“Max, are you O.K.? Max!” Tess’ voice brought him back to his senses. He looked up at Kyle and said the only thing his befuddled brain could come up with. “Really?”

Kyle had to stop himself from chuckling. Max looked like a kid who had just been given the one Christmas present he’d always wanted. “Yeah man. As much as I would like to have been the one for Liz to have lost her virginity to, I realized long ago that she would never love anyone other than you Max.”

“Then why?”

“I’m actually not sure. I thought that you had done something really awful, but she said she couldn’t tell me why she was doing this, that she just had to get you to give up on her. I just did as she asked. She looked so desperate and sad.”

“I just don’t get it. If it’s hurting her as much as me… someone must have forced her. I have to talk to her!” Max jumped up from the couch and was about to bolt to for the door when he realized his surroundings. He turned to Kyle and looked at him with a newfound respect. Stretching out his hand, he said “Thanks Kyle for being there for her and for understanding how much she means to me. I never thought of it as steeling her away from you. I just couldn’t stay away. She’s my life.”

Kyle was surprised by this sudden show of friendliness and accepted the gesture. “Hey it’s the least I can do for the girlfriend the guy who saved my life. I always new I couldn’t compete against an alien.”

Max smiled and nodded. A small sigh reminded him of Tess’ presence and he turned to face her. A single tear escaped the film that covered her eyes when she looked up at him. “Tess, I’m really sorry, but destiny or not I can’t let her go. I know you were once my bride and I’m sure we were happy then, but I have to live in this life. Please…”

“It’s O.K. Max. I may have arrived all those months ago wanting you, but I realized I didn’t even know you, let alone myself. Now I just want some happiness, for all of us and I can see she’s the only one who can give you that. I would never try to get in the way of your happiness.”

“Tess, you may not be my wife, but you are my friend and you’re still very important to the group. We do need you, so please don’t feel alone. We’ll all find a way through this” Max said, touching her arm gently.

Tess lowered her head and whispered, “I know.”

***

Liz sunk back into the lawn chair, brought the afghan up around her shoulders and looked up at the sky. She had tried to fall asleep earlier that night, but the image of her happiness being torn away wouldn’t let her rest, so she had moved onto the balcony in hopes that the fresh air would clear her mind. The stars looked the same as every other night, the same as the night she broke Max’s heart and his future self faded away into the darkness, leaving her alone. The pain of that night rose in her throat and she choked back the impending tears. ‘You’re pathetic Parker’ she chided herself. ‘Why can’t you just get over it and move on? Max will. You obviously changed history so move on already.’ But her heart just wouldn’t listen. All she could hear in her mind was that song I Shall Believe. It was her song, their song and hearing it again tonight just reminded her of all that she gave up that night she pretended to sleep with Kyle.

Liz closed her eyes and let her thoughts drift. The neighbors had their window open and they were listening to classical music. Liz recognized the piece. The stirring strains of Schubert’s Unfinished Symphony floated across the alley and enveloped her. Whenever her Grandma Claudia had come to visit, she always brought with her new albums or CDs of classical music for Liz to hear. She always said learning about the classics was important for any ‘cultured woman’. They would sit for hours and talk about everything and anything and Grandma would always tell Liz the stories behind the music and their composers. Liz was always struck by how tragic many of the great composer’s lives had been.

The Unfinished Symphony was one of her favorites. Schubert had only managed to write half of it before he died. The music seemed to resonate with the tragic knowledge of its composer’s impending death. As the piece reached its mournful end, Liz’s tears escaped her lashes and wound their way down her cheeks along now well-traveled paths.

“How pitiful, sitting here, pining away for love’s labour’s lost. It’s really quite useless.”

The voice made Liz blood run cold. She opened her eyes to find herself face to face with Nicholas. Even trapped in a 14-year-old’s body, Nicholas was an imposing figure as he circled Liz like a tiger that had cornered it prey.

“So this is the meager woman who holds the heart of the Great King in the palm of her hand. Funny, somehow I expected more.”

Liz fought back the violent shaking that threatened to overtake her body. Fear’s icy fingers were creeping up her neck as Nicholas’ dark penetrating eyes bored into her. “I’m not an alien.” Her voice sounded raspy and foreign to her own ears. “I’m not Max’s bride.”

An evil-looking sneer cut across his face. “I never said you were his bride. Do you honestly think me that blind as to not notice you are what he really wants. You must be quite a catch,” he said running a cold finger across her cheek. Liz recoiled in horror. His touch didn’t even feel human.

“Wh…what do you want from me?” She was sure she already knew, but she had some perverse need to confirm her fears.

“Oh, I think you can figure it out. You’re going to help me catch Max, hook, line and sinker.”

Liz could feel the fury rise up and overtake her fear. There was no way she was going to let anyone use her to get to Max again. She fixed Nicholas with a look of pure hatred and lunged at him, forgetting that despite his small size she was really no match for him. Before she could even touch him, he flung her backwards like a rag doll. She hit the brick wall with a sickening thud and crumpled to the floor. The last thing Liz registered as her eyes slid shut against the blinding pain was Nicholas leaning over her, that same infuriating smirk on his face.