“So Max, now that we’ve survived the last alien hunter and discovered exactly why the skanky, psychotic alien ho was so skanky and psychotic (bad gene pool), where do we go from here? I mean, I’m diggin’ the new powers and all, but-” Maria cut herself off in midsentence and glared at Michael. Now that the desire from him was becoming less distracting, she kept getting these half-thoughts and feelings that bothered her.

*What?*

Then she turned to watch Max, who was pausing a little too long for comfort. Oh great. What’s he hiding?

*Don’t worry. It’s-it’s not that bad.*

Maria looked up at Michael archly. Then why the hell didn’t you just tell me what it is? He averted his eyes so quickly that Maria almost smiled.

“I was trying to wait until Liz woke up,” Max said quietly, shifting her in his lap. “But this is taking a bit longer than I thought it would.”

Maria’s mouth dropped open. I’ll snatch him bald-headed for lying-

“She’s fine, I swear.” Max looked specifically at Maria and Michael as he went on. “She’s just asleep.”

Michael loosened his tight grip on Maria’s arm. *He’d better be telling the truth.*

“Liz already knows what I‘m going to say, anyway. Can everybody hear me?”

Maria glanced around the group. They were loosely clumped in the small clearing, everyone quietly coming to grips with all they had been through. They were not even fifty yards from the site of all of the carnage, but she had to admit, it was beautiful under the shifting elms. The rustling noises they made in the breeze were very relaxing. Just the sort of thing one wanted to hear after engaging in major Czechoslovakian crap. And Max was probably right. Liz would love to wake up to all this beauty. Only so far, she wasn’t showing any signs of doing so. Christopher and Shelley stood up and moved closer from their place in the back, holding hands as always. Everyone else stayed in place. Max looked them over soberly before he began.

His long glance made Maria wind her hand up in Michael’s larger, warmer one. Finally, Max spoke. “The twelve are going back to Dagon, in approximately seven and a half hours. The orb has stored up enough power to transfer twelve there, but only twelve.”

******

“But there’s thirteen of us, Max.”

Max looked over at his sister, willing her to trust him. “I realize that, Isabel. Someone will have to stay behind.” There was a moment of silence while Isabel glared at him. She was automatically assuming that Max would want to leave Alex behind because he was the last one transformed. Not true.

“So who stays?” Maria looked overly nervous.

Max hesitated. This was not something he wanted to hand down a decision on. He was hoping they could all figure it out together. He opened his mouth to say as much.

“I should be the one to stay.” Max jerked his head over to see Nathan standing a distance away from his group. “I grew up on my own. I can take care of myself.”

“No, that’s not an option,” Christopher’s voice was edged with steel.

Nathan met his eyes steadily. “Tosh. Of course it’s an option.”

“Nathan, no, it should be me,” Joey stood up and faced Max. “I can stay and look after Mom and Dad, and I’m used to being on my-”

“No, Joey.” Isabel’s voice joined Max’s own in protest, but his strained voice won out. “It’s too dangerous, especially after what you did to save Nathan and Justin. Too many people saw you. You’re coming with us.”

He was relieved to see her sit back down, but wondered momentarily about the look of sadness on her face.

Isabel reached out and grabbed Joey’s hand. “Well, I guess that leaves the human contingent to make the sacrifice,” Alex said quietly. “And I guess that should be me-”

“NO!”

Max shut his eyes at the emotion in Isabel’s voice. He took a deep breath and-

“Everybody just shut up!” Justin’s harsh voice echoed through the clearing. Max watched as he jumped to his feet and stalked to the front of the clearing. His eyes were glittering with emotion. “I’m staying.”

Before Max could conjure up the right words to say, Justin turned and nodded to Michael and Delia. They jumped up and followed, obviously upset by his words.

Max watched them walk a distance away. He tried not to hope, but this did seem the perfect solution, for the group, if not for Justin. But how could they leave one of their own behind?

Max buried his face in Liz’s hair again, trying not to listen to the voices rising falling not too far away.

******

Michael’s guts were knotted up so that he could hardly breathe as they walked. Delia was already crying angrily beside him. Of course, she jumped right in. “You’re coming with us, you jerk! How could you just... after all we‘ve been through?”

Justin turned back to face them, his face working hard to stay stoic. “I don’t know if you can understand this, ‘cause you don’t remember her like I do.” He looked away briefly and Michael grabbed a deep lungful of air that diminished the ache just a bit. When Justin looked back around, his eyes were haunted, sad. “She was everything good. With her gone... I’m sh*t. I can’t do it. I can’t be-”

Michael felt the tears collect in his own eyes as he saw his brother almost breaking down. There was a long moment of silence that no one could break. “So I’m staying. I’m going to find the sons-of-b*tches that took her, did what they did to her... every last one of them, and I’m going to make them pay. Pay hard and pay long.” Michael looked down and nodded. Justin put a hand on his shoulder. “So you don’t worry, little bro. You don’t feel the hate. You don’t need the revenge, ‘cause I’m gettin’ for you, for all of us, you got that?” Michael nodded as Justin clasped him behind the head and pulled him a quick embrace. He was remembering his first time meeting Justin and how he wanted to pound his head in at the Crashdown.

Justin pulled away quick and turned to Delia. “And you, you’re pretty, real pretty, like she was. It makes me proud to see how tough you are, how good you fight. You try to be good, like she was, you got that?” Delia nodded with streaming eyes. She threw herself in his arms and he folded his tall frame over hers. Justin looked close to losing it, so Michael stepped over and pulled her into his arms. Justin turned away for a moment.

Michael tried to speak, but nothing came out. He cleared his throat. “If we can get to Dagon, then we can come back. So you better be good, too.”

Justin’s face contorted momentarily and he pulled both of them in for another quick hug. Then he jerked away and faced the group one more time. “Chatman- look out for Joey for me, right?”

Max nodded soberly just as Justin started to glow. “But Justin, they’ll be looking for you. They know what you look like. Why don’t you-”

But he was gone.

Michael shook his head. He felt Delia’s body cave against him. “He’s gonna’ be okay. He’s okay.“ Michael couldn’t make himself believe his own words. But Justin was tough. And they would come back for him. They would. Michael looked up to see Tug standing in front of him with concerned eyes. To Michael’s surprise, Delia turned to Tug and threw herself in his arms. He blinked and then moved away to give them some room. A smile worked itself up on his face. Score one for Mother Nature. At least someone got something out of this destiny crap.

He smiled bigger as he felt Maria on her way over to him. He turned to watch her slim figure sway as she walked, never tiring of that rhythm, the beauty that she radiated. She put her arms around him and he buried his head in her shoulder, losing himself in her scent. A deep sigh worked its way through his body.

This was home to him.

******

Maria was trying to be comforting, but her thoughts kept wandering wildly. Leaving her Mom, the Sheriff... even Kyle for good?

*You won’t have to miss me. That engagement offer still stands, no planet excluded.*

Maria looked up at Michael with sudden tears in her eyes and nodded. I want to go with you. I do.

*I know.*

And all those dirty little thoughts you keep having when I move against you like.... this.... Maria insinuated herself between his legs and brushed her torso against him slightly. He sucked in a breath.

Oh yeah, THOSE thoughts. Just keep havin’ ‘em, space boy.

*Does this mean...* He took in a deep breath. *You’ll be my space girl?*