One Moment More Saga (CC,M/L,MATURE) [WIP]

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Tanya7496
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One Moment More Saga (CC,M/L,MATURE) [WIP]

Post by Tanya7496 »

One Moment More Saga
Author: Tanya7496/TBEHR
Rating: Mature
Disclaimer: I don’t own anything. Not the characters, the music lyrics, and episode quotes. I just enjoy borrowing them.
Category: M/L CC
Summary: Set during Departure and right after. Circumstances beyond their control cause them to be separated from each other and they have to try to survive against all odds hoping someday they will be reunited. With both of them in danger how will they survive? Max will be haunted by his past life and Liz has to embrace her new life which includes powers and feelings that she wasn't ready for. Friendships will be tested and families strengthened.

Author's Note: For those of you who've read Part One, you are probably shaking your heads right now. I decided to combine the trilogy into one fic with separated parts within it. As I began to write this it took on a life of it's own and made more sense to keep it together.

A big thanks goes out to my BETA for Part One of this fic, thetvgeneral. Thanks sweetie.

Love, love, love feedback. Hope you enjoy.
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~1~
Possessed








The pain was overpowering.

It stifled, constricted, overwhelmed, and was unyielding.

Max sat in his jeep with giant stinging tears streaming down his face trying to compose himself before he had to face Tess and his fate. He didn’t know for sure how long he had been sitting there with his fingers gripped around the steering wheel—he didn’t care. Time seemed to stop for him the second he watched his soul leave him and walk inside the café. He roughly wiped his face with the back of his hands and began to turn the key in the ignition. He knew he should be getting back; the others would be waiting for him. Isabel and Michael depended on him to be their leader and stay strong. Even though he never felt like it was a role he was cut out for. Then there was his theoretical queen Tess, who depended on him to make sure their son survived. But as important and unquestionable those responsibilities were he could not stop himself from stepping out of the jeep and walking toward the ladder that led to Liz’s balcony.


~~~~~~~

This can’t be happening. Liz chanted over and over as she manically paced around her room. She was completely consumed—far beyond the pain of loss. It was much worse. The tears were stuck and burned liked fire in her eyes but they didn’t leave and roll down as expected, just burned until she couldn’t see. Her chest felt like it was being squeezed tightly and very little air managed to escape. This must be what it feels like to die. She morosely resigned herself.

He was leaving and going somewhere she couldn’t follow. She would never see his beautiful face again—hear his sweet heavenly voice—feel his warm arms around her ever again. The cold hit at once and made her shiver from head to toe.


This was the way it’s supposed to be. He never belonged to her. He had a wife and now had a son on the way. There was no room for her in his life. Every loving word he spoke, every tender heated touch he made on her body was never supposed to be. Were they all just illusions and infatuation—nothing as real and as binding as destiny? She clutched at her heart and slid down her bedroom wall until she was seated on the cold hard floor.

She should’ve begged him to stay; pleaded for the sake of their love and what they’d shared, even though she knew in her heart it wouldn’t have done any good. His son was dying and couldn’t stay on the planet. For that alone Max had to leave.


“His son.” The words came out of her mouth but sounded foreign to her ears. “His son with Tess.” Liz always thought she would someday be the one to give him a child. It seemed so long ago that she scribbled the names of those children in her notebook and fantasized walking down the aisle to a smiling Max. Those dreams are all gone now.

Liz pulled her knees up to her chest, buried her head in her arms and sobbed. She sobbed for Max, for herself, and for the life they would never have together.


~~~~~~~

With each rung of the ladder he took, a part of him—the very part he had been trying to restrain to keep from feeling the pain of being without her, seemed to come to life and have a mind of its own. It wouldn’t allow him to do the right thing and walk away. Instead he stepped on to the floor of the balcony a possessed man.

He took slow deliberate steps; too afraid he might leap toward the window and startle Liz. Once in front of her window he was taken by surprise. His heart clenched from what he saw in her darkened room.

Curled up against the wall like a reprimanded child sat someone he considered to be the strongest person he knew. But with the quaking of her tiny frame and the loud pitiful sobs that were coming from under her arms, Max knew it had all been a mask that she wore. Worse still was the fact that he was to blame for all of this. It had to end. It was too much to take. He quietly opened the window and stepped inside. He knew he had no right to be there. He had nothing to offer her but a shoulder to cry on. He was leaving her possibly for good, not to mention another woman was carrying his child. A child he never planned for or wanted. It was all a big mistake he felt obligated to make right. So why was he standing in front of Liz in her bedroom?

Liz hadn’t heard the window when it creaked open or the loud shuffle of a pair of boots as they walked across her wooden floor and stopped in front of her. She was too lost in her misery to hear anything around her. So when she finally looked up to wipe her face, there stood Max looking down at her. Through her tear blurred eyes, she thought he must have been a mirage but when he spoke her name in the voice she’d recognize anywhere, she knew he was real.

TBC>>>>>>>
Last edited by Tanya7496 on Mon Jan 24, 2011 5:50 am, edited 18 times in total.
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Re: One Moment More Saga (CC, M/L, Mature)Pt1-CH2 - 9/7/08

Post by Tanya7496 »

Lyrics by Sarah McLachlan



~2~
A Bitter Pill to Swallow






“This is not your home. This is merely a pit stop. So get over it. Don’t you dare make the mistake of thinking of yourself as human and get caught up in weak earthly emotions—you’re better than that. You’re the queen of an entire planet of superior beings; here you’re just a silly girl.”


Nasedo’s words echoed loudly in Tess’s head, hammering away at any feelings she might’ve had for Kyle and his dad. There were moments even as she sat on her bed waiting to leave, that her conscience began to get the upper hand. But too much was at stake to give up now. And despite all her new found human emotions, too much damage had been done already to stay. If only Max had been more cooperative from the beginning and given up on Liz things would’ve went according to plan. She might not have had to resort to extreme measures to get the ball rolling. Now there was no turning back even if she wanted to. Nasedo made sure to always remind her of what the consequences were if she should happen to fail.

“It doesn’t matter where you go. He’ll find you. If something happens to me and you don’t fulfil your end of the bargain you’ll be praying for death when he finds you. There’s no hiding from Kivar. He has spies and loyal followers everywhere. They live among the humans and will do whatever he asks of them. So whatever you do, don’t fail.”

A shiver ran down her spine thinking about his words. She glanced impatiently at the clock on the wall. It was almost 2:30 in the morning.

“Where the hell are you Max?”

He should’ve been back by now. When she talked to him on the phone he sounded strange like he was distracted. He’d been so sweet to her the last couple of days after he found out the baby was dying. It seemed as if he were finally falling in love with her, something she had once wanted more than anything. But Tess knew better. Not once did he say he loved her. All the flashes she received from him told her exactly who his heart belonged to. She was always going to be second with him.

“Damn you Liz Parker!”



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Hold on
Hold on to yourself
For this is gonna hurt like hell

Hold on
Hold on to yourself
You know that only time will tell



“Liz,” Max whispered his voice hoarse and unsteady.

She looked up at him, her eyes still brimming with tears, and spoke softly. “How can you do this…to me?” She sat up against the wall and turned her head away from his gaze. It hurt too much to look at the face that would be forever branded in her memories but she would never touch again.

“Liz I never meant…”

She cut him off. “You never meant what? To sleep with Tess—never meant to get her pregnant—never meant to hurt me this way, and now you’re leaving me behind as if I meant nothing to you at all?”

“There’s nothing I can say or do that will ever make up for it. It’s killing me...to leave you.” His voiced trembled but he managed to compose himself. “If I had a choice I’d stay in a heartbeat but I don’t. I can’t just let my son die.”

She inhaled sharply and winced from the pain caused by the simple act of breathing.

“You mean more to me than you’ll ever know,” he said.

“But she means more.” Her voice was barely audible but it still brought Max to his knees in front of her. He tenderly brushed the mat of tear soaked hair away from her face.

“Don’t think that…please,” he begged her.

Liz shook her head away from his grasp. This was hopeless. All the tender words coming out of his mouth left her feeling empty because she knew that come dawn he was going to leave and make a life with Tess and their son.

“Why are you here Max? Why haven’t you left? Isn’t your wife waiting for you?” she spat out.

He sat up on his haunches and shrugged his shoulders. “I couldn’t leave. No matter how hard I tried I just couldn’t.”

For a second Liz felt a tiny bit of hope thinking that he’d changed his mind and was staying on earth. But Max’s reply instantly buried that notion.

“I couldn’t leave without knowing why you lied to me about Kyle.” That wasn’t the only reason that kept him from leaving but Max noticed the way her face lit up for a few seconds and he didn’t want to get her hopes up thinking that he was staying. “Why did you? I know you were trying to push me away, that much is obvious.”

Liz’s body stiffened and she held up her chin defiantly. “What difference does it make now? What do you have to gain when you’re only going to leave anyway?”

“Please…I need to know.” He pleaded with her as his sad hazel eyes searched hers for answers.

With a huff she stood up pushing her way past him and walked over to the window keeping her back to him. What would it hurt now to tell him the secret she’d been keeping from him for so long? Her actions last fall had culminated in what was supposed to happen; Max fell out of love with her and ended up in Tess’s arms. She should feel a since of accomplishment that it actually worked. But instead she was left feeling ripped apart. The hole in her chest echoed and burned with each breath she took in reminding her of how alone she was and would always be. To her surprise, she still felt the connection humming between them as if it were a living, breathing being in the room—palpable and uncompromising. It was still there and had been even when they were fighting and saying things to each other that could never be taken back. When he leaves their connection would go with him. She wrapped her arms around herself to keep whole and then turned around to face him as she began to tell him everything. She spoke slow and deliberately, leaving out nothing as she purged herself.

Max sat on the bed quietly listening to Liz as she told him, without pausing, about how and why she and the future version of himself altered the future. He absorbed everything, and when she finished his whole body quaked with a swirl of contradicting emotions that made him want to scream from the intensity of it. The anger he felt was obvious and manifested in all his taut facial features except for his eyes. The sadness there was physically painful for Liz look at because it was one she recognized all too well from her own reflection.

He choked back the bile that was in his throat and managed to speak tightly. “Let me get this straight, you changed our future by pushing me out of your life—pretending to sleep with Kyle, breaking my heart, and ruining any chance for us at all because I came from the future and told you to do it?”

She bit her lip and nodded, tears filling her eyes again from his harsh expression.

He ran his hands roughly through his hair and stood up. He couldn’t believe it. He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry or punch a hole through her bedroom wall. Why should he have expected anything less from the universe? They had been doomed from the start. Whether from the stupid mistakes they made themselves or the way fate had determined it to be, it was bound to end badly. Even in the other timeline they were married and happy but that happiness caused the end of the world for everyone. He chuckled at the irony of it. He had once predicted this himself. He knew in the long run that he was going to hurt her. That’s why he tried in the beginning to keep his distance--for her sake. His word came back to slap him in the face.

Liz, I think that what I'm afraid of isn't that we try this and it works out really badly. What I'm afraid of is we try it and it works out really well. I'm afraid of feeling everything that I know I would feel. Because I know it's not meant to be. And somewhere down the line, we're gonna get hurt. I can live with that. I just couldn't bear to hurt you.

Just then he remembered the vision he experienced when they were in Las Vegas and now knew it was memory of another time, one that would never happen. Coming back from just being married, they looked so blissfully happy as if they didn’t have a care in the world except one another. There wasn’t the weight of the world on their shoulders or the nagging reminder of someone else’s destiny hanging over their heads, only the desire to be with each other for the rest of their lives. Max’s throat tightened as he came to grips with the fact that they were never going to experience that together.

He crumpled onto the bed, put his head in his hands and cried.


TBC>>>>>>>>
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Re: One Moment More Saga (CC, M/L, Mature)Pt1-CH3 - 9/7/08

Post by Tanya7496 »

A/N: When I had this story playing around in my mind I already had the soundtrack picked out. That's the way I write. Music is a BIG emotional helper for my writing. So when I heard the song One Moment More almost a year ago I knew I needed to write this. but I was working on Epiphany at the time and I'm not one of those lucky writers who can tackle more then one story at a time (I wish). So One Moment More got shelved till I finished Epiphany. While on the shelf it turned into a trilogy somehow.

Thank you so much thetvgeneral for Betaing this. You're the best!!

Song lyrics used: One Moment More by Mindy Smith






~3~
A Stolen Moment





Just then he remembered the vision he experienced when they were in Las Vegas and now knew it was memory of another time, one that would never happen. Coming back from just being married, they looked so blissfully happy as if they didn’t have a care in the world except one another. There wasn’t the weight of the world on their shoulders or the nagging reminder of someone else’s destiny hanging over their heads, only the desire to be with each other for the rest of their lives. Max’s throat tightened as he came to grips with the fact that they were never going to experience that together.

He crumpled onto the bed, put his head in his hands and cried.

Liz stared at Max in shock for a long moment, at first too stunned to do or say anything. She had been so consumed in her bitterness as she relived every painful detail to him about what she did last fall that she was shaking from it. But while she stood there and watched Max as he cried, all the anger she felt dissolved into overwhelming compassion.

In an act pure instinct, she left her place at the window and stood in front of him.

“Oh Max.” She cried her voice unsteady with emotion.

He slowly looked up at her with tortured eyes. “We were happy weren’t we…in that other life.” He asked hoarsely and then wiped at his face with his hands as a little boy would do.

Liz nodded, too afraid to speak, knowing her voice would fail her.

What had she done to him? Where was the Max she remembered? Strong, tender, sweet, and in control. When she made the decision to break his heart, she never thought about the long term emotional outcome. It was all done to keep everyone on the planet alive. To stop a war that would end the world. That’s what drove her day after day to continue living with a lie. Had it been worth it? She wondered. So much pain had been caused in this new reality that could never be made right. The broken man on her bed was living proof of that.

She released her fists that were tightly balled up at her sides and touched the side of his face, wiping away another tear that had escaped the corner of his eye.

Hold me
Even though I know you're leaving
And show me
All the reasons you would stay


His eyes closed at the contact of her skin against his own. So much comfort found in such a small gesture. He leaned the side of his face against her palm taking what she had to offer. It was more than he deserved and less than what he needed. He needed to stay and just be in her company as long as she would have him. To breath the same air she breathed and to look at her for hours on end. To talk endlessly about science and the plans for the future. To kiss her, touch her hair, feel her tiny arms around him. That’s what he needed. But he knew it wasn’t ever going to be that way. Coldness settled around his heart thinking about what a life without Liz would be like. The thought was literally unbearable.

It's just enough to feel your breath on mine
To warm my soul and ease my mind
You've got to hold me and show me now



Feeling his body tremble, Liz slid her hand behind his head, into the silky strands of his hair, and kissed his cheek in an act that was tender and passionless. Max smiled wearily up at her and then returned the kiss, first on her cheek, her forehead, and then her eyes. He drew back slightly and noticed that her lips were parted and her eyes were closed. After a pause of several heartbeats, she felt the tentative brush of his lips against hers and involuntarily sighed. The electricity caused her lips to tingle and her face to become flushed. Not a new experience for her when it came to Max but a missed one. She kept her eyes closed, afraid he might disappear like a desert mirage to a thirsty man.

He parted his lips, gently deepening their kiss. Too stunned and needy to stop even though he knew it wasn’t right, and yet it was the only thing in his life that did feel right. The sensation of her tongue softly gliding along his as her fingers gripped the front of his shirt made him feel more alive then he’d felt in over a year. He didn’t have to think or pretend with her, nothing felt forced, or odd about the way she felt in his arms. She molded to his body as if she was made only for him. Even for just this one night, he could be who he always wanted to be…Liz’s. Nothing else mattered to him but this moment.

Give me
Just one part of you to cling to
And keep me
Everywhere you are


“Liz?” he pleaded with a breathless unsteady voice and then stood up and gathered her in his arms. Feeling suddenly desperate for her, he held onto her body, fearing she would vanish and then brought his mouth down hard onto hers. It moved over her lips as if he wished to devour her, his tongue rubbing against hers as if to absorb her into his very being.


A tiny voice in the back her mind screamed for her to stop. He didn’t belong to her anymore. He was leaving the planet at dawn. But it was useless. Her body went on autopilot with a will of its own, reveling in sensations and violent need. She couldn’t stop herself even if she wanted to. It was out of her hands. For once Liz Parker was no longer in control.


Without letting go, they both undressed each other. Once they were completely naked, Max pulled away to finally take in the site of Liz’s body. She was perfect, so much better than the fantasies he had of her. She was warm and real in front of him. Not the phantom he conjured up in his mind to get him through the lonely times without her.

He was beyond beautiful to Liz as she took in the wonder of Max’s body, momentarily blushing when her eyes traveled lower to his groin. She was fascinated and a little bit afraid at how large and ready he seemed to be.

For a moment they stood in front of each other, staring as if they were branding the images before them to their memories. After tomorrow this would be all they had.

It's just enough to steal my heart and run
And fade out with the falling sun


Liz reached out and caressed the hard swell of his chest, feeling the rapid rise and fall as his breathing picked up. Desire flicker in his eyes and he closed the distance between and reached a shaky hand out to cupped one of her breast causing her to gasp from the incredible sensations that enveloped her.

Without warning, he pulled her closer to him, pressing his desire against her. He buried his face into the curve of her neck and shoulder, breathing in her scent greedily. She clung to him for dear life as they moved toward the bed. They couldn’t seem to get close enough. Nipping, kissing, consuming each other as their bodies strained to unite. All their emotions; fear, love, anger, sadness, and regret seemed to be channeled to their kiss.

Oh, please don't go
Let me have you just one moment more
Oh, all I need
All I want is just one moment more
You've got to hold me and keep me


They slipped down onto the bed. Her legs parted, welcoming him as he moved over her and positioned himself between her thighs, his manhood mere inches from her warm opening. He bent his head down and kissed her tenderly. He looked into her eyes searching for the love and reassurance he needed to continue. It was there with so much clarity he felt as if his heart would burst in his chest.


Tell me that someday you'll be returning
And maybe
Maybe I'll believe


“I love you so much.” He whispered against her lips before he lightly slid his hands down her body, making a florescent trail of light from her breast to her hips. She felt his hands under her, lifting her hips slightly, and then the sudden sting as he entered her body. She gasped and gripped his back as he filled her completely.

Max remained still at first, letting her adjust to his invasion. Finally they were one. One soul and one body, they both felt what the other one was feeling. Their breathing and heart rate were in sync as if they were one being. It was amazing to them. And as he began to move in and out of her body the sensations intensified. Over and over he plunged into her as she held on tightly to his body. She didn’t want this feeling to end. She was complete finally. Like a piece of a puzzle in her life finally found and put into place. The emptiness was filled.

All I want is just one moment more
You've got to hold me and maybe I'll believe


They made love for the first time and the last time, committing every touch, kiss, sound, and incredible feeling to their memories. This was all they had; every precious heated second was theirs.

He wanted to savor this moment, to take his time with her. But he couldn’t hold himself in check much longer. He’d wanted this for so long. Ached for it. Each time he moved inside her body he knew it brought him one step closer to his departure and away from her forever but it was beyond his control.

Max watched the desire play across her face and heard the panting and sweet moans escaping her lips as her body found its release. All too soon he followed with a guttural cry right after her, emptying himself deep within her.

Holding onto him tightly, Liz felt his power, like an electrical current, coursing through her body, humming and vibrating along her nerve endings as it made its journey inside her body. Starting from her very core to the rest of body she was on fire—on the border between pleasure and pain. It was intoxicating and overwhelming like nothing she’d ever experienced, and it sapped all of her strength by the time it subsided.

Drained himself, Max managed to pull the blanket over their shivering naked bodies before he gather her tiny sleeping frame into his arms and cradled her close to him.

So hold me
Even though I know you're leaving
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Re: One Moment More Saga (CC, M/L, Mature)Pt1-CH4 - 9/7/08

Post by Tanya7496 »

~4~
Separation






“Calm down Tess. Getting this upset can’t be good for the baby,” Valenti pleaded. He had spent the last half hour watching Tess pace back and forth in his living room like a caged animal, mumbling frantically to herself and calling Max on his cell phone over and over. It was worrying him. She was like a daughter to him and it was difficult for him to see her in so much pain and knowing there wasn’t anything he could do to help. He was about to say “to hell with it” and go after Max himself.

“What the hell’s wrong with him? Doesn’t he care about his son? He’s dying damn it!” Tess yelled and then clutched her stomach. “The least he could do is call and let me know where he is.”

“Get a grip. I’m sure he has his reasons,” Michael growled in disgust. “You don’t know, maybe it took him longer to track down Leanna, or worse, he found her and things got ugly.”

Although he was worried about him, Michael was getting sick of sitting around waiting for Max. Having to watch Tess flip out was grating on his last nerve. He had very little tolerance or sympathy for her lately. Her and Max’s irresponsibly was the reason he was being force to leave Maria. He'd finally found where he belonged only to have to give it up. Saying goodbye to her was the hardest thing he ever had to do. No, he wasn’t a big fan of the Max and Tess.

She shook her head and glared at him. “Then you should’ve gone with him instead of letting him go off by himself. You’re his second in command. It’s your job to protect him.”

“I had things to take care first…some loose ends to tie up. You and Max kind of sprung this on us. Besides, he’s not alone.” He shot back at her and watched as the implication of his last statement hit its mark.

Of course he wasn’t alone. He was with her. She surmised. Defeated, Tess wearily sank down onto the couch. This was not working out the way she had planned. Years of preparation, months of actual work put into this, all to be destroyed by one human girl who thought she could take what didn’t belong to her in the first place. She was the perpetual thorn in Tess’s side.

“Calm down, okay.” Kyle said as he sat down next to her and put his arm around her, letting her head rest on his shoulder. “Max will be here soon…I’m sure.” He whispered softly to her and then kissed her head.

Michael glanced over at Isabel in surprise hoping she’d caught that unusually intimate scene between Tess and Kyle. But instead he got no response from her. She had been quiet since they arrived at Valenti’s house, remaining sullenly against the door frame of the kitchen, looking a million miles away. He was worried about her. He knew she didn’t want to leave earth any more than he did. Even more than Max, she always seemed entrenched in her human existence. She loved her life on earth with her parents, school, and volunteer work. After Alex died she became more anxious to leave her alien side behind. But Max refused to let her, going as far as to blackmail her to make her stay in Roswell.

Michael walked over to her and put a supportive hand on her shoulder. “How are you holdin’ up?”

“Not so good,” She answered and then continued coldly. “I had to make the video to my parents without Max—had to explain in the simplest terms that the children they’ve raised and loved for eleven years are now leaving and never coming home to them, all without Max.”

He scratched his eyebrow and offered, “They’ll be okay. I’m sure.” He didn’t know what else to say to her. Loving parents were a foreign concept to him.

She ignored what he said, instead focused her attention on Tess. “This isn’t right. Something feels strange about all of this but I can’t put my finger on it.”

He nodded his head. “I know what you mean. But we don’t have much choice do we.”

“We could commit treason. You know, refuse to go with them.” She smiled wryly.

“Could you really live without Max in your life?” He knew her too well. The thought of a life without Max and Michael was unthinkable. They were her family just as much, if not more then the people who raised her.

Resigning herself to the inevitable, she let out a frustrated sigh and looked toward the front window. The sky was starting to turn pink with the first light of morning.

“Well time is running out.” She pointed to the window. “We need to find him or we’re going without him.”

“Yeah but where do we look? It would take too long to drive to Las Cruces, if he’s even still there, which I seriously doubt he is.”

Under her breath she replied, “If I know my brother, there’s only one place you need to look.”


~~~~~~~~~~~~~


There’s just one thing that I need to say
before I close my eyes and walk away
There’s just one thing that I need to feel
Before I walk away against my will
There’s just one thing that I need to hear
Before I walk away for the last time
There’s just one thing that I need to see
Before I take this chance and set us free

Don’t forget me
Don’t regret me
Don’t suspect me
Don’t neglect me

The memory of this still reminds me of you
The memory of this still reminds me
The memory of this still reminds me of you
That is where you'll find me

Don’t Forget Me by Way Out West




Just a little more time…

That’s all he wanted. Was it too much to ask for after everything they’d been though together and meant to each other? So much time had been wasted apart. So many hurtful words that he wished he could take back. All the things he wanted to tell her and share with her. But as the pale light shown through the window he knew it wasn’t meant to be. Time wasn’t a luxury for them. It had run out.

His throat tightened as he held Liz close to him. He watched her slow even breathing and the look of peace that was finally on her face. In the short time after they’d made love Liz slept fretfully, whimpering and crying out his name. Even in exhausted sleep she was tormented. But now, thankfully, looking down at her beautiful face, she seemed oblivious to what he was about to do. He wrestled with the decision about whether or not to wake her to say goodbye or just leave. In the end, he knew it would better to just leave. One look into her eyes would be enough to change his mind and stay with her, ultimately letting his son die. No it was better this way.

He pulled the thin blanket that was covering them over her exposed arms and smiled sadly. Max felt as if he was being torn in two. He never thought he would ever get the chance to be with Liz not after everything they did to each other. But he didn’t regret making love to her for a second. It was the single most perfect moment of his life. Nothing could or would ever compare to it. And it was a memory he would take with him till the day he died.

“I love you. Never forget that, please.” He swallowed back a sob and then kissed her forehead, memorizing the softness of her skin against his lips. Another small significant detail he would keep with him forever.

Max didn’t want to move and leave the sanctuary he’d found. Not only was it hard emotionally to move but also physically as well. He was unusually weak and his body still seemed to be pulsating. This wasn’t like before. He immediately cringed at himself for even making a comparison. There wasn’t one. It was like night and day. One was about loneliness and self pity and the other about loss, desperate longing and unquestionable love. But he couldn’t overlook the difference in the way he felt.

Closing his eyes, he forced himself to let go, to break contact with her. His legs felt unstable and heavy as he stood up. He quickly glanced down to make sure his stumbling hadn't caused her to wake up. Even though every cell in his body wished she would so he could see her smile up at him one last time. But she only frowned and curled up her body, making the small blanket fall away from her torso, exposing her beautiful arms and breasts to him. He couldn’t help but sigh over her perfection. Her warm skin still glowed slightly with an almost florescent sheen and her hair lay in a silky mass across the pillow and down her neck. Her lips were swollen and red from all the hungry kisses last night. She was so stunning, even more so then before. Another image added to his memory that he’d never forget.

Gently he kissed her shoulder and then pulled the blanket back over her to keep her warm. He found his boxers and jeans and pulled them on. But he was shaking so badly, that he had trouble getting his boots on. So he sat down on the bed next to her and did his best to get his feet in them without waking her. With each task, he tried to prolong his departure as much as possible, stretching the minutes out till the very last. But with his shirt in hand, the finality hit him and a sudden feeling of sorrow gripped his insides. This was it.

He tenderly stroked the side of her face, pushing a stray strand of hair away. His body began to tremble as he focused on her face. This was so hard and it hurt so much. “I don’t want to leave you.” He pressed his lips against her cheek, his voice quivering as he whispered. “Please forgive me.”

Just then he heard a faint knock on the window behind him. Max turned around quickly to find Michael pushing it open. He glanced at the shirtless wide eyed Max and then at the half naked Liz on the bed. With understanding painted on his face he looked up at Max again, and without questioning or judgment in his tone, he declared flatly, “It’s time to go.” He quietly shut the window and walked away.

TBC>>>>>>>
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Re: One Moment More Saga (CC, M/L, Mature)Pt1-CH5 - 9/7/08

Post by Tanya7496 »

Okay it's here. My BETA is fantastic and very quick. That's why she rocks! Thank you Steph. I couldn't do it without you.


Remember any feedback is wanted and encouraged.








~5~
The Dawn







“MAX!” Liz yelled as she sat straight up in bed clutching the thin blanket to her chest. Even through the exhausted fog, she remembered everything that had happened last night. He came back to her and snuck into her room, she told him about Future Max and the life they would’ve had. He cried; something he’d never done in front of her before. And then they’d made love. He was so tender and passionate. It had been too magical to be real, above and beyond any of the fantasies she had about her first time with Max. If not for the lingering soreness between her legs and the slight hum of her sated body, Liz might have thought the night had been just a dream. She could still feel his hands on her, his body inside her; the taste of him still remained on her tongue. It had been incredible and very real. So where was he?

As awareness began to seep through, crashing her back down to reality, she started looking around the room desperately hoping to find him. Blinding panic rose in her and clasped itself around her heart. He wouldn’t leave her like this—not after last night. But as the first glint of morning streaked across her bed, she knew he was gone—left without saying goodbye, to another planet to raise his son with Tess. She was never going to see him again. She began to tremble and hot tears sprung up in her eyes from the sheer hopelessness of it all.

Suddenly, her cell phone started ringing. At first she thought about ignoring it, the last thing she wanted was to talk to anyone…anyone but Max. The whole world could disappear for all she cared. She’d done her part and it cost her everything. Max, Alex, her future and safety for everyone since there was still a killer out there targeting anyone associated with Max. But right then she couldn’t seem to bring herself to care anymore. She was exhausted. The worrying, secret keeping and lying had led her to where she was…alone sitting in a cold bed with only bittersweet memories.

Then it dawned on her, what if it’s Max. Maybe something happened. Maybe he changed his mind or found another alternative and was staying on earth. She jumped out of bed, ignoring the sudden sharp pain in her middle and grabbed her phone off her dresser.

Not even bothering to look to see who it was, she answered, “Max.”

“No, Liz it’s me.” Maria’s voice sounded panicked. “You need to get over her right now. My mom’s freaking out.”

Liz sighed and rolled her eyes. Freaking out wasn’t something new for Ms. Deluca. She was as much a drama queen as her daughter. “Maria, I can’t deal with this right now. They’re leaving, that’s all that’s on my mind.”

Maria was silent for a couple of seconds and then sniffled loudly. “Don’t you think it’s killing me too? But I can’t deal with what’s going on with my mom alone. I need you. Liz, I think she’s remembering what happened the night Brody kept us hostage in the UFO Center.”


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As I'm leaving
A change comes on my eyes
These streets persuading me
With mumbled strange goodbyes

Through the water
Through the rain
To the soul of everything
Throw my heart out on the stones
And I'm almost gone

As I’m Leaving by David Gray



What kind of monster was he? He couldn’t leave well enough alone. Saying goodbye the first time was hard enough. He had to have more, stretching out the pain till it snapped and burned in his chest. In the end making the ache more intense then it already was. He should’ve been stronger and not taken advantage of her the way he did; knowing the whole time nothing could change his fate. He was destined to hurt her. And this time was the worst. He was abandoning her after taking her virginity. He had never felt lower in his life. In disgust, Max slammed his hands against the steering wheel.

No amount of berating could make him regret the night he spent with her. He might as well regret healing her and bringing her into his world. It was unthinkable. Everything about making love to her was a gift he would cherish forever. It was still crystal clear in his mind. She felt so warm and alive in his arms. A perfect fit. He could still feel the softness of her thighs around him, the hum of her moans and the way his name sounded as she came apart around him. A sound he thought was only possible in his dreams. He could swear the smell of strawberries was permanently imprinted to his senses. He smiled to himself. She still used the same brand of bubble bath that he’d once bought her so long ago.

But it wasn’t only the intimacies that left a lasting impression and seared him to the core. It was finding out all along that his instincts were right about Liz. She was keeping so much from him. He still couldn’t get his mind around everything that she told him, it was too much to process. All he knew for sure was that she never once gave up on him. He could feel it through the flashes that he received from her. She may have been pushing him away for the so-called “greater good” but she still loved him and held out hope that there would come a day when they could be together again. And he fucked that up by loosing his faith and giving up. She had every right to hate him. As much as it hurt him, maybe hating him would make it easier for her to move on. But he honestly didn’t want her to move on and that made him feel even more like a selfish bastard. Max exhausted every scenario and option that came to mind that would make it possible for him to stay and still save his son. But every road led to him leaving. It was the only way to insure his son’s survival.

Still with every street he passed, he fought the undeniable urge to turn around and go back. He wanted so much to climb into her warm bed and forget that anything or anyone else existed. It was the only choice that made sense or felt right to him. He belonged there with Liz not on Antar and with someone he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt he didn’t love, at least not in the way he was supposed to love his wife and the mother of his child. Wife. The term still felt wrong to him. Sure he had a few unfocused memories of Tess when she was Ava and she’d been so loyal to him and comforting when he felt lost and alone but it wasn’t enough to make him feel the way she wanted him to feel about her. He honestly tried. He did love her but it was a mere fraction of what he felt for Liz. She was yet another person who was going to be hurt by him.

How was he going to be able to face her after being with Liz? There was no way he could go back to her with the intention of having a romantic relationship, not after making love to Liz and knowing that she was the only one who held his heart. God, he could still smell Liz and even feel her all around him as if she was holding onto him. The connection was much stronger than before. It was too evident. He knew he could no longer pretend. Tess at the very least deserved to know where he stood. He would have to tell her once they got back to Antar and the safety of their son was secure. Max had already formed a bond with him and knew it was his place to make sure he survived. Maybe someday he could return to Liz. But right now Max could only think of one priority at a time or he would go insane.

Max narrowed his eyes and could see Valenti’s house looming up ahead. Once there he inhaled and groaned out a hopeless breath as he pulled up to the curb and saw that everyone was waiting on the grassy lawn all wearing the same scowl on their faces.

TBC>>>>>>>>>
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Re: One Moment More Saga (CC, M/L, Mature)Pt1-CH1 - 9/7/08

Post by Tanya7496 »

~6~
Dead Man Walking







O no, I see,
I spun a web, it's tangled up with me,
And I lost my head,
The thought of all the stupid things I said,
O no what's this?
A spider web, and I'm caught in the middle,
I turned to run,
The thought of all the stupid things I've done,

I never meant to cause you trouble,
And I never meant to do you wrong,
And I, well if I ever caused you trouble,
O no, I never meant to do you harm.

O no I see,
A spider web and it's me in the middle,
So I twist and turn,
Here I am in love in a bubble,

They spun a web for me,
They spun a web for me,
They spun a web for me.

Trouble ~ Coldplay



Max stared out through the glass of the Jeep’s windshield at the faces of the people standing on the lawn waiting for him. His sister Isabel, who he’d bossed around, yelled at, and then ultimately blackmailed into staying in Roswell because it was what he wanted and demanded from everyone was the first to catch his eye. He did all that despite the fact that she was mourning the death of Alex and only wanted to escape the reminders that were present all around her. Then there was Michael, his brother in everyway that counted. Max was taking him away from the only person he felt secure enough to let his guard down for and love. Maria brought out the best in Michael. Everyone could see the change in him, the contentment that was never there before. Now he was being taken away from that.

Max looked over at the Valentis. Kyle and his dad were considered the enemy at first but they proved time and time again otherwise, helping the aliens without question or regard for their own safety and reputations. Although Max still held onto some residual bitterness towards Kyle for sleeping with Liz, regardless of fact that he now knew it never happened, he still owed Kyle and his dad so much for all they sacrificed just knowing of their existence.

Standing next to the Valentis, her human family, was Tess. She was his queen, his mate, and mother of his child and she was going to be the one most wronged by Max in the end. In the translation of the book, it was their destiny to continue on with the marriage of their predecessors King Zan and Queen Ava, procreate, and then when the time was right return home with everyone to free the enslaved people of their planet. No matter how much he tried to deny it—fighting it tooth and nail every step of the way, Max evidently resigned himself to the fact that it was supposed to happen that way. But it didn’t ease the ache in his heart over loosing Liz. Tess was carrying his son yet he loved someone else. He knew he would never be able to look her in the eye and pretend he felt more for her then what he did. What made him sick to his stomach the most was knowing that he’d used her as a replacement—someone to ease the pain and loneliness he felt. She had been so supportive and understanding. Always there to lend an ear and give words of encouragement when he felt no one else gave a damn. He began to develop feelings for her that he didn’t quite understand but didn’t refute either. Except, he’d been fooling himself all along and when he’d finally given in to his destiny by sleeping with her he knew immediately he’d made the biggest mistake of his entire life. But by then it was too late. The damage had been done. Now he had to be a man and except his responsibilities.

He dragged a trembling hand across his face. The movement reflected back at him through his rear view mirror. Pull yourself together. He told himself. He knew he had to appear almost emotionless, refrain from showing how he really felt or this wasn’t going to work. Everyone had to believe that as their leader he knew they were doing the right thing despite his own inner turmoil. His sadness and longing for Liz couldn’t show. His fear of the unknown and what was waiting for them on Antar had to remain behind his façade. This wasn’t about what he wanted or what was easiest for everyone else. Those things were irrelevant compared to the crisis they were dealing with. Tess was in pain and their son was dying on this planet. He had to be strong for them.

Max jumped out of the jeep, and as he walked towards the others he couldn’t quite shake the foreboding feeling that he was a dead man walking.

Michael and Isabel ran up to him first. But his eyes went past them and onto Tess. She was flanked by Kyle and his dad with her hand clutching her stomach.

“Let’s go.” Max announced firmly. They didn’t have much time left.

“Wait Max.” Isabel grabbed his arm and asked anxiously. “Did you kill her? Did you kill Leanna?

“No.” He answered flatly knowing it wasn’t the answer she wanted to hear.

Michael shook his head. “Why the hell not? You had the perfect opportunity. I don’t get it.”

“It turns out she’s human. The killer used her to take the fall.”

Kyle walked briskly up to them with his fists balled up angrily at his sides. “What about the real killer?”

Max shrugged his shoulders and looked past Kyle to Valenti and said regretfully. “He or she’s still out there. If I’d had little more time I might have been able to finish this but…”

“So that’s it.” Kyle spat out in disgust. “While you’ll traipse off to Never Neverland, we lowly humans get to be the targets for some lunatic alien freak out for our blood. That’s just perfect.”

“Kyle, he obvious doesn’t have a choice.” His dad scolded him.

Kyle glared at Max. “Bullshit! He should’ve listened to Liz from the start. You all should’ve. She was right and no one believed her. Now we are the ones who get to pay for it.”

Max knew he was right. There was no use in arguing with him about what he should’ve done. As usual, Liz’s instincts had been right but at the time he couldn’t bring himself to face the truth. The possibility that knowing who and what he was cost Alex his life was too much to bear. So Max pushed any notion of it out of his mind and Liz out of his life, a decision he knew would haunt him for the rest of his life.

“I wish I had listened to her…”

Tess put her hand on his shoulder and looked up at him sympathetically. “You didn’t know.”

“How are you feeling?” Max smiled wearily at her.

She shrugged her shoulders and grimaced. “A little better now that you’re here.”

She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly to her body. Before he could stop her she lifted her head from his chest and kissed him.

Then abruptly Tess jerked away from him like he’d burned her, her body stiff and defensive. It felt as if she’d been punched. How could he? She was his wife. Unbeknownst to Max, through flashes, she saw everything that had happened between him and Liz that night. Even though she hated them, she was used to receiving glimpses of Max’s life with Liz whenever his kissed her or touched her but nothing like this. Every caress, every tearful kiss, all the feelings of their love between them and the passionate thrusts of their bodies had been projected for Tess to see and endure and it made her blaze with hatred for him. After everything he still couldn’t let her go.

She gritted her teeth and held up her chin, determined to stay calm in front of everyone. The last thing she wanted was to cause a scene. His betrayal wouldn’t be her undoing. It was just the final affirmation that Max was never going to love her no matter what she did.

She shook her head and smiled. It didn’t matter anyway. She’d have the last laugh in the end.

Max looked down at her, surprised by the fact that she pulled away. At first he thought it was because he wasn’t responding by kissing her back but as soon as his eyes met her cold blue glare he knew it was much worse. His heart sunk. She knew. She knew he’d made love to Liz less then a few hours ago. She must have gotten a flash.

“Tess…” He tried to explain. “I’m sorry…I…didn’t ….”

She put one finger against his lips to quiet him and then with a smile replied smugly. “Don't worry; you won't remember her where we're going.”

As she walked away from him a sudden icy chill ran down his spine.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~




“Oh thank God you’re here.” Maria gripped tightly to Liz’s hand and pulled her through her house.

They didn’t make it past the hallway before Liz could clearly hear Ms. Deluca yelling from the kitchen.

“Larek! He says his name is Larek, and he's an alien! Who is Larek?”

With Maria close to her side, Liz leaned against the doorframe and peeked inside the kitchen. Ms. Deluca was looking frantically around the tiny room wringing a white cloth her hands. She looked as if she was seeing and reacting to things that were not in the room with her.

“How long has she been like this?” Liz whispered staring transfixed on Amy Deluca.

Maria tore her eyes away from her mom and looked over at Liz. “Ever since I got back from Michael’s about an hour or so ago.”

“He's taken over this whole place! And he's holding us hostage here with a gun. He's pointing a gun at my daughter! He threatened my daughter!” Ms. Deluca continued to rant. Her eyes large with fear and anger as her fingers bunched up a white t-shirt in her hands.

Liz noticed that it was the same “George W. is an Alien” t-shirt Sean had worn to cover up the minor knife wound he had received from Brody when Brody thought he himself was an alien named Larek. Thinking about what happened that night gave Liz the chills. She still couldn’t walk pass the UFO Center or be in Brody’s presence without remembering the helplessness of watching Sean on the floor bleeding, the feeling of having a gun pointed in her face, and the complete terror she felt when Max put himself in front of Brody’s gun willing to take a bullet for her.

Max. His name almost came out her mouth like an exhale after being underwater too long. She began to shake and her throat tightened. He was gone and she didn’t get to say goodbye.

“Mom, Mom what's wrong?” Maria managed to finally ask breaking Liz out of her inner melt down. Now was not the time for emotions when the possibility of Ms. Deluca remembering what happened was playing out in front of them. How would they explain what happened and convince her to keep quiet about it.

They walked close together, hand and hand into the kitchen both not sure what to expect next from Maria’s mom.
To their amazement and relief, she immediately stopped pacing and stood casually against the stove looking surprisingly annoyed at her daughter and Liz and appearing totally unaware of what had just occurred.

“Maria, what are you doing up so early? And Liz, when did you get here?” She asked and then began tapping her fingers loudly in a familiar rhythm against the top of the metal stove.

Instantly snapshots of Alex and Kyle flashed quickly through Liz’s mind showing her glimpses of them performing the same behavior; the mindless tapping of their fingers that they seemed unaware of doing. It was so insignificant that it could’ve easily gone unnoticed as anything other then a random annoying behavior. But as the image of Tess mindwarping Maria’s mom the night they were held hostage flashed through her brain, Liz’s scientific mind seemed to easily process the connection between Ms. Deluca, Kyle, and Alex, and at once it became completely clear to her that there was only one common denominator.

“It’s Tess. Tess mindwarped Alex.” She announced with certainty to Maria under her breath.

“What?” Maria gasped.

“And Kyle.” Liz added

“How do you know?”

“I don’t really for sure but it all adds up. We need to see Kyle. He might be the key.” Liz started walking toward the front door but then stopped when she noticed that she the only one walking. She turned around to see Maria in the middle of the living room, confusion written on her face.

“Come on, I’ll explain on the way. But we need to go now.”
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Re: One Moment More Saga (CC, M/L, Mature)Pt1-CH7 - 9/7/08

Post by Tanya7496 »

A/N: Dialogue from Departure and the cut version of Departure was used for this chapter.

Feedback and critiques are always welcome. Enjoy!!



~7~
Somewhere There’s a Clock Ticking





This was going nowhere. Time was running out and each precious moment spent waiting for Kyle to remember was time they didn’t have to waste. Max, Michael, and Isabel could be leaving the planet with Alex’s killer and if she was capable of killing once who’s to say she wouldn’t do it again. Liz couldn’t let them leave without knowing the truth and making her pay. But she needed proof before she could accuse Tess and hopefully stop Max from leaving. Kyle was the key and their only shot but he’d been reluctant from the beginning when Liz and Maria showed up at his house, adamant about the fact that Tess wouldn’t have mindwarped him.

As they sat on what used to be Tess’ bed. Liz and Maria continued to try and convince him to relax and concentrate, hoping that he would somehow remember what his mind was blocking. It was a long shot but Liz knew in her gut she was right. Now if only Kyle would stop fighting it and try to remember.

“This is pointless.” Kyle grumbled as he sat up from his reclined position on the bed. “No, there's no way I've been mindwarped. I'd remember it.”

“Kyle, that's the whole point of being mindwarped. You don't know that it's happening to you.” Maria insisted impatiently.

With a loud groan he stood up from the bed.

“So what am I supposed to do?”

Liz shrugged her shoulders as Kyle began to walk toward the dresser. “I don't know; walk around the room…touch stuff and see if you have an unusual response to anything.”

She didn’t exactly know what would trigger his memory. She only knew that it must be something connected to this room. It was where Tess had spent most of her time while living with the Valenti’s. So Liz figured it would hold most of her energy.

Suddenly, an unwanted thought hit Liz accompanied by a wave of nausea. Oh God, What if this room was where Max and Tess… on this bed…? Trembling, she began to stand up, eager to get as far away from the bed as she possibly could but Maria caught her arm, stopping her.

“Liz, look.” Maria pointed to Kyle. His fingers started taping on top of the dresser in the same rhythm as before.

He looked at Liz through the reflection in the mirror above the dresser and mumbled. “Sorry, nothing.”

“Kyle, it could be really close, so keep looking, keep trying.” Liz urged.

Just then Kyle’s hands began to shake as he stared intently in the mirror as images appeared to him that only he could see. Scenes of Alex and Tess screaming at one another played out in vivid detail for him as if on a movie screen and from the doorway he was a player in the horror unfolding before him.

Liz and Maria watched as his body jerked where he stood, his eyes large, and focused on his reflection. Then all at once, he spun around with a tortured look on his face.

“I carried his body. She made me think it was luggage.” Kyle’s voice was raw as he forced out the words. “She killed him. Tess killed Alex!”

He tried to explain the best way he could about what he remembered as they sped through the streets of Roswell with Maria flooring it once they hit the open road. They knew they had to stop them from leaving with her. Both Maria and Liz wanted to see her pay for killing their best friend. And would stop at nothing to make sure it was carried out. Liz didn’t hold out any hopes that Max would stand by willingly and let it happen since Tess was carrying his son. But she wished with everything in her soul that he would at least stay on earth with her. They may never be together again as a couple but at least his would be on the same planet as her.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



“Cheeseburgers.” Michael grinned. “I'll really miss cheeseburgers.”

Isabel smiled at Michael reminiscently. “Jumping off the tire swing into Hanson Dam in the summer. Remember all the summers we spent there?”

“Yeah I loved going out there with you guys.”

Max watched quietly as his sister and Michael shared what they would miss most about earth. There were so many little things that made him love the planet he would always call home no matter what was waiting for them on Antar. The way it smelled so clean after a much needed rain, the warm New Mexico breeze on his face during a long run, the innocent laughter of children on the playground down the street from his house.

“Kids.” Max added thinking out loud and then continued with a weary smile. “Kids you don't even know, smiling at you. Those incredible smiles. Those eyes.”

Isabel sighed heavily and looked at Max. “Mom.”

“And Dad.”

“Maria” Michael said quietly, sadness darkening his eyes.

Isabel bowed her head. “Alex”

Although it wasn’t spoken out loud, Liz’s name hung over everyone in the room like a misplaced presence. How could it not. She was such an essential part of the group that was formed out of trust and secrets. She was on the tip of everyone’s tongue. Especially Max’s. Above everything else she was who he was going to miss to most. And he knew he would go to his grave missing her.

Everyone’s eyes settled on Max, expecting him to say her name.

Everyone except Tess, of course.

She hadn’t said a word to him since they left Valenti’s house. Max didn’t know whether to be worried or relieved. She seemed content with keeping her feelings to herself. And that made him feel even guiltier than ever. It was never his intention for her to find out the way she did but it was something he couldn’t change. If only he had control over what flashes he projected. He tried a few times before to block out certain things that he knew would be painful to her. But no matter what he did images and emotions he had about Liz seemed to always be present in his mind.

The entire time they were sitting on the cold floor of the granolith chamber watching to time tick away, he could feel her looking at him. They were seated next to each other but there was a considerable amount of distance separating them and it wasn’t just space. Every so often he could tell she was staring a hole through him. What could he do, or say for that matter? Once home he would have to explain himself and hope she’d understand. Now wasn’t the time.

Max glanced over at her and noticed her expression. To his surprise he could’ve sworn he saw remorse in her eyes.

Tess bit her lip nervously and directed her attention to Michael and Isabel, avoiding Max altogether. “I'm sorry.”

They looked at her, confused by her statement.

“…for everything all of you are going to miss.”

Just then the lights in the room changed colors from purple to a deep pink and the granolith made a low humming sound almost like a car shifting into gear.

Michael looked at the timer. “Seven minutes, Max.”

“Well we might as well get started guys.” Max stood up and walked over to Tess helping her to her feet. She seemed shaky, and perspiration glistened above her upper lip. The sight gripped Max’s heart. She was suffering. And it was his fault.

He placed a large comforting hand on her stomach where their son lay helpless. “How is he?” He whispered with an apologetic smile. Max had to make this right for both of them.

Just as he started to open up the connection with his child, Tess ripped his hand away. “Don’t touch me.” Her harsh words spoken through clinched teeth so the others wouldn’t hear. Max hung his head and backed away, taking his place beside the granolith.

“Wait. What will happen once we get there?” Isabel asked her fear showing through her usual cool demeanor. “Will there be someone to greet us? I wonder if they’ll even know we’re coming.”

“What I gathered from the translation, the granolith sends off a signal once we’re in orbit, alerting our families and followers of our arrival. So I think we’ll be alright Iz.” Max smiled at his sister and reached for her hand. He knew she was as petrified as he was about going home. But he had to make sure she remained calm and didn’t worry the way she tended to do, even if it meant lying to her.

Michael watched nervously as Max placed a hesitant hand on the pulsating granolith.

“Max…I can’t go.” Michael rushed out.

Max dropped his hand down. “What?”

“I know you’re depending on me to be your second in command…

“Michael you know you’re much more to me than that.”

“I know…” He acknowledged. “It’s just ever since we came out of the pods I’ve been on some quest to figure out where I belong…a place to call home. I’ve finally found it, Max. And the weird thing is, it’s here, on earth.”

“You, of all people.” Max smiled, understanding completely. Michael had spent his life searching for something better than the endless string of foster homes and trailer parks. From the beginning he pushed all of them to search for the truth about their origin in hopes of returning home someday, even if it got them into trouble. Isabel and Max went along with him most of the time. But they never had to worry about not having a roof over their heads or the pain and humiliation from the abusive hand of an adult. He had yearned to find the peace and love that wasn’t there for him at home. Max knew he found it in Maria. How could he hold Michael back from that? Make him suffer for his mistake.

Max’s throat tightened as he wrapped his arms around him. “Take care of yourself Michael. I love you.”

“You’re a great brother.” Michael hugged him tighter.

They let go of each other and Max put his hand on his shoulder and said. “Take care of the others.”
Michael agreed and turned around and hugged Isabel goodbye.

When she pulled away, Max could see in her eyes, through her tears, all the longing that was there. She wanted to stay as well.

“I would understand...” He said softly with a grin that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“No Max. I can’t live without you in my life. You are my home. Wherever you go, I go too.”

“Well whoever’s coming, we have to go now.” Tess announced pointing to the timer above their heads.

TBC>>>>>>>
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Re: One Moment More Saga (CC, M/L, Mature)Pt1-CH8 - 9/7/08

Post by Tanya7496 »

Some dialogue used from Departure




~8~
Exit Strategy








“Damn it! It’s no use. They can’t hear us!” Disgusted, Kyle picked up several loose rocks from the ground around his feet and angrily hurled them off the cliff toward the great expansive desert below and then sat down beside Maria who was crying on a nearby boulder.

Liz stared in amazement at her friends. They both looked so defeated with their slumped shoulders and weary expressions. No, she wasn’t going to give up like they had.

With increasing determination, Liz banged her small fists against the hard unforgiving rock wall that hid the entrance to the pod chamber. The knowledge that Max was on the other side was all it took to trigger her instinct to push past the pain and continue until someone heard her. It was as if some sort of uncontrollable need was burning up inside her to the point that she was ready to claw her way in to get to him. Even through the dense rock facing, Liz could feel him on the other side. She didn’t understand it but the feeling was consuming. And it controlled her.

“He can’t leave.” She cried at the wall, hitting it once again with all her strength.

She was so lost in her struggle she couldn’t hear Maria screaming at her to stop and it wasn’t until Kyle grabbed her hands and forcibly restrained her that she managed to return to herself.

“Liz, that’s enough.” Kyle looked sadly into her eyes and squeezed of her hands.

“No.” She pulled her hands away from his. “Don’t you understand? They are leaving the planet and they have no idea that Tess is the real killer. We can’t let that happen.” She took in a deep breath and looked pleadingly at Maria. “Think about Michael.”

Maria stood up with angry tears welling in her eyes. “What? You don’t think I’ve been doing that the whole time. I don’t want Michael to leave anymore than you want Max to. It’s just there’s only so much we can do. Face reality for once. It’s not your job to save everyone and everything all the time. Liz Parker’s can’t always be in control.” She replied bitingly.

“What the hell’s that supposed to mean?”

“You know exactly what it means.” Maria glowered at Liz. She could hear the resentment in her tone and knew in her heart that Maria blamed her somehow for Michael leaving. Maybe it was the fact that she changed the future events that led them to the position they were in. Everything had been so different. Liz had married Max at nineteen and were happy, Alex was still alive, and for all she knew Maria and Michael were together. Even though they would eventually die during the war, they at least had those fourteen years together. Her changing the future took all that away.

“Liz, Maria look!”

They both turned around to see why Kyle had shouted and then heard a scraping sound coming from the entrance as it opened up and Michael climbed out. He stood up in front of them looking as surprised to see them standing there as they were of him.

“Tess killed Alex!” Maria hurriedly blurted out before Michael could say a word.

“What?”

Liz didn’t wait to explain; she pushed past Michael and quickly made her way through the empty pods and into the chamber that housed the granolith, almost sliding on the slick floor in her hast to get to him.

“Max stop!” She cried out. To her relief, he dropped his hand from the mammoth space craft and whipped his head around in her direction. A slight look of confusion mixed with joy played across his face as their eyes met and for a tiny, infinitesimal moment her whole being blazed with hope—a hope that was squelched once she noticed Tess standing next to him. And then anger and vengence took a hold of her instead.

“It was Tess. Tess killed Alex. She mindwarped Alex and sent him to Las Cruces to decode the book, but when he broke out of the mindwarp and she killed him.” She declared in one breath.

“It's true, I was there…I witnessed it.” Kyle said as he stood next to Liz with Michael, Maria, Isabel right behind them.

Max frowned angrily. “Why didn't you ever say anything?”

“Because she mindwarped me!” Kyle glared at Tess with contempt and then stalked towards her. “You lived in my home, you were like my sister!”

Max immediately shifted his focus from Kyle to Tess. It wasn’t possible. Alex was their friend. He remember how she cried and mourned with him, even comforted him as he poured his heart out to her about his failure to bring Alex back to life.

But as he watched her back away from him, Max couldn’t mistake the blatant look of guilt on Tess’ face. They were right.

“How much time left?” Max inquired without taking his eyes off of her.

Michael looked up at the timer. “3 minutes.”

Max needed to find out the truth and he didn’t want interference from anyone clouding his judgment. He also knew the others would be willing to kill her over what she did to Alex and he couldn’t let that happen for his son’s sake. No, Tess was his responsibility, no one else’s.

“Everyone out.”

“Max…”

“Now!” Max demanded sternly, cutting off Michael and the others before they had the chance to protest.

Reluctantly, everyone walked out of the granolith chamber leaving Max and Tess alone.

He stared at Tess for a few seconds finally seeing what she really was. She was his problem to handle—his mistake. She stood there in front of him looking angry, as if she was the one who had been wronged. But past her defiance and bitter tone, Max could hear the sadness in her voice as she spoke.

“You know what amazes me Max? You believe her without question. Why is that, Max? How can she mean so much to you…and I mean so much…so much less…?”

He closed his eyes and tried to ignore her last remark. Even though it was the truth, it didn’t matter to him. “Did you kill Alex?”

“I didn't want to.” She answered remorsefully. “I wish I hadn't, but I did.”

Max walked towards her. “Why?”

She pointed to the timer and with a trembling voice she said, “Look…Max…the-the clock's ticking; we don't really have time..."

“TELL ME WHY!” He shouted so loud it reverberated off the walls around them.

She flinched. “He would have told you what I did and I couldn't let that happen.”

“So you just…you just killed him?” Max couldn’t believe what she was saying. How could she be so cold blooded?

“I didn't mean to. His brain was just so weakened by the mindwarp, and...” She stopped herself from going into the details but then continued. “Look, none of this matters now.”

“Life matters Tess. My life, your life, his...”

“What matters is getting home, but you could never understand that could you? I might have been able to teach you but that stupid bitch had you wrapped around her...”

He grabbed her arm and shouted at her. “Don't you ever call her that!”

Tess ripped her hand away from his. “See! Look how fast you run to her defense! She can do no wrong in your eyes. Why couldn't you ever feel that about me? I'm your wife, Max!” She spat out defiantly. “I'm carrying your child!”

“That’s what this was all about…some kind of plan to get pregnant and go home, wasn't it? Home to what, Tess? To Kivar? To our enemies?” It all made sense now. Why couldn’t he have seen through her lies sooner? He’d been such a fool. He chastised himself for his blind stupidity.

She looked away from him. “They're not my enemies, Max.”

“You made a deal with them, with Kivar.”

She shook her head. “No, Nasedo made a deal, 40 years ago.”

“What was the deal? Tell me!”

“To return home with your child, and deliver the three of you to Kivar.”

“And what would happen to us once you delivered us?” He asked coldly already knowing what the answer would be. She didn’t need to say a word. The look on her face was all the answer he needed. They were to be executed, just like they had been before.

He looked at her in disgust. “How did I ever fall in love with someone like you? How could I ever marry you?”

She lifted up her chin and answered contemptuously. “You were different—you were a king! Now you're just a boy.”
Max quickly raised his hand up to her face and with icy violence in his tone, he warned her. “I should kill you.” They both knew that one blast of energy to her brain would be enough to silence her forever.

“You kill me, Max, you kill our son.”

She was right. Next to her face he closed his hand into a fist so tight his knuckles turned stark white.
Than suddenly the timer on the wall made a peeping noise signaling the eminent launch. It was now or never. He knew he couldn’t leave with her but he also knew she couldn’t stay, not while she carried his baby. His son had to get as far away from earth as he could to live.

Despite his own pain, there was only one choice left, Max had to let him go, at least for now.

He dropped his fist to his side. “Go.”

With her head lowered Tess placed her hand on the granolith.

Even though the thought of touching her made his skin crawl, Max reached out and placed a cautious hand on her stomach. His son was the only innocent one out of all this mess. He didn’t want him to be born thinking that his father abandoned him, so out of love he took a deep breath and tried to open up the connection between father and son, searching with his mind, through Tess’ body for the fetus struggling to survive, listening with his enhanced hearing for the faint sound of life from his tiny heart.

But it was silent. Oh God. Was it too late? Was his son dead? Max swallowed past the tightness in his throat and concentrated harder so he could get a clearer picture.

But nothing was there. Tess’s womb was empty.

Max immediately withdrew his hand away from her. Confused and out of breath, he stared at the spot where his hand had been and then at her face, letting the awful truth sink in and obliterating whatever kind feelings he had for her.

It had all been a lie. Another one of her mindwarps used to get what she wanted. Because of her he’d lost everything. Liz’s love and trust, his innocence, a part of his humanity, and he came close to loosing his life all because he played Tess’ fool.

Red hot fury flashed in his eyes when he looked at her face and saw the truth written plainly in her terrified expression. Trembling with rage, he lifted his opened hand up to her face again. He could so easily kill her and not think twice about it.

But suddenly, with a death grip, Tess clasped a hold of his hand.

And before he could jerk it away from her, a blinding white light exploded in the room. Max closed his eyes to the painful illumination and when he re-opened them, to his horror, he was standing next to Tess inside the granolith.
He looked out and saw the spot inside the chamber where he had been standing seconds earlier and tried to propel himself out. But each time he was thrown backwards by the protective force field surrounding the inside layer.
The air in the craft picked up and swirled around him. He could see the walls of the chamber crumbling around them and a large metal door slammed shut, closing off all the outside light that had filtered in. His last glimpse of the earth and of a life with Liz shattered in that moment.

Max never hated anyone in his life as much as he hated Tess and now he was stuck inside a small space with her for twenty-four hour on a trip to hell it’s self where the best he could hope for was a quick death.

His eyes narrowed, and with every ounce of warmth drained from his hazel depths he glared at his destruction.

TBC>>>>>>
Last edited by Tanya7496 on Fri Oct 03, 2008 8:01 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: One Moment More Saga (CC, M/L, Mature)Pt2-CH9 - 9/7/08

Post by Tanya7496 »

Part 2: The Ruins







~9~
Too Late







He watched, as he always did, in the shadows where no one could see him or feel his presence as he waited for the signal—the sign that it was time to go home.

But it didn’t come.

The granolith had blasted toward the heavens with his king and queen inside leaving him behind.

He looked up at the telltale streak of smoke in the sky of what was left of his only way home and swore under his breath. “Backstabbing bitch!”

On top of a cropping of boulders he sat in the distance and watched with blinding hatred, the scene as it unfolded below.

The rest of the Royal Four ran down the mountain as the ground shook with rocks and debris exploding everywhere around them from the launch. A frenzy of confusion and disbelief engulfed them as they clung to each other, pairing up.

Michael grabbed a hold of Maria and held her tightly while Isabel was being kept back by the sheriff’s son, stopping her from charging up the mountain again in a vain attempt to find her brother among the rubble.

The lone person, the odd man out so to speak, stood motionless, her tiny frame ramrod stiff with her eyes focused solely on the sky above her.

No tears, no words, only the look of dejection.

Liz Parker.

“Always the stoic one.” He said with an odd mixture of loathing and respect.

If he didn’t hate her so much, he’d actually admire her courage and fortitude. Despite her worthless human status, she’d make a great soldier. He thought.

But Liz had been the main obstacle in his plans from day one. Despite the prophecy, something he cared nothing about, she didn’t fit into his grand scheme. In his opinion, she was just a lower life form that was too smart for her own good and who somehow won the king’s heart. Sure, he could see her appeal—for a human she was easy on the eyes in a cute girl next door kind of way but nothing to forsake your whole planet and its struggling occupants for.

But all of that was irrelevant now.

He was stuck on this horrid over-populated planet and someone was going to pay. If he couldn’t enact his revenge on Tess for her treachery, he might as well have some fun with Parker.

He almost salivated at the idea of how much pain it would cause Max knowing how his soul mate and true wife met her end.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



In the tense uncomfortable silence, Max could hear the drumbeat sound of his own heartbeat pounding in his ears as he resisted the urge to scream out his fury and despair.

He stood rigidly with his back against the cold wall and his head down trying to keep from looking in Tess’ direction. He didn’t trust himself around her. Because of the amount of hatred he had for her, he knew if he saw her face he was liable to strangle her with his bare hands without a second thought.

But the repulsive idea of traveling in such a confined space with her corpse was something he couldn’t stomach. So he remained quietly against the wall, fuming on the inside so badly that he thought his brain would ignite.

They were moving—traveling through space at the speed of light.

From what the translation of the book explained, the granolith had the power to travel great distances by creating its own wormhole in space. To his surprise, somehow they were protected from the incredible G-force needed to propel them through space, making the take off comparable to that of a small airplane. Once stabilized in the air, hardly any motion could be felt.

There were no windows to see outside and the inside was dimly lit by green lights that were recessed in to the bottom of the circler black walls giving the space an eerie other worldly feeling.

But Max barely noticed any of that. He was much too consumed with resentment and regret to fully acknowledge his surroundings and the amazing fact that he was actually traveling to his home planet—the mysterious, far off place that he always assumed would be his expected final destination, yet not this soon or against his will with the outcome of death as soon as he arrived there.

He was going to die.

Bone-chilling fear washed over him thinking about his inevitable fate. His one comfort was that Isabel and Michael had been spared.

According to Tess’ admission before they left, she was to deliver them to their enemy—the same enemy who murdered them in their former life. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that history would undoubtedly repeat itself.

He lifted his head up a fraction to glance at her from across the small space. She was seated on the floor with her knees pulled up to her chest and her big eyes fixed pleadingly on his face, looking more like a scolded child then the lying murder she was. He had no pity for her. She’d taken everything that mattered to him away—Liz, his sister, Michael, his parents and he hated her for it.

How could he have been so blind all this time? It ate away at him the fact that he should’ve seen it coming. He should’ve known that Tess would be his ultimate betrayer after all. And what disgusted him more than anything was the fact that he let it happen. Now he would pay the ultimate price for his gullibility.

Looking back, there were signs everywhere if he had only paid closer attention.

He’d felt it in his gut when he first met her—she was someone who should never be trusted. He knew it then but figured it was because she was a stranger to them. He was already accustomed to shunning interaction with others. The practice of never getting too close and never stepping out of the shadows to drawing attention to yourself was so ingrained in him. And when he found out she wasn’t Nasedo, but instead one of them, he still couldn’t shake the uncomfortable feeling he had when ever he was around her.

Why hadn’t he followed his instinct? Liz always did.

Immediately his heart clenched in his chest at the thought of her. Like the warm sun peeking out from behind a dark cloud, the memory of making love to her flashed through his mind. He’d never felt so much peace and rightness in his life as he had in her arms. He was where he belonged and Liz loved him. He didn’t see the resentment or mistrust in her eyes like before. And as bittersweet as it was, loving her somehow cleansed him of the miserable year he’d spent away from her. They were finally together as they should’ve been all along.

But it was only a stolen moment—too brief and in the end painful because he knew he couldn’t keep her.

He left her after all and with her best friend’s killer.

It physically hurt him to imagine what she must be thinking at this moment.
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Re: One Moment More Saga (CC, M/L, Mature)Pt1-CH10 - 9/7/08

Post by Tanya7496 »

~10~
Casualties and Confessions








Max was gone.

Liz stood motionless in the middle of her bedroom, her feet cemented to the wood floor. How had she gotten there? Everything seemed so intangible to her, like a dream with a flurry of obscured scenes and fragmented emotions. None of which made sense to her because they were too painful to be real. She remembered the relief of finally getting to Max so she could tell him that Tess was the one who killed Alex but after that everything was a blur of events where the heartbreaking sound of Isabel screaming and the feeling of strong hands lifting her was all that appeared the clearest.

Her eyes scanned the room around her and thought how odd it was that nothing seemed remotely different about it—as if she somehow she expected it to reflect the way she was feeling on the inside. But it unlike her, it was unchanged and intact. Her bookbag still sat next to her desk where she’d left it, a basket of folded laundry lay in front of her dresser waiting to be put away, the picture of Amelia Earhart was in its usual spot on the headboard, and the bed…

All at once, something important snapped inside her as the memories came flooding back with such an overwhelming force her knees almost buckled under the weight.

Her and Max had made love. After her brutal confession to him that she’d altered their future, they’d made love. Their bodies clung to each other in desperation, neither one letting go of the other as they expressed with each touch, each kiss, and each caress everything that words could not convey. It had been intense, life altering, and a little scary because she didn’t know how she was going to survive without him once it over and they were no longer connected the same way. But afterwards when the physical connection had ended, the mental one remained stronger then ever. How was she going to live without that connection to him? She wondered. They’d been apart for so long, to finally be together had been a miracle.

But it didn’t matter. None of it did, after all. He left anyway … with Tess. How could he knowingly leave with Alex’s killer? None of it made sense to Liz. Was it possible that Max’s love for Tess made him blind to what she’d done?

No. Liz shook her head vehemently. It had to have been because of the baby. Of course Max would’ve made sure the baby arrived safely. That was the only explanation that the rational side of Liz’s thought process could come up with to justify his actions. But the assumption didn’t take away the aching pain in her chest and the complete and total emptiness she felt inside. That was hers to keep and endure. All her hopes for the future she had been planning for—all the dreams she kept in her heart for so long were now gone, and she knew without a shadow of a doubt, nothing in her life would be right again.

On shaky legs, she walked to the bed and lightly ran one hand over the side where Max had slept. It had once held so much love and warmth but was now cold in its eerie silence. The sheets were rumpled and the impression of his head was still visible on the empty pillow. She lifted it and brought it up to her nose, breathing in deeply. The fresh masculine scent of his shampoo mixed with his own unique scent brought the first shiny tear from her eyes which she let it roll down her cheek unchecked.

She clutched the pillow tightly to her chest wishing it was him.

Suddenly, Liz felt the ground spirally beneath her feet as the image of Max lying next to her, eyes glistening with tears, flashed through her mind and the sound of his pleading words pierced her heart “I love you. Never forget that, please.”

“Oh my God…Max.” Her body gave way underneath her and she sank down onto the bed, tears flowing freely as she sobbed his name over and over against the pillow.




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



“I know you hate me right now but you’re going to have to talk to me eventually, you know.”

The unspoken rage coming from him thickened the air in the small space. Although they were given considerable room to walk around without touching, it wasn’t nearly enough for Max. He hated being forced to breathe the same air as Tess let alone talk to her. Instead he acted as if he hadn’t heard her at all.

After a few moments without a response, she stood up and cautiously walked closer to him, yet keeping a safe distance at the same time. “Since we’re stuck in this together, you might as well hear me out…let me at least explain.” She implored.

He glared down at her with contempt, curling his full upper lip in anger. “There’s not a damn thing you have to say that I’d want to hear. It’s all lies anyway. And as far as being stuck in this together—we’re not. I don’t want anything to do with you. You murdered Alex, lied about being pregnant with the intention of watching us get slaughtered by Kivar, and forced me to come with you—leaving everyone I love back on earth where I’ll likely never see them again.” He said in a low icy tone, barely maintaining control of himself. “So there’s no excuse you could give me to justify your actions.”

He could see the fear and hesitation in her eyes as she spoke to him again.

“You might want to reconsider because what might be waiting for us isn’t going to be pretty.”

Max shook his head angrily. Why was he even wasting his time listening to her to begin with? Anything that came out of that mouth of hers was going to be lies to get what she wanted.

Manipulating, scheming, murdering bitch.

He tightened his fists at his sides to keep his raging impulse in check.

Because regardless of how much his hand itched to blast a hole straight through her, he needed answers that only she could give.

“Why? They’re not your enemies, remember. What does it matter to you?”

“They will be when we get there.” She answered.

Through his scowl he still was able to give her a puzzled look.

She opened her arms. “Well, I’m obviously not carrying your heir and I failed to bring the rest of the precious Royal Four…

“That’s why you forced me to go with you isn’t it…you needed some sort of collateral to stay alive.” He groaned loudly, roughly running his hands through his hair.

“Partly.” She replied guiltily and then continued to explain. “It’s not as simple as that. If Kivar should happen to be there when we arrive, neither one of us will be welcomed with open arms. I needed you since you carry the mark of the king. It was the only way they’d accept me when we arrive. Without you with me, I’m nothing to them.”

“What the hell are you talking about? If Kivar should happen to show up. Who else would be waiting for us?” He didn’t want to think about more than one enemy waiting to kill him, one was enough. Instantly the Summit in New York City and the encounter with the other leaders of the five planets came to mind. He had made a lot of powerful enemies by turning down Kivar’s offer to relinquish his title as king of Antar and give up the location of the granolith in favor of peace between the warring planets. For all he knew, a whole alien army could be waiting to take him out.

As if sensing what Max was thinking, she moved closer to him and explained. “It’s not what you think. The Rebellion is supposed to be waiting for our arrival. Your family Max.” She smiled as if she’d just handed him a gift on his birthday.

He narrowed his eyes. “How do you know that?”

“Because I’ve been working with Larek for months now, communicating with him through Brody, hoping to find a way home and a way out of the deal Nasedo made. But I had to keep up Nasedo’s plans at the same time so he wouldn’t find out what I was really up to. Killing Alex wasn’t part of the plan, I swear. I never wanted to hurt anyone. I just wanted to go home.”

He gritted his teeth hearing Alex’s name. The rest didn’t make sense to him at all. She’d been working with Larek behind his back all this time. And how was Nasedo going to find out? He was a pile a dust the last time Max had seen him.

“Give me a break, Tess. Nasedo’s died last fall. You didn’t have to keep up his end of the deal once he was gone.”

A look of confliction showed in her expression, like she was struggling with something internally. She backed away from him slightly and lowered her gaze.

“He’s not dead….”

Max put up one of his hands, readying himself to kill her for lying once again. “No! That’s a lie!” He shouted. “I saw his body turn to dust just like everyone else.”

She flinched but stood her ground.

“When are you going to learn Max? Nothing is ever what it seems. It was a mindwarp. As soon as he was healed, he walked away unscathed.” Tess said in disgust as if the idea made her sick.

“He wanted you to believe that he was dead so he could have the freedom to make sure his plan come out the way he’d orchestrated it… without having to be at your beck and call. He did everything—forcing me to mindwarp Alex to use him for his nerdy computer skills, framing some random college student from Las Cruses, renting the abandoned shack where he kept the key—all to insure that we could have to translation for ourselves without knowing of his involvement. He was going to sneak a ride to Antar at the last moment once I gave him the signal. But I had plans of my own and with Larek’s help it almost worked.”

“And what plans were those Tess?”

She looked at him, sadly. “I wanted my family back. I remembered only a handful of memories about the life I lived before, and between what Nasedo told me about being the queen of an entire planet and Larek’s description of my life with you there, I would have done anything to have that life back.” Embarrassed, she looked away from him. “Growing up the way I did and the things Nasedo did to me, it was a dream come true. I swore I’d never let anything or anyone get in my way. Not Nasedo, not the fear of Kivar’s wrath, and especially not Liz.”

She clenched her teeth. “If it hadn’t been for her it would’ve worked perfectly. But once again she…”

“Don’t. Say. Another. Word.” His voice was lethal as he punctuated each word. “If you want to live to see Antar, you will shut your mouth when it comes to Liz.”

“Oh, that’s right. How could I forget? You slept with her and then left her. I guess I’m not the only bad guy in this triangle.” She snorted snugly, paying little attention to his threat until it was too late.

With inhuman speed, he lunged at her, grabbing her arm roughly with his large hand. He could feel the burning heat as his grip tightened around her upper arm. But he didn’t let go.

He wanted to hurt her. Make her pay.

The mention of Liz and their last night together cut him to the quick. The memory was too precious. Tess wasn’t going to tarnish what he had left of Liz.

But what enraged him also was the fact that she was right. The one person he despised the most knew what he really was. Above all else, he was the bad guy. As much as he intended and strived to do the right thing by others, he always failed. Pushing away and hurting the people who loved him. This time failing the person who mattered most to him. Tess reminding him of that, made his blood boil.

He squeezed again, tightening his hold, sending painful charges of electricity up her harm.

“M…Max…I’m sorry.” In fright, she squeaked out.

Max looked down at her face and then down at the tiny bit of smoke coming from under his hand.

A cluster of flashes formulated in his mind, all melding together in confusing disjointed images and emotions.

Tess being yelled at by Nasedo…

Her conversation with Larek…

Tess as a little girl locked in her room…

Alex on the floor dead…

The night in the observatory…


She lifted up her hand, pushing him away from her as forcefully as she could with her power.

His body was jolted back a several steps, while still holding onto her arm. Surprised and angry, he let go of her with a hard shove, sending her like a ragdoll, slamming into the wall behind her.

She slid down it into a seated position clutching her burned arm.

Once again it was silent.
Last edited by Tanya7496 on Mon Aug 30, 2010 2:06 am, edited 2 times in total.
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