Straight Ahead - Story of Lines Book I

This is an original story based on the television series 'Roswell'

This is rated: R

DISCLAIMER: I don't own or profit from anything to do with Roswell. Only the original story and new characters belong solely to me.

CHAPTER ONE

"So," she nodded. "Since you bounded out the Granilith and declared your love for me, what was that six months ago? You still won’t touch me." Her voice lowered.

"I want to, don’t get me wrong. I just think that we should wait."

"Wait until you’re going to fly away home again? I’m beginning to feel like I have the plague or some icky human thing. What’s the deal?"

"I don’t want this...This..."

"Relationship?" She filled in for him.

"Yeah, relationship. I don’t want it to be based on sex."

"Oh my god! Are you the only male high school senior in the entire freakin’ country to feel that way?"

"Dunno," he shrugged.

"I know I love you and I know you love me, celebrating our love is so not wrong."

"I know and I fully agree, I just want to wait."

"Fine." She pulled her hand back from him and closed it on top of her other on her lap. "Is this because of Max and Tess, ugh!"

"Maybe. I mean, what would happen if you got pregnant?"

"Okay Space Boy, ever heard of the condom? We tried’em before."

"But that’s not exactly one hundred percent effective."

"Okay, you’re driving me nuts and I have to go to work. We can continue this convo at a later date."

"Maria..."

"No." she held up her hand to him. "I’m not mad, not angry, not anything except late if I don’t leave now. Good bye Michael."

He waved wanly as she walked from his front door.

Why in the hell are these dreams coming again? I wonder if Isabel is having them too? We both did last time. How can I think about making love to Maria when every time we get close I see Iz? She’s like my sister! This has got to be a sign from somewhere, from someone. Maybe Tess back home is doing this to make our lives down here suck; she’d do that. Damn!

* * * * *

"So, are things going any better between you and Liz? You haven’t said much about it lately. By saying lately I mean like the past four months." Michael dribbled the basketball and then took a shot over Max’s head.

"Same, I guess." He took the ball and bounced it in front of him. "Thing’s are hard, I guess. Right after Tess left, I thought that maybe we could pick up where we left off. I was wrong, like usual. She won’t talk about what happened with Tess. I understand, but then I can’t talk about that I have a son out there somewhere. I can talk about it with you and Isabel, but the one person I really want to listen, won’t."

"Can’t."

"Can’t what?"

"Can’t listen to you. When you talk about your son all Liz can see is you sleeping with Tess."

"Oh."

"Yeah." Michael grabs the bouncing ball away from Max and sinks another basket. "Did you not know that?"

"I guess not. She can’t see that my son is a different entity from Tess."

"He’s not, bro. He got here because you slept with Tess."

"I’ve never quit loving Liz."

"We all know that, but sometimes love isn’t enough."

"It was for you. For you to leave the Granilith for Maria, it was enough."

"Yeah, well, that’s me and Maria. Not you and Liz. You had something great. You were the epitome of soul mates and you blew it." Michael picked up the ball and walked to the side of the court. He sat down on the grass and got a sports drink out of a red cooler.

"I didn’t exactly blow it," Max joined him on the grass. "I thought Liz slept with Kyle. She led me to believe that, she set it up. If she was over me so fast, then why shouldn’t I have moved on?"

"Don’t you know Liz any better than that?" Michael smirked. "Give me a break. Even I knew there was no way she would just hop into bed with Kyle. And no, I didn’t really know, it was just a hunch."

"I didn’t think..."

"Yeah, that seems to be your problem Maxwell, you don’t think. Here you are King of the world and not a clue what is going on. You can’t rule without followers, didn’t Is tell you that?"

"Is, she’ll be home on Friday from school for Christmas break."

"Cool. Anyway, have you ever even asked Liz why she set the sex scene up?"

"No." He shook he head and pulled a blade of grass. "It never really came up."

Michael laughed and lay back on the grass.

"What is so funny?" Max demanded.

"How can you even ask me that? The girl of your dreams sets up this elaborate scheme to make you fall out of love with her and you never even ask why?" Michael laughed again. "Seriously, are you high?"

"I guess it never came up," he shrugged. "You know how I feel about her, I would die for her if I had to. She saved herself for me and I never questioned... Damn, why am I so stupid? Here I am all this time waiting for her to come back to me fully and all I can do is talk about myself and how I feel and never even ask her why. Are you sure I actually ruled a planet?"

"Sometimes I wonder Max," Michael grew serious. "If I knew what was up I would probably tell you. I think Maria knows what’s going on with Liz, but she won’t talk."

"You can’t pump her?"

"Excuse me?"

"For information?" Max rolled his eyes.

"About Liz? Not a chance. I won’t lose her trust again by doing that and running back to you. Give me a break." Michael stood and picked up the basketball. "C’mon, let’s finish the game and go home."

* * * * *

Liz Parker and Maria DeLuca worked their shifts at the Crashdown Café, although neither of them wanted to be there.

"Did you have the talk with Michael?" Liz whispered over the counter to Maria.

"Talk? Oh yeah," Maria tied her apron on. "He doesn’t want me to get pregnant and he’s a freaky about that."

"Can’t you use protection?" Liz whispered smiling. "I mean, you can buy them anywhere."

"Don’t be cute Liz. He’s weird. Michael Guerin from Czechoslovakia is strange and I have to deal with it if I want to be with him, and I do." Her eyes became distant. "He actually gave up the chance to go home to be with me. Me! Maria De Luca of Roswell New Mexico. Just an ordinary chick in an ordinary world."

"You’re an extraordinary person Maria, I know why he came back to be with you." Liz’s thoughts temporarily landed on Max and his willingness to leave with Tess. "You’re lucky." Looking over Maria’s shoulder. "And you have a couple customers at table four."

Maria picked up her order pad from the counter and looked towards the table in question. Brody and his daughter Sydney were there looking over a menu. She sighed and walked to the table.

"Maria!" Brody looked up at her. "You remember my daughter Sydney?"

"Of course!" She bent down and shook the girl's hand. "And how are you doing Sydney? Having fun visiting with your daddy?"

Sydney blushed and smiled.

"I’ll take that as a yes, so, what can I get for you two today?" Pen hovered over pad.

"I’ll have the usual and I think Syd here would love some chicken fingers and french fries."

Maria nodded and took off in back to the kitchen and handed the order in. She looked to the side and saw Liz staring out the window.

"Hey lady, what are you looking at?" She walked up beside her.

"Do you think I should tell Max about Future Max?" Liz looked her in the eye.

"I don’t know. Do you want to?"

"Can’t figure it out." She sighed and slapped the window sill. "I want to be with him, that’s a given. But all he wants to talk about is his son and how he’s going to save him. I can’t deal with that to well. The having a son part I understand, of course he wants to know. It’s the having a son with Tess part that makes me want to gag."

"Ditto."

"So should I tell him why everything happened and what might still happen now that Tess left? Do you think it even matters anymore? I can’t deal with the way things are between us right now."

"You hardly talk about it, Liz. I don’t really know what’s going on." Maria prodded.

"I know. I mean you and Michael are like all happy face and Max and I are living two separate lives. I love him more than anything, but I can’t get past the fact that he slept with Tess."

"It was only once, right?"

"Once was apparently enough."

"Touché."

"When that whole thing happened, I was in awe. I was like yeah! Max and I can go back and live happily ever after. For a few weeks it was like that. Me and him. Then all of a sudden all he talks about is his son."

"It is his son."

"I know Maria, but that doesn’t make it any easier. So, should I tell him about Future Max? Should I tell him how good he looked with long hair?" She finally smiled.

"Maybe. Or, maybe, do you want to run it by Michael first and see what he says? I mean the future has already been altered like a million times since then. Technically anything could happen. Maybe Michael will have some insight."

"Michael? Are you sure he won’t run to Max?"

"Nah, he’s grown a lot in the past year. You can trust him. I wouldn’t tell you that if I didn’t believe it."

"Even though I’ll be telling him about his future death? I wish Isabel was back. I think I could tell her more easily than Michael." Liz looked over her shoulder and saw as the Café was filling up with dinner diners "Will he be home tonight? I get off at seven."

"He better be, I have to close." Maria hugged Liz’s shoulders and the two girls went back to work.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Michael picked up the phone, it had been ringing since he had gotten out of the shower. He stood with a towel around his waist, water dripping on the floor.

"Yeah."

"That is no way to greet your nearest and dearest." It was Maria.

"Sorry, I was in the shower."

"So you’re standing there all naked and wet?"

"What do you want Maria?" He laughed into the phone.

"Favor. Liz wants to talk to you and I told her she could trust you not to run with Max with anything. Can she?"

"She can trust me."

"She’ll be over after she gets off at seven, is that okay?"

"I’ll be waiting."

Seven o’clock came and a few minutes later Michael heard a light tapping at his front door. He opened it and let Liz in. She took off her jacket and followed Michael to the kitchen.

"You want something to drink?" He offered her a can of soda, she accepted. They sat down across from each other and Michael put his elbows on the table. "Maria said you wanted to talk to me. About what?"

"Can I trust you?"

"I think you know you can by know."

"I know we’ve had our differences in the past-"

"It’s cool. What’s going on?"

"Okay," she took a deep breath. "Last year I had a visitor drop in on me..."

CHAPTER TWO

"A visitor, like who?" Michael arched his eyebrows and sighed.

"A visitor from another time. From another planet." She crinkled her nose. "He came to me with a warning."

"Okay Liz, you’re killing me here. Either tell me what you came to or go. We’ve never been best friends, but you can trust me. I stood by you in Las Cruces; didn’t I damn near save your life? Go on, shoot." He tried to hide his annoyance with her.

"Max from the future paid me a visit. He was from the year 2014-"

"Stop," he placed his palms on the table and leaned in towards her. "Are you seriously going to sit there and try to tell me that a Future Max came calling on you?"

"I’m not lying, Michael. I try not to lie." She took a deep breath.

"You lied to keep me from going with you and Maria to Las Cruces."

"That was different. I’m sorry, maybe this was a mistake." She started to rise from the chair.

"No, wait." He placed his hand on her wrist. "I’m sorry, go ahead."

She nodded and sat back down.

"He came to my house and told me about the future and how things that are happening now are influencing the future in a negative way." She looked up from the table to Michael. His eyes were trained on her. "Some of the things he told me are scary. I was only trying to help, to save."

"What did he tell you?"

"Max..." She smiled thinking of the memories that had never happened. "Max and I get married in Las Vegas. You and Maria, Isabel and Alex were all there. We eloped. See, Alex is gone, so this scenario probably would never happen."

"What else?"

"Because Max and I stayed together, Tess left. She left pissed. Apparently you all went back home and because of Tess, very bad things happened. Wars. You...You and Isabel are killed."

"Killed?"

"Yeah, I’m so sorry Michael. I knew I shouldn’t have said anything."

"It’s okay. Go on."

"He told me I had to make present Max fall out of love with me and in love with Tess. It was the only way to save you and Iz."

"That’s why you faked the sex with Kyle?"

She nodded.

"That’s why you stepped aside and let Max do whatever he was doing with Tess, to save us?" Michael ran his hands through his hair. "Jesus. You’re totally for real, aren’t you?"

"I am." The defiant Liz was back. "I hate dropping this on you like this, but I had to tell someone besides Maria. Now that Tess is gone, do you think it changes everything?"

"I don’t know, I honestly don’t know."

"Should I tell Max about his future self? How would you feel?"

"Feeling like I’m dead," he smiled. "Kidding. Liz, you sacrificed your own happiness to save us. I will never forget that."

"But did I save you?"

"For now, at least, I think." He stood and paced the kitchen. "I’m floored. How did he get her and back?"

"Granilith."

"Holy shit. I think you have to tell Max." Sitting back down. "Just not quite yet. I have a funny feeling he’s going to ask you soon about the Kyle/sex thing, don’t tell him about his future self yet. He’s still under a lot of tension and this just push him over the edge."

"That’s what I was thinking, too. Should I say anything to Isabel when she gets home?"

"No. Let’s just keep this between us for now."

"Okay. Can I come to you again when I have to talk about it?" Liz rose from the chair. "I only have you and Maria that understand."

"Please do. Thank you again for saving me," he walked to her and hugged her awkwardly.

Liz smiled and let herself out the front door leaving Michael running his hands through his hair in the kitchen.

* * * * * *

"Last day of classes before Christmas vacation, " Maria met Liz outside their lockers the following morning. "Any big plans?"

"Nope. I’m just going with the flow."

"How did it go with Michael last night?"

"Michael was great. He listened and he understood, I think. He didn’t believe me at first, but then he thanked me. He thanked me for saving him." She smiled. "It was sweet. I think we might actually become friends."

"Perfect. You see, now my life is complete." They strolled down the hall and ran into Kyle Valenti. "Good morning my future step-brother."

"Man," Kyle shifted his backpack from one arm to the other. "Do you really think they’re getting that serious?"

"You’re having Christmas with us in the DeLuca household. That would be called serious." Maria winked. "Gotta go." She waved over her shoulder as she walked down the hall.

"She’s crazy," Kyle muttered. "How are you spending the holidays? Parents?"

"Of course, as usual."

"Max?"

"I don’t know yet. Why?"

"This morning he caught me in the hall and started asking questions about, you know, us. Any idea why?"

"Just don’t tell him anything," Liz sighed.

"I didn’t. I told him it was none of his business and walked away," he smirked. "I really liked doing that to him."

"Thanks Kyle, I gotta go."

Liz walked to her class and was surprised to be met at the door by Max; he was waiting for her.

"Hi," he leaned in to kiss her but got her cheek as she turned her head. "How are you?"

"Going to math, I’ll talk to you later." She smiled listlessly and brushed by him.

Max stood with his eye’s shut for a few seconds before making his way down the hall.

* * * * *

Michael was waiting for Liz as she stepped from her last class of the day. She didn’t see him at first, then smiled when she did.

"What’s up Michael?" She walked over to him.

"Max is starting to get paranoid." He lowered his head to whisper to her. "He said you were blowing him off and Kyle was being an ass."

"Oh."

"We’re going to have to tell him and soon. I mean, do you still want a relationship with him?"

"Of course. I always have." She nodded enthusiastically. "But there is only so much I can stand. I did sacrifice everything for him and now it might be too late. He has a son with Tess. All I hear about is that son."

"I know. Give me some time, Liz."

"Time for what?"

"Time to talk to the King and tell him to get his priorities in order. We don’t even know if Tess ever made it home or not. There could actually be no more Tess and no more son." He looked around and saw Max coming down the hall towards them, staring. "Shit, Max is coming. I’ll catch up with you later at the Crashdown; I’m meeting Maria. We’ll talk then. Bye. Go."

Liz didn’t question him but walked quickly away. As much as she wanted to look back at Max, she didn’t.

"What was going on here?" Max pointed between Michael and the distant Liz. "What were you talking about?"

"Oh, just what I should get Maria for Christmas." Michael lied gracefully.

"Huh. You ready to go?"

"Yup." They walked towards the parking lot and the newly purchased green jeep of Max’s. "So when does Iz get in?"

"I’m picking her up at the train station at seven, want to tag along?"

"Uh, I can’t. I’m meeting Maria tonight."

"Okay, well you can catch up with her this week-end. You know she’s going to want to see you. Hey, did you decide to come over for Christmas?"

"Well, I was invited to spend it at the DeLuca’s with the Sheriff and Kyle, too. Maria wants me there."

"Things are really serious between you two."

"Yeah, scary, huh?"

"I think it’s great. So, do you think that she is the one."

"I think I want to spend the rest of my life with her. I don’t know if I ever even want to go home, like planet home." Michael got in the jeep and put his seatbelt on. "If we were older I’d probably ask her to marry me."

"That’s pretty serious Michael." Max drifted remembering the thoughts he had of marrying Liz when they were in Vegas. How he now wished he had that as a real memory and not a daydream.

"Hello?" Michael waved a hand in front of Max’s face. "Did I lose you?"

"Sorry," Max started the jeep and drove off towards Michael’s house.

* * * * *

Isabel got off the train and ran into Max’s arms hugging him, tears running down her face.

"I am so glad to see you! Are mom and dad here?" She released him and looked around.

"No, they’re at a Christmas party, but they’ll be home early to see you." He stepped back from her. "I know I just saw you a month ago at Thanksgiving, but you look great!"

"Thank you my brother. So are you here alone? No Michael? No Liz?"

"Just me. Michael already had plans and Liz and I are not exactly on the page." They walked towards baggage claim and Max picked up three of the five bags. "Every time Liz and I take a step forward, we end up taking ten steps back. Same old story."

"Well, it’s Christmas time, a time for miracles." She slung her free arm over his shoulders and walked towards the parking lot. "So, has Michael mentioned anything to you about me lately?"

"About you? No, why?"

Me and my big mouth. Of course he wouldn’t say anything. Way to go Isabel, let’s see how awkward I can possibly make this. Jeez. "Just curious." She mumbled setting her bags in the back of the jeep.

"You’re not having those dreams again, are you?"

"Of course not. I was just wondering. He never writes me and he’s only e-mailed a few times from Maria’s and I know she was standing in back of him forcing him." Isabel smiled her brilliant smile, maybe it sounded believable. "I would like to catch up with him, too. Does he have plans for the week-end?"

"He said he’ll meet up with you. Him and Maria are probably at the Crashdown if you want to stop by there on the way home. I doubt mom and dad are home yet."

"Perfect," she smiled again, but this one was for show. She’d know as soon as she saw him if he was having the dreams.

* * * * *

Michael, Maria and Liz were huddled together in a booth near the back of the Crashdown, heads together.

"What I think is that everything Future Max told you is null and void, now." Michael talked softly. "Things have changed. You said that Alex was at your wedding. That’s impossible now. You and Max broke up and he was with Tess."

"But," Liz pointed at him. "Tess and Max are not together and I think she was a little pissed about going home alone. Doesn’t that qualify as starting wars and killing both you and Isabel?"

"But that killing was to happen on their planet, right?" Maria asked nervously, picking up Michael’s hand in her own.

"I think so." Liz saw the fear cross her best friend's face. "Don’t worry Maria, Michael is probably right. Everything’s changed. The future has been altered."

"You do have a good point though," Michael nodded. "Tess left. Future Max told you she would because the two of you were together."

"But we’re not together. Max Evans and I are not together because he can’t let go."

"You can’t ask him to just forget about his son, Liz." Maria said.

"I know. I don’t want him to. I just want to get through one conversation with him without him bringing up Tess. That’s what gets annoying. I understand she’s the mother, God, it makes me sick just thinking about it!"

"Okay. Isabel’s coming in town tonight for the Holidays. Liz, you’re going to have to tell Max about his future counterpart, but let’s wait until after Christmas. You know how special it is for everyone, especially the Christmas Nazi."

"Did I hear someone saying my name?" A voice came from behind them. They turned to see Isabel and Max a few feet away.

"Isabel!" Michael jumped up and hugged her followed by Maria and Liz. "What are you doing here?"

"That is not a gracious greeting. I wanted to see you guys and Max figured you’d be here." She looked deep into Michael’s eyes and saw the truth. He was having the dreams.

Liz and Maria scattered to the back of the café leaving the aliens alone together.

"So, what’s the big discussion going on here?" Max asked looking at Michael.

"You know, it’s Christmas. A time full of secrets." He ran his hands through his hair. "Maria and I were just leaving. Why don’t we all get together tomorrow and Iz can tell us all about college."

"Sounds great," she smiled. "I want to get home and get unpacked before our parents get back." She leaned into Michael again and hugged him and whispered in his ear. "We have to talk." She felt a slight nod from him.

Max looked around for Liz, but she was nowhere in sight.

"Tell Liz I said ‘bye’, okay?" Max asked sullenly.

"I will." Michael promised and watched his friends walk out of the café. Within seconds Liz and Maria reappeared. "You going to have to throw Max a bone, Liz. He looks pitiful. It’s kind of sad."

"I know. I’ll call him tonight." She hugged them both and left.

"So, Mr. Guerin, what would you like to do on this glorious winter evening?"

"We could go back to my house and watch a movie or something..."

"Or something?" She raised an eyebrow. "Could that something involve a little touchy feely?"

"Maybe." He grabbed her hand and escorted her from the building.

* * * * *

The lights were low and candles were lit. Michael and Maria were lying on his bed, their clothed bodies entwined.

"Are you sure you want to wait?" Maria whined.

"Yeah, but this is okay for now, right?"

"I guess if this is all I’m going to get."

"A little longer," he murmured in her hair. At least until I can talk to Isabel and figure out what the hell is going on, he thought.

"You still think I’m pretty, right?"

"Beautiful."

"So it really isn’t me then."

"Of course not. I just think we should wait for awhile. I don’t want to rush anything while everything else is so good."

"You are so sweet. When did you get so sweet?"

"I think it was around the time I knew I was falling in love with you."

The phone ringing interrupted their tender moment. Michael swore and answered it with a grunt.

"And I was expecting a civil pick-up." It was Isabel.

"Now is so not a good time."

"Maria?"

"Yup."

"Can you call me when she leaves? Or is she leaving tonight?" Isabel’s smile came through the phone. "Wink, wink."

"Yes."

"Okay, I just have to know first, are you having the dreams again?"

"Oh yeah, and they're not really coming at a good time."

"For me either. We have to figure this out and soon." Isabel said.

"I know." Michael hung up.

Chapter Three

Isabel sat down on Michael’s couch early Saturday morning. He sat in the chair across from her still in his robe. She was tapping her foot and looking at him expectantly.

"So, Michael. Why is this happening again?"

"I don’t know. I don’t like it and I don’t know."

"Okay, so I’m at school and I meet this great guy and we start to get a little intimate and bam! Here’s Michael. Has it been the same for you with Maria?"

"Oh yeah." He laughed. "I keep putting her off and I feel like a big dork, but I sure as shit can’t tell her it’s because I’m having sex dreams about you!"

"I know."

"Do you think this could be from Tess?"

"Tess, how do you mean?" She leaned forward on the couch.

"I don’t know. Maybe trying to mess with us from..." He asked pointing up. "She’d do something like that wouldn’t she? I mean, who knows what kind of powers she’s got going on back on the home planet."

"But why us? Why not Max or Liz?"

"I don’t know. It’s just a theory. I’m desperate Iz, I don’t know what else to do to keep you out of my head."

"I guess you haven’t mentioned this to Max, have you?"

"God, no. He’s got enough to worry about. Besides, if I bring up Tess’s name, it’s over."

"He’s still on the mission to find his son."

"Oh yeah. But he’s losing perspective on what’s going on here on earth. Liz has a story that I want you to hear, but you have to hear it from her."

"A ‘why I let Max go’ story?" Isabel pursed her lips. "Not interested."

"No, not exactly like that. Give her a break Iz, she’s done some heroic things that you don’t know about. Anyway, back to the dreams. It’s killing me. I want to be with Maria again so bad it hurts, but I can’t if you’re the only person I can picture. I thought this destiny crap between us was history."

"I did too. Hang tight Michael; maybe they’ll go away on their own. Let me ask you though, do you only get the dreams and visions when you’re trying to get close to Maria?"

"Well..." He rubbed his chin. "I get the visions when I’m with her, the dreams come and go when they please."

"Okay, me too. Tonight, I’m going to try to dreamwalk you and see if I can come up with anything. There’s got to be a reason for them. So help me God, if it turns out to be that little murdering bitch Tess, I’ll fly up there myself and kick her ass!"

* * * * *

"I just got your message." Max spoke into the receiver as Liz picked up the phone. "I had the ringer off last night."

"Oh," Liz closed her eyes and wished she had Caller ID.

"Thank you for calling. Would you like to go out to breakfast with me?"

"When?"

"Now?"

"Okay," she responded before she thought and wished had said no instead. Too late Parker.

"Great, I’ll pick you up in like a half hour? We can go to Hal’s on the South Side, they have great waffles."

"Sure. See you then." Liz hung up. She had never been to Hal’s. Max must have gone there with Tess. Ugh! She’d only been awake for twenty minutes and already had the first Tess thought of the day. Not a great way to start off the morning. She dressed and was waiting by the front door when Max arrived. She went outside and got in the jeep.

"So, are you hungry?" He asked hesitantly.

"Uh, yeah."

"So, why did you call last night? You’re message was less than vague."

"I just wanted to talk," she looked at him and saw images of herself dancing the wedding dance with Future Max that she’d never have again. "No big."

Max nodded and kept driving.

"Is Isabel settling in okay for the vacation?"

"I assume. She was over at Michael’s before I woke up this morning. You and Michael seem to be getting closer, Liz, why is that?"

"No reason. He is dating my best friend and I’m sure it would be easier on her if we actually got along. Maybe even became friends."

"Michael’s not much for making friends."

"I think Michael is very capable of making friends quite easily." Liz shot back. "Maybe if you looked at him as a person on earth and not just your second in command you might see what everyone else does."

"No need to get mad at me over that. I love Michael like he was my own brother; I’d fight to the death for him. I was just saying he doesn’t want to make friends that much."

"He’s been getting close with Kyle, you know." Liz watched for the reaction to Kyle’s name and nearly smiled when she saw the flash of anger cross through Max’s eyes. " I think him and the Sheriff are going to take him three-wheeling in a few weeks."

"That’s great." Max spoke through clenched teeth as he pulled into the parking lot of Hal’s. He got out of the jeep in silence. Liz followed him inside. They were seated in a booth and their order taken immediately. "So, what’s going on Liz?"

"Not much."

"Why did you call me last night? You’ve barely spoken to me in two weeks; you turn from me when I try to kiss you. What’s going on?"

"I don’t know Max. I’m confused."

"Confused? About what?"

"Everything, I guess." She sipped at her water. "I want a happy life and for some reason there is always something standing in between me and that goal."

"I came back for you," he spoke softly.

"No!" she set her water glass down hard on the table. "You didn’t. You were going to leave this planet with Tess, ugh! You only came out of the Granilith because Tess is a killer. She killed our friend. Don’t you ever say that you came back out for me, because it’s a lie. Michael, he came back for Maria. You came back for yourself."

"I never loved her."

"I don’t care. You still slept with her and she got pregnant!" Liz lowered her voice as their most attentive waitress placed plates in front of them. "That is the bottom line Max. I will not pretend to tell you that it doesn’t bother me, because it does. She was your wife in a different time and a different planet. I should have been your wife here on earth!" She closed her eyes knowing she had said too much.

"My wife?"

"Shut up Max. Let’s just eat and you can take me home."

"I want to hear more, Liz." He reached across the table and picked up her hand.

"No, there is no more."

"I think there is, please, tell me."

"Let’s just go, okay?" She flipped her hand free of Max’s. "I don’t want to do this now, okay? Let’s just go."

Max nodded. He left money on the table and followed her from the restaurant. They got in the jeep in silence and stayed they way until they reached Liz’s home. As she opened the door to get out, she turned back to him. "Everything I’ve done since I met you was for you. Always remember that. Remember that when you think back years from now and know you broke my heart." And she was gone.

Max nodded and drove home where he promptly went back to bed.

* * * * *

Maria was at Liz’s minutes after she had called her. She was still dressed in a Scooby-Doo nightshirt over jeans.

"Are you okay Lizzie?" She sat on the bed next to her and hugged her crying friend.

"I almost lost it this morning," she relayed the conversation to Maria.

"Wow, you sure did. Maybe you should have told him everything."

"No, Michael is right. It’s going to be Christmas in a couple days, after that, I’ll tell him. Have I mentioned how lucky you are to have such an awesome guy like Michael?"

"Yeah you have." She hugged her again and kissed the top of her head. "Well, if you have a shirt I could change into, maybe we could do some serious shopping."

Liz picked out a shirt from the closet and waited for Maria to get dressed. Minutes later they were on their way to the mall.

* * * * *

"Isabel just left if that’s who you’re looking for." Michael opened the door wider and let Max in. "Is it an Evans’ thing or does everyone get up this early all time on week-ends?"

"What’s going on with Liz?" Max turned around to face him. "Tell me."

"Not much to tell."

"You two have been getting too close. What’s going on?"

"You messed up with Tess and Liz got her heart broken. She’s sad, Max."

"What else? I know that."

"She loves you and she wants to be with you, but for some unknown reason, every time you’re together you bring up the hunt for your son and Tess. She doesn’t need to be reminded."

"She told you this?"

"Is so many words."

"This morning she said Tess was my wife in another time and another place, but she should have been my wife on earth. Why did she say that?"

"I don’t know," Michael frowned. Liz, you’re going to blow it. "Did you ask her?"

"No answer."

"Let it go then Max. C’mon, you two are meant to be together, it’s written in the stars. Quit trying to rush things. It’s been an uphill battle for both of you. Give it a few days and then talk again. Wait until after Christmas. Holiday’s make people freak out."

Max nodded and left. After Christmas? I can’t wait until after Christmas to talk to Liz again. They’re all keeping something from me, I can feel it. But what? Why would Liz ever confide in Michael? It’s got to be big and they’re keeping me out of the loop. I don’t like it.

* * * * *

"He knows something is going on." Michael talked over the counter to Liz at the Crashdown. "He came over this morning with twenty questions. I did my best. I told him to leave you alone until after Christmas."

"Thanks. I kind of almost blew it this morning."

"So I heard, with all the wife stuff?"

"Yeah," she grinned sheepishly.

"Anyway, I think I want you to tell Isabel about Future Max. She’s going to come up around closing. I think we need her perspective on it, is that cool?"

"Sure, do you think she’ll believe me?"

"There’s no reason she wouldn’t."

Chapter Four

As the last couple sauntered out of the Crashdown, Liz whipped off her apron and threw it behind the counter, the alien antennas were next. Michael picked up her uniform accessories and laid them on a table. The bell above the door jingled and Isabel Evans walked in. She waved hello and sat in a booth and began tapping her foot.

"Thanks for coming up Iz." Michael sat next to her, followed by Liz across from them. "Did Maxwell follow you?"

"No, he tried. It’s hard when you can’t find your keys though, or your car." Her eyes twinkled. "So, what’s going on?"

"Liz has a story, an incredible story and I wanted you to hear it from her and I want your perspective on it." He glanced across the table to Liz and nodded reassuringly.

"Okay Liz Parker, tell me your story." Isabel crossed her arms over her chest and waited. Liz took a deep breath and told her the same story she had told Michael. When she was done she looked to Isabel and saw her eyes were wet. "My God, Liz?"

"I understand if you don’t believe me or don’t want to, but I’m swearing to you it’s the truth. Don’t you think this was as freaky to me when it happened?"

"I believe you," she reached across the table and picked up Liz’s hand and squeezed. "You’ve kept this inside for so long."

"I had to, I didn’t want anyone to get hurt."

"You were the one who got hurt." Michael said.

"I had to. I had to sacrifice it all with Max..."

"For us." Isabel shook her head. "For people who just came into your life and caused pain and trouble for everyone around them. You never asked for any of this Liz. Neither did Alex."

"Alex should have been at my wedding." Liz looked past her to the empty window. "I don’t know if anything is still valid."

"That’s why we wanted your opinion," Michael looked to Isabel. "Do you think the whole Future Max theory is still applicable or not? I mean Tess did leave and she left pissed off."

"Wow. Have you mentioned any of this to Max?"

"No, we thought we should wait."

"You really gave it all up for us, didn’t you?" Isabel looked at a person she had shown little faith in over the last few years in a new light. She saw that Liz Parker was an extraordinary person and had been sorely misjudged. "You never slept with Kyle, it was just to push Max and Tess together to save us."

Liz nodded. She didn’t like being put on a pedestal.

"I’ll never forget you for this," Isabel whispered. "Now what are we going to do?"

"Any ideas?" Michael sighed.

"I think you have to tell Max the truth. He has to know what still might happen. He has to know about you and him getting married and all of it. I think he has the right to know what happened." Isabel stated. "This is his future, too."

"Yeah." Liz looked at the tabletop.

"You and Max should be together, it’s obvious. Tell him the truth and see what happens."

"I know. It’s just so hard. We’ve been through so much and now it keeps coming back to Tess and their son," Liz cringed involuntarily.

"He’s never going to give up," Michael shook his head. "Like I said before, he needs to take of things here on Earth right now. Can you be with him? I mean can you get past the Tess thing?"

"I want to." Liz shook her head eagerly. "I want to so bad, but I don’t know. It’s all different now. I hate to even hear her name and that’s all he’ll talk about. Not actually her, but their son. All I can see is them together."

"Yeah, I see where that would get the gag reflex working," Isabel smiled.

A knock on the window caused the trio to jump and turn around. It was Max and he looked pissed. Michael looked back and forth between the two girls who shrugged. He rolled his eyes and walked to the front door and unlocked it. Max stalked in past Michael and went straight to the table.

"Someone is going to tell me what the hell is going on around here." His eyes trained on Liz. "You and Michael have been sneaking around so much lately and now Isabel, back in town for twenty- four hours and she’s part of the whatever is going on. I want answers and I want them now."

"Max-" Michael walked up next to him.

"No," Max whirled on him. "I want to hear it from Liz. What’s going on?"

Liz looked between Isabel and Michael. Michael finally nodded and took the seat next to Liz. Max sat across from her next to Isabel and rested his elbows on the table, chin on his hands and looked expectantly at her.

"Fine." Liz sat up straight and told Max about the Future Max. She told him the story with help from Michael and Isabel and then stared at him when she done. Max hadn’t moved, but a vein on his neck had become prominent.

"We were going to tell you after Christmas," Michael spoke softly.

"You should have told me a long time ago," Max never took his eyes off Liz. "I could have changed things. You should have told me what was going on."

"You couldn’t have changed anything Max." Isabel looked at her brother. "You can’t change destiny."

"Destiny? That’s shit Isabel." Max finally turned to her. "It’s all shit. This past year has been full of nothing but lies, secrets and pain. It could have been different. Why in the hell would the future me come back and destroy the present me? Why would I do something like that?"

"You wanted to save us from dying," Michael said.

"Did I really think I could just pop back here and tell the only person I’ll ever love to make me fall out of love with her? Do I ever get any smarter?" Max smiled sardonically to himself. "Will I ever learn? How could I do that?"

"You can’t question what you’d do in the future. That’d be a never ending cycle of torment." Liz restrained herself from touching him. "You did what you thought was right."

"We were suppose to elope," Max looked back in Liz’s eyes. "We were suppose to be happy for a long time and now it’s blown. Michael was right. I blew it because of...You know."

"Max," Isabel put her hand on his neck.

"No," he shook off her hand. "I can’t repair what I broke. Michael was right again, the Liz Parker I know and love would have never jumped into bed with Kyle. I was blind. I was sad and upset and looking for someone to blame. Damn it! It’s all my fault. I was trying to blame everyone but myself."

"It’s not all your fault," Michael ran his hands through his hair. "How are you suppose to know what’s going to happen in the future? You’re not. There was nothing you could have done to change it. Liz did what she felt was right and this is how it turned out. It’s time to move on."

"How the hell can I move on when I have a son out there somewhere? I have no idea where he’s at or if he’s okay. I can’t move on."

"Damn it Max," Michael shouted. "You don’t even know if he’s alive. You don’t know that Tess ever made it home."

"Yeah, she did and my son is alive."

"What are you saying?" Isabel whispered.

"I can feel them. They’re home and my son is alive. That’s all I can feel. I don’t know anything else."

Michael stood up and paced. "You could have mentioned this before."

"I know." Max laid his head on his hands on the table. "I should have done a lot of things differently. I can start now, but is it too late?" He waited for a response, and got none. "Liz? Is it too late?" He looked up to the empty space in front of him.

Liz was gone.

"Where’d she go?"

Michael and Isabel shook their heads.

"She left a few minutes ago." Isabel spoke softly.

"I have to find her..." Max looked around.

"No," Michael placed his hand on Max’s shoulder. "Let her be. She can’t take much more, not tonight. You lost her when you said you could feel Tess and your son. Wait for her to come to you."

Max slapped his hands on the table and stood. "Iz, could I have my keys or would you like to drive me home in my jeep?"

"I’ll drive. Good night Michael."

* * * * *

Liz crawled into bed and covered up to her head and cried. She had told Max about the future they could have had and he had ended with he could feel Tess and their son. Not happy time for Liz. She cried herself to sleep.

As the morning sun broke into her window she awoke and realized it was Christmas Eve. The most wonderful time of the year, whatever. She had no Christmas spirit this year. She just wanted to stay in bed all day and cry. Cry about a future she once had and she’ll never have again. After another hour she dragged herself from the comfort of her bed and took a shower. She dressed and looked at her reflection in the mirror. She alone had made the sacrifice and she was the one who was hurting. Who the hell did Max Evans think he was? She was better than this. A year of heartache was enough. If Max wanted to be with her, fine, all he had to do was keep his mouth shut about Tess. If not? They were plenty more people out there. Most were not Czechoslovakian.

* * * * *

"I dream walked you last night, did you know?" Isabel asked Michael over the phone in the morning.

"I know. Pretty wild night, huh?"

"Yeah. Okay I think we have a problem."

"No shit. Do you know what it is?"

"I think you might be right, it might be Tess."

"Shit. Now what?"

"We have to figure out a way to block her. Didn’t last night reek of her? I swear I heard a voice out there."

"Really, hers?"

"I don’t know, it was female, but I couldn’t figure out what she was saying. Remember when we were near the pod chamber and well...You know, getting funky. I heard a voice. It said to ‘go to her’. Like for you to go to me. This was your dream."

"Any ideas how to block her?"

"A few, but it might get tricky. We’ll have to call her on it. We have to call her bluff. We might have to get Max’s help since he can feel her. God, I hate her!"

"Stand in line. So how do you plan on doing this?"

"We have to do in your dreams. I have to dream walk you and catch her. I think it’s the only way. Tonight, can I stay over?"

"It’s Christmas Eve."

"I know, but this is important."

"Sure. I’ll be with Maria earlier, but I should be home by ten probably. Do you want to come over then?"

"I’ll see you then." Isabel hung up.

Michael shook his head and got out of bed. A knock at the door startled him, then surprised him when he saw Kyle at the door. He opened it and let him in.

"I know it’s early and I know its Christmas Eve. I need help."

Michael closed the door behind him and followed him into the kitchen.

"Okay. My dad and I are spending Christmas at the DeLuca’s. So are you. I have nothing for Maria or Amy. I have less than eight hours before the stores close. Help me and I will owe you." Kyle pleaded.

"Okay. Let me get dressed and we’ll go shopping." Michael yawned and went back into the bedroom.

As they made they’re way through the crowd in the mall, Kyle was still empty handed.

"Why are you not helping me? We’ve been here for like three hours and I have nothing." Kyle stopped Michael outside the Music Store. "I can’t go over there with nothing. What are they getting me? Anything?"

"Yeah, but I don’t know what."

"Do you know anything?"

"I know you’re beginning to piss me off."

"Sorry." Kyle rolled his eyes. "Is there one special thing that Maria wants?"

Michael grinned. He knew what Maria wanted, but he was going to be the only one to give that to her. "Uh...not really. How about a shirt?"

"A shirt, fine. Let’s find a shirt." They walked down the mall further and found a store that carried re-made and fashioned concert T-shirts. Kyle pulled out a 1975 Clash T-shirt that had been re-fashioned with studs and sequins. He held it up to Michael.

"Well, what do you think?"

"Perfect, seriously. She’ll love it." Michael nodded and followed Kyle to pay. Perfume for Amy and twenty minutes later they were driving home.

* * * * *

Liz stayed home all day. She talked to Maria on the phone a few times, but no one else. She had halfway wanted Max to call, but he never did. She sat around in her room for most of the afternoon and evening. Only going downstairs to tell her parents she wasn’t going to the Church services. She lied and told them she was sick. They never questioned her; Liz would never lie to her parents.

After midnight, Liz crawled back into bed and lay there staring at the ceiling. Tomorrow was Christmas. Yippee.

Liz awoke after eight on Christmas morning and rolled on to her side. Something caught her eye on the windowsill. Trying to focus, she gave up and got out of bed. Her window had been opened and closed; green stems hung over the sill on the inside. She opened the window and caught the stems before they fell to the ground. She pulled them inside and smiled. They were roses, the bottom half of the buds were white and the top half’s were red. She clutched them to her chest and tears fell streaming down her cheeks. She looked around and noticed a small box in green wrapping paper. She picked it up and set the flowers on the dresser. She took the box to her bed and opened it. It was a white velvet jeweler’s box. She opened it, empty except for a folded note.

Liz,

I made mistakes, a lot. Someday I want this box to hold a ring for you and get a yes from you. I know it may be a long way off, but I can wait. After all the waiting and sacrificing from you, it’s the least I can do. When the time is right, come to me and I’ll be here. I know what my future holds, it’s you. I don’t care about destiny. I’m Max Evans, I live in Roswell and I am and always will be in love with Liz Parker. I’m making my own decisions now. I love you.

Max

Chapter Five

"Did you forget o come over last night?" Michael called Isabel first thing Christmas morning.

"Merry Christmas to you too, Michael. I tried calling earlier, no answer. No machine. Nothing. Mom and dad were up talking with me until late. There was no way I could’ve escaped. Max snuck out after midnight for awhile, but that was it."

"Where’d he go?"

"Don’t know. But he does seem to be in better spirits today. I almost don’t want to ruin it by telling him out theory on Tess and the dreams."

"Yeah. Did you go there last night?"

"No, I fell asleep and I never woke up. I don’t remember any dreams or visions or anything. How was it for you?"

"Nothing here either. Maybe it went away?"

"Yeah, right. Why don’t you get all cuddly with Maria tonight and see what happens then. Then we’ll know."

* * * * *

Max Evans was in a better mood than he had been in a long time. He saw his future and was clear, it was with Liz. The normal doom and gloom that woke with him each day was pushed aside. Today was the new beginning. Or so he thought. After presents had been opened and breakfast had been eaten, he lounged on the floor in front of the Christmas tree with Isabel.

"So, where did you take off to last night?" She asked propping herself up on her elbows.

"Liz’s."

"Really, for what?"

"To drop off a present and a promise."

"Huh. We have to talk. Are mom and dad asleep yet?" She lowered her voice.

"I hear dad snoring, I guess they’re both asleep. You know how this wears them out. So what’s up?"

"Remember back when Michael and I were having those...dreams about each other?" She asked and Max nodded hesitantly. "They’re back and they’re badder than ever."

"For how long?"

"A while. There's the visions that get really intense when we’re trying to be with someone."

"What brought it on?"

"We think it might be Tess."

"Tess? How?"

"I don’t know. I was dream walking Michael the other night and in his dream I heard a voice that said something like ‘go to her’, I don’t know who it was, it was Michael’s dream. It was female."

"Why Tess?"

"Why not? Isn’t she the root of all evil in these parts?" Isabel quipped. "Who else would want to do that, to make our life’s harder? Who knows what kind of power she has now back home? She could be Khivar’s bride by now. We really think it’s her."

"Can you fight it?"

"We’re going to try like hell too. I was going to spend the night at Michael’s last night, but I couldn’t escape the wrath of parents. I want to dream walk him while being close, touching him. I think we’ll be stronger that way. Maybe we can figure out how to turn it off and get on with our lives."

"Why didn’t either of you say anything to me before?"

"You’ve got enough on your mind lately. We didn’t even know for sure the other was having them until I got back in town." She sat up. "I have to be at Michael’s tonight, all night. Can you cover for me?"

"Sure. If you need my help, please, ask. I know I haven’t been there for anyone except myself lately, but I’m back." He took his sister’s hand and tightened his grip. "I’m not taking any more chances with anyone I care about anymore."

"I’m glad to hear it Max."

* * * * *

Liz waited until late afternoon before calling Max to thank him for the flowers and the letter. He answered at once.

"Max. Hi."

"Liz, Merry Christmas."

"You too." She paused. "I...Uh...wanted to thank you for the flowers and the note. That was sweet."

"I meant every word of it, you know that don’t you?"

"Yeah, I know. I would like to see you for awhile tonight if you have time."

"For you, I’ll always have time."

"Great. Why don’t you pick me up around eight? We can go somewhere and talk alone. Just talk. I think we need that." They hung up.

Liz called the DeLuca household and was greeted by Maria. She told her what came from Max and asked about the gathering.

"It’s great. Sean showed up, surprise, surprise. Kyle and Michael are like totally bonding. My mom and the Sheriff are all cutesy on the couch and I can’t get a second alone with Michael. He said he wants to give me my gift in private, so I have to wait until I drive him home. Kyle bought me this awesome shirt with studs and shit. I feel kind of bad for just getting him a CD."

"He’ll get over it." Liz laughed. "I’m going out to talk with Max tonight so I’ll wait for you to call me when you get home. Have fun and be careful."

"You too."

Liz paced the floor of her bedroom for the next several hours waiting for Max to arrive. A few minutes before eight, she stood outside and waited.

* * * * *

"Well, where is my present?" Maria looked expectantly at Michael as they sat parked in front of his house. "You got yours, where’s mine? It’s not like another bumper is it?"

"No." Michael ran his hands through his hair. "C’mon, it’s inside." He got out of the car and waited for Maria to follow. He let her in and led to the bedroom.

"Ooh, is this a sexy present?" She giggled.

Michael knelt on the floor and pulled a flat box from underneath the bed and handed it to her. Maria looked quizzically at it and then unwrapped it. Underneath the tissue paper was a framed picture. The silver frame was engraved at the bottom; it read ‘Always’. A picture from last year of her and Michael holding hands in a park, it had been autumn.

"Where did this come from?" She asked. "I’ve never seen it before."

"It was taken by Alex and given to Isabel, who in turn gave it to me who is giving it to you." He reached back under the bed and pulled out a smaller box. "Aha! There is more." He handed her the box.

"More, for moí?" She set the picture down and unwrapped the present. It was a jeweler’s box of black velvet. She opened it and saw a silver bracelet, a charm bracelet. She looked closer at the three charms on it. A planet, a spoon and a car. "Oh Michael, this is great! I love it! Help me put it on." He clasped it around her wrist. "Did you do this all by yourself?"

"All by myself, no help from anyone."

"I love you Michael," she hugged him tight. "I love you so much, I am so lucky to have you."

"I’m the lucky one." He stepped back from her. "You have to work in the morning, you better get going, it’s getting late."

"So I guess that means you don’t want me to stay?"

"Not yet, okay?"

"Okay, no pressure." She turned from him and walked to the front door carrying the picture against her chest. "I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?"

Michael nodded and walked her to her car and kissed her good-bye. As the taillights disappeared, he saw headlights coming in form the opposite direction. Isabel was here. She parked and got out and hugged Michael.

"Merry Christmas Michael, I had to drive around until Maria left. Did she like the picture?" They walked inside.

"Oh yeah, she loved it. So, did you tell Max?" Did he freak out?"

"I told him and he was cool. He said if we need his help, he’ll help. I think hearing about the future him might be helping to fix the present him. He said he was back to take care of us again."

"Good. I hate being the one with the sound mind."

"It doesn’t happen that often, so don’t get too used to it." She pulled a kitchen chair into the bedroom and set it next to the bed. "I want to be touching you when you fall asleep. It might help, is that okay?"

"Sure, just my hand, right?"

"Yeah, Dumbass. Are you tired?"

"Nope. You?"

"Not really. But I’m anxious to get started. The sooner this goes away the sooner we can on with our lives."

"So who is this new guy?"

"Just a guy I met at school. His name’s Bret and he lives in Santa Fe."

"Serious?"

"Could be. He’s a dork, really. Reminds me of Alex a lot." She looked down. "I hope that doesn’t make me sound bad. I miss Alex, I really do."

"I know, we all do."

"God I hate Tess! It was bad enough that she killed him, but how. She broke his mind. She took from him the one thing..." She wiped angrily at her eyes and slapped the wall. "I can’t talk about it."

"You will when the time is right." Michael spoke softer. "We’ll be there for you when you’re ready."

Isabel nodded graciously and sat on the chair. She motioned for Michael to lay down. "Let’s see if you can fall asleep and we’ll get this over with."

"Fine, but I’m not tired," Michael yawned and laid down. He outstretched his hand to Isabel and she clasped it. Michael closed his eyes and was asleep within minutes.

"Oh yeah," Isabel whispered. "I’m big bad Michael and I’m not tired. God, men suck."

<<Michael was walking in the desert alone. He knew he was close to the pod chamber and the rocks hiding the Granilith, then he wasn’t alone. Isabel was next to him holding his hand.

"Are you real or my dream?" He asked, his voice sounded distant to him.

"I’m real. Let’s go towards the chamber," she cocked her head to one side. "Did you hear that?"

"What?"

"The voice. She said to ‘go to Isabel, she’s the only one’."

"Great." Michael started off towards the rocks dragging Isabel by the hand. He looked down, the symbols were back and they were burning.

"Come home and bring your bride," the voice called from above.

Isabel looked to Michael, he hadn’t heard it aloud, maybe internally though. Michael walked around the symbols and stopped.

"You will die on earth." The voice again.

"Michael, "Isabel tugged at his hand. "Did you hear any of that?"

"No, but I think I want to go home."

"It’s Tess."

"I think we’re going to die here. You have to go home with me as my bride." Michael looked stressed.

"No, don’t listen to what you hear in your head. It’s not real, it’s a trick."

"Come Michael, take your bride." The voice was louder and then there was a faint laugh.

Michael looked past the Isabel next to him to another one further away and started towards her.

"Michael," the Isabel next to him stopped him.

"Why are there so many of you?" He asked.

"Do you remember why I’m here?"

"Because you’re my bride and we’re going home."

"No, because it’s a trick and we’re stopping it tonight. It’s a hoax Michael. It’s Tess and she’s messing with your mind."

"Tess? My queen?"

"Oh God. Listen to me, do as I say." Isabel began talking softly into his ear saying the same thing over and over until he was nodding. "When I say now, do it."

"Over the mountain?"

"To the mountain. When I hear her again."

"Come Michael-" The voice whispered.

"Now!" Isabel shouted and raised her hands towards the mountain, Michael doing the same at her side. A field of soft purple radiated from them and shot out towards the mountains. The other Isabel disappeared, then so did the mountain. Michael fell to the sand, Isabel next to him gasping for breath.>>

* * * * *

"Where do you want to go?"

"I don’t care, somewhere private." Liz was having a hard time looking at Max. He nodded and followed the road out of town. He pulled along a stretch of desert and parked. "This is good."

"Good. So, what do you want to talk about?"

"Did I happen to mention how good you looked in the future?" Liz smiled.

"Really?"

"Yeah, your hair was longer and you had this stubbly thing going on. Real hot."

"Really?" He pulled at his short hair. " I can’t imagine ever having long hair."

"About the box Max..."

"I meant what I said. I want to be with you always, forever, longer. I know I messed up, but I will wait as long as it takes for you to come back. For you to trust me again."

"Can you not talk about your son and...Her all the time?"

"For you, anything."

Liz wanted to believe him. She needed to believe him. She leaned across the gearshift and stroked his cheek. "I do love you Max." She leaned in and kissed his lips. Images flashed through Liz's mind: Max running his hand through curly blond hair down a bare back and into the back of her unzipped jeans. Slowly pushing them down. His mouth on her neck, lower.

"Oh God!" Liz pulled away putting her hand to her mouth. "Take me home."

"Liz, I don’t..."

"Take me home, I swear to God I’m going to be sick."

Chapter Six

Liz had her hand on the door handle before Max slowed to a stop. He reached for her other arm. "Liz, wait, please."

"I don’t have anything to say to you right now except let go of me!" She turned towards him hiding the first of many more tears.

"I don’t know why that happened," he let go of her arm and looked towards the steering wheel. "I would have never thought you would see that. I don’t have it anywhere near the surface. As far as I’m concerned it’s been forgotten."

"How could I see that? I wasn’t there." She paused with the door open.

"That night, when we were leaving and we kissed? She saw that when..."

"When you kissed her too that night? God," she pushed the door open and got out. "Just when things look like they might be okay." She slammed the door shut and threw her hands in the air walking away.

Max watched her go; there was nothing he could do now.

* * * * *

On her way to work the following morning Maria decided to pay a wake up call on Michael just to tell him how thoughtful he was. She pulled up in front of the house and noticed one of the Evans’s vehicles. She shrugged and let herself in the front door. She looked around and saw no one. She pushed up the bedroom door and walked into what she thought was her worst nightmare. Michael was on the bed with Isabel. He was curled up in back of her, spooning her, his arm around her, his leg over hers. They were both fully dressed.

"Yeah, okay." Maria said just loud enough to wake Isabel. She looked down at her with contempt. "Bye." She turned, took off the charm bracelet and laid it on the dresser before Isabel was able to sit up.

As Maria got to the front door, she felt Isabel clutching her arm.

"Don’t go Maria, it wasn’t like that..."

"Oh, okay." She shrugged out of her grip and rolled her eyes before going back through the front door. Isabel watched through the window as the Jetta took off back down the road.

Michael was yawning as he walked into the living room, stretching with hands high above his head. "Were you in here talking to yourself?"

"No, " Iz shook out her hair and walked to the kitchen for something to drink. She settled on a can of soda and sat at the table. "I was trying to talk to Maria."

"Maria?" He gave her his full attention.

"Yeah, she just walked into your bedroom and saw..." She tossed her hands in the air.

"Saw what?"

"We were laying in bed right up close and snuggly. Probably did not look all that great. I don’t even remember getting out of the chair last night."

"Shit!" He ran his hands through his hair. "That’s just great."

"She set a charm bracelet on your dresser before she left. Was that from you?"

"Oh yeah, Merry Christmas. So what the hell happened last night? I hardly remember anything except a purple light."

"You couldn’t hear her except in your head. I heard her out loud. She was leading you to me. But not really me, it was another me. Kind of freaky. She was telling you to bring your bride home or we were going to die on earth and stuff like that. You were under Michael, I could see that. When I said Tess’s name, you said ‘my Queen.’ I’ll never know how you managed to even listen to me." Isabel paced in front of him.

"My Queen? Jesus. What then?"

"I talked you into throwing your power out with me towards the voice. Everything went purple and we collapsed, that’s all I remember. I don’t know what happened next, I don’t know why I was in bed with you. I mean, I know nothing happened..."

"Of course not, I mean we are still clothed, but that probably doesn’t mean much to Maria. Shit, I gotta talk to her." He walked back to his bedroom and changed. Putting on an Atlanta Braves baseball hat he regrouped with Iz in the living room. He held the charm bracelet in his hand. "I think there might be another problem, now."

"Great, what?"

"I just tried to open the window with powers, nothing. I can’t feel anything."

Isabel looked at him, scared. She looked down to a newspaper on the table and nothing happened.

"Oh shit, what happened?" She asked. "That paper should be in flames by now."

"Yeah. I think we need to go to Max. Maybe it’s something from last night or maybe someone is playing around with the Pentagon again." He glanced at the clock on the VCR. "I have to see Maria first and tell what was going on before she flips. C’mon, then we’ll go see the king and see if he’s powerless too."

Isabel stayed in the car as Michael walked in the Crashdown. He spied Maria and went to her.

"That was not what it looked like." He whispered in her ear. "Not at all, I can explain, but I have to do it fast."

"Explain? Sure Michael, explain. Explain how I want nothing more than to spend the night with you again and you won’t. However the first alien to come back to town and you get all cuddled up like puppies with her." Maria was shaking her head. "Go ahead, this should be good."

"Do you remember when Isabel and I were having the dreams about each other a long time ago?"

"Oh yeah, the big sex dreams and the destined to be together yada, yada, yada crap." Maria nodded and crossed her arms over her chest. "Yeah, like it was yesterday. So?"

"We started having them again, after Isabel left for school. We didn’t mention it to each other until she got back in town." Michael leaned into her. "I couldn’t tell you before and make it sound any better."

"So you decided to act on the dreams? That is so touching."

"Listen to me Maria. She was dream walking me. She wanted to be close. This was messing up everything for her and me. We thought we could fix it, in my dreams."

"Did you?" She squinted at him.

"I don’t know. We think its Tess behind it. Isabel could hear a female voice in my dream, I couldn’t. We threw out power in my dream and now neither one of us has any powers. This is starting out to be a real bad day." He shook his head. "Neither one of us know why we were in bed together, she started out on the chair and somewhere in the night, she laid down with me."

"That’s all?"

"Yes. You saw us, we both had all our clothes on." He laughed. "Shit Maria, I was doing this for you. I want to be with you again, but only you. I couldn’t have Iz along for the ride. You know?"

"Your powers?"

"I don’t know what happened. We’re off to see Max. Have you seen Brody, he doesn’t happen to be messing around with the Pentagon again, is he?"

"He walked by a little while ago, probably going to the UFO Center, he had his daughter with him but I didn’t see anything else." She shrugged. "So, you’re just a plain old guy right now, huh?"

"Plain as can be."

"That’s kind of cool, you know, for now." She hid a smile. "I kind of left..."

"This," Michael pulled the charm bracelet from his pocket. He clasped it around her wrist. "Try to quit leaving this laying around." He kissed the side of her mouth. "I have to go, I’ll be back later. Are you mad?"

"Well, kind of. Not as mad, but irritated. You’re going to have some serious making up to do. We’ll talk later and you can try to explain all this to me again. Because right now you’ve got me floored with Tess in your dreams and no powers and all the alien shit."

"Me too." He cupped her face in his hands. "I love you Maria."

* * * * *

Liz was dressed for work in slow motion. She didn’t want to go, she didn’t want to get out of bed. She didn’t want to see Maria and have to tell her that she saw flashes of Max and Tess. She just wanted to be alone to wallow in her own misery.

As she walked through the back door of the Crashdown she was pounced upon by Maria.

"You didn’t call me last night, how’d it go with Max?" Maria quizzed.

"Not very good at all." Liz tried to walk away but Maria caught her arm. "I don’t want to talk about it right now. I just want to work for awhile and then go back to my room and go to bed and start over tomorrow."

"Okay, but I have to tell you something, not Max-related." Maria squinted at her. "I go over to Michael’s before work just because, no reason. I let myself in and what do I see? Him and Isabel laying in his bed together all couple-like."

"Oh my God!"

"Yeah, me too. So I go off on Isabel a little, leave my new favorite bracelet there and book over here. So a little time passes and Michael shows up. Check this out, him and Isabel are having the sex dreams again about each other and guess who is behind it all, so they think? Yep, your favorite hooker and mine, Tess. So anyway, something happens when Isabel’s dream walking and poof, no more powers."

"No more powers?" Liz brought her hand to her mouth.

"Nope, not at least right now. They were going to talk to...Max, sorry, I know this was supposed to be a Maxie-free conversation, anyway. So that’s all I know. Pretty wild, huh?"

"Will they get them back?"

"I don’t know. This was a whole two minute conversation with Mr. Guerin, so anything could have happened by now."

"So, why would the Hooker be doing that? How could she be doing that?"

"Theory? I think it’s to break up everyone who’s still here. Maybe just to make them have a bad time on earth. I don’t know. I guess there’s only so much she can do from above to ruin the people she knew here and she knows hate her. She’s vindictive and creative and far, far away."

"Not far enough away if you ask me." Liz turned and swiped at the first tear before it had time to develop.

"What’s up?"

"I kissed Max last night and got a flash. Not of him and I, but of him and Tess while there were..."

"Sick!"

"I know, that why I don’t want to talk about it."

"I don’t even know what to say."

"You don’t have to say anything, I know. It sucks and there’s nothing I can do about it. Max said he didn’t know why we were seeing that. Maybe it goes back to your theory about the hooker trying to ruin things here?"

"Could be. We’ll ask Michael later, he’ll be back up."

"I don’t know if I want the whole freakin’ world to know what I saw. It’s embarrassing."

"Do you trust him for the truth?"

"Yeah, I guess of anyone right now, I trust Michael more than anything."

* * * * *

"What do you mean you have no powers?" Max asked for the third time.

"Exactly what we said," Michael was getting irritated. "What part of ‘not having any powers’ don’t you understand?"

"What the hell happened?"

Isabel relayed the story again to Max, who continued to stare at her as he did the first time she told him.

"How could you do that? I didn’t think you could change anything when you were dream walking."

"I don’t know. I talked Michael into it and we got rid of the voice, her voice." Isabel stood and paced. "If I would have known what was going to happen next, I may have done things differently."

"Yeah, a little too late, Iz."

"You are so not helping. Do you have any ideas on what to do?"

"No."

"Okay Max," Michael held out his arms. "I would like to thank you for all your suggestions. It seems that Isabel and I are on our own again and that the King is preoccupied. So I am sorry we bothered you. Please, go back to your brooding self and we can figure this out alone."

Isabel followed Michael from Max’s bedroom and stopped by the front door.

"I thought you said he was better? Didn’t he tell you he’d be there for us again like yesterday?" Michael whispered.

"He did say that yesterday. I think something happened last night and we might have lost him again." She shrugged. "So, what do you want to do?"

"I want to take a shower and get something to eat. Maybe our powers are just resting. Remember last year, when Max healed all those kids, he totally collapsed from exhaustion. Maybe it’s kind of the same with us, but different, you know."

"I was thinking something along those lines as well. We’ll just rest for awhile and try something later." Isabel agreed. "Why don’t we meet up later tonight? Maria should be there, though. In case the dreams come back. I don’t think I want to be alone with you all night again. This morning seemed a little too close for comfort."

"Yeah, that sounds good. Maybe Max will be a little more help by then?"

"Don’t hold your breath, Michael. Tell Maria I’m sorry, okay?"

Michael nodded and left on foot.

Isabel walked by Max’s bedroom and peeked her head inside.

"If and when you decide to help us figure out what is going on, I’ll be in my room." She waited, nothing. "Thank you for nothing."

"I have other things on my mind right now. Give me awhile to think and then I’ll help," Max spoke from the bed. "Okay?"

"What happened last night?"

"I don’t want to talk about it."

"Liz?"

"Who else?"

"Don’t treat her badly Max, whatever you do. You have no idea what she’s done for you."

"Oh, yeah I do know." He sat up on the bed. "I know and that’s the part that makes me feel worse and worse. I don’t know if I even deserve her. Leave me alone Isabel, I have to think. I want to be alone."

"Max-"

"I said I want to be alone!" He yelled.

Isabel walked across the hall and into her room. She held up her hand to slam the door, nothing. She swore and kicked it shut.

"Damn it!" She looked up. "I swear if this is all you Tess, I’ll kill you with my bare hands. Come back here and give me one minute with you. I’ll murder you and I’ll laugh."

Chapter Seven

As Maria and Liz finished their shifts, Michael walked into the Café and waited. The girls met with him at the front door and followed him outside.

"Did you learn anything?" Maria asked after a brief smooch.

"Nope, nothing. We’re still powerless and have no idea why." He looked to Liz. "I guess I can assume that something happened with Max last night, because he’s back to brooding and alone."

"Good guess." Liz didn’t go on. "Maria told me what happened."

"Yeah, one of the wonders of the world, huh? Useless aliens."

"You’re not entirely useless." Maria smiled.

"Yeah, can you tell your mom you’re spending the night at Liz’s tonight? Isabel wants to stay tonight and see what happens in my dreams, but she wants you there."

"Got a little to close last night?"

"Something like that." He blushed.

"Sure. I think Liz needs to talk to you now, it may be hooker related-"

"Hooker related?"

"T-E-S-S, " she spelled out for him earning a slight smile from Liz. "I have a theory now too, I think everything is leading back to her."

"Let’s go back to my house and talk."

"We’ll meet you there," Maria nudged Liz. "I want to change first. We’ll be over in a little while; we’ll bring a pizza. What time will Isabel be there?"

"Probably not until later, after ten."

Maria and Liz said good-bye and made their way upstairs to Liz’s room. Liz changed and then handed Maria the box and note from Max. She read it at least three times before looking back at Liz.

"Girly, this has got to be the most sweetest thing I‘ve ever read. And it came from Max the Brooding?"

"Do you believe it?"

"I think so, it seems legit. At least until the flashes of hooker."

"Do you think he really wants to marry me?"

"Did you tell him how good he looked with long hair?"

"Of course," Liz laughed. "I mean our future has been so altered and now it seems like he wants to follow that path. He said, before the flash, that he wouldn’t talk about her. Do you think he can keep that promise?"

"I don’t know. It’s the whole son thing and that’s not going away. You’ll have to cut him some slack on that."

"I know and I will." Liz slipped a jacket on. "I really do love him Maria, I never stopped."

"I know, we all know. Thing’s will get better girly, you know that. It’s gone on too long and it’s taking a while to get straightened out. It’ll get fixed. I just really want to run my Hooker theory by Michael." Maria stood. "Everything will come full circle, it always does."

"Full circle, huh?"

"Yeah. Think back how freaked out I was when you told me about Max, Isabel and Michael. I wanted to shout it from the rooftops that they were freakin’ aliens and I was terrified." She smiled. "And now I can’t imagine not having Michael in my life. Full circle, what goes around comes around. You paid your dues and soon you’ll reap the rewards."

"Not everything comes full circle Maria," Liz grew somber. "What about Alex? He paid his dues and he died. That wasn’t fair."

"No, that was the Hooker."

"Still."

"You can’t group Alex in this. You know I loved him so much and none of this was his fault. He got used and killed. You proved it. Not everything will always turn out good or right, Alex fits in there. He left behind so many people that cared for and loved him. Do I feel responsible? Of course. Not a day can go by that I don’t think of Whitman. We’ve gotten past the sadness and now we’re still on anger. Once again, the root of all evil in our world...Hooker."

"Yeah. God, I hate her!" Liz picked up a pillow and punched it to the floor. "Let’s go lie to your mom and head over to Michael’s."

* * * * *

"I’m staying over at Michael’s again tonight." Isabel stood over Max as still laid on the bed. "I told mom I’m over at Liz’s with Maria. A girl thing."

"Okay."

"I’m going to call Liz to make sure she doesn’t call here tonight."

"You don’t have to worry about that," Max opened his eyes. "Why are going to spend the night again?"

"I have to know if it’s gone away. Maria will be there too, just in case."

"Have you tried using your powers again?" Max showed little interest.

"Every hour on the hour. Nothing. Don’t worry, Michael and I will fix it without your help. I wanted to tell you where I’d be so you don’t blow it." Isabel turned and started towards the door.

"I’m sorry Isabel." Max called softly from the bed.

"What?" She twirled around on him.

"I’m sorry," he sat up swinging his legs over the side of the bed. "I should be more help right now. I just can’t."

"What’s going on with you?"

"On Christmas, I promised Liz everything would be okay. I told her I wanted a future with her, only her. I gave her a ring box with a promise to fill it."

"Oh my God," Isabel smiled. "You think you’re ready for that?"

"I love her. It’s always been Liz."

"You’ll get it worked out, you’re a king, this should be easy to fix."

"No, I’m not a king, I’m a boy." He cringed as he quoted Tess. "I was a king somewhere else, now I’m just Max Evans."

"We’ll get through together, we always do." She bent and hugged him. "I’m going to stop by the Crashdown and get something to eat before I go to Michael’s. If you need me, call me there. And relax Max, things will be okay. "

"Call if you figure it out or if you really need my help, or if you get powers back."

"Promise."

* * * * *

The empty pizza box had been pushed aside and the trio sat at the table, Michael watching Liz.

"You’ve been staring at me since we got here, what gives?" She finally asked.

"What happened last night with Max. He was all warm and fuzzy last night and now he’s...."

"Okay. I wanted to see him, so he picked me up, to talk. I want him back in my life, Michael, you know that. So, as we talked I felt closer to him than I have a long time and it was good," she smiled lazily. "Then I kissed him. It was flashes. Flashes of him getting it on with Hooker."

"Shit."

"It made me sick! I couldn’t believe it. I freaked, I asked how I could even be seeing that since I wasn’t there and what does he say? We kissed the night you all were suppose to leave and he tells me Hooker saw it when he kissed her that night, later."

"Dumbass," Michael chortled. "He’s suppose to be so smart and he can’t get it together."

"So, yeah, I told him it made me sick and to take me home. I can’t deal with that." Liz shook her head. "No one can force me to watch that."

"This is where my theory comes in." Maria chimed throwing away the pizza box. "I think it’s all her. She’s trying to get back at everyone here who hates her. She’s got the ball in her court, so to speak. Why else would that happen? I know Maxie would so not be thinking about her, especially not when he’s trying to win back Liz."

"I love my smart girl!" Michael grabbed her hand as she walked by back to her seat. "That’s pretty much what Iz and I came up with. She couldn’t ruin things too much while she was here, but now she’s gone and hell bent for revenge."

"Exactly!" Maria stood and bowed. "How else would she continue to ruin what’s going on between Maxie and Liz except to interject herself right into the thick of things?"

"Why? She’s gone, she’s got nothing to gain." Liz asked.

"Like I said earlier, she’s vindictive and creative. Apparently she has nothing else to do back home except cause pain down here."

"I hate her!" Liz shouted.

"We all do Chica," Maria nodded. "Now, we have to figure out a way to get out from underneath her." She looked at the pained expression on Liz’s face. "Sorry, poor choice of words."

"And in the mean time, Isabel and I have to figure out how to get our powers back." Michael held his hand out towards an open window, nothing. "This is getting annoying."

"Since you have no idea what really happened last night are you sure your powers aren’t just, like sleeping?" Maria asked. "Maybe in the morning everything will be hunky dory again."

"That’s what we’re hoping. I don’t know if we even did any damage last night. I haven’t had any thoughts or visions of Isabel all day-"

"I’m sorry, did you just say thoughts and visions?" Maria interrupted.

"Uh...Yeah. Sometimes when you and I would get close, Isabel would pop in there and..."

"Okay, let’s stop there." Maria said. "I don’t need to know anything else. As long as it goes away, it’s all good, right?"

"Right. We’ll get this all straightened out and then we’ll work on Liz and Max."

"I feel like a guinea pig," Liz finally smiled. "This has got to be one of the strangest things that I have ever heard. And you know I’ve heard a lot of strangeness. I don’t know how we can fix anything if she’s in control."

"We don’t know for sure that she is." Michael interjected. "We’d like her to be and then we’d have someone to blame. I hate to be the one to state the obvious, but you know this could be Max."

"I thought of that, but I didn’t like it. I like Maria’s theory better." Liz admitted. "The thought of him thinking about her when he’s with me, once again, gag."

"It’ll work out Lizzie, remember what I said about going full circle, right?" Maria raised her eyebrows.

"I know. I’ll just have to wait and see because I don’t think I’m ready to give up that easily again," she stood. "I’m going to go home, take a hot bath and go to bed."

Isabel walked into the kitchen and stood behind Liz.

"I tried calling you." She said causing Liz to jump. "Sorry."

"You scared me."

"I was being ninja-like," she smiled. "I’m staying the night here with these two and I told my mom I was staying over with you and Maria at your place. I was hoping you wouldn’t call over there tonight or tomorrow morning."

"I have no reason to call..."

"Max and I figured as much." She looked to Michael and Maria. "Ready to see what we dream?"

"I’m going to go." Liz hugged Maria and then wrapped her arms around Michael. "Thank you for everything. You’ve been great." She kissed his cheek and he blushed before she left.

"Okay, so what do we do now?" Maria asked.

"I think I want to sit in the chair and wait for Michael to fall asleep and dream walk him again." Isabel nodded. "I want you and Michael to sleep next to each other. I guess he told you it’s brought on more when you’re together, so I think this will be perfect."

"A little intrusive..."

"I’m sorry Maria, I don’t know how else to do it." Isabel smiled. "You’ll forget I’m even there. I mean, don’t forget too much, I have a weak heart."

* * * * *

Maria’s head was resting on the crook of Michael’s arm when she fell asleep. He looked to Isabel who was flipping through a magazine.

"Isabel, if these dreams get...you know, will you get out?" He whispered.

"Faster than the speed of light." She winked. "I hope this is it."

"Me too." He looked over at Maria. "I hate putting her through this."

"I do to. Have you been kind of dragging all day? I feel like someone kicked my ass last night and I never recovered."

"Actually, yeah. Maria also suggested that maybe our powers are sleeping."

"Nice terminology," she smiled. "We'll have to see in the morning. Go to sleep, I want to end this."

"Good night," Michael rolled on his side and enveloped Maria’s body. She stirred, but did not wake.

<<Michael felt for a hand in the dark. He didn’t know where it was, just that it was there. It was cool outside and smelled of rain, it might have been the woods. Frazier woods. He reached behind a tree and felt a hand, he pulled softly and Maria came from the other side. She was wearing a flowing white dress, wildflowers in her hair.

"What are we doing here?"

"This is where it’s all good," he answered.

"That’s what I thought." She looked past him, a white light illuminating her eyes. "Now who could that be?"

"I don’t care."

"It might one of the firemen."

"Fire?"

"From the accident. Weren’t there firemen? Or it could be Isabel?"

"She’s at school. No firemen, look, the headlights are gone."

Maria nodded.

Isabel rolled her eyes as she stood next to them, boring. However, boring was good. She looked around and recognized the woods; they were close to where they dug up Laurie Dupree. When she turned back to Michael and Maria, they were on the ground, naked. She shuddered and stepped back out of the dream.>>

Isabel, relieved that the dream problems seemed to be fixed, retreated to the living room and laid on the couch. It was enough proof that she saw that they’d fixed it somehow. Now if she could only figure out a way to get their powers back. Maybe the others were right they were just sleeping.

* * * * *

Michael woke up before dawn; he looked at Maria still next to him and smiled. He was home. He kissed her forehead and got out of bed. He found Isabel on the couch and woke her.

"Morning," he yawned.

"I got out of your dream as soon as you were naked," she defended herself smiling. " I swear."

"Thank you. You were no where in my dreams last night. It was all Maria."

"Good."

He raised his hand to the still open window and it began to close, slowly.

"Oh my God!" Isabel sat up. "Why is it so slow?"

Michael shrugged. Isabel looked to the magazine she had been reading last night, a small stream of smoke rose from it.

"I guess they’re waking up?" Michael asked.

"I hope." She waved her hand over the magazine and the smoke went away. "That was physics." She shrugged.

"I’m going back to bed. I just wanted to thank you for staying."

"It helped me as much as you. I’ll be out of here before you guys get up. Just be careful and if you have any of the dreams, let me know. I’ll do the same."

Michael nodded and went back to the bedroom. He lay back down next to Maria and wrapped his arms around her. She murmured something and snuggled in close to him. He fell back asleep, this time he was smiling.

Chapter Eight

Four days had passed and Liz had not heard from Max at all. She knew she should call, but didn’t. She was making him wait now, right? Talking to Michael and Isabel helped, but she missed him. Missed him more now that she thought she ever had. She was relieved that Michael and Isabel had regained their powers, although it was slowly, they seemed to be back to normal now. And Maria, she couldn’t be happier for Maria. She was so in love with Michael and it was really all good for them. The dreams were in the past and they were on a direct route to Happy-dom. She hoped to follow that path soon herself. It was New Years Eve and she had been decorating the Crashdown for most of the day with her parents. Everyone she knew was going to be there, she hoped Max would show, but wasn’t counting on it.

"Are you spacing?" Maria waved her hand in front of Liz’s face.

"I guess so." She half smiled. "I was thinking about-"

"I know who."

"Do you think he’ll come tonight? Has he said anything to Michael or Isabel?"

"Not that they mentioned to me, wait and see. Maybe Mr. Evans has a few tricks up his sleeve."

Hours later the party was going full force. Liz was having a great time and often forgot that she was upset Max didn’t show. She had danced with his father and Michael and even Kyle and Jim Valenti. Maria and Michael seemed to be drifting into their own world and Liz knew they’d be leaving soon. Having Maria’s mom getting closer to Jim and drinking was going to make the stay over tonight much easier.

"I don’t think my idiot brother is going to show." Isabel sat next to Liz at the counter.

"No, it doesn’t look like it." Liz sipped soda from a paper cup. "How is he?"

"Sad. He looks depressed and alone most of the time. He’ll come around. He knows you want him to wait-"

"I do need some time, but I don’t like to hear he’s in pain."

"Most of his pain he’s brought on himself and he knows it, that’s why he’s so upset because he knows he’s caused all of this between the two of you."

"So he hasn’t said anything about...Her?"

"Nope. Not to me."

"Good," she glanced towards the door and couldn’t hide her surprise as Max walked in and straight towards her. Isabel excused herself. Max was wearing basic black, but on his head were Alien antennas similar to the ones Liz wore at work. "You’re here?"

"Here I am," he smiled. "How are you?"

"Okay, you?"

"Feeling sorry for myself."

"So I gathered."

"Sisters and friends have big mouths."

"Only because they care."

He took her hands in his and drew her close to him in an embrace. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her. She could feel his heart beating against her own. It felt good. It felt safe. It felt like home.

"Ten-Nine-Eight-Seven!" The crowd began to chant behind them. "Six-Five-Four-Three-Two-One! Happy New Year!"

"I love you Liz Parker," he brought his head to hers and kissed her. Liz paused and waited for flashes and got none. She kissed him the way she had longed to for a long time and it all felt right. "God, I love you." He murmured in between kisses.

"I love you too Max. I always have."

Max left a few minutes after the magical hour and promised to call the next day. Liz watched him leave and wished herself leaving with him.

"So, he showed?" Maria was beside her. "That was kind of cool. I saw the smooching, no flashes I take it?"

"No, nothing. I liked that."

"Things going to get back on track now?"

"I hope. You going to Michael’s tonight?"

"Yeah, all night, finally."

"Be careful."

"As always. We’re going to scadattle here in a sec," she hugged her friend. "Happy New Year Liz, you deserve a good one. I love you."

"Me too, go." Liz watched as Maria walked to Michael and held his hand. They left together staring into each other's eyes. "You have to quit sneaking up on me like this." Liz shifted her eyes to Isabel who was once again next to her. "You’re going to give me complex."

"Sorry. So did my brother leave?"

"Yup."

"Is everything okay?"

"Tonight it is. That’s all I can ask for, is one night at a time."

"Good luck, Liz."

* * * * *

Michael led Maria into his bedroom and picked up a lighter from the nightstand. He lit a couple of the candles and outstretched his hands to her. She met him and fell into him.

"Are you sure?" She whispered. "I mean..."

"I’m sure. I’ve been waiting too, you know," he smiled down at her and kissed the top of her head. "You don’t want to back out now, do you?"

"Forget it, I’m here for the duration." She stepped back from him and reached to unbutton his shirt. She pulled it open and let it slide from his arms, she kissed his chest and felt a slight vibration from him, she smiled. Maria ran her hands down his sides and around his waist, the belt was next and then the zipper of his jeans. "All good?"

Michael half grunted, half-groaned and nodded.

"You are so cute" she whispered and pulled his jeans and boxers down to his boots. She pushed him back on the bed and lifted one leg at a time and took off his boots. She tossed them to the floor with loud clunks and laughed. "So much for romance, huh?"

Michael sat up and pulled her down on top of him, he methodically pulled her shirt over her head and the, with shaking hands, undid her bra and tossed it to the floor. He rolled her over and pulled her long skirt down along with her underwear as she kicked off her shoes.

Fully undressed, he rested on top of her and stroked her face pushing loose tendrils of hair away. He smiled at her and kissed her forehead.

"You are so beautiful, Maria." He whispered.

"Thank you," she felt his arms trembling next to her. "Why are you shaking?"

"Scared."

"Of what?"

"Of everything, I guess. I don’t want this moment to end and just the thought of being with you again is making me crazy." He laughed quietly. "I’ll never know how I thought I could have actually left you."

"You came to your senses." She raised her head and kissed his mouth.

"Yeah, I did." He let his body weight fall on her and crushed his mouth to hers, hands kneading her flesh. He raised up from her again and silently motioned for her to back up the bed towards the headboard. She obeyed and waited while Michael got a dark look on his face and fished around in the nightstand drawer. He lightened and showed her a silver wrapper. "Aha!"

She took it from him and unwrapped the condom, he rolled over on his back and she put it on him. Before Michael could move, Maria straddled him and helped him inside her. His hands rested on her hips as she swayed on top of him, rocking back and forth and back and forth.

"Oh God," he moaned and motioned for her to stop. "I have to wait, it’s too soon." He panted.

Maria laughed and rocked again just to see the look on his face.

"I’m serious, I told you I don’t this moment to end!" He smiled and pulled her down on top of him mashing his mouth to hers again. He gripped her arms and rolled her over next to him. He fell on her and pushed his weight into her, thrusting, thrusting. Then, he stopped.

Maria opened her eyes and looked into his, she didn’t like what she saw.

"Michael," she touched his cheek. "Michael, what’s wrong?"

"I think," he spoke slowly. "I think it broke."

"What broke?"

"The condom, Maria." He tried not to smile. "I think the condom broke."

"Oh. Shit." She was paralyzed. "What now?"

"I don’t know. I was you know...and then..." He pulled up from her and held his body weight on his arms. "Don’t move."

She nodded as he withdrew from her and looked down.

"Shit." He sat on the bed next to her and rolled off the split condom. "Go, get in the bath and take a shower, fast. I mean clean yourself."

Maria got up obediently and turned back to him, kissing his ashen face. "It’ll be okay."

Michael nodded and watched her pad off to the bathroom and shut the door. He picked his robe up from the floor and wrapped it around, tight, and paced until he heard the water turn off in the shower. He watched as Maria came back in the bedroom, naked with her hair in a towel.

"Oh my God, you look amazing," he reached for her and kissed her. "Do you think it will be okay?"

"I’m sure it will." She shrugged. "I bet this kind of thing happens all the time. Don’t worry about, Guerin." Maria shook her mane free from the towel and crawled back on the bed. "Wanna try again?"

* * * * *

Isabel walked into her house a little after one A.M. and found her brother sitting in front of the television. He looked up and her and waved.

"That was quite an appearance you made tonight," she plopped down next to him and put her feet up on the coffee table.

"Oh. Yeah."

"Can you say more than two words together anymore?"

"Probably." He grinned at her.

Isabel felt a rush from the grin, she felt the real Max coming through. Not Max the monosyllabic brooder, but Max Evans, her brother and friend. Without ceremony she hugged him.

"What was that for?" He laughed pushing her away.

"For being my brother," she shrugged. "For doing what was right."

"Am I right? Am I finally right?" He asked her in earnest. "Is everything going to be alright?"

"I think so. You and Liz are meant to be together and you’ll get there. She loves you so much-"

"And I love her more than anything," he looked down at the folded hands in his lap. "More than my quest to find my son."

"Do you mean that?"

"I do. I’ve had time to think about it. I’ve blown off everyone and everything being, what is it you call me, Max the Brooding? And it’s time to focus on what’s going on around here."

"You have no idea how happy I am to hear you say that!" Isabel gushed. "I’ve missed you. We’ve all missed you."

"I know, I suck." He shrugged. "When I kissed Liz tonight, I didn’t try to hold back anything and there were no flashes. No Tess."

"That’s a good."

"That’s a real good. I mean, I’ll always wonder what’s going on, I am a father after all." He chortled. "Isn’t that kind of funny? Me a father?"

"Yeah, it is." Isabel nodded.

"But I’m not ready to be one, especially considering all the circumstances that go with it. I might not ever see my son, anywhere. It’s all a mystery. I don’t know what’s going on anywhere else. I can’t let it consume me anymore. My life and my passion are with Liz, here in Roswell. I won’t let that get away from me again."

"Can you still feel them?" Isabel asked referring to Tess and son.

"Yeah, but it’s not as strong. Maybe the bond is breaking up, I don’t know like a bad frequency." He shrugged again. "I just can’t dwell on it anymore. I have another semester of school and then I want to go to college and be something. Be something real. Be more than just Max Evans, alien king." He smiled sardonically. "I want a life."

* * * * *

Chapter Nine

Max and Liz sat across from each other in a booth inside the Crashdown, looking into each other's eyes wistfully.

"I’m so glad you’re back in my life," he smiled.

"Me too." She sneaked a french fry and ate it, her hair falling in front of her eyes. "How’s everything going?"

"Going? Good I guess. I actually want to go back to school tomorrow. The sooner we go back, the sooner we get out."

"I know, I was thinking the same thing. I got an early acceptance from Yale yesterday." She added quietly.

"Yale?" Max tried not to shout. "Wow! That’s really great."

"I’m not going, though."

"Why not?"

"Because I don’t want to leave..."

"Roswell?"

"You."

He reached across the table and picked up her hand and brought it to his lips.

"I don’t know what I ever did to deserve you. You are my sole reason for living, Liz. But please, don’t ever make me feel like I held you back from your dreams."

"I won’t, I promise. I don’t really want to leave New Mexico either, I love it here. It’s my home."

"If I could, I would follow you anywhere, you know that, right?"

"Yeah, I know." She sighed as Maria plopped down next to her and put her feet up on the booth next to Max.

"Hiya!" She took a sip of Liz’s soda. "I’m so tired."

"Maybe you shouldn’t stay out so late," Liz winked at her.

"Give me a break, maybe you should stay out later!" She winked back at her causing Liz to blush. "So, what’s going on?"

"Liz got accepted to Yale." Max volunteered.

"Yale! That’s great-"

"I’m not going." Liz interrupted.

"Oh, I know you’re not going, but it’s still cool you got in." Maria waved her hand in the air. "I can’t believe we have to go back to school tomorrow. Doesn’t that suck?" She was met with laughter. "Whatever, I forgot I was sitting with the smarties. Okay, back to work. Call me tonight?"

* * * * *

At close to midnight Maria DeLuca was sitting on her bed staring at the wall. School was the last thing on her mind, all she wanted to do was see Michael. She had seen him for awhile at work, but that was hours ago. She missed him. She longed to be next to him and now that school was starting back up she knew it would even harder for her to stay overnight with him. Her mom was cool with the lie of staying at Liz’s a lot over the Holiday vacation, but that would slowly be coming to an end. Weekends and more lies to mom were on the way.

She sighed and lay down and squeezed her pillow tight wishing it were Michael next to her. She considered briefly telling her mom about staying over at Michael’s, but then thought better of it. As it stood now, her mom wouldn’t stay over at the Valenti’s and Jim wouldn’t stay over there.

She fell asleep dreaming of Michael in ways she never had thought possible before. Dreaming of a real future on this planet with him.

* * * * *

Kyle Valenti sidled up next to Liz at her locker Monday morning before the first class of the day.

"So, you and Max are back together again?" He asked. "Does this mean I have to be really nice to him?"

"You can do whatever you want Kyle," she shrugged. "We are kind of back together, but you can duke it out with him anytime you want."

"God, no need to be so snippy. I was just asking." He backed off. "He’s just fun and easy to mess with. I mean it was much more fun with Isabel, but it’s still fun."

"Whatever." She closed her locker door and looked at him. "Do you still have Tess’s things at your house?"

"Uh, yeah. Why?" He asked guarded.

"Still in her room?"

"My room, but yeah, I haven’t changed it back over yet. Again, why?"

"Do you think it would be possible for me to come over and like, go through them?"

"Still, why?"

"Because I want to, okay?" She rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Why do you have to ask so many questions?"

"It’s what I do. So when do you want to come over?"

"Tonight."

"Sure. My dad’s going out with Amy for dinner and it might be better if he wasn’t there. He’s still pissed and confused about her." Kyle lowered his voice. "He feel’s like he was taken in and used. He really liked having her around. I guess so did I."

"A lot of people were taken in by Tess Harding. I’ll be over at six, thanks Kyle." She turned away and then turned back to him. "Don’t mention this to anyone..."

"Duh." He grinned and walked in the opposite direction down the hall.

Liz smiled after him and then caught sight of Maria and Michael making their way towards them. They were holding hands and seemed starry-eyed.

"You two are making me sick," Liz walked up to them.

"Now you know how it feels," Maria smiled at her.

"I gotta go," he bent and kissed Maria’s lips. "I’ll see you at lunch. Bye Liz."

They watched him walk away, Maria longingly.

"Things are really that good, huh?"

"Better than I ever imagined. It’s like someone took my dream of what I wanted and wrapped it up in a pretty Michael box and gave it to me." Maria said.

"I’m so happy for you."

"Thanks. So when does Isabel leave?"

"Wednesday. We’re meeting at the Crashdown for a good-bye dinner thing. You and Michael going to be able to come?"

"Yeah, I’ll make sure of it." Maria looked down and then back to her friend. "I have to talk to you later, after school?"

"Is something wrong?"

"Probably not, but I still want to talk. You busy?"

"Not until six," she cringed.

"At six? What then?"

"Umm..."

"What are you going to do?"

"I’m going over to Kyle’s."

"For why?"

"I want to go through Tess’s thing’s."

"That’s it!" Maria lightly slapped Liz on the forehead. "You’re nutty. Why in God’s name would you want to do that? She’s gone!"

"Gone but not forgotten."

"What do you think you’ll find?"

"I don’t know. Maybe something. Maybe something about Alex or that Leanna, about Max about the baby. About anything. I don’t know."

"Why can’t you let it go?"

"Because I don’t want to. You know how I get, I have to find out everything and then I’ll let it go." Liz said defiantly.

"Do I have to tell you how bad of an idea this is?"

"No, I already know and I know I’ll just get upset, but something’s nagging me. I have to know more about her. I want to see what she was leaving behind."

"Do you want me to go with you?" Maria cringed when she asked.

"Seriously? I’d love for you too. Can you do it nicely?"

"I can do anything nicely," Maria put her arm around Liz’s shoulder. "We’ll talk later, my little itty bitty problem can be put off. No big."

Liz thanked her and they walked down the hall arm in arm.

* * * * *

"Oh good," Kyle opened the door and let Maria and Liz in. "The gang is all here. I didn’t know you were bringing company." He looked to Liz.

"Whatever, we’re practically family." Maria cruised by him and plopped down on the couch.

"You know what Buddha says about-"

"Stop it!" Liz held up her hand to him. "No more Buddha. Maria’s here to help me. It won’t take long and you don’t have to be in there."

"Heck yeah, I do. It was my room and I want it back." He reached into a box behind him. "I got trash bags. I think we’re taking what’s left of Tess to Good Will."

Liz and Maria laughed and followed Kyle and his trash bags into the bedroom. Liz paused in back of them at the doorway. She didn’t think she had been in the room since it hadn’t belonged to Kyle. She could feel Tess as she walked across the threshold; it nearly took her breath away.

"You okay?" Maria touched her arm. Liz jerked away from her. "Liz?"

"Uh. Yeah. Let’s just do this."

"Where do you want to start?" Kyle asked.

"You two do the closet, clothes. Look in all the pockets for anything." Liz directed as she sat at the desk. "I don’t know what I’m looking for, so anything is good."

Kyle and Maria went to work taking Tess’s clothes out of the closet and going through all pockets and then dumping them in bags. They found nothing. Liz worked at the desk and also came up empty handed. She found a newspaper from last Spring with Tess’s writing on: Max and a heart. She shredded it and threw away. After an hour, she felt desperate.

"Nothing. I can’t believe there’s nothing here!" She slapped her hands down on the desk in exasperation.

"What did you think you were going to find?" Kyle asked tying up another bag of clothes.

"I don’t know." Liz stood in the middle of the room, her eyes closed. "I can feel her here. Can you?" She opened her eyes and looked towards the blank faces of Maria and Kyle. "Can you feel her?"

"No," Kyle said. Maria shook her head.

"Maybe it’s just me," Liz closed her eyes and saw Tess. She was standing in front of her looking at her, looking like her. Liz gasped and fell backwards onto the bed. Kyle and Maria were at her side.

"Are you okay?" Maria knelt next to her. "What happened?"

"Gone but not forgotten," Liz murmured. "She’s not really gone."

Kyle left the room and came back with wet washrag that he pressed it to Liz’s forehead.

"What are you saying Liz?" Maria’s voice trembled.

"She’s still around." Liz sat up and accepted the rag from Kyle. "And she’s still pissed."

"Maybe we better go," Maria helped her friend to stand.

"I’m okay," Liz shrugged Maria’s hand off her. "Maybe it was just too much Tess overload. I just want to go home."

"Are you sure you’re okay?" Kyle stood on her other side. "I mean the only thing I feel is how happy I am to get my room back!"

"It was just a feeling I guess." Liz shook her head clear. "I was on a hunt and couldn’t come with anything and I guess my mind was playing tricks on me."

"Yeah, right." Maria nodded not believing her for a second. "Are you sure everything’s okay?"

"Yeah, let’s go." She turned to Kyle. "Thank you for your help."

"Thank you for my room back." He glanced towards the bags on the floor. "One trip to Good Will and I’m done."

Maria and Liz left in silence. It wasn’t until Maria pulled up in front of Liz’s that they spoke again.

"What was going on in there? Back at Kyle’s?"

"I don’t know. I just felt her, I think I saw her." Liz shook her head. "Maybe it was just conjured up from my mind. Everything’s going so great with Max and I’m not real used to that anymore. Maybe I was trying to make a mountain out of a molehill and I succeeded. I’ll let it go."

"I hope so..."

"She is gone Maria, and she will be forgotten."

* * * * *

Maria arrived home relieved that her mom was still out. She went to her room and laid down closing her eyes. She had needed to talk to Liz today. She needed to tell someone that her period was now seven days late.

Chapter Ten

It had been thirty-two days and Maria was beyond herself. She had hermited herself away in her house most of the time and rarely had time for Michael or Liz. She wanted to confide in both of them, but the truth of the matter was she was scared silly. At work she was shy, at school she was shy. When she was with Michael alone, she shied away from him. Their trysts were further apart and Michael knew something was wrong, but she wouldn’t let him in. He went to Liz for answers but didn’t get much in return.

"I don’t know what’s going on, Michael. I really don’t." Liz shook her head. "Maria has been my best friend forever and she’s never been like this before. She’s not letting anyone in."

"What happened?" Michael ran his hands through his hair as the breeze kicked up on the roof of Liz’s. "Everything was bliss. I was happy, Maria was happy and then bam! Nothing."

"I know. I call all the time and she won’t talk about herself. She asks a lot about Max and I and how Isabel is, but she won’t divulge anything about herself."

"But that’s not Maria." Michael shook his head. "She’s all about telling you exactly what’s going on. She never holds things back."

"I know, I’m doing everything I can, but without her talking it’s hard." Liz tried to smile for him. "She’s having an issue and she’s not ready to share yet. Did anything happen between you two? Like a fight? Or another dream about Iz?"

"No. Everything was perfect and then a couple of weeks ago she just withdrew from me and life it seems." Michael shook his head towards the sky. "I don’t know what to do. I don’t know how to fix things. I’m usually pretty good at breaking them, but fixing is hard. Especially if you don’t know what’s broke!"

"I’m going to her house tonight, her mom invited me over for dinner and then I’m going to sit her down and practically force her to talk. If I have to shake her, I’ll do it." Liz stood up and walked to the railing looking down. "I’m worried Michael."

"So am I." He joined her looking down onto the street.

* * * * *

Max looked at the clock on the kitchen wall for the fourth time that hour. He was waiting, but he didn’t know for what. He wasn’t seeing Liz tonight because she was going to Maria’s for dinner. Something was bothering Maria, that was obvious. He put his hand to his heart and felt the beat. Something was happening.

The kitchen door opened and Max jumped, surprised at the sight of his sister.

"What are you doing here?" He rushed to her and hugged her. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," she laughed. "Just wanted to come home for the week-end."

"Why didn’t you call? I would have picked you up at the train station."

"I got a ride, actually. A girl in my dorm drives through here on her way home. She’s picking me back up Sunday night. So what’s going on?"

"Nothing. Why the sudden urge to come home?"

"I don’t know. I woke up this morning and thought ’Isabel, you should be at home this week-end!’ And as I walked down the hall this girl was putting up a notice she needed someone to share gas money and voilá, here I am!" She set her bag on the floor and looked around. "Parents?"

"Gone. Out with the Masterson’s, dinner and cards I think."

"Cool. So what’s the big plans for the evening? Anything?"

"