Tess was still standing close behind him. He was still ready to kill her, but he had to deal with Pam first. It was clear that she was the real ring-leader here.

He was doing his best to function normally, like the warrior king that he was.

It was almost impossible though. Every fibre of his being was telling him to just let them kill him. He felt like his entire heart had been ripped out of his body…

He was doing he best not to look over at Liz’s body. It was difficult considering the only thing he wanted to do was go take her in his arms and then join her wherever her beloved spirit had gone.

But he had to save Jennetta first. It would be his last act…

She was destined to lead their people to greatness. Once she was saved, he would be free to go…

"I don’t understand Danala! We’re sisters! How could you betray me like this?" Sabrya sounded absolutely astounded.

"You were the one who betrayed me little one." Danala sneered. "You married HIM, even though you knew it was the last thing I would want. You chose our brother over me and you all paid for it with your lives." She paused, smirking. "It is time to pay the price of your stupidity in this life as well."

Tess touched him on the shoulder. Jaxon flinched away from her. "I told you not to touch me." He growled.

"I’m sorry Jaxon. I was so wrong! Please, you must save us both!" He had turned to stare at her.

"Are you crazy?" He asked, literally floored by her gall. She had murdered Liz in cold blood and she actually believed that he was going to save her?

Tess lowered her voice, gazed at him pleadingly. "It’s not what you think. You have to trust me…MAX!"

"You’re the last person I’d trust." He replied coldly, turning back to face Danala.

But it was too late. The brief distraction had been enough. Danala had a human weapon, a gun, in her hand and she had it pointed directly at him.

"Now it’s time for you to die like the human dog you’ve become oh mighty one." Danala told him, no expression on her face. "It is time for me to take my rightful place as the right hand of the chosen one and for me to help her to lead our people to the rebirth you have denied us for so long."

"NOOOOOO!" Sabrya screamed. Jaxon felt her push him, but the gun had already gone off.

He braced himself for the impact.

The bullet never hit him.

Something slammed into him with force great enough to knock him to the ground, but it wasn’t a bullet.

"What the…"

"Max! It’s Liz!"

It was Tess who was screaming at him. He had no idea how this had happened but she was right.

Somehow Liz was alive and sprawled across him. She had clearly just jumped in front of the bullet meant for him.

She wasn’t dead!

And yet…she was well on her way to returning to that state. He felt her blood soaking the front of his shirt.

He managed to gently turn her over.

Liz’s eyes were open. She was staring up at him. "Max!" She managed to gasp.

He swept his hands across her looking for the wound. "Shhh…you’re going to be fine my love. Just tell me where you’re hurt."

She didn’t reply. Her eyes rolled up into her head.

"Ohmygod! Max, do something!"

Jaxon realized that it was Mirana’s voice. He glanced up to see his sister, Kyle and Alex all gathered around, watching both he and Liz with horror. He realized quickly that they were actually encircling them protectively. He could hear Tristandor yelling nearby.

He had no time to wonder what was happening with Danala…he had to help Liz.

He already knew what it felt like to lose her. There was no way he was going to let it happen again.

Jaxon gently laid Liz down, ripped open her shirt. He grimaced at the blood welling up from the wound in her stomach.

"Liz, you have to look at me! Liz, please!"

Liz’s eyes fluttered briefly. "Max…"

It was enough.

The connection was instantaneous as he placed his hand palm down on the gunshot wound.

Flash*

"You’re not an al…an alien?"

Flash*

"I don’t care."

Flash*

"You were the one person I really wanted to talk to…"

Flash*

"I guess these are the things we do when we feel a certain way about someone…"

Flash*

"You made me a part of this Max."

Flash*

"You saw my fantasy…"

Flash*

"I love YOU."

Flash*

"Max…I need you to promise me that you’re coming back to me…"

He concentrated on forcing the bullet to disintegrate into her bloodstream. When it was gone, he began to knit torn tissue and muscle together, until there was no wound left.

She was completely healed…and yet the connection continued.

He realized suddenly that what he had seen before had not been HER memories…they had been his…

He was aware of his surroundings, could feel Liz sitting up, felt her bring her hands up to his face…

But he was concentrating on the memories that were coming back in a great rush - as though a floodgate somewhere in the dark recesses of his mind had opened.

Flash*

He reached out to take Isabel’s hand, determined not to be separated from her, even though Michael was too scared to come with them…

Flash*

He cried himself to sleep every night until his mother gave him a toy house telling him that he would always have a home…

Flash*

He climbed off the school bus, saw the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. She was smiling happily at her friends. He knew that she was the one…

Flash*

Michael appeared at his window, asked if it would be alright if he slept on his bedroom floor…

Flash*

Liz weaved her way towards him, through the tables at the Crashdown. She had a welcoming smile on her face. He felt his heart speed up just at the sight of her…

Flash*

He and Isabel played basketball with their parents in the driveway, knowing that he was loved…

Flash*

Maria handed him a strawberry, a smirk on her face and yet a strange expression of acceptance as well…

Flash*

Alex and Liz laughed at the counter in the Crashdown, Liz’s alien antennas bouncing merrily… Flash*

Tess, Michael, Isabel and he stood in the desert with the new knowledge that Tess was one of them…

Flash*

Kyle handed him a flask, a challenging expression in his eyes, and yet a certain amount of understanding and sympathy as well…

Flash*

Liz smiled at him as she opened the note he had given her about meeting him in the Eraser Room for sixth period…

The memories began to flow more freely…returning to their rightful place.

They were HIS memories. He knew who he was.

He was Max Evans.

Flash*

"Max! What are you doing?" "Let go of me!"

He had to get to her! His entire life would be over is she was gone…they didn’t even really know each other… but she was the one…

Flash*

"You’re all right now. You’re all right. You broke the bottle when you fell, spilled ketchup on yourself. Don’t tell anyone…please."

"LIZ!"

"I’m right here! Max, look at me! I’m okay!"

He shook his head, stared into her beautiful face. Her eyes were glued on his face with concern.

How could he have forgotten her?

And yet he never had…he had always remembered how he felt about her…he just hadn’t remembered why…

He did now.

"Are you okay?" He demanded, running his hands back to her stomach, feeling the sticky blood still…but her skin was smooth, perfect. He glanced down.

A silver handprint was clearly visible on her abdomen…

Just like the first time.

He remembered how shocked he had been to see it. He had never healed anyone who had been so hurt before, had had no idea that he would mark her like that.

But she had already marked him…the love he had felt for her since the first moment he had seen her had marked his entire destiny…

It had all come down to that moment in the Crashdown…it was where it had all begun, it was where his loneliness had ended. It had been a beginning and an end…

And it had brought them down to this exact moment - again.

Her love saved him every day.

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

Kyle had almost had a heart attack when he had seen that bullet slam into Liz. She had collapsed on top of Max, which had caused Tess to panic to such a degree that she had dropped the elaborate illusion that she had weaved to fool Danala.

Kyle felt a frisson of sheer dread when Danala become aware of his presence. She turned dark, emotionless eyes on him, rolled them as though he was some bug that needed to be stomped on…

A minor inconvenience, but annoying nonetheless…

He saw Max rip open Liz’s shirt from the corner of his eye. He hurried over to stand guard over them while Max tried to save Liz’s life.

And yet his entire attention had remained focused on Tess and Danala and the showdown about to take place.

"You betrayed me again!" Danala said to her sister, sounding mildly miffed.

Kyle could see that Tess was trembling as she replied, "I remember what false promises of family did to Michael. I wanted to believe you so badly, but when you wanted me to kill Liz…I knew that you didn’t care about me at all. You had to know that I wouldn’t turn on my REAL family to such a degree."

Danala quirked an eyebrow, looking somewhat interested by this explanation. "Hmmmm….I underestimated the strength of your human ties I suppose. It’s interesting. But it doesn’t change anything little one. You will still die."

"You’ll have to kill me first." Kyle saw Michael come through the entrance into the cave. He looked absolutely infuriated. "You are not going to touch my sister."

"Michael! Jennetta is over there!" It was Maria, and she sounded absolutely horrified. "She’s been podded!"

If possible, Michael’s face became even more furious.

Danala looked pleased. "Tristandor! How convenient. Now I don’t have to go in search of you. I can take care of you right here as well my treacherous brother."

Kyle saw that she still had the gun she had used to shoot Liz in her hand. She tossed it aside. "But this time I won’t make the mistake of using these ridiculous human weapons."

Danala raised her hand, pointing it directly at Michael. It began to glow…

Kyle saw Michael grab Tess, who was standing close beside him.

It was the last thing he saw.

A flash of light so bright filled the chamber, Kyle had to close his eyes.

An explosion rocked the entire room, knocking Kyle into Isabel, who was standing close to him.