Part 11

"Wait, what do you mean, ‘Liz knows’?" Max asked, trying to grasp at what Michael was telling him.

"I mean that Liz and the Parkers found me when I hatched from the pod. I was wandering through the desert and they drove by and stopped and took me home. I saw Liz and I knew. She held out her hand and I knew then that I didn’t have to be afraid. I don’t remember much from coming out of the pods. I’ve never been able to find the cave where I came from, I just don’t have any clear memory of that night," Michael said thoughtfully. He fixed his eyes on Max.

"I thought I was the only one."

Michael’s voice sounded amazed and happy and Max couldn’t help feeling less alone knowing that there were three of them now.

"I don’t remember much from that night. Isabel has told me that she hatched first and she went out into the desert before she got scared and came back inside. She found me, she says I was scared from something and relieved to see her. We walked out into the desert together and then the Evans found us," Max replied. Michael’s head shot up.

"Wow, this is a lot. All this time, and you guys were out there," Michael replied. Michael stood up and began to pace over the dusty floor. Max stayed sitting, watching Michael walk back and forth.

"We moved to Colorado really soon after that and we never found the cave again. Isabel’s been wanting to look since we got back though," Max said, thinking of how Isabel’s request had made him cringe. Something about that night, the night they’d come out of the pods, he was almost certain it connected to his nightmares. He just wasn’t sure he wanted to find out what the root of it all was. His nightmares were terrifying, he hated even thinking about them. And Isabel had never been able to dreamwalk into his nightmares to see what they were about.

"I remember when Liz figured it all out. Our parents don’t know, they just assumed I was an abandoned child. Liz broke her arm playing softball or soccer or something and I sat with her and mended her arm. She saw my memories and she knew. She never treated me any different Max, and she won’t do that now, I promise you that," Michael vowed. Max nodded, knowing that Michael might be right. But he felt a pit in his stomach. It didn’t really change the fact that they were different and now she would know why. He’d liked the idea of being a normal guy with the prettiest girl in school as his girlfriend. He couldn’t help but feel that it would all change, even if Liz accepted how he and Isabel were different.

"What do we do now?" Max asked softly.

"We have to back and tell the others. Liz will have questions, she saw me heal you. And she and Maria will worry about letting you in on the secret. Not that she wouldn’t trust you, but she worries about anyone finding out," Michael said. He looked through a broken window and grinned. Max stood up at the sound of car tires on gravel and he looked through a few boards, feeling his heart lurch as a red Jetta halted next to his jeep.

"Looks like they found us," Michael commented as Liz, Maria, Isabel and Alex climbed out of the jeep. Liz looked up to the high window of the soap factory, catching sight of her brother’s spiky hair through the opening.

"They’re inside," she said, leading the others through the dusty factory. Finally when they got to the room where Michael and Max were, Liz felt her heart beat a little faster. Michael had a different look on his face, she would almost say happy. And Max, Max’s eyes were downcast, and he seemed to be staring intently at his sneakers. Isabel quickly rushed over to Max while Liz turned to her brother. She touched his arm and he turned his eyes to her.

"Michael, are you ok?" Liz asked, her voice conveying more than the simple question. She could tell he was physically fine, but she worried for him, now that more people knew his secret. She still couldn’t believe the look up happiness on his face, like he’d been given the world.

"I’m great Lizzie, better than I ever have been," he said truthfully, glancing over at Max and Isabel. Liz was confused.

"Michael, what do you mean?" she asked, her voice low. Michael gently moved past her and walked over to Maria, who was standing with Alex by the door. Maria’s eyes swam with tears as he approached.

"I’ll explain in a minute," he murmured. Liz nodded numbly and watched her brother go to Maria. They simply looked at one another for a minute and then Michael whispered something to her. Maria’s face crumpled and then she hugged Michael fiercely, her arms holding his shoulders tight. Michael lifted her off the ground a little as he crushed her against him and Liz felt her own eyes fill with tears.

Maria had been so worried for Michael on the ride over. Max had been shot and Michael had exposed himself to save him. And Maria had been angry at Michael too, angry that he’d put himself in harm’s way. Liz had managed to tamp down her urge to retort that if Michael hadn’t acted then Max would be dead, a thought that chilled her to the bone. She would always been in awe of her brother for doing what he had to save Max.

Liz glanced over at Max and Isabel and she looked on with interest as Isabel’s face went from shocked to ecstatic in a matter of seconds. She hugged Max quickly and then turned to Alex, who was the closest. She hugged Alex and he grinned, not really sure why she was so happy but eager to comply with her happy attitude. Maria and Michael had finally pulled away and Michael was wiping the tears from her cheeks.

Liz looked over at Max again, wishing he would look at her. She knew if she could just see his eyes she would know what he was thinking. Michael brought Maria over to the group and Liz watched with surprise as Michael reached out for Isabel’s hand. Isabel smiled and took his hand to everyone’s surprise. Liz was perplexed, she hadn’t thought they were even that close.

"I think everyone knows what happened this afternoon," Michael said after clearing his throat. "Max was shot in the café and I healed him. He would have died if I hadn’t. But what I don’t think everyone knows is what it all means. I healed Max because he’s my friend and it wasn’t his time. When I heal someone I see images of their life and because we connect they see images and memories from my life as well. What I didn’t expect to see in Max’s memories were the same things from my memories."

Liz listened carefully, knowing whatever Michael had to say, it was important. As she processed his last words, her jaw dropped. She quickly looked at Max and then at Isabel, realizing what Michael had to mean.

"Michael—"

"Max and Isabel are like me. We were on the same ship in 1947. Together," Michael finished for Liz. No one spoke, the air was practically frozen around them. Liz heard the scratching of a rat somewhere deep in the factory and the sound almost echoed in the silence. Her head was reeling.

Michael wasn’t alone.

Max and Isabel were aliens too.

Max had almost died.

Max was an alien.

Max was an alien.

Liz shook her head, trying to sort out the words tumbling around, confusing her. She looked at Max and her heart fell at the sight of his stricken face, staring at her. He looked away quickly and she saw him blinking rapidly, like he was trying not to cry. Suddenly his shoulders straightened and Max moved back from the group and towards the door.

Desperate, Liz raced after him, having to run. Max moved faster than her and she didn’t know why he was running, but she had to catch him. She just knew he’d been hurt by the shocked look on her face. She couldn’t help it, she’d never thought that there would be more like Michael out there. And it was a bit of an adjustment to realize that the boy she had a crush on was an alien.

"Max! Please, Max, wait!" Liz called. He either didn’t hear her or he ignored her, because Max kept running. He climbed into the jeep and tried to start the car. The engine stalled and Max turned the key again, cursing loudly as tears streamed down his face.

He could hear her plaintive voice, calling his name. She sounded confused, hurt. And it was taking every bit of willpower to run away from her. But he had to. No matter what Michael said, they were different. He knew Michael had been accepted by Liz, Alex and Maria, but Max couldn’t comprehend the possibility. And he didn’t want to see that look on her face, the shock, the horror, every again. The engine stalled again, and by the point Liz had jumped into the passenger side of the jeep, gripping the seat tightly.

"What are you doing, Liz?" he asked angrily. She was just making it harder, and Max couldn’t stand that. He didn’t want her to feel some kind of obligation to him because of what had happened to him.

"I’m going wherever you’re going. Max, please look at me," she said, her voice trembling. He shook his head.

"Why not?" she asked softly. Max shook his head again and jumped out of the jeep, walking swiftly away from the factory and the cars. He groaned as he heard her light footsteps coming after him.

"Max, what’s wrong? Please, why are you running away from me? What did I do?" she asked helplessly. Max finally spun around and looked at her. Liz looked stunned as she took in the tears on his face and the desperation in his eyes.

"Liz, you didn’t do anything! It’s who I am, what I am! Don’t you see? I thought things could be normal, I thought you and I could be normal!" he said, his voice exploding.

"We can! Max, nothing’s changed!" Liz yelled back.

"Everything has changed!" Max replied. Liz fell silent, not sure how to respond. His tone of voice had been so strong, and so final. He was breathing hard, gulping in huge breaths of air and angrily wiping the tears from his face.

"I’m not the same person you thought I was," Max said softly. Liz took a tentative step forward.

"Yes, you are Max. If I thought you were the same person then you’re right, everything would have changed. You haven’t changed Max. You’re still the guy who rescued me from Kyle that awful day. You came up my balcony that night and held me all night. I sang to you at the Pizza Pan. We danced in the Crashdown. Max, you are the same person. I am the same person," Liz said, her voice lowering to a whisper.

Max studied her face, seeing the honesty there, the truthfulness. He wanted to believe her, he really did. And he thought that she might even believe what she was saying. But something held him back. How would she ever be able to trust him again? Shaking his head, he backed away from her.

"I’m sorry, Liz, I wish I was the same person, but I’m not," he said before turning away and running. And Liz, too stunned to move, didn’t follow him.

"So, you and Max were in the same crash as Michael was?" Alex asked. Isabel nodded, gauging his reaction. A grin swept his face.

"Wild!"

Isabel smiled at Alex, hopeful that his response was as positive as it seemed.

"How do you feel about all this?" Isabel asked. Alex shrugged.

"You mean that you and Max are aliens too? I think it’s awesome for the three of you, there are more of you than you all thought. I also think that it’s pretty cool that I get to be the only guy in school who’s taking the gorgeous alien girl to the Homecoming Dance this Friday," Alex said, his eyes softening as they met Isabel’s. She breathed a sigh of belief and launched herself into his arms.

"You still want to go? With me?" she asked. Alex stroked the back of her hair gently.

"Of course I do. Isabel, nothing has changed about who you are. We all have little pieces of our family genetics that maybe we wish we didn’t have. Yours just happens to be more widespread," Alex said. Isabel pulled back and smiled at him.

"I’m not sure that description is entirely accurate, but I’ll take it," Isabel replied.

"Good," Alex replied, rubbing her shoulder. Isabel was about to say something else when Liz entered the room. She’d run out, after Max, a few minutes before and the rest of them had wisely remained where they were, opting to give Max and Liz some space. Now, Liz was back, and Max wasn’t following her.

"Liz, where did Max go?" Michael asked, approaching his sister. She shook her head helplessly.

"I don’t know. He ran away from me, nothing I could say made a difference," Liz replied. Isabel stepped forward, taking Liz’s hands in her own.

"Liz, I know this probably doesn’t make any sense, but this is what Max does. He’s never thought that he could be a normal guy, and he’s been living in fear since we got here. And he likes you Liz, more than he’s ever thought he could like anyone. It just makes it harder for him, he thinks he has more to lose," Isabel tried to explain.

"But I tried to tell him that doesn’t matter to me! It was like I was talking to a brick wall, nothing I said made a bit of difference. And then he just ran away and I didn‘t go after him. I should have, but I couldn’t, the idea that he was running away from me just didn’t sink in," Liz said, running a hand through her hair. Isabel nodded, realizing her brother was probably using typical avoidance tactics.

"Isabel, what do I do? How do I make him hear me?" Liz asked desperately.

"You have to wait. Just give him some time."