Valenti tapped Jason on the shoulder before he entered. “Mr. Christensen, you’ll have to come with me.”

Jason looked at his confused, as did Liz. “What are you talking about Sheriff?” he asked.

“That convertible of yours is double parked. And I believe that’s something that I can fine you for.”

“Oh, I’ll move it right away sir.” Jason turned to Liz. “You wait here. I’ll be back.”

The sheriff led him out to his car.

“Uh, sheriff, it looks straight to me.”

Valenti bent over and held his gun out a bit. “Get in the car now son. We’re going for a little ride.”

Jason wasn’t so much scared as he was confused so he did as told.

Liz stood alone in the hallway and saw Max and Michael emerge from the Spanish room. She hid behind a locker and watched them walk out to the jeep. She noticed Jason and the sheriff drive away. “What the hell?” She whispered to herself. She ran into the gym and grabbed Maria’s purse with her keys in it since she had to drive. Hunk wasn’t licensed to drive in America. “Maria will thank me later.” She thought as she ran out to the blue car. Just as Liz was gone, Maria looked over at their table and screamed, “where’s my purse?”

Liz drove faster and faster until the jeep came into sight. She stayed a reasonable distance from it so they wouldn’t notice her. She also turned the lights off which was extremely dangerous and extremely illegal. But she didn’t care. Liz knew something was terribly wrong. She could feel it.

After a ways of driving, the jeep pulled up in front of the old soap factory where Jason’s car was parked. She waited for Max and Michael to get out and inside. Then she got out and watched from the window in disbelief. Jason was tied up in a chair and the sheriff was pointing his gun to Jason’s head. Max seemed to be interrogating him. Liz thought for a second then remembered what Max had said, about Jason being an evil alien. Going against her common sense, she went inside.

Max looked up, probably the most surprised of the four. “Liz, what are you doing here?”

“I followed you. What are you doing? What’s going on?” Liz asked exasperated.

“Liz, leave, this isn’t safe.” Max said moving towards her.

But Liz backed away. “No Max, I’m not leaving. Until someone tells me the truth.” But when she thought about what she had said, she wasn’t so sure she wanted to know the truth.

Knowing she had absolutely no intention of leaving, Max told her. “Liz, I told you. Jason isn’t who he says he is.”

Jason stared at Max angrily. “What are you talking about?”

“You killed Tess. And you want to kill us. Because you’re our enemy. You came when we used the orbs.” Michael answered bluntly.

“You’re the enemy.” Jason spat back. “You want to take back your planet but you can’t. You won’t because my people know where you are. They’ll kill you. All of you.”

Liz couldn’t believe her ears and what she was hearing. Max wasn’t lying before. It was true. Jason is an evil alien and he wants to kill them. He’s already killed Tess. She moved closer to Jason and looked at him bitterly. “How could you?” was all she could let out.

Jason looked at her pleadingly. “Liz, they’re the enemy. This doesn’t have to change anything between us. I love you.” Max cringed at the words. “Liz, Max used you. He betrayed you and he left you for his little whore. You didn’t deserve that.”

Liz wanted to punch him, but at the same time she pitied him. He didn’t know anything about her. He was blinded by his false feelings for her.

“Liz,” Jason began to beg, “please understand. This was my mission. My people were sent here to get rid of them. I can’t help my destiny. Anyway, it’s not my job to kill them. I just find them and hand them over to the others.”

“And that’s not the same as killing us?” Michael yelled. “Who are these other people? Where are they?”

“They’re everywhere. All over the planet. Wherever you are, there’s always someone nearby. Don’t think that you’ll get away with this. Killing me is useless. There’s a million more of me out there waiting to kill you.”

Then Jason looked sympathetically back at Liz. “Liz, I’m sorry that they’re fooling you like this. Just know, I wasn’t your enemy.”

Liz shed a tear, not really for Jason, but for his so called innocence. He thought what he was doing as right. He didn’t question what he was doing; he just knew that he had to do it. This was his destiny. Liz lust stared at him sitting in the chair, not even trying to use his powers or escape. “I’m sorry too.” She began to cry. She knew he would have to die. And even worse, so did Max and Michael. The obvious choice for the job was Michael. He looked at Valenti and Valenti nodded his head and backed away, not releasing his aim. He closed his eyes so he wouldn’t have to see it, as he put his hand in the air. A beam of force shot out and blew Jason against the wall. He was dead. They all stood in silence. Understanding what he had to do, Valenti put his hand on Michael’s shoulder. “You had to do it, if not you, than Max or myself.”

Michael nodded. Max went over to Liz and lifted her chin. “Liz, I’m so sorry.”

“No Max, I am. I didn’t believe you. I should have but I was too busy being a bitch I guess.” She said trying to laugh.

“No, I shouldn’t have been so protective.” Max said in a serious tone.

They walked outside and leaned against the jeep.

“Max, thank you. I mean for worrying about me like that.”

“Liz,” he said taking her hands, “I love you. I’d do anything to keep you safe.” Liz had an idea as to where his was going and before she could back away, she realize that she needed him as much as he needed her. And Tess was gone. Max’s destiny with her was no longer in existence.

Max looked into her eyes and bent down, pressing his lips against hers. Liz didn’t resist and instead, kissed him in return with passion and love.

They decided to go back home and just be with each other after all of the events that had taken place tonight.

As they passed the school, Max looked at Liz, all dolled up and nowhere to go, and he turned into the parking lot. Liz looked at him surprised. “What are you doing Max?”

“Well, it would be a crime to leave such a pretty girl all locked up for the night.”

“But you don’t have a tux or anything…” Max put his finger to her lips. “Shhhh… as long as you’re with me, I’ll look fine.”

Max and Liz walked into the school and through the gymnasium doors hand in hand and stepped onto the dance floor. Christina Aguliera’s “I Turn to You” was playing and Liz leaned head on Max’s chest as they swayed back and forth slowly. Maria looked at them from the other side of the gym in amazement and her jaw dropped. But she opened her mouth even wider when she saw Michael walk in the doors. He looked around uncomfortably, and then spotted Maria. He walked up to her and put his hand on her chin, gently pushing her jaw closed. Then he leaned in and kissed her. Since Michael wasn’t known to be a dancer or a social event kind of person, instead, the couple walked out and ran down the hallway to the eraser room.

------------------------------

Mr. Christensen looked at his wife with a smile on his face. She knew exactly what he was thinking. She was thinking the same thing.

“One down, three to go,” he laughed.

“If our boy can find one of them within only a few weeks of moving here, he can find the rest in no time.” Mrs. Christensen said smiling.

Mr. Christensen sat down next to his wife. “That’s some boy we’ve got.”

“I don’t know what we’d do without him…” she replied.

“That’s right. I can’t imagine how long it would take old folks like us to find the other three. Though I can guarantee that once I got my hands on them, it would be a messy fight.”

“It will be a messy fight dear,” Mrs. Christensen assured him. “And in the end, this planet will be short three teenagers…”

TBC…

I asked for a moment, you gave me your day
I asked for a hand, you gave me your heart
I asked for a friend, you gave me your life
I asked for your love, and you gave me the world. ~