Part 22 - Connected

Dimly, Maria wondered why she and Michael had wasted so much time that day when they could have been doing this. His lips moved down her neck, even as his hands roamed over her stomach and around to her back. Her own hands busily caressed his chest. She wanted to touch every inch of him. Reaching his head again, she pulled his mouth back to hers. They kissed eagerly, trying to get even closer to each other.

Michael tried to speak, but the only sound he seemed to be able to make was a low moan. Not that it really mattered - he knew she understood. This was right - it was what they needed, to be together. Nothing else mattered as much as their joining.

The feel of Michael's fingers unhooking her bra brought Maria back to her senses, to where they were and what they were doing. "No," she tried to whisper. His hands moved down to the button on her jeans. Realizing that he hadn't heard her, she repeated herself louder this time. "Michael, stop!" Ignoring the way her stomach clenched up the minute he stopped touching her, she pushed him away. Looking at him while she quickly redid her bra, Maria was worried for an instant. Michael seemed ready to pounce back on her, a look of almost frightening hunger and desire on his face. But then he closed his eyes and took some deep breaths. When he opened them again, she was relieved to see that he was Michael again, not whoever that stranger was she had seen looking at her through his eyes.

Maria. Touch. Need. Maria. The thoughts repeated frantically through Michael's brain, making it difficult to concentrate on anything other than how much he wanted to reach back over and touch her. By the time he had opened his eyes again, he was able to get his thoughts under control enough to ask a simple question. "Why?" Didn't she want him?

"Why?" Maria gave a hoarse laugh. "Why do you think, spaceboy? Think about it. Our friends are back there in the ranch house," she gestured off into the distance, "and we're out here, rolling around in the desert, undressing each other." When he didn't respond, she risked a look at him, but then wished she hadn't. Looking at his lips, his hands, made her remember how amazing it had felt to have them touching her. It was incredibly hard to look away. Blushing, she glanced around for her shirt. "We just learned some pretty freaky stuff back there. Doesn't this seem at all inappropriate?" God, I sound like my mother. Spotting her shirt, Maria reached for it and put it on, so she missed the look on Michael's face as he processed her explanation.

Inappropriate. The word didn't mean a thing to him at that exact moment. Exercising more self-control then he would have thought possible, he clenched his hands and put them behind his back, instead of using them to pull Maria back into an embrace. He forced himself to think about Max and Isabel and the pain they must be going through right then. Maria was right - this wasn't the time or place.

He shrugged back into his own shirt as he stood up, reaching a hand down to her. Cautiously, she took it. The tightness in her stomach and chest relaxed the instant their hands touched.

Michael pulled her up to him and into his arms. Their lips met again, claiming each other. When he pulled back, Maria entwined her fingers in his hair to pull him back to her.

"I changed my mind," she murmured, but he only laughed, gently removing her hands.

"No, you were right. We have other things to deal with. There'll be time for us later."

"Promise?"

He dropped a gentle kiss on her forehead. "Promise. Come on, teel-sharan."

They were about halfway back to the house when they met Alex and Isabel.

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Not long after the panicked exits from the house, Isabel excused herself and went to wash up. After splashing some cold water on her face and fixing her make-up, she gathered her courage and returned to face the others, feeling more like herself.

Pausing right outside the living room, Isabel took a moment to observe the others. Valenti and Dagmar had wandered off to the side a little, talking to themselves quietly. She decided that she didn't want to know what they were looking so serious about - she'd had enough revelations and catastrophes for one day. There was only so much a hybrid could handle.

No, the real focus of her attention had moved to the couch and was now sitting next to Tess. Isabel watched in silent appreciation as Alex smiled at Tess and gently spoke with her, helping her calm down and adjust to the change in her situation.

He's the strongest of us all, she thought in amazement as Alex actually managed to coax a smile out of Tess. He doesn't have any super powers, but when the rest of us fall apart and run, Alex is always there to catch and hold us while we put the pieces back together. He's good and strong and he's mine, she realized with more pride than she ever felt when dating any of the jocks or stars of West Roswell's popularity games. A big smile came over her face as she considered the truly amazing thing - that she was his in return, and for the first time in this life, she didn't object to the idea of someone having that much claim on her.

Alex didn't even seen to notice her as she quietly approached. "Honest, I swear," he sincerely insisted to the other girl. What is he talking about? Isabel was still wearing that smile that seemed to come so naturally when he was around, but now it was fringed with curiosity. Tess didn't seem to believe him about whatever it was, judging from the way she was shaking her head rapidly. How can she do that without getting dizzy? It was so good to be thinking nice, normal, happy thoughts about the people she loved, instead of thoughts of death and betrayal, worrying that they would turn their backs on her if they learned her secrets. Have I ever felt this safe? Probably not - just another thing to thank Alex for.

"Fine, I'll prove it," the boy of her dreams said with determination. Then, Alex proudly stretched out his arms, wiggling his fingers in front of Tess's face. Isabel staunchly strangled the desire to laugh. Judging from the look on Tess's face, she was fighting the same battle (and was much closer to losing it). Alex's arms then crossed in front of him, and he leaned back, crossing them behind his head so that his arms looked like some strange pretzel. Then, the finishing touch - Alex crossed his eyes and wiggled his ears.

Tess surrendered. Bursting out in giggles, she managed to get out, "Alex, you look more like an alien than any of us manage."

"My hero," Isabel said, sitting on the couch arm next to him. His head (complete with arm pretzel) spun around instantly at the sound of her voice. Ducking a bit to avoid being hit by the fast-moving elbows, she went on. "A man of many talents."

"Hey, you never know." Blushing a little ( and looking totally adorable, she thought with amusement), he untwisted his arms and placed one around her waist. "I could well be the key to stopping the Skins' dastardly plots. Just let them see the Incredible Human Pretzel Boy! They'll cower in fear and run."

"Or fall down laughing." Tess just giggled harder at Isabel's retort.

He shrugged, resigned to the girls' laughter. "Either way, they're out of business. It'll teach them to underestimate the hidden abilities of us mere Earthlings."

"Did you actually." It was hard to make out Tess's words between the giggles. "Did you actually say 'dastardly plots'?"

"He did in fact say that." Isabel was amazed at how Tess seemed to be dealing with things so much better now. Guess I'm not the only one Alex brings out the best in. "It's a sad side-effect of way too many years watching Scooby-Doo cartoons."

"I was never as addicted to them as Maria. For a while, she insisted on carrying a magnifying glass and flashlight with her everywhere we went, just in case we had to do some sleuthing. Liz finally convinced her that there were no deep dark mysteries to be uncovered in Roswell." This just seemed to amuse Tess even more. What possible secrets could be hidden in the sleepy little town of Roswell, after all?

Isabel suddenly had the overwhelming desire to have some time alone with Alex. While she was proud of the way he supported them all, she wanted to have him to herself right then. Leaning down, she whispered in his ear, "Why don't we go outside and take a walk? Maybe look at some stars?"

Alex jumped off the couch so fast that she almost found herself knocked off the arm. "You okay if we go off for a walk, Tess?"

Looking over at Dagmar and Valenti, she nodded. "I could use some time to think, actually. A lot's changed."

"Great. Come on." Isabel dragged him outside (not that he was exactly arguing).

The instant the front door swung shut behind them, Alex grabbed her by the waist and spun her around. Laughing, she found herself clinging to him in order to keep her balance. "What are you doing?"

"I thought that perhaps we could dance, my lady," Alex said with a bow. The he looked up with a mischievous smile. "Or should I say 'Your Highness'?"

"'My lady' is just fine," she said, wrapping her arms tight around his waist and starting to sway gently. "You do realize there's no music."

"Really? I could have sworn I heard some," he whispered back. Sighing, she rested her head against his chest. He felt so good, so right. She had to smile as she felt one of his hands playing with her hair. Even though he never said anything, she knew how much he loved it when she wore it down so that he could run his fingers through it. His other arm went around her waist to pull her closer.

"Maybe you're right. I think I can hear the music. Maybe it's the stars playing for us." She gave a small laugh at the thought. If she wasn't careful, she was going to end up as starry-eyed as Max and Liz.

"Only the best for my lady." His hand left her hair and joined the other on her back. "Isabel?"

"Ummm?"

"Are you?"

"Am I what?"

" My lady?" There was a sudden hesitant quality in his voice. She pulled back and looked into his eyes.

"Always," she said as firmly as she could. "You're stuck with me forever."

He nodded. "Good."

The kiss he gave her literally took her breath away. If he hadn't been holding her so tightly, she would have collapsed. When he pulled away, she felt a sudden sense of loss and disappointment. That was a kiss she wanted to go on forever. Instead, Alex gave her a smile and offered her his arm.

"Time for that walk." Narrowing her eyes at him, she accepted his arm, then laughed. Let him be the gentleman for now. There would be plenty of time for kisses later. They had all the time in the world.

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Before they had walked very far, they came upon Michael and Maria walking in their direction. Michael tensed up at seeing the other couple, but he didn't let go of Maria. As he stared at Isabel, he pulled Maria even closer to him. Isabel recognized that look on his face - he was unsure about this situation, but would sooner die than admit it. Amazing how much she could tell just from looking at his face, a face that would have seemed blank and expressionless to anyone who didn't know him. Well, maybe not so amazing. She'd had two lifetimes to study it, after all.

Maria could feel the change in Michael's body language. He was holding her even tighter than before and it wasn't for their mutual pleasure anymore. Now it was for support. Following the path of his gaze, she saw how Michael was staring Isabel directly in the eyes. She was staring back at him as cautiously. Alex had dropped her arm, but Maria doubted the other girl even noticed. She and Michael were oblivious to anything but each other for that moment. Catching Alex's eye, she raised her eyebrows in question. He just shrugged back at her. This was something the two of them were going to have to work out for themselves.

Slowly, Isabel walked away from Alex and up to Michael, never breaking eye contact. So many memories flashed through her mind - crying herself to sleep as a child, knowing that there was someone out there they were missing, helping Michael moved in to his new apartment, going shopping with him for Maria's Christmas present, almost bursting with pride as he got his emancipation. And there were other memories, too, unfamiliar ones. Walking with Tymrath along the cliffs outside the palace, watching the moons set in the sea. Laughing as she watched Zandar and Tymrath stage mock fights for practice. Arguing with Tymrath when he was too stubborn to admit that he wasn't invincible and sometimes needed help in reaching their objectives. Laughing as he tackled her and pulled her into an embrace. Love in so many different forms. The specifics had changed greatly from their past life, but the love was still there, and probably always would be. And that was what she chose to remember - the love she felt for someone who would always be one of the most important parts of her life.

So, when she reached Michael, she found it easy to smile at him. "Are you okay?" she asked gently.

The wariness in his eyes dimmed a bit. He'd been expecting her to attack, and now he had to lower his natural defenses. His hold on Maria relaxed a bit, but he still didn't let her go. This was easier knowing that she was there. "I'm fine. You?"

"Yeah." Alex came to stand behind Isabel, nodding at Michael.

Michael took a deep breath. "You have no idea how sorry I am, Izzy. For killing you. I wish........." his voice trailed off. "Did it hurt?" His voice broke as he asked.

She shook her head. "I don't remember much of that, but no. I don't think so. I'm sorry, too. For betraying you and getting everyone killed and everything."

"That wasn't your fault."

"Actually, none of what happened back then was either of our faults, now was it?" she went on briskly. "As I've been told repeatedly, and I'm sure you have been as well," she looked at Maria with a grin, "that was Vilandra and Tymrath, not Isabel and Michael. We can't be held responsible for what other people did in another lifetime. It wasn't really us."

"Yeah, now that you mention it, I think I've heard that once or twice or a hundred times." Michael paused and grunted as Maria elbowed him in the stomach. "It's weird remembering, though, isn't it?"

She nodded. "Like watching a movie or something in your mind. Very bizarre. So, are we okay now?"

"Of course." Michael let go of Maria for a minute to hug Isabel. As soon as he let her go, though, he was right back to holding Maria. Those few moments away from her had been long enough.

"So, what do we do next?" Maria asked, cuddling closer to Michael.

"We should probably find Max and Liz and make sure they're okay," Alex said practically.

Michael nodded. "Well, if we head back to the house, I'm sure we'll come across them sooner or later. They have to come back inside eventually."

Alex and Isabel led the way. "True. I mean, what could they be really do out here for long, anyway? It's not like they're going to be rolling around in the sand making out," Isabel said with laughter in her voice.

Michael and Maria stumbled and looked at each other guiltily. "I'm sure that was just a lucky guess," she whispered to him.

"I wonder," he murmured too quietly even for her to hear him.

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They hadn't gotten much further when Isabel and Michael suddenly stopped at the same instant. Maria stumbled a bit at the sudden stop, but Michael's arm around her waist kept her from falling. Gratitude at not falling flat on her face faded as she was overwhelmed by a sudden surge of panic. Her stomach was filled with the same butterflies she felt the night she first sang in front of an audience, only multiplied by a thousand. Her pulse raced as her heart started to speed up. At the Valentine's concert, Maria originally dealt with her sudden attack of apprehension by following her first instinct of fleeing. The only thing that got her back on that stage to perform was the need to distract attention from Max and Liz. Now, she felt that same urge to run away. Getting far away from that spot seemed extremely important to her at that instant. The problem was, she couldn't figure out why she was so freaked. They were the only living beings in sight, and she knew it wasn't Michael, Alex, or Isabel that she was afraid of. So, why the panic attack?

Michael let go of her waist and took her hand, fingers wrapped tightly with hers as two more figures appeared in the distance. Try as she might, Maria couldn't make out who they were - they were too far away. But that didn't seem to matter - whoever they were, seeing them approach made her feel sick to her stomach. She was distracted from her nerves by a sudden pain in her hand. Michael was gripping it so tightly it hurt. Looking at him, Maria realized that it was his fear and panic she was feeling. How is that possible? she wondered. Worry about that later, Maria. Why is he so scared? Then she knew who must be approaching. Michael knew that she wasn't going anywhere. Whatever it was that had passed between them earlier that night had made that finally clear to the clueless alien. There was only one other person who Michael loved and was afraid of enough to cause this much worry, one person whose approval he had spent most of his life on Earth trying to earn, one person who had that much power over him. As they came into clearer view, Maria saw that she was right. Max.

Michael watched as his friend came closer. He noticed absently how Isabel turned to look from Max to him. Poor Izzy, came the distant thought. She's always trapped between the two of us. He couldn't believe he was going to do this. He could remember every time he had let Max down, in both lives - Aveen's death, arguments about how best to deal with Kivar, his attempts to warn Zandar that the Skins were massing forces to attack and that they needed to take immediate action to stop them, getting arrested breaking in to the UFO Center and waiting for Max to come get him out, being too late to stop Pierce from taking Max. Max hitting him. I can't do this. His throat dried up. It was hard to breathe. I can't face him again. The look on Zandar's face as he held Aveen's body. Zandar sitting on the throne watching as he killed Vilandra. Lying on the ground, looking up at Max. "Somebody had to knock some sense into you." No. The motel room off 285 South. "I'm here to clean up your mess, like usual." I can't. The impact of the punch knocking him to the ground. He hit me. How could he? I deserved it.

Through whatever bond that existed between them, Maria could feel his emotions range from nervousness to anger and then return to a type of resigned fear. Michael was expecting Max to reject him for what happened in that past life. She started to get angry herself. Maria accepted Michael for who he was now, Isabel had forgiven Michael for the mistakes of the past, but he still had enough of a frightened child in him to dread Max's judgment he was sure would end up convicting him. Maybe the emotional conduit goes both ways. Returning the firm grip on his hand, Maria concentrated on the memory of standing on the stage in Vegas, looking at him, knowing that he loved her and she loved him and that would never change. Maybe he can take courage from knowing that I believe in him.

As Max came within arm's reach of him, Michael felt a surge of love coming from Maria. He looked over at her and was overwhelmed by the trust in her eyes. Without words, she was telling him that she believed in him and that he could do this. He calmed down and looked back at Max. If Maria believed that he could do this, then he would do it. For her. And for himself. He needed to make peace with Max.

Liz stopped walking and stood beside Alex and Isabel. Max kept going, until he was right in front of Michael. Ignoring Maria, Max simply looked at his second-in-command. Michael returned his look, but said nothing.

The silence was deafening, and was starting to make Maria very uncomfortable. Finally, she couldn't handle it anymore. "How are you doing, girlfriend?" she asked.

Max blinked and looked at her, as if he hadn't even noticed she was there until that point. With a little shake of his head, he answered. "As well as can be expected, I guess. You?"

"I'm fine," she said, moving slightly closer to Michael, taking comfort from the feel of his body next to hers. "But then, I'm not the one who had to deal with suddenly remembering another life. I have less to freak out about."

A very slight smile crossed his face. "True." It faded as he returned his attention to Michael. "About that......." He seemed at a loss as to what to say.

"Yeah." Michael didn't seem to have any great desire to talk either.

"Well, it's over," Max finally said.

"Yeah," Michael agreed eagerly. "Over and done with."

"Yeah."

Isabel just looked at the two in disbelief. They seemed so eager to just ignore and avoid what they had learned. No, I don't think so. "That's it?" she burst out. Everyone turned to stare at her as she continued. "It's over, never to be spoken of again? You two killed me. Remember that?" Brushing off Alex's hand, she moved right up into Max and Michael's faces. "Now, I don't really blame you or hold it against you. It's not like it was a murder or anything. You were executing a dangerous traitor. But the fact remains that you," she pointed her finger at Michael, "killed me because you," now Max was facing the accusing finger, "told him to. Reason or not, you killed me."

"Isabel," Liz tried to interrupt.

"No," she went on angrily. "This isn't about blame. We all messed up, majorly, and we paid for it with our lives. What this is about is dealing with the situation we have here." Isabel took a deep breath, trying to calm down. "My incredibly clueless brothers, listen to me. We didn't come to this planet with a clean slate and a fresh start. We never had that. All our lives, our pasts have been hanging over us, even when we didn't know it. And pretending that nothing happened, and trying to go on with our lives without dealing with it, is not going to help us."

Max and Michael looked at each other doubtfully. "Iz, you have no idea how sorry I am about everything, but I'm not sure that talking about it more is going to help," Max said uncertainly.

"Well, ignoring things hasn't worked too well for us so far."

Maria suddenly spoke up. "Michael, why didn't you go with Max and Isabel when they were picked up by the Evanses?" She could feel his surprise. There were certain topics that weren't often discussed by Michael, and their first night out of the pods was one of them. But she knew that if he was ever going to be open enough to discuss it, this would be the time.

Slowly, Michael answered. "I was afraid. At the time I told myself that I was afraid of the lights, of the people in the car. But I think I was afraid to be with you two. I wasn't sure that I could trust you, and I wasn't sure that I wouldn't hurt you."

"Is that why you left the Pod Chamber without us?" Isabel asked gently.

He nodded.

"So Michael had feelings of guilt and distrust from what happened in the last lifetime, and those were with him from the minute he came out of the pod," Alex said slowly. "And Max has tried to overcompensate for feelings of failure in that life by trying to control things and protect everyone this time around."

"You make me sound like a case in a Psychology textbook," Max said, rolling his eyes.

Alex just shrugged. "It makes sense, is all I'm saying. Everybody is the sum of their experiences. What happens to you and how you react to it makes you the person you are. You all just happen to have two lifetimes worth of junk to deal with."

"And then there's me," Isabel broke in. "I spent so much time keeping other people at a distance, not letting them in, going out with guys who I knew I didn't care about, that I almost lost you." Alex opened his mouth to interrupt, but she kept on. "It's true and we both know it. Whenever we would start to get close, I'd get scared and run. Like with Grant. Or Dave in Las Vegas. I'm shocked that you still want to have anything to do with me."

"I always understood. I didn't always like it, but I understood how hard it was for you to let anyone in."

"Because of Kivar." Isabel looked at Max and Michael. "Because I let Kivar in, and look what happened."

"Kivar forced his way into your mind," Max defended her.

Isabel just looked at Michael with a sad smile on her face, waiting for him to speak. He looked extremely uncomfortable.

"Michael?" Isabel finally asked after a pause.

He looked her in the eye. "It wasn't your fault." When she kept staring at him, he repeated himself. "It wasn't."

"Not all of it, no. But I let him in, Michael. And we both know it. Without that little entrance, he couldn't have done what he did to me. I could have kept him out." She turned back to the humans and calmly went on. "I felt neglected. Zandar was so infatuated with Aveen, and Tymrath was busy planning his battles. So I started to flirt with Kivar. I thought it would be harmless, a way to make Tymrath jealous. It was the stupidest thing I ever did."

"It still wasn't your fault," Michael insisted.

"No, but if the two of you are admitting your parts in what happened, then I should be honest with myself, too." Isabel looked at them. "So we all know what we did wrong. The question is, how do we stop from doing it again? Where do we go from here?"

Michael looked down at Maria for a moment. "Rath never trusted Zan. The two of them never got over what happened before." He then looked at Max. "If we're going to fight alongside each other, we need to know that we can trust each other. We need to know that what happened before doesn't change the way we feel about each other now."

Max nodded and smiled. "We need to know that we can trust each other to guard our backs."

Michael smiled back. "Exactly. Otherwise, we're screwed before we even start."

"Okay, boys. It sounds good. But how do we do it?" came Isabel's demand.

Alex cleared his throat. "I have an idea." When all eyes turned to him, he continued. "Can you three form a connection with each other? I haven't ever been in one myself, but from what Liz said, you can feel each other's emotions in it, right?"

The three aliens nodded. He went on. "Then you would know if you're really over everything. If you can really trust each other." When nobody said anything, he started to get nervous. "Well, it's just an idea."

"It's a wonderful idea!" Isabel hugged him excitedly. "I think it would work, too. We can't lie to each other in a connection. Of course, we've never tried it with each other, but if it works with humans, then we should be able to connect with each other. Don't you think?"

"It should," Max agreed.

Michael nodded. "I know better than to try and get in your way when you want to do something, Isabel."

She gave him a dirty look, but couldn't keep the smile off her face for long. This was going to work. It had to. They needed to fix the distances between them if they were ever going to be as close as they had once been.

Liz and Alex stepped away a bit to let the three aliens work. Maria started to pull away from Michael and join her friends but found her hand held firmly.

"Where are you going?" Michael asked her in a quiet voice, trying not to let the others hear how panicked he was at the thought of her leaving. Isabel heard it, though, and frowned at them, a memory she couldn't quite remember ticking the back of her mind.

"I'm just going to join the non-Czechoslovakian group over there, while you three do your whole super-powers thing." He still wasn't letting her go. "I'll be right over there, spaceboy. I promise that I'm not going anywhere." He slowly let go of her hand, and watched as she walked over to Liz and Alex. Alex put his arms around the two girls as they watched the others. Michael staunchly beat down his momentary sense of jealousy ( of Alex, of all people, he thought in disgust) and focused his attention on Isabel, who had moved closer to him.

"So what do we do first?" he asked.

"I think we should join hands," Max answered.

Shrugging, Michael took their hands. "Now what? Do we sing?"

"Michael just be quiet and try to focus," came Isabel's sharp answer.

"Yes, my captain," he whispered, then followed Max's example and closed his eyes.

Smiling a little at Michael's comment, she closed her eyes, too. Almost immediately, she could feel Max and Michael's spirits around her. She could sense them trying to connect with her mentally. It was similiar to the feeling she got when she dreamwalked someone, but different. More overwhelming somehow. Easier to get sucked in, to lose herself in them.

To lose herself the way she had lost herself when Kivar entered her mind.

Panicked, Isabel tried to break the connection, but she couldn't. Max and Michael were already connected, and it was too strong for her to break free of. Not again, she thought frantically. I can't let this happen again. Desperately, she reached out mentally, trying to find a way out, a place of safety.

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On the sidelines, the three humans watched. All they could see were the three of them standing in a circle, holding hands. But somehow they knew that it was working, that the connection was forming. Maria almost thought she could hear a humming noise coming from the circle. That's when Alex heard it.

Not again, came a pleading voice. It was Isabel. But he had been staring at her the whole time, and he was certain she hadn't spoken. I can't let this happen again. Alex realized that she was reaching out mentally. He could hear the panic in her voice, and in that moment suddenly understood what was happening - that she was reliving Kivar's mind-control and was terrified of the power of the connection she was now trapped in. But what was he supposed to do?

The one thing Alex knew, the one thing that he knew would never change in his life, was that he couldn't stand by and do nothing while Isabel was in pain. So, letting go of Maria and Liz, he walked up to the circle.

"Alex, what are you doing?" he could hear Liz whisper behind him, but didn't stop. He walked up behind Isabel. There was no sign that any of the three even knew he was there. Taking a deep breath, hoping that he knew what he was doing, but powerless to stop himself, Alex reached out and put his arms around Isabel's waist.

I'm here, Isabel. She could hear Alex's voice in her mind, hear all the love he felt for her. And suddenly she wasn't afraid anymore. She could never be lost when Alex was holding her safe. And she could feel all the love that surrounded her - Alex's love, stronger and more constant than anything she had ever known before. Max's love, which had been with her ever since they came out of the pods together. Michael's love, which had somehow managed to survive everything and was still intact on this new world of theirs. And this was nothing like what Kivar had done to her after all. Kivar knew nothing of this love, of the strength it gave her and the strength she could now give to those she cared for. So she let down the last of her walls and let them all in.

It was the most amazing thing Alex had ever experienced. Suddenly, he could feel all three of them in his mind. It wasn't so much an exchange of thoughts as it was of feelings. He had thought the experience in Michael's healing ceremony had been intense, but this blew it away in comparison. There were no words to describe what it felt like to suddenly be surrounded by all the emotions of the others. He could actually feel Michael's amused surprise that he was there, Max's welcome, and strongest of all, Isabel's enveloping love.

Michael could feel Isabel's resistance. It didn't surprise him. But just as he was trying to figure out how to overcome it, suddenly he could sense Alex joining the connection. He never realized just how bright a spirit Alex had. That really was the only way to describe it. It was as if Alex's spirit had never been tainted by any sort of stain or darker emotion. It just shone around Isabel's essence, and then spread out to join Max's and Michael's. And while Michael was glad to see Alex in the circle, and to see how he complimented their spirits, he felt that the connection wasn't complete yet. So he followed Isabel's example.

Maria. She could hear his voice calling, and without even thinking she walked over to the circle. At that point, Maria didn't feel that she could deny Michael anything else, and this wasn't something she wanted to resist anyway. Carefully, she placed her hands on Max's and Michael's interconnected ones, then separated them, using hers to keep the connection whole.

Much better, Michael thought. Maria's spirit might not shine quite as brightly as Alex's - she had fought demons of her own and had shadows like he did. But the minute she entered the connection, her spirit announced itself loudly and proudly, demanding that they accept her. And they did. Still missing one person.

Max could feel the inquiring thought from Michael. But before he could do anything about it, he felt Liz join the connection, too. And there they were - the six of them. Michael, standing strong, his spirit watching them all carefully to make sure they were okay. Maria, her essence almost singing with the joy of being a part of this. Max, welcoming them all and holding them together. Liz, willing to sacrifice anything in order to protect them all. Alex, spirit shining enough to brighten even the shadows from their past. And Isabel, her devotion to them gleaming fiercely and forgiving everyone, including herself.

Then came the images.

Max rushing over to save Liz. Alex giving his blood to help someone he barely knew, just because his friend had asked it of him. Isabel dancing with Alex. Michael turning to Maria when he had nowhere else to go. Maria standing up to Valenti and refusing to give him information about Isabel. Michael thanking Liz for caring about Max. Michael and Isabel's panic when Max was captured. Isabel trusting Liz enough to tell her about Atherton's house. The moment when River Dog told Liz to be sure she could trust Max. Maria lying still in the parking lot, letting Michael place the silver handprint on her chest. The six of them standing in the rock quarry, scared to death, yet somehow taking comfort from Max's statement that they were the only people he really trusted. And so many more - moments when they had to decide who they trusted, who they were willing to risk everything for, who they wanted in their lives. Moments when their choices shaped who they were.

And when the images faded, when the mental picture show was over, what was left was very simple. Love. They loved each other. Nothing could change that. Nothing ever had. They had faced the worst that their past lives could show them, and they had managed to stay unbroken. They knew that nothing could tear apart the bonds that had somehow formed among them. That was all they needed to know.

Love.

It was enough.

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