ForcedTogetherpart38

Maria was lying down on the couch in the den, resting like she promised Michael when suddenly she felt a tiny hand touch her stomach. Cracking one eye open she saw Julie standing next to her, holding her hand on her tummy.

�Hey little sister. Whacha doing?� She asked softly.

�Opps. You have to go back to sleep Maria, Mommy told me that I shouldn�t disburp you.� She told her quickly.

�I think you mean disturb me. That�s ok cutie pie, I was only resting my eyes. I rather spend time with my favorite sister.� She said as she sat up and patted the couch next to her. �So tell me, how�s work?� She teased.

Julie giggled at her sister. �Your silly, I don�t have a job. Mommy and Daddy take care of me.�

�Oh, but how old are you now?� She asked, pretending to be thinking about something very important.

�I�m gonna be six next month.� Julie said proudly.

Maria shook her head up and down. �Just what I thought, six is when you have to go out and start working. So have you figured out what your gonna do?�

Julie looked at her with wide eyes. �But Emma, Sarah and Becky don�t work.�

�Whatttt!� She cried as she hit her hand against her forehead. �Wait a minute, did you say six. I thought you said sixteen. See when your sixteen you�ll probable have a job as a waitress in a diner wearing a silly green uniform and a headband with antennas on them.�

�That�s what the waitresses at The Crashdown wear.� She exclaimed happily.

�And that�s were your big sister use to work.� Maria told her.

�And that�s were she met her future husband.� Amy chimed in from the doorway.

Maria smiled at her mom. �Hi Mom, I was just explaining to Julie about getting a job when she�s sixteen.�

�Can I Mommy, can I work at The Crashdown like Maria did?� She asked excitedly.

Amy chuckled. �Honey don�t rush it.� She told her youngest daughter before joining them on the couch. �Besides, I thought I told you that Maria was napping and not to disturb her.�

Maria watched as Julie ducked her head after getting caught doing something she was told not to do. �It�s ok Mom, I wasn�t sleeping. I have too much on my mind right know to sleep, I was just resting and Julie didn�t disturb me at all.�

Amy sighed. �I know you have a lot on your mind, Michael called a meeting in an hour. But Honey your pregnant and you should be taking it easy. I don�t want you to get all worked up alright.�

Maria smiled at her mom. �Alright, I promise I will take it easy. But spending time with my favorite sister is not tasking at all. It�s fun and I enjoy it, so let�s make a deal. Julie can hang out with me as long as I don�t feel tired. When I feel tired I�ll tell her and she will go and play with the other kids. How does that sound?�

With a shake of her head Amy turned to her little girl. �Julie, do you think you can remember to leave Maria alone if she tells you she�s tire?�

�Yes Mommy, I promise. I like to watch her tummy move.� She told them.

�Oh is that it. You just want to watch my tummy huh.� Maria joked as she grabbed Julie and began to tickle her.

�Aaaahhhh, Mommy help me!� Julie begged.

Amy smiled as she watched her two daughters playing together. She wiped away a few tears as she thought about all the time they had lost. Even though they weren�t together the first six years of Julie�s life there was still so much love between them.

Maria, Amy and Julie spent the next hour talking and playing together. Soon everyone would gather to hear The Legacy and their worlds would be turned upside down, so for now Maria wanted to spend this time with her mom and sister.

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Michael was staring at his brother Max, he had wanted to tell him separately about there never being a child but he insisted that whatever Hannah had to say he wanted to hear with everyone else.

Now that Michael and Maria had told them the story of The Legacy and Hannah had told them the reason behind it they all sat around looking at each other trying to gage the others reaction.

It was Max�s uncontrollable haunting laughter that drew everyone�s attention. �There never was a baby! How stupid could I possible be! Here I am the King and I have yet to produce an heir for the throne, but hey nobody cares because I never was meant to! Michael was meant for it! He and his kids were the ones meant for greatness and they just sent me along for the ride!� He shouted as pounded his hand on the coffee table.

�Max.� Kyle tried to reach out to his lover only to have his hand smacked away.

�Don�t Max me.� He hissed. �What kind of Legacy is this, Michael gets to settle down and have a family and what do we get. We get betrayal and a murdering bitch who sends us on a f-uck up scavenger hunt. Why were we even sent here, Isabel and I serve no purpose according to The Legacy.� He sneered as he turned to Michael, Maria and Hannah. �Maybe there isn�t a Legacy, maybe your kid just made it all up!�

Michael shot out of his seat and advanced towards Max. �You selfish little prick! You think this is what we want! You think I am overly thrilled that my children were chosen to be the ones to fight in a war on a planet we�ve never seen!� He snapped as he pulled Max up by his collar and lifted him off the ground, staring Max in the eyes as he spoke in a tone of voice that caused the others to shiver. �And if you ever accuse one of my children of lying ever again I will brake you in half! DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME!� He shouted.

Max nodded his head yes, realizing he had gone to far. He released the breath he had been holding when Michael dropped him to the floor. He winced when he realized that causing Michael to get angry he had scared his daughters and swallowed as he watched Hannah sobbing in her mother�s arms.

�I�m sorry Mommy, I didn�t mean to make everyone mad. I wasn�t fibbing, honest Momma.� Hannah cried desperately as her mother rocked her gently in her arms telling her to hush.

Max turned and looked at his sister and lover and was ashamed to see the look of disappointment in their eyes. He knew that look it was the same look they bestowed on Michael that night at the cabin after Maria told them about the rape. It was different now, he wasn�t a sixteen year old kid who was living with an abusive father striking out at others to cause them as much pain as he suffered. No he was a grown man who had the privilege of growing up in a loving home and was in a relationship that meant the world to him.

Watching Michael as he tried to get his daughter to look at him caused him to move without realizing it. Soon he was kneeling next to Michael, in front of Hannah and Maria. With a tentative hand he reached up and stroked the sobbing child�s back.

�Hannah, you didn�t do anything wrong. You just told the truth and I got angry but not with you, with myself. I was the one who brought Kivar into your home and he tried to hurt you. Sometimes when adults get angry they say stupid things that they regret. Saying that you were lying is something I will great for the rest of my life. I know that everything that was said here tonight was the truth and I�m sorry that I made your Daddy angry.� He told her gently.

The small child turned and looked at Max, tears streaming down her face. �You don�t hate me?� She asked in the softest of voices.

Max smiled at the little girl. �I could never hate you sweetheart. You�re my niece and I love you.�

Hannah smiled at Max and then turned to her father before looking at him again. �Do you love my Daddy?�

Max chuckled when he saw Michael blanched a little because of her question. �Yes, I do love your Daddy and your Mommy and all your sisters. I love everyone in this room.�

�Gee Max, thanks that�s really sweet of you.� Peter joked, causing everyone to laugh, the tension finally drifting away.

�Anytime Peter.� Max joked back. He watched as Hannah slide off of her mother�s lap and crawled into her father�s waiting arms.

Isabel smiled as she watched the other together as Jessie wrapped his arm around her shoulder. She looked over at her children with unusual feeling in her stomach. The only people mentioned in The Legacy was Michael, Maria and their children as well as their friends and their children. Max was right about one thing, why were they sent if they weren�t part of The Legacy.

Turning she looked over at Liz and saw that she too was watching her children. She didn�t have to ask to know that she also seemed uneasy about it all. Why did they bring her into it, there must have been an easier way to bring Michael and Maria together.

Finally she couldn�t take it any longer and voiced her concerns. �I�m sorry, but I need to ask something. Max was right about one thing, we aren�t part of The Legacy so why send us along for the ride? What is our purpose here?�

Michael stood up with Hannah in his arms. �Piglet, do you know why Max and Isabel were sent to earth if they�re not part of The Legacy you explained to us.� He asked her.

Hannah shook her head. �No Daddy, he just said that we would gather strength from the other children.�

�But I don�t have a child. That�s were this whole things falls apart for me.� Max said.

Everyone turned when they saw Tim stand up and walk over to Max. �Your purpose is to prevent your people from fighting among themselves and to name the male children of the Second as your successors.�

�Tim.� Kyle spoke softly to the little boy.

�It�s not Tim.� Michael told him, instinctually putting himself in front of his wife and children.

He turned his head slightly and saw that the other parents had also placed themselves in front of their children. He watched as Tim slowly walked passed Max and Kyle and stood in front of him.

�You don�t have reason to fear me Michael. I would never hurt you or anyone in your family.� Tim said calmly. �You know me Michael. Let your eyes see what your heart already knows.�

Maria gasped slightly and stood next to Michael. �Ruthie?� She whispered in amazement.

Tim smiled at Maria. �I feel silly having you call me Ruthie when I am in this small child�s body. Please call me by the boy�s name.�

�But your dead.� Michael said.

�No, the body I used as my vessel is dead. I just left you alone because you didn�t need me. Now that you have been reunited together with King Zan and Princess Vilandra it is time you now the rest of your destiny.� Tim explained.

Everyone jumped when suddenly the television in the room began to play and all spun around to look at it. �You see your world, you see the devastation that Kivar and his men has caused.� He told them as they all watched the horror before them. People being slaughter, buildings being burned to the ground. Children being ripped from their parents arms.

�This is your fault King Zan, you were not a strong ruler and you could not defeat Kivar. Your second, General Rath had the ability to conquer and defeat him, but his methods were harsh and you wouldn�t give him the authority to command his troops. The Elders advised General Rath to over throw the throne and assume the crown but he would not betray his king.� Tim said bitterly.

He turned and looked at Max shocked face, his shame evident. �You are not the man King Zan was. You are not as selfish and prideful as he was. You have learned humility here on earth, you have learned that you can give others the freedom to make their own choices.�

Liz walked over to Max, her heart aching for him. She smiled and offered him some comfort by saying. �You let Michael go and be the man he needed to be.�

�Yes he did. King Zan would have forced Michael to go back, to assume his duties and make the appropriate sacrifices. You are a better man than King Zan was. You ask what your part of The Legacy is, it is to release the throne and to appoint the boy children who slumber in Maria womb as rulers.� He told him, smiling slightly to ease some of Max�s guilt.

�I don�t understand.� Michael said as he went over and stood with Max. �Why didn�t you just have him relinquish the throne to me instead of sending us here?�

Tim looked up into Michael face. �Because, when word got out that The Elders wanted General Rath to sit on the throne and run Antar the people stopped fighting Kivar and began to fight among themselves. King Zan would never had stepped down, we tried to arrange it so that General Rath and Princess Vilandra would wed, thus putting him in line for the throne.�

�But Rath and Vilandra were never in love.� Isabel offered, remembering the hologram of her mother telling her that Michael was the man she was to marry.

�Yes, that was something we never considered. Vilandra had a lover, a lover that would trick her into betraying her family.� Tim explained.

�Kivar, I was his lover.� Isabel said, her voice full of shame.

�Yes, but it was not your fault the others were killed. He tricked you into opening the gates and he massacred the royals before the first alarm was sounded.� He told her.

�I still don�t get it.� Michael said sharply. �How will my children be accepted if half the people didn�t want me on the throne?�

�King Zan and Queen Ava never had children of their own. When King Zan was to die his sister would have been next in line for the throne. As her husband you would have assumed the duties as the Queen�s consort and your children would have ascended to the throne.� Tim said as he went over and sat down next to Maria.

�Then why was I chosen to be with Michael, instead of Isabel?� Maria asked.

Tim grinned at her. �My child we did not chose you, Michael choose you. We saw no reason to force Michael and Isabel together if they fell in love then so be it, if not then we would accept that too.

�Alright, I get part of it. Max was sent back to learn from his mistakes and he must be willing to step down and name Michael�s children as the next rulers but why was I sent here.� Isabel questioned.

�Because my dear like I said we didn�t know if you two would find yourself together or not. There was a chance. The other group paired off as we expected but when you separated from the forth, the one you called Tess it changed the dynamics of your group. Instead of being with you brother and a possible mate you decided that they both were your brothers. This again wasn�t something we planned, but it did work to our advantage. Vilandra was never close with Zan and she didn�t know Rath at all. You helped them forge a closer bond than they ever had on Antar.� He told her.

�That�s it, I was sent here as a what if?� She demanded

�No there is more to your purpose. As you four matured your destiny changed. The one key we knew would not change was that Max would never produce an heir. Him and Tess had both been sterilized during their development process.� He said as he watched Max�s face for reaction.

�Sterilized.� Max said in awe.

Tim looked down before he explained. �Yes, I�m sorry but part of the problem we had on Antar was that the woman you married was barren. It wasn�t revealed until after you were wed. In our society divorce is not permitted, and unlike other society a bastard child would never be accepted.�

�So Michael�s children would have ended up on the throne anyways.� He surmised his heart racing as he realized that he would never have a child of his own.

�Yes but there is a problem. Michael is not in line since he is not married to the Princess. People would accept his children as temporary rulers but the people would want a member of the royal lineage to sit on the throne permanently. This is were Isabel and Liz come into play.�

�Me.� Liz said in shock.

�Yes, you are marked with the seal of the Royal Four. Once it became apparent that Michael and Isabel would not mate then we needed a bond that would be acceptable. You were healed by the King, you carry the seal of the Royal Four. Your children also carry the seal, they will be matched with Isabel�s children. Their children will be destined to be with the children of the unborn twins. Bringing the royal lineage back to the throne.� He told her.

�You mean that Lexi and Miguel will be with Martin and Lauren.� Sean asked in astonishment.

�Yes, do you not see the bond that they already have formed. The same bond that is between Michael�s children and the chosen ones. They are truly destine to be together.� Tim enlighten.

�Wait, why is Hannah going to be the one to sit on the throne until the boys are old enough. Wouldn�t Michael be the obvious choice.� Maria inquired.

�Because the people would not accept him on the throne now. Too many would see it as an act of betrayal on his part. No Hannah was chosen to protect the throne because of her gifts.� He clarify to them.

�It all rests on the children doesn�t it. We aren�t even needed on Antar.� Max remarked.

Tim shook his head. �No this is not true, you are needed. You all are needed. Antar has been devastated by this war, you will be the ones to help rebuild it. Do you think that it is a coincident that you have two former and one current law enforcement officers in you group. That you have a biochemist, two lawyers, architect and two contractors as well. Yes the children will win the war but the adults will teach them how to rebuild.�

�You mean we are all meant to go to Antar?� Jessie questioned.

�Yes when the time is upon you, you will all be brought to Antar. This isn�t something for you to fear. The children need training, much training. When Emma turns sixteen that is the time when she will lead the troops to victory. Until then it is your duty to teach them, give them the knowledge that you hold within you.� He told them.

Karen cleared her throat. �You mentioned the other, their occupations make them useful. What about Maria, Carrie the other mothers and myself. What could we possible offer.�

Tim stood and went over to Karen, placing his hand on her cheek. �Sweet child, you offer love and compassion. When people are engulfed in war it is easy to forget how to be humane, you will keep the hearts and souls nourished. Do not think this is a mundane task, it is the most important of them all.�

�Will you be with us?� Michael asked.

�I am not needed, you know your duty. You have seven years to prepare them. If we need to tell you more, Hannah will be made aware through her dreams. This body is tired, Kivar drained him. I will leave you know. Remember you are our hope and future.� Tim said just before he collapsed to the floor. Unlike with Kivar there was no blinding white light, Ruthie�s essence disappearing before their eyes. Instead they watched as Max and Kyle went to the boy and helped him up.

�Seven years to prepare.� Michael said.

�But how are we suppose to prepare if you and your children are here and the rest of us is in Roswell?� Sean asked.

�The inn.� Maria told them. �That�s why she left us an inn. There�s plenty of room for everyone. This property is massive, we have our own beach, not to mention the woods in back. It�s meant to be a compound for us.�

Liz shook her head in agreement. �It�s also away from suspicion. No crazed alien hunters or F.B.I., just us with Michael as the law to protect us.�

�You mean we should just up and move.� Isabel said. �What about the kids? What about our jobs?�

Max went over to his sister, hugging her close. �You know that we can relocate our jobs. You also know that the kids are better off with the other children. It�s ok Izzy, it�s ok to be afraid.� He whispered to her as she began to cry.

Michael went over and placed his hand on his shoulder. �Max is right Izzy, it�s alright to be afraid but remember we have each other this time. It�s not the same as it was before, this time we have our families with us to help us. This is what we are meant for.� He said as he moved over to Maria and his children.

Max looked up at his brother. �So we are really gonna do it. We�re gonna turned this place into the training camp.� He asked Michael.

Placing a kiss on Maria temple he answered him. �Yes, we really are going to do it.�

Sean chuckled lightly. �Say goodbye to The Baker�s Hollow Inn and say hello to The Training and Development of the Future Antar Warriors and Leaders Training Base.�

Everyone laughed as they settled down for the night. There were many decisions to be made, but not tonight. Tonight was time for reflection, a time to accept the task before them. A time to unite as one, something they weren�t able to accomplish until now.

TBC