Tess answered, "It has to, because we have no other choice."

"Do you have the stones?" Maria asked with Tess sitting in her lap.

Isabel pulled out a brown sack, "Right here."

Max parked the jeep behind another truck, "Is everyone ready?"

"Wait hold on," Isabel said. "Michael you have to straighten your tie." Michael did as he was told as they went to retrieve Nasedo.

"Good luck," Maria told Michael.

Michael winked before calling out to the two agents guarding a truck, "Hey over here!"

One of the agents turned around just as Isabel clobbered him with a four by four. "Hey what's gong on?" the other agent asked just when Max hit him unconscious.

Maria used her powers to unlock the truck. She saw a body bag in the back and she unzipped it, "It's him, it's Nasedo. Let's go!"

Michael got into the driver's seat as Isabel jumped in back with Maria. Max was behind them with Tess and Liz in the jeep.

They hauled Nasedo's body to the pod chamber, and then they laid him on the floor. Maria and Liz stood off to the side as the four others prepared to use the healing stones.

"Are you sure this is him?" Isabel asked.

Michael nodded, "This is who he was the last time we saw him."

"Look something is happening," Maria announced as the stones began to glow. They all watched as Nasedo's body began to glow as well, but then his figure began changing until Ed Harding appeared.

Tess smiled, "I knew you wouldn't leave us."

Nasedo told her, "You're not ready to be left alone."

"You're right, we need you. Show us how the orbs work," Michael demanded.

"She doesn't belong here," Nasedo pointed to Liz.

Maria protectively stood in front of Liz, "Then neither do I."

"Don't be silly Maria this is what I've been preparing you for all your life," Nasedo said leaving Maria confused.

Max stepped in; "She's with me. We want to know. You're the only one who can show us."

"It's not my job to show you. My only job is to keep you alive," Nasedo said.

"Your job?" Max questioned.

Michael jumped in, "Well if your job is to keep us alive then tell us. They're communicators, so they communicate with who?"

"You're not ready to know yet," Nasedo replied.

Michael went on, "They communicate with our home planet, don't they? Why don't you want us to contact them?"

"Because you don't know who else you may contact in the process," Nasedo told them in a very serious tone.

Isabel questioned, "Who else is there?"

Nasedo warned them, "Set off the orbs, and you have no idea who may be leading straight to us."

"You don't know do? You don't know how to use the orbs. If you knew, you would've already used them. You're here to protect us, but not to lead us, you said it yourself. But if you're not the leader who is?" Max said without realizing his position. Everyone looked at him and wondered why he never realized it before.

Nasedo broke the awkward silence, "If you really want to know what the orbs do, you can find out for yourselves. I can't stop you, but do it at your own risk."

Max assumed his leadership role, "If you're really here to protect us, there's something you have to do. The only way we can ever go back is if nobody's hunting us anymore."

"Pierce is already dead," Michael reminded.

Maria declared, "He'll only be replaced."

"Unless we replace him," Max finished. They watched as Nasedo shape shifted into Agent Pierce. "The other agents are at an abandoned gas station in Hondo."

"Now that I'm the head of the Special Unit, we've have all their resources. You'll be safe now," Nasedo told them.

Maria jumped in; "You're leaving again. This is Carlsbad all over again."

"Maria, you always asked me what your place is in all of this, but you knew all along. You are to protect the Royal Four in my absence, and you need to teach them all I have taught you for your own survival," Nasedo told her.

Maria took a deep breath, "What if I'm not ready?"

"The time will come when you will be put to the test, and I just hope you won't hesitate. I know you have the capabilities to be really powerful," Nasedo said before leaving, and when he did she realized that she held 4 lives in her hands.

Max picked up one of the orbs and went over to Tess, and Michael and Isabel held the other one in their hands. Maria went over and stood by Liz.

"I want to know," Max said. "Maybe if we focus like Nasedo always said."

Maria watched as they concentrated then suddenly a blue light shot up from the orbs and a beeping noised filled the room. Between the blue lights Maria saw a figure of a woman appear, and she couldn't believe it.

Then the woman began to speak, "If you are seeing me now it means that you are alive and well. I take this form because it will be familiar to you, and it will help you to understand what I am about to say. You have lived before. You perished in the conflict that enslaves our planet but your essence was duplicated, cloned, and mixed with human genetic materials so that you might be recreated into human beings. My son, you were the beloved leader of our people. I have sent with you your young bride. My daughter, the man you were betrothed to and your brother's second in command."

Isabel gasped, "Oh my God Max, it's our mother."

Maria could see Michael watching the woman attentively. All that was happening was just confirming Michael's destiny with Isabel.

"Our enemies have come to earth," the woman continued. "You will know them only by the evil within. Learn enough to use your skills, your knowledge, and your leadership to combat the enemy so that you can come back and free us. And that I may once again hold you both in my arms. I live for that moment. Help us. I love you."

The woman disappeared and Isabel said with tears in her eyes, "She's so beautiful."

Michael was in a state of disbelief, "I always knew there was something out there, but I had no idea how important it was."

"I wonder why Nasedo never told us about this before. He knew you guys didn't have your memories from the home planet," Maria said.

Max declared to them, "Things will never be the same, but whatever happens we stay together. It's the five of us now."

Tess moved closer to Max, "I knew this was meant to be."

Max pulled away from her and went to Liz, "Look, everything I told you before is still true."

Liz looked very distraught, "Max, you do have a destiny. You just heard it. I can't stand in the way of it."

"But you mean everything to me," Max protested.

Liz pressed her lips to Max, "Good-bye Max."

She ran out of the pod chamber and Max ran after her. "Max, wait!" Tess was about to pursue him.

Maria used her power to put a shield up in the entrance, "Tess let him go, you can't keep on running after him." She put the shield down to let them out.

Michael took the lead with Tess and Isabel following, but Maria hung back. She took one last look at the pod chamber and it looked exactly like it did in her dream. Tess finally got her destiny, but Maria did too. If anything were to happen to the Royal Four it would be on her head, because she was their protector now. Maria had to prove to Nasedo and to herself that she could do it. "Bring it on," Maria, said before leaving the pod chamber.

****************

"Hello," a voice answered.

Maria recognized the voice immediately, "Alex, it's Maria. I got your number from Isabel. I was looking for Liz."

"Yeah, she's here," Alex informed her.

"How is she?" Maria wanted to know.

Alex whispered into the phone, "Not to good. She didn't exactly tell me what happened, so I don't really know why she's so upset."

"It was a real intense afternoon, and Max, Tess, Michael, and Isabel found out why they are here. I'm afraid Liz got hurt in the process," Maria summarized.

"Oh," Alex replied in a small voice.

Maria concluded, "I just wanted to make sure that she was okay, and that if she ever needed someone to talk to I'm available."

Alex told her, "OK, I'll tell her."

"And the same goes for you too Alex. I really hope we can friends, because I plan on sticking around Roswell for awhile," Maria said playfully.

Alex answered, "I just might take you up on that offer. I gotta go I'll talk to you later."

"Bye," Maria said before hanging up.

"Who are you talking to?" Tess asked coming into her room.

Maria stood up from her bed, "That was Alex. I wanted to see how Liz was doing."

"Oh," Tess said. "She'll get over it."

"I'm not so sure Tess. Max and Liz are in love, and sometimes you can't get over your first love," Maria said sincerely.

Tess reminded, "But Max loved me once you were there you heard what his mother said. We lived once before and I was Max's bride, we were married."

"It doesn't make sense though. If you guys were meant to be together then why can't you remember each other. I mean look at Michael and Isabel they think of each other as brother and sister," Maria pointed out.

"I didn't grow up with Max so who says he can't fall in love with me," Tess implied.

Maria reminded, "But Max is in love with someone else."

"Well Nasedo said…" Tess started.

Maria interrupted, "Well Nasedo isn't here. Max is your leader now. You do what he wants."

"You must have some say because you have the most power," Tess continued.

"I have the most power because it's my job to protect the four of you, but I can't make the decisions," Maria said. "Whatever Max decides than that is what goes."

Tess questioned, "Where is Max anyway?"

"He went with Michael and Sheriff Valenti to…dispose of Pierce's body," Maria brought back the reality of the afternoon.

Tess asked, "Do you think Nasedo will come back?"

"I don't know, I guess after he destroys the Special Unit from the inside he might come back," Maria gave her opinion.

Tess declared, "Well it looks like we are on our own again."

"At least this time we aren't alone," Maria said putting her hand on Tess's shoulder.

*****************

Pierce's face loomed over Michael as he was strapped to the cold, metal, table. "Let me go!" Michael yelled at the top of his lungs, but no one was there but Pierce.

"You killed me, and now it's my turn to kill you," Pierce held a scalpel in his hand.

"NO!" Michael yelled.

Just as the scalpel was about to pierce Michael's flesh Pierce was thrown across the room by an enormous surge of power. Michael lifted his head and saw Maria standing at the end of the table.

"Michael," she said as she rushed to his side. "I was so worried about you." She held his face with her hands and her touch felt so comforting to Michael.

"Let's get out of here," Michael said, so Maria started to undo the straps that held his arms down. She was almost done, but then a strong arm seized her from behind.

"I'm going to take away your happiness," Pierce declared.

One of Michael's arms was still strapped to the table, so he couldn't reach Maria's outstretched arms.

"Michael!" she screamed as their fingers were inches from each other. Michael drew back, so he could unstrap his other arm. Once he got the other arm free Maria and Pierce were gone.

"Maria!" Michael yelled. "Maria!" Michael jolted up to find himself in his own bed in his apartment. He was breathing pretty hard and his shirt was drenched in sweat, but he couldn't rest easy until he talked to Maria. He got out of bed and threw some clothes on.

Maria was laying in her bed suffering from insomnia, and when she glanced at her clock radio it said 3:00am. She was tempted to turn on the TV and watch re-runs of I love Lucy, but she knew she should try to get some sleep. She closed her eyes but then she heard a noise at her window. She sat up and then she heard it again, so she got out of bed and went to the window just when she saw a rock hit the pane. Maria opened the window and poked her head out where she found Michael peering up at her.

"Michael, what are you doing here? Do you know what time it is?" Maria hammered him with questions.

Michael finally spoke, "I just need to talk to you."

"Oh, um I'll be right down," Maria told him. She quickly ran and put on some shoes and practically ran out the door. She slowly crept down the stairs so she wouldn't wake Tess, and slipped out the front door.

"What's wrong?" Maria asked him.

Michael gave her a relieved look, "I just needed to see you. Do you think we can go for a ride?"

Maria nodded, "Sure, let me just go get my keys."

Maria slipped back inside where she put on a jacket, and scribbled a note just in case Tess woke up and found her gone and then she grabbed her keys and locked the door behind her.

She gently tossed her keys to Michael, "Here you drive."

Maria thought he wanted to talk, but he was quiet the entire ride. She didn't pay attention to where they were going until Michael stopped the car and got out without a word. It was pitch black, but she could always see better in the dark and she knew the place where Michael was going.

"This is our spot," he said breaking the silence. "This is the place where I first saw you."

Maria added, "I guess we never believed we find ourselves back here."

"Just because I stopped having those dreams doesn't mean I forgot the feeling of seeing you for the first time," Michael shared with her. "That was the first memory of my life."

"Now everything has changed. I mean you have your destiny and I have mine," Maria couldn't look him in the eye.

Michael included, "Max said we can choose our own destinies."

"I didn't choose mine to begin with, and I can't abandon it because of my feelings for you," Maria told him.

Michael informed her as he looked up at the twinkling stars, "Isabel and I had a long talk, and we decided that us being meant for each other was a bunch of bull. I would much rather be with you."

"It is my destiny to protect yours," Maria said on the verge of tears.

Michael looked at her, "No it isn't. Your destiny is to protect us, but we can protect each other."

"I can't do that Michael," Maria began to cry. "I'm not like you."

"What are you talking about Maria? You are just like me. All our lives we both have been searching for that one thing that would make it special. Now that I found that one thing I'm not going to let it go," Michael declared passionately. Maria watched as he extended his hand towards her, and without hesitation or doubt she placed her hand in his.

He drew her closer where she fit perfectly under his arm, and together they looked at the Aries constellation that was shining above them. "You are my destiny Maria," Michael whispered to her.