"Ok. Just distract the guards and I'll run up and see if I can get to him."

"Are you sure that's his bedroom?"

"Almost positive. I can feel him."

"We can't afford an almost. I need you to be positive."

"I am. I'm going." Larek shook his head in disagreement and he closed his eyes to see what he could pull off. The guards stood still and then seconds later they were in a panic.

"We are under attack! Under attack!" They all ran to the front and stared out to what seemed like an army approaching slowly. Max ran out into the clear, jumped on the slope and then climbed up into the open window. He looked around, a little lost at first and then a small child walked in from another room and closed the door behind him. When they first made eye contact the child gasped and Max rushed his fingers to his lips and whispered that he wouldn't hurt him, but that he needed him to be completely quiet. The child stared at him wistfully. They didn't pull their eyes off of each other for what seemed like forever.

"Daddy..." He stared into Max's eyes and Max smiled at his words.

"Yes." The little boy ran to him and hugged him. Max looked down into the deep, brooding eyes of his son that were so much like his. And like someone else's, but at the moment he didn't know quite who's.

"You remember me?"

"Of course!" The child was so big, Max wasn't sure how time worked on Antar, but it sure was fast.

"Lareth..."

"That's not my name." Max looked at his son in bewilderment.

"What do you mean?"

"My name is Xander. I was named sort of after you. But with an 'x'. Mommy thought it was the cutest name." The child smiled sadly at the memories. He reached out and hugged Max again.

"It's ok. I'm here now." Max held him tightly and felt his heart go out to the small child he'd made. He only wished... well it was too late for that now.

"Come on, we have to go!" The child pulled his arm away and stared blankly at Max.

"Xander come on!" Xander just lowered his eyes to the floor and shook his head.

"I can't. I'm not who you're looking for." At this point Max was completely perplexed.

"What do you mean? Of course you are! You're my son... and I'm taking you home with me where you can be safe and sound." Max stared at him matter of factly.

"The son you are searching for is dead." Max felt the floor fall out from under him He leaned back and sat on the bed. He was dizzy and not at all ready for a conversation such as that one.

"Xander... I don't understand." Xander stepped closer to Max and Max's necklace began to glow. It got brighter as he stepped closer. Xander put his hand in Max's and just looked into his eyes. That's when Max felt the flash.

~ FLASH ~

"What is it?" Liz looked at Max lovingly as he wiped the sweat off her brow and pulled her hair back behind her ear.

"It's a boy." Liz looked up to the sky and let out a long breath. She had done it. She had given birth and it was not an easy thing. She held her son in her hands and he looked up at his smiling parents. They knew it would be an interesting experience. __________________________ ________________________

"I have to go to them! Please!" Xander stood crying and panicked.

"You can't just go back in time Xan, you know that!" Maria and Serena stared at the child who was so fixed in his decision.

"We've gotta do something! Everything is changing! We don't have much time!"

"NO! It is too dangerous! Your father has already gone ahead to see if he can change the future. Now we can just hope and pray it will work."

"But if they don't stay together... I won't even exist!" Maria took the child in her arms and rubbed his hair lovingly.

"They'll stay together. I promise. If there's anything that I know it's Max and Liz. They know that in reality their destiny is each other. They found each other once... they'll do it again." She looked at Serena hopefully and she lowered her eyes. It was going to be a different world. She didn't know what would happen.

"You have to know that your mommy and daddy love you. Very much. They always will. They would do anything for you..."

"And I for them!" Xander was crying by now and Maria walked him upstairs to his bedroom in the small house. She came back down and saw Serena with her face in her hands looking hopeless.

"Liz hasn't come back yet. Do you think it worked?" She held her hands nervously. Michael had died just hours ago and Maria could do little to keep herself under control.

"I sure hope so. It's the only hope we have." She looked at Maria's watery eyes and the door swung open. Liz stood there, in shock, Larek behind her.

"He's gone...." Liz said the words but couldn't believe it herself. "I won't ever see him again, or have him love me."

"You don't know that!" Maria jumped up and hugged her friend which only brought them more tears.

"You found each other once. You'll do it again." Larek looked over at Serena and held out his hand as she held in and got up to hug him.

"I'm sure of it." They stood there trying to make sense of it all as Xander put the note he'd written on his bed and jumped out the window. He was only about six years old, but he was very stubborn and his parents were what he lived for. He took his bike and got to the Granolith chamber. He kissed the necklace his parents had given him and closed his eyes as he slowly placed the quartz inside the huge rock and found himself minutes later flying through space.

~ REALITY ~

"Oh my God!" Max pulled his son in for a hug and felt the tears swell up in his eyes. This was his son. His future son. He and Liz's future son.

"I will disappear as soon as you kill Kivar and take Mommy back home. I don't really exist in this time, but if you stay with her I will. Ava thinks that I am her son. I am not. Please... whatever you do, stay with mommy. You need her. I need you guys. Together you can save the planet and my future. Just as you promised." He looked into Max's eyes and Max wondered what had happened to his future version and if he'd ever arrived here on Earth. Max smiled and his necklace began to dim. He looked down unsure of what was happening.

"It's mommy. GO! Go save her!"

"But..." Xander was practically throwing him out.

"Go! If something happens to her, then I'm gone! Please... daddy I want to live!" Max looked terrified at the pressure suddenly put on his shoulders and turned to hug his son one last time.

"I love you Daddy." The brave child smiled and Max went out the way he came in. Liz was in trouble and he had to save her. But he wouldn't just be saving the love of his life this time, he'd be saving their entire future. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Liz kneeled at the presence of the queen. She kept her head low, her eyes downcast. The beautiful blonde woman stood up tall and simply stared at the girl on the floor. There was something all too familiar about her and she didn't like it.

"Who are you?" She asked demandingly and with a strange statement.

"Kismet, cousin of Serena from Earth. I have come to stay with her for a while until I find my own settlement. My parents have died. I have no where to go." She looked up for an instant and the statement of innocence on her face triggered a memory with Ava. She walked up to the girl and pulled her by the hair to look up at her.

"I know you're up to something. I don't know what, but I don't like it. I know those eyes and that voice. You better tell me what I ask of you or I'll have you killed. And don't think I'd mind it at all. I've killed before and I'll do it again. Besides, I wouldn't mind Kivar's attention all to myself." Liz's eyes filled with a sudden hatred at her comment and she looked down quickly hoping Ava hadn't seen them. She was so confused as to how Tess, who was now known as Ava on Antar, was so different from Ava who had befriended Liz on Earth.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Suddenly her hand was on Liz's head and Liz felt a throbbing pain in the back of her neck. She closed her eyes tightly and tried hard to control the pain that was making her want to faint.

"Aghhh!!!! Stop!" She yelled as loud as she could possibly manage and Ava threw her repulsively onto the ground.

"I knew it! I knew it! What are you doing here? Is he here!?? I'm going to kill you once and for all!" Suddenly her eyes were in flames and Liz was afraid she'd kill her on the spot. The guards came running in and Kivar came in after him.

"We are not under attack...." He stopped at the scene he saw and made his way through the guards to face his wife.

"What is the meaning of this?"

"Send guards up to watch Lareth." He stared at her blankly and saw an anger in her eyes he'd never seen before. "NOW!" Four guards ran up and Kivar looked at the beautiful stranger on the ground.

"We are in fact under attack." Ava looked over at Kivar then back down at Liz who was lying motionless on the floor.

"By whom?"

"Zan is here. He'll be searching for his son, and he won't stop until he gets him." Kivar's eyes widened in surprise.

"Then we'll have to kill him. Once and for all." He looked down at Liz who was beginning to move. Ava looked down and got closer to Kivar.