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11.

Liz POV

The minute he connects with me I’m immediately bombarded with his feelings and at first I think I’m going to pass out from the overload. I could try to pick it all apart, to make sense of it but soon a theme becomes quite evident. He loves me but he wants to hate me for what I did to him, to us, and I want to cry out in disbelief.

The flashes pass quickly and I catch glimpses of wonderful times between us during all our time together but then I see the moments I missed in the past 12 months, his feelings. I see his anguish over the fact that everyone he loves always leaves him. I’m gone, Michael’s gone, Zan is gone and Isabel is upset with him.

They begin to slow down and I feel my heart break as I see the day he discovered me with Eric, and the note I left with my wedding ring inside. I broke his heart that day but he doesn’t seem to realise he had already broken my long before that. I see the inner battle he fought with himself over me wanting to have a baby and his fear that if we did, something could happen. I feel my heart swell to know he came after me that he wanted me back, but then I remember what he and Maria did to me. I see a passionate kiss between them as well as many moments they’ve spent together and I realise that they live together, that they have a life together and I feel myself cry out. I can’t help the sob that escapes me, because it literally feels like my heart is breaking all over again.

Its then that I realise I’m back into consciousness and Max has collapsed, exhausted against the bed.

“Help him,” is the first thing to leave my mouth and thankfully it only take seconds for Kyle to respond and lift Max’s limp body onto the bed next to me.

“What happened?” Isabel asks, as she looks us both over in concern.

“Did it work?” Kyle asks staring at me.

I can only shrug, right now I have no idea, I do feel better but it could just be a short term affect.

Maria steps forward then, her focus clearly on Max, “Max are you ok?” she asks.

“He usually sleeps for hours after using his powers like that,” Michael speaks up.

“Michael’s right,” Isabel acknowledges.

“How are you feeling Liz?” Serena asks.

“Um ok I think. Better at least,” I admit.

“Good,” Isabel smiles. “You look better too,” she says.

“Well we should let Max rest,” Michael suggests and looks at everyone in the room suggesting that they leave.

“I’m staying,” I tell him. Although I do feel better, right now I just want to stay with Max and absorb everything that I saw and felt when we connected. It’s a lot of information to work through and I want to do it on my own.

Maria opens her mouth and I wait for her to protest but then she closes it. “I should go home and grab us some more stuff,” she says.

“You do that,” Michael almost snarls at her before he grabs Serena’s hand and heads to the door.

“I’d really like to talk to you later Serena.” I say before they exit.

“Me too, how about I come back this afternoon?” she suggests.

“Great.”

“I’m glad you’re feeling better Liz,” Maria whispers before she excuses herself out of the room.

“Do you need anything Liz?” Kyle asks as he and Isabel linger around my bed.

I smile gratefully at both of them, knowing that I would most likely be close to dead by now if they hadn’t come to me.

“No, but thank you,” I whisper.

Isabel casts a meaningful look at Max then. “You saw stuff didn’t you?” she asks.

I hesitate slightly before I nod.

“I could stay if you want,” she says.

“No that’s ok. Besides, I think we need to talk,” I admit.

“Ok, we’ll be right next door if you need us though.”

“Thank you,” I say.

When everyone is gone, I roll over onto my side so that I can stare at Max’s face. He’s still as handsome as the day I left but I can see the subtle signs that maybe the past 12 months haven’t been that kind to him. There are dark circles under his eyes, a slight greying of his hair along his long side burns. His hair is longer now and although I like some of it, I hate the side burns and the lighter colour he has washed through it to try and blend if the FBI comes looking.

I can’t help myself and eventually reach out to trace a hand across the skin of his cheek and he sighs. “Liz.”

I smile. It’s been a long time since I’ve heard him say my name that way and despite the many hurts between us, just like when I was sixteen it gives me goose bumps.

***

Max POV

I feel like I could sleep for another week when my eyes open and when I feel the body shift beside me, I’m a little confused at first about where I am.

Slowly, I sit up and when I look at the bed next to me I almost want to pinch myself to check if I’m dreaming or not.

“Hi.” she whispers and places the book she was reading down.

“Hi.” I reply croakily, my mouth is dry and Liz obviously realises this because she hands me a glass of water.

“Thanks,” I say as I gulp it down.

“How are you feeling?” she asks concerned.

“Tired,” I admit.

I stare at her for a few seconds then and notice that she looks a bit better which is good. Maybe there wasn’t anything seriously wrong with her after all, just a whole heap of little things weighing her down.

I look around then. “Where is everyone?” I ask.

“They left to let you sleep,” she replies. “I could get one of them though,” she adds.

“No its fine,” I say and settle back into the bed. It’s comforting being so close to her.

“Max…” she begins and I turn to look at her as she bites down on her bottom lip.

“Yeah?”

“When we connected, I’m guessing you saw things like I did?” she asks.

I nod. “So many things,” I admit.

“Yeah,” she agrees with a whisper.

“I have so many questions I just don’t now where to start,” I admit.

I see her nod but she remains quiet like she’s contemplating something.

“You came for me…,” she finally whispers and I see tears fill her eyes.

“What?” I ask.

“After I left you, you came for me,” she says again.

“Oh.” I frown. “You saw that?”

She nods.

“Why?” she asks then.

I’m astounded by her question. “Because you were my wife and I loved you,” I reply.

She seems almost shocked by my response, like she doesn’t believe it.
“How can you say that?” she cries. “You betrayed me and everything we had when you slept with Maria. God you’re still with her,” she yells.

“What?” I ask.

“What the hell are you talking about Liz? You’re the one who betrayed me. Don’t you think I saw you with that guy, kissing him and letting him touch you in ways only I was supposed to touch you?” I yell back.

She lets her head drop. “You’re right, what I did with Eric was wrong but I paid for it every day for the past 12 months, every day,” she whispers. “But at least I didn’t choose your best friend,” she adds with venom.

I stare at her trying to work out where she got the idea that I betrayed her with Maria. “Is that what you honestly think?” I ask and I remember the flashes I saw from her and realise that she really does believe it. “Do you truly believe that Maria and I were together behind your back?” I ask.

“I saw it,” she whispers tears streaming down her face.

Now I know she's crazy. “It’s never happened Liz, so you couldn’t have. I promise you I have never slept with Maria,” I tell her.

I can tell that she’s deadly serious. Liz honestly believes that I betrayed her with Maria while we were married and I have to find out why.

“Don’t lie to me,” she cries, “I saw it, I saw it,” she sobs.

“When?” I ask and I reach out to her. Despite how angry and confused we are, I pull her into my arms and I hug her tight.

“Shh baby,” I calm her as she cries and after several long minutes I hear her sobs die down.

“You haven’t slept with her?” she asks so quietly I almost don’t hear.

“Never,” I tell her.

“But in the flashes I saw you two together,” she points out.

“A couple of weeks ago we kissed,” he says. “That’s all,” he adds.

“So you’re not together?” she asks.

“No.” I say firmly but this only seems to make her cry harder and once again I do everything I can to soothe her. I want to be angry with her, to yell at her and at the same time, I want to comfort her and find out where the hell she got the idea that I was with Maria.

“Liz?” I ask when she calms down again.

“Why do you think you saw me with Maria?” I ask.

She takes a deep breath and for some reason I just know that what’s she’s about to tell me is going to change everything.

***

Liz POV

At first I didn’t believe it when he said he’d never been with her but one I thing I know about Max is that he’s never lied to me intentionally and soon I realise that he isn’t now. I close my eyes to fight of the pain that has started in my chest. Although, my thinking I saw him with Maria wasn’t the single reason for my walking out on our marriage it was certainly the reason I gave in to Eric. I wanted to be loved and cherished the way my husband used to love and cherish me, and honestly, I was trying to get back at Max. I was trying to hurt him as much as he had hurt me, but it turns out I just hurt myself.

“A few weeks before I left I got a premonition.” I begin.

I feel Max tense; he still has his arms around. “Why didn’t you say something?” he asks.

“We were barely talking,” I replied.

He nods and I can tell he remembers. “What did you see?”

I swallow the bile that rose in my throat. “You and Maria, together, intimately,” I whisper.

“What?” he asks. “That’s impossible,” he says.

“That’s what I thought too.”

“You should have come to me,” he says then.

“I-I finished work early that day, I wasn’t feeling the best, mainly because of the premonition so I decided to go over to Maria’s to talk. We hadn’t been getting on.”

“I remember,” he nods.

“When I got there your truck was parked in the driveway,” I whisper.

I see him stiffen as though he remembers the day I’m talking about.

“Right then I knew that something was wrong, why would you be parked at her place when you were supposed to be at work?” I say.

Max doesn’t respond he just continues to listen to my story unravel.

“But I refused to let it get to me, maybe deep down I thought I could stop it before it happened like all my other premonitions, so I walked around to the side of the house and that’s when I saw you.”

“What did you see?” he asks.

“Y-you were coming out of the bedroom, you had no shirt on and Maria walked up to wearing next to nothing and you took her in your arms.”

I can almost not get the words out. Even the memory makes me want to be sick.

“Liz...” he says until he gets my attention back and I meet his eyes.

“What you saw what a total misunderstanding.”

And just like that my world falls apart again.

Hey everyone,

Thanks for your feedback and a big hi to the lurkers too. I won't be posting on Monday unfortunetely as i'll be in New Zealand so it will be two weeks until i update. Enjoy

Emma


12.

Max POV

A quiet settles over the room while Liz looks at me like I just killed her best friend. I guess maybe I did because without even meaning to. I took the one thing she always thought she could count on away. I hadn’t meant to do it. Maria was a good listener, she had the ability to tell me when I was being an idiot when it came to Liz and I needed that a lot of the time. I was surprised when she had agreed and understood about my not wanting to have children instead of seeing Liz’s sides of things. I just wished I realised what that I had come between them before everything went to shit.

“I saw it,” she says.

“Yes you did but it wasn’t what you thought,” I tell her gently.

“Then what was it?” she asks.

I sigh and I run a hand through my hair. “You’re right, things weren’t good between us. We were fighting over the whole baby thing and I didn’t know how to bridge the gap that had formed between us.”

“So you went to Maria instead?” she asks clearly hurt.

“I went to Maria for advice,” I admit. “She understood where I was coming from and I could talk to her about Zan.”

“But you couldn’t to me?” she asks and looks away.

“Every time I said his name I could see the hurt in your eyes Liz. I didn’t want to be the one to do that for you,” I admit. “The day you’re talking about I went to Maria’s to take a shower and change my clothes because I had an interview,” I tell her.

“For what?” she asks.

“A new job. I thought if I could get a better job you wouldn’t have to work so much at that horrible diner.”

“I didn’t mind working there,” she whispers.

“I know but I wanted to support you. I didn’t want to tell you, I wanted it to be a surprise.”

“And Maria? Why was she all over you half dressed?” she asks clearly not buying my story.

“We’d been talking before I had my shower. I was talking about how things had gotten worse with you and she was telling me about her latest fight with Michael.”

She opens her mouth to say something but then she has second thoughts and closes it again.

“It was just a hug Liz. She was just thanking me for listening to her while she ranted,” I tell her gently.

“No that can’t be it,” she shakes her head.

I can see the pain that the truth is causing her. She’s lived for the past 12 months with the idea that her husband and her best friend betrayed her. In a way I guess we did because although we weren’t having an affair we were still going around behind her back.

“It was,” I say.

The tears fall then. At first silently but then a sob erupts from her throat and causes her entire body to shake before another one quickly follows. I wrap my arms around her small body unable to believe how much of her has faded away in the past 12 months.

I let her cry knowing that she needs to get it all out.

***

Maria POV

I took my time on the drive back to the house I share with Max knowing that there was nothing waiting for me back at the motel. Max would be asleep and the rest of my friends didn’t want anything to do with me anymore.

I never thought that anything would be able to tear us apart after we went on the run together from the FBI, but three years later our group was fragmented and for some reason the blame seems to be placed on me.

When Max had told me about Liz being with another man I hadn’t believed it at first but I had gone to the diner she worked at, determined to talk to her and sort everything out when I saw it with my own two eyes. It occurred to me that day that the Liz I knew would have never done something like that, especially without coming to me, talking to me and that was when I realised that she hadn’t been doing that for a long time, and maybe that was my fault. It was also the day that I realised that Liz hadn’t been the Liz I knew for quite some time and that saddened me. I had gotten so caught up in being there for Max that I had stopped being there for her. I realised then that nothing I said to Liz would change her mind. She wasn’t happy and she was looking for a way to escape her life with Max. I realise now what a mistake that was. Maybe if I had gone and talked to Liz, been a friend that she needed, maybe she might have come back.

After the dust had settled I had thought Max would go after her again, to bring her home but one day he had confessed to me he then understood how she had felt when he had been with Tess and he had no idea how she had ever been able to forgive him. He felt betrayed, but that it was worse for him because she betrayed their marriage vows and for that he didn’t think he could ever forgive her.

I’m not sure where the feelings I have for Max came from. One day they just hit me like a tonne of bricks.

So now I’m not sure where I stand. Two days ago I honestly thought he was ready to give us a go. I even thought he was looking at me different after the kiss we had shared but now everything has changed. Liz is back and once again I see this darkness in his eyes and I know he’s reliving what she put him through, but I also know that while he’s reliving the hurt she caused he’s also reliving all the good times they had together. He is remembering how much he loved her and I know I can never compete with that.

So it’s with no surprise that I enter the motel room we share to find he hasn’t returned.

I sigh as I place his bag down on the bed and contemplate whether there is really a place for me here at all anymore.

***

Liz POV

I’m not sure how long we’ve been talking but I feel like it’s been hours and I’m not sure I can stand another revelation. My heart just couldn’t stand it.

“Liz?” Max whispers to get my attention.

I pull back from my place again his chest and I try to concentrate on his face but all of a sudden everything is blurry. Maybe if I had been paying closer attention to my body, to the ache in my head then maybe I would have seen it coming. But I didn’t and it’s too late to hide it from Max.

“Liz?” he says again but this time there is panic in his voice. “Liz what’s going on? Talk to me,” he says as I slump against him further.

“I don't feel so good,” I admit.

“No, no, this can’t be happening,” he cries obviously realising what my body is telling me.

“It didn’t work,” I whisper as he lays me back against the pillow.

“Not it has to have. Let me connect with you again?” he pleads.

“Too weak,” I whisper knowing that there is no way his powers are back yet.

“Please don’t do this to me Liz,” he cries.

“Sleepy,” I tell him.

“No you have to stay awake. I can’t heal you if you don’t,” he cries.

“Love you,” I whisper just in case I never get the chance to say it again.

“No, Liz, please don’t,” he cries and it’s the last thing I hear before I slip into unconsciousness.

Max POV

“Love you,” I hear her whisper just before she shuts her eyes.

“No, Liz, please don’t,” I cry. “You can’t leave me again, you can’t! please Liz, I love you,” I cry but it’s obvious that she doesn’t hear me.

I check for a pulse and am relieved slightly when I realise there is one and that her chest is also rising and falling.

“Max what’s going on?” Isabel asks as her and Kyle rush in through the internal door connecting the rooms.

Isabel’s eyes go wide when she see’s us. “Is she?” her voice cracks as a hand covers her mouth.

I know what she’s asking. She’s asking me is Liz dead because she so pale that it certainly looks like it.

“No she’s breathing,” I sigh in relief.

“What happened? I thought you healed her?” Kyle asks.

“I thought so too,” I whisper. “I’m not sure,” I cry.

“It's ok Max,” Isabel says and moves to my side.

“No it’s not. I don’t know what’s wrong with her Iz, I can’t heal her,” I cry.

“I'll go get the others,” Kyle says.

“Good idea,” Isabel agrees. “We’re going to need every one here to figure this one out.”

I feel Isabel place a comforting hand on my shoulder after Kyle has left the room. “It's going to be ok,” she says. “We’ll work out what to do.”

“What if we don’t?” I ask. “I’m scared that we’re not going to be able to fix this Iz,” I admit.

“I know,” she nods fresh tears in her eyes.

I’ve lived for 12 months without Liz in my life and I got by because I knew she was out there somewhere and that she was most likely happy, but how am I supposed to live in a world where she no longer existed?

When Kyle returns he has Michael, Serena and Maria with him and I know from the look on their faces that Kyle has filled them in.

“Oh God,” Maria cries when she see’s that Liz looks just as sick as she had the day before.

“What happened, I thought everything was better?” Michael asks.

“It was but then all of sudden she just wasn’t feeling well and she blacked out.”

“It didn’t work,” Serena voices what everyone already fears.

I turn and look at her, “Why not?” I ask. My powers have never failed me before.

“I don’t know but we’re missing something here,” she says her brow furrowing as she appears to be thinking things over. “I need to go and call my mum maybe she might know what’s going on.”

“You think this is alien?” Michael asks her.

“It's obviously not human or the doctors would have picked up on it and Max would have been able to heal it,” she says. “I'll be as quick as I can,” she promises us before she disappears through the door.

“What do we do now Max?” Maria asks.

I look from Maria to Liz and back to the rest of the group. “We wait and pray that Serena can find something out,” I whisper with regret.

Michael POV

I feel hopeless as I stare at Liz’s small body in the bed. I want to be able to do anything but there is nothing I can.

I feel like I want to crawl out of my skin as I stand and watch as everyone else watches Liz. I can’t just stand there and do nothing.

“Well since I can’t do anything here why don’t I organise us some lunch?” I suggest.

“Thanks Michael,” Isabel smiles from her spot next to Max.

“I'll help,” Maria offers and I resist the urge to snap her head off.

“That’s ok,” I reply trying to be polite for Isabel and Liz’s sake.

“I can’t do anything here Michael so let me help you,” she says quietly.

Reluctantly I nod. “We’ll be back as quick as possible,” I tell Kyle before I turn and look at Maria. “Come on then.”

Once we’re outside Liz’s room I realise that the only mode of transportation I have is my bike which isn’t ideal.

“We can take my car,” Maria offers and walks off towards the jetta which is parked in front of her room.

I get into the passenger side and Maria drives out of the motel car park and onto the highway.

“Do you think Liz will be ok?” she finally breaks the silence and asks.

“Do you care?” I can’t resist but asking. I immediately feel bad when I see the frown on her face.

“How can you say that? Of course I do,” she replies.

“Why? I mean the reality is that if Liz does get better that her and Max are going to patch things up. It's inevitable and where does that leave you?” I ask.

I can see that she hasn’t really thought about the scenario that I’ve presented her. “Do you really think that they can forgive and forget everything?” she asks.

“It’s Max and Liz. Of course they can,” I tell her.

Her eyes look sad and I feel bad for a second. “So are you two together or what?” I ask.

“Me and Max?”

“No you and Beavis?” I snap sarcastically.

Maria sighs. “I know you hate me Michael, what I did to become your worst enemy I'll never understand though,” I tell him. “But no, Max and I aren’t together.”

“But you want to be?” I guess.

“Maybe,” she says. “I guess if it’s meant to be then it will be,” she adds

“Right,” I nod before I turn my gaze out the window and we continue our journey in silence.

13.

Eric POV

I resist the urge to slam my fist into the desk as I look over the papers in front of me. So far my guys have turned up nothing on where Claudia is so now I’ve resorted to more drastic measures, measures that that I knew I should have taken when I met her.

I hired a private investigator to find out everything he could on Claudia Whitman hoping it would give me a clue to where she might be. She always said that she had no family but there has to be some hint of a friend or someone who might know where to start looking for her in her past.

“Hello?” I answer my cell swiftly when I recognise the number of the PI I hired.

“Mr Johnson.” he greets.

“What have you found?” I ask getting straight to the point.

“Very little,” he admits. “Are you sure that her name was Claudia Whitman?” he asks.

“Of course I’m sure,” I snap.

“Well I’m afraid I can’t find any record of a Claudia Whitman fitting the description you’ve given me. No Claudia Whitman was registered around the age group you’ve described her. In fact the only thing I found on a Whitman at all was an Alexander Whitman born in Roswell New Mexico in 84 and subsequently died in 2000,” he reveals.

“Are you sure?” I ask my anger growing by the second. I’ve already turned upside down the room she stayed in hoping to find some sort of clue to anything.

“I can look again but...”

“Right well what about the photo I gave you?” I ask.

“I’m still looking into that one. I'll get back to you as soon as I have anything.”

“Good and make it quick.” I snap before I promptly end the call.

“You can’t hide forever Claudia,” I whisper to the empty room.

Liz POV

“Please come back to me, Liz.”

I struggle to open my eyes as I hear the voice.

My heart clenches at the sound of the sob that escapes his throat. “I love you,” he cries. “I love you so much,” he whispers.

I feel his hand surround mine and I squeeze it before I slowly open my eyes and turn my head to the side.

“Liz!”

“Hi,” I whisper.

I feel like a train has hit me. “What happened?” I ask.

“It didn’t work,” he cries.

I smile sadly. I already knew that but I didn’t have the heart to tell him. “It's ok.”

“No its not,” he says. “We’ll find a way though, I promise,” he adds whilst caressing my cheek gently.

“How long have I been asleep?” I ask then. Did I lose another day? Another day where I could talk to him, to heal with him? There is still so much we need to talk about, to let go of and I’m determined I’m going to do it before I die.

“Most of the day,” he says.

I close my eyes to try and fight the tears. “Where is everyone?”

“They’ve been in and out all day, we’ve been waiting for you to wake up.”

I look at him then. He’s still wearing the same clothes as that morning and he looks tired. “Have you gotten any more sleep?” I ask

He shakes his head. “You should,” I tell him.

“Later,” he quietens me.

I smile at him then and am about to ask him another question when there is a quiet knock on the door and Serena pops her head in.

“Hi,” she says.

“Hi,” I reply.

“Can I come in?”

“Of course,” I assure her.

“How are you feeling?” she asks.

“Ok.” I lie.

She nods seemingly understanding.

“I’m not sure if Max told you but I rang my mum hoping she might be able to give us some sort of clue as to what might be wrong with you,” she says.

“Why would your mum know?” I ask confused.

“Because it might be alien,” she says.

“But I’m human,” I remind her.

“I know but...”

“But what?” Max asks.

“What I’m about to tell you probably won’t be easy to hear but I think you really needed to know,” I tell them.

I suck in a deep breath already knowing that what Serena is about to tell me is going to change my world as I know it.

Serena

I hated lying to everyone by telling them I couldn’t reach my mum. I did. But I knew that what she had told me was for Max and Liz’s ears first. Although I didn’t know them I knew that I owed it to them to tell them before everyone else.

“What is it?” Max asks and I can tell he fears the worst. Although I suspect to him, from what I’ve seen the past two days, that would be that there is no way to save Liz.

I pull up a seat and take a deep breath.

“My mother came on one of the ships when you did Max. She has been loyal to you and your family her whole life,” I explain first.

“Serena....” He begins to interrupt.

“Ok.” I hold up a hand to halt his protest. “When I rang my mum at first she didn’t know what was wrong with you Liz until I explained a little about whom you were, and your past from what I’ve learned from Michael.”

“Ok,” she whispers.

“On Antar the granolith bestows what we call a seal to the royal family,” I tell them. “Max would have one in this life too which says he’s the king and Tess would have had something similar. Although Tess’s would have been dormant it identified her as the Queen.”

“I do have a seal,” Max agreed.

“The reason Tess would have had a seal is because when she was Ava on Antar and she married Max the granolith bonded them. But that’s not the only way to bond.”

“I’m confused,” Liz says.

“Max was bonded with Tess in his past life Liz, but in this life he bonded himself to you,” I tell her.

“What? How?”

“You tell me,” I reply. “Bonding is the sharing of souls and it’s very rare on Antar according to my mum.”

Max nods and casts a guilty look at Liz. “Is that what’s wrong?”

“No. When Tess died her seal was passed to Liz, making her essentially your Queen.”

“What!” Liz gasped.

“Tess’s seal was dormant but when Liz inherited it, I think it became active,” I tell them.

“So what does this mean?”

“The seal does things when it’s active. I remember Michael telling me that he inherited your seal at one point Max and he said it changed him, do you remember that?”

“Yes,” Max agreed.

“Well that’s because he’s not used to it where as you have lived with it your whole life and the one before. So when Liz inherited Tess’s seal it would have begun things in her as well.”

“What kind of things?” Liz frowns.

“Well unfortunately they’re still a bit backwards on Antar Liz and very old fashioned from what my mum says. The Royals were like Gods, so continuing their line was of the most importance.”

They both nod letting me know they understand and I realise this is where I continue.

“So the seal had a failsafe in place to ensure this happened. Apparently, the royals married as young as 16 and an heir was born quickly. Obviously it was a problem if the Queen was barren or couldn’t carry which was apparently a problem in the earlier cycles.”

I see the dread settle in Liz’s eye as though she knows what’s coming but Max clearly has no idea.

“So the seal ensures that the Queen is with child before her 21st birthday.”

“What happens if she can’t get pregnant?” Liz asks.

“The seal activates and her body begins to shut down and eventually she will die so that the Prince, or King, can re-marry,” I whisper.

“Oh God,” Liz gasps.

“What’s this got to do with Liz?” Max asks dumbly.

“Well if I’m correct Liz is 22 and her symptoms started a year ago,” Serena tells him hoping that he picks up on it without her having to spell it out.

“Would the seal have caused me to want a baby?” Liz asks.

“Probably,” I guess. “My mum didn’t mention that.”

Max gulps. “Are you saying that the seal is killing Liz because she hasn’t had my baby?” Max asks.

“Yes,” I tell him. “My mum said it was fairly common and as soon as I told her what Liz’s symptoms were she knew what was wrong.”

“How do we fix it? Do we remove the seal?” Max asks.

I cast a glance at Liz to see how she’s handling the news and I can see she’s upset. Max moves to sit next to her on the bed and comfort her.

“You can’t remove the seal. You’re bonded,” I tell him. “The only way for the seal to return to a dormant status is for Liz to die,” I add with a whisper.

“Then what do we do?” he yells.

“You have to have a baby,” I reveal.

Thank you so much everyone

14.

Liz POV

I suddenly feel the urge to vomit but it’s not from sickness it’s because of what Serena has just told me. It's a relief to know what’s wrong with me but at the same time I wish I didn’t know either. I now understand where my sometime unnatural urge to have a child came from but it doesn’t make things any better.

I wonder then if it might have been better not to know.

“Oh god” I whisper.

“Liz is sick because she hasn’t had a baby?” I hear Max ask. “That doesn’t make sense” he cries.

“Yes that’s correct. I understand that it probably doesn’t make any sense to you Max, but it’s ingrained in the seal to assure that the royal line continued. Antar has a history of problems reproducing and continuing the royal line is a must for the people.”

“But I have a son” Max protests.

“I don’t really know how it works but maybe because Tess’s seal was dormant it didn’t matter, or it could be something that happens to every queen who inherits the seal” Serena guesses. “Unfortunately I didn’t get a chance to go to in depth into it with my mother.”

“And if Liz doesn’t have a child?” Max asks.

“Then she’ll continue to get sicker until...”

“Until I die” I finish for Serena. Apparently Max needs it spelt out to him.

“How long does she have?” Max asks then.

“Well the process would have started around her 21st birthday give or take a few months. 21 was considered old on Antar to have children so...”

“It started not long after I left” I tell her so that she has an understanding of the timeline that we’re working with.

“Apparently it’s mostly legend on Antar, my mum has heard all about it but none of the ruling queens in her time ever had a problem conceiving. You and Vilandra were born very quickly after your parents were joined by the granolith. But it depends on each person; my mum heard one Queen survived eighteen months.”

“Oh god” I cry again. That literally gives me months at the most. “Oh god” I cry again.

If you had asked me a day ago if I was scared of dying I might have said no because I had spent the last few months preparing myself for it. But to be faced with the truth, I now realise that I haven’t come to terms with it at all and I’m absolutely terrified.

There was so much I planned to do in this life time and even though most of my pans went out the window the day Max saved me I still held hope that I would get to do or experience some of the things I wanted.

Max looks at me then, “its ok we’re going to fix this” he tells me confidently.

“How?” I cry.

He looks at me blankly and then back to Serena.

“I'll leave you two to talk things over” she says and stands up.

“Thank you Serena” I manage to choke out.

‘I’m so sorry I had to be the one to tell you” she replies and I can tell how much she means it. I realise then how truly lucky Michael was to stumble across Serena. Not just for me but for himself.

“It's better than not knowing what’s going on” I reply.

Serena slips silently out the door just before I burst into tears. Max rushes to pull me into his arms and I go with ease, wrapping my arms around his neck and sobbing against his chest.

“I’m so sorry” he whispers. “I’m so sorry”

“It's not your fault” I try to tell him.

“Yes it is” he cries with me. “If only I had listened to you. If I hadn’t been so stubborn you wouldn’t be sick”

“Nothing's changed Max. You don’t want to have a baby with me. That shouldn’t change now because I’m sick” I tell him reminding him of the words he once spoke to me.

“Of course it should!” he pulls back and replies.

“No” I shake my head.

“Yes!” he replies stubbornly.

“Max, you can’t bring a baby into the world for the wrong reasons” I sob. “you don’t want any more children so it would be fair to you or to the baby” I add.

Max POV

I almost can’t stand to see the pain and anguish in her face as she argues with me. I know I’m the one who put the pain and sadness in her eyes all the times I refused her a child, when I told her I didn’t want her baby.

I reach out and cup her face in my hands and wait until she’s looking in to my eyes.

“God Liz, if I could take back every second of those fights with you about having a baby I would and not because you’re sick, or because I lost you, but because I know how much I hurt you by those words and I didn’t mean them. I have never wanted anything more than to be with you, to have babies with you, but I was scared Liz. I was scared because I didn’t want to bring someone else into the world that I was responsible for keeping safe when I was struggling to keep us safe. But there is one thing that scares me more than any of that, and that’s loosing you”

I see her open her mouth to argue but I quickly silence it with a finger.

“Please don’t leave me again Liz,” I cry.

“I don’t want to” she whispers through her tears.

“Then let’s have a baby” I say.

“Are you sure because I don’t want you to regret it or...”

“It won’t be easy. You and I both know that but we’ll make it work” I smile as I brush some hair back off her face. I don’t just mean the babe I also mean us.

“What is we can’t, what if it’s too late?” she asks.

I know she’s not just talking about having a baby either; she’s talking about us, our marriage.

“Then at least we can say we gave it our all”

She seems to think over what I say for a few seconds before she nods. “Ok” she agrees

“Ok?” I ask.

“Yeah” she says again and I sign in relief before I crush her body to me.

Michael POV

The minute Serena walks back into the room I know that something is wrong.

“What’s happened?” I ask.

Serena is one of the strongest women I have ever met. Very little gets to her and in the time I’ve known her I have never seen her cry but right now I can see tears filling her eyes.

“Serena what’s wrong?” I ask again when she doesn’t speak.

“I got through to mum,” she admits.

I frown because she had told us that no one was answering.

“What did she say?” I ask but deep down I already know it’s bad or she wouldn’t be so upset, nor would she have hid it from me.

“I just spoke to Max and Liz”

“What did your mum say?” I ask again.

“I should wait I’m not sure if Liz would want everyone to know, or maybe she would prefer to tell you herself” she says pulling out of my arms.

I frown again. “Tell Me,” I say.

“Please Michael I can’t,” she says.

“Ok well tell me one thing then, is it bad?” I ask.

Hesitantly she nods.

“Shit” I curse.

“So that means its alien if you’re mum knows what’s going on?” I add.

Again, she nods.

I pace the room a few times while she sits on the bed and watches me sadly.

“Wait a minute” I stop when I remember something she says.

“You told Max? Why does he get to know and I don’t?”

“He’s her husband” she replies.

“Pfft” I scoff. “It's a technicality; actually Liz Parker and Max Evans aren’t even really married if you want to be technical”

“Michael, Max needed to know and Liz would have wanted him to know” she argues with me.

“So when are they going to tell us?” I ask.

“I’m not sure. I left them because they needed to talk” she replies.

I continue to pace but it’s only a few minutes before I can’t stand it any longer and I move towards the door.

“Where are you going?” Serena stands and asks.

“Over there” I tell her.

Her hand shoots out and the door closes.

“What the hell?” I ask. I’ve rarely seen Serena user her powers before.

“You’re not going over there. They need to talk in private and you’ll let them,” she tells me in a warning voice.

“Why can’t you just tell me then I wouldn’t need to go and find out myself?”

“It's not my place” she replies.

“Liz is my friend” I grit out then. “I have a right to know”

“No you don’t,” she snaps back. “It's private and between her and Max and if they want to tell you they will”

I look at the room then and contemplate taking her on but I know it’s not worth it.

“Fine” I reply.

She nods and tries to hide a smile.

“I can’t just sit here though so get your stuff and lets go get something to eat,” I tell her.

“Sounds good” she smiles.

Liz POV

Max is lying behind me with his arms wrapped around me and I feel content and safe. It's been a long time since I’ve felt this way.

“Let's leave here,” he whispers.

“What?” I ask.

“Well I don’t think we can do this here with everything, right...” he trails off.

“No” I agree.

Is it silly that the idea of sleeping with my husband scares the shit out of me?

“We still need to talk,” I point out knowing that there is still so much ground to cover and the worse is still to come, my betrayal.

“I know” he nods and I can tell by the change in his tone he knows what I’m talking about.

“Ok” I say.

“Ok?”

“Ok let’s go. Just you and me but I think we should tell the others something about what’s going before we leave. They've done so much for me...”

“We’ll talk to them tonight then and we’ll leave in the morning,” Max declares.

I nod, ‘Ok”

Thanks so much everyone. I hope you enjoy the new part

15.

Max POV

I hate mornings. I have for the past 12 months because mornings are when I remember that I don’t have Liz in my arms anymore and that she’s really gone.

This morning is different though. I can feel her pressed against my chest, her breath against my throat and the familiar scent of her vanilla shampoo.

I open my eyes and for the first time I can remember I smile.

“Morning,” she breathes out.

“Morning,” I reply.

I become aware of our connection humming in the back of my mind then. I’m sure it’s been there since I tried healing her the day before but this is the first time I’ve had the chance to revel in it. To enjoy it and remember how much I’ve missed it.

“Did I wake you?” I ask concerned that I woke her when she really needs as much sleep as she can get.

“I’m not sure. Maybe I woke you?” she responds.

I laugh, “I guess it doesn’t really matter, does it?”

“No,” she agrees refusing to open her eyes.

“We shouldn’t wait too long to leave,” I say then.

I feel her nod against my neck.

“What are we going to tell the others?” I ask.

“I’m not sure I want them to know what we’re going to be doing,” she admits.

“Me either,” I agree.

“Maybe we shouldn’t tell them,” she suggests then.

“Just leave?” I ask surprised that she’s suggesting it.

“No I mean we should see and talk to them all but maybe it would be okay if we just slipped off…”

“I need to talk to Maria,” I tell her gently.

“Oh,” she says and I feel her stiffen in my arms.

“Don’t pull away,” I plead.

“I’m probably treading on her toes, I didn’t even think…”

“No you’re not,” I insist. I want to make it clear to her that there is nothing going on between Maria and me, but I also need to make Maria aware of that too.

“But she has feelings for you doesn’t she?” she asks.

“I’m not too sure,” I admit. “I won’t lie to you; we kissed the other day but…”

“But it didn’t mean anything to you?” she guesses.

“Honestly, at the time I thought maybe I could learn to love her,” I admit, “but then one glance at you again Liz and I know that it would be impossible, I love you, and I’m only ever going to love you…”

I see tears leaking out of her eyes.

“You should talk to her before we leave,” she says.

I nod. “I will.”

“I have to talk to Michael too,” she says then.

I look at her slightly confused. “Max, it’s my fault that he hates you and Maria because I told him what I saw…”

I nod. “All this is my entire fault,” she adds.

“Don’t say that,” I tell her. “You wouldn’t have had any reason to believe that premonition if I hadn’t given you reason too. I was sneaking around behind your back, we were fighting,” I point out.

I don’t want her to think that I don’t know the role I played.

“Max, we have to be careful when we leave.”

“Why?”

“Eric, the guy I’ve been living with, he’s not a nice guy Max. He has a lot of money and he’s going to be really angry that I left.”

I frown and wonder what the hell she would see in a guy like him in the first place. Obviously, she realises what I’m thinking and she quickly turns away.

“I’m so sorry…”

“Maybe we should talk about this when we’re alone,” I suggest knowing that I can’t deal with it on top of everything else.

She nods.

I hop out of bed regretfully then. “I’ll go and pack. I don’t have a car so…”

“I have money,” she says. “We could hire one, or buy something,” she shrugs.

“Sounds good,” I reply not wanting to ask where she got the money from.

***

I hated leaving Liz even for a second. I have this fear that the moment I let my guard down she’ll drift away from me. It completely stupid but I can’t seem to fight it off at the moment which is why I was reluctant to return to the room Maria rented for us but I knew I had to. I couldn’t leave with Liz, not without so much as a word to her. Despite what I said to Liz I’m more than aware of how my actions are going to hurt Maria and I regret it with all my heart. I also know that I can’t stop it.

She sits up when I walk in.

“Hi,” she says sleepily.

“Hi,” I reply. “Did I wake you?” I ask.

“No. I couldn’t really sleep anyway,” she shrugs. “How are you feeling?” she asks.

“Ok,” I lie. My stomach is a mess and even though I know I need to eat I don’t think I could stomach anything at the moment.

“Liz?”

“Ok under the circumstances.”

“Serena hasn’t found out anything?” she asks hopefully.

“Actually she has,” I admit.

She sits and waits expectantly for me to start telling her what I know. I’m not surprised at this; over the last year we’ve formed a very close relationship, maybe even before that. In hindsight, I wish I had realised what it had looked like to Liz and Michael and maybe I might have been able to stop the mess that has become all of our lives lately. Sure I value Maria’s friendship but I never valued it more than my marriage.

I sigh and take a seat.

“What did she say Max?” she asks. “Is it bad?”

“Kind of,” I reply, “but I can’t really talk about it right now.”

She frowns. “How come?

I smile sadly at her; “Because Liz and I just want to take some time to get some perspective on it first.”

“Oh,” she continues to frown.

“This is why after breakfast we’re going to leave for a couple of days.”

“What?” she asks clearly surprised.

“We need to get away to do some thinking and some talking,” I reply.

“What does that mean?” she asks.

“It means that we’ve got a lot of shit to work through and hopefully during the time we’re away we can work at trying to get Liz better too.”

“So you’re going to heal her again?”

“Kind of,” I nod.

I stand up again and start putting the few things I have at the motel into the overnight bag Maria packed for me.

“Max?”

I stop and turn to look at her.

“Yeah?”

I see tears in her eyes and I can also see that she’s doing her best to hide the way she’s feeling for me.

“Are you and Liz getting back together?” she whispers.

“I-I…”

“Of course you are,” she finishes for me when I can’t find the words.

The truth is I have no idea if Liz and I are getting back together or not. We’ve decided that we’re going to have a baby but we haven’t discussed how we’re going to do that, if we’ll do it together or as part time parents. Like I told Maria there is still so much that we need to discuss, sometimes it scares me that there is too much between us to work things out but I’d be lying if I told Maria that it wasn’t what I wanted.

“I mean its Liz right? The love of your life,” she continues and if I’m not mistaken there is a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

“Maria, it’s very complicated,” I tell her.

“It always is with you people...”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I ask.

“It's means that nothing can be simple. I love Liz but she walked out on us, on your marriage and now that’s she back and she needs you, you’re going to go running! What about me Max? What about the past 12 months? What about our kiss?” she cries.

I sigh as I watch the tears she’s been trying keep at bay, fall.

“I should have cut my losses with Michael,” she adds then. “I should have realised then that you aliens were incapable of having relationships.”

“That’s not fair,” I tell her.

“No, what’s not fair is that I have these feelings for you and you’re going to go back to your wife who left you,” she whispers.

“There are reasons, things that you need to know...”

“Really?” she asks. “Well enlighten me.”

I look at my watch. I still have to talk to Isabel and Kyle and also arrange a car for our trip. I also was hoping to touch bases with Michael hoping he might help with the whole Eric situation.

“I can’t this morning, but when I come back I think it would be good for you and Liz to talk. Maybe then you’ll be able to understand why she did what she did,” I tell her.

“You mean she’ll want to speak to me? She’s made it pretty clear I’m not wanted.”

“Liz and I have done a lot of talking and, well let’s just say she knows what she did was wrong, that she made a mistake and when she’s better I think making things better will be her top priority.”

“So she’s going to get better?” she asks hopefully.

“That’s the plan.”

I look at Maria then and I hate what I’m about to do, I know it could break her heart but I also know that I can’t lead her on. I can’t let her think that there is a chance when I know there isn’t. That there never was. Even if Liz and I don’t get back together I could never be with Maria. Not just because it would break Liz and possibly Michael’s heart, but because no matter what happens I know that I’m never going to feel that way about her, the way she wants me to.

“Maria?”

“Yeah?”

“I know that you want to talk about the kiss and what it meant, and I know you said you have feelings for me...”

“Yeah I said that didn’t I?”

“Did you mean it?” I ask.

Her green eyes meet mine and she nods.

“When you kissed me I really wanted to feel something,” I start to explain. “I really wanted to feel like I was at this place where I didn’t feel like I was betraying Liz for moving on, or betraying my heart.”

“But you weren’t?”

“No, and I might never be. I’m sorry Maria but I just don’t feel that way about you. Maybe it would be easier if I did, but I don’t.” I explain gently.

She nods but she does her best to avoid looking at me.

I stand up and pick up the bag I’ve just finished packing.

“Will you be ok?” I ask.

“I think I'll just go home,” she replies.

“I'll call you,” I promise.

“Ok,” she agrees. “Max, I really hope that you can help Liz,” she tells me.

“Me too,” I reply. “Me too”

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16.

Liz POV

I see the outrage on his face the moment I tell him what’s going on. I didn’t go into specific detail simply telling him that we need to get away to talk and that Max would try healing me again.

“So after everything he’s done you’re going off with him?” he asks in disbelief.

I gulp. “Sit down please Michael.”

Reluctantly he does as I ask. “When Max and I connected when he healed me we both got flashes” he nods indicating he understands. “We both saw all this stuff that really confused us, we both realised that we still have feelings for each other.”

“Ok,” he says, bordering on bored.

“They didn’t do anything Michael,” I whisper. “My premonition, it must have been wrong or something, or maybe it was interrupted by something I did, but it didn’t happen. He swears that there has never been anything going on between them.” I explain, tears leaking out of my eyes, my voice breaking.

“What?” he asks shocked.

“I was so wrong Michael. I ruined my marriage and your friendship with Max, I ruined everything,” I cry.

Serena who has been standing by the door quietly moves forward and hugs me. “Shh,” she soothes me. “The power of foresight is never an easy one,” she tells me. “There is always the chance that something could change it or the timing could be off for whatever reason.”

I don’t know how she knows this stuff but her words comfort me.

“But they’re living together,” Michael objects, “and I’ve seen them together. She’s in love with him.”

“Maria may have feelings for him but there is nothing between them,” I answer.

“And Max? Does he have feeling for Maria?”

I shake my head although a part of me still can’t accept what Max is telling me even though I’ve seen his soul and know that he loves me completely, regardless of everything I’ve done.

Michael looks at me like I’ve just kicked him in the guts and I feel even worse.

‘I’ve got to get out of here,” he says and stumbles his way to the door.

“Michael I’m sorry,” I cry out.

He stops to look at me and offers me a stern nod before he quickly leaves the room.

I break down again in Serena’s arms. “I ruined his life,” I sob.

“No you didn’t,” she assures me.

“Besides, if you hadn’t done what you did then he might never have taken off and met me and you would have never known what was wrong with you,” she points out.

“True,” I agree, “but that’s just selfish. Maybe if I hadn’t been so ready to believe the worst about my husband and best friend he and Maria might have gotten back together and been happy.”

Serena looks at me sadly then. “Liz, what you did probably wasn’t smart but most people would have done the same thing. Sure, running off with another man wasn’t smart either but the premonition wasn’t the only thing going on. Your body was messing with you, you wanted a baby and Max didn’t, you were fighting and that had to be hard.”

“It was,” I agree. “But I should have known Maria would have never done that to me. She was my best friend. She was always there for me and I betrayed her in the worse possible way,” I sob.

Serena holds me while I cry. “Now she has feelings for Max and I’ve come back and am ruining everything for her.”

“Do you honestly believe that?” Serena asks. “Do you honestly think he would have moved on with her and been happy?”

“I don't know.”

“Were you happy with Eric? For one second were you ever happy being with Eric and the life you lived?”

“No. I was miserable. He treated me like a prisoner and the very idea of sleeping with him made me sick but I deserved it. I cheated on my husband. A husband I vowed to love for the rest of my life and when the going got tough I took off.”

“The going got more that tough,” Serena replies. “It doesn’t excuse it and I’m sure it will be a very long time before Max is able to forgive you but if you two love each other enough you’ll work through it.”

“We’re going to have to if we have a child,” I whisper, hoping that Serena is right.

“I have so much to make up for, so much to fix.” I whisper.

“And plenty of time to do it once you’re better,” she argues.

“What if I don’t?” I ask and I know my fear in conveyed on my face.

“You do,” she smiles.

We’re interrupted then by Kyle and Isabel’s arrival and I smile despite my tears.

“Hey guys.”

“You still crying Parker?” Kyle teases.

I laugh and open my arms for him. He hugs me tightly, “Are you sure you have to go?”

I nod, “I promise I'll explain everything in a few days.”

Isabel moves forward and hugs me too. “He’ll take care of you,” she says.

“I know,” I smile.

Max walks in as well and I notice immediately that Maria isn’t with him.

“You ready?” he asks.

I’m dressed and ready to go so I nod.

“So where will we meet back up?” Isabel asks Max.

“My place,” he tells us.

They nod obviously knowing where they’re going.

“I wanted to talk to Michael but I couldn’t find him,” Max says to Serena.

“He needed to take a walk,” she tells him.

“Ok,” he nods in understanding.

“I’m a bit worried about this Eric guy so Kyle do you think you and Michael could look into it? Isabel, it might be best for you to stay away in case he sighted you in the hospital.”

“Ok,” they agree.

“Did you get a car?” I ask Max.

“Isabel gave us hers and they’re going to get a lift back to their place.”

He moves forward then and throws my bag over his shoulder before he reaches down and picks me up effortlessly.

“We’ll see you in a few days but you know how to get in contact with us if you need us,” Max says over his shoulders as he makes his way out to the car.

I watch as they stand outside as Max starts the car and pulls out of the park.

I wave at them until we can no longer see them and then I lean my head back against the seat and close my eyes with a content sigh.

***

Michael POV

I have no idea how long I’ve been walking. I hated taking off the way I did but I couldn’t sit there. I couldn’t watch Liz cry over the massive mistake she made that changed both of our lives.

I look up when I hear the car approaching and frown as the blue jetta slows.

“Michael what are you doing out here?” Maria asks after winding down the window.

I look away for a second before I finally look at her.

She’s frowning. “Is everything ok?” she asks me.

“Do you need a ride?” she offers.

I hesitate slightly before I open the passenger door and get in. “Thanks,” I mumble.

We sit there for a few seconds with neither of us speaking. “Do you want to go back to the hotel?” she asks.

“I don’t know,” I admit.

“Are you ok?” she asks again.

“Did Max and Liz leave?” I ask instead of answering.

“Yeah,” she whispers. “About ten minutes ago,” she adds.

I nod. “Michael what happened?”

“I just can’t believe the way everything’s worked out,” I say. “God Maria I believed her, she was so sure that you and Max were having an affair. She saw it,” I rant.

I know the instance her face goes white that I’ve said something I shouldn’t have.

“Liz thought I was sleeping with Max?” she asks.

“I-I, you didn’t know?” I ask shocked. Surely Max would have told her.

She shakes her head. “Oh God, she thought this while she was still with Max?” she asks.

“She had a premonition,” I reveal.

“Oh God,” she starts to cry and I sit watching helplessly.

“How could you two believe that?” she asks. “I loved Liz like a sister how could she ever think I’d do that to her?”

“Well, what did you expect her to think considering the amount of time the two of you had been spending together behind her back? Then she saw Max at your house, half naked no less,” I tell her.

“What!”

“Look she was wrong,” he says. “Now we all have to live with it,” I add.

“Is that why you left?” she asks.

I nod. “I wasn’t going to stand by and watch you two get together,” I grunted.

“Why didn’t you just tell me instead of just causing a fight about everything but that!” she objects, “God, I would have told you that there was nothing going on.”

“YOU WERE IN LOVE WITH HIM!” I yell back.

“I could see it, everyone could see it,” I tell her.

“Michael I...”

“Look, I’m sorry that I took Liz’s word for it and took off but it doesn’t change anything. You might not have acted on it but you still had feelings for him and I wasn’t going to stick around and watch, ok?”

After a few seconds she pulls the Jetta back onto the road and turns back towards the motel. We ride in silence, both lost completely in our own thoughts. I meant what I said to her, the fact that Liz was wrong doesn’t change anything. I thought I’d come to terms with it during my 12 months of travelling but I realise now I haven’t. I care deeply for Serena but Maria Deluca will always be in my heart and nothing I do seems to change it.

Thank you so much everyone for reading and leaving feedback.

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas, may Santa be good to you all

17.

Max POV

Liz sleeps the entire hour drive to our destination. I had nowhere specific in mind so I drove back towards Newport. I figured that Eric wouldn’t be looking for Liz so close to home and I feel safe that I can protect her from him anyway. So I stop at a nice hotel on the beach.

“Liz?” I shake her gently.

“Hmm, where are we?” she asks tiredly.

“Newport.”

“What!” she asks alarmed.

“It's ok, you’re safe with me,” I smile at her.

My words obviously reassure her as her eyes close again she drifts back off to sleep.

I leave her in the car as I go and rent us a room for the week. I pay with cash and give a different name knowing that Whitman might raise a flag in the computer.

I carry Liz into the room and she only stirs a couple of times until I place her on the king size bed. I know she’s getting weaker and I feel like she’s disappearing before my very eyes and it scares the hell out of me.

***

“How long did I sleep?”

I turn and smile from my spot on the balcony, overlooking the beach, when I hear her voice.

“A few hours,” I tell her.

“I’m sorry.”

I sit beside her and push her hair out of her face. “Don't be,” I said. “You were weak.”

She nods.

“I want to try to heal you,” I say then.

“Max no, it took too much out of you last time,” she argues.

“I won’t use as much energy this time. I just want you to feel well enough for...”

“To make a baby?” she finishes for me.

I smile feeling slightly embarrassed for some reason. “Yeah.”

“Are you sure this is what you want?” she asks me again. “I would understand if you couldn’t do this Max, after everything I’ve put you through, what I’ve done...”

“Liz,” I stop her. “I won’t lie to you and tell you that I’ve forgiven you or that it’s ok, because it’s not. And we’re going to have to talk about it, but I want to do this, ok?”

I watch her nod.

“Ok, you ready?” I ask her.

“Yes.”

It is much easier to make the connection this time and I block out the flashes and simply concentrate on fixing a few of her symptoms. It only takes a few minutes and I think I’ve done enough that she’ll feel well enough for a shower and maybe to make love.

“Are you ok?” I ask when I pull back.

“Yeah,” she smiles and reaches out to caress my face. I turn my face so that I kiss her palm and breathe in her scent.

“I’ve missed you so much,” I whisper despite the million times I told myself to not to.

Liz POV

I feel tears fill my eyes at his beautiful words. I’ve dreamt of hearing those words from him since I learned the truth.

I don't know what I've done
Or if I like what I've begun
But something told me to run
And honey you know me it's all or none

“I missed you too, every day, every hour,” I proclaim and lean forward until our foreheads are touching. I will him to believe me.

“Did you really?” he asks and I hear the unsureness in his voice, “because I can’t stand the idea that you might have been happier in your other life.”

“Never,” I tell him. “I was so stupid and I made the biggest mistake of my life and I know I’m going to regret it for the rest of my life, longer if I lose you.” I cry.

There were sounds in my head
Little voices whispering
That I should go and this should end
Oh and I found myself listening

I feel my body stiffen at the first touch of his lips against my skin. He begins on my forehead and works his way down, over my eyes, my nose, and my cheeks until he finally brushes the lightest of kisses against my lips.

“I love you,” I choke out. “Only ever you.”

'Cos I don't know who I am, who I am without you
All I know is that I should
And I don't know if I could stand another hand upon you
All I know is that I should
'Cos she will love you more than I could
She who dares to stand where I stood

His next kiss is harder and longer and I open my mouth for my first taste of him in 12 months. We both groan together and instantly our arms pull each other closer.

He’s so gentle with me as he leans me against the bed, his kisses never ceasing.

“Touch me,” I whisper.

His hands cause goose bumps on my arms as they caress and we break apart as he slowly peals the t-shit up and off my body.

See I thought love was black and white
That it was wrong or it was right
But you ain't leaving without a fight
And I think I am just as torn inside

I see his eyes darken at the sight of my naked chest. I feel the urge to cover myself knowing that there is barely anything left of my small breasts after my weight loss. But instead of seeing disgust in his eyes he reaches out and caresses them like they are the most treasured things he has ever touched and I lean into every caress with a quiet moan.

“I can’t wait to watch you nourish our child with these,” he whispers as he cups me in his strong hands.

“Max,” I cry out.

He leans in then and covers a nipple with his mouth. I arch off the bed with a moan of delight. He is the only man who will ever be able to make me feel like this. Every touch makes my body tingle, my heart soar and not too long after, stars.

Cos I don't know who I am, who I am without you
All I know is that I should
And I don't know if I could stand another hand upon you
All I know is that I should
'Cos she will love you more than I could
She who dares to stand where I stood

He pulls back only long enough to remove his own shirt and I quickly pull him down until our naked chests are touching. I smile when I hear him groan at the feel of our naked skin.

“Too long,” he whispers and I completely agree.

He delicately pulls my sweat pants off followed by my panties until I’m laying bear underneath him.

And I won't be far from where you are if ever you should call
You meant more to me than anyone I ever loved at all
But you taught me how to trust myself and so I say to you
This is what I have to do

I reach between us and nervously undo the button of his jeans. My hands are shaking and Max uses his own hand to steady mine and help me remove his jeans and boxers.

When he’s naked he lies above me, his manhood nestled between my thighs, his eyes gazing into mine.

I reach up and push the hair across his forehead away. “I love you,” I whisper. I will him to say it back to me, something deep inside needing to hear it but instead he leans in and kisses me soundly and all other thoughts disappear except for the feel of his hands caressing my body, his tongue massaging my own, and his hardness rubbing against my lips.

'Cos I don't know who I am, who I am without you
All I know is that I should
And I don't know if I could stand another hand upon you
All I know is that I should
'Cos she will love you more than I could
She who dares to stand where I stood
Oh, she who dares to stand where I stood

“Are you ready?” he asks when he pulls back.

He had his cock lined up at my entrance. “Are you sure?” I ask him again.

“Isn’t that my line?” he teases.

“Max?”

“Yes?” he tells me.

“I’m ready.” I assure him.

He enters me smoothly, my body arching up to meet his thrust. He slides in and out of me over and over again and I moan and cry with every thrust. He knows my body so well; he rides me to perfection bringing me to the brink of orgasm with every touch and thrust.

“Yes Max,” I cry.

“Oh God Liz,” he whispers.

Like the hundreds of times before we’ve made love we come together, a connection forming and we both cry out.

When it’s over Max slumps against me. He buries his head in the nook of my neck and his hands cradle me gently.

I feel the tears I’ve been holding at bay begin to fall. They’re for a mixture of things. The fact that I just made love to my soul mate after being apart for 12 months, but mainly they’re because I’m yet to hear the words my heart aches to hear from him. I know I don’t deserve to hear that he still loves me, I don’t deserve to be with him after everything but that doesn’t stop my head from hoping and wanting.

“Are you ok?” Max asks as he raises his head to look at me. I see his frown when he notices I’m crying.

“Did I hurt you?” he asks.

“No,” I shake my head. “It's just that, it was just so...”

He smiles at me then and reaches out a hand to wipe away my tears. “I know,” he whispers.

“You do?” I ask.

He rolls of me then and I immediately miss him. “It's been so long,” he tells me.

I open my mouth to apologise again but he instantly stops me with a finger to my lips.

“Not tonight,” he whispers. “I just want to be with you tonight without all our baggage, ok?”

“Ok,” I agree and turn my body into his.

Where I Stood – Missy Higgins

Hi everyone,

Firstly, thanks for your patience over the holiday periods. Secondly, thank you so much for reading and especially to those of you who take the time to leave feedback, i really appreciate it.

Also, Happy New Year everyone. I hope that 2008 is a safe, happy and wonderful year for you all.

I hope you enjoy the new part

18.

Eric POV

“What do you have?” I ask with a hard edge to my voice as I stare down the man across from me.

“I found this,” he says handing me a newspaper clipping.

I stare at the photo. “Elizabeth Parker, Roswell New Mexico, she and her friends made the papers after a shooting at their high school graduation and afterwards 6 of them fled town,” he explains what I’m looking at.

“You’re saying my Claudia is this Elizabeth Parker?” I ask.

He nods. “Alex Whitman was her best friend and her grandmother’s name was Claudia, she probably changed her name so that whoever shot up the hall at her graduation couldn’t find her.”

“So have you found anything on her real name?” I ask.

“Her parents still live in Roswell and I went and scoped the place out, no sign of her, no indication they’ve even heard from her and nothing has come up on her or any of the other people she left with since they left,” he explains.

“So what are you saying that she disappeared off the face off the planet?” I angrily ask.

“I’m saying that she has help and that she’s probably changed her name again and that by now she could be in a different country and we wouldn’t know,” he tells me.

I feel my rage bubbling to the top. “No,” I demand. “She was sick; check the hospitals and doctors, everywhere. She’s got to show up somewhere for treatment.”

“Ok,” he agrees without argument.

“There is no way that a 22 year old girl from Hicksville, New Mexico was smart enough to escape me without a trace, no way.”


Max POV

I can’t remember the last time I slept an entire night without waking. I’m surprised when the realisation hits me when I wake this morning, and I know instantly the last time I did sleep peacefully, and why. Liz. She sleeps peacefully next to me, her head on my chest and I smile. She looks beautiful and I wish I could take a picture so that the memory of this moment will be captured forever. So that no matter what happens I'll remember how truly happy and peaceful we both were in this moment.

My hands brush down her side until it rests on her hip and I think about the possibilities in front of me. I wonder if Liz is pregnant right now, if last night our love created a child together?

“Stop thinking so hard,” she mumbles and I look down to find her eyes closed but beautiful smile lighting up her face.

“I’m sorry,” I lean down and kiss her forehead. “Did I wake you?”

“No, not really. I was just lying here enjoying the feel of being in your arms,” she admits.

I watch as her eye slowly open then and she lets out a contented sigh. “When will we know?” she asks.

“Well,” I gulp, “Tess knew fairly quickly but I’m not sure if it will be different for you because you’re mostly human.” I hate bringing up the Tess thing because I know it still hurts her but surprisingly she doesn’t react the same way I have come to expect her too. Instead her eyes are open and there is curiosity there even understanding.

“Maybe you might be able to tell by connecting with me?” she says.

I think about her question. “Let's wait,” I suggest, “we’re in no rush and we don’t want to bring our spirits down. I think it would be good to wait and see if you can tell,” I reply.

Liz pulls away from me then and sits up, hugging the sheet to her body.

“You look good this morning, how are you feeling?” I ask.

“Good, actually really good,” she smiles and I can also sense that she’s hopeful about what it might mean.

“How about we grab some breakfast?”

“Yes, I’m starving,” she agrees.

***

Serena POV

“Do you want to talk about it?” I finally ask. I might have only known Michael Guerin for a year but I know you can’t push him to talk. When he returned to the hotel the night before we decided to stay the night there after the others went home. Michael’s mood was bad to say the least and I knew there was no way we could go to Isabel and Kyle’s. He needed time to think and I was happy to give it to him, but now I honestly thought it was time that he talked about how he was feeling.

He looks over at me. “What’s there to say?”

“Well how about to start with, how you feel about what Liz told you?”

“You mean that the very reason I took off and left behind the only family I ever had was a lie?” he asked sarcastically.

I choose to ignore it. “Yeah, I mean I wouldn’t blame you for being incredibly upset. You believed Liz but she believed it too Michael. She never meant to lie to you or to cause all this trouble,” I point out.

“I know,” he replies, “which is why I’m finding it hard to be mad with her when I really want to.”

I smile slightly, “You should tell her that when her and Max get back.”

“I can’t believe she’s just going running back into his arms.”

“Does that surprise you?” I ask. The way he always talked about Liz and Max and their relationship I always pictured that this was what they were like. It didn’t matter what happened that they always found their way back to each other. Wasn’t that was love was about? That very though made Serena smile. It also made her realise that love wasn’t what she had with Michael. They cared for each other deeply, loved each other as friends but they weren’t sharing the type of love that makes you want to spend your lifetime with someone.

“Do you think that you might want to talk to Maria about it?” she asked then.

No matter what Michael thought, he wasn’t over Maria. That was very clear to Serena and she suspected the same for Maria. Sure Maria thought herself to have feelings for, and maybe even love, Max, but Serena knew better. She was good at reading people, and Maria was easy to read. She wanted to love Max because for some reason she thought that he was the type of man who could give her all the things that she wanted. But the truth was, Maria could never be with Max, he was so gentle and soft, everything that Maria was not. He wouldn’t be able to challenge her like Serena suspected Michael did.

Michael looked away. “I already did,” he admitted. “She picked me up and brought me back here.”

“Oh.”

“She didn’t know so I went and opened my big mouth and told her. She cried,” he grunted.

“So she was upset about it?”

“Wouldn’t you be?” he asked.

“Yes,” I nodded. “Did you talk to her about it, about how it made you feel? About why you left?”

He looks at me like I’m asked him the stupidest question.

“You are going to have to confront it all eventually,” I inform him.

“Yep, but not yet,” he says and stands up. “Let's get something to eat,” he suggests.

I want to push him but I know it’s not the right move so for now I'll let him go. I'll let him try and deal with it his own head first.

***

Maria POV

I could barely stop my hands from shaking after I drop Michael back at the hotel and turn back around to drive back to the house I share with Max. Michael’s words keep ringing in my head.

“Liz thought I was sleeping with Max?”

“I-I, you didn’t know?”

Even a day later the impact of finding out that your best friend thought you were having an affair with her husband has not subsided.

“She had a premonition.”

Maria knew all about Liz’s premonitions, she knew that every time they had come true in some way so it was understandable that it had upset Liz. But it didn’t stop it from hurting like hell. Why couldn’t Liz have come to her? Had things really gotten that bad between them? Maria hadn’t realised it until Liz had left without a good bye. But Liz had.

“How could you two believe that?”

“I loved Liz like a sister, how could she ever think I’d do that to her?”

How long had she stayed thinking that they were together behind her back? And even if she didn’t have faith in her, how could Liz have lost faith in Max?

“I wasn’t going to stand by and watch you two get together.”

“God, I would have told you that there was nothing going on.”

“YOU WERE IN LOVE WITH HIM!”

“I could see it, everyone could see it.”

Michael’s words had cut through her like ice. She wasn’t in love with Max then, no she refused to believe it. Michael was just telling himself that to make him feel better about taking off and leaving them all. Sure she had been lonely. Liz had Max; Isabel had Kyle while she had no one. All her and Michael did was fight and they were growing further apart rather than closer together.

The tears fell again but there was no one there to hear them. She was alone. Despite that she had done very little wrong, she was the one who had ended up alone. Her ex-boyfriend had moved on with someone else, one of his own kind which hurt more than she cared to admit, and the man she thought was her future had gone running back into the arms of his wife, the women who had left him for another man.

Maria was confused. She had no idea what was going on anymore or where she stood with anyone. But she was beginning to realise that it wasn’t with the people she considered her family and friends any longer.

How had everything gone so wrong? She asked herself, and when was it that she became this person she didn’t even recognise any longer?

***

Liz POV

My excitement grows as the night begins to set in. I watch the sunset from the balcony of the hotel we’re staying at with a new love. I used to appreciate a sunset before but now I treasure it as though it will be the last one I will ever see. Today has been my first day in 12 months we’re I have been well all day and it’s because of that reason that I am beginning to think that we may have created a baby the night before.

I look up when I feel Max’s presence behind me.

“It's beautiful,” he whispers nodding his head out to where the last parts of the sunset are disappearing.

“It was,” I smile.

“Thank you for all this,” I tell him then. “I really needed this.”

“We really needed this,” he adds for me. “You have colour in your face that I thought I’d never see again,” he points out then.

I blush and grin. “I think I might be pregnant,” I reveal.

It's been 24 hours but somehow I just know. It's instinctive and I’m glad that Max made me wait.

He smiles, “You think?”

“I’m pretty sure but I’d really like it if you could check too,” I tell him.

He holds out his hand to me then and I accept it and hop out of my seat. Max leads me into the room and gestures for me to lie down on the bed.

“Don’t be too disappointed if you’re not,” he says. “We have time to try,” he adds.

“I'll try not to be but something just tells me that I am, that last night we created a child together Max,” I whisper reaching out and caressing his face.

I watch as his eyes light up and I see that he really does want to have a baby with me and it makes my heart soar.

“I love you,” I whisper as he begins to make a connection with me. His hand goes to my abdomen and a few seconds later he pulls back.

“So?” I ask.

The grin on his face says it all. “You’re pregnant,” he tells me.

I let out a squeal I’m so happy and Max’s crushes me against his body for a second before he pulls back, and then he’s kissing me, and I’m kissing him back with as much enthusiasm.

“We’re having a baby,” I gasp.

“We are,” he nods, “And Liz?”

“Yeah?” I ask

“I love you too,” he tells me

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19.

Liz POV

I sit silently and watch as Max throws the last of his things in the overnight bag he brought on our trip. He looks up when he feels my gaze.

“Are you all packed?” he asks.

I nod and try to hide the frown on my face but it’s useless because Max has already seen it.

“You ok?” he asks.

“What’s going to happen now?” I ask him.

It's been on my mind since the day before when we found out that I was pregnant. Despite the time away and being together I feel like we haven’t really talked about anything, and we definitely haven’t resolved anything in the mess that has become our lives.

“What do you mean?” he asks me. He’s avoiding my question. He knows exactly what I mean but just like me, Max doesn’t have the answers.

“When we leave here where do we go?” I ask.

It's then that it occurs to him that I have nowhere to go. I no longer have a home with him, he shares that with Maria. I have barely any personal possessions.

“I don’t know,” he replies.

I nod sadly. It's not like I expected him to have a plan but I had hoped he had thought about what he wanted from me.

“What do you want from me?” I finally ask through the thick silence.

He freezes at my question.

“Do you want me to be your wife, to raise our baby together?” I ask him.

“It's not that easy Liz,” he whispers.

I know that, does he honestly think I don’t?

“It can be,” I tell him. “It can be very easy if we know what we want.”

“That’s not fair,” he snaps at me.

I know he’s right.

“You walked out on me,” he adds then, “you’ve been living and fucking another man for months.”

I nod and lower my eyes. His words are true.

I'm holding on your rope
Got me ten feet off the ground
And I'm hearing what you say
But I just can't make a sound
You tell me that you need me
Then you go and cut me down

“You can’t just expect me to forget all about it over night.” he adds more gently.

I can’t help the bitter laugh that escapes my throat. Isn’t that exactly what he expected from me after Tess?

“What?” he demands.

But wait...
You tell me that you're sorry
Didn't think I'd turn around and say..

That it's too late to apologize, it's too late
I said it's too late to apologize, it's too late

I should be happy that we’re having this conversation but I’m not. We’ve gone from being a couple who were telling each other they loved each other and creating a baby to a couple exchanging bitter words and dragging out old hurts from the past.

“It's not so easy when the shoe is on the other foot is it?” I simply whisper.

He looks away then.

“I understand it’s not something I can apologise away. I understand that what I did ripped your heart in two and that you might never get over it. But I am sorry Max. I regret what I did and the pain it caused you and me but I can’t take it back. My whole world had been turned upside down and I did something incredibly stupid. I guess I’m not the perfect person you always seemed to think I am, Max. When you put someone up on a pedestal they tend to fall hard when they stuff up. I fell hard Max.” I tell him.

He stares at me intently.

I'd take another chance, take a fall, take a shot for you
And I need you like a heart needs a beat
(But that's nothing new)
Yeah yeah

“Now you’re faced with the same decisions that I was when you slept with Tess. You can hold on to my betrayal and we can go our separate ways, try to work out some sort of joint custody for the baby when she arrives and both be miserable because we’re not with the person we love,” I explain to him.

“What’s the second choice?” he asks me.

“You can forgive me and we can live happily ever after,” I tell him with tears in my eyes.

I see him gulp.

“It's not that easy,” he whispers again.

I loved you with a fire red, now it's turning blue
And you say
Sorry like the angel heaven let me think was you
But I'm afraid

I nod sadly.

“I’m sure Isabel and Kyle will let me stay with them for a few days while I get on my feet,” I whisper as I turn my back and pick up the bag with my stuff in it. “I'll just wait by the car,” I tell him as I head to the door.

I wait until the door closes behind me before I let the tears fall. I walk with my head held high as I approach the car but all the while my silent tears are flowing freely.

****

Isabel POV

I frown as I place the phone down and turn to look at Kyle.

“Was that Liz?” he asks.

“Yeah. She wants to stay here for a few days,” I tell him. It's lucky that our place has three bedrooms with Michael and Serena already bumming one of our spare rooms.

I know that something is going on with Michael but he refused to talk to me about it. I just hope that he’s talking to Serena about it because if I know Michael, if he doesn’t get it out some way it will begin to manifest through his powers.

“What about Max?” Kyle frowns.

When they decided to go away we all figured that they were mending things between them. So it comes as a surprise to us all that Liz wants to stay rather than being with Max.

“I don’t know,” she sighs. “I guess we’ll find out when they get here. They’ll be here in an hour.”

“How’s Liz feeling?”

“She said she’s a lot better,” I inform him.

“Hopefully this time whatever they did worked,” Kyle says.

“Yeah,” I agree.

***

Max POV

It's too late to apologize, it's too late
I said it's too late to apologize; it's too late
Woahooo woah

The silence is suffocating in the car. Liz just finished on the phone with Isabel asking if she could stay with them for a little while. I know that when it comes time to drop her there and for me to leave to go to my own place that I'll regret my decision. I know that I’ve hurt her but she can’t possibly think that everything can just be made better over night.

It angered me when she brought up Tess. Am I forever going to have to pay for one mistake, for one stupid night? I wonder. Liz can’t compare her situation with mine. She was with this Eric guy for an entire year, they had a relationship, and it wasn’t just sex despite what she says. She trusted this man to keep her safe and that’s what I just can’t get past right now.

It's too late to apologize, it's too late
I said it's too late to apologize, it's too late

“How are you feeling?” I ask.

“Fine,” she whispers.

“Not sick?” I ask.

“No,” she replies her gaze still locked on the passing scenery.

I sigh.

I said it's too late to apologize, yeah yeah
I said it's too late to apologize, a yeah

“I know that I hurt you but I can’t help how I feel,” I tell her.

“Either can I, Max,” she adds.

I frown. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

She turns and looks at me then and I can see her tear tracks and her red puffy eyes. I hate that I’ve made her cry.

“I’ve forgiven you so many times during our relationship,” she whispers brokenly. “I sacrificed everything good in my life; Alex, college, my family, for our love and to be with you and I never once complained. Even when you didn’t seem to care that you were pissing our marriage down the toilet, turning to Maria instead of your wife, I was still there, I still loved you and I would have forgave you in a second despite all the hurt, until I had that premonition. Then I knew enough was enough. I had nothing left to loose and nothing left to give you so I walked away.” She cries. “But just like when you thought I slept with Kyle you can’t seem to find it in yourself to forgive me,” she adds bitterly. “Everything is always about you Max, isn’t it?”

“That’s not true.”

“Bullshit,” she snaps. “This time I won’t forgive you either,” she tells me then.

“What do you mean?” I frown. What could I have possibly done that would require forgiveness from Liz?

“If you let our love and our marriage die, I will never ever forgive you Max,” she tells me seriously.

I'm holding on your rope
Got me ten feet off the ground

Her eyes are so serious and before I know it they’ve gone from staring at me to back out the window at the passing scenery.

We don’t exchange another word until I pull up at Isabel’s and Kyle’s. Apparently Liz has said everything that she has to say. And I know that I have a lot to think about.

“Let me get your bag,” I tell her.

“I’ve got it,” she tells me.

The front door is open and Kyle is walking towards us. I can see the unsure look on his face and Liz smiles warmly at him as he takes her bag.

She turns and looks at me then, her hand sitting low on her stomach. “Thank you Max.”

I know what she’s thanking me for and truthfully it feels like a blow to my stomach that she is thanking me like some acquaintance for creating a child with her.

She turns to follow Kyle into the house but she stops and turns back around. “I need to speak to Maria. I owe it to her to tell her everything,” she says. “It's up to you what you want to say to her when you see her but I just want you to know that I’ll be going to see her tomorrow to tell her everything.”

I nod wordlessly. I have given no thought to what I was going to say to Maria when I got home. Things have changed so drastically in the past few days.

“Goodbye Max,” she whispers then and I see the sadness in her eyes. I want to reach out and stop her but I realise that I’m not ready. I don’t want things to be over, I love her and I know there will never be anyone for me but her, and I want to be a part of my child’s life, I want us to be a family. So why can’t I just find the words to tell her that?

I watch as she goes. I’m rooted to the spot but when she reaches the front steps I feel my feet moving. They’re rushing towards her.

“Liz wait,” I cry.

“I'll take your bag inside Liz,” Kyle tells her before he disappears inside.

“What is it Max?” she asks me.

“I don’t want things to end like this, it’s the last thing I want,” I tell her honestly.

“What do you want?” she asks me like it’s the most simple question in the world.

“You, our baby, and a family.” I admit.

Her eyes brighten and she smiles slightly, “But?”

“I can’t just jump back into things like nothing has happened,” I admit.

She nods so I continue. “Do you think we could just take things slowly?” I ask hopefully.

“Yeah I definitely think we can do that,” she grins at me.

I step forward and caress her face. “I do love you and I want to move past this,” I tell her.

“Then we will,” she whispers in return. “If we love each other we can work through this.”

I nod as I place my forehead against hers. I know I’ve made the right decision because for better or worse, Liz completes me and I know I will never be happy without her.

Apologise – Timberland

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20.

Isabel POV

The minute I saw her, relief flooded over me. To see Liz smiling, glowing even was more than I ever expected after her short trip with Max. But what makes it even better is that my brother is sitting next o her looking just as happy and I know it’s because they’ve found some sort of peace together.

“Are you going to stay for dinner Max?” I ask hopefully.

He shares a look with Liz before he nods. “I’d love to Iz”

I can’t help myself. I walk forward, wrap my arms around him, and hug him to me tightly. It feels like I have my brother back after the hardest 12 months of our lives. It hasn’t been easy, and for the most part I’m confused as to how it all came about but I’m happy that it seems that we might finally be putting it all behind us.

“Come inside. Michael and Serena are here,” I tell them.

I ignore the tension I feel in the room the minute I enter with Max and Liz behind me. Serena smiles warmly at them but Michael less so.

“Hi Michael” Liz greets hesitantly.

“Hi Liz” he replies and she sighs in relief from his words for some reason.

“Michael” Max nods.

Michael’s actions then surprise me more than any I’ve seen this weekend. He rises to his feet.

“Um Max do you think we could talk?” he asks. “Outside?”

After a tense moment, Max nods and follows Michael outside.

Michael POV

Now that Max and I are outside and alone I have no idea what to say to him. For so long I’ve been angry at him, jealous even, and it goes back long before the whole fiasco with Maria and Liz.

I didn’t plan to see him today but when he walked in the room and looked at me I knew I couldn’t let another moment of silence between us stand. It wasn’t fair to Isabel but even worse than that, it wasn’t fair to Max.

“I owe you an apology” I start.

“It’s ok Michael,” he says.

“Not it’s not” I deny. “So let me do this” I object.

“Ok” he agrees.

“I’ve been unfair to you about a lot of stuff for a long time now. Before last year” I tell him. “I know it wasn’t your idea to be the King, or the leader or whatever and that you were just as lost as Isabel and I, and it was unfair of me to expect so much from you”

“Yeah it was,” he agrees. “I really needed your support Michael but you were forever arguing with me about everything,” he informs me.

‘Yeah I know. I’m sorry. I guess it’s just after not knowing anything about us for so long we finally found something out, something that seemed really important and you didn’t seem interested” I tell him.

“I’m sorry if it felt that way. I guess I was just scared,” he admits.

“Yeah I can understand that” I agree.

Silence falls between us for a few seconds before I speak again. “I’m sorry I didn’t believe in you” I tell him then and resist the urge to look away when his surprised gaze fixes on me.

“What?” he whispers.

“About Maria” I clarify. “I spent years sitting with you while you mooned over Liz, I should have known better than to believe that you would do that to her or to me”

He looks away then. “I’m not innocent in all this,” he admits. “I was wrong to confide in Maria over my marriage problems instead of going to Liz with them. It cost me a hell of a lot and I caused a lot of trouble,” he says. “I’m sorry that I gave you any reason to think that I would ever betray you like that, but obviously something I did made you believe that I could”

“No, just my own insecurities” I shrug almost unable to believe how honest I am being.

Max sighs then. “I won’t lie and say that I thought you and Liz went about things the right away. We’ve all been keeping secrets from each other for too long. Isabel seems to be the only one of us that has anything figured out anymore,” he admits.

“Secrets are ingrained in us,” I tell him.

“Maybe but if we ever hope to repair our lives then we need to stop. We need to be able to be honest with each other. You and me, me and Liz, you and Maria, Liz and Maria” he says.

“Do you honestly think that there is any hope of repairing all that?” I ask and my sceptic tone is apparent.

“I hope so,” he says. “Because if at the end of the day Maria and Liz don’t repair things between them, or you and I are not friends anymore then everything we’ve been through will be for nothing. Because all we’ve got in this life in friends and love, without them we might as well give up and let the FBI take us”

“So there’s a chance that maybe we can be friends again?” I ask hopefully.

He smiles at me then and I’m surprised by it because Max has rarely ever smiled in all the years I’ve known him.

“You’re my brother Michael,” he whispers.

I nod and he knows I return the sentiment. “But do me one favour?” he asks me.

“Ok” I agree knowing that I owe him at least that.

“Go easy on Maria” he says. “I think she’s more confused than any of us really understand”

I’m not exactly sure about what he means but I have a feeling he’s hinting at her true feelings. I won’t lie and say I haven’t thought about all the 'what ifs?' I have. But the fact is the truth doesn’t change anything. Maria and I weren’t together before the whole premonition thing and there was a reason for that, we just didn’t work. Maybe one day in the distant future things will be different but for now that’s just the way things are.

Max POV

I can’t tell you how happy I am that Michael and I have talked. It’s a relief off my shoulders and heart. I have never liked being at odds with my brother.

When we go back inside Liz, Isabel, Kyle and Serena are waiting and watching as enter the room.

“Everything ok?” Isabel asks us.

“Everything’s great I smile at her. She looks between Michael and me and when she sees the same thing on his face, her own smile breaks out.

“Great” she grins at us both.

Liz looks at me then. “I want to tell them everything” she leans in and whispers.

“Ok” I agree.

Its time they knew everything. In a way, I wish Maria was here to but I know it’s probably best that Liz and I talk to her separately as we know that what we’re going to tell her will hurt her.

“You start,” I suggest to Liz then. I know she’s much better at telling story than I am and this way she can tell them what she wants them to know and what she would prefer to not tell them right away.

I watch as she takes a deep breath before she begins to tell the others what took place 12 months ago.

The room is silent when Liz stops.

“How did we not know any of this?” Isabel asks.

“Because we hid it well I guess,” I tell her.

“I thought something was going on with you and Maria but I never truly wanted to believe it,” Isabel whispers. She turns to Michael then. “And you just left without a word, why didn’t you come to me?” she asks.

“I just couldn’t” he replies. “I’m sorry”

Her gaze turns to me then, “how could you Max?”

Before I can answer, Liz speaks up, “Maybe I should continue because there is lot more to go yet” she suggests.

I nod, “that’s a good idea”

Liz goes on to explain about Eric and her life with him and when she realised she was getting sick until we all came back together again the week earlier.

“It was when I came back though that everything began to unravel,” she whispers. “When Max tried to heal me the first time we swapped flashes and we began to realise that there was something wrong with what we were seeing.”

“What was wrong?” Kyle asked.

“Liz’s premonition” I speak up. “It never happened. What Liz saw that day she came to Maria’s was a complete misunderstanding, an avoidable one if we weren’t fighting with each other, but a mistake all the same”

“Liz!” Isabel whispers.

“I know” she replies sadly. “I messed up” she admits.

“I told Liz a few days ago that her gift is a burden, a hard one to bare at times, foresight is so complicated,” Serena says.

“It’s not all Liz’s fault,” Michael agrees. “We all played our part”

Liz eye remain downcast. Everyone in the room can tell how hard the news has been on her and that nothing they say can take it away.

“So as it turns out the only person who betrayed someone in this room is actually me,” she says bitterly.

“Liz…”

“NO don’t. It’s ok. It’s my mistake to bear,” she whispers to Kyle.

“It was just after this that Serena came to us and told us what her mother thought was wrong with me,” Liz continues. “Apparently when Tess died I became the Queen and I was given her seal. The only difference was when I had the seal it was active where as when Tess did, it wasn’t.”

“Ok” Michael nods, “Is it like Max’s seal?” he asks.

“Sort of” Serena speaks up. “It’s imbedded in Liz but it serves the same purpose that Max’s does.”

“Why don’t you continue Serena?” I suggest then when I realise that Liz is struggling to keep her emotions in check.

“Sure” she agrees. “On Antar they implanted certain fail safes into the seals to protect the monarch. I don’t know too much about it but one of the fail safes in the Queen’s was to ensure the birth of an heir”

“Tess took care of that though,” Michael said.

“Not really” Serena said. “I guess it applies to every Queen, I’m not really sure but Liz’s seal activated the failsafe when she was 21”

“I don’t understand” Kyle said.

“The seal is what has been making Liz sick. To protect the royal line if a Queen hadn’t bore a child to the King by her 21st birthday she was considered barren and the seal would activate and begin shutting down her body”

“The seal is killing her?” Isabel gasps.

“Pretty much”

“But why I don’t understand?” Michael asked.

“If the Queen couldn’t produce an heir she was considered worthless and she seal would take care of her so that she could be replaced” Serena tells him bluntly.

“So what can we do to fix this? Remove the seal?” Isabel asks.

I see Liz blush next to me then and I realise I probably am too. “Actually no, the only way to stop it is for Liz and I to have a baby” I inform her.

“What?” Kyle almost chokes.

“Max and I are having a baby” Liz whispers. “I’m pregnant”

The room goes deathly silent.