Roswell Fanatics

Part 40

"So Max is fully aware of the situation?" Glenn sat in the booth of the Crashdown Café.
Around him sat the families of the group of fugitives. An ashen-faced Mrs. Ramirez, still coming to terms with the recent discovery of her daughter-in-law's origins, sat a little detached from the group. Her eyes looked distant. The six adults had decided that it was unfair that she be kept in the dark and that they knew that their kids would want her to know. Especially as they had gone silent recently, and no one knew why. All they had was a hasty dreamwalk from Isabel saying that a complicated situation had arisen and that they would be out of contact for a while. She promised to fill them in later and had assured them not to worry. Which, of course, was exactly what they were doing.
"Yeah," Philip nodded. "They apparently met up with a squad of soldiers and somehow learned that they would be ambushed by these Skins. Max and the others rescued them and managed to destroy the skins from one of the landing sites. They were sorry that they couldn't help the others, but Colonel Roberts said that many of those soldiers managed to escape."
"Where is Max now?" Glenn narrowed his eyes. "We need his help with the other groups. We don't know where they are, or what they're capable of. We need Max's guidance."
Glenn shifted uncomfortably as the other adults exchanged glances. Clearly, they knew more than he did.
"We're not sure where he is," Jim interrupted. "They told us that they had something to see to, but they didn't know what. What we know was from the intel that Colonel Roberts gave us when he came to see us, the morning after this all happened."
"Max has things in hand," Philip nodded. "I can't say too much, but hopefully, sometime soon, you won't have to worry about those skins anymore."
"How are they?" Glenn asked. "My mom keeps asking if I've heard anything. She worries about all of them, but I think she's worried more about Max and Liz. She developed a soft spot for them."
Nancy and Diane exchanged smiles.
"Well, tell your mother that they're just fine," Jeff nodded. "They had a recent narrow escape, but they've recovered from that."
"Actually," Philip's eyes narrowed and he tapped his cheek with his index finger. "You know, there's something that you and your mother might be able to help with."
"Name it," Glenn urged. "After what those kids did for my mother, I'll do whatever I can."

* * *

"The prosecution calls Elizabeth Parker to the stand," Rath intoned.
Isabel gasped. Connie didn't like the reaction of her friend and knew that this could only be bad.
"Objection!" Jesse called, rising.
"On what grounds?" Rath stormed toward Jesse. He leaned against the table and was leaning into Jesse's face.
He felt intimidated, and would have quailed had he not felt Max's towering presence standing beside him.
"The question is valid," the judge called. "The prosecution is entitled to make the accused testify. It is part of Antar law."
"That's as it may be," Jesse was glad of the opportunity to look away from Rath's cold eyes. "But the defendant married Max Evans in a legal ceremony on Earth. Her name is Elizabeth Evans, not Elizabeth Parker."
"Is bigamy permitted on Earth?" the judge asked.
"No," Jesse shook his head. "No, wait, sometimes. In certain religions."
"And does the defendant belong to any of these... religions?"
"No," Jesse shook his head.
"Then clearly, the marriage between her and Zan was illegal, because Zan is still married, to Ava. There is a duplicate, Mr. Ramirez. So long as Ava exists, so too does his marriage."
"Sorry," Jesse whispered to Max as he sat down, shaking his head. "I tried."

Liz displayed a confidence that she did not feel as she crossed the room to take the stand, viewed by hate-filled looks.
"Do you love King Zan?" Rath asked in an oily voice.
"No," Liz shook her head. "I only love Max."
"Have you ever told him this?"
"Of course," Liz smiled at her husband.
"When was the first time you told him that you loved him?"
"It was that time we were running from the FBI. You know, when we rescued him from the white room."
"Ah yes. The time when the special section of the Earth's FBI... the alien hunters, captured him. Tell me, what led to his capture?"
"He was trying to rescue me."
"Rescue you, Miss Parker? What was he trying to rescue you from?"
"From Nacedo. Your protector shape-shifted to look like Max and kidnapped me."
"And did anyone else see Nacedo shape-shift into Max, an act, which I might point out would be considered treasonable."
"And making a deal with your enemies isn't?"
"It's my task to ask questions, Miss Parker. Yours is merely to answer them."
"No. No one saw him. No... wait. Jim did. Jim Valenti, the sheriff."
"Who just happens to be absent," Rath smirked.
"Max!" Liz exclaimed. "Max saw him."
"And where was this?"
"In the house of mirrors."
"So you say Max saw himself in a room full of mirrors? Miss Parker, isn't that the point?"
"No, he did. He saw Nacedo taking me. I thought it was him."
"Really," Rath grinned. "So once again, Max found himself in mortal peril, because of you."
There was no answer.
"Tell me, Miss Parker. What did you think, when Za... when Max told you that he was an alien."
"At first, I refused to believe it," Liz smiled, remembering that day. "But the more I thought of it, the more it made sense. And once I had accepted it, I realized that he was still... Max."
"What did he ask you not to do, once he had told you his secret?"
Liz frowned for a moment. Her eyes widened.
"He asked me not to tell anyone. That my life was in his hands."
"I see," Rath smiled. "So what did you do, then?"
"Well, I guess that I started to get to know him better. I knew who he was, of course, but we weren't in the same circle of friends. I wanted to change that."
"Did you ever tell anyone?"
"Of course not," Liz shook her head. "Oh, well, except for Maria, my best friend."
"So, in spite of being asked not to tell anybody, you did. Is that correct?"
"Uhm..." Liz blushed. "Yeah."
"And that person you told was none other than Maria DeLuca, someone not known for her stable mind, or the ability to hold her tongue..."
"Good thing Maria's not here," Max groaned.
"It's a good thing that you didn't tell anybody else, isn't it, Miss Parker?" Rath continued, oblivious to Max's comment.
Liz looked down to the floor, her face still bright red.
"Or did you?" Rath spun to face her. "Did you tell anyone else?"
"Yeah," Liz gave a slow nod. "I told Alex. But I had to, or else the sheriff might have found out."
Rath paused to let the crowd's reaction spread through the room.

"Tell me, Miss Parker. What was it that attracted you to King Zan?"
Liz looked at Max, and gave a weak smile.
"I'm sorry, Michael. But I'm not attracted to King Zan. You know that."
"What was it that attracted you to... Max," Rath glared at her.
Max and Liz shared a smile of triumph.
"His nature," Liz looked at Max with adoration.
"Not his power?"
"You know that I didn't know who he was any more than you did. Not until we heard that message that day in the pod chamber."
"Ah, yes. That message. That was not more than a day after the first time you told him you loved him, right? I wonder, Miss Parker, could you tell the court, in your own words, what you did when you heard that message."
"I..." Liz's heart fell. "I left him, so that he could follow his destiny."
"I see," Rath smirked. "You mean you ran away."
"It wasn't like that..."
"No? How was it you went down that hill? Did you walk? Drive? How?"
"I... I ran."
"You left the area, did you not?"
"I went to my aunt's. In Florida."
"I must say, Miss Parker. For someone who purports to be in love with this... Max, you spent an awful lot of time as far from him as you can get. No, don't answer that." Rath held up his hand. "There's no need." He turned to face the audience. "Miss Parker, what is your relationship with Kyle Valenti?"
"Kyle? He's a friend."
"A good friend?"
"Yes."
"More than a friend?"
"What do you mean?"
"Where did Max find you and this 'friend', Kyle, one night near Halloween, the year before last?"
Liz's face blanched.
"You can answer, Miss Parker. Where did this man you say you love so much find the two of you?"
"In... in my room."
"You can be a little more specific. Where in your room, exactly?"
"In... on my... in my bed. But we..."
"Thank you, Miss Parker. Just answer the questions. So the man you love happened to come by and see you, in bed, with another man. Tell me, would Max have seen something innocent?"
"Yes."
"Is that why he ran away? Because he knew that nothing was happening?"
"No," Liz gave a slow shake of her head. Tears rolled down her cheeks.
"Or did he run away because you and this other man had just been intimate?"
"I... I... It wasn't like that."
"Wasn't it? Was that what Max would have seen?"
Liz couldn't answer. She dropped her head.
"Would Max have seen two people who had just shared an intimate moment?"
"Yes," she sobbed. "But..."
"Did you know Max was going to call?"
"Excuse me?"
"Did you know that Max was going to come around to see you, at that time?"
"How could I?"
"Answer the question, Miss Parker."
"Yes," she whispered, although everyone in the room heard her reply.
"Uh huh," Rath smirked. "Is this the normal way to show love on Earth?"
"You know what was going on!" Liz spat.
"Do I?" Rath inquired. "Because the only evidence I have is that you told me so. I think your words might be more than a little suspect right now. You told the court that less than a day after you told Max you loved him, you ran away from him. We also know that as soon as you gave your word not to tell Max's secret, you told at least two of your friends. Why should we accept your word for anything?"

Rath turned to face the audience again.
"When Ava first turned up, what were your thoughts about her?"
"I thought she was strange," Liz felt herself on safer ground, though she knew from the looks the crowd was giving her, there was only one safe place to be. She cast a glance in his direction, but Max seemed to be deep in thought. "She had that funny hair, and the tattoos, the makeup. And the way she talked."
"Not the duplicate," Rath shook his head. "The original."
"I'm sorry, Michael. I only know one Ava."
"Okay then. What were your thoughts about Tess?"
"I didn't trust her."
"Did anyone else?"
"Max didn't."
"Didn't he? Tell me. What happened between Max and Tess?"
"Excuse me?"
"What did you see Max do with Tess."
"He... he kissed her. But that was before we knew she could do things."
"I see. Max kisses another girl and when caught by his girlfriend, says he was made to do it, right? How convenient. Who else didn't trust her?"
"Maria, Alex..."
"Kyle?"
"Excuse me?"
"Did Kyle trust her?"
"I... I don't..."
"Didn't Kyle date her?"
"Yeah, but..."
"But what? Miss Parker, you have already told the court that you claim to love Max. We also know you lured Kyle into your bed for some sick game, and we know that Tess died under mysterious circumstances. You were jealous of her, weren't you?"
"Yes, I was jealous!" Liz shrieked. "She was supposed to be Max's destiny. She was Max's first time. Of course I was jealous. But I didn't kill her."
"What happened that night she returned to Roswell with Max's son?"

"What do you mean?" Liz frowned. "She escaped from the base but she had to kill some people so they could get away. But I wasn't there, so I don't really know what happened."
"When you turned up at Michael's apartment, and you saw her," Rath smirked, "for the first time since she had left."
"I was shocked," Liz nodded. "I never thought I'd see her again."
"And what did you do to her?"
"I..." Liz's eyes widened and she looked down to the ground. "I... blasted her."
"I'm sorry, Miss Parker. What was that?" Rath lifted his hand to cup around his ear. "You did what?"
"I blasted her," Liz's words were only marginally better.
"With a gun? Some human weapon? Miss Parker, how did you blast her?"
"With my energy," she almost whispered. "You know, like you guys do."
"You mean, you used inherent Antarian powers?"
"I though they were human?" Liz looked up. "You said that Nacedo..."
"Miss Parker, that energy blast has nothing to do with human abilities. Even if the human brain was to be advanced by a million years, it would not be able to channel energy into a blast like that."
"I didn't know," she shook her head.
"Obviously," Rath grinned.
"Objection!" Jesse rose. "Your honor, it's all very well for the council to make that kind of claim but unless he has been into the future, what evidence does he have to suggest that humans might not develop that very same power tomorrow? And Liz is a remarkable young woman. If any human could develop powers, it would be her. Especially when it comes to protecting the man she loves more than anything else."
"Lord Rath?" the judge glanced across with raised eyebrows.
Rath turned to the table and lifted up small metal cube.
"Results of five decades of study, your honor," he held it for the whole audience to see. "Our experiments, which include advancing the abilities of the human brain, has shown that this particular ability will not develop tomorrow, or any other time for that matter."
"Then the objection is overruled," the judge smiled.
Rath nodded at the judge, turned to grin at Jesse and the returned to Liz.
"So perhaps, Miss Parker, you would like to explain to the court how it is that you, who claim to be human, would posses a power that only Antarians posses?"
"I... I can't," Liz's voice fell and she once again looked down to the floor. "I got my powers from Max. When he healed me. I don't understand how or why, but I can do things now. Like they can."
"How many other people has Max healed?"
"There was Kyle... and Jim... and those kids in hospital," Liz began. "Oh, and there was Peggy..."
"So, all in all, Max has been pretty busy."
"Yeah," Liz nodded.
"Of all the humans that Max has healed so far, how many have shown the development of these... abilities?"
"Well, none, but..."
"Thank you Miss Parker," Rath stopped her. "So not one single human who Max has healed has developed any kind of ability, neither advanced human, nor Antarian," he told the jury. He then turned to Liz. "Tell us about the night Ava... Tess died."

Liz swallowed and nodded her head.
"We were all at Isabel's house. We took a vote on whether we should turn her over to the Air Force, to get them off our backs. Because of the manner that she escaped, they were conducting an extensive search for her."
"How did Max vote."
"He said we shouldn't do it. That he wouldn't wish what happened to him in the white room on his worst enemy."
"Did he vote before you?"
"Yes," Liz nodded.
"So when it was your turn, you didn't want to be seen to be going against Max, did you. How you must have ached to send her to her death."
"No!" she yelled. "It wasn't like that."
"What happened?" Rath pushed his face close to Liz's. "Did you use your 'newfound' abilities to subdue her? Did you take her out to the desert somewhere and kill her?" Rath turned from shouting at Liz who was shaking her head. "Members of the court. When they all went to sleep that night, Queen Ava was present in the room. When the people awoke the next morning, she was missing, along with the accused, Miss Elizabeth Parker. She later returned alone and 'claimed' that Ava had voluntarily walked into the midst of a high security military base, and somehow blew it, and herself up. We have seen from her previous testimony, that her motives are confused. How can we take her word for anything? I'm sure the defense will tell you how everything this girl has done, she has done for Zan. But remember this. How does the woman, you think you love, running away when you need her the most help you? How does finding the woman you think loves you, in a post coital bed with another man help you? There are many instances of her fickle nature, but I will spare you these. In every case, we can show how her actions only served to hurt Zan, to weaken him. The only way to free him from her evil spell is to sentence her to death. Thank you."
The audience seemed stunned. Max and Jesse groaned.
"We need some major help here, Jesse," Max's voice was broken. "I'm so afraid we might lose."
"Who do we know, Max? Everyone on this ship hates Liz like nothing else. Where are you going to find someone who likes her enough to offer us any kind of help?"
"There will be a recess before the defense can put forward its case," the judge intoned over the noise of the crowd.
Max leapt from his seat and ran out of the room.

* * *

"Where's Max?" Kyle demanded. "He should be here. How can he just abandon her like that?"
They had gathered together in an ante-chamber near Max's room to try and determine their course of action. Liz's defense had not started well. Jesse had called them one by one to give their side of the story of Max and Liz's love for one another and the things they had endured because of it. Rath had managed to twist everything that they had said.
"I don't know," Jesse shook his head as he looked over to Liz, who was being comforted by Maria. "He took off after the prosecution's closing remarks, and hasn't been seen since. And these... guards won't send someone to look for him."
"You don't think they're controlling him somehow, do you?" Maria asked. "Like they're controlling Michael?"
"No," Isabel shook her head. "That would be an act of treason. Sorta like blackmailing the President."
"Well, all I know is we need him here," Kyle shook his head. "And if he doesn't show up soon, king or no king, I'm kicking him from one end of this ship to another."
"We're being crucified in there," Isabel shook her head. "Every witness you've called has been torn to shreds. Rath's making it look like the humans have conspired against Max. I can't believe my brother would just hide like that. I thought... I thought what he had with Liz would keep him by her side. She really needs him right now."
"They're going to execute her, aren't they?" Connie whispered.
"Not if I can help it," Jesse shook his head. "But it's difficult to do my job when Mi... Rath is so intimidating like that."
"We should get some sleep," Isabel sighed. "It's going to be a tough day tomorrow. I mean, the jury already believes that Liz killed Tess as some sick plot to get to Max. Unless we can find something to prove that she's not this Millia, they'll convict her of treason, too."
"Does it matter?" Jesse ran his hands through his hair. "They both carry the death sentence."
"Don't you dare!" Isabel spat. "Don't you dare give up."

* * *

Their testimony taken, the gang was allowed to take their places in the courtroom. They chose to sit behind Jesse and Liz. Max's seat was empty, a fact that had not gone unnoticed by the audience, the judge, or the jury. The topic of conversation on board the ship the previous night was that King Zan had at last emerged from the witch's influence. At Rath's side on the prosecution's bench, Bektor held a satisfied, smug smile.
"Does the council for the defense wish to call any witnesses?" the judge smirked at Jesse.
Jesse turned to look at Isabel. He gave her a look of helplessness and turned to Liz.
"I'm so sorry, Liz. Without Max... I..."
"He'll be here," Liz urged him. "I know it."
"Liz," Jesse shook his head. "No one has seen him since the day before yesterday. I'm sorry."
"Jesse, please! You must buy Max more time."
"As soon as I start to speak, Rath is going to pounce. He's going to demand that I call a witness, or close." A tear trickled down Jesse's cheek, mirroring the dozens that were on Liz's. "I'm sorry."
"Then call me. Let me speak."
"No way, Liz. Rath made mincemeat of you last time. No way will I let you go through that again."
"Do it, Jesse," Liz's eyes burned with determination. "I need to give Max more time. He'll be here. Trust me. Trust 'Us'."
Jesse rose, and looked at the judge.
"You honor," he began. "The prosecution would like to call..."
The doors at the back of the room opened with the noise of a loud explosion.
"Would like to call Veryn," Max called from the doors, through which he had just entered. He walked down the aisle as though he owned it.
"Objection," Rath cried out above the sudden din. "Not only is Zan not allowed to take part in the defense, what information could Veryn possibly have, that has not already been spoken? He is but a minor dignitary."
"Let me answer your first objection," Max smiled, standing before the prosecution desk. "That's simple. Until I am returned to my Antarian body, I cannot rule as King. I believe, Lord Bektor, that is clearly stated in the statutes. Can you confirm that?"
"Yes, that's true," he stammered. "But..."
"So although I hold the royal seal, and also hold rulership, while I am in this human body, I am not the King?"
"Technically, you are, Your Majesty."
"But what about legally?"
Bektor's face fell. "Not legally, no."
"So I am able to conduct the defense after all?"
"It would appear so," Bektor mumbled.
"Now to clear the second objection. Your honor, Veryn was Zan's advisor, and loyal friend until he was forced to step aside when Zan became King, and Balusca, Zan's father's chamberlain took over. As much of the accusations against my wife are based on information from the before Balusca represented Zan, what Veryn has to say is of vital significance."
"Very well, Your Majesty," the judge nodded. "Continue."

"Where the hell have you been?" Jesse demanded when Max sat next to Liz. The young couple's eyes locked at once, and he pulled her into a fierce hug.
"Earth," Max mumbled. "Liz, I'm sorry I wasn't here for you, but I needed to find out what happened. I went to see Langly."
"Langly? What did he have to say? Can he help us?"
"No," Max shook his head. "Langly never knew what was going on at the palace. He neither knew about, nor met Millia. But he helped me find someone who did."
"Who?"
"Yeah, Max," Jesse reached across to attract Max's attention from Liz. "Who?"
"That, my friends, is a surprise."
"So what's going on? Am I fired, or what?" Jesse looked concerned.
"No," Max shook his head. "It's just... We were never going to clear Liz of Tess's murder. They want to believe that so much, it hurts. What we have to do is prove that Liz is human. Once we do that, then we can concentrate on technicalities, like Liz is human, and the murder happened on Earth, you know, legal chicanery."
"But I didn't kill her, Max," Liz objected.
"I know, Liz," Max sighed. "But it's having to prove it that's the hard part.
"I hope you know what you're doing, Max," Jesse shook his head.
"Trust me," Max smiled.
"With my life," Liz pulled Max into another fierce hug.
Jesse rolled his eyes.

* * *

"Ava!" Kalyn squealed and rushed to the small girl. At the last moment, she remembered herself. "Your Highness," she bowed.
"Yeah, yeah," Ava shook her head. "Save it."
"Where have you been?" Kalyn demanded.
"'Ere an 'der," she shrugged.
"We've been searching for you," Kalyn bubbled. "And I've found you. I don't feel so guilty now."
"Don' get too cocky," Ava smirked, "You wuz forgettin', I found you, yo! You been watchin' da news?"
"I have. Isn't it great? You and Zan will be reunited."
"Yeah," Ava shrugged. "Triffic. What's dat?" She pointed to the journal. "That looks like Cornball's book."
"This is the journal of the girl who murdered your other self. The one who betrayed us all. I can't seem to translate it. I was hoping I would find clues as to her plans and motives."
"You'd fin' dem okay. Prob'ly not what you wuz 'specting. Listen. There's something you gots ta know."

* * *

Part 41

"Ladies and gentlemen of the court," Max stood by the judges bench and faced the audience. He was not as theatrical as Rath, but his voice had a booming authority. When he spoke, you listened. "I call my first witness, Veryn. One time chamberlain, and close friend and confidant to Zan when he was just Lord Zan."
From the machine in the middle of the room, a holographic image of a very old man appeared.
"Your Majesty," he bowed. "It gives me great pleasure to see you again, in any countenance. I only hope that I might somehow serve you again."
"Thank you, Veryn," Max tipped his head. "Perhaps you would like to tell the court of the events that led to the death of Zan and the others. The ones they won't know about."
"As you command, sire," the man bowed again. "Less than two days after Lord Zan's coronation as head of the house of Talluvia, the House of Stellarine sought to gain some additional power at the expense of the new young Lord. In a surprise attack, they had seized a large section of our mountain holdings that bordered their land. At the time, Lord Zan was not the warm caring young man who defeated the Krekascent forces so convincingly a year later. He was cold, and emotionless, exactly the same as his father. With a display of real ruthlessness, he rolled the Stellarine forces back deep into their own territory, capturing almost one quarter of their entire army, including their leader's son. The House of Stellarine had no choice but to sue for peace. As was normal, the prisoners were to become slaves to the House of Talluvia, and the captured land, rich in their production of food, would become Talluvian property. This was a blow for the House of Stellarine, for the fertile plains produced one half of their food intake. The citizens of Stellarine would go hungry.

"Less than a week after the signing of the surrender, a small craft from Stellarine sought permission to enter Talluvian airspace, and it's lone occupant sought an audience with Lord Zan. As is customary after being defeated in battle, the emissary was clad in chains, and brought in humiliation before Lord Zan, who was waiting in the stateroom. It was Lady Millia, daughter to Lord Novement who ruled the House of Stellarine. She told him that she came to offer herself as an honor captive, in exchange for her countrymen, and her brother, who was needed at home now that her father grew ill."

"For the benefit of our human friends," Max stressed the word, "please explain what an honor captive is."

"An honor captive is one who takes the place of another and swears never to attempt escape. They become a slave, or worse, doing everything and anything that the captor decides. It was unheard of for a Lady to offer herself, for everyone knew what fate would await her. They would become free only when the captor decides to release them or when one or the other dies. When Lady Millia offered herself, Lord Zan laughed at her and asked why she thought he would agree to such a one-sided deal. She looked him straight in the eye, a feat few could do, and said it was because she did not believe he was the cold hearted monster he pretended to be.

"Everyone in the room had tensed. Many before had suffered greatly for saying less. Lord Zan just stared at her, his cold eyes impassive. He simply and calmly asked her if he had her word that she would never leave the palace without his permission. She swore she would never attempt to break the bonds. When Zan ordered the chains be removed from her, the entire court wailed. The Master at Arms tried to explain how such a thing was not done but Lord Zan grew angry. He demanded to know who sat on the throne of the House of Talluvia? Was it the Master at Arms with his rules from a bygone age, or was it he, Lord Zan. The chains were instantly removed.

"There were further protests from the court when Lord Zan told Lady Millia that he accepted her as his honor captive, and would release those countrymen who would swear a Heart Pledge. Once sworn, a man who broke a Heart Pledge would dishonor not only himself, but his ancestors as well. It's worse than dying. The prisoners were gathered in the courtyard below, save Lord Stepanas, Lady Millia's brother. Under the instructions of Lord Zan, Lord Stepanas was escorted with dignity into the stateroom. He had urged his sister not to do this, but she would not meet his gaze. With Lord Stepanas reluctantly by his side, Lord Zan told the men of Stellarine that they were free to return to their homes, if they swore the Heart Pledge to never again take up arms against the House of Talluvia save to defend their own lands.

"This was a generous pledge for it allowed the men to honorably stand in the defense of their own House should Lord Zan ever take it upon himself to invade them. Loyal to their house, they waited for Lord Stepanas to answer first. Though surprised by the offer, Lord Stepanas quietly told Lord Zan he could accept no pledge that left his sister at the mercy of another house, especially the hated House of Talluvia. Lord Zan was not surprised by this reaction, for would he not react in the same manner? Zan promised him that Lady Millia would be treated as if she were his own sister, and would be afforded the courtesy and comfort her station warranted. Lord Stepanas looked back at his sister who simply nodded at him, her own eyes wide with surprise. With a heavy sigh, Lord Stepanas agreed to accept the pledge, which he and his men then swore to. Lord Zan told Lord Stepanas that he would also hand back the land he had seized, as a gesture of goodwill. It was more than a war he had won that day.

"After the departure of Lord Stepanas and the men from Stellarine, Lord Zan turned his attention to Lady Millia. He told me, being his chief steward, and oldest friend, to remove his personal possessions from his chambers, which were to be handed over to the Lady Millia. This gave her a suite of rooms and access to his personal garden, a place Lord Zan would use to hide from the pressures of his duty. No one was normally permitted to enter. He himself took modest quarters, near the Command Center. He said he would probably be spending most of his time there anyway. I selected a small group of young ladies to look after the Lady Millia, ones I knew would not treat her any differently, or seek to embarrass her by repeating little confidences. She was genuinely surprised at her treatment.

"Lord Zan became more and more involved in the conflicts with the House of Krekascent, and often accompanied his forces into battle. When he was at home, he would walk with Lady Millia in his garden, where they would talk, about many things. Sometimes, he would find a vantage point above the gardens, and just watch her, unobserved. It was my opinion that he was falling in love with her, for it was during this time that he started to change. Slowly, the coldness thawed, and he started to give more thought to his battle plans. Our casualties fell, and our victories seemed to increase, as if the men were inspired to greater things by a leader they trusted, admired, and whom they loved. For all the time he spent with her, there was never any impropriety. When I questioned the wisdom of spending so much time with her, he told me that she made him feel normal.

"When Lord Zan received the demand that he marry Lady Ava, I saw at once that Lord Zan would accept. I had held some hope that he would arrange to take the hand of Lady Millia in marriage, for in the union of the Houses of Talluvia and Stellarine, I saw great things. From a union with Kreskascent I saw only sorrow. Unable to face Lady Millia himself, he sent me to break the news to her. She took it well, as if it was something she had expected. She did not seem to be bothered by the news, so I concluded that she did not feel for him what he obviously felt for her. However, I had learned from one of her servants later that after I had left, she broke down and did not stop crying for a week. Once he married Lady Ava, Lord Zan restricted his meetings with Lady Millia to just once in a week. This dwindled to once in a month, until he never saw her at all during his last three months.

"Perhaps in a jealous rage, she had contacted the Epsilian fleet, and arranged to lead some soldiers through the hidden pathways that she had discovered during her stay. Perhaps the Epsilians had contacted her, either directly or through an intermediary. Maybe all she wanted was to finally be free of him. One thing is clear though, she was witness to what happened in the royal chambers, for she could not have achieved the death of all four on her own. Surely her fleeing, rather than revealing some treachery from some other source perhaps, is indicative of her guilt. Perhaps it is fitting that the instrument of her undoing was a shawl that Lord Zan gave to her shortly after she arrived. It was her favorite possession, I'm told, a shawl from Epsilian, worthy of a queen."

* * *

"Max!" Jesse hissed. "What have you done? He's as good as hung her!"
"It's not done yet," Max smirked. He rose, and faced the judge after Rath had dismissed Veryn with a smile. "I'd like to call another witness," Max rose and turned to face Rath. "Most of you won't recognize him, but that's good, actually. This will help you realize something."
Max looked to the guard at the back of the room, and waved. The guard opened the door and spoke to someone on the other side. He stepped back to allow admittance. A tall, young man dressed in earthly clothing walked down the center aisle, his stance one of slight arrogance. He walked up to the bench and sat in his seat.
"Doug Shellow?" the combined voices of Maria, Kyle and Liz rang out.
At once, Rath's eyes widened, and a grin broke across his face. He turned to Bektor and started an animated conversation with him.
"Max," Liz hissed. Her mind's eye was already seeing the embarrassing questions that Rath would ask, like 'why had she taken him up to her bedroom?' "Are you sure about this?"
He winked in response. It was an action that surprised Liz. She could not recall a single instance when Max had ever winked at her. She felt more confident now. She knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that Max had solved the whole thing.

"Thanks for coming," Max nodded.
"Pleasure," Doug Shellow grinned. "You don't know how happy I am to be here."
"Could you please tell the court exactly what you told me?"
"Objection," Rath stood up. "What possible information could this human have that would be of interest? The only thing he is useful for is to show yet another instance of the defendant's obsession with other men."
"He has information, your honor. More information than you could ever know, about what happened on Antar, after the deaths of Zan, Rath, Vilondra and Ava, which is why I have brought him up to the ship."
"How did he come by this information?" the judge asked.
"The usual way, I imagine," Max smiled. "Let's just hear what he has to say."

* * *

Doug Shellow sat in the witness seat, and at the nod from Max, began speaking.
"After Lord Zan had released Lord Stepanas and his men, and returned the land captured in the defeat of the House of Stellarine, they all boarded the shuttles provided by Talluvia for their journey home. Every one of them sat quietly with their own thoughts. Lord Stepanas stood by a porthole, and watched the city of Talluvia grow ever smaller. At last, one of his generals approached him, and assured Lord Stepanas that he had nothing to be ashamed of. That he had been honorably defeated in battle by a superior tactician. Lord Stepanas was angry with himself, not so much for having been defeated but for the manner of his release. He could not bear the thought of his sister being held captive by a man such as Lord Zan.

"Again his general tried to comfort him. It was the general's belief that Lord Zan was looking for a way out of the situation he found himself in, a solution that left him on good terms with Stellarine, and without loss of honor for Talluvia. Once his sister had made the offer of honor captive, there was no way out for Lord Zan, without losing face himself. The general had no doubt that he would honor his promise to Lord Stepanas and treat the Lady Millia as he had said--like his own sister. She has her own path, the general had told him. Lord Stepanas was then reminded how his sister was an incredible young woman, and how maybe she might be the one to unite the House of Stellarine with the House of Talluvia.

"The shuttles were met not only by Lord Stepanas' parents, but almost the whole population of the city of Stellarine. Rumors of their release, the pledge they had taken and Lady Millia's part in their release had already reached them. To the citizens, they were all heroes, for the House of Stellarine had emerged from a potential disaster with their honor intact. They were eager to have the rumors confirmed. The estimation of the House of Talluvia grew that afternoon, and continued to grow each time Lord Zan defeated the forces of Kreskascent, who had urged them to start the ill-fated war in the first place. Those, of course were the days before Zan was wedded to Ava.

"Lord Zan allowed every request from the House of Stellarine to visit Lady Millia, and they were pleased to see that she was indeed afforded the luxury and courtesy her position demanded. She seemed almost happy. They knew that Lord Zan could be trusted to keep his promise. The House of Stellarine too had a secret hope that perhaps Lady Millia could win the heart of Lord Zan, for here was an alliance that could possibly forge the beginnings of permanent peace. Regardless of their feelings, they also saw the political expediency in the marriage between the Houses of Talluvia and Krsekascent.

"Great shame fell upon the House of Stellarine when news was received of the treachery committed by Lady Millia. There were those who were afraid that Lord Kivar was right when he claimed that Lady Millia was hiding with her family in Stellarine. Lord Stepanas himself was so outraged at his sister's actions, he formed a group dedicated to hunt her down. Agents were hired amongst the other houses and even other planets. No matter how humiliating the defeat handed to him by Lord Zan, the man was an honorable opponent who deserved an honorable death. When it became clear that Lady Millia had fled the planet, there were only two places to go. Most believed she fled to Epsilian, but Lord Stepanas knew that she had fled to Earth, to again betray Lord Zan, and to prevent his return to Antar. He sent someone to find her and...to hire agents to help find her and... to assassinate her.

* * *

Liz looked over at Doug's solemn face and wondered how he would know such a thing. She then turned to look at Max, standing beside him.
"What's he up to?" Maria hissed from behind her.
"I have no idea," Liz shook her head.
"Mr. Shellow," Max leaned against the bench and hooked his thumbs into his pockets. "Why did Lord Stepanas order her execution, without trial?"
"Lord Zan was in a position to destroy Stellarine, and he could have done it. But he didn't. In releasing those men, and returning their lands, he allowed them to keep their place amongst the ten. What Lady Millia did was a thousand times worse than anything Lord Zan could ever have done."
"He's not an alien, too, is he?" Maria murmured.
"Maybe he's just an agent this Stepanas hired," Isabel shrugged.
"I'm only starting to find how things stand on Antar," Max said with a coolness, as he stared at Bektor, "but you know as well as I do that on Earth, at least in the U.S., a person is innocent until proven guilty."
"What proof do you need? She was obviously at the scene of the crime, the murder weapon was found in her room and she fled the palace, breaking her word."
"From what Veryn explained about honor captives, the Lady Millia became a free woman the moment Lord Zan was... was... you know."
Liz could not help noticing how reluctant Max was to say it. So far, he had experienced death twice.
"Mr. Shellow," Max continued. "The prosecution has built their case on a claim that Liz... you remember Liz, right?"
"I do," Doug nodded in her direction.
Liz felt her cheeks flush at her husband's mischief.
"The prosecution claims that Liz and Lady Millia are one in the same. But you disagree, don't you? I mean, if that were the case, wouldn't you have executed her that February night a few years ago?"
"One of the protectors sent with you was an agent of Lord Stepanas. His duty was to keep him informed of every female that ever got close to you. It was his way of thanking him, acting as his bodyguard against Lady Millia. Well, it seems that you were not one for the girls," he smiled, "because he never contacted anyone."
The human friends exchanged amused glances.
"What?" Connie asked.
"Max never dated anyone until he started to date Liz," Kyle smiled. "He's loved Liz since he first saw her, when they were like, six, or something."
"But that's when he came out of the pods."
"Exactly."
"The more I hear," Connie frowned, "the more Liz sounds like Millia."
"That is," Doug continued, "until a few years ago, when we were told that you and the one called Liz were getting close. I was rushed to Roswell as fast as possible and arrived here a few months after your first meeting. I saw at once that the girl was the image of Lady Millia, but before I assassinated her, I wanted to make sure. I had already killed an innocent before, just because she looked like her."
"Sheila Hubble?" Max asked.
"Was that her name?" Doug shrugged. "You don't know how much guilt I feel over that. She was outside a diner. Her husband had gone inside, leaving her alone. I seized my chance, and he nearly caught me when he returned. I thought that it was Millia, because we knew of Gleed's suspicions, and knew of the woman's mother collapsing under strange circumstances near the cave in which Millia's body lay. We too had suspicions that Lady Millia had somehow contrived to transfer her essence to the unborn fetus."
"So, just how did you plan to identify her?"
"When Liz's friend, Maria entered her for a radio competition, I easily engineered it so that she would win. Then, I fixed it so that I would be chosen as her 'dark haired mystery man.'"
"So the blind date thing had been a set up?" Max widened his eyes more than was necessary.
"Yes," Doug answered. "I had to see if she was just an ordinary human girl, or someone else."
"And?" Max demanded with a little urgency.
"Well, she is definitely no ordinary human girl," Doug smiled. "But neither is she the Lady Millia. If Lord Zan's destiny were with anyone else, no one would be better than her. You're a lucky man, Max."
"Thanks," Max smiled at Liz. "But tell me, how would you have discovered if Liz and Millia were one in the same?"
"From a kiss."
"So you had planned to kiss her?" There was a catch in Max's voice. He hated the thought of anyone kissing Liz, anytime. "How would you have been able to find out from that?"
"As you are aware, Max," Doug smiled. "Some of us get certain insights when we kiss. And if that had been the Lady Millia I was kissing, then trust me, I would have known about it, beyond a shadow of a doubt."
"You know, Doug," Max gave a broad smile. "I get the impression that you are no ordinary college student. How is it that you would have known?"
"Because the Lady Millia was my sister," he chuckled. "My name is Lord Stepanas. And I would very much like to return to Antar now."

* * *

Part 42

"Your witness," Max grinned at Rath.
He returned to his seat at Liz's side while Rath rose, and approached Doug... Lord Stepanas, not quite as sure of himself as he had been, earlier.
"Okay," Maria's voice hissed behind him. "Is anybody else weirded out by this guy? Deliberately planning to kiss his sister? Eeeew."
"How did you find all this out, Max?" Liz asked him. "How did you find out about Doug?"
"When I talked with Langly," Max smiled. "As soon as he heard what was happening, he told me everything he knew. It turns out that he was Lord Stepanas's spy. But he never knew about Lady Millia, and didn't know that you looked like her. So when he saw you with me, it didn't bother him. Anyway, he told me all about Doug and where I could find him. As soon as I spoke to him, Doug suggested that I speak with the other Chamberlain, Veryn. Of course," Max smiled. "Langly said that he's doing all this for you, not me. But there's someone else we need to speak to, as well."
"Who?" Liz frowned.
"You'll see," Max smiled. "In the meantime, I want to enjoy this. Rath has been pretty much going from a script, because as Michael, he knew everything that happened to us. Except this. This is one part of my life that I never talked to him about."
"Why is that, Max?"
"Because it reminds me of how much time I wasted," he looked deeply into her eyes.
"Uh huh," Liz smiled. "Max, tell me everything will be all right."
"I wish I could, Liz," Max's face fell. "We have a long way to go, yet. There's still the matter of the murder charge. I still need to find a way past that. But I can promise you one thing, Liz. I will not let them take you away from me."

***

"Now what, Max?" Jesse watched Rath slink away from Lord Stepanas.
Rath had tried in vain to get the man, as Doug, to tell the court how eager Liz had been to be alone with him. Instead, Doug had told the court how her mind had always been elsewhere, how Liz had done everything in her power to protect Max when she discovered that he had been under the influence of alcohol. He told of how he could not help but see the love and devotion for Max in her eyes, and in her mind when he had kissed her, a kiss she had not returned wholeheartedly.
"I always had the impression that she was only going through the motions because she did not want to hurt my feelings," Lord Stepanas confirmed. "I think that Liz Par... Evans is sometimes too nice for her own good."
"Now we go to the source," Max frowned. "I'm not sure about this, Jesse, but it's the only way."
"Whatever it is, I'm sure she'll understand," Jesse placed his hand on Max's shoulder.
Max nodded, and rose from his seat. "Your honor. The court would like to call as its next witness, Liz Evans."
"Objection," Rath rose. "We have already established that the marriage was void."
"Liz," Max held his hand to her, ignoring Rath and the judge both. "I need you to come up with me."
"Max?" she frowned.
"Please, Liz, trust me."
"I do, Max," she rose and approached him, "but..."
"It's all about Lady Millia, Liz. I need to speak to her."
"Max, she's not here. Surely you don't think that she's inside me, too?"
"No," he smiled. "But I know another way."
Liz sat in the chair, but she would not look up into the audience.
"Liz," Max called, as he lifted the shawl from the table Rath had laid it on the other day. "Do you recognize this?"
"Only from when Michael showed it to us, the other day."
"This shawl belonged to the woman that everybody thinks is you. They accuse her, and you of committing treason against King Zan. Apparently, Zan gave it to her."
"She didn't betray you," Liz sniffed.
"Excuse me?"
"She didn't betray you, Max," Liz looked up.
"How can you be so sure, Liz?"
"She was in love with you. You... you have that affect on people."
They exchanged a smile, although Liz's was weak.
"I wish we could speak to her," Max wrapped one end of the shawl around his hand. "Rath, come up here a moment."
"What game are you playing, your Maj... What are you trying to prove?" he demanded.
"Are you afraid of us? Of Liz? Come up here."
Rath rose and joined his king.
"Feel this," Max handed a corner of the shawl to him. "You too, Liz," Max handed the third corner to her. At once, the three of them were assailed by a wave of images. Max held onto the shawl, formed a three-way connection with the others, and projected what he was seeing into the room.

* * *

Lady Millia was pacing in her private chambers, waiting for the response from her favorite maid. She was a pretty young thing, and although she could trust all the servants that Veryn, once Lord Zan's chief steward, had provided, she trusted this one the most. Lady Millia had been feeling apprehensive for days now, like something terrible was about to happen. At first, she had put it down to the fact that she missed her talks with Lord Zan. Since he had married Lady Ava, his visits had diminished, finally ending about three months before. But he had come to her suddenly, five nights ago.

He arrived secretly in the middle of the night, slipping in like a thief, or perhaps a secret lover. The thought had sent a hot current through her body, as she pretended that this was what he was. In the time she had known Lord Zan, he had never so much as touched her, though there were times when her body screamed out for one. When he sat on her bed, she saw the terrible look on his face.
"My Lord!" she exclaimed. "You startled me."
"Forgive me, milady," he answered softly. "That was not my intention. I needed to ... Are you well?"
"Yes, thank you, my lord," she answered, wondering what he really wanted to say. "I am quite well. And you? Are you well?"
"I am...fine," he smiled. "Lady Ava and my mother see to that."
There was an edge to his voice, one that Lady Millia had never heard in him before. She knew at once that something was wrong.

"You are not fine, my lord," she stated simply. "You are troubled deeply."
He looked up to her then, his eyes filled with the conflict of emotions.
"In all the time I have known you," she continued, "you have always seemed so set in your mind, so determined. The times we talked, when you sought my advice, I always felt you knew what to do, but were seeking reassurance. Yet now, I feel your trouble."
"I wish," he started, but faltered, "I wish I was a simple citizen. I wish I could wake up, and look up to the high tower, knowing the man who leads us will choose the right way, the right plans to defeat the enemy, that I may live in peace."
"So do all great men who have such stern duty placed upon them."

Lord Zan looked up to her again, his brown eyes piercing hers. His eyes were so readable; it was what had led her to believe that he was a trustworthy man. It was how she knew she would be safe in offering herself as an honor captive.
"It's not just that," he sighed. "It would be so nice to be able to be with the woman I love, because I have made that choice. To be with the friends of my choosing. To do what I want to do."
"But all the world knows of your love for your wife. Do you not dedicate each victory to her?"
Again he looked into her eyes, and for the first time, held her gaze while he spoke.
"I dedicate each victory to the woman I love, who is my inspiration," he whispered.
Lady Millia's whole body tingled. Why did he say it like that?

He rose from the bed, and paced about the room.
"I am all things to all people," he said in a sad voice. "To my wife, I am the loving and devoted husband. To my mother, I am the dutiful son. To my sister, I am the caring, supportive brother. To my second in command, I am a leader, mentor, and who knows, perhaps friend. To my generals, I am the man who leads them, gives them their orders, and their duty. To the men who fight for me, I am their inspiration, their confidence; I give them a belief in themselves. To our people, I am their beloved leader, the one who will deliver them from their enemies, the bringer of hope, of freedom, of peace. And to destiny? I am but a pawn."
Lord Zan grew silent, and stared at the floor again.
"I am sorry, my lady. I did not come here to bring you my troubles."
The silence grew between them. Lord Zan seemed stuck, while Lady Millia thought about what he had said.

"Lord Zan?" she asked in a quiet voice. "Who comforts you, when you have need of it?"
He glanced up at her with a questioning look on his face. With all of her might, the Lady Millia strained herself to hear him say her name, that it was she who gave him his comfort.
"I have not met her yet," Lord Zan sighed. "And I am so afraid I never will."
She bit back the tears that threatened to spill, stinging her eyes.
"But know that what comfort I can draw upon, I find here with you," he gave her a weak smile. "Had I been free to select a bride of my choosing, then I would have asked for your hand without hesitation, but I'm afraid I could not love you as you deserve to be loved."
"Why are you here, my lord," Millia turned away so that he would not see the tears that started to fall. "There is something else. If you truly care for me at all, you will tell me."
"I came to tell you that I care deeply for you, my Lady," he sighed. "That and to tell you good bye."
"Are you leaving, my lord?" she frowned, and then panicked at a sudden thought. "Or are you releasing me?"
She did not like the idea of being sent away. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a scroll.

"Here is your freedom, my lady. But I am not sending you away. You may leave whenever you wish to." He smiled at her. "No, I say goodbye, because I am afraid. I have seen my death."
"What?" she gasped. "How? When? Where?"
She was facing him now, tears flowing freely. He held her to him. He felt so good, so strong. She had dreamed of something like this for so long now. She wished he would kiss her.
"You must tell your guards," she urged. "You must make precautions."
"No, my lady," he smiled, stroking her hair. "I was sent a dream. The creator has need of me now. Perhaps he has need of a good general to help defeat the forces of evil among the heavens."
"We all have dreams, my lord," she whispered coldly. "And many that do not come to pass. Did you not consider that your leadership is needed here, more?"
He held her for a few minutes more, and then released her.
"Tell no one of this, please, my lady," he begged. "Always remember that in the absence of my true love, it has always been you who was my inspiration. I pray that we will meet again, where ever He may send me."

She had not seen him since. The previous night she too had a dream in which she saw a vision so frightening, she had to warn him. If what she saw came to be, then all the good that Lord Zan had done would be lost in only a moment. She had sent her maid with a message begging for an audience with Lord Zan. She had to warn him. In that dream, she had seen him lying dead on the floor of the Royal Chambers, in front of a table set for a meal. That in and of itself was a horrible sight, but in her dream, she also saw the deaths of his second in command, his sister, and his wife.

The young maid had finally returned, bearing a sad face.
"Well?" Lady Millia asked, but she knew the answer even before she had asked.
"No, my Lady," the maid replied, looking upset that she had failed. "Balusca intercepted me, three times, trying to get to King Zan. After the third time, he threatened to have me clad in chains."
"Did you find out where he is?"
"Yes, my lady," she smiled a little. "He is with his sister, his wife and Lord Rath in the Royal Chambers. Queen Ava is giving a private banquet in honor of Lord Rath and Lady Vilondra's betrothal.
Lady Millia felt sick. Tonight. It would happen tonight, unless she could get to Lord Zan.

Over the years, her maids had shown her secret passages throughout the palace. Millia had often used them to secretly watch the man she loved. Tonight, she would use them to save his life. Wrapping her shawl, a treasured gift from Zan, around her shoulders, she hurried through the chilled air of the dark passageways. At a point above the Royal Chambers, before the passage descends, a staircase to the secret door into the room, a small ventilation grill afforded her a view to the dining table below. She had watched the four of them often, and became increasingly dismayed by what she had seen. Far from the love and loyal friendship that had been portrayed to the whole of Antar, it seemed that King Zan and Queen Ava shared a relationship of discord and enmity. Instead of celebrating the engagement, they were arguing about it.
"I think it's a stupid idea," Ava spat. "The two of you getting married, just like me and Zan. The thought of Vilondra becoming any more close, sickens me."
"Do you think I like the idea any better than you, Ava," Vilondra sneered. "It's okay for you and Zan. That was politics at its best."
"Or worst," Ava rolled her eyes.
"It's not like I'm in love with Rath," Vilondra continued.
"Thanks," Rath sneered. "So what happened the other night was what? A mistake?"
"Yes," Vilondra placed her hands on her hips. "I was drunk, and you took advantage of me."
"I recall it the other way around," Rath shook his head.
"Zan," Ava demanded. "You have to stop this."
"I fail to see why," Zan shook his head and rubbed the back of his neck.
"Because that will make her almost as important as me. I want the people to love me, not your sister."
"It doesn't matter who they choose to love, as long as we ensure their safety."
"Zan," Vilondra urged. "Ava's right about one thing. Me marrying Rath is a mistake. It would be better if I married someone..." she cast a look of disdain at Rath, "stronger."
"You may not like me," Rath glared at his fiancé, "but at least recognize this match for what it is. Political expediency. The further strengthening of the ties between two houses, formerly the bitterest of enemies. I for one can say, without a shadow of a doubt, that I am loyal to King Zan."

"Thank you, Rath," Zan nodded. "And know that I have valued your opinions and your ideas over the months that we have worked together. Together we shall save Antar." He turned to his sister. "Who do you have in mind?" Zan's eyes narrowed.
"Well," Vilondra looked sheepish. "I mean, I can't think of anyone right now, but..."
"Who are you thinking of, Vilondra?" Zan demanded.
"And everyone knows you don't need him," Vilondra glared at Rath. "We all know that it's you who makes the plans, who chooses our strategy."
"Who is it?" Zan snapped.
"Who do you think you are?" his sister snapped. "You can't command me to reveal my thoughts.
"It's probably that weakling, Stepanas," Ava sneered.
There was a knock at the door.
"I wonder who that can be?" Ava grinned. "I thought this was supposed to be a private affair."
"I don't know," Vilondra seemed nervous. "I... I'll go see."
"You do that, Vilondra dear," Ava smirked.
Vilondra opened the door and stood back to admit half a dozen guards dressed in the livery of the house of Kreskascent.
"What's this?" Zan demanded.
"Kivar has chosen this night to honor the house of Talluvia by presenting you with a great gift," Vilondra's smile spread across her whole face. "Isn't he great?"
"Vilondra?" Zan shook his head. "Is it with Kivar that you seek a marriage?"
"Why not?" she demanded. Both Rath and Zan's mouths fell open. "He's stronger than his simpering protege, and his energy in our alliance would be unbeatable."
"You would throw me over for my mentor?" Rath demanded.
"You are to stay away from Kivar," Zan growled.
"Too late," Kivar smiled stepping into the room. "She's besotted with me."
"What are you doing here, Kivar?" Zan demanded. "Leave at once."
"Take care over your choice of words, Zan," Kivar smirked. "I have six armed guards with me. Who do you have? Your sister?"
"He has me," Rath moved back to stand beside his King and friend.
"What's going on?" Vilondra looked confused. "You said your soldiers would give Zan his gift, and leave."
"They have not as yet delivered his gift," Kivar smiled. "As for you," he glared at Rath. "You are no longer my adopted son. You will die here with Zan."
"Bring it on!" Rath roared while he and Zan reached for their weapons.
The bloodbath was over in seconds, but things did not go as planned. Both Ava and Vilondra had been unable to escape the line of fire and had been cut down. Zan and Rath had killed four of the guards before they themselves had been slain.
"Idiots," he spat. "I said just Zan!"
"We apologize, Lord Kivar," one of them spoke. "But you saw how both Rath and Vilondra fought back. We had to kill them or we would all have died."
"Then you should have died!" Kivar barked. He closed his eyes and composed himself. "Pity," he frowned at Vilondra's dead body. "She might have proved useful to me." His eyes grew wide and turned to face the direction of the grill. "Someone is there."
A guardsman found and opened the door, but all he found in the passage was the shawl.
"It belongs to Millia," Kivar smiled. He pulled out a knife and started to hack Zan's body with it. He handed the blade to a guard. "Take this through to her room." Kivar then wedged the shawl under the door and stood back to look at his handiwork. "And call Larek. Tell him to start the preparations to land."

* * *

A stunned silence descended upon the courtroom. When Max slipped the shawl from Liz's fingers, she started to slip forward and would have fallen to the floor had Max not caught her in his arms.
"Do you have any questions?" Max glared at Rath, as though he was daring him to find some.
Rath, as stunned as the rest of the audience, shook his head, staring at the shawl with a blank expression.
"She is dismissed," the judge nodded.
Max lifted her to him, her arms wrapped around his neck and she buried her face into his neck. Max could feel her hot tears dropping onto him.
"Is it over?" she sobbed.
"Not yet," he whispered. "But soon."
Max didn't bother to put Liz into her seat. Instead, he sat down and kept his wife sitting on top of him, as though he meant to protect her like this for the rest of their lives.
"Your Majesty," the judge asked. "Do you have any further witnesses?"
"No," Max shook his head. "No further witnesses."
The judge nodded and looked over to the jury.
"The counsels will now deliver their closing arguments," he informed them. "Then we will ask for your verdicts."

Rath broke away from his heated discussion with Bektor and walked into the middle of the room. He glanced once at Max, narrowed his eyes and then turned to face the hushed crowd.
"That was quite a story, wasn't it?" he smiled. "I wonder, the defense has tried to point out that the wi..." Rath turned to look at Max again, frowning. "The defense has built it's case on the supposition that the accused is not the Lady Millia. If that were true, how then, would she know of what happened during those last days? And in either case, can her word be trusted?" Rath stood with his arms raised in supplication. "The defense will try to argue that she sees things. The prosecution does not disagree. Rather, we say that the reason she sees these things is because she and the Lady Millia are in fact, one in the same. Lord Stepanas claims that he would have recognized his sister's presence, but would he? Remember that earthling? If Lady Millia had managed to transfer her essence to her, and thence to another host, would she not be suitably diluted so as to hide her presence from those who once knew her? And what of her claims that it was Kivar who killed the Royal Four? Why would Kivar kill his beloved daughter, and his adopted son? The concept beggars belief. No. The accused IS Lady Millia, and she did betray King Zan and the others to the enemy, and sought to betray him again, indeed, has done so time and time again, down on the planet Earth. Not only that, she did kill Queen Ava upon her return. Ladies and gentlemen of the court, the prosecution stands convinced of her guilt. We trust that you are, too."

"I thought we had done it," Jesse shook his head. "Look at them Max." He nodded at the jury. "A moment ago, they knew that Liz wasn't this other woman. Now that's gone."
"Max?" Liz grabbed his arm. She looked up into his eyes.
"It will be okay, Liz. I refuse to accept that we have gone through everything we have for it to end here like this."
"Your Majesty?" the judge called.
Max hugged Liz, and rose from his seat. Holding her hand for as long as possible, he stepped into the middle of the room.
"The law states that the accused is innocent until proven guilty. Is that not so?"
Everyone was nodding.
"It's like that where I was raised, too," Max nodded. "But still injustice happens on a... regular basis. Clever lawyers," Max cast Jesse an apologetic glance, "free the guilty while corrupt officials jail the innocent. I would hate to see such acts of... barbarism afflict Antar, as well." Max took a deep breath and looked around the room. "I would not wish to rule over such a world." He shook his head. "My conscience would not allow it. Liz here," he raised his hand toward her, "has been accused of the murder of Tess, the one you call Ava. The prosecution's only evidence of this is that neither were in the room when everyone woke up." Max shook his head and paced across the room. "Well, is that evidence of murder? Rath here has not produced one single shred of factual evidence that Liz killed her. He hasn't even suggested how she did it. Yes, Liz has powers now." Max raised his arm, facing his palm outwards. "Yes, she blasted Tess against the wall, but even Rath knows that we are unable to kill each other with that blast. Besides, Tess had an amazing ability to protect herself. She was able to make people see things she wanted them to see." Max shuddered. "If you convict Liz of murder on only the word of one who has stated that he wishes her eliminated, then I cannot be a party to such a world."
A low murmur spread throughout the room. Jesse grinned at Max and gave him the thumbs up.
"As to treason." Max crossed to Liz, and took her hand. He led her to the center of the room, standing with him. He looked into her eyes, and held them while he spoke. "Liz is incredible. Sure, Rath can twist her words so that everything that Liz has ever done makes her look bad in your eyes, but he knows the truth. He knows that everything Liz has ever done, no matter how bad it seemed, she did it for me." He turned from Liz, and looked out at his people. "And that means that ultimately, she did it for you. All of you. And this is how you repay the pain, the guilt and the heartache that this..." He looked at Liz again, raised her hand to his lips and kissed it, "this most amazing person in the whole universe has endured, all because she chose to fall in love with me. We've just heard evidence that Liz is not the Lady Millia and that the Lady Millia had no hand in the murder of your leaders. The prosecution, however, persists with that myth. I ask you to consider carefully, for your decision could ultimately hand our enemies the victory that has so far eluded them. And know this." Max led Liz back to her seat, and stood behind her. "Wherever Liz goes, I go. If you decide to get rid of her, well, you have to go through me, first."
There was another silence throughout the room as Jesse, followed by the others, reached across and patted Max on his back.
"Us too," Maria whispered to him. "One for all and all for one. Right?"
"Right," four voices echoed her.

"Members of the jury," the judge broke the silence. "I ask that you discount that last comment by the King. Clearly, he is not thinking straight. You know as well as I that he is unable to stop the course of justice. Base your outcome on the facts as you have seen them. Now, have you reached a decision?"
"Just like that?" Jesse voiced his concern. "Don't they need to go away and discuss it?"
"What for?" the judge raised his eyebrows. "They already know whether she is guilty or not." He turned back to the jury. "Well? Have you reached your decision?"
"Boing, boing," Kyle observed, dryly.
"We have, your honor," one of the twelve men nodded.
"What is your verdict on the charges of the murder of the Queen of Antar?"
"On the charges of the murder of Queen Ava, we the jury find the defended, not proven."
"That's better than guilty," Jesse smiled. "Well done, Max."
Behind him, his friends reached across and slapped his back, again. Max and Liz exchanged relieved smiles.
"What is your verdict on the charges of Treason against the Royal Seal of Antar?"
"On the charges of Treason against the Royal Seal of Antar," the man intoned. There was a pause. Millions of ears throughout a galaxy strained to hear.
"Guilty."

* * *


Sorry. Did you really think it would come out any other way? You know me and my penchent for cliff hangers.

Part 43

"No!" Max cried. His shield instantly appeared to surround both he and Liz.
"No!" Maria stood up and screamed.
"Jesse," Isabel reached over and grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled him back. "Kyle, help me."
The two of them dragged a dumbstruck Jesse away from Max's shield.
"Rath," Bektor ordered, pointing at the green, shimmering barrier. "Perform your duty! Execute her!"
Rath didn't move. He was standing motionless, looking from Bektor, to Max, surrounded by his shield. His face was a mask of indecision. He stared at the shield in particular. His eyes grew distant.
"Guards!" the judge called out.
A dozen red clad guardsmen hurried down the aisle and started to pour energy against the shield, seeking to weaken it. Max's friends looked on in fearful frustration.
"How long can he hold it?" Maria stared with wide-eyed terror as Max's green shield was surrounded by a blaze of white light.
"If Liz's life is at stake," Kyle shook his head, "I'm betting he'll die before he gives it up."
"Someone has to do something!" Isabel cried.
"No!" Rath suddenly roared.
It was like a battle cry, drowning all the noise in the room. He started to hurl bolts of energy, not at the shield, but at the guards that attacked it. Three of them had been knocked away before they realized that they were under attack. From the other side of the room, Isabel leapt into action and copied him. She too started to hurl energy at the guards. She knocked one away. Kyle grunted with frustration as he aimed his hand and tried to make something happen.
"You're wrong!" Rath shouted. "This is wrong! Stop this now!"
If anyone was listening, no one took any notice. More guards rushed into the room, and after and exchange of energy blasts, subdued both Rath and Isabel. The other humans, too, were seized. This time, instead of a dozen guardsmen working on Max's shield, there were now two dozen.
"Max!" Isabel wailed as she saw that his shield was wavering.
"Liz!" they all cried when Max's shield vanished completely.

* * *

From within the safety of his shield, the young lovers clung to each other as though their lives depended upon it. They drew what comfort they could from their deep, abiding love for each other.
"Max," Liz looked into her husband's eyes. She could almost see his life force slipping away as he struggled to maintain his shield. "You have to let go."
"Not a chance," he grimaced. His voice was weak.
"No, Max," she shook her head and laid her hands on his arms. "You'll only kill yourself, and then they'll charge me with your murder too. Don't let them take your love away from me like that. Stay, so that you can tell your people how much I loved you."
"I can't live without you," Max begged his wife with his eyes. Tears rimmed them, and one trickled down his cheek. "Don't leave me."
"I won't leave you, Max," Liz started to weep with him. "I'll always be with you. In here." She placed both of her hands over his heart. "For as long as you keep me there."
"Forever, Liz," the tears fell from Max's eyes. "Always."
"Say goodbye to the others for me, Max, and please, save our planet. Save our family."
"I will, Liz," his voice started to break up. "And I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry that I got you into this."
"No, Max. If you hadn't gotten me into this, I would have died three years ago. Remember? Thank you, Max." She kissed his lips. "Thank you for those three years. Thank you for all of the wonderful moments we shared together."
She kissed him again, and together, through the connection that had brought them so close to each other, they watched those incredible moments fly past them. Their first kiss, their magical dates, the tender moments, and ultimately, their wedding in the foothills of Idaho where they had made so many promises.
"Goodbye, Max," Liz sobbed when Max's shield vanished. "I love you."
"And I love you," Max hugged her. "I'm so sorry."
As Max's shield finally vanished, they heard their friends screaming her name.

* * *

"IN THE NAME OF THE QUEEN OF ANTAR," a loud voice bellowed above the noise in the room. "STOP THIS!"
A loud piercing whistle reverberated around the room, attracting everyone's attention. Bektor held his arms out, hands flat, indicating that the guards hold their fire.
"Who disturbs the execution of Antarian justice?" he demanded, searching above the heads of the audience who were all standing on their feet looking around with a confused expression.
A small whisper started to build among the people, spreading throughout the room.
From their position on the floor, Max and Liz looked first at their terror stricken friends, and then to where the shout came from. Rath was by their side, helping them both to stand.
"I'm so sorry, Max," he would not meet his friend's eyes. "You too, Liz. They made... they used..."
"It's okay, Michael," Max's exhausted voice came out in a cracked whisper. He knew that somehow, his friend had managed to beat the signal with which they had controlled him. "We know."
"But I said things... Liz, I... I..."
"Forget it, Michael," her entire being was now focussed on Max. "Help me get Max onto the seat."
"But we need to get you out of here," Michael protested. "While their attention is diverted."
The buzz around the room was distinct now. They were all mumbling two phrases. The first was 'Ava', and the second was 'Your Highness.'
"You call this travesty 'Justice', Bektor?" Kalyn demanded. Her face was a mixture of guilt and anger. "All I see here is a bunch of frightened people twisting the truth to suit their own needs, caring little for the feelings of your King. Is that justice? After this, I would be surprised if we still have a King."
"Kalyn," Bektor was surprised to see her. His eyes widened when he saw her companion. "Your Highness," he bowed low.
"Bektor," Ava nodded. "As pompous as ever, I see."
Max and Liz exchanged frowns. The woman speaking sounded nothing like Ava, nor Tess.
Ava looked over to see Max, now sitting on the witness chair, with Liz leaning against him. Ava's face showed a deep sense of loss.
"Max," she smiled. She turned to Liz and nodded. "Cornball." There was a small grin on her face.
Liz couldn't help grinning back.
"Ava has something to say," Kalyn announced to the gathered crowd. "Something of vital importance. Something that you might not want to hear, but you had better listen. You have just made a huge mistake."
"What is it you wish to say, your Highness?" Bektor gave another florid bow toward Ava.
"I need to fill you in," she turned to address the audience, now starting to seat themselves. "On some missing parts of the story. It goes back to Lady Millia, just after she saw Zan's murder. And trust me, it happened like you saw. Lady Millia was not involved in the death of the Royal Four. And her subsequent actions were all to help the man she had fallen in love with. You see, horrified, and upset beyond words - after all, she had just seen the man she loved murdered - Millia fled through the secret passageways back to her room. But she took a wrong turn, and managed to lose herself...

* * *

Millia was lost. During her flight, she had turned herself around so many times, she didn't even know in which part, or indeed, on which level of the palace she was on. In the dark passageways, she kept going, weeping over Zan's death. It had felt as though her wanderings had taken days. At long last, she saw light, followed it, and found herself in a small chamber, above a small laboratory. Through a vent in the floor, she could see the occupants, and more importantly, hear them.
"Is it all done?" a familiar voice from an unseen person asked. Where had she heard the voice before?
"Yes," the technician nodded. "The coordinates for their landing have been transmitted to our friends. Already, we have sent our fighters ahead of their scout ships."
"Good," the stranger's voice laughed. "When they are reborn, they will find men loyal to me waiting for them."
"It will be good to have a strong ruler. But how will you ensure loyalty of the house of Talluvia?"
"I have been seducing the Lady Vilondra for months now. I shall see to it that she returns to Antar, and will rule by my side. In name only. Zan will have charges made against him, and I will personally execute him."
"Do you think you will be then granted the Royal Seal? Only the Granolith can transfer the seal from one King to another. Supposing it chooses another?"
"The Granolith is but a tool. It can be controlled. I will make it give me the seal, and then I will pass the Queen's seal to Vilondra, and she may then bear my children. The line of Kivar will be long and powerful."
"Antar will soon rule not only the five planets, but the entire universe as well."
"I will not forget your loyalty, Doodrah. You have done well."
"Thank you, my Lord."

No, Lady Millia shook her head. She had to warn Zan. She spent the next few days haunting the secret passages, and listening in on the secret conversations of many she had believed to have been loyal to Zan. She heard of the plan to send them to Earth to be reborn, and also of the treachery planned against them. There was no doubt in Millia's mind. She had to somehow protect her beloved King. She had managed to find her way to the launching bay, from which she knew they would launch the scout ships that would be sent to collect the samples of DNA. As she waited for the opportunity to sneak on board one of them, she came across the technician, Doodrah. He was to pilot one of the scout ships. She did not consider it to be murder, for she knew he was guilty of treason. Millia killed him, destroyed his body, and snuck on board the scout ship in his stead. She would find where Zan would be reborn, and be on hand to supply whatever assistance she could.

* * *

As with the other scout ships, Millia slipped through the Epsilian lines undetected, and activated the transference drive. This means of propulsion would send her across the millions of light years in but a few months. Only the Granolith could travel faster. Emerging from the state of energy that allowed them to travel so fast, the scout ships found themselves running the gauntlet of Epsilian fighters. They had been waiting for them. Throwing her ship into maneuvers never dreamed possible by the ship's manufacturers, Millia, along with a dozen or so of the others, managed to escape to the Earth's atmosphere. As she entered, however, her ship was struck and she crashed into the desert below. Balanced on the ledge of a lake and a rock ledge, Millia crawled from her cockpit, more dead than alive. She found the cave, crawled to the back and, hidden by some rocks, allowed her survival cocoon to envelop her. There she stayed until one of the protectors found her. Her senses, still functioning, watched him with a wary regard. He seemed undecided as to what he should do, and visited her on many occasions. When he brought with him the young female student, and explained his plan to have her essence transferred, Millia came up with a plan of her own, one that would allow her to protect Zan. Using every ounce of willpower, Millia transferred her essence into Gleed, not to use him as a host, but merely as a means of transportation. After a while, as she had hoped, he returned to the Pod Chamber located in the sewers of New York. As Gleed had explained to the young woman, Millia found that one of the pods had been damaged. She knew at once whose pod it was that had been damaged. Her essence was dead and the body was just an empty shell. Using her willpower again, Millia transferred her own essence into the body of...

* * *

"Ava!" Liz squeaked. "You are Lady Millia?"
"That's right, Liz," she smiled. "And you're the one Zan was already in love with, even though he didn't know who you were."
"His love, his inspiration," she smiled, hugging Max.
"Always," Max grinned.
"Preposterous!" Bektor spluttered. A sudden thought struck him. His eyes widened and his face fell. "If you are not really Ava, then all is lost. No one possesses the Queen's seal!"
"Not so!" Kalyn shouted with shake of her head. "The Queen's seal is safe and well. Neither Ava nor the one called Tess had it. Which would explain the lack of Antarian Heritage in the child Ava returned to Antar with."
"Could someone run that by us mere Earthlings?" Maria piped up.
Kalyn smiled at her. "When the Granolith grants Kingship to a worthy individual, it grants him both the King's and the Queen's seal. When the King chooses his bride, and she is proved worthy, he will transfer the Queens seal to her. Only with the seal in place will an offspring posses the capacity to accept the King's seal, should it be needed to pass down. This is a move that guarantees the Crown Prince was, in fact, fathered by the King. It also removes spurious claims from bastard offspring should the King be sowing his regal oats elsewhere."
"So the fact that when Ava brought Zan back to Antar, he was rejected, meant that Ava didn't posses the Queen's seal?" Liz wondered out loud.
"That is correct," Kalyn nodded. "Which was all too apparent when she placed little Zan on the King's throne. Only one born from the seal may be seated so. It was a death sentence. Zan died ten minutes later."
"What?" Max rose, staring at Kalyn. His face drained of color. "What do you mean, died? I... I saw him." Tears rimmed his eyes. He looked around to his friends for confirmation. "We saw him."
"I... I'm sorry, Your Majesty," Kalyn looked startled and backed away. "I... I though you knew." Worry sprang to her face. "Had I known, I would have broken the news a little..."
"All this time?" Max could hardly breath. "He was dead all this time?"
"He... he was killed, when Ava tried to pass him off as the Prince. When she returned to Earth, Ava must have taken a human child from one of the inhabitants on Antar, and passed him off as yours. I am only speculating here, but my guess is that she returned in an effort to try to get you to impregnate her again. I guess she didn't know about the seal."
"She must have come for those eggs we found, Max," Liz hugged her husband. "Max, I'm so sorry."
"My son died?" Max looked so sad. "But I felt him. He called out to me."
"Max," Liz stood in front of him and looked up into his eyes. Her entire bearing was one of sympathy, and support. She would help him through anything. Even this. "You said yourself. You sensed he was in danger. And he was. But it was only that once. You never heard from him again, did you?"
"No," he shook his head. "But why didn't she tell me? You know, in the end when she told me that there was no link to her after all? And why was she so concerned about someone else's child then?"
"A mothers instinct, I guess, Max. Even though the child wasn't hers doesn't mean she would not have wanted to care for it." Liz held her hands to her husband's devastated face.
"Or maybe she had convinced herself that the baby really was Zan," Isabel stepped to her brother's side. "She couldn't exactly have been thinking straight. The loss of Zan must have affected her just like it's affecting you. Worse, maybe."
"But she could have told me," Max looked around him. "Why would she hide that from me?"
Because she wanted to spare you any more pain," Liz held him. "By then, she had given you up, Max. She finally realized that you would never love her, that she would never have what she wanted from you, or that she could get to those eggs, so she decided to let you go. She told me how you still loved me, how you still thought of me even while you were with her. She knew we would make it, Max. By not telling you the truth about your son, she spared you that final pain." Liz paused. "Perhaps she believed that by letting you raise Zan as your own she was in some way making amends. She muttered the funniest thing as she walked toward the base."
"What was that?"
"She said, 'I have too got a soul.'"
"Oh, god," Kyle groaned. He looked upset with himself. "I accused her of not having one. I wish I could take it back."
"Her spirit is around, Kyle," Ava smiled. "She knows."
"What's this about humans on Antar?" Jesse asked, his eyes narrowed.
"Over the years, some subjects we have examined have not wished to return to their planet," Kalyn turned to Jesse. While being tested, they saw glimpses of Antar and wished to go there. We have a small population of them now."

"Then all is not lost," Bektor interrupted. "If Zan still possesses the Queen's seal, he can transfer it to Ava, I mean, Millia. Kivar needn't know. She wasn't on the stand when she confessed to us. Antar will not have seen her confession. When Zan and Millia return to Antar, she can maintain this masquerade and they can still unite the houses."
"Have you not listened to a single thing that has been said in this room, Bektor?" Kalyn demanded. "It is not Ava, nor is it Millia who Max loves. Even as Zan, he always longed for someone else. And he's found her, right here in Elizabeth Park... Elizabeth Evans."
"But..."
"Besides. I'm afraid that what you propose is just not possible," Kalyn shook her head.
"Why not?" Bektor demanded. "This is important, Kalyn. The future of Antar is at stake."
"I know, Bektor. And it's no wonder with blind fools like you so trapped in your traditions and set in your archaic ways. It was your obstinate refusal to change that led us to that war with Epsilian in the first place."
"That doesn't change the fact that we need a Queen."
"And after what you put Liz through, I'm surprised that we don't need a King, too. We already have a Queen, you... blind imbecile." Kalyn spat. She approached Liz and gave a graceful curtsy. "Your Highness," she greeted her. "I am your loyal servant, Serena Kalyn."

* * *

"Would you care to explain to us what's going on," Max shouted over the noise of the crowd's reaction. He had wrapped his arms around Liz, not liking the looks that were suddenly directed in Liz's direction. He could not work out what they meant.
"Will you let me explain?" Ava asked Kalyn.
Kalyn nodded. Ava approached Max and Liz.
"Remember when you told me how Max healed you? That was when I knew. I knew that you were the one he was thinking of all those years ago on Antar, when I was so in love with him, yet crushed by the thought that he loved another. So I touched you, and I felt the seal. I knew then that Max had transferred it to you already. He probably didn't even know, but his essence did."
"When he did the reverse connection with me?" Liz blinked.
"Yeah," Ava smiled. "And with it came the special abilities of yours. Only, until you went through the transition, the only one you could use was your projection to Max. Like the time you saved his bacon in New York."
"So when I started to zone out, and get the green electricity stuff... when I got sick that time, it was the transition?"
"That's right," Ava nodded. "Your body was changing you. Making you ready to accept Max's heir. That's where your abilities come from, especially your premonitions. That's why you were able to zap Tess. That's how you were able to rescue Max that time he was trapped in the body of that man, Wheeler, and you restored him to his own."
"How do you know about that?"
"I read this," she held up the book Kalyn had been trying to translate. "Sorry."
"My journal?" Liz's mouth fell open. "How did you get that?"
"Kalyn stole it from your father. She couldn't read it, so I translated it for her."
"So you know all about the future thing?"
"Yeah," Ava nodded. "Geez, that must have been hard."
"You have no idea," Liz shook her head. So how come he never warned me about my changes? He could have told me what was going to happen to reassure me that it was going to be all right."
"It never happened to you in that time line."
"How do you know?"
"Because the transition is stopped the moment you consummate your relationship. In that time, the two of you consummated before the transition started, so you never went through it. That was why they lost. See, although you held the Queens seal, you weren't ready to use it. Without the Queen's seal, you were not strong enough to replace Ava. So you see, he was wrong. All he needed to ask you was not to give up your virginity to him until after your transition."
"How was I supposed to know that?" Max demanded, a little hurt by the silent accusation that it had all been the fault of him, his hormones, and his love for Liz.
"I guess you weren't," Ava smiled, placing her hand on his arm. "But at least you waited this time, and in so doing, have given us a strong Queen."
"Antar will not follow a human," Bektor announced.
"Antar will follow Zan," Ava stated. "And he's a hybrid. So they don't need to follow a human. Did you expect Ava to lead us into battle? Get real."

"I have a question," Kyle raised his hand, feeling like a schoolboy.
"Ask away," Ava grinned.
"You said that Liz got her powers 'cause Max did something to her. She didn't get them just because he healed her?"
"No," Kalyn shook her head. "Her powers come from the seal, and the fact that she is a remarkable young woman."
"So anyone else that Max healed... They won't..."
"Get any powers? No," Kalyn smiled. "It doesn't work like that. Sorry."

"Why did Michael go so out of whack when he got the seal?" Maria asked. "And how come it doesn't affect Max or... Liz," she grinned at her friend, "like that?"
"That's simple," Kalyn smiled. "Because Liz is so much in love with Max, she would never consider anyone else."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Michael demanded.
"The seals work as a pair. Either the King holds both of them, or he has one, and the Queen, once it had been given, has the other. As a pair, they only work well when they are in unison. If they start to separate, for whatever reason, like when Liz was starting to let Max go, it can knock the King's balance out. They start to behave in a very peculiar manner, as the entries that Ava read from your journal indicate. Now, when Michael received the King's seal, he would only have been in balance if he had both seals, or if the Queen agreed to change her allegiance. She refused to give up on Max, and would love him, even if he weren't the king, so Michael was out of balance. Because it was with Liz, the Queen's seal did not support him. I have no doubt that had Tess been Queen, she would have switched allegiance, as she was always power hungry."
"Isn't that kind of dangerous?" Liz asked.
"The Granolith would have taken the Queen's seal back, had it have been here. As it was, it was Max who took the King's seal. Because he had previously held it, and it had not been revoked by the Granolith, he was allowed to do so. Should Kivar try to take it by force, then he would have died."

"What are my unique powers?" Michael asked. "Max has his shield and healing. Liz can project and see the future, Isabel can dream walk. All I seem to have is my blaster, but we all have that. What can I do?"
"You mean you never found out?"
"No," Michael shook his head.
"First of all, you will only have one. The royal seal grants additional powers, which is why they both have two," Kalyn indicated Max and Liz. "Although you were Zan's second in command, your strength was not your flair for tactics. Zan was always the better tactician. Your talent was more in the intelligence gathering. You told Zan how the enemy was aligned and he reacted accordingly. Oh, you often made good suggestions, so you made a good team."
"How did I gather intelligence?"
Kalyn looked around the room. She pointed at the guard by the door who, like all the others in the room, watched the scene in the middle as though it was a television soap opera.
"Concentrate on him, and see what he sees."
Michael frowned, but did as he was asked. He concentrated on the guard, and for a brief moment, he saw the room as the guard saw it. He was looking through the guard's eyes."
"Dammit!" he jumped. "I really did that?"
"You did," Kalyn nodded. "Think how you can now see what the enemy sees. You can now move from one to another, as long as you can see your target, whether from your position, or from your current viewing location. I'll help you practice later."
Michael turned to Max and grinned.
"Those skins won't know what hit them."
"The Epsilians on Earth are of no consequence to us," Bektor shook his head. "We will place the humans back on Earth, transfer you to Antarian bodies, and return to Antar, along with her highness, of course. At once."

"Bektor," Max frowned. "Is your title hereditary?"
"No, sire," he shook his head. "It is granted by the keeper of the Royal Seal's. Either the Granolith if there is no King, or the by the King."
"Good," Max grinned. "You're fired. Kalyn, you take his job.
"But..." Bektor stood with his mouth open.
"Ava... I mean... Millia," Max ignored him and turned to the blond girl who looked so much like Tess. He had to force himself to take her hands. "Thank you."
Ava looked up at Max with tears pooling in her eyes.
"What you have done for me...us today... what you have done for me in the past... I... Thank you."
"No thanks are needed, Your Majesty."
"You can call me Max," he smiled.
"Thank you," she grinned through the tears that blurred her vision.
"There's nothing for you here on Earth, is there?"
"No," she shook her head. "Not anymore."
"Perhaps you would like to return to Antar with Lord Stepanas? I'm sure that can be arranged."
Ava exchanged a glance with her brother.
"I'd like that," she smiled. She ran into Max's arms and hugged him. "Look after yourself, sire." She kissed his cheek, and moved to Liz. "Take care of him, please," she whispered after pulling Liz into an embrace. She winked at her. "Cornball."
"You know I will," Liz whispered back, her own tears stinging her eyes.
"Yeah," Ava smirked. "I guess I do."
Lord Stepanas went to his sister and with his arm around her shoulders, he led her from the courtroom.

"My Lord," Jesse turned to face the judge, still imobile behind his bench. "In light of this new evidence, I request that the sentence be reconsidered."
"Case dismissed," he nodded, not without a little fear in his eyes. "All charges against Elizabeth Par... Evens are hereby dropped. Your Majesty?" he called. "Your highness? Please forgive me... I..."
Max ignored him, and turned back to his friends.
"Wow," Kyle shook his head. "Talk about your courtroom drama. Maybe we should sell the film rights. We could make a fortune. Brad Pitt could play me."
"What are our plans now, Max?" Michael asked. "Ow! What did you kick me for, Maria?" Michael started hopping up and down on one foot, clutching his shin.
"For all the dumbass things you put Liz through. Moron."
"That wasn't me!" he complained. "That was Rath. Ow! Stop kicking me!"
"Nuh-uh," Maria shook her head. "You're not getting off that lightly. Where are all your things?"
"In my room, why? Ouch! Stoppit!"
"Good, cause that's where they're staying. Don't even think about moving in with me. Come on, Liz. Let's you, me, Isabel and Connie go have a girl's night. Do you think that as Queen you can get any ice cream shipped up here? I'll let the guys deal with Guerin."
Liz started to chuckle as she watched Maria trying to hide the limp she received from kicking Michael as she headed for her room. She glanced over her shoulder and only started to follow when Max nodded to her with a smile. They would have time to celebrate together later.

"Thank you, Jesse," Max shook his brother-in-law's hand.
"What for?" he shrugged. "It was all you."
"Team effort, guys," Kyle smiled, wrapping his arms over both of their shoulders. "I wonder if they have any beer up here? Now I know I'm not turning into one of you, I don't have to worry about going teetotal."
"Are Bhuddists allowed to drink?" Jesse asked.
"This one is," Kyle laughed.
Kalyn stood beside Bektor, unsure of what to do.
"The girls are heading that way, Serena," Max smiled, nodding toward their retreating backs. Why don't you go with them?"
"Oh, no," she shook her head. "I couldn't. I mean..."
"You were friends before, in that other time," Max smirked. "There's no reason why you shouldn't be her friend again."
"Am I really fired, Sire?" Bektor whined. "What I did was only for the good of Antar."
"Yes," Max nodded. "And it wasn't what you did that was the problem. It was how you did it. However, while I'm on the ship, I'm going to need someone to help me. We need to decide what to do first."
"First, Sire, you need to transfer to your Antarian body."
"You just don't get it, do you?" Max stared him with a look of incredulity. "Like I said before. Its not gonna happen."
"Antar will not follow a human."
"Suits me," Max shrugged. "How does that phrase go? It's my way or the highway."
"I have a suggestion as to what we should do first," Jesse interrupted.
"What?" Max turned to face him.
"Take a leaf out of the girl's book and celebrate," He slapped Max's back. "You did it, man. You pulled it off."
"Perry couldn't have done it any better," Kyle grinned.

* * *

Part 44
* * *

The door to their room opened with an audible swish, and fresh from her girl’s night out session with her friends, Liz stepped in to the Royal apartment she shared with Max.
“Did you have a good time?” Max asked from the bed on which he was laying. His face broke into a smile as soon as he saw her enter.
“Yeah,” she smiled, crossing the room to join her husband. “It was great. Serena’s a really nice person. Did you know that she used to be a scientist? She was one of the team that prepared your pods and DNA and essence and stuff.” Liz raised her eyebrows with an amused smile. “I think she has a crush on you.”
“Me?” Max looked startled.
“Yeah,” she grinned. “Though I trust you’ll not take advantage of that information. I’ve heard all about you Kings and your concubines.”
“That’s not even funny,” Max growled.
“Sorry,” Liz’s eyes twinkled. Her face grew more concerned. She stroked the side of his face with her hand. “You look tired.”
“I am,” he agreed. “Two weeks without sleep is a long time.”
“Well, I’m safe now, Max, thanks to you, and Ava. I mean, Millia. Your people have accepted that it’s me by your side and not Ava, so you can sleep now. What’s holding you back?”
“You,” he smiled.
“Me?” Liz’s face exploded with surprise.
“Yeah,” he nodded. “Do you realize that it’s been… too long since we last…”
“Uh huh,” Liz smiled. “Is that all you think about?”
“It’s a human male condition. Genetics. Every fifteen minutes or something.”
“Is that so?” Her eyes twinkled. “Every fifteen minutes?”
“Apparently.”
“Do you think you’re up to it? I mean, you won’t fall asleep on me, will you?” Liz started to giggle. “I’d hate to be left high and dry.”
“Trust me, Liz Evans,” he rose from the bed and stepped into her embrace. “You won’t go wanting.”
“It seems like I’ve heard that somewhere before,” her face lit up.
“And?”
“And what?”
“Have you been?”
“Well,” she teased as Max pulled her shirt off from over her head. “This last week seems to stand out as particularly empty.”
“Does it,” Max’s mouth descended upon her bared shoulders as his hands fumbled with the button to her jeans. “Maybe I should do something about that then.”
“Oh,” a soft sigh escaped Liz’s lips. “Yes please.”
She turned her attention to Max’s clothing and with the fumbling of buttons, and the swish of cloth, both were soon naked. Max lifted her small frame into his arms and turned to the bed.
“Now,” he smiled while laying her down. “To make this special.”
He waved his hand over a small plate fixed to the wall above his bed. It seemed as though one of the walls vanished, allowing the young lovers to look down upon the distant planet with the speckled stars stretching away behind it.
“Wow,” was Liz’s only response. “Can we see Earth from here?”
“No,” Max shook his head. “We’re using Pluto to shield us from their telescopes and things. But that bright star, just there,” he pointed, “is our sun.”
Liz started to laugh.
“What’s so funny?” Max grinned at her infectious giggling.
“Remember that time when we flew home from Puerto Rico? You know?” She leaned closer to him. “When we joined the mile high club,” she whispered.
“Uh huh,” he smirked, giving a silent laugh at her bashfulness, even now.
“Well, I guess we’re about to start an exclusive new club. How many miles up are we, do you think?”
“Forty billion,” Max shrugged as he caressed Liz’s soft skin. “Give or take.”
“You don’t think that accuracy is all that important for something like this?” she raised her eyebrows.
“No,” he nuzzled his chin into the crook of her neck, nibbling at her throat. “I think the important factor here is the level of enjoyment.”
“Oh, yes!” she agreed, gasping as his teasing fingers found her. “Forty billion mile high club it is.”
“Plus a few feet,” Max pulled back and grinned.
“How do you figure that?” Liz moaned into his shoulder as his fingers teased her.
Max waved his hand over the plate again, and the two of them, still entwined, floated into the air.
“Zero ‘G’.”
“Make love to me, Max,” Liz begged. “It’s been too long.”
Max complied with her Royal Highness’ request.

* * *

“Maria?” Michael called through her door, giving a light knock.
As second-in-command and, technically, in charge of Max’s security, he had the authority to enter her chambers uninvited, but he was finally learning some wisdom from Max and he decided against such a tactic.
“Get lost, Guerin!” she spat.
He could sense her venom through the door. Although both Max and Liz had forgiven him for his behavior when the Sentient Enhancement device was controlling him, Maria had not.
“We need to talk,” he continued.
“What about? Oh, I know. How about how you wanted to execute Liz?”
“I told you… Max told you, that person wasn’t me. That was Rath.”
“It was you, Michael. You were the one who kept Liz locked up, away from Max, trying to make her confess that she wanted to hurt him. After everything she did for you, how could you just… forget?” The anger dripped from her voice.
“And a part of me was screaming out when I did it. Do you have any idea what kind of nightmare I lived through? Look, I’m not proud of what I did, all right? But Rath’s instincts are to protect Zan, I mean, Max. And Rath really believed that Liz wanted to hurt Max. That she wanted to kill him.”
“And Rath didn’t learn a damned thing while he was on Earth? Jeez, Guerin. Go and type up some captain’s logs or something. You’re not welcome around here.”
“Humans!” Michael growled as he turned away from her door, throwing his arms into the air.
“Does that include me?” Kyle laughed as he emerged from his room a little way down the corridor.
“If the shoe fits,” Michael shook his head and headed for the main chambers of the ship, where he had spent a lot of time with the ship’s guards learning all that he could about his heritage.

* * *

“You’re really making him pay, huh?” Connie smirked.
She and Maria had decided to share a room, rather than face the emptiness of their surroundings alone.
“He doesn’t know the meaning of the word suffer yet,” Maria grinned. “I won’t let it go on too long, though. I kind of miss him. And seeing Max wrapped around Liz every day makes it so obvious what I’m missing out on.”
“So how long, d’ya think?”
“Maybe tomorrow,” Maria tapped her finger against her cheek.
“Don’t you think that’s kind of weird?”
“Huh?” Maria looked confused. “What? Making him wait?”
“No. You said tomorrow. I mean, here we are, God alone knows how far from Earth we are and we still talk in the time units we’re used to. I mean, do you even know when tomorrow is? Do you even know what date it is?”
“Some time in early December, I think,” Maria smiled. “But who says I’m talking about a human tomorrow. Maybe I’m talking about tomorrow in Plutonium time.”
“Plutonium?”
“Hey, it fits, okay? And talking of romance, how are things going between you and Kyle?”
“It’s… we’re… comfortable.”
“Could be worse, I suppose,” Maria grinned. “I mean, you could be dating Spaceboy.”
“Nuh uh,” Connie laughed. “I’ll leave that to braver souls.”
“Braver?” Maria arched her eyebrows. “Or stupider.”
“Stupider? Is that even a real word?”
“It is now. As a member of an exclusive ‘Relationships between Humans and Aliens’ club, I get to do things like that. It helps us to keep our sanity.”
There was a knock at their door.
“Go away, Guerin. You haven’t suffered enough yet.”
“If I was Guerin,” Kyle’s voice answered, “that would be suffering enough.”
“It’s for you,” Maria smirked.
Connie crossed to the door and opened it.
“Hi, Kyle,” she smiled.
The two embraced in a friendly hug.
“Hey,” he smiled at her. “Maria,” he nodded.
“So, what’s up?” Connie stepped back to let Kyle into the room.
“I just wondered if you’d like to hang out. I mean, it’s kind of boring up here, don’t you think? I wanted to look at their propulsion systems on the small ships but they told me I needed Max’s permission.”
“So I’m second choice?” Connie raised her eyebrows.
“No,” he shook his head, regretting the way his comment came out. “I just thought that you and the others… you know.”
“You could always get Max to give you permission,” Maria pointed out.
“There is no way I’m going anywhere near their room,” Kyle shook his head. “When I see him, I’ll ask him.”
“Well, it’s time Liz was up, anyway,” Maria headed for the door. “I’ll tell Max you’re looking for him.”
“Good luck,” Kyle laughed. “Even if the guards let you into their room, I think you’ll have a tough job getting Liz’s attention for a while.”
The door slid shut behind her.

“I’ve been meaning to ask,” Kyle turned his attention back to Connie. “How are you holding up with all this?”
“I’m fine,” she shrugged. “Part of me wants to run away screaming and hope that I wake up soon, but there’s this other part of me, probably the Air Force part, that wants to know everything I can. I would love to fly one of those ships.”
“Ask Max,” Kyle shrugged.
“I think he might have a bit too much on his plate right now,” Connie shook her head.
“I had two years to come to terms with this,” Kyle continued. “You’ve only known about Max for a few weeks and here you are, skimming around the farthest planet from Earth and you treat it like an every day occurrence. I was kinda worried that maybe you were hiding what you were really feeling.”
“You were? Worried about me?”
“Yeah,” Kyle blushed. “Of course I was.”
“Aww. You’re so sweet,” Connie smirked, patting his head. “What a good boy you are.”
“You make me sound like a poodle,” Kyle looked disgusted.

* * *

“I’m so proud of you,” Isabel complimented her husband as they lay in bed together. She was across his chest while his hand traced lines up and down her naked back.
“It was that good, huh?” Jesse chuckled.
“No,” Isabel gave him a light slap on his arm. “Well, yes, but I mean about what you did for Max and Liz.”
“Well, it was Max that did it all. He’s the one that should take all the credit.”
“Well, that shows you how much you know,” she smiled. “Max couldn’t have done it without you. He told me so himself. He said that he learned what he had to do from watching you.”
“But if it hadn’t been for Max, I’d have frozen. I mean, Rath was rather intimidating. You don’t know how scared I am of that… bastardo.”
“It’s not just that that I’m proud about though.”
“No? So what else are you proud of?” Jesse moved his head back so that he could look at his wife.
“You did more than helping Liz,” Isabel told him. “You showed how much trust Max and I have in you. And Kyle, Maria and Connie. Everyone on the ship knows how much you, Liz, Maria, Kyle and Connie all love us and how much we love all of you. And now that they’re having to come to terms with Liz being their Queen, they’re having to come to terms with the fact that humans are more than just servants who can’t do much.”
“The ones on Antar?” Jesse frowned. “They’re treated like servants?”
“Yeah,” Isabel nodded. “But I think you can safely say that is something Max and Liz will change.”
“So…” Jesse paused.
“So?” Isabel leaned up. She saw the look on Jesse’s face and rolled into a seated position. “Jesse? What’s wrong?”
“When are you going back to Antar?”
“Whatever gave you that idea?”
“That’s why they brought you up here in the first place, wasn’t it?” Jesse frowned. “So will you go?”
“I don’t think so. Besides, there’s nothing for me on Antar. Every thing… everyone I want is on… will be on Earth.”
“What about Max?”
“Max? What do you mean?”
“Max will be returning to Antar, won’t he? I mean, he is their King. I sort of thought that you would…”
Isabel looked at her husband and released a weary sigh.
“In order for Max to go back, he has to change into an Anatarian body. He was terrified that maybe being a hybrid would somehow hurt Liz. Think how he would be if he was totally different than her.”
“They don’t look so different.”
“Trust me. They’re different. Very different.”
“Can you explain something?”
“I’ll try.”
“The whole point of that case was because they thought that Lady Millia was a traitor, right?” Jesse lifted himself into a seated position, leaning against the wall with the thin metal like sheet covering his legs and lower body.
“Right.”
“And Liz got caught up in the whole deal because they thought she was Millia.”
“That’s right. Except she wasn’t. She just looked like her.”
“So if Millia and Liz were almost identical, how did Zan know that Millia wasn’t the love he was waiting for? I mean, how did he… Max know that Liz was?”
“I guess…” Isabel frowned. “I think Max has another ability. I don’t know if it’s alien, or hybrid human, or what it is, but Max… it’s like… he’s able to see through to people’s souls. I think that’s how he knows whom he can trust. It’s how he knew that Liz was the one for him. He recognized her soul, not her.”
“But he never met her before,” Jesse objected.
“Not that we know of, anyway,” Isabel smiled.
“So you think I did good, huh?” he spoke after a pause while he thought on Isabel’s comment.
“That depends on what you’re talking about. The trial, or your influence on the Antarians.”
“I was thinking of something a little more… intimate.”
“Oh,” Isabel gave a slow nod. “I guess you were adequate.”
“Adequate?” Jesse growled as he pulled Isabel to him. His hands started to caress her body. “I’ll give you adequate.”
“Oh yeah,” Isabel shrieked with laughter. “I think I’ll be the judge of that.”

* * *

“Any news on that meteorite?” Michael asked as he entered the command center of the ship. He glanced up at the screen which showed the glowing projectile and it’s trajectory.
“Only that it looks like it’s landing area is in the same locale as the one that you and his Majesty had already dealt with, sir,” the red suited operator was standing to attention.
“Looks like?” Michael spat. The guard looked nervous. “All of this technology at your fingertips and all you can tell me is that it looks like? Check it again. I want to know where it will land, not where it looks like they’ll land! And I need to know when, too!”
“Yes, sir,” the man saluted and returned to his console.
“Something bothering you?” Serena stepped out from behind a dividing wall.
“Max’s safety,” he grunted. “I don’t like the idea of blundering in like we did the last time. We had the element of surprise and we got lucky. They’ll be expecting us now.”
“Is that all?”
“What else is there?”
“Maria?”
“Why would I be bothered about her? I have far more important things to worry about.”
“Why don’t you let us worry about them for now. We have been doing this for a little bit longer than you.”
“Looking after Max?” Michael raised his eyebrows. “I don’t think so.”
“No,” Serena shook her head. “I meant tracking the skins. Why don’t you take a break and go talk to Maria.”
“Right,” Michael rolled his eyes while he pulled one of the legs of his suit up. He rubbed the large, ugly bruise on his shin. “And give her a chance to give me more of these? I don’t think so.”
“You should get Max to heal that.”
“Interupt Max while he’s alone with Liz?” Michael shook his head. “You clearly don’t know them very well.”
“She won’t kick you again,” Serena returned to the original topic.
“And what do you know about it, Kalyn. Do you even know what emotion is? How could you possibly understand things like love?”
Her eyes darkened.
“Was that entirely called for?” She sounded hurt.
“Perhaps not,” he snarled. “But was what you and Bektor did to me called for? Do you have any idea what kind of a nightmare you made me live through? Betraying my best friend and the woman he loves more than his own life?”
“You don’t understand,” Serena turned away. “How could you?”
“I’ll tell you what I understand,” Michael grabbed her arm and pulled her back to face him. “You made me take some moments that the two of them would rather forget, and made them relive them. You made me throw all the hard and painfull things that Liz has had to endure, out of her love for Max, and made me hit her across the face with them. Not even Tess managed to make Liz question her love for Max. But you forced me to make her do just that. You forced me to nearly destroy that… amazing young woman. And I’m supposed to be her friend. Her best friend used to be my girlfriend.”
“It was necessary. We must protect the royal line. We weren’t aware of the way things stood.”
“Did you ever think to just ask?”
“We thought…”
“I know what you thought,” Michael spat. “You know, it’s a good thing for Antar that Liz Evans has such a big heart. She’ll forgive you for what you did to her, and because of that, Max will too. But not me. I will never forgive you, Bektor or Antar for what you did to them.” Michael stormed toward the door, which opened as he approached. He paused before he left the room. “You know, there was a time when I wanted to go home so badly, it… But not now. Not if it means being anything like you.”
He left the room, leaving Serena to watch the door close.
“Well?” she snapped at the console operator. “Do you have those co-ordinates yet?”

* * *

“Do you think that the student that Gleed met was my Grandma Claudia?” Liz lay on her side with her head resting on her hand, leaning on her elbow. Her other hand traced the familiar symbol on Max’s chest.
“It sounded like her,” Max agreed. “But why would she agree so readily to help someone who was potentially a traitor, a murderer?”
“Because Grandma knew that she was innocent. Just like I did.”
“So you never once doubted her? You never once suspected that you were, in some way, connected to her?”
“I knew she didn’t betray you, Max. I don’t know how, I just do.” She paused and looked at Max’s face. “Does… no, never mind.”
“Go on, Liz,” Max looked up from his position on his back. “Finish what you were going to say.”
“Does it bother you that I’m not connected to Millia?”
“God, Liz, no,” Max rose to a sitting position. “How could you even think such a thing? Didn’t you hear how Millia said that even then, I was waiting for someone else? I was waiting for you, Liz. It’s always been you.” He leaned over and kissed her. “Always.”
He leaned back slightly, looked into her eyes and allowed his head to move forward until his forehead was resting against hers.
“We really should be getting up now, Max,” Liz continued to slide her hands along her husband’s torso.
“I said that an hour ago,” Max complained.
“We were busy then,” Liz replied with a lofty grace. “And now we’re not.”
“Aren’t we?” Max grinned as he pulled her into him.
Their lips touched as they both initiated a tender kiss. Their lips started to part and the connection was instantaneous as they strove to capture each other’s lips between their own. All the while, with their eyes closed tight, their hands danced across one another’s body, seeking out the soft and sensitive parts that brought out the reactions that were pure heaven to each other.

* * *

The unkempt hippy lifted another spoonful of the Asteroid Soup to his misshapen mouth and looked around the Crashdown Café at the alien montages painted on the walls. His other hand lifted the napkin to his lips to prevent the soup dribbling from the corner of his mouth.
“Four days,” he muttered in a voice that he knew only he would hear. “Four days I’ve been waiting, and nothing. Goes to show how important their families were to them after all. No phone call, no letters, nothing.”
He lifted up the crusty roll and hatred filled his eyes as he tore a chuck from it’s side.
“But I’ll wait,” he continued, chewing the bread at the same time. “I’ll wait as long as it takes. And if I need more money, that won’t be a problem. Not in this rinky-dink town with a buffoon for a sheriff.”
He lifted another spoonful of soup to his mouth.
“And they’ll pay,” he nodded. “They’ll pay for what they did to me. Both of them. Him, and especially her.” His eyes narrowed. “Especially her.”
A feint smile broke across his face and he winced with pain.
“God, I hate this crappy place.”

Jeff Parker sat on the stool behind the cash register and tried to keep one eye on the man who had eaten there every day for the past week. There was something about him that made him mistrust him.
“I don’t know,” he told Nancy. “There’s something familiar about him, but I just can’t place him.”
“Probably one of the kids who dropped out of high school, or something,” Nancy shrugged. “As long he doesn’t have any plans to rob us or anything, I’m more concerned about the kids. It’s been nearly two weeks since we heard from any of them. Did you speak to Jim and Philip?”
“Yeah,” he nodded. “Philip says that as soon as he hears from Max, we’ll make our move.”
“And Jose is happy with the deal?”
“Sure he is. Haven’t you noticed how hard he’s been working? He smells management opportunity here. Which, by the by, would give us more time if we made this a permanent arrangement. I like the idea of semi retirement.”
“Do you realize that this would be our first real holiday since… well, since Liz started High School at least.”
“It’s not going to be a holiday. Not really.” He placed his hand on his wife’s hip and smiled. He then turned back to the young man. “I think I’ll get Jim to check this guy out,” Jeff looked over at the strange, yet familiar hippy. “I’d be happier leaving Jose in charge knowing this guy wasn’t around.”

* * *

Part 45

In the deep recesses of space, sheltered behind the gravitational influence of Pluto, a council of sorts was taking place on a sleek space ship.
"I have some questions," Max sat at the head of the long table in the meeting chamber.
Along either side sat not only his friends but also his... subjects. Some of them, anyway. Bektor was there, as was Serena, Chyn and Mantik, the Commander in Chief of the red-clad security forces available to Max. There were a few other high-ranking nobles whose names Max had not yet remembered. He had summoned them all together to discuss what they could do about the skin forces on Earth. Although all of the gang had questions they wanted, or in some cases, needed answering, they had each subconsciously decided to let Max asks his own questions first.
"Of course," Serena nodded. She was still insecure in her new position, but she had bonded with Liz and the others when they had treated her to the Earthling ritual known as 'Girl's Night'. From Liz, and Maria, she had learned that Max would give her all the support she needed, as long as she respected the fact that he might not necessarily play the game according to Antarian rules.
"At a... summit, arranged by Nicholas, I guess, I met Larek. Or rather, his personality, 'cause he took over the body of a human. I got the impression from that meeting, and subsequent meetings with him, that we were friends. He has even helped us out down here... I mean, there. But now I find out that his forces... attacked us, that it's because of him that we all... died in the first place."
"So it would seem," Bektor nodded. "The first we knew of this was when representatives from the priesthood came to us with a warning. That was why you were granted Kingship in the first place."
"You know," Liz pushed her seat back. "I bet Kivar was in on that from the start. I expect he was hoping that the Granolith would choose him as King. That's why he persuaded the Stellarineians to attack Zan. He thought that in a clear cut choice, having the biggest slice of power would make him the only candidate."
"Except Zan pops up from nowhere and takes back everything his father lost, as well as creating an amazing alliance with Stellarine," Serena added. "Overnight, he became more powerful than Kivar could ever have imagined."
"So why didn't he stop the attack?" Kyle interrupted. "If he felt that he wouldn't be chosen, I mean? Wouldn't it have been better for him to wait until he was in a more... stable position?"
"Maybe he didn't know at that time he wasn't going to be chosen," Max took over. "Perhaps he was counting on the Granolith choosing his experience over Zan's lack of it."
"Or," Isabel nodded, "he always had a backup plan of marrying Ava with Zan, and then throwing in his adopted son as second in command... He knew that if he couldn't control Zan through Ava, he was obviously hoping that Rath would turn on Zan for him. He was hoping that it would be only Zan who was killed in that room that day."
"Except Rath became Zan's friend," Michael agreed. "And his loyalty to Zan was stronger than his loyalty to Kivar. So they all ended up getting killed."
Max nodded in agreement.
"But this still doesn't explain why I really felt that Larek was my friend. If he wanted to go to war with me, why was he so friendly in New York?"
"Maybe he was just sounding you out, Max," Jesse looked up from the table. "I mean, he didn't know how much you knew, so he was acting the friend to get the inside scoop, so to speak."
"He was your friend, Max," Liz's quiet voice attracted all of their attention. "It was Larek who gave you that shawl that you... Zan gave to Lady Millia. He used to visit you often. But Antar wasn't the only planet that Kivar wanted to rule. He used the threat of the Granolith to subjugate the others. They did pretty much as he asked for fear of what he would do to them. Remember how you said how shocked the delegates were when they found out that the Granolith wasn't on Antar? What if Kivar had exaggerated its powers and had blackmailed Larek into attacking you?"
"So he told Larek a pack of lies?"
"I guess he must have spun so many lies to all of them. And when you... Zan married Ava, they all feared that you were just a puppet of Kivar's and would do as he commanded."
"So he was caught between a rock and a hard place," Max pondered.
"How do you know this, Liz?" Isabel asked the question for everyone.
Aware that she had been the center of attention, Liz started to turn red.
"I... I don't know. I just do."
Max smiled, aware of the looks of awe she was getting from the Antarians around the table.
"It's the seal," Serena smiled. "It has a kind of... memory. If Liz were to concentrate really hard, she could probably feel things from every Queen throughout the history of Antar."
"So was that how I knew I couldn't trust Tess?" Liz looked up. "Because I remember how she betrayed Zan?"
"In a way," the other woman nodded. "But remember that Tess never possessed the seal, so you would not be sensing her own thoughts."
"So how did I know not to trust Tess?"
"Perhaps Zan's mother never trusted Ava," Serena shrugged. "I'm afraid that I can't answer that one."
"So why wasn't Tess given the seal in her new hybrid body?"
"By the time of their deaths, Zan had not yet transferred it to her," Bektor added. "He had not yet made the transfer. I had always assumed that it was due to his constant involvement with the war. We were always arguing, with me demanding that he give Ava the seal so that she might conceive an heir. I mean, what if he was killed in combat? Which, of course, happened." He shook his head with a sad sigh. "So you see, we couldn't give the hybrid Ava the seal. That had to come from Zan."
"This doesn't really explain how I knew not to trust Tess, or Nacedo for that matter."
"Perhaps that was just you, Liz," Serena smiled.

I have a question," Michael had been waiting for the lull in the conversation.
"Okay," Serena turned to him.
"How did you guys control me? How did you turn me into Rath?"
"When we created you, we added... I guess switches would be the best way to describe them," Bektor looked uncomfortable. "We added these 'switches' to your human DNA. All it took was to use our device to turn off the switches. The more we turned off," he moved his finger in the air, miming the flicking of a switch, "the more like Rath you became. What Rath did was not out of any malice toward Liz, rather out of his love for Zan, and for Ava." He looked up and down the table shaking his head. "It would have helped Liz's cause if Rath could have remembered what had happened in the chamber that day, but as we discovered, the four did not have their full memories implanted."
"So why didn't you transfer his essence into an Antarian body?" Liz spoke up. "It was obvious that as Rath, he wanted that."
"To do so, we would have had to enable all of the switches, returning control to Michael," Bektor would not look at Michael, or at Liz. "As Michael, he would have resisted unless he had reason not to do so. Once Zan and Vilondra had been restored, Michael would have followed."
"Where is the device that flicks these switches?" Max asked.
"I have it here, sire," Bektor nodded, placing the small square box on the table.
Max held out his hand and pulled the device to him. He stared at it for a moment.
"Michael," he called and tossed it to his friend.
Michael caught it in his hand and he too looked carefully at it. He started to squeeze and his hand started to glow white. When he opened his fist, an imperfect silver ball fell to the table and rolled until it found a flat spot.
"And you think that by squishing that thing like a piece of silly-putty means you are off the hook?" Maria sneered. "Forget it, buster."
"Are there any more controllers?" Max asked. "Are there any of these switches in either Isabel or me?"
"No, sire?" Bektor shook his head. "There was only that one controller, and neither you, nor Isabel had the necessary changes. It did not seem wise to allow anything, or anyone to control the King in any way."
"Good," Max grunted.
"Max," Liz laid a hand on her husband's arm. "He was only doing what he thought was right."
"I know, Liz," he sighed. "It's just..."
"You have to rule with an even hand," she murmured in his ear. "He's sorry for what he did. If I can get past this, I'm sure you can, too."
"You are just so amazing, Liz. Have I ever told you that?"
"You have," she nodded while her eyes sparkled. "But I never tire of hearing you say it."

"Can someone explain something to me?" Jesse asked, interrupting the awkward silence that had grown around Max and Liz's open display of affection. "All the... Antarians, they look, well... normal. Yet you have this ability to shape-shift, right? I mean, what is it with that? Why do you need to do that?"
"Firstly," Serena began, "the act which you call shape-shifting is rather inaccurate. We do not change our shapes. We simply change the way we wish to be perceived."
"Uh, Liz?" Maria looked to her friend. "Did you understand that?"
"So what you're saying," Liz nodded to Maria while speaking to Serena, "is that we see you the way we do, because that is how you want us to see you?"
"That's right, Liz," Serena nodded. "You see, generations of evolution has... streamlined our bodies. We have no need for appearance as a means of attraction, nor bodily hair for warmth, and so on. Our normal shapes are similar to those archetypal images that have developed on Earth. Underneath our images, we all look alike. So, to add variation and color to our lives, we use our advanced mental capabilities to project an image of how we see ourselves." As she spoke, she looked around at the human faces.
"But it takes energy to change it, right? And it takes energy to hold onto that change. That's why the shape shifters on Earth have to return to their... uh, normal image, right?"
"That's correct, Liz," Serena nodded with admiration.
"So..." Connie cleared her throat. "So does Max... Michael and... Isabel... do they..."
"No," Serena smiled. "Because they are hybrids, crossed with human DNA, their looks are their own. They do not have the ability to change how they are perceived."
"Okay," Maria interrupted. "So how come that Millia woman looked like Liz?"
"Ah," Serena nodded. "I'm afraid that we will probably never know the truth to that one, but I do have a theory."
"Care to share?"
"When they were both very young, Zan and Millia met during a state visit. It was probably there that Millia first developed feelings for Zan. Now, suppose she has some means of reading minds? Or seeing the future? I'm not altogether sure if she possessed any special talents," she shook her head. "But anyway, what if she somehow got a glimpse of Zan's dream-girl from him, and changed how people perceived her to match the image she saw.
"Makes sense, I guess," Maria agreed, scanning her friends.

"Can I talk about that... trial?" Jesse narrowed his eyes. "Or should I say fit up?"
"Uhm..." Bektor looked uncomfortable.
"I mean, you were railroading Liz, and it didn't matter that we proved Liz and Millia weren't connected. You were ready to get rid of Liz, any way you could."
Bektor, Serena and the other Antarians exchanged nervous glances.
"We were afraid," Serena almost whispered.
"Of Liz?" Max exclaimed.
"In a way," Serena sighed. "You see. We just wanted our King back, our savior. We firmly believed that the Lady Millia was guilty of murdering our royal four." She paused and glanced over at Max and Liz. "Besides, the alternative was... frightening. The thought that Zan never really loved Ava, that the unity between Talluvia and Krekascent didn't truly exist and that perhaps Ava and Kivar had plotted Zan's death - that was just... unthinkable. And Liz's uncanny resemblance to Lady Millia, well, let's just say that we would have done anything to prevent history repeating itself."
"Is that what the symbol means?" Liz leaned forward in her seat.
"What symbol would that be?"
"This one," Liz removed the pendant from beneath her shirt. "For the longest time now, I've been doodling this without realizing it."
"Sort of," Serena stared at the ornament. "It's more of a warning. It's almost a command... a quest."
"A quest?"
"Liz, where did you get this?"
"Max gave it to me," she frowned at the token secured around her neck. "Why? And what do you mean, a quest?"
"I don't know how to tell you this, Liz," she sighed. "But the more I think on it, the more sense it makes. Liz, it's up to you to make sure that Zan... I mean, Max doesn't make the same mistakes he made in the past. The same mistakes every King the Granolith has chosen has made. And who better to undertake this quest than... his Queen?"
"What mistake would that be? I mean, I know that Max has made mistakes. We all have. But everything that I heard during that trial suggested that Max did everything that was expected of him, and more. He married Ava out of political obligation. How was he to know that she had planned to betray him? What did he do that was so wrong? And what did all the other Kings do?"
"If we could answer those questions," Serena shook her head, "there would be no need for the warning."
"So, I guess I just stick to Max like glue and make sure he doesn't do anything that he did in his previous life."
"Like that'll be a hardship," Kyle smirked.
Liz glared at him.

"Tell me, Serena," Isabel spoke. "So what do you think the people of Antar think of Liz now? How do you guys up here feel?"
"I have the utmost respect for her," Serena smiled at Liz. "As do all of Antar. But they also fear her, just a little. She is, after all, a human in possession of the royal seal, who can access the Granolith...."
"How come you don't fear her?"
"Because I have come to know her."
"So they don't like, love her or anything?" Maria blurted. "She is their Queen and all."
"That might take a little time," Serena blushed. "She is, when all is said and done, considered a sub species to them. But they know of her love for their King, and his love for her. They will respect that, if nothing else." She looked at Liz. "Once they know you, they will come around."

"Which brings us neatly to my question," Serena continued. "Your Majesty, as you know, I am not yet comfortable in my new role. And we have enemies on the planet Earth to deal with. As Bektor has more experience than I, especially with things military, may I suggest that you allow him to handle that side of things?"
"Agreed," Max nodded. He saw at once that Serena was trying to make sure that Bektor did not disappear into the background. Like her, he saw that he could be a useful ally. "As long as he understands that he is only an advisor and that the defeat of the skins on Earth is our main priority."
Bektor considered this. "Do I have your word that you will then do everything in your power to free Antar of the Epsilians?"
Max looked at Liz, who locked her eyes to his and nodded.
"You have my... our word."
The sense of relief from the Antarians was evident.
"There's another condition," Max continued. He held Liz's hand and looked around at his friends. "Under no circumstances will we accept any operation that might result in the death or injury of innocent civilians."
"You can't bake a cake without breaking eggs, Max," Connie told him.
"But eggs are part of the recipe," Max countered. "To make a cake, you need eggs. To fight a battle, you don't need to involve civilians."
Connie nodded, understanding Max's analogy.
"I will agree to this," Bektor bowed.

"What brought this up?" Michael glared at Serena. "Do you have news of that meteorite?"
"As a matter of fact," she looked away from Michael. "We do."
"What?" Michael slapped his hands on the table and stood up to his full height. His face burned with anger. "Why wasn't I informed?"
"Michael," Max warned with a calm look.
"I only learned of it before I came to this meeting," her look of apology was directed at Max. "It will be landing on Earth on the date they call December twenty two."
"Merry Christmas Mr. Nicholas," Kyle mumbled.
"It will land in the exact same coordinates as the one you already intercepted and destroyed." Serena had taken to ignoring Kyle's comments. She didn't even understand them, but she felt annoyed at his valueless interruptions. She wondered what her Queen had seen in him in the first place, and why her King had seen fit to save his life. Serena sighed. Understanding humans and the slavery to their emotions was confusing.
"It will be another stone, then," Max commented. "Like the one we destroyed, Kyle."
Again, Serena was thrown. She knew that Kyle annoyed Max too, yet he often treated him as, dare she say it, an equal.
"What do you mean, a stone?" Bektor asked. "Can you describe it?"
"It was about this big," Max held his hands apart, "and looked like a large version of the small healing stones we once had."
"You lost your healing stones?" Serena was quite shocked. "How did this happen?"
"They blew up," Max looked embarrassed. "When I tried to heal Liz when she was going through the transition."
"I will get you new ones. You must not be on the planet without them."
"Thank you," Max nodded. It had always bothered him that he would be unable to help Michael or Isabel, and now Liz, if they needed their balance restored in any way.
"What happened when you destroyed the large stone," Bektor was staring into space.
"I pumped as much energy as I could into it while Kyle fired the laser... gun... thingy into it. It exploded and this white ring of light swept out and killed all the skins it touched. Which was all of them. Do you know what it was?"
"You were correct, it was a healing stone. It sounds as though Larek plans to heal a lot of people at once."
"The area that it surrounds is a top secret government base," Kyle spoke up. "For years there's been these rumors circulating that they have aliens, uh... I mean, beings from another planet, stored there. Ships too."
"If there are enough of them, he might have an army already here," Max looked alarmed. "If they're allowed to activate those stones, we could be up to our necks in skins with a small squadron of fighters at their disposal."
"That ship we found in Puerto Rico, Max," Liz bounced in her seat. "Remember the message we translated? It said something about delivering to an agent. What if it meant delivering a number of... um, corpses to someone who would put them inside the base? Ready to be healed."
"Maybe the ship was destined for storage there, too," Max nodded.
"Could we just introduce a virus to those ships?" Kyle asked. "Like they did on Independence Day?"
"It's a film, entertainment," Max fended the question on Bektor's lips. "Kyle, do you realize how stupid that whole thing was? Do you even know how difficult it is to get a Windows PC to talk to a Mac? Let alone an intergalactic space ship whose computers would probably not even work in any way we can imagine and use an operating system that no one on Earth would be able to fathom. If Alex were here, he'd give you a whole lecture about how ridiculous that was."
"Oh." It was Kyle's turn to blush.
"We can't let them set up that fifth stone," Max continued. "We'll have to destroy it."
"You realize that the skins will be expecting you this time, Max?" Liz placed a worried hand over Max's. "We won't have the element of surprise this time."
"Yeah," he nodded. "But we'll have help. We can take some of the soldiers from here, right?" he looked at Bektor and Serena.
"Of course," they both agreed."
"With careful planning and Michael acquiring intelligence for us, we should be able to overcome them."

There was a moment of silence as each person considered all that they had heard.
"Can I ask something, Max?" Maria relieved silence.
"Sure, Maria," Max nodded. "Go ahead."
"If Liz looked like t his other girl, how come no one else seemed to care that she was around Max? I mean, Nacedo wanted Tess to be with Max, but he never really flipped out over Liz like you guys did. And how come Cal Langley never minded. In fact, I recall that Max said he suggested that he should be with Liz. Or words to that effect."
"I'm sorry," Serena shook her head. "Who is Cal Langley?"
"He's one of the protectors," Max sighed. "He doesn't think too highly of me. He said that I was a selfish king."
"Which one was he?" Serena asked.
Four holographic images appeared above the table. There was a stranger, who Max assumed was the one who had died. He was followed by Gleed, then Nacedo or Ed Harding and then Langly.
"This one," Max pointed. "That's Cal Langly."
"I'll run a check," Serena announced. She started to study symbols that appeared beneath the image and scrolled upwards. "Oh my," she frowned.
"What?" Max and Liz both demanded at once.
"This is not good. No wonder he did not like you. I'm surprised that he was even allowed to be one of the protectors. Whoever allowed this made a grave error."
"Kivar?" Max raised his eyebrows. "Why, what's wrong?"

"Allow me to answer that," a voice suddenly announced its presence behind Max.
Everyone spun around to face the newcomer. One of the guards stood with deference, rather than to attention, in the presence of the King.
"Why do you intrude without knocking, Eldugar?" Mantik, the Commander in Chief demanded.
"I'm afraid that Eldugar is not in control of his body at the moment, Mantik," the guard shrugged. "I'm afraid that I have need of it."
"And you are?" Bektor demanded.
"You have been gone too long if you don't recognize my voice, Bektor," the man smiled. He turned to Max and Liz. "Your Majesties," he bowed. "I am the High Priest Jebulan, your humble servant." He bowed low. "I have taken control of this guardman's body in the same way that your friend Larek takes over the body of the one you know as Brody. I could have tried to use one of your human friends, but I think I would not be well received if I tried that."
"You got that right," Kyle flexed his muscles. "My body is my temple, and not yours."
"You said you had answers?" Max ignored Kyle. Sometimes, his brand of humor got to him. Not that he would ever let him know that.
"Yes," the priest nodded. "But what I have to say is for the ears of the King only."
No one moved.
"It's okay, guys," Max nodded. "If this guy came all this way to tell me something, I'm sure he means me no harm."
Everyone started to leave, except Michael.
"Not you, Liz," Max held her arm. "I have no secrets from you, and I won't keep any now. I want, no... I need you to hear this too."
"But, your Majesty," Jebulan started.
Max raised his hand.
"Save it," Max barked. "I don't care what you think of Liz, or how many Antarian laws and rules are being broken. You will tell us both. Besides, whatever you tell me, I'll just tell Liz straight away."
"Very well," the priest nodded, not without a little reluctance. "But not in front of him." Jebulan nodded to Max's second.
"Michael," Max urged.
"No way, Max," Michael shook his head. "What if..."
"I'm sure that between Liz and I, we can hold any attack off until you arrive. You will be remaining by the door, right?"
Michael looked hard at Max and then glanced at Liz. He nodded his head, and rose, walking toward the door.
"I'm leaving it open though."
"Okay, Michael," Max rolled his eyes at Liz, who started to chuckle.

"So tell us, Jebulan," Liz started. "Why is Langly so hateful toward Max, even before he... well, before. In what way was Zan selfish?"
"My time is limited," Jebulan sat down to conserve energy, "So I will come straight to the point. The one you call Langly was in love with Zan's mother. But so too was Zan's father. Left to her own choice, there is no doubt that she would have chosen Langly. But her parents obviously preferred a match with their very own Lord. When Zan was conceived, his developing fetus demanded more and more energy to sustain himself. This is usually a sign of great power within an individual, but it almost killed his mother. She almost died on more than one occasion. While growing up, Zan's innocent demands on his mother - demands for more education, and more stimulus - meant that she had no time to meet secretly with Langly any more. He grew so desperate to see her that he broke into the palace. Of course he was captured, and tried. He was accused of attempting to murder both Zan and his father. During the trial, he kept on venting his anger at the young Zan. He stated that it should be Zan who should be tried for the attempted murder of his own mother. Of course, he was found guilty and sentenced to death. Only intervention by Zan's mother saved his life and he was banished to a far corner of Antar. During his banishment, Zan's father made Langly take a bride, and she soon gave birth to a son. He grew up to be a soldier, and died in one of Zan's first military encounters.
"That's... that's so sad," Liz wiped a tear from her eye. "That poor man."
"Did..." Max's voice had a strange catch to it. He could scarcely breathe. Liz noticed his troubled condition at once and pulled him to her. "Is... Am... You said that the problems I caused my mother meant that she could no longer meet with Langly."
"I did," Jebulan nodded.
"That means that she was meeting him even before my conception?"
Jebulan nodded his head again. He knew he did not have to answer."
"Is... is Langly my father?"

* * *

Part 46

The handsome young man, perhaps in his late twenties, stood in front of the mirror, admiring his rugged good looks and the physique of his naked body. He had short, blond hair and piercing blue eyes. His frame was lean and muscular. He stretched his arms and legs and rolled his shoulders, twisting his neck from side to side, almost as though he was trying to fit himself into a new suit. On the bed behind him, a naked, blonde haired woman lay at full stretch. She might have been considered attractive had it not have been for the cuts, bruises and dried blood that marred her face, and the bruises all over her body. Her face was contorted into a mask of pain and fear. The barely audible breathing gave proof that she was still alive, if only just. In spite of the young man's good looks, it appeared that the young woman had not been a willing bed partner. There was a knocking at the door but the young man didn't look to it. His eyes remained fixed on his own reflection.
"Enter," he called.
Three men came through the front door. Two of them wore suits and dark glasses, similar to those worn by the FBI. The third, a much taller, more solid man wore faded jeans and a checked shirt.
"Ah, Mr. One and Mr. Two," the man spoke but he remained looking in the mirror. "You are on time for your payments."
Both Number One and Number Two looked at the battered female shape laying on the bed.
"Yes, Mr. Nikolas, sir," Number One nodded. His voice sounded shaky. "As you know, we have performed all our tasks. I believe you have not found fault with our performances."
"You are quite correct," Nikolas agreed. "And as agreed, I have your payment and your bonuses ready." The naked man nodded toward the two briefcases on the table. "Grier, do you mind?"
Grier walked across to the table using long strides and picked up the cases. He turned and walked to the two men, holding the cases to them.
"Feel free to check the contents," Nikolas shrugged.
"No," Number Two shook his head. "We trust you."
"If you need us again," Number One started to back out of the room, "you know where to find us."
"Thanks," Number Two nodded as he backed away with Number One. "And bye."
The door closed behind them.
"Indeed we do," Nikolas nodded. "You do know where to find them, right?"
"Yeah," Grier agreed.
"Good. Don't mess the money up too much, and make sure it looks normal."
Grier gave a slow nod.
"Now, what news of the replacement stone?"
"Vardal has reported that the ship will land in the same coordinates in ten days time."
"I want no foul ups this time, Grier," Nikolas finally turned away from his Narcissistic activity.
"There won't be," Grier shook his head. "Vardal crammed more men into the ship than it was designed for. Almost twice as many."
"I bet they're pretty cramped," Nikolas smirked. "But that's good news. The more, the merrier. Zan's no fool, even if he is just a human teenager now. He'll know what this 'meteorite' is and what its significance is. He's bound to try to intercept it again. I'd love to find out how he found out about it. Perhaps I might have the opportunity to ask him. Expect and prepare for his attack. Call the others. Let's see if we can't arrange a suitable welcome for our King and his court." Nikolas turned and looked at the still form of the woman he had used. "I think it might be fun to pay homage to our Queen. Personally."
"Why is everyone so obsessed with Zan's woman?" Grier wondered out loud. "It's not like you can't find anything better."
"Because until that young upstart turned up, I had plans of my own for the daughter of Kivar. I had planned on taking Ava for my own bride."
"So you were in love with Ava?" Grier looked startled.
"You have a problem with that?" Nikolas glared at his lieutenant.
"No. No. It's just..."
"I had hoped to secure my position with Kivar. After marrying Ava, a duty I would not have found unpleasant, I would have been in line to rule the House of Kreskascent, once suitable accidents had befallen Kivar and Rath. My plans were ruined when Zan married her instead."
"So this thing with Zan's woman. It's all about revenge?"
"After power, what else is there?"
Grier shook his head.
"Oh, and," Nikolas continued, nodding his head at the bed. "Can you dispose of that?"

* * *

"I'm not sure I really like the idea of eating meat that I have no idea from what animal it came," her Royal Highness, Queen Elizabeth screwed up her nose at the meals that were laid out in the heated display cases. "I guess it's another salad." She lifted a large salad plate and placed it on her tray. "Although," she smiled, lifting a large cup of colored liquid from a chilled tray, "this juice is gorgeous."
"I could murder a steak," Maria drooled. "Pink in the middle with juices dribbling out of the cut as I bite into it and just melts in my mouth..."
"Shut up, Maria," Liz shook her head with a dry chuckle.
"See them looking at you again?" Maria nodded at the looks of awe Liz was receiving.
"It's because I'm eating with the commoners," Liz snorted with contempt. "Bektor keeps telling me to dine in the Royal Dining Hall. No way am I eating alone, no matter what I am to them."
"What's up, Liz," Maria frowned. "You seem a bit snippy today."
"Nothing," Liz sighed. "It's..." She stopped and watched her friend help herself to some of the juice Liz liked so much. "Maria? Why do I have to share Max with everyone? It's just like Zan said to Lady Millia. He's all those things to all those people." She lifted her tray and followed Maria to a spare table. "When is he allowed to be Max? My Husband."


"When you close your doors at night, I guess," Maria speared a fork-full of salad and swirled it in the spicy dressing.
"But what about during the daytime?" Liz pushed some of the green lettuce-like salad around her plate. "How come he never gets to do stuff just for himself? What about his own dreams?"
"Uh, Liz?" Maria looked up with a look of amusement. "Max's dreams have always been to be with you."
"I know," Liz sighed, looking up from the uneaten meal before her. "I'm sorry. I'm just feeling a little selfish right now."
"Liz, if anyone is entitled to be a little selfish, it's you, okay?"
"Why does this always have to happen to me and Max?"
"Who else would you trust?" Maria looked surprised. "Do you honestly think Michael could have coped with everything that Max has had to deal with? Do you think Isabel could have just accepted the crappy hand Max got dealt? Or me, or Jesse? Anyway, you always end up in the same place. Safe in each other's arms, because deep down, the two of you know each other so well, you can shrug all that garbage off. You're one of a kind, Liz. Special. And talking of special, where is the golden boy, anyway?"
"Mantik came and took him away early this morning," Liz pouted.
"Hence your mood, right?"
"We didn't even have time to have breakfast together, and now it looks like he's going to miss lunch. Again."
"Miss him, huh?"
Liz nodded. "What about Michael?"
"I don't know and I don't care."
"Can't you just forgive him, Maria? He's hurting right now."
"Yeah," Maria nodded. "I already planned to. Tonight."
"Good," a slight smile played across Liz's lips. "That's good."

"Hey guys," Connie approached them at their table. She was almost bouncing up and down with excitement. Her eyes were glazed with awe.
"Connie," Liz smiled. "Hey Isabel," she noticed her sister-in-law behind Connie.
"Liz, Maria," she nodded.
"So what's with you?" Maria cast a sideways glance at Connie. "Ohmygod! You and Kyle..."
"No," Connie shook her head with a huge smile. "Max." She looked at Liz. "That is one amazing guy you married Liz."
The other three young women stared at Connie with opened mouths.
"What?" Liz choked.
"Know what he did?" Connie continued.
"I don't want to hear this," Isabel threw her hands to her ears.
"What?" Liz's voice was tight.
"He only arranged for a pilot to take me out in one of those small ships. I've been flying through outer space in a real alien spaceship! Oh man, I wish my dad could see me."
"Oh," Maria started to shake her head.
Liz took a huge gulp of her juice.
"Shame on you, Liz," Maria chuckled. "Thinking such bad things."
"Wait," Connie frowned. "You thought... that Max...? Oh my god."
"No," Liz shook her head. "It was just a shock, that's all. The way you said it. So... how was it? Flying through space, I mean."
"There are no words," Connie stared into space trying to recapture the feeling.
"How about you, Isabel?" Maria decided it was time to move on. This was just too embarrassing for Liz.
"Not a lot. I spent some time in the library looking up my past."
"So where's Kyle, and Jesse?"
"I left Jesse in the library," Isabel shrugged. "He's studying Antarian Law and their constitution."
"Sounds like fun," Maria rolled her eyes. "Beats a joyride through the Milky Way any day."
"Kyle's with the engineering group," Connie waved her hand. "They're showing him the mechanics of the ship, or something. Um, guys? When do we go home?"
"Yeah," Maria nodded. "I'm getting a little sick of these metal walls, too. I want to breathe fresh air and feel the ground beneath my feet."
One of the off duty workers rose from his table and approached a small plate on the wall. Strange music started to float throughout the refectory.
"And even some Brittany would be better than this," she continued. Even though she professed not to like the music, Maria started to sway with the rhythm. She stood up and to the surprise of the Antarians, as well as her friends, she started to dance. "Come on," she pulled Connie and Isabel up who started to dance with her. "You too, Liz. Work some of that mood you're in, out."
Liz stood up and walked around to join her friends in their dance to the strains of what they assumed was Antarian rock and roll. After watching for a while, some of the other woman started to dance, pulling up male partners. Three off duty guards came over to start dancing with Maria, Connie and Isabel. No one approached Liz. Feeling left out, she returned to her seat and again started to play with her salad.
"Doesn't anyone like Liz?" Maria asked her dance partner.
"We are all very impressed with her highness," the guard cast a quick glance at Liz and nodded. "Though it will take some getting used to, there is no one that dislikes her."
"So how come no one's asking her to dance?"
"That would be most inappropriate," he looked shocked. "She is our Queen."
"That's just ridiculous. You go ask her."
"Not I." the wide-eyed guard shook his head emphatically.

Serena walked into the refectory and looked surprised at the dance-fest that appeared to have broken out in the refectory. Behind her was Eldugar, the young guard that the priest, Jebulan had possessed to talk with Max and Liz.
"Your highness," the two of them bowed before Liz.
"I told you, Serena," Liz rolled her eyes. "It's just Liz."
"This is Eldugar," she continued. Liz nodded at the young man. "Because he has the flaws necessary for possession, and is now the vessel of the High Priest Jebulan, we have selected him to be your personal bodyguard."
"I don't need a bodyguard," Liz shook her head.
"It's not a question of need, your high... Liz. It's a question of protocol and security. The Queen is never without her guard, in public or in private. This is something that just is."
"You mean..." Liz started to shake. Her face grew red with rage. She spoke through clenched teeth. "It's not enough that I have to share Max during the day, now you're taking away my private time with him? No! No way!"
"Let me get this straight," Maria stood beside her friend and placed a comforting arm over her shoulder. "You want to put someone to stand with Liz at all times, when even her best friends and family would never dream of intruding on their... bonding? Boy, you do have a lot to learn."
"I'm sorry," Serena held her hands out with helplessness. "This is an Antarian custom."
"Does the Queen's bodyguard have to obey the King's orders?" Maria continued.
"Of course," Serena looked surprised that such a concept as disobeying the King would be considered.
"So, when Liz tells Max what's going on, whose side do you think he'll come down on, hmm? Will his order be, 'stay with us twenty four seven' or 'get the fu..."
"Maria," Liz warned, looking at the realization dawning on Serena's face. "I think she understands now. Look, Serena. Give me a guard, by all means, but his duty ends the moment Max is at my side. Got it?"
"I... I understand," she nodded with a frown. "Please, your... please, Liz. Forgive me. All I have to go by is Antarian customs. I try to match them to your own... erratic lifestyles and personalities but it is sometimes too difficult for me to understand your need for... for your privacy."
"You mean that the Queen's guard..." Maria raised her eyebrows, "when they... Eeeww!"
"I have pressing duties," Serena shifted from one foot to another. "Do I have your permission to withdraw?"
"You don't need my permission," Liz sighed. "Just treat me like a friend."
"So, Eldugar," Maria approached the nervous looking guard. "You have to stand by Liz whenever Max isn't here, right?"
"That's correct," he bowed.
"So make yourself useful," she smirked. "And dance while you're doing it."

* * *

Max walked into his room and allowed himself to fall back onto his bed and stare at the smooth grayness of his bedchamber's ceiling.
"That was fun," Michael's gruff voice called from his opened door.
"Yeah," Max rolled his eyes. "Spending all morning with you, Bektor, Mantic and those other military officers while we discussed our options for taking on the skins is just what I love doing with my time."
"What's up? You sound... annoyed."
"I had hoped that Liz would be here, waiting for me," Max sighed. He really needed to feel her arms around him right now, but she was not there. He wasn't that surprised. "But she does have her friends to keep her company, I guess. I'm afraid that I'm not being that good a husband to her right now." Max rose to a seated position and stared at the wall. "I can't even remember the last time we sat down to eat together. I just have so many demands on my time."
"She understands, Max." There was a note of bitterness to Michael's voice.
"She shouldn't have to, Michael," Max snapped. "It's not like she knew about all this when she agreed to come with me. Why can't they let me have some time just for her?"
"Relax, Max. Anyone can see that Liz is accepting all of this. That's... just Liz."
"I hope so," Max rested his chin on his hands.

"Hey Michael," Max heard Liz speaking from behind his friend. "Is Max back?"
Michael stepped out of the doorway and into the corridor to let Liz pass. "Yeah," he nodded. "We just got back. Look, I gotta split."
Liz stepped into the room and saw her husband sitting on their bed, his head being held between his hands.
"Are you okay?" she sat beside him and wrapped her arms around him.
"I am now," he smiled, twisting so that he could hold her back.
"No you're not," Liz shook her head at him, stroking the side of his face.

"It's just... God! No wonder he hates me."
"Max?" Liz used her hand to cup his chin and lift his face to look at her. "Don't feel guilty over things you had no control over. It's not your fault that Langley had a rival for your mother's affections. It wasn't you that arranged her marriage and you certainly didn't ask to be born. And it was not your fault that your mother had a difficult time carrying you. How Langley can hold you responsible, and call you selfish shows that he would not have made your mother a very good husband."
"I understand how he feels though. I would be angry and filled with hate if anyone took you way from me and gave you to someone else. I mean, I remember how I felt when I thought that Kyle... And if any child you bore, whether mine or someone else's, endangered your life, I would feel the same way too."
"No you wouldn't," Liz shook her head. "I know you better than you might think. You would never blame a child, any one's child for anything that it had no control over. Did you blame Zan for the problems his conception caused you? Caused us? No, of course you didn't. You did everything you could to help him, even to the point of hurting our relationship."
Max paused while he considered her words.
"So don't blame yourself, Max. For any of this. Not for Langley's feelings, not for Zan's death, not for what your people tried to do to me, and certainly not for the fact that you are being pulled in so many directions that we have so little time together."
He looked guilty.
"Let it go, Max."
"Liz, I love you. I can't imagine the mess my life would be in without you to guide me. You're my guiding light, my north star, my southern cross, my... You are my whole world. The Granolith knew what it was doing when it placed that quest on you." "Max? You know that everything that I am to you, you are to me, too."
From holding themselves in each other's arms, leaning back to talk, they pressed themselves together and hugged. Their faces moved so that their cheeks slid across each other's and then their lips met. The kiss started in a gentle, tender way, but their passion knew no bounds and in the privacy of their chamber, their love ignited.

* * *

"So what do we tell the other?" Liz lay over Max's bared chest, her breasts pressed into him. She caressed his firm muscles. "About Langley? They're all champing at the bit to ask us questions about what Jebulan said to us."
"I... I don't know."
"They deserve to know, Max," she looked up at him. "They're all interested, especially Michael."
Max gave a soft snort. "You're right," he smiled. "But I think Langley deserves to know the truth, first. Right?"
"I don't know if it helps, Max," Liz pushed herself up Max's body, so that she was laying on top of him, looking into his eyes. "You know your mother never held the Queen's seal, right? So I don't have access to her memories. But I can tell you this. If she was even one third like you, she would never have betrayed her husband, your... real father."
"I know," Max nodded. "It's just me jumping to a bad conclusion again. You know, just 'cause I betrayed you, I'm prepared to believe that my mother betrayed her husband."
"Max, stop it! Just stop it! We agreed that that was all behind us now."
"I know," he closed his eyes. "I'm sorry. You're too good to me."
"It's 'cause I love you," her eyes twinkled.
"I still say we should tell Langley that I'm not his son," Max sighed. "I mean, let him hate me for what I did to..." he paused and looked at Liz. "For what happened to my mother. At least I hope... I mean.... I know that he's not filled with guilt thinking that it's his fault I almost ki.... she almost died."
"Okay" she agreed. "We wait till Langley knows 'till we tell the others. But Michael's not going to like it. Waiting, I mean."
"When does he ever?"

* * *

"Hey, Max," Maria hurried along the corridor to catch him up. "So where's Liz?"
"She's back in our room," Max paused to let her catch up.
"With her guard, right?" Maria started to laugh.
"Yeah," Max's face clouded.
"Relax, Max," she placed her hand on his arm. "We all know you're quite capable of looking after Liz. But you need to cut these guys some slack. We're all used to the two of you and your connection. It's all new to your people."
"My people," Max snorted. "Do you have any idea how horrible that sounds?"
"Like it or not, Max, you're their King. Now, why have you left your beautiful Queen in a stranger's company?"
"Not quite in her company," Max rolled his eyes. "She ordered him to stay in the corridor. She said our room is off limits unless either one of us calls him in."
"She's turning into an awesome Queen."
"She was always awesome, Maria."
"You didn't answer my question."
"Dinner."
"Say what?"
"I'm going to collect our dinner," Max grinned. "We're dining in private tonight."
"Oh, I say," Maria laughed with a bad imitation of an aristocratic English accent. "Wait. Why don't you just summon a servant to do that?"
"I couldn't do that," Max shook his head. "Not when I can do it myself."
"No," Maria agreed. "And you wouldn't be our Max if you did."
"Maria, can you do something for me?"
"Depends," she eyed him warily. "If you're looking to start some kind of royal harem, you can..."
"It's about Michael."
"Oh."
"I need you to forgive him. I mean, you do still love him, right?"
"Of course I do."
"Then can you get over it already? He makes a great Second, but I need my friend back. And your... hostility is... He's hurting, Maria. Please?"
"Okay Max," Maria grinned. "Can I take it that this is a Royal command?"
"You can if you want," Max chuckled. "If it makes you feel better."

* * *

"What are you doing here?" Michael turned his body so that his shins were not facing Maria.
"Hello to you too, Michael," Maria rolled her eyes.
"Hello. Is that all you want?" He maintained his suspicious stance.
"No," her demeanor softened. "Look. Both Max and Liz have been on my case. They say it's time for me to forgive you."
"So I'll be sure to say thanks to Max and Liz," Michael barked.
"Hey. I know they controlled you, okay? I know you don't really hate Liz. So I thought I'd come and make the first move, okay?"
"Okay."
"Besides..."
"Yeah?"
"I... I've missed you."
Maria turned away from the door and started to walk toward the room she shared with Connie.
"Me too, Maria," Michael called to her. "I've missed you, too."
"Good night, Michael," she didn't turn to face him. There was a huge smile on her face.
"G'night, Maria."

* * *

Part 47

"I don't know about the rest of you," Kyle watched through the viewing hatch as the blue-green planet drew ever nearer, "but I for one will be glad to be back where I belong."
"Yeah," agreed Max, pulling Liz closer to him. "It'll be good to be just plain Max again."
"I don't think you will ever be plain Max," Isabel observed. "I mean, you've always looked out for all of us, and now you have these others..." she indicated the dozen guards selected from the many volunteers who had all volunteered to assist their King in his struggle with the Epsilians on Earth. In actual fact, every guard had volunteered but Max had refused any more in case they were needed to defend the mother ship. The guards, along with Bektor and Serena sat together in the back of the ship, feeling uncomfortable in their Human clothing. Of course, one of these twelve was Eldugar, Liz's personal bodyguard and although his orders were to be by Liz's side only in the absence of Max, he always made sure that he sat as close to her as he dared.
"The first thing I'm doing," Jesse's eyes went distant, "is to grab me a nice, thick steak with a mountain of fries, a side dish of mushrooms and a huge Caesar salad. Oh, and a beer. An ice cold beer."
"Is that all you think about?" Isabel rolled her eyes.
"Well," Liz smirked. "They think about other things occasionally. Every fifteen minutes, right Max?"
"Apparently," Max chuckled, tickling Liz's lower ribs by way of revenge.
"Beats thinking of shopping all the time," Jesse laughed.
"Oooh!" Maria bubbled. "Shopping. Girls? We have so got to hit a Mall. Besides, we lost most of our clothes and stuff when those goons grabbed Max and the others outside that Motel."
"Oh god," Michael rolled his eyes and curled himself against the wall.
Max cast Maria a questioning glance. She smiled back and gave a thumbs up. Max nodded.

"Listen, guys," Max called their attention. "I was thinking. Now that the FBI are... licking their wounds, I was wondering if you would like to make a flying visit to Roswell?"
Everyone's eyes went wide with hope.
"Would it be safe, Max?" Liz wondered for all of them.
"It will be nearly dark by the time we get back to Earth. If we get dropped off in pairs around Roswell, say a hundred miles or so away, close to a motel and a place to rent a car, we can grab some sleep overnight, and drive separately to Roswell early tomorrow morning. Spend the day with our families, and then take off tomorrow night. We should be in and out before anyone can react. So what do you think?"
"I don't know, Max," Michael's face did not show the hope of the others. "I don't think it's a good idea to separate like that."
"We all have our cell phones," Max pointed out. "And we have other ways of keeping in touch. We could have an arrangement where we call each other every two hours or something. I think we'll be all right. Besides, in pairs, we would attract less attention."
Everyone exchanged excited smiles.
"What about them?" Connie nodded toward the back.
"There's no need for them to come," Max shook his head. "They know where we're all meeting up."
"Sounds great, Max," Liz grinned at her husband. "Thank you."
"Yeah," Maria nodded. "Thanks."
"So, Max?" Isabel smirked. "You have two sets of parents to see."
"I think I'll manage," Max nuzzled his lips to the side of Liz's neck.
"Get a room," Kyle groaned.

* * *

"So, a double bed, huh?" Maria noticed as she stepped into the motel room that she and Michael had rented. "You couldn't get twin beds?"
Michael dropped their bags to the floor and sighed.
"I asked, they didn't have any."
"Well, you just make sure you keep yourself on your side. Got it buster?"
"Look, Maria," Michael sat on the edge of the bed and stared at the far wall. His shoulder slumped. "What I did... what they made me do, look, I don't like it any more than you, okay? I mean, they're my friends. Until that day Max healed Liz, he was my only friend. Making me do that to him was like... like... like taking you away from me. Okay."
Maria took in a deep breath as she readied herself to make some suitable retort, but she exhaled and shook her head. She sat on the bed, close to Michael.
"How could you have done it then?" she asked, though there was no bitterness in her voice. "I mean, even with all the switches flicked, Rath must have known what Liz meant to Max."
"There was a part of me, Michael, that still knew what was going on, Maria," Michael shuddered. "But I was powerless to stop it. The Rath part wouldn't even listen to me. And I was screaming. I've never felt pain like that before. I can't really imagine how Max must have felt when Liz got shot, or how Liz felt when Max fell into that ravine, but I think I can get close. It was only when Max's shield went up that Rath realized that Max would die before he let anything happen to Liz. Once that happened, and he was suddenly plunged into self doubt, I was able to take control again. I'll tell you what, though. Even if they did find a way to turn off my human side, Rath knows the score between those two now. No one can ever make him turn against Liz again."
"So it hurt, huh?"
"Understatement," Michael snorted. "But I'll tell you, Maria. Nothing hurts more than this... chasm between us."
"Well, Spaceboy," Maria smirked. "You know that we can always build bridges across chasms, right?"
Michael looked up.
"Really?"
"Yeah," she nodded, sliding to his side even closer than she was before. "Besides, I've missed you."
"I've missed you too, Maria, and I don't just mean the sex."
"I'll tell you one thing, though."
"What's that?"
"Hurt Liz again and I'll tear you a new a...."
Maria was silenced only by Michael's fierce and passionate locking of their lips. Their lovemaking was comparable to a volcano. It was hot, it was quick and it was explosive. They had both missed each other too much and neither sought to take time to get reacquainted. They simply ripped each other's clothes off and fell into a perspiration covered writhing heap on the bed. There would be time for gentle later. Right now, they just needed each other.

* * *

"It's good to be on our own again," Jesse called to Isabel who was in the bathroom.
"I know what you mean," she called back. "Sometimes, it seems like we are always surrounded by people."
"But don't think that I want out, or anything."
"What's brought this on?" Isabel emerged from her shower, wearing a toweling robe. Her hair was still damp. "Are you okay?" She sat on the bed and laced her arms around Jesse.
"You know I'm committed to your cause, right? I mean, this war that you've been dragged into, as well as helping people in trouble. I just..." Jesse sighed and pushed a hand through his hair. "I just wish that we could hope for some kind of normal life of our own."
"Well," she smiled, tracing her finger up her husband's arm. "Max wants to give Liz a normal life, too. If anyone can find a way to do that, it will be those two." Isabel rolled her eyes. "The point I'm trying to make is that they'll endure just about anything as long as they're together. They'll do whatever they have to, just to have anything that might resemble a normal life. And so would I, Jesse. Especially now that we're together again. I want my normal, too."
Jesse worked his way into a seated position, still holding Isabel.
"Yeah," he sighed.
"What's 'normal' to you, Jesse?" Isabel asked.
"How do you mean?"
"What do you see as being a normal life for yourself?"
"Well, you as my wife, obviously," he started. Isabel smiled up at him. "And working with the law, I guess," he shrugged. "Or maybe moving into politics. Senator Ramirez. How would you like that?"
"Vote Ramirez," Isabel giggled, "or his alien wife will blast you with her death-ray eyes."
"You can do that?" he grinned.
"No," she gave his arm a playful punch.
"Maybe I could do something to help ease the world into accepting the fact that there is life on another planet. That it's further advanced than us. That sort of thing."
"Sound nice."
"Oh yeah, and coming home to my adoring wife who has been working hard in the kitchen all day, to find my dinner ready is definitely in there somewhere."
"Chauvinist," Isabel giggled. "So I'm expected to give up my dreams so you can run for president on the alien ticket?"
"Damn straight," he grinned. "How about you? What would you like your normal to be?"
"Well," she smiled. "It might be nice to raise a family." She caught Jesse's huge sudden smile. "Some day," she winked.

* * *

"Maria wanted to make up with Michael," Kyle apologized as he led Connie into the room they had hired. "I hope you don't mind sharing with me again. I can always rent another room."
"I don't mind at all," Connie smiled at him. "I can't think of a better travel companion than you."
"Really?" Kyle widened his eyes. "Wait. You're not just saying that?"
"No, really." Connie placed her small bag on the floor and looked at the twin beds. "I'm okay with sharing the room and the journey with you, okay? Everything."
"Right," Kyle nodded. "What do you mean, everything?" His face had a look of hope about it.
"Well, you know what Kyle? It was really tempting to move our relationship on to the next level while we were in outer space. You know, the whole surreal aspect of it. But as exciting as that sounded, I really wanted my first time with you to be on the same planet that I was born on."
"So..." Kyle squeaked. He cleared his throat. His face was a mixture of surprise and amazement. "So you really do mean, everything?"
"Yeah," Connie smiled. She gathered a few things from her bag and headed for the bathroom. "I'm going to go and get ready for bed now." She emphasized the word 'bed'. "Why don't you see if you can rustle us up something good to eat. Oh, and definitely a beer or two." She started to close the door as Kyle grabbed his wallet. "By the way, Kyle?"
"Yeah?"
"Protection."

By the time Kyle had returned with a takeout consisting of steak sandwiches, French fries and a six pack of cold beers, Connie had showered and changed into a pastel green nightdress, through which Kyle could make out the darker shades of her femininity.
"Wow," he croaked.
"Do you want to eat first?" Connie blushed at the hot looks Kyle was giving her.
"Depends," Kyle found his voice as he placed the take out on the table, and turned toward Connie.
"What on?"
"Whether you are on the menu or not."
"Oh," Connie giggled. "I'm definitely on the menu all right. Just as soon as you shower."
"Consider it done," Kyle pulled his shirt over his head and headed toward the bathroom. He stopped only to pull one of his boots off and then hopped the rest of the way while pulling off the other. He dropped everything to the floor.
"Men," Connie shook her head as she rose to collect Kyle's dropped belongings.
The sound of water falling told Connie that Kyle was already taking his shower. Picking up the bag, she found that Kyle had somehow acquired two china plates. She nodded her approval and started to serve the meal he had bought. She took two bottles of beer, and twisted the tops off, just as Kyle emerged, still wet from the bathroom.
"I hope you don't mind," she looked him up and down. All he was wearing was a damp towel around his waist. "I thought we should eat before it gets cold. You didn't get coleslaw."
Kyle's mouth opened and closed, as he quickly shook away every retort that he could think of.
"Let's eat," he finally said.

* * *

"I'm sorry I'm not a virgin," she looked into Kyle's eyes as they pushed the twin beds together. "But I'd like you to know that I've never felt as strongly about someone as I do you."
"Really? Me? Strong feelings?" Kyle seemed nervous. His words came out only with great effort. "Um... yeah."
"You know," she giggled. "You know, the way you're bumbling about, anyone would think that you're still a virgin."
"What?" The slur on his manhood seemed to pull him together. "No way. Although I gotta admit, it's been so long that maybe my virginity came back."
"Doesn't work that way," Connie laughed. "And if Max could use his powers to heal someone's virginity, he could make a fortune."
"Did you have to mention him?"
"Sorry," Connie smirked. "Where were we?"
"Look, Connie," Kyle sat on the edge of the bed. "I just want you to know that I feel the same way, okay? Out of all the girls I dated, I never felt anything like I do for you. Only Liz, and even that was different. I don't know if we're going to make it, or even if we're going to have a future to look forward to, but I do know that I can't think of anyone I would rather share the ride with."
"Me neither," Connie sat on Kyle's lap. "So tell me? Are you a real cowboy? Is that your gun under that towel?"
"No," he smirked. "I'm just pleased to see you."

* * *

"I thought Bektor was going to burst a blood vessel," Max laughed. "Making him take Eldugar with him and the others."
"We're going to visit our families, Max," Liz shook her head. "How do I explain to my Mom and Dad why there's a strange man hanging around me. How do I explain that Eldugar is there to protect me, when you're not around? Not to mention the fact that he'll stand out like a sore thumb, and we are sort of trying to be incognito."
"I agree with you Liz," Max smiled. "I just find it funny the way you keep Serena and Bektor on their toes."
"Serena's okay. She just tries too hard to justify her new position. That was cruel of you, promoting her like that."
"She'll manage," Max smiled. "She'll learn a lot more about humans by being around us more. That way, she'll learn how to modify their customs so they don't clash with our own needs. I don't want a repetition of what happened on the ship. You are, and always will be, my main priority. The sooner they understand that, the sooner we'll get along."
"I know," Liz nodded. "And she is being very kind to me. They all are, actually."
"You know," Max looked at Liz sitting beside him as they drove north toward Roswell. They had chosen to drive a little longer so that they could be closer to Roswell in the morning. "We could drive straight through. We could be in Roswell in three hours. That way, we'd be able to see more of each other's parents."
"That sounds like a good idea, Max," Liz nodded looking up at him. "But where would we sleep?"
"You know as well as I do that both your parents and my parents would offer us our old rooms for the night," Max chuckled as he stared into the early evening gloom. "You know, I've always wanted to make love to you on your balcony." He waggled his eyebrows.
Liz started to laugh. "I'm not really into doing that in the same building as my father, thank you very much," she shook her head. "Especially when he is just in the next room. Besides, creeping in through your window and seducing you has always been one of my fantasies."
"I know," Max smirked while Liz blushed. "But not with my mother's hearing. So I guess our old rooms are out then?"
"Definitely," Liz agreed. "So where does that leave us?"
"Driving north on highway two eighty five at eight thirty in the evening," Max shrugged. "Hey, isn't that place we found Maria and Michael that time around here somewhere? Sultans?"
"No way, buster," Liz rolled her eyes. "I don't even want to 'think' about making love with you in some tacky sex dive. Not when you have taken me to the stars and back, literally, and shared such magic behind the planet Pluto."
"There's a motel up ahead," Max pointed at the approaching bright yellow sign for a Days Inn ahead of them. Should I stop, or carry on?"
They both turned to each other, only to see the love and mutual respect for each other, their passion and each other's burning desires reflected in their eyes.
"Stop," they both laughed together.
Max pushed the turn signal down and checked his mirror before turning into the motel's parking lot.

* * *

Deputy Jim Valenti walked through the main doors and into the lobby of the Roswell's Sheriffs department. Standing in front of the main desk, he stretched his limbs and groaned.
"Morning," he nodded to Deputy Holt on duty behind the desk. He walked over to the coffee pot and poured himself a cup while humming a tune.
"Sure is," Holt agreed. "Gonna be a scorcher, according to KROZ."
"So it'll probably rain then."
"Yeah," Holt chuckled.
"Looking forward to your vacation?"
"You know it," Jim grinned. "First real one I've had in ages."
"Where ya headed?"
"I'm gonna drift down to the gulf and get some serious fishing done."
"Sounds like a blast. Want some company?"
"Only the soft, curvy feminine kind."
"So you're taking Amy DeLuca, huh? What? It's not exactly a secret, now, is it?"
"If I had a million dollars," Jim started to sing, pausing only to sip his drink. "I would buy you a house..."
"Is your band still going, Jim?" Holt asked.
"The Kit Shickers?" Jim smiled. "Sorta. We never disbanded or nothing. But we haven't played a gig in a while."
"Maybe you should look into it," the deputy nodded. "You know, help take you mind of your missing kid."
"Might help," Jim agreed.
The telephone started to ring and Jim took another sip of coffee and headed for the office while Deputy Holt handled the call.
"You might want to take this one, Jim," Holt hung up the phone and finished filling out the form. "A domestic robbery in progress in..."
"Not four thirty three Crestview again?" Jim frowned.
"No," Holt shook his head. "Jim, it's your house."
Jim paused only to put his cup of coffee down before rushing for his SUV.

He didn't wait for backup. Jim had had enough of the FBI and their underhand tactics in their attempt to trace his son and his friends. Now that someone had reported a break in, Jim could approach the house, enter it and shoot dead anyone he found. When it came to filling in the paper work, he would simply claim that the perpetrator pulled a gun on him. Then, during the subsequent investigation he would demand to know why an FBI agent was breaking into private homes without a warrant. Perhaps they would finally back off. So it was in silences that Jim's SUV pulled to a stop a few houses down the road from his house. He had not used his siren to clear his way through the early morning traffic. As he emerged from his SUV, he could see the strange car pulled up on his driveway.
"Talk about brazen," Jim muttered to himself as he drew his standard issue firearm from its holster.
Using the neighbor's houses, and the trees and bushes for cover, Jim crept up on his own house, holding his gun out before him, using his spare hand to cup the handle as he had been taught all those years ago by his father. In complete silence, he climbed the stairs to his porch and with his back against the wall, he slid along to the front door. He paused while he listened for any tell tale sounds from inside. He could hear someone moving around. It sounded like there was only one.
"Must be slipping," he shook his head. "Either that or they're finding it hard to find good agents that will break the law."
With his gun in a ready position, he moved his hand to the door handle. He twisted it slowly, to reduce any potential noise that might cost him the element of surprise. He cracked the door open so that there was just a tiny gap. He could not see any movement through the gap, so he opened it a little wider, and then wider still. When there was enough room, Jim spun so that his gun swept the room as he entered through the door. While he was still on alert, a tall, blond haired young woman walked into the room, munching on a bowl of cereal.
"Freeze!" Jim commanded, aiming the gun at her.
The blond gave a scream, dropped the almost full bowl to the floor, and turned to face Jim, with her arms pointing straight up into the air. Although she was afraid, she was certainly no FBI agent. With a slow caution, born from too many arrests just like this, Jim approached the wide-eyed young woman, keeping his gun on her. He started to frisk her, although it was apparent to Jim that there was no way she could be hiding any weapons in her tight clothing.
"Dad?" the startled exclamation from behind him caused Jim to spin, still pointing his gun now at the person who just spoke.
"Kyle?" Jim sounded surprised, but his instincts were still working and he turned the gun back to the girl. "What are you doing here, son?"
"A flying visit," Kyle shrugged. "Uh, dad? I see you already met Connie."

* * *

Jeff Parker sat at one of the booths of the Crashdown Cafe, sorting through the inventory lists, making sure that he did not need to order any more stock. He couldn't help the yawn that escaped his mouth. He had only just opened the café five minutes ago and the seven o'clock rush of customers was already in full swing. The telephone behind the counter started to ring. Jeff shrugged and walked over to the phone.
"Who do you suppose would be calling at this god awful hour?" he asked Tony, the morning shift's short order cook.
"Good morning, Crashdown Café," Jeff intoned when he answered it. "How can I help you?"
"Can I place an order for take out?" a voice asked. It sounded muffled, like it was from a cell phone.
"Sure," Jeff rolled his eyes. Everyone knew the Crashdown did take outs. "What would you like?"
"Could I get an Alien King's breakfast, and a queen size coffee and Danish deluxe?"
Jeff's eyes widened.
"Yeah, sure. That won't be a problem," he answered as his eyes scanned the room. "How soon can you collect?"
"We can be there in fifteen minutes."
"That's good. How about you call at the back door. I'll have it waiting." Jeff hung up the phone and tore the page from the telephone order pad.
"Can you make this one urgent," he scribbled out an order for bacon, eggs, hash browns and toast, twice, and slid it across the kitchen counter. He turned to the coffee pot and poured two cups of coffee into china mugs, and placed two Danish pastries onto two plates. He placed these on a tray while he waited for the cook.
"Who's it for?" Tony looked into the room but could not see anyone who appeared to be waiting for food.
"Nancy and me," he smiled.
"Okay," he nodded while sliding two plates toward Jeff. "What about that takeout? Want me to handle it?"
"He changed his mind," Jeff placed the plates on the tray and carried it through the doors to the steps that led up to his apartment.
"Nancy," he called, checking that the anti-bugging device was in place and working. "You'd better be up, cause in about five minutes, your daughter and son-in-law will be here."
"What?" he heard her squeal. Oh my god. Jeff! The place is a mess. Why couldn't they warn us?"
Jeff smiled and shook his head. Apart from a few magazines and yesterday's newspaper spread over the table, the room was spotless.

* * *

Max had a good look around while Liz opened the back door to the place that had once been her home. She slipped inside, closely followed by the young man that had always dreamed of entering this house as a member of the family. Making sure that none of the employees saw them, they hurried up the stairs.
"Liz!" her mother breathed and ran the length of the living room into her daughter's arms. "Oh, honey. I was so worried about you."
"Hey, Mom," Liz smiled, pulling her mother into a tight embrace. At last they parted, and Liz repeated the hug with her father.
"Hey, Max," Jeff shook his hand after Nancy gave him a motherly hug.
It took some time to calm the emotional tears. It wasn't just Liz and Nancy who shed them. Jeff shed a few of his own, too. Even though he was family, Max still felt as though he was intruding.
"So, tell us," Jeff spoke at last, indicating the breakfast that he had brought up. "Where have you been? Why did you go so silent on us?"
"We made contact with Max's people," Liz told them, as she started to nibble at the Danish. "We met up with them after we investigated the meteorite landings. They took us back to their ship, which is just behind the planet Pluto."
"Is the ship this new moon everyone's jumping up and down about?" Jeff raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah," Max nodded, swallowing the bacon he had just eaten. "Every time they needed to contact their people on Earth, who were looking for us, they had to move out a little bit to send the message."
"How do you know they are your people, Max? Are you sure you can trust them?"
"We're sure," Max squeezed Liz's hand.
"So why did they want to take you up to their ship? They didn't want to take you back to Antar, did they?" Jeff's eyes narrowed.
"No," Max smiled. He turned to Liz and looked into her eyes. He took both of her hands in his. "They wanted to meet their Queen."
"So," Nancy looked a little stunned. "Not only is my daughter a Queen of a whole planet, but she has been out further in space than any other human being? I wish I could brag about that."
"Except for Kyle, Jesse and Connie, Mom," Liz rolled her eyes. "They were there too."
"Technically, Connie's been out further than any of you," Max laughed.
"Oh yeah," Liz nodded.
"So why the visit, Max?" Jeff asked. "Not that we don't appreciate it. And why has Philip arranged for all of us to take off for a while?"
Max looked at Liz, who looked back, with a feint nod of her head.
"There's some tough times coming," Max sighed. "Dangerous, maybe. We want all of our families together for safety's sake, as well as having the opportunity to spend some quality time together. After all, you are all still our parents and we all still love you."

* * *

"Hey Mom," Isabel called as she entered the kitchen with Jesse.
"Oh, Isabel," Diane called as she hurried to her daughter's arms.
"Hola, Mamasita," Jesse swept his own mother into his arms and lifted her up.
"Oh Mijo!" his mother smiled, hitting his arms. "Put me down."
The reunion was similar to the one that was taking place in the Crashdown, with plenty of tears, although everyone noticed that although Mrs. Ramirez said hello, she did not give Isabel a hug.
"Isabel!" Philip called from the kitchen door. "Jesse!"
Philip had been away on business when Isabel called her mother with the coded message announcing their immanent arrival. Unlike Liz's parents, Diane had received a phone call the previous night. Philip had left his hotel in the early hours of the morning and had driven hard to get here on time.
"Let me get cleaned up and I'll join you for breakfast, okay?"
"Sure, dad," both Isabel and Jesse echoed.

Philip bounded up the steps, taking two at a time. In his bedroom, he carefully removed the anti-bugging device that Max had given him, and laid it on his dresser. He quickly showered, shaved, brushed his teeth and dressed himself in a plain pair of jeans and a checked shirt. At last he felt ready to join his daughter and son-in-law. When he arrived in the kitchen, he was pleased to see that Mrs. Ramirez was cooking breakfast. She had never heard of Martha Stewart.
"So, what was with the silence?" Philip asked over a cup of coffee.
They had planned their responses carefully. Although it had been agreed to tell their parents as much of the truth as they dared, they also agreed that they would not mention Liz's trial, or how close both Liz and Max had come to being killed. Instead, they focused on the good things from their interstellar visit.
"So, as we're all here in Roswell," Philip smiled at his daughter. "And seeing that you were all going to leave tonight anyway, we might as well all come with you, rather than wait another day."
"We could go out and hire a mini bus or something," Jesse suggested. "Rather than travelling in separate cars."
"No," Philip shook his head. "There's a reason why were travelling separately. "We need to arrive in dribs and drabs so we don't attract too much attention. Besides, Max and Liz have to make a detour. They have an appointment to see Arthur Carlton of Carlton's Electronics in Albuquerque. I think Terrie wants to say thank you personally. She never saw Max once Liz got her out of that diner that time."

* * *

"Mom?" Maria called out as they entered Amy DeLuca's store, 'The Essence-ial Emporium.'
Lining the shelves and display cases was everything every good aroma-therapist could ever want, along with various herbal remedies and other 'new age' accoutrements.
"Maria?" Amy squealed. "Maria! Oh my god, Maria."
Amy breezed in like a hurricane and swept Maria into her arms.
"Like mother, like daughter," Michael shook his head and covered his smile with his hand.
"So why are you here?" Amy leaned back and looked at her daughter. "You're not..."
"Mom, no!" Maria rolled her eyes. "We dropped in to say hello. You know, cause we've been kinda quiet lately."
"Uh huh," Amy looked at Michael and nodded at him. "And just what was that, exactly. You know we were all worried sick, don't you?"
"Yeah," Maria sighed. This was not going the way she envisioned.
"Where's all the alien gimmicks?" Michael noticed the absence of anything connected to Roswell's infamous history.
"Oh," Amy looked around her store. "You know, they weren't making me any money anymore, so I got rid of them all. I don't do them now."
"Is this because of Michael, Max and Isabel?" Maria frowned.
"Not really," Amy denied with a little too much emphasis. "But I can see how demeaning that stuff must have been to them. After all, Max did save Liz's life, didn't he? How could I even consider continuing the myth that he or the man who won my little girl's heart is a dangerous thing, three feet tall with black eyes?"
"We never took it seriously, Amy," Michael shook his head. "And we certainly never took it personally. We would all be upset if we thought that you weren't making ends meet, just because you were trying to be... politically correct." Michael pushed his hand through his hair and looked around the empty shop. "Sell the alien stuff again."

* * *

Steve Baurline was not a happy man. Even though he had access to state of the art equipment, some of which he had never seen before, he was no closer to finding the alien monster who had destroyed his life that he had been in the good old days. Every single needle, dial, pen-line and indicator of every single machine showed nothing. There was no trace of the young man, or rather, alien that these machines were designed to detect. He had shifted his location on a daily basis, trying to find him, for months now, and he was getting t tired of it all. He rose from his bed and approached one of the boxes. Only the ringing cell phone in his pocket stopped him from kicking the sensitive device.
"What?" he barked.
"Baurline? Is that you?"
"Yeah," Baurline snapped. "Who's this?"
"Yeah, uh...it's Haskins. I have some news."
"You do? What?"
"How much?"
"The usual fee."
"I want double. I hear you got generous backers and this is news that I think you'll really want."
"Okay," Baurline allowed his irritation to taint his voice. "But it better be good."
"It is. I've found him."
"Who?" Baurline asked after a pause, but he knew that Haskins sensed his urgency.
"Good joke. You know who I mean. He turned up in Roswell early this morning, at the restaurant. But they're packing up the car now. They're leaving again"
"You were right, Hasking," Baurline nodded. "That is excellent news, and well worth the extra money. I'll have it wired to your account. Can you follow them?"
"I can, but it'll cost you."
"Of course," Baurline nodded. "Usual rates?"
"Double," Haskins snorted. "I don't doubt you're getting as sweet deal out of this, so why should I miss out?"
"Okay, Haskins. Keep me posted. I'll settle with you as soon as I catch up to you."
"I want the money wired to me on a daily basis. Miss a payment and I miss a call."
Haskins hung up. Baurline pressed the red button on his phone and turned to look at the expensive machinery in his room. He started to laugh.
"All that technology and it's a simple stool pigeon that finds them."
Baurline pressed another button on his phone. It was answered after only one ring.
"Grier? It's Baurline. Tell Nikolas that I've found them. They're in Roswell again, but they're about to move. I have a tail on them. I'll keep you posted. Oh, and I'll need some more expenses."

* * *

In the dark interior of his motel room, the hippy with the misshapen mouth sat in front of a digital receiver and pressed a series of buttons while a red LED display showed an ever-changing range of numbers. The numbers would stop every now and then and the sound of radio static filled the air.
"I don't fucking understand it," he cried, slapping the side of the receiver. "Fifty thousand bucks of public money and it doesn't fucking work. I know the equipment's not faulty. I tested it before I stole it. I should be picking up something, even if it's only fucking inane chatter about who ordered what meal or who is suing who." He pressed another button, and the sequence of numbers changing and the static noise started again. Then, the sound changed.
"don't attract too much attention. Besides. Max and Liz have to make a detour. They have an appointment to see Arthur Carlton of Carlton's Electronics in Albuquerque. I think Terrie wants to say thank you personally. She never saw Max once Liz got her out."
"At fucking last," the man snapped. He leapt from his bed and grabbed a map of New Mexico. "Oh yes. I think a visit to Albuquerque might just be in order."

* * *

Part 48

"Well, there they go," Philip waved at the car behind him as it turned off of highway two eighty-five and headed alone toward Albuquerque.
Diane turned and waved to her son and daughter-in-law. Nancy and Jeff, sitting behind the young couple waved back.
"It's not fair," she grumbled. "Nancy gets to see more of Max than I do, and I'm his mother."
"You've got me mom," Isabel called from the back seat of the large car the five of them were travelling in. She sat behind Jesse and his mother.
"Oh, Isabel," her mother turned to face her. "I know, it's just..."
"You know how important the mother daughter relationship is, Mom. Liz wants to be with her mother and Max wants to be with Liz. Besides, they'll catch us up tomorrow."
"I understand, Isabel," Diane replied. "But I can't help feeling just a little jealous."
"Do we have far to go?" Mrs. Ramirez asked Philip.
"Mom, I told you last night," Jesse rolled his eyes. "We're stopping tonight in Santa Fe and then heading north tomorrow at a slow pace. We have a two or three day drive ahead of us."
"Oh, yeah," she nodded.
"You okay back there, Isabel?" Jesse turned to face her.
"Yeah," she nodded, rolling her eyes. It promised to be a long journey.

* * *

"Here's the turn," Max commented as he pulled their car out of the convoy at Cline's Corner and turned up highway forty toward Albuquerque. "Everybody wave." Beside him, Liz was dozing.
"Wouldn't it be safer to keep together, Max?" Jeff asked from beside Nancy on the back seat. Aren't the FBI still a threat?"
"Probably not," Max shook his head. "But we're only making a slight detour. We should catch up with the others tomorrow night."
"So why are we going to Albuquerque?" Nancy asked.
"I have to see someone."
"Who's that?" Jeff wondered.
"Terrie's father."
"Terrie? Wasn't that the girl you saved in that siege over Santa Fe way?"
"Yeah," Max nodded, checking the rear view mirror.
"Why? Is she alright?"
"Yeah," he nodded. "It's just... you see, her father is Arthur Carlton, of Carlton's Electronics."
"And?"
"And... I sent him the weapon Liz and I found that time in Puerto Rico." Max watched the sleek sports car speed past him. "I'm hoping he'll be able to reverse engineer it. That way, we can give weapons to our friends, family and allies to help in the fight against our enemies."
"Won't that be expensive?" Jeff narrowed his eyes and pinched his lips. "Do you have access to funds? How will you pay for it?"
"Jeff?" Max smirked. "How much is Liz worth to you?"
"Precious, Max," Jeff looked surprised. "There's not enough wealth on this planet or yours that could compensate me for her loss. But I'm guessing you feel the same way."
"Yeah," Max agreed. "Except to me, there's not enough wealth in the entire universe. But yeah, I feel the same way. Now suppose you knew that I had saved Liz's life that day she was shot? What would you have done, the next time I went to pay my bill in the Crashdown?"
"You would never have had a bill, Max," Jeff shook his head. "It would have been free meals for you for the rest of your life. Oh yeah. I see what you mean. So there'll be no charge?"
"Well, Mr. Carlton will have exclusive access to an alien technology, so if he's smart, he'll be more than compensated for his efforts."
Jeff nodded, his eyes going distant. Max wondered if he was thinking about that dark September day. He saw him look at his daughter, asleep in the front seat.
"Max?" he asked in a hushed voice. "How is Liz doing, really?"
"You know," Max sighed. "She's fine. She's had to put up with a lot, but you know, she's really strong. But that doesn't stop me worrying about her future."
"You're her future, Max," Jeff's comment was aimed at taking the guilt from Max's voice. "Anyone can see that the two of you are meant for each other. Where ever you go, you can bet that she'll follow."
"I'd like to give her so much more."
"Just give her your heart and your soul. That's all she wants. That's all she needs."
"I'm afraid I can't do that," Max sighed.
Jeff looked worried.
"Why not?" His voice was tight.
"'Cause she already owns them. She always has."

* * *

"So, do you know where your father is now, Connie?" Jim called from behind the steering wheel of his car.
"No, sir," Connie shook her head. "He had the offer of a job in some far east country. I sorta got the feeling it was like, mercenary work."
"I hope the government don't find out," Jim shook his head. "They kind of frown on such activities."
"I think that he doesn't much care what the government thinks," Connie called. "Not when they already tried to kill him once."
"Yeah," Jim agreed. "I guess he doesn't."
"Give her a break, Dad," Kyle begged.
"Okay, son," Jim smiled. "Seeing as she helped lay a ghost to rest."
"And what ghost would that be?" Kyle questioned.
"I gotta confess that for a while there, I was seriously starting to think that ... you know... might be playing for the other side."
"What?" Kyle's reaction was choked.
"Well, what was I to think? The only girls you showed an interest in were Liz, Maria and Isabel, who were all tied up in serious relationships. Then there was this Buddha thing. I mean what was that?"
"Right, Dad," Kyle rolled his eyes while Connie started to giggle.

* * *

"So, Michael," Amy asked from beside him. She had chosen to sit up front with Michael while Maria slept across the back seat. "How come you and Maria aren't married yet?"
"He already asked me once," Maria replied for him. She knew that her mother was about to lay into Michael. That was Maria's job. "I said no."
"Oh, Maria, I thought you were asleep."
"Evidently," Maria's reply was dry.
"What do you mean, you said no?"
"Like the lady said," Michael shrugged. "She said no."
"But look at Max and Liz. And Jesse and Isabel," Amy pointed out. "They're married and it's so obvious that they're happy. They manage okay."
Maria started to laugh.
"Look, Mom," Maria sat upright in her seat. "Isabel and Jesse were married before this all happened. And as for Max and Liz, as long as they have each other, they'll always be okay. Neither one of them would have been comfortable doing this and not being married. But Michael and me... we're not Max and Liz. We don't have what they have. I don't think anyone has what they have. What Michael and I have is more..."
"Sexual?"
"Mom! No. I mean, yes, but not like that. I know Michael loves me. And I love him. It's just... I don't think that I can ever be Liz."
"But Maria..." Amy started. The unmarried status of her daughter bothered her, for all her new age ideals.
"I'll make a deal with you, mom," Maria crossed her arms and leaned between the two seats with her elbows resting on each one. "I'll accept a proposal from Michael, if he ever asks again, AFTER Liz gets the big ceremony Max has promised her."
Amy thought about it.
"So when will that be?"
"When he believes that it will be safe for us to come home."
"So that means never, right?" Her voice rose an octave. "Like when pigs fly or when the moon is blue?"
"Amy," Michael tried to calm her down. "This 'is' Max were talking about."

* * *

"Do you think they'll be okay, Max?" Liz asked for perhaps the fourth or fifth time since leaving her parents at the motel they had checked into.
"Liz, I'm sure they'll be fine," Max grinned at her as they slid from the car. "Your parents are all grown up and can look after themselves now."
"You know what I mean," Liz chuckled.
"Yeah," Max smirked. "The motel is on the main road, so if they need to go somewhere, they could catch the bus. The motel has a pool if they just want to sit around. We're all settled, we shared a great lunch. What else could they need?"
"I know, Max. It's just..."
"You don't need to worry about them, Liz. They've managed all this time without us. I know you're going to make a great Queen, but don't take it too far, okay?"
"As long as you take your own advice and not take your title too far."
"It's a deal," Max chuckled, leaning his shoulder toward Liz.
"Oh," Liz leaned forward to look at the street sign hanging above the road and then checked their location against the map open on her lap. "Move into the left lane, Max. We need to take the next left."
"That looks like it over there," Max nodded as he moved across the gap in the traffic and drove down the road they needed.
"There's the parking lot," Liz nodded. "Oh, there's a space, Max."

Hand in hand, the young couple walked along the sidewalk that led to the main entrance of Carlton's Electronics. The automatic smoked glass doors opened with a hiss that reminded them both of the doors on the spaceship. The cooler air-conditioned air blasted out to meet them. Inside, the marbled floor lobby was rather spartan in appearance, with only an ornate reception desk, a few plush chairs and a glass case displaying products made by Carlton's.
"Can I help you?" the toothy smile of the receptionist greeted them. She had curly blond hair and blue eyes.
"Can you let Mr. Carlton know that Max and Liz are here, please," Max wouldn't look at the woman.
"Is Mr. Carlton expecting you?" she ran her finger down a prepared sheet of paper. "Max and Liz who?"
"Just call him," Liz rolled her eyes at the woman's phony nature. "He's expecting us."
She looked up at Liz with a skeptic look.
"Trust us," Max finally looked at her and gave her the full force of one of his smiles.
She smiled back and picked up the phone.
"Hello, Andrea? It's Tracey. I have a 'Max' and 'Liz' in reception. They say Arthur's expecting them but they're not on the list of today's visitors."
"Are they a young couple? Dark hair?"
"Yes, that's right."
"Send them up, Tracey."
"You can go up," Tracey hung up the phone and gave another toothy smile. She turned and pointed to an elevator door at the far side of the lobby. "You can use that elevator."

* * *

"Max," Arthur Carlton rose from behind his large circular desk and moved around to shake the young man's hand. "Liz." Arthur also shook Liz's hand, which he also kissed the back of, eliciting a small giggle from the enchanting brunette. "It's so good to meet you at last. I can't thank you enough for what you did for my daughter, Terrie. I can't thank you enough for helping bring my family back together again."
"It, uh..." Max's face turned red. "It was nothing," he shrugged.
"Oh, but it was," he nodded. "You see," Arthur indicated the plush leather sofa behind them, guiding them across to it. He paused. "Until that happened, I guess you could say that my family was a little... dysfunctional. Terrie and I weren't exactly getting along. Nothing I did for her was good enough and everything that she did was just wrong, in my eyes. Wrong friends, wrong clothes, wrong grades."
"Wrong boyfriend?" Liz smiled.
"Right," Arthur rolled his eyes. "Her mother tried telling me that I was losing her, but all I saw was this waste of space after my daughter and my money. I mean, I could see what was happening. Why couldn't Terrie?"
"I guess when you're young and in love, you can't see the wood for the trees," Liz looked across at Max.
"Yeah," Arthur smiled. "But how about you two? You guys didn't turn out so bad. My sources tell me that you've had your share of problems."
"Have you been spying on us, Mr. Carlton," Max arched his eyebrows.
"Only to find out more about you," he sighed. "In a good way, you understand. I just needed to get to know the kids who saved my daughter, and as you guys are harder to find than gold dust, I resorted to something else. I do apologize if this worries you at all. I didn't plan on making you uncomfortable."
"That's okay, Mr. Carlton," Liz squeezed Max's hand. "We understand. Where is Terrie, anyway? And how is she?"
"Please, call me Arthur. After all, you kids are almost like family. Just family I haven't had time to get to know yet."
"Thank you... Arthur," Liz nodded.
"As for Terrie, well, she's doing fine. Great, actually. She's taking evening classes to catch up on the school she's missed out on, and after an intensive session at Summer School, she's hoping to get a place at college next year. All her own idea. I'm encouraging her, of course, but I'm not making her do anything she doesn't want to do."
"That's so great," Liz smiled a huge smile.
"Is there a chance you guys might ever get to go? To college I mean."
"We're certainly planning on it," Max shrugged. "But for now, it's just a dream."
"A hope," Liz added. "Will we get to see Terrie?"
"Of course," the older man smiled. "She's been dying to see you guys again. It's all I've heard for the last few days. She's at school right now, but she'll be by later."
"Oh," Max looked concerned. "We were hoping to be on our way as soon as possible."
"I understand," Arthur nodded. "The thing is, I have what you came for locked away in the big vault. I don't want to open it till all the employees have left the building. I sort of got the impression from your father that this was even more secret than top secret."
"Well, yeah," Max agreed. "So you managed it?"
"I did," Arthur's face broke into a huge grin. "Because of the secrecy though, I wasn't able to set up a production line for you. So I haven't been able to make the numbers I had hoped. But Terrie helped any spare moment she got." His face became worried. "Also, because of my... limited technology, I wasn't able to achieve some of the microscopic tolerances and so I don't think the range of the guns I built are as good as the one you left me."
"I'll talk to someone about helping you with the tolerance," Max nodded. "But as long as they're accurate, and just as deadly, they'll be fine."
"Of course, I couldn't test them. They just wouldn't work. That would have worried me if your dad hadn't already warned me. I hope they're okay."
"I'm sure they'll be fine, Arthur. Thank you."
"We can test them as soon as you can let us have them," Liz confirmed.
"Well, how about the two of you come back at around seven? Terrie will be here, then, and only the security guards will remain. Terrie wants to thank you personally, Max. She never got to thank you after Liz got her out. And neither did I, till now. Perhaps we could have dinner together?"
"So we're free 'till seven, Max," Liz grinned. "What shall we do with all that time?"
"There's a big Mall just up the street," Arthur offered, earning a sarcastic smirk from Max. "And the tallest building in Albuquerque is right next door. They have a viewing gallery on the top floor with some spectacular views."

* * *

The remaining three cars of the special convoy from Roswell pulled into the parking lot of the 'Santa Fe Wagon Train Motel' a little after four o'clock in the afternoon.
"Great. Whose idea was this?" Michael groaned.
"What?" Maria's face was filled with guilt. "I think it's cute."
The motel's rooms were mocked up covered wagons that formed a long, sweeping semi-circle.
"They have air conditioning, and a pool, Michael. And on a day like today, I would rather chill in cool water than sit around some sweaty room listening to you fret 'cause you don't know what's happening with Max."
Michael rolled his eyes.
"You know," Amy climbed from the air-conditioned interior of the car and into the desert heat. "I can see why you two are reluctant to get married. No need for a divorce then."
"Quaint," Diane smiled, joining Amy in the hot, dry outside air.
"My daughter's choice," Amy shrugged.
"I shoulda known," Kyle arrived and rolled his eyes.
"Jim and I will go check us in," Phillip offered. "Why don't you guys find some shade?"
"We'll be over there," Diane pointed to mobile catering van parked beneath the shade of a cluster of Cottonwood trees.

The large group crossed the dry parking lot and collapsed onto the cool grass, or into picnic tables of the shaded area. Michael stopped next to a greasy looking biker sitting on the side of the road, next to a run down motorcycle. A sign was hanging from the handlebars proclaiming that it was for sale, at the paltry sum of one hundred dollars.
"Does it even start?" Michael looked skeptical.
Slightly behind him, Kyle snorted.
"Course it starts," the biker looked offended.
"Yeah, right," Kyle turned away and headed back toward the others.
The biker stood up and stepped across to sit astride his bike. After turning the ignition key, he tried his best to kick-start the bike's engine. He failed, miserably. With Michael's chuckles ringing in his ears, the biker picked up his sign, crossed out the one hundred, and wrote in the new price of fifty dollars.
"Why are we stopping so soon, anyway?" Amy asked as Michael collapsed to the grass, beside Maria.
"We don't want to get too far ahead of Max and Liz," Isabel told her. "They want to catch up with us tomorrow. They won't be able to do that if we drive all day."
"We could have all stayed together, though, couldn't we?"
"My thoughts exactly," Michael grumbled.
"Just 'cause they want to catch us doesn't mean they will," Jesse wrapped his hands behind his head and leaned back against the trunk of a tree. "Look, we made the plan, let's just stick with it."
"How did Max put up with you guys for so long?" Connie asked. She turned to Maria. "Was it always like this? Complaining about Max's decisions."
"Pretty much," Maria nodded. "Only they're not so objectionable these days."
Connie shook her head. "Sound like you guys could do with a stint of military service. Soldiers obey orders, Michael. They don't question them."
Michael muttered something under his breath.
"What was that, Michael?" Maria arched her eyebrows.
"Nothing, dear," Michael shook his head.
"Is it just me," Diane leaned forward against the picnic table. "Or has anyone else noticed that it's only Max who has had it hard. I mean, you guys all seem to have had it easy compared to him. When things go wrong for you, you all turn to Max. Who does he turn to?"
"Liz," everyone replied with a nod.
"But what about that time when... when he and Liz weren't together, and Tess... Who helped Max get through that?"
There was no answer, but everyone noticed the looks of guilt on the faces of Michael and Isabel.
"I look upon it as a test," Kyle offered.
"What do you mean, Kyle?" Diane asked.
"To prove that Max was worthy of Liz. I mean, we all know how special she is. And he passed. No matter how much crap Max has had to deal with, or will have to deal with, he has Liz's love to fall back on. It's like she's his reward for having to do the stuff no one else could. I'd say it was a fair trade."
Everyone considered this, but before anyone could reply, Michael's cell phone started to ring.
"Yeah?" he answered.
Everyone looked over but no one was worried. It was just a routine check in. Until Michael's face fell.

* * *

"Could you imagine going to college here?" Max asked. They had spent a few hours wandering around the mall and were now walking through the neighboring business district.
"No," Liz smiled. "I mean, I grew up in the desert, Max. I'd like to just once live somewhere green. Somewhere where it snows in the winter and you get rainy days when we can snuggle up next to a huge picture window and watch the rain drops race down the windowpane."
"Like in the Simon and Garfunkle song," Max nodded. "Yeah. I know what you mean."
"But when we finished college, I think I could turn my back on that and come home to the desert. There is, after all, something about it."
"Like what? Flies? Dust? Heat?"
"Stargazing on warm night's, Max. Sitting in an open topped Jeep and just holding one another. Besides. You were a gift from the desert. I figure I owe it."
Max stared into Liz's eyes with a smile of pure joy.
"I'm so glad that we crashed in Roswell, Liz," he reached over a stroked the side of her face.
She smiled back and they continued walking.
"But not in a place as big as Albuquerque," Liz shook her head. "I couldn't live in such a big place. After being on our own for so long, I miss the feeling of belonging to somewhere. Living in Roswell, I realize how... secure I felt there, knowing everyone."
"Yeah," Max nodded. "It's easier hiding a secret from a few people, rather than hordes," he indicated the crowded sidewalks. "Like that. Ouch!" Max stopped and grabbed his arm and started to rub it vigorously.
"Max? What's the matter?" Liz turned to face him.
"Something just bit me."
"Here," Liz pulled his hand away. "Let me see. Oh, Max, you're bleeding."
"What?" Max's hand went back toward his wound.
"No, Max. Not here," Liz grabbed his hand. Her face went pale as a wave of images swept through her.
"Liz?" Max held her, preventing her from collapsing.
She was standing next to Max, who was sprawled against a wall. They were facing someone who remained in the shadow. The shadowy figure raised a gun and a shot was fired.
"Max!" Liz screamed.
"Max!" Liz screamed.
"Liz," Max's eyes seemed strange. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I just... Max? What's the matter?"
"I don't feel so good. I feel..." Max's eyes darkened. "Liz, I feel like I did when the FBI captured me that time."
Liz dragged him to a nearby alleyway.
"Heal the wound, Max," Liz urged.
Max's hand went to the small puncture from which blood was oozing. Nothing happened.

* * *

:evil:

Part 49

"We need help," Max's eyes pleaded with her. "We need..."
"Michael," Liz interrupted. She pulled out her cell phone and pressed one of the pre-programmed speed dial numbers.
"Michael!" Liz shouted into the phone.
"Yeah?"
"It's Liz," she snapped. There was no time for any additional pleasantries. "Get here right away."
"Why? What's wrong?" Liz knew that Michael would be in his alert mode now.
"Someone's injected something into Max. He's lost his abilities."
"What? Who?"
"We don't know, Michael. Does it really matter?"
"You need to get him somewhere safe."
"Gee, do you think?" Liz's sarcasm dripped from her words. "I'll take him back to the motel. We're staying at the Paradise Park on highway 40. Just as you enter Albuquerque."

* * *

"Michael?" Maria noticed Michael's change of demeanor. He looked... terrified. "What is it?"
"It's Max."
"What?" Isabel erupted. "What about Max?"
"Michael," Diane showed her own concern. "Was that Max on the phone? What did he say?"
"What's going on, Michael," Maria demanded.
"I... I don't know," Michael shook his head. "That was Liz. Someone's injected Max with the same stuff the FBI got into him the last time. When they captured him. He can't do anything."
"What are we waiting for?" Isabel leapt to her feet. Everyone followed suit and looked to head back to their cars.
"Scooby gang to the rescue," Kyle shrugged, trotting after Isabel. "Hey dad! Emergency."
Philip and Jim were on their way back, carrying a handful of keys.
"What's up, son?" the two men hurried to the others.
"It's Max," Isabel ran to her father. "Liz just called. Someone's injected Max with stuff to stop his powers."
"What?" He grabbed his daughter. He looked around at the rest of them. "When did this happen?"
"Not sure. A few moments ago," Jesse offered.
"So what are we all standing around for?" Jim urged. "Mount up. Let's go."
"No!" Michael shouted. "No," his voice dropped now that he had everyone's attention. His face was set with determination. "We won't go charging across the state. You will stay here while..."
"Are you kidding?" Philip demanded. "This is my son we're talking about!"
"He's my King, and my best friend," Michael stated. "And he won't thank me if I lead any of you into trouble. Besides. What can you do? This isn't a legal problem. Now stay together and stay out of sight. I'll bring them both back."
"Okay," Philip conceded, but not without some reluctance.
"But you're taking me, right?" Isabel stepped closer to Michael.
"No," he shook his head. "You have to stay and look after the others."
"Babysitting again?" Isabel's face grew red with rage.
"It's what Max would want. Beside, I can travel faster alone."
"Take my car," Jim held up his keys. It's probably faster."
"I'm not taking a car."
"What?" the others demanded.
"How are you going to get there?" Kyle asked, suspicion dawning behind his narrowed eyes.
They all followed Michael back toward the catering van. He stopped by the biker, laying back and staring at the sky.
"Fifty bucks, right?" Michael threw a handful of notes at him.
"It's all yours, buddy," the biker grinned as he scooted about collecting the five ten dollar bills.
Michael straddled the bike, and ran his hands over a few key points, as though he was checking on things. He kicked the starter and the bike roared to life, its engine sounding closer to a Formula 1 racing car. With a spray of dust, and the squealing of rubber, Michael was gone. A dusty trough in the gravel parking lot and a long black line of rubber on the road was all that remained.
"Son of a bitch!" the biker complained.
"That's some speed he's travelling at," Philip observed as they watched him disappear back down the highway.
"I hope he doesn't run into any cops," Jim nodded.
"For their sake," Kyle added.
"Yeah," Maria agreed. "Michael's not going to stop for anyone. Not if Max and Liz are in danger."
Knowing glances were exchanged between the younger generation. They all knew that Michael's guilt factor had also added to his burden.
"I still think that he should have taken me," Isabel frowned with her arms crossed across her chest.

* * *

"This way," Liz urged, leading Max back down the street toward the shopping mall's parking lot. "We'll go back and wait for Michael at the motel."
"Good idea," Max nodded.
His eyes, though still distant, no longer held the panicked look of disorientation. Although he was still in control of his faculties, albeit his non-enhanced human ones, Max allowed Liz to take the lead. Their hands still tightly intertwined, she led him through the thinning crowds. Every person they passed was given the once over as they tried to determine if perhaps that man in the pale cream suit or the woman in the yellow sundress had been Max's assailant. It could have been anyone. Two hours later, after making sure they were not being followed, the young couple arrived back at their rented car. As Max fumbled in his pocket for the key the front tire exploded. Max and Liz stared first at the now flat tire and then at each other. Together, they knelt to examine it when the back tire also exploded.
"Get down!" Max hissed his warning, pulling Liz into a protective embrace and moving her to the front of the car.
"What's going on, Max?" Liz could not hide her concern, or her confusion. "What caused the tires to burst like that?"
"Someone's shooting at us," Max tried to peek over the top of the hood.
Liz's whole body went cold. She remembered her vision.
"Wait," she shook away the feeling of dread. "I didn't hear any shots."
"Probably a silencer," Max continued to scan their surroundings, looking for any sign of the gunman. "He's using a..."
"Handgun," Liz nodded, remembering what she had seen. She couldn't recall that the gun had been fitted with a silencer, though. "What should we do, Max? We can't stay here."
"I know," he sighed in frustration, wiping his hand through his hair. He continued his search and looked back at the mall. "We should be safe in there," he nodded toward the distant building. "All those people would help cover us. But getting across that huge open stretch of ground will be dangerous."
"What about that way," Liz pointed toward the business district. "We could use the people in the streets for cover and work our way around to the mall from there."
"Good idea," he nodded. "Now, keep low, and stay together. Okay?"
"I'm not leaving your side," she promised.

Sometimes crawling and sometimes running with their backs bent, Max and Liz made their way across the parking lot. They had to double back in the direction from which they had just come. A small eruption of dust and sparks close to where they were taking a breather caused Liz to cry out in fear. It was not for herself that she was afraid. It was for her husband, whom she knew was feeling more helpless than he had ever felt in his entire life. She took in his stoic features and knew that he was trying his hardest to hide his own fears. Liz could almost see the images of the white room in front of his eyes. She would do all that she could to prevent that. It took them another thirty minutes to get to the edge of the lot. As soon as they reached it, they both searched for any sign that might pose a threat to them.
"Let's go," he urged, and still holding hands, they ran across the busy road, dodging the oncoming traffic and ignoring the wailing of horns.
If she had been asked to retrace their route, Liz would never have been able to do so. All she knew for sure was that they were moving parallel to the street that ran alongside the shopping mall. At least, she hoped they were. From the impact of bullets on the sidewalk near them, Liz knew that they were being shot at in such a way as to shepherd them toward a destination the gunman had in mind and not one that they had chosen. They had to take frequent detours.
"Down here," Max pulled Liz into a narrow street that looked like a dead end.
One thought ran through her mind. They mustn't allow themselves to be trapped.
"It's not a dead end," he panted, guessing Liz's thoughts. "Look. There's an underground parking lot at the end. We can lose him in there. There's bound to be another way out."
Clasping each other's hand for dear life, they started to run the length of the street. Liz took what comfort she could from that union. But with a sudden, agonized cry from Max, the bond had been broken. Liz had to stop and turn back. Max was writhing on the floor, clutching the back of his thigh.
"Max!" she yelled. "Max! What's happened?"
He couldn't answer. He looked up at Liz, now kneeling by his side, concern oozing from every part of her deportment. She could see blood oozing from between his fingers. Every drop of blood in Liz's body had turned to ice.
"Oh my God, Max!" Liz wailed. "You've been shot."

* * *

Without hesitation, Liz ripped a strip of material from the bottom of the baby-t top that she was wearing. She wrapped it around Max's leg and started to tie it in a tight knot. As she worked, her eyes scanned the other end of the street, searching for some sign of their assailant, or for someone who might help them.
"No, Liz," Max begged, grabbing her arm. "Please, save yourself. Run away, as fast as you can."
"Not a chance, Max," Liz snarled through clenched teeth, pulling the ends of the cloth tighter than was necessary. She regretted her action when she saw him wince with pain. "I'm never running from you ever again. Thick and thin, better or worse. Remember?"
"Trust me, Liz," Max grunted when Liz tied the tourniquet off. "This is worse. More terrible than you can imagine, and I don't want you to suffer that."
"Forget it," she shook her head as her eyes filled with determination.
Liz looked around and saw a doorway by the side of the building. She thought she recognized the building as the one Arthur had suggested they visit.
"Come on, Max, maybe we can lose him in there."
She wrapped one of his arms around her neck and lifted Max to his feet, amazed that she was strong enough - but she remembered reading about women lifting cars that had collapsed on top of their husbands - and pulled him toward the door. She could almost sense his suppression of the cry of agony that she knew he felt. A bullet ricocheted off the wall next to her, but she shielded Max's body with her own while she struggled with the door handle. It seemed that the mystery gunman did not like Liz's plan. She ignored the fact that the door was locked; she simply used her developing powers to open it. Liz didn't even care if internal alarms lit up some control panel like a Christmas tree. She had to save Max.
"Come on," Liz pulled him inside and pushed the door shut.
She resisted the urge to collapse into tears. She had to think of Max. She had to call for help. She pulled the phone from her pocket, but saw that it had somehow been damaged during their flight. Remembering what Max had told them about security, she sent a bolt of energy through the phone to fry the sim card. No one would be able to extract the telephone numbers from it now. She would not let them use it to find her friends. With her phone out of action, Liz chose her other method of calling.

* * *

At the Santa Fe Wagon Train Motel, there was no relaxation for one group of travelers. They had congregated in one room, to share their fear and anxiety, away from the eyes of the other guests. Each one alternated between sitting uncomfortable in a chair, nervously fidgeting until they could sit no more, to rising so that they could pace back and forth across the room.
"I wish I knew what was happening," Isabel groaned for the thousandth time.
"I wonder where Michael is," Maria stared out through the window at the black rubber line Michael had left along the highway.
"They'll be alright," Kyle assured them all, but his voice lacked conviction. He stood with his arms crossed, using his shoulder to bounce against the wall.
"We should have stayed together," Philip grabbed at the hair behind his ears and tugged. "What on earth possessed him to allow us all to separate like that?"
"He thought it was safe," Jim soothed.
"And look where that got him," Philip barked.
"Philip," Diane placed her hand on his arm. "That's helping no one. Max least of all."
"I wonder how they found him?" Connie shook her head.
"They've probably been watching us for months," Jim looked out of the window to see if anyone was watching them now.
"They'll be alright," Jesse nodded, echoing Kyle's earlier statement.
"Why don't you try Liz again?" Diane suggested.
Maria pulled out her phone and pressed the speed dial number for Liz's phone. The phone rang three times before switching to the giggling laughter of Liz's voicemail message that was no longer funny.
"Hi. You've reached Queen Liz of Antar. I'm doing regal stuff with King Max right now and can't come to the phone. If you leave a message, I'll get back to you."
"How long should it take Michael to get there?" Maria stuffed her phone back into her pocket.
"At the speed he was travelling," Kyle looked at his watch, but it did not have the answer. "He's probably there by now."
"They'll be okay," Diane sat down on the edge of a chair, crossed her arms tightly to her chest and started rocking.

"Liz!" Isabel suddenly squeaked. She rose to her feet.
Everyone else looked around the room, and then outside, thinking the missing members had arrived. Seeing no one, they turned back to Isabel who was staring into empty space.
"Isabel!" Liz's voice indicated that she was on the verge of hysteria. "Max has been shot and he can't heal himself. Someone's after us. What can I do?"
"What?" Isabel squeaked. "Oh my god. Oh my god." Isabel glanced around the room, as though she were searching for the answer. "Stay strong, Liz," Isabel urged, ignoring the confused and frightened looks from her friends and family. It was hard enough to deal with Liz's and her own rising hysteria. "Michael's on his way. He should be there soon. You need to buy him some time."
"Isn't there anything you can do?" Liz begged. Her desperation almost broke Isabel's heart. Max must be in a bad way if Liz was like that. Tears flooded her eyes. "Please?"
"I'm sorry, Liz," Isabel could scarcely contain her rising sense of impotence. "Not from here. You have to buy Michael some time. Do whatever you have to."
"Tell Michael..." Liz sobbed. "Tell Michael we're in a really tall building. It's the tallest in Albuquerque. The roof. And tell him to hurry."
"Tell Max we love him," Isabel whimpered, but Liz was gone. "Oh my god!" Isabel looked for the comforting arms of Jesse. "Oh my god!"
"What is it, Iz?" Maria held both of Isabel's arms.
"It was Liz. She was here. Max is in a bad way," she started to sob, barely able to speak. She had to hold herself together to pass the message on. Jesse crossed to her and hugged her. "I think he's really bad. Call Michael... he has to... hurry... tallest building... roof... I think. Hurry."
Fighting back the wave of emotion that threatened to black her out, Maria pulled her phone out and called Michael to pass on the message. In the background, an ashen faced Philip tried his best to ignore the seeping sensation of panic while making a call of his own.
"Colonel Roberts? Philip Evans. Listen. We're in trouble. Is there any way you can help?"

* * *

It only took her a moment to collect herself after she returned. Liz was sobbing when her spirit and her body became one. Hysteria threatened to take her over but she fought the feeling back. Max needed her. Isabel told her she had to be strong. So, strong she would be. For Max. She surveyed her surroundings. It appeared as though she was at the bottom of a fire escape. Liz had the choice of a doorway with no handle or a staircase that led upwards.
"I guess we go up," she bit the inside of her cheek, wondering how they would manage.
With half of the effort being Max's assistance and the rest, dogged determination of her own, Liz pulled Max up the steps. At each floor, she found another doorway with no evidence of a handle. She had no doubt that Max, or even Michael would be able to get through it, but Liz had not yet fully learned how to deal with such things. Instead, she continued her steady climb upwards, aware of the trail of blood that Max was steadily losing. She could feel him weakening with every flight they rose. She heard heavy footsteps behind her. Someone was now climbing after them, but it sounded as though he was stamping his feet hard, to generate an echoing reverberation that somehow intensified Liz's fear. They were taking their time, secure in the knowledge that help was a long way away. But they would take Max only over her dead body.
"Li-zzie," a strange yet familiar voice hissed from below. "Li-zzie."
Liz ignored the haunting voice and hurried with her ascent.
"He's losing a lot of blood, Li-zzie. Can he take much more?"
There was the rub. Liz wasn't sure how much more blood Max could afford to lose.
"He's going to bleed to death, Li-zzie," the voice taunted. "Or maybe that's what you want, huh?"
Better that than the white room, she wiped the tears that blurred her vision.
"Nearly there, Max." At last, Liz could see the top of the stairs. "Maybe there's another way down." But maybe there wasn't.
The voice fell silent, for which Liz was grateful, and she soon had Max at the top of the stairs. She was exhausted, and only her dogged tenacity to keep Max from harm kept her going.

It was no surprise to find the doorway locked but at least this one had a handle, a long push-bar across its width, locked with a simple glass cylinder. She didn't bother with the small metal handle. She melted it with an urgent blast of her energy. The molten glass vaporized. Crying fearfully, she thrust her backside against the bar, crashing through the exit and out onto the roof of the building.
"Come on, Max," she encouraged. "Not much further."
As she dragged Max through the portal, the wind whipped her hair into her face, but she ignored it. Liz didn't even notice the spectacular views that Arthur Carlton had assured her were there to be seen. She used her foot to hook the door closed and sent a jolt of her powers to hold it shut. She doubted that it would hold for long, but perhaps it might just buy them enough time. She turned and scanned the rooftop. Her heart fell when she realized that there was no other exit. The only visible shelter was what appeared to be a small ventilator shaft by the far edge. Perhaps she could hide Max there? Maybe there was a shaft he could escape through? She dragged Max, now barely conscious, across the roof. His breathing was shallow and Liz knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that only a miracle could save him now. Perhaps she should just wait for that voice to appear through the door and blast him to kingdom come. No, she shook her head. Her grandmother had once told her that while there was life, there was hope. Of course, she was talking about a pet rabbit at the time, but it still held true for Max. Besides which, Liz doubted she had enough energy left. She had been using much of it to help her to carry Max. She continued to the shaft, which proved only to be a small weather station, and not a shaft at all. With tears of frustration pouring down her cheeks, Liz laid Max against the station and collapsed. They were trapped. She desperately needed that miracle.

* * *

"Baurline," he answered his phone, looking up from the map spread across his desk. A number of colored pins marked points of interest, and colored string marked out lines and areas.
"It's Haskins," his caller informed him.
"What's up?" Baurline frowned. "You've been paid. You've already made your report? What's happened?"
"The guy you wanted me to follow. Someone is chasing him and the girl. He's shooting at them. He's already winged the guy and has them trapped in a building. I think they're headed for the roof."
"What does this 'someone' look like?"
"Tall, dressed like a hippy but he carries his self like someone who knows what they're doin'. Long blond hair, but it don't look right. Like it's a wig. Something wrong with his mouth. Looks like a broken jaw what didn't get fixed."
"Shit!" Baurline spat. "I wondered what happened to him."
"You know him?"
"Unfortunately."
"Want me to intervene?"
"Look. Stay there. Keep an eye on the situation. I'll get back to you." Baurline disconnected his call, and immediately stabbed in another number. "Grier? It's Baurline. Put Nikolas on."
There was a momentary silence.
"Nikolas."
"We have a problem."
"We?" Nikolas' tone was mocking.
"Yeah," Baurline told him. He really hated that man. "We. Someone's on to your Alpha male. He has him pinned down, somehow."
"Do you know this man?"
"Yeah. I do. We... we worked together. Once."
"So what are his plans?" Nikolas sounded concerned now. "Is he going to kill him?"
"He desires the girl for himself. That much I do know. He's obsessed. As to killing the male, I'm not sure. I suspect that he plans to use the power this creature has for his own ends."
Nikolas' laughter rang in his ears.
"Oh, this is too good. I like this man. What a fitting torture for Zan. To be a slave to a human and watch him take his woman. Yes, I like this man. Can he be bought?"
"Not sure. As long as he gets what he wants, I'd say yeah. But it's not just the girl he wants. He wants power."
"Keep an eye on things. Keep this man under surveillance. With or without Zan, follow him."
"That won't be easy." Baurline frowned. "He's been trained by the best and he's clever,"
"And how is this my problem?" Nikolas' voice sounded dangerous.

* * *

Liz could hear the kicking at the door. He, whoever it was, would be through, soon. She wanted to go and make sure it held, but she was too weak.
"I'm sorry, Max," tears flooded from Liz's eyes. "I let you down."
"You... didn't," Max wheezed. "You did... your best."
She considered trying to find Michael, but again, she doubted that she had the energy. The door finally gave way and it swung open, crashing against the wall like a chiming bell. Liz steeled herself, took a deep breath and wiped away her tears. Their enemies would not see her weak. A figure shambled through the doorway. He looked like a hippy, dressed in faded denim jeans and a tie died tee-shirt. His long, dirty blonde hair, held back with a bandana completed his ensemble, but Liz could see that it was not natural, that it was a wig. His mouth was twisted so that his jaw did not meet. In his hand, aimed in their direction was a handgun, fitted with a long, cylindrical silencer. Liz moved her body to protect Max.
"How toushing," the man slurred, noting her protective instinct. "Hello Parker." He wiped the spittle from the corner of his mouth. "Been a long time."
"Not long enough," Liz's hate-filled eyes were sending daggers. "You don't know what you're messing with here." She pointed at his mouth. "Your broken jaw didn't teach you your lesson last time, Sean?"

* * *

"Out of the damn way," Michael cursed at the cars that sometimes seemed to deliberately block his path.
It was almost as though they were working for the enemy. At the speed he was travelling - which he was unsure of because the speedometer had long since given up - it was hard enough for Michael to just hold the aging motorbike in a straight line. To have to weave in and out of the cars that were driving along the highway was positively dangerous. But Max was in danger, so Michael used the full width of the road to get to his aide.

The cars that Michael flew past all reacted in the same manner. At first sight, they could scarcely believe that something approaching in their rear view mirror could be moving so fast. This was usually accompanied by an exclamation of 'What the...' as the shock-wave caused from the motorcycle blazing past them forced their car to swerve violently from side to side while the driver fought to regain control of their own vehicle. As the driver pulled over to the side of the road, they stared for ages at the point which the object disappeared and wondered if what they had just seen really happened. Some put it down to hallucination caused by the heat and the boredom of the long drive, but one or two drivers had the wits to telephone the police. They were, however, met with skepticism.
"I see, sir. A motorcycle? And he broke the sound barrier? Yes, sir," the dispatch officer screwed the report into a ball and threw it into the bin. "We'll get right on it."
Even those police officers on duty that witnessed the speeding phenomenon chose to ignore it, rather than bear the brunt of their colleagues ribbing when they tried to report that they had seen a motorcycle exceeding the speed limit by a factor that even their radar guns could not read.

On Michael's part, an additional discomfort he felt from the journey was the incredible heat generated by the ancient combustion engine between his calves, moving them at a speed more suited to engines fitted to jet fighters. He could only hope that his constant stream of power, fixing whatever defect appeared and preventing the metal from melting would hold and let him get to his destination. He knew he was in trouble when he felt the telephone in his breast pocket start to vibrate. It was hard enough to concentrate on the road and keeping the bike going but with the added distraction of listening to Maria'a panic filled requests as well. Michael just groaned.
"What?" he barked. Holding the bike with one hand for too long was not a good idea.
"Michael!" Her voice indicated that she was only just holding herself together. "Liz just called. Max has been shot, and they're in serious trouble."
"I'm almost there, Maria," Michael, feeling icy stabs of fear, looked up at the approaching skyline. "I can see the buildings ahead. I should be at their motel in a few moments."
"Nix that," Maria could hardly speak clearly. "Tallest building there. Roof." Hurry... please."
"You think I'm taking the scenic route?" he growled.
"Michael!" Maria snapped. "Liz was almost hysterical."
"Shit!" Michael screamed as he put the phone away. If Liz was falling apart, things had to be bad. Michael urged the bike to an even faster speed.

* * *

"Where can they be," Nancy approached the window to their motel room and peered outside again. "They said dinner would be at seven and it's almost that now."
"Yeah," Jeff agreed. "Liz sounded excited when she called straight after their meeting with Mr. Carlton. I know there's a mall nearby, but Liz was never the shopper that Maria was. Perhaps they got ready elsewhere and will pick us up in a moment?"
"They could have told us." Nancy turned back from the window. "Jeff, I have a bad feeling about this."
Jeff's cell phone rang.
"That'll be them now," he lifted the phone. "Liz, honey? Where the hell are you? Oh, Diane. Hello."
"Pack everything," Diane urged. "Be ready to leave. Help is on the way."
"Diane?" Jeff's face drained of color. "What's going? Oh my God. It's Liz. Something's happened to Liz."
"Not Liz," Diane's voice tightened. "Max. Someone's shot Max."
"What? How? Where are they? Why doesn't he just heal himself?"
"He can't. Someone injected him somehow. He's... he's..." The phone went silent for a moment.
"Jeff?" Jim's voice was filled with fear. "We'll explain everything when you arrive. We don't know exactly what's happening, but somehow, someone found Max. Can you pack all of your stuff? Max and Liz's too. Someone's coming to get you."
The phone went dead as Jim disconnected the call. Jeff looked up at Nancy who was starting to break down.
"Come on," he urged. "We need to stay strong. Our little girl will need us."

* * *

"You mean thish?" Sean pointed at his jaw. "Thish ish jusht a reminder to never undereshtimate that monshter again." He had to mop up the spittle that is words produced.
Liz glanced at Max.
"That'sh the firsht time I ever undereshtimated an enemy. And the lasht."
"So how did you explain that to your pals in the CIA? That an untrained teenager broke your jaw with one punch? Must have ruined your rep."
"The She I A and me don't exshactly get along no more, Parker. They wanted me to take thish other mishion. I didn't. Plush, they didn't appreshiate the equipment and money I... borrowed."
"So you've gone AWOL?"
"Only till I got thoshe freaksh power at my control," he smirked. "Then, I will BE the She I A."
"Don't you get it?" Liz moved closer to Max. "You'll never be able to control him. He'll find a way to beat you."
"No he won't," Sean shook his head. "Not if he wantsh to keep you alive."
"Max and I spoke, after the last time," she warned him. "I told him I would rather die than submit to you."
"Talking and doing are two different thingsh, Parker. You know that."
"If you leave now," Liz glared at him, "you should be able to get away before Max gets his strength back."
"I don't think sho," Sean rubbed his damaged jaw. "I inshected him with enough shtuff to keep hish powersh quiet for at leasht two daysh."
A spine chilling groan from Max grabbed Liz's attention. She looked down and saw how pale he was. Her disposition softened.
"Can you do something?" she asked. "To help Max, I mean? Please?"
"Shure I can," Sean nodded, but he made no move.
"You know, Sean, if our... friendship meant anything to you..."
"Friendship?" he snapped. "I wanted more than that. I'll make you a deal. You promish me that you'll do whatever I shay, that you will be my total shlave, and I'll short Evans out."
Liz looked down to Max's face. If he wasn't already unconscious, he soon would be. After that... who knew?
"I'm so sorry, Max," she whispered, stroking his face. "But I'm doing this to save your life. I hope you understand. I owe you so much." Liz turned to face Sean. "Deal," her head and shoulders dropped in defeat.
"Up on your kneesh, shlut," Sean commanded. "Come here and pay homage to your new mashter."
Remaining on her knees, Liz crawled the few yards that separated her from Sean. He held his gun pointed at Max the whole time, while he started to unbutton his jeans and unfasten his fly.
'For Max,' Liz reminded herself, fighting down the wave of nausea. 'I'm doing this to save his life.'
"You said you'd help Max," Liz's defeated voice reminded him when she finally reached the spot he had indicated.
"Oh, yeah," Sean grinned. "You know what you got to do."
As Liz's hand reached for Sean's groin, he squeezed the trigger once and Liz felt, rather than saw, the bullet hit Max's body.

"Noooooo!" Liz screamed, her eyes blazing wide as she spun around to see a wound to the side of Max's chest leaking vital blood.
Her scream was filled with pain. She started to rise, to rush back to Max's side, to do whatever she could to help. She felt a part of herself dying. Sean had other ideas. He grabbed her arm and pulled her back.
"You said you'd help him!" Her eyes were filled with... anger? Outrage? Defiance? All of the above.
"I am," Sean shrugged while placing the gun barrel to Liz's temple. "I jusht put him out of his mishery, like I would any dumb animal." His laughter was chilling. "Now where were we? Oh yeah. On your kneesh, shlut, and finish the job."
"You... you animal!" Liz screamed.
Green electricity started to sparkle across not only her skin, but extending outwards a few inches from her body. Liz didn't even move but Sean's gun flew over the rail, snatched from his hand like a kite in the wind. Her eyes were completely black, and they were glowing. Frozen in sheer terror, Sean's face fell faster than his gun as he watched Liz's metamorphosis. Not knowing whether to look at the green flashing lines or her black glowing eyes, he started to back away.
"You..." his voice squeaked. "You're one of... them?" It was more an accusation than a question.
Liz snarled like a feral cat and matched Sean's step backward with a step toward him.
"Keep back!" Sean waved his hands in front of him in a series of martial arts movements but the dark stain that appeared down the front of his jeans as well as the rising octaves of his voice showed how brave he really was feeling. "Get away!"
For every backward step that he took, Liz followed him up. He was babbling now, demanding that she leave him alone, begging for her to go away, beseeching that he would leave them alone now if only she let him live.
"You're going to suffer the worst kind of pain for the rest of your miserable life!" Liz promised in an ice cold voice. She raised her hand.
"NO, no!" he cried, raising his hands to shield himself from her wrath. "No!"
His next step caused him to trip over the raised plinth by the edge of the roof. He stumbled, and in his desperate attempt to get away from Liz, and to try to keep his balance, Sean rolled over the top of the barrier. He frantically clutched at the barrier, both of his eyes bulging as he realized what he had done. His agonized screams lasted a very long time as he fell to the paved surface. Liz's final thought before she turned away was to hope that there was no innocent bystander below. Her mind was instantly focused on Max, and she didn't hear Sean's screams end when he finally met his own, hard destiny.

She was at his side in an instant, and gone was the dangerous, frightening Queen of Antar. In her place was the distraught, hysterical, frightened Liz Evans, wife and soul mate to Max.
"Don't leave me, Max," she sobbed as she cradled Max's head in her arms. "Please don't go." Tears ran down her face and her whole body shook with suffering. "You can't go yet. We have so much to do. We've been through so much. Maaaax!" She caressed his face with her hands, anointing him with her tears. "It can't end like this. Please! Too many people love you. Please come back to us. Please come back to... to me"

* * *

Ashen faced, Michael hurried up the stairs following the trail of blood he knew was Max's. There was so much of it. A strange nimbus surrounded him, one that dissolved the blood as he passed; though he was unaware of it. He rushed through the doorway at the top, breathing hard, and took in the scene in front of him. Max, looking pale and covered in blood, lay against Liz, crying hysterically and also covered in blood. Max's blood.
"Oh, God," emotion choked him.
Michael hurried to Max's side.
"Can you do anything?" Liz begged.
"I'll try," Michael looked up at Liz and bit back the tears that threatened to spill.
"Please, Michael," Liz grabbed his hand and pushed it to Max. "You have to save him."

Michael could only nod as he pressed his hands to Max's wound and tried to make a healing connection. He tried his best. He tried better than his best. He poured his very existence into his efforts to even try end heal just a little of Max's hurts, but nothing happened. Disgusted by his failure, he couldn't stop his tears anymore. Fear, sorrow and pure frustration thundered through him. An idea came to him. The proverbial long shot, but...
"Help me," he barked at Liz, knowing it was the only way to reach her.
Not even knowing how she did it, or how she knew what he wanted, Liz sent her remaining energy out for Michael to use. He grabbed at it like a lifeline he hoped it would be and tried to use their combined energy to top Max up. Maybe they could give him enough energy to kick-start his own self-healing mechanism. They tried again, and again, and again until Michael sensed that Liz had nothing left to give.
"I'm sorry," Michael slumped in abject defeat.

Liz's agonized wail as the realization that she was about to lose Max cut Michael cleanly in two. He started to cry, allowing his own grief to flow without any reservation. He tried to pull Liz away from Max, to comfort her, but it was only a halfhearted attempt. He knew that she would refuse to let Max go until it was all over. She pushed him away and gathered Max in her arms, talking soft words of love and loss in his ear while she sobbed her heart out. Michael rose and walked to the rail, to give Liz and her grief the privacy her love for Max deserved. Leaning against the rail and staring up into the sky, he allowed his tears to pour down his face.

"What did he do that was so wrong?" he demanded, venting his anger at the heavens. "All he did was to fall in love with a completely human girl and save her life. Was that so wrong? Why should she have to suffer like this for his mistakes? Eh?" He kicked the rail in frustration. "Why did you take it out on her? Just because he loved her? Or was it because she loved him back? Is that it? Didn't he do enough good for you?" He looked around at his two friends; the pieces that remained of his own heart crumbling still further at the sight, and sound of Liz's grief. "You have to save him, if only to make sense of everything these two have endured, just so they could be together." Michael fell to his knees. He looked up again, this time with a pleading look.
"Please," his voice was much softer. "Not him. Take me instead."

A sudden loud sound filled the air. The gentle breeze that was blowing turned into a strong wind. From below the roofline where Michael was praying for Max's salvation, a helicopter roared up into his view and over his head. It started to land, only yards away from where Liz was still holding Max. Michael's first reaction was defensive. He almost leapt to stand between the helicopter and Max. He raised his hand.
"You won't get your autopsy without a fight!" Michael yelled, preparing to blast the intruders.
His hand was pulled away. He turned and saw Liz, shaking her head at him and pointing. He followed her arm and saw the Red Cross symbol painted on the side. It was a 'medivac' helicopter. Two medics leapt from the opening door, one carrying a large white medical box, the other holding what looked like two poles wrapped in a canvas cloth. Behind them, Colonel Roberts stepped out of the machine.
"Am I glad to see you?" Michael called over the sound of the rotors.

"How is he?" Robert's eyes were on Max, now being seen to by the Medics.
"Not good," Michael shook his head and wiped the wetness from his eyes.
He too looked back at Max and was not surprised to see Liz at his side again. The two medics were shouting instructions to each other, but Michael only caught the odd word or two. Pressure bandage, saline, infusion, drip were among them. Michael watched carefully as scissors and scalpels flashed in the evening sun. White bandages appeared, disappeared, then reappeared covered in blood and were discarded. They ignored the big blood patch on the back of Max's leg and concentrated on the gaping wound in his chest.
"We need blood!" one of the medics shouted back at Michael. "What type is he?"
"My type!" Michael yelled, rolling up his sleeve.
The medic looked from Michael, back to Max and nodded.
"We'll need more. A lot more."
"You can try hers," he pointed to Liz. Somehow, he just knew that their connection would exceed any biological boundary; that Liz's blood cells would somehow mutate so that they could save her soul mate. "And there's Isabel. But she's in Santa Fe."
"It's okay, Michael," Colonel Roberts patted Michael's back. "It's in hand."
After they had used both of the teenagers to transfuse some blood back into Max, Michael helped as they put Max onto a stretcher, while Liz remained at his side.
"Will he be alright?" she called to the medics.
Michael could see the first signs of life back in her eyes since he had arrived. He could sense that she was afraid of the answer, though. Michael saw the look that the medic cast Colonel Roberts.
"Of course he will," Roberts nodded. "He has a strong will to live."
As he knew she would, Liz bought the obvious lie. It was better to have at least some hope, no matter how small, than no hope at all.
"Right now," Roberts continued, "there are an awful lot of people praying to their gods that this brave and remarkable young man pulls through."

* * *