"That's OK Max…I understand."
"So are we all gonna play happy families now huh? Is that it? We're not family OK? If you haven't noticed, we're not exactly from around here." Michael shouted.
"That is enough from you Michael."
"What is it you don't like about this huh? Is it because I'm making my own decisions for a change without listening to what you have to say?"
"What I don't like about this is that you are making the wrong decisions Michael and you're being unreasonable, as usual."
"Max, Michael, we don't have time for this. Liz is a part of this now and she is innocent, just like us. Michael if you don't calm down, I won't stop Max from losing it with you…right now you'd be more useful to us if you were unconscious anyway." Liz is silent but tears roll down her smooth cheeks. "Look what you're doing Michael? You're hurting her. You're hurting us as well. If you're so scared of our destruction then you should be scared of yourself. You've always been reckless, but I never thought this is how you'd respect what we are, when we need you most."
"Isabel…I'm…Liz, I'm sorry."
"That's OK Michael really, I understand…you can't help it." She moves towards the confused Michael Guerrin and he is startled at first. Then he realizes she is hugging him. It's as if she knows how he likes to be hugged, not that he'd ever admit to it at all. He likes her warmth, it is something he has missed out on and is unfamiliar with. She breaks off from him and returns to the conversation.
"Well now that Michael has finally calmed down, I think we all understand that we are in fact in this together, all of us. I believe that you now know Liz can be trusted?"
"Yes Max." Isabel says surely, with so much compassion for Liz.
"Yes." Michael does trust her, and is a little stifled at how easy it was for him to do so.
"Then, we are family. No secrets, no lies. From now on, our actions effect each other and we live to protect each other."
"I wouldn't accept any less." Liz insisted.
"Then that's the way it is. Everybody put your hands in to form a pact."
The group followed Isabel's instruction, sat around the table in a circle, each placed one of their hands in the center one on top of the other, and began to make a pact. Something happened which was out of their control and they couldn't stop it. All looked on amazed as an amazing bright green light formed from their joined hands. It grew slowly. It was a fascinating display. It filled them with a sensation of calm as the light washed over them. Finally it faded and a ring shot from it, passing through them, and growing outwards, passing through everything in it's path, in the form of a shockwave.
"Uh…guys…what the hell was that?"
"Michael, I…don't…know…it was…amazing"
"It was Liz…the power inside her, showing us…showing us…"
"The truth." Liz elaborated.
Max heard a noise close by.
"What was that?"
"Oh my God Max!" Maria and Kyle were standing at the door, which lead to the balcony. They looked terrified and freaked out.
Maria and Kyle began to run off.
"Maria wait!" Liz pleaded. "I can explain just…let me show you."
Maria was in a state of shock right now and didn't even resemble the girl Liz knew. She headed towards her car and left the utility door open. Kyle shortly followed, and by chance, had found his car keys on the unit. He was in shock, but he could manage, and was still sane, which was more than could be certainly said for his sister.
Back on the balcony, the group just looks at each other with intensity in their stare, wondering what happens next, and why their luck was so very, very down.