A dream (CC/ML) MATURE Complete 6/25/05

[rie482]

Title: A dream

Author: Rie482

Category: CC – M/L

Rating: Mature

Summary: Just imagine that everything in series 1 up until the point where Max and Liz are in the bus and Max is telling Liz that he loves her. Now ignore the rest of series one. The story starts after a diary entry from Liz about her and Max making love that night in the bus.

Disclaimer: I own nothing – the characters or concept of Roswell either from the book or television series.

Author's Note: This is my first fanfic. This started off as a dream I had. Hence the title. If i do not update often I apologise. I am currently having to do exams. But will update frequently if and when i can

Part One
My name is Liz Parker, and last night I became complete. My soul blended with Max's as we made love in the bus where we were hiding. It is indescribable how it feels to know that Max will always be a part of me, and that I will always be a part of Max. He was so gentle, so caring. So loving. I simply cried when he told me he loved me before i started to see stars flash before my eyes. I could feel and see everything that had happened to Max in the white room, yet it did not frighten me because it no longer frightened him because he felt that since he had me, he didn't have to be scared anymore. That in itself did something that I didn't think possible. All my fears of losing Max to his destiny just left my body for that one night. I finally felt free from all this pain that was some how stored, somewhere I haven't been able to reach, because of his kiss with Tess. A pain that came crashing around me once again as I woke in his arms this morning. Just waking with the sound of his heart beating underneath my ears just brought this crushing sense that I am going to lose him again, but to a greater force than Tess Harding. However, I won't let this feeling ruin what Max and me now have. I will cherish each moment with him while I still can because without those cherished moments, I will not only lose the man who is my soul, I will lose my respect for myself for not cherishing the time I have left.

With that Liz slowly closed the leather bound book, and sighed. She looked towards the sky, hoping that one day from this balcony, she would be able to see Max's home planet. For many years Liz had been known to star gaze for hours on end, but she never really knew why she did it and looking at the sky now made her wonder.

*Maybe its because your soul could sense me* came Max's tender and soulful voice in her head. Liz smiled as she remembered that Max could now read her mind and visa versa. She would never truly understand why this had happened after they had made love, Liz had wondered that maybe it was a sign that they were now complete. However, even though she couldn't figure it out, she wasn't exactly complaining, it brought her closer to her soul mate.

"Maybe. Maybe it's because of this town. The whole concept of the crash has to make you wonder" she said out loud as she looked in through her bedroom window at Max who laid on her bed, his eyes closed. As she looked at him she realised that the candlelight that engulfed the room just made he more beautiful in her eyes.

"I prefer the word handsome if you don't mind" replied Max quietly to her thought as he slowly drifted into sleep.
Liz stood up from her chair on the balcony, her eyes never leaving Max, to place the journal back into the hole in the wall. Suddenly a strange feeling crept throughout her body, which told her to put the journal in her bag instead. Liz stood torn between whether to follow her head or her heart, because she knew how dangerous it would be if it was found, yet her heart was telling her differently. So she jumped through the window and placed the book in her bag because she had once promised her grandmother that she would always follow her heart. With that she climbed on to her bed and positioned herself behind Max. Her arm slung over him protectively, as if to warn all those who may want him that they couldn't have Max because he belonged to Liz. There she lay, willing herself to sleep for they had a long day ahead of them but the feeling of panic just wouldn't go away. So she did the only thing she knew that would calm her, she placed a kiss on Max's cheek and took in his scent and she began to calm and fall into some much needed rest.

* * * * * * *

As Liz entered her dream she looked down on the sight before her, seeing herself lying on the floor crying out in pain as she gave birth in a strange place, which was lit by a blood red glow. A gasp came from the watching Liz as she realized that the dream Liz was all-alone on the cold floor, gasping for any air that she could find. The look on her face that seemed to show months of emotional torture, looked like it was to give up on life. It was pale and exhausted. Her lips were chapped, her eyes blood shot and Liz could see the invisible bruises that covered her face. Her long brown hair was a mess that looked like it hadn't been brushed for weeks and was drenched in sweat. Liz wanted to run to her and hold her in her arms. To comfort the woman that so needed to be loved right now. Suddenly a name, which chilled the watching Liz to the bone, rang out around the room. It surrounded Liz with a cold and pained feeling as she saw how desperate the other Liz seemed when she cried it.

"MAX!" was also the name Liz screamed as she woke up. She sat gasping large amounts of air into her lungs, her whole body trembling, completely unaware that Max was holding her tight trying to make her speak to him. The scene she had just seen was so clear in her mind. The pain that her dream self was breaking her heart because to Liz it didn't seem to be just a dream. It seemed much more than that and it was scaring her.

*What if it wasn't just a dream* she thought to herself. *what if that was vision of what was to happen?*
All of a sudden it dawned on her that Max had heard that, that he had heard her thought. She turned to look at him. He still had the deep circles under his eyes from the days of torture under the hands of the special unit. She didn't want to worry him with her dream but she could tell by the look on his face that she wasn't going to get away with it.

"Liz? Liz? Speak to me," whispered a concerned Max.
"Max..." was all she managed to let out of her lips before she fell into his arms and sobbed. Sobbed for what she feared would happen and sobbed about the fact she was going to have to tell Max, tell him about a dream that was going to haunt her as much as the white room was to torture Max. She lifted her head and did the only thing she knew that she could do. She placed her shaking hands on either side of his head, in the same way he did the night he wanted to show Liz that he was still the same Max, and allowed him to see the scene that plagued her mind. She closed her eyes as she did so. She didn't want to see Max's expression; she didn't want to know how he felt about what he saw. All she wanted was to show him. Show him what she feared the most.

"Liz..." was all Max could say for some time. She heard his voice break as he continued... "Liz... it... it was just... just a dream. Okay? Just a dream..." She could hear the uncertainty and fear in his voice. She knew that he could feel that it wasn't a dream. He knew just as well as she did. It was going to happen... and soon. The rest of the night was a blur to Liz as she collapsed into his arms and slept for what seemed like days.

* * * * * * *

Max felt it the moment Liz left the house. Whenever she was not around he felt this dull ache in the bottom of his stomach, as if he wasn't complete when she wasn't around. He had wanted to go with her, to make sure she was okay, but he knew Liz needed time to think. Time to get wanted she needed. They both knew she was pregnant. Ever since they had made love they had known. Just didn't actually know that they knew and last night made it dawn on Max.

He knew he was excited, the thought that they had made life was so uplifting that he wanted yell it to the world that Liz was carrying his child and they were to be together forever. But the dream somehow loomed over him, suffocating him as he knew that that dream was not normal. It didn't seem like a dream. A dream is something that you can only grasp at for a few seconds before it disappears from you memory altogether and even then you cannot remember every last detail. No, this dream wasn't a normal one. It had been so real and every detail could be remembered. The pain could still be felt.

Max rolled onto his side and knew Liz was panicking. He could feel it. He could feel Maria's arms around her as Liz concentrated on the stick before her. She knew she was pregnant, but it didn't mean that she couldn't be 100% about it either.

*Lets all meet at the pod chamber in about 20 minutes* were the words that filtered into his head. *We need to talk about this. Everyone has the right to know. *

*Okay, I'll call Michael* answered Max *Liz? *

*Max... I'm okay* But as Liz pulled away from his mind, he knew she wasn't. Not about the fact she was pregnant. Of course she felt it was far too soon but she was excited about the fact she was to be a mother. No, it wasn't that. Max knew that the dream had affected her in a such a way she was almost scared of what it would mean for them... them as a family. She was dreading the thought that something was to happen to either Max or the baby. Not for herself. She had seen what was to happen in her dream and it was as if she had come to accept it as away of life and she was more worried about Max either being alone or dead and about whether their baby would have the life he or she deserved.

* * * * * * *

Liz leant on the side of Maria's car watching Maria and Alex pacing before her in the desert just before the pod chamber. When she had gone to Maria's she was a mess and Maria had seen straight through Liz, as if she knew why Liz was there and instantly ran to hold her. Liz cried in her arms for about an hour, yet Maria didn't know why. She knew about the baby and when Alex came round told him aswell. But it didn't go unnoticed to Liz that they were worried. They thought, no they knew, that when this happened to Liz that she would be jumping around everywhere until someone managed to point out that she needed to put her feet up. They knew there was something wrong and when Liz said that they were all to meet up at the pod chamber, they were proved right.

Liz watched them talk to themselves as they paced. She knew they were talking about her because not only were they about 100 feet away from her but they were also whispering. She smiled to herself.

*At least I have some friends who will always be there for me*

Liz looked towards the pod chamber, towards the place where everything began back when Max first came out of the pods. She couldn't actually tell where the pods were by just looking at the rock. It was so well hidden that no one, except those who knew where to look, could find it. Her hand absently drifted towards where her child lay as she thought about what it must have been like for Max to not know who his mother was because of the fact he was hatched, not born.

*It's lonely* replied Max *but at least our child will know you* Liz smiled to herself and looked towards Max who was driving towards them. Once he stopped he jumped out of the jeep towards the woman he loved and once he came in contact with her, he held her close and tightly, as if he never intended to let her go. The only reason he did was the cough that could be heard.

"Ok... Max. Why did you drag me out of bed to come here?" questioned a very annoyed Michael. His hair was all over the place, just like he had just been dragged backwards out of a bush and was still wearing the white t-shirt and jeans he had worn yesterday. He definitely wasn't lying when he had said he had been dragged out of bed and you could tell just by looking at him.

Silence rang out for a couple of seconds as Liz and Max both looked at each other, trying to decide who was to speak. Max grabbed Liz's hand tightly and kissed on the forehead before he turned towards Michael, Isabel, Alex, Maria, Valenti and Tess.

"We have something we have to tell you" Max paused and took in a deep breath before continuing. "Liz is pregnant..." All hell broke loose before Max could go any further with what he wanted to say.

"What? MAX!! How could you be so irresponsible?" came from Michael, Isabel and Tess. After moments of allowing them to argue amongst themselves he stepped forward.

"I was not irresponsible and no... I will not make Liz get rid of our child. These things happen and right now we need your support because..."

"Ha! Like you need support! Why didn't you think about us before you went and shagged her! Why were you stupid enough to let another brat like Liz Parker into this world?" Screamed Isabel.

"She is not a brat! If anyone is a brat it's you Isabel Evans! I have known Liz Parker for years and I have never seen anyone to be so selfless and compassionate! So shut up because you have no idea who Liz really is!" demanded Maria as Alex turned to the spot where Liz had been standing. As the commotion continued between the others Alex looked around. Liz was nowhere to be seen.

"Err... guys?" Alex asked but no one heard him. "Guys? GUYS!"

"What?" growled Michael as everyone stopped to stare angrily at Alex.

"Liz is gone!"

"What do you mean she is gone... she's right..." said Max as he turned around to the vacant spot. He hadn't even felt her pull her hand away. He was too busy arguing with everyone else when he should have been comforting her. A wave of panic flew over him as he tried to reach out to Liz with his mind but received no answer.

"Guys... I can't reach her. Either she has shut me out or... " And with that Max began to run around looking for Liz followed by everyone else who simply looked confused by the way he had said he couldn't reach out to Liz. As Max looked on top of every rock in the hope that she was sat on top of it, his panic grew to the point he fell to the floor. As he stood up he noticed a glowing hand print by the opening of the pod chamber. He stood in horror as the handprint glowed at him, calling him to it. The wave of emotion that was suffocating him now was of despair, which froze him to the spot. No matter how hard he tried to move towards the handprint he couldn't move his legs. He knew that behind that door was Liz, but there was something else with her. Someone else.

He was thrown out his thoughts as Alex waved a hand in front of his face. Max turned his head and looked at the worried faces around him before simply pointing towards the handprint. Isabel took him by the hand and moved towards it. When they reached it Max slowly pressed his hand to it, watched the door slide open and walked inside.

[rie482]

PART TWO

As Max's eyes adjusted to the lack of light in the pod chamber he called out to Liz. He wiped away the beads of sweat that were making their way down his face and chucked Liz's bag, which he had slung over his shoulder earlier, to the side of the chamber and carried on calling her name.

"Liz? Liz?" He looked around in complete frustration and fear, his connection with Liz seemed to be gone and her presence could not be felt through his body. He searched the pod with his eyes as they started to adjust. A dim purple light lit the room.
He stopped suddenly. His heart leaped into his mouth as he stared at the sight before him. A body. His body ached with panic as he looked towards the still body that laid in the middle of the floor, her hair over her face. He slowly walked to the body, not wanting to know if it were Liz or not, but felt he had to know. As he moved closer, his body becoming increasingly numb with fear, the woman rolled on to her back and exposed a face that wasn't Liz's. A face much older than Liz's. Max let out a sigh of relief, relief that was washed away when it dawned on him he still hadn't found Liz. He continued to look around him distraughtly.

"Max! I found her!" yelled Isabel from the other side of the pod chamber, by the faint purple glow that came from behind the pods themselves.

"Isabel? How did you get in there?" he asked, as the others attended to the unknown woman, who was looking around her some what dazed. Max looked at her for a moment and felt he recognised her but couldn't quite put a name to her face. *Those eyes* he thought *those eyes? why do i recognise those eyes?* Before he could say anything to her, he felt Isabel wrap her hand around his and lead him through one of the pods to a hidden chamber. It was lit by a dim purple orb in the centre of the floor, with what seemed like two purple rings on either side of the it. As he looked around he found Liz curled in the corner. Her eyes closed peacefully. He rushed to her side and placed her head in his lap. As he examined her inch by inch, he noticed that she was physically fine, but he could sense that something was stopping her coming back to him. He reached round the back of her head and found that she had been knocked unconscious and he felt his hand warm up to heal the bump. Yet Liz didn't wake.

"Liz? Liz?" He began to shake her lightly, and call her name yet nothing would wake her. He tried to open the connection yet could not get in. He frowned and once again tried to form a connection, which would usually be effortless. Yet nothing he did seemed to work.

"What if I try?" asked Maria. Max looked at the woman in front of him who looked back worriedly. Being Liz's best friend meant that she knew Liz better than anyone yet Max was unsure. This didn't seem human and the gut reaction he was having to the purple orb made him suspect something Alien.

*its worth a try* he thought to himself before he nodded to Maria. She knelt down beside Liz and gave her hand a light squeeze before she put her hand in her pocket and retrieved a small bottle.

"Maria... I don't think cypress oil is going to work. She isn't stressed..."

"Max... It's something to wake her up. She fainted earlier at home, after she found out about... you know, and this did the trick last time" reassured Maria as she passed the open bottle in front of Liz's nose. Yet nothing happened. She didn't even stir a little. Maria looked at Max worried.

"Max, this should have worked. It even wakes Michael up in the morning and you know he's literally dead to the world when he's asleep! If this doesn't work I don't know what else to suggest."

"It won't work," came an unknown voice. Max and Maria turned to look towards the woman who had just walked into the chamber, followed by the rest of the group. Her blue eyes pierced into Max's, a feeling of knowing the woman fell over Max and as he took her appearance in he realised he had met this woman before. He red hair and her slender body was one that he recognised. Her eyes could tell a lifetime of stories, being eyes full of age and wisdom. Eyes that used to watch over him at night. Eyes that had be disapproving when he had done wrong, eyes that came alive as she read him a story. This woman was someone he had known before. The woman was his mother.

"Why?" questioned Max, the realisation leaving his body as he looked down on the unconcious Liz Parker.

"Because she has been subjected to a force too strong for a mere healer, such as yourself, to fix. Only this chamber can help her now." said the woman in a serious tone.

"What force?" demanded Alex "We were pretty much with her the whole time and we would have noticed if someone had come up to her and tried to kill her"

"But you weren't with her the whole time were you? I watched her walk away as you fought over something. You were too busy to see her crying. So I followed her for a little while to make sure she was safe and..."

"What did you do to her?" Yelled Max, his eyes wide with rage, as he began jumping to conclusions.

"I didn't do anything to her. Someone else did. His name is Darek, a man much like you, me, Isabel, Michael and Tess. Max, we have very little time. What Darek has done to Liz will be irreversible soon if you do not do what I ask of you" the woman replied in a calm manner. Max looked at his mother. Something wasn't quite right about what she was saying. It sounded rehearsed. Max shook his head. He hardly knew the woman, she hadn't been in his life at all, but some how he knew she was lying. Yet he had to know how the chamber would heal Liz.

"How do you know our names?" questioned a shocked Michael.

"It is a long story, one that I shall tell you in time. But our main priority right now is Liz. Now please place her directly in front of the purple orb."

After a little hesitation, his mother stepped forward and whispered in his ear

"Trust me my son" in a tone so soothing his feelings of doubt just left his body as quickly as they had came. With that Max lifted Liz in his arms and placed her in front of the purple orb as his mother gently placed her hand on it. The dim light suddenly flared into a bright red one, much like the red Liz saw in her dream, blinding the people within the room. The red made Max shudder and his heart scream to take Liz and go, yet he couldn't leave without knowing Liz would be okay. He turned back to his mother.

"Now Tess and Max stand about a metre away from Liz's head in the purple ring and Michael and Isabel stand opposite to them about a metre up from her feet in that purple ring."

As they did the woman walked over to a panel in the wall, which opened when she flew her hand over it. Inside were 2 green orbs, much like the blue ones that they had found themselves, which she took from out of the wall. She turned to Max and Tess.

"Max hold this and Tess place your hands on top of the orb." She turned to Michael and Isabel "Do the same as Tess and Max." The woman backed away and stood on the opposite side of Liz, her back towards Maria, Alex and Valenti. "Now, when I tell you to I want you to look your partner in the eye and activate the orbs with your powers. In the same way you would melt a lock or something like that. Do you understand?"

She looked at each couple and when they both nodded, she placed her hands together.
"After 3. 1... 2... 3..."

After the command was given both couples looked each other in the eye and activated the orbs. They began to produce a green light that seemed to over ride the red light that had engulfed the room before. As Maria and Alex watched in wonder as the light danced across the room and around their bodies.As Valenti took in this wonder, he noticed that beneath their feet something began to move. He nudged Maria

"Look... those purple rings... they seem to be rising out of the floor." As Maria turned to see what Valenti was looking at, teh ground beneath them began to shake and the purple rings suddenly rose straight up to the ceiling of the chamber. Now each couple were held in two purple cylinders.

"Max!" yelled Alex as he stood in horror. Max broke eye contact with Tess, realising that they were now being held captive. He stepped forward and placed his hands on the soild pane infront of him. He looked to his mother, a blank expression upon her face and his eyes fired up with rage as he pounded on the purple container. He stepped back, forcing Tess behind him as he rised his hand towards the pane. The blast he unleashed from his hand was merely absorbed by the walls of the container. He looked at Tess who was doing to the same, relieved that she didn't want to be stuck here either. Her blue eyes were filled with tears as she realised that something was wrong. She shot a look down towards the floor then back to Max.

"Max... its filling up!" Max looked down to find a blue liquid, which was filling the container, seeping in from the floor. He looked towards the other container, which held Michael and Isabel. Both were still holding eye contact and didn't seem to notice that the liquid in their container was half way up their legs. Maria followed Max's sharp gaze to Michael's container and she instantly ran to it.

"Michael!! Michael!" screamed Maria as she hammered on the purple container, with her hair sticking to her tear stained face. Alex and Valenti ran towards the container with Max in to try and open it with no luck so they turned towards the woman.

"What are you doing to them?" Shouted Alex out of panic as he slowly walked up to her. "Why are you doing this to them? What about Liz?"

"I am doing what needs to be done! It was never about Liz! It was about them!" said the woman as she threw them against the wall with a flick of her hand. "Michael!" was the last thing Maria said as she was thrown across the room up against the wall. Max stood in horror as he was left watching his friends be thrown around by the woman who had decieved him. Helplessness was all he felt now and his eyes were filled with tears as he looked down on his beautiful Liz. He willed her to wake so he knew she would be okay. He didn't want her to be stuck with a woman he could not trust, a woman he should not have trusted. What was worse was the fact that she said that it was never about Liz, she said it in such a way it seemed she didn't care whether she lived or died. But Max's thought was cut short when he realised that the liquid was just about to go over his head, much like it had done to Tess and the others.

Tears started to fall as he screamed his final words of "Liz! Liz! LIZ!" before the liquid went over his head and he fell into a dream like state as the chamber began to shake again.

[rie482]

PART THREE

**** Dream ****
Silence rang out for a couple of seconds as Liz and Max both looked at each other, trying to decide who was to speak. Max grabbed Liz's hand tightly and kissed her on the forehead before he turned towards Michael, Isabel, Alex, Maria, Valenti and Tess.

"We have something we have to tell you" Max paused and took in a deep breath before continuing. "Liz is pregnant…" All hell broke loose before Max could go any further with what he wanted to say.

"What? MAX!! How could you be so irresponsible?" came from Michael, Isabel and Tess. After moments of allowing them to argue amongst themselves he stepped forward.

"I was not irresponsible and no… I will not make Liz get rid of our child. These things happen and right now we need your support because…"

The second Max let go of Liz's hand she felt her whole world crash in all around her. She had never planned for it to be so hard to listen to what Michael was saying about how life was going to be difficult now. She wasn't even out of school yet was expecting a child, a child who was causing so many problems, a child that will kill her. He was right, this was going to make the groups life a misery. The group would never be able to live a normal life, a free life, because she was carrying a half alien child.

*What about my life* she thought *I will never go Harvard, I will always be living in constant fear that someone will be there to take away my child*

Liz froze and heart skipped a beat.

*Max didn't hear that thought* that’s when she knew; he had shut her out and was guarding her from his emotions. He didn't want her to feel his anger and disappointment that no one was willing to support them. This made her feel worse. She needed to know that Max needed her just as much she needed him, yet he had shut her out.

*I can't take anymore of this arguing* She sighed, took one last look at him and walked away, feeling that she needed time to herself.

As she walked away across the rocky desert, her heart began to lift. To have one solitary moment to herself, without the fear that Max would know exactly how she felt and what she was thinking, was liberating. Although she had always welcomed the idea that Max would understand her better, it meant that she couldn't think about anything without him knowing about it. She wanted to be able to have doubts in her mind about thinks without the fear of Max leaping into action as he jumped to conclusions. So this chance to walk away, to have some real private time was welcomed and as she continued walking it began to dawn on her that Max had shut himself off for that one reason. To give her time to think. Time to think about her options, her opinion and what she wanted. What she wanted from life. A wave of dizziness fell over her after a couple of minutes, so she sat on a rock just beneath the pod chamber.

She lightly traced her fingers along the rock in a circular motion, as she thought about what she was to do. Was she to keep the baby? Was she too young to have a baby? Did she want the baby? As she thought away, her other hand placed itself gently on the place where her child rested and grew. A tingling sensation ran through her hand, up her arms and around her body as a connection began to form between them. Liz let out a gasp as she closed her eyes, taking in the new sensations. She could hear her own heart beat, which overpowered a slightly faster rhythm that ran along side it. She could feel her baby's soul as it mingled with hers producing the foundations of a bond so strong it took her breath away. A vision of a little girl flashed through Liz's mind as she let her other hand caress her stomach. The girl had such elegance and beauty that left Liz with tears in her eyes as she opened them.

*My baby. My baby* she thought as she let the tears of joy and love slide down her face. Her heart was racing at the speed of light, yet she felt calmer than ever.

"Are you okay?" asked a voice from behind her. Liz snapped her head round startled and as she blinded the sun out of her eyes, her gaze settled on a beautiful woman.

"Yes" she said as she nodded. "I'm fine"

"I saw what was happening and I thought the fighting had upset you, but I was shocked to see that my son didn't follow you. So I hope you don't mind but i followed. After all you are Liz Parker aren't you? The woman my son adores?"

Liz stop up with a start and pointed at the woman before her.

"You're… you're his mother?!" she squeaked in excitement at the prospect of Max meeting the woman of his dreams. His mother. "What are you doing here?"

The woman smiled back at girl before her and replied, "To finally meet him. But first I need your help"

"What with?"

"I need you to lead me to him. Take my hand and show me to him" she asked, as she brought her hand forward and as Liz placed her hand in it, everything went black. ****

Liz woke to the sound of Max yelling her name and the ground beneath her shaking violently. As she opened eyes what she saw made her sat up quickly staring in terror at the sight before her. Max, Tess, Isabel and Michael floating in purple containers, that looked much like something she had seen before. *The pods* Her heart raced as she turned to see Maria, Alex and Valenti all thrown against the wall.

"Liz" said the woman once the ground had stopped shaking. Liz snapped her head round to look at the woman who had done this. That had taken Liz against her will earlier. As she looked back at Max she realised why she was taken. Liz wasn't what the woman wanted. It was Max and the others. Tears started to fill her eyes when Liz realised that by walking away from the group earlier had lead them to this point. It was all her fault that the people she cared about were now being held against their will. Liz looked back at the woman, anger and despair flowing from her eyes at the older woman.

"Why? Why did you do this?" she asked as tears fell down her cheeks.

"Because they need to remember." The woman replied simply.

"Remember what?"

"Who they were… who they are supposed to be. They were never meant to stay here Liz. They were meant to come home, come back to me because that is where they belong. Not here on this filthy world" she replied in a disgusted whisper.

Liz looked towards the pods and sighed. She had always known in her heart somewhere that Max was never going to stay; that he had somewhere more important to be. Yet something didn't make sense, who was this woman? How did she know so much?

"Who are you? Who were they?" she asked as she looked at Max's face

"I am Anya. I am the queen from a planet called Antar. I am Max's and Isabel's mother" she replied.

"How did you get him to trust you enough that he would do this?"

"I used his weakness. You. He has always been so passionate for you and he always was when he was in love. Even back on Antar in his previous life, Zan always put love over his own safety"

Liz looked at the woman in confusion. "What do you mean in his previous life?"

Anya moved forward her tone more calm and soothing as she stepped closer towards her as if she was to give Liz information that would turn her world upside down. "Liz. Over fifty years ago, my two children died. All four of these people died at a time they were most needed. They are still needed, which is why we sent them here, to a quiet planet for them to be reborn. When they emerge from the pods they will no longer remember who they were. Max will no longer remember you. He will no longer be Max Evans. Tess will no longer be Tess. It goes for all of them. They will no longer be able to remember you and will no longer be the people you once knew."

Liz closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, trying to stop herself from falling into a pit of despair that she knew she wouldn't be able to work her way out of if she didn't control herself. After what seemed like forever she opened her eyes to find Anya sat in front of her. A worried look upon her face.

"Who will they be?" she asked after what seemed to be a lifetime

"Max will be my son again. His name will be Zan, a king. Isabel will be his sister, Vilandra. Michael will be her husband, Rath"

"What about Tess?"

"Tess will be Ava. Liz… Tess will be Max's wife." Anya replied cautiously.

Liz stared at Anya in disbelief before she crumbled inside. *How could this be? Why would this happen* she thought to herself. *Max! Max!* It was when she did that that she realised that she could no longer feel Max. After they had made love she had always been able to feel him, but not now. It was like he had suddenly died and was never going to come back. There was now a hole. A hole too wide to close, a hole that left her feeling empty. Her whole body shuddered as if it was trying to find any remaining traces of Max's soul within her body, yet found not one trace. All she could remember was the look on his face as he cried out her name. She could still sense the anger, pain and worry that Max had felt; that she had felt because of their connection. But most of all, she left love. She felt the love that Max held for her and their baby as he yelled out to her. He wanted to make sure she was to be okay and he was projecting his love out to her in the desperate bid for her to wake, and she had woken. Just too late to reassure him. She could feel her body shaking as she started to cry violently. As the realisation, that Max wouldn't be Max anymore and that the dream would happen, hit her.

* * * * * * *

Liz woke in a strange room. A white orb sat on a table, which dimly lit the room. As she sat up she took in the rest of the room. It was plain, a single bed, a table and a chair. The walls were made of a dark panelling and white sheets draped from the ceiling. Just above the table was a window. Liz stood up and walked towards it.

"Oh my god" she said to herself as stars zoomed past her window and noticed the Earth became smaller.

"I no" came a voice from behind her. A familiar voice. It was Maria. Liz turned to look at her friend. Tearstains ran down her cheeks, her eyes dark and her hair a mess. Maria had also lost some one she loved to Anya and Liz knew that feeling all too well.

"We… we… aren't going home you know. Ever. She said that the ship has once mission and one mission only. To make them remember and take them home." Maria said as she stared out the window. "We are never going to see home again and we… we are… never going to feel loved by them again."

Liz opened her arms as Maria came towards her. Maria needed a friend and Liz was that person. Ironically it was Maria that had said that being in love with these aliens was never going to be easy. That they were going to get hurt, which is why she was Teflon. 'Me. I'm Teflon babe.' was what Maria had said, but now it was Maria getting hurt. She saw it coming yet didn't detach herself like she was going to and Liz felt for her because she didn't see it coming.

"Liz… promise you will never leave me. Please." pleaded Maria. "Because I don't know how I will cope if I don't have you either. Without Michael I feel like I am losing my sanity, but without you I will die of a broken heart"

"I'll try Maria but I can't promise,” replied Liz, who tried to avoid looking at the woman in her arms. Maria stepped back, her eyes wide glistening with tears.

"Why? Why can't you promise?" asked Alex who has just come in the room, followed by Valenti. He stood behind Maria taking her in his arms. Liz didn't want to break Maria's heart, but she knew that she couldn't make that promise.

"Because… I cant." Liz kept her gaze towards the floor, wanting to avoid the heart breaking looks that was coming from Maria.

"Why Liz?" demanded Valenti more strongly than Alex ever could. Liz looked up, tears in her eyes.

"I can't promise that because I'm not sure I am going to be around" Liz could feel the sting of tears falling from her eyes as she continued. "I can't promise that because I might not survive the birth of my child." With that Liz fell on to the bed staring out of the window, watching the stars fly past, gasping for any air that she could find to calm her nerves.

"Liz… how do you know this?" asked Maria who was now knelt down in front of Liz, with concern written all over her face.

“Because I had dreamt it. No. It wasn't a dream. It was so much more than that. It was a dream that was real. A vision. But all I know is it's going to happen, and I'm going to be alone and… and… Max isn't going to be there to save me,” she cried as the realisation that the dream was a warning hit her. She fell into Maria's arms sobbing.
"Max isn't going to be the same person when he comes out of the pod. He's not going to remember me and he's going to be with her, with Tess." Liz spat bitterly.

"Have you asked Anya how long they are to be in the pods?" asked Valenti.

"3 weeks" answered Anya who was stood at the door. "You must all leave Liz's room and return to your own rooms please. You will start work tomorrow."

"Start work?" questioned Alex with a start.

"Yes. Work. You were never meant to be on this ship. Be thankful I haven't turned you out of it and let you die! For that you must work. You will now be the ship servants." explained Anya

"No! No! I won't work for the hag that is trying to steal my boyfriend from me!" shouted Maria as she charged at Anya. Anya smirked and waved her hand over a device on the wall. Liz watched as Maria's expression turned from anger to pain as her body went flying through the air as a charge of electricity was shot through her body. Lines of blue light crisscrossed her body and fizzled out leaving Maria's limp body curled on the floor. Liz ran to her friend's side and desperately ran her fingers over her friend’s body for a pulse, while Valenti held Alex away from Anya. Liz looked towards a worried Valenti and Alex and nodded.

"She is still alive,” she said quietly now looking at the floor. "You should take her to her room"

"Now back to your own rooms! NOW!" ordered Anya. With that she left the room, followed by everyone except Liz who was left sat on the floor staring back at them through tear filled eyes.

*Max... Max... I need you, we all do... please come back*

[rie482]

Hiya guys! I'd like to thank u for all ur comments It has spurred me on and I am well into writing it right now. This bit was a bit gut wrenching to write because I decided to think about how I'd feel if I was in the same situation as Liz if it were me and my boyfriend. But I hope u like it. Sorry its a bit short, but I felt it would be better seen by itself.


PART FOUR

Diary

You know that people say that grief is hard when someone you love dies. When someone you care about simply stops existing and you have to come to terms with it on your own. We all know it's hard, but think how it feels to know that although this person is still alive, is still a person; they won't remember you when they next see you. They wouldn't know what you have been through together. They won't know the moments you have seen in each other’s eyes, hearts and souls. When they look at you they will never see you, they will see a stranger, or a person that they knew once upon a time. Now multiply how that feels with the feeling of grief and you will have what it feels like to be me. I don't know if there is even a me anymore, I'm not sure how I am existing right now. I feel like this shell that wonders around day after day clutching onto the hope that when Max emerges as Zan, he wouldn't have completely forgotten our love and me.

I know I am clutching to this dream on a thin bit of rope, which seems to be becoming batten and torn from the torture I am suffering. I cry myself to sleep at night as I feel yet another bit of the rope fall away leaving me with a bit of thread to cling to. Once upon a time my grandmother told me to follow my heart. No matter where it leads me, I should always listen to it. But what do you do when your heart is ready to give up the fight? What if your heart is breaking? What if you are left with no heart to follow? What do you do? Do you follow your head? Do you follow other people's instructions like a sheep? What do you do? I need to know right now because it’s too difficult. Too hard, too exhausting and I fear I am giving up at a time when I need to be strong. I need to be, for my child, my daughter. The daughter who I will give birth to, in a strange place. I don't want to be alone. I fear being alone and I fear that she shall be alone without a mother or father to welcome her into the world.

I wish I could save my heart from this torture, yet as I pass the pod everyday I can’t help but see the man I love as someone I have lost to fate. He had a predetermined destiny, a predetermined fate. I was never going to be part of that life and I shall never be because when he comes forward from his pod he won’t want me to live that life with him, he wants Ava to do that. The real woman he loves. I should have known the moment he kissed her, the moment his heart lead him astray. I should have known that when he said “whether I die tomorrow or fifty years from now, my destiny is the same: it’s you” that someone inside was lying to me and knew I was going to be left broken hearted. All because he loves someone else. Even now his heart leads him astray. His heart leads him to Ava even though he is not conscious. Right now, as he lays dormant, he holds the one he loves in his arms. In her arms is where he lays, his head in her hair in the way he used to lay his head when he was with me.

If I close my eyes, I can still feel what that was like. I can still feel his breath on my skin and hear him breathe slowly. Why do I do this to myself? How do I find myself like this in these situations? Why did my emotional state make me weary of Anya when I first met her? I cannot believe that I felt that she could be trusted because I felt that since she was Max’s mother, she wouldn’t want to hurt him or anyone he loves. Yet she did. She still does, everyday as she points out to me yet again that Max looks more peaceful every second. I have never seen him this peaceful, as if the weight of the world has been lifted off his shoulders as he lies in Tess’ arms. As if she is the only one who could lift it for him, that she is the only one he needs.

There was a time when everything was so easy. When I was the person who could lift the world off his weak shoulders, his weak soul. I had always thought that was because when we were around each other, I made his soul complete; I made his soul stronger by simply being with him. Now, I Liz Parker, the smallest of small town girls, is even smaller and insignificant than ever before, because my soul and I have been replaced for another. And it’s breaking my heart; it’s killing me.

[rie482]

PART FIVE

*****Dream*****
“Leave him alone!” screeched Liz as she saw Anya standing over him, her hands covered in blood. Liz stared at the woman before her and the body at her feet, drenched with blood. His brown hair covered his anguished face as he lay dying on the floor.

“Liz… go! Liz…” he pleaded. As she shook her head he screamed one last time “Please!” before his head landed on the floor as he died. *****


Liz woke, dripping with sweat, with her hand firmly on her swelling stomach as if she was protecting the baby from the world. 3 weeks had past and she was starting to show her pregnancy, yet not enough for Anya to realise. She hated the idea of what would happen if Anya did find out about it. The last 3 weeks had been enough torture as it was. Nothing they did seemed to be right for the woman. A woman who Liz thought to be kind was now a woman that Liz hated more than the devil. The woman's once peaceful looking eyes had turned bitter and hateful. Her presence that had once been comforting had suddenly turned into a threatening one.

The woman had turned punishment into a daily ritual, one that must be done every today just to please her. Liz's body was starting to ache from all the electric shocks that they had received from the witch and last night was no exception. Last night had been one of the worst nights for punishment. Liz had had electric shots sent through her body 50 times during the day, the last being 5 minutes long. She had blacked out from the pain and almost blurted out her secret in the hope Anya would stop. But she didn't. She knew that Anya would have killed her. She had been violent to Liz and only to Liz because of what she had meant to Max. She was the only reason why Max hadn't come home sooner in Anya's eyes and she wanted to punish Liz for what she had done. The beatings began a week after being informed they were now ship servants, when Liz and Maria were in the kitchen preparing dinner. Liz dropped a pan on the floor, which made enough noise for Anya to come in. She charged straight up to Liz and shocked her to the ground and began to kick her in the back whilst Maria was thrown across the room, helpless. The bruises became worse as Anya added more to them everyday.

Once she was caught looking at Max and was knocked out as Anya threw her head first into the wall and Anya knowing about the baby would just fuel her anger more. No, she wasn't going to tell Anya about the baby because she knew what would happen if she did.

Liz closed her eyes as she remembered the series of new dreams that had occurred. All the same just the events leading up to it all different. One where Max dies. One that sees Maria dead. It changed as if fate couldn't decide which one he should take to make Liz's suffering that little bit worse. She looked towards her diary that sat on the desk but as she headed towards it she stopped and sighed as a bell was heard throughout the ship.

*No rest for the wicked* she thought.

*I know what you mean* came a reply.

Liz froze. Had she just heard someone reply to her thought? Has someone been listening into her private thoughts? She shook her head dismissively, blaming it on being tired and dressed in her white robe. As she looked in her small mirror she could just start to see the bump protrude slightly. Liz grimaced. She knew it wouldn't be long before it was undeniably noticeable.

"Liz?" came a call from the intercom. "Liz you're needed"

"Coming" she said quietly. "I'm coming"

* * * * * * *

Zan looked around his surroundings, the sound of his blood rushing around his body thumping in his head was all he could hear and the light burning his eyes was all he could see. His eyes rested on his wife that was still lying on the floor, still not conscious from emerging from the pod an hour ago. He pulled back a piece of her blonde hair surveying her body. What they were both wearing was bizarre. Zan found him self wearing what he knew to be jeans and a black sweater, he didn't know why he knew that but also knew that Ava was wearing jeans and a red low cut top. Not the typical clothing he should be wearing, being a king, but that could soon be fixed.

Zan stood and after getting his bearings walked out into the corridor looking for a servant. Stood at the end of the corridor was a beautiful woman dressed in a servant's gown. Her long brown hair looked so soft he wanted to reach out and touch it, her eyes so enchanting, yet there was something about her that made her seem like she was suffering. As he walked towards her, the bruise on her left cheek became evident and her body was shaking uncontrollably. It sent a wave of an unknown, uncontrollable urge to run to the woman and hold her in his arms. But she was a servant and he was a king, he should not be seen with a servant like that, yet the tears were the final straw. He walked up to the young woman just in time to catch her from falling to the floor and settled her in between his legs as she fainted.

"Liz? Liz? Li… oh my god" yelled Maria as she ran in the direction of Liz's body in-between the legs of Max, who had his head rested against the wall, his eyes closed. She gently lowered herself onto the floor sat by his side staring at him in shock as he ran his hands through Liz's hair, his eyes still closed. Maria resisted the urge to call him Max as she began to speak to him.

"I am so sorry your majesty but it has been a hard day for Liz, she is not well. I apologise. Please punish me not Liz as I fear she cannot handle another shock today."

Zan opened his eyes with a start and looked at the woman before him. Her eyes were on the floor, tears streaming down her face as she tried to plead for the woman between his legs not to be punished.

"What has happened to this young woman? Why the bruises?" He questioned softly.

Maria looked up at him, in the eye, something she did not dare do with Anya. But some how she knew that Zan was not much unlike Max in personality, because the compassion in his voice was so like Max it made her heart wonder whether Max was truly erased.

"Anya your majesty. Liz dropped a pan again" she replied quietly.

"She dropped a pan? Why should she be punished for this?"

"Because Anya does not like Liz. She hates her. If you were to see her back you would see the great pain Anya has put her through." She looked towards the floor once again and continued " and it is set to become worse"

Zan looked at the servant in wonder. "Why?"

"I cannot tell you. It is not my secret to tell. I am sorry" Maria looked over her shoulder as she heard the murmur of other voices. She suddenly made a grab for Liz's body from Zan's lap. "Please help me take her to her room. Please. I cannot carry her myself," she pleaded as she heard the distinct angry tone that only Anya was known to produce.

Zan looked at the woman before him for a couple of seconds as she desperately tried to lift Liz's body and could see despair in her eyes, despair for a woman she obviously cared deeply about. He slowly lifted the woman lying in-between his legs into his arms and nodded towards Maria to show him the way. As he followed Maria who darted around the nearest corner, he could hear his mother questioning "Where is that whore?" which made anger spark within his body. A feeling that scared him to the core. He never became angry over anything unless it was an insult to the one he loved, and he loved Ava. Confusion flooded his body as he laid the servant on her bed, instinctively pulling a piece of hair behind her ear.

He was gone as quickly as he had came as Maria dragged him out towards another room, his heart feeling like it had been pulled out from his chest.

"This is to be your room Zan. There are fresh clothes on your bed. I will have Ava brought to you." With that Maria bowed and turned to leave. Just before she closed the door she turned back and quietly said "Thank you". Then the door was closed.

* * * * * * *

"Where is my husband?" Screamed Ava as she ran around the ship upset and confused, having just woken up in a strange room alone. She paced up and down the corridor until the door of a room slid open. Alex stood staring at person before him. He didn't realise that they had emerged from the pods yet and wondered why he hadn't been told sooner. Yet when Alex thought about it, it was because he was trying to keep distance between Liz and Anya all day.

"Your majesty, Zan is probably with his mother. I shall go check" He walked to the nearest intercom and enquired where they were. "Just as I thought, your highness, Zan is with his mother. I shall escort you to him."

"Thank you" Ava answered quietly as she fell in pace behind him. Her nerves had been calmed by the mere presence of the servant, which usually wouldn't have been the case. She didn't trust servants, many times have male servants attacked her and many times have female servants slapped her. Yet this one was different. Somehow it felt like she knew this one.

She didn't ponder this for too long because it wasn't long before she found herself in the arms of her husband.

"I missed you. When you died I just couldn't live any longer and knew that I had to join you in this new life if I were to be with you ever again" she declared as looked up towards her love.

His eyes sparkled with such deep love and longing, just as they had always done. Her eyes trailed down towards his lips and as she closed her eyes, her mouth found her husbands. Opening and closing in a rhythm that only she and Zan knew. Her hands were gliding up and down his back as he pulled her closer to his body, his hands running through her blonde curls. The kiss slowed and as they pulled away a scream was heard. Everyone in the room, Anya, Ava, Zan, Alex, Rath and Vilandra turned towards the door where two startled servants stood. Valenti and Liz. Liz's eyes were full of tears, her hand grasping on to the door frame for balance and her other resting on her heart as if it had been torn out with Valenti stood behind her ready to catch her at any notice.

"Leave Liz you are not needed here. Valenti, go run me a bath" Ordered Anya.

Her eyes rested on the servants for a second but firmly rested on liz once Valenti had left. Liz seemed incapable of understanding her order so Anya felt it necessary to tell her in tone that Liz would definitely understand "Leave you whore! I shall deal with you later."

Yet Liz did not move. She stayed. Her eyes locked on the man stood before her. The man that had just been kissing the woman in his arms, like he used to kiss her. That was how she knew. She knew that although Max was no more in memory, he was still there within Zan in essence. That hurt more because at least if he wasn't Max in anyway, if he had a totally different personality, different essence and a different way about him, she wouldn't be as pained.

"I said leave! Do you not understand?" shouted an angry Anya, her hand rising towards the box that rested on the wall beside her. "You know what will happen if you do not leave!"

With that Liz absently placed her hand on her stomach, bowed and left the room after taking one last look at the love her life.

"Mother, why did you have to be so cruel to that servant?" asked Zan patiently as his gaze followed after Liz.

"Because she is a whore. She is not one to be trusted and be warned whilst around her. She will try to twist your mind,” answered Anya as she left the room after the servant.

Zan looked at the shocked faces that looked in the direction that Anya had just left, disbelief that a queen could treat another being in such a heartless and cruel way. Vilandra was the first to speak.

"I think we should go to bed. After that episode from mother I think we should leave before she takes it out on us. She will be fine in the morning and then everything will be fine" she said uneasily. "Night all" She took Rath's hand glided out the door.

"I think we should also go to bed,” said Ava suggestively, as she gazed into Zan's eyes. "I have been waiting for you for well over fifty years my love. I have missed you since our deaths even though I knew we would be reborn in safety. I have missed your body on mine, I have missed hearing breathe next to me. I have missed you Zan. Take me to bed so I can lie in your arms tonight" Zan looked down at Ava and simply took her hand and left the room leaving Alex stood in an empty room listening to the screams that could be heard throughout the ship.

* * * * * *

Liz fell against the wall as Anya threw her across the dark room with just a flick of the hand. Liz landed heavily on the floor and slowly lifted her head to show a tickle of blood flow from her lip gasping as she saw the look in the other woman’s eye. Her wise and malicious eyes seemed green from the faint light of the orb in the background of the room. She was smiling in a demonic way, which sent shivers down Liz’s spine.

“What do you think you are doing looking at my son like that? What do you think gives you the right to him?” screamed Anya, spit flying out the corner of her mouth as she said it. Her fury was one that seemed never ending. It was passion filled and yet Liz didn’t understand what she had done to harm the woman. She had always thought herself to be one of those people who feared hurting people, yet she didn’t understand fully her crime.

“He’s mine Anya and you know that!” screeched Liz as she tried to stand. “You told him away from me, yet don’t expect me to be in pain from all the shit you put me through!” Pure anger began to run through her veins as she spoke, spurring her on. “Don’t you think that I need some time to adjust that you torn my soul mate and my heart from my body the day you decided he HAD to come home?! Don’t you think that MAYBE I could be actually hurting enough that you don’t have to throw me against the wall to make sure I know my place?” Tears starting to make their way down her cheeks. “I love your son. More than you do obviously, because you have decided that blonde bimbo is the one he has to be with… not his soul mate, which by the way happens to be ME!”

Anya stood in shock completely still, looking down on the small woman before her. Her eyes screamed fury as she lifted her hand to the woman striking her across the face hard. She pushed Liz hard on to the floor and rolled her onto her back, grasping her right arm.

“You won’t know what pain feels like until I am finished with you, you whore” spat Anya “I have been in pain knowing my son is stuck with a slut like you and I have no intentions of allowing you to ever have him back,” With that she slowly started to twist Liz arm up her back, sending pain throughout out her small body and sending her into a fit of piercing screams that rang out everywhere.

[rie482]

A little earlier than I said it would be on and that's because I have finished it early

PART SIX

“Zan? Are you okay? You seem distant,” asked Ava as she looked up at her husband. She was stroking his bare chest as he turned to look down on her. Her green eyes radiated love as he took in her appearance. Her golden locks were in disarray from their lovemaking and her cheeks at a light pink flush from his simple gaze upon her, which gave her an innocent look. A look, which was a lie. She wasn’t innocent in the slightest and never had been. Out of the hundreds of years they had been married she had never remained faithful to him. He had known she was a cheat, yet something was stopping from leaving her. There had always been something preventing him. As he looked down, he reminded himself that was because he loved her and without out her, he was nothing.

“I am fine, I’m just worried about my mother,” he replied as he began running his fingers through her hair. “Her behaviour tonight is unlike anything I have seen.”

“You mean the way she treated that servant?” questioned Ava lightly. “You know that she was always vengeful Zan,”

“Yes, I know but I have never seen my mother treat any being so maliciously before and from what I have heard, this isn’t the only incident,” he sighed. “She has changed Ava. It’s as if she isn’t even my mother anymore. She acts like she cares about me and treats the servants wickedly, its not right.’

Ava skimmed a look over his expression. It was one of mixed feelings, one that suggested that he was thinking about something else. She traced her fingertips over his fingers as she nodded in agreement. Not once had she seen her mother in law like that yet knew that Zan was hiding something, even when they were making love it was as if he wasn’t there with his heart and soul as he once did. Something had changed today because he hadn’t called her name as they made love and he didn’t touch her in quite the same way. It was as if he was saving all that true love and affection for something or someone else. A wave of annoyance swept over at the thought, of the mere belief that he could love someone else was not right. It wasn’t part of the plan.

She knelt before him and placed a hand on his chin, dragging him forward to her lips. Their kiss was soft and tender, which would usually give Ava the sweetest feeling, yet this wasn’t about their kiss. She wanted information and as the kiss became quicker the flash of a Zan placing a woman down on a bed, pulling hair gently away from her face as he did so, crossed her mind.

She pulled away quickly when a knock at the door tore her out of the flash and out of Zan’s mind. As he got out of bed to answer it, a confused and despairing look crept across her face. He was thinking about the servant.

“Maria” Whispered Zan, as he answered the door.

Maria, who was stood in her white robe, didn’t answer him. She just quickly garbbed his hand and rapped it around a small object before turning away and running down the corridor, not looking behind her to see his reaction. She wanted him to remember on his own accord and this was the only way to do it.
*I just hope it works* She thought to herself as she turned the corner to her room.

Zan’s eyes followed the woman until she had turned the corner before slowly unclasping his hand and began looking at the object in it. It was part of a pendent; black with a sliver symbol that meant ‘love’ in Antarian was inscribed on it.

He stared at it in wonder, wondering why Maria had given it to him. As he turned it over in his hand he began to feel like he had seen it before. He knew this pendent but could not grasp at the memory. Suddenly floods of images filled Zan’s body, coming on so strong he had to grasp at the doorframe to keep him standing. As he stared out the door, taking in the flashes, he didn’t notice Ava touch his shoulder, sharing each image.

*Flash*
Athertons house

*Flash*
A Liz sat on his bed, the chemistry undeniable

*Flash*
Him placing the pendent over her head and using it to pull her closer to him

*Flash*
River dog

*Flash*
Michael lying ill on the floor

*Flash*
Him working his way down the balcony ladder, leaving after Liz’s, having told her that it was too dangerous to be together.

Ava came to as Zan pulled away from her and walked out the door after the woman, a shirt thrown over his bare chest, leaving Ava in despair. A tear threatened to come to the surface as she thought viciously

*Anya was right. That woman isn’t to be trusted* and as she walked towards Anya’s room she thought of all the punishments lined up for Liz with glee.

* * * * * * *


Diary
How can this be possible? How can it hurt this much to see the man I love with someone else. I think that it would hurt less if he could actually remember me, remember that we are to have a child. Remember that I love him and once upon a time he used to love me back. I want to see a glimmer of recognition in his eyes as he looks down on me. I want him to see me, really see me for who I am and for what I mean to him, yet I know that shall not happen. I miss him more than I thought I would, even though he is still around me. I have lost him to a force much greater than Tess Harding. I have lost him to his memories, the memories that did not include me. Memories of a past life and its actually killing me. They say that people can die from a broken heart and I used to believe it was nonsense, until the day Max Evans saved me from certain death at the hands of a bullet. I wish he didn't save me that day. I really wish I had died because right now I think I am slowly dying from a broken heart, a fate worse than dying at the hands of a bullet.

Liz winced as she slowly closed the journal. Anya had badly sprained her arm and produced yet another bruise on her cheek. The pain was actually numb in comparison to how it felt to having her heart pulled out and it was suddenly dawning on Liz that maybe she was actually dying of a broken heart because she couldn't feel anything else but her heart breaking. A knock on her door brought her back to reality.

"You may come in Maria. The door's open." when the door didn't open Liz stood up and walked to the door. "I know you used to think that you were a queen but you know you’re n…" as she opened the door she stopped. Zan was stood before her with a look of concern etched across his face.

"Zan!" yelled Maria "Your mother is heading this way! Quick!" As she pushed him into Liz's room. As Maria did so Max collided with Liz, pushing her backwards and making her fall to the floor, her head hitting it hard.

"Liz?" whispered a startled Maria as she knelt beside her. "Liz are you okay? Are you both okay?" Liz opened her yes and simply nodded. She looked up and there he was. Max Evans. She couldn't get any words to form in her mouth with him stood over her, looking down on her in that way. She simply stared at him as he helped her to the bed and laid her down.

"What?" he asked as he realised that she wasn't going to stop. "Liz what is it?"

"She won't answer you Zan, she is in shock." Maria replied for Liz. Zan looked at Maria in a confused way. Then back to the woman who was laid out on the bed before him.

"Why?" he questioned

"Because of who you were, I mean who you ARE." she replied "when you were reborn you were not given you memories, you became another person, a person much like you are now. You were Max Evans and you were important to her. You were in love."

Zan shook his head. "By why do I not remember this?"

“But you do Zan” replied Maria. “The pendent allowed you to access your memories again. That’s why you followed me here. You wanted answers.”

“But why don’t I actually have my memories?” He questioned strongly “They weren’t exactly memories I could easily forget” He swallowed hard as he thought about how gut wrenching it had been to be able to feel the pain that he felt as he had walked down the balcony ladder.

“That’s what the pod is supposed to do. So you don't wish to go home to earth,” Liz answered softly. “So you forget who you are,” she said even more quietly, until it was an almost inaudible whisper. Tears started to trickle down her face, making her vision blurred, but she could still make out the look of disbelief in his eyes.

“You don't believe me. Anya has told you not to hasn't she?” she asked, when he nodded she simply replied “I thought as much” She exclaimed as she lifted herself off the bed and towards her journal. She opened it and took a picture out of the sleeve. She glanced down at it for a couple of moments before she handed it to Zan nervously. He accepted the photo from the woman’s shaking hand and stared down at it in total disbelief. It was a black and white photo of them in the park in each other’s arms laughing together. Their eyes fixated in the others. Maria had taken it while they hadn't been looking and let Liz, and only Liz have it as a reminder of their love after Max had kissed Tess.

"Zan… Liz and you were in love. This picture was taken just this summer on earth" whispered Maria. "Her journal is more proof of this. Zan… This is going to be hard to accept but what I am about to tell you is the truth. You and Liz were… and still are… soul mates"

Silence rang out the room as he stared straight at the picture, utter disbelief written all over his face. He sat there trying to take everything in yet nothing seemed to stick. Yet at the same time everything seemed to make sense, make more sense than anything else had.

“Zan?” Maria said bringing him out of his thoughts.

“Is that why I am so drawn to her? Why I feel so protective of her?” Zan asked, tears in his eyes as he looked at the woman stood before him. Maria nodded. Liz slowly stepped forward, taking small breaths in order to keep her heart from leaping out of her chest as she came to an idea that might work.

“Max…” She whispered, “I want to try something. To show you who you really are to me. I need to show you how I feel about you and how you felt and still feel about me. Is it okay if I try this?” Asked Liz cautiously as she knelt down before him. He simply nodded as she placed her hands either side of his head. “You taught me how to do this once, when you first shared with me the fact you aren’t exactly human.” She smiled, as she spoke “I will never forget the emotions I felt. The amazing thing was, they were all your emotions. I had never felt like that before. This is a wonderful experience, one that will help you make your way back to who you really are. Are you sure you are ready for this?” She questioned and as he nodded she looked him straight in the eye. “Make your mind blank and this should work" Said Liz as she took a deep breath and let the flashes begin to flow through her.

*Flash*
Max healing her in the Crashdown

*Flash*
Their first kiss

*Flash*
The blind date

*Flash*
The white room

*Flash*
Them making love

*Flash*
The dream

Liz breathed out slowly as she dropped her hands from Max's head. His eyes were still closed and were for what seemed forever to Liz and Maria. Suddenly his eyes flew open in a way that made Liz jump and uneasy. His brown eyes stared directly in to hers.

*Liz?* croaked the familiar voice, of the one she loved, in her head.

Tears began to fall in full force as she looked back at him and simply replied

*I love you*

The wave of recognition was there. He was hovering just below the surface. A tear rolled down his cheek as all Max's memories flooded into his mind, erasing any powerful memories that made him think he was still Zan. He didn't know which memories were his or which were Zan's, but what he did know was that he was Max Evans. Almost 17. Lived on earth with his sister Isabel and his human parents.

What he knew for certain was that the woman before him was Liz Parker. His soul mate. The woman who he saved from near death because he felt a world without Liz Parker wasn't a world worth living in. The woman he was destined to be with was not Ava or Tess or what or who ever she was. The woman in front of him was. Liz Parker was the one he was destined to love.

He lent forward and as he whispered to Liz he drew his hand to her bruised cheek, remembering what he had said to her the night that they made love, "Knowing you has made me human. Whether I die tomorrow or fifty years from now, my destiny is the same: It's you"

Liz stared into his eyes, as she took in how it felt to have his hand resting on her cheek after so long. The pain that had filled her body just disappeared with just one simple touch. She had always known that one touch from Max could physically heal a person, yet didn’t know it could completely heal her emotionally, from the inside out. It was as if every emotion had been returned to her, every thought of dismissing love was turned away with this simple touch. His eyes lifted her spirits to a whole new high that had, for a while, seemed impossible and unnatural to reach. As she gazed into them she could see every inch of his soul as the amber of his eyes opened the doors to it. She could feel every bit of sadness, pain and love that he held for her as his eyes burrowed into hers. She could feel her warm tears tumble down her cheeks as she could see that Max really was with her.

“Max… Max…” was all that could pass her lips as he wiped away her tears, constantly holding her gaze and as he came forward she bit her lip. Soon she could feel his breath just inches from her lips. His scent was the only scent all around her and his breathing the only sound she could hear other than her own heart beating. As his hands began to run through her hair, his lips finally came crashing down on her’s. As he made love to her mouth his taste was starting to ignite a passion within Liz that she thought was dead. A longing so strong she wanted Max to take her in his arms and lead her to bed. She wanted her soul and body to become whole with Max, once again. Even though his touch had healed her, there was still a hole, a hole in her heart where Max belonged and a hole in her soul where his soul belonged.

“Max…” whispered Maria as Liz and Max pulled away, their breathing and heartbeats rapid and their gaze fixed. Maria wrapped her hand around Max’s wrist and gently pulled it from the cheek it was resting on.

“Max…” he turned to Maria reluctantly “Max… we need to go. Ava will suspect something if you do not return to her soon” she whispered.

Max turned back to Liz, his heart racing. He didn’t want to leave; he didn’t want to be away from his true destiny. His future.

*But you have to* thought Liz as she slid her hand over his cheek. *Go. At least I know you are with me once again* she thought smiling to him.

“I love you Liz Parker,” he whispered to her. “I love you” With that he left the room following Maria as Liz remained kneeling on the floor, a joyful tear sliding down her cheek.

* * * * * * *

[rie482]

PART SEVEN

As Ava sat before a livid Anya, she felt a stab of guilt run through her body as she realised the true extent of her words. As she was sat across the other side of the large oak table, she looked towards her mother in law in fear. The woman had certainly changed over the years and was beginning to scare Ava.

Anya glanced at Ava before she spoke, taking in the woman’s feared body language. “Liz has once again decided to try mess with my sons destiny.” She said calmly. “Her actions today will only destroy our family, so therefore we need to destroy her first, emotionally then physically.” Anya took in Ava’s reaction of horror as she saw the guilt begin to crack the small blonde.

“Ava. You cannot back out now.” She sighed as she placed her hand on top of Ava’s lovingly. “If we let her, she shall take Zan away from you. We have to stop this because we know he is destined to be with you. You are the one he loves; you were the one he married in his past life, not her. So therefore we MUST eliminate her or she will tear you and Zan apart at a time when we need him most.”

“But… but… she is a human being Anya, I have never been able to do that another being before.” She stated. “Couldn’t we just leave her somewhere? Lock her away and throw away the key?”

Anya sighed. She wanted to hurt Liz, she wanted to destroy the woman on every level, yet what Ava was saying was speaking volumes. To lock Liz away would be torture in itself. She knew that the little girl was a free spirit, one who had to be able to do what she wanted and needed to be free to be there for Max. By locking her away, not only could Anya harm her emotionally, but she could also get rid of her without anyone noticing. Anya smiled to herself before speaking.

“You’re right. You are not one to harm another being, so we shall not hurt her. I shall lock her away where no one can find her.”

The flutter of relief that Ava felt, was expressed on her face as she accepted Anya’s actions. She didn’t want there to be blood shed, and for some reason she actually felt sorry for Liz. Yet Anya was right, she couldn’t let the past that Max and Liz had shared tear apart the family at the point when he was needed, needed to do his duty. To make an heir with the woman he loved. Ava stood from the table placing a hand over her stomach as she did so.

“I hope we are not too late” Ava exclaimed as she walked towards the door “I need to be pregnant before we return home, otherwise I shall not be accepted as his wife and you shall not be accepted as Queen once he is dealt with. Our planet needs this” She turned to Anya. “I need this Anya. We all do”

“I know Ava. I know,” sighed Anya as she watched Ava walk out the door.

* * * * * * *

She looked out the window despairingly. It felt like her heart had been torn out from her chest slowly and she couldn’t understand it. She had always known that she loved him, but the extent of it never engaged in her mind until she saw him in her grasp. He kissed the other woman so tenderly and stroked her cheek in such a warm way, Maria felt like she was going to cry while she stood there watching the scene that was carrying out in front of her between them.

“Maria?” asked Alex trying to get her attention, failing every time he tried. He looked toward Valenti who’s turn it was to try his best to conjure life from the motionless Maria. He stood up from the uncomfortable chair, smoothed down his black uniform and walked over to her, placing his hand on her shoulder.

“Maria!” he shouted in her ear. Her hand snapped round and glared at him. “Maria… That wasn’t Michael. That was Rath. You do understand that don’t you?” He asked gently. Maria looked back him understanding, yet there was something she had to say. Something that tore that belief to pieces. She turned her head back to the window as she spoke.

“It’s not the first time. He… they… they were sharing dreams of themselevs with a child. This isn’t the first time destiny has ruined what me and Michael had.” She turned to face Alex “It’s the same with Isabel. They thought the dreams were telling them they had to be together. Now this!” she exclaimed. “I have had enough of this hold that Michael has on me! But I cannot seem to let go. No matter what you say Jim… about how it’s not him… you’re wrong. Rath IS Michael. I watch him everyday go about his business with his wall of stone permanently up, a scowl on his face” a smile crept across her face “He acts the exactly the same as Michael. It’s in the same way that Zan was always Max, the same presence about them. The same manner; the same person. The only difference… Vilanda and Isabel. The dreams had told them they were meant to be together, but chose to ignore it. I saw the way that Vilanda and Rath are together. Isabel is the woman he is supposed to be. It has always been that way,” She cried out as tears fell and she began to break down. “He is better off with out me!”

“No!” hollered Alex in such a way that made both Valenti and Maria jump. “You are wrong Maria” He quickly stood up, walked to her and grabbed her by the shoulders, staring her straight in the eye. “You ARE meant to be together. I see the way you are. You are the one for him. Who did he turn to when things became violent with Hank? You. Not Isabel. That in itself tells you that he needs you. He loves you Maria so you need to be strong, strong for both of you.” He wiped away a tear from her cheek as he cradled her close to his chest, exchanging smiles to Valenti as he left the room. “We all need you to be strong, especially Liz. You know she isn’t going to make it much longer if we aren’t careful.”

“I know,” She sobbed as she looked up at Alex “But I don’t know what to do. She is wasting away into nothing. Even though she has Max back, the fact he is still with Ava is tearing her apart.” She paused, wiping away a tear. “I can’t lose her Alex”

“Me neither…” Alex replied in agreement. “But if there is anyone in the world that can stop this… its you Maria. You need to be the same bubbly thing you have always been and she will come back to us. If we break down she will just push herself away to stop the heartache.”

* * * * * * *


Diary
It has been days since Max has returned to me. Even though it isn’t exactly how I planned it would be, I can, at least, live with the knowledge that he remembers me. I have been reluctantly meeting him everyday because we cannot tolerate to be apart and I often think that I should stay away to protect our child, yet we need each other emotionally. By keeping ourselves away we are killing each other slowly and by not acting we are making it more impossible for us to be together. We may arrive at Antar at any point and by not acting we are giving Anya the chance to tear us apart permanently.

Not that isn’t happening already. Every night Max goes to bed with Ava. He makes love to her, yet hasn’t actually told me that. I feel jealously flowing through my veins as I see the images of it flash through my mind as he kisses me tenderly. Although I can feel that he doesn’t feel anything when he is doing it, it still hurts that he does it any way. I can barely breathe just thinking that right now he is lying in her arms after making love. I am jealous because it is what I crave. We have only ever made love once and I need to feel his body intertwined with mine as comfort. As a way of knowing that he is there for me at a time I need him. Yet, at least I can be happy knowing that I have a person within me that is made out of love. A being so pure that Ava could not possibly have it. That’s what I believe she is doing. She needs to conceive a child, yet I do not know why.

It is probably a plan hatched by that evil hag. A plan to claim the throne or something to taunt me with. Yet she doesn’t know my secret. She doesn’t know that what she wants I have. I have what she desires, wants and needs. I have the true heir to the throne. I can live through the day, knowing this and I can be standing strong against anything Anya throws at me knowing that I will soon be in Max’s arms again. I will soon be getting one over that hag by being with the one I love.

But our situation is becoming harder. It is obvious now that I am heading towards giving birth and it frightens both of us. Even though Max won’t actually say it, I know he worries that he won’t be there for me. I know that because as he lies by my side in bed, stroking my stomach, he whispers to our daughter promises that he knows cannot keep. He promises that he shall be there for me, to help me through. Yet I know that is not true. Even if he wills it to be, it isn’t fact. The dreams are too real for anything to change the outcome. No matter how hard a person tries to change small things, that just might change the outcome, it is just simply impossible. We cannot control fate because ultimately fate controls us and what ever we try to do to change it, it will not affect the outcome. Therefore I know for certain I will give birth alone and I will die.

What is worse is the cause of my death. My child will not kill me. Anya will not kill me. Strangely enough the one person I would trust with my life will be the one who kills me. Max will be the one. As I see him spending day after day with Ava, my heart breaks a little bit more. It’s as if my heart is telling me that Max has chosen her over me and everything he does points to that. Why? Why do I think such things? Because I’m in love with a man who wouldn’t throw caution to the wind just to be with me. He is worried that by acting, against Anya, he will lose me, yet the ironic thing is by not doing so he is losing me anyway. Not taking the chance on freedom, by hiding his true identity hidden from everyone but I, Maria, Alex and Jim, he is causing my death by breaking my heart. My tortured and batten heart and soul cannot handle this anymore. This torture has been too much. I need to rest in peace. My soul cries out for salvation from this pain and torment and everyday, when it comes one more day closer, the more my soul cries out for it. And as everyday it nears the time, the more I welcome it.

As the journal snapped shut, Anya looked out the window in complete disbelief. She hadn’t noticed that the other woman was pregnant. She sighed as she thought that perhaps her anger towards Liz had clouded her observational skills, yet shook her head with glee. Now she had some thing she could use to her advantage. As she fumbled with the journal trying to get it into its hiding hole, she began to scheme a way into ridding herself of Liz Parker once and for all and getting her hands on the heir to her son’s throne and ultimately… the grand prize. The death of Liz Parker.

[rie482]

PART EIGHT


Liz was laid on her bed, thinking about Max, staring at the ceiling when it happened. When she heard the most painful scream ring through her ears; that made her leap off the bed. She sensed the scream was from someone she knew, her gut told her so; so she quickly dressed and ran out the door in to the corridor. The screams were so emotional and piercing, it was as if someone was being murdered and as she continued to listen out for the direction if it, her heart lurched in to her mouth as she recognised Alex’s girly scream ring around the ship. Liz ran towards the direction of where the sound was coming from, praying that nothing was happening to Alex as she did so.

Her search came to an end when she stopped dead as she came across an open door. As she peered inside she took in the scene before her with shock.

“Leave him alone!” screeched Liz as she saw Anya standing over him, her hands covered in blood. Liz stared at the woman before her and the body at her feet, drenched with blood, from the doorway in shock. Her legs seemed unable to move as she took in Alex’s appearance. His brown hair covered his anguished face as he lay dying on the floor.

“Liz… go! Liz…” he pleaded. As she shook her head he screamed one last time “Please!” before his head landed on the floor as he died. Liz found her legs as soon as his head hit the floor with the over whelming need to be with her friend came over her. As she ran to the body Anya glared at her smiling.

“Now you know what real pain is like” she whispered to Liz. Liz took no noticed as she placed Alex’s head into her lap as she began to mourn his death. As she went to stroke his hair, his face became distorted as his body began to slowly disappear. She jumped up from the spot on the floor and stood back in shock, suddenly realising that she had been tricked. It had been a mind warp. She shot a glance to the door, watching it close in on her. The last image she saw before the door finally closed was the evil look on Anya’s face. It seemed satisfied and content for once, Anya now appeared calm and collected. Nothing like the woman Liz had been treated so badly by.

Liz ran at the door, slamming her hands on it in desperation. She slammed and smashed her hands against the door repeatedly as she frantically try to get someone to open it. Tears fell down her face as her skin started to crack and bleed from the force she implemented on the defeating and relentless door, yet she did not stop. She carried on and it was the sudden pain, which began coursing through her body, that was the only thing that made her stop.

“A contraction” she gasped as she held her swell. The pain made her head spin with dread, as she remembered the dream. As the pain subsided she turned her attention to the room where she was being held.

Liz’s heart skipped a beat as she looked around her. It was the same room from her dream and with the same eerie red glow that came from an orb to the side of the room. The blood red glow made her blood boil and her heart begin ache as she realised the situation she was in.

*This is it. This is the same room* she thought devastatingly. She backed up against the wall in total shock as she realised that there really was no one to help her. She really was alone. As she sobbed she slid her pregnant body down the wall until she was sat firmly on the ground, her head in her hands and knees. She clutched her stomach as she began to shake with fear.

*Max!* she yelled out in her mind. *Max!*

*Liz?* came the reply.

*Max… its started. The dream is coming true* she yelled in emotional agony. As she sat waiting for his reply she felt his anguish.

*Where are you?* he asked calmly, trying not to worry her.

*I don’t know, Max your mother has locked me away somewhere! Max! She tricked me into thinking she was killing Alex!* The silence that rang out the room disappeared as the yell of pure anger rang through Liz’s mind. *Max?* she asked in panic and confusion *Max are you okay?*

*Yes, I’m just angry and can’t shout out loud… I’m with Ava* he paused *Liz… everything will be okay. You WON’T be alone for this. I promise you that.*
Liz sat staring out into the room in disbelief. She wanted to believe him; she really did; yet she had seen the dreams. They were so real they were undeniably going to happen.

*Don’t even think that Liz,* he thought breathlessly *I am not going to let you leave me*

*Then HURRY* she screamed as another contraction hit her small frame.

* * * * * * *

“Zan? Zan?” questioned Ava. As Zan snapped back to earth she finally asked, “Were you listening to me?”

Zan looked at the woman before him with tears in his eyes. The woman he loved was in pain because he didn’t think it right to try and take the ship from Anya. In all truth he had been scared because he didn’t know what to do if Anya hit out at him. She was a vengeful woman, something he definitely remembered from his past life, and thought that by taking the ship forcefully would make Anya do something drastic. He was scared she would use Liz against him in a battle he knew he couldn’t win. Anya was much more powerful and more experienced in her power than he and Zan ever were, so he knew that he would lose Liz if he tried.

Yet Liz had told him… had warned him many many times that they couldn’t just hide this anymore. By keeping themselves apart from each other they were killing themselves and by not acting soon it might mean that they were be truly separated if they were to land on Antar before deciding to take the chance to act. He had allowed himself to be torn and he allowed himself to be isolated from the woman he needed and the rest of the group by doing so. Not only had he done that but he had allowed the one thing that he and Liz truly feared to become a reality. Something that was once a dream was now too real.

He looked at Ava and began to speak.

“Ava…Where is she?” He asked, knowing that Ava would have been in the loop. His mother and Ava had always known each other, mainly through the Antar council in his past life. They had discussed matters that ranged from the running of the planet on behalf of Zan to who was allowed to marry whom in the higher status circles. It was how he had met Ava. Of course Zan had known that his mother was desperate for an heir to the throne, so she had set up their meeting, for many reasons. But the main was so if anything happened to Zan, she could claim the throne through his child. His mother had always considered him to be non-the-wiser when it came to her scheming and extremely underestimated him.

He had always known that his mother hadn’t loved him and it was also a well-known fact that he had never thought highly of her either. Their two different personalities had clashed so severely that they almost hated each other and because of it Anya had lost all control she had over her son. So she did it through another way, another person. She played with his heart to get what she wanted. That’s how he had died. She had messed with his heart too much through Ava.

She had lead him to believe that Ava had died in an accident, and although he was never allowed to see the body, he accepted it and mourned. He mourned until he no longer had the strength in him to live, so he took his own life. Ava in turn sacrificed herself for the cause, for the throne. She didn’t think that he could see that, see it in her eyes. But he could and because of her actions, her scheming, she was killing the one woman he could ever truly love.

“Who?” she asked innocently

“Liz… Where is she Ava? What has my mother done with her?” He demanded as he started to move closer to her. He could see it in her eyes. She knew.

“I don’t know what you mean Zan” she replied.

“Don’t call me that! I’m not Zan anymore!” He shouted in bitter frustration and as he step one foot closer to Ava, she turned to him angrily.

“Yes you are! You are NOT Max Evans” she screamed, “What is your fascination with this woman? She has twisted your mind into believing something that is not true and has lead you to believe she is more important than I! It’s not like you are married to her like you are me!” Max looked down at the woman before him and glared into her eyes.

“I’m not married to you! Your name is Tess Harding, NOT Ava. I was married to Ava when I was Zan… but I’m Max now. This is a totally different life and what you have done is killing me and is slowly killing Liz,” he said in a frustrated and despairing tone. “I have a new love Tess. You are not Ava anymore.” He exclaimed as he shook her by the shoulders. “You have to remember that!”

Ava looked at him in shock and disbelief. “I don’t know who Tess is Zan. That life doesn’t exist, she made it up to use against us” she spat. With that Max grab the pendent from around his neck and forced it into her hand and clasped it shut firmly with his hand.

“You WILL remember Tess! You will!” he roared as Tess’ memories started to unravel before her very eyes.

* * * * * * *

After the scream stopped ringing around the room, all that could be heard was the heavy breathing coming from the small woman that was slumped up against the black wall. Her eyes opened slowly as she took a deep breath before settling into a steady rhythm. She wiped the beads of sweat as she looked up at the ceiling and she slid onto her back.

*3 minutes apart* she thought to herself as she looked at her watch. Her fear had calmed a little as she began to except that she was coming closer to the end. She smiled to herself at the thought of salvation from the emotional torture she had suffered. Everyone thought that physical torture would be the one thing that would drive a person to the wish of death, but no one knew the pain Liz Parker suffered with by simply living around Max. She sighed to herself.

Not once had she ever blamed Max for anything, yet even when she was close to death she still couldn’t, because he had saved her life. He had shown her what true love felt like. He had given her a life that was worthwhile and she could never blame him for something that was out of his control. She was destined to die. The dream pointed that out clearly in black and white and she actually wished him the best in his new life with Ava.

Her eyes snapped shut tightly with pain as another contraction swept over her body, drawing out a piercing scream from her mouth. Her body tensed as she tried to overcome the discomfort and pain but suddenly her eyes flew open as her body started to convulse. As her body juddered violently, her eyes began to turn an intense purple, a shade so deep it made her look demonic. The visible veins on her skin began to turn green as a new fluid that began making its way around her body, from where her unborn child lay. She smiled, as she knew that this meant that she would be here soon and that she would be freed. Her lip trembled with grief at the thought of Max being alone as her hands began to open and shut aggressively. Her back suddenly arched as she let a final piercing scream before the contraction final came to a stop and she breathed a sigh of relief as the pain subsided.

*The end is coming* she sighed.

* * * * * * *

Tess drew in a much-needed gulp of air as she looked around the room, noting everyone’s glares. She was to be integrated and she knew that weren’t going to go easy on her. Yet again she would suffer because of the actions of another person, even though she was to blame in a sense, she wasn’t. Ava was. Ava was the heartless woman who wished her husband to not know the truth about who he really was. She was the one who wanted to have his beloved locked away. That was Ava, Not Tess.

A shudder descended down her spine as she took in the looks from the people around her. Maria looked as if she was to break down into a quivering mess before her. The strong-minded woman that Tess once knew had changed and had almost disappeared. She had changed because of the torture emotionally and physically that she had been subjected to for weeks. As she rocked back and forth before Tess, she couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. This woman had once been the person that kept morale high and Tess winced at the thought that the one person who always thought positively about any given situation, the one woman who acted like a rock when she was needed, was actually broken.

*If she is broken* she thought *what hope do the group have of survival?*

She noticed Alex and Valenti staring at her. Their stares burrowed themselves into her skull as pure hatred radiated out of them. It was because of her the one person, who held the group together through her kindness and willingness to forgive, was dying alone at a time when she should be with her family.

Tess turned to glance at the two confused people who sat by the window, both their hands grasped around a pendent, the exact pendent that had brought Tess back from the dark place where Ava had suppressed her. The wave of confusion and horror that spread across the faces of both Rath and Vilanda showed the obvious fact that they were no longer those people. They were finally Michael and Isabel once again. Her heart skipped a beat as Isabel’s famous icy glare shot in her direction. The hatred in her eyes was pure, stating that she didn’t want to know Tess for what she hadn’t done. She hated Tess because she looked like Ava, the woman who had condemned an innocent life to death by helping Anya.

Her gaze focused once again on Maria who just simply ran into Michael’s arms seeking refuge from the pain that was threatening to break her. He gladly accepted, all the while eyeing Tess in a manner that scared her. His stare finally left her as he let Maria collapse into his arms weeping.

Tears began to fill her eyes as she continued to look around. The pure hatred was too much, yet she would cope. It was the devastated gaze that Max wore as he stared out the window. She knew he could feel Liz slipping away slowly; they all could feel it, yet his heart was breaking because they couldn’t find Liz. He had instantly thought that Tess had known what had happened to Liz, yet she didn’t. She remembered the lengths he felt he had to go to with a shudder.

****Flashback****

Tess stared straight ahead, her mouth wide open as she realised that she wasn’t Ava. All that she remembered was a lie. The thoughts and memories that were whirling around her head simply confused her and she knew that it would take time to make sense of it all. Time that Max took away from her by slapping her hard around the face to get her out of the trace like state she was currently in.

“Where is she Tess?” He demanded, “Where is Liz” She stared him in the eyes, sensing his fear and as she spoke tears began to fall from her own eyes.

“I don’t know,” she answered quietly in devastation. “I don’t know” He looked at her in disbelief.

“You’re lying to me” he roared as he grabbed her shoulders and began to shake her again. “I will not let you lie to me! I will do anything necessary to find her!” Suddenly he stopped shaking her violently making Tess open her closed eyes. His eyes fired bullets of fury, at her, as he moved a hand from her shoulder, firmly placing it just above her heart. His eyes searched Tess’ face for any response to his threat, expecting to see impassive look written upon it, yet was shocked to find one of fear and honesty.

The message that was written on her face told him she didn’t know where Liz was, she wasn’t lying to him. It shocked him into realising that the woman in his grasp was trembling with terror. Tears poured from her puffy and emotion filled eyes. She searched his face as he let go of her.

“What have I become?” He asked out aloud as he turned away looking at his reflection in the mirror, which was hung just above the table. “Who is this person?” He questioned yet again. He took deep calming breathes as he realised that he was no longer Max Evans, yet he was no longer Zan. He suddenly felt lost. The person before him in the mirror was the mix of the two. The caring and romantic side came from Max, who was a strong, although at times not all that confident, leader and lover. Yet there was a shocking side to his new personality. One that was a trait he had possessed, he was willing to kill a person if it meant he got what he wanted. Memories began resurface from the back of his mind. Memories that were full of pain and death, pain and death that he had caused, with his very own hands.

As he stared down at his hands in horror, he felt Tess lay her hand on his shoulder, prompting him to turn around. The expression on her face told him she knew about the lengths Zan had gone to for Ava, to be with her, to make her happy. There was no horror and shame that was written across her face as she remembered what he had once done and as she spoke, she held no fear in her voice.

“Max… that wasn’t you. It was Zan… please remember that.” She implored. She took his quivering hands as she tried to calm him down. “What you did is just pure instinct. You might lose the one you love because of the person I was. I knew that the real you, the Max Evans that Liz Parker adores, wouldn’t harm me.”

She took him by the hand as she swept a piece of hair from his tear stained face. She was turning to lead him towards the door when he said it. The words sent shivers down her spine at the pure honesty of his words.

“But I wanted to”

“I know” With that she walked out the door, holding on to Max’s hand tightly to support him, to find the rest of the group determined that everyone would be reunited.

**** End of flashback****

No matter how much she tried to convince Max that he shouldn’t be ashamed, he was still a broken man. A man who was shamed and tortured by the actions of his past. A past that he hadn’t actually lived. The man who had done that was Zan, a person who no longer existed and now Max was paying for it. His instincts and memories were now driving him to the edge of despair and Tess could see no way of stopping him from falling. Only one person could do that and she wasn’t there.

“Max… you need to try and contact Liz” She heard Isabel say calmly to Max who was now sat on a chair, his head in his hands as he sobbed. He could feel every ounce of his pain as she lay in the cold room that he had promised she would never see.

“She won’t let me,” he cried.

“Why?” questioned Maria “Why wouldn’t she!” The panic that she had held captive for the many weeks suddenly began to radiate from her small frame as she realised the true danger to Liz. Thoughts of her lying dead on the ground began to flood her mind, sending her hand to her mouth as she tried to cage a cry. Michael instantly engulfed her in his arms once again as he tried to comfort her.

“Maxwell…Try again.” Max brought his head up as he shook it.

“It’s no use, she won’t let me in.” He cried as the realisation of why crept through his mind, which sent a wave of guilt and grief crash over him. The grief was too much to bare as he spoke the next few words. “She wants to end it.” The last thing he saw, before everything suddenly went black, was the shocked and horrified faces on the other people in the room that were reeling from his final statement, and the energy blast hurtling its way towards him, which had just left the hand of his mother.

[rie482]

Hiya guys. I know I only gave you another part to the story yesterday but I soooooooo want to give you the next part already

so here it is

PART NINE


“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO” yelled Liz as she felt the blast hit Max hard. Her heart ached with grief as she began to feel her connection with Max begin to fade. Although she couldn’t tell who was fading, she knew that the time was coming quickly. Her hands that were held firmly around her stomach where her baby was currently made their way up to her lips. She ran her fingers over them and confirmed she was close to the end. Her lips were chapped. Even thought they were painful, she could still taste and feel the last kiss Max gave her. It was imprinted on to her lips, like a promise that he would soon be kissing them again.

She began to run a hand over her forehead, finding a carpet of sweat covering it. She wanted to know one last detail, to make sure it was soon. She needed to know that it would be over that it would all be complete. She needed to see them. Grabbing the table as support, she lifted herself clumsily from the floor and made her way slowly to the mirror. Her fears were confirmed. Her eyes were blood shot, probably from the convulsions she had suffered from earlier. It was finally confirmed, she was about to die.

Abruptly her mind was full of fear. Fear for her unborn child, fear for her friends, fear for Max. What she didn’t expect was fear of death. She examined the face before her. The woman looking back wasn’t her as much as Max hadn’t seen him. She had changed in a way that scared her. It was devoid of life. Her thoughts travelled to her lifetime how Max had given her a life to lead. One that made her eyes water, her cheeks blush and her heart used. It left her heart bursting.

*It HAD left it bursting* she thought to herself sadly. The realisation that she didn’t want to die took over her body. She didn’t want to die. She wanted to grow old watching her daughter grow up in the world and waking up next to the man she loved. She wanted a mortgage, a house and a dead end job. She wanted to live.

Pain shot through her body as her final contractions came into play. Liz groaned in agony as she realised that life was no longer an option of her. Tears fell with force as she fell to the floor, her robe drenched from her waters breaking. She looked down to see blood making tracks down her robe. The pain intensified as the blood began to flow more freely and spill across the floor. Her body started to tremble with fear as she realised she was just moments away from giving birth to child who would be alone.

Liz began to think of all the happy moments in her life to ease the pain as her child came into the world. She remembered her 10th birthday when Maria and Alex threw her a mini surprise party that consisted of three chocolate biscuits and a bottle of coke. She could still remember the hand made cards they gave her and the promise they had made to always be friends.

She remembered the day Max Evans had saved her life, the innocent face that looked down at her in worry as he told her not to tell anyone. The way he looked at her as he turned back to her before running out the door into the waiting jeep. She remembered their first date, their first kiss. She remembered the pain she was in when he told her it was just too dangerous to be together. The way it felt when he told her that he was not worried that their relationship went really wrong, he was actually worried it would go really well.

Finally she remembered the night they had made love.

****Flashback****

“Whether I die tomorrow or fifty years from now, my destiny is the same: it’s you. I love you Liz”

“I love you” she answered seconds before her lips crashed on to Max’s. She kissed him tenderly at first out of fear she would hurt him. The flashes from his torture had told her that he could never hurt him, yet she felt she could just by looking at him. He was so pained it made Liz’s heart ached to think that if she had died that day, she could have prevented his torture, yet if she had she wouldn’t have the man of her dreams.

The kiss intensified as the connection opened. Flashes began to flood Liz’s mind, yet this time she did not pull away with a gasp because these were flashes of her. How exactly he saw her. Tears rolled down her face as she realised that she was beautiful in his eyes and a young woman that all men should praise and adore. He practically worshipped her in everyway. He loved her eyes, her body, the way she spoke, how her hair felt and how she smiled at him. He loved everything about her. To him, she was perfect in everyway.

She felt the tears that came from Max’s cheeks fall on to her as she pulled away to gaze into those amber eyes. Their foreheads met as she came forward.

“I love you Max Evans.” She looked at him seriously “And I want to be with you and only you.” She slowly pulled herself away from Max after planting a lingering kiss on his lips, before standing up. “I want you to be the first and last person I ever make love with” His expression was a picture, one that excited her and scared her. He wanted exactly what she wanted. She wanted to make love on the bus, while they still could.

“Liz…”

“Max. We don’t know if we will ever get the chance to really show ourselves to each other. This could be our last night together and right now I need it to be one to remember.” She took a deep breath before continuing “I need you.”

“As long as you are sure Liz. I don’t want to hurt you because of who I am…” A finger was suddenly place to his lips before he could say anymore. Max closed his eyes and took in the way it felt to have that one finger resting on his lip. Excitement ran through his veins as he realised that he was to finally have the woman of his dreams forever. He could sense that this would be the cementing of something beautiful. The cementing of their love.

He took a deep breath in as he felt Liz start to lift his shirt, slowly and with caution. Her gasp made him draw her instinctively to his body. He hadn’t wanted her to see exactly what had happened to him, he didn’t want her to see it. He pressed her hand to his body and began to tap into her energy. He lifted her chin and laid a kiss on her lips as he began to heal the physical wounds that covered his entire body.

Liz could feel the energy run through her hand like the water from a shower would run down her skin. It made her skin tingle and her heart beat faster, which quickened as Max started to kiss her with such passion and love. He cupped his hands on either side of her face as she began to finally remove his shirt. As he lifted his arms, the buttons on Liz’s top came undone. She stopped the kiss and glared at him, smiling as she he threw his shirt across the battered bus.

His attention soon focused on the beauty before him, her blouse undone, revealing her bare flesh and bra. His hands began to tremble as he lifted them to the sides of the blouse and began pushing it down the side of her arms making it fall to the floor. Liz’s cheeks turned crimson as he sat staring in wonder at her body. She bit her lip as he gaze went down to her jeans, where her hands began to make their way to. She began to slowly undo the buttons of her jeans and stepped out of them. She could just feel the cool air brush itself across her skin but could feel nothing else than the heated gaze that came from Max.

He stood and walked towards her grabbing her and kissing her fiercely and franticly. He needed her tonight, to mend all the mental wounds that Pearce had left. He could still see the images of Liz’s dead body being dragged along the ground and feared he would always. But now, at least, he had Liz. He could feel her hands pushing his trousers down to the floor as his hands roamed her body. A hand that roamed her back found the clasp of her bra, which he undid with such ease Liz stopped dead and looked at him questionably.

“Where did you learn that new skill?” she asked with an eye brow raised.

“In my dreams” he replied as he pushed the bra off her body and stop back admiring her. She dragged him forward and swiftly planted an intense kiss on hi lips. His hands began to caress her chest as he pulled her towards the chair of the bus. It was torn and tattered yet it was big enough for them.

He lifted her in his arms and laid her down on it. Her eyes stared back at him with love as he started to slip off her knickers. Once again he stood back and looked down on her, his heart beating so quickly that he felt like it was going to jump out of his chest. He had never thought, a year ago, that the woman, who was lying before him, would ever make love with him. He had dreamt it yet had always thought that she was too good for him and a year later he had proved himself wrong time after time after time. He had thought that she would accept him for he is; yet she did. He never thought she would ever be able to love him; yet she did. Now she was going to make love with him. Something that he thought would never happen.

Liz brought him out of his thoughts as she brought him down to met her body, drawing him in with a passion filled, yet tender kiss. Her hands ridded his body of his boxers as she kissed him, stopping for a second to meet his eyes.

“I love you” she whispered as tears began to drift down her cheeks.

“I love you to” he replied in the same way, his tears of joy evident in the moonlight. He gazed into her eyes as he started to slip himself into her body, noting every small detail on her face that changed. As he pushed in deeper her eyes widened until they reached the last thing that was in the way. Max stopped. He didn’t want to hurt her, so he placed a hand over the area. As he pushed through the barrier, he heard her wince in pain. A pain that was healed immediately.

Their bodies began to rock and back in a gentle moment through out the night, their gaze never parting as they made love. All across the desert the sounds of heavy breathing and the gentle utterance of ‘I love you’ could be heard.

The last sound that could be heard was the sound of Liz screaming a name. “Max!”
**** end of flashback ****

It was also the name Liz screamed as her daughter was finally brought into the world.

* * * * * * *

[rie482]

PART TEN

As Max opened his eyes, he felt like he had been hit by a tonne of bricks. His whole body ached for the energy bolt that it felt like he had been shot. He had never experienced such pain before in his life and it angered him. It angered him further as he realised that his mother had done this. She had put him in this situation. The situation where he was acting as coward and risking the life of his loved one. After all he gone through in the White Room he had vowed he would not allow himself to be tortured by another being, human or alien, yet it had broken him to the point where he had practically broke his vow. He mentally kicked himself for losing the determined edge he had after the White Room, he had been so certain he would never allow it, but Liz was his weakness, and he hadn’t wanted to harm her. Yet he did by not doing anything.

He sat up bolt right and stared at his mother threateningly. He was never going to allow anyone to hurt him or the ones he loved again, and now was the moment he was going to prove it to himself he could do it. Anya’s bitter smile that she flashed him sent shivers up his spine, shivers which fuelled his anger towards her. He smiled. The anger was making him stronger, more determined to have his way. He wasn’t going to allow her to push him around anymore, she had done it enough in his previous life, she was never going to do it again.

Anya began to raise her hand towards him, lines of a vivid light green sparkled around it as she did so, forcing Max to jump up, activating his green shield around the others who were attending to him. She lowered her hand in response.

“Where is she?” he demanded, “Where is she?!”

“Some where you can’t find her.” She replied steadily. “You can drop the shield. I have no plans to kill you… yet” She backed away towards the door, placing her over another box, which sent a blue light through the room. Instantly Max’s shield disappeared. He raised his hand to throw a bolt at her, yet couldn’t.

“What have you done?” Michael ordered. “Why aren’t our powers working?” He drew Maria closer to him as he did so, intent on using himself to shield her if needs be.

“Disabled all our powers, so we can talk.” Anya replied. “I do believe you all want an explanation to why you are all here. An explanation to why I have Liz and why I haven’t killed you.” She paused as she watched everyone nod, with exception of Tess.

“She wants the throne” Tess said clearly and seriously, staring the woman in the eye the whole time. “She has always wanted it. She failed last time, it’s why we were all reborn.” She turned to Max. “She used Ava that time around. She wanted Ava to produce your heir, yet Ava was unable to have children when her heart belonged to someone else. It belonged to your friend Larek. He didn’t want her, so she agreed to help your mother for power. She offered Ava her position in the Antar council and a position in the council of the 5 worlds in return for an heir. Yet because of her love to Larek, Ava couldn’t bare a child.” She paused looking back at Anya “The other way for her to get the throne was if Zan died. So she used Ava to get him to kill himself, but the rule was that Zan had to be killed by her own hands in order for her to claim the throne. She couldn’t claim it by just being his mother. Rath and Vilandra took the throne and she had them killed out of spite.”

“But how did you all come to be here?” asked Alex “Why were you reborn?”

Tess looked at Alex as she responded, “To claim the throne of two worlds.” She turned to Anya, who was sat on the chair that sat next to the window. “She had us reborn so I could produce an heir this time around and also to have control of Earth, a planet that was supposed to be not much behind Antar in its development. Yet it turned out that this wasn’t the case. So she is taking us back home”

“Why” asked Maria who was still cradled in Michael’s protective arms. The tears had stopped as she listened to Tess speak, yet Tess could still see the marks they had made.

“So I can have you all executed.” Replied Anya “Not only will I be accepted as the claim to the throne through Zan’s heir, but I will also be accepted because I would have killed all four of you with my own hands.”

Max stepped forward confused. “Why all four of us? Why are you having Tess killed?”

Anya smiled. “That was what I had planned anyway. Even in the previous life, once she had produced a child I would have killed her. I didn’t want her to have any influence over anything to do with Antar or our relations with the other four worlds. She was all about peace. That wasn’t and still is not what my planet needs.”

Max stood forward with a scowl across his face. Zan had known that the planets had needed peace; not war and was still determined that this was going to happen. The alien energy that circled him started crackle as he stepped closer towards his mother, his evil intent distracting her from Tess’ movement towards the wall.

“You will not be taking Zan’s throne and you shall not have my child to do so,” he said calmly and clearly. “There is no way I am letting you leave this room alive so you better tell me where she is… now”

Anya stood from where she was sat and stepped closer to her son. Her eyes now a vivid red showed her anger and malice towards him. Max hadn’t been wrong about Zan and Anya’s relationship.

“You never loved your son did you?” he asked

“Never.” She said angrily “I could never love a son who would disobey his own mother and chose peace over war. I could never love a son so pathetic.” She spat.

“Zan was not pathetic, he was strong and more capable than you ever shall be. TESS!” he shouted signalling that she should activate the device on the wall. Instantly he was able to use his powers and used them to throw Anya against the wall, holding her half way up it, her hands flat against it.

“Now tell me … ‘mother’” the word said sarcastically “… where is she?” When Anya shook her head his grip he had on her body began to tighten. She looked towards Alex a smile plastered across her face.

“She really did think you were dead, and risked getting herself killed to just comfort your dead body.” She looked towards Maria. “You never were a bright one were you? I thought you were because you were in love with Rath, but when I realised you were friends with the whore my opinion changed. Vilandra has always been the right one for Rath, not you.” Max’s grip tightened even more as the insults flew out of her mouth. She looked towards Max “You. You are such a disappointment to me. How the hell did I conceive you? You have always been such a shameless and embarrassing romantic. It always made me sick and to see you with her made my stomach churn. I am thankful she is going to die. Its funny what you can find in a diary. Do you know what I find most funny about it?” she looked at her son for answer. He shook his head. “The fact it’s your fault.” Max’s eyes screamed fury as his grip started to crush Anya’s small body. The sound of a rib snapping made Tess jump forward, grabbing his arm. He snapped his head round.

“Stop it! You’re playing straight in to her hands again!” She exclaimed. “She is doing to you exactly what she did to Zan! Let me find out what we need to know.” Max stood back as he realised that the young woman in front of him was right. Anya was using the one he loved again as a form of bait, a form of torture. This time she wanted him to kill her so he wouldn’t find Liz in time. He took a deep breath and began to ease the grip around his mother, making her angry.

“Don’t stop now! You could finally kill me! Do something useful and right for once!” she spat “Do it you stupid excuse of a king!”

“Shut up” Valenti roared at the woman “You call yourself a mother? What the hell makes you think you have the right to tell him what to do? You reject him as your son so you have no control over his actions so shut up you pathetic hag and tell us where Liz is.”

Anya’s face fell in to an emotionless stare. “Never”

“Fine,” said Tess “I will just have to do it the hard way” She closed her eyes and started her assault on Anya’s mind, surprised with the ease in which she managed it. Her brows came together in a frown as she realised why. As she carried on, she could feel Anya mentally breaking down. She was dying. Once she found the information she needed she pulled out in time to hear Anya scream in agony as her mind broke down and she slumped to the floor.

Everyone looked at Tess in fright, backing away a step subconsciously.

“I didn’t do that to her. She did it herself.” she said calmly and slightly defensively. “She was insane and it actually killed her. My final attack broke her.” She paused for a second thinking about why. “ Her insanity explains her vicious actions. Although Anya, in our previous lives, was manipulative she wasn’t at all violent towards other beings. She didn’t think it was right. After the suicide, she was humiliated and exiled. She slowly went insane and decided she needed to take the planet back, strongly believing that she needed to do it to save herself. She focused on Liz as a way of harming Zan and Max for what they had done to her” She inhaled deeply after she came to her conclusion, yet she didn’t know to what extent it was Anya’s own fault. She was mentally weak but it was Tess herself who pushed her over the edge.

*Maybe I did kill her after all* she thought to herself, guilt settling in her stomach.

She felt a hand rest on her shoulder prompting to her to turn around, but she couldn’t look at those eyes just yet. She couldn’t bare to look at the eyes of a broken man. She couldn’t bare to tell him that she knew where Liz was because, even if they knew exactly where she was, they all knew they were going to be too late when they finally got there.

“She is on the other side of the ship Max.” she said as she finally turned to speak to him. His eyes broke her heart as he began to cry. He could feel her slipping away, each second he felt a bit of her soul leave his body. “But if we run she won’t have to be alone” she suggested to him. His head sprang up with hope and to see Tess grab his hand start dragging him towards the door, his body compelling him to comply.

The others looked around at each other, silently, debating on what to do. Eventually they all came to a silent solution. They had to let him go alone. They didn’t need words for this; they just knew that he would need time. Time to grieve.

* * * * * * *

She cradled the child in her arms as her breathing started to slow down to slight breaths every couple of seconds. The pain had subsided the moment the room was engulfed in an unearthly light and she smiled to herself the moment it happened. That perfect moment she knew her daughter was special. Just being in her presence now was calming. It was peaceful just holding her child in her arms as she passed on. To have known her the first minutes of her life was enough to carry her to the other side without any regrets.

She began to stroke the small amount of damp hair that she found on her daughters head as she sung softly.

“I have a smile stretched from ear to ear to see you walking down the road” she ran her finger down the side of the child’s cheek
“We meet at the lights, I stare for a while, the world around disappears,” she smiled how everything did seem to just disappear as she looked down lovingly at the perfection that was laid in her arms. She closed her eyes and continued.
“Just you and me on this island of hope” A tear slid down her cheek when she thought about it. They were on this island of hope. They were alone in a room hoping that Max would be here soon.
“A breath between us could be miles, let me surround you my sea to your shore” her words began to become more and more soft as she carried on, each last word taking her closer and closer to the end.
“Let me be the calm you seek…” she took a deep breath “oh and every time I’m close to you, there’s too much I can’t say … and… and… you just walk away, and I forgot to tell you… I …” she strained to let the last words out, barely a whisper, as she slipped away “I love you”.

* * * * * * *

Max ran franticly blasting each and every door open to check for signs of the woman he loved. Tears fell angrily from his cheeks as frustration and despair began to sink in. He didn’t want her to be alone. Although he didn’t want her to die, he didn’t want her to be alone if it truly was destined.

He yelled out in exasperation as yet another blasted door did not show him the woman of his dreams.

“Max!” Tess pointed to a door just two seconds away “It’s that one!” He suddenly began a sprint at it as he sent a blue bolt at it. It blew the door open, just in time for him to go through.

He stopped. The bile began filling his throat as he took in the sight before him. His beauty was slouched up against a wall, her once white robe covered in blood. The blood made his own blood run cold. There was so much of it. Tess’ gasp was all that could be heard as he continued to stare at the sight. She seemed different. His Liz seemed to have changed in a matter of hours.

****Flashback****
“I promise that I will not let your mummy be alone when she gives birth to you” he whispered to Liz’s stomach as he crouched down on the floor. “I promise” He looked up at the woman who was staring down at him, pain in her eyes.
“I promise Liz. I won’t let you down”

“You can’t be sure Max! We don’t know when it’s going to happen and we both know it will probably be when your with Ava…” she lowered her voice into an annoyed whisper “Again”

“Liz?”

“What?” she asked innocently.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing” she said. Max’s expression told her she wasn’t going to give in. “Ok… it’s… it’s you and Ava.” Tears filled her eyes “I see what you do”

Max turned away. He couldn’t see the look on her face.

“You leave here after being here with me and you make love to her.” Her statement just cut through him. She sounded so hurt it made him want to kill himself for causing it. “You’re breaking my heart Max”

He swung round instantly at those last words and pulled her close to him. She began to sob heavily into his chest and stroked her hair.

“It won’t happen again Liz. I promise. I promise you won’t be alone and I promise that soon this will all be over” He felt her body move.

“I wish I could believe you” The only thing he could do was give her a lingering kiss before he left the room.
***** End of flashback*****

His heart had dropped when she had said that. His actions had lead her to not believe him, to not trust him. But now, there was something different about her. As if she did believe him as if she knew he was there. Her arms were firmly wrapped around a peacefully sleeping child who wrapped her fingers around Liz’s long brown hair, grasping it firmly as if she was never going to let go.

He gazed at the sight before him. Although she was covered in blood, she seemed to be at peace. As he stepped forward, he looked at her face. It was pale and her lips were chapped; yet she still held the beauty that Max had once upon a time fallen in love with. As he took another step forward, shaking at the thought that she was already dead, he took a deep breath as he heard her begin to sing. The words cut through him like a knife.

“Just you and me on this island of hope” He sat down beside her as she sang.
“A breath between us could be miles, let me surround you my sea to your shore” He gently took the sleeping child from her arms and placed her in the arms of Tess who was knelt beside him She accepted her carefully, and quietly left the room. Max quickly drew Liz closer to his body holding her tightly letting her head rest against his chest as he began to rock back and forth with her. A tear slid down his cheek when a tear fell from her eyes.
“Let me be the calm you seek…” she took a deep breath as he placed his hand on her chest. His hand began to glow as he attempted to heal her, yet nothing happened. Grief swept over him like a tidal wave.

“Liz?” he said softly in her ear. “Liz, I’m here” When she didn’t respond Max he began to sob in anguish. His body ached as he felt her soul leaving his. He was beginning to feel empty. Blank. Meaningless. Cold. The touch of her hand wrapping itself around his was a sign that she had heard him, just couldn’t respond in any other way than singing. He listened intently as she carried on telling him.
“oh and every time I’m close to you, there’s too much I can’t say … and… and… you just walk away, and I forgot to tell you… I …” She took one last breath before she barely managed to whisper the words

“I love you”

With those final words still resting on her lips, her body sank into his arms as the life left her.