Part 60

The shapeshifter was brought to the presence chamber. It was the first time Kate had seen the being, who was Grant Sorenson on Earth, conscious in this reality. He had a collar around his neck, but, other than a guard behind him, he was unfettered.

They were all there. Jack and Tess were seated at the table, Michael standing behind Tess�s chair. Kate had chosen a couch behind where Will stood at the head of the table, so that she could watch the shapeshifter�s face while he was interrogated. He was still wearing Will�s (or, rather, Khivar�s) face, and Kate felt Isabel flinch beside her. She glanced at her friend, and could see from the expression on the other girl�s face that she wasn�t quite as comfortable with this scenario as she had told Will she would be.

"Why does he still look like that?" Isabel asked Kate in an undertone. "Can�t we make him shift?"

"I thought you were okay with this," Kate whispered back.

"I thought I was," Isabel replied. "I guess I just didn�t expect him to still look like Khivar." She swallowed visibly. "I didn�t like how I felt with him. I don�t like being out of control like that. Why hasn�t he changed?"

Kate reached out and patted Isabel�s hand, which sat between them. "He can�t touch you." She paused, then added, "And you know he won�t hurt you. He loves you."

"That doesn�t make me feel any better," Isabel whispered.

Kate shot her a sympathetic look, but returned her attention to the shapeshifter. After all, Isabel had chosen to be in the room. They all had. No one wanted to miss anything that this enemy might reveal.

The shapeshifter - Kate would think of him as Grant from now on because it was just easiest - reached up and touched the collar around his neck. He was looking at Isabel, but he addressed Will. "Can you take this off me? I think that I should shift. The princess seems uncomfortable."

"No," Will replied firmly. He glanced at Isabel too. "I�m sorry, but that collar is there for a reason. He can�t be trusted with it off. It keeps him from shapeshifting."

"It doesn�t seem very smart for him to look like you," Michael commented. "What if he gets free or something? It could really mess things up."

"I�m not going anywhere," Grant interjected. "You have brought me here for a reason, and I�m going to honour that." He was no longer looking at Isabel. "It�s the least I can do."

"Very well," Will sighed. He nodded at the guard standing behind Grant, who touched his belt. The collar stopped glowing.

Grant immediately raised his hand. It burned brightly for a moment, making Kate look away. When she looked back, the shapeshifter had taken on another alien form. She wondered if Isabel was seeing him as Grant Sorenson, or had he taken a new face in his human form?

She glanced at Isabel, whose lips were now pressed together. "Thank you," she said curtly.

"Why am I here?" Grant asked, after several tense moments of silence.

"Because you impersonated me," Will snapped. "You dallied with Princess Vilandra�s heart. You are going to be punished for it."

The shapeshifter frowned. "That�s not what I meant," he said. "I want to know why you�ve brought me into the granolith. What�s going on in here?"

Kate blinked in surprise. "Wait a minute," she said, before she thought better of it. "How do you know about the granolith?"

Grant looked at her, seemingly surprised. "Everything. As far as I know we�re in it," he replied. "None of you came back out. I�m not in the pod chamber anymore, so obviously I�m in it with you." He glanced around, expressionless. "Oddly, on a star-ship," he added. "Again, what is going on in here?"

Kate looked at Will, who seemed just as surprised as Grant. "I don�t get it," he finally admitted. "You�ve already been to Earth?"

"Of course," Grant replied. "Haven�t you?" He abruptly looked wary.

"Well, we assumed that in this world, no," Michael said, sounding annoyed. "Although we all remember who we are on Earth." He rolled his eyes. "Okay, what the hell? Is any of this ever going to make sense? What the hell are we all doing here anyway?"

There was another long silence, then Grant asked, "Don�t you all know yet?"

"Don�t you?" Tess demanded.

"I don�t know anything," Grant admitted. "It was Serena who wanted you all in here."

"Why are you here though?" Isabel asked quietly.

Grant shrugged. "I�m assuming because you needed me."

"I don�t get it," Michael admitted. Kate reflected that she was in complete agreement with him. She didn�t understand any of this.

"Okay, we need to figure this out," Isabel said. "If we�re not here to change things, and if Grant got pulled in here for some reason, why are we here?"

"I think the main question is, where is here anyway?" Jack spoke up for the first time, sounding aggravated. He looked at Kate. "Katie, I think it�s time for you to tell what you think you know."

Everyone turned to look at her. Kate sighed. "I might be wrong," she protested.

"Who cares?" Michael exclaimed. "Any theory is better than nothing at this point."

"Okay," Kate conceded. She paused, glancing at Will, then explained, "I think we�re here to learn things about ourselves. And until we accept them, we can�t go back."

"I thought we already did that," Michael said. "When we brought you back."

"Maybe," Kate said. "But I guess there was more."

"Well, I know all I need to know," Michael stated. "I hate it here. The end."

"See, I think that�s part of it," Kate elaborated, smiling in spite of herself. Michael�s reactions were always so extreme. It was a characteristic about him she was beginning to enjoy. "I think we all need to figure out where we belong." She paused, then decided just to say it all. It was going to come out anyway. "I think there�s a reason that some of us are seeing everyone as humans, and some of us aren�t. I think that the granolith is helping us to understand where we belong."

"Is that all this is?" Isabel asked, sounding frustrated. She waved her hand in the air. "Some elaborate dream?"

"I don�t know," Kate replied. "I really don�t. But I think we�re being allowed to experience what it will be like back home. If we go, I mean. So that we know."

"But why is he here?" Tess asked, nodding towards Grant. "Shouldn�t he know?"

"Maybe the granolith is just playing along with us?" Jack suggested. "When we thought that we were reliving things, we did some things differently. We were trying to fix things." He looked at Michael. "When you went to interfere with the shapeshifter seducing Vilandra, you changed things. You brought him into the story at a point the granolith wasn�t expecting, so it had to go get him."

"That actually makes sense," Isabel said. "When I was living as Vilandra, I knew how I felt about who I thought was Khivar, but I never actually saw him here."

"I still don�t get it," Tess admitted.

"I think what Jack is trying to say is that Grant�s essence isn�t in here. So the granolith had to go get him when we needed him to play a role in what we were doing."

"So he isn�t on Earth anymore?" Tess asked.

"Who knows?" Grant said. "I guess we won�t know anything until we get out of here."

"What I don�t get is why we�re still here," Michael interjected. "Whether we�ve admitted it or not, I think we all know where we belong. I belong on Earth with Maria." He looked around challengingly. "What about the rest of you? Maybe if we just say it, the damn thing will let us go home."

Silence greeted this pronouncement. Kate could sense the reluctance of anyone to make any commitment one way or the other. Their confusion was only becoming more pronounced by the second.

"Well?" Michael urged.

"I don�t think it�s a good idea for any of us to discuss this without Max and Liz," Tess finally said, when the quiet became increasingly uncomfortable.

"I agree," Isabel said quietly. Kate realized that she was looking at her. She shifted slightly, wondering what the other girl was thinking.

Michael sighed in frustration, but he didn�t argue. "How much longer?" he demanded, looking at Will.

"We should be there within the hour," Will replied.

"Fine," Michael growled. He looked at Grant suspiciously, "So, what? Are we putting him back in the cell?"

"I don�t know what purpose it would serve," Will said. "Like he said, he�s not going anywhere. He�s here for us at this point."

"It would serve the purpose of making me happy," Michael muttered. "I don�t trust him."

"I don�t blame you, Michael," Grant said calmly. "But I have nowhere to go, and I would like to learn where this is leading. I am just as in the dark as you all."

Kate narrowed her eyes. She wasn�t sure why, but she realized that she didn�t believe him. She suspected that the shapeshifter knew a whole lot more about this than he was letting on. She didn�t have time to think about it thought, because she felt a hand on her arm.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?"

Kate looked at Isabel, surprised.

"Sure," she said. She waited expectantly.

"Alone," Isabel added, nodding towards the door.

"Okay."

Moments later, they were standing in the corridor. Kate could feel her heart pounding. She realized that she was nervous, mainly because she suspected that she knew what Isabel wanted to talk about.

She was proven right when the other girl spoke, "I need to know, Kate. Are you seeing aliens or humans?"

Kate lowered her eyes. The moment of truth was upon her. The irony was that it was her own fault that Isabel wanted to know. She was the one who had tried to explain what it meant after all. She was possibly wrong, but if she was right, there was no use in denying it.

"Aliens," she admitted softly.

"What about Alex?" Isabel demanded.

Kate looked up. "I don�t know," she admitted.

"That�s not good enough," Isabel replied firmly. "He can�t be hurt again, Kate. He just can�t. It�s not fair to him!"

Kate scowled. She was beginning to get annoyed. She understood where Isabel was coming from. She was worried about Alex, too. But Isabel was certainly in no position to judge Kate regarding hurting him. She was the one who had started this whole fiasco in the first place by not realizing how she really felt about him until he had moved on.

If Isabel had not been so self-absorbed, Kate never would have had a chance with Alex. None of this would have ever happened. She wouldn�t feel this way, and she wouldn�t know that she was going to hurt him.

Even worse, she wouldn�t know absolutely that she was going to miss him so much she might not recover.

"I don�t want to hurt him," Kate managed to say. Her voice sounded slightly strangled. "That�s the last thing I want. But some things just aren�t meant to be."

"But they can be," Isabel argued. "If you really wanted him, you could have him. You don�t have to go back."

Kate stared at her. "But then you can�t have him, Isabel."

Isabel�s large alien eyes filled with tears. "He doesn�t want me anymore, anyway. I just want him to be happy. He should be happy. I can�t bear for him to be hurt again. I just can�t. He just doesn�t deserve it. It�s not fair."

"No, it�s not," Kate agreed. Her anger had drained away. There was no point to it after all. They were in agreement. It was completely unacceptable that Alex was going to again be caught in the alien crossfire.

But, with every passing moment, Kate knew with more certainty that it was going to be unavoidable.

"Maybe it will all work out," Isabel suggested, sounding hopeless. "Somehow. It just has to work out. All you have to do is choose him, Kate."

"I have chosen him," Kate explained patiently. "That�s not the problem. The problem is that I don�t think he�s really chosen me. Even if he thinks he has, I have a feeling that I�m never going to really believe it. Not after all the time I�ve spent with you. Now that I know you."

"What do I have to do with it?" Isabel asked. "That makes no sense."

"Isabel, please," Kate pleaded. "It�s you he wants. He�s denying it to himself now, because he doesn�t want to be rejected again, but if he could have had you before, he never would have even looked twice at me."

"That�s not true," Isabel argued. "It�s not true at all."

"It is true," Kate replied quietly. "And we both know it. And it�s what the granolith is telling me by making me know that I am an alien. I don�t belong on Earth."

"I�m an alien too," Isabel said.

"No, Isabel, you�re not," Kate answered. "Not really. You were raised human. It�s the identity you�ve chosen for yourself. If it wasn�t, you�d be seeing aliens here too."

"Don�t you think you should both let Alex decide what�s best for him?"

Both girls turned their heads in surprise. Michael was standing in the doorway, his arms crossed. He had obviously been there for a while. The exchange between Isabel and Kate had been so intent, they hadn�t even noticed him.

"Michael! This is a private conversation," Isabel flared.

"Whatever," Michael replied. "My point is still valid. The guy deserves a say. We don�t even know what any of this means," he added. He looked right at Kate. "You might end up staying on Earth, no matter what you think we�re doing here. And then what?"

"I don�t know," Kate admitted.

"None of us know anything," Michael reminded them. "So what�s the point of even talking about it? Let it go for now. Alex will still be there when we�re done here." He paused, then said, "I�m starving."

And, with that, he walked away.

Kate stared after him in consternation. What if he was right? What if she was throwing away the possibility of a future with Alex, just because she suspected that she wasn�t going to be on Earth for long after they were done here? What if that wasn�t true? Could she just step aside and watch Alex and Isabel reunite? Because if they did stay on Earth, she didn�t doubt that she and Jack and Will would stay close to the Roswellians. After all, at this point, what choice did they have?

This was turning into a huge mess.

"I know you�re scared."

Kate looked at Isabel, who was watching her, not Michael.

"I was scared, and I lost him," Isabel continued quietly. "Don�t give him up unless you�re really sure, Kate. Because you�ll regret it."

Isabel turned and went back into the presence chamber, leaving Kate to stare after her.

Part 61

"What�s happening?" Zan demanded, rising quickly when Khivar entered the chamber in which he was isolated with Rath. It had been several hours since the "usurpation" of his throne, and there had been no report from anyone about how the plan was progressing. He knew that Rowena must be back on Valonia by now, dealing with the Zan clone, and he could feel himself becoming more concerned by the minute, as each passed without any word.

This confinement was nothing like the one he had shared with Rowena for weeks on Valonia. That had been something of an idyll, with no responsibility and no concern, because there was no way of knowing what was happening outside of their cell. This, however, was torture, because Zan had a very good idea of what might be occurring, and it was supremely frustrating to not be able to take an active hand in any of it.

The plan absolutely depended on the shapeshifters not becoming aware of the alliance between Antar, Valonia, and Sardica though. Zan would master his impatience because it was a necessity.

"Serena and Ro are down on the planet," Khivar replied calmly. "I�ve sent my lieutenant, Nikkol, with them. He�ll make sure that the clone is destroyed."

"Serena went too?" Zan asked. He narrowed his eyes, examining Khivar intently. In spite of what Rath had told him - that Khivar was going along with the plan and that he had no expectation of any kind of reward - Zan realized that he still did not entirely trust him. "You do know that she plans to have herself destroyed when this is all over?" He was harsh on purpose, wanting Khivar�s real reaction to the news.

"I know," Khivar said. He remained expressionless. "It is her choice, of course."

"But you don�t expect it?" Zan asked. "You don�t demand it?"

Khivar sighed wearily, his mask disappearing. He dropped into a chair, then propped his head on his hand. "It is her choice," he repeated.

"I think it is a mistake. You should stop her," Zan insisted. "She is your wife."

Khivar did not answer. He just lowered his gaze, no longer hiding how difficult this entire situation was for him.

"I am sorry about all of this," Zan said, his tone less confrontational. "I hope you know that Rowena and I did not plan what happened."

"I know it," Khivar replied. He looked up, his expression fierce. "Love is not something that can be controlled."

Rath, who had been sitting quietly, snorted at this. When Zan and Khivar both looked at him, he shook his head. "I�m sorry, but I just really do not understand why love has suddenly become intertwined with marriage. Men of your status have never married for love. It is just not our way. Marriage is meant to be a contract. It is to solidify alliances"

"But it should not be," Zan replied firmly. "Real marriage of the mind and soul can never be about anything but love. I hope that one day you will understand, brother." He felt a pang of sadness that Rath had obviously never loved Vilandra in the way she deserved to be loved, if he was so cavalier about the topic. No wonder his sister had been susceptible to the shapeshifter impersonating Khivar. It must have been a lonely marriage.

"I will not," Rath snapped.

"This is not a productive conversation," Khivar said. "What will be, will be. This fleet will arrive at Wendar in several hours. My ships maintain a course for Antar, as though we are preparing to deliver Zan for trial, so that they will remain unaware of the impending assault. We will use your sky army to take down their planet."

Zan frowned at this. "What is the point of all-out warfare against the Wendarians? There is no leader, and, so no one to surrender. We will have to destroy all of them if we destroy one."

"There is no leader like on our planets," Khivar reminded him, "But the delegate to the council can speak for the planet. We will threaten to destroy a city an hour until he admits their duplicity."

Zan stared at him. "I don�t know about�"

"It will not come to that," Khivar assured him. "They will never sacrifice their people. One of the advantages to their communal lifestyle is that no life is taken for granted. They are all connected. They will not want to lose anyone."

"I hope you are right," Zan said. "Because I am not sure that I can allow the killing of innocents."

"None of them are innocent," Khivar replied. "If one is against us, they all are."

"Maybe that can change," Zan argued. "We must give the Wendarians the chance to try. In spite of their claims otherwise, there are leaders who have steered the race on this destructive course. We must allow those who would rebel against them the opportunity."

Khivar glanced at Rath, who was listening, still scowling. It made Zan uncomfortable. He had a feeling that his general was in complete agreement with Khivar, and he didn�t particularly like it. While he wanted this conflict to end as much as the next person, the destruction of Wendar had never even crossed his mind as an alternative. Didn�t this, in the end, make them no better than the Wendarians, who had arranged for the Zan clone to destroy Valonia?

Tense silence descended over the room. It represented how fragile the alliance between Sardica and Antar remained, and how far apart their ideals had become. It brought to Zan�s mind another argument as to why Serena should be allowed to live. With Khivar married to her, the bonds that existed between she and Rowena could only strengthen the relationship between the two leading planets of the system. She could serve as a modifying influence on her husband, now that his sister - before her death, Karana had been Khivar�s most trusted counselor - was gone.

Zan knew that he would use this very argument when he tried to convince both Rath and, more importantly, Serena, that she should live.

This reflection was interrupted by a buzzer, signaling that someone was requesting entrance from outside the chamber.

"Come in," Khivar called out, standing up.

The door slid open, revealing a man in Sardican uniform. He was disheveled in a way that sent a chill down Zan�s spine.

"Nikkol," Khivar said, his tone surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"It is a blessing that my ship was able to catch the fleet." Khivar�s general stepped quickly into the room, glancing at Zan. "I would speak to you alone, highness."

"Whatever is happening on Valonia is just as much my king�s concern as Khivar�s," Rath snapped, before Zan could say the same thing. "In fact, more so. He is still high king, in spite of our ruse."

Nikkol grimaced, but nodded his assent. He continued, "I am sorry, highness." He paused, then added, "Highnesses," he amended. "There was more of a force awaiting us than we expected. The Valonian palace is over-run by shapeshifters."

Zan felt his heart stop. "Where is Rowena?" he demanded. He barely refrained from rushing forward and grabbing Nikkol by the front of his uniform. "Where is she?"

"Captured," Nikkol replied, lowering his gaze. "Or at least, that is probably what happened to them."

"You left them there?" Khivar roared. "You left my wife and her sister in the hands of our enemies?"

Nikkol cringed. "It was completely unexpected, highness! Wendarians have never taken up arms. They work in the shadows. Before we knew what was happening, we were taken. It was the queen herself who told me to leave. She insisted. Very strenuously, might I add."

"I don�t understand," Rath said. "If you were taken, how did you escape?"

"I didn�t escape," Nikkol explained grimly. He swallowed, then raised his gaze. "I am here to deliver a message from Yorvin."

"Yorvin?" Khivar demanded. "Who by the stars is Yorvin?"

"The king of Wendar," Nikkol replied.

"Wendar doesn�t have a�" Khivar trailed off. He looked sharply at Zan.

Zan knew exactly what he was thinking, and he voiced it. "They have decided on their own to leave the shadows."

"Indeed," Khivar acknowledged. His flat tone seemed designed to hide the panic he was most likely feeling. Because, if he wasn�t, then he was much stronger than Zan.

They had handed Rowena and Serena over into the very clutches of their enemies. They had overplayed their hand. Zan felt like kicking himself. They should have known that no operation as grandiose, as secretive, and as long-term as that being played out by the shapeshifters could have been defeated so quickly.

This was far from over.

"How did they know?" Rath almost yelled. "There is a traitor in our midst!"

"Peace, brother," Zan said quietly. He knew that Rath was right. It did not matter how long the shapeshifters had been conspiring. Rowena, Khivar, and Serena�s plan had been a good one. The shapeshifters should never have suspected anything. Someone had supplied them with information. It was the only explanation.

But there was no point in worrying about it now. Or at least not immediately. They had more important matters to address.

"What do they want?" Zan asked, through gritted teeth.

"They want the real abdication of both yourself and my king, and they want you to turn yourselves over to them," Nikkol replied dully. "They also want Ava."

"Ava?" Khivar sounded surprised. He was apparently as dismissive of the first option as Zan was, not even addressing it. Zan would never abdicate his throne. He would never betray his people that way. "Why?"

"I am sure that Knosis is still working the angles," Rath suggested, sounding disgusted. "My guess is that sweet little Ava is about to be made a pawn in another dynastic marriage." He glanced at Zan. "Which would not now be possible if you had just married her."

Zan frowned at him. "Rath, let that one go. It will never happen."

"You could still marry her," Rath insisted. "If you did, Knosis would have no cause to stay allied to Wendar. There would be no advantage in it for them. Their future queen would be our permanent partner through the unbreakable bonds of matrimony. It is what marriage is meant to do." He scowled at Zan. "Highness, this is war. You have no choice."

Zan stared at him. The truth of the matter was so undeniable, he was momentarily speechless.

"I�I cannot," he finally managed to say.

"Zan, you are king," Rath argued. "You must do what is best for your people. This is best. Rowena would agree."

"There has to be another way," he replied, trying to sound more certain than he felt.

"There is not," Rath replied. Then, after a pause, he made the one argument that he must have known would irrevocably tilt the tables in his favour. "Zan, if you do not neutralize the Knosians by doing this, we will need to destroy Wendar. If you do this�" He trailed off, gentling his tone, "Zan, if you do this, it will be four planets allied against one. Four planets with strong leaders, firmly tied by unbreakable bonds. We will subdue Wendar with the aid of Knosis. With them, we will have an inside ally. They can maintain the illusion of being on Wendar�s side. They will be able to take the planet with a minimum of bloodshed, because their fleet in Wendar�s environs will not be suspected. Without them, we have no choice but to destroy this Yorvin�s power base."

Zan stared at his closest advisor. He felt as though he was suffocating. The walls were closing in on him. Because, in his heart, he knew that Rath was right. It was a solid plan.

The only way to have even a chance at saving Rowena was to betray her completely.

"I cannot," he insisted. "I cannot do it."

"Zan, think." Rath�s tone was pained. It did not make Zan feel any better to know that forcing him to do something so against his will was not pleasant for Rath. It was Rath�s job. He was his advisor, his right hand. It meant more than being his best friend. For Rath�s position to have any meaning, it had to.

"I am thinking," Zan snapped. "I am thinking about betraying the only woman I will ever love."

"What makes you think she has not already betrayed you?"

Zan turned his head, staring at Nikkol. Khivar�s lieutenant took a step back at the fierce expression on Zan�s face. "What are you daring to suggest?" Zan demanded.

"I am sorry, highness," he said quickly, "But this all seems a little coincidental." He looked at Khivar, as though for guidance. "Do you not think so, my king? You have already been betrayed by the queen of Valonia. Why is it such a stretch that she has done the same thing to the high king?"

"I do not understand you, Nikkol," Khivar barked. "Speak more plainly."

"Who else could have betrayed our plan? Who else but Rowena? There is no other possible way the shapeshifters could have learned of it. She worked closely with them for years, designing the cloning process that allowed them to sow the seeds of discord in our system so completely. Why would anyone do such a thing, if not for gain of some sort? If not for deception? There is too much coincidence. It only makes sense that she is the guilty party."

"She did not betray me," Zan told him bluntly. "I know her."

"Maybe you do not," Nikkol replied. "Love can be blind, highness. Perhaps this is why royalty is not meant to marry for love." He sounded so smug, and so much like Rath, Zan wanted to pound him. He felt Rath�s hand on his shoulder, as though his general had read his mind, which he most likely had.

"Zan, think," Rath again pleaded. "As much as it pains me - she is, after all, my cousin - Nikkol is speaking sense here."

"You are very quick to turn on your own kin." Zan wrenched away from his friend, although he was beginning to wonder if Rath was truly that at all.

"I am a realist, highness," Rath replied quietly. "You are the only one I trust implicitly. I trust you to do the right thing, Zan."

Zan could feel the noose tightening. As angry, and as frustrated as it made him - as completely as he knew that Rowena had not betrayed him - marriage to Ava did seem like the only alternative left to him. It could mean saving the lives of millions of innocent Wendarians, who could not possibly have any awareness of this Yorvin�s perfidy. The fact that Yorvin had openly named himself king, betraying the very culture of his people, had to mean that they were innocent. And, if it meant that, what choice did he have but to save them? They were his people too. He was high king. It was his job to protect them, even from their own kind.

He looked at Khivar, hoping against hope that the king of Sardica would have another idea. That he too would acknowledge that Rowena could not have betrayed them.

"I am sorry," Khivar said softly. "As much as I believe that Rowena is innocent, and that there must be another explanation for how the shapeshifters found out, I do believe that your marriage to Ava would only strengthen our position. I believe that Rowena will understand."

Zan narrowed his gaze, as something occurred to him. "When Serena sacrifices her life to destroy the cloning technology, you will be free to marry Rowena. I will no longer be in the way."

Khivar frowned slightly, but he did not deny that this thought had also occurred to him. He remained quiet.

Zan sighed, reaching up and rubbing the bridge of his nose wearily. It did not signify. Whether Khivar had designs on Rowena in the future or not, he could not deny that his marriage to Ava now seemed unavoidable.

The one argument both Rath and Khivar had used that Zan believed - that Rowena would understand - did not make his heart any lighter.

In that instant, he had never hated his crown, and the responsibility it brought, more.

The fact that you don�t really want to be king will make you a great one.

Rowena�s words passed through his mind, sounding more like a bitter taunt than the benediction they had been at the time she had said them. Would she say the same if she knew what he was about to do?

He had lowered his gaze, as he struggled to accept that he really did have no choice left. Now, raising his eyes, he met Khivar�s squarely.

"Bring Ava," he said firmly. He turned toward the large window overlooking the star-pocked sky. "And bring a priest," he added softly.

But his thoughts were already flying across the system to the one he loved, hoping that somehow, in some way, she would hear him.

Please forgive me.

Part 62

The marriage was accomplished quickly. It did not surprise Zan one bit that Rath was able to produce a priest on the ship. Since he had been fighting for this for days, of course he was ready when Zan finally agreed to it.

He could barely look at Ava as she was brought to the bridge for the ceremony. But, finally, when Rath elbowed him sharply in the side, he forced himself to be kind. After all, it was not this girl�s fault that she was a pawn in the game of kings. When his eyes finally lit on her, he felt a shudder descend his spine. He couldn�t help it. She was not Rowena, this was wrong, and he literally felt sick as they exchanged the vows that bound them to each other until their deaths.

"Thank you, your highness, for so honoring me," Ava whispered, as he lowered his head to bestow the kiss of peace upon her lips.

He nodded tersely, still not meeting her eyes. "You have honored me."

He felt her grab his hand firmly, which so surprised him, he was forced to look at her more fully. "What is your will, my husband? My planet is now at your disposal."

Zan sighed. "We must contact your brother, at once," he replied quietly. He looked over his shoulder at Rath, who was finding it difficult to hide his satisfaction, although he was trying. "Hail Knosis," he ordered. "My wife must inform her people that this marriage is accomplished. We will then strategize our next move."

"As you wish, highness," Rath replied formally.

The irony of this was not lost on Zan, although he knew that Rath had not meant it to be so ringing. Because, of course, none of this was what he wished. Zan sighed again, removing his hand from where Ava was still clutching it. "Khivar, Ava, and I will parlay with Aliander in my presence room."

He started to walk in that direction, grimacing when Ava called after him, "Zan?"

He closed his eyes briefly, swallowed, then returned to her side. "My apologies. I forgot myself for a moment there. This is all quite sudden." He offered her his arm, which she took, her eyes gleaming strangely.

"Not so sudden," she reminded him, glancing at Rath.

"No," Zan replied flatly. "I suppose not."

He met Rath�s eyes then. He knew it was wrong, knew that his best friend had only convinced him to do this because it was the only thing to be done to save their system, and, yet, he also knew that he was going to blame Rath for this for the rest of his life. It was perhaps unfair - in fact, Zan knew it was - but he could not help it.

Things would never be the same between them again. As he met his general�s gaze fully for the first time since he had agreed to the marriage, he could see that Rath knew it too. But Rath had convinced him anyway, because he was an advisor first, and a friend second. It was the way it should be.

And, yet, in some ways, it hurt more than losing Rowena would. Because, now, all because of this marriage, he was more alone than he had ever been before.

***

With Knosis� commitment to their cause, Wendar was very quickly subdued. In fact, there was not a single shot fired. It did not surprise Zan overmuch to discover that most of that planet had no idea that a rogue Wendarian named Yorvin was attempting to conquer the system in their names. The Wendarian parliament was not entirely guiltless, Zan deduced, having not necessarily told Yorvin not to interfere in the leadership of the other planets, but the fact that he had named himself king had not even been transmitted to them. They were mortified upon hearing this from Zan�s faction, and quickly surrendered the planet to his control.

The final move would be to journey to Antar to have the Council of Five Planets restore Zan officially to his throne. It was, of course, a formality. He presently had the backing of the political bodies of Sardica, Knosis, and Wendar - a clear majority - but he wanted no dispute. And, so, to ensure that, their next move had to be to regain control of the Zan clone, bring him before the council in answer for his crimes, and to demonstrate that it was Zan who held the royal seal. When the Antarian councilor was able to legitimize him with the Zan clone next to him, the entire mess would be cleaned up once and for all.

A price would have been paid for Yorvin the Wendarian�s treachery. Far too many Valonians had died in the razing of that innocent planet. But, in the end, the system would return to the status quo, and the five planets would be allied even more strongly, and able to move towards the golden age long prophesied.

The next step to that end was why the Antarian Sky Army presently found itself returned to the atmosphere above Valonia. To regain control of the Zan clone, it was necessary - and now time - to deal with Yorvin directly.

Zan stared down upon Rowena�s planet, his expression blank. Rath stood next to him quietly, knowing that the time for his vocal counsel was past. Rath�s aid had brought them to this point, but now it was up to Zan to play it out to the end.

Because, in the end, he was the king, and it was his place to ensure the safety of all his subjects. The queen of Valonia was his subject. Nothing more, nothing less. It was Zan�s duty to save her. Rath knew this, and he supported it. But he would also stand closely by to ensure that Zan did nothing to endanger the fragile alliance with Knosis�.which basically meant that he did nothing to endanger his fragile bond with his new wife, Ava.

That he did nothing foolish, like perhaps give up his throne to ensure Rowena�s safety. Because Rath was no idiot. He knew it was a distinct possibility.

Basically, Rath was no longer royal advisor. Instead, he was royal baby-sitter. It was what was. It was unnecessary, of course, but Rath was a great general because he never took anything for granted. He trusted Zan to do the right thing. But he was careful.

He, as usual, had underestimated his king�s resolve. Zan did not want to be king, but he would be a good king anyway.

From now on, it was all he was, after all. With the loss of any hope of Rowena, he was no longer a man anyway. And, so, he would be king.

Zan did not expect any of this to take long - he hoped it would not - nor did he expect Yorvin to put up much of a fight. His cause was, after all, hopeless. He had lost the covert support of his planet. He had lost Knosis. He had nowhere to turn.

No, Zan did not doubt that the end of this disaster was near. But he did fear the fact that Yorvin now had nothing left to lose. Rowena and Serena�s lives were in acute danger because of it. Yorvin had already broken from Wendarian culture and tradition to the point where he was practically unrecognizable as belonging to that race. Zan did not expect him to honor the strict code of his people - that all prisoners of war should be treated respectfully, and handed over unharmed if the Wendarian should prove defeated. This shapeshifter was not Wendarian in any true sense of the word. And, so, he was dangerous.

The door to Zan�s presence chamber slid open and Khivar entered, with Nikkol trailing behind. "Has he answered our hail?" Khivar asked, crossing the room and joining Zan at the window.

"No," Zan replied curtly.

"It has been fifteen solar minutes," Rath informed the king of Sardica. "He has thirty to surrender."

"If we are forced to land ground assault troops, their lives will be worth nothing," Khivar said.

"I know." Zan did not look at him. He continued to stare down at Valonia. The one place that, for a short time, he had been happy. The irony that he had been the most happy in his life in a prison cell did not escape him. He was still in a prison cell, but now a much larger one, and its walls were impenetrable.

The fact that you don�t really want to be king will make you a great one. Rowena�s voice threaded its way through his mind, reminding him that even if they could not be together physically, she would always be with him.

Ten more minutes passed without another word passing between the four men. It was so silent that when a beep, signaling a transmission, sounded into it, Zan�s heart leapt into his throat.

He closed his eyes briefly, then turned away from the window, toward the view-screen opposite. He took a deep breath, then nodded at Rath. His general leaned forward, touching something on the wall, which activated the viewer.

"Your highness. I apologize for keeping you waiting."

Zan stared at his enemy, carefully maintaining an implacable expression. This shapeshifter could not know how important this was to him. That Rowena�s safety was paramount to him. That he would, in fact, give this bastard whatever he wanted to ensure that she lived.

Fortunately, it would not come to that.

"I am sure that this is the least of your crimes, Yorvin," he finally replied mildly. "I requested visual confirmation of the queen of Valonia�s health."

"She is here," Yorvin said. He glanced to the left. "My lady?"

Rowena appeared next to the shapeshifter. "Greetings, Zan." Her expression was serene. Zan smiled slightly to himself. He couldn�t help it. Everything was going perfectly according to plan.

"My lady. You are well?"

"Yes, your highness." She met his eyes directly, nodding sharply.

"Very good."

Zan reached out, touching the com link on his desk. "Captain?"

The ship�s captain�s tinny voice responded immediately. "Yes, your highness?"

"Prepare for air assault upon the palace."

Zan heard Nikkol�s sharp intake of breath. But it was only Rath who dared to grab him by the arm. "Zan, what are you doing?"

"Taking care of the problem," Zan replied simply. He looked back at Yorvin, who was staring at him, his expression taken aback. It had worked. He was completely caught off guard. "Yorvin of Wendar, you are hearby pronounced guilty of high treason. You are sentenced to death. May the gods have mercy upon your soul."

He hit the comm again. "Captain, fire. Now."

"Yes, your highness."

Zan turned away from the stony silence of the other three men. He returned to the window, his hands clasped behind his back, and watched, his expression blank once more, as a huge explosion appeared on the planet below.

Good-bye, my love.

Part 63

Liz lay curled up next to Max on the cot in their prison cell. She didn�t know how long they had been there, but she knew that it had been for some time - several days at least, based on her sleep patterns. Max still had not woken up, and she was beginning to fear that he never would. At this point, she was beyond being afraid that they would never be found here. It didn�t matter anyway. Until Max woke up, she wasn�t going anywhere.

And, so, it was something of a dilemma when the door to the cell sprang open. But not a huge one, when she saw who it was. Tess, Isabel, and Michael were coming through the entrance.

Liz leapt off the bed, and into her sister�s arms. "I�m so glad you�re all right!" she exclaimed. "We were so worried about you." She pulled back, quickly hugging Isabel and Michael, the latter pretending to tolerate it, but Liz felt how hard he embraced her back. Michael had quite obviously been concerned about them. It made Liz smile, until she remembered that she had cause to be put out with Tess.

"What were you thinking, taking off like that?" she demanded of her sister. Her fear for Max over the past couple of days had dulled the thought of Tess, and how she had taken off to find Khivar, but now it all came rushing back.

Tess didn�t seem concerned by her tone though. Instead, she smiled. "It all worked out for the best," she said, indicating where Liz had been lying when they came in. "I�m guessing the two of you found your way back to each other. Once you stopped being so stubborn."

Liz didn�t reply, because obviously Tess had known what she was doing, and had, in fact, guessed Liz�s own fears better than she had. She blushed slightly. "That�s over now," she finally said. "I�ve accepted who and what I am, and what we are to each other. There�s not point in denying it any longer." She paused, then added wryly, "Anyway, I�ve had plenty of time to think about it." She glanced back at Max worriedly.

"What�s wrong with him?" Michael demanded. He was standing over the cot, staring down at his friend. Max had not stirred.

Liz quickly explained the situation. "He hasn�t been conscious since," she sighed, her heart panging with concern. Tears came to her eyes unbidden, her worry crashing back, numbing the relief that they had been found by their friends. "I think he�s reliving it all. Everything that happened to us," she elaborated, when she met Isabel�s concerned gaze. "I did for a while, too, when I connected with him. I wasn�t in there very long though."

"He�ll come around," Michael told her, frowning. He didn�t seem nearly as frightened as Liz felt. "It happened to Kate, too," he added. "She woke up when she died in our past lives. I bet that Maxwell will, too."

"But why them?" Tess asked. "Why are only the two of them really learning what happened to us all?"

Michael shrugged. "Who knows anything anymore? All I know is that I want out of this thing. This granolith has been nothing but trouble since we first laid eyes on it." He looked at Isabel, glaring slightly.

"It wasn�t my fault I found it," she snapped.

"No, but it was your fault that you showed it to us," Michael snarked back.

Tess sighed heavily. "Can we please not argue? I think the best thing at this point is for us to move Max somewhere more comfortable. We�ll just have to wait until he wakes up to find out what�s going on."

"How did you know where to find us?" Liz asked Isabel and Tess. "What happened to Yorvin?"

Isabel shrugged. "We just came here, to the summer palace, because this was where Tess left you both. When we got here, there was no one around. Who�s Yorvin?" she questioned.

"I told you about him," Tess reminded her impatiently. "He worked in the lab with Serena. He was involved in the cloning."

"It seems to me, he might be someone we want to find," Michael suggested. "I bet he can give us some answers."

"We should at least ask Grant about him," Isabel suggested.

"Grant?" Liz inquired, surprised.

"It�s a long story," Isabel replied, rolling her eyes. She linked arms with Liz. "Let�s get Max upstairs, and then we�ll tell you all about it."

***

Kate watched Liz tap her fingers nervously on her thigh. She could tell that the other girl was anxious to return to Max, who was still lying comatose in a nearby chamber. But Liz knew that all of their heads were needed to figure out exactly how they were going to leave the granolith. Apparently reuniting all eight of them in one place had not been the answer, after all, because they were all still here, and nothing had changed.

They were all gathered, including Grant, to decipher whether it was Max�s unconscious state holding them prisoner in the granolith, or whether it was still someone else. Tess was seated near Liz, which had quickly become her custom when they were together. Kate glanced at Will, who was standing near the one window in the room. He was staring at Liz, an unreadable expression on his face. Kate wrinkled her nose, then sighed, when she realized that Tess was eyeing Will, and had noticed this as well.

They were all reunited, but they still had a veritable mess on their hands. And Kate was pretty sure that Will�s inability to completely give up on Liz was one of the reasons they were still here.

"Okay, so who has the problem now?" Michael demanded, glaring around at them all suspiciously. "Who hasn�t learned what they�re supposed to learn? Because I�m starting to get annoyed here."

"Starting?" Jack muttered, from where he was standing behind Kate�s seat. "Is he kidding? He�s permanently annoyed." Kate smiled to herself.

"It�s probably because Max isn�t awake," Tess suggested. "I mean, if he�s doing what Kate was doing when she was out of it, we�re not done here. He�s finding out what happened to us, isn�t he? So that it doesn�t happen again?"

"And when he dies in his past life, he�ll wake up," Isabel agreed. She glanced at Grant. "Isn�t that right?"

There was a long pause. Kate frowned. The shapeshifter was grimacing slightly.

"Isn�t that right?" Isabel demanded again, more forcefully this time.

"Well, I don�t know exactly," Grant said. "I�m not the granolith expert, remember? That�s Serena�s department."

"But you know something," Michael snapped, leaning forward slightly, his expression menacing. "And you�re going to tell us what it is right now."

"As I said, I don�t know for sure," Grant insisted, lifting his hands, as though to ward Michael off. "But if you�re right," he looked at Kate, "that you came out of your memory because you died, then we have a bit of a problem when it comes to Max."

"Why?" Liz asked. Kate could hear the slight tremor in her voice.

"You may have all been a little misled about the situation as it exists back on the real Antar," Grant explained carefully.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Michael demanded fiercely.

Grant sighed. "Here�s the thing. If Max isn�t going to wake up until he dies as Zan, wherever he is, he�s not going to wake up - ever."

Kate heard Liz gasp. She looked at her sharply. The other girl�s long tapered, alien fingers (because this was, of course, how Kate saw her) were covering her mouth, as though holding in her fear. She was apparently the only one who understood what Grant was talking about, because everyone else was staring at Liz, too.

"Liz, what�s wrong?" Tess asked, her concern obvious.

Liz closed her eyes briefly, a shudder running through her small form. "Don�t you get it, guys?" she finally asked, her voice low. "If we�re right, and Zan has to die for Max to wake up, Max isn�t going to wake up, because he can�t die as Zan." She opened her eyes, tears glimmering within them.

"But, why?" Isabel asked, her confusion obvious.

Liz was obviously too upset to continue though, so Grant finished for her.

"Because the first Zan never died," he said quietly.

***

"Why did you do it?"

Zan did not turn at the sound of the voice. He knew he would be confronted eventually, and he had guessed that it would be by Khivar, but he had hoped it would not be so soon. He was still mourning the final loss of the only woman he would ever love.

Now that it was done, she would be Khivar�s, and there was nothing whatsoever that he could do about it.

Zan was somewhat relieved, however, that Khivar had not killed him first, and asked questions later. It had been on his insistence that Khivar was not let in on the plan though. If it had resulted in Zan�s death, it would have been worth it. He couldn�t take the chance that the truth of what was planned for Valonia should leak.

They still had a mole in their midst, and while Serena was convinced it was not Khivar, Zan could not be as certain.

"I did what had to be done," Zan finally said. He still did not turn, but gazed down upon the burning palace. The inferno their ship�s cannons had created was so immense, it could easily be seen from this height.

There was no way that anyone could have survived the assault.

"You did it because you can�t have her," Khivar said. His rage was barely leashed.

"Not true," Zan replied quietly. "It was her choice, Khivar."

"It was Rowena�s choice to die?" Khivar demanded. "You expect me to believe that? Rowena would never have abandoned her people by giving up her life."

"The woman who died down there has saved her people," Zan told him, finally turning from the window. "She has saved her sister."

He met Khivar�s gaze. "I am telling you the truth, Khivar."

Khivar narrowed his eyes. He seemed to be searching Zan�s face for something. Zan had no clue what, but the other man appeared to find it, because he said, "Tell me," as though he was now ready to listen.

Zan touched the com on the wall. "You may join us now. It is done. Secrecy is no longer imperative."

"Yes, your highness," a voice on the other end replied.

"Who was that?" Khivar demanded.

"That was Edgen," Zan replied. "He is the shapeshifter Wendar�s parliament sent to aid us in dealing with Yorvin."

"What? Wendar was in on this?" Rath demanded. Zan�s general had remained quiet for far longer than Zan had ever expected, but now he exploded. "Zan, what is going on here?"

"No one could know," Zan explained, not the least bit guilty. "You were the one who insisted we had a traitor in our midst," he reminded Rath. "I could not trust anyone."

"Not even me?" Rath demanded. "You trusted shapeshifters more than me?" He said it in anger, but Zan could tell he was hurt.

Of course he was. But Rath wanted Zan to be a king. And, if that was Rath wanted, then it was what he was going to get. "I trust no one," Zan said firmly. "Not entirely. Not anymore." He met his best friend�s eyes squarely. "You are the one who taught me this, Rath."

Rath stared at him, his mouth hanging open. But he said nothing more.

The door finally slid open and Edgen entered. "All has gone according to plan, highness," he informed Zan. "The queen�s shuttle should arrive at any moment."

Zan felt the gazes of Khivar, Rath, and Nikkol, who had said nothing to this point, swing back to him. "Good."

"What is going on here?" Khivar almost bellowed. "Whose shuttle, Zan?"

"Why Rowena�s, of course," Zan replied. "The queen of Valonia is alive."

"Then�then�." He sputtered, pointing at the window, to indicate the destroyed palace below. "Who was that?"

Zan said nothing, waiting for Khivar to understand. Because he would. Of course, he would. There was only one possible answer.

"It was Serena," Khivar finally said, sounding strangled. "You killed my wife."

Zan remained quiet. Because what was left to say?

"How?" Nikkol said, speaking for his king, who had collapsed into a nearby seat, his shock and dismay probably surprising even Khivar, himself.

Because Serena had been his true wife, and he was only now realizing it. Zan felt a pang of sadness for the other king, but it had been Serena who had made the decision. In the end, it had been her choice.

Zan looked at Edgen, who explained, "I am in command of a group of shapeshifters planet-side. They chose to return to the Wendarian fold when they understood that Yorvin was no longer acting with the support of our parliament. They spirited the queen away. Yorvin was told that it was Serena who had left, which as far as Yorvin was concerned, was no cause for concern. The queen�s clone willingly took Queen Rowena�s place in her cell."

"I do not understand," Khivar said, his pain apparent. "How could he have not known that Serena had betrayed him?"

This did not raise any alarms for one reason only - a reason that a disbelieving Zan had heard from Serena�s own lips the week before, the one and only time he had communicated with her about any of this. The rest had been accomplished through Edgen. Zan remembered the conversation as he related the story to Khivar and the others.

"He does not know," Serena whispered, glancing over her shoulder, as though expecting to be interrupted at any time. "I am free, Zan. He thinks I am still on his side."

"How is that even possible?" Zan demanded. "Serena, you are both in danger. We are coming for you."

"You are coming for Rowena," Serena insisted. "I am staying. He will let her go, if he thinks that she is me."

"But why?" Zan shook his head, still not understanding.

"Your clone," Serena said softly. "He did not betray me."

Zan�s eyes widened in amazement, as the truth finally dawned on him. "He loves you." Of course he did. Just as Rowena had been destined for Zan, in some strange way, Serena had been made for his clone. Rowena and Serena were the same. And just as Zan had found his soulmate in Rowena, so his clone had found his in hers.

It was almost miraculous, in a way. But the plan Serena devised from the miracle was not.

Because the one problem with all of this was that, for the plan Serena insisted on to work, she would have to die.

"Zan, there is no choice. Once Rowena is safe, you must do this. The cloning technology must be destroyed, once and for all. I am a remnant of it."

"Serena�"

"Zan, if you do not do it, I will kill myself anyway. Please do not make my death in vain."

He stared at her through the viewscreen, frowning slightly. He felt that something was off with all of this, but the expression on Serena�s face was so fierce, he did not know how to refuse her, particularly after that last threat.

"Please�" He swallowed, looking away. Why did this feel so wrong?

"Zan." He looked back, meeting her large, dark eyes.

"Do this for me. You know that it is what must be. Be the king you have to be to end this once and for all."

There was a long pause as he absorbed this. "I trust you to do this, Zan," she whispered. She glanced over her shoulder again. "I lo�"

He stared at her, his eyes widening slightly. "I trust you," she repeated, interrupting whatever it was she had been about to say. "Be at peace, my king."

And, then, without allowing him another word, she was gone.

And, so, Zan had decided to proceed as she had requested. In those last moments, as he had met Serena�s eyes while she stood next to Yorvin, waiting for death - as he watched her nod her readiness for him to proceed with the destruction of the palace - he could see that she was completely at peace with her decision.

He was still not entirely at peace with it, but it had been her choice. And it had ended it, once and for all.

Complete silence greeted Zan when he finished talking. Because there was nothing left to say, after all. Zan had not wanted Serena to die, but she had been unwilling to compromise. This whole plan had been her idea and it had played out as she had willed it to, just as everything else had.

Now she was gone, and none of them would ever be the same again.

"My wife�"

Zan looked at Khivar. "Rowena still lives. You will have your betrothed wife," he said, each word like a dagger thrust into his heart. "She will marry you."

"But she will never love me," Khivar said sadly, finally meeting Zan�s gaze again. "And we both know it. I have lost the only chance I ever had for that."

"You are not alone in this," Zan said softly.

They were both kings, and in that instant, as they stared at each other, they both knew that the price for being a good king had been far steeper than either had ever anticipated.

"I�d like to speak to you privately," Khivar eventually said.

Zan narrowed his eyes, but nodded at Rath, who frowned, but left without comment. Apparently he now trusted that his king would not abdicate his throne at the first provocation, Zan thought wryly, if somewhat bitterly.

"We made a deal, you know," Khivar said, after Nikkol and Edgen followed Rath out.

"You and Rowena?" Zan asked, because, of course he had always suspected this. When Khivar nodded, Zan guessed, "She agreed to marry you if you helped me take back my throne, didn�t she?"

"No."

Zan blinked in surprise. "What then?"

"She gave me the cloning technology. I have it, Zan."

"What?" Zan exclaimed, staring at the other man.

"Serena never knew," Khivar said, staring off into space. "Obviously she did not. Or she would not have done this."

Zan could feel his anger mounting with every second. It had to be destroyed! If it wasn�t, then Serena�s death would have been for nothing. Zan managed to control himself though. It was obvious that Khivar finally understood this, or he would not be telling Zan about it now. "You know what must be done," he said firmly.

Khivar looked at him. "It might be too late."

"Why?" Zan demanded. "I don�t understand any of this. Why did you want it?"

"For Kara�and your sister," Khivar admitted. "They are to be brought back. My scientists have already commenced the work."

"But it will not be them!" Zan exclaimed. "You, better than anyone, should have understood this! A clone killed our sisters."

"You did not want Serena to die," Khivar reminded him. "Rath told me as much. You did not want the technology destroyed."

"Of course I did not, but I have to respect what she has done," Zan told him. "And Rath convinced me that were we to clone Vilandra, it would not be my sister. This is not what Serena wanted, Khivar."

"I know it, highness," Khivar said, his voice cracking slightly. "I know it now. But how can we not try? It is my sister!"

Zan raised a hand, rubbing his head wearily. "I understand why you have done what you have done, Khivar, but we must destroy the clones. I am assuming that they are not yet fully mature. It could not have happened so quickly. It has only been a little over three solar weeks since this all began."

"Perhaps." Khivar shrugged. "But I felt that you should know this."

Zan stared at him, a slight frown on his face. He felt that there was something Khivar was leaving out. He was not certain why, but the other man�s tension had not faded in the way one would expect after such a confession.

"There is more," he said. "What is it?"

Khivar looked at him, surprised. "I do not know�"

"Tell me."

"Zan, there is nothing else, I swear it. You may ask Nikkol. I put him in charge of the project."

Zan did not feel satisfied, but he finally sighed. "Very well. We will speak to Rowena of this, and let her decide. It was, after all, her sister who made this sacrifice."

"My wife," Khivar reminded him.

"One you did not accept until her death," Zan snapped back.

"My very grave mistake," Khivar said, lowering his gaze.

Zan watched him for a moment. He could see that the other man�s grief was genuine. "Do you still wish to marry Rowena?" he asked, unable to help himself.

"I do not know if she will have me," Khivar replied. "It may be best that we all return to our own homes to put them in order before making any other decisions of system-altering magnitude."

"That is wise," Zan told him. He was not sure why his heart lightened slightly. After all, it did not matter if Rowena married or not. He was not free and never would be again. And even if he should prove willing to dishonor his wedding vows to Ava, he knew that Rowena would not.

A disturbance from the hallway outside the presence chamber made both kings start to their feet. "I will see him now," a familiar voice said, sounding furious.

"Rowena, be sensible�" Rath was grabbing at his cousin as she came storming into the room.

She wrenched away and marched right up to Zan and slapped him across the face.

"How could you?" she demanded. "How could you do it?"

Zan stared at her in astonishment. He did not know what to say. The last thing he had expected was such anger. Did Rowena not understand that it had been Serena�s choice to stay on Valonia?

"Rowena�" Khivar stepped forward. "Zan did what had to be done."

"He killed my sister!" she exclaimed.

"It was Serena�s plan,"

"No, you fool! It was Rowena�s plan!" she said, her voice dropping, and tears rushing into her eyes. "Zan, how could you do this?"

Zan felt his heart stop. He stared at her in horror. Because the truth of what had transpired down on that planet was only just becoming clear to him. The feeling that the plan was not right when Serena had convinced him of it came rushing back�

"That was not Serena I spoke to, was it?" he finally said. His tone was flat. He could barely manage the words.

"No," she said, crumbling to her knees before him. "She did this. She did this to save me. She did this to save you a lifetime of misery pining for her."

"What is happening here?" Rath demanded into the silence that was only broken by the sobs of the woman on the floor.

"Rowena is dead," Zan replied blankly, before turning on his heel and walking out of the room.

Part 64

After Grant�s revelation that Max might never wake up, Liz had flown back to his side. She was half hysterical, absolutely determined that she was going to bring him back to her. She shook him, poked him, screamed at him. But nothing made any difference.

When she finally exhausted herself, she became aware of the fact that Tess and Isabel were in the room with her.

She crumbled in her sister�s arms. "What are we going to do?" she sobbed. "We can�t�we can�t do any of this without him."

"You have to believe, Liz," Tess said softly. "You have to believe that the granolith brought us here for a reason, and that it will all work out."

Liz pulled back. "How can I?" she demanded. "Every single thing that happens seems designed to tear Max and I apart. How long can I be expected to believe?"

"As long as it takes. Because you love him," Tess replied. "And that fact always brings you back to each other. In spite of everything�in spite of the crash, in spite of every thing people, including me, have done to keep you apart, you always find your way back to each other. How can you believe any less now?"

Liz closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. Her thoughts were in turmoil, but as Tess continued to stroke her hand, calming her down, she had a revelation. "I do," she finally whispered in amazement. "I do believe it."

In that moment, she understood exactly why Future Max and Liz had chosen I Shall Believe as their wedding song. Because it defined them. It defined Max and Liz - the belief that they would always find their way back to each other.

It had been a gift from those future versions of themselves, that song. A gift to remind her that even at the end of the world, they had believed in each other. That they would do anything to be together. Including tear themselves apart.

Because, here she was now, with not only Max, who lived, even if he was not awake, but also her sister, Tess - a sister she would never have known if it wasn�t for Future Max. He had known enough to take the risk of destroying the night she and Max had been supposed to cement their love, because he had believed that it would all work out in the end.

They would always find their way back to each other. Because they believed it, it would happen.

Which meant that she could not give up now.

"I do," she whispered in amazement. "I do believe it." She felt a moment of shame that she had doubted again - that she had allowed herself even an instant of despair.

Max would come back to her. He always did. And she would wait patiently until the time was right.

***

Zan spent the night in his quarters, staring unseeingly out the viewscreen at the great mass of stars surrounding Valonia. He did not grieve. He could not. His heart was broken. It had no feeling left. His heart - in fact, every part of him - was empty.

No one dared disturb him during that horrible, blank night - the night he tried to accept that he would never see Rowena again. It was not until after many hours that his shock abated enough that he could try to understand why she had done it.

Serena�s words before her collapse replayed in his mind, damning him even more than the fact that he had in fact ordered his beloved�s death.

"She did this to save you a lifetime of misery pining for her."

Rowena knew of his marriage to Ava, quite obviously. And she had seemingly known that, even though it had not been his intention, his concern would have always been for Rowena first, and his wife second. The marriage of convenience - the marriage which had returned him to his throne - still meant nothing to him. But it had meant something to Rowena.

She could not stand in the way of it. She could not stand in the way of him being a great king. And, somehow, she had seemed to think that she would do so. That his love for her would preoccupy him, would drive him from his wife.

How could she have ever thought that? How could she not have understood that the only reason he had for being a good king was because she believed he could be? He would not have betrayed Ava for Rowena, not only because Rowena would not have allowed it, but because she would have been disappointed in him. He could have been strong enough to make his marriage work, had he known that Rowena believed he would.

She had not trusted him. She had not trusted him enough to be able to let her go. She had sacrificed herself. And, the sheer irony of it, was that now he knew he could not do it. Without her in his life, even on the periphery, he could not do this.

It was then that the pain hit him, in great waves. Sobs rose within him, coming out in gasping breaths. It felt as though it would never stop.

How could he do any of this without her?

It took some time before he realized that he was no longer alone. As he came back to himself, he became aware of a small handing holding his. He knew it was Serena. With Rowena now gone, only Serena would dare approach him such a state.

"I�m so sorry, Zan," she whispered. "It was not your fault. I know it. I am sorry I accused you."

He did not respond to this. They sat silently for several long moments. Finally he said, "Tell me exactly what happened." He needed to know everything. He needed to be able to envision his beloved�s last hours of existence. He doubted it would make him feel better, but he needed to know.

"She pretended to be me," Serena replied. "I was unconscious after we were captured, and by the time I woke up, she was already well in her role. Yorvin believed her. She was free on the planet, I was in a cell. I never saw her."

"And when Edgen�s team came, they took you instead of Rowena," Zan finished for her.

"Eventually, yes." She paused. "I attempted to make Rowena expose herself, but she refused."

Zan looked at her. "What do you mean?"

Serena closed her eyes. "She must have warned them I would try something. They healed me."

Zan stared. "You tried to harm yourself?"

Tears filled Serena�s large eyes. "I knew that if I was gone, she�d have to return to you. We could not both be gone. Val�" She struggled to finish. "Valonia needs one of us." She lifted her arm. Zan felt his stomach lurch at the blood soaking the wedding scarf she still had twisted around her wrist. "But I do not think that I really thought it would end like that for me. I knew she would save me."

"Serena�" He shook his head. How had they reached such a point? How had things gone so incredibly awry? Why could Rowena not have trusted him enough to live?

"When Edgen�s team came," Serena continued after a short pause, her voice stronger, "I did not know who they were, and I fought them. I thought they were going to execute me." She lowered her gaze. "I suppose I really did not want to die after all." Her voice cracked again. "She knew it. And she saved me by becoming me."

Zan brought his arm up, and pulled her close to his side. "No one had to die," he said stiffly. He felt more angry now, than anything. How could Rowena have done this? How could she have allowed this? How could she not trust that he would have saved both her and her sister? How could she not have trusted him to do what needed to be done for their worlds?

How could she have left him alone? And how could she have made the decision to do so without telling him the truth?

This was perhaps what made him angriest - that she had pretended with him, too. She had pretended to be Serena, and she had made him part of the decision, and he had not known what he was doing.

But was it any better that he had been willing to sacrifice Serena?

His anger faded. Rowena had known him better than he knew himself. He had been willing to let her sister die, and she had known it, and she could not allow it.

In the end, she had saved him again. She had saved him from killing an innocent.

And she had also saved him from destroying the one person who could put this all to rights.

"What will we do now, Zan?" Serena asked, after another long silence.

The cloning technology must be destroyed, once and for all.

Rowena�s final words came back to him, but he hardened himself against them.

"There is only one thing that can be done," Zan said grimly. "She has given us no choice."

"What?" Serena asked, sounding uncertain, and not a little afraid at his tone.

"We are going to bring her back."

***

"This is yours, Zan."

Zan looked at the strange, organic mass that held another version of himself. It felt odd. He reached out, tracing the small form within. It looked different from a normal Antarian fetus. The head was much smaller, for one thing. But this was how the new strain of clones were supposed to look. The human DNA Serena had melded into the design would hopefully prevent the anomaly that had caused the psychosis in his last clone. Serena was sure that the great capability for love that humans demonstrated would stabilize the elements that had tainted that other Zan.

"You are certain that they will survive the journey?" Zan asked.

"Yes," Serena replied. "We have had visitors from Earth before. It is where we harvested the DNA." There was a long pause. "I still do not understand what you hope to accomplish by doing this," she finally said. It was not unexpected. She had been trying to turn him from his purpose for many weeks, but once his decision had been made, all the pieces had fallen quickly into place.

"This is destined," Zan said firmly. He believed it. Because, when he had gone to Khivar after deciding on this course, it turned out that adding Rowena to the cloning mix would not be at all difficult.

She had already been cloned.

It turned out Rowena had made a deal with Khivar after all, in her bid to assure his support of Zan. She had agreed to clone Khivar and herself, along with the Vilandra, Karana and Jondar replacements.

When Khivar had told Zan why, he had been somewhat dismayed, but had also understood the other king�s thinking.

"I wanted proof," Khivar admitted. "I wanted a chance to prove that she was not meant for you. That if it happened all over again, the result could be very different." He looked down. "I wanted to show her that she and I could be happy together, if our clones were."

"But they will be different people," Zan reminded him. "The Rowena clone could end up with anyone." He did not admit that he thought Khivar was right. They would not end up with different people. But it would not be as Khivar hoped.

It did not matter the form. Rowena and Zan would always find each other.

"It worked once," Khivar shrugged. "I thought it might work again."

"With Serena." Zan understood. "She loves you."

"Yes," Khivar said quietly. "But I do not know if I can ever forgive her for her deceit. And, so, I suggested to Rowena that we make a fresh start."

And, so, Rowena�s resurrection had already been in progress. Not only that, but it had been with Rowena�s blessing. Which for Zan, eradicated all that came after. Her request for the destruction of the cloning technology no longer meant anything. He thought now that it had just been her way to ensure that he went ahead with the razing of the Valonian palace - that had he known that "Serena" was wavering on that he might have chosen another way.

He did not feel an ounce of guilt for going against Rowena�s last wish. Because, in his heart, he did not believe that she would deny anyone the chance at a "fresh start," as Khivar termed it.

In the end, though, it would not just be for those who had died. It would also be a new beginning for those who had been left behind to mourn. As stared at his own clone, he knew in his heart how it would play out. It did not matter if they were half human this time. His soul would find and embrace Rowena�s every time.

They would be together. It would be on a distant world, but he could not believe any less.

"Will you give him the seal?" Rath asked Zan now. Zan�s general stood nearby, staring at his own clone, a slight scowl on his face. He had not been particularly pleased by any of this, but he had gone along with it, mainly because he was happy that Zan was capable of making any decisions at all after Rowena�s death. If cloning her - all of them - for life on some distant world meant that his king would be able to focus entirely on his marriage to Ava, and, as a result of that, the ruling of the system, rather than pining for his lost love, then he was all for it.

Zan thought about it for a long moment. He gazed at the small human Zan, eventually shaking his head. "No. He will not be king. He will not have to make the choices I have."

He will be free to live with his love, unhindered by duty and responsibility, Zan thought with satisfaction. His entire life will be like the few idyllic weeks I lived in a cell under the ground on Valonia.

And, because this version of himself would be free, Zan of Antar could finally be king.

***

Liz jerked awake when she felt movement next to her. When her eyes flew open, she found herself staring into Max�s dark eyes. The relief that swept through her was so intense, she felt frozen. She had believed, but this did not mean that she had not worried. And, so, it was he who spoke first.

"Hi," he said softly.

"Hi," she managed to reply, a smile breaking across her face. She leaned into him, kissing him gently on the lips. "Welcome back."

"I�m sorry," he said. "You must have been worried."

"I was," she admitted. "But I knew you�d be back."

"How?" he asked.

"Because I�ll always come back to you," she replied simply. "So I thought it was about time that I trusted you to do the same."

He smiled, then kissed her on the forehead. Liz sighed, allowing herself to melt into him for a moment. She allowed herself to just feel him, to absorb the fact that he was actually there with her, and no longer just physically.

"I have so much to tell you," he finally said into the stillness.

"I know," Liz replied. "Me too."

"Actually it�s stuff I have to tell everyone," he admitted. "So why do I feel like I just want to stay here forever?"

"There�s no rush," Liz told him. "Wait until you feel strong enough." She pulled back, searching his face anxiously. "How do you feel, by the way?"

Max sat up, bringing Liz along with him. "I feel great, actually." He grinned at her. Liz felt her heart contract.

"Well, I guess you probably won�t need to sleep for a long time," Liz allowed, smiling slightly. "I�m pretty sure that Michael won�t let you anyway. He�s pretty anxious to get out of here."

"Why am I not surprised?" Max laughed. "But, no, I don�t need any more sleep. I�ve been asleep for too long. And I�m not just talking about physically. It�s time to finish this, once and for all."

Liz frowned. "You make it sound so easy, Max."

"It is," he replied with certainty. He kissed her again, still smiling. "This time, Liz, I really think it is."

Part 65

"Max is awake," Will said, as he entered Kate�s quarters in the Valonian palace.

Kate looked up from the board she was examining, meeting Jack�s gaze with surprise. They had been in the process of playing chess, with a gaming set they had uncovered in another room. The game meant to be played on the board was obviously slightly different, but not so much so that it was proving overly difficult to manage.

"Thank goodness," Kate said now, firmly and pointedly.

Her brother�s expression remained neutral at the vocalizing of her relief. Kate still didn�t know exactly what was going on in Will�s head, but she knew it wasn�t overwhelming joy that Max was back. She had guessed easily that, somewhere within him, he had been hoping that the king of Antar�s clone would never regain consciousness, and he would be able to step into the void in Liz�s life. It was Will�s face Kate had been watching when Grant had announced that, because Zan had never died before they were cloned, Max might never wake up. While everyone else had been horrified beyond measure, Will�s demeanor had been carefully blank. But his eyes�they had blazed with something that had made Kate entirely uncomfortable.

"Is he okay?" Jack asked, climbing to his feet.

"I don�t know," Will replied. "Tess came to tell me. She didn�t elaborate beyond saying that we were to all meet in an hour."

"Tess, huh?" Jack asked, smirking slightly.

"Shut up, Jack," Will shot back.

Jack looked at Kate, his grin widening. "I appear to have touched a nerve, Katie. Would you not agree?"

"Jack�" Kate trailed off warningly.

"There is nothing between Tess and me," Will said firmly, interrupting.

"Maybe not," Kate said carefully, since Will seemed willing to pursue the conversation. "But, Will, you do know that you and Liz�that�s over. There�s nothing there either?"

"I know it," Will snapped. "I�m not completely delusional."

There was a long pause. Kate glanced at Jack, whose expression was no longer amused. He appeared aware that he had opened a can of worms, and seemed somewhat ashamed. He raised his gaze to meet Kate�s and grimaced.

"No," Kate replied soothingly. "I know you�re not. You�re a good person, Will. You won�t stand in the way of what she wants. Of what she needs to be happy."

"No, I won�t," Will confirmed.

"Then why are we still here?" Kate asked softly. "Will, if Max is awake�why are we still stuck here?" She motioned around the room, knowing that Will would understand that she was referring to the granolith and not the Valonian palace.

Will met her eyes, scowling slightly, but he eventually lowered his gaze. "I�m sorry," he finally said abruptly, his voice cracking slightly. Kate watched with horror as his blue eyes shone with tears. She hurried across the room, throwing her arms around him. He buried his face in her neck. "I can�t turn it off. I can�t stop it. I want to - so badly. But I just can�t. I love her."

"I�m so sorry," she whispered. "Will, I am so sorry. But you�re going to have to stop. You just have to."

She knew, though, that this was easier said than done. And, until it was done, it seemed that none of them were going anywhere, whether Max Evans had returned to the land of the living or not.

***

"We�re not going back to Antar," Max said. "We don�t have to go back."

He proceeded to tell the group exactly what he had learned while he�d been asleep, down to the fact that the original Zan had never given him the seal, which meant he couldn�t rule Antar. They did not belong back there. They belonged on Earth. Max was certain of it now, but he knew that it might take some time to convince the others.

Silence greeted his story when he was done. It was obvious from the varying expressions of shock, surprise, and dismay appearing on the faces around him, that this was not what anyone had expected to hear.

"Max, what about the message from our mother?" Isabel finally asked, sounding a little sad.

"What about it?" Max demanded. "We don�t even know who that woman was, Iz. We do know that Nasedo wasn�t working for us. I�m betting it was completely faked."

Somewhat habitually, Max looked at Tess, who scowled at him. "I didn�t do it!" she exclaimed. "Max, I�ve already told you all that I know, and all that I did for him."

Max glanced at Liz, whose lips were pressed together disapprovingly. She didn�t say anything though, just watched him. "Fine, that�s all I needed to know," he said. "But you can�t blame me for wondering."

Tess thought about this for a moment, then shrugged, sighing slightly. "I guess not," she admitted, even laughing a bit. "But I swear I didn�t do it."

"So we�re just rejecting it out of hand, then?" Isabel asked. "I mean, what if it wasn�t faked?"

"All I know is that I didn�t meet our mother while I was gone," Max told her. "And we haven�t met any mother the entire time we�ve been in here, have we? I don�t think she existed anymore�exists�you know what I mean," he finally finished impatiently. This was all still somewhat confusing to discuss, what with all the doubles, and time periods they were dealing with.

Isabel looked at Grant. "You should know. Was our mother still alive when the ship was sent to Earth?"

"Yes," Grant said. "But I wouldn�t have put it past Nasedo to have faked a message to force you back to Antar. It would have made his plot a lot easier if you�d just gone peacefully."

Max eyed him suspiciously. "Why did you tell us that Zan died? Why did you let us continue to believe that, when it wasn�t true?"

"In every way that counted, he died," Grant shrugged. "He�s dead now. So he wasn�t dead when the ship left. What�s the difference?"

"It�s a big difference!" Max exclaimed in annoyance. "Khivar is sitting on my throne because he inherited it. Zan must have died without an heir by Ava, and he passed it to Khivar, because his sister was dead. Isn�t that right?"

"Well, yes," Grant admitted. He raised his hands, as though to ward off Max�s accusations. "Hey! Don�t blame me for any of this! I told you, I just hitched along for the ride, because of Vilandra." He glanced at Isabel, who glared back at him, causing him to sigh heavily. "I wasn�t involved in any of the upper level stuff. I knew he wasn�t dead, of course. Everyone did. He was king. But most of the rest of them were gone, so when Edgen told me on the ship that we were supposed to look after you all until you could go back and recover the throne from Khivar, I believed him."

"You said most of them were, but that�s not true either," Max snapped. "Zan, Rath, Serena, and Khivar were all still alive."

"Does Serena really count though? No one knew about her," Michael reminded Max. "I mean, Courtney didn�t."

"True, but he must have," Max insisted, meaning Grant. "She was the one who cloned us."

Grant sighed. "Fine, she wasn�t dead. But Rath was. He died before the ship left."

Max blinked, surprised. "What? How?"

There was a long silence again. Max could see that Grant was struggling to figure out how to phrase it. Grant looked at Michael, who appeared interested, but only intellectually, not because he particularly cared. When he became aware of Grant�s regard, he shrugged. "Hey, I�m alive now. Whatever happened to me back then is water under the bridge. Just tell us."

"He tried to stop the ship from leaving," Grant finally said. "He changed his mind about thinking it was a good idea. Nasedo killed him when he and Serena boarded it to retrieve the pods."

Max frowned thoughtfully. This wasn�t completely foreign to what he knew about Rath from the time he had spent with him in the past, but it didn�t sound quite right. He glanced at Michael, who shrugged again, obviously not remembering anything that would be helpful.

"I don�t think that�s what happened," Max said firmly. "Tell us the truth. It�s time, Grant. We need to know everything."

"If you were supposed to know this, don�t you think you would have stayed asleep long enough to find it out?" Grant shot back, more logically than Max cared to admit.

"It makes you look bad, doesn�t it?" Liz asked, speaking up for the first time. She was seated behind Max, and had been listening quietly, but, as usual, she was much more in tune with the feelings of those around them than anyone else. Max watched Grant as she spoke, and could see a shudder run through the shapeshifter. As usual, Liz had hit the nail right on the head.

Grant seemed almost panicked now. The calm, cool, collected shapeshifter, who seemed to find a lot of this mostly amusing - who seemed to think it was funny that the eight of them spent most of their time uncertain if they were coming or going - was finally cracking.

And this wasn�t just about what Isabel thought of him, Max realized. He hadn�t looked at her again. He was scared now.

"What happened?" Max demanded, refusing to reassure Grant until he knew exactly what they were dealing with.

Grant met his eyes for a long moment. Whatever he saw in them seemed to be the last straw. He collapsed into a nearby chair, his arms hanging limply beside him. He stared at the floor, unseeing, as he recounted Rath�s final moments.

"He was supposed to come with us," Grant said quietly. "Rath and Serena were going to come with us. As Valonians, they could have survived on Earth without skins, so Zan and Khivar wanted them to go, and they agreed. That�s why Serena was sent later, with Nicholas. They were chasing us. She was supposed to have been in control of the pods, and the granolith. They were supposed to settle you all into new lives here, and then go back."

"And?" Max prompted, when Grant stopped for a moment.

"Edgen didn�t find out until the last minute, and he was furious. He felt like it was an insult to Wendar, that Zan didn�t trust us to take care of things ourselves." He paused again, glancing at Michael, shaking his head slightly. "By the time Rath came onto the ship to take control, Edgen had convinced me that I would never have a chance with Vilandra on Earth if Rath was there to engineer your lives the way that Zan wanted them to go. And, then, when Rath came�he was his typical self. Rude, bullying, and refused to listen to anything anyone else said."

"So you killed him?" Isabel exclaimed in horror. "Because of me, you killed him?"

"I didn�t," Grant insisted. "But Edgen did. And I didn�t stop him. He sent Serena packing back to Antar with Rath�s body, and told her to tell Zan that he would regret not trusting him. Then we left. We took the pods, and we left, came to Earth, and the rest you know. The crash happened. And I hid half of you from Edgen, because I had no idea what he was planning. By the time we got to Earth, he was almost as bad as Yorvin, convinced that the only the insults to Wendar would stop was if our planet took control of the system. Zan was right not to trust him entirely, and Edgen couldn�t even see that. He started to plot against Zan, which was exactly what Zan had sent Rath to prevent."

"Good grief," Michael said into the silence that had fallen again. "That�s a really crappy way to die for a general." He sounded almost disappointed, which if Max wasn�t so angry, he might have found funny. "Shouldn�t I have been more suspicious of Edgen? I mean, I�m suspicious of everyone!"

"Rath was Rath," Grant said. "He was suspicious of everyone, too, and he never hid it. He did things his way, like a bull in a china shop. He couldn�t be inconspicuous about anything. Edgen knew what his presence on the mission meant. It meant that Zan didn�t trust him. But Rath didn�t deserve to die because of it. He was only doing what his king asked him to do. Edgen had no right to take the pods, and I had no right to let him. We proved Zan - and Rath - completely right."

"But Rath still died," Max said. "It didn�t matter if he was right or not. He died."

"And I�m willing to go back to Antar and face trial for that," Grant replied. "I know now that I am just as responsible for it as Edgen was." Max watched him glance at Isabel to see how she took that. His sister�s expression was still entirely disgusted. Grant sighed heavily.

"We haven�t said so," Kate said, after everyone absorbed what Grant had told them, "But it�s safe to assume that Edgen and Nasedo were one and the same?"

"Yes," Grant acknowledged.

"What I don�t get is how the Knosians got wrapped up in all of this," Michael said. "If Serena did the cloning, why would she have gone along with throwing in Ava�s DNA?"

"Remember, Whittaker told us that Nasedo made a deal with the Knosians," Liz said. She looked at Grant. "That must have come about after he killed Rath."

"It did," Grant acknowledged. "We went to Knosis before coming here." He looked at Tess. "That�s why we had Knosians working for us in the cave. They were sent by Ava�s planet to ensure her safety."

"But why?" Michael demanded. "The original Zan was married to Ava. They had their queen married to the high king. Why would they support someone who wanted to overthrow them both?"

"The Knosians are anything if not pragmatic," Grant replied wryly. "They didn�t believe that Edgen�s plot would succeed - the whole cloning thing was beyond their comprehension - but they weren�t taking any chances either. If it did, they wanted a clone with Knosian blood on the throne. If the original Zan and Ava had had children, they would have switched sides again."

"Lovely," Michael muttered, rolling his eyes. "Real trustworthy people you come from," he said to Tess.

"Hey! It�s not my fault!" Tess exclaimed. "Besides, I�m only half Knosian�or a quarter�" She trailed off. "Whatever. I�m not Knosian," she insisted. "I�m just�not."

"No, you�re not," Liz agreed. "You�re one of us." Max saw Tess� tension drain out of her at her sister�s words. Liz stood, frowning at Michael. "None of us are them, Michael. None of what happened before matters for us, except so far as what�s expected of us now. Can we please try to remember that?"

"Sorry," Michael said, holding up his hands. He looked at Tess. "I am sorry. I�m just frustrated, okay? I mean, what does it matter that we�re learning all this? We�re still stuck here!"

"Good point," Max said. "I think that, now, we need to just remind ourselves of what we do know, which is that we don�t have to go back, because that was never what they meant for us to do. Grant has told us what he can about how we ended up so lost and alone on Earth. In some ways, the Crash was a good thing, because if it hadn�t happened, Nasedo probably would have had us all back on Antar by now, and the civil war would never have ended."

The thought of that sent a shiver down Max�s spine.

"Doesn�t this all mean that there isn�t a civil war happening at all?" Isabel asked. "I mean, if we�re not meant to go back, and Zan left his throne to Khivar, why would there be one?"

"I�m betting it�s because not everyone was in agreement with Khivar taking over the high kingship," Max replied. "Remember what started this all in the first place. Planets jealous over other planets� influence. Knosis must not have been very happy about the Sardican king ruling over them when they had been equals for so long. Plus, they must have thought that they were finally gaining one over on Sardica by marrying their queen to Zan. If they had no children, they were no better off in the long run than they had ever been."

They all looked at Grant, who shrugged again. "I don�t know much about what�s going on back there. Only what�" He trailed off frowning, a strange look crossing his face.

"What?" Michael asked. "What�s wrong?"

"I was going to say that I only know what Nasedo told me he�d learned from Ava�s Knosian bodyguards," Grant replied. "But that doesn�t really make a lot of sense. They�ve been on Earth almost as long as anyone. They didn�t crash, and it took them a while to find Nasedo after we did, but they were with him for a long time."

"Maybe they were in contact with home?" Isabel suggested.

"Maybe," Grant conceded. "But if so, why didn�t Nasedo know more?"

"He could have, and just didn�t tell you," Liz said. "You�ve already said before that he didn�t really trust you. That�s why you killed Courtney, isn�t it? To show that he could?"

"Yes," Grant said, lowering his gaze. "Something still seems wrong though."

"Nicholas was in touch with home," Kate said softly. "Maybe he was the one who knew. We already know that he worked with Nasedo, at least a bit."

It was the first time one of the Sardican members of their group had actually spoken throughout this. Max looked at her in surprise, realizing for the first time that Kate, Will, and Jack had all been strangely quiet throughout the entire conversation.

Max looked at Will. He felt strange about Will since waking up. He still didn�t particularly like him, but he had respected his original, Khivar, while Max had been living Zan�s life. Max knew that Will still wanted Liz, and that his sullen behavior now was likely linked to the fact that everything Max had told them about why the original Khivar went along with the cloning meant that he and Liz were not meant to be, from the very beginning, and his original had known it.

He was distracted by his musings on Will by Michael. "That�s one thing I just don�t get in all of this. If the real Khivar was still alive, and was king of Antar, why was Nicholas working with Nasedo at all?"

And, suddenly, as though Michael�s question had suddenly jolted all the pieces of the puzzle into their proper places, Max blinked. Because, abruptly, he finally understood the one thing that Zan never had.

He knew who the traitor had been. The traitor who had betrayed Serena and Rowena on Valonia, and he led directly to their deaths. It was the same traitor now as it had been then.

The answer was so obvious, he couldn�t believe that he hadn�t thought of it before. It was the only thing that made any sense with what they knew about what Will, Kate, and Jack had been raised to believe. How could they have not realized it?

But, as Max met Will�s gaze for the first time since he�d woken up, he understood that someone had thought of it, and perhaps had not wanted to be disillusioned once more, so had said nothing.

"Because Nicholas was a traitor," Max said grimly, because Will needed to face reality. At this point, it was absolutely essential. "He has been betraying all of you all along, including the real Khivar."

Part 66

"So is that it?" Michael demanded into the silence that greeted Max�s statement about Nicholas, and his seemingly now clear loyalty issues. "Is that why we�re stuck here? To find out that the little weenie is responsible for everything?"

"If it was," Max replied, his gaze focused on Will, "We�d be home."

Liz grimaced, looking between Max and Will. She could see that her boyfriend�s patience was reaching its limit when it came to dealing with his past life rival. Will was returning Max�s stare stonily, his expression revealing nothing.

When Will finally spoke, his voice was flat. "So we�re blaming me for this, are we? I�m the one who is keeping us here, because I can�t accept that the one person I thought I could always count on was a traitor?"

The controlled tone with which he spoke sent a chill down Liz�s spine. She wondered if she was the only one who understood that Will was not talking about Nicholas at all. Although the reasons were still unclear, Nicholas was the logical choice for who had to have been behind most of this. Even Will had to accept that.

No, it wasn�t Nicholas that Will was talking about at all. And Liz knew it. She could tell that it was taking all his willpower not to look at her. She felt her heart break for him. Even though she knew that she did not love him, she did still feel a bond to him - whatever Rowena�s connection had been to Khivar, it still existed between her and Will. It was not the romantic love that Will wanted, but it was something.

Liz knew that it would hurt to let it go. But it seemed that the only way that Will was ever going to accept any of this - which, by now, it seemed was the only way for them to get out of the granolith - was for her to break the bond completely.

Was this the only answer? Was she going to have to make him hate her? And, if so, how could she manage it, when she didn�t even know why he felt so strongly about her? It couldn�t all be about what Nicholas had told him she had meant to him in a past life. What was it that refused to let Will recognize that they barely knew each other - that he couldn�t love her, because he didn�t know her?

"Will, no one�s blaming you," Tess said softly.

"We aren�t?" Michael demanded. "I think, in fact, that we�"

"Michael, shut up!" Tess exclaimed. "He can�t help the way he feels. If he doesn�t believe that it was Nicholas, then maybe we need to think about who else it could have been."

Will�s brow was furrowed slightly, as he stared at Tess. "I never said I didn�t think it was Nicholas," he finally said.

"Oh," Tess said, sounding surprised. The expression on her face indicated that perhaps Liz was the only one who understood that Will�s issue wasn�t with Nicholas at all, but, rather, with Rowena. With Liz. But, as Liz met Kate�s gaze across the room, she could see from the resigned look on Will�s sister�s face that Kate too understood exactly what was going on.

Tess seemed to catch the look exchanged between Liz and Kate, and she seemed to understand it, because she lowered her gaze. Liz frowned. Her sister�s disappointment was palpable.

Oh dear Lord, Liz thought. What exactly happened between those two while they were alone together on Sardica? Were they all doomed to just repeat exactly what had happened in their last lives? Tess, like Serena, would pine for Will, who like Khivar, couldn�t let go of the past. Max and Liz would be together, but with the knowledge, that had also been possessed by Zan and Rowena, that loving each other meant that they were hurting almost all the people they most cared about.

It was more than past time to take the bull by the horns, Liz thought, frustrated. The whole thing was just so stupid and unnecessary.

"Will, I need to talk to you," she said firmly. "Alone."

She didn�t look at anyone else, including Max, before leaving the room. She expected Will to follow her. She wasn�t quite sure how she would make him do so, if he decided not to, but she would cross that bridge when she came to it.

Much to her relief, when she turned around after the door had slid shut behind her, Will had indeed come with her.

"What is it going to take for you to get over this?" Liz demanded, pretending more anger than she actually felt. Mostly she just felt sorry for him.

"I am over it," Will replied, sounding annoyed. "Why won�t anyone believe me? Why won�t this stupid thing believe me?" He didn�t need to specify what stupid thing he was referring to. Liz knew it was the granolith.

"If that�s true, then we wouldn�t still be here," Liz reminded him.

Will eyed her for a long moment. "So it has to be me, right? It just has to be me, because no one else will admit that they�re just as screwed up as I am."

"Will, you�re not screwed up," Liz said, her tone more gentle. "It�s not your fault. None of this is. You can�t blame yourself for Nicholas� lies."

"I can�t?" Will demanded, his tone fierce, his stony control finally slipping. "Are you sure? Because I do. I don�t even know why he betrayed us, but I do blame myself. If Khivar had inspired any kind of loyalty, none of this would have ever happened, would it? His wife wouldn�t have betrayed him, and his general wouldn�t have either. None of this happened to Zan, did it? Everything I�ve always believed - that he was the evil one, the troublemaker - was one big, fat lie. So why can�t I blame myself? For not knowing the truth, for not knowing that I was the bad guy. I was the one who worked with Nasedo. And now I�m the one who is trapping us all here." There was a long pause. "How can I not blame myself, Liz? Tell me how. Because if I knew, I wouldn�t."

"Oh, Will." Liz stepped forward, wrapping her arms around him. She hugged him tightly. "I�m so sorry."

He was stiff in her embrace. "I don�t want you to feel sorry for me, Liz. That�s the last thing I want."

"I don�t," Liz replied, pulling back, and looking up at him. "I don�t feel sorry for you. I just feel sorry that you don�t understand anything. How can you not see it? How can you not see the loyalty and love Kate and Jack feel for you? How can you not see it, and know that it means so much more than what I - a stranger - or what Nicholas - who was never worth caring about, obviously - could ever offer you? And they aren�t even the only ones. Tess, too. In the short time you spent with her in here, it�s pretty obvious you put some kind of voodoo hex on her. I think she�d follow you to the ends of the universe, if you�d only let her. If you�d only give her a chance."

Will stared at her. "That makes no sense," he finally said. "We barely know each other."

"Will, you barely know me either , and, yet, you seem to think that we belong together. If that�s so, why not Tess? You can�t possibly tell me that you can�t see it," Liz said, shaking her head. "Will, how blind can you possibly be? Why is it that you�re so focused on what you can�t have, and won�t open your eyes to what you do have? Why is that so hard for you?"

"I�m a king," Will said, shrugging slightly. "All I�m supposed to want is what�s best for my people. And what I was always told was that it was you, Rowena. That is was my job to marry you - to love you - and unite our people."

"That�s what Nicholas told you," Liz reminded him. "And I think it�s pretty clear that everything he told you was a lie."

"But how can I know?" Will asked. "How can I ever know for sure?"

Liz sighed heavily, hugging Will again. "I don�t know, Will, but you�re going to have to figure it out. Please. You have to."

"Liz, if we could just try�" Will said desperately. "Please. Just for a little while. If we could just try to make it work�I know that we could�"

She sighed again, leaning back and shaking her head, interrupting him before he embarrassed himself any further. "No, Will. I�m with Max. It�s Max I love." She reached up, placing her hands on either side of his face, forcing him to meet her eyes. He did, his blue-eyed gaze sullen. "I�m sorry."

"It�s not fair," he said bitterly. "I never had a chance."

"I�m sorry," Liz said again, gently. She felt her heart contract at the tears in his eyes. He was breaking down. He wasn�t going to be able to handle this. His entire being was so wrapped up in what he had been told they were supposed to be to each other. It was what had helped him survive the long years growing up on Earth. It was what he had known would help him rule the planet destined to be his. But none of it was real. And he couldn�t accept it.

How did Liz know this? She could barely explain it to herself. All she knew was that she could feel it. She felt connected to him as their gazes met. Not like she felt when she connected with Max, but she could read him, just by looking into his eyes. This was her gift. It was the gift that Rowena had bestowed upon her.

And, yet, in spite of all of this, she still found herself shocked by what happened next.

"I never had a chance," Will repeated, his tone fierce. "I deserve at least one chance."

Liz gasped in astonishment as he pulled her towards him, and pressed his lips to hers.

It was the last thought of her own she knew, as she felt herself pulled into a connection with Will. It was a connection that she had not asked for, a connection over which she had no control. Not only that. It was a connection that made her see what Will was really capable of�a connection that frightened her more than anything she had yet experienced in all of this.

It was a connection that changed everything.

For, in it, she became what he could become. What, in another life, he had become.

She became a monster capable of carrying out the end of a world.

***

Alex jerked awake, blinking frantically. He heaved a sigh of relief when he realized that he was still huddled against the wall in the silver cone of the granolith chamber. He had been in the middle of a nightmare about being sucked into the alien mixmaster, as Kyle had taken to calling it. His heart was still thundering in his chest.

As he came back to full awareness, he was surprised that he had managed to fall asleep at all. One would have thought that the idea of ceasing to exist, because your friends were in the process of changing the past, which could seriously screw the present, would be enough to keep a body awake. Apparently not. The stress of the mere idea must have knocked him out.

It took Alex a moment to understand what had woken him up. Glancing around the granolith chamber, he realized it hadn�t been his nightmare.

The dull hum that had emanated from the granolith since Liz, Max, Isabel, and the others had activated it had ceased. Not only that. As he felt his just returning to normal heart start to speed up again, all the lights in the entire chamber extinguished themselves.

This could not be good. Not at all.

Maria was snoring softly against him. Alex nudged her awake.

"Mom, what? Five more minutes," she complained groggily.

"Maria, wake up," Alex ordered, impatiently. He didn�t mean to be short with her, but he was trying to hide how freaked out he was. If he had thought he had known fear before, he was wrong. This fear - that the entire existence he knew - and, in spite of all his recent thoughts to the contrary, he loved - was being threatened.

What would he do if he actually ended up on the outside? If what was going on in this granolith meant that he would be out of the alien abyss, once and for all? Not only that. He wouldn�t even know about the existence of the alien abyss. For him, for Maria, for the sheriff, and for Kyle, it would be as though the aliens had never existed. They wouldn�t remember them, and they�d never know them.

It was now, when he was actually threatened with losing his friends, with losing his membership in a very exclusive club, once and for all, that Alex finally understood.

He didn�t want out at all. He and Maria had wondered earlier if they could stand being on the fringes, which being wholly human members of the "I know an alien" club meant for them. But now Alex knew the truth. If it was only going to be the fringes, then it was enough. Knowing Kate, and Isabel, and Max, and Michael�.and, of course, most importantly, Liz�was more than worth all of the agony that went along with it.

"Alex, what�s happening?" Maria whispered. Her fear was reflected in her voice, although it was so dark now, Alex could no longer see her face.

"I don�t know," he replied honestly. He raised his voice. "Sheriff? Kyle?"

Alex heard someone snort somewhere to his left. It sounded like Kyle, and he was apparently sleeping, if his snoring was any indication. "Hey, Kyle!" he said again. When there was no answer, Alex reached out with his foot, connecting with Kyle�s leg. Kyle snorted again, but seemed to awaken, because his breathing changed.

"What?" he muttered groggily.

"Where�s your dad?" Alex asked.

There was a long pause. "Why�s it so dark?" Kyle finally asked, sounding afraid. He didn�t seem to want to answer the question about his father. Alex thought he understood why. Kyle obviously didn�t know, and based on what had happened to Grant a few hours ago, a missing Sheriff Valenti was not a good thing.

"Do you think it�s started?" Maria asked softly, when neither she, nor Alex, knew what to say to Kyle. After all, they had no idea why it was so dark either.

"What?" Kyle demanded.

"The end," Maria said, tears in her voice. "I mean, everything changing. I don�t want this. I don�t want to forget them, Alex."

"We won�t," Alex said sternly, knowing that he had to be the strong one. "We won�t forget, Maria."

"But what if we do, Alex? What if we leave the granolith�because, I mean, we can�t stay in here forever� and we forget them? I can�t. I can�t forget Liz�" She trailed off, then added softly, "Michael�" It was almost a lament, her pain at the idea was so great.

Alex brought his arm up, pulling Maria closely against him. "We won�t," he said again, less certainly. Because he didn�t know what to tell her to make her feel better. He didn�t know what to tell Kyle, now that it seemed that both his father, and quite possibly the only person who could explain any of this, Whittaker, had been pulled into the granolith after Grant.

"We won�t forget," he repeated more strongly. "We won�t."

This seemed to reassure Maria, because she relaxed against him. "We won�t," she agreed, her voice strengthening.

And it was just as those words passed her lips that Sheriff Valenti�s voice sounded through the darkness.

"Kids! Kids, are you awake?"

Alex blinked as a dull light appeared on the wall across from him. It was door-shaped, and Alex realized it was the portal leading down to the room under the granolith had been opened. The sheriff stood framed in its light, having just opened it.

"Dad!" Kyle exclaimed, on his feet and across the chamber. "You�re still here!"

"Of course," the sheriff replied, sounding surprised, until it dawned on him what the trio remaining in the granolith chamber must have believed. "I�m sorry, son. I was just below with the congresswoman."

Alex stood, pulling Maria up after him. "What happened to the lights, Sheriff?" he asked.

"The granolith turned itself off," the sheriff replied. "I guess it must have turned off the juice up here, too." He turned, calling down the staircase. "Can you hit the lights for up here, Serena?"

Moments later, the inverted cone was again emitting a faint glow.

"What do you mean the granolith turned itself off?" Maria asked, sounding a little panicked. "Why would it do that? Are they trapped in there now?"

The sheriff looked at her. "I�m sorry. I should have said so earlier. The granolith�s done what it had to do. That�s why it turned off. Serena, she knew. She woke me, and we went down to meet them."

Alex felt his heart stop, then leap with joy as it started pounding again. "Sheriff, are you saying what I think you�re saying?" he asked, barely daring to breathe, in case he was disappointed.

"Yes, son," the sheriff acknowledged, with a wide grin. "They�re back. Every single one of �em. Safe and sound." He paused, then added, "At least physically."

Alex blinked. What was that supposed to mean?

"Michael!" Maria almost screeched, apparently not catching the sheriff�s last warning. She was already across the chamber and flying down the stairs before Alex even had a chance to catch his breath.

Kyle followed her, and the sheriff moved to do so as well, until he seemed to notice that Alex had not moved.

"Are you coming, Mr. Whitman?"

Alex stared at him, wondering why he had suddenly been hit by a wave of fear. He couldn�t explain it, but he could feel it. Something was wrong. His friends were back and, yet, he knew, absolutely, that this didn�t necessarily mean that any of them were approaching a happy ending.

And, yet, he remembered his decision of several moments before. He had been given a second chance. He had not lost his friends. He could not let his fear rule him. Not anymore.

"I�m coming," he said firmly, following the sheriff into the light.

Part 67

"I won't leave you!"

Liz heard the desperation in Max�s words. She shook her head. "No, no, no. Max, you have to."

His eyes glittered slightly, as he stared down at her, his hands clutching her upper arms firmly. "If I'm successful, if I can do this, you and I won't exist. Not as we do now."

"Max, if you don't do this, we're going to die." She didn�t stop to reflect on the fact that she was going to die either way. It was too late to stop that now. "Everyone will. Max, you have to do this. You have to try it."

There was a long pause. Their eyes met, sending a shiver down Liz�s spine, just as their staring contests always had. God! How could this have happened to them?

"I'll never see you again," he said softly, her own pain reflected in his every word. And, so, his next words surprised her. "Thank you."

"For what?" Liz asked, struggling against her own tears.

"For every kiss, every smile�" he trailed off sadly.

"Max, I don't have any regrets," she said firmly. And she didn�t. Not as they shared one last, desperate kiss. Not as she watched him disappear out of her life forever, sucked up into the granolith�s cone. Not as she called after Max one last time, willing him to succeed.

Not as she fell to her knees, waiting for him to arrive.

The ground shook beneath her. She started to shiver, but she kept her gaze focused on the spot where Max had last been. She knew it was going to be bad. But if she kept Max in mind - if she remembered that he would not fail her - she knew that this would not be the end. It would be an ending, but not their final one.

She would see Max again. Not in this life, but in a better one.

And, so, when he came into the pod chamber moments later, pulling his gloves off one at a time, then slapping them against his hands, Liz was ready for him.

"Will." She acknowledged him quietly, climbing to her feet.

Will stared at her, his gaze piercing down to her toes. For one long moment, she allowed herself to remember what he had been like as a boy, when she had first met him. But it did not last. It could not. The boy she remembered was completely gone.

"Khivar," Will snapped eventually. "My name is Khivar."

"No, it�s not," Liz said softly. "Kate didn�t call you Khivar. Jack didn�t."

Will didn�t respond to this. He didn�t even flinch. He merely advanced on her. Liz took one step back, but then stopped. She wasn�t afraid. Not anymore. He had done his worst. He had earned his final revenge. But it would not be forever. Max would fix this.

"Where is he?" Will growled, no affection left in those blue depths for her. Not any more.

"Gone," she replied simply. "He isn�t coming back."

"He deserted you in your most desperate hour, did he?" Will said, sounding smug. "And it�s for this coward that you allowed me to destroy an entire planet, Rowena?"

Liz said nothing. She just watched him, which seemed to unsettle him.

"What?" he yelled, his blue eyes blazing. "What? Are you trying to make me feel guilty, Rowena? Are you trying to pretend that this isn�t all your fault?"

"I�m not trying to do anything," Liz told him. "I�m just waiting for you to put me out of my misery."

He frowned slightly, advancing on her again. "Do you really think it would be as simple as that, Ro? That I would just kill you, and be done with it? You will not die this day."

Liz closed her eyes briefly, sighing. She had hoped, but she had hoped in vain. Will was completely gone, completely eaten up by his bitterness. She had known, but she had not accepted it until this moment. He was going to keep her alive, to torture her. She could bear it, for a little while. She could bear anything for a little while, as long as she knew that she and Max would eventually be together.

When he changed things, he would come for her. He would save them all.

He tried once before, a small voice in the back of her mind taunted her. He tried once before, and it didn�t work.

Liz quashed the voice ruthlessly. She would not give up on Max. She could not let go of her hope completely, or she would never survive this.

"You are mine," Will was saying. "You have always been mine, and you will always be." He was now so close to her, she had to lean her head back to see his face. She didn�t protest when he reached a hand out to touch her face.

"What did you do to your hair?" he asked inanely. "I hate it. You will let it grow back."

Again, she said nothing, merely glared at him.

"You�ll learn to appreciate me," he said. "When we go back to Antar, and we claim what is rightfully ours, you will forget all about him."

"I will never forget," Liz said. She barely refrained from spitting in his face. "I will never forget. You�d be best to just kill me now."

"You will," Will assured her. "You will."

"I won�t," Liz replied firmly.

Will grabbed her by the arms, pulling her against him. "You will!" he yelled. "I will make you." With that, he crushed his lips down on hers. Liz was tempted to bite him, but, instead, she chose to do the one thing that would entirely make him lose control.

She was ready to go now. She knew it. She could not wait for Max. She was so tired. It was time to end this life, and trust in the one that Max was rebuilding for them.

"Max�" she whispered against Will�s lips. "Max!"

It was enough. She felt the red hot rage streak through him, knew that she had pushed him just far enough. She felt his intention pierce through her. He was going to break her neck�

Max! she sighed again, to herself, wanting her beloved on her mind when she died.

The world was extinguished before she took her next breath.

***

One moment Kate was standing nervously waiting for Liz to return with Will, trying not to look at Max pace, and ignoring the constant bickering between Isabel, Tess, and Michael. The next everything went blurry. She found herself staring at a silver wall that had not been in front of her before. The silence was deafening.

What had happened?

Blinking, Kate realized abruptly that she was back in the granolith chamber where they had started their adventure. Which meant that they were back on Earth. Which meant that Liz must have managed to get through to Will somehow.

She felt the return of the dull ache for her brother. He must have finally given up on any idea of a future with Liz, but Kate knew that it would not be easy for him to adjust. The entire center of his being had shifted. It would take time - and support from her - for him to be able to get over it.

However, in spite of this, Kate�s relief was great. Finally they could move on. Finally they knew who they had been, and who they were meant to be now. Finally they knew their destiny, which was to simply live the new lives with which they had been gifted.

They all had a second chance. Kate didn�t plan to waste one moment of hers.

For the first time since she had learned about how she had died, she felt a pang of hope. They were back on Earth. None of them needed to go back to Antar. Maybe�

Alex. His face flashed in front of her. She felt as though she could reach out and touch him. Because, suddenly, soon she�d again be able to.

Kate closed her eyes, the thought of Isabel passing through her mind. What had she done? She�d basically told the other girl that she had given up any claim to Alex! What had she been thinking?

"Don�t you think you should both let Alex decide what�s best for him?"

Michael�s comment from within the granolith fluttered through her memory. Kate bit her lip, turning her head slightly, taking in Isabel, who stood next to her. The tall blonde�s forehead was resting lightly against the silver wall in front of her, as she attempted to get her bearings.

"Isabel," Kate said softly.

Isabel turned her head, opening her eyes and meeting Kate�s gaze. "What happened?" she asked, her expression dazed.

"We�re back," Kate replied.

"Oh," Isabel said blankly.

"I just wanted to say, before we�." Kate trailed off uncertainly.

Isabel�s face cleared rapidly. "Alex," she said.

"I never expected to be back here," Kate admitted. "I thought�I guess I was wrong about what it meant that I saw you all as aliens."

"I guess so," Isabel replied, her tone flat.

They stared at each other silently for a long moment.

"Michael was right," Kate finally said.

Isabel raised an eyebrow warily, waiting for her to continue.

"We�ll let him decide," Kate clarified.

Isabel�s gaze dropped. "He already has," she whispered. With that, she turned away. All thoughts of Alex fled Kate�s mind when Isabel exclaimed abruptly, "Liz!"

Kate snapped to attention. She glanced around the room. Everyone was stirring, attempting to understand what had happened to them. They were all standing, leaning against the various walls where their hand-prints could be found. All but Liz. The small dark-haired girl was seated on the floor, her legs up at her chest, her face buried in her knees. She was rocking back and forth, keening.

"Oh my God! Liz!" Max was suddenly on his knees at her side. His hands were everywhere at once, as he tried to determine what was wrong with his girlfriend. "Liz!"

"What�s wrong with her?"

Kate�s head whipped around at the sound of the voice.

Alex was standing on one of the stairs leading up to the pod chamber. Kate felt her heart start to thunder in her chest at the sight of him. She barely noticed Maria and Kyle huddled behind him, or the sheriff and Serena on the step below them.

However, Alex didn�t look at Kate at all, all his attention focused on Liz.

"Max! What happened in there?" Alex demanded, his tone angry.

Max ignored him, pulling Liz gently into his arms. He lifted her against his chest, carrying her past the others on the stairs. Everyone followed closely behind, with the exception of Will. For the first time, Kate looked at her brother. He was standing near his hand-print, his eyes wide with horror.

"Will?" Kate asked. "Will, what happened?"

"It�s my fault," Will said dully. "I did that to her."

"What?" Kate demanded, rushing at him. She reached up, grabbing his face between her hands, and forcing him to meet her eyes. "Will, what did you do?"

"I showed her the end of the world," he replied. "I did that, Katie. She saw what�s going to happen, fourteen years from now. She saw what I am. I saw what I am."

"What are you talking about?" Kate exclaimed, fear streaking down her spine.

"I killed her, Kate. I killed her."

With that, Will crumpled to the floor, his head in his hands, and started to cry.

***

"Liz! Liz, please!" Max was desperate. He had carried Liz right out onto the cliff outside the pod chamber. For some reason he thought that the fresh air of Earth might snap her out of whatever was wrong with her.

It wasn�t working though. Although she had stopped making noise, the silence that accompanied her trembling was even more disturbing than the pained cries had been.

All Max could do was sit down, still holding Liz in his arms. He held her as tightly as he could, stroking her hair, her back, any part of her he could reach. "It�s all right," he whispered soothingly. "I�m here. Liz, it�s going to be all right."

"Max, what�s wrong with her?" Max turned his head, meeting Maria and Alex�s concerned faces. He was surprised to see them. He hadn�t been aware that anyone had followed him and Liz out, having been entirely focused on his girlfriend.

"I don�t know," Max admitted. "She went to try to convince Will to let us come back and�"

He never got a chance to finish. Alex interrupted fiercely, "Will did this?"

The next thing Max knew, Alex had turned on his heel, storming back into the pod chamber.

"Uh oh," Maria said, hurrying after him.

All Max could do was watch them go. He had no intention of leaving Liz, whatever Alex intended to do to Will. And whatever it was Alex intended to do, Max intended to do anyway, later on, if necessary.

Because Max was still stewing about wanting to rip Will apart with his bare hands, he jumped slightly when he heard Liz�s voice. "Max, you have to stop him."

"Liz?" Max pulled back slightly, pushing her long, dark hair off her face. "Liz!"

Liz met his gaze, the terror she had been lost in still lurking in the depths of her beautiful brown eyes. "Max, he needs to be stopped."

"Who?" Max asked, not understanding. "Will? He will be, Liz. Whatever he did to you, he�s going to pay for it."

"No!" Liz exclaimed, frustrated. "Not Will! Alex. It�s not Will�s fault. He didn�t do anything to me. Not really." She pulled away from him, climbing unsteadily to her feet.

Max jumped to his own feet, holding her gently by the upper arms. "Liz, be careful!"

"You don�t understand," Liz said, pulling away again. "No one does."

"Understand what?" Max demanded, grabbing Liz by the hand and stopping her. "Liz, please just tell me what�s going on."

"I have to go in there," Liz insisted. "Max, he needs me."

Max couldn�t help it. He felt a flash of jealousy, so hot and so sudden, it momentarily made him see red. "Will? Will needs you? After what he did to you? Liz, you were practically catatonic two minutes ago because of him!"

Liz scowled at him. "Max, do you trust me?"

"Of course," Max snapped. "But that�s not the issue."

"It is the issue," Liz replied firmly. "I promise that this will all make sense soon, but you need to let me do this. And it has to be now." Max continued to frown, but he felt himself calming down. After all, he did trust Liz, and he didn�t want her to think otherwise. It wasn�t like he could forbid her from going to talk to Will anyway - nor did he ever want to forbid her to do anything. He did trust her, and, in the end, it was all that mattered.

He sighed heavily. "Fine," he finally said, shaking his head. "I don�t like it, though."

Liz smiled slightly. Max stared at her, disbelieving that this was the same person he had brought outside moments before. But, then, it wasn�t that big a surprise. This was Liz, and someone she cared about needed her. Her own concerns had always been secondary whenever that was the case.

"You don�t have to like it," she replied, reaching up to kiss him lightly on the lips. "The fact that you�re doing it anyway is why I love you."

With those reassuring words ringing in his ears, Max followed Liz back into the pod chamber.