Title: Time After Time

Disclaimer: I don't own anything

Author's note: I didn't realize that the computer had undone all my formatting on the last chapter. I hope this one will be a little easier to read now that I've managed to keep the breaks in between each section.

Chapter Twenty-Four: Husks

Liz leaned against the counter and watched with a vague interest as the last of the patrons slipped through the front door of the diner and out into the night. She was closing this evening, and she wasn't particularly happy about it. It gave her far too much time to think as she stood alone in the fluorescent-lit room, sweeping the floor and wiping down the tables. She needed to be busy, needed to distract herself from everything that had just happened, and everything that would continue to happen in the future.

Max. It all revolved around Max.

In some ways, many ways, she knew she was lucky. Lucky to have seen the truth shining so clearly in his eyes as he stared at the blonde hybrid who had once been his wife. Lucky to know now, before things grew more serious or more complicated, that her future with the boy she thought she loved was over.

But it still hurt. So much.

The jingle of the bell on the door caused her to glance up with a sharp look, a rag held loosely in one hand. Her face fell into a tentative smile, however, when she saw that it was only Alex.

"Hey," she greeted, tucking a single strand of dark hair behind one ear. "What brings you here?"

Alex shrugged, giving her scrutinizing stare. "You aren't mad at me?"

"For choosing to comfort Isabel over Maria and I?" Liz hesitated, then sighed and said, "Maybe a little."

"I'm sorry," Alex offered, crossing over to the counter. He swung his legs onto one of the stools and spun around for a moment, his gaze still fixed on Liz. The seat creaked slightly, the metal hinge growing rusty with age.

"No, you're not," Liz countered, turning her back on him to continue wiping down the tables. "You love Isabel."

"I love you and Maria as well," Alex protested. Liz was right, he wasn't completely sorry for putting Isabel's needs above theirs. He understood that everyone was going through a difficult time at the moment, but while the two human girls had each other, Isabel had no one. Not even Michael, for all he had done to assure Isabel that he would get over his anger at her, had made much of an effort past those few words. But still, he did care about his friends, and he didn't like having to choose between them.

"You aren't in love with us," Liz answered, giving a fleeting grin as she tilted her head to the side and looked at him over her shoulder.

"True," he agreed.

She tossed the rag onto the counter and turned around. Taking a seat on a stool opposite her friend, she asked quietly, almost timidly, "What's happening to us, Alex?"

"What do you mean?" Alex questioned.

Liz looked uncertain, but then she came to a decision and, taking a deep breath, forged bravely ahead. "We don't hang out anymore. We don't have fun anymore. Not the three of us... and not the six of us. Everything is a problem. Everything is the end of the world. Everything..." Hurts. She couldn't say it, so she didn't. But she saw the understanding reflected in Alex's blue eyes, and she slowly lowered her gaze, almost ashamed. She didn't want his pity. She didn't want to seem weak.

"I don't know," Alex answered finally. "I guess we just... we need to spend more time just hanging out."

"We tried that," Liz muttered, resting her chin on the palm of her hand. "We've made promises to each other. We've said that we will spend more time having fun and hanging out. Just the three of us. And then..." She bit her lip and gave a tiny sigh. "It never seems to work." She lifted her eyes to his face, her gaze wistful. "Remember in third grade when we made that club? You, me, and Maria. We were like Harriet the Spy. We went around the town recording everything we saw and trying to solve mysteries..." The look hardened. "Only, there were no real mysteries then. It was all pretend. All for fun." Again, a sigh. "I miss that."

"I do, too," Alex agreed. "But things are different now. We can't go back to that."

Liz closed her eyes and nodded, a lump forming in her throat. "Do you even want to try?" she asked, and she couldn't quite keep the bitterness from her voice. "Or are you content with the way things are now?"

"That's not what I meant!" Alex argued, his voice rising in volume slightly. It seemed every time he tried to comfort someone, he found himself arguing with them as well. He ran a hand over his face wearily and said, "Look, all I am saying is that instead of dreaming about the past, we should focus on the future."

"Empty words don't mean much, Alex," Liz murmured. "That's a nice sentiment, but we both know that our future is going to be more of the same."

"Not if we change it," Alex defended himself, growing concerned with each passing minute. He did not like the resignation and weariness in Liz's tone, the way she looked at him with a far away stare. She seemed to see not the teenager he was then but the boy he was several years ago. It was heartbreaking to realize that she was so lost.

Liz gave a dark chuckle. "There will always be another problem, Alex. Another crisis. Another enemy." She paused, then slid off the stool. "Isabel said something to me today. In school."

"Oh?"

"She said... she said that once upon a time I didn't need Max to feel... vindicated. That I was stronger than this. That my life was not built around him." The brunette picked up the discarded rag and continued to wipe the surfaces, now moving to the tables and booths scattered across the room. "I want to be that person I was before... But I can't go back, can I? Because everyone else is charging forward."

"You love Max," Alex pointed out reasonably. "It's hard to let go of that."

"Harder still when you keep getting reminded of it," Liz agreed. "And that's just the problem. I can't avoid Max. I can't... I can't get over him. I'll never be able to because I'll have to spend all this time in this group... fighting their enemies. Our enemies. I'll watch him fall for Tess... and fall hard... and there's nothing to make it easier. Because I can't even... there can't even be sides. Not in this group. We all have to work together and..." She trailed off and rubbed her eyes quickly, wiping away the unshed tears.

There were many things Alex could have said, but he doubted they would make a difference. Liz would never believe that Max was not in love with Tess, and after seeing how Max had acted around the petite hybrid, he couldn't blame Liz for her opinion. And Liz was far too pragmatic to find a promise of "it will all be better someday" that comforting. She didn't want empty words. So he said nothing, but instead moved to her side and wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug.

Liz stiffened, surprised, and then the rag slipped from her fingers as she hugged him back, tears spilling from her eyes and onto his shoulder.

Isabel pulled her knees into her chest and stared up at the sky. The stone bench was cold, a strange occurrence in the heat of the warm night. Max was at home, locked in his room, determined to avoid his parents. Michael had informed her of the conversation he and Tess had had with the hybrid king, and she knew Max was doing her best to act normal. But she caught the confused, suspicious, and worried glances that passed between her parents, and she knew it was only a matter of time before something happened, and everything would erupt.

The coldness from the bench was seeping into her body, or perhaps it was the other way around. She felt cold and tired and lost, unable to see how to get through the mess that she had made. Max made little effort to hide his contempt for her, and Michael, for all his flowery words, seemed less inclined to actually give her a chance. Without even Tess to rely on now, she was thoroughly lost. The only saving grace was Alex, but it made her feel guilty to see how much she was pulling him away from his friends. The last thing she wanted was to cause pain to the one person who was still standing by her side.

God, she's screwed it all up.

But she was at a loss as to how to fix anything. There was little she could do besides explain her reasoning and apologize for her lies. And she'd done that, over and over. And yet somehow, it didn't seem to be enough.

Something shifted inside her, and a call of cold fear condensed in her stomach, twisting her gut. She couldn't say what it was, but her head snapped up, her eyes scanning the park for any sign of movement. A few couples wandered through the dark, silhouettes illuminated by the yellow glow of the street lights. She couldn't make out any distinct features, but the fear was still there, so she rose slowly to her feet.

And found herself face-to-face with a skin.

It took only a moment to process the information before her. The man she recognized as Greer. He had been important to the people of Copper Summit. He had been a leader of some type, perhaps only second to Nicolas himself. His eyes were boring into her face and his lips were stretched into a thin mocking smile. His skin looked papery and gray, as though it would fall from his face at any second.

"Hello, Vilandra."

"Stay away from me!" Isabel hissed, taking a few steps backwards. She couldn't use her gifts here, out in the open, not with people around. There was a chance they might see something, particularly in the dark of the night when any attack she made would like up the area like a firecracker. She could run, and pray that she was fast enough, but...

"Don't go," Greer sneered, moving forward with inhuman speed and agility and catching her hand. "The fun was just about to start."

"Get off me!" Isabel cried, her voice loud enough to catch the attention of several others in the park. There was a muffled shout, and a few figures, clearly men, began sprinting towards the crying girl.

Greer narrowed his eyes, that horrible smile never leaving his face. "Now why would I do that?" he asked, his fingers tightening around her wrist until they bit into her skin. She exhaled sharply, pulling in vain to get free, but Greer just laughed, a chilling sound that cut through the air.

"Get away from her!" one of the men called as he approached. Isabel turned towards him, praying Greer would have enough sense of self-preservation not to risk exposure by killing the man where he stood.

Greer turned cold eyes to the onlooker. "Why would I?" he snarled, lips parted to reveal almost impossibly white teeth. The other man reached an arm back, preparing to hit the skin, but Greer easily dodged the blow and landed one of his own, sending Isabel's would-be rescuer sprawling backwards onto the ground.

Isabel took that moment to yank her arm free and, turning on her heel, ran away into the night. The fallen man was swearing under his breath, and Greer hesitated, torn between his desire to pulverize the man who had interrupted his plans and his need to chase after his escaping quarry. Isabel seemed to be the more pressing priority, so he turned and hurried after her, leaving the park behind.

Isabel paused on the street and glanced behind her. Greer was rapidly gaining, and it was a long way back to her house. She could go to Alex's or Liz's, both of which were closer, but then she would be leading the enemy to her unarmed human friends. Her other option was Michael's apartment, but even that was too far away to be assured of making it to safety.

Her moment of deliberation seemed to be her undoing, however, because as she hesitated on the corner, unsure which way to go, Greer crossed the street and stopped, panting, in front of her. Even in the dark of the night, his eyes gleamed with something not quite human, something that sent chills down her spine.

"Going somewhere, Princess?" Greer asked, his voice taunting. "You won't get far, I promise you that."

"You can't beat us," Isabel said firmly, angrily. "We're too strong for you."

"Are you now?" Greer asked quietly, the menace evident in his voice. "We've beaten your pathetic Royal Family , Vilandra. And with your help, I might add."

"You won't have my help this time," Isabel answered harshly. "And you didn't beat us. Not completely. After all, we're still here. And if we were truly defeated, you wouldn't have to be on this planet, searching for ways to destroy us. You could be on Antar enjoying the benefits of being part of the ruling system." She paused, breathless, eyes sliding back and forth along the street, looking for a way out.

"Well... it will all be over soon enough," Greer replied. "I've waited a long time for this, I can wait a few days more."

"You will be waiting longer than that," a gravelly voice declared. Greer spun, turning towards the sound of the newcomer, but not fast enough. The man was standing directly behind him, and holding a tree branch tightly in his hands. He swung it with all his might at Greer, and something seemed to crack along his back. A fissure appeared, running from the base of his spine up to his neck, and then he was gone, wasting away into shredded skin that disintegrated as it spiraled slowly towards the ground.

Isabel glanced at the man who had saved her. "Nasedo."

Nasedo gave her a quick look, then turned and let his gaze sweep the surrounding area. He froze abruptly, and she followed his eyes until she saw Nicolas Crawford, standing across the street at the edge of the park, watching the entire scene.

Nicolas tilted his head, a slight inclination to Nasedo and Isabel, and then melted backwards, fading into the night.

"Come. We need to go," Nasedo said sharply, worry lacing his voice.

Isabel followed him, but not before glancing over her shoulder once more at the place where Nicolas had stood only moments before.

"Okay... let me get this straight," Michael asked, looking at Isabel. "You were attacked by Greer." His gaze flicked to Nasedo. "You came to her rescue." His gaze flicked back to Isabel. "And you saw Nicolas watching you."

"Yes," Isabel said impatiently. Why was it taking him so long to wrap his head around this? It wasn't as though it was a surprise that the skins were going to be attacking them. And it certainly wasn't a surprise any more that the skins were after her.

"So... that pretty much tells us that the skins are going to perform the Harvest in Roswell."

Nasedo nodded grimly. "Exactly. Since they are here, and the Harvest must be soon..."

"Wait, what are you talking about?" Isabel interrupted, glancing between the two. "What's a Harvest?"

"It's a long story," Michael said dismissively.

Isabel folded her arms over her chest. "I've got all night."

"Both of you, stop it," Max ordered tersely.

Isabel had called Michael as soon as she'd arrived safely home. He had promised to rush over, and had arrived moments later, eyes flashing with panic. Nasedo, disguised as Alex, had been forced to physically pry him off of Isabel because he was so frantically searching for any sign of injury. Isabel had never seen Michael react like this, but she supposed the severity of the situation they faced what finally hitting home with him.

She'd told Max as well, and he'd said nothing, but simply joined her in her room and listened to her explanation. In fact, until that moment, he had not said a word to anyone.

Michael and Isabel were gaping at him, but he ignored their looks and asked instead, "Where is Tess?"

"She didn't want to leave," Isabel explained reluctantly. "Since things went so downhill with Valenti and Amy... because of us... she wanted to stay and offer moral support. I think she and the Sheriff and Kyle are watching a movie. I told her it wasn't an emergency and she didn't need to come over." It wasn't an emergency, now that she was safe again, and she understood Tess' need to try to fix the damage they had inadvertently caused in her family. But just because she understood, didn't mean she was thrilled by Tess' decision.

She could have used some moral support as well.

Not that Tess had been great moral support for her these past few days.

Max interrupted her thoughts by saying forcefully, "Tell me about the Harvest."

Isabel listened quietly as Michael explained everything they had learned from Nasedo in regards to the Harvest and what it meant for the skins. Nasedo jumped in a few times to add details of his own, and once the story was finished she found herself gaping in horror at them all.

"So... we're going to be attacked? Soon?"

"Greer has already made the first move," Nasedo answered grimly. "And by the looks of his husk, the Harvest must be soon. Maybe even tomorrow."

"Can we stop it?" Isabel asked. "That Harvest, I mean. Can we... is there a way to make sure it doesn't happen?"

"The only way to effectively stop the Harvest is to destroy the husks," Nasedo answered, turning his inhuman eyes towards her. She flinched, once again unnerved by how cold his expression was. Alex never looked like that. Even when he was angry, his blue eyes held compassion and understanding and warmth below the surface. To see such alien eyes staring from the face of the person she had come to rely on so much was disconcerting.

"So we need to destroy the husks," Max mused. "We would first need to locate the Harvest, however, and that could be difficult." He turned to Nasedo. "Where do you think these husks are being stored?"

"I don't know," the shape-shifter admitted. "But if the skins brought them into the town, they would have been transported in something big. A truck or a trailer."

"That's not a lot of help," Max pointed out dryly, "as we can't go knocking door-to-door and ask people if they've seen a trailer around." He frowned thoughtfully, and slanted a look at Isabel. "I think Michael and I should handle this for now, Isabel. We will find these husks and destroy them."

Isabel bristled. "I can help you," she protested, glaring at her brother. "You might need my help."

"We won't," Max answered calmly. "Not there." He jerked his head towards the door of her room and added, "But I might need you to cover with Mom and Dad. They are already suspicious of me and it has been made clear to me how imperative it is that I maintain some semblance of normality."

"Pity it wasn't made clear to you before you decided to attack Kyle Valenti," Isabel retorted, flushed.

"Enough, Isabel," Max said. "I've made up my mind. You will stay here. Nasedo and I will accompany Michael to his apartment and discuss strategies." He looked at the clock on the table by the bed and said, "And you will call Tess and have her come over when she is done watching the movie with her family. She will spend the night. Safety in numbers."

"I am not a subject you get to just order around," Isabel spat, eyes blazing with fury. "I may have made a mistake, but I am still your sister and I will not be treated like dirt!"

Max looked at her for a moment, a little taken aback by her outburst. Nasedo and Michael both held their breath, wisely refraining from drawing any attention to themselves. This was between the two siblings, and they were not foolish enough to get involved.

Then Max said calmly, "Khivar got to you once."

Isabel had gone completely pale, and her body was shaking with tiny tremors of pent-up hurt, frustration, and rage. "It won't happen again," Isabel said firmly. "I don't know what I did in my past life, but I am not going to betray you this time around. I won't."

"You can't make that promise," Max replied, still in the same calm and collected voice. "We don't know what Khivar can do. We don't know what Nicolas can do. We don't know what they can make you do."

"Max..."

"No." Max paused, and drew a breath. His voice was filled with raw emotion as he spoke, "Isabel, they are after you. Yes, they want the three of us dead, but you they want even more than that. Well, not you. Your other self." Again, he paused, and seemed to be choosing his words carefully while struggling to maintain a hold on himself. "Khivar got you once. We don't know what he can do this time around and I... No, you are not just another subject to be ordered around. But you are my sister. And I will not let Khivar have you."

Isabel blinked slowly and nodded. "He won't get me."

"But he might," Max argued, shaking his head. "Don't you see that, Isabel? We don't know what he can do. We just... we don't know." He swallowed anxiously, then said, "Michael, Nasedo, and I have to locate these husks, infiltrate our enemy's stronghold, and destroy them. It is dangerous. And it is quite a bit more dangerous for you. So I won't let you come. Because I can't do my job if I have to worry about you. If you were to come to harm..." He stopped and shook his head. "I just can't, Isabel."

He turned away, gesturing for Michael and Nasedo to follow him. At the door to her room, he paused and looked back. He opened his mouth, as though there was something else he wanted to say, but shook his head, unable.

And then the three were gone.

Isabel stared at the closed door and slowly sank onto her bed. It wasn't what she had wanted to hear from him, but she had been Max's sister in two lifetimes, and she knew him well enough to hear all the things he hadn't said as well. In the silence between his words she understood what he had been trying to tell her. As much as he was terrified that she could be used against him, he was even more terrified that she might come to harm. For good or ill, she was his sister, and he loved her, and nobody, not even Khivar, could try to steal her away and not have to answer to Max.

Maria looked up, a little surprised, as her mother stepped into her room and shut the door firmly behind her. She pushed herself into a sitting position and waited for her mother to speak.

"We need to talk," Amy said finally. She leaned against the wall, staring at her daughter with a slow and contemplative look. Finally, she said, "I know you asked Jim to lie to me. To cover for you. I know it was your idea, so you could have a little... alone time... with Michael."

Maria swallowed nervously. Was this going to be a birds and bees talk? She really didn't want a conversation about sex, not right now, and not from her mother. And, of course, there was little she could say in defense of herself, little she could do to convince her mother that she hadn't actually intended the getaway with Michael to be romantic. After all, the Sheriff would have needed to tell Amy something, and this was better than the truth.

But still... it didn't mean she had to like it.

"It isn't what you think, Mom," Maria said quickly, holding up her hands. "Michael and I... nothing happened." She was blushing, a dark red stain spreading over her cheeks.

Amy nodded, a little distractedly.

"Really, Mom. We wouldn't... Michael and I wouldn't do... that..." It some ways, she had a feeling that this conversation was a lost cause, because her mother was far too over-protective to just let her daughter hang out with a boy and trust that nothing was happening. She still remembered, with a mixture of fondness and complete mortification, how incessantly her mother had lectured her about the dangers of boys when she started hanging out with Alex. In kindergarten.

Amy sighed. "Maria, sooner or later we are going to have a serious talk about you and Michael and some restrictions and boundaries, but right now..." She looked unsure as to how to proceed, but finally said bluntly, "You shouldn't have used Jim like that."

Maria opened her mouth, perhaps to argue, but no sound came out. She gaped at her mother, surprised as much by the comment as by the serious tone. "Mom..." she stuttered, "I never..."

"I am dating him," Amy continued talking over her daughter. "And so he... he wants you to like him. And you took advantage of that." Her words were filled with disappointment, and that was something Maria rarely heard from her mother. It made the teenager wince inwardly and lower her eyes. Amy noted this, and her expression softened, but she continued regardless. "I didn't raise you to act like that, Maria. Not to anyone, but certainly not to someone who I'm dating. Someone I really like."

"I'm sorry," Maria murmured, feeling so much more ashamed than she had thought possible. Tess and Isabel had both expressed their anger at her for what she had done and how she had done it, but it was her mother's words, that quietly reprimanding tone, that cut deeply and made her realize just how much her actions could have hurt one of the people she cared about the most."Mom, I never wanted... I wasn't thinking about you. And I should have. I'm sorry, I just..."

"I know," Amy said softly. "I know you didn't mean to cause this much trouble. I know you just weren't thinking about it. But you need to start thinking about this sort of thing, Maria. Jim might not be family yet, but I... I want him to be. I like him. A lot."

"I'm sorry," Maria said again, and truly meant it.

Next Chapter: Courtney

Due: Sun 7/27