The Third Time...(CC,M/L,Teen/Mature) Ch 20 - 05/04/09 [WIP]

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Zanity
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Post by Zanity »

Chapter 10

Timeline 3 – Balance

Disclaimer: This part may contain portions of “Balance” I don’t own it.


All six teens were gathered in the cave looking at the map on the cave wall. Max spoke, “We know it’s a map, and we know that this symbol represents the library where the destiny book is hidden. We also know that this symbol represents Vasquez Rocks where the pod chamber is located.”

Looking to Michael he continued, “Michael you figured the map out in the last timeline, figure out where the rest of these locations are and mark them on a map. Then when it’s safe we need to see what we can find at those locations.”

Michael agreed, “I’ll figure it out.”

As they were leaving they ran into River Dog who looked pointedly at Max. Max answered his questioning look with a round of introductions. He knew in the last timeline River Dog was angry about Michael coming here and he wanted to head of any mistrust before it could fester, “This is Michael and Isabel, they’re like me; and this is Maria and Alex, they like Liz have had their lives altered by us. I trust everyone here with my life.”

River Dog seemed to except this and let them leave.

At the Crashdown…

Topolsky walks in and searches out Liz, finding her she calls out, “Liz!”

Liz walks up to her, “Yes, Miss Topolsky?”

Topolsky states, “I’d like to continue that hypothetical discussion of yours… with Max present.”

Liz silently checked with Max before agreeing, “Meet us at the quarry at 4:00.”


As Topolsky left, Liz watched nervously thinking, “This could still go either way.”

Out at the pod chamber…

Isabel is working with Alex on developing his powers. The first thing she taught him was how to open the pod chamber, because that takes practically no energy. But for the last several hours she has been working with him to try to build his energy level.

It’s been a couple of days since Alex and Maria had been given powers; and Maria’s were coming along quite nicely at this rate she’d be at par with the rest of them by next week, but she had the advantage of having been also given the memories of how they worked. Alex, however, was in the hardest part of training – learning to build and channel energy properly.

After another hour of trying, he finally succeeded in building up enough energy to make his hands glow. Isabel rewarded him with a kiss which quickly turned into more than just a kiss. Isabel melted into Alex’s warm embrace as she plundered the depths of his mouth. Half an hour later when they finally came up for air, Alex was dazed. When he was finally able to clear his head they started working on the next part, how to channel the energy so it didn’t hurt him like it did Liz in the last timeline.

At the quarry…

When Topolsky arrived Max and Liz were already waiting. She took note of the protective posture each of the two teens had towards the other as she greeted, “Hello.”

Max used his powers to quickly detect any electronics she might be carrying. Finding only her cell phone answered, “Hello, I’d like to thank you for calling off the goons you had tailing us.”

Topolsky nodded to Max but questioned Liz, “What was that the last time we talked. What did you do to me?”

Liz shook her head, “I didn’t do anything to you. I had made arrangements for you to be able to see what our hypothetical oracle showed us about what would have happened to you if the oracle hadn’t warned us.”

Topolsky looked to Max, “You’re obviously her hypothetical friend but who’s this hypothetical oracle?”

Max answered, “Miss Topolsky, I don’t trust you enough yet to answer that question. That kind of trust is something I can only give to people who have earned it, or people whom I have nothing to lose by trusting. You don’t fall into either of those categories yet.”

Topolsky looked nervous when she asked Max, “What do you want from me?”

Max smiled, “For now, not much. I want to be kept out from under the FBI’s microscope. In those flashes you died because of Pierce’s reaction to your contact with me, I want to know that if and when you eventually die it’s not because of me or something I did. Eventually, if you can manage it safely, I’d like the orb the FBI has, but I don’t want you putting yourself in any greater jeopardy to get it.”

Topolsky’s jaw dropped, the “alien threat” she’d been sent here to investigate was concerned for her safety. Max continued, “We’ve already changed things, you would have left town already if we hadn’t. I don’t know where you would have gone or what would have happened, but given that when you came back you looked like you’d been through hell, I can only assume Pierce interrogated you.”

Liz spoke up, “Miss Topolsky, Pierce is a monster, the things he’d do to Max if he ever gets a hold of him…” Liz shudders, “If we work together we can keep all three of us safe.”

Topolsky answered, “I’ll do what I can.”

At Michael’s apartment…

Isabel and Alex’s training session had been a success; Alex could now both build up energy and channel it properly. All that remained was for him to learn the various ways he could use that energy. Now everyone was sitting around waiting for Michael’s explanation of the map. He and Maria had worked out the map locations and had visited the sites of a few of the locations. While they were at it they picked up the destiny book from the library.

Michael explained, “The map has five locations, and five lines of text. I can’t translate the text but the locations are: Vasquez Rocks, which actually has two symbols for it which makes since because both the pod chamber and the Granolith chamber are there; the cave where the map is located; Frazier Woods; the old radio tower; and the library. Maria and I stopped by the radio tower but didn’t find anything, and Frazier Woods is huge. If we didn’t know where to look at the library we could have torn that place apart and never found the destiny book, so before this can be of any more use to us we need to translate the text or find more clues.”

Once that was taken care of, Max addressed the group, “Ok since that’s a dead end for now there’s one more thing we should take care of, when Liz and I bonded with our ring we connected to the Granolith and learned something… Tess was never part of our foursquare.”

Immediately Isabel questioned, “I know she’s going to betray us and all but she is one of us. What do you mean she was never part of our foursquare?”

Max answered, “She was supposed to be, it was the original plan but, do you remember when we first came out of the pods, how we could communicate telepathically, then it faded?”

Michael and Isabel both nodded so Max continued, “It faded because the connection was never completed. The Granolith was programmed to form the foursquare for us when we first came out of the pods. But the three of us left before Tess came out and the connection could be completed. After the Granolith failed to form the foursquare, it was never ordered to try again. Tess would have been part of our foursquare but she never was because we have never had a foursquare, it was never completed.”

It was Maria who asked, “So can you order the Granolith to create one of these foursquare thingies?”

Liz laughed, “That’s just what we had in mind. We need to go to the Granolith chamber together for the ceremony.”

Alex questioned, “So I guess since, Liz is taking Tess’s place as Max’s wife she’s also going to take her place in the foursquare?”

Max nodded.

In the Granolith chamber…

Maria and Alex stood to the side as Max, Liz, Michael and Isabel all their positions for the foursquare with the Granolith in their center. When all four was in position, some combination of Max’s dormant instincts and the knowledge of the Granolith he now possessed took over.

Max spoke clearly and with authority, “Granolith, recognize me. I am King Zan reborn. I am Max Evans, the rightful King of Antar.” The Granolith began to glow and a light formed at the tip. The light traveled along the ground towards Max and encircled him forming one quarter of the foursquare symbol under him.

When it was done Max continued, “Granolith, recognize my chosen queen. She was born Elizabeth Parker of Earth. She is Liz Evans, the rightful Queen of Antar.” The Granolith responded by forming the second quarter of the foursquare symbol under Liz.

Max proceeded, “Granolith recognize my second. He is Lord Rath reborn. He is Michael Guerin, First Lord of Antar, and my brother in all but blood.” The Granolith once again responded by forming another portion of the foursquare, this one under Michael.

Max continued, “Granolith recognize my sister. She is Princess Vilandra reborn. She is Isabel Evans, High Princess of Antar, and my sister in all things.” At his words, the Granolith completed the foursquare symbol under Isabel.

Max concluded, “Granolith this is my foursquare. Unite us that we may stand as one.” As soon as he had spoken the foursquare symbol raised up off the ground passing through them, the energy of the Granolith coursing through each of them. To Max and Liz it was a familiar feeling but Michael and Isabel were awed by its power. When the symbol had risen above their heads, it shrunk into the Granolith where it replicated four fold. Then each of the four symbols shot out of the Granolith and inhabited the right hand of one of the members of the new foursquare.

Max and Liz immediately tried testing their new telepathic connections to Michael and Isabel. They noted that it was extremely limited when compared to their own connection to each other. Unlike their connection where they could hear each others’ thoughts, feel each others’ emotions, and read each others’ minds, this telepathy only operated beneath the level of language, and only what they chose to broadcast to each other. It made sense; this connection was designed for combat, not personal relations. And in combat it would be more beneficial to be able to send the entire concept of a battle plan, or an image of what you’re seeing than to try and explain it in words. And in combat it would be detrimental to be distracted by each others’ thoughts.

As Michael and Isabel continued to stare at the foursquare symbol glowing on the back of their hands Alex questioned, “What are you guys looking at?”

Isabel and Michael both looked at him like he was crazy until Liz spoke up, “They can’t see it. Granolith symbols are only visible to those involved.”

Michael questioned, “How do you know that?”

Max answered, “Because our rings do something similar. Iz, do you remember when I asked you if you saw anything happening in my room and you said ‘Just you acting ridiculously’. Well my ring was doing something and you didn’t see it because that particular connection to the Granolith only involves Liz and me.”

Max smiled, “On a side note though, it seems as long as the connection is open we can tap each others powers through the Granolith. Also while we can shut the connection down if all of us agree, it only takes one of us to open it.”

They spent the next fifteen minutes figuring out the intricacies of this knew connection, before calling it quits for the day.

Later that night…

Liz writes in her journal…

Things are beginning to fall into place. It looks like Topolsky may choose our side this time around. Maria and Alex are coming along nicely in their training. And today I just took the final steps in replacing Tess at Max’s side. Things are going to get really interesting around here when she shows up in a couple of months. This time we’ll be ready for her. Unfortunately the cave map turned out to be a dead end, until we can translate the text on it. I’m sure we’ll figure it out eventually.

After putting her journal away she activated her ring and fell asleep in Max’s arms.
Last edited by Zanity on Sun Oct 01, 2006 9:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by Zanity »

Chapter 11

Timeline 3 – Toy House

Disclaimer: This part contains large portions of “Toy House” I don’t own it.


Liz is writing in her journal…

The problem with trying to change the future is, some things can’t just be fixed, while others shouldn’t be. Some times what seems like trouble now turns out to be a blessing in disguise; but some things that seem good right now can turn out to be trouble later, it works both ways. Max has been debating whether or not he should tell his parents the truth after the fire. Thanks, to our future knowledge he knows they’ll accept him when he does eventually tell them, but he worries if he tells them too soon, they might try and stop him from doing things he has to do, or they might try and help him and end up putting themselves in danger. I don’t know what to tell him, everything we change is one more variable that makes the future that much more unpredictable. Timing is everything.

At the Evans’…


Max questions, “Why don't you put a little more garlic in that, mom?”

Diane looks down at the meal she’s preparing, “You know how I get when your father's away on business, honey. Fried foods, red meat...”

Max deadpans, “You're a real party animal.”

Diane snaps back, “Oh, shut up.” Deciding to change the subject, “Oh, so, what's that, biology?”

Max answers, “Yeah. Everything you always wanted to know about a dead frog.”

Diane commiserates as she continues moving around the kitchen to prepare the meal, “Oh, not my strongest subject.”

Max laughs, “Mine, either. But I have a good lab partner. She's really good in science, so...”

His mother interrupts, “She?”

Max complains, “Mom.”

His mother defends, “Well, I'm just curious. Does, uh, she have a name?” As she’s speak in she knocks over the bottle of oil which begins running over the counter top towards the burner.

Max answers her with a dreamy look, “Liz.”

As the realization hit her Diane fingers her wedding band and questions, “Oh, right. Liz Parker. Isn't she the one that uh?” When Max nods his head in confirmation she questions, “So what exactly is she to you?” But before Max has a chance to answer the oil reaches the burner and a giant flame erupts. She cries out, “Aah!”

Max immediately leaps into action calling, “Mom! Watch out!” Diane falls backwards and looks away as Max rushes over and puts out the grease fire with his powers. He then grabs a pan of water and throws it on the area where the fire just was. Turning to his mother he questions, “You all right? You all right?”

Diane is in shock but she manages to mutter, “Max... oh... I, uh, I think so.”

Later…

After the firemen left Diane looked to Max, “You saved my life, Max.”

Max tried brushing it off, “Mom, I - I just...”

Diane interrupted, finishing for him, “...poured water on it... you told me.”

Max confirmed, “Right.” Diane sighed and Max concernedly stated, “You look tired, mom. Why don't you just go upstairs and get some rest?”

Just then someone knocked on the front door and Diane jumped up, “Oh, um, I got it. Really, I'm - I'm fine. Who's there? Oh, Sheriff.”

When Max heard the sheriff was there his eyes shot in the direction of the door and he steeled himself for the encounter. He couldn’t wait until the sheriff stopped hounding him and started trying to help him.

Valenti greeted, “Mrs. Evans.”

Diane offered, “Won't you come in?”

The sheriff accepted, “Thank you. Heard you had an incident here. Just want to make sure everything's ok.”

Diane informed, “Oh, we're fine, really. Just a little grease fire, but thank God my son put it out.”

Valenti questioned, “Well, no injuries?”

“We're fine.” Max declared.

The sheriff began looking around and skeptically mumbled, “Hmm.”

Max not liking the sheriff nosing around another of his “incidents” tried getting rid of him with. “Actually, the, uh...the fire department just came here, so...”

But the sheriff was still determined to get to the bottom of the strange occurrences Max Evans was involved with, so he stated, “Yeah, I know. Well, it never hurts to double check.”

Max went into damage control mode, “It, uh, it looks a lot worse than it really was.”

Valenti parried, “Yeah. From the damages, I'd say you had quite a fire here. That must've been pretty scary.”

Diane agreed, “Well, yeah. For a moment there, sheriff, I wasn't sure what was gonna happen. The flames were coming right at me, and they were, they were high.”

The sheriff questioned, “How high?”

Diane answered, “I don't know. Maybe, five feet… maybe higher.”

Valenti stated as a question, “But Max saved the day.”

Diane was quick to sing her sons praises, “Oh, Sheriff, he didn't hesitate. He just came right in, pulled me out of the way, poured this pot of water on it, and suddenly everything was ok. It was miraculous, really.”

The sheriff suspiciously questioned, “Miraculous. The flames were 5 feet high, or maybe higher. And your mom, God forbid, could've caught on fire, and you put the whole thing out with this one pot of water, huh?”

Max answered, “Yep.”

The sheriff congratulated, “Boy, I gotta hand it to you, Mr. Evans, I'm impressed. You ought to join our fire brigade.”

Max downplayed “Really, it was, it was nothing.”

But Valenti insisted, “No. There's nothing to be humble about. You're a real hero.”

In Max’s room…

Isabel questioned, “So what are you saying, that mom could've… I mean, that something could've really happened to her?”

Max confirmed, “It was a pretty close call.”

Isabel asked, “What exactly did she see you do?”

Max shrugged, “It happened pretty fast. I don't think she saw anything.” Then to clarify he opened the foursquare connection and showed her his memories of the incident.

Isabel nodded, “Ok.”

As Isabel was leaving, “Did she tell you? About, uh, Valenti?”

Isabel questioned, “Valenti?”

Max clarified, “The fire tripped off the security system, and he stopped by to check things out.”

Isabel asked, “What did he say? Was he suspicious?”

Max said, “Yeah I think he was, and he kept on looking at mom like his next project or something.”

Isabel replied, “This is bad.”

Max consoled, “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it. By the way, how are Alex’s powers coming along?”

Isabel responded, “Not bad he can do most of the basic stuff now, but we still don’t know what his specialty is going to be.”

At school…

Michael questioned, “You used your powers in front of your mother? That is not fine.”

Max answered, “Michael, I'm handling it, all right? I don’t think I’m ready to tell her yet but in the last timeline when she found out, she handled it fine. Either way it’s taken care of.”

Michael looked at Max for second before conceding, “Fine.”

Liz walked up with Maria and Michael grabbed Maria’s hand, “Hey.”

Maria caught his eyes with a smoldering look and moments later they were headed off to the eraser room.

Liz walked into Max’s arms welcoming him with a kiss, “So have you decided whether or not you’re going to tell her?”

Max replied, “Well I’m going to handle things a little differently than last time, but I don’t think I’m ready to tell her yet, so much is going to happen in the next year. I’m thinking I’ll wait until the worst of it is over.”

Liz nodded, “Ok, I’ll see you at the game.” Then she headed of to class.

At the Evans’ home…

Diane was watching home a home video of her kids playing with birds when they were six. Isabel came in and pleaded, “Mom, just promise me you're not gonna get all nostalgic.”

Diane responded, “I won't.” Then she questioned, “So, your brother, he's always been so private, don't you think?

Isabel asked, “Private?”

Diane clarified, “Yeah. I mean, he's always just got his guard up a little bit.”

Isabel agreed, “He's Max. It's who he is. He's always been that way.”

Her mother continued with, “Right. And that's what sort of worries me. I mean, why do you think he's always been so secretive?”

Isabel dismissively answered, “Mom, I don't know.”

Diane tried again, “Isabel. Have you ever noticed anything about your brother? Anything, unusual?”

Isabel nervously asked, “Like what?”

Diane answered, “Well, I don't know. Anything that, maybe you were unable to explain.”

Isabel was looking for a way out of this conversation so she asked, “Mom, what's this about?”

Diane starting to feel a bit silly answered, “Oh. Forget it. Never mind. I guess I'm, I'm just a bit shaken still from the fire.”

Isabel tried comforting, “Mom...”

But Diane dismissed, “No, forget it. I'm fine. Get to the game, honey. You're late.”

Isabel agreed as she turned to leave, “Yeah, ok.”

Her mother calls out to her, “Isabel?” She pokes her head back around the door with a look on her face that asks, “what?” Diane points and reminds, “Your sweater.”

At the game…

Isabel goes up to Max, “I need to talk to you for a second.” They leave the stands and go to a quieter area. When she thinks their sufficiently isolated she exclaims, “Mom knows something!”

Max questions, “What?”

Isabel explained, “She was asking all these questions about you. She said you had secrets.”

Max worriedly questions, “She said that?”

Isabel confirmed, “Yeah. She was watching this video of us from when we were kids.”

Max remembered what he had to do last time so he sighed before stating, “I’ll take care of it.” Then he went back up into the stands, greeting Liz with a kiss.

A few moments later as Max & Liz are cheering Kyle on he falls to the floor while trying to recover ball and injures his ankle and began crying, “God! Ohh! Ohh!”

At the Evans’ house…

Diane thanked the sheriff as she poured him a cup of cofee, “It's nice of you to come by, Sheriff. I'm much better today.”

The sheriff responded. “Good. Thank God Max was here, huh?”

Diane agreed as she sat down and poured a cup for herself, “I know.”

Valenti complimented, “Max is a nice kid, and… special.”

Diane agreed again, “He is.”

The sheriff stated, “I hope he's doing ok. Seems to have been around a couple of near misses lately.”

Diane took a sip of her coffee and asked, “A couple?”

Valenti elaborated, “Yeah, well, you remember that whole shooting incident at the Crashdown Café back in September?”

Diane acknowledged, “Yeah. I remember. What does Max have to do with that?”

The sheriff asked, “He never mentioned that?”

Diane answered, “No.”

Valenti responded with a “huh” that was designed to pique her interest.

Diane started getting worried, “Sheriff, was Max involved in that somehow?”

The sheriff cryptically dismissed, “It's just water under the bridge, I guess.”

This only fanned Diane’s worry and she stated, “You seem to have some sort of interest in my son. I'd like to know why that is. I mean, if Max was involved in some sort of crime, Sheriff, I think…”

But Valenti interrupted her, “Mrs. Evans, I didn't come here to alarm you, ok? I just wanted to make sure that you're feeling better, and I, uh...I also want to drop off this pamphlet on household emergencies. I highlighted the section on grease fires for you. It's helpful information, that's all. I'll let myself out. You have a good day.” Then he stood, put his hat on and left.

In shop class at school…

Maria is using an electric saw to try and cut a piece of would when it breaks. Michael comes up behind her and wraps his arms around her, peppering her neck with kisses. Maria sighs, “That feels really good, but I need to finish this.”

Michael looks at the broken piece of wood and says, “I’ll cover you, use your powers to put it back together.”

As Michael used his body to hide what Maria was doing from view, she took the two pieces of wood and ran a glowing hand over it making it whole again. Then turning to Michael she said, “Thanks.”

Michael shrugged, “No problem.”

At Valenti’s house…

Liz brought Kyle some pie and her study notes for the class they shared. But she was a little hurt when Kyle gave her an icy reception. She left not wanting to stay where she wasn’t welcome.

At the Evans’…

Max is painting the ceiling to get rid of the scorch marks when his mother walks in, “Max, you don't have to do that.”

Max assures her, “It's no problem. What are you doing up so late?”

Diane responds, “Mmmm, couldn't sleep. Boy... this could have been a real disaster. Thank God you were here.”

Max tries ending the topic with, “Mom, really. You're gonna give me a complex if you don't stop talking about it.”

But his mother questions, “Tell me again, Max. Tell me how you did it.”

Max asks, “How I did it?”

His mother prods him, “Yeah. You saw the flames, and then you did what?”

Max answered, “Well, I-I ran to the stove, I grabbed the pot of water that was sitting there and threw it at the fire.”

Diane argued, “It was a grease fire, Max. The Sheriff stopped by today and gave me this pamphlet. And the thing is, it says right here, water doesn't put out a grease fire. Water makes a grease fire spread. Max, what did you DO?”

Just then Isabel walks in, “I'm home. I thought I heard voices. What's everyone still doing up?” Diane’s shoulders slump as she realizes she’s not going to get her answers now.

In the morning…

Isabel is using her powers to try on different shades of lipstick when her mother walks in, “Knock, knock.”

Isabel quickly grabbed a stick of lipstick to cover and cried, “Oh, God! Mom, you startled me!”

Diane apologized, “Sorry, sweetie. I certainly didn't mean to.” Then she questioned, “Isabel... can you tell me what you remember? I mean, we've never really talked about this much... about you and your brother before daddy and I came into the picture.”

Isabel answered, “Well... I don't remember much, mom.”

Diane replied, “Well, I know, honey. You've told me that. And I've always accepted it. But, honey, you were 6 years old. There must be something about your life before us that you remember.”

Isabel thought back to her earliest memories, “Well... I remember the orphanage. Um, I most clearly remember seeing you and daddy the day that you came to adopt us, and you were wearing this yellow sweater. And I remember thinking that it looked like the sun. That you were like the sun.” She paused for a moment then decided to try and give her mother some comfort, “Mom, I don't know if you can understand this, but...the day that you and daddy came for us...that's when our lives began.”

At the Crashdown...

Kyle walks in and Liz comes up to him, “Hi.”

Kyle responds, “I figured it out.”

Liz asks, “You figured what out?”

Kyle answers, “It’s guilt, isn't it?”

Liz questions, “What are you talking about?”

Kyle answers as sits down in one of the booths, “The pie, the study notes. It's guilt. You feel responsible for my ankle.”

Liz didn’t even try to deny it this time, she sat down as she admitted, “I admit it, ok? You know, I feel a little bit responsible. I was sitting there, and I was... I was watching you at that basketball game, and you were getting completely trampled. I mean things haven’t been good between us since we broke up and if I hadn’t been there distracting you maybe this wouldn’t have happened.”

Kyle feels a twinge of guilt of his own and says, “About what happened with us, I just wanted to say, you-you were pretty straight with me. And you-you told me it was over, and-and-and I, I didn't listen. I didn't let it go.”

Liz smiled, “Is, um, excuse me? Are you apologizing to me?”

Kyle shrugged, “I guess.”

Liz exclaimed, “Wow! I-you know, I wasn't aware that this was part of your repertoire.”

Kyle chuckled, “I didn't either.”

Liz chuckling her self asked, “So, then, what changed?”

Kyle explained, “I don't know. I, I was, like, I was just laying there for like two days, and it gave me some time to think. And then there was this whole thing on Sally Jessie. You know, "Xs on a rampage," and it just, it gave me some perspective, so... but anyway, I just, I think it would be great if, you know, if we could, you know, maybe we could be friends.

Liz agreed, “Well, it, um, sure. We could, you know, we could work towards that.”

Kyle changed the subject, “So...anyway, about, uh, about lunch...”

Liz stood up with, “Oh, yeah.”

Kyle joked, “I was hoping for something high in both fat and cholesterol and lacking in any inherent nutritional value.”

Liz joked back, “I think that you are just in luck. Let me show you. Right here on the menu is our fatty section. This right here, there's, like, 4 pounds of sugar...”

Max arrives at the Crashdown and sees that Liz and Kyle are becoming friendly with each other again, and smiles. He walks over and asks, “Hey Kyle, how’s the leg?”

Kyle answers, “Just a sprain, I’ll be back in two weeks.”

Max replies, “That’s great.” Then, motioning to the seat across from him, he asks, “Mind if I join you?”

At the sheriff’s station…

Valenti began, “Thanks for coming in, Mrs. Evans.”

Diane dismissed, “Of course, Sheriff. It sounded important.”

The sheriff explained, “It's just there's something I thought you should see. It's the police report from the incident at the Crashdown Café.”

Diane glanced at the report and asked, “Max was there?”

The sheriff answered, “A few people identified him.”

She continued reading and questioned, “It says he fled the scene. Why would he do something…”

Valenti interrupted her, “You see, that's the thing, Mrs. Evans. There doesn't seem to be any reason for him to have fled. If you turn the page, there's some testimony... from a Larry Trilling and Jennifer Kattler. Now, granted, they're a couple of tourists with a serious credibility issue, but they both said they saw a waitress get shot in the stomach.

Diane questioned, “Liz Parker?”

The sheriff confirmed, “Yeah. And they also claimed that they saw someone go up to her... kneel down over her... put his hand over her, and heal her.”

Diane asked incredulously, “Who? Oh, Sheriff, what are you trying to tell me about my son...that he has some kind of healing powers?”

Valenti concluded, “I just thought you should see this report.”

That night at the Evans’…

Diane was watching the bird video again when Max came out of his room and asked, “Can't sleep again?”

Diane replied, “Max. I want to show you something. Here it comes.”

They both watched the screen as young Max healed a bird with a broken wing, and then released it to fly away.

Diane asked, “Can you- can you help me, Max? Can you tell me what just happened? The bird had a broken wing... and when you touched it... it flew away, honey. It came to life.”

Max complained, “Mom, that was 10 years ago.”

Diane argued, “And I've thought about it. I mean, it's just one of those things that happened. I mean, I never really understood it, but there was nothing I could do about it at the time. So I tried to forget about it. But some things you never forget about. And when that kitchen fire happened... I thought about it all over again.”

Max took a deep breath and began, “Mom, that bird was hurt and I fixed it, the fire was dangerous and I put it out. Can we just leave it at that? I really, really… I just, I can’t talk about this.” Getting an idea as he remembered the last time line he said, “Wait here just a second, I need to get something.”

He went to his room and retrieved the toy house his mother gave him as a kid. When he returned to the living room he handed it to her and started a version of the speech he gave his mother in the last timeline. “I remember my first few nights in our house so well. I hated it so much. For Isabel it was different. She saw you and dad, and from the very first moment, she knew she was home. But I would lie in my bed all night and cry.”

Diane stated more than questioned, “Because you wanted to go home.”

Max affirmed, “Yeah. And you gave me this. And you said that it was a magic house... that if I held onto it, it would take me home. That gave me hope. It was an amazing gift. But the thing is mom, there wasn’t home I wanted to go back to. I have absolutely no memories from before the day you and dad found us in the desert; I have no memory of a home, no place to want. It was the feeling of home that I was looking for, and I didn’t find it until the first day you sent me to school. They say home is where the heart is, well that first day at school has I was getting off the bus; I felt it, this warm feeling that filled an area inside me that had previously been empty of everything but loneliness and pain.”

Max choked back tears as he continued, “I looked around for the cause and that’s when I saw her for the first time, Liz Parker. Before the fire you asked me what she is to me. She’s the girl who possessed my heart before I ever met her. She’s the one in whose presence is the only place I ever feel at home, she’s what I wanted when I cried myself to sleep those first nights. She’s the love of my life, and if I get my way in a few years she’ll be my wife.”

Taking a deep breath and wiping the tears from his eyes and turning back to his mother he pleaded, “I don’t think there are words to describe how much you and dad mean to me mom. When I was lost, naked, and alone; you took me in, and made me a part of your family. And I love you for it. But I can’t talk about this; if you can’t accept that and you want me to leave, I can accept that. Just please don’t ask me about this anymore.”

As his mother looked at the vulnerability evident on his face and it registered how much this meant to him, she decided to let him have his secret. She pulled him into a tight embrace, pleading, “Don’t leave.”

At the school…

Michael waited for Maria’s class to finish. As she came out he asked her, “So how’d you do?”

She answered, “I got a D.”

Michael looked shocked and asked, “Why? You could have waved you hand over it and made it perfect A material.”

Maria answered, “Because that would be cheating Michael.”

Michael argued, “But the point of the class is to make sure you can make things out of wood. How is it cheating to use a talent you will always possess to make the job easier?”

Maria insisted, “It just is.”

Michael could only shake his head as he followed her out to spend the afternoon with her.
Last edited by Zanity on Sun Oct 01, 2006 9:44 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Chapter 12

Timeline 3 – Into the Woods

Disclaimer: This part contains large portions of “Into the Woods” I don’t own it.


Liz wakes up with Max still inside her from the night before. Max awakens moments later because Liz had gone missing from their shared dream world. As his mind registers his position he makes love to her again.

As they bask in the afterglow Max smiles, “Good morning love.”

Liz opens her moth to reply but sneezes instead. Max’s concern is as immediate as Liz’s reaction to reach for the Echinacea Maria gave her. But before she reaches it Max has her spun around and looking into his eyes. Then it wasn’t as much of forming a connection as simply diving deeper into their bond, but the result was the same, Max was inside her again. But this time it was his mind not his body that entered her, he traveled through her finding every viral and bacterial cell in her body and reducing them to simple proteins that her body could absorb.

When he finished he performed and perfunctory scan to assure nothing else was wrong. Then he shook his head and laughed, “Ok, so let me get this straight. Your boyfriend has alien healing powers, but it’s Maria and her herbs that you turn to when you catch a cold?”

Liz laughs, “Sorry, old habits die hard. Now it’s time for you to leave so I can get ready.”

Max kisses her goodbye before they deactivate their rings and each finds themselves alone in their rooms.

After Max disappears Liz writes in her journal,

I hate the start of a cold. That little tickle that tells you something's about to happen that you know you can't prevent, something that could be mild if you do all the right things, or could knock you off your feet if you're not careful. Or if you have an amazing alien boyfriend, something that can vanish all together.

Later that night…

Two people are making out in the back of a truck when suddenly lightning flashes across the sky and a bright white light appears.

At the Crashdown…

The lights in the Crashdown flicker due to interference from the electrical storm. A moment later Maria walks in and Liz accuses, “You're late.”

Maria responds, “Liz, today is the first day of the rest of our lives.”

Liz questions, “Spending time with your mother again?”

Maria rebuts, “No, I mean it. Aren't you tired of being a slave to men?”

Liz dismisses, “Definitely your mom.”

Maria continues ignoring the interruption, “Tired of spending every waking moment pining over them, just for us to get our hearts crushed in the end.”

Liz interrupts, “Ok, what has Michael done now?”

Maria comes back, “This isn’t about Michael, it is time to branch out, to explore other possibilities. You and me babe, together.”

Maria begins to open up her uniform and Liz cries, “Maria, what are you...”

But she’s interrupted as Maria finishes opening it to reveal a navel ring and cries, “Tada!”

Liz shockedly exclaims, “Oh, my God!”

Maria explains, “We are turning over a new leaf. We are enjoying our wild and crazy years to the fullest. You know, having fun for a change.”

Liz argues, “Yeah, but skewering my navel is not exactly my idea of fun.”

Maria pulls the ring off showing it to be a fake, “Yeah, relax, honey. You think I'd let anyone get near me with a needle?”

As they walk out into the café, Liz’s dad asks, “Hey, could one of you give me a hand over here?”

Liz puts Maria’s ring in her nose before turning around and walking up to her dad, “Sure.”

Jeff nearly collapses when he sees Liz wearing a nose ring, “Oh, my god!”

Liz laughs, pulls the ring off and assures him, “Don't worry, dad, it's fake.”

Her father questions, “Anything else I should know, a tattoo maybe, uh...”

Liz assures him “No. Nothing.”

Jeff complains, “You've been so busy with school and new friends, I mean, we don't even get a chance to talk.”

Liz apologizes, “I know, dad.”

Jeff offers, “We could make up for it this weekend.”

Liz asks, “This weekend?”

Her father responds, “Isn't that the fathers' camping weekend? I saw it listed on your school calendar.”

Liz tentatively answers, “Yeah right.” She takes a moment to think and a bit more firmly states, “It is this weekend. You're right.”

Her dad questions, “You still want to go, don't you?”

Liz answers, “Yeah, dad, I do want to go.”

Just then a very excited Milton enters the café asking, “Where’s Max Evans?”

Maria deadpans, “I thought he worked for you dude.”

He points at Liz, “You. You’re Max’s girlfriend right?”

Liz answers, “Um, yeah. Why? What’s going on?”

Milton exclaims, “Just everything we've been waiting our entire lives for. There's been a sighting!”

At the sheriff’s station…

The sheriff is persistent in his questioning of Rocky Calhoun. Rocky is hesitant to tell the sheriff anything because he doesn’t want to get branded a UFO nut. But the sheriff needs answers, he can’t let it go. He has to find out the truth. He finally manages to get the story when he promises that it will be off the record.

In the school halls…

Maria walks through the halls attracting all sorts of attention from the male population of West Roswell High. She stops in front of Liz who gives her a disbelieving look. Maria explains, “It's an aqua bra. You know all the fun of implants except without the invasive surgery part.”

Liz still in disbelief exclaims, “You have officially lost it!”

Maria just shrugs, “Yeah well, just putting a little spice in my life. A jealous Michael can be so cute.”

Liz just shakes her head then she sees Max head into the eraser room and says, “Now this shows promise however, see you later.” And she heads in herself knowing that Maria will be following shortly when she sees Michael go in.”

A few minutes later all six teens are in the eraser room, and Max opens the foursquare connection offering the visuals of the symbol they saw during the last timeline. Then out loud he says, “Ok, the sighting is real, Michael you go with River Dog again and get rid of the evidence. Isabel and I will go on the camping trip this weekend to keep the sheriff occupied. I already know Liz is going with her dad. That leaves Maria and Alex. Which side of things do you two want?”

Liz smiles, “And Maria, if you decide to go on the camp out, you leave the aqua bra at home. I so do not need to hear you complaining about an ice bra again in this timeline.”

After they all laughed Maria decided to go with Michael while Alex decided to talk his father into going camping.

In Liz’s Room…

Mr. Parker enters Liz’s room looking for her, “Hey, sweetie? You in here?” Liz comes out from the bathroom only partially dressed, and he turns around as he exclaims, “Hey, now!”

Liz is surprised to find her dad in her room and shouts, “Oh, dad!” As she scrambles to get her robe and puts it on, “Oh, gosh.”

Jeff berates himself, “Oh, I should have knocked.”

Liz now dressed starts dismissing it, “No, it's all right, it's ok.”

Jeff apologizes, “I-I-I gotta get better at this privacy thing.”

Liz questions, “It's no big deal, dad. Did, um, did you want something?”

Jeff sits down and states, “Uh, listen, sweetie, about this camping weekend. We should just go and take advantage of the time together. I wouldn't miss that for anything.”

Liz agrees, “I was actually gonna say the same thing.”

Jeff points out, “And I can get to know your boyfriend, Max and, uh, he has a sister, too, right?”

Liz confirms, “Isabel.”

Her dad continues with, “And the guy with the hair?”

Liz smiles at the description, “Michael.”

Jeff confirms, “Michael, yeah.”

Liz says, “Yeah, well Michael’s not really on good terms with his foster father so I doubt he’ll be there. But Max was looking forward to a chance to get to know you better.”

Jeff is surprised by this and asked, “Oh really?”

Liz watched her fathers face to gauge his reaction to her next statement, “Yeah, he said it was important for a good boyfriend to establish a good relationships with his prospective in-laws.” She was relived to see that her father’s reaction was one of surprised respect. She wondered if he caught the implication of a marriage down the road.

At Michael’s trailer…

Michael hollers at someone who lives in the camper next door, “Hey, you, shut up!”

River Dog appears but turns to leave at Michael’s harsh demeanor. Michael follows him, “Hey, wait! What are you doing here?”

River Dog asks, “Did you see it? Did any of you see it?”

Michael admits, “No, but I’m supposed to go look at it with you.”

River Dog nods, “I will return when it is time.”

At the Crashdown…

Maria tells Liz, “By the way I brought you some more Echinacea and threw in a little golden seal.”

Liz responded, “Oh that’s really not necessary, Max took care of it.”

Maria was dumbfounded for a second, “Max took care of it?” Then realization dawned on her, “Oh, Max took care of it.”

Liz laughed, “You didn’t honestly think he’d let me walk around sick, did you?”

At the sheriff’s station…

The sheriff questioned Kyle, “Shouldn't you be in school or something?”

Kyle answered, “I have third period free, remember? We have exactly 36 minutes to buy this tent, unless something more important has come up.”

The sheriff looked up as he remembered, “Oh. Listen, Kyle, about this weekend...”

Kyle interrupted him, “You mean fathers' weekend, dad? The only 2 days in a row we spend together all year?”

The sheriff tried placating, “Yeah. You know, I wouldn't do this if it wasn't an emergency.”

Kyle questioned sarcastically, “It's an emergency. Well, come on, you can tell me. I'm family, right? Is it the big invasion?”

Deputy Hansen interrupted, “Mayor Higgins on the line, sir.”

The sheriff answered, “I'll be right there. Look, Kyle, I don't know what this is yet, but I can't have anybody else find out first.”

Kyle pointedly questioned, “You can't or you won't?”

The sheriff once again tries placating, “I tell you what. You go on ahead without me. I'll call Coach Clay. I'll make sure he takes care of you out there.”

Kyle dejectedly leaves as he states, “Thanks for your effort. See you on Monday.”

At the bus…

As he unloads their gear, Alex’s dad asks him, “You sure you wanna do this, Alex?”

Alex replies, “Yeah, I'm sure dad. Come on. We’ll have fun.”

Elsewhere in the parking lot…

Philip questions, “Are you sure you guys really want to do this?”

Max answers, “We've been looking forward to it.” Not hearing anything from Isabel he gives her a quick jab.

Isabel glares at Max but smiles, “Yeah, absolutely.” Then turning around she mutters for only Max to hear, “Mosquitoes, pit toilets, and animal droppings. Yes!”

Their dad comments, “Well, I can't say it doesn't make me happy to see you two joining in like this.”

Isabel responds, “Well, that's our new policy, dad. We're joiners.” Then just being a good sister and returning the favor, she elbows Max, “Right, Max?”

He confirms, “Joiners.”

The Parkers showed up and Liz walked straight into Max’s arms. Max was aware of the audience so he kept their kiss chaste. He caressed her face tenderly, “I missed you.” After basking for another moment in her presence, he pulled her to his left side and laced his fingers through hers. Then turning to her father he extended his other hand in greeting, “Mr. Parker, it’s a pleasure to see you again.”

After shaking his hand, he motioned to his sister, “You’ve met my sister Isabel?” Jeff nodded and Max continued, “And my father, Philip Evans.”

Philip extended his hand, “Good to see you again Jeff.” Then he smiled at the girl standing at his son’s side, “Liz.”

Jeff concluded, “Well we better go get checked in.”

Meanwhile…

The coach calls out, “Bennett, Butler…” Then he spotted Kyle and called, “Hey, Valenti.”

Kyle approaches him, “Hey, coach.”

The coach states, “I understand we're gonna be bunking together this trip.”

Kyle sardonically deadpans, “Pinch me.”

The sheriff comes up behind them, “I'll take it from here, coach.” By way of explanation to his son he raised the tent in his hands, “New tent, right?”

Kyle questioned, “So, I thought you had to work.”

The sheriff dismissed, “Oh, they'll get a hold of me if they need to. I'll go check us in.” The sheriff walked over to check in leaving a confused Kyle in his wake. He found Jeff Parker already there and asked, “Hey. Squeezed another year out of it, huh?”

Jeff replied, “Oh, yeah. You know, you're lucky you got a boy.”

Alex’s dad walked up behind them, “Hello, Sheriff.”

The sheriff turned around. “Hey. Jim. This weekend it's Jim.”

Charles commented, “So, Frazier Woods, huh? I don't know about you guys, but it makes me a little nervous.”

Jim questioned, “Why? It's a well-marked campsite.”

Charles elaborated, “I mean about the sighting. Isn't it close to where we're going?”

Valenti shrugs, “Ah, it's three, maybe four miles. It's nothing to worry about.” Then he eyes Max & Isabel getting on the bus. A little later he calls the station, “Yeah, it's me. Tell Miller to put some extra men on the perimeter. I think something might happen tonight. I want to be ready.”

In Frazier Woods…

Everyone is looking for a campsite to set up in. Philip calls to his kids, “Hey, hey. This looks like a good one.”

Max suggests, “What about over there? It's closer to the trees.”

Philip agrees, “Yeah. Good call.” And they head off to campsite Max suggested.

At a nearby campsite…

Kyle is talking to his dad as he prepares to set up their tent, “I'm gonna break the all-time record. Last year I ate five bratwursts. This year I'm gonna eat six. How 'bout you?” He looks over at his dad who his staring at the Evans setting up camp a ways away. He tries getting his attention by clapping his hands, “Dad..... Focus. Son.”

The sheriff snaps back to reality and apologizes as he pulls out his cell phone, “Sorry, Kyle. What were you asking?”

Kyle questions back, “What is that? What are you doing?”

The sheriff explains, “I promised Miller I'd stay in touch tonight. But you know what? Reception's low in this area. Let's try a different site.”

Kyle argues, “But I picked this one. I…”

His dad interrupts him, “Kyle.”

At the Evans’ campsite…

Alex approaches the campsite saying, “Hey, look at us. We're campin'.” He walks through the site to the next one right by the campfire and declares, “Hey. Ok, here we go. Now we're ready to have some fun.”

The Sheriff pretends to follow his cell phone which coincidentally gets good reception right next Max and Isabel's campsite. He announces to Kyle, “Bingo. Reception.” Then looking to Max and Isabel he asks, “Hey, you got space for a few more around here?” He tells Kyle, “This’ll be fine son.” Then Jeff and Liz happen by and the sheriff calls out, “Jeff! Over here. Come on. We'll make a party of it.”

Liz smiles over at Max, “Sounds good to me.”

Later that night…

Max tosses a couple of coins in the pot, “I'll see your nickel and raise you a quarter.”

Philip declares, “I fold. I know better.”

Charles agrees, “Ha. Too rich for my blood.”

Jeff questions, “What are you hidin', Max? Got some power over these guys...makes 'em do exactly what you want? Well, I call. Full house. Jacks and eights.”

Max looks at his full house, Aces over nines, and he changes the Ace of diamonds to the deuce, so Mr. Parker would win. Then he displays his hand, “Two pair. You win.”

Jeff smiled as he collected his winnings, “That was a good bluff. But I saw through you.”

Off in the woods…

Alex and Isabel are stargazing away from the group as Isabel points out, “And then to the right of the Milky Way, that's Orion.”

Alex exclaims, “Oh, wow.”

Isabel continues to display her knowledge of astronomy, “And see the north star?”

Alex confirms, “Yeah.”

Isabel continues, “Ok, now look a little to your left...and a little further out, that small group of stars right there, that's the Cygnus constellation. It's the furthest we can see from here.”

Alex states, “It's amazing.”

Isabel questions, “What is?”

Alex explains, “Staring at the stars with you. I mean, I used to look up there, and stars were just stars. One was just as good as the next one. Somehow with you...I mean... It's so wondrous, you know? I mean...each star is...is a mystery, you know, and so full of possibility.”

Isabel says, “Thanks.” Then Alex moves in to kiss her and they spend the next hour seeing a different kind of stars.

At Michael’s Trailer…

Maria and Michael are waiting for River Dog. He shows up saying, “It is time.” They follow him out towards the sighting site.

At the camp…

Max gets up and heads over to Liz and they both head off into the woods for a little privacy. When they get about five minutes away from camp they start kissing. Max groans in her ear, “God, I’m going to miss making love to you tonight.”

Liz replies, “I know what you mean.” About half an hour later they head back to camp.

The sheriff who had been following them turned around to find Kyle standing in front of him. “Kyle, what the hell are you doing here?”

Kyle responds, “Just wanted to see what was more important than me.”

His father states, “You don't understand.”

This launches Kyle into a tirade, “No, I don't. I don't understand why you're hunting Max Evans, why you can't just tell me. I do understand that Liz left me for him, that he became more important to her than me. When they’re together, the love flowing between them is undeniable. But what I don’t understand is how he became more important to you than me. You weren’t even going to come on this trip, but then you show up suddenly and you’re all over Evans. You came out here for him, not for me, your own son.”

Kyle took a deep breath and continued, “How many times have I heard the stories, dad? How many times you sitting at home listening to grandma cry while grandpa spent the night chasing spacemen out in the woods? That's my role now, isn't it? It's ironic.”

Then he turned to leave and the sheriff called out. “Kyle, wait.”

Kyle turned around and drove home one last point before storming back to camp. “Now I know why you never wanted to see grandpa again, because to him you were just a low priority!”

Back at camp…

Max grabs his sleeping bag and places it next to Liz’s and she questions, “Max?”

Max replies, “I may not be able to make love to you tonight because of our parents proximity, but I’m not about to give up sleeping with you in my arms.”

Liz argues, “But Max what if our dads…”

Max answers her before she can finish, “They’ll find us both fully dressed and in our own sleeping bags.”

Liz nodded and they each got into their sleeping bags before falling asleep in each other’s arms. A few hours later Jeff called out, “Lizzie, come inside, sweetie; it's too cold.” He poked his head out of the tent and saw Liz practically lying on top of Max. Her head resting in the crook of his neck; his arms wrapped around her protectively; and both sound asleep. His first instinct was to wake them up and separate them. But they were both completely dressed, and each had their own sleeping bag, and the look on their faces was so peaceful that he decided to let them be.”

In the woods…

River dog states, “Just over there.”

River Dog falls and grimaces in pain. Maria questions, “Are you ok?”

River Dog motions to Michael, “Give me your hand.”

Michael offers his arm, “Here.” He leads him over to a log he can sit on.

As River Dog makes his way over to it he winces, “Whoa!”

Michael questions, “What, what, what, is it?”

River Dog responds, “I-I think I broke my ankle. It's-it's about a mile north of here. You keep going.”

Michael drops down and heals his ankle, “No, you should be fine to travel now.”
River Dog tentatively walks on it. Feeling all the pain gone he thanks Michael and the three of them head off again.

When the find the symbol on the ground Maria and Michael make it glow briefly before making it disappear. They thank River Dog and he heads off back to the reservation.

Maria questions Michael, “Can I talk to you about something?”

Michael says, “Sure let’s head over to the cave.”

They make their way to the cave and Maria begins, “I miss us Michael, I miss what we had in the last timeline.”

Michael looks at her uncomprehendingly, “What do you mean?”

Maria should have known Michael wouldn’t pick up on subtle so she spelled it out, “Michael I want you to make love to me. I want to have our relationship back. And when the time right I want to marry you again.”

As comprehension dawned on Michael, his eyes grew darker. He moved forward and kissed her hungrily. When they broke apart for air, he began to undress himself and transform his clothes into a foam ground cover to place beneath them. Maria too began undressing changing them into a blanket to cover them.

When their tasks were finished he positioned himself to enter her and quickly opened the foursquare connection just long enough to tap Max’s healing powers as he dissolved both her membrane and her egg.

Then they made love though the night. Both were surprised at the bond that formed between them, it wasn’t as strong or as deep as Max and Liz’s bond. They had both left to many barriers and guards in place around their hearts and minds for that. But neither had remembered this bond in the last timeline at all, and they were both thrilled with sense of unity it gave them.

Miles away the Granolith glowed briefly. It was one step closer to performing the task it was programmed to do so long ago. One step closer to fulfilling the destiny the prophets who designed it had in mind. Things were falling into place; it was only a matter of time now.

At the retirement home…

The sheriff stood at the door, staring at his father, lost in thought, when a doctor approached him, “Can I help you?”

He replied, “Yeah. I'm here to see James Valenti, Sr.”

The doctor never having seen him before questioned, “And you are?”

Valenti answered, “I'm his son.”

The doctor pointed and said, “That's him.”

The sheriff walked across the room and greeted, “Dad?”

Jim Valenti, Sr. was sitting down and having trouble eating some pears, he muttered, “Damn pears are slippery.”

The sheriff tried again, “Dad, it's me. It's Jimmy. Been a while, huh?”

His father agreed, “A long time.”

The sheriff sat down pushed forward, “Yeah. Maybe you were right. Maybe you were right all along. And I'm sorry.” His father put down his spoon and the sheriff picked it up, “I can help you with those.” Spooning up a bite, he fed it to his father, “Here.”
Last edited by Zanity on Sun Oct 01, 2006 9:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by Zanity »

Chapter 13

Timeline 3 – The Convention

Disclaimer: This part contains large portions of “The Convention” I don’t own it.


Liz sits writing in her journal,

I don’t like it but it has to be done. Max is going to let Hubble take him out to the store again. It was a turning point for the sheriff in the last timeline, when he finally realized Max hadn’t hurt anybody. It was when it finally sank in that he was obsessively hunting someone of whom he only suspected of helping somebody. If we tried showing him the future before then he might think we’re trying to manipulate him. We have to do this, we have to get the sheriff on our side.

In the Sheriff’s office…

Sheriff Valenti opens the door to his office to find Everett Hubble sitting in his chair waiting for him. Hubble greets him, “Been a while, junior.”

Valenti asks, “How'd you get past the front desk?”

Hubble replies, “Better beef up security.” He flipped the picture he was holding towards the sheriff, “Heard you had a boy. Bachelor myself. No kids for me.”

The sheriff coldly states, “You're not welcome here, Hub.”

Hubble rebuts, “Oh, junior, I expect more from you than dumbass small town threats.” After a pause he got up to leave, “Well, just wanted to stop by. Regards to your dad. From what I hear, you're starting to come around to his way of thinking.” He chuckles, then as he leaves he says, “See ya, junior.”

One of the sheriff’s deputies spots him leaving and asks, “Who was that?”

The sheriff answers, “That, deputy, was a bona fide alien hunter.”

In the Crashdown…

Liz is serving a group of customers, “Ok, I have one Green Eggs with Moon Rock Hash and one convention special. Can I get you guys anything else?”

One of them replies, “I am Zinaplox from the planet Zedagon. I come to destroy humanity and return to my home planet.”

Liz responds, “Well, then it's really great that you're starting out with a nice hearty breakfast.” She chuckles as she walks away thinking, “These guys have no clue.” She hears the door chimes and looks to see Larry and Jennifer enter the Crashdown. She takes a deep breath as she mentally prepares herself, “Here we go again.”

She walks up to them, “Hi, welcome to the Crashdown. Can I show you to a table?”

Larry excitedly answers, “Table, yes. A table would be lovely. Jen? Table?”

Jennifer agrees, “Yeah, thanks.”

Larry reiterates, “Great.”

Liz walks them over to a table and hands them their menus, “Here you go… Ah, so, can I get you a beverage to start?

Larry states, “A beverage would be lovely. Jen? Beverage?

Jennifer states, “I'll have a Coke.”

Larry says, “Yeah, you know what? I would love to try one of those, uh, delicious shakes that you guys have.” Looking over the menu he selects one, “Let's see, which one... oh, this one looks interesting.” He shows her the menu as if it was something new to her and points out, “Alien Encounter?”

Liz answers, “Yeah. Ok, so we've got one Coke and one Alien Encounter. I'll just be right back.”

Larry says, “Thanks.” Then as Liz is walking away, he calls her back, “Actually, you know what? There is just one more little thing. Why don't you tell me what really happened in September?

Liz just shakes her head in derision and walks away.

At the UFO Center…

Milton approaches Max, “Can you feel it, Evans?”

Max questions, “What's that, Milton?”

Milton explains, “The energy. The synergy. It's kismet.”

Max questions, “Kismet?”

Milton elaborates, “The sighting has attracted some of the leading experts in the field. This is shaping up to be one of the most important gatherings on the paranormal in history. We're not just a joke anymore, Evans.”

Max unenthusiastically states, “That's great, Milton.”

Milton complains, “The problem is I'm overwhelmed here. The press is buzzing around like flies… and the celebrities, they're making my life a living hell. Oh, well, it's no wonder my sciatic nerve is acting up.”

Max asks, “Is there anything I can do to help?”

Milton answers, “I'm not going to lie to you, Evans. I'm moved right now. If you can take on a few extra things it would really help.

Max replies, “Sure, no problem.”

Elsewhere at the convention…

Michael approaches Maria who is standing in front of a booth and questions, “Alien Takedown? What's that, some kind of wrestling match?”

Maria confirms, “Yeah, the Alien Takedown. Do you have a problem with that?”

Michael replies, “Not really, I actually find the kooks and the freak shows like this amusing.”

Amy walks up behind them, “Nothing personal, but this freak show keeps my kooky daughter and myself off the streets.”

Maria handles the introductions, “Mom, Michael. Michael, mom.”

Amy curtly replies, “Nice to meet you.”

Maria states, “That was some guffaw.”

Michael asks, “Guffaw?”

Maria explains, “Yeah, my mother. Great first impression.”

Michael asks, “Since when have I ever cared about peoples impressions?

Elsewhere at the convention…

Milton introduces Max to Hubble and asks him to try and get Hubble to the roundtable.

Later…

Max is working the information boot when Liz approaches him. He steps out of the booth and greets her with a kiss. Liz says, “Larry and Jennifer arrived on schedule… I really hate this Max. What if we’ve changed something and the Sheriff doesn’t get there in time, or something else goes wrong and Hubble actually shoots you?”

Max pulls Liz into a tight embrace and comforts, “It’ll be ok Liz, it will be ok.” Then he gets an idea. “I’ll tell you what. If you’re really worried about it, you can use your ring and you’ll be right there with me. Then you could use your shield to protect me and no one will ever know unless he actually shoots. And if he does I’ll still be ok because you protected me.”

Liz smiles up at Max, “Thank you.”

Max gives her another kiss before stating, “Now I better get back to work before Milton gets upset over our PDAs.”

Liz acknowledges, “Ok,” and leaves.

Outside the UFO Center…

Hubble is leaning up against a car when he spots the sheriff, “Looking for someone?”

The sheriff asks, “What did you come back here for, Hubble?”

Hubble answers, “Well, I've been tracking what's been going on around here for the last few months. The shooting in September at the Crashdown. What happened over there?”

Valenti ignores his question, “You got to my father when he was at his weakest, and you pushed him over the edge. Because of you, I had to have him committed.”

Hubble argued, “Well, now you're giving me more credit than I deserve.”

Valenti angrily demanded, “You get the hell out of here.”

Hubble tilted his head, “I thought we already talked about...”

Valenti interrupted him, “I'm not talking to you as the Sheriff now. This is coming from me. From everything you've cost me. I don't ever want to have to see you again.”

Hubble placated, “I understand you'd be upset, but remember this: all those years your father's been in that nuthouse, I've been living in my own hell. Now, from what I hear, your dad isn't all there these days. But I'll bet you still have a lot of questions... about your father, about that Silo murder and why he was arrested. I'm the only person in the world that has the answers to those questions. I was there. I saw it all. I'm your link, junior. So before you kick me out of town, you ought to think about that. I can help you. We can help each other.”

The next day at the Crashdown…

Liz approaches Jennifer’s table, “Uh, refill?”

Jennifer looks up from her book, “Thanks.”

Liz questions, “You know this is going to be your eighth cup. Do you want to switch to decaf?”

Jennifer defensively asks, “Why, do I look wired to you? Strung out?”

Liz mollifies, “No, no, no, you don't. Not at all. You know, it's just that your eyes are a little bit red.”

Jennifer mutters, “Great. Now he's going to know I've been crying. He hates it when I cry.”

Liz asks, “Larry?”

Jennifer starts gathering her things, “I guess I'd better go.”

Liz objects, “No, you d… just wait. Here.” She sits down and grabs a napkin, dipping it in a glass of water she explains, “Here. Put this on your eyes. He'll never know.”

Jennifer sighs as she complies.

At the convention…

Max approaches Hubble, “Excuse me, Mr. Hubble? About the, the final roundtable on Sunday; well, Milton just wanted you to know that any way that we might be able to accommodate you...”

Hubble interrupted, “I'm a doer, not a talker, kid.”

Max responds, “Right. So I-I'm just curious. I mean, you work here, you sorta get the bug. Did you see something?”

Hubble replies, “Well, let's just say this, this place you're working at, this place, is a joke. If these people knew the truth, they wouldn't all be laughing so damn hard.”

Max questions, “And what is the truth?”

Hubble replies, “You don’t wanna know kid, you don’t wanna know.”

At the retirement home…

The sheriff says, “Dad. Try to focus. That night of the murder, at the silo, Hubble was there?”

Jim Sr. replied, “Hub?”

Jim Jr. said, “Yeah.”

Jim Sr. announced, “He couldn't let go of his wife. That was his problem all along.” The sheriff tried interrupting but his dad amended, “His wife and his kid.”

The sheriff argued, “He didn't have a wife and kid.”

Jim Sr. stated, “It's freezing in here. They're trying to kill me.”

The sheriff sighed and covered him with a blanket stating, “There you go.”

At the Crashdown…

Jennifer explained, “I love Larry. That's the problem. He proposed a year ago. We bought a van to drive to California to get married. It was only supposed to be a 2 week trip. And then we stopped in here for breakfast that day. And we've been on the road ever since.”

Liz asked incredulously, “No marriage license?”

Jennifer answered question for question, “You know how guys get hooked on things? So obsessed with something, they forget about you?”

Liz remembered back to the last timeline when Max was searching for his son, and answered, “Yeah.”

Jennifer elaborated, “Larry's been chasing UFOs ever since that day. In the beginning I was kind of into it; but now I'm tired of adventure. I just want to settle down. I really want a normal guy.

Liz shook her head, “At one time I might have agreed with you, but now I’ve got no complaints.”

Jennifer asked, “You got one, too, huh? A unique boyfriend?”

Liz smiled, “Unique? Yeah, that's a good word for Max.”

Jennifer asked, “Max?”

At the panel discussion…

Jonathan Frakes introduces Larry Trilling as the next direct contact witness and Larry begins his spiel, “Ok. Um, it happened right here, right in Roswell, New Mexico. September 18th. I was in the Crashdown Café. Now, that's right across the street. So I'm sitting there, two guys come in. Boom! They start having an argument. Boom! A gun is pulled.”

Michael walks by and covertly uses his powers to give Larry a really bad itch mumbling “sorry” as he bumps into him.

Larry dismisses it and goes on with his story but begins scratch all over as he continues, “So these two guys, they start to, ahh, they start to struggle, ok? Boom! A girl is shot. Boom! A seemingly normal teenage boy, now this teenage boy, Mr. Frakes, is someone who looks just like you and me. Boom! He goes up to the girl and puts his hand over her, uh, wound, and then, boom! She, uh, she's miraculously healed.”

Jonathan Frakes asks the panel, “Ooh! Well, all I can say is, boom! What do you think?”

The expert announces, “I'm insulted by this ridiculous story.”

Larry defends, “Yeah, well, he is here. He is right here! Ok? Pal? He's right here. Right now! He's in the very audience!”

Frakes getting irritated states, “That's enough, monkey man!”

Larry isn’t in the mood and snaps back, “Listen, cool it, Frakes!”

Frakes calls for security and Max and Milton go to escort Larry out of the building.

Larry at this point gets really excited and starts pointing to Max, “Hey, this is the guy right here! This is the guy! He's the one! He's the guy!”

Frakes renounces, “Well, he may not be the best convention coordinator, but I would hardly call him an alien.”

Larry continued to shout, “You're not like the rest of them, Frakes! There was a bullet, ah, the bullet disappeared! So where's the bullet? The bullet disappeared! It was never found! Where's the bullet? Ahhh...”

Outside the UFO Center…

Hubble walks up to Larry, I know how it feels not to be listened to. I believe you, kid. Tell me everything. Tell me about Max Evans. Tell me what you saw.

Back inside…

In front of the Alien take down ring Michael eaves drops on Amy talking on the phone, “You can't quit now. The Alien Takedown is in an hour! Ernie, you have nothing to be afraid of. Raging Ray is a, puppy dog. Look, he's not really gonna do anything really rough. I realize you suffered a broken rib last year, fine, two, I - did you not receive my gift basket? Look, Ernie, if you don't do this, I'm broke. Ok? I'm out of business, ok? I-I have half my annual revenue tied up in this thing! Hello? Hello? Oh...”

At the sheriff’s office…

Hubble shows the sheriff pictures of the trail of dead bodies Nasedo has left all over the country and convinces him to talk about the shooting.

At the Evans house…

Alex knocks on the door, “Hello! Anybody home?”

Isabel calls, “Come in.”

Alex states, “Hey, I was in the neighborhood. And I thought I give you this, I saw it at the convention, and I-I had to get it for you. It's a book on constellations. I was thinking that maybe, um, sometime we could get together and, you know, try it out?”

Isabel smiled, “Yeah we’ll make a date of it.”

At the Crashdown…

Maria pulls Liz into the supply room, “Ok so how does this bond thingy work?”

Liz questions, “What are you talking about?”

Maria answers, “You know the bond between you and Max how does it work?”

Liz asks, “In which timeline?”

Maria questions, “What do you mean in which timeline?”

Liz answered, “Well in the first timeline it was incredible, but in the second timeline it was even stronger because I’d let my powers develop before we formed it, and in this timeline it’s even stronger because it’s enhanced by the Granolith through our rings. Why are you asking?”

Maria answered, “Because, Michael and I bonded when we made love the first time in this timeline and we didn’t in the last one. It’s incredible when we’re touching its like I know exactly what he’s feeling and we can communicate telepathically, and when he’s close by I can sense where he is. And when we make love we can feel each others pleasure.”

Liz smiled, she was happy for them. She admitted, “Yeah that’s been part of Max’s and my bond in all three timelines. Do you have shared dreams afterwards?”

Maria said, “I don’t know I haven’t asked him about his dreams.”

Liz said, “That was the other part of our bond in the first timeline, we’d make love till we fell asleep then continue in our dreams, that and we didn’t have to be touching for the empathy and telepathy to work, in the second timeline we could hear each other’s casual thoughts and in this timeline it’s like we are completely merged, even our powers are combined and we can get past, present, or future flashes from each other anytime we’re thinking of each other.”

Maria looked at Liz with awe, “Wow, so I better check out the dream thing.” After thinking for a second Maria asks, “Why do you bother going over to the UFO center to talk to Max then?”

Liz answers, “Simple, I can’t kiss him though our connection… well scratch that I could but no one else would see me then Max would look really strange kissing thin air.”

Maria laughed at the thought of what that would look like. As they left the supply room Milton ran up to Amy who was sitting at the counter, “Amy! There you are. The match is almost over!”

Amy questions, “What? Ernie showed up?” She and Maria follow Milton back over to the UFO center. As they arrive Ray comes out saying, “Hey, yo. You better call an ambulance, huh? Bang! Ha ha ha ha!”

Amy rushes over to the wrestling mat and finds a masked wrestler lying motionless in the middle of the ring, “Ernie! Oh, my God! Are you ok?”

Michael removes his mask and states, “I'm just resting.”

Amy hugs him, “Oh, you dear, dear, boy! Oh!” Then she kisses Maria and leaves.

Maria sits down in front of him and smiles; Michael shrugs it off, “It was easy money.” But Maria insists on showing her gratitude with a scorching kiss that ends about and hour later.

At the sheriff’s station…

The sheriff looks over the evidence that Hubble gave him and does a little of his own research. He finds out that his dad was right about Hubble’s wife and kid, “Well, now, how about that?”

At the UFO Center…

Hubble is looking for Max and finds him in one of the back rooms he agrees to do the panel if Max will drive him home to get his stuff.

At the retirement home…

The sheriff goes back to his dad to try and figure out what happened, “You were right. He had a wife. Hubble came to you, didn't he? He told you someone was trying to steal his car that night. And he found his wife dead. And she had a handprint on her. Just like the one that you'd seen on that corpse in 1959. And he saw a man run away from the scene. A drifter. And he thought the drifter was the murderer. Now two years after the murder, he came back, didn't he? And he found you. And he persuaded you, seduced you, and you helped him find that drifter. Isn't that right, dad?”

Hid dad parroted, “The drifter?”

The sheriff continued, “And when you found him, you killed him. You killed an innocent man because of Hubble.”

Jim Sr. denied, “No.”

The sheriff argued, “Dad.”

His father denied with more conviction, “No!”

The sheriff begged, “Dad, tell me what happened out there, please.”

Jim Sr. explains, “I did help Hubble. We tracked him. We were just going to get the truth. He told me he wouldn't hurt the man.”

Jim Jr. finally understood, “Hubble shot him. Didn't he? He shot the drifter, not you.”

His father looked at him seriously, “Whatever you do, Jimmy... don't trust him!”

In the Jeep…

Max and Hubble are heading out towards Bitter Lake and Hubble nostalgically comments, “Beautiful countryside, don't you think? Especially at sunset.”

Max agrees, “Yeah, it's pretty cool. So, Mr. Hubble, you said you were going to answer my questions.”

Hubble begins, “My wife Sheila and me liked to slip away sometimes... just take a drive. Nothing like flying down the highway with the woman you love by your side, now is there?”

Max remembers driving down the old highway with Liz and agrees, “No there really isn’t.”

Hubble continues, “'Course it's gotta be the right one. You know how you know that? A kiss. That's how. Ever heard the expression, "I saw fireworks"? It was just like the 4th of July. That ever happen to you when you kissed a girl?”

Max thought “If only you knew,” but answered, “Once.”

Hubble continued, “Well, it was our first anniversary. She told me she had a surprise for me. I had one for her. I took the last of my paycheck from the refinery, and I bought some fireworks from an old Indian over by the side of the road off the highway there. Just outside of town I remembered I forgot to bring matches. So I pulled in to Peppers Cafe. But you know that, don't you?”

Max asked, “Sir?”

Hubble instructed, “Pull over to the side there. I want to show you something.” They pulled over and got out. As they did Max activated his ring and Liz appeared invisibly beside him. Hubble asked, “You recognize it?”

Max shook his head, “I've never been here, before.”

Hubble continued, “It was just gettin' dark. All I needed was a pack of matches and, there, there they were, right there on the counter, in a fishbowl; ten cents a pack.

Max politely stated, “Mr. Hubble, if we're gonna make Bitter Lake and back in time for the panel...”

Hubble continued like he hadn’t said anything, “And you know what? I-I didn't have it, not-not even ten cents. I thought about going back and-and getting some spare change where I kept it in the ashtray. But I said, ‘Hey, bud-bud, don't make me embarrass myself in front of my lady. Uh, it's my anniversary.’ And he says, uh... ‘Have a good time... it's on the house.’”

Max shakes his head, “I don't understand.”

Hubble states, “I didn't have a good time. Not that night. Not any night since. She never did get my surprise. And I never did get hers. Not until I got a copy of the coroner's report. There it was in black ink. Three months pregnant. A little girl, it said. She was carrying our child. Surprise.”

Max sympathetically says, “I'm sorry.”

Hubble looks at Max with determination, “And so am I. Four innocent people lost their lives startin' that day. My wife, my baby, that drifter, and, uh - and me. Dead man walking. That's what I felt all those years. Only thing kept me alive was you.”

Max asks, “Me? But-but I don't know you.”

Hubble pulls out a gun and points it at Max and Liz summons her shield and wraps it skin tight around Max, she’s determined she isn’t going to loose him.

Hubble states, “I know you.”

Max reacts to the gun putting his hands up, “Whoa, mister, you are making a big mistake.”

Hubble accuses, “I know how you can change your face, your body. You're a shape shifter because you're always running. You changed yourself into that drifter when you killed my Sheila trying to get our car. What were you running from then? Somebody else find out your little secret?”

Max tried placating, “Sir, I know you're upset, but I did not kill your wife. I’ve never killed anybody.”

Hubble argued, “Valenti told me about the healing, about the handprint... just like on Sheila.”

Max shot back, “I am not him. Whoever you think I am, I swear I am not him.”

Hubble shakes his head, “I know who you really are, what you're capable of, and I won't let you kill again.”

Max reiterates, “I’ve never killed anyone!”

Max concentrated and moved Hubble’s hand out of the way with his powers and tackled him at the same time. Hubble pushed Max off and took aim again with his gun. Just then the sheriff arrived, “Drop the gun! Drop it!”

Hubble refused, “It's him!”

The sheriff repeated, “Drop it!”

Hubble argued, “I just saw it! I was right!”

The sheriff asked, “You saw what?”

Hubble answered, “His powers! Don't you see who he is? We have to stop him.”

Max denied, “I don't know what he's talking about.”

Hubble accused, “Liar!”

The sheriff stated, “Drop it, Hub.”

Hubble shook his head, “This son of a bitch is gonna die today, and nothing's gonna stop me, so go ahead! Unload every bullet in your chamber.”

The sheriff answered, “It only takes one.”

Hubble laughed, “Your father couldn't do it... and neither can you.” As he prepares to shoot Max, Valenti shoots one round into Hubble killing him.

Valenti looks at Max apologetically, “I didn't know this was gonna happen. I didn't know he was as dangerous as he was.”

Max knows to play this for all its worth, “What did you tell him? Why did he come after me? You're the Sheriff. You're supposed to protect me. But all you've done is go after me! You believe all these crazy things. You're just like Hubble. You want me? Well, here I am! Take me.” He put his hands behind his head and continues, “I’ve never hurt anyone, I’ve never broken the law. But I’m tired of this, end it! Shoot me, arrest me, dissect me, whatever the heck it is you want from me end it now!” Then letting his voice turn pleading he finishes. “And just let me live or rot in peace.”

The sheriff tries to calm him down, “Son...”

But Max interrupts him, “Son? Son? Would you treat your son this way?”

The sheriff makes a decision, “Get outta here. You were never here. Go on!” Then he goes back to his car and calls in the shooting, “This is Sheriff Valenti. I've been involved in a code four. I got one man down. My 10-20 is the abandoned Peppers Cafe at Bitter Lake.”
Last edited by Zanity on Sun Oct 01, 2006 9:47 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Zanity
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Post by Zanity »

Chapter 14

Timeline 3 – Blind Date

Disclaimer: This part contains portions of “Blind Date” I don’t own it.


“Oh, man, am I gonna kick some ass at these auditions.” Alex confidently states as he strums his fingers lightly across the strings of his electric guitar.

Liz sarcastically questions, “Do they sound this good plugged in?”

Alex responds, “Oh, just you wait, little ladies, until you see my band open up at the, you know, the blind date concert this Friday.”

Liz smiles, “You know, you need a better name.”

Alex complains, “Oh, come on. What's wrong with "the Whits"?”

Maria smiles as she comments, “Just an ‘s’ away from what you really are.”

Alex chuckles, “That's funny.”

The radio announcer begins, “Goin' north on downtown main street, headed with my entourage...”

Alex turns up the volume, “Ooh! Shush.”

The announcer continues, “Toward the winner of the KROZ blind dream date. An evening of fantasy and romance for one lucky listener that ends in the most exciting concert of the year. An intimate club date with a surprise mystery band that'll put this town on the map for more than just the crash.”

Liz complains, “No, this is so stupid. Like anyone would want to go out with someone a radio station picks out for you.”

Maria rebuts, “No, I thought it was romantic.”

Alex deadpans, “You would.”

The announcer finishes, “Right here looking at the home of our new Queen of Hearts, Miss Pamela Troy.”

Liz announces, “Good riddance, you know Maria I almost killed you for signing me up for this stupid thing in the last timeline.”

Maria asks, “What are you talking about?”

Liz explains, “In the last timeline Max had issues about our dating. He worried about my safety with his enemies out there; he worried about me not being happy with and alien monster; and he worried about the fact when we were together he had trouble focusing on other parts of his life. So you thought I should stop pinning for him and you signed me up for this thing without telling me and I won. It was the worst time of my life until Kyle got Max drunk, and Max decided to win me back from my lousy excuse for ‘dream date’. Then it was the best time of my life and I was leaning towards kissing you for it. Until he kissed me on stage which sobered him up and he forgot the whole evening. Then I was back to wanting to kill you for it.”

Maria shrugged, “Yeah well, I must have had my reasons.”

Liz replied, “Yeah, like you couldn’t stop yourself from meddling in my life.”

Maria answered, “You know I just want you to be happy.”

Liz conceded, “Yeah, yeah I do.”

At school the next day…

Liz met up with Alex as he was putting up a flyer, “Oh, hey, Alex!”

Alex answered, “Oh, hey, what's up?”

Maria read the flier and commented, “You lost the singer to your band?”

Liz questioned, “What happened to Wendy Lavely?”

Alex explained, “Uh, she got mono from Peter Gulla.”

Liz winced and Maria quipped, “Ew. She's lucky that's all she got.”

Alex continued, “Yeah. Oh-oh, we-we-we have to find somebody before these auditions tomorrow, otherwise we're screwed.”

Maria haughtily stated, “Alex, Alex begging is so unbecoming.”

Alex asked in confusion? “What?”

Maria conceded, “I'll do it, I'll do it. Anyway, I'm so much better than that prima donna.” Then she asked, “So, when should we rehearse?”

Alex disbelievingly said, “No, no. We're really looking for somebody. With-with-with professional experience, so...”

Maria acted offended, “Excuse me, Wednesday nights at the Pizza Pan.” Looking to Liz she ordered, “Will you tell him?”

Liz piped up, “Oh, yeah. She is so good at karaoke.”

Alex argued, “But, um, maybe, but we play real music.”

Maria started acting hurt and queried, “Oh. So, I'm not good enough for you, is what...”

Alex trying to get out of this without hurting Maria backpedaled, “Oh, no. No, I'm-I'm sure you're very good, at the karaoke, but...”

Maria still sounding hurt questioned, “Just, not for you?”

Alex finally conceded, “All right. Just stop by the garage this afternoon, ok?”

Maria perked up, “Great. I'll see you at 4:00 and I'll bring my charts.”

Alex sighed, “Yeah, your charts.”

In Miss Topolsky’s Office…

Max walked in and activated his ring to once again block any transmissions leaving the room. He then disabled the digital recorder. Miss Topolsky asked, “What can I do for you Mr. Evans?”

Max answered, “To start you should know that I’m currently interfering with all the bugs and recording devices in this room so it’s safe to talk. Second I wanted to make sure you’re as thorough as I expected; that you didn’t take my word for it and did your own research after our last conversation.”

Topolsky smiled, “Yes I did. It took some doing; I had some friends hack into some files I’m not supposed to have access to.” She got three files out of her drawer, “I think you’ll find these interesting. They’re the files on Pierce and the files on subject A and subject B – the two shape shifters we captured after the crash. One was killed during his, uh interrogation isn’t exactly strong enough a word; the other escaped. Pierce’s file has a list of his current targets, that list includes me and all your friends and family.”

Max shook his head in disgust, “I know Agent Pierce doesn’t care who or how many people suffer in order for him to get what he wants.” Before Max opened them he waved his hand over the files, recording their molecular structure in his mind so he could recreate them later. Then he browsed through them. “I see Pierce’s file doesn’t have a photo.”

Topolsky nodded, “Pierce is smart enough and powerful enough to minimize the number of pictures there are circulating of him.”

Max questioned, “Are you going to be able to get us the FBI’s orb when we need it?”

Topolsky answered, “It won’t be a problem.”

Max nodded, “Good. Can I ask you a favor?” When Topolsky agreed he continued, “The sheriff protected me by shooting Hubble the other day. It’ll probably put him on Pierce's list soon. Would you show him these files? I think if he saw them, he might think I need to be protected from Pierce too; and I can use all the allies I can get.”

Topolsky agreed, “Sure thing Max.”

Max thanked her and left.

In Alex’s Garage…

Maria walks in while the band is practicing, “Wow. That wasn't bad! Wow. The tempo kinda lagged there in the end. And I would definitely turn the reverb down on the bass, but... not bad!”

Chris demands, “Who the hell is she?”

Alex introduces, “Guys, Maria. Maria, the guys. Nicky on lead guitar…”

Maria greets, “Hi.”

Alex continues, “Chris on drums, Markos on rhythm.”

Maria hands out her charts, “Here you go. Yeah. These are, uh, my songs.”

Nicky objects, “Oh, we-we do our own stuff.”

Maria explains, “Well... I mean, you guys wanna win this thing, right? And who is judging it? A radio station. And what songs do radio stations like, they like the famous songs. You know, the songs they play over and over and over again.”

Alex complains, “These-these are-these are pop songs. We're-we're sort of an alternative to that.”

Maria argues, “Well, you're not the alternative they're gonna choose.”

Markos argues, “We don't even know if you can sing.”

Maria scoffs and grabs the mike, “Gimme an E-flat.”

Makos is shocked, “Whoa-ho.”

At a bar…

Sheriff Valenti walks in and spots Topolsky, “You wanted to see me?”

Topolsky answers, “Remember the conversation we had last time we were here?” The sheriff nods and Topolsky passes him the three files she showed Max earlier, “This is the man in charge of my unit and two examples of what might happen if I catch my target. He doesn’t deserve that kind of treatment.” Then she walked away leaving the files for Valenti.

At the Audition…

Maria walks in when the band is already set up, “I'm here! I'm here!” Then looking to the promoters, “I’m-I'm Maria De Luca. This is my band.”

As Maria made her way on stage the female promoter commented, “I think she's cute.”

Alex quietly scolded Maria, “Well, well look, this is my band, ok?”

Maria nervously answered, “Look, Alex, all right? It's all-it's all about personality, ok? And, you just-guys just play the music, and I'll take care of the rest, ok?

The head promoter shouted, “Ok! We're ready!”

Maria looked back to the band, “Ok. Um, hey, guys... the one we did yesterday, guys?”

As the band began to play Maria stepped into character for the song and winked at the promoters.

At the Crashdown…

Alex argued, “Maria! For the last time, we are not wearing clothes you picked out at the thrift store.”

Maria shot back, “Alex, look, I really don't want to go on stage with you guys looking high school geeks.”

Alex pointed out, “We are high school geeks! And we like it like that. So, please stop trying to take control over it, ok?”

Maria tries bargaining, “Well, mm, you know, if it hadn't been for me, you guys wouldn't have gotten the gig, so...”

But Alex refuses to bite, “Ok then, you wanna know what? We'll just cancel the whole thing.”

At this point Liz interrupts, “Ok, you guys, just...time out, all right? I mean, this is like your big break, you know? So why don't you guys just, I don't know, like, be yourselves? Alex, do one of Maria's songs, and then, Maria, then you do one of the band's songs.”

She solicits an agreement from each of them before the alien half of their little group shows up. Alex says, “Oh hey, I got tickets for everybody to the concert.”

As he’s passing them out Max wraps his arms around Liz and asks her, “Speaking of which, before the concert would you prefer our Valentine’s Day dinner at Senor Chow’s to commemorate our first date, or in the background of Chez Pierre to give you the romantic dinner I should have given you last time?”

Liz thought about it for a few moments before choosing Chez Pierre, she wanted to make memories there with Max to replace the ones with Doug. And with the radio station focused elsewhere, she and Max could actually have a romantic evening.

Outside the Crashdown…

As Max leaves the sheriff approaches him, “I’ve found some things out recently; I think you’re in danger Max. As you pointed out it’s my job to protect you, but in order to do that I’m going to need to know the truth.”

Max looked at the sheriff, “Have you watched the Matrix?”

The sheriff looked confused but answered, “Yes.”

Max elaborated, “Well I have a similar offer to the one Morpheus gave Neo. It’s nothing as dramatic as offering you two pills; but the choices are similar. You can walk away and continue with life as you always have, or you can come with me into Wonderland and I’ll show you how deep the rabbit hole goes. Unlike the movie this isn’t a one time offer, if you need to think about it, or if you’re not ready to trust me; you can come back later. However, just like the movie the truth will change your life forever, you won’t ever be able to go back. And I can’t guarantee that the change will be for the better. Like Morpheus said ‘I’m only offering the truth, nothing else.’”

The sheriff insisted, “Max I need to know.”

Max hopped into his jeep and said, “Then follow me.”

The sheriff jumped into his cruiser and followed Max out to the old quarry. When he got out, Max approached him saying, “Last chance sheriff. If you want to back out tell me now.”

The sheriff shook his head, “I want this Max.”

Max conceded the point and reached his hand out to shake the sheriff’s. As they shook hands Max made eye contact and formed a connection sending the sheriff a series of flashes.

*Flash* MAX POV *The sheriff talking to him about Topolsky’s death.* *Getting captured by Pierce* *Parts of his time in the white room* *Rescue* *Capturing Pierce*

*Flash* KYLE POV *Being told to stay out of it* *Finding a gun* *Releasing Pierce* *Getting Shot* *Getting healed* *Hearing his dad say he’d always be there for Max*

*Flash* MAX POV *Dealings with the sheriff as he helped with the skins and Laurie Dupree and the Gandarium* *Hearing about the sheriff loosing his job.*

*Flash* KYLE POV *Dealing with the loss of income from his father loosing his job* *Fights with Max about ruining his life* *Talking with Liz while she’s changing.* *Leaving Roswell with the Gang* *Developing his own powers* *Helping fight the war against Khivar* *Crying over his father’s death when Roswell was attacked*

The Message to the sheriff:

Kyle standing in front of a mirror says, “Dad if you’re receiving this that means that Liz made it back in time, but she didn’t change enough to ebb your curiosity and you’re knee deep in alien investigations again. Help Max however possible, all in all he’s a good guy and only wants to help people. But start spending more time with me and do whatever else it takes to keep me out of this. I didn’t like being a part of this to begin with. It’s not that I mind saving the world, but there’s a lot that happens before then that I don’t want to be a part of. Max knows under what conditions I’d like to be brought back into this. I just hope I’m not so pig headed as to but in where I don’t belong and get pulled in early again. I love you dad; and good luck.”

After the flashes stopped Max finished, “In another time sheriff, we became close friends. I hope that is a possibility in this time. I’ll leave you to consider what you’ve learned. The next time we meet I’ll answer any further question you have.”

Then Max drove off to prepare for a Romantic evening with Liz.

Chez Pierre…

Max and Liz had a wonderfully romantic dinner in the background while everyone else’s attention was focused on Pam Troy and her “dream date” Mark Krane. They finished their dinner at the same time that Pam and Mark did; and when the Radio announcer had Mark kiss Pam, Max gave Liz a kiss she’d never forget.

Back stage at the concert…

The female promoter walks in, “There she is, our future Celine Dion.”

Maria tried playing it off, “I like to think of myself as more of an Alanis, but...” She starts laughing nervously.

One of the male promoters introduces, “Maria, this is Matt Walden from the record company, he's always scouting fresh talent.”

Matt reaches out to shake her hand. “Hey, Maria. I'm really looking forward to seeing your band.”

Alex objects, “It's my band.”

Everyone looks around a little uncomfortably and Maria diplomatically intercedes, “Um, you've come... you've come to see us?

Matt placates, “We'll talk after the show.”

Maria acknowledges, “Ok.” While Alex looks upset that once again Maria seems to be center stage of his band.

As it gets closer to time to go on stage Maria starts taking deep breaths and Alex questions, “What-what's your problem, Maria?”

Maria answers, “I'm just-I'm just a little nervous.”

Behind them, Nicky starts taking deep breaths too, only at a much faster rate. Alex turns and asks, “Are you nervous, too?”

Nicky excitedly replies, “No. If you do this long enough, it kind of gives you a buzz.”

At the concert…

Max, Liz, Isabel, and Michael have all met up at the concert to watch their friends perform and the MC announces, “Put your hands together for...the Whits!”

The band walks on stage and begins to take their positions as the crowd cheers; Maria however walks right off the other side of the stage and the MC quickly covers, “Uh, go to the feed.”

Alex goes to Maria and questions her, “What are you doing?!”

Maria whimpers, “I'm hyperventilating.”

Alex shakes his head, “Wh-wh-you-you got to go back out there.”

Maria rebuts, “I can not go back out there. I just saw that crowd and I realized that I have never stood in front of a crowd like that. Let alone sung in front of a crowd like that, Alex.”

One of the male promoters hangs up his cell phone and tells the female promoter something. She immediately gets up and heads towards Alex and Maria.

Alex comforts, “You can do this!”

“No.” Maria shook her head and denied.

Alex continued, “Ok. Yes, you can.”

Maria objected, “Look at this outfit. Who did I think I was in this outfit?”

Alex tried encouraging, “You just need to go back out there and just-just be yourself, ok?

Maria argued, “Myself? I'm a waitress!”

The female promoter reached them and announced, “The band isn't coming. The drummer got arrested for disorderly conduct at the Albuquerque airport.”

Alex deadpanned, “It's always the drummers, isn't it?”

The female promoter bottom lined, “You're the only entertainment we've got.”

Maria took a deep breath as she steeled herself. She went out on stage and began to sing. Once she started singing she threw herself into the music and performed confidently the rest of the night.

In Liz’s Room…

After the concert Max had one more Valentine’s Day surprise for Liz. He held out a CD he’d burned of their favorite songs to dance to and spun it in the air, like coin spun on a table. He used his powers to levitate it above them and play it.

He then shot a hand towards her balcony and drew the white rose petals he’d left there into a whirlwind. The petals would spiral up around them, then rain down upon them before beginning their climb again.

After the first song he whispered in her ear, “I know it’s not exactly how you dreamed it, but it’s the best I could do.” Liz looked up into his eyes with tears of joy streaming down her face, before she melted into his embrace.

As the night drew to a close Max handed Liz her Valentine’s Day gift. She opened it to find a gold heart shaped locket. Opening the locket she gasped at the sight she found. Max had obviously used his powers to make the pictures it contained; because on the left side was wedding photo from their Vegas wedding in the first timeline, on the right side was a wedding photo from their marriage on the run in the second timeline.

As Max fastened the locket around her neck he vowed to her, “This time around I’ll give you your dream wedding, with all our friends and family present.” He was rewarded with Liz attacking him with a heated kiss that quickly escalated into a round of lovemaking. Their last words to each other before drifting off to sleep, “Happy Valentine’s Day.”
Last edited by Zanity on Sun Oct 01, 2006 9:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Chapter 15

Timeline 3 – Independence Day

Disclaimer: This part contains portions of “Independence Day” I don’t own it.


As the sun streamed through the window, Max and Liz began to stir. Like most mornings they awoke in each other’s arms and made love to each other. Unlike most mornings however, Max was actually in Liz’s bedroom as apposed to just using their rings to be together. They just couldn’t bring themselves to leave each other on Valentines Day.

Realizing the added danger of getting caught together, Max quickly dressed and headed for home. As he walked home he reminisced about how much better this Valentines Day had been by comparison to the last time line. In the last one he had to watch that Doug guy kiss Liz. Then he’d made a magical evening for Liz which he promptly forgot. He didn’t think he’d ever forget the look of pain she gave him when he’d sobered. That was the first and last time he’d ever been drunk.

Even as the thought occurred to him another one did, “Drunk! Hank! I’ve got to get to Michael things are about to get worse for him and he hasn’t been warned.” Max hurried over to Michael’s.

Back on Liz’s balcony…

Liz sits writing in her journal,

It’s official. Sober Max is definitely more romantic than drunken Max. Last night was one the most beautiful nights of my life. Max even tried giving me my dream of raining rose pedals. I love him so much… We’ve been given a chance to do things right this time around and we’re both determined not to waste it.

At Michael’s trailer…


Max approached Michael who was sitting outside eating, “Michael! My date last night with Liz reminded me of what happened after our date in the last timeline.”

Michael responded, “So?”

Max sighed, “Future Michael forgot to have me show you something… You need to stay at my place, or Maria’s or anywhere. Just stay away from Hank for the next few days. He’s about to get worse, in the last timeline I had to heal you, then we got my dad to help you file for emancipation so you could live on your own.” Max concluded, “I think you should let my dad help you again Michael.”

Michael studied Max’s face and saw the seriousness there. He decided for the next couple of nights he’d stay with Maria. Just as Max began to leave Hank came out of the trailer screaming obscenities at Michael. Max turned and urged Michael, “Come on let’s get out of here.”

At the Crashdown…

Amy DeLuca walked into the café with a stack of pies, “Hi, girls! I have pies.”

Liz got up from her seat at the counter and made her way over to help carry some of them to the back, “Wow, that's a lot of pies!”

Amy agreed, “Yes! I have chocolate, banana, rhubarb, strawberry, and coconut.”

The sheriff walked up behind her and flirted, “Did I hear someone say coconut? How'd you know that was my very favorite?”

Miss DeLuca chuckled while her daughter walked off with a stack of pies muttering, “Excuse me while I go and throw up.”

Amy apologized, “I only made one. Sorry.”

Jim leaned on the counter next to her, “That's a shame, cuz that looks awful good, and so do you, Amy.”

Amy countered, “Ooh, well… I'd make you another one, but it'd probably just go to waste, considering on our last two outings you didn't really make it to dessert.”

Jim defended, “Ah. Work called.”

Amy stated, “Mmmmh. Yes, but see, when I make a pie for someone, I expect it to get eaten.”

Jim offered, “Well, how about this evening, then? I'll tell you what, Amy. If you make it, I'll eat it.”

Amy conceded, “Hmm, fine… Just remember, Jim, in this state we have a three strikes law now.”

Jim answered, “Yes, ma'am.”

That evening at the DeLuca residence…

Liz and Maria walk in, “Oh, I am so wiped out. I don't know if I'm good for any studying tonight.”

Maria spots the pies on the counter and offers, “Here, sugar rush; always works for me.”

Liz agrees, “Ok.” As she begins to eat she glances around and spots a half eaten pie; she points it out, “Maria.”

Maria walks around Liz then puts her books down and accidentally sits on Sheriff Valenti's hat. She immediately gets back up, “Huh!”

Maria picks up the hat and her eyes go wide with realization, they hear muffled laughing coming from the other room and Liz quietly squeals, “Oh my God!”

Maria whispers, “I know, come on.” They quietly make their way back to the front door and open and close it loudly as Maria shakily hollers, “Mom! I'm home!”

Miss DeLuca darts out of the bedroom, looking more than a little guilty, “Hi, girls! Uh, what are you doing home so early?

Maria and Liz are standing by the door uncomfortably as Maria points out. “It's 10:30.”

Miss DeLuca starts fidgeting, “Oh, my God! I must have lost track of time. Uh, you want some pie?”

Maria and Liz both quickly decline, and Maria starts trying to leave, “Um... Uh, we-we're-we're gonna go in my room and study, and you should go to sleep, cuz you've got a really big day tomorrow.”

Miss Deluca begins nodding, “I will.”

Maria asks, “Soon?”

Miss Deluca agrees, “Very.”

Maria pushes, “Alone?”

He mother indignantly asserts, “Of course! I'll be right there.”

Sheriff Valenti chose that moment walks out of the bedroom with his clothes still very haphazard from recent activities.

Amy sheepishly amends, “Uh, right after I say good night to the sheriff.”

Jim greets, “Evening, girls.”

Liz replies, “Hi, sheriff.”

Maria grabs the sheriff by the shirt and drags him back into the bedroom, “Excuse us, but we need to talk.” Once out of ear shot of her mother Maria focuses her attention on the sheriff. “If you’re going to be dating my mom I need to know three things.”

The sheriff nods and Maria continues, “Ok first, I know you’ve had shall we say an interesting conversation with Max lately. And I need to know, are you planning on hurting him?”

The sheriff asks, “What’s that got to do with me dating Amy?”

Maria explains, “If you’re so prejudice and cruel that you’d want to hurt someone whose biggest crimes are being born different, falling in love with my best friend, and saving her life, then you’re not the kind of guy I want my mother getting involved with.”

The sheriff conceded, “No, I’m not planning on hurting Max anymore. I was considered a friend in another timeline… I’d like to be again.”

Maria responded, “That’s good to hear, we weren’t certain. In the other timeline Max had you’re unquestioning loyalty because he saved Kyle’s life. But this time with out that incentive… I just needed to know where you stood.” Getting back on track she continues, “The second thing is… I don’t know how or why this relationship started but I want you to promise me that even if it did start as way to get closer to me and my friends and trying to get dirt on Max that from now on it’s solely about the two of you and your feelings for each other.”

The sheriff felt ashamed that his pursuit of the truth about Max had made these kids think he’d go to those lengths. Wanting to clear the record he stated, “It always has been… my pursuit of Max was actually interfering with it not the cause of it.”

Maria gave him a curt nod before concluding, “Alright then, lastly please keep track of time and try not to have me catch you guys again… I really do not want to know about my mother’s love life.”

The sheriff looked chagrined but nodded mutely before they both left the room.

Later in Maria’s room…

Maria’s mother knocked before she walked in the door and sat on the bed, “Maria. I need to ask you for some space. I can't feel like you're judging me all the time.”

Maria shrugged, “I'm just trying to look out for you, mom.”

Her mother asked, “What are you so worried about?”

She answered, “Nothing, at least not any more… the sheriff and I worked everything out. Just… can you please try not to let me catch you two again. I really would rather not know about it when you two are making out etc. Tonight was really embarrassing.”

Miss DeLuca answered, “Ok sweetie, we’ll try.”

Later…

Michael knocked on Maria’s window, “Can I stay here tonight???” Maria nodded and let him in. He apologized, “Sorry it’s just… Hank is in one of his moods, normally I go to Max’s but I figured…”

Maria put her finger to his lips, “Shhh, it’s ok.” She then proceeded to kiss him soundly. Michael responded urgently. Soon he was going to be asking Mr. Evans for help, but for now he needed this. He needed to loose himself in the one person who made him feel not so alone.

Quickly they divested each other’s clothing and made love until they fell into an exhausted sleep in each other’s arms.

The next morning…

Maria’s mom walked into her room to wake her up for school, “Oh, Maria, honey, you're gonna be late.” When her eyes fall on the bed that’s currently being shared by her daughter and Michael she gets hysterical and shouts, “Oh, my God!”

Maria is suddenly awake, “Oh! Mom...” She closes her eyes and concentrates for a moment.

Amy’s eyes glaze over and a second later she calmly states, “So you should hurry if you don’t want to be late.” Then she walks out.

Maria looks over at Michael, “God I hate doing that to her… we’ve got to be more careful.” Michael nods mutely before the both get ready for school.

Later at the Evans’ house…

Michael approaches Philip, “Mr. Evans?

Philip answers, “Yeah?”

Michael begins, “Uh... I was wondering if you could help me. Uh, I wanna-I wanna find a way to live on my own, and I was told that it could be done.”

Mr. Evans nods, “It's complicated. You'd have to file a petition for emancipation, go before a judge.”

Michael accepts, “You know, I'll do whatever it takes. I've thought about it, and I want to take control of things. And I think I'm ready to do that now. So...”

Mr. Evans interrupts “Why don't you come by my office tomorrow and we'll talk. I'd like to know more about your situation.”

Michael agrees, “Yeah, tomorrow then.”

A few days later…

Max and Isabel, Liz, Maria, and Alex are all sitting in a judge's inner chambers giving their support for Michael as Mr. Evans helps him present a petition for emancipation to the judge.

The judge asks, “And does the minor, Michael Guerin, pledge to take charge of his life as an adult from here forward?”

Michael responds, “I do, your honor.”

The judge questions further, “And do you understand that you will be solely responsible for your financial, educational, and medical decisions as they may arise?”

Michael nods, “I do, sir.”

The judge signs some documents, “And I might add, young man, that you are fortunate in having these folks here today, who have an interest in your future and have shown a confidence in you that is reflected in my decision. I hope you can live up to that faith.”

Michael replied, “I'll try, your honor.”

The judge then handed Michael the papers to sign, “I hereby grant your petition for emancipation.”

Michael looked around the room at those he called family then signed the documents. Philip shook his hand in congratulations; the rest of his friends all congratulated him with hugs.
Last edited by Zanity on Sun Oct 01, 2006 9:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by Zanity »

A/N: Thanks for the Feedback eveybody. Sorry for the delays, I honestly am trying to get back to updating more frequently. But I have a new part for you now.

harroc83
Timelord31
Jennifer24 - Yeah, mindwarping her there was definately the lesser of two evils.
AlwaysRoswell
RhondaAnn
Grace52373
katmcken - Welcome to the story I hope I havn't lost you with the delays.
tequathisy
roswell3053
Roswelllostcause
83 AlienAngel
L-J-L 76
midnightstar29
Elizabeth Kivana - Yup SH is up next... and Tess shows up in Crazy.
Alien_Friend - I had my reasons for giving Maria the mindwarp... I'll explain some of them in this part. I was making sure they got powers that fit both their personality and their place in the group.
LoveIsForever
Believer

Up until now every symbol I've used has been cannon even if my interpretation of it hasn't been. In this chapter I'm adding a symbol of my own, If anyone wishes to see the Trifecta symbol it is the yellow symbol in the banner of this fic. And on with the new part....

Chapter 16

Timeline 3 – Sexual Healing

Disclaimer: This part contains portions of “Sexual Healing” I don’t own it.


Liz is writing in her journal,

February 21st,

It’s happening again, this draw this need to be physically close to Max. It started yesterday as Max came into the Crashdown he kissed me just like in the last timeline and this time WE got flashes. Then last night when we made love, we saw the rest of them. We found out where the orb is buried. Max came over and we drove out to pick it up, hoping that this new drive would abate after we found it like it did last time but it hasn’t. Something we’ve done has changed things, now there is something more we have to do… but what? Oh well, I guess the flashes will tell us soon enough. We have a meeting before school today to tell everybody that we found the orb. Maybe we’ll get more information then.

Outside the school…


Max and Liz arrive at school and the rest of the gang is already there. Alex is just bursting with excitement as he exclaims, “I know where the orb is!”

Max and both share a look and a moment of silent communication before asking, “How? Where?”

Alex smiles, “Last night Isabel was looking at this map and I glanced at it and I knew what it said! We knew what was at three of the locations and the text confirms it. It says orbs are buried at the other two locations, one in Frasier Woods and one at the old radio tower.”

Max and Liz again look at each other before Liz states, “We actually know about the one at the radio tower. Max and I got the flashes last night and went out to collect it. I guess we can assume that means the FBI found the orb hidden in Frasier Woods and we’ve discovered everything on the map.”

After receiving a round of nods Max asked, “Alex how did you translate the text?”

“I didn’t… I-I mean I don’t know what the words are or anything I just look at it and I know what it means. Like I can sense the thoughts of the person who originally left the message… N-not the words, just the meaning behind them, if that makes any sense.”
Everybody but Maria was nodding their heads. To Maria’s quizzical look Isabel clarified, “That’s how we communicate in the Foursquare; no words, just concepts and ideas.”

Maria was still confused so Michael tried sending the concept to her through their bond and he grinned when he saw the light go on in her eyes.

Max spoke to Alex, “It seems like this might be a new power; you should go to the library this afternoon and see if it works on other languages too.” Then looking around he asked, “Who has the destiny book?”

Michael volunteered, “I do.”

Max nodded, “Get it to Alex, let’s see if he can read that for us too.” Then realizing not only has he had Liz pressed up against his side for this entire conversation but that none of their friends had chided him or Liz for their PDAs, he took a good look at his friends and noticed they were involved in PDAs of their own. Suddenly he asked, “You guys feel it too this time don’t you?”

Michael looked over at him and asked, “Feel what?”

Liz clarified, “The need to be near your significant other, the pull to be together… Last timeline it was just Max and I and we weren’t completely together yet so it took us awhile to get all the flashes needed to find the orb. When we did this draw, this, this, pull went away; but this time we found the orb and it’s still here… and you guys are affected as well aren’t you?”

Seeing the agreement all around Max cautioned, “In that case be careful because your senses will be heightened especially your ability to feel pleasure. Liz and I got into a lot of trouble with the parents last time… so be careful.”

With that they all headed off to their respective classes.

Later…

Max and Liz tried sneaking into the eraser room between first and second period; only to find it occupied by Isabel and Alex. Temporarily foiled they switched targets and headed for the janitor’s closet. Once again their attempts to find some privacy were put off, for Maria and Michael were already there.

Frustrated, they tried satisfying themselves with a very deep kiss before heading off to their respective second period classes.

An hour later…

Max and Liz again sought the privacy of the eraser room between second and third period. This time, finding it unoccupied, they entered and very soon were lost in the pleasure they were giving each other.

Time ceased to have any meaning as the reveled in their closeness, and their connection. Neither new how much later it was when once again they were caught by Principal Forrester. One thought echoed through their connection stemming from both of them, “I can’t believe we let this happen again!”

In the principal’s office…

Nancy questions, “What exactly is an eraser room?”

Principal Forrester explained, “It's a small room that we use to clean the erasers so that chalk dust doesn't fly all over the school.”

Diane shook her head, “Wait. I'm a little lost. You mean Liz and Max were cleaning erasers when they created this disturbance?”

Forrester offered, “No. They were what we used to call ‘making out’. We're talking sexual activity here, not erasers. Why don't we go talk to them?” They headed out to where Max and Liz were waiting, “Uh, Ms. Parker. Mr. Evans.”

Liz defensively stated, “This... is.. completely wrong.”

The principal asks, “What did I get wrong, Liz?”

Liz clarifies, “Well, It-it's just wrong that we're here. I mean… any of us.”

Principal Forrester scolded, “Well, then, perhaps you and Mr. Evans should have been less noisy.”

Nancy was fed up, “You know, I think I've heard enough.”

Liz wasn’t thinking she was operating out of the pure embarrassment of the situation. She was also terrified of loosing her mother’s trust… she couldn’t even honestly tell her that she wasn’t sleeping with Max this time around. Reacting purely off emotional energy she parroted her response from the last timeline. “Mom, this is not what you're thinking right now. Don't you believe me?”

Max could feel Liz’s tension and he was trying to calm her down through their connection. It was not working but he was reluctant to do anything that might be construed as further PDAs for fear of exasperating the situation. So he just continued sending her his love and confidence through their connection and hoped she’d pay attention soon.

Nancy, however, just looked at Liz incredulously, “What is it?”

Liz insisted, “Mom, it's just a mix-up.”

Forrester added, “They also cut two academic classes. Now, Liz and Max are both honor students. I think we'd all like to keep it that way.”

Diane defended, “I'm sure there's an explanation for it. I'm certain that Max wouldn't miss any of his classes unless there was a good reason. Max?”

Max didn’t respond.

Liz and her mom left the room, as Nancy was headed towards the parking lot Liz reiterated, “Mom, this is no big deal…”

Nancy interrupted, “Deal. Right? You said that.”

Liz argued, “Mom, it's not like I never kissed a boy before in my entire life.”

Nancy responded, “You know, I don't think it's the kissing, but the actual volume that's the issue.”

Liz lamented, “This is being totally blown out of proportion.”

Nancy concluded, “Ok, we'll talk about this later tonight, ok? I want you to come straight home from school. Is that agreed? Hmm?”

Liz agrees, “Fine.”

In Liz’s room…

Nancy knocks on the door, “Honey?”

Liz turns around, “Yeah?”

Nancy enters the room and questions, “Um, you really have strong feelings about this boy, don't you? Max, I mean.” She already knows the answer, she’s remembers seeing the love for him burning in her daughter’s eyes; but it’s the best way she can think of to start the conversation they need to have.

Liz answers, “Mom, I have like a really hard time talking about this kind of stuff.”

Her mother insists, “I have to talk about it, so if...if you can't talk right now, can you at least just listen?”

Liz agrees and her mother takes a deep breath before spewing out, “Don't ever have sex. Don't ever leave this house. Don't ever stop being my baby girl. Ok?”

Liz is now a lot more collected than she was this afternoon so she answers, “Mom, I’m probably always going to be your little girl… But I’m going to leave this house a few years to go to college. And I hope that a few years after that I’ll have children of my own; grandchildren for you to spoil. And I’m pretty sure having sex will be an integral part of that.”

Nancy sighed; she hadn’t been expecting such a mature answer. She thought now would be a good time to get her next point out, “I want you to know that you don't ever have to lie to me about this… Really. Ok?”

Liz saw her opening and asked, “What does that mean?” Seeing her mother’s puzzled expression she clarified, “I don’t have to lie to you about this? Does that mean you want me to be completely blunt about this with no lies of omission? That one day I’ll come upstairs from my shift, you’ll ask me how my day went and I’ll say something like, ‘It was wonderful. We had a pop quiz in geometry this morning. I think I aced it. Then after school Max took me out for a ride in the desert. We found this nice secluded oasis where we went skinny dipping. After a little while Max picked me up and carried me over to a beach towel we brought and he slowly and tenderly made love to me. Then we rinsed off in the oasis before he brought me back for my evening shift. I had three really obnoxious customers but they couldn’t get to me because I was still on such a high from Max and I finally giving ourselves to each other completely.’ Then every time we make love I’ll be sure to keep you updated.”

Liz noticed the shocked look on her mother’s face as she continued, “Or do you mean that you’d prefer I was more discrete and it would be ok to omit telling you of my activities, but if you start getting suspicious and you ask me about them then you don’t want me to lie about them? Or do you merely mean that if Max and I were to be stupid enough not to use protection or if whatever form of protection we do decide to use fails and I end up pregnant, that then you want me to know I don’t have to hide it from you that I can count on your support.”

Taking her own deep breath Liz finished, “And if you mean one of the first two options what kind of reaction can I expect to my honesty? I mean would you just take this news in stride and accept that it is my decision to make, or would I be punished somehow or would you start trying to interfere with Max’s and my alone time in order to try and prevent any repeat performances?”

Nancy sat there stunned, suddenly faced with the question of exactly how much of her daughter’s love life she wanted to know. Liz seeing her mom’s hesitation stated, “You were the one that wanted to have this conversation mom. And I think if you’re going to ask me to be honest, that I have a right to know exactly how honest you want me to be and what that honesty is going to cost me.”

Nancy finally spoke, “I think I want you to be honest with me when I ask you.”

Liz nodded, “And if I promise to be honest with you about this, than will you promise to accept my decisions?”

Nancy shook her head, “I don’t think you’re old enough to be making that kind of decision.”

Liz shrugged, “Then I guess that means I would have to lie to you if Max and I were having sex and we wanted to continue then.”

Seeing her mother’s disapproving look she sidetracked, “As for your earlier question about my feelings, I love him, Mom! I don’t think you could even begin to understand how much, and I’m not sure I’d even know how to explain it.”

Her mother gave her an accusatory glare and dryly stated, “Try me.”

Liz took a moment to collect her thoughts before she began, “How do I explain? I love him so much that when we separate for class, or our jobs, or when we have to go to separate houses at night; I feel like a part of me is being ripped out and I’m no longer complete. Even still, I feel that even in his absence there’s a part of him that’s still with me, that has taken up permanent residence in my heart and mind.”

Looking to her mother and pleading for understanding she continued, “How do I tell you that it no longer feels like I’m coming home when I enter the apartment at night; because home is no longer this room, or this apartment, but home is in his arms? Or that he is the one person in the world that I know I can tell anything to, and know that he’ll understand.”

“How do I even begin to describe, the feelings of peace and comfort; safety and refuge; and joy and pleasure that I can find in his arms? How can I make you understand that even though there was no church or court house, no minister or justice, no license and no witnesses, that the day Max and I exchanged these rings along with our promises of forever, is the day that I became his wife in my heart and mind?”

Liz finally concluded with, “How do I describe the feeling I get when I look into his eyes and see into the very depths of his soul and see the blazing love that he has for me there, a love so strong and deep that if I didn’t share it and return it, it would surely consume me. How do I convince you that he’s my soul mate, Mom… the love of my life, that there could never be another? …and that even after all this I still haven’t even begun to scratch the surface of my feelings for him?”

As Nancy listened to her daughters impassioned speech, and heard the conviction as well as the desperation in her voice; her mind was flooded with memories of tender moments between these two… moments where she had seen the love that they shared and even felt envious of it. She shook her head to bring herself back to reality as she realized it was quite possible that Liz was right, that what was between her and Max might be beyond her experience. She gave her daughter a vice like hug, “I love you.”

Liz returned the hug, “I love you too, mom.” As her mother left the room Liz wasn’t sure what to make of her reaction. But a few moments later those thoughts were pushed to the back burner as Max activated their rings and they began making love… loosing themselves in each other.

Same time at Michael’s apartment…

Maria and Michael were still feeling compelled to be together. They quickly undressed each other and they too were soon lost in each other.

At the pod chamber…

Isabel had spread a quilt on the floor of the chamber and now she and Alex were engaged in a rapidly escalating, heated make out session. As Isabel removed his shirt, Alex breathed, “Isabel, w-we can’t d-do this.”

Isabel asked between kisses, “Why… not?”

Alex closed his eyes and tried to calm himself down, but he was finding the task nearly impossible under Isabel’s sensual assault. “B-because I want our first time to be special; not just the product of some alien heat.” But even as he spoke he was divesting her of her own top.

Isabel grabbed both of Alex’s cheeks and met is eyes as she pleaded, “I need this Alex. And I don’t want to wait… In the last timeline I waited too long, and then you were gone. I don’t want to make that mistake again. Please make love to me Alex.”

In Max and Liz’s rooms…

Max and Liz have been making love for the last hour and half but neither has managed to climax.

In Michael’s apartment…

Maria and Michael were having the same problem as Max and Liz, they were both at the brink struggling to get over, but release wouldn’t come.

At the pod chamber…

At Isabel’s word what little control Alex had left began to slip away. They continued removing each other’s garments until there were none left to remove. Then they explored each other driving each other insane with need until neither could take it anymore and they finally gave in. As they made love to each other they felt their bond solidifying…

In the other room…

The Granolith glowed brightly. Finally the time of destiny was at hand, the final bond was being forged, it was time…

Scattered all over…

All six teens finally reached their completions accompanied by a bright white light.

Location unknown…

All six teens found themselves standing, grouped as couples, in a triangle formation around the Granolith. They noticed they were all now dressed in some sort of elegant robes.

Max and Liz were wearing blue robes, the fringes of which were embroidered with a pattern of three white symbols repeated over and over. The largest of the three symbols was the royal seal. To either side and at its base were much smaller symbols. The one to the right was the spiral or whirlwind symbol and the other was the eye shaped symbol on the destiny book.

Michael and Maria were dressed in red robes. The edges of their robes were embroidered with the whirlwind symbol.

Isabel and Alex were dressed in green robes. The edges of their robes were embroidered with the eye shaped symbol.

A ring formed around each couple, then a line connecting each ring with the other two. Just as in the foursquare ceremony the symbol rose up of the ground passing through the teens before shrinking into the granolith. This time the symbol was replicated six times and before it shot out and inhabited the right hands of each them.

As the ceremony completed a man none of them had ever seen before stated, “And the Trifecta is complete.”

Immediately they all had questions but they deferred to Max, allowing him to handle the situation.

Max questioned, “Who are you?” Then looking around at the spacious chamber filled with people he asked further, “Where are we? And why are we here?”

The man answered his questions in order, “I am Cronos. We are in the Temple of the Tempora. And you are here because you are the King of Destiny, the one for whom the Granolith was built; and these…” indicating the other five teens, “…are your Trifecta.”

Max nearly groaned as he questioned, “King of Destiny?” He hated that word.

Cronos seeing the confusion of those standing before him, he began, “Let me explain. Your queen is precognitive, is she not?” Max nodded and Cronos continued, “So am I, and so are the rest of the Tempora. We have discovered that by combining our gifts we can see farther and farther into the future. As we did we learned a great many things about the nature of time. You see the future is not set, it can be altered. Some things are very easy to change; others have the momentum of the temporal pendulum behind them and are very difficult to change.”

Max interrupted, “Temporal pendulum?”

Cronos explained, “Events swing towards chaos and destruction, then back towards order and prosperity, it is the pendulum of time. The problem is with each swing the pendulum gains momentum, eventually it breaks.” Looking directly at Max he continued, “You are one of two rulers of destiny, the temporal pendulum in your time is swinging toward chaos and destruction; should you fail your enemy will reign and the pendulum will break flying off in the direction of chaos and destruction. All six worlds will be destroyed. If you succeed you will reign altering the pendulums course one last time, and it will break off in the direction of order and prosperity. All six worlds will form and alliance that will prosper until there is an outside force to say otherwise. Either the alliance will meet a new species, or they will colonize other worlds and create their own new political entities; either way eventually a new temporal pendulum will begin to swing.”

“The Tempora and I built the Granolith because we foresaw your failure. We designed it specifically so that you would be the first to access its full power. Each King receives the three seals of the Granolith, but most only know of the royal seal. You were the first to pass the other two seals to people with whom they were compatible and then have all three seals activated by those who carry them through bonding and sharing them with their mate.”

Focusing on Max and Liz elaborated, “You still carry all three seals but the royal seal is the one that is active. It is the seal of authority, the seal of leadership, the seal of control.” Focusing on Max, “It enhances your ability to control matter and energy…” turning to Liz, “… and your ability to control space and time.”

Moving on to Michael and Maria he continued, “You carry the general’s seal. It is the seal of power, the seal of the guardian, and the seal of the warrior.” Speaking to Michael, “She is the cloak and you are the dagger…” and to Maria, “While he attacks the enemy’s body, you attack their mind.”

Reaching Isabel and Alex he stated, “And you carry the advisor’s seal. It is the seal of knowledge, and the seal of wisdom.” To Isabel he spoke, “You have the ability to gather information by entering a waking mind and sharing their senses, or entering a sleeping mind and seeing their plans for the future and memories of the past…” then to Alex, “…whereas you have the ability to interpret information. You can understand any language, any code. You can decrypt any encryption; you can sense the truth behind any façade.”

Once again Cronos addressed the whole group as he concluded, “Thus the Trifecta is complete, and the Granolith links you together and enhances your abilities. Hopefully it will be enough to help you defeat your enemies. Until you are returned to your own time the future will remain in flux and we will not know if our plan is successful or not.”

The entire group was stunned; there heads swarming with the new information they had just received. None of them could think of any further questions to ask so they allowed themselves to be sent back. Each arrived back in bed with their partner, with one noticeable change… they were all still wearing their robes.
Last edited by Zanity on Sun Oct 01, 2006 9:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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A/N: Thank you for your patients everybody... Here I am with the next update:

RhondaAnn -- Glad you liked it. About the talk, yeah Max and Liz at this point are an interesting Mix. They are teenagers with teenage hormones and level mental developement, but they have memories of 30 something year olds, so I'm trying to have their actions vaselate back and forth between the two types of behavior... they'll seem older and more mature when they are calm and collected, but they'll seem more like typicall teens when acting in the heat of the moment. As for the other... Yeah well they already had seals... which gave the Granolith a certain influence over them... which also explains the drive to be together in the first place.
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A warm welcome to new readers and a special thanks to the old readers for sticking with me through the dry spell. Without further ado...

Chapter 17

Timeline 3 – Crazy

Disclaimer: This part contains portions of “Crazy” I don’t own it.



Liz is writing in her journal,

She’s coming… He’s coming… They’re coming… The other players, our opponents are finally coming to the table and the game is about to begin. I pray we win this time because something tells me if we loose this time we won’t get another chance.


At school…


Isabel and Alex are sitting at their usual table, “Can I join you?”

At the sound of her voice Isabel tensed. If you were a skilled interrogator, or negotiator, or if you had spent a lot of time studying facial expressions and the art of reading people; then you might have noticed for a split second the shear hatred, rage, and fury that flashed across Isabel’s eyes. But only for the smallest fraction of a second, even then most would have missed it. For as quickly as it appeared, it vanished behind an emotionless mask.

When Isabel turned around, it was not the image of the happy and relatively carefree Isabel from moments before that was displayed. Nor was it the image of the Isabel that was now hidden from the world that was seething with fury at the murderess that had just spoken.

No, what Tess saw when Isabel turned around was Isabel in full Ice Princess persona; her mannerisms schooled, her posture practiced, her every expression calculated to silently deliver two questions to anyone on whom her gaze landed. Who are you? And how dare you presume to be worth my time?

Alex on the other hand didn’t know her. He knew of her, but he being with out memories of the other timeline observed her passively. He knew she had killed him in the last timeline. But he also knew that of all the people involved he had the least to fear from her this time around.

This time he had been changed. This time his gifts, his ability to sense the truth rendered him immune to her influence.

Tess was taken back at the icy reception she was getting from Isabel. She had a light mindwarp going on the whole area for people to be nice to her, and from what she’d been told this was Vilandra. She was supposed to have Vilandra’s gifts but no training in how to use them. If she had been properly trained she would be the hardest to control, except for Zan himself who could call on the power of the Granolith to help him; but untrained she should be even more vulnerable than the humans to mental persuasion.

Not understanding what went wrong, she tried salvage the situation with a fake bright grin, “Hi, I’m Tess.”

Isabel continued to glare a Tess for a split second before responding, “And we’re busy.” Then she turned her attention back to Alex… effectively dismissing the new girl.

Topolsky’s office…

Max walked in activating his ring and let Liz take care of neutralizing any surveillance. He began, “Miss Topolsky? I’m sorry to ask this of you as it will put you in further danger, but it is time. Could you get us the orb that the FBI has?”

Topolsky looked at the young man standing before her. And once again she was amazed at the concern for her safety that he possessed. It seemed he almost considered himself responsible for her wellbeing now that she knew about him.

Then, looking at him again she realized that’s exactly how he did feel. Then she thought about what she’d seen as she observed his group of friends and thought to herself how they all seemed to carry the weight of the world around on their shoulders, “At least he isn’t carrying that weight alone.”

She made plans for the weekend to sign out the orb. It couldn’t get her into any more trouble; she was already on Pierce’s list. She just hoped whatever Max had planned would take care of that madman before he got to her.

At the Harding residence…

“Something’s not right.” Tess complained.

Ed Harding looked at her with an expression that clearly stated she was to continue, so she did. “I tried to make contact with Vilandra today. She’s going by the name Isabel. I had a light mindwarp going, but she blew me off in favor of spending time with some human pet of hers.”

Looking up at the one who had raised her, she accused, “You said she was untrained, that she’d be weak and easy to control, but she treated me like I was beneath her even through a mindwarp.”

“What about the others?” Ed demanded.

Tess reported, “Rath is going by the name Michael and he has his own human pet. Zan is going by the name Max, but I didn’t see him.”

Ed concluded, “Then work on this Michael tomorrow. If their powers are more advanced than we thought, he’ll be the safest one to try to manipulate.”

At Michael’s apartment…

Alex informs those who hadn’t already seen her, “So Tess was at school today.”

Max and Liz’s eyes meet for a second before Max speaks up, “Ok, remember everybody, we don’t know her. Isabel, Michael, don’t treat her any worse than you treated Maria and Liz before they knew the truth. The reactions from the three of us are the important ones; she dismisses humans as inconsequential so Maria or Alex not liking her won’t come as a shock. And as soon as she starts making her play for me, Liz not liking her will be expected. And remember we’re in this together no matter what mind games she plays.”

At the Crashdown…

Max was participating in one of his favorite activities… watching Liz work; as he waited for his shift at the UFO Museum to start.

Nancy walked into the diner and saw Max sitting alone. She was worried about what Liz had told her the other day. She knew Max had feelings for Liz she’d seen him demonstrate that on more than one occasion, but she also now knew that the feelings Liz had for Max were so strong that Liz considered Max hers. That he was her soul mate. And that meant if Max cared deeply for Liz but not the same way, he was now in a position to severely hurt her daughter. She had to find out; she had to be certain; so she sat down across from Max, “Mind if I join you?”

Max was surprised to see Mrs. Parker sitting across from him but he wanted a good relationship with both of Liz’s parents in this timeline so it was a pleasant surprise. “Not at all.” Seeing that she appeared to have something on her mind he continued, “Was there something you wanted to talk about?”

Nancy looked at Max as she tried to figure out how to approach the topic, “I’ve had a rather troubling conversation with Liz lately concerning you.”

Max knew all about the conversation they’d had so he simply asked, “And what disturbed you about the conversation.”

Nancy didn’t want to scare the boy but she didn’t know of any easy way to have this conversation, “She said she considers herself already married to you, that you’re her soul mate.”

She had to give Max credit he hadn’t even flinched at that revelation. Instead he just smiled and asked, “Mrs. Parker, how much do you remember about the various traditions that boys and girls have when dating?”

Nancy coolly replied, “Enough.”

Max’s resulting smirk slightly offended her. But Max decided to explain, “Guys have this tendency to give girls things; whether it’s a sweater, or a letterman’s jacket, or a class ring, or fraternity pin, a promise ring, or even an engagement ring. They are all trinkets that mark the girl as theirs and off limits to other guys for as long as she chooses to continue wearing them.”

Then he asked, “But when does a girl finally give the guy something to mark him as hers? I’ve never heard of a guy wearing a girl’s jacket, or sweater, or class ring. I’ve never even heard of a guy wearing an engagement ring. But on their wedding day girls finally give the guy a wedding ring.”

At this point Max very unsubtly fingered his alien wedding ring. He had every intention of adding a human wedding ring to that finger one day… and two more rings to Liz’s finger as well. He smiled at Mrs. Parker, “It isn’t legal in any country on the planet that I know of, we don’t have a signed contract; but we did have the important part of the ceremony. We said our vows to each other and exchanged rings as a symbol of those vows. And I have every intention of honoring them.”

Nancy shook her head, “You’re both too young to be thinking about marriage.”

Max chuckled as he looked down at his watch and noticed the time. “I was a lot younger when I concluded Liz would be the only girl for me.” He stood and said, “I’m sorry we’ll have to finish this conversation later as I have to go or I’ll be late for work. But before I leave let me ask you one thing. Do you believe in love at first site?”

Nancy didn’t know what to think but she nodded mutely.

Max finished with, “I know I do.” He turned to leave, but after taking a few steps he turned his head back and stated, “And Mrs. Parker, I met Liz in the third grade.” And with that he walked out.

Nancy was left with a stunned expression on her face as she put two and two together and realized the implication of Max’s last statement. Liz, knowing through her connection to Max exactly what their conversation was about, took pity on her mother and went over to offer, “Can I get you anything?”

Nancy looked up at her daughter and responded the way Liz had expected, “Could you sit down for a second?” Still trying to process what she’d just learned she mumbled, “Did he really just say that…?”

Liz smiled sympathetically at her mother, “That he’s been in love with me since the third grade?” Nancy hadn’t intended for Liz to hear that but she nodded her confirmation anyway. Liz replied, “I had a hard time believing it myself at first, but I know it’s true.”

Her mother questioned, “But how? Why didn’t your father and I know about this sooner?”

Liz sighed and tried to explain what she could, “Well you see mom, one of things you’ve got to know about Max is, he’s a foundling and because of his situation he became an odd mix. On the one hand when he was wandering out in the desert with his sister he set aside his childhood and took on the role of surrogate protector or guardian of her. Even after the Evans found and adopted them, he never really stepped down from that. A few years later when they met Michael and discovered he too was a foundling, Max sorta extended his duties to include him. So in one way he’s been trying to be a parent to them and is mature beyond his years.”

Liz began to choke up as she continued, “But on the other hand because of his foundling status he never thought he was good enough for me, or even good enough to be considered part of the rest of humanity. So he shut himself off, never making any friends except his sister and Michael who were like him, never even truly opening up to his parents because he deemed himself unworthy of their love. So in his social development he’s quite young.”

Liz looked seriously at her mother, “That first day, in the third grade, I felt it too. Our eyes locked and something passed between us that I couldn’t explain. But it was over quickly and his sister pulled him out of my view. I didn’t understand what was going on at the time. I was eight and boys were supposed to be icky, but he wasn’t.”

“When he left I looked at Maria and I knew if I’d told her that, she would tease me mercilessly about it so I just let it drop. After that I didn’t think much of it for a while cause Max had a tendency to stay in the background and watch life go by, because he didn’t think he deserved to be a part of it.”

“But in junior high when boys started becoming interesting to all the girls, Max’s name came up more than once. And it was no wonder ’cause he was simply the most gorgeous guy I’d ever seen. I tried soooo hard to get him to notice me. I tried every trick I could think of to try and get him to ask me out. Maria kept trying to tell me that he was staring at me all the time, but I thought she was just teasing. Eventually after a couple of years I gave up and I accepted when Kyle asked me out.”

Liz shook her head to clear the depression that threatened to sink in at the thought that Max wasn’t interested in her. “Then came the day of the shooting, I fainted and spilled ketchup. Max thought I was shot just like those tourists did, he came up to me to see if there was anything he could do.”

“My God mom, the raw desperation that was in his voice as he begged me to wake up, the relief that was in it as he told me I was ok. There was no longer any way he could deny how deep his feelings for me ran. It was shortly after that, that we got together and it’s like I’ve been living a dream come true ever since. I know that this all seems sudden to you, but it’s really been building between us for years. And between the shooting and grandma dying we’ve learned life is short and every moment we have is something we should cherish.” Liz concluded.

Nancy looked at her daughter with tears in her eyes. She hadn’t been kidding when she told Claudia that Liz never talked about her relationships. This was only the second time Liz had opened up to her on the subject. And the first time had directly led to this one.

Suddenly she didn’t see Liz as a little girl anymore, but as a young woman… A young woman who had already found love, and was lucky enough to have that love returned. Suddenly she wasn’t concerned about Max and Liz’s love life.

Given that they both claimed they saw themselves as already married, she strongly suspected that they were sleeping together and that they have been since the day Liz came home with that ring. But it was no longer important to her to find out for sure. Because now she could accept that Liz meant it when she said Max would be the only guy for her, and she knew her daughter well enough to know that she’d be careful. The rest of the details she could definitely live without.

Mother and daughter stood and shared a tight embrace, “You better get back to work honey.”

Liz responded, “Of course mom.”

At school the next day…

They were all six sitting together when Tess showed up. As she approached the group all thoughts of focusing on Michael fled her mind. The rumor mill had told her yesterday but she hadn’t believed them. Zan, Max he called himself, was sitting there with a human girl sitting between his legs, his chin resting on her shoulder as he peppered her neck with soft kisses.

Tess saw red. She hadn’t reported this to Ed because she had refused to believe it, but there it was; she could see it with her own eyes. He was supposed to be with her not some human.

She clenched her fist as she watched the affectionate way Max treated Liz. When she couldn’t stand to watch any longer she backed off; at least for now as she plotted how to break up Max and Liz.

Sunday night at the quarry…

Topolsky approached Max and Liz, “There it is. There’s our orb. I have to warn you though when I checked it out of inventory I heard rumors that Pierce is headed to Roswell.”

Max gulped and turned his head to look at Liz. As their eyes met he drew comfort from her ever calming presence. He was dreading facing Pierce again, but he knew it had to be done. But this time he would be prepared, this time he knew who he was and what he could do. This time it would be on his terms.

When he turned back to Topolsky he had steel in his eyes. “I had expected as much. Don’t worry we knew we’d have to deal with him eventually. Thank you for your help.”

With that, Max and Liz left. They finally had possession of both orbs. Their enemies were beginning to make their moves, their fight had begun.
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A/N: Great news everyone!! I'm back and I have the new part! I'm sorry fro the incredibly long delay... I just want to say how touched I am at all your FB and support in my absence. Do to sheer amount of things that have changed between the two timelines at this point, this chapter contains 2 episodes. So thank you to all my regulars for their patience, and welcome those of you who are new. I hope everyone continues to enjoy!

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So whithout further adu....

Chapter 18

Timeline 3 – Tess, Lies & Video Tape

Disclaimer: This part contains portions of “Tess, Lies & Video Tape” I don’t own it.


Max, Isabel, Michael and Alex were sitting at their usual booth in the Crashdown. Business was slow so Maria and Liz were both there flirting with their perspective guys when Tess shows up right behind Liz.

“I hope I’m not interrupting anything?”

Max glares at Tess and suddenly he and Liz feel her attempting to intrude on their combined consciousness, they easily brush away her mental presence. “As a matter of fact you were. Come on Liz let’s go continue this elsewhere.”

Tess fumes as Max ignores her; with the expertise of years of practice she hides her emotions well. She watches as Max and Liz head to the back room where they begin to kiss. As the kiss grew heated she once again attempts to exert her influence over Max’s mind. Once again she receives no indication that anything went wrong, once again she felt no resistance to her mindwarp, but Max’s focus didn’t seem to change.

Eventually she sees Max and Liz break apart and Liz informs him that she needs to get back to work. Tess watches Max’s answering smile with determination building within her. Max would be hers!

In Bio Class…

Mr. Steigman began, “Combustibility; when two or more chemical elements become easily aroused culminating in oxidation and eventually burning.”

Tess looked back at Max and she started using her powers to try and make the flame jump on his Bunsen burner. But Max knew it was coming, and this time his powers were developed enough to sense Tess’ energy. He calmly redirected her energy to the table across the aisle next to him. It had the desired effect.

“Since you're obviously so eager, Mr. Schult, I'd like you to come up and be Miss Harding's lab partner. I'm sure with your help, she'll be caught up in no time.”

Both Max and Liz wore a little smirk as they saw the shock that momentarily covered Tess’ face.

Tess was fuming that was not what she was trying to do. She looked back at Max again and tried to mindwarp him one more time as Paulie came up. Once again everything seemed to work, except Max seemed completely unaffected. As Paulie reached the table he stared at her until he accidently got his arm to close to the flame and his shirt caught fire. Tess was startled, “Paulie, you’re on fire! Paulie, you’re on fire!” Then she looked at him and saw the dazed look of lust in his eyes. Suddenly something clicked and it made sense, Max hadn’t been blocking her, he’d been redirecting her! He’d been causing her to try to mindwarp and seduce random people!

The glare Tess sent his way told Max that she’d figured out what he’d been doing. But that didn’t really matter to him. He found the rest of the period very entertaining. Tess would mindwarp Paulie into not being interested in her, then she’d try a little harder to mindwarp Max into being interested in her. But Max would push her mindwarp attempt right back to Paulie, who would begin eyeing her and/or feeling her up… depending on the effectiveness of the mindwarp. Then Tess would start all over again.

Each attack on Max was a little stronger, and a little harder for him to push away, but he wasn’t worried; he was still pushing her assaults away on his own, he hadn’t had to draw any strength from Liz yet much less the Trifecta.

Later…

Max is leaving the Crashdown and Tess is waiting for him, “Max! My car broke down. Can you believe it?”

Max shrugs, “No.”

Tess shakes her head, “No?”

Max clarifies, “No, I don't believe it.”

Tess pretends to look confused, “What are you talking about?”

Max accuses her, “You planned this.”

Tess still playing the innocent asks, “I planned what?”

Max, enjoying this a lot more than last time around states, “To be out here.”

Tess accuses, “Max, you sound a little crazy.”

Max just smiles, “Really?”

Tess tried again, “Max, my car broke down. I'm waiting for somebody to help me. I didn't plan anything.”

Max shook his head, “Then wave your hand and fix it. I’m pretty sure that’s how you broke it.” Then seeing the look in Tess’ eye, “I’ll tell you what, I’ll go back inside and spend some more time with my girlfriend. If you haven’t fixed your car and left in fifteen minutes, we’ll call you a tow truck.”

Max walked back into the Crashdown leaving a furious Tess in his wake. She was fuming as she quickly checked to make sure no one else was watching and she did as Max suggested, she undid the damage she'd done to her car and drove off.

Once inside the Crashdown Max held Liz close to him. They were deep in silent communication, Max had tipped their hand that they knew Tess wasn’t human and they were planning their next move.

On the road to the Harding’s…

Tess couldn’t believe it; she’d gotten him alone with no one to push the mindwarp off to, and he still managed to evade her powers. As she drove home she growled in frustration. This wasn’t supposed to be happening, Max was supposed to be hers, mindwarping him shouldn’t even be necessary. And she should be able to mindwarp him!

As she arrived home she wanted nothing more than to blast her “father” across the room for lying to her for all these years, but she’d learned the hard way that tactic didn’t work. He might not be able to kill her due to his programming but he could hurt her badly enough. And Zan, or Max as he was calling himself now, was the only one he had to obey.

She had to be very careful how she acted around him, manipulating him was an art form and if she messed up she got hurt badly.

“They know I’m not human! Max told me to fix my car with my powers today.”

Ed Harding glared at Tess, “I thought I told you to focus on Michael. What were you doing with Max?”

Tess argued, “Max is the one I’m supposed to be with, I was trying to split him and his tramp of a human mistress up.”

Ed Harding shook his head, “Foolish girl, if they’ve mastered their powers you’ll never get through Zan. Do you think he could be king if anyone with the ability to mindwarp could control him? Now we’ll have to move to phase two immediately.”

At Michael’s apartment…

“Michael do you have that camera the FBI planted in here?”

Michael smiled, “Actually Max, I have four of them. When I sensed and disabled the first one they planted a second. When I disabled that one, they planted two more. I think they were hoping that they could use the second one to at least figure out how I disabled first one, but I just disabled them both at the same time. They gave up after that… why do you ask?”

“Things with Tess are changing too much too fast; we need to get more intel on what’s going on in that house.”

A few phone calls later and the rest of the gang was there listening as Max laid out the plan, “Ok Maria we need you to mindwarp them into not seeing us. Remember they know what a mindwarp is and what it feels like so you’ll also have to mindwarp them into not knowing they’re being mindwarped. It’ll take a lot but you can tap our energy as needed, it should be enough. Isabel you get into their heads and find out as much as possible, specifically if they have any alien devices that might come in useful. If they do tap Maria’s abilities long enough to make them forget they had them then take them. Alex, Michael, Liz, you and I will each take one camera and hide it somewhere in the house. Any questions?”

“Yeah actually,” Alex spoke up, “If Michael could sense these things and disable them what makes you think the Hardings won’t do the same?”

Max smiled, “Because in the last timeline Michael couldn’t sense the first camera, the FBI got lots of footage of us before we found it the human way. You helped us use it to spy on the Hardings then. They found it pretty quickly but not before we saw Tess use her powers and confirm for us she wasn’t human.”

“Michael and the rest of us learned to scan for surveillance devices of all sorts rather instinctively when the FBI were hunting us after they attempted to assassinate us at our graduation ceremony. Now whether it’s a security camera in a building, or a surveillance bug, or even just a tracking device we all scan for them pretty much automatically now. We don’t always disable them because sometimes they can be helpful at delivering misinformation, but we always know about them. Izzy work with him on that, he should be doing it too. And Maria, just to be on the safe side, see if you can plant a post mindwarp suggestion for them not to notice the cameras.”

“Any more questions?”

At everyone’s silence they moved out.

At the Harding’s…

They met down the street and stood in Trifecta formation. Maria began the mindwarp and they headed towards the house.

Max used his powers to open the door and all six of them entered. Liz put her camera the same place as last time, knowing it would be found, but also hoping it would provide some useful information before it was. Alex placed his in Tess’ bedroom while Michael placed his in Nasedo’s. Max placed his in their living room.

Meanwhile Isabel invaded their minds trying to learn as much as possible. Apparently all Nasedo’s alien devices were either hidden or confiscated when he was captured. The plan he’d made to betray them was nothing new, he was going to have Tess attempt to convince them of destiny next. Tess was still planning ways of trying to seduce Max; she hadn’t yet accepted that things had changed.

Everyone one else had finished and Isabel shook her head sadly as she left. She was really hoping she’d be able to get more information out of them.

They hooked up the cameras to video feeds and took turns watching.




Timeline 3 – Four Square

Disclaimer: This part contains portions of “Four Square” I don’t own it.

At the Sheriff’s office…


Mr. Harding demanded, “But who? Who would plant these in my house?”

The sheriff questioned, “You say you're new in town?”

“That's right.” Ed confirmed.

The sheriff had a pretty good idea what was going on but he continued to play his part, “House have any previous occupants?”

Ed shook his head, “Brand spanking new, Sheriff.”

“You mind if I ask what line of work you're in Mr. Harding?”

Mr. Harding explained, “Government consultant, the boring stuff, facilities management, that kind of thing. No special clearances, no matters of national security, if that's what you're thinking.”

“You ever have any contact with the FBI?”

Mr. Harding was getting the idea that the sheriff didn’t know who planted them there, which is what he came here to find out. Was the sheriff working with the FBI or was he out of the loop? “What? Oh, Lord no, Sheriff. I'm just a guy who's trying to do his job and get along in a new town, that's all. Nobody's been in that house but me, my daughter and the movers... oh, and a couple of her friends from school.”

The Sheriff shrugged, “I have heard some stories about unscrupulous moving companies in town; staking out your place for future robberies, that sort of thing. I'll tell you what; leave your information with my deputy outside. I promise I'll get to the bottom of this.”

Ed nodded, “Well, thank you, Sheriff. I feel safe in your hands.” Knowing the sheriff wasn’t a threat to him yet.

At the Crashdown…

The sheriff approached Max and Liz, “I thought you two were through hiding things from me.” He placed the cameras down on the table, “Now I know you put them there, and I know it's special issue FBI equipment, so the question is: ‘how'd you get your hands on it in the first place?’ You know what it tells me? That Pierce and the alien hunting unit of the FBI are here in Roswell in full force, and they're paying special attention to you. How am I doing? I need you people to remember something... all of you. The more I know, the safer you'll be.”

Max looked from the sheriff to the cameras and back again. He was disappointed that the post mindwarp suggestions hadn’t worked and that the cameras didn’t supply any more useful information. He’d still have everyone check the tapes one more time but he was pretty sure they wouldn’t find anything new.

Still looking at the sheriff he shrugged, “We weren’t hiding it from you. We just didn’t feel it was necessary to inform you. And you’re right Sheriff, the FBI is here and in fact you can expect a Deputy Fisher to show up soon. In case you don’t remember the flashes of what he looks like, he’s really Pierce undercover. Be careful.”

At the Evan's house…

Diane laughed, “Oh, look. Wait, look at this one.”

Tess laughed back, “Oh that is so cute.”

Isabel entered the room and Diane looked up, “Oh, gosh. Oh, Izzy. Hi, honey. Your new friend, Tess, stopped by, and I just got to chatting, and the next thing I know, I'm telling all kinds of stories about you and Max when you were little.”

Isabel was seeing red, but with years of practice hiding her true feelings she asked, “What kind of stories?”

Diane looked embarrassed, “Oh, um... the road trip to Florida... and the time Max brought home that snake. Do you remember that? Who could forget? Oh, and that silly clown show that the two of you used to put on for us.”

Isabel was incredulous, “Mom, that's like our whole lives.”

Tess complimented, “You're so lucky to have such a wonderful family, Isabel. There's so many happy memories.”

Isabel barely breathed, “Yeah.”

Diane started packing up the photo album, “Listen, I'm sorry I rambled. Really. I, uh, I don't know. I start looking at pictures and the memories flood over me and I can't stop talking. So, I got to get to the market. You two have a good time, ok?”

Isabel nodded, “Ok.”

Diane turned to Tess, “And, um, Tess, welcome to Roswell.”

Tess smiled almost too sweetly, “Thank you Mrs. Evans.”

Diane waved it off, “Oh, please, call me Diane, won't you? And know that you're welcome here anytime.” She got up from the table and gave Isabel a kiss goodbye, “Bye sweetheart.”

Isabel said good bye to her mother. Then as soon as she was alone with Tess she allowed her anger to surface. “Mindwarping your way into my mother’s good graces is not the way to go about making friends around here Tess.”

Tess looked like a deer caught in the headlights for a few moments before she came to a decision. “I just want to be completely honest with you, Isabel. I feel the closest to you. You know, like we share something special. And that's why I want you to know the truth. I just don't want you to hate me for it.”

Isabel glared at Tess, “I already have plenty of reasons to hate you Tess. For starters I don’t like it when people use mind control on me, my friends, or my family.”

Tess saw her innocent routine obviously wasn’t working so she dropped the pretences. “I’m just trying to set things straight Isabel. We belong together; the four of us. I have feelings for Max, Isabel; strong feelings. I know Max loves Liz. That's what everyone tells me. But don't you ever get signals from someone Isabel?”

Isabel nearly laughed, the only signals Tess would be getting from Max was revulsion.

Tess continued, “You know... moments when you connect with someone. And there's no mistaking what's going on. Like no matter who you may be with, or what you may think, that you and this other person are destined to be together.”

Isabel shook her head, “No, I’ve never felt quite that way. But I have been in love.”

Tess elaborated, “Well, that's the way I feel about Max, and those are the signals that I've been getting from him.”

Isabel did laugh at that, “You had better get better at reading signals Tess, cause I know Max has felt that way, but not about you; about Liz. Michael and I tried to convince him otherwise for years, but I’ve since come to believe that he was right.”

At the Crashdown…

Liz went over to the booth where Kyle was sitting, “Can we talk?”

Kyle motioned for her to sit, “About what?”

Liz sat and began, “Well, I saw you with that new girl, Tess.”

Kyle got really excited, “Oh, man! What a knockout, huh? Can't beat a blonde.” Then he looked at Liz, “Oh, sorry.”

Liz waived he hand, “No, your tastes in women really don’t concern me anymore, though I kinda see you being more happy with a redhead.”

Kyle gave her a funny look before asking, “Why are you so interested?”

Liz tried to find a way to say this better than last time, she definitely knew more about the girl this time, “Well, it's just that I know people who are from the same place she is and I've heard some things about her.”

Kyle asks, “Oh yeah, what things?”

Liz decides to be blunt, “That she’s a manipulative bitch that uses everyone and everything around her to her own ends, leaving nothing but pain and heartache in her wake.” Kyle blanched at the venom in her words. Liz continued, “I just, be careful around her. I just don’t want to see you get hurt again. I really wish I hadn’t hurt you, but I can’t change the past, or my feelings for Max.”

At the mention of Max, Kyle’s head shot up, “What? Is this like a jealousy thing?”

Liz shook her head, “No. Max is the only guy for me Kyle.” She held up her hand, “I love him, I’m wearing his ring, and I intend to marry him. Like I said, I just don’t want to see you get hurt again. We agreed we were going to try and be friends, and that’s what this is one friend trying to look out for another.”

Kyle decided to test the waters a little further, “So it would really bother you if I just spent a little more time with Tess? Say like we happen to have a study date later tonight, or something?”

Liz shook her head, “No Kyle, it’ll only bother me if you get too invested in this and she hurts you. I was just warning you, you have to make your own decisions.” And with that Liz got up and left.”

At the public library…

Kyle asked Tess, “So... ancient languages. What does this have to do with our English assignment?”

Tess smiled, “Absolutely nothing.”

Kyle leaned in to kiss her, “I was hoping you'd say that.”

But Tess pulled away, “There's just this one book I need for my history class.”

Kyle decided to make another pass at her, “Well, what do you say we start speaking the most ancient language known to man?”

Tess ignored the comment, “I think it's on the top shelf. Would you mind helping me up?” Kyle put his hands on her hips and helped her up; as she moved upward he let his hands slide down her legs. Tess indicated as she moved some books out of the way, “I've almost got it.”

She waved her hand over the wall and a silver handprint appeared. She reached into the wall to grab the destiny book, except there was nothing there. “It’s not here!”

Kyle asked, “So, what language is it you’re looking for?”

Tess absently commented, “It's a lost language.” But her mind was reeling at what this meant.

Kyle helped her down and decided to try and kiss her one more time, “Then no one will mind if we didn't find it.”

But Tess just walked away saying, “Time to go.”

Kyle complained, “But we just got here.” He was starting to think Liz might have been right.

At the Harding residence…

“They already have the book!” Tess exclaimed. “What exactly is in it anyway?”

Mr. Harding answered, “I don’t know exactly, I can’t read it. The ones who were supposed to teach you to read it died in the crash. But maybe that’s why they’re stronger than they should be. Maybe they found a way to translate it and it had instructions on how to train their powers.”

Tess asked, “If you can’t read it, then why did you want it?”

Ed explained, “Because there is a picture of the four of you paired up in the foursquare in it. I wanted you to use that picture as proof of your destiny. But if they can read the book they’ll know that it has nothing to do with mating pairs.”

He went silent for a moment then, “Change of plans Tess, you are going to have to get them to trust you through any means necessary. Then once they trust you enough, get them to go somewhere with you, maybe out to the pod chamber. Then I’ll deal with our little human problem myself.”
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Zanity
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Post by Zanity »

A/N: OK First I'd like to thank everyone who stuck with and bumped this while I took my own sweet time getting back to it. I'd also like to appologize for the extremely long delay... hopefully the next part will be much sooner!!!

I assure you I did read all your FB and appreciated it before it got deleted unfortunately I did not save a list of it so I'll thank you in general.

And eric1978 Choices & Consequences will hopefully be updating soon... good news though on that one when I do update it will have weekly updates until it's over because I have everything but the next chapter written for it.

So without further ado....


Chapter 19

Timeline 3 - Max to the Max

Disclaimer: This part contains portions of "Max to the Max" I don't own it.


Liz is on her balcony writing in her journal…

War is a terrible thing. The hard part is that in the war we're in the lines between friends and enemies can be blurry at times. Take for instance the special unit. They were designed to protect the country from alien invasion but in previous timelines they became our enemy because they refused to believe there was such a thing as good aliens. The crazy thing is they should be our friends… we want the same thing. Agent Pierce is here and he is the source of many of Max's and my nightmares. I'm hoping we can get through this time without anyone getting captured, but living through two other lifetimes has taught us a thing or two about war. In war you have to have both plans and contingency plans. And this time around we are prepared.

At the quarry…

Max, Michael, and Isabel are standing together. Tess is standing opposite them pleading her case, "Look I'm sorry, I was just trying to show you the way things were meant to be. The way things were before."

She had followed Nasedo's instruction and called the others out here to apologize and try and get them to trust her. So far it wasn't going so good.

Max glared at her angrily, "You remember our past then?"

Tess brazenly lied, "Yes I do."

Max's eyes were searing with anger, "Then tell me what would have happened if you had tried to mindwarp King Zan."

Tess gulped. Nasedo had told her that just the other night. He was trying to get her to understand how bad an idea it had been to try and mindwarp Max at his current strength. She hung her head as she spoke, "There wouldn't have even been a trial. He would have executed me for treason on the spot."

"So then give me one good reason why I shouldn't judge you by your own words. Give me one good reason why I should let you live!" Max demanded.

Tess looked away from Max's angry eyes and turned her own pleading eyes to Isabel. "Don't look at me; I warned you mindwarping wasn't a good way to make friends."

She turned to Michael who just eyed her like he was prepared to blast her the moment Max gave the order. It was Max who spoke, "No defense Tess?" When she hung her head he finished, "Well then you're just extremely lucky that I can still see a few reasons for keeping you around."

Tess's eyes filled with hope, "Such as?"

A devious grin crossed Max's face, "You haven't earned the right to know that yet Tess. But I will spare you for now."

In the Sheriff's Office…

Agent Pierce walks into the Sheriff's office, "Sheriff?"

The Sheriff looks up from his work, "Can I help you?"

Agent Pierce replied, "Uuh, Deputy Fisher. You requested me."

The Sheriff does a double take when he hears the name Fisher, "Come again?"

Pierce responds, "Deputy Dave Fisher, sent down from Santa Fe. Uuh, took me off traffic violations, told me you needed more bodies."

Now looking the man up and down the Sheriff takes a measure of the man he's now sure is agent Pierce. "I requested an extra man about six months ago; they said they didn't have any money in the budget."

Pierce shrugs, "I guess they found some."

The sheriff eyes him guardedly, "All right then, I'll check and see where I can use you."

Pierce responds, "Thank you. Is there anything I can do in the meantime to help you?"

The Sheriff grins, "Yeah. Coffee's been getting that metallic taste lately. Maybe you could wash out the pot."

Pierce covers his annoyance, "Yes sir. Thank you."


At the Crashdown…

Nasedo is in Max's form as in enters and heads to the back to talk to Liz. "Liz, let's go."

Liz shakes her head, "I don't think so Mr. Harding."

If Nasedo had been human his eyes would have been as wide as flying saucers and his jaw would have been on the floor. As it was he just glared at her, "How did you know?"

Liz shrugged, "You're obviously not Max, but you do a really good imitation. I only know of three people on Earth who could do that good. And of those you're the only one in town."

Nasedo narrows his eyes in suspicion wondering how much this girl knows, before deciding it really doesn't matter in a few hours it won't be a problem anyway. "Fine, then let's put it this way, I think my Max imitation is good enough to fool most people here so if you don't want him in trouble for kidnapping I suggest you come along quietly."

Liz sighs and leaves with him, mentally signaling Max as to what is going on.

As they begin driving Liz glares at the alien beside her, "So where are we going?"

Nasedo just ignores her.

At the Sheriff's Station…

Valenti walks in on Pierce going through the case files and has never been more glad that he doctored the alien related reports after he found out the truth, "What the hell are you doing, Deputy?"

Pierce looked up and answered, "Working the files."

Valenti questioned, "Doing??" Knowing full well he was looking trough them for info.

Pierce answered, "I was just organizing them, sir… color-coding them." He pointed down at the files to illustrate the point.

Valenti shook his head, he was glad he'd thought to doctor his files after he learned the truth. There was nothing left in those files that he needed to hide from Pierce. He figured he might as well get as much remedial work as he could from the man. "As you were then." Then he heads back into his office.

On the road…

Nasedo pulls over and drops the body of a dead agent on the road. As he gets back in he pulls out a cell phone. "Hello. FBI? Yes, Agent Pierce, please. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, I know there's no Agent Pierce. Just let him know that I left him a little clue on Highway 380 to Hondo, near mile marker 67."

When he hangs up, Liz questions him, "So what's the plan? Are you going to kill me too?"

In reality he'd like nothing more, but everything since he arrived on this backwards planet has been nothing but one setback after another.

He didn't really want this assignment in the first place. He'd liked the idea of having his powers enhanced but he hadn't counted genetic coding that the retrovirus they used to enhance him deposited. Now he literally had no choice but to obey any direct orders given to him by the hybrid king and he couldn't kill any of them.

To make matters worse the ship crashed and he'd spent years being tortured by these barbaric creatures that call themselves humans before he'd managed to escape.

By then he was fed up and just wanted off this rock so he'd made a deal with Khivar. He'd damaged the memory implantation portion of the pods and then he would raise the hybrid king to be Khivar's puppet.

Unfortunately three of the royal brats had hatched early and he'd lost track of the hybrid king, so he'd contacted Khivar and modified the plan. He'd raise the hybrid queen to betray her intended husband and return to Antar pregnant with his heir. Then Khivar could raise it to be his puppet.

But then he gets here and the royal brats have paired up with humans and somehow developed their powers to full or at least nearly full strength. Then Tess suddenly won't listen to a word he says and tries to use her powers to seduce Zan, or Max as he is calling himself now, which puts him on guard.

Now his only chance of making his plan work is to get this Liz girl out of the picture, but he can't do it in any way that Max would blame him otherwise he had little doubt Max would be capable of killing both him and Tess.

So for now the plan is to "accidentally" get her into FBI hands and hope that whatever they do to her is horrible enough that by the time they can "rescue" her she wants nothing to do with Max any more.

Knowing all this Nasedo flatly denies, "Not as long as I still need you."

Liz shudders as she remembers kissing the monster in the last timeline and asks, "Do you have to be Max?"

Nasedo actually smiles, time to work on building trust, "Oh, I like it; being him; being 17. But right now, Max Evans is my most important role."

Liz knows what he's going to say but she doesn't want to tip their hand yet so she plays the role of ignorant human, "Why?"

Nasedo supplied, "Because I'm the bait. Pierce is looking for Max, and I'm going to draw him to me."

Liz asks, "So why do you even need me?"

Nasedo explains, "You're my collateral, my hostage."

Liz questions, "What kind of hostage am I? Pierce would just kill me."

Nasedo grins wickedly, "Oh, there's a thought. Actually, he wouldn't. See, he knows what Max did to you at the Crashdown that day. He wants you alive. You see, he needs answers. You could come in extremely handy in terms of my survival."

He pulls over into a gas station, "Time to leave another clue." He gets out of the car and leaves a silver handprint on one pump and blows up the other before driving away.

At Sheriff Valenti's office…

Pierce informs Valenti, "Sir, there's a report on line three, says a young couple was spotted at a gas station. There was a freak accident, a tank exploded. And they found some kind of weird silver handprint. They're faxing over security cam pictures."

The Sheriff asked, "Where was this?"

Pierce answered, "380 West, just outside of Hondo."

Valenti knew what was going on and decided to make this easy, "Why don't you go check it out, Deputy."

Pierce grinned, "Ok, sir."

At the Carnival…

Max and company have already positioned themselves in strategic positions. None of them like that it's come to this and none of them but Max and Liz are satisfied that this plan is the best plan; but Max and Liz are the leaders and they're the ones with the most future knowledge so the rest are following along.

Nasedo is leading Liz through the carnival, "Where's the pea?" Liz looks at him blankly and he instructs, "Pick one." As Liz studies the cups she gets a flash of which one has the pea but apparently she's taking to long because Nasedo orders "Pick one!" When she picks the right one he chides her, "See that wasn't so hard."

Liz, getting annoyed, questions, "What are we doing here?"

Nasedo answers, "We're waiting for Pierce to connect the dots."

Liz shakes her head and asks, "And when he gets here, what are you going to do to him? You know, and then you won't need me anymore, right?" When he doesn't answer she presses, "God, don't you think Max is already on his way to find me?

Nasedo huffed, "Now why would he be doing that?"

Liz replied, "Because he cares about me. But you don't understand that, do you? You… you don't care about anyone."

Nasedo glared at her and lied, "All I care about is protecting them. No one else matters." In truth he only cared about them as far as they were his ticket home. Speaking of which, it was time to plant a few more seeds, "Besides you're just a phase for him, he belongs with Tess."

Liz argued, "I don't believe you."

Nasedo insisted, "It's true, Tess and Max were made to be together."

Liz knew he was just pushing his own agenda but she felt the need to defend her relationship with Max, "But you don't even know what Max and I have. You know, ever since he saved my life at the Crashdown, he changed me. We saw into each other's souls.

Their argument was interrupted by a man shouting, "I don't believe in that hokey. There's no such thing as aliens."

Nasedo smirked, "Time for the final clue." He fired a blast at the person and sent a signal of light into the sky.

Liz used his temporary preoccupation to run away. She ran through the carnival to the House of Mirrors where Max was waiting for her. He kissed her soundly, "Be careful Liz! Remember, I'm counting on you."

Liz smiled and headed off on one path through the maze as Max headed off another. Nasedo reached the House of Mirrors next with Pierce hot on his trail. The four of the mixed and weaved their way through the maze until Pierce caught up with Max at one exit and Nasedo caught up to Liz at another.

Thanks to the mirrors Nasedo and Liz had a prime view of Max being taken into a van by Pierce and two other FBI agents.

Liz complained to Nasedo, "Now they have Max!"

Nasedo glared at Liz, "And now I've got to get him back." Then he shapeshifted into a clown and disappeared into a crowd.

Liz shook her head mumbling, "Don't bother we'll take care of it our selves." But she knew he couldn't hear her.

She ran over to where Michael was ready and waiting for her, "Take me to the Granolith and hurry."

Once seated in the jeep Liz activated her ring. She found herself in the back of the van that was carrying Max just as they were about to inject him with drugs. Her hand reflexively took aim and the blast that struck the man's hand caused second degree burns as he dropped the syringe.

Max smiled at Liz's protective instincts. The agents didn't learn too quickly though because it took three more scorched hands before they gave up their attempts to drug Max. Liz stood watch over him as the transported him to Eagle Rock and threw him into the white room.

At the Pod Chamber…

When Michael got to the Pod Chamber he quickly got out of the jeep and carried Liz into the Granolith Chamber.

Liz walked into the Granolith without even thinking about it.

In the white room…

Max looked around the white room. He knew Liz was with him, but no one else at Eagle Rock did. He closed his eyes and focused on finding the surveillance devices. He reached out with his mind and deactivated the cameras and the microphones.

Then turning to Liz, "Ok we take shifts now, until I leave here one of us is awake at all times."

Liz smiled, "Don't worry Max, I remember the plan."

In an observation room…

Agent Browley asks Pierce, "They want to know when you'd like to start the tests."

Pierce answers, "Tomorrow morning. Let him get some sleep."

Agent Browley responds, "Yes sir, Agent Pierce."

He turns to leave when all of sudden Pierce shouts, "What the hell?!?"

As Agent Browley turns he sees the monitor showing nothing but static.


Timeline 3 - Max to the Max

Disclaimer: This part may contain portions of "Max to the Max" I don't own it.

In the white room…


It didn't take long after the surveillance equipment failed for the door to the room to open and guards carrying machine guns to enter. The guards just stood there however, near the doorway. They didn't say anything and refused to respond when spoken to.

Max took the first shift sleeping while Liz stood guard over him. While he slept the guards again tried to drug him, but she kept them at bay. After about four hours of sleep Liz woke Max then she took her turn.

Max woke her five hours later when Pierce finally entered the room.

Pierce had a chair and a table brought in and he sat down, "Ok Max, I know what you are; you really haven't made it a secret since you got here; so now you're going to start answering my questions. Delta, Colorado, 1962, Agent Lewis, the first head of this Special Unit was found dead. His internal organs had reached a temperature of 180 degrees Fahrenheit. A silver handprint was found on his chest. What do you know about that?"

Max actually smiled at the thought that this man thought he was in control here. He answered, "Nothing."

Pierce tried again, "Union City, Tennessee, 1967 Agent del Bianco, his replacement. Ring a bell?"

Max shook his head, "No."

Pierce started getting frustrated, "All right. How about this: May 2, 1999, Agent Daniel Summers, the man who brought me into this unit, the man whose job I now have, did you kill him, too? Or was it one of the others?"

Max literally laughed out loud at this question, "You really don't do your research do you? Ok I'll give you some answers but I doubt you'll believe me."

"I was," Max took his fingers and made a quotes gesture in the air, "born as a six year old kid in 1989, in this country. I was then adopted by human parents and raised as a citizen of this country. I have a social security number and a driver's license. I was educated by this countries public school system and I'm in love with a human girl I intend to marry one day."

"I wasn't alive for those first two dates and for the third date I was in school you can ask my teachers."

Max continued, "And before you ask, the orbs are mine they are communication devices and not a threat to you. I need them, you see there is an invasion coming and I intend to fight it. I consider Earth, more specifically the US, as my home and I will fight to protect it."

He fix a glare on Pierce as he laid down his terms, "Now here is the deal, I'm not the bad guy here; you want to save this planet work with me. Roswell is under my protection now; any aliens that come here are my problem. I know Topolsky is one of yours, she can stay. Any other contact your unit has with Roswell is to be OK'd by me first. You can use her as an intermediary."

"If I find any alien hunters besides her inside Roswell without my prior consent I will consider it an act of aggression and respond accordingly. Is that understood?"

Pierce sneered at Max, "Oh, you are in no position to dictate terms."

Max chuckled, "I'm in every position to dictate terms. Have you considered the fact that every time you try to drug me you get burned? Yet you were able to restrain me enough to get me here. I let you take me here because I needed to talk to you. And when I leave here in a few minutes you'll know I'm telling the truth."

It was Pierce's turn to laugh. "Max this cell and this facility are designed to contain aliens. The walls of this cell are lined with depleted uranium. Your powers won't work on it. The doors and locks are made of the same material."

Max just shook his head, "You have no idea what I'm capable of, but we're getting side tracked. When I leave you'll know I mean business, but before I do that I need to tell you this: part of the invasion force in already here. They are called skins and reside in Copper Summit, Arizona. They have a seal at the base of their spine, break it or use fire to kill them. I've got plans to take care of them eventually if you don't but if you leave me and mine alone and take care of them I'll let you live. If you come after me or anyone I care about again you'll be signing your death warrant."

"Now as much as I've enjoyed this little chat, it's time for me to leave." When Liz heard the signal she closed her eyes and concentrated. Controlling space and time were her and gifts with the aid of the Granolith she folded space and brought Max across the fold.

Pierce stood with his mouth agape as Max disappeared in front of his eyes.

In the Granolith chamber…

Max materialized in the Granolith with Liz and they stepped out of it together. Michael was standing there waiting for them. Max met his eyes, "Come on Michael, I don't think Pierce is going to take the bait and I have a few things to sort out with Nasedo before Pierce comes after us again."
Locked