Everything Ends... (XO,BtVS,CC, TEEN) Pt 10 - 06/10/04 [WIP]

[lovalien]

Hey guys .... Hides behind the computer ...Sorry it took me so long but I've been crammed by exams and RL...Sorry....Sorry....
The next part shouldn't take so long to be out...Icouldn't seem to get that one out...I knew what I wanted to happen but it didn't come out the way I wanted it.
I hate computers...Now I 've caught the new virus on the net and I need to fix my computer..
So if I still have a few readers out there...Here it is.




Part 10:



As he followed the Sheriff outside, Max felt lost. He didn't know what the cold tone Valenti had used when he had talked to him meant. He hadn't uttered a word, just left without looking if Max was following. It had surprised everyone as nobody was used to seeing him like that.

They exited the building and stopped near the Sheriff's car. Since there was no one in the street, talking there wouldn't be dangerous but that wasn't Valenti's main preoccupation. He was trying not to lose it when he knew he had to do something.

”Liz is the slayer, I was right, isn’t it? They already told her; did I hear right” asked Valenti calmly, completely opposed to what he was feeling.

”More or less. I don’t know at what point you arrived so I don’t know what to tell you” said Max

”That’s not important. I heard enough to know in what you just stepped him. You have no idea what you just got yourself into” He enunciated make a point to stress every word.

”Maybe” admitted Max “But we needed answers and now we have them. They might not be the best” he trailed off as the Sheriff interrupted him.

”And you think they told you for your own good. Liz is just a mean to an end for them, it’s always like this” He erupted angrily

”We asked your help” said Max hotly “and you just kept us in the dark. Now that we know the truth we can protect ourselves” he was trying to sooth the Sheriff’s worries but his words seemed to fall in deaf ears.

”You can’t protect yourself from this life. It sweeps you in and keeps you until there’s nothing left of you” said the Sheriff, so angry he could take it anymore. He hadn’t dealt with any of this in years and to remember it now was bringing back too many bad memories

”If you love Liz make her stop now that there’s still time”

”It isn’t my decision and I will support her, whatever she chooses to do” said Max calmly

”Keep her out of this life or it will kill her” said Jim coldly

Max closed his eyes for a second. He could deal with the Sheriff but it wasn’t any less true that his words were affecting him. As he saw the young man reaction Valenti went on, his voice firm but warmer than before.

”I know you love her and I know you want what’s best for her. This…It will just destroy her life and yours. I know what it’s like and I won’t be here to see you both make this mistake”

The argument went on and on as each one of them tried to make his point clear. They didn’t see the figure that slowly approached them.

”You don’t to know what it’s like to loose someone you love so much. Believe me, I’ve done it and I won’t let someone I care for be taken by this again” Said the Sheriff tiredly.

Both men turned around as a third voice broke in.

”What are you talking about?” asked Kyle “and who are you talking about?”

”You don’t need to know. You’ll be better off not knowing” said Valenti in a weary voice

”No. Enough is enough” Said Kyle forcefully “You owe us the truth, you owe it to me at least. We’re going home and we will talk there” He handed Max his key’s car as he said “Give them to Tess. She will take it to come back home”

Max stayed there looking at them leaving Kyle, pissed off by his father’s doings and the Sheriff, a man with no fight left, weary of a secret he had kept for years.

At last, he turned toward the building and quickly made his way toward Mickeal’s apartment.




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Max quietly entered the apartment and saw that all of them were waiting, probably since Kyle had gone in search of him and his father. He walked toward Tess and handed her the keys saying “Kyle and his dad left. He said to take his car to come back” she smile and took the object.

As he turned toward where Liz was Tess stopped him grabbing his forearm “Are they okay Max?” she asked quietly.

”I don’t really know” he frowned before sitting on the arm of the couch next to Liz. She took his hand and placed their clasped hand upon his tight.

“Buffy and Giles are going to be here in a few minutes and since we decided not to tell them anything for now, be careful of what you say” said Max

”What do they really want from you?” asked Isabel to Liz

Everyone saw Max and Liz exchange a deep, long look at each other before she answered.

”They want me to go to Sunnydale with them to help them fight the First” After a pause she added “and I’ll go”

”What?” shouted Mickeal “Are you crazy?”

”No I’m not” she defended herself jumping to her feet “We’ve discussed this with them. I don’t really have a choice and I know deep in me that I have to do it”

It was that moment that Max chooses to intervene knowing Mickeal and Liz were as headstrong as the other. “Giles and Buffy were clear. Without Liz’s help they won’t have a chance to win and the world will end. I know it’s risky but if they loose, whether Liz helps them or not, we may die” he said standing up and looked at Liz before turning toward the others “I don’t want anything to happen to her either but the choice is not mine or ours to make. Either way it’s a no-win situation. I know you’re all afraid of what can happen, you know the truth as well as us and I’m going with her” he finally added in a rush.

They had talked about it and while Liz was not happy with his decision and would have preferred he stayed here, safe in Roswell, he hadn’t wanted to hear of it. He loved her too much to let her go alone fight this, not knowing what would be happening, how she would be. He would have gone crazy.

He saw the group’s look go from one to the other but before anyone could shout the protest he was sure would come, a knock on the door was heard


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”I still think it’s not a very good idea that they told their friends everything” said Giles quietly.

”Liz said they’re trustworthy, and besides they were there when everything happened to her” Buffy exhaled “If we want her trust us, we have to trust she is doing the right thing first”

As they neared the address Liz had given them the night before, Giles and Buffy slowed their pace. They would have questions to answer, that was almost sure and neither one of them were particularly thrilled to it.

A few minutes later, in front of Mickeal’s door, Buffy took a deep breath before knocking.

As he heard the knocking sound, Mickeal headed towards the door and opened it, revealing a beautiful blond and a middle-aged man, whom he assumed were the ones they were waiting for. It was past 8 o’clock now and everyone had been more or less anxious to meet them. As the two entered, Max motioned to them to take the two places that had been left vacant for them. The two groups looked at each other, scrutinizing the other before Max spoke.

”Buffy, Giles. This is Maria, Mickeal, Alex” each one nodded their heads as their names were said “Isabel and Tess. Kyle and his father aren’t here now”

”Hello” said Giles politely before asking warily at Liz “Do they know?”

”Yeah. We told them what you explained to us and they understand as much as possible”

”If you’re afraid we could tell anyone, don’t worry, we won’t. We understand the need for secrecy” said Mickeal bluntly upon hearing Gile’s tone.

”As if someone would really believe us” Alex joked.

”That’s not my main concern. Most people tend to rationalize what they see or deny it completely” Said Giles

”It’s a good thing, seeing where we live” commented Buffy “Sunnydale has a don’t ask, don’t tell policy for those who know that such things exist. It’s a city where you’re never really at ease if you know that demons and vampire do exist”.

”While we already saw pretty unbelievable things I still have trouble with that notion” Said Isabel

”Believe me they exist” answered Buffy thickly “My life would be a lot more easier without them”

”Ok” interrupted Giles “Back to the matter at hand. What we came here for, even if I’m not completely sure you understand what you just stepped in”.

”We explained them and we all understand what’s happening there. I’ve thought about everything you told me” said Liz looking at Buffy and Giles “Hell, It’s the only thing I could think about today. I talked with Max about it. And we will both come with you at Sunnydale”.

She saw Buffy’s shoulders sag in relief before perking up at the mention of Max but before she could say anything, Mickeal’s voice cut through.
”We will all go” He said after looking at the other who voiced their agreements at his statement but Giles quickly protested.

”No, It’s too dangerous. You can’t come”

”It’s not your decision” scoffed Mickeal

”You want her to come. You need her. And we won’t let her go alone. We know what we risk” Added Tess quietly earning everyone’s surprise and Maria’s widening eyes at her readiness to support Liz.

”As for the danger” said Alex “If you lose against the First” He hesitated on the name but continued at Buffy’s nod “wherever we are, we’re gonna die, not that the prospect appeals me”

”You have a point” admitted Giles sighing “But I don’t like this idea”

”Me either” added Buffy “But we will it if we can’t dissuade you”

”No, you can’t” said Max quietly

”OK” answered Giles “Our main problem now will be to explain your departure from Roswell” He looked toward the blond shoulder length haired girl as her voice cut through.

”We already have a way” Said Tess cryptically and it took a few seconds to the others to understand what she was saying.

”Are you sure it will work?” asked Buffy as the same time as Giles asked “How are you going to do it?”

”It’s a long and personal story but yes, we’re sure it will work” Answered Max

Giles accepted his answer not completely happy with it. As a thought occurred to Maria she asked unexpectedly. “How does Liz knows how to fight like she did? I’ve known her my entire life and she never took any self-defence class”

Liz smiled at that but listened intently wondering the same thing as Buffy answered.

”I’ve thought about this since yesterday and I remember I was the same when I was called. Being a slayer awoke some instincts. Even If you aren’t aware of it” she continued looking at Liz “You are the First slayer, the slayer’s line come from you and those instincts and your knowledge of fighting techniques are still in you, just asleep” She said after a pause “You act and your instincts just got the best of you at these times, the instinct to protect yourself or someone else is very strong for a slayer, you just reacted, using unconsciously what you knew from your life before”

”It looks like you Liz. You always put the other’s well-being before yours. Many times you’ve done it” Said Mickeal. At Maria’s gasp and baffled expression, he added “What? I know how to make a compliment”

”You’re sure?” she asked laughingly “I never knew you knew how to do it”

She elicited a laugh from every one in the room, even from the two new additions to the group, but only a glare from Mickeal.

They talked for a few minutes until Giles said “Buffy and I are going back to our motel. We will see you soon. Call us as soon as you’re ready”




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”You had no right to keep this from me” shouted Kyle angrily. The numbness he had felt earlier when his father had started to tell him the truth now replaced by white hot anger ready to erupt.

”I wanted you to have the best life possible and this is not. Knowing this would have forced you to constantly live looking beyond your shoulders” answered the Sheriff quietly, letting out a long suffering breath from his place on the couch, his son standing up hovering above him.

Seeing his father’s dejected and anguished posture, Kyle’s ire deflated, only letting a dull ache permeate his being. He closed is eyes against the unfamiliar pain. “You should have let me have the choice to grieve for my mother” He whispered.

His father hesitated then said “When I met her she already was a slayer&. The slayer. I knew her life was fleeting, she had told me as much, that’s why we were married so quickly. I loved her more than anything and when we had you soon after, we were so happy. But she made me promise not to tell you about this” he blinked back the tears and continued “I knew what her life meant but I never completely understood until” he trailed off “You were only 4”

They stood in silence, two men hurt by the same thing before Kyle added “It’s different for Liz” he was stopped by his father.

”It’s the same. Only the circumstances are different”

No more words were said as Kyle left without a word toward his room, opening, once inside, the box hidden under his desk and looked at his mother’s photo.


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”You don’t have to do that” said Liz to the others “I won’t ask you to disrupt your life for me, or put yourself in danger” It had been the same discussion for the last fifteen minutes. Even if their support warmed her Liz couldn’t bring herself to ask that of them.

”You’ve been there for us in the past, it’s our turn to help you” Said Isabel

”I won’t let you go alone” said Max kissing her forehead and smiled as Maria added

”If you believe you can get rid of me and let me, or Alex” she said after looking at him “rot here while you’re there giving your life for the world, let me tell you, you need some serious mental help” she said teasingly “and this discussion is over”

”Amen” said Mickeal “you know me. Always up to miss school” He added looking at Tess “There’s one more thing to talk about”.

“You think you’ll be able to do it?” asked Max

Nobody was comfortable with the idea of mind warping so many people: some classmates, school’s staff but most of all their parents, but it was the only way.

”I’ll do it between tomorrow and Wednesday afternoon. It would be too much at once. So we’re going in an internship program that selected us as well as other students from different state for a stay in Sunnydale’s college” She said recalling their earlier decision. “It’s not dangerous, I don’t use a lot of power, but it will hold until we’re back”

”It’s a loose idea but with your powers everyone will believe it” Said Alex not really convinced by this idea.

As they all agreed to be careful of answering the same thing to their parents or teacher’s questions before their departure Saturday, no one voiced the fear that they may never came back.



TBC


AN: the idea for the cover-up story is corny, I know. Just disregard it.

[lovalien]

Oh my god !!! You can't imagine what this means to me. I was so happy when I saw it. Thanks to everone who nominated me...

On another hand , the next part is almost ready...

Thanks

Deb