“When is the dig at Mojave Desert supposed to start?” Jeff asked his mother curiously.
“Within the next few months and it may go for about an year or so.” Claudia answered.
Recently she had been offered to dig up a site in the Mojave Desert and she hadn’t been sure whether to take it or not. But now, this was the perfect opportunity to stay close to the kids and at the same time help them with their powers.
“Liz will be very excited to hear that you will be staying with us,” Nancy said smiling.
Claudia nodded and smiled as she recalled her conversation with the kids.
“Do you also want to show me what you can do, Honey?” Claudia asked Michael gently.
For the past few minutes Liz had been excitedly showing her what she could do and Claudia had noticed Michael watching them silently with an unreadable expression on his face. Hoping to make him comfortable, Claudia had suggested Michael to show her what he could do but he simply shook his head.
“I won’t be scared, Honey. I promise,” Claudia assured, assuming that he thought she might see him as a freak.
There was silence for a moment and then, “I can’t,” Michael whispered miserably.
“He doesn’t know how to make the light come out of his hand,” Liz piped up when Claudia looked confused. “He sometimes blasts things but,” Liz’s voice lowered, “I think it happens only when he is mad.”
“It doesn’t” Michael scowled at her. Though he didn’t hear what she told Grandma he had heard her clearly in his head.
Claudia was silent for a minute and then looked at Michael, “Would you like to practice? That way you can control your blasts. I will take you both to the desert and no one will be there. And you both can practice a lot till you get it right...” She trailed off as Michael shook his head quickly.
~ I can’t Rina…~
~ But you can’t control it till you do it many times, like me. ~
~ I don’t wanna do that. I will hurt you…~
“You can never hurt me Tris,” Liz said quietly as Michael continued shaking his head and then she turned to her grandma and blurted out, “Michael’s scared he will hurt us if he practices.”
For a second Claudia looked surprised as to how Liz knew this without Michael saying even a word but she quickly turned her attention back to Michael seeing his fear.
“Michael honey, there will be no one in the desert and both me and Liz will be far away from you when you practice. Once you practice it for a few days, you never need to be scared of hurting Liz or me, sweetheart. Don’t you want to control how you blast, so that you are never scared of hurting anyone?”
Michael reluctantly nodded his head as Liz hugged him in delight.
“Shall I take you tomorrow to the desert?”
Liz nodded eagerly then frowned when she heard Michael’s thoughts. Liz glared at him while Michael looked at her defiantly.
“Michael can’t come tomorrow. There’s a hockey game on T.V. and he’s watching with dad,” Liz grumbled dejected.
Once again amazed at their communication, Claudia asked cautiously, “And how do you know that Honeybear? Michael didn’t say anything now.”
A quick look passed between the siblings before Michael rushed out, “We… we can talk in our heads.”
“What?” Claudia asked bewildered.
“We have been able to do it always even before we met. We are telepathic,” Liz exclaimed proudly using the new word that she had learnt recently.
“Telepathic!” Claudia exclaimed shocked just as Michael simultaneously wondered puzzled, “Tele…what?”
“Telepathic Michael. Telepathy means mind-to-mind communication, like how we speak to each other with our minds,” Liz explained patiently while Michael continued to look at her confused. “I asked mom about it and no, she doesn’t know about us,” Liz said knowing exactly what Michael’s next question will be. “I then looked it up in the dictionary. So telepathy is one of our talents,” Liz finished excited looking at her grandma.
“Right, Honeybear!” Claudia quickly recovered, though her thoughts reminded her that there was something more about her grandkids. They seemed to have too many special abilities for it to be just a coincidence.
“Dicti…diti…”Michael gave up frustrated, “is it the big book you always have with you?”
“Dictionary, Michael. And it’s more than a big book. It teaches us…” Liz began animated.
“Whatever. I have to go now. Mr. Parker said he will tell everything about hockey to me,” Michael rushed away from the room but then stopped just at the door, turned back and said cheekily “Rina, you should play more or you will become a nerd.”
“Michael Guerin! I’m not a nerd. You are…” Liz began heatedly but Michael had already gone by then.
Claudia laughed as this only proved to her that in spite of their many abilities, they were just like other little kids, playing, teasing and fighting with one another. And she vowed to herself that they would always have this normal, no matter what happened in the future.
*********
It was a couple of weeks later when Liz was admiring her latest creation that she felt a tiniest brush against her mind. Claudia Parker, true to her word, had taken her grandkids to the desert to practice and both Liz and Michael had improved a lot in the past two-weeks. Michael could now start and stop his blasts when he wanted though his aim was still poor and Liz had found that she could change the molecular shape of small things. And much to her great delight, Michael couldn’t do that, yet.
Liz once again closed her eyes and passed her hand over the small rock. When she opened her eyes, it had changed into a beautiful crystal shimmering in colors of red, blue and green. She grinned and then sighed when she once again felt a pull on her mind.
~ What is it Tris? ~
There was no reply and slightly miffed, Liz passed her hand over another rock when there was another tug. Becoming irritated, Liz once again telepathed to Michael but there was no reply though the pull against her mind became more insistent. Annoyed, Liz finally walked towards her window from where she could clearly see Michael’s bedroom, his bed and him sleeping on it. Angry that he was playing games with her, she yelled into his head.
~ OW….Rina! ~
Michael jerked his head up and looked sleepily through his window. Seeing Liz glaring at him from her room with her hands on her hips, Michael mumbled “Not again!” and simply lifted his hand.
His window shut with a bang as Michael once again fell asleep thinking it wasn’t his fault that she couldn’t blast while he could easily change colors.
******
Liz stared at Michael’s window in shock, a sudden fear in her heart. She had clearly heard Tris and felt whoever had been calling her in her mind, simultaneously. Tentatively, she reached out with her mind and the next second drew back in alarm when she felt the presence of someone else. Someone who wasn’t her brother but someone who she instinctively knew was just like them, different.
~ Tris, Tris! Wake up! Wake up! ~
Liz finally gave up on waking Michael knowing that it was useless to wake him once he slept. Liz scrunched her face, Tris always slept like a log. By now, her fear had turned into interest, as she had felt no harm from whoever had been calling her. Feeling excited, she once again reached out with her mind.
~ Who are you? ~
Her only reply was a tighter hold on to her presence by that person.
~ I’m Liz but my daddy calls me Lizzie. What’s your name? ~
This time she sensed a mild curiosity and after a few more unsuccessful tries to talk, she became frustrated. Not knowing what to do, Liz walked towards her balcony, that faced the back of the house and seeing the bright stars twinkling in the sky she grinned and sent an image of the sky with the stars. For a few seconds she sensed complete wonder from the person and then she gasped in surprise at the image that suddenly popped in her head.
What were those four weird and big round glowing things, that seemed to be in a dark place?
*******
“Why didn’t you tell me aunty Sally’s here?” Michael burst into Liz’s room, furiously brushing his cheeks.
Nancy’s sister from Florida had recently come for a visit and much to Michael’s displeasure she constantly kissed and pinched his cheeks. He always managed to avoid her whenever she came except this time he had had no warning from Liz and had to endure the kisses, which he absolutely hated.
“Liz! You didn’t…what are you doing?” Michael looked suspiciously at the various books and things spread out in front of her. For the past few days, Liz had seemed somewhat distant from him and Michael had a feeling that she was hiding something from him.
“Liz!” Michael yelled to get her attention, frowning at the smile on her face.
“Wha…Michael!” Liz exclaimed, as if coming from a trance. “What…when did you come?”
“What’s going on?”
What? Nothing! I was reading…” Liz looked down guiltily.
“What?” Michael walked near her and picked up a book. “The alphabet book?”
Michael stared at her incredulously wondering what was going on. She always knew whenever he was near and now, she didn’t even know when he was in her room? And what was with the apple, ball, toy car, doll and the coloring book?
“I just wanted to read about the alphabets,” Liz replied defensively.
“You are lying!” Michael stated beginning to get angry now.
“Am not!” Liz started arranging the drawings of cat, dog and other pictures that were spread out in front of her.
“Then how come you are not looking at me?” Michael demanded, seeing her biting her lip. “You are biting your lip,” Liz nervously tucked her hair behind her ear, “and you are doing That!” Michael smugly pointed and Liz hastily withdrew her hand. “So you are lying!”
“I’m not.” Liz denied once again, avoiding looking at him.
She didn’t know why, but she had still not told Michael about the other person she could sense. Liz was now convinced that whoever he was, that person didn’t mean her any harm and in fact, he only made her feel nice and happy.
“Hey! Get out of my head! Michael!” Liz yelled annoyed, when she found him trying to find out whatever was happening.
~ What? You are not telling me. I just wanna know ~ Michael telepathed, simultaneously deepening their connection to find out what she was hiding.
~ Tris! ~ Liz tried to push him out of her head, her temper rising fast. ~ GET OUT ~
~ Li… Lizz…zie? ~
Michael stared at Liz stunned just as she pushed him out of her head. That hadn’t been him calling her.
“Who…who was that?” Michael asked, an unknown dread growing in his stomach.
“My friend!” Liz told him, still annoyed at the way he had tried to find out her secret.
“I…I’m not your friend?” Michael’s voice was small and hesitant.
Immediately sensing his hurt and panic, Liz hugged him. “You’re my bestest friend.”
“Then…who…” Michael’s voice hitched a bit even as his hands came around her tightly. “Who’s that person?”
“He is like us, special Michael,” Liz began animated and pulled back from him a bit. “And he also talks to me in my head.” Liz frowned then, “Well, not talk coz he can’t talk yet but he sent me images and I’m teaching him,” she quickly picked up the alphabet book, “how to read and talk.”
“But how come he didn’t talk to me?” Michael was now suspicious and his long suppressed apprehension that she might be taken away from him once again, started to grow.
Liz shook her head puzzled. “I dunno. But you were sleeping when he called me for the first time and so maybe, you didn’t hear him?”
“Where is he?”
“Dunno. He doesn’t know where he is. But he showed me a cave and lotsa sand.”
“Maybe…maybe you shouldn’t talk to him,” Michael blurted out, “ever.”
Liz looked up at him surprised sensing his fear but she didn’t know why he was scared. She reached to touch him and then gasped.
***** Flash*****
“You can never be with her! It’s for both your safety. And stop whining,” the man muttered pulling the 3-year old boy from the car, ignoring the heart-wrenching cries and the tears from his eyes, whose sight never left the car.
***** Flash*****
“What was that?” Liz’s eyes were wide and her heart was still thumping from the complete fright she felt from the image.
Michael held Liz desperately and mumbled incoherently, “The bad man that took you away from me…He wants to take you again. But I won’t let him…”
“But…”Liz’s own fear had started to grow added on by Michael’s terror and the flash. “But the boy is good,” Liz said softly. She had only felt warmth and nice feelings from him. He couldn’t be bad, could he?
“Then why he talked only with you?” Michael demanded. “He called you Lizzie and…and when he knows where you live he will come and take you away from me. Do you…” Michael paused and then looked at her desperately, “do you wanna go away from me?”
Liz’s eyes became wide as she started shaking her head and Michael sighed in relief.
“Me too. I don’t wanna you to go away from me,” Michael whispered embracing her. He then spoke to her urgently. “Rina, you should not talk to him again. Don’t tell him where you live.”
“But, he is always here,” Liz touched her heart then, “like you. How can I not talk to him?”
“We will hide your mind from him,” Michael replied, instinctively knowing how to do that. “So he can’t know where you are.”
“Ok,” Liz muttered quietly, still not sure whether this was a good idea. She wanted to talk with the boy but she also didn’t want to go away from Tris.
“Look at me.”
As their eyes met and their breathing synchronized, the connection between them easily deepened and the next second Michael was in her head. With Liz guiding him, he quickly reached the place where he could now clearly sense the boy’s distress in Liz’s mind and after a moment of hesitation blocked Liz’s connection with the boy.
Michael gave a gasp of breath as he broke the connection, fully relieved that no one can take his Rina from him now.
“You okay?” Michael cupped her right cheek, alarmed at seeing tears flowing down Liz’s cheeks.
Liz sniffled and then nodded her head but quickly burst into tears as Michael held and comforted her. She didn’t know why but she suddenly felt empty and her heart hurt as if it would not be whole again till she met the boy who gave her the warm nice feelings and always made her feel safe.
********
Hope you guys liked it
, and why she hates Zan would be revealed in their past itself. 
I will try to update as often as possible though guys. Your feedback rocks!