Author: Lori R              7/6/2005
Email: Gussywussy55@yahoo.com 
Title: 'Alien Relations'
Category: Roswell…Kyle and Tess (Lamp Trimmers) / Max and Tess (Rebel)
Rating: Adult…Do NOT read if you are underage.
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters, but I do enjoy writing fantasies about 
them.
Feedback: Yes, it helps to know what works.
Summary: Giving Kyle and Tess a chance starting with the closet at the Prom.
Note: One scene from S2 of Roswell episode #216 'Heart of Mine' has been 
quoted. 

                                                ~~~~~~~~~~

Kyle stared at Tess across the room sitting alone, her foot tapping to the time of 
the music while her fingers played with the folds of her dress. He closed his 
eyes, his mind going over what Malamoot had just said and his own reply:
The biggest jerk on the team had come over and nudged him saying, "I envy 
you Valenti." 
Not having a clue as to what the guy was talking about he had replied, "All 
right." 
But then the ass had stared pointblank at Tess and his face took on a leering 
look. "Look at that compact little body." 
Kyle bit the inside of his cheek until he tasted blood to keep from decking the 
guy for even looking at Tess. "All right."
 Malamoot leaned over and tapped his shoulder. "Bet she's a firecracker in the 
sack." 
Kyle gritted his teeth as he replied, "I wouldn't know." But the thing was he had 
wondered the very things that Malamoot was. So how come he was getting mad 
at the jerk?
 "Yeah well, you will soon. Hey listen, what do you say, you throw her to me for 
a couple hours after your done?" 
Kyle had totally lost it then and grabbed the bastard. 
"Dont you ever talk about my sister like that!" 
Both men had stepped back shocked at Kyle's words.
"What the hell?!" Kyle whispered to himself as he released Malamoot and stared 
towards Tess.
Malamoot had taken off at a run leaving Kyle standing alone.
Now here he was trying to take in this new and surprising information. "No way. 
No f---ing way!" he moaned to himself, as he ran a hand through his perfectly 
groomed hair. He had to find out for sure how things stood between them.
Tess looked up as Kyle quickly approached her. Something was wrong.
"Kyle, what's…." 
Her words were cut off when Kyle grabbed her hand and pulled her to her feet 
and led her out of the gym. 
"KYLE! Where are we going? What's wrong?" Tess asked with alarm. He was 
practically dragging her behind him he was moving so fast. "Kyle!"
Kyle led her to the Eraser room and closed the door behind them, locking it 
before he turned around. His heart was racing at what he was about to do, but 
then he looked at Tess and his breath caught once again as he looked at how 
beautiful she was tonight. The tendrils of hair that rested against her cheeks 
made her look angelic. How could he had ever have called her 'sister'? His heart 
was telling him it was something different and he wanted to listen to his heart.
"Kyle, what are we doing in here?" asked Tess uncomfortably. 
"You…me…us…I mean how..." Kyle closed his eyes trying to focus on what he 
wanted to say. When he felt like he had some bit of control he asked, "How do 
you feel about me?"
Tess stared at Kyle, a little 'o' formed on her mouth at the realization of what he 
was asking. 
"You mean…?" her hand went to her stomach to try and settle her nerves.  How 
many times had she wanted something to go forward with Kyle, but knowing it 
would be wrong due to her being Max's wife, an unwanted wife, but his wife just 
the same. 
Kyle stepped forward. I need to know if you have romantic feelings for me or 
if…" he hesitated then asked, "…of if you think of me as …a brother."  There, 
he'd said it. Now the ball was in her court. 
Tess's eyes widened in shock. "What?" 
Brother?!  She had not expected him to ask her that, but it could work to her 
advantage. If Kyle believed that there could never be anything between them 
then he could get over his romantic feelings for her faster. Then her brow 
creased slightly as a new thought formed in her head. Maybe he was here to tell 
her that he thought of HER as a 'sister' and he was trying to let her down easy. 
Somewhere deep inside she felt a loss, how familiar that pain was becoming. But 
this time it seemed more intense. She refused to explore it further knowing the 
pain she felt now would only be doubled if she did. Taking a deep breath she 
lowered her hand and stepped toward Kyle, silently begging him to forgive her 
for what she was about to do.
"Kyle, are 'you' wanting something more between us?" she asked, her voice a 
hushed seductive whisper. 
Kyle swallowed hard as he shrugged, his voice cracking a bit as he said,  "I don't 
know. I thought…well you know…that we'd eventually 'trim that lamp', but…"
Tess stood as close to Kyle as she could get and slid her hand back behind his 
neck. "Do you want to kiss me, Kyle?" Her lips moved slowly over his, lightly 
touching then moving away. 
Kyle's heart sped up and his palms grew damp as he allowed them to move up 
and caress Tess's back. Her lips barely touching his, sort of a like a butterfly 
landing on his skin, was causing feelings in him that he had never experienced 
before. Did this mean he 'did' want her and that she wanted him too? Because 
this was definitely not how someone treated a brother or sister!
"Tess?" Her name was said in a strangled whisper.
"Shhh…just kiss me," her words just as soft and warm as her breath caressing 
his face. 
Their lips met, softly again, but this time in a kiss, then with a deeper need, 
bodies pressing as tightly together as physically possible as they shared their first 
kiss. 
Kyle's head began to spin as stars and space whirled in his head. He saw Tess 
coming out of the pods looking at the empty ones and starting to cry. He saw 
her leaving with Nasedo and growing up with Nasedo guiding her in the use of 
her powers. He felt her fear when they ran from the Special Unit, and her fear 
when Nasedo died, leaving her alone. He felt her loneliness because she wasn't 
totally accepted by the others. He saw himself as she saw him, and experienced 
the feelings she had for him. His heart both ached and swelled with everything 
he saw inside of her. 
When they parted Tess knew by the look in Kyle's eyes what he had seen and a 
tear rolled down her cheek because of it. She looked deeply into Kyle's eyes and 
mouthed, "I'm sorry", before tightly closing her own. 
Kyle blinked, his hand going to his forehead as if lost, as he looked around. 
"What…what are we doing in here?" he asked, his confusion growing as he took 
in Tess's flushed face and chest, her lips decidedly plumped and red. 
He pointed to her and asked, "Why do you look so flushed?" His eyes widened as 
he stepped back. "Oh geeze! I didn't try…we didn't?" Had the punch been 
spiked? He'd feel terrible if had tried something with Tess, and worse that he 
couldn't remember it.
Tess bit her lips to keep the tears at bay as she said, "No, it's just hot in here." 
She nodded her head at him. "You wanted to tell me something?  In private..." 
Kyle looked further confused. "I did? I don't remember." 
"Yeah, you said something about not being able to dance…." Tess hinted, hoping 
that Kyle picked up on it. 
Kyle's brows knitted together. Try as he might he couldn't remember that, but if 
Tess said it was so then it must be. But why had he brought her in here just to 
tell her that? He scratched at his temple with one finger as he tried to remember 
the conversation. 
"Yeah, well I can dance, just not very well." He looked around the dirty eraser 
room and said, "Want to get out of here? You were right about it being hot." He 
pulled at his tie and collar, wondering why he felt so strange. The heat he 
guessed. 
Tess felt her heart fall, but she nodded. "Yes, I think we should."
Kyle reached for the door and found it locked. "What the hell?" Shaking his head 
he unlocked the door and held it open for Tess. "After you." 
As they left the eraser room Tess touched a finger to her lips, the warmth of 
Kyle's lips pressed to hers still making her tingle deep inside. The sadness she 
felt grew for what could never be.

                                                     ~~~~~~~

Tess lay in bed that night reliving the kiss that she had shared with Kyle. She 
regretted doing it now since she would always have the memory of how warm 
and tingly the kiss had made her feel. Her stomach was still doing flip-flops and 
her heart ached. She had not counted on seeing inside of him. She'd seen 
everything about him since he was a little boy. His mother leaving and how he 
had cried. His victories at sports, and his eagerness to have his father spend 
time with him and not chase after aliens. The day he was shot and had how it 
had felt when Max had healed him; and the confusion he had felt all summer 
trying to come to terms with everything since then. And she was there. There 
was no doubt in her mind anymore that Kyle Valenti loved her. Not after seeing 
herself through his eyes. And now she knew that she loved him too. 
She rolled over on her side, her hands pressed beneath her cheek, as a single 
tear rolled down to her pillow. She had 'mind warped' Kyle into forgetting any 
type of romantic feelings for her. She hated herself for it too. If Kyle ever found 
out he would never forgive her. But he wouldn't find out. No one ever came out 
of a mind warp.
She sat up in the bed as a tapping began on her window. Alarm rose within her, 
but was slightly dispelled as Max opened the window, the moonlight framing him 
from behind. 
"Max?" Tess said his name as she approached her alien mate. 
Max looked uncertain then seemingly to make a decision. "Can I come in?"
Tess's neatly arched brows raised in surprise then lowered into a delicate frown. 
"Yes, of course." She stepped aside and watched as Max entered the room. 
"Why are you here, Max?"
Max motioned towards the bed. "Can we sit down?"
Tess nodded and went to sit cross-legged on the bed. 
Max sat down on the bed as well and looked at the feminine coverlet beneath 
him. He picked at a square of the material. The covering was decidedly out of 
place in the otherwise male room. Despite Kyle giving her his room Tess had 
never totally made it her own. He also took in her attire, pajama pants and one 
of those thin spaghetti strapped things that Isabel sometimes wore. It molded to 
her shape allowing him to see her perfect figure. He swallowed hard and looked 
away as he scratched at an itch on the back of his neck. 
"Max, why are you here?" Tess repeated, making Max raise his eyes to meet 
hers.
 "It made me doing some thinking. I want to explore our relationship. What we 
had and …" Max took her hand. "Where it might lead."
Tess's eyes widened at his words. "You want to …"
"I think it's time I got to know my wife."
Tess's world reeled. She hadn't expected this at all. She had thought she would 
have to work on getting Max to accept their destiny and now here he was 
declaring himself to her. All of this time he'd denied her, and now when she had 
discovered she loved Kyle Max suddenly remembers her and decides he wants to 
claim her! What made it more ironic was that she had taken steps to ensure that 
Kyle never remembered that he had feelings for her, yet she would always 
remember that she loved him. Another irony is that she now realized that she 
didn't love Max. But that didn't matter anymore. She had a duty, her purpose for 
being here.
She raised a shaking hand to Max's cheek and he held it there with his own. 
"Well?" he questioned. "I know I've denied our past lives, but maybe I haven't 
given us a chance." 
Tess heard pain in his voice and doubted that it had to do with any missed 
feelings concerning her. She drew her hand away. 
"What made you decide to come to me now, Max? Where is Liz?"
Max looked away, but not before Tess saw the pain in his eyes at the mention of 
Liz's name. 
"Liz and I aren't together." 
"Why?" Tess asked out of curiosity.
Max looked at Tess again and took her hand in his. "It doesn't matter. It only 
matters that we try and make this work."
"It matters to me, Max." 
Max looked in Tess's eyes and saw pain equal to his own and wondered what 
caused it. Was it his constant pushing her away and denials of their past? So 
why wasn't she happy now that he decided to go ahead with their destiny? 
"Max?"
His next words stunned her.
"Because I remember you…us."
Tess gave a soft, yet sharp gasp. "You…you remember?" 

"Only a bit. Not the romantic things, but Liz said if I remembered even a bit of 
our lives together then there was more between you and me then I was letting 
through. She didn't want to stand in the way of us finding out. That it was why 
we were sent here and I had to stop dodging it. Then she said it was over 
between us. " 
Tess knew that she should send Max back to Liz. But she also knew that they 
had an obligation to fulfill, the reason they were here. They had to find a way 
back to Antar so Max could free the planet from Kivar. And they needed to 
create an heir for the thrown. She glanced over at the dresser and her eyes fell 
on a picture of herself and Kyle taken at Christmas. Her heart skipped a beat 
then began to break as tears started to fall.  She looked back at Max as he 
reached over and caressed her damp check. She nodded and whispered, "I want 
to know you too…my husband."

                                                   ~~~~~~~~~

The Next Morning…
"But I don't get it! I thought you had given up on Max because he didn't want 
you!" said Kyle, as he chewed angrily on a strip of bacon. He watched Tess as 
she shifted her eggs around on her plate, her behavior anything but that of a 
'happy wife'. 
Tess sighed inwardly. Kyle's disapproval had been voiced loud and clear all 
during breakfast, and she had nothing to say to defend her actions. The sooner 
he accepted that she and Max were going to work at their relationship the 
better. She had hoped 'mind warping' him would speed up his acceptance of her 
relationship with Max. She had been wrong. 
"Dad, tell her. Tell her she's making a mistake!" 
Jim sat with his hands wrapped around his coffee cup contemplating the news 
that he and Kyle had received from Tess this morning. But he had sensed it was 
coming. Early this morning he had been awakened by a noise coming from just 
outside Tess's room. Fearing an alien enemy or the Special Unit, he had opened 
her door in time to see Max leaving by the window. Max had not seen him, but 
Tess had turned around, a look of guilt on her face. She had assured him that 
nothing had gone on, that Max had only come to talk to her. Now here he sat 
listening to Kyle trying to persuade her to change her mind. But would that be 
the right thing to do? It wasn't like Tess and Max were human. They were sent 
here for a reason. But since he didn't think of them as 'alien' anymore his 
feelings for both were interfering with his outlook on the situation. 
Without looking up he said, "I don't know that this is for us to interfere with, 
Kyle."
Kyle stared at his dad. "Of course it is! Do I have to list the reasons this is 
wrong? They don't love one another being the top reason!" He looked at Tess. 
"Right?"
Tess put down her fork and looked at Kyle. "He's my husband, Kyle. He was 
before and is again. He will be the father of my children. Leave it alone."
Kyle threw his napkin on the table, glaring as he shoved his chair back and stood 
up. "It's a mistake, Tess. He loves Liz. Do you really want someone that doesn't 
love you?" 
Tess looked away. Kyle couldn't understand why neither Tess nor his father saw 
anything wrong in what she and Max were going to do. He couldn't understand 
his own anger about it either. Feeling frustrated, he left the kitchen and slammed 
the front door as he left. They could hear his car being gunned as he sped off 
down the street. 
Tess slowly stood up and began to gather the dishes. She was standing at the 
sink when Jim spoke again. 
"Is this really what you want, Tess? Because for someone who is getting what 
she has wanted all along you don't look very happy."
Tess took a deep breath and turned around with a small smile. "It's what I want. 
I'm just tired from no sleep last night. All that talking you know." 
Jim had questioned enough people in his years as a law enforcement officer to 
know when someone was lying. He also knew that right now wasn't the time to 
push. But something wasn't right. Tess should have been happy and she wasn't. 
He stood up. "Okay. Just remember I'm here if you need to talk." He grabbed his 
hat off the back of the chair and he too left the kitchen and existed the front 
door. 
Tess turned back around to the sink and immediately her shoulders began to 
shake as the tears she had suppressed during breakfast came forth in an 
emotional burst of sobs. 
                  
                                         ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Evans Home…
Jim Valenti waited until he saw Philip and Diane Evans drive away before ringing 
the Evans doorbell. 
Max answered the door while stifling a yawn. His eyes, red from lack of sleep, 
widened as he saw who stood before him.
"Sheriff? Is something wrong?" 
"Max. We need to talk."
"Can't it wait? I didn't get any sleep last night." Not that he was going to be 
getting any anytime soon. This whole thing with Liz leaving him due to his recent 
memories of his past life, and then the decision he had made to go ahead with 
Tess, was taking a toll on him. He needed to figure out how to tell Isabel and 
Michael as well as his parents his plan. Not to mention Valenti might not be too 
thrilled with his and Tess's decision either. 
"I know." He watched as Max became more alert. "I saw you leave this 
morning."
Max sighed and scratched his head as he opened the door further. "Come on in." 
He led Valenti to the kitchen and poured them both a cup of coffee. 
Max took a sip and looked at Valenti sheepishly. "So you saw me leave." At the 
older man's stare he put down his cup and said, "You know." There was a bit of 
relief in knowing he didn't have to tell Valenti. That was one less person to worry 
about telling. "Look all we did was talk. We didn't do anything else if that's what 
you're worried about."
"I know. Tess told me." He looked down at his cup then up at Max. "What I want 
to know is what you think you are doing?"
Max frowned. "I don't understand?" But he did.
"Don't play dumb with me, Max. This sudden decision to have a relationship with 
Tess after all the denying you've done about your past, all of the talk you've 
done about not having any feelings for her, makes this new decision hard to 
swallow. And how does Liz feel about all of this? Isabel and Michael? And what 
about your parents? What will they think when you just up and leave?"
Max scratched the back of his neck. "I know. There's a lot to work out, but we 
will. We have too. As for Liz, she knows and…understands. This was partly her 
decision too. I haven't discussed it with anyone else besides Tess and now you." 
He stopped for a moment contemplating his next words. "I've been remembering 
my life on Antar. Remembering my life with Tess. I remembered how good life 
was until Kivar attacked and killed us. The four of us were sent here to become 
stronger and to create a new generation so we could go and take back what 
Kivar has taken from us and our people." 
"And just how do you plan to get back to Antar?"
Max looked away. "I don't know. But we'll find a way. We have to."
"What about Michael and Isabel? Do you expect them to follow your lead and 
leave here too? They might have other ideas about it you know."
Max looked Valenti in the eyes. "I know that. But Tess and I are the leaders. The 
ones that must provide the heir and save those we left behind. If Michael and 
Isabel choose not to come that is their right." 
Inside though he knew that if they didn't come with him and Tess that he would 
be devastated. He'd always been with them and didn't know what he would do 
without them.
Valenti shook his head. "This isn't you, Max. The Max I know wouldn't give up 
his life here for something he's never desired up there," he said pointing his 
finger up. 
 "Are you going to try and stop us?" asked Max standing straight.
Jim stood straighter too, as his eyes met Max's. "Maybe. I think you're moving 
too fast and not thinking straight right now." 
Max pinched the area between his eyes. He couldn't think, he was so tired and 
needed some rest. It had been 2 days since he had any sleep due to the break 
up with Liz and then talking to Tess. He couldn't handle anymore right now. 
 He dropped his hand and said, "Sheriff, I value your friendship and don't know 
what any of us would have done with out you to protect us." He looked at the 
counter, fingering the rim before looking back up at Valenti. "But with all due 
respect this doesn't concern you. It's between Tess and me. I know you think we 
are wrong, but leave it alone. Please."
Valenti's face reflected his hurt and disappointment as he sat the coffee cup 
down. "I'll see myself out. Good-bye, Max." He nodded and walked away.
Max leaned heavily on the counter with both hands and hung his head as he 
heard the Sheriff leave. Opposition was what he had expected, but not so soon. 
He was weary. He made his way to bedroom determined to rest before having a 
similar encounter with Michael and Isabel. 
                                             ~~~~~~~~~~~

Crashdown…
Kyle walked into the Crashdown and after his eyes adjusted to the light he made 
his way to a booth in the corner away from the nearest customer there for the 
breakfast special. He slouched down in the booth with his back against the wall 
and his right leg stretched out on the seat. 
He had to think and he couldn't do that at home or work. He ran a hand over his 
mouth as he tried to make sense of what Tess was doing. Sure he knew that she 
had never made any bones about her and Max being mates and that they were 
supposed to fulfill some sort of 'destiny' thing, but this was crazy. He never 
actually thought they would get together. Max and Liz were so into one another 
that it just never seemed possible, but now here Max and Tess were ready to 
assume their roles as husband and wife. It was insane. And why did it bother 
him so much? That was the kicker. It shouldn't matter to him at all, but it was 
eating him up inside. 
At that moment Maria walked over and without a word handed him a menu. Kyle 
immediately noted that she looked like she had been crying. 
"What's wrong with you?" he asked, though he thought he could probably guess. 
Maria slid into the seat across from him and began to cry. 
"Liz is gone. She got on a bus early this morning and left for boarding school. 
She didn't even call to tell me until it was too late, and even then she really 
didn't tell me why." She began to cry harder.
Kyle sat up. "She left? Figures," he said more to himself. He began to bite his 
thumbnail while he thought about this new development.  He hadn't expected Liz 
to run out, but it made sense. She wouldn't want to hang around and watch Max 
with Tess. 
Maria stopped crying and dabbed her eyes with a paper napkin while she eyed 
Kyle. "You know don't you?"
Kyle nodded. "About Max and Tess? Yeah."
They both looked up when they heard Michael and Isabel's voices as they walked 
in the door. 
Maria got on her knees on the seat and called out, "Guerin, get over here NOW!"
Isabel and Michael stopped and turned towards the voice. Michael rolled his eyes 
at the look on Maria's face. "Oh crap. What'd I do now?"
"Must be bad. She's sending daggers your way," said Isabel, walking slowly with 
Michael over to the table. She gave Kyle a little smile when she spied him sitting 
there, but the smile quickly left her face when she took in the look on his. 
"What's wrong?" she asked as she slid in the booth next to Kyle. 
Michael winced when Maria began slapping his head. "Ow! What the hell is 
wrong with you? What'd I do?" he asked as he raised his arm to protect himself 
from the angry, tearful girl. 
"Why didn't you tell me about Max and Liz breaking up? I might could have 
stopped her from leaving if I had known!" She continued her slapping, but now it 
was aimed at Michael's arm. He grabbed her hands to still them. 
"What do you mean Max and Liz broke up? When?" he asked Maria.
Isabel looked anxiously at Michael who was still looking at Maria. She too turned 
her focus to the distraught girl. 
"She called me this morning to tell me she and Max had broken up and that she 
was on her way to boarding school." She lay limply against Michael's arm, the 
fight having gone out of her. "She didn't even tell me good bye in person."
"Michael…" Isabel looked his way again, her mind full of questions.
Michael shook head. "I don't know anything either."
Maria sat up, her anger resurfacing. "It's Tess! She's the reason they broke up 
and why Liz left!"
Michael frowned. "What has Tess…."
Kyle interrupted him as he addressed Maria. "Hey, you don't know that! Max 
went to her last night. Not the other way around! If you want to point fingers try 
starting with him!"
Isabel's eyes grew wide in alarm. "What do you mean Max went to Tess? Why?"
Kyle turned to look at Isabel then at Michael. "Why do you think? Seems the King 
has decided to claim his Queen."
Isabel's mouth fell open then her eyes flew to Michael. "Oh gawd!" she 
whispered.
"Destiny," said Michael as he wiped a hand over his face. Fear, anger, frustration 
all ran through his body. 
"They didn't do anything. Not yet anyway. Just talked, according to Tess." He 
secretly was glad that was all. The thought of anyone touching Tess, especially 
sexually, disturbed Kyle. He felt protective of her.
"What else do you know?" asked Isabel, her voice shaking as she looked at Kyle.
He gestured wide and said sarcastically, "Max wants to take Tess and head back 
to Antar." He sat back crossing his arms, his tone now subdued. "He plans to 
take the planet back from Kivar." 
Isabel sat back stunned as Kyle added, "He also wants to start on the heir he 
says they are supposed to have." The last was said with bitterness. 
"Crap!" Michael's fist hit the table before leaned back. "We need find Max," 
Michael told Isabel, already getting out of his seat.
"So he just shoves Liz aside and decides to go after his alien wife? How could he 
do that? He said he loved Liz!" said Maria. "How do we know Tess didn't 'mind 
warp' him or something?"
Kyle leaned forward and shook his head. "She didn't 'mind warp' him. Tess says 
he's her husband. I know that she's been after Max about this since she got 
here, but I'm not all that sure she really wants to do this now that he's decided 
they should."
Maria looked up at Michael. "What are you going to do when you find him?" 
Michael looked at Isabel whose own face reflected what he felt. "I don't know," 
he admitted.
"Well I want you to kick his ass for Liz," replied Maria. "Then kick it again for 
me."
 "Hey!" the word was said sharply and angrily.
Isabel and Michael turned to look in surprise at Kyle. "It's not Tess's fault. I don't 
know what has gotten into Max, but Tess didn't start it."
They looked at one another and then left the Crashdown to find Max.

                                          ~~~~~~~~~~

Later at the Sheriffs Office…
Jim Valenti watched as his son angrily paced his office. It had been a good 15 
minutes since his son had walked in and began pacing without saying a word. 
He'd never seen Kyle so worked up. He'd been upset when his Mom left. Upset 
when Liz first started dating Max too. But this, he'd never seen Kyle so angry 
that he couldn't speak, and that concerned him. 
Kyle pulled one of his hands out of his pocket to rub the back of his neck. He 
stared at the floor trying to figure out why this with Tess and Max was 
happening. 
"Kyle, why does this upset you so much? You knew this day was coming. You 
knew that Tess has been seeking to regain the relationship that she and Max had 
on their planet. So why are you so upset?"
Kyle whirled on his father and fairly shouted, "WHY AREN'T YOU?!"
Jim shot out of his chair, shock along with a look of warning on his face. "KYLE!"
Kyle had the good grace to look remorseful for taking his anger out on his Dad. 
He didn't know what had gotten into him. 
"Dad…I'm sorry. I don't know why I just did that."
 He looked so frustrated and confused that Jim hurt for him. 
"I don't know why." Kyle pulled his hands out of his pocket and began to 
gesture. "I mean I know that she said they were supposed to be together, but 
for the last 4 months she's acted like she had put all of that aside." 
Jim watched as his son's anger abated and turned to hurt. Kyle went to stand by 
the window looking out, but not seeing. "I thought she liked it here. Liked us."  
Jim walked around the desk to stand beside Kyle as a thought crossed his mind. 
"You weren't hoping for something to happen between you two were you son? 
You know that …" He had wondered at first if having a young female, alien or 
not, living in the house with his young healthy son had been a good idea. But 
then they had not seemed to regard one another in that way, in his presence 
anyway. But now he wondered if he had been wrong.  
 
"No, of course not! I mean I just thought you know that we were becoming a 
family, a real family. It's been nice, you know?" He looked at his Dad and gave a 
little smile. "I like having her around." 
Jim regarded Kyle thoughtfully then finally nodded as he put his arm around his 
son's shoulders. "I know, me too."
As Kyle felt the arm go around his shoulder the seed that his Dad had planted in 
his mind began to grow. Was he wrong about why he didn't want Tess to go 
with Max? The question had been raised and now he needed to know the 
answer. 
                                       ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Evans Home…
"MAX! MAX, WHERE ARE YOU?" called out Isabel as she and Michael hurriedly 
entered the house. They hurried up the stairs to find a groggy Max waking from 
a nap. 
"What?" 
"What the hell are you thinking, Maxwell?" demanded Michael. 
Max wearily sat on the side of the bed and stared up at his best friend. "I beg 
your pardon?" But he knew what Michael was asking. News traveled fast. 
"You heard me. What the hell do you think you're doing?"
"Michael," rebuked Isabel. She then turned to Max, her heart pumping with 
anxiety, her words spilling out fast. "We saw Maria and Kyle at the Crashdown. 
They told us about you and Liz and your plans to be with Tess. Is it true?"
Max sighed. "Yes. It's true."
"Why didn't you tell us, Max? Michael and I shouldn't have had to hear it from 
them. It should have been from you," she said, her anger rising at Max's 
confirmation of the situation. 
"I was going to tell you! I just needed some rest first. I'm sorry. I was wrong," 
he snapped wearily. He rubbed the back of his neck then scratched it before 
dropping his hand. He had hoped to be better rested before this encounter.  
"In more ways than one!" Michael snapped as well, earning him a glare from 
Max.
"Why, Max?" asked Isabel as she sat on Max's bed. "Help us to understand 
what's going on."
Max stood up and walked over to his dresser. A picture of Liz had once sat there. 
Now the picture was in his bottom drawer under some winter clothes. He 
fingered the spot and sighed as he turned to face Michael and Isabel. 
"Let's just say I was wrong about our destinies. We need to go back and save 
our people. I'm taking the first step in doing that. One that I should have 
taken…all of us should have taken to begin with." 
Michael and Isabel glanced at one another, further alarmed at Max's words. 
"What do you mean "all of us"? You mean us too?" asked Michael, pointing 
between himself and Isabel. 
Isabel could barely breathe making her words come out in a whisper. "That's 
what you mean, isn't it, Max?" 
"They sent the 4 of us here for a reason, Isabel. I'm hoping you and Michael will 
return to Antar with Tess and me the way we were meant to." Max looked 
between the two. "I know it's a lot to take in, but…."
"No buts, Maxwell! You're crazy! I don't know what alien has worked their power 
on you, but this is not you!" Michael fairly shouted. He was floored at Max's 
request. 
"Max, this is insane, you know that right? We have lives here and nothing up 
there. Our friends, our family, it's all here," said Isabel, shaking her head. "We 
just can't leave. I don't want too."
Max sat beside Isabel and took her hand. "But we're supposed to do this. It's our 
destiny. I saw it all. My memories have been returning and I saw how we all 
were then. How good things were. How good it can be again once we return and 
take Antar back from Kivar." 
"Count me out of this insane plan of yours, Maxwell. My life is here now," said 
Michael from where he sat in the chair. 
Max turned to Michael. "But you were the one so adamant to find a way to go 
home."
"It's not our home anymore, Max. You're the one that's always said that. What's 
changed you?" replied Michael. 
"Max, you're scaring me. Would you really try to leave if Michael and I don't go 
too?" asked Isabel, as she clutched Max's hand.
He looked back at her and moved his hand to squeeze hers. "I don't want to, but 
I will if I have to, Isabel. They need me. Us."
Isabel stood up and shook her head. "I don't know you, Max. This isn't you. I 
don't know what has happened, but this isn't you."
Max stood as well and reached for Isabel, but she pulled away. "I can't. I need 
to think." She ran from the room and both males heard her door to her bedroom 
slam.
Michael stood up and approached Max's door then turned. "You need to really 
think this through, Maxwell. If you really do find a way to leave then you and 
Tess will be leaving alone." Then he closed the door on his way out leaving Max 
to sit and contemplate their words.

                                         ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Valenti Home…
Tess twirled her hair as she paced back and forth in the room that had been 
Kyle's. Everything about it except for the bed screamed out that this was his 
room. From the sports gear to the trophies to the books of varying interest, it 
cried out that this intimate space belonged to the man she loved. She had 
refused to do more than make the bed her own, not wanting to change anything 
else in the room, though at one point in the beginning she had started to change 
the walls. She hadn't gone through with it after the way Kyle had carried on, and 
now she was glad she had not. She loved to lie in bed at night and stare at his 
things, breathe in the scent of him that filled the air around her.
She was troubled. As adamant as she had been about making sure her destiny 
with Max was fulfilled, she knew that something wasn't right. Max was 'too' gung 
ho about taking up his role as her husband again, and that just wasn't Max. 
When he had come to her in the night it had surprised her. His proposition 
stunned her to say the least. The more he had talked the more she knew that 
something wasn't right. But she also knew that he was right in one thing. They 
had been sent here for a purpose and it was time to fulfill it. They were expected 
to return to make everything right again and apparently that time was at hand 
now. So she had ignored the nagging thought that someone or something was 
making Max act the way he was.
She was torn. Torn between wanting to stay here on Earth and have as normal a 
life as she could, or go back to Antar with Max and rule by his side as well as 
bear his heir the way she was meant to do.
A knock on the door brought her from her thoughts.
"Come in."
Kyle entered the room. 
"Are you busy?"
Tess gave him a small smile. "No. Just thinking. Come in."
Kyle shoved his hands into his pockets and looked around.
"I guess I'll be moving back in here soon." 
Tess gave a slight nod as she responded quietly. "Yes, I'm sure you'll be glad to 
have it back again."
Kyle shook his head. "Not really. I would gladly let you keep it if you would just 
stay."
Tess looked away, her heart aching at his words, knowing he didn't mean them 
the way she knew he would have just a few days ago. 
"You're really going to do it aren't you? Go with Max back up there."
"Kyle…please. We've been through this." She didn't know if she could do it again. 
Kyle nodded, his head hanging down in acceptance. "Fine. Just know that you 
are going to be missed. You made this place a home. A real home with a 
woman's touch that me and my Dad were happy in. We'll miss that. We'll miss 
you. I'll miss you," he admitted.  He looked up to find her crying. "That's it I 
guess. That's all I have to say besides I hope you …" he hesitated then said, "…I 
hope you and Max are really happy up there," pointing upwards.
"Kyle…" Tess's voice caught as she approached him, her arms going around his 
neck as she buried her face there and cried. She couldn't stand the pain in her 
heart right now and gave in to her need to be held by him. 
Kyle sucked in his breath then slowly moved his arms around her waist and 
pulled her close. He turned his face into her hair, breathing in her scent as he 
gently rubbed her back and tried to soothe her. His heart began to beat a bit 
faster has he held her close to him, the curves of her body molding to fit his.
"Shhhh…it's okay. I mean hey, maybe you can come back and visit us sometime. 
Right?" 
But both knew that when she left there would be no returning. 
"I'm going to miss you most of all, Kyle. I'll never forget you." 
Without thinking she raised her lips to his and kissed him. Her soft lips met his 
and a shower of stars and images began to fly between them along with briefly 
repressed memories. 
Tess pulled back shocked by her own weakness praying that Kyle wouldn't 
recognize what he saw during the kiss. How could she have been so careless?! 
He looked at her with a look of alarm and confusion in his eyes. What the hell 
had just happened?  He saw fear in Tess's eyes and the confusion grew. 
"What was…"
A throat being cleared at the door made them both release the other quickly and 
turn towards the door.
"What's going on here?" asked Max from the doorway. He could feel the tension, 
saw the looks on Tess and Kyle's faces, and correctly assessed the situation. 
"Max!" Tess's hand went nervously to her hair as she walked over to him and 
kissed him lightly on the cheek. "Kyle was just telling me how much he would 
miss me around here." 
Max eyed Kyle, a frown on his face. "Looked to me like there was more to it then 
that." His arm went possessively to Tess's waist and he pulled her close.
Kyle noticed the deliberate move on Max's part that left no doubt who it was 
Tess belonged to.  He made his way to the door. "I need to head on to work so I 
guess I'll leave you two alone." He got even with the alien couple and his eyes 
connected with Tess's. They looked sad. He gave her a small smile and then 
raised his eyes to meet Max's. The smile slid from his face. Neither blinked. 
Tess felt the tension and quietly said, "Kyle, you don't want to be late."
Kyle looked at her and nodded. He understood what she was doing, and left the 
room behind. 
Max turned Tess to face him and took her face between both of his hands and 
kissed her deeply. Images flew between them, memories of happier times on 
Antar and disturbingly sad images of their time on Earth. Max chose to ignore 
the images of Tess kissing Kyle, though a brief moment of jealously occurred. 
When they pulled apart they stared at one another for a brief moment before 
looking away. Neither acknowledged to the other what they had seen. 
Max scratched at the back of his neck and then looked at Tess and said, "I think 
we need to spend some time together. How about a movie tonight?" 
Tess crossed her arms then dropped them as she met Max's eyes and nodded. 
"Yeah, that's fine. What time?" Time together is what they needed. They needed 
to get to know one another. 
"Seven? I can pick you up and then after the movie we can have dinner." 
Tess nervously fingered her necklace as she nodded. "That's fine. I'll be ready." 
She hesitated then hesitantly moved and kissed Max lightly on the lips then 
pulled away. 
Max gave her a slight smile and then held her hand as he made his way to the 
front door. He opened it then leaned down and kissed her quickly one more 
time. 
"I'll see you at seven," he told her with a smile. 
"Okay," she replied, a small smile on her face as well. 
Max left and Tess shut the door and leaned on it, her eyes closing as she sighed. 
Max's kiss had been wonderful, a kiss that any girl would dream of having.  So 
why was she dreaming about the kisses she had received from a man she could 
never have instead of enjoying the ones from the man she was married to?
She opened her eyes, and sighing again headed to her room unaware that Kyle 
was watching her from the kitchen and observing the sadness on her face as he 
continued to try and make sense of the surprising kiss they had shared before. 
                                        ~~~~~~~~~~~~

Later…
Kyle sat outside the theater and waited, his eyes constantly going to his watch to 
check the time. 
"What are you doing, Valenti?" asked Michael from the open driver side window, 
as he slammed a hand on the top of Kyle's car.
Kyle jumped and grabbed the steering wheel in startled. "Shit, Guerin! Don't do 
that!" He settled back down, but his heart was still racing. 
Michael crossed in front of the car and got in on the passenger side. 
Kyle gave him a sideways glance before continuing to watch the front of the 
theater. "Come on in why don't you."
Michael flicked the little alien toy on the dashboard and rolled his eyes as the 
head began bobbing. "Why do you have that crap?"
Kyle's eyes moved briefly to the dash and back to the theater. "Maria's Mom 
gave it to me when she was dating my Dad." 
Michael nodded. "Of course she would. That woman has too much of this kind of 
crap." He watched Kyle staring at the theater and asked again, "What are you 
doing? Practicing to be a law man like your Dad?"
Kyle sighed then grudgingly revealed, "Tess and Max are in there on a date."
Michael leaned forward and peered at the theater, his attention now caught. 
"What? You sure?"
Kyle nodded, as he rested his arm on the steering wheel. "Oh yeah. I heard 
them make the date. Saw them go in too. They're getting to know one another 
better." The last was said sarcastically and didn't go unnoticed by Michael.
"Great, just great," he replied with irritation. He looked at Kyle and asked, "So 
why are 'you' spying on them?" 
"I'm not. I'm just keeping an eye out is all," replied Kyle. 
 "And eye out for what?" Michael asked with curiosity, as he leaned back and 
rested his arm on the back of the seat.
He saw Kyle frown and his own brows went up as it dawned on him. "You're 
watching Tess," he said, his finger stabbing the air towards Kyle.
When Kyle only scowled Michael said with awed interest, "You are. You're 
watching Tess."
"Shut up and get out of my car," Kyle said, his manner suggesting he wasn't in 
any mood to put up with Michael's questions.
Michael stared at Kyle in surprise. The guy liked Tess. That had to be it. This 
new discovery put a whole new spin on what was going on with the couple 
inside.
The door of the theater opened and the occupants began to pour out and head 
to the Crashdown and other eateries in the area. 
Kyle moved down in his seat. "There they are! Get down!"
Michael moved down in the seat as well, but both made sure they could see. Max 
and Tess walked to his jeep just up the street. He held the door for her to get in 
then walked around and got in on the drivers side. They talked a moment before 
Max started the jeep and drove away.
Kyle started his car and did a u-turn in the road. 
"Do you even know where they are going?" asked Michael watching the taillights 
of the jeep in front of them. 
"No, but I intend to find out," Kyle replied, his eyes never leaving the jeep ahead 
of them. 
                                        ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They lost them. 
An accident on the road had traffic being allowed through a few vehicles at a 
time. Max got through and Kyle did not. By the time he his turn came Max and 
Tess were long gone. 
Kyle was still kicking himself for not speeding through the barrier and following 
the jeep, but his reasonable side knew if he had the authorities would come after 
him and Michael could possibly be exposed as well as Tess and Max. 
He had dropped off Michael back at the theater and headed home to wait for 
Tess. And that is all he had been doing the last 3 hours. Waiting.
He glanced at the clock. 3:30 a.m. Where the hell were they? He didn't want to 
think about what they could be doing right this minute. Instead his mind went 
back to the kiss he'd share with Tess. What the hell had happened? What were 
those things he'd seen?
He rubbed his eyes as he lay back on the couch …just for a minute. Just to rest 
his eyes. He fell into an un-welcomed sleep, sleep laced with images he didn't 
understand. 
                                              ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Evan's Home…
"Isabel." 
Isabel rolled over in her sleep and sighed.
"Isabel!"
"Hmmm?" 
"Wake up!" 
Isabel's eyes flew open as she realized the voice whispering to her was real and 
not a dream.  
"Michael?!" Isabel sat up in alarm, her hand going to her chest as if to still her 
heart. "What are you doing here? What time is it?" she asked as she looked 
towards her clock. 
"3:45," Michael replied as he sat on her bed. "We've got a problem."
Isabel pushed her hair back with one hand and asked, "You mean something 
bigger than Max and Tess?"
"Same problem, only bigger."
Isabel's hand dropped to her blanket. "What? What's happened?"
"They are on a date." Michael let that sit there a moment so she could absorb 
what it meant. 
Isabel's eyes widened then she frowned. "They went on a date? How do you 
know?"
"I followed them. But that's not all. Max is still gone and I'm betting Tess is too."
Isabel realized what Michael was implying and shook her head in stark denial. 
"No, Max wouldn't do that! Just because they were married on Antar…no, he 
wouldn't do that!"
"Then where is he?" asked Michael as he moved to the window and looked out. 
"His jeeps not here and he's not either. Tell me he's not with Tess somewhere 
making her his wife in the fullest sense of the word right now."
Isabel got out of bed and padded on bare feet to where Michael stood by the 
window. "Michael, what if you're right? This is all just so crazy! He knows what 
could happen and what it could mean to all of us!" 
At that moment the jeep pulled into the drive way and Max got out.
"Let's go ask him what he did," said Michael making his way to the door.
"Michael…" Isabel shook her head and held back. She wasn't sure she wanted to 
know what had gone on between Max and Tess.
Michael looked back. "If Max slept with Tess then things are going to get really 
complicated, more than they already are, and we need to be ready for whatever 
happens next. So are you coming?"
Isabel knew Michael was right and hurried after him to Max's room.
Max opened his door and pulled up short at seeing Michael and Isabel sitting on 
his bed.
"What are you two doing up and in my room?" he asked as he shut the door. 
"It's late, Max. We've been worried. Where have you been?" asked Isabel.
"You were both here worried about me? All evening you were here worrying?" 
asked Max eyeing them both. He took off his jacket and hung it up then turned 
back to them.
"We know you had a date with Tess. So why were you gone so long?" asked 
Michael.
Max looked mildly surprised that they knew of his date. 
"Keeping tabs on me?" he asked as he scratched at the back of his neck then 
crossed his arms.
Isabel looked uncomfortable, but Michael was not. 
"Did you sleep with Tess?"
Max looked at his friend a long moment then at Isabel as both waited for his 
answer.
He dropped his arms as he answered, "No, I didn't sleep with Tess. We went to 
the chamber to talk. That's all."
He watched as Isabel visibly sighed and Michael nodded his relief apparent as 
well.
Their relief was short lived though as he added, "But Tess is my wife and I fully 
intend to start our family with her very soon." 
"Max…"
Max put his hand to stop Isabel from continuing. "We've had this conversation, 
Isabel. I'm tired so if you two would kindly leave so I can get some sleep."
Isabel looked at Michael and they both stood up and walked to the door.
Michael looked back. "What's happened to you?" When Max didn't answer, 
Michael and Isabel left the room and went back to hers.
"I'm scared, Michael. This isn't Max!" 
Michael agreed, but neither knew what could be causing him to act this way.
                                                ~~~~~~~~~~
Valenti Home…
Tess sat at the dining table, her head hanging as Jim Valenti paced and lectured.
"Have you two even thought about what you will do if you get pregnant?" 
demanded Jim. 
Tess looked at the table and wearily answered. "I told you we didn't sleep 
together. We just talked, that's it. You can't get pregnant from just talking."
Jim stopped and rubbed his face. He was tired. He had been sitting up in his 
room reading while waiting for Tess to get home. That Max would bring her back 
so late had never occurred to him. It was unlike Max and too much a part of the 
unsettling pattern that Max had been forming lately. 
Kyle covertly watched his Dad lecture Tess from his spot on the couch, his own 
questions matching his Dads. 
Jim sat down and took Tess's hand. "The two of you are moving too fast, Tess. 
You need to slow down before it's too late." It was said with gentleness, his 
concern for her apparent. 
Tess looked at Jim, but she could see Kyle listening too. "He's my husband like it 
or not. He's also my King."
"You're not on Antar anymore and may never be!" said Kyle as he got up and 
approached the table. 
"Kyle, go back to sleep son," Jim instructed his son. 
"No." He looked at his Dad apologetically. "Sorry, but I think I should have a say 
here too."
Tess stood up, her heart pounding as she gripped the back of the chair. "No one 
has a say except Max and me! If you can't leave it at that then I'll have to move 
out."
"Tess, you have nowhere else to go," Jim reminded her gently. 
"I'll go to Michael's if I have to," Tess replied. "I don't want to, but I will if you 
two won't leave my personal life alone. You're not my Father. Do you 
understand?" She was shaking, but she had to make them understand for 
everyone's good.
Jim felt as if he'd had his heart ripped out. "You live under my roof, Tess. I 
consider you like a daughter. I care about what happens to you and to Max. I'm 
sorry if you don't see it that way."
Tess felt remorse at her words. She loved the older man and knew he loved her 
as well. They were the only 'real' family she had ever had. Nasedo had guarded 
her, taught her about her alien half, but he was not her family, nor had he the 
ability to show her love. To him that had been weakness and something Tess 
had needed to overcome. 
"I'm sorry. I know you care for me. I care for you too. You've been good to me 
and I do appreciate that, but you have to understand, we are dealing with things 
alien now. You can't have a say in what we do with our lives." She looked at 
Kyle. "Do you understand?"
Kyle crossed his arms and bit the inside of his cheek as he nodded. Tess could 
tell that he was furious, but it couldn't be helped. If making Kyle angry meant he 
would leave her alone and get on with his own life, then so be it.
Jim nodded as well and stood up. He looked at Tess and quietly, yet with pain in 
his voice said, "Fine. I'll keep my mouth shut from now on." Saying that he 
headed to his room and closed the door. 
Kyle glared at Tess then headed back to the couch and lay down with his arms 
behind his head. He stared up at the ceiling and gritted his teeth as he listened 
for Tess to leave the room. Gawd, why was this bothering him so much? Why 
couldn't he just let her go happily with her 'husband' back to where ever the hell 
it was they came from instead of trying to stop her? It's not like things wouldn't 
go back to normal. Gawd, he missed a normal life. Then he thought of all of 
things that had happened since Tess had come to the house and he smiled. 
"Arrg! What's wrong with me?" But he knew. It was that kiss he and Tess had 
shared before Max had walked in. He'd seen and felt things he hadn't expected 
and it was messing with him inside. She was supposed to be like a sister to him 
and he shouldn't be feeling this way! He rolled over and tried to sleep, but 
instead he spent the remainder of the night cursing Max Evans and thinking 
about Tess.
                                         
                                       ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
High School …
Kyle watched Max and Tess walking through the quad, the eyes of the school on 
the newly formed couple. Speculation as to why Liz Parker had left so suddenly 
sprang up again as everyone watched Max lean down and give Tess a kiss as 
they parted for class.
Kyle's hand formed a fist and his jaw clinched tight as he watched the exchange. 
When Tess was out of eye shot Kyle fell into step next to Max.
"Well Evans looks like you've started the gossips going again."
Max rubbed the back of his neck as he kept walking. He looked sideways at Kyle. 
"It's not their business who I spend time with."
Kyle reached out and put his hand on Max forcing him to stop. 
"Spending time" is that what you are doing with Tess? Because from what I hear 
it's more than that." 
Max stared at him so Kyle continued. "See Tess lives under my roof and that 
makes what you do with her 'my' business."
Max's grip on his backpack strap tightened. "I appreciate your watching out for 
Tess, but this is something that doesn't concern you, Kyle." He turned to go, but 
again Kyle put a hand on his arm to stop him. 
"I'm not going to let you hurt her, Evans. Tess doesn't deserve to be led on."
Max looked at Kyle's hand and then at Kyle. When the human refused to remove 
his hand Max realized just how serious Kyle was.
"That's not what I'm doing. Tess is my wife and I'm her husband. I think you 
need to deal with that, Kyle. I'm the one who will protect her IF she needs 
protecting. Not you." 
Kyle felt like he'd been knocked in the gut. He removed his hand and stood 
stunned as Max walked away.

                                                  ~~~~~~~~~~



Crashdown…
Tess sat quietly in thought, the plate of food in front of her having long grown 
cold. She looked up as a figure moved into the seat across from her.
"Maria." The wariness in seeing the girl across from her came across in her 
voice.
Maria smiled, but it wasn't a true smile.
"Okay, let's put it out there, just between you and me, what did you do to make 
Max and Liz break up? Some little 'mind warp' thing?"
Tess shook her head. "No, I had nothing to do with this. I was as surprised as 
you when Max came to me."
Maria sat back her arms crossed. "I'm not buying that. We all know you've been 
after Max since you got here. So I'm asking you again, what did you do to break 
them up?"
"She told you she did nothing," said Michael standing over her.
Maria looked up. "How can you say that? You know she'd do anything to have 
Max."
Michael eyed Tess and shook his head. "I don't think so." He looked behind him. 
"Your breaks over, Maria." 
Maria looked back too, and saw Mr. Parker pointing to his watch. She moved to 
get out of the booth. "I'll see you when I get off of work." 
Michael shook his head. "I can't. I have some things I need to do."
Maria frowned. "Like what?" 
Michael looked pointedly at her. "Things."
Giving Tess a glare and Michael one too, Maria headed back to work. 
Tess sighed in relief, her body sagging back against the booth. "Thanks, 
Michael."
Michael nodded. "Let's get out of here and find a place not so public so we can 
talk."
Tess didn't know if she could deal with anymore talking. But Michael had stood 
up for her with Maria so she decided he was entitled to his questions too.
They arrived at his apartment a short time later and Michael offered Tess a seat 
on the couch while he took the chair for himself. He threw one leg over an arm 
of the chair and brought his hand up to his mouth to rub it as he eyed Tess 
thoughtfully. 
"Okay, what's going on? And before you saying anything just know that I really 
don't think you did anything to Max."
Tess nodded. "Thanks." Clasping her hands in front of her she said, "I don't 
know. I truly don't know what has made Max change. All I do know is that he is 
my husband and this is our destiny to follow through with why we were sent 
here."
Michael suddenly sat up and placed both feet on the ground as he leaned 
forward and said, "I've heard all of that before! I want to know why 'you' are 
agreeing to all of this. See I don't think you're really as gung-ho about all of this 
as you once were." He didn't have long to wait for her reaction, but it wasn't the 
one he expected.
Tess suddenly burst into tears. Covering her face with her hands she sobbed 
until a startled Michael wondered where all the water was coming from. Finally 
he made his way over to her and put his arm around her. He hated tears. They 
made him feel inadequate and nervous. Tess rolled into Michael and cried harder 
into his work shirt, the scent of greasy burgers and fries not even hindering her 
tears. This wasn't like Tess at all and Michael didn't know what to do to make 
her stop.
That is how Isabel found them. 
Michael looked up helplessly as Isabel walked in and took in the situation with a 
look of confusion and alarm. 
"What's happened?" she asked as she sat on the other side of Tess. Michael 
gently turned Tess towards the unsuspecting Isabel, then stood up and looked at 
his soaked shirt. 
Isabel patted Tess just as helplessly as Michael had. "Why is she crying?"
"My guess would be she's crying because she doesn't want to go to Antar and 
doesn't love Max." 
Tess looked towards Michael and wiped her eyes.
"I thought so," said Michael nodding. 
"How did you know?" asked Tess, accepting the tissue that Isabel handed her.
Michael sat back down in his chair. "Actually I guessed."
"So why are doing it?" asked Isabel. 
"It's expected," Tess replied, looking at Isabel.
Isabel rolled her eyes. "You sound like Max."
"Kyle Valenti sure doesn't want you to leave," commented Michael as he watched 
Tess. 
"Kyle? What has…" then Isabel's brows rose and her eyes widened as she 
understood what Michael was saying. "Tess, are you and Kyle…" 
 
"No!" Interrupted Tess. "There is nothing between me and Kyle. I…I just have 
learned to call this place home and…well Max doesn't really love me and I don't 
love him like I thought I would."
"Because you love Kyle," interjected Michael. 
Tess whirled on him, her eyes blazing. "I told you there is nothing between me 
and Kyle!" She stood up and headed for the door. "You've had your questions 
now same as everyone else. Now I'll tell you what I told them. Stay out of this." 
Then she was gone.
Isabel sat back and looked at Michael. "I think she protested way too much."
Michael leaned forward and said, "I didn't say anything to you before, but I 
caught Kyle spying on her and Max at the movies. I confronted him and he didn't 
deny that he's got a thing for Tess. I'm guessing she likes him too."
"Which is why she doesn't want to leave," said Isabel. Then she smiled 
thoughtfully. "I think tonight I'll take a few walks. See where everyone stands."
                                           ~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dreamland…
Isabel had waited several hours until she thought everyone was asleep before 
beginning her 'walk'. Her first stop: Kyle Valenti.
Stepping into his dream Isabel found Kyle kissing a pretty, petite blond, one 
familiar to Isabel. 
"Tess, I love you. Tell me you'll stay with me, tell me that you love me too, that 
you won't ever leave me." His hands moved from her face down her body as he 
explored her curves. "I want to make love to you. Tell me that is what you want 
too." 
Tess sighed and nodded as Kyle began to excite her with his touch. "I do love 
you, Kyle. I want us to be together too. Please…oh please love me…" 

Kyle slid Tess's strap from her shoulder and then began on the buttons of her 
bodice. He lifted out a bared breast and bent his head to take the nipple into his 
mouth. Tess sighed and threw her head back as her hands went to his hair.
"Kyle…." 

Isabel blinked as she opened her eyes and shook her head. 
"Ick, Kyle! I don't need to see that." 
But she could still feel the tenderness and strong emotions he had for Tess and it 
surprised her that he could feel that deeply for any girl aside from lusting after 
her body, especially an alien. Then her eyes widened in amazement as she 
realized, "Oh my gawd! He loves her!"  But how did Tess feel about him? 
Yawning and looking again at her yearbook Isabel placed her finger on her next 
subject: Tess.
She and Kyle were in his old bedroom sitting on the bed and kissing, their hands 
roaming the others body freely. 
Tess pulled back and said, "Kyle, I have to tell you something." 
Kyle continued to try to kiss Tess, but she pulled away. "Kyle, it's important."
Kyle sighed and sat back. "Okay, what is it?"
Tess took his hand in hers. "I don't want you to be mad at me. Change how you 
feel about me."
Kyle placed his hand over Tess's. "I could never do that. I love you, Tess." He 
leaned forward and began to kiss her again. 
Tess pulled back. "Kyle…"
Kyle's head dropped down. "Fine, fine. What is it?"
Tess bit her lip and then said very quietly, "The night of the prom I 'mind 
warped' you in the Eraser Room so you would forget you loved me."
At Kyle's shocked look she rushed on explaining, "I was trying to save you from 
pain when I left. I thought if I erased the memory of our kiss and how we felt 
about one another then you could move on with your life. How was I to know 
that Max and I wouldn't go!?"
Kyle freed his hands from hers and stood up. "You 'mind warped' me? How could 
you? I loved you!" He turned his back on her.
Tess stood up, tears streaming down her face. "Kyle, I'm sorry!"
He walked to the door and opened it. 
"KYLE!"
But Kyle never looked back. 
Isabel woke up and sighed, her mind going over the dream again. "Did she really 
'mind warp' him or was it all a dream?" If she really did use her powers on him 
Kyle would be furious and Tess had good reason to be afraid.
Isabel looked at the clock. 4:30. Time enough for one more visit, maybe the 
most important of all. Putting her finger on her last subject she closed her eyes 
and then was inside of Max's dream.
She frowned. Something was wrong. There was someone else here.
Isabel stayed in the shadows, watching for the one that was sharing Max's 
dream with her. Then she heard the voice she had come to fear: Nicholas.
Max was in a sparse, barely lit room. He looked as if he was sleeping since his 
eyes were closed though he was sitting in a chair. Behind him stood Nicholas, his 
hand almost caressing the back of Max's neck.
"That's it, Max, sleep. Sleep and dream of your kingdom back on Antar. Can you 
see it?" came Nicholas's whispered voice.
Max slightly nodded his head in response.
"Goood. Dream of your wife, Max, and of your son that waits to be conceived. 
You see them too don't you, Max?"
"Yes," Max replied in a soft hushed voice.
Nicholas leaned beside Max's ear and whispered, "It must be soon, Max. You 
need to conceive your son with Tess soon and return to Antar or all will be lost. 
Do you understand?"
"Yes, soon."
Nicholas smiled and stood up. He placed his hand on the back of Max's neck near 
the base of his skull and closed his eyes as if in concentration. Max gasped then 
relaxed. Nicholas opened his eyes and smiled once more.
"Time to get a good nights rest, Max. Like before you won't remember I was 
here, but I'll be back soon."
Isabel watched while Nicholas disappeared.
Waking up she gasped as she awoke. "Oh gawd!" She hurried out of the bed and 
ran to Max's room where he was sound asleep. Her heart pounding, Isabel 
returned to her room where she picked up her cell phone and dialed Michael's 
number. When he answered she said, "Michael, get over here now!" Then she 
hung up and waited anxiously for him to show up.

                                                  ~~~~~~~~~~~~

"You saw who?"  Michael couldn't believe what Isabel was telling him. This was 
worse than he thought, so much worse.
"You heard me, Michael. I saw Nicholas. Nicholas was in the dream, but Max 
wasn't actually dreaming. Nicholas was doing something to him. Planting 
thoughts in his head," said Isabel as she rocked with worry on her bed.
Michael stood up and paced the room thinking about what Isabel had told him. 
He stopped and asked, "Did he actually touch Max or what?"
Isabel went back in her mind to what she had seen and then nodded. "Yes, he 
put his hands on the back of Max's neck then closed his eyes like he was 
concentrating, then Max sort of gasped like he'd been shocked or something." 
Another thought occurred to her and looked to where Michael stood by her 
dresser.  "Michael, have you noticed Max rubbing the back of his neck a lot 
lately?"
Michael nodded as he thought back over the last few days. "Yeah, now that you 
mention it he has. Do you really think Nicholas has been planting these thoughts 
in his head without Max realizing it?"
"What other explanation is there? The question is how do we get them out of 
there?" asked Isabel.
Michael walked over to Isabel and placed his hands on her shoulders. "I think we 
need to get Tess and explain what is happening. Then I think the three of us 
need to enter Max's dream and confront Nicholas. Think you can handle taking 
all three of us inside there?"
Isabel's heart began to pound as she shook her head. "I don't know. I've never 
taken that many into a dream that were aware of what was going on." She was 
afraid of not being able to get everyone out safely or of doing harm to Max.
Michael took her face between his hands and forced her to focus on him. "Isabel, 
this is the only chance I see of helping Max. Do you understand?" 

Isabel nodded as her shaking hands covered Michael's. "Okay. I can…I can try."
Michael nodded and then said, "First thing after sunup we'll call Tess."

                                         ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Valenti Home…
Kyle quietly stepped inside his old room and closed the door. He paused by the 
bed and looked down at Tess sleeping. It was a fitful sleep he could tell, but she 
still looked beautiful. Hesitating for a moment he finally let his impulse take over 
bent to kiss her lightly on her forehead. Rising he went to his dresser and pulled 
out a pair of boxers and was headed back to the door when he heard his name.
"Kyle? Is that you?" asked Tess from the bed. 
Kyle turned and found her looking up at him, her eyes still heavy from sleep.
"What are you doing here?"
He held up the boxers and shrugged, then tucked them under as he nervously 
crossed his arms.
"I didn't mean to wake you up. Go back to sleep." He turned to leave when she 
stopped him again. 
"Kyle, I'm sorry."
He turned to face her again. "Why?" He knew what she meant, but he wasn't 
going to let her off easy.
Tess sat and pulled her knees up so she was able to rest her chin on them. 
"Because I never wanted to cause you any pain."
Kyle dropped his hands to his side, the boxers hanging by fingertips as he stared 
at her forlorn face. 
"So why? Why are you doing this? And don't you dare say it's because of your 
destiny with Max." 
The light from the back porch shone through the window giving Kyle a brief 
glimpse of a tear glistening on her cheek just as Tess turned her head away from 
him. Kyle bit his lip and turned his head to keep his own tears from falling. He 
had come to realize that he loved her and if he didn't do something now she 
would be leaving him and would belong to Max forever. 
He tossed the boxers down and moved to the bed and sat down, pulling Tess 
into his arms. He raised her head and then lowered his mouth to hers. 
Tess gasped when Kyle pulled her to him, but the look in his eyes just before he 
lowered his lips to hers pushed all reasoning aside. He was determined to kiss 
her and the fact was she wanted him to, needed him to. Her eyes closed as her 
mouth opened under his. She wound her arms around his neck and pulled him 
tightly to her just as eager to share this kiss with him. Her head began to feel 
light and a weakness filled her body as the kiss continued. Her arms began to 
loosen and Kyle realized that she was near to passing out. He pulled away and 
both sucked in the air they both needed, but still he held her tight to him. 
"Tess…" he gently pushed her hair from her brow as she looked into his eyes. 
"Kyle…"she whispered his name and he absorbed the sound of it coming from 
her lips like a caress. 
He kissed her again, one hand seeking out her body covered by the nightshirt 
she wore. When his hand made contact with the softness of her breast she softly 
gasped. The nipple hardened through the fabric needing more than just a 
passing touch. Kyle's mouth moved to Tess's neck and she willingly exposed 
more of it to his eager lips while his hands continued their exploration. He raised 
her shirt enough to allow his hands beneath the soft material and encountered 
something even softer. Her skin was like silk to his touch as he moved his hands 
along her back and around to the front. The back of one hand grazed a full 
breast and he heard Tess hiss softly just before it brushed the pebbled nipple a 
few times. She arched towards him and he felt her warm breath on his skin as 
she struggled to breath. Taking her mouth again with his, Kyle cupped the 
heaving breast in his hand and gently squeezed, Tess's moan of pleasure his 
immediate reward. He laid her backwards, his lips never leaving hers. Pushing 
her top up he exposed both breasts to the cool air and began kissing his way 
down her neck, over her shirt, to her chest. He laved one nipple before sucking it 
into his heated mouth. Tess's fingers weaved their way into Kyle's hair has he 
moved from one breast to the other sucking one while molding the firm mound 
of the other with his hand. 
Suddenly Kyle's hands left her body and pushed up the shirt stripping her of the 
garment. He stared down at her bared upper body, then into her eyes. His 
breathing was ragged, his need apparent in his gaze. He was asking quiet 
permission to continue. Tess knew that if she allowed this to go on both of them 
would be hurt when it was over, but for one night she needed to be with the 
man she loved, to give him the one thing she could never give him again, one 
night to keep in their hearts forever. Knowing that later she may pay for her 
actions tonight, she slid her hands under Kyle's T-shirt and tugged, giving her 
silent consent for him to continue. Kyle raised his arms and helped guide the 'T' 
off before he tossed it to the floor. He stood up and while she watched Kyle 
removed his jeans and then crawled between the sheets with her.
Moving his body over Tess's, Kyle sighed as he felt his skin caress hers. He 
kissed her again as he pushed the sheet from her body and ran his hand along 
the smooth line of her body from just beside the swell of her breast to the 
indention of her waist, and up to the roundness of her hip, causing a slight 
shiver to come from her before he slid his hand between them and began to 
caress her body, alternating between a light brush of his knuckles and the palm 
of his hand, his touch slowly moving down until it encountered the band of her 
panties. 
Tess's breath caught and she froze as his fingers moved over the material and 
lazily teased her. She couldn't think or breathe. She wanted Kyle to do more than 
tease her, but all she could do was move slightly against the sheets trying to 
seek more of his touch. She thought she could bear it no more when his hand 
dipped between her legs and she knew he could feel the moistness seeping into 
her panties. 
He looked up at her knowingly and then again caressed her most intimate spot 
earning a broken sigh from her. 
"Please…" was her whispered plea.
That was all it took for Kyle to push aside the sheet and slowly peel her damp 
panties from her body.
He took in the nakedness of her body and knew he would never forget this 
moment with her. She was beautiful: petite, yet with full breasts, her body had 
all the right curves for his taste. His eyes widened to discover that she was 
hairless everywhere except on her head. 
"You're so beautiful," he whispered in awe, as he lay back beside her to look into 
her eyes. 
Tess smiled back at him and then gasped as his mouth again sought her breast 
while his hand trailed slowly down her body to the area between her legs. Very 
slowly and lightly he ran a finger up and down her moistened slit causing Tess to 
shiver and part her legs to allow him more access. 
Kyle kissed Tess's belly as his fingers sunk into her wet folds. 
"Awww…" she whimpered her pleasure, her back arching up to meet his hand. 
Kyle moved back so he could watch Tess's face as he his fingers explored and 
caressed the inside of her body, his thumb finding and playing with the hardened 
nub he encountered, sending waves of pleasure through her. A thin sheen of 
perspiration gathered on her skin as it began to heat up, her body rocking with 
Kyle's hand to find her orgasm. Her eyes opened wide and then drifted closed as 
her body began it's ride on the wave of pleasure Kyle was sending through her 
body. When her orgasm finally hit, her eyes flew wide and searched out Kyle's as 
her body began to tremble and turn into his, her mouth opening in a muted cry 
that began to grow. Kyle barely had time to cover her mouth with his stifling her 
cry of pleasure as she came against his hand. When she lay limp he kissed her 
brow and removed his hand from between her legs. He pushed her hair from her 
face, the scent of her on his fingers wafting by their nostrils, and he held her 
close. 
Tess blinked as she gasped for air, and then looked up at Kyle and smiled before 
rolling over on to his chest and kissing the skin that covered his pounding heart. 
His hand lightly rubbed her shoulder and played with her hair as her breathing 
began to return to normal. 
Looking up at Kyle Tess moved her hand slowly across his broad chest and along 
his shoulders, her fingers trailing along his collarbone and around his Adam's 
Apple. She pressed light kisses to his neck as her hand trailed his ribs as if to 
count them, then made her way down his body until her hand came to his 
boxers. She looked down his body and at the tented material straining to keep 
concealed what struggled to be released. Raising the band away from his body 
the organ inside sprung free as if eager to seek it's own relief. 
Kyle watched as Tess sat up slightly and tugged the boxers down a bit at a time 
until she could finally pull them away from his body and toss them to the floor. 
When she turned back and was confronted by his hardened penis her expression 
made him smile. Her eyes were wide as she slowly moved back and looked down 
at it in awe. When she continued to just sit and stare at it Kyle became 
uncomfortable and began to try to cover it with his hands. 
"No." 
He looked at her as she pushed his hands away and looked at him. 
"Don't," she smiled. "I just wasn't prepared for…"
She took him in her hands and explored the hard shaft and it's head as if it was 
a great and wonderful gift that had just been given to her. It was smooth like 
silk, yet the organ was hard and stiff. It throbbed and jumped in her hand when 
she touched the tip and a slight pearly drop appeared to coat her fingertips. She 
looked up to find Kyle clinching the sheet as he watched her explore his body. 
Remembering the things she had read in the books Nasedo had given her she 
began to move one hand up and down the shaft while the other gently cupped 
and lightly squeezed Kyle's sacs. A moan near to a growl escaped from Kyle 
when Tess bent and ran her tongue along the shaft and over the head, swirling 
her tongue around it before sucking him. 
Suddenly Kyle pulled away and held her at arms length as he raggedly 
whispered, "Wh-where did you learn to do that?" 
He immediately regretted asking, as he didn't want to know if Max was the one 
to teach her. He didn't want anyone to ever be with her except himself. One look 
at her face and he realized how horrible he was to even ask her. He released her 
and said, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't…"
"Books."
Kyle looked at her and Tess repeated, "Books. Nasedo wanted me to…" She 
looked away. "I thought guys were supposed to like…did I do it wrong?" she 
asked turning to him again. Maybe her enjoying and being good at sex didn't 
translate to her new life here. Her eyes widened in horror at the thought. 
Kyle misunderstood her expression and hastened to assure her.
"No, it was good. Really good! I was just surprised." 
He ran his hand over her shoulder and up under her hair to her neck and as he 
leaned over to kiss her. He tossed her onto her back and placed himself between 
her parted legs. 
"But I didn't fini…"
Tess fell silent as she looked up at Kyle and knew that the moment had come 
that she had both dreamed of and dreaded. 
"Tess?"
"Trim my lamp, Kyle," she softly whispered, reminding him of the first time 
something had sparked between them. 
She opened her legs wider and moved her hand between them to help guide him 
in, her body eagerly awaiting his. 
Kyle blew out a breath and kissed her as he very slowly pushed his body into 
hers. He felt her tense up as he reached the barrier that confirmed she had not 
been touched by a man before, a part of him glad he was her first, the part 
afraid he might not be her last. 
He broke their kiss and stared down into her eyes, the love he saw there 
reflected in his own eyes. 
Tess nodded and touched his cheek letting him know she was ready. 
Kyle took her mouth again as he pressed forward, his mouth muffling the 
whimper of pain she made as she arched and he made her his. 
A salty tear against his face made him stop and pull back from the kiss. She was 
crying. 
"Tess?" He started to pull out of her, afraid that he'd hurt her.
But Tess locked her legs around him and wouldn't let him go. 
"I'm okay."  
He would never understand that the pain in her heart for what could never be 
was greater than her physical pain.  For the rest of her life she would be with 
Max, but tonight she belonged to Kyle. 
Kyle wiped her tears with the pad of his thumb and said, "I'm sorry I hurt you."  
He moved forward again until he was completely inside her. Gawd, she was so 
tight! He could feel her gripping him and he wasn't even sure she knew she was 
doing it, but he felt like he had found heaven.
Tess didn't think anything could feel as wonderful as the fullness she was feeling 
now that the pain was gone. They were one. She was one with Kyle and she 
never wanted that to end. 
Kyle moved inside of her, taking it slow and careful to get her used to him, but 
gradually he began to speed up when Tess began to find the rhythm with his 
body and they could move as one. She was slick, her body eager to have his 
inside its depths, creating juices to ease their joining. 
Mouths kissed and pressed against necks and chests as they sought to give one 
another pleasure. Kyle moved deeply inside of Tess then out only to return 
swiftly and just as deeply as he sought to bring her to completion. 
"Awwmmm…awg, oh gawd…" breathed Tess as she felt a fire build inside of her. 
She instinctively gripped her inner muscles together and held Kyle tight within 
her until she heard him gasp. 
"Ohhhhh gawd!" he moaned harshly against her chest as he felt her tighten 
around him.  When she released him he pulled out and then plunged into her so 
deeply that he felt the back of her womb. 
"I love you, Tess!" he whispered against her neck. "I love you." 

Tess cried as her hands rubbed Kyle's back and moved his hair from his face as 
she wiped at the sweat that was there. She kissed him and said, "I love you 
too."
Kyle could feel a heat build within him, his sacs aching to be released of their 
contents. He began to pump deep and sure strokes inside of Tess's body praying 
he wouldn't come before she did. It hit them together, the seemingly timed 
orgasms that racked their bodies causing Tess to cry out and Kyle to stifle her 
cries with his mouth, his own muffled cries of pleasure joining hers as he 
pumped his seed into her. When his body had poured all it had to give into his 
love, and their bodies had both stopped convulsing, Kyle moved his weight 
slightly off of Tess and they lay there shaking from the intensity of their 'love 
making'. Kyle rolled to his side and pulled Tess into his arms, lightly caressing 
her arm as he rested his chin on the top of her head while they lay quietly just 
regaining their breaths and being awed by what had just happened between 
them. 
Sometime later Tess glanced at the clock and blinked. 
"It's almost 5:00. You need to go," she said quietly, her heart breaking inside.
Kyle pulled her tighter to him and kissed the top of her head. "A few more 
minutes."
Tess pulled away and tugged the sheet around her, their actions from before 
making her ache because she knew they could never happen again. "No, you 
need to go now. Your father will be up soon."
Kyle sighed and pushed back the sheet. She was right and he knew it. He leaned 
down and kissed her again and then sat on the edge of the bed and bent to 
retrieve his boxers and jeans. He made his way to the door and turned around. 
"I love you, Tess. I didn't just say that before, I really do love you."
Tess smiled softly at him, tears shining in her eyes as she held the sheet in 
place. "I know. I love you too."
"We'll find a way to be together, I promise. I'll see you at breakfast." Kyle smiled 
at her and then exited the room. 
Tess lay back on the bed and sobbed quietly into her pillow for she knew that 
though Kyle loved her now he would hate her later.

                                ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jim Valenti glanced between Kyle and Tess. Something was up. He didn't know 
what, but he knew it was something. The tension between the two of them that 
had been building over the course of the past several days was down 
considerably. Something was different and he intended to find out what it was. 
Just as he was about to question them, the phone rang. 
Kyle leaned back in his chair and pulled the phone off the cradle and said, 
"Valenti residence. This is Kyle." He listened for a moment then said, "Okay, but 
what…okay, I'll tell her. Yeah, bye to you too." He hung up the phone and 
turned to Tess. "Michael said he and Isabel need to see you at his place ASAP."
Tess frowned. "Before school? Did he say why?"
Kyle shook his head. "Nope, just that you were to get over there." He started to 
stand, "I'll take you."  
But Tess shook her head. "No, I think it's best if I go alone." She knew he was 
disappointed, but she needed time to think about how to tell him that she still 
had to follow the course set before her in her past life.


                                      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Michael's Apartment…
Tess sat listening to Michael and Isabel as Isabel explained what she had seen 
inside Max's dream and what their plan was. It could work, but then there was 
also a chance it could be a disaster. 
"So I'm supposed to stay the night at Isabel's and Michael will show up around 
midnight after we think Max is asleep at which time we'll put this plan into 
action. Right?"
Michael and Isabel exchanged glances then nodded at Tess. 
"It's Friday night and my parents won't be back until tomorrow. Thankfully 
they've been gone to New York the past week and don't know how odd Max's 
behavior has become. Hopefully once we join inside Max's head we'll find 
Nicholas and stop whatever it is he's doing to Max before they come back," said 
Isabel.
Tess stood up a look of concern on her face. "And if we can't stop Nicholas?" 
No one had an answer, no wanted to think of what could happen to Max, to all 
of them if this didn't work.
                                           ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The School Library…
Tess scanned the shelves for the title of the book she needed to do her final 
report on for her English class, not that her mind was on it, but she needed 
something normal to focus on. Suddenly she felt arms go around her waist from 
behind and a kiss being planted on her neck. 
It was if he had read her mind and showed up. She sighed. She knew this wasn't 
the place to break his heart so she smiled and turned around.
"Max!" The smile froze on her face. 
Max lightly kissed her lips, his tongue lightly running over the their fullness, as 
he ran a finger down her cheek. "You look surprised. Who did you think it was?" 
The question in his voice 
Tess smiled again and said, "You of course, but I didn't expect you to sneak up 
on me like that." 
Max took the book from her hand. "Not what I would expect you to be reading." 
Tess took it back. "It's for my final English report." She started to walk away, but 
Max blocked her path. 
"Let's go some where."
Tess stopped and looked at him. "Go some where? Max I have a report to work 
on and if I remember correctly so do you."
He took her hands in his and smiled, "It's Friday. The paper can wait."
She knew he wouldn't let this go so she agreed. "Okay, but not too long. I 
promised Isabel that I would spend the night with her tonight."
"Perfect! We'll have an early dinner. I'll pick you up at 6:00. I've got something 
special planned."
Tess nodded. "Fine, 6 it is."
Max scooped up her books with his. "Come on, I'll walk you to your car."
He waited while Tess checked out her book and then escorted her to her car, 
which is where Kyle spied them as he exited the Athletic Building. 
He watched as Max ran his hand under Tess's hair to caress her neck and then 
bent to kiss the top of her head. When Tess didn't stop him Kyle began to see 
red and his heart began to ache. He watched Max walk to his jeep and wave to 
Tess before driving off. Turning on his heels he headed to his own car and drove 
off with out knowing where he was going. 
Tess saw Kyle's car speed past her and waved, but he pointedly ignored her. Her 
hand fell to her lap as she realized he'd seen her with Max. 
She cried all the way home.
                                            ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Valenti Home…
Tess walked into the kitchen for a drink, her throat still burning from her bout of 
tears.  At that moment Kyle came storming into the house.
"Kyle. You're late. Where've you been?" she asked worriedly, as she rubbed her 
fingers nervously along the sink. She had been afraid of what he might do after 
seeing her with Max.
"What? Were you worried?" he asked with sarcasm as he dropped his backpack 
in a chair.
"Of course I was," she said with surprise, but she knew he didn't believe her.
Kyle looked off and tried to control his temper, then turned to her and said, "I 
saw you with Max in the parking lot after school."
Tess slowly put the glass she held down on the counter. 
"I know. I'm sorry." 
Kyle nodded as he went to stand before her. "Sorry? You're sorry? Is that all you 
have to say? What about what happened between us last night? The things we 
said? Didn't they mean anything to you?"
Tess closed her eyes and wanted to die. "Kyle..."
Kyle's hand slammed down on the counter knocking the glass of water over as 
he shouted, "SAVE IT! I saw him put his hands on you and you didn't stop him! 
So don't try to feed me some line of crap about how he means nothing to you!" 
He stomped to the dining room and turned back saying, "You told me you loved 
me. I was fool enough to believe you. Fool enough to tell you I love you too." 
His hurt and anger not yet vented he left with one last comment. 
"Remind me to tell Max what a great lay you are. At least I got to one thing 
before he did."
He watched as his words struck Tess and she blanched. He immediately 
regretted saying them, but he she'd hurt him and his own wounds were still raw. 
With one last look he headed out the front door leaving Tess to listen to his car 
roar off while tears streamed once more down her face.
A short time later Max arrived at the door, but by then Tess had cleaned up the 
mess in the kitchen and repaired her make up. No one would ever know that just 
a short time earlier her heart had been broken by the man she loved.
                                              ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Pod Chamber…
"I have to say that I never expected us to dine here," said Tess as she viewed 
the picnic Max had prepared for them. When she had realized where they were 
going she had began to wonder if dinner was the only thing that Max had 
planned. 
Max helped her sit before sitting close beside her. "I thought it fitting that we 
come here….where we were born."
Tess looked at him confused and with a bit of nervous trepidation when he slid a 
hand to her inner thigh. "I…uh…I don't understand. What does our having been 
born here have to do with our dinner?"
Max took her hand and rubbed it with his fingers before pressing his lips to the 
top of hers. Then he stood and helped her up, bidding her to, "Follow me." 
They made their way to the back of the deepest part of the pod chamber where 
Max stopped and waved his hand causing the room to illuminate with dozens of 
small glowing candles. In the center was an improvised bed of a large blow up 
mattress covered in blankets and pillows. 
Tess's brows rose and her mouth fell open as she stared at the bed and then 
turned to Max. "What's this?" she asked quietly, but she had suspected this was 
why they were really there. Yet seeing the bed and knowing that the time had 
come was making her palms begin to sweat and her body to shake a little bit.
Max took Tess's face between his hands and pressed his forehead to hers before 
kissing her lightly on the lips. He then took her hand and led her towards the 
bed. 
"It's time to move forward with things between us."  He looked into her eyes. 
"Time to be husband and wife again."
He drew her down to the bed, and as they lay facing one another his hand 
played with a strand of her hair and then moved down to the buttons on her 
shirt, his fingers skimmed her skin as he removed the buttons from the holes 
that housed them. 
Tess sucked in her breath knowing that she had to prepare herself for what was 
to come. This was the moment she had been raised for all of her life. After 
tonight she and Max would be together as they were always intended to be.
Max smiled at her as he opened her shirt and cupped her thinly covered breast. 
Sliding his hand inside her bra, his fingers found and lightly pinched her nipple 
drawing a gasp from her. 
Tess began to feel very uneasy. She shouldn't be feeling like this. She should be 
surrendering to Max, his touch was very desirable, but something was holding 
her back.
Max leaned in to kiss her whispering, "And who knows, maybe tonight we'll 
create my heir." He was so close she could feel the warmth of his breath on her 
lips when she turned her head away.
"I can't do this." A tidal wave of guilt washed over her for even being here.
Max frowned, but didn't move. "What?"
Tess tried to get up, but Max wouldn't let her, using his body to pin her down. 
"What do you mean you can't do this? This is what we were meant for!" He 
leaned in once more, but again she moved her head away.
"No, Max, I can't do this. Let me up," Tess said as calmly as she could, but inside 
she was becoming afraid. 
Max fully placed his body on top of Tess's struggling body and held her hands 
with one of his own as he used the other to hold her head still and force her 
mouth to meet his, muffling her cries begging him to stop. He pushed his tongue 
inside of her mouth, kissing her deeply, despite the look on her face or the soft 
gasp of panic she gave. He drew back startled then angry when a sudden vision 
filled his mind. 
"You slept with Kyle?" His shock equaled his anger. "You gave yourself to Kyle?" 
He stood up and stared down at her, his fists clinched at his side in unrepressed 
anger.
"Why? We're supposed to be together!" he shouted at her. "You were his whore, 
not my Queen!" he gritted out, causing her to recoil as if hit.
Eyes wide, her composure nearly gone, Tess pulled her top together and stood 
to face Max and try to reason with him. 
 "Max, you know why, you saw. Just as I saw how much you love Liz."
Max shook his head, as he began to walk around the bed. "No, you leave her out 
of this!  You're my wife! Not her!" But now confusion at the mention of Liz 
defused his anger a bit.
Tess stood before him to block his path. "Yes, I'm you're wife, but you love her. I 
saw how confused you are, Max. I am too, and I don't know what to do 
anymore!" Tears began to stream down her face as she dropped down to the 
bed. It was all too much. Overwhelmed, Tess made a decision in that moment, 
one that risked everything, but at this point she had nothing to lose. She turned 
to Max and closed her eyes…
Tess looked around in the muted darkness and saw Max sitting in the chair that 
Isabel had described. She walked over to him and found him to be asleep as he 
apparently had been when Isabel had dream walked him. She placed her hand 
on his shoulder as she knelt down before him and gently called his name.
"Max…Max."
After a few moments Max's eyes opened and he stared at Tess, confusion 
crossing his face. 
"Tess? What…I don't understand" he looked around. "Where are we?" 

"We're inside your head, Max." She knew he was confused, but she had to make 
him understand.
"What?" his confusion deepened as she explained. 
"I've managed to appear inside your head just as Nicholas apparently has been 
doing. He's been invading your dreams and planting thoughts about you and me. 
That's why you've been acting like you have. It's been the power of suggestion 
making you want me as your wife again. Do you understand?"
"Nicholas? No, that's not possible. You are my wife and we are supposed to be 
together." 
"Yes, I'm your wife, but I'm not so sure we are supposed to be together. Things 
have changed and you need to remember them. Nicholas took away your free 
will and made you follow his taking me along with you."
Max shook his head. "No, why would you even say those things?" He started to 
stand and Tess pressed him back down. 
"Max, I'm going to try to show you things and I need you to remember 
everything. Things that are real and not something Nicholas has fed into your 
mind. Can you do that? It's important." 
"I don't think this is a good idea," Max said shaking his head. "I won't do…"
Tess remembered the cue that Isabel said Nicholas was using to make Max act 
as he was. Before he finished speaking she began to caress the back of his neck 
and suddenly she made a connection that jolted through them both like hot 
energy. Tess forced Max to read her thoughts so that he saw the past few weeks 
leading up to this moment. He remembered his love for Liz, saw why she went 
away, he saw Tess with Kyle, saw the way he had been with everyone in his 
obsession with making Tess his wife again, and he saw himself with Tess. 
Tess fell back as the connection broke and Max stared dizzily at her as she 
collapsed on the floor. He fell to the floor and crawled to her side, pulling her 
into his arms as he called her name. "Tess…Tess…"
"TESS! TESS, WAKE UP!" He gently tapped her cheeks trying to get her to wake 
up.
Tess's eyes fluttered open and she stared up at Max. Her head ached so badly 
she wanted to throw up.
"Tess?" Max looked anxiously down at her and said, "I'm so sorry! Hold on, I'll be 
right back!"
The bed felt like it was spinning and Tess held on for dear life as nausea rolled 
inside of her.
Max reappeared and stumbled towards her so that he could press a cold cloth to 
her head. "How's that?" he asked as he looked at her with concern.
She couldn't speak. It hurt too bad to even think, so she just closed her eyes.
"TESS?!" When her eyes opened he sighed. "I'm not going to hurt you. I'm just 
going to help you."
He placed his hands on her head and concentrated then collapsed beside her on 
the bed, the mind trip and the healing having drained him. 
Tess removed the cool rag from her head and sat up. She was feeling okay 
again. "Thanks," she said quietly.
Max shook his head as he looked at her. "I should be thanking you." He looked 
at her with shame in his eyes. "I can't tell you how sorry I am. What I almost did 
to you…I can't believe it was me." His guilt was enormous at what he had tried 
to do to her.
Tess searched his face. "You remember?"
Max nodded grimly. "Nicholas."
Tess sagged in relief that it had worked. She had taken a huge chance that she 
would be able to do it. If she had failed they would have both been lost forever 
inside of Max's mind.
"I know it wasn't you, Max." She touched his arm with her hand.
Max leaned up on one elbow and took Tess's hand in his. "I can't believe you can 
forgive me for what I almost did to you." 
"Let's not talk of it again, Max. It's over." 
Max nodded, though his guilt still stayed. "I can't go through with this between 
us, and after the vision I had while kissing you I gather you can't either."
Tess shook her head. "I thought I could, I really did. It's what I was raised for, 
but I never planned on…things are just different."
Max made her look at him. "You didn't plan on having strong feelings for Kyle."
Tess welled in her eyes, but she wouldn't let them fall. "It doesn't matter now."
"I don't understand," said Max, his brow furrowed.
"You don't need to." She gave him a small smile, "I guess you are eager to call 
Liz."
Max nodded, "Yes. I owe her an apology." Then his face took on a look of anger. 
"But first we have to take care of Nicholas." He stood up and looked down at 
Tess with some embarrassment as he motioned toward her shirt. "Huh, you 
might want to fix that. Sorry for…you know."
Tess looked down and began to fasten her shirt. "It wasn't you." 
When she stood up Max said, "On some level I think it was. I do remember how 
much I loved you before, Tess. If things had started out different when we came 
out of the pods who knows where we would be right now. I think on some level 
I acted on those feelings."
"I know. Me too. But we can't think about that. We need to find Isabel and 
Michael. I think we can still use their plan and make Nicholas pay for what he did 
to you…to us," said Tess.
Max extinguished the candles while Tess gathered the picnic then the two of 
them made their way to the jeep and back to Roswell.



                                      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Max's Bedroom…
"Is everyone clear on what they are to do?" asked Isabel looking at Max, Tess, 
and Michael. At their nods, she looked back at Max and said, "It's up to you then 
Max."
An hour earlier Max had arrived home with Tess. One look at Tess's unevenly 
buttoned shirt caused Isabel and Michael to glance between one another with 
trepidation.
"Been busy?" asked Michael, as he pointedly looked at Tess's shirt. 
Max and Tess glanced at the shirt and Tess quickly turned around to refasten it 
correctly.  
"Nothing happened," said Max uncomfortably, though he knew things had come 
awfully close. "Nothing except Tess awakening my mind to what Nicholas has 
been doing to me." 
"You know?!" asked Isabel, afraid she had misunderstood him. 
Tess turned back around and put her hands on her hips. "He knows." She 
explained what she had done to get inside of Max's mind. "Now all we have to 
do is get back in there and take care of Nicholas." 
Isabel shook her head. "I can't believe you could get into his head and do that. I 
thought I was the only one."
"It wasn't a dream walk or even a 'mind warp'. It was different. Instead of 
planting a thought for him to see…something not real… I was able to make him 
see what had actually been happening over the past few days. It's like I was able 
to tap into something totally new so that Max was aware of everything." Tess 
still couldn't believe she had done it.
"Whatever it was it worked. But now we need to take care of Nicholas," said 
Max.

                                                 ~~~~~~~~~~~~


Max's Mind…
The four had gone to Michael's apartment where they were less likely to be 
interrupted, and stretched out side by side on Michael's bed, hands clasped 
together to build a bond. Tess, Isabel, and Michael had on the black clothing 
they had prearranged to have in Isabel's bedroom. Max was dressed as normal.  
All had agreed to one change in the plan. Since Max was aware of Nicholas's 
deceit, and since Tess had entered his mind on her own while he had been 
awake, Isabel would take Michael into Max's mind with her, while Tess would 
enter on her own. 
"Tess?" asked Max, turning his head to look at her. 
Tess took a deep breath to steady her heart and slightly nodded as she returned 
his look. "Ready."
"Isabel? Michael?" Max asked as he turned his head the other direction and 
looked at Isabel. 
Isabel took some deep breaths as well before she looked at Max and squeezed 
his hand. "Ready."
Michael stared at the ceiling and swallowed hard as his heart began to race. 
Isabel squeezed his hand and he nodded. "Yeah, let's get on with it."
Max licked his lips then said, "Here we go," and they all closed their eyes.
…Once again Max sat on the chair in the darkened area of his mind, only a small 
amount of light glowing in the room. 
Isabel and Michael stood with hands held tight as they stood getting their 
bearings inside of Max's mind. 
The experience was new for Michael and it took him a moment to really adjust to 
the moment. 
"Whoa…I can't believe we're really in Max's head," he whispered. "This is what 
it's like for you when you enter someone's head?" He was amazed that Isabel 
could do this and how often she did it just for fun. It sort of freaked him out. 
"It's not always like this. Most of the time it's everyday dreams like you or I 
would have. They're in color most of the time too. This isn't normal," she replied. 
She began to look around and frowned. "Where's Tess?"
Michael looked around too. "Tess!" 
Suddenly she was there beside them. 
"Damn it! Don't sneak up like that!" said Michael jumping a bit. Being inside of 
Max's head like this wasn't something he liked doing. 
"I didn't sneak. I just got here," said Tess. She had been afraid she wouldn't 
make it in since it had taken so long, but now that she was here she looked at 
her watch and said, "It's nearing the time you said Nicholas appeared. We should 
wake Max." 
All three looked at Max and Tess gently shook his shoulder. "Max? Max, it's time 
to wake up."
They watched as Max slowly, groggily, began to wake. 
"Why is he the only one asleep?" asked Michael. 
"I'm not sure. I guess because it's his head we are in," replied Isabel.  "It doesn't 
matter as long as he's awake and alert now."
Max looked up at them and said, "You need to hide in the shadows. We don't 
want to risk Nicholas seeing you."
"He won't sense us?" asked Michael.
Isabel shook her head. "I think he'll be too focused on Max to even suspect that 
anyone is here."
Tess touched Max's shoulder and he looked up. "Be careful, Max. Don't let him 
in." 
Max nodded, and Michael, Isabel, and Tess moved into the shadows, their black 
clothing adding to their cover, and they waited. Max forced himself to go limp 
and his mind to go blank as he gave the appearance of sleep, though his instinct 
was to be prepared to attack should Nicholas appear. After what seemed like an 
eternity they were rewarded for their efforts.
Nicholas appeared out of the shadows and approached Max, his hand lightly 
moving over Max's head before he leaned down. 
"Hello, Max. Have you been a good little King and accomplished your task? Tell 
me, are we closer to our goal?"
Max forced himself keep still and to keep his breathing shallow when he first felt 
Nicholas's hand on his head. Now he slowly allowed himself to reply as if in a 
drugged, sleepy state.
"Yes."
Nicholas smiled and patted Max's head. "Goooood. So you've taken your Queen 
into your bed?"
Max swallowed as a quick vision of Tess lying beneath him, her top open and his 
hand inside fondling her, came to his mind. "Yes."
Nicholas's smile broadened as his excitement grew. "And a child? Has she 
conceived a child yet?" 
Max didn't reply and Nicholas frowned. "Does she carry a child yet?" he repeated 
sharply.
When Max still didn't reply, Nicholas stood and said, "Let's just see what you've 
been up to with her, shall we?" He prepared to put his hands on Max's head 
when a voice came to him out of the shadows:
"Looking to get off on someone else's dirty memories, Nicholas?" 
Nicholas whirled around and his eyes widened then narrowed at seeing Michael.
"How the hell did you get in here?" he demanded. His surprise was apparent and 
grew when he saw Isabel and Tess join Michael. "How..?"
"The same way you did," replied Isabel standing with her hands at the ready, 
though she wasn't sure that they could take Nicholas even if it was there plan. 
She only knew they could and would die trying.
Tess stepped forward, her own anger apparent when she spoke. 
"How dare you use Max like this! How dare you use him to get me pregnant for 
whatever evil plan you have! Any child I have will not be a pawn to be used by 
Kivar, Nicholas!"
Nicholas smirked. "Kivar?" He began to laugh. "Forget Kivar! When I bring your 
child back I will be the one in control, not him! The people wait for the heir and 
will follow him and those that guide him. They will gather their strength in 
knowing that their 'savior' has come to free them and their uprising against Kivar 
will finally be fulfilled. And I'll be the one in command! The one in power making 
the decisions as the child's guardian since his parents will have been captured 
and tortured by humans on Earth." 
"Really?" said Tess, as she approached Nicholas. "And how do you propose to do 
that with no child?"
The smirk fell from Nicholas's face to be replaced by a frown realizing that he'd 
revealed more than he had intended. Then Tess's words settled in his mind? 
"What do you mean 'no child'? You have to be with child! He said he bedded 
you!" yelled Nicholas, as he moved to grab at Tess. He stopped short as his 
attention was drawn to Max when the fully alert alien King stood from his chair 
to turn and face the Skin. Horrified, then angry, he looked between Max and 
Tess.
"What?! No!" Nicholas screamed at all of them as he looked around at the four 
standing there in silence. He finally focused on Isabel. "You, you stupid bitch! 
This was your doing wasn't it?!"
"Anything to keep you and Kivar from getting what you want," replied Isabel. 
She would never forget how he had tried to take her back to Antar for Kivar. 
"Actually she had a little help," said Michael. 
Nicholas's face grew red in his anger, his fists clinching open and shut, spit flying 
as he raged in a growing tantrum. "Everything I did to prepare for returning to 
Antar, to finally get what I deserved," he said pounding his chest with his fist, 
"Taking care of those idiots in New York…" he looked at Max and snarled, 
"…working to get into your head…finally getting that girl out of the way." He 
looked at Tess and glared. "And you! You and that…that Sheriff's brat! He never 
stopped sniffing after you even after…"
Tess stiffened, a feeling of dread filled her. 
"Kyle? What has Kyle got to do with this?" 
When Nicholas only smiled she moved forward. Her heart pounding in fear Tess 
said with a deadly calm voice, "What did you do to Kyle?" 
He began to laugh, not a happy laugh, but one of a crazed being. 
"Just a little mind walking." He then turned deadly serious as he said, "He was in 
the way. It was too dangerous to kill him so I 'adjusted' his outlook on things." 
He grinned when he saw the look of realization cross her face. 
"You made him think of me as a sister, didn't you? At the prom he asked if I felt 
that way too. You did that?" she whispered in a shocked voice.
Nicholas didn't deny it and only grinned more. 
"I couldn't risk a half hybrid-half human child to take back to Antar. The child 
needed full powers and couldn't be tainted anymore than possible by human 
DNA!" 
Max watched Tess's anger grow and was shocked as was everyone else when 
she said, "Too late, Nicholas. You've failed once again."
Nicholas growled and lunged at her only to be stopped as Max grabbed him by 
the throat and held him. 
"Don't even think about it, Nicholas!" He began to squeeze. "How dare you do 
what you did to me? You took my life and twisted it…tried to use me to ruin 
Tess's just so you could kill us and take our child and make it as twisted and as 
evil as you are…"
"It's not even your child," Nicholas sputtered, interrupting Max. "It can't inherit 
the throne!"
"SHUT UP!" Max yelled at him. In a deadly voice he said, "I should kill you!" His 
rage was great as he watched Nicholas's eyes bulge in fear. 
Michael stepped forward. "I thought that was the idea." He looked at Nicholas. 
"Kill the bastard so he's out of our lives."
Nicholas coughed as he struggled against Max. Forcing himself to calm down 
once again he looked into Max's eyes. "He won't. It's not in him to kill me. That's 
why you all died before. He was too passive." He gasped as Max began to close 
off his windpipe.  
"Maybe not in Max, but it's in me!" said Michael as he raised his hand and aimed 
it at Nicholas. "Get out of the way, Max, and let me kill this bastard!"
Isabel watched as Nicholas's words appeared to find a weak spot in Max 
seemingly to cause him to falter in his resolve to kill Nicholas. 
"Max, don't let him do this to you!  What happened on Antar is not your fault! 
It's Kivar's," said Isabel.
"You know I'm right, Max. You were the King then and your family died, your 
people were captured because you were too soft, just as you are now. Here you 
are hiding away down here on Earth instead of fighting your way back to your 
people up there," said Nicholas sensing his advantage. "You're no killer, Max."
But he underestimated him. 
He was suddenly thrown aside and Max's hand raised against him.  Tess, Isabel, 
and Michael moved to join hands with Max and send their power to him as he 
began to speak.
"I don't' know what I was like as a King up there, but your interfering with our 
lives ends here, Nicholas. None of us are going back to Antar anytime soon. If or 
when we decide to go back it will be on our terms, and not anyone else's. And I 
intend to make sure you never bother us nor our children again." 
Max and the others focused their combined powers at Nicholas and blasted him 
with a fusion of power that sent the Skin screaming in agony, pleading for his life 
as he realized he had underestimated his adversary. Death didn't come soon 
enough for the Skin, but when it did his body burst into flames and then ash, 
settling amid the darkness of Max's mind. They lowered their arms and looked 
around.
"We did it," Isabel said, her relief quietly voiced.
"I wonder what happened to his body once he was ash in here?" said Tess.
"I just want to get out of here. I'm beginning to get the creeps," replied Michael. 
"No offense, Maxwell."
"None taken. I agree, let's get out of here." 
They took hands and closed their eyes and …
…slowly awakened on Michael's bed. 
"Is everyone okay?" asked Max as he released Tess and Isabel's hands.
"My head aches," Tess replied fighting that rolling feeling again. 
"Mine too," said Michael, pressing the palm of his hand into his eyes.
"I'm okay," reported Isabel. She felt as she usually did after a 'dreamwalk'.
Max rubbed his head. "Mine hurts too. It was like this with Tess and I before." 
He rolled over and focused first on Tess and then leaning over Isabel he focused 
next on Michael before collapsing back on the bed to rest. 
"I guess since I do this a lot that is why I wasn't affected like the rest of you," 
said Isabel stretching to loosen her back up. 
Tess sat up and shook her head in aw. "I honestly wasn't sure if we could do it."
"I'd feel better if I knew Nicholas was definitely gone," said Michael, flexing 
hands to pop his knuckles.
All of them silently agreed. 
Isabel sucked in her bottom lip and looked sideways at Tess with indecision then 
finally asked, "You're having Kyle's baby?"
Michael leaned on one arm, curious himself. Any baby conceived with an alien 
would be a problem since none of them knew what could happen.
Tess shook her head, without looking up. "No, I just wanted the little worm to 
squirm even more than he was just thinking that I was."
"But you and Kyle…you…" pressed Isabel. 
Tess looked up, but didn't answer.
"Wow!" Isabel said quietly, staring off into space. 
"I knew it," said Michael, nodding his head. When he noticed the others he 
staring at him he said, "What? I had a feeling."
"I thought it strange when you implied there was a child since I didn't sense        
one before," said Max. 
"Before?" asked Isabel curiously. "When?"
"Never mind," he replied looking at Isabel. 
Isabel knew not to force the issue and dropped it. 
Max looked at Tess, "I think you and I have some people to see."
He hoped Liz would take him back after what happened, but even if she did he 
would have her father to deal with considering the black looks the man had 
given him. Max had broken his daughter's heart and a father didn't forget that 
easily.
Tess shook her head. "I did things that can't be forgiven."
"There were reasons," Max replied. But he knew she could be right. Kyle didn't 
forgive or forget easily.
Michael got up and tugged Isabel up after him. "I'm starving. Do you get hungry 
after you go into peoples heads like that?" 
Isabel nodded. "Always! Usually it's too late to eat, but right now I could really 
go for some 'Space Fries' and a Cherry Coke."
"Cool! Come on, I'm buying," he said only to stop when she stared at him. He 
shrugged. "Okay, so you're buying." 
Isabel rolled her eyes and followed Michael out. 
Tess got up and Max followed. "Going home?" he asked.
She shook her head. "I don't know that I have a home to go back to. I really 
hurt some feelings, you know. I had to do it, but I don't know that they will 
understand." 
Max put his arms around her and rested his chin on her head. "It will all work 
out. Wait and see." He just hoped he was right, for both of their sakes.
                                                 ~~~~~~~~

Sheriff's Office…
Max walked into the office and Jim looked up in surprise. 
"Max." 
"Do you have a minute?" Max asked. 
Jim cleared his throat. "Sure. Come in and close the door."
After Max had closed the door he stood before the desk until the Sheriff offered 
him a seat.
"What can I do for you, Max?"
"I want to apologize to you. Things were said that were not me and…well I'm 
sorry." Jim looked at him thoughtfully and Max went on. "Nicholas was 
controlling my mind and Tess, Michael, Isabel, and I were able to stop him. It's 
hard to explain. Just know that things are back to normal. That is if you can 
forgive me for the things I said to you."
Jim considered Max's words and then stood up and walked around his desk to 
lean on it. "I didn't think it was like you, Max." He picked up a report on his desk. 
"I'm going to assume then that this was your doing."
Max raised his brows has he looked at the report Valenti handed him. A body 
had burned to ash in a motel room without burning anything else in the room. 
"The manager said it was a kid…looked to be about 15…said he was waiting for 
his brother and his pregnant sister in law. Damnedest thing he'd ever seen. 
Knowing anything about it?"
Max stared in masked surprise at the report then at Valenti. "I've no idea." He 
handed the report back to the Sheriff. 
Valenti nodded, in understanding. "I was filing it under my 'special file' anyway." 
He opened the file again, walked over to a shredder and shredded the contents.  
Looking at Max again he hesitated then asked, "Tess?"
Max stood. "She's okay. But she doesn't think she'll be welcomed back after 
everything that's happened. Just so you know, she never wanted to leave."
Valenti sighed as he quickly pinched the bridge of his nose to stop the tears that 
threatened, then looked at Max. After a moment he said, "If you see her….tell 
her…tell her I said to come home." 
Max nodded in relief and stuck his hand out. "Thanks, Sheriff." Valenti took the 
hand and then pulled Max to him. "I'm glad you're okay, son."
Max gave a small smile and then left. He had one more stop to make before 
calling Liz so that everything was made right again.

                                                 ~~~~~~~~

Valenti Home…
Max opened the door for Tess and followed her in. She turned to him and said, 
"Max, I…"
"It will be fine. I promise," replied Max closing the door.
Jim walked into the room and stood locking his eyes with Tess. He saw the fear 
of rejection as well as sorrow in her eyes. He walked over to her and with a teary 
smile that belied his ruggedness he said, "I told you before you're like a daughter 
to me and this is your home." He hugged her to him while she wrapped her arms 
around his neck and held on to the only real father she had ever had.
Max quietly made his way out of the house and to his jeep. He pulled up even 
with a car down the street and stopped, nodding to the occupant inside before 
he headed home to call Liz again and try to work things out with her.
Kyle only blinked as Max nodded to him and then moved on. There was nothing 
to say that hadn't been said earlier in the parking lot at school. He drove into the 
driveway and killed the engine, but didn't exit the car. He was afraid and he 
hated it. Taking several deep breaths that he blew out hard he psyched himself 
up and headed inside.
Jim and Tess looked up from the couch as Kyle walked in, their conversation 
coming to a halt. 
Jim stood up as the tension in the room grew and he said, "Kyle, look who's 
here." He knew how angry Kyle had been about Tess's plan to go back with Max 
and he wondered how things would be between them now that she wasn't 
leaving after all.
Tess stood up, her eyes never leaving Kyle's. She couldn't read him and that 
scared her. What was he thinking? Would he forgive her? If he couldn't, she 
didn't know if she could stay, something she had just told the elder Valenti, but 
she didn't elaborate as to why. 
Sensing they needed to air things out between them, Jim grabbed his hat and 
said, "I have some things on my desk that need my attention. Will you two be 
okay? Do I need to send a Deputy to keep you from killing one another?" He was 
only half joking.
"Will you try to kill me, Kyle?" asked Tess, her eyes still focused on him.
"I haven't decided," he replied as evenly as she had, his eyes hanging onto hers. 
She looked so beautiful standing there. But he could see she was afraid and he 
was the cause.
Jim ran his hat brim between his hands as he looked between the two. "You two 
get this sorted out before I get back. Understand?"  He nodded to them both, 
put his hat on his head and left.
Tess looked away first, clasping her hands in front of her nervously. "I'll stay out 
of your way as much as possible." Looking back she added, "I'll take the couch. 
You can have your room back if you want."
"Did I say I want it back?" asked Kyle, crossing his arms and continuing to watch 
her.
Tess dropped her arms to her side, but her hands were like claws, open with her 
frustration. "I can't do this, Kyle. You have every right to be angry with me, I 
deserve it, but I can't do this. I can't live here and pretend nothing has 
happened, especially between us."
 When he just continued to stand there she snapped, "Say something damn it! 
Don't just stand there staring at me!" She brought one hand up to cover her 
mouth to mask her trembling lips. 
Kyle continued to stand there, arms crossed, staring at Tess until she dropped 
her arm and said, "Fine." She turned to go collect her things when he finally 
spoke.
"You were going to leave knowing how I felt about you. After what had 
happened between us. How could you do that?"
The pain was raw in his voice, the sound of it stabbing her heart with its agony.  
She turned around to face him, the pain on his face replacing the blank 
expression he had worn earlier. She wanted to die for being the one to put the 
pain there.
"I didn't want to. You knew that. We talked about it. It was why I was sent 
here." 
When he didn't even blink she struggled to find a way to make him understand 
that she did truly care for him. 
"If it's any consolation to you I couldn't do it. We were …" she looked away and 
took a deep breath then tried again. "We…Max and I…we were about to become 
very intimate, but..." She looked back up at Kyle. "I couldn't do it. I could only 
think about being with you. You have to believe that." 
"I know," he said, taking her hands tightly in his and rubbing the tops with his 
thumbs.
Tess didn't think she heard him right and looked at him questioningly.
"You know? How could know unless…" She swallowed, but her mouth was so dry 
a knot formed in her throat threatening to suffocate her. "What did Max tell 
you?"
Kyle's eyes hadn't left her since he'd walked into the room, and even now he 
they stayed firm on her as he held her shaking hands and quietly, painfully said, 
"Everything."
Tess's mouth opened as she shook her head, unable to speak for a moment. She 
swallowed then asked, "Everything?" 
"Everything," he said softly, his throat burning as he spoke. 
Kyle fingered a strand of her hair that had fallen down into her face and tucked it 
behind her ear. "He used that 'alien voodoo' of his and showed me things." He 
sucked in a ragged breath. "I hated him for having a life with you not once, but 
twice." 
"Kyle…" His grief was tearing at her heart.
"I really wanted to kill him for touching you. For claiming you as his when you 
should have been mine." It was all said so quietly, but his emotions were strong 
behind his words conveying everything that he felt, just as his face couldn't' 
mask what he was feeling. 
Tess closed her eyes in shame at the pain it must have cost Kyle. When she 
opened them her lips trembled as she reached up to wipe a small tear from the 
corner of his eye before gently cupping his cheek with her hand. 
"Kyle…I'm soooo sorry."
Kyle took her hand from his face and brought it to his chest to hold with his own.
"No, I'm sorry." At her look of surprise he said, "Max showed me your past life as 
well as this one." He shook his head. "I had no real idea what you…what all of 
you were going through. What it really means to be 'the Royal Four'. I just 
thought I did, but I didn't." He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it. 
Tess shook her head confused. "I…I don't understand."
"Your circumstances…your rules are different than what we humans have and 
that is something I didn't fully accept until now. You have two sides within you 
Tess…alien and human. Your alien side is what made you feel you had to carry 
out your sense of duty to follow Max back to Antar as his wife and to give him an 
heir." His mouth curved into a small smile, the first he had given since walking in 
the door. He caressed her cheek as he said, "Your human side was stronger and 
made you follow your heart." He gave a little grin as he added, "Personally I 
think your human side made the better choice." 
Tears fell down Tess's cheek as she listened to Kyle, saw the gentleness mixed 
with pain and love on his face. She loved him so much and to her relief he still 
loved her too.
He kissed her then, gently at first, but with hunger and relief as her mouth 
opened to welcoming beneath his. Wrapping his arms around her he hugged her 
tight, their bodies pressing into one another as if afraid to let the other go. 
"I love you, Tess," Kyle breathed against her lips. He looked into her eyes gazing 
with love up at him. "But if you ever leave me again…"
Tess shook her head. "I won't! I'll never leave you again!" she promised as she 
pressed her lips to his again, their kiss growing stronger, igniting a need a 
between them that would soon need to be vanguished. 
Not long after the phone rang, neither one of them wanting to break their 
contact to answer it. When the ringing continued Kyle groaned and as he 
pressed his forehead to hers and said, "Ignore it. The machines going to pick up 
any second now." He kissed Tess again as his hands began to wander her body. 
But the machine didn't get it. The phone kept ringing and ringing until Kyle threw 
his head back and growled in frustration making Tess smile.
 Looking at her Kyle said, "Stay right here," and gave her a quick kiss while he 
sprinted across the room to the phone and slapped on the speakerphone. 
"Valenti's. This is Kyle, what do you want?" he said breathlessly as he winked at 
Tess. She waved back, a huge glowing smile on her face.
"Kyle? Did you run to the phone, son?" Jim Valenti asked.
"Huh, yeah I did. The machine didn't pick up," said Kyle. "Dad, what do you 
want?" He watched as Tess slowly walked over to him. He had to stifle a moan 
as she began to nibble and kiss her way along his ear and neck, her hands 
undoing the buttons on his shirt so that she could move her kisses down there.
"Ahhhh…" he bit his lip to keep from moaning out loud. "Hmmmfp!" he squeaked 
when her tongue encountered his belly button.
"Kyle? You okay?" asked Jim with concern. "You and Tess resolved your issues 
didn't you?"
Kyle's eyes rolled back in his head as Tess's hand moved down to the bulge of 
his pants and pressed. 
"Um…yeeessss siiiirrrrrr….we made uuuuuuuup!" he hissed as Tess began to 
undo his pants. 
"Kyle, what's the matter with you?" asked Jim.
Kyle pulled Tess away from his body and held her at arms length, mouthing 
'Stop it!" to her, only to receive a quiet giggle in return.
"I…huh…stubbed my toe running for the phone." He looked at Tess who was 
know running her foot up his leg to northern territory.
"Be careful, son. I need to get a new battery for that damned machine. Meant to 
do it this morning when it went out." 
"Dad, is there any other reason you caaaaalled?" asked Kyle as Tess's foot met 
his bulging crotch. His mouth fell open as she slid her big toe up to the 
waistband of his boxers and tried to slide them down. 
"What? Oh, yeah, yeah. I just got a call to move a prisoner. One of my Deputies 
called in sick and another is off. I need to stay here and man the office while two 
of my men transport the prisoner into Texas. I might not be home until early in 
the morning. Think you two can manage on your own?" 
Tess and Kyle froze and stared at one another then grinned. 
"Kyle? Did you hear me, son?"
"Yeah, Dad. We'll hold the fort here. See you in the morning," said Kyle before 
he hit disconnect without waiting for a reply.
"Dad's working late," he said looking at Tess, the hunger in his eyes undeniable.
Tess moved closer to him and ran her fingers up and down his bared chest as 
she focused her attention on his lips by moving hers as close to his as she could 
without touching them. "You know I bet we could trim quite a few lamps before 
he comes home. What do you think?" she asked as she looked up at him from 
under hooded lashes.
"I think it's a good thing my equipments at the ready," said Kyle as he ran his 
hands up and down Tess's back.
Taking her by the hand he pulled her down the hallway and to his bedroom that 
she occupied, then shoved the door shut behind them. He pulled Tess into his 
arms and kissed her passionately before starting to remove her shirt. Her bra 
shoved her full breasts up into Kyle's chest, the feel of the plump mounds 
pressing against his skin sending an ache to his loins below. He moved the 
straps down her arms, kissing her alabaster shoulders and neck. 
Tess's head fell back as Kyle gently sucked on her neck then moved to her ear. 
"Kyle…mmmmm…."
He reached behind her back and deftly popped the hooks holding the thin scrap 
of material together, both of them sighing with satisfaction as he guided it from 
her arms and tossed it away. He ran his hands over her breasts in a massaging 
motion, the nipples pebbled hard beneath his hands, as he cupped the mounds 
and gently squeezed. 
Tess ran her hands lightly up Kyle's hardened arms before winding them tightly 
around his neck so that she could press her body close to his. Her mouth opened 
to his as she rubbed against him, eager to have his body inside hers. 
Kyle lightly caressed the nape of Tess's neck then moved his hands down her 
spine, his fingers creating small circles as he went until he reached her firm 
bottom which he cupped to help pull her hips closer to his aching crotch. 
Pulling his lips away from hers he said, "I need you,Tess," then took her mouth 
again as he walked her backwards towards the bed. Reaching between them he 
tugged the zipper of her pants down and then slipped his hands inside over her 
hips to push them down. He gently pushed her back on the bed and she 
watched while he tugged off her shoes, socks, and pants. 
Tess propped herself up on her elbows and watched as Kyle knelt on the bed 
and ran a hand over the material of her panties. Between her legs the material 
was soaked with her fluids as her body eagerly awaited his. His touch made Tess 
gasp and her head fall back as her body arched up to allow Kyle tug the panties 
down and off of her body. She ran her hands over her breasts as she looked 
back at Kyle and smiled seductively as his tongue came out to lick his lips as he 
watched her. 
Her hair splayed around her as she lay back on the bed as she begged softly, 
"Trim my lamp, Kyle."
Hands shaking, Kyle shoved his own pants and boxers down in one swift motion 
before stepping out of them and kicking them aside. He started for the bed and 
then hault as if he had just remembered something. 
Tess watched as he walked over to the statue of Buddha and bowed then kissed 
its baldhead. He grabbed a condom from near the base and bowed once again 
before hurrying to the bed and crawling on top beside Tess, his penis standing 
out proud and erect before him. She tried, but couldn't suppress a giggle at his 
actions.
"Now what do you think Buddha would think of you kissing his head like that?"
Kyle stared at her and said straight faced, "He'd pleased I was finally going to be 
using these things."
"KYLE!" Tess said as she pushed at his chest in amused shock. 
He captured her hand and held it close to his heart as he grew serious.
 "We weren't careful last time. We're not going to do that again."
From the things Max had shown him he knew what she had told Nicholas about 
a child and he had cursed himself for not protecting her the only time they had 
come together. He knew she wasn't on birth control and he had made love to 
her anyway, not thinking of protecting her. 
Tess kissed him as she drew him down with her, her fingers taking the condom 
and laying it aside. 
He rolled her on the bed as he ran a hand along her body, seeking her curves 
and valleys.  His mouth suckled at her breast, his tongue laving the pebbled 
peaks and mounds while his hand guided her legs open so that his fingers could 
sink into her depths causing her to sigh. He worked her slowly, his fingers 
caressing her swollen folds while his thumb worked her hardened nub. 
"Oh gawd, Kyle….please…oh please…" she gasped, afraid to dare breathe as he 
kissed his way down her belly to her mound. 
Kyle could smell her scent, and he derived satisfaction in knowing it was he that 
was driving her bodies need to create the juices that would aid him soon in 
giving her pleasure. For now he flicked his tongue over her slit and smiled as she 
arched and cried out, her hand grasping his head and clutching his hair.
"Oh my gawd! Oh my gawd! What …oh gaaawwddd…Kyle…" she moaned as his 
fingers were replaced by his tongue sinking down deep inside of her, teasing her, 
drinking in her juices. His teeth occasionally grazed the now swollen nub and she 
cried out each time he attacked her with his mouth. It was when he pushed his 
fingers back inside her and continued his assault with his mouth that she came, 
and he drank her in while her body convulsed over and over, her hands holding 
his head still between her legs as she clamped down on the sides. 
It wasn't until she shuddered and lay heaving, gasping for breath that Kyle lay 
back beside her. He watched the look of pure contentment on her face and 
smiled. 
Tess turned glazed eyes to Kyle and said, "That was so amazing."
Kyle grinned and then tensed and sucked in air as Tess's hand began moving 
over his throbbing penis. She reached for the condom and tore open the 
package, applying its contents slowly and nervously to his erection herself. He 
held his breath as she stroked him, comparing the bare skin to the covered one. 
She liked the bare skin better, but she knew Kyle was right in wearing the 
protection. Reaching beneath the raised shaft she cupped his sacs and gave 
gentle squeezes while slowly stroking the underside of the hardness twitching in 
her hands. 
"Tesssss…" he said harshly, his body needing more than her hands stroking him. 
Her hand wrapped around the thick organ and pumped it a few times, just 
enough to drive Kyle's arousal higher.
The warmth of her hand, her female scent, the beauty of her flushed naked 
body, and the strong love he felt for her were all Kyle needed to cause him to 
flip her over and enter between her readily parted thighs. Her body welcomed 
his as he swiftly entered her then pulled out to reenter her ever so slowly to 
move in and out at a steady pace that she eagerly adjusted her own body to.
Tess thought she was dying of pure pleasure, the waves kept rolling over as Kyle 
moved in and out of her slick body. She looked up to see her moisture clinging to 
his mouth, nose, and chin, her scent heavy on his breath as he looked down at 
her. She leaned up and kissed him, tasting her self in the kiss. 
Kyle slid in and out of Tess, his body throbbing and aching, while his heart 
pounded, and his nerve endings pulsed as he made love to her. Sweat began to 
drip down his face from his damp hair, his body slick from his and Tess's 
exertions. He pushed into her deeper and harder with each reentry to her body, 
her moans and cries of pleasure speeding him faster and faster until the 
headboard beat against the wall from the pounding.
Tess's breasts bobbed hard and fast against Kyle's chest, though their bodies 
were pressed together. She locked her legs around his waist, her body aching for 
more of him to be inside of her. Her eyes widened as he thrust once so hard that 
she felt he was stabbing her to the bed. He paused at the look in her eyes, 
worried that he had hurt her. But a great sigh escaped her and she begged him 
for more. 
"More, Kyle…more…more…more…don't stop… don't stop…don't stoooooop! Oh 
gaaaaaaaawwwdddd!" she cried out she instinctively clasped him with her walls 
and held him tightly inside her, his throbbing nearly sending her over the edge.
"Tess, aaaahhhhhhhhhh…yes…yes…uhhhhhhhhgggg!" he cried out, the 
sensation sending him huge amounts of pleasure.
When she released him he thrusts one more time and they both came, their cries 
of pleasure filling the house. Tess saw stars against a field of black and then 
Kyle's life came flashing by her, stopping only when she looked up into face to 
see him looking down on her with love. She closed her eyes as the waves 
washed over her, Kyle's body exploding inside of hers giving her a feeling that 
nothing could compare to.
Kyle thrust one last time into Tess, his body giving up its last drops into the 
condom then collapsed and heaved heavily on top of Tess. He couldn't move just 
yet. Stars and images of Tess whirled in his mind making him dizzy. When they 
finally stopped he breathed a bit easier and he carefully removed himself from 
her body and fell to her side. He removed and tossed into the trash the used 
condom before easing Tess to him. She lay her head on his chest and listened to 
his hearts frantic beating. 
"Can you hear it?" he asked, as he played with her hair. 
"Yes," she said tapping out the beat with fingers while she made a 'bump-bump 
bump-bump' sound softly with her mouth.
"No…listen…it's saying 'I love you'," he said, causing her to look up at him and 
smile. 
"I love you too, Kyle. I never knew I could be this happy…ever." She smiled 
again. "I never thought a human could make me feel this way."
"No regrets about Max or going back to Antar?" asked Kyle as he caressed her 
shoulder.
Tess shook her head. "None. This is where I want to be. With you." She kissed 
him and then lay her head back down to listen again to his heart's sound. She 
traced her initials on his belly, invisibly branding him as hers. "We have another 
problem you know."
Kyle looked up at the ceiling and sighed as he brushed a hand over her hair, his 
arm finally resting on top. "Dad."
Tess nodded against Kyle's chest.
"What do we do?" she asked, worrying about the elder Valenti's reaction to their 
relationship.
Kyle sighed again. "Keep on as we are and pray that nothing happens to cause 
him to find out until after we graduate in June. After that we can tell him." He 
didn't know what else to do. He didn't think now was the time to tell his Dad 
about him and Tess. Not just yet.
"You don't think he suspects do you?" she asked with worry.
"At one time yes, but I don't think he would have left us here alone if he still 
did," Kyle replied.
Tess looked up at the clock. "We have a few more hours. Are you up for some 
more 'Lamp Trimming'?" she teased, giving him her most seductive look as her 
hand slid down to stroke him. 
Kyle's body immediately responded, amazing them both by the state of his 
arousal and how quickly it had come. He grinned proudly. 
"Like I've said before my equipments always at the ready."
They both laughed then kissed deeply, each feeling the love of the other and 
loving them back.

~ End ~











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