Choices and Conseqences teen M/L CC Chapter 9 11/15/17

This is the place to post all your General Roswell fanfiction. Any Canon fics, which pick up directly from any episode of the show and that focus on Max/Liz, Michael/Maria, Isabel/Alex or Isabel/Jesse, Kyle/Tess, or all the couples together! Rule of Thumb: If Max healed Liz in the Crashdown in September 1999, then your fic belongs here. If it picks up from the show in any way, it belongs here.

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L-J-L 76
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Re: Choices and Conseqences teen M/L CC Chapter 6 10/26/17

Post by L-J-L 76 »

This is a interesting story. Can't wait till Liz is with Max and friends.

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Parker1947
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Re: Choices and Conseqences teen M/L CC Chapter 6 10/26/17

Post by Parker1947 »

I am enjoying this story. It continues to intrigue me, and I like how you are having everyone act and interact. Well done...
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Re: Choices and Conseqences teen M/L CC Chapter 6 10/26/17

Post by RoswellFan68 »

I'm really liking this story. Can't wait for the next part.
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Re: Choices and Conseqences teen M/L CC Chapter 7 11/05/17

Post by JanieD »

Chapter 7: Chapter 7

Liz’s hands and knees were rubbed raw and bleeding from crawling along the rusted metal in the heating ducts. She did her best to keep up with Zan’s much faster pace but was clearly struggling. “Zan,” she called out to him. When he didn’t respond, she called again. “Zan!”

“You might want to be a little quieter, Princess, there are enemy skins all over this place, and we are trying to escape, remember?” he snapped at her.

“I was trying to tell you to slow down a little. I can’t keep up, but you didn’t respond to me.”

“I didn’t respond because I knew you were going to complain about me going too fast, which I am not. You are moving too slow,” he informed her.

Liz didn’t say anything more; she just did her best to keep going. Several times she actually lost sight of him, but the faint glimmer of light not far ahead kept her going. Zan only stopped once to wait for her. “You are going to have to toughen up, Princess, or you are never going to make it,” he teased her.

Liz was exhausted and out of breath, and she finally caught up with him. “Why do you keep calling me Princess?” she demanded to know. “Is that your way of telling me I’m soft?”

He laughed, “Let’s just say I can’t see you winning this war with how weak, and untrained you are right now.”

Liz narrowed her eyes, “I am not looking to win any wars, so I don’t really think I need to toughen up, thank you very much.”

He shook his head and laughed, “You are so naïve,” he told her. “Not to worry though, you’ll learn.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” she demanded to know.

Zan ignored her question and began moving again. “It’s not far now, Princess,” he told her.

Liz looked at him and sighed heavily as she began crawling again. She blew the hair from her face and said, “You know you can call me Liz, I do have a name!” she snapped at him.

“I am aware of your name, Princess,” he responded to her. “I just don’t happen to feel you have earned it yet.”

Liz felt angry. She did not like being treated like she was some kind of recruit by him. At the same time, she found herself wanting to prove him wrong. She wasn’t soft, and she could keep going as long as he could. As they finally reached the end of the tunnel, Zan motioned for her to keep quiet as he pushed open the grate that covered the vent. Liz watched as he lowered himself out of the shaft and quietly dropped down to the floor. “Ok Princess, it’s your turn. Let’s go.”

Liz took in a deep breath and reached out to him as he helped her down. Once they were both in the room, he motioned for her to be quiet. Zan walked over to the door and carefully opened it to look outside and make sure their way was clear. He turned back and motioned for Liz to follow him.

The two of them wasted little time in getting out of the building. The cold air was a shock to Liz as she emerged through the door. She began shivering just a little, “It’s so cold out here,” she said as she followed him. Zan stopped suddenly and motioned for her to do the same, but Liz was not paying attention to him and walked right out into the light as one of the guards was passing by. Zan grabbed hold of her arm and jerked her backward but it was too late, the skin had already seen her and came charging over to them. Zan swore as he shoved Liz against the wall behind him and blocked her from the attack.

Liz stood there watching as Zan fought off the guard as best he could. After struggling with him for several moments, Zan hit him repeatedly knocking him to the ground where he lay unconscious. She was just about to say something when in a fit of anger Zan flipped the guard over and picked up a large rock. Liz’s eyes opened wider as she realized what he was about to do. “No!” she cried out as she tried to stop him.

Zan smashed the rock down on the seal to the skins husk killing him instantly. Horrified, Liz stood there trembling as the guard turned to dust and vanished instantly. Zan pushed her off, and she fell back against the wall as he got up to his feet.

Tears shimmered in Liz’s eyes as she looked at him. "What are you doing! Why did you do that? You didn't have to kill him; he was unconscious. He couldn't hurt us anymore!" she yelled at him.

Zan grabbed hold of her arm and snapped at her. "Don't you ever do that again; do you hear me! This is war, Princess! The sooner you learn that, the better. I had no choice but to kill him. If I didn’t; as soon as he woke up, he would have done one of two things, come after us, or alert the others that you were gone. I simply chose to avoid those two scenarios by eliminating the problem!” He shook his head in frustration, “Do you understand that this is life and death for us?"

Liz pulled her arm free, “Yeah, I understand that!” she shouted back at him.

Zan glared at her, “Good, then start acting like it!” he said between clenched teeth. “Now let’s get moving. I promise you it won’t be long before someone notices that this guy is missing," Zan told her as he headed towards the fence. He stopped when he realized Liz wasn't behind him. He turned to see she was still standing where he had left her.

Liz could hear him swearing as he walked back over towards her. He grabbed her arm again and pulled her along with him. “I so don’t have time for these games, Princess,” he snapped at her. “Nicholas is a butcher! The guy he works for is an unfeeling, cold blooded, murdering animal! So trust me when I say Nicholas will use you to get the Granolith, then he will kill Max, and then everyone you know. Then after he has what he wants from you, if you’re lucky he’ll kill you. If you are not so lucky, he’ll keep you around for a while to torture you slowly, just because he thinks it’s fun. He has no conscience, no empathy, no feelings for those he inflicts pain on. Do you understand that?”

Liz did her best to keep up with him, but he was practically dragging her behind him. “Yeah, I understand that,” she told him. “I just don’t happen to think we have to lower ourselves down to his level!”

Zan stopped abruptly and turned to face her, “Is that what you think I am doing?” he asked her. “You are comparing me to him?”

“You did just kill that guard when you didn’t have to!” she reminded him.

Zan turned to look at her. He didn’t have the time or patience to stand and listen to her speak to things she had no understanding of. “Look, Princess, I'm a fighter, and this is about surviving. Now you have two choices, you can stay here and let Nicholas get the Granolith, kill Max and the others, or you can come with me? It’s that simple."

Liz wiped the tears away from her eyes and didn’t say anything more as she followed along behind Zan quietly. Once they reached the barbwire fence, Zan held out his hand and concentrated all of his energy on it. As he did a small stream of light shot from his hand causing the fence to snap under the intense heat. He crawled through the opening and then pulled Liz through. As he started to walk out towards the woods, Liz stopped, "Where is your car, don't you have a car somewhere?"

"I had a motorcycle, but it got a little difficult being inconspicuous following behind Nicholas when there were no other vehicles on the road. I left it along the main highway and hiked here after they turned off on the dirt road. That's why it took me so long to get to you," he told her. "Now come on, we don't have a lot of time." Zan grabbed Liz by the hand and pulled her along behind him.

She struggled to keep up with his fast pace in the dark; she kept tripping and stumbling. Zan was able to see much better then she was. It was clear he had training and was much better prepared to deal with this than she. He dragged her by the hand as he ran through the trees and the brush. She peered at him through the darkness, he may have looked like her Max, but he was nothing like him. Her breathing was so hard and ragged that she had to stop for just a minute to keep from throwing up.

Zan looked back, seeing her bent over and breathless he stopped and went back over to her. He reached into his vest pocket and pulled out a small metal flask and handed it over to her. "You want a drink?"

She nodded her head yes, then took off the lid and took a big swallow. It tasted terrible; she began coughing and choking as she tried to catch her breath, "Alcohol, you gave me alcohol! What is wrong with you!" Liz yelled at him.

Zan smiled at her, “What’s your problem? I didn't say that it was water, I asked you if you wanted a drink,” he told her trying to hold back his laughter.

Liz threw the flask back at him, "You may look like Max, but you’re not anything like him at all."

Zan laughed again, "I never said that I was.” He reached out and grabbed hold of her hand, “Come on; we have to start moving again," he said as he pulled her by the hand along behind him.

Liz shook her head, "I'm tired. You go on, I can't keep going like this."

Zan looked back at her, "Yes, you can. You’re a lot stronger then you think, hidden deep down inside of you is a fighter."

Liz stopped walking once again and shook her head, "I beg to differ with you. I can't keep up with your pace. You have to slow down."

Zan smiled at her; then he jerked her forward as he resumed his pace, "You just need to think about something else. Tell me about you and Max; you said that the two of you were friends. Is that all there is to it?" he asked her. "I mean he risked everything for what, friendship? That sure doesn't sound like the guy I remember from Antar?"

Liz continued to struggle in keeping up with Zan. More than anything she wanted to rest, but he didn't really give her much choice. He held on tight to her hand and pulled her along with him. "No we weren't always just friends, we were in love, but then things happened."

"What things happened, come on I really want to know?" Zan asked her as they crossed a small creek. The water was freezing cold, and it chilled her to her bones. She watched as he kept going completely unfazed by any of it. Liz was amazed at his determination; he didn't even seem to mind the freezing cold water. Her legs ached, she was cold, hungry and she felt like she had no energy left. “I can’t keep going,” she said softly ready to give up.

Zan was relentless. He kept pushing her, “I said you were a princess, I guess I was right!” he told her.

Liz blinked back the tears, “I’m not a princess!” she snapped at him as she dug deep inside her for a sudden burst of energy and began walking faster.

Zan looked back at her and smiled. “So are you going to tell me what happened between you and Max or what?” he asked.

Liz sniffled in, "It wasn't so much what happened, as it was, who happened," she told him. "Tess wasn't raised with Max and the others; she only came around about a year ago. Max, Michael, and Isabel emerged from their pods before Tess did. By the time Nascedo went back to check on them, Tess was the only one still there. So he took her and raised her himself. Max didn't even know who he was. He didn’t know that he had this destiny until Nascedo and Tess came back to Roswell. Max and I were already together when Tess arrived. It was a short time later that she took them to the pod chambers and they found out about their destiny,” she explained to him.

Zan laughed, "And what destiny would that be?" he asked.

"That Max was destined to be together with Tess, they were married back on Antar. So I
walked away from him," she told him.

"Interesting," was all Zan said as they continued on. "Was Max in love with Tess? What did he think when she showed up? Did he ask you to walk away from him or was that your choice? I am only asking because of all that stuff Nicholas said to you back at the Crashdown.?" Zan asked her.

Liz stopped abruptly. Zan turned around to see her staring at him, "You were at the Crashdown the whole time, and you didn't stop them? Why didn't you do something! We could have avoided all of this," Liz yelled at him as her eyes quickly filled up with tears. She hit Zan in the chest as hard as she could.

Zan tried to deflect her attack, "Look if I had stopped Nicholas all hell would have broken loose. For one thing, I was outnumbered," he told her as he wrapped his arms around her to keep her from hitting him. "If I had come busting in you may have been killed, and more importantly my identity would have been compromised. I’m only effective in protecting Max in all of this if Nicholas still believes I’m dead. I'm sorry about everything you have had to go through, but I did what I had to do whether you understand that or not. It was a tactical choice, nothing personal," Zan told her as he held her by the arms.

"Let me go," she demanded.

Zan held her tighter, "Are you going to calm down if I let you go?" he asked her.

Liz took in a deep breath. "Yes," was all she said as she tried to keep her anger in check.

He smiled and relaxed his grip on her, "Ok then let’s go. Standing around here isn't going to change what I did or didn't do at the Crashdown,” Zan grabbed hold of her hand and pulled her along to keep pace with him, “So are you going to answer my question, was Max ever involved with Tess?"

Liz shook her head, "No, Max said he didn't love Tess, it’s just really complicated," she snapped at him. She was getting tired of answering his questions. So she decided to ask a few of her own, “What about you? What was Ava to you? Did you even love her?" Liz asked thinking about Ava and how she said that she loved Zan, but he always seemed to be waiting for something.

"Ava is a good kid, she holds a very special place in my heart; but like I said I’m on a mission. I couldn't be with anyone in any real way until my mission is complete. I knew Ava wasn't in on the plan to kill me, that wasn't her style," he told her, "She might act all hard and threatening but underneath she has a really good heart."

"Now you’re the one not answering the question," Liz said sarcastically. "I asked you if you loved her, not if you thought she tried to kill you.” When he didn’t respond she pressed the matter further, “You know she really does love you, she was really heartbroken by what Lonnie and Rath did.”

Zan stopped for a moment and got real quiet, "Ava is the one person that I could be myself with. When she and I were alone together I could be real with her, and that meant something to me," he said. "She is the only person besides you whom I could ever trust, and she knew who I really was."

Liz knew what he meant, "So you did love her." she whispered softly.

"I guess as much as someone like me could love another person then yes, I do love Ava," he told her honestly as they kept walking.

The guards finished their cards and went to check on their prisoner, but Liz was gone. "Get Nicholas; he's going to want skin for this mistake! It sure isn't going to be mine! You two better come up with some answers and fast," the older skin yelled at them.

Two minutes later the guards that had been on duty saw Nicholas head straight for them. The expression on his face said it, all he was furious. "So tell me that at least one of you two idiots checked to make sure our little girl was in her room when your watch began?"

"Of course we did," they both answered him. "She was there sleeping."

Nicholas paced back and forth. "Thanks to you two idiots she has at least a 2 and half hour lead on us now," he yelled at them.

"Boss, she was in there. You have to believe us. She must have had some help or something," they told him.

Nicholas shook his head, "What were the two of you doing while she was in there sleeping?" he asked as he glanced over and saw the cards on the table.

"We were keeping watch boss," the guard told him. "It wasn't our fault we did all that we could."

Nicholas walked around behind the two of them, he bent down and picked up a long metal pipe from the floor. "You did all that you could?" he repeated his words. "The two of you stayed at your post, gave it your undivided attention and somehow a stupid little teenage girl with no idea where she is was able to get past you and slip away?"

"That's what we're saying. She had to have had help," the guard told him.

Nicholas’s patience ran out. He lifted the heavy pipe and swung it like a bat and hit both skins across the back killing them instantly. "Let this be an example to the rest of you, it's not a good idea to lie to me ever," he told them. "I will not tolerate inept sloppy work from anyone is that clear!" he yelled at them. "Search the surrounding area let’s see if we can find out what direction she has gone. I want her found now!"

Another skin approached Nicholas, "Sir, one of the guards from outside the compound is missing, He hasn't reported in."

"Expand the search, somehow our little Miss Parker has slipped through my fingers, but she won't get too far on foot, there's at least 50 miles of desert in every direction so we should be able to find her before she can make contact with Max and the others," Nicholas told them as he dropped the pipe and left the room.
Time is a valuable thing, once spent it is gone forever.
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Parker1947
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Re: Choices and Conseqences teen M/L CC Chapter 6 10/26/17

Post by Parker1947 »

Interesting contrast between Zan and Liz. I like how she was standing up to him, and yet trying to figure him out. A wonderful story is unfolding, and very mysterious. Love it so far. Well done...
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Re: Choices and Conseqences teen M/L CC Chapter 6 10/26/17

Post by keepsmiling7 »

Very well done indeed!
Zan is very different from Max.......and to Zan this is really war.
Liz struggles with being called princess, will we find out more later?
Looking for more soon,
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Re: Choices and Conseqences teen M/L CC Chapter 6 10/26/17

Post by begonia9508 »

Another great part!

I love your ideas about this different Zan! He has it not easy with this Liz but he should understand that she does not know about her powers, yet!

It could explain her complaining all the times... or Not!! :roll: :lol: :lol: Thanks! EVE :mrgreen:
- Les jouissances de l'esprit sont faites pour calmer les orages du coeur!
- On reconnaît le bonheur au bruit qu'il fait quand il s'en va!
- L'amour vous rend aveugle et le mariage vous redonne la vue!
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Re: Choices and Conseqences teen M/L CC Chapter 8 11/9/17

Post by JanieD »

Chapter 8: Chapter 8

It felt like they had been walking for hours but Liz knew that was only because her entire body ached. She wanted to stop and cry several times but was not willing to give Zan the satisfaction of hearing her give up. If he could keep going, then she was determined to do so as well. A storm was moving into the area, and the thick heavy dark clouds had all but blocked out the light of the moon. As the wind picked up and the rain began to fall Liz could not help but shiver against the cold. Thunder crashed and made her jump as the lightning flashed across the sky. “I honestly don’t think this could get any worse!” she called out to him.

Zan stopped for a moment and turned back to her. “It’s not that much further!” he told her.

Without warning a skin jumped out in front of them both, taking them completely by surprise. Liz screamed out as Zan turned. An intense flash of light blinded her as the skin took aim and shot a beam of energy into Zan hitting him in his chest and knocking him back three feet into the air. He was stunned by the force of the blow and unable to get up. Liz screamed as the skin grabbed a hold of her and began yelling to the others.

“I’ve got her! She’s over here!” he called out.

Zan struggled to sit up, but the pain was so intense he could hardly breathe.

The skin turned to call out to the others again, and Liz pulled her hand free from his grasp. She stumbled backward and fell over some large rocks just as the skin grabbed a hold of her again. Without even thinking, she managed to pick up a large rock and hit him full force upside the head. As the skin stumbled backward, shocked by what she had done, Liz quickly jumped up and smashed the rock down against the lower part of his back as hard as she could. As she stood there trembling she watched as her enemy disintegrated into dust from the force of the blow. There was no time to say anything as she could hear the other skins running in their direction. She ran over to Zan and helped him sit up. "Can you move?" she asked him
.
"Nice work, I told you hidden somewhere inside of you was a real fighter," Zan told her as she helped him up, and struggled to move along with her.

"We have to hide there are more coming," Liz told him as another skin jumped out in front of them. Zan tried to reach out his hand to hold off the attack, but he was too weak from his injuries.

Again Liz just reacted, she held out her hand and focused all her energy on the skin. "NO!" she yelled out just as lightning flashed across the sky. A stream of fire shot out from her hand and hit the skin with such force that he was blown apart instantly leaving only tiny bits of skin drifting in the air.

“Maybe you will be able to help us win this war after all,” Zan said as he looked at her with new respect. With the sound of other skins headed their way he told her. "Come on let’s get out of here, we don't want to push our luck," he told her as they started moving again.

Liz was breathing hard as her heart beat wildly in her chest. She didn’t have time to react to what had just happened. Right now she had to keep moving. Otherwise, they would both end up dead.

The storm grew worse, and it was now hailing. The wind picked up as well making it even more difficult to help Zan. She was freezing cold and exhausted, but she used every last bit of strength she had to help him up out of the ravine they were in. When they finally made it to the top she was desperate; she could still hear the skins, she knew they weren't far behind her. She was just about to give up when she saw a small opening near the side of the mountain base. She prayed it was a cave as she struggled to help Zan the short distance. When she reached the opening she pushed Zan in first and then crawled in behind him, it was pitch black inside. “I so hope there is not a bear in here,” she mumbled to herself.

Zan laughed, “Even if there is, you can take um,” he teased her.

"How long before your body will heal itself?" she whispered her voice filled with panic.

Zan tried to see the wound on his chest, but it was so dark, "I'm not sure a few hours."

Liz shook her head, "We don't have that kind of time."

Zan reached over for her hand and held it tight, "Then you need to heal me," he told her. Seeing the fearful expression in her eyes he smiled, "You blew those skins away just like I would have done. I told you, you're different now. You can do this."

Liz shook her head, "Back there I just reacted. He was going to kill you. I didn't even think about it, I just held out my hand, and it happened. This is different,” she told him. "You want me to heal you, to restore human organs and blood vessels. I don't know how to. What if I do something wrong and make you worse."

Zan looked into her eyes intently. "You won't, Liz," he told her. "I trust you," he told her as he struggled with the pain.

She furrowed her brow, “You called me by my name,” she said, suddenly realizing that he didn’t call her princess.

“Yeah, well after what you just did out there you deserve to be called by your name,” he told her. “But don’t let it go to your head,” he laughed a little as his body spasmed in pain. He let go of her hand and closed his eyes, “Push me in further if you can. Away from the cave opening.”

Liz did what he told her to. He winced in pain as she pushed him as hard as she could. “Now what?” she asked him.

He laid his head back, “I need you to close your eyes and focus all that energy on healing me. All you have to do is close your eyes and visualize restoring my body, and it will happen."

Liz took in a deep breath, she closed her eyes and did exactly what he told her to do. She knelt down next to him and placed her trembling hand out over his chest. She closed her eyes and tried to focus on just him. As she did, her hand began to glow, and a soft white light shot out towards him. As she held her hand steady of him, his wounds began to disappear. She could feel a connection between the two of them as she healed him. She saw flashes of him with Lonnie, Rath, and Ava. She saw their life in New York. There flashes of him when he was younger. His constant care for Ava and how he would watch over her. As the connection grew stronger, she saw glimpses of his life on Antar. The horrors of wars and struggles he had known there. His childhood, the pain, and sadness of having lost so much, she saw it all. Finally, he was healed, and she fell back exhausted.

Zan sat up as his body finished healing and the pain subsided. He looked over at her and reached his hand out towards her. As he did it began to glow softly. He reached up and gently brushed her hair from her face. “You did it,” he whispered softly.

Liz looked into his eyes, "I didn't think it would work. I mean I wanted it to, but part of me didn't believe I could actually do it."

Zan smiled, "I knew you could," he told her as he looked into her eyes. “Thank you.”

Liz smiled, and swallowed as she nodded her head, “Ok so now what do we do?”

Zan turned away from her, then got up on his knees and crawled to the back of the cave. "I think this cave goes further back, come on," he told her.

Liz looked down at her hands and began shaking just a little. She didn't know what to think at that moment. She thought about everything that had just happened and swallowed hard. She was thankful for the darkness as tears filled her eyes. She didn't want him to see her cry as the realization that her entire life has just changed in a moment.

Zan stopped crawling and held out his hand again, at once the small cave was filled with light. “Come on,” he called out to her again.

Liz hurried and wiped her eyes then followed behind him as he led the way. They crawled further on until they reached another opening, that led into a much larger cave. Once inside they were able to stand up. Liz looked around at the walls they were covered in old Indian drawings, "This was probably home to some ancient Indians,” she told him as she examined the drawings on the walls.

“At least it’s not home to any bears,” he told her teasingly.

Liz laughed just a little. “Perhaps it was silly to think there would be bears out here in the desert, but you never know.”

Zan looked around the cave; he found some wood that had been left behind. It was dry, so he used it to build a fire. He noticed that Liz was shivering, "Will stay in here for a while. It will give the skins some time to move on. You should dry off, you'll get sick in those wet clothes," Zan told her.

Liz looked at him confused by what he said, "Dry them off, how am I supposed to dry them off? it's not like I can just wave my hand and magically they are dried," she told him sarcastically. She was tired, and she wasn't thinking clearly anymore.

Zan walked over to her, "Actually it is exactly like that," he told her as he pulled her into his arms, turned her around and stood just behind her. He took her hand in his and whispered softly into her ear. "Put your hand in front of you," he told her. "Like this," he said as he moved her hand in front of her body, "Now just concentrate all your energy and focus on releasing a small amount of heat from your hand and then move your hand slowly down the front of your body," he said. He stood there holding on to her while she closed her eyes and focused all her energy as he told her to do. Her hand began to glow just a little as he guided her through getting dry. Zan smiled, "See, you did it," he told her as he let her go. “You have to stop thinking like the old Liz who had limitations. I am telling you Max opened up your mind and he changed the way it works. From now on you will be able to accomplish so much more than you ever thought possible. Khivar will sure be in for one huge surprise,” he said then reconsidered. “Actually, Liz for right now you should keep this to yourself.”

Liz grew serious for a moment, "Even if we get out of here, Nicholas is still going to keep coming at us isn't he?" she asked him.

Zan walked over and sat next to the fire; he was quiet for a few minutes before he said anything. Liz could see that he was struggling with what to say. She realized this was a very uncomfortable topic for him. "I saw things when I healed you..." she whispered softly.

“Yeah, I figured you did,” he said.

“I didn’t mean to intrude or anything, it just kind, of…” Liz stammered a little.

Zan cut her off, “Liz; it’s fine. I saw things about you too. The visions usually go both ways.”

Liz suddenly felt embarrassed. “Oh, I guess I didn’t realize that.”

Zan cleared his throat just a little. He had a faraway look in his eyes. "When I was still young, Nicholas and Khivar secretly aided by Valandra broke the peace treaties that were in place. They came to our remote village and began torturing and murdering every man, woman, and child there," he told her. "They did this, so they could send a message to Max. They wanted to make it clear that the war would rage on forever if he did not relinquish the Granolith and the throne to them. I watched as my mother was burned to death in her own bed screaming and begging for mercy as the skins laughed at her. As she died, they took all that they could carry from our home as plunder. After my home was burned to the ground, they took my father, stripped him bare and stood him in the middle of our village. They tortured him for six days as an example of what would happen to anyone refusing Queen Valandra's reign. At the end of the sixth day, Nicholas asked my father if he would bow to his queen. My father was a proud man, so he would not bow. Then Nicholas demanded that a fire be made and burned my father to death as well. I watched as my father begged to be put out of his torment. I was only a little boy, but I knew to die quickly would be less painful for him then the slow agonizing death Nicholas wanted him to endure. So I grabbed one of the skins guns, and I shot him, killing him instantly. Nicholas thought it was funny; he laughed at me as I stood there trembling and crying over what I had just done. I thought he would kill me too. But instead, he said that I would suffer more if he let me live with the memory of what I had just done then to kill me there,” Zan told her as he threw another log on the fire. "So to answer your question, yes, they will keep coming at you until we finish this."

Liz didn't say anything as tears formed in her eyes. She felt bad for Zan he had seen war at its cruelest and most barbaric. As she considered all that he had been through she realized it was no wonder he was so hardened. She watched as the flames of the fire danced about the cave walls. So much had happened to her since Max healed her. She realized she wasn’t the same person she once was. It was true, knowing Max had changed things for her in so many ways. Liz sat down on the ground she wasn't sure what to say to him. She felt bad for the pain that he had endured in his lifetime. "I'm sorry Zan, sorry for not understanding more..." she whispered as she tried to hold back her tears.

He looked over at her. She sat curled up on the floor of the cave shivering. "You're going to freeze way over there. You should sit next to the fire if you want to get warm." When Liz didn't make a move to get closer to the fire, Zan got up walked over to her and pulled her closer. He sat back down and pulled her down next to him. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close. "Listen, Liz, I know this is hard for you, but I am a soldier. Right now I am just trying to keep us both alive," he told her then said, "Don't think about all that other stuff. For now, you’re here, and you’re safe. Max is safe, and Nicholas is probably pretty ticked off. All and all that's not a bad place to be."

Liz turned and looked into his eyes. They were the same soft brown eyes that she had so often found comfort in and yet seeing Zan's life in them they were so different. "Can I ask you a question?" she asked him.

Zan took a cigar out of his front pocket; he lit it with the end of his finger then he nodded to Liz. "I am an open book, ask me anything," he told her.

"Were Max and Tess ever in love?" she asked him. "Before, Tess said that she and Max shared this great love.”

“What did Max say about that?” he asked her.

“He doesn't remember any of it,” she said softly. “I guess a part of me wonders if someday he will wake up, realize how much they meant to each other, and then he'll just…" she stopped unable to finish the thought as it hurt too much to think about.

"Leave you." Zan finished her sentence for her. "Is that really why you walked away from him first?"

Liz nodded her head as tears filled her eyes. "Yeah, it is. I thought I could face just about anything, you know. But the idea of Max someday telling me that he remembers Tess and that he wants to be with her…” she sniffled in. “Well, I just couldn’t face that. I guess I thought if I left first I could protect myself from the pain that might one day come,” she admitted. “So tell me the truth. Did Max love Tess?”

(Authors Note: Greetings and thanks for reading my story. I wanted to say I appreciate the comments left. Very encouraging. Best regards Janie)
Time is a valuable thing, once spent it is gone forever.
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Parker1947
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Re: Choices and Conseqences teen M/L CC Chapter 8 11/9/17

Post by Parker1947 »

Fascinating story being unraveled. I am very curious about Zan's answer to that dreaded question. A unique story, well done.
L-J-L 76
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Re: Choices and Conseqences teen M/L CC Chapter 8 11/9/17

Post by L-J-L 76 »

Finally Liz may get some answers she wants to know. Wondering what Zan is going to tell Liz. And wonder if Max and other will find Zan and Liz before Nicholas and skins do. Please please come back really soon? Can't wait to find out what will happen next.

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L-J-L 76
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