| Part 8 ************************* Max is stirring on Michael�s bed. Liz brushes his face with a wet towel while Isabel and Michael hold the stones trying to stabilize the balance as once they did with Michael and with Nascedo. Maria is just there watching. There is a glow on the stones and then Max sits up gasping. �Max.� Liz hugs him. Isabel sighs relieved. Michael rubs his hand over his face and stares at Max relieved too. �What�s happened?� Max asks still trying to figure out how he ended up in Michael�s apartment. �We brought you here after�I don�t know how to explain what happened,� says Liz. Max looks at her and then turns to Isabel. Isabel turns to Michael. �Okay. Here is the deal, Maxwell. That guy was about to kill all of us when�Well, this other person came�I don�t even know if it�s a person, it all happened so quickly. One minute, they were there and the other �boom� they disappeared.� �What?� Max is puzzled. What is Michael talking about? The guy disappeared? He glances at Isabel. �That�s pretty much it.� She shrugs. �After they disappeared we came here to use the stones to heal you. So, how are you feeling?� �A little dizzy, but okay, I guess.� Isabel smiles sadly at him. �We have to leave Roswell, Max.� �What?� Everybody on the room stares at her. �Isabel, what are you talking about?� �This guy, whoever he is, he�s after us. We have to leave Roswell, for good. Today.� �We can�t just run away,� Michael argues. �So, what are you suggesting? That we stay here waiting for him to come and kill us?� �No!� Michael yells. �Then what?� Isabel yells back. �I don�t know�� �Oh, great. You don�t know. Good plan, Michael.� �Isabel�� Michael is losing his temper �Can you both stay calm, please? I�m the one that makes the decisions here.� Max gets in the middle of the fight. �Oh no, not that King bullshit again,� Isabel complains. �No. Let him speak, Isabel. After all we all know that our fearless leaderonly makes the right decisions. Like when he slept with Tess.� �Hey. I thought we got over that subject,� Liz complains. She hates this subject. Max glares at Michael. If he weren�t so weak, he would punch Michael right in the face for that. The three half aliens go on fighting. Liz is stuck in the middle of the fight with a perplexed look, wanting to say something but not really getting any space to express her ideas. All of sudden Maria gets up and shouts. � Hey!!!� Everybody stares at her. �Good. I think that you guys are forgetting the most important thing here.� The three aliens give her �the look�. �What am I going to say to my mother about her car?� �Shut up,� the three yell in union. Slowly, Maria sits down again speechless. �Isabel, I can�t believe that this is coming from you. What about our parents and Jesse? Your engagement party is tomorrow and your wedding is in a month.� And love is not the easy thing The only baggage you can bring... And love is not the easy thing.... The only baggage you can bring Is all that you can't leave behind �Forget the wedding.� Isabel sits at the edge of the bed looking tired. �Oh, and she says she loves the guy,� Maria comments sarcastically. Isabel throws her best Ice Queen glare at her. Maria bites her tongue. Isabel gets up and laughs sadly at them all. And if the darkness is to keep us apart And if the daylight feels like it's a long way off And if your glass heart should crack And for a second you turn back Oh no, be strong �Love. You all say this word like it's so simple. Like what it means could be expressed in such a little word. It makes me wonder if you guys really love each other. What do you think love is?� She stares at each one of them saying every word with such passion that they are completely speechless. �You guys don�t know what love is, I mean real love. When you love someone all you want is your beloved's happiness. And it doesn�t matter if he doesn�t find that happiness in you�Love is when you see your own soul in his eyes even if it lasts just a moment, even if you can�t touch, but you will always feel�Love is when you don�t need words� I would give up my own happiness for the one I love. I would give my live for the one I love without hesitating because he is my life. I�ll love this person forever. Because love is forever. It�s stronger than death. It�s stronger than me�.So, none of you come to me talking about love�..I can�t take the risk of seeing something bad happening to my parents or Jesse�I don�t want them to have the same end as Alex� I want them to live a full life, to be happy. And if this means that I can�t be at their sides, that�s how it�s going to be. Isabel leaves the room and Michael�s apartment. Michael, Max, Liz and Maria stare at each other. Walk on, walk on What you got they can�t steal it No they can�t even feel it Walk on, walk on... Stay safe tonight �You don�t really think that she�� Liz turns to Max. �No. No. Of course, not. One thing I know for sure is that Isabel would never leave without us.� �I�m talking about what she said�About love and �us. Do you think she�s right?� Max doesn�t know what to say. Maria holds Michael�s arms. �Michael, you do love me, don�t you?� Michael stares at her in annoyance. �Not now, Maria. I have to go after Isabel. It�s dark out there. It�s not safe to be alone in these circumstances.� Michael rushes out of the apartment leaving an angry Maria behind. ********************* �Isabel! Isabel! Iz, please. Hold on.� Michael catches up with her. You're packing a suitcase for a place none of us has been A place that has to be believed to be seen You could have flown away A singing bird in an open cage Who will only fly, only fly for freedom The moment Isabel turns to him he freezes. ############################## Michael is having another flash from his past. From their past. Rath is staring at some familiar object on his hand. He is leaning against a tree in their secret place, the same place where he found her the first time. Nearby, there�s a small fall, from where brilliant red water gushes. The four blue suns and the two red ones are disappearing on the horizon and the once pink sky is now changing their tint to a silvery one. The stars are red and the moon is beige with rings around it like Saturn. Rath senses her presence and smiles. �I�ve been waiting for you all day. I almost thought you wouldn�t come.� He stares at her. His angel. She is beautiful as always but there�s something wrong. Her eyes are not shining as they used to; there�s sorrow in them, and across her lips there isn�t that smile that illuminates more than any sunrise, any six of them. �I wouldn�t,� she whispers with grief. �What�s the problem, Lonnie?� �I�Rath�I�� the words keep getting stuck on her throat. �Wait. Before, let me give you this. It�s your birthday present. I�m sorry I couldn�t give it to you yesterday, you know�� He hands to her a medallion, the same one that Max gave to Liz. The same one Isabel found. �It�s nothing much, you know. I did it with my powers so�but I think it�ll be beautiful on you�� �Oh, Rath�It�s beautiful�and it�s more beautiful because it comes from you�But you shouldn�t have�.I�Thank you.� She is touched. �Here. Let me put on you.� Vilandra holds up her long gold hair and Rath puts it on her. Vilandra fingers it and sighs with sorrow. �Rath�� Her words come so low that he barely hears it. �I can�t do this anymore� �What? I don�t understand, Lonnie. What can�t you do?� �This. This place, you�I can�t.� �I know what you mean, I can�t stand this situation anymore either. I can�t stand not being with you. I can�t stand that I only get to see you when you come to my dreams or in these secret meetings. I miss you everyday, every second. Without you I can barely breathe and I�� �Stop!� she yells. Rath looks at her confused. �What?� �Stop, please� She is almost crying. �I can�t do what I have to do if you go on telling me these wonderful things. The things that I want, that I need to hear. Please, Rath. Oh, by the Granolith, why is this so hard?� She takes a deep breath and says the words that are breaking her own heart. �I can�t see you anymore, Rath. Never again.� Rath laughs nervously. �You�what do you mean�� �I�m sorry, Rath.� �Oh no, don�t come with this �I�m sorry Rath� with me. We�ve never needed this bullshit before. What�s really happening, Lonnie? I have the right to know.� �The Five Planets council is pressing my father. They want the Granolith. They say that they are afraid of its power and what we can do with it. But the truth is that they want the power to themselves. But my father won�t give it to them. He knows how dangerous the Granolith can be in the wrong hands. Also there are rumors of a rebellion on the South of Antar.� �So, there�s a war coming.� Vilandra nods. �I�m afraid so.� �But what does this have to do with you and me?� �The only ones that have the power to use the Granolith are the Royal Family. My family. I have this power.� �And?� �Don�t you see, Rath? Yesterday, at my party, everybody was there. The whole council was there. And what did they see? The Princess of Antar dancing with a soldier. One of the four people that has the huge power of the Granolith in her hands dancing with just a soldier. They used it against my father. They are using me against my family. Our people are talking. They are afraid. They were expecting their beloved princess to be perfect. To marry some prince or lord that would rule them and protect them, and they don�t see that person in you. The other planets are concerned because they think I�ll give to a no one the power to destroy a whole galaxy. And they would certainly kill you before this happened. And I couldn�t bear that.� Rath is looking down, frowning. Vilandra stares at him sadly. �I�m sorry. I know it�s all my fault. That day, the day you found me, I shouldn�t have looked back, I should have forgot you at that moment. I shouldn�t have met you again in this place, our secret place and I shouldn�t have dreamwalked you. But I was just a little girl, a girl that was already in love with the cute little boy that found her. A girl that lost herself, and found herself when her eyes met the beautiful chocolate eyes of the boy. A girl that couldn�t live without the boy she loved so much. He was her soul mate and his smiles were the reason for her existence.� Vilandra sighs deeply and turns to leave. Rath grabs her arm. �You can�t leave me. Not like this. I can�t lose you, Lonnie�� Her heart beats faster and faster. �Don�t make this more difficult Rath. I am Vilandra, the Princess of Antar. I have duties with my family and my people. I can�t let them down. I can�t pretend that I don�t have obligations. My happiness is far beyond my reach, but my people's happiness lies in my hands.� �And where does this leave us? Where does it leave me?� �In my heart. In my soul. Forever. But not at my side.� A single tear falls. �I love you �with all my heart and soul,� he says softly. She bursts into tears. He embraces her gently. Feeling her soft skin rubbing his. �I love you, too�so much�� she whispers into his ear. His lips meet hers full of passion, in an extraordinary and unforgettable kiss. #################### Michael blinks. Isabel is touching his wounded arm. He dodges away. �What are you doing?� "You're still hurt. Let me heal you.� �No. I mean�You're too weak now. We both are. First we helped Max with the shield and then using the stones� Max can heal me now, but again, maybe he won�t because of the whole fearless leader remark.� Michael chuckles. Isabel smiles back but focuses her attention on the wound. �Funny, your wound is in the same place my arm�� She stops. �What?� �Nothing,� she replies simply. �Iz?� He notices a change in her eyes. �It�s nothing, Michael.� �Iz. Max and I, we are not leaving Roswell.� �You both are going to regret this, Michael. And then, it'll be too late.� Isabel sighs deeply. �But if you're not going, I�m not going. Don�t worry, Michael. I would never leave you behind. Never.� Michael stares at her speechless. �Well, I have to go. There�re five messages from my mom on my telephone and four from Jesse. If we're not going to run, I have an engagement to celebrate tomorrow, I mean today, since it�s already midnight. And soon there will be a wedding. I just hope there�re no aliens on my guest list and that I live long enough to say I do.� �I�m sure you will.� �Good night, Michael.� Walk on, walk on What you've got they can't deny it Can�t sell it, can�t buy it Walk on, walk on Stay safe tonight �Wait. I�m taking you home.� �You don�t need to. I can take care of myself. And I don�t think that guy is going to come back so soon.� �I know, but I want to�� �Okay.� �Okay, then. Let�s get the bike�� ********* Iz gets off the bike. �Thanks for the ride, Michael.� �Whenever you want.� �So, I�d better go inside now. I�ll tell my mother that Max is going to stay the night at your place.� Michael nods. �Are you sure you're going to be okay?� �Yeah.� She turns to leave. And I know it aches And your heart it breaks And you can only take so much Walk on, walk on �Iz?� �What is it?� She turns back. He wants to tell her so many things. �No. Nothing.� �Oh� Good night, Michael.� �Night, Iz.� Home� hard to know what it is if you�ve never had one Home� I can�t say where it is but I know I'm going home That's where the hurt is She walks slowly to the front door but before she gets there, she looks back and runs to Michael, giving him a small peck on the cheek. �Thank you, Michael. For everything.� She runs into the house. Michael stays there looking at the house and fingers his cheek where she kissed him. What she said about love�the flashes�.her�he is beginning to understand�. why he has forgotten. I know it aches How your heart it breaks And you can only take so much Walk on, walk on Leave it behind You've got to leave it behind All that you fashion All that you make All that you build All that you break All that you measure All that you steal All this you can leave behind All that you reason ******************** In the middle of nowhere, he appears all of sudden, collapsing on the rocky ground. He is sweating and bleeding� his messy blonde hair is falling into his eyes. Maybe a direct confrontation with his cousin was not a good idea, after all. But he wasn�t really given another choice. Otherwise, he would kill them�he would kill him� Lying down, he gazes at the stars. It�s all so different here�he closes his eyes and hopes she is okay but stops himself, she isn�t there, not yet. She is here, they all are... Raising his hand, he stares at it and a blue energy glows. He clenches it firmly and gets up. He can�t rest now. He has to go back to Roswell. There�s too much at risk. And he won�t let anyone change their destiny. |