by Anne
Disclaimer: The characters of Adam Newman, Megabyte Damon, Kevin Wilson, Ami Jackson, Jade Weston, General William Damon, Colonel Masters, Millie Damon and Caroline Damon belong to Roger Damon Price, Thames Television and Nickelodeon. So do any other names or events linked to the Tomorrow People TV series.
Max Evans, Liz Parker, Maria DeLuca, Michael Guerin, Isabel Evans, Alex Whitman, Kyle Valenti, Sheriff Jim Valenti and Milton belong to Melinda Metz, Jason Katims and WB. All other concepts and events linked to Roswell also belong to them.
The characters of Joe Dawson and James Horton (who appear in name only) belong to Panzer/Davis, Rysher/Gaumont Television. So do the concepts of immortality, the Watchers and the Hunters.
The characters of Geoff Anderson, Gil Hawkins, Jim Beckett and Simon Trent belong to me and should not be used without permission.
"Max, you're okay." Liz sounded very relieved as Max, Jade and Megabyte materialised in front of her. She got up from under the large tree she had been leaning against, and walked over to Max. As he looked down at her, Max noticed her eyes seemed unnaturally bright. She'd been crying, he realised, though she was trying hard to hide it.
"Be back in a moment," promised Megabyte as he disappeared in another flash of light.
"He's gone back for Isabel and Alex," explained Max. "General Damon thought it might be a good idea if we weren't around when the authorities turned up. He thinks he's going to have enough fun explaining what's been happening as it is."
Max felt Liz sidle up against him and slid his arm around her, almost without thinking. It felt so good to be with her again. He'd come so close to almost never seeing her again that it scared him. As he'd watched Megabyte and Jade together after Michael and the others had left for London, Max hadn't been able to get Liz out of his mind. What if Masters had killed them before help had arrived? What if the truth had come out about who he really was? What if…what if?
One thing he did know for certain was that he wasn't going to go on not knowing if he and Liz had a future. It was time he acted on his feelings. You make your own future. Yes, it was dangerous for Liz to be involved with him because of who he was, but if she was willing to take the risk, well maybe he should too. After all it was fairly obvious by the fact she was here, waiting for him that she was more concerned about his welfare than her own. If she was ready to think of him first, it was only fair that he did the same.
"Michael. Where's Michael?" Maria looked around anxiously. Max looked up guilty as she came out from behind the tree. He'd been so wrapped up in seeing Liz again that he hadn't even noticed she was there. "Do you have any idea what it's been like for Liz and I hanging around here, not knowing what's been going on? Well do you?"
As if in answer to her question, there was another flash of light and Michael, Kyle and Adam appeared next to her.
Maria threw herself at Michael, who backed off looking very uncomfortable.
"Hey, why don't I get that sort of greeting?" Megabyte re appeared, this time with Isabel and Alex in tow.
Jade grinned and threw herself at the American Tomorrow Person, whose face quickly began to change to match the colour of his hair.
Adam laughed. "I think you asked for that one, Megabyte."
"Yeah, whatever. I just left Dad and Sheriff Valenti working out what they are going to tell the police." Max noticed that although Megabyte had changed the subject he hadn't pushed Jade away. The redhead leaned back against the tree Liz had been taking shelter under when Max had teleported in with him a few minutes earlier, Jade still staying close.
"Where's my dad?" Kyle wanted to know. "I need to see him, to let him know I'm okay."
Adam looked hesitant. "But what about keeping a low profile?"
"He's the sheriff's son," Max pointed out. "I don't think they're going to question it too much if he goes in looking for his dad. He can act like he doesn't know what's been happening. Can't you, Kyle?"
"I don't know what's happening. Nothing that happened today makes any sense, and I think it's easier to keep it that way," Kyle said. "Look, I owe you guys. I'm not going to let on that I know about all that teleporting stuff. Now where's Dad?"
"He's down by the main gates talking to the cops," Megabyte told him. "It might be safer if you go on your own though. If I teleport you my Dad will kill me."
"Fine by me," Kyle turned to head towards the old factory, then turned and paused. "Adam thanks for what you did in London, hope Kevin is okay. If I don't see you guys again…" He stopped, obviously unsure of what to say.
Michael coughed and Max stifled a grin.
"Oh yeah, thanks, Michael." Kyle muttered his reply so softly that Max had trouble hearing him. He then turned and started walking briskly down the hill towards Masters' former base of operations to meet his father.
"I think you were lucky to get that out of him, Michael," pointed out Liz. "Kyle feels quite uncomfortable around you guys. It will probably take him a while to come to grips with what he's been through today. He didn't find out about you did he?"
Michael shook his head. "I used my powers in London but I'm sure Kyle didn't see it. I think he though all the weird stuff came from Adam, not me."
"See, Adam," Megabyte said with a grin. "I always told you I wasn't the only weird one around here."
"Yeah right, Megabyte." Adam grinned back at his fellow Tomorrow Person. "So I take it the sheriff doesn't know about you guys either?" The last question was directed at Max who shook his head.
"We'd prefer to leave it that way too if that's okay. Megabyte, your father…" Max glanced down at the factory gates again. Luckily the large tree they were sheltering behind also hid them from anyone who might be looking out from Masters' former base. He shivered. The old building looked so harmless from the outside, quite at odds to how close they had been to losing everything while within its walls. Still the person behind that was dead now, dead and gone. Hopefully the threat he posed had died with him.
"No, he won't tell," the redhead reassured him. "Dad's good at keeping secrets. He's had loads of practice over the last few years. When I left, he and Kyle's dad were telling the cops that Masters had come after us because of his job."
"Yeah, but what about Max?" Maria wanted to know. "Surely the cops know that he isn't connected to General Damon?"
"Yeah, but Max got involved because Masters thought he was me," Adam reminded them. "If they stick to that story, I don't really see a problem."
Max looked around the group again. Megabyte and Jade were leaning against the old tree, his arms casually around her. Maria had moved closer to Michael, though he was pretending not to notice. Alex had his arms around Isabel and Max realised how comfortable his sister looked next to him. Maybe he hadn't been the only one who had realised you needed to embrace happiness while you still could. Max looked again at his friends, both old and new, and smiled to himself. It was reassuring to see them all together again. After the events of the day he had wondered if that was ever going to happen again. They'd all come so close to losing everything that mattered.
Max frowned. Someone was missing. Ami hadn't returned from London with the others. He turned to ask Adam and noticed the young man was standing quietly, seemingly staring into space. "Is Kevin okay?" he asked the Australian "Where's Ami?"
"Kevin's fine," Adam reassured him. "He'll be in the hospital for a while, but he's out of danger. I was just talking to Ami, she going to stay with him for a while."
"Hey, I almost forgot about this." Alex reached into his pocket and pulled out a CD. "Ami and I got some information from the computer in Masters' office. Maybe you guys should take it and give it to General Damon." He walked over from where he was standing with Isabel and handed the disc to Megabyte. "Masters sent a whole lot of information about the Tomorrow People to someone called Simon Trent."
Adam frowned as a thought occurred to him. "If Masters was working with someone else, maybe the danger isn't over yet. Do you know if there is anything on here about Max?"
Alex shook his head. "I had a look through the information on the computer before I initiated the transfer, and I didn't see anything."
"You saw all the information Masters sent?" Michael asked, shifting his position to stand in front of Alex. Max could see what his friend was thinking. If this Trent had information about the existence of aliens, they would be in as much danger as the Tomorrow People.
"Yeah. Hawkins didn't show up until after I started the file transfer, at least I didn't think he did." Alex saw the puzzled faces around him and continued. "Hawkins was that young blonde guy working for Masters. Except he wasn't really working for Masters, at least he said he wasn't. He told us he was working undercover for someone else but wouldn't say who."
"Did you believe him?" Isabel wanted to know. "Come on Alex, it's important."
"He was doing a good bad guy impression when he shoved a gun into my back at the UFO centre," Megabyte remembered. "I wouldn't trust anyone who worked for Masters. That guy was one fry short of a Happy Meal." He looked down at Jade, an expression of anger fleeting briefly over his features. "How do we know this Hawkins guy hasn't legged it straight over to Trent? After all no one's seen him apart from Alex and Ami. He must have disappeared after you guys teleported to the basement."
"We don't," admitted Adam, looking worried. "That's why I'm wondering if maybe we shouldn't come here again." He moved to stand alongside Max.
"But, Adam," protested Jade. "We've made new friends, friends who know what it's like to be different from everyone else. We can't just say goodbye and never see them again."
Max thought for a moment about what Adam was suggesting and then spoke up. "I'm sorry, Jade, but I agree with Adam on this one. This whole thing happened because Masters thought I was Adam, right?"
"Looks that way," commented Michael, glancing at Adam, Max and then back to the Australian again.
"If the only information on that disc is about the Tomorrow People, and we never see them again, there is less chance of that happening a second time."
"But Max…" Isabel protested. "We've finally found others who know what we're going through. I can't see how it would hurt to at least stay in contact."
Max shook his head. "I know what you're saying, Izzy, but what if that contact led someone else like Masters to us, to all of us. Jade is lucky to be alive, what if next time she isn't so lucky? What if Trent's organisation, whatever it is, gets hold of one of the other Tomorrow People because of the contact between us? It's not worth the risk."
Adam nodded his head in agreement, running his hand through his hair. "I agree with Max, though my concern goes both ways. If contact with us caused something to happen to you guys, we'd never forgive ourselves."
"Yeah, but what if Alex is wrong and there is information about Max on that CD?" pointed out Megabyte. "What then?"
"We'll worry about that if and when it happens. I'm hoping that Masters only passed on information about us. Remember it's the Tomorrow People he wanted to get his hands on. After all, before the mix up, he didn't even know about the existence of aliens." Adam was trying to take charge of the situation, Max realised as he listening to the Australian.
"Yeah, okay, if you put it that way." Megabyte turned to Jade. "Sorry, kid I think Adam's right."
Jade opened her mouth and closed it again, a look of resignation forming. "Well I guess this is goodbye, then." She went over to Liz and then Maria and gave them each a hug. "I suppose I can't even see you guys again even though you aren't like them."
Liz shook her head. "I wish I could say different, Jade, but I can't. I couldn't handle it if someone got their hands on Max again, I'm sorry. Look I know it wasn't your fault, that's not what I'm saying but…" Her voice tailed off as she started to choke on her words.
Maria reached for her hanky and sniffed. "We wouldn't want anything to happen to you guys either you know. Maybe the world isn't ready for Czechoslovakians yet, either alien or home grown." Liz left Max's side and put her arm around her friend
"Czechoslovakians?" asked Megabyte. "Code word for aliens, right?"
Maria nodded but Michael spoke up before she could say anything else. "I think Max and Adam are right, for what it's worth. Better to be safe than sorry. Come on, give me your keys Maria. It's time we left." He looked down again at Valenti and General Damon talking, grabbed the keys out of Maria's hand and started walking towards the roadside on the other side of the small hill they were on. Maria shrugged and followed, a look of resignation on her face.
"Michael's not real big on goodbyes," Isabel explained. "I'd better go after them. Thanks for helping to save my brother." She gave the Tomorrow People a brief hug and then turned and ran after Michael and Maria.
"All part of the service." Megabyte looked a bit embarrassed. "Come on Jade, I think we'd better go. Looks like Dad is nearly finished up with the sheriff. He was going to sort out some stuff in town and call me later when he wants a 'ride' home."
"I'd better go after Isabel," said Alex. "Hey if you have any problems with that disc, or find anything that shouldn't be on it…"
"We'll be fine," promised Megabyte. He looked at the disc again before sliding it back into his pocket. "Hope this thing isn't a sign of more trouble," he commented.
"Hope not," Alex echoed his words. "See you guys later. Well I won't, but you know what I mean." He looked towards Isabel's retreating form, waved at Megabyte, Jade and Adam and broke into a trot to catch up with her.
Jade walked over to Max and planted a quick kiss on his cheek. "Thanks for saving my life, Max," she said simply. "I'll always remember you." She closed her eyes and teleported.
"I'd better go after her." Megabyte stood up straight, leaving the shelter of the tree and walked over to where Jade had been moments before. He shook Max's hand. [Thanks for everything]
Max could feel the emotion behind the 'unspoken' thanks the Tomorrow Person mentally sent him. Not a problem, he thought.
"Coming, Adam?" Megabyte asked his friend.
"In a minute. I'll see you at the ship, okay?"
Megabyte grinned. "Okay." He closed his eyes to initiate the teleport. "Hey at least we've learnt one thing from all this."
Max looked at him, wondering what was coming. Beside him he could hear Adam quietly groan in anticipation.
"We are not alone." Megabyte looked at the faces in front of him, an innocent look on his face. "Maybe Mulder does have a point after all." He grinned at Adam. "Jade's calling. Don't leave me alone in her clutches for too long, okay?" He concentrated and disappeared, heading for the Tomorrow People's ship and Jade.
Max smiled to himself. "You Tomorrow People take care of yourselves, too. Maybe one day when the world is ready to learn about the existence of both of us, we can meet again."
Adam nodded. "Hope it's sooner rather than later. Sorry about getting you into this mess, Max. We owe you."
Liz came and stood by Max's side. The others would be waiting for them down at the roadside, probably impatiently waiting if the truth were known. "We owe you just as much, Adam," she pointed out as she kissed the Australian gently on the cheek. "Thanks for bringing Max back to me."
Max could swear he saw the young man blush as he disappeared in a flash of white light.
"Come on, Liz," he said as he put his arm around her and headed back to the others. Max smiled to himself. Megabyte was right, he decided. Even though the two groups had to part ways, at least now they knew they were no longer alone. A quote he'd heard once in English class came unbidden to his mind. 'For knowledge itself is power.'
And with that power came the strength for them to face their future, whatever it might hold.
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