Disclaimer:
These characters do not belong to me, but to the writers and producers
of Roswell
Spoilers:
After Chant Down Babylon, changes happening where Max is successfully
rescued, and Michael was the one who broke up with Maria.
Pairings: You’ll have to wait and see!
Pronunciation Guide: Kedra (Ke – drah)
Kedrans
(Ke – drahns)
Kedar
(Ke – dar)
Iturians
(I – tur – rians)
Fadila (Fa –
dee – la)
Alaric (Ah – lair – ic)
Andaria (An – dar – ia)
Radim
(Ra – deem)
Hakan
(Ha – kahn)
Muna
(Mew – na)
Steren
(St- air – en)
Pilan (Pi – lahn)
Saren Dari (S - air – ren Dahr – ee)
Barak
(B - air – rack)
Riazia
(Ree – ah – zee – a)
Author’s notes: Queen Fadilia
Kedar: Max/Isabel’s mother
King
Alaric Kedar: Max/Isabel’s father
Andaria: Tess’ mother
Radim:
Tess’ father
Kedrans: race from which Royal Four descended
Iturians: race from which Khivar descended, and
overthrew and killed Zan and the Kedrans
***
Marriage is three parts love and seven
parts forgiveness of sins.
-
Mitchell Langdon
***
Everyone except their mother and father was on edge, as they
sat down at the Evans’ dinner table.
Mrs. Evans had prepared a feast of Max’s favorite foods. There were mashed potatoes, chicken
jambalaya, corn and sweet peas, and a nice fresh green salad. And she didn’t even forget the Tabasco
sauce. Isabel mumbled some lame apology
for being late and why they hadn’t seen Jesse last night or early this
morning. Mrs. Evans seemed to accept
it, though Isabel could tell from the pensive look on her father’s face, that
he didn’t quite believe her.
“Jesse, you aren’t eating much,” Mrs. Evans noted, handing
the bowl of mashed potatoes around the table for the umpteenth time. “Are you not feeling well? You look like you have something on your
mind?”
Isabel glanced furtively at Jesse, hoping he wouldn’t crack
under the pressure. Jesse silently
shook his head, unable to reply verbally.
His dark curly brown hair was matted, and he looked a little pale, but
Max had healed him before they stepped into the Evans’ house. Michael had lent him his t-shirt because
Jesse’s had been torn after the FBI had worked him over. Her parents had eyed him strangely, but said
nothing. Jesse quickly changed into
something more his style.
“Mom,” Isabel flashed a smile, tucking a stray lock of hair
behind her ear. “He’s just tired. The case he’s been working on has him doing
overtime and he’s just not sleeping, right honey?” She smiled brightly at Jesse, running her hand through his
hair. The lump in her throat grew as
Jesse’s dark brown eyes looked into hers uncertainly, and then darted to Mrs.
Evans, smiling half-heartedly.
“Yeah. I guess so,” he smiled.
Isabel let her hand drop from the back of his neck, where
she had let it rest. She glanced at
Jesse before turning back to the massive plate of food her mother had served
out. How were they going to pull this
off? Isabel felt like she wasn’t in her
own skin.
“Thanks for dinner,” Max said, as he smiled at his mother.
“So tell me what happened?” Mr. Evans said as he took
another bite of chicken. “Max, you were
gone for weeks. I can’t imagine how it
happened at all. How did they take you
without the cameras picking it up?”
Max became somber and paused for a moment, thinking of a
reasonable answer to his question. “Look
Dad,” Max began hesitantly. “I didn’t
know where I was all right?” It was the
truth. As much as he could, Max
described the confusion and fear he felt while in that state of
unawareness. “I was scared and all I
thought about was how to get out and back to my life here,” he whispered,
reliving the tumultuous emotions which had raged inside him.
“Max, that’s okay,” Mrs. Evans soothed, reaching out and
clutching his hand. “Philip! Will you stop grilling our son? We just got him back. We’ve got plenty of time to find out what
happened. Especially, since this is his
first night back.”
Mr. Evans furrowed his brow and lowered his head. He nodded and sighed. “You’re right,” he apologized. “I’m sorry.
I can’t imagine how hard this is for you Son.”
Max tried to smile, but a part of him felt a twinge of
guilt, when his father felt ashamed for questioning him. It was he, who should have been
apologizing. Max didn’t quite understand
how Isabel had felt when she pleaded to tell their mother the truth, but now,
looking at his father’s clouded face, and the light that returned to it when he
accepted his apology, Max understood the weight of the lies now more than ever.
“You’re being awfully quiet tonight too, Isabel?” Mrs. Evans frowned, concern etched on her
face. “Is something wrong? I thought you would be ecstatic to have Max
back. Did something happen to day to
change that?”
“I’m fine Mom,” Isabel protested, smiling
half-heartedly. “I’m just tired. It’s been a long week.”
“I’m sure you are.
It’s a wonder you didn’t sleep the day away,” Mrs. Evans exclaimed
happily. “You, Michael, and Jesse
l have been pulling so many late nights.”
Isabel looked at Max, who managed to keep an interested expression on
his face, rather than one of agitation.
“You should have seen them Max.
No one could tell them no! And
Jesse was so willing to pitch in…”
Max couldn’t stop himself from rolling his eyes at his
mother’s enthusiasm over Jesse’s effort to find him. Ha. Suddenly he
could feel a sharp dull pain in his left shin.
Max looked up and saw Isabel glaring at him. He glanced over at both his parents, who seemed quite oblivious
to the little dig at his brother-in-law, but nonetheless, Isabel’s swift kick
brought him back to the present. His
mother was still rambling on about how Isabel kept a vigilant search out for
him every night.
“…so Max it’s your sister you should thank. Isabel looked for you day and night since she came back from New York. In fact, she was the one reason me and your father didn’t give up hope about finding you,” Mrs. Evans whispered. Unexpectedly Mrs. Evans stopped her happy chatter and pressed her fingers to her lips, pausing in a wave of emotion. A few tears slid slowly down her cheek, as she rolled her eyes at her own foolish sentiment. Her eyes fell upon Isabel whose face had flushed at the praise.
“Mom I had nothing to do with finding Max,” Isabel awkwardly
blushed. “It was a happen-stance
that we found him.” She glanced
nervously over at Maxwell.
“I’m telling you that Someone up above was watching
over you Max,” Mrs. Evans chided. “He
must have heard my prayers because you’re sitting here with me now.” His mother grinned like a Cheshire cat.
“I don’t know about that,” Max said slowly. Someone up above? “It was luck that I survived. I thought I was lost when Isabel found
me.” Max looked at Isabel, knowing that
both he, Jesse and Isabel knew it was Tess, who granted him a second
chance. So up above? She was half right.
“Well whatever or whoever, you believe brought you
back to us, performed a miracle!” Mr.
Evans declared firmly. “I mean you came
back with hardly any scratches. In
fact, now that I look at you, you look better than when you went missing.” Their father seemed to wait patiently for an
answer, knowing he had said something deserving an explanation.
Max swallowed uneasily, a portion of potatoes he had just
bit into, lingered in his mouth. He
plastered on a smile, hoping it would cover his discomfort at the
observation. His mind was working over
time to remember what he had told them and churned, trying to think of reasons
to explain away his unexpected return.
“Uh, well, like I said…” Max
looked down at his plate of cooling food.
“The kidnappers gave me drugs and didn’t mistreat me. I guess that’s why I never got worse, but
why? Well I guess they thought that
they’d get more out me that way.”
“But get what out of you?” Mr. Evans asked curiously.
Max shook his head, feigning bewilderment at the
question. “I don’t know. I was out of it most of the time because of
the sickness and then the drugs,” he lied.
“Well I’m just happy he’s home, Mrs. Evans chirped, taking a
bite of her chicken.
“You and me both,” Max sighed, glad to change the subject.
“Here, here!” Mr. Evans laughed, raising a flute of
champagne, he had picked up from work for tonight’s celebration. “Why don’t you make a toast Diane?”
The older petite blonde smiled demurely and nodded while
raising her flute also. “All right,”
she replied excitedly. Mrs. Evans
looked over at Max and smiled. “To
Max. Like the saying goes, ‘God doesn’t
give us more than we can bear’. And so,
I just want to toast to the things that remind us how special and important we
are to one another, and show us just how much we are willing to do for
those we love.” As she emphasized the
word ‘do’, Mrs. Evans glanced over at Isabel, who felt the blood rush to her
face.
As the crystal flutes sang in a song-like chime, Isabel
couldn’t push the lump that had grown in her throat, down. She could feel Jesse’s eyes pleading with
her, but she couldn’t bring herself to look at him. Her mother’s toast stung as she once again was reminded of how
much he had hurt her. This man, who had
claimed to love her, had betrayed her family.
Not just her, but Max, Michael, and even Tess. How could she forgive him for something like that?
~~~
Isabel helped her mother put away the dishes while Jesse and
her father went to his office to discuss business. Max had retired earlier.
She jumped at the chance to help her mother. Isabel hoped that Jesse would be asleep by the time she and her
mother had finished up and talked a bit.
As Isabel reached up on her tiptoes to carefully put the
crystal flutes away in the china cabinet, her mother inquired, “What is going
on with you and Jesse?”
Isabel froze. Could
her mother have picked up on the tension?
She swallowed hard and plastered a bright smile on her face. “What do you mean?” Isabel asked
casually.
“Don’t lie to me Isabel,” Mrs. Evans chided. “You were never good at it.”
Isabel stopped herself from letting out a cry of frustration. She wished her mother knew her that well. You don’t know how good a liar I am!
When Isabel had taken a few deep breaths, she turned around and looked at her mother. “What are you talking about?” she asked, feigning bewilderment. In all of the years she had known that she was an alien, Isabel had learned to let others talk first, before opening her mouth.
“You and Jesse are having…problems, aren’t you?” Her mother whispered in a hushed tone as if to say it any louder would inform the entire world.
“Mom!” Isabel said exasperated. “Don’t start with this!” Isabel wasn’t worried about the lies anymore; she was too irritated that her mother decided to critique her again. It had been a while since her mother had said anything negative about Jesse and her relationship. Isabel knew she couldn’t wait for it to fail; she expected it.
“Isabel,” Mrs. Evans said soothingly, as if talking with a five year old. “I’m not trying to butt in where I don’t belong, but everyone noticed the tension between you and Jesse tonight.”
Isabel frowned. “Oh really? And why didn’t I hear about it then?”
Mrs. Evans sighed and seemed to search for the right words to calm her daughter. “I’m sure everyone just thought it was nothing, but I know better. I am your mother.”
“Stop pretending you know all about my life!” Isabel whispered angrily. “You don’t know anything about my life with Jesse!”
“Well I’ve noticed enough, to realize that you were unhappy when you got here and it wasn’t because of Max!”
Isabel closed her eyes and swallowed. She had thought she covered it well - obviously not. “Look Mom, we’re just having a disagreement.”
Mrs. Evans shook her head unable to believe the lie. “It’s more than that Isabel. I’ve noticed it ever since Jesse came home to be with you,” she said disturbed. “You and Jesse haven’t spent any time together and when you have, it was to look for Max. You’ve spent more time with Michael than you have your own husband.”
“So we’re not glued at the hips, what has that got to do with anything?” Isabel busied herself with the remaining dishes. “I told you that we haven’t been seeing ‘eye to eye’ on things. It doesn’t mean that we’re ready to sign divorce papers!” she exclaimed firmly. Isabel was growing tired of this conversation.
Her mother seemed to ignore her plea to butt out. “Is it because of Michael? Is Jesse upset about the time you’ve been spending with Michael?”
Isabel’s eyes widened in astonishment at the suggestion. Where had that come from? Michael? “What are you talking about Mom? No!” Isabel exclaimed, still stunned at her mother’s presumptuous question. “What are you thinking? This has nothing to do with Michael.”
Mrs. Evans’ eyes narrowed, looking at Isabel in complete scrutiny. She sighed and threw up her hands. “If it’s not that, then I don’t know,” Mrs. Evans mumbled. “Why are you guys fighting? Does it have something to do with what happened months ago? When Jesse left for a while?”
Isabel lowered her eyes and bit her lip, running her fingers through her short hair. It took everything Isabel had to keep herself from breaking out into tears. Her mother had always been there to support her. Isabel could always turn to her and tell her all the worries, stresses, and frustrations that built up inside. But this time, and for the past few years, when everything seemed to get jumbled with Max’s healing of Liz, it became different. Isabel knew that if she began to pour out her feelings, she would blurt out everything. How could she explain Jesse’s betrayal without explaining the rest?
The answer: She
couldn’t.
“Can we not do this?” Isabel asked in a hushed voice, looking over her shoulder, praying her father wouldn’t walk in on them.
“Isabel if it’s as bad as I think it is,” Mrs. Evans replied calmly, placing her hands on Isabel’s shoulders,” then no. You and Jesse were acting like strangers tonight. You couldn’t even put your arm around him without cringing.”
“I wasn’t…”
Isabel began to protest, but Mrs. Evans shook her head and wouldn’t listen. “When you got home I thought you were distracted by Max, but it was something else. You didn’t seem to have a problem leaving Jesse back in New York,” she said slowly, as if wading through the evidence of her sham of a marriage. “And even when he came home you didn’t stop disappearing for whole days, leaving Jesse here with us to wonder what was going on.”
The words hit her like a sledgehammer, pounding home all of her mistakes. Maybe it was her fault? Maybe she gave Jesse enough reason to worry and all he was trying to do was control the only things he could?
“Isabel, what’s going on in that head of yours?” Mrs. Evans cupped her face, forcing Isabel to look into her mother’s eyes, which seemed to look right through her.
“Mom,” Isabel said choking on the tears, which had begun to fall. How could she explain her feelings when she, herself, had no idea what to think? “I don’t know.”
“Jesse and I are having some problems, but you need to stay out of it! I’m hanging on by a straw as it is, and I can’t handle your ‘I told you so’s’ on top of it. So would you please just stay out of it?” Isabel turned and ran out of the kitchen, unable to fumble her way through her mother’s probing questions, all the while wanting to curl up into a ball and die.
~~~
His mind raced with a million ideas on how to explain himself and his betrayal. Betrayal. That was what it was. As he listened to Mr. Evans ramble on about a client, Jesse’s thoughts drifted to Isabel and the way she fell into Michael’s arms. How could he have been so stupid? Even now he couldn’t justify what he’d done to Michael, Max and Tess, let alone Isabel. What seemed right at the time, now showed itself to be the stupidest thing he had ever done. And the consequences now bore its ugly teeth. He was going to pay for the web of untold secrets and lies with his marriage.
~~~
Kyle was out for his evening run when he passed the Evans’ house. It was late, and people were tucked safely in their beds. He’d always liked to run during this time of night because he could think in the quietness. No one would be in their yard or biking down the street, so he’d have to stop and wave or make inane chatter. But tonight the unexpected happened; someone was up, and they were crying.
As he slowed down, by the park bench, Kyle squinted, trying to pierce the darkness, and find the source of the soft whimpers. Tentatively, Kyle stepped off the beaten path and took a few cautious steps towards the shadowed figure. “Hello?” he called softly, not wanting to scare the person. The cries stopped immediately and the figure stood up. She was tall. He could tell it was a woman by the curves of the figure and also by her soft cries.
“Go away,” she sniffled, turning her back on him.
Kyle inched forward. Her voice sounded familiar. “Isabel?” She didn’t answer. Kyle moved closer, until he could see her brunette hair and the several crumpled used tissues lying at her feet. “Are you all right?” he asked concernedly.
She turned around, and Kyle was able to see her wet face in the moonlight. “Just go away,” Isabel mumbled, wiping the tears, which sparkled in the moonlight with the back of her hand.
Kyle shook his head. “What happened? Did something happen to Max?”
Isabel shook her head and laughed. “To think that used to be my biggest problem,” she laughed skeptically.
He didn’t know what she meant. Studying her face, something major was upsetting her and Kyle was so out of the loop that he couldn’t even possibly guess who or what it was that was making Isabel cry. Kyle swallowed hard and nervously pulled Isabel into his arms. He hoped this would help.
~~~
Her body tensed at the human touch. Kyle didn’t even know what was wrong. He didn’t know the extent of the betrayal she was feeling and yet his strong arms filled her with comfort. The first thought she had, as she ran out of the house, was to go to Michael. He would listen. He knew exactly what was wrong. But when her mother subtly hinted at the idea that she and Michael were…well, she couldn’t even bear to think about it. How could her mother have thought that? Well, after that, she couldn’t possibly go to Michael.
And so as her thoughts hounded her, Isabel found herself alone, sitting in the park, with a pocket full of tissues – until Kyle came along. Isabel pulled out of his warm embrace and as she stared up into his concerned gaze, she smiled. “Thank you,” she whispered.
Kyle backed away and shrugged. “It was nothing,” he said, the thin line of his lips curling into his signature grin. “I can’t help but rescue a damsel in distress.”
Isabel rolled her eyes, pulling out her last tissue from her pocket. “Well, I’m no damsel in distress, but I know what you mean.” She was glad it was Kyle who stumbled across her in the park. Isabel didn’t know if she could have withstood the prying questions of a neighbor or stranger, who would ask many questions. She let out a deep breath, running her fingers through her hair. “I must look awful?” she chuckled, running the tip of her index finger along the bottom of her eyelid.
Kyle was a gentleman. “No way! You look amazing, even when you have mascara running down your cheeks,” he quipped.
Isabel hit him playfully on the shoulder. “You’re such a flirt!”
Kyle widened his eyes, as if stunned at the accusation. “What are you talking about?”
She laughed. He managed to get her thoughts off of Jesse and her mother’s accusations. “You’re such a dork,” Isabel lamented, blowing her nose into the linty tissue.
“I try,” Kyle smirked, sticking out his tongue. “Now how about telling Uncle Kyle all about it?”
Isabel lowered her eyes, and shook her head. How was she supposed to explain it? She began to walk towards the man-made trail that ran through the park. “I don’t know that I can,” she said exasperatedly. “It doesn’t make sense, even to me.”
Kyle frowned. “It can’t be that bad, can it?”
Isabel turned her head sideways and stopped, gazing steadily at Kyle. “Jesse told the FBI all about us,” she said calmly and controlled. Kyle’s eyes never wavered from hers. Isabel finally looked away, closing her eyes as the words echoed in her head, and began walking again. “I told you it was bad,” Isabel said morosely.
She heard the damp footsteps rustle against the grass, as Kyle ran to catch up with her. “How do you know?” he asked.
Once again, Isabel stopped and looked at Kyle, who seemed confused at the idea. “He told me,” she stated flatly.
“Well it doesn’t sound like him,” Kyle challenged. “It doesn’t make any sense.”
Isabel shook her head and began walking home. It was getting late and she didn’t want to talk about it with Kyle. He didn’t even want to believe her. “I gotta go,” she whispered. She walked away from Kyle, but his hand shot out and grabbed her. “Wait,” he exclaimed.
Isabel turned around sharply. “What?” Isabel cried, pulling her arms out from his grasp. “What don’t you understand?”
“Jesse found out what I was and got scared. He went to the FBI and asked them to find out about Michael, Max and I. And then, in the process of telling them about us, got kidnapped. What’s so complicated about that? Except that he tells me he just wanted to keep me safe and that he loves me, and he’s sorry!”
Isabel smiled ironically and shook her head. How could she ever think that loving someone would be peaches and cream? So far all it ever brought her was heartache: First, with Alex’s death and now Jesse’s betrayal.
“Look, I know how you feel,” Kyle whispered softly.
Isabel narrowed her eyes and scoffed. “How could you possibly know how I feel?”
Kyle became quiet and lifted his eyes that had been staring at the pavement, which was lighted by a nearby streetlamp. “Tess.”
Isabel swallowed. She had put her foot in that one. Isabel reached out and took his hand. “I’m sorry,” she choked out. “I didn’t mean…I mean, I forgot…”
Kyle nodded. “It’s okay,” he said somberly. “A lot of people forget that Tess lived with us and became a part of our family.”
Isabel felt horrible. She knew that both Valenti and Kyle had been hurt deeply by Tess’ betrayal, and use of them, especially Kyle, though he wouldn’t admit it. And now she had made it seem that her betrayal had hurt more deeply than his. She was running 0 for 1 tonight. “God Kyle, I’m sorry. It’s just…well, it’s just different.”
“What’s so different?” Kyle asked curtly. “You fell in love with Jesse; my Dad and I fell in love with Tess, though in our case it was more platonic.”
“She made us trust her. Tess pretended that she cared about us and that we were insane to be scared of her. And in your case, Jesse promised to love, honor and cherish you. But he was pretending too.”
Isabel stared at Kyle. He seemed so emotionless when talking about it. It wasn’t so clear-cut. Well it wasn’t in Jesse’s case anyway. “But I lied to him first,” Isabel hesitated. “He was just reacting to my betrayal.”
Kyle frowned. “And so that gives him the right to go behind your back and report your family to the FBI?”
“No!” Isabel exclaimed. “He wasn’t reporting us to them. He was just…he wanted to find out who was hunting us.”
She couldn’t believe that she was defending the jerk. Even now, her feelings for him, made her defensive of her husband. Isabel didn’t know if was right, but it was instinct.
“Whatever,” Kyle retorted tiredly.
Suddenly there was a quick shuffling of footsteps a little ways off. “Isabel?” the familiar voice called.
~ * ~
“Max?” Isabel answered.
Then out of the dark shadows Isabel watched her brother jogging towards her. “Where have you been?” he huffed.
Isabel looked at Kyle, who seemed to be studying Max, and shrugged. “I just needed some air.”
His brow furrowed in skepticism. “Mom told me you went running out of the kitchen after a ‘little’ talk.”
She slowly nodded. “Yes, but I’m fine now,” Isabel lied. “I just needed to think. I couldn’t do it in the house. It was suffocating me.”
“Wow, for a guy who is supposed to be dead, you sure look good!” Kyle exclaimed distractedly.
Max glanced briefly at Kyle and nodded. “Thanks, I think,” he replied hesitantly. “It’s good to see you too.” Kyle nodded, with a grin on his face.
“You know Liz was completely worried about you,” Kyle said seriously.
Isabel watched as Max became restless and irritated by the comment. “Let’s get going,” she said quickly, hoping to distract Max. But Max was too focused on Kyle, who also seemed a little edgy. “And what do you mean by that?” Max asked darkly.
Kyle’s eyes remained on Max as he shrugged casually. “I just mean, I had to comfort her when Isabel and Michael told her that it was her fault that you were in the condition that you were.”
Max turned around and stared at Isabel. “What does he mean by that?”
Isabel swallowed. “I…” The words wouldn’t come. They hadn’t told him about that yet. There had been so much going on, that Isabel had neglected to explain to Max that sleeping with Liz was what caused his illness. She thought Max would eventually understand, but by the expression on his face, there was no way that Max would believe that Liz was the cause, and would remain a serious threat to his health if he ever slept with her again.
“What I mean is that they accused Liz on the word of Tess,” he said the name as if it were mud in his mouth, “that Liz almost killed you, when you slept with her.”
Max turned around and looked at Kyle, hoping to see that he was just joking. Kyle’s face remained stoic. He wasn’t joking. “What is he talking about Isabel?” Max exclaimed irritably. He hadn’t received an explanation, but he assumed that Michael and Isabel just had other things on their mind. Now he was hearing from Kyle that Liz was the reason his life was in danger? It wasn’t possible. “Tell me!” he demanded.
Isabel lowered her eyes, allowing her long lashes to hide her saddened eyes. She swallowed. “I’m sorry Max. It’s true,” Isabel admitted. “Liz is the reason why you almost died.”
Max was in shock. When he came out in search of his sister, Max thought she was in need of someone to talk to. He thought she needed a shoulder to cry on. But now, it seemed, he was the one in need of comfort, because he obviously had no idea what the hell was going on.
~~~
“Nice to see you’ve decided to come home,” Maria said sarcastically as Michael and Tess entered the apartment.
Michael and Tess were startled. He had no idea that Maria and Liz would be waiting for them at his apartment. “W–w-what are you doing here?” he managed to stammer.
“The better question is why were you out with this tramp?” Maria sneered at Tess, who glared back coldly at her judge and jury.
“I believe he asked you a question first,” Tess declared. She wasn’t in the mood for their antics. That afternoon had felt right and to return to Michael’s apartment without decompressing after the stressful situation grated on her nerves. How many times would she have to make nice with them? They had no respect for her and she had had enough.
There was silence in the small apartment. Michael could have used a heater to melt the ice from the hormonal women’s glares. He sighed and shook his head. He was tired and couldn’t handle a catfight. “C’mon guys!” Michael stepped in between the two blondes before anything started. “Look,” he answered wearily. “There were things we had to take care of.”
“And what kind of things would that be?” Liz asked haughtily. Michael looked over Maria’s tousled blonde locks to see Liz standing behind her unassumingly.
“How is it any of your business?” Tess asked. Liz was getting a little self-righteous, even if she had proved her to be a ‘murderess’.
“Because we are in this together. No matter how much you would like us to disappear,” Liz spat. “And I’ll protect Max, Michael and Isabel from you and your alien voodoo if I have to. Even if you did save Max’s life.”
“You and what ‘Spice Girl’?” Tess retorted, moving towards Liz. Michael threw her a warning glare, but Tess ignored it. She was tired of playing the nice polite repentant whipping girl. They had no idea what she had been through and to have to take their ignorant accusations once more, with a smile and ‘thank you’; well, she had enough.
Tess burned with anger and hoped they would try to start something. They would learn that when they played with fire, she would most definitely burn them. She smirked, studying the fragile brunette that Max would always end up ‘protecting’. ‘How precious?’ she thought glibly.
Maria stepped in front of her while Michael had moved towards Liz, to stop her from antagonizing an already incensed Tess. “Just try it, and you’ll regret the day you stepped foot in Roswell,” Maria threatened.
Tess couldn’t help but crack a smile, which made her lose focus and the anger that had almost come to a boiling point. After taking a deep breath, she realized how pointless it was to bother herself with them. She cocked her left eyebrow in disbelief. “You’ve got to be kidding me?” Tess smirked, folding her arms across her chest and leaning forward, into Maria’s space. They were only a few millimeters apart. “Don’t try playing with me,” she said enigmatically.
Michael watched the rising stakes, as Maria refused to back down, while Tess looked quite amused at the prospect of seeing Maria in action. He didn’t want to use his powers against Tess, but he knew she could kill Maria on a whim if she had it in her mind to do it. And though she had proved herself trustworthy for the moment, Michael was reminded of why they had sent her to Antar. “Stop it!” Michael commanded. He squeezed Liz’s shoulder, urging her to stay where she was until he had dealt with the mounting tension between Tess and Maria.
As he stepped in between the two women, he took his time looking at each one of them. “Hey,” Michael barked. “We’re not doing this!” Michael pulled Maria aside and looked sternly at her, wresting her gaze from Tess. “What has gotten into the two of you?”
“We’re dealing with an unresolved issue,” Liz declared somberly. Michael watched in horror as Liz raised her hand towards Tess, as she stepped towards Liz, and released a bluish green blast of energy.
“Uhhh,” Tess grunted, as she fell onto the carpet. She hadn’t been prepared for the blast and she hadn’t had enough time to block the attack. As she lay there, her body felt heavy and numb.
“Tess!” Michael cried frantically, dropping to the floor. “Are you all right?”
As she blinked a couple of times, Michael’s face came into view. “Oh,” was all she managed to say.
“What the heck do you think you’re doing?” Michael exclaimed as he helped Tess sit up. He never expected Liz to hit her like that. In fact, he had no idea that she had powers like that at all.
~ * ~
Liz stared blankly at Michael and Tess. She was stunned. Had she really blasted Tess? Liz knew she wouldn’t be killed from the blast, she wasn’t that powerful; but the fact that she had done it…it had been a surprise even to her. She didn’t even hesitate. And it frightened her, because that short rush of power almost excited her. As she stared numbly at the stunned blonde, Liz hardened, knowing that she deserved at least that much for what she did to Alex.
“All right!” Maria clapped gleefully, nodding her head in approval. “Girl power!”
“All right?” Michael repeated mournfully. He would usually be the first one to agree that Tess deserved it, but somehow it seemed unnatural and wrong.
Liz frowned and suddenly snapped out of the hazy trance she had fallen into. She stared at Tess, who sat disoriented on the floor. “Is she hurt bad?” The question seemed twisted in a way, since she had been the one to put her in the state she was in.
Michael’s brow creased and swung Tess’ arm around his neck, helping her to the couch. “What do you think?” he growled.
“Oh, don’t look at Liz like that,” Maria exclaimed irritably at Michael. “As if she wouldn’t have done the same thing if given the chance. Liz just beat her to the punch.
Michael looked at Tess and then at Maria and Liz, who had moved closer together, as if in a united front. He didn’t know what might have happened, though it definitely could have happened like Maria had described. But when he glanced down at Tess, who seemed to be coming around, Michael looked up at the duo. “But it didn’t, did it?” Michael replied gravely. “Look, I think you should just go now.”
“Go?” Maria exclaimed. “Like we’re going to…” Suddenly Liz interrupted Maria’s rant. “I think he’s right Maria,” she whispered, still in a daze.
“What?” Maria looked at Liz in bewilderment.
“We need to go,” Liz repeated calmly. She kept her eyes on Maria, until the blonde firecracker seemed to acquiesce, her body beginning to lean back towards the door. “Please,” she pleaded. She needed to get out of there. What had happened that night freaked her out! What was she doing? It didn’t seem like her anymore.
~~~
Andaria paced back and forth in the hidden chambers of Tel Edrei. She waited anxiously for a reply from Muna. She peered ever so often, outside into the meticulously kept garden through the translucent wall, which was obscured from the outside by what appeared to be a wall of ‘Wandering Riazia’, a delicate flower that clings to moist clay walls. It was an illusion, a realistic image, enough to hide the open view from inside the illustrious mansion. Andaria’s thoughts were divided between the goings on in Antar and her daughter.
It was the fourth day of Tess’ return to Earth. Part of her was afraid that she would remain. But Andaria knew deep in her heart that she would never do that to Antar and their people. It was Max, whom Andaria was becoming more and more apprehensive about. Though she knew in time that Max would realize his true place on the throne of Antar, there wasn’t time.
General Steren had informed her that night that a quarter of Khivar’s forces had moved out of the palace and headed east towards the Saren Dari, a remote desert plain in Antar. His concerns were voiced over an intercepted message sent earlier that day from one of Khivar’s army generals. It had read: All has been prepared. Saren Dari is prepared for Pilan. Your servants await.
Steren was sure that this involved Khivar’s quiet musings of late. He hadn’t been so obvious as in his previous raids and attacks on the other worlds, which made Steren think that Khivar’s mind was occupied somewhere else. Though neither of them had any idea what Pilan was. There was no place named Pilan on their maps, recorded on their star charts, and on any other known world to them. They suspected it to be a person, but found no such Antarian or other race in their databases.
This is what had drove her from her grandson, who was now under Barak’s, a loyal friend and spy in Khivar’s house, watchful eye, as she turned her attention to this matter. “Medgio,” Andaria called, turning around to find her stoic servant standing in front of her, attentive to her needs.
“Yes Madam.”
As she clasped her hands together, Andaria slowly began toward the communications room, with Medgio following a respectable pace behind her. “I want you to inquire as to the whereabouts of our comlink with Muna. They have not responded and time is running short I fear,” Andaria commanded urgently. “General Steren and I have just received word that Khivar has begun to move. We need to accelerate the time frame of our counterstrike.”
“But Madam,” Medgio hesitated, as they entered the dark communication room of Andaria’s base of operations.
“What is it?” Andaria asked distractedly, as she began to enter in the coordinates of Earth. She would inform Tess and the other three about the urgency of their return.
“How will the Royal Four return?”
Andaria finished entering the coordinates and looked up curiously at her faithful servant. “Has Major Hammon not informed you? The Sleeper shall soon awaken. And he will ensure our mission to return the rightful heir of Antar to his throne, will be a success.”