Title: When Times Collide

Disclaimer: I don't own anything

Author's note: The story is written for Jelsi4life, and therefore at least half of the ideas are not actually mine. Probably more. And credit for the name goes to MysticGohan88. The story starts during The End of the World, right after Maria has taken Liz and Alex to the psychic.

Summary: When Max and Liz's daughter comes to the past seeking help, two times collide in a desperate race to save the future.

Prologue

She stared at the swirling mass of blue energy before her. It sent strange shadows spiraling against the wall of the cave, giving the entire room an eerie, otherworldly look.

Two minutes.

Her stomach twisted into knots. She could only imagine what they would say when they found her missing. In these times, missing could mean so many things, but it most often meant dead. And she had no desire to cause them heartache of grief.

But if this worked...

She had to at least try. She could not give up on this, on the only plan that made any sense. She was not sure she would be able to manage it, but... she had to try. Because the future, her future, all their futures, depended on it.

She placed her hand on the blue energy, felt it rush into her body, felt herself being pulled apart and reassembled inside the glowing cone. She was nothing now, just matter not quite formed into a human, just energy and spirit about to break through the confines of traditional time.

To the past.

To their only hope.

"God help me," she whispered, a fervent prayer, and the last thing she saw was the cave crumbling around her until...

A void. Nothingness. Black eternity, endless.

God help us all.

Chapter One: The Stranger

"Seriously, Max, when a girl blows you off just after you've confessed your deep and undying love for her..." Maria began as she dropped into a seat next to the hybrid king and stared moodily around the Crashdown.

"I know, I know," Max muttered. "Take the hint. Just let her go." He rested his chin on his hand and gave Maria a thoughtful stare. "Have you given up on Michael yet?"

Maria rolled her eyes at him. "Please. I have Michael eating out of my hand. He's begging me to take him back."

Max barely restrained the laugh that threatened to gurgle from his throat. The idea of Michael ever begging anyone for anything was ridiculous. The taciturn alien might return to Maria, and there was certainly no doubt in Max's mind that that was exactly what his friend wanted to do. But it would be in his own way and at his own time, and not because of Maria's constant nagging and phone calls.

Instead, he asked, "Is that what your fortune teller told you?"

Maria grimaced. "That phony doesn't know what she's talking about," she huffed impatiently, and rose to her feet. "You want to wallow in pity, do it by yourself!" And without another word, she stormed away.

Max frowned at her retreating back, then shook his head with a sigh. He would never understand Maria, no matter how hard he tried.

"I think you might have upset her," a voice said dryly, and he looked up to find Alex standing next to him, leaning on the booth.

"What did the fortune teller tell her?" Max asked curiously.

Alex slid into the seat opposite and replied, "That she has forty-eight hours with Michael and then it is all over."

"Over?" Max repeated. "I didn't realize it had even begun again." He looked down at the table. Liz wasn't working today. At least if she had been working he would have been able to catch a glimpse of her... Now he would have to wait to see her until school the next day. Unless he went to her window...

He winced with the realization that he now sounded like a stalker.

But he wasn't a stalker. He was the boy who was madly in love with her. And she loved him back, he knew that. So why did this have to be so difficult. What was stopping them from being together when it was what they both wanted?

As if on cue, the bells on the door of the diner jingled, and Tess stepped into the room. She scanned the place quickly, her eyes landing on Max and Alex. She offered them a quick smile and Alex, never one to show any negativity towards anyone, smiled back. Max just stared at her, unsure what to think. There was the twisting of something in his stomach, a guttural feeling of tension and chemistry that lingered in the air around Tess like a perfume. But it was not love.

And she was not Liz.

He pushed himself away from the booth and stood up. "I need to see Liz," he announced to Alex, even as Tess made her way towards them. He brushed past her, barely giving her a second look, and did not see the momentary hurt that passed through her eyes as she watched him go.

"Give up," Alex advised, rising to his feet as well. Tess turned sharply towards him, and he shrugged. "You won't get in between those two. Max and Liz were made for each other."

Tess frowned but said nothing, and Alex wished he could read what was happening behind her emotionless blue eyes. But he couldn't, and a moment later she excused herself and walked over to another table to talk to Kyle and a few of his friends. He watched her go, lost in thought.

Liz stared at herself in the mirror, a little unsure. The entire day had left her unsettled and she silently reprimanded herself for letting Maria drag her to this psychic, this fortune teller. But the woman had said that Max would choose love, choose her...

She found herself smiling slightly, even knowing this was not supposed to happen, even knowing that he was destined to be with Tess, even knowing that she could not stand in the way of his duty. Still...

He will choose her.

She could almost see herself in that sparkling white wedding dress, hair pulled away from her face in an elegant updo, surrounded by family and friends... the perfect day to start the rest of her life. The small smile on her face spread into a wider grin, and she could not help but think that this future would be absolutely amazing. With Max by her side...

The words left her mouth before she could even think through what she was saying. But it all felt so incredibly right. Like it was meant to be. "I, Liz Parker, take Max Evans to be..."

Outside the window, a crash of thunder interrupted her words, and a sudden flash of lightning lit up the night sky, illuminating the distant hills that surrounded the desert town. Liz turned sharply, eyes widening at the noise, but quickly shook her head, assuring herself that it was nothing but a storm.

She turned back to the mirror. "I, Liz Parker..."

The girl toppled through the window, crashing onto the ground near Liz's feet. Her hair, a dark brown with blonde highlights streaking across the top, splayed out over her face, concealing her features from view. She was shaking, her entire body trembling with the effort of staying conscious.

Liz bit back a scream.

The girl rose to her feet with an unsteady wobble. Her face was pale, but her skin was marred by bruises along her bare neck and arms. She looked exhausted and wary and way too old for her age, all at the same time.

"Who are you?" Liz breathed, already backing away from the stranger. Her eyes quickly scanned the room for anything she might use against a weapon, and she wondered if she should call for her father's help. But what if this girl was an alien, a skin? The last thing she wanted was to reveal the secret to her father, or put either of her parents in unnecessary danger.

But the girl did not seem capable of words. Instead, she stared at Liz, her mouth falling open. The expression on her face could only be described as reverent awe. Her eyes swam with tears of relief and lingering pain and some other emotion Liz could not quite identify.

The girl, Liz realized, was younger than her, although only by a year or two. This, combined with the girl's obvious exhaustion, emboldened the brunette a little, and she said again, this time in a firmer voice, "Who are you?"

"They were right," the girl said finally, the words barely making it past her dry lips. They sounded strained, forced, as though she found it difficult to speak past the lump in her throat. "You really are beautiful."

Liz blinked, thrown by the unexpected comment. "Wh-what?"

"I need your help!" the girl said, suddenly seeming to jolt back to the reality of the situation. Panic filled her features, and she rushed towards Liz. The brunette backed away, and the girl stopped, surprised and hurt. It did not take Liz long to realize the hurt was a direct reaction to the suspicion the waitress was displaying, but why would this girl possibly expect her trust? Or her help?

"What are you talking about?" Liz said again, her voice harsh. A little more harsh than she had intended, and the strange girl winced and dropped her gaze to the ground. Acting on a whim, a feeling Liz could not explain, she said in a more gentle tone, "It's alright. You can tell me."

The girl's eyes snapped up. "You have to help us! You don't know what he's done... everything's so destroyed. He ruined it, all of it. The world, everything..." she stopped, overcome by tears. "You're not there. He took you, too, and I..." Again, she stopped, unable to continue.

"What are you talking about?" Liz asked, not understanding any of what this girl had said. "Who destroyed what?"

"Khivar," the girl whispered, her voice so low it was almost inaudible.

Liz stiffened, freezing. How did this girl know Khivar? Was she a skin? She had to be an alien, there was no other explanation for it. But that still did not explain everything. She slanted a look at the desk. Her desk-light could serve as a decent weapon if she needed to defend herself, but how was she going to get past this alien without attracting suspicion? And what would she do after she escaped? Go to Max?

The girl sagged against the wall, emotionally drained. "I..." She hesitated, then said, "We need you. Don't you understand?"

Liz shook her head. "Understand what? You haven't even told me who you are or why you need me. How can I help you?" She began inching forward, praying silently that this alien would not see her subtle movements, would not realize what she was trying to do. Her gaze flickered to the desk-light and back. She would only have one chance to do this.

"You're the only one who can," the girl whispered. "I need you. I need you."

And then she met Liz's gaze.

And Liz froze. Those eyes. There was something about them. They were tired, that much was true, and they had clearly seen too much horror in the past. The weight of the world seemed to rest heavily upon her shoulders, reflected by a seriousness in her eyes that was far too grave for her age. But there was something else about them, something so familiar...

And Liz gasped.

They were Max's eyes.

She heard the voice of the fortune-teller echoing in her head, words she had cherished for those few minutes ringing in the silence - he chooses love - and she knew what the girl would say before the words had even left her mouth.

It was still a shock to hear it.

"You're my mother," the girl whispered. "Our Queen. We need you." A pause, then, "I need you."

"No... no, that's not... it can't... how?" Liz gasped, unable to form a coherent sentence. How could her daughter be standing here? She didn't have a daughter. And she was not married to Max. She had not slept with Max. They did not have a child together. This girl could not be her daughter. This girl could not be her daughter. This girl could not be her daughter.

"You don't know what it is like..." the girl murmured, talking more to herself than to Liz. "You don't know, you couldn't understand... I can't do this. I mean, we need you. And Dad. I just... How can we survive without leaders? I can't do this all by myself. I just... can't. I can't!" The last two words were louder, an abruptly hysterical shout.

Liz glanced nervously at the door. Had her parents heard that?

"Calm down, alright?" she said, trying to be soothing. "Please. Calm down. Everything is going to be fine."

The girl swallowed. "Okay," she said simply.

Liz inhaled slowly, worried. The panic was gone now, and the girl - her daughter? - was staring at her with complete and absolute trust. As though she would believe everything Liz said just because she said it.

She shook herself again. This was ridiculous. This girl could not be her daughter. It was just impossible. Logically, rationally, this could not be true.

"I think you might be mistaken," Liz said finally, delicately, not wanting to upset this potentially unstable alien. "I can't be your mother. I don't have a daughter. I'm not married. I haven't given birth. I don't have a child."

The stranger blinked. "Of course you don't. Not yet, anyway. But you will."

"I... will?"

The girl nodded seriously. "In the future."

"Oh." There wasn't a lot Liz could say to that, so she remained silent, her attention now turned back to the desk-light. Maybe it was time to take the chance, to escape from this. To find Max.

She turned away from the girl, and it was just at that moment that the supposed daughter jumped forward and caught her hand, trying to pull her back around. The moment their skin touched, a jolt of electricity rushed through Liz's skin, and suddenly she was cast headlong into a series of flashes she could only barely comprehend.

"Where is your king? Where is Max?" the man snarled, his face twisted in rage as he advanced on the captive woman. A set of brown eyes stared back at him, fierce and unafraid, and then Liz spat in his face. Next a sharp pain as the noose slid around her neck and a final gasp for air before her life faded and...

"Mommy!" A five-year-old was screaming over and over while the adults around her shed tears. "Mommy!" No one was coming. No one would answer that cry.

The same five-year-old listened from behind a corner as two men argued. "Maxwell, just think..." "I'm done thinking! He took my sister and my wife. And he will pay for it!"

Now six years old, the girl watched silently as buildings crumpled all around her and the earth trembled beneath her feet. A man stood behind her, holding her tightly, protectively. In his eyes shone the promise that he would not let anyone hurt her.

At seven, the streets ran red with blood. At eight, the girl felt the harsh slap of a hand against her face and the scream of someone to let her go, to please just let her go!

Nine-years-old, and she smiled secretively at a boy with curly brown hair. He smiled back.

The ten-year-old hid behind the corner once again, and listened to another argument. "Michael, please, just be careful! Think about what happened to Max when he went for revenge against Khivar. Think of Isabel. I don't want that to happen to you." And the answering reply, gruff and unyielding, "I know, Maria. But I promised Max I would protect his daughter, I already let her get kidnapped once. We are all in danger now, and I have to protect us."

Smoke, acrid, burning, hot, flames, fire, blood, screams, tears, pain...

The girl got older, and the world did not change. More people died, more people grieved, more people struggled to survive...

"Khivar wants her. She's Max's daughter. She's the true Queen. We have to protect her. We have to keep her safe!"

Queens lead. They fight. They protect others. They should not be the ones who are protected.

Crying. Blood. Death.

The world did not change.

She would change it. She would save it. She would bring back the true leaders, the ones who could fight back... the ones who could win.

Screaming, triumphant laughs, mocking words, pain, blood, crying, begging, pleading, fire, ash, embers, earthquakes, disease, poverty, ruin...

God help us all.

Liz yanked her arm away from the girl and pressed it to her head as the images became so overwhelming that she could barely stand straight. She staggered, shaking, falling to her knees, and finally succumbing to a darkness that removed all the horror she had just witnessed. The last thing she heard was the frantic cry of "Mom!" and then everything went black.

Max gave a brief smile to Nancy Parker as he walked up the stairs towards Liz's room. He had debated taking the window entrance to avoid seeing her parents, but decided instead to enter the normal way. He wanted this to be normal. He wanted them to be normal. He wanted Liz to accept him as a boyfriend, accept his love.
He wanted a lot of things, and he knew he wouldn't get most of them. But how could he ever give up on Liz?

He paused outside her room, trying to collect his thoughts, trying his best to come up with some argument he could make for just why exactly she needed to let him give up on this destiny. She had been so adamant, that he needed to do this, needed to be with Tess, but... Didn't she understand that she was his entire world?
His thoughts were interrupted by a muffled cry of alarm and the sound of something heavy hitting the floor. Without thinking, he shoved the door open and rushed into the room. The scene before him made him freeze with surprise and then fear. Liz was lying on the ground, unconscious but still alive, and a strange girl knelt beside her.

Max flung out one hand with a snarl, "Get away from her!"

The strange girl reacted instantly and a shimmering wall of blue energy appeared in front of her, radiating from her outstretched palm. "Wait," she protested, looking just as shocked at seeing Max there as Max was at her clearly alien abilities, "you don't understand. I'm not..."

"I told you to get away from Liz," Max hissed, and this time his attack caused a ripple in her shield as the two energies met with a great force and a sudden burst of kinetic heat. The girl stumbled backwards, but held her ground gamely, and this only enraged Max further.

"I'm not going to hurt her!" the girl cried, taking a step backwards and nearly tripping over Liz's body.

"No," Max agreed dangerously. "You are not."

Liz groaned, consciousness slowly invading her senses, and she rolled onto her side, her eyes still tightly shut. The girl looked down at her sharply, and the protective shield fell away, giving Max the opportunity he needed. Before she really registered exactly what had happened, she was sailing through the air away from Liz. She crashed heavily into the wall and slid to the floor, stars dancing before her eyes.

"Who are you?" Max asked viciously, moving towards her, "and what do you want with Liz?"

Liz blinked once and opened her eyes. She twisted, pushing her hands beneath her and pulling herself slowly into a sitting position, looking wearily towards the two voices. Max was standing imperiously over the girl who had huddled into a small ball on the floor, looking both frightened and hurt. Not physical pain, but a mental anguish that reverberated all around her.

Max lifted his hand, conjuring a crackling energy, power strengthened by his fury at seeing Liz hurt. "Answer me!" he commanded, but the girl was silent, all words having left her. She simply stared, and Max pointed his hand at her, ready to attack.

Liz acted on instinct, on a maternal feeling she didn't even know she had, and cried out, "Max, no!" But as she reached out a hand to stop him, she felt a spark of electricity rushing just below the skin, and then Max was smashing into the far wall, his expression one of complete shock.

And all Liz could do was stare at her hand and ask in a hushed voice, "What did I do? What was that?"