ALPHA AND OMEGA: BOOK 6 - CAUSATIVE RELATIVITY (THE PROBLEM OF LIZ)

Part 3

(Friday, August 31st, 2003)

Max had been speechless when he had arrived at Liz's door that morning. She had greeted him wearing a simple white dress with a fitted bodice, held up by thin straps, her hair piled on top of her head and decorated with tiny white flowers. Max had never seen her look so beautiful and he had swelled with pride that the radiant, intelligent woman before him would soon be his wife.

And now, as they walked hand – in – hand toward his apartment, Max still couldn't take his eyes off of her. No, he smiled as he corrected himself, now it was their apartment. Mr. and Mrs. Max Evans.

He paused at the threshold to swing Liz up into his arms and unlocked the door with his powers. He smiled at the surprised look on her face. "Sometimes they do come in handy."

He stepped across the threshold and closed the door behind them, shutting out all of the world's complications, eager to begin their lives together.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Michael pounded on the door of Liz's apartment. He really didn't want to see Liz and he was relieved when Isabel opened the door. He motioned inside with a jut of his chin, "Liz here?"

Isabel shook her head.

"Good," Michael said as he pushed past her and threw himself down onto the couch. "We have to talk."

"Come on in and have a seat," Isabel said sharply.

Michael waved her protest aside, "Whatever. We've got important things to talk about." He took the book, that Alyssa had given him from his pocket, and handed it to Isabel. "This is from our world."

He waited impatiently as she flipped through the pages.

Isabel gasped as she saw the pictures depicting the pregnancies. "These pictures of us. What does it mean?"

"I've been studying it all night but I still can't remember the language," Michael said. "Alyssa told me it's in a code that only the four of us knew. She also told me a little about our past. Max was called Zan; he is the King. Your name was Vilondra and you are his sister, a Princess. I was called Rath and I am his General, his second in command, and Alyssa was Ava, Max's wife. Our people are waiting for us to come home and save them from the guy that stole Max's throne and killed us all."

Isabel's eyes were wide with surprise but she remained silent and Michael continued, motioning to the book. "We have a purpose and it's bigger than us or anything we have on this world. Max is throwing his life away with Liz and we have to stop him."

Isabel froze at the mention of Liz. Max and Liz were probably already married by now. Isabel had promised Max she wouldn't tell Michael because Max wanted to break the news himself. She walked to the other side of the room, careful to keep her face from Michael, trying to decide what to do. Max genuinely loved Liz but the pictures in the book clearly showed another path already laid out for them.

Isabel felt torn between her love for Max and wanting him to be happy, and her feelings of duty to a planet she didn't remember. Finally she turned back to Michael, "There is nothing we can do about them right now. Max and Liz went out of town for a few days and they didn't tell me where they were going."

Michael looked a little deflated at her news but nodded decidedly. "Come with me, back to the hotel. We've wanted answers for a long time. Sam and Cuerena have them and we're going to get them."

"But what about Max?" Isabel asked.

Michael shrugged, "What about him? It doesn't seem like he's interested."