."

Isabel met Maria's eyes. "You should understand, then. Alex is doing the same stupid macho blocking me out thing that Michael tried with you."

Maria sighed. "Honest, Iz, I don't know exactly what's going on with Alex."

Liz frowned. "I know he's been a little preoccupied lately, but I just figured he was still readjusting after everything."

"There's more," Isabel said with certainty. "More than he's told me."

Maria looked down at the tabletop. "He is having a hard time readjusting, though," she said. "I know that he hasn't gotten over everything with Lonnie yet."

"Lonnie." The tone of Isabel's voice made Liz shiver. It was so cold and yet so filled with loathing. "When we find her............"

Maria looked back at her and for a moment, the two girls had expressions of total agreement on their faces. "There's going to be quite a line formed to deal with her," she agreed. "But for now..............."

"For now, we just have to be here for Alex when he's ready to talk," Liz finished. "That's all we can do."

Maria hesitated, then spoke slowly. "Have you been able to pick up anything from Alex? Any clues? Maybe a flash that slipped through?" No matter how hard Michael had tried to hide things from her, little pieces of memories and emotions had leaked past his defenses.

Isabel thought about it. There has been that last flash she's seen at the Carnival. She was certain it was what had made Alex pull back that day. Something about it had disturbed him. Isabel closed her eyes. "I just hope he knows how much I ..........."

"Love him?" Liz smiled gently. "Of course he does, Isabel."

"I wasted so much time," she whispered.

Liz felt a pang at the pain in her friend's voice. Would she someday feel that way about breaking up with Max? "What's important is now. And Alex knows how much you love him."

Isabel looked up and smiled at her gratefully. "Thanks."

Maria broke the moment. "So, what about that ice cream?"

---------------------------------------------

Liz was finally finished cleaning up for the night. She stretched and reached for the light switch, then froze in spot as she had the sensation of being watched. A quick glance around showed that there was a figure standing outside the large front window, looking inside the restaurant.

Quickly, she moved across the room and unlocked the door, opening it and allowing him inside. "Max, what are you doing here?" She glanced at the clock. "It's so late."

"Just out walking." Max stood there, more than a little uncomfortable. Yeah, he and Liz had managed to be civil and even friendly in groups, but one on one like this...... "Look, you must be tired. Really, I was just walking around. I didn't even think you'd still be here. I'll see you later......." He turned to leave, but was stopped by Liz's hand on his arm.

"No, it's okay. Sit down." She led him over to his favorite booth. When he sat down, she twisted her apron a little nervously. "Well, I can't exactly offer you anything hot to eat, since the kitchen's closed, but would you like some pie?"

"I'm fine, Liz." He gave her a gentle smile. "What are you still doing here anyway? I would have expected you to have closed up an hour ago at the latest."

She slid into the booth across from him. "Maria and I were slightly detained. Isabel came by."

That got his attention. "Isabel?" He's been wondering where she'd been when he got home, but figured she was with Alex. "What did she want?"

"She was pretty upset, Max. I don't know the details, but I guess she and Alex had a fight or something."

"Oh." Liz could actually see Max tense up as if he was taking another burden on his shoulders. He felt so responsible for everyone's well-being. "I'll check on her when I get home."

"Why aren't you home, anyway?"

He shrugged. "I just needed to get out of there for a while." At her questioning look, he sighed and continued. "My dad. He was grilling me. All these questions about my future, what I had planned, what I've been up to lately. He thinks I've been 'distant'." He used air quotes around the last word. "Made me glad I'm not one of the witnesses he crossexamines."

"That bad, huh?" she said sympathetically.

He shrugged. "I know he means well. It's just...... he's been asking all these questions lately. He keeps prying into things. It's ..............."

"Suffocating?" she finished for him.

A nod. "That's a good word for it," Max agreed. "Also, annoying. I'm thinking about seeing if Michael's old apartment is available for rent," he confided.

Liz was surprised. "Really?"

"Yeah." She was the first person he'd told that to. "After graduation, I think it will be time to move out. Get some distance." If we survive that long, that is.

Liz bit her lip nervously, not sure how to say it. "Max, I get that the whole questions from parents thing can be a pain," she started slowly. "But he is your dad. And he just cares about you. He's worried."

"I know," Max admitted. "He's been worried for two years straight now. You'd think his attention would move on to something else by now."

She was worried about the bitterness in his voice. "It's his job to be concerned, Max. He loves you."

Max let out a heavy breath, leaning back into the cushion behind him. "I know, Liz. But what am I supposed to do? I can't tell him the truth." Liz didn't say anything, but he felt her look. "I can't," he repeated firmly.

"I know." She knew how firmly Max believed that. She couldn't even imagine what it had been like for Max and Isabel, keeping that huge of a secret from their parents for their whole lives. It had been hard enough for her the last three years. "But maybe you could give him something. Something to make him feel better."

Max's look was wary. "Like what?"

"I don't know. Some quality time?" she suggested. "You know, father-son bonding?" She waved a hand in the air. "What types of things did you two use to do?"

Max considered. "Dad likes fishing," he finally said. "He's been wanting to go out lately, but I keep putting it off."

"See?" Liz's face brightened. "Why don't you go with him? That will make him feel better, and then he might get off your back a little."

Max wasn't sure if this was a good idea. His dad and him stuck in a small boat for a few hours, out with nothing to do but talk. Still, Liz looked so hopeful, and he didn't want to disappoint her. "Okay, Liz. I'll give it a try." He stood up. "Thanks."

She stood and looked at him. "We are still friends, right, Max?"

"Yes," he said honestly.

"Because I don't think I could stand it if you hated me again," she said in a rush.

Max leaned over, kissing her gently on the top of her head. "I could never hate you, Liz," he assured her. "Never."

Then he was gone.

-------------------------------------------

It was Sunday night, and Shalin locked the library doors behind her. She was glad that Janice Wooding, the head librarian, considered her willingness to work after-hours at organizing the books and papers more than enough to offset the fact that she often had to ask for time off for 'family emergencies'. It was helpful for her cover to have a nice, normal, human job.

She sensed him waiting for her instantly, and let out a groan of frustration. "Taking up stalking as a pastime?" she asked as she approached the figure perched on her car hood.

Max grinned. "What, not glad to see me?"

"Ecstatic," she said dryly. "Get off my car."

He slid off the hood, expression serious now. "Haven't seen much of you this week. Or actually, anything of you."

"I've been busy," she said. Max moved to block her as she went to open her door. Shalin raised an eyebrow at him. Did he honestly think that would stop her?

Guessing what she was thinking, Max grinned again. "Before you decide to use force to knock me out of your way, can we talk?"

She folded her arms and fixed him with an expressionless stare. "About?"

"Why have you been avoiding me?"

Her expression didn't alter in the slightest. "I haven't."

"I'm not the only one who's noticed," Max continued with determination. "Michael even commented on it."

Shalin opted for sarcasm. "Aw, did you miss me?" she teased.

He decided to ignore that. "Did I do something to upset you? I mean, more than usual?" He was serious. "Because if we're going to be working together..........."

"The truce is fine," she interrupted impatiently. "Not everything in the universe is about you, Your Majesty. I've had plenty to do this week. And I would imagine that you'd be busy yourself, what with English papers, finals approaching, and late night trips to the Crashdown."

Max blinked, surprised. Late night trips to the Crashdown? "Actually, I might have welcomed an alien emergency today," he joked lightly. "Instead I got to spend the day trapped with my father."

Despite herself, that caught Shalin's interest. "More problems?" She knew how tense things had grown between Max and his human father.

"Nothing I can't handle," he replied. "Just about a billion questions about my future. Thanks for those brochures you left me, by the way," he continued. "It helped with the pretense that I actually checked out those college campuses last weekend."

"Details are important," she agreed. She peered at him. He might be speaking lightly, but she could see the way he tensed up at the mention of his father. "Did you have another argument with him?"

Max sighed heavily. "We don't exchange five words with each other these days without an argument," he admitted. He leaned against the car, Shalin following suit next to him. "I don't even know what to say to him anymore," he confessed. "Things with him are getting more and more difficult all the time." He glanced at her. "No advice?"

Shalin arched an eyebrow. "What would I know about normal family relations?"

"Good point."

A short silence passed. Almost unconsciously, Max moved just a bit closer to Shalin, so that their shoulders were brushing each other. Then ................

"Isn't this sweet?" A smiling figure emerged from the darkness. He stopped, posing theatrically with his hand over his heart. "Am I interrupting?"

"Ardan." Shalin sounded remarkably unsurprised. "You needed something?"

"Yes. To talk with you." He looked at Max, eyes dancing with amusement. "Alone. I can wait if the two of you need to finish your little heart-to-heart."

"Nice to see you, Ardan." Shaking his head, Max pushed himself away from the car. "Bye." He walked away.

Shalin watched him for a minute, then spun back to Ardan. "I'm not in the mood," she warned.

"I'm hurt," he said flippantly.

"Not yet, you're not," she smiled viciously at him. "But keep on annoying me and we'll see."

Ardan brushed past the threat. "I wanted to talk about the Granolith."

That caught her attention. So there actually was a point to his visit besides bothering her. Well, she should have expected that. "What about it?"

"I saw it." Ardan moved closer, voice lowering even though there wasn't another person, human or alien, anywhere near them. "It's powerful."

"Yes," she agreed.

Ardan got to the point. "Can we use it?"

Shalin considered. "Directly? I'm not sure. I couldn't understand the controls," she admitted.

"I think I could figure out the basics with time," Ardan said slowly. "But........."

"Max says that he's the only one who can control it fully," Shalin explained. "That other people can only access a fraction of its power."

Ardan's eyes widened. "Well, it's nice of Max to confide in you," he said, stressing her use of his first name. "Since you two have gotten to be such good friends, maybe you can use his confidence to learn more about the Granolith."

Shalin's eyes narrowed dangerously. "If you have something to say, Ardan, just say it. I'm getting bored of the constant innuendoes."

"Have a little fun, sharlee, but don't forget the mission," he said bluntly.

"I never do." Shalin leaned closer, voice lowering menacingly. "You think it's fun, hanging out with some egotistical Royal with dreams of human high school prom dates and science projects? I'm just doing my job. Keep the royal brats alive until we're able to kill them. And in the meantime?" Her smile was cold and vicious. "If he trusts me, then so much the better, right? I can get more information this way."

Ardan studied her closely. "I hope that's all it is," he said finally. "The pieces are falling into place." He counted on his fingers. "The Granolith found, Tym prepared for action, even Alex Whitman is ready for a fight. Kivar will be here soon. I don't want anything to mess our plan up."

"It won't. You worry too much." Shalin turned to get in her car. "Get back to work, Ardan."

It was clearly a dismissal, and Ardan treated it as such. Bowing with a mocking smile on his face, Ardan turned and vanished back into the darkness.

Shalin took a moment to calm down, then turned the key in the ignition and headed back to her apartment.

She had some serious considering to do.

[Anla]

Chapter 14 - Forever

"Oh yeah I might be crazy -
but that's not the same as insane
And I'm scared
but that's not the same as being afraid

If I throw myself over the edge
If I find myself in over my head
If I shatter from the fall and I lose
I'd still want to swan dive – into you"

------- "Swan Dive" by Sister Hazel


Alex's eyes searched the school hallway Monday morning, instantly zeroing in on Isabel, getting books from her locker. He headed directly towards her, so focused on reaching Isabel that he didn't even see the figure blocking his way until they nearly collided.

"Hey, Alex!" Kyle said firmly, trying to get his friend's attention. He certainly didn't want a repeat of the last time he caught Alex off-guard. Not when he had a full day of school ahead of him. A splitting headache wouldn't help him get through Geometry. Alex turned his eyes to the other boy, but even so, Kyle wasn't sure he really had his attention. "What's up? I called yesterday, but your dad said you weren't around."

"Yeah, sorry. I got your message." Alex tried to move past Kyle, but his friend moved with him, blocking his way down the hall. Alex tried to keep the frustration out of his voice. Isabel wasn't looking in his direction, but he knew she was aware of his presence. "Kyle, can we talk later?"

"Hold on." Kyle's voice was serious. "Isabel's been upset since Saturday night." He was trying very hard to keep any judgment out of his voice, knowing that Alex was just as upset as Isabel. "You could have called her yesterday."

That got his attention. Alex's gaze veered back to Kyle. "You and Isabel talked yesterday?"

"Well, yeah." Alex's look was making Kyle a little nervous. "She's pretty pissed with you," he said honestly. "Just thought I should warn you."

"Thanks." Alex tried to move past him.

And again Kyle blocked his way. "Look, maybe now's not the best time." Kyle was trying to help, really he was. Isabel was barely holding on to her anger, and he was worried that if she and Alex got into a real fight there in the hallway, some lockers might end up exploding. "Try for something more private later."

Alex closed his eyes tightly, taking deep breaths as he fought for control. "Kyle, I appreciate that you're just trying to be a good friend for Isabel," he got out in a hoarse voice. His eyes opened, and Kyle stepped back from what he saw in them. "Now get the hell out of my way."

Despite the quite voice Alex used, Kyle wasn't going to argue with him anymore. Worried, he held up his hands and backed off, letting the dark-haired teen past him.

He stuck around, though, watching them through the crowds. Just in case any damage control was needed.

Isabel could feel Alex coming up behind her, and tried to hold on to her anger. Bad enough that they'd gotten into that argument Saturday, but then for the rest of the weekend to pass without calling............ "Unless you're about to tell me your big secret, I'm not interested," she got out as she turned around. "And even if you are..........."

That was as far as she got before Alex grabbed her for a kiss. And for the moment, all Isabel's anger melted away, caught up in the flood of love she was receiving from Alex. It was hard to be furious when Alex was holding her like that. It felt too right.

Neither of them heard Kyle's quiet groan down the hall.

But they did hear the laughter and applause from the other students around them. Alex pulled back, resting his forehead against Isabel's. "I'm sorry," he said honestly.

"Why didn't you call me?" she asked, leaning closer, appreciating the feel of his body against hers.

"I needed to do some thinking." Alex's hands wrapped around her waist, pulling her even closer as he ignored the snickers from the students walking past. "Can we talk later? In private?" When she hesitated, he went on, speaking so quietly that she wouldn't have been able to hear him if they hadn't been so close. "It's important. I have something I need to tell you."

Isabel's eyes flew to his, searching. Whatever she saw must have convinced her, because she nodded slowly. "You don't want to talk now?"

Alex reached down and kissed her again, gently this time, lips lingering on hers. "Oh, I want to spend time with you now," he murmured. "But I don't think we should get busted for cutting class again."

Isabel ran her hands up his arms. "I'm not sure I care."

In another minute, he wouldn't either, so Alex pulled back. "After school." He hesitated, unsure of himself. "That okay?"

She nodded, smiling softly.

Alex hoped he wouldn't lose his nerve.

------------------------------------------------

Isabel sat on their stargazing rock, waiting for Alex. They had spent the car ride out to Frasier Woods in silence, each one tense and anxious for what was to come. She looked over her shoulder, wondering what it was that Alex had run back to the car for.

Then he walked back through the trees and into view, smiling nervously. "This is for you." He held out the single sterling rose in his hand.

Isabel took the rose and moved over so that he could sit next to her. "Thanks."

Alex took a deep breath and looked at Isabel. "I'm sorry," he started. "I know how hard it's been for you, being kept in the dark like that."

She held the rose to her nose, taking a breath of its fragrance. "It hasn't exactly been the most fun I've ever had," she agreed.

"I've been doing a lot of thinking." He turned and leaned towards her. "Since Saturday night. I talked with Michael..........."

"Oh, no," Isabel groaned. Relationship advice from Michael Guerin?

That got a laugh from Alex. "And he reminded me of something." He reached out and ran his fingers through her hair. Isabel closed her eyes, appreciating his proximity. "That what we have, all of us together, is special. That it's something to believe in." He cupped her cheek gently with his hand. "And you and me – we're worth the risks."

With that, her eyes opened. "What risks, Alex?" she asked gently, afraid that if she said the wrong thing she'd frighten him off. This was it – the moment when he was going to either tell her or not.

Alex nodded, gathering his strength. "First of all, you have to know something. I know you, Isabel Evans." He slid off the rock and kneeled in front of her, both hands holding her head steady so that their eyes met. "I know everything about you. I know that you're beautiful and strong and smart and determined. That you're a force to be reckoned with and someone to flee from when it's the holidays. You're the only girl I could ever love." He smiled. "I know that there is absolutely nothing that you wouldn't do for the people you love." He wiped away the tears that were forming in her eyes. "And I know this more than anything else. You are not Lonnie." When she tried to look away, he held her head firmly. "I mean it, Isabel. I do know the difference between the two of you. I'm sorry that I ever gave you a reason to doubt that."

Isabel reached up and put her hands on top of his. "Are you sure?" she whispered.

"Yes." The look in his eyes left no room for doubt as to his sincerity. "You're Isabel." He turned his hands around to clasp hers. "My Isabel."

"Okay." She turned her head to kiss both of his hands.

"I wouldn't lie to you, Iz."

"I know," she said quietly. "But you would evade. So tell me what it is that you've been avoiding having to let me know." She let go of his hands and moved slightly away, just so that they weren't touching any longer. She wanted to be able to concentrate on what he had to say.

Now it was Alex's turn to close his eyes. "I've been afraid of connecting with you," he admitted.

Isabel raised an eyebrow. Yeah, she'd figured that part out. "Why?" she prompted.

"I was worried about what you might see. I didn't want to hurt you more."

She put the pieces together. "I wasn't the only one dreamwalking you, was I?"

Alex's eyes flew open, a panicked look on his face. "How did you.............?"

She pushed down the pain she felt at finding her guess had been right. She had to stay calm right now, for Alex's sake. This was difficult enough for him. "I saw something that day at the carnival. Me, lying on a bed in a room filled with candlelight. Only it wasn't any room I had been in during our dreams. Similar, but not exact." She forced herself to keep eye contact with him. God, she hated seeing that look on his face, shame and guilt mixed together. "Lonnie?"

Alex nodded. "I knew it was her, not you," he explained. "At first, I could always tell. But over time.........."

"You were drugged, Alex," she said gently. "And hurt. Even you can only stand up against so much." She gave in to the impulse and ran her hand through his hair. "It wasn't your fault."

"I should have known," he said miserably.

"It wasn't your fault," she repeated more firmly. "Those dreams, with Lonnie......." she had to stop and take a breath. "They were like ours?" She could feel the tension running through his body, the way he felt like he was going to bolt at any second. "You know what? Never mind. It doesn't matter anyway. You don't have to tell me anything more."

"No, I do." Alex understood now what she had gone through the previous year when she'd told him about Vilandra. But he couldn't keep this from her anymore. "I don't want secrets from you, Iz. I just wish that this wasn't going to hurt you," his voice took on a wistful tone.

"Just tell me," she insisted. "I can take it." Even as she said the words, she felt the sinking feeling in her stomach grow. She had a horrible suspicion that she already knew what he was going to tell her.

"They weren't like ours," he said in a small voice. "Our dreamwalks were special, Iz. They were............"

"Magical," she finished for him.

"Yes." Their eyes met. "You saved my life," he said, voice filled with wonder. He still couldn't believe she had done that for him.

"Well, that makes us even," she replied. "You saved me, just by being in my life."

Alex's head shook in disagreement. "You would have been fine, with or without me." He could see that she was going to argue, so he got back to the point. If he was going to do this, then he had to get it over with. "After a while, she got past my defenses somehow. Fooled me. I'm sorry, Isabel." His eyes pleaded with her. "I thought that she was you in the dreams."

Isabel remembered that last dream they'd shared, before he almost died, the way that Alex had touched her, more forward then he'd been in any of the previous dreams. And the way he had suddenly seemed to see her, really recognize her, before jumping off the bed.

He'd realized that it was her. Isabel.

Not Lonnie.

Which meant he'd touched Lonnie that way in his dreams. That her dupe had dreamwalked him and ................

"You had sex with her in the dreams," Isabel said flatly. She could feel her anger growing inside her, energy collecting with it and wanting release.

Alex looked at her with concern and sorrow. "Yes," he admitted. Then he grabbed her and pulled her to the ground near him as there was a loud crash and a tree branch suddenly flew off a nearby tree.

Isabel pulled away from him and sat up. "That bitch!" She stood, angrily striding back and forth as Alex got to his feet. "She'd better hope that the T'onxyl find her first," she ranted, yet another tree branch the victim of alien energy. Ignoring the fallen branch, she continued. "It'll be better than what I'm going to do to her if I ever get my hands on ........." She stopped abruptly, seeing the stricken expression on his face. "I'm sorry, Alex," she said, voice calmer. "I'm not angry with you. It's her fault." Then she really saw how upset he still looked. "There's more, isn't there?"

"I don't know."

"What do you mean, you don't know?" she said, a bit more sharply than she'd intended.

"I mean, I don't know!" he exploded. Alex put his hands up to the sides of his head. "I Don't Know! She got in my mind, Iz. The dreams, the hallucinations, reality – it's all mixed up together. What if it's even worse than I remember? What if..........." He stopped yelling and looked at Isabel, unable to finish.

What if it wasn't just dreams? The thought came to Isabel's mind and she froze for a second. How far would Lonnie go to hurt her? To destroy what she and Alex shared?

For a long minute, Isabel could only stand there, stricken at the idea of Alex and Lonnie together. Then something stronger than her own pain came to her.

Alex's fear.

She could feel it pulsing through their connection, knew how terrified he was at that second. How absolutely petrified he was that he was going to lose her.

"I'm sorry, Isabel," he whispered. Then he turned to leave.

"No, no," she cried, running over to him and wrapping her arms around him tightly. Slowly, so slowly, his arms moved to surround her, holding on to her for dear life. "None of this was your fault," she murmured, hands clenching the back of his shirt as she held on to him. "I'm going to need a little time to deal with this, but it was not your fault."

"I wish I knew.........."

"Let's deal with what we do know for sure, okay?" She looked at him. "Not what may or may not have happened." When Alex shook his head, she spoke quickly. "I'm not saying that we ignore it. But let's not jump to any conclusions." The reality was bad enough. "And what I know for sure is that I love you." Her grip tightened on him. "I'm not going to let you go."

Not ever again.

--------------------------------------------

Max gave one final look around the office before he turned off the lights. The last few days had been strange. Ever since Monday, Isabel and Alex had been practically inseparable. Everywhere one of them went, the other was soon to follow. Which, if Max's suspicions about the tiasa were correct, wasn't so strange. But the way they were acting was. While they were almost constantly in physical contact with each other, it was all rather innocent. Holding hands and quick kisses seemed to be as far as they were going. Considering their previous behavior, Max was completely confused by this. His mother, on the other hand, was relieved.

As for Alex and Isabel themselves, they seemed to be simply content to be with each other. One time Max had walked into the living room and simply observed them for a minute before they seemed to notice him. They didn't say a word to each other, but Max was certain they were communicating anyway. The air around them seemed to be crackling with the energy they were sending to each other. He was pretty sure they were doing serious practice with their telepathic communication.

So, he wasn't sure where things stood with his sister and her boyfriend, but they seemed to be trying to work on whatever had been standing in their way. Michael and Maria were busy with work and settling Lexy in to their new home. Max smiled at the memories of how Michael was using his spare time to harass Kyle about dating Laurie.

Then there was Liz. Liz Parker was definitely doing her part to add to the overall weirdness factor of his life. Apparently Liz had decided that their determination to still be friends meant that she was going to spend as much time with him as possible, both at school and afterwards at the Crashdown. In fact, Liz was spending more time with him now than they had towards the end of their actual dating relationship.

Totally strange.

And to top it all off, Max had had an excess of energy running through him pretty much non-stop ever since utilizing the Granolith to come home. He was starting to think that he'd have to find something to use it on or explode.

Maybe Michael could show him some big boulders out in the desert that he could blow up. It might help him work out some of his excess energy.

Max gave one last look around the main display area of the Center. Then he paused with a small smile. "You're getting careless."

"Hardly." Shalin emerged from the shadows. "I've been here almost half an hour and you didn't notice."

"Sorry." He moved towards her. "You really should announce yourself when you're lurking."

"That defeats the whole purpose of lurking, Your Majesty," she said with mock solemnity. She pointed to the plaque on the wall. "Anyway, I was reading up on our," she leaned closer to read, "colony in Antarctica." She raised an eyebrow mockingly. "Shame that nobody told me about that particular establishment."

"Oh, well, not much to see there. Lots of penguins." He leaned closer, lowering his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "Keep an eye on the penguins, by the way. Trust none of them."

"Widespread penguin conspiracies, huh?" Shalin shook her head and started towards the stairs, Max easily falling into step aside her. "Working in this place has done you irreparable damage, hasn't it?"

Max laughed. He was glad to see things falling back to whatever passed for normal with the two of them. "And what brings you to this psychologically damaging spot?" He opened the door for her.

Shalin waited for him to lock the door, watching him in the dim light cast by the street lights. "The Granolith."

"Oh?" Yeah, that would catch his attention. "What about it?"

"It is safe?" she asked casually.

"Yes," he answered slowly. "Only me, Isabel, or Michael can get into the cave now."

"Good. Now I've been considering the whole 'killing a fly with an Uzi' thing," she explained. "And I'm not sure there's a problem with it. If it will kill Kivar........."

"Using the Granolith to kill Kivar would also wipe out anything and anyone near him," Max interrupted. "I'm not prepared to do that."

"And if that's the only way?" Shalin moved closer to him. "Remember, he plans on wiping out this entire planet if he wins."

Max looked away from her, across the street to the Crashdown. Shalin followed his gaze, frowning slightly, but regaining her composure by the time he looked back at her. Looking her directly in the eye, Max answered firmly, "It's not the only way. Not yet. We try all other options first."

Shalin put her hand on his arm, catching him off-guard. "What if the other options don't work?" she persisted. "Can you use the Granolith to destroy Kivar?"

"Do you mean, do I know how to? Yes."

She smiled. "That's not what I mean."

Max nodded. "We'll see what happens," was all he would say.

Shalin looked at him intently. "I wonder how far you will go to stop him," she whispered.

"Wow." Max's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Shalin admitting that she doesn't know something."

"Don't be so happy about it," she warned. "You're safer if I do know what's going on."

"Because you're my protector?" Max teased. He was surprised to see her frown, feel the slight tension in the hand resting on his arm. "Shalin, I was just........"

"Quiet," she cut him off sharply. Next thing he knew, Shalin had him pushed back into the alcove of the doorway, hiding his body from sight as she looked out from the shadows and studied the street.

Max was suddenly very aware of her body pressed against his so closely. "Shalin," he whispered.

"Shh." Shalin cursed softly in Antaran under her breath, then looked back at him. "You didn't feel that?"

He looked blankly at her. "Feel what?"

"I sensed someone else out there," she explained, annoyed. "Very faint."

"Someone else? Another alien?"

"Not T'onxyl," she went on.

"Who?"

"I don't know." She closed her eyes, concentrating. "It's not there anymore."

"Maybe you just imagined it." She simply glared at him in response. "Okay," he admitted, putting up his hands in surrender.

"I should contact the others," Shalin said, starting to move. Max's arm shot out, blocking her.

"Hold on," he said quickly when she turned to him, irritation written all over her face. "What did you come here for tonight?"

Shalin hesitated for a second, but Max noticed it. "The Granolith," she repeated. "Can you teach me how to use it?"

Now it was Max's turn to be surprised. "Do you want me to?"

Shalin was caught off-guard. She had expected an automatic refusal. "No," she said finally. Then she continued softly. "Don't offer me that."

"You're the one who........."

"Just don't, Max." Her eyes met his, and for one of those rare moments, Max could see honest emotions running through them. And what Max was seeing was confusion. And, hard as he found it to believe, maybe a little fear. "Don't forget what I am."

Max spoke slowly, moving closer to hers so that their bodies were almost touching. "I know who you are, Shalin," he said, wondering if she would pick up on the distinction.

The shields were back in her eyes, and Max felt a pang at the loss. "No, you don't." Then, in one smooth movement, her arm came up to brush his away and she slid away from him, vanishing into the darkness of Roswell.

Max watched, more confused than ever. Had had no intention of passing his knowledge of the Granolith to Shalin, but her response made no sense. Why ask if he could teach her, then insist he not offer to do it?

He was probably never going to fully understand her.

----------------------------------------

Kyle twirled the basketball in his hands as he walked up to the new Guerin-DeLuca-Dupree establishment. He needed this break. Between being Isabel's romantic advisor and listening to Liz talking about how confused her feelings for Evans were, Kyle was Dear Abby-ed out. He just wanted to hang out and have some fun.

And maybe forget about Tess for a while.

He guessed it was all the romantic turmoil going on around him, but for the last couple of days, he'd been thinking about Tess more than he had in months. His mind kept wandering to memories of her at the oddest times. He'd been having dreams of her again. Luckily, not dreamwalk dreams (his experience with Lonnie had taught him to recognize the differences), but even normal human dreams were bad enough. And they weren't all the nightmares about Alex's 'death', like he'd experienced earlier in the year.

No, in some ways these were worse. They were about the times when he and Tess had been happy. And he woke up missing her with an almost physical ache.

He'd even thought he'd seen her once or twice. But it always turned out to be some other blond girl with curls. Not Tess.

Which was a good thing, of course. Since she was a lying, murdering, traitorous bitch.

He hated her.

He just wished he could forget that he had loved her, too.

Anyway, some basketball would help. Good mindless physical exertion always helped him clear his mind. It was even better than meditation.

The door opened before he even knocked. He blinked at the sight of a giggling Maria. "What? Michael's freaky alien senses rubbing off on you again?"

"No," she said, still laughing at his surprised expression. She pointed. "Window."

"Oh." Kyle brushed off the embarrassment and grinned, holding up the basketball. "Guerin allowed to come out and play a game?"

"I don't know," she teased, stepping back to let him inside. "I'll have to ask Lexy if her daddy can go out and play."

"Good to know who runs this family." Kyle followed her in, face lighting up when he saw Laurie coming downstairs. "Hey, Laurie." She looked good. A cute, not-overly-crazy, and definitely not psychotic girl.

"Hi, Kyle."

Maria glanced between the two of them, snickering at the looks on their faces. How adorable. "You know, Michael was actually going to try to teach me how to cook dinner tonight," she said, aiming for casual. "Maybe Laurie'd like to play with you?" And yes, she even managed to say that without it sounding suggestive in any way. She was proud of herself.

"Sounds good," Kyle said eagerly. This was even better than hanging out with Guerin. "What do you say? Up for some basketball?"

Laurie looked dubiously at the basketball, but nodded. "Sure. Sounds like fun."

As Laurie came down towards him, Kyle had to ask. "You have no idea how to play basketball, do you?"

"Not really," she admitted, taking the ball from him. "But you can teach me, right?"

"Yeah." Seeing that Maria had already started walking back upstairs, leaving them alone, he took the chance of giving her a quick kiss on the cheek. "I can definitely do that."

Not a bad way to spend a Friday night.

------------------------------------------------

Alex was absently strumming his guitar when he heard the knock on his window. Surprised, he went over to pull the blinds, revealing a slightly nervous looking Isabel. "Iz." He hurried to open the window and reached out his hand to help her in. "You didn't tell me you were coming over tonight."

"Yeah, well, I wanted to see you." She sat down on the bed. "I saw that your parents' car isn't in the driveway."

"Nope. They're not home." He took a good long look at her. Even dressed in jeans and a red t-shirt, she still managed to look like a super model. Chuckling a little, he glanced down at his attire. Barefoot, baggy jeans, and a plain white shirt. Yeah, he was definitely dressed to make an impression. "Sorry. I wasn't expecting company." At least he'd made the bed that morning.

"It's okay." Her smile lit up the room. "What were you playing? It was nice."

"Oh, just a new song I'm working on," he admitted, a little embarrassed. "I haven't named it yet."

"I liked it. It was different from your old stuff. It wasn't as............" She paused as if search for the word.

"Cutting edge? Challenging?"

"I was going to say angry and depressing, but okay," she teased.

"Ah, Isabel," he sat next to her, "we really need to work on your musical appreciation."

"Later." She leaned over and gave him a long kiss. "Hmm," she said when she pulled back. "I was missing that all day."

"You know, you're always welcome to break into my bedroom, Iz," he smiled, "but did you have some particular reason for coming over?"

"Yes, I did." Her expression grew serious. "I know that we've been giving each other space all week." She shook her head a little. She doubted it would look that way to anyone on the inside, looking in, but it was true. They'd been breaking back into intimacy slowly, taking little steps back into connecting mentally, and keeping their physical contacts to the basically innocent. "But I've been thinking. About everything."

Okay. Alex took a deep breath. "And?"

"And I've realized that whatever happened, or didn't happen, doesn't matter," she said firmly. "Oh, I mean, it matters," she went on at seeing his look. "Because it hurt you. And that matters a lot." She scowled ferociously. "I'm not going to forget what you went through." Her stormy expression cleared up. "But it doesn't change how I feel about you. I still love you. You're still the one I want to be with forever." She took his hand. "Alex, you are the one person in the world I trust the most. I don't ever want to keep any secrets from you, or have you feel you have to keep any from me. And I've managed to assimilate everything you told me. At least, I have enough so that if you need to talk about it more, then I'm ready to listen. Without losing my control and exploding any trees or anything." She waited, looking at him expectantly.

"No," he finally got out. "I don't have anything else to say."

"Well, if you do, then I'm here for you," she went on. "Just like you have always been there for me." She took his other hand, looking down at the way they clasped together. "And about the connection, the tiasa," she looked back up at him, sincerity shining in her eyes, "we'll wait until you're ready. I mean it. No pressure. If it takes a week, a year, ten years, whatever. I'll wait." She smiled impishly. "You taught me a little about patience."

He cleared his throat, trying to get his emotions under control enough to speak. "Some things are worth waiting for."

"You definitely are." She leaned back a little. "There. That's all I had to say." Alex stared at her, so closely that it was starting to make her a little nervous. She wasn't sure what he was thinking. "Alex?"

Abruptly, he stood and went over to his desk, picking something up from it. Isabel leaned over, but couldn't see what it was. Then he nodded to himself, as if reaching a conclusion, and turned back to her. "I have something for you."

Isabel clapped her hands, sitting up straighter. "A present? You know how much I love presents."

Alex took a second just to enjoy that smile on her face again. He loved seeing Isabel like that, loved feeling her happiness and knowing that he had made her feel that way. "Here." He handed her the item.

Isabel looked down at the small object in her palm. "Your class ring?" She laughed, looking back up at him. "Are you asking me to go steady with you?" she teased. "I think we might be a little past that, but........"

"It's actually my dad's," Alex explained. "I was a little occupied when class rings were ordered at the start of the year," he pointed out wryly. "But I'm kind of lacking in the monetary funds department at the moment, and this is almost a family heirloom, so I thought it would do."

Isabel blinked at him, confused. "Okay. Like I said........"

He cut her off again, growing a little nervous. "I'm not asking you to go steady with me, Iz." As her eyes grew wide, Alex dropped to his knees in front of her, taking the ring from her hand. "I know we'll have to wait, since we still have graduation and we have no money or anything yet, and maybe this is too stupid and sappy, but......." He forced himself to stop babbling, and looked her in the eyes, hoping she could see how much he loved her. "Maybe I'm old-fashioned, but I figure if we're going to do it the Antaran way, then we should do it the human way, too." He gulped nervously. "Isabel Evans, will you marry me?"

For a second, Isabel didn't say anything, just stared at him in shock while he grew more and more worried. Then, she waved her left hand imperiously in front of his face. "Are you going to put my ring on or not?" she demanded.

A huge grin spreading across his face, Alex slid the ring on. "I take it that's a yes?"

Laughing loudly, Isabel pulled him to his feet, tumbling after him onto the bed. "Yes," she said between kisses. "Definitely yes."

Alex put his hands behind her head and closed his eyes, letting the sensations of Isabel's kiss sweep through him. I love you so much, he thought to her.

He could feel the waves of excitement and total happiness coming from her. Then something occurred to her, and she pulled back, looking at him with wide eyes. "Wait, you said if we were going to do it the alien way........."

Alex smiled. "Look," he said, holding up his arm.

He wouldn't have thought it was possible, but Isabel's eyes grew even bigger as she stared at the shining light coming from him. "You're glowing," she whispered.

He shifted so that he rolled on top of her. You, too, he teased her. He kissed her forehead, her cheeks, then finished at her mouth. He could feel his pulse speeding up, finding it harder to complete any rational thought, so caught up on the feel of her body under his. We're going to be a pair of matching neon signs in a few minutes.

Isabel moaned as he kissed her collarbone and tightened her grasp on his back. Alex, are you sure? she sent him, determined to make sure he was okay with this, even as every molecule in her body was aching for him.

He looked down at her and brushed back a strand of her hair. She closed her eyes at the tenderness. "I'm sure," he said, leaning down for another kiss. I'm sure.

Eagerly, Isabel pushed his shirt over his head. Good. Now it was her turn, pushing him down onto the bed and leaning down at him with a sultry smile.

When their lips met this time, she could actually feel the last mental wall come down. Every emotion and memory was swirling by her. Alex wasn't holding anything back. Neither was she.

They both let go and allowed the sensations to take over.

[Anla]

Chapter 15 - Illusionary Reality

"One more kiss could be the best thing
One more lie could be the worst
And all these thoughts are never resting
And you're not something I deserve
In my head there's only you now
And this world falls on me
In this world there's real and make believe
And this seems real to me"

------ "Let Me Go" by 3 Doors Down


Alex felt a soft touch on his back, gently caressing him before pulling away. He kept his eyes closed for another few seconds, enjoying the pleasant sense of being at peace for the first time in months. He knew that Isabel was there, could sense both her physical proximity and her mind, connected with his on a level he would have never considered possible before. She wasn't consciously connecting with him telepathically, but her mind was there, just beyond his reach, ready to join with his at any second. It wasn't the intrusion he had feared it might be, but rather gave him a sense of security. The way that their minds were now joined made him feel safe and loved.

He wished he hadn't hesitated for so long. He hadn't given Isabel enough credit.

He should have trusted more in their love. They had made it through so much already.

They'd be able to face whatever else Kivar, and life, threw at them.

He could feel Isabel's smile. "Faker," she teased, nudging his side through the sheets with her foot. "I know you're awake."

Smiling, he opened his eyes and turned around to look at the foot of his bed. Isabel sat there, wrapped in a blanket and holding up her hand so that she could look at the ring on her finger in the moonlight coming through the window. "Just resting and gathering strength."

"Ah." Isabel looked away from the ring and cast him a mischievous grin. "Did I wear you out?"

He laughed, sitting up and resting against the headrest of the bed. "Not all of us have alien stamina," he pointed out.

"I didn't think you did bad at all," she said, moving over to kiss him. She smiled as she pulled back. "Definitely not bad," she murmured. She rested her forehead against his as she spoke in Antaran, sending him the translations mentally. "Bla'val." Body. Another kiss. "Naamar." Soul. She put her hand over his chest. Alex could feel his heartbeat start to speed up at the contact. "Teel." Heart. "You have all of me." Then her smile took back on its wickedly teasing aspect. "And I have all of you. Forever."

"Wouldn't have it any other way, my lady," Alex agreed meekly. She laughed triumphantly, and moved back to the end of the bed, returning to her study of her ring.

"This has been the best night of my life," she said, complete happiness in her voice. "The tiasa..........." She cut herself off and looked at him sharply. No regrets?

None, he replied honestly. You? He was sure that some of those images she'd seen from his time with Lonnie couldn't have been any more pleasant for her to experience than they had been for him.

She gave him a brilliant smile. What do you think? Isabel leaned backwards, stretching and holding out her hand, looking like a very self-satisfied cat that had caught a fat canary. "I can't believe we're engaged."

Alex sat up and reached out for her hand. "I'm sorry it's not a diamond," he started.

"Don't be silly," she cut him off, shaking her head at him. "It's perfect." Her face grew thoughtful. "When do you think we should plan the wedding for?"

Wedding. Alex felt a big goofy smile spread across his face as he realized that they were actually talking about getting married. Him, married to Isabel Evans, the girl of his dreams. This moment made everything seem worth it. "Not for a while yet," he warned, trying to be calm and reasonable. "We have to figure out what we're doing after graduation. Then we should save up some money first. Neither of us have jobs. We'll need a place to live, and........."

"Okay, okay." Isabel laughed. "I get the idea. That's fine." She sighed happily. "A long engagement just gives me more time to plan out the wedding."

Plan? Alex gulped, trying to squash down the momentary sense of panic that the idea of Isabel planning her wedding caused. From the shrewd glance Isabel shot him, he didn't think he'd been quite quick enough.

"I could feel that," she pointed out dryly. "Are you trying to infer something about my organizational approaches?"

"No," he said quickly. "I'm sure it will be a perfect wedding."

"It will be." Isabel started to crawl up towards him. "Our tiasa was perfect, and our human wedding will be, too." Alex didn't doubt that – Isabel would move the planet itself if she had to in order to make everything perfect. Isabel rested her hands on each side of Alex's head. "I already have ideas about what I want."

Alex had to smile at that. I'm sure you do.

Her smile widened. She kissed him gently. Any suggestions? she asked, leaning even closer and resting her body on top of his.

Alex groaned. Anything you want. He was never going to be able to deny her anything for very long, so he might as well accept it.

Then he grabbed her and pulled her down to him, their happy laughter mingling as they continued to enjoy their newfound togetherness.

--------------------------------------------------

Shalin opened her door the next morning, annoyed to find an unwelcome visitor on her doorstep. "Ardan." She moved aside to let him enter, her tone clearly unwelcoming. "What do you want?"

"And a lovely morning to you, too." He grinned, sitting down.

She rolled her eyes. "Please, make yourself comfortable." She went into her kitchen and poured herself a cup of coffee, liberally dousing it with tabasco. Carrying the mug, she went back into the living room. Yes, he was still there.

Ardan watched her sit across from him. "You're not going to offer me anything? I'm wounded."

Shalin bit back the obvious retort. She was in no mood to play any more of these stupid word games with him. "What Do You Want?" she asked, emphasizing each word.

Apparently, she got her message across, because Ardan got to the point. "What did you learn about the Granolith?"

Shalin studied him over the rim of her mug. "The king has put up the usual safeguards," she answered cautiously. "He blocked the entrance, and only one of the Royals can open it." She continued, "He's reluctant to use it directly to kill Kivar. He's concerned about collateral damage."

"How noble and gallant of him," Ardan replied. "But he's confirmed that it could be used in such a manner, correct?"

"Yes," Shalin admitted.

Ardan leaned forward, eyes bright with interest. "Did he tell you how it works?"

She shook her head. "No. And sadly, I don't think there's a user's manual lying around."

"Do you think you could convince him to teach you how to use it?" Ardan persisted.

Shalin thought about it for a moment. "No," she answered finally. "I don't expect the king would let anyone near his royal toy. It's all about the power," she said, voice filled with scorn. "Did you honestly think that Zandar would allow anyone else access to that type of power? It might lower his grand status."

Ardan was watching her carefully. "He refused?"

"He won't do it," she said flatly. "The knowledge of the Granolith will stay the king's." She shook her head in disgust. "If anyone's going to use it against Kivar, then it will be him."

"I see," Ardan said slowly. "Oh, well." He stood to go. "It was just an idea."

Shalin put her mug down on the coffee table. "What did you have in mind, Ardan?"

"Nothing concrete yet," he said with a charming smile. "I just like to know all the weapons we have available."

"The Granolith is still available to us," Shalin pointed out as she walked to the door with him.

"True," he agreed. "But it would have been so much more accessible if we knew how to use it." He shrugged casually. "I don't particularly enjoy having to rely upon any of the royal bratlings. But if that's the case, then we'll deal with it."

"We always do." Before opening the door, Shalin leaned over and kissed Ardan on the cheek. "You aren't planning anything that will make me kill you, are you?" she whispered as she drew back.

Ardan leaned back, smiling at her. "Why would you even think that?"

"I can't imagine." Shalin laughed softly. "What happened between you and Vilandra last weekend?"

"Oh, that."

"Yes, that."

"Nothing much. I simply let her know that I was watching her closely," he admitted calmly.

Shalin sighed, moving away from him. "You just have to play with them, don't you?" She shook her head, torn between amusement and annoyance. "What possible good does that do?"

"It entertains me until the day that we can finally kill her," he replied, still smiling. "Don't worry. I didn't hurt a hair on her precious head, Shalin. I followed Tym's orders to the letter. I was perfectly obedient."

"Yes, that's likely." She crossed her arms and shook her head at him. "I suppose you played on her past life insecurities?"

"She isn't anywhere near as confident as she seems," Ardan confided. "It was a lot of fun actually." His smile grew a nasty edge. "Having as much fun playing with your Royal?"

Shalin ignored the question. "And if this causes problems with her and Alex Whitman.............."

"Do I look like a romantic advisor? But, just for the sake of argument, if it caused some additional stress between those two lovebirds, well, what's the harm?"

"For us? None." Shalin looked at him closely. "What's the advantage, though?"

"Alex will probably be more useful to us angry and upset," Ardan pointed out.

"So now you're manipulating the humans, too?"

"What are they good for, if not entertainment?" Ardan opened the door to leave. "Although honestly, I don't think that Alex will require much maneuvering to do his part."

------------------------------------------------

Kyle dashed in through the Crashdown doors just as they were closing after the last customer. Liz looked at him, eyebrows raised. "We would have let you in," she pointed out. "I mean, we're all meeting up here. Did you think we'd keep you locked out?"

"Why take chances?" he asked rhetorically. "Besides," he gave her a big grin, eyes wide open, "I was hoping that if I got her early enough, I could get some fries before we head on over to the Guerin-DeLuca abode."

Liz sighed, but she didn't turn away fast enough to hide the little smile forming. "You're a predictable person, Kyle, you know that?" Kyle. Food. The two would always find a way to meet.

He slid into a booth. "Which is what makes me so comforting to be around, right?"

"Oh, definitely." Liz laughed as she walked back to the kitchen. "I'll see what we have."

"Thanks." Kyle leaned back against the seat cushions, drumming his fingers on the tabletop. He'd had a pretty good weekend, all things considered. Hanging out with Laurie the previous night had been fun, and a good distraction from thoughts of Tess. He really liked Laurie – dating her might even be worth dealing with Michael's scowls and attitude. Which reminded him – he still needed to talk with Isabel about possible retaliation for Michael's attitude.

"Okay, see, that type of smile makes me nervous." Maria sat down across from him, pushing a plate of fries at him.

"Don't know what you're talking about," Kyle protested, grabbing a fry and devouring it. He was hungry.

"And now the 'Who, me? I'm innocent' look." Maria shook her head as Kyle's eyes went even wider. "Do those big blue eyes actually convince anyone that you're some innocent bystander?"

Kyle considered. "I helped fool your mother during the Great Alien Cover-up," he pointed out.

"Doesn't count," she shot back. "Mom's a sucker for disreputable types. Even if she knows that they can't be trusted, she lets them con her anyway."

Kyle almost choked on his fry. "Disreputable? I'll have you know that we Valentis are respectable, upstanding citizens."

"Of course you are." Maria smiled sweetly. "But since I wanted to ask you for something, I'm going to overlook that suspicious smile you had. I'm not even going to ask you what you're up to."

"That's nice of you." Kyle looked at her warily. "What did you want?"

Maria glanced around the Crashdown to make certain that none of the others had shown up yet. Nope, they were alone except for Liz, puttering around and cleaning up the kitchen. "We're going to have to deal with Kivar soon," she said quietly.

Well, there went Kyle's good mood. "Yeah," he agreed reluctantly. Then a thought occurred to him. "Why? Do you know something I don't?"

"Probably," she grinned for a split second, then grew serious again, "but nothing about Kivar. I just have a feeling." She shrugged. "Intuition, I guess. Or maybe I'm picking up on something from Michael. But I really don't think we have long now. Things are going to happen soon."

"Okay." Kyle took a breath and steadied himself. "So what am I supposed to do about it?"

Maria met his eyes steadily. "I want you to teach me how to use a gun."

"No way," he answered instantly. "Guns aren't toys, Maria."

"You think I don't know that?" she asked, shocked. "I don't want to use one for fun, Kyle. But if someone comes after Lexy or me again, I want to be prepared to defend us."

"With a gun?" Kyle shook his head. "Have you really thought about it? What a gun does?"

"I saw what happened to you," she whispered. "And I held a towel to try and stop Liz's bleeding. I could feel her bleeding to death. So yeah, I know what happens when someone's shot."

Kyle gulped, trying to push back the memory. "We were lucky," he pointed out. "We got better. That doesn't usually happen. There's not always going to be an alien healer around. Do you honestly think you could do that to someone, shoot them? Maybe kill them?"

"Could you?" she shot back. Kyle didn't answer, but she nodded at whatever she saw in his expression. "Yeah, me too. If someone threatens my daughter, then yes. I need to be able to defend myself." She could sense him wavering. "Look, Kyle, I don't want to keep a gun around the house or anything. Not near Lexy. But I do want to know how to use one, so that if I have to, I'm prepared. It would be safer than having me try to figure out how to use one in the middle of an emergency situation, right?"

He sighed. "Have you talked with Michael about this?"

"Michael is going to go nuts when he hears the idea," she admitted. "But he doesn't get to make decisions for me."

"Great," he muttered. "So Michael gets to be pissed off at me. Thanks." Maria smiled, knowing that he had decided to agree. He noticed, and held up a warning hand. "I'm going to talk to my dad about this," he cautioned. "If it's okay with Dad, then yeah, we'll teach you. If only because you probably would pick up a gun in the middle of a fight, and I'd like you to at least know enough not to hurt any of us."

"Gee, thanks, Kyle. Nice to know you think so highly of me." Still she got up and went around to give him a hug. "Thanks."

Max and Liz came out from the back of the Crashdown, Max smiling at them. "What did Kyle do to deserve that?" Max asked, sliding in across from Kyle.

"Feeling left out?" Maria took off her apron and flicked him with it. "When did you get here, anyway?"

"Just now." He looked past her at the front window. "And here's Isabel and Alex." He'd wondered where they'd been all day. He hadn't heard from her since she asked him to cover for her with their parents the night before.

Liz looked up at the clock. "Come on, Maria," she said. "Let's finish cleaning up so that we can leave." The whole gang was meeting up at the brownstone for a movie night to break in Michael and Maria's new place.

Max got back up and went over to unlock the door, opening it to let in his beaming sister and an equally pleased Alex. "Well, nice to see you, Isabel.". His sister merely smiled. Max watched as the two of them walked inside and headed to sit down with Kyle, silently surprised that they could manage to walk without tripping, their arms were so tightly wrapped around each other.

Kyle met Max's eyes and smirked, apparently noticing the close physical proximity between Alex and Isabel as well. "Looks like you two worked things out, huh?" he asked, reaching for another fry, but Isabel beat him to it, taking possession of the plate and sliding it towards herself.

"You could say that," she answered, popping the fry into her mouth and looking at Alex from the corner of his eyes.

"Yes." Alex put his arm around Isabel, and she snuggled closer to him.

"Ugh." Kyle moved over so that Max could sit down before continuing. "You two aren't going to be one of those disgustingly happy couples now, are you?" His smiling eyes didn't match his disgusted tone, though.

"I don't know." Isabel turned to Alex, lowering her voice slightly. "Are we disgustingly happy?"

Alex didn't answer in words, but leaned over to kiss her. Kyle groaned, and Max wadded up a napkin, throwing it at his sister and her boyfriend.

Breaking away from each other, Alex turned back to face Kyle, expression growing serious. "Hey, about the other day................"

"It's okay," Kyle hastened to assure him. "Don't even worry about it, buddy."

Alex searched his face. "You're sure? I was sort of a jerk."

"Well, yeah, you were definitely a jerk," Kyle agreed companionably. "But we all have our moments of jerkness. Just don't make a habit of it."

"I'll try not to," Alex agreed. He seemed so much happier than he'd been in a long time, more comfortable than he'd been since his return. Kyle was glad to see it. It helped relieve the last vestiges of guilt he'd been carrying around from his part in what happened to Alex. Isabel fidgeted in her seat with a very un-Isabel-like move, causing Alex to look back over at her. He laughed at the pleading expression on her face. "Fine, go ahead. You'll probably explode if you don't tell them."

"Tell us what?" Maria came back from the kitchen with Liz, rubbing her neck with one hand.

"We just need to change out of our uniforms and we can get going," Liz added, pulling out a seat and making herself comfortable. She noticed the looks Alex and Isabel exchanged. "What did we miss?"

Isabel tried to keep her face serious as she looked around at her friends. "Alex and I have an announcement to make."

"You did the whole glowy tiasa thing." Kyle reached for the plate of fries again, but Isabel slapped his hand away.

"I'm serious, Kyle," she warned, voice allowing for no further interruption from him.

Max looked from his sister to Alex, seeing the way that their faces were lit up from within with happiness. He was sure that Kyle was right, and they had finished their tiasa – it was written all over them, from the contentment they were radiating to the way that they were sitting so close to each other. But Isabel wouldn't feel the need to make a big announcement about that. There was something else. "What is it, Iz?"

"Well, I was hoping that Michael would be here, too," Isabel said, hesitating.

Alex took her right hand and held it. "We can tell him later," he pointed out. "I really am worried about the state of my car if you have to ride in it again with all this excited energy."

Isabel gave a mock pout. "You don't think I can control my own powers?" Alex laughed, leaning over to give her another kiss.

Maria rolled her eyes, throwing her apron over Alex's head. That got a laugh from everybody, as Alex and Isabel emerged from under the cloth. "Well, I don't even have powers of my own, but you're going to see an example of very human impatience if you don't spit it out," she demanded.

"Okay, okay." Alex held up his hands in defeat. "Iz?"

Isabel held up her left hand with a flourish, showing off her ring. At their blank looks, she sighed, then explained. "Alex asked me to marry him."

"What?" Liz's eyes popped open, while Maria jumped in the air in excitement.

"That is so awesome!" Maria wrapped Isabel in a big hug, which the alien girl returned eagerly, standing up. Alex followed suit, and Maria reached out to yank him into the hug, too. "I am so happy for you two."

Liz scrambled to her feet and ran over to embrace Alex as he managed to pull away from Maria. She wrapped her arms around Alex, squeezing tight. "When did this happen?"

"Last night." Alex looked over at Max, who had been sitting quietly beside Kyle. "I guess I should have asked for your father's permission or something.........."

"He'll give it," Isabel said with certainty.

"She's right," Max agreed, a slow smile spreading over his face as the fact that his sister was actually engaged finally sank in. "Isabel has him wrapped around her little finger." Isabel scrunched up her face at him.

Kyle stood, leaning against the wall and grinning at Isabel. "Told you things would work out," he pointed out.

She shared a happy smile with him. "Yeah," she said softly. "Thank you." He nodded in return.

Maria tugged on Alex's arm. "You proposed last night? And you didn't talk with Liz and me first?"

Alex laughed. "Well, Maria, I kind of thought that Isabel was the one I should speak with first."

"But we could have helped you plan things out," Liz agreed with the other girl. "Make sure that the proposal was properly romantic."

Isabel wrapped her arm around Alex, pulling him closer to her side. "It was perfect," she said simply.

Max held out his hand and Alex took it. "Congratulations," he said sincerely.

"Thanks." Alex smiled back at him.

"So when do you plan on having the wedding?" Liz asked.

"Not for a while yet," Isabel explained, settling down at a table with the other two girls. "We have to get more settled first. And there are so many things to plan out."

"That's true," Liz agreed. Maria started humming the wedding march under her breath, and Liz laughed. "What type of ceremony did you have in mind?"

"I want a traditional ceremony," Isabel started.

Listening in, the three boys exchanged amused glances. "Do you have any idea what you've gotten yourself into?" Kyle asked, only partly joking. The thought of Isabel in wedding planner mode was almost enough to make him run for the door.

Alex looked at Isabel, face shining with joy as she talked with her friends about the type of wedding she wanted. "Yeah," he answered. "I do."

Max followed his line of sight, looking at the three girls talking with such energy, lingering on Liz for a second. Once, he would have thought it would be him and Liz planning on getting married after graduation. But things changed.......... "You're lucky," he told Alex. Then he grinned. "Of course, she's going to make your life insane while planning everything."

Alex laughed. "What else is new?"

---------------------------------------

Kyle took a bite out of his ice cream cone as he walked Laurie home the next afternoon. "You don't know Isabel that well, yet," he pointed out. "She's great, don't get me wrong. But she gets just a little bit obsessive when planning something." He shook his head sadly. "I have a feeling that the next couple of years are going to be filled with the wedding preparations from hell."

Laurie moved over and nudged him in the side with her shoulder. "You're too hard on her," she argued, licking her own ice cream. "Every girl wants a perfect wedding. Nothing wrong with that."

He gave up. Nothing could prepare one for Isabel Evans. It had to be experienced to be fully understood. "Wait and see," he warned.

Laughing, Laurie sat down on a bench and looked across the park at the children playing. "You're afraid that she's going to put you to work," she deduced.

"Oh, I'm already her minion," Kyle agreed, sitting next to her. At her look, he laughed. "Don't ask."

"Okay." Laurie closed her eyes and relaxed, letting the sun shine down on her face. "I had a nice day."

"Me, too." Kyle stared at her face. Feeling the intense stare, Laurie opened her eyes.

"What?"

"You have some ice cream," Kyle explained. "Right there." Leaning over, he kissed her quickly.

"Any more?" she teased.

"Maybe a little," he agreed gravely. This kiss was longer. He drew back, taking a deep breath. "There."

"Thanks." Laurie sounded slightly breathless herself. "You know, I had no idea that Roswell had so many attractions in its favor." She looked him up and down, openly enjoying the view. "I should have moved here sooner."

"Yeah." Then Kyle's smile faded.

Laurie noticed. "What is it?" she asked, moving closer to him. "What's wrong?"

"Laurie, I've been having fun hanging out with you," Kyle started.

"But?" she prompted.

"But............" Kyle frowned, trying to organize his thoughts. "But I'm not sure where this is going."

Laurie's eyebrows raised. "Where it's going?" She sounded amused. "Kyle, we've had three dates. Well, two and a basketball game."

"Yeah, and they've been great."

"So you've said." Laurie rearranged herself to look directly at him, her amusement now clearly written all over her face. He looked so uncomfortable. "So what's the problem?"

"Well........" He closed his eyes and let his head fall back against the bench. "I just don't want to make any long-term promises," he got out in a rush.

"Ah, I see. No commitments," she said in a serious tone. "So I'm just a good time for you, huh? I'll have to talk to Michael about this." She finished her ice cream.

Kyle's eyes flew open. "No, that's not what I meant!" He didn't want to offend her.

Laurie burst into laughter at his panicked expression. "Relax, Kyle." She leaned over and kissed him softly before she pulled back. "I'm not looking for any long-term guarantees or promises." She smiled at him. "I love Michael and Maria dearly. And Isabel and Alex seem great, too. But we're young. Not every relationship has to be soul-mates or a life-time commitment. Sometimes you're just allowed to be with someone you like, and see where it goes from there." She stood up. "We like each other. We like hanging out and talking. And unless I'm greatly mistaken," the smile she gave him was quite smug, "you enjoy kissing me."

"I'm not complaining," he admitted, starting to relax.

"So just go with it." She put her hands on her hips, shaking her head in amusement. "Not everything has to be high drama. Let's just be two people having a nice, normal, angst-free date. No ties or expectations." She put out her hand. "And see where it goes."

Kyle took her hand and got to his feet. "Works for me."

"Good." As he put his arm around her and they started to walk away, Laurie peeked at him from the corner of his eye. "Wanna share your ice cream?"

"Way too much commitment there," he shot back right away. "No way."

Then he found himself squirming away as Laurie started tickling his rib cage. The two of them went running through the park, laughing as they went.

----------------------------------

Shalin walked past the tourists heading up the UFO Center stairs, and headed straight towards where Max was standing, clipboard in hand. "Are you closing up this early?" she asked, confused. It was only 4:30 on a Tuesday afternoon, definitely earlier than the Center's usual closing time.

Max looked up. "Yeah, we have short hours this week." He smiled. "Brody has me working on inventory. For real, this time. We have a big convention coming in next week, and he wants everything organized. Weekdays are better to close, since they have less customers, so.........." He put down the clipboard and turned to her, suddenly serious. "None of which you really care about. So what brings you here?"

Shalin sighed heavily. "The fifteen or so phone messages you've left me," she answered. "The last one said that you needed to talk to me about the Granolith. What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he answered blithely. "Nothing's going on with the Granolith." He grinned slightly. "I lied."

She blinked at him. "You lied?" she repeated slowly. "Why?"

"I wanted to see you and you keep avoiding me." He hitched himself up on top of a table, looking at her closely. "Want to tell me why?"

"I don't have time for this nonsense." She turned to go, but a chair suddenly shot out and blocked her way. She turned back to Max, surprised. "You want to play powers against each other, Your Majesty? You think you can take me?"

Max hopped down and came over to her. "What I want is to talk, Shalin."

"You're wasting my time," she said, anger starting to seep into her words. "I'm sure you can find someone else to talk with. Liz Parker, for instance..........." His quiet chuckle interrupted her. "Something's amusing you?"

"Liz." Max shook his head. "I can't talk with her. Not anymore. Not about the important stuff."

Despite herself, Shalin was interested. She peered at him closely. "Like what?"

"She doesn't get it," he said slowly. "She doesn't get what I'm going through. Oh, she wants to. And she tries. But she can't. Liz is........." He searched for the words.

"Human," Shalin said. "So what? That doesn't seem to stop anyone. Maria, Alex Whitman.........."

"It's different for them," Max countered. "Better or worse, they're just as much a part of things now as we aliens are. But Liz – she's always had a hard time dealing with it."

"Aliens frighten her." Shalin shrugged. "What's new?"

"Nothing. But now she has other things to concentrate on. A chance to follow her own dreams, not just get dragged along with our mess." He smiled. "I'm glad for her."

Shalin frowned, eyes narrowing. "I thought you two were getting back together," she said, voice carefully neutral.

"No," he said with certainty. "Liz doesn't want us to be together now. She made that clear when she broke up with me."

"And if she changes her mind?"

"Again?" Max laughed softly, just a little bitterly. "No, this time I'm taking her at her word. Time to move on. Liz and I just don't work together anymore."

"Hmm." A mocking smile formed on Shalin's face. "And so I'm supposed to listen to you cry about how your great love left you? Is that what you want from me?"

"No," Max moved closer, voice lowering. "That is definitely not what I want from you."

Much to her surprise, Shalin found herself backing away from him. "What are you doing?" She ended up against the wall, and glared at him.

Max laughed, putting his hands on the wall on either side of her. "I don't even know for sure who I am anymore," he commented lightly. "Everything is an illusion. I lie all the time, to everyone. My parents, my teachers, my employer, everyone. I play the role of Max Evans, perfect student and all around American teen, and nobody doubts it. Nobody questions it." He closed his eyes, trying to control his heartbeat and keep calm. "Even with my friends, I try to pretend that I know what I'm doing. That I'm in control. Because that's what I do." He opened his eyes and smiled, looking directly into Shalin's blue eyes. "You can understand that, right?"

Shalin strove for a calm tone of voice, despite the way that her own body was tensing up. Damn, when was the last time she'd ever been caught so off-guard so often by someone? "Max, I don't know if this is some post-traumatic side effect or something, but you should back off."

He ignored her. "But I'm not Zandar, either. So who am I? What's real?" He moved even closer, mere inches away from her body. He noticed that Shalin didn't move away, but kept staring at him. "I have no clue what's been going on between us. But there's something. And the one thing I know is that it's real." His head dipped down, lips moving towards hers.

Until, right before they would meet, Shalin put her hands on his chest and pushed him away from her. "Nothing is happening between us, Your Majesty." She moved quickly to a safe distance from him, even as he stumbled to regain his balance. "Nothing can happen between us." She ran a hand through her hair, laughing. "What is this? Some way of showing that the great king is so forgiving, so magnanimous that he can even forgive Skins who fought for Kivar?" She mocked him. "So noble, so forgiving. What a king."

Max shook his head, but he stayed still where he was. He was hearing the pain under the mocking. She was showing actual emotion. "Shalin, I know how much this scares you," he said slowly. "I'm not exactly comfortable with any of this, either. But I don't think we can ignore what's going on here. And no, it has nothing to do with some royal forgiveness." His own voice twisted on the last word. "What's done is done. It was another lifetime ago, literally. We can't keep holding on to the past."

"That simple, is it?" Shalin was back in his face before he could move away. "So you don't care what I did on Antar? It's not important now?"

"No," he said steadily, although he was starting to worry. The look in her eyes........ "What's important is now. You've been helping us."

"You think I can just ignore the past? You might have that luxury, Your Majesty, but I don't." Shalin's voice rose in intensity. "I do know who I am. Shalin. Sister of Kivar. Leader of the T'onxyl." She reached in and pulled out her necklace. "Or are you somehow forgetting the fact that I intend to kill you and your sister someday?"

Max met her eyes steadily. "No," he said quietly. "I haven't forgotten. I just don't believe............"

"That I'll do it?" She laughed coldly. "What, you and I kiss and flirt a little, and somehow that will stop me from snapping your neck just as soon as I have permission?" She shook her head. "You really don't know me."

"Then do it," Max said, voice rising as his own temper snapped. "Do it!" Now Shalin was the one who stepped back, unsure as Max advanced, eyes flashing. "I don't think you will. I don't think you even want to. Oh, I'm sure that your training isn't easy to overcome," he conceded, "but you can do it if you want to hard enough. I don't think you hate me as much as you wish you did, Shalin. Not anymore. Why help me? Why worry about how I handle things or what I think of you?" He reached over and held the stone of her necklace, voice lowering but maintaining the intensity of his anger. "Why tell me not to offer you knowledge of the Granolith?"

She blinked. "That.........."

"That was you trying to avoid a conflict of interests," he interrupted. He laughed at her surprised expression, some of his anger draining away. "You didn't think I'd figure it out, did you? The T'onxyl will want to use the Granolith. Preferably without having to deal with me in the mix. You don't want to be put in that position." He let go of the necklace. "You're more than T'onxyl, Shalin. You're able to make your own choices."

"No, I'm not," she said, voice quiet and soft. "You have no idea what I have to fight just to be in the same room with you. There's always that part of my brain that starts considering ways to kill you. I can never overcome that. Even if I wanted to, and I don't know why I would bother."

Max reached out and touched her cheek. "You don't hate me all the time," he said, sure of that.

"A part of me does," she countered. She reached out and pushed away his hand. "And you would hate me in return, if you had any clue of who I really am. What I am."

"I told you, the past doesn't..........."

"Of course it matters." Shalin backed away, resting when she encountered the wall. She went on, speaking in a curious monotone. "Your father, the old king, was overly suspicious. He didn't trust my father at all. Thought the Khavorns were going to try and rise up against him, take over Antar."

"And of course, he had no reason to suspect that at all, did he?" Max pointed out dryly.

Shalin went on. "At any rate, he acted. He had my father killed." Her hand went up to toy with the necklace. "But my mother got in the way. She was killed, too. Leaving Kivar in charge of our house." Now there was emotion in her voice, the familiar anger back in it. "Which suited my dear brother just fine. Aveen was secured away, to be used for future plans. And for me....... well, for me there was the T'onxyl."

"Shalin........."

"The T'onxyl is all I ever knew," she went on hotly. "They were my family. My loyalty was to them. And I had my hate. Hate for the Royals who took my parents." She smiled, icily cold. "But I got my revenge. I lost my parents. You lost your father."

Max stared at her. "What do you mean?"

"Who do you think organized the assassination of the old king? Who put Tym in place to gain your trust so that he could take out Zandar and Vilandra?" Shalin's voice grew sickly sweet. "I oversaw Tym's training. I planned things out. I didn't actually kill your father myself, but I helped orchestrate it." She laughed at the look on his face. "So go on, Max. Tell me that the past doesn't matter."

Max stared at her for a minute, then his hand flew up, pointing in her direction. Shalin didn't move, didn't even flinch as the picture on the wall next to her head suddenly exploded, glass shards flying. She simply kept staring at him.

Max strode over to her. "Is that what you wanted? Is that what you were expecting?" He leaned down to her. "My father killed yours. You killed him. And now I'm supposed to kill you?"

"Like you could," she shot back.

"Endless cycles of revenge. It's so much easier for you to deal with isn't it?" Max took her shoulders and shook her slightly. Shalin didn't make a move in her own defense. "Did you honestly think that I never considered that? I know you're T'onxyl. I know what you did, Shalin, what you were. And I know who you are now."

"No, you don't," she said desperately. "You think you do, but you don't, you idiot. I told you, people don't change."

"And I told you, I don't believe that," Max countered. "The Shalin you used to be wouldn't be arguing with me about any of this. You would have used me, gotten the information about the Granolith, and never cared about warning me off."

She shook her head. "Don't you get it? I watched your father die, and I would have been just as happy for it to be Zandar or Vilandra."

To her surprise, he smiled. "Zandar," he murmured. "You would have been happy for it to be Zandar. Not me."

Shalin didn't know what to say to that. He was right. When had she started to separate them in her mind? "What are we doing here?" she whispered.

"I have no idea," he admitted. "What do you want to do?"

She met his eyes. Max's hands moved down her arms, resting around her waist as she moved closer.

Then there was a noise from the stairs leading upstairs. "Max, are you down there?"

The two of them jumped away from each other as Philip Evans walked down the stairs, peering over at them. "Dad, what are you doing here?" Max looked nervously at Shalin from the corner of his eyes.

Mr. Evans looked from his son to the strange woman standing very close to him, frowning. "Your mother mentioned that Isabel borrowed the Jeep today for some shopping," he answered slowly. "So, since court got out early today, I thought I'd stop by and offer you a ride."

"How sweet," Shalin murmured. "I have to go."

"Wait........." he reached out a hand, but she moved quickly, going past his father and up the stairs. Damn. Max closed his eyes and took a breath before opening them again.

"Is everything all right, Max?" His father walked closer, concerned. "Who was that?"

"She's no one," Max said. "Just someone I know."

Philip Evans stared at his son. Max could practically see the wheels turning as his father thought about the scene he'd just walked in on. "It seemed like I walked in on something serious."

"Don't worry about it, Dad," Max spoke curtly. "Thanks for the offer, but I have some stuff to do. I'll just walk home. Tell Mom I might not be home in time for dinner – I might go over to Michael and Maria's."

"Max, your mother and I were hoping to go over some of the college information you brought home," his father said in a tone that clearly wasn't meant to be argued with.

"Dad, I told you that I'm not going to any of those schools," Max snapped, his patience (which had already been wearing thin) completely gone by now. "So if you think that ambushing me at work is going to change anything........."

His father blinked, surprised by the open anger in his son's voice. He was used to Max being evasive and distant, but not so hostile. "I wasn't trying to ambush you. I just wanted to spend time with my son."

"Right." Max sighed, annoyed by the situation. "You need to respect my decision, Dad. This is my life, and what I do with it is up to me, not you." He started towards the stairs. "Now, I have to lock up." He strode up the stairs angrily, not looking behind as his father followed him.

Once outside, Philip tried one more time. "Max, I really think that you and I need to have a talk. I'll expect you home for dinner."

Max shook his head and walked away without another word.

"Max!"

He didn't even turn around as his father called after him.

-------------------------------------

Max found himself approaching the basketball court not long after leaving his father. He had a few hours to kill before he'd be likely to find Michael and Maria at home, so he figured he'd take the chance to walk around Roswell, hoping that the exercise would help work out the pent-up tension and energy he could feel coursing through his body.

It hadn't helped.

But at least it kept him from having to go home and cope with his parents. That was something he wasn't looking forward to.

Alex and Isabel were off together, and Liz was really one of the last people Max wanted to see right then.

So he followed a hunch, and it paid off. He found Kyle at the basketball court, dribbling the ball around and tossing it into the hoop. "Hey, Kyle."

The other boy looked up at him, then returned his attention to the ball in his hand, throwing it easily through the net. "Max." He retrieved the ball, then threw it back to where Max was standing at the far end of the court. "Catch."

Max caught the ball, then looked at the net. He threw the ball. Kyle watched as it soared through the air and into the net. He looked back at the alien, suspiciously measuring the distance in his mind. "Hey – you know the rules. No cheating."

Max smiled. "What's up?"

Kyle shrugged, dribbling the ball. "Nothing much. Just clearing my mind."

That got a sharp look. "Why? Something bothering you?"

Kyle laughed. "Relax, Captain. I'm fine." He made another shot. "Just got girls on the mind," he admitted. That was the closest he was going to get to talking with Max about his whole Laurie/Tess confusion.

"A lot of that going around," Max muttered.

"You and Liz rethinking the whole 'just friends' thing?" Kyle wondered.

"Why does everyone think that Liz and I are going to get back together?" Max asked, irritated.

He got another easy shrug in response. "History," Kyle pointed out.

"Well, we're not," Max said emphatically. "Which was Liz's decision, in case anyone would bother to remember it."

"Hey, man, relax," Kyle said calmly. "I'm neutral here. Think of me as Max/Liz Switzerland."

That got Max to laugh. "Who would have thought it?" he said, shaking his head.

Kyle returned his amused look. "I got over Liz a long time ago, my friend. Ancient history."

Max reached out swiftly, stealing the ball from him. "History sucks." He made his decision. "The present is what counts." He turned to leave, tossing the ball over his shoulder. "See you later, Kyle."

"Okay." Confused, Kyle turned to watch the basketball go through the net with a loud whoosh.

What had that all been about?

---------------------------------------

Shalin flipped on the lights in her apartment, glaring at the intruder on her couch. "Don't you have family night or something tonight?"

"No." Max stood up. "We weren't finished."

Shalin raised an eyebrow, closing the door behind her. "Funny. I thought we were."

Max paused briefly. "You don't have a security system?" he wondered.

"No need." She went over to lean against the kitchen counter, watching him closely. "If anyone breaks in, I can deal with them when I get back." She grinned impishly. "It's more fun that way." Her smile faded. "Why are you here, Max?"

"You're a coward," Max said evenly.

She stared at him, shocked. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me." He walked up to her. "All this talk about how I don't know the truth about you, and that we can't get past our history, but that's all garbage." He stopped moving, just out of her reach. "What it really comes down to is that you're scared. Whatever this is between us," he gestured from himself to her, "it's real, and it's confusing, and it's not something you planned on. It's out of your control, and it's got you scared. So you're running."

"I don't run away," she said slowly.

"You think this makes any more sense to me?" Max asked, voice calm and soothing. "You think this doesn't make me nervous? But you know what? I'm sick of lying all the time. I'm tired of pretending." He put a hand on her arm. Shalin looked down at it as he continued, voice growing softer. "Maybe for once, we should both stop worrying about controlling everything and just go with our instincts." He paused, then smiled. "Well, instincts that don't involve mayhem and destruction, that is."

Shalin continued to stare at his hand, shaking her head and laughing softly to herself. Then she looked up at him, a glint in her eyes as they met his.

"Well?" Max asked when she didn't say anything, just kept staring at him as if she was memorizing his face. "What do you have to say?"

In response, Shalin reached out and grabbed the back of his head, pushing him up against the wall as she kissed him passionately. Max's brain instantly turned off, all his attention focused on the feel of her lips on his. He wrapped his hands around her waist, trying to pull her even closer. Finally, Shalin pulled back an inch. Max could feel her breath on his lips as she spoke. "You talk too much, Your Royal Majesty," she smiled wickedly.

Max met her grin, wrapping both hands in her hair and pulling her back for another kiss. "I'll have to work on that," he agreed. He could feel her hands making their way up, pushing his shirt over his head, and his heart rate sped up even more. This definitely felt good.

Somehow, Max found himself pushed back onto the couch, Shalin leaning over him and staring at him intently. She ran a hand along his cheek, frowning slightly. "I'm not them, you know," she said seriously. "I can't ............"

Max put his hand over her mouth. He loved the fact that this was one of those rare moments when he could actually read her emotions in her eyes, could see the passion, and the surprising hesitancy. "I'm not asking anything from you that you can't give," he assured her. "No illusions. No unfair expectations. Just us."

"Just us," she repeated. Then she shook her head, laughing. "This is probably the stupidest thing either of us could do," she pointed out. "You know that, right?"

"Yeah." And he did, but he couldn't help grinning, excitement running through his body. "But it feels right."

She nodded, looking down at where her hands rested on his chest. "Such a mistake," she murmured.

"Stop talking," Max ordered, reaching up for another kiss.

And there wasn't much talking for a while.

--------------------------------------

Michael entered the kitchen, instantly drawn to the plate of cookies on the counter. "Lexy's asleep," he commented, heading straight for the food.

"Uh, huh," Maria said absently.

That's when Michael noticed the way Maria was staring at the cookies, very closely, as if watching to see what they would do, as she held a spatula over them guardedly. Suspicions immediately put on alert, he drew his hand back from the plate. "When was your mother here today?" he asked slowly.

"She wasn't."

"So, when did you go over to her place to pick these up?" he asked, still hoping.

"I didn't........." Maria stopped speaking, looking up sharply at Michael. "Mom didn't make these," she said, dropping the spatula, "I did." At his look, her eyes narrowed and she put her hands on her hips. "What? You don't think I can follow directions in a cookbook?"

"I'd better go check on Lexy." Michael started backing away slowly.

"You just said that she was already asleep. Hold it, buddy!" she ordered sharply. Obediently, Michael stopped. "I'm not that bad in the kitchen."

"Yeah, you really are," Michael disagreed. At her continued glare, he shrugged. "What? It's the truth! You want me to lie to you?"

She flipped her hair, turning away. "Guess that depends on whether or not you ever want to get lucky again," she said, only partly joking.

"Well, then......." he teased, pulling her closer. Maria turned her head away. "Fine," he laughed, letting her go. "They actually look good." Michael reached out to pick up a cookie. What the hell? He'd been through dangerous situations before. He was sure that he wasn't going to die from eating one of Maria's cookies.

At least, he hoped not.

It would be embarrassing. What would Shalin say?

Bravely, Michael lifted the cookie to his mouth and bit in. Then, a surprised expression on his face, he took another, bigger bite. Maria watched him anxiously. "These are actually good!" he exclaimed, picking up another cookie after he finished the first one.

"Don't sound so surprised," Maria shot back, but she looked relieved. "They're really okay?"

"Definitely." Having finished the second cookie, Michael returned his attention to Maria. "Thank you," he murmured, lowering his head to kiss her.

Maria leaned into his body and returned the kiss. "Mmm." She wrapped her hands through his hair, licking her lips. "Chocolate and tabasco." She could taste the cookie.

"Sweet and spicy," he murmured, lips moving down her throat and causing pleasurable shivers to race through her. "You remembered."

"Always," she answered, giving a little gasp as she was suddenly swept up and deposited on the countertop next to the platter of cookies.

Michael smirked at her. "So, if you don't have any other plans for the evening.........."

She tried to look serious. "Actually, I have a final tomorrow night."

With a crestfallen expression on his face, Michael stepped back instantly. "You'd better study then," he said.

She couldn't help it – she had to laugh at the disappointed expression on his face. Like a little kid deprived of his Christmas presents. "Come here," she ordered, crooking her finger at him. When he didn't, she reached out her legs and caught him around the waist, dragging him closer. "It's okay," she assured him, putting her hands on his shoulders. "I studied all afternoon. I even got the Liz seal of approval. I'm free for some recreational activity tonight."

"Really?" Michael smiled, eyes traveling slowly up and down her body. "Wonder what we should do."

"Oh, I'm sure we'll think of something." She put one hand behind his head, pulling his mouth closer to hers. "We always do," she teased, lips barely touching his.

"We are pretty resourceful," he agreed, leaning into her.

Maria's last conscious thought for a while was that maybe she should cook more often. It seemed to have a good effect on her Spaceboy.

---------------------------------------

[Anla]

Max woke up gradually, sensing someone watching him. He smiled drowsily, not opening his eyes. "Trying to decide whether or not you can smother me with the pillow before I wake up?"

A soft laugh. "No, I considered that option a while ago."

"And?"

"Figured I could find more interesting ways of killing you." He could hear the smile in her voice.

Max opened his eyes and looked over. Shalin was sitting in a chair in the corner of the room, dressed only in an overlong t-shirt, watching him where he lay in the bed. "I'm sure you could," he replied, smile growing. "You're very inventive."

Her laugh this time was louder, eyes sparkling mischievously. "Why, Your Majesty, if I didn't know better, I'd think you were making suggestive remarks to me," she answered primly. "I'm shocked."

"I'm sure you are," he replied dryly. Max turned over onto his back and met her eyes levelly. "Then what were you thinking?"

She shook her head. "This was one incredibly stupid thing to do," she pointed out.

"I thought we already covered that," he argued. He glanced around for a clock. "What, a few hours ago?" As his eyes fell on the open doorway into the living room, he frowned. "Did we break the table?" Some things from earlier were a bit hazy.

While other experiences were very vivid in his remembrance.

She shrugged. "Actually, I was thinking about what you said earlier." Max's attention returned to her. "About how you were trying to figure out who you are now."

"And?"

"There might be something to that," she admitted. "Because I don't think Max Evans would have had sex with me," she said bluntly.

"And I don't think you would have slept with Zandar," he countered. "So where does that leave us?"

Shalin sighed, standing up and moving to the side of the bed. Max sat up straighter, sheets covering him as she sat next to him. "Damned if I know," she admitted. She frowned. "Have I mentioned how much I hate not knowing what I'm doing?"

"Once or twice." Max reached out one hand and caressed her cheek. "But I think we figured out what we were doing pretty well."

She grinned. "You weren't bad for a beginner," she admitted.

"Well, we could always get in some more practice," he pointed out, moving closer for a kiss. Shalin moved backwards, though, smile fading.

"No matter how ......." she seemed to search for the word, "enjoyable this was, it can't happen again," she said firmly. "I mean it, Max." Shalin stood up. "You and I – it's a mistake." Her mouth twisted into a smile, the one that he didn't like to see on her face, so bitter and angry. "But don't worry – I'm not going to tell anyone about this. Your secret's safe with me."

"Hold on," Max said sharply, growing a bit angry himself. She did manage to bring out all sorts of extreme emotions in him. "Have I said that I wanted to keep this secret? I'm not ashamed of what happened, Shalin." She turned to meet his eyes. "You're not some dirty secret for me," he continued, voice softer. "What happened here is nobody's business but ours, but I'm not going to hide or lie about it, either."

She continued to look at him carefully, clearly thinking about what he said. Max liked that about her, how she'd come to actually pay attention to his opinions and thoughts on things. "No," she said finally, but the anger was gone from her voice. "You're right – it isn't anyone's business. And if the others knew.......... well, it would make things difficult for you. Who needs the added complications?" She turned away. "Besides, what would Liz Parker say?"

Max pushed down the thought of how hurt Liz would be. She had no say in what he did anymore – she'd made that clear when she broke up with him. "Your call, Shalin." She nodded, picking up a pair of jeans and slipping them on. "Where are you going?" he asked.

"I have work to do." Now fully dressed, she looked back at him, expression all business. "That alien I sensed the other day. I want to find who it was."

"You're really worried about that, aren't you?"

She nodded. "Vilandra was able to get past our defenses earlier in the year, undetected. She killed two of us. I don't want a repeat performance."

"I think Alex would know if Lonnie was back," Max said slowly.

"Perhaps," she admitted. "But there was someone there. Someone I don't know about, and I don't like it." She brushed her hand through her loose hair. "I'm going to meet with some sources, see what I can find out. I'll be back in a day or two."

Max frowned. He had a feeling she was trying to put some distance between them. "I haven't changed my opinion from earlier," he pointed out.

"Neither have I," she shot back. "This hasn't changed anything for me."

Max grinned. "I'm sure it hasn't," he agreed. He hadn't slept with Shalin in order to change her opinion about killing him. He wouldn't have slept with her if he thought that was necessary. He already trusted her, even if she didn't trust herself.

She seemed to understand what he was thinking, because she shook her head, smiling slightly. "You're impossible," she murmured. Then, after a brief hesitation, she rushed back to the bed and kissed him hard. "Nothing's changed," she said fiercely.

Then she was gone.

Shaking his head, Max's head fell back on the bed.

Maybe not for her.

Him? He had a lot of changes going on.

---------------------------------------

Kyle found himself back on the basketball court a few days later, enjoying the solitary quiet as the ball swooshed through the net. It was nice to have some time to himself every once in a while so that he could just think.

Or not. Sometimes it was better not to think too much. He'd hoped that with his newfound relationship with Laurie, casual and relaxed as it was, he might not have Tess on the mind quite so much.

Apparently, his subconscious mind really had a difference of opinion with him, because the dreams had continued on throughout the week.

But that's okay, he reminded himself. All part of the grieving process. He was moving on, and things were good. Well, okay, yeah, there was the looming threat of alien invasion. And Isabel had roped him into being one of her minions this weekend as she prepared for the grand Graduation Party. But other than that, the life of one Kyle Valenti was looking okay.

And so he smiled as he jogged over to where his ball lay, right where the two walls of the court met. Good times, good friends, school basically over – things were okay in the IKAAC. Just take care of those pesky alien invaders, and they'd be all set.

The loud ringing noise startled him at first, before he realized that it was coming from the bench where he'd left his jacket. Kyle hurried back over. The ringing sounded somehow more insistent than usual. He looked at the caller ID and started to laugh. Figured – Isabel.

He answered. "Hey, Iz." Kyle's eyes roamed the basketball court. "I thought we were all getting together tomorrow," he protested mildly. "I just thought that maybe, now that finals are over, we could have at least one night to relax." He grinned. "Yes, Your Highness. Can't wait to get started planning what color streamers we'll need at the party. I was just playing a little ball - be right over........" His voice trailed off, smile fading. Was he imagining things, or had he just seen something move over there in the corner? "Hold on, Isabel."

-----------------------------------------

Isabel drummed her fingers on the countertop impatiently. "Kyle?" she asked sharply, glancing around the Crashdown at the others. All present and accounted for – Michael and Maria had even managed for once to both be off work at the same time, and Lexy was spending time with her grandma. Well, Grandma and Valenti, who had taken over as honorary grandfather for little Lexy. The two of them were taking her to the park, a fact which Maria had explained with only a slight grimace for the implied domesticity. She'd come to terms with the fact that her mother and the sheriff were an item, and was even glad for it. Her mom deserved some happiness. Maria simply preferred for that happiness to happen far away from her, off her radar screen. So the whole gang, minus Kyle, was gathered, ready to do some serious preparation for the next weekend's party. "Kyle, what's going on?" she asked again, louder this time, as Kyle didn't answer. Max looked over at her, frowning. Apparently her tone was enough to catch even his attention, and he'd been Mr. Distracted all day.

"What's wrong?" he asked, twirling around in the seat so that he could see her more clearly.

"I don't..........." Isabel's eyes widened and she stared at the phone in her hand. "He hung up," she said, voice indignant.

Alex appeared, hand resting on her shoulder. "Kyle hung up on you?" he asked, voice only slightly less disbelieving. "That's not like him."

"No," Maria agreed. "Kyle has a much healthier survival instinct than that." At Liz and Michael's simultaneous stares, she shrugged. "What?"

Alex closed his eyes briefly. "What is it?" Max asked him, already starting to stand.

"Did he say where he was?" Alex asked Isabel.

She thought. "Playing basketball, I think."

Alex met Max's eyes. "Let's go." Without another word, Alex turned and led the way out of the restaurant. The others scrambled to follow.

----------------------------------------------

The six of them clambered out of the Jeep as soon as they reached the corner with the basketball court. "Kyle!" Isabel cried, rushing towards the teen, the others right behind her. "What happened?"

Kyle turned from where he'd been standing, slowly bouncing the basketball on the courtyard. "Happened?" he asked slowly, blinking at her in confusion. "Nothing happened."

Isabel stopped so short that Maria almost collided into her back. "You hung up on me," she asked, voice more concerned than angry. Kyle just kept frowning at her, face a mask of bewilderment. She looked past him, eyes scanning the empty basketball court. One bench, three walls, a hoop – they were the only people there.

"I did?" Kyle shrugged, returning to his dribbling. "Sorry, Iz."

Isabel exchanged concerned glances with Max and Liz. Kyle didn't sound right. Max approached the human slowly. "Kyle, are you feeling okay?"

"Sure......." Kyle started, but they were all interrupted by Alex's quiet voice.

"Stay back, Max."

Max instantly did as he was told, glancing over his shoulder. Alex was standing behind Michael and Maria, face white as a ghost. "Alex, what................."

Alex pointed to one of the three walls surrounding the court. "Michael, blast there," he said, voice tense. Michael cast a startled glance at Max. "Now, Michael!" Alex ordered, tone sharp.

Without any more hesitation, Michael raised his hand and pointed it towards the wall. He had no clue what was going on, but he was willing to follow Alex's lead. Before he could blast, though, the wall flickered out of existence.

Leaving them staring in shock at the small blond girl standing there, her eyes just starting to open.

Liz was the first one to leap into action. "You bitch!" she cried, practically flying across the few feet to where the wall had apparently been only a second ago, fist flying out and colliding with the other girl's face. Michael was surprised by the amount of force Liz seemed to have loaded into her punch as the blond girl staggered back, almost losing her balance.

"Ow!" Liz cried, wringing her hand through the air. It was the first time she'd ever punched anyone – it hurt more than she would have anticipated. Next thing she knew, Max had grabbed her other arm and pulled her back to a safer distance.

Max could feel the energy build-up, and looked over at Michael. His second was staring at the intruder, eyes cold and angry, hand still out, and now pointed at the girl. "Michael, don't!" Max ordered sharply. He recognized that look on Michael's face. If they killed her now, they'd never get answers. "Wait a minute!"

It seemed to Max that Michael hesitated for a very long minute, but then he slowly nodded. However, even as his hand was lowering, a bright white light shone out and as they watched, the girl went flying backwards, colliding with one of the actual stone walls, slumping to the ground.

Max looked at Michael in disbelief. "I said..........."

His best friend shook his head sharply. "It wasn't me." He turned to glare at Maria angrily. Max and the others followed his trail of sight. Maria was lowering her own hand, staring at the unconscious girl with as much hate on her face as Max had ever seen.

She looked back at them defiantly. "Wait for what, Max? For her to get another chance at killing us?"

Max didn't know what to say to that, shooting a worried look at the others. Alex was just standing there, staring at the tableau in front of him, clutching tightly to Isabel's hand. And Kyle – he was blinking quickly as if just waking up. "What..........." Kyle's voice trailed off as he took in the sight in front of him. "Oh, no. Damn," he whispered.

Yeah, that pretty much covered it. Max ran over to check the girl's pulse. She was unconscious but still alive – Maria must not have been able to hit her with Michael's full power.

Damn.

Tess was back.

[Anla]

Chapter 16 - Captive Tiger

"I know I left too much mess and destruction to come back again
and I cause nothing but trouble, I understand if you can't talk to me again
and if you live by the rules of it's over then I'm sure that that makes sense but

I will go down with this ship and I won't put my hands up and surrender
there will be no white flag above my door, I'm in love and always will be"

------- "white flag" by Dido


Max knelt there, staring blankly at Tess's unconscious body. She looked so innocent and defenseless, lying there peacefully as if she were asleep. Right, he thought to himself bitterly. Tess has never been innocent.

He had no clue what to do. For all his talk, he'd never really expected to have a situation where he'd be face to face with Tess again. What could have possibly made her come back to Roswell?

He caught a glimpse of movement from the corner of his eye and turned his head to see Maria approaching. "Don't!" he ordered, moving his body slightly so that he was between Maria and Tess. The fury on Maria's face hadn't subsided at all, and the one thing Max was certain of was that he didn't want Tess dead.

Not yet. He wanted answers.

Michael reached over and grabbed Maria's arm, pulling her to an abrupt stop. She tried to pull away, but he held on firmly. "Let me go, Michael," she said, trying to free her arm.

"That's enough," he told her, voice even and cold. She stopped resisting, stunned by what she saw in his face. She didn't think she'd ever seen him so angry at her before.

"Michael........." she started.

"Later." Apparently satisfied that she wasn't going to do anything, he let go of her and turned to Max. "What now, Maxwell?" He refused to look around at the others again. He couldn't see the looks of fear and anger on their faces and still keep control of himself.

Max nodded slowly as Michael's request for guidance got through. "We'd better get her out of here," he said, moving to gather Tess in his arms and lift her. It wasn't hard – she was a tiny thing and didn't weigh much. "We've been lucky so far not to have an audience, but.........." His voice trailed off as a car pulled up and parked alongside the Jeep. The others turned and looked in the direction he was staring.

"Great," Liz muttered as Shalin got out of her car and rapidly approached.

Shalin took it in quickly – the tension in Michael's body, the way the others had gathered protectively around Alex, the body in Max's arms. She gave a bitter laugh. "I had a feeling about the other alien," she said mildly, nodding towards Tess. "But I guess you've already figured that out on your own."

"We're quick that way," Kyle said, voice more than a little uneven. That got Liz's attention, and she went over to give his arm a quick squeeze. He looked at her appreciatively. "Welcome to the reunion."

"We have to get her some place a little more private," Max repeated, starting towards the Jeep. "And we should do it fast. I'm not sure how long she'll stay out of it."

Shalin gestured to Tess. "Why don't you let me take care of her?" she offered.

"No," Max replied instantly.

"Why not?" Isabel asked. "She should be good for something. And I'm not inclined to worry about Tess's well-being."

Shalin glanced over at Isabel and smiled. "Wow – what do you know? Something we actually agree on." She turned back to Max. "Don't worry, Your Majesty." There was something underlying the mockery in her tone that made Michael's head turn to look at her closely. "I promise to get answers from her first." She looked over in the direction of Alex, who hadn't moved an inch since she showed up, apparently frozen in his spot. "They don't need to deal with this," she said quietly. "None of you do."

Max hesitated as he reached the Jeep, glancing at the others – Alex and Kyle with almost identical shell-shocked expressions, the girls practically vibrating with their anger. Maybe Shalin was right. "Isabel, maybe you and Alex should take Kyle and go find the sheriff," he suggested. "Fill him in."

"No," Alex said, pulling himself out of his reverie. "No way, Max."

"We're in this together," Liz insisted.

Shalin bit back her retort, instead shrugging. "Fine, have it your way." She opened the door to the Jeep, ignoring Micheal's eyes on her. "I'll go get Jim." Now she turned to Michael. "You can handle things here?"

He smiled at her. It wasn't pleasant. "Oh, yeah."

Satisfied, she nodded. Max gently put Tess in the back seat. "Where will you be?"

"The UFO Center," he said instantly. He smiled slightly to her. "It'll be empty. And it's almost a tradition to have showdowns with our enemies there." Without another word, Shalin left. Max looked around at the others. "Are you all sure?"

"Yeah." Kyle headed towards his own car. Isabel looked at her brother, uncertainty written all over her face.

"Meet us there," he suggested. Isabel nodded, then took Alex's hand and went after Kyle.

"You should go with them, too," Michael said softly, not looking directly at Maria. "The Jeep won't have much room in it."

Maria started, indignant. "I'm just supposed to go off........."

"Yes." Now Michael did turn to her, eyes burning. "What else are you planning on doing, Maria? Shooting her?" He started towards the Jeep, where Max and Liz had already climbed in. "She's not going to do anything to anyone," he promised.

Maria watched him leave, a cold feeling growing in her stomach. Then she turned and rushed after Alex and Isabel.

-----------------------------------

"Okay," Max muttered, standing up and examining his handiwork. Tess was still unconscious, head tilted backwards over the back of the chair she was sitting in. Sitting with her wrists and ankles securely tied to the chair with as much duct tape as he'd been able to find in the storage closet. He looked at Michael, kneeling and touching the ground where the chair legs met the floor. "The chair secure?"

"Yeah." Michael stood up, frowning. "That chair's not moving from its spot."

Behind them, Isabel paced back and forth. "Please, like duct tape is going to stop her," she protested, gesturing at the two guys. "It wouldn't stop any of us. And we're not homicidal traitors."

"Isabel," Max started, turning to her and trying to speak in a comforting tone.

She wasn't having any of it. "Don't even try, Max! What are we doing here?"

"I'm with Isabel," Maria piped up. "Tying her up isn't going to do anything more than piss her off when she wakes up. We have to do something more."

"Like what?" Michael challenged sharply.

"Gee, I don't know," she shot back. "Like what you want to do?" She could feel the urge to strike out at Tess surging through him, her own anger mixing with it. "Are any of us supposed to buy that you're suddenly into forgiving her for what she did?"

"None of us are forgiving her," Max interrupted firmly. "But we're not going to just murder her, either."

"Fine, Max," Liz said, frustration lacing her tone, "but then what are we going to do with her? Maria and Isabel are right about that."

"Of course they are." He turned to meet Liz's eyes. "I'm not saying we just let her go." Almost unnoticed by the others, Alex inched forward, stopping a few feet away from Tess and crouching down, staring at her with a frown of concentration.

"Do you have any idea of what to do?" Liz asked, voice softer.

Max broke the eye contact. "I'm working on it," he replied, voice calm. He hoped nobody could tell how panicked he felt himself at Tess's reappearance. If he let that out, if he didn't try to keep the tension in the room down a notch, there was no telling what the group would rush into doing. But having Tess prisoner was like catching a tiger by its tail. You can't let it go, but you can't hold on to it forever, either. Even captive, Tess was dangerous.

The burst of hysterical laughter drew everyone's attention away from Tess. As everyone else turned to Kyle, Alex inched even close to Tess. Not noticing his friend's movement, Kyle shook his head. "You're working on it? That's real reassuring, Evans."

Max stood up. "Kyle........"

"Too bad you guys don't have kryptonite or something," Kyle interrupted him. "Because I'm thinking that we're all in pretty big trouble when she wakes up."

"There's that drug from the Special Unit," Liz suggested, "The one that neutralizes your powers."

"Yeah, but we don't have any of it," Maria argued. "And we can't exactly run down to Walgreens and pick up a prescription."

But at Liz's words, Max turned back to Tess. "I wonder........." he muttered, kneeling back down.

Isabel noticed how Kyle was starting to shiver. "Kyle, are you okay?"

He looked at her like she was nuts. "Hell, yeah. I'm just peachy. Just waiting to see who she tries to kill next. Maybe we should place bets."

Liz put her hand on his arm. "Kyle, even if she wakes up........"

"If she wakes up, we're screwed." He shook off Liz's hand and moved away, to the far-end of the UFO Center. Isabel started to go after him, then paused, looking back at Alex. Alex? she sent.

He turned, eyes meeting hers. Go after him. He needs you now. I'll be okay.

Still, she hesitated. But finally, she nodded and went after Kyle. "Hey – you're not the only one on the anti-Tess bandwagon here, you know," she pointed out. "After everything she's done, there's no way we're going to give her any chance to hurt us again."

"Really?" Kyle kept his back turned to her, voice bitter. "Even with Max in charge?"

Isabel thought about it for a second. "Max isn't any happier about Tess being here than the rest of us are," she said slowly. "And he's ................." She took a breath, thinking about her brother, everything they'd seen and been through. "Max will take care of it," she said firmly. Kyle turned to her, expression of disbelief on his face. "I mean it," she repeated. "Max wants answers. But that doesn't mean he won't deal with her, however he has to." Her mouth twisted. "And even if he wouldn't, trust me. No way are Michael or I going to let that bitch go."

"I know," Kyle admitted. "It's just.........." He took a deep breath. "I was playing basketball," he went on. "Minding my own business. Just playing ball. Then the next thing I know, you guys are there, asking me what's wrong. And there's Tess." His blue eyes looked into hers, pleading. "She did it to me again. She mindwarped me."

Isabel shook her head, more in sympathy than denial. She didn't know what to say.

"Who knows what she did to me? What she had me do?"

Isabel tried to give him some comfort. "I don't think she had much time to do anything, you know. We got there pretty fast."

As if he didn't hear her, Kyle went on, expression and voice both growing firmer. "You need to find out. Go inside my mind and see what really happened."

"Kyle, I'm not sure that's such a good.........."

"I need to know, Iz," he cut her off. "That's the worst part. I can't stand not knowing, having her crawl around inside my head, changing things, making me see things that aren't there, do things I wouldn't do......." He shuddered. "I need to know," he repeated simply.

Isabel could understand his horror at the idea of what Tess did to him. She had felt it herself, when Kivar was using her own mind and thoughts against her. Still..... "But it's okay for me to go in your mind?" She wanted to make sure he was really thinking through what he was asking her.

"Yeah." Kyle grinned quickly. "You're invited. Besides, I trust you, Iz." Isabel was touched. After everything they'd been through, after the way she'd hurt him doing precisely what he was now asking her to do, Kyle could still trust her. "Just be a little more gentle this time, okay?" His smile took the sting away from that statement.

"I'll try." Isabel searched his eyes. "You're sure?" When he nodded, Isabel reached out and took his hands, not losing eye contact.

Isabel knew Kyle so well, the two of them had become so close, that the connection was instantaneous and easy. This time around, she was more careful, gliding along and following the path of his thoughts rather than barging through them. She was determined not to cause him any pain this time. Kyle had had enough nightmares because of them.

It wasn't hard to find the haze in his memories caused by Tess's mindwarp. And then to disperse them, revealing what had really happened.

"Hold on, Isabel." Kyle looked over to see what had caught his attention, phone dangling from his hand.

What he saw wasn't anything he had expected.

Tess stepped out into view. "Hey, Kyle."

Stunned, the first thing Kyle thought was that she was looking good. Then he shook his head, disgusted at himself, yanking up the phone to call for help.

But Tess was faster than him. She rushed across the basketball court, a blur of motion, grabbing the phone from him and turning it off.

Kyle stepped back instantly, wanting to turn and run but afraid to take his eyes off the slight girl approaching him. "Tess."

"Yeah." She smiled a little sadly at him. "It's been a while."

"What the hell are you doing back?" he burst out. "Are you insane? After everything you did – to Max, to Alex, to me?" He honestly had never thought she'd be stupid enough to come back. He'd held on to that belief, hoping it meant he would never have to see her again.

"I would never hurt you, Kyle." When he kept backing away from her, she stopped, arms outstretched pleadingly in front of her. "Don't you know that, Kyle?"

"Right," he spat out, his anger starting to get the better of his fear. "I could tell that from the way you used me to cover up a murder. You've got a really interesting way of showing you care, Tess. I mean, I guess I should consider myself lucky. I didn't get crushed by any giant boulders or sent back to evil aliens who want to kill me. All I did was have my mind messed with by the person I trusted the most." His voice shook with his fury. "How could you do it, Tess? We all trusted you. Dad and I took you in, made you part of our family."

"I know," she rushed out. For a second, he almost thought he could see hurt in her eyes, but he knew better than to believe that from Tess now. "Don't you think I know that?" She wrapped her arms around herself. "I never, never, meant to hurt you, Kyle. Or D.... Valenti."

"Well, you did." He said flatly. "You hurt us all. What the hell do you want from us now? Going to take another chance at mass destruction and mayhem? I mean, you're really, really good at it."

"No, that's not........." She shook her head. "I hoped...." she whispered.

"You hoped what?" His mind cautioned him about pissing off the dangerous alien, but Kyle couldn't help himself, voice raising as his anger continued to take over. "That I'd just forget about what you did? That all would be forgiven? Are you that delusional?" He approached her, hands clenced in furious fists. Tess backed away a step. "You should never have come back to Roswell," he pointed out. "Although I suppose Michael will be happy to see you again." He held out his hands. "You know what? I'm not having this conversation. Do whatever the hell you're going to do and get it over with. But I am not playing any of your mind games anymore." He couldn't believe he'd ever loved her, ever trusted her. She could kill him – there wasn't much he could do to stop her. But he refused to listen to any of her protestations about how much she cared.

He'd had enough of her lies.

"You don't understand, Kyle," she started. Then her head shot around and she looked out at the road. Kyle could hear what sounded like a car approaching in the distance. "Damn," she murmured. Then she turned back. "I'm sorry, Kyle. Really." She closed her eyes.

Kyle found himself back in the UFO Center, taking an unsteady step back. Isabel reached out to help steady him. "Are you okay?" she asked, brown eyes warm with concern. "It didn't hurt or anything, did it?"

"Nope." He managed to pull up a smile. "At least, not your part of things."

She nodded, frowning. "I saw. What happened, I mean," she said hesitantly. "I couldn't not........"

"It's okay." Kyle didn't want Isabel feeling badly about that.

"Maybe she meant it," Isabel said softly. "About not wanting to hurt you or your dad, I mean." Not that Isabel really believed it herself, but if the thought would help Kyle.....

Kyle laughed bitterly. "Does it matter? So she didn't slit our throats in our sleep or anything. She doesn't get any prizes for that." He turned away, looking at where the others were gathered around Tess, eyes hard and cold. "After what she did – she deserves whatever she gets."

"Kyle, none of us blame you, you know." Kyle turned back to face Isabel. "For what happened to Alex," she explained. "It wasn't your fault."

"I know that," he argued.

"Do you?" she asked pointedly. "Deep down, do you know that? It was Tess and Lonnie. We all know that. Alex most of all." She put her hand on his arm, hoping to give him some comfort. "He knows that you would never do anything to hurt him. We all know we can trust you."

Kyle shook his head. For so long, he had been the one on the outside looking in, the one searching for answers, and even after he learned the truth, he still hadn't really been part of the group. "The way we all knew we could trust Tess?"

"That's different," she said quickly. "You've been in the connection – don't you know how we feel about you?"

He closed his eyes. "This is getting dangerously close to goopy girl-talk, you know, Iz," he said, trying to keep his tone light.

"Well, I'm a girl," she pointed out. "Although I'm not sure I like having the term 'goopy' applied to me," she warned. "None of us are going to blame you for what you may be feeling about Tess. You're allowed to be a little confused at having her back again."

He took a deep breath and opened his eyes, meeting her concerned look. "Thanks, Iz. Really. But I'm not confused." He looked back over at Tess. "We can't trust her."

-----------------------------------------

"What is it?" Max asked quietly, kneeling next to Alex, seeing the way his friend was staring at Tess's unconscious form. He glanced over his shoulder. Maria and Liz were talking in whispers a little distance away, while Michael was keeping a close eye on Tess. "What are you thinking?" He would have expected Alex to want to keep as much distance between him and Tess as possible – after all, she had almost killed him. But after the initial shock, Alex seemed to be handling seeing her again fairly well. Maybe too well – Max wasn't sure he was the best judge of healthy emotional responses.

"I'm not sure," Alex admitted, sitting back and turning to Max, frustration written on his face. "Things are still too blurry. But there's something there – I just can't quite remember it." He let out an exasperated breath. "Something's wrong."

Michael snorted. "We have an alien attempted murderer duct taped to a chair," he bit out. "Yeah, I'd say something was wrong." Maria and Liz looked over, listening.

"That's not what I meant." Alex turned back to Tess. "Something's wrong with her."

"I think being a psychotic loony could definitely be classified as being wrong," Maria suggested. She pointed to Tess. "We have to do something with her. Honestly – have the two of you forgotten what she tried to do to you?"

"No," Alex said shortly, standing up as Isabel and Kyle walked back to them. "It's something about that day in the desert." He glanced at Kyle. "We followed Tess out there."

"Yeah," Kyle said slowly. "You said that something was wrong."

"But I wasn't sure what it was." Alex closed his eyes, and Isabel reached for him. He held her hand gratefully. "I think I recognize it now."

"What?" Liz asked.

"Something was off about Tess. I just knew it, even if I couldn't explain what it was." Opening his eyes, Alex looked around at them all. "I've had more practice now," he went on, bitterness creeping into his voice.

Before he could continue, the doors opened, and they heard frantic footsteps pounding down the stairs. Valenti came rushing over to them. "Dear God," he breathed, coming to a sudden stop, staring at Tess. His eyes flew around the group. "Everyone's okay?"

"I told you they were fine," Shalin pointed out, coming up behind him at a slower rate. "He didn't believe me," she added to the others.

Michael went to the Skin. "Lexy?"

"Is with her grandmother," Shalin replied. "Don't worry – I have someone watching the house. There won't be a repeat of the Patterson incident."

"But Tess is here," Maria pointed out. Then her eyes grew wide. "You think that Tess isn't alone?"

"I think that we shouldn't take chances." Shalin turned to listen to the others.

"We're fine, Sheriff," Isabel assured him.

He still wasn't convinced. "Kyle?" he asked, turning to hold his son by the shoulders, looking him over closely.

A little embarrased, Kyle shrugged out of his grasp. "I'm okay, Dad."

"Shalin said she just showed up?" Valenti looked down at Tess, noticing how still she was, his sense of dread doubling. "Is she........."

"She's not dead," Michael answered bluntly. "Just knocked out."

"Which is something that still hasn't been adequately explained to me," Shalin piped in.

"We're not killing her," Max said steadily.

"If it's too hard for you all, I understand," Shalin said reasonably, moving closer to Max. "I can take care of it for you." Michael's head spun quickly from studying Tess to stare at Shalin, a thought occuring to him. Instantly noticing, Shalin took a step back from Max. "I already told you that."

Valenti turned to glare at the Skin. "We're not just going to kill an unconscious girl."

"Right," Shalin answered sarcastically. "Because it makes a whole lot more sense to let her regain consciousness so that she can mindwarp you all into walking in front of a train or something."

"We're not killing her," Max repeated. "End of story."

"So speaks the king?" she mocked.

"Yes," Max answered quietly, meeting her eyes evenly.

She let out an annoyed breath. "You are so irritating," she argued. "She's a clear and present threat. And you're just going to let her walk around, planning to kill you?"

Despite everything, that got a small smile from Max. "Wouldn't be the first time lately."

"She's not going to have the restrictions that I have," Shalin pointed out.

"I think I have an idea of how to fix that." Max turned to his sister. "But I'm going to need your help."

"My help for what?" Isabel asked, confused.

Liz moved a step closer. "You've thought of some way to control Tess?"

"I think so." He looked at her. "I actually got the idea from you. The mention of those drugs the Special Unit used."

"So what? We're just gonna whip up some in the employee kitchen?" Kyle wasn't sure where Max was going with this idea.

"Better." Max glanced at Shalin out of the corner of his eye. "I think I can connect with Tess and do the same thing the drugs would. Turn off her powers myself."

"Max – do you really think you can do that?" Liz asked. The thought would have never occurred to her.

He shrugged. "It shouldn't be too different from going in to heal. Just the flip side of the same operation."

"Creating the damage instead of healing it?" Shalin asked cuttingly.

"Hopefully, it won't damage her – just inhibit her powers." Max looked around at the group, noticing the mixed expressions on their faces. "That's what I need Isabel's help for – to make sure I don't do any damage."

"It's the brain, Max," Liz said slowly. "The chances of you accidentally causing permanent damage.........."

"Do any of you really care enough about that possibility to let her go loose, powers intact?" Max countered.

Nobody spoke for a moment. "No," Michael finally said. "Go for it, Max."

Isabel shot a nervous look at Alex. You can do it, he assured her. There was something very calming about his thought, as if he had no doubts. It'll be okay.

You think this will work? she asked.

Yeah. A slight hesitation. Tell me if you........... Then he shook his head. Never mind.

Puzzled, Isabel was going to ask him about that last bit, but Max took her hand. "Come on, Iz." He moved over to put his other hand on Tess's forehead, preparing to make the connection. "I need you to guide me around in there."

Shalin moved alongside them. "If she moves before you flip the off switch, I'm killing her," she warned. "Orders or not, I'm not going to let her kill any of you." Then, seeing the way they all turned to stare at her, she smiled, amused. "That's my job, after all. Can't let her have the fun."

"Max," Valenti said, voice a little shaky. When the teen turned, he went on. "Be careful."

"I will," he promised. Max wasn't certain that Michael had been correct in his earlier statement – Valenti was clearly tense and worried about what they were about to do. Then Max pushed other thoughts away and put all his attention to forming the connections with Tess and Isabel, looking for the part of Tess's brain that controlled her powers.

------------------------------------------

Maria glanced back and forth from Michael to the trio in front of them. Max and Isabel were clearly concentrating hard on what they were doing, ignoring the others as they focused on Tess. Michael was watching them intently, jaw and fists both clenched tightly. As she watched, Maria saw Shalin glance over from where she was standing to meet Michael's eyes for a minute. He met the Skin's eyes steadily. Something passed between them, Maria could tell. But she had no idea what.

Maria inched closer to Michael. All his tension was back – she could practically feel the air between them crackling with it. He wanted to lash out, very badly. "What was that?" she whispered.

"What was what?" he snapped back, eyes still on Shalin, who had looked away and back towards Max.

"What's going on with you and Shalin?" she pressed, trying not to get sidetracked by the anger she heard in his voice.

Now he looked at her. "Nothing."

She stared at him, momentarily speechless. He'd just straight-out lied to her, something which he should have known better than to try since the tiasa. "Yeah, I believe that," she shot back.

"Don't worry about it," he said. "It's not your problem."

Maria wrapped her arms tightly around herself. "If it's something involving you and Shalin, then........."

"It's my problem, not yours," he interrupted firmly. "I'll deal with it."

"Michael, talk to me........"

Suddenly, he broke away from her and moved over to the others. Maria turned to watch, and saw him catch Max before he fell to the ground, getting to his friend before Shalin could. Shalin backed away in silence. Maria frowned, trying to figure out exactly what was going on.

There was tension there, even more than the stress created by Tess's return.

"Did it work?" Liz asked, kneeling down next to Max. He slowly blinked his eyes open and turned his head to her.

"I think so." Max pulled away from Michael and got to his feet shakily. Alex had gone to stand beside Isabel, wrapping his arms around her. "What do you think?"

Isabel shook her head. "I have no clue. This was your idea, brother mine, remember? I think it's a longshot."

"You even being here is a longshot," Shalin pointed out. "None of you should even be alive."

Isabel smiled bitterly. "Is that your way of showing support?"

Shalin shrugged. "We'll find out if it worked soon enough." She gestured towards Tess. "She's regaining consciousness."

"You can tell that?" Valenti asked, surprised, then sighed. "Of course you can." He headed towards the back room of the museum.

"Dad?" Kyle asked, confused. "Where are you going?"

"I'll be right back." He took his gun out of its holster. "I'm just going to put this someplace secure. If Max wasn't able to turn her power off, I don't want to end up shooting one of you, thinking it's someone else."

That put a chill down Liz's spine. She shivered, and noticed that Maria's face had the same pale look on it. "Good idea," she muttered. They had to keep in mind how dangerous Tess's mindwarping powers could be.

"It worked," Max said, more certain this time. "I could feel it. It was like something clicked." He glanced at Liz, and managed a reassuring smile. "Not the most scientific explanation, I know. But it did work."

"And if it didn't?" Michael asked quietly.

Max took a deep breath. "If it didn't, and she tries anything," he looked at Alex, "then you warn us the second she tries to mindwarp us." Alex nodded silently. Max turned to his second. "Then you take care of it." Max looked back at Tess. "However you have to." He wasn't willing to risk any of their lives. Not even for answers from Tess.

Alex could feel something bothering Isabel. Something beyond Tess's reappearance. What is it?

Isabel frowned. I'm not sure. When I was in her mind.......... She shook herself. I thought I sensed something.

Alex sighed. I know. Isabel whipped around to look at him. "Before she wakes up, you guys should know something," Alex addressed them all. "Isabel sensed something in Tess's mind. So did I."

"What?" Kyle asked, his father coming back to them.

"I don't know," Isabel said. "It might be nothing."

"It was Kivar," Alex said firmly. "Kivar's been in her mind." He met Isabel's eyes. "And you know it, Iz."

She frowned. "Fine," she admitted. It did seem familiar. But that doesn't mean anything........"

"Whoa, hold on!" Kyle held out his hands out in a 'stop' gesture. "You guys are saying that Kivar's done the telepathic mind meld thing with Tess?"

"That's probably how they communicate with each other," Liz suggested. "Which means that she could have told him what's going on here......"

"That's not what I sensed," Alex interrupted. "That's not what I sensed that day, before everything happened."

"Something's wrong," Kyle murmured, eyes growing wide as he turned back to look at Tess.

"Yeah." Alex shrugged. "It feels like when Kivar tried to get into my mind. When he was influencing you, Iz. And that's not all." This was the part his mind had tried to shy away from. "Lonnie's been in there, too."

"Is that right?" Max said calmly.

Isabel closed her eyes tightly. "Yes," she whispered. "It's like fingerprints, all over Tess's mind and memories. There's been some sort of mental contact with the two of them." Her eyes opened, and she met Alex. "But there's no telling what type of contact it was."

"Wait a minute," Maria spoke quickly. "Someone explain to me exactly what you're saying."

"They're saying that Kivar may have influenced Tess," Shalin said bluntly, leaning casually against a wall. "But they're not sure."

"It wasn't like what I felt in Michael's mind," Isabel argued. "There was no separation, no division."

"No, there wouldn't be." Shalin looked at Michael. "Tym was a rather special case."

Max looked at her. "What do you know about this?"

"I don't know anything," she replied. "But I have suspicions." She smiled at him. "And so did you, Your Majesty. Didn't you?"

He hesitated, glancing around at the others. "It never made sense to me," he admitted. "Tess betraying us like that."

Shalin sighed. "Betrayal doesn't ever make sense to the one being betrayed, you idiot."

"Could we maybe cut out the insults for a while?" Maria snapped. "Are you guys saying that it's okay for Tess to have tried to kill us because Kivar might have done something to her?"

"No, that's not what we're saying," Michael argued. "None of this matters."

Max looked at him with disbelief. "What do you mean, it doesn't matter? Of course it matters."

"If Kivar was controlling Tess," Valenti argued.

"He wasn't controlling her. Not like you mean," Michael said with disgust. "Right, Alex?"

Alex let out a breath. "I don't know," he admitted. "I don't think so. Not the way that he would have controlled you if Isabel hadn't managed to stop him. But still........."

"So maybe Kivar had some contact with her, helped encourage her to betray you all," Shalin argued. "The way that he managed to encourage Vilandra to betray you on Antar." She shot Isabel a look of pure venom. "But Vilandra still made her decision. Her perspective may have been skewed by Kivar, but it was still her call to turn on you all."

"If Kivar really did have something to do with what happened, then there are extenuating circumstances," Valenti argued.

"Jim, you want so hard to believe that your precious 'daughter' didn't really turn on you all," Shalin shot back. "It's great that you're loyal and all, but really? In this case, it's completely misplaced. The girl did what she did – end of story."

"Shalin's right," Michael agreed.

"I would have thought you two of all people..........."

Michael interrupted Max. "Have you ever heard either of us say what we did wasn't our fault?"

Shalin chimed in. "Kivar may have pushed us in certain directions, but ultimately, we made our choices. And even if he did mess with Tess's mind.........."

"New York." Everyone turned to look at Liz. "Max, you said that when you were in New York, Lonnie and Rath ran off with Tess. And she was all disoriented when you found her." She frowned, concentrating. "And then, when Kivar had Isabel – Tess went after Lonnie alone. She was acting really weird when she came back."

"Kivar could have gotten to her then, through Nicholas," Max spoke softly. "And none of us noticed anything." He glanced over. "Except you, Alex."

"Ugh." Shalin groaned. "You're jumping to conclusions. You're ready to give her a get out of jail free card?"

"Even if Kivar did influence her, she still made her call," Michael agreed. "Still tried to kill Alex. Still tried to give Max over to Kivar."

"Almost killed me, and Lexy," Maria added, voice grim. "She almost killed our baby before she was even born."

"Yeah." Michael met his teela-mei's eyes, and for a minute, there was no more anger in them. Or at least, not anger towards her. For that one moment, they were in complete agreement. "If it wasn't a complete possession, then Tess is still responsible for her actions." Now he glanced at Shalin, smirking. "Right, Shalin?"

Max frowned, noticing the way the Skin tensed at Michael's tone. She didn't show any emotion in her voice when she answered, though. "Short of actually possesing someone, Kivar and the others could only nudge someone to be more of who they actually were. Increase emotions and tendencies that were already there."

"See?" Michael asked, voice soft yet razor-sharp. "Shalin knows what she's talking about."

For the instant, it was like the two were the only ones in the room. "Yes, I do, Tym," she replied, same dangerous tone in her voice. "Tess wouldn't have tried to betray you if she didn't have that capacity already." Without turning away from Michael, she pointed towards the chair. "Of course, you can ask her yourself. Now."

As she spoke, there was a noise from the chair, and they all turned to look. Tess's eyes fluttered slowly open. "Ow," she muttered, trying to focus on the scene in front of her. "Oh," she said, a little louder, as she spotted Max in front of her.

"Hello, Tess," he said quietly.

"Max." She pulled against the tape.

Michael stepped up next to his king. "Didn't think you'd ever be stupid enough to come back." Tess closed her eyes. Michael rolled his own. "Whatever." He shot a quick burst of energy at the ground next to Tess's feet. Her eyes shot back open at the explosion, a panicked expression in them.

"What did you do to me?" She kept pulling against her bonds, trying to move away, glance darting around the group. Then all the color drained from her face, eyes practically popping out of her head. If it had been anyone else, Maria might have felt sorry for her – she was so clearly terrified. "You're dead!" she screamed, practically falling over backwards in the chair, she was trying so hard to back away. "You can't be here!"

"Surprise, surprise," Alex answered, folding his arms in front of his chest and hoping that nobody would notice the way his hands were shaking at confronting Tess again.

"You're pretty incompetent at the whole killing-people-thing, Tess," Michael remarked, watching her with deadly cold eyes. "Guess you lack the practice some of us have."

"I didn't kill you?" Tess ignored Michael, staying focused on Alex. "Really? This isn't some sort of trick? You're really alive?"

"A trick?" Maria snorted. "You're the one who plays mind tricks, remember?"

"Alex is alive," Liz added. "No thanks to you."

Tess's eyes glistened. "Oh, good," she whispered. "I'm glad."

"Right," Kyle remarked sarcastically. "Because the whole dropping a boulder thing was just an accident."

Tess looked at Kyle. "I made a mistake," she started. "But I never wanted to hurt either of you."

"A mistake?" Ignoring the restraining hand Liz placed on his arm, Kyle got into Tess's face, screaming. "A mistake would be putting tabasco on the fries instead of ketchup! You tried to murder Alex! That's not a mistake!" He put his hands on her shoulders and shook her, as hard as he could considering the fact that the chair couldn't move.

Tess's head flew back and forth. "I'm sorry!" she screamed back, tears streaming down her face. "I didn't want to hurt him. I just couldn't let him stop me. I had to do it!"

"Why?" Max asked sharply. "Why did you do it, Tess?" She didn't answer, just looked away, down at the ground.

"Kyle," Liz said warningly, pulling him back, away from Tess. Face still twisted in anger, he let her lead him back a few steps.

"You want us to believe that you didn't want to hurt anyone?" Isabel asked, moving closer, standing side by side with Max and Michael. "Then explain trying to turn Max over to Kivar. Did you think Kivar was just going to sit down for tea and cookies with him?"

Tess took a breath, visibly trying to get herself under control. When she looked back up, the tears had stopped, and while she was still pale and shaken, she had her voice under control again. "No, Isabel. I'm not going to tell you that."

"You knew that sending him back to Antar was a death sentence." Michael's voice grew lower as he clenched his fists. Max's earlier words were the only thing keeping him from blasting her through the wall right then and there. That, and the fact that the sheriff was standing just a few feet away. "And you were okay with that. Not to mention the danger you put Maria and the baby in."

Tess looked over at Maria closely for the first time. "Is the baby okay?"

"Like you care," she spat out.

Tess glanced from Maria back to Michael. "She is, isn't she? If she wasn't, then you would have killed me already."

"You tried to kill us!" Maria's voice trembled with anger. "God, we should start a club!" She waved her arm around at the group. "Who here haven't you betrayed and tried to murder?"

"I did not try to kill you!" Tess argued.

They all stared at her in disbelief. "Do you honestly think that any of us are going to believe you?" Liz asked, shaking her head. "You threw her across the Granolith chamber, right into a stone wall." She could still remember the icy fear that clenched her heart when she saw her best friend go flying like that.

"That was a diversion," Tess insisted. "I wasn't going to just stand there and let Michael ............" Her voice trailed off as she met her former friend's eyes. "Well, let's say I didn't think you had tea and cookies on your mind, either."

"Some diversion," Liz muttered bitterly. "But what was one more murder to you?"

"Max was there." Everyone turned to look at Alex as he spoke quietly. He stared fixedly at Tess. "She knew that he would be able to heal Maria. She didn't think that Maria or the baby were in any danger then." He shook his head. "It was still a big risk."

"I know," she admitted.

Suddenly, Maria leapt forward, smacking Tess's face. The loud slap echoed through the room. Michael grabbed her from behind and pulled her backwards. "You put my baby at risk for a diversion? You bitch! I'll rip your head off myself!"

"No, you won't," Max said firmly. "Not yet anyway." He turned to look back at Tess. "Why send me back to Kivar?" he asked again, voice even and emotionless. "After everything we'd been through, after everything Kivar did to us – why would you side with him?"

Tess's blue eyes met his. "I had to," she said. "I don't expect you to understand, but I had to."

"You're right," he agreed. "I don't understand. So explain it to me." She shook her head mutely. "Tess........" he started, voice growing more annoyed, but the sheriff interrupted.

"Tess," she turned to him as he spoke, voice commanding. "Tell us what happened. Why did you do it? Why turn to Kivar?" When she still didn't say anything, he went on, voice unyielding. "We deserve the truth."

She nodded slowly. "I had to do it," she repeated. "That was the deal. Give the king to Kivar. It was the only way the rest of us would survive. If he had Max, then he'd leave the rest of us alone."

"Yeah, sure," Kyle retorted. "Kivar's not going to rest until all three of them are dead. And probably us humans, too, just to be on the safe side."

"No," she insisted fervantly. "I didn't want to give you over, Max, but it was the only way. This way the rest of you would be safe. If I didn't fulfill the deal, then he was going to kill you all. Starting with you, Kyle. And the sheriff." Her voice pleaded with them. "I couldn't let that happen. I had to finish what Nasedo started."

Michael laughed bitterly. "That's right. I almost forgot. The supposed deal Nasedo made with Kivar." He shook his head. "It would never have happened. Believe me – if Nasedo wanted Max dead or handed back to Kivar, then it would have happened a long time ago."

"No, Michael, you're wrong," she insisted. "Nasedo made the deal to protect the rest of us. He couldn't save us all, but he could save three of us." She looked at Max. "I don't blame you for hating me. But I had to make the call, save as many as I could."

Max looked at Michael. "Are you sure? About Nasedo?"

Michael kept his eyes on Tess. "Maxwell, I trained him myself. For one thing, he was loyal to the king. Really loyal." His lips twisted as he looked down at Tess. "For another, he wasn't as incompetent at murder as his little apprentice here." Alex's head jerked up at that. "If he wanted you dead, you would be dead." Michael shrugged. "He could have killed all of us over the years. It's not like we had any clue about what was really going on."

Then Max looked at Isabel. "Iz?"

She concentrated, frowning as she studied Tess, trying to catch hold of her thoughts. "She's telling the truth," she said finally. "Nasedo made the deal."

"And you never really thought about going against Nasedo's orders, did you?" Alex asked.

Tess looked at him, confused. "I'm not asking for forgiveness," she said. "After what I did to you, I know I don't deserve it. I had to finish the mission. It was the only way."

Alex nodded as if satisfied. He looked at Shalin. "So, since you're our resident expert on Skin brainwashing – was Nasedo one of those Skins who could nudge people into doing what he wanted?"

Shalin looked to Michael. "I don't know," she admitted. "Was he?"

"What are you talking about?"

They all ignored Tess's question. "Urza knew some things," Michael said, remembering back. "He wasn't trained as a Teacher........."

"A teacher?" Maria jumped in. "I can't think of anyone less inclined to teach kids."

"That's what we called our trainers," Shalin explained, slightly irritated. "But?"

"But I don't know. Maybe. He probably wasn't strong enough to influence an adult, but......." Michael looked to Alex. "Why?"

"Well, I was just thinking about what you guys said. How they can take people's natural inclinations and just reinforce them." He looked from Michael to Shalin. "That's what those Teachers of yours did, right? Took your anger and hate, yadda yadda, made them stronger? Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, etcetera, etcetera."

"Yes," Shalin agreed.

"Well, what's stronger than a child's desire to please her parent?" Alex waved his hand towards Tess. "And it's not like Nasedo would want to stop and explain things to a little girl if he needed her to follow his directions quickly. He would want to make sure she followed his orders quickly."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Tess snapped, still straining against her bonds.

"Oh, would you stop that?" Maria burst out, annoyed. "You're not going to get loose, so just stop being so damn annoying."

"Maria," Valenti said in a low voice.

"What?" She turned to him, angry. "When did any of us become her defense attorneys? We're making excuses for what she did!"

"Nobody's making excuses, Maria." Alex took her hands in his. "Do you think I would do that?"

Maria had to look away. "No," she admitted. "But then what are we doing here?"

"We're trying to figure out what happened," Max replied.

Tess had grown still, watching them all carefully. "You're saying that Nasedo did something to my mind growing up?" she asked quietly.

"What do you think?" Alex countered.

"No," she said with certainty. "I don't think so."

Shalin sighed. "It's possible," she admitted. "It would be a logical thing to do, to ensure obedience. This way he wouldn't have to worry about his Royal doing something stupid and getting herself killed." She rolled her eyes. "I can sympathize."

Max's lips twitched, but he kept himself from responding. "So if Tess was predisposed to obey Nasedo, then she would feel the need to follow through on the deal with Kivar," he theorized.

"There was no deal with Kivar," Michael repeated stubbornly. "I'm telling you – it doesn't make any sense."

"All that would matter is if Tess believed that there was a deal," Max countered. He turned to her. "When was the first time you heard about it?"

She watched him warily. "I don't remember," she admitted.

Isabel moved closer, trying to work her way through the muddle of images coming from the other alien. Alex noticed. Iz?

It's a mess in there, she sent to him. Then one image came clearly into focus. "It was Nicholas," she spoke up so the others could hear. When they turned to her, she went on. "In New York. Nicholas told her about the so-called deal."

"Nykal?" Shalin asked. "Well, that explains that. He wouldn't miss a prime opportunity like that. And he was certainly strong enough to get inside any of your minds and mess with them, especially since Nasedo already laid the groundwork."

"Nobody messed with my mind," Tess continued, indignant.

Shalin smacked her on the back of her head. "You stupid little moron," she said. "It's really not in your best interest to keep denying that, you know." She looked at Max. "Can I please kill her now, Your Majesty?"

Tess glared at the Skin. "Who are you anyway?"

"Someone I trust a whole lot more than I do you," Max answered.

"For whatever that's worth," Liz muttered.

"I made my own choices," Tess continued. "Lonnie told me that I had to go through with the deal. Otherwise, the sheriff and Kyle would die. And then the rest of you. I made the decision."

"Yeah, you did." Michael looked at Max. "Even if Kivar and Nicholas did somehow influence Tess..........."

"They did." Alex's voice allowed no room for argument.

"Fine," Michael conceded the point, "it doesn't change anything. If anything, it makes her even more dangerous." He shot the small blond a cold look. "She'll do it again at the first opportunity. Won't you?" Tess was silent, simply glaring back.

"I think that's a yes," Kyle answered for her. "Great." He let out a frustrated sigh. "Why did you even come back here, Tess?"

She turned to him. "Kyle........."

"It's obviously not to make things up to us," he went on, voice rising towards hysteria. Liz put her hand on his arm again, giving him silent support. "Seeing as how you plan on turning on us again at the first sign of trouble."

"I was trying to protect you!" she said, frustration coloring her voice. "Why can't you see that? Any of you?" she turned her head to the sheriff, eyes pleading.

Valenti stood silently, but Kyle didn't have that problem. "We're a group, Tess. We stick by each other." He shook his head with disgust. "Although I guess you never quite got that, did you?"

"Why did you come back?" Michael asked, voice still deadly quiet. "You're not stupid, Tess. You're a lot of things, but stupid isn't one of them. So why come back here? You must have known how things would go down when we saw you again."

Tess met his eyes steadily, no fear or avoidance now, all business. "Where's the Granolith?"

Michael looked quickly to Max, who answered. "The Granolith? Last we saw it, you were speeding off in it to Antar. Although apparently you decided to make a detour."

"Not by choice," Tess bit back. "Isabel's shot damaged it – made it crash back on Earth."

"Oh, so sorry about that," Isabel retorted.

Tess ignored her. "Where is it, Max?" she repeated.

Max looked her directly in the eye. "I have no idea," he answered, voice level. Shalin was impressed – nothing in his voice or his body language gave a hint that he was lying. "What? Forgot where you parked it?"

Tess apparently believed him. She closed her eyes, slumping back in the chair. "Then Kivar has it," she said softly. "It's vanished from where I hid it. I thought you all had it......"

"So you came back to retrieve it?" Kyle laughed. "Great, Tess."

Her eyes opened. "Would you rather Kivar have it? You know what it can do to the planet!"

Valenti knelt next to her. "So you do care, huh?"

She looked at him, a lost expression in her eyes. "Of course, I care. I was trying to minimize the damage. We can't win against him. We can't." She looked around at the group. "You all know that, don't you? Kivar's going to win. They're too strong for us to beat. We have to deal. Otherwise, we're all going to die. One by one, until there's no one left."

"Shut up," Max said, voice cold and furious as all his self-control snapped. He leaned down, speaking right in Tess's face. "Kivar is not going to win. Not this time. You chose the wrong side, Tess." He reached out his hand, placing it almost gently on the side of her head. She looked at him wildly, feeling the energy pulsating through his palm.

"Max," Michael said, quietly warning.

"We are going to win," Max continued. "This time around, Kivar's the one who's going to lose everything."

Valenti's hand clasped his shoulder. "Max, maybe you should take a break."

"Go on," Shalin agreed. "Jim and I can watch the traitor for a few minutes." She smiled chillingly. "We'll make sure she behaves."

Max nodded. "Fine." He pushed himself back to his feet, and walked away. He noticed that the others were using the opportunity to put some distance between themselves and Tess, too, moving to separate corners of the UFO Center, although they kept shooting uneasy glances back at their captive.

----------------------------------

[Anla]

Max walked away to the back room, needing some time and privacy to get control of himself. He almost laughed – here he'd been so worried about Michael and Isabel's responses to Tess, and for an instant, he had almost been the one to lose control.

He hadn't felt such a desire to hurt someone with his powers since Pierce. Since the White Room.

"Guess it can't be easy knowing that you're the one she's so eager to give up to Kivar, huh?" Michael asked.

Max sighed. He hadn't even realized his friend had followed him, but it wasn't really surprising. "Maybe you should make sure Maria's okay," he suggested.

Michael shrugged, closing the door behind him. "Maria's fine." He looked at Max. "You, though. What the hell are you thinking?"

Max sighed, suddenly exhausted. "Are you talking about the fact that I won't let you or Shalin kill her? Or the fact that I almost did it myself just now?"

Michael snorted. "You're not a murderer."

"No?" Max gave him a half-smile, which quickly faded. "Neither are you. Not anymore." He folded his arms. "So what is it that has you so upset now?" He hurried on. "About me in particular, that is."

Michael shook his head, still unable to believe it. "Have you completely lost your mind, Maxwell? Don't you think the situation's a little too serious to be going around making decisions with your power source instead of your brain?"

Max's eyebrows rose. "What? You think that I kept you guys from frying Tess because I have the hots for her or something?"

Michael's level stare stopped him short. "I'm not talking about Tess."

Max's breath caught. "Oh."

Michael came closer, voice lowering. "What are you doing, Max?"

"I don't know what........."

"You're having sex with Shalin," Michael interrupted bluntly. "Don't bother trying to deny it."

"All right, I won't." Max took a step back, looking at Michael defensively. "Did she tell you?" He wasn't sure why, but the idea bothered him. Guess he'd thought that maybe he would come first in her loyalties, at least in this regard. Which was stupid. She'd never pretended that her loyalties lay anywhere but with the T'onxyl. With Tymrath. But he'd thought..............

That got a mirthless laugh from Michael. "Shalin is way too smart to tell me that," he scoffed. "I could tell from what she didn't say. From the way she was looking at you." He shook his head. "What's going on, Maxwell? What about Liz?"

"What about Liz?" Max hissed. "Liz dumped me, in case you've forgotten. Two months ago. And you know, a couple of times before that." He shook himself. "Am I supposed to sit around for the rest of my life on the off-chance that Liz might change her mind again? We're over, Michael. I don't owe her any explanation." He started to walk past Michael. "Or you either, for that matter."

Michael's hand shot out and blocked the way to the door. "So, you break up with Liz, and suddenly you're in love with Shalin?"

Max looked at his best friend. "I never said that I loved her."

Michael's arm dropped, and he looked at Max with even more confusion. "So what? It's just sex? That's not exactly like you."

Max sighed. "It's not just sex, either." He went on, voice losing its defensiveness. "Look, Michael. I don't know exactly what's going on with me and Shalin. I know that I care about her. It's not what I had with Liz, but it's not just about the sex, either." He tried to put it into words. "She makes me feel things again. And yeah, lots of the time it's anger and annoyance," he smiled, "but it's also exciting. I trust her. And I think she understands me." Which was more than he could say for himself most of the time now. "I appreciate that you're concerned, but this is between Shalin and me."

"No, it's not." Michael frowned. "There are things you don't know about her."

"I know that she's T'onxyl. I know what she's been involved in. And I know that she's made it a life-mission to kill me," Max said lightly. "I think we've covered the important stuff. I'm not interested in getting bogged down in past-life vendettas. It's long past time to move on." If only Kivar was open to that suggestion.

"It's not about the past," Michael argued. "It's about who Shalin is. What she can do. She's........."

"Shalin's like one of those Teachers you were talking about, right?" Max interrupted. Michael stared at him with surprise. "She can do the whole emotional-psychic manipulation of people, right? Make them feel things stronger? I'm guessing she did it with Valenti earlier in the year."

Michael got over his surprise. "How did you.........?"

"You know, Michael, people really should stop thinking I'm stupid." Max sighed. "Shalin backed off Valenti pretty suddenly last fall. She wouldn't have done that without a reason. I figured you ordered her to." He smiled. "And I didn't think you'd get involved in the sheriff's romantic life unless you had a pretty strong reason to."

Michael nodded slowly. "I didn't want her playing her games with him."

"So, Valenti sees an attractive woman, and Shalin manipulates that attraction," Max mused. "Any particular reason?"

"I think she was bored," Michael answered.

"Yeah, I can see that." Max laughed. "Plus, it wouldn't hurt for her to have an in with the town sheriff, either."

"I don't get it. If you know what Shalin does, then why are you with her?"

"Because she's not manipulating me," Max said, no doubt in his voice.

Michael smirked. "She wouldn't be doing a really good job of manipulating you if you realized it, Maxwell."

Max shook his head. "Are you forgetting Tess's entrance to town? I've been on the receiving end of alien psychic manipulation. And remember - I knew that something weird was going on." Michael had to admit that was true – he could remember how desperately freaked Max was by his attraction to Tess. "This isn't like that. Whatever's going on with Shalin, it's real. And if it's any consolation, she's just as confused by it as I am," Max admitted.

"Maybe," Michael conceded. "But even if that's true, Max, it won't stop her from fulfilling her mission." His mouth set into a tight line. "Having sex with you won't stop her from killing you when she gets the chance. It never has before."

"No, I don't expect it to." Max shrugged. "I think Shalin will stop herself from killing me, all on her own. The sex is beside the point."

Michael rubbed his hands over his face. "I don't get it," he admitted. He couldn't understand sex with someone he didn't love, couldn't imagine letting anyone other than Maria get that close to him.

"I know," Max said softly. He clasped Michael's shoulder. "For your sake, I'm glad you don't. Listen, I appreciate your concern. Really. But leave my romantic life alone."

Michael looked at his friend sharply, noticing how tired his eyes looked. "Max, are you okay?"

Max laughed. "Sure, I'm great. We have an alien prisoner who wants to turn me over to our worst enemy. Why wouldn't I be fine?"

Michael smirked. "What do you want to do with her?"

Max moved to open the door. Michael let him by this time. "Guess we'd better go decide that, huh?"

-----------------------------------------

The others gathered around them as soon as they came back into the main room. "Max, what are we doing to do with her?" Liz asked.

"We could always lock her away in a cave somewhere," Kyle suggested.

Max glanced at him, then continued on, back to where Shalin and Valenti were standing near Tess. All three watched him as he strode up. "Any problems?" Max asked.

"No." Shalin patted Tess's shoulder. "She's been a perfect little prisoner. Completely silent and docile." She smiled down at the blond, and it was clear that Tess was working hard not to shudder. "I suspect she was afraid to give me any reason to eliminate her."

"She's not stupid," Max agreed. He tilted his head and studied her. "What are we going to do with you?" he mused.

"We're not going to just kill her," Valenti said softly, but the way he looked at Max made it clear the topic was not open for debate.

Shalin sighed, then she moved her hand to the back of Tess's head. Instantly, Tess slumped forward.

Valenti's hand shot out and he grabbed Shalin's wrist, yanking her away from Tess. "What did you do?"

"Relax, Jim." She pulled away from him. "I didn't kill your precious little Tessie. Just knocked her unconscious." She glanced around at the group. "Unless you really feel the need to include her in this discussion."

"No," Max agreed. "It's probably best to talk about this without her piping in." He looked around the circle at the others. "Well? What do you guys think?"

Valenti looked directly at Michael. "We can't kill her. She's defenseless now."

Maria disagreed. "She might not have her powers, but she's not exactly defenseless."

"Maria's right," Michael agreed. "Tess isn't a quitter – she'll find some way to fight back if that's what she wants."

"Do you think it is what she wants?" Liz asked. "I mean, I'm not exactly her biggest fan, but if it was because of something Kivar or Lonnie did to her........"

"That doesn't change anything she did," Isabel said firmly. She held Alex's hand tightly, sending him her support. "And it doesn't mean we can trust her."

Liz looked hesitantly at Michael. "You managed to shake off Kivar's conditioning." The look she gave Shalin was a lot more hostile. "Supposedly you did, too."

Shalin shrugged. "We wanted to," she pointed out. "We fought back. Doesn't mean it's not still a factor."

"And Tess doesn't want to fight it," Kyle said. "Hell, she doesn't even want to admit that anyone did something to her."

"It's not easy to admit that someone's been inside your mind, altering it," Alex said softly.

"So she'll still try to finish her mission, just as soon as she can." Michael scratched his eyebrow. "Killing her would be the only permanent solution." He continued before Valenti could say anything, holding up his hand. "Don't worry, Sheriff. I'm not saying that's what we should do."

"Good. Because murder is definitely not the option we're going with right now."

"Alex?" Max turned to the dark-haired boy. "You're the one most affected by this. What do you think?"

Alex sighed deeply. "We can't kill her," he agreed. "That would make us bad as Kivar." He looked at Michael. "And we're not."

"Fine," Maria snapped. "No killing the bitch. But we can't just let her walk around free, either."

"So we keep her locked up somewhere." Liz thought about it. "But where?"

"Prison's not exactly an option," Maria pointed out.

"No," Valenti agreed. "People are inclined to wonder about things like the crime someone's accused of when they're locked up."

"Plenty of caves around," Kyle reminded them. "Throw her in, put a boulder in front of the entrance – should keep her out of the way." He didn't even want to have to look at her anymore.

But Max shook his head. "I think we should keep her where we can keep an eye on her." He smiled grimly. "I wouldn't put it past her to dig her way out with her bare hands if necessary. She's determined."

"All right." Valenti made a decision. "She'll come home with me."

Everyone stared at him. "Dad, are you out of your freaking mind?" Kyle burst out, for once not caring about being disrespectful and risking a grounding. "We had to practically have an exorcism last time we got rid of her – no way are we bringing her back in again."

Valenti glared at him flatly. "You have a better suggestion of somewhere to put her?" he challenged. He looked around. "Any of you? I know what to expect from her – your parents wouldn't. And that's even if you could explain to them why Tess was staying with you. Michael and Maria's the only other option, and Tess isn't going anywhere near Lexy."

"Not disagreeing with you there," Maria said grimly. "But I'm not sure it's such a good idea for you to be near her."

"You're emotionally involved," Shalin pointed out. "Tess doesn't need to be able to mindwarp to manipulate you, get under your skin."

Valenti turned to her. "Trust me – I'm not going to lower my guard. I did that once, and look what happened." He looked at Max. "I'll keep her from causing any more trouble."

Max hesitated. He wondered what was the real motive there. Was Valenti trying to protect them all from Tess? Or protect Tess from them? Seeing the expressions on the others' faces, he wasn't sure that would be such a bad idea. "All right." He smiled grimly. "I guess it makes sense that the sheriff would be the best one to guard a dangerous criminal."

"That's settled then." Valenti continued briskly. "Kyle, you should stay over with Michael and Maria........."

"No way," he interrupted. "I'm staying with you, Dad."

"I really don't think that's such a good idea," Valenti said.

Isabel jumped in. "Agreed." She left Alex's side and went to Kyle. "The last thing you need right now is to have to deal with Tess."

"It's the last thing any of us should have to deal with. But here we are anyway." He looked at his father. "I'm doing this, Dad. I'm not going to run away from her."

Valenti sighed. "Fine." He looked at the unconscious girl. "Let's do this, then."

-----------------------------------------

Tess blinked slowly, trying to brush away the disorientation she felt as she woke up. She wasn't in the UFO Center anymore. Realizing that nothing was tying her down, she slowly sat up on the bed, trying to make sense of things.

"I wouldn't bother trying anything."

She looked around at the sudden voice. Michael was standing in the corner, leaning against the wall. "I'm back home," she said slowly. "Why?"

Before she could blink, Michael was over by the bed, leaning over her menacingly. "This isn't your home," he ground out. "Don't call it that." He leaned back slightly, a dangerous smile on his face. "It's your prison at the moment." He gestured his head towards the window, eyes never leaving her face. "I've reinforced the glass and the locks – you're not getting out. Especially since you don't have any powers now."

Tess took a deep breath. "You guys have decided to keep me locked up here? I guess that makes sense." She drew back slightly from Michael, unable to not pick up on the menace in those eyes, the tension running through his body. "Why haven't you killed me?" she asked bluntly, not avoiding the subject. "I know you want to."

"Of course I want to," he admitted. That eerie smile never left his face. "You know that, right, Tess? You and I – in some ways, we're the most alike. There are things about us that Max and Isabel will never get." She forced herselt not to flinch as he reached out a hand to brush back a strand of her hair. "But trust me on this one, Tess," his voice twisted cruelly on her name, "I'm much better than you." He stood up straight. "When I try to kill someone, I take out my target."

"Then why haven't you?" she asked again. It wasn't like she could blame him.

Michael laughed. The sound made her shirk away slightly, an involuntary instinct. "Because Valenti and Alex don't want me to," he admitted. "For some reason, they think you're worth saving." He shook his head. "They don't get it. You have no interest in being saved, do you?"

She met his eyes defiantly. "I did what I had to do," she argued. "Max for the others. I never planned on Alex getting hurt, and I regretted that. I would have regretted Max's death, too. But I wasn't going to sacrifice the rest of us. I wasn't willing to give up Kyle or the sheriff." She stood up, posture confrontational. "You said we're alike, Michael. What would you have done? If it came down to a choice between Max and Maria? If the only way to save Maria and your daughter had been to sacrifice Max?" She shook her head, blond curls flying back and forth. "You would have made the same choice I did."

Michael didn't even move, but suddenly the bed came flying the foot towards her, knocking her behind the knees and forcing her to collapse backwards on it. "You stupid bitch," Michael said softly. "You have no clue." He bent over her, eyes cold and yet burning at the same time. "I had to make the exact same decision! Kill Max or Maria and the baby would die. Same exact thing. But you know what?" He came even closer, voice lowering further. "I didn't make the same choice. I had faith in the group, in our connection. And we faced things together." His expression was disgusted. "Nicholas may have done some things to your mind, but you still had free will. You made your choice, betrayed us all. No way do you get a free pass after that."

"I never asked for one," she whispered back, frightened despite herself. At that moment, she had no doubt whatsoever about how much Michael wanted her dead. He reminded her very much of Rath at that moment, and she remembered her dupe's death.

"Michael!" At the sharp voice, both Michael and Tess turned to look at the doorway. Alex was standing there, looking at the two of them, Tess lying back on the bed with Michael looming over her. "Shalin's going to be hanging out here for a while," he went on. "Why don't you do one last check of the place? Make sure there's no way for her to get out." Alex kept his attention focused on Michael, not looking at Tess. "Then go home. Be with Maria and Lexy."

Michael straightened up slowly. "Fine." He went by, Alex moving slightly out of the way to let him out of the room.

Shaken, Tess sat up. She forced herself to look at Alex. "Thanks." He didn't answer. "Look, Alex, I don't know what I can say to you.........."

"There's nothing." Now he did look at her. "You tried to kill me, Tess. Because of you............." His voice trailed off and he turned to go.

"Alex, wait." She scrambled to her feet. "I really am sorry for what happened to you."

He didn't turn back to her, putting out his arm to lean against the doorframe. "I know you are," he said finally. "But it doesn't change anything." Now he did glance back at her, his eyes meeting her blue ones. "Nothing will change until you want it to. Until you work for it." Then, before a confused Tess could answer, he was gone, shutting the door firmly behind him.

[Anla]

Chapter 17 - Collisions

"Even the best fall down sometimes
Even the wrong words seem to rhyme
Out of the doubt that fills my mind
I somehow find
You and I collide"

-------- "collide" by Howie Day



Max hurried out the Valenti door after Michael, but before he could catch up with his friend, he was interrupted by a voice calling out his name.

"Max!"

Sighing, Max turned back towards Liz as Michael got on his bike and drove off. "Yeah, Liz?"

Liz walked towards him hesitantly, but stopped a few feet away, not able to read the expression on his face. "I just wanted to see if you were okay," she explained with a shrug. The two of them were among the last to leave. Only Shalin and the sheriff were still in the house with Tess. Even Kyle had left for now, gone off somewhere with Isabel and Alex.

"I'm fine," Max answered his ex-girlfriend.

"Are you sure?" Liz took another step closer, staring intently at his face. He was so closed-off, she couldn't even begin to guess what he was thinking. "I mean, Tess is back. I don't think any of us are exactly fine."

A faint smile. "No, you're probably right about that." He sighed. "I'm as okay as I can be under the circumstances. Thanks for asking." He turned back towards the street, but she put out a hand to grab his arm and stop him.

"Hold on, Max." She tried not to mind when he pulled away quickly. "Do you want to, I don't know, talk or something?"

"There really isn't anything to talk about, is there?" He glanced back at the Valenti house. Such a nice normal-looking house, really. Who would guess that there was an alien prisoner locked up inside? "This is the best we can do about Tess at the moment. I'm sure that you would prefer something more extreme........."

"This isn't about Tess," Liz interrupted. "It's about you. I'm worried about you." She gulped nervously. "It can't have been easy for you to see her again. Must have brought back some things."

Max stared at her blankly for a minute. "Well, it's not exactly fun to come across someone who tried to kill you," he started. Then it sunk in. He stared at Liz, who had dropped her eyes away from him. "Are you serious, Liz? You're still jealous of Tess?" He shook his head in amazement. "Just because I didn't think instant execution was the way to go doesn't mean I have any feelings for her. In any way. I got over any attraction I had to her years ago." He took a step away, trying to keep his voice volume under control. "And even if I hadn't, you don't exactly have any right to comment, do you?" He didn't quite manage to keep the bitter anger out of his voice that time, though, and he knew it.

Liz must have heard it, too, because she flushed slightly. "I know we're not dating anymore, but we're still friends, right?" she countered. "And if it's not about your history with Tess, then what's all this protectiveness about?"

"It's not protectiveness. Not of Tess, anyway." Max looked around to make sure they were alone. Seemed so, but he moved closer to Liz anyway, lowering his voice. "Liz, what do you think it would do to Michael if I let him kill Tess? Sure, he thought it was what he wanted at the time – she hurt Maria and Alex. But later? When he's calmed down?" He shook his head. There were some lines he couldn't allow Michael to cross again. Not in this lifetime. And killing a former friend, someone he had cared about, in cold blood..... "It would destroy him. And what about Valenti and Kyle? They're the ones who still have feelings for her. Seeing her wouldn't hurt them so much if they didn't care."

"And that's all there is to it?" she persisted.

"No," he admitted. He smiled, and Liz fought back a shudder. There was that foreign aspect to his smile, a coldness in his eyes that made her uncomfortable when she saw it. "Tess may know something about Kivar's plans that could help us. And even if she doesn't.... well, she might still prove useful."

"How?"

A casual shrug. "Kivar might want to get his pet hybrid back."

She stared at him, shocked. "You're planning on using Tess as bait?"

"I wouldn't say plan. But it's a possibility to keep open."

Liz wasn't sure what to say to that. The idea of coldly using Tess like that, even after everything she'd done....... "Max, what's going on with you?"

"I'm going to find a way to stop Kivar," he said firmly. "And I'm going to do it without letting him destroy Isabel and Michael this time around." With that, he did leave, walking away.

Liz watched him go. "But what about you, Max?" she whispered.

----------------------------------------------

Shalin opened the door. "She's secure?"

Max shrugged as he walked inside. "You tell me. You're the one who stayed with the sheriff to make sure the house was safe."

Shalin smiled, maintaining eye contact with him as she sat down on the couch. "Jealous?"

Max laughed. He sat next to her, pushing back her hair and leaning in closer. "Terribly," he admitted, kissing her.

Shalin made an appreciate noise in her throat, putting one hand on the back of his neck and pulling away slightly. "And here I thought you trusted me."

Max's eyes met hers. "I do," he said softly.

She smiled. "Good."

Then she watched his eyes widen in shock as she drove the knife into his heart. Pulling it back, she stood up, looking down as Max's body toppled forward.

The knock on the door pulled her out of her thoughts. Shalin's eyes glanced quickly over towards the couch.

It was empty. Of course it was. It had all just been her imagination.

Too many years of thinking of ways to kill the king. Did he have any concept of how easy he was making it for her?

"Of course he does," she muttered, heading towards the door. Max Evans was many things, most of them annoying. But he wasn't an idiot.

Just ridiculously trusting.

She wrenched the door open. "Make it quick," she said shortly, as she turned and went back inside.

"Nice to see you, too," Ardan replied, going to sit down on the chair. He looked at the floor in front of him. "Didn't you use to have a table there?"

Shalin sat on the couch across from him. "I'm not discussing my interior decorating with you."

"Fair enough." Ardan got to the point. "What did they do with her?"

"Who? Tess Harding?" she mocked. "What do you think?"

Ardan raised an eyebrow. "Well, the smart thing would have been to eliminate the threat before she could try again to kill them and maybe get lucky this time. So I'm guessing they've decided to all be best friends again. Maybe they'll have sleep-overs."

"Close. She's staying with Jim Valenti again."

"Well, that's brilliant. Because I'm sure that two humans will be more than a match for a psychotic alien."

"There's some indication that she was influenced by Kivar and the other Vilandra," Shalin explained. "Apparently, that creates mitigating circumstances in their minds."

"It would." Ardan shook his head. "Morons."

"Can't exactly argue with you on that," she agreed. "But in their own defense, they're not entirely suicidal." She hesitated. "Max was able to turn off her powers."

Ardan tensed up slightly. Shalin could see the subtle change in his eyes, as they went from his customary amusement to concern. "Max," he repeated softly. "The king can do that? Stop us from using our powers?"

"So it would seem." Shalin's tone was just as quiet as his. She'd already come to the same conclusion concerning this that he had, the one that she doubted any of the others had followed it to. Well, Tym might have, but it probably wouldn't have concerned him much.

Not the way it did them. "He can render us powerless." Now Ardan leaned back in his seat, affecting an air of nonchalance. Not that it fooled Shalin, or anyone who could see that glint in his eyes. "Any of us. Seems that the king may be a bit more of an immediate threat than we thought."

"We swore an oath to Tym," Shalin warned quietly. "They're off-limits."

"For now," Ardan answered. "But this changes things. Don't pretend it doesn't."

She thought about it. "Tess Harding was unconscious at the time. She wasn't fighting back. I don't think Max could just............."

"Max." Ardan broke in, voice cold, a hint of danger in it. "You really have gotten quite friendly with him, haven't you?"

Something in Shalin snapped. Before Ardan could move a muscle in his own defense, she flew across the distance between them, knocking him out of the chair, and leaning down on him, arm across his throat and pinning him down while her other hand rested on his chest, energy flickering from her fingers. "Enough innuendo, Ardan!" she hissed at him. "I have had enough of it. If you have something to say, come right out and say it."

To his credit, Ardan didn't let any fear show as he got the words out. "Where are your loyalties these days, Shalin?"

"Where they've always been." She leaned closer, face almost touching his. "With our people. With the T'onxyl. Defeating Kivar is our priority right now. Nothing else."

"I haven't forgotten." Ardan's eyes darted down to her hand. "If you're going to kill me, Shalin, get it over with. Or let me up."

Slowly, she leaned back, letting him sit up. "Not right now, Ardan." If what she expected came that night, then the T'onxyl may need him. "But this is your last warning. Any more challenges, and I will kill you." She stood up.

He knew her well enough to know that it wasn't a bluff. "Understood." Ardan slowly got to his feet, keeping a careful eye on Shalin. Grinning sardonically, he continued. "Some news you might be interested in. Kivar's on his way to Earth."

That got her attention. "What?"

He shrugged casually. "Our sources report that he hasn't been spotted, either on Antar or in the new colony, in quite some time. And one of the ships is unaccounted for. Where else would he go, except to finally deal with the problem of the Royals?"

"He's coming here," she said slowly, trying to accept the idea. They'd been waiting for the chance to finally confront him directly for so long. The idea that it might be so close........

"Actually, he could be here already." Ardan's grin widened. "Almost show-time."

She laughed, shaking her head. At times, she thought Ardan's desire to destroy Kivar was even greater than her own. If only she really understood his motivation. "And it didn't occur to you to tell me about this right away?"

"Got a little distracted," he answered pointedly, rubbing his throat.

Shalin rolled her eyes. "Don't be melodramatic." She turned her back on him, clearly communicating that their conversation was over.

Ardan opened his mouth as if to say something else, then simply turned to leave. Hand on the doorknob, he paused. "You have more company," he said lightly before opening the door.

Shalin turned back to see Michael standing there. "Come in," she said calmly. "I've been expecting you."

Ignoring Ardan's clearly curious expression, Michael pushed past the Skin and entered Shalin's apartment, closing the door so that it was just him and Shalin. "Hey, Shalin."

She wasn't fooled by Michael's calm tone. She knew him well enough to hear the thin thread of tension he was trying to control, could sense the energy vibrating from him, straining to escape in violence, knew how thin his control would be after the day he'd had. Shalin stood straight and looked at him directly, not evading. "You're here to kill me."

It wasn't a question. "Can you think of some convincing reason why I shouldn't?" Michael asked, still in that calm voice.

Shalin shook her head. "No," she admitted. "From your point-of-view, it's the most reasonable thing to do. You've made no pretense of where your loyalties lie now. It's with the king, not us. Killing me eliminates a potential threat to the king."

Michael started moving about the apartment, apparently unable to keep still for much longer. Shalin watched as he prowled back and forth in front of her, waiting. "You're sleeping with him."

Shalin didn't deny it. What would be the point? "We had sex," she agreed. "It was a mistake, and I'm not planning on it happening again." A small smile. "Of course, I wasn't planning on it happening the first time, so I'm not sure how much consolation that is."

Michael smirked. "You weren't planning on it? Come on, Shalin. You don't do anything you haven't planned."

"I don't expect you to believe it, but I didn't plan this," she insisted calmly. "Sleeping with the king – it isn't something that would have even occurred to me."

Michael tilted his head to one side, smiling at her. "Shalin, Shalin," he said, voice soft. "Are you forgetting how long we've known each other? That's your way. Get close to a target physically so that you're in a better position to kill. It was always how you liked to do missions."

She couldn't deny it. "I wasn't as into the big fight and slaughter as you were, Tym," she agreed. "But let's not forget that you used the same method to get in close with Vilandra."

That brought him up short. Suddenly motionless, Michael glared at her coldly. "Not the same," he snapped.

"I'm not saying it is," Shalin replied. "Max knows who and what I am." She raised her eyes to the ceiling, sighing. "Or at least he thinks he does. I'm not sure how much he really understands."

"He thinks that you won't hurt him."

"He's an optimist." Shalin looked back at Michael. "You ordered me not to hurt him. I keep my word."

He shook his head slowly. "You're asking me to put a lot at risk for trusting you."

"You said yourself that we've known each other for a long time," she pointed out. "Your call, Tym. If you feel that you have to kill me, I won't fight back." She frowned slightly. "Ardan will take over the leadership of the T'onxyl. He'll be good at it, but keep your eye on him. He has his own plans."

"Doesn't he always?" Michael moved closer, so they were right near each other. Shalin tensed slightly, but made no attempt to move. "Max is my brother," Michael said softly. "I won't let anyone hurt him. Not you. Not anyone."

"I know, Tym."

He stared at her, predatory glint in his eyes. She knew that he was having a hard time controlling himself, knew that the next few seconds were going to be decisive, one way or another. "When you had sex with him, was it to get in a position to kill him?"

She kept eye contact. "No," she said honestly. "That was pretty much the last thing on my mind at that time. Besides, it's not necessary. I could get close enough to take him out without that. Max is way too trusting."

"Yeah," Michael said softly. "He trusted me back then. And now you." Abruptly, Michael backed away. "You'd better be telling the truth." He headed back to the door.

"That's it?" Shalin asked in disbelief. Michael didn't pause, reaching for the doorknob. "Tym, how did you stop?" she blurted out. That got his attention. Michael turned slowly back to her. Already regretting it, Shalin went on with the question. "How did you stop thinking about killing them? How did you get over it?"

"I died," he answered softly. "Before that, the thoughts never completely went away. We were too well-trained for that. You know that, Shalin. I just learned to control it. Other things mattered more than my anger towards them." Shalin closed her eyes momentarily, and Michael's eyes narrowed with interest as he saw the momentary disappointment flicker over her face. "Why? You want to stop it? Stop picturing it?" He remembered how disconcerting the impulses could be, how the daydreams would come out of nowhere. If he hadn't had other areas to redirect his energies into back on Antar, he wasn't sure how he would have managed. But he was surprised to think that Shalin might object to them, might possibly care enough to want to stop them.

Opening her eyes again, Shalin smiled brightly at him. "Doesn't matter, does it?" She walked up behind him, putting out a hand to his shoulder. "Kivar's coming, Tym," she said softly, tightening her hold when she felt the spike in his energy, the tension in his muscles. "Ardan says he's been gone for a while – he might be on the planet already." She gave another smile, smaller this time. "So if you have anything up your sleeve, now might be the time to put things into action."

Michael nodded slowly. "I'm ready," he promised her. Then he left.

Shalin closed the door behind him, smile fading. A month ago, she would have been able to say the same. Now?

She hoped that things didn't get any more complicated than they already were.

-------------------------------------------

Amy stood in the doorway, watching her daughter put Lexy gently down into her crib. Maria finished the lullaby she'd been softly singing and ran her hand over her baby's head one last time before turning to smile at her mother. "She's asleep."

"Yeah, I see that." The two women walked away, Maria closing the door to Lexy's room softly behind her as they headed down the stairs. Amy put her arm around Maria, pulling her daughter closer. "How are you doing, sweetie?" Maria'd been freaked when they'd returned earlier, and Michael had been more silent and grim than Amy'd seen him in ages, ignoring Maria and only pausing briefly to check on Lexy before he got on his bike and rode off somewhere.

Speaking of the baby, Amy had begun to suspect she'd have to surgically remove her granddaughter from Maria's arms. For the last two hours, Maria had cuddled and sung to her baby, clearly trying to reassure herself that Lexy was fine. Which she was – Amy and Lexy were the only two who hadn't had any negative alien encounters that day. But all Maria could think about was that Tess was back in town, and having that traitorous bitch within miles of her little girl was unacceptable.

"I'll be okay," Maria insisted, heading towards the kitchen. "Want some tea?"

Amy shook her head. "No, I'm fine." She sat down at the table, watching as Maria put on the tea kettle. "Michael came home a few minutes ago," she said carefully, watching her daughter's reaction.

Maria didn't turn around. "I know."

Of course. "He went straight up to the loft," Amy continued. "Didn't say a word to me – just went on upstairs." She stood back up and went over to her daughter, peering into her face. "How is he?"

Maria gave an angry little laugh. "Pissed off."

"At you?" Amy gave her a sharp glance. All she got was a shrug in reply. "What happened?" she persisted. "Did you two have a fight?"

Maria rolled her eyes, taking the kettle off and pouring the water out. She didn't really feel like anything anyway. "Michael's mad at everyone and everything right now," she said bluntly. "He wanted........." she cut herself off abruptly. There were things about Michael and his past that they'd never felt the need to tell her mother about. Knowing her daughter was living with an alien was one thing. Knowing that he was a trained alien assassin was something else. Why complicate matters? "Seeing Tess really threw him," she said instead. "It threw us all." She scrunched up her nose. "We'll be okay, though." At least she hoped so.

"I know you will." Amy sounded more confident than Maria felt. "I've learned that your little group can deal with just about anything." She reached over and pulled Maria into a hug. For a second, Maria let herself relax, just leaning on her mom. "And besides, you have me and Jim to help out."

Maria laughed softly. "Well, you are the designated den parents of our club," she teased. "Speaking of which, is there anything I should know?"

Amy pulled back slightly to look at her quizzically. "I thought my sex life.........."

"Eww!" Maria put her hands over her ears theatrically. "Stop! Don't say that!"

Amy rolled her eyes, laughing as she did so. "Fine, my romantic life, was off-limits for discussion."

"Just don't think I can handle any more surprises right now," Maria replied.

"Well, if there's anything you need to know, I'll be sure to keep you informed." Amy kissed Maria's cheek. "I love you, you know."

"I love you, too, Mom," Maria answered. She was so glad that her mom knew the truth now. It made things easier.

"You need me to stick around tonight?"

Maria considered. "No. I think we'll be fine for the night. You might want to give the sheriff a call, though," she suggested. "This can't be easy for him, either."

"No, I don't imagine it would be." Amy knew how hard Tess's betrayal had hit Jim. Seeing the girl again – well, Amy couldn't even imagine what emotions that was stirring up. "Maybe I should cancel my trip for tomorrow. Stick around to see if you guys need anything."

"Don't you dare," Maria said firmly. Her mother had a convention to attend in Carlsbad. "You can't let our trauma affect business." She grinned. "What if Michael and I need a loan someday?"

"Good to know that you have my best interests in mind," Amy teased back. She kissed Maria's cheek before leaving. "I'll give you a call when I get back in town tomorrow."

"Thanks, Mom." Maria saw her out, then turned to look up at the stairs, undecided. "Oh, what the hell," she finally muttered, starting up the steps to the loft. Like she was going to start backing away from Michael when he was in a pissed-off mood? That would sure put a crimp in our conversations. At least Laurie was already asleep, although how anyone could sleep under these circumstance was beyond Maria's comprehension. She has faith in Michael, Maria thought to herself. Michael said that things are under control, and she believes him. Maria knew how much that simple faith meant to Michael.

Of course, it also just added to his worry that he wouldn't be able to make it true.

Maria wasn't being particularly quiet as she came up the stairs, but she knew it didn't matter. Michael would have known she was there even if she had tiptoed as quietly as a mouse. Sure enough, he stiffened up as she came to the top of the stairs and looked over to the corner where he stood, busily at work painting something. Still, he didn't turn to look at her as he moved the easel so she couldn't see what it was.

"Go away," he said gruffly, striding towards the window to look outside.

Maria snorted, arms folded as she glared at his back. "Yeah, 'cause that's gonna happen," she bit out. "Sorry, Michael. You don't get to pull this crap anymore. What the hell is wrong with you?" She moved towards him, arms gesturing wildly and voice rising. "You barely look at me, you go stalking out of here, now you won't even talk to me?" She reached out and poked him in the back. "Don't ignore me, buster!" she yelled, indignant. She could feel his own anger, present all evening, rise even more, but he still didn't say anything. "Don't you dare!"

Now he turned around, and she took a quick step back from the expression on his face. "What do you want me to say, Maria?" he asked, his quiet voice at complete odds with the fury in his eyes. She remembered seeing him this angry before – the night that she'd been attacked outside the Crashdown Cafe. Michael had nearly killed a man that night. And it clicked then – the turmoil inside him, the reason he hadn't gone to see Lexy.

He was worried that he was going to explode like he had that night. Everything that had happened – it was too much for him.

So she tried to push down her own upset, striving for a calming tone. "Michael, you know the whole blocking-each-other-out thing doesn't really work for us anymore," she pointed out, trying to be reasonable.

His bitter laugh cut her up short. "Yeah, I noticed that."

She stared at him. Maybe she hadn't understood him as well as she thought. All this time together, and his mental processes could still elude her. "You're mad at me?" Her voice rose in pitch. "All the possible choices, and I'm the one you're mad at?"

"Not now, Maria," he warned her, turning his back on her again.

She stared at him for one second in disbelief, and then spun around suddenly. She was over at the easel, turning the canvas around in her hands before he had a chance to spring into action. She gasped as he ripped the painting out of her hands and threw it across the room. "What was that a picture of?" she got out. A suspicion dawned on her. He'd been so upset all day, trying to block her out ...... "Michael, where did you go before?"

He shook his head, a cynical smile on his lips. "Don't worry – I didn't kill anyone. I went to see Shalin." He tilted his head to one side. "Of course, maybe you're not worried that I would kill someone. Maybe you're disappointed that I didn't."

"How can you even say........."

"Well, you wanted me to take care of Tess, didn't you?" She couldn't exactly argue that point. "And when I wouldn't........." He closed his eyes, letting out his breath sharply. "I knew that bonding with you was a danger," he said, voice quieter. "To both of us. Leave us both open. But for you to do that........." When his eyes opened, the anger had subsided, but what was left was worse. Pain.

"Oh." She thought quickly. He'd started pulling away from her after she knocked Tess unconscious. In all the confusion she hadn't put the pieces together. "I was just protecting us," she defended herself. "I wasn't going to let her hurt us again."

"That's my job," he spoke firmly.

Maria rolled her eyes. "Right. With Max there, giving you his royal orders to let the bitch free?"

"That's not what happened." He was pissed-off again. "You think it's easy, Maria? Killing someone? Having that on your conscience?" He advanced on her, and Maria started to back away. "Is that what you want? You have Kyle teach you how to shoot, and yeah, I don't like it, but I don't say anything." She blinked in surprise. She should have known he knew about that. "I figure it's self-defense. But what happened today?"

"That was self-defense, too," she protested.

He shook his head. "Don't fool yourself. That wasn't self-defense – it was revenge. Pure and simple." He smirked at her, eyes cold. "I'm familiar with the feeling. Tess was no threat at that moment. Not with all the rest of us there."

"Somehow, I don't think Max exactly sees the Tess situation clearly," she shot back.

"I would never let Tess hurt you or Lexy," Michael ground out in a low voice. "Max was right – we needed to hear what she had to say. I chose to listen to him, because he was right." He ran a hand over his face, annoyed. "Maria, when have I ever just blindly done what Max said?" She really had no response to that. "I remember every single time I've killed," he went on slowly. "Both lifetimes. It didn't bother me before." She knew that was an understatement. Tymrath had no problem with killing. He took a breath, trying to keep his voice even. "But they were my actions. My decisions. You took that from me. Took my choice. Just like........." he broke off, but she knew what he was going to say.

Just like Kivar did.

Maria blinked back the sudden tears. Michael's defenses were gone, and she could feel him clearly again. Not just the anger, but the exhaustion and the pain underneath it. Every time they thought life was calming down, and they could be somewhat normal (well, normal unwed teenage parents of an alien-human hybrid baby), something came back to remind them that they were never going to be normal. That Michael would never be able to fully escape from the ghost of Tymrath and his past. "I didn't mean........."

"Kivar's going to be here soon," Michael interrupted her abruptly. Her eyes flew to meet his. "Shalin got news that he's either on his way to Earth or here already."

"Oh," she breathed out. "Wonderful." She put her head in her hands and took a steadying breath. "Okay," she said finally. "Well, we knew it was going to happen. We'll deal with it." She looked at him again. First things first. "I'm sorry," she said sincerely. She saw the emotion flicker quickly in his eyes. "For earlier. I didn't think about that, the taking away your choice part of things. I just saw Tess there, and I remembered everything she did." She shrugged. "I didn't think. It was stupid." She put out her hand and took his. "I really am sorry, Michael. It won't happen again. Not without your permission." She didn't particularly mind getting Michael angry – that pretty much happened on a daily basis, after all. And vice-versa. But this was different. She hated the idea that she had actually hurt him that badly.

For a long moment, he didn't respond. Then he squeezed her hand tight. "I wanted to kill her, too," he admitted, voice so low she could barely hear it. He pulled her closer. "I still want it, so bad. And that scares me." Even more than Tess herself did.

"I know," she murmured back. "I guess we gotta hope that Max knows what he's doing."

That got a small smile from Michael. "We're putting our hopes on Max?" He shook his head. "We're doomed."

She laughed softly, wrapping her arms around him. "I love you, Spaceboy," she said.

"Yeah." He kissed the top of her head. "You, too, teel-sharan."

"Even when I do stupid, inconsiderate things?"

She could actually feel his smile above her head. "Yeah, guess it's lucky that I'm around to always be the rational, considerate one in this relationship, huh?"

She poked him gently in the side. "Yeah, that's you, all right." She pulled back and looked up at him, serious again. "Michael, that painting.........." She had to take a deep breath. The glimpse she'd gotten before he'd thrown it from her had been disturbing. "It looked pretty violent." Understatement of the year, that – it had been some sort of battlefield, broken bodies and blood lying all about. She'd seen things like that before, drawings he'd made from nightmares when she was pregnant with Lexy. But she'd thought he'd gotten past that.

For a second, she thought he was going to try to pull away again, but he surprised her by actually answering. "I have to get it out somehow," he said slowly. "We can't stop it all the time. T'onxyl, I mean." His eyes closed as he moved closer to her, pulling her up flush to his body. "Once all that energy gets woken up........"

"It's too intense," she whispered, remembering her pregnancy, when every emotion, hers and Michael's, had been magnified thousand-fold.

"Yeah," he agreed. "We need an outlet. I thought maybe......" He shrugged, lips twisting cynically. "This seems a fairly healthy outlet."

"Okay." That made sense. Painting as therapy. But......... "Maybe we can come up with some other outlets for all that energy," she murmured, hands slipping into the back pockets of his jeans as she tilted her head up, lips almost touching his.

His eyes were open again, gleaming with a familiar fire as he looked down at her. "You have something in mind?" he said, low voice causing delicious shivers to go down her spine. He backed her up, picking her up effortlessly and hoisting her onto the table.

"Maybe." Maria wrapped her arms around his neck as she moved one foot up his leg. "I missed you today, Spaceboy," she admitted.

Michael's head dipped down the short distance to her mouth. Both of them closed their eyes as they kissed, pulses speeding up at the contact. "I know," he whispered when they pulled away, trying not to rush things too much. "But you know I'm always here."

"Yeah." Another kiss, then Maria slid off the table shakily. She backed towards the stairs, holding out her hand. "Coming, Spaceboy?"

No hesitation. Maria giggled as Michael sped over and picked her up, carrying her down to their bedroom.

-----------------------------------------

"Are you okay?"

Alex looked down at Isabel, snuggled tightly in his arms on the couch. "Yeah," he answered softly.

Her eyes narrowed with suspicion. "Really?"

He shrugged. "As can be, all things considered."

She considered that, glancing at the hall leading from the living room where they lay to the kitchen. She didn't want her parents overhearing them. You know we won't let her hurt you again.

Alex smiled. Her thoughts sounded so fierce. That was his Isabel – a protective lioness where the ones she loved were concerned. I know. He tightened his grip on her even more. I'm not afraid of her.

He could see that surprised Isabel. Really? She turned her body a bit so that she could look into his eyes more easily. Why not?

I don't know. He considered it. I don't think Tess is a threat to me anymore, he finally thought to her.

A long, thoughtful look from Isabel. "No, maybe not," she mused. "But what about Max?"

"What about Max?" came her brother's voice from the entranceway. Max leaned on the wall, giving the two a small smile. "How you doing, Alex?"

He groaned, sitting up straighter. Isabel frowned at being relocated, but she straightened up, too. "Besides a strong sense of deja vu at that question? I'm fine." He shook his head. "I'm not nearly as fragile and delicate as everyone seems to think."

Max came over to sit on the arm of the couch near his sister. "Yeah, can't imagine why anyone would think that you'd be upset right now," he said dryly. "It's not like you've had any bad experiences to deal with."

"Actually, I'm just as worried about you," Isabel pointed out, fixing Max with her strictest look. "You're the one who has to watch out."

"Don't worry about me," he reassured her. "I can take care of myself." He tried to ignore the sarcastic snort Isabel gave at that statement, looking past her to Alex. "She hovers sometimes, you know," he said, the glint in his eyes belying the serious tone in his voice. "You sure you know what you're getting yourself into?"

The adoring look Alex gave Isabel was almost enough to make even Max snicker (and wish Michael was there to see yet more proof of how whipped Alex was). "Yep, I know." He kissed Isabel's forehead as she beamed at him. "Wouldn't have it any other way."

Max smiled as he nodded at them. He was reassured to see how happy the two of them seemed to be together, even with all the Tess drama. It gave him hope that this time there actually could be a happy ending. He opened his mouth to speak, but they were interruped by yet another voice from the hallway.

"Oh, good, kids. There you are." Phillip Evans smiled at them from the hall. "We were just about to start dinner. Alex, why don't you stay?"

Alex nodded. "Okay, that sounds good. Thanks, Mr. Evans." He could tell that Isabel approved – she wasn't ready to let him out of her sight quite yet. And truth to tell, he wasn't in that big a rush to leave her alone, either.

"Max, will you be joining us?"

Max stood up, avoiding his father's eyes. "Actually, I have some plans tonight. I was just on my way out."

His father moved to block the way out. "Working late, again?" he father asked, skepticism clear in his voice.

Now Max met his eyes, trying to stay calm. "Dad............."

"Your mother would like to have a family dinner. Is that really too much to ask?"

Max didn't have to turn around to know what expression Isabel would have at this tense confrontation. "Dinner and then a nice family chat, right, Dad?" Max lowered his voice. "I don't want to fight." He'd been trying his hardest to avoid his father for the last few days, ever since their confrontation at the UFO Center. But Phillip Evans wasn't a man who gave up easily.

"We just want to know what's going on with you," his father argued.

Max tried to control his rising temper. "You already know. You just don't like what you've heard." He pushed past his father, grabbing the Jeep keys on his way out the door.

Isabel half-rose to follow, but Alex grabbed her hand. She looked down at him, a question in her eyes. This is between them, Alex pointed out. You can't help.

She knew he was right, but she didn't have to like it. I'm worried about him, she sent back as she sat back down.

Alex frowned, eyes on the door. Me, too, he admitted. Max was wound so tight he was about to explode.

--------------------------------------

A small smile teased Shalin's lips as she looked down at the figure reclining on her couch. "I wish I could say I was surprised to see you here," she commented mildly as she closed the door behind her.

Max opened his eyes and smiled happily at her. "What? You didn't miss me while you were gone?"

She rolled her eyes and perched on the arm of the couch, pushing his legs aside for room. "Desperately. Every second I was away."

"Well, that makes me feel better." Still smiling, Max swung his legs over the edge and sat up. "Aren't you going to ask me why I broke in?"

"Wasn't planning on it." Shalin leaned back casually, but she had to admit to herself that she enjoyed the way Max's eyes carefully observed her every move.

"Now I feel insulted." Max leaned closer, smile fading as his expression grew more intent. "I'm hiding."

Despite herself, she was curious. "From whom?"

"Everyone." Max smiled wryly. "My parents. Isabel. Alex. All the questions."

"And you don't have any answers," she finished for him, sliding down to sit next to Max.

"I'm still working on it," Max admitted. He edged closer to her, slowly as if not to spook her.

"Michael was here earlier." Max noticed that she didn't move away as she spoke. "You might have warned me that he knew about us."

"Why? You figured it out yourself – why be redundant?"

Shalin turned to face him, folding her legs beneath her. "You didn't feel any concern for what Michael might do?"

Max looked at her with confusion. "Michael wasn't going to hurt you. Not because of a decision I made."

She wasn't sure whether to laugh or be angry. As happened far too often for her liking, Max Evans had her off-guard again. So she settled for shaking her head with a stern look. "How could you possibly be so sure?"

"I know Michael," Max said simply.

"Awfully sure of yourself, aren't you, Your Majesty?" She herself had been nowhere near as certain of what Tym would decide.

Max edged closer. "If it's any consolation, I'm still trying to figure you out." He pushed her hair back off her shoulder, Shalin's eyes flickering from his hand back to his face. "I missed you," he admitted softly, moving closer for a kiss.

At first, Shalin tensed at the feel of Max's lips on hers, but then she relaxed, savoring the feeling as she moved closer, pushing him backwards against the cushions, his body warm and willing under hers, the kiss eager and passionate. What would it be like to just be able to surrender to these sensations, rather than have to constantly battle with conflicting thoughts and emotions?

She'd never know.

Slowly, pushing down the twinges of regret, Shalin pushed Max away, breaking off the kiss and backing away. "Max........"

"I'm hungry." He stood up abruptly. "Let's go get something to eat."

A slow smile formed. "You mean like a date?" she teased. "Out in public, where everyone can see?"

"Yeah." Max held out his hand, eyes challenging. "What do you say?"

Still smiling, Shalin shook her head even as she placed her hand in his and rose to her feet. "You really do like to live dangerously, Your Majesty."

Max simply laughed as he led her to the door.

--------------------------------------------

Kyle tried to open the front door as silently as possible, hoping to avoid both his murderous alien ex-girlfriend and his possibly delusional father, who had actually volunteered to let her back in the house. Oh, if he was being rational, Kyle had to admit that really, their house was the only place they could hold Tess. But surprise, surprise! He didn't feel like being rational or reasonable when it came to Tess.

Turned out he didn't have to waste his energy trying to be quiet. His father was sitting in the living room, clearly waiting for him. "I was wondering if you were coming home," he said. "Kind of hoped you wouldn't actually." Valenti leaned forward. "Son, I really think..........."

"I just needed to clear my head a little," Kyle interrupted. "Make sure Isabel and Alex were okay." He ignored his dad's raised eyebrow. "If you can handle having her around, so can I."

He could tell his father wasn't convinced, but the sheriff nodded anyway. "She hasn't come out of the room all evening." Valenti nodded his head to the closed door of Kyle's room.

"We sure she's still in there?" Kyle wondered out loud, going to sit next to his father, eyes glued to the door.

The sheriff shrugged. "Michael seemed pretty thorough when he locked up the room."

"Yeah, well, he's motivated," Kyle muttered. "I still think we should have given my cave idea more consideration."

"Kyle........."

"I'm okay," he protested. "I've meditated on the situation. I am an island of tranquility." Okay, so the island was being steadily eroded by the chaos around him, but still.

"Right." Valenti put his arm around his son's shoulders. Under any other circumstances, Kyle might have pulled away, but right then, knowing his dad was there with him was something he definitely appreciated. Kyle leaned closer, closing his eyes, leaning on his father for support.

"This sucks, Dad."

"Yeah," Valenti agreed softly. "It sucks a lot." He squeezed Kyle's shoulder.

Before Kyle could reply, a sound made him sit up straight, staring at the opening door. His father was quicker, on his feet instantly as a small blond head stuck out from the doorway.

"Kyle." Tess's eyes flew nervously from the two men. "I thought I heard you." She stood in the doorway, clearly unsure of whether or not she should move. "Am I allowed out of the room?" she asked, directing the question to the sheriff.

"I don't think that's such a good idea," he answered. "If you're hungry........"

Tess shook her head. "No, food is the last thing on my mind."

"Well, I imagine that good nutrition takes a back seat to planning the approaching alien invasion," Kyle pointed out sarcastically. "You must have a lot on your mind."

She winced. "I was hoping we could talk."

"I definitely don't think that's a good idea." Valenti moved towards the small girl, voice firm. "Go back inside, Tess. Try to get some sleep."

"No, Dad, that's okay." Kyle put his hand on his father's arm. He sighed. "If she's going to be locked up here, you can't exactly keep her away from me forever."

"This isn't a permanent solution," Valenti pointed out. But he had to concede that his son had a point. And he respected the fact that Kyle didn't try to run from his problems. "Okay, Tess, you can come out here."

"Actually, Dad, I think that maybe we should have this conversation in private," Kyle corrected him. He pointed to the bedroom. "We'll go in there." His father opened his mouth to object. "I'm guessing that Michael and you took out any possible weapons before letting her in, right?" He wasn't kidding. He eyed the silent Tess warily. "You hear any loud noises or screaming, feel free to come running."

"Fine." He cast a stern look at the silent Tess. "You have five minutes. That's it. Non-negotiable."

"I understand." Tess moved back inside, Kyle following her, closing the door most of the way behind him. He figured it wouldn't hurt to leave it a little ajar – it would make a quick retreat easier. He watched as Tess sat down on the edge of the bed. "I'm not going to hurt you, Kyle."

He glanced around the room quickly. "Yeah, there are no heavy rocks around. Guess I'm safe enough at the moment." He refused to believe the hurt look that crossed her face. "Oh, come on, Tess. Don't try to play the poor little victim here. Nobody's buying it. What did you want?"

She looked down at her hands. "I just thought..........." She shook her head sharply. "What happened after I left? Michael said something about Kivar getting Maria and the baby."

Kyle shrugged. "Oh, just the usual yearly abduction by evil aliens. You know, Kivar's minions grab one of us, the rest of the gang rides to the rescue. Fun part? That time Dad got shot. Nearly died."

"What?" Kyle took a step back instinctively as Tess jumped to her feet. "The sheriff was shot?"

"Yeah. By your best buddy Lonnie." He could hear the cruel tinge to his voice, and was a bit surprised by it. But he didn't seem to be able to keep the bitter mockery out of his voice. "What's the matter, Tess? That actually comes as a shock to you?"

"I didn't know," she protested. "If I had......."

"What? You would have sent him a get-well card? Don't worry about it – Dad's fine. Came through. And Max was there, at the hospital, just in case." He tilted his head to one side, catching Tess's eyes. "Interesting, that. I spent so much time hating Max. But when push came to shove, he was right there for Dad. Me, too. All of us, in fact." He took a step closer. "'Course, if you had your way, Max would have been dead then. Maria, too, turns out. There were complications with the pregnancy. If Max hadn't been around, Maria and the baby might not have made it."

"I never wanted you or the sheriff to get hurt," Tess insisted. She reached out a hand, but Kyle shook it away. "You have to believe me, Kyle. You must know how much I care about you both."

"How the hell do I know that?" he exploded. "I thought I knew that you were someone we could trust, Tess. I mean, the girl I knew? She made me my favorite foods. Invited Amy DeLuca over so that my dad could be happy at Christmas time. Stood by us when Dad went through his suspension." He shook his head, trying to keep his voice down so his father wouldn't hear. "Do you have any idea what you did to him when we found out what you really were? You think it was rough when he was suspended? That was a picnic. Try being around last summer!" Kyle remembered the way his father had been, sitting alone in the dark all night, drinking way too much, blaming himself for what happened to Alex. "You did your damnedest to destroy us all, you know that?"

"I'm sorry," she said, speaking quickly. "For hurting the two of you. For what happened with Alex."

"And what about Max?" he interrupted. "You do remember Max, right? The guy you spent the better part of a year stalking? Your 'destiny'?" He made air quotes. "The guy you were going to turn over to the Big Bad for execution?"

Tess closed her eyes. "I wish there had been another way."

Kyle couldn't believe it. "There was, Tess. You could have come to us for help." Disgusted, he turned to leave. At that moment, he didn't care if Kivar or Nicholas had messed with Tess's mind. She would do the whole thing all over again.

He couldn't deal with this anymore.

"Kyle, I do love you."

Kyle didn't pause in leaving the room as she spoke quietly behind him.

-----------------------------------------

"Are you sure about this?" Shalin eyed the sign hanging over the restaurant entrance doubtfully. "Martian Mess Hall? And here I thought that the Crashdown had a cheesy name."

Max laughed, still holding her hand (and only partly because he was worried she was going to run off if he let go). "Typical Roswell. I hear the food's pretty good." He put his hand on the door and glanced backwards at her. "Or are you embarassed to be seen in public with me?"

"I'm just looking forward to the free food," she said lightly, moving past him inside.

Max grinned. "Hey, your job has got to pay better than mine. I thought you could pay this time."

Shalin laughed. "Yeah, that's going to happen........." Her laugh died off as she saw the way Max tensed, eyes staring past her. "What?" She turned to follow his glance, instantly alert, moving slightly in front of him in case there was a threat.

What she saw wasn't something she could fight. Phillip Evans was looking right back at them. And from the frown on his face, he wasn't happy. "Wonderful," she muttered, looking past Max's father and seeing his mother sitting at a nearby table along with Isabel and Alex. "Family night."

"So it would seem." Max felt Shalin pulling her hand from his, and tried to hold on, but she was determined. "Hi, Dad."

"Max." Phillip's frown only grew more severe as he looked from his son to the strange woman standing next to him. "I gather this is the plan you couldn't break for dinner with your family?"

Max tried to keep his voice level and even as he answered. "Dad, this is Lynn."

"I see."

Shalin could see the suspicion in Mr. Evans's eyes, and tried to make things easier for Max. "Mr. Evans. It's nice to finally meet you." She smiled brightly, holding out her hand for the other man to shake. "Max has told me about you. Of course, I'd already heard about your reputation – best lawyer in town." She shook his hand firmly, still smiling pleasantly.

"And how do you know my son?"

"I've been helping Max with some research for school," she explained. "I work over at the library." She laughed. "There's actually some pretty interesting history here in Roswell. And not just because of the aliens." She could see some warmth in the older man's eyes, but he was still suspicious. She felt like kicking Max to get him moving, to say something and help her with her cover story, but the teen was just standing there. "Anyway, we just got finished and were hungry. I've never been here before – is the food good?"

"Lynn, don't." Max said quietly, not looking away from his father. "Dad, Lynn and I are here on a date."

She couldn't believe the idiot. Of all the times to decide to lean towards honesty ... "Max."

"No." Max met his father's displeased look squarely. "That's why I didn't want to have dinner with you guys tonight. I had a date."

"I see." Shalin might as well not have even been present in the room any more – the two males intent on outstaring each other. She had to fight the impulse to smack them both on the back of their heads. "Would you mind giving my son and I a minute to ourselves?"

Shalin held up her hands. "Not a problem. Have fun." Glaring at Max, she turned and left the restaurant. If he didn't want her help, then he was going to have to deal with the family fall-out all on his own.

Max turned to follow her, but his father moved quickly to intercept. "Max, what's going on with you?" he asked quietly, trying not to make a scene.

"What are you talking about, Dad? I'm on a date. I'm not knocking over a convenience store or something."

"With her? Who is she? I mean, what happened to Liz?" It seemed like every day his son grew further and further away from him. "How old is she anyway?"

Max bit down the laugh that threatened to erupt. "I'm nineteen and going to graduate in a few days. And honestly?" Max moved closer to the older man. "I don't need your approval on my social life. I can date whoever I want to."

"What is the matter with you?" Despite himself, Phillip's voice rose, drawing attention. "It's like I don't even know you anymore, Max."

Max shrugged, backing away. "Maybe you just never really knew me that well." He looked past his father, saw that Isabel and Alex had noticed his presence. Great. "I better go see if Lynn's okay after your polite greetings," he bit out, moving quickly towards the door.

Max?

He quickly blocked off Isabel's voice in his mind. He didn't want to have to explain things to her right then. Bad enough that he was sure his father would mention his date with "Lynn" to the others. He'd have to talk with Isabel about what he was doing out for dinner with Shalin eventually.

But not yet.

-----------------------------------------

[Anla]

Max had actually been a little surprised when he left the restaurant and found Shalin waiting for him in the Jeep, eyes closed and apparently at rest. "I thought you'd have left by now."

She shook her head, not opening her eyes. "Let you wander around at night unprotected? Some of us take our responsibilities seriously, you know." Now she turned her head to look at him. "That didn't take long."

Max climbed into the driver's seat and started the car. "Not much to say."

"I see that," she replied, voice suspiciously non-judgmental.

Glancing at her from the corner of his eyes, Max wondered what Shalin was thinking right then. Her face was carefully blank of any emotion. "Sorry about that."

A small shrug. "It's not like I was actually expecting a normal date, Max. Plus, I've had much worse experiences than an overprotective father."

Max snorted, but didn't say anything else as he drove back to her apartment. When they got there, he followed her inside before breaking the silence. "You mind if I hang out here for a while? I'm not in much of a mood to go home."

"Suit yourself." Shalin turned to look at him, arms folded and a frown on her face. "I'm not really interested in being some vehicle for your teen-age rebellion crap, you know," she said levelly.

"What?" Max had been about to sit down, but stopped short at her words, straightening himself back out again. "This has nothing to do with rebelling."

"No?" One eyebrow rose in disbelief. "Then why wouldn't you let me cover for you? Was sticking it to your dad really that important to you?"

"That's not what that was about," he insisted, reaching out a hand towards her.

A hand that she promptly smacked away. "I have more important things to deal with right now."

He tried to push down the little twinge he felt at that. "More important than us? Yeah, I'm sure you do."

"More important than your family issues," she clarified. "I told you once before, I'm not Dear Abby. I really don't think that you want my help on your family issues."

"No, considering past experience, you probably should stay as far away from my parents as possible," he agreed, temper rising in response to hers. Then he saw the flash of emotion in her eyes, gone almost before it registered. "I'm sorry, Shalin," he said, voice softer. "That was a low blow. I said that the past was in the past, and I meant it."

"The past never leaves us," she corrected, her own voice lower now. "If you weren't using me to upset your father, then why did you tell him that we were on a date?"

Max sat down on the couch. "Because we were. And no matter what some people may believe, I actually don't enjoy lying to my parents." A small smile. "I'm not going to hide you away or act like I'm ashamed of what's going on with us, Shalin. Confused as hell by it, yeah. But not ashamed."

She laughed slightly as she sat next to him. "What's going on with you and your father?"

Max leaned backwards against the cushions, closing his eyes and trying to relax. Strange how this had become one of the few places he did feel safe and secure these days. "I don't know. He's got so many questions, wants me to be the son he expects. Go to college. Probably law school. Go on nice normal dates with nice, normal girls."

He felt Shalin's hand start to rub circles on his leg. It was nice. Comforting. "A category I don't exactly fit into."

He grinned. "No, I don't think anyone could look at you and think of the word 'normal'. Hot and exciting, yes. Normal, no."

"I'll try to take that as a compliment." Shalin studied Max as he sat there. "He's your father. He probably cares about you."

"I know." Max opened his eyes, hazel eyes meeting her blue ones. "But he can't deal with who I really am. He wants more from me than I can give." And that was the problem. It seemed like almost everyone wanted more from him than he could give. "I just feel so overwhelmed at times," he admitted, knowing that he was leaving himself vulnerable and open to her. "I have no real clue of what I'm doing." His eyes widened when all Shalin did was nod. "What? No sarcastic comment about how I've never known what I was doing?"

Shalin turned to face him directly. "You'll figure something out," she said seriously. Then she grinned mischievously. "Of course, I'm not saying you'll figure out something smart," she pointed out. "But I'm sure you'll find some plan to fight Kivar." She put a hand on his cheek, a move that was the closest to tender he'd ever seen from her. "Use us."

"Excuse me?" he asked, a bit confused.

"The T'onxyl. When you're making your plan, remember all your assets. Including us." Despite the light tone and the smile on her face, Max could sense the importance of her words. "You're not fighting Kivar alone."

"Thank you," he said softly, appreciating the gesture. She was offering him their services, not because of Michael, but because they had a common goal. It was a gesture of solidarity and support that he truly appreciated.

Shalin nodded her head slightly, then leaned forward, sealing the promise with a kiss.

Max put his hands around her waist, pulling her closer. Then he felt her hands moving downwards along his chest, towards the button on his jeans, and he pulled back, speaking in a shaky voice. "Uh, Shalin? I thought that you said we weren't going to.........."

"Shut up, Max," she whispered firmly. "I changed my mind." She brushed her lips against his again. "Unless you have an objection?" she murmured.

"Definitely not," he mumbled before pulling her closer again.

--------------------------------------------

Kyle paused in his push-ups when the knock sounded on the front door. "I'll get it!" he called towards the kitchen, where his father was supervising Tess. "Hope he locked away all the knives," Kyle muttered, pulling on a t-shirt as he headed to the door.

"Hey," Laurie smiled at him as the door opened. "How are you managing?"

"Trying not to have a complete melt-down." Despite everything, Kyle found himself smiling as he moved aside to let her in. She had that effect on him.

"I called last night, but your dad said you weren't home."

"Yeah, sorry about that." Kyle walked her back into the living room. "I needed to go someplace to avoid the whole situation for a bit. I didn't think my reputation would survive if I panicked too obviously."

"You have a reputation to be concerned about?" she teased. Kyle laughed, sitting down. Laurie sat next to him, snuggling closer as he put his arm around her. "This has got to be hell for you. Michael and Maria are going nuts."

"We all are." Kyle pulled her closer. "This isn't something we were prepared for."

"Just try to avoid running out into traffic – never a good choice." Laurie frowned. "I was going to head up back up to Tucson this weekend, remember?" Kyle nodded slowly. He did, now that she'd mentioned it. With everything else, her trip to get some stuff from her other house had been pushed to the back of his mind. "With everything going on, I thought I'd postpone. Stick around for moral support." She rolled her eyes. "But Michael's gone into protective Big Brother mode. It doesn't seem to sink in with the big lug that I'm actually older than he is." She smiled fondly.

"Michael can be a little pushy at times," Kyle agreed.

"Yeah. Anyway, I was pretty much planning on completely ignoring him and sticking around anyway, but then Maria talked with me. She said it would probably be easier on Michael if he didn't have to worry about me on top of everything." She looked at him seriously. "What do you think? Do you want me to stay in town?"

"Want? Yeah. But I think Maria's right – it would be better if you stuck with your plans." And got someplace relatively safe. "We don't want Michael distracted more than he has to be."

"I guess." She didn't sound sure of herself. Then she turned at a noise and looked at the kitchen doorway. "Oh."

Kyle turned instantly, tensing up when he saw Tess standing in the doorway, very conspicuously wearing one of his football jerseys. "Breakfast's almost ready," Tess said, eyes going from Kyle to the girl sitting next to him. "Laurie Dupree, right?"

Laurie got to her feet, Kyle instantly following suit and standing protectively next to her. "You must be Tess. I've heard a lot about you from Michael and Maria."

"Well, that must have been fun." Tess dismissed Laurie and returned her attention to Kyle. "You going to eat?"

"Let me think about that," Kyle bit out, holding up his hands as if weighing something. "Yummy pancakes. Versus the strong likelihood of being poisoned. Nope, think I'll pass."

"Don't worry. Your dad's been watching me very carefully, making sure I don't get creative with the recipe." Now Tess looked at Laurie again. "So, Laurie – how have you been? Managing to stay out of mental institutions?"

"Tess.........."

Laurie spoke over Kyle's protests, sarcastically bright smile on her face. "Oh, I've been fine. I mean, nowhere near as busy as you, what with the betrayal and murder and all. But still, I keep myself occupied." She turned her back on Tess deliberately, and gave Kyle a very thorough, very lingering kiss. "I'll call you," she promised when she pulled back. She glanced back at Tess. "I'd say I'll see you later, but somehow, I don't picture that happening." She took Kyle's hand and squeezed it before going back out the front door.

Kyle stood there for a few seconds, still a bit dazed by Laurie's kiss. That was definitely the most intense one they'd shared – it was clear she'd been trying to send Tess a message. He had to chuckle – Laurie definitely was Michael's sister. She didn't back down from anybody. Then his amusement died when he turned his attention to Tess and saw her glower.

"You moved on pretty quick."

"You're incredible, you know that, Tess?" Kyle advanced on her. "What did you think? That I was going to sit around for the rest of my life, missing you? Get over yourself. We all moved on with our lives, without you!"

"You don't think I know that?" she shot back. "I gave up everything to protect you........"

"Oh, shut up! Listen to me, Tess – none of us wanted you to come back. We hoped you would be gone for good." He shook his head. "I never wanted to see you again, Tess. It would be better if you had died." She stood there, speechless, as Kyle pushed past her and his father, who had come out during their argument, and went out into the backyard.

Tess took a deep breath and gathered her strength. "I suppose you feel the same way," she said, keeping her voice calm with an effort.

Valenti shook his head sadly. "I never wished you dead, Tess."

Her eyes flew up to his, and for a second, he thought he saw tears in them. But then the moment passed, and she was in control of her emotions again. "You ready to eat?"

"I'm not really hungry." He went back into the kitchen and sat down. "Sit down." When she hesitated, he repeated his order. "Sit down, Tess."

She recognized that tone of voice. Even if she hadn't been a prisoner, she would have known better than to argue. She sat down across from him, staring intently down at the tabletop.

"Where have you been all this time?" he started.

Tess shrugged, still avoiding the sheriff's eyes. "Just wandering. I moved around a lot."

"How did you survive?"

"I managed." Now she did look up, quickly. "I didn't hurt anyone, if that's what you're wondering."

His voice took on a tone of irony. "Guess it's just us who had that privilege."

"I really thought it was the only way," Tess spoke in a tiny voice.

"And now?"

She shrugged, then stood up. "If you're not going to eat, then I'd better clean up....."

"Hello?" The voice came from the front entrance. "Jim, you home?" Amy DeLuca came into the kitchen.

"Amy?" Valenti cast a concerned look at Tess, over near the sink. He wasn't too worried about himself – he figured he was a match for the small girl now that she didn't have access to her alien powers. But he didn't think it was such a good idea for Amy to be there. "I thought you had a meeting today." He moved over to kiss her cheek. Amy stood unresponsive.

"I changed my mind about going." Amy didn't even look at Tess. "I wanted to see you."

"Oh. Well, we're doing okay here. How are Michael and Maria holding up?" He looked over at the teen. "Tess, you can start cleaning those dishes now."

Amy was apparently determined to ignore Tess's existence. Well, Valenti couldn't really blame her for that, but he was a bit surprised. Knowing Amy's temper, he was expecting more of a scene when she saw Tess again, knowing what had happened. "I wanted to see you," she repeated again.

"Yeah, you said that." Valenti was starting to grow concerned. "Tess, go to your room." He turned to the sink. "Amy and I are going to talk and we don't need an audience." Amy reached into her purse. "Listen, Amy, let me just get Tess settled......" he turned back to Amy.

The next thing he saw was the flash of a knife as Amy drew it from her purse and slashed it in his direction.

[Anla]

Chapter 18 - Maneuvers

Valenti didn't even have time to move in the split second it took for him to realize the gleaming knife was aiming straight for his heart. This was Amy, for God's sake – what was going on?

Then he saw something go flying through the air, colliding with Amy's hand and putting her just a bit off target. Enough so that the blade went slicing through his shoulder instead of his chest, hurting like hell but not killing him.

Not yet at any rate.

Valenti had never seen such a look of pure anger and hatred as the one on Amy's face when she turned from the now-shattered mug on the floor to glare at the girl who had thrown it. Tess was already reaching for another weapon, picking up the frying pan she'd used to make pancakes and approaching the older woman. But the momentary distraction was all Valenti had needed. As Amy moved to stab at him again, he drew back his own uninjured arm, and slugged her across the jaw, hard enough to knock her out.

As Amy fell to the ground, he reached out and grabbed her, sheltering her as they both fell to the ground. "God, Amy," he muttered, pushing back her hair.

Tess ran over to him, picking up the knife and kneeling beside them. "It wasn't her," she said quickly. When he glanced at her, she went on. "Kivar."

Then the back door burst open. Kyle looked around desperately, seeing the broken pottery on the floor, his father holding the unconscious Amy in his arms.

Tess with a knife.

"What the hell did you do?" he burst out, heading directly to Tess. The blond girl stood up, quickly dropping the knife to the ground.

"It wasn't Tess," the sheriff explained quickly, attention still mostly focused on the woman in his arms. Damn, he hadn't meant to hit her so hard, just enough to stop her from killing him.

When Kyle looked back at his father, he noticed the blood falling and pooling on the kitchen floor underneath him. The anger quickly fled, replaced by fear. "Dad, you're bleeding." It looked pretty serious. He grabbed a dishtowel from the counter and knelt down next to his father, putting pressure on the injury. "What happened?"

"Amy........" Valenti's voice trailed off, then he started again, trying to force strength into his voice and ignore the pain and growing dizziness. "She tried to kill me. Kivar must have gotten to her."

"How?" The whole point of Michael destroying the relay center in New York had been that Kivar couldn't possess humans anymore. No more long distance Puppet Master.

Unless he was already here, in Roswell..........

Kyle's trail of thought was interrupted as he saw a quick movement out of the corner of his eye. "Tess!" he called as the girl ran past him and out of the room. "Wonderful," he muttered, returning his attention to the blood-soaked towel in his hand. His dad was really bleeding a lot. "This can't be good." Tess was making a break for it, and if he left to go drag her back, his father would probably bleed to death in the meantime. She'd be out of town before anyone knew she'd escaped.

Valenti put Amy down on the kitchen floor, unable to hold her up anymore. He barely realized it when he leaned back against his son. "Kyle," he spoke quietly.

"Yeah, Dad," Kyle replied absently, eyeing the distance to the phone and wondering if he could reach it from where he was.

"It wasn't Tess's fault. Kyle!" he said as sharply as he could. When he saw his son turn to look at him, he went on. "She saved me."

Kyle didn't have a response to that. Couldn't even begin to deal with it at that moment. Especially since, looking at his father's pale skin and the way his eyes were losing focus, he wasn't sure that anyone had saved his dad. "Dad, I need you to stay with me here," he said intently. "Don't you pass out on me!"

That's when he realized there was another presence in the room. He looked over to his side and met Tess's worried blue eyes. "Here," she said, putting the small box between them.

He stared blankly at the box for a second before comprehension sunk in. "The first aid kit?"

Tess nodded, opening the kit. "We need to wrap up the injury, try to stop the bleeding," she continued, voice brisk and business-like. "I can't heal it myself, but we need to get it under control. Then we can call Max to come over and fix the sheriff up."

"Yeah." Kyle shook himself, trying to focus on what she was saying. Instead of making a dash for freedom when she had the chance, Tess had gone to get the first aid kit to help his dad. What was up with that? He watched as Tess expertly started to wrap up his father's injury. "How.........."

Tess shrugged. "Nasedo figured that our powers would get us out of trouble," she explained calmly. "But it never hurt to have a few back-up plans." She met his eyes briefly. "He told me about the drugs the Secret Unit had."

"Oh." He hesitated for a second. "Thanks," he managed to get out the words.

Tess nodded. "Let's just get the sheriff taken care of," she said quietly. She gestured towards Amy. "Then we have to figure out what to do about her."

A muffled groan from his father drew Kyle's attention back to what he was doing. First things first.

----------------------------------------------

Max heard the quiet sounds of someone moving around the room and spoke without opening his eyes. "I'm not asleep, you know."

Shalin stopped and looked up from the drawer she was rummaging through, glancing at the prone form on the bed. "I know."

Max smiled, eyes opening slowly. "Figures." He sighed. "Would it really be too much for you to stay in bed for a little bit afterwards?"

An eyebrow raised in question. "Why? Do I seem like the snuggling type?"

He propped himself up slightly in bed, watching her closely. "I'm not your enemy, Shalin," he said, voice serious and quiet. "At least not as far as I'm concerned. I would have expected you to figure that out by now." He gave a small half-smile. "Would it really be so hard for you to lower your guard enough to relax a little?"

She considered. "Yes," she said finally. "It would." Taking something out of the drawer, she came over to sit on the edge of the bed. "But I do let you get close. Obviously," she pointed out. "Even after your display with Tess yesterday."

Max nodded. That was something, at least. "That worries you?"

"It worries Ardan," Shalin corrected. "Quite a bit, actually."

"Oh, yeah. Ardan." Max sat up in bed and looked around. "Where are my......" Shalin reached down to the ground and handed him his pants. "Thanks." He pulled them on, Shalin not even trying to hide the way she was watching him, admiring the view. Max smiled, shaking his head. "Don't tell me that Ardan is actually afraid of something I can do," he teased. "I didn't think that Ardan allowed himself to feel actual emotions."

"Ardan doesn't like unnecessary threats." Shalin frowned. "Or any threats, actually. Before, you were more of an inconvenience than anything. An annoyance. Now?" She shrugged. "Who knows what's going on in Ardan's mind? He's got more twists and turns in there than a maze."

Max leaned over towards her. "Unlike you, who are so straight forward and honest?"

She smiled brightly. "I'm a simple woman." She gave him a long, teasing kiss, then pulled back, standing up. "I have to go check in, get the daily report," she explained, showing him the communicator in her hand. "I'll be right back."

After Shalin left the room, Max pulled on his shirt, thinking hard. Great. Ardan reminded him of a rattlesnake. Something which could be totally still at one moment, then suddenly burst into action. And kill. Max would have preferred to have stayed under Ardan's radar screen. "Well, can't be helped now," he muttered. He had priorities.

Kivar.

He looked up as Shalin came back into the room. He stood, instantly alert at the expression on her face. "What?"

Shalin carefully placed the communicator on top of her bureau. "Sit down," she ordered. When he just stood there, she repeated it in a firmer voice. "Trust me, Max. You're not going to like this."

"Bad news? From you? How shocking." But he did sit down, studying her carefully. She looked concerned, and that couldn't be a good thing. If Shalin was worried about his response, then whatever the news was, it would have to be very bad. "The others?"

She shook her head. "So far as I know, everyone in your little club is fine. The news isn't about them."

"Then what?" Max's voice was much sharper than he'd intended.

Shalin moved to crouch down in front of him, keeping eye contact all the time. "It's about the abductees," she said, voice as calming as she could make it. She reached out and covered his hands with her own. "Last night, there were more casualties."

Max closed his eyes, holding on to Shalin's hands without even realizing he was doing it. "Casualties. Plural. How many?"

Shalin frowned at the empty tone of his voice, but answered. "Six."

Max stood up abruptly, pulling away from her and striding back and forth across the room. She sat back and watched him. "Six? Six people were killed last night? In one night?" He paused, casting a piercing look at her. "We're sure they were killed by Kivar's Skins?"

"The way they were killed..............." She nodded. "We're sure."

"They way they were killed," he repeated flatly. "Not accidents."

"No." Shalin stood. "These weren't accidents. Basically, their internal organs were cooked," she explained bluntly. "The authorities are baffled about it."

He forced himself to think rationally. "There will be questions – so many mysterious deaths in one night."

"They were spread out, around the country. We'll do our best to try and run interference, keep the authorities from connecting the dots, but.........." She shrugged. "At least the Special Unit isn't around anymore. They would have picked up on this right away."

"Six people." Max took a shaky breath. More deaths because of Kivar's vendetta with him. "Any connection?"

"As far as we can tell, the overall appearance is that they were random abductions," Shalin answered carefully.

Max could hear the hesitation in her voice. "Overall? What aren't you telling me?"

Shalin sighed. "One of the victims was from Roswell," she admitted. "It's the only death from New Mexico. She was a high school senior at Goodard High. Her name was Melissa Foster."

Max closed his eyes tightly. Melissa Foster – he remembered seeing her once or twice. "Last year, we thought she was the missing girl Isabel was getting visions of," he said quietly. "Isabel and the sheriff went nuts trying to find her. But it was Laurie Dupree, instead."

"I know."

"And now she's dead. Her parents must be losing their minds." He opened his eyes, trying to push down the fear and sadness threatening to engulf him. He had to stay calm, rational. "Her death was to make absolutely certain I would notice."

Shalin nodded. "And Jim. It would certainly be brought to the sheriff's attention. He's probably been told about it already." She frowned. "I'm a little surprised that he hasn't called to tell you........"

"And how many will they kill tonight?" Max shook his head sharply. "No. This has to end. We can't just let Kivar keep on killing innocent people in order to send some sick type of message to me."

"Max, you need to calm down." Shalin spoke sternly, standing in front of him and putting her hands on his shoulder. "You get all emotional, you make a stupid mistake, it's exactly what he wants you to do."

"Right." Max smiled coldly. "Because it worked when he killed Aveen." He stepped back from her. "We need to end this."

"Great. No argument from me on that one, but there's just one problem," she spoke sharply. "We don't know where Kivar is."

"Then we draw him out," Max said quickly. "What does he want? What can we use for bait?"

She shrugged. "Well, he wants you dead. I guess we could kill you and then leave your corpse lying out in the desert somewhere. That might get his attention." When Max didn't reply, just stood there, thoughtful, she smacked him on the back of the head.

"Ow!" He glared at her, rubbing his head. "What was that for?"

"For you even considering it, you moron," she yelled. "Whatever latent death-wish you might have, your death wouldn't accomplish anything. Because it isn't just your death Kivar wants. He'll also want Michael dead. And to take your precious sister back to Antar. Are you willing to risk all three of you for bait?"

"He wouldn't believe it, even if we tried," Max pointed out. "Too obvious. So we think of something else. There has to be something else that Kivar wants, besides my bloody body lying at his feet." His thoughts were interrupted by the ringing of his cell phone. He pulled it out of his pocket, looking at the caller ID. "And here's the sheriff now. Probably going to tell me about Melissa Foster." He flipped open the phone. "Hey, Sheriff. Oh, Kyle. What's............." Shalin watched as what little color he had left faded from Max's face, a cold feeling growing in her own stomach as she saw the light fade from his eyes, replaced by a chilly emptiness. "I'll be right there," he said finally, hanging up and looking away.

She could tell from the tension in his shoulders that he was trying to get a hold on himself. More bad news. "Max, what happened?"

He let out a shaky laugh. "Well, part of our question has been answered. Wherever Kivar is, he's close." He turned to her, and what Shalin saw in his eyes now startled her. An angry fire was burning there, threatening to consume anyone in his way. Shalin had seen that look often, in the eyes of the T'onxyl training with her.

She'd never expected to see it in the king's eyes.

Yet when he continued on, his voice was calm, almost gentle. "Kivar possessed Amy DeLuca. Maria's mother. Sent her to kill the sheriff."

Stick to business. "Is Jim still alive?"

"Yeah." His mouth twisted. "Turns out that Tess saved him, of all people." He really was going to have to think about that one later, when he had time. He reached for his jacket, heading toward the door. "Get in touch with the other T'onxyl. As many as you can." He paused at the door, meeting her eyes. "This ends. Now." Then he was gone.

----------------------------------------

Max saw the figure in the shadows as he climbed into the Jeep. "Ardan," he called softly, feeling no surprise as the Skin walked over.

"Your Majesty," he mocked lightly, eyes dancing with amusement. And something else. "Spending the night with our lovely Shalin, were you? Too bad that you had to be interrupted so early in the morning."

Max started the ignition. "You wanted to talk to me about anything in particular? Or just general vague insults?" He knew that Ardan had wanted to be seen, otherwise he would have gone on with no clue the Skin was ever there. "I have things to do."

"How rude," Ardan tssked. "The manners of royalty these days – so lacking." He came up and leaned against the side of the Jeep, a careful eye on Max. "I'm concerned by your ....... relationship with Shalin," he admitted.

Max grinned at him slightly. "The jealous ex come to warn me off?" he asked lightly. "I'm really not interested."

Ardan could pick up on his preoccupation. "No, simply worried that you're interfering with Shalin's objectivity. Which could lead to a lot of us getting killed. However," he went on, some of his amusement fading, "I get the feeling that you really aren't in the mood for this conversation. So........."

"Get in," Max said abruptly. "I have to get to the Valenti house. We can talk on the way."

Ardan hesitated, then walked around to get in the back passenger seat. At Max's raised eyebrow, he explained. "Just not feeling like getting that close to you these days, Your Majesty. Try not to take it personally."

"I'll do my best." Max put the Jeep into drive and pulled out quickly from the parking lot, the sound of the tires echoing down the empty streets. Even though Kyle hadn't seemed to feel that his dad was in immediate danger any more, Max was worried about what he was going to come across when he got to the sheriff's. He just hoped that Valenti and Mrs. DeLuca were going to be okay.

"As I was saying," Ardan's quiet voice behind him almost made Max jump as he suddenly started speaking, "I'm starting to worry that you're a much bigger threat to all of us than we originally anticipated. Shalin may not see it, but I do. I have no great desire to overthrow Kivar only to replace him with someone equally bad."

Max rolled his eyes as he drove. "While I'm flattered that you're so worried, Ardan......."

"Don't be," Ardan interrupted, voice low and quiet. "I'm trying to decide exactly where my oaths of loyalty end and self-preservation begins."

Max pulled over to the side of the road sharply, turning to look at his passenger. "I thought you were supposed to be the sneaky one. What's up with the direct approach? Warning me of your intentions?"

Ardan's smile caught him off-guard. "Not what you expected, was it?"

"No." A thought occurred to Max. "You really do hate us, don't you? I mean, it's even more personal for you than for the others?"

Ardan hesitated. "I'm not sure I'd say it's personal, but yes. I hate you. And dear Vilandra, of course."

"But not as much as you hate Kivar?" That's what Shalin had said.

"Oh, well," Ardan replied softly. "With Kivar, it is personal. But I'm not a martyr, Your Majesty. I intend to survive. Winning won't do me much good if I'm dead."

Max turned back and pulled back onto the road, attention only partly on the Skin as thoughts whirled through his mind. "Good that we understand each other."

----------------------------------------------

Isabel leaned back, studying the unconscious woman on the couch in front of her. "That should do it." She glanced at Alex, standing with his hand on her shoulder. He nodded encouragingly before looking around the gathered group.

"The walls are up," he assured them. God, he was getting way too much practice at this.

"So it was Kivar?" Liz asked, leaning a bit forward from her seat. Maria paced around behind her, rocking the baby while nervously watching her mother.

"Yeah." Isabel stood up briskly. "Guess he decided to make a preemptive strike against us."

"Not us," Michael said quietly. "The sheriff." He looked over at the older man, taking in the stiff way he stood, trying not to let his own pain show as he stared at Amy.

"He must have gotten Mom when she was driving out of town," Maria spoke quickly, nervously. She turned wide eyes to Michael. "Spaceboy, I told her to go to the convention! What was I thinking, letting her out of our sight?" Lexy, picking up on her mother's emotions, started to fuss.

"Here, let me." Liz stood up quickly and took the baby, settling herself back down as Michael went to his teela-mei.

"This wasn't your fault," he said seriously.

"He's right, Maria," Isabel agreed, going to stand on Maria's other side. "There is no way any of us could have known this would happen."

"Kivar can do this to anyone, anytime!" A sudden thought occurred to Maria, causing her blood to turn cold. "Michael, Laurie!"

"Is fine," he reassured her. "I already called and checked on her. And she has an escort all the way back to Albuerquerque. No alien's getting their hands on her."

Alex joined the group forming around Maria. "Maria, your mom's going to be fine now. Kivar's not getting back in there." He tried to give a reassuring smile. "I'm getting pretty good at the whole mental walls thing."

Valenti's voice broke through them all, quiet yet demanding attention. "Why isn't she waking up?" he asked. "If she's okay, why isn't she waking up?" Damn, how hard had he hit her? What if he had done more damage than Kivar did?

Kyle watched, eyes worried as his father stood over Amy's form, swaying slightly. "Dad, I really think you should sit down.........."

His father waved away his concern. "I'm fine."

"Right," Kyle snapped, patience already frayed by the morning's events. "I can see the blood seeping through the bandages from here, but you're just fine. It's just decorative coloring." That caught both Michael and Isabel's attention, but before either could move to heal the sheriff, the door opened and the last member of the I Know An Alien Club arrived.

"Max!" Liz stood up, holding Lexy tight. "We were starting to worry."

"Sorry it took so long." Max deliberately avoided his sister's narrowed eyes and headed right to the sheriff. "Let me heal you." But before he could touch the injury, Valenti took a step back.

"Check on Amy first."

"Sheriff..........."

"Amy first," he repeated firmly. Max looked at him, eyes meeting in frustration, before he nodded, realizing the futility of arguing with the sheriff when his mind was made up. As he knelt down in front of the couch, he sensed Maria come up next to him.

"Come on, Mom," she whispered, pushing back a strand of her mother's brown hair.

Max put out one hand and ran it along Amy's body, not quite touching it, while his other found Maria's, giving her a supportive squeeze. Then he turned and smiled at her. "She's going to be fine." He glanced at Valenti, then turned back to place his hand on Amy's cheek, healing the bruise that was starting to form. "She should regain consciousness soon." Max stood and went back to the sheriff. "Now can I heal you?"

"We'll hold him still if we have to," Kyle said, tone of voice and expression on face very like his father's. Behind him, Michael nodded in agreement.

Despite everything, Valenti found himself smiling slightly at his boys. "That won't be necessary." He sat down in the chair Liz had vacated. "I just wanted to make sure I hadn't hurt her too much." His smile faded as he remembered punching Amy.

"Dad, she would have killed you," Kyle said gently. "It's not like you had much of a choice."

"Doesn't make it any better." Valenti looked at his son while Max put his hand out over the injury and concentrated. It was pretty deep – he hated to think what would have happened if Valenti hadn't managed to get the upper hand somehow.

Which reminded him........ Max finished the healing, appreciating Michael's supportive hand on his shoulder as he stopped. "What happened exactly?"

"Good question." As everyone except Max and Michael jumped slightly and whirled to see her in the doorway, Shalin sighed loudly. "Kivar sends someone to attack you just a few hours ago, and it doesn't occur to you to have better safety precautions? Maybe actually lock the front door?" She frowned at them before settling her eyes on Jim. "You're okay?"

"He's fine now," Max said mildly, avoiding Isabel's focused stare. He really wasn't looking forward to that inevitable discussion with his sister. "I just got here – that's why the door was unlocked. I was a little focused on stopping the sheriff's bleeding."

Shalin cast him a sharp glance. "You just got here?" she repeated. Max had left her apartment quite a bit earlier than she had – she would have expected him to be at the Valenti household much sooner. What had he been doing for that long?

Max met her eyes evenly. "Yes," he repeated, eyes almost daring her to make a big deal of it, to explain why she was surprised.

From the look on her face, she recognized the challenge for what it was, and wasn't pleased. But she didn't say anything more on that subject, simply turning to Michael. "What exactly happened?"

A soft groan from the couch grabbed Maria's attention. "Mom." She hurried to sit on the couch as her mother slowly sat up. Maria wrapped her arms around her mother. "How do you feel?"

"Ow." Amy winced, holding her hand to her cheek. "Confused." She looked around at the crowded living room. "Okay – how did I get here? And why are you all staring at me?"

"What's the last thing you remember?" Max asked gently.

Amy concentrated. "I was on the interstate. A car swerved in front of me........." Her eyes grew wider and she gave a shaky laugh. "Let me guess. I was abducted." Dropping her head into her hands, Amy gave a groan. "When did my life turn into a made-for-cable sci-fi movie?"

"Could be worse," Alex spoke up, trying to lighten the mood before the aliens got even more broody than usual.

"Yeah," Kyle chimed in. "You could be in one of those cheesy romance tv movies instead." He and Alex gave synchronized shudders, ignoring the glare Liz shot them.

Maria rubbed her mother's shoulders comfortingly while the sheriff crouched in front of the couch. "Amy, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I guess." Amy shrugged and managed a smile. "How did I get here, anyway?" Her smile died when she took in the sight of the blood on his shirt. "What happened? Are you okay?"

Jim looked away, exchanging a quick glance with Max before standing up. He couldn't look Amy in the eye. Maria noticed and stood, dragging her mother with her. "Mom, how about we go in the other room, and I'll fill you in, okay?"

Liz got on Amy's other side. "That's a good idea, Mrs. DeLuca. I'm sure you could use a little more rest."

Before Amy could protest, the two girls started heading down the hall towards the sheriff's room. "Come on," Maria insisted.

The door closed on them as Amy's demands to know what happened filtered back to the living room. Shalin turned back to the others. "Well? What did happen? I mean, besides the obvious fact that Kivar used Amy DeLuca to try to kill you?"

"Hold on a sec." Kyle held up his hand. "Why was that, exactly? Why not send her to kill someone else? You know, like Max?" Max turned to him, and Kyle held up his hands defensively. "Hey, not saying I'm in favor of that idea or anything, Mr. President. I'm just saying."

"It does seem strange," Isabel commented. "Why not send someone against one of us?"

Shalin shrugged, sitting down on the arm of the couch. "You would be able to sense anyone possessed by Kivar, don't you think? And I don't think any human would have a chance to get close enough to kill Tym. Well, other than Maria, but she's safe."

"Why not me?" Max asked, looking down at the floor to avoid meeting either Shalin or his sister's eyes. "I'm no telepath."

"Yeah, well, as much as it pains me to admit it, you're not a complete moron," Shalin said lightly. "Even you would probably be able to realize something was wrong with the way a possessed person was acting."

"But why Dad?" Kyle insisted. "Is Kivar really that worried about the Roswell town sheriff?"

Shalin sighed. "That's part of it, I suppose. Jim's done a lot to protect you all over the years. He's definitely on Kivar's radar. All of ours."

"And here I thought you were just nice to me because of my dancing skills," Valenti said sarcastically.

Shalin grinned brightly. "Well, that was fun."

"You're avoiding the question," Kyle insisted. "You said that was part of it. What was the rest?"

Shalin studied the younger Valenti, slowly nodding. "You're a lot like your dad, you know that?" She actually sounded approving. "Simple. It wasn't about your father. With Kivar, it's all about the Royals." Her gaze shifted abruptly, turning to Max as her voice grew more teasing, almost taunting. "It was about the king. Getting him to come out and play so that he can be massacred."

"But why the sheriff?" Isabel asked.

Shalin looked to Michael now. "Tym?"

He met her eyes steadily. "Kill the father. Distract the king so that he can't think straight." He remembered that day on Antar way too clearly, how easily he'd been able to slip in under Zandar's defenses while he was overcome with grief and anger at his father's death.

"So you haven't forgotten," Shalin said softly. "Kivar wants to make sure the king is so upset that he can't think straight when the inevitable confrontation occurs."

"Hold on." Jim leaned forward. "I'm not Max's father." He gestured towards Max. "Max and Isabel have a father."

A shrug from the Skin. "Who he's barely speaking to these days." Her eyes darted back to Max, who was studying the wall across from him now. She frowned slightly, not liking the way he was avoiding her eyes. What was going on in his mind? "For all intents and purposes, Jim, you are their father. Or at least, the father figure for this whole little group."

Isabel ran her hands through her hair. "Wonderful." Last year, the Skins had gone after their mother in order to get to her, to bring back Vilandra to Kivar. Now, they were going after Valenti because they knew how important he was to them. "We just keep causing everyone more problems."

You're not the ones causing the problems. Alex sent the thought to her firmly. Kivar is. Don't let him get you distracted by guilt. It's what he wants. She nodded in reluctant agreement, even as she knew it wasn't that easy.

In the meantime, Valenti had gone over to stand by Max. "Hey," he said softly, putting a hand on the teen's arm. "Don't go beating yourself up about this. I knew what I was doing when I signed up." He gave a small smile when the boy looked at him. "It's not like you dragged me into this against my will. If I remember right, I was the one who kept badgering and pestering you to find out the truth."

Max smiled back slightly. "Yeah, it was a pain, too." He shook his head. It was hard to remember how scared he had been of this man three years ago, but he'd never forget that night at the Crash Festival. Now – well, other than Michael, Max couldn't think of anyone he'd trust more to watch his back. "Don't worry, Sheriff. I'm not going to have a breakdown." He looked around at Michael and Isabel. "None of us are. We're stronger than Kivar thinks."

"What are we going to do, Max?" Kyle asked.

Max's hesitation was barely noticeable, but still enough to catch Shalin's attention. "Kivar wants to play, then we'll play. This has to end. Soon."

As if to emphasize Max's point, a yell was heard from the back bedroom. "I did what?"

Kyle winced. "I guess Maria's gotten to the point where Mrs. DeLuca went all psycho on you, Dad."

Max jumped on the change of subject. "You never did explain exactly what happened, Sheriff."

"Oh." The two Valentis exchanged identically uncomfortable looks. "You're not going to like it. Any of you."

"Must be about Tess, then," Michael sneered. "She still locked up tight?"

"Yeah." The sheriff took a breath. "Tess saved me. From Amy." At their disbelieving looks, he continued. "She threw a coffee mug at Amy – it knocked her aim off. And then she grabbed the frying pan......... " He stopped talking and looked at Max with concern. The boy was shaking, head down. "Max, are you okay?"

Max looked up, and Valenti only grew more concerned. Was Max actually laughing? "Tess went after a possessed, knife-wielding maniac with a coffee mug and a frying pan?" He could just picture it. "I am so dead," he said, trying to get himself under control. "Powers or no, Tess is going to find a way to kill me eventually. We won't even have to wait for Kivar."

"And this is funny because.........?" Alex asked, frowning.

"It's not," Isabel said sharply. She was looking at her brother as if he'd totally lost it.

"You're right," Max agreed. Wow – he really wanted to blow something up at the moment. No wonder Michael liked to spend so much time out in the desert with his exploding rocks. "It's just the way my life is going these days." He returned to the point. "At least she doesn't want any of the rest of you dead. That's a good sign."

Shalin had been studying him carefully, like a cat watching a mouse. "Can I speak with you a moment?" she asked, voice deceptively calm. "Privately?"

With that, any last remnants of hysterical amusement were wiped away. "Okay," Max agreed, going to the kitchen, knowing that she was following. Shalin closed the door behind her, continuing her microscopic study of him as he turned around. "What?"

"I'm trying to figure out exactly how close you are to completely snapping," she said bluntly. "Hysterical laughter – never a really good sign, you know."

"I'll be fine," Max argued, leaning against the counter and trying not to notice the broken pottery and bloodstains on the floor. He noticed that the signs of the attack didn't seem to phase the Skin in the slightest. She simply gave him a clearly disbelieving look. "I can hold it together long enough to do what has to be done," he continued, voice soft.

"Uh, huh." Shalin was clearly considering what he said. And what he wasn't saying. "And afterwards?"

"Will there be an afterwards?" he shot out without thinking, instantly regretting it as he saw her nod slightly, as if this confirmed something to herself. "I can't think about that," he went on, voice calmer. "Right now, the only thing I can think of is stopping Kivar. Protecting the others. And oh, yeah. Stopping the alien invasion from destroying all life on the planet."

Shalin walked up into his personal space, leaning towards him and putting out one hand to brush back a strand of his hair. "You're going to do something incredibly stupid, aren't you?" She sounded more resigned than anything.

"I promise to try not to get myself killed," he assured her, eyes meeting hers. "Wouldn't want to deny you that opportunity," he teased. She sighed, annoyed, but he just smiled at her and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer. "As for incredibly stupid............" His lips met hers and for a second he let the feel of her body next to his drive out all other thoughts.

Shalin was smiling despite herself when they finally drew apart again. "You know," she murmured, playing with the front of his shirt. "It might be helpful if you let me know in advance before you do anything terribly stupid. Give me some advance warning about your plans."

Max nodded seriously. "Does this approach usually work?" he asked, unable to keep his lips from twitching. "Kiss 'em and they tell you all their secrets?"

Shalin laughed softly with him. "Usually," she agreed. Then, abruptly, she pushed herself away from him and spun around to face the opening door.

Just in time to see Maria enter the kitchen, hands planted firmly on her hips and a thunderous expression on her face. "Max," she said, pointedly ignoring Shalin.

"Maria," he replied slowly. "How's your mother doing?"

"She's fine. She wanted to talk with the sheriff. And I wanted to talk with you." She glared at Shalin. "Michael wanted to discuss some security arrangements."

Shalin cast Max an amused look, then went back out to the living room. Maria closed the door firmly behind the Skin.

"Okay, Maria........" That was as far as Max got before Maria crossed the room quickly and smacked him on the back of his head. "Ow!" Two in one morning.

"What the hell are you thinking?" she screamed in his face.

"Hey!" Max grabbed her arm as she swung back for another smack. He guessed he should be grateful that she wasn't channeling any alien power from Michael. But the girl had a good arm. "A little quieter, okay? House full of people, remember?"

"Oh, that's right." Maria wrenched her arm out of his grasp, but she did lower her voice slightly. "You probably don't want everyone to know that you've completely lost your mind." She threw her hands up in the air. "God, Max, what is wrong with you? You do remember the whole she-wants-to-kill-you-thing, right? That doesn't seem to be a pretty damn good reason not to be sleeping with her?"

Max closed his eyes, but only for a split second. He thought it might be wiser to keep an eye on Maria until she calmed down. "Michael told you."

She nodded, eyes bright and angry. "Yeah. At first, I couldn't believe it. I mean, yeah, guys aren't exactly known for thinking with their brains all the time, but honestly? I thought you had a little more sense than that."

"Maria..........."

"Max, you can't trust her." He tried to interrupt again, but she went on talking right over him. "You can't. She's dangerous. Ever since she got to town, she's been trying to wear Michael down, get him to go all Tymrath-warrior alien again." She'd never spoken out loud about this, the real reason why Shalin unnerved her so much, but now that she'd started, the words just came tumbling out. "They have this whole freaky T'onxyl past life bond going on, and she just keeps on insinuating herself into things, trying to wake up that part of him." Max took a small step back from the angry expression on her face. Yeah, definitely good that she wasn't channeling any power from Michael. He was pretty sure the plumbing would be bursting around now if she was. "You have no idea how long she tried to get him to let her have permission to kill you and Isabel. The constant mindgames. 'Oh, Tym, they can't possibly understand the real you'." Maria went on, imitating the Skin. "But at least Michael knows what she's up to. You?" Her whole body was shaking with exasperation. "What the hell is going on with you? Shalin senses weakness and she just swoops on in. And you let her?"

He tried to keep his voice calm and comforting. "Maria, it's not like that."

"It's exactly like that." Maria took a breath, anger gone, replaced with concern. "She's going to kill you."

"No, I don't believe she will," he said softly, putting his hand on her arm. He took it as a good sign that she didn't pull away or slap him again. "Maria, I know who and what Shalin is. But I trust her."

"Then you're an idiot," she shot back automatically.

"Michael trusts her, too," Max points out. "Well, to an extent," he amended that.

Maria looked at him like he was nuts. "You know I love Spaceboy dearly, but if you're using him as your back-up proof for sanity and good decision-making.........."

"It's okay, Maria." Max smiled. "Shalin won't be the one to kill me." Of that, at least, he was pretty sure.

Maria shook her head, finally looking back at him with sad eyes. "What about Liz?" When he didn't answer, she went on, voice more frantic. "Max, this is going to kill her when she finds out."

He looked down at her. "A little melodramatic there, don't you think?" he asked dryly, slightly surprised at how quickly he went into sarcasm.

Apparently, it surprised Maria, too. "You don't think she'll be hurt to find out that you're sleeping with the Skin assassin sent to kill you? That you ended up with someone else already? An alien? After everything that you two went through?"

Max held up a hand to signal silence. "This is between me and Shalin. It has nothing to do with Liz." Before Maria could protest, he continued. "Maria, I know that you and Liz have been friends forever. If you have to tell her, I understand. It's your call."

Maria wrapped her arms around herself tightly, glaring at him. "You're my friend, too."

A sad smile. "I know."

"This sucks," she pointed out bluntly.

Now a chuckle. "What doesn't, these days?" He nodded towards the door. "Maybe we should try to get through this weekend first, huh? Prioritize."

Maria pursed her lips thoughtfully. Slowly, she nodded. "I still think you're being stupid." She moved to the door.

Max opened it for her. "You're not the only one," he agreed.

-----------------------------------------------

"Hey, Amy." Jim leaned against the doorframe, carefully looking anywhere except at her face. "Maria and Liz said you wanted to see me?"

"Yes." Amy patted the bed next to her. "Come sit down." He hesitated before doing as ordered, sitting down next to her but still trying not to look at her directly. She sighed loudly. "Jim, would you look at me?" When he still didn't, she reached out and put her hand firmly under his chin, turning him so that he had no choice but to meet her eyes or close his own. "I'm fine," she said firmly.

"I know," he said. "Max checked you out and said..........."

"I'm not talking just physically," she went on. "The girls told me everything that happened. And while I'm pretty pissed at the idea of Kivar hijacking my body, I'm okay." She dropped her hand so that she could wrap it around Valenti's. "It's you I'm not so sure about."

"Me?" The surprise on his face almost made her laugh. "You don't have to worry about me, Amy. Max healed my cut. It wasn't that big a deal, anyway," he hastened to add.

"Don't even try, Jim." Amy shook her head at him. "According to Maria, Kyle was worried at first that you were going to bleed to death. I know that it was a pretty serious cut."

"It wasn't your fault," he said quickly.

"Oh, I know." This time, Amy did laugh at his shocked expression. "I'm not going to waste my time feeling guilt over something I had no control over," she said firmly. "Kivar was the one who tried to kill you. Not me." Her mouth settled in a firm line. "Now I'm not saying I wouldn't like to have a chance to kick his alien butt. Still, I'm not going to get all guilt-ridden about it." She tilted her head to give him that look he both hated and loved, the one that said she knew what he was thinking just as well as he did. Maybe better. "Unlike you."

"Amy, I don't know........."

"Jim, I know you. And I know that right about now, you're feeling horrible for hitting me and knocking me out." When he tried to pull his hand away, she tightened her grip. "So let me get it right out there. Yeah, you hit me. And it must have been pretty hard to knock me out like that." She moved her head so that he couldn't escape her look. "And if you hadn't done it, then I probably would have ended up stabbing you to death with that damn butcher knife." She frowned suddenly. "I wonder where I got that, anyway......." Shaking her head, she returned to the point. "Anyway, do you honestly think I would have preferred that alternative? For you to be dead just so that you could keep some very sweet, but in this particular instance incredibly misguided, idea of chivalry?"

"I hit you," he said, stubbornly. "I can't just be okay with that."

"In this case, yeah, you can." Amy sighed deeply. "If it had been one of the kids that was being attacked, you wouldn't have hesitated to knock out anyone going after them, Jim. You and I both know it, so don't bother denying it. So why are the rules different for you?" She scooted closer. "I love that you're all old-fashioned and protective, but you're also a pragmatist. You know that you did the only thing you could have done. Don't let the fact that it was me Kivar chose to use for his zombie mess you up so much."

Now he did meet her eyes. "You're really okay with this?"

She shrugged. "Hey, I can be practical too, you know."

He put his hand on her cheek, softly tracing where he'd hit her. "I would never want to hurt you, Amy," he said softly. "I hate that I had to."

"I know." She leaned over and kissed him gently. Then she leaned back and smacked him on the arm. Hard.

"Ow!" Valenti jumped up, staring down at the small woman. "What was that for?"

She stood up, hands on his fist, meeting his glare with one of her own. "Maria also told me that you wouldn't let anyone heal you. You idiot! I was fine!"

"I didn't know that!" he protested, eying her warily.

She rolled her eyes. "Please. What were you planning on doing, just quietly bleeding to death while you waited for Max to show up and check on me?" She advanced on him, poking him in the chest while the sheriff backed up against the wall. "Don't you ever do that again. I love you too much to let you die so stupidly!" Jim blinked, then slowly smiled, much to Amy's confusion. "What?"

"Nothing." He caught her hand, and held it tightly, pulling Amy closer. "I love you, too," he admitted. He paused, considering. "Although we do have to do something about these violent tendencies of yours."

Amy opened her mouth to sputter some more, but his kiss interrupted her quite effectively.

-------------------------------------------

Tess looked up as her door slowly opened. "I was wondering when someone was going to check up on me," she said calmly. It had been quite some time since the excitement in the kitchen, and while she could hear muffled voices and sounds of activity in the house, she hadn't been able to make out any actual words. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." Valenti shrugged off his discomfort and went to sit next to her on the bed. "Max fixed me up good as new."

Tess nodded, looking down at the floor, scuffing circling patterns in the carpet with her feet. "Good."

"So......." Valenti took a deep breath. "Thanks. For saving my life and all." Another pause. "Though I do have to wonder exactly why you did it." What did Tess expect to get in return?

She gave a bitter chuckle before turning to look at him. "You mean, since I'm a murdering bitch and all? Why not join in the knife-fest?"

Valenti's look quelled her. "Tess, you don't exactly get to feel hurt that we think you're homicidal, all things considered."

She had to admit that he had a point. "I never wanted you to get hurt," she said finally, anger gone from her voice, leaving only exhaustion. "That was the whole point – I wanted to protect you and Kyle." She wrapped her arms around herself tightly, looking very young and lost.

Still, Valenti knew that she had iron inside her, and wouldn't be taken in by appearances. "And to hell with everyone else?" He kept his voice as calm as he could, honestly hoping that he could get through to the girl. Or at least get some clue as to what she was thinking.

Tess bit her bottom lip, thinking. "It never occurred to me that there was another way," she admitted softly. "It was Nasedo's plan.......... " She spoke in a firmer voice, apparently switching gears. "Michael told me that Lonnie threatened to kill Maria and the baby if he didn't kill Max. Is that true?"

The sheriff nodded. "Yeah."

"But he found another way," she said, voice wondering. "How?"

"He told Max, and they managed to get Maria and Lexy out safely."

"He trusted the group," she murmured, remembering. Tess put her hands to her head, trying to concentrate against the sudden pressure in there.

"Hey." Valenti put his arms around her, concerned as she leaned back. "Are you okay?" Maybe he should get Max – was this some side-effect of blocking her powers?

"I'm fine." Resolutely, Tess pushed back the pain, determined to concentrate despite it. "What everyone said yesterday, about Nasedo and Nicholas messing with my mind – do you think it's true?" Her blue eyes caught his, begging him for answers. She needed to know what he thought.

"What do you think?" he asked her in return.

"I don't know," she admitted. "I don't like the idea of someone in my mind.........." Then she shook her head decisively. "I made the choice," she said firmly. "My choice, my mistake. I can't fix it."

"Your mistake?"

She looked at him sharply, unsure of the note in his voice. He sounded almost happy as he said it. "What?"

"You said it was a mistake. Not something you had to do – a mistake." He wondered if she even realized what a fundamental shift that was in her thinking.

She remembered the panic, the instinctive throwing out of power as she knocked down the boulder. "I tried to kill Alex," she said sharply, standing up and moving away from the sheriff. "I thought I did kill him."

The almost-smile was wiped off his face instantly at the memory. "I know." He stood up slowly, disappointed even though he wasn't sure what he had been expecting. "Thanks anyway, Tess." He went out the door.

As soon as the door was closed and she was alone again, Tess slid down the wall, collapsing into a wall and screwing her eyes shut against the pain in her head as the memories coursed through her, trying to make sense of everything.

-------------------------------------------------

Across town, Ardan entered an office conference room, whistling under his breath as he flipped the lights on and glanced around the empty room. "Anyone home?" A smile. He knew there was nobody around. Spotting the blue crystal on the ground, he went to the lone chair and sat in it, leaning back and facing the crystal. "Any time now."

The air above the crystal shimmered, finally forming into an array of sparkling white lights. Ardan watched, thoroughly unimpressed. "What? My return to the fold doesn't entitle me to an in-person conference?"

He smirked as the lights fluctuated some more, almost as if they were angry. A voice thundered out of the display. "Did you honestly expect me to trust you enough to meet with you?"

"No," he admitted. "Although I was hoping. You know how much I always did love our little talks." Ardan leaned forward, eyes on the light. "But either way, we have business to discuss, Kivar."

"I don't think so." Ardan was surprised by the sheer amount of anger that a disembodied voice could convey. "After everything you've done, there's only one fate you deserve."

Then silence. Ardan waited a few moments, eyes wide open and curious. When Kivar didn't say anything, he broke the silence. "I'm assuming you're waiting now for the sounds of your troops to break into the room and kill me in some terribly horrific and painful way." He waved a hand in dismissal. "You're going to be waiting a while."

When the voice spoke again, the anger was even greater. "What did you do?"

"Well...... " Ardan drawled, leaning back and stretching his legs out in front of him, enjoying himself thoroughly. "I have a busy day planned, and no time in the schedule for being killed. So I decided to kill them first." He smirked at the lights, even knowing that Kivar couldn't see him. "It seemed the thing to do."

"What do you want, Ardan?" the voice ground out.

"Glad you asked." Moving swiftly, Ardan stood up and paced around the room, one hand playing with the black stone around his neck. "What I always want. To survive." He paused, looking back at the light. "You know that, Kivar. You were the one who instilled that survival instinct in me, after all. And it would appear that means I have to go back to your side." He spread out his hands, trying to appear harmless. "I want back."

"Back?" Ardan waited patiently for Kivar to stop laughing. "Do you actually expect me to believe you?"

"It's the truth," he said smoothly. "There's no way these teen-age idiots are going to be able to stand against you. They're self-destructing even as we speak. The so-called king's about five minutes from totally cracking, your precious Vilandra is weak, and Michael........." He shook his head sadly. "Michael Guerin is a disappointment," he admitted. "I had high hopes for him, but.........." Ardan shrugged. "There are always contingency plans."

"And Shalin?"

That gave Ardan a moment's pause. "Ah," he answered softly. "Shalin." A low tone of contempt entered his voice. "Let's just say that Shalin isn't quite as focused on the mission as she used to be. Her priorities have become somewhat skewed."

"And so..........."

Ardan sat back down. "And so I have decided to return to my roots," he answered cheerfully. "Ready to come back home and forget these youthful indiscretions."

"Indiscretions?" The voice from the display was disbelieving. "Killing your own people is an indiscretion?"

He waved a hand. "I'm over that stage now."

"Ardan, I don't believe a word you're saying," Kivar said flatly. "And I most certainly am not going to trust you back on our side. You chose your way – now deal with the consequences."

Ardan sighed heavily. "I thought you might say that." He leaned back. "But what if I have something to offer you? As a peace offering?"

He waited patiently, almost able to hear Kivar's thoughts whirling. Finally........ "What peace offering?"

Ardan's smile this time was most definitely smug. "I can give you the Granolith."

[Anla]

Chapter 19 - The Best Laid Plans

The ride back from the Mesaliko Reservation was silent, the Jeep's three passengers lost in their own thoughts. When they had realized that Kivar could use his mind-control abilities to force those they trusted to go after them, Isabel and Max decided that they would need to protect those they could. So, while Max, Liz, and Kyle went to the UFO Center to see if they could use Brody's equipment to narrow down Kivar's whereabouts, and the sheriff went with Shalin down to his office to see if there had been any unusual reports recorded, Michael drove Isabel and Alex out to see Riverdog. Who had actually been rather calm about the whole situation when it was explained to him, and had no problem with the two teens going into his mind to install protective walls. Apparently, decades of dealing with alien knowledge made one much more capable of dealing with things like alien possession without freaking out.

"We should shield the rest of our parents," Isabel spoke out suddenly from the seat next to Michael. "If Kivar could use Maria's mother, he could use any of them."

Michael's grip tightened on the steering wheel, annoyed that she would bring this up again. "And you're going to say what, Iz? 'Don't mind us, Mom. Alex and I are just going to use our magical powers to go into your mind and make sure the big bad aliens can't take over your body'." He shook his head in disbelief. "Yeah, that's going to go over real well. No problem there."

Isabel glared at him. "We have to do something!"

Alex leaned closer from the back seat. "We will, Iz," he tried to calm her down. "We're going to figure out a way to stop Kivar." How, he wasn't quite sure, since they didn't even know where the other alien was, but this didn't seem the time to mention it. "But Michael's right." He tried to ignore the betrayed look she shot him. "I mean, it's pretty noticeable when we go into someone's mind. Even if we tried doing it in a dreamwalk, your folks would know something was going on. And they'd freak." His, too. He couldn't help but worry about his dad, doing some work at home, blissfully unaware that his son was involved in any of this alien weirdness. Or that aliens seemed to have decided to make killing his son a personal goal.

"I hate this," Isabel muttered, glaring out at the scenery as they sped by. "All of this."

It's going to be okay, Alex sent her.

You can't promise that, she shot back angrily. Kivar destroyed our lives before. What's going to stop him from doing the same thing again?

Alex looked at Michael, thought of Max healing the sheriff, the way Maria threw Tess backwards in the air. We will, he thought, full of confidence.

It seemed to mollify Isabel slightly as she sat back against the seat. Alex was glad. And relieved that she hadn't thought to question him further.

Because while he had told the truth, had no doubt that they were strong enough to stop Kivar, there was a small voice in the back of his mind that wondered at what price.

Those morbid thoughts were interrupted as Michael abruptly turned the wheel, pulling the Jeep over into the woods. "What are you doing?" Isabel asked, holding on to the side of the door.

"Someone's here." Michael swung out of the Jeep, looking around, all instincts alert.

Alex and Isabel followed. "Who?" the dark-haired human asked. He wasn't picking up anything himself.

"I'm not............" Michael's voice trailed off, and he relaxed. Slightly. A woman walked out of some nearby trees, smiling brightly as she walked down towards them. "Kaslya."

"Hello, Tym," she said warmly. As she approached, Isabel could see that it was indeed the T'onxyl who had helped them escape from Lonnie earlier that year, the one who had helped Maria deliver Lexy. Her long dark hair was loose over her shoulders but didn't obscure the black stone she wore around her neck. "And Alex Whitman." She didn't bother acknowledging Isabel. "Nice to see you again."

"What are you doing here?" Michael asked, not angrily, just curious.

Kassie's eyes widened slightly. "I didn't realize it was an exclusive invitation," she answered, causing Isabel to frown in confusion and Alex to look at Michael sharply. Damn, Isabel hated it when Alex seemed to understand Michael better than she or Max did. It made her feel even more out-of-the-loop, not a sentiment she enjoyed.

"I meant in Frasier Woods," Michael said shortly, heading back towards the Jeep. He didn't have time to waste today, and for T'onxyl, Kaslya was fairly trustworthy.

"Well, that's an interesting story." Moving swiftly, Kassie was at Michael's side, holding on to his arm. He tensed, but didn't push her away. "There's been quite a bit of activity out here today," she spoke rapidly. "People driving through the woods with a large truck. Rather unusual, don't you think?" She looked around at the other three. "You wouldn't have any idea of something large located out here in the woods that a bunch of Skins might want to move, would you?"

"Oh, no," Isabel breathed, running off into the woods, the guys right behind her.

The Granolith.

It was only a few minutes run to the cave's hidden entrance. She put out her hand and activated the entrance mechanism, scrambling down. She could hear the sounds of the others following right behind her, but barely paid attention as she took in the cavern around her.

The empty cavern.

"What was in here?" Kassie spoke quietly.

"The Granolith," Isabel said, equally quiet. She blinked a few times, unwilling to believe it was really gone.

"Damn," Alex muttered. "But how did Kivar get in here to take it?"

Isabel had already found the answer. "There," she said, pointing to the far corner, where a tunnel was obvious. A tunnel that had apparently been hidden before. "Looks like there was another way inside that we didn't know about."

Michael's voice was hard as rock, promising death. "Someone knew about it."

-------------------------------------------------

Maria walked around the room, trying not to panic too obviously as she hummed lullabies to her drowsy baby. Lexy picked up on their emotions way too easily – she didn't want to broadcast her worry too clearly. Or her frustration at not being able to do anything to help in the search for Kivar. But Lexy and her mom needed her, and honestly, there wasn't anything she could do that the others weren't already doing.

Didn't mean she had to like it, though. Maria DeLuca did not enjoy sitting around, helpless, while everyone else was involved in the Great Alien Conspiracy. Lexy shifted in her arms, drawing her attention. "Don't worry, baby girl," Maria whispered. "Mommy's just being silly. Everything's going to be okay." She wasn't sure who she was trying to reassure. Then her attention focused to her mother walking into the living room. "Hey, I thought you were resting."

Amy gave her a rueful smile. "Just who is the mother here?" When all Maria did was hold up the baby in her arms slightly, Amy laughed. "Well, the mother and grandmother."

"Who was the one possessed by an evil alien?" Maria shot back.

"I'm fine," Amy dismissed her concerns. "Max says so. I say so. You worry too much." Maria rolled her eyes as her mother headed to the kitchen. "I'm going to see if there's anything to eat in there." She loved Jim and Kyle dearly but wasn't sure the two of them could be trusted to take care of themselves properly.

"There should be," Maria said absently as she heard the front door open. "Isabel tends to keep a pretty close eye on their grocery shopping and intake." She moved so she could see who was entering the house. Must be someone in the group or the T'onxyl guard lurking outside, somewhere out of sight, would have stopped them. She was surprised to see Michael. "Where are Isabel and Alex?" she asked, putting Lexy down on a blanket before moving towards him, only pausing momentarily as she got closer.

He shrugged. "They had their own things to do," he said, apparently not worried. He nodded as Amy went past them, back into the living room with a plate in her hand. "It lunch time?"

"Their own things to do?" Maria frowned at him, ducking as he moved in for a kiss. "Hold on, buddy. What types of things?"

"I don't know," he scowled. "You know, planning for what's coming."

"Uh, huh." Changing tracks, Maria pointed back to the kitchen. "Go on inside and help yourself." This time she didn't dodge the kiss.

"Nice," Michael murmured when he pulled away. Smirking at her, he went by and into the kitchen. Thinking quickly, Maria returned to the living room. Her mom was playing with Lexy on the ground, paying no attention to her as she went over to the side wall, taking out the key Kyle had given her and reaching inside the case.

"Hey, there any mayo in here?" Michael asked as he came back into the living room, stopping short in his tracks when faced with the gun Maria now had aimed steadily at his chest. "What the hell are you doing, Maria?"

That got Amy's attention. Eyes wide, she stood up, between the baby and the two teens. "Maria, what's going on........."

"You're not Michael." Maria was surprised at how calm she felt as she aimed the gun at the alien who looked just like her teela-mei. "No, no," she said as he took half a step towards her. "I wouldn't move if I were you." She pulled back the trigger slightly. "Guns work on you hybrids, Rath. Believe me, I will shoot you."

Rath laughed. Amy's eyes grew wider still as his hair grew a bit shorter, a bit spikier. Tattoos became clear on his arms. "Yeah, I think ya would." He sounded almost proud. "Looks like my dupe picked a fighter, huh?"

"Rath?" Amy was completely confused. "You mean the duplicate Michael?" She tried to remember what they'd told her about the other set of aliens. Not much – it had seemed to be a sensitive subject.

"Yes." Maria was almost insulted that Rath had thought he could fool her.

"It was 'cause I wasn't all worried about the Vilandra bitch, right?" Rath seemed completely relaxed now, but he didn't move. "I should've been all concerned."

"I would have known anyway. I would always know." Maria narrowed her eyes at him. "Mom, take Lexy into the back."

Amy did not like seeing her baby girl holding a gun like that. It was almost worse to see how steadily she was aiming it at the other Michael. "Maria, I don't think......"

"Just do it, Mom. Please." She didn't want Lexy to see this – who knew what alien babies could understand and remember later? Too slowly for Maria's liking, Amy gathered the baby and headed out, although she did cast one final look at the alien held at gunpoint.

"Gonna shoot me?" Rath asked, making conversation. "Cause ya know, I could get that gun away if I really wanted to."

"Before I can fire?" She forced a sickly sweet smile. "I don't think so. As for shooting you – why are you here?" She remembered the conversation she and Michael'd had about his last meeting with Rath, how Rath had supposedly agreed to stay away from Roswell and leave them all alone. Now anger was starting to force its way through the calm. Her aim stayed even, though. "If you're here to try killing Max again............"

She felt a small twist in her stomach at the expression Rath directed towards her. She'd seen that mixture of annoyed disgust and exasperation on Michael's face a million times – it wasn't right to see it mirrored so exactly on someone else. "Ain't about your precious Maxie," he sneered. "Not everythin's about the king, no matter what he thinks." Now he smiled again. "It's about Kivar. Bout killin' him."

"Yeah," Maria said slowly. She got that – Michael had explained how his revenge on Kivar was Rath's prime motivation (Just like it's one of Michael's, a small part of her whispered). "But since you seem to feel that killing Max, or Zan, is a step towards going after Kivar........."

"Maxie's your boy's problem," Rath interrupted her. Despite the gun she still held on him, Rath took a step closer, eyes boring into hers. "I'm here to help you all off Kivar." He stopped when he was barely a foot away from her. "Anyways, I was invited."

"By who?" She could hear the front door open.

"By me," Michael said, stepping into the room with Alex and Isabel right behind. He moved quickly to Maria's side and took the gun from her hand before looking over and nodding at Rath. Maria could see Isabel fold her arms and glare at Rath from the hallway. There was one other person definitely not thrilled by Rath's return to Roswell.

Not that it seemed to bother the other alien. Giving a smug smile, Rath dropped down to sprawl on the couch. "Hey, bro. Ready ta go hunting?"

---------------------------------------

There was absolutely no chance of getting Lexy back to sleep, not with all the tension in the Valenti living room. Still, Maria was glad that the baby was at least being quiet, although she kept looking around at everyone intently.

Actually, Lexy was one of the only ones in the room who was calm and quiet. Everyone else was a jumble of nerves. Maria cast a worried glance at Alex, perched on the arms of the chair Isabel sat in. His face was pale and pinched – Maria could only imagine what vibes he was picking up from everyone, all the fear and worry. At least the yelling had finally stopped. As she watched, Isabel reached out and put a hand on his arm, causing him to turn and smile down at her briefly. Maria was glad Alex had Isabel to watch out for him.

Which made her turn to look at her own alien. Michael was leaning against the far wall, attention apparently focused on his dupe, sitting alone on the couch. Although Max had taken Rath's reappearance calmly, apparently trusting that Michael knew what he was doing (or maybe so intent on the oncoming confrontation with Kivar that other death threats were pushed aside to be worried about later at his convenience), Liz and Isabel had been nowhere near as relaxed about it. And they hadn't even seriously considered bringing Tess out of her bedroom prison, although a small, nasty part of Maria thought it might be appropriate to have her come face to face with the man who killed her dupe, knowing how terrified Tess had been of Rath after that event. Let Tess have some experience facing someone who might try to kill her – it would give her some taste of what Alex had been dealing with for the last day and a half.

Focus, DeLuca, she told herself sternly. The Granolith. She had a feeling that everyone was having a hard time wrapping their minds around that. It was just too huge - the idea that Kivar actually had access to their one secret weapon, something that could be used to wipe out all human life on the planet. But it was true – the Granolith wasn't exactly something that they could have just misplaced. If it was gone, it was because someone took it. And that someone..........

"It was Ardan," Shalin said flatly. Kaslya looked at her sharply, causing the red-haired Skin to repeat herself. "It had to be him. He found the cave, so he would have known about any other entrances." Her mouth twisted. "That was probably the reason why he chose it. Just in case."

Kassie's hand went up to toy with her necklace. "It would be like Ardan to have a back-up plan," she agreed. "But to go back to Kivar? After everything?" She shook her head. "Why would he do that, Shalin?" She didn't sound as if she was disagreeing, not exactly, just unable to understand and looking for information.

She also didn't sound nearly frightened enough in Maria's opinion. This wasn't some theoretical discussion.

Shalin managed to avoid looking in Max's direction, keeping her attention solely on her fellow T'onxyl. "Ardan and I have been having some disagreements of late," she explained carefully. "He's been questioning some decisions."

Kassie tilted her head and frowned. "And these disagreements have been serious enough for him to betray us to Kivar?"

"Apparently." Shalin looked around the room. "We're the only ones who knew where it was hidden."

"So Ardan told Kivar where to find it," Liz said, wrapping her arms around herself and shivering. "And now Kivar has the Granolith." She moved closer to where Maria and Lexy were sitting.

"Which means game over," Kyle muttered. "Kivar can just push a button and we're all dead."

"It's not that simple," Isabel contradicted. "Right, Max?" At least, she really hoped not.

Instead of answering, Max looked over at Valenti. "Sheriff, could you get Tess out here?" He looked briefly at Rath. "And warn her."

"You want her to be part of this conversation?" Kyle asked in surprise as his father moved to leave. "She'll probably be cheering Kivar on."

"I don't think so," Max said absently, rubbing the back of his neck and thinking. Maria had been surprised by how calmly Max was taking everything, actually, not just Rath's sudden appearance in the Valenti household.

"Why?" Liz asked, voice filled with disbelief. "Because she said she wanted to stop Kivar from getting it?" She shook her head. "Max, we can't believe a word she says."

"Hold on," Amy said, putting up her hands in a time-out gesture. "Let's focus here. Bad alien has a device that can possibly destroy all life on the planet?" She looked around for confirmation. "Well, then I'd say that we have to worry about getting this thing back from him first. Argue about Tess later."

Tess stopped short at entering the room and hearing this. "Kivar has the Granolith? You're sure?" She tried to avoid looking at Rath, standing close to the sheriff.

"We know who gave it to him," Shalin admitted. She turned towards the door. "I'm going to find Ardan, then I'm going to........."

"You're not going to do anything to him," Max interrupted firmly. Shalin turned back to him slowly. "Because Ardan didn't steal the Granolith." That got everyone's attention. He sighed, steeling himself for what was coming. "It's more like he borrowed it."

"Borrowed it?" Maria narrowed her eyes, trying to figure out what he was getting at as Michael leaned closer. "What does that mean, exactly?"

Max glanced at Michael. "It means I knew what Ardan was going to do. Taking the Granolith to Kivar." He shrugged. "It was my idea in the first place."

For a moment, there was total and complete silence in the room as everyone stared at Max. Then.......... "You stupid, selfish bastard." Shalin's voice quivered with anger as she took a step closer to Max. Michael moved to stand between them, but she didn't even glance at him. "You let Kivar get his hands on the Granolith? You've lost what little mind you ever had."

"Why would you do that, Max?" Isabel was stunned. "It doesn't make any sense. We've been trying to keep the Granolith away from him."

Tess stared at him. "You're not Max," she said, bluntly. "You can't be. Max wouldn't do something like that."

"Sure he would," Shalin disagreed. "Isn't that like the king? Do what he want, and to hell with the consequences for everyone else?"

Max tried not to let the expression in her eyes get to him. Or the way everyone else was staring at him in disbelief, clearly not sure Tess was wrong. "I'm not possessed. Or a shapeshifter or anything." He spoke a little faster, needing them to understand. "We need to end this quickly, before anyone else gets killed."

"So giving him the key to wiping out the planet was a way to save lives?" Kyle asked, incredulous.

"No, it was a way to find Kivar." Max looked around. "We can't fight someone we can't see. We need to find Kivar and take the fight to him."

"How does giving him the Granolith do that?" Liz piped up.

"I can track the Granolith," Max explained. "That's how I found it in the first place, up there in the mountains." He ignored the startled noise Tess made. "He wouldn't know that. And there's no way that Kivar's going to stay away from the Granolith. He's been searching for it too long, wants it too much. He'll be right there with it when we find it." He looked over to his second-in-command.

"And then we kill him," Michael agreed, nodding slowly.

"Unless of course, we're all fried by then," Valenti disagreed. "See, my problem with this theory is the part where Kivar can use it to wipe us all out before we get to fight him."

Kyle raised his hand. "And as one of the non-alien members of IKAAC, I have serious objections to that part myself."

Max shook his head. "It's like Isabel said. It's not that simple. There's no planetary destruct button. And Kivar doesn't know how to use the Granolith for anything complicated. Only I did." He looked at his sister. "The knowledge was passed from father to son when the old king died. Nobody else had it. Even if Kivar does manage to figure out how to modify the Granolith for that purpose, it'll take time."

"Time we won't give him." Valenti nodded decisively. "Okay, then, Max. Let's get working."

Shalin shook her head in disgust. "You trusted Ardan with this brilliant strategy of yours?" Contempt dripped from her tone.

Max forced himself not to flinch. "You said he was trustworthy."

"I told you that he hated Kivar," she corrected him. "But I also told you he hated you. He's the last person you should trust."

"Which is why Kivar would believe he'd betray me," Max pointed out. "It had to be him."

"So you set this plan into action without talking to anyone?" Shalin smiled mockingly, and Max felt a stab at the coldness in her eyes. "Guess that trust thing only works one way, huh, Your Majesty?"

"Shalin........."

She turned away from him, turning to Kaslya. "Go and tell the others that we'll be moving shortly." The other Skin nodded, leaving the house silently.

"This is a big risk, Max," Alex pointed out quietly.

Max glanced quickly at his friend. "I know," he admitted. "But we had to do something to force Kivar out into the open."

"Well, ya sure picked a hell of a way to do it." Rath stood up, looking at Michael. "Shalin's right. This guy's a moron. Why are we listening to his ideas?"

Michael simply looked at him, but that made Rath back up a step. "Don't worry, Rath. You'll get your chance at Kivar."

Maria stood up, going over to her mother. "Can you already track the Granolith, Max?"

His name seemed to break him from his study of Shalin. Maria resisted the urge to roll her eyes. God, if he was going to be that obvious, she wasn't going to have to tell Liz. She wasn't sure how her best friend had managed not to pick up on the vibes between Max and the Skin already. "Yeah," he answered after a second's concentration.

"Then let's go." Valenti headed towards the gun rack, followed by Kyle. And, after handing Lexy to her mother, Maria. The sheriff looked at her with surprise. "Maria, I don't think............"

"I'm coming with you," she said firmly.

"No, you're not." Michael put his hands on her shoulders, turning her to look at him, Rath right behind him. "This is going to be a battle, Maria. There's no way that I'm going to let you..........."

Okay, wrong thing to say. "Let me?" Maria put her hands on her hips, glaring at him. "Exactly when did you get put in charge of me?"

"Ya got a kid to take care of," Rath said bluntly. Great, now she had two Michaels looking at her stubbornly. Like one wasn't enough. "And ya can't protect yourself."

She smiled at him. "Actually, yes, I can." She looked back at Michael. "And you know I can, Spaceboy." She reached over and took up the gun again. "Even with the T'onxyl, we're going to need all the help we can get. And since I can access your powers..........." When he still didn't look convinced, she changed tactics. "Michael, this is my fight just as much as it is yours." She looked over his shoulder at their daughter. "What do you think Kivar will do to Lexy if he wins?"

"He'd never get the chance," Michael growled.

"But if he did?" she persisted. "I can help you, and you know it. I can't just stay back here knowing that I could be helping. That you might need another person who can use your alien power hocus-pocus stuff in the fight." She shrugged. "Look, I promise to follow your directions and stay in the reserves. But if you try to leave me behind, I'll just follow anyway. Which seems a whole lot more dangerous and a waste of time. Your call, Spaceboy."

"Damn." Michael closed his eyes and rested his head against hers for a minute. "If anything happens to you........"

"It won't." Maria wrapped her arms around him. "I have faith in you," she whispered. "And I'm going to make sure nothing happens to you, either." And she wasn't just talking about physically. She knew how Michael got in a fight, how close he came each time to not coming back from the Tymrath side of his personality. And now they were going into the final battle with Kivar, with his dupe right by his side........ He was already close to the edge, even trying as hard as he was to keep calm and under control. She could feel it. How much further could he go before he went too far?

"We'd better get going," Valenti pointed out.

Maria turned to her mother. "Mom, will you watch............."

"You even have to ask?" With her one free arm, Amy drew her daughter closer, giving her a hug while staring at Michael meaningfully. "You keep her safe." He nodded. "Yourself, too."

That got a grin from him. "I'll do my best, Mrs. DeLuca."

Amy sighed, pulling away from Maria and looking at them all. With the exception of Jim and Shalin, they all looked so incredibly young. "All of you, take care." Much too young to be doing what they had to do. It was incredible to think that the fate of entire planets rested on such young shoulders. What the hell had those aliens been thinking, sending them to Earth to finish this fight alone? She met Jim's eyes and smiled proudly. Well, they weren't completely alone, at least. Seeming to understand the thought, Jim nodded back at her.

Maria took one of Lexy's hands in her own, bringing it up to kiss gently. "You be good for Grandma, okay?" she murmured quietly. Michael didn't say anything, simply leaning over to kiss the top of Lexy's head softly. The baby looked up, eyes focusing on her daddy as she smiled.

Michael took one last look, then put his arm around Maria's waist and turned her away. Maria was right about one thing – this wasn't a fight they could avoid. Even if they didn't go after Kivar now, he would keep coming after them. The only way to protect any of them, to protect their daughter, was to stop Kivar.

Max went over and grabbed Tess's arm. "You're coming, too," he said, staring at her coldly when she tried to pull away.

"Whoa, hold on," Kyle interrupted. "Bad idea, Max. Like, tremendously, gigantically bad idea." So Tess had stopped Amy DeLuca from turning his dad into a pincushion. Didn't mean she could be trusted not to betray them to Kivar again.

"Kyle has a point," Liz agreed.

Max didn't even look away from Tess. "You think leaving her behind would be a better idea?" Nobody said anything aloud, although he thought he heard Kyle mutter something about a cave. "Besides, we might be able to use her."

"Use me?" This time Tess managed to pull her arm away, glaring at Max angrily. "Watch it, Max."

"Oh, don't worry. I'll watch you very carefully," he assured her. He pointed. "I'm going to let Rath guard you." He could see that hit home. "Besides, do you really want Kivar to kill all the humans?"

Her eyes glanced to Kyle's. "Of course not," she answered instantly. Then she looked back at Max. "You've changed, Max."

He chuckled bitterly. "Gee, wonder why."

"Can we maybe get this show on the road?" Rath exclaimed, annoyed by the delay.

Max reached the front door first, anxious to get out of there and get on with it. The war with Kivar was going to end. Tonight. But what he saw when he opened the door gave him pause. "Dad."

Phillip Evans looked past his son at the group crowded into the entrance hallway. "Thought I might find you here." He returned his attention to his son. "You didn't come home last night."

Max closed his eyes briefly, sighing. "Dad, now is really not a good time." Understatement of the year.

"Why?" His father had that unrelenting look he would get during cross-examination. "What are you all up to that's so important? Is there something going on that I should know about?"

Isabel pushed her way forward. "Not really, Dad," she said smoothly, smiling brightly at him. "We were just going to do some planning for the graduation party. You know, there are only two days left until the ceremony. Hardly any time at all."

Alex wrapped his arm around her casually as Michael moved to block Mr. Evans's view of Rath. Now there was an explanation they really didn't need to get into right then. "You know how Isabel gets. Everything has to be perfect." Isabel frowned slightly, elbowing him in the side gently.

"You make me sound like some type of obsessive lunatic."

"Well........" Kyle chirped in. Maria and Liz forced smiles, hoping it would fool Mr. Evans.

It didn't really work out the way they'd hoped. "Well, if that's all that's going on, then you won't mind Max coming home with me for a while," he said to Isabel. "Your mother's going crazy worrying."

The sheriff could see the stubborn set of Max's face and moved to defuse the situation. "Phillip, can't this wait until later?"

"Jim, this is a family matter. So, no offense, but it's none of your business."

Max snorted. "Or mine, either, apparently, since I don't get a say."

His father stared at him, unable to figure out what had been going on with his son lately. "Your mother is a wreck, young man. So, no, as long as you're living under my roof, you don't."

He was taken completely aback by the sudden smile his son directed towards him. "Okay, then. Simple solution. I won't live under your roof anymore."

Max, don't do this. Please.

He held up a hand in his sister's direction, not looking away from their father. He didn't have time for this. "Now that that's settled, we have things to do." He tried to go out the door, but his father moved to block him. "Move, Dad."

"Or what?" Phillip shook his head. "What is going on with you, Max? This, none of this," he looked over at the older woman he'd seen with Max the previous night, "is like you." And with Liz Parker standing right there, too. Then he noticed the other girl in the hallway. "Tess? Is that you?"

Tess managed a smile and a wave. "Hi, Mr. Evans."

"I didn't know you were back in town," he said, completely confused now. His frown only grew as he looked at Sheriff Valenti. "What are you doing in these party preparations?"

Shalin sighed. "This is ridiculous," she muttered. She waved one arm. "Mr. Evans, you're absolutely right. Why don't you come inside so that you and Max can talk like civilized people, instead of glaring at each other in the doorway?"

He looked at her skeptically, then moved forward, Max stepping aside. As he went past, he didn't seem to notice Shalin move to stand behind him.

But Max did. And before Shalin's hand could reach the back of his father's head, Max's own hand shot out and beat her to it.

There were several gasps as Max touched the back of his father's head, knocking him out instantly.

"Max!" Isabel scrambled with Michael to catch her father before he collapsed completely to the ground. "What the hell was that?"

"We don't have time to deal with him right now, Iz." The expression he shot her was completely calm, his voice emotionless. "He's not hurt."

"You knocked him out!" She stared at him as if at a stranger.

"He'll live. Unless, of course, we waste so much time arguing with him that Kivar does manage to figure out how to use the Granolith," he countered. He looked at Michael. "Get him into the living room." His second nodded and moved to do so, easily lifting the older man and getting him inside.

Then Max had to deal with a furious Shalin in his face. "I wasn't going to hurt him!" she hissed, lapsing into Antaran. "M'beran'osk?" You really don't trust me?

"Huh?"

Max ignored Kyle's question. "It's not about trust," he said simply. "He's my problem to deal with."

Shalin threw up her hands in the air, thoroughly disgusted and annoyed with herself for allowing her emotions to get this out of control. He was completely exasperating. "Right, everything's your problem, isn't it? And you definitely can't allow anyone else to help you." Liz looked at her sharply, eyebrows furrowing as a thought flittered quickly through her mind, too fast to really grab hold of.

Then the sheriff's soft voice distracted Max. "Max, I'm not sure........."

"Lecture me later, okay, sheriff?" Max sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. "We don't have time for it now." He went back to the couch, ignoring the accusing and confused looks from the others. "Iz, we have to go."

Isabel looked up from where she was hovering over their father. "Are you sure he'll be okay?"

"Yes," he said shortly. "Let's go."

"Iz, he's right," Michael agreed. "Let your dad have his nap, and let's go stop Kivar."

She directed a thunderous glare at Michael. "He's our father, Michael."

Max had enough. "And how long do you think that'll last once he learns the truth about us, Isabel?" The background murmuring from the others stopped as his voice rang out. "You think he's going to just give us hugs and smiles, and say how great it is that he's been raising two aliens all along, then ask what we want for dinner?"

Isabel's eyes were huge as she stared at her brother. "He loves us, Max."

"For how long?" he repeated. "If he ever learned the truth, things would change. Are you really willing to take that risk? To risk losing him and Mom?"

She stood up and faced him. "That wouldn't happen," she said, certain. "Nothing would change the way he and Mom feel about us."

Max couldn't believe just how oblivious his sister could be. "Of course it would change," he said. "When the truth comes out, it always changes things." He saw her eyes flicker towards Alex. "Do you have any idea how lucky you got with Alex and his response?" Max sighed. "Maybe Mom and Dad could handle it, and things would be okay. Or maybe they'll panic and run off to another state to get away from the freaks they raised." Liz flinched as if struck, even though Max never even looked in her direction. Maria put her arm around her friend and gave her a supportive hug. "You really want to take that chance?" The pain he saw in his sister's eyes got through the fog of anger he'd been in, and his expression softened. "I'm sorry, Iz. But it's the truth. At least this way............" He glanced down at their father and shrugged. "This way, he's pissed at me. But he still thinks of us as his kids."

Max could bear that.

He didn't think Isabel could bear to see expressions of disgust and rejection in their parents' eyes. At least he could spare his sister that.

Alex had moved to stand behind Isabel, wrapping his arms around hers and kissing the top of her head. Max was sure that they were talking together, in the way they had that nobody else could hear. That was fine – Isabel needed Alex. He turned at the sound of a throat being cleared behind him.

"Um," Kyle gestured towards the door. "Nobody's a bigger fan of family catharsis than I am, but do the two of you think you can finish this later? 'Cause right now, I'm still kind of concerned about the big bad alien planning on blowing up the planet."

Isabel nodded, visibly pulling herself together. "You can watch over our dad?" she asked Amy.

"Of course," she assured the girl, shooting daggers at Max before giving Isabel her warmest smile. Max winced. Maria's mother was very much not a person you wanted to have mad at you.

Rath snorted. "Ya really care about these morons?" he asked Michael, not terribly quietly.

Michael grunted. "Shut up. Let's get moving."

---------------------------------------

Ardan resisted the urge to yawn. It felt like he'd been watching for hours as Kivar walked around the large auditorium-sized room, admiring his new possession. And while Ardan had to admit the Granolith was impressive, he didn't see the entertainment value of just looking at it. What was more annoying, Kivar didn't seem to trust him, even after he brought him such a nice shiny present. The Skin guards stationed around the room didn't bother Ardan much. In fact, he enjoyed looking over at them every once in a while and smiling while he raised his hand to draw attention to his necklace. The nervous looks Kivar's supposed bodyguard got almost made the long wait worthwhile. What irritated him was the fact that every time Ardan tried to get closer, Kivar moved away, always keeping the large device between them. It would appear that Kivar wasn't completely confident that the restrictions from Ardan's T'onxyl training were still in effect.

Finally, he decided the silence had gone on long enough. "So, are you satisfied with your purchase?" he quipped. Kivar looked over at him, almost seeming to have forgotten his presence. "Is all forgiven?"

Kivar smiled slowly. Ardan had been surprised by just how ordinary a Husk the Skin leader had chosen. How forgettable. While it was a wise decision, tactically speaking, Ardan wouldn't have thought Kivar's ego able to handle any Husk that wasn't drop-dead gorgeous. "It's a start." He put out his hands, almost caressing the smooth surface. "It's been so long," he murmured. "What do you know about the Granolith, Ardan?"

"Not much," he admitted. "I know it has the capacity to generate a huge amount of energy. But not how. That's something only the king knows, and he keeps those secrets to himself."

"Yes." If anything, Kivar's smile grew wider. "It's only passed on in the moments of death." Suddenly, Kivar's hands started moving, traveling over the buttons in front of him so rapidly that Ardan couldn't make out the pattern they were following. When he finished, the base of the Granolith suddenly lit up as if from within. Satisfied, Kivar stepped back.

"What did you do?" Ardan asked, taking a slow step closer, unable to look away from the machine.

"What did I do?" Now Kivar was practically laughing. "Ardan, don't disappoint me. What did you think I was going to do once I got my hands on it?"

Ardan fought successfully to keep his face expressionless as the certainty hit him. Damn. "You've activated the mechanism to destroy human life on this planet," he answered casually. "Nice work." He smiled at Kivar evenly. "Provided that we won't be killed, too, that is." When Kivar nodded his head in agreement, he went on. "But how? If only the king knows how to do it..........."

Kivar laughed as he saw the realization hit the other Skin. "I was there, Ardan," he said gently. "When the old king died. When Tymrath saved Zandar's life." He sounded extremely smug.

"You listened in." Ardan was proud at how calm his voice came out, even while inwardly cursing. They hadn't anticipated that. Guess he wasn't the only one with plans hidden inside plans.

"I am a telepath," Kivar agreed. He gave the Granolith one last pat. "It won't take long to power up. And then..........." He clapped his hands together loudly. "Come on," he said genially. "There's nothing left to do here."

"No," Ardan said, giving the Granolith once last look before following Kivar out of the room. "I suppose there isn't."

[Anla]

Chapter 20 - Mistakes

"Now it's time to prove
That you've come back here to rebuild."

----- "Call and Answer" by Barenaked Ladies


Well, isn't this fun? Maria thought, looking over her shoulder at the backseat of the Jetta. Or more specifically, at the two passengers sitting in the backseat of the Jetta. Tess was perched stoically as far to the side of the seat as she could, practically leaning against the door. Not that it would matter even if she tried to open it – Michael had sealed it as soon as she had gotten inside the car. And she wasn't going to get out on the other side, either – not with Rath sitting there. Maria supposed she had to give Tess some credit for managing not to scream or otherwise freak out – her fear at being so close to Rath was broadcast by every move she made, every last bit of tension in her muscles. For his part, Rath didn't seem terribly interested in Tess. He glanced over at her every once in a while, but in general, seemed more interested in watching the front seat. Maria, in particular. Which was a large part of why she was so uncomfortable herself. She could feel Rath's eyes on her every few minutes, staring at the back of her head intently. She wasn't sure why. It was not exactly what one would call a comforting experience.

She glanced over at Michael. If he was aware of Rath watching her, he wasn't letting on. All his focus seemed to be on the road in front of her, the sheriff's car and the Jeep they were following.

Maria almost jumped in her seat when Rath finally spoke. "Ya think Maxie knows what he's doin?"

Michael's knuckles clenched even tighter on the steering wheel. Maria had a sudden image of him using his bare hands to break the steering wheel into many tiny little pieces. My poor Jetta. "He knows what he's doing."

"Ya think?" Rath sprawled back, stretching his arms out on the back of the seat and causing Tess to try and move even further over. "'Cause this don't exactly seem like the smartest plan ever, giving the Granolith over to Kivar."

Michael's jaw clenched. He looked at Maria, who was biting the nail on her thumb nervously. "Kivar would have found the Granolith sooner or later," he pointed out. "He just needed to get near one of us who knew where it was and he could rip it out of our minds." Maybe Isabel or Alex could have kept Kivar out, but the rest of them? Michael knew how strong Kivar was.

"So Max decided to make it sooner?" Tess asked sharply.

Michael cast a glance at her in the mirror. "So Max decided to do it on our terms."

Rath laughed. "Still loyal, bro?" He smacked the back of Michael's seat. "Ya can't tell me you're okay with ol' Max deciding this shit without talkin' with ya."

Michael had no answer for that. Maria knew that a part of him agreed with Rath – they all did. It was an incredibly risky gamble from Max, and she wondered how much of it had been rational and how much desperation on his part to finally end things with Kivar. Still, Michael wasn't going to admit that out loud. Not to Rath. "If it leads us to Kivar, then what else do you care about?" she piped up, turning to look back at the other alien.

Rath's brown eyes met hers steadily. "I don't wanna get myself killed because of the king doin' somethin' stupid," he said bluntly.

"Frightened?" Michael mocked.

That caused Rath's eyes to release Maria's and look at the back of his dupe's head. "Not any more'n you," he smirked. He looked back at the other seat. "Probably less. I got less to lose."

The uncomfortable silence returned. Then.... "What are you even doing here?" Tess asked, gathering herself to turn her head and look at Rath.

He smiled back at her. "Mikey and I've been in touch."

Michael gritted his teeth at the nickname. Maria's warning expression caused him to take a deep breath and keep his temper under control. Blowing up the Jetta would not be a good thing. Rath was just trying to bait him, anyway. "Two conversations in a year isn't exactly keeping in touch."

"Now that hurts, bro," Rath mocked. "He called and told me what was goin' on."

Maria suddenly smacked Michael's arm. "Hey!" He glared at her quickly before returning his attention to the road in front of him. "What was that for?"

"Huh, let's see!" In the small space of the Jetta's front seat, Maria's wildly gesturing arms seemed to take up even more space than usual. "I wonder if it could be because you didn't bother giving me some warning that your evil twin was on his way to town!"

"Hey!"

Michael ignored Rath. "I was going to tell you," he protested weakly. Rath had gotten to Roswell much faster than Michael had expected.

"Oh?" Her eyebrows rose as Maria situated herself so she could glare at Michael more properly. "And when exactly were you planning on fitting that particular conversation in?"

"I just called this morning. And when I was going to tell you........" Michael looked quickly at Rath and Tess in the rear-view mirror. No need to get into details. "You were a little preoccupied." Which, considering the screaming fit that had accompanied her learning about Max and Shalin, was putting it quite tactfully, he thought.

Not that Maria seemed at all appreciative. If anything, the glare grew fiercer. "So it's my fault you went behind everyone's backs?" Michael muttered something, and her eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Excuse me?"

Michael sighed. He recognized that tone in Maria's voice – there really was no way this conversation was going to end well for him. "I said Max knew about Rath coming back." He hurried on quickly. "Not today, specifically. But we talked about me calling Rath when we were ready to take on Kivar." He wouldn't just spring that on Max without warning.

Shaking her head in disbelief, Maria leaned back against her seat. "Oh, we are so going to talk more about this later, buster."

Michael didn't doubt it.

Rath chuckled. "Anyways, I came to be part of the fun."

Tess laughed derisively. "Yeah, fun," she said, returning to her study of the scenery out the window. "Max isn't doing too well, is he?" she asked softly.

"Like you care," Maria snapped back.

Tess nodded, accepting the well-deserved rebuke. "Do the rest of you even see it?" she asked, still speaking quietly. After all, they'd been around Max all this time – maybe the changes had been too gradual to see. "He's losing it."

Rath laughed. "King Boy lost what little marbles he had years ago. Just like Zan." He shook his head. "Stupid, both of 'em."

Maria frowned at him. "I don't get it," she said, honestly confused. "I mean, your set supposedly remembered everything all your lives. Didn't you have any of Tymrath's feelings for Zandar?"

Rath smirked. "Sure. We both do. Why do you think we want him bloody and dead?"

"I don't," Michael said shortly.

"Right." Rath rolled his eyes. "Keep tellin yourself that, Mikey."

The radio suddenly came to life, blaring out music and making Tess jump slightly. "Michael," Maria warned, putting her hand on his arm. He nodded without looking at her, and suddenly the radio turned back off. In the silence, Rath's soft chuckle seemed very loud.

"I wasn't talking about the conditioning Kivar put you through," Maria said, returning to the point. "I meant the other stuff."

"Oh, you mean the part where we were brothers, and best friends?" Rath leaned forward, eyes burning into hers. "Or the part where the king turned on us and used us to execute Vilandra? 'Cause that was always my favorite memory." Rath's eyes turned to meet Michael's in the mirror. "Ya think he won't sacrifice everyone again?" Without looking, he tilted his head in Tess's direction. "Why's she here, then?"

"Max isn't Zan," Michael said, voice hard. "And he's not Zandar. Now shut the hell up."

Still smirking, Rath leaned back in the seat, letting the subject drop.

----------------------------------------

Meanwhile, the subject of their conversation was driving ahead of them, trying to focus on the navigating sense from the Granolith, and not on the two women in the Jeep with him. Liz and Shalin were definitely not the best two to be stuck in a moving vehicle with. At least they weren't arguing this time, alternately staring at each other and watching him, Liz with confusion and Shalin with anger. Either way, it wasn't fun for Max. At least Liz didn't know about him and Shalin. Now, that would have taken the discomfort of the ride to an entirely new level.

Liz found herself glancing in the rear-view mirror every few seconds, constantly reassuring herself that yes, the Jetta and the sheriff's vehicle were following them as they led the way into the desert. She clasped her hands tightly in her lap, trying not to show how nervous she was. They were finally going face to face with Kivar. The times they'd gone up against his Skins had been bad enough. This time they were going up against Kivar himself, in the flesh. Or the Husk.

And he had the Granolith.

What had Max been thinking?

She cast Max another glance out of the corner of her eye, wondering again what was going on with him these days. Once, she'd felt she knew him better than anyone in the world. Now? She wasn't sure which worried her more – his using the Granolith as bait, or his willingness to knock his own father unconscious.

She didn't even want to think about his outburst to Isabel.

Because she was looking at him, she noticed when he winced, his grasp on the steering wheel tightening as a slight shudder went through his body. "Max, what is it?" She could see Shalin lean forward slightly in the back seat.

"Nothing." He gave her a quick smile, reassuring. "Just a little nervous, I guess." Liz nodded, accepting that.

Not Shalin. "No you're not," she said bluntly. She could read Max well enough to know that nervousness wasn't what he was feeling. "What's wrong?"

Max sighed. "What, Kivar planning an alien invasion of the planet doesn't count as something wrong?"

When she spoke again, there was cold fury in her voice. "You know, Your Majesty, this secrets thing really isn't working for me. It seems to lead to incredibly stupid decisions that could get people killed.........."

"Right," Max shot back, ignoring the pretense of being calm for Liz's sake. "Because it's not like anyone was getting killed before.........."

"And it really, really annoys me," Shalin continued, speaking right over him. She glared at him, totally ignoring Liz's presence. "So why don't you just tell us the truth for a change?"

Liz turned in her seat. "What gives you the right..........."

Max interrupted her. "There was a power surge from the Granolith," he admitted.

Shalin leaned back in her seat. "A power surge?" she repeated softly. "Like, say, the type of power surge that would happen as it gears up to wipe out all planetary life?"

Max's silence was answer enough. Liz felt a sinking sensation in her stomach, and couldn't think of anything to say.

"Wonderful." Shalin closed her eyes. "You might want to drive a little faster, Your Majesty."

------------------------------------

Max pulled over a few minutes later, getting out of the Jeep and looking around the desert landscape surrounding them. It didn't take long for the others to pull up. Michael came rushing over to him, letting Rath take care of Tess, seeing as how he didn't really care what happened to the small girl as long as she couldn't hurt the rest of them again. "Why are we stopping?" Michael looked around. "There's nothing here."

Max pointed towards where the sun was starting to set. "The Granolith's in that direction. Not far, but I thought it might be a good idea to stop and park before we're spotted."

Kyle joined them, Isabel and Alex right behind. "Has anyone else noticed how often we seem to be in this situation?" he asked rhetorically. "Preparing to storm into a heavily-occupied Skin stronghold?"

"Well, we should be good at it by now, right?" Maria moved closer to Alex, nudging his shoulder. "You okay?"

Startled out of his thoughts, he looked at her. "Yeah," he said softly. Then he turned to Max. "Kivar's definitely there," he said, keeping his voice calm with effort.

"Do you think he can sense you?" Isabel asked.

Alex frowned. "I don't think so," he said slowly. "But he might be able to sense you."

"Oh." Isabel wrapped her arms around herself tightly. Great. Kivar – her personal nightmare. Last time they'd met, she'd almost given in and lost herself. How much stronger would he be in person?

Hey, you beat him, Alex reminded her, taking her hand and squeezing it.

True. Gathering her courage, Isabel smiled at her fiancee. And I really do want a chance to kick his ass.

Alex laughed, leaning over to give her a quick kiss. Nobody messes with Isabel Evans, he thought, proudly.

She tossed back her hair. You know it.

Kyle was watching them with a confused expression. "You two do know how weird it is when you do that, right?"

"Do what?" she asked, all innocence.

Realizing that Isabel was a bit firmer now, Alex turned his attention back to Max. "Kivar's distracted."

"Well, of course he is," Shalin pointed out. "He has such a nice new toy to play with."

Alex ignored her, and tried to ignore the way Max winced at her words. Liz looked even more stressed now than earlier – guess the ride in the Jeep hadn't been much fun. "But if we take too long, he will pick up on the fact that we're out here."

"Then we won't take too long," Valenti said firmly. "You said it was in that direction?" He leaned back into his SUV.

Before Max could confirm, Michael and Rath spoke up in unison. "Someone's coming." Then they looked at each other, surprised, while Maria frowned. That was unsettling.

Suddenly, Kaslya appeared, as if out of nowhere. Max wouldn't have thought there was enough cover out there for her to hide, but he certainly had learned not to underestimate the T'onxyl. Shalin took the other Skin's appearance in stride. "What's the situation?"

"We're all in position."

"How many is 'all'?" Max asked.

He tried to control the urge to sigh heavily when Kassie looked first at Shalin, only answering after the other Skin nodded. "All of us. Counting Rath and Michael," she smiled warmly at the two dupes, "there are 24 T'onxyl here."

Valenti had straightened back out of the car. "Against how many of Kivar's Skins?" he asked, holding up the pair of binoculars he had taken out of the vehicle. "You said they're in that direction?" he gestured with the binoculars.

"Yes." Kassie came to stand near him, pointing. "You'll see a large rock formation with a sheer face. They're in there."

Valenti looked. Sure enough, there it was in the distance. "How do we get in? I don't see any openings in the wall," he said, looking carefully.

Kassie looked over at Shalin. "Neither did I. Must be hidden somehow."

"A hologram, probably," Shalin agreed. "Hiding the entrance with an illusion of rock. And then there will be the guards watching it."

"Which brings us back to the queston of how many?" Valenti put down the binoculars and handed them to Michael, who took his turn with them.

Kassie shrugged. "I couldn't exactly go inside and ask," she pointed out. "But if we have all of our forces here, then I would imagine that Kivar has all of his, as well."

Max nodded slowly, thinking. How many Skins had Kivar managed to get onto the planet before they blocked his entry points? "We need to know what we're walking into," he murmured. Then, he had a thought. "Liz!"

The girl jumped slightly as everyone's attention focused on her. "What?' she asked nervously.

Max's smile didn't exactly reassure her. "We need to find out how many Skins Kivar has in there," he explained.

"And?"

"And you can find out for us," he said, smile widening.

"How......... Now, wait a minute, Max," she protested.

"It'll be very simple," he insisted, taking her hand and pointing to the rock formation in the distance with his other. "Astral project inside and look around."

"Very simple," she repeated. "Max, nothing about it is simple." She pulled her hand away. "I've only done it two times, and both times it was to see you." She shook her head. "I was only able to do it because of our connection," she went on in a softer voice. "You're not in there. There's nobody for me to focus on."

"Ardan's in there," he argued.

Liz looked at him like he was out of his mind. "I don't exactly have a close emotional bond with Ardan."

"No, but you know him," Max persisted. "You can do this, Liz. I know you can." He moved closer, taking both of her hands in his own and meeting her eyes steadily. "I have faith in you, Liz. I believe in you."

Liz couldn't say no to that. "I'll try," she said, resigned. Liz sat down on the desert ground, closing her eyes and trying to concentrate. Satisfied, Max nodded and looked around, eyes lighting on the one person who was hanging back, away from the others. Face set in firm lines, Max headed towards her. He could hear Shalin in the background, instructing Kassie to go back and tell the others to be ready to move at any moment.

"What's the matter, Tess?" Max asked quietly, coming up to her. Rath watched them both, but didn't say anything, and Max ignored him as well as he could. "Nothing to add? Maybe you have some idea about how many Skins Kivar has helping him?"

"No," she said, softly. Then she met Max's eyes and frowned. "Why am I here, Max? You're not stupid enough to trust me again. Why not just tie me up and dump me somewhere until this is over?"

Max smiled coldly at her, taking a strange pleasure in the way she paled and looked away. "Maybe you're here as a shield," he said. "You know, in case an energy blast is coming at one of us, we can throw you in the way." As she tried to walk past him, Max's hand shot out and grabbed her upper arm, holding her in place tightly. He ignored her small gasp of pain and leaned closer, whispering in her ear. "Maybe I think you should be good for something. That you owe us something after the hell you put everyone through last year. Alex, Isabel, Kyle, Valenti.... did you ever stop and think about what they went through?" His voice dropped even lower. "Kivar's activated the Granolith." She froze, her eyes flying back to his. "In about an hour, it'll have enough power to wipe out human life on this planet. All life. Including the sheriff and Kyle." Now he let her go, but she didn't move away. "So much for your so-called deal with Kivar. Even if we go in there, and you hand-deliver me to Kivar, he won't stop. And I think a part of you knows that. A part of you must have always known that." He stood back, cold eyes staring at her. "We know what you chose last time, Tess. Time to choose again." Then he turned and walked away.

Tess watched as Max walked back to the others until she heard a laugh nearby. "And here I thought they all hated me," Rath smirked. "It ain't nothin' compared to how they feel about you."

Tess made herself look at him directly. "Don't fool yourself, Rath. They'd sacrifice you just as fast as they would me." She looked over at the group, eyes lingering on Kyle, remembering when she would have been standing there with them. "They have plenty of reasons not to trust either of us."

"Good point." Tess jumped to the new speaker, almost stumbling as she met Isabel's very angry eyes. "And believe me, none of us are forgetting it."

"Isabel." Tess took a deep breath. "You don't have anything to worry about right now. Not from me. Stopping Kivar from using the Granolith..........."

"I know," she said, interrupting the smaller girl. "You're very worried about the Granolith. And you would never dream of stabbing us in the back. Oh, wait! You've already done that." She loomed over Tess, eyes flashing. "Do you even know what Alex went through because of you? Lonnie had him for six months! Six months of torture, physical and ............." Isabel's hands tightened into fists as she resisted the urge to blast Tess across the desert floor. Max thought Tess might be useful in this confrontation, and she was going to have to trust her brother's judgement. "The sheriff might still have a soft spot for you," she went on when she got her temper under control. "But the rest of us won't make that mistake." She looked past Tess to Rath and smiled slowly. "Just so you know, she does anything out of line, none of us will object to you killing her." She looked back at Tess. "Have fun."

Tess winced as Rath started laughing again. "Yeah, you're real good at gettin' along with 'em, aren't you?"

------------------------------------------------

Back at the cars, Valenti was handing out equipment. Kyle looked at the object he was handed. "Baseball bats?" he asked, looking at his father blankly. "Dad, we're not exactly out here for little league."

Valenti smiled, taking the bat back and swinging it through the air. "Let's just hope your aim's good," he said. "Guns won't help much against Skins, not unless you get a good shot to the back." He frowned thoughtfully. "I wonder what a direct shot to the head would do........." Shaking his head, he returned to the point, taking out another bat and handing it to Maria. "Use these, and hit the Skins as hard as you can."

Alex took one. "Are these hand-made?"

"Yep." Valenti smiled. "Knew they'd come in handy eventually." Then he looked over at Shalin, who was watching Liz carefully. "Shalin?"

She brought her attention to the sheriff. "Yes?" Her eyes flickered over the bat in his hand. "I don't think I'll be needing that, Jim," she pointed out mildly.

He grinned. "Yeah, I know." He reached back inside. "But I thought this might come in handy."

Shalin took it from his hands. "A bullet-proof vest?" She looked at him with some confusion.

Valenti shrugged. "Thought it might keep anyone from being able to hit your self-destruct button," he explained. "In the fight, I mean."

Shalin gave him a genuine smile. "Thank you, Jim," she said, even as she handed it back to him. "But it won't do much good against an energy blast." She leaned over and kissed him gently on the cheek. "I appreciate the thought, though." Then she turned and walked away. Max, who had been watching quietly ever since returning from his little talk with Tess, followed a second later.

Valenti sighed, throwing the vest back into the vehicle. It was just a thought. He looked over at Alex, who was the only one still standing there, the others scattered about, whispering together as they waited for Liz to finish her recon. "How you holding it together?" he asked the teen.

Alex blinked. "I'm fine," he said quickly. "Isabel's pretty freaked. Kivar's her own personal boogey man. Facing him again.........."

"I wasn't asking about Isabel," the sheriff interrupted gently. "How are you doing?"

Alex nodded, taking a deep breath. "Pretty freaked myself," he admitted.

"Understandable."

"But I can't let that stop me, can I?" Alex took a firmer grasp on the baseball bat in his hand. "We have to take a stand, right?"

"Right." Valenti put a hand on Alex's shoulder. "You've dealt with everything better than anyone had a right to expect," he said softly. Alex looked at him in surprise. "I don't think anyone could have been stronger against what you've been through. But you don't have to do this. If this is too much..........."

"Isabel's going in there," Alex said firmly. "So are the rest of you. My family." He grinned suddenly, swinging the bat. "And maybe I'll get a chance to stop that son of a bitch before he hurts anyone else."

Valenti nodded, understanding Alex's determination. "Okay." He slammed the door shut.

-----------------------------------------

Shalin stood a little ways off, deep in thought. Still, Max was sure she heard him approach. "It wasn't about trust," he said softly, stopping to stand behind her. She didn't say anything, but he could see her shoulders tense slightly. "Choosing Ardan for this mission. It had to be him. Kivar would have never believed you'd come back to him. Not after everything."

She turned to face him. "And not telling me what you were up to?" Her voice was as emotionless as her face.

"That wasn't about trust, either," he insisted. "I knew that you would try to stop me. That you'd think it was stupid."

"It was stupid," she retorted.

"Maybe," he agreed. "But we needed to do something. And here we are." Max wanted to touch her so much, his hand started moving almost on its own.

She didn't even look at it. "Touch me and I'll break your wrist," she said flatly. She turned back to her examination of the horizon as his hand dropped back to his side. "Kivar always planned on using Aveen against you, you know," she went on. If she sensed how Max froze at her words, she gave no indication, continuing on in the same calm voice. "That's why he kept her locked away, until he was ready for you two to meet. He figured that her innocence and sheltered life would appeal to you." Now her voice took on a tinge of cruel mockery. "Like a princess locked away in a tower. Isn't that a mainstay of your human fairy tales?" Now she turned back to him, and he could see the anger in her eyes. "But she wouldn't cooperate. She loved you. And that love, her feelings for you, cost Aveen her life." She tilted her head to one side. "Then there's Tym. He followed you to the death, too. You just leave a path of corpses everywhere you go, Your Majesty." She brushed past him. "Let's see how this gamble of yours works out."

Max had nothing to say as she walked away. He heard Michael come up to him as she left. "Be careful with Shalin," Michael warned softly.

Max sighed. "Haven't we had this conversation already?"

"I mean it, Maxwell." Something in his tone caught Max's attention. "I know this isn't something anyone else gets – Maria sure as hell doesn't. But Shalin's all about loyalty." He grimaced. "For someone she's loyal to, Shalin would do anything. No limits. But when that loyalty is betrayed?" He shook his head. "That's why she's helping us and not Kivar."

Max felt very tired. "And now she feels I've betrayed her, too."

Michael hesitated. "Just be careful, Max."

"Great." Max gathered up his energy, looking over in the distance. "Rath going to be a problem?"

Michael snorted. "Probably. But not until after we stop Kivar. Then I'll deal with it."

Max's eyes flew to his. "Michael............"

"Don't worry about it," he said quickly. He rolled his eyes. "Now I have to go deal with a pissed-off Maria DeLuca."

"Maria? Mad at you?" Despite everything, Max found himself able to tease his oldest friend. "What an unheard of event."

"Whatever, Maxwell," Michael growled. Max laughed softly as Michael stalked off.

----------------------------------------------

"Still pissed at me?"

Maria didn't even have to look at him. "You betcha." She felt Michael's arms come around her and leaned back into his comforting warmth. "Bringing Rath here? Really stupid. Talking with Max about it, but not me? Stupidity on a level that surpasses even your previous records." She closed her eyes as he ran a comforting hand along her arm. "You are so doing all the chores at home for a month to make up for this. Cooking, cleaning, the wash............." Her voice trailed off. "Okay, maybe not the wash."

"Hey, that wasn't my fault!" he protested. "The machine was defective!"

"Sure, Spaceboy."

Michael hesitated. "You can stay out here," he said softly. "You and Liz. The rest of us........."

"No," she interrupted, turning to look at him, studying his expression carefully. "How do you manage that?"

"What?"

"Not being afraid."

"I don't want anything to happen to you," he argued.

She shook her head sharply. "But you're not scared enough. Not as afraid as you should be. As I.........." She broke off and moved even closer, one hand running through his hair. "I don't want to lose you, either." Not in any way.

"You won't," he promised. Before she could say anything else, his lips were on hers, kissing her until nothing else existed for them.

Maria could sense his anger, his excitement about the upcoming battle. His hate for Kivar.

She could also feel his passion and love for her. Always.

Such a strange combination of love and hate, loyalty and anger.

Michael.

And Maria accepted all of him, taking the emotions he offered into herself.

-----------------------------------

At first, all Liz could see was the insides of her own eyelids. Feeling more than a little stupid, she tried to picture the rock formation in her mind, tried to imagine that she was inside it.

Nothing.

She fidgeted on the hard desert floor, trying to get comfortable. She could hear the sheriff's comforting voice nearby, and tried again. They were counting on her. Surely she could at least do this.

Nothing again.

Come on, Liz. We don't have time for this. They were running out of time. At the thought of the Granolith, even now powering up, Liz felt her heart race and the urge to panic come over her. This was bad. Worse than anything else they'd been up against.

"I have faith in you, Liz. I believe in you."

Remembering Max's words to her helped her calm down, get her pulse under control. Max believed in her, even after everything they'd been through.

She wouldn't let him down.

This time, Liz didn't think about the rock formation. Instead, she pictured Ardan, laughing with that mockery in his eyes, leaning back in a Crashdown booth. He was the one she wanted to see right then.

For a long time, nothing happened. Then, slowly, an image came into focus through the darkness.

Ardan. Liz almost opened her eyes in surprise – deep down, she hadn't been sure this would work. But she forced her physical body to stay still, and only looked around with her astral projection.

Ardan was leaning against the wall in a corner of a white, antiseptic room. The resemblance to the White Room Max had been trapped in gave her an uneasy feeling. Looking around, she saw that Ardan wasn't alone in the room. Two strange men (Skins?) were sitting over to one side, in front of a control panel covered with knobs and monitoring screens. Apparently this was the compound's security center.

When Liz looked back at Ardan, she was surprised to see him looking straight at her, smiling slightly. He couldn't see her, could he? Nobody except Max had ever been able to see her the other two times she'd done this.

With a slight nod of his head in her direction, Ardan moved over to where the other two were sitting. "Anything out there?" he asked, leaning casually between them, arms around the backs of their chairs.

"Nothing," started one of the men.

That was as far as he got. Striking fast, Ardan grabbed his hair and rammed his head down into the panel, hitting his back as soon as it was exposed. As the first Skin exploded into dust, Ardan moved to face the other one, who was trying to stand and defend himself. Smiling widely, Ardan raised his leg and kicked him square in the chest, throwing him back across the room and launching himself after. Before Liz could even process what was happening, that Skin was dead, too.

Ardan sat down in one of the chairs, hands moving over the controls. "I don't know who's there," he said casually, "but I can sense someone. Tell Shalin that Kivar has a little under two hundred Skins in here. I'm lowering the holographic shields – you'll be able to see the entranceway." He turned and looked unerringly at Liz. "Once you enter, there's a large foyer. You'll encounter the first wave of resistance there. After that, there are a series of tunnels. The Granolith is down the center hallway. I'll do what I can to reduce the numbers of the opposition." He waved his hands, impatient. "What are you waiting for? Go tell Shalin."

Obediently, Liz opened her eyes. Gasping a little, she looked around desperately. Yeah, back in the desert again.

"Liz?" Max knelt in front of her. "What did you see?"

No doubt in his voice but that she'd managed to do it. Liz felt warm inside at his trust. "Ardan." She frowned. "He knew I was there somehow."

"Yeah, he's creepy that way," Michael said impatiently. "Did he say anything to you?"

"Uh, huh." Liz took a deep breath. "There are about two hundred Skins inside. Some of them will be waiting just inside for us. Once we're inside, we have to go down the center hallway to find the Granolith." She looked at Max. "Does that help?"

He smiled warmly at her. "It helps a lot." He looked to Michael. "Let's get going."

"'Bout time," Rath muttered, arm tight around Tess's.

"Hey, hold on," Kyle protested, raising a hand. "Two dozen of us against two hundred of them? How do those numbers add up?"

He was suprised to see Michael smile. "If it wasn't Kivar, I'd almost feel sorry for them."

---------------------------------------

It didn't take Kyle long to see what Michael meant. When they got up to the rock formation, the entranceway was clearly visible. Shalin, Michael, and Rath went up to it without even trying to hide. As they approached, other men and women suddenly appeared as if from nowhere, joining them in their rapid approach.

"T'onxyl," Max murmured from his side. He gave Kyle a little smile. "Kind of spooky, isn't it?"

Kyle nodded in agreement. They moved so fast, so quietly, yet in perfect unison with each other. He had no idea how they did it. Even Michael, for all that he'd turned his back on this part of his heritage, moved like them. As they reached the entranceway, the first wave of Skins poured out, hands raised to blast at the invaders. Kyle tensed, worried about what he was going to see.

"Relax." Kyle looked down to see Maria's hand on his arm. She wasn't looking at him, but at the fight. Her eyes were gleaming with excitement, lips slightly parted. Kyle gulped. The expression on her face made him nervous. It wasn't very Maria-like. "Michael's not worried. This is the easy part."

Easy? But when he looked back, he saw what Maria meant.

As the first energy blast came from the Skins, the T'onxyl moved into action. They didn't seem at all phased by the attack, continuing onwards as one until colliding with Kivar's troops. And at once, Kyle could see why they'd been so confident. There was no way that the other Skins were a match for the T'onxyl. Shalin moved confidently, almost as if she was dancing, kicking and knocking down the enemies until she could get to their backs. The others did the same, cutting through the enemy as if they were no more obstacle than flies to swat. And Michael?

Kyle's eyes widened as he watched Michael and Rath. Unlike Shalin, who moved swiftly and dispassionately, rapidly hitting each opponent on the back and reducing them to dust, Michael and Rath seemed to almost be enjoying the fight. They would punch and hit, leaving each Skin bleeding before finally killing them. It was disconcerting to see.

"Um, guess Michael's got some anger issues with them, huh?" he finally got out, looking down at Maria. She glanced at him, still with that odd gleam in her eyes.

"They're Kivar's," she said simply, as if that explained everything. Explained why Michael would want them to hurt before they died. Maybe it did. She stood up. "It's over," she explained, looking at Max, the strange excitement in her eyes dying down. "We can go in now." Sure enough, Shalin was waving them in from the entranceway. Quickly, they entered.

Shalin pointed to the middle passageway. "That's the direction Ardan said the Granolith was."

Max nodded, eyes instinctively looking her and the others over. "Yeah, I can sense it." He moved towards Kassie. "You're hurt," he said, gesturing to her shoulder.

She looked at the blood. "Yeah." Kneeling down, she picked up something from the ground. "Great," she said grimly, looking at Shalin. "It figures." She tossed the sharp item to the other Skin. "Wonder how many of these they have?"

"One's too many," Shalin replied.

"What is it?" Isabel asked. It looked almost like a screwdriver, but there was a strange shine coming from the twisted point.

"A knife," Shalin explained. "One that can hurt our Husks more than regular human weapons can." She pointed to the edge. "It's coated in cy'thran. That's an Antaran herb," she explained to the humans.

"Is it poisonous?" Max asked instantly, remembering the poison he's been infected with months ago.

"No." Shalin dismissed the concern, tossing the knife back to Kassie. "It won't necessarily kill us. It just means the knife can cut through our Husks the way a normal knife would cut through human skin."

Max moved towards Kassie. "Let me heal you."

Kassie moved back instantly, the other T'onxyl moving in closer to her. She smiled. "No thanks, Your Majesty," she said blithely. "It's just a scratch. I killed him before he could do much." She tucked the knife into her belt. "I'll just deal with it." She clearly had no intention of allowing him close enough to heal her. Once again, Max suppressed the urge to sigh. "Besides, don't you have a Granolith to repossess?" she asked lightly. "And we have Kivar's troops to kill." She sounded as if she was looking forward to that.

She had a point there. Max headed down the hallway, well aware of the others following him, Michael and Rath the closest. Knowing that Michael had his back made Max feel a little safer. And oddly enough, even having Rath there didn't bother him too much. He didn't think that Rath would try anything until Kivar was dead. Before they'd gotten very far down the hall, Shalin came up beside him.

"This is too easy," she said, voice low.

"Too easy?" Kyle looked at her with surprise. "How many Skins were out there?"

She cast a quick look at him. "Not enough to keep us out, obviously," she pointed out.

"Shalin's right," Michael said, voice just as serious. "This doesn't feel right. Kivar must know we'd be coming, even if he did trust Ardan."

Rath snorted. "Does anyone really trust that rat?" he asked.

Max knew they had a point. He just didn't know what they were supposed to do about it. "Alex, you're sure Kivar's here?" The human nodded. "Then let's find him and end this." That was the only thing that mattered. Shalin didn't say anything else, but he could see her exchanging cautious looks with Michael. "But the Granolith first. Before it can do any damage."

Then he got distracted by the sense of the Granolith ahead of them. He could literally feel it, his own heartbeat feeling like it was beating in rhythm with it. They were almost there. Dismantle the destruct device, and then deal with Kivar.

So Max was caught off-guard when he suddenly felt arms push him forward. He looked back at Michael just as a large beam fell from the ceiling above them and a loud rattling noise started. Shalin jumped as quickly as she could, leg getting clipped by the falling debris. Then the floor under them opened up, Max and Shalin falling down a dark slide.

Michael watched Max vanish from sight, then grabbed Maria, protecting her with his own body. Damn – he'd known it was a trap. Another trapdoor opened in the ground, and he watched, helpless, as Kyle and Tess vanished into it. A metal partition slid from the ceiling, cutting off the hallway behind them. The hallway with Liz, Alex, Isabel, and the sheriff still in it.

As the noise stopped and the hallway grew quiet again, Michael slowly stood up, Maria following suit. The only one still left with them was Rath. Rath, who looked around, then shrugged. "What now, bro?"

Maria looked around wildly. "Where did they go?"

Michael watched as both trap doors closed up seamlessly, making the floor look perfectly smooth and harmless again. He felt Maria's hand fit itself into his. "We get to the Granolith," he said firmly, leading her over the fallen beam and carefully around the floor space where the trapdoor was concealed.

His king had given him a mission. And he'd never let him down before.

But Kivar better hope that none of the others were hurt. Because if so, his death was going to be so much worse than he could have ever imagined.

---------------------------------------------------

Kyle felt the air rush past him as he fell down. And down and down.

Until he came to a sudden stop. That would have been a good thing, only the sudden stop was with a very hard rock floor. "Ow!" Dazed, he just lay there for a moment, unable to even open his eyes, much less move. Every inch of his body hurt. That was a pretty rough landing.

When he heard the soft whimper to his left, Kyle forced his eyes to open. "Hey, who's there?" Everything had happened so fast. One second they were all walking down the hallway. The next the floor opened up underneath him. Literally. Was his dad okay? Slowly, the surroundings came into focus. Yet another corridor of rock. Yippee – Kivar had one hell of an interior decorator. Then he saw the small figure lying on the floor not far from him. "Tess?" He managed to crawl over to her side, trying to ignore the way his body ached at the motion. She was lying so still, face screwed up in pain. "You okay?"

She nodded, slowly opening her eyes. He could see the unshed tears in them, but she bit her lip and held them back. "I think so," she got out. She sat up shakily, holding her right wrist. "I think I may have broken my wrist when I fell. Nothing else, though." Now her eyes travelled over his body. "How about you?"

"Achy," he admitted. "But I don't think anything's broken." He forced himself to grin. "Nothing I haven't been through in football practice."

"Right." Tess rolled her eyes at him. "Because falling down two stories is something every jock has to go through before being on the team."

"Do you really think it was two stories?" Kyle asked, pushing himself up to a sitting position, then leaning against the wall. That had taken way too much energy. He hoped nothing was broken. Internal injuries really wouldn't be fun. He frowned as he realized he'd lost his gun during the fall. Maybe Tess wouldn't notice, or at the least, be too injured to go homicidal on him. At the moment, he didn't think he could fight off an angry kitten, much less Tess.

"How would I know?" she shot back. "I wasn't exactly measuring as I fell down the rabbithole."

"Fine, fine," he answered quickly. "No need to get testy." Then he heard footsteps. "Um, maybe there is reason for testiness," he said, voice going lower as he scooted closer to Tess. "Do you hear that?" She nodded, eyes just as worried as he was sure his were. Somehow, he didn't think it was one of his friends coming towards them with that determined gait.

Then the figure walked into the hallway, stopping and looking at the teens with an amused expression on his face. Kyle frowned, looking at the guy. Medium height, brown hair – other than the amusement on his face, he could be anyone you'd pass on the street and never notice. He certainly wasn't someone Kyle had ever seen before, but he was looking at them like he knew them. And of course, it went without saying that he was a Skin. No black stone around his neck, which meant he wasn't one of the friendly Skins (and Kyle didn't even want to think about when he started considering trained assassins the friendly types of aliens).

Then the stranger's brown eyes met Kyle's, and the human had a shock of realization. Those eyes, so cold and yet hungry at the same time. The same way Alex had described..... "Kivar," he got out, glad that his voice didn't crack. Well, damn. Here he was, face to face with the alien mastermind and he didn't even have a baseball bat to smack him with. His dad was going to be so disappointed. Slowly, Kyle got to his feet. If he was going to get killed, he was going to at least be standing.

"Kyle Valenti, I presume." Kivar bowed down in a parody of graciousness, smiling harshly all the while. "And Tess." Tess moved slightly towards him, then stopped, and stayed next to Kyle. Kivar wagged one finger at her in reproach. "You were supposed to bring me the Granolith, my dear. And the king. That was the deal."

"I tried," Tess insisted. Almost as if her feet were moving on her own, she found herself walking towards him. "I did my best, but Isabel found out what I was up to somehow. She damaged the Granolith. I was lucky to get away without being killed."

"And yet here you are now. Very much alive." Kivar shook his head and sighed. "I'm not sure you've taken our arrangement seriously, Tess. I kept my end of the bargain – you precious humans are unharmed."

"What about the knife attack on my dad this morning, you alien freakoid?" Kyle burst out, trying to marshall his strength to rush Kivar. Evil alien dictator or not, if he was in a Husk, he had the same weakness as every other Skin. All he had to do was get to his back.

But Kivar looked him directly in the eye, and Kyle had a sinking sensation in his stomach as he realized that the alien probably knew exactly what he was considering. But he didn't say anything, instead focusing his attention on Tess. "And yet you didn't keep your end of the bargain." He shook his head, voice so softly disappointed. "What would your protector think?"

Tess bit her lip, looking down at the worn rock floor. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I did try."

Kivar put out a hand and tilted her chin back, looking down at her with an expression that made Kyle's skin crawl. He appeared to be trying very hard to look paternal, but those empty eyes simply wouldn't allow it. "Tess, get away from him," Kyle pleaded, holding his ribs firmly. But she didn't reply, staring at Kivar as if mesmerized.

Once again, Kivar ignored the human. "Well, luckily for you, you have a second chance."

"I do?" She frowned, confused. "But you already have them all trapped. What can I do?"

"That's true," he agreed. "But there's one of them I can't quite get a sense of. One who's masked to me somehow." Kivar leaned down, whispering into Tess's ear. Kyle could still hear him, and what he said made the human's heart skip even more with fear. "Alex Whitman. Where is he?"

"Alex?" Tess took a small step back. "What does he matter? He was never part of the deal. You said you just wanted Max."

"That was before," Kivar argued. "Things have changed. And that particular human ..... well, let's just say that I don't want to leave any more loose ends lying around."

Kyle pushed himself between Tess and Kivar, glaring at the Skin angrily. "Go to hell," he spat out angrily. "This is the great Kivar?" Kyle looked at him scornfully, getting out a mocking laugh. "You need someone else to do all your dirty work for you? I could probably take you." He smirked. "Michael is so going to kick your ass."

For a second, the emptiness on Kivar's face was wiped away, and Kyle actually felt a moment's pride at being able to make him feel enough anger and irritation to show it. Of course, that pride only lasted for the second it took before Kivar pushed him roughly backwards, and he found himself stumbling down to the ground.

"Kyle!" Tess screamed and turned towards him, but Kivar grabbed her arm, holding her in place.

"You have one last chance, Tess," he said, anger now lacing his voice. "Tell me where Alex Whitman is, and the rest of your humans survive. Not to mention, so do you." He shook her. "You're a survivor, Tess. Not a weakling like these others. Do what your protector would have wanted you to do."

Kyle shakily got back to his feet, attention focused on Tess as the small girl closed her eyes tight, face drawn and pale. "Tess, don't do it." He wasn't sure if he was trying for more of an order or a plea. "Don't you dare help this bastard anymore. You don't have to do this." Desperately, he hoped she would listen.

And his hopes sank as Tess opened her eyes, looking straight at Kivar and nodding. "You're right," she told the Skin calmly. "We had a deal."

"Tess........"

She turned around and fixed him with a burning glare. "Be quiet, Kyle!" Then she looked back at Kivar, the momentary show of emotion exhausted. "Alex fell down here with us." She pointed back down the hallway past Kyle. "He went that way, looking for help."

Kivar stared at her for a long moment, apparently studying her face. Then he nodded and turned to head off in the direction she'd indicated.

Only to spin back around again, palm up as a blinding ray of energy flowed forward and slammed right into Kyle. Surprised by the sudden agony, Kyle was only able to get out a small moan and clutch at the open wound on his chest, blood rapidly soaking through his shirt and onto his fingers as he sank to the ground.

"No!" Tess looked at Kyle in horror, watching as his eyes closed before running for Kivar, uninjured hand curled as if she meant to claw at him, anger and fear rushing through her. "You said..........."

With a wave of his hand, Kivar sent her flying backwards into the wall. "You shouldn't have tried lying to me, Tess." He shook his head. "You've made your choice." He moved away after, hitting a small button in the wall. "Now deal with the consequences."

As Kivar turned his back and walked away, two partitions slid down from the ceiling, one on either side of the hallway. Tess tried to move, stopping short when pain rushed through her leg like a thousand knives. Biting her lip, Tess forced her way through the pain and dragged herself to Kyle's side as the doors landed, cutting them off.

They were trapped.

---------------------------------------------

Maria watched as yet another Skin went up into a flurry of dust. "What do you think happened to the others?"

"No idea," Michael, eyes darting rapidly from one side of the hallway to another, almost hoping that another Skin would appear to challenge them. He was in the mood to kill someone. As many Skins as possible, actually. He looked over at Maria, seeing the open worry on her face, feelings he shared but didn't want to let too close to the surface. He had to concentrate on accomplishing their mission. Nothing would matter if they didn't get to the Granolith. "Maria, we have to concentrate here." It came out way harsher than he wanted, and he instantly regretted it. But he simply couldn't deal with her fear on top of his own. He had to be colder than that. He saw a movement from the corner of his eye and spun around instantly, grabbing the Skin around the neck and slamming him hard into a wall. Rath grabbed Maria and pushed her roughly to one side, moving in to hit the Skin's back hard. As the dust settled, Michael nodded to his dupe. He supposed he shouldn't be surprised at how well they fought together. They had the same instincts, after all.

"Old Kivar ain't exactly sending his best and brightest against us," Rath commented, heading back down the hall without looking back at the other two. "Don't seem like his heart's really in it."

Michael snorted. "His best are either dead or on our side."

"Yeah." Rath smirked. "Sucks for him, don't it?"

"Yeah, well, they make up for it in numbers," Maria said sharply. "And let's not forget that Kivar did manage to split us up." She glared at the other two. "Which makes me think that maybe Max wasn't the only one planning a trap here."

Michael tried to keep his irritation in check. "Maria........."

Her eyes widened for a split second before the next Skin burst out of a side corridor, heading straight for her. That was all the emotion she showed before bringing up the baseball bat and hitting the man in the head. In the moment his head swung around, Maria moved quickly to the side. Her next swing took him out.

All before either Michael or Rath could move into action. Rath's eyebrows raised, clearly surprised. And more than a little impressed.

Maria stood there for a minute, looking down at her hands, tightly clenched around the baseball bat. But not in fear. She hadn't been afraid when the Skin attacked. No. She looked up at Michael, smiling as she met his eyes. She could feel his anger racing through him, and she embraced it into herself. Kivar thought this was going to be easy? "Let's go," she said, voice low. "We have a Granolith to find." Now her smile included Rath, too. "And then I want to see them all dead." She started to move.

Rath laughed and hit Michael on the back. "Hey, she don't happen to have a double too, does she?"

--------------------------------------

[Anla]

Meanwhile, on the other side of the Skin hideaway............

"This may not have been the best idea ever," Alex pointed out quietly, holding Liz's hand as he watched the fight in the room ahead of them.

Liz looked at him. "You think?" She ducked as a energy blast hit the wall right above her.

Alex shrugged. "Well, we're still alive. Which means the Granolith hasn't fully activated yet. Which is a good thing, right?"

"Yeah," she agreed. Then she screamed. "Look out, Sheriff!"

She didn't think he even heard her, but he still spun around, ducking to one knee and letting Isabel get a free shot at the Skin who had come up behind him. When Isabel pushed the Skin back, Valenti followed, baseball bat swinging. Before Liz could blink, there was another dead Skin. The sheriff turned to Isabel and pointed to where the other two teens were huddled. Liz and Alex couldn't hear what he was saying, but from the stubborn set on her face, it wasn't hard to figure it out. Isabel ran over to them.

"Let me guess," Alex said lightly. "Valenti wants us to retreat."

She nodded, looking back to where the T'onxyl were still fighting. There weren't many of Kivar's Skins left – the T'onxyl who had been protecting them were doing their jobs. "He doesn't think there's much else we can do here. Kaslya seems to have everything under.........."

Liz watched, surprised, as Isabel's face suddenly paled and her voice broke off. "Isabel, are you okay?" She put her arms around her friend, then looked past her to the fight. All the T'onxyl were falling down to the floor, some struggling to get back to their feets, others clutching their heads in silence.

Every single one of them had an expression of almost undescribable pain on their faces.

"Damn," Alex breathed, watching as Valenti also stumbled. Whatever was going on, it wasn't affecting Kivar's Skins. In fact, the few of them remaining were using this as an opportunity.to turn the tables on the T'onxyl. Valenti grunted as a power blast scored his left arm, and Alex had enough. "Isabel, do something!" he said before running out there, baseball bat at the ready.

Liz shook her head, utterly lost. "What's Alex talking about?" She looked at her friend, seeing that Isabel's face was strained, although she didn't seem to be in the same pain as the T'onxyl. "Isabel, what's going on?"

"It's Kivar," she got out, voice gaining strength as she spoke. "He's attacking them mentally." She frowned, seeing one of their allies go up in dust. "He knows that there's no other way his Skins could win. So he's taking them out first." She straightened, Liz 's arms still around the alien to support her if necessary.

"Why isn't it affecting us?" Liz couldn't begin to understand the amount of telepathic power that Kivar must have to knock out so many of the aliens at once.

Isabel shrugged. "I'm not sure. Maybe it's our connection." She looked over at Liz. "It seems to give some level of mental protection." Isabel shook off Liz's arms, grateful for the support but not needing it anymore. She took a deep breath. "I am so sick of this," she said in a low voice. "Max was right – this has to end. Now." She closed her eyes, reaching out with her mind. She instantly felt Alex, his determination as he crouched over the sheriff, baseball bat out and ready to protect the older man. Next, Max – wherever he was, he was unharmed but frightened. She pushed past that, unable to deal with it just then. Michael, Liz, Maria, Kyle – Isabel almost hesitated when her mind brushed against his, worried by how faint his presence felt. But she forced herself to continue outwards, seeking one other familiar presence. Liz shivered as a smile slowly spread over Isabel's face. "Bingo," she whispered. She had it now.

Isabel's eyes flew open. Liz stumbled back, startled to see the pure white light shining in them. She'd never seen anything like that before. Isabel's face took on an expression of stubborn determination. Liz couldn't imagine what she was seeing, but whatever it was, whatever she was doing, Isabel looked like she meant to do it. No matter what.

Honestly, Isabel wasn't completely sure what she was doing herself. All she did know was that Alex and the sheriff were in danger because of Kivar, and she intended to stop him. Now that she had Kivar's mental signature in her mind, she followed it along its path, able to sense the fiery strands of pain he was sending out, even while remaining immune to it herself. Her eyes narrowed as she imagined a sharp edge cutting through the strands of psychic power he was sending out. Then, with a sudden tilt of her head, Isabel sent that knife flying.

Kivar hadn't been expecting that. Isabel could feel him recoil mentally as she blocked off his attacks. You want to play some more, Kivar? she sent after him.

No response.

Liz breathed a sigh of relief as the T'onxyl sprang back to their feets, quickly taking out the last of Kivar's Skins. Then she noticed that Isabel hadn't moved from her position. "Isabel?"

Slowly, the alien turned to look at her. That eerie light was still in her eyes as she stared at Liz, almost as if she didn't recognize her. Then she blinked, and her eyes were back to their normal brown. "Are you okay, Liz?" She held out a hand to help the human up.

"Yeah," Liz said slowly. "How about you?"

Isabel nodded slowly, still smiling a little. "I'm fine." She was surprised to find that she was – she'd faced Kivar directly, and this time she'd been the one to win. Not a bad feeling at all. Then she turned back to see Alex help Valenti over to them. Of course, it wasn't over. Kivar was still out there and dangerous.

Alex's smile made her heart pound. "Nice job, Iz."

Liz ran to Valenti's other side. "Are you okay, sheriff?"

He gave her a reassuring smile. "I'm good. Arm's a little sore, but other than that, no problem."

Seeing that the fight was over, Isabel went out to talk with Kaslya, Liz following. She wanted to make sure that Isabel really was okay - the whole glowing eyes thing was really unnerving. As soon as the girls moved away, Alex's smile vanished, and he helped Valenti lean against the wall. "You really okay?"

"Yeah." Valenti clasped him on the shoulder and gave a small grin. "Just give me a minute." Then he gave a closer look at the teen. "What about you, though?"

Alex shrugged. "Just worried about everyone," he muttered. No reason to tell the sheriff that he had a very bad feeling. And that for some reason, that bad feeling seemed to be directly associated with Kyle. After all, he didn't know anything for sure. Then, as the sheriff turned to look at the girls, another thought ran through Alex's mind. Quietly, Alex turned and went off down one of the side hallways, following a hunch.

Sensing more than seeing him leave, Valenti turned quickly. Just in time to see Alex disappear into the dark.

-----------------------------------------------

When they reached the heavy door, Rath didn't even pause to try the handles and see if it was locked. Instead, he raised his hand and blew the door down. Maria rolled her eyes. "Real subtle."

Rath grinned at her, entering the room and looking around quickly, taking inventory. "Nobody home." Then he let himself really look at the main attraction. "Jackpot."

Maria caught her breath when she studied the Granolith. "Oh, that can't be good." There was a soft humming noise echoing through the room, doubtless coming from the alien device. But even more concerning to her was the way that the black cone seemed lit up from the inside. From the base to almost the top, it was as if a bright light was shining through the Granolith. "It must be almost ready to go off," she muttered. Rath looked at her sharply. "We don't have much time left."

Rath nodded. "Come on, Mikey – let's get movin'!" He turned back, but that's when the entire room shook, floor and walls quivering as if suffering through an earthquake. "What the hell?"

He ran back to the doorway, Maria right behind him, and saw the cause. Apparently Maria's earlier comment about Kivar relying on numbers had been right on the money. Michael was fighting against more Skins than they'd seen since they entered the catacombs. He was holding his own, but Maria could tell there was a strain involved. She tried to move past Rath when Michael glanced back over his shoulder at them. "Keep her in there!" he screamed, before returning to the fight.

Without hesitation, Rath grabbed Maria around the waist and hauled her back inside the room, carefully avoiding her flailing arms and kicking feet. "Let me down!" she yelled, feeling only a little better when she heard his muffled grunt as one foot found a target. "Michael needs help!"

"Michael's got it under control." Rath used his powers to shut the doors tight behind them again before he turned back to the small girl. He actually took a slight step back from her glare. "But he's a little busy right now, in case ya didn't notice. So maybe we could focus on saving the planet?"

"Like you care," she scoffed, but she did run over to the Granolith. The light in her eyes made studying it hard, but she finally found something that looked promising. "Here, what's this?" she asked, pointing to a symbol on the side of the base.

"How the hell should I know?" Rath asked bluntly.

She resisted the urge to smack him on the back of his head. "Gee, I don't know. I thought your set was the one that grew up with all their alien memories intact."

"Which would be a help if Zandar had ever opened his mouth and actually told me anythin' about the Granolith," he shot back.

Maria let out an exasperated breath. "Great," she gave him a sarcastically bright grin. "You're a big help." Then, ignoring him as useless, she turned back to her study of the sign. It showed a spiral of dots going outward, and almost all of them were lit up. Only two remained. "Maybe it's showing the energy build-up," she muttered, concentrating. As she watched, the second-to-last button lit up. At the same moment, the humming in the room increased, almost drowning out the sounds of explosions from the outside hall, and the light climbed even farther up the Granolith. Another eruption shook the room, and a loud groaning noise came from the doorway.

Rath growled. "Idiot Skins are trying to get in here." He ran back to reinforce the doors.

"Okay," Maria said, taking a step back and deciding to take a chance. They had to do something. She closed her eyes and reached for the connection with Michael. She'd never consciously tried to grab onto his energy before – each time it had happened, it had been instinctive. But now she needed some alien mojo, and both Michael and Rath were a little preoccupied, so ......... She held up her hand as she opened her eyes again, narrowing them in concentration as she focused on the symbol. She could feel the rush of power flow through her, keeping her eyes open even as the blinding light left her hand and hit the Granolith full-on. She prayed this would work as her eyes slowly readjusted to the dimmer light.

The blast hadn't even left a dent.

"Damn." Frustrated and frightened, Maria ran over to the Granolith, pounding her fists against it and kicking at the base. "Damn, damn, damn." She could feel Rath's presence come up behind her again. "We need Max," she yelled. "But we don't know where he is. And this thing is going to kill everybody.........." She closed her eyes again, trying to keep the tears of frustration and anger inside. She couldn't even imagine it – everyone on the planet dead. Her mom, the sheriff, Alex, herself ........ "Lexy." She took an unsteady step backwards. "Oh, God."

Rath was staring at her, a strange expression on his face, one that she was familiar with. It was the look Michael had when he didn't want someone to see what he was feeling. Then it was gone, and Rath smirked at her. "What the hell." He moved swiftly, grabbing the back of her head and pulling her closer. "Ya only live once, right? Twice, tops." Then his lips were on hers.

For a second, Maria struggled, but he kept his arms right around her. Then she stopped fighting, sensing something she couldn't quite understand, and allowed herself to return the kiss. It was strange, feeling a kiss that was so like and yet so unlike Michael's. Then, before she could quite figure out what she was feeling, Rath stepped back, still smirking.

"Now, that was better than the first one," he grinned at her. "Don't worry, babe. Your kid's gonna be fine."

"What do you mean?" Her eyes widened as she saw Rath go up the Granolith, putting out his hand to the cone. "Rath, what are you.........."

He looked back at her once more and winked. "Ain't gonna let Kivar win. Not this time. But I'd suggest you and my dupe get the hell out of here while you can." Then his hand touched the Granolith. There was a blinding light, even brighter than when she'd blasted the machine. The next thing Maria knew, Rath was inside the cone somehow.

And she knew. He was going to try to stop it, to destroy the Granolith from inside.

She couldn't look away, not even when the doorway burst open behind her. Not when Michael came running up to her, skidding to a stop when he saw Rath inside the Granolith. But when Rath looked away from her, she followed his gaze to Michael. For one long moment, Rath and Michael stared at each other, a wordless communication going on. Then Michael nodded, and grabbed Maria's arm. "Come on," he said shortly, dragging her towards the doorway.

"Michael, we can't just leave him.........."

"Yes, we can," he said bluntly, not even glancing down at her. "Unless you really want to be at ground zero when that thing blows."

Maria gulped, tears coming back to her eyes again. This was too much, too fast. "We have to find the others," she pointed out. Michael simply nodded, moving even faster as they reentered the hallway.

-------------------------------------------

When the slide abruptly ended, Max tumbled to the ground, his breath temporarily knocked out of him when Shalin landed on top of him. "Ow." He opened his eyes, hands and eyes roaming over her quickly, looking for injuries. "Are you okay?"

Irritated, she pushed his hands away and stood. "My Husk is a lot stronger than your human form, Your Majesty," she answered caustically. "I'm fine." Max couldn't help but notice that she didn't ask about him.

"I'm okay, too. Thanks for asking," he said sharply, also standing. He looked around the large empty room they'd landed in. "Where are we?"

She cast him that familiar 'You're a total moron' look. "Wait a minute and I'll consult the blueprints Kivar gave me as a present." She moved to one side of the room. When he moved to follow, she shot him a warning glance. "Just try to stay out of trouble for like two minutes, okay?" She ran her hands over the wall. "There are hidden doors here," she murmured. "Lots of them." Concentrating, she turned to Max, who had obediently stood still. "You weren't the only one with a trap planned here, you know."

"Yeah, I figured that much out." Max wasn't sure if Kivar had known that Ardan was double-crossing him, or if he'd just been anticipating that the Royal Four would come after the Granolith. Either way, he'd planned accordingly. "It doesn't change anything, though, does it? Kivar's here somewhere. We just have to find him."

Shalin shook her head, letting out an annoyed breath. "Which direction is the Granolith?"

Max didn't even have to think about it. Instantly his hand came up, pointing behind him. "That way."

"All right. Start looking for the hidden passageway in that direction." Briskly, Shalin started to move towards Max. But she'd only gotten one step when she dropped to the ground, a quiet moan coming from her.

Max had already gotten to the far wall, but turned back at the noise. "Shalin?" She was crouched on the ground, hands to her head, eerily silent now but he could read the pain in her body's tension. "What is it?" He started towards her.

"No, stay back!" Shalin got to her feet somehow, opening her eyes and forcing herself to look at Max, even though the simple motion of opening her eyes made her feel as if a thousand icepicks were digging into her brain. "It's Kivar. It has to be."

She felt the whoosh of air behind her as the wall opened up, and two strong arms grabbed her. Shalin struggled, but with the pain surging through her brain, she knew it was about as effective a defense as Liz Parker would have managed. She stopped fighting as her head was pulled back, a sharp object pressed to her neck.

Max had moved forward rapidly when the stranger appeared out of nowhere, grabbing Shalin and pressing the knife to her neck. One of those knives he'd seen earlier, when Kaslya was hurt.

One that could hurt Shalin's Husk. Stop and think, he told himself, trying not to let fear overcome him.

Or the memories. Aveen's dead body. Liz falling to the floor in the Crashdown.

He couldn't let that happen to Shalin, too.

In the meantime, the strange Skin had positioned himself more comfortably, dragging Shalin with him as he moved. "Well, well," he mocked. "What have we here? Quite the reunion. My dear, loyal sister," he pressed down with the knife, just enough to draw blood. Shalin didn't even blink, her eyes finding Max's and holding his gaze. Max was amazed to see no hint of fear in those eyes, although there was pain. "And the dearly departed king." Kivar grinned at Max. "Zandar, Zandar. It's going to be such a pleasure to kill you again."

Max felt the icy detachment flow over him as he dragged his eyes away from Shalin and looked at the Skin holding her. "Kivar." He smiled, eyebrows raised. "Are you honestly using her as a shield? Am I supposed to care if one of your pets gets killed?" He shook his head. "Really, Kivar. I'm disappointed in you. You chose your weapons much better last lifetime." He started to move slowly towards the two.

In response, Kivar tightened his grip on Shalin. Max could see a flicker of emotions pass over Shalin's face and knew how much this was frustrating her. She was not the sort to take kindly to such passivity. Whatever Kivar was doing to her, it must be serious. Kivar's laugh drew Max's attention back. "You might want to reconsider getting closer, Zandar. See, I've heard about you and my sister here." He sighed, leaning down to whisper loudly in Shalin's ear. "Shalin, what were you thinking? Aveen, I could see it from. But honestly, I always thought you were smarter."

Shalin didn't waste time arguing with him. Instead, she looked directly at Max. "Kill the bastard, Max." There was no hesitation, no fear in her voice. Simple confidence and surety.

And it was at that moment that Max realized something.

He pushed that down, not able to deal with it yet. Instead, he looked past Shalin to Kivar. "Let her go."

"Hmm." Kivar pretended to consider it. "Or how about this? You move over there, I kill you, and then maybe I don't slit this traitor's throat." He smiled at Max. "How's that for a deal? I'll do it, you know."

Shalin saw that fire burning in Max's eyes again. "Oh, I know," he agreed, voice still calm. "I remember Aveen."

At that moment, Kivar's body went tense, and Shalin felt the pain that had been beating into her brain vanish. It was only for an instant, then Kivar had control of himself again, but the arm holding the knife had fallen down. He recovered quickly, lifting the knife back up so that it was digging into her stomach. "Then do what I say," he ordered harshly. She wondered what had happened to break off his mental attack. Vilandra?

Shalin rolled her eyes, annoyed beyond words. "Max, just do it!"

Still Max hesitated, even as Shalin felt the knife digging deeper into her skin. Her mind raced. She knew that there was no way that Kivar was going to let her survive this, knew that she was dead either way. But Max wouldn't accept that – he could take his own death, but wasn't willing to accept any more in his name. He would allow Kivar to kill him if he thought there was any chance it would spare Shalin.

And they couldn't allow that. Max needed to survive this.

Still weaker than she'd like, and knowing she wouldn't be able to attack Kivar directly herself, Shalin braced herself for what had to be done. She met Max's eyes one last time and smiled. Watched as his face paled in horror, realizing what she was going to do.

Then Shalin jerked sharply in Kivar's grasp, the knife going deep into her Husk as she fell down to the ground. Out of Max's line of fire. Out of the fight.

As the pain consumed her, she lost consciousness.

Max watched as Shalin fell to the ground. For a second, Kivar looked as startled and horrified as Max himself felt. Clearly, he'd never expected his hostage to take herself out of the game like that. That second was all that Max needed.

By the time Kivar collected himself enough to look up from the bloody body on the ground, Max had thrown himself into action. Screaming at the top of his lungs, screaming for every life taken by Kivar in his insane quest for power, Max threw himself directly at Kivar. The two aliens tumbled to the ground, Max on top. Ignoring Kivar's attempts to throw him off, Max placed his hands firmly on either side of Kivar's head.

And for once, Max didn't heal. For once, he did the opposite.

He burned.

Max's yells of anger faded as he heard Kivar's screams of pain, felt the Husk underneath him writhe beneath his hands. Still, he didn't stop. Max met Kivar's eyes, relishing the agony he saw in there.

It was about time Kivar felt some of what he'd put everyone else through.

The way they were situated, Max couldn't reach Kivar's back. But he could improvise.

Max moved one hand down towards Kivar's throat. "I wonder what will happen to your Husk when your throat's severed," he commented casually, giving a predator's smile as he placed his hand on Kivar's throat.

What Kivar saw in Max's face must have truly terrified him, because his struggles intensified. Using every last bit of strength he had left, the alien dictator managed to kick out before Max could direct any more energy out through his hand, knocking Max off him and across the room. Max collided with the far wall, vision momentarily darkening as he hit his head. When he was able to shake it off, he could just see Kivar's vanishing form going down one of the side hallways.

Max ran after him, then paused and knelt next to Shalin. He put a hand on her neck, but didn't feel a pulse. He didn't feel anything.

Max closed his eyes briefly, then stood up. He turned to follow Kivar.

He wasn't stopping until Kivar paid for everything he'd done.

--------------------------------------

Two Skins paused as they walked down the hall. They hadn't heard from any of the others in quite some time. One looked to the right, the other the left. When they didn't see or sense anything out of the ordinary, they continued on their way.

For about two steps. That's how long they had before a tile in the roof moved aside and a blurred figure fell down between them.

Ardan landed in a crouch, smiling before he jumped back up, leg kicking one Skin in the back even as he grabbed the other by the neck and spun him around to slam one hand into his back. As the first Skin vanished into dust, Ardan dropped and rolled under the other's energy blast, coming back up right behind his opponent. Before the other Skin could turn around, Ardan killed him, too.

Ardan looked around the empty hall. He'd been doing his part. From behind the scenes, he figured that most of Kivar's troops were dead by now. He laughed softly. "Amateurs."

Ardan paused, concentrating on the vibrations he could feel through the air in the tunnels. The Granolith was still highly powered – he couldn't feel much difference in it. The Skin frowned, wondering if there had been any point to any of this. "I hope that stupid king knows what he's doing," he muttered to himself. Then, shaking his head, Ardan prowled off into the dark, seeing what other damage he could cause Kivar.

--------------------------------------------

"This is great," Tess muttered, trying to keep pressure on Kyle's wound and not think too much about the amount of blood now covering her hands. At least he was still breathing, even if it was very shallowly. She cast another look at the doors cutting them off. Even if she could stand up, she didn't think that she'd be able to move them. They didn't appear to have any doorknobs or ways to open them from the inside. "Just freaking perfect."

"Another fine mess you've gotten us into."

Tess's eyes flew back to Kyle's face as she heard the whisper. "Kyle! You're awake?" He'd been unconscious ever since hitting the ground. When his eyes started to flutter shut again, her own voice grew louder, more insistent. "Don't you dare pass out on me again, Kyle Valenti!"

He opened his eyes completely, attempting to focus on the alien girl. "Still so pushy, Tess?"

She tried not to let her hopes get up too high. But it was good to hear his voice again. "You know it," she agreed.

With a great effort, Kyle lifted one hand and put it over hers. "This is pretty bad, isn't it?" Unable to speak, Tess nodded. Kyle sighed. "Why am I always the one who gets shot, huh?"

Now she forced herself to speak. She didn't like the resignation she was hearing. "You're going to be fine, Kyle. Don't worry." With one hand, she brushed back his hair, noticing instantly how cold and clammy he felt. "Max will fix you up again, just like before."

Kyle nodded, eyes closing again. When he spoke again, his voice was even lower, and very slow. "Why, Tess?"

"Why, what?" She wanted to keep him talking, keep him conscious and fighting until she could figure a way out of this.

His hand on hers pressed down slightly, emphasizing his words. "Why didn't you help Kivar?"

"Oh." Tess frowned, hesitating. She wasn't sure how to answer that, especially considering the disastrous result that brilliant decision had led to. "I wanted to," she admitted. She looked away from him, and so didn't see his eyes open again, watching her as carefully as he could manage. "I almost did." Every instinct in her body had been telling her to just do what Kivar wanted, to get as many of them out of this alive as she could. To survive. Going against that impulse had been the hardest thing she'd ever done in her life. "But I couldn't. I just couldn't do that to Alex." She smiled wryly. "Not again." She dared to look back, startled to see Kyle's blue eyes open. "Sorry, Kyle. For everything. I screwed up so bad - what I did before, not managing to come up with a better idea now – I've messed everything up." And now Kyle was the one paying the price, not her.

The last thing she expected was to see Kyle smile up at her. "It's 'kay, Tess," he whispered. "You did the right thing." His fingers twined through hers as she stared at him in shock. "Good for you."

She shook her head quickly. "Kyle, have you lost your mind?" she asked in disbelief. "The right thing? I don't think you fully understand the situation here." They were trapped, helpless without her powers, and Kyle...........

"Sure I do," he answered softly, small smile on his lips. "I'm dying."

Tess wanted to argue, to yell and scream that he was crazy, that of course he was going to be fine. But then she looked at the gaping wound, the way he was so pale.

The look in his eyes.

He knew. And so did she.

There was no point in lying.

As if he could follow her mental progress, Kyle closed his eyes again, squeezing her fingers with as much pressure as he could. She barely felt it. "It's still okay," he insisted. His voice was so low by now that Tess had to lean down next to his head in order to hear it. "Whatever happens, we don't sell each other out. You did good this time, Tess."

She bit her lip, throat choking. "It doesn't feel that way," she whispered.

"Yeah." Kyle's breathing was becoming even more labored, each breath a battle. "Tess?"

She was leaning so close now that she could feel each breath against her cheek. "What, Kyle?"

"Don't leave me alone?"

Her own heart clenched at the scared thread in his thin voice. She cleared her throat, squeezing his hand. "I'm not going anywhere," she promised, brushing back his hair in some small attempt to comfort him. "I won't leave you."

[Anla]

Chapter 21 - Endings

"These endless days
Are finally ending in a blaze
And we are caught in the fire
The point of no return
So we will walk through the fire
And let it burn"

BtVs, "Once More with Feeling"


Max followed Kivar as he fled down the winding passageway. This path was narrower than the ones he'd traveled along earlier. Rougher. None of which really registered to Max.

All he cared about was catching Kivar. The only way to keep himself from drowning in images of Shalin falling to the ground was to concentrate on finally stopping the cause of everything that had happened to him and his family.

He was gaining on Kivar. Only a few more feet.

As he tried to escape, Kivar looked back over his shoulder, the eyes in his ruined face reflecting fear as he realized how close the pursuit was. He threw out a hand as he turned to run, sending out an energy blast that Max ducked easily.

The wall behind him, however, wasn't so lucky.

So intent was Max on catching his prey that the echoing noise along the walls barely registered as the crack caused by Kivar's blast spread. It wasn't until it reached the corridor's ceiling that he really paid attention.

And then only because a large chuck of concrete hit him on the head as it fell, knocking him to the ground.

Still, Max struggled to his feet, determined to continue after the other alien even as the concrete avalanche continued. He's not getting away this time. Kivar turned to watch, and Max's fury grew even hotter as he saw the Skin begin to smile as chunks of debris threatened to block off the space between them.

A smile which vanished abruptly as Max rose to his feet, absently wiping the blood off his face.

But Max only made it another step when he found himself flying backwards, yanked back by someone's hold on his shoulder. He struggled, determined to move towards Kivar, blinking as a flash of energy went flying past him and into the Skin. He could see Kivar's figure fall down to the ground just as the ceiling collapsed from above where he'd been standing a second earlier.

If he had kept moving forward, he'd be under that pile of concrete rubble now.

Still, Max found himself swinging around, breaking the grip on him angrily. "I almost had him!"

Michael snorted, taking a step back from his friend. "You almost got squished, Maxwell," he said bluntly.

Maria pushed past Michael, wagging a finger in Max's direction. "Did you not notice the walls collapsing around you?" She was shaking herself, the events of the last hour catching up with her. "Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

Maria stepped back a bit as Max's furious eyes turned to her. Then he looked back at Michael. "Kivar........" He looked back at where the corridor had been, unable to look at his friends. "He killed Shalin," he got out, voice flat. He heard Maria's gasp, but couldn't look. "She wanted me to get Kivar." He moved towards the debris, intending to dig his way through.

"Later." Michael put his hand on Max's shoulder again, his grip firming when Max tried to shrug it off. "First we have to deal with the Granolith."

The Granolith. That got through to Max. He turned to look at them. Maria nodded. "We tried to stop it," she explained. "Rath is inside."

"He's inside the Granolith?"

"Yeah." Maria reached out and took Max's hand. "He's trying to stop it from the inside. I think............" her voice trailed off uncertainly and she glanced at Michael.

"He'll try to blow it up if that's the only way to stop it," Michael went on quickly. "But since we're not sure that'll work........"

"We need you to turn it off." Maria started to pull Max back the way they came. "Come on, Max," she said, voice impatient as he still hesitated.

Slowly, Max nodded. "Let's go." The three of them moved quickly back up the hallway. Kivar would have to wait a little longer.

---------------------------------------

"And then you and Maria turned the hose on me. I was completely soaked." Tess knew that her voice wasn't anywhere near steady, but she kept on talking. Kyle didn't want to be alone, so she was going to make sure he knew she was there. "I was so mad, remember?" She cast a quick glance down at the figure in her arms, trying to look at his face and not at the blood soaking through the fabric she still held tightly against his chest. "But I got revenge."

She wasn't expecting a response, so she almost jumped when she heard his soft voice. "Attack of the leaves. Not cool, Tess."

Tess laughed, blinking back the tears at how weak he sounded. "Well, you and Maria were both standing near that old tree. And it was funny to watch you running with the leaves following you all around the back yard. Even Max ........ " Her voice trailed off, remembering what she tried to do to Max less than a month later. She leaned down closer, resting her head on the top of his. "I'm sorry, Kyle," she whispered. How could she have possibly thought that betraying them was the right thing? It hurt to even think about what had happened, a physical ache that shot through her temples when she forced herself to consider what had happened. What she had done. But she forced herself. It was small enough penance, all things considered. "You and the sheriff," she went on, closing her eyes and holding him tight, not wanting to let him go. Not ever. "The only love I ever got in my life was from you two. Everything good. You taught me how to laugh." She gave a small smile. "You deserved so much better than me." When there was no answer, Tess opened her eyes, looking down sadly at the still figure in her arms. "I love you, Kyle," she murmured, knowing that he couldn't hear her. And even if he could, he'd never believe the words. He had no reason to. "And I promise you." She bent down, whispering fiercely. "Kivar is going to pay for this." She could almost feel the last restraints breaking, and in that instant, she believed everything the others had said about what had been done to her mind. Not that it changed anything, but now........... "I'll make sure of it."

-------------------------------------------

Kivar stumbled into the large passageway, gasping for breath. Their Husks were resilient, and he knew his would heal quickly, but for right now, it felt like every last inch of his face was burning, still on fire from where Max Evans had attacked him. Who knew the pitiful kingling had that much power? Or the will to use it like that?

He forced himself to stop and think. He was safely at a distance now, could take a moment to regroup. Kivar reached out with his mind, cursing softly as he realized how few of his soldiers were still alive. Vilandra's interference had cost him dearly. Fine, then. She'd just signed her own death sentence. She'd regret siding with her brother this time.

"I don't think so."

Startled, Kivar spun around. He hadn't sensed anyone approach. Blinking, he peered through the gloom as a figure slowly walked out.

Alex nodded at the Skin in front of him. "Kivar." He shook his head slowly. "You're not getting anywhere near Isabel again." His voice hardened, anger breaking through the calm. "You're not hurting any of us again."

Then he braced himself as Kivar smiled.

----------------------------------------------

"This is the way to the Granolith?" Max asked, following closely on Michael's heels, Maria right behind them. He could sense that they were going in the right direction, but all the twists and turns of the corridors had him lost.

"Unless the damn thing's decided to teleport itself," Michael got out, impatient.

"Not likely," Max murmured, almost colliding into his friend as Michael came to a sudden stop, turning and pushing Max to the ground before covering Maria with his body. Acting on instinct, Max held up his hand, creating his blue force field.

Just in time, as a tremor shook the corridor in front of them, knocking down concrete from the walls and ceiling ahead. They bounced harmlessly off the force field, and then the shaking ceased as suddenly as it had started.

"Okay," Maria yelled, pushing Michael off her. "What the hell was that?" She got to her feet, glaring down at the two aliens. "I would really like to have some idea of what's going on here!"

Max stood slowly, not even glancing at his two friends as he peered in the direction where the quake had come from. The direction of the Granolith. "Like you said, Rath is trying to stop it," he said softly. Without having to look, he knew Michael and Maria were listening closely to him. "But he doesn't know how to without........." He broke off, glancing at Michael, not sure how much to reveal about what he was sensing.

Maria noticed. "See – this? This is what I'm talking about what I talk about unproductive behavior. All these secrets." She pointed at Michael. "You invite Psycho Dupe back." The accusing finger swung about as she fixed her most disapproving glare on Max. "You decide that using the Granolith as bait is a brilliant idea. Neither of which strokes of genius you two decide to share with the rest of us."

Max took a breath, a little nervous. Maria looked eerily like Amy DeLuca as she glared at him. "It's not about keeping secrets." His weak protests died away when Maria's expression became even more disbelieving. "Fine. Rath's trying to blow up the Granolith from the inside."

"Uh, huh. And?" Maria tapped her foot. "We've already figured that part out. Do you have anything else you'd like to share with the class?"

"Will that work?" Michael asked quietly when Maria took a breath.

Max sighed. "It might. But......."

"Hold on. Won't that kill Rath, too?" Maria interrupted. Max closed his eyes at the question, but Michael met hers steadily. She shook her head in denial. "Come on, Spaceboy. Rath wouldn't be willing to........." The she stopped, remembering that kiss. The emotions she hadn't been quite able to figure out. Or more to the point, that she hadn't fully wanted to acknowledge to herself. "He knew," she whispered. Her voice grew louder. "He knew that if he stopped the Granolith, he'd die, too!" She started to stand up, but Michael grabbed her hands and pulled her to a stop. She turned to him, eyes wide and confused. "Why?"

"It's the only way to stop Kivar," Michael said bluntly. Even after everything, he wondered if Maria realized the lengths that Rath, or he, would go to in order to accomplish that. His voice softened as he put out a hand to trace her cheek. "And protect......" He stopped, giving a small smile. "I'd have done the same thing," he admitted.

Maria shook her head sharply, but before she could reply she was distracted by a noise coming from behind them. Turning around, she saw Liz and Isabel approach. Liz ran over to her. "Are you okay?" Liz turned to Max, who was staring down towards the Granolith. "All of you?"

"Where's Alex?" Michael got out the question a second before Maria. "And Valenti?"

"We don't know," Isabel's voice was a perfect mixture of worry and irritation. "They snuck off somewhere." Alex had been deliberately non-responsive when she'd tried contacting him telepathically, and the longer he kept silent, the more she was concerned. "I was hoping they'd be with you."

Maria shook her head. "We haven't seen them since the whole divide-and-conquer thing."

Max stood up, Liz instantly at his side as he started to move away. "Max, what are you doing?"

He didn't even look in her direction, instead glancing to Michael. "I have to get to the Granolith before.............. " Another quake made him break off, holding on to the wall for support as the entire passage shook back and forth. When another tremor came in rapid succession, knocking down the walls only a few feet ahead of them, Max lost his balance, falling to the ground with Liz next to him.

"Why is that happening?" Isabel asked, grabbing her brother's arm. "What's going on?"

Max frowned. "Rath's managed to decrease the Granolith's power," he spoke slowly, reaching out to sense the Granolith. "But there's still enough energy there building up to an explosion."

"Enough energy for what, Maxwell?" Michael asked. Max looked at his best friend, but before he could speak the words they both knew were coming, he could feel another surge building up. Looking back in front of him, Max held up his hand and put out his energy shield.

Just in time, based on the way the entire passage in front of them simply collapsed. When the dust cleared, there was nothing but rubble in front of them. "Damn," Max breathed, not letting down his shield. The tremors were following each other more quickly. "How am I going to get through that?"

Maria looked at him like he was even more crazy than she'd earlier considered. "You're not," she pointed out. "What, are you planning on digging through the solid rock, all the while dodging explosions and earthquakes?"

"I have to try," he said urgently. "Otherwise, Rath will.........."

"You can't save him, Maxwell," Michael moved closer, kneeling by Max. He cut off Max's response. "You can't. There's no way you can get through there in time." He put out a hand to squeeze Max's arm quickly. "Rath knew what he was doing, Max."

Max met his friend's eyes for a long second, then slowly nodded. "We have to contain the Granolith's explosion," he said, mind switching gears. "Otherwise......."

"Exactly how much energy is left in it, Max?" Liz asked.

"Enough to wipe out all life for a few miles," Max admitted.

"Which would include us." Maria wrapped her arms around herself tightly. "Great."

Another tremor threatened to knock them off-balance again, even with the energy shield absorbing most of it. Max frowned, thinking quickly. "We need more energy," he murmured, ignoring the quick glance Michael threw at him. "Isabel, come up here."

She moved to sit on his other side. "Why?"

"You and Michael, connect with me," he spoke fast. Instantly, he felt their hands on his shoulders, could feel the connections form. "Good. Now take each other's hands, too."

They obeyed, reaching out in front of him, but Michael smirked at him. "Not sure this is really the time for getting all touchy-feely, Maxwell." Then he winced as Maria reached out and kicked his leg.

"I need for you two to keep up the force field," Max explained. "Can you feel it?" He looked at them from the corner of his eyes, noticing the concentration on Isabel's face and the way that Michael grew serious. "Got it?"

"Yeah." At Michael's response, Max withdrew from the connection, looking to be sure that they were maintaining the protective shield. So far, so good.

"Where are you going, Max?" Isabel got out, eyes trained on the shining blue energy in front of her.

He glanced at Liz. "Like I said, we need more energy to contain the Granolith." His mouth twisted into something resembling, but not quite, a smile. "Our whole unit." He started moving back the way they'd come. "We need Tess."

-----------------------------------

Max ran through the tunnels as fast as he could. As he moved farther away and deeper into the stronghold, the tremors from the Granolith grew fainter, although he could still feel the vibrations under his feet. He tried to focus on them and the direction Isabel sent him after locating Kyle's general vicinity telepathically.

Not on thoughts of what could happen if he was too late.

Not on the memory of Shalin lying lifeless on the ground.

Suddenly, he skidded to an abrupt stop. Dead end. Briefly, Max considered contacting Isabel and asking her if she was sure this was the right direction, but he instantly decided against it. The last time they'd 'spoken', Max could sense the tension Isabel was feeling at holding up the force field. This wasn't a skill either Isabel or Michael was natural at. He didn't want to take a chance of distracting her. All their lives might depend on keeping up that protection as long as possible.

Of course, all of their lives also depended on him finding Tess, of all people. So Max ran up to the wall blocking his way and ran his hands quickly over it, looking for any sign of one of those secret passageways Kivar seemed to love so much.

He found a button.

And then he felt his heart momentarily freeze yet again when the wall climbed upwards, revealing Tess and Kyle.

Tess holding Kyle's body tight, blood staining the front of the human teen's body as her tears fell on him.

Tess didn't even seem to hear Max as he forced himself to take a step inside, trying to push past the painful sense of deja vu. This was so much worse than the last time he'd seen Kyle in a similar state. Back then, Kyle had just been the sheriff's son. Liz's ex. The guy who had made it his life's mission to get Max, to learn their secret. Max hadn't wanted him dead or anything, but he certainly hadn't felt any emotional connection to the other teen.

But now? Kyle was a friend.

No, more than that. Kyle was family.

Max found his voice as he knelt down next to the blond girl. Tess didn't pause in her gentle rocking of Kyle's body. "Tess, what happened?" he got out, wincing at how loud even his soft voice sounded in the small chamber. When she still didn't register his presence, Max put his hand on her arm and shook her slightly. Tess's head spun up. Max wouldn't have believed Tess was capable of the anguish he saw in her expression. "What happened?"

"Kivar." Tess's voice was pure hatred. "I wouldn't do what he wanted, so he did this." She returned to her study of Kyle, pushing back his hair soothingly. "I promised him I wouldn't leave him alone." She frowned. "He's so cold, Max."

Max put out a hand to Kyle's neck, concentrating. It looked bad – Kyle wasn't moving, didn't even seem to be breathing. Yet when he reached out with his senses....... "Hold on," he murmured. He could feel a flicker of something. Of life. "I don't think he's dead, Tess. Not yet."

"What?" Tess's eyes flew back to Max, and Max watched the helpless pain in her eyes mutate into something he was more familiar with seeing from her. Determination. "Then heal him." She grabbed Max's hand, putting it over the wound. "Quick, Max!"

Like he needed her to convince him. Max concentrated, reaching out for the connection. Damn, it was hard. Kyle was so weak. "Come on, Kyle," he murmured. "Work with me, here." There – he got it. Max felt the images rush through him as he poured his own energy into Kyle, trying to repair the damage Kivar had caused.

Fishing with his father. Playing video games with Michael and Alex. Singing in a cave filled with blue crystals. His first kiss with Liz. Christmas dinner with his family. Dreamwalking with Isabel. Spying on their parents with Maria. Looking up to see Max stumble back after his first healing. Handing his father a stuffed teddy bear when he was so young. Not understanding why Mommy wasn't there when he got home from school.

Kissing Tess.

Watching Tess kill Alex.

So many memories of Tess, so much love and hate, all mingled together and woven into Kyle's soul.

And then it was over. Max fell back to the ground, trying to push past the waves of weakness he always felt when he healed someone. Then he gathered his energy and got to his feet.

Tess wasn't even looking at him, all her attention on Kyle, putting her hand on his neck as though she could never get enough of feeling his pulse. "It's stronger." Then she took the bloody cloth off his injury and frowned. "There's still a wound." It looked much less serious than before, but still, she was surprised not to see unblemished skin. She looked up at Max, confused. "Why didn't you heal it completely?"

"I healed it enough," Max assured her. "Kyle will regain consciousness soon. He'll be fine until we can get him out of here." He reached out and grabbed her arm, lugging her to her feet despite her struggles to stay down with Kyle.

She tried not to gasp at the pain racing through her leg when she found herself on her feet again. Kyle was more important. "What are you doing? Heal him all the way – no scar, no injury!" she insisted, despite the growing worry at the way he was looking at her, the tight grip on her arm that she was sure was going to leave bruises.

"I can't." He shook his head, frustrated with everything. The situation. Tess. Himself. "I'm going to need my energy. This is the best I can do for now."

Tess stilled. "What's going on, Max?" For the first time in what seemed like hours, she thought past Kyle. "Are the others okay?"

He ignored the second question. "The Granolith is going to explode soon. Any minute now. It's weaker than it was, but still has enough power to kill everyone for a few miles." He let go of her arm, and put both hands on Tess's head, holding her so that she looked right into his eyes. "I don't trust you, Tess. But I don't have much choice here." One of those quick smiles that wasn't quite a smile. "Either we contain the Granolith's blast or we're all dead anyway." Before she could reply, he closed his eyes, feeling the click in his mind as he removed the walls blocking her.

Tess's eyes widened as she could feel the energy pulsing through her again. Strange how she'd never noticed how constant a part of her it was until it was denied her. She pulled out of Max's grip, trying to keep her balance as she sat back next to Kyle again. "You're sure he's going to be okay?" she asked softly, memorizing his face.

She could feel Max's eyes on hers. "Yes."

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Okay," she whispered. Max wouldn't let Kyle die. Her, yes. But not Kyle. As she stood up, wincing at the pain, she considered healing her wrist and leg. But if what Max said was true, then she really couldn't afford to expend the energy right now. She would manage. She put a hand on Max's arm, bracing herself. He flinched at the contact, but didn't break away, although he did watch her very carefully. "Is Kivar still alive?" Max nodded, and she could see her own resolve and hatred mirrored in his eyes. "All right, then. Let's get to work."

---------------------------------------

Alex tried not to flinch when Kivar came closer, into the light, and he got his first good glimpse at the alien in his Husk. What had happened to him? "Not looking too good there, Kivar."

"Alex Whitman." The smile on that ruined face was truly unsettling. "Nice of you to come out of hiding. Saves me having to hunt you down. I would have found you sooner or later, of course." He laughed. "Little Tess is just so cooperative."

Alex's eyes narrowed, and then he laughed himself, enjoying the fact that it wiped the smile off the alien's face. "Liar. And if you're thinking that a mention of Tess is going to freak me out, then you're using the wrong boogeyman."

Kivar nodded. "Interesting. So having your pathetic human body crushed into paste is something that doesn't bother you much? Interesting kink you have there." The pressure in Alex's head grew as Kivar tilted his head to one side, studying Alex closely while trying to find entrance into his mind. "Ah, I see. That was nothing compared to what my dear Vilandra did to you. What can I say?" The slimy grin was back. "I taught her well."

The rush of anger distracted Alex briefly, and he almost didn't have his mental walls back up before Kivar slammed into them. As it was, he stumbled back slightly at the impact, an almost physical pain going through him, but he did manage to block off the attack. He took a step forward, and Kivar retreated a step, nodding towards the bat in the human's hand. "You think you're going to be the one to stop me, Alex?"

Alex followed his eyes to the bat. He'd almost forgotten he had it. Then he dropped it to the ground. Kivar was too far away for him to get to his self-destruct button, and he was sure that the alien would disappear back down one of those many tunnels if he tried to get closer. Besides, he wasn't really a fighter. That was Michael and Isabel's expertise. Valenti or Kyle's.

But Alex had his own talents. This time when Kivar tried to lunge into his mind again, Alex left open a tiny little hole in the walls. He let the alien find entrance.

Alex brushed down the momentary sense of nausea as he felt Kivar's mind fill his own. It was sickeningly familiar, but no less disturbing for that – cold and hungry. Completely alien, and not just in the sense of being extraterrestrial. There was nothing in Kivar's mind that was in common with his own. Frowning in concentration, Alex closed his eyes and grabbed onto Kivar's mental presence.

Nothing in common? Kivar's voice echoed through his mind, cruelly amused. Are you so sure about that, Alex? What about Vilandra?

And the images exploded in his mind, pictures of Vilandra and Kivar back on Antar. Planning Zandar's death, Tymrath's abandonment. The malicious joy that Vilandra took in betraying her family. Kivar and her together.

Unconsciously, Alex shook his head. He could feel Kivar trying to break free of the hold he had on the alien's mind, trying to expand and do even more damage, but he held on tightly. That was a long time ago. Do you think I care about what happened back on Antar?

No, Kivar admitted. You probably don't. But what about now? This lifetime?

The images changed, and this time, they did hurt. Alex's own memories, ones he usually managed to keep submerged and forgotten, now recalled in vivid detail.

Lonnie on top of him, looking down at him with Isabel's face. Fooling him into thinking she was Isabel. Touching him. Hurting him. And those moments when he totally forgot where he was and who was really with him, those brief instances when he'd completely believed it was Isabel touching him..........

Those hurt the most to remember.

You've seen all the sides of Vilandra, Kivar murmured inside his mind. Do you honestly think you can ever forget that? Who she really is inside? Can you forget what she did to you? What the two of you did together?

Alex fell to his knees, his hold on Kivar weakening despite himself, becoming overwhelmed by the memories. He'd thought..........

You can't forget the past, Alex. He could sense Kivar's influence inside him growing as the memories came, faster and faster. There isn't any escape for you.

After all, deep down, that's what he'd been afraid of for the past seven months.

-------------------------------------------

Max was surprised to find the four had moved backwards down the tunnel when he returned, farther away from the Granolith. "What happened?" At least Isabel and Michael were still holding the force field intact.

Liz looked at him, carefully avoiding Tess's presence. Maria didn't have any such problem, glaring at Tess without reservation. "The blasts from the Granolith are getting stronger," Liz explained. "They've pushed us back."

Michael didn't look away, stress evident in his tense muscles and the tone in his voice. "Get your butt over here and take over this thing again, Maxwell," he growled out. Isabel looked like she was in even worse shape.

Holding Tess's hand and bringing her up with him, Max did as Michael said, moving to the other two aliens. He could feel the Granolith's internal countdown coming to an end. "We don't have much time." He stood next to his sister. "You two don't let go," he cautioned before bracing himself and directing his energy into the blue shield in front of them. He could feel the slight relief from Michael and Isabel as he took back control for the force field, although they were still there supporting him. Then Tess moved to his other side, holding up her hand. From the corner of his eye, Max could see that she was wobbling shakily on her feet, saw the way she bit her lip as she added her power to the mix, the drawn look on her face. She was hurt, but hadn't said anything. For a second, he thought about ignoring it, but then remembered the way she'd looked when he found her with Kyle. He sighed and reached out with his free arm, wrapping it around Tess and drawing her closer. "Lean on me," he said quietly, ignoring the stares he could literally feel both Maria and Liz shooting at him from behind.

Tess stiffened. "Max, I'm.........."

"Just shut up, Tess," he said sharply. "You passing out right now wouldn't help any of us." He forced his voice to be gentler as he continued. "Just concentrate on holding up the force field."

Another mini-blast from the Granolith shook the compound, almost knocking down their defenses. "It's getting stronger," Isabel pointed out. "What's it going to be like when it finally explodes?"

Max didn't think an answer to that was really necessary. Instead, he braced himself. "We're going to have to extend the shield," he said, speaking fast. They were running out of time. "We have to move it so that it completely surrounds the Granolith, containing the blast in all directions, not just down this tunnel." He paused.

Michael picked up on the hesitation. "Spit it out, Maxwell." He already knew he wasn't going to like it.

Despite everything, Max almost smiled at the resignation in Michael's voice. "Our energies won't be strong enough like this," he explained. Neither Michael nor Isabel argued – they'd been having a difficult enough time keeping the shielding up as it was. "The four of us are going to have to connect, completely. Like we did out in the desert that day. And when Maria was hurt."

"With Tess?" Even with the exhaustion in her voice, Isabel managed to pull off a royally ticked-off indignation. "No way is that going to happen, Max."

"Max, I'm not sure......."

Max cut Tess off again. He could just imagine Shalin's mocking comments about his manners. The thought made his voice harsher again when he spoke. "It's the only way to save our lives, Iz." Looking at Tess again, he shook his head. "I think we can trust her now," he spoke, surprising even himself. "She didn't sell us out to Kivar this time."

Isabel's head whipped around, staring at the smaller hybrid. "You saw Kivar? Today?"

Tess nodded, eyes fully focused on the force field in front of her. She had nothing to say, really.

"Guess we don't have much choice, do we?" Michael sighed. If Max felt this was the only way – well, he wasn't taking any chances with Maria. Of course, he wasn't sure he'd actually be able to do it.......

Maria took a few steps forward, wrapping her arms around Michael's waist, sending him every bit of love and strength she could. For one second, Michael closed his eyes, simply relishing the feel of Maria there. Then Maria stepped back so that he could concentrate fully.

But Isabel wasn't as convinced. Quickly, before Tess could figure out what she was doing, Isabel thrust herself into the other girl's mind, ripping through her memories.

"Tell me where Alex Whitman is, and the rest of your humans survive. Not to mention, so do you."

"Alex fell down with us. He went that way, looking for help."

Kyle flying backwards, clutching the open wound on his chest from Kivar's attack. Tess's horrified scream of denial.

"You shouldn't have tried lying to me, Tess. You've made your choice."

Isabel wrenched herself back, eyes wide with terror. "Oh my God, Kyle!"

"What's wrong with Kyle?" Maria asked urgently.

"He's fine," Max said quickly. "Honestly, Iz. I healed him. He's okay."

Tess resisted the urge to look over at Isabel. "Did you find what you were looking for?" she asked softly, concentrating on keeping the energy shield going.

Isabel nodded slowly. "You tried to keep Kivar from getting Alex?" she asked, disbelieving.

Tess's laugh was bitter. "I'd say that one betrayal and attempted murder was more than enough, wouldn't you?"

Isabel thought about that. "All right, Max. Let's do it."

Relieved, Max sighed. He didn't think that their connection could be forced if not all the members were willing to participate. "You and me first, Iz."

-------------------------------------------

His outstretched palms on the floor in front of him were the only things keeping Alex from totally collapsing. As hard as he tried, he couldn't wrench his mind away from the memories Kivar was forcing him to relive. Each moment with Lonnie – each gentle caress, every seductive touch. Each shock sent through his body. Every cut and scar.

All given with a smile on Isabel's beautiful face.

With each memory, the pressure grew inside Alex's mind, threatening to crush him completely.

You'll never really leave there, you know? Kivar's voice was so gentle, so reasonable. Not completely.

It would almost be a relief to just let it end.

Why don't you just stop fighting? The touch was almost soothing now. Stop putting yourself through all this, son.

Alex's head shook instinctively, not in denial of the suggestion but in repudiation of the term. Son? That was for his father to use. Valenti, too, earned the right to call him that, because Alex knew the love and protectiveness came with the term. But it wasn't for some psychotic evil alien to use.

The psychotic evil alien trying to play mind games on him. Again.

Alex would be damned if he let him win.

Kivar frowned at the small smile that he saw form on the human's face.

I'm not alone, Alex reminded himself, not caring if Kivar was listening in or not. It's not like Kivar would ever understand this simple concept. I did get out of there. Alive, and about as sane as any of us in IKAAC have any right to expect. He could feel Kivar flinch at the mental laugh accompanying that thought. And they came for me. They'll always come for me. Like I would for them. His eyes opened, meeting Kivar's empty ones. I'm not alone. Not ever. He reached out, easily feeling the energies of the others. Isabel first, always. But she seemed busy with something, she and Michael and Max. So Alex only brushed against her mind briefly, his smile growing as he gave her the mental equivalent of a kiss. Maria was next, and this time his laugh was out loud. God, it felt good to see her again. It had been like he was stuck in those months of hell again when he'd relived everything with Lonnie. But how could anyone ever feel alone when they had Maria DeLuca on their side? Then Liz, a constant in his life for almost as long as he could remember, always there to love him and be his friend. Finally, Kyle, and Alex was relieved to feel that while weaker than he'd expected, it was still fairly strong. The same reliable Valenti energy, someone who would walk through fire for the people he loved, no matter the risks.

And the minute he was connected to the three of them, his family, Alex got back to his feet. Gathering their strength to him, he took a step towards Kivar. He knew what he was going to do.

You really screwed up this time, Kivar.

He reached out, using all the energy they gave him, all the abilities he'd developed due to Kivar's own manipulation, and grabbed the alien's mind with his own. This time he didn't let go, squeezing and crushing it.

Alex closed his eyes again, concentrating as the alien tried to break free. No, you don't. And while he held on, Alex thought about his friends.

So many memories.

Liz sneaking him fries during her shift. Late-night study sessions at the Crashdown. Practice with the Whits. Watching "chick flick" movies with Maria and Liz, getting tackled and tickled by them when he criticized something. Pillow fights and holding them tight while they cried. Listening to their advice about Isabel. Trying to explain the mysteries of computers to Kyle, finally giving up and settling down for video games. Punching Michael, only to have the alien tell him he was a good friend. Watching Michael and Maria with their daughter, almost glowing with happiness and wonder. Sitting with Max at school, only to be dragged off by Isabel for some project. Dancing around the Crashdown in a police uniform, totally humiliated in front of almost everyone he knew, and somehow it being worth it when he saw Isabel's brilliant smile.

Isabel. Always and forever.

So much love.

How had he thought, even for a second, that he could just give up and leave all that behind?

Now it was Kivar being crushed under the memories, the emotions that he could never understand, not in a million alien lifetimes. If Alex could, he would almost feel pity for the Antaran. But he couldn't. Kivar had hurt too many people Alex loved.

It had to end. So he pushed with his mind.

And then, all Alex saw was a brilliant bright light inside his mind, blocking out any external vision as he felt Kivar's mind scatter like confetti pieces.

When he managed to open his eyes again, Alex wasn't surprised to find himself lying on the ground. He didn't remember collapsing again, but he felt totally drained, physically and emotionally. Then his eyes focused and he saw Kivar's Husk lying on the floor a few feet in front of him.

Completely motionless. No sign of life.

Not that Alex expected to see any.

Then, suddenly, Alex saw a heavy boot descend down on Kivar's exposed back, landing squarely on the Husk's destruct-button.

No more Kivar. Just dust.

Alex closed his eyes again, not even sure what he was feeling. He felt a pair of strong hands pull him, holding his body up as a concerned voice spoke. "Alex, are you okay?"

"Yeah." Alex opened his eyes and looked into the sheriff's worried eyes. "But Kivar. I............"

"It's over," Valenti interrupted, voice calming.

Alex shook his head. "I know. I.............."

"Alex." This time, Valenti had his firm sheriff voice going on. "Don't. It's done." The teen met his eyes, surprised to see understanding there. "Kivar's dead. That nightmare's over. You can relax now."

"Yeah." He let himself sag back into the sheriff's hold. He was so tired.

He hoped it really was over.

------------------------------------------------

The connection with Isabel and Michael was easy to make, familiar and comfortable and exhilarating all at the same time. It just felt right, sensing the two of them there with him, mixing their essences in with his as they worked together.

But adding Tess? That was something new. And not completely pleasant.

Max wasn't sure what he'd been expecting, but it wasn't what he got. Tess was all fire and ice, nearly overwhelming as she entered the connection. But underneath her determination, he could feel a confusing whirlpool of emotions. Shame and self-loathing at what she'd done. Anger at Kivar. More at herself. Fear and worry. Not to mention a ruthlessness that put Michael's protectiveness to shame. Tess would do anything she had to in order to accomplish her goals. Max hadn't doubted that before, but actually feeling it was something else altogether. He found himself shying away from her, unwilling to connect with her too deeply, not wanting to mix with those emotions.

But he could also sense great amounts of love coming from Tess. For Kyle. For the sheriff – the only family she had ever really had. And, less strong perhaps, but still there, for the rest of the group. Even when she was betraying them, she hadn't stopped loving them.

No wonder she was so messed-up inside. And no wonder she was so furious with Kivar now that she realized fully what had been done to her.

It was because of those last emotions that Max let down the last of his guard and allowed Tess to connect with him completely, embracing her essence with his own. After all, he thought dryly to himself, she's probably picking up on some unpleasant elements from me, too.

Despite his misgivings, Max had to admit that the connection felt stronger with Tess there. More complete. Like it had been missing something before, but now they were whole.

Now that the four of them were connected, it was time to get to work. And from the build-up he could sense, it was just in time. Max reached out with every last bit of power he had left in reserve, strengthening the force field.

He could sense Michael and Tess's energies flow ahead of his, laying the groundwork and raw power. Isabel was behind him, the supportive foundation she'd always been for him. And in the middle............

Max concentrated on the shield, weaving it into something strong enough to hold back the force of the Granolith's explosion. He watched as it expanded, completely filling the hallway in front of them and then extending, disappearing into the rock on either side.

But in his mind, Max could still see the shimmering blue light, and he continued the shield's growth, directing it as it continued on its way through the rock, crossing various passageways and chambers, going around and around the compound, forming a perfect circle surrounding the Granolith.

Now!

All four braced themselves as the explosion occurred. The impact threatened to break through the shield, tried to force cracks in it and find release.

Liz and Maria watched, arms around each other, as they saw the strain on the four hybrids' faces and watched the rocks beyond the force field fly into it, trying to get through. "Oh my God," Liz whispered. "Do you see that?" Maria nodded.

The blue force field was not only holding. It was shining, brighter and brighter, turning a brilliant white that hurt to look at.

And it kept holding. The four refused to give up or give way.

It kept holding.

Until the rocks stopped flying, and the floor stopped trembling. Then the two girls hurried forward as all four aliens collapsed to the ground, shaking and gasping as their energy left them. Liz hurried to Max, cradling him to her as Maria did the same with Michael. Max spoke without opening his eyes, voice slurred with exhaustion. "Did it work?"

"Well, we're not dead, so I'd guess so." Liz smiled down at him, trying not to let him hear her worry. He looked so tired, so pale. She stroked his hair back from his face. "You did it."

"Good." Michael pushed himself up to a sitting position, but he didn't move away from Maria's embrace. "'Cause I'd hate to have to go through that again." Isabel and Tess were also sitting up, slowly. As exhausted as they all looked, none of them seemed as tired as Max. Which Liz supposed would make sense, since he was the one directing and creating the energy shield. Max would be the one taking the brunt of it on himself.

Maria looked at the rubble in front of them. "Is Rath........" she broke off her question, seeing the way Michael closed his eyes. "I'm sorry, Spaceboy."

Michael shook his head, standing up, a hand on the wall for support. "He did what he had to do." He wasn't sure why Maria felt he needed sympathy. Sure, he and Rath may have been fighting a common enemy there at the end, and they had the same DNA, but it wasn't like they were friends or anything. He'd known that when this was over, there was a very good chance he'd have to kill his dupe anyway. Michael went and helped Isabel to her feet. "You okay, Iz?"

"Yeah." Then she looked past him, eyes lighting up right before she started running down the hall.

Right into Alex's arms. He hugged her tightly, as if he'd never let go.

Valenti gave a weary grin and walked past the two teens. "What happened here?"

"Granolith exploded," Michael said bluntly. At Valenti's surprised look, he shrugged. "Long story. It's okay now."

"There's still Kivar," Tess spoke up for the first time, getting to her feet and drawing Valenti's attention. Then he looked around the group quickly.

"Where's Kyle?" he asked urgently.

"He's fine," Max got out. Michael helped him to his feet, Isabel and Alex walking over to join them.

"Kivar hurt him," Tess explained. "But Max healed him." She looked at the others. "Now we have to find Kivar and make sure he never hurts anyone again." Michael nodded in agreement, something Tess hadn't expected to ever happen again.

Alex opened his mouth as if to speak, but Valenti beat him to it. "You don't have to worry about that." When all eyes turned to him, he continued, speaking slowly. "Kivar's dead."

Kivar was dead. "You're sure?" Isabel asked, almost unable to believe it. After everything............

"I'm sure." Valenti nodded. "I killed him." He deliberately didn't look at Alex. "Alex distracted him, and I got to his back. Kivar's not a problem anymore." Isabel tightened her hold on her fiance.

"Nice job, sheriff," Michael said. But Maria could see the concern in his eyes as he looked past Valenti to Alex, who met Michael's gaze for a moment then looked away. Concern, and something else she couldn't read.

"Then it's really over." Max shook his head, so tired.

"You look like you could use a nap, girlfriend," Maria pointed out. "Like for a week."

Max gave a weak laugh. "That sounds about right."

Valenti looked over the group of teens. "Then let's find my son and get out of here."

"Definitely a plan." Michael braced himself to take Max's weight and started leading the way back.

Time to go home.

-----------------------------------------------

They moved slowly back through the labyrinth towards the entranceway, Michael and Liz supporting Max as they went.

"How much further to Kyle?" Valenti asked. He trusted Max. Really he did. But he'd still feel better when he actually got to see his son for himself and know that Kyle was okay.

"Not much further." Tess walked a little faster herself, anxious to get back to him.

As they passed by the opening of a room, Michael felt himself dragged to a stop as Max slowed down. "What is it?" Michael followed Max's gaze. "Oh." He tried to move along, but Max wouldn't budge.

Liz peered around Max and took a sharp breath. She could see Shalin's body lying on the far side. Then she frowned. "Why is her Husk still there?" Feeling Max tense, she flushed, realizing how insensitive that sounded. "I'm sorry. But why hasn't her Husk turned to dust like the others?"

Curious, Maria started to move forwards into the room. Michael's free hand darted out to stop her, but she dodged it, staring at Shalin's body with what Liz considered a rather disturbing fascination. "She's not dead," Maria whispered.

"Maria," Michael started sharply, but stopped what he was going to say as Max's head swung around, fixing him with a piercing stare.

"What's Maria talking about?" Max asked harshly. "What does she mean, Shalin's not dead?"

Michael shook his head, looking at his teela-mei, not his best friend. "Come on, Maria. Let's go."

Confused, Maria planted herself firmly where she was. "She's not dead, Michael. She's not! You must be able to sense it!"

Max pulled away from Michael, all attention focused on him. "Michael?"

Michael scowled. "Fine. No, she's not dead. Not yet. But........." He rolled his eyes as Max moved away from Liz too, staggering over past Maria and towards Shalin. "Great." He hurried after Max. "She's as good as dead, Max. She's got maybe another minute or two left, Maxwell. There's hardly any life left in her." He grabbed Max's shoulders and spun his friend around, resisting the urge to shake him. "You can't save her, Maxwell," he said, harsher than he'd intended. "There isn't enough of her left to heal. As weak as you are, all you'll end up doing is killing yourself, too."

With a strength Michael wouldn't have believed Max capable of right then, the alien king knocked his hands away. "If she's not dead.........." He bent down next to Shalin, focusing on her as he put his hands over her injury, ignoring the dizzying weakness he felt. That wasn't important. Not now. All that mattered was that Shalin wasn't dead yet.

Michael knelt next to him. "She did what she had to, Maxwell," he said urgently, trying to get through to him. Wondering if he would have to physically carry Max away. "You dying too isn't what she would have wanted."

"I don't give a damn," Max got out angrily. "This isn't her choice. She doesn't get to sacrifice herself for me. She doesn't." He turned to look up and Michael was surprised to see the sheer amount of anger and pain burning in his eyes. "I'm not leaving another corpse behind me. Not Shalin. It is not going to happen, do you understand?"

Slowly, very slowly, Michael nodded and stood up, standing behind Max. Watching as his oldest friend put his hands over the injury in the Skin's stomach and closed his eyes.

Max felt for a connection with Shalin. Nothing. He couldn't feel any life coming from the woman. But Maria and Michael would have known if she was dead.

He gathered up everything he had left inside him. "Come on, Shalin," he whispered. "Don't you dare give up like this. Don't give up." There – a flicker, almost impossible to notice. No wonder he'd missed it the first time. He breathed out a little laugh. "I won't let you." She'd hate being ordered around like that. Max flowed the last of his energy into her, into healing the wound Kivar's knife had left.

And then everything went black.

[Anla]

Chapter 22 - Beginnings

"We were strangers
Starting out on a journey
Never dreaming
What we'd have to go through
Now here we are
And I'm suddenly standing
At the beginning with you"*

Isabel breathed a deep sigh of relief as her father's eyes opened. "Dad!" She got up from the armchair and hurried over to the couch as her father slowly sat up. "How are you feeling?"

Phillip Evans looked around, blinking sluggishly. "Okay, I think." He frowned. "What happened?"

"You passed out." Isabel looked over, and her father followed her gaze to the other man in the room.

The gray-haired stranger gave Phillip a reassuring smile. "Your daughter's been very concerned about you. She hasn't left your side since your collapse."

"My collapse." He repeated the words blankly, then shook his head, trying to shake free the cobwebs. "I don't really remember much......." He remembered arguing with Max, which sadly was becoming too much of a regular event in their father-son relationship.

Isabel put a concerned hand on her father's shoulder. "Sheriff Valenti called Dr. Hamilton to come here and check on you right away."

"Wow." Phillip managed a smile, starting to feel a bit steadier. "A doctor who makes house calls? I didn't know they still existed."

Dr. Hamilton laughed good-naturedly, picking up his black doctor's bag. "Well, I'm always happy to make an exception for the sheriff."

"So how is he?" Phillip followed the new voice to see Max standing in the hallway. So his son at least cared enough to make sure he wasn't dead. He supposed that was something.

"He's fine." The doctor stared at his patient seriously. "When's the last time you ate something?"

"Today?" Phillip considered the question. "Honestly, I can't remember." The situation with Max had him pretty upset.

Dr. Hamilton nodded. "That's what I figured. This heat, light-headedness from not eating – no wonder you passed-out." He shook his head at the other man. "You need to be more careful. No point in worrying your children like that."

"He's really okay?" Isabel persisted.

"Just fine," Dr. Hamilton reassured her. "But take care of yourself." With one fast smile and wave, he headed out the front door.

"I'm glad you're okay, Dad," Max said sincerely before walking down the hallway, vanishing himself into the back of the house.

Phillip gave a rueful grin. "That's probably the most civil conversation we've had in weeks."

Isabel gave him a fierce hug. "I am so glad you're okay." She stood up. "Just let me get my purse and I'll drive you home."

He sighed. "Isabel, I can drive myself......." At her look, he stopped, realizing that arguing was pointless. He knew his daughter. "I'll wait at the car."

"Good idea." Isabel waited until he was at the front door before heading into the kitchen. "Looks like it worked."

Alex smiled at her from where he stood behind Tess. "I'll go home with you two if you want."

"That would be great, thanks." Isabel looked at the other alien. She honestly didn't even know where to begin with Tess. Their connection had given her more insight into what made Tess tick, and she wasn't actually worried about the other alien betraying them again. But Isabel couldn't completely let go of all the pain and anger seeing Tess caused her. "Tess....."

"I'm glad the mindwarp worked." Tess met her eyes evenly for a minute. "And that it was okay with you." Ah, so Tess had realized Isabel was telepathically 'watching' everything Tess was sending her father through the mindwarp, the images of both Dr. Hamilton and Max. Then Tess looked across the table at Valenti. "I'm going to see if Liz needs anything." Almost eagerly, she fled the room.

Isabel wrapped her arms tightly around herself. Alex came to stand behind her and she looked at him gratefully. "You'll call if there's any change?"

"I'll call as soon as Max wakes up." There was absolutely no doubt in Valenti's voice, and despite everything that had happened that day, Isabel took comfort in his certainty.

Even though Max hadn't regained consciousness since healing Shalin.

"Come on," Alex said softly. "Your dad's waiting." Max is going to be fine.

Another one who sounded so sure of himself. Isabel only wished she was as positive herself.

She couldn't lose her brother. She just couldn't.

----------------------------------------

Liz closed the door to the sheriff's bedroom behind her softly as she reentered. A sharp stab went through her heart when she saw Max lying there on the bed, still and unmoving. It looked as if he was dead, his breathing was so shallow and hard to see. She went over and sat on the side of his bed, taking his hand. "Any change?" she asked the alien standing in the dark corner, so quiet that Liz wouldn't have even noticed her if she hadn't known she was there, and had been ever since they brought Max in an hour ago.

Liz wondered what Shalin wanted, what she was waiting for.

She wondered quite a few things about Shalin now, ever since seeing the expression on Max's face when he poured the last bit of his own life energy into saving the Skin.

Shalin took a step closer. Liz could now see her face, but it didn't help her in figuring out what was going on with the Skin. Shalin's expression was completely neutral. "Not really."

Liz snorted, pushing back Max's hair gently and keeping watch on Shalin from the corner of her eye. The other woman's expression didn't change at all. "Not really? What does that mean, exactly?"

Shalin's eyes narrowed for a minute, and when she spoke, in a very calm voice, Liz had the distinct impression that what she was saying wasn't what she really wanted. "It means, exactly, that he hasn't moved, spoken, shifted, or even twitched since you left the room last. Or for that matter, since he passed out." She took another step closer, all attention focused on Max suddenly, staring at him intently. "But his vital signs are growing stronger."

That sounded reassuring, at least. If she could trust in the Skin's medical diagnosis, that is. "Disappointed?" Liz got out, her frustration and worry finding a target. "You're like a vulture, hanging around waiting for him to die."

To Liz's surprise, Shalin's response to that was to laugh. "Now, what possible fun would that be, little girl?" Shalin teased her, eyes mocking. "Just sitting around waiting for a target to die – so boring."

Liz resisted the urge to scream, to demand the Skin leave the room. "I don't understand you," she got out through gritted teeth.

"Really?" Shalin's eyes grew wide. "What a shock." Then she looked past Liz, watching Max carefully.

Liz shook her head. "Max saved your life. Doesn't that even register with you?"

Shalin's eyes narrowed briefly, and Liz flinched when the Skin looked at her, hostility very clear in her gaze. "Yes," she said softly. "I am well aware of what the king did."

"He could have died," Liz continued, despite the way Shalin was looking at her now. She thought she preferred it when the alien ignored her. "He could still die!" Shalin rolled her eyes, looking away from her and back to her study of Max. "He risked his life to save you, but here you are, still talking about how much fun it would be to kill him?"

Shalin sighed. "Well, if it makes you feel better, right now I'm thinking about how much fun it would be to kill someone else." She threw a quick grin at Liz.

Despite the chill Shalin's words gave her, Liz opened her mouth to keep venting, when she noticed a sudden sharpness in Shalin's expression, a flicker of something (she had no idea what) in her eyes. "What?"

Shalin looked away, heading towards the door. "You two have fun." Then she was gone. Liz could hear her speak softly to Michael, waiting out in the hall, then move away.

Totally confused, Liz started to stand up when a noise from the bed behind her drew her attention. She turned back, an excited smile on her face as she saw Max's eyes flutter open. "Max!" She leaned over him, taking his hand. "How do you feel?"

Max looked around the room, frowning and trying to focus. "Liz?" She nodded, squeezing his hand gently. "I thought............" He shook his head slightly. "Thought I heard someone else."

"Shalin was here," Liz admitted, settling herself more comfortably on the edge of the bed next to him. "She just left." Reluctantly, she went on. "Literally just now. I can probably go get her back if you.........."

"No." Now Max focused on her. "That's okay." With every word he spoke, he sounded clearer, but it was still obvious that he was tired and weak. "What happened?"

"Everything's fine," Liz reassured him. "Kyle's okay." She smiled down at him, shaking her head gently. "You're the only one we were still worried about. We tried connecting, using the healing stones, but without you....." She shrugged. "So everyone's been hanging out here until you woke up."

Max nodded. His memories were still a little fuzzy. "Valenti killed Kivar." It wasn't really a question, but Liz nodded in confirmation anyway. Max gave a half-smile, half-grimace. Figured. Whereas he'd been so caught up in his anger and hate, the sheriff would have been much more pragmatic. Just got the job done. Absently, Max wondered how Michael felt about that. "And Shalin's okay?" That one he did want an answer to.

Liz frowned, studying the blanket on the bed as she avoided his eyes. "Yes. Max......." She sighed, not sure how to ask. "Why did you do it?" she finally got out. She looked up at him. "You heard Michael – you knew the risks. You almost died. It's only a miracle that you're even here with us still. An actual miracle, Max, not some alien power thing. You could have died." She gave his hand another gentle squeeze, needing to feel his presence. "We almost lost you. Why?" Sure, he'd wanted to go in and rescue Rath, but had realized how impossible it was and had backed off. But not with Shalin.

Max closed his eyes, so tired, and really not feeling up to dealing with Liz right then. He wished Michael would come in and save him from this conversation, but when that didn't magically happen, he knew he'd have to answer her. "I had to."

Even without looking, he knew the confused look Liz would have on her face at that response. "Max, we talked about this after Phoenix. You can't just go around draining your own life energy to save everyone else. It's sad and tragic when someone dies, and I know how much it hurts you. But Shalin knew the risks and was prepared to take them. You can't save everyone." She spoke the last slowly and clearly, obviously trying to get through to him.

Now Max opened his eyes, fixing her with his most serious look. "I know that, Liz." And he did. He'd accepted that, even if he didn't like it. "This wasn't about some hero complex." She opened her mouth but before she could get out a word, he continued. "I needed to save her, Liz. I had to save Shalin."

He watched, feeling only a slight pang as he saw realization dawn slowly in Liz's eyes. She stood up abruptly, releasing his hand. "I should tell the others that you're awake."

Max hated seeing how flustered she looked. Despite everything they'd been through over the years, he never wanted to see her hurt. "Liz.........."

"And you should rest." Liz backed up to the door, talking quickly and avoiding his eyes. "So you just rest up and I'll see you later."

She was out the door before Max could do much more than prop his body up slightly on his elbows. Exhausted, he let himself fall back to the bed as Michael entered, a piercing look taking in his best friend's state. "How you feeling, Maxwell?"

"Tired." Max smiled dryly. "I didn't handle that particularly well."

"Liz?" Michael came to sit down in the chair near the bed, still watching him carefully. "I guess you're not at death's door if you're worried about Liz drama."

"Really, I'm just tired." He rolled his eyes when Michael's worried look didn't change. "You know, Michael, since becoming a father you've turned into a mother hen. You might want to watch that."

"And you might want to try not getting yourself almost killed on a weekly basis," Michael shot back. But he was smiling as he said it, apparently reassured that Max wasn't going to pass out again and die. "What happened with Liz this time?"

"Shalin."

Michael grimaced. "Yeah, that can't have gone well." He leaned back. "You got any idea how pissed Maria was with me for letting you do that?"

Max shook his head, smiling a little. "Maria's always pissed at you for something," he pointed out. "If she wasn't, how could you two have the fun of making up?"

Michael smirked. "Good point."

Max got more serious. "Thanks," he said quietly. "For everything." For always being there, backing Max up, for saving his life, for not stopping him from healing Shalin even he knew that everything in Michael wanted to drag Max away from that risk – he couldn't even begin to list all the times Michael had been there for Max when he needed it.

Michael shrugged. "Yeah, well. Old habits, Maxwell." But Max could hear the acceptance of the thank-you in Michael's voice.

"So." Max settled back, trying to get comfortable. "What's been going on while I was unconscious?"

---------------------------------------------

As soon as she left the Valenti household, Shalin paused and sighed. Figured. Resigned, she turned and walked a few feet down the street to where a car was parked. She went around and got in the front passenger seat.

Ardan smiled at her from the driver's seat. "Glad to see you looking so lively."

She arched an eyebrow, turning to him. "How sad for you."

"Come on, Shalin." Ardan shook his head. "How dull would things be without you around?"

"Oh, I'm sure you would find some way to go on." Shalin studied the other Skin closely. Ardan appeared completely relaxed and calm, but she knew perfectly well how quickly that could change. "I'm probably going to regret asking this, but what are you doing here?"

Ardan chuckled, drumming softly on the steering wheel in front of him. "Thought I'd save you the trouble of hunting me down. Figured you'd want to discuss what happened with the Granolith."

Shalin shifted so that her hand was barely an inch away from Ardan's neck. His eyes sparkled with amusement but he gave no other sign of noticing the move or the implied threat it conveyed. "You mean how you went behind my back to be part of an incredibly stupid scheme?"

His laugh echoed in the car. "Shalin, you did say we were supposed to obey the king." When her fingers brushed gently against the back of his neck, he got himself somewhat under control, but he still smirked as he continued. "It all worked out, after all. Kivar's dead. Mission accomplished." He tilted his head and gave her a curious look. "Now, what about the Royals?"

"Kivar's dead," Shalin repeated softly. "Like you said, we've done what we set out to do. I think.............. " She shook her head slowly. "We have our own problems. Our own rebuilding to do." What was it going to be like for them without Kivar, giving them purpose in one twisted way or another? "We gave Tym our word," she went on, voice stronger. "We don't break our oaths lightly. We leave the Royals alone."

Ardan sighed, eyes looking skyward. "What a shock." When Shalin's fingers tightened on his neck, his eyes flashed, just for a second, but enough to get across his annoyance. "Relax, Shalin. Your precious king's in no danger from me. He's not worth going up against Tym for." His mouth twitched in a sarcastic smile. "Too much energy." Before Shalin could reply, he switched topics quickly. "Then there's the fact that his Royal Majesty saved your life."

Shalin pulled her hand back, eyes narrowing as she spoke in a glacial tone. "I am aware of that fact, yes."

Ardan's momentary annoyance appeared to have vanished, replaced with his customary amusement. "How does that feel? Knowing you owe the king your life? That you wouldn't even be breathing without him?"

"How do you think it feels?" she shot back.

"I think I'd rather be dead than owe him that much," Ardan said sincerely. "And considering how much I value my own life, that should tell you something."

Shalin nodded. Being in debt to the king was something that none of them could handle easily. But being indebted to Max? Was it the same thing? She pushed away the thought, unwilling to get distracted when dealing with Ardan. "So you're not going to pursue things with Max Evans?"

"Wasn't planning on it," he answered calmly, holding up his hands innocently. "Your pet Royal is safe."

"Uh, huh." Shalin wasn't buying the harmless act. "And Vilandra?"

Ardan's smile shifted slightly, becoming a bit more menacing. "Ah, Vilandra." He looked away, thoughtful. "Well, let's just say that if I come across the New York version of Vilandra, I plan on killing her." He glanced back at her quickly. "But then, do you honestly think any of them," he nodded his head back towards the Valenti house, "would object to that?"

"And this Vilandra? Isabel Evans?"

"That's a bit more complicated," Ardan admitted. He leaned closer to Shalin. "If I say I'll kill her, you'll try to kill me right now, correct?"

"Oh, I'd do more than just try, Ardan," she assured him.

"Maybe." He grinned. "You might be surprised, Shalin."

Her body tensed in anticipation. "Nothing about you would surprise me, Ardan."

"No?" He leaned back. "How about this, then? Isabel Evans is welcome to her happy suburban life."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning I'm not going to kill her. Not now at any rate," he explained casually. "Or at any point in the future, so long as she behaves." He held up a warning hand when she narrowed her eyes at him. "Calm down, Shalin. I'll keep an eye on her, and if she shows any sign of pursuing her inner Vilandra, of becoming a threat – well, then I'll act." He eyes opened as wide as they could get. "But since everyone keeps insisting how sweet and harmless she is, that shouldn't be a problem, right?" He lowered his voice. "I didn't put all that time and energy into destroying Kivar just to have someone as bad rise up in his place. Believe me, Shalin, if Vilandra becomes a risk, I'll take her out."

"Why not do it now? Why wait?" Shalin asked, confused. "You've never made any secret of how you feel about Vilandra."

"You know me, sharlee," he mocked. "I'm not going to put myself out unless I have no other choice. Going up against her means going up against you. And after I kill you, I'd still have Tym to deal with. And Alex Whitman." He opened the door and started to get out. "Vilandra's not worth it. Not yet."

Shalin watched as he leaned into the backseat and took out a duffel bag, closing the door behind him and straightening up. She got out on her side. "What are you going to do now?"

Ardan looked down the street as he shouldered the bag. "I'm not sure," he admitted. "For the first time I can remember, I have no plans."

"No schemes?" She found that hard to believe.

He shook his head. "None at the moment." He smiled at her. "It's a strange feeling. I'm not going back."

It took Shalin a second to realize what he meant. "You intend to stay here? On Earth?" She leaned over the car hood. "You think you can just forget what you are?"

"What, do I look like Michael?" Ardan laughed. "I know what I am." His free hand traveled up to the ever-present necklace around his neck. "No, this is more like a vacation."

"A vacation," Shalin repeated. Then she laughed at the absurdity of the situation. "What, are you planning on going to Disney World?"

"Oh, I'm sure I'll find something to keep myself busy," Ardan said evenly. He nodded his head at her. "Take care of yourself, Shalin. Try not to do anything too terribly stupid." Then he turned his back and walked away.

Shalin stood at the car, watching his figure until it disappeared around a corner in the distance.

----------------------------------------------

Maria was trying to convince Lexy to eat something when Liz burst into the kitchen. "Stubborn baby," she murmured, spoon hovering in the air in front of her daughter. Lexy was smiling, perfectly happy to watch the spoon as Maria aimed it in her direction, but keeping her mouth shut when Maria tried to get it into her mouth. "Daddy's busy right now, Lexy," she said, trying to stay calm. It had been a long day. When Lexy got in one of these moods, Michael was usually the only one able to get through to her. Maria had a sneaking suspicion it was because the two were on the same mental level. She looked up at Liz, instantly lowering the baby food. "What's the matter, Liz? Is Max.........."

"Max is fine," Liz hurried to reassure her.

Picking up on her mother's sudden tension, Lexy started to fuss, and Maria took her out of the high chair, watching Liz as she sat down across from her at the table. "Okay, then what is it?" She'd honestly thought they would have at least a few more hours of peace before the next crisis.

She should have known better.

"Is there something going on between Max and Shalin?" Liz burst out. When Maria didn't answer immediately, instead looking down at the baby in her arms, Liz's eyes grew even wider. "Oh, my God! Maria! You knew and you didn't say anything to me?"

Maria couldn't take the betrayal in Liz's voice. "Liz, I just found out this morning. Honest. And we've been a little busy since then." She jiggled Lexy in her arms a little, making the baby smile again. "I just found out from Michael, and I was going to tell you, but..........." Ugh – she hated being in the middle like this.

"Michael knows?" Liz leaned back, closing her eyes in disbelief. "Who else?" How had she missed something this huge? She thought she knew Max.

Maria shrugged. "I don't know. I've had a few other things on my mind, Liz, what with the potential end of the world and all."

Liz let out a deep breath. Maria had a point. "Okay." She opened her eyes and pinned Maria with a serious look. "What exactly is going on with Max and Shalin?" Maria shrugged again, and Liz's eyes narrowed. "Maria, he almost died saving her life. After she's been going on and on for months about how she wants to kill him herself. So I'm thinking there must be something fairly serious going on there."

"I don't know all the details," Maria protested. "I don't want to know all the details."

Seeing the disgusted look on Maria's face made Liz's feeling of panic grow even more. "Are they ......... " God, she couldn't even say it. She tried again. "Is Max sleeping with her?"

Maria let out a sound of exasperation. "Well, I hope he's not stupid enough to actually fall asleep, considering the fact that she's about as trustworthy as a rattlesnake."

"Not helping, Maria."

"Sorry." Maria adjusted Lexy's position on her lap. "I really don't know what's going on in Max's head, Liz." Inwardly, she yelled at Max for putting her in this position in the first place, but she wasn't going to lie to her best friend. "But yeah, he's had sex with her." She winced at the naked pain on Liz's face. "I'm sorry, Liz. I wish things were different." And she did. Max and Liz had seemed like the perfect fairy tale couple. How had things gotten so messed up?

"I can't believe it." Liz put her hands down flat on the table in front of her, studying them intently. "I just can't believe Max would do that. With her." She looked back up at Maria. "How long?"

"Not long," Maria said, trying to keep her voice calm. "And nothing happened between them while you two were still dating. Honest, Liz," she went on when Liz gave her a frankly disbelieving look. "Max may have temporarily lost his mind, but you know better than to think he would have actually cheated on you. It's not in him."

"Yeah, well, I wouldn't have thought casual sex with someone who wants to kill him was in him either," Liz pointed out, "so what do I know?" Or maybe it wasn't so casual. Although the idea of Max falling in love with someone else, so soon........ Liz wasn't sure which idea made her feel worse. "It just hurts, Maria," she admitted in a small voice.

"Yeah." Maria reached across the table, taking one of Liz's hands in her own. "I know. But hey, I already hit Max for his sheer stupidity. You want me to kick his ass for you?" she asked, only partly teasing.

If Liz's smile was small, it was at least a start. "No, that's okay." She shook herself, trying not to think about Max and Shalin. She really thought that she'd have more time to adjust to the idea of him moving on. "Wow – this has been one really long day."

"You're telling me." Maria snorted. "Not the best day of our lives, huh?"

"Well, we're still alive," Liz said, trying to be positive. "So things could be much, much worse." She saw a flicker of something on Maria's face, and leaned closer. "What is it, Maria?"

"Nothing." Maria shrugged when Liz got her stubborn look on her face. "Really, Liz. You've got enough going on right now – it's not important."

"What is it?" she repeated firmly. Maria murmured something, looking down at Lexy. Liz frowned. "What?"

Maria looked up at her, frowning. "I said, Rath kissed me."

"What?"

Lexy turned to look at Liz, eyes wide-open at the loud exclamation. Maria rolled her eyes. "You make her start screaming, Liz, and I swear, you're the one who's going to walk her for hours until she stops. I am so not in the patient mode right now."

"Sorry." Liz reached over and gave Lexy a quick pop on the nose, making the baby smile. "You're not going to start fussing at your mommy, are you?" Then she looked back at Maria. "See, she's fine. Now, about Rath?"

As much as she hated saying it, Maria was glad to get it off her chest and have someone to talk to about it. "It was right before he went into the Granolith. He just got grabby and laid the kiss on me."

Well, yeah, that sounded like Rath. "Okay," Liz said slowly. "Well, it's not that big a deal, right? I mean, it's not like you kissed him back or anything.........." She saw the guilty way Maria looked down. "Maria, you didn't!"

"Just a little." Her defense sounded weak even to her. "I don't know, Liz. At first I didn't. I mean, he might look like Michael, but he's so not Michael. But then I just kind of felt drawn into the kiss." She gave a groan of annoyance. "I can't explain it. It's like I could feel that he was sad about something, but he was going to do it anyway. It reminded me of Michael," she finished lamely.

"He knew he was going to die," Liz said slowly. She couldn't imagine how it must have felt for Rath, knowing that he was sacrificing himself like that.

"Yeah." Maria moved Lexy up to sit on the table, looking at her daughter when she spoke. "He told me not to worry, that Lexy was going to be okay." She took one tiny hand in her own as she spoke. "Michael told me once that if anything happened to him, that I should go to Rath. That Rath would protect the two of us." She looked over her daughter's head to Liz. "I don't know. Do you think that maybe the part of Rath that was the same as Michael cared about her, like she was kind of his daughter, too?"

"Maybe," Liz answered. "I don't know." The relationships the aliens had with their dupes was complicated. "Ava died saving Max's life."

"Yeah." Maria frowned. "And Lonnie fixated on Alex." Although really not in a good way.

"I wonder what Zan was like," Liz said thoughtfully. Then she returned to the subject. "So, what was it like? Kissing Rath?"

Maria grimaced. "You should know – you kissed him long before me."

"Yeah, but I was way too freaked out to really assess it," Liz pointed out. "And I couldn't exactly compare it to kissing Michael. So come on," she teased, almost grateful for the distraction. "What was it like?"

Maria laughed. "You're awful. And being a bad influence to Lexy." Then she grew serious. "It was weird. It felt almost like kissing Michael. But different. There was no connection there – it was just physical. It wasn't disgusting or anything. It was just........" She shrugged, knowing that there weren't really any words for it. "It was just less."

"Okay." Liz leaned back in her seat, a thought occurring to her. "Are you going to tell Michael?"

Maria gave her a look. "Liz, do you really think he doesn't already know?"

----------------------------------------------

Kyle looked up at the knock on his door. "Come in." He struggled to a sitting position.

Tess opened the door and looked down at the floor where he was. "What are you doing?" Then the confusion on her face gave way to irritation. "Please don't tell me you were doing something stupid, like push-ups or something. Or anything that might cause your injury to open up again."

"Okay, I won't tell you."

Tess dropped to her knees next to him, reaching out to push up his shirt. He tensed, but said nothing as she looked at the scar. "Good, it doesn't look like you did any damage." Then she seemed to realize how close they were and let him go, backing up to put distance between them. "You have to be more careful."

"I'm fine, Tess." He was watching her very carefully. "Max fixed me up."

"Yeah, but he couldn't do as thorough a job as he usually does, so you still have to be careful. Don't overexert yourself." She stood up. "Are you hungry? I was going to cook something for the sheriff, and if you want..........."

"Maria and Liz told me what happened," he interrupted, getting up and sitting on the edge of his bed. She turned back to him. "When I was out of it, I mean. They said that you helped contain the Granolith's blast."

"Yeah." She shrugged. "It shouldn't be surprising. I mean, if it hadn't worked, I would have gotten killed too." She smiled bitterly. "And we all know that I look out for my own self-preservation."

"I remember lying there, thinking I was going to die," Kyle went on as if he hadn't heard her. "No, I knew I was going to die. I remember you talking to me." He met her eyes. "I remember what you said about Dad and me. And I remember you promising to make Kivar pay for what he'd done."

She had to look away from the focused look in those blue eyes. "Well, your dad beat me to that."

"Is it over?" Kyle asked softly, standing up and shifting uncomfortably. "The mindwarp or whatever the hell Kivar and Lonnie did to you. Is it gone?"

She couldn't meet his eyes. "Does it matter? I still did what I did." She didn't deserve any forgiveness or understanding, and she knew it.

"Is it over?" he repeated, taking a step closer to her.

Tess looked at him. "Yes," she said, voice as low as his. She knew that for certain. Even if she hadn't felt the last of Kivar's control snap, she knew that the others would have felt something when they were connected. "But like I said......."

"Yeah, I know it's not a get-out-of-jail-free card, Tess," he said, impatience coloring his voice. "Damn it, do you think I don't know that? I'm the one who watched you try to kill Alex. I'm the one you mindwarped into helping you cover everything up." Tess flinched slightly, but didn't look away. Kyle had every right to his anger and to lash out at her. But instead, he sighed. "I'm just saying, if it's over..........." His voice trailed off, and this time he was the one who looked away.

"What?" she whispered. "If it's over, then what, Kyle?"

"I don't know," he admitted. "I can't just forget what happened."

"You shouldn't," she agreed. "None of you should." She knew that she wasn't going to, couldn't avoid the knowledge of what she was capable of. Because Kivar might have been influencing her thinking, but the actions were all hers. And it was a little terrifying to know how far she would go.

She figured Michael understood that – it was undoubtedly why he'd been so set on killing her. He knew the risk she posed. And Max – maybe Max got it now.

Didn't make it any easier to face.

"I know there's no way of making up for what I did," she went on.

"Yeah." Kyle looked down, studying the carpet seriously. "We can't pretend to start over either. There's way too much baggage. But maybe............" He looked at her from the corner of his eyes, seeing how seriously she was listening to him. "Maybe we can find some way of coexisting peacefully. Or something," he finished lamely.

Tess smiled quickly. It was only for a second, but it was her old smile, mischievous and teasing. It gave him a pang to see it again. "Peacefully? When did the two of us ever live together peacefully?"

"Good point." He shrugged. "We could give it a try."

"I'd like that," she said softly. She made a small movement towards him, but apparently decided that it was way too soon for anything like that, because she turned and practically ran out of the room.

Kyle sat back down, trying not to remember the way her face had lit up there for a second.

Or how he'd felt to see that expression again. To see his Tess again, even if it was only for a second.

"Buddha, help me," he murmured, collapsing back onto the bed, and closing his eyes tightly.

He was so screwed.

---------------------------------------

"Would you watch where you're going?" Michael snapped as Max almost lost his balance. The ruins of Kivar's compound weren't exactly well lit this late in the evening. "If you fall down into some damn hole, I'm not going to climb after you."

Max looked back at him, giving him the biggest smile Michael'd seen from his friend since he'd woken up hours earlier. "Sure you would."

Michael scowled. "Okay, maybe." Max turned to keep on walking, and Michael continued talking to his back. "But only because I wouldn't want to listen to Valenti lecture me about letting you get hurt. Again." He wasn't even going to let himself remember how panicked he'd felt when Max had collapsed backwards into his arms earlier. For a second, he'd been so sure that Max was dead.......... No. Michael shook his head. He wasn't going there. "I don't see why it was so important to come back here tonight, anyway. Not like anything's going to change by morning."

Max's laughter came back to him. "Are you sure about that?"

Actually, Michael wasn't. But he didn't like thinking about the Granolith – it had always been something that disturbed him on some basic level, even before Rath died in it. Too much power, and it shouldn't be controlled by one person, even if it was someone he trusted as much as he did Max. At least he wouldn't have to see his duplicate's body – he was pretty sure it would have been destroyed in the blast. He really wouldn't have wanted to see that. Still, the whole situation made him uncomfortable. "Well, Kivar's dead, and so are all his Skins. And the Granolith is pretty much toast, right?" When Max just kept walking, Michael hurried to catch up with him. "Right, Maxwell?"

"That's what I want to check on," Max pointed out. "It's not like anyone's ever tried blowing the thing up before. I don't want some geologist out here someday digging it up."

Okay, Michael had to admit that Max had a good point there. "Yeah, people digging up things in the desert never leads to anything good for us," he agreed. "So, let's find your Granolith and get out of here." That's when he felt the presence of another alien. "Max........."

"Already found it." Max pushed aside some rocks and climbed into the chamber. He let out a shaky breath. "Wow." He wasn't sure whether he was relieved or disappointed. The Granolith was still there, in one piece. How much it would still work remained to be seen, but it was intact. And while a part of him gloried in that, more than he liked to dwell on, another part had been almost hoping that responsibility was going to be finally taken from him.

No such luck.

"Guess I'd better see how extensive the damage was," he muttered, resigned. Then he noticed that Michael had remained at the chamber entrance. "Michael? Why are you still over there?"

"Probably because he sensed me here." Shalin stepped out of the shadows, and Max felt his entire body tense in recognition of her voice. "Can I have a few minutes with his Royal Majesty? Alone?"

Michael looked from one alien to the other. "Max?"

Max nodded shakily, unable to pull his eyes away from Shalin as she walked closer to him. Even in the dim light, she was beautiful. Especially considering how the last time he'd seen her, she'd been lying on the ground, surrounded by her own blood..........

Max shook that thought away. She was alive. Obviously. "Yeah, we'll be fine, Michael."

"Okay." Michael sounded doubtful, but he wasn't even going to try to get involved in whatever the hell was going on with Max and Shalin. "I'm gonna go take Maria and Lexy home then." He looked seriously at Shalin. "You'll take care of him? He's still a little weak."

Max spun around and glared at Michael. "Thanks." Michael really was developing a tendency towards smothering.

Michael shrugged innocently. "Call if you need anything." Then he turned. He really didn't feel a great need to spend more time around the Granolith than necessary.

Too easy to think about Rath, there.

Even before Michael left, Max's full attention was back on Shalin, drinking in the sight of her, alive and apparently well.

Looking back at him with a very intent look.

A look he was much too familiar with.

So, really, the slap across his face shouldn't have come as such a shock to him. "Ow!" Max staggered backwards. That had hurt like hell. "What was that for?" Actually, he should be grateful. He knew that Shalin wasn't exactly a slapping type of woman. He was lucky not to have gotten a kick to the head. Then he saw her arm pull back again, and he grabbed it. "Stop that, Shalin!"

Shalin struggled for a second, but obviously not with her full strength, since he wasn't flying across the room. Instead, she pulled back her other arm and hit him square on the chest with it. He let out a breath at the impact but didn't let her go. "What the hell were you thinking?" she burst out, eyes flashing angrily. "Were you trying to set some sort of record for the number of stupid things you could do in one day?"

Max blinked. "You're mad at me for saving your life?" When she tried to twist away, Max grasped her wrist harder and pulled her closer. "Seriously? I save your life, and you're angry with me?"

"I didn't ask you to save my life," she yelled. "Especially not if it meant you were going to die, too, you ass. I was trying to stop you from getting your fool self killed." She was shaking, she was so angry.

"I didn't die," Max pointed out, trying to be reasonable as he held on to her for dear life. He put his free arm around her waist, trying to pin her immobile before she really hurt him (even while he knew that if she had wanted to, he'd already be bleeding). "I'm fine, Shalin."

"You almost did," she shot back. "For hours we just watched. I could feel you slipping away." She pushed away from him suddenly, taking an unsteady step back. "I wasn't going to let Kivar use me as a weapon against you." She pointed a furious finger at him. "That was my choice. I was trying to protect you!"

Now Max was getting mad. He moved up to her, yelling in her face. "Well, maybe I wasn't okay with you doing the whole self-sacrificing thing. Do you have any idea what it felt like when I saw you fall? There was so much blood, Shalin – I thought you were dead!" He put his hands on each side of her head, pulling it close to his own, staring into her eyes as he talked. "It felt like something died in me, too, you stupid idiot! So yeah, I guess I am just as selfish as you've always said I was, because I couldn't let you die like that!" His voice lowered to a whisper, the words coming out before he even consciously thought about them. "I couldn't lose you that way. I just couldn't."

For a second, he could see something beside anger in her eyes. Then she closed them tight, taking a deep breath. "Being called an idiot by someone who actually wore rubber Vulcan ears for the UFO Convention? Now I know I really have been insulted." She opened her eyes, smiling a little as she leaned closer to him. "Max, what are we doing?"

That question again, and he still had no real answer for her. Instead, he rubbed his thumb gently over her cheek and gave her a wry smile. "I believe we're fighting over who gets to be killed in order to save the other's life."

"Ah." Max could actually feel the tension drain away from her. Not completely – Shalin wouldn't be Shalin if she wasn't on high alert. Max wished he could give her more peace than that – from years of experience with Michael he knew how tiring that must be. "You could just say you were wrong and apologize."

Max chuckled softly. "I'm not going to say I'm sorry for the fact that you're alive, Shalin," he said sincerely.

"Stubborn jerk," she murmured, shaking her head slightly. "I don't belong here," she said abruptly, putting one hand over the one caressing her cheek. "On this planet, I mean."

Max turned his palm around to wrap his fingers around hers. "And I don't belong back there." He was just as human now as Antaran. Maybe more.

Shalin simply nodded, unsurprised. "But I'm not sure you should be left alone. You'd probably run off into traffic or fall off a cliff or something."

Max looked down at their hands, entwined closely. "You actually sound worried."

She laughed lightly. "No, but I've first claim to you. Well, second, but since Tym's passed on it, the only one who gets to kill you is me." Her voice was soft as she said it, though, so Max pulled her hand to his lips and kissed it lightly, still looking down at the way it fit in his. Shalin tensed at the gentle gesture. He almost expected her to bolt, but instead she simply took a shaky breath. "I still hate you, you know," she whispered.

Max glanced up at her with twinkling eyes. "So you keep saying." Then his expression grew more serious. "Don't scare me like that again. I don't want to leave another corpse in my trail."

"I'll do my best," was all she could commit to. Then, before she could think again about it, she leaned over and kissed him fiercely. Vaguely, she realized that it was almost as if she was trying to lay claim to him, but she pushed that thought away.

Max knew that they hadn't finished with their conversation, but for now, the feel of Shalin in his arms, alive and kissing him breathless, was all he cared about.

He could deal with the rest later.

---------------------------------------------------

Still damp from her shower, Maria finished putting on her pajamas and stepped out of the bathroom, heading straight for Lexy's room. It had been one hell of a long day, and more than anything, she just wanted to collapse and sleep. But given the low throb of anger that Michael had been broadcasting all afternoon, she didn't see that as an option that was going to be available to her anytime soon.

But when she went into the nursery, there was no sign of his emotions in Michael's outward appearance. Of course, that was one of the things that bothered her about Michael. He could be less than a second from attacking someone and they'd never know it from the relaxed way he appeared. Things weren't that bad at the moment, but Maria knew he was nowhere near as calm as he appeared.

Right now, Michael was leaning over Lexy's crib, rubbing her tummy as the baby tried to catch his hand with her tiny fingers. Despite everything, Maria found herself smiling at the rapt expression on Lexy's face. "She is such a daddy's girl," she pointed out from the doorway. Michael didn't even look at her, leaning down to whisper something to their daughter. Antaran, but Maria didn't know the words.

With a sigh, Maria came up behind Michael, reaching out to wrap her arms around him. He tensed at the contact, but didn't try to move away, so she figured that was a good sign. He'd been very quiet ever since they'd come home from the Valenti house, but Maria knew he had to work his way through whatever was going on in his convoluted mess of a brain, so she'd turned down her mother's offer of staying over and just got her family back home. Now she figured Michael'd had enough time to stew, and he might be ready to open up. "She is so amazing, isn't she?"

Michael nodded, glancing back at her. For an instant, his eyes were unguarded, and Maria felt a warm sensation from her toes to her head at the expression in his eyes. She wondered if he even knew he did that, the way that he would sometimes look at her as if she was amazing, too, as if he couldn't believe his luck to have her. Maria knew she wasn't really deserving of that type of almost-adoration – it was both gratifying and humbling. Then it was gone, and his eyes were back to being blank and reserved. She resisted the urge to smack him on the arm. Patience, DeLuca, she reminded herself.

It had been a long day for them all, after all.

Michael turned back to Lexy. "Neeyal semar, teelani," he murmured, wishing her a good night. Then he headed out, basically ignoring Maria's existence.

She rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out at his back, instantly looking down guiltily to make sure Lexy hadn't witnessed that exhibition of immaturity. She ran her hand over Lexy's head. "Night, baby girl," she whispered, leaning down for a kiss. Then she turned down the light and headed out, following Michael across to their bedroom.

He was sitting on the edge of their bed when she came in, taking off his second boot. "What, no hiding up in your studio?" she snapped out before she could stop herself. Oh, well. Patience had never been her strong suit.

Michael shrugged. "Why bother? You would have just followed me up there." He leaned back against the headrest, putting his hands behind his head and giving her a truly irritating look. "So spit it out, Maria. I'm tired."

For a long moment, she was speechless, just staring at him. But as he smirked at her, clearly intent on annoying her beyond endurance, she moved into action. "Me?" She dashed over to the chair and picked up a pillow, moving to pummel Michael with it. "I'm not the one in the pissy mood, Michael."

Michael dodged, grabbing for the pillow and plucking it out of her hands. "Keep it down," he warned in a low voice. "Lexy.........."

"Our daughter is used to loud noises," Maria pointed out. She wasn't letting him use Lexy as an excuse to get out of this conversation.

Gently but firmly, Michael moved her to the far side of the bed, away from pillows and other likely missiles. "And she's also used to picking up on our emotions," he pointed out. "I think if the two of us really start yelling and screaming at each other, she'll notice."

Maria narrowed her eyes at him, appraising. So that was why he was trying so hard to keep himself under control. Her voice was sharp when she went on. "Well, we could always try discussing the matter like rational adults, now, couldn't we?"

Michael's replying glance didn't convey a great deal of confidence in that possibility. "What matter?" He leaned back, watching her warily. "What's got you so upset?"

Incredible. Maria fought hard to keep from screaming at him again. "Me?" She closed her eyes and tried to count to ten, speaking slowly. "Michael, you've been wound so tight since coming out of those caverns that I'm surprised you haven't blown up the entire building by now." She opened her eyes and saw him looking back at her, expressionless. "And I get being worried about Max, but you said........."

"Max is fine," Michael interrupted. "He called when you were in the shower. Got the Granolith safely hidden away again. Thinks he'll be able to repair it to at least partial power again, given time."

Ah, there. A flicker of emotion got through his shields. "Michael, it's over." She leaned forward, striving for a calming tone. "Kivar's dead, the planet's safe. We're safe, all of us." She blinked, surprised at the angry smirk on his face. "What? Why aren't you happier than you are?"

He leaned forward, voice silky and low. "You really want to know, Maria?" She nodded silently. He scooted up so that they were practically sitting in each other's laps. "Then think about it, Maria. Yeah, Kivar's dead. But............" His voice trailed off expectantly, clearly wanting her to finish the sentence. To figure it out.

"But you didn't do it," she whispered, the pieces clicking together. She'd heard about how Michael reacted when Shalin had been the one to kill Patterson. When someone threatened Michael's family, all his T'onxyl-trained instincts clicked into place. And they were very territorial about their targets.

"Nope." Michael's voice was so low it was barely a murmur on her skin as he spoke. "Valenti got to him first. And he made it too quick." Then he pulled back, trying to banish the ragged anger from his voice. "But that's okay. It was necessary. I get that. What's important is that Kivar's not going to hurt any of us ever again."

"Michael..........." She reached for his arm, but he pulled back.

"Damn it, Maria," he burst out, not even trying to keep his emotions under control anymore. "Are you even listening to me? I'm angry because I wasn't the one who got to kill him! I'm actually disappointed that I didn't get to.........." He broke off, not wanting to put into words the things he would have wanted to do to Kivar if he'd gotten the chance. He stood up abruptly, heading to look out the window, not wanting to see her face. When he spoke again, his voice was emotionless. "Remember when I told you that I was a murderer, deep down?" he asked. "I'm not a good guy, Maria. You saw me today, saw what I did to those Skins."

"And it would have been better to let them kill us?" she shot back sharply.

Michael didn't even turn around as he shook his head. "We can't use self-defense as an excuse. What Valenti did – that was defense, pure and simple. But me?" Now he turned, and Maria could almost wish he hadn't. The raw pain and self-hatred in his eyes hit her like a physical blow. "You know, Maria. I wanted them to suffer, to hurt." He held up his hands, and Maria had a vivid memory of him standing in a similar pose under the desert stars, when the horror of remembering his past life was still new. "I'm good at it. And I didn't even hesitate. It's what I was made for." His lips twisted bitterly. "Literally."

"Hey." Desperate to keep him from withdrawing again, Maria crossed to him and grabbed his hands, holding on for dear life. "Are you mad at the sheriff?"

His startled look answered her before he even spoke. "No."

"I didn't think so." She smiled gently. "Valenti took your target, or whatever-the-hell you T'onxyl call it. But you're not mad at him. You don't want to hurt him." Michael blinked, caught off-guard by the mere suggestion. "I watched you help Mom bandage his shoulder, Spaceboy. After you carried Max to bed and rocked Lexy to sleep.. Before you checked on Kyle and made sure Isabel was okay. Before you settled down in the hall waiting for Max to wake up." She reached over and kissed his cheek softly, rubbing at the spot gently when she pulled back. Michael watched her movements closely. "So yeah, Michael. There is a killer in you. A lot of anger and hate." She looked him directly in the eyes. "But I was right there with you."

He flinched at her fierce whisper. "Because of me," he countered, hating the idea of how being connected to him had changed her.

"No," she said, eyes flashing angrily. "I think I would have managed to hate the people trying to kill me and my family all on my own, Michael. Don't you dare try to take responsibility for my thoughts and feelings!" She poked him in the chest. "But despite all that, you're no murderer. And there is a whole lot more love in you than there is hate." He groaned, trying to move away, but she planted herself firmly in front of him. She would have this conversation with him as many times as was necessary for him to believe it. "There is, Spaceboy. And as long as that part of you keeps winning out – well, then, I think we'll be okay."

Michael shook his head slowly. "If you had known what was going to happen, would you have still opened the door to the Crashdown that night?"

Maria grinned impishly at the memory. "Hell, yeah." She pulled down his head and kissed him, loving the feel of his mouth, the way he tasted, the way his hands grasped her waist instinctively. "No way I would give this up," she murmured when she pulled back.

He nodded, but a dangerous glint appeared in his eyes. "Was Rath's kiss like that?"

Ugh. Maria pulled back, going to sit on the edge of the bed with a sigh. "Wondered when we were going to get to that." The anger that had been slowly decreasing was back in Michael, throbbing steadily in waves that Maria could feel clearly. "He kissed me, Michael."

"Remember what you said about Iz after she kissed me?" Michael asked, voice quiet and almost idle, but she wasn't fooled. "Something like the only reason you didn't pull out all her hair was because you could feel my reaction to the kiss. The fact that I wasn't into it." He gave a cold smirk. "Not exactly what I was sensing from you, teel-sharan."

Maria sighed again. But Rath was already dead – another source of Michael's pent-up aggression and anger. Great. "I didn't want to kiss him, Michael," she explained.

"No?" One eyebrow raised doubtfully. "But you sure as hell did."

"It was just............" She waved her hands around, no more sure how to explain it to him than she had been to Liz. Or herself. "I guess I felt badly for him," she said, knowing how lame it sounded even before she saw the skepticism written clearly on his face. "He just seemed so ........ desperate for something right then. Like he was reaching out for something, needing something to hold on to so badly........... I think, on some level, I knew he was saying good-bye."

"Why would you give a damn?" he asked bluntly.

"I didn't," she answered. "Not really. Not about Rath. But, I mean, there is a part of you that's a part of him.........." She stood up, annoyed with herself for being unable to explain it. "You know, this whole cloned alien souls thing is very confusing!" she accused, pointing a reproving finger at him. "I just didn't like feeling that he was in pain like that, okay?" she admitted. Which made very little sense, knowing all the things that she knew about Rath.

Michael gave her a very long, piercing gaze that seemed to go completely through her. "I don't want anyone else touching you like that," he said finally. He knew how possessive that sounded, but it was how he felt. He hated the idea of anyone else kissing Maria.

Maria remembered how insane she'd felt after Isabel kissed Michael. And like he'd said, she'd known that it meant nothing. "I don't want anyone else touching me," she said honestly. She took the step to stand before him. "Just you, Spaceboy." She put her hand on his shoulder, slowly, hesitantly. Like that night in the Crashdown, when she'd half-expected him to bolt and run off into the dark. "Just you."

Such a long look from him, appraising. Then he lowered his mouth down to hers. "Like this?" he asked, so very quietly, before kissing her.

She made a low noise of agreement in her throat as her mouth opened up to his. Definitely, she thought. They might not be able to speak to each other telepathically, but they managed to communicate pretty well with their emotions and their bodies. Gently, he pushed her back onto the bed, lowering himself onto her as he kept up his dizzying kisses, hands traveling up and down under her shirt. Definitely.

--------------------------------------------

[Anla]

Valenti looked up from the paper the next morning when he heard the knock on the back door. Casting a quick glance at the clock, he went to the door, wondering who would be up and about this early after everything the previous night. He cautiously picked up his gun and opened the door, relaxing when he saw the dark-haired teen. "Alex." He moved aside to let the boy in, replacing the gun on the counter. "Is something wrong?"

"No." Alex came in and looked around. "Anyone else awake?"

Valenti looked at him with raised eyebrows. "What do you think?"

"At six-thirty in the morning? Probably not."

"That wasn't what I meant." It was too early to deal with this without coffee, so Valenti sat back down and reached for his mug. "And you know it, Alex."

"Yeah." Alex sat across from him, trying for a small grin. "Well, I have no clue about Tess, at any rate." He still didn't have much sense of her, but since she'd connected with Isabel, it was probably just a matter of time.

"She's still asleep," Valenti answered. "She was up late last night, worrying about Kyle."

"How is he?"

"Fine." Valenti sighed. "But you knew that, too. What's up, Alex?" What had brought the boy over so early, obviously hoping that he'd find the sheriff alone?

Alex looked down at the table in front of him, nervously tapping a rhythm on the wood. "Thanks for yesterday. You know."

"You shouldn't have wandered off," Valenti pointed out mildly.

Alex glanced up at him quickly, smiling briefly. "And if you'd known that Kivar was there, I'm sure you would have stopped and invited Liz and Isabel to join you in going after him."

"Isabel, maybe. Seeing as how she's the one with alien powers."

"No, you wouldn't." Alex shook his head.

"Well, I'm the sheriff. I'm supposed to be the one to take care of those situations."

Alex nodded. "Which is what you were trying to do. I get that." He looked past Valenti's shoulder, not able to meet his eyes. "But you didn't have to tell them that you were the one who killed Kivar."

"I was." Valenti's voice was sharper than he'd intended, and Alex turned back to him, surprised. The sheriff leaned forward, voice lowering. "I'm the one who turned that bastard's Husk into teeny tiny dust particles. No more Kivar. End of story." And he'd do it again in a heartbeat. After everything that monster had done? No question.

Alex kept his voice as low as the sheriff's. The last thing he really wanted was to wake up Kyle or Tess and have them included in this little chat. "You destroyed Kivar's Husk," he clarified. "Yeah. But Kivar was dead before that." Now he did meet Valenti's eyes squarely. "And you know that, don't you?"

Valenti lifted up his coffee to take a sip, considering his answer. "His Husk was still breathing when I showed up, Alex. I killed him. Don't put yourself through this."

"Because denial's always worked so well for us in the past?" Now it was the sheriff who looked startled, surprised at the bitterness in Alex's voice. "No, Sheriff. I appreciate the effort, but I can't forget what happened. And what happened was that I......." he gulped, nervous about actually saying it, "tore Kivar's mind into pieces. His Husk may have still been breathing, but really, he was dead before he hit the ground." He couldn't look at the sheriff. "I killed him." With his mind – how the hell did something like that happen?

Valenti stared at the teen for a long time. "Yeah." He got up to pour himself more coffee, giving Alex a minute to get himself under control. He'd caught the end of what had transpired between Kivar and Alex, showing up to see the two of them facing off against each other, so deep in concentration that neither had actually noticed him walk in. And then he'd seen Kivar spasm and fall to the ground. He'd never forget the panic he'd felt when Alex followed suit.

But Alex had been the one who got back up. Kivar didn't. Ultimately, that was all that Valenti cared about.

When he turned back around, he could see Alex staring at him in confusion. "So why tell them ................"

"Because it's the truth," Valenti said. "There was no need to go into details." Valenti leaned against the counter, studying Alex. "Have you told anyone else? Isabel?" Alex shook his head, avoiding his eyes again. "I didn't want you to have to carry this," Valenti said, voice soft. "You've had enough to deal with because of Kivar and Lonnie. You shouldn't have to cope with this."

Alex let out a sharp burst of hysterical laughter. "Like I can avoid it?" The sheriff came over to sit back down. "I killed Kivar with my mind. I just reached out and," he threw his hands out, "kaboom! I ripped his mind to pieces and killed him." He looked so lost and confused that Valenti reached out and put his hand on his shoulder, glad that Alex didn't shrug away the contact. "How the hell could I do that?" he whispered. "What did they do to me? And what if......" He gulped. "What if I do it again?" His voice had dropped down to nearly being incomprehensible, but Valenti heard it anyway. Mostly because he'd been half expecting it.

The sheriff sighed, wishing he was better equipped for this. He'd seen Michael struggle with this guilt after killing Pierce, and he'd hoped that somehow, he could spare Alex. They were just kids – they should never have been put into this type of situation. Never. "You did what you had to do," he said firmly. "You saved all of our lives. Isabel, Liz, Maria. Me. If Kivar had kept breathing, he would have killed all of us. Don't ever doubt that. You didn't do anything wrong."

Alex looked up at him. "What if I do it again?" he repeated. "Doesn't that worry you?"

Valenti didn't even hesitate. "No." He leaned closer to the boy. "You saw Michael kill Pierce, know what he did as Tymrath." He suspected that Alex had a better idea of that than any of them. "Are you afraid of him?" He paused until Alex shook his head in denial. Then he got up and went over to where his gun was lying on the counter. Picking it up, he returned to his seat, placing the gun in front of Alex. "I've killed people with this gun," he pointed out. "Hubble, when he was going to kill Max. He didn't think I'd do it, but I did." He remembered that night so clearly – it had been a turning point for him. "And before that......." This was a memory that he didn't like to think about, but Alex was looking to him for reassurance. "Years ago, when Kyle was just a little kid. I shot someone in the line of duty." Which hadn't made it any easier to cope with. "I had a really hard time dealing with it," he said. Understatement of the century. "But I had to. And Pierce? I would have killed him myself." Alex had been starting to look away, but his head swung back at that. Valenti nodded. "Yeah. I couldn't think of any other way to protect you all from him." Michael was the only other one he'd admitted that to. Valenti nodded down to the gun. "So, you worried that I'm going to shoot any of you?"

Alex's lips twitched slightly. "No," he said softly.

Valenti nodded. "You're a smart kid," he pointed out. "If you don't worry about Michael or me, then why would we be afraid of you?"

"Because I shouldn't be able to do what I did," Alex burst out. Then he struggled to keep his voice down. "What if I can't control it?" Everything – his awareness of the others, his ability to connect with them and use their energies, being able to kill Kivar like that. It wasn't human. He shouldn't be able to do these things.

"You've been through a lot these last few years," Valenti agreed. "And it's changed you in some ways. But not in what's important." Valenti stood up and moved in front of Alex, putting both hands on his shoulders and looking him right in the eyes. "You're still the same geek kid at heart." That got a shaky laugh from the teen. "And I trust you, Alex. No doubts. You're a whole hell of a lot stronger than you think you are. You all are." He squeezed Alex's shoulders gently. "Now you're finally going to get a chance to really put everything behind you. And heal." It would take time, but they could do it.

Alex thought about that for a minute, then let out a deep breath, letting go of some of the burden and panic he'd been feeling since the previous day. "Okay." He gave a real smile to the sheriff. "Thanks for listening."

Valenti straightened up. "Any time," he said sincerely. Then he looked over as he heard shuffling feet approach.

"Oh." Kyle blinked, looking from his father to Alex. "Hey." He glanced over at the clock. "Everything okay?"

Alex laughed. Kyle was so much his father's son. "Yeah," he assured his friend, looking back at the sheriff. "I think it really is."

------------------------------------------------

Maria woke up gradually, snuggling closer to Michael's warm body next to hers. It took a while before she managed to get her eyes open, realizing that there was dim light coming through the windows. She'd slept through the night, something that had very rarely happened since Lexy was born. She felt Michael shift behind her, brushing back a strand of her hair, and she smiled. "Lexy slept through the night?"

"Yeah." She closed her eyes and gave a soft hum of appreciation when he kissed her shoulder. "I checked on her, though."

She turned over to face him, laughing softly. "Of course you did," she teased. "What are you going to do when she starts kindergarten?"

Michael smirked. "There's always home school."

She rolled her eyes, knowing that he was only halfway kidding. Of course, given the fact that Lexy would undoubtedly start showing alien powers at some point in time, that might not be such a bad idea. Still, the others got through public school without giving themselves away, so she was sure they'd manage. "Protective Daddy," she teased in a sing-song voice.

Michael kissed her, shutting her up for a minute. "Whatever," he muttered. He pulled back.

"Now, I could get used to waking up like this." Maria stretched lazily. "No school today, no work....... Oh my God!" Her eyes widened suddenly, head rising to stare at him. "Graduation's tomorrow!"

Michael laughed. "Yeah," he agreed.

"With everything going on, I forgot." She let her head fall back to the pillow. "What do you think the chances are that Isabel will be so caught up in the fact that we just saved the world from total annihilation that she won't make us run around all day getting ready for tomorrow night's party?" Michael just gave her a look, and she groaned. "Yeah, right. No chance of that."

"Iz won't call for another few hours at least," Michael murmured, moving so that he was positioned over her. "And Lexy's still asleep........." his voice trailed off as he leaned down to kiss her neck.

"Um." Maria relaxed again, enjoying the sensations. "Well, then, I guess we could find something to keep us busy."

"Yeah." But instead of keeping on, Michael pulled back, staring down at her with a strangely focused look.

"What?" She ran her leg up and down his, hoping to get his mind back to business. "Come on, Spaceboy, let's enjoy baby-free time here."

She knew he was tempted, but then he shook himself and moved over to the side, still staring at her. "I was thinking," he started.

"Oh, that is never a good start to a conversation," she said, resigned, as she sat up, clutching the blanket around her. "What?"

Michael smiled a little. "It's not something bad." Then he considered. "I don't think."

"Okay," she said slowly. He didn't think? "What is it, Spaceboy?"

He reached out and took her hand in his. "I was just wondering something. Now that you're graduating, and we don't have to worry about Kivar and all........."

When he trailed off, she nodded encouragingly. "We do seem to be between crises at the moment."

"Yeah." He looked up at her, eyes serious. "Wanna get married?"

For a minute, all Maria could do was stare at him, mouth wide open. Then she slammed it shut and sat up straight, staring at him. "What?"

"You heard me," he said, still watching her.

"I think I did." Maria shook her head. Well, that was romantic. "Why?" He blinked, apparently taken aback, and she laughed a little. "I mean, we're already married, right? Went through the tiasa and all. I didn't think you cared about some," she made air quotes, "'human ceremony'," she pointed out reasonably.

Michael shrugged. "But you do," he said simply. "Right?" He waited, but when she didn't say anything, he went on. "And there's Lexy. And your mom. And......." He took a deep breath. "This is my home. I'm not leaving here. And I want everyone to know that you're my wife. Not just Antarans. Everyone. I want them to know that we're together. That I love you." He reached out and put his hand on her cheek. "If that's what you want." For the first time, he seemed uncertain.

Maria felt a huge smile spread across her face. She put her hand over his. "Yeah, Spaceboy," she said softly. "I want to be your wife." She cast an approving look over his body. "And I want everyone to know that you're my husband." She leaned forward for a gentle kiss. "That you're mine," she whispered softly.

"Okay, then." Michael's smile this time was one of the sweetest and widest she'd ever seen. He laughed, pulling her close to him, hugging her tight. "Okay."

She shifted so that she could look up at him, eyes twinkling. "Only one problem, Spaceboy."

"What?"

She tried to look serious. Was sure she failed – she was too filled with joy at the moment. The possibilities for the future. But she tried. "How do we keep Isabel from hijacking our lives to plan this?"

"Oh." He smirked. "We'll figure something out. We always do." He rolled over on the bed, pulling her with him so that she ended up on top of him when he lay flat down on the mattress, hands moving down to her hips, lingering along the way. "One thing at a time." He went in for another kiss, his voice lowering in a way that made her whole body tingle.

Oh, yeah. The future was definitely looking promising.


"We were strangers
On a crazy adventure
Never dreaming
How our dreams would come true
Now here we stand
Unafraid of the future
At the beginning with you*"

* ------- "At the Beginning"
from the "Anastasia" soundtrack

[Anla]

Epilogue

Jim Valenti looked through the crowd of blue robes, looking for one particular graduate. There – "Kyle!" he yelled out over the sound of the teens, waving his arm for his son to see. Kyle turned around, grinning widely as he pushed his way over to where his dad stood in the hallway, peering into the large foyer where the class of 2002 was waiting to line up and parade into the auditorium.

"Hey, Dad." Kyle's grin was the widest his father had seen in quite some time. He looked past his father to the rest of his entourage. Tess, Amy, Michael holding a wide-eyed Lexy, and...... "Laurie, I didn't know you were coming."

"Like I would miss Maria's graduation." Laurie leaned over the rope cordoning off the area and pulled Kyle into a huge hug. "Not to mention what is supposed to be the best party Roswell's ever known."

"Yeah, should be the social event of the year." Kyle returned the hug quickly, unable to keep his eyes from wandering over to where Tess was watching from behind his dad. Tess's face was completely blank as she watched Kyle and Laurie embrace.

Laurie didn't seem to notice. "According to Isabel, at least." She pulled back, laughing happily. Then she turned back to the others. "We should probably go save some seats," she suggested to Michael.

"Good idea." Laurie may not have noticed the glance towards Tess, but Michael had, casting a pointed look in Kyle's direction. Kyle chose to look elsewhere.

Amy gave Kyle a quick kiss on the cheek. "We're proud of you, sweetie." Then she took Lexy from Michael's arms and headed inside, Laurie happily chatting next to her.

"Tess, could Kyle and I have a moment?" Valenti asked.

"Uh, sure." Still unsure of how much independence she was allowed, she looked hesitantly in the direction the others had gone.

"Go on," Michael said shortly. He was climbing over the rope and making his way through the crowd of graduates before anyone could stop him.

"Um, don't think you're supposed to........" Kyle half-turned, pointed in his direction, then shrugged, letting it go. Let someone else try to stop Michael from getting to Maria, if they dared. When he turned back around, Tess was already gone, and it was just him and his dad. "What's up, Dad?" he asked, curious. He had a sudden sinking feeling. "There hasn't been another emergency has there?" Couldn't they at least get through a week without something going wrong? Hell, he'd settle for three days of peace and relative quiet. Two, even . He wasn't greedy.

Valenti chuckled. "Nothing's wrong." He narrowed his eyes at his son. "You are getting your diploma today, right?"

"As far as I know," Kyle reassured him.

"Well, then." Valenti put his hands into his jeans pockets, suddenly a bit uncomfortable. "I went to see your grandfather this morning."

"Really?" Kyle's eyes widened. "You didn't tell me you were going to see Grandpa. I would have gone with you."

Valenti shrugged. "Yeah, I know you would've. But I wanted to talk with him, tell him what's been up." He smiled quickly. "Well, some of what's been up. Told him about you graduating today."

"Okay," Kyle said slowly, not really sure how to respond. "That's cool, Dad, but......"

"We talked it over, and he wanted me to give you something." Valenti pulled his hand out of his pocket. In it was an old-fashioned pocketwatch, shining gold in the bright lights of the hallway. "I know it's probably way too old for nowadays, but it's kind of a family thing. Belonged to my granddad, then my dad, and now......" He reached over and dropped it into Kyle's hand. "We wanted you to have it."

"Wow." Kyle turned it over in his hands, seeing the elegant 'V' inscribed on the back. "This is cool, Dad." He looked up at him. "Really. Thanks."

Valenti nodded. "He's proud of his grandson." He reached over and clasped Kyle's shoulder. "I'm proud of you, Kyle. All the crap you've been through the last few years – you've made me prouder than I would have ever thought I could be."

Kyle blinked quickly. "Thanks, Dad." That meant a lot to hear. He gave a slightly shaky smile, trying not to show how choked-up he felt. "You're a pretty impressive example to live up to, you know."

His dad cleared his voice and took a step back. "Well, I'd better get inside before Amy comes looking for me."

Kyle laughed. "Yeah, don't want her coming after you." His dad gave a mock shudder and headed off. Kyle shook his head. First Michael, now his dad – those DeLuca women really managed to whip their guys.

As Kyle returned to the others, he noticed that Liz was standing slightly off to one side, pacing back and forth over the same few feet of floor. He was going to ask, but was distracted by Isabel issuing an imperial decree.

Luckily, for a change, he wasn't the one being issued orders. "Max, you are going to come to the graduation party. And you are going to like it." She gave her brother a pointed look. "You will be nice to Dad, and you will cause no problems. Or else I will make your life completely miserable for a very long time." She smiled sweetly. "Have I made myself understood?"

Max opened his mouth to answer, then caught Maria's look. She was shaking her head frantically at him from where she stood leaning into Michael's arms. Deciding upon discretion over valor, Max bit back his instinctive answer and smiled grimly. "Got it, Iz. I'll be on my best behavior." He held up his hand. "I promise."

Isabel narrowed her eyes at him, then nodded, apparently convinced that he was as sincere as she was going to get. "Good." She then turned around on Michael. "And you're not even supposed to be in here!" she accused, pointing at him.

"Chill, Iz." Michael rolled his eyes. "I just wanted to say hi before you geeks get up there to graduate."

"Hey," Alex got out in mock indignation. "I'll have you know that I'm the only geek here."

"Oh?" Michael turned his head slowly to look at Liz, still walking back and forth, and apparently now talking to herself. Michael looked back at Alex. "You so sure of that?"

Alex shrugged, but before he could reply, Isabel spoke up again. "Fine, Michael, but if Principal Vaughan comes along, I am so not covering for you."

Michael smirked. "Nice to know you've got my back, Iz."

"Certain things, yes," she shot back. "But you mess with my graduation, you are so on your own."

Alex reached out to take Isabel's hand. "Girl's got to have priorities."

"Right." Michael rolled his eyes. "I'm going to go back anyway. Make sure that Laurie and Tess are behaving." He shot Kyle a look that definitely said they were going to be having a talk later, then gave Maria a quick kiss. "See ya." As he passed Alex, he paused, and Kyle could hear Michael mutter, "You okay?"

Alex nodded slightly. "Yeah. Really." He gave Michael a little shove. "Get out of here."

"Yeah, yeah." And he was gone.

Maria watched Michael leave with a laugh, looking back at Alex when she saw him staring at her. "What?"

Alex gave her an innocent look. "Nothing." For now. But he could tell there was something going on with her and Michael, and he was equally sure that she'd spill about it later at the party. Keeping secrets was never Maria's strong suit. Well, not with the rest of IKAAC, anyway.

Kyle couldn't handle it anymore. He stared at Liz, still walking back and forth talking to herself. Now she'd added wild gesturing to her repertoire. "Liz, what are you doing?" he asked, ignoring Maria's shaking head.

"She's practicing her speech," Alex answered quickly. "Just leave her alone. Trust me."

Kyle laughed. "Liz, you're been preparing your valedictorian speech since what? Kindergarten?" Liz had stopped pacing, staring at him. "You'll be fine."

"Fine?" Liz took a deep breath, eyes growing wide, and Kyle started to feel a little nervous. Even more so when he heard Alex's deep sigh. "Fine?" She advanced on Kyle, and he found himself backing up from the smaller girl. "I have to go up in front of all these people," she gestured at all the other teens around them, voice rising dramatically, "plus practically the entire town of Roswell, and give this speech." She stopped, looking around with a growing panic. "Oh, God. I can't do this. I'm going to trip or knock over the podium or forget what I'm saying. I'm going to make a fool of myself in front of everyone." She closed her eyes, hand going to her throat. "I can't breathe," she got out in a choked voice.

Maria glared at Kyle. "Way to go, genius." She put her arms around Liz's shoulder. "You're going to be great, Liz," she said, comfortingly.

Alex went to Liz's other side. "Awesome," he agreed. When Liz looked at him beseechingly, he nodded with a smile. "Promise."

As they led Liz a little to the side, Kyle turned to Isabel and Max. "Should we get her a paper bag or something?"

"You're not helping." Isabel smacked him on the arm. "Leave her alone. She's just nervous."

"Liz will be fine," Max said, casting an affectionate smile in the dark-haired girl's direction. "She's been working for this for years now." He was glad that at least one of her dreams was coming true the way she'd hoped for. Then he saw someone enter the building. "Be right back," he muttered, moving away quickly before Isabel could try to stop him.

Shalin was waiting for him by the entranceway when he came over. She looked past his shoulder and to the gathered crowd of high school graduates, giving him an eloquently cynical smile. "Having fun?"

Max smiled back at her, his own grin significantly more sincere. "I didn't expect to see you here."

"I'm not staying," she replied bluntly, crossing her arms in front of her chest and looking directly at him. "I'm not even sure why I'm here at all."

"Couldn't resist seeing me in my stylish robes?" Max gestured to his outfit.

He loved it when he could make her give an actual laugh of amusement. "Yeah, that's it, all right." She shook her head. "You're crazy."

"So you keep telling me." Max looked around quickly, then jumped over the rope and took Shalin's arm. "Come on. I want to talk someplace more private."

She let him lead her over to an abandoned alcove, but frowned. "Don't you have to actually line up soon or something?"

"I have a few minutes. This is important." Then, unable to resist, he leaned over for a kiss. He wanted to get that in before he had a chance to totally piss her off.

Shalin kissed him back, slow and deep, but then put her hand on his chest and pushed him away gently. "What is it, Max?" She smiled slightly. "While our recreational activities are enjoyable, I don't think that's what you consider 'important'."

"You might be surprised," he argued, but he did move back slightly. "Although, you're right. That's not really what I wanted to talk about." He frowned, unsure how to start the conversation. "I've been honest with you, Shalin. From the start." She was watching him very carefully now, whole body still and attentive. "I haven't lied to you or misused you. You or the T'onxyl."

She waited while he paused, then raised an eyebrow. "And?"

"And I need to know where you stand," he said simply. "Are you loyal to me?"

He almost put his hand on her arm when he saw her stiffen, but resisted the urge. She would have just smacked it away anyway. "You're questioning my loyalties?" she asked, voice soft and dangerous.

"No," he said, voice equally quiet but nowhere near as cold. "But I need to hear the words." He looked her directly in the eye. "I need to hear it, Shalin."

For a long moment, she stared back at him, and he was afraid that she was going to just walk off. But finally, she took a deep breath, obviously reigning her emotions in. "All right, Your Majesty," she answered finally. "You have my loyalty. Astan'y." She smiled mockingly. "Is that enough? Or do you need some sort of blood oath?"

He could feel the sense of relief spread through him. "No, that's enough." He knew how binding that would be for her. "I'm not leaving Earth."

"So you've said," she replied, tone bored now.

"But with Kivar gone, there needs to be someone in charge," he went on as if she hadn't interrupted. "That should be me."

"And I shudder in fear at the idea of you in charge of an entire planet," Shalin said lightly.

Max laughed softly. She'd never change, and he was glad for it. He had her loyalty, but that didn't mean she was ever going to be some adoring subject. Thank goodness. "I'm going to need to put someone in charge back there. A type of regent. Someone I can trust." She continued to watch him warily, but clearly not picking up on the hints. Wow – he was actually going to manage to surprise her with this. That was even more rare than making her laugh. "That would be you."

Shalin stared at him blankly for a few seconds, then shook her head abruptly. "You need more therapy, Your Majesty, because that is even crazier than usual for you. And that's saying quite a bit."

"You're the perfect choice," Max insisted.

"In what galaxy?" she shot back. "Because it sure as hell isn't a perfect idea in either of ours." She put her hands to her forehead. "I never knew we could get headaches in these Husks until I met you," she muttered. "No way, Max."

"The other Khavorns will accept you," Max pointed out in what he thought was a very reasonable tone of voice. "You're one of them." She cast him a disgusted look. "Even better, you're one of their elite." Hell, at least he was pretty sure none of them would try to take Shalin on. They'd be too afraid. "You want your House treated just as fairly as mine, right? Well, here's your chance to make sure of that."

"And your precious Royalists will just smile and roll out the red carpet for me?" she asked sarcastically.

"They'll accept who I send them," Max said firmly. "You have connections with both sides. You can help make peace."

"Because that's always been my specialty."

"Is it so different from the idea you T'onxyl had of putting Tymrath in my place?" Max smiled. "See, I can recognize a good idea when I see one. I just modified it so that I don't end up getting killed."

She glared at him. "I wouldn't be so sure about that yet," she said flatly, but with no real heat to it. Max just kept on smiling back at her, causing her to groan in annoyance. "Ugh. I have no idea how to rule, Max."

He shrugged. "You've led the T'onxyl for years. And if you need help, there's always Larek. Or me – we'll figure out some way to communicate occasionally." But it wouldn't be all the time, and he knew it. That's why he needed someone in charge who he could trust.

"Why not just put Larek in charge as your regent?" She really did not want this hassle.

"Because it's not his world," Max argued. "And I trust you." As she rolled her eyes, exasperated, Max grabbed her arm and pulled her with him to look out into the main lobby. "Look at them." He pointed over to where they could see Alex, Isabel, and Kyle talking, Maria and Liz right behind them. "I trust you," he whispered into her ear. "I trust you with their lives, Shalin. If I trust you with them, then I know I can trust you with this."

Shalin closed her eyes, really not liking the feeling of entrapment she was experiencing. Worse, it was a trap she'd set herself up for. Because if she didn't care what he thought and felt, then she could just walk away. If she hadn't given her word........ "I don't want to lead," she admitted. "I never did." They'd been raised to follow, to take orders.

"If you did, I wouldn't offer it to you," Max said honestly. He leaned his head against hers momentarily. "I trust you. You can do this."

Shalin laughed, pushing him away. "I know I can," she retorted. "I just don't want to." She sighed loudly. "But I will." Before he could say anything, she raised a warning finger. "For now. This is not a permanent situation."

"Okay." Max smiled at her, so damn pleased with himself that she had the urge to punch him.

Instead, Shalin grabbed the front of his robe and pulled him closer, kissing him fiercely before releasing him so abruptly that he stumbled back a few steps. "Enjoy your graduation." She grinned mischievously before turning to leave.

Max watched her walk out the door, emotions confused and conflicted. Then he smiled. Isabel was going to hate this idea of his.

Max!

Wincing at the sudden scream in his head, Max turned around. Isabel was standing with the others, glaring steadily in his direction. And if he wasn't terribly mistaken, she was actually tapping her foot impatiently. He moved back towards them.

Planning on joining us? I mean, if you have something better to do than graduate, I'm sure that we'd all understand. Maybe we can reschedule or something.

Okay, how did she manage to even make her mental voice sound sarcastic? "I'm here," he said mildly, lining up behind her as their teachers started to herd them inside.

"About time," she snapped back in a whisper, then gave Ms. Martinez a brilliant smile, getting a pleased look in return. No more spacing out, brother mine. Or else.

Sarcastic and also more than slightly intimidating. Max shook his head. He hoped Alex knew what he was getting himself into.

They lined up and proceeded into the auditorium, ceremonial music echoing loudly. He could see Michael roll his eyes and smirk at him as he passed, although he'd had a perfectly straight face when Maria walked by. And then it was Max smirking when Amy DeLuca gave Michael's shoulder a small slap at the gesture. Like mother, like daughter.

Max settled in and listened to the opening statements, waiting until Liz went up to the podium. He watched her proudly, noticing that she managed, despite her concerns, to walk up with poise and dignity. No knocking over chairs or innocent bystanders.

Liz glanced down at the notes on the podium in front of her. "Fellow Roswell High graduates – well, here we are. Finally." Slight laughs from the audience. "It's been a long four years. We've laughed and cried, worked and played. We've grown up. And hopefully, learned something along the way."

As Liz continued to talk, Max found his attention wandering to the others. Isabel, sitting next to him, was watching Liz attentively, face glowing with excitement and pride. Max smiled fondly. It was a good thing they'd dealt with Kivar already – his sister wouldn't allow anything to interfere with her high school graduation. Then he looked a few seats down past Iz, and saw Maria, practically bouncing out of her seat with excitement. Turning slightly in his seat, Max could see Kyle, eyes glazing over a bit as Liz kept talking but still looking very pleased with himself, and Alex, who turned as soon as Max looked at him, meeting his future brother-in-law's eyes and smiling. Max nodded back at him and found his eyes searching the rows behind the graduating class. He saw his parents, and sighed inwardly. He really was going to have to do something about the situation with his father soon. But Max kept subtly searching, hoping Isabel wouldn't notice his attention wandering from Liz's speech.

Yeah, there they were. Laurie and Tess, sitting as far away from each other as they could while still being in the same row. He really didn't envy Kyle that situation. Valenti's face was probably the proudest Max had ever seen it. The man was practically beaming at the idea of his 'kids' graduating. Max almost laughed. Who would have thought it? He could remember that night at the Crash Festival almost three years earlier, the sheer terror as the sheriff threw him up against that trailer, whispering that he was going to find out Max's secret. Now here he was, proud father figure for this slightly dysfunctional family of alien hybrids and humans. And there was Michael, holding up little Lexy so that she could get a better look at her Aunt Liz.

Feeling an indescribable sense of security at knowing they were all there, Max turned his full attention back to Liz's speech. "We've been through a lot during our years at West Roswell High."

Boy, had they. Liz getting shot. Healing her. Hiding from Valenti. Atherton's house in Marathon. Meeting Riverdog. Trying to avoid Agent Topolsky. Finding Nasedo's message to them in the woods. Valenti shooting Hubble. Learning about Hank. Watching Michael leave, unable to stop him. Having him come back to them. Tess's arrival. Pierce and the White Room. Saving Kyle's life. Fighting the Skins. Meeting Rath and Lonnie and Ava. Remembering their past lives. The attack on their mother. Alex's 'death' and Tess's betrayal, tearing their lives into pieces. Getting Alex back, alive. Lexy's birth. Dealing with the T'onxyl. Loving Liz, and letting her go. Shalin. Defeating Kivar, finally and for good.

Been through a lot? Yeah, that was one way to put it.

So, when Liz paused and looked directly at him, meeting his eyes across the auditorium, Max was able to meet her smile with one of his own. A smile that grew even wider as she wrapped up her speech.

"We made it."

[starlescia maxwell]

hi you are a new author to me, may i ask a question ? there are two
amends i have read both of them, are they the same story?, but by
different authors?, could help me with this pls, pls don't get me wrong
lissalou72 is a wonderful writer, one of my favorits, you are a wonderful writer as will, i'll read more pf your storys as i can find them,
i thank you -- starlescia maxwell e-mail starlescia@yahoo.com

[Anla]

I don't know if there's another fic out there with the title "Amends". It's quite possible. I've only written fics under this name (Anla) though, so if there's one with a different name, then it's by another author, and a different story (which I guess will show up when you read 'em ).

[dreaming of the incrowd]

wow - This story totally rocked. I'd been reading it all along and then lost track. Great job.

[Anla]

Thanks. I always appreciate knowing that someone's reading and enjoying my fic.