She was watching Michael and Maria as they ran their hands over Jennetta’s pod, clearly trying to figure out how they were going to save her. Kyle stood quietly beside her, waited for her to speak.

"It’s my fault. My brother is going to lose his daughter because of me. How could I have been so stupid Kyle?" She asked, her tone sad.

"You did the right thing in the end." Kyle said quietly.

She whirled on him, her blue eyes flashing. "Try telling that to that little girl!" She snapped, whirling on her heel and running down the stone corridor that led out of the transformation chamber. Kyle was on her heels instantly.

He caught her arm just as she was about to escape out the stone doorway that led into the main passage. "You have no right to do this Tess."

She was trying to wrench away from him, but his words stopped her. "Do what?" She asked, sounding confused.

"Run."

Tess eyed him for a moment, blanched, then her expression became panicked. Her eyes were darting all over the place, seemingly anywhere but his face.

"TESS! You owe it to them to help fix this mess!" Kyle yelled. She flinched.

"No one wants me here anyway Kyle." She finally said quietly.

"And what am I?" He demanded. "Oh, I forgot. I’m just a pointless human." He paused, saw Tess’ eyes widen at his tone. "I know I might not be anyone important to you, but I want you here." Kyle could feel bitterness drifting into his voice, did his best to suppress it. "And Michael trusted you enough to ask you to help him get rid of the Wicked Witch of Dernia."

"He wasn’t thinking." Tess said stubbornly. "As soon as he remembers that I let Danala pod Jennetta he’s going to flip out on me." She paused, tears filling her eyes. "And Max is going to hate me for sure. For what he thought I did to Liz…for even letting Danala get near her."

Kyle felt like he had been belted in the stomach. "It always comes back to Max doesn’t it." He finally managed to say, keeping his voice steady with all his willpower. For the first time in his entire life he felt like crying over a girl. Even when Liz had dumped him it hadn’t been THIS bad. And he and Tess had never even kissed.

You are one hell of chump Valenti, he thought to himself. "To hell with it…" He muttered to himself. He let go of Tess’ arm, turned away to head back to join the others. "If you want to go, go…if you can’t put your faith in anyone, then you don’t deserve them anyway."

"Kyle…" He could hear some note of pity in Tess’ voice. It made him want to throw up.

"Just go." He walked away from her. He had his back to her, but he could tell she hadn’t moved.

"KYLE!" The tone of her voice was completely different. She sounded completely caught off guard. Kyle whirled in time to see Eddie walking swiftly past him. He didn’t even look at Kyle.

"What the…"

Tess had run up to join him.

"What is he doing here?" She asked, sounding frightened.

Kyle rolled his eyes. "Why do I have the feeling it can’t be good?" He started after Eddie at a fast clip.

"KYLE!" Tess yelled again.

Kyle sighed, turned. "Can I help you?" He asked sarcastically.

Tess was biting her lip, clearly undecided. Kyle felt his thoughts drifting to one of his many fantasies about kissing those lips…

Oh for…Don’t you have any self-respect you moron? Kyle asked himself. "Have you gotten over yourself yet?" He asked instead, being far meaner than he intended.

After all, it wasn’t her fault that she didn’t love him, that she loved Mr. Perfect, Max Evans. She had tried to get over it, but the ease with which she had re-embraced her destiny when Danala asked her to - well, it was pretty clear that she was never going to get over Max.

And hey, who could blame her? He was a saint - a bloody, fricking saint - one that Kyle even admired if he told himself the truth.

"I’m coming." She finally said, hurrying past him.

They arrived just in time to see Eddie raising his hand.

Kyle and Tess exchanged looks of horror. The native man had his back to them, but it was clear that he intended harm to their six friends, all of whom were huddled around Jennetta’s pod.

Kyle saw Max thrusting Liz behind him, saw Michael raising his own hand, but it was going to be too late…

And then the most unbelievable thing happened. Eddie began to shapeshift.

Isabel seemed to realize what was happening at the exact same time as Kyle because she launched herself at Michael, forcing him to put his own hand down…it had just begun to glow.

When the bright light of his transformation had dispersed, in Eddie’s place stood a young man with dark hair. He was shaking his head as though clearing it.

Kyle grabbed Tess’ hand, began to move closer cautiously. They were still too far away to hear what was happening.

But there was no way they could miss Maria’s shriek of joy. "REN!" She pushed Michael aside, threw herself at the new alien among them. She began to rain kisses all over his face. "Thank God! Thank God!"

Ren looked slightly uncomfortable, but he was laughing. "Please Maria…I’m not used to…" But Michael had already grabbed Maria by the waist and was hauling her off of him. He did not look pleased.

The alien called Ren, whom apparently Maria knew, turned to Max, bowing at the waist. "Your highness."

Max was frowning. "Where’s the real Eddie?" He demanded, clearly understanding something here that was beyond the rest of them.

Kyle and Tess had joined the group near the pod by now, so Kyle could see the shapeshifter’s face clearly. Ren looked sad for a moment. "I’m afraid he’s dead."

Kyle heard Liz gasp. "Poor Eddie!"

"Tarsus?" Max asked, his tone furious. When Ren nodded, he demanded. "When?"

"Last summer." Ren replied.

"Jesus…" Kyle heard Michael mutter.

"When did you get here?" Maria asked, interrupting the conversation. "Are you here to help us with Jennetta?"

Ren’s eyes took in the pod. They were gleaming strangely. "In a manner of speaking…" He replied.

Wonderful, thought Kyle, more alien double-speak. Half the time he didn’t know why they even bothered to speak English. It wasn’t like he ever understood half of what came out of their mouths.

"Who sent you?" Max asked.

"Your mother." Ren replied. "I followed you through the portal when YOU followed Jennetta. You didn’t think she would let you go unprotected did you?"

"But where were you?" Liz asked. "We didn’t see you…"

Ren eyed her, amused. Liz shifted uncomfortably. Max put his arm around her reassuringly. "So this is Liz?" Ren asked. "She is as lovely as I was led to believe." He could see that Liz looked embarrassed, tried to ease it. "I apologize your highness." Kyle raised an eyebrow at that. Liz eyes widened. Max had a half-smile on his face, as though he wasn’t surprised. "I awoke before the rest of you. The force of the explosion after a journey through the portal is not nearly as harmful for me as it is for you. I shapeshifted so that I blended with the stones in the Ring and followed you all when you awoke."

"Who cares about any of this?" Maria demanded, interrupting yet again. "What are we going to do about our daughter?"

"I’m afraid that there is very little that can be done other than to wait." Ren told her. He didn’t sound the least bit upset.

"WHAT?" Maria shrieked. "I won’t just let my baby be turned into a pod person!" Kyle grimaced. THAT had been piercing. He could see Michael’s nostrils flaring, as though he was trying very hard to hold onto his temper.

"Fear not my lady." Ren said soothingly. "Everything has turned out just as it ought. It is all coming to be as it was meant to…as it was written in the stars…"

"Are you telling me that my child is meant to be a zombie?" Maria shrieked again. She rounded on Michael. "I won’t have it Michael! I mean it…I’ll kill her first! My daughter is NOT going to be like Danala and all those freakish Dernians!"

Ren had advanced, touched Maria’s shoulder. She whirled, her face a mask of grief and rage. "Why did you even save her if this was what was going to happen anyway?" She yelled at him.

"My lady, please! You misunderstand…Jennetta is not being cleansed!" Ren told her pleadingly.

Michael clamped his hand over Maria’s mouth, effectively shutting her up, although she continued to struggle against him. Kyle could see that she was quickly becoming hysterical.

Max had finally stepped up as well. "I suggest that you do tell us what is going on then Ren." He eyed Maria with concern. She seemed to calm down slightly at the look Max gave her. Kyle frowned, wondering if alien voodoo had anything to do with it.