Chapter One

"Hi sweetheart!" Liz bent down and hugged her daughter. She looked to Isabel and nodded. "Come in."

Isabel walked in as Sloane ran past them to her room carrying her overnight bag. Liz watched Isabel with trepidation as she sat at the dining room table; she reached under the table and felt for the signatures as she always did. Liz sat across from her and waited.

"You should have been told, I’ll agree with that now. At the time, I didn’t Max should tell you."

"Why not?"

"Because he screwed up and wasn’t thinking, I know, what’s new? Anyway, it wasn’t a big deal. He wouldn’t have even said anything to me if it weren’t for Sloane. I know he won’t tell you this part, so I will. After it happened he came home and Sloane told him he didn’t ‘feel like mommy’ and he freaked out. Sloane knew something was wrong and I pushed him until he told me."

"Sloane knew?" Liz glanced down the hall to her daughter’s room. "She’s so amazing."

"I know. I think she’s got a lot more talent than any of us know about." Isabel smiled. "I think she’s got some powers like Leia, she’s just not as forthright about it."

"I guess we’ll wait and see," Liz smiled. Her daughter was the warrior. "You should have told me; if I would have known I wouldn’t have doubted Max like I did."

"You doubted his innocence?" Isabel looked shocked.

"Yeah, I did." She shook her head slowly. "I didn’t have a choice. Deep in my heart I knew he could never force himself on anyone, it just took a while to find that place. This hit me out of nowhere, Iz, I didn’t know what to think."

"Well, now we have to find a way to fix it."

"Fix it? How?"

"I don’t know. First off, the two of you have to make a united front about it. You kicking him out isn’t going to look good. Let him come home, soon. Next we have to figure out what happened. I need to know why this girl is saying this about my brother."

"Now you sound like me," Liz chuckled. "Always has to know the truth no matter what."

"Well, I can’t help it. This is my brother we’re talking about. This is Max." She shrugged.

"Do you have a plan?"

"First I want to talk to Michael and ask him what the hell he was thinking by arresting him."

"It’s his job, he had to."

"I don’t know," she looked thoughtfully at her sister-in-law. "Michael should have seen through this alleged rape story and this girl. He’s not stupid. Anyway, I want to talk to the girl."

"No way." Liz shook her head. "You can’t. That is like against the rules."

"Who would know besides me, her and you?"

"Whoever she tells. That’s all Max needs, his sister threatening the high school girl who accused him of rape. Not the path to take, Iz."

"Well, okay, maybe you’re right about that. That might not look so good." She threw her arms in the air. "I don’t know what to do! This is really bad and it’s killing me knowing that there is nothing I can do."

"Be there for Max."

"Because everyone else deserted him?"

"Michael and I haven’t deserted him. I don’t think anyone has except maybe my parents." She shuddered thinking about the new message on the machine form her mother telling her the name of a divorce lawyer.

Isabel thought about telling her how upset Kyle was but decided against it. Maybe it’d blow over. Right. "Fine. Will you ask him to come home?"

"Yeah, I will. For two reasons only. I don’t want to upset Sloane anymore, she doesn’t understand and to make it look good."

"Are you going to divorce him?" Isabel asked bluntly.

"I don’t know," she sighed. "I love him, I always will, but this is devastating. I just started this new job with the city and you know there’s so much talk even though I haven’t been there the last two days. Sloane’s life is disrupted; everyone’s lives are disrupted. I actually don’t know what I’m going to do from one minute to the next."

"You’re not going to get all flaky like Maria, are you?"

Liz smiled and told her about Maria’s visit. She left out the pregnancy theory, which was none of Isabel’s business.

* * * * * *

Maria walked from room to room with Leia holding onto her leg. The little girl had not detached herself from her mother since she had gotten home from school.

"Leia," Maria stood with her hands on her hips. "Did something happen at school today?" Leia shook her head. "Then why are you not letting me go?"

Leia shrugged and held on tighter. Maria sighed as thunder cracked and the windows shook. She jumped as she felt a sharp pain run through the center of her abdomen. Shocked, she touched her stomach and thought about calling for an ambulance, then thought again. What if she was right and this was some type of freaky alien thing? She would never risk exposing Michael or the others.

She dragged Leia into the kitchen to start dinner as lightening ripped across the sky. She wished Michael were home. She wanted to tell him about her theories on the phantom pregnancy.

* * * * * *

Michael parked in front of the third house on the tour of five. He jogged to the front door as rain whipped around him. Dark clouds moved overhead bringing thunder and lightening with them. He wished he were home. Taking cover underneath the eaves of the front porch, he knocked on the door. It was answered at once, he had called ahead and they were expecting him. A teen-age girl answered the door and invited him. Her name was Jesse Jones and she was a friend of Lindy Franks.

"Thanks for seeing me," he smiled and accepted her offer of a seat at the dining room table. "Don’t your parents want to be here for this?"

"I’m eighteen." The small brunette said. "By a week. I’m not in any trouble, am I?"

"Not at all, I just wanted to ask you a few questions." He set a tape recorder on the table. "I’m going to tape this instead of writing every down, I tend to lose things that way." He smiled at her and knew when she smiled back blushing she was going to be honest with him. "You are friends with Lindy Franks, correct?"

"This year we became friends." Jesse nodded. "She only started school here the year before, but we got close this school year."

"Did Lindy ever say anything to you about a teacher named Max Evans?"

"Mr. Evans, everyone loves Mr. Evans!" She grinned. "He’s got the best classes and they are so much fun. He’s my favorite teacher!" She looked at the tabletop. "At least he was before he got arrested. Lindy liked him, too. She gets good grades in his class and she was always talking about what he said. I think he really made an impression on her. She’d go out and buy whatever book he suggested to read."

"Did she ever talk about him aside form teacher relations?"

Jesse bit her bottom lip. "Well, she thought he was cute. But almost all the girls do."

"Anything else?"

"Well…At one time she said she was going to get him."

"Get him?" Michael leaned forward.

"Yeah, like get him to like her." Jesse looked uncomfortable. "We told her he was married, but she said she didn’t care. I think she was getting obsessed with him."

"Do you now if they was any physical contact between them?" Michael felt the beads of sweat on his back and under his arms.

"Not really. She used to talk about things, but no one believed her." Jesse shook her head. "She said she kissed him but none of us believed her. Sometimes you have to take Lindy with a grain of salt, if you know what I mean."

"Tell me."

"Sometimes she exaggerates. She tells stories about living on the East Coast and partying with all these celebrities and stuff. I can’t see Mr. Evans doing anything to her, Sheriff."

Michael thanked her and ventured back out into the storm. Out of the three friends of Lindy Franks’ that he had conducted impromptu interviews with, he found Jesse Jones to be the most credible. Besides the fact that he didn’t have to skate around with parents, he liked her. He told her he might want to talk to her again and she had agreed. As he was walking down the steps into the rain she had called to him from the door that she’d do anything she could to help Mr. Evans.

As Michael got back in the 4X4 he was beginning to put together a picture of Lindy Franks, a very unflattering picture of her. He drove to the next two homes and was scrutinized by a mother at the first and a father at the second. Both girls said Lindy would never lie about anything like that; and both parents said that it was a horrible thing for the school district to have employed such a monster.

He drove home after the last house to type up the transcripts and deliver them to Max’s lawyer along with his own analysis of the five girls.

* * * * * *

Liz was silent when Max came on the line on his parents’ phone.

"Liz?" He asked again after getting silence the first time. "Are you there?"

"I want you to come home." She said and cleared her throat. "It doesn’t look good for you to not be here."

"Oh."

"And I think Sloane needs you home, she doesn’t understand all this confusion."

"She misses me?"

"Yeah, she does. Can you get a ride or should I come get you?"

"My parents can bring me home Liz, thank you." His voice broke as she told he’d be there soon.

Liz hung up and felt worse than she did before. She didn’t really want Max around her yet, but she had to do what was best for everyone else. Max needed to know he wasn’t alone and Sloane needed her daddy home.

She walked to Sloane’s room and was surprised to find the little girl curled up on the floor asleep. She picked her up and put her on the bed and kissed her cheek.

"You are an angel, Sloane." She pushed long strands of hair away from her small face. "Everything’s going to be okay." And she left the room. Knowing Max, he would be there within the hour.

Thirty-four minutes later Liz heard a key in the lock. Her husband walked in and dropped his overnight bag on the floor. He took two steps towards her and waited.

"I hope you know that just because I asked you to come home doesn’t mean that everything’s okay between us." She said and he nodded. "You’re here because it looks a lot better to the public and Sloane needs you."

"You don’t need me?"

"Right now? No, Max, I’m sorry. I don’t." She watched as what was left of his confidence shattered. "You haven’t told me the truth about anything yet and I need to know. How am I suppose to believe you or trust you again if I don’t know what’s going on?"

He sat at the other end of the couch and tried to capture his wife’s eyes, he couldn’t. "Okay, I told you I was intimate with her. Three times, three separate occasions. Once in my classroom I kissed her. Once behind the library and once when I gave her a ride home."

"Did you touch her?" She asked as her leg began to bounce. He nodded. "Did she touch you?" Another nod from Max; more leg bouncing from Liz. " How far did it go Max?"

"Her breasts. I touched her breasts and she touched me, once."

"Hand or mouth?"

"Liz-"

"Hand or mouth?" She tried to keep her voice under control in fear of waking Sloane but it was so hard.

"Her hand, my mouth." He looked to he floor.

Liz stood and paced in front of him. "Why?"

"Why?"

"Why did you do it? Am I not good enough for you? Are you not happy?" Liz laughed cruelly. "You know I always say that you and I are the last people that would ever have an affair after all we had to go through to be together."

"You and Sloane are the most important people in the world to me. I can’t give you an answer as to why I did it. I don’t know. She came on to me, plain and simple. She’s pretty and I’m stupid."

"I’ll agree with that. Was it worth it? Was your little infidelity worth losing everything for? The School board called, you’ve been put on administrative leave without pay until this is resolved." Liz spat out. "But please, feel free to inquire about another teaching position if you are cleared."

"They called?" His voice was hoarse.

"After the arraignment yesterday." She walked away and then back towards him. "I thought we’d be together forever."

"Liz-"

"Now I don’t know if we’ll make it through the end of the week." She started to walk away but was drawn back by a pounding at the front door. She answered and Kyle nearly bowled her over to get in.

He saw Max on the couch and went to him, pulling him by his collar. "You’re a fucking pervert, Evans!" Kyle spoke from behind clenched teeth.

"Kyle!" Liz ran next to him. "Let him go!"

"Liz, he’s a loser." He slammed Max back against the couch. "He was fucking around with a student. He doesn’t deserve you!"

"Kyle-" Max said quietly from the couch.

"You!" Kyle pointed at him. "Shut the fuck up! You don’t have a right to say anything!"

"Kyle, calm down." Liz took his arm and escorted him to the dining room and sat him down at the table. "Keep it down, Sloane’s asleep."

"Get rid of him Liz, he’s dragging you down." Kyle motioned towards Max. "He’s never been good enough for you."

"Kyle, I know this is hard-"

"Not hard to understand, don’t say that." He interrupted her. "It‘s actually easy to understand. He was fucking around on you with one of his students. Cut and dry. After everything else he’s ever put you through, he does this and breaks your heart again. Where does it end Liz?"

"Actually, this is none of your business. This is between me and Max and you don’t know the full story so I’d appreciate it if you didn’t voice accusations."

"What? Are you serious?"

"Yes, I am. Max is still my husband and I can’t tolerate you coming here, to our home, and treating him like this."

"But Liz-"

"No, that’s it Kyle. I’d like you to leave until you can come in here and not attack Max."

Kyle stood up and looked between Liz and then Max. "Well, then, I don’t know if I’ll be back." He walked out the door and slammed it shut behind him.

* * * * * *

Leia was hearing sounds coming from her parent’s bedroom; she wasn’t worried, she heard them all the time. She knew her mommy wasn’t telling her daddy things and she was scared. She sat up in bed and looked at the opposite wall.

"I’m scared." She whispered.

"Don’t be scared, be strong." She heard Sloane’s voice in her head. "She’s going to need you. She’s going to need everyone."

"But she’s my mommy," Leia wiped away tears on her round cheeks.

* * * * * *

Chapter Two

Liz went back to work and the world moved on as Max sat at home with his daughter. He didn’t have a job, he didn’t want to leave the house; friends he still had were working. Even his sister was on an all-day excursion with her new beau and his daughter. Sloane was lying on the floor in front of the television watching Muppets of some kind; Max didn’t know their name.

After his fourth trek through the house he was bored. Bored to depression. He lay down on the couch resting his head on Liz’s pillow. She had slept on the couch each of the five nights since he had been home. He inhaled her scent and wanted to cry. He missed her so much. Even though he saw her everyday, it was all so wrong and distant. Last night was the first night he had gotten her to smile at something he said. He saw a glimmer of the old Liz in the smile. The Liz that used to be proud to be Mrs. Max Evans.

Who could blame her for not being proud of him right now? He was a dark mark in an otherwise clean sky. He was accused of raping a student. What could possibly be worse for a new teacher? Michael talked to him everyday, but he could tell Michael was preoccupied with something else, probably Maria. He had eavesdropped on a conversation Liz was having on the phone with her. Maria might be pregnant.

Jared Knox, his lawyer, had told him the date of the trial, still eight more weeks away. He still wanted to call Lindy and ask her why she was doing this, but that was out of the question. He wanted to call the school and explain that it was all a mistake and beg for his job back, once again, out of the question. Jared Knox ordered Max not to talk to anyone except him.

He sighed and looked down at his daughter. What was she going to think when she was older and finds out her daddy was on trial for rape? What about if he was found guilty? He couldn’t think of that. It couldn’t happen. Innocent people don’t get sent off to jail for crimes they didn’t commit, right? Michael told him they’d get him out of it. But would that happen? Max covered his face in his hands.

Thoughts drifted through the abyss he called his mind. What he had sharpened in school and work was now dulled. Wild images of life going on without him clouded everything else. Liz would be a perfect single mother, if anyone could do it, it was Liz. She is so strong. Isabel would grieve, so would his parents and close knit circle of friends. But they would all be able to go on, to move on without the burden of having a rapist in the family. Was he actually considering killing himself? He shook his head. Never in his wildest imagination did he ever think about suicide before and now it was prominent.

"No daddy," Sloane looked up from the floor at him.

"What Tiger Eyes?" Max’s attention was brought back to the condo and his daughter in front of him.

She climbed up on his lap and wrapped her thin arms around his neck. "Don’t go away daddy."

Max squeezed his eyes shut and held his daughter tightly. "I’m not going anywhere."

"Don’t leave me and mommy," she whispered in his ear and kissed his scruffy cheek. "We need you."

"I promise baby, I’m not going anywhere." Max rubbed his daughter’s back and wondered when she had learned to read minds. That was not necessarily a good thing, although right now, it was the best thing in the entire world. Those few words from his five-year-old saved the life of Max Evans.

* * * * * *

Maria DeLuca paced in front of the couch waiting for Michael to come home. He promised he’d come home for lunch and she had been waiting for just shy of an hour. She peered out the front window and sighed heavily, no Michael. A cramp seized her stomach, stumbling she made it into the bathroom. She pulled down her jeans and saw blood in her underwear. Blood in a thin line running down her inner thigh. She panicked and tried to wipe it away with Kleenex. Eventually, only a red smear was left.

She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "You’re okay DeLuca, everything’s fine." She changed her pants and sat down at the kitchen table. "You’re fine. Just a little spotty, nothing to get worried about. So you haven’t had your period in four months, that means nothing. You’re fine." After several more minutes she had almost convinced herself that everything really was going to be fine.

The phone was ringing as she finished her mantra. She answered and immediately wanted to cry. It was Michael and he had to cancel their lunch date. She hung up with him and called Liz at work. She dialed the extension she had gotten from Michael and waited for voice mail. Everything was always voicemail.

"Liz Parker, I mean, Evans." Liz answered.

"Hey chica, forget your name?"

"Hi Maria, rough day." She sighed. "Everyone keeps walking by me and staring. I’m about to stand up and make a public service announcement."

"I guess you’re busy for lunch then?"

"Actually, no. I thought Michael was coming home for lunch today."

"He was," she paused. Did Michael tell her everything? "He had to cancel."

"So I’m your second choice, huh?" She said with a smile in her voice.

"Not really," Maria smiled. "Come over. I already have sandwiches made.

"I’ll be over soon." Liz promised and hung up.

"Cool," Maria walked around the kitchen and felt better already. She’d get to hang out with Liz. She missed Liz. Even though things had smoothed over with them, there was still a ripple of unfamiliarity when they were together.

She knew Liz had every right to still be pissed for Maria being so absent and bitter, but time will heal everything, isn’t that what Liz always says? She waited patiently for her friend to arrive and while waiting decided against telling her about the bleeding. She’d tell Michael when he got home.

* * * * * *

As Liz Evans made her way through the office to the front doors she felt eyes on her back. She swung around quickly and busted most of her co-workers staring after her.

"All right, that’s it!" She yelled. "I know I’m new here and you all don’t know me very well. If you did, you’d know to come right out with whatever you want to say and then move on. I know everyone here is aware that my husband was arrested for rape. But what you don’t know is my husband. If you knew him, you’d never believe this story that some girl made up about him. This is a crushed schoolgirl who had the hots for her teacher. When he wouldn’t play into her, she called rape. It’s a daily occurrence in America, don’t any of you watch ‘Lifetime’?" She knew they were listening when she heard a few chuckles. "Now, I’m going to lunch, I’ll be getting back late so you’ll have plenty of time to speculate while I’m gone. Bye!" Liz turned back around, as she walked through the front door she heard a smattering of laughter. Mission accomplished.

* * * * * *

Michael cancelled his lunch with Maria not because he was busy being the Sheriff, but because he was busy following Lindy Franks. She was becoming his obsession. He followed her as she shopped in a clothing boutique and then a music store and then as she ate lunch by herself at a fast food restaurant. He knew the way she walked, talked and drove. She was just an ordinary girl living an ordinary life. There was nothing spectacular about Lindy Franks. She was very pretty and very polite to everyone she encountered. She didn’t speed and she didn’t meet anyone for a clandestine drug deal. Lindy Franks was just a girl.

Michael trailed her until she went back home. He knew her parents had pulled her out of school and wouldn’t let her leave the house for more than a couple hours at a time. He drove past her house slowly once again before cruising through the high school parking lot. School was just letting out for the day and the parking lot was alive with students. He drove slowly and stopped the 4X4 when he saw someone flagging him down. It was Jesse Jones. She bounded over to the truck smiling. Michael leaned out the window.

"Sheriff Guerin," she beamed holding her hand over her eyes blocking the sun. She held a few sheets of paper in her other hand. "Hi. I wanted to show you this. It’s a petition to get Mr. Evans his job back. Most of the students signed it. I told you he was a favorite."

"That’s great Jesse."

"Could you tell him we all miss him?"

Michael promised and returned to the department. So much to do, so little time. Jim Valenti had called earlier after speaking with a friend of his in the DA’s office. They had a strong case built on circumstantial evidence, but Lindy Franks was a model student and citizen. They were going to want a DNA sample from Max. The information was given to Jim in confidence; Michael promised he wouldn’t utter a word. He already knew what was needed for a conviction, he also knew that Max’s DNA wasn’t going to match anything found on or in Lindy Franks. It wasn’t going to match anything found on the planet. He was worried. This was a legal case; everything would be examined in front of experts from both sides. He slapped the steering wheel in disgust. He decided to call Maria from the station and tell her he was going to work late. Already knowing her feelings were hurt after canceling lunch, but he had to. He had to figure out a way to get Max out of this mess. It wasn’t only Max’s life on the line; it was all of theirs.

* * * * * *

Maria tried not to cry after hanging up the phone with Michael. He’d be late again. She looked around the empty house and sighed. At the time it had seemed like a good idea for Isabel to pick up Leia and take her and Sloane to the Children’s Museum with her new boyfriend Rick and his daughter. At her lunch with Liz she found out Max wasn’t doing all that good, not that he should be, but she still kind of felt sorry for him. Besides, she had thought to herself, Sloane needed a break form daddy the brooding. Now she rethought it. She didn’t want to be alone tonight; she wanted to tell Michael everything that she’d been experiencing and her theories. She had put it off long enough, after the incident with the bleeding, she knew she had to tell someone her fears and Michael seemed to be working all the time lately. Trying to help Max, she knew that.

On impulse she picked up the phone and called Kyle. Kyle had been there for her all through her pregnancy with Leia. He was her brother in her heart and she had abandoned him with everyone else. He was someone who had never wanted anything from her but friendship. She missed him. She missed him a lot. Although Morgan was entirely too up front for her lately, she knew why Kyle loved her.

"Hi," she said when Kyle answered.

"Maria?"

"You know my voice," she smiled into the phone. "I was wondering if maybe you want to come over and hang out."

"With you?"

She heard the hesitancy in his voice. "Yeah, with me. We can order a pizza and talk."

"You and me?"

"Kyle, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry for being such a bitch to you and everyone else. I miss you; you’re my kind-of brother. We used to hang all the time and now we don’t."

"That’s not my fault."

"I know who’s fault it is," she sighed. "Do you think you can find it in your heart to forgive me? Please?"

"You buying pizza and beer?"

"Of course," she smiled so wide she felt her cheeks ache. After she hung up she felt better. Kyle would always be around for her. She could talk to him about anything. The stiffness she had felt earlier with Liz wouldn’t be there with Kyle. Kyle was, well, he was Kyle. All around good guy. She drove down to the store and picked up a twelve-pack and waited. She opened the door before Kyle could knock and embraced him in a bear hug. He laughed and hugged her back.

"Whoa!" He broke free from her. "I guess you’re happy to see me?"

"You have no idea!" She laughed and hugged him again. "I’m sorry Kyle. I’m sorry for blowing you off, it wasn’t personal."

"What’s going on with you Maria?"

"I’ll get to that later, first we order pizza!" She walked into the kitchen and called for delivery while handing Kyle a bottled beer. "Okay, thirty-five minutes." She sat at the table with Kyle across from her. "I’m sorry I didn’t celebrate your nuptials with you, I should have."

"Yeah, you should have, you’re right." He shook his head and swallowed half the bottle of beer in one drink. "I was so mad at you. I thought you were being so selfish and self-centered."

"I was," she sighed. "I’m having problems Kyle and I don’t know what’s wrong."

"With Michael?"

"No, not with Michael." She smiled saying his name. "I think I might be pregnant and I’m scared out of my mind that something’s wrong."

"You don’t know?"

"No, not really. Nothing’s right." She shook her head. She should be having this conversation with Michael first. "I don’t know what to do. I can’t go to a doctor because what if this is some freaky alien thing? What then?"

"What does Michael think?"

"He doesn’t really know about everything. He’s got so much on his mind right now, you know, this whole thing with Max is, what?" She stopped after noticing his grim expression.

"I don’t want to talk about him, I don’t really even want to hear his name, okay?"

"What’s going on?"

"I’m pissed and I want to kick his ass for what he did to Liz. Plain and simple," he raised his eyebrows and shrugged. "He’s a fucking pervert and I don’t want to be around him anymore. I’m done with him."

"Okay," she stretched out the single word. "Well, Michael’s been busy and Liz and I are trying to reconstruct our friendship and I’m scared."

"What can I do?"

"I don’t know." She rubbed her stomach. "I don’t feel pregnant most of the time. Sloane scared me at Christmas; she put her hands on my stomach and started to cry. Leia said she was trying to help me. That freaked me out," she admitted.

"Help you, like heal you?"

"I think so, she can do that, you know like Ma- her father."

"You need to talk to Michael and Isabel, they’ll know what to do." Kyle said like it was the best solution in the world.

"They won’t know anymore than I do. The man without a name, I’ve been thinking about going to him, especially after Sloane…"

"If you must, but I wouldn’t let him touch you with a ten foot pole. God, he makes me sick. Why does Liz put up with him?"

"People make mistakes," she said weakly. "So, Michael and Isabel, first, huh?"

Kyle nodded and reached across the table picking up her hand. "I’ll help you, Maria, anyway that I can. You can always count on me."

* * * * * *

Chapter Three

Michael didn’t arrive back home until after eight o’clock. Leia was home and in bed, completely worn out from an afternoon of walking through the museum and terrorizing Isabel’s new friend’s daughter, Paige. Maria was waiting for him in the kitchen. An empty pizza box and a few beer bottles sitting on the counter.

He smiled. "Did you have a party without me?"

"I invited Kyle over for dinner." She stood and walked to him, embracing him. "I have to talk to you, it’s important." She felt his shoulders sag, he was so exhausted. "I’m sorry."

"No, it’s okay. I should have been home hours ago. Let me change, I’ll be right back." Michael walked to the bedroom and took of his uniform shirt and jeans. He’d given up the matching pants when he became Sheriff. Dressed in pajama bottoms and socks he went back to the kitchen. He sat across the table from her and grinned earnestly. "What’s up?"

"Bad things," she said and shook her head. "I was bleeding today and I think there’s something wrong with the baby. I mean, if there is a baby."

"Bleeding?" He leaned closer while running his hands through his hair. "From," he motioned downward with his eyes.

"Yeah," she did the same. "Michael, I think we really lucked out with Leia because if this isn’t some funky alien thing then I might really be screwed."

"We have to get you to a doctor."

"We can’t."

"Shit!" He stood, paced the room and sat back down. "Are you in pain?"

"No, I’ve had a couple of sharp ones, but they pass within seconds. I don’t feel anything."

"Nothing strange?"

"Not really," she sighed and wished she knew one way or the other because she really wanted one of the beers in the fridge. "I’m scared, I don’t know what to do. I wanted to talk to you about this before, but then everything went bad with Max and I know you’re working hard for him. God, you work so much, and I turned away from Liz and Kyle and everyone. I just wanted to be alone or with you. Tonight with Kyle was great, I finally could tell someone everything that was going on."

"I should have been here," Michael said softly, guiltily.

"It’s okay." She smiled. "I just don’t know what to do. Remember all the jokes I made with Leia about being green with antennae? Well, I’m not joking now. Should I go see Max?"

"Well, he’s not a doctor and he’s not a medicine man, but maybe he could help."

Maria relayed the story of Sloane on Christmas day, her small hands on Maria’s belly, the tears and Leia telling her she was helping. Michael leaned back in his chair tilting it on the back legs and covered his face with his hands.

"It might have been nice to know this at the time." He said quietly. "C’mon. Get Leia up-"

"Why?"

"I want you to see Max." Michael shrugged. "You said it yourself, you wanted to see him."

"Not tonight, Michael."

"Why not?" He looked at the clock on the microwave. "This could be serious. Real serious." He walked across the room to the phone and dialed Max’s number. He answered.

"I want to bring Maria over, is now a good time?"

"For what?"

"She needs help."

"Bring her." Max said and Michael heard the disconnection.

"Let’s go," Michael walked to her and hugged her. "Don’t worry, I’ll make sure everything’s okay. I won’t let anything happen to you."

She smiled and kissed him and knew he was telling the truth. She was safe with Michael; she always was safe with him. Michael left her and went to change again while she woke up Leia and got her up. She didn’t make her change from the Star Wars nightgown she was wearing. She carried her from the bedroom and laughed when she saw Michael. Still dressed in the plaid pajama bottoms, he donned a gray sweatshirt and sneakers. He shrugged with a sideways grin and took his sleeping daughter from her arms. They piled into the Tempo after Leia had been safely buckled into the backseat. She mumbled something about ‘her not being awake’ but then drifted back off to sleep.

Upon arriving at the complex, Michael got his daughter out and carried her inside. The elevator seemed to take forever to reach the correct floor. Max was waiting in the open door and invited them in. Michael laid Leia on the couch and faced Max and Liz, who stood about six feet away from her husband.

"What’s wrong?" Max looked at Michael and then Maria.

"Tell him," Michael motioned to Maria and listened to the story again.

Max looked to Liz. "I don’t know what I can do."

"Fix her," a small voice came from the other side of the couch.

Maria jumped up and nearly ran to her daughter; she was still sleeping. "You heard her Max, fix me."

"I don’t know," he shook his head. "What am I trying to fix?"

Maria looked at him, eyes bugged. "This baby or whatever is going on inside of me." She looked back to Liz. "I don’t know."

"He’ll do what he can," Liz offered and felt like an idiot. Max wasn’t a miracle worker and he didn’t even know what the problem was.

"He’ll have to," Maria looked fretfully to him. "I haven’t always trusted you as a person, Max. I trust you with my life and my child’s life, but not other things. I just wanted you to know that."

Michael bounced on the balls of his feet. The day’s exhaustion dissipated. He wanted Maria to be well. He needed his Maria to be okay. "Can you just do your thing?"

Max nodded and knelt on the carpet in front of Maria. She smiled, embarrassed, as he lifted her shirt and placed one hand on her stomach. His eyes closed and his mouth gaped.

"What is it?" Michael kneeled down next to him. "Max?"

Max shook his head. "It’s not good, but I can’t tell why. Or what."

"Am I pregnant?" Maria asked.

Max looked to her and took a deep breath. "You were, I think."

Maria closed her eyes and swayed, Michael was at her side instantly holding her arm. He sat her down at the dining room table, kneeling in front of her. Rubbing his hands over hers. "Maria."

She shook her head as the tears she hated rolled down her cheeks. "What do you mean I was?" She looked to Max through tear soaked lashes. "I’m not now?"

"I don’t think so Maria," he touched her shoulder receiving instant gratification when she didn’t recoil. "I can’t feel life."

"Then what is wrong with me?"

Max shook his head. "I felt the traces of life."

"Traces of life," she snorted. "Are you saying that my baby is dead?"

"Max?" Michael looked to his life long friend.

"I can’t be sure Maria, I’m sorry. But something’s wrong." He wished he really could fix her and make everything better, but he didn’t know how. "Give me time to think about what to do, okay? I’ll try to figure it out."

"Are you sure the baby’s not alive?"

"Maria, I don’t know for sure it was a baby at all."

Michael opened his mouth to speak and then caught Max’s eyes. It was alien. It was Michael’s other side. He closed his eyes and rested his head on her thigh. "Let’s go home."

She nodded and stood looking at Max. "Please, try to help me." She hugged him and then Liz. She walked out the condo and waited for Michael to gather Leia.

"It was alien, wasn’t it?" Michael asked quietly although he already knew the answer.

"I think so," Max looked towards the open door. "It didn’t feel like human life."

"Fuck," he ran his hands through his hair. "Don’t tell her. Okay? I have to; this is all me. Was it the not being able to breathe on earth thing?"

"I wish I had an answer Michael, but I don’t, maybe."

"Is she hurting?"

"Yeah, inside. Physically, no. Any pain she had like tonight is gone. There’s nothing there." He put his hand on Michael’s shoulder. "I’m sorry; I know this isn’t what either of you wanted to hear and you know I could be so wrong, but I think I’m right. Now we have to figure out a way to make it okay."

Michael thanked the Evans’ and met Maria in the hall carrying the sleeping Leia.

* * * * * * *

Isabel was happy. For the first time in a long time, she was truly happy. Her life was right on track. She had cash in the bank, more to roll in with each book she wrote and she had found a cozy cottage style house barely inside the Roswell City limits. She had taken Jim Valenti with her to make sure the dwelling wouldn’t be knocked off the foundation by a gust of wind. After careful inspection, he deemed it worthy of her inhabitance. She made an offer and it was accepted within an hour. Isabel Evans was going to own her first home. She was elated. Her parents were moving in less than a week, so when her brother and sister-in-law offered her a place to stay until she closed on the house, she jumped on it. Through all of her own happiness, a scar of pain shown through. Max. His life was in turmoil. His world had fallen apart. Her brother with the kind, gentle soul and giving nature had made a huge mistake and unfortunately it might cost him everything.

Staying with the younger Evans’ might be a tough ride; at least she had Sloane to keep her company when she wasn’t babysitting Max. She smiled at that. The leader of a planet needed a babysitter. With their parents moving so soon and the trial coming up, she was actually somewhat impressed Max hadn’t sunk further into the dark hole of guilt he was so fond of. Liz was working a lot and always putting on a happy face when she got home for Sloane. Interaction between her and Max was so strained, Isabel knew Sloane could see right through it. Sloane knew everything that went on around that place.

Isabel left the confines of her temporary room, which was a guestroom that held a bed and nightstand and nothing else; there was no room for anything else, it was more like a glorified closet. She didn’t care. In about a month she was going to have a whole house to herself. She couldn’t wait. And then there was Rick and his daughter. The few times they’d spent together were fun. She felt sorry for Paige at first after learning her mother had died when she was only a baby; but then she realized what a good father Rick was. Rick Mineo, a handsome retail store manager was fun. Their relationship was still at the friendship stage, which was fine with Isabel. She didn’t want to get involved with anyone seriously for awhile. She was loving life and didn’t want to complicate it with a serious boyfriend and all the relationship crap that went along with it. Outings with Rick and Paige, sometimes bringing Sloane and Leia along were fun. She was having fun.

Way ahead of schedule on her books; she had the outlines for at least a dozen more ready to go. She had decided to milk the ‘Robin’ series for all that it was worth. She wasn’t worried about money at all. The money she had wired to get Max out of jail would probably come back to her if, no, when, he was found innocent. Either way, she didn’t care. While forking out the cash for Max’s lawyer, she didn’t even bat an eye. It was, after all, just money. Max was family.

* * * * * *

Two days passed before Max received a phone call from his lawyer. Jared Knox informed him that he was required to give a DNA sample: blood and hair. He had made an appointment for him for Monday morning giving Max the weekend to stew over it. He didn’t say anything to Isabel all afternoon or to Liz when she arrived home from work. He met Liz nearly at the door; she raised her arms as if to hug him, then remembered she didn’t do that anymore.

"Hi." She said and walked by him setting her briefcase on the table. "Did Sloane have a nice day?"

"Yeah, we all did." He shook his head and walked into the kitchen. He turned around, surprised when he felt Liz in back of him. "Need something?"

She nodded and wrapped her arms around his neck. "You."

He sighed, closing his eyes and burying his face in her neck, inhaling her scent, feeling her touch. He had missed his wife. She tilted her head and kissed his cheek quickly. His heart ached against her, fog was lifting, and the darkness had a white light glare around it. His world was not over.

* * * * * *

Maria sat on the couch with Leia halfway lying in her lap. It was almost dinnertime and Michael wasn’t home yet. No big shocker, Maria thought, he’s never home. She jumped when the front door opened and the silhouette of a Sheriff stood in the dusky light. Her Sheriff.

"I’m taking the week-end off," Michael hung his hat on a hook on the back of the door. "I want to spend a little time with my two favorite girls." Maria blushed and felt like she was back in high school. He walked to the couch and bent down to kiss her. He motioned for her to join him in the other room and walked away. Maria pried Leia off of her and stood, nearly getting banged in the head by the remote control.

"Damn it Leia!" Maria scolded her. "I told you not to do that, remember? You have to be very careful no one ever sees you doing that!"

"Isabel let’s me," Leia changed the channel with the contraband and giggled.

"Well, we’ll just have to have a little talk with Isabel now, won’t we?" Maria stood with her hands on her hips and suddenly felt like her mother. She shook her head and left her daughter to watch the live animal shows that she loved. She met Michael in the bedroom and closed the door behind her, "So, what’s up?"

"How are you?" He asked taking her into his arms. "Seriously?"

"I’m freaked out, how do you think I’d be?"

"I wish I could help you," he buried his face in her hair as he had for years. "I can’t let anything happen to you."

"Nothing will happen to me."

"It’s my fault, this is all my fault."

"What do you mean?" she asked while queasiness in her stomach materialized.

"Max. He thinks it’s an alien thing, that, you know."

Maria nodded. She had known for so long and didn’t blame Michael. She could never blame him for anything. "It’s not your fault."

"Everything is my fault." He exhaled against the smoothness of her cheek. "It’s because of my lineage that you’re going through whatever it is that’s happening. I don’t know how to make you better. I was hoping the other night with Max…"

"I told you she wasn’t awake," Leia said cracking open the door.

"What Honey?" Maria looked at her daughter.

"She wants to help you, but she wasn’t awake." Leia let out a deep breath and crossed her arms over her chest. "I told you she wasn’t awake but you didn’t listen!"

"What are you talking about?" Michael let go of Maria and knelt down on one knee in front of Leia.

"She wasn’t awake," Leia repeated clearly getting frustrated with her parents. "You have to go when she’s awake!"

"Who?" Michael asked already knowing the answer.

"Sloane! She can help mommy but she was sleeping!"

Michael turned to face Maria, her eyes wide. "Sloane."

"Yes, Sloane!" Leia clapped.

"Sloane can help mommy." Maria stated instead of asking while Michael was already reaching for the phone.

Michael called the Evans’ condo; Liz answered.

"Tell me everyone is home." Michael said breathlessly into the phone.

"All home."

"Leia. She said Sloane could help Maria. Can you bring her over?"

"Sloane?" Liz smiled. "Of course. We’ll all be right there."

Michael hung up and hugged his daughter. "You did try to tell us, didn’t you?"

Leia nodded and laughed when Michael swung her around over his head. The Guerin/DeLuca family waited in the living room for what they hoped was a miracle in the form of a little girl.

Liz, Max, Isabel and Sloane showed up within a half-hour. Isabel had been filled in on everything on the way over. Her feelings were slightly hurt that no one mentioned it to her before, but this was real life now and something’s were still private.

"Sloane," Liz escorted her to the couch. "Can you help Maria?"

Sloane shrugged and looked to Leia who nodded back at her. "I think." She walked to Maria and pulled the hem of her shirt until Maria knelt down in front to her. Sloane closed her eyes tight and put her hands on Maria’s stomach. After a couple of minutes of silence, Sloane stopped and turned around to face her father. "Can you help me?"

Max didn’t ask how, he got down on the floor next to his daughter and waited for directions. She placed her hands back on Maria and told Max to put his over hers. Max did as he was told and felt a jolt of something powerful course through his veins. He forced himself to keep his hands on his daughters. Maria felt the electrifying jolt as well and tried to push away, Liz and Isabel were there to hold her steady while Michael stood watching, his mouth gaping.

Max pressed himself closer to Sloane, was now afraid to break contact. What was his daughter doing? Maria let out something close to a sharp scream and fell to her side. Blood poured from in-between her legs soaking the cotton pants. Michael fell to her side while Isabel reached for the phone.

"No!" Sloane yelled in her passive voice. Everything stopped as Sloane smiled and crawled to Maria. She tucked Maria’s hair behind her ear and kissed her cheek. "You’re okay now."

Michael looked frantically from his fallen lover to Max who couldn’t offer him any answers. Maria sobbed while Sloane caressed her face. Max felt like all the energy had been sucked out of him, he was amazed at Sloane who seemed fine. Liz darted into the kitchen and back out with towels. Her and Isabel joined the others on the floor trying to place the towels strategically under Maria as more blood continued to soak her pants.

Michael watched in horror at the blood. "Sloane, why is she bleeding?"

"Washing away the poison," she explained continuing to stroke Maria’s cheek. Leia joined her and looped her arm through Sloane’s as they nursed Maria.

Maria looked up at the two little girls and smiled. "Thank you."

"They wouldn’t listen before," Leia explained to Sloane.

Max was still trying to catch his breath as Isabel helped him to his feet.

"What the hell happened Max?" Isabel demanded.

"I don’t know but I never felt anything like that before." He looked down at the scene on the floor. "I felt so much energy and I think it was all from Sloane."

"She healed her, you both did." Isabel felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise.

"I think she needed me to make the connection, otherwise it was all her." Max smiled. He leaned back down to Maria while supporting himself on Michael’s shoulder. He placed one hand on Maria and smiled. "It’s not there anymore, Maria."

* * * * * *

Chapter Four

Maria felt fine. She looked good and she felt good. She had no idea what she had gone through. She chalked it up to a freaky alien thing. The thought of carrying and losing a baby was too much for her. The weekend was good to her, she was able to spend time with Michael and Leia and actually feel like a normal person again. Well, as normal as she always was.

Michael had left a few hours ago, the first time he left her side since the ordeal with Sloane and Max. Sloane, she mused, what a wonderful little girl. She glanced briefly to the spot on the floor where she felt like she was dying. Reassurances from a five-year-old girl had given Maria the faith she needed to get through. She’d never forget the warmth and compassion she felt as Sloane caressed her face. Never, she told herself over and over, would she ever forget what Sloane and Max had done for her. Never.

* * * * * *

Michael was sitting in the Valenti’s living room with Morgan waiting for Kyle. She told him Kyle was with his dad shopping for a birthday present for Amy and should be back soon. Michael told her about Maria and Sloane. Morgan hung on his every word. Sometimes Michael got the feeling from her that she wished she were more involved in the ‘other’ part of their lives.

"Sloane? Little Sloane who talks in whispers." Morgan held her hand over her mouth. "I can’t believe it. She’s so shy. Are you sure it wasn’t more Max?" Although Morgan wasn’t privy to witnessing too much of Max’s powers, she had heard stories.

"I’m sure. Max is the one who said it. He thinks Sloane used him for a connection to Maria, he said he felt a jolt of something like he’s never felt before and it drained him. Meanwhile, Sloane gets up acting like nothing ever happened." Michael shook his head and smiled. "It was so impressive."

"And Maria’s fine now?"

"Yeah, she’s acting like her old self again and feeling great."

"That’s amazing," Morgan laughed. "So, how is Max? I’m not allowed to say the name in here anymore. I’ve been worried, but with Kyle…"

"He’s okay. He’s not great by any means. I mean he lost his job and Liz is supporting them, he just kind of sits at home and mopes around. At least Isabel is there to keep Sloane company."

"How’s it going to turn out?"

"I don’t know Morgan. He didn’t do it if that’s what you’re asking."

"I know he didn’t do it; but he’s not exactly innocent. I mean he did mess around with her, right?"

"Not much." Michael hated accepting that this was partly Max’s fault. "But he never raped her."

"Do they have a strong case against him?" Morgan asked with pity in her eyes. She liked Max; she didn’t want to see anything happen to him. Michael shrugged an answer. "How is Liz holding up? It’s hard for me to get a hold of her."

"Because of Kyle?"

"Well, yeah." She sighed. "I hate how he’s acting. I mean I know he’s pissed, but he’s acting like an overprotective boyfriend to Liz. It’s driving me crazy."

"Liz is like a little sister to him, don’t be jealous. You know Kyle and Max have had a difficult history together. Friends. Not friends. Friends again. It’ll pass, you just have to give it time."

"So, why are you here Sheriff Guerin? I never did ask if this was a business or a social call."

"Do you see my badge anywhere?" Michael asked and looked at Morgan. She was smiling until she saw his expression; there was no humor in it. She excused herself to the kitchen and returned with soft drinks. "Thanks." Michael took the can of carbonation from her and glanced at the front door as Kyle came through it.

"What are you doing here?" Kyle asked shaking Michael’s hand.

"We have to talk." Michael looked to Morgan and she left the room, Kyle watched his wife until she was out of sight.

"So, what’s going on?" Kyle asked hesitantly. He took Morgan’s spot and looked at Michael. "Am I getting arrested?"

"Why does everyone always think I’m going to arrest them?" He managed a laugh. "No, no arrests tonight. I’m off duty."

"Alrighty, what can I do for you?" He stood. "Mind if I get a beer? Want one?" Michael declined and Kyle returned with a frosty bottle in his hand. "Maria still doing okay?"

"She’s doing real good." Michael took a deep breath. "I need your help." Kyle raised his eyebrows and waited for the other shoe to drop. "Max needs your help."

"Evans can kiss my ass."

"This is serious, Kyle. I wouldn’t be asking if it wasn’t."

"What?"

"I need you to give the hair and blood sample for Max. He can’t. For obvious reasons neither can I."

"Forget it." Kyle shook his head. "I’ve played all the games with him for a long time. He went too far this time and will get exactly what he deserves."

"Kyle, he didn’t rape her."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I’m sure" Michael shook his head and took a sip of soda. "You’re not?"

"I don’t know anything. Did he actually rape her? I doubt it. Did he sleep with her, probably. He was screwing around with her on Liz, that’s a fact."

"Is that around school?"

"Surprisingly, no. I haven’t heard more than a murmur about that. Her friends are backing that story up, you know, the true one. However no one seems to be listening to them. There’s even a petition to get his job back." Kyle shook his head. "Unbelievable. Teacher going on trial for rape and the kids want him back."

"Maybe the students know him better than you do," Michael raised an eyebrow. "I need your help, man. This isn’t just for Max. This is for me, Isabel, Maria, Leia, Sloane and Liz. What do you think would happen if his DNA was examined? They’d take him, Liz and Sloane away. That’d be it. Game over."

Kyle shook his head. "I have to think about it." He held up his hand in protest. "I have to think about it, okay?"

"Its tomorrow. He goes in tomorrow morning."

"How the fuck do you think you’re going to do this?" Kyle raised his bottle. "This is for a trial, Michael, it’s not like peeing in a cup for someone. There will be experts watching everything to make sure it’s done accurately. Don’t you watch Court TV?"

"Leave the rest to me. Will you do it?"

"Ill call you tonight. That’s the best I can give you right now." Kyle looked to the door. "Maria? She’s seriously still okay?"

"Yeah. Sloane and Max healed her. Without them, I don’t know what would have happened to her." Michael rose and extended his hand to Kyle. "I don’t have anyone else to turn to for this, Kyle. No pressure, but if you don’t help us, I don’t know what will happen. To anyone."

Michael left and drove to DeLuca/Valenti home. He knocked once relieved when Jim answered.

"Michael, come in." Jim opened the door letting him in. "I just got back a little while ago. Kyle and I went shopping." He rolled his eyes. "What’s up?"

"Amy here?"

"No," Jim answered slowly. "Is everything okay with Maria? Leia?"

"Yeah, yeah. They’re fine." Michael sat down on the couch while Jim sat across from him in a chair. "I need some advice." Jim waited. "Max has to give a DNA sample tomorrow."

"I heard."

"I asked Kyle to help, but he said he needed time to think about it." Michael nodded. "He’s kind of pissed at Max."

"You think?" Jim shook his head. "He wants to kill him."

"Well, anyway, there is no one else. Sorry Jim, but you’re too damn old." Michael smiled. "It has to be Kyle or I don’t know what will happen. Max will go away, along with Liz and Sloane. They won’t come back. Then there’s Isabel and my family. I don’t know what to do."

"Have a little faith in Kyle, he’ll do the right thing." Jim cracked a smile. "Let him play hard-ass for awhile. He’ll come around and come through for you."

Michael nodded. "Then what?"

"What do you mean?"

"They’re taking Max’s hair and drawing blood from him in the morning. How can I switch it?"

"You see, Michael," Jim smiled. "You’re a smart man, you’ll figure it out. For years I was able to take care of everyone because of my position. Now it’s your turn to keep everyone safe. You’re in charge."

"Will you help me if I need it?"

"Of course," Jim smiled and relaxed back into the chair. "I’ll always help you, all of you, whenever you need it."

Michael stood and shook his hand. He left the house and knew what had to be done; how to do it was another story altogether. Michael Guerin went home with the plans to sit by the phone and wait for Kyle to call. He prayed Jim was right about his son.

* * * * * *

Isabel cleared the dinner dishes noticing Max was acting a little more sullen than he had in the past few days. The gloomy mood seemed to be erasing as she saw her brother and his wife reconnect.

"Isabel." Max said her name as she came back in the dining room. She looked to Liz who shrugged. "Can you sit down. I have to talk to both of you."

Isabel sat down as Sloane bounded into the room with a coloring book. She held it out to Isabel. "No sweetie, we’re going to have a grown-up talk. I’ll color with you when we’re done, okay?" Sloane hung her head and nodded as she walked into the living room.

"She loves having you stay here," Liz remarked watching her daughter leave the room. She looked to Max. "Sorry, go on."

"On Friday my lawyer called," Max drummed his fingertips on the table. "I go in for hair and blood samples in the morning. They want to match my DNA with what was on Lindy."

"Oh shit," Liz’s eyes were wide. "Why didn’t you say anything?"

"I didn’t want to worry either of you over the week-end."

"Well, now what?" Isabel felt her heart in her throat.

"I don’t know. I have to go and do it." He shrugged. "Then I guess me, Liz and Sloane plan an escape out of town and run." He shook his head. "I’m sorry. I’m so sorry."

"No one is leaving town." Liz said. "Have you talked to Michael about this?"

"No," he shook his head. "He’s had Maria to worry about; I didn’t want to put this on him too."

"Shit Max!" Isabel slapped the top of the table. She walked into the kitchen and grabbed the broken cordless phone. She brought it out to he dining room and dialed. "Michael. Max has to give blood samples in the morning-" She listened for a minute then said good-bye and hung up. "He said not to worry."

"What?" Liz questioned.

"Michael knows already," she looked to her brother. "He said to go to the appointment and not to worry."

"How can I not worry, Iz?"

"Trust Michael. He hasn’t let you down yet." Isabel stood and walked to the living room while she got on the floor with Sloane.

"What’s he thinking?" Michael asked Liz actually expecting an answer.

"I don’t know Max, I’ve been a little preoccupied with you lately to talk to him much." She fought the urge for a fight. "Why don’t you call him."

Max nodded but didn’t reach for the phone. "I think we should just go. Maybe tonight."

"’Just go’?" Her hands were splayed in front of her. "I don’t want to ‘just go’. This is my home, my family and friends. We’re not leaving Roswell, Max."

"They can’t have my DNA." Stating the obvious.

"Michael said not to worry. Isabel’s right, he’s never let you down before." Liz sighed. "Go their tomorrow and do what they ask. If Michael says it’s taken care of, then it is."

"You have a lot of faith in him." Max said with a spark of jealousy. "I wish you had that much faith in me sometimes."

"I do, Max. Well, I did." She closed her eyes. "Before all this I had more faith in you than anyone else in the world. More love and more trust. It’s going to take a while to get the trust back. You broke your wedding vows to me."

"I didn’t sleep with her."

"That doesn’t matter. You still cheated on me." Liz smiled sardonically. "You made me lose my trust in you and yes, it will take awhile to get it back. It will come back, though. We’re not getting divorced; we’re going to have a nice happy life together. I know we are. But you have to give me a little time. I do love you Max, I always will. You are my life."

"Thank you," Max said quietly. "I love you Liz." She stood and walked around the table to him. Placing her arms over his shoulders she hugged him and kissed his cheek. "Will you ever sleep in the same room with me again?"

"Eventually." After kissing the top of his head she joined Isabel and Sloane on the floor with the coloring books and the crayons.

* * * * * *

Michael did as he planned and waited by the phone. When Isabel called he nearly jumped out of his skin. Maria understood the urgency although she didn’t know all the specifics. He declined her offer to help and waited. He watched Leia and then Maria go to bed after eleven. Five minutes before midnight, Kyle finally called.

"Before I agree to anything," Kyle said. "I want to make it perfectly clear that I am not doing this for Evans. Okay? This is for everyone else that I care about, not him."

"Does that mean you’ll do it?"

"What exactly do I have to do?"

"Blood and hair, that’s it."

"Where?"

"Liz’s. She can draw the blood from you."

"Will he be there?"

"I don’t know."

"What time?"

"Can you be there after noon?"

"I’ll have to skip school." He sighed. "Twelve-thirty. I’ll be there; but you let him know I’m not doing it for him. This is for you guys, for Liz and Sloane."

Michael promised and called Liz, waking her up. "Can you be home at twelve-thirty tomorrow?"

"Sure," she yawned into the phone. "Sorry."

"Be home then and if you can, make Max disappear for awhile."

"Michael, will everything be okay?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "It’ll be fine."

Michael hung up and let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. Was he lying to Liz? He didn’t know. He didn’t have a freakin’ clue what he was going to do about anything and in less than nine hours Max Evans, alien, was going to have his blood drawn.

* * * * * *

Chapter Five

Maria rolled over, surprised to find Michael looking at her. She smiled placing her arm over her eyes. "It’s early. Did you sleep at all?"

"Not really," he leaned over and kissed her lips. "I had a nice week-end with you."

"Yeah, me too. Maybe we could do it again sometime?" She pushed the blankets down exposing her bare breasts.

He groaned and reached to her, rolling her nipple with his fingers. "I don’t want to leave this bed. Ever." He moved in closer to her capping his mouth over her distended nipple and sucked. He smiled into her when a small moan escaped her mouth. The blankets moved down around their legs and Michael’s hand skimmed in between her legs. He pressed it to her and then into her. Her legs spread, her hands pulled Michael up to her. Resting on his elbows above her, staring into her eyes. "Beautiful."

She smiled love at him, caressing his unshaven cheek with the back of her hand. He maneuvered inside of her. Her legs tossed off the remainder of the blankets before they crossed around his waist. He sank into her, burying his face in her hair. Inhaling the scent of sleep. The scent of her. Keeping his eyes closed trying to block the rest of the day he had ahead of him. Focusing on Maria. Maria.

"You okay?" She asked breathlessly in his ear. He smiled and raised his head so she could see it. She smiled back at him and felt the desire in him transfer to her. Reaching forward she brushed his mess of hair back off his forehead. "You need a haircut."

He nodded and plunged deep inside of her forcing the air from her lungs. She grinned as his legs shook along side hers, his arms no longer able to hold him up. Trembling he lowered himself next to her. He nuzzled her neck keeping one arm across her chest. "I know this is going to be a crappy day, but I’m so glad it started it out good."

"What’s going to happen to Max, Michael? I mean, you can’t fake a DNA test. Can you?" She asked rolling onto her side to face him.

"Kyle," he sighed. "He’s providing the samples." He didn’t want to tell her too much. The less she knew the better off she was in case he got caught.

"How?"

"Don’t worry about how." He ran his hands through his damp hair. "I don’t want you involved in this Maria."

"Not involved? What’s really going on?"

"I don’t know everything yet, but if there’s trouble, I don’t want you involved. You’re a crappy liar."

"Is there the possibility that you’ll get caught?"

"There’s always a possibility for everything." He didn’t face her he knew the accusatory stare was evident. He got out of bed after kissing her forehead.

She heard the shower running and called Liz. Isabel answered and refused to put Liz on the phone because she was with Max and it wasn’t a life or death circumstance. Frustrated, Maria slammed the phone down and called Kyle. Morgan answered and told her Kyle already left for work. He was going in early because he had an appointment in the afternoon. Maria thought before she spoke; she said good-bye and hung up. Morgan didn’t know either, she reflected, that was probably not a good sign. Liz would know. She cursed Isabel again for not putting her on the phone. A flicker of jealousy she thought she had banished nearly caught ablaze knowing that Michael still confided almost everything in Liz. A friendship. That’s all it was, Maria got sidetracked, they’re friends and nothing more. More like siblings than friends.

Hearing the water stop brought her back to the current situation. She got out of bed, putting on her robe, and waited for Michael to come back out. She was tapping her foot, arms crossed over her chest. He opened the bathroom door with a towel wrapped low around his waist and cringed. "What the hell is going on Michael? You have to tell me, maybe I can help."

"You can’t help," Michael shook his head and sat next to her. He picked up her hand and brought it to his lips. "Just leave everything to me."

"I used to help out with a lot of things Michael, you know that? You guys used to depend on me for a lot and since I had Leia I don’t get to do anything." She pouted. "Don’t get me wrong, I love my life, but damn it! I actually miss some of the excitement. Isn’t there anything I can do?"

"No sweetheart, there isn’t."

"I don’t believe you. Anyway, what is the big plan?"

"I’ll take care of it."

"You don’t have a big plan, do you?" She cracked a smile. "You’re winging it, aren’t you?"

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I’ll take care of it Maria, okay? Let it go." He stood and walked to the closet; then turned around to face her. "Listen to me. If something happens, you have to make me a promise. If I can’t get to you, there’s enough money in the savings account to get you and Leia far away from here. Go to Isabel and have her change ID’s for you and the license plates on the car. Go away and go away fast. When, and if, it’s safe I’ll find you."

"What?" Maria held her hands out in front of her. "What are you talking about? I’m not going anywhere."

"Maria, just promise me. If something happens, take Leia and go."

"You’re scaring me, Michael."

"I’m scaring myself."

* * * * * *

Liz and Isabel watched Max leave alone to go to the hospital. They had both offered to go with him; both had been denied. He mumbled something about having to do it alone and left after hugging his wife and kissing his daughter on the top of her head. The elder Evans’ women sat at the table in silence. Max would be gone for a couple hours and all they had to do was wait for him.

Sloane seemed to understand the gravity of the morning and was content to lay on the couch coloring. Isabel walked by once and marveled at the colorful crayoning of snow-capped mountains and skiers in bright snowsuits. Isabel shook her head in awe. Her niece was a very talented artist.

"Oh, Maria called a while ago." Isabel bit her bottom lip. "You were with Max and I didn’t want to disturb you."

"What’d she want?" Liz reached for the cordless phone on the table, looking irritated by the electrical tape that was holding the phone together. She knew she could have any of other three alien-it back together, but for Liz it served as a reminder of her husbands infidelities.

Isabel shrugged. "I don’t know, but she sounded kinda funny."

"Funny like ‘off’ or funny like in ‘I’m going back into brood mode’?" Liz asked carefully before dialing.

"She sounded off a bit."

As Liz dialed a frantic knock at the door made her jump. Isabel was already out of her chair going for the door. She opened it and Maria walked in. "Isabel, next time I need to talk to Liz, damn it, put her on the freakin’ phone!"

"I told you she was with Max when you called." Isabel glared at her. "Don’t ever tell me what to do."

"Whatever," Maria dismissed her walking towards Liz. "I want to know what the hell is going on."

"Maria!" Liz smiled. "What are you talking about?

"Michael’s acting all cryptic this morning and I’m shit outta luck because I lost my secret decoder ring when I was eight." She sat in the chair next to Liz. "So, tell me. I’m not going to be left in the dark."

"Michael?" Liz recalled the phone call from him late last night.

"Yeah," she glared at Isabel as she reclaimed her chair across from Liz. "He said if there’s trouble that I should take Leia and run. Isabel’s suppose to get us new ID’s and plates."

"Run from what?"

"That’s my question!" Maria threw her hands in the air. "He said Kyle’s giving the samples for Max and that’s all he’d tell me."

"Shit!" Isabel slapped the tabletop. "He’s going to go out and do something reckless. Damn it, I should have known better. Of course he has a plan and from the way he’s acting it’s not a good one. Did he say anything else?"

Maria shook her head. "Nope, that’s it. I tried to call Kyle and got Morgan who seems as clueless as I am, maybe more."

"He told me to be home after twelve and to have Max gone." Liz looked to her friend. "I think he’s doing the switch here. Listen, if Michael knows what he’s doing, let him do it."

* * * * * *

Sheriff Guerin didn’t have a clue how he was going to make the DNA switch. The samples were going to be locked at the hospital until the following morning when they would be sent by courier to Santa Fe to begin the tests. He stood outside the exam room with Deputy Jo Davie next to him. She had insisted in coming along and without a good reason, Michael couldn’t say no.

"This must be hard on you," she commented popping another piece of fruity smelling gum into her mouth. " I mean, he’s your friend."

"He’ll be found innocent Jo." Michael looked down the empty hallway while wiping the sweat off the back of his neck. He caught a reflection of himself in a mirrored door across the hall. He stared at the image of himself; plain brown Sheriff’s shirt tucked into tight blue jeans riding low on his waist. Black work boots and hat and sunglasses. The shiny gold star pinned proudly to his chest. At that point he saw himself as a human man living in a human world.

"Are you so sure?" She cocked her pixie face to the side and seemed to admire his reflection in the mirrored door.

"Yeah, I’m sure." He pivoted from his reflection and looked down at her. "You don’t really have to stay here if you have something better do."

"Oh, no. I’m good." She cracked her gum. "Besides, I don’t know if it’s such a good idea for you to be the law enforcement witnessing this, you know, him being your friend and all."

"What the fuck are you saying Davie?" His heart rate quickened. Did she know what he was thinking?

"I’m only saying that I know you want to see Max go free as much as apparently everyone else in this creepy little town." She stood closer to him and spoke quietly. "You’re a damn good Sheriff, Guerin. I don’t want o see you do anything that would cost you your job."

"I don’t think I like what you’re insinuating." He fought the urge to take off his hat and run his hands through his hair.

"I’m not insinuating anything," she sighed as two nurses walked by. She waited until they were down the hall before speaking again. "If you’re thinking about doing anything stupid, don’t."

"Davie, you don’t really know me well enough to know what I think. I take my job very seriously and I would never do anything to jeopardize it. Got it?" Jo Davie nodded although Michael thought she looked most unconvinced. Michael looked down at her. "Is that why you’re here?" The sudden realization dawned on him. "Is that why you wanted to be here so bad? To make sure that I didn’t steal his blood and runaway?" Michael considered how close to the truth that was.

"I was only telling you that I thought." She looked up to him. "You’re a good boss, I don’t want to lose you as that."

Michael began another protest but silenced himself as he saw Max walking down the hall, his lawyer Jared Knox was with him. They nodded at Michael and Jo before entering the sterile room. Michael and Jo followed and stood back against the wall. They were the last ones to arrive. The exam room was crowded with suits. Two attorneys from the Franks family stood to the side and watched Max with distaste. Max didn’t face anyone.

The doctor taking the samples wasn’t familiar with either family and seemed to want to be anywhere but there. He had Max sit in a chair and drew blood. Sealing and labeling the blood, he handed it to the nurse in back of him. He plucked a few strands of Max’s hair and sealed them in a clear envelope. He asked Max to lower his pants for a pubic hair sample. Max did as he was told without saying a word or meeting anyone’s eyes. It was over minutes after it started. He walked from the room and down the hall without uttering a word to anyone.

Michael watched intently as each matter was taken and organized. He tried to memorize the amount of hair and blood. Tried to memorize everything that he was going to have to remember later. He watched so closely that he didn’t notice Deputy Jo Davie watching him. After the samples had been catalogued and secured and witnesses signed statements, the suits left the room talking and joking. Michael and Jo followed. They saw Max in the hallway as he disappeared around a corner with his lawyer.

"It always seems like a bigger deal on TV," Jo commented as they walked down the white corridor towards the front entrance. "I thought there would more drama."

"You don’t think that was dramatic?" Michael snorted.

"You know what I mean," she pushed through the revolving door first and waited for her boss on the other side. "Hey, if you know he’s innocent, why do you look so stressed about all this?"

Michael looked at her without an answer; there wasn’t one. "I’m not."

"Yeah, you are." She got in the passenger side of the 4X4. "Why don’t we get some coffee before we head back?"

Michael declined her invitation and drove back to the station in silence. Although he was aware of the glances Jo gave him, he ignored her. He had more important things on his mind.

* * * * * *

Kyle and Morgan arrived at the Evans’ condo at exactly twelve-thirty. They walked in and Kyle immediately looked for Max.

"He’s not here," Liz said. "He took Sloane to the park."

Morgan rolled her eyes at her husband. "I hope you don’t mind that I’m here. I knew something was going on and I insisted on being here."

"You and me both," Maria commiserated looking at the person she had not yet apologized to. She motioned Morgan away from the small crowd and stood by the kitchen door. Morgan joined her expectantly. "I’m sorry, Morgan. I should have apologized before now."

"It’s alright. I didn’t know what was going on with you, I shouldn’t have been such a bitch."

"I didn’t know either," Maria smiled. "You tried to help when no one else knew what to do. Thank you."

"I tried to help by yelling at you," Morgan finally smiled. "I’m sorry. And I’m glad that everything’s okay now."

Maria smiled and hugged her. "It was Sloane and Max, I think they might have saved my life."

"Michael told me the story the other day, it’s amazing." Their conversation was interrupted as the front door opened and Michael let himself in. "Michael."

Michael looked from face to face of his family and friends and wondered when this had turned into a party. "Why is everyone here?"

"I’m here to find out what the hell you’re going to do." Maria walked towards him. "Her too." She motioned to Morgan.

"We live here," Isabel smiled pointing to Liz and then back to herself trying to break the tension. "And Kyle is the guinea pig."

"I’ve been called worse," Kyle let some of the anger ease form him. "Alright, let’s get this show on the road."

Michael nodded and set down a little brown bag he had been holding. He explained to Liz how much blood was drawn from Max and how much hair and from where. He handed her a syringe and labeled vial and two labeled clear plastic bags. He had spent the rest of the morning making labels he thought were identical to the ones used in the hospital on his computer. After trying to make sure all traces had been erased and deleted he was confident of his work.

Kyle and Liz went into the bathroom and she set out all the necessary equipment. Kyle smiled. "I always thought you’d become a doctor or a research chick." He rolled up his sleeve and winced as she tapped his arm looking for a vein. "I never thought that you’d stay here and work here. I remember when you had the stars in your eyes."

"I still have them," she smiled. "They just changed a long time ago."

"Why are you staying with him?" Kyle asked quietly. He hadn’t spoken to her since his rampage on her husband and knew very well that this line of questioning was out of order.

"He’s my husband, Kyle." She sighed and leaned against the vanity. "He didn’t hurt that girl, you know that."

"Yeah," he nodded. "I know he didn’t hurt her physically. But I also know he did fuck around with her."

"It’s over."

"After everything he’s done to you-"

"Yeah, like making me happy. Being a wonderful husband and father?"

"You know damn well what I mean." He let out a breath. "I know we won’t agree and I hope you know that I’m not doing this for him. I’m doing this for everyone else except him."

"I know," she finally smiled. "Thank you. You’re saving all our lives."

Kyle nodded and waited for her to draw blood. He winced when she plucked hair from his head and blushed when he pulled down his pants. "I never thought you’d get in my pants."

Liz blushed and sealed up the bags. She opened the bathroom door and walked out with the contraband back in the bag. She handed it to Michael and looked at him expectantly as a crack of thunder shook the windows and set off car alarms in the parking lot below. "Now what?"

Michael shook his head. It was something that he needed to do alone. Although still a little fuzzy on exactly how to do it, he knew he had to do it alone. The front door opened and Max and Sloane walked in. Sloane immediately went to Maria and hugged her legs. Maria was near tears at the gentleness and kindness of the little girl.

"What’s going on?" Max looked to Liz after pausing on each of the faces in the room.

"We’re leaving," Kyle reached for Morgan’s hand and led her to the door. Without a look back, they left.

"Why is everyone here?" Max spoke over the rain that was now pelting the windows.

"Don’t worry about it Maxwell," Michael clapped him on the back. He kissed Maria on the cheek and walked from the condo without another word.

"Liz?"

"Just let Michael do what he’s doing."

"Which is?’

"We don’t know Max," Maria broke free of Sloane’s grasp and stood in front of him. "All I know is that Kyle just had blood drawn and hair snipped. Michael’s switching the samples somehow and he won’t tell anyone anything."

"He can’t."

"Well, he is dear brother," Isabel joined the conversation. "And he’s doing it alone."

Max looked to his wife before retreating into the bedroom.

"Okay," Isabel clapped her hands together. "That went well."

Sloane pulled on her mother’s leg trying to get her attention. Liz finally looked down at her. "He needs help."

"Who needs help, sweetheart?" Maria asked getting down on the floor in front of her. "Your daddy?"

Sloane shook her head and pointed at Maria. "Yours."

"Michael?" Maria heard the panic in her voice as Sloane nodded.

* * * * * *

Liz was worried, it was after nine and Max had left the condo almost four hours ago without a word. Michael hadn’t answered a page after the first one and Maria was no where to be found. She had put Sloane to bed an hour before and paced the living room. As she walked down the hall she heard her daughter talking. She paused outside her bedroom door and looked in. Sloane was sitting up in bed looking across the room towards the window

"I don’t know what you mean."

"Where are you?"

Lightening flashed across the room lighting Sloane’s face in bright gold. "If he’s your daddy too, why do you want to hurt him?"

Liz felt the gooseflesh as she backed away from the door. She shook her head back and forth. No. No.

* * * * * *

Chapter Six

Stealthy. Max was trying to be stealthy. He had been sitting and waiting for almost two hours in the jeep a few houses down from the Guerin/DeLuca residence and waited. What he was waiting for, he didn’t know. Michael had come and gone and was back home again. Maria hadn’t been home since the afternoon. He knew Leia was at Amy and Jim’s after driving by there and seeing Jim and Leia on the front porch. A curt wave out the window was all Max had to offer. He was on a mission.

Taking a deep breath, he stretched his legs and arms. When a face appeared in the window next to him he nearly screamed. Not expecting anyone, he saw Maria.

"What are you doing?" He asked harshly.

"Watching you, nimrod," she rolled her eyes. "I know Michael’s going to try to switch your goodies tonight and then you pull up and sit here like a stalker. What’s going on?"

"I don’t know," he shrugged. "I was waiting for Michael to do something so I could follow him."

"That was my plan!" She smiled. "I’ve been sitting in my car down the street for hours and then you showed up and just sat here, too. This is stupid."

"Michael won’t tell you anything?"

She shook her head. "No, he said he had to do it alone. And as we all know, alone is not necessarily a good thing."

"This is my fault," he looked sincerely at her. "I should be the one trying to fix it."

"That doesn’t matter. Michael’s scaring the crap out of me with this. I just want to make sure he’s going to be okay. I think his big plan is to break in and switch the samples. All in all, it doesn’t sound like a major." She looked towards her house. "But if he gets caught doing anything with your genes, then your DNA will so stand out like the Jolly Green Giant at a midget convention. Then there goes you, your sister and daughter. Probably Liz, too, you never know. Not to mention, Michael will lose his job and probably worse."

"You don’t think I’ve thought about all these things already?" Max said somewhat irritated. "Me, my person, is the last thing on my mind. I was a fucking idiot to let this happen. It’s everyone else’s safety that I care about, not my own. Unfortunately, it doesn’t end with me and Michael is putting himself on the line for everyone. Alone."

"I know!" Maria started loud but lowered her voice. "Do you have a plan?"

"No. You?"

"Hardly. This was it." She looked towards her house again and then darted in front of the jeep. She let herself in the passenger side and shut the door. "Hi."

"Hi. What do you think you’re doing?"

"Whatever you’re doing. You go, I go."

"Forget it, I don’t wa-"

"I don’t care." She crossed her arms over her chest and looked straight ahead. "This is my life at stake too, Maxie. You didn’t forget that, did you? Did you ever think that maybe we can help by working together?"

Max opened his mouth to speak then closed, nodding. "Okay DeLuca, you’re on. We’ll work together on this on one condition." She raised her eyebrows in anticipation. "You don’t ever call me Maxie again."

Maria smiled and crossed her heart with her index finger. She grabbed Max’s arm and pointed. "He’s leaving." They watched as Michael walked from the small frame house and to the Tempo in the driveway. He looked around before getting in. Max waited until Michael was out of the driveway and almost half a block away before starting the jeep. They stayed a good distance behind him trying to be inconspicuous. Both Max and Maria were so involved in not losing Michael; neither of them noticed the headlights that had pulled out in back of them.

* * * * * *

Liz felt faint. Hearing her daughter talking to someone who wasn’t there was fine. What she had said made her skin crawl. Could her sweet daughter Sloane actually be having a conversation with Max’s other child? Liz shook her head in denial. No way, there was no conceivable way that could happen. She thought about shrugging it off; but then thought better of it. If Liz Evans had learned nothing else in the last seven plus years, nothing should be ignored. Ignorance is not bliss.

She took a deep breath and walked back to her daughter’s room. Sloane was still sitting up looking towards the window but she silent now. Liz ventured in the room and said her daughter’s name softly. Sloane turned to her and smiled. "Hi mommy."

"Hi sweetheart," Liz sat down next to her. "I was walking by your room a few minutes ago and I thought I heard you talking to someone."

"I was," she picked up a stuffed giraffe, absently petting its long neck.

"Who were you talking to?" Liz felt the knot in her stomach forming. Sloane shrugged and lay down. "Sweetheart, who were you talking to?"

"I don’t know his name." She whispered.

"How were you talking to him?"

"His voice was in my head."

"Do you talk to him a lot?" Liz asked and Sloane shrugged again. "I heard you say something about daddy. Does he know daddy?"

Sloane shook her head intensely. "No!"

"Does he want to hurt daddy?"

"He said he would someday."

"Why?"

"I don’t know." Sloane looked up into her mother’s eyes. "He said he’s my brother. I don’t have a brother, do I?"

Liz mulled the question over for a full minute before answering. Everything that Max and her had decided to tell Sloane and when was barreling through her cerebral cortex. Five was too young to understand; they had originally thought thirteen, not five. "No, sweetie. You don’t have a brother." Liz took a deep breath. "I don’t think you should talk to him anymore."

"I don’t want to, but he talks in my head." Sloane closed her eyes.

"Can you turn it off?" Liz asked and rolled her eyes not believing this conversation was actually happening. Sloane shrugged and clutched her giraffe tighter to her chest.

"I don’t like him." Sloane rolled on her side ending the conversation. Liz kissed the top of her daughter’s head and left the room.

Sitting down on the couch Liz wondered if she had just made a mistake by telling Sloane she didn’t have a brother. Technically, Liz tried to convince herself, there really might not be a brother. She shook her head knowing that wasn’t the truth. In less than thirteen short years that brother was going to try to kill her baby girl.

Telling Max seemed like the best idea. Although her first instinct was to talk to Michael, she remembered that Michael had his own life to worry about and that she couldn’t run to him with all her problems. There was always Maria, but she didn’t know the story of the second coming of a futuristic Max and it would be too hard to explain at this point. Max should know if his daughter is talking to his son, even if he doesn’t know the ramifications of the future. How were they talking? Liz didn’t have a damn clue. Hearing his voice in her head was scary. He would be about three years older than Sloane and apparently already filled with hate like his mo-Tess. She cringed while thinking about her name alone. She had banished almost all images of her over the years. The tattoo covering the brand was the grand finale. Liz closed her eyes and actually tried to picture Tess’s face. A distorted image of blond curls and blue eyes was as far as she could get, as far as she wanted to get right now. The Tess saga was for another day.

She glanced at the clock, after ten. Wondering how she had wasted the last hour thinking about her own personal devil; her thoughts turned back to Max and his whereabouts. She grabbed the broken cordless and dialed Maria’s listening as the machine turned on. Next she paged Michael again. After waiting for ten minutes with no return call, she decided it was futile to keep trying. Something was going down and she wasn’t part of it. Neither was Isabel, she was still on her date with Rick. A last minute dinner invite had arrived shortly after Max left and after much deliberation, Isabel had left to meet him.

Walking around the soundless condo Liz began to worry. The worse scenarios played out in front of her like a movie. Damn it, she thought, whatever they’re doing they better be careful about it.

* * * * * *

Michel Guerin drove through the city he was sworn to protect ready to break the law, several probably. The master plan he had been trying to think of all night was non-existent. Part of him wished now that he had consulted with Max and Isabel; well, at least with Isabel.

He parked the Tempo in back of the hospital and waited. Ten o’clock on a Monday night wasn’t the most happening of times. Clearly his presence would be noticed if not questioned if he roamed the halls. Asking someone where they kept the DNA samples before they were sent to Santa Fe probably wouldn’t work either. Taking a deep breath, he shoved the bag of Kyle’s genetics inside his jacket pocket and got out of the car. If there hadn’t been so much on his mind he would have noticed the two cars with people inside of them watching him.

"He’s just going to walk in." Max said as him and Maria watched from about fifteen yards away. "Is that his big plan?"

"Maybe," Maria sighed. "Damn it! He’s going to get caught, Max. You can’t just walk in there and switch shit like this. We have to do something."

"Like what? Go traipsing in there looking for him to tell him to stop?" Max rested his head on the steering wheel. "I wish he wasn’t alone."

Maria concurred silently as she glanced in the side mirror. "Max, don’t turn around for any reason, just listen to me."

"What?" He fought the urge to raise his head and turn around with all of his will power. Now was not the time to be stupid. "What, Maria?"

"A few cars in back of us; there’s a little round car, it’s light colored, maybe white."

"Round?"

"Round," she repeated. "You know, rounded edges, like a bubble. Anyway, there’s someone inside and they’re looking in the same direction as we are. A woman, I think. She’s watching Michael."

"Shit." Max raised his head. "Do you know who it is?"

"I think it might actually be that new Deputy, Jo Davie." Maria narrowed her eyes. "I really think it’s her. Oh God, what’s she doing here?"

"This can’t be good." He shook his head and looked at his partner. "We have to get rid of her. She’s here to bust Michael. Damn, I knew she shouldn’t have been there this morning. She was there with Michael, probably setting him up to get busted."

"Why?"

"I don’t know Maria. Maybe she doesn’t like him, maybe she likes him too much, maybe she wants his job, maybe she’s a secret alien hunter and we haven’t been hiding as well as we thought we had." Max shrugged. "She’s gotta go before Michael comes back out."

Maria had her hand on the door. "I’ll go."

"Where?" Max grabbed her arm.

"I’ll go see what she’s doing," Maria shrugged. "You have any better ideas?"

Max fought his overloaded brain trying to find something and came back empty. He shook his head but didn’t release her arm. "I don’t want you to go."

"You don’t have a choice." She snipped at him.

"Yeah, I do. If I let something happen to you Michael would kill me. You’re not going anywhere. I’ll deal with her."

"What are you going to do? Blow her up? Melt her?" Maria smiled; the smile fell as soon as she saw Max’s serious expression. "Oh, no. You’ve got to be kidding me."

"I’ll do what I have to do."

"Forget it." She yanked her arm free from his grip.

"No!" He grabbed her arm again and held it tighter this time.

Maria rolled her eyes and glanced at the side mirror. "Shit! She’s leaving!"

Max turned around to see headlights making a U-turn in back of them. He started the jeep back up and sped after the car carrying Deputy Jo Davie.

"What the hell are you doing?" Maria yelled putting on her seatbelt.

Max didn’t answer her. He focused on the car in front of him. A stoplight was shining through the haze of leftover rain ahead of them. Brake lights from Jo Davie’s car basked Max and Maria in red.

Maria jumped out as soon as the jeep quit moving. Max swore after her and slammed the gearshift into neutral and stomped on the emergency brake.

Maria was already at the drivers’ side window banging on the glass. A startled Jo rolled the window half way down staring at Maria. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Why are you following Michael?"

Jo looked closer at Maria. "You’re his girlfriend, right?"

"Tell me why the fuck you’re watching him!"

"I saw him." Jo didn’t elaborate as confusion spread across her face.

Max stood behind Maria, putting his arms around her waist pulling her back from the car. "Stop it Max!"

"Maria," he said softly into her ear. "Let’s go."

"Like hell!" Maria tried to break away from him, but his grip was too tight. "Let go of me Max."

Max looked at the scared face of Jo Davie and felt sorry for her. A few minutes earlier, he would have killed her, now he just wanted her to go away. "Maria, stop fighting me."

"As soon as you let me go," she said with clenched teeth. "You asshole!"

"I’m not letting you go," he whispered in her ear. "If I let you go you’re going to do something stupid."

"That’s rich coming from you," she stared down Jo Davie. "Tell me why you’re here!" She demanded.

Jo looked from Max to Maria and felt the blood drain from her face. "I wanted-"

"Wanted what?" Maria interrupted.

Jo turned away from them and floored the gas pedal skidding out into the cross street. Within seconds her red taillights were gone. Maria waited a beat before trying to turn and face her captor.

"Why the hell did you do that?" Maria asked as big tears slid down her cheeks. Max still held onto her, although looser now. "Why?" She gave up and buried her face on his shoulder. "Why?"

He rubbed her back as they stood in the middle of the street. "I had to Maria. For Michael, I had to."

Maria cried as he led them back to the jeep. He helped her in, holding on to her hand until the last second. He walked around and got in and started the engine. Max pulled back towards the hospital and parked in the same spot. The Tempo was still there. Maria sat facing Max and eventually ended up nearly sharing his seat with him. She rested her head against him while he rubbed her back.

* * * * * *

Michael walked down the hall like he was supposed to be there. No one stopped him, well, of the one maintenance man he had seen; no one had stopped him. His breath was shallow and more audible than he would have liked as he wound his way through the identical hallways trying to locate the office of the doctor who had taken the specimens from Max. Two doors down from a dead end Michael found the doctors’ name on the door. He couldn’t pronounce it, but he knew it when he saw it. Trying the door he wasn’t surprised to find it locked. Looking down the hallway once more, he held his hand over the doorknob and heard the mechanical click from inside. He opened the door and closed it quickly behind him.

After turning on a small lamp on the desk he made his way to the file cabinet. Locked and unlocked with a wave of his hand. Flipping through he found ‘Evans, Max’ typewritten on a folder. Pulling it out and scanning the contents he learned that everything was being held in his other office, one he shared with two others, locked up tight waiting to be taken by courier in the morning. Michael noted the room number and put everything back where it belonged. Stepping back out of the office he got a sick feeling deep in his gut. Everything he had worked for to make his family happy was being put on the line. He was walking the thin line of morality. His job told him to uphold the law, his heart told him top break it. He went with his heart. No way to back out now. He was the only one who could keep them safe.

The next office was bigger with locked cabinets and freezers lining the walls. He gambled and opened three before he found what he was looking for. In a neat clear plastic box held the true identity of Max Evans. The lid popped off easily and he grabbed the contents shoving them in his pocket. From his other pocket he got out the replacements and set them inside. Snapping the lid back on, he returned the box to its temporary home.

He turned off a small light he wasn’t sure if he had turned on or not and walked back into the hallway. As he turned to walk back down the hall towards the back entrance, he heard footsteps behind him. Without looking back he quickened his pace until it was a slight jog. The footsteps, two pairs, it sounded like to him, were getting closer.

"Stop!" A husky voice called from behind him.

Michael ran at full speed through swinging doors, pausing only momentarily to slam a bar lock across them. He saw in the glass-encased chicken wire windows two security guards in pursuit. He kept his head down and ran. He heard the guards slam into the door and swear.

The sting of the cool night air punctured Michael’s lungs as he ran from the building to the Tempo. He got in the car and sped off without turning his lights on.

"Hey," the guard with the husky voice panted. "Didn’t you think that guy looked like Sheriff Guerin?" The other nodded in agreement.

"There he is and he’s hauling it to the car." Max pointed. They watched as he got in and drove away. They waited a beat and no one followed him out of the hospital. "I guess he did it."

"I don’t know," Maria shook her head. "Maybe he failed."

"I don’t think so," he started the jeep. "C’mon, I’ll take you home and see. We have to tell him about Jo Davie."

"I don’t even want to tell him we were here tonight." Maria slid back over into her own seat.

"We have to, Maria." He squeezed her hand. "Secrets are a bad thing. Remember?" She smiled at him and nodded, secrets were bad.

* * * * * *

Chapter Seven

Michael was out of breath as he drove. Running one hand through his hair while gripping the steering wheel white-knuckled with the other. He had done it; he had successfully made the switch. As soon as the lab work came back, Max Evans and everyone else would be of the hook. Only one minor problem, the two security guards at the hospital. Had they recognized him? He didn’t think he had given them a face shot, but he couldn’t be sure. Anything was possible. He wondered if they had really seen him doing anything wrong in the first place.

Maria hadn’t been home when he left, Leia was still at her grandmothers and Liz had managed to page him at least a dozen times since early evening. His options were thin. He drove to the DeLuca/Valenti residence and smiled when he saw all the lights on. No doubt, Leia was probably keeping everyone up. He pulled into the driveway as the announcer on the radio told him it was almost midnight. Great. Getting out of the car he saw the front door open and Jim Valenti step outside. He waved almost too casually and looked down the street. It was almost empty.

He met Jim on the porch steps and finally wiped the sweat from his forehead. He shook Jim’s hand with his dry one. Jim was aware of the tremor.

"You been out jogging?" Jim asked raising his eyebrows.

"Something like that." Michael kicked at the floor. "I did it."

"Did everything go smooth?"

"Almost. I need a favor." Michael said looking down at the nothingness his foot was still kicking. "I need an alibi. Can you be that?"

"What happened?" Jim’s shoulders sagged.

"Everything was cool up until I was leaving and then two security guards pretty much chased me out." He met Jim’s eyes and saw the disappointment. "I didn’t let them see my face."

"Well, that’s good." Jim shoved his hands deep in his denim pockets and glanced to the front door. "Yeah, if you need me, I’ll do it. Amy’s been gone all night at some seminar thing at the rec center; actually, she should be home by now. If anyone asks, you were here with me and Leia."

"She been okay?"

"Hellion, but yeah, she’s fine. Actually she just fell asleep on the couch in the middle of one of the last ‘Scream’ movies, I don’t know which one." Jim smiled.

"She’s six." Michael held his now steady hands out in front of him. "You’re letting her watch horror movies?"

"Uh…" Jim looked around for help. "She’s seen all the others, hell, she practically knows all the words to this one. I don’t know where she gets this stuff from." He laughed.

"Well, I better get going. I hope Maria’s home by now. Was she by here at all?"

"Tonight? Not since she dropped Leia off, but that was before dinner. You haven’t seen her tonight?" Michael shook his head. "That’s odd, she said she was spending a nice quiet evening at home."

"Well, a lot of strangeness has been floating around here lately." Michael looked to his car. "Have you talked to Kyle?"

"Not Kyle, but Morgan called. He’s still pissed at Max, very pissed. Morgan called me because he’s passed out on the couch, again. She’s worried about him. Have you noticed anything?"

"Not really, but my mind’s been on Maria and Max lately."

"According to Morgan it’s like he really hates Max." Jim shrugged. "I think it may lie a little deeper than this school thing."

"Why do you say that?"

"A feeling I get from my son." He glanced back towards the front door. "I’m going to go Michael, I don’t want your daughter waking up scared, wondering where I went."

"No, you don’t want her waking up and running through the house like a wild child tearing things up." Michael smiled knowing his daughter all too well.

"Well, that too." Jim admitted. "So, what time were you here?"

"From eight-thirty until now." Michael nodded and extended his hand to his mentor, his friend. "Thanks. I’ll pick the child up in the morning." He walked back to his car and got in. He passed a white car down the block but never saw Jo Davie ducking down inside of it.

* * * * * *

Max pulled up in front of Maria’s, they both looked to the empty driveway. "Shit." Max turned off the engine.

"Maybe he was hungry after all that running and went through a drive-thru?" Maria suggested. "Do you want to come in and wait with me?"

Max nodded and got out of the jeep. He followed her inside and made himself at home on the couch. Maria sat next to him thinking of a way to break the uncomfortable silence between them.

"I shouldn’t have gone up to her car," Maria said softly. "You were right."

"I didn’t want to see you get hurt." He shrugged. "Michael would’ve killed me if I ever let anything happen to you. He’s going to be pissed off enough that you were with me tonight."

"I got in your car, Max." She sighed. "You didn’t put a gun to my head and force me to go. He’ll get over it."

Max smiled at her. "Thanks. I’d like to tell you something but I’m afraid I’ll sound like a huge dork."

"You are a huge dork, go ahead."

"I like you. I mean, I really do. I know you’re technically Liz’s friend and Michael’s woman, but I really like you. I was scared when something was wrong." He held up his hand to avoid the interruption that was inevitable. "When I couldn’t ‘fix you’ as Leia called it, I got scared that we were all going to lose you."

"Max."

"I’m not done. When you told me that you didn’t always trust me as a person, but you trusted me with yours and Leia’s lives, I was touched." He spoke softly avoiding eye contact. "I’ve made some mistakes and they’ve been big, we all know that. I can’t promise that I won’t make another along the way sometime, but I’ll be damn careful trying not too."

"Why are you telling me all of this?"

"Because I can," he looked at her and smiled. "I just wanted to let you know that I value you as a friend. My friend."

Maria fought to keep a straight face, "you really are a dork." She leaned over and hugged him. "But that’s what makes you Max."

He rolled his eyes and turned to the front door. They parted as the front door opened and Michael walked in.

Michael looked back and forth between the two of them. "Hi. I saw the jeep, but I thought it’d be Liz, not you." He nodded at Max. "So, what’s going on?"

"Did you do it?" Maria asked anxiously.

"Of course I did it," he placed his hand to his chest. "Piece of cake. Never even broke a sweat." Maria and Max looked at each and smiled both thinking about the way Michael had come running from the hospital. "What?"

"Nothing," Maria smiled at him. "We’re just glad everything went so smooth." She looked to Max who nodded an answer to her silent question. "We have to talk. Sit."

Michael sat on the coffee table across from them. "What? Tell me."

"We were kind of there tonight." Maria cringed as she said it.

"What?" Michael yelled. "What do you mean you were ‘kind of there’? Were you there or not?" He stood and paced running his hands through his hair.

"We were outside Michael," Max leaned forward resting his elbows on his knees. "We just wanted to make sure you were okay."

"So you drag Maria along with you?" He yelled.

"No one dragged me anywhere Michael." Maria said shaking her head. "I got in his car voluntarily and made him take me. I forced him."

"Damn it! Couldn’t you both just listen to me. I didn’t need your help, everything went fine by myself." He decided to leave out the part about the security guards. It would probably turn out to be nothing anyway. "Why? Can you tell me why you went? Didn’t either of you think I could this by myself? Thanks for the vote of confidence."

"It’s not like Michael, don’t turn this into something it isn’t." Max let out a breath. "We knew you were perfectly capable of doing this alone; however, alone isn’t always a good thing. You have no back-up."

"I didn’t need any."

"Yeah, you know that now." Maria folded her arms over her chest. "It could have been different and you might have needed us."

"Okay," Michael lowered his voice. "I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to yell at either of you. You were concerned about my safety and that’s great, but the next time I tell you I’m doing something alone, let me." Max and Maria both nodded then looked to each other. "What? Is there more?"

Max took a deep breath. "We had a slight problem while we were outside the hospital."

"Oh God, what?" Michael sat back down on the coffee table.

"We saw someone else who was following you."

"What?" He lifted his head to face Maria. "Who?"

"We were parked about fifty feet away from you and in back of us was Jo Davie." Maria winced.

"Jo Davie. My Deputy Jo Davie was following me?" He looked to the floor and watched as his life and freedom slipped away. "Damn it!" He stood back up and began to pace. "Why the fuck was she there?" He was met by silence. "Please tell me she didn’t see you two there." The look shared between Max and Maria was better than a verbal answer. "Oh God. See, this is why I wanted to be alone."

"She was watching you Michael!" Maria tried to explain. "She said she-"

"I’m sorry." Michael interrupted her. "Did you just say ‘she said’?"

"Yeah. I think she knew we were on to her and she bolted." Maria became animated telling the story. "So we followed her and at the stoplight I got out and started banging on the window asking her why the hell she was following you. She said she saw you and then she got scared and ran away."

"You know Maria, you actually tell that story like you’re proud of it." Michael spoke in a monotone afraid that if he raised his voice he’d be screaming at them. "You two," he pointed first to Max and then to Maria, "fucked up."

"Michael-" Max started.

"No. I don’t want to hear anything form you." Michael shook his head pointing at him. "Not a fucking word. I risked everything to fix your damn DNA and this is the kind of help I get? Please note, I’m using the term ‘help’ very loosely."

"Sweetie," Maria stood and faced him. "We’re sorry. We were just trying to help." Michael nodded at her.

"Thank you." Max said solemnly and received the same nod from Michael that Maria had gotten. "I guess I should go."

"No. I’ll go." Michael dug his keys out of his pocket and walked to the door with Maria a step behind him.

"Where are you going?"

"Out for awhile. I have to think a few things over and I’d like to do it alone." He looked at her then over her shoulder at Max. "Let me go over that again. A-L-O-N-E. "He spelled out. "That means no one else. Not you and not him."

"Will you be back tonight? Or are you going to stay with Liz all night?" Maria regretted it as she said it. Max stood at attention. "Wait, that’s not exactly…"

"Will I go see Liz?" He shrugged. "As long as the two of you are here, I think I might. As least she has some freakin’ common sense."

Max and Maria stood side by side and watched Michael leave. She turned to him. "Well, at least he’s mad at both of us, huh?"

"That makes it better?" Max asked. "I can’t believe he’s going to my home to see my wife."

"You could go too, if you want."

"No way. The last place I want to be is in way of the wrath of Michael right now." He looked to the couch. " I guess I can call that bed tonight, huh?"

Maria smiled and nodded. "Do you think he’ll be back anytime soon?"

"No," he shook his head. "He’s pissed and you know what? He has every right to be. We really did fuck up tonight."

"I should have never gotten out of the car."

"I was ready to melt her a few minutes before that. We used poor judgement and now we’re in trouble." He shook his head and walked back to his temporary bed. "I hope we didn’t make things worse."

"Who? Us?" Maria pointed back and forth between her and Max and grinned finally getting a smile from him. "C’mon, let’s stay up late and watch a movie. I can do your nails."

* * * * * *

The lights were low, the rain had stopped, and Liz Evans was alone. She was scared for her husband and worried about her missing friends. The sharp knock at the door nearly flung her into hysteria.

"It’s me," Michael called form the other side. Liz let him in and looked at him expectantly. "I made the switch; Max should be fine."

"Thank God," she wrapped her arms around his shoulder and kissed his lips quickly. She skimmed her memory trying to think if she had ever touched his lips before. No, she thought, she’d have remembered how soft they were. "Thank you Michael." She broke away from him and grabbed his hand tightly. "I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to tell you exactly how grateful I am."

Michael led her by the hand to the couch and sat down. Liz sat and tucked her legs under her. "If you’re wondering where Max is, he’s at my house. Two of the Three Stooges are there and at the rate they’re going a third would be disastrous." He explained his analogy to her.

"They didn’t." Liz shook her head. "God, what were they thinking?"

"See, number one problem: no one thinks, they just react." He sighed. "Anyway, can I have the couch tonight? I don’t want to go back there, I don’t know exactly what would come out of my mouth and I don’t really feel like losing either of them."

"Of course you can stay Michael, you’re always welcome here." She squeezed his knee. "I don’t know if Isabel’s coming home or not."

"Out with Rich?"

"Rick, yeah." Liz grinned. She sat back against the couch and sighed loudly. "All this because Max screwed around on me. Unbelievable."

"He’s a good guy, you know that. People make mistakes." He shrugged and looked in her eyes. "You’re his world, Liz." He tucked stray strands of hair behind her ear.

"I’m going to bed now that I know where everyone is and that they’re safe." She stood. "Remind me to tell you about Sloane tomorrow, okay? Good night Michael."

Michael watched her walk from the room and thought of Maria. He was already beginning to miss her. He thought of her and Max spending the night alone together and smiled. Not a chance of anything happening there. Maria would rather put her eye out with a pen.

* * * * * *

Liz laid in bed and thought of her husband. Max. She loved him and she missed him. It was the first night she had slept in their mutual bed since the whole Lindy incident had reared its ugly head. She inhaled the musky scent of Max and longed for him to be next to her, holding her, touching her.

Briefly her thoughts turned to Michael and his soft, soft lips. Never before, not since she had known him had she ever thought about kissing him. She didn’t think she really was now, either. Just missing her husband.

* * * * * *

Max walked into his silent condo before six in the morning. He saw a note on the couch and picked it up:

Liz- Thanks for letting me stay and for listening to me. You’re the best, don’t ever forget it- Michael.

Michael was right; Liz was the best. He walked down the hall and peeked in the guestroom, empty. He looked in on his daughter who was sleeping with her stuffed giraffe held tight against her chest. He smiled and walked across the hall, opening the bedroom door he ached when he saw his wife. She stirred and opened her eyes.

"Hi," Max walked closer to her. He sat on the edge of the bed. "I guess you know where I was last night, right?"

She nodded and yawned. "Is Michael gone?"

Max nodded looking in her eyes. "I miss you Liz."

She beckoned him to her with a finger. "I need you."

Max’s brows burrowed together leaning into her. Feeling her skin through the thin faded T-shirt she slept in. Tentatively pulling the shirt over her head, seeing skin he never thought he would again. He reached to her breast, kneading her nipple with his fingers. Wanting. Yearning. Lowering his mouth to her, slipping almost her entire breast inside. Her hands raking through his hair. She slipped her hand around his and led it to her underwear, sliding it inside.

Max looked to her as he felt the wetness. Liz worked at his button down shirt trying to get it off without removing his hand. Unsuccessful, she finally had to push him away to get him undressed. He lay down next to her and held her close to him for a few seconds. A few seconds was all she could handle. She wanted, no she needed, him inside of her. She rolled him over on top of her, brushing his scruffy face with the back of her hand.

He supported himself on his arms over her, gazing into her eyes. "I love you, Liz. I’m sorry for everything."

She nodded in acceptance as he plunged inside of her. She groaned at the missed touch, the missed feeling of belonging. Her arms wrapped around his back and pulled her to him. Feeling his heartbeat against hers was more than she could stand. Her emotions overcame her as she trembled underneath her.

Max felt the jolt of passion from her, unable to control himself, it was over. Only minutes after it had begun. He collapsed next to her, panting, kissing her almost damp neck.

"I’ll never hurt you again," he promised.

She picked up his hand and brought it to her mouth kissing it. That’s when she noticed the metallic lavender polish on his nails. "Maria?"

* * * * * *

Leia was up before the rest of the house. She had been sleeping in her room at Grandma and Grandpa Jim’s house. The room used to be her mothers, then Uncle Kyle’s but now it was hers. Staring blindly at the wall, the voice in her head was active.

"You’ll always need me." She said out loud as the tiny voice of Sloane whispered back.

"No. I won’t."

"You’re my friend."

"I can’t have any friends or they’re going to get hurt."

"Why?"

"I don’t know."

"But you’ll need me, I can help you."

"No. You can’t help me. It has to be me alone."

"Why?"

"That’s what she told me."

"Who?"

"I don’t know her name."

"Let me help, please."

"I have to be alone. No one can help me."

"Who is she?"

"She said she’s my brother’s mother."

* * * * * *

Chapter Eight

Michael called in to work the following day not wanting to see Jo Davie but had no choice but to show up the next one. No one stared at him or was waiting with handcuffs when he walked in the building, that’s a good. He strolled into his office and shut the door. Glancing at the schedule underneath the glass blotter, his shoulders sank at the sight of Jo Davie’s name for the day shift, today.

"Shit." He rested his head on the desk. Thinking about the previous twenty-four hours with Maria was making him tired all over again. He stood his ground with her and wouldn’t budge. She had been wrong to follow him, with or without Max. She had been wrong to approach Jo Davie for a hundred different reasons, all of which Michael had told her about.

He had felt bad when she cried, but not bad enough to cave. It was simple, her and Max had fucked up royally. He didn’t talk to Max and that was just as well; nothing Max would say was going to make it better.

"Busy?" The office door opened and Jo Davie walked in.

Michael shrugged; caught totally off guard. He stared at her momentarily then motioned to the chair across from him. "Have a seat."

"Feeling better? I heard you were sick yesterday." She crossed her legs.

"Not really," he rubbed his face with his hands and then met her eyes. "So, what’s up?"

"I want to talk about the other night," she lowered her voice. "At the hospital."

Michael stared at her. Should I admit I was there? The thoughts tumbled over each other aimlessly. Should I tell her why? Deny everything? Was she wired? Alien killer? Alien? He cleared his throat. "The hospital?"

"You don’t have to play stupid for my sake, Sheriff. I saw you there. I followed you there."

"What do you want, Davie?"

"To let you know," she took a deep breath, "that I wanted to help you."

Michael stared at her hoping his mouth wasn’t hanging open. "What are you talking about?"

"I followed you there to make sure everything went okay. Well, actually I followed your girlfriend and Max Evans." She looked back at the closed door. "I talked to the security guards later that night. Let’s just say their memories have been slightly modified."

"What are you?" Michael felt the hair on the back of his neck stand at attention.

"You’ll have to trust me, Sheriff. I don’t know everything, but I know Max Evans didn’t rape that girl." She drummed her fingertips on her uniform pants. "I’m a friend, okay?"

"No, I don’t know what you are."

"I’m just your typical average over-achieving tom-boy," she rose from her seat. "I’m not out to get you or your job, okay? You don’t have anything to worry about from me. I promise."

Michael watched blankly as she walked form the office, closing the door behind her. She was convincing, if nothing less, he thought. Was he ready to jump up and admit everything and spill all his secrets? Not a chance in hell. At this precise moment in time, Jo Davie was a mystery.

* * * * * *

Isabel was almost ready to admit she was in love with Rick Mineo. She had fallen in love with his daughter Paige much sooner. The more time she spent with them, the more human she felt. Never the one for niceties, Isabel found herself going out of her way to be kind to everyone she knew along with complete strangers.

Her writing time had slightly decreased, but she was still way ahead of schedule. Knowing she’d never fall behind, she wasn’t worried. Almost daily, she tried to find something wrong with Rick and couldn’t. He was normal. Average. Managing a small electronics store would have seemed mundane to Isabel not so long ago, now she thought it was cool. For a first present, Rick had given her a blender.

Flipping over on her stomach she glanced around the ever so familiar guestroom of the condo. She didn’t feel like getting out of bed today; it was going to be a sad day. Today was the day that the only parents she had ever known were moving away. She had discussed at length with them the current Max situation and promised to call if anything monumental happened. Both her mother and father promised to be back for the trial, no matter what.

After being filled in on the master switch of DNA over a week ago, things almost seemed to go back to normal. Michael was still acting a little strange and wouldn’t answer any questions about this Deputy Jo Davie; she knew him well enough to know when he was holding something back. Max still moped around the condo counting down the days until the trial. Only six more weeks and it would be over. With the DNA not matching there would be no case. All the parties involved knew that. Maria was back to her bouncy self and refusing to talk or even speculate about what had been wrong with her. Liz was Liz. She works; she comes home and the next day she does it all over again. The tension in the condo was almost gone and the noises from the bedroom late at night were back. She was relieved things were back on track for her brother. His happiness mattered more to her than her own.

Moving day was less than three weeks away and she was excited. Spending many days shopping, buying things for her house with Sloane was fun. She trusted Sloane’s sense of color and usually went with whatever the little girl picked out for her. She let Sloane pick out all the furniture for one of the three bedrooms. Isabel had decided when she saw the house she wanted a room for the girls. The girls at the time were Leia and Sloane, but now Paige had been added to the mix.

She finally got out of bed and tiptoed to the living room. Tiptoeing was not actually necessary since it was almost ten and everyone was up and Liz was already at work. She plopped down on the couch next to her niece. "Good morning Sloane."

"Hi," Sloane’s meek voice was barely audible.

"Did you want to go shopping with me again later today? We can pick out covers and stuff for your room." Isabel bribed her and smiled as Sloane’s eyes lit up. "Good. First we’re going to grandma and grandpas with your daddy. They’re moving away today."

Sloane nodded hanging her head. "I’ll miss them."

"I know sweetie, we all will." Isabel hugged her niece with the fleeting wonder if she would ever have children of her own, or even if she could carry one. "I’m going to go take a shower and when I’m done I’ll get your daddy and we’ll all go together, okay?"

Isabel was ready to walk towards the bathroom when the front door opened and Max came in with a newspaper in his hand. He looked to his sister, eyes dark. "It made the paper, Iz."

"Oh shit." She walked back to him and took the offending piece form his hands. She skimmed the front-page article, her hand involuntarily covering her mouth. "Shit. This doesn’t make you seem like such a great guy, Max. I mean first they paint you as such a upstanding citizen and about our family and them bam!" She looked for the specific line and read from the paper. " ‘However, Max Evans, the beloved English teacher has allegedly done the unthinkable. After a corrupt affair with a seventeen-year-old student fell by the wayside, he turned to violence. Evans has been charged with rape and will stand trial during the first week of March. Evans was unable to be reached for comment.’ Did anyone call you?"

"Nope. It’s not like I’ve left the house all that much, either."

"Then they shouldn’t have printed that." Isabel shook the paper. "Maybe you could have told them your side, you know."

"Not a chance. Jared said not to talk to anyone." Max looked at his daughter who was watching the adults with eyes wide. "Sloane."

Isabel looked to the little girl and forced a smile. "Why don’t you go pick out a pretty dress to wear today, okay?" Sloane scampered off disappearing into her bedroom. "This is bullshit Max."

"I can’t believe this. It makes me sound like a monster." He shook his head. " ‘A corrupt affair’, can you believe that? It wasn’t an affair, it was an indiscretion and no one even believes that. Did Michael tell you they have a petition at the school to get me back?" A fleeting twinkle passed through his eyes. "The students love me and I love them. This is what I want to do Iz; I was made to be a teacher. If I’m not acquitted I’ll never be able to do that again, hell, I won’t be able to do anything except bribe some big guy named Duke not to make his princess with cigarettes."

"You’ll be acquitted Max, Michael made sure of that." She rolled her eyes. "Now we’re just waiting for the good news."

"What if I have to give another sample? What if-"

"Stop it!" She put her hands over her ears. "It’s going to turn out right for you Max, somehow, it always does."

"What about Jo Davie?"

"I don’t know," she sighed. "Michael won’t say anything about her. Have you asked him?"

"Michael isn’t saying much to me about anything lately. I let him down that night by following him."

"I would have done the same thing if it were me." She admitted. "Michael will get past it. Well, as long as everything is strangely okay with the Deputy from hell."

"Do you think she knows?" He raised his eyebrows at her. "About us?"

"Are you suggesting she might be alien?" Isabel asked incredulously, the thought had never crossed her mind.

"Or a hunter. Remember the others, they all passed for someone they weren’t."

"Great, after all this time another one?" She began to pace. "But that doesn’t make sense Max. Why get all chummy with Michael and not turn him in or snag him when she could have?"

"I don’t know Iz, maybe she’s not. Maybe she’s got a crush on him and wants to hold something over his head. I can’t answer anything."

Isabel threw her hands in the air in annoyance and left the room leaving Max to read over his transgression in black and white again.

* * * * * *

For the past week Michael had not tried to avoid Jo Davie, but he hadn’t gone looking for her either. They maintained their professional attitude around each other and neither had brought up the night at the hospital or the visit to his office. Michael had gotten the feeling on more than one occasion that she wanted to talk to him, but never pursued it. When she wanted to talk again, she would. Was he at ease about her knowing he was at the hospital, yet? No, he didn’t think he would until he found out exactly what was going on with her and who or what she was.

He was ready to almost rule out alien. Bad alien at least. If she were a bad alien, she would have finished him off by now. A good alien? He was a little leery on that description. In his life he hadn’t run into too many of those. He supposed there were others, but being here was too coincidental. Thoughts of Lonnie and Ava had passed through his brain a few times as well, but there was no way he wouldn’t know if it were one of them. Right?

After ignoring a pleading look from Jo Davie he left and drove home to spend a nice evening with his family. Maria was waiting for Michael when he walked in the front door. He stopped when he saw her and waited for whatever new bombshell she had to drop on him.

"I’ve been thinking and before you tell me anything about anything I wanted to tell you something. I don’t think it’s a good idea that we have any other children, okay? I know we thought we’d have more besides Leia, but I don’t think that’s a good idea anymore. We don’t have any idea what was wrong with me except that it was, like, most definitely alien related. I can’t do it again. Leia’s perfect and I would like to stop there."

"Okay."

"Okay? That’s all you can say is okay?"

"I think it’s a good idea, too. I never said I wanted a huge family. Sure, there’s more to love, but also more to worry about. We were undeniably lucky with Leia and I don’t know if we should tempt fate again." Michael smiled as he removed his hat.

"Wow." Maria hugged him. "I thought this was going to be an ordeal. I’m so lucky to have someone like you. Well, to have you. I don’t know what I’d do without you."

"Luckily, you won’t ever have to find out." He kissed her neck. "I don’t know for sure what happened to the baby-"

"There wasn’t a baby, Michael." She held him at arms length. "Let’s get that straight. Whatever it was it wasn’t a baby."

"Okay," he grazed her lips with his own. "Just the three of us."

She nuzzled up next to his chest and sighed. "Anyway, did you talk to that Jo yet?"

"No and I don’t want to talk about it."

"Fine." She broke away from him and sat back on the couch. "I was just asking. I know you’re still mad about that whole thing."

"I’m not mad, I just don’t want to talk about it."

"Did you tell Max?" Maria prodded.

"I swear if I wasn’t so in love with you, you would drive me crazy." He plopped down next to her.

"Sorry," she squeezed his hand. "The Evans’ are moving today, do you want to stop by before they leave and say good-bye?"

* * * * * *

The mood at the senior Evans’ was somber and full of remembrances. A small parade of people had been in and out of the empty house all day. Max, Isabel and Sloane stayed the afternoon. Max tried to keep out of the spotlight; this was about his parents’ leaving, not about him. Several of Phillip’s friends came to him and gave him their vote of innocence. Many also commented on the determination of Jared Knox. Max smiled and thanked the ones who talked to him. Others shied away not saying a word. He knew the divisions would be there. Outsiders looking in didn’t know the truth, only what they perceived as truth from word of mouth and the media. Neither of which is very reliable.

Liz went straight there after work as did Kyle and Morgan. Kyle talked to the Evans’ and wished them luck while Morgan stood with Liz and Max. When he was ready to go, he waved to her and walked out the front door.

"I better go," Morgan apologized and looked to Max. "I’m sorry he’s like this. I don’t know why."

"It’s okay. He’s got a right to be mad at me or not believe me." Max shrugged.

"It’s like he’s got this giant Max-shaped chip on his shoulder and he can’t shake it," she smiled. "He’s driving me crazy. I mean I want to talk about you guys, all of you, and he just tightens up and won’t. I miss the gang."

"You know you can come over anytime you want without Kyle," Liz said raising her eyebrows. "He’s invited, of course, we miss you both too."

"Yeah," Max agreed and looked to his daughter sitting on her grandmother’s lap. "I know Sloane misses all the playing."

"See, I miss her!" She exclaimed looking at the little girl. "Aww, screw it. I’m coming over for dinner next week. When’s good for you?"

Liz promised she’d call her and then laughed as Morgan ran over to Sloane and scooped her up in her arms swinging her in circles. Sloane squealed with delight when Morgan set her on the floor and tickled her. After a couple of minutes of monster noises from Morgan and shrieks of laughter form Sloane, Morgan left.

* * * * * *

Safely tucked away under her pink blankets with her stuffed giraffe next to her, Sloane Evans covered her ears. She began to rock back and forth mumbling incoherently. Her legs kicked at the blankets until they were on the floor. Her hands pressed tightly against her head, her mumbling became loud enough to bring her parents into the room. Max fell to his daughter's side while Liz stood behind him; she was shaking.

"Sloane, baby," he put his hand on the little girl’s face. "It’s daddy, honey." Sloane continued to rock but opened her eyes to him. "Sloane." He tried to remove her hands from her head stopping when she screamed and began crying. Max looked over his shoulder to his wife. "I don’t know what’s wrong."

"Should I call an ambulance?"

"No." Max shook his head and looked back to his daughter. "Sloane. Sloane!" He spoke louder and more aggressively. "Stop it Sloane!"

"Quit yelling at her!" Liz was beginning to sound frantic. Sloane’s ears. Voices in her head. Her brother? "Oh God," Liz placed a hand to her stomach, she felt sick.

"Sloane!" Max picked the tiny girl up by her shoulder and forced her to look at him. "I’m not going to let anyone hurt you, baby, okay? Daddy’s here to help you. I'll always keep you safe."

Sloane looked into her father’s eyes and quit crying instantaneously. She lowered her hands from her head and collapsed against him. Max rubbed the back of her head and looked to his paling wife. He shrugged and turned back to Sloane. He laid her back down and fixed the blankets over her. He got silence from the questions he asked her and finally quit asking. He lay in the small bed next to his daughter until she was back asleep.

"That was bizarre." Max entered the master bedroom. He looked to Liz’s expression. "What?"

"I need to tell you something," she sat up resting her back against the headboard. "I should have told you this last week, but it’s been a bad week. A bad day." She hadn’t mentioned the article in the paper, but a copy of it had been cut out and left on her desk first thing that morning.

"About what?" He sank down next to her.

"Sloane." Liz took a deep breath. "I think she can hear things other people can’t."

"Oh yeah?" Max reflected on Sloane denouncing his suicidal thoughts. "Why do you say that?"

"I think she has conversations in her head with people who aren’t here." Oh God, Max’s son, how could she ever tell him that?

"Like imaginary friends?" He shrugged. "Nothing wrong with that. I had them when I was her age. Didn’t you?"

"No, I didn’t. But that’s not exactly what I’m talking about." She took a deep breath letting it slowly. "The other day I walked by her room and she was talking to someone. Someone who says he's her brother."

"Brother?" Max laughed. "Was it the giraffe? I know she talks to him a lot."

"No, Max, you're not listening. She has voices in her head, conversations that she replies to. She said she was talking to someone who said he was her brother." Liz emphasized the last word. "Brother."

Max turned quickly to her seeing the seriousness in her face. "No. There's no way. That couldn't happen."

"Max."

"No. That part of my life is gone," he shook his head fervently. "No one is saying anything to my daughter."

"Max."

"Not happening Liz, okay? She probably just had a headache or an earache or something. She's fine."

"Has she ever been sick?"

"She's not communicating with him. That's it, end of story." He got out of bed and stripped down to nothing before sliding down underneath the coolness of clean sheets. "That's impossible Liz. She has an imaginary friend and she calls him her brother."

Liz nodded and slipped underneath the blankets next to her husband, wrapping her slender arms around she hugged him tight. "I'm sorry Max. Upsetting you is the last thing I wanted to do right now. Promise me you won't dismiss this all the way."

Max nodded squeezing his eyes shut. Lantham?

* * * * * *

Chapter Nine

It had been three weeks since Sloane's episode with the rocking and mumbling. Liz watched her constantly waiting for more one-sided conversations and began to feel relief when she heard none. Max was probably right, no brother, just a silly little girl talking to herself.

Morgan held true to her promise of coming over for dinner and was more than delighted to also see Maria, Michael, Isabel and her boyfriend Rick whom she was meeting for the first time.

"Kyle couldn't make it?" Maria asked knowing full well that Kyle would rather be anywhere than in the presence of Max Evans.

"Oh he could make it if he wanted to," Morgan rolled her eyes while pouring herself another glass of wine. "He's just being a big-ass baby about everything."

"He has a right to his opinion," Isabel smiled at Rick. "Rick wasn't so sure about Max either until he met him."

"Now Iz, that's not entirely true." Rick said uncomfortably. He smiled pearly white teeth that nearly matched his platinum blond hair. "When you told me about the circumstances with Max, I was shocked sure, but I trusted you and then I met Max and right away I knew there was no way he could do that."

"And you just met him," Morgan shook her head. "Kyle's been friends with him for years and he doesn’t know what to think."

"People react differently," Max tried to hide his uneasiness. "Kyle and I are still friends."

The females exchanged looks around the table then broke into laughter. The men tried not to laugh, but eventually followed suit. Nearly all the deserts and bottles of wine were gone when the phone rang. Max answered in between laughter and immediately grew serious. He raised his hand to the crowd of friends for silence. They watched him in anticipation; all of them except for Rick were wondering what kind of tragedy had happened.

Max spoke quietly into the phone facing away from prying eyes. When he hung up, he was smiling, no; he was grinning like the Cheshire cat. He waved his arms in the air triumphantly. Liz rose slowly from the table sighting the wetness in her husband's eyes.

"Max," she stood in front of him.

"I've been acquitted!" He yelled as Liz threw herself into his arms. "No trial, I'm free!"

"When?" Maria asked.

"That was Jared. Apparently there was a rush on the DNA testing because I'm a teacher and the DA didn't want the story to get picked up statewide, you know, in case he lost. Instead of the normal six weeks, they got me done in four. Did it match? Of course not!"

Isabel ran to her brother and hugged him. She cried on his shoulder. "Thank God, Max. It's over."

"Yeah, it's over." He smiled to his friends and family. He let go of his sister and walked across the room to Michael. He embraced him. "I'll never be able to thank you for what you did and what you risked for me. I couldn't ask for a better friend or brother."

"Consider us even," Michael clapped him on the back and glanced towards Maria. Max nodded and then hugged Maria and then Morgan. When he looked for his wife again, she was on the phone.

Liz hung up after speaking for several minutes and dialing a few numbers. "I called Jim and Amy and my parents and left a message at yours, I think I got the new number right." She met her husband halfway across the room and then met his lips. Wrapping their arms around each other they kissed like they used to in High School. Their friends clapped and cheered and Morgan told them to get a room.

Max Evans was going to be able to go on with his life.

* * * * * *

Michael was at work early the following morning trying to get through some paperwork he had been slacking off on for the last few weeks. He didn't hear a knock on the door but was aware someone was on the other side of it. When the door opened he wasn't surprised.

"I heard about Evans," Jo Davie strolled into Michael's office and sat down across from him. She got back up and closed the door before sitting down again. "Tell him congratulations for me."

"I'll do that." Michael nodded. "Something I can help you with today, Davie?"

"Let's go out for coffee."

"Can't. Got entirely too much paperwork to catch up on."

"Please Guerin, we need to talk." She glanced at her watch. "An hour. One hour and then I'll help you type if you want."

"Deal," Michael rose and followed her from the station to his 4X4. They got in and drove in silence to the Crashdown. He hadn't been there in awhile, months actually. Funny, he thought, everything in his life used to revolve around that stupid theme restaurant and the people who worked there. Now he only knew the Parker's and neither of them was there that much anymore according to Liz.

He parked in front and walked through the familiar doors as the smell of grease and the sound of breakfast goers hit him head on. Like a time warp he looked at the waitresses expecting to see either Maria or Liz giggling about something or Max watching Liz with stars in his eyes. No, it was different now. He took a seat in a booth and Jo slid in across from him. They both ordered coffee and waited for it to be brought by their waitress; Michael never caught her name.

"So," he sipped his coffee and looked at his deputy. "What do you want to talk about?"

"I know you switched Max Evans' DNA." She said bluntly and smiled when he nearly spit out the coffee. "Don't you think if I was going to say something I would have done it before now?"

Michael shrugged. "I don't know anything abut you, Jo, except you're a damn good deputy."

"Thanks," she blushed. She actually blushed at the compliment. She opened two packets of sugar and dumped them in the still steaming cup in front of her. "I knew you were going to do it almost as soon as you had decided to. I don't know why and that bothers me. I know it's not because you thought Evans was guilty."

"Why do you think you know so much?"

"Have you ever heard of a sensitive?"

"Sensitive what?"

"Like a psychic." Jo cringed saying the word.

"You're psychic?" Michael said slowly while trying to empty his mind. In the process he drudged up every secret he had ever known. "Shit!"

"I can't read your mind, Guerin." She laughed.

"Then how did you know I was thinking that?" He accused.

"It's written all over your face. I'm a sensitive; I don't read minds or cards. I get a feeling when I touch objects or people. I can see, no, more like feel what's going on."

"You've got to be kidding me," Michael was glad he hadn't eaten because he knew it'd be all over the table by now.

"Sometimes I wish I was," she shrugged and dumped another sugar in her coffee. "That's how I knew what you were going to do and that's how I've known Evans' didn't rape that girl."

"Why didn't you say anything that could have cleared him earlier?" Michael asked trying to get a grip on the conversation.

"How? How was I going to do that?" She shrugged. "I've been in Roswell since October, no one here knows me. Was I going to jump up and down and shout that he didn't do it because I could sense it when I touched Lindy Franks' arm when she came into the office? Or when I booked him at the station? I know they had an affair, but it wasn't big one. She lied to get back at him and he felt like dying."

"Are you wired?" Michael asked looking suspiciously at her now.

"Wired?" She laughed. "No. I'm exactly who I say I am, no surprises." She held her hands out in front of him. "I'd let you search me, but we might cause a scene."

It was Michael's turn to blush. "So, why are you telling me this?"

"I see the worry in your eyes every time I'm around and I'd like it to go away." She shrugged and sipped her coffee. "Like I said, I'm a friend."

Michael ran his hands through his hair. "I don't know what to say. Honestly, I don't know if I believe you or not."

"You have a lot of secrets Guerin. You're the protector of the people you love and it's taking its toll on you, you need a break."

"I think anyone can see that from the bags under my eyes and the permanent stress lines around my eyes, Davie."

"No, lately there's been so much more. Your girlfriend, Maria? I know she was sick but she's well now. You were so worried about her," she smiled shyly. "She never knew how worried you were. Max Evans, you consider him a brother and the thought of his DNA being tested was catastrophic. I don't get that."

"You won't, either," he shook his head.

"I know you're not from around here, but you consider this home." She watched as gooseflesh appeared on his bare forearms. "I'm sorry."

"What else?"

"There are memories that aren't yours, I don't get that part either. I see violence that you've tried to push so far away, but it gathers on the fringes of your conscious everyday. I know you've killed."

"That's fucking enough!" He raised his voice garnering stares from the tables surrounding them. "You don't know shit about me, Davie."

"I know the reason you killed was to protect your family," her voice was barely above a whisper.

"I don't know who the fuck you think you are sitting across from me and calling me a murderer-"

"I never said that."

"You implied-"

"No. That's what you call yourself, Guerin. Let the past go."

Michael shook his head, damn, she was right. Damn! "What do you want from me?"

"I want to know why you took Evans' DNA."

"Forget it, this conversation is over." Michael pushed his half-full cup away.

"What's in his DNA that couldn't be found out? Is it the same as yours?" Jo spoke softly, not a hint of intimidation. "What are you Michael Guerin?"

"I'm your boss."

"No, what else?" She reached across the table laying her hand on his arm. She closed her eyes then opened them quickly. "Why do I see you laying dead in an alley? You've obviously never died."

He jerked his arm away from her. Rath. She could see Rath dead in the Michael form he died in. "Let it go. Just put out me out of your freaky little mind and we'll go back to Sheriff and Deputy."

"But you're so interesting," she admitted. "I don't have any friends here, I don't have anything to do. My entertainment has been picking up things from people, but you; you've hidden everything so well. I can't get past what I've already told you."

"Then quit trying," he looked nervously around him. "There's nothing else to know."

"Okay," she nodded in defeat. "I didn't mean to upset you, I just wanted you to know in case you ever need my help. I know you don't like to reach out for help, but you will if you have to. I saw you at the old Sheriffs house that night, you were establishing an alibi, weren't you?" He stared at her. "It was a good idea. I did go back and talk to the guards and after a few minutes, their story had changed. They described you as a black-haired man and about a foot shorter than you really are. Since nothing had been obviously disturbed, I told them I'd keep my eye out for anyone fitting that description."

"Why are you helping me?"

"You needed it and I believe in your cause, although I don't understand it. I know you're a good man with a good heart. Two qualities I admire."

* * * * * *

Max Evans felt alive. He had his life and his future back. As he lay on the couch with his head resting on his wife's lap, he was content. Mistakes had been made and he was to blame for all of them, not again, though. He made a promise to himself that he was going to live his life clean. Never would he bestow that much hurt, pain and embarrassment on his family again.

Liz smoothed his hair down and kissed his forehead. "It's getting long."

"Remember what you told me a long time ago about how hot I looked with long hair?" Liz smiled thinking of her first futuristic Max. "Well, I decided to try it."

"I think you look hot no matter what," she smiled. Sloane came in the room with her crayons and an art pad of blank pages.

Isabel had given it to her the day before commenting that she didn't need lines to color in. Sloane's world reached beyond the lines.

Max turned to the door as the faint knocking began; he looked up to Liz who rolled her eyes and slid out from underneath his head. She opened the door and came face to face with a girl. She knew in an instant that the girl in front of her was Lindy Franks. She was wearing jeans and a sweatshirt, her hair in a ponytail high on top of her head. She didn't meet Liz's eyes but looked at her shoulder when she spoke.

"I've never met you, Mrs. Evans, but I'm sorry." Lindy's voice was controlled. "I just wanted to come here and tell you how sorry I am."

Liz opened the door wider and extended her arm, inviting the girl in. Max looked up from the couch in amazement. He stood and picked his daughter up off the floor and carried her to her room. Liz motioned to a chair at the dining room set and watched as the girl sat down.

"Why did you do it, Lindy?" Liz asked sitting across from her.

Lindy shrugged. "I was upset and I felt stupid." He snorted. "I actually thought Mr. Evans liked me."

"Do you have any idea what you've put us all through?" Liz asked simply. The hate she had felt for this girl was dissipating. She was just a girl. "My husband lost his job because of you."

"I know," Lindy sniffled and wiped at her nose. "I can't take it back, I wish I could. It was stupid, I wasn't thinking. I was just so mad."

"Not only did you put us through this ordeal, but yourself, too. Your family." Liz sighed. "I'll never know exactly what was going through your mind, but I was a seventeen year old girl once too. I know emotions run wild." Liz considered how in love she had been with Max Evans when she was seventeen and all the hoops she'd jumped through for him. "You cost my family a lot."

"I'll try to pay you back," Lindy finally met Liz Evans gaze. "You're not talking about money are you?"

Liz shook her head. "My husband is a teacher-"

"He's the best one at the High School." Lindy interrupted.

"I need you to do something for me, for my husband. I need you to write a letter of apology to the school board explaining you made the whole thing up and maybe he can get his job back." Liz made sure Max was no where to be found. "You screwed up, so did he, I'm sure you want to put this behind you, right?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "I'm enrolled at St. Joseph's Academy now and I'm going away to school in the fall. I promise I'll never bother either of you again." Lindy stood and looked down the hall that Max had gone. "Tell him I'm sorry, okay?"

Liz stood and nodded; her heart was breaking for the girl. "Who was the boy?"

"Just someone I met that night," she looked ashamed. "Thank you Mrs. Evans."

Liz nodded and walked her to the door. After closing the door behind her she was saddened. Seventeen was such a hard age for girls. Everything seemed monumental. She heard Sloane's door opening and Max came back into the living room.

"So," he looked nervously at his wife.

"She wanted me to tell you she was sorry." Liz held up her hands in front of her. "She's actually very sorry."

"I bet," Max said bitterly.

"No, really." Liz sighed. "She's young Max. Think back to when I was seventeen, everything was life or death, I mean, besides all the real life and death. There was no middle ground; it was all or nothing."

"That doesn't excuse her, Liz."

"I didn't say it did. C'mon, it's over. Now we have to work on getting your job back." She reached out to him and he enveloped her.

"My heart has always been yours," he whispered before he kissed her.

* * * * * *

"Only two more days here," Isabel looked around the condo. "Two more days and I will have my own home." She looked to her brother. "Not that it hasn't been awesome staying here, I didn't mean to sound ungrateful. But my own home Max, I can't believe it!"

"I can," he said looking at the woman his sister had grown into. "You're doing exactly what you want to do and you're doing it the right way. You didn't jump into anything, you weighed your options and then you made choices. I'm proud of you."

"And I'm proud of you," she met his eyes. "It hasn't always been easy for us Max, but we came out on top. You, Michael and me. Look how far we've come. We belong here, we have families, people who love us, people who would still be grieving if we had left them."

"Do you think we'll always be here?"

"Yeah, our one way ticket expired when the truth about Tess came out." She shook her head. "We'd be dead now if it wasn't for our friends."

Max nodded in agreement. "Do you think he's okay?" Max was referring to the son he only mentioned every once in a while and only to Isabel.

"I hope so," she felt his pain.

"Do you think I'll get to meet him?"

"I don't know Max. No one knows what the future holds." She sighed before the twinkling came back in her eyes. "Next week-end, cancel all your plans. I'm having a 'housewarming and woo-hoo, my brothers not going to jail' party! I'll invite everyone and we can finally kick back together like we used to in the old days. What do you think?"

"I think you should change the name of it, but otherwise it's great." He glanced over his shoulder at his daughter sitting at the dining room table, paper and crayons in front of her. "She's always drawing."

"She'll be an artist someday Max, I bet you."

Max thought about telling Isabel about Sloane talking to people in her head but decided against it. It was nothing, that's what he had told Liz, right? So she said she was talking to her brother, still didn't mean anything. Max looked at his daughter again to find her staring at him. Max got shivers.

* * * * * *

Chapter Ten

Michael didn't mention anything about his 'sensitive' deputy to anyone yet. She already knew too much about him. However he didn't feel threatened by her, at all. Maybe she actually was one of the good guys. That wasn't something he was used to running into too much anymore, someone who is legitimately there as a good person. They rode together a few times, even had lunch together a couple of times since she had confessed her gift to him. They weren't friends, but they were close. He wouldn't let her touch him again; she understood and even laughed when he'd jerk his hand away from her.

Although Michael was tired he was actually excited about going to Isabel's for her party. Maybe it would seem like old times, everyone together again for fun. No bad news, no arrests, and no illness: just fun.

Maria was excited too, she loved to see all her friends and have fun with them. The mystery baby thing seemed like it happened ten years ago, she never brought it up thus forcing other's not to as well. She gave the impression of happiness with her life. She stayed at home while Michael was working and Leia was in school, spent time on-line and even thought about giving school another try in the summer. The only thing she didn't like was all the alone time. All of her friends worked outside the home except Isabel and they'd never been close. Maria would feel awkward calling Iz up to see if she wanted to go to lunch. She could sometimes convince Liz to meet her, more often than not; Morgan was usually gung-ho about getting away from her job to play hooky.

Maria was surprised that her and Morgan were actually bonding. They enjoyed each others company and always laughed at their absent significant others and the stupid things they did. Maria and Morgan had met for lunch the afternoon of Isabel's party. Not the normal Morgan, her bubbly attitude was hidden underneath a mountain of gloominess.

"What is your deal today? Did your house fall on the wicked witch?" Maria prodded as they sipped iced tea in a Mexican restaurant close to Morgan's office.

"No, some bitch's house fell on my head." Morgan finally smiled. "I'm sorry, I know I'm not much company today. It's been a long couple of days. I have this case with a little boy, cute as a button, who keeps getting beat up by his mothers boyfriend."

"That's terrible."

"I know, so the guy gets arrested and bailed out by mom and the whole thing happens again." She motioned the waiter over and ordered a glass of wine. "This part of the job sucks. He's only seven, totally innocent, and his dear mother is putting her deadbeat boyfriend in front of this sweet little boy."

"So what's going to happen?"

"Continual cycle until we take him away and put him in foster or mom dumps abuser," Morgan shrugged. "So, I really like Jo Davie, she's the one I've been dealing with on this. She keeps arresting him, I think he's got a crush on her." She winked.

"You like Jo, huh?" Maria felt the wheels spinning. "What do you know about her?"

"Not much, why?" Morgan asked carefully.

"Just curious," Maria took a sip of Morgan's wine and crinkled her nose. "Too sweet. So, what kind of vibe do you get from her?"

"She's smart, articulate and caring. She feels really bad for this little boy." Morgan hesitated before speaking again. "This morning, she did say something a little strange though. She touched my arm and told me some things were better off as fantasies. And something along the lines of keeping things as they are, don't rock the boat."

"Hmm…" Maria pursed her lips. "That's odd to say out of the blue isn't it?"

"I thought so, but sometimes when you work around all this sadness all the time, people pick strange times to tell you things." She shrugged. "I don't know. I didn't put much into it. Anyway, everyone going to be at Isabel's tonight?"

"Yup. Kyle?"

"If I have to drag him by his wee-wee." Morgan laughed. "Actually, Isabel called and I believe she might have threatened him with something worse. We'll both be there."

* * * * * *

Isabel was putting the finishing touches on her buffet full of food when the doorbell rang. She answered it and let in her boyfriend and his daughter. After accepting a cluster of daisies, she kissed Rick and smiled while Paige went for the food. "Thank you for coming."

"Thanks for inviting us," he looked around the room. "You've must've been killing yourself to get this place looking so great by now. It looks so homey."

Isabel smiled a thank you as the doorbell rang again. She welcomed in her brother, niece and sister-in-law followed by the Guerin/DeLuca family. Liz was sporting a new hairstyle that made Isabel take a double take. The same long straight hair that she'd had since grade school was gone. A sleek angled bob that barely reached her chin took its place. Liz Evans looked all grown-up. Almost a half-hour later Kyle and Morgan showed up. Morgan became the social butterfly she was known to be while Kyle sulked.

Isabel approached him and sat down holding him an ice-cold beer. "I don't know what your deal is, but you are being a major downer. Spill."

"I don't want to be around Max, okay? I know he's your brother but I don't like him." Kyle shook his head swallowing half of the beer in one gulp. "I think he sucks."

"This is all because of an indiscretion he made? I don't think so Kyle." She sighed and looked around the room at her other guests. "I swear you better tell me what's really going on or I will dream walk tonight. I haven't for years, but I will I have to."

Kyle hung his head. "Everything that happens to Max always turns out okay, no matter what. He may have been a king somewhere else, but here on earth, he's just lucky. Who else could fuck up as much as he does and have everything turn out peachy?"

"It's true he's made mistakes, but things haven't always worked out for him."

"Like hell they haven't Iz," he looked at Liz and Max across the room sitting with Morgan. "He fucks up and gets Tess pregnant, breaking Liz's heart. He says her name at their fucking wedding. Liz gets practically hunted and nearly killed because of who? That's right, Max. He screws around with a student and what happens? Oh no, he got fired and Liz stays by his side."

"He's gone though a lot this year, Kyle. It wasn't exactly so cut and dry."

"I know! Don't forget who gave the stupid blood so Max goes free. Oh, and before you say anything, he'll probably get his job back."

"You still hung up on Liz?" Isabel asked with trepidation. "Is that what this is about?"

"Hung up on Liz? No, not since high school." He chortled. "I mean I like Liz, a lot, but not romantically. I just finally had enough Iz, he walks all over her and she stands there and takes it. She's better than that. She's better than him."

"Max would die for her." Isabel hadn't planned on getting in a fight and defending her brother during her big night, but so be it. "He loves her more than life and he never meant to hurt her. The Tess thing, back in school? He thought Liz slept with you, remember? It wasn't to hurt her, he thought she had moved on so he did the same. Kidnapping her and trying to kill her wasn't his fault; once again it was Tess. You were there, Kyle; we all saved her. The wedding thing I was pissed about too. Michael knew more than he told and I trust him. This thing with the girl, yeah, he messed up. But cut him some slack. You can't honestly say you walk around all those young girls everyday and haven't had at least one immoral thought."

"But I never acted on them," he pointed at her. "It's just everything that he does gets under my skin. Oh, yeah, I forgot, and I think my wife wants to sleep with him."

"What?" Isabel choked. "What are you talking about?"

"Morgan, man, I think she wants to sleep with Max to see what it's like to sleep with an alien." Kyle looked back towards his wife just in time to see her loop her arm through Max's as she talked animatedly with her hands in the air. "She's like a alien junkie."

"That's crazy," Isabel laughed. "Absolutely insane."

"Seriously, she wants to talk about you guys and all your powers and things you've done and can do," he shook his head looking down. "Especially Max. I don't know Isabel, I think she might have married me to get an alien fix."

"Are you hearing yourself? There is no way Morgan married you to get to us, that's retarded. Can't you see how she'd be interested, though? She wasn't there for all the power shows while we were trying to stay alive or keep others alive; all she hears about are stories. Unbelievable stories."

"I don't know," he glanced back to his wife and caught her watching him. She waved and smiled. "Lately all I hear about is Max. Max this and Max that. She can't even talk about Michael, I actually like him."

"Max has been in the spotlight Kyle, not a good one, but one none the less. You don't think she's quizzed both Maria and me about what Sloane did? Maybe she just feels left out."

"We have a happy marriage and I try to give her everything she wants, unfortunately I can't do tricks." He looked into his friend's eyes. "Its just Max." He set the empty bottle on the ground. "If it wasn't Max, I don't think I'd care." He picked his bottle up then stood. He walked into the kitchen for what Isabel presumed was probably another beer.

"Why don't you want to be friends anymore?" Leia whined as her and Sloane sat in 'their' room on the floor. Various books and stuffed animals were scattered across the floor. Paige had tuned out the little girls a while ago in favor of a set of headphones and a CD player.

"I'll always be your friend, but I don't need you."

"I hate the people who talk to you!" Leia crossed her arms over her chest and pouted much like her mother did. "Why do you listen to them?"

"I have to." Sloane picked up a book about dinosaurs and thumbed through it. "I think they want to hurt my daddy and I won't let them."

"Then you'll need help. I can help you!" Leia took the book away from Sloane and made her look at her. "It's what friends are for, dummy."

"No, Leia." Sloane said softly. "I can't let you get hurt either. I don't like the woman, she says she's my friend, but I don't believe her."

"Did you tell your mommy?"

"No. I don't think I'm suppose to. My daddy said he'd keep me safe, always. Then when I'm big I can protect him."

"You're just a girl."

"No, I'm a warrior."

Michael wanted to leave; it was painstakingly obvious on his face that he was tired and wanted to go home. Maria was still having too much fun with her friends. The females gathered at the dining room table and gossiped and laughed. Kyle had retreated to the couch with another beer and watched from afar. Morgan tried to ignore him after already stating early on that she planned on having fun tonight. Rick gathered his daughter after midnight and bid the group goodnight after a chaste kiss with Isabel.

"I like him," Morgan nodded. "He's cool."

"I know," Isabel felt the heat rising up her neck. She went to the girls' room and peeked in, both were sound asleep in their respective beds. She came back out and took her seat at the table noticing Max and Michael had joined them. "The girls are sleeping, why don't you just let them stay over tonight?"

"Sounds good to me," Michael grinned sneaking a wicked grin in Maria's direction. "Honey? Let's go home."

Maria rolled her eyes and went back to her in-depth conversation with Morgan about hair care. Michael shrugged and left the room. Liz stood and sat back down quickly; the last glass of wine had gone straight to her head. She smiled at her husband and successfully stood on the second attempt. She walked into the kitchen. Surprised to see Michael there she sauntered up next to him and leaned against the counter looking up at him. "Hi."

"Liz," he grinned down at her and bounced the back of her stacked hair with his hand. "I like it. You look good."

"Thanks you Mr. Guerin," she hiccuped and laughed. "So, what are you doing in here?"

"Getting a glass of water," he held up the glass for her to see. He motioned to the back door. "What's outside?"

"C'mon," she took his hand and led him through the sliding glass doors to the backyard. They walked out onto a patio outlined with flagstone; a lone light from a gas light post in the middle of the yard cast a sickly yellow glow on them. Liz pointed to a small cement bench at the end of the patio and walked him there. They sat down and Liz looked at him. "It's nice out here, isn't it? In the daytime you can see the pond at the bottom of the hill." She inhaled the night air and shivered, Michael put his arm around her shoulders. "Thanks."

He nodded. "So, how's the little warrior doing? I know I haven't had too much extra time to talk about anything lately, but anymore conversations with the mystery brother?"

"No," Liz shook her head. "But thank you for asking. Just that one that I know of. She's been acting totally normal since the freak out. I've been debating if I should tell Max about that whole thing."

"Didn't he tell you not to tell himself?" Michael laughed at the absurdity of what he just said. "You know what I mean."

"At first, yeah." She rubbed her head feeling a wine-headache. "I think I should tell him now, though, I mean if Sloane was talking to Lantham then he should know."

"I guess," he glanced to the door and shrugged. "He might get upset about it and then drudge up the whole Tess thing again."

"I'll have to deal with her again someday; like I always said she's gone but not forgotten." Liz leaned her head on his shoulder. "Why can't my life be almost normal? You and Maria have a semi-normal life."

"I don't know how long that's going to last." He told her a little about Jo Davie and what she had told him. "She knows I'm not from around here."

"But she's not going to tell, right?" Liz closed her eyes as the world around her began to swirl.

"No, I think I trust her. Not enough to tell her anything more, but to let her keep what she's got." He looked at his friend's face and smiled. "You okay?"

"Gonna be sick," Liz nodded and tried to stand up. Michael helped her and escorted her back inside. Max was waiting in the kitchen.

Had he been watching them? Michael wondered as he handed Liz over to her husband. "She needs to go home."

"Thanks," Max smiled at his friend and led his wife back into the living room. "I think we're going to go." He announced and motioned to his unsteady wife he seemed to be holding up. He said their good-byes and told Isabel he'd be back in the morning to pick up Sloane.

"Bye!" Kyle yelled nastily from his spot on the couch and raised his beer bottle to them. "Have a bitchin' night!"

Max looked uncomprehendingly at Kyle then to the others at the table.

"Just ignore him," Morgan mumbled undoubtedly embarrassed.

"Ignore me?" Kyle stood up and swayed. "You can't ignore me like my wife does!"

Isabel let out a deep breath and walked over to Kyle; she pushed him back on the couch and held him there with a hand on his chest. "Shut up Kyle."

"She does!" He slurred. "She just wants to get some alien lovin' and I can't give that to her."

Morgan rested her head on her arms, completely mortified. Michael went to stand by Isabel and looked to the Evans'. "Just go, we'll deal with him."

"Deal with me?" Kyle tried to rise but was slung back by Isabel.

Max nodded and escorted his wife from the house. Maria put her hand on Morgan's back and felt her trembling, she was crying. "Morgan?"

"Why does he say things like that?" Morgan sniffled not raising her head. "It's not true. I love Kyle!"

"He's drunk sweetie. He probably doesn't know what he's saying." Maria tried to comfort her.

"He's said things like that before and it's not true!"

"I know." Maria looked over the others as Isabel pushed Kyle back again.

"He thinks the reason I'm with him is to hang out with the Czechoslovakians," Morgan raised her head and smiled. Neither of them had used that term in a few years and it brought a smile to Maria's face. "That's not it. Sure, it's cool, but Kyle is my real life. I just play vicariously through everyone else."

Michael strolled back over to the two women and sat down on Morgan's other side. "He's a bad drunk."

"No shit." Morgan cracked a grin. "He still rambling?"

"Oh yeah." Michael leaned his chair back on its back legs. "He thinks you want Max. Oh, and me, but not as much as Max."

"I gotta go," Morgan shook her head. "Do you think you guys can deal with him tonight?"

"I'll take care of him," Isabel called from the couch. "Don't worry."

Morgan nodded a thank you and left. Kyle watched his wife, his love, walk away. He seemed to deflate. "Damn."

"See, you dumb ass." Isabel clocked him lightly on the side of his head. "What is your deal?"

"I don't know," he rested his face in his hands. "It's that damn Max Evans!"

Isabel rolled her eyes in disgust. "You're impossible." She walked away from him and sat back at the table with Michael and Maria. "He's talking some serious shit."

"I know," Michael concurred. "You going to be okay here with him tonight?"

"Yeah," he'll probably be passed out soon. Not a great end to a great party."

"Should we take Leia home?" Maria asked. "We can take Sloane, too."

"No, they'll be fine. Kyle's harmless." She looked back over at her friend who was now staring daggers at the only male alien in the room. "Stop that!" Kyle looked away. "See, harmless."

Once Michael was confident that Kyle would pose no problem for Iz, him and Maria left after checking in on their sleeping daughter. Isabel walked back to Kyle and sat next to him. "So, you really think all of this is Max's fault?"

"I wish Max Evans would have never been born, or hatched or whatever!"

"He is my brother," Isabel reminded him gently.

"And I am so sorry that you got stuck with one like that!" Kyle laughed farcically. "I don't like him, Iz. I can't think of one good thing he's done! Why didn't you let him leave when he had the chance? He could be gone and all would be good with the world."

"Get some sleep Kyle," Isabel patted his knee. "You don't mean what you're saying." She started to walk away from him. "Max is your friend."

"Like hell!" He yelled as he lay back against the couch. "I wish Max Evans was dead!"

Isabel checked on the girls before retiring to her room for the night.

With her eyes shut she appeared asleep. Holding her stuffed giraffe tight against her chest, Sloane Evans was anything but asleep. She had been listening to her parents talk and then Kyle yell about her father for what seemed like a long time. She raised her head and looked across the room to her friend Leia. She was sleeping, Sloane was sure of that. She had tried to talk in her head a few minutes ago but got nothing back. Waiting to hear the familiar breathing pattern from her aunt across the hall, Sloane laid patiently stroking the raggedy yarn mane of her giraffe.

Once she heard Aunt Isabel's heavy night breathing she rose from the bed, careful not to make any noise to wake up Leia, she surreptitiously slipped out of the room and made her way across the almost dark living room to where Kyle was. He was on his back, one arm thrown over his forehead. He was snoring the mutated snore that only drinking can give. Sloane looked at him, her brows knitting together. She set her giraffe on the floor and looked at the older man's face. He was Kyle, her parent's friend. He was married to Morgan and Sloane loved Morgan. He wanted to hurt her daddy; that was the most important thing she saw in Kyle Valenti.

Holding her hand a few inches over his mouth, she closed her eyes and waited for the familiar sting to go through her. Within seconds she heard him gasp. Opening her eyes she watched him struggle for air, his nostrils flared as one hand clawed at his neck, his bugged eyes steadfast on Sloane. Without time to react, Sloane's hand was pulled away from Kyle's face. He collapsed back down and gulped fresh air into his lungs, his eyes watering.

Sloane turned to face her interrupter, malice blazed in the small girls eyes when she saw Leia before her with Aunt Isabel; who was still holding Sloane's arm.

Isabel let go of her arm and knelt next to Kyle. She smoothed the hair back from his forehead. "Are you okay?" Kyle nodded at her and looked to Sloane.

"She tried to kill me," he panted scooting further against the couch, tucking his knees under his chin. His head was swimming from the loss of oxygen and the massive dose of sobriety.

Isabel took Sloane's hand and led her from the room with Leia trailing behind. Kyle watched, still in shock as the five-year-old attempted murderess was led by the hand out of the room by her aunt.

Isabel's breath was heavy, sweat had formed on her brow as she lifted her niece onto her own bed and paced in front of her. Leia climbed up on the bed and sat next to Sloane, holding her hand.

"What were you doing Sloane?" Isabel demanded with her hands on her hips. "Tell me what the hell you were doing in there!"

Sloane looked at her aunt wide-eyed. "He wanted to hurt daddy."

"No!" Isabel yelled causing both girls to jump. "He isn't going to hurt your daddy. Why did you do that? How did you do that?" Sloane shrugged. "If Leia wouldn't have gotten me up you would have killed him. You were going to kill Kyle!"

"He said he wanted my daddy to die," Sloane began to rock back and forth.

"He's mad at your daddy, but they're still friends." Isabel knelt down in front of the small girl placing her hands on her thighs. "How could you do that Sloane?"

"She steals breath," Leia answered quietly.

Isabel looked to the blond-haired child in admiration. If it weren't for Leia, Kyle Valenti would be dead. "Leia, can you do that?" Leia shook her head. Isabel looked to the grip the little girls had on each other, so tight, unbreakable. "Sloane, Kyle's your friend." She looked towards the phone wishing it were closer. She had to call Max and get him back over there. "Even if he wasn't, you still can't do that. Do you understand me? You can't do that to people."

"I have to keep my daddy safe," Sloane's voice was getting smaller as she continued the rocking. "He needs me to watch over him."

Isabel started to cry at the sincerity weeping from Sloane. "We all watch over each other, Sloane."

"No," she looked in her aunt's eyes. "He'll need me the most. I won't let anything happen to him. I'm the one who'll save him; I don't care what anyone else says. Not my brother and not her, they're all liars!"

"Your brother?" Isabel asked as a chill ripped through her soul.

"I hate them!" Sloane yelled. "They'll never take my daddy away. No one will!"

Isabel wiped at her eyes. "Who, baby, who wants to take your daddy away?"

"The enemy." Sloane whispered letting the hand holding Leia's go lax. Those were the last words Sloane Evans uttered for almost ten years.