Tesstiny…and Completely, Totally Lizregarding It

Part 6 Conclusion

By Lindsay

“I’m sorry, but you only have until sunrise,” Joan warned them, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Sunrise!” Max exclaimed, tightening his grip on Liz’s hand. “That’s…that’s too soon!”

She nodded, her eyes apologizing. “I know, I’m sorry. I don’t know why, but it has to be this way. I’m so sorry, it’s up to you now.” Stepping forward, she clasped their joined hands in hers once more. However, no light emanated forward, the absence of illumination also darkening her essence. She raised her tearful eyes to them, knowing they were going to fail and she was never going to see her family again. Her temporal heart faltered in her chest, reflecting the weakness of her essence. “Good luck,” she choked out, before dropping their hands and disappearing over the ledge.

Liz rushed to the ladder, but Joan was gone. She turned back to Max, the tears running freely now. “I just got you back, Max. I can’t lose you again.”

He drew her into his arms, breathing softly into her hair. The strong presence of his embrace calmed her gradually, his gentle words soothing her anguish. “You never lost me, Liz. I’ve always loved you.” His hand slid down her abdomen, coming to rest over her womb. He pulled back from her face, searching her eyes and trying to relay his feelings to her with his expression. Seeing that she was too distraught for a connection, he whispered softly, “And now we have a baby together. God, Liz, a child! I don’t think I’ve ever been happier than I am in this moment.”

She buried her face in his neck, the scent that was only his wafting to her nose, causing the raging emotions within her to subside. But then Joan’s parting caveat came back to her, triggering new waves of apprehension to crash through her system. “What time is it?” she asked quietly, dreading the answer.

Max glanced at his wrist resting on her back, grimacing at what he saw. “It’s one-thirty, baby. We have a little more than five hours.”

The expected cry did not come forth, and he looked down in surprise at her. Liz was staring resolutely up at him, the determination set in her face. “I don’t know about you, Max, but I just found out that I’m pregnant. I have a baby and I have you. I have too much to lose for this not to work. I don’t know how we’re going to do it, but damnit, Max, we’re going to succeed. You chose me and our child this time. And I choose to live.”

Her impassioned declaration sparked new resolve in him. They had too much to fight for. He would do whatever it took to save Liz’s earth…their world, the only place he’d ever known to call home. But the confusion of where to begin crept back up to the fore and he looked down at her with worried eyes. “What are we going to do, though? Where do we start? We have no idea of what to do,” he said despondently, the fear wavering through his voice.

His anxiety was reflected in her eyes and she tried to hide her tears in his collar. He stroked her back for a while, trying to suppress the urges that had swirled around his body since the awesome experience that had bound them together. He grew angry with himself for feeling this way, when she was sobbing in his arms. The worry was still ever-present in his mind, but these yearnings were strong…chemical. When she lifted her head to place a reassuring kiss on his lips, he responded in kind, breaking away after a few glorious moments. He searched her eyes, pleading with her to see past the obvious implications of what he was about to say. “I’ve loved you forever, Liz. But we don’t know what we’re doing, much less how to go about doing it right. And I don’t want to die not knowing what it’s like to love you completely. Let me love you, Liz.”

The recognition dawned in her eyes and she nodded, her eyes flashing with new desires. She silently led him to the window, entering first and then holding her hand to draw him inside. They halted by her bed, and she gazed at it before raising her head and meeting his eyes. He was unprepared for the emotions clashing in her expression, her eyes storming with ebony waves of uncertainty, love, fear, desire, and trust. Tilting his head down to meet her willing lips, he captured her mouth in his as he laid her gently down on the mattress, following her with his own body. She broke away from the heated kiss, regarding him deliberately.

“We did it your way before, and I’m pregnant with our child. We have five hours until my world either lives or dies. It’s my turn, Max. Love me *our* way, let our humanity save *our* world.”

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The stars shone on them as they lay there, tangled in the sheets of Liz’s bed. Neither one wanted to face the reality that awaited them, now that they had loved each other fully. Their hands were in constant motion, tracing each other’s body, as they tried to stave off the sleep that threatened to seize them. Max’s voice finally cut through the stillness, “Do you have any ideas, Liz? Because frankly, I have no clue as where to turn.”

The silence settled back around them, as she contemplated their options. An idea that had teased her mind since Joan had revealed their mission to them started to grab onto the edges of her cognizance and pull itself up to be heard. She gasped as images surged through her mind, the past nine months showing itself in startling clarity. She spoke slowly, trying to sort all the memories filling her head. “Well, it all started when you saved me. You connected with me, and our child was conceived. I learned about you, and everything has stemmed from that,” she explained, staring up at the ceiling as she allowed more images to show her the way. Max propped himself up on one elbow, watching her in astonishment and listening carefully to her words, as they started to fall into place. She turned to him abruptly, regarding him closely. “I think we have to go back there. Back to where it all began,” she stated matter-of-factly.

The fear that had accompanied the events on the day in September came back to Max, and his heart tightened in remembrance. He cupped her face reverently, whispering, “I don’t know if I can see you…like that, again. It just about killed me last time.”

Her smile reflected the brilliance of the stars. “Actually, I believe I was the one who almost died,” she reminded him wryly, but he didn’t return her smile. Instead, he lay there, stroking her face with his hand. His eyes gazed down into hers, exposing the very real terror that he associated with the shooting and how he had almost lost her. Her expression softened at his concern for her, and she scooted closer to him, burying her face in his bare chest. She placed quick kisses on his breastbone, allowing him to entwine his fingers through her hair and breathe in her calming scent. Their harmonious union was enough to soothe them both, and Liz finally felt his pulse throb a little slower. She knew she would only exacerbate his worry if she asked the time, and she simply couldn’t do that to him, not when he had just started to breathe easier. So instead, she reached up and trailed kisses down his neck, glancing over his shoulder at her bedside clock.

4:45.

She turned back to him, kissing his closed eyelids. “Come on, space cowboy, you’re not fallin’ asleep on me, are you?” she teased, trying to alleviate his severe anxiety.

His eyes snapped open and he regarded her with a look akin to disbelief. “How the hell can you be so calm?”

“I don’t know,” she answered honestly. Liz gazed up at him, trying to reassure him with her eyes, allowing him to see her soul. “You told Joan a few hours ago that I was your world and that our love could save the entire universe. I feel it, too, Max. You make me feel invincible,” she stated strongly. Grasping his hand in hers, she placed their joined grip on her stomach, caressing their baby. “Besides, we can’t die. My dad has to kill you first for knocking up his little girl.”

His small chuckle was music to her ears, and she kissed him lightly on the lips. He glanced at his watch when she pulled back and the hand she held on his chest felt his heart start to speed up. She was about to try to comfort him again, when she saw the desire glittering in his eyes. “Ready for round two?” he asked wickedly.

She knew he was still extremely anxious about their mission, but was trying to be strong for her sake. Acknowledging this, she raised her eyebrows and said incredulously, “Round two?” knowing that they had done it far more times that just one ‘round’. He caught her reference to their numerous exploits and ducked his head, blushing. Her heart swelled at his innocent embarrassment and she nudged her head under his chin. “Yeah, I’m ready for, uh, round two,” she assented, her eyes sparkling with love as she lightly mocked his terminology. Her face grew serious as he met her warm gaze. “Love me, Max.”

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Max stroked her sleek hair, running the strands through his spread fingers. She trailed her own hands across his chest, near where her head lay. He could practically feel her smiling against his skin and he desperately wanted to stay this way forever. She understood somehow and sat up slowly on his lap, bringing the blanket around them. His heart soared at the sight of her, knowing without a doubt that she loved him. Reaching up, he pulled her face down to meet his in a crushing kiss. Liz could feel the tears running down her face, but she didn’t know whose they were.

“Sunrise is in twenty minutes, Max,” she said softly, without even looking at the clock. As the time drew nearer, she could feel her body synchronize with the universe. She knew Max felt it, too, as he closed his eyes in defeat, knowing their perfect night had ended. A few seconds passed and when he felt a gentle hand run down his cheek, wiping away his tears, he opened his eyes back up and met her promising gaze. As he continued to stare at her, he realized that he could hear her as clear as if she were speaking out loud, her thoughts comforting him in his mind. When he looked at her in shock, she shook her head. “I’m not sure, but I think we’re one person now. It’s just our bodies that continue to be separate.”

Nodding at her explanation, he rose silently and they left the bed. Quickly dressing, they opened the door of her bedroom. Before they ventured out, she paused, the first sign of apprehension he had seen of her all night. She met his eyes and whispered passionately, “I love you. I’m scared as hell, but I love you.”

He smiled and took her face in his hands. “I love you, too.” Taking her hand in his, he looked down at her one last time before heading into the hall.

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Joan sat on the top of the rock, surveying the expansive desert before her. The stars twinkled above, casting ethereal light down on the earth. Crossing her legs, she glanced down a few hundred feet at the spot where the afternoon’s soap opera had taken place. She sighed as she remembered how temperamental teenagers could be. One of the few times she had spent a decent amount of time at home was when her baby sister was going through her teen years. Laughing out loud, she remembered how angry her father had been when her sister had dyed his head yellow in belligerence toward restraints on her still-developing powers…and not just, his hair – his entire head, face and everything. While being blond here on Earth was acceptable, it was an odd occurrence on her planet, and her father had been livid! Her chest tightened at the memory, and she knew she would give anything to have her sister dye her hair again. She would give anything to just to be able to hug her father again, and feel his arms wrap around her, welcoming her home.

But as she heard the slow advancement of her watch, she knew that she’d never experience that. They were going to fail and they didn’t even know it. She did, however, and she hugged her knees to her chest as she felt the tears pour down her cheeks. The darkness hemmed her in on all sides, as though actually trying to invade her body and rip away her essence. Straightening, she glared defiantly at the stars, daring them to try to kill her one minute before her time. She still had a lot of tears to cry and self-pity to wallow in, and she’d be damned if she died before she worked herself up into a decent depression.

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Max and Liz made their way down the hallway, but she dropped his hand as they reached another bedroom. “My parents,” she whispered tearfully, bringing her tremulous hand up to her mouth. He immediately wrapped his arms around her, trying to soothe her broken spirit.

“Do you want to go kiss them goodbye?” he asked, knowing he desperately wanted to do the same to his parents.

Liz shook her head, saying, “I’d only wake them up.”

They stood there for a few seconds until she shook herself, pulling herself together. She looked behind her and gave him a small smile, stepping away from the door in front of them and heading toward the stairs.

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Joan tossed another rock down into the inky darkness, not breathing until she heard it hit the bottom of the mountain.

“And how did you spend your last moments on earth?” she asked mockingly. Shaking her head in disgust, she threw another rock, stilling all movement until the satisfying thud met her ears.

“Fi-ga-ro…Fi-ga-ro…” she called softly across the space, hearing her words bounced back at her, the echo louder and deeper than her original voice.

Just a few more minutes.

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Max lay Liz gently down on the linoleum, leaning above her. He met her scared eyes and offered a small smile of consolation. “We’ll just do this, and then we can look back on it and laugh. Like, how crazy we were to think the world was ending,” he whispered, trying to lighten the somber mood.

She forced a smile and continued, “Aren’t you supposed to rip my shirt off or something?”

He chuckled and said, “Well, hell, and I just put it back on, too.” But he obligingly placed his hands on the buttons of her shirt, tearing them open with gusto. Raising his eyebrows at her, he stated dryly, “I think you had a bra on last time.”

She rolled her eyes, saying, “Just shut up and impregnate me, Max. Oops, you already have.”

“Funny,” he whispered, all traces of mirth gone as he felt the seconds coming closer. He placed his hands on her stomach, right where the bullet had entered her nine months before.

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Joan felt the universe readying itself, sucking in the last breath. Hot tears streamed down her face as she let the last of her defenses go, floating away on clouds she couldn’t see in the ebony night. Her heart skipped a few times, and she knew her essence was nearly gone.

Glancing down at her watch illuminated by the starlight, she saw the arm tick the last remaining seconds off. She sat straight up, staring into the perpetual night. They had failed. The sun would never rise again. The sound of children’s laughter would be heard no more. She felt the earth shudder and then still, the light never breaking over the horizon.

It was over.









































Oh, come on, did you really think I was *that* mean?

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Max gasped in shock as blue light shot straight up from Liz’s body, straight up to the heavens. His hand blazed iridescent as the light passed right through his skin and into the air, breaking through the ceiling and reaching to the stars. Their bodies convulsed as the world tilted on its axis, the connection between them extending to all ends of the earth, laying a comforting blanket of salvation on all people. The sun rose on the horizon, its brilliant radiance setting the world on fire.

Then all hell broke loose. The lights flickered between black and white, while the sun continued to blaze outside. The tables flew against the walls, and the screeching sounds of car alarms down the street deafened their ears. They watched in horror as lampposts and parking meters were uprooted and impaled in the street, pummeling through the roofs of cars.

“What’s happening?” Liz cried.

He could only shake his head, pressing his palm down onto her stomach. The ground beneath them shook, the tile chipping into shards, flying dangerously by their bodies. The glasses fell off the counter and the doors swung open, the wind whistling past their ears. Max had to struggle to keep his hand on Liz’s body, as they were being thrown around on the buckling floor.

And then…silence. The restaurant looked perfectly fine, no broken glass, no shorted-out lights. The floor was not a rolling ocean beneath them. The doors were still securely locked, the intact panes of glass reflecting the dazzling light of the sun. Everything was still.

Max hesitantly took his hand from Liz’s body, waiting to see if it was over. When nothing else happened, he stood, reaching down to pull her up next to him.

“What the *hell* was that?” he asked, keeping his voice low. It appeared that what they had just witnessed, no one else had. The rest of the world had not experienced the minute of turmoil, only Max and Liz. The Parkers were still up in their bed, oblivious to what took place downstairs. It was simply a wrinkle in time, only accountable to Max and Liz’s world.

She turned to him, her eyes shining. “I think that was us, saving the world.”

Her words took a few seconds to sink in, but when they did, the biggest smile she had ever seen broke across his face. He picked her up and swung her around in a wide circle, his mouth closing over hers in a loud, passionate kiss. Liz laughed joyfully, wrapping her legs around his waist and crushing her to him. They had done it!

“Oh, my God, Joan,” she whispered, gazing down at his face in seriousness. His broad grin faded away, and he lowered her to the ground.

“The caves,” he replied, already grabbing his keys out of his pocket and running with her to the Jeep.

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They found her on top of the crag, her body sitting straight up, gazing across the dusky caverns. Liz tried to catch her breath after the steep climb, and wheezed, “Joan? Joan, we did it.”

Joan didn’t turn around, and Liz felt the first tendrils of fear wrap around her heart. “Joan?” she whispered.

Max crossed ahead of her and placed a hand on Joan’s shoulder. When she didn’t respond, he glanced at Liz and then walked in front of the woman. Her face was blank, her eyes shut.

“Oh, my God,” Liz breathed, the tears streaming freely down her cheeks. Max encased her trembling body in his arms, trying to hold back his own emotions. But he couldn’t, looking at the woman who had given them everything. Liz cried against his chest, “Oh, my God, she’s dead. She died, Max!”

Something caught his eye, and he stepped away from Liz to get a closer look. Turning back to her, he smiled and brought her closer, soothing, “No, baby. She didn’t die. She went home.”

And then he pointed out the inscription emblazoned onto the rock.

Thank you.

THE END.


Lindsay