Posted: Sun Apr 27, 2003 12:43 am
<b>CHAPTER 20</b>
Max gripped the wheel tightly in order to keep the vehicle on the road. There was an eerie silence in the car as they plowed through the heavy snow on the deserted streets. Living in the desert hadn't exactly prepared him for weather like this. Just keeping the car between the two snow banks was making sweat appear on his forehead. The snow banks were his only gauges, as he couldn't see any pavement let alone dotted or solid lines. If a car was coming in the opposite direction, he didn't think that he would have time to swerve and get out of the way.
He took a right turn onto a larger road, easing slowly around the corner. Suddenly, the dark shape of a snowplow loomed out of nowhere in front of him and he hit the brakes in a panic. Unfortunately, this only caused the car to skid and he found himself desperately trying to regain control as the rear end of the car began to slide. Keeping his eyes on the snowplow, he fought the wheel. Letting up on the brakes, he managed to get the back end in line again as the other members of the vehicle released a collective sigh.
"Good going, Maxwell." Michael released his grip on the dashboard and flexed his fingers.
"Hey, if you think you can do any better then-"
"Hold up. I just meant good job. It was a nice save." Michael shook his head in frustration. Max was wound so tight that every little thing set him off.
Max only pursed his lips tighter and focused on trying to get around the slow moving plow. Jerking to the left, Max risked the possibility of oncoming traffic and slowly passed the lumbering giant. Once in front, he got his bearings and realized they were only a few blocks from the ferry house.
The next task will be to convince the ferryman to take them across outside of the normal hours and in the middle of a raging blizzard. Max didn't know how they would do it but even if he had to physically intimidate the man, he would be setting his feet on the island before morning.
**********
Tess sat uncomfortably as she watched Lonnie shovel food. The Mexican restaurant had been about to close its doors for the night due to the storm but Lonnie had threatened them into changing their minds. Tess watched as the frightened waitress walked slowly to the table with a pitcher of water in order to refresh their glasses. The rest of the team sat in close groups around the small, square tables. They were loud and brawly, every inch a group certain of their upcoming success.
Tess tried to share in their confidence but she was failing miserably. She was about to walk into a big unknown with a group of people she couldn't trust an inch. Who knew how much power Zan really had? He had been unlocked but even Nasedo had never told her what this process truly meant. Try as she might, she couldn't pull up the memories from Antar about the exact powers Zan had possessed.
Also, he had spirited Liz away with him – without Max. Not even Lonnie knew what this move meant. Why had Zan put his protective arm around her? Why hadn't his arm included Max also? If Zan meant to harm Max, he would have hurt Liz by now. Apparently, however, they had been in frequent contact over the last week. Though the communication had seemed strained, they were still talking without open hatred.
Tess smiled inwardly to herself. Their scouts had found Max, Michael, Isabel and that worthless human, Maria, a few days ago. It was all it took for Lonnie to put two and two together to figure out where Zan was holed up. Tess even shuttered remembering the cold conversation shared with Lonnie about four days ago.
**********
<i>They had been camped outside of Phoenix for the past three months where their scouts had been reporting back to them on the moves of the royal three. Information lead them to believe that all was not well in the Max and Liz relationship. In fact, some of the Skins on patrol had even seen some possibility of surging powers in the female human.
A Skin came rushing into the nondescript motel room in which Lonnie had been living. He poured out the story about how they had traced a call received by the two humans, Kyle and Jesse. The call had originated in a little town called Copper Harbor, Michigan and they were sure it was Lonnie's dupe who had been on the line.
Tess watched as Lonnie opened up a battered atlas and frantically traced her fingers over the various roads throughout the lower part of the state. Getting frustrated, she threw the map against the wall with a loud yell. Tess slowly rose to her feet and picked the atlas back up.
"Lonnie, you were only looking at the lower half of Michigan. There's a whole 'nother part north of it."
"How you know so much, eh?" Lonnie sneered. "Oh, yeah. <i>Right</i>. You been havin' to live close wit 'em for so long. You even been to school 'n shit."
"Shut up, Lonnie. At least I can talk right." She watched as Lonnie's face began to turn red and then continued hurriedly on. "Besides. It worked in our favor now, right?" She pointed out the small town on the tip of the Keewenaw Peninsula.
She watched the flush that had stolen over Lonnie's face. It turned an even darker shade of red. Steeling herself, she slowly inched herself away waiting for Lonnie to explode. It never came, though. Lonnie merely closed the atlas slowly and then curled her fists around the edges. Her knuckles turned white and her hands began to shake. Suddenly, the atlas turned to dust on the table. Lonnie slowly stood up and turned her back on everyone on the room.
"Get out." Her voice was so low, Tess almost missed the words.
"Lonnie?" Tess was almost hesitant to ask, not wanting to provoke her into a mad frenzy. Lately, Lonnie had become more and more unstable. Tess had tried to convince her that they should go after the Royal Three before they attempted to take on Zan. It seemed logical as they were the most vulnerable but Lonnie had put her foot down. She wanted her brother dead and nothing was going to stop her. Tess had only shrugged. She wanted Zan dead also but more importantly, she wanted Liz.
"Leave me be. I got somethin' to take care of."
Confused, Tess didn't argue. They now had a destination and it was time to get packed.</i>
**********
Tess came back to the present. Lonnie had definitely taken care of something. She had 'visited' Zan. Tess had been furious with Lonnie for tipping their hand. They could have simply gone to Michigan and used the element of surprise to catch Zan and Liz unawares. As it stood now, they had to know they were coming. And who says that they were even still there? If Zan were smart, he would have hightailed it someplace else.
Apparently, Lonnie had known about the cabin for some time. Zan was notorious for disappearing for days or weeks at a time and once, Lonnie had followed him. She had apparently returned to New York, laughing about her backward brother, and shelved the information for later use.
As Tess picked at her rice, she looked outside. The lamplight was hardly visible behind the blowing waves of snow. It looked like they were stuck for a while and that added another layer of stress for Tess.
Lonnie would be furious. And that usually meant someone would get hurt.
**********
The SUV slid into the ferry parking lot and hit a large snowbank with a soft thud on the passenger side. Max hit the gas softly, trying maneuver away from the pile of snow. The tires simply spun as the back end rotated around slowly. Frustrated, he slammed the gear into park. Turning to Michael, Isabel, and Maria, he said, "OK. Michael and I are going to go into the ferry office and charter the boat. You two get the gear ready for when we come back."
Without waiting for an answer, he jumped out the driver's side door and started running towards the little office building.
"Well, you heard our fearless leader." Huffing indignation, Michael scooted across to the driver's seat and swore when he hit his knee on the steering wheel. Groaning, he almost fell from the vehicle and then started limping after Max.
Maria and Isabel stared at each other. Maria simply shook her head, opened her door and walked to the driver's side door. Shutting it with a bang, she jumped back into her seat and closed the door. Shivering violently, she muttered the only thing she could from between her chattering lips. "Men."
**********
"No ferries?"
"No, sir. Not in this weather. You're even lucky that you caught me. I just walked down from my house to get some paperwork. Figured since I was going to be snowbound for a couple of days, I might as well get caught up on the books." The old man behind the counter hardly looked up as he shuffled some papers into a manila folder.
"But you have to take us." Michael watched as a desperate light began to fill Max's eyes.
"I will do no such thing. I'm not going to risk my life to take a couple of crazy teenagers over for a party."
Michael tensed as he saw Max's teeth clench. He saw that Max was about to lose control and it scared him. Ever since they left the cabin, Michael had been uneasy. Max was usually the pillar and he was beginning to become unglued. Michael felt himself getting swept away on Max's emotions and he shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. If Max couldn't be rational, then he had to be, otherwise this situation might turn ugly.
"Sir, this is an emergency. We have friends on Isle Royale that could be in danger."
For the first time since they had entered the little office, the old man looked up. "Well, that's a different story."
Both Max and Michael sighed in obvious relief.
"It's a different story but still one that I can't do nothing about. I'm beached by the Coast Guard. They won't let me out of the harbor for any reason."
Max reached across the counter and grabbed the old man by the scruff of his shirt. Fear sprang into the man's eyes and instantly, Michael intervened. He caught Max by the wrist and broke his grip on the man.
"Max! This is NOT the way." Max fought him and Michael was forced to back him up against the wall, struggling the entire way. Keeping his voice quiet so he couldn't be overheard, he whispered harshly. "You fool! Are you going to start hurting innocent people? How would Liz feel about that?"
Max's eyes seemed to refocus and he stopped trying to struggle against him. "I told you, Michael. I don't care what it takes, I'm going to get to that island."
"And do what? If Zan and Liz are being attacked, it will be all over by the time we get there. We can't do anything right now. You yourself said that you didn't actually see Lonnie and Tess. What if it wasn't them? It would be to their detriment as much as Zan's if they attacked during a storm like this."
Max shook his head and let it drop to his chest. "I have to help her, Michael. Don't you understand?" His voice was small and no longer contained the surging anger from before.
"I do and I'm going to help you, help her. But threatening old men is not the way, got it?" He let go of Max warily and when he was sure that Max wasn't going to make a move, turned and walked back to the sputtering man.
"I'm going to call the cops! How dare you two punks try and -"
Michael held up a staying hand and waved it in weary defeat. "We're sorry. We didn't mean to frighten you. We just have friends that are in a lot of trouble and need our help. We have to find a way to the island as quickly as possible."
Slightly mollified, the man straightened his collar and shrugged his shoulders, refitting his heavy parka to his body. He kept one eye on Max who remained slumped against the wall. "It's no way to treat someone if you're looking for help."
"I know. And we're both really sorry." Michael gave Max a quick glare before turning back to the ferryman. "You can see how important it is to the both of us."
"Even if my mother were dying on that island, I wouldn't be able get there. It's not physically possible and it won't be for another day, if the weather reports are right."
Michael heard the door open and he turned in time to see Max outlined by the snowy night before the door slammed behind him.
"Well, thanks anyway. We appreciate it." Michael stepped back from the counter and reached for the door.
"You know, your friend there. I remember him from before. He used to have all of these tattoos and piercings. His hair was all spiked too, if I recall."
Startled, Michael turned back to him.
"He sure was a right bit nicer when he looked like a punk, if you ask me."
Michael could only chuckle at the irony as he stepped back into the storm.
**********
Liz looked up from the table and watched as Zan prepared a very late dinner. She had woken up on the couch to a very concerned looking face.
"Don't </i>ever</i> do that again, got it?"
Liz only smiled and said, "You're welcome." Huffing, Zan got to his feet from his crouch on the floor and began to fume. He had paced and paced in front of the fire, spewing out curses and graphic ways he was going to hurt her, while she smiled the whole time from the comfort of the couch. She knew that he was blowing off steam for two different reasons. First, he wasn't the type of guy to say thanks and that he was uncomfortable being in her debt. Second, she had scared him by trying to give too much and therefore putting herself in jeopardy. He was concerned about her and she had given him a scare. She continued to smile and snuggled deeper under the covers until he spent his energy.
When he had finished, he had walked over and knelt next to her on the couch. He had tenderly brushed the hair back away from her eyes and cupped her cheek. He looked deep into her eyes, searching for something. She simply stared back at him, content that for the moment, all was well in the world. Placing both hands on either side of her head, he made a connection and she felt him probe throughout her body to see if there was any damage from the earlier healing. Satisfied, he'd leaned forward and startled her by giving her a quick kiss before lifting her off of the couch. He wrapped her in a blanket and then shuffled her to the kitchen.
"I believe we didn't get no dinner."
"Please, no flapjacks, whatever you do. I still have burnt smell of them in my nose."
He laughed a good hearty laugh. Liz smiled, feeling that everything was all right. She felt good. Refreshed. Looking at the clock, she realized that over two hours had passed since Zan had slumped through the door in a mess of blood. It was now one o'clock in the morning.
"Isn't it a bit late for dinner?"
"It's never too late to eat." Zan had his back to her has he rummaged through the cabinets, pulling out random items and setting them on the counter. He'd only bothered to put on a pair of jeans and his muscles rippled from straining upwards. As usual, his pants fell slightly on his hips and the tops of his underwear peaked over the top.
He turned so that she watched his profile as he searched through the freezer. She had to admire her work. His skin remained unblemished except for the old scar that had been there from before.
"Admiring again, eh?"
Instead of blushing and turning away, she simply laughed. It felt good to be sitting here in a warm kitchen being waited on. Having Zan back with his usual bantering made her feel lightheaded. Right now, there was nothing wrong in the world.
"Yeah, I have to say that I do good work."
Zan took his head from out of the freezer for a second and gave her a crooked grin. "Not bad for a newbie."
She watched him begin to prepare her meal, amazed all over again by his proficiency in a kitchen. She wrapped the blanket closer to her, stood up and walked over to the door.
"Where are you goin'?" came an indignant voice from over her shoulder.
She turned around startled and realizing she was only inches away from Zan's concerned face. "Nature calls."
"Let me go with you."
His gaze bore down on her and there was a fierceness to it that made her catch her breath. She could see stubble on his chin and could feel his warm breath against her cheek. Looking into his eyes, they sucked her in and she felt instant desire. Forcing herself to look away and not get caught in his spell, she looked down and stared at his soft, full lips. Realizing this was trouble too, she looked down at her feet. Then, however, she could see his six pack abs and taut skin across his ripped stomach. Again she noticed the trail of hair that lingered above the belt line and trailed mysteriously downward. Startled by her body's reaction to his, she snapped her head upward.
She tried to regain control of the situation by saying, "I think I can manage by myself." She tried, unsuccessfully she knew, to put a sarcastic edge to the words.
"I know you can," he said softy, his breath gently caressing her skin. She inhaled sharply as he leaned slowly forward. Her mind went blank as his lips touched hers. They gently brushed and lingered with expectation. She responded automatically by tilting her head slightly and parting her lips to his invitation. He bore down more firmly, forcing her lips open wider as he stroked the inside of her mouth with his tongue. He wrapped his arms around her and crushed her to his bare chest, sifting her hair with one hand while the other cupped the side of her head and cheek. He lifted her so that he could access her mouth deeper and pushed her against the door.
Liz's arms were wrapped inside the blanked so she was unable to clutch to his smoldering body. He pinned her tighter against the door and ravished her mouth. Then he nipped and suckled down her cheekbone and then sucked gently at the base of her collarbone. Liz moaned at the tingling sensation that shot through her body from the intimate caress. He traced his way up the other side of her neck and nipped lightly at her ear.
She was completely at his mercy, unable to stop him or return in kind the ministrations he was bestowing upon her. All she could do is receive and that drove her crazy. She turned her head to the side, straining the muscles in her neck so that it would expose more skin for him to tantalize. He went for the hollow where her neck joined her shoulder. She shivered from the sensations he was creating and moaned louder. Suddenly he pulled his lips from her skin and she groaned from the loss. A heartbeat passed and she turned her gaze back, worried that something had happened to make him stop. Instantly, she was satisfied as his lips covered hers again in a lover's embrace. She responded by opening to him and then dueling her tongue with his. She sucked on his bottom lip pulling on it gently, releasing it and then attacking his lips with hers. She felt rather than heard him groan deep in his throat.
Then he pressed against her in a different way. His hips pushed into her, grinding against her pubic bone rhythmically. She gasped at the sensation which he quickly cut off with a searing kiss. Frustrated by her lack of mobility, she began to wriggle in his grasp. It only forced him close in even tighter and she could feel his hardness through the many folds of the blankets. A hot wave shot through her and she threw her head back against the door with a small thud.
In response, Zan stopped his grinding and simply nipped at her chin and the delicate skin beneath. Liz heaved great breaths of air, trying to calm her body and regain her senses. Zan, feeling the slight shift of mood, cupped her head and tilted it down to him so that he could kiss her in a long, smoldering fashion. Then, releasing her lips, he gasped and pressed his cheek against hers. His heaving breathing roared in her ear and she was thrilled at the sound. She felt her heart beating wildly and willed it to slow down.
After a long minute, Zan pulled back slightly and slowly lowered her to the ground. His body was still pressed firmly against her and Liz was glad as her knees were shaking quite violently. His hands wandered to her face and cupped her head. He stroked both of her cheeks with his thumbs. Liz closed her eyes at the tender caress. He lowered his lips once more and kissed her gently, not probing this time but only caressing her mouth. Liz opened her eyes and sighed as she noticed that his eyes were closed. His lips gently released hers and he pulled back.
His golden eyes gazed at her and Liz noticed that for the first time since she had met him, the tension lines had left his face. He seemed almost boyish but for the smoldering, flickering glints of light dancing in his eyes. He smiled slowly.
<i>I didn't let you go. </i>
She merely smiled back and shook her head.
<i>I should let you go. </i>
Liz nodded her head slowly.
He stopped smiling and looked at her intently. A seeming sadness spread across his face as he continued to gaze down at her.
<i>What if I don't want to let you go? </i>
Liz stopped smiling, realizing there was more behind Zan's words than simply letting her out the door. Not knowing exactly what he meant, she didn't respond except by looking at him questioningly.
He stepped backwards and one of his hands released her cheek. She heard a rustling next to her and then he was holding up her jacket.
"You don't want to forget this. Not tonight." He helped her shrug into the coat after unwrapping the blanket from her body. He kissed her softly and then turned away and walked back to the kitchen. Not quite sure about what happened but knowing that the tender moment had not been lost, Liz went out into the snowy night.
**********
After a long ride back home, long due to snow not distance, Max, Michael, Isabel, and Maria dejectedly walked into the cold cabin. If it was even possible, the weather had gotten worse. Max was severely strained just from the drive itself not including the emotional rollercoaster he was riding. Everyone else was also drained from both the situation and the tenseness of the drive. Coming from the desert, weather like this seemed like a fairyland.
Stomping off the snow, all four were startled when they heard a voice say, "You all look like snowmen."
There was Liz standing in the middle of the room with a playful smirk on her face. Max rushed over and picked her up, hugging her closely to him. The other three heaved a deep sigh of relief. Obviously, Liz was safe and not dying a horrible death.
Max set her on the ground and asked if she was okay. Liz assured him that she was. Maria walked over and pushing Max out of the way, gave her friend a big bear hug. "Good to see all is well, girlfriend."
Michael and Isabel gave small waves from the other side of the room and Liz sent a warm smile their way. Looking up at Max, Liz said, "I thought you might be worried so I decided I should visit and let you know that all is well."
Max looked down at her carefully as if trying to validate that she was telling the truth. "Are you sure? What about Zan?"
Liz frowned slightly and said, "Well, he was attacked by a bear." At the collective sharp intake of breath in the room, she raised her hand and continued. "He's okay though. I was able to heal him so there's no lasting damage."
Isabel stepped forward and said, "You <i>healed</i> him?"
Liz nodded her head with a grin. "Yeah, pretty amazing, huh? I wasn't sure that I would be able to do it but once I started, it just came naturally."
Everyone started congratulating her while Max stood to side quietly. He seemed preoccupied but Liz didn't notice as she explained in brief detail what had happened.
"Afterwards, I thought that you might be worried. All you saw, Max, was Zan covered in blood and I knew that that would probably send you in a blind panic."
Giving a look to the rest of the group and raising a quick hand to an opened mouth Maria, Max quickly answered, "We were worried but I think panic would be the wrong word."
Liz couldn't help but catch Maria's and Michael's rolling eyes and guessed that something very different had happened. Content, though, that they were all safe, Liz smiled at Max and simply said, "I'm glad."
The other three quickly murmured good-byes and left the two of them alone. Max walked over to Liz and gave her a gentle hug. Liz could feel his relief wash over her in waves. She pulled slowly back and smiled up at him. Then she stepped away.
"Max, you can't worry so much about me."
"You know that I will no matter what you say."
"I know, but from the looks on everyone's faces here, I think that maybe you worry too much." She chuckled slightly.
Max merely nodded his head.
"Where were you coming back from, anyway?"
"We were on our way to find you. After seeing Zan all torn up, the only think I could think of was that Lonnie and Tess had attacked. So we were trying to get to you. Only, the weather is so bad, that we can't get any ferries over to the island."
"Really? It's snowing really bad where…" Liz trailed off as Max's words sunk in. "You know where we're staying." It was a statement of fact – not a question.
Max answered calmly. "Yes."
Liz shook her head and sighed heavily. "Maria."
"I had to!" came a muffled shout from one of the doors followed by loud shushing sounds.
Liz couldn't even manage a smile. "Max, I told you that I wasn't ready to let you know where we were."
"But, Liz…"
"No buts, Max. I specifically said that I wanted to talk to Zan first."
"I won't say that I'm sorry. I thought you were in trouble. I reacted the only way that I could and the same goes for Maria."
"That's right! I only did-" The muffled shout was cut off from a covered hand. A short yelp sounded a second later with Michael's booming "Ow! That hurt!" floating through the door.
Liz didn't know whether to be mad or grateful for Max's and Maria's obvious concern so she decided to move on.
"Max, I don't want you to come until I tell you."
He took a step towards her, his face a mask of confusion. "I don't understand. Why don't you want me there?"
Liz could only look up into his eyes with a small frown. She knew this was going to be difficult but she said it anyway. "I'm not ready yet."
The words seemed to reverberate around the room. Max reacted as if it had been a physical slap. He took a step back and shook his head. He pinched the bridge of his nose and squeezed his eyes tightly. Not wanting to ask but having to anyway, he said quietly "And what does that mean?"
"It means that I'm really confused right now."
Max's courage failed him and he couldn't pursue it further. It didn't need to be said anyway. It was written on her face. She was confused between him and Zan. What had happened when she had healed Zan? Did they make a connection like he and Liz did at the Crashdown?
The only thing he could do was let her go. And no matter how he felt he couldn't punish her for her decision. He walked slowly over to her and gave her a loving hug. Burying his face into her hair, he murmured, "I hope you figure it out."
"I will, Max," came a muffled cry in his chest. She gave him one last squeeze and then he was holding on to empty air.
**********
Isabel came out a few minutes later. Max was still standing in the middle room with his arms hanging loosely at his sides.
"I'm sorry, Max."
"I know."
Isabel walked over to her brother and gave him a fierce hug. "She'll be back."
Max simply shrugged in her embrace. He pulled away first and then turned his back as he dried his tears. Maria and Michael came quietly into the room.
"Well, there's one thing we know," Max said as he came to face them. "She's strong."
"What do you mean?" asked Michael when nobody volunteered anything else.
"She has strength we can't even imagine. You didn't see how torn up Zan was. That he was still even able to move is a mystery."
"But, Max. You said that she was learning new powers. What's so special about this that makes you think she's so strong?"
"Remember when I healed those cancer children?" Michael nodded. "Remember how I couldn't use my powers at all right after? It took hours, most of a whole day, before I could even draw on a little bit."
Max looked up and stared everyone in the face. "Liz brought someone back from the dead on her first try and was still able to visit me within two hours afterwards. She didn't even look strained and 'visiting' is one of the hardest and most draining things next to healing that I've ever done."
Both aliens and the pixie human could only stare at him open-mouthed.
**********
Liz returned back to the sauna room. After using the outhouse, she had sneaked into the relatively warm area so that she could visit Max. She had known that he would be worried and she felt that he deserved her to visit without Zan being in the same room.
She knew now that she was separating the two of them in her mind and wanting to keep them physically apart. In her heart she knew why.
Zan's kiss had changed things. He was waiting for her in the cabin and she needed to take this all of the way. For once and for all, she was going to discover how Zan felt about her.
And in the process, she was going to find out how she really felt about him.
Max gripped the wheel tightly in order to keep the vehicle on the road. There was an eerie silence in the car as they plowed through the heavy snow on the deserted streets. Living in the desert hadn't exactly prepared him for weather like this. Just keeping the car between the two snow banks was making sweat appear on his forehead. The snow banks were his only gauges, as he couldn't see any pavement let alone dotted or solid lines. If a car was coming in the opposite direction, he didn't think that he would have time to swerve and get out of the way.
He took a right turn onto a larger road, easing slowly around the corner. Suddenly, the dark shape of a snowplow loomed out of nowhere in front of him and he hit the brakes in a panic. Unfortunately, this only caused the car to skid and he found himself desperately trying to regain control as the rear end of the car began to slide. Keeping his eyes on the snowplow, he fought the wheel. Letting up on the brakes, he managed to get the back end in line again as the other members of the vehicle released a collective sigh.
"Good going, Maxwell." Michael released his grip on the dashboard and flexed his fingers.
"Hey, if you think you can do any better then-"
"Hold up. I just meant good job. It was a nice save." Michael shook his head in frustration. Max was wound so tight that every little thing set him off.
Max only pursed his lips tighter and focused on trying to get around the slow moving plow. Jerking to the left, Max risked the possibility of oncoming traffic and slowly passed the lumbering giant. Once in front, he got his bearings and realized they were only a few blocks from the ferry house.
The next task will be to convince the ferryman to take them across outside of the normal hours and in the middle of a raging blizzard. Max didn't know how they would do it but even if he had to physically intimidate the man, he would be setting his feet on the island before morning.
**********
Tess sat uncomfortably as she watched Lonnie shovel food. The Mexican restaurant had been about to close its doors for the night due to the storm but Lonnie had threatened them into changing their minds. Tess watched as the frightened waitress walked slowly to the table with a pitcher of water in order to refresh their glasses. The rest of the team sat in close groups around the small, square tables. They were loud and brawly, every inch a group certain of their upcoming success.
Tess tried to share in their confidence but she was failing miserably. She was about to walk into a big unknown with a group of people she couldn't trust an inch. Who knew how much power Zan really had? He had been unlocked but even Nasedo had never told her what this process truly meant. Try as she might, she couldn't pull up the memories from Antar about the exact powers Zan had possessed.
Also, he had spirited Liz away with him – without Max. Not even Lonnie knew what this move meant. Why had Zan put his protective arm around her? Why hadn't his arm included Max also? If Zan meant to harm Max, he would have hurt Liz by now. Apparently, however, they had been in frequent contact over the last week. Though the communication had seemed strained, they were still talking without open hatred.
Tess smiled inwardly to herself. Their scouts had found Max, Michael, Isabel and that worthless human, Maria, a few days ago. It was all it took for Lonnie to put two and two together to figure out where Zan was holed up. Tess even shuttered remembering the cold conversation shared with Lonnie about four days ago.
**********
<i>They had been camped outside of Phoenix for the past three months where their scouts had been reporting back to them on the moves of the royal three. Information lead them to believe that all was not well in the Max and Liz relationship. In fact, some of the Skins on patrol had even seen some possibility of surging powers in the female human.
A Skin came rushing into the nondescript motel room in which Lonnie had been living. He poured out the story about how they had traced a call received by the two humans, Kyle and Jesse. The call had originated in a little town called Copper Harbor, Michigan and they were sure it was Lonnie's dupe who had been on the line.
Tess watched as Lonnie opened up a battered atlas and frantically traced her fingers over the various roads throughout the lower part of the state. Getting frustrated, she threw the map against the wall with a loud yell. Tess slowly rose to her feet and picked the atlas back up.
"Lonnie, you were only looking at the lower half of Michigan. There's a whole 'nother part north of it."
"How you know so much, eh?" Lonnie sneered. "Oh, yeah. <i>Right</i>. You been havin' to live close wit 'em for so long. You even been to school 'n shit."
"Shut up, Lonnie. At least I can talk right." She watched as Lonnie's face began to turn red and then continued hurriedly on. "Besides. It worked in our favor now, right?" She pointed out the small town on the tip of the Keewenaw Peninsula.
She watched the flush that had stolen over Lonnie's face. It turned an even darker shade of red. Steeling herself, she slowly inched herself away waiting for Lonnie to explode. It never came, though. Lonnie merely closed the atlas slowly and then curled her fists around the edges. Her knuckles turned white and her hands began to shake. Suddenly, the atlas turned to dust on the table. Lonnie slowly stood up and turned her back on everyone on the room.
"Get out." Her voice was so low, Tess almost missed the words.
"Lonnie?" Tess was almost hesitant to ask, not wanting to provoke her into a mad frenzy. Lately, Lonnie had become more and more unstable. Tess had tried to convince her that they should go after the Royal Three before they attempted to take on Zan. It seemed logical as they were the most vulnerable but Lonnie had put her foot down. She wanted her brother dead and nothing was going to stop her. Tess had only shrugged. She wanted Zan dead also but more importantly, she wanted Liz.
"Leave me be. I got somethin' to take care of."
Confused, Tess didn't argue. They now had a destination and it was time to get packed.</i>
**********
Tess came back to the present. Lonnie had definitely taken care of something. She had 'visited' Zan. Tess had been furious with Lonnie for tipping their hand. They could have simply gone to Michigan and used the element of surprise to catch Zan and Liz unawares. As it stood now, they had to know they were coming. And who says that they were even still there? If Zan were smart, he would have hightailed it someplace else.
Apparently, Lonnie had known about the cabin for some time. Zan was notorious for disappearing for days or weeks at a time and once, Lonnie had followed him. She had apparently returned to New York, laughing about her backward brother, and shelved the information for later use.
As Tess picked at her rice, she looked outside. The lamplight was hardly visible behind the blowing waves of snow. It looked like they were stuck for a while and that added another layer of stress for Tess.
Lonnie would be furious. And that usually meant someone would get hurt.
**********
The SUV slid into the ferry parking lot and hit a large snowbank with a soft thud on the passenger side. Max hit the gas softly, trying maneuver away from the pile of snow. The tires simply spun as the back end rotated around slowly. Frustrated, he slammed the gear into park. Turning to Michael, Isabel, and Maria, he said, "OK. Michael and I are going to go into the ferry office and charter the boat. You two get the gear ready for when we come back."
Without waiting for an answer, he jumped out the driver's side door and started running towards the little office building.
"Well, you heard our fearless leader." Huffing indignation, Michael scooted across to the driver's seat and swore when he hit his knee on the steering wheel. Groaning, he almost fell from the vehicle and then started limping after Max.
Maria and Isabel stared at each other. Maria simply shook her head, opened her door and walked to the driver's side door. Shutting it with a bang, she jumped back into her seat and closed the door. Shivering violently, she muttered the only thing she could from between her chattering lips. "Men."
**********
"No ferries?"
"No, sir. Not in this weather. You're even lucky that you caught me. I just walked down from my house to get some paperwork. Figured since I was going to be snowbound for a couple of days, I might as well get caught up on the books." The old man behind the counter hardly looked up as he shuffled some papers into a manila folder.
"But you have to take us." Michael watched as a desperate light began to fill Max's eyes.
"I will do no such thing. I'm not going to risk my life to take a couple of crazy teenagers over for a party."
Michael tensed as he saw Max's teeth clench. He saw that Max was about to lose control and it scared him. Ever since they left the cabin, Michael had been uneasy. Max was usually the pillar and he was beginning to become unglued. Michael felt himself getting swept away on Max's emotions and he shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. If Max couldn't be rational, then he had to be, otherwise this situation might turn ugly.
"Sir, this is an emergency. We have friends on Isle Royale that could be in danger."
For the first time since they had entered the little office, the old man looked up. "Well, that's a different story."
Both Max and Michael sighed in obvious relief.
"It's a different story but still one that I can't do nothing about. I'm beached by the Coast Guard. They won't let me out of the harbor for any reason."
Max reached across the counter and grabbed the old man by the scruff of his shirt. Fear sprang into the man's eyes and instantly, Michael intervened. He caught Max by the wrist and broke his grip on the man.
"Max! This is NOT the way." Max fought him and Michael was forced to back him up against the wall, struggling the entire way. Keeping his voice quiet so he couldn't be overheard, he whispered harshly. "You fool! Are you going to start hurting innocent people? How would Liz feel about that?"
Max's eyes seemed to refocus and he stopped trying to struggle against him. "I told you, Michael. I don't care what it takes, I'm going to get to that island."
"And do what? If Zan and Liz are being attacked, it will be all over by the time we get there. We can't do anything right now. You yourself said that you didn't actually see Lonnie and Tess. What if it wasn't them? It would be to their detriment as much as Zan's if they attacked during a storm like this."
Max shook his head and let it drop to his chest. "I have to help her, Michael. Don't you understand?" His voice was small and no longer contained the surging anger from before.
"I do and I'm going to help you, help her. But threatening old men is not the way, got it?" He let go of Max warily and when he was sure that Max wasn't going to make a move, turned and walked back to the sputtering man.
"I'm going to call the cops! How dare you two punks try and -"
Michael held up a staying hand and waved it in weary defeat. "We're sorry. We didn't mean to frighten you. We just have friends that are in a lot of trouble and need our help. We have to find a way to the island as quickly as possible."
Slightly mollified, the man straightened his collar and shrugged his shoulders, refitting his heavy parka to his body. He kept one eye on Max who remained slumped against the wall. "It's no way to treat someone if you're looking for help."
"I know. And we're both really sorry." Michael gave Max a quick glare before turning back to the ferryman. "You can see how important it is to the both of us."
"Even if my mother were dying on that island, I wouldn't be able get there. It's not physically possible and it won't be for another day, if the weather reports are right."
Michael heard the door open and he turned in time to see Max outlined by the snowy night before the door slammed behind him.
"Well, thanks anyway. We appreciate it." Michael stepped back from the counter and reached for the door.
"You know, your friend there. I remember him from before. He used to have all of these tattoos and piercings. His hair was all spiked too, if I recall."
Startled, Michael turned back to him.
"He sure was a right bit nicer when he looked like a punk, if you ask me."
Michael could only chuckle at the irony as he stepped back into the storm.
**********
Liz looked up from the table and watched as Zan prepared a very late dinner. She had woken up on the couch to a very concerned looking face.
"Don't </i>ever</i> do that again, got it?"
Liz only smiled and said, "You're welcome." Huffing, Zan got to his feet from his crouch on the floor and began to fume. He had paced and paced in front of the fire, spewing out curses and graphic ways he was going to hurt her, while she smiled the whole time from the comfort of the couch. She knew that he was blowing off steam for two different reasons. First, he wasn't the type of guy to say thanks and that he was uncomfortable being in her debt. Second, she had scared him by trying to give too much and therefore putting herself in jeopardy. He was concerned about her and she had given him a scare. She continued to smile and snuggled deeper under the covers until he spent his energy.
When he had finished, he had walked over and knelt next to her on the couch. He had tenderly brushed the hair back away from her eyes and cupped her cheek. He looked deep into her eyes, searching for something. She simply stared back at him, content that for the moment, all was well in the world. Placing both hands on either side of her head, he made a connection and she felt him probe throughout her body to see if there was any damage from the earlier healing. Satisfied, he'd leaned forward and startled her by giving her a quick kiss before lifting her off of the couch. He wrapped her in a blanket and then shuffled her to the kitchen.
"I believe we didn't get no dinner."
"Please, no flapjacks, whatever you do. I still have burnt smell of them in my nose."
He laughed a good hearty laugh. Liz smiled, feeling that everything was all right. She felt good. Refreshed. Looking at the clock, she realized that over two hours had passed since Zan had slumped through the door in a mess of blood. It was now one o'clock in the morning.
"Isn't it a bit late for dinner?"
"It's never too late to eat." Zan had his back to her has he rummaged through the cabinets, pulling out random items and setting them on the counter. He'd only bothered to put on a pair of jeans and his muscles rippled from straining upwards. As usual, his pants fell slightly on his hips and the tops of his underwear peaked over the top.
He turned so that she watched his profile as he searched through the freezer. She had to admire her work. His skin remained unblemished except for the old scar that had been there from before.
"Admiring again, eh?"
Instead of blushing and turning away, she simply laughed. It felt good to be sitting here in a warm kitchen being waited on. Having Zan back with his usual bantering made her feel lightheaded. Right now, there was nothing wrong in the world.
"Yeah, I have to say that I do good work."
Zan took his head from out of the freezer for a second and gave her a crooked grin. "Not bad for a newbie."
She watched him begin to prepare her meal, amazed all over again by his proficiency in a kitchen. She wrapped the blanket closer to her, stood up and walked over to the door.
"Where are you goin'?" came an indignant voice from over her shoulder.
She turned around startled and realizing she was only inches away from Zan's concerned face. "Nature calls."
"Let me go with you."
His gaze bore down on her and there was a fierceness to it that made her catch her breath. She could see stubble on his chin and could feel his warm breath against her cheek. Looking into his eyes, they sucked her in and she felt instant desire. Forcing herself to look away and not get caught in his spell, she looked down and stared at his soft, full lips. Realizing this was trouble too, she looked down at her feet. Then, however, she could see his six pack abs and taut skin across his ripped stomach. Again she noticed the trail of hair that lingered above the belt line and trailed mysteriously downward. Startled by her body's reaction to his, she snapped her head upward.
She tried to regain control of the situation by saying, "I think I can manage by myself." She tried, unsuccessfully she knew, to put a sarcastic edge to the words.
"I know you can," he said softy, his breath gently caressing her skin. She inhaled sharply as he leaned slowly forward. Her mind went blank as his lips touched hers. They gently brushed and lingered with expectation. She responded automatically by tilting her head slightly and parting her lips to his invitation. He bore down more firmly, forcing her lips open wider as he stroked the inside of her mouth with his tongue. He wrapped his arms around her and crushed her to his bare chest, sifting her hair with one hand while the other cupped the side of her head and cheek. He lifted her so that he could access her mouth deeper and pushed her against the door.
Liz's arms were wrapped inside the blanked so she was unable to clutch to his smoldering body. He pinned her tighter against the door and ravished her mouth. Then he nipped and suckled down her cheekbone and then sucked gently at the base of her collarbone. Liz moaned at the tingling sensation that shot through her body from the intimate caress. He traced his way up the other side of her neck and nipped lightly at her ear.
She was completely at his mercy, unable to stop him or return in kind the ministrations he was bestowing upon her. All she could do is receive and that drove her crazy. She turned her head to the side, straining the muscles in her neck so that it would expose more skin for him to tantalize. He went for the hollow where her neck joined her shoulder. She shivered from the sensations he was creating and moaned louder. Suddenly he pulled his lips from her skin and she groaned from the loss. A heartbeat passed and she turned her gaze back, worried that something had happened to make him stop. Instantly, she was satisfied as his lips covered hers again in a lover's embrace. She responded by opening to him and then dueling her tongue with his. She sucked on his bottom lip pulling on it gently, releasing it and then attacking his lips with hers. She felt rather than heard him groan deep in his throat.
Then he pressed against her in a different way. His hips pushed into her, grinding against her pubic bone rhythmically. She gasped at the sensation which he quickly cut off with a searing kiss. Frustrated by her lack of mobility, she began to wriggle in his grasp. It only forced him close in even tighter and she could feel his hardness through the many folds of the blankets. A hot wave shot through her and she threw her head back against the door with a small thud.
In response, Zan stopped his grinding and simply nipped at her chin and the delicate skin beneath. Liz heaved great breaths of air, trying to calm her body and regain her senses. Zan, feeling the slight shift of mood, cupped her head and tilted it down to him so that he could kiss her in a long, smoldering fashion. Then, releasing her lips, he gasped and pressed his cheek against hers. His heaving breathing roared in her ear and she was thrilled at the sound. She felt her heart beating wildly and willed it to slow down.
After a long minute, Zan pulled back slightly and slowly lowered her to the ground. His body was still pressed firmly against her and Liz was glad as her knees were shaking quite violently. His hands wandered to her face and cupped her head. He stroked both of her cheeks with his thumbs. Liz closed her eyes at the tender caress. He lowered his lips once more and kissed her gently, not probing this time but only caressing her mouth. Liz opened her eyes and sighed as she noticed that his eyes were closed. His lips gently released hers and he pulled back.
His golden eyes gazed at her and Liz noticed that for the first time since she had met him, the tension lines had left his face. He seemed almost boyish but for the smoldering, flickering glints of light dancing in his eyes. He smiled slowly.
<i>I didn't let you go. </i>
She merely smiled back and shook her head.
<i>I should let you go. </i>
Liz nodded her head slowly.
He stopped smiling and looked at her intently. A seeming sadness spread across his face as he continued to gaze down at her.
<i>What if I don't want to let you go? </i>
Liz stopped smiling, realizing there was more behind Zan's words than simply letting her out the door. Not knowing exactly what he meant, she didn't respond except by looking at him questioningly.
He stepped backwards and one of his hands released her cheek. She heard a rustling next to her and then he was holding up her jacket.
"You don't want to forget this. Not tonight." He helped her shrug into the coat after unwrapping the blanket from her body. He kissed her softly and then turned away and walked back to the kitchen. Not quite sure about what happened but knowing that the tender moment had not been lost, Liz went out into the snowy night.
**********
After a long ride back home, long due to snow not distance, Max, Michael, Isabel, and Maria dejectedly walked into the cold cabin. If it was even possible, the weather had gotten worse. Max was severely strained just from the drive itself not including the emotional rollercoaster he was riding. Everyone else was also drained from both the situation and the tenseness of the drive. Coming from the desert, weather like this seemed like a fairyland.
Stomping off the snow, all four were startled when they heard a voice say, "You all look like snowmen."
There was Liz standing in the middle of the room with a playful smirk on her face. Max rushed over and picked her up, hugging her closely to him. The other three heaved a deep sigh of relief. Obviously, Liz was safe and not dying a horrible death.
Max set her on the ground and asked if she was okay. Liz assured him that she was. Maria walked over and pushing Max out of the way, gave her friend a big bear hug. "Good to see all is well, girlfriend."
Michael and Isabel gave small waves from the other side of the room and Liz sent a warm smile their way. Looking up at Max, Liz said, "I thought you might be worried so I decided I should visit and let you know that all is well."
Max looked down at her carefully as if trying to validate that she was telling the truth. "Are you sure? What about Zan?"
Liz frowned slightly and said, "Well, he was attacked by a bear." At the collective sharp intake of breath in the room, she raised her hand and continued. "He's okay though. I was able to heal him so there's no lasting damage."
Isabel stepped forward and said, "You <i>healed</i> him?"
Liz nodded her head with a grin. "Yeah, pretty amazing, huh? I wasn't sure that I would be able to do it but once I started, it just came naturally."
Everyone started congratulating her while Max stood to side quietly. He seemed preoccupied but Liz didn't notice as she explained in brief detail what had happened.
"Afterwards, I thought that you might be worried. All you saw, Max, was Zan covered in blood and I knew that that would probably send you in a blind panic."
Giving a look to the rest of the group and raising a quick hand to an opened mouth Maria, Max quickly answered, "We were worried but I think panic would be the wrong word."
Liz couldn't help but catch Maria's and Michael's rolling eyes and guessed that something very different had happened. Content, though, that they were all safe, Liz smiled at Max and simply said, "I'm glad."
The other three quickly murmured good-byes and left the two of them alone. Max walked over to Liz and gave her a gentle hug. Liz could feel his relief wash over her in waves. She pulled slowly back and smiled up at him. Then she stepped away.
"Max, you can't worry so much about me."
"You know that I will no matter what you say."
"I know, but from the looks on everyone's faces here, I think that maybe you worry too much." She chuckled slightly.
Max merely nodded his head.
"Where were you coming back from, anyway?"
"We were on our way to find you. After seeing Zan all torn up, the only think I could think of was that Lonnie and Tess had attacked. So we were trying to get to you. Only, the weather is so bad, that we can't get any ferries over to the island."
"Really? It's snowing really bad where…" Liz trailed off as Max's words sunk in. "You know where we're staying." It was a statement of fact – not a question.
Max answered calmly. "Yes."
Liz shook her head and sighed heavily. "Maria."
"I had to!" came a muffled shout from one of the doors followed by loud shushing sounds.
Liz couldn't even manage a smile. "Max, I told you that I wasn't ready to let you know where we were."
"But, Liz…"
"No buts, Max. I specifically said that I wanted to talk to Zan first."
"I won't say that I'm sorry. I thought you were in trouble. I reacted the only way that I could and the same goes for Maria."
"That's right! I only did-" The muffled shout was cut off from a covered hand. A short yelp sounded a second later with Michael's booming "Ow! That hurt!" floating through the door.
Liz didn't know whether to be mad or grateful for Max's and Maria's obvious concern so she decided to move on.
"Max, I don't want you to come until I tell you."
He took a step towards her, his face a mask of confusion. "I don't understand. Why don't you want me there?"
Liz could only look up into his eyes with a small frown. She knew this was going to be difficult but she said it anyway. "I'm not ready yet."
The words seemed to reverberate around the room. Max reacted as if it had been a physical slap. He took a step back and shook his head. He pinched the bridge of his nose and squeezed his eyes tightly. Not wanting to ask but having to anyway, he said quietly "And what does that mean?"
"It means that I'm really confused right now."
Max's courage failed him and he couldn't pursue it further. It didn't need to be said anyway. It was written on her face. She was confused between him and Zan. What had happened when she had healed Zan? Did they make a connection like he and Liz did at the Crashdown?
The only thing he could do was let her go. And no matter how he felt he couldn't punish her for her decision. He walked slowly over to her and gave her a loving hug. Burying his face into her hair, he murmured, "I hope you figure it out."
"I will, Max," came a muffled cry in his chest. She gave him one last squeeze and then he was holding on to empty air.
**********
Isabel came out a few minutes later. Max was still standing in the middle room with his arms hanging loosely at his sides.
"I'm sorry, Max."
"I know."
Isabel walked over to her brother and gave him a fierce hug. "She'll be back."
Max simply shrugged in her embrace. He pulled away first and then turned his back as he dried his tears. Maria and Michael came quietly into the room.
"Well, there's one thing we know," Max said as he came to face them. "She's strong."
"What do you mean?" asked Michael when nobody volunteered anything else.
"She has strength we can't even imagine. You didn't see how torn up Zan was. That he was still even able to move is a mystery."
"But, Max. You said that she was learning new powers. What's so special about this that makes you think she's so strong?"
"Remember when I healed those cancer children?" Michael nodded. "Remember how I couldn't use my powers at all right after? It took hours, most of a whole day, before I could even draw on a little bit."
Max looked up and stared everyone in the face. "Liz brought someone back from the dead on her first try and was still able to visit me within two hours afterwards. She didn't even look strained and 'visiting' is one of the hardest and most draining things next to healing that I've ever done."
Both aliens and the pixie human could only stare at him open-mouthed.
**********
Liz returned back to the sauna room. After using the outhouse, she had sneaked into the relatively warm area so that she could visit Max. She had known that he would be worried and she felt that he deserved her to visit without Zan being in the same room.
She knew now that she was separating the two of them in her mind and wanting to keep them physically apart. In her heart she knew why.
Zan's kiss had changed things. He was waiting for her in the cabin and she needed to take this all of the way. For once and for all, she was going to discover how Zan felt about her.
And in the process, she was going to find out how she really felt about him.