Of Mice and Men
Part 11

By Prestor John

Disclaimer: All of the standard: Don't own 'em, just borrowing 'em.
Summary: Sequel to “Best Laid Plans”. My AU diverges when Max kisses Tess in Heart of Mine. Tess Left town, Liz told everyone about Future Max to explain why they have to find her, Liz and Max start reconciliation, and Isabelle dream walks Tess, but then can’t contact her causing the group to think Tess is dead.
Category: Other
Rating: R
Authors Note: The continuation of my first fiction. Today is 5/23/01. I started Best Laid Plans right after CYN. I started Of Mice and Men after OTM. Now that Departures has come and gone I’m rethinking the entire direction of this story. I’m going to try and tie the revelation from Departures into the story. Hope you like the way it flows. Many thanks to Fadre for reading and correcting my numerous grammatical mistakes.

Alex broke the silence by looking at Isabelle and asking “Well?”

“She gone.” Isabelle said moving over to Alex and kissing him passionately.

“So that’s it?” asked Maria, snuggling up in Michael’s arms. “The wicked witch is gone for good?”

“Yep.” Replied Michael, smiling down at her. He then looked at Max and opened his mouth, but didn’t say anything as Jim’s truck rounded the corner on the last approach to the chamber. Waiting for Jim and Kyle to join them, Max gave Jim a hard look and said, “Ready to explain everything now?”

Taking a deep breath Jim began, “Jessie talked to me before you all showed up at my house yesterday. He told me some things, and we talked. We agreed that the only way for you all to be totally safe was if the complex, and everyone involved – were destroyed. It was the only way. We agreed that you shouldn’t know about our plans.”

“What did he tell you?” asked Max.

Jim reached into his coat pocked, “He said to give you this, and it would explain everything.” Removing his hand from his pocket Jim pulled a communication stone with a symbol that no one recognized.

Max slowly took it from Jim and looked down on it. Suddenly light flashed from the symbol. Looking up every one saw a hologram of Jessie appear before them. “Greeting.” It said. “I don’t have much time so bear with me, I’ll try and answer as much as I can. There were two of us who survived the crash. The one you knew was your guardian. He was sent to protect you. I was sent for a different purpose. I was sent to judge you. To see if you were worthy of your heritage. I was the one who took your duplicates to New York. I stayed there and watched them develop. They were unworthy. It was at the time of the summit that I discovered what the guardian had done with you. I then began observing you. It is not my duty to help you, to teach you, or even to answer your questions. I do so, in part now, because you, Max who was Zan, Isabelle who was Vilandra, and you Michael who was Rath, are worthy of your heritage. You display all the attributes of good and just leaders. It was when I realized this, that I decided I had to help you free Ava. I know what you plan, and approve. You are worthy of the throne. It has been my honor to once again serve you my King.” Jessie’s image bowed down to Max, and then disappeared.

Everyone was silent for a full minute. Then Kyle asked, “What did you do with Tess?”

“We sent her home.” Replied Max “the Granolith was also a space ship of sorts. She’s gone.”

“What about future Max’s warning?” asked Maria looking from Liz to Max “Without Tess, are we all, like, doomed?”

Looking down at Liz, Max said, “Want to try?” As she nodded, Liz reached a hand up to Max’s shirt, closing her eyes in concentration. She opened them when an excited squawk came out of Maria. Max’s shirt, that had been a light gray, was now black. “You always look better in black.” Liz said smiling up at Max.

“OHMYGODLIZWHATDIDTHEYDO?!?!!” Screeched Maria. “They turned you into a Czechoslovakian!!”

“Maria, Maria calm down.” Said Liz grabbing her friend by the arms. “It’s still me. I’m still human.”

“Then explain the Martian fashion statement you just made.” Said Kyle.

“Max, Michael, and Isabelle are human alien hybrids, right?” seeing everyone nodding, Liz continued. “Nasedo said that their powers came from their human side. That everything they could do was human, just a couple of thousand years down the evolutionary trail.” Stepping back by Max’s side she griped his hand in hers. “What we did was – ‘steal’ the blueprint from Tess for her powers and then copied them to me. Once I learn how to use them, I’ll be just as able as Tess would have been to help when the trouble comes in the future.”

“That sounds like it was… dangerous.” Said Jim looking at Max.

“You know I’d never let anything happen to Liz, Sher.. Jim.” Replied Max softly but still meeting the other mans eyes. Slowly Jim nodded.

As the eight started down to where the cars were parked Isabelle said to her brother, “What do we do now Max?”

Looking down at his soul mate, and seeing her smile back up at him at the same time her love flowed to him through their connection, Max replied. “Be happy.”

End.