Title: When The Worst Happens
Author: Jenn
Disclaimer: If I owned Roswell, would I really be writing this? *Shake
your head no* I didn�t think so. Roswell and all its characters belong to
Melinda Metz and the United Paramount Network. Brendan and Jason are
another story. I�m still working on that. LOL.
Category: Mi/L mostly.
Rating: R for now.
Author�s Note: This is Post-Departure with a few twists.
Dedication: I want to dedicate this to DMartinez, SilverSky,
Peachez4MaxEvans and MoonBaby19 who have written some of the most
awesome Polar fics out there. It�s because of them that I am now a definite
Polarist. I want to thank them for inspiring me to write this.
Summary: Just when Liz thought she had gotten her life back
together, a tragedy strikes that could prove to ultimately be her breaking
point. Who will save her from herself before it�s too late?
********
Part 6: Secrets, Lies, & Betrayal
After the funeral, everybody had gone to their respective homes. Micheal
went with Liz and Ava. Of his own volition, he had decided that he would be
staying with them for at the very least the time being. He really did not
want to be alone anyway. Seeing Maria had reopened wounds that had only
begun to heal. He felt like he wanted to punch a wall. And being around Liz
would keep him from doing so. She was the one who had coerced him into
working out as a means of releasing frustration instead of beating up his
apartment in the first place.
So he went home with them. Well so did Max. But he was only there long
enough to make sure Ava got to bed okay. Figures. He cares about no one
else. As soon as she was asleep, he said goodbye and left. Not that
Micheal had a problem with that. Ever since their messy break up, Liz got
uneasy whenever she saw Max, a fact which only Micheal noticed. So him
sticking around didn�t really seem to be a necessity. She didn�t need the
added pain. Especially now.
Sure he didn�t really want to be around Maria, but that was besides the
point. Maria hadn�t cheated on him. But Max had on Liz. He still held anger
towards his best friend for sleeping with Tess. Max had claimed that he had
seen that Liz cheated on him. To which he had replied, �Bullshit.� If Max had
really loved Liz even just a shred of how much he claimed he did, he would
have seen that it was a lie. But then again Max wasn�t too swift at reading
between the lines.
That was another thing that bothered him. Max never had the faith that Liz
wouldn�t do such a thing. And with Kyle none the less. He had found it rather
funny. He knew that Liz would never be so stupid. But on the other hand, he
had never known that Max could.
But he really didn�t care to reminisce over how much an idiot Max was right
now. He had too much on his mind. Maria and Ashley for instance. It wasn�t
that he didn�t like Ashley, it was just that he got weird vibes when he saw
him. It felt as if he knew him from somewhere. He just couldn�t figure out
from where.
And the whole situation with Maria gave him a weird feeling. Like he had
been in the same exact situation before. But he couldn�t remember. He
hadn�t got that far yet on memory retrieval with Ava. Not that she retained
many of her memories either. But he had the distinct feeling that she
remembered a little more than she led on. But he knew she would spill in due
time. Like Isabel said she and Tess are as different as day and
night.
He quickly jarred himself once again. I need some sleep. He thought as
he stripped off his one and only suit (Or that damn suit as he referred to it.
Liz and Isabel made him buy it for special occasions.) He pulled a pair of his
baggy sweats out of the dresser and changed into them. Once changed, he
drew back the blankets on his bed and climbed in. It had been a long & tiring
day, so he was quickly asleep. But he wouldn�t stay that way for long.
~Micheal examined his surroundings. It was all so strange yet so familiar
at the same time. He watched another version of himself glancing around the
room. He was a bit bigger height and muscle wise, but he still had that spiky
hair. �It must be one of my memories from Antar. Which would make that
guy Rath. I think. But I�m not sure.� He thought as he watched Rath walk
towards a large set of double doors and proceed to push them open.
He followed him out onto the balcony of his suite. It was on the third floor
of what he guessed was the Royal Palace. The view from where they were
standing was amazing. Everything was simply awe inspiring to him as he
looked around. The colors here seemed so much more vibrant. The clouds
were the deepest shade of blue. The grass was so green. The roses were
remarkably red. He inhaled deeply. The air was so crisp and fresh. It took
his breath away. �So this is what home is like? It�s beautiful.�
�Rath, my love are you here?� He heard a woman say as she entered his
quarters. Micheal didn�t get a very good look at her. But he knew she was
breath taking. �But how in the hell do I know that? What the hell am I doing
here though?�
He guessed at first, that Rath must not have heard her because he didn�t
turn to acknowledge her presence. But something told him that wasn�t the
case. �Or he�s feigning ignorance. Wait did I just think that? Okay where the
hell am I?�
She carefully and quietly walked up behind Rath. She quickly slid her arms
around to caress his bare chest. �Mmm my love. I�ve missed you.� She said as
she placed open mouth kisses to the back of his neck and shoulders.
Micheal suddenly realized that he felt all Rath�s emotions. He felt the love
and devotion toward her pouring off Rath in waves as he gave in to her
ministrations. And, as her hands explored Rath�s shoulders, he could see
what looked to be a wedding ring gleaming on her left hand. It was some sort
of silver or white gold with a bunch of symbols on it. �His wife?� He asked
silently. �This doesn�t make sense.�
The next thing Micheal knew, he was no longer an observer of the scene
before him; rather, he was now an active participant. He was Rath. He
could feel his body responding to her. He groaned. It was intoxicating. She
held such power over him. And he liked it. This felt vaguely familiar to him.
But it felt really good. �Who gives a shit about sense right now.�
She knew just what to do to drive him crazy. It seemed as if every nerve
ending in his body was alive with pleasure. He felt himself turn her in his
arms and kiss her passionately. He then trailed his mouth down her neck as
she ran her hands up and down his back. �Rath.� She whispered dazily as the
passion took them over.~
Suddenly Micheal was thrown out of the dream, but not before uttering his
lover�s name in response. �Akyra.�
He woke up in a cold sweat, gasping for air. What the hell was that. And
who the hell is Akyra? He had to say her name again. �Akyra?� He
questioned himself. The name felt so foreign on his tongue yet so right at
the same time.
It took him a minute to get his bearings straight but when he did, he went
in search of the one person he knew could answer or at least attempt to
answer that question.
He found Ava just where he thought he would: out on the balcony of Liz�s
room, smoking a cigarette. That wasn�t surprising at all. Whenever anyone
was looking for her, she could be found here. What was surprising
was who was sitting there with her.
She smokes? �I didn�t know you smoke.�
Liz turned to him. She looked like, he couldn�t describe it any other way but
Shit. He had never seen her so bad. Her eyes were red and puffy from
hours upon hours of crying. Her normally perfect hair was now horribly
disheveled. And she had a lost look in her piercing brown eyes.
�I did a long time ago. I figured now is as any good a time as ever to revive
old habits.� She spoke calmly despite her slowly crumbling world.
�I see.� He said while giving a questioning look to Ava.
As she took a drag from her cigarette, Ava sent him a look that said Don�t
start any shit with my sister.
He sat down next to her. �Got an extra?� He questioned.
Both girls� eyebrows raised in surprise. �Micheal I know you don�t smoke.�
Ava said matter of factly.
�How do you know? Huh?� He asked slightly agitated. The plan was to talk
to Ava and Ava only.
�Chill. I gots one for you.� She said as she opened her pack of Newports and
handed him one.
�Thank you.� He waved his hand over the cigarette and inhaled.
Liz had fully expected him to gag, but he didn�t.
He took a long drag and let it out very slowly. It felt strangely good to have
the nicotine back in his system. Especially now that they were all under so
much stress. It�s been a long time since I�ve had one of these. He
thought to himself.
�I...I didn�t know that you...� Liz stammered.
He cut her off. �I used to back when I lived with Hank.�
She nodded in understanding. �I can understand that.� She said
sympathetically. I can definitely understand that. He went through a lot
when he was living with Hank. He put up with a lot of shit.
Ava remember what Liz had told her of Micheal�s days with Hank. She
decided that a change of topic was long overdue. �So what brings you out
here at,� She asked as she checked her ring watch, �Oh three o�clock in the
morning?�
�Let�s just say I had an interesting dream.� He answered cryptically.
�What kinda dream?� Is he remembering things from home?
Liz heard the urgency in her sister�s voice and knew exactly where this line
of questioning was leading. �Micheal did you have a dream about
Antar?�
As always Liz hits the nail right on the head �I think so.� He said
flatly.
�Whaddya mean you think so?�
�Well answer me this, who was Akyra?�
Ava�s face suddenly drained of all color. I knew she would come up
eventually.
When he was met with silence, Micheal asked the question again. He was
growing angry. I hate when she does this. She probably remembers so
much more than she lets on. She�s keeping secrets from me. �Ava do not
lie to me.
Who is Akyra?�
Sensing her sister�s distress, Liz spoke up. �Micheal calm down
please.�
Ava brushed her sister�s arm off of her. �No Liz it�s okay. I knew she�d come
up eventually.�
�So?�
�So, she was my older sister. She was killed after being kidnapped during
one of Kivar�s raids on the palace.� She said as the memory of the last time
she saw Akyra alive came flooding back.
~�Ava! Akyra! Come quickly!� Zan shouted to his wife and sister in
law.
Both girls came rushing into his chambers just as he asked.
�Zan what�s wrong?� Akyra asked as he ushered both in and quickly shut and
locked the door.
�Kivar is on his way to the palace. I want you to take Ava to the spot that
Rath showed you last week. Vilandra is there already. And stay there until
either I or Rath come for you. Understand?� He asked urgently.
Akyra nodded solemnly.~
�I remember Zan calling both of us into our chambers. He looked so
distraught. I hadn�t seen him that way since I miscarried our son; after
Kivar tried to have me and Akyra killed.�
Both Micheal and Liz suddenly found themselves listening very intently.
�He told us that Kivar and his men were on the way to the palace. He
instructed Akyra to take me and hide in one of the underground passages
that Rath had shown her.�
�But why did Rath show Akyra? Why didn�t Zan show you?�
Micheal asked curiously. Why was Akyra so important if Ava was the
Queen of Antar?
�I�ll get to that. But back to what I was saying. Anyway, Rath had shown
Akyra the passage because he thought it would be a safe place to hide us in
case of invasion. Zan and Rath had always put our safety first and
foremost.�
~At some point Rath had entered through a secret door behind Zan and
Ava�s fireplace.
Akyra quickly ran to him. He scooped his wife up in his arms. �Rath love...�
She started but was quickly silenced by his finger on her lips.
�Don�t challenge me on this Kyra. You are not coming with me this
time. I cannot risk your or Ava�s lives. You will be safer here. I don�t know
what I�d do if I lost you, my love.� He said as he took her hand and placed it
over his heart.
A sole tear slipped down her cheek at the profoundness of his words. �Rath,
I love you so much it hurts sometimes. You are my world.�
He took the hand that was gently caressing his face and placed a kiss in her
palm. �I know Kyra. I feel the same. Which is why I must be sure that you
are protected.� He said as he motioned to one of Akyra�s personal guards:
basically one of his officers. �Take the Queen to the safehouse.�
�Yes sir.� The guard nodded and stuck his hand out for Akyra to
take.
She accepted and began to follow him out of the room all the while keeping
her eyes locked with Rath�s.~
�Akyra, for once did not put up a fight when Rath asked her to go. She knew
he was right. If anything happened to either of us, they�d be crushed.� She
smiled as she remembered the love between her sister and Rath.
�But?� Micheal asked. I know there�s a but here somewhere.
�But I didn�t go so easily. I refused to leave Zan�s side.�
~�Zan I am not leaving you.�
�Ava this is not the time nor the place to have a disagreement. I have never
ordered you around because I love you. But now I am. As the King and your
husband, I order you to go with your sister.�
She began to sob. �No.�
Zan�s heart broke everytime his wife got upset. This wasn�t any different.
But unlike other times, she was not getting her way. �Baby, you cannot
stay here. It simply isn�t safe for you. I will not allow you to be put in danger
again.�
�I�m still not leaving Zan. King or not. I refuse to leave your side.� She said
defiantly as she crossed her arms and gave him what was supposed to be a
stern look.
�Ava, let�s go!� Akyra shouted from just outside the door.
�Go.� Zan commanded as he pushed her toward her guard waiting at the
door.
�No!� She screamed. But it was too late to fight. The guard gently pulled her
out the door, toward her waiting sister.
Zan blew her a kiss. �I will see you later my love.�~
�One of my guards literally had to drag me out of our room. I did
not want to leave him for fear that I wouldn�t see him again. Akyra went a
little more willingly with her guards than I did. Which was kind of ironic
really.�
�Why did Akyra have personal guards?� Micheal asked.
�That�s easy Micheal. Akyra was the Queen�s sister. That�s all.�
�No not quite. But I�ll get to that shortly.�
�Okay.�
~�Okay we will be safe here.� Vilandra told them as she wrapped a blanket
around a shivering Ava.
�For now at least.� Akyra mumbled.
Suddenly a guard entered the room. He looked straight at Akyra. �I have
orders from King Rath to escort you to your quarters.�
Akyra shook her head vehemently. His men never refer to him as King
Rath. He is always Prime Minister Rath. Something isn�t right here. She
thought as she shot Ava and Vilandra a worried look. �No you lie.�
�I beg your pardon your Majesty.�
Why is he only asking for me? Not Lannie or Ava? �No Rath insisted
that we stay here until he or Zan comes for us. No one else.�
Suddenly the guard morphed into someone else: Melo, brother to Kivar: the
very same Kivar that was currently ruling Talira. �Plans have changed.� He
said as he grabbed Akyra�s arm and began to drag her out of the
room.
�NO!� She screamed.
Ava and Vilandra tried to get up and help. But they were quickly thrown
against the wall by a swipe of the Melo�s hand. He put up a shield. The girls
found themselves unable to stop it because they were too weak from the
fall.
Ava screamed for her sister. �No! My sister!�
Akyra looked at her helplessly. �Take care of Rath!� She yelled as he
dragged her further away from them.
Ava sunk to her knees screaming. �God no! Please don�t take her.� As she
succumb to sobs.
Vilandra who was screaming �Akyra!� held onto the sobbing girl, in an
attempt to keep her calm. Yet, they knew what fate Akyra would eventually
meet.~
�Our guards took us to the spot that Rath had designated. For a while, we
were safe. But Kivar eventually found us.�
�How?� Liz asked.
�Because Kivar replaced one of Akyra�s guards with his brother.�
�Oh my god.�
�Yes so he took Akyra with him. I vaguely remember hearing voices outside.
I think some of his men were waiting for him. When it was all said and done,
no damage was done to the palace what so ever. It had been a planned
ambush. All they had wanted was Akyra. And they got exactly what they
came for.�
Micheal still wasn�t putting two and two together. Again why Akyra? What
was so important about her. �Why not you?�
God Micheal, I wish you remembered some. It�s so hard to tell this to you.
It�ll will eventually make you feel like your reliving the past all over again. I
know I do. Ever night. �Micheal shut up and finish your cig. I�ll get to
it.�
�I wasn�t as valuable as Akyra. Not by far. She was the glue that held our
two families together. She was my sister, my best friend, and a mother
when I needed one. She was the one Zan went to when he needed advice.
She was aunt that spoiled Akien�s children rotten. And she was Rath�s
everything.�
Ava began sobbing softly but continued with the story. �I remember Zan and
Rath eventually showing up. I can remember it like it was yesterday. God I
can even tell you what I was wearing. Zan was so worried about me. He held
onto Lannie and I for dear life. They didn�t know that she had been taken
yet. But when they did, all hell broke loose. Rath was extremely furious. He
began pacing the floor angrily. Tears began streaming down his face. My god
you can�t even begin to imagine the broken look on his poor face as the
reality of the situation set it. He eventually realized what Lannie and I
already had. Akyra was as good as dead. I still remember the shrill cries
that erupted from his throat as he fell to his knees screaming her name. He
took a ship to Kivar�s planet. I think he knew it was in vain. But he went none
the less; by the time he got there, Akyra was already dead. Kivar had left
her body in plain sight. He knew Rath would come for her. She was his
weakness. Of course he would coem for her. After that, he was never the
same. He was so empty. All the life had been sucked out of him. That, my
sister�s death, was the beginning of the fall of the Royal Houses of Antar
and Rilos.� She sobbed.
Micheal�s head shot up. He still wasn�t putting two and two together. Well he
was but not quite. �Why was I so angry?�
She took a deep, shaky breath before reply �Because...because Akyra, my
sister, was your wife.�
Micheal clenched his fists. And where is my wife now? Liz gasped at
the knowledge. �But I though Vilandra..�
�Was supposed to marry Rath. No it didn�t happen. Yes after Akyra died,
Zan thought Rath was the only person that could protect and take care of
his sister. So he asked Rath to marry her as a favor. He knew that they
wouldn�t love each other. But she would be protected. As always being the
honorable man that he was, Rath agreed. I think he agreed more because he
thought that he�d get some sort of redemption for Akyra. He had told me
time and time again that he had let the love of his life down. That the one
time she needed him the most, he wasn�t there. I told him he was wrong.
That he had been all that he needed to be for her. He made her so happy.
And that was all I had ever wanted for my sister. Rath was her world. But he
was hard headed and never saw it my way. But the marriage never went
through. Rath was killed in battle.�
�That�s so sad.� Liz said sorrowfully.
�No it was just as well.� Ava declared sadly. �My brother in law,� She said as
she glanced at Micheal. He met her sad gaze. � was slowly dying of a broken
heart. Without Akyra, Rath was nothing. Without Akyra, we were all
nothing.�
�It�s like that saying, A warrior�s only weakness is his heart.� Liz said as
tears flooded her eyes.
�Exactly, Akyra was Rath�s one and only weakness.�
No one noticed but Micheal had tears in his eyes. He had searched his whole
life for a love so pure. And it was hard for him to hear that he had it at one
point but then lost it so tragically at the drop of a dime. �I really loved her.
Didn�t I?� He asked while his head hung in his hands. God I can still feel all
the love I had for her.
�Yes, Micheal you did. Akyra was your world. She had been since we were
children on Rilos.�
�Rilos?� Liz asked.
�My family�s home planet. Our father, Zan�s father and your father were
best friends. Our father was the head of the House of Rilos. And Rath and
Zan�s fathers were the heads of the House of Antar. Zan�s father was King
while Rath�s father was the Prime Minister of the Royal Guard of Antar. So
we were frequently on Antar and you guys would come and visit Rilos. They
were friends long before any of us were born.
Our mother had died when we were little. And father did his best to keep us
happy. And he did. And we were. For a time.
After my father was murdered by Kivar, Akyra became Queen. She had no
choice.�
Micheal being the forever skeptic just had to ask, �How so?�
�Well our brother Akien (Pronounced Akeen) was already the Prime Minister
of the Royal Guard of Rilos. He was also married with two children of his
own. He abdicated his right to the throne by assuming and retaining the
position. He loved it. He had never wanted to be King anyway. I was too
young. And she had been trained for this since she was a child. My father
had always said that she�d make him proud one day. So she was the only one
left to fill the role of leader. She accepted the crown without hesitation and
with much support from our people.�
�So how did I retain my title even though I married the Queen?�
�Because at the time of your marriage, you were not the Prime Minister of
the Royal Guard of Antar. Your father was. Once your father died however,
you were. But that was an after fact.�
�And what about you and Zan?� Micheal asked his former sister in
law.
�What about me and Zan?�
�How did you two come to be?�
�Because of Akyra. It was her wish that I be taken care of. She said that I
deserved a lot in like. That I deserved to be treated like the daughter of
the King *Like the Princess* that I was. She was the one who orchestrated
my marriage to Zan. I was delighted. Zan and I had loved each other for so
long. She knew that he would take very good care of me. Father wouldn�t
allow it because he felt I was too young. Hell we were all too young. But our
marriages strengthened both governments.�
�How young?� Micheal asked wanting to know more about his past
life.
�Keep in mind that royalty typically got married between the ages of 18 and
20. Akyra was only 16 when she took over. They were married on Akyra�s
17th birthday. Rath was barely 21. When I married Zan, I was 14, almost 15,
and he was 19. I don�t wanna sound all cornball but, we were happy.�
He closed his eyes and shook his head. So I was married. That was my
wife I saw in he vision. �Seventeen and 21? Shit we were only
kids.�
�Yes, but even so, we were happy.�
�Even Akyra with all that pressure?� Liz asked. I can associate with
her. I know what it feels like to have the weight of the world on your
shoulders.
�Especially Kyrie.� Ava said as she used her pet name for her sister. �Her
and Rath were ecstatic. They were so in love.�
Micheal was in awe. He had never imagined that he was ever that happy.
That there was a possibility of being that happy with someone. I was
ecstatic? Me? Mr. Negativity?
�Why all the questions about Akyra, Micheal?�
�Because I had a dream about her and Rath. I think I�m starting to get my
memories back.�
Ava smiled. Her and Rath had been close in the last life. Maybe we can be
just as close in this one.
Liz was curious about the whole situation. It took her mind off of everything
else for a while. �So what happened when you guys were sent to
Earth?�
Ava sighed. �That�s the thing I don�t know. There are a few people that were
supposed to be here with us that are missing. Akyra and Akien are just some
of them.� Along with someone else that Micheal held dear.
�Some of them? There were others?�
Ava nodded solemnly.
�Like who?�
Micheal shut up. Liz thought silently. She knew her sister was holding
back. But for good reason. Ava never did anything without a reason. And this
wasn�t any different.
Time to lie. I can�t tell him the truth. I don�t want to get his hopes up, just
to get shot down again. I can�t do that or watch him go through that. He�s in
enough pain already. Hell we all are. �I don�t remember. I just know that
there were more of us than this. I wish I knew Micheal. Believe me, I
do.�
She�s lying. But she never lies without a reason. I will find the
reason. One of these days.
Liz and Ava had both heard what he was thinking. He was practically
broadcasting it for the entire world. Little did they know, their silent
replies were exactly the same. No you won�t.
**TBC**
[Prologue][1][2][3][4]][5][6]][7]
