Double Empire - AUwA/CC/Adult - COMPLETE - 12/7/14

Finished stories set in an alternate universe to that introduced in the show, or which alter events from the show significantly, but which include the Roswell characters. Aliens play a role in these fics. All complete stories on the main AU with Aliens board will eventually be moved here.

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Double Trouble
Obsessed Roswellian
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Joined: Tue Dec 16, 2008 9:47 am

Re: Double Empire - AUwA/CC/Adult - Part 60 - 2/16/14

Post by Double Trouble »

sarammlover: Ava is surrounded by some very dangerous people and two of them would be happy to see her join Zan in the ground. Standing up to Rath takes some serious guts... but letting him see that he does scare her is too risky.

Earth2Mama: Ava’s doing the only thing she can do – stand up to Rath and do her best not to let him see her sweat.

We’re not sure what Miren was promised, but whatever it was, now that the Commander knows about him it isn’t likely to ever be enough.

keepsmiling7: The numbers are high and they’ll continue to rise before this war ends.

As for the marriage arrangement... we’re not sure the Commander’s death will convince Zander to change his mind about the agreement.

Natalie36: We’ll check in with Max and Liz in this part as well as Michael and Maria.

Roswelllostcause: Thanks for reading!

Alien_Friend: We wholeheartedly agree about Rath! He won’t believe the Commander was killed by Ava... possibly he can’t believe it, because then he would have to admit that she had succeeded where he had failed.

While the Antarians do consider themselves superior in every way, there are things that are overlooked simply because the other options that could be available are not believed to be worthy of their time as to their way of thinking those options are archaic. Lol, but they have the Advisor on their side and Alex definitely knows how to think outside the Antarian box.

begonia9508: Thanks for reading!



Part 61

Isabel’s eyes snapped open and she quickly got up, crossing her quarters silently and throwing open the doors that led out onto the balcony. She drew in great gulping breaths of fresh air, wanting to expel the images she had just witnessed. Her boredom combined with her unease over the current situation had compelled her to pay a visit to Ava. She had waited until it was late, knowing Khivar was likely to be celebrating the demise of the Commander of Antar.

She had located Ava with little difficulty but when she had noticed what she had stumbled upon she had kept her presence hidden. She had observed the woman’s interaction with Rath, sensing the fear she held tightly in her control, and she had feared what he would do. Even though she didn’t know if they could trust Ava she had no desire to see her assaulted in such a manner.

Rath was vicious, he took what he wanted, and he was notorious for being bloodthirsty. He had no soul; that much had been evident from the moment he’d led the first massacre on an outlying village. He had been brought up on charges for disregarding the rules of war, but he had managed to escape punishment by falsifying information, influencing testimony, and providing ‘evidence’ that the village had been harboring soldiers and he had only been defending himself against an unprovoked attack.

Khivar had managed to rein him in after that incident but she had a feeling his control over the dupe was slipping. She shuddered as she recalled Ava’s warning that it was only a matter of time before Rath and Vilondra overthrew the throne and that their rise to power would be followed by a killing spree. She believed that.

After witnessing the way Rath had just behaved it was clear that he didn’t trust Ava and that given the opportunity he would gladly see her dead. Had she not possessed the abilities she did the outcome of that meeting would’ve been quite different and it made her feel physically ill to think of what he would’ve done to the other woman before killing her. Or, after violating her would that have been too merciful for his sick, twisted mind?

She had chosen to wait to reveal herself at a later time, giving Ava time to collect herself. The woman had been vulnerable in that moment, recovering from an encounter that had terrified her even though she’d never let that truth slip in his presence. His threats in regard to killing her hadn’t affected her and somehow she had the feeling that once the dupe had accomplished the mission she’d set out to finish, she would welcome death.

*****

Max could feel the exhaustion in every muscle, bone, and organ in his body, yet he was unable to sleep. Thoughts bombarded his mind and his thoughts refused to remain quiet long enough for him to close his eyes and ease into the sleep he so desperately needed. Events of the last days held him in a tight grip and refused to leave him in peace, even for a short while.

With a grunt, he got out of his bed again and walked over to the huge double glass doors of his quarters. The night was silent and could easily draw a person into the belief that everything was peaceful outside, but he knew better. A storm was coming and he could feel them all reaching a turning point in their leadership. Either the newly forged plan would direct them to a better life on Antar for them and those who followed them, or they would all go down with it and the power would fall into Khivar’s hands.

The thought terrified him. He’d never been a fan of taking risks and he had staked everything on the card they’d just played. What if Ava had found a way to fool them? What if one of the other dupes was already hiding in the castle as well? What if he wasn’t able to protect the few people he loved?

His gaze went to the wall next to his bed and without even realizing it he walked over and placed his hand over the flat cold stone until the secret hallway opened up. His feet carried him further on until he reached the second barrier and opened it up just the same as before to find the room behind it in complete darkness.

Liz shot up in her bed when she heard the deep growling in the wall. One hand reached under the pillow to get a grip on the knife she had placed there while the other shot to the night lamp to switch it on. “Max! You scared me…” Her voice fell when he took a step forward and almost lost his balance. “What’s wrong?” She hurried out of her bed and to his side to steady him, her eyes wandering over his body to see if there was any harm.

“I’m good,” he whispered. “Just overly tired.

“Then why aren’t you sleeping?” Her arm slipped around his waist and she grabbed onto his hand when his arm settled heavily across her shoulders. “C’mon over here and sit down.”

He didn’t bother protesting as she helped him to sit on the edge of her bed but he glanced around the quarters he’d had assigned to her. “Where’s the sitting area?”

She followed his gaze and frowned slightly. “There’s no sitting area here.”

His brow furrowed and he raised a hand, motioning to the window across the room. “There should be two chairs right there, on either side of the balcony doors.”

“Okay, Your Highness, I think you’re a little loopy right now. You’re in my quarters, not your royal bedchamber.”

“Have you ever made a decision that could potentially destroy everything?”

“Have you been drinking?” she asked as she tried to decipher the slurred words.

Max grinned goofily at the question before sprawling in a boneless heap across her mattress. “I never gamble. I am the one who always follows the known path. I avoid danger. It is the smart thing to do after all.” He sighed softly. “I have just made the biggest gamble of my life.”

Liz frowned at the man who was obviously seeking out her company. Why else would he come to her so soon after she’d told him they couldn’t be more than friends? “What’re you talking about, Max? What’ve you done that makes you think you’ve gambled big time?”

He looked at her, but his eyes were unfocused. “All these decisions,” he shook his head, “I’m sick of them. Nobody ever asked me if I wanted to rule a planet.”

“You should rest your brain for a while.” She used her hand to run it over his forehead and into his hair. She had read about the effects sleep deprivation could cause and while she knew that Antarians needed a lot less sleep than humans, she could only guess that those effects hit them harder after they crossed the line of too little sleep. Maybe it was because of their powers? They could suck up energy much quicker. And hadn’t Maria said something about the Commander pretty much blacking out in her bed one night as well after he had been in a battle for days?

Max closed his eyes and enjoyed the touch of the only woman who was able to make him feel like he wasn’t a failure in the things he did. Liz saw him more as a human than as a royal King and he needed that because most of the time all he wanted to be was a human like her, with no powers or the weight of a whole planet’s population on his shoulders. Feeling the soft mattress at his back and her warm touch on his forehead was all he needed to finally let go of the thoughts running through his head. Within seconds his eyes drifted closed, his brain shut down, and he was led into a dark, deep and peaceful sleep.

Answers would have to wait, Liz thought, half-amused at his sudden drifting off and half worried about the things he had spoken of. She was positive that it had something to do with the plan the Royals had developed to deceive Khivar, but in the morning she would ask him anyway.

“He must’ve really been tired,” she mused to herself when she noticed his feet were bare and he had come to her like that. Slipping from the bed she had to put quite an effort into arranging him into a more comfortable position on the mattress before she crawled in as well and leaned over his body to switch the lamp off.

It took a lot of willpower to not snuggle up closer.

*****

The first sun was peeking over the horizon when the Commander rolled over and stretched. He froze when he felt the soft warm body resting against his and he slowly opened one eye to verify what his brain already knew to be true. Maria was sleeping deeply, her body cradled by his – an event to which his body was quite pleased. He shifted carefully so as to not give her a rude awakening as he glanced over her shoulder to see Amela peacefully sleeping next to Maria.

He closed his eye again and smiled against her shoulder when he realized that at some point in her sleep she had linked their hands together. He felt something rough against his cheek and he opened his eyes as he drew his head back and his curiosity got the best of him when he saw the raised scar peeking near the collar of his tee shirt that she still wore. He checked to make sure she was still asleep and then used his teeth to grab the material and pull it down just a bit. From his position he couldn’t see the full damage, but he could see enough. He had read Dr. Collon’s reports of course, so he knew the extent of the damage Rath had inflicted on her body, but the sight of the scar angered him.

His gaze shot up to her when she shifted and made a quiet sound in her sleep and he wondered if it was in response to his own emotions at seeing the scar. He forced himself to calm, to focus once more on the sight of her and Amela sleeping so trustingly next to him, and within moments she was relaxed again. The connection was a strange thing, he mused.

He lay there for a while, watching the sky as it changed colors and became lighter as the sun slowly moved higher, making way for the second one that would follow before long. From outside there was only silence, the sound oppressive to his mind because it was a reminder that outside of these walls he was dead. He was still dwelling on those thoughts and trying to control his anger at the situation when a finger reached up to soothe the frown lines between his eyes and he turned his head to look at Maria.

“I didn’t want to wake you,” he said by way of greeting.

“You didn’t,” she denied with a sleepy voice. “I’m actually surprised you’re still in bed with me at this time.”

“I put off many of my duties to remain here,” he said dryly.

“You won’t have to hold back forever, Michael.”

“No, I’m aware of that. And it isn’t my intention to make you feel as if I don’t enjoy spending time with you.”

“I know it’s not that.”

He nodded. “I rarely ever spend an entire day indoors,” he admitted.

“It’s not that hard.” She glanced at Amela when the girl moved, but stayed asleep. “And you’re not alone.”

“No, but she actually enjoys her days inside the castle.”

“If you let yourself,” Maria used her fingertips to run them over the bare muscles of his upper arm, “you could enjoy them as well.”

His eyes followed her touch and his muscles twitched in response. “I can only promise to do my best.”

“I’ll do my best to help you.”

He smirked and slowly shifted onto his side. “And what will you do?”

She chuckled. “I’m not sure. Sometimes you’re a stubborn man and not easy to distract.”

“Yet you do not back down from that challenge.” He had a feeling it wouldn’t be as difficult as she made it sound. He’d never had any interest in spending time with a woman outside of bed and afterwards he’d always made sure they were sent somewhere else so he never had to deal with them again. But it was different with her. He enjoyed her company and they’d never shared a bed in the sense that he was used to when it came to women.

“Well... that wouldn’t make sense, would it? We are connected and running away from you isn’t an option.

“I suspect it isn’t the connection that’s responsible for your stubborn streak,” he said with an amused smile.

“No, I guess I got that from my mom.”

He reached up to cradle her cheek when the sadness entered her tone. “She must be quite a woman to have a daughter such as you.”

“My mother is a strong woman,” she agreed and looked at him. “Do you know anything about your...” she made a face, “gene donator or whatever it’s called?”

“The human factor?” he asked, trying not to laugh at her choice of words.

“Yeah.”

“No, we were given no information regarding the human DNA used in our creation.”

“Hmm...I wonder if they had some kinda rules about it. Like your donator was some military man, with a great height and excellent health or something.”

“I’m sure they were very specific about the requirements.”

“Do you ever wonder what the man was like?”

He shrugged one shoulder. “No. I never saw a reason to wonder about something I would never know the answer to.”

Maria stayed silent for a moment, wondering what it would be like to not know where you came from. But on the other hand... he always knew he was different and he was half-Antarian, so maybe she really couldn’t have a clue what it felt like to be in his shoes. “I wish we would’ve met on Earth. I’m curious what kinda person you were.”

“I’ve often wondered that myself. Who my sister and I were on Earth, what we were like. They’re questions I may never have the answers to although I do believe they exist.” He tapped his temple. “They’re locked up in my head.”

“I wonder if we would’ve gotten along,” she smirked.

He chuckled. “That would be interesting to know.”

“I bet you were a womanizer,” she rolled her eyes. “And back in high school I had a weak spot for those.”

“A womanizer? What is that?”

“Basically, it’s a man who likes women a lot and has a lot of them.”

“Oh, and you approve of men like that?”

“No, not at all. I guess human women do have a weak spot for them because mostly they’re the best looking men and every woman wants to be the one who changes him.” She rolled her eyes.

He shifted and rested his head on his fisted hand. “So you do enjoy a challenge,” he teased. “If I was such a man – and I won’t deny that I was – then you would’ve had your work cut out for you.”

“No doubt. Unfortunately, mostly you just end up with a broken heart.”

“Then why would you undertake such a mission?”

“No clue. As I said, we human women don’t really think rationally in the presence of men who interest us.”

“So, on Earth you would’ve been unable to think rationally in my presence?” For some ridiculous reason that pleased him.

“I doubt there’s much difference about the place, Michael. Earth... Antar...”

“Does that imply that you have difficulty thinking rationally around me here?”

“Sometimes,” she admitted with a smile.

“Yes, I have the same difficulty,” he admitted with a sheepish grin.

“That’s a good sign,” she whispered.

“Is it?” He studied her. “I’ve never experienced it before.”

She smiled. “That’s an even better sign.”

“Then it’s a good thing.” He glanced at Amela when she started to stir.

“She’s gonna wake up pretty soon.”

As tempting as it was to ask Maria to hand the little girl over to her caretaker he knew Amela deserved his time. “She’ll be hungry.”

“I can go an’ make something for all of us and bring it back,” she offered.

“We would eat... here?” he asked, looking around the bedroom.

“Here or in the living room,” she nodded. “Maybe the living room would be better since Amela tends to make a mess.”

He held his right hand up and wiggled his fingers. “I’m very good at cleaning up messes.”

“True,” she chuckled and leaned in to give him a short kiss, only realizing then how natural the move had been like they’d done it every morning for years. “I guess I should get started then.”

He caught her hand before she could get up, wanting to pull her closer and never let her go. Instead he brushed a gentle kiss against her lips and murmured, “Don’t be gone long.”

Maria’s stomach twisted at his gesture and instead of doing the logical thing and getting up, she stayed where she was. “No, I won’t.”

He smiled and gave in to the urge to be closer to her when she didn’t make a move to get up. He tugged her closer until she rested against his chest and he lowered his head, using his nose to nudge her chin up. “If you don’t move I’m gonna kiss you properly,” he warned gently.

“If that was an effort to get your breakfast any quicker, than you’ll be disappointed,” she told him hoarsely.

He smirked. “Will I?” He shook his head. “I don’t think so.”

“Then we’re on the same page,” she mumbled and used her hand to caress the muscles of his strong chest.

He gave the barest hint of a nod before lowering his head and taking her lips in a kiss that was heated but didn’t pressure her for more than she was comfortable with.

His lips felt hot against hers and from what she could feel under her hand it seemed like the kiss was affecting him as much as it was affecting her. He was holding back though, not fully giving into it and if she were to guess, she was pretty sure it was because of her past with Rath.

Michael wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her impossibly closer. He cautioned himself to take it easy but it was getting harder with each passing day to keep himself in check around her.

“You don’t have to hold back,” she whispered against his lips when she felt a barrier through the connection. “I’m okay.”

He growled low in his throat, the vibration traveling through his chest and transmitting itself to her hands. He felt them press closer, saw the satisfied smile that settled on her lips at his reaction, and he swooped in, his lips crashing into hers for a kiss that was hot and fierce.

Maria groaned when she felt his lips getting more adventurous and his hands gripping her tighter. The invisible barrier was gone and in the back of her head she could already feel the tingling that announced an oncoming flash. Before it was able to fully build and draw the pictures into her mind, something else seemed to disrupt them and it took a few seconds before she realized that Amela had finally decided to wake up fully.

“Da!” the little girl squealed as she carefully balanced on the mattress, using her hands against Maria’s side to steady her. She leaned in close and smiled widely at the woman. “Ma!”

Heavily breathing, they separated and looked at each other. Maria smiled at him, wondering what the flash would have revealed this time, but it was too late to find out now.

“Our little visitor has decided to wake up,” he muttered with a glance up at the little girl that made Amela laugh.

“Seems like it,” she used her hand to run it over her swollen lips. “That’s my cue to get up and follow the breakfast plan I guess.”

“I’ll get her ready for the day.” Tonight the little one would be sleeping in her own bed, he decided silently.

*****

Max blinked against the light of the first sun as it peeked into the room. Already day again, he thought and closed his eyes for a moment. It might be early in the day, but the world didn’t stop and the problems were still the same.

He enjoyed the warmth of the sun on the skin of his face until his mind was clear from the remainders of sleep and suddenly his eyes snapped open and he sat up. His bedroom faced away from the daily intrusion of dawn.

In a slight panic, he looked around and he nearly jumped when he realized he wasn’t alone in bed. How had he gotten here? He concentrated hard, but his mind was drawing a blank. The last thing he remembered was returning to his own quarters after a very long and exhausting day.

Liz stirred in her sleep when the mattress bounced from movement and she opened her eyes just in time to see Max’ back facing her. He was obviously planning to leave without a word and for a moment she wondered if she should just pretend to be asleep.

“Leaving without a word, King?” Her curiosity about why he had come to her got the better of her.

“No, of course not,” he denied. He swallowed and tugged his collar away from his throat when it suddenly felt like it was strangling him.

“Are you feeling better?” She sat up and stretched, still feeling tired since it was early and the last two days had been exhausting.

“I feel as well as possible given the situation.”

“You seemed to be pretty... off last night.”

“I don’t...” he cleared his throat uncomfortably, “I don’t remember coming here.” He looked down at his feet, appalled to find them bare when he realized there was no sign of his shoes in sight. “I didn’t mean to intrude after you made your wishes clear yesterday.” He frowned. Was it yesterday?

“I didn’t say that we couldn’t talk or hang out,” she said and got up to move around the bed because she hated to talk to him when she couldn’t see his face.

“I find it difficult to be around you without...” he gritted his teeth together, “wanting more.”

“That’s not just you.”

“This is very confusing for me, Liz,” he admitted as he turned his head to look out the window.

She sighed and grabbed her dressing gown to wrap it around her. “I was told before that I don’t make a lot of sense sometimes.”

“I understand that our being together is dangerous but when I’m with you I feel...” he shook his head. “It’s a foolish notion.” He shoved himself to his feet and grimaced when he looked down at his bare feet again.

“It’s not,” she assured him.

“It’s not foolish that I feel alive when I’m with you? That you allow me to express the human side of my nature and it’s the only time I don’t feel as though I’m being swallowed whole by everyone’s expectations?”

“It’s not foolish,” she assured him again with a firm voice. “Creating you as half-human and half-alien, then sending you to Earth to live with humans for most of your life, and then making you return to Antar only to make you forget all about your life, and expecting you to be THE Antarian leader... that can be considered as foolish.”

“I won’t ask you to reconsider your decision,” he said with a shake of his head. “Becoming involved with me, with my existence, it is dangerous and you’ve faced enough of that. You didn’t come to Antar to put yourself right back in a precarious position.”

Liz bit her lip. No, she had come here for a better life, a safer life in the end, but how safe was it really with or without the King? Parts of the conversation with Maria the other day came to mind. How much was it worth to live a life without the important emotions in it?

He glanced at her and saw the indecision on her face. He was only making this harder on her and that had never been his intention. “I should not have come to you last night. I don’t recall getting up or coming here but I will be careful to refrain from repeating that mistake.”

“No,” she shook her head and placed one hand on his chest to keep him from leaving. “Don’t apologize.”

“I have no wish to make your life here difficult.”

Liz snickered quietly. “Too late I think.”

He looked at her uncomprehendingly. “Do you wish to be transferred to another location? Perhaps you would prefer to work for the Commander?”

“Do you want that?” she countered. “Would it be easier for you?”
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Fics: A Xmas Story - A Merry Mt. R. Xmas - Cupid's Revenge - Double Trouble - Double Date - Double Dare - Double Empire - Double Xmas Wish - In The Course Of A Lifetime - Mountains So High - Not A Question At All - Surrender - TIC TAC - Two Double Dates at Xmas
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Double Trouble
Obsessed Roswellian
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Joined: Tue Dec 16, 2008 9:47 am

Part 62

Post by Double Trouble »

keepsmiling7: Thanks!

Max is inexplicably drawn to Liz, even when he’s fighting it his subconscious does its best to remind him.

They’ll discuss the possible transfer in today’s part.

Natalie36: We’ll check in on that today.

sarammlover: Oh, no, she’s not regressing. It’s more a matter of realizing that maybe she feels more for him than she expected and realizing how dangerous their liason is for him if they should ever be discovered. We’ll catch up with both couples again today. Isabel witnessing that moment was very important.

Earth2Mama: Yep, there’s just no way around it.

Lol, little people do have a tendency to interrupt things.

LovelyPOM83: Lol, they’re not likely to get there right away.

Roswelllostcause: Thanks! Max is drawn to Liz and he may not understand it but he has accepted it.

Ms_BuffyAnneSummers: Thanks, and welcome to our little corner of the fanfic world! The plan has been put in motion but we’ll have to wait and see if things follow the intended path.

begonia9508: Lol, yeah, Max is a little confused. He has a lot of responsibility on his shoulders and it must be difficult trying to balance the two sides of his personality.

Liz is scared of what could happen to Max if they continue to pursue a relationship. And you’re right, she’s definitely the alien on Antar.



Part 62

He shook his head. “No, it is not what I want. But if it will make it easier for you I want you to tell me.”

“I’m okay with where I am.” Maybe it would be right to put more space between them, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it.

He nodded, relieved that she had declined his offer to have her transferred. “I...” he stopped himself before he could ask about her plans for the day. Instead he glanced outside again. “Is Nisha preparing the morning meal?”

“She better be,” Liz managed to smile.

“Have you noticed anything odd between my sister and Alex?” he asked curiously.

“You mean odder than they normally are?”

“You think their interactions are odd?”

“Well, they do have a weird chemistry, don’t you think?”

“Weird chemistry?” he echoed. “I do not understand.”

“You’d think they hate each other, but I doubt it.”

“You think they are...” he motioned between them wordlessly.

“Could be,” she shrugged. “I don’t know and I’m scared your sister’s gonna kill me if I say it out loud.” She shuddered.

“Isabel,” he chuckled, “is far from harmless, but she’s not as threatening as she appears. If you were an enemy that would be a different story, but she only behaves this way around the castle because she is unhappy.”

“Unhappy alright,” Liz snorted, but it actually made sense.

“She’s not a bad person, she’s just difficult.” He rolled his shoulders. “I should leave so that you can prepare for the day.”

“Alright,” she sighed.

He turned to face her and he reached out to tip her chin up. “I wish our circumstances were different,” he sighed. “I’ve only just found you and I have no desire to lose you.”

“What would you do if we kept this up and then you had to marry the Princess?”

He stared at her for several long minutes before he shook his head. “I don’t know. I understand that there are expectations of me and that my life is not my own, but...” He sighed and let his hand fall away. “I know this cannot be, but it does not stop me from wanting it.”

“What about the Princess? She gonna leave the Captain once you guys are married?”

“The...” he frowned. “What do you know of the Princess and the Captain?” He had begun to suspect that they were involved as more than military officers, but it was none of his business and frankly, he didn’t really care what they did on their own time.

“Nothing,” she shrugged. “But it’s obvious that they have something going on.”

“I do not know what they will do if the marriage pact cannot be dissolved. The Princess and I have no interest in each other and if we are forced to marry we will not share the intimacies of the marriage bed.”

“If this wasn’t reality I would be sure I was reading a good book,” she snorted. Books were full of love stories like this, but she had never imagined she would be in the middle of one.

“You believe this would make a good story?”

“Yeah, if there was a chance for a happy ending.”

“We could leave Antar,” he said, only half joking.

“And go where?” she smirked.

“I know it’s not a rational suggestion.” He rubbed his eyes and straightened up. “I should go now. I find that I have an appetite this morning and it will provide me with an opportunity to speak with my sister. Perhaps you could make those,” what were they called? “You made them recently. They were round,” he demonstrated the shape with his hands.

“I guess you mean pancakes,” she shook her head, amused. It still astonished her how anyone could’ve lived so many years on Earth and not remember them. “Fluffy, round and sweet. With a dash of spicy for you of course.”

He nodded.

“Sure, they’re easy to make.”

Max looked at her helplessly for a moment and then turned to leave through the secret doorway. Barefoot, he thought, disgusted.

“Hey Max,” she called before the door could close behind him. It took a certain amount of strength to not go after him and kiss him, but how much sense would she really make if she did that after putting the brakes on earlier?

“Yes, Liz?” He stopped and looked over his shoulder.

She bit her bottom lip and glanced out the window for a moment before she spoke. “I know you said it’s hard for you to be around me without anything happening and… I just want you to know it’s no easier for me. But you can always come to me if you need someone to talk or just to hang out for a while. I meant it when I said we could be friends.”

Her words were comforting and hurt at the same time. “Thank you.”

The door closed loudly behind him and it felt like the temperature in the room dropped a few degrees with his departure. Liz went to stand next to the window with her arms wrapped around herself. Friends, she thought, I must be masochistically hardwired.

*****

Kyle rested his chin in his hand, a smile on his handsome face as he watched his lover. She was sprawled across the bed in all of her naked glory, long golden tresses splayed over her shoulders. She slept on her stomach, arms wrapped around her pillow, and her face turned to him. It was a rare thing for her to sleep so peacefully and he took great pride in being responsible for her rested features. They had another long day ahead of them and after the morning meal it would be a while before they had the opportunity to see each other again out of uniform. There were a lot of things to be done in the Commander’s absence and it was going to be serious work keeping up the charade.

He leaned over her to pluck a feather from the flower arrangement on the side table and he waited until he’d settled back into his former position before dragging the end through his fingertips. He shifted to lightly run the tip of the feather over the bridge of her nose and he bit back a laugh when she scrunched her nose up. He waited a moment before repeating the move and this time it earned him an annoyed look from her still sleeping features.

He gave it a moment and then dragged it down over her shoulder and along her upper arm. Then he retraced his path, going in the opposite direction and teasing the skin of her back as he danced the feather down along her spine. A quiet growl accompanied her sudden movement and he grinned when that got the desired reaction as she rolled over and squirmed around in an effort to rid herself of the itchy feeling and the covers fell away.

“Good mornin’, beautiful,” he growled as he put the feather to work again, teasing the valley between her breasts before tracing ever so lightly around her nipples. Um-hmm, parts of her were definitely waking up, he mused as they hardened to stiff peaks. He couldn’t resist leaning in and taking one in his mouth, sucking on it until he felt her squirm for a completely different reason.

“Kyle,” she warned, her voice husky with arousal and sleep, “what’d I tell you about that feather thing you like to do while I’m sleepin’?”

“I don’t think you’ve ever had a reason to complain about it.” He rested his head back in his hand, arm bent and braced on the mattress beneath them, and watched as the southern movement of the feather spread gooseflesh over her body.

“What time is it?” she muttered, refusing to open her eyes and instead enjoying her lover’s teasing.

“Still early. We’ve got about half an hour before they send someone to wake us.”

“Wake me,” she corrected him and groaned when the feather went gently over her lower mound. “No one expects you to be sharing my bed, Captain.”

“No one but your brother.” Although he had the feeling the King had his suspicions too. “And technically you can call me Commander right now,” he teased and let go of the feather to roll on top of her. “Which means I outrank you in more than one way right now.”

The movement caught her by surprise and her complaint turned into a moan when he pinned her hands over her head and pressed his lower body against hers with the right amount of pressure to graze her clit. “You wish.”

He chuckled and laid a hot kiss on her. “Be a good girl and comply with my orders, Corporal.” His lips moved over hers while he talked. “Spread your legs.”

“I think this sudden rise to power has gone straight to your head.”

He nudged her with his lower body again. “There’s been a definite rise and you’re right about the direction too.” His breath was hot against her ear. “And you’re disobeying a direct order from your commanding officer.”

She shivered. “Is that so?” She shifted one leg and felt him slide even closer.

“Still not obeying that order,” he growled as he lowered his head to suck on her neck. “Spread ‘em, Corporal.”

“And the punishment for impersonating an officer, Captain?”

He raised himself up and braced his weight on his hands to look down at her. “I can guarantee it’s not nearly as pleasurable as the reward for obeying my order.”

“Why didn’t you say so, Commander?” she whispered as she gave in and spread her legs wide to accommodate him.

“Always with the stubborn streak, huh?” he mumbled, amused. His lips changed their path shortly before they could meet hers and moved to nip and suck on the sensitive skin of her neck while his hips lowered and he slipped into her wet entrance with one long stroke.

“Kyle,” she groaned, her body rearing up from the mattress to press against him.

His name on her lips was the best soundtrack in the world, he thought. “Say it again,” he ordered, stopping his movements until she did.

Tess bit her lip with a mixture of arousal and amusement. “Kyle,” she whispered. “Don’t stop now.”

“Stop?” He slipped back into her deeply. “Nowhere near stoppin’, babe.”

With the hand that wasn’t tangled in her hair, he went along her side until he reached her ass and squeezed the firm flesh tightly, supporting her moves against him to get in even deeper.

“Let me on top,” she panted and tried to move, but the heavy weight of his body was crushing her to the bed.

“No chance,” he grunted.

“You couldn’t be more wrong.” Her lips turned up in a smirk and she let her powers build just enough to roll them over.

“That’s cheating.” His hands settled on her hips and his fingers gripped her ass as he held her still. “And we’re runnin’ outta time.” He nodded and rolled them again when he felt the subtle shift as her powers backed off. “That’s what I’m talkin’ about,” he growled and took her mouth in a hard kiss as his hips began to move again.

*****

Michael stood in the observation room, viewing the surgical proceedings as Miren’s wounds were cared for. He crossed his arms over his chest, watching as Dr. Collon worked to repair a broken bone in the soldier’s upper left arm. His eyes narrowed as the device the Advisor had recommended was implanted and he waited impatiently for the good doctor to be finished so it could be activated.

He knew Max was struggling with the ethics of using the device but he had no such qualms or reservations. If it provided them with useful information and aided in exposing other traitors or maybe even learning what Khivar’s next move was, then he was perfectly fine taking this course of action. He turned his head when the door behind him opened and he nodded when Max stepped inside.

“Has Dr. Collon completed his task?”

“He’s nearly finished.” Michael shrugged. “Miren will heal quickly enough but I doubt he’ll wait until then to make contact with Rath or Khivar.”

“What would make a man of his character suddenly switch his loyalties?” He couldn’t understand it. Miren had always been a good soldier; he had sworn his loyalty to the throne and he had been an honorable man.

“The promise of wealth or power.” He braced his left hand on the wall and leaned in closer to the glass. “One or both can be a powerful lure.” It troubled him as well that Miren had changed sides and had managed to so easily fool all of them.

“Do you think we offer our soldiers too little?” Max leaned against the wall next to the window, trying to make sense of it.

Michael frowned. “No. They have a bed, enough food and medical care. What else could they need?”

“Something that Khivar offers them? There must be a reason why they want wealth or power.”

“Listen,” the Commander shook his head. It was typical for the King to think like this – always trying to see the good in people. “Antarians might be different from the human race, but we have common streaks as well. Greed and the desire for power are commonalities. Some of us have it and some of us don’t. Miren’s obviously turned out to be a man loyal to those who can offer him the most. We both know he’ll never get it in the end from a man like Khivar and we also know how our enemy treats his soldiers. There can be no comparison.”

Max nodded wordlessly. He knew the Commander was right, it just didn’t make sense to him that someone could change sides because of something as superficial as power. He didn’t want the power he had.

“We have to find out if there are more traitors like Miren. That’s what we need to concentrate on rather than questioning why. I need to talk to the Captain about it because we can’t trust anyone.”

“Do you think we should do something equal? Try to recruit some of Khivar’s men to our side?” the King wondered aloud, but he didn’t like the thought.

Michael smirked. “No, we have something better.”

“And what is that?”

“Ava,” the Commander answered simply. “She came to us, so her motives are different. You never know with a person you suborn.” His gaze shifted to the room with Collon and Miren again, realizing that the doctor was done with the surgery.

“You do trust her, don’t you?”

He didn’t answer immediately. Was trust the right word? Or was it more a risk he was willing to take? “I do believe she truly wants to destroy Khivar as well as Rath and Vilondra. Was your sister able to visit her yet?”

“Not that I’m aware of. She took her morning meal in her quarters and she left word with the sentries that she was not to be disturbed.” He smirked slightly. “Perhaps she’s mourning your death.”

“Plotting my death would be a more believable suggestion,” the Commander stated dryly.

Max shrugged. At one time that wouldn’t have been so far out of the realm of possibility, he thought. But he had a feeling they were past that now. Recent developments had altered their perceptions of each other and that was true for all of them.

“We’ll need to meet to discuss her making contact with Ava.”

“Yes… perhaps we should phrase that a little differently.”

Michael turned his head to look at him. “Why?”

“Well, because it comes across as an order and if there’s one thing she does not respond well to, it’s orders.”

“The Princess can respond however she likes. She has a responsibility to make contact with Ava and to report the situation immediately.”

The King cleared his throat. “Yes, but perhaps rather than having a meeting with her I can just stop and speak with her.”

His eyes narrowed. “I’m fully capable of dealing with your sister, Max.”

“And I’m aware of that. I just think the two of you would argue and right now that’s one thing we do not need.”

The Commander expressed his pissed off mood about being told what to do with a long exhale that caused his nostrils to flare. “Fine.”

“If the two of you were to get into an argument it would be difficult to hide the fact that you’re alive.”

“I will go through Miren’s reports in my quarters. There have to be some differences – even diminutive – between what he reported and what his men said.”

Max nodded. “I will speak with Isabel to determine if she has found time to visit Ava and suggest a time to meet.”

“Meet me afterwards.” It wasn’t a request. He hated to be left out of the action because of his status as a dead man.

He simply nodded again. He could only imagine how difficult it was for Michael to be left in this position regardless of the necessity for the subterfuge. “Once I’ve spoken with her I will... Where should we meet? I’ve rarely come to your quarters in the past. Perhaps the war room?”

“My quarters,” the Commander insisted. He was sick of dodging everyone all the time and having to be careful not to be seen. “That way we don’t have to send anyone to figure out a time. Just come when you have the necessary information.”

“You do not think it would seem... odd for me to enter your quarters in the wake of your death?”

“There are no sentries at my door since I’m not here anymore. It shouldn’t be doubted by those at the doors further out that the King would come to that side of the castle.

“Very well then. I shall see you once I have spoken with my sister.”

Michael nodded and glanced once more into the room where Dr. Collon was cleaning the items he had used. “I will speak with Collon before I make my escape.”

The King watched the Commander make his escape, making his reappearance in the next room where the doctor was working. After a few moments he decided his presence was unnecessary so he slipped out of the medical area and made his way back to his side of the castle. He had offered to speak with his sister and considering her orders to the sentries she was probably not in a receptive mood. He sighed. There was nothing new about that.

*****

Maria heard the wall in the bedroom shake and after a second of panic she relaxed again, knowing it would only be the return of the owner of the quarters. Her eyes went over the page of the book she had just read and she wondered what it had been about because the story was so boring that she couldn’t even find the energy to really get into the storyline.

In fact, she was bored. Sitting around all day and doing nothing was really not her style, but with the newest events no one was really allowed to wander around – especially not outside – and the daycare had been put on hold after the latest attacks so that the children would be with their mothers if another dangerous situation arose.

She glanced up when the Commander walked into the room, his strides long and determined until he reached his desk, which was loaded with a hug stack of reports. He pulled the chair out loudly and sat on it, grabbing the file on top of the stack, only to smack it against the surface in frustration after a minute.

“Something wrong?” she asked quietly.

He whirled around as if surprised that someone had spoken to him and his pissed off eyes softened just a bit when they settled on her. “I need to read through these reports.”

Maria frowned at his less than specific answer. “You want me to leave you alone for that?”

“I wish to not be invisible,” he snarled and jerked the folder open.

“I can see you pretty good,” she rolled her eyes and shut her book loudly.

Michael lifted his head to look at her. “I have a job to do, responsibilities to attend to, and I have been relegated to being a prisoner in my own home!”

“Your job’s just changed its requirements for a while.”

“For a while?” He slammed his fist on the table, paying no mind to the stack that tipped and was now dangerously close to creating an avalanche that would only irritate him further. “Maria, I am not a man given to sitting around while the fight goes on around me!”

“At the moment no one’s fighting.”

“That is not the point!”

“Oh well, since we’re on the subject. I’m bored out of my mind as well!”

His right eyebrow lifted when she raised her voice to him. “What is it you wish to do?”

“I don’t know, just something. Anything.” She raised both of her hands in the air to underline her frustration.

He smirked slightly and dropped his gaze back to the report. He could think of a thing or two that would ease the boredom but they weren’t there yet.

She sighed and leaned back in the huge, comfortable armchair she was sitting in. “I’m just as unable to do anything as you. Even more probably. Is there something I can do? Help you with the reports maybe?”

That caught his attention. “You would want to do that?”

“Sure, anything that keeps me occupied for a while.”

He scanned the reports for a moment before he nodded and picked up Miren’s report from the last encounter with the enemy. “I’m looking for anomalies between the Lieutenant’s report and those of his men.”

“Oh,” she stood and walked over to stand next to him, one hand on his broad shoulder. “Detective work, I like it.”

“Detective work?” he asked as he tipped his head back to look up at her.

“Yeah, comparing two different statements.”

“Oh.” He nodded. “Yes, it would appear Miren’s loyalties have shifted.”

“A traitor?” She made a face and took one of the files to get an idea how they were organized.

“He sacrificed his entire unit to Khivar’s soldiers. He signaled the enemy and then led his men into an ambush. He was the only survivor on our side.”

“What a prick,” she cursed.

He scratched his head and frowned. “What is a prick?” he asked, unfamiliar with the word.

“An asshole.”

“Ah, I understand.” He had heard Kyle use that one often enough.

“So, what can I do?” she asked, taking a seat on his leg.
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Fics: A Xmas Story - A Merry Mt. R. Xmas - Cupid's Revenge - Double Trouble - Double Date - Double Dare - Double Empire - Double Xmas Wish - In The Course Of A Lifetime - Mountains So High - Not A Question At All - Surrender - TIC TAC - Two Double Dates at Xmas
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Double Trouble
Obsessed Roswellian
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Part 63

Post by Double Trouble »

Eva: Lol, you’re not the only one thinking that!

begonia9508: Max does have many obligations to the throne and to his people and Liz is facing the fact that pursuing him could be dangerous for him.

Betrayal is a fact and it’s something they’re going to have to deal with.

keepsmiling7: It may get more complicated before they figure everything out.

Natalie36: They’re working hard to find a solution.

Earth2Mama: Yep, her actions with him are often unconscious.

If the others ever get the opportunity to really see them interact as a couple it could be very telling.

Alien_Friend: Oh, we’re following the characters so we have to wait and see what they’re gonna do. They do need each other, that much is undeniable.

Isabel witnessing that moment was important.

Right now revenge is the only thing driving Ava to even bother breathing.

Detectives, huh? Well, you just never know, lol.

Liz has realized just how much is at risk if she and Max pursue a relationship. His life could be put in jeopardy if it was ever discovered.

Max and Michael have made great progress since the beginning and they’re getting stronger.

Ms_BuffyAnneSummers: Thanks for reading! Nah, you only have to wonder for six days.

Roswelllostcause: Thanks for reading!



Part 63

Michael’s arm came around her and he tapped the folder she had opened and placed on the desk. “There have to be discrepancies between the reports; things that seem so innocuous as to be attributed to moments where the soldiers’ viewpoints were slightly different due to battle situations.”

“We should make a chart then to be able to compare better.”

He frowned. He understood battle strategy. He understood the intricacies that went into planning and setting up the field of battle, but paperwork was so tedious that he wasn’t quite as knowledgeable. “Make a chart?”

“I assume every man has to kinda answer the same questions about the battle, right?”

“Yes, there is a general format that is used to cover as many areas as possible.”

“Cool. All we need then is a large sheet of paper and some pens, preferably different colors.”

He looked around and finally opened up one of the drawers, pulling out paper and a handful of pens that were all black. He had little use for pens of different colors, but that was what she wanted so he laid them out on the desk and waved his hand over them, giving her plenty of choices.

“I’m gonna look at a few first, alright? To get an idea of how they’re done and think about a good way to compare them.”

“Very well. Do you want anything while you’re working on that?”

“If you mean food, than the answer is no,” she rolled her eyes. The guy was going to feed her to death!

“Perhaps a drink?”

“No, I’m good.” She turned her head to look at him with a smirk.

He didn’t quite understand her expression. Was she amused with him? “What?”

“Nothin’.”

“I don’t believe you.” He shook his head when she went back to perusing the reports without giving him a real answer. “What can I do?”

She leaned in and sniffed without taking her eyes from the file. “Take a shower, Commander.”

That was not the answer he was expecting. He frowned at her. “Excuse me?”

“You could take a shower and relax your muscles while I have a look at them and then we can go over them together.”

He’d rather them take a shower together but he knew that would be asking too much at this point. He shifted when his body reacted to that thought and he nodded. “Perhaps that’s a good idea.”

Maria noticed how his body went stiff for a moment and she glanced down along his frame, wondering if it had anything to do with her.

“You needn’t wonder,” he murmured against her ear as he picked her up and stood so he could place her back in the chair.

“Are you mind reading now?”

He shrugged. “Must be the connection.” His hand gripped the back of the chair. “Does it make you uncomfortable that I react to you physically?”

She looked up at him and shook her head. “No.”

“But you’re not ready for things to...” he rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably, “advance in that area?” He could just imagine her rolling her eyes at his stilted question. It wasn’t something he ever talked about. With other women it just happened; there was no discussion, no intent beyond sating his needs and then dismissing them. With her though, it was a completely new situation and he found himself wanting to handle it in the correct manner.

Maria swallowed and when her neck started to hurt, she stood to look at him. “I can’t tell you where my boundaries would be.”

“I would never force you to engage in more than you were comfortable with,” he assured her.

“I don’t doubt that,” she assured him. “This connection’s swallowing a lot of the… discomfort from my past and I think it helps me to let things happen that I normally wouldn’t be comfortable with so soon. That’s why it’s so hard to say how… far we could go before I’d begin to feel uncomfortable. I just don’t know.”

He glanced down at her and it registered just how small and vulnerable she was next to him, though she had a strong personality and that wasn’t because of the connection. There was no doubt she was a strong woman, always had been.

When her hand touched his chest lightly right above his heart and her fingers flexed against the tee shirt from Earth that covered skin, his eyes followed her movement. “We don’t have to do anything. We’ll continue to try to figure the connection out.”

“Yeah…” she agreed halfheartedly and lifted her eyes to his. “Or we could just test where my boundaries are.”

Michael swallowed at her words, wondering if she had meant what he thought she had meant. The Earth pants he wore were suddenly getting tighter and he wished he was wearing his uniform right now because it would block the sight of his arousal a lot better.

“I have to ask you something,” she breathed, her eyes focused on his face and not the tense body beneath her fingers.

“Ask,” he agreed gruffly.

“Have you been with other women lately?” On Antar or Earth, Commander or not, she wasn’t going to tolerate sharing.

He stared at her for a moment, shocked to realize that he hadn’t. “No,” he said finally, “there’s been no one since the day I found you.” He had a war to fight, an enemy to extinguish, and in the past he’d always found time to satiate his own needs, but since finding her when he wasn’t otherwise occupied with the war and all of its complications, he was usually with her.

“No?” she repeated softly. She couldn’t say she wasn’t surprised because she was. And she also couldn’t say she wasn’t pleased with his admission because she was. “Why not? Surely there have been opportunities.”

Michael watched her as she studied his features, wondering what it was she wanted him to say. Was there some phrase that she was waiting for? Some declaration he was supposed to make now? “There are always opportunities for a man of my position.” That was NOT what she had been waiting to hear, he thought when he caught the look of disgust in her eyes. “I will never lie to you, Maria. The truth is that there are always women available to me. Is it not the same for warriors on Earth?”

“I really wouldn’t know,” she said as she turned to look outside. “I was never involved with any important military leaders on Earth.”

He cupped her cheek and brought her gaze back up to him when she looked away. “I have no desire to be with other women.” It was strange, but true. He didn’t know if that was because of the connection or if it had something to do with her.

“And if I’m not ready to…” she blushed slightly, “satisfy your needs anytime soon?” This conversation was embarrassing even though she didn’t have the feeling that he’d be waiting all that long since she couldn’t feel the slightest bit of panic as she thought about it. But was it really right? And what if suddenly the images of Rath came back when they were getting more intimate?

“There’s no rush. It takes as long as it takes.” His words and tone sounded convinced and didn’t leave room for any doubt that it would happen between them eventually.

Her lips turned up in a hint of a smile. “For a man who’s normally the personification of impatience, you do seem to have a lot of patience with me.”

Michael mimicked her smile and dipped his head lower to whisper in her ear. “It appears there’s something about you.”

Was he… flirting? she wondered when his words held a hint of amusement and also desire. He normally didn’t behave so human, but she liked that little change. “And what is that?” she asked and let her hands travel over his strong chest, while his face was still so close she could feel the heat of his cheek on hers.

“I don’t know,” he mumbled, distracted by her closeness and the fact that she was touching him.

Of course not. She rolled her eyes slightly, unaware that he had caught the motion.

“Whatever it is, I doubt any other woman has it,” he backpedaled.

“Um-hmm, nice try.” She wasn’t surprised that he didn’t know what it was. Half-Antarian aside, he was all man, and it was normal for them to lack verbal skills and emotional expression, especially when they were thinking with their lower brains. “Maybe…” she toyed with the sleeve of his shirt, biting her bottom lip as she looked up at him through her eyelashes, “maybe we could not try to analyze this and just see where it goes,” she said finally.

It took absolutely no effort for her to persuade him to forget about thinking and just follow his instincts. “Perhaps we could get more comfortable,” he rumbled. He knew he still needed to be aware of her boundaries, but he also knew how easy it was to get caught up and overlook a signal. He took her small hand in his as he met her gaze, his dark eyes serious. “When you’re ready to stop, tell me. Whatever the boundaries are, know that I will respect them.”

Maria glanced at the desk when one of the files on it shifted and slipped to the ground and then stared back at him. “Do you know the saying ‘Business before Pleasure’?” Oh she really wanted to get more comfortable – right now – but she also knew that he took his job seriously and having a traitor around was extremely serious for all of them.

The Commander had followed her gaze and although he’d never heard the phrase before, he knew exactly what she meant and it disappointed him as much as it made him love her more for putting everything else aside to support his job. Love? He suddenly frowned at his thoughts and shook it off. He leaned his head down and brushed his lips against hers as he spoke. “You’re telling me I’ve got more important things to do than kissing you?”

Oh, he was definitely flirting! And seducing! She smiled softly against him and took his mouth in a short, but heated kiss, startling him with her offensive. “I hate to say it, but yes, right now there might be something that needs your attention even more than me.”

Her words were spoken soft and teasingly, a combination that made his royal blood rush south without his permission. “So you’re denying the companionship of the Commander?”

“No such thing,” she leaned back enough to look at him. “I do enjoy your company. I’m just saying we should get the work on the files done first. The day is still young and I suppose you don’t have anywhere to go tonight, do you?”

“Nothing I’m aware of yet,” he agreed, but knew that could change in an instant.

Maria nodded and slowly withdrew her hands from him. “Get that shower and then we’re gonna play detective.”

It sounded like an order, but he began to understand that she didn’t mean it the same way he did when he gave an order to his men. “I see now why the connection chose you,” he shook his head.

****

Alex was just sitting down to his evening meal after checking to make sure it was still at least semi-warm when a heavy knock sounded on his door. He frowned as he checked the waning sunlight in an attempt to judge the time. There was no reason for him to be summoned at this time, he was certain of that. Max wasn’t so heavy-handed when he announced his presence and more often than not he contacted him using video.

The demanding knock sounded again and he forced himself to his feet. His steps were slow, the tiredness he felt showing through. He pulled the door open when he finally reached it and he sighed when he saw the large sentry standing there. “Yes?”

“Present your quarters for inspection,” the sentry snapped out.

“Present my quarters for inspection,” he repeated in disbelief with a shake of his head. “May I ask why?”

“The Princess of Antar wishes to speak with you privately and as she has ordered me to remain outside your quarters it is my duty to ensure they are free of any threat prior to her entry.”

The sentry stared at him unblinkingly and Alex took a step back, using a sweeping motion to wave the man inside. As the large man moved past him his gaze landed on Isabel where she stood several feet away, flanked by her personal guards. He scratched his chin and leaned against the doorframe when she maintained her rigid posture and that unnerving stare.

Okay, so this was the way they were gonna play it, he thought with just the slightest bit of amusement. Somehow he’d mistakenly thought that if she came to his quarters it would be much more subtle, like, she wouldn’t tell anyone. It would certainly ruin the mood if some sound from inside his quarters suggested the Princess was in danger and her guards busted down his door only to find them in a compromising position.

His eyes shifted to the Antarian man searching his room and his hands clenched at his sides when he pawed through his personal stuff, even moving the few pictures he had left of Earth and his family left and right to see if there was any threat there.

“There’s no threat in my laundry,” he muttered to himself when the sentry went through it as well.

A few minutes passed before the inspection was finally finished and the large man stepped outside without bothering to look at him. “The room is clear, Princess.”

Isabel nodded and detached from her guards to walk into the room, letting Alex close the door behind her. “Did I interrupt your meal?”

“Do you care?” he growled.

She turned around to meet his angry gaze, but there was also something else there, she mused. Lust! It was lust! He thought she was here because of their encounter the other day. The thought both amused and angered her. “Not at all, but feel free to eat.” She walked over to the little table where the food sat and had a look at it. It smelled okay, but it was pretty cold.

“Thank you,” he bit out and jerked his chair out to have a seat. “So nice to have your permission.”

His response further amused her and helped to ease her thoughts. She watched him take a bite of the food, chewing it with a look of disgust on his face. “The food is not to your liking?”

“No, the food is cold.”

She nodded after a moment and leaned over the table, her hand hovering above the plate for a few seconds. “And now it’s hot.”

He motioned to the only other chair at the table. “What’re you doing here?”

Rather than take the seat he had offered she began to pace. “You mean, why am I here when I have no intention of allowing you to bed me?”

He shrugged, not in the mood for games tonight. “Not tonight perhaps. You can explain your presence or you can leave.”

She snorted. “You are in no position to decide when I will leave. You may own the quarters but we own the palace.”

So she wanted to play, he thought with some irritation. What was new? “Do you really think I won’t put you out of my quarters?”

“I would like to know how you plan to do it.”

He leaned back in his chair and his tired gaze moved over her slowly. He got to his feet and moved over to her, grabbing her hands and jerking her towards him. The moment of surprise was enough for him to sweep her up off of her feet and he stalked over to the door. “Go ahead,” he dared her, “call for your guards.”

She could feel the heat in her rising when her body was pressed against his, but she played it cool. “I don’t need my guards to defend myself against a human.”

“And if I were to take you to my bed?” As tired as he was just the thought was enough to trigger a response from his body.

“I don’t need my guards there either,” she countered.

“It’s not why you came here though.”

“That’s right.”

He carefully put her back on her own two feet and braced his hand on the door behind her. “Then why?”

Yes, why? she asked herself. There was no reason why she should have come here, but there was one why she had wanted to come. Of course, he would never know about it. “There is something I need to talk to you about. Ava.”

“Ava?” He frowned and backed away, going back to his small table and sitting down. “Have you made contact with her?”

“Yes, but she wasn’t aware of it.”

He scratched his jaw and leaned back in his chair. “Did she do something to make you think we may have made a mistake trusting her?”

Isabel walked over to sit across from him. “No, no, I don’t think so.”

“But it was something that caused you concern,” he guessed.

“It did, yes.” Isabel reached over the table to straighten the napkin next to his plate. “Rath approached her.”

He lifted an eyebrow at her fussing but didn’t comment on it. “That’s to be expected.”

“Sure it is, but not the way I saw it, Alex. It had nothing to do with talking to her or getting answers from her. It was all about intimidating her and breaking her.”

“Maybe he doesn’t believe she killed the Commander.”

“He has doubts,” she agreed. “But that’s not all. He wants her dead.”

“She admitted as much while we had her in custody. If Rath and Vilondra killed Zan as she believes then it would make sense they’d want to see her dead as well.”

“He almost raped her.”

His hand clenched into a tight fist. No one deserved that. “She was able to stop him?”

“For now.”

“Did he say anything to her in regard to the Commander’s death?”

“He believes that she somehow fooled Khivar.”

“That’s not good. If he doubts her ability to fool Khivar then it’s only a matter of time before his suspicion that she didn’t kill the Commander becomes suspicion that the Commander isn’t actually dead. And if that should happen it puts the plan in jeopardy and puts her life at risk.”

“Her life is already at risk.”

“Admittedly, that’s true, but if they begin to suspect that she’s switched her loyalties it’ll only be a matter of time.”

“And what do you think we should do?”

“We may not have the full three days if Rath already suspects that Ava’s capable of fooling Khivar. He’ll be looking for a way to prove the Commander isn’t actually dead.”

“How could he prove it?” She frowned.

Alex considered her question seriously. “He must know that he couldn’t get anyone past the castle walls during the three days. He must be expecting to receive word from someone who can verify that information.” He took his glasses off and pinched the bridge of his nose. “We know Miren has now sworn his allegiance to Khivar and he’s always been a trusted soldier, which could potentially put him in a position to know what’s going on.” He sighed and shook his head. “But there’s no reason Miren would have been brought in on this plan so if he’s counting on gathering intelligence from inside the castle we may have more than one spy that’s infiltrated our walls.”

She narrowed her eyes at him, but just because she was thinking hard. “Who could it be?” she muttered to herself, going over the people closest to the Royal Four.

“The number of people who are in a position to know the truth is very limited.”

“One of the guards?” She shook her head. That would make no sense. The men hardly left the castle, how could they stay in contact with Khivar that way?

“I don’t know. It has to be someone capable of making contact. Someone who’s above suspicion.”

“Does anyone come to mind?”

He shook his head. “No, but if Khivar has a spy that deep within our ranks we have more problems than we thought we had.”

Isabel rubbed her temples intensely while she went through the castle, passing each room, each passageway in her head, her inner map coming to an abrupt stop when it had taken a certain direction and she swallowed.

Alex reached across the table to place a hand on her arm when he saw the look on her face. Disbelief, fear, denial, uncertainty, the emotions ran rampant across her face. “Isabel?”

She shook her head. “I’m okay.”

“What’d you see?”

“Nothing,” she said and it wasn’t a lie. She hadn’t ‘seen’ anything, it was just a dark thought. Just a very dark thought.

“If there’s someone you suspect...”

“I can’t think of anyone here in the castle,” she denied.

He nodded, not pushing her, but not fully believing her either. Whatever she had seen, whatever she had thought, it had disturbed her, but she wasn’t ready to say anything. “When will you attempt to make contact with Ava again?”

“Tonight. I talked to my brother earlier. We need more information and quickly.”

“It must be terrifying for her to be in that position. She’s surrounded by people she knows want to see her dead.”

“She’s doing it to avenge Zan’s death.”

“And it must be difficult to maintain a working relationship with the people you know murdered your lover.” He put his glasses back on. “Her connection to him seems to be rather intense.”

“Bet Zander would have been proud about that.”

“Your father?”

“Yes.”

“Why would he... Oh, because Zan also had your father’s blood in his veins.”

“If there wasn’t a second set of us, Zan and Ava would be here right now. Obviously they weren’t as stubborn about connecting as we are.”

Had the Royals not seen the dupes as defective Zan and Ava would be ruling the kingdom. “The strange thing is that it couldn’t have been a forced connection. Her grief over his loss runs deep.”

“But they said her genes were defective.”

“Yeah,” he said slowly. “That’s interesting, don’t you think?”

“What sense does it make?”

“Oh, I don’t know that it makes sense, but it’s interesting. If Zan and Ava shared a true connection then one of them must’ve had the gene. The original hybrids were deemed unworthy because neither of the females carried the gene, but what if they overlooked the fact that it was the males who carried it?” He slapped his palm down against the table. “What if creating a hybrid capable of such power requires both parents to have that gene? If Rath carries the gene it would explain why they have such an interest in Maria!”

Isabel stood from her seat. “We need to find out if this is true. Michael could have the gene.”

“If he and Maria both carry the gene then the possibility that they would create a powerful offspring would no longer be just a theory.”

“I need to talk to them and my brother.”

“If you’d like me to accompany you...”

“Sure, if you’re not too tired. The past few days have been long.”

“Our conversation has been exciting enough to wake me up,” he said with a smile. Oh, he was still tired, but this new information would keep him from sleeping anyway.

She smiled a true smile. “If we can prove our theory then this can finally be the end of the marriage plan, Alex.”

“That’s true,” he mused. “We could’ve just found the answer and it’s been right in front of us all along.” It still didn’t provide an answer as to who the potential traitor could be, but this was a big discovery.

“Max doesn’t carry the gene because they never thought about the possibility of the man carrying it too. My brother and Rath probably just carry it by accident because of their human donor. A powerful offspring from Max and Tess isn’t possible this way – end of marriage deal.” She couldn’t believe their sudden conclusion and felt strange... almost happy.

“And by overlooking that possibility they’ve led us to this point. A point that puts Maria in even greater danger.”

“That’s true.” She paused at the door. “Something else isn’t logical.”

He looked at her. “What’s that?”

“If Michael carries the gene... and Tess... why didn’t they ever connect in a true way? He never had a choice with Maria.”

“We’ve come to the conclusion that the connection is somehow sentient. Maybe it can sense if another carrier isn’t suitable, and in this case that’s definitely true.” He shook his head. “Or, what if Tess doesn’t carry the gene at all?”

“They tested Tess, so she has to have it, right? But maybe you’re right about the sentient part.” She frowned. “Anyway, we need to talk to the others about it.”

They had tested Tess, but what if the results had been falsified? His mind was racing with possibilities. What if it was all a ruse to keep up a false hope but in reality there was something darker going on? Something he was almost afraid to consider even in his own head.
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Fics: A Xmas Story - A Merry Mt. R. Xmas - Cupid's Revenge - Double Trouble - Double Date - Double Dare - Double Empire - Double Xmas Wish - In The Course Of A Lifetime - Mountains So High - Not A Question At All - Surrender - TIC TAC - Two Double Dates at Xmas
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Double Trouble
Obsessed Roswellian
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Part 64

Post by Double Trouble »

Natalie36: We’re definitely seeing some forward movement in their theories.

Earth2Mama: They’ll work on getting those answers.

Eva: Lol, like that, did ya?

It looks like not only are they all finding pieces of the puzzle, they’re beginning to fall into place too.

sarammlover: We definitely have more intrugue! And there will be more Alex and Isabel.

LovelyPOM83: Thanks for reading!

begonia9508: Looks like they’ve got some good theories.

Roswelllostcause: Michael definitely has a big soft spot for Maria.

keepsmiling7: Lol, he has his moments.

Alex is good for Isabel, and she’s also good for him.

That theory definitely has potential.



Part 64

Kyle passed the sentries at the section of the castle where King Max’ property ended and Michael’s began, and he was glad when they didn’t try to stop him. After the Commander’s ‘death’, he was in charge of the military and that meant unrestricted access to all files and military belongings on this side of the castle.

He wasn’t looking for any of that though, but he couldn’t tell the men who were unaware of the fact that Michael was still alive.

As soon as he reached the man’s personal quarters he raised his hand and knocked on the door – quietly so no one would get suspicious. He shifted in his uncomfortable uniform, cursing under his breath at the lack of comfort, and waited for what seemed like an eternity. When he was about to repeat the knock a little louder the door was opened slightly, but to his surprise the blonde human appeared in the doorway.

“Captain?” she asked.

“I want to talk…” Kyle’s voice fell when the door was opened wider and Michael came into view as well.

“Come in.”

The Captain quietly walked into the quarters and waited until the door was closed again before his posture relaxed. “This hide-and-seek game is exhausting.”

“For you?” The Commander lifted one eyebrow. “I can’t even open my own door. What’s the reason for your visit?”

“King Max sent me. He’s waiting for you with both Princesses and his Advisor in the war room.”

Michael sighed. These secret meetings, the hiding, the lack of things he could do with his hands and body… it was all going to upset him more and more as time passed. “Did he say what his reasons for the meeting are?”

“It seems they want to talk about the connection.” Kyle’s gaze shifted to Maria, who was standing nearby, briefly.

“I’ll be there,” the Commander agreed. “What time?”

“Immediately.” The Captain walked back towards the door, ready to leave for the meeting. “He sent for Miss Deluca as well.”

Maria’s eyes grew wide. She had never been invited before, why now?

*****

Max was standing at the window that looked down over the fields, hands clasped loosely behind his back. He hadn’t been expecting to find his sister and his Advisor standing on the other side of his door when the sentry had announced he had a visitor. They hadn’t given him much of an explanation, but what little they had said indicated their news was best shared in private. Their expressions had been more than enough to let him know it couldn’t wait so he’d sent for the Captain and dispatched him to the Commander’s quarters.

He turned when he heard the familiar rumbling of the secret doorway opening up and he watched as Michael and Maria emerged from the depths of the darkened passageway. He smiled faintly at the human woman, watching her as her wonder-filled gaze moved over the war room. His eyes paused on his sister and he observed her as she moved around the room, keeping the human in her sights at all times.

Isabel wasn’t the most trusting person, but he knew her well, and he recognized the curiosity in her expression. He could imagine that she was probably trying to figure out what it was about this specific woman that would allow a connection to form with the Commander. She had no interest in the man herself, but to know that he had connected with a human woman and had never once experienced even the smallest bit of interest in her, a woman of Antarian Royalty, was probably causing her a bit of aggravation.

“What is the reason for this meeting?” Michael asked without preamble. His gaze followed Maria as she wandered around, her fingertips ghosting over everything she passed.

Tess frowned at her lover when he came to rest beside her. “You didn’t tell him?” she whispered.

“No, I did tell him, but I’m sure he wants to hear it from the King himself.”

“It is my understanding that my sister and Alex believe they may have some useful information, possibly about the connection, and also regarding the traitor.”

He turned his head to look at the two people in question. “You’ve discovered something more about Miren?”

“No, nothing about Miren, it’s too soon for that,” Isabel spoke. “But we are convinced that there is someone else.”

“Another spy?” Max wondered aloud. It was bad enough to have one of their best men allied with the enemy, but two?

“At least one,” his Advisor agreed. “Possibly more.”

“How did you come to this conclusion?” the Commander asked, his gaze brushing over his woman at the other end of the room again. She was facing the landscape outside, but he could see from her body language that she was following the conversation attentively.

“Last night I visited Ava,” Isabel began and shot an apologetic look at her brother. She knew he had wanted to talk to her about this all day, but she had made up her mind before that talking to Alex before all of the others would be best.

“What did you see?” Michael pressed with a stern face.

“She was assaulted by Rath – in a violent and sexual manner.”

Maria’s head snapped around to look at the Princess, as she repeated the last words in her head over and over. That scumbag had made a move on another woman? Someone who was basically on his own side? Her eyes moved to Michael and she realized that he was watching her as well, taking in her reaction to the news.

“She was able to hold her own, but I’m afraid she won’t be able to protect herself from him for very long.” Isabel paced around the room while she recalled everything she had seen. “He doesn’t trust her and he’s determined to discover the truth.” She stopped to look at the Commander and then her brother. “Rath is so sure of himself, there has to be another spy. Someone who is far more involved in our lives than Miren could ever be. They know too much about us and about the things we’re planning.”

“If there was another spy – someone within the walls of the castle – it would explain the pattern we detected earlier,” Maria suddenly spoke, looking at Michael and surprising everyone. She had no clue if she was even allowed to speak, but they had invited her and normally she gave her two cents when a discussion came up.

“What does she mean?” Max shifted his eyes from the human woman to the Commander, who nodded, the motion hardly noticeable.

“It would explain it,” he muttered and then focused his attention on the King. “We went through reports made by Miren and his men, and while the statements didn’t reveal much in the way of suspicious results, there was something else that caught our attention.”

Kyle almost smirked when the other man used words like ‘we’ and ‘our’ and he wondered if he realized that he was admitting he had gotten help from a human to learn something.

“What was that?” the King asked.

“Wherever Miren’s troops were sent, Khivar’s troops appeared to already be there or followed within half of a day. It could be a chance occurrence two or maybe three times, but we found the same pattern within almost all recent movement of his troops. Miren received his orders shortly before the mission started so there’s no way Khivar could react so quickly within such a short time period.”

“Unless someone who knows about the plans before they’re handed out to the troop leaders shared them with the enemy,” Maria added and walked over to stand next to Michael.

Max took a moment to process the information, walking around the room, his head bent and his gaze focused on the floor in concentration. “All of our war plans are discussed in this room and they don’t leave it until it’s been carried to the military men outside.” He stopped and looked at the few people with him. “If this suspicion is correct then the spy has to be someone who has access to this room.”

Stern stares and looks of confusion went back and forth between all of them. Maria bit her lip while she waited to see if any of them would start to accuse the others, but there was nothing more than silence.

“There are a very limited number of people who have access to the war room,” Michael said after several minutes. “We’ll need to do a thorough investigation into each of them.”

“Agreed,” Max said with a nod.

Maria was watching them, concerned about these newest developments, but also curious about the other thing the Captain had mentioned. She gave a slight nod when Michael caught her eye to let her know he’d handle it.

“What have you uncovered about the connection?”

Alex cleared his throat as he stepped forward. “We’ve been bouncing some ideas around and we’d like permission to take a sample of your blood,” he said as he shot a glance at Tess.

She shifted uncomfortably and frowned at him. “For what purpose?”

“To determine if you truly carry the gene,” Isabel said.

Kyle shook his head as he crossed his arms over his chest. “We already know she won the gene lottery when the four of you were engineered. That’s the whole point of the intended union between her and the King. That’s been a known factor since day one.”

“It’s what we’ve been told.” Isabel glanced at Alex and after a nod from him she continued. “How much of our destiny, how much of what we know of ourselves, is information we’ve obtained firsthand? They’ve been feeding us this information since the beginning and it’s all we’ve known. Alex has speculated that it isn’t the true connection that’ll bring about the creation of a super hybrid; it’s the necessary component of the gene in both parents. We believe Rath has the gene and it’s why Maria was singled out.”

“Wait a minute,” Kyle mused thoughtfully. “The camp you were stationed at,” he looked at Maria, “when did the attack occur?”

She looked between the Captain and the Commander several times before she answered. “I don’t know the exact date, but it happened a few days after I was transferred to that camp.”

He nodded and went to the tablet device lying on the console to his left. While everyone watched him impatiently, he scrolled through several archived files until he found the one regarding Maria Deluca’s transfer to Antar and her career on the planet. It took some time since she had been dispatched to several of their field hospitals, but he finally found the notes he was looking for and then compared them to those he had already saved on the device. “Shit,” he muttered and looked at the rest of them.

“Explain, Captain,” Max made a rolling gesture with his hand.

“The camp where Miss Deluca was kidnapped by the enemy was under Miren’s direct command until five days before the attack. He was transferred at his request.”

“For what reason?” Michael asked.

“Miren stated a wish was to support the troops in the south. They were under heavy attack at the time.”

“Hard to believe that this happened by accident,” Isabel said and looked over the Captain’s shoulder at the device in his hands. “Miren probably planned everything and left beforehand so he wouldn’t be connected to the attack.” She used her finger on the screen to go back several pages until she reached the human woman’s admission papers. “They did several blood tests before she was given her first assignment.”

“That isn’t unusual,” the King said.

“No, it isn’t,” she agreed and looked at Maria. “At any time after your arrival did anyone request a blood example from you?”

“No,” she shook her head and looked up at Michael when things started to get scary. “Just my first day here.”

“The only way someone would’ve found out about the gene is a blood test,” Alex said calmly when everyone else seemed to be boiling with emotions and frustration, “which means the spy has been here a lot longer than a few weeks.”

“And this person has access not only to the war room, but also to everyone’s medical files,” the Commander said and straightened his posture when things began to fall into place more and more. Someone had planned to kidnap Maria right from the start – the thought made him angry and kicked his protective instincts into overdrive.

Alex nodded. “We’d like to have a blood sample from you too, Commander.”

“Why?”

“To see if it’s possible that you or Tess carry the gene. We’re speculating that it’s possible that Zan may have had the gene as well as Rath and they were overlooked simply because the Antarian scientists were looking for the gene in one of the females.” He cleared his throat. “I’m almost positive Zan and Ava shared a true connection. That’s a big part of the reason why we’d like to have blood samples from you and the Princess, to determine if either of you carries the gene.”

“You think there’s a possibility that we both carry the gene?” Tess asked.

“We’re leaning more towards the possibility that only the Commander has the gene,” Alex said with a shake of his head.

She frowned. “I don’t understand. Zander said I have the gene.” She straightened up and took a step in his direction. “Are you accusing him of lying?” She waved around the war room in disbelief. “Are you saying he’s somehow involved in all of this?” Her gaze shot between the King and his sister. “You believe your father’s part of this… this conspiracy?”

“We’re not sure what exactly is going on,” Isabel said, meeting the other woman at the center of the room. “What we do know is that someone who has full access is directly involved and there aren’t a great number of people with that access.”

“She’s right,” Michael agreed and earned a shocked glance from both woman, but he focused his eyes on the King. “I never really trusted Zander. We have to consider him as well as everyone else who has access to this much information. Including the people in this room.”

Max nodded sharply. “Everyone will be scanned.”

Tess’ face softened a notch while she went over everything they had just learned, or at least assumed. “Do you think they killed Zan because of the connection he shared with Ava? Rath and Lonnie could’ve seen them as a potential threat because it would’ve meant they could’ve produced that super hybrid.”

“That’s most likely the reason,” the other Princess nodded in agreement. “It wouldn’t hurt if we all gave a blood sample to check the potential of the gene,” Isabel went on. “But Collon can’t be trusted either right now.”

“I know how to do it,” Maria suddenly interrupted and blushed when every pair of eyes was suddenly on her. “You have that analysis device here; it’s actually pretty simple if we have access to one of them. They’re able to analyze the gene pool of every species with immediate results. I used it a few times while I was at several of the camps.”

“But you’re one of the suspects as well,” Tess pointed out.

“She’s not,” Michael told her strictly and earned a glare from his sister. “She doesn’t have access to the war room.”

“But she’s spent a lot of time in medical care.”

“It’s okay,” Maria placed a hand on his arm when he was about to protest.

“Miss Deluca was right, the device that analyzes the genes are simple to use. We can meet for it and do it together, so everyone will know the results. Everyone in this room.”

“There are others who should be kept in sight,” Isabel looked at her brother meaningfully. “Everyone who knew about certain things associated to the connection the Commander shares with the human.”

“Does Miss Parker know about it?” Alex asked, knowing what the Princess was referring too.

Maria avoided looking at everyone. “She does.”

“But she’s never been here or seen Collon,” Max protested. He didn’t want her to get drawn into this.

“You know, there’s a human saying: Keep you friends close, but your enemies closer. If she knows, she’s just as much a suspect as the rest of us.” The Captain crossed his arms over his chest.

Max drew himself up to his full height and his dark eyes bored into the man addressing him. “I will speak with her about this, but let it be known that I do not believe Liz Parker is a spy for Khivar.”

“It’s a matter of eliminating her from the list of potential suspects,” Alex spoke up. “It’s not about making accusations. I have no reason to believe she’s working for Khivar either, but it’s in our best interest to cover our asses every way possible.”

Kyle snickered quietly when the Advisor’s last few words drew confused looks from the hybrids. He could just imagine them trying to figure out how covering their backsides had anything to do with the situation.

“The first thing we need to do is take the blood samples,” Michael said after shooting an odd look at the Captain. He had no idea what he could find humorous at a time like this. “We’re already all here except for Miss Parker.”

“I will go and speak with her,” Max said.

“You should bring her here. We might as well take a sample from Miss Parker too. If they searched for the gene specifically, then Maria might not be the only one,” Alex suggested before the Commander could because he knew he wouldn’t let anyone drag Maria into this while the other woman was allowed to walk around the castle in peace.

“I agree,” Isabel nodded, looking at her brother seriously.

“Very well,” Max gritted out and walked towards the door with a determined stride.

“I’ll come with you to get the medical device,” the Captain said, not waiting to see if the King would protest. “No one will be suspicious if I ask the doctor to have one for a camp outside the castle.”

As the doors of the war room closed again, Maria shot a worried look at Michael. Things were heating up and right now the only one she could trust simply because of the connection was this man. The tiny hairs on her arms stood up when she noticed the gaze of both Princesses on her.

*****

Liz put every ounce of strength she had into scrubbing a stubborn spot on one of the long counters where the food was prepared. It was pointless because it was a blemish in the surface and not some wayward food particles that had been spilled, but she was frustrated with the situation she had found herself in and she couldn’t see any way out of it. Or at least, she couldn’t see any way out of it that would lead to a satisfying conclusion.

She’d had no expectations of anything beyond gainful employment and something that provided more safety than she had known on Earth when she had accepted the position on Antar. And what happened? You go and fall for the King of all people! She silenced her little voice with an internal slap. I haven’t fallen for him, she argued internally. It was just that he was intriguing and challenging, and he was fun too. Teaching him things that any guy his age would’ve known on Earth and taken for granted was enjoyable.

He was so young to have the weight of an entire planet and its people on his shoulders. But that was true for all of them. People their age shouldn’t be in the middle of a war. They should be doing normal things people in their twenties did when there wasn’t a war going on: going to college, figuring their lives out at a normal pace, going to parties, and discovering what life was all about. But that wasn’t one of the choices they had been given when options were being handed out. No, their choices had been limited to fighting to exist or simply giving up.

She could remember one of the many times her frustration with the situation had gotten the best of her and she’d gone on a rant, rambling over everything that sucked about their lives while Jack listened patiently.

He was sprawled across the bed, his large frame taking up most of the space while he listened to her go on and on. He watched her pace back and forth, hands waving erratically as she gestured to emphasize her point. He linked his hands behind his head and chuckled when she finally started to wind down.

She whirled around to look at him, frowning at the look of amusement on his face. “It’s not funny, Jack.”

“You’re gonna make some lucky bastard very happy one day,” he said, his deep voice rasping due to an injury he’d sustained in a battle some time back.

“You talk like there’s such a thing as a future.” She shook her head. “You can’t believe that, not the way things are going. Life here is falling apart, it’s not safe for people to walk down the streets, death has become such a part of our daily lives that it’s not even a shock anymore, and it’s ridiculous to think there’s any reason to…” She sighed and dropped down to sit on the bed beside him. “It’s just pointless.”

“It’s not pointless,” he bit out as he shoved himself into an upright position.

She turned her head to look at him, immediately regretting her last comment when she heard the anger in his voice.

Jack ran a hand through his short dark blonde hair as he took up pacing. She watched him as his bare feet barely made a sound, something that fascinated her because a man of his size should make noise when he walked. He was a couple of inches over six feet tall with broad shoulders, muscled arms that she could barely span with both hands, and a sculpted chest and abdomen. He had the standard military haircut, his hair trimmed so short it was barely there, and he had ice blue eyes. He had a confident swagger but at the moment his agitation overrode his easygoing manner and his stride was short and left no doubt that he wasn’t happy.

“I’m sorry, that’s not what I meant. You know I’d never say or do anything to make light of the situation or what you’re working so hard for.”

“It’s what we’re all workin’ for, Liz.” He turned to look at her and his hands settled on his hips, drawing her gaze to the low-hanging military issue pants he wore. “Every time you get up and you push through another day you’re part of the fight. You throw in the towel and it’s all over, there’s no point goin’ on, and I know you.” He shook his head. “You’re not a quitter.”

“Sometimes I want to,” she whispered and dropped her gaze to her hands in her lap.

“Hell, we all want that once in a while. But you’ve gotta pick yourself up and keep goin’. If you don’t they win.” He crouched down in front of her and rested his big hands on her thighs. “You can’t give up.”

But it felt like they’d already lost. “Do you really see a future where people can live normal lives and do normal things like get married and have families? A future where it’s safe for children to go outside?”

“I think it’s somethin’ that’s worth fightin’ for,” he said with a shrug.

Her eyes dropped to his dog tags when the movement of his shoulders caused them to make a metallic rustling sound. She reached out to wrap her hand around them, pulling him closer. “Is it worth dying for?”

“If it’s worth fightin’ for, it’s worth dyin’ for.” His tone was certain. “You’ll believe that one day when you find that one guy you wanna spend your life with.” He grinned. “And have kids with.”

She shook her head. “You’re insane.”

“Y’know you deserve that kinda happiness.”

“What we deserve and what we get rarely seem to be the same thing.” She cradled his chiseled jaw in her hand as she studied his features. “And if someone’s gonna get married and have kids I think it’ll be you.”

He chuckled and nudged her back on the bed as he shook his head. “A guy like me ever settling down? No way. I can cradle a gun all day long but the thought of a baby makes me almost choke. Besides, I’m not interested in strings anymore than you think you are. You think you’re not but I think you’ve convinced yourself so well that it’s not an option that you believe you don’t want it.”

She traced her fingertips over the muscled wall of his chest in an effort to distract him. She didn’t want to talk about the dreams she’d stopped believing in long ago. Thankfully, he took the hint and he lowered his head and took her lips in a heated kiss as his body settled against hers.

“Liz…”


“Liz.”

She blinked as Jack’s voice and Max’s voice blended into one and she shook her head when she realized the King was standing right in front of her.

“Sorry, I was lost in thoughts.” She forced a smile and ignored the pain she still felt close to her heart about the loss of Jack.

He studied her expression, unable to ascertain if those thoughts were happy or sad since her features seemed to express both. “I have been presented with a task that I find I am displeased to carry out, but unfortunately it is a necessity. I must ask you to accompany me to a meeting.”

“Me?” She frowned deeply. “Why?”

“Yes, it is of certain urgency.” His eyes darted around the room. He had left his guards at the entrance to the room but one could never be too safe. “You are alone here?”

“Nisha just left,” she nodded.

“We feel it is necessary to determine the presence of a specific gene. Or the lack thereof,” he added as an afterthought.

“The gene Maria carries?”

He shifted and nodded. “Yes.”

“I still don’t understand,” she stopped following him and waited until he faced her. “Did someone find out about us?”

“No one who doesn’t already know.”

“Okay,” her tone was a little more relieved than she had intended it to be.

“There is some concern that humans carrying the gene may have been identified by Khivar’s spies and now they are targets. I would prefer to keep you uninvolved in these matters, but if your life is in danger…” He sighed. “I feel I have to agree with the others and insist that you consent to the test. You may be questioned by the Commander as we have recently discovered that we have been infiltrated by spies and there is some question as to how many within our ranks may be loyal to Khivar.”

“Okay,” she agreed because she didn’t have anything to hide and as someone close to Maria it was only natural she would fall under the number of possible threatening persons as well.

“We must go now.”

“Lead the way then.”
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Fics: A Xmas Story - A Merry Mt. R. Xmas - Cupid's Revenge - Double Trouble - Double Date - Double Dare - Double Empire - Double Xmas Wish - In The Course Of A Lifetime - Mountains So High - Not A Question At All - Surrender - TIC TAC - Two Double Dates at Xmas
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Double Trouble
Obsessed Roswellian
Posts: 925
Joined: Tue Dec 16, 2008 9:47 am

Part 65

Post by Double Trouble »

Natalie36: Liz has no reason to refuse, but she can probably think of about a dozen things she’d rather do, lol. The spy will be revealed in time.

keepsmiling7: The story is far from over.

We’ll learn more about Liz’s past and Jack.

There is information to be learned from the test.

sarammlover: It’s a very good thing the group’s working together and presenting a unified front. Lol, Isabel’s making some progress.

begonia9508: That is unfortunate, but necessary until they can flush out the traitors among them.

Earth2Mama: Yep, it’s all about eliminating them and narrowing down the pool of suspects. They’ll flush out that traitor in time.

Ms_BuffyAnneSummers: Thanks! Lol, yeah, there had to be at least one or two hiding in their ranks. They’ll be working on those blood tests today.

Roswelllostcause: Thanks! We’ll find out today!



Part 65

As they stepped out into the corridor they were immediately flanked by his guards and they automatically fell into a rhythm that matched the King’s stride. When they reached a specific point he had already determined he dismissed his escort allowing only Rykar to remain. The man had sworn a blood oath years ago and as such his loyalty was unquestionable. The man accompanied them the rest of the way to their destination, saluting sharply and standing with his back to the room’s only known entrance as the King and the servant disappeared into the room and closed the door.

Liz glanced around the room she had never been in before and she soon realized it must be the place where they had meetings for war strategies. Both Princesses, the Commander, the Advisor, and the Captain were all there as well, but she only felt relief when she detected Maria as well.

Maria experienced that same relief when her eyes landed on Liz and without waiting she went to greet her friend. “I’m sorry you’ve had to be dragged into this,” she whispered as she hugged her.

“You okay?”

“Yeah, it’s just a lot to take in. Traitors and magic genes and spies.” She rolled her eyes. “It’s like a freaking spy novel.”

“Can we begin?” the Princess interrupted sternly.

“Just think,” Maria whispered, her voice tinged with humor, “if things work out for you and the King she’ll be your loving sister-in-law.”

Liz shook her head in amusement and then turned to face the rest, surprised when her human friend stepped into the middle to take some of the medical equipment arranged on a table.

“Alright, this’s actually a very simple test and only requires a drop or two of blood so at least there’s no real pain involved.”

“Start with me,” Michael offered.

She nodded and gave him a small smile as she pulled a tiny device out and motioned for his hand.

He offered it to her, palm facing the ceiling and waited for what she was about to do.

“There’ll be a slight sting, but you probably won’t even feel it.” She placed the device against the pad of his middle finger and with a slight move drew the necessary bit of blood.

“How long until we get the results?”

“Not long at all.” She placed the sample slide into the testing device that the Captain had retrieved and pressed a button to activate the scan. Less than a minute later she glanced up at him after reading the results. “You have the gene.”

Michael nodded. It was already expected and he was glad that their theory was at least still possible.

She glanced around the room and her gaze landed on his sister. “Princess?”

“Go ahead,” Tess offered her hand and tried to downplay her nervousness.

Maria repeated the procedure, hiding her own nerves. The Princess’ demeanor towards her had warmed considerably since their first meeting and the last thing she wanted to do was end up right back at the beginning with her. When the scan was complete she read the results and looked at the woman. “You have the gene as well.”

Although it was what they had been told all along, their faces were somehow stunned. “Seems like that assumption was wrong, Advisor.”

“But it wasn’t completely wrong,” he said, unconcerned with the censure in her tone.

Maria wandered to the next person. “Captain?”

Kyle held his hand out, his face revealing nothing as the sample was drawn.

“No gene,” Alex detected after a moment of waiting.

The Captain shrugged. “So no super powers in my future. Huh, what a shame.”

Michael snorted. “It’s probably for the best,” he teased his Captain.

He shot a smirk at his lover. “True, it’d make any children we had hard to handle.” If he was lucky enough for her to be the mother of his children, they’d be hard enough to handle with just her super genes.

“Is it okay if you’re next, King Max?” Maria stopped in front of him.

“Um...” he swallowed with difficulty, “yes, of course.” He wasn’t sure he wanted to know the results of this test.

She went through the same procedure as with the others and they all waited with their breath held until the results showed. “No gene.”

Should he be relieved? He didn’t really know. He didn’t want the added responsibility of creating such a powerful child, but at the same time, as the King it was expected of him. No, he decided, the Commander was better suited to that job.

Maria went on and checked the Advisor and Isabel next, both of whom showed no indication of the gene. Then she stopped in front of Liz. “Ready?”

The brunette nodded and let her friend handle everything. She didn’t think about anything until the results showed that she didn’t carry the gene and relief flooded through her. The last thing she needed in her already complicated life was to worry that Khivar would have an interest in her.

“Then our theory was at least partially correct,” Alex said with a glance at Isabel.

“There is still one result missing,” she glanced at the woman holding the device.

“True, and if she does have the gene as we believe she does, then we’ll know for certain.”

“Let me do it,” Michael stepped forward and took the device from her. What she had done hadn’t really looked difficult, he was sure he could do it as well.

“Just be gentle, the edge is razor sharp,” she murmured quietly.

“If something goes wrong we still have the King here to heal,” he winked at her.

“How reassuring.” She rolled her eyes at him and held her hand out.

“Okay,” he nodded to himself and went about drawing the blood sample. Everyone fell silent while they waited for the results.

The machine finally indicated the results were ready and they revealed that the gene was indeed present in Maria.

“Well, that was expected,” Isabel answered dryly.

“Okay,” Liz spoke up when she couldn’t handle it any longer, “that tells us who does and doesn’t have the gene, but how do you intend to prove that the people in this room are loyal to the throne of Antar? How can you possibly determine that there are no spies among us?”

“We’re working on it,” the King said. “Right now it could be anyone and we need to be careful.” He didn’t have a better answer because he hadn’t any idea either.

“What if Tess uses her powers,” Maria suddenly suggested and shocked everyone with it.

The brunette held her hand up. “And who’s gonna check her out?” She shot a glance at the intimidating warrior princess. “No offense, but from everything I’ve heard there isn’t a person on this planet that has greater mental abilities than you do, so how can anyone possibly read your mind and know the truth?”

“The only one with similar powers is Ava,” Michael stated.

“And that’s a comforting thought,” she said dryly, “but what’s to say she isn’t the spy?”

Kyle reached over and placed a hand on Tess’ arm when he felt her bristling at the question. “Okay, that’s a fair question. Misguided,” he insisted in an effort to calm his lover, “because I’d stake my life on the fact that Tess isn’t a spy, but considering what we’re up against, it is fair.”

“So what now?” Maria dared to ask.

“Isabel has certain mental abilities,” Alex spoke up, drawing glares from both of the Princesses. “Perhaps not at the same level, but if Tess were to grant her access...?”

“It would be an option,” Max nodded, but he was pretty sure the two woman would have to say something against it.

“What kind of abilities do you have to determine my sister’s innocence,” Michael demanded to know. If there was a way to get the truth out faster than spending weeks of investigating each other, then there was really no point in talking around it.

“I don’t know that I could determine her innocence,” Isabel denied with another glare at Alex. “Her mental abilities do extend well beyond mine and there’s no guarantee that I would be able to determine truth from lies if she chose to put up a barrier.”

“This isn’t us getting anywhere,” Tess snarled.

“Submitting to this is really the only way to determine the truth, babe,” Kyle said, unknowingly relaxing his guard on his feelings in the presence of people he didn’t believe to be a threat. “Just let her in and it’ll be over.”

“But as she said, she wouldn’t even be able to say if it was the truth or not, so why even consider it? There will be still doubts afterwards.”

“It’s all we have.”

“And in the end it won’t be enough.”

“That’s true,” Isabel agreed after considering the other Princess’ words.

“Then why don’t we ask Ava?” Everyone turned to look at Liz when she made the suggestion.

“Ask Ava?” Tess asked, shaking her head.

“If she’s the only one with the same powers...”

“That could work,” Alex mused. “And it’s a further test of her loyalty to us.”

“We can’t just summon her in,” the Commander said.

“Isabel would have to contact her.” Max crossed his arms over his chest as he met his sister’s gaze. “We have little choice.”

“I can contact her,” she agreed, “but that doesn’t mean she can be here right away. We have to be careful. Rath is already watching her closely.”

Michael leaned back against the table that dominated the center of the room and rested his hands on its edge. “That’s true.” He looked at his sister. “I don’t know how else to prove your loyalty to the throne of Antar.”

“There might be something a little old fashioned that we used on Earth,” Alex threw in.

“More of your Earth things?” Isabel taunted, but her words lacked the cutting edge they usually held. “What archaic device could you possibly have that would determine the truth from lies?”

“Well, I don’t wanna tell you too much. It could be easily manipulated by her powers, but as long as she doesn’t know how it works we’re safe from that kind of manipulation.”

“You possess such a device?” Max asked curiously.

“I do,” Alex nodded.

“The Commander will accompany you to retrieve it.” He looked at Michael as he spoke.

“It would be better if someone came with me who would know how to handle the device. Maybe the Captain?”

Max studied him for a moment before nodding. “They’ll both accompany you.”

Alex bit his lip and nodded dumbly before he could say something to annoy the King. “It’ll be best if the Princess doesn’t see the device before we use it on her.”

Tess rolled her eyes. This was absurd. “Yes, let’s hide the archaic device so I won’t magically figure it out before you can use it to scan my brain.”

“If it’s necessary, we will do it,” her bother glared at her. His nerves were already stretched so thin he didn’t need any more complaints from anyone.

She waved them off. “Hurry before my plot to overthrow the throne can be implemented.”

Maria laughed at her dry response.

“Should we start with the scans while they’re gone?” Isabel asked after the men had left the room.

“Can our brains be damaged from this?” Liz wanted to know.

“Only if that is my intent,” Tess bit out.

“You can’t hold it against her for asking,” the King said. “Humans are not used to handling our powers like we are.”

“If my intention was to cause harm for asking such stupid questions I’d have already wiped out every single person who’s insulted me today.”

“Why don’t you start with me?” Max placed himself in front of her before she could take her mood out on Liz.

She shot an irritated look at the dark-haired human woman before focusing on the King. “Fine, I’ll need you to look at me directly. It isn’t necessary, but it does make it easier for me to gain access to your thoughts. You’ll instinctively put up barriers to protect your innermost thoughts, but in order to avoid the potential headache that can follow it’s best to fight that initial instinct.”

He gave her a sharp nod. “You may begin.”

She cleared her own mind and focused on him, locking her eyes on his and finding it surprisingly easy to gain entrance to his thoughts. She could feel the initial resistance but after a moment it fell away and she moved deeper into his mind, searching for anything that might lead her to believe his loyalties lay with Khivar and finding nothing incriminating. As she began to retreat she discovered that his developing feelings for the new kitchen help were being subdued and she could sense the pain it was causing him. She backed away, treading no further on his innermost personal thoughts and feelings and ended the connection.

“What did you see?” Isabel asked when there was an almost soft expression on the other Princess’ face.

“His loyalties are without question,” was all Tess said. She looked up at him and lowered her voice as she spoke for his ears only. “You deserve to be happy too.”

He held her gaze for several seconds, wondering what it was she was referring to. Had she seen something about Liz? Was she encouraging him to go after the other woman? But in the end, he wasn’t the one who had decided to take a step back.

“Maybe not, but if you let her get away that will be your decision.” Her eyes widened and she shrugged when his sharp gaze landed on her. “Sorry. Sometimes it takes a few minutes for the connection to completely sever and I’m able to pick up on the other person’s thoughts.”

“Good to know,” he shook his head and forced every personal thought away. Instead he imagined the Princess in a white dress as he walked her down the aisle and he grinned when she gasped at him.

Her eyes narrowed and she pulled herself together, shooting an image back at him. “How’s that one?” She smirked when he stumbled backwards in response to an image of their ‘wedding night’.

They both started to laugh. “What’s so funny?” the Commander demanded to know when he came back with the Captain and Alex.

“Nothing you need to know, brother,” she said with a shake of her head. Who knew the King had a sense of humor? Or that just the implied suggestion of sex would make him blush like that? It was kind of cute, but she preferred a certain rugged Captain who knew his way around the opposite sex, her specifically.

“So, who’s next?” Isabel asked impatiently.

Max took a step back and gestured grandly to the spot he had just vacated. “Do take my place, sister.”

“Make it quick,” Isabel told the other woman with a glare. She didn’t want her to wander around in her head because she knew there were things no one needed to know, but it was necessary to prove her innocence.

“I hope you don’t think I find any pleasure in traversing the pitfalls of your mind.”

“I’d rather not think about the things that would pleasure you.”

“That’s good,” she said, relaxing at the thought, “because the things that pleasure me would probably shock you.” She nodded and forced her mind to blank out again. “Focus on me.”

Isabel tried to force her nerves to settle and looked into Tess’ eyes. If she was lucky she’d pass right over certain encounters with the Advisor.

Once again Tess connected with another member of the Royal Four, but as expected, she encountered resistance from the Princess. She sighed internally and pushed forward, breaking through the wall and beginning to scan the other woman’s thoughts. She was nearly finished when something shimmered just out of her reach, something the Princess was hiding, and she pursued it doggedly. When she finally had it within her grasp she unlocked the thoughts with practiced ease and quickly returned them to their former location. Okay, did not need to know that much about the Advisor or what Isabel wanted to do with him, she thought as she backtracked and made her exit.

She had definitely seen something, the Princess thought, but quickly pushed everything aside when she remembered that the connection lasted a little longer once it was broken. “Hope you found what you were looking for.”

“Depends on how you look at it,” the other woman smirked, her tone superior as she lowered her voice. “Very interesting, Isabel. I see now why your interest in my brother is so… confined.”

“I’d be careful with what you say, Princess,” the other woman snarled.

Tess didn’t feel intimidated by her threat, but let it pass without challenge because of the higher importance of the situation. “There’s nothing that would indicate cooperation with Khivar or Rath,” she told the others. “Who’s next?”

“Might as well be me,” Alex offered himself. He could only guess what she had seen in Isabel’s head and he wondered how pissed off the woman would be if he revealed a lot more. Not that he could really control the things Tess saw.

“Sure,” she stood in front of him. “It’s a little more exhausting for humans. You may want to take a seat.”

“I’ve had some experience with intrusions of this nature.”

“Have you really?” She shot a covert look at Isabel where she stood close enough to observe the proceedings, but far enough away that she couldn’t overhear their quiet conversation. And from the look on her face she was annoyed that they seemed to have anything to talk about. “Yes, I’ll just bet you have.”

He chuckled quietly. “Let’s get this show on the road.”

She didn’t question him when he neither confirmed nor denied her subtle suggestion that Isabel was the culprit. “I’ll do my best to confine my search to only relevant areas.”

“I appreciate that.” But he knew there were no guarantees. He dropped the mental barriers when he felt her presence and he concentrated on keeping them down. He knew the consequences of fighting Isabel’s presence had caused him many headaches when it had first started and he’d discovered over time that not only was it a lot less painful if he didn’t try to fight it, there was also less to capture her attention if he wasn’t trying to hide anything from her.

Over time he had cultivated his ability, built up a tolerance to her mental probing, but Tess was a different story. Her abilities in this area were at least ten times greater than Isabel’s and the last thing he wanted tonight was a splitting headache. She was also incredibly skilled, he realized when she navigated the landscape of his mind and withdrew almost before he knew it.

Tess stared at him for several moments when she was finished. “You should be feeling weak right now.” Her gaze flicked to Isabel and then back to him. “But I suppose you’ve had time to build up a resistance to such intrusions.” Considering what she’d witnessed in Isabel’s subconscious it hadn’t been a surprise to discover similar images in his mind, but what had surprised her was that with him there was something more underlining those thoughts. “All I have to say to you is: good luck.” She turned to the others. “The Advisor is not in collusion with our enemies.”

The King nodded, satisfied. “I expected nothing less.”

“I’m next,” Kyle took a step forward and Tess nodded.

“Wait,” Isabel spoke when the other woman laid her hand on his scalp. “How do we know she wouldn’t cover for him if she detected anything?” She rolled her eyes when Tess narrowed her eyes at her. “Princess, we all know you have a weakness for the Captain.”

“She wouldn’t cover for a traitor,” Michael assured everyone.

Alex looked back and forth between the people in the room. When none of them seemed to be able to make up their minds about the problem, he spoke. “He could do the same test as her to prove his innocence.”

“That’s not – “ the Commander started.

“Sure, I’ll do it,” Kyle agreed, fed up with the mistrust. If they needed that kinda proof he’d give it to them. “I’ll do both,” he added and placed his lover’s hand back on his head. “Go on.”

“I hate to be the one to bring it up,” Liz said, clearing her throat when the Princess dropped her hand and the Captain sighed in annoyance.

“You have reason to postpone these proceedings?” Michael asked.

“Well, yes, there is a slight concern.”

“You are free to express your thoughts,” Max said with a gracious nod of his head.

Maria elbowed Michael when he crossed his arms over his chest in annoyance at the holdup.

“Okay.” Liz took a deep breath, knowing she wasn’t winning any points with the Princess or the Captain, with whom she had already not made a very good impression on. “It’s just that your Advisor suggested that the Captain accompany him to get the device because he would know how to handle it. And maybe I’m over-thinking things, but it stands to reason that he probably has some understanding of how lie detectors work.”

Isabel tapped a finger against her lips as she listened to what the kitchen help had to say and after a moment she nodded. “She has a point. If he has this knowledge in his possession he could easily transfer it during the connection.”

Tess sighed. At what point had they all started to mistrust each other? “Alright, fine! I will do the test BEFORE I go on. Satisfied?”

“I think that’s a good idea,” Alex agreed and motioned to the area where they had set up the lie detector. “Take a seat; it’ll take slightly longer than your way.”

She made a sound, somewhere between impatient and angry, but stalked over to sit on one of the chairs next to it. “Begin, Advisor.”

He nodded and joined her to attach several electrodes to her fingers and then a belt with more of the sensitive devices around her chest.

“What’s that for?” she asked, agitated by the way she was being attached to the device.

Alex chuckled. “Well, the plan is to not tell you, Princess.” He had no clue if the lie detector would even work with a hybrid, but they would soon find out. After getting everything ready for the test, he sat down in the chair next to the device and wrote down a few things on a notebook in front of him. “Okay, we’ll start with some simple questions, just to make sure everything works correctly.”

Everyone else in the room was looking on curiously, but they stayed away to give the Advisor room to work.

“Is your name Tess?”

She frowned. “What kinda stupid question is that?”

“Just answer honestly,” the Captain assured her.

Tess shot a glare at him and then concentrated back on the Advisor. “As you know, yes.”

“Yes or no answers only, please,” he said and tried not to smile at her irritation with the situation. “Do you live on Antar?”

She made a frustrated sound before answering. “Yes.”

“I’m gonna ask you to lie in response to this next question.”

“What?” She turned her head to look at her brother and the King. “This is how we’re to determine my loyalty?”

“It’s what’s known as a control question,” Alex explained.

“Just present the question,” she snapped, tired and frustrated with this ridiculous method of testing her loyalties.

“Did you grow up on Earth?”

She rolled her expressive eyes and shook her head. “No.” She watched his facial features as he studied the marks the device was making, wondering what it was revealing.

“Perfect.” He smiled slightly and began to rattle off the questions one by one and wasn’t surprised when the lie detector remained within the range of truth. When he was finally satisfied that all of the questions had been answered he nodded. “As we likely all expected, there’s no evidence that the Princess has loyalties outside of Antar’s throne.”
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Fics: A Xmas Story - A Merry Mt. R. Xmas - Cupid's Revenge - Double Trouble - Double Date - Double Dare - Double Empire - Double Xmas Wish - In The Course Of A Lifetime - Mountains So High - Not A Question At All - Surrender - TIC TAC - Two Double Dates at Xmas
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Double Trouble
Obsessed Roswellian
Posts: 925
Joined: Tue Dec 16, 2008 9:47 am

Double Empire - AUwA/CC/Adult - Part 66 - 4/6/14

Post by Double Trouble »

Earth2Mama: In spite of her objections, the feelings are definitely there.

Natalie36: Thanks! Lol, we’ll get back to more of those test responses today.

keepsmiling7: Liz will reveal more about her past and Jack as we move forward.

No gene for Max, although he’s quite relieved about that.

Eva: Yep, if they’re going to trust and understand each other they have to find equal ground. It’s important in their mission to save their people and Antar.

Lol, Tess has definitely found a way to work though the discomfort here.

kismet: Lol, we’ll have more encounters between the two of them.

begonia9508: Thanks!

No way! But the test will leave no doubt as to their loyalties.

Roswelllostcause: Thanks for reading!

sarammlover: Lol, the traitor’s identity will be revealed in due time. And we’ll check in on Ava again soon.


Part 66

Tess rolled her eyes and after she had rid herself of the cables that connected her to the device she went on to have a look into her lover’s mind. What she found there both excited and scared her. Although he pretended to be the strong tough guy, his feelings for her ran deep… deeper than she had expected them to run.

She stared into his eyes after her hand dropped from his head. He was too good to waste his time with a woman like her. He loved without condition and what could she give him in the end?

“More than you think,” he muttered and she cringed when she realized that she had ignored the fact about the connection lasting for a few minutes after physical contact had ended.

I hope you won’t be disappointed in the end, she transferred to her thoughts and relaxed when he shook his head.

Kyle straightened and looked at Alex. “Let’s get the lie detector over with.”

“I’m gonna work on the next person meanwhile,” Tess distracted herself as well and her gaze landed on Liz.

Liz swallowed hard when the Princess stared at her. Great, she was next after pointing out the fact that if the woman was the traitor she could be passing information off to her lover. She could just imagine what the other woman was thinking right now. And what she could do to her with just a thought.

“She won’t hurt you, Liz,” Maria assured her quietly.

“Easy for you to say,” she muttered. “Your connection to the Commander ensures your safety.”

“Yeah, and the King’s interest in you ensures yours.”

“I sure hope so.”

Max crossed his arms over his chest as he watched Tess approach Liz with one of the most intimidating expressions he’d ever seen on her face. He was certain she wouldn’t harm Liz and that her intention was simply to put her in her place, but he shifted to get her attention anyway. He frowned when she glanced at him and then refocused her gaze on Liz without bothering to relax her features, but before he could speak up Michael came to stand next to him.

“She won’t hurt her.”

“I don’t doubt that, but there’s no reason for these tactics.”

“Your lover practically accused her of being the spy.”

“She’s not my… Liz and I are… We’re friends!”

He bit the inside of his cheek to keep his features from revealing his amusement when Max turned red. “And I can see how pleased you are being her friend,” he spit the word out as if it had a bad taste.

He despised the word in reference to Liz. He enjoyed conversing with her, spending time in her company, and yes, those were things friends did, but it was not all he wanted to do with her. “Is there a reason you have come over here?”

“If Tess can prove the innocence of everyone in this room, then you know what the logical next step would be.”

Max pressed his lips together and nodded.

“My mother was told about the canard of my death; this could be a problem if there are doubts about her loyalty.”

“What do you suggest?” the King asked but his focus remained on Tess and Liz as they began the procedure.

“Assign one of your guards to her. No one will question it if everyone thinks it’s for her safety. He shouldn’t let her out of sight until we have more information. You have a man you would trust with that assignment? Obviously I can’t order one of my men and the Captain isn’t in a position to do it.”

Max nodded. “Consider it done.”

“Now, about Zander and his wife,” the Commander went on, his tone showing his hatred for the man, “they don’t know my death was a charade?”

“We haven’t told them anything yet,” the King confirmed.

“Good.” Michael nodded and stayed silent for a moment when his sister let go of the dark-haired human.

“No cooperation with the enemy could be found,” she said, glaring at the other woman. “But there were other interesting facts that could easily lead to you losing your head,” she continued only for Liz to hear or so she thought.

“Enough,” her brother warned her with a stern look on his face.

Liz swallowed and pushed herself up straighter although she felt like lying down on the floor for some immediate rest. There was no doubt the Princess had seen things that could put her in danger if the wrong people knew about it.

Michael turned to the King again. “In consideration of your parents or any other possible spy I have an idea,” he said, but decided to first prove the innocence of everyone in the room before he shared it.

“Only you and Maria remain,” Tess stated, waiting for one of them to step up first.

“I can go first,” Maria offered, her voice shaking.

“No.” Michael stepped forward. He could sense the fear that had taken up residence in her at the prospect of Tess seeing so deeply into her mind. He took his place in the center of the room facing his sister and waiting while she prepared herself. He knew she had to be getting tired; she had powerful mental capabilities, but they could also be very draining if they were overused.

He was busy preparing his own self, uncomfortable with the idea of anyone seeing inside of him. The connection had allowed Maria to have that ability to a certain degree and he wasn’t even completely comfortable with her having that access.

“Relax, brother,” Tess said with a quiet smirk. “I’m only delving into the deepest, darkest secrets in your mind.” She patted his arm when she saw the tension practically humming through him. “I won’t trespass anymore than necessary.”

“Let’s get it over with,” he growled. Even as children when they had practiced developing their powers he had hated these mental forays but Tess understood the boundaries and he knew she would respect them.

“Don’t try to fight me too much, alright?” she muttered and placed a hand on his head when he lowered it. Michael wouldn’t let just anyone walk through his head easily, so she expected some difficulties.

For the first few moments she saw nothing but blank white shining light, his protection wall, and it took a lot of strength and patience to make it clear out into a foggy vision of things. The memories and visions she got afterwards were fast, mostly brutal or came with the feeling of anger. It was a lot to take in. Then everything suddenly shifted again and feelings of betrayal washed over her combined with scenes of his faked death and the search for a spy within their ranks.

At last she reached something that she knew would be the deepest she could go. Flashes of Maria came to her; how he had found her in the enemy’s camp, how he had visited with her afterwards, his confusion about what happened between them, and finally how she smiled at him and gave him a moment of peace. The protective feelings he carried for the woman came to the surface and soon took over the connection.

Tess blinked and pulled her powers back again, taking a moment to collect her strength. She was glad when Michael reached out to steady her on her upper arms for a moment. “He is loyal to you, Max,” she looked up to meet her brother’s eyes, “as was to be expected.”

He gave her just the slightest nod, appreciating that she didn’t try to express anything else she had seen.

The King relaxed although he didn’t have a single doubt about the Commander’s loyalty to him. Only one more, he thought. If they were all proven innocent, nothing was resolved yet, no, the problems were only going to get bigger.

Maria cleared her throat quietly, mentally preparing herself for what was coming. She felt a slight shift in the air and she turned her head, her gaze landing on Michael. He was watching her, his dark eyes reassuring and she felt herself calm in response. She drew in a deep breath and nodded before turning to face the Princess.

“I’m ready.”

Tess motioned for her to come closer because she was already so drained it would’ve taken too much effort to cross the room. When this was over she would force her feet to carry her out of the war room and to her quarters, but for now she wasn’t going to expend another ounce of physical energy that she didn’t absolutely have to.

She walked over to the other woman and took her place, making a concentrated effort to not pull away when she raised a hand to place it on her head.

“Your first instinct will be to fight the connection.” Tess shook her head. “It only makes it more difficult for both of us if you do not resist that instinct.”

“We’ve done this before,” the human nodded with a visible swallow. The interrogation wasn’t something she wanted to remember.

“It’s going to be different because I’m not looking for anything specific like the last time, but yes,” the Princess agreed and then locked eyes with her. It was easy to see the fear there, but she didn’t let it affect her and instead pushed into Maria’s head, finding it surprisingly easy after the others.

She was welcomed with feelings of peace and happiness and it soon became obvious that those things were connected to Michael. Maria trusted him deeply and obviously the feeling was mutual because it fit with the things she had seen in his head. There was a kiss….

Tess pushed forward, leaving those private thoughts alone and next she encountered flashes that she had seen before; Rath’s cruelty as he had gone after her, the way he had intimidated and hurt her in every possible way. It was next to impossible to believe she could ever work with someone who had done something like that to her. Something else got her attention though.

Maria was lying in a bed in what looked like a sterile room. Her naked body covered only by a thin sheet and she was trembling badly. The feelings connected to the scene revealed that the trembling had nothing to do with temperatures – it was pure fear.

A man she didn’t know entered the scene, collecting different kinds of medical equipment and bringing it closer to the bed. He was beginning to prepare an injection when something disturbed the flash.

“Tess!” the Captain called to get her attention, using both hands to shake her body.

She blinked several times until everything faded and she finally found herself back in reality, shocked to see her brother in front of her with an almost limp Maria in his arms. “Why the hell did you do that?” he snapped at her, lifting the weak human in his arms.

“What-?” She tried to make sense of what had happened.

“You were pushing around in her head for several minutes,” Kyle explained when she obviously had no clue what her brother meant.

Minutes? It hadn’t felt any longer than the time she had spent with the others.

“If you will permit me,” Max gestured to the woman in the Commander’s arms. “Allow me to determine if she suffered any damage.” He could see the man’s concern warring with his instinct to protect her and he straightened, inserting the edge of authority into his voice when he spoke again. “Commander.”

He hesitated for a moment, but he trusted Max and he had no way of knowing if his sister’s mental foray had injured Maria in any way.

Isabel looked around, locating a suitable area and waving her hand over a couple of chairs, turning them into a soft surface. “Place her here,” she instructed.

He carried her across the room and eased her down onto the cushions. He remained standing beside her, one of her small hands grasped firmly in his much larger one. “What did you do?” Michael demanded as he faced his sister.

Tess shook her head. “I don’t know. I found a… a memory…” she rubbed the back of her neck as she tried to keep her thoughts in order. “It was buried but I was able to access it.” Her eyes were wide when she raised her head to meet his angry gaze. “They did something to her.”

“Did something to her?” he repeated and then looked down at the weak human lying next to him. “What did they do?”

Max concentrated on the woman in front of him, calling her name quietly to get her attention so he was able to form a connection. He ran a short check on her, but couldn’t find anything to fix. “I think she’s just weak.”

“There was a doctor in my vision, medical equipment, and she was placed in a bed, drugged I think,” Tess rubbed her head as she tried to remember every possible detail. “I didn’t find anything that would imply she’s working with the enemy, but we have to consider that they may have implanted something.”

“She could be the spy without even knowing it,” Alex nodded, earning a death glare from the Commander.

Maria’s head was spinning like crazy. She realized that everyone was standing around her, looking at her with concern, but she couldn’t follow the conversation. “Michael,” she mumbled weakly, reaching out with her free hand when she didn’t realize he was holding her other.

“I am here,” his voice was so soft, never had anyone heard him speak in such a manner. He took her searching hand in his and squeezed it.

Alex moved back a few feet to give Maria some space. “Are you able to determine what was done to her?” he asked Tess when the others followed.

“I don’t know.” As much as she hated to admit that she knew there was no point lying to cover the truth. “The memories are buried deep within her mind. My search lasted longer than I was aware of.” She shook her head. “I lost time and awareness.”

“Could the connection cause something like that?” Liz questioned curiously. She hadn’t moved far from Maria, worried for her friend, but she hadn’t been able to stop herself from listening to the others when they moved away to discuss the situation. She wasn’t sure her input would be welcome, but she had received Max’s reassurance that she had every right to voice her questions and opinions.

Kyle frowned at her words and he lifted his head to look around at the others. “What if that’s possible?”

“We don’t have enough knowledge of the true connection to even know where to begin with a question like that,” Max said as he stepped away from Maria. “If Khivar’s scientists have done something to her, implanted her with some sort of device that would allow her to act as a spy among us…” he shook his head.

Michael gently ran his hand over Maria’s brow as he crouched down beside her, his expression an interesting mix of concern and consideration. “Khivar would know it would only be a matter of time before we used Tess’ abilities to seek information.” He rubbed his jaw and his brow furrowed into a deep frown. “Tess lost control of the connection, but if he’s found a way to implant a device that could potentially draw her in and break her…”

“He would be destroying one of our greatest advantages,” Kyle finished for him.

“What if Liz is right? What if the true connection is somehow trying to lead her to the truth?”

Maria heard the others talking, but was still unable to focus on the conversation going on around her. In a panic she squeezed the hand holding hers tightly.

“I’m here,” Michael’s voice came through to her calmly.

She concentrated on him and it seemed like his presence finally gave her back some of her strength and focus. “What happened?”

Before he could answer, Tess crouched down next to her brother to look at her. “Can you remember any time when you were with one of Khivar’s doctors or scientists?” she asked gently.

Maria’s eyes shifted to hers while she tried to remember, but everything was out of reach, as if fog lay around the memories to blur them. “I think they did some pregnancy tests on me.”

“Were you conscious during those times?”

“I don’t know,” her eyes went to Michael again, scared. “I think I was mostly, but – “

“We have to make sure they didn’t do something else to you,” he told her quietly, hating to make her face her cruel past again and again. Every time she started to get better, something happened and she had to suffer all over again.

“Something else?” Maria asked, confused. “Like what?” Suddenly she remembered why they had all been there in the war room and she shook her head wildly. “I’m not a spy, please, believe me!”

“No one thinks that,” Liz intervened when the hybrids were visibly challenged by the emotional outburst. She sat down on the edge of the improvised bed and took her friend’s face in both hands. “But if they did something to you that you don’t know about they have to find out and remove it. Do you understand?”

She latched onto Liz’ voice and eyes like a lifeline. “What did they do to me?” she asked fearfully.

“We don’t know for certain that they did anything more.” She brushed Maria’s hair back, careful to maintain eye contact. “We have to make sure though.”

“How?” Her voice sounded so small and so unlike her.

“I think that’s where Michael’s sister comes in.” She looked at the other blonde, nodding at the unspoken question she saw in the woman’s eyes.

“I’ll have to connect with you again. In order to locate what we’re looking for I’ll have to connect deeper than before.”

“But you weren’t in control of the connection.” Maria shook her head. “You couldn’t control it and I was just getting weaker and weaker.” She looked at Michael. “She wouldn’t let me go.”

“We won’t let it reach a point where it gets dangerous for you,” he tried to sound convincing and calming. “We didn’t know what was happening last time, but now we do and we’ll be watching for the signs. If one of you gets too weak, we’ll be able to break the connection – with force if necessary,” he looked at his sister.

Tess nodded. “It’s something that has to be done sooner rather than later. We’ll try to use the connection you share with the Commander as an advantage. Maybe it will lead me to the truth and maybe he’ll be able to give you some strength. He’ll stay at your side and his touch might be enough to make you stronger.”

Maria closed her eyes and drew in some calming breaths when first signs of hyperventilation made an appearance. It needs to be done, she tried to tell herself over and over again.

The room remained quiet while everyone looked down at the human woman with worry and confusion. What would be found, the King wondered. Would they be able to destroy whatever Khivar might have implanted inside her before it destroyed them? Or what if the device had already delivered too much information?

“You all stop thinking,” Tess groaned and shook her head to clear it. Looking into everyone’s heads was exhausting enough, but it still took a while before the thoughts and worries from the others completely faded. Right now there was a mass of mumbling and groaning in her head and it took all of her concentration to block it out.

“You can still feel it?” Max asked, surprised.

“Just like a shadow, but all of you together is enough to make my head spin. It might help if those of you who aren’t involved right now would take a step back.” She waited with her concentration focused on Maria while they went to the other end of the room.

“I’m staying,” Liz declared and crouched down on the other side of Maria.

Tess glared at her, but let her have her way this one time. If it meant the other human would be calmer with the presence of her friend, then it could help in the end. “I know you’re scared, Maria, but if you try to block me, it’ll only make things a lot harder for both of us, alright?”

Maria’s hand tightened around Michael’s, drawing courage from his strong presence. “Okay,” she said finally, giving the other woman a slight nod.

“Can you differentiate between true and false memories?” Liz asked.

Tess turned her head to stare at the brunette woman when she addressed her again. “I am fully capable of making such determinations.” She was getting tired of the constant questions. The woman was supposed to be a cook, not a scientist!

Michael reached over and rested a hand on his sister’s arm for the briefest of moments, the contact something he rarely did around others. He gave a sharp shake of his head, warning her to let it go because they had something bigger to focus on.

“The only person who has abilities anywhere near the level mine have achieved, is Ava, and if she had implanted false memories in Maria I would’ve already detected such deception. Now,” she slanted a glance at the cook, “if there are no more questions I would like to begin.”

Liz bit her lip before she could say anything flippant. Her friend was nervous enough and a pissed off Princess could hurt her in the end.

“Relax, I’ll try to help you,” Michael whispered into Maria’s ear and felt some of the tension leave her body

Tess gave him one last look and then concentrated on her task. It was harder to form the connection this time, which wasn’t a surprise. The human was scared of the possible damage and that made her throw walls up that she wasn’t even aware of.

With a little bit of pressure she finally made it past the foggy part and moved quicker through the flood of flashes until she found the one memory she was looking for. The doctor was giving the human lying before him something to sedate her. She fought it, but it was a battle already lost. Seconds later her body lay limply in front of the man and he started to collect a few things before taking a seat between her spread legs.

Though she was wrapped up deep in the flashes, Tess could feel her own stomach reacting to the way another human was being examined by a strange man, totally helpless to do anything about it.

Michael lowered his head slightly and closed his eyes as he concentrated on Maria. He held her hand clasped between both of his and he slowly brought it up to rest his forehead against it. He fought against the images assaulting him, not wanting to see the clinical violation but unable to shield himself from them. He could feel her emotions so strongly; there was anger but it was subdued deeply beneath the waves of humiliation and fear.

Tess’ brows pulled down into a deep frown over her closed eyelids when she encountered a force that pushed her back away from the scene. The resistance she was met with only added to the pressure building in her head and by the time this day was over she knew she was going to have the worst headache in the history of headaches. She was certain Michael’s connection to the human woman was increasing the strength of the barrier trying to push her back from the memory.

But she couldn’t allow it. She had to be successful because until they knew whether Maria was somehow being used to gather information and relay it to their enemies her presence in the castle posed a threat. She backed off, putting a slight distance between the barrier and herself, and as she allowed herself to drift into the recesses of the other woman’s mind she felt the intensity of the barrier begin to ease. She watched from a safe distance, waiting for the right moment, and as she felt her brother’s protective presence begin to back off she concentrated even harder and her mind shot forward, bursting through the barrier and entering the scene once again.
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Fics: A Xmas Story - A Merry Mt. R. Xmas - Cupid's Revenge - Double Trouble - Double Date - Double Dare - Double Empire - Double Xmas Wish - In The Course Of A Lifetime - Mountains So High - Not A Question At All - Surrender - TIC TAC - Two Double Dates at Xmas
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Double Trouble
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Re: Double Empire - AUwA/CC/Adult - Part 66 - 4/6/14

Post by Double Trouble »

sarammlover: Lol, it’s true, we did stop there. We’ll get back to those answers today. Oh, Tess just has her back up because the new cook seems to be bent on questioning her every move as well as her loyalty. She’s not used to being questioned like that.

Natalie36: Oh, given time we may just see Liz and Tess form an alliance.

keepsmiling7: Lol, yeah, that’s an uncomfortable thought.

Liz isn’t backing down at all with Tess. Yeah, Max isn’t thrilled with that particular label.

Eva: Tess will continue searching for answers.

begonia9508: Thanks!

True, but she passed the lie detector test so they know she’s loyal to the throne of Antar.

Oh, if Liz hadn’t challenged her every statement Tess probably would’ve taken very little notice of her.

Roswelllostcause: Lol, they are, aren’t they? Well, we’re back now!




Part 67

The scene was blurry, but it had nothing to do with the connection this time, it was the result of Maria’s memory. She had been sedated to a state where her mind was still slightly awake, but she had no control over her body. A second man entered the room, taking a look at the progress.

“What are you seeing, Doctor?” The second person’s face was fogged, but Tess was almost sure it was Khivar.

“I don’t think she’s pregnant. Sometimes it’s hard to tell with human women in the early stages, so I could be wrong. We have to wait for the blood tests as well to be sure.”

“Not pregnant AGAIN?” The other man seemed to be impatient and angry.

“The menstrual cycle of a human is difficult,” the doctor explained further. “Stress and other factors can influence it, even prevent ovulation at times. We need to be patient – “

“We don’t have the time. Do something!” The face of the second man in the room became clearer for a second. No, it wasn’t Khivar, it was Rath.

“I’m afraid there isn’t much we can do but wait, Commander. On Earth we could help with a hormone therapy, but we don’t have the necessary things on Antar and I don’t recommend it as it also comes with some risk for the woman.”

Rath’s left eyebrow quirked up in consideration but after a moment he discarded the suggestion. He did not need the aid of inferior Earth devices to impregnate a simple human woman. “Are you absolutely certain she possesses the gene?” His eyes narrowed when the doctor nodded. “There can be no mistake?”

“There is no mistake, Commander. I procured the samples and tested them myself. There is no question that she carries the gene.”

“Then she is somehow defective.”

The doctor didn’t so much as blink at the Commander’s accusation. “There are many variables involved in a human woman’s ability to become pregnant and to carry the child to term. It’s one of the reasons Antarians deemed engineering offspring to be much more beneficial.”

“And yet their methods are incapable of creating THIS offspring!” he roared.

“There are other tests I can run.”

“You said you had run every pertinent test.”

The doctor cleared his throat nervously. “Yes, I have… on her.”

Rath’s eyes widened fractionally, the pupils expanding until the black nearly overtook the irises. “Are you suggesting that the reason this human has not become pregnant is somehow my fault?!”

“No, not your fault, no,” the man stammered. “But sometimes there are certain issues that arise in the male of the – “ He got no further as the Commander drew himself up to his full height and backhanded him, sending him flying across the room.

He moved to stand over the man’s prone body. “Have her prepared and brought to me at once.”

“Of course, Commander,” the doctor agreed and waited until the military man left the room before he slowly tried to stand up again, groaning deeply with every movement. He slowly made his way back towards Maria, limping and holding one arm around his side when it hurt.

His concerned gaze went over her a few times. The doctor was a human – no surprise since he would understand a lot more about the female reproductive nature of his own race than an Antarian doctor would. “I’m sorry they’re doing this,” he muttered and let his palm rest against her sweaty cheek. “If I could prevent this, I would, but they’d kill me if they found out.” He turned away from her again to clean up the items he had used. “Let’s hope your body will continue to protect itself and not let him impregnate you.”

Tess stayed at the scene for a short while longer, just making sure that nothing else happened or someone else entered the scene again. When she was satisfied that she had all the necessary information, she let her concentration go and was pulled back harshly towards her own body.

With a sigh, her weak body sank to the ground and was caught by the Captain before she could make contact with the floor and hurt herself. “Get her something to drink,” he ordered and Liz was the one who reacted first and handed him a cup of water. “Here,” he lifted her head so she could take a sip.

Michael’s concern was focused on Maria when she didn’t immediately open her eyes. “Can you hear me?” He squeezed her hand tighter to pull a reaction from her.

“I can,” she told him and turned her head in his direction before her eyes fluttered open a bit. She could still feel the Princess’ presence, which made her head ache, but at least she wasn’t feeling as weak as she had before.

“How do you feel?”

“Okay other than a headache. I think it helped. How do you feel?” she wanted to know quietly.

“Alright,” he told her. Exhaustion was creeping into his own body, but it wasn’t anything he couldn’t deal with.

“I think it’s safe to say that everyone in this room has been cleared,” Alex spoke up after a few minutes.

Isabel considered his words. “What do we do now?”

“Our next plan of action will be to set a trap,” Kyle said as he steadied Tess.

Michael nodded in agreement and carefully helped Maria to sit up. “We’ll put together a believable strategy and the Captain will carry out a meeting like we normally would and then we wait to see who takes the bait.” He could feel the trembling in Maria’s body and knew she needed to be in the privacy of his quarters. “First, we need to regroup.”

“If rest does not adequately return their strength contact me.” Max moved forward and ran a hand through his hair. “I can attempt to help them.”

“Think you can walk?” The Commander looked at Maria, his eyes scanning her body for the hundredth time to make sure she wasn’t hurting.

“Sure,” she agreed and got up with his help.

“Commander, Captain, Tess, Isabel, and Alex; we will come together again at the first sun’s descent,” the King decided and watched everyone leave the war room. Everyone but Liz.

“Things are changing,” she said when they were left alone. “That was intense.”

“I did not mean to involve you in these complications, Liz,” he apologized. “You came here for a better life, but what you got are even more things to worry about.”

“Nonsense,” she denied. “There’s no place I want to be more, Max.”

“No?” He studied her in surprise.

“No,” she affirmed. “Life’s hardly perfect, but there are other things that count more than the situation of the world.”

“What does count?”

She shrugged. “Who you’re with for example.”

Max nodded and moved around the table slowly, the fingertips of his right hand grazing its edge. His head was lowered and he watched her through his eyelashes, curious about what she meant. He wondered if such confusing behavior and mixed signals were normal for all women or if it pertained directly to the Earth species. His sister of course, well, she took confusing to an entirely different level, but it wasn’t the same as what he experienced when he was around Liz. He knew for certain that Antarian women left no doubt as to their intentions or expectations, but human women… how did men ever know where they stood with them?

“And you believe that counts,” he said quietly.

“Yes.”

“Yet you insist we can only be friends.”

Liz tried not to smile when he spit the last word out as if it offended him. “Max, it isn’t safe for us to be together.”

“It would seem to me that is the least of our worries right now.” He was tired of putting what he wanted last, shelving his own desires because of the expectations that had been placed upon him. With everything else going on he had enough to worry about.

She sighed, wanting so badly to take those words back, to tell him she had changed her mind.

“If the circumstances of your life don’t count as much as the people you are with,” he pushed further, “why should safety hold you back from me?” He wanted to understand her. Needed to understand her.

“It’s not the only thing that’s holding me back,” she tried to explain. “My life is an unimportant detail in this puzzle, Max, you have to understand that. You’re designed for something bigger and I can’t be in the way. And I don’t mean the marriage to the Princess. I mean leading and saving this planet before your enemies can take it all away.”

“Your life will never be an unimportant detail,” he said firmly.

“I know, but in its entirety you need to direct your focus on the mission to save your planet, not find love.” Love, she thought, did it exist at all? On Antar or on Earth?

“What if you help me to focus,” he threw in. “The Commander seems to do well on both fronts.”

“That’s different,” Liz denied. “He doesn’t have a choice, he’s connected. And the connection might be helpful in the end. Besides that, I’m sure he’d disagree about the doing well part right now. Currently he’s officially dead.”

Max sighed in frustration. Where was the playful woman he had met when she had first arrived on Antar?

She was experiencing some frustration of her own. “You don’t understand what I’m saying.”

“I understand the words, but no, I don’t understand you. I have the ability to do more, to be more than just the ruler of Antar.”

“Max, you’re not like a regular guy. Ruler of Antar isn’t just a job, it’s who you are.”

“And as such I am expected to relinquish my own wants and desires. That is what you’re saying, isn’t it?”

“To some degree, yes, you do have to make that sacrifice.”

“You’re wrong.” He shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. “Being the King is what I do; it is not who I am and it is not what defines me. The mark of a great ruler is his ability to rule not only justly, but with heart. Actions are often the direct result of emotions.” He smiled slightly. “A full-blooded Antarian ruler would not face such a dilemma because emotions are not an issue for them.”

“Emotions will also get you in trouble. You can’t rely on them to guide your decisions because they’re unreliable at best and conflicting at worst.”

“So what would you have me do? Deny my humanity?”

“That wouldn’t make much sense, would it?” She chuckled slightly but didn’t feel amused – not in the least. “A big part of you is human and always will be. Suppressing emotions only leads to an explosive outcome at some point too,” she sighed and rubbed her temples to concentrate. “I’m not sure what to tell you, Max. You should feel things, but you can’t always let them guide you in regard to your decisions for Antar. What seems to be best for you won’t always be best for your people.”

“No one has ever asked me what I want,” he shook his head stubbornly.

“I know and I’m not saying it’s fair, because it’s not.”

He nodded and looked out over the landscape of his country, the silence ever so deceiving. “So no matter what decisions I make for my country, either way I am doomed to lose.”

“That’s not true,” Liz denied and walked over to him, placing one of her small hands on his broad shoulder.

He turned his head. “No?” His voice was full of doubts.

“No,” she affirmed. “Just because things can’t be in the moment doesn’t mean they’ll always be that way.” She wanted to believe her own words, that maybe at a later point they could be together. Maybe when the war was over and maybe when they had found a way out of the arranged marriages… a lot of maybes.

“And if the war doesn’t end for years? If we can find no way out of the marriage arrangements we are expected to enter into?”

Liz shook her head. “I don’t know, Max. I wish I could simply say the hell with it and just run blindly into a relationship with you, and there was a time not long ago that I would’ve done just that, but now... now I have a better understanding of what you’re up against and the price you or I – or even both of us could pay if we were ever discovered.”

He studied her for a moment, arms crossed over his chest, his eyes boring into her as he contemplated the risks associated with such a liaison. “As I said before, I won’t ask you to enter into something you are not comfortable with. I know at this point I have little to offer you and I have no way of knowing if that will ever change.” He paused to watch her again. “Is there another reason for your sudden change of heart?”

She frowned. “Another reason?” she repeated, confused. “What do you mean?”

“Your pursuit of me ended quite abruptly and in light of your previous actions and words, this sudden...” What would Michael call it? “This sudden about-face speaks of some other motive. Have you become attached to someone else? Someone who does not present such a daunting prospect?”

Liz was aware of the fact that she had sent him mixed signals all along. At first she had been pretty playful with him. She had tested the waters to see what kind of person he was and if there was anything fun and sexy behind the mask of the King.

It hadn’t taken long to discover that he was a lot more than a boring politician. He had depth, a kind heart and he was so sexy that it was impossible to not fall for him. She hadn’t expected to develop feelings for him in such a short time and it scared her, because with every new day and each step closer to him, the realization that they could never be hit her harder. This wasn’t about fun anymore and she had to put the brakes on before her heart could really get hurt. But how could she tell him such a thing? He wouldn’t feel any better if he knew she wanted him and yet didn’t want him.

“There was someone in my past,” the words were out before she really thought twice.

Max looked to look at her, stunned, not sure if he liked the fact that she was talking in past terms or not. “Someone on Earth.”

“Yeah,” she nodded.

“And you left him to come here?” he guessed.

“No, it wasn’t like that, Max.” Liz lifted her eyes to look at him. “He died in a battle. He was a soldier for life. And before you ask, no, I didn’t come here right after or because of it.”

The King nodded, but did he really understand anything? “Were you married?”

“Married?” She chuckled. “No, not even close, but anyway, it’s still hard to think back. Maybe my heart’s not free yet.”

“You had strong feelings for this man.”

“I…” She hadn’t been in love with Jack but she had loved him. “Yes.”

He tipped his head to one side as he watched her, feeling as though there was more to it that she wasn’t saying. “You would still be with him if he had not fallen in battle?”

Of that she had no doubt. They had been very comfortable with each other and there had been respect and an understanding between them. “Yes.”

“I see.” He sighed quietly and straightened up. “You must be tired after today’s events. I’ll escort you back to your quarters and leave you in peace.”

“That isn’t what I meant.”

Max smiled tightly and motioned to the closed door. “Whether you meant it or not, I do not believe you know what you want at this time. It is for the best that we act as you suggested and we will conduct ourselves as friends.”

It was for the best, she reminded herself and nodded. “Friends sounds good.” No, it sounded like it wasn’t enough, but she’d rather live with that than nothing.

“Very well,” he pressed out. There was nothing good about being just friends with, but he wasn’t going to discuss it any longer. “To your quarters?”

She shook her head. “To the kitchen. There’s still a lot to do and as you know we’re quite short on staff right now.”

He looked at her. “You are certain you don’t need to rest after Tess used her mind powers on you?”

“I’m good,” she insisted. “Don’t worry I’ve been through a lot worse.”

“I won’t argue with you,” he nodded and opened the door to let her out first.

*****

The sound of explosions came from all around causing the ground to shake. The air was charged with electricity and chaos reigned as people scrambled to take up arms against the enemy. There was little to do but become a part of it as she escaped the confines of the medical tent and burst out into a world of smoke and fire that left the sky hazy. The air was filled with the noise from the attack and the nearly silent whizzing of arrows that pierced the sky as they found one target after the next.

Silence fell and she looked around in confusion, not understanding what was happening as she suddenly found herself standing on the field alone. The scene shifted, blurring for a moment as it realigned itself and she recognized her surroundings. The castle shimmered in the sunlight that broke through the clouds overhead and she began to walk towards it, her steps lighter and picking up speed when she noticed the man sitting astride a large horse. The two-headed beast pawed the ground and tossed its head, obviously eager to move but obeying the command of the man in the saddle.

Her heart soared when she recognized the Commander’s imposing presence as he waited for her and she couldn’t help the laugh that escaped in response to his impatient expression. There was no annoyance, no irritation, just simple impatience, something that was so at home in him that it would be more surprising if it wasn’t there. She paused when the ground shook beneath her feet again.

“Maria!” Michael called to her, but his voice was ripped away on the wind that had picked up.

She tried to move towards him, to run to him, but as the sky darkened and the sound of explosions tore through the air again her feet began to feel like lead. He urged his horse into a run, coming to her and dismounting even before the animal had stopped, his booted feet landing on the ground and seeming to shake the very earth beneath him. He held a hand out to her, his dark eyes commanding, pleading with her to take that final step towards him.

“It’s only thunder,” he murmured as he waited.

His words made no sense. They were under attack. The enemy was coming. Rath was coming for her. But even as the fear rolled through her she couldn’t look away from his eyes, from the sincerity there, the insistence that she believe him, trust him.

And she reached out, her small hand slipping into his so effortlessly, and as his much larger one swallowed hers whole, everything began to fade away to darkness and she gasped as her eyes suddenly snapped open to find the Commander lying beside her.

“It’s only thunder,” he whispered, unknowingly repeating the words she’d heard in the dream.

She could only see a little in the dark room and she rolled to her side in panic until realization hit her. “Only a dream,” she mumbled to herself, relieved, and felt her muscles finally relax.

“There’s a storm approaching. Not destructive as the last one was,” he assured her when he felt her tense for a moment.

“Do you have dreams?”

“Rarely, why?”

She rolled over to look at him, his handsome face hidden by shadows. “Sometimes it’s really weird how dreams and reality blend at the time you wake up.”

He nodded even though he didn’t really understand. “The dream you were having... it was not a good one.”

“Not sure,” she frowned and felt the memory already fading. “A bit of both I guess.” The wind outside picked up in that moment, causing small random things to hit the windows and she nuzzled her face deeper into the pillow.

“Do the storms make you afraid?”

“Just a bit,” she admitted.

He reached out to stroke the backs of his fingers over her cheek. “You’re safe here.”

“I know,” she leaned into his touch.

“Was it Tess’ intrusion that caused the dream?” he asked.

“I don’t know. Could be.”

“I wish it had not been necessary.”

“I understand why it had to be,” she assured him.

He nodded and turned his hand to cradle her cheek. “What was your impression of the evening?”

“There was a lot going on and the fact that there’s still a traitor who’s obviously close scares me.”

“Yes, that is troubling. One traitor was problematic, but two? And one who obviously has much greater access than any Miren could possibly hope to achieve,” he shook his head. “Such a traitor poses a direct threat to everyone and everything we’re fighting for.”

“Yeah. It’s a scary thought that this person is probably really close.”

“Once we’ve unmasked the traitor he will be punished. When we’ve learned all we can from him and we’ve used it to our advantage he will be publicly executed.”

She swallowed. “Executed?”

“Such a person could never be allowed to live.”

“I guess...” she trailed off.

He frowned. “You do not agree?”

“I just don’t like people getting killed, no matter if they’re good or bad, but that’s just my opinion. I’m not gonna argue about it,” she said softly. Things were different on Antar and yeah, she could see why they would kill a traitor like this.

“It is necessary and in my opinion, the easier punishment. It has been viewed as violent by some outside of our society, but is it any worse than imprisoning someone for life? I would think that having the privilege of freedom taken and being forced to live within the walls of a garrison prison for the remainder of your days would be worse than death.”

She nodded. “As I said, I won’t argue about this.”

“I understand.” He believed it to be a necessity but it was easy to see she wasn’t so convinced. But she accepted it without trying to change his mind and so he would do the same. “It is disturbing to have the traitor so close, but we will discover his identity.” Hopefully before he could do any further damage, he thought. He shifted and resettled, propping his elbow on the bed and resting his head in his hand as he watched her. “What would you do on Earth when it rained and stormed?”

A soft smile spread on her lips. “You really wanna know, Mr. Big Bad Commander?”

His lips lifted in response to her teasing tone. “I do.”

“Well, let’s see,” she pretended to think about it. “We would make it all comfortable and warm inside. If we were alone, we’d probably take a good book and a hot chocolate.”

“You would stay indoors?” He snorted. “The air is alive during a storm, how could you remain inside?”

“Earth weather is much different from yours. Actually our air was always alive before all the crap happened.”

He smirked softly. “I enjoy swimming when it storms. The thunder overhead shaking the ground, the way the atmosphere is so charged. It’s invigorating.”

“Swimming when it storms,” she snorted and shook her head. “I’d prefer being inside, all cozy an’ warm.”

“But how do you know? Have you ever tried it?”

“No.”

He lifted an eyebrow. “Would you like to?”

“I hope you’re not talking about right now.

He grinned. “I have no control over when the weather changes.”
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Fics: A Xmas Story - A Merry Mt. R. Xmas - Cupid's Revenge - Double Trouble - Double Date - Double Dare - Double Empire - Double Xmas Wish - In The Course Of A Lifetime - Mountains So High - Not A Question At All - Surrender - TIC TAC - Two Double Dates at Xmas
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Double Trouble
Obsessed Roswellian
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Joined: Tue Dec 16, 2008 9:47 am

Part 68

Post by Double Trouble »

begonia9508: Thanks!

Yes, Rath is quite certain any defect doesn’t lie with him.

Liz is trying her best to protect both of them by backing off.

Natalie36: Thanks! That’s a good question and one our gang will be working to discover as quickly as possible.

sarammlover: Lol, give her time and don’t give up on them. Michael didn’t have much choice... she’s Maria.

Roswelllostcause: Lol, well, he is quite full of himself.

keepsmiling7: Thanks!

Max is adamant that the two are not the same.

Liz is trying so hard to do the right thing. We’ll learn more about her relationship with Jack throughout the story.

Alien_Friend: The connection is a very powerful thing.

Alex and Isabel could be quite a powerful team if they could just get past a few things.

Hope can be so hard to hold onto and in their situation, probably so close to impossible, but Jack was onto something.

Looks like out of our eight, we have three that have the gene.

Lol, Tess definitely tried to curb the tension.

Oh, Alex has had plenty of time to adjust to the pressures of having someone traipsing around in his mind. Isabel has made it her pet project to try and learn about him.

Max and Tess have come so far since the beginning of this story and it shows in these little moments where they can find ways to settle the other.

It’s apparently something that stands true regardless of time and place... bad things happen to good people and there’s just no explanation for it.

Keep the faith, Max isn’t giving up on Liz even though she’s keeping him at arms‘ length right now.



Part 68

“Isn’t it kinda dangerous to go outside in this weather?”

“Why would I suggest you do something dangerous?”

“And where would you go for a swim?”

“There is a river nearby that I favor, but when I haven’t the time to get away I have made use of the reflecting pool.” He chuckled. “Isabel likes to think it belongs to her exclusively but she received a shock the last time she paid a visit to the pool during a storm and she hasn’t repeated that mistake since.”

“And if the traitor sees us together?” she whispered.

“Should you wish to indulge in a swim, there is a passageway that would allow us to leave the castle and do so without being seen.” He smiled and held his hand up. “The reflecting pool is covered and there are shields that can be dropped into place to protect it from the elements.”

Well, she certainly had better things in mind for stormy nights. Such as snuggling, but why not try something new? “Okay, let’s do it then.”

His eyebrows shot up when she agreed but he wasted no time getting up and pulling her with him.

“Easy, Commander,” she laughed and had to steady herself against him with the fast movement.

He forced himself to slow to accommodate her. “It’s an experience you won’t soon forget.”

“I have no doubt,” she chuckled.

He led the way through the darkened corridors of the castle, moving silently and feeling ridiculously like a teenager sneaking around with a girl for the first time. He found the passageway he wanted and they followed it to its end where he cautiously opened it and peered out into the darkness before leading her through a maze of foliage that opened up just beyond the reflecting pool. His gaze swept the area, easily adjusted to the darkness, and once he had satisfied himself that they were alone he held his hand out and released the shields that would protect them from being seen. He waited another few minutes before leaving the protection of the foliage and crossing the short distance so they could slip past the shields.

Maria found it hard to see anything. Obviously his eyes worked much better in the dark, she thought and held onto his hand. “Ya know, we didn’t bring any bathing suits.”

“What is a bathing suit?” he asked as he released her hand to pull his shirt off.

“Something to wear in the pool,” she told him, her eyes following his movements and she wished she could see more than his outline.

“Why would you wear clothes in the pool?” He frowned in confusion. A suit to swim in? Who had ever heard of such a thing? He dropped his shirt on one of the benches and reached for the fastening of his pants, releasing it and removing them in one smooth move. He tossed them aside and snorted at the thought before turning and diving into the water, his body slicing cleanly through the surface and barely making a ripple.

“Hey, you’re just gonna leave me standing here all by myself?”

He splashed water at her. “Do you need my help disrobing?”

“Maybe,” she teased and wondered what she would be more comfortable with. Him disrobing her or her doing it in front of him.

He planted his hands on the coarse surface that bordered the pool and with one fluid movement he levered himself up onto his feet before her. “Maybe...?”

Instead of answering she stared straight at his muscled chest and the water drops on it. The thicker water on Antar was still weird in her eyes.

His hand reached for hers, his grip light and unthreatening as he tugged her closer.

She let him pull her towards her body, uncaring of the fact that he got her clothes wet with the move. “It the water drinkable?”

“It won’t harm you if you drink it. It has an odd taste as it hasn’t been treated and thinned as the water we use for drinking is.”

“Okay,” she nodded and leaned forward to lick a drop from his chest. It did taste odd, but the feeling of his skin under her tongue was worth it.

His breath hitched in his throat. He hadn’t dared hope that she would make the first move, but whether it was the darkness that gave her the courage or the storm that had a tendency to unleash the more primal feelings, he intended to go with it and see where it would lead them. His hands came up to cradle her neck, his fingertips massaging the skin there before slipping down to play with the collar of the shirt she was wearing.

“You can take it off,” she whispered.

He reminded himself not to move too fast as his hands moved down over her arms and reached for the hem of her shirt. He inhaled slowly as he began to lift the material, the palms of his hands brushing against her skin as he dragged the shirt up over her sides and along her arms as she lifted them, allowing him to completely remove it.

Maria let her arms fall back but let her hands drop to his shoulders do wipe away more water drops there. “It feels really weird. Like oil or – “ She giggled and blushed when she thought about sperm.

“The water amuses you?” he asked, an eyebrow raised in question as his fingers toyed with the strap of her bra.

“Just a stupid thought,” she chuckled.

He flicked the strap and watched it slip down on her arm. “One you’d care to share?”

“No, I don’t think so.”

He chuckled and repeated the move with the other strap. “Perhaps something seemingly inappropriate about the texture of the water?” His arms came around her and he played with the clasp as he watched her.

“Could be,” she admitted, her eyes locked with his.

“I’d wager it is.” He waited for her slight nod of ascent before he made quick work of the clasp, whisking the material away and dropping his gaze to her breasts. His hands followed his eyes, touching her with a reverence he had never shown any other woman.

Maria closed her eyes and concentrated on the situation and his touch, her heart hammering like crazy against her chest.

His fingertips brushed the edge of the scar that came down over her shoulder but he quickly diverted his attention, not wanting to cause her thoughts to shift to Rath or what had brought her to this moment. “You’re beautiful,” he whispered huskily.

Another blush heated her cheeks and she was glad that it was pretty dark. “So’re you, Michael.”

“You think I’m beautiful?” he choked out and refused to admit to the heat he could feel in his own cheeks. A man could be many things, but beautiful? Most certainly not.

She rolled her eyes, amused. “You’d rather hear me say you’re hot?”

“Hot?” he echoed, uncertain of her meaning. He knew what the word hot meant, but human definition of words so often meant something else.

“Sexy?” she tried again.

Sexy, yes, he knew that one. Kyle had certainly explained it although thinking about it now he hoped at the time it hadn’t been in reference to his sister. He shook that thought off. “Yes, you may use that term.”

“I may,” she chuckled. “Weren’t we planning to swim?”

“Indeed we were.” His hands skimmed down to her waist. “You’ll want to be rid of these.”

“Yeah, sure, my pants shouldn’t get wet, should they?”

“Absolutely not. The rest of you should,” he agreed and quickly worked the last of her clothing over her hips, “but definitely not your pants.” He dropped them with the rest of the clothes and let his gaze wander over her appreciatively before he turned and motioned to the pool.

“Is it cold?” She dipped her toe into it and wondered how it would feel to bathe in... slime.

“No, not at all.” He moved past her to dive into the pool first, surfacing and waving her in. “Join me.”

She sat down on the edge and slipped her legs in first. “That’s weird,” she laughed a bit.

He swam over to her and let his hand travel up over her calf. “It’ll only be strange until you’ve become accustomed to it.”

She moved closer to the edge and nodded slightly when his hands came up to her waist again to pull her completely in. The water wrapped around her body like a second skin. It was awkward, but also kind of cool.

“What is your opinion now?” he asked, watching the way her expression changed at the sensation of the thick water against her skin.

“Surprisingly pleasant.”

He chuckled and took a couple of laps around the pool. The thicker water made it a real workout, but he welcomed it. He came to rest before her again, enjoying the relaxed look on her face. He took his time moving in closer, giving her plenty of time to pull back if she wanted to.

“I don’t know how you can swim in this,” she mused. “I think it’s hard to even move while standing.

“It’s only because you haven’t had time to become accustomed to it. It presents a challenge, but it’s one I enjoy.”

“Of course you do,” she chuckled. “You’re the Commander of Antar.”

He snorted and stood in front of her at his full height. “A dead Commander for now.”

“Hmm,” she lifted her head to look up at him, “you don’t look dead to me.” One of her hands came up to touch his shoulder and then traveled south over his pecs and abs. “Don’t feel dead either,” she muttered to herself while her eyes followed the movement.

A shiver ran through his body and forced his eyes to do some wandering on their own, but she was too short and the best body parts were already swallowed by the thick water surrounding them. He took another step towards her to bring their bodies closer. Both of his hands surfaced and ran over her scalp, wetting her still dry hair and brushing it out of her face. He stopped the movement halfway and held her in a firm but gentle grip while he dipped his own head lower until his lips pressed to hers for a short kiss.

When he retreated, she stood on her tiptoes, hands on his chest for support, to close the short distance again, turning it into more than a brief touch of lips.

Michael followed her lead, letting her show him what she was comfortable with. He had never been in this position with a woman who had been through such a traumatic experience. Truthfully, in the past he would’ve avoided any such entanglements. Had it not been for the connection he most likely would’ve followed his normal pattern of behavior and avoided this one as well.

“Commander,” Maria chastised lightly, “you’re really thinking too hard.”

His brain wasn’t the only thing working hard, he thought but didn’t verbalize it. His right eyebrow quirked up when she leaned back slightly before dropping her forehead to rest on his shoulder and his muscles flexed in response to her heated breath gusting against his chest. He was wondering if he’d just somehow ruined the moment when he realized she was shaking slightly and his hand moved over her back in an awkward petting motion as he tried to calm her.

“Michael, do you remember that recent conversation we had?” She straightened up and met his concerned gaze directly.

He opened his mouth to respond and then realized he really had no idea which conversation she was talking about. “We’ve had several,” he hedged.

“But there was one in particular where I told you that I might not know where my boundaries are, but that I’ll be honest with you when we reach them. Do you remember that?”

He hated talking. And he really hated conversations like this one. He didn’t know what she was waiting for or what he was supposed to say. He finally forced out a “Yes” in the hope that she might enlighten him. He did remember the conversation, but he didn’t understand how it was relevant to this moment.

She smiled and nodded. “We haven’t come close to them yet.”

“What…” he started to formulate the question as to the reason for her talking, but a thought finally settled in. Was she encouraging him to do more?

Maria watched his expression carefully. It shifted from blank to confused to thoughtful in the space of a heartbeat and then finally there was something that looked like realization.

“Woman,” he growled low in his throat with a nod to himself and took a step forward, caging her between the edge of the reflecting pool and him. “Last warning. Stop me whenever you wish, hit me if necessary.”

His lips crashed onto hers hungrily this time, his tongue finding its way into her mouth easily and his teeth were pulling at her bottom lip so desperately she was sure they would leave a mark for a while.

She moaned in response to his finally unleashed behavior and felt her body reacting to it with shivers and a dropping feeling in her stomach.

Her sounds encouraged him and his huge hands at her waist moved lower over the curves of her ass and further down to the backs of her thighs. Because of her size he had to lean down with the movement, crowding her against the edge. He gave her flesh a tight squeeze with his hands and puller her light body up against him.

Maria knew what he wanted and opened her legs to wrap them around his waist, thankful that his strong arms helped and steadied her, because moving in the water was hard enough, but her whole body was also shaking with ecstasy.

Michael pulled her impossibly closer, his mouth devouring hers as his hands continued to map her body. The sounds she made only increased his desire and the feel of her skin against his made him want more. He was oblivious to the sounds beyond the seclusion of the reflecting pool, but when one of the shields was shifted by a sudden burst of wind he jerked back, his right hand shooting out, palm splayed as his eyes scanned the surrounding area for any potential threats.

“It is best we return to our quarters,” he rasped, his voice slightly breathless.

He really hadn’t expected anything like this when he had suggested taking a dip in the reflecting pool. He had intended to persuade her to get into the pool with him and he had hoped she would want to, but while he had permitted his mind to wander into more tempting territory he’d had no expectations. But as long as she was willing and comfortable and encouraging him to continue he had no intentions of letting the moment pass.

The noise made by the wind served to remind him why slipping out at night was only an acceptable escape if all of his focus was on what was going on around him. And right now his focus was centered on the naked woman in his arms.

Maria smiled at his slip and knew he hadn’t caught the fact that he’d used the word ‘our’ in reference to his quarters. Not that she minded, but she wasn’t going to draw his attention to it either. Not yet anyway. “There are definite advantages to being indoors,” she agreed as her fingertips trailed over his face. It was impossible to ignore the fact that he was aroused and pressed against her in a very intimate embrace. And it was even more difficult to ignore the fact that she wanted him. She knew it should be a foreign concept right now, but there was no escaping the truth. She didn’t know how far she would be able to go, but the thought of being separated from him was more than she could handle at the moment.

He nodded, not even trying to decipher what advantages she meant and slowly released her. The movement made her smaller body slide down on him and he bit back a groan. Once they were separated, he used his hands on the edge and pushed himself up and out of the pool in one fluid move.

“I think I need your help,” she told him, the thick water made it next to impossible to get out if you weren’t muscled like him.

“Anytime,” he bent down and wrapped one strong arm around her, lifting her out of the water easily until he could grab her legs with the other.

Maria laughed and leaned her head against his shoulder. “You’re so incredibly strong, Commander.”

He slowly lowered her to her own feet. “You can’t weigh much more than the uniform and weapons I have to wear every day.” With a swipe of his hand he dried their bodies in a matter of seconds and reached for their clothes reluctantly.

“Just for a short time,” she whispered when she noticed his displeased face. Taking a step closer, she brushed her lips against his bare upper arm. “You can take it all off of me again soon.”

His eyes darkened and he dipped his head for a short hard kiss. Normally, he wouldn’t even have questioned a woman’s permission, assuming she was of course willing to go along with everything he suggested, and never had any of them raised a word against him. But he knew this small human creature in front of him had more power over him than anyone else and her feelings mattered.

“We must go now,” he said when he withdrew and his gaze followed her every move as she began to cover herself for the brief journey back to his quarters. He pulled on his own clothes and moved to the shields, raising one just enough to peer outside and scan the area. He still didn’t fully understand what it was she did to him when she smiled, but every time she did it caused the oddest sensation in his chest; just as it did at that moment when he reached for her hand to pull her with him out into the night.

*****

Isabel prowled around her quarters, agitated by the days’ events. Thunder rumbled beyond the open balcony doors increasing her restlessness. She watched as the shadowed trees swayed, bending to the will of the heavy winds. She wondered about the super storm they had been warned about by their scientists. They knew it was coming but they hadn’t been able to provide a date for its arrival. They had warned that it would have great destructive powers and to the best of their knowledge there was nothing that could be done to prevent it.

They had learned plenty over the course of their time together, but it had done little to ease her mind. They really only knew now what they had known before – they couldn’t trust anyone outside of their small circle; a circle that had grown to include four humans. They had learned that three within their circle possessed the gene, but that didn’t affect her personally. She was glad that she didn’t have the gene.

The Commander had the gene, but knowing what they knew now, there was little point in their marriage. As far as she was concerned there had never been a point to it, but if the powerful offspring was the desired result of their marriage and that wasn’t possible without both of them carrying the gene, then they had found their way out of it. She sighed and made another turn around the room. What did it matter now that their parents were suspects? They couldn’t tell anyone.

But the Commander was dead as far as everyone else knew, so that put off her own impending marriage. Max didn’t have the same advantage. And if their father insisted that the marriage take place once things returned to normal and the kingdom’s observance of the Commander’s death had been satisfied, they would have no way of putting it off without revealing the truth. After everything she had observed earlier she knew how much that would devastate him. Her brother was undeniably in love with the human servant and in spite of the feelings that were so obviously returned, the woman was keeping him at arms’ length.

The Royal Four, she thought. Four hybrids of royal descent, promised to each other, and they were all in some way connected to humans; the King to a kitchen servant, the Commander to a field nurse, the Corporal/Princess to the Captain, and even she to the Advisor. She shook her head and snorted softly as she imagined the reactions of their parents if such a thing were ever to be revealed. What an uproar that would cause, especially with Zander and Lonella. It would be worth it just to see the expressions on their otherwise expressionless faces.

She wondered what the Advisor was doing with his evening as thunder rolled overhead again. Lightening slashed across the sky, the jagged light crackling and leaving the air charged with electricity that seemed to transfer itself to her body. She shifted restlessly and she moved to stand on the balcony, her hands gripping the ledge as she squinted against the dust being kicked up by the heavy winds.

She went back inside after a moment and her hand waved through the air, flinging the doors closed. She required very little sleep but she was too on edge to bother even trying. She needed to relax and to do that she needed something that would take that edge off. She smiled to herself and played over different scenarios in her mind while she made herself comfortable in bed. She decided on one and closed her eyes as she began a mental walk to go in search of what she wanted.

She found the Advisor with ease, his sleeping mind so easy to access that she slipped in without resistance. She wandered through the shadows, frowning at his dreamless state. That wouldn’t do at all. She wanted him to come out and play. She shifted restlessly, her silk covered thighs rubbing together in a search for relief and sighing in frustration when she didn’t find it. She turned in a small circle, snapping her fingers and bringing her surroundings to life.

Yes, there he was. She could feel his subconscious awakening and she teased the edges of his mind to draw him into the scene. His aura was strong and she could feel his approach in every nerve ending. His footsteps were sure, his confidence palpable, and she moved to meet him.

“What’re you doin’ here?” he asked, glancing around at the bedroom that had been conjured up before his gaze settled appreciatively on her curvy form that was barely hidden behind the silk sleeping garment she wore.

Isabel’s lips lifted in a triumphant smile when she saw the way his gray irises became thin rings around his blown pupils. Her eyes dropped lower, seeing the bulge hidden behind the jeans he wore and she reached out to run her fingernail along his zipper. “I should think it would be quite obvious. Not all of you is so oblivious.” She flicked the snap on his jeans to release it but as she was reaching for the zipper he suddenly stopped her. Her surprised gaze flew to his. “Do not interfere.”

“I’ve told you before that we meet as equals in the bedroom or we don’t meet at all,” he said, his grip on her wrist tight but not hard enough to cause pain.

“You want to take control,” she bit out, need and desire warring with stubborn pride.

“No,” he murmured and released her hand so he could run his fingers along her arm and up to her shoulder where the silk gown was secured. “I want to take you and watch you come apart while I’m so deep inside you it’s all you can think about.” He watched her eyes darken as he played with the clasp at her shoulder. “You’re so wet right now, strung so tight that if you don’t come you’re gonna be miserable all night.”

“You have little room to talk.” Her gaze locked on the bulge behind his zipper, her fingers itching to touch him without any barriers between them.

“I don’t disagree.”

She met his eyes directly, trying to understand why he so openly admitted he wanted her and made no apologies for it. “I won’t capitulate.”

His warm chuckle surprised her. “You misunderstand what I want from you.”

“You want what any man wants from a woman.”

He shook his head. “Do I want to take you to bed and satisfy my needs? Yes, I do, and I see no reason to deny that. But what you need to understand is that it isn’t a one-way street. I want to satisfy your needs as well.” He studied her eyes for a moment. “I don’t want your capitulation; not the way you define it.” He smiled and cupped her cheek in his hand. “You believe if you surrender to me you’re giving something up, that you’re handing control over to me, and I guess in some way there’s some truth to that. But this isn’t the battlefield and giving that up doesn’t mean I win and you lose. It isn’t a matter of me taking anything from you; it’s you giving me permission to touch you, treat you, and yes, even love you the way you deserve.”

Isabel frowned in consternation. “Why do you insist on having the upper hand in every situation?” she demanded to know. She had entered the dreamplane with the expectation that he would do what she wanted him to do. But no, he continued to defy her wishes.

“I don’t,” he answered simply. “I just want to make certain that we understand each other because you tend to hear what you wanna hear when I talk.”

She was tiring of this conversation. She hadn’t come here to talk and he wasn’t supposed to be able to gain the upper hand on the dreamplane. “Are you going to bed me or not?”

“Well,” he chuckled when her impatience and frustration came through clearly, “I guess Rome wasn’t built in a day.”

“What does an ancient Earth city have to do with this?”

“More than you know.” And wasn’t it interesting that she knew what Rome was when she claimed to have no memories of Earth. There was no reason to continue pushing this tonight; she had come in search of him, choosing the dreamplane because she felt safe and completely in control here.

“Bed me or I will take my leave.”

She was feeling threatened. Or at least, her control of the situation was feeling jeopardized by his refusal to just give her what she wanted. That was the last thing he wanted. He had no doubt that given time he could teach her that there was so much more that could exist between a man and a woman, but he was going to have to take it one step at a time. Wordlessly he took her hand and led her over to the bed, sitting on the side and pulling her to stand between his knees.

Isabel watched his every move as he released her hand and reached up to fumble with the clasp at her shoulder. That was more like it. She could feel the tremors in him and it allowed something inside of her to settle. Antarian men didn’t react the same way; in these situations they had one imperative and as a rule she was fine with that. But they also didn’t challenge her. She frowned when he spoke, unaccustomed to a man speaking in these moments.

“I’ve wanted you from the moment I first saw you.” He finally succeeded in freeing the stubborn clasp and he watched, dry-mouthed, as the silken gown slithered over her body to pool on the floor at her feet, leaving her bare to his hungry gaze. His hands moved over her thighs, settling at the backs of them to pull her forward to straddle him. His brow furrowed into a deep frown when she stood rooted to the spot, but a moment later she waved her hand over him and his clothes disappeared.

She moved forward of her own accord, reaching for his erection even as she straddled him. She was already so aroused and needy that he met no resistance and he groaned when she sank down on him without preamble. He forced his thoughts to focus on her breasts and he lavished attention on them while his hands gripped her hips to steady her rushed movements. She had probably been on edge for hours so it didn’t take long before she achieved an orgasm and slumped weakly against his shoulder.

Her inner walls were contracting around him and she drew back slowly to meet his dark gaze when she realized that he was still hard. She bit her bottom lip when the movement dragged her sensitized nerve endings against him and she couldn’t help but repeat the move, seeking more contact.

Alex slapped her ass, leaving a stinging handprint before wrapping his arms around her and rolling them over on the bed. He lifted an eyebrow in interest when he saw the flush of arousal come to life once again and he chuckled. “Like a little kink with sex, Isabel?”

She glared at him. “I did not give you permission to bed me in this manner.”

His fingertips ghosted over the handprint he had left on his skin and he watched her eyes darken in response. “I think it scares you to enjoy letting someone else be in the dominant position for a change.” His hand smoothed over the spot before delivering another stinging smack. “Did you enjoy it during the meeting?” He withdrew just a couple of inches and slid back inside, keeping his movements teasing. She hadn’t moved her leg from its position when he’d hooked it over his hip and he took that as a sign of encouragement.

Isabel moaned at the dual sensations and in spite of her intentions to not give in to him she couldn’t stop her body from rising up to meet his thrusts. She turned her head to the side when he would have kissed her but that only earned her another slap against her ass and she stubbornly continued to stare at the wall. Her entire body was on fire and it was taking everything she had to not give in to his wishes.

Alex shook his head at her and angled his hips to hit the one spot that would bring her attention right back to him and he grinned at her when he found it and her surprised gaze flew to his. “Don’t tell me no other man’s ever done that.” He didn’t wait for an answer, his hand cupping her jaw as he lowered his head. “I’m gonna kiss you.” He could see in her eyes that she wanted it, but he could also see the underlying fear. Fear that she’d enjoy it? Fear that it might make her want more? Or was it fear of something else? He didn’t know and for that reason he didn’t force the issue. He shook his head when he felt her breath quicken. “Maybe I’ll just wait for you to kiss me.”

She grabbed his ass and pulled him towards her. She had her reasons for resisting and just because she was allowing him to bed her didn’t mean she was prepared to confess them. She couldn’t explain why she was so drawn to him, why something about him made her feel safe, or why being with him made her want to open up, but she was so used to keeping everyone at a distance and she didn’t know how to let those walls down.

Allowing him to bed her in this manner was a huge concession on her part and it scared her that he seemed to understand that. Somehow she knew that if she were to do anything to suggest that she wasn’t comfortable with anything he was doing he would respect her enough to stop and for that reason alone she allowed him to continue. Well, she admitted to herself, that and the fact that what he was doing felt so damn good!

He acquiesced to her silent demand when her fingernails dug into the flesh of his ass and he began to move, the force of his thrusts pushing her further up the bed. His hands came up to curl around her shoulders as his hips pounded into her, pushing her into another orgasm moments before he found his own release.

When he could move again he pushed himself up on his forearms and lifted his head to look into Isabel’s flushed sweaty features. He ran a hand down along her side and smiled at her but before he had the opportunity to speak she pushed at his chest and he rolled off of her. He reached for her hand to stop her but she didn’t allow it and a moment later he felt himself being pulled back.

His eyes shot open as he fell out of bed and landed on the floor and he looked around his darkened quarters in surprise. He ran a hand through his hair and jerked the covers off, tossing them aside and making a face at the sticky feeling where his boxers were clinging to him wetly.

“Fuckin’ great,” he muttered as he got to his feet. “Damn it, Isabel!” His shout probably carried through the corridors but at the moment he didn’t care. He stumbled into the bathroom and stripped his boxers off as he reached over to turn the shower on. He knew there was more going on inside of her than she allowed anyone to see and that she was feeling him out, trying to decide if she could trust him completely, but she was going to drive him mad in the process.
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Fics: A Xmas Story - A Merry Mt. R. Xmas - Cupid's Revenge - Double Trouble - Double Date - Double Dare - Double Empire - Double Xmas Wish - In The Course Of A Lifetime - Mountains So High - Not A Question At All - Surrender - TIC TAC - Two Double Dates at Xmas
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Double Trouble
Obsessed Roswellian
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Part 69

Post by Double Trouble »

sarammlover: Lol, look for them to get hotter and sweeter. Yeah, Alex still has his work cut out for him with the Princess. Oh, Max and Liz are getting there.

Earth2Mama: Welcome back!

We’ll have to wait until Isabel decides to share.

They’re definitely working towards that goal!

Max and Liz still have a ways to go.

LovelyPOM83: Thanks for reading!

keepsmiling7: Thanks!

Lol, it is a good question as far as the Commander’s concerned.

Natalie36: Well, don’t expect it to happen right away.

begonia9508: Lol, the water would take some getting used to!

Yep, Alex has his work cut out for him.

Roswelllostcause: Thanks, we have more of that today.

Eva: Lol, and it’s getting hotter!

Well, you may not need more, but... we do have more. ;)



Part 69

The journey back inside and through the castle to his quarters was made considerably faster than their earlier exit. Before he had felt confined by the familiar walls and while the confinement that was a direct result of his current situation still aggravated him, entering his quarters didn’t carry the weight it had before. He followed Maria through the rooms, their destination so close but taking longer to reach it because they were pausing every few seconds to exchange heated kisses.

He made a sound of encouragement when her small hands fumbled with his shirt and he quickly shrugged it off. He stripped her shirt off of her and swept her up in his arms, carrying her the rest of the way to the bedroom.

“A girl could get used to being carried around like this, Commander,” Maria murmured with a quiet giggle as she kissed every inch of skin she could reach.

“This’s as far as I carry you tonight,” he growled as he lowered her to the bed and followed her down.

“I think I can live with that.” His strong, large body moved over her carefully, giving her the feeling of being so small but so secure.

The first sun was starting to rise above the horizon. It was the only light they had, but it was enough for him to appreciate every curve and dip of her body.

Maria bit her lip under his intense stare that felt like a caress. He was turning her on with nothing more than his eyes and it made her restless against the sheets.

“I want to touch you,” he said plainly. The way she moved under him he was sure she wanted him, too. Skin flushed, hands kneading the light blanket, and legs rubbing together, although he had never paid attention to it before, the signals her body was giving him were quiet obvious.

“So do it,” she countered.

His gaze shifted to hers and a grin spread on his lips when he recognized the impatience not only in her voice, but in her eyes as well.

Maria groaned slightly. Now of all moments he had to learn what teasing was? “Michael! Now is not the time to start being patient.”

He chuckled deeply and shifted on the mattress, nudging her legs apart with one knee until he could settle between them. He lowered his body down on her, but kept most of his weight braced on his arms at her sides. A sexy groan left her delicate mouth when he moved his hips against her in a move that was slow but intense.

Her teeth sank into her bottom lip when one of his big hands slid down to wrap around her thigh, lifting her leg higher as his hips continued to move. He was so close and she couldn’t stop herself from lifting her own hips to meet his in an effort to increase the friction. She wanted more, wanted everything he was so willing to give, but something in the back of her mind kept pushing to be recognized.

Michael was watching her closely and he could see the warring emotions racing across her features, vying for control. They were so close. With the slightest move they would be joined but as much as he knew she wanted that too, he knew something else was going on. It took a monumental effort to focus when his body protested against his order to cease and desist.

“If you wish for me to stop,” he growled hoarsely, “now is the time to tell me.”

She stared at him as her hand came to rest against his cheek. “Do you have protection?”

“What is it you seek protection from?”

Maria bit back a smile at his question, but it was more the impatient confusion laced in the words that allowed her to find humor in the moment. Her body was screaming for completion and as much as she wanted to feel him inside her she wasn’t prepared to embrace the possibility of a pregnancy so soon. “Your little swimmers,” she said finally.

The frown on his forehead deepened when he hadn’t the slightest clue what she was talking about. “Swimmers? Is that related to our adventure in the pool?”

“No,” she giggled and held him close when he tried to lean back. “I’m talking about pregnancy protection, Michael. I know on Antar things work a little differently, but I am 100 % human an’ I guess your physiology works much like a male human’s.”

“Oh,” he simply said when realization settled in.

“I know that’s the direction the connection’s leading us in, but – “

He placed a finger on her lips to silence her. “You don’t have to explain yourself. A pregnancy would be a huge step and we don’t know anything about it yet. I know this is not to happen soon.”

Maria nodded. “On Earth we had condoms or the pill, but I don’t think any of that exists here.”

“And these things would prevent pregnancy,” he mused. “No, as Antarians do not procreate in such a manner, we have no use for them here.” He shrugged one shoulder. “Dr. Collon may have procured a supply of such items considering we have increased the human population recently.” The human population was by no means great, but Antarians weren’t looking for a population explosion either so it stood to reason that such methods of birth control had been imported as well.

“Hmm, and it would be a bit suspicious to go and wake him in the middle of the night to… procure one,” she said, teasing him with the formal word. “Of course there are other methods.”

“Indeed.”

“There’s the early withdrawal method.” She looked up at him through her eyelashes, biting back a smile when she saw the frown that settled on his face as he worked that out. His obvious dislike of that method quickly appeared when he put two and two together.

“A Commander never begins a quest he does not believe he can complete in a satisfactory manner,” he said, his tone imperious. He shook his head. No, that would not work at all. It was too calculated, too restrictive, and would completely ruin his enjoyment of the moment. “There are, however, other ways to achieve our goal,” he murmured as he began to kiss his way down her body. Satisfying a woman in this manner was something he rarely did because while he had always made sure his bedmates left his bed satisfied, this seemed much more intimate. And he’d had no interest in forming any attachments to the others. The few times he had done so had been at first out of curiosity and later simply to hone his own skills. The fact that the handful of women he’d practiced on had enjoyed it had been a good thing, but not his main goal. In truth, it had been more of an experiment for him, but this time, it was purely to draw a reaction from Maria that she would enjoy to the fullest.

His heated breath ghosted across her skin as he traveled south, feeling the trembling in her flesh that had nothing to do with fear and everything to do with need. He shifted back and glanced up to take in her expression. Her body was flushed, her hands in constant motion, her head pressed back into the pillows as she writhed against the mattress. He smiled to himself and began to intensify his touches, reveling in her shocked gasp when he used his tongue to touch her in the most intimate of kisses.

Her eyes rolled back in her head when her imagination and the thing he really did to her became one and the same. Her teeth sank into her bottom lip until it started to hurt. “Michael,” she breathed and bucked her hips up.

He smirked to himself when it quickly became apparent that she was enjoying his touches. His grip on her thighs tightened so he could keep her still while he continued to please her. He drew his tongue up to play with the small bundle of nerves that seemed to increase her pleasure, making her writhe uncontrollably.

This felt beyond anything she had ever experienced before. Her head was spinning, the blood rushing though her ears and her stomach muscles kept contracting like crazy. She was so into it and her fast approaching orgasm that she didn’t even realize the upcoming flash until it hit her at the same time as her body went over the peak.

A large hand touching her belly, a tiny hand appearing on her skin, held in the arms of the Commander, a weird aura like a protective shield around them, her belly growing... a baby.

With a gasp she opened her eyes, her body still quivering from the aftermath.

Michael was breathing hard, not from physical exertion but from the intensity of the flash. He lifted his head to look at Maria, taking in her flushed features and the shock in her darkened eyes. “Maria?” He called her name cautiously, uncertain how she would be feeling after the flash. It had been unexpected for certain, but surprisingly he didn’t find the idea unacceptable. In fact, the image of her, heavy with his child, was incredibly erotic.

“Here with you,” she breathed heavily. “Just gimme a second.”

Was it possible that the image was yet again showing them what was to be? If it was some moment from their future did they have the option of deciding if they wanted it to be? He shifted restlessly, his own body reminding him that its demands had yet to be met. He couldn’t deny that he would find pleasure in creating a child with Maria, but he also wouldn’t be party to doing anything that she didn’t want.

She felt him move and it reminded her of his still aroused and unsatisfied state. Yes, they had to discuss these newest flashes, but it could wait a moment longer, couldn’t it?

“Come here,” she used her hands on his arms to bring him up face to face with her again.

He had no idea what she had in mind, what she would be comfortable with, but he went willingly. The expression on her face was so open and he could see no conflict with the arousal still simmering in her eyes.

“I’m not sure I’m ready to do the same for you with my mouth,” she admitted and let her hand wander over the full length of his erection. “But if you’re willing to let me do it with my hands...”

“There is no right or wrong here between us,” he said as he met her gaze fully. “Any way you want to touch me is acceptable.” He groaned when her grip tightened slightly as her hand moved over him. “Yes.”

She smirked and rested her forehead against his while she changed the angle of her touch to make it more stimulating. His face turned into a concentrated mask and she doubted she had ever seen anything as sexy as this.

His eyes drifted closed and he focused on her touch as his breathing became more ragged with every passing moment. As much as he wanted to be inside her he found that this was more than acceptable. He inhaled sharply when the pad of her thumb brushed over the head, swiping at the moisture there and only increasing his need.

Her lips found his for a short kiss and she increased the speed and intensity of her touch until his breath was coming in short pants. It amazed her that a Commander like him would give himself into her hands without a doubt. She had no doubt that he would be a good father.

Michael could feel how close he was and it amazed him that she could bring him to this point with just her touch. It was more than just reaching the point of culmination, that in itself could easily be achieved by touch alone; it was the intensity that was associated with the moment, and it only increased when he was hit with a wave of emotions that he knew came from her. It awed and humbled him that she could be so certain of him after all that she had been through. There was something else there though, something even deeper, but rather than pursue that thought he gave himself over to the inevitable and his body stiffened as his release flooded through him.

She kept caressing him until his breath evened out and then she rolled over but was stopped by his arms. “I’m just getting something to clean you up. I’ll be back in a second.”

He waved a hand and fell over on his back completely, too drained to do much more. He could only imagine how it would feel to make love to her in the fullest sense and in spite of his release moments before he could feel interest stirring low in his belly and he grinned.

With a few paper towels in her hand, she came back and crawled over the bed towards him to clean him off gently before it started to stick. When everything was gone, she tossed them aside and pulled the blanket up to crawl under it with a deep sigh.

Michael pulled her into his arms and a feeling of contentment seeped into every pore when she settled against him easily and her arm slipped over his waist.

“You had that flash too?” she guessed after a moment of comfortable silence.

He opened his eyes to look at her, dropping his gaze to her hand when she began to trace over his chest. “The baby?”

“Yeah.”

He nodded after a moment. “Yes, I experienced the same vision.”

She waited a moment before she formulated her next question. “How do you feel about it?”

“Oddly accepting,” he admitted. “Very protective over both you and our child.” He shot a sideways grin at her. “Incredibly aroused at the thought of you carrying my offspring.”

A smile spread on her lips and she snuggled impossibly closer to him. Sometimes he just knew how to give right answers.

He tightened his embrace for a moment, pleased that his words had made her happy. It was something new for him, this desire to please someone else, but for Maria he found himself quite accepting of his new role.

“I think I would be happy to have your child.”

He ordered his body to remain calm in the wake of her quiet statement. “You would not fear such a thing?”

“I’m scared of the thought,” she admitted. “But every human woman is I think. It’s not a fear that overrides the rest.”

“So you might in time consider it?”

She lifted her head and rested her chin on his chest while she connected their eyes. “I always wanted kids and that hasn’t changed.”

“They would be partly alien,” he said after a moment. “It would set them apart from others.”

“Maybe future generations will handle things differently.” She knew that was only partly true, things like that needed time.

“Royal blood would flow through their veins and as such they would have certain protection, but those who look down on hybrids can be cruel. We were more accepted on Earth than we were by many of our own people.”

“It’s because you have our looks,” she said gently. “Which I like by the way.”

“And if I had the blue skin so prominent in Antarians?”

Maria made a face. “Well, that would take some time to get used to, huh?”

He chuckled at her honest response. “Most likely.”

“Do you think there’s a chance a child would turn out blue?” She frowned at the thought.

He shook his head. “While biology of any species was never one of my strengths I don’t believe the blue pigmentation would carry to our children. You’re completely human and I’m half human so given those odds I think it’s more likely they’ll look just as human as we do.”

“Well, good,” she sighed in relief with a small giggle.

He laughed quietly. “I suppose that would be infinitely difficult to explain once they were old enough to question why they’re blue and we aren’t.”

“They?”

He scratched his eyebrow with his thumb when he realized he had implied more than one child several times now. “Well, should we have more than one child.”

“Little troublemakers, huh?”

He thought about that for a moment before nodding with a grin. “Most likely.”

She rested her cheek back on his chest and kept caressing his warm skin there. “I’d like to have some of ‘em around. It would give me something to do.”

His body stirred at the thought and he lifted an eyebrow in question. “How soon would you like to have them?”

“I’m not sure.”

He smiled and traced his fingertip over her nose. “You’ll let me know when you are.”

“We don’t even know if it would really work. I mean... Rath has tried and... ya know...”

“Rath may have more of our Antarian DNA, which would suppress our...” he cast about for the word she had used, “swimmers to avoid natural impregnation. The very thing that makes him so alien, that has crossed the worst of human and Antarians alike, may be the very thing that’s prevented him from succeeding.” He nodded to himself, proud of his explanation. It sounded plausible.

“When did you come up with that theory?”

“Just now.” He shrugged. “Antarian DNA has been altered to render our swimmers basically useless, but being half human and engineered to create a super hybrid, it would be imperative to increase their ability to allow procreation.”

“That’s true,” she agreed. “And the flashes would imply that as well.”

He nodded, satisfied that she approved of his theory.

“I can’t believe we’re talking about babies,” she said quietly. Things were going so fast, it was scary and amazing at the same time.

“Nor can I,” he admitted. “Not long ago I wouldn’t have even considered entertaining the thought, let alone consider I might be lying in bed with a woman discussing it.”

“Things change so quickly,” she reached over to take his hand. “For the better I wanna believe.”

“This could be a good thing for many reasons.” He threaded their fingers together and brought them up to rest on his chest.

“Yeah? Tell me.”

“There is of course the fact that a child we create will alter the course of the war. There is also the fact that our being together and having a child would provide a certain stability in my personal life that has been non-existent thus far.” He shifted onto his side and rested his hand on her bare hip beneath the covers. “Most importantly there is the fact that creating a child together is so much more than either of those things.” He met her gaze directly and held it for several long moments before he leaned in for a gentle kiss. “It will mean you’ve truly begun to heal.”

She blinked back the tears at his gentle words. “Do you think you could love me one day?”

He shook his head. “I already love you,” he said as if it should be obvious. He’d realized it before but as a man of few words, and even less when they were so emotionally involved, he took it for granted that she would know.

“You do?” she asked, stunned.

His hand came up to cup her cheek. How could she not know? “With all that I am.”

That was the most intimate thing anyone had ever said to her and again she fought back the oncoming tears. With a small sob, she leaned in and crashed her lips onto his.

He was confused by the combination of the emotional outburst of tears and the sudden and unexpected kiss. His hand rubbed against her thigh unconsciously as he pulled back. “Maria?” He didn’t want to misread or misunderstand what she was doing.

“I’m good,” she assured him.

His heart started to hammer and he had no control over his body’s immediate reaction. “You want to...?”

“I trust you,” she told him and brought their bodies closer. “I trust you with my heart and my body.”

Her admission was all that he wanted and needed to hear and he took her mouth in a heated kiss that was a clash of lips, teeth, and tongue as he rolled her onto her back. As before he braced the majority of his weight on his forearms, careful of how heavily he rested against her as he settled between her eagerly parting thighs. He rolled his hips, his erection teasing her and increasing his own need when he felt how hot and wet she was.

“Impressive recovery time,” she groaned against his lips.

His chest swelled with pride. “I know.”

Maria chuckled and lifted her head to bite the delicate looking skin on his shoulder, sinking her teeth into it and then licking over the mark.

The small sting caused a bolt of lightning to shoot through him and he growled in response. His hand slipped over her hip and between her thighs, sliding through her slick folds to find her entrance and ease inside, determined to make this an experience she would enjoy to the fullest.

Her head fell back at the sensation of his touch. She couldn’t remember a time she had ever felt like this. “I love you too,” she panted when she remembered at just that moment that she hadn’t said it back to him.

Michael’s movements stuttered for just a moment as her words washed over him. He didn’t understand how a few words could so strongly affect him, but something inside him reacted to them. Was he supposed to say the words again? Should he make some sort of verbal declaration of gratitude? He didn’t know, so he did what he knew to be a language he could speak without fumbling about for words. His mouth took hers in a heated kiss as he added another finger, feeling himself swell at the realization that she was ready for him. She was ready physically but he forced himself to wait for her to give him a signal to let him know beyond a shadow of a doubt.

She turned her head slightly to break the kiss when air became an issue and a few loud gasps escaped her, followed by a deep groan. “Michael, I want you.”

Her words caused the tether on his patience to snap and he withdrew his fingers to grab her thigh, lifting it high against his side as he lined his erection up. He spared only a few moments teasing her entrance as he studied her features, turned on beyond belief at what he found there. He slowly entered her, one heated inch at a time until he was fully sheathed inside her.

Maria stared up into his eyes and didn’t see anything but pure lust, gentleness and love there. How had all of this happened so fast? She couldn’t find an answer and she didn’t need one because there was no doubt in her that this was the right thing to do. With the right man at her side.

Once he was certain she’d had time to adjust to him he began to pull back until he had almost completely withdrawn and he couldn’t look away from her eyes as he thrust with more intent, seeing the answering need there. He nodded and repeated the move, adding more pressure and speed each time until he could feel her beginning to tremble beneath him.

Her small hands roamed over his strong body and she was sure she was leaving several marks there but he wasn’t complaining. Her breath seemed to increase in synchronization with his thrusts and she gasped when her orgasm hit her so intensely and unexpectedly that it roared through her whole body.

Michael felt her reach her peak, felt it in her body, in her breathing, and strangely enough he somehow felt it inside himself. Rather than ponder that thought though he intensified his thrusts, reaching for that precipice that was so close he could feel himself rushing towards it. Even expecting it, he wasn’t prepared when he went over the edge with more force than he had ever experienced before.

His body trembled and she caught him in her arms when he seemed to be unable to steady himself any longer. His weight was pressing her into the mattress, but it didn’t feel uncomfortable. No, it was the best kind of feeling you could have after sex. “That was intense,” she mumbled against his hair.

He muttered something completely unintelligible as he tried to bring his breathing and his heartbeat under control.

The sun was already illuminating most of the room now and reminded her that their time together would probably come to an end soon. “When do you have to leave?”

“There will be meetings to attend to, but I believe they can wait until we’ve had breakfast.”

“Let’s snuggle first,” she teased and rubbed her nose against the side of his neck.

“Snuggle?” Somehow that didn’t sound like anything a Commander would do.

“Uh-huh.”

“We just... lie here?”

“Lie here and you can caress me if you like,” she chuckled.

He grinned at that. Touching had a tendency to lead to other things so who was he to deny her? “Very well,” he said agreeably.

“And maybe we could take a shower together then.”

He groaned at the image that immediately came to mind. “Do you intend to determine just how great my recovery time is?”

She giggled and pushed him slightly until he rolled over, taking her with him. “Not at all, but I like to be close to you.”

“I find that acceptable,” he said after a moment. “And I also enjoy being with you.”

“Then you better come always home to me.”

He smiled and let his fingertips trace over her features. He would always do what was necessary to return to her, but he wouldn’t make a promise that he didn’t know for certain he could keep. “I will always do my best,” he assured her.

She nodded. “I know all you can do is try.”

“That much is certain.”

She traced her fingertips along the side of his torso and watched with amazement as he shivered. Things were anything but perfect, but she felt incredibly safe with him.

“What will you do today?” he asked after a few minutes.

“I don’t know, there’s not much to do considering recent events.”

He nodded. “Only until we’ve flushed the traitor out.”

“Yeah, and my lover’s faked death is over.”

That brought a smile to his serious features. “That will be cause for celebration.”

“Indeed,” she nodded and kissed his chest. “I hope the time will come when we don’t have to hide in front of your people.”

“Considering what we’ve learned so far we may be able to move about freely sooner than we had anticipated.”

“You think so?”

“There’s little reason to maintain the pretense of the arranged marriages if they aren’t to yield the desired results.”

“Yeah, that’s true,” she admitted. “But that doesn’t mean they’ll automatically accept your relationship with a human.”

“The majority of our people have accepted the reality that their governing body and military forces are led by Antarians that are half-human.”

That still didn’t convince her, but she let it go. “Only time will tell I guess.”

“There is truth in that.”

She relaxed against him and listened to the steady beat of his heart. It was a comforting sound and she soon felt sleep tugging at her. Maybe it was okay to rest for a little while longer.

Michael glanced down at her when she finally began to sleep and he smiled as he reached up to brush a few tendrils of hair away from her face. There were forces at work that would like to see the hybrids removed from power but he could feel a renewed energy to see them defeated. He yawned widely and judged the time based on the sun’s place in the sky. Perhaps he could sleep for just a few more minutes, he thought as his own eyes began to slide closed.
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Fics: A Xmas Story - A Merry Mt. R. Xmas - Cupid's Revenge - Double Trouble - Double Date - Double Dare - Double Empire - Double Xmas Wish - In The Course Of A Lifetime - Mountains So High - Not A Question At All - Surrender - TIC TAC - Two Double Dates at Xmas
Roswelllostcause
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Posts: 1992
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Re: Double Empire - AUwA/CC/Adult - Part 69 - 4/27/14

Post by Roswelllostcause »

Great part hurry back!,
Check out my Author page for a list of my fics!


http://www.roswellfanatics.net/viewtopi ... 1&t=155639
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