The Chaos Theory (CC/UC - Mature) Complete 2/4

[Anniepoo98]

Howdy all~

Thank you for the bumps, and the understanding. And the noms and votes. Words can't say how much I apperciate it. Gotta do a little bragging here... this series was runner-up for Favorite Portrayal of Serena!!! I'm doing my little happy dance right now. Thank you!

BTW, I've got a new part with me. Big thanks again to Sel for betaing.

Annie:)


Part Seven:

Alex pounded on the keys, pressed enter, and held his breath as the computer ran a series of symbols through the modified decoding program. Then he swore when the translation appeared on screen.

He felt Ava come up behind him, lean over his shoulder. “And the four will laugh at the running tree,” she read aloud. “For some reason, I don’t think that’s right.”

Instead of replying, Alex turned his head, prepared to send her a look that just screamed ‘duh’. And he was met with the crystal blue of her eyes. For a moment, they stayed like that, faces just a few inches apart. He could feel her breath along the skin of his cheek, smelled the hint of peppermint to it. One move, only one little move, and he would know if she tasted the same.

Ava pulled away first. “I might have read them wrong,” she said quickly, her voice just a bit breathless. “I’m going on some really old memories here.”

Ignore the clench in his belly, Alex nodded. “Maybe.”

With a jerk, Ava backed away from the table. “Look, I’m sorry.” Her tone suggested she was anything but. “It’s been years since I’ve tried to remember anything about Antar.”

He got up as she began to pace.

“They’re not really pleasant memories,” she continued. “I mean, being a selfish bitch, trapped in a loveless marriage, dying. None of those are Hallmark moments.” She took a deep breath as she turned away from him and started in the other direction.

Alex simply followed.

“And it doesn’t help that there are still big pieces of the puzzle missing.” She roughly ran her hands through her hair. The gesture, the frustration behind it, the sadness that was starting to creep into her voice, all of it made Alex want to leap the few steps between them and offer whatever it was she needed.

Only he didn’t think she’d accept it. Not after the way she’d pulled back before. God, he’d wanted to kiss her, longed to do it, was longing and wanting to do it still. And, Alex knew deep down, that it might complicate things too much right now. So, he followed while she talked out what was going through her head.

“Maybe I’m better off without them,” he heard her mutter to herself. Alex wasn’t so sure that was true. Not when those missing memories tormented her so much.

Unaware of Alex, or his thoughts, Ava tried to keep from sinking into her own memories. “I could’ve sworn that the one with the two dots and the squiggle running around them symbolized life or to live. Something like that. But...” She trailed off, whirled around as the realization hit her.

Only, this time when Ava turned, she ran right into Alex.

Automatically, her hands drew up to rest against his chest. She watched his eyes darken from the touch, felt the heat of that gaze burn low in her belly.

Ava backed away from it, and him.

It wasn’t possible to misread what she was feeling, what he was feeling for her. It was attraction. She’d felt it before. And it always ended badly, leaving her to pick up the pieces of what was left afterwards. She didn’t have time to deal with that now. Couldn’t handle the aftermath if it went wrong, because it was him and she felt a little something extra when she looked at him.

“But what?” Alex asked, his voice low.

Ava could feel the blank expression run over her face. Then, blinking, she snickered nervously. “Remember when I first glanced at the book?”

Alex nodded. “Yeah.”

“I told you the symbols looked a little funky, just a little off.” When he nodded again, she continued. “What if they’re not Antarian?”

“Why would they send something that wasn’t written in Antarian?”

Shaking her head, Ava ignored his question, moving around him. She crossed the room to the table and picked up the small metallic book. Flipping thought it pages, she searched for the key that might answer all the questions.

On the next to last page, she found it. Two interlocking swirls connected in the center by straight line. Two halves connecting to make one whole. It was the moira fari… fate.

Ava whirled around to face Alex, pointing down at the symbol scrolled in the book. “This isn’t Antarian,” she exclaimed. “That’s why the symbols are off. The language is older than that. It’s Leondarian.

“Leondarian,” Alex repeated, the word triggering some distant memory in his mind. A memory that was just beyond his reach. “That sounds familiar. Why does that sound familiar?”

“It’s the ancient tongue,” Ava explained. She paused, thinking about how to best explain what she remembered about the history of her planet. “Originally, there was just the one planet… Leondar. Something happened, I don’t remember what, and the people who lived there fled to nearby galaxies. Some even came to Earth. That’s why human DNA was chosen for hybridization with Antarians. The structures were very similar due to common ancestry.”

She paused for a moment, laughing a little at herself. “God, I was so channeling Serena there.”

Alex nodded as his mind clicked on where he’d heard all of this before. Kyle had told them. Future Serena had told him. And he knew that it was not the right time to bring any of that up, so he kept his mouth shut when she continued.

“Anyway, Antar and the other planets in that galaxy received the mother load of refugees. They settle on those five planets, became integrated with them and the original inhabitants. They even began intermarrying. In other words, all was good. However, a majority of people felt that there was need for leadership. Eventually, there were six families, all of pure Leondarian blood, that were chosen to lead on the five different planets.”

“Wait.” Alex held up his hand. “Five planets ruled by six families. How did that work?”

“Well, for one thing, there was a lot of marriage going on between all six of the families, so it was really more like one big group of in-laws…” Ava trailed off, waiting for the laugh at her little joke. When Alex simply kept staring at her, she shrugged and continued. “I really don’t remember all of the details, but I do know that my family was one of them. Hell, each one of the royal four is a decedent from one of those bloodlines. So is Kivar.”

Moving to the bed, Alex sat down on the edge, his brain trying to process everything she’d just told him. “I still don’t understand why they would write the book in that ancient language.”

“Because we all had to learn it.” Ava sat down next to him. “It was a common link, the base for every language on all of the planets. If you learn it, it wasn’t that hard to learn the others, and members of the royal families had to be well-learned. I actually remember taking lessons in Leondarian, and hating every minute of it. Maybe that’s why I’m not sure about much of it now, why it was so easy to mistake it for Antarian.”

“But you recognized that one symbol?”

“It’s the moira fari.” She laughed when the expression on Alex’s face turned slightly sarcastic. “Basically, it means fate.”

Alex nodded again. “Well, that makes sense. That’s the Destiny book and all.”

“No.” Ava shook her own head. “The symbol is much more than that. Its…” It was hard to think of just how to put it exactly. “Destiny means that something in your life is predetermined. That it’s something you can’t change. On the other hand, moira fari means you have a choice. End results maybe the same, but you have a choice on how you get there.”

Groaning, Alex ran a hand through his head. This was all just a little too existential for him. He was better at dealing with facts, linear details that you worked to fit together to make one big whole. Not the maybes, and certainly not the ancient beliefs of an alien civilization. That went just a little too far outside of his box.

But he had to follow this, because he knew, deep down knew, that this was the key to unlocking the answers all of them had been searching for over the years.

“Let me see if I get this,” he said, trying to align his thoughts. “That book doesn’t deal with the destiny plan for all of you, but it does deal with your fate.”

“They’re not one and the same, Alex.”

“I get that.” Sort of, he thought. “But whether it is destiny or fate, it does mean that there is a plan for you all.”

Sighing, Ava stood up from the bed. “Yes,” she admitted. “Obviously, there is a plan for us. I don’t think they would have bothered cloning us if they didn’t have a plan for what they wanted us to accomplish.”

“But you don’t want it.” It wasn’t a question. Reading her body language, the stiffness in the expression on her face, he already knew it wasn’t something she was happy about.

She whirled on him, frustration clear in her eyes. “Would you? Would you like to know someone has your life mapped out for you?”

“No.” Rising, he moved towards her. “No, I wouldn’t.”

“I’ve tried to live that way, Alex. To follow what I thought was my destiny. I can’t do it again. I barely survived the first time.”

As she spoke, the look in her eyes faded from frustration into sadness, a deep sadness that tugged on Alex’s heart. When he took her in his arms this time, he vowed he wasn’t going to let go. “You said it yourself, Ava. It’s the moira fari, which means you have a choice. You get to decide what you want.”

Her eyes, level with his chest, stared at the top button of his shirt. “What I want,” she repeated.

“What do you want, Ava?”

She looked up then, her eyes meeting his. “I want…” She trailed off, her tongue peaking out to lick her lips. All of Alex’s willpower went in to biting back the groan that little gesture invoked. The she shifted, leaning in closer. “I think I want this,” she whispered, then rose up on her toes so she could slide her lips right over his.

He felt his heart lurch once, his arms tightening around her as the attraction he’d been feeling, the desire, rose to some kind of crescendo. Then, everything inside him settled. Shifting he changed the angle of his kiss, took it deep. And he thought, Well, there you are.

~~~~~

Lurking in the shadows, Tess watched the back door to the Crashdown, waiting for any sign of Liz.

Twenty minutes before, Max shot into the alley, his pace fast enough for her to know that Isabel had contacted him about their little visit to her place. After all, she and Cade hadn’t been subtle in their ransacking. Subtle didn’t bring quick results, and Tess needed this to be over.

If the dreams didn’t drive her insane, the paranoia soon would.

Still, things were starting to fall into place. It would take time for Max and Isabel to go over her apartment, searching for any clues. And that left Liz wide open. Now, all she had to do was venture outside.

The last thing Tess wanted to do was break into the apartment above the restaurant. There was no way of telling if there might be any traps set, or if someone else was in there with Liz. And they couldn’t guarantee that someone in the restaurant wouldn’t hear the commotion. No, they needed her to come out on her own. That was the only sure way to get her cornered without drawing too much attention.

So she waited, knowing the Cade was doing the same on the opposite end of the alley. Another five minutes passed, then nearly ten, before she heard the sound of the backdoor creaking open.

The mound of Liz’s belly came into sight first, completely shocking Tess. For a moment, all she could do was stand in the same spot and stare at the girl who, at one time, had been her greatest rival. Now, that girl was pregnant, living out the dream that Tess longed for. It was nearly too much to for her to take.

Then, she heard the voice, that ever-nagging presence that seemed to linger with her mind lately. Survival is key. You know what you must do.

So, with a deep breath, Tess stepped forward into the dim light illuminating the alley. “Liz.”

Awkwardly, Liz jolted and turned, her eyes widening with both fear and shock as they landed on Tess. One hand instantly reached down to cover her belly, a defensive move to protect the baby resting inside. Her other hand extended towards Tess.

Recognizing the gestures, uncertain of what powers Liz might have, Tess stayed where she was.

“What are you doing here, Tess?” Liz demanded.

“I need you to do me a favor.”

A humorless laugh escaped Liz’s lips. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

Tess shook her head. “I need to you tell Max to meet me at pod chamber tomorrow night.”

“No way. Not a chance in hell.”

“You don’t understand,” Tess began to say, but Liz cut her off, shaking her head against the words coming out of Tess’s mouth.

“I don’t want to understand.” A faint green light began to emanating from Liz’s hand. “Look Tess, we’ve let you be. Not once since that night have we tried to track you down, tried to get you back for what you did to Alex.”

Pain clutched inside of Tess’s stomach, regret leaving a horrible aftertaste when she tried swallowing to moisten her dry throat. “It’s for the best. I know you might not believe me...”

The green light grew brighter. “You’re right. I don’t.”

Something moved. Tess could see the faint outline of Cade’s body out of the corner of her eye as he moved forward, coming up behind Liz. On their own accord, her eyes widened, focusing on him in the dark. Liz caught the change, or maybe she just heard his footsteps behind her. Which didn’t matter. Even as Tess opened her mouth to warn him, the hand that had been resting on her belly shot out, a spark of green light shooting from it. The blast caught Cade dead in the chest, throwing him back against the dumpster.

“No!”

Her outcry had Liz turning back to face her. In her defense, Tess threw up both hands in front of her. “We’re not here to hurt you,” Tess exclaimed.

More green light started to ball around Liz’s hand. “I don’t believe you.”

Inching back a bit, than shifting to move along the wall of the alley, Tess slow started moving to where Cade was laying. “You have to be careful, Liz. You don’t how much energy you’re using when you use your powers.” Neither did Tess. That was the point. Using them could drain energy, maybe more so with someone like Liz, someone in her condition. “It may harm the baby.”

Tess caught a faint gleam in Liz’s eyes. “You don’t care about me or my baby.” But she didn’t make another move as Tess inched around her. “Just go, Tess, and take your friend with you. We don’t want you here.”

“I can’t,” Tess said as she crouched down beside Cade, wishing that the opposite were true. Her fingers found a pulse point, felt the faint beating beneath the skin. She barely held back the sigh of relief. Still, her eyes never left Liz’s. “Look, I have the healing stones. To get them back, Max needs to come tomorrow night. He can bring whoever the hell he wants with him as long as he’s there. If he doesn’t come, we bolt with the stones, and everything goes to hell in a handbasket.”

Liz took a step away from Tess and towards the now open end of the alley. “Why are you doing this?”

“Because I have no choice. Eight o’clock?”

There was a nod, one that Tess could barely see, but a nod nonetheless. Then, Liz was moving backwards, away from them. When she reached the end of the alley, she quickly rounded the corner, out of sight.

Now, Tess did sigh, turning her full attention to Cade. Gently, she ran her hands over his face, willing his eyes to open. “Please. Please, baby, open you eyes.”

With a groan, he did just that. Sniffling, Tess lowered her lips to his, lightly brushing. “You scared me.”

“Well,” he said, he voice rough. “She might be little, but I’ll be damned if she doesn’t pack a hell of a punch.”

Quickly, Tess started to look the rest of him over. “How bad are you hurt?”

He shifted slightly, took hold of her wandering hands. “I’ll live. Right now, I’m more concerned with you. Did she agree?”

“Yes.”

“So, tomorrow.”

Tess glanced at the end of the alley. “Tomorrow.”

~~~~~

They took a step back.

Even as Alex’s heart lurched with its newfound revelation, with the sensations of having her lips on his, he knew that to push for too much this soon would damage the fledgling bond between them. So, after the kiss spun out and they were both staring at each other, he suggested that they go for a walk. Just to get out of here for awhile, he’d said, claiming that they needed to get away from everything for a bit so they could come back to it fresh later.

She’d agreed.

That was hours ago. A walk turned into an early dinner. Dinner turned into a bit of sightseeing. Now, they were walking again, making their way back to the motel.

Things couldn’t have been going more perfectly.

As she spoke, her hands were constant motion. It amazed Alex just how much he could learn about her from the way she talked with her hands. For instance, the more excited she became with a subject, the faster they went. Like now, it seemed like they were frenzied as she told him about some of the regulars in La La’s.


“There is always something different going on,” Ava said. “I think that’s why I like working there so much. Besides, it gives me some free time to take few classes every now and then.”

Interest piqued, Alex slowed his pace a little, waited until she did the same. “What kind of classes?”

She shrugged, a slight blush darkening her cheeks. “A lot of different ones. Some on music, one cooking, a few on computers.” She shrugged again. “Just different ones.”

“That’s so cool.” When she goggled at him, Alex pretended that he didn’t see it and continued. “You know, learning a little bit of everything. Kind of like a master of all things.”

“It’s not like I have a degree or anything,” she muttered, her voice becoming a little defensive. “I just take them for fun.”

“That’s probably the best part.” She goggled again, stopping Alex altogether. Laying a hand on her shoulder, he turned her to face him. “Ava, you take classes because you want to learn, and I think it’s a pretty safe bet that you’re wonderful at anything you set your mind to. Why do you think it makes you less?”

“But it’s not like I have a degree or anything.”

“So,” Alex said. “You don’t have to have a degree to prove that you’re smart. You just are.”

Her eyes tilted upwards, the expression in them clearly saying, yeah, right.

“You are,” Alex repeated. “And, yeah, I know. I have a degree. So what? All it really means is that I have a license to geek, which works for me. What you’ve done with these classes that you’ve taken, hell, with everything you’ve done to survive, works for you. What works for each of us doesn’t have to be the same.”

Ava let out a long, somewhat sad, sigh. “But what if my works and your works don’t work together, Alex? I’m scared of what happens then.” Her face scrunched up at bit as if considered what she just said. “Did that actually make any sense?”

Since he was reviewing her words in his mind, sort of wondering the same thing, Alex snickered a bit. “I think so.” Leaning forward, he pressed his lips to her brow, than the tip of her nose, and lastly against her mouth. “It means we aren’t the same, Ava, so there will be things that we won’t agree on and things that just happen. All relationships have that. But we can work on those together.”

He kissed her again, longer, deeper, while his hands reached out to tangle in her hair. He felt her hand go around his waist, clutch at the fabric of his shirt as they became wrapped up in each other.

Neither of them noticed the man approaching, or the little syringe he was palming in his hand.

Alex felt jerk against him as the stranger bumped into her. He heard her mutter ‘shit’ under her breath, shifting back enough to look at her arm. An uneasy feeling ran up his spine like a chill.

“Are you okay?” he asked, reaching out to tug up the sleeve so he could see for himself.

“Yeah,” Ava said. “It was just some jerk who wasn’t watching where he was going.”

That wasn’t enough to waylay his fears, so Alex kept right on studying her arm. Something was wrong. He couldn’t put his finger on what exactly, but he knew that something was going to happen. He knew it deep down in the pit of his stomach.

After a couple of seconds, Ava began to move, trying to tug her arm away. “Come on, Alex. It’s nothing. I don’t even bruise.”

He wasn’t listening to her. The movement had shifted her arm just enough so the light caught it. The indentation was so small, just a faint mark in the skin, a little reddening around the edges. But it was more than enough to fill Alex’s entire being with horror.

His eyes instantly turned from the mark to stare into her face. The light pink that had tinted her cheeks earlier was now spreading across her face, turning into a full fledged flush. Under his hands, her flesh started to heat.

“Are you warm?” she asked, her words slurring slightly.

“Oh God.” Alex couldn’t think past that, wouldn’t. If he did, if he allowed his suspicions to take over his mind, he would be of no good to Ava. Automatically, he pulled out his cell phone, speed-dialed number three on his list. When the other end picked up, he managed to keep his words flat and even. “They know we’re here. I need your help. Tell me where you are.”

[Anniepoo98]

Howdy all~

Well, my beta is super awesome and got back to me right away, so here y'all go.... part eight. Again, I am so sorry that it takes me so long to get parts out. I hope that this helps to answer some of the questions you've been asking.

Also, just have to restate, Sel rocks!!!!!

Have a good one!

Annie:)



Part Eight:


If she actually allowed herself time to think, Serena would’ve wondered how such a strange, yet wonderful day could have turned to horror so fast.

She and Kyle had just sat down to takeout from her favorite Chinese restaurant when Alex’s call had come through on Kyle’s cell. All thoughts of the time they’d spent together that day, the conversations they’d had, the few kisses they’d shared, were stripped from her mind when she heard him say two little words. Ava’s sick.

For a moment, she couldn’t even process it. It was impossible. Hybrids, hell any alien/human mix didn’t get sick. The thought was so utterly ridiculous to her that she laughed. That can’t be right, she told him. We don’t get sick, ever. Your friend is wrong.

But he hadn’t been wrong. While she refused to believe Kyle, Serena couldn’t argue with what she saw when she opened her door. Ava, with her eyes bright with fever and skin clammy with sweat, was cradled in Alex’s arms, Michael and Maria standing anxiously behind them.

At that point, her brain shut down to everything but what had to be done next. Serena knew she was being a bitch, giving commands and snapping when they weren’t followed immediately, but it was better than the alternative. If she broke down then, and gave into the need to bawl out all her fears about possibly losing someone else she cared about, she’d be useless. They didn’t need useless.

The first thing she’d done was assess Ava’s symptoms, then ordered Michael to run to the nearest drugstore for a thermometer because she didn’t have one. Still, she didn’t need it to tell that Ava was burning up. It was written all over her friend’s face, in the heat Serena felt whenever she laid a hand on her skin.

Deciding that the first thing they needed to do was bring the fever down, she enlisted Maria’s help to get Ava out of her clothes and into a cool bath. And that’s where her brilliance ended. She needed to find out what was going on.

Looking up from where Ava laid in the tub, Serena turned her attention to Alex, who stood pale in the doorway. “What the hell happened?”

Though his eyes never left Ava, he spoke in a flat, nearly steady voice. “We went for a walk. Got something to eat. Then we were...” He broke off, he eyes shifting quickly around the room, than back to Ava, the expression in them seeming to ask for permission.

Next to her, Ava let out a low, weak laugh. “Kissing. We were kissing, and some dude bumped into me. That’s when things get fuzzy.”

“The bastard injected her with something.” The questioning look was now gone, replaced by a barely controlled fury. Serena watched as Alex clenched his hands into fists along his sides. “You can see the mark there on her left arm.”

Though she already had, Serena didn’t say a word. Instead, she glanced down at the mark marring her friend’s arm. The puncture wound stood out against the reddened skin. There was more reddened skin tracking up her arm along a vein. Whatever the injection was had entered her bloodstream. She needed to identify it, soon, if she was going to be able to do anything for her .

“Do any of you have a clue what it was?”

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw both Alex and Maria’s faces turn to Kyle. Dread tied her already queasy stomach into knots. “What?” she demanded, her eyes homing in on him. “What aren’t you telling me? I can’t help Ava if I don’t know.”

She wasn’t the only one. “Tell her,” Alex said, his voice low. “Look, I know that there are reasons why you haven’t, but this trumps them. They have to know.”

Taking a deep breath, Kyle nodded. And he held out a hand to her. “Can we talk for a few minutes alone?”

For a minute, Serena just stared at his hand. Part of her wanted to be petty, to knock it out of her way. He’d kept something else from her. First the flashes, now this. Oh yes, a large part of her wanted to be petty. Then she heard Ava take a sharp, pained breath beside her, and realized that there would be a time for what she wanted later. Right now, she needed whatever answers Kyle had for her.

So she stood up and, avoiding his hand, turned to her best friend. “I’ll be right back.” Then her gaze drifted over to Maria. “Make sure that the water stays cool.”

And she reached out to take Kyle’s hand.

~~~~~

Kyle led her across the hall and into the room she’d indicated earlier was her bedroom. Even if she’d hadn’t mentioned it, he would’ve been able to guess it was hers. The walls were the color of slate, gauzy white curtains hung over the window. Unlike the living room, organization didn’t war with clutter. It reined supreme, everything neatly set in its place. Still, the walls were littered with various black and white photographs. Ones Kyle knew she’d taken herself because she’d mentioned it that afternoon.

The room smelled like lemons, clean and fresh. It was the same scent he’d smelled on her hair when he held her.

It made him ache.

Serena silently moved past him into the room. Kyle let it hang between them as he turned away from her and shut the door. And stared at it.

As each second passed, whatever ground he gained towards her trust that afternoon faded away. It twisted him inside because he knew that it would disappear completely when he told her everything. “You haven’t asked any questions,” he murmured.

“I wouldn’t know where to begin.”

“Neither do I.” Kyle turned to look at her then, needing to look Serena in the eye when he told her the truth. “The old saying says to start at the beginning, but it’s hard to pinpoint that moment. It might have been the day Liz got shot and Max healed her. Maybe when she broke up with me, and I started to suspect Max of being up to no good. It could also be the time some FBI agent got a little trigger happy and my father shot at him. He missed the agent, but hit me instead.”

Serena’s eyes went wide, but she stayed silent, hugging her arms tightly around her waist.

“Evans healed me, and I found out the secret he, Liz, and all the others had been keeping.”

“That they were aliens,” she offered.

Kyle nodded. “Max, Michael, Isabel, and Tess. Yup, they were aliens and, as we found out later, royal ones too. Liz, Maria, and Alex found out after Max risked it all to heal Liz when she got shot.”

“How did she get shot?” Serena asked.

“Some idiot with a gun didn’t want to pay off another idiot. They got into a little tussle in the restaurant your father owns and the gun went off. If it hadn’t been for Max...” He trailed off, wincing at the possibility. “You know, I don’t want to think about what would’ve happened if it hadn’t been for Max.”

Kyle watched as Serena shifted away from him. She started for the window, stopping to stare out of it. “You must really care about her,” she whispered.

“I love her,” he said simply. “She’s the best friend I’ve ever had. At one point I thought it could have been more, but then things happened.”

“Max?”

Again, he nodded. “And you.”

She turned quickly. “You only met me four days ago. I doubt that it had anything to do with me.”

“I met you six years ago, and it has everything to do with you.” He moved towards her, his eyes never leaving hers. “I watched you fight, and I watched you suffer, and I watched you die, taking a part of me with you.”

“That’s impossible.”

She’d gone pale, her dark eyes wide with shock. And if he tried to hold her now, she’d just pull away. That would cut deeper then the memories he was reliving. So he shoved his hands into his pockets and felt helpless in protecting her from nightmares that haunted him. “It was during my junior year in high school, and I was home alone. Restless. Things had been happening with the Dupes, with Tess, and my mind was playing the ‘what-if’ game. I’d finally decided that the only way to fight back was a late-night snack and some mindless TV.”

“You’re telling me that you decided to combat the possibility of facing evil aliens by making yourself a sandwich?” she asked incredulously.

“I’m saying that up until that point I was a fairly normal teenage guy. Fifty percent of my brain power was focused on my stomach’s needs. Then you just appeared, and everything changed.”

He took a deep breath. “You’d used the Granolith to come back from the future, to change it no matter what.”

“Why?” Through her arms were still wrapped around her waist, Serena had taken a step towards him. “Why would I do something like that? How would I do something like that?”

“I don’t know how she did it,” Kyle said, shrugging. “Science was never my strong suit, particularly alien time-traveling physics. Besides, it was one of the things she never talked about.”

“What did I talk about?”

“What needed to be done in order to change everything that had gone to hell in her timeline. She needed to save Alex, to keep Tess from leading him into the situation that killed him. It didn’t matter that she was dying. It didn’t matter that the bastard had beaten her, injected her with the poison, or that she thought she deserved it all. She helped to create the serum, the one that was killing her.”

“No,” Serena murmured.

Kyle hated telling her this. He’d always figured, irrationally maybe, that when he told her about the future, he’d find a way around this, but with Ava sick... Well, there wasn’t a way around it anymore.

“Yes,” he told her softly. “She’d created it, then spent the rest of her life trying to destroy it.”

“No,” Serena repeated. “You’re lying. I would never be a part of making something like that.”

“Kivar tricked you,” Kyle started to say, but she launched herself at him.

The slap caught his right cheek, snapping his head to the side. He had a moment to react before she followed up with her nails. Braceleting her wrists in his hands, he drew them up in the air, held them there. Her body collided with his, their faces just a few inches apart. Tears ran like rivers down her cheeks.

“You bastard,” she cried. “I don’t believe you. I don’t believe you. I don’t...”

“I know.” Kyle leaned forward, pressing his lips against her forehead. “It’s okay. I know.”

She tried to shake her head against his understanding. The cool skin of cheek brushed against the stinging heat of his. “I know,” Kyle murmured again, this time turning to press his lips to that cheek. Then to her mouth.

And his memories washed over both of them like a flood.

Flashes of a dark figure huddled on the floor filled Serena’s mind. To her horror, the figure turned its head, and she saw her own face, battered and swollen. She felt Kyle’s concern for her, even as he feared her. He’d reached out to touch her, and the contact with her exposed arm scalded. She saw the scorch marks in the shape of slender hands burned through the carpet.

More memories rushed her. Her driving, giving Kyle orders, the tears her already swollen eyes fought in vain not to shed. Kyle, it’s complicated. There was something lacking between the two of us, and that lead us to hurt each other. The fault lies with me and the Kyle I knew. Not you. You’re just a kid who hasn’t made any of the mistakes we did. Serena felt longing that those words created in Kyle, his need to soothe her, to make all the pain go away. The impotence because he knew he couldn’t.

She saw the first kiss between her future self and him. She saw the last. And the grief that had washed over him at the sight of the ashes where her body had been nearly consumed her.

Serena pulled away as far as she could with her hands still held by his. Though she feared what she’d see in them, her gaze lifted to meet his eyes. So many emotions were warring in them.


“It’s hard,” he said roughly, “when the best day of your life and the worst are same.” He let go of her hands, dropped his own to run over her hair. “You changed my life.”

“You love her,” she whispered. “I could feel how much.”

“I love you,” Kyle said, emphasizing each word. He wanted, no, needed her to believe at least that much. He knew that with everything going on it was unfair to force her to face this too, but he couldn’t help how he felt about her.

Shaking her head, Serena moved away from him, those three words hanging in the air between them.

“We can talk about this later,” she muttered, wiping away the wet on her cheeks. She gathered herself in again, shutting herself off from whatever emotions she felt.

Understanding why didn’t make it any easier for Kyle to watch.

“We need to figure out what they injected Ava with,” she continued. “That’s the most important thing right now.”

“It’s called T47,” Kyle offered. “It works quickly, 24 hours.”

“No.” Serena turned away from him. “I don’t think it’s the same. Similar maybe, but not the same. Plus, I haven’t worked on anything like this. Hell, right now I’m little more than a glorified clerk and lab monitor. None of the research I’ve touched comes close to this.”

There was a bit of impatience in her voice. The sound of it nearly had him smiling for a second. “You want more.”

“I want to help make the world better. It’s very cliche, I know, but it’s all that I’ve ever wanted to do.” She shrugged. “That’s besides the point.”

“You don’t think whatever they injected Ava with is the same as T47.”

“No. I know it isn’t.” She looked over her shoulder at him. “Like I said, I haven’t worked on any kinda project like this. I haven’t had the chance until...” Realization dawned in her eyes. “Oh God, the promotion.”

Kyle crossed the distance between them, laid his hands on her shoulders. “What promotion?”

She shifted away from him. “The day I ran into you, I was running late for a meeting with my boss. He offered me a promotion which involved working on a new project the company was developing. The kind of project I’ve always wanted work on.”

“You’re boss,” Kyle said, fighting back the urge to bunch his hands into fists. He knew what he was about to spring on her, hated it. “Does he have blond hair, blue eyes?”

Serena nodded. “I know you think he’s Kivar. For all I know, he could be.” She ran a hand through her hair. “God. I have to be the world’s biggest idiot.”

“No,” Kyle disagreed.

“Yes I am. Only an idiot could spend all her life being trained to lie and fight and be completely aware of her surroundings, then go to work for the enemy without even knowing it.” She rubbed a hand over her face, gave a weary sigh. “And that’s not the point. We need to get hold of a sample of the injection. I can run some preliminary tests here with the few pieces of equipment I have, but to get to the root of the problem, I need the serum. Plus, I bet they already have an antidote. We need to get a hold of it.”

Now it was Kyle’s turn to nod. “Then I guess we need to plan on how to commit a little felony B&E on Vulcan Labs.”

“It won’t be easy, even with my access codes.”

“Some things just can’t be easy.”

There was such sadness in his voice when he said those words that Serena took a step towards him. Despite her own confusion and the lingering traces of anger over what he’d been keeping from her, she couldn’t fight the need to comfort. Yet, even as she took another step in his direction, Serena heard the door in the living room slammed, followed shortly by the boom of Michael’s voice announcing his presence.

Kyle shifted away from her, moving to open her bedroom door. “No time like the present to get planning.”


~~~~

“Are you sure about what you saw?”

Isabel looked up from her sitting place on the sofa, and eyed her brother as he paced back and forth in front of her. “I’m not an idiot, Max.” Though her voice was calm, the tone had bite. As it damn well should, she thought. After all it was only the fifth time he’d asked that question. “When an image of the girl that betrayed us chatting with the guy I met in the supermarket yesterday pops into my head, I tend to pay attention. They were here, they found the stones, and now they’re gone.”

“And you didn’t pick up on anything else? No hint about what she wanted or where she might be going?”

Isabel gritted her teeth. “No.”

She knew Max wasn’t doing this to annoy her. She knew the concept hadn’t even entered his mind. In fact, Isabel knew her brother so well, she could nearly predict what was going on inside his head. Why now? What is she here for? Who is she here for?

After all, they were the same questions going though her mind.

It didn’t mean she wasn’t irritated just the same. Every cell in her body wanted to go out right now and hunt down Tess. She wanted to demand answers, to slap pretty boy across his attractive face. She wanted to scrub, clean, and reorganize her entire apartment until every shred of evidence of the violation they inflicted on her was gone.

Isabel just wanted to do something, anything, but sitting down like she was, watching Max mentally work though the situation. Maybe if she performed some kind of action, the jitters lingering along the edge of her system would burn themselves out instead of spilling forth in the form of tears that were threatening.

Tears wouldn’t do them any good. Granted, her frustration wasn’t much help either, but anger was better than fear.

“We have to figure out something,” Max muttered. “Then I have to get back to Liz. I don’t want to leave her alone right now.”

Even as the words were coming out of his mouth, the front door to Isabel’s apartment swung open. Liz stormed in, well as much as she stormed anywhere these days, before Isabel made it to her feet. Before either of them got the chance to speak, Liz was launching into a rant.

“Let me guess, Tess is back,” she said, her voice deceptively calm. Bringing her hands up to rest against her hips, she stalked towards Max. “I bet she even has the healing stones.”

Max started to reach forward to hold on to her, but the look in Liz’s eyes had him stopping. Not that Isabel could blame him. She’d caught the heat, the fury, in those eyes as her sister-in-law looked around the room.

“Honey, did she…”

“Did she what, Max?” Liz demanded, cutting him off. “Did she show up at the Crashdown? Yes. Did she tell me what she wants? Sort of. Did she and that buddy of hers piss me off? You bet your ass.”

His hands were on her then, search for any sign of injury. “Did she hurt you?”

Liz shook her head. “No. Startled me, but didn’t hurt me.” She paused, and Isabel could tell from the expression on her face that Liz was choosing her next words very carefully. “She said that she wasn’t here to hurt me. I think I might believe her.”

“Liz,” Max said softly. “Please sit down.”

Whether it was the plea in his voice or the one in his eyes, Isabel didn’t know, but Liz did as he asked. Waddling over to the couch, she eased herself down. Max sat down next to her, his hand automatically covering hers where it rested on her belly. In that moment, they made a picture, one that embodied love and need and caring.

Isabel had many like moments filed away in her memories of Max and Liz, but this one was different. The other pictures of them were of a couple. This one was about a family.

Despite everything that was going on, it gave Isabel a little glimmer of happiness, even as it made her feel a bit lonely. “Can you tell us what happened?” she asked Liz softly. “What Tess said?”

Calmer now, Liz nodded, and then told them everything she remember from the encounter. “She’s changed,” she added after she finished. “I mean, she seem almost scared. And physically, well, it was like she’s been sick.”

“We don’t get sick,” Max said.

Liz rolled her eyes a little. Isabel had to bite her tongue to keep from snorting out a laugh. “I know that. But that was how she looked, like someone who’s been ill for long time and not completely over it. It was like she was fragile, and maybe just a bit damaged.”

The momentary humor faded. Damaged, the word repeated in Isabel’s mind. When something was damaged, you felt compelled to fix it. And when it was a person, pity was also involved.

Isabel didn’t want to pity Tess. Give her a good butt-kicking, but not pity her. “It could be a trick.”

“Maybe,” Liz said, “but I don’t think so. Hollywood would be missing out on a great talent if she can act that well.”

“And the guy?” Isabel asked. “What did you think of him?”

Liz shrugged. “I’m not sure. We didn’t really talk. I just blasted him.”

A wicked little grin tugged at Isabel’s lips. “Yeah. I kinda liked that part.”

Taking the cue, Liz chuckled a bit. Max’s mouth even curled into a smile. Then the humor was gone again, replaced by lingering question that had been present since Liz relayed Tess’s request.

“So, eight o’clock tomorrow night,” Max said.

Isabel shook her head. “It’s a set up. I can just feel it. You need to stay as far away from the pod chamber as possible.”

“I’m not going to go in blind, Isabel. The fact is that she has the stones and we need to get them back. No one knows when we might have to use them again.” Max’s gaze shifted to Liz, to their child growing in her stomach. “I’m not willing to risk losing any of the tools we have at our disposal.”

His eyes lifted again, met hers. “I won’t go alone. I’ll call Jim and ask him to come with me. He needs to be warned that she’s back anyway.”

Ready with a protest, Isabel barely uttered a syllable before the phone beside her rang. Glancing at the caller id, recognizing the number, she snatched it up. “Michael?”

Even as his voice rumbled in her ear, explaining the situation in Texas, Isabel hardly listened beyond the words Ava’s been infected.

Obviously noticing her reaction, Max reached out, touched her hand. She shook her head against the comfort, forcing her mind to react calmly. “Keep her hydrated, lots of water, and get her to Roswell as soon as possible.”

There was more, of course. There always was. By the time she hung up, Liz was gripping Max’s arm tightly, her knuckles white from the pressure. “It’s Ava,” Isabel explained. “They’ve been found and somebody injected her with something. It’s similar to what killed Serena. They are working on getting more information on their end, but Alex is going to bring Ava here so I can do something for her.”

Max’s face, already deathly serious, went grim. “What we’re going to do is get those stones back.”

[Anniepoo98]

Howdy all~

Lookie, lookie! I actually have a new part to post. I hope that you all like it. There are only two more parts and a epilogue left, though it might take me some time to get them all complete. Nanowrimo and real life and all. But I am working on them.

In the meantime, part nine is here.

Thanks <b>Lillie</b> and <b>tiredmuse</b> for the bumps!

Annie:)




Part Nine:

They spent the night watching over Ava, doing their best to make her comfortable while Serena ran what tests she could with the measly equipment she kept in the apartment. Still, it was apparent right from the beginning that Ava needed more than cool baths and fluids being pushed into her to keep her hydrated. She needed the antidote. And the only place it could possibly be was Vulcan Labs.

Serena was going to have to go back.

“There’s another way, I know it.”

Rubbing at her bloodshot eyes, Serena sighed. She and Kyle had been going in circles over this same territory for the past three hours with the others occasionally tossing their opinions in for good measure. In the end, it had been practically unanimous that she was going into work that morning, Kyle being the only hold out.

She understood why. Even in the maze of confusion fogging her brain, Serena could be certain of his need to protect her. She’d seen inside his head, after all. She’d seen and felt every emotion he carried inside him for her.

He loved her. So much so that he’d lied and longed and searched for her. Never in her life had someone felt so much for her, had given her a gift so precious and scary at the same time.

Serena didn’t know what the hell to do with it.

Tired, the deep in the bones kind of tired, Serena turned to face him. “No there isn’t, Kyle. If I go in, I can run more tests on the samples I’ve drawn, maybe access some of the information they have on the serum. I might be able to track down where they are keeping the antidote.”

Obviously frustrated, he roughly dragged his hands through his hair. “They might not even have an antidote.”

“They wouldn’t create it without creating a counter agent.” She sighed again and grabbed her brush off the dresser. “It would make too good of a bargaining chip. Inject someone on our side, then ask for the moon and stars to get the cure.” Using the brush to draw her hair up into a ponytail, she secured it with an elastic band. “Yeah, that is just his style. It’s like a little game of chess. Right now, I bet he’s thinking checkmate.”

“Then why hasn’t he asked for anything?”

Serena frowned and glanced down. Setting the brush down, she thought about it. “Maybe they want us good and panicked.” <i>Want me to be good and panicked</i>, she thought. “Either way, I’m not going to wait for them to make their move.”

“Serena.” Kyle’s fingers brushed under her chin, lifting her gaze to meet his. “If that’s true, than they know who you are. It’s too dangerous for you to go back.”

Without thinking, she reached out and laid her hand over his wrist, squeezed it gently. “If they know who I am, then they probably know everything about me, including where I live. That’s why we are going to keep to the plan. Alex and Ava will go to Roswell like your friend Michael arranged. I think the nurse you were talking about will be able to do more for Ava than I can at this point. You, Michael, and Maria will go back to your hotel, and I will join you there after work.”

“We can break into the lab. Get the serum that way.”

“We’ll have to break in tonight,” Serena said. “There is no way I’ll be able to walk out of that place today with the antidote. They’d be expecting it, especially after I show up for work today.”

Under her hand, his pulse sped up just a bit. His fingers straightened, brushed lightly against her neck. It might have been stupid, but Serena felt the comfort in that gesture. It took all of her willpower not to close her eyes and sink into him. Because she wanted to, greatly wanted to, she pulled away. “I have to go.”

She saw the resignation in his eyes. Slowly, he leaned forward and pressed his lips to her forehead. “Be careful. Be aware.”

Serena nodded. “I always am.” With that, she walked out of her bedroom.
~~~~~

By noon, Serena had reached a new level of exhaustion. Her body, fueled entirely by caffeine, was dragging again. Her eyes longed to close, even if it was just for a quick nap, anything to give her brain a little rest.

She grabbed another cup of coffee instead.

The answers were hidden somewhere on the slide under her microscope. For most of the morning, she’d been studying it, searching for clues to the substance ravaging Ava’s body. To her horror, ravage seemed to be the correct word. The serum, once injected into a hybrid, attacked the advanced alien cells like a cancer, eating away at them. The more she processed it, the greater it grew. She’d finally come to the conclusion that energy fed it, causing it to mutate even further.

And none of that told her how to cure it, therefore, it was time to move on to plan B.

Fifteen minutes ago, one of the co-workers she occasionally lunched with poked her head in to ask if Serena wanted to grab a bite to eat. She declined, and began marking time. Within twenty minutes, Serena knew that most of the floor would have headed out to lunch. From there, she’d have forty minutes to search.

On the notes Ryan Kelley gave her, the project head was named Dr. Darren Grey. She vaguely recollected the man, having met him a couple of times, but she knew that his lab was located on the other end of the corridor. That would be her starting place.

As the remaining five minutes passed, Serena gathered the tools she’d need, then slipped out of the lab. Her eyes scanned left and right as she made her way down the hallway. Relief flooded her veins when she saw that the coast was clear.

Knocking on the door to Dr. Grey’s lab, she waited for a response. When none came, Serena slipped her ID card out of her pocket. She slipped it through the scanner and nearly groaned when it didn’t clear. Okay, she wasn’t surprised, but she’d hoped her clearance would get her in. There was always another way.

Placing her hand over the scanner, she tried picturing the circuits inside, tried to visualize them shorting out. Her concentration was so focused that she didn’t even hear the footsteps coming up behind her.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

Serena whipped around and saw Jocelyn standing there, her tall body stiff with suspicion. “You startled me,” she said, placing a hand over her pounding heart.

“That doesn’t answer my question,” Jocelyn replied, her eyes staring straight into Serena’s. “What were you doing?”

Taking a deep breath, Serena let the lie roll easily off her tongue. “I was taking a little walk around the floor, just to stretch out a bit. When I started to pass by Dr. Grey’s lab, I noticed that something was wrong with the ID scanner on the door. I was just taking a closer look at it before I called security.”

Her expression unchanging, Jocelyn walked over to look at the scanner herself. After a moment, she nodded. “That excuse might work when pressed.” She leaned a bit closer to Serena. “Just remember, their watching. They’re always watching.”

With that, she started to walk away, bumping against Serena as she passed. Even as Serena stared after her in disbelief, Jocelyn called back, “Don’t forget to call security about the scanner.”

Serena was too shocked to notice the weight of the card as it was dropped into her pocket.


~~~~~

Alex glanced in the rearview mirror, dread taking hold of him when he saw that Ava was still sleeping. She’d drifted off about an hour after they drove away from the Dallas city limits. Now, as they were closing in on Lubbock, Texas, she hadn’t woken yet.

And it looked like she was getting worse. Every exposed portion of skin was flushed and gleaming with a sheen of sweat. And the ugly red line that had grown out of the wound on her right was starting to trace down the pattern of veins in her left.

What would he do if they couldn’t heal her? He’d only just found her, just started to feel this¼ complete. Maybe it wasn’t rational that he’d fallen so hard, so quick, but Alex knew that he had. Ava was it for him. He was sure of it. To lose her now, well, he just wasn’t able to think about that.

He’d seen what Kyle went thought after Future Serena died. The keen edge of grief had torn though him hard. For awhile, his once outgoing, good-natured friend had been bitter and volatile. Even after that faded, he’d been different. But that...

“You’re thinking way too hard.”

Alex jump in the seat at the soft sound of Ava’s voice drifting from the backseat, his hands jerking on the wheel. He swore loudly as he corrected the car from veering over into the opposite lane, but his eyes shot to the rearview mirror again.

Her eyes were still closed, but Ava shifted her body so she was laying on her side, facing him. “I thought you were sleeping.”

“Can’t,” she murmured, her eyes opening then, the clear blue of them honing in on his gaze reflecting back at her. “You’re shooting all of these concerned and worry vibes my way. They’re a bit distracting.” Her voice became petulant. “And I don’t need them right now. There is enough going on without adding more drama.”

“Well,” Surprise came, then hurt. Finally, anger took over, and Alex let it lead as he spoke again. “ I’m sorry I disturbed you.”

The sarcasm dripped from each word. For a moment, they were both silent as Alex focused his attention back on the road. They still had a long way to go, maybe in more ways than one.

A rustling sound from the back had Alex’s gaze shifting again. Ava was shifting around again, this time pushing herself into a sitting position. “Pull over,” she demanded.

“Are you gonna be sick?” Despite the emotions churning inside him, concern managed to once again grab the reins. “Do you need something?”

He saw that tears were starting to trickle down her cheeks. “Just pull the damn car over, will you?” she demanded once more, but he heard the pain in her voice this time.

Alex did what she asked, too baffled to do otherwise.

The moment he had the car in park, Alex was yanking off the seatbelt, turning so he could look at her directly. “What’s the matter, Ava? Just tell me.”

One hand lifted to cover her eyes as Ava began to cry in earnest. “Did you know that Liz saved my life?”

Reaching out, Alex covered her knee with his hand, rubbed gently. He had no idea what this was, but he wanted to find out. “No.”

“Two-hundred eleven dollars and thirty-eight cents. That’s how much I found in a envelop at the bottom of the bag of food she sent me off with when I decided to leave Roswell.”

“You could have stayed.”

She shook her head. “No, I couldn’t. Not with Lonnie and Rath still out there. It was only a matter of time before they would have come back to finish me off, just like they did Zan.”

Sighing, Ava continued, even though her breath jagged against the sobs that wanted to escape. “But the money that Liz gave me made sure that I got away okay. I bought a bus ticket to Phoenix, then another to California. Eventually, after a year or so, I wound up in Dallas.”

“I bet Liz knew,” Alex muttered, as much to himself as Ava. “Why you needed to leave. That’s they kind of thing she hones in on, the reasoning, the logic. It’s what makes her such a great friend.”

“She’s the first person who ever gave a damn about me.”

The hand he had resting on her knee tightened. “What do you mean? You had Zan.”

A laugh that leaned towards bitter escaped her lips. “In neither life did I have Zan. By the time we died on Antar, he was starting to hate me. For a time we’d been friends, you know, that whole banning together to get through the situation the best we could kind of thing. Then all the power and sparkle of being queen started to dazzle me too much. I fell in love with the crown and he fell out of respect for me.”

“Damn it, Ava,” Alex snapped. He couldn’t hold in the temper, not with the hurt and blame written all over her face. “It wasn’t you. Cloned or not, things that happened a lifetime ago on a planet galaxies away are not something that you need to kick yourself over. I want you to realize that.”

The hand over her eyes fell away and she stared at him, tear-drenched eyes wide with shock. “I can’t help it.”

“Try.”

“I’m not innocent, Alex. I’ve done things in this lifetime that I have a big cause to regret.”

“Everyone does.”

“I was fourteen the first time I had sex with Zan,” Ava blurted out. “I’d over heard him talking to Rath about how useless I was. You see, I didn’t like to steal. Besides, I was really bad at it. The others constantly had to cover for me, or provide me with food, clothes, whatever. It pissed Zan off. He’d always resented that I was around, and by the time we were teens, he was looking for any excuse to ditch me. So, I used my body to so to show him I was at least good for something.”

For a moment, Alex was too mad to speak. Hell, to even think. The red mist clouding his mind kept swirling around an image of Ava, young and lost, trying to appease someone who didn’t care about her. The idea of her being used that way, had the fury flash bright in his eyes.

Then it faded, not fully, but enough that he noticed that she’d doubled over in the seat, the sobs finally wrenching themselves free. Without a word, he got out of the car, moved to the backdoor, and slid in beside her. Alex drew her close, letting the tears soak into his shirt as he rubbed comforting circles along her spine.

He tried not to notice the heat that managed to radiate even though the material of her shirt.

“It’s okay,” he whispered, placing a kiss on the top of her damp head. “It’s okay.”

Again, she shook her head. “It’s really not.” She sat up a bit more, then slumped against him when the last of her energy gave out. “God, I don’t even know how to handle simple human emotions like concern or worry. I mean, I went uber-bitch on you because you’re worried about me.”

“I care about you, Ava. That means that I am gonna worry about you.” He tried to smile a little. “And nothing, not even uber-bitchiness, is going to stop me.”

“You care,” she repeated in an whisper. “Not many people have ever cared about me. I’m having a hard time handling it.”

“Practice, and maybe it will get easier.”

Ava nodded. “Maybe it will.” Her eyes drifted over the clock on the dashboard, and she noted the time. “And we have to get going. As it is, we won’t be there until after ten.”

“Okay,” Alex agreed, but he didn’t move.

A minute later, Ava was tilting her head up toward him. “Alex?”

“Yeah.”
“Can I sit in the passenger seat? I know that you have the pillows and everything back here so I can rest, but...”

“But?” he asked, curious.

“I want to sit beside you.”

This time, he leaned down to press his lips against her forehead, the tip of her nose, then her lips. “Sounds good to me.”

~~~~

Leaning against the doorjamb that led into her kitchen, Isabel watched her brother and Jim Valenti plan their course of action. Dusk was starting to fall over Roswell, the minutes ticking away until they would have to leave. She was glad that they were taking the remaining time to work though any possible scenarios they could think of. When it came to Tess, they didn’t want to take any chances.

That was why, unknown by her brother or the sheriff, Isabel was planning to go with them.

She and Liz had discussed it. With just Max and Jim going, they would be even with Tess and her friend, but they had no idea if there would be more. If there wasn’t, three people would give them the advantage. If there was, having an extra person would still be better than two.

Now, she had to break the news to them.

“How’s it going?” she asked softly.

Both of their heads glanced up and over at her. Jim offered a small smile, while Max nodded. “It’s going,” he told her. “There’s a lot we don’t know. Why she’s here, what she wants. The more questions, the more possibilities we have to plan for.”

“I know that Liz thinks that Tess might not be here to hurt us,” Jim said. “But we just can’t take the chance.”

Pain flickered in his eyes as he spoke. That was another reason why Isabel knew she had to go. For a time, Tess had been like a surrogate daughter for Jim, someone he had grown to care about almost as much as his own son. Now, seeing her again after all of this time, there was no telling how he would react. Despite the fact that Isabel would trust Jim with her own life, she wasn’t quite able to trust him with her brother’s, not like this.

“Would it be a good time to mention that I’m going along with you guys?”

Max’ refusal was instantaneous, and loud. “What the hell are you talking about? No way. I need you to stay here, with Liz.” He crossed to her, took Isabel by the shoulders. “We have no idea what they are up to. I need you to protect Liz and the baby.”

Isabel heard the sounds of footsteps approaching from behind her. “I can take care of myself and the baby just fine,” Liz said, the tone of her voice calm. Even as she moved into the kitchen, she held out her hand, showing Max and Jim what she carried. “Besides, I have this.”

Jim was the first to take the small, black pentagon from Liz’s hand. “What is this?”

Isabel watched as Max’s gaze passed from his wife, to her, and finally to the sheriff. Then he let out a groan. “It’s called a trithium amplification generator. At least, that is what Brody or Larek called it when he took the bunch of us hostage years ago.”

“And it does what exactly?”

“Keeps us from using our powers,” Max answered.

Now it was time for Jim to search everyone else’s faces. “How did you guys get it?”

Isabel couldn’t help the sheepish look that crossed her face. “I kind of swiped it in all the commotion.”

Liz cleared her throat. “What matters is that with it, I can keep any one from using their powers.”

“Including yourself,” Max pointed out. “Look, I appreciate what you both are thinking, but I don’t want anyone alone. Not right now.”

Reaching out, Liz placed her hands against his cheeks. “I will lock the doors, keep my cell phone on hand, and turn on the device the second you all leave. What I won’t do is let anything happen to you. Not when I need you so much.” There was a little bump in her belly. Glancing down, Liz smiled a little, looking back up at Max. “We both need you. Granted, powers and a gun are both really good things to have. But two sets of alien powers are better then one.”

When he still didn’t look quite convinced, she pulled out the big guns. “Please, Max. Do this for me.”

He looked away from her, and Liz could tell that he was struggling with what to do. Finally, his head dropped. “Fine. If you lock the door, death grip that cell phone, and keep the pentagon on until we call you to say the coast is clear.”

“Absolutely.”

He nodded. “Well. Lets get the rest of the details laid out. We’re leaving in an hour.”

[Anniepoo98]

Howdy all~

First of all, my beta rocks. She got back to me in less than a day. Oh yeah, she rocks!!!

Second, thank you all for the nominations. The 24 series is up for 5 awards. That's just amazing... thank you, thank you, thank you.

And last, but certaintly not least, thanks for sticking around even though it takes me so long between part.

So, with no more ado, here is the next part!

Annie:)



Part Ten:


“We will split up into pairs once we get to the lab.”

Kyle watched Serena spread a hand-drawn layout across the wooden chest doubling as a coffee table. From what he could see, offices were etched and labeled carefully, a red line running down the hallway between. It came to a stop in front of the square marked Dr. Grey. Even as his eyes were following the line, his mind wondering just what might be lying behind that door, she spoke again.

“Two will stay by the guard station on the main floor. Myself and the other person will head to the seventh floor.” She tapped a finger on the drawing. “Here. Whoever is on the main floor can use the security monitors to track the others. That is, after the guards are incapacitated.”

With a sigh, Serena leaned back against the sofa, taking a sip of the strong coffee Maria made. “If the antidote is anywhere, it will be there.”

“What makes you so sure?” Michael questioned.

“Because he’s heading the project Kelley wanted me promoted too.” Serena’s gaze flickered to Kyle’s briefly. “The one that is supposedly working on the serum.”

“What if it’s not?” Maria shrugged when everyone looked at her. “I hate to play Devil’s Advocate, but what do we do then?”

“Whatever is necessary.”

Though his attention was focused on Serena’s face, Kyle saw, out of the corner of his eye, her hand drifted down over the pocket of her sweater. She gave it a little pat, and that one gesture confirmed his suspicions.

She was hiding something.

Ever since she’d arrived at the apartment, he felt her draw away from him. Granted, there was nothing obvious he could put his finger on, but deep inside he knew she was trying to sever whatever tenuous bond that had been growing between them. Short, non-descriptive answers about what she’d found out that day, the way she stiffened and shifted away from him when he got close, how she locked herself away in her room after they all tried to eat something.

When she came out again, any emotion that had been lurking in her eyes was gone. In their place, there was cool control. And each time they met his gaze, they sent a chill of fear down his spine. A fear he felt for her and whatever plan she was hiding from them.

Kyle wanted to push, desperately. But he couldn’t. After all he’d dumped on her, the truths she was being forced to face, he knew that to press for more just might be last break Serena could take. Instead, his resolve was to wait, keeping an eye on her.

So, mirroring her, Kyle leaned back against a nearby chair, waiting.

Serena rolled up the drawing, placed it on the couch behind her. Then, with the groan of an under used joint echoing in the now silent room, she lifted the lid of the trunk. And drew out a gun.

“What the hell,” Maria exclaimed, jolting backward in her chair. Michael’s hand came down on her shoulder to steady her.

“I might have left the rebellion,” Serena said as she opened the chamber and began to load it. “But I didn’t go unprepared. When you live in a code Yellow status all the time, it kinda makes you paranoid.” She finished, then held the weapon out, handle first, to Maria.

When Maria shook her head, her eyes wide and horrified, Serena sighed. “You can’t go in unarmed. I won’t let you.”

“You don’t let me do anything,” Maria countered, her voice rising.

Michael’s hand on her shoulder tightened a bit, then slipped down to rub her back. “Don’t hate me for saying this, babe, but I think she’s right.”

“Michael!”

Michael moved to crouch down in front of Maria, his fingertips gently kneading circles on her forearms. “I don’t want anything to happen to you. I know it sucks, but if something goes wrong, you need to be able to protect yourself.”

Kyle watched as his friend leaned forward, resting his forehead lightly on his girlfriend’s. “They’ll have weapons, and they won’t hesitate to use them.”

Reaching back, Michael gestured for Serena to give him the gun. He placed it in Maria’s hand. “Now you have a weapon, so don’t you hesitate to use it. We’ll all pray that you won’t have to.”

Though her voice shook as her hands did holding the gun, Maria reluctantly agreed. Loading a second gun, Serena passed it to Michael, who took it just as reluctantly, but silently. Then, she looked over to Kyle. “Being a deputy and all, I’m going to assume you have your own.”

Her tone was flat, cold even, and it solidified his earlier resolve. He wasn’t going to let her out of his sight. Though every nerve in his body was raw with concern for her, for all of them, he managed to make his voice every bit as dry as hers. “Yes. I’ve got my own.”

Serena nodded, a little dip of the head to acknowledge his reply. “Good.” She loaded a gun for herself. “Then let’s get into the details of this so we all know what’s going on. We leave in an hour.”

~~~~

Tess settled the last of the healing stones on the mark they’d made in the cave. All six were distributed an equal distance from each other, just as her dreams had shown her to do. Somehow, she knew it was right, just as she knew where to find the stones. It was as if she were drawn to them.

As if it were instinctive.

Ignoring what that might mean, Tess focused instead on the task at hand. She was nervous that they wouldn’t show. She worried about what would happen if they did.

The sound of footsteps drew her out of her thoughts. Glancing over, Tess saw the worn leather of Cade’s boots. Looking up, and because it was him, Tess had to voice her worries out loud. “They might strike first, before they even bother with questions. I guess that’s probably what they are expecting me to do anyway. You know that I haven’t given them any reason to expect different.”

“You didn’t strike out at Liz last night,” Cade pointed out. He reached down, took her hand, and drew Tess to her feet. With his free hand, he covered her belly, gently stroking his fingers there. “I know what seeing her like that did to you.” Cade leaned over, pressed a kiss to her forehead. “It will happen. I know we’ve tried, but these things can take time. It will happen when it’s meant to.”

It wouldn’t.

The two years Tess spent working for Kivar and his cause had done more than leave scars on her mind and body. It ruined any chance she had to carry a baby.

The irony of it hadn’t escaped Tess. After all, since the days she emerged from the pods, she’d been taught that was her greatest function, her sole purpose. To breed, to produce an heir to the Antarian throne, so any opposition to Kivar would be silenced. Through the child he would reign, and Tess would stand by his side.

At least that had been the story Nasedo told. It was a pretty fairytale for a scared and alienated child to hold on to, but Tess learned quickly that most happily ever afters were lies. So she began plotting out her own options.

Now, Tess couldn’t even remember the finer details of those plans, nor did she care to remember, because she knew that any child she might have conceived during that time would’ve been a pawn, just as she’d been. She wouldn’t have known any other way.

For a moment, Tess’s thoughts drifted to the Valentis. Her memories of Jim and Kyle were the sweetest ones she had from Roswell. They’d shown her a different life, one she could have had if she was strong enough to choose it. But, at 17, she hadn’t been strong enough.

The strength came from years of abuse. When she finally stood up to Kivar, he beat her to within an inch of her life, stripped her of her powers, and left her broken on the side of a country road. That’s where Cade had saved her.

He continued to do so every day since. He loved her. It was that plain and simple... and complex.

Laying a hand over his where it rested against her belly, Tess closed her eyes and prayed to whatever higher being might be listening, begging it to make sure the ritual worked. It was her only hope at having the family she and Cade craved so much.

If that was taken away from her, Tess would have no choice but to confess her last secret to the man she loved, knowing that she would probably lose him in the process.

Even the fleeting thought of that possibility had Tess’s heart racing in fear. Riding on it, she stepped closer to him, sliding her arms around his waist in a fierce hug.

That was what Isabel saw when she entered the chamber. The sight of two people, who were obviously lovers, embracing. It gave her cause to pause.

Did they care about each other?, she had a second to wonder. After all, being intimate didn’t mean that there was affection between two people. Still, Isabel couldn’t help think that there was. The simple sight of that hug, a gesture that often offered nothing more than comfort, was enough to make her wonder.

Did that mean Tess had changed?

No sooner than the thought crossed her mind, Isabel heard the sound of someone entering the chamber behind her. Instincts told her it was Max. She moved to the side as silently as she could, but rubber soles have the tendency to make noise against metallic surfaces, like that which the pod chamber was encased in. No sooner then she took two steps a loud screech echoed in the room.

Both Tess and the guy that called himself Cade turned to look at her. Their bodies tensed, but they made no sudden moves.

“So you came,” Tess said. Her eyes shifted from Isabel’s face to Max’s. She didn’t even attempt to look over at Jim, who she saw enter the chamber just behind Max. It would be too much to take if she saw disgust or hate in his eyes.

Max’s eyes, which she’d often thought gave away too much of his feeling when they were younger, were unreadable. “We came to get the stones,” he said coolly. “Where are they, Tess?”

“Here,” she replied, barely resisting the urge to glance at each stone to make sure they were in place. “I have them here. And I’ll give them to you, Max. No tricks. But I need you to do me a favor.”

She stepped away from Cade and towards Max. There was a flicker of annoyance in his expression as he met the move with one of his own.

“You have done nothing but try to trick us from the first moment you arrived in Roswell. Only this time, we’re not foolish enough to think you might be on our side. This time we’re not giving you the benefit of the doubt.” He took another step towards her. “This time the only thing we are giving you is a chance to leave. You give us the stones, and we will let you go. No consequences.”

Tess didn’t wince at the insults, at the truth in them. Instead, she focused on the task at hand. One more step. She just needed him to take one more step. Then everything would fall into place. “After you do me a favor.”

The look in Max’s eyes softened with a hint of regret, but he shook his head. “No favors. Just give us the stones, and you can walk away from the promise that we will never try to find you.”

He took one last step, holding out his hand. “Do the right thing.”

She hoped she was. Reaching forward, her body hummed. Instinct, purely alien, took over. The time for hesitation passed.

Isabel saw what was coming a moment too late to stop it. Tess leapt forward, latching on to Max’s arm with all her might. And she drew out a knife.

Screaming, Isabel rushed towards them. Then, something knocked her back. Looking up, she saw Cade a few feet away from her, his hand extended at Jim. “No,” she cried out, scrambling to reach her feet.

Jim went flying, slamming up against the wall of the chamber.

In the background, there was the sound of Tess’s voice chanting.

She’d started the chant in English. As the words reached her ears, they seemed to morph into a language long forgotten. The voices which had invaded her mind suddenly became this force, taking her over.

“Da kalla te zuo fa knaulage. Da kalla te zuo fa paix. Da kalla te escireron. Ereh se te sanguis fe keninga. Fmore sanguis, brenzan imo voort.”

Dragging the tip of the knife across the palm of Max’s hand, Tess repeated the words over and over. Blood welled from the cut. Forcing him with all her strength, she pressed the wounded hand against the Granolith.

What happened next Isabel would never find the words to describe. She saw Max yank his hand away, staring horrified at the bloody handprint on the glassy surface of the Granolith.

Then it was gone.

In its place, a sliver of light peeked out. It grew wider, longer, a brighter. A hiss echoed in the room as beams of light shot out, connecting with the stones placed around the room. Within seconds, the noise and light enveloped the room, and Isabel felt unconsciousness slip over her. Her last thought as she fell away from the light into the dark was that, somehow, everything had changed.

~~~~
Taking out the guards had been easy. In fact, it was a lot easier than they’d planned. A sleeping man poised nearly no threat, particularly when they were snoring loud enough to wake the dead. The guy, who was now bound, gagged, and shoved into the nearby supply closet, hadn’t even heard their approach.

That’s what irked Serena the most. It had been a little too easy.

As planned, she and Kyle left Michael and Maria behind in the guard station as they went in search of the antidote. That was another thing that got under her skin. The fact that Kyle was with her. He was too in tune to her, her body, her emotions. Plus, he was too aware. Maybe it was because of his training, she didn’t know, but Kyle paid attention to the details.

Serena knew that her plan to sneak away was in jeopardy. There was little chance she’d actually be able to slip away without Kyle noticing, less of one that he would let her carry out the plan on her own.

Tonight, one way or another, she was going to kill Kivar. To get him out of their lives once and for all.

She’d tried to pair up with one of the others. When they were going over the map a second time, working out the details, she suggested going with Michael or Maria, but Kyle put his foot down. Though a tiny battle of wills had ensured between them for the next few minutes, he’d held out. Any further pushing would have made them all suspicions. Kyle’s suspicions were enough.

God, Serena thought, as they made their way down the corridor to Dr. Grey's office. For once, could he have not pushed his point, pushed her into something she didn’t want. It was all he’d done since they met.

He’d pushed her into that meeting, into facing a past she spent years running from, and forced a harsh secret into light where she had no choice but accept it.

Hell, Kyle even made her care for him. The only other person who’d managed that over the last eight years was Ava, and it had taken several months, almost a year, for that friendship to grow. Kyle did that and more in only a few days time.

Why, Serena wondered, why was she letting him matter. After all, caring about someone made them your greatest weakness. She couldn’t afford a weakness right now, now what she was just shy of achieving a long held goal she’d given up hope of ever seeing.

That was Kivar’s death, which would ensure their safety forever.

Palming the ID she’d found in her pocket, Serena slid it though the reader, careful to keep the name on the badge covered.

“You have a key to the guy’s office?” Kyle asked. “Why didn’t you tell me that?”

Serena feigned an exasperated sigh, adding a little eye roll for effect, and prayed the lie she was about to tell would work. “Most of the labs and offices run on security clearing, not personalized authorization. The card I just scanned is cleared for this lab.” It just wasn’t hers.

His eyes narrowed, and she could tell he was trying to decide whether to believe her or not. Not willing to give him a chance, Serena grabbed his arm, yanking him through the open doorway.

The room was dark, only the faint glow of their flashlights illuminating dark wood office furniture. “We don’t have time to get into all of this now.” She closed the door behind him. “You wanna have a long chat about the workings in Vulcan Labs, we can do it when we get out of here.”

She turned away first, moving to some file cabinets. “There are more files over there,” Serena said, gesturing to another cabinets across the room. “Check them out.”

Hearing the sound of rubber soles rubbing against the linoleum floors, she was surprised that they were coming closer rather than away. Kyle came up behind her, his chest brushing against her back as he took hold of her arms. “I hope you know what you’re doing,” he said. The feeling of his breath against the exposed skin of her neck sending a shiver down her spine. “It’s not just my life in your hands tonight. It’s Michael’s and Maria’s. It’s Ava’s.”

“Kyle...” she whispered, but he was already moving away from her. A chill replaced the warmth that had come over her whenever he was close. I’m sorry, she wanted to say, but the words wouldn’t be enough. She wasn’t going to change her mind. This was something that had to be done. Serena just hoped he realized that.

The key hadn’t appeared in her pocket by mistake or magic. In fact, she knew just who placed it there. Jocelyn made sure she got that key, a tempting little carrot to lure the desperate rabbit into a trap. Serena had taken the bait, but she was not about to be trapped.

Now all she had to do was get away from Kyle before the trap was sprung.

Glancing over her shoulder, Serena saw him rummage through the other file cabinet. His hair had fallen over his eyes, blocking them from her view, but she could almost feel the anger coming off of him. If I make him angry enough would he leave? she wondered, then shook her head as she discarded that thought. No, he wouldn’t leave her. Not a man like Kyle, not when he claimed he loved her.

So, she had to come up with another idea.

Quietly, she crept towards the door. Without warning, it opened behind her. Hands grabbed at her. She swung an elbow back, but her attacker moved, causing the blow to glance of his ribs.

Kyle had now turned to face him, and Serena saw he’d drawn his gun, pointing it at the target just behind her. “Let her go,” he demanded. “I’m a damn good shot.”

Something cold and metallic was pressed against her temple. “So am I.”

Her skin started to crawl at the sound of his voice. It was Ryan Kelley. Kivar.

“I think it’s time the three of us have a little chat,” he said.

[Anniepoo98]

Howdy all~

First of all, thank you so much for the awards. It really means alot, so thank you again!

Lisa: I know what you mean. I like Cade too.
Sel: Yup, there will be more about Cade in the next story.
Ellie and Timelord: Thank you for you comments. I hope that you like this next part.

We are down to the home stretch. Just the epilogue to go. I hope to get it done soon, so keep an eye out!

Have a good one!

Annie:)



Part Eleven:

Lonnie peered through the windows of her dupe’s apartment, rolling her eyes at the subdued decor. Shit, she thought to herself, it was sickening to be a mirror image of a woman who’d basically copied the Martha Steward Collection into her living room.

Soon it would be over. Soon, she’d take her rightful place, no longer the copy but the one and only. She’d be through kowtowing before Kivar, forced to play a part in his game. Forced to pretend she liked it. Soon, she told herself over and over again. Soon.

There was a faint beeping in the headset over her ears, signaling that princess prissy was getting a phone call. Bugging the phones has been an ingenious idea, if she did say so herself. Now she was able to listen to all their yammering, getting a feel about the going ons in Roswell.

Out of the corner of her eye, Lonnie saw the pregnant queen waddle her way across the room to pick up the telephone. Hunkering down behind a group of bushes, she settled in to listen.

“Liz?”

“God, Alex,” the queen’s upset voice echoed through the headset. “I’ve been so worried. Where are you?”

“About twenty minutes away,” the voice on the other end replied. “Ava wasn’t feeling so well, so we stopped for a bit.” His voice lowered, and Lonnie could hear the fear in it. “She’s getting worse, Liz.”

Good, Lonnie thought, even as Liz sighed sadly and gave reassurances. It’s what the little traitor deserves.

“I’m sure the others will be back soon,” Liz said. “Isabel will be able to do something. Plus, they will have the stones. I know it.”

All Lonnie knew was that the queen bee of Antar just admitted she was alone. Going still, she couldn’t believe her good luck. They’d agreed that if the opportunity to grab the queen presented itself, she was to take it.

Lonnie couldn’t have asked for a better present if it had been gift-wrapped with a bow on top. Then, she thought about what else had been said. What were the stones they were talking about? And where were they that the others had to go and get them?

It looked as if her lover was keeping secrets from her. They would have to have a talk about this. In the meantime, she wasn’t going to pass up this chance to grab the queen.

She waited until Liz hung up the phone, turning away from the window Lonnie was lurking just beyond. Waiting until she went into the other room, Lonnie reached up and dissolved the locks. Sliding the window open, she eased inside.

In the next room, there was the sound of a radio on low. A female voice singing softly drifted her way. Lonnie ignored it, as she moved quietly from the living room towards the kitchen. The queen was standing, back still turned to her, by the stove. A kettle was settled over a burner.

Lonnie rolled her eyes, marveling at how easy this was going to be. However, the moment she took a step into the room, a shrilling noise erupted.

Liz whipped around, and Lonnie saw where the noise was coming from. Resting on the counter beside the queen was the trithium amplification generator. Now her powers were useless. “Shit,” Lonnie murmured.

The queen quickly grabbed the kettle off the burner and flung it at Lonnie. She dodged it, moving quickly around the table, and right alongside Liz. Slamming her hand down on the trithium amplification generator, Lonnie shut off the device, even as her other hand reached out to grab Liz around the neck.

“Clever,” she said, sending a jolt of power through Liz’s pulse points. She slumped against Lonnie. “But not clever enough.”

~~~~

Isabel woke by degrees. First, she felt warmth. It was as if the normally cool, reflective surface of the pod chamber had been warmed from inside, so that it radiated out and into her.

Then, she regained her sense of smell. A scent, spice and male, drifted past her nose. It wasn’t Max. Her brother had been using Brut aftershave since they were teens. And it wasn’t Jim. He always stuck to Old Spice.

So, finally, Isabel opened her eyes. The bright light she saw before passing out had faded. Now, a faint purplish glow covered the room. Turning her head to the side, she scanned the room. To her left, Max started to stir, as did Jim and that guy Cade.

A groan had Isabel’s attention turning in the other direction. Tess lay just a foot from her, face buried towards the floor. But the groan hadn’t come for her.

Just beyond Tess, Isabel saw someone laying on their side. A naked someone. She jolted upright as that processed, her attention on the new person among them.

Almost as if he sensed her watching, the man rolled over, sitting up even as his eyes met hers. The piercing blue color of them blew straight through her. He opened his mouth to speak, but it was Tess’s awed voice she heard.

“Oh my God,” Tess gasped. “It worked.”

~~~~

Serena stumbled forward as the guard Ryan Kelley passed her off to shoved her through the doorway of Kelley’s office. She landed on the floor hard, her knees and hands singing with pain from the contact.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Kyle start towards her, reaching out to keep her from falling, but another guard slammed him into a nearby wall. Reacting, he rammed his elbow back into the guy’s gut, but before he could make another move, Kelley aimed the gun at him. “That’s enough,” he told Kyle. “Now, sit down.”

Kelley walked over to her, reaching down with one hand. Serena hissed as he grabbed hold of her hair, dragging her up by it. She struggled to her feet as he pulled her towards the second chair. Even as she landed on it with a thud, she saw Kyle sitting down in the other.

Moving away from them, Kelley walked around to the other side of his desk. He took a seat, looking very much like a king about to hold court with some lowly peasants.

It pissed her off.

Barely managing to hold her tongue, Serena simply stared at him, waiting for him to speak. She wanted him to reveal his hand before she said one word.

“I guess this means you’ve decided not to take me up on my offer,” he said, steepling his index fingers together. Then, he pointed them at her. “I’d reconsider that decision if I were you.”

Beside her, she heard Kyle hiss. When she turned to look at him, Serena saw one of the guards twisting Kyle’s arm behind him hard, using his free hand to jam a gun under his chin. The sight had every ounce of moisture in her mouth drying up, her throat seizing closed with fear.

“Don’t,” she whispered.

If she were facing Kelley, she would have seen the look of absolute triumph on his face. “Changing your mind?”

Her eyes, full of warring emotions, focus on him. “Are you saying that if I took the position, worked for you, you would let Kyle go?”

“No,” Kyle said. The guard grounded the barrel of the gun harder against his jaw as a reward.

Kelley laughed. “It means that I will let him live. For awhile at least.”

All rational thought process left her. Fury took hold, and flying on it, she lunged for him. Even as she propelled herself forward, pain tore at her gut. Serena folded over, crumpling to the ground.

For a moment, she wasn’t able to think of anything but wrenching pain. Tears welled in her eyes, her own whimpers filled her ears. She didn’t hear Kyle’s swearing or Kelley’s sharp order to the man that entered the room. Finally, the pain began to ease, and Serena glanced up, getting a look at the new player.

She could see he was tall, even through the misty vision her tears left her with. The height clothed in a pair of dark suit pants, jacket, and shirt. He held stiffly, almost military-like. Recognition dawned on her. “Dr. Grey.”

Darren Grey looked down at her, disgust written all over his face. With a sniff, he turned away from her, his attention focusing on Kelley. “Sir, I was just protecting you. She was about to attack.”

“I can defend myself from some snarling little female.” Kelley rose. “I gave you strict orders not to hurt her.”

If it were even possible, Serena saw Darren stiffen more. “No offense, Sir, but you know she will never change her allegiance. Once a rebel,” he sniffed again, “always a rebel.”

Kelley now came around the desk again, stopping alongside of where Serena struggled to get up. “That is not your decision to make.”

She never saw it coming. One second, there were two men standing above her, all but snarling at each other. The next thing she knew, Darren was pulling a gun from a holster hidden beneath his jacket. “I beg to differ.”

Kelley only had a second to react. His eyes widened, and he managed to whisper one word. A name. Nicholas.

Then, Darren fired the gun.

Serena covered her face as warm blood fell down on her like rain. A moment later, the sickening sound of Kelley’s body falling to the floor echoed in the room. Her breath came out in gasps as she peered through her fingers, looking up at the man who’d killed her worst enemy.

He was staring down at her. “You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting to do that.”

To her shock, he laughed, rolling his shoulders as if to lift a weight off them. “For decades, let me tell you.” He gave the gun a little flip, which had Serena crawling backwards away from him. Her gaze briefly drifted to Kyle. His features were set in a grim expression, dots of blood trickling down one side. Then, she turned her attention back to Darren.

“He called you Niko,” she whispered. “Niko. You’re Nicholas.”

“What?” Kyle shouted. “Nicholas is a three foot tall little brat. There is no way this guy could be Nicholas.”

Darren nodded his head towards one of the guards. The guy moved forward, backhanding Kyle across the face. “How about I do all the talking from now on.”

He walked around, his strides losing their stiffness with every step, and sat down behind Kelley’s desk. “First thing’s first. Get rid of that,” he ordered, pointing to the body. The guy holding Kyle let him go, and both the guards did as Darren asked. The moment they left, he leaned back in the chair.

With the gun still out of its holster, he pointed it at her. “Why don’t you have a seat, Serena? We’re just going to wait here until they return. Then they can get rid of your bodies as well.”

Though she still struggled, Serena managed to get to her feet. “If you’re going to kill me, I’d rather be standing when you do.”

She heard the sound of shifting behind her, felt Kyle walk up beside her. His hand brushed ever-so-gently against her bloody one. Darren rolled his eyes. “How cliche.”

“Just tell me why. If you’re Nicholas, why did you kill him? Your whole life has revolved around serving him.”

He leaned forward, slapping both palms on the hardwood of the desk. “I prefer to be called Darren, and I killed Kivar because I was tired of being the lackey of a second rate leader, who thought more with his dick then his head. The original Kivar might have liked the ladies, but he was a leader first. He knew how to rule.”

“He destroyed Antar,” she snapped. “Now the entire galaxy is at war. How in the hell is that leading?”

“He understood the meaning of power,” Darren yelled. Then, he took a deep breath, regaining his control. “His hybrid was weak.” He gestured to the pool of blood cooling on the floor. “That’s what comes from humanity. He never would have gotten even this far without me.”

“It was you,” Kyle said. “You arranged for Ava to be injected.”

Darren nodded. “Once I knew you and the others had arrived in Dallas, I put this little plan into action. I knew you would come for the antidote, and I could take care of the group with one little trap. You all would die, eventually Ava too, and the door would be wide open to carry out rest of my plan.”

Serena took a deep breath. They needed to keep him talking. If they did, he might reveal where the antidote was. Maybe what his plan was. “Did you arrange for me to get level 4 keycard?”

His eyes narrowed. “What keycard?”

Suddenly, the doors behind them opened. “The one I slipped into her pocket.”

A shot rang out. Kyle grabbed her around the waist, pulling them both to the ground. He covered her, his arms going around her head to protect her. Still, she was able to peek out.

She saw Darren shift, a move that saved his life. Instead of going through his heart, the bullet hit him in the shoulder, knocking him back several steps. There was another shot, but he had already dropped to the floor.

She heard a curse, the sound muffled by Kyle’s arms. Then she saw boots. Her eyes trailed up until Jocelyn’s face came into view.

Serena twisted beneath Kyle, trying to get free. “Let me up,” she shouted.

“You both need to get up,” she heard Jocelyn say. “Now.”

They did, barely, before she started shoving them toward the door. “Look, the bullets were tipped with a sedative, just in case I missed, but it doesn’t last long. We only have a few minutes.”

Holding on to Kyle’s arm, Serena stared at the woman. “Who in the hell are you?”

“I’m part of the Underground,” Jocelyn huffed. “Now, are we going to stand around and have a little chat, or are we going to go?”

Serena felt Kyle take her hand. “We’re going.”

[Anniepoo98]

Howdy all~

Well, here is the epilogue. I am working on the third story, and will let you all know when it gets posted. It may be a bit because I want to have a good chunk of it done before I post it.

I want to thank everyone for reading this, for leaving feedback and bumps. I'm glad that y'all are enjoying the series. Thank you so much for sticking with it, even though it takes me so long to post parts.

Thank you!!!!

Annie:)



Epilogue:

She woke to the stench of bleach surrounding her. Revolting against the overpowering smell, Liz lurched and rolled. Levering herself over the side of the bed, she lost whatever food she’d managed to consume that day. In the back of her mind she found it strange that a bucket sat there. Waiting.

Several minutes later, Liz was able to lean back on the bed, finally getting a good look at the room around her. White walls, graying with age, surrounded her. The ceiling and floor were tiled to match. The only exception to all that white was one window in the wall opposite her. Blackout curtains blocked her view of whatever was on the other side.

Liz took a breath, then another, hoping to ease the panic curling through her bloodstream. Instead, the breaths started coming in gasps. This overwhelming sense of being watching, like a beast in a cage, enveloped Liz, heightening his anxiety. Her breathing almost reached the point of hyperventilating, before she felt a tiny bump in her belly.

Her daughter. Liz pressed a hand over where she felt the bump. She needed to remain calm for her daughter.

With a rising sense of determination, Liz slowly sat up, easing herself off the bed. The room spun once as she stood, causing her to grab hold of the bed frame until she felt steady. Then she took another, more careful look around as she assessed the situation.

The last thing she remembered was being in Isabel’s kitchen, fixing a pot of tea. Then, the trithium amplification generator went off. Someone was behind her. That someone had Isabel’s face, not Isabel’s eyes. The second Liz saw the eyes she knew it was Lonnie. She’d grabbed the nearest thing, the tea kettle, and flung it. There been a crash, but the next thing she knew, Lonnie was right beside her. Then, everything went dark.

So, Lonnie had taken her. Them, Liz amended when she felt another kick. And the horrible realization dawned on her. They were after her baby.

Both hands gripped her stomach, protecting the life inside. The second she did, Liz heard a click echo through the room, followed by the fuzzy white noise of speakers.

“I’m glad your finally awake,” a male voice said. “It’s been a long time, your highness.”

~~~~~

And here is a little teaser for the next story: