Roswell Fanatics

Hello, everyone! I'm back with the next part. It is kind of sad and kind of a transitional part but I wanted to do something for Jim and Zelda, at least say goodbye properly since I killed them off. Let me know what you think!

Beth

Part 11

They all stood around the two graves in the light rain. Michael had asked for a moment of quiet reflection in respect of their two friends. They all were thinking of the same things. Maria couldn’t help but stare at the grave that was next to the two fresh ones. “Amy DeLuca Valenti, Loving Mother, Loving Wife, Loyal Friend, She will be missed,” the writing said.

Michael finally broke the silence with the words, “It wasn’t so long ago that we were burying others of our friends and family. Jim Valenti himself had given the eulogy for our former king and friend.” He looked around at the small group. Several pairs of eyes went to the direction where Max was buried. “They were taken from us before their time in a cruel manner. But Jim used to say that he felt that he was living on borrowed time anyway, since he had survived the war when none of the other parents had. He had found a way to be happy in our friend Zelda, who became an important part of our family.” He went on to mention how they had all been touched by the man who had saved their group many times and the woman who had helped young Max become the man he was today.

“I would like, and I think Jim would appreciate it, if everyone here were to tell a story, a memory, of either him or Zelda or both. It doesn’t have to be anything earth shattering but something that meant a lot to you,” Michael told them. “Maybe we could start with you, Kyle, since you were his son.”

Kyle looked down at the ground and closed his eyes tightly. It was quiet except for the rain hitting their umbrellas and the leaves in the trees. Finally, a deep half-sigh, half-sob escaped Kyle’s lips and he dropped his head so that no one could see his face. “I can’t do it, Maria. I can’t say goodbye,” he whispered to his wife, who was holding onto his arm and the umbrella. “Not like this, not now, not the way he was taken from us. Please…please say something.”

Maria sniffed and took a deep breath. Her husband needed her now and she would not let him down. She held her head up and cleared her throat. “Everyone knew Jim Valenti, as everyone knew his father; they were both Sheriff of Roswell in their time. I remember when I first found out that there really were extraterrestrials. Liz had told me and I couldn’t handle the pressure of the secret at first. I was scared,” she recounted, a smile peering through her tears. “I went to his office to tell him all about what he wanted to know, thinking that he had to help me get away from these monsters. I knew he was on my side. It’s funny to think back on that now because we were all on the same side, we just didn’t know it. He was there for us every time we needed him, even before he really knew what was going on.” She sniffed again as her eyes filled with fresh tears. “I guess that’s all I can think of to say right now.”

Michael nodded and Kyle squeezed his wife’s hand in gratitude. “Brody, how about you? Do you have something to say about Jim?” Michael asked quietly.

Brody took a deep breath. He thought of something that had been brought up in his mind again when this war ended. “I remember the time that I started to have Larek’s memories start to come into my consciousness again. I panicked and wanted to know what had happened to me. I took several people hostage at the UFO center, several of them standing here right now. Even though people helped me to remember that night, most of the memories are blurred together because I was in such a panic. I didn’t even know what to ask for when he asked me for my list of demands,” Brody snorted. “But after I remembered everything that had happened and started to feel really bad about my actions, Jim came to me and told me that it didn’t matter really what had happened, that it was in the past, and that the outcome was what was important. He looked up at the stars and told me that no matter what happened, especially to him, that he felt blessed that he was a part of something greater than himself, greater than the war itself. He was a part, as we all are, of making things right for two species, multiple planets, for establishing peace. He wouldn’t have traded his part in that for anything else in the universe.”

Everyone was crying and let Brody’s words sink in. Suddenly, it was Isabel’s turn. “I wish we knew more about Zelda,” she sniffed. “She was a good woman but we don’t have our wonderful memories of her like we do of Jim. I didn’t have enough of a chance to get through her quiet, soothing nature to figure out what made her the special person we all knew. So with that said, I want to tell the story that I remember that shows how good a man Jim was. I want to tell why Jim lost his job as Sheriff of Roswell. He had been helping us for a while at that time. I had started having these strange dreams of this girl being buried out in some woods somewhere. I didn’t have much to go on, but Jim believed me when I told him that I felt it was really happening. He was being investigated for Hubble’s death and was warned to stay away from us because we were just kids. The FBI showed up, the gandarium was threatening to destroy the world, my semi-boyfriend was possessed by the gandarium queen and therefore had a split personality, and a half-crazy girl was freaking out because Michael looked like her dead grandfather. But through it all, Jim kept his promise to help us, even though, in the end, it cost him his job. Even after he had lost his job, he was there for us all. Max and I often had discussions about how terrible we felt about the way things had turned out for him, and god knows that Kyle had words with us about it, but Jim never wavered in his loyalty. I’ve never forgotten that and I’ve always thought the universe of Jim from that time on,” she finished quietly.

“Beth, do you have anything you want to say?” Michael asked.

“He was my grandfather, Zelda was my step-grandmother, and I loved them both. I can’t think of anything else to say, except that I’ve never in my life felt so much hatred for anyone than I do right now for whoever did this,” Beth said bitterly.

Kyle and Maria pulled their daughter into their embrace. Kyle looked Beth in the eyes and said, “Don’t hold onto that hate and let it destroy you.”

Maria nodded emphatically at those words. “And believe us when we tell you that it will destroy you if you let it. You have to turn hate into action and let it go.” At her daughter’s look of disbelief that they could think this way, Maria looked deep into her eyes and tried to reach her soul, her heart. “We understand this better than anyone else could. We’ve all lost our parents now. Jim was the last of them left. We lost the Parkers, the Evans’, my mother, and now Jim and Zelda. We know why you feel this hate, we know the pain; it almost destroyed several of us. Please don’t hold on to it. Turn it into action to do something about it and then let it go.” Beth nodded and collapsed against her mother in tears.

Michael cleared his throat. He felt like it was his turn to say something. “I was an idiot as a teenager, but I was scared of who or what I was and I was scared of being found out to be what I was and I was scared of being treated like the freak I thought I was. Now I don’t feel alone anymore and one of the major reasons for that is Jim Valenti. I had a hard time trusting people, any people, because I kept getting trampled on. Max and Isabel had their families. Maria and Liz had their families and each other. I felt alone, isolated. Jim was the first man I ever thought of as a father. Phillip Evans had helped me become an emancipated minor but it was Jim that helped me feel the human side was not bad and that I might not make such a bad father after all, if I ever became one, because I had another man to look to as a father-figure instead of just Hank. I’ll always be grateful for that.” He took a deep breath and then looked at Jeffrey Maxwell. “Max, I guess that just leaves you. What do you want to say?”

The young man hadn’t moved at any of the words. They hurt and he had felt the hate that his girlfriend had voiced. He considered everything that he had seen and heard growing up about the people he loved, concentrating on his memories about Jim and Zelda. “All of my memories are running together,” he admitted quietly. “I remember when I found out that somebody actually thought that it would be better if I were taken away from mom so that I could be educated to be a king. Then Zelda came into my life and she became the picture that came into my mind whenever the word ‘grandmother’ was said, even before Jim and she were interested in each other. They are the only grandparents I’ve ever known. They were with me through everything, teaching me the best that was in humans and antarians, encouraging me to embody both. I admit that it scared me, it still scares me, to think that so much depends upon how I act, how many people are counting on me to make the right decisions. I asked Jim once how I was supposed to make everyone happy. He just grinned and said, ‘Son, the right decision is probably the one that will make everyone miserable. Just follow what your heart tells you, what you’ve learned from your past, and what you’ve learned from both good and bad examples and make the best decision that you can. A good question to consider when making decisions is can you live with it in the light of the morning when you wake up.’ I’ve tried to live with those words in mind,” Max finished.

After another minute of silence to let all the memories flow through their minds, Michael finally spoke again, “Is there anyone who would like to say anything else? I know that Sean and Serena are upset that they couldn’t be here but they are busy doing some investigating. They send their love and sympathy, as they too feel our loss. Anybody else?” Everyone shook their heads. Then he said something that added fear to their sadness. “I know that we are all upset that Liz wasn’t able to be here today. I only pray that it’s just because she didn’t know about this to be able to be here, and not that she’s in some kind of trouble.” He paused again before saying, “I think that it’s only fitting that Jim be buried here with the two women he was privileged to love, Amy and Zelda. We will miss them all.”

Maria’s horror registered on her face. Liz wasn’t here and she should be. She collapsed in a faint just in time for Beth and Kyle to catch her. “Michael, would you please take Maria and Beth home for me? I need to be alone here for a minute, if you don’t mind,” Kyle asked his friend quietly.

Michael placed his hand on Kyle’s shoulder before reaching to lift Maria in his arms. “Take all the time you need, Valenti. I’ll take care of your family,” he told him.

They all filtered toward their means of transportation, leaving Kyle alone with his father and step-mothers. He heard someone come up behind him but he didn’t move. “I knew you were here, but I thought you would have shown yourself sooner,” he said flatly.

“Oh, Kyle, I’m so sorry!” Liz sobbed, falling against her friend in her sorrow. “I almost did but I felt that your father and Zelda deserved to have their moment of remembrance without my appearance ruining it. I was here, though, and I hope that counts for something.”

“Did you have something you wanted to say about them?” he asked.

Liz sniffed and wiped her eyes. She stood up straight but still kept a hand on Kyle’s arm. “Um, yeah, of course. I remember the first time I met Zelda. I was so worried about who would be teaching Max and I wasn’t expecting her for another week or something. Yet, suddenly, there she was and not at all what I was expecting. She was immediately a no-nonsense, down to earth woman and I liked her right on the spot. She was wonderful for helping to make my place a home again.” Liz paused as she sifted through her memories to find one that she wanted to relate about Jim.

“I have so much that I could say about Jim Valenti. He was a father to all of us, he was a protector, and he was a friend. I remember when I first found out that I had the possibility to have Laura. It was one of the happiest pieces of news I had ever received. The problem was that my body might not be strong enough to carry the baby myself. The first person that I went to was Jim. I knew that he would understand why I wanted to carry that baby. He calmly went through all points that I should think about before making my decision final. Then he told me that if this war had taught him nothing else, it had taught him that there is precious little happiness that we can count on, and that if there is a chance for more of it, we should go for it. I took his advice and he stood by me for it,” she finished quietly. “I’m glad that he took his advice and found happiness with Zelda.” After a couple of minutes of silence, she asked Kyle, “What about you? Don’t you have any good memories or anything you want to say?”

Kyle took a deep breath. “I always blamed dad and accused him of not being a real father to me. He was always so wrapped up in being the Sheriff, in trying to find out if his father had been crazy, and then it was the alien abyss. He had become a father to everyone and had even less time for me than before. Then he was married again and we were fighting a war and I was married and had children.” He sniffed and his eyes filled with tears. “I just wish I had told him that I was proud of him and that I loved him. Like him, I wouldn’t trade what’s happened for anything else because I’m a part of something bigger and better than myself. I wish I could tell him that I understand that and that no father could have meant more to me or have done more to make me proud to be a Valenti.”

At that, Kyle’s dam broke and he collapsed against Liz in a flood of tears. Liz just held him and let him cry. She knew how hard it was for him. They both heard someone coming up behind them. “Kyle Valenti, I can’t believe that you sent me away from you at a time like this…” Maria’s voice trailed off as she saw who her husband was standing with. “Liz? Liz, oh my god!” Maria ran and threw her arms around her friend.

“Hello, Maria,” Liz said quietly, hugging her friend back. It felt good to see her.

“’Hello, Maria?’ Is that all you can say after you’ve been missing for days now? Where have you been? Do you know how worried we’ve all been? You could have at least been at the funeral today!” Maria rattled, her relief coming out in anger.

Kyle placed a restraining hand on her arm. “Maria, she was here as she is now. She’s ok and that’s what’s important.”

“Oh, Liz, I’m sorry! Kyle’s right, but we’ve just been so worried about you and with Jim and Zelda…we were just worried something might happen to you too,” Maria said. Then her eyes flew open wide and she looked at Kyle. “You knew she was ok, didn’t you?” she more stated than asked. “How could you let all of us worry like that?”

Liz spoke up. “Maria, he didn’t know until everyone was over at Jim and Zelda’s after they were found. I came to see if he was ok while he was out in the garden. He didn’t tell anyone because I asked him not to.”

“But why? What reason could you possibly have for making your husband, your best friends, your children worry about you like that?” Maria asked, truly perplexed.

“Well, now that you know that I’m ok, I guess maybe I can recruit you for my plan. I’ve had to do a lot of thinking about my life, Maria, making a lot of decisions. I have come to the answers to those questions, but Michael will have to figure out what he wants. Will you help me?” Liz asked. “I know you feel torn but I promise that I have a reason for doing things this way and everyone will get their explanations.”

Maria looked at Kyle. “You’re already committed to helping her aren’t you? Are you sure you’re up to that?” she asked him quietly and lovingly.

Kyle looked at his wife, love shining in his eyes. “I need something to take my mind off of this mess,” he said waving his hand toward the fresh graves. “I have already agreed and I’ll help Liz with whatever she needs.” He looked at Liz. “With one exception: I will not help you end your marriage. If that’s what you want, you’re on your own.”

Liz smiled through fresh tears. “If things go the way I hope they will, you’ll be helping me to save it, Kyle,” she told him.

“If that’s the case, then count me in too. I can’t stand any more heartbroken Michael. He’s worse than a heartbroken Max!” Maria said without thinking. Then she got a look of horror on her face as she realized what she said. “Oh, chica! I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean…”

Liz placed her hand on Maria’s arm and shook her head. “Don’t apologize, Maria. Max has been dead a long time, and it’s past time to be able to talk about him without falling apart. That’s part of my reason for disappearing for this past little bit.”

Maria, Kyle, and Liz all seemed to take a deep breath at one time. “Ok so where do we start?” Kyle asked Liz. Crying had helped him and he looked at his friend in gratitude.

“The war museum. I have a lot of changes to make there,” Liz answered without hesitation. “And Kyle? Jim knew that you loved him. It was impossible that he couldn’t know that with the way that he felt about you.”

Part Summary: Isabel disappears and discovers something else about her past.
Author’s Note: There is another really big surprise in this part, but hopefully not as bad as the other one. Let me know what you think.

Part 12

A week later, everyone was on edge; they had heard nothing from the uprising or the woman that had called herself Shira. Everyone tried to stay calm and continue in their routine, although all efforts to find out any information about the uprising were doubled. Michael, along with everyone else, was forced to do something that he had always loathed and that he wasn’t very good at – he was forced to wait. He hated waiting.

On top of the waiting and nervousness over the uprising and the murders, Maria and Kyle had insisted on closing the museum for a while. When anyone asked why they wanted it closed, they would simply mumble something about updates and remodeling. However, they never let anyone else into the museum to help, not even Michael. What everyone didn’t know was that Liz was with them, and Kyle and Maria were under strict orders that it be kept this way for the time being.

Isabel pulled up in front of the house where the murders had taken place. She had left Brody with their children napping, all worn out from an outing at the park. Hoping that she could find something that they might have missed in their search, she decided to come to look for clues afresh. Stepping into the house, she immediately felt uneasy. She couldn’t explain it but she had a feeling that someone else was in the house.

“Hello? Hellloooo?” she called. “Is anybody here?” Receiving no answer, she pushed the feeling to the back of her mind, discarding it as just nerves at being in the house where murders had happened. She walked through the house, carefully going over each and every square inch of the home. She cried as she saw flashes of Jim’s life there, first with his first wife and Kyle, then just he with Kyle and later Tess, then with Amy, and finally with Zelda.

Just as Isabel had started in the kitchen, the back door blew open forcefully. Surprised, she didn’t try to defend herself as she saw Shira walking toward her with several men behind her. “Hello, Vilandra,” the woman said smoothly. Then with a nod of her head, one of the men raised a weapon at Isabel and fired. Isabel collapsed to the floor unconscious. “Someone would like a word with you,” Shira told the unconscious form. Two men picked Isabel up off the floor and dragged her out the door which they had entered.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Michael paced back and forth in the Davis living room, barely managing to avoid running into Kyle and Brody, who were also pacing. As the front door opened and Max, Laura, Beth, and Maria walked in, everyone else looked up expectantly. “Well?” Brody asked.

Maria shook her head and looked away. Max, Laura and Beth refused to meet anyone’s eyes as Max answered their unspoken question. “There was no sign of her, Uncle Brody. I’m sorry.”

“But surely you got some sort of flashes of her being there?” Brody pressed. Isabel had been gone for over five hours and no one had heard from her.

“That’s the weird part; we did get flashes of her going all over the house, looking for some sort of clue that we might have missed. We followed her trail easily until we hit the kitchen. We still got flashes of her searching in the kitchen and then when she didn’t find anything, she went out the back door,” Maria told them.

“What’s so weird about that?” Michael asked.

“You didn’t let me finish, Michael. The flashes in the kitchen were…well they were different. They didn’t have the same feel to them as the others. I don’t know how to better describe it than that,” Maria finished.

Michael looked at Max, Laura, and Beth, but they couldn’t explain it any better than Maria had. Frustrated, he ran his hand through his hair and down his face a couple of times. Then he seemed to growl out of his frustration and had to really control himself not to blow anything up. Brody knew exactly what he was feeling because Brody was feeling it right along with him.

“First, Liz goes missing, then Jim and Zelda are murdered, now Isabel has disappeared! What the hell is going on?!” Michael practically yelled.

Kyle and Maria exchanged looks, silently communicating to each other. Maria gave her husband a look of pleading, and Kyle returned it with a look of warning. Michael caught it just before they both cleared their faces. He looked at them questioningly but both their faces were now blank.

“Do you two know something you aren’t sharing?” Brody asked, also picking up on it.

“No,” Kyle answered quickly.

“Yes,” Maria admitted at the same time, earning a glare from Kyle. At everyone’s puzzled looks, Kyle shrugged at Maria, as if to say, “Go ahead and tell them now!” Maria took a deep breath and blew it out in a big puff. “Well, I guess I don’t really know what to say except that Liz is fine.”

Everyone looked from Kyle to Maria trying to figure out what Maria meant by that. Then it hit Michael and he looked to Kyle who met his gaze head on. Michael advanced menacingly on his friend. “Do you mean to tell me that the two of you know where my wife is, have known where my wife is all this time, and haven’t said anything but let everyone worry?!” he growled, getting increasingly louder.

Maria stepped in between her husband and Michael. “Michael, we don’t know where Liz is but we have seen her and talked to her. She told us not to mention it to anyone except to reassure everyone that she’s ok.”

Kyle nodded in agreement. “Michael, after everything that was happening between you and her, she wanted some time to think about things. I wouldn’t begrudge her that; you needed it too.”

Michael looked at him incredulously. “You can’t be serious!! After everything else that’s happened with Jim and Zelda, she stays in hiding because she doesn’t want to talk to me until she thinks about things?” he yelled.

“She has been checking the messages on her voicemail and she was at Jim and Zelda’s when we were investigating the murders and at their funerals. She hasn’t abandoned us,” Kyle replied. “She was there when I needed her, and that’s what I’m doing for her now.”

* * * * * * * * * * *

Isabel awoke with a terrific headache. With that thought, came the amazement that she even had a headache; this was her first. She tried to lift her head to look around and was immediately dizzy. Her stomach turned and she groaned. “I’m never going to aggravate Maria about migraines again,” she said in the dark.

As the pain and dizziness subsided, she realized that she was tied to a chair, a free-standing, wooden chair. There was a small bit of light coming from directly above her, but outside of a little circle, all was darkness. It was so dark outside her small circle that she couldn’t see how big the room was or if there was a door or anything else. If she didn’t know that there were no “alien-hunters” anymore, she would have been terrified.

For now, she was more amused. “Is this some kind of joke?” she asked herself. “Is tying me to a chair supposed to keep me here, wherever here is?” However, when she tried to use her powers to undo her restraints, her headache returned full force causing her to yelp in pain. Her restraints weren’t even loose and now Isabel was starting to worry. She heard a noise come from behind her that sounded like something sliding open and closed.

“Who’s there?” she asked, willing herself to calm down. Panicking would not help her get out of this situation.

“Hello, Vilandra,” a smooth man’s voice replied. “I hope you are not too uncomfortable. I hate to hold you this way, but I was afraid that you might react first and then regret it later.”

“Who are you? Why have you brought me here?” she asked. Then as she heard a noise to her right, she added, “Is someone else with you?”

“Your questions will be answered shortly, Vilandra. For now, how about I reintroduce you to a friend of mine,” the man’s voice continued.

Shira stepped into the light and smirked at Vilandra. “Hello, Your Highness,” she crooned. She mockingly bowed to Isabel. Then she looked over Isabel’s head at the man standing behind her and asked, “Are you sure this was a good idea?”

A look of intense anger passed over the man’s face and Shira inwardly shrank back from him. “You may go, Shira,” he said aloud. Shira all but ran from the room. She should not have questioned his decisions, especially in front of Isabel. “Now that we are alone, I feel like you should see my face as I obviously can see yours,” he said. He stepped into the light and Isabel was not surprised to see that she did not recognize him. “Now that’s better isn’t it?” he asked.

“What did you do to me, to my powers?” she asked him coldly. Something about this man frightened her to her core, but she couldn’t explain what it was or why she would feel this way.

“Ah, yes, that is a most unfortunate necessity. It is simply a drug that inhibits their use. Don’t worry, Vilandra, it doesn’t do any permanent damage,” he answered with a smile.

“Why do you keep calling me that? I’m not Vilandra,” Isabel snapped. She hated that name more than any other.

“Really? I was told that you were she at one time. I don’t usually make mistakes like that. Besides, I can feel her inside of you, Isabel. Isabel? Is that better? Would you rather I call you by that name?” he asked, his false charm not fooling her one bit.

“You know what? It really doesn’t matter to me what you call me,” Isabel answered icily. “However, I would like to know what I should call you.”

He laughed at that. “I bet you would. You will find out soon enough. Tell me, Isabel; what do you remember about your past life?” he asked.

“What difference does that make to you?” she responded, genuinely perplexed.

He laughed again. “It makes a world of difference to me, Isabel. Now would you please tell me what you know about your past life, especially your life with Kivar?” he asked again, this time with an edge to his voice.

Isabel felt that if she wanted to learn anything about who this man was and what he wanted with her, she might want to cooperate, at least to a point. “Not much really. I only know what I’ve been told. Vilandra was Xan’s sister and betrothed to his second in command, Rath. She betrayed them because she fell in love with Kivar who led the rebellion against Xan,” she repeated, careful to keep herself out of it. It had taken her years to separate Vilandra from Isabel.

“What a pitiful amount of knowledge you possess of your past, Vilandra,” he said stressing the name he used. “I feel that in order to make decisions about your future, you should understand your past; would you not agree?” he asked.

“I suppose so. However, I think I know enough about my past,” Isabel answered cautiously.

The man shook his head, as if in sadness. “I’m afraid you don’t know nearly enough, Isabel. Tell me, what are your children’s names? I don’t even know their names.”

At that question, Isabel’s resolve to remain calm snapped. Her eyes filled with tears at the thought of something happening to her children. “If you touch one hair on their head…” she whispered.

“My dear, Isabel, you misunderstand why I’m asking you about your children!” he told her. “I simply felt I should know who they are, especially since we are family.”

Isabel’s head snapped up at that. Family? Whose family? She tried to read the man’s face, but except for his smile, it remained blank. He nodded at her unasked question. “Yes, Isabel, I said the word ‘family’. You have one more member of your happy little family that you seem to have conveniently forgotten all about. Now would you like to tell me the names of your children?” he asked again.

“Jack and Terry. Jack is 18 and Terry is 15,” she answered in a daze. “Now can I ask your name and get it?”

“Certainly; my name is Kivon,” he answered suavely. He held out his hand to her for her to shake his hand and then seemed to suddenly remember that she couldn’t.

“Kivon? I know that I don’t know any Kivon,” she told him. “Who are you? I mean, why do you have me here like this? Are you a part of the new uprising?”

Kivon walked around her. “Uprising is a harsh word. I’m the leader of a new order. I want to lead the people the way they want to be led, not from Earth but from Antar, not from a tiny diner in the desert but from a throne in a palace. However, unlike Kivar, I want to do this as peacefully as possible. I don’t want to kill anyone, Vilandra, but I will if I have to.” He paused behind her and touched her hair. “I wondered so many times what you looked like in this life. You’re still beautiful, but so very different from what I remember.”

Tears streamed down her face and she closed her eyes against the bile that rose in her throat at his touch. He paused in his stroking of her hair at her stiffening. “Is it so repulsive for me to touch you? You loved me once, when I was younger.” Isabel refused to answer him, expecting him to make his move on her. When he moved around to face her, however, she saw hurt and confusion in his eyes, not the lust and arrogance that she was expecting. “Is it so repulsive for your son to touch you?” he asked harshly.

“My…my…my son?” she gasped out. She studied him and he laughed cruelly.

“Yes, Isabel, Vilandra, whatever you want to be called. I am the son of Vilandra and Kivar. I am your son,” he told her.

Part 13

“My son?” Isabel repeated. “Mine and Kivar’s. That’s not possible! I would never have been with Kivar so long as to have a son,” she said more to herself than Kivon.

“I assure you that it is true. I can provide numerous witnesses if you’d like, but I do hope you will take my word for it, mother,” Kivon said quietly. “It feels strange to call you that. I haven’t said that word in years.”

“If you are family, my son as you say, why did you bring me here like this? Why are you leading this rebellion?” she asked, trying to put all the pieces of her fragmented mind back together.

“I’m trying to give the people the leader that they have been wanting for a long time. Xan was a horrible ruler, everyone knew it, but he was the only heir to the throne and the law was clear. Until the day of his death or the day he abdicated from the throne or turned it over to someone else, he was king. That was the reason for the first civil war all those years ago. Kivar didn’t want a war, not one that bloody anyway. He did want Xan dead so that he had sole possession of the throne, but I don’t want it that way. I want the throne but I don’t want to have to kill to get it,” Kivon told her, circling her.

“You are a liar!” Isabel shouted, unwilling to allow any thoughts of what he was saying to sink into her mind. “In the message that our mother sent to Earth years ago, she said that Xan was a beloved ruler, loved by all his subjects. Why else would they bother to recreate him? If you don’t want violence, why did you drag me here by force, have me tied to this chair, and block my powers?” she demanded.

“It is true, all of it! I know more about your lives than you think. Why do you think there was a movement that wanted to put Rath on the throne instead of Xan? Why do you think there was a civil war in the first place? Why would you betray your own brother with the leader of that rebellion if he was such a great leader?” he questioned. Isabel could offer no reply to his questions. In fact, they were ones that she had asked herself. She wondered if Michael had ever thought about those questions.

Seeing that Isabel’s gears were turning, Kivon started to circle behind her again, stopping just out of her field of vision. “A mother tends not to see the faults in her children. Xan was not necessarily a bad person, although he did tend to be on the selfish side and a bit of a brat; he was just a bad ruler. You asked me why anyone would recreate Xan if he wasn’t a good leader. I’ll give you two reasons. First, when Xan died, he left no heir to the throne. Second, if a mother might have a chance to make her son that was killed so young live again, would she not take it? Would you not take it?”

Isabel shook her head. This was not good; Kivon was making sense. All of his points seemed valid, substantiated by the few facts that Isabel did have about their past. Her wavering did not go unnoticed by Kivon. “As a gesture of peace and friendship…from your son, let me undo your bindings,” he said quietly. Isabel still couldn’t see his face. She felt him move up behind her and suddenly the rope that bound her hands fell to the floor, followed directly by the ones binding her feet.

She grasped at the last straw that she could think of. “Well, Max left an heir when he died, Jeffrey Maxwell. He is the rightful heir. So why should he turn the throne over to you?”

Kivon moved back around her to look her directly in the face. “Please, mother, we both know what people are saying behind his back. He is the son of a traitorous queen and a selfish king. No one will accept him, especially as he was raised by a human woman. I know how he must feel…inadequate for the job set before him. I have lived long enough to see most of the war, what the people want, and I have a legitimate claim as your son. I’m not asking him to hand over the throne on a whim, but I wanted him to consider it. It is a great responsibility that I’m not sure he’s ready to handle…he’s not sure he’s ready to handle it.”

Isabel’s head dropped into her hands, scared at his words. He was her son, he wanted to make peace. She looked up into his eyes but it was hard to see in the lighting. “Kivon, do you mean what you were saying about wanting peace? I would like to believe you but what about Jim and Zelda? Why did you kill them if you want peace?” she asked harshly, trying to push the thoughts of doubt out of her head.

“What do you mean? I didn’t kill Jim or Zelda Valenti. They’re dead? When? Why would you think it was me?” he asked. His voice sounded sincere so Isabel decided to explain but she didn’t completely let her guard down.

“Almost two weeks ago, Jim and Zelda were found killed in their home. When Max and I searched the house, we found the message that Shira left for us. She said that their deaths were to get a message to us from you,” Isabel explained, her voice cold but only on the surface.

Kivon kneeled beside her and took her hands in his. “Isabel, I swear to you that I knew nothing about that. I did tell Shira to get a message to you that I would want to talk to all of you but I didn’t want anyone to die. I assure you that I will handle that bit of news with swift justice. She deserves to be punished, and punished she will be. Please say that you will try to get to know me.”

“I want to get to know you, as my son, but I am so scared that this is a trick. I hear what you’re saying, but if I have to choose sides, I will not betray my family again,” she said, not realizing that all that progress in separating herself from Vilandra had just flown out the proverbial window.

Kivon looked her directly in the eyes as he answered her. “I am trying to prevent you having to choose sides, Isabel…Vilandra…mother because they are my family too. Please say that you’ll try to get to know me, that you’ll talk to the others about me, before you pass any kind of judgment. I just want my mother to love me; is that too much to ask?”

Those words leapt into her heart as she had said those same words to Diane Evans upon revealing the truth of who she was all those years ago. Isabel burst into tears and threw her arms around the young man. “Oh, Kivon, of course I’ll get to know you. You are my son.”

* * * * * * * * * * *

Michael was awakened by the sound of a door opening and closing. He jumped up out of the chair he had fallen asleep in and rushed to the foyer of Brody and Isabel’s home. He stopped short as he saw that it was just Max. He was struck by how much Jeffrey Maxwell looked like his father. It hit him every once in a while. Michael was always brought out of it, however, the minute he met Tess’s ice blue eyes in Max’s face.

“Hey, did I wake you? I didn’t mean to…” Max whispered. Michael held up his hand for Max to stop. Some of the others were still asleep in the living room. Then he motioned toward the kitchen and headed in that direction with Max following right behind him.

As they entered the kitchen, Michael yawned and scratched his head. He went over to the coffee pot and filled it with water and coffee, starting it within sixty seconds. “I thought you were Isabel. I hoped you were Isabel,” he told the young man, pulling two mugs out of the cupboard.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t,” Max said honestly, grabbing the sugar container from the table. Then he looked at Michael. “Michael, can I ask you something?” he said.

“Sure,” Michael said, searching through the refrigerator. Everyone had stayed at the Davis’ home, hoping that Isabel would come home or at least be able to call and let them know where she was. They had left a message on Liz’s cell phone but so far, no one had heard from her. Max had just gotten in from his morning run.

“When you look at me what do you see?” Max asked.

Michael stopped and looked at Max. “What do you mean? I see Jeffrey Maxwell Evans, a 24-year old man who is dating my ex-girlfriend’s, his step-mother’s best friend’s, daughter. Wow! Let’s not go into all your connections; they’re too hard to list,” he said, trying to make light of what he thought was coming.

“Look deeper than that, Michael. Who do you see when you look at me?” Max asked again.

There was silence for a moment between the two of them. “I see your father, a good friend, a caring person, someone who doesn’t see his attributes and unfortunately, also doesn’t always see his faults. I also see your mother in your sense of humor and in your eyes, obviously. I also see someone who is going to be a great leader as long as he doesn’t forget how he got there; that includes his family’s past as well as his own. Is that what you wanted to know?” Michael answered.

Max nodded slightly, going over to the coffee pot, that had stopped brewing, and poured himself a cup of coffee. “Sort of,” he mumbled. He put his hand over the mug and made it the way he liked it. He closed his eyes against the flash of a memory that he got from that simple move. Noticing Michael’s questioning look, Max answered his silent question. “I got a flash of that day in the Crashdown after dad’s funeral. Mom had come down and had a cup of coffee in front of her and she started to add cream and sugar but I stopped her, using my powers to fix it the way she liked it. She looked so lost then, so tired; I honestly thought I would lose her too for a while. She was so upset about dad’s death.”

Grabbing some eggs from the refrigerator and a skillet, Michael started to crack the eggs into it. “We were all worried about your mom then. We all took your dad’s death hard, including me, but not like Liz. She spent a couple of days in bed without moving at all. One of the things that kept her going was you,” he reminisced.

“Michael, if you loved my dad like a brother, why does the fact that mom loved him upset you so much? I know it’s not really any of my business and I don’t really know the whole story, but I do know that Mom loves you, otherwise she wouldn’t have married you,” Max told the man he considered his second father.

Michael sighed as he scrambled the eggs. Max was right that it really wasn’t his business, but at the same time, he was old enough to know what was going on. “I don’t resent her love for your father. I know that what they had was special. I’ve never seen any couple closer than those two. I told Liz that when I asked her to marry me. It’s just that your father has been dead a long, long time now and we’ve been married for 15 years. That’s a lot longer than she was married or even dated Max. It just seems that she buried herself with Max all those years ago. I hope that somewhere inside her she loves me too, but I feel like I’m sharing her with a dead man. I’m not sure I want to live like that anymore,” he finished.

Max nodded. “I can understand that. Michael, just because I’m Max’s son doesn’t mean that I love you any less. In fact, I love you more because I’ve known you longer and you were the man that raised me. I feel like I’m just as much your son as Max’s. I just wanted you to know that. Laura, Michaela and I all love you just as much as if you were our biological father.”

“Thanks, Max, that means a lot to me,” Michael answered. “Hey, you wanna get some toast going? The others will probably be up soon and will be hungry.”

They worked in silence for a few minutes and soon Laura, Michaela, Kyle, and Maria had filtered in and helped put some food together. They were pretty quiet, their minds still on Isabel. Jack and Terry came into the kitchen and sat at the table with the others, both extremely worried about their mother’s whereabouts. Finally, Beth, Brody, and the other children came into the kitchen. They all ate and chatted quietly until the front door opened and closed; everyone fell completely silent.

“Hello? Anybody home?” Isabel called from the foyer.

Everyone sprang into action at once, upsetting chairs as they made a mad dash for the front door. “Isabel!” Brody cried, embracing his wife. Each person took their turn welcoming her back and asking her if she was ok. She looked tired but otherwise, unharmed. Brody finally realized that she might be hungry or want to sit down so he ushered the group back to the kitchen.

“I’m ok, everyone really,” Isabel assured them. “I’ll tell you everything, but first I want some of those eggs and toast because I’m starving.”

Jack got his mother a plate of food and set it before her. She gave him a smile of gratitude and started eating while everyone else sat on the edge of their seats waiting to see what she would say about where she was. In between bites of food, Isabel explained exactly what had happened from the time she had left her home the day before. She left out no details about her conversation with Kivon. When she finished the group took a collective sigh and collapsed back into their seats.

Brody and Michael studied Isabel carefully. “I know you don’t believe him, Isa,” Brody stated. “But why kidnap you if he just wanted to talk to us? That part about him not knowing about Jim and Zelda’s murders can’t be true. I don’t trust him.”

Seeing the look on Isabel’s face, Michael was careful of how he worded his feelings. “Isa, I want to believe him, for your sake, but the evidence isn’t good. After your discussion and he set you free, did you get to find out where he was holding you?”

“Well, no but he said that that was because he didn’t want a bunch of you jumping to conclusions right away and coming to drag him back here or kill him or something. Michael, have you thought about all those things he brought up? I know that you told me about Courtney telling you about the movement to put you on the throne. Why would all those things be happening if Max had been a good king?” Isabel asked.

“Isabel, you know as well as everyone else in this room that long ago it was acknowledged and accepted that you four were not your former selves. Isabel, Max, Michael, and Tess are not Vilandra, Xan, Rath, and Ava. You are different people than you used to be,” Maria told her.

“Besides, even if Xan had been a bad ruler, Max was elected to be king because of his great leadership qualities here. The people wanted him to be king over them,” Kyle added.

“Kivon is right about one thing, though,” Max jumped in quietly. “No one will accept me as their king, even as Max’s son and only heir. I’ve heard several rumors that there are groups that want Laura to be queen because she is a true hybrid, the daughter of a human queen and the true Antarian king. Tess was a traitor and my father regretted the actions that caused me to even exist. Maybe I shouldn’t be king.”

“I think we all need some time to think about all of this before we say anything else about it,” Michael told the group. “Max, I don’t want to hear your self-pitying talk again. Liz loves you as if you were her own son, as do I and we don’t regret your being with us. Tess did what she did of her own choice. You are not your mother. You are who you choose to be, and so far you are proving yourself to be a great leader.”

He stood up and started to head for the living room. “Michael, where are you going?” Isabel asked for the group.

“I’m going home to take a long, hot shower and then I’m going somewhere to think about all of this. I’ll have my mobile on if you need me,” he answered, grabbing his jacket and heading out the door. This news upset him, not only because there was a son of Kivar’s and Vilandra’s that no one knew about but because the representatives from Antar, including the Head Steward, hadn’t said anything about this Kivon. Was that because they didn’t know or because they didn’t want anyone else to know? Michael was also worried that this might split his family up again. Now more than ever they needed to stick together.

I wanted to thank you guys who are reading and especially those who are leaving fb! I'm back in town and ready to post the next part. I have almost caught everyone up to where I left off writing and unfortunately I'm stuck. This next part is part 13 and the last part I have written is part 16 so after that one is posted the parts might be a while in coming unless I can get really inspired quick. I'll try my best to get writing but I do have 2 other fics that I am working on and they're being posted part by part now. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy what I have written. Thanks so much for you support and fb!

Beth

Part 14

“Hey,” Beth said, sitting on the swing next to Max. “Who are you hiding from out here?” They were still at Isabel and Brody’s, letting all the information sink in and to wait for Michael to come back. Beth noticed that Max had disappeared and went looking for him, finally finding him in the back yard.

He smiled at her question. “Myself,” he answered with a snort.

She grinned at him. “Is it working?” she asked back.

“Not really,” he shrugged. “I just wanted to find someplace to think about all of this stuff. I wonder if mom got our messages yet.”

Before Beth could answer, they heard a twig snap behind them. Looking to see who it was, they spotted Laura coming their way. She stopped where she was and smiled apologetically. “I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to interrupt you. I just wanted to talk to my brother for a minute. It can wait,” she apologized.

“No, no,” Beth told her friend, standing up again. “I just wanted to see where Max had gone off to. Please stay; you can talk to Max and I’ll just go make sure that everyone is ok. I was thirsty anyway.” She gave Max a quick peck on the lips before heading for the house.

Laura waited until her friend was out of earshot and then sat down on the swing beside her brother. She curled one leg up underneath her and sighed, soaking in the silence for a few minutes. “You know she would say yes if you asked her right this minute don’t you?” she asked him.

Max pretended not to know what she was talking about. “What do you mean?” he asked, not meeting her eyes.

Laura rolled her eyes at him. “Come on, Max, this is your sister Laura you’re talking to. I have mom’s scientific mind that processes information, Aunt Isabel’s ‘love radar’, have picked up Aunt Maria’s bluntness and nosiness, and plus I know you both too well,” she listed off.

Her brother winced slightly. “Can you not call Maria ‘Aunt Maria’? It makes me feel really weird about dating Beth,” he told her.

She grinned at him. “Sorry, I didn’t think about that. I guess that would be pretty strange. What I meant was that you should go ahead and ask Beth to marry you. She’s been in love with you for years.” Max didn’t respond but turned a deep shade of red. Laura let it pass. They were quiet for another couple of minutes. Finally, she cleared her throat to say what she had come to talk to him about. “Max, why haven’t you mentioned these groups that want me on the throne instead of you before? I knew nothing about them. They really should have been dealt with sooner.”

With a sigh, Max turned to face his sister. “Laura, I’ve been unsure of being king for as long as I can remember. I don’t think I’m ready for it; I might never be ready for it. I’ve been debating for a long time whether or not to give the throne over to you,” he confessed.

“Max Evans, you listen to me and listen good. First of all, even as king you wouldn’t be almighty; all decisions are made by the group, the majority, and the ‘king’ is just the spokesman for the group. Yes, you would make the final decision but if you went with whatever you wanted instead of everyone else, you could be dethroned. You have a good heart, Max, and a good head. You also have good examples to follow, including Michael and mom and dad. They all made some mistakes over the years, but they are good leaders, and they didn’t receive any of the training you have. I haven’t gotten any of that training either and I don’t want the throne. I’m very happy just to be an advisor and your sister. I’ll back you up 200%, Max,” Laura told him.

“But, Laura, what if I’m not the king that everyone expects me to be? I don’t want to disappoint everyone,” he told his sister.

“I think that if you were sure that you were ready for the throne, no one would back you up because being a good leader means recognizing that you might not be the only one for the job, but also recognizing that you were the one that got stuck with the role and making the best of it,” Laura said thoughtfully. “I can’t think of anyone that I’d rather see as king of Antar and Earth more than you.”

“Laura, you really are a great person. You sure you don’t want to be queen?” Max asked with a smile.

“No way! I like the clothes and all but that crown is too heavy,” she joked back at him. “Now come on, Romeo, let’s go find your Juliet.”

They both stood up and Laura started to walk towards the house when Max stopped her. He pulled her into a hug and kissed her cheek. “Thanks, sis, you’re the best,” he told her sincerely.

“You just remember that the next time we disagree about something,” she said, playing his embarrassing words off. They went into the house to find Beth.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Liz opened the door to the Davis’ house after taking a deep breath. Walking inside, the first person she saw was the one she was not expecting to see at all. “Isabel?” she asked.

Isabel turned to find her sister-in-law standing in her foyer. “Liz? What are you doing here?” she asked, rushing over to her and hugging her. “Better yet, where have you been?”

“I got the messages that you were missing and that no one could find you anywhere. I rushed over the minute I heard,” Liz explained as everyone came into the room.

“Mom!” Laura and Max both exclaimed. They took their turns with the others in hugging her. “We were so worried about you,” Laura scolded. “I know that Uncle…I mean Kyle and Maria knew where you were but that wasn’t enough.”

“I’m ok, kids, really. Where’s Michael? What happened with you, Isabel?” Liz asked, wanting some answers.

The group told her everything that had happened since Isabel’s disappearance, including the discussion of whether Kivon was trustworthy or not. Liz listened carefully and her scientific mind was reeling with all of the new information. She asked a couple of questions that the others had already brought up but they just didn’t know the answers.

Finally, she asked them again where Michael was. “He said he needed to go somewhere to think. He didn’t say where he was going,” Kyle answered.

“He was pretty upset about all of this stuff and also with the stuff that you two have been going through lately,” Maria added.

Liz nodded at that and picked up her purse again. “Where are you going?” Isabel asked.

“To try and sort out some of our problems. I’m gonna find Michael. I know where he went and it’s time everyone saw what I’ve been doing. It will all be ready tomorrow morning so all of you meet me at the Crashdown museum at 9. The museum is ready for you guys, but it’s not completely finished yet,” Liz said, opening the front door.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Michael walked up to the counter and smiled at Nicole who was behind it. “Hi, Nicole, how are you today?” he asked politely.

“I’m just fine, Michael. Haven’t seen you here in a while; are you here alone today or is Liz coming in behind you?” the petite redhead asked.

“No, it’s just me today,” Michael mumbled. He pulled out a small wad of bills and placed them on the counter. “And if this will cover it, I’d like it to stay that way,” he told her.

“That’s real sweet of you, but no one has been in here all day. Keep your money, hon. I’ll make sure no one bothers you,” Nicole told him with a broad smile.

Michael thanked her and sat down on one of the nearby benches. He laced up his skates and walked onto the ice. Making a couple of circles around the rink, he let the cold of the ice seep into brain until his thoughts calmed. Soon he was warmed up and skated in figure-eights. Slowly, ever so slowly and orderly, the thoughts that had jumbled Michael’s brain were allowed to filter back in for analyzing.

“Skating alone? What if you got a cramp?” a joking voice echoed in the rink and into his thoughts.

Looking up, he stopped pushing himself along the ice and slid to a stop just in front of the owner of that voice. “What are you doing here?” he asked flatly. Should he be happy to see her? Relieved? Angry? He didn’t know what to feel. One thing he did feel was confused; how was he supposed to treat her?

Liz pushed off onto the ice and made several loops around the rink, keeping her front towards her husband. “I came to talk to you. I got the messages that everyone left me today, and I rushed over to Isabel and Brody’s just to find that she was already home again. I’m glad that she’s ok,” she answered. “Kyle said you had gone off somewhere to think, and I knew I’d find you here.”

“It’s nice of you to finally show up,” he said harshly.

She winced and stopped where she was. “Michael, you know why I had to leave. There were some of the same reasons that made you leave first. I had to evaluate what I wanted in my future. I had to evaluate how I saw my past and how I dealt with it. I had to make some decisions that required a lot of thinking, and I had to do all of that away from anything that might overly influence those decisions,” she stated in her scientific manner.

“And what decisions did you come to?” Michael practically whispered. Was he ready for the answer to that question?

“I have reached my decisions but it is time for you to make yours. I’ve asked everyone to meet me at the Crashdown museum at 9 o’clock tomorrow morning to see the updates I’ve made. I want you to be there too,” she told him. After taking a deep breath, she gave him a small smile. “So what do you think about this Kivon character?” she asked.

“I don’t know. It seems strange that Shira would work for him and have killed Jim and Zelda and he not know about it, but I guess it’s possible. I just don’t know. On the one hand, he’s Isabel’s son, but he’s also Kivar’s son and he was no peacemaker,” Michael ticked off, skating around in thought.

“So what’s our next move?” she asked, although she thought she already knew what he would say.

“We talk to the Head Steward of Antar and try to find out more about this Kivon. The more we know, the more we can be prepared for whatever comes our way,” Michael answered.

She nodded her agreement with that idea. “We should also try to find out more about Shira and investigate the things that Kivon said. No matter what, we all need to know everything. Secrets will just divide us and that will give them an even bigger advantage.”

“Seems like they’ve already got a bigger advantage over us than I’d like. They know a lot about us and they’ve managed to split us up, even if it may or may not be temporary. Kyle and Beth are shaken up really badly over Jim and Zelda’s murders. It’s just a mess,” Michael said sadly.

Liz pulled a piece of paper out of her pocket and handed it to Michael. When he looked at her questioningly, she shrugged. “It’s a symbol of hope. That’s where I’m staying and the name I’m staying under. If anything else comes up, call me there,” she told him, skating to the edge of the ice and stepping off.

She unlaced her skates and took them off to replace them with her shoes. He skated to the edge of the ice but did not step off. As Liz finished lacing her tennis shoes, she stood up and moved toward the door. “See you tomorrow, Michael,” she called without turning around.

“I love you, Liz,” he answered back softly.

Liz froze but did not turn around or make any other movement. “I know, Michael; I love you too,” she said just as softly. Then she walked out the door.

Hi, everyone! I'm back with the next part. Sorry it took so long but RL has been a pain. If you want an explanation, check out my a/n's on my other 2 fics, The Original Royal Four and Against My Programming. If you just don't care...onto the story! LOL!

Beth

Part 15

At 9 am sharp the next day, Maria, Kyle, Isabel, Michael, Brody, and the others were all out in front of the Crashdown museum. The only one of them that didn’t seem to be there was Liz. Michael looked at his watch. “Ok, it’s nine; where is she?” he asked with a small sigh.

“Look, there’s a note on the door,” Maria pointed out, pulling the piece of paper off of the door. She read the note aloud.

“Dear everyone,

Sorry I couldn’t be there to show you around but something came up this morning and I am unable to be there. Please feel free to go inside and look around. There are personal messages for all of you inside; you’ll know where to find those when you see what I’ve done. I love all of you.

Liz”

“What could have come up?” Max wondered aloud.

“I don’t know, but I want to see what she’s been working on in there,” Michael said. He inserted his key into the lock and placed his thumb over the print analyzer. There was a click and the doors swung open. They all walked inside and Michael turned on the lights.

Everyone stared in amazement at all the changes made to the inside of the museum. The original design was all about the crash that brought the aliens to earth and then mostly about the war. Liz had decided to focus less on aliens and humans, their differences, and the war. Instead, she had dedicated sections to the individuals and groups of individuals who worked for and against peace. There were specific areas dedicated to the scientists who helped recreate the original royal four, to Kivar and his forces, including Tess, and there was even an electronic wall that constantly listed those who had been killed in the war with those from Roswell in all capital letters and a bit larger than the others.

As they continued around, they noticed there was a section dedicated just to their small group, including Ava, Larek, and Alex. They were in awe of all the work and obvious love that went into creating everything. Maria went over to a glass case in which she had agreed to place Alex’s guitar in a show of love and placed her hand on it, closing her eyes to the pain that was still there.

Suddenly, a hologram of Liz appeared in front of them all. “This message was encoded to read all of your DNA signatures at once in order to play so that must mean that the museum is almost ready for reopening. I have several personal messages for each of you and this will only play once so pay attention,” Liz’s image told them with a small smile.

“Brody, you were probably the last person I ever pictured with my sister-in-law and that I would consider a brother but you are and I do. You’ve been a loyal friend and I’m so sorry that we couldn’t save your daughter a second time in gratitude for all you’ve done for us. I hope you know that we all consider you family, in our odd kind of way,” she said smiling, “and we wouldn’t know what to do without you now.”

The figure of Liz turned toward Kyle and Maria’s daughter. “Beth, you have become another one of my children. In fact, I hope that things between you and Max will continue and I will truly be able to call you my daughter. Well, at least you’ll kind of be my step-daughter-in-law. Anyway, I’ll think of you as my daughter for as long as I live. I love you very much and I’m so glad that Max has found someone as special as you.”

Evidently the projector could pick up on the individual DNA sequences of each of them because the image then turned to Laura and addressed her correctly. “My darling daughter, I love you so much. You remind me a lot of myself at your age and I hope you aren’t disgusted by that,” Liz said laughing. “You are the child of my dreams, the product of the beautiful love that your father and I shared, and I don’t think I could love you more. You are my pride and joy and I’m proud to say you are my daughter.”

Kyle was next. “Kyle, my friend, we’ve come a long way since that summer after our freshman year of high school. We’ve gone from boyfriend-girlfriend to enemies to friends to family. You’ve been better than I’ve ever deserved and I really appreciate our friendship. Would you be offended to know that you are closer than a brother in my mind and heart? And Kyle, I know that Jim was proud of you and he knew you loved him as much as he loved you. I’m so sorry for all the years of hell our secret got you into.”

“Isabel, my dear friend and sister, words can’t express everything that you’ve come to mean to me. My only regret with you is that we didn’t become friends sooner. I’m sorry about your seemingly bad luck with love over the years, especially over Alex because I know that you loved him too but that you were just too scared to let anyone in. I think that all of your failed attempts at love helped get you ready to really appreciate what you finally found in Brody. It’s obvious that you two are finally really happy, and I’m happy for you both,” Liz’s voice told her sister-in-law. Isabel had tears running down her face at the words and Brody pulled her closer to him.

“Michaela, you are the surprise blessing of my life. From the first time Michael and I took you into our home, you were a part of my heart. I love you as much as Max and Laura and I don’t want you to ever think otherwise. I am delighted to call you my daughter,” the image continued.

“Jeffrey Maxwell, my son, and I do emphasize my son, I love you so much. No mother could love you more. You are a constant reminder of all the good I had with your father because his strength, his love, his intelligence, and so many of his other brilliant qualities live on in you. You are a natural leader and have a humble heart in that you don’t see it. That is what helped make your father a great king and it will do the same for you. You are everything he was and more. Learn from our mistakes but don’t be afraid to make a few of your own; that is a part of learning and growing,” Liz said with tears running down her face by now.

“Maria…god where do I even begin with you? We’ve been best friends since forever but I don’t think that I’ve been the friend that you’ve needed over the years. You’ve been there for me so many times but I don’t think I’ve been there for you like you’ve really needed me. I’m sorry for that. If you’ve ever felt like I’ve been preoccupied by my own problems or whatever, please know that I do care about you and I don’t know what I’d do if you and I stopped being friends. You are like the most important person in the world to me sometimes,” the hologram went on.

Maria sniffled and wiped at her eyes. “Right back at ya, chica,” she whispered to the image of her friend. Kyle put his arm around her shoulders.

Liz took a deep, shaky breath and turned to Michael. “I owe all of you an apology for my behavior over the past years but no one deserves that more than you, Michael. You have been one of the most constant and reliable things in my life. I’m so sorry for how I’ve forced you to live with my dead ex-husband…with a memory. I don’t blame you for leaving after I forgot our 15th anniversary. You have been there for me and the kids since Max died and I’ve done nothing but shove him in your face. You and I have been married longer than Max and I were together since he healed me that day at the Crashdown. Max will always be my first love, but over the last few weeks I’ve come to realize that you are the one that will be my last. I love you so much, Michael, that I’m willing to try to work out our problems or to let you go. You have a choice in which present you want for your anniversary. You can have your freedom from me, or you can have the next 15 years with me, which I promise will be free of the third person in our bed. You don’t have to answer right away…”

The image started to blur and grow fuzzy. Liz’s voice no longer sounded from the hologram. Michael started to panic. He wanted to hear the rest of that message. Where had she gone? She hadn’t left for good had she? Was she waiting for him to show up somewhere to prove that he wanted to stay together? Tears flowed freely down his face and he looked for the source of the hologram.

“We have to hear the rest of that message! I need to know what she wants me to do!” he yelled, searching frantically.

“Relax, Michael, I’m not going anywhere,” Liz’s voice came from the door to one of the storage rooms.

He whipped around and froze. She had tears in her eyes and running down her face, her arms were wrapped around herself protectively, and she shuffled her feet in nervousness. “So what do you guys think about the new and improved museum?” she asked.

“Oh, Lizzie, even Kyle and I didn’t know the half of what you were up to in here!” Maria exclaimed, hugging her best friend. “And you don’t have to worry about losing me, chica! You’re stuck with me from now until eternity.”

The others followed Maria’s lead in expressing their thanks for the love involved in her messages and hugging her. Michael hadn’t moved. Finally, Isabel looked at her sister-in-law and hugged her again, whispering in her ear. “It’s time to bury the memory with the body,” she whispered, opening her mind to allow Liz to see what she meant.

“I know, Isabel, I know,” Liz said softly, pulling back to smile at her friend and sister.

“Ok, everyone, let’s look around and let Michael and Liz talk for a while,” Kyle said, herding them toward the other exhibits.

“No, it’s ok,” Michael said stopping them. Liz looked confused and a little hurt. Did he not want to be alone with her anymore? He gave her half a smile and said, “We can go somewhere else and talk.” She smiled back and automatically they took each other’s hands. “Come on, Liz, let’s go try to save our marriage.”

He pulled her toward the door that adjoined the Crashdown and she followed happily. This was definitely a good sign. As they disappeared behind the door, Michaela let out a sigh. “I hope they can work out this thing between them. They’re the only parents I can remember and I refuse to end up with the six-month-split,” she said to no one in particular.

Laura came up and put her arm around her sister’s waist, while Max came over and put his hand on Michaela’s shoulder, standing just behind her. Beth came to stand on the other side of Max. Finally, Jack came to stand on the other side of Michaela and took her hand in his while the other kids moved up to join them. “Don’t worry about them,” Max said.

“Yeah, they’re definitely on the road to recovery,” Laura said. They all looked at each other and smiled.

Maria poked Isabel and Kyle and pointed to the kids as they stood together. “Look; it’s the next generation of the alien club,” she said with a smile. The other two gave wry and memory-filled smiles as they surveyed the young people.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Liz walked to the center of the deserted café with her back to her husband as he closed the door behind him. “Michael, before you say anything, I want to apologize again for the way I’ve made you live for the last 15 years. I understand now that you have felt that you were sharing me with Max, and I want you to know that I never meant to make you feel that way. I have made some big decisions about this. I love you and I want to make this work, but Max was such a big part of my life that I’m not entirely sure how to let go of that memory. I’ll stop going to visit his grave and stop mentioning him all the time…” she rattled off.

Michael walked over and placed his hands on her shoulders to turn her to face him and placed his forehead to hers. “Liz, I know that Max was a big part of your life and I don’t want you to let go of that memory all together. I know that you won’t love me the same way that you love him…ever, and I’m ok with that. I just want to know that I’m a big part of your life too. Don’t stop visiting his grave…just go less often. I won’t deny you your beautiful memories of him. He was my best friend and I cared about him too. I would like to visit his grave with you once in a while…if I remember that’s where I proposed to you and you accepted. I do think that we need to spend more one on one time. We can work out the details of all of this, Liz. As long as I know that you love me and really do want to spend the rest of your life with me, I know we can work through all of this,” he told her.

“Will you dance with me, Michael?” she asked spontaneously.

He straightened up and looked surprised. “Here? Now? But there’s no…” but before he could finish his words, Liz waved her hand in the air and suddenly their song “Hero” was playing.

“You were saying?” she asked with a grin.

“You planned all of this didn’t you? You knew we’d come in here to talk,” he accused.

“I had hoped. Please, Michael, dance with me,” Liz pleaded.

“Your wish is my command, Your Majesty,” he said, bowing deeply and then taking her into his arms. They danced in silence for a few minutes, each lost in his or her own memories and thoughts. Finally, Michael broke the silence. “So does this mean you’ll be home tonight?” he asked with a gleam in his eyes.

“Mr. Guerrin, are you trying to get in my pants?” she asked back with a smile.

“Would it offend you if I said yes?” he laughed.

“It might,” she said, not meeting his eyes for fear she would start laughing herself.

“Then yes, that’s exactly what I’m doing,” he answered. They both broke down and laughed until they realized that they were alone. Then he drew her closer and placed his lips over hers in a long, hungry kiss. “Let’s go upstairs,” he said huskily when they came up for air.

“Michael, the others will wonder where we went,” she reminded him without too much protest.

He took her hand and led her toward the stairs. “Then let’s make sure we make enough noise so they won’t come looking for us,” he told her.

“Michael!” she exclaimed, this time really shocked. Then she giggled and suddenly she felt like the young woman that had married Michael Guerrin. “I’ll bet I can scream louder than you,” she suggested.

“I won’t take that bet because I know you can,” he said as they started for the apartment upstairs. “Especially if I tickle you!”

“No! Michael!” she squealed, racing up the stairs as fast as she could with Michael close on her heels.

Well, guys, I'm back with the next part. THanks so much for the fb. Kittens, you cracked me up with that logic comment. I hadn't even realized that before. LOL! Hope you guys like this next part!

Beth

Putting the Pieces Together

Author: Beth Barker (me)
Email: littleroswell@yahoo.com
Disclaimer: You know the drill. I don’t own anything so you can’t sue me.
Part Summary: Everyone gets to see what Liz has been working on at the museum.

Part 16

Shira was ushered into the room by one of Kivon’s guards but waited until he had closed the door to approach her lover. She walked up behind him, but he didn’t acknowledge that she had even entered the room. She knew better, however, and curtsied low but with her head held high…as befitted a queen to her king. “It is done; you can begin your next phase at any time,” she said smoothly but simply as she rose to her full height.

“So I’ve heard,” he answered, turning briefly to flash a smile at her. Then he turned back to the window. “I do have to wonder at how long it took you to come back to let me know, however. You must be slipping.”

“It took some time to clean up my trail and to make sure I wasn’t followed back here. I also had to check with the others to discover as much as I could to report to you. I assure you, I am not slipping,” Shira protested.

He turned back to her and pulled her to him, kissing her rather roughly. He pulled back abruptly and started rubbing his hands up and down her arms. “So beautiful,” he murmured. “I have missed your company.”

She smirked at him. “You have missed me in your bed. You cannot fool me, Kivon. However, I must admit that I miss your touch as well.”

“Well, then, let’s not waste any more time,” he told her. Picking her up in his arms, he carried her to the adjoining room and laid her on the bed.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Gasping for breath, Shira moved to sit up in the bed. “Kivon, that was the best you’ve ever been! It was simply amazing!” she got out between gasps.

Kivon chuckled and gave her a smile. “Did you enjoy that, my dear? I certainly hope so. You know, you have failed to ask something that you used to ask quite frequently.”

Puzzled by the change in topic, Shira tried to think of what he might be speaking of. “I’m sorry, Kivon, but I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she finally admitted.

Moving off of the bed, he made his way over to the dresser and admired himself in the mirror for a moment. Seemingly studying something on his face, he used the moment as a distraction from the movements of his other hand. Finally, he shook his head as if to dismiss his studying in the mirror as nothing and moved back toward the bed.

“You used to ask if you had done well on your assignments,” he clarified. He climbed back onto the bed next to her but turned toward her.

She smirked at his words. “Kivon, you have never been disappointed by my actions and I’ve seen how you express your disapproval of others who fail at their assignments. I simply thought that since you never expressed disapproval, everything is fine. Everything is fine, isn’t it?” she asked sexily. She drew lazy circles over her lover’s chest.

“Actually, you have done everything that I have asked. Your execution, however, your…delivery, does leave something to be desired. I find that your manner of delivery in dealing with the Valenti situation was quite sloppy, Shira,” he told her.

Shira was shocked and her expression showed it. He had never reprimanded her before! “What…what do you mean ‘sloppy’?” she sputtered.

“You delivered the message…the flash as they call it, yourself and they recognized you,” he answered. “They are not stupid, my pet, and linked the situation to me right away.”

“Of course they did. You told me to kill them! You told me that it would be the strongest way to get the message across to the others!” she said, practically yelling by now. She knew what happened to people who Kivon reprimanded.

“Ssshhh; hush, darling, I know what I told you. You did well,” he assured her. He petted her face and hair, memorizing every detail of the intoxicatingly beautiful woman. As she relaxed, he pulled his other hand from its hiding place to reveal what he had taken off the dresser while standing at the mirror. The light reflected off of the blade and Shira’s face reflected the horror she felt at realizing what he was going to do. “Unfortunately, my dear Shira, sometimes plans change and I have to think of what’s best for the majority of us.”

“Kivon, darling, please! Give me another chance! I promise you won’t regret it!” she pleaded, fear and tears filling her beautiful sapphire eyes. “You promised me the queen-ship…you promised!”

“I know, love, but unfortunately those new plans leave no room for you,” he answered, thrusting the blade upwards into her heart. Her eyes went wide and she clutched onto his hands with her own. As she gasped and sputtered in shock and pain, he kissed her forehead. “Just remember as you take your last breath that you will always hold a special place in my heart,” he said cruelly.

Shira scowled at him and the tears ran down her face. “You have no heart,” she whispered.

“Oh, well, maybe I mean that you would have made a beautiful queen and you were an excellent bedfellow. Hopefully, that will suffice,” he answered, pushing her away and rising from the bed. He pulled on his robe and moved to the door that led to the hallway. Yanking it open, he called for his guards.

One of them appeared and stood at attention, awaiting his master’s instructions. “Yes, sir?” he asked. His eye caught the sight on the bed that was Kivon’s top spy and “playmate”. He knew better than to say anything, however, and ignored it.

“Two of you should take Shira’s body and place it on a carrying cart; I will be taking it with me to a special meeting with the royals. Then send a couple of the women in here to clean up this mess,” Kivon ordered, tying the belt on the robe.

“Should we remove the knife or dress her?” the guard asked.

Glancing back at his handiwork, Kivon thought over the question. “No, leave her exactly as she is. I shall remove the knife in my own time. Simply have her loaded onto a cart and covered with a thin sheet. Then place her somewhere handy but out of the way. I have things to do in the meantime in my study.”

“Yes, sir!” the guard answered and moved quickly to obey his leader’s orders.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Michael and Liz appeared in the café, smiles on their faces and flirting shamelessly. Everyone smiled and grinned at their antics with the exception of the Antarian Steward. He had some serious matters on his mind and wasn’t really paying attention to what had happened with his king and queen in the last few hours.

“It’s about time you two made your way down here. We’ve been waiting for you,” Brody scolded, trying to wipe the grin from his face.

“Hey, man, I had some serious time to make up for including some great anniversary sex that I missed,” Michael protested.

“Eww!!” Isabel shrieked with Max, Beth, Jack, Laura, and Michaela.

“Michael!” Liz reprimanded, hitting him on the arm.

“It is good to see you two together and happy again!” Maria said happily.

“Amen!” the others chimed in and then laughed.

“I hate to break up the happy mood but we have some very serious matters to discuss,” the Steward of Earth said. Michael and Liz sat down with the rest of the group, not letting go of each other’s hand.

“Alright, so let’s get on with it. What did you find out about this Kivon character?” Michael asked, going quickly into leader mode.

“It seems that Khivar did indeed have a son but no one knew his mother’s identity. Going over a log that was found by several of the guards that cleaned out Khivar’s old headquarters, it seems that Vilandra was indeed the mother. I’m sorry to have to bear that news,” the Antarian Steward informed them, looking sympathetically at Isabel. “However, no one really knows much about this Kivon character except the identity of his parents. He is a powerful man with many people who admire him but that is all we know. I would be careful about trusting him. I have people who are still looking into him and his background.”

“Do we know where he’s living or staying as of now?” Max asked. Michael looked at him surprised. He had been about to ask the same question.

“I’m afraid that’s another one of those important details that we don’t have,” the Steward of Earth answered. “We’re also looking into Shira’s background. Unfortunately, we know even less about her than we do Kivon. I’m sorry but we will keep you informed on all updates we receive.”

“Please do,” Michael told them.

“Yeah, we don’t want this to turn into another civil war. I’m not sure that either parts of the kingdom could take it,” Max told them.

“What about all of Kivon’s accusations about us in our previous lives?” Isabel asked.

The Antarian Steward looked a little sheepish. “I’m sorry to say that I don’t personally know what to say about those accusations. I am having all the files and logs on your previous lives pulled from the archives and they will be sent to you within the week,” he told her.

After discussing a few other things, the steward left and the rest of the group discussed everything that had happened so far. They were determined to contact Serena and Sean that evening to find out if their friends had discovered anything and to inform them of everything that had happened. Suddenly, the front door of the café opened and several men entered.

Isabel gasped as one that carried himself as a leader entered the café and bowed to the group. “Kivon!” she cried in recognition.

“Hello, mother, our blessed royal council, I come bearing a gift for all of you,” Kivon answered smoothly.

“Don’t you think you should introduce yourself first?” Michael growled out.

“Why bother? You all know who I am and I know who you are. We’re all family here and it’s obvious that you don’t trust me. I don’t know how much my mother has been able to tell you about me but I thought I would bring a peace offering,” Kivon answered. He clapped his hands and two of his men wheeled a covered cart into the diner.

“What is that?” Maria asked. The whole group instinctively changed their positions to one of defensiveness. They didn’t take an aggressive stance but if Kivon tried anything, they were ready for him.

“That is my gift to all of you, but especially to my mother and my dear cousin, Prince Max,” Kivon answered. He pulled the silk cover off of the top of the cart dramatically revealing Shira’s naked, dead body. “I bring the body of your enemy and mine.”

Everyone gasped and most of the women turned their heads away in disgust. Michael rushed over to Kivon and snatched the silk cover from him to place back over the body. “What in the world were you thinking, bringing her in here like that?” he bellowed.

“I’m terribly sorry. Vilandra…mother told me that Shira had killed Jim and Zelda Valenti, family to all of us, and that she had done so in my name. I couldn’t allow that to go unpunished. I had no desire for anyone to die and I still don’t. This is a show of my loyalty to our family and what it stands for. Shira and I were close…lovers, but she betrayed the royal family, my family, and she had to be punished. Was I wrong? She probably would have killed again,” Kivon told them.

Max stepped forward. “Maybe…maybe not. Please, just have her body removed from here. We are willing to hear you out and give you a chance,” he told Kivon.

Kivon smiled and shook the young prince’s hand. Michael, Liz, Kyle, Brody, and Maria all exchanged a look and then looked at Isabel who gave Kivon a tentative smile. Michael looked back at Kivon and he heard the same warning in his head that he used to get when talking to or about Khivar. He heard the echo of his fears in Liz’s head as well as Maria’s, Brody’s, and Kyle’s. This Kivon was not one to just be allowed into their group. He may be Vilandra’s son but he was also Khivar’s son and the admitted leader of the resistance movement against the throne. He could be a murderous traitor.