There hadn’t been much conversation between them since they had left the hospital. Jaxon knew that he had some sort of history with Kyle, but he had absolutely no memory of it.

And at the moment he didn’t particularly care.

All he cared about was finding Liz and Jennetta. Somehow he just KNEW that they had to find them as soon as possible. They had gone to Liz’s, the Evans and even Tess’…there had been no sign of the girls anywhere.

With every minute that passed Jaxon knew that they were going to be too late.

His memories of Sabrya reminded him that she was capable of anything. He tried to convince himself that Mirana - Isabel - had been telling him the truth…that the recollections he had of their betrayal, including Tess’, were false…

Yet they filtered through his mind clearly, crisply…

*Flash

Sabrya smiling lovingly at him… "Come to bed my love…"

*Flash

The door of their chamber being blasted open, Tarsus standing there, a look of relief on his face…

*Flash

Tarsus grabbing Sabrya by the wrist, hauling her off the bed, watching the dagger in her hand fall to the floor…Shock, horror…betrayal…

He shook his head to clear it. He had to focus.

"Are we almost there?" Jaxon asked, clenching and unclenching one of his fists. He was desperately trying to hold on to his control.

The two people he trusted on this cursed planet - the only two - were in danger…and it felt like they were never going to find them.

"It’s just around the next bend." Kyle replied. Jaxon could see Kyle glancing at him out of the corner of his eye. "You don’t really think Tess has done something, do you?"

"I don’t know WHAT to think anymore." Jaxon muttered. "Why have we chosen this place? Why would they come here?" He asked Kyle a moment later as his companion pulled his car up in front of a collection of small but neat buildings. There was a small market of some sort in front of one of them.

"It’s a Native American Reservation." Kyle explained. "An old guy named River Dog used to live here. He gave you guys a lot of information about Nasedo and your past…"

Liz had told him about Nasedo…apparently he was a shape-shifter, a Dernian…he was the one who had been sent to protect he, Isabel, Michael and Tess on Earth…

And apparently had done a bang-up job of it too…Jaxon thought sarcastically to himself.

Jaxon had stepped out of the car. He looked around. Nothing looked familiar…and yet he could feel something…

"He used to live here?" Jaxon inquired. He looked at Kyle questioningly.

Kyle looked uncomfortable. "He was killed." He paused. "By your friend Tarsus." He snapped a moment later.

Jaxon blinked. He was not surprised. It seemed that Tarsus of Dernia was not at all the person Jaxon had believed him to be. "I regret it." He said softly.

A young man with black hair and dark eyes was watching them from a nearby porch. Kyle nudged Jaxon. "That’s Eddie. You and Michael lived with he and River Dog last summer."

Eddie was walking towards them, a strange look on his face. He stopped a few feet away. "I thought you were dead." He said to Jaxon.

Jaxon smiled weakly. He’d forgotten about that little problem.

"Reports of his demise were greatly exaggerated." Kyle told Eddie, smirking. Eddie frowned.

"Have you seen River Dog?" He asked Jaxon. "We haven’t seen him since you and Spiky left the Reservation last summer. He just disappeared."

Jaxon shook his head.

"He’s lost his memory." Kyle said to Eddie in an undertone, as though Jaxon was unaware of his own condition. He scowled at Kyle.

Oh there was history between he and Valenti all right…and apparently not ALL of it good. The annoyance that often graced Kyle’s face when he looked at Jaxon - well, it was all there in black and white.

"Have you seen Liz?" Kyle was asking Eddie.

Eddie shook his head. "Nah, but Tess was here a couple of days ago."

Jaxon had been staring off across the open desert behind the buildings. He was getting a sense of something in the air…he didn’t like it. His head snapped around at Eddie’s comment though.

"What did she want?" He demanded.

Eddie just shook his head. "She didn’t want anything. She just went out into the desert for a few hours and then came back."

"Was she alone?" Kyle asked suddenly. The look on his face told Jaxon that he was beginning to accept that Tess was heavily involved in Liz and Jennetta’s disappearance somehow. He looked resigned, and yet sad.

"No, she was with another girl." Eddie told him. "She was really trashy…too much make-up, really tight jeans…the whole nine yards."

Kyle looked like he had swallowed something vile. "Which way did they go that day?" He asked.

Eddie pointed them in the right direction.

"I guess we should check it out. Shall we?" Kyle asked Jaxon with a smirk on his face. Jaxon could tell that he was just trying to mask how upset he was.

"Isabel and Michael are on their way." Kyle told Eddie before they left. "Point them in the right direction when they get here."

Eddie nodded, frowning after them.

Jaxon and Kyle started out across the desert, going north. ************************************************************************************

"Michael! Don’t touch it!" Maria grabbed his arm as he reached down to pick up the glowing green orb.

Michael turned around to stare at her. "Why not?"

"It’s an orb!" Maria replied. "Don’t you know how much trouble those filthy things have caused?" She demanded, her tone disgusted.

Michael eyed her like she was crazy. "What the hell are you talking about Maria? What do YOU know about orbs?"

He watched her face darken. "Too damn much…" She muttered under her breath. She shook her head, stared straight at him. "Don’t you remember what happened the last time you activated one of these things?" She asked. "You brought that maniac Tarsus of Dernia right down on all of our heads - he turned you into a zombie, practically kidnapped Max and nearly tore us all apart…I think you should just stay away from that thing."

He just knew that she was hiding something from him. That answer had just been too pat…Her eyes were now dancing around the clearing, almost hysterically.

"Maria." She refused to look at him. "Maria!" Maria turned her blue eyes on him. "What the hell is going on with you?"

"What do you mean?" She asked evasively, moving slightly away from him.

"You’re acting all psycho!" Michael replied, feeling like pulling his hair out. He heard Maria snort in annoyance, start muttering under her breath.

"Well, excuse me…I just came out of a coma for God’s sake, not to mention…" She cut herself off abruptly.

Definitely psycho. Michael just stared at her, shook his head.

He moved to pick up the orb. "We don’t have time for this…" He muttered. "This orb is here for a reason…I’m going to find out what it is."

"MICHAEL! No!" Maria made a move to smack it away from him, but Michael put his hands up over his head, well out of her reach. She started to jump up and down trying to get her hands on it.

"Maria! Would you settle down!" He yelled. "See! I’m fine! I’m touching it…I haven’t been turned into…"

His head suddenly felt like it wanted to explode.

Michael fell to his knees in agony, tried to drop the orb…but it was like it was grafted to his hands.

He could hear Maria screaming at him from what seemed like a very great distance…

And then the visions began…

*Flash

"Were you eavesdropping Tristandor?" Michael recognized that voice immediately - Tarsus of Dernia. "You’re damn right I was! You never tell us anything. We’re not just going to sit on our butts and wait for you to exterminate us." Michael could feel Maria beside him. He could feel his own fear and horror…they were coming for her…he had to stop it.

*Flash

"I love you Michael."

"I love you too."

*Flash

He and Maria standing in a stone circle, staring intently at the orbs in their hands. "I guess we’re okay." He said to her…and then a beam of light knocked them both off their feet…and Max was there.

*Flash

"When has Michael ever been capable of sense?" It was Max and he sounded disgusted.

*Flash

"I think it’s the baby Michael." Complete panic claimed him.

*Flash

"Well, it’s a little sooner than I would have liked…but its your babies I want to be having, so at least I got that right!"

*Flash

"Michael! I’m going to kill you!" Maria screaming in agony, Michael feeling helpless, guilty and yet so incredibly happy he could barely see straight.

*Flash

"Ren told me about your mother Michael…She should be named for your heritage. Her name is Jennetta."

*Flash

"Michael. You have to accept this. You need to protect your child." "This is insanity Max! I should be with you! I’m your right hand. Your mother told us so!"

The flashes ended abruptly, as though a hand had ripped them out of his head.

When Michael became aware of his surroundings, he realized that he was lying face-down on the ground.

Maria was kneeling beside him sobbing. "Michael!" She was running her hands up and down his back. "Wake up! Damn these things!"

He could tell that the orb was no longer in his hands. He heard Maria grunt as she heaved it away across the clearing. He faintly heard a thud as it landed.

Michael groaned, rolled over onto his back, stared up at the stars.

Maria’s face came into focus. "Are you okay? What happened?"

He didn’t reply immediately. He didn’t know how to tell her what he had to tell her…she was going to freak…she was already half-way to a patented Maria flip-out…

How was he supposed to tell her that Jennetta was THEIR daughter.

He had no idea - but he did know one thing…