Marrying Liz Parker - CC (MATURE) *{COMPLETE}*

[Midwest Max]

Part Twenty One

As Max drove across the desert, he tried to keep his thoughts positive and optimistic. He wanted to believe that he’d done the right thing by leaving Luke in charge; then again, wasn’t the ability to trust the right people a key quality for any leader? He sighed uncomfortably and shifted in his seat. He still wasn’t at ease with the label of “leader” or “king.” It was a life he never wanted.

And yet everyone seemed to always look to him for guidance and decisions. Everyone except for Michael, that was. Max hope that Michael’s actions were right, that by eliminating Tess they could avoid an all-out war that could cost thousands of lives. Max frowned. “Eliminating” sounded so cold and heartless. He’d once told Tess that every life had value, including hers. But here he was, intent on ending that life. He burned with the hypocrisy of that truth…until images of Alex Whitman’s shattered body entered his brain.

Aside from Sheriff Valenti, the accident scene workers, and the people at the morgue, Max was the only other person to see Alex posthumously. It hadn’t been a pretty sight, images that would forever be burned into his subconscious. He’d never described them to Liz and had buried them in the far reaches of his mind, hoping that she’d never accidentally stumble upon them if they should happen to connect. And he’d definitely never let Isabel know what he’d seen; he knew she would be forever haunted by the thought of her boyfriend bashed to the point of being unrecognizable.

As the sights and smells of death slid back into Max’s mind, he felt a cold hand grip his heart and turn it to stone where Tess Harding was concerned. What little pity and value he had for her life was squeezed away and was replaced by anger and the need to make her pay. If they could detain her and make her stand trial in an earthly court, fine.

And if they couldn’t – that was fine, too. Because Max wouldn’t make the mistake of letting her live this time.

*****

“So, how is Max these days?” Tess asked, studying her nails again, as though she couldn’t care less.

Michael stood hunched by the mirror, the severity of the situation slowly sapping him of hope. He remained silent, his eyes never leaving his tiny tormentor.

“I mean, he’s been going through some tough shit, no?” she asked, dropping her hand and giving him a Cheshire cat grin. “Must suck to have to go through that. You know, if he’d have chosen me, there would have been no struggle, no pain. Because he and I were alike. No need to change anything.” The smile left her face and she gave a sigh. “Of course, none of you are that smart.”

He needed to find a way out of this. She could talk and talk and boast all she wanted, but it was getting him nowhere – not backward, not forward. Out of the corner of his eye, he kept track of Maria’s movements. He’d seen it before – just a slight tip of her head and a moment of lucidity in her eyes – and he hoped it meant that she wasn’t entirely fooled. What he needed to do was get in there and get her out. What he didn’t know was how to do that just yet. He needed to know a few things first.

“Why don’t you tell me what you’ve gone through,” he countered in response to Tess’s inquiring of Max.

“What do you mean?”

He shrugged, decided to play to her ego like she’d played to his. Trying to present himself as relaxed, he slid down the wall, sat on the floor. “I’m sure you didn’t raise all this ruckus just being Tess, ex-pod dweller. Something had to happen to make you more powerful or something.”

Secretly, Michael was beginning to wonder about Tess’s supposed “super powers.” The fact that Maria was still alive was a bit of a mystery. Tess had told him upon his arrival that Maria was there as insurance against his doing something stupid. But, if Tess was the almighty being she claimed to be, why was Maria necessary at all? If she possessed so much power shouldn’t Tess be able to keep him true with simply a threat to flatten him?

“Oh that.” She gave a giggle. “Great thing about going home, Michael – it changes you in ways you’d never guess.”

Immediately, he kicked himself for that little spark of interest he knew shined in his eyes. Tess knew that he was the one podster who had always wanted to return to the home world. She knew she could get to him that way and he couldn’t afford to let her get the upper hand on him.

“So tell me,” he prodded, crossing his work boots at the ankle. “Tell me what they gave you.”

She cocked her head. “Why would I do that? Why would I give up a strategic piece of information to you?”

He forced himself to give a humorless chuckle. “Why not? It’s obvious that I couldn’t overpower you anyway.” Inside, he grinned widely – that’s it, butter her up.

Tess’s blue eyes were steady, but she remained silent.

“Well, obviously you can dreamwalk or something if you managed to tell the others where I am,” Michael answered himself, reaching back to pick at the stone wall behind him. “That’s new for you, eh? And I’ll bet while you were mindwarping me, you were mindwarping Maria as well, right?”

Tess crossed her arms over her chest and frowned a bit. “No, I let Jill – as you call her - do that.” The smile returned. “And she’s doing a wonderful job!”

Outwardly, Michael cringed. Inwardly, he was jumping for joy. Jill didn’t know Maria like Tess did – she was bound to mess up. Maybe that was the reason for the coherence he’d seen before.

“You won’t beat us, Michael,” Tess continued. “We’re too strong. And now that I’ve separated Max and Liz, you’re actually very weak, Michael.”

He remained silent, poker-face in place. He didn’t know what she was talking about – he knew for a fact that Liz and Max were definitely together, hiding out in the pod chamber for the last two nights. But he had no intention of letting Tess know that.

Prompted by his blank expression, she decided to fill in the details. “I had a spy planted where Liz works.” She gave a giggle. “He let me know that he’d found Liz and that he was bringing her to me.” All signs of humor vanished from Tess’s face. “If I kill Liz, then Max dies. He’s too weak to live without her.”

Michael cocked his head. “Then why don’t you just kill him and leave Liz alone?” It was that sort of illogical thinking that made him question Tess’s stability.

“You really are ignorant, Michael,” she answered, her tone flat. “You think this is all about life and death and it is not. I’ll spell it out for you – this is about revenge. It’s not about eliminating Max and Liz and the rest of you quickly. It’s about watching you suffer while you go. Because you deserve to suffer.”

Keeping his anger in check, Michael’s next words were spoken calmly. “Why do you hate us? We took you in, gave you a home, friendships –“

Tess released a hard laugh. “Oh, please! Friendships?! None of you ever liked me, Michael! You call looked down on me! Every one of you.”

Michael raised an eyebrow. “So, this is some petty ‘I was picked last for fifth grade dodge ball’ thing? Tess, the world has changed. We’ve changed. Have you really traveled all the way back here from Antar to punish us for not making you part of our clique years ago?”

She seemed momentarily confused, blinking her blue eyes rapidly. Then she gave a quick shake of her head. “It’s not that simple, Michael. I was supposed to be the next queen of Antar. Me. That’s why I was sent here.”

He reflected back on the message Isabel had received from their mother while in Carter’s clenches. “That’s not what I heard,” he said with a tip of his head.

Tess looked at him angrily.

“You’re not royalty at all,” he continued. “You’re nothing, in fact.”

Her chest rose and fell rapidly as her anger started to mount. Suddenly, without warning, her pissed-off expression faded away and she looked toward the ceiling, turning her head several ways. Finally, she broke into a grin.

“They’re here,” she breathed, then dropped a victorious smirk to Michael. “I told you so. I. Told. You. So.” She let out a happy squeal, then pointed a finger at him. “Don’t budge. If you do, I’ll gut her like a stuck pig.”

With that, she scampered down the tunnel that had brought them to this place. Michael watched her go, his jaw dropping in disbelief. She just left him here, unattended, with a command to remain where he was?

Like hell!

*****

Max pulled the car to a stop before the outcropping of rock, which stood only fifteen or twenty miles from the pod chamber. Warily, he glanced over his shoulder at Isabel.

“Is this it?” he asked.

“Yeah,” she said, grasping the back of the front seat and pulling herself forward, her dark eyes skimming over the smooth rock. Just like the pod chamber, there was no evidence of an entrance.

Max drew in a breath, willing himself to do this unpleasant task. He glanced at Liz and was about to suggest they get out and look for an opening in the rock when he felt a sudden pressure between his temples. Oblivious to that, Liz reached across the seat and took his hand in hers. Immediately, the pain subsided and Max blinked quickly, wondering if it had all been his imagination.

“Let’s go,” he said, addressing both his wife and his sister.

*****

Michael scrambled to his feet, put his palms flat against the glass that separated him from Maria and her captor. Frustrated, he looked down at the body that was not his, a husk manufactured by the Skins. She was never going to recognize him – she was going to be terrified.

Hope sprang in Michael’s midsection. Yes, he wanted her to be scared. He needed her to have that adrenalin rush to do what he needed her to do. He couldn’t staunch the elated laugh that escaped his lips.

With no time to waste, he stepped back from the glass, raised his hand and sent a burst of power hurling at the mirror. It shattered into a million tiny pieces that tinkled to the floor like so much confetti.

Jill jumped, obviously taken off-guard, and that one moment of lost control was enough to allow Maria to be drawn to the distraction. Her green eyes were round and truly frightened. Michael wanted to jump for joy. Instead, he raised his hand toward Jill and eliminated her with one powerful blast, flattened like a cock roach. Maria stumbled to her feet, her eyes terrified as she tried to back away from him.

“Come here,” Michael demanded, advancing on her at a steady pace.

“No,” she said, shaking her head vigorously. She glanced at her surroundings and Michael knew that the mindwarp was broken and she was wondering just where she was and how she’d gotten there. “Stay away from me!”

As predicted, she didn’t know who he was. He told himself not to let her running from him hurt his feelings – she would know soon enough who he was. He continued to hunt her down until she was cornered, breathing rapidly like a frightened animal.

“Shit,” she breathed, clenching her eyes tightly. “Not this way! I didn’t want to go this way.”

Michael stopped inches before her and bit back the urge to place a relieved kiss against her quivering lips. Instead, he bent down and picked her up, throwing her upper body over his shoulder, claimed her cave-man style.

Maria’s screams filled the chamber, sounds of absolute horror. To Michael’s delight, she did exactly what he’d hoped for – she kicked with her feet and started pummeling his back with her fists, trying to get away.

There was a sudden popping noise, then Michael felt cool air brush across his skin – his skin, not the skin of the husk. They both tumbled onto the floor, Maria skidding away from him. Immediately, she jumped to her feet and started to run for the broken mirror, looking for an escape.

“Maria, wait!” Michael called.

She froze in her tracks, then turned her head to look at him. She blinked a couple of times, then burst into tears. Michael rose and pulled her against his chest.

“It’s okay,” he said into her hair. He comforted her even as his eyes were surveying for any Skins that may have been alerted by the ruckus. “We have to go.”

Maria looked up at him, brushing at her cheeks. Her eyes were a little cloudy and Michael wondered if Jill’s mindwarp had caused any damage.

“Max, Liz and Isabel are here,” he said, frowning slightly. “And I’m not going to let that bitch lay a hand on them!”

tbc

[Midwest Max]

Part Twenty-Two

“I’m not going anywhere with you,” Maria huffed, pushing Michael away from her.

Michael gave an exasperated sigh. “We don’t have time for this, Maria,” he chided. “You have no idea how unhinged Tess is right now. We need to get to the others before she does.”

She shook her head vehemently. “I can’t believe what you just did to me! Why did you look like that, Michael?”

He drew in a breath of patience. Even though they needed to act, he had to remember that she was very much in the dark about everything that had happened since he’d slipped from her bedroom window two nights before. She didn’t know about the Skins and the reason for Max’s illness and the imaginary Michael Worshippers. He didn’t have time to explain it all to her, but he could also see he was going nowhere unless he appeased her to some degree.

“I was in a husk,” he said uneasily.

Maria recoiled. “What? Huh? Why?!”

“It’s a long story.”

She crossed her arms. “I’m not going anywhere until I hear it.” Her eyes shifted to their rocky surroundings. “Where am I, anyway?”

“In the desert.” Michael reached for her arm. “Please, Maria. I’ll tell you everything later, okay? Right now our friends are in danger if we don’t help them.”

She watched him warily and he could see some of her coherence returning. So his suspicions were true – the mindwarp had done some damage. Michael swore to himself. As soon as they were all safe again, he was having Max make sure Maria wasn’t damaged permanently.

“Did you say something about Tess?” she asked, her eyes suddenly narrowing.

He nodded eagerly. “Yes. That’s why we have to move.” He implored her with his eyes and reached a hand toward her. “Please, Maria, trust me.”

She looked at his fingers, swallowed nervously, then took his hand. He broke into a wide grin then began running down the corridor through which Tess had disappeared.

* * * * *

Isabel pointed her flashlight at the rocky ceiling of the tunnel, her hand trembling slightly. They had traveled for maybe twenty yards with no sign of their enemy – and unfortunately, no sign of Michael. The entrance to the cave and the outside light had disappeared long ago, so she’d been forced to rely on the flashlight. Even though they moved silently, she could still hear her ragged breath and the anxious thump of her heart in her ears; she had to wonder if the others could hear them as well.

Beside Isabel, Max had his arm slung over Liz’s shoulders as they moved slowly down the tunnel. She knew it was partly a protective gesture, but also a part of the act. They wanted Tess to believe that Max was still weak and defenseless; if she should happen to spring upon them, then he could slouch and it would appear that Liz was holding him up.

“Anything?” Max whispered, the slight echo of his voice sounding like a top-of-the-lungs shout in the narrow chamber.

Isabel shook her head. “I don’t like this, Max…”

He nodded. “I know. But this is where he said they were, right?”

She nodded in return. They were all supposed to be here – Michael and his followers. Internally, Isabel smiled at that. All of their lives Max had been the leader, Michael but a follower. It must be so satisfying for him to have a whole regiment of Skins at his command. She hoped it brought him some fulfillment.

“Let’s just keep going,” Max suggested quietly. “We’re bound to run into something sometime.”

Or someone, Isabel mused. But before she could put voice to that uneasy thought, she felt a strange pressure behind her eyes.

* * * * *

Luke and Adam stood side by side outside of the pod chamber. In the far distance, a dust cloud was rising into the sky, a volume of earth that could only be moved by something large. Adam gulped, his heart jumping to his throat as he envisioned an army of tens of thousands advancing upon them.

“Something wicked this way comes,” Luke said quietly.

Adam glanced at his new friend, curious at his calmness.

Luke gave him a brotherly smile. “You’ve picked the right side, my brother. Whether we live or die, it does not matter. All that matters is that we’ve held to what we believe is right.”

Adam wanted to believe that, but as he turned his attention back to the dust cloud, he realized that those people closing in on them also believed that what they were doing was right.

* * * * *

Isabel blinked a couple of times, hardly able to believe her eyes. But it didn’t matter how many times she attempted to clear her vision, she still saw Alex Whitman standing before her. She let out a disbelieving laugh and turned to comment to Max and Liz, but found herself alone. Confusion flooded her mind, but Alex’s voice quickly diminished her uncertainty.

“How are you doing, Isabel?”

She let out another laugh. “I can’t believe you’re here.”

He feigned being wounded. “Why not? I’ve come to you before, haven’t I?”

She nodded eagerly. “Yes, you have. But usually I was dying or something…” Her voice trailed off and she realized she couldn’t really remember the last time she’d seen him or what the circumstances were. “Am I dying now?”

It was Alex’s turn to laugh. “No, not yet at least.”

Isabel cocked her head slightly. That was a very un-Alexlike think to say. He’d always been cautiously optimistic. Saying she wasn’t dying yet was neither cautious nor optimistic. “Why are you here?”

“To let you know that Max has been lying to you.”

Her eyebrows rose quickly. “Lying to me? About what?”

“About me,” he said, stepping closer to her.

For the first time in her life, Isabel wanted to back away from Alex. Something about him just didn’t seem…right. “What about you?” Her voice had dissolved into a childlike whisper.

“Did he tell you about the accident?” he challenged, his blue eyes unblinking.

“What about it?” She swallowed hard then realized that even though she was still frightened, she could no longer hear her labored breath or the beat of her heart in her ears. She gave her head a shake, trying to clear the confusion.

“Did he tell you…what I looked like in that car?”

Isabel cringed. “Why are you doing this?” she breathed.

“Or how about in that coroner’s bag, with all of the blood pooling beneath my body?”

She squeezed her eyes tightly shut against the image. “Please, Alex, stop it.”

“There are things you should know, things you should have seen, Isabel. Wouldn’t you have more closure if you had seen my body?”

She opened her eyes and looked at him pleadingly. “Please, Alex.”

“I don’t believe in closed caskets,” he said casually. “Maybe if you had seen the mess you created, you could let me go.”

Disbelief replaced disgust in Isabel’s eyes. “The mess I created?”

“If you had just been cooperative with Tess. If you had just been her friend or helped her get Max, maybe I could have lived.”

Isabel shook her head vigorously. “No, that’s not true.”

“It is true. You never liked her – admit it. And I paid the price because of it. Because you were a bitch, Isabel. You were always a bitch.”

A single tear rolled down Isabel’s flawless cheek. “Why are you saying this, Alex?”

“Because it’s true. And now it’s time for you to see what you’ve done.”

Before she could even protest, the Alex she knew disappeared before her very eyes. In his place, she saw something that wasn’t alive, wasn’t human, wasn’t Alex. His face became a mass of blood and cuts, the skin ripped at the corner of his mouth and hanging away from his face. His nose was smashed and shoved to one side and even though she searched his face desperately to locate his eyes, she couldn’t. The apparition before her tried to speak, but instead of words blood splattered from his lips and landed in every direction. He reached out for her, moaning and begging for her help.

Isabel took a staggered step backward, then fell to her knees and screamed.

* * * * *

Max and Liz froze in their tracks as Isabel stopped moving with the flashlight.

“Do you see something?” Max whispered.

They waited anxiously for her to answer, but it never came. Instead, she grinned and said, “I can’t believe you’re here.”

Liz looked up into Max’s worried face and saw that he was following Isabel’s line of sight. She looked, too, but saw nothing.

“Who are you talking to?” Max whispered hotly.

His sister didn’t respond. Instead, she continued to carry on her one-sided conversation. Max and Liz watched the display, all the while growing more and more worried. Against her side, Liz felt Max’s breath starting to come quicker as his anxiety increased.

“Please, Alex, stop it,” Isabel said, her tone somewhat frightened.

Max and Liz exchanged another quick glance, Liz mouthing the word “Alex.” True, she’d been visited by him before, but she knew that he probably wouldn’t come to Isabel here, in this rocky tunnel as she was planning her attack on Tess. It could only mean something evil was afoot.

When Isabel fell to the floor and screamed, they rushed to her side, but she seemed oblivious to their presence.

“Isabel, it’s Liz,” she said desperately. “Look at me, Isabel!”

Isabel only continued to rock back and forth and sob uncontrollably.

“Isabel!” Max said loudly, cringing as his voice echoed in the cave. They were going to draw some unwanted attention…

“She can’t hear you,” a cool voice said from the shadows.

Max and Liz searched the darkness, desperately trying to locate their antagonist. In time, she showed herself in the form of one of their most bitter rivals.

“Isabel’s busy right now,” Tess said as she stepped menacingly toward them.

“What did you do to her?” Max demanded, pushing himself to his feet.

Liz, remembering their strategy, climbed to her feet and slung his arm over her shoulders. Tess looked at her condescendingly.

“Hello, Liz,” she said patronizingly. “Good bye, Liz.”

With that, she raised a hand and sent an energy blast in Liz’s direction. Max had no time to react as the white ball of fire took Liz in the hip and propelled both of them backward. The air rushed out of his lungs as his spine smacked the hard rock, but he pushed his pain to the back of his mind as he scrambled to his knees at Liz’s side. Rolling her over, he saw that she was out cold, knocked unconscious by Tess’s attack.

“Well, Max,” Tess purred as she came to stand over him. “Now that I have you alone, whatever am I going to do with you?”

tbc

[Midwest Max]

Part Twenty Three

“Tell me what you’re proud of.”

It was a game they’d started after Alex’s untimely death and Tess’s tardy departure. So much had changed that they both felt they needed to get reacquainted. Thus, the game had been born. At random, one of them would ask some soul-searching question that the other had to answer honestly, no matter how painful the answer might be to one or both of them. It was their way of wiping the slate clean.

They were lying on a blanket near the old radio tower, where they’d once almost consummated their love. They hadn’t gone through with it that night and still hadn’t given in to their physical attraction. After all, it had only been three months since Tess’s betrayal.

Max gave Liz a grin and touched her cheek. “You,” he answered. “I’m proudest that I have you.”

She giggled and blushed slightly, though she was sure the darkness concealed her bashfulness. “I’m trying to be serious! Tell me what you’re proud of.”

He frowned slightly. With his actions of late – following Tess like an obedient puppy, denying Liz’s intuition that Alex’s death was no accident and then fighting bitterly with her – Max had little to be proud of. If anything, he was rather humbled and embarrassed of himself.

“I am being serious,” he said, his voice softening. “To be able to have you, to call you mine, is more than I could ever have hoped for.” He lifted one corner of his mouth, a half-smile.

Liz propped herself up on her elbow and looked down into his eyes, her hair falling in a dark curtain over one side of her face. Her expression, too, had lost its playfulness. “Tell me what you’re ashamed of,” she said quietly, her tone tinged with a hidden pain.

Max reached up and pushed her hair behind her ear, revealing her face completely. “I’m full of shame,” he whispered, holding her gaze with wounded eyes. “I’m ashamed that I let Tess into our group, that I pushed her friendship on all of you. I’m ashamed that I didn’t see her for what she was.” He swallowed hard. “I’m ashamed that I allowed her to kill Alex.”

Liz studied his face for a long moment, then laid a slow, gentle kiss against his lips. Shifting her body, she slid her arm across him and laid her head against his chest. Max looked at the sky, at the tens of thousands of stars winking above them. It hurt to talk about the mess he’d helped create. I hurt that Liz was so silent in response to his baring his soul.

“You couldn’t stop what happened,” she finally said, her hand making a short caress along his ribs. “None of us saw it coming. None of us could prevent it.” She lifted her head and met his eyes again. “You’re a good man, Max Evans. Don’t be ashamed of that.”

A man. To Liz, Max had never been alien. He had simply been Max Evans, a good man.

Max tried to calm the shaking in his limbs as he visually surveyed Liz’s body for damage. He noted the shallow rise and fall of her chest and knew that she was at least still alive…how alive was the question. Frustration replaced fear as he realized if he were to check for Liz’s injuries, he would reveal the fact that he was in no way powerless.

“No, she’s not dead,” Tess said as she squatted beside him. “I wouldn’t kill Liz.”

Max turned his head toward her, fury now replacing the frustration. Why hide the fact that he had powers? He could flatten her now if he wanted to…only, he had no idea where Michael was. And if Michael had truly told Isabel he was here, then Max couldn’t risk not getting information from Tess.

Tess shook her head, her blond curls bobbing. “No, I wouldn’t kill Liz. Oh, wait, yes I would. I just wouldn’t do it that quickly.” She wrinkled her nose. “No fun in that. I want to see your face as she squirms.”

Max’s temples started to pound with anger and he quickly reminded himself of his little atmospheric display in the desert – he needed to keep his temper or he might do something he’d totally regret later. His eyes shifted to Isabel, who was still rocking and sobbing nearby.

“Oh, don’t mind her,” Tess said, raising her hand in Isabel’s direction. There was no energy blast this time; in fact, if Isabel hadn’t suddenly slumped soundlessly to the floor Max wouldn’t have known that Tess had done anything at all. “She’s more comfortable now, I’m sure.”

Max swallowed hard but remained silent.

“How does it feel?” Tess taunted. “How does it feel to be all alone, Max? No Liz, no Isabel, no Michael.”

He tilted his head slightly at Michael’s name. Was he really here somewhere? Had Tess eliminated him?

“He’s here,” she confirmed, her lips stretching into an annoying grin. “He’s waiting for us to join him.”

A couple of men appeared behind Tess, men Max assumed were Skins. Without turning around, she ordered them to pick up Liz and Isabel and to follow her.

“I’ll help Max,” she volunteered, her blue eyes locked on his.

As he pretended to struggle to his feet, he jerked his arm away from her. “I’ll do it myself,” he demanded.

She shrugged. “Suit yourself, your majesty.”

*****

Hidden in the shadows, Michael watched the display silently, his dark eyes moving from one of his friends to the next. Behind him, he heard a lot of rustling and turned to see the source of the problem. Maria was rummaging in her pockets, her eyebrows knitted together in confusion. Reaching out, he grabbed her hand, then held one finger to his lips in the universal “be quiet” sign. Frowning, he turned back to the scene before him. There was definitely something amiss in his girlfriend’s head.

“Michael,” she whispered.

He whirled, the finger going to his lips again. “What?!” he whispered hotly.

“I can’t find my oil.”

He gave his head a shake. “Your what?”

“My Cypress oil. I thought it was in my pocket.”

Grabbing her by the forearms, he pushed her back farther into the alcove. “Look, you need to stay quiet now, okay?” His tone resembled that of a pleading father. “You’re going to get us caught. If you just keep quiet, I promise I’ll buy you a whole drum of oil, okay?”

She nodded, wide-eyed and Michael felt his heart rip in two. He hoped whatever was damaged could be repaired easily and wasn’t permanent. The last human who had been mindwarped repeatedly had been Alex and things hadn’t worked out so well for him…

Leaning forward, Michael kissed Maria on the forehead, then pulled her to her feet. Together, they shuffled back to the alcove open and he peered out. He swore silently to himself when he witnessed the appearance of a pair of Tess’s thugs – where there was one, there might be many.

To make matters worse, it looked like Max still hadn’t regained much of his strength. Michael had been hoping for more allies than just a half-fried Deluca.

*****

Isabel squeezed her eyes tightly shut and tried to escape the images that kept flooding her mind, images of someone she loved bloodied and battered beyond recognition. She didn’t want to know these things, didn’t want to see what Max had seen. But no matter how hard she clenched her eyelids, she could still see those awful things, hear the accusatory tone of Alex’s voice. There was no escaping those things and she slowly felt herself going mad.

Abruptly, she felt a soft breeze across her soul and some of the fear began to dissipate. She didn’t open her eyes, though – she knew it wasn’t safe. Things around her became silent and calm. Barely perceptibly, she felt fingers beneath her chin.

“Isabel,” a soft voice said. “Look at me.”

She shook her head vigorously. “No, go away! I know if I look at you, I’ll see things I don’t want to!”

“Isabel,” the voice repeated, this time tinged with amusement. “There’s nothing bad to see. Open your eyes.”

She felt her resolve starting to wane, but still didn’t trust herself to look.

Then the voice began to sing and the sound brought a new set of tears to Isabel’s eyes.

Cowboys don't cry,
And heroes don't die.
And good always wins
Again and again.

Slowly, she lifted her eyelids and found Alex – new, restored, benevolent – kneeling before her. He grinned and continued his song –

And love is a sweet dream
That always comes true
Oh, if life were like the movies,
I'd never be blue.

“Stop it, Alex,” Isabel snorted. “You never liked country music.”

His smiled widened. “True. But I always liked you.”

Isabel drew in a shaky breath. “Then why did you do what you just did? Why did you make me see those things?”

He shook his head. “I didn’t do that, Isabel. I wouldn’t hurt you that way.”

She sniffled and rubbed imaginary tears away from her cheeks. “But it looked like you. You were all bloody and…and…” Her voice trailed off as she fell close to sobs again.

Alex took her hand and caressed her fingers with his thumb. “None of that stuff you saw was real.”

“But-but Alex, you hit a truck head-on,” Isabel pointed out. “That sight couldn’t have been pretty…”

He shrugged, unconcerned. “Maybe not. But it doesn’t matter. I was already dead, Isabel.”

“Because of me.” Her bottom lip quivered.

He shook his head. “Not because of you. Because – no matter how fucked up the circumstances – it was my time. Everyone has a time, Isabel. Mine has come and gone, but yours is a long ways off yet.”

She watched him with round eyes. “How do you know that?”

Alex only smiled, his expression serene and welcoming. “Well, I could tell you, but then I’d have to kill you and we already established it’s not time for that yet.”

Isabel snorted a weary laugh.

“Someone else’s time has come, though,” he said, his smile falling away quickly.

Panic spread through Isabel’s subconscious. “Who?” Not Max, not her beloved brother. Not Liz, the girl she’d come to love like a sister. Please, not Michael, for whom she’d always hold a tender spot.

“None of those people,” Alex confirmed.

“Who?” she repeated, her mind whirling.

Alex’s smile slowly returned. “I’m going to help you,” he announced. Then he fell back into the song he’d been singing a few moments before – “Because good always wins, again and again.”

tbc

~~~~~~~~~~~~

*** Lyrics are from "Here in the Real World" by Alan Jackson

[Midwest Max]

Part Twenty Four

Tess was rambling nonsensically, and from her constant jabber Max was able to assess that his captor wasn’t firing on all cylinders. He walked silently behind her, pretending to support himself against the cave wall as he moved. He would like to have been behind the goons carrying his sister and wife to keep an eye on them, but Tess had insisted that he be sandwiched between the thugs and herself.

Shutting out Tess’s blather, Max concentrated on what was going on behind him. He knew Liz and Isabel were back there somewhere but he was concerned about their safety. He didn’t dare takes his eyes off Tess, however, to check on them. Seemingly out of nowhere, he could suddenly sense Liz and the revelation made him jump. It wasn’t like he was feeling her presence because he already knew she was back there – it was like he was standing right beside her, making direct contact. In his mind, he could literally feel her breathe. Pushing aside his surprise at his new-found power, he pushed with his mind until he located Isabel as well. They were both there, in his head.

Suppressing his grin, Max momentarily closed his eyes, trying to hone in on other beings near them. If he could get a grip on the number of enemies in the cave, maybe he could know what he was up against. He sensed Tess’s goons and forced his mind to push beyond them. In a few moments, he felt another presence, a very familiar presence, then quickly yet another. Michael and Maria. They were following them. Max’s grin nearly leapt forward despite his efforts to contain it – his friends were okay and unharmed by Tess and her insane plot. There was no reason why Max couldn’t blast Tess now if he wanted…

…Except for the Skins who were literally holding Liz and Isabel captive. He doubted he had the reflexes to flatten Tess and simultaneously destroy the goons with enough accuracy to avoid harming Liz and Isabel. Besides, he didn’t know how many others lurked in the shadows.

In his mind, Max set up a mental “radar screen”, plotting blips of the people he’d located so far – Tess, himself, the goons and Liz and Isabel, Michael and Maria trailing not so far behind. Then he pushed with his mind again, trying to locate others. After a few moments, he popped open his eyes, his brow furrowed with confusion. Maybe he could only sense people who were within a certain radius, because he’d been able to detect no one else. It was difficult to believe that Tess had remained behind with only two reinforcements.

Was she that confident of her powers?

Max glanced at the back of her head as she walked in front of him. What new powers did she have? She could still mindwarp, as evidenced by her disabling of Isabel. She could still throw energy blasts since she’d taken Liz down easily….But what else? She hadn’t displayed the ability to do anything else yet and Max had to wonder if her bragging of super powers was just one more affectation of her delusion.

After all, didn’t the message from their mother indicated that he would be the most powerful being in the world? Or at least one of the most powerful beings in the world? Would it stand to reason that Tess would be another one?

Max squinted one eye suspiciously. He had the feeling Tess wasn’t all she cracked herself up to be.

Abruptly, the small girl whirled on him. “You know what I don’t get?” she asked, pointing a finger in his face.

Max shook his head, reminded himself to appear weak and tired.

“I don’t get how you got past my spy.”

“What spy?” he asked, his voice soft.

She rolled her blue eyes. “Oh, please. You know all about him, don’t you? The store manager, Liz’s boss?”

Max shook his head again.

Tess’s eyes narrowed as she studied him hard. He kept his expression neutral. Let her think that the store manager was never a threat. Let her believe that maybe he was still alive out there somewhere. Eventually, she whirled back around and continued to walk, her incessant jabber continuing.

Silently, Max prayed for Michael to remain unknown, to remain uncaptured. He was going to need his help.

*****

“What do you mean you’re going to help me?” Isabel asked, confused.

“I’m going to wake you up,” Alex announced.

“I’m asleep?” She seemed startled by that revelation.

He shook his head. “Not really. You’ve been mindwarped.”

Isabel’s jaw set in anger.

“I’m going to break you out of that mindwarp so that you can help the others.”

“Help them do what?” No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t shake the confusion that seemed to be constantly trying to close in on her.

Alex took her hands between his. “I know it’s hard for you to concentrate, but you need to listen to me. Tess has you, Max and Liz in her grasp. You need to help them fight their way out of this. Now, I’m going to break you out of the mindwarp, but you can’t let them know you’re awake. Okay?”

She nodded her head silently.

Leaning forward, he laid a kiss on her forehead. “Okay. Here goes.”

*****

“Psst, Michael.”

Michael froze in his tracks, closing his eyes and grimacing as Maria’s ‘whisper’ permeated the silence around them. Turning, he put a finger to his lips. “Shh,” he warned. “We need to be quiet, remember?”

Maria’s face was wrought with worry and she was wringing her hands together as her eyes shifted nervously.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, taking her arm. Inside, a little piece of him was starting to die – he knew that Maria was getting worse.

“I need to get my dress,” she said.

Michael’s brow furrowed. “What dress?”

“For Liz’s wedding. She’s getting married, remember? We found a dress for her, but I don’t have one yet.” She appeared to be on the verge of tears. “How can I be in her wedding if I don’t have a dress?”

Michael swallowed hard. He wished he had the ability to put her to sleep or something until this was all over. She was becoming more irrational and more delusional as the minutes passed and he could only predict that she was going to blow his cover or get all of them in trouble in some way. Reaching down, he picked up her hand and put a kiss against the back of it.

“We’ll find you a dress,” he promised. “A pretty one. But we need to go help Liz now, okay? You do want to help Liz, don’t you?”

She nodded, her eyes wide.

“Okay, then. Try to be quiet and just follow me.”

Michael turned back to the tunnel and saw that Tess and her captors had moved from sight. Drawing in a breath, he started his stealthy prowl, tugging Maria behind him.

*****

In Max’s head, he detected that Michael and Maria had stopped moving and for a moment he thought perhaps they’d been captured. But then he felt them move again and breathed a small sigh of relief. It was momentary, however, as he realized that something about Isabel had changed. He mentally scrambled to figure out what, then found that she’d awakened even though she wasn’t bringing attention to that fact. He didn’t, either, sure it was part of her game plan.

They reached an alcove of sorts. It appeared that one wall had once been covered with the glass that was now shattered across the rocky floor. Tess’s babbling ceased as she came to a stop before the broken glass, her hands on her hips. Max watched her silently, waiting for some reaction. He didn’t really need an explanation – it was apparent that someone was once held captive here and had escaped. Perhaps that someone was Michael.

“Put them down,” Tess barked as she turned to her goons.

They did just that – unceremoniously dropping Liz and Isabel to the floor. Max had to give his sister credit – she never once tried to break her fall nor did she grimace when she struck the hard floor. She and Liz both crumbled like rag dolls.

An eerie grin creased Tess’s lips and she moved to squat by Liz. Max was barely able to contain his anger as he watched the blond alien pick up Liz’s hand and slide off her engagement ring.

“What’s this, Max?” she asked teasingly.

Max pulled his lips into his mouth and bit on them to prevent replying.

Tess turned the jewel this way and that, watching the scant light ricochet off the diamonds. “Such a pretty thing – and in the shape of our constellation, too.” She tipped the ring to read the inscription. “I shall believe,” she quoted. Then her eyes shifted to Max. “I believe, too, Max. I believe that you and I were meant to be together. Not you and her.” She spat the last word with such disgust that he shivered.

“I chose her,” he said quietly.

Tess grunted a laugh. “And look what she’s done to you. You’re weak, barely able to stand there.”

“It’s temporary,” he replied, his voice still its calm monotone.

“So is life,” she said, her grin fading away. “Especially hers.”

From the corner of his eye, he saw Isabel flinch just slightly. Not yet, he thought and she seemed to quit fidgeting. Had she somehow heard him? He didn’t have time to contemplate that as he felt Michael and Maria once again drawing near.

Tess straightened and slid the ring onto her finger. Max clenched his fists, the thought of the symbol of his love for Liz being on Tess’s finger more than infuriating. She turned her hand so that she was staring at the back of it, at her new prize.

“It fits me better,” she said dreamily. “It was made for me. With the constellation and all.” Her eyes snapped to Max’s.

Max’s jaw was set in defiance. “It was made for Liz,” he stressed. “You don’t deserve the likes of it.”

She cocked her head, unaffected by his rejection. “You say that, but I know you don’t really mean it.” She waved her hand. “Whatever. Let’s get down to the business at hand, shall we?” She walked over to an outcropping of rock and sat down on it. “Who should I destroy first?”

Max raised his eyebrows in question.

Tess let out a laugh. “Haven’t figured it out yet? The reason for this whole charade? I want you to watch them die, Max. I want to see your face as everything you’ve worked to obtain, everything you love is destroyed.” Her eyes turned as cold as ice. “Just like you destroyed everything I had worked for.”

Unable to stop himself, Max opened his hands, palm-up. “What did you lose, Tess? You never had anything!”

She suddenly seemed sad. “Yes, I did. I had you once.”

He shook his head vehemently. “You never had me. Never! Anything I may have done with you was just a figment of your imagination! You manipulated me into everything I ever did with you! You never had me!”

Tess watched him silently, watched the rapid rise and fall of his chest and her mind was made up immediately. “Well,” she said calmly. “I thought maybe I’d destroy Isabel first because if I did Liz first, you might die before you got to see your sister die. But now I see that the only person you truly care about is Liz. So, she’s first.”

She rose quickly to her feet, her arm outstretched. Immediately, Isabel let out a growl and jumped to her feet. Before anyone could react, she planted her boot into the back of the Skin who had been carrying her and he crumpled to the floor in a mound of dust. At nearly the same instant, Michael jumped from the shadows and took down the other Skin. Max threw up his green shield, affectively trapping Tess in the corner of the cave.

Behind the force field, Tess’s face showed every ounce of disbelief she was feeling. Her eyes shifted from Isabel to Michael to Max, who was positively seething with anger.

“I’ve got a surprise for you,” he said, his voice strained. “The transformation is complete. You can’t beat me.”

[Midwest Max]

Here you go! Off to the family BBQ!

Part Twenty Five

“Drop the shield, Maxwell,” Michael huffed, his palm held forward. “Let’s blast the little bitch.”

Tess’s eyes shifted from Max to Michael and back again.

“No,” Max said, his voice threateningly low. “Check on Liz.”

“But Max –“

“I said check on Liz!”

Michael jumped visibly at the harsh tone in his friend’s voice. Sharing a glance with Isabel, he took a few steps back and knelt by Liz’s fallen body. From the shadows, Maria crept forward, then let out a screech when she saw her friend.

“Lizzie!” she cried, falling to her knees beside Michael. Tenderly, she picked up her friend’s head and cradled it in her lap.

Michael touched Liz’s face and found her skin to be warm and dry. Then he took her wrist and felt for her pulse – it was there, albeit weak.

“How is she?” Max asked, his eyes never leaving Tess.

“She’s alive,” Michael affirmed. “She’s going to need help, though.”

Max’s eyes narrowed as he addressed Tess. “Why? Why did you do this?”

Tess released a nervous laugh, her eyes flitting for an escape route that didn’t exist. “I-I just wanted us all to be friends, Max.”

“Friends? Friends? Friends don’t do the things you’ve done, Tess.”

Maria looked angrily at Michael. “Kill her,” she breathed quietly, so quietly that the others didn’t hear her.

Michael withdrew a bit at the malice he saw in her eyes.

“I mean it, Michael. Kill her for what she’s done to Liz. For what she did to Alex.”

And for what she’s done to you, Michael concluded silently.

Tess stretched out her hands pleadingly. “Just drop the shield and let us talk, Max. Please? I promise I won’t do anything…bad.”

Max blinked once, then shook his head. There was a strange pain between his temples that only intensified his anger. “Don’t you fucking try to mindwarp me!” he barked.

Tess jumped and started to work her hands before her. Max could see her world crumbling all around her.

“How many others are in this cave?” he demanded.

She swallowed but didn’t answer.

“How many!”

She shook her head. “None.”

“I don’t believe her,” Michael said, getting to his feet.

Silently, Max scanned their surroundings for any other life forms. He found none. It was certain that the disturbance they had caused would bring reinforcements if there were any. Maybe for once Tess was telling the truth.

“How many in the desert?” he asked next.

Tears shined in Tess’s eyes. “None,” she said, her voice a gasp.

“None?” Max questioned. “What do you mean ‘none’?”

“There is no army, there is no war,” she confirmed. “It’s all an illusion.”

Max’s mouth slowly fell open, his poker face dissolving. This was Tess’s super power. She didn’t have any new powers, only her existing ones had been enhanced. She was able to conjure up a whole army that was nothing more than a mirage. Suddenly feeling sorry for her desperation, Max lowered the shield.

Immediately, Michael raised his hand, but Max knocked it back down with one flip of his fingers. Michael looked at him incredulously – first because he had exhibited such a power, second because he wasn’t letting Michael flatten her.

Tess breathed a sigh of relief. “I knew you’d see it my way.”

“I see nothing your way,” Max replied. “Get rid of the army. Now.”

She worked her mouth in protest, but when Max raised a demanding eyebrow, she closed her eyes briefly, then frowned when she reopened them. “Done.” Her voice was nothing but a defeated whisper.

“Now give me Liz’s ring.”

Tess looked down at her hand, at the sparkly jewel. Tears spilled onto her cheeks. “All I ever wanted was to be with you, Max,” she cried. “All I ever wanted was to love you.”

He shook his head. “No, all you ever wanted was to be the chosen one, so that you could have all of the powers that Liz has. You never wanted to love me, Tess.”

She met his eyes, hers cold. “You don’t know love.”

“I do. And I love Liz. Give me her ring.”

As Max watched Tess wrench the ring from her finger, he could feel nothing but pity for her. He could barely fathom the level of desperation it took to devise such an elaborate plan to destroy them. Right now, there were masses of alien races – allies of Antar – standing in the desert scratching their heads because the army that was descending on them had disappeared into thin air. Her plot to destroy him and his loved ones had literally involved a cast of thousands. What kind of pitiable soul did it take to come up with such a stunt?

Tess pulled the ring off her finger and held it out to Max. His guard down, he reached for the jewel. Just as their fingers met, he saw a flash of something in her eyes, something that sent a shiver down his spine. Before he could process it, he was propelled backward, into the rocky wall behind him. He crumbled to the floor with a thud, landing amidst the shattered glass. Liz’s ring tinkled to the ground between them.

Isabel watched with wide eyes. In her head, she replayed the images of a broken, bloody Alex until she could no longer bear it. Her breath started to become more rapid and she knew in the split second it took for Max to hit the floor what she must do. Letting out a primal scream, she raised her hand and sent a powerful energy blast at Tess. The small girl flew into the wall of the cave, then fell to the floor motionlessly.

Drawing in a pained breath, Max scrambled to his feet. Michael stared in disbelief at Isabel, who still had her hand raised even though Tess was clearly dead.

Isabel panted in the wake of the deed she had just done. In her head, she heard Alex’s voice for the last time and it brought tears to her eyes.

I am avenged.

Lowering her hand, Isabel walked over to where Tess lay and looked down at her. Such a small, insignificant person. Such a threat to their entire existence. Isabel felt her heart harden and any compassion she had ever felt for her fellow hybrid was gone. Unable to control her anger, she viciously planted her boot in Tess’s ribs, kicking over and over as the tears flooded from her eyes. All of her pent-up anger came out – anger over Alex’s death, anger over Carter’s manipulations. Isabel simply couldn’t stop herself.

Taking her arms from behind, it took all of Max’s strength to pull his sister away from their fallen enemy.

“Isabel, it’s done,” he said, trying to contain her flailing arms. “It’s over now.”

She struggled a bit, then fell into his arms, sobbing. Max stroked her hair as the sound of her cries echoed off the cave walls. He closed his eyes, sharing her pain, then focused on Liz’s fallen body. Michael was immediately there, taking Isabel into his arms so Max could attend to Liz.

Kneeling beside his wife, Max laid his hand against her hip where Tess had struck her and concentrated with all of his abilities. In no time, she was drawing in a quick breath and sitting up. Her eyes were incoherent as she searched the cave, trying to piece together what had happened and where she was.

“It’s okay,” Max said, pulling her body into his chest.

Over his shoulder, she saw Tess’s broken body and Michael holding Isabel. Her heart started to thud in her chest as fear flooded her body.

Max pulled back and smoothed her hair away from her face. “It’s over,” he said softly, laying a kiss against her lips. “She can’t hurt us anymore.”

Michael looked at Maria. Maybe Tess couldn’t do any new damage, but the effects of her prior work were still lingering. “Max,” he said.

Max looked toward his brother, who pointed to Maria with his chin. He followed his line of sight and found Maria looking at him rather vacantly.

“I have to get a dress,” she whispered.

Max raised his eyebrows.

“For Liz’s wedding,” she clarified.

He nodded, then gently released Liz. “Maria, I think you’ve got something in your eye,” he said. “Can I see?”

She blinked, confused, then nodded.

Max took her face between his hands and met her gaze, his unwavering. Soon he was swept into her mind and he realized that everything was cluttered in there. It was like someone had taken a jigsaw puzzle, tossed it in a box and jumbled up the pieces. Painstakingly, he took his time putting things back where they needed to be. When he stepped out of the healing process, he found a rather lucid Maria staring back at him.

“What are you doing?” she demanded, pushing his hands away. “Were you trying to kiss me?”

He laughed. “No, not really.”

Max helped Liz and Maria to their feet, then retrieved Liz’s engagement ring. With a wave of his hand, he removed Tess’s fingerprints and any evidence that she had once held it. Then he polished it on his shirt and took it over to Liz. She looked at him quizzically, wondering how it had fallen from her hand.

“This is yours,” he said softly as he slid the ring onto her finger. “Always yours.”

She smiled at him and realized it didn’t matter how it had ended up on the floor – Max was hers for an eternity. He dipped his head and kissed her, then held her tightly to his body.

Michael released Isabel, who had calmed down a bit, and strode over to Maria. “You okay?” he asked.

She grinned. “Sure. Why wouldn’t I be?” Her smile faded quickly when she saw his bottom lip quiver and tears come to his eyes. In one swoop, he gathered her into his arms and squished her against him. Her eyes were round at his sudden affection, but Maria was willing to take all she could get.

“What do we do…” Isabel’s shaky voice drifted off. “What do we do with…” She pointed down at Tess’s body.

Max released Liz and walked over to stand by his sister, rubbing her arm in comfort. “Don’t worry about it, Iz. Michael and I will take care of it.”

*****

Adam didn’t want to fight. His knees were trembling and his mouth was incredibly dry. The army was close enough now that he could make out each individual soldier. Within minutes, they would be upon them and then Adam would have to fight for his life.

But not just his life. The lives of his new friends as well. And not just those gathered around him, but also the ones who were battling evil itself on the opposite side of the sand dunes. Most importantly, the life belonging to Isabel.

He’d do anything for her, he realized. He’d move a mountain if he could. He’d fight an entire army if it meant she could live a little longer. With that in mind, he bolstered his courage and stood a little straighter.

The army was gone.

There was a collective gasp throughout the troops. Adam blinked rapidly, rubbed his eyes and looked again. Yep – they were definitely gone. Maybe they had disappeared behind a dune or something? He waited, but the army never reappeared. Disbelieving, he looked to Luke, who was standing beside him.

“What the –“ Adam began.

Luke didn’t seem surprised. His lips curved into a slow smile. “It is done, my brother.”

“What do you mean?”

“The war is over.” With that, he turned and retreated into his cave.

Adam’s brow furrowed as he watched other soldiers leave the battle line by the dozen. They were chitchatting amongst themselves like thousands of warriors hadn’t just vanished before their very eyes. The war was over? Before it ever began?

Adam breathed a sigh of relief. And hoped that Isabel was okay.

*****

As the sun set over the sand dunes, Michael and Max pointed their palms toward an opening in the ground. They both released their powers and the contents of the pit burst into flames. Much like the defeat and burial of Agent Pierce, there was no celebration in this victory. Tess had been a wretched being, true, but she had also been beyond help and that was the true tragedy of the situation.

The aliens waited silently until the flames died down, then they began filling in the pit, burying forever a person who had never known what it was to belong, to care about another, to love.

To be human.

tbc

[Midwest Max]

Here it is (finally) - the End! Thanks to everyone who has patiently followed this story over the last several months. I think this is probably the end of the Liz Parker series But now I get to go work on my GZ


Epilogue

Isabel sipped her tea and watched Nikita chase a ball of wadded up paper; she had found that buying cat toys was a waste of money as the kitten usually preferred to make her own – rings from the caps of milk cartons, soda caps, the occasional intruding ant (which was ingested when she bored of them more often than not) and the aforementioned ball of paper.

It had been several days since Tess’s death and Isabel was still recovering emotionally. It wasn’t the first time she’d killed someone – ironically, she’d disposed of Congresswoman Whitaker in an attempt to save Tess, whom Isabel would destroy in the end. She sipped from her cup and mused what a different world it would be if she had let the Skin kill Tess – for starters, Alex would still be alive. But she tried not to dwell on that because at the time she’d thought she was doing what was right, she’d believed that Tess was an ally. She’d tried to be her friend, no matter how difficult the task had seemed.

And that was why getting over killing her was taking a little longer. Until her surprise birthday party, Isabel had never laid eyes on the Congresswoman. The emotional aftermath of killing her was based in guilt and disbelief that she’d taken another life. But now, the person Isabel had destroyed was someone she’d known.

Mrs. Evans had always believed that everyone had one redeeming quality, no matter how vile they may seem. It didn’t matter if it was the panhandler begging for change or the creepy produce clerk who ogled Isabel’s body once she’d started to develop curves, Diane Evans could always find something admirable or decent about them. Isabel envied her mother that quality – because try as she might, she couldn’t find one good thing about Tess’s existence.

That would mean that Tess was pure evil and Isabel didn’t believe that, she didn’t believe that anyone besides Satan himself was evil through and through. Then what was Tess’s redeeming quality?

Nikita lost her paper under the easy chair. Ears flat, she dropped to her belly and began swiping viciously under the chair with her paw. Her determined expression made Isabel smile. Then it occurred to her – maybe Tess’s redeeming quality was her perseverance. True, she was misguided and a little unhinged, but she’d never given up on her goal.

It was a weak conclusion, but at least it was something.

A soft knock on the door caught Isabel’s attention. Setting down her cup, she rose and opened the door to find Adam McKinney on the other side. He was all smiles and the time in the desert had given his skin a slight bronze glow.

“How’s my girl?” he asked, his grin goofy.

Isabel laughed and stepped aside, pointing to Nikita, who was still fishing under the chair. “She’s lost her toy, papa.”

Adam stepped inside, cast aside his shoes and flopped on his belly by the kitten. Immediately, she hopped to her feet, arching her back slightly and letting out a happy squawk. Adam let her rub all over his face, all the while baby-talking her as she purred loudly.

Isabel crossed her arms around her body and watched them with an amused smile.

“Papa will get your toy for you,” Adam wooed, reaching under the chair. “Papa will get your…toy…for…hmm, maybe not.” He started laughing as his fingers fell short of the wad of paper. He turned to look up at Isabel, his face sheepish. “If I can’t reach it, how did she think she was going to?” he laughed.

Isabel stepped over his legs and resumed her spot on the couch. “She’s determined. She didn’t let distance get in her way.”

He grinned and sat upright, Nikita immediately jumping into his lap. He stroked her fur for a few moments and when he looked at Isabel again, she could see his demeanor was a tad more serious.

“So,” he began. “How are you doing?”

She nodded her head and slid her hands under her thighs, trying to look relaxed. “Good, Adam. I’m good. You?”

He shrugged. “Can’t complain.” He placed a kiss atop the kitten’s head. “Um, Luke made me an offer.”

Isabel fell motionless. “What kind of offer?”

Adam found it hard to look at her, so he busied himself with Nikita. “Well, apparently he just travels from city to city, looking for others that he can help.” He glanced up at her. “You know, others. He invited me to come with him.”

She remained silent, not sure how she should feel about that. Eventually, she cleared her throat. “Are you going?”

He shrugged casually. “Not sure yet. Haven’t really made up my mind.”

“Oh.” Confusion set in as she realized that she didn’t want him to go. Not long ago, she hadn’t wanted him anywhere near her, but now she was agonizing over his pending departure. Abruptly, she jumped to her feet. “Would you like some tea, Adam?”

He looked at her warily. “Sure.” He continued to scratch the kitten’s ears as he watched Isabel move to the kitchen. She seemed upset about something. “It’s a good opportunity,” he continued slowly, cautiously. “I could see places I’ve never seen before…”

“It is a good opportunity,” she replied, bustling around the kitchen and avoiding his gaze.

“Of course there would be impending doom around every corner and we both know how well I do with that.” He gave a laugh that she didn’t return and it was his turn to clear his throat. “So I was thinking about maybe…not going.”

Isabel stopped pacing and looked at him steadily. “What?”

He shrugged again. “I mean, who would retrieve Nikita’s toys for her if I was gone?”

She released a small laugh, knowing the ball of paper was still under the chair. “I haven’t seen you retrieve one yet.”

Adam grinned. “Okay then. Who’s going to look out for you if I go?”

Isabel’s weak smile faded away. “I can…I can take care of myself,” she announced, though her statement lacked conviction.

He smiled a little wider. “I know you can. But I didn’t say I’d take care of you. I said I’d look out for you. Like, be your friend, give you a shoulder to cry on if you needed it, bring you homeless house pets.”

She snorted a small laugh.

“I don’t know,” he continued, shifting gears. “Maybe you don’t want any of that. Maybe you want me to go…”

Isabel looked down at her fingernails, picked at a loose piece of polish. “I want…” She swallowed hard. “I want you to stay, Adam.”

Adam’s grin stretched from one ear to the other. “Yeah?”

She glanced at him, her cheeks flushing slightly. “Yeah.”

He knew better than to push her or bring too much attention to her confession; he had learned that it was not an easy thing for Isabel to reveal her feelings. So he picked up Nikita and turned her to face him.

“You hear that, puss? Papa’s staying!” he said and she squeaked in return.

Isabel laughed and crossed her arms over her chest, glad that Adam wasn’t putting her on the spot. “Well,” she began. “Since you’re staying, how about ordering a pizza? I’m starving.”

“You got it!” he agreed. “Pizza’s always good.”

*****

Maria self-consciously picked the dress from the rack and turned it this way and that. She felt like she had an audience, like her every move was being scrutinized. Finally, she shoved the dress back into its spot and turned to address Michael, who was standing nearby, his hands shoved in his pockets.

“Okay, give it up, Guerin.”

His eyes darted away then he shrugged, his face twisted in confusion. “What?”

She cocked her hip and put her hand on her waist. “Why are you here?”

He gestured toward the rack of formals with his chin. “We’re shopping for a dress.”

She snorted. “You can’t stand shopping for dinner with me, Michael. I can’t believe you’re in a bridal store looking at dresses. So, what’s the deal? Why are you here?”

“I said we’d get you a dress,” he explained slowly. “So, we are – getting you a dress.”

She looked at him incredulously, her mouth slightly agape.

“Only…” he began. She knew it – she knew it was too good to be true. “Maybe we should look over there.” He pointed toward a far wall.

Maria followed his finger and saw nothing that would be suitable for Liz’s wedding. “What?” she snapped. “I don’t see anything. What are you pointing at?”

“Those,” he said, his confidence waning.

She looked again and saw that he was pointing to a rack of white dresses. “Michael, those are wedding gowns -“ Her words cut off in her throat and her mouth fell open wide enough to drive a station wagon through.

“I know,” he said, his eyes shifting away again.

“But – but –but you said…are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

Michael nodded. “Watching you slip away from me was the worst thing that has ever happened to me, Maria. I don’t want to lose you. I want us to be together.”

There suddenly seemed to be a lack of air in the boutique. “Are you asking me to –“

“Yes.”

She met his eyes for one brief moment, then she trembled, then she fainted.

*****

“Do you think your parents will be disappointed?” Liz asked as she straightened Max’s tie.

He smiled down at her and brushed aside a strand of her dark hair. “How could they be? Look who I married.”

She giggled, a slight blush coloring her cheeks. “I mean, do you think they’ll be disappointed that they didn’t get to see the ceremony?”

He gave a gentle shrug and touched the skin of her bare shoulders. She was wearing a simple strapless black sheath, a party dress rather than a wedding gown and he couldn’t keep his hands off her. “I think they’ll get over it.” He leaned in close, touching his forehead with hers. “The only two people who mattered were at the ceremony, Liz. Just you and me.”

She leaned in and met his lips with hers. In their hearts, they’d been committed to one another for a very long time, only sealing that commitment last week in the pod chamber. In body and soul, they were bound together. Only a trip to the courthouse had been necessary to make it official in legal terms. They told their parents that they’d eloped to Vegas over Thanksgiving, conveniently covering for their disappearance in the process.

All that remained was a reception, a night of celebration with their friends and family. Liz had expected Maria to be crushed that she didn’t get to buy a new dress for the occasion, but oddly her friend seemed giddy and indifferent. Liz had the feeling that there would be more good news to follow soon.

“Are you ready?” Max asked, pulling back from her, slightly breathless.

She nodded, then took his hand. Together, they walked to the main entrance of the reception hall. On the opposite side of the room, the newly-returned Whits stood atop a stage; Marcos grabbed the microphone and called for everyone’s attention.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” he called. “May I present to you – Mr. and Mrs. Max Evans.”

The room erupted into applause as Max escorted Liz to the center of the dance floor and the house lights went dim.

Marcos waited for some of the applause to quell before he spoke into the mike again. “And may I also introduce Miss Maria Deluca, back for a limited engagement.”

Maria strode onto the stage in a brand-new sparkly red dress and a pair of impossibly high heels; Liz realized that the lack of wedding ceremony wasn’t enough to keep Maria from shopping. She took the mike from Marcos and gave him a wink as he returned to his spot on the stage.

“Thank you, you’re too kind,” she joked. “I want to sing this song for Max and Liz, but especially for Liz, who thought she’d never get her wedding dance.”

Liz felt her eyes start to mist before she’d even heard the first note of the song. Max lifted his eyebrows questioningly as his wife looked up at him with wet eyes.

“I shall believe, Max,” she breathed.

He gave her a gentle, knowing smile, kissed the back of her hand, then pulled her close to his body as the music started. Liz laid her cheek against his chest and held him tightly. Not so long ago, all of this seemed impossible. Max had a different destiny, a supposed “wife” who had been returned to earth with him. Liz had been afraid she would never be here, betrothed to the one person she loved more than her next breath. And yet she had believed that good would prevail, that things would eventually work out the way they were meant to be.

And they had.


The End

~~~~~~
I used a small quote from "Sexual Healing" - anyone catch it?