Reheat to Serve (CC,M/L, Adult) Ch 4-04/20/06[WIP]

[Lelea]

Title: Reheat to Serve
Author: Lelea email lhopcroft@sbcglobal.net
Category: CC
Disclaimer: I own nothing. Suing would be pointless
Rating: Mature Content
Summery: This is the sequel to Leftovers. You can find that story on this board in the Fanfic Award Winners forum, thank you all for that by the way! We’re picking up a couple months after Leftovers ended. That’s all I’m gonna say.



Prologue

Liz hated this part the most.

Even after four times the long walk down the institutions stark hallway, hearing the cries of the other patients, made her feel like turning around and running back the way she’d come. She continued in brisk measured steps, not allowing herself to even slow down, keeping her eyes on her destination ignoring the looks of the staff.

Room 1412.

Slipping inside she stood just inside the door, letting it close behind her while her eyes adjusted to the dimness. The steady beeping of the monitors, the hiss of the ventilator, and the smell of sickness that seemed to permeate the very walls were something she had to brace herself against each time.

She should be used to it, but she wasn’t. She didn’t think she’d ever get used to the idea that she was responsible for this. For him.

Walking over to the only chair in the room she dragged it slowly up next to bed and perched on the edge, completely ill at ease but not willing to relieve any of her discomfort even slightly.

She looked at the bare walls, the floor by her feet, anywhere but at him. Still she could hear the increase in his heart rate. He knew she was there. She didn’t need the monitor to tell her that.

“So, they tell me that you might never get any better,” Liz paused, forcing herself to look directly at him, face what she’d done.

“I don’t believe that. I know differently don’t I?”

Stopping again she sighed quietly, unclenching her fingers slowly a finger at a time, feeling sick inside. Swallowing past the sick sensation she shifted in the chair soundlessly, not saying anything for long minutes, feeling him waiting for her to continue. To give him a reason to wake up, a purpose.

Cal had explained that he was hers now. Her very own killer, just what she always wanted.

Andres could never be the person he’d been before Nesado had destroyed his mind, creating the perfect predator, a hunter that would never stop, could never rest until he found the one thing he believed would give him peace.

Only she didn’t know how to quiet the storm inside his mind. She couldn’t make him into the person he was supposed to become, no one could. He’d lost that person the moment his path had crossed Nesado’s.

Andres may have found her but she was no goddess. She wasn’t able to perform miracles, fix what had been so thoroughly destroyed. He may be her creature but she had no idea what to do with him.

“I know you can hear me.” Leaning closer just in case anyone else was listening she continued in low soothing tones. “I know that you can feel when I’m near you. You want me to touch you, don’t you? Quiet the thoughts that rage and won’t let you rest? You want to serve me don’t you, Andres?”

Listening to the monitor beeping faster and faster still as his heart raced she had to stop and collect herself, fight down the impulse to flee. “It’s time to wake up. You have a lot to answer for. I’m very displeased with you, Andres. As long as you lie here like this you dishonor the agreement between us. You will wake up. You will tell the FBI everything they want to know, everything you did, in that you will be serving me as I’ve asked. Don’t continue to fail me, Andres. I will be very displeased and I don’t think that’s what you want, is it?”

Stopping as the twisting crawling sensation in her stomach increased she took a calming breath, knowing that it wasn’t her stomach that was the cause but his. Blinking rapidly she tried to block that feeling, knowing she was the cause of it, holding back the tears welling in her eyes she knew.

She couldn’t do this, not this way.

Reaching out she laid her hand against his face. Closing her eyes she went for the place inside that was full of stillness, peace. The place that was so easy to find with Max.

“I’ll make it stop, okay?” Liz whispered. “Just follow me. It’s quiet here, safe. All the loud thoughts are still, do you see it?”

Andres’s eyes moved behind closed lids, seeing what she wanted him to see. It was nice. So much nicer then the other things filling his head and crowding him out until he wasn’t him any longer. Green, it was everywhere pulsing and glowing, warm. He was warm like the sun was shining on his face but it was her, just her.

“Remember this place. When things start to crowd in just remember this place, this feeling. It will be okay, Andres. Just tell them about the things in your head and they’ll help you.” Liz bit her lip, wondering if anyone could make this right. How could they when so many people had been either hurt or killed? For what?

“I have to go now,” Liz said quietly, feeling him flinching at her words she searched for something to say, to give him the hope that he needed. No matter what he’d done she could feel the person locked inside him and for that person, as much as anyone, she wished things had been different. He too was a victim, living in a nightmare crafted by Nesado, lost and unable to escape. “I will come back. Until I do-“ Liz closed her eyes and forced out the truth. “Until I do there’s always what I’ve left behind inside you. You feel it don’t you?”

Yes, he could feel it.

“I thought you could. Wake up, Andres.”

Liz got up and left. She didn’t look back.

There was no need to. She carried a part of him with her.



Waiting, muscles drawn tight with tension, tighter with every minute that passed his eyes never leaving the door Liz had entered over forty-five minutes ago.

He hated these trips. Liz was always too quiet after, not wanting to talk about what went on during her visit. In fact, getting her to talk about any facet of what had happened still, months later, was extremely difficult. She refused to hear anything Cal had to say. It had taken everything he had to get her to agree to sit down with Cal tonight, before he had to head back to California.

As soon as Liz strode out of the building Max sat up straighter as if he’d been jerked upright by a set of strings. Levering himself out of the vehicle he just barely managed to reach her door and open it in time to bundle her inside.

Climbing back into the driver’s seat he quickly closed his door and turned to find her facing the window, staring blankly out over the parking lot. “You want to talk about it?”

Liz silently shook her head no but slipped her fingers through his when he took her hand.

“Okay, well, we better get back.”

“Yeah, before your dad finds out.” Liz offered quietly.

Max’s jaw tightened in a reflexive show of anger. Far from getting better, things with his father had only grown worse in the ensuing months. “I’m sorry about Northwestern.”

“Don’t be. I understand, Max.” Turning in her seat she brought her legs up resting their joined hands on her thigh.

“Well I don’t.”

“There’s no point in making things worse. Maria and I can handle it. It’ll be like a…girls weekend. We’re just going to check out the campus, look into what they have to offer.” Liz voiced the correct words trying to smooth over a situation that just kept getting worse. She pretended that it didn’t bother her. That the fact that Max’s father hated her wasn’t an issue.

“I just don’t understand what his problem is.”

Liz watched him silently as he turned on the ignition and put the Jeep in gear. To say the last several months had been difficult would be an understatement. The escalating Phillip situation, repeated interviews after the Andres incident, and the gawking stares of almost everyone in town: they had all had a lot to deal with. Max had been so great. Coming here with her every single time, just because he knew how hard it was for her to do this. That’s why she’d agreed to finally sit down with Cal.

She knew the others were pressuring Max, wanting answers and that she was the only hold out. Cal wouldn’t discuss it until she agreed to listen, to let him explain what he’d started to say right after that night.

That night. So much had changed since that night.

“It doesn’t matter.” Liz reached for her seatbelt, carefully avoiding his swift glance in her direction, sighing when he had to click the buckle into place for her.

“It does, it matters.” Caressing her fingers feeling them tremble slightly with her effort to repress her emotions. “I love you, no matter what, you come first.”

Liz ducked her head quickly, hating the position Max was being put in on her account. “I know. I love you too.”

“I want you to think about what we talked about.”

“Max, no, moving out now isn’t going to solve anything. He’s your father, Max, that isn’t going to change no matter where you’re living.”

“No, he isn’t if he were he wouldn’t do the things he’s doing. He wouldn’t talk to you like he does or try to get Zan to….He’s not my father. There’s no reason to put up with this, not when we don’t have to. We have the money. I could get an apartment….”

“In a couple of months we’ll be graduating, leaving Roswell entirely. We should try to wait until then.” Liz watched the muscles jumping in his rock hard jaw and sighed. “It’s really okay. We can handle this.”

“We shouldn’t have to.” Max responded eyes fixed on the road ahead.



“They’re late.” Michael declared clearly frustrated. He was tired of waiting. He wanted answers. Cal had them. So what was so hard? Why did they have to continue to wait? He’d been waiting. All of his life he’d been waiting for answers.

“They’ll be here,” Isabel responded for like the tenth time. Rolling her eyes she went back to organizing Michael’s cabinets. Cereal, grouped by color or alphabetically by name? Or she could group them by type? No, they were all 100% pure junk so that method wouldn’t work. Trying first one way then the other she decided that neither worked and arranged them by size before moving on to the canned items.

Zan shook his head but didn’t adjust his sprawl by so much as an inch. Ava was pressed up against him nice and tight for the first time in ages and he wasn’t moving for anything short of a direct attack. Of course if Ava were actually awake he probably wouldn’t be getting away with holding her like this but until she was he’d enjoy it.

“Michael, sit down please. You’re making me dizzy,” Maria complained sick of watching him pace.

“That isn’t because of me. That’s your natural state of being,” Michael shot back without even pausing then almost tripped when Kyle stuck his foot out.

“Oops,” Kyle said with a grin when Michael stopped and glowered at him.

Hearing a car pull in Michael strode to his window and looked out. “They’re here.” Watching for a couple minutes he groaned when they didn’t emerge from the Jeep. “Christ! Can’t he keep it in his pants for a couple hours?”

“You should be asking yourself that question,” Maria mumbled slipping up behind him to peek out.

Shooting her a satisfied smirk he patted her ass lightly, barely wincing when she slapped him upside the head. “I take care of business on my own time. I don’t keep everyone waiting.”

“That’s cause we jus let ‘selves in and listen to the freaky shit happen’ in down the hall,” Zan offered smirking at Michael then giving Maria a knowing wink, his smirk widening when she started to sputter. “Jus giv’em a sec. She jus needs ta be eased into it. Unlike you’s girl there.”

Kyle laughed out loud as Maria screeched in outrage.

“Wha? Wha’s it?” Ava asked blearily trying to sit up but found she was trapped, plastered to Zan’s body, which succeeded in waking her up quicker then a splash of cold water.

“Don’t move or you’s might damage something you’ll need lata,” Zan smirked when her eyes narrowed.

“I ain’t the one wit the problem,” Ava said shoving some distance between them. “Keep your parts to yourself and you won’t have no problem eitha.”

“Baby Girl, there’s no need ta be mad hostile,” Zan soothed completely unruffled. “You can git all up on me anytime.”

“Keep holding your breath,” Ava suggested standing up, shooting him a look over her shoulder as she walked away.

“It ain’t my breath I’s be hold’in.” Zan grumbled without heat, feeling almost content with his progress. It was only a matter of time. She knew it and he knew it. He could wait.


After parking the Jeep and turning off the ignition Max turned to look at Liz, wishing she didn’t look so tense. “Ready?”

“He’s not here yet,” Liz pointed out not seeing any vehicle that was expensive enough to be Cal’s parked anywhere around Michael’s place.

“Okay, we’ll wait a few minutes,” Max agreed turning to more fully face her. Seeing her anxiety in the rigid way she held herself he leaned forward and lifted a hand to her cheek, tugging her mouth to his when she turned to him, giving her a long lingering kiss that drained the tension right out of her.

Opening her eyes when he eased back she could clearly read his concern for her. “Max…”

He kissed her into silence, teasing at her with his teeth until she sighed into his mouth and pulled him closer. Ignoring the gearshift stabbing into him, his fingertips traced lightly over her face coaxing any remaining tension away. He lingered there, the scrape of teeth, the sultry mating of mouths draining the outside world away, sinking her deep into the peace and pleasure he offered her.

He was subtly slowly nudging her emotions to the surface, causing her pulse to race bringing her blood to the surface of her skin in a light flush of heat. Long stirring kisses, lazy languid caresses caused her muscles to go limp melting her against him.

With unsteady hands she pulled at his shirt, letting her fingers glide over his abdomen, feeling the warm glow of triumph when his muscles bunched, jumping under her hands. He needed this as much as she did.

The sharp rapping of knuckles on the widow by her head had them breaking quickly apart.

“Cal,” Max almost groaned at the interruption, now more tense then she appeared to be.

“Come on,” Liz said opening her door. “The sooner we get this over with the sooner you can get me back in the Jeep.”

Max smiled and quickly followed her inside, trailed by Langley, he ignored Michael’s pointed glare and settled on the floor making room for Liz to sit between his legs and lean back against his chest.

“Can we finally get started?” Michael asked sarcastically.

Cal ignored him, focusing on Liz as he went over what he wanted to say and how to broach the subject. Michael’s questions would have to wait.

Coming to the decision to just jump in preventing Liz from following a lead in to where he was going and bolt, Cal shot Michael a look that silenced him and plowed forward. “After the crash I came back to Roswell several times. One of those times I had chased Nesado from New York and almost caught him here, back in Roswell where his treachery first became clear to me. Outside of town, at a little place called Peppers, I almost had him.” Cal saw the startled look Max shared with Michael and continued.

“I was just minutes behind him at most. Minutes too late as it turned out. He had stolen a car and left behind a dead women.” Cal stopped, careful to not look at Liz directly as he gauged her response, checking for any hint that she knew where he was headed with this. She didn’t seem to, she rested securely against Max’s chest just listening. “Impulse had me stopping when I really should have continued. The women was pregnant at the time of her death and when I touched her I could feel that child weakening, dying.”

“Sheila Hubble right?” Kyle blurted out, having heard this story from his grandfather, but fell silent when Cal shot him a look. Everyone else remained silent caught up the odd story the shapeshifter was telling.

“I was seconds too late for the women but maybe not too late for that child. I laid my hand over the print Nesado left behind and bought that child some time, just enough until I could take it from it’s dead mother’s womb. I altered my form to accommodate the child, altering the fetus just enough to give it a chance at survival.”

“So wait, you’re saying you were once pregnant with a human?” Michael asked incredulous and not even the look on Cal’s face could shut him up. “That’s what I’m hearing.”

“Shut up, Michael,” Maria said sharply jabbing him in the side.

“What?” Michael asked looking around at the others.

Isabel abandoned her post by the kitchen doorway, pulled into the room, utterly fascinated. “So what happened? To the child?”

“I needed a way to allow the fetus to grow. I had only bought some time. I’m not human, nor am I female, so I couldn’t support that life for any extended amount of time. I took it to where I had hidden your pods,” Looking at Max he made no effort to explain his actions. He just flatly related them, his tone as stiff as his posture. “I secured the fetus inside one of the pods before continuing on to hunt Nesado.”

“You put a human baby in a pod?” Maria asked. “An occupied pod?”

“Yes, the pods had already been damaged in the crash. I couldn’t create a new pod. I didn’t have the materials and in any case I wasn’t sure the fetus would survive. I did what I could.” Shrugging he offered no apologies.

“But it did survive,” Ava said as more of a statement then a question.

“Oh yes, she did,” Cal nodded in agreement seeing Liz’s uneasy shift of position from the corner of his eye.

“Which pod did you use?” Isabel asked already guessing it wasn’t hers. She didn’t share well.

“I used Max’s pod. It had separated from the others in the crash but was not structurally damaged. The pods were designed to be interconnected to promote recognition and communication once you were out of them, to allow for sharing of resources between pods. “

“So what happened to the baby?” Maria asked.

“Eventually I had to remove her. She was too small, underdeveloped. Humans were simply not designed to be birthed from a pod. I found her new parents, parents that desperately wanted a child and couldn’t have one. I had met them through a women that had become a valued friend. She told me about her son and his wife….”

Liz abruptly stood, breaking out of Max’s hold and without a word bolted from the room slamming the door on her way out. With only the briefest of hesitations Max followed her.

“Are you saying that….” Isabel’s half formed question died unanswered as Cal’s form blurred and a blink of an eye later he was gone, the soft click of the door the only sign of his exit.

[Lelea]

Chapter One

“All right already! I’m coming!” Tess yelled to silence the fist beating on the door. If it was that bitch from next door again complaining about the noise…

Yanking open the door the stream of belligerent words died on her lips unspoken. Narrowing her eyes against the glaring sun she heaved a resigned sigh. “How did you find me?”

“You will come with us now,” The taller of the three “men” stated not bothering to answer the question posed to him. She was nothing, next to nothing anyway, she’d thrown away any status she had once held. Now she was good only for the small help she could give. And she would give it.

“Now why would I do that?” Tess asked coolly trying to hide any reaction to their presence.

“We have found some of him. Now we need the stones. You will help us.”

“Why would I want to help you?” Tess demanded fear washing through her. She so did not want Nesado free to once again walk this Earth. He hadn’t exactly been pleased with her the last time she’d seen him. She’d hoped to never see him again. Ever.

Pushing their way inside and closing the door behind them the three Skins effectively cut off her quickest escape route.

“Do you know how many bones there are in a human body?” Eyes cold lip curled in derision at the squalor of their surroundings he looked forward to making her feel each and every one of them.

“Who is it, babe?”

Tess glanced over her shoulder toward the bedroom. This was bad.

The glint of malicious enjoyment burned brighter at the possibility of more leverage, even more human bones to break before he forced her compliance.




“Come on you guys!” Isabel called urging them to move faster. Since she’d helped Brody organize this years Crash Festival she didn’t want to miss a moment of it. The carnival was going to be the real moneymaker this year she thought smugly.

Max leaned down closer to Liz’s ear to avoid being overheard. “We can always make a break for it. She can’t catch us all.”

Liz elbowed him playfully smiling when he chuckled, his breath warm against her ear. There it was, that thing, the something that was undefined and made her shiver every time. “She worked hard on this, Max.”

“I know but if you don’t feel up to it we can beg off. She’d understand.” Deliberately crowding her body in a not so subtle display of possession he was reminded of just how well she fit against him, all sleek lines and soft curves.

“I’m fine, just so long as we don’t end up in the house of mirrors then we’re good.”

Guiding her around a spilled neon green Sno-cone he used the spill as an excuse to pull her closer yet. “Deal, but you’re not backing out of the Ferris Wheel are you?”

“Think we can get stuck up at the top?” Liz asked leaning into him as they all got in line for tickets. The noise and crowds making her feel anonymous, just one of many out to have a good time.

“I think I can arrange that,” Max assured her, pleased that she seemed to have shaken off the lingering melancholy of her last visit to Andres. He brought her hand up to his mouth, teeth gently nibbling at her knuckles.

He seemed unaware of his actions but she felt it all the way down to her toes, her stomach doing an interesting series of somersaults as a result. Liz smiled looking forward to the dizzy rush of kissing him high above the crowd. Tonight she actually felt like a normal teenager for the first time in a long time. Making out on the Ferris wheel sounded pretty good to her.

After getting his and Ava’s tickets Zan wandered over to watch the pathetic attempt of some lame ass trying to win his girl a stuffed toy by tossing some rings around the soda bottles set up a few feet away. He scoffed as the ring bounced off the bottle for the third time.

“Gonna try your luck?” Ava asked sliding up next to him.

“It ain’t luck. ‘Sides you wanna alien ta play wit ya only gotta say so,” Zan replied smirking even as he wrapped an arm over her shoulders bringing her into the shelter of his body, not even wincing when she pinched him in rebuke for his remark.

“I’m saying so,” Ava grinned as Zan’s eyes widened in surprise. “I want that one.” Ava pointed to the hot pink one.

Zan rolled his eyes but stepped up and laid down his money taking the rings the attendant handed him.

“Don’t even think about it,” Michael warned fighting Maria’s pout combined with the puppy eyes.

“Michael,” Maria slipped her arm through Michael’s. “Zan’s doing it.”

Michael groaned scowling and fighting the urge to wrap his arm around Maria’s waist. He wasn’t going down like that.

Liz’s lips twitched seeing Michael start to crack under Maria’s relentless pleading.

“You want one?” Max asked seeing her smile.

“Nope,” Liz declined tugging at Max’s hand to pull him away from the booth. “I want to see the rides first.”

“I’m not carrying it,” Michael declared loudly even as he stepped up to the booth ignoring Maria’s satisfied smirk.



Tess looked away from the pleading mass of broken flesh focusing instead on the blank whiteness of the wall. He should have run instead of coming out the bedroom. The sharp crack of another bone being broken had her blinking back tears. She couldn’t help him. She had very little power here and she knew it.

“Where are the stones?”

The question went unanswered angering the Skins and working them into a heightened state of rage. She was going to comply.

“Enough.” Taking a slow deep breath the tallest Skin stepped up to Tess pulling her arm away from her body, using it to shake her as he snapped out his question. “What is his name?”

Tess remained still, not fighting his hold, knowing there wasn’t much of a point. “You don’t care what his name is.”

“No, but it might matter to him, to hear you say his name before he dies.”

“Will, his name is Will.” Tess barely got out the words before the Skin snapped her arm like a chicken bone.

“Tess,” Big Willy moaned trying to crawl to her despite his injuries. He tried to breath through the pain, Tess’s shrill scream causing his ears to ring, fighting to beat back the encroaching blackness darkening his vision he dragged himself closer.

“Where are the stones?”

“I don’t know!” Tess screamed.

Without another word the Skin broke her wrist, smiling as she tried to choke off her cry. Stupid bitch. He hoped she didn’t talk too soon.



“What is that?” Ava asked staring in fascination at the mechanical horror thrashing and bucking in the center of the ring.

“It’s a mechanical bull,” Maria said cocking her head as she studied the ride. “I think.”

“It’s green,” Ava pointed out.

“Of course it is,” Isabel confirmed. “And it’s not a bull. It’s an alien. This is the Crash Festival after all.”

“A mechanical alien?” Liz asked watching the current rider try to stay seated as the…alien, bucked wildly, spinning and twisting in an effort to fling the rider off.

Maria started to grin glancing over at Liz as she spoke. “Well, you’ve got to ride it, Liz.”

“What?” Liz blurted out turning to look at Maria like she’d lost her mind.

“You are the most experienced alien rider in the group,” Maria pointed out.

“I am not!” Liz sputtered as Ava burst out laughing.

Isabel’s lips curled as she tried to picture Liz riding the bright green bucking alien. “She does have a point.”

“No, absolutely not. She doesn’t,” Liz denied vehemently. “Ava-“

“Is way out of practice,” Ava supplied trying unsuccessfully to stifle her laughter. “You are the current reigning champ.”

“No, I’m not!” Liz yelped as the three girls crowded close herding her toward the front of the crowd. “I’m not getting up on that thing!”

“Oh, come on Liz,” Maria coaxed between snickers. “I just need a few pointers.”

Liz dug in her heels trying to stop her forward progress. “Please! The last thing you need is pointers. Michael can barely handle you as it is.”

“You broke Max in much quicker,” Maria assured her best friend smiling at her look of gap mouthed horror as she was shoved into the ring and lifted up into the saddle by the huge carnival worker running the ride.

“Hold on there, miss.”

Liz barely had time to grab on where the man was pointing before the bucking started.


“Holy shit! Is that Parker?” Kyle asked pointing with the hand not wrapped around Sophia’s.

Sophia turned to follow his gesture just in time to see the “bull” swivel mid buck showing Liz’s face through the whipping cloud of her hair for a split second. “I think so, yes.”

Kyle whistled through his teeth even as he tugged Sophia forward. “I’ve got to see this.”

“Whoo! Go Liz!” Maria shrieked encouragement over the sound of numerous wolf whistles from the spectators ringing the sidelines.

Ava’s piercing whistle accompanied Isabel’s pumping fist as the girl’s cheered loudly.


Zan held up Ava’s pink alien as Michael tried to shove a tray of drinks at him. “I only got two hands.”

Michael rolled his eyes juggling Maria’s prize and the tray. “Like I have more then two? A little help here.”

“I’ll take it,” Max stepped forward and removed the tilting tray from Michael’s hand.

Before Zan could say anything else the press of soft curves along his side diverted his attention. Scowling when he didn’t recognize the female rubbing up against him he shifted the plush toy in an attempt to pry some space between their bodies.

“Oh that’s so cute!”

His scowl darkened as Michael snorted in amusement.

“Max, who’s your friend,” Allissa asked shooting Zan an appreciative glance, pressing closer and making sure to press her breast against the tattooed and finely muscled arm clutching the toy.

“Step off me,” Zan growled in annoyance. The last thing he needed was more static from Ava and if she thought he had a girl on the side he could kiss his ass goodbye.

“Oh, love the accent! Where are you from?” Allissa cooed enthralled despite his gruff tone, a shiver rubbing her breast against him in a choreographed move that never failed.

“Why you all up on me? I got a girl so back the fuck off me,” Zan jerked his arm away from her hearing a choked sound from Max’s direction. “What’s a matter wit you? She an X freak or somethin’?”

Michael gave Zan a shove with his elbow to get him moving as Allissa made an outraged sound. “Move! Now!”

Zan grumbled all the way up to the tent where they’d left the girls. “Ava’s always lookin’ ta bust my chops for somethin’ thinkin’ it’s all my fault! Think she’d believe me if I tol’ her bout that? Hell no!” He almost plowed into Max’s back as his dupe froze directly in front of him loosing the tray of drinks but not even seeming to notice. “What’s up wit you?”

Michael followed Max’s stupefied stare to the center of the crowded tent. “Damn Maxwell! She ride you like that?” Michael asked genuinely impressed. No wonder Max was so whipped.

Zan blinked then pounded Max on the back. “Nice.”

“Come on,” Michael urged using Maria’s toy to bump Max in an effort to get his feet working again. “You’re going to miss it if you don’t move.”

Zan looked away from Liz’s bouncing form just long enough to see that Max wasn’t hearing them. “Shit! You see that? Damn, she got some strong ass thighs! Tell me you hit that all night every night.” Zan grinned unrepentant as Max shot him a heated glare. Jostling Max as he made to brush by he elbowed Michael out of the way rudely. “I gotta get a closer look at this.”

Max grabbed Zan and jerked him back several paces pushing past him aggressively.

“Oh yeah he’s hurtin’!” Zan laughed watching Max’s stiff gait toward the front of the crowd. “Come on.”

Max wasn’t sure how he was able to remain on his feet as a fireball of need slammed into him weakening his knees and sending heat searing through him until he couldn’t feel anything else. He drew in a ragged breath and attempted to force his body under control. Finding it impossible when everything in him urged him to yank her down and take her, right here, right now. He’d known he would never, ever, as long as he lived stop craving the feel and taste of her but this was a painfully immediate reminder of how strong that craving could be.

“Don’t worry Evans,” Kyle said from beside him, careful not to jostle the camera phone in his hands. “I got it all right here. You can pay me off later.”

“You got my number?” Zan shouted to be heard over the roar of the crowd. “Send it ova!”


Liz almost moaned in relief as the ride slowed to a gentle rolling motion as it began to wind down. Her cheeks were sweaty and hot with embarrassment. Tucking back a sweat-dampened strand of hair that had become plastered to her cheek during the wild ride her eyes met Max’s.

He had no idea how protective he could look, how possessive at the same time and how clearly he showed the intense desire that shadowed his eyes when he looked at her.

Vaulting over the bale of hay keeping him from her Max moved to help her down, catching her as her legs threatened to give under her weight.

“Max?” Liz whispered in question feeling the potent suddenly volatile chemistry between them; it was stamped starkly across his features in case anyone had missed it, leaving her breathless with want.

“You okay?” Max asked closing his eyes briefly in an attempt to regain his footing.

“Yeah, just um, just get me out of here okay?” Liz asked not comfortable with attention they were generating.

“Ferris wheel?” Max asked already working their way through the crowd.

“Yeah,” Liz sighed thinking that she could use a few minutes alone with him about now. “That sounds great.”

Phillip gritted his teeth crushing the raffle tickets Isabel had asked him to bring to her. Something had to be done about that round-heeled slut. Max was going to throw away his entire future if he wasn’t careful. Something had to be done before that happened. Watching Max hold open the bar so Liz could slip into their seat on the Ferris wheel he contemplated his options.


Liz lifted her mouth to his hardly feeling the jerk of the ride starting, the rocking of the seat they were in as they were lifted into the air, the slow burn igniting instantly when her lips met his obliterated everything else. His mouth found her neck, her throat, his lips trailing kisses over her heated skin, his teeth taking tiny nips.

Spurred onward by her ragged breathing he bent forward just a bit, enough to use his weight to bend her body backward in the seat. His fingers slipped beneath her shirt gliding over skin so soft he longed to taste it too. His body was so damn hard he thought his skin was about to split open his raging hard-on begging painfully for release.

“Max,” Liz panted seeing the stars tilt above them as they made the downward sweep toward the ground. “The rides going to end soon.”

“We have plenty of time yet,” Max responded sucking at the sensitive skin below her ear. “Don’t you think we have time yet?”

A small sound was his only answer and he felt the sound vibrate through him and he felt his body tighten, grow impossibly heavier, stretching his jeans to an uncomfortable degree. “You have too many clothes on,” Max complained kissing her between words. “We both do.” Then he made a strangled sound as she stroked him through his pants. His hand stroked down her ribs over her waist to her hips, his fingers tightening to keep from embarrassing them both by ripping at her clothes.

Resting his forehead against hers he closed his eyes as her fingers moved over him, tracing the outline of his erection carefully, so slowly he thought he was going to die.

“I’m ready to leave now,” Liz whispered wanting to touch his bare skin, all over. “Thank you for the ride.”

“Oh god,” Max groaned in torment.



Tess sat against the wall breathing through the pain shooting down her arm. “Rat bastards. I’ll kill them for this.”

Her arm hurt like a son of a bitch but that wasn’t the reason tears burned in her eyes and her throat felt clogged. They were taking her. She didn’t even get a chance to say anything to Big Willy. She closed her eyes briefly regret pouring though her. She’d never expected to actually feel anything for anyone else. But Willy was so good to her. Taking care of her and asking for nothing in return and now this was his repayment. She never should have gotten involved with him. She didn’t belong in his world and he couldn’t live in hers.

Tess gritted her teeth and forced her way to a standing position, leaning heavily against the wall as a wave of dizziness assaulted her. She fought back the feeling and looked around her, trying to get her bearings and find anything she could use as a weapon.

“You can deal with anything. Focus. Control. Discipline,” Tess repeated like a mantra. How many times had Nesado repeated that to her as a child? How many times had she rocked back and forth to ease the pain from his training sessions? It hurt to remember.

She wouldn’t feel the broken bones or the pain of wishing things could be different. She would concentrate on this moment, on getting them away from here before Big Willy ended up dead. Stumbling forward she caught herself on the doorframe listening to determine where in the apartment they were.

She had no idea why they thought she had the healing stones but they wouldn’t find them here. She stumbled again and stopped, the jarring pain of her broken bones grinding together made her feel sick, white spots dancing in front of her eyes.

Ten more feet to the door.



Leaning against the side of the Jeep her jeans inching further and further down her thighs, Liz moaned into his mouth clenching around his hand, trying to close her thighs against the invading hand down her pants. “Max. We have to get in.”

Yes, he had to get in.

Pushing into her panties he swore softly finding her wet and ready for him.

Liz clung to him, pressed between him and unyielding metal at her back trying to hold onto just a shred of common sense. “We-we need to-to get IN!” Liz’s head banged hard into the side of the Jeep as his thumb circled her tight swollen clit his fingers pushing deep inside her. “Not me, the car, inside the-“ She ground her head back into the cold metal a throaty moan slipping out of her. “Here’s good.” Tugging frantically at his belt she gave in, he’d move soon enough when the crisp air hit his bare ass.

The rasp of his zipper followed by her hand wrapping around his jutting penis caused him to jerk her fist moving over his aching flesh in strong sure strokes. His tongue tangled with hers, hot and moist, he wanted her so much he couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think straight her throaty little moans were sending him over the edge fast.

Pulling away from her he grabbled with the door handle desperate to get her jeans off before he lost it. “Please, open damn it!” Ripping the door open he had trouble removing his hand. Breathing deeply he gave a pained groan and reluctantly pulled his hand free.

Sliding up into the seat without releasing him was awkward but necessary as he’d wrapped his hand around hers, not allowing her to let go. Watching him move their hands over his flesh with far more roughness then she’d ever dare on her own was intensely arousing as was feeling the suede soft texture of him so taunt and solid in her fist.

His hand tightened, swirling her fist and pumping with slow strokes. “Squeeze harder.” The request made with such blatant desire that she obeyed without thought sweat dampening her skin once more as her body vibrating with need.

Leaning her forehead against his chest watching their hands move, the urgent pressure of his bigger hand wrapped around hers, the hard stabbing thrust of his thick shaft into the slick recesses of her clenched hand. It was so raw, so visceral it left her shaken and trembling. Pressing her face into his neck she whispered it into his ear like a guilty secret. “Please Max.”

“Scoot over.” Max said as he released her to climb in, scrambling to close the door, move the seat, and tug off her pants all at once. All finesse gone in his haste to have her.

In seconds, bare from the waist down except for one shoe, Liz was bracing her hands on the dash and brought him between her legs wedging the broad head of his penis just inside her wet folds. Sinking down onto him, forcing him deep in one slow movement assisted by his guiding hands on her hips wrung a soft cry from her throat.

Groaning in mixture of relief and torment Max thrust up into her, meeting her own frenzied movements. The clasp of her drenched body clinging and stroking stretched tight around the heavy intrusion of his erection forced a low rumble of approval from him.

Feeling his hips flexing between her thighs had her pushing back into him harder, sliding up and down his engorged penis, riding him faster to meet his demands. He moved his hand around in front of her hips and slid two fingers down into her slick folds capturing her clitoris between them. The deliberate friction against the swollen bud and the deep penetration of his body from behind had her straining against him churning her into a frenzy, tightening her even further around his length, nails biting into the dash in an effort to brace against the impact of his body. The pressure tightened to a wonderful burning ache.

“Max, this is-this crazy.”

“I love it. Love when you’re hugging my cock like this.”

She squirmed and whimpered loosing control of her bodies rhythm as her climax approached. “Yes. Oh god-deeper. Please….oh, Max!” She cried out jerking and throbbing around him. The torrential rush that swept through her body darkened her vision almost sending her into complete darkness but the biting grip of his hands on her hips held her.

The walls of her hugging channel tightened impossibly around him with hard deep spasms, contracting and squeezing, her orgasm exploding over him, around him robbing him of any remaining control. He swelled impossibly bigger, balls drawing up painfully and then he was surging up into her, pounding into her with fast rough movements. A long tortured groan escaped him, dragged from him with each pulsing release of semen, his orgasm seemed endless pouring from him and into her while she sobbed riding out the exquisite torment flooding them.

Liz didn’t think her body would ever stop the wrenching spasms, every movement he made long after he relaxed back into the passenger seat would cause another wave of contractions, gentler but still griping him tightly.

“You were amazing up there,” Max said after a long moment, stroking her back gently, in absolutely no hurry to move. Thankfully he’d parked at the very back on the lot, almost into the trees.

“I was wasn’t I,” Liz smirked, smug and happy. “I think I could do better though. If I just had just tightened my thighs like this…”

“Oh god,” Max groaned in pleasure barely hearing her resulting chuckle.



“What are you playing at?” Ava asked taking the cotton candy Zan was holding out to her.

“What you talkin’ bout?” Zan asked pinching off a bit of the treat and popping it in his mouth.

“With all this?” Ava made a gesture encompassing the candy and the toy he’d won for her.

“I ain’t playin’. I’s very serious,” Zan answered his tone indicting his level of seriousness. “This what you wanted right? Normal. I’m jus giving you what you asked me for.”

Ava studied his eyes, searching them for what she wasn’t even sure. She was afraid to believe him but afraid not to as well. Before her mind could settle the question to any degree a sugary voice called out to Zan from over by the tilt-a-whirl.

“Hey Zan!” Allissa called giving him a finger wave.

Ava looked at Zan with her eyebrows raised in question.

“That’s a friend of Maxie’s,” Zan blurted tugging at one of his earrings.

“Uh-huh.” Ava nodded smiling at his discomfort, clearly advertised by his tugging fingers.

“She’s all fucked up on E and shit. Rubbin' all ova poor Max. Lucky Liz didn’t see. I had ta pry her off his shit.’

“Yeah lucky,” Ava agreed perusing Allissa with narrowed eyes knowing damn well Zan was full of shit. “She’d get beat down hard.”

“That’s what I said,” Zan agreed in relief steering her away.

[Lelea]

Chapter Two

“So what do you think? Is it ready?” Max asked over his shoulder, using the question to get Liz closer.

Setting aside her textbook Liz got up and moved to Max’s side, looking over his shoulder to see the computer screen. “Looks-Max!” Liz squeaked as his chair spun and he tipped her onto his lap. “Let me up.”

“You’re not comfortable?” Max asked feeling her body naturally mold itself to his.

Liz glanced at the open door to his bedroom before answering. “We’re supposed to be studying. I don’t want to abuse your parents trust.”

“We’re not doing anything wrong.” Max pointed out keeping his arms looped around her waist as he nuzzled her neck softly, feeling her relax by slow increments.

“Your parents already don’t like me. I don’t want to give them another reason,” Liz murmured softly tilting her head as Max moved to nibble just under her ear. Feeling his fingers on bare skin her eyes popped back open.

Max smiled as she abruptly sat up her back going as straight and rigid as a steel rail. “What?”

Plucking his hand out from under her shirt she tried to edge away, her progress halted by his arms still banded around her middle. “This isn’t studying.”

“It’s not?” Max teased enjoying her attempt at a stern expression. It made him want to kiss her all the more.

“No, and if we don’t get this done, you’re on your own. I won’t be here when this is due so if you want my help you better keep your hands to yourself.”

Max gave a long-suffering sigh, hating the reminder of her approaching trip. “Okay.”

Expecting him to release her she was taken off guard, but when his mouth descended to close over hers she didn’t object.

He swept into the heated moistness of her mouth set on having as much as he could until her momentary confusion receded and common sense had her pulling away. He felt her answering tremor as her body melted over his, her arms creeping around his neck. Her breasts were a soft temptation against his chest and when her thigh rubbed along his as she shifted, aligning their bodies better, the breath left him in a heated rush.

Her brain was on total meltdown. Every mating response inside her leapt to fill the gap as she kissed him back unable to resist the combination of command and coaxing, his hands sliding down to her bottom helping to lift her even closer.

He bit her lip, sucked it into his mouth to tease her with his tongue. He didn’t simply want to kiss her; he wanted to consume her, never seeming to get his fill. Always he wanted more. Touching her rivaled breathing in importance.

Liz became aware of her hands under his shirt caressing his bare chest, stroking over his skin, needing the feel of his pounding heart, of the suddenly heavy feel of her breasts supported by the hard wall of his chest, the ferocious ache between her legs. Her need seemed beyond lust, beyond attraction, it was instinctive, inherent to her make up, built into her DNA.

She tore herself out of his arms, stumbling off his lap.

It was more reflex then thought that had Max reaching out to prevent her from falling. They stared at each other, each fighting for the control that their surrounds demanded.

“Let’s not do that again,” Liz said, shaken. Anyone could have walked by Max’s room and neither of them would have noticed. Her face flushed further visualizing Max’s father walking by.

“We should do that all the time,” Max countered, his grin flashing at her, a quick teasing smile that made her heart squeeze. He understood her desire to temper their actions around his parents but he refused to feel embarrassed or ashamed of his feelings for her. He didn’t want her to feel either emotion, so he stayed where he was, pleased when her lips curled in response to his teasing.

“You would think that,” Liz said tugging at her shirt to make sure she was properly covered.

“Its much more interesting then studying history,” Max allowed spinning back to his computer.

Liz just sighed raking a hand through her hair, not really able to disagree with him. Turning at the sound of Max’s keystrokes she moved into the hall headed for the bathroom, halting as she met Phillip Evans just before she reached safety. “Hi, Mr. Evans,” Liz softly, politely greeted him despite the disconcerting smirk gracing his face.

“Hello Liz,” Phillip returned reaching into his pocket and peeling off a one-dollar bill. “Here, I forgot to tip you for the show last night.” Looking into her stricken eyes he tucked the bill into the front of her pants, letting the backs of his fingers rub against the silken skin of her abdomen before he pulled away. “Nice, but today’s wasn’t bad either.”

Liz sucked in a quick breath, like he’d unexpectedly punched her. Stunned into speechlessness she watched him peel off another dollar but stepped back before he could touch her.

“Don’t let me interrupt. Please go back to servicing my son. You’ve really got those lap dances down.” Phillip said his eyes radiating disgust for this low life piece of ass. She was nobody and was never going to be anything more then an apparently good fuck. He’d see to that.

Jerking the dollar bill out of her pants and throwing it to the floor she lifted her chin, eyes flashing a warning. “For Max’s sake I’m not going to say anything about this but if you ever touch me again I’ll report it to the Sheriff. How you can even call yourself Max’s father is beyond my understanding.” Spinning on her heels she took off, not stopping as she flew past Max’s room.

Phillip stooped down to pick up the bill coolly ignoring his wife who came to a stop in front of him.

“What did you say to Liz?” Diane asked trying to keep her thoughts to herself after hearing quite plainly the exchange between her husband and Liz Parker.

“I just paid her a compliment.” Phillip shrugged dismissing his wife as easily as he did Liz Parker.

Diane watched him walk away and started thinking about the best way to go about a divorce. First, she’d contact Sheriff Valenti herself, quietly of course.


Liz grimaced as her cell phone rang. “Hello?”

“Where are you?” Max asked.

“Oh, sorry. I forgot I agreed to take part of Maria’s shift,” Liz winced at the lame ass excuse for running out on him.

“I would have driven you,” Max replied completely confused.

“I know, it’s okay, I’m almost there. I didn’t want to disturb you, it seemed like you were really making progress and-“ Liz trailed off unable to force out anymore. Tears flooded her eyes only to be blinked away as Max spoke.

“Are you upset with me about something?” Max asked cautiously thinking he heard something in her voice.

Firming up her resolve Liz forced a smile he couldn’t see before answering. “No, of course not! I’m just loosing my mind trying to keep track of everything I need to take care of before tomorrow. You wouldn’t think it’d be that big of a deal. I’ll only be gone for a couple of days, not weeks. I’m sorry.”

“Oh, okay, well don’t worry. Our history project will be complete and up to spec.” Glancing up as Isabel appeared in his doorway he waved her in. “I’ll come by later and you can turn me into your slave. Isabel taught me how to pack.” Max ignored Isabel’s eye roll.

“Deal, I never pass up a slave.” Liz hung up feeling sick. The urge to hide what Mr. Evans had done had been a knee-jerk unplanned reaction to the pain, an instinctive desire to keep from hurting Max and adding to an already difficult situation but she absolutely hated lying to him.

Hopefully after this trip they’d just have a couple more months before thousands of miles would be between them and Max’s father.


“What happened to Liz?” Isabel prompted when Max remained silent after hanging up.

“I don’t know,” Max answered slowly. Something. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have taken off without at least saying goodbye. “Is Dad home?”

Isabel shrugged loosing interest. “I don’t know. Listen, can I borrow the Jeep?”

“To go see anyone in particular?” Max asked not liking her new boy toy.

“Ava wanted me to swing by Zan’s with her,” Isabel replied taking in Liz’s stuff still spread out all over the floor, including her purse. “She doesn’t want to be alone with him or something, I don’t know.”

“Uh-huh,” Max agreed absently still trying to figure out what he wanted to do about Liz. “Okay, tell you what. You can have the Jeep after you drop me off at the Crash.”

“Fine, fifteen minutes?” Isabel asked.

“Make it twenty.”



“He did what?” Maria asked her mouth dropping open.

“He tucked a dollar bill down my pants.” Liz said scrubbing the counter with unnecessary force.

“Let me see if I understand this correctly,” Maria said plopping down in the seat across the counter from Liz, ignoring the customer waving at her from across the room. “Max’s dad stuck his hand down your pants?”

“Uh-huh,” Liz agreed her knuckles white and a strand of hair coming loose from her ponytail to swing back and forth in front of her face with each scrubbing motion.

“Max is so going to kill his ass,” Maria said with relish. Sick perverted bastard, he deserved everything Max was going to do to him.

“No! You can’t tell Max!” Grabbing Maria’s arm to get her attention she stared her down. “This comes under the best friends clause, understand? No telling Max.”

“Why not?” Maria asked startled then gasp. “You didn’t tell him? Oh Liz, honey, you’ve gotta tell him! He needs to know his dad’s a sleazy perv!”

“Why? So he can get arrested for assault? No,” Liz shook her head. “I’m not going to be the cause of anymore friction between Max and his father. Max has enough trouble without that. “

“So do you, Liz,” Maria pointed out her brow dimpling with concern. “How are you planning to keep this from him? He’ll know as soon as he sees you, or kisses you.”

“I’ll just stay away from Max’s father that’s all. Just until graduation then it won’t matter,” Liz supplied her half thought out plan as she resumed her counter cleaning rage release exercise.

“And the kissing thing?” Maria asked skeptically.

“It won’t be a problem. It’s not like I’ll be worrying about Max’s father while kissing Max. Usually I’m not thinking at all,” Liz said half jokingly in an attempt to alleviate Maria’s scowl. Glancing up as Max came in carrying her purse and loaded down with her books she forced down all thought about the incident.

“Hey! Evans! Nice accessorizing!” Pauly cat called from his booth causing a roar of laughter from his cronies.

Ignoring the ribbing Max walked up and set his load down smiling briefly at Maria before focusing intently on Liz.

“Hi!” Liz chirped leaning across the counter to give Max a quick kiss.

Max’s brow crinkled catching a faint wisp of….something, gone before he could catch it. “Hi back.”

“Well! I gotta go do a thing,” Maria said sliding off her stool, rolling her eyes when the same customer tried to flag her down. When was he gonna learn? Hello? On break? Darting into the backroom she went to her locker for her cell phone. Just because she couldn’t tell Max didn’t mean she couldn’t talk to Michael.

“Max, you didn’t have to come right over,” Liz chided him gently.

“I was done, pretty much, and Isabel wanted the car so,” Max shrugged. “I thought I’d come now.” Taking in her lack of a uniform and Maria’s presence he debated whether to bring up her hasty exit now or wait and see if she let anything slip.

“Okay, when Maria gets back we can go upstairs,” Liz replied wondering how to cover for the fact that she was already packed and had been for days. Pulling out her list of things she had to do before leaving for the airport she gave it a quick going over to make sure that she wasn’t forgetting anything.

“Have you talked to Cal?” Max asked watching her stiffen noticeably.

“No,” Liz answered tucking the wayward strand of hair behind her ear. “You?”

“No,” Max answered gently taking the rag and list from her hands and setting them aside. “I told you I’d wait until you were ready.”

“I know but,” Liz lifted her eyes to meet his, mentally kicking herself for being such a problem. She knew he was dying to ask Cal a billion questions but she didn’t ever want to hear a word he had to say. “What if I’m never ready?”

“Liz, what are you afraid of? What are you afraid he’s going to say?” Max asked truly puzzled. Liz always wanted answers, always. This was completely unlike her.

“I don’t know,” Liz burst out, frustrated with herself. “It’s just….first, there’s this message from your mother and that was horrible, then there’s you coming back from-whenever and messing everything up. I’m messaged out, okay? I don’t want to hear anymore. I’m starting to think that there are no answers just like the X-files or something. Every time you think you’ve got it figured out a few episodes later you discover something else that makes you think everything up to now was a lie. I don’t want my life to be some huge lie. I don’t want things to change again.”

Max nodded and backed off that topic. He could understand her desire for a period of calm. They’d had a rough year-or two. “So about today-“

“Look, I don’t want you to worry. Everything’s fine,” Liz said leaning over and resting her elbows on the counter, willing him to believe her. “I just-I’m nervous about this campus visit and getting all my assignments in, it’s nothing. I’m sorry for just walking out like that.”

“Okay,” Max agreed leaning forward, matching her position over the counter. Brushing a soft kiss across her mouth, more question then demand, he was relieved when she opened to as she always did.

“Excuse me. Is anyone actually working around here?”

Breaking away from Max with a blush staining her cheeks she sent Max a look of apology as she moved to placate the disgruntled customer. Max stayed put his mind on that niggling feeling of unease that just kept nagging at him.


“What are you saying Maria?” Michael asked having completely lost her a hundred words back when she’d started speaking at warp speed.

“I can’t,” Maria shook her head frustrated with Michael’s inability to take a hint and build on it. “It’s a best friend thing. I can’t just tell you because I promised.”

“Then why are you calling me? “ Michael grumbled.

“Because you need to do something! You told me to tell you if there was ever a situation like Liz had with Nesado right? The whole creepy pervy groping thing remember?” Pacing in front of the lockers she desperately searched for a way to make Michael understand without totally breaking her promise to Liz.

“Are you saying that Max’s father just-did something like that? To Liz?” Michael asked sitting up and paying attention.

“That’s what I’m saying,” Maria agreed relieved. “She doesn’t want Max to know because-“

“Max would freak,” Michael supplied trying to imagine what Max would do. It wouldn’t be pretty.

“Exactly, “ Maria nodded waving her free hand around in excitement. Michael got it.

“Okay, Zan and I will take care of it,” Michael thinking that Zan would relish the opportunity to work over Mr. Evans. And if Cal ever found out, Phillip Evans would be likely to just disappear permanently. Actually, that might not be a bad idea.



“I’ve got my ticket it’s all set,” Peck assured Cal.

“Make sure you can see her at all times understand? Even when you’re in the air,” Cal said beleaguering a point he’d made ten or twelve times already. Jesus, he was fretting like a mother hen. What had this planet done to him?

“Relax, I’ve got it. She’s going to check out a college not a hostile country,” Peck said amused by his employers worry. Langley was usually cool to the point of cold so this was quite a switch.

“Same difference,” Cal grumbled. “She’s a magnet for trouble no matter where she goes and I want you to remember that. Eyes open at all times.”

“Got it,” Peck agreed turning serious. That girl did seem to get into a lot of scrapes. Bad ones.



“That’s our boarding call,” Maria chirped excited. Now that she figured the Phillip thing was taken care of she was free to have a good time. So was Liz.

“Right,” Liz said turning back to Max reluctant to leave him. She didn’t want to be doing this without him. Making decisions about their future like what school they attended and where they chose to live. He should have some say in all of this but she also didn’t want to make waves. Creating more difficulties between Max and his parents wasn’t a good idea right now. So she’d do this and not complain.

“I’m sorry. I wish I was going too,” Max said hugging her close and rubbing his cheek against her hair.

“We talked about this. I understand, Max. I’ll call about a hundred times a day. You’ll think you are there,” Liz promised trying to absorb the solid feel of him. It would have to carry her through the next couple of days.

“Come on Liz! We still have to make it to the gate,” Maria reminded her urging her to hurry.

Max nodded and kissed her whispering against her lips. “I love you. Be careful and call me as soon as you land.”

“Kay,” Liz agreed as Maria pulled her away. Grabbing her backpack she allowed Maria to pull her toward the escalator. “Don’t worry and I love you too,” Liz called over her shoulder lifting her wrist to show him her bracelet reassuring him that she carried a part of him with her no matter where she went.

Watching her and Maria until they disappeared from sight he never the less managed to nod at Peck, reassured that Cal’s man would watch out for them. Still he wasn’t happy about not going with her.

Tucking his hands in his pockets he brooded about the increasing difficulties his father managed to bring into his life. He understood Liz’s point that soon they’d be out on their own but if things continued on like this he wouldn’t wait to move out.

Swinging into the passenger side of the Jeep he looked over at Michael, who looked a little grim himself.

“They get off alright?” Michael asked pulling out and pointing the Jeep toward Roswell.

“Yeah, they’re boarding now.”

Standing last in line, each silently waiting to board, both men scanned the other passengers. Two giggling girls were directly ahead of them but one was a redhead. That wasn’t right. They’d been told one small with dark hair and one blonde who liked to talk.

[Lelea]

Chapter Three

“You know, you should be thanking me.” Maria huffed shifting her carryon bag so that she didn’t whack the already seated passengers over the head as she passed by.

“Oh, yeah?” Liz asked not really listening. Smiling back at an elderly woman as she went by she tuned out Maria’s chatter. Moving quickly so they didn’t hold up take off she looked for their seat number.

“If you don’t have that TAP report done and turned in we’re finished! Do you understand? Finished!” Sweating profusely while yanking at his tie the middle-aged businessman was almost shouting into his cell phone. As she passed by he continued his vehement argument. Wincing she was relieved that they weren’t seated directly behind him.

“Sweetie, please sit down. People need to get by.” A flustered weary looking young women urged a young boy out of the aisle while trying to strap in an infant and juggle a diaper bag and several toys.

“Great,” Maria mumbled from behind her. “An infant and small child. This should be fun.”

“Maria,” Liz chastised, well aware of Maria’s feelings about traveling with noisy children. Smiling at the young boy in aisle, who ignored his mother’s attempts to get him in his seat, she stopped carefully holding her bag so she didn’t hit anyone with it.

“I think he likes you,” Maria teased; amused by the way the boy was staring up at Liz. “Or not.” Maria laughed as the boy stuck out his tongue a truly demonic expression twisting his face.



Tess sat still, burning up. Burning within the close stuffy confines of the metal building, barely bigger then a shed really, burning with rage as she watched the Skins clustered around the bits and pieces that they’d managed to find.

All that remained of Nesado.

Why the fuck couldn’t they just leave it alone!

Sweat ran down the back of her neck, underneath hair that was already heavy with moisture, as she watched the stones steady glow casting back the darkness that entombed the still dismembered parts of what had passed for a human being.

She had to get out of here.

She’d done her part and told them where to look for the stones, now she needed to get the hell out. Before he was completely restored.

Wiping at the moisture on her face her thoughts turned to Big Willy. Had anyone found him? Was he still alive? Sniffing she again wiped at her cheeks. Those thoughts galvanized her into action, inching along the hot metal against her back she tried to move in silence.

“Tessss.”

She froze instantly dread turning her insides liquid with terror.

“Commmmme.” Withered fingers curled, beckoning her closer, air hissing out over dried lips.

“Oh shit, oh shit,” Tess blurted out. Right before she made a desperate dash for the door.



“Something’s wrong,” Maria whispered.

Liz almost sighed in relief. Maria felt it too.

“That flight attendant-her face hardly moves.”

Liz’s eyes slipped closed as she tried to exert some control over the nebulous anxiety bleeding through her before forcing them back open. “Forget that. It’s her job, sort of like when we’re waiting on a hungry mob.”

“Right, show no fear,” Maria nodded.

“Exactly,” Liz agreed flipping the unread page of her magazine to another. “But those two guys, five rows up to the left-that’s something else.”

Maria leaned slightly out into the aisle to look and almost recoiled when her eyes clashed with one of the two men Liz had been referring to. “His eyes are black.”

“Uh-huh,” Liz agreed not even glancing up. She’d noticed him as she’d walked by, his sharp features combined with that piercing black stare was difficult to miss. What bothered her was that he’d kept watching, staring really, it gave her the creeps.

“Solid freaky black, Liz,” Maria whispered then winked at the freak, watching his eyes narrow and nostrils flare in what felt like revulsion. He found her repulsive? Please.

“The other one’s been watching those two girls by the emergency exit,” Liz continued still seeming to be enraptured with the latest fashion.

“Why?” Maria whispered.

“I don’t know,” Liz answered, her eyes flickering briefly between the two men and the objects of their attention. Two twittering airheads that were occupying the seats at the emergency exit.

She sincerely hoped that they didn’t crash because if lives depended on those two they were all in serious trouble.

Noticing Liz’s anxiety Maria decided to distract her. “You never did thank me.”

“For what?” Liz asked still distracted as she tried to find the source of her unease.

“For giving you the best sex of your life.” Maria watched Liz blink as her focus switched from whatever she was thinking about to her own provocative statement.

“What?”

“That ride was the best thing for your sex life in ages. Admit it,” Maria continued, blithely ignoring Liz’s incredulous expression that also seemed to be leaving her speechless.

“I will not!” Liz blurted. “That-that mechanical horror could have killed me! Not to mention that it got that dollar bill shoved down my pants.”

“Are you sure that was from the ride? I mean did he say-“

“No! I don’t even want to think about that!” Liz tried to cut off Maria’s train of thought.

“Well, I still say you should thank me,” Maria said dropping the idea that Max’s father could have seen anything other then the ride on the mechanical alien.

“I’ll thank you.”

Maria’s head snapped around to find the twenty-something studly looking guy across the aisle grinning at her. “Look-“

“I’m looking.” The man agreed cheerfully, not leering so much as looking with clear appreciation. “Nice. Please, don’t let me interrupt but what might this mechanical device look like? Just so I have a clear mental picture.”

“Ohmygod,” Liz moaned sinking down in her seat and covering her face with her unread magazine.

“Listen up, if you speak to us again I’m going to bitch slap you. Clear enough?” Maria snapped waspishly, not allowing her own embarrassment to cow her.

“Gotcha, a dominatrix.” Nodding in understanding he winked before turning back to face the front as the plane began to move, circling around to the runway.

Liz brought her magazine up even higher, biting her lip to hold in the bubble of laughter that wanted to spill out.

“Can you believe that guy? Listening in on other people’s private conversations?” Maria grumbled put off by the whole encounter. Weirdo.



A hard shove to her back sent her down onto her hands and knees in the dirt, mere inches from Nesado. Scrambling backward crablike Tess tried to escape, her only focus on getting away.

“Enough!” Jeroen roared delivering a savage kick to Tess’s side that sent her sprawling effectively stopping her movement. Kneeling down he fisted a hand in her hair and brought her face up to his. “I have had enough of this bullshit! If you want to continue breathing you will do whatever is needed of you. You are not a royal here. You are the servant. A very disposable one, understand?”

“Yes,” Tess gasp, sharp pain coming with each attempt to breathe.

“Good, now go.” Shoving her away from him by his grip on her hair he watched her land face first in the dirt.

Moving slowly she crawled closer to the pallet on the floor, coming to a stop well out of reach. Wrinkling her nose in disgust she studied the bits and pieces of her former protector. Always vaguely cadaverous in appearance he now resembled nothing closer then a corpse. Withered flesh clinging to sinew and bone, left arm still dispatched along with both legs, tufts of dirty hair sprouting from his atrophied features. It made her feel sick just watching his eyes move, sunken back into his skull with the eyelids dried into tanned bits of leather, and right now she thought he was looking directly at her.

“Just looking at you makes me want to vomit,” Tess sneered slowly, watching her words impact, his features reacting in knee-jerk response. Finally she could see gleaning some small enjoyment out of this. Nesado had always been so arrogant about his ability to control his appearance. “I think blending in is out now.”

“Funnny,” Nesado rasp out then gasp for breathe. “Yooouuu gave themmm what they neeeededdd to find heeeerrr?”

“What?” Tess mocked cupping her hand behind her ear. Jeroen’s fist to the side of her head discouraged any more of that. “I gave them a description.” Spitting out the blood in her mouth she half-smiled, with the crappy description she’d given them they’d need to get seriously lucky. “Why do you want her? Looking like this you aren’t getting anywhere. You might think about having all your limbs attached first.”

The clicking sound of Nesado blinking was repulsive causing her to shudder. Yeah, Liz was going to feel something when she saw him but it wasn’t hot.

“Yooouuu did-n’t showww themmm?” Nesado asked fury flashing through him. After all the things he’d taught her, all the time he’d wasted training her to make the best use of her powers and this is what he got for it. A pretty little moron who had to be told everything.

“No powers,” Tess shrugged jerkily sending a new shaft of pain through her abused body. “I’m just a human now with a humans limitations. Oh, except mind rapes don’t work on me, so I gave them a description just like they asked me to. I do what I can. You really need to do the same. You look like hammered shit, if it were a thousand years old and dried up into a fossil.”

Without speaking a word Jeroen stomped on Tess’s leg, and again when she didn’t scream loudly enough. The snapping of bone was satisfaction enough.



“Liz.”

“Stop talking.” Liz said not even wanting to know what was about to come out of Maria’s mouth.

“Liiiiz,” Maria cajoled.

“No.”

“Oh, come on you can’t still be mad,” Maria said speaking to the cover of Liz’s magazine.

“Mad?” Liz asked dropping her magazine into her lap. “Why would I be mad? You tricked me into riding a bull-alien-whatever-“

“And Max dragged your ass out of there like his dick was on fire,” Maria mumbled then smiled when Liz glared at her while blushing. “You can’t even be pissed about that. Did you even make it to the car before having hot sweaty monkey sex? See!” Maria exclaimed snatching Liz’s magazine before she could hide her now glowingly red cheeks behind it. “You didn’t, did you!”

“That’s not the point! The point is that Max’s father already has a really low opinion of me and that just made it worse.” Liz held up a finger as Maria opened her mouth to respond. “Don’t even say it. It was the ride it wasn’t-anything else. That’s too creepy I can’t go there.”

Maria held up her hands in surrender. “Okay, okay, I’m just saying, take that part away and it was fun. I just wanted you to have a good time, Liz. You’ve been so damn uptight, not without reason, but still. That whole thing with Andres wasn’t even your fault.”

Liz ignored that completely, not even able to think about it. “Then let’s talk about you wanting to discuss my sex life on a crowded plane embarrassing the hell out of me.”

“But you’re having fun aren’t you?” Maria asked already grinning. “You’re not thinking about whatever was putting that crease between your eyebrows.”

Liz stole a quick glance at the man who’d been watching them so intently earlier. “No, I wasn’t,” Liz agreed smiling.

“Besides, Zan’s gonna take care of the Mr. Evans problem for you while we’re gone.”

“WHAT?”

Maria winced and opened Liz’s magazine. “Oops.”



“Yo! Zan!” Michael’s fist beat on the door rattling it in its frame.

Zan bit back a curse as Ava sat up batting his hands away in the bargain. “He don’t know anyone’s here. Ah Baby Girl, don’t do that,” Zan moaned as Ava destroyed all his hard work by buttoning up. It’d taken him over an hour to get those buttons undone. Damn.

“Zan, open up! I need to talk to you.” Michael called loudly accompanied by another volley of pounding.

“Hold up!” Zan shouted coming to his feet.

Ava smiled at the fierce scowl on his face. His mouth looked so sulky she was tempted to eat it up. Feeling quite comfortable she curled up smirking when Zan had to rearrange himself before walking to the door and yanking it open with a growl.

Michael pushed past him, coming into the room without any sort of greeting, polite or otherwise.

“What the fuck are you doing here? I thought you’s and Maxie was tak’in you’s females to the airport.” Zan slammed the door shut feeling testy and not the least inclined to welcome visitors.

“Yeah, we did that. I had Max drop me off here on the way back.”

Zan made a rude noise and plopped back next to Ava on the couch. “What the fuck for? I’m sorta busy here.”

Ava shoved him roughly when he smirked and tugged at her hair. “Not anymore you aren’t so stop being an ass. What’s up, Michael?”

Michael scrubbed a hand over his head frustrated, not quite knowing how to choose his words. Fuck it. “Max’s dad hassled Liz. Freaked her out. She won’t tell Max because-“

“Freaked her how?” Zan interrupted tensing. He didn’t like Phillip Evans. He had a good idea of what he was capable of, after having been asked to fuck Liz just to get her away from Max not much would surprise him.

“I’m not exactly sure. Maria just told me that he’d freaked her out like Nesado did, touching her and she couldn’t tell Max because-“

“Max’d fuck’in kill him,” Zan finished coming slowly to his feet, every muscle drawn tight. Flexing his fists he glanced down at Ava before making up his mind. “You gonna be here when I get back?”

Ava nodded unfolding and coming to her feet beside him and running her hand down his arm, feeling the rigid set to his muscles and knowing how angry he was. “I’ll be here,” She agreed softly feeling a strong sense of pride. He may make noises about these people not being his peeps but this proved those words to be lies. Zan always took care of his family, look at how he’d stood by her even after their child died and she’d done everything in her power to push him away.

“Kay, let’s go find out what Phil did ta her,” Zan said, never doubting for a moment he’d find out what he wanted to know. He’d beat it out of him no problem, Phillip Evans was soft, it wouldn’t take much.

They found him at his office; at least his car was there. Staying out of sight they kept the car in sight waiting for him to put in an appearance.

“So what’s your feel of the guy?” Zan asked Michael, glancing over when Michael didn’t respond.

“I don’t know,” Michael finally answered rubbing the back of his neck uneasily.

“You don’t know?” Zan sneered still feeling less then friendly. Michael had been around Phillip Evans for years and he didn’t know what he thought of the prick.

“Did I ever think he was an asshole? Sure, but I never would have thought he’d do anything like put his hands on an underage girl.” Michael defended himself. Although Max’s father had helped him out with the whole legal end of being on his own he couldn’t say he liked the guy. He’d always gotten a vibe from him like Phillip viewed him as trash; it was subtle but there. He’d never felt comfortable around him.

“He put his hands on her?” Zan demanded color staining his cheekbones like red slash marks. He was gonna put a serious hurt on him, old or no, bones would break just that much easier.

“I don’t know,” Michael shrugged and made a frustrated sound in the back of his throat. “Maria wouldn’t tell me.”

“We’s just gonna have ta ask his ass then aren’t we?” Looking deceptively loose-limbed Zan hummed with adrenaline, muscles tense and ready to perform. Movement drew his attention back to the parking lot across the street. “Nice of him not ta keep us waiting.”

Michael turned to see Phillip Evans unlocking his door then quickly getting in. “Follow him?”

“Oh, yeah, an we ain’t the only ones,” Zan nodded toward the Sheriff’s department SUV slowly rolling to a stop at the nearest intersection then pull in several cars behind Evans’ vehicle.

Following both vehicles at a distance, partly to keep from being detected and partly because his beat up piece of crap car wouldn’t go any faster without shaking apart, they almost missed their destination.

“What’s he doing here?” Michael asked confused. Checking the address on the beat up trailer he was pretty sure this was where Becca Linstrom lived, just one street over from where he’d lived with Hank.

“Let’s go,” Zan said shouldering his door open. Not worried about being seen he walked right up the littered walk toward the trailer with Michael hurrying to catch up.

“Valenti’s going to kick our ass’s for this,” Michael grumbled half heartedly, not having missed the Sheriff’s scowling face as they rolled past him.

“Doubt that,” Zan replied brazenly opening the screed door to the trailer and walking right in. “Hey, big daddy, you’s might wanna pull up those drawers. Damn, I’s going blind and shit.”

Michael’s jaw dropped as Becca scrambled off Phillip Evans’ lap topless. All he could think was that Becca was two years younger then he was.

“We got us a felony in progress, Mikey."

“Now wait just a minute!” Phillip blustered face going from red to purple.

“Shut the fuck up!” Zan shouted shoving Phillip back into his chair when he tried to rise. Turning to the frightened girl he scowled, she couldn’t be more then sixteen if that. “Put your damn clothes on and find something ta do somewhere’s else. We gotta talk ta Suga Daddy here. “

Michael stepped aside as Becca rushed out clutching her clothes to her chest. He stood immobile after that, too stunned to think much less act. Zan didn’t have that problem.

“You in ta little girls? Hey!” Snapping his fingers in Phillip’s face to draw his attention Zan felt his temper spiral out from under his control. Isabel lived in a house with this sick bastard. He’d done something to Liz already that had Maria calling in some muscle. “I’s talk’in to you.”

“I don’t owe you any answers,” Phillip answered coolly arrogant, despite his still opened trousers.

“Wrong fuck’in answer Pops.” Zan landed several hard fast punches to his ribs then stood back to watch him struggle for breath, not even breathing hard himself. “We’re gonna ask you some questions and you’re gonna answer or I’m gonna beat the shit out of you. Then when’s you’s wife has ta come and identify you’s sad sorry excuse for a person,” Zan continued his voice clearly communicating his hostility. “I’ll tell her why I hadda kick your ass. What’da think?”

“What do you want to know?”

“I wanna know what you did ta Liz,” Zan answered.

“Nothing, I didn’t do anything,” Phillip denied and watched Zan’s teeth flash in a menacing smile.

“Mike, stand him up,” Zan directed squeezing both hands into fists as Michael yanked Phillip out of his chair roughly, sending the chair clattering over, kicking it out of the way Michael moved behind Phillip giving him a hard punch to his kidneys before yanking him back up by his arms.

“I gave her a dollar,” Phillip wheezed.

“What?” Zan barked disgusted by this sick ass freak.

“I put a dollar in her pants, for the show she put on at the festival, for fucking my son. I paid her a dollar.”

Michael jerked one of Phillip’s arms behind his back, yanking it up between his shoulder blades until he screamed and held it, keeping him on his feet and in pain with every movement.

Zan shook his head so angry he couldn’t see straight. “You’s damn lucky Max didn’t catch that shit. You’d be missing body parts and if Langley eva finds out they’s neva gonna find you’s body at all. You fuck’in stupid!”

“I can’t let her ruin him!” Phillip shouted, pain making his vision fuzzy and stripping away the thin veneer of civility, spit flew from his mouth as he continued his rant. “These girls are a dime a dozen! You fuck them you don’t date them! He’s special, better. She’s fucking trash! Fucking him right out in the open like a whore. If I don’t take care of this she’ll have him standing in front of Elvis getting married as soon as they’re both legal!”

Zan didn’t speak again, hitting him over and over, landing each hit to his body never touching his face. Not stopping until the only thing holding him up was Michael. Sucking on his bloody knuckles briefly he looked up at Michael reading his tightly set expression, waiting for his breathing to slow and some measure of calm to return to him. “Drop him.”

Michael let go watching Max’s father crumple then shoving him away with a boot to his ribs.

Zan crouched down so Phillip could see his face clearly. “If you come near her again, any of the girls, I’ll beat ya down ta a bloody stump. I ain’t play’in wit you again. This little tussle was fun but I ain’t cutting ya any more breaks. I seen this type a shit before and I ain’t standing by for it, understand? You even breath in her direction I’ll know and I’ll fuck you up bad.”

Leaving him on the floor curled into a fetal position they left. Zan fumed all the way to the car where Sheriff Valenti leaned against the fender waiting.

“You gonna bust my chops?” Zan asked belligerently unable to see his eyes behind his mirrored shades.

“No, but I am going to tell you to back off. I’ll handle this.”

“But-“ Michael started to protest but stopped when Valenti motioned for him to be quiet.

“I know about Liz and I’ll handle it. This started as a favor for a friend but now it’s police business. We understand each other?”

“Sure,” Michael agreed while Zan just snorted and got in the car. He waited until they drove away before speaking. “You gonna leave it alone?”

“Fuck no.” Zan growled still pissed off. He’d be waiting for Phillip to fuck up again. He seriously looked forward to it.

[Lelea]

Chapter Four

“How are we to know?” Callen asked his companion. “Those two have the right hair color and the blonde seems to be always talking.”

“But they are lesbians. I heard them say so.” Was the monotone response he received.

“Those two,” Callen nodded toward the two giggling girls several rows in front of them. “Can not be the right ones. They are…” Words failed him. They were awful with their unceasing high-pitched voices and those giggles that made his teeth grind together in pain. “Their hair is wrong. They couldn’t possibly be the right two.”

“He said we would know. That one of them would feel different, special.”

“So do you know?” Callen demanded. “Because once this plane lands they will go about their business. If we separate to follow both sets then we are spread thin should something happen. Unless we call in others.”

“No, they are only two human females. We surely don’t need any help.”

“Do you know which is the right set?” Callen demanded coming right back to the point.

“No, but I don’t intend to let this plane land before I do know.”

“If we do anything, in front of all these people-“

“These people,” Eyes so dark as to seem black passed over the crowded interior of the airplane a sneer sliding over his lips. “are just bags of meat and bone, just like any other animal. We have a job to do, by whatever means necessary.” His eyes narrowed his face reflecting his grim tone.

“I will not fail, Callen. I will not go back without the thing we came here for; he will not accept any mistake. You know this. These people are not our people. So if I have to kill them, one after the other, until I am sure of the one that I need then that is what I will do. I am not afraid of these people. What can they do? They are helpless, sitting here thinking that no one can touch them. What do you think?”

“I think that they are about to have their eyes opened.” Callen refocused on the mission pledging to remain committed to the good of his people. That was why Savon was in charge. He never lost his focus. There was much to be learned from him.


Michael sat on the worn steps staring at the cracks between his feet. Remembering when he’d lived in a trailer just like this one. He didn’t look up when he heard her approach he just waited.

“What are you doing here?” Becca demanded her arms crossed over her chest defensively.

“I’m not sure,” Michael answered glancing up then away at the clear signs of emotional distress. He felt awkward and more then a little uncomfortable with any emotion. He wasn’t even sure why he’d come back and waited here. They weren’t even good friends.

It’s just that every time he thought about Becca he remembered the time Hank had run over her dog and the look on her face when he’d made fun of her for crying. She’d cussed him out with an astonishingly wide range of curse words. She’d made him smile and when he’d lived with Hank that had been a rare thing. That wasn’t the girl he’d seen on Phillip’s lap or the one standing before him now.

Sniffing and wiping at her eyes she moved from foot to foot before easing onto the step beside him. “If you’re going to lecture me, do us both a favor and save your breath.”

“No, lecture,” Michael agreed then sighed wishing Maria were here. She never ran out of words. “I just-I don’t understand. Phillip is-old.”

“My mom, she had this job in Clovis for awhile,” Becca said softly, tracing the darkening bruise on her thigh to avoid looking at him. “Until she was arrested for embezzlement. She needed a lawyer. Phillip took her case.”

Looking out over the barren yard with its sparse tufts of grass being choked off by all the litter she saw her life, her future. So different from what she’d thought she could see before she’d first met Phillip. He’d been so nice, normal like she’d always imagined a dad would be. In other words, not like the other guys her mom brought home. Not at first anyway.

“He’d come over to work on the case,” Becca shook her head ashamed that she’d been so stupid. It hadn’t happened in any of the ways she’d expected. She’d never even felt that sense of alarm alerting her to danger.

“At least that’s what he said. My mom was always drunk or high and he’d have to come back. He’d talk to me, you know? Asking me questions and he was so nice. It felt like he really listened to what I was saying. It wasn’t like this at first. He was just nice to me. Then he just-changed. The court date was coming up and he said my mom was going to go to jail if I didn’t help him. Then it was massages and-My mom’s not great you know? But she’s all I have. I knew how to manage the situation with her but if she went to jail then what? He said if I didn’t do things then I’d end up in foster care. I knew what he was really saying. If I didn’t do what he wanted he’d make sure to loose my mom’s case. It wasn’t that bad. Now he gives me money.”

Michael heard the hitch in her breathing and felt his vision go red with fury. He understood better then most the way the foster care system worked and why you’d want to stay in a bad home rather then take a chance on getting put in a worse one. Phillip had used that fear against the girl, and she was just a scared young girl, it made him sick.

To think he’d always been jealous of Max and Isabel for having the perfect family.

“He lost anyway. She’s doing five years and I need the money.” Becca covered her face with her hands not able to look at him anymore. He’d made it out of here. How could he understand what it was like for her? Stuck here with nothing and no one to help her.

“He won’t be coming around anymore but he’s still going to give you money. I want you to come down to the CrashDown and talk to Jeff Parker. He’s always looking for help in the café. I work there and he’s pretty straight with everyone. He’s been good to me. He’ll let you study when it’s slow and meals are free while your working. It’s a good job.”

“I’m only fifteen,” Becca said making an effort to stop sniveling so Michael wouldn’t think she was a charity case.

“That’s okay. I can get you ID that’ll say you’re sixteen almost seventeen. He won’t question it.”

“Thanks Michael.” Becca gave him a watery smile lifting her head and, finally, looked him in the eye.

Michael nodded and stood. “I’ll talk to Mr. Parker tonight and tell him to expect you. If anything happens come by the café. If he ever comes back here,” Unable to speak Phillip’s name he had to pause to unlock his clenched jaw before continuing. “You come find me or Zan. If you can’t find us then go to Valenti.” Seeing her shaking her head he resisted the urge to bark out his next statement. “Kyle, not the Sheriff. He’ll know what to do.”

“Okay,” Becca stood up grateful and ashamed all at once. “I won’t be a problem for you. I promise.”

“You come find me if he bothers you. Otherwise, I’ll have a big fucking problem. He’s both of my best friends adopted father. That bastard is already my problem. I need to know if he threatens you or comes around.”

The fierce glare directed at her cowed any other resistance and she agreed without an argument. Michael stalked away thinking about how young she was and how much he wished he’d hurt Phillip Evans much, much worse.



Liz shifted in her seat feeling hot and anxious for no reason. Something was wrong. She could feel it.

She jumped when someone touched her arm.

“Liz? You okay?” Maria asked softly concerned. She’d been tearing her napkin to shreds for the last several minutes when she wasn’t twisting around in her seat.

“I don’t know.” She didn’t just feel hot. She felt the prickly heat that came with anger. She knew her cheeks were red with it and it ran across her chest and down both of her arms stinging like a bunch of bees.

Like it always did when she was really seriously angry. But she wasn’t. She wasn’t angry about anything at all.

“I’m really sorry about before. I didn’t mean to just blurt that stuff out. I wasn’t thinking about all the people packed in here and-“

“Maria-“

“I didn’t mean to start out the weekend by pissing you off like that,” Maria continued upset that Liz was so obviously upset with her.

“Maria-“

“You’d think after everything I’d learn not to say private things in public. I mean it’s not like I don’t know how to keep a secret.”

“Maria-“ Liz tried again actually starting to get mad.

“People could die. I know that, it’s just that-“ Maria’s eyes went wide when Liz’s hand clamped over her mouth with enough force to shock her into silence.

“This isn’t about you. Okay? I’m not mad at you.” Liz tensed, barely feeling Maria nod under her hand.

Something was wrong with her. Shit, not here.

Releasing Maria like she’d been burned Liz hurdled herself back into her seat as far from Maria and the other passengers as possible. This wasn’t the place for this. She couldn’t afford to panic on a crowded plane in mid air. Any display of powers would have a hundred witnesses. At least.

“Liz?” Maria whispered confused and worried. Liz glanced over at her and she looked afraid. Which in turn had Maria starting to feel afraid.

“I’ve been having some problems. Since Andres,” Liz said griping the armrests on either side of her to help steady her emotions. “That’s why Max insists on driving me every time I have to see him. It’s why I have to see him I think.” Blowing out a steady stream of air she tried to focus on the hard metal and plastic under her hands. “It’s why he didn’t make me talk to-why he agreed to wait to talk to Cal. I’m having problems dealing with-I don’t know what it is. When I get upset, or sometimes even when I don’t think I am upset, I’ll get this burning in my hands. Then it creeps up my arms under my skin, sometimes even across the surface of my skin, until I think it might consume me. Just burn me away until there’s nothing left.”

“Max says that it’s my powers. He’s not sure what caused it. I know that when I go and see Andres, when I touch him, it gets easier to control. It would be very bad if it started to happen here. A fire in the cabin would be bad but if the molecular structure of the fuselage were to be changed then that could be worse.”

Liz stopped speaking but it took Maria a minute to realize it since she’d been speaking so quietly she’d had to strain to hear her. Just as she was formulating a response that wasn’t completely fear based Liz saved her the trouble.

“But I’m not mad. I don’t understand. I’m not upset, or I wasn’t until-“ Liz fell silent as the creepy eyed passenger came into view.

He was staring at her. Boring a hole through her with eyes that looked more like a bottomless void then living tissue.

The pickling stinging heat intensified until it was not just uncomfortable any longer but actual pain. After he’d passed by she released the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.

“Back to just uncomfortable,” Liz mumbled under her breath.

“Huh?” Maria asked completely confused.

“I’d guess that the creepy black eyed guy is a seething mass of rage.” Liz came up out of her seat enough to see where he was going and found him standing by the restroom looking back at her. Great, just wonderful.

“Liz, what’s going on?” Maria demanded.

“I don’t know. I do know that we’re stuck on this plane with someone who is very angry. I also know that the creepy black eyed guy is studying me like I’m a bug under a magnifying glass, and you by the way.”

“Maybe he wants to be dominated,” Maria suggested hopefully.

She didn’t think she wanted to know if Maria was right about that or not. She didn’t want to find out what it would take to dominate someone like that. “How long until we land?”

“Less then an hour,” Maria supplied looking at her watch.



In the confined space of the airplane restroom Savon prepared himself for what he was about to do. He would find out which of the two girls was the one he’d been sent for. He was fairly certain which one it was based on hair color alone but that wasn’t certain enough. Human females often changed their hair color. No mistakes would be tolerated. He didn’t allow himself to make them.

So he would push and see which one reacted, push until he was certain.

He wanted to see his home again. He was tired of this place and these people. Hiding within a husk that began to die as soon it was sealed on, flaking away like he was a reptile shedding his skin. If only he could feel the moist heated air of his home world. There was no blazing hot sun frying him until he was peeling into dust there.

Being here wasn’t helping his people any longer, if it ever had. He’d been lied to, tricked into coming to this forsaken burning hell. For what purpose? These people were walking primates. Why would any royal come here? To this hellish place? They’d clearly gone native, living as humans did, rutting with them content to squat here. He didn’t care what Khivar said. The royal four were no threat to anyone.

Now he had no way home. Not without Nesado.

So he’d bring back the human Nesado wanted as the price for his assistance. But first he’d figure out what was so fucking special about this one human female that a king would bed her and a shifter was so obsessed with her that he would deal with the devil himself to have her.


Savon pushed out of the restroom taking in the interior at a glance. If asked, he could detail the position of each passenger with only that one glance. Just as he’d been trained.

Before the flight attendant even reached him he was moving aggressively forward. Before more then two words passed her lips his arm was around her neck and he was dragging toward the front of the plane.

Ignoring the panicked cries of the passengers and before the noise had a chance to die down he’d yanked the flight attendant around to face the cabin. “I wish to speak with Liz Parker.”

“Please.”

Savon choked off the flight attendants pleas without remorse. She would shut up or die. Either way, it mattered very little to him.

“Liz Parker! Now!”

Maria’s hand clamped down on Liz’s arm as she started to stand holding her in her seat. Heart pounding wildly Maria leaned into the aisle and met dead black eyes head on. “What’s your problem? Didn’t get your bag of complimentary pretzels?”

Savon’s eyes narrowed as he studied the girl speaking to him, then his eyes slid to the girl next to her and his eyes flickered oddly, reflecting the light almost like a cat’s eyes would. This one looked back at him like she knew.

Knew what he was and what he had planned. Let’s see if she knew what he’d do next.

Keeping his eyes on the dark eyed girl he started burning his way through the flight attendant’s chest with the flat of his free hand. His eyes never left the girl’s not even when the heels of the flight attendants shoes beat against his shins as she fought to get free.

The plane erupted into screams and scrambling bodies as the passengers started surging into the aisles. Like there was somewhere to hide. Unconcerned, since crowd control was Callen’s job, his eyes never left his target.


Peck moved from his seat with one purpose.

To protect his charge.

Climbing swiftly over panicked passengers he pushed against the flood of people headed toward the tail of the plane. He didn’t stop. Not to help the women struggling to free a shrieking infant from its restraints. Not even the elderly man being trampled in the aisle by the other desperate passengers. Using armrests and seat backs he reached the two seated girls within moments. His primary concerns. There was no way he intended to allow anything to happen to either of them. But Liz was his primary concern. Cal had trusted her into his care and he wasn’t about to let him down.

“Get up,” Peck ordered while positioning himself between them and the Skin in charge. “Stay low and follow me.” He needed to get them out of their seats now, while the confusion might cover their movements.

One of the restrooms would be ideal but out of the question at this point. They’d already be full by now. So he’d take moving them to any other section of the plane so the Skins would have to move out of position to find them. All he could hope for was that they’d get temporarily lost in the chaos.

Scooping up her bag as Maria grabbed her arm Liz finally broke eye contact and, moving as low and quickly as possible, she allowed Maria to drag her into the aisle.




“Dude, what’d you do to your hair?” Michael asked sliding into their usual booth across from Max.

Max self-consciously rubbed a hand over his head and winced. “I got it cut.”

“Yeah. I can see that. Why?”

“It was time, four weeks from the last cut.”

Michael rolled his eyes. What normal guy kept track of that shit? Only Max. “So what went wrong?”

Max frowned framing his response when Isabel breezed up slid into the booth next to Max stole a fry from his plate, and then took a drink of his soda before answering for him.

“He got attacked on the way home by a guy and his weed whacker.”

Michael cleared his throat as he leaned away from them to create some distance. Faced with both Evans siblings he had no idea what to say. Just break in with your dads a pervy felon?

“Have you heard from Maria?” Max asked ignoring Isabel’s remark completely.

“Not yet. They haven’t even landed yet have they?” Michael asked going with the bone Max was tossing his way. That whole father issue was far too messy for him to confront head on right at this moment. Or hopefully ever.

“See that’s the thing.” Max leaned forward intently. “While I was getting my haircut-“

“By a power tool wielding maniac,” Isabel mumbled under her breath. Smearing another of Max’s fry through the Tabasco sauce pooling on the plate she couldn’t help staring at Max’s hair. It stood straight up from his head in uneven spikes. Could you sue for that? He should sue.

“I got this feeling.” Max continued, once again ignoring Isabel’s interruption.

“Feeling.” Michael repeated like he had no understanding of the word.

“Yes, a really powerful feeling. Something’s wrong.” Now ignoring the look on Michael’s face as well as Isabel he continued. “I called the airline and they wouldn’t give out any information on their flight. Not whether it was delayed or what time it was expected to land, Michael, they wouldn’t say anything at all.”

“So?” Michael folded his arms and settled in to listen.

“Something’s wrong.” Max insisted.

Isabel looked back and forth between them while carefully setting Max’s glass back down exactly two inches to the left of his plate of fries. “This feeling that you had-maybe it was just anxiety. You know, Liz is, like a thousand miles away and you really wanted to go-“ Isabel trailed off when Max shook his head in denial.

“No.”

“Okay, so what do you want to do?” Michael asked.

“I already called Cal. He’ll find out what’s going on. Then we can decide-“ Max stopped talking mid sentence as Sheriff Valenti walked in. When he took off his sunglasses Max knew. Just by the look on his face he knew.

Something horrible had happened.