~Orison Swett Marden
****

She ran.

She ran like it was the only thing that she could do. She ran like her life depended on it. She ran blindly through the thick desert underbrush, away from everything... not caring that Max drove her out there... not caring that she had no way to get home.

Home.

She didn’t ever want to go home again because it meant nothing to her now. When Max asked the question earlier if any of them could bear never to see home again, she said no... but that was before. Before she knew of his destiny. Before Max’s destiny no longer included her.

Max.

It all means nothing without him. Her life means nothing with out him... with out him, she wouldn’t even be here.

She ran until her lungs burned and her chest felt as if it would explode. She ran until she could run no more. But most of all, she ran until she knew that he could no longer 'feel' her. That’s when she collapsed... and the crying began.

***

Back in the pod chamber, Max sat on the ground in obvious despair. He turned to his sister.

"Iz, call Alex."

A panicked expression crossed the taller of the blonde alien’s face. "Max? I wouldn’t know what to—" "Tell him that Liz..." his voice choked on her name, "...Liz is out there." The others looked at him strangely. "We drove her out here. She has no way to get back... not to mention that she ran *away* from the Jeep. He and Maria have to come and take her home."

"How will they find her, Max. There’s a whole lot of desert out there."

"I know where she is. I’ll always know."

Isabel nodded in understanding, got the directions from Max and left the large cavern to make the call. The others sat in silence until she returned to their circle.

"They’re on the way to get her."

"Did you tell them anything else?" Michael asked.

"No. I don’t know what to say to him, so I told him that we’d talk once we came back to town."

"It’s just the four of us now. You have to let those humans go... like Max did. Liz would only be in our way," Tess explained.

Max jumped up, dragging Tess to her feet, his dark eyes flashing in anger. "The only one getting in our way is you, Tess. I belong with Liz... I choose to be with her, not you."

Tess’s self-assured demeanor crumbled, but Max continued to talk with a fire in his voice. "Everything we," he motioned to Michael and Isabel, "know about ourselves we know because of what I have with Liz. She’s special... she was chosen to receive that information for a reason."

She looked up, her face somber, looking as though she were a small child being scolded by a parent, then her expression turned defiant. "You promised me eternity, Max." Tess cried through clenched teeth, as her fists pounded angrily on his chest.

He took a step back, away from her assault. "I promised you nothing."

"I don’t understand why I have all the memories of our past life and you have none. I mean nothing to you?"

"Liz is everything to me. Being with her means everything."

"If you could only see my thoughts--my memories. Then you would understand. I can show you the truth."

Before he could respond, Tess moved in close and touched his face, instantly forging a connection between them.

An image flashed in front of their eyes... an image of two creatures--much like how Nasedo appeared when they were healing him-—leaning close to each other, talking without using speech. After a moment, the two alien’s appearances shifted to reveal the familiar human forms of Max and Tess.

Max caressed his wife’s face tenderly. "Taras, I shall love you for all eternity."

"That I know, Adis... but I’m still afraid."

"No matter what happens in all this, my love, we shall always be together. The scientists have their orders... this war will not ever destroy the love I have for you. We will live on forever."

"Chera cote l’nine, Adis. I love you."

In the cave, Max pulled sharply away from Tess, leaving them both breathless. "I know what you’re doing," he gasped, furious, "and it’s not going to work on me this time. 'Chera cote l’nine'... cherry coke with lime. You said that to me. That’s what stared the first visions."

"What are you talking about? I just wanted you to see—"

"You want me to see only what you want me to see... I know it’s your ability. I belong with Liz... Liz is who I love... Liz is who I’m going to be with. Without her, we would know nothing. How could she see things in my soul that I couldn’t even see?"

Tess looked away, "You did it. You changed her."

"What?" the others asked, simultaneously.

"Even Liz knew it. She realized what you had done to her, and she told Nasedo. I don’t know if it was the day that you healed her, or when you let the images of your mind flood back into her, but you changed her. You turned her into someone who could easily receive the flashes. You weren’t supposed to know any of what you know now until I came to Roswell, until I was with you. *I* was supposed to show you those things, not her, but I never got the chance. You changed her... into me."

Isabel and Michael could only watch dumbfounded as the two argued between themselves.

Finally Tess sat down, wiping the tears from her eyes. "But it’s all okay now. There is more to learn and I will be here to show you. This is the way that it was meant to be, I know you must feel it. All of you must feel it. It’s for the best that you let her go. You’ll see that soon."

"I let her go for now, but I’ll get her back."