Hi everyone,
Well, it took me absoloutely AGES to get this next chapter typed up. More and more stuff just kept getting added. Anyway, this story is completed. I've done the epilogue too!
I'll post the epilogue next time (give you guys a chance to read this one) then I'll get started on the sequal.
Don't forget to keep checking my authors page to see if I've added any updates or have questions for you to answer etc.
I've got an
authors chat on
Dreaming Among the Stars site on the 17th December. I really hope you guys will be there and we'll have loads of fun chatting about Angel Falls, (and probably a bit about the sequal) or any other of my stories you might want to mention
See my authors page for details
Thanks for all your continued support!
roswell3053: many thanks for reading, and the feedback!
txndreamer06: Thaks! glad you enjoyed the last chapter
L-J-L-76: I hope the following chapter will answer some of your buring questions!
thanks for reading!
JustThisOnce: Hey hun, how's it going? glad you're loving this
Lizza: The next chapter shall hold the answers....
oh! and thanks for the bump!
Michelle in Yonkers: hey cool name! I always love new readers. I didn't know my fic ever gets recommeded by people
Hope you'll stick around for the sequal too
Roswell 10/2/00: What does the date in your screen name represent? I'm just being curious and nosy
Post more soon? just scroll down and tada! a new chater!
Erina258: Thanks for your PM about the authors chat
hope to see you there, and enjoy this next chapter!
Michelle17: Many thanks for your support in my stories!
Gator101: Here an extra box of tissues
Cherie: Seek and you shall know in the next chapter
Part 19
The wind caressed her skin and teased her hair. Liz stood on the edge of the cliff-top, eyes closed; her arms open and outstretched on either side of her, as though she was embracing everything mother nature had to offer. She stood there still, and just.... feeling.
Such simple feelings, yet it evoked such powerful emotions inside her. It uplifted her soul. She would miss this. But most of all, she would miss the man she loved. Another thing she had learned whilst on earth was that life could be unpredictable. She had truly never counted on falling in love. And now, she would have to leave that love behind. Sorrow. Yet another feeling washed over her. Her heart felt as though it were breaking into a million pieces, so painful was the ache.
Concentrating on her senses, Liz could feel the gathering storm rushing in from the distance; threatening to sabotage her last view of the sunrise. she could hear the echo of thunder rumbling through the fast approaching clouds.
Feeling an electrical sizzle in the air molecules behind her, Liz opened her eyes in time to see the quick shadow flash of blue iridescent light.
Without turning around, Liz knew who had just appeared.
"Time's up Liz."
"So you keep reminding me." Liz turned to face her sister.
At first glance at Tess, you wouldn't think there was anything abnormal about her, or the fact that she was banished and now resided in the underworld until her sentence was over. She must've been there for at least 500 years already. She was to stay down there until she had learned her lesson, but can one really learn to redeem what is their nature?
In fact, looking at Tess now, who wore a siren red halter-neck dress, with ruby red lips to match, her soft looking blonde hair skimming the tops of her shoulders, her piercing blue eyes that seemed to look right through you, her skin a flawless perfection of porcelain, she appeared to be your above average gorgeous looking girl next door. If she was in high school, she'd probably be the popular cheerleader all the jocks drooled over and falling over themselves just to get a minute of her attention. Her home life would be a rich one, she could get anything she wanted because of money and power and most probably manipulation. On appearance, she'd be all good girl, but underneath, something darker would lurk. It reminded Liz of the movie she'd seen, Cruel Intentions. All sugar and sweet on the outside, but bitter and twisted inside.
Though Tess wasn't human or lived life as a human, one thing was for certain. She knew how to manipulate the system. Whether it be on earth, up in heaven or down in hell. She might not be a cheerleader, or the rich girl next door, but the facade still applied. How was it that she didn't see it before, Liz wondered.
Turning to face the sea once more Liz closed her eyes. She could feel her wings magically form on her shoulder blades on her back. She could feel her skin tingling as her wings emerged and spread out.
"LIZ!!"
Hearing the call of her name, Liz spun around to face the voice, her eyes widened when she saw who it was.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Max had raced through the woods and emerged through the clearing. Relief flooded through his system when he saw Liz was still on earth. She was standing next to some blonde girl in a dress so red you'd probably see it a mile away. But what greeted his eyes made him freeze in his tracks. Was what he was seeing real?
Large greyish white wings were emerging then spreading their full span on Liz's back.
Max knew she was getting ready to leave earth.
Leave him.
Forever.
He had to do something. He couldn't just let her leave. There was so much to be said; so much unfinished business. And damn it, he loved her! Cara will always have a place in his heart, but what was left of his heart now belonged to Liz. And if she left now, she would be taking a part of him with her. He'd never be complete without her.
He knew his time had just run out.
It was now or never.
"LIZ!!"
He watched as her eyes widen in shock of seeing him here. Clearly she thought their time at the hospital was the final goodbye. Well, she thought wrong.
"Max, what are you doing here?" Liz asked when he walked towards her.
"Weren't you even going to say goodbye? Were you just going to leave just like that? I thought I meant more to you Liz."
"You do Max, more than you'll ever know. And I've already said my goodbyes."
"Well I haven't Liz. No, wait. I hate goodbyes. I'm not saying goodbye Liz. We belong together, don't you see that?"
"Max, you don't underst--"
"No Liz, it's you who doesn't understand. I love you. And I know you love me too. The question is, why are you running away?"
Liz looked away from him. "I don't have a choice."
Max grasped her arms. "Liz, there is always a choice." Max watched her raise her head to look at him with such forlorn eyes it nearly broke his heart.
"You're right Max, I do have choices, but those choices aren't ones I'm willing to take."
"Why not? Are you that much of a coward to run away from your problems instead of facing them?"
"Problems Max? You have no idea the scale of the problem." Liz pushed away and walked a few steps away from him giving him her back. "You do realize I'm not really human right? How are we suppose to stay together if we come from worlds so far apart.... and that's literally."
"I Know what you are Liz." Max said, slowly turning around to face her. "And I don't care. The time we spent together, the love we shared, it brought me back. I was on the brink of completely giving up after Cara's death, then you fall into my life and saved me from my never-ending darkness. You made me see hope. You made me feel love and gave me the ability and chance to love again." Max's expression suddenly turned stony. "And now you're just going to take back all you have given me."
"Max I'm sorry I--" Tears burned behind Liz's eyes.
Tess, who had been watching the couple with amusement from a distance walked over to them. As much as she enjoyed this soap opera, time-was-a-wasting.
"It's time to leave Liz."
Max glared at Tess with venom. "You're not taking her."
Tess simply smiled and shook her head in amusement. "Oh you pitiful humans. You're in way over your head with this sugar. You don't get a say in this I'm afraid." Tess began to tug o Liz's arm dawing her away from Max.
Max pulled Liz back towards him and stared daggers at Tess.
"She's not going with you!"
Tess raised one perfect eyebrow at him.
"No?"
"No."
"Well sugar, someone's going to have to come to hell with me."
Max paled. "Hell?"
"Of course hell." Tess chuckled. "Did you think our Lizzie here was going back up to heaven?" Tess cackled a laughter. "Sorry sugar, but Mount Olympus won't want her living there anymore. She's a fallen one now. Much like me I might add."
Max frowned at Tess. "You're an angel?"
Tess twisted her hair around her finger playfully. "Weeell, I'd like to think of myself as a semi-angel at the moment. But you know what they say about sisters....."
"Your..... her sister?" Max asked in shock.
Tess gave him a wink. "Sure am sugar."
Max hardened his gaze at Tess. "No loving sister would ever willingly take their own sister to hell. And besides, Liz had done so many good deeds--"
"So take her good deeds and move on with your life. Liz is still coming to hell with me."
Max turned his attention to a silent Liz and gently cupped her face in his palms.
"You're an angel Liz; you came down to earth to help me; to save me. You shouldn't need to go to hell. It doesn't make sense."
Tears streamed down Liz's cheeks as she regarded him. "Sometimes angel's fall Max."
Max frowned.
"I don't understand."
"Liz, why don't you tell him about the deal we made."
Liz froze and stared at her sister. Finally she shook her head. "He doesn't need to know."
"Know what Liz? What deal did you make?"
But Liz stayed silent.
"Tell me!" Max demanded, his grip on her arms bruising.
Liz took a deep breath then told him the tale of how she had always wanted to experience life as a human on earth, but was forbidden to since she wasn't an assigned agent specifically sent to earth like the other angel's.
Liz took another deep breath and continued to tell him of the deal Tess had made with her. She would get the opportunity to experience life on earth for two months as long as she was there to help him move on with his grief and to take a chance on living life again. But she also had to adhere to the three rules that consisted of not revealing who she really is to any humans, and to not sleep with or fall in love with him. Unfortunately, human emotions can be a tricky thing and didn't allow her to stick to those rules and it had snowballed. Even with Tess's two out-of-jail free cards on the rules, if she hadn't truly loved him, she wouldn't have followed through with what she had dearly wanted and had gone and slept with and fallen in love with him.
"So if you break those rules, you have to go to hell as part of the bargain." Max clarified.
"Yes. It's what Tess specified. I never would've dreamt I would end up falling for you. In a way, you were my unofficial assignment while I was here on earth."
Max winced at the statement that he had been nothing but a job. A duty.
"Liz, there must be another way. Surely your father can help--"
"NO!" Liz shook her head adamantly. "My father doesn't know about our deal. If he found out.... Max, we'd probably all get punished for it. Including you." Liz gave a pause. "Max, it was my choice and decision to do this, and I thank you for showing me all the wonderful things about earth and what it's like to be a human being. But now my time is up." Liz began to pull out of his grip.
"No, Liz wait! We can work this out together, you can't go to hell. Liz please.... there has to be another option, another way."
Tess perked up. "There is! You can take Liz's place and come to hell with me where we can live happily ever after." Tess mocked in a sing-a-song voice.
Liz cut in before Max could answer.
"NO! Tess, I told you, that's not an option for me. No one is taking my place but me. You really think I would send someone I love to hell? You really are crazy. Either that or extremely sadistic."
"Hey, he asked for options, I gave him options."
"Unfortunately its not a valid one."
Liz turned to face Max. She stared a him for the longest moment, her hand caressing his stubbled cheek. Her heat ached so bad she could barely breathe.
Max leaned in close, his forehead touching hers. "Liz, if you can't be here with me and insist on going to hell, then let me come with you."
"No Max, you can't, you won't be able to survive there."
"What, and you will?"
"Hades is my uncle. Sure hell can be uncomfortable, but I used to visit when I was little, it's not that bad for me, plus I'm an angel remember? I have super powers and all." Liz joked weakly.
Max choked out a sad laugh.
"Liz, please don't leave me. Don't leave me like Cara did."
Liz hugged him tightly against her. "I'm sorry Max, but we all have to make sacrifices for the ones we love."
With that, Liz pulled him down for a hard scorching kiss that stole his breath and left him dizzy from her passion. Then before he knew what was happening, he found himself sitting on the floor on his backside. He registered too late that Liz had pushed him away.
Seeing her turn away from him to walk back once more to the cliff's edge, Max sprang up on his legs and tried to go after her. He came to an abrupt halt when his body slammed into an invisible wall. he felt around for an opening but it was all solid to his touch.
Damn it!
By now the stormy winds had kicked up to almost full force. It pulled at his hair and lashed at his face and clothes.
He yelled for Liz but was afraid his words had been snatched away by the wind. But strangely enough, Liz turned to look right at him one last time.
'I love you Max. Always and forever.'
Max frowned as he locked eyes with her. Liz's mouth hadn't moved, yet he could hear her words clearly as though she stood right there next to him.
'I won't forget you. Goodbye Max. Give my love to Bruno, and you really should stop teasing him with the steaks.' A feminine laugh echoed inside his mind.
And with that final thought, Liz turned around and walked right up to the precarious edge of the cliff and gazed down. The dark icy waters churned violently against the cliff below.
Closing her eyes and spreading her arms wide, she felt the violent rage of mother nature.
taking a deep breath, Liz couldn't help when a small ironic smile slid across her lips.
Fallen angels in Angel Falls. Even the great cosmos seemed to have a warped sense of humour.
"Hey Tess? last one there's a rotten egg!"
Liz leaned her weight forward and felt herself freefall through the air. Images of her human life with Max flashed through her mind. Liz clung to those images until she felt her body slam into the icy ocean. The pain of a thousand knives sliced through her body as it was dragged into the deep dark depths of the ocean. But it wouldn't stop there. She would continue on down her journey until she reached her destination of hell.
TBC!!!
tonnes of feedback please! lol
