ROSWELL on PLANET-SF

CHAPTER SIX

Michael was out of the care before Max saw Rath. He followed Michael as he pursued the hunted. Before Rath reached the door to the bar, Michael was on top of him. He grabbed his arms and dragged him around the back of the building.

"Yo!" Rath struggled. "What's new boys?" He looked to Max. "Still a little bitch?"

Michael slammed him against the wall. "Shut up."

"What's wrong Mikey?" Rath reached into his pocket and pulled out a crumpled pack of cigarettes. "Mind if I smoke?"

"As a last request? Nah, I don't mind." Mihcael let him light a cigarette. "Any last words?"

"Whatcha gonna do? Talk me to death?" Rath laughed.

Michael pulled his police issue gun from the back of his jeans and pressed it under Rath's chin. "This doesn't say too much. Just a few loud bangs every once in a while."

Max stood to the side and watched for approaching headlights. A lone yellowed light shone down on Michael and Rath from the building casting a sickly glow upon them.

"Lay off Mikey," Rath's bravado was slipping. "I'm out of here tomorrow. I'll be out of your lives and I don't think I'll come back here, either. Not much fun."

"Oh," Michael snorted. "See, from what I can tell you've been having a blast around here. Killing innocent people and terrorising my family."

"Your family?" He laughed. "I don't think I was terrorising anyone. I think your hunny finally found out what it's like to have a real man."

Michael swung the gun back and smacked it against Rath's temple. "Shut up!"

"Truth hurts, bor." Rath stood up straighter, the gun back under his chin. "So, little bitch," he looked in Max's direction. "You gonna let the number two man do this to me?"

Max looked from Rath to Michael and he felt all of Michael's hate and rage. "We're equals, he does what he wants."

Michael knew Rath had been depending on Max to step in; he felt a shudder run through the gun when Rath knew he was screwed. "It's over."

Rath bowed his head as one hand flew up and knocked the gun out of Michael's grasp. It clattered on the cement and skittered under a Dumpster. Michael's concentration broke long enough for Rath to grab him around the neck, bringing Michael's back against his front. He whispered into his ear, "Who's in control now?"

Michael felt a sting as Rath nicked his neck with a knife that appeared out of one of his many pockets. Michael looked to Max who had taken a step forward. The lookt o Max was obvious: stay away. Max took a step back and waited.

"So, little bitch, you going to try to help him out?" Rath called to Max.

Michael felt the knife move slightly away from his neck and acted on it. He grabbed Rath's arm and flipped him over his shoulder. He landed flat on his back; knife still clutched in his hand. In a fluid movement, Michael grabbed the .22 from the ankle holster and trained it on Rath's face. Rath smiled and stood up. He looked at Michael and ran his hand down his body. He changed his appearance and now Michael was pointing a gun at a mirror image of himself.

"Can you do it?" Rath taunted. "Can you shoot yourself?"

Michael swallowed hard; the gun wavered. It had thrown him. He wasn't expecting this. "Don't move."

Rath grinned. "Maybe I'll go pay another visit to your bitch. I think she really liked me. But that baby was a pain in my ass! All that screaming, I wanted to slap the shit out of her."

Michael tightened his grip and aimed at Rath's face and pulled the trigger. Rath stumbled back; the knife fell to the ground with a flash of its metal blade. Michael fired again and Rath fell to the ground. Michael walked to him keeping the gun on him. Rath's eyes were open, blinking. He focused on Michael; a smile crept across his face. Rath took his last breath and died.

Michael hovered over him, staring down at himself with two bullet holes in his head.

"This is what I'd look like," Michael said quietly as Max stood next to him. Max took the gun from him and led Michael a few feet away.

"We have to get rid of him," Max turned back to the body and stared. Seconds later, the body of Rath was enveloped in a blue flame. Max felt Michael next to him as they watched the body burn to ash.

Michael's breath was shallow as he waved his arm over the ashes and they scattered in a sudden wind. He walked to the Dumpster, getting down on his hands and knees to retrieve his gun. He turned to Max and hugged him. "Thank you."

"It's over now, Michael." Max clapped his back.

* * *

Liz heared the door to the apartment open and looked at the clock; it was a few mintues before two in the morning. She smiled. She knew Max was trying not to wake her by not turning on any more lights. When she heard him knock over a lawn chair, she giggled.

"I'm not asleep!" She called out. Max appeared in the doorway in a few seconds.

"So I see," he looked at her and smiled. "I’m going to go take a shower, I’ll be in a minute."

"Did you find him?"

"Yeah, we found him. It’s over Liz," he nodded solemnly as he left the room. Max stayed in the shower for twenty minutes, until he felt slightly clean again. He wrapped a towel around his waist and entered the bedroom. Liz was leaning against the headboard; the light on the nightstand next to her was on. "Hi."

"Hi." She smiled. She thought about the older Max she had met earlier. Max would always be Max; she grinned in spite of herself. She looked back to Max and found him staring at her. "Sorry."

"What are you smiling about?"

She shrugged. "I’m just happy to see you. Are you okay?"

"I’m okay. He’s gone." He sat next to her and took her hand. "He won’t be back."

"Oh. Can you tell me what happened?"

"We hunted him, we waited and then it was over. Michael shot him." Max shuddered involuntarily still picturing the image of Rath as Michael lying on the ground. "We disposed of him and it’s over. Maria never has to be afraid of him again. No one does."

"Oh my God," Liz brought her hand to her mouth.

"It wasn’t a bad thing Liz," he squeezed her hand. "It was for the best. He would have hurt again, killed again. If anyone but Michael and Valenti had found that body we all could have been found out. He’s one less thing to worry about."

"I know. I mean, I really know." Liz forced a smile. "It had to be done."

"Exactly," he lay down and wrapped his arm around her waist. "I wish it could have been different, but I didn’t see any other way. Neither did Michael."

"How is he?"

"He’s dealing. When he shot Rath, he was in Michael form, though. Keep that to yourself, I don’t think he wants Maria to know."

"Oh God!" she exclaimed. "I can’t imagine anything worse."

"I don’t want to talk about it anymore, okay?" He kissed her stomach through the thin fabric of her nightgown. He pulled the nightgown up and met her flesh with his lips.

"I love you Max," she whispered and skid down next to him. She helped him slip her nightgown over her head, then slid down her panties. Max undid the towel around his waist and pressed himself against her cool body. She ran her hands through his hair, arching her back crushing herself into him. She didn’t want any space between them.

He straddled her bending down to taste her skin. Suckling her nipples, as they grew hard, he entered her and smiled as a small moan escaped her mouth.

He moved so slowly at first, wanting the moment to never end, he savored the way her body swallowed him and held him tight inside. This is where he felt safe; this is where he longed to be. He could feel her love for him soaking into his pores. This was Utopia and Max Evans never wanted to leave it.

"When I’m inside of you I feel like nothing can hurt us, nothing can ever break us apart," he twirled a strand of her hair in his fingers. "I can’t even begin to tell you how I feel. Saying I love you just doesn’t seem like enough."

Liz smiled. She knew he’d always love her. She knew they’d stay together and have a family. Their fate was sealed and it filled her with her emotion. Hearing from the future rocked her at first, but now, as Max was on top of her, knowing that they’d always be together, everything was good.

* * *

Michael sat in the Tempo down the street from his house. He had thrown up twice after taking Max home. He was sweating, his shirt sticking to his skin. He had just killed someone who the duplicate of him. He didn’t feel like part of him had died and he knew that was good. He didn’t feel remorse for killing Rath; he hadn’t deserved to live. Michael rested his head on the steering wheel. It was the image of Rath on the ground; two bullet holes in his face, looking exactly like Michael. If he had been dressed in leather and body piercings, Michael was pretty sure it wouldn’t be so heavy on his brain. The image was burned into Michael’s memory and he wondered if it’s ever go away. Taking a deep breath and wiping the sweat from his eyes, he drove up the street and into the driveway. Jim’s truck and Morgan’s Bug were in front. He turned the car off and got out. He made his descent up the steps and pushed open the front door. Maria and Morgan were both on the couch, asleep. Jim was in an easy chair, Leia asleep on his chest. Jim looked to Michael and knew what he had done.

Jim nodded and got up with Leia. He lay her down in the playpen and motioned Michael back outside. Michael followed obediently.

"You found him." Jim stated instead of asking.

"Yeah. It’s over."

"How?"

"I shot him," Michael pulled up his pants leg exposing the .22 in the holster. "With this."

"You order that?"

"Yeah," Michael nodded.

"Where is he?"

"Dust in the wind." Michael laughed harshly. "He’s gone, no trace of him left anywhere."

"You going to be okay?"

"After what he did to Maria, dust isn’t good enough for him." Michael shook his head. "When I said I’d kill for Maria and Leia, I meant it."

"I know son," Jim put his arm around Michael’s shoulder. "You’ll be okay. It might take a while, but you’ll get over this and you’ll move on. Just like Maria. You’ll take care of each other." He motioned to the door. "She needs you as much as you need her right now. C’mon, let’s wake up Morgan. You need some time alone with Maria."

Jim led the way back inside. He gently shook Morgan’s arm and her eyes flew open. She stared at Michael and then at Jim. She understood. She gathered her things and followed Jim outside after pausing to give Michael a brief hug.

Michael sat next to Maria on the couch and watched her sleep. Her chest rising and falling, she looked so peaceful he hated to wake her; but Jim was right he needed her right now as much as she needed him. He kissed her cheek and watched her sleepy eyes open. She focused on his face and smiled. She draped her arms over his shoulders and met his eyes with hers.

"Hi."

"Hi," he smiled and leaned in kissing her. "It’s over, baby, all over."

"He’s gone?"

"He’s gone and he’s not coming back, I promise. No one will ever hurt my family again." He buried his face in her hair and cried.

* * *

Liz woke up before the alarm went off, she looked at Max sleeping soundly next to her and beamed. Seeing another version of a future Max, well, not really seeing, but hearing him was making her smile. She knew for sure, after everything they’d been through together, all the heart ache and pain that they really were going to live happily ever after. Nothing was going to come in between them now. At least for not for eighteen years and only then if they don’t conceive on their wedding night. If that happens then it's the end for everyone. She had never felt so strong and confident of their relationship. They were no longer the star-crossed lovers who couldn’t be together for all kinds of reason. They were together and together they were going to stay. She grimaced and thought about all these evil forces that were going to try to thwart their wedding night that he warned her about. Evil forces? She shook her head, she knew she lived in a sci-fi kind of world, but enough with the evil forces.

Tess. The name came at her like a ton of bricks. She shuddered as she felt the burning on her leg. She looked down; the letters were blazing red.

"Go to hell," she whispered. "I beat you once you bitch, I can do it again. I’ll never let you win."

Max rolled over and looked up at her. "Who are you talking to?"

She covered her burning leg with her hand and smiled at him. "No one Max, no one at all."

He rolled over on his stomach, propping himself up on his elbows and looked at her hand covering her brand. "Hurt again, baby?"

She nodded and looked down, horrified to see blood trickling out from underneath her palm. "Oh God!" She lifted her hand. Each letter was bleeding as if newly cut. "Oh…"

"Shit," Max reached down and picked up his towel from the shower last night and pressed it to her leg. "What happened?"

"I was thinking about-" She broke off. Can’t tell Max about the future. "I don’t know, how happy we are and how nothing can come between us now and it was burning."

He kept his palm flat against the towel. "I won’t try to heal it, because I know it won’t work. But I will hold the towel here until it quits bleeding, that okay?"

BACK TO THE TOP / CHAPTER 7

ALL ROADS LEAD HOME

WRITTEN BY BECKY W

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