Jaxon was still in shock.

He was seated on a bench in front of the hospital, staring at the sun which was just beginning to rise on the eastern horizon. He had told Liz that he needed a few minutes alone to try and work out some things in his own mind. Liz, in her quiet way, had accepted it, told him that she was going to check on Maria’s mom.

He had felt his heart lighten slightly when Liz had run her hand down his face affectionately, had kissed him lightly before she had left. His heart had started to thunder in his chest. He had almost changed his mind about wanting to be alone…but Liz had known that he needed it, so she had left him.

He could still not quite believe what he had seen when he had connected with Maria. It had almost been like he had been living the experience of giving birth to Jennetta through Maria. It had been disturbing and yet exhilarating at the same time.

While connected to Maria, someone he had clearly been close friends with in his life as Max Evans, he had felt exactly what she had felt, had known how much she loved Tristandor - Michael - and their daughter.

It had been beautiful.

And yet, none of it explained how they had reached this point in time.

It was clear from Maria’s dream that he had still been Max during a lengthy portion of his stay on Illyria. How had Michael and Maria ended up back on Earth, with no memory of their child - at least if the way that Michael behaved was any indication? How had he, Jaxon, forgotten who he was? Where had all the memories of a complete life as Jaxon Falconer come from?

The only answer was one Jaxon was not quite ready to accept.

Tarsus was a traitor.

Jaxon sighed as he scraped a hand across his eyes. He was exhausted. The connection, first with Liz, then with Maria, had been strong…he had drained himself.

The only question that had been answered was the one about what was wrong with Maria.

Jaxon had not been lying when he told Liz and Kyle that there was nothing physically wrong with Maria. It was true.

However, there WAS something that could be physically done to heal her.

Jennetta was the key.

He was trying to pretend that he wasn’t really sure why he hadn’t told Liz right away.

But he knew.

He knew that if he told the truth he would lose Jennetta…the one person in the world who loved him unconditionally. He had only just found her. He didn’t know if he was ready to give her up yet.

And yet - now he knew - she was NOT his sister.

Jaxon jumped slightly when a hand touched his shoulder. He glanced to the side, saw that it was Liz.

She was gazing down at him, concern on her lovely face…

Perhaps Jennetta was not the only one who loved him unconditionally after all…

Liz sat slightly behind him on the bench, wrapped her arms around him. She let her head fall to rest on his shoulder. Jaxon turned his head slightly, breathed in the clean scent of her silky hair, which was brushing up against his neck. "Are you okay?" She asked softly. "You looked miles away when I came up."

Jaxon didn’t reply for the longest time.

The decision he made now would forever determine the course of the rest of his life.

If he told Liz the truth, he would be turning his back on being Jaxon Falconer for good. He would be turning away from the only life he remembered…although he now knew that it was false memory.

He would be giving up the sister he had only just found.

And yet, somehow, if it meant being with Liz, it did not seem such a large sacrifice to make.

"I have some things to tell you." Jaxon began quietly. He felt Liz shift slightly. She began to stroke his arm lightly. "I need you to not interrupt me because this is difficult for me…and I really want to kiss you right now, and if you talk I’m just going to have to."

"Okay." He could hear slight amusement in her voice, but it was underlined with sadness.

He knew that Liz was never going to be truly happy again unless her best friend was healed.

"First of all, I want to tell you that I know that I’m in love with you. I don’t know how I know it, but I just KNOW it. I know that I was in love with you when I was Max Evans, and I know that I still am now." He felt Liz stiffen slightly. He was glad that he could not see her face. If he could, there was NO way that he would not be kissing her right now. Her eyes…

An image of her shining eyes came to him….like a breath of memory of some other day…

Flash*

"Okay, fine, if you know so much, the tell me, Max…what’s my destiny?"

"I only know the part I’m hoping for."

"Max?"

Jaxon blinked. Where had that come from?

It was a memory. A memory that did not belong to Jaxon Falconer, but one that belonged to Max Evans.

And it had come from HIM.

He was remembering - he didn’t know where it had come from or what had unearthed it, but it was there…

It meant that they ALL had to be there…lurking somewhere in his mind.

Jaxon felt a rush of joy so intense it left him speechless.

"Max? Are you okay?" Liz had moved around on the bench so that she could see his face. Her expression was concerned.

"I just had a memory!" He finally managed to croak. "It was of me and you and we were walking across the street…"

Liz’s face had stilled at his first statement. He could tell that she was holding her breath. "And?" She breathed.

"You asked me about your destiny and I told you something about there being a part that I was hoping for?" Jaxon stared at her, willed her to tell him that it was truth and not some fantasy that he had conjured up in half-mad mind…

She swallowed. A sheen of tears appeared in those beautiful dark eyes of hers. "It happened. It was after the night we stayed out in the desert all night and then got in huge trouble with our parents…"

Jaxon frantically searched his mind for that corresponding detail.

He came up with nothing. Frustration welled up. He brought his hand up to rub his eyes again, took deep breaths in order to calm down.

There was no use in getting totally discouraged.

Now was not the time for this anyway. There was still Maria to worry about.

"I don’t remember that. I’m sorry." Liz’s face did not fall though.

"You will." She appeared to be on the same wave-length he was…knew that now was not the time to address this. "I think there was something else you had to tell me."

"I do…it’s about Maria…and what’s wrong with her. And its about Jennetta." Liz blinked in confusion.

"Jennetta? What do you mean?"

Jaxon grimaced. "For it to make any sense, I need to tell you a few things about Illyria."

Liz’s brow furrowed. "Okay?"

"When babies are born on our planet they are bonded with their mothers. It’s meant to be a way to protect them until they can be podded." Jaxon watched Liz’s face. She was clearly perplexed.

"You mean that babies are born and THEN podded?" She asked incredulously.

"Yes. They are bonded with their mothers for the first six months of their lives. If the bond is broken prematurely then the mother dies."

"Why?" Liz asked, looking horrified.

"It’s to protect the child. If the mother is bonded to the child, she will never leave it until it can be podded and protected in that way. Over the millennia on Illyria there had been many cases of mothers abandoning their children - the maternal bond did not seem to be a totally natural occurrence with our women. The solution was to genetically encode the woman to be bonded with their child at birth…the bond is resolved after the child is podded at six months."

"What does the pod do?" Liz questioned.

"It matures the child to an age that it can begin to protect itself." Jaxon replied. "My mother told me that Jennetta has only been out of her pod for about nine months."

"So children on your planet lose years off their lives." Liz concluded. "Is it really so dangerous on Illyria?"

Jaxon shook his head. "Time works differently there. I can’t really explain it simply right now, but suffice it to say that Jennetta’s life span will be light-years beyond any human’s. The podding is a safety precaution that has become traditional. Our planet has ever been practical." He finished wryly.

Liz had turned to stare at the sunrise, a blank look on her face. "But what does this have to do with Maria?"

Jaxon did not reply, waited for her to make the connection herself. It was still such a fresh concept to him as well, the fact that Jennetta was not his sister, he was loathe to mention it aloud.

He knew the exact instant Liz connected the dots. "Oh my God! Maria…and Michael?" She turned to stare at him. He nodded. She looked dumbfounded. "Is there any way to stop it - to stop what’s happening to her?" Liz asked a few moments later after she seemed to have digested the information.

"Jennetta." Jaxon replied simply. "She is the only one who can do it."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Liz demanded, jumping to her feet, grabbing his hand and pulling him up after her. "Let’s go get her!"

"Go get who?" It was Isabel’s voice. Liz and Jaxon whirled around. They exchanged glances. Michael, Isabel, Alex…and Jennetta… were standing about ten feet away from them. They had clearly just arrived, were on their way into the hospital.

"Glad to see you decided to show up." Michael snapped at Jaxon. Jaxon frowned slightly. "We’ve been chasing you half-way across town."

Liz interrupted, using a tone that made Jaxon look at her in amazement. "Why would you do that Michael? You called me two hours ago to tell me that Maria was almost gone. We’ve been here since then."

Michael blinked. He looked slightly embarrassed. "Oh yeah." He mumbled. "Sorry, I’m just worked up…"

Jaxon felt his eyes narrow as he watched Jennetta reach up and take Michael’s hand. He tried to control the stab of jealousy that struck him.

She was Michael’s DAUGHTER. She was not his anymore.

And that was when he realized that in many ways he had seen Jennetta more as his child than as his sister. It had been she that had turned the tide, who had made him start to soften his heart against the family he had been convinced had betrayed him…

It felt like his heart was being ripped out.

She had started the healing that it seemed Liz was going to finish…

It was an ending…

And yet a beginning…

Jaxon felt Liz lace her fingers through his. He glanced down at her.

She was worth giving up ANYTHING for.

He turned to Michael. "Take Jennetta to see Maria."

"What?" Michael glared at him. "Why? Aren’t you going to heal her?"

"I’ve tried Tris…ER Michael." He glanced at Jennetta, who was watching him with serious eyes. He smiled at her reassuringly. "You’ll know what to do sweeting." She smiled at him. He felt his heart lighten. She turned to follow Michael into the hospital.

She was not his child - but their bond would not be broken easily. They were connected through the love and affection they shared.

He should have known that she would not let him leave her so easily.

Jennetta was a wonder that continued to amaze him. Her heart was so big…he had forgotten that love was not something that had to be between only two people…

It had been so long since he had allowed himself to feel, he was not thinking clearly…

There was no choice to be made. He could love Liz freely and have enough room left for many others as well. Love existed in many different forms. The way he felt about Liz was on a completely different plain from the love he felt for his young sister…for he would continue to think of her that way. Knowing the truth could not change what she was to him.

Jaxon glanced at Mirana - Isabel - who was watching him with sad eyes.

He swallowed. He had no idea what to say to her.

He still felt the mistrust…it burned within him like a bonfire waiting to erupt.

Although he was beginning to accept that Tarsus had likely programmed him to hate his family, the feelings of betrayal and despair still existed.

He could not forgive he. He turned his face away.

He heard her leave quickly, made himself watch her. Her back was shaking as she hurried through the hospital doors, Alex on her heels.

He hated himself in that moment.

There was only one way to end all the pain and mistrust…

He HAD to remember being the person who loved Isabel and Michael…

There was no other choice. He WANTED to remember.

He missed them.

Jaxon glanced down at Liz. She was staring at the doors to the hospital, a pained expression on her face. He could feel that she was disappointed in him for the way he had just treated Mirana.

He was disappointed in himself.

"I’m sorry Liz. I’m trying…"

"I know." She said quietly.

"But trying isn’t good enough." He continued. She turned to look at him.

"What do you mean?"