Maria finished brushing her hair, "Well share with the group."

"Well you know the sheriff's son," Tess sat on the bed playing with one of her blonde curls.

"Kyle," Maria wondered what the sheriff's son had to do with anything.

Tess pressed on, "Yeah, well he asked me out yesterday, but I told him no."

"Because of the whole Max/destiny thing," Maria added.

Tess nodded, "Yeah I know it's pathetic, but anyway back to my plan. When we get to school I'm going to tell Kyle I changed my mind, and I will take him with me when I go get the book from the library tonight."

"Why do you want to take Kyle to the library?" Maria applied her favorite perfume oil to her neck.

Tess explained, "THEY are following us everywhere. First Michael follows us from home, and then Liz follows me to the bathroom, so they are bound to follow me to the library. If I take Kyle THEY'll hopefully think it is just an ordinary date."

"An ordinary date at the library. Are you sure that's a good idea? What if Kyle sees something?" Maria was concerned about someone else finding out the truth, she didn't want Kyle involved.

Tess convinced her, "Trust me Ria, I can handle smitten, human guys."

"I hope you're right," Maria told her. "Just be careful."

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

"Did you get it?" Maria asked the minute Tess got home from her date with Kyle.

Tess waved the small book with a strange symbol on the cover in front her, "Piece of cake, and Kyle was ever so helpful."

"You didn't tell him anything did you?" Maria demanded.

Tess laughed, "Have a little faith in me Ria."

Maria relaxed a bit, "OK, let's see it."

"Wait, there is something I have to tell you first," Tess said seriously.

Maria went into the kitchen, because she didn't feel comfortable in the living room ever since Nasedo found that camera in the dish of marbles on the table. Even though they knew that Liz was the one who planted it, the whole thing still freaked her out. "OK, tell me."

"While you were at the grocery store yesterday afternoon I went over to Max and Isabel's," Tess confessed leaning against the cabinets.

Maria suprisingly calm, "Why did you do that?"

"I just wanted to investigate a little, you know to see if they were having dreams about our destiny," Tess explained.

Maria asked, "Are they?"

"I think Isabel is, because she was acting really jumpy almost as if she were scared of me. She acted as if she didn't want me there. I met her mom, and she was really nice. Mrs. Evans started showing me pictures of when Max and Isabel were little kids, and telling stories from their childhood. Isabel seemed upset when she saw me there talking with her mother," Tess told her sister.

"I talked to Michael yesterday and he obviously wasn't having dreams, but I probably did something to help trigger them," Maria shared.

Tess asked, "What did you do?"

"I just asked him if he was involved with Isabel, and he flat out said he thought of her like a sister," Maria recalled. "In my opinion…their destiny doesn't look so good."

"They'll come around, they have to," Tess said.

"Why do they have to?" Maria wanted to know why their destiny has to come true.

Tess held up the book, "Because it says so in here. Look." Tess opened up the book and showed Maria.

"That's you!" Maria exclaimed. "And that's Max. And Isabel, and Michael."

"And here is us as children," Tess turned the page, and Maria saw the same little boy she had seen 10 years before. "We were supposed to be born together, but I guess I was born too late because they left me."

"But we found you, and I got the sister that I always prayed for," Maria told her with tears forming in her eyes.

"Oh Ria," Tess placed the book on the counter, and threw her arms around Maria. "I love you, and I want you to know that I wouldn't trade the last ten years with you for anything in the world."

"Thanks Tessie, that means a lot to me," Maria wiped the tears away.

Tess told her, "We're in this together, it's always been you and me. And I can't do this without you."

"I'll be there whenever you need me," Maria said, but in her mind all she could think of was, "You're not like THEM."

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

Maria found herself in front of the unopened cave at Puhlman Ranch. She has never been this close to the cave, but yet she knew where the silver handprint was to open it. Maria placed her hand over the print and the rock side began to open. Without looking back Maria walked in and against the far wall was the four empty pods. This was the place where Max, Tess, Isabel, and Michael were born.

This was the place that Nasedo disappeared into and later emerged with a little blonde girl in his arms. Maria took one last look at the pods and then started to leave the cave. Just when she reached the entrance she heard a small cry coming from behind her.

Maria quickly turned around, and she nearly screamed when she saw a little blonde girl with curls trapped inside one of the pods. "Tess!" Maria screamed running back to the pods. Maria watched as little Tess tried to break free from the pod, but not succeeding.

"Tess!" Maria cried. She tried clawing at the exterior, but she couldn't break the thick layer. Maria collapsed to her knees as tears streamed down her face. She placed her hand where Tess's little hand was.

Maria couldn't watch as Tess slowly stopped struggling. "Tess! No! Tess!" Maria yelled, but her little lifeless body just floated.

Maria awoke with a start, "Tess! Tess!" She was back in her room shouting into the dark. As soon as her breathing returned to normal she got out of bed, and went to seek comfort from Tess.

"Tess," Maria said calmly, she entered Tess's room and the feeling she had in the cave returned when she saw that Tess's bed was empty.

"OK, stay calm. There has to be a logical explanation, Nasedo, I need to talk to Nasedo," Maria was beginning to freak out. She ran to the master bedroom, without knocking she flung the door open. The room was dark, but Maria's eyes were already adjusted to the darkness and she saw that Nasedo wasn't there.

"What the hell is going on?!" Maria yelled. She ran back to her room, and went straight to the window. Tess's white SUV was gone, and without even having to think Maria knew where Tess was.

Maria threw a pair of jeans on, and a sweater. As she slipped her boots on she noticed that it was about five in the morning and the sun will probably be out by the time she got to Puhlman Ranch. She grabbed her jean jacket and car keys and was out the door in seconds.

As she was driving to Puhlman Ranch she could see the V constellation disappear as the sun rose. She pressed down on the gas pedal a little harder breaking the speed limit. Maria just had to make sure that Tess was okay. Maria turned on to the dirt road that took her deeper in to the desert. Finally Tess's white SUV came into view, and Maria pulled her Explorer next Max's jeep. She practically jumped out eager to find out what was going on. Before she started the small trek up to the cave she took in the view. Maria had visited Puhlman Ranch in her dreams many times, but this was really only the second time. As if a force was taking control of her body Maria couldn't resist she had to visit the spot where she first met Michael.

It looked the same as Maria remembered except it wasn't night. She remembered every detail, and she wondered if Michael would remember if he were brought to his spot again. She knew she had to go find Tess, but she couldn't make herself leave that place.

Maria would have stayed there reliving that moment, but loud voices brought her back to earth. She remembered her purpose and started toward the cave, but Max, Isabel, and Michael came into view and they were involved in a heated conversation. Michael was the first one to notice her presence, "What are you doing here?"

"Where's Tess?" Maria asked trying to keep an emotionless face.

"She's up in the cave," Max muttered not looking her in the eye. Isabel wouldn't look at her either just the ground.

Maria saw the book in Michael's hand, "So I guess you know now." She pointed to the book.

"Yeah, we know and where do you fit in all of this, we know you aren't Tess's real sister?" Michael demanded.

"You're not one of THEM, you're not like THEM," Maria thought to herself.

Michael asked a little harsher this time, "Answer me! Where do you fit in all of this?"

"I don't!" Maria yelled back at him.

Max questioned, "What do you mean you don't?"

"I am a mistake, okay! I wasn't supposed to be! I am not like you!" Maria finally said to THEM out loud. "My mother was human, and my father was just like Nasedo. The Special Unit killed them in 1984. I was just a baby." Nobody said anything as Maria tried to cover her face to keep THEM from seeing the tears.

Isabel took a step toward her, but Maria took a step back, "I have to go find Tess."

"Maria, wait," Michael quickly grabbed her hand. "What makes you different from us?"

Maria pulled away from him, touching him is too intense at that moment, "I wasn't engineered, like I said I'm just a mistake."

Maria turned her back and hiked up to the cave. "Maria," Tess's voice said coming from the entrance to the cave.

"Tess!" Maria ran to her sister and hugged her so tight. "Don't ever leave me like that again."

"I'm sorry Ria. I just had to tell him. It was time," Tess apologized clinging to Maria.

Maria asked, "Why didn't you tell me? I would have come with you."

"I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking," Tess told her as Maria finally let go.

"So what happened?" Maria wanted to know.

Tess shook her head; "They didn't believe me, so I gave the book to Michael. He is the one who wants to believe, and I need him to convince the others."

"I hope you're right Tess," Maria said even though the thought of Michael and Isabel together killed her inside.

Tess hesitated when they started walking down to their vehicles, "But there is something I have to tell you. When I brought Max here he thought I was Nasedo, and he has told me that Nasedo killed people."

"You mean intentionally," Maria was shocked that for the past 16 years she has been living with a killer.

Tess nodded, "You know he has no real tolerance for humans."

"If Max knew that Nasedo killed people then why have they been looking for him?" Maria didn't understand their motives.

When they reached their cars it was obvious that Max, Michael, and Isabel were gone, because the jeep was gone. "I don't know what they were thinking, but it is all coming together and they'll have many questions," Tess replied getting out her car keys from her pocket. "We better go we still have school."

Maria opened the driver's door, "I can't even think about school right now."