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By: Jen
Rating: PG ///// Category: POVs, short stories, mostly M/L
Spoilers: All over the seasons...
Disclaimer: These characters don't belong to me, etc. The same with the Star Wars story I added in!!! Star Wars is property of LucasFilms and Roswell is property of Jason Katims. I'm merely borrowing the characters.
Note: For a summary of each story, click on the corresponding link below. Beneath the summary is the story itself.
/ I Never Told Him / The Helicopters / Miracles / The Threat / Walk On / Why Me? /
I Never Told Him
Summary: Liz's thoughts after she rejoins the others in "Max to the Max."
*****
He's gone. They took him. My Max, my Max Evans. The man who taught me what it is like to be in love. They took him from me, from Isabel, from Michael and the others. Agent Pierce and the FBI alien hunting unit have him. They seized him when Max was trying to save me. Sweet Max, he loves me so much, time and time again, he risks his own life - Michael and Isabel's too - for me. He healed me. Not just a bullet in my stomach but completely; showed me new ideas, experiences, feelings, things I have never known existed. And now he's gone. And I might never see him again.
Isabel's upset. I can tell. I don't blame her, Max is her brother, and she loves him dearly. I start crying as I tell them the news. That Max was taken. Michael wraps his arms around me, like a big brother, a friend. Tess shows no indifference. I know she is concerned, just doesn't want me - us - to know. We leave the carnival silently, trying to escape without Sheriff Valenti seeing us. It works.
The car ride home is silent. Everyone is still in shock from the day's incidents. Also, we are concerned for Max. We don't know what to tell his and Izzy's parents. Izzy says she will come up with something, something to cover his absence for a few days. The thing we don't realixe is that he might never come back. Our love towards him has caused us to be oblivious to this fact. I sit next to Michael; Tess and Isabel are in the back of the jeep. In these past few moments I have come to rely on Michael as I would Alex. To provide support when I fail to be strong.
We eventually reach the Crashdown Café. I see Alex and Maria sitting inside. Waiting nervously. When we enter, Maria runs up to give me a hug. She is happy to see that I'm okay. But I'm not. It is nothing Nasedo did to me. All he did was lure Pierce out in the open to kill him. This way, he could protect Max, Michael, Isabel, and Tess. But he failed, failed miserably, and life has gone totally wrong. Maria sees the dried tears on my face. Alex notices the missing person. Suddenly, they are concerned. They can tell something is wrong.
"Where's Max?" Alex asks.
That's when I burst into tears again. Isabel's face looks just as distraught as mine, Michael spoke. His fierce, angry voice rang out through the empty restaurant, echoing the words I spoke an hour ago. That he's done, Max.
We are all worried, confused, afraid. We don't know what to do, any of us, nothing like this has ever happened before. Most likely Sheriff Valenti will find out. I don't care anymore, all I want is Max back. I want our lives to return to the way they were: normal and safe. Slowly our group of six breaks up. Tess follows Isabel home since Mr. Harding, Nasedo, whoever he is, won't be there. I think that's good. Isabel will need someone to talk to, even if it is Tess. Their worst fears have come true and Max is with the alien hunter.
Alex leaves, totally bewildered. Out of all of us, he has known this secret for the least amount of time. But yet, he has been a great help, and yes, a terrific person towards Isabel. Finally it's just Maria, Michael, and I. Michael stuck around to walk Maria home and probably to see if I'm okay. I tell them to go; that they better start heading home. Maria tells me to call her if I need something, even Michael volunteers to stop by in the morning. I have some of the best friends, even if it did take a tragedy to bring us all together.
I head upstairs. I can't bring myself to take out my journal. It just hurts too much. Instead, I just lay there on my bed, staring at my ceiling, lights off. I try to sleep. I can't. Instead, my thoughts wander back to Max. Is he okay? Where is he? Does he know we are safe? That Nasedo is hopefully coming to get him? Who knows what type of experiments they will do to him? Is he - is he dead? The last one starts the tears again. They come streaming down my face. Usually I am strong, tonight I'm not.
And I never got to tell him I love him.
The End
/ I Never Told Him / The Helicopters / Miracles / The Threat / Walk On / Why Me? /
The Helicopters
Summary: Not Roswell related at all. Just a story I wrote when I was down.
*****
It was then I knew life would never be the same again. When the thundering came in the brilliant clear blue sky, as I walked to my school bus from the building I attend. It started as a distant rumble of a stampede, but then, as they grew closer, the sound became louder, more vivid. It was like the sound of a thousand motorcycles all speeding down second-avenue at once. And when I look up, I saw them for the first time in my life. The five sleek, black military style helicopters had appeared at once, in a pentagonal formation. They were like snakes in the sky, silently speeding to their destination. Of course, at the time, I didn't know where that was. Or why they were there.
October 9:
My answer came to me a few days later. We were at war. I had feared my whole life that this would happen. And it finally did. I sat down hard on my bed, staring at the ceiling. Those helicopters…they weren't there just for display. They were real, zooming across my perfect sky towards a selected military base. It seemed like at that moment, my life shattered. I had thought my snakes in the sky weren't important. But they were…
October 10:
More information on the news as I come home from my school the next day. A countrywide military draft has been issued. My daddy and older brother are among the ones unlucky who have to serve. Why is this happening to me? I wonder. I don't deserve any of this. All I did was see the helicopters that now have ruined my life. I know next week I'll have to say good bye to Daddy and Max, and it haunts me: will I ever see them again?
September 30:
It's been a year since that faithful day I saw the snakes in the sky. I'm another year older, but the same thought has remained in my head. That the helicopters really were predators and not just that, but predators of my life, that is. Daddy had been injured and returned home instead of staying on the front. I pray that the same thing would happen to Max, so my whole family will be together again. Mother received a letter from the military today. She won't open it though, none of us will. I fear my prayers haven't been answered. And I really don't want to know the horrible truth.
October 15:
I know now the lesson I was to learn, better than I would have through any textbook. War ruins your life, I think as I silently weep at my brother's funeral. We opened the letter a week ago. Mother had burst into sobs, shaking violently. It scared me, a lot. Daddy held her close to him, but it wasn't much help, since his arm was still in the sling. I was too shocked to cry. I couldn't except the news, and still don't want to. I had grabbed the letter and ripped it in half after reading it. The government didn't even have the respect to send us the body! He had died honorably, was all they had told us. I had run out the door, vowing never to come back. But here I am, at Max's funeral. Why? I wonder silently as the coffin closes.
March 5:
It's funny that I still have to go to school despite the war. My grades had dropped a lot. I don't care about academics anymore. Nothing has mattered since Max died. The only thing I still care about is keeping my family safe. Making sure they don't come to any harm. I hear bombs every day, and the fear is that one will drop on me, or even, someone I love. I've stopped praying for the few minutes of silence that come once in a while between the continuous siege. It won't get me anywhere. Nothing will. I have lost all interest in keeping up with the war. I don't care, and I won't until it's over.
September 30:
The sky is brilliantly clear, the bright blue color seems to shine on everything. As I walk in the direction of my school bus, I hear the sound again. The same deep rumbling of the stampede, until it gets closer. I close my eyes tightly, stopping dead in my tracks. I know what they are. I heard the same sound almost three years ago, before my life erupted into chaos. I look up and see them again: the images of my nightmares. The sleek helicopters are rushing across the sky again, but this time in the opposite direction. I curse at them and head home. And when I'm there, I found out the news: the war is over. The snakes were returning home.
The End
/ I Never Told Him / The Helicopters / Miracles / The Threat / Walk On / Why Me? /
Miracles
Summary: A tag to "Viva Las Vegas". My version of how the whole Future Max issue should have been resolved. Thanks David, Mala, and Ying Yi for pointing out what would be an embarrassing mistake in the story, and for editing the rest of it!
*****
"Max!" Liz Parker shouted, running down the almost empty street in Las Vegas, as Michael and Max left the coffee stand. The two had finally patched up their differences as Michael spent the last of the money that had been haunting him. Deep in conversation, neither of the boys had heard Liz's cry.
"Max!" she shouted again, slowing her run to a jog. She stopped moving for a minute or two to catch her breath. They guys were too far in front of her. "Max!"
Upon hearing his name, Max Evans turned around to see Liz's desperate face staring back at him. It looked like she had been crying. This puzzled the young alien, remembering how happy she, he, all of them were the night before. Max felt a hand clamp his shoulder, interrupting him from his recall.
"Look man," Michael said, meeting Max straight in the eye. He quickly turned his head towards Liz's direction and then back to Max. The action was too quick for the other teen to follow in act.
"If there's one thing that I have learned on this trip, it's that we need each other. And not just you, me, Izzy, and Tess like we said earlier, but them too. The humans: Maria, Liz, Alex, heck, even Kyle too. I'll make it back to the hotel and get the remainder ready to leave. You go talk to Liz."
Before Max had anytime to make a crack about Michael's sudden enlightenment, Michael turned from gazing out into the distance. "Go to her Max," he urged. With that, Michael turned to walk back to the hotel, briefly nodding when he passed Liz.
"Hi Max!" Liz walked up next to him.
"Liz," Max replied, looking down at her.
He slowly reached for her hand and led her in a walk down the street. It reminded him of the night before, and how she had let him touch her again. Everyone was paired off in the restaurant, all with the ones they cared for most: Alex with Isabel, Michael watching Maria, and Kyle and Tess dancing crazily together. When he had entered the restaurant and seen Liz sitting all alone, Max knew he had made the right decision to come back.
"Look Max," Liz broke the silence. Her eyes were staring straight in front, like they were avoiding his gaze at all cost. But Liz knew that if she had looked up at the eyes that seem to know her soul inside out, she'd forget every part of her carefully rehearsed speech.
"I've been thinking a lot since last night. You know, the way Kyle and Tess, and everyone else seemed to pair off. And when the Sheriff came. He demanded Kyle to get in the car and then yelled at Tess too. They're really becoming a family, you know. And even if she's not my favorite person to be with, she is one too."
"One what Liz?" Her sudden babbling confused Max.
Liz stuck a strand of her chocolate brown hair behind her ear and continued, eyes settling on the water fountain.
"A person. Tess has feelings like everyone else, and since she's moved in with the Valenti's…she's changed Max. Kyle and the Sheriff, they're good for her. They are her family.
"And what you said last night while we were dancing, about some weird flash of the two of us celebrating our wedding here, not to far in the future. And how it seemed like some memory or something. Max, I was going to tell you last night, I really was. But then Maria stopped singing, and I couldn't get the words out. And everyone stopped dancing, and we were surrounded by the rest of the group, and then the Sheriff came, and Kyle and Tess left-"
"Liz, slow down!" Max ordered, halting their walk. "What were you trying to tell me?"
"That it's true," Liz said, letting out a sigh of relief. A huge burden had finally been lifted off her shoulders. Liz finally felt like she could breathe again.
How could that be true? Max felt like shouting out. He had to remind himself to keep breathing. Him and Liz, married? In Vegas? But this was the first time being to the city, and after this misadventure, he never wanted to come back again.
Sensing his confusion, Liz grabbed his hand again and walked over to the fountain. When the two sat at the edge, Liz chucked. She had told Maria everything she was about to tell Max at a fountain back home, back in December. God, my life is so full of irony, she thought.
"Max, this may sound hard to believe, but…it's all true. And I, I've rehearsed this about a thousand times, so please, don't interrupt." Liz breathed in deeply, ready to start the tale. "Look, that night of the Gomez concert, well, in another lifetime, that was the night we took our relationship to another level."
Seeing the puzzled look in his eyes, she rephrased her previous sentence. "Max, we made love that night, and then, from that point on, we were inseparable. Two years from then, we drove down here to Vegas and eloped in an Elvis chapel. The vision you had. And we called Maria, Alex, Michael, and Isabel down here, and the six of us danced the night away. It was the most romantic night of my life, even if it never occurred.
"But after that, things got bad. We weren't treating Tess kindly at all, so she left. And your enemies came. But without Tess, you, Michael, and Isabel weren't able to defeat them. And when Michael and Isabel died, you and I decided to use the Granolith to travel back to this time and stop all that from ever happening."
Liz's face expressed a far away, sad look, especially in her eyes, as she continued. "Future Max came to my house that night you hired the Marranachi band. The Max from the tale I just told you. And, to make a long story short, he told me everything about his and my future self's life together, and how it lead to the end of the world. He convinced me that I had to make you fall out of love with me. We figured this way; you'd never push Tess away and Future Max's timeline wouldn't exist. It worked.
"But Max, all those things I said, all those things I did, I never meant them. Maria and Ava are the only ones who know this truth. And now, now you do too. I'm so sorry Max, for everything. I should have told you this last night, when we were dancing."
Max watched Liz as she began fiddling with her hands, staring at them like they were a lecture on an area of biology which she would eagerly be paying attention to. Quickly all the information he had just been told began to sink in. Liz would do anything for him. She still loved him. Max asked the first thing that popped into his mind.
"So you never slept with Kyle?"
"No Max, I didn't," Liz replied, shaking her head, trying to hold back the laughter. She was about to say more when Max reached over the space between them and pulled her into his secure embrace, sealing his mouth on hers, an unspoken promise between them.
*~*~*~*~*
Liz Evans looked around the hotel's presidential suite that Maria arranged for them to stay at during their spur of the moment trip to Vegas junior year. Was it really just twelve years ago? She wondered. Her husband adjusted his seat next to her, placing his hand around her shoulder protectively. Max was being way too overprotective of her and their unborn twins.
Liz smiled as she swept her eyes around the room once more. In another lifetime, Future Max's life, the world wouldn't have been this great. She wouldn't have been married to her only love eight years ago and they wouldn't have the lovely five year old girl that was staying at home in Roswell with her grandparents or the twins that still had yet to be introduced to this world. None of their friends would have found their happiness either. Maria, Michael, Alex, Isabel, Tess, and Kyle…even she and Max owed their lives to the brave soul who had risked everything for the ones he loved.
And now…Sheriff Valenti had been the one who had suggested this idea, remembering their other trip to Las Vegas that he had busted them on. She was so incredibly grateful for that. If he hadn't been there to show how concerned he was about all of them, especially Kyle and Tess, then she might not have ever told Max the truth of what happened.
Tess and Kyle had helped arrange this trip with the Sheriff. Though the couple had been married for four years now, neither Kyle nor Tess had considered moving out of the Sheriff's home yet. He was their father and meant too much to them to do that. Michael and Maria had gotten married that same year. And as much as both Michael and Kyle had objected, Maria and Tess had convinced their respected fiancées to share the wedding.
Speaking of weddings, Liz glanced to the other side of the large living room, where Alex and Isabel were carrying over the glasses of Shirley Temples. There were only a few months to their own wedding. And Liz couldn't wait. Alex would finally become her brother in law. Yeah, life was good.
Picking up her glass, Liz spoke. "I'd like to make a toast, to everyone in this room. How one secret brought us all together," everyone turned towards the aliens at that, "and how old rivalships have turned into blossoming friendships." She and Tess exchanged smiles for that one, as did Kyle and Max. "And finally, for the true love each of us have found, and the friendship we have and always will share no matter what."
Raising her glass to meet with those of her friends', Liz was ecstatic. The agreements and aye-ayes that passed through the room helped to add to her mood. Then she remembered the one thing that should be added to the souvenir book all seven of them had chipped in and brought for Michael as a thank you present twelve years ago. All of them had their own message in it, which seemed to accumulate over the years. But a new one should be added when we return home, Liz decided. Las Vegas was the place for miracles and dreams to come true.
The End
/ I Never Told Him / The Helicopters / Miracles / The Threat / Walk On / Why Me? /
The Threat
Summary: A Young Jedi Knights story. Jaina, Jacen, and the other young Jedi knights must prevent the revival of a deceased Sith lord. For those of you who've read the books, the couples are: Jaina/Zekk and Jacen/Tenel Ka. Takes place after the last book in the series. The first fan fic I've ever tried writting.
*****
From the darkness of space, a new enemy is about to appear a threat to the peace and prosperity of the New Republic. The only hope to prevent this catastrophe now lies on a small jungle moon in the Yavin system, where five young Jedi Knights continue their training...
Part One
"Blaster bolts! Jaina, what is taking you so long to get ready? We're going to be late for Uncle Luke's lessons!" sixteen year old Jacen Solo shouted to his twin sister.
"Hold on a sec," Jaina Solo appeared in the door way of her room, "I was just putting on a fresh jumpsuit. Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go."
In the grand audience chamber, Jacen took his regular seat next to Tenel Ka. Jaina quickly grabbed the last remaining seat next to Zekk. "Jacen, my friend, why were you and Jaina late?" asked Tenel Ka.
"Oh, Jaina wanted to change into a fresh jumpsuit. I wonder why," Jacen said, looking at Zekk.
Jaina gave her twin brother a playful punch on the shoulder, but only after blushing slightly. Lowie roared aloud, laughing at the twins.
"I fail to see what is so funny." replied Em Teedee, Lowie's translating droid replayed.
"Shhh. Uncle Luke is about to start," stated Jaina.
Though all five of them had recently graduated from the Jedi academy, they had decided to remain on the jungle moon of Yavin Four, deciding that if the New Republic ever needed any Jedi Knights in the near future, there would be some available. Besides it was fun and they were together. After all Luke Skywalker had always said that the young Jedi were stronger together.
"Today I want you to go outside the temple and into the outskirts of the jungle. There I want you to reach out with the Force, manipulate objects, sense the diverse organisms," the great Jedi Master Luke Skywalker told his students.
Murmurs of different languages ran through the audience as the students slowly filed out of the audience chamber. Just as Jaina, Jacen, and their friends were about to leave, they heard a shout from Master Skywalker.
"Jaina! Jacen! Tenel Ka! Lowie! Zekk!" he cried, "Can you meet me in my room in a standard half hour?"
"Yes, Master Skywalker. We'll be there" Zekk replied for the young Jedi Knights.
After leaving the auditorium, Jaina went back up to her room to finish tinkering with a piece of machinery. Jacen had gone down to the river, to look for more specimens to add to his zoo. Zekk to his room, Lowie to the Comm Center to contact his sister, Sirra, and Tenel Ka had gone for a brief morning run.
While working, Jaina couldn't help but think of what Jacen had said earlier. Yes, so she had changed into a clean jumpsuit. She had wanted her appearance to be neat. What a nerve her brother had. He might as well had joked about him and Tenel Ka, it was obvious to her that her brother had continually liked the warrior princess, since the twins first met her.
Jaina also wondered why Jacen's joke bothered her so much. It was sort of obvious by now. The fact she liked Zekk never bothered her before. Maybe it was the fact her brother knew and that he was making a joke about it.
"Oh well," she sighed, "it's not like I can really hide anything from Jacen. We are close after all." A knock on the door startled Jaina and knocked her out of the deep thought. It was Zekk.
"Jaina, come on! Remember, your Uncle wanted to talk to us."
"Oh! Go ahead, tell Uncle Luke I'll be there in a minute." Jaina replied.
"All right, if you say so." Zekk said. Quickly, Jaina put away her tools and scrubbed her face. Then she headed across the abandoned Rebel base to Master Skywalker's chamber.
"I am glad you are all here," Luke Skywalker said, "I have just received an urgent message from my sister. And it requires your assistance immediately."
Part Two
"There have been some unusually dangerous reports coming from the Bonadan system. I want you to go to the planet Bonadan and investigate these reports. As full Jedi Knights now, I trust you will do a good job, even better than your last few, ah, lets say adventures." Luke told them. "I have faith in you."
"All right Uncle, um, Master Skywalker, we will try our best." replied Jacen.
"No. Do or do not. There is no try. I want you to succeed in finding out what is happening on Bonadan. Contact me when you do. I will have Em Teedee program the coordinates into the Rock Dragon. Here. This is all the information I can get on the planet." Luke Skywalker handed the sheets to Tenel Ka. "Good luck and may the Force be with you."
"Wow! Our first mission as real Jedi Knights!" Zekk stated excitedly as they were leaving Luke's room, "I can't wait!"
"Let's get packing so we could leave as soon as possible. How `bout we meet by the Rock Dragon in, oh, let's say," Jaina glanced at her chronometer, "thirty minutes. See you then." She headed off without waiting for replies.
"Leave it to my sister to take charge on our first mission." Jacen said and then headed to his room. Everyone else headed to his or her rooms too.
Thirty minutes passed quickly. Lowie and Em Teedee were busy adding the coordinates to the Rock Dragon when the other young Jedi Knights appeared.
"Here Lowie, let Zekk and I help you perform the preflight checks. We'll leave faster that way." Jaina volunteered her and Zekk's services to their Wookie friend.
It was oddly quiet. Jacen thought. He wondered why. His sister and Zekk were helping Lowie out with the Rock Dragon. They were almost done. He could tell that Jaina enjoyed working with Zekk a lot and wondered if Tenel Ka felt the same way about him. He noticed the warrior girl was sitting next to him waiting impatiently to get on the ship. Jacen decided to break the silence.
"Hey, Tenel Ka, you want to hear a joke?" Jacen asked and continued on without waiting for a reply. Just as he was about to tell it to her, Jaina shouted that they were preparing to leave and to get themselves and their things on board.
"Tenel Ka. I'll tell you my joke later. Okay," Jacen told her.
"That is most likely a fact." Replied Tenel Ka. They headed on to the ship.
Once everyone was on board, Captain Jaina Solo immediately departed from the docking bay. Glancing back down at the jungle moon, she hoped they would see it again soon, and departed to hyperspace. "All right everyone. Next stop -Spaceport Southeast II on Bonadan."
Part Three
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! "Huh?! Oh. It's just the alarm." Jaina glanced at her chronometer, "I better get to the controls, it's time to drop out of hyperspace. Well Jaina, what are you waiting for?" She got up and headed to the cockpit after she awoke from her brief rest.
In the cockpit Jaina was startled to see Zekk at the pilot seat. "Zekk what are you doing?" she asked.
"I'm bringing her out of hyperspace with Lowie."
"What. Why?" Jaina replied.
"You fell asleep. I didn't want to wake you. Jacen said you wouldn't mind," Zekk added in quickly.
"Oh. I was really looking forward to bringing the Rock Dragon out of hyperspace." Jaina replied.
"Don't worry. I'll let you make it up next time." Zekk kissed her on the cheek. "Just remind me."
"Don't think I won't." said Jaina.
"Excuse me Mistress Jaina, I think you better take the helm. Master Lowbacca says that we are going to land on Bonadan now"
"According to these read outs Master Skywalker gave us the terrain of Bonadan is mostly made up of eroded wastelands and many industrial centers, such as the spaceport we are about to land in," reported Tenel Ka.
"Yeah. Dad said he went to this planet before he met Mom or Uncle Luke. You know, during his life as a smuggler, Jaina. He said to be careful down here. Though there are authorities, Bonadan can still be a rough place." Jacen added his information to the stuff, which Tenel Ka had already supplied.
"Okay then. We're about to find out if the reports live up to the planet. Everybody, lets get out and start investigating. We have landed." Jaina told her friends.
Once on the planet, the group went to a local tavern so they could sit and discuss their plans, as well as to get something to eat. Inside Em Teedee recognized many various dialects. Why he had never heard so many in his existence before! Other than that, the tavern held no interest to him.
"No one will notice us here." Jacen stated. "At least I hope."
"That is good. The less attention we bring to ourselves the better," replied Tenel Ka.
"I think maybe we should split up for now. Each of us, in groups or alone, should go to a different section of the city. Try to find out what or who has been causing those reports. We should meet at the inn, around six in the evening, to get rooms and have dinner," Jaina told her friends, "Is that all right with you all?"
Each of the young Jedi Knights agreed. While eating their various meals, the friends discussed in detail the sections of the city and who should go where. After the Young Jedi finished, they grabbed holomaps and departed to separate sections of the spaceport.
Part Four
Zekk slowly left the tavern, fighting back a flood of memories from his bounty hunting days. Jaina and Jacen had gone off on their own, wanting to spend some time together, which seemed to be so rare these days. Tenel Ka and Lowie had gone their separate ways, too, wanting to be able to think. Now it was just him. It hadn't really been that way since the destruction of the Diversity Alliance and the Emperor's Plague.
Sure he had spent some time alone with himself on Yavin Four, but most of the time at least one of the twins or their friends, were there if he needed them. He felt truly alone for a while, without Jaina..., and of course, Jacen and the other Jedi knights with him. All of a sudden a scream lifted Zekk out of his deep thought.
"Get away from me! Leave me alone you jerks!" It was a girl, his age at least, Zekk figured. When he got to the alleyway, he was not at all surprised to see a couple of space pirates trying to steal the girl's belongings.
"Get away from her." Zekk stated to the pirates. With a flash of his lightsaber, the symbol of a Jedi, the pirates ran, not wanting to take on such a powerful opponent. "Are you okay?," Zekk asked.
"Yeah. I'll live," replied the girl, "My name is Shira. What's yours?"
"Zekk. Hey, do you know anything of the crime spree which is affecting Bonadan?"
"Not really. Weird. Your name sounds similar to my uncles. My Uncle Zap and I, were tourists. We are visiting from Ennth. He might know something. Why don't you come to our hotel room? I don't mind. For some reason, I seem like I already know you." replied Shira.
"Me too. It might be a Force thing. Let's go," said Zekk.
Part Five
"Well Jacen, where do you want to go now?" his sister asked, after the two left the tavern.
"How about we check out the sheriff's office. It's in our section of town," replied Jacen. "We can see if he knows anything about the reports leaving the sector. Uncle Luke said they were not sent through the law system."
"Sounds good. Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go."
At the sheriff's office, the twins were surprised to see Tenel Ka there all ready. "My friends, what are you doing here?" she asked.
"Same thing you are. Trying to figure out who sent those distress signals." replied Jacen.
"Yeah. How much information have you been able to gather?" asked Jaina.
"Not much. I did find out an intriguing fact though. Remember the Sith Lord Ulic-Qel Dorma?"
"Yeah," said Jacen. "Tionne would tell us her tales about him when we were younger." finished Jaina.
"It turns out he was buried on this planet many centuries ago. He might still have relatives living today. Perhaps they are the ones causing the trouble, in his name," finished Tenel Ka.
"Just because their ancestor was evil does not neccassarily mean they are," contradicted Jaina.
"On the other hand, it's a start," Jacen said.
TBC...
/ I Never Told Him / The Helicopters / Miracles / The Threat / Walk On / Why Me? /
Walk On
Summary: A short post "Departure" fic. A more happy version of what may happen in the future. Song used is "Walk On" by U2
*****
And love is not the easy thing The only baggage you can bring… And love is not the easy thing… The only baggage you can bring Is all that you can't leave behind
And if the darkness is to keep us apart And if the daylight feels it's a long way off And if your glass heart should crack And for a second you turn back Oh no, be strong
Tirsta came by yesterday. She had the craziest request. She wanted me to record my thoughts and feelings of the past ten years. The years during the war, the dark times that would contain little light. I knew the aspiring Antarian writer always planned to finish her first novel some day. I never thought she planned to right about me or my friends. A biography on the first human queen Antar's had. My biography!
It's still hard to believe that I, Liz Parker, once self-thought as one of the smallest of small town girls now helps to rule an entire planet, side by side with my husband. And raising five kids at the same time too. Thank goodness we have Maria, Isabel, Michael, Ava, and Kyle to help us. Otherwise, I don't think Max and I would have ever survived the last few years after the war……………
Walk on, walk on What you got they can't steal it No they can't even feel it Walk on, walk on… Stay safe tonight
Where should I begin? I guess probably with the truth. You see, when I was sixteen, eleven long years ago, I was shot and Max Evans, the love of my life, risked everything to heal me. Promises were broken…relationships developed…lives were lost within the next two years. Tess murdered Alex, in cold blood. She had deceived us all. None felt as violated as the Sheriff and Kyle. After all, they had offered Tess a home.
I want to say now that I will never, ever forget Alex. Max and I named our first son after him. Alexander James Evans. His twin sister is more of the handful: Claudia Diane. I love them both dearly. As much as Maria and I were affected by Alex's death, no one was as much as Isabel. While the rest of us finally coupled up and got married: me to Max, Maria to Michael, Kyle to Ava; Isabel had remained single, refusing to acknowledge the existence of any other guy. She had lost her soulmate. I cry for her and Alex every day.
The day the aliens were supposed to go home was the day that Maria and I discovered this. I thank god that Tess's grip on Kyle finally loosened enough for him to remember Alex's murder. If Michael hadn't decided to stay behind with Maria, it all would have been too late. Tess would have delivered them right into the hands of K'Var. All would have been lost. But Michael, his one decision changed a life tine.
I don't know what happened in the granolith chamber after Max ordered us out. I do remember after Tess escaped, how he told me he loved me. That it was I he needed all along. I forgave him so easily that day. After everything we had been through, was they're really anyway I could not? But Max…he was determined. He wanted to go after his son. Find another way home.
You're packing a suitcase for a place none of us has been A place that has to be believed to be seen You could have flown away A singing bird in an open cage Who will only fly, only fly for freedom
Walk on, walk on What you got they can't steal it No they can't even feel it Walk on, walk on… Stay safe tonight
And so we worked day and night over the summer, the five of us. Eventually by mid-August, I had managed to track down Ava to her home in Arizona. You see, the Royal 4 made a complete unit, and as a future version of my husband once told me, they needed to be a team to defeat our enemies. She came through, big time. And it helped having her, it saved us one less complication with Tess's disappearance.
When we finally found a way to go to Antar, it was at the end of senior year. Max was heart broken. He feared it was too late. I don't know how any of us managed to keep up the image of normal teenagers, but we did. Sheriff Valenti, Mrs. DeLuca, and the Evanses helped so much with that. It was good having these parents on our side. Mine never found out the truth. Nicholas killed them to get to us. They were the only ones who didn't know…
We left Earth soon after graduation. Before our departure, Max asked me to marry him. He said that if the last few years had taught him anything, it was to seize the moment. I wound up marrying at nineteen after all. And so did Maria and Michael. It was a double wedding, small and private, in the Evans' back yard. It was happy; it was the one day all of us managed to put our sorrows behind ourselves.
The ride there…it was incredible. I had traveled through the stars once before, but that was when I was making out with Max to get the flashes that led to the orb. It's really ironic that us being together almost lead to our ultimate separation. But fate had been playing with us. We were its victims all along.
K'Var had killed Tess. That was the first words we heard when Larek arrived at our landing site. When Tess had failed to deliver him Max, Michael, and Isabel like Nasedo promised, he killed her. I didn't feel any remorse at the news. That scared me. Max held me so tightly when Larek explained what had happened during the year. Max had believed that K'Var killed his son too. But there was no baby. Max and Tess were never together that way. She had mindwarped him. He was always mine…always mine.
And I know it aches And your heart it breaks And you can only take so much Walk on, walk on Home…hard to know what it is if you've never had one Home…I can't say where it is but I know I'm going home That's where the hurt is
Larek brought us all inside. He was pleased to finally meet the humans that meant so much to the royals. He told me that he knew deep in his heart I'd make a terrific queen. When he told me that, I knew for certain that we would be accepted among these people. I made a vow to do the best I could do in running a planet, in fighting a war. And I haven't failed Larek or our people yet.
I prefer not to go into details about the next four years. The war was bloody… many people died, on both sides. We almost lost Michael. It shook us up badly. It took months for us to fully recover. But we did. And eventually, the tide of the war was changed to our favor. And we succeeded where other's had lost. K'Var was killed at Max's hand. Nicholas at mine. It was the first and only time I had ever killed a person for revenge. It haunts me in my sleep sometimes.
And then, the nightmare was over. We were free to stay or return to Earth. For some reason, all of us choice to remain on Antar. Max and I were sworn in as the new leaders, and Isabel, Michael, Maria, Kyle, and Ava became our most trusted advisers. Hannah was born that year, Max and mine's third child. Kevin was born too, to Maria and Michael.
It's been five years since then. Though I have not gotten fully used to ruling the confederation, I have adjusted. Having my family and friends helped so much. I do know that Max was right, I was his other half. All those years proved it, we were made for each other and nothing will ever break that……………
And I know it aches And your heart it breaks And you can only take so much Walk on, walk on
I hope this helps Tirsta. I know it's brief, but this story should come from you. I have only lived through it. We will rely on people such as yourself to pass it on to future generations. And I know deep down, our struggle; Alex's sacrifice; Tess's betrayal; and the true love between Max and I will never be forgotten. It will become a legend within itself. And I pray for that to happen.
Leave it behind You've got to leave it behind All that you fashion All that you make All that you build All that you break All that you measure All that you steal All this you can leave behind All that you reason All that you sense All that you speak All you dress up All that you scheme…
The End
/ I Never Told Him / The Helicopters / Miracles / The Threat / Walk On / Why Me? /
Why Me?
Summary: Max's thoughts after learning his destiny. Also the poem excerpt from "If Only" is my friend Maureen Ballin's. Thanks so much Maureen for letting me use your poem. You rock!
*****
She ran, ran and left. My Liz, the human girl I love so much. Who loves me so much, even after she knew what I am- different. She wanted what's best for me, that's all she cares for- me, not herself. To follow my destiny, to relive my past. To be with one of my own, a girl I'm supposed to care about, but don't. I want her, Liz Parker.
If only you knew
How sorry I am
I was the leader of my people. Michael my second in command, Isabel my sister, Tess my bride. Someday, we are supposed to reclaim our home world. But I don't care. None of this matters to me if I'm not with Liz.
To happen
If only you knew
We head home. I know everything will be different now. Are we ready to face the changes? I stare out the window, searching for Liz. When she ran, she stole my heart. Packed it up and took it with her. Where is she? Where did she go?
Racing through my heart
The things I know
And you don't
I still can taste, feel, our last kiss. Her arms around mine, slowly slipping away. Her farewell: me not wanting to let her go. What happened? My dreams came true and came crashing down. Liz loved me, still does. But do I love her, I ask myself, even is if wasn't meant to be?
But you didn't stick around to hear
I love her; she loves me. Michael and Maria. Izzy and Alex. Our past, our destiny screwed our lives. I told her I still wanted her. She didn't listen. She ran. I hope she's safe, I hope she's home. I hope Maria tries to calm her, even though I know nothing will ever mend Liz's broken heart but me. For the first time, she didn't stick around.
You mean the world to me…
Does Tess love me for me? Or is it our destiny, our past playing a role in this. How am I supposed to go on without ever holding Liz in my arms? Stroking her hair, seeing her brown eyes look straight into mine, returning her sweet kisses, or just telling her that she's the one thing that makes me human again? I am the leader, I'm supposed to be strong. But I'm not. I'm lost.
Until my world ceased to exist.
I let her go. Didn't run after her. Michael wouldn't let me. I wouldn't let myself. My old world is gone. I am no longer living a normal, well, it was never normal, life. Surrounded by people I knew and cared about. My only family and Liz, my only love is now only an illusion that was never supposed to exist. And it was replaced by one I never knew existed. One which has few connections to my life.
And cared about
Was lost.
Liz is gone. I stand outside her window, silently watching her cry. I want so badly to go in there, but I don't. Everything I cared for was twisted, destroyed by the truth. Most of all, I lost her for a girl I only once knew, in a different life. Destiny, take a hike. I walk in there and carefully wrap my arms around her and hold her silently. I'll hold on, hoping that one day soon, Liz will see me for me again. Not someone with his damn destiny all ready planned out.
The End