Busted……

“Did you even read this?” Maria scanned the official letter twice more.

“Glanced at it,” Michael hit the ping pong ball harder. “Hey, put that down and I’ll set the table down and we can play.”

“Forget it; you cheat.” Maria drank from her Snapple.

“I do not cheat.”

Maria made a snorting sound. “You think I don’t see you concentrating on the ball? Do not blow smoke up my ass, buddy. I know you. Pool, video games…it’s endless.” Maria read through the rest of Michael’s mail. “You should be ashamed.”

Michael shrugged. Yeah, sure. “Why again?”

“Uh-huh.” Maria finally looked at him. “Seriously, did you not read this?”

“Something about my assistance ending?”

“When you turn eighteen. The State will only cover you as a minor child until you’re eighteen. That means …”

“I know what it means. Next year I don’t get the monthly checks or food stamps, right?”

“No. Basically, you turned eighteen this summer, so that means your entire senior year you will have to cover all your bills off your Crashdown job. The only thing they help out on is medical care and your low rent … they keep it public assistance low. The check every month is gone.”

Michael sat down, taking the paper in alarm. “Where does it say that?” Maria handed the paper over. Michael read it more thoroughly. “This can’t be right. I thought I was covered by the foster system until I graduated.”

“Or eighteen.” Maria looked at Michael critically. “Are you going to graduate?”

“Hell if I know.” Michael sighed. “I never planned on staying, you know? So I think I’ve got some catching up to do.”

“How much catching up are we talking about?”

Michael made a face. “I don’t know. This is senior year, right?” Maria nodded. “Technically that means I’m about two years behind, if you start counting freshman year.”

“God, that’s impossible! You realize that your emancipation came with the stipulation that you go to school and pay your bills.”

Michael stood up. “Look, don’t worry. I know I’m staying, so I’ll take care of business. No problem.”

Maria looked at him skeptically. “Sure. No problem.”

Maria’s cell phone on the counter rang. Michael started to answer it when Maria put a retraining hand on his arm. “God, don’t answer that!”

“Why?” Michael’s eyes narrowed. “There’s something you’re not telling me.” His eyes went over her face. She was gorgeous, utterly beautiful. He could imagine all the males lining up to talk to her … date her … over his dead body.

“Liz’s parents. It has to be.” The phone rang again. Michael lifted a brow giving her a look. So now she was going to be afraid of her own phone? Sighing, Maria answered the phone sticking her tongue out at him. “Hello?”

Maria listened to Nancy Parker for a few moments.

“No, Mrs. Parker, I haven’t seen Liz.” Maria made another face at Michael. “I … what? She missed school for two days? Um, I … um, well, no. I don’t know. No, really, I don’t, I swear.” She listened some more as Michael leaned in to listen too. “Max is missing too.”

“Maybe those two finally eloped,” suggested Michael.

“Eloped!”

Maria shushed at Michael. “No! Mrs. Parker, um … I’m sure that’s not it. I mean, you know Liz … she would never do anything like that. I swear. Uh-huh. No, I promise. As soon as I see her.” Maria sighed as Mrs. Parker went on. “No, I swear I’m right here in Roswell , not some cheap marriage parlor in Vegas. I swear. What? Okay, a few moments. Right.” She disconnected the call and glared at Michael.

“What?”

“Did you have to suggest that Max and Liz ran away together? Now Mrs. Parker wants us to come over to the Crashdown.”

“Why? We’re not working.”

“So she can physically see us. For all she knows, I might be standing in front of an altar in Vegas getting ready to watch her daughter say her vows of eternal love.”

Michael hacked. “You’re using that ‘girly’ language on purpose, aren’t you?”

“Let’s go do our duty.” Maria grabbed her bag. “I’ll buy you dinner while we’re there. You just lost your income. Bad news, buddy. You’re stinking poor.”

“Yeah, what else is new? Guess I should return the big screen TV.”

“Aw …” Maria glanced at the mammoth monster TV with regret. “Can’t you wait until after this week? There’s this marathon on …”

Michael took Maria’s arm. “Your viewing choices are beginning to disturb me.”

“Mine? You watched six hours of ‘I Dream of Jeannie’ the other night.”

“That’s classical TV. Dawson’s Creek is not.”

“Says you.”

Eating dinner, Michael and Maria were strangely quiet as they watched the frantic Parkers meet with the Evans. The parents were clearly upset and making phone calls.

“This doesn’t look good,” said Maria biting her lip.

“Yeah. Parents in any equation really suck it up.”

“Where do you think they are?”

Michael shrugged. “Don’t care, as long as I don’t get called to rescue them from another watery attempt at being wild and carefree. One skinny-dipping episode is all my heart can take, even skipping all the lurid details.”

“Okay, you know what? We are not going over the failed skinny-dipping episode again. Can’t you just bulk erase it from your alien hard drive?”

Michael sighed tragically. “If only I could. It’s indelibly etched on my brain in this recurring pattern destined to give me nightmares for the rest of my life. I think I should be eligible for survivor benefits at the very least.”

“I think you need electroshock therapy.”

Michael snickered. “Sorry, done that. Seeing Liz in her all that’s …”

“Michael!” Maria warned, more than thoroughly briefed in detail, over and over by Michael. She got it. “I think we need to keep a closer eye on those two. I’ve barely seen Liz all summer, every since that night when Max had the vision of his son’s birth, and the baby needing him, it has gotten really strange. Max and Liz are almost unrecognizable.”

Michael rolled his eyes. Strange? That was a total understatement. “Yeah, Max and Liz in a bad kid role is giving us troublemakers a bad name. Can’t you steal Liz’s raccoon makeup?” Maria chose to ignore him. “Next thing you know, Leather and Leather will be looking for matching tattoos of Gidget and Moondoggie.”

Maria was finished eating. Paying the tab, they walked outside to the Jetta. “Should we try to pick up their trail?”

“Why? Did they leave breadcrumbs?”

Maria stopped and stared at him. “Why are you being this way?”

Michael started to head to the driver’s door, but Maria shook her head and pushed him into the passenger’s seat. “Un-uh. You sit there and practice your mantra.”

“What mantra?”

“I’m a nice person. Really I am. I’m a nice person who isn’t sarcastically biting and rude. I’m a nice person …”

“You are a nice person, Maria. I don’t need to work on making you better.” Michael said laughing when her eyes narrowed murderously.

Maria got in behind the driver’s wheel. “Where to? Where should we start?”

“Home. I’ve got school tomorrow, and so do you.”

“School?” Maria said in shock.

“Hey, I told you…I’m going to take care of business.” Michael saw the worry on her face, taking her hand, he tried to reassure her. “Honestly, Maria. It’s Max and Liz. You and I just spent two years breaking and entering, investigating and going places we weren’t supposed to be … how often did we get caught?” Michael paused for dramatic effect. “Zilch. Nada. None. Max and Liz are supposed to be smarter than we are. What could they do that we haven’t already done and gotten away with? So they are a little uncharacteristically out of control, but have you ever known two individuals more tightly wound?”

Maria bit on a nail. He was right. Skinny-dipping was the height of Max and Liz’s idea of adventure. If that remained so, then whatever they were doing, wherever they were doing it, it would be okay. They weren’t stupid people.

~~~

When Max suggested a roadtrip, Liz couldn’t resist. Michael and Maria did it all the time. This was exciting, and something very different for them.

“Why here?”

“I did some research at the UFO Center . There are five government storage facilities large enough to hold the ship. It's gotta be in one of them.” Liz frowned. And, yeah, the alien aficionados had so much actual information.

Liz looked at Sam’s Quick Stop skeptically. “I don't see a government facility, do you?”

Max shrugged. “Let's take a look.” He took out a gun. Seeing Liz’s reaction, he smiled. “Don't worry. It’s not loaded.” He handed it to her.

“To go in there with a gun, that's a felony. Why can’t I just distract the clerk?”

“That's not enough time. I need at least five minutes to get downstairs, see if the ship's there, and if it works.”

“And what if it works?” Liz asked, her trust in Max was a fragile thing, and not nearly as strong as it had been over a year ago, when River Dog warned her to be certain she could trust him. “I mean, you go off to Antar and what? I mean, what if you never come back?”

“I will come back. And I'm not leaving yet.” Max reassured her. “First I have to see if this is even a possibility. I'm gonna have to figure out how to navigate it.”

“We can’t get caught.” Liz told him as she took the gun hefting it to check the weight in her hands.

“We won't,” Max assured her, his confidence unshakeable. “Are you ready?” Max asked Liz.

“Yeah, I think so.”

Max paused, for a moment uncertain. “Liz, you don't have to do this.”

“No, Max. We’re in this together.” Liz reassured him, unwilling to be left out again. “That's what we said. Together till the end.”

They pulled down their baklavas. Entering a convenience store, Sam’s Quick Stop on Highway 65 in Utah , Liz pointed a gun at the man behind the register saying in her distinctive high pitched voice, the screech being one that Maria would now have recognized as Liz’s excited tone.  “Down! Down! Now!” The man moved to reach for something. “Whoa!” She screamed waving the gun threateningly. “Down! Get down!”

“Do what she says.” Max told the terrorized store clerk. “She's crazy.”

“Face on the floor! Now!”

“I have a family.” The man begged, his voice breaking in fear.

Liz ignored him looking at Max. “Hurry. We've only got a few minutes.” Liz cocked her head, there were sirens approaching.

“Just keep your face down! Keep your face down!” Liz screeched at the man. She screamed down the stairs to the basement where Max went. “The cops are coming. We gotta get outta here. Come on, let's go!” The sirens were louder, coming fast. Liz could see approaching lights. “Come on, let's go! Hurry up!”

Max, now in the room below the store stood in front of a spaceship. He held up a large diamond that he and Liz had stolen from a socialite, Mrs. Delores Browning earlier during the summer, and the ship began to glow. Hearing the sirens, he left the basement to join Liz. Max grabbed a small bag of Cheetos on his way out of the store. They ran out of Sam’s Quick Stop and jumped into the convertible Max had bought to replace the jeep, a Cheville.

Liz looked behind as the lights continued on chasing them. “Come on. How'd they find us so fast?”

“I don't know.” Max applied more speed. “All right, hold on!”

Liz bit her lip. This didn’t look good. “Max, they can’t find out about the diamond.” He nodded, agreeing with her. He quickly tossed the diamond into the night trying to note the location. A few moments later, they spun out of control off the road until the Cheville stalled. The police units quickly surrounded them. Max quickly transformed the gun melding it into the floorboard.

“Hands! Let me see hands!”

Liz looked at Max. “You got any powers for this?”

~~~

Michael was following a teacher down the hall. “Now if I'm to have any chance of graduating this year, I need to get into your BIO 101 class.”

The man looked at Michael, pausing with his hands on his hips. “Why didn't you come to my BIO 101 class when you were in it?”

“I'm turning over a new leaf.” Michael said flatly, his lack of enthusiasm obvious.

“Excuse me while I take a moment to chuckle within.” The teacher said sarcastically.

“Ok, it’s like this, plans changed.” Michael scratched a brow. Hell, maybe being murdered on Antar would’ve been easier. “I thought I was moving out of Roswell , but as it turns out, I'm stuck here for good.”

“And how far away did you plan to move that you didn't think that your high school records would've been sent to your new high school?”

“Actually, pretty far,” Michael said in a brush of honesty. “Mr. Seligman, I know you hate my guts. Personally, I hate yours, too.”

Mr. Seligman stopped and shook his head at Michael in amazement. This kid was a real pill. “This is how you ask a favor?”

Michael continued on, applying a touch of rationale that he rarely displayed. “But if you help me graduate this year, then you won't have to see me next year.”

Mr. Seligman pursed his lips, pondering that piece of logic. “Well, you do have a point there.” The man gave in. “Ok, Mr. Guerin, I will let you in to my Biology 101 class if you make a sacred vow to me right now that you won't miss a single session.”

“Michael, there you are.” Isabel said coming towards Michael and the teacher swiftly.

“Miss Evans, I thought you graduated.”

“I did, Mr. Seligman, but I just can’t seem to cut the cord. Too many fond memories.” Isabel looked pointedly at Michael. “I need to talk to you.”

Michael glanced at the teacher remembering his promise. “I got class.”

“It's important.”

Michael sighed and tried to smile charmingly at the teacher. “I’ll be one minute.”

“I'm sure you will.” Mr. Seligman was already removing Michael’s name from his roster mentally. “Miss Evans, love the hair.”

“Well, thank you.” Mr. Seligman quickly went off, his time already wasted.

Michael frowned after the man. “So, what's going on?”

“Max and Liz got arrested in Utah for armed robbery. We have to go.”

Michael rolled his eyes, his life suddenly too busy. “So much for ever getting out of this school.” Michael looked down the hall at the class he needed. “What were they doing in Utah ?”

“Robbing someone, obviously.” Isabel looked at her watch. “Look, my parents flew out there immediately, and I need to drive the family car to pick them up. Are you coming or not?”

“Yeah. I’m coming, but not until after my class. I’m probably going to miss tomorrow, and if I at least show up today, he might think I’m earnest and cut me some slack.”

“Michael, we don’t have time for this.”

“Max is in jail, right?” Isabel nodded, her impatience pasted on her face. “Good, he’s not going anywhere. I’m in jail too, and if I don’t make this class … I won’t be going anywhere either.”

“You want me to just wait until you finish your class?” Isabel couldn’t believe it. Since when did Michael ever have to be convinced to skip school?

“No. You go. I need to find Maria anyway and tell her about Liz. We’ll meet you there.”

“The two of you can ride with me.” Isabel suggested.

Michael made a face. Nope. That meant he would have to ride home with the Evans. “Um, no … you know what? I think you better go on ahead. Maria and I will take care of things here before we leave.”

“Whatever!” Isabel hurried off. It was official. She had wasted her time looking for Michael.

Mr. Seligman stood at his class door. “Mr. Guerin, are you coming?”

Michael watched Isabel stalk off for a moment. “Yeah, I’m coming.” Michael paused before entering the classroom. “Sir, I sort of have this family emergency thing in Utah . I was wondering, how you would feel about an excused absence?”

“Mr. Guerin, I will reserve judgment until I see whether you actually stay awake through my class.”

“Oh great,” Michael said under his breath. They never negotiated him staying awake.

~~~

Philip Evans paced the room, his agitation evident. Usually a pretty easygoing man, he was having a hard time controlling his temper. “Son, if you want to get out of here while you're still a young man, don't say anything to anyone unless I’m present. I'm not your father right now, I'm your lawyer.”

“Oh, my god. Max,” Diane Evans wailed, worry increasing the lines on her face.

“It's all right, Mom. It's all right.”

“Look at you.” Diane shook her head in wonder, staring at her son in handcuffs. “What is going on? Who are you? Why are you under arrest for armed robbery?”

Philip put a comforting hand on his wife’s shoulder. “Now tell us, what the hell are you doing in Utah ?!”

~~~

Nancy Parker in another holding room, placed a hand on her husband’s arm. “Jeff, stay calm. Calm?!”

“How am I gonna stay calm?” Jeff couldn’t believe it, he looked at the girl who was supposedly his daughter, but barely resembled her.

“Honey, I know it isn't you.” Nancy said. “I know this is not something that you would do, but … but if you did do it, maybe it's because somebody put you up to it.”

“They put me up to it.” Liz rolled her eyes, her disdain clear on her face. “Right, Mom.”

Her attitude and tone were the final straws for Jeff. “Ok. That's enough! Now tell us what the hell happened.”

“I'm not gonna speak to anyone until they let me talk to Max,” said Liz.

The Parkers looked at each other both unable to even deal with the nightmare their daughter was becoming. Jeff should’ve seen this coming. Earlier, during the summer, he caught Liz coming in around two in the morning. She had been dressed strangely, not like herself, and her attitude had been belligerent when he asked what she was wearing. Jeff rubbed his face. If it were possible, he would suspect that his daughter had been abducted by aliens, or the very taken over by body snatchers. He would search for a pod under her bed when he finally got home.

~~~

Maria glanced over at him as he leaned against the locker next to her open one. “How did the groveling to Mr. Seligman go?”

“I’m in, or at least I am until tomorrow.”

Maria lifted a brow. “Well, I’m proud of you, even if it’s only for one day.” Shutting her locker door, she reached reaching up to straighten his shirt. “So why are you out again tomorrow? I thought you were going to take care of business.”

“Yeah, well for once in my life, it’s being fucked up by someone else’s irresponsibility. You want to adjourn to my office?”

Maria frowned, but quickly agreed as he pulled her with him to the eraser room. They never noticed the other students watching their progress as the door firmly closed. Michael used his powers to lock the door. He should’ve waited until the halls cleared from the next period, but they needed to get going. The way they drove, they should easily catch up with Isabel.

The students in the hall paused when Maria’s voice rose in disbelief,. “They what?!!”

They took the Devil’s Highway into Utah . Maria hadn’t spoken to him in hours. Isabel had taken another route, through Arizona and then north into Utah . Michael estimated that they would get there just behind her. Maria was talking … to Isabel on the phone, but to him … nope.

“How long are you going to give me the silent treatment?” Michael asked.

“Longer.” Maria sighed. “This is totally your fault!”

“My fault?” Michael eyes narrowed. How the fuck was the boring duo’s felonious acts his fault?

“I told you we should go find them … but no!” Maria made a violent gesture in front of her as her voice altered to do a fair Michael mimic. “How much trouble could they get into?”

“Okay, fine. I admit to be surprised that they managed to fuck things up royally.” Michael stopped, almost snickering at his ‘royal’ pun, but Maria wasn’t in a good mood. “You’re right. I shouldn’t have trusted them, especially given how strange they both have been acting since Max had that message from his son, but still …” Michael cleared his throat. “I do have my own life to get in order. Chasing after Max isn’t something I want to do the rest of my life, or whatever is left of it.”

“What do you mean?” Maria frowned. “Why wouldn’t you have a nice long life?”

“If I don’t get out of school, what’s the use?” Michael sighed. “I sort of fucked this up a bit. I remember you telling me last year that I should take everything more seriously. I remember you asking me what I would do if I never went home, if I waited my entire life, and they never came. I guess I should’ve listened … taken the question seriously.”

Maria moved closer to him, leaning against his arm, her hand resting on his leg. “It’s hard, I know. You were leaving, Michael. No one could’ve known it would turn out this way, least of all you. I think we all make choices in life, some of them good … many of them not so good. Maybe it’s not important to always be right, just willing to adjust to the changes.”

“I hate change.”

“I know.” Maria had yet another thing to share with him, another thing in common. “I don’t know who said it first … ‘the more things change, the more they stay the same’. That’s me. I hate change too. I spend my entire life resisting it, afraid it will happen, and maybe that makes me a coward … I don’t know.”

“Last year was hard.” Michael said.

Maria nodded. She couldn’t talk about it. Alex. It still was too soon.

Michael glanced at her, seeing the glassy sheen to her eyes. She was trying to not cry. Michael took his hand off the steering wheel to put his arm around her. Pulling her close, he leaned down and kissed the side of her head on the temple.

“It’ll be okay. We’ll get there, and it will be okay.”

Maria nodded. What if she lost Liz, too? Alex’s death was so intolerable, and when Michael left, it had been impossible to breathe … to imagine going on. Now Liz?

“Michael,” Maria said hoarsely. “I’m not doing too well.”

“It’s okay. You’re not alone.” Maria tightened her hand on his leg.

~~~

In Utah , Isabel went into the police station searching for her parents. She found her mother and the Parkers waiting for more information.

“Mom!”

Diane looked physically relieved to see her daughter. “Isabel! Your father and I have been going crazy.” Speak of the devil … Philip Evans and a new lawyer in his firm joined them.

Isabel quickly tried to get her mother to give up some information. “So what's going on?”

“Well, we're still trying to figure out what happened with your brother and Liz.” Diane smiled slightly when Philip joined her, his arm going around her shoulder.

“Hi, Dad.”

“Hey.” Philip kissed his daughter, almost relieved to deal with a sane child. “This is Jesse Ramirez from my office.” Philip quickly introduced the newest lawyer in his firm.

Isabel licked her lips quickly smiling politely. “We met at the company …”

“Picnic, that's right.” Jesse was a tall man, Latino, with warm brown eyes and an engaging smile. “Nice to see you again.”

“Nice to see you again.”

Jeff interrupted the reunion. “So what have you found out, Philip?”

“A detention hearing has been set up for tomorrow with the judge.” Philip revealed. “Max and Liz are first-time offenders, no physical evidence has been produced, so we're hoping they get a slap on the wrist and get sent back home.”

Diane breathed easier, hoping Philip’s optimism wasn’t misplaced. Armed robbery seemed too serious to sweep away. “Well, what about jail?”

“They can only go to jail if the case is transferred to the criminal court system and they get tried as adults.” Philip tried to quell his wife’s fears. “But so far that seems unlikely.”

Jesse tried to explain. “Ok, they haven't found a gun, and there are no witnesses other than the nutcase behind the counter who claims to have seen an otherworldly yellow light.”

Isabel bit the inside of her lip. Great. Otherworldly yellow light. “So as long as there's no evidence, Max and Liz will be ok, right?”

“Yeah.” Philip said, hoping he wasn’t lying to his daughter and the others. “Yeah, we certainly hope so.”

While they were talking, Michael and Maria arrived in outside the police station, parking the Jetta next to the Evans’ family car.

Maria emerged from the Jetta, looking around at the small town, shaking her head in disbelief. Oh God! Utah ? “Why can’t you aliens ever get in trouble somewhere decent? Like Graceland , Tahoe or New Orleans ?” She stared at the mountains, and sighed tragically. “No, Utah . Mormons and mountains.”

“Are you coming?” Michael asked, interrupting Maria’s rant. “Or you want a little timeout here?”

“I’m coming.” Maria poked a finger in his chest. “Next time? I’m requesting a place where I can wear a bikini.”

Michael lifted a brow at that. Oh, he could definitely do that. Maria … bikini. It was something to look into. After they went to the bike rally this last summer on vacation, he sort of regretted not using his vacation choosing someplace tropical with Maria in little to no clothes. He seriously needed to think over his options more carefully in the future. Thank god for the trip to Hawaii making up for his lack of insight. “It’s a deal. Now you want to join the fun?”

“Fun? You really need to reexamine your priorities and what passes as fun.” Maria told him, basically in her word reaffirming what he just told himself. What? Now she could read his mind? Michael cleared his throat nervously. He sincerely hoped not, or she might get a shock at how often she was the headliner wearing … well, nothing worth mentioning.

The Parkers and Evans seemed surprised to see Michael and Maria walking into the station. Isabel made a gesture to them. Taking a deep breath, Michael went to deal with parents while Maria was frowning at the police station. Geez, Roswell to Utah , did these places ever change? “Michael,” she whispered loudly. “I think I bailed my mom out of here once.”

Michael glanced at her. “Do you think they’ll remember you?”

“No. Absolutely not.”

“Ms. DeLuca,” a man called at Maria, who stopped in her tracks.

“Oh, shoot!”

Michael chuckled, joining the others and leaving Maria to wiggle out of her own notoriety.. “Hey. How’s it going?”

“Hi! Michael!” Diane looked uncertain as to why Michael was there. “It was good that you came.”

Michael quickly gave an explanation. “I brought Maria. She is pretty upset. It’s been hard after losing Alex … she won’t handle anything happening to Liz.”

Nancy Parker’s eyes filled with tears. “That is really kind … of both of you.” Maria joined them and surprisingly found herself swept up in Nancy Parker’s arms for a hug, and Jeff hugged Maria after his wife let her go. Maria looked at Michael helplessly, uncertain what it was all about.

With Maria distracting the Parkers, Michael addressed Mr. Evans. “Can we see them?”

Philip nodded. “I’ll arrange it.”

Jesse stopped Philip from going. “I’ll take care of it.”

Michael, Maria, and Isabel waited in the hall for the interrogators to take them to the rooms. Isabel looked at Michael and Maria.

“I’m glad you guys got here.” Maria held onto Isabel’s hand thankful that the alien girl had taken the time to track them down before leaving Roswell . They looked up as one of the Sheriff’s Deputies came towards them.

Maria sniffed. “I’ll go see Liz, if you two want to tackle Max?”

Michael stopped Maria. “You sure? We can all do both.”

Maria shook her head. “No. I better do Liz alone. You and Isabel can gang up on Max.” Maria didn’t trust herself anywhere near Max Evans right now. Michael watched as Maria followed the Deputy to the holding cells. Liz was in lockup, but Max was still in an interrogation room.

~~~

Max looked up when the door opened. He was sitting at the table waiting for his father to return.

“Max!” Isabel said. “You idiot! What are you trying to do to our poor, clueless human parents?”

Michael shut the door leaning against the door. “So what's the deal? You running low on cigarettes?”

Max looked around, his voice lowering. “There's an underground government storage facility under the convenience store.”

“Well, that's a surprise,” Michael said, his brow lifting. He couldn’t say what was more a surprise, the location, the fact Max even cared, or the fact he did not.

“Our ship's there.”

Michael came further into the room. “You mean our spaceship?”

“It's been reassembled.” Max told Isabel and Michael. “I saw it with my own eyes.”

Michael rubbed his face. “I can feel Biology 101 slipping from my grasp.”

God, he couldn’t deal with all this right now. Their ship was in the hands of who knew who, and his future was slipping from his grasp. It didn’t matter. He made his choice. He wasn’t going back to Antar, but the ship … was a problem.

“So,” Isabel asked, needing some type of confirmation, “reassembled; that means it works?”

“Possibly.”

Isabel shook her head. She didn’t want to go through this again. “I thought we made an agreement to let go of the other world and live here.”

“That was before my son tried to contact me.”

“Max, a little reality check. This ship you're talking about ...” Isabel said sarcastically, “sucks. It's a lemon. It crashed to begin with. That's why we're stuck here.”

Michael smirked. Nice to see Max in the hot seat that usually had been his place. “She's got a point.”

“Look, I need you to find something for me.” Max told Michael, ignoring his sister for a moment. “I had to toss it before we were arrested.”

“No. No, we are not helping in some absurd plan to find a spaceship, ok?” Isabel couldn’t believe this. Max was being impossible. “This is ridiculous.”

“This isn't about getting to a spaceship. Liz and I stole it. It's a diamond.”

Isabel’s mouth opened in shock. “You stole a diamond?”

“It's not actually a diamond.” Max told them. “It's the key to our ship. It's alien, and if we don't find it before the police do, we'll be linked to another crime.”

Michael groaned. Great, another crime? He was going to love telling Maria about this. Max ignored his reaction.

“We'll never get out of here.” Max told Michael.

Michael gave up. So his life was already shit, and thanks to this, he wasn’t going to make it back in time for Biology. Well, hell. Sighing, he looked at Max. “So what does it look like?”

~~~

Liz sat up when the guard let Maria into the holding cell. “Oh, my god, Maria!” Liz quickly hugged her friend. “I can’t believe you're here.”

“Who am I, Liz?” Maria asked, surprised that Liz hadn’t expected her to come immediately. “Of course I'm here. Michael and I came as soon as we heard.”

“Ok, thanks.” Liz should’ve known the Roswell aliens would be there. Where else would they be with their King in jail? Liz brushed away a feeling of irritation at having to share Max with the others. She didn’t have much luck when it came to Max having to choose between her and aliens. “Now give me some sugar.”

Maria smiled, hugging Liz harder kissing her lightly on the mouth, happy that except for her running makeup, she was basically healthy and alive. “Hi. Mmm.” Maria laughed when Liz hugged the stuffing out of her. “Hi. Ok, first of all, I have some fresh key lime pie from the Crashdown.” Maria took out the package she brought for Liz. It was a piece short. To get it in to Liz, she had to give up a slice to the guard. Good thing Michael talked her out of trying to put in a file, like the cake she made him.

“Oh, Maria, you,” Liz said through bites, “you are a goddess. You know, if you were a boy, I would …”

Maria held up her hand.  “Ok, no, don't go there, girlfriend.” Maria laughed happy to see her friend. “All right, now I talked to everyone involved, and I got the total unadulterated scoop. The judge and D.A. of this town are, like, totally sweating it because they have to go before council next month for reappointment and they haven't caught a criminal in, like, a decade, so they're basically out for your scalps.” Liz stopped eating for a moment, a range of emotions moving over her face. Maria squeezed her hand in comfort. “Ok, that's all I have.” Maria searched her friend’s face critically, not liking the new makeup that made Liz look hard and older … so much unlike herself. The sweet girl next door, Liz Parker would be so much better in court. Also, Maria saw the tiredness and the fear in Liz’s eyes. “Now it's your turn. Spill. Last I heard you and Max were trying to take it slow.”

“We were.”

“Uh-huh.” Maria breathed in deeply. “Okay, this started with the skinny-dipping message from alien baby. Why don’t you fill me in?”

“Maria …”

Maria grabbed Liz’s hand. “Look, I know that things have been a little distant between us lately, and maybe that has a lot to do with me. But, I can’t get in your head. I need to know how you’re thinking.” She looked at Liz sadly. “I can’t stand the thought of losing you, too, Liz. Alex …” She bit her lip. “I can’t.”

Liz frowned, sorry of the sadness and anxiety in her friend’s eyes. “I’m so sorry, Maria. Really I am.” Liz rubbed her face. “I haven’t told you things, because I know how you feel about Max.”

“Liz …” Maria swallowed hard.

She hadn’t got over her anger at Max. It was hard, because she thought of him as a friend, and it was hard to feel so bad about a friend. She was trying, but it was difficult. Max had a lot to atone for in her view. Alex, his treatment of Michael, breaking Liz’s heart more than once. Even as Future Max, he still was a man that needed to atone for injuries to Liz. Tess … letting her near, forcing them to trust her, and they all knew how that ended.

“I know that at some level, you haven’t forgiven me for giving Max another chance. I haven’t forgotten Alex, it’s just … Max was a pawn and a victim, too.”

“I can’t, Liz. I’m trying … really I am.”

“I know you’re trying, but in truth Maria, you’ve got Michael, and somehow he’s become your best friend, the person you confide in, and I want that with Max. I need it.”

“Need?” Maria frowned. Liz was giving up so much of herself, her ideas and morals, all for this need … this obsession. “Liz, you can’t force this type of bond … it just slowly grows out of mutual respect … not need. I can’t explain how it happens, but it can’t be bought or forced.”

Liz pushed her hair behind her ear. “I’ve done things, Maria. Things I never thought I would ever do.”

“Oh, god!” Maria said dramatically, her mind racing at all the possibilities. “Tell me everything.”

Liz shrugged. “It started with us searching through Tess’s stuff. The things she left behind. That was when I knew that it wasn’t over … that for Max, with his son out there somewhere, it would never be over. I had to make a choice. Max or my pride.”

“Oh, Liz …” Maria didn’t like the sound of that.

Liz shrugged it off. “It’s okay. It was my choice. Anyway, I found this ‘diamond’, it is really an alien crystal, and it belonged to this women, Delores Browning, one of the ten wealthiest women in the world, and her diamond was available at in Santa Fe. I helped him to steal it.”

“Why?” Maria asked appalled at the left turn that her friend’s morality had taken. Liz was a girl that couldn’t even use a fake ID in Vegas without confessing her true age. “Why would you do that?”

“You would, if it was Michael asking you.” Liz pointed out.

“Yes, that’s true, but that’s me, not you. Not the Liz Parker I know. This isn’t you, Liz. I know you, and this is not you. So really, why are you doing this?”

Liz licked her lips, uncertain where to begin, but she started with the explanation she gave Max months ago when she stole the diamond with him. “If I had lost a child, I would want someone to help me find him. But that's only part of the reason. The other part is that I don't want him to slip away from me, again. I know what it's like to be with him, and I know what it's like to be apart from him. And I would rather be with him.” Liz knew she making excuses, but who cared? It was her life, and she wanted it. Needing to reassure her friend, Liz smiled. “He’s an alien king … what could happen to me?”

Maria gestured to the jail cell around them, looking at Liz tragically, unable to settle the brooding fear in her stomach. “Why don’t you ask Alex that … or more specifically, his parents who live tortured every day with the lie that he committed suicide.”

“Maria …”

Maria shook her head looking down the floor. “After all this time, you still can’t give him up?” It was the very question she asked Liz one night long ago, in the woods when they were being hunted by dogs and Valenti.

“I don’t want to. I can’t.” Sighing, Maria understood. The more things changed, the more they stayed the same. Liz was just as afraid of change as she was. Maybe in losing Alex, Liz couldn’t take losing anything else to Tess or Destiny, especially not Max. Losing Max would mean that Tess won again.

Maria looked at her friend. “He was a fool, you know,” Maria told Liz.

“Who was?” Liz asked confused.

“Future Max. He was the biggest idiot, and I suppose, so were you … in the future, I mean.” Maria quickly went to explain. “How could you ever imagine there could be a way that Max or anyone could convince you to give up him up? Look at all you went through, and still … you can’t walk away, even if it meant saving your life, or even the world.” She couldn’t say even if it cost Liz, Maria’s life, or Michael and Isabel, because of the lost of Alex, it was still a touchy topic, but Maria had no doubts if it came between her and Max … she would lose.

“Maria,” said Liz, gulping hard. It was true, and maybe it shamed her to realize that Maria was right. Nothing would make her give up Max, and no matter how hard she tried last year, even knowing the world would end, she couldn’t do it. Liz wiped the makeup from under her eyes with the napkin edge. “Tess is gone, so the whole thing about us not being together because of the world is over. What does it matter now … we can no longer get Tess back.” She shrugged, “I gave him up once, and I don’t have to do that anymore and I don’t want to. I guess that’s love.”

“Or obsession.” Maria said. “Is love supposed to hurt this much? All the time? When does it get good? How do you get past all the pain?”

“You do it, because you have to,” said Liz. “The only other alternative is inconceivable.”

~~~

“Okay, so Max didn’t give me the full story on the diamond robbery.” Michael searched the field as Maria had told him what Liz told her. “He’s right. If they found and connected this diamond to them, they would definitely be going away for a long time.”

“Did you get anything from Max?”

“Yeah, he’s whacked.” Michael said. “Go look over there.” Michael pointed to the field on the other side of the road. “Hey! Can I borrow your cell? I better make a phone call … not that it’s going to do me any good.”

Maria tossed over her phone. “Biology?”

“Yeah, I’m feeling a cold flush of doom, but I’ll give it a try.”

“You’re the man.” Maria left Michael to search and grovel in peace as she went to slowly cover the other field. A frickin’ alien crystal in the haystack. Those damn aliens needed to install ‘clappers’ to their possessions. It would save serious time.

Michael was in the field looking for the diamond and talking on the phone. He found the diamond, and was staring at it while talking when a man suddenly was in front of him in his path. The man looked like a sleazy PI in a bad suit, but it was the gun in his hand that held Michael’s respect and attention. Michael quickly shoved the alien crystal in his pocket while distractedly talking to Mr. Seligman.

“Mandatory attendance, I understand. Yeah. An attitude improvement? I'm already on that. And a respect for authority, yeah, absolutely.” Michael slowly raised his free hand, too afraid to look around to locate Maria in case he drew attention to her. “Mr. Seligman, I gotta call you back.” Michael disconnected.

“Who was that?” The man asked.

“It's my science teacher. I'm trying to graduate high school.”

“Why don't you just get a G.E.D.?”

Michael made a face. “No one hires anyone with a G.E.D.”

“I got a G.E.D.” The man said shrugging. “I'm doing fine.”

Michael made a face at the man, looking him over his eyes pausing on the gun. “Yeah, you're on a nice career path there.”

“I got a message for your friend Max. Stop looking.” The man waved his gun threateningly. “The person I work for will do whatever is necessary to stop him. Whatever is necessary.”

Michael huffed holding his hands up. “Whatever, dude.” The man shot the gun beside Michael who jumped. Being shot once in his life was enough, and the sound still made him react.

“Don't be such a smart ass. Maybe that's your problem in school, too.” The man reasoned. He smiled at Michael in a way that was nothing if not amused. “Don't make me come back to Utah .”

The man left, and Michael stood there staring after the man. He could hear Maria calling his name, her voice was high pitched and full of fear.

“Over here,” he called.

“Michael! Oh god! I heard a gunshot, and …”

Michael pulled Maria close. She was shaking. “It’s okay.” He hugged her tight looking down the road where the man had gone. “It’ll be okay. C’mon, let’s get back. I need to talk to Max.”

~~~

Isabel knocked on Jesse's door. Jesse opened his door, not surprised to see Isabel standing there.

“Thank you for this meeting, Mr. Ramirez.”

“No problem, Isabel.” Jesse shut the door once Isabel entered. The door was barely shut before they started kissing.

“Mm!” Isabel said, pulling away from Jesse, smiling. “Why didn't you tell me you were here?”

“I was working all night with your father. I couldn't call.” Jesse moved his hand up around her neck, holding her close.

“Oh, I just wish this could all be out in the open.”

Jesse frowned. It was a problem he didn’t understand. “I'm still not sure why it can’t be.”

Isabel moved her hand up his front, resting it on his chest. “Well, there's the fact that you're twenty-six, and I'm barely legal.”

Jesse smiled at that. “You're an old soul. You have clearly lived before.”

“You have no idea.” Isabel moved away from Jesse. “So, what were you and my father holding back from us before?”

“What do you mean?” Jesse asked, suddenly his expression changed, became more guarded as his lawyer demeanor took over.

“I saw the look between the two of you earlier. Clearly you're not telling us the whole story.” Isabel tilted her head, the serious expression in her eyes unwilling to let him put her off. “Jesse …”

Jesse sighed. He was definitely in trouble with her. “Last year there was a robbery in the county. A kid died. No one was ever charged, and the local prosecutor got a lot of heat for it. So …” Jesse cleared his throat. “This town is looking for someone to hang.” He hated to be the one giving bad news. “Max and Liz picked a bad place to play Bonnie and Clyde .”

Before they could talk Jesse’s phone rang. Answering it, his eyes never left Isabel.

“Hello? Philip. Oh, just, uh, working on some research.” Jesse lied, making a face at Isabel. “Ok, I'll be right over.” Jesse hung up the phone. “That was your dad. They found evidence.”

~~~

The Parkers and Diane Evans were talking to a lawyer from the town. He was the prosecuting attorney. “That's just the way things work here. She'll be fine.”

Philip joined them. “Nancy, Jeff, hi.” Nodding at the other lawyer, Philip offered his hand. “Mr. McGregor.”

“Nice to see you again, Mr. Evans.”

Jeff looked at the two lawyers. “Mr. McGregor here was just giving us the inside scoop on the Salina court system.”

“Ah, how generous,” Philip said sarcastically.

McGregor smiled pleasantly at the Parkers. “Well, nice to meet you folks. Nancy, Jeff. You're good people. Your daughter deserves her best shot.”

Philip waited until McGregor left before asking. “What was that about?”

“He's trying to put our kids in jail.”

Diane glanced at Jeff Parker before answering her husband. “Mr. McGregor just feels that we'd be better off pleading guilty.”

“Well, he'd certainly be better off.” Philip explained. “He's a prosecutor. His job is to get a guilty plea.”

Jeff’s eyes narrowed, uncertainty and suspicion making him hold himself stiffly. “But he said that if we plead not guilty, it could provoke the judge and he'd be that much more likely to transfer the case to a criminal court.”

“Jeff, if we plead guilty to a felony, then there's a case against them in criminal court. We can’t give them that option.” Philip felt bad, but he couldn’t risk anyone jeopardizing their chances to save their children. “Believe me, I know what I'm doing.”

Nancy looked between Jeff and Philip, quickly interjecting an explanation before the two men came to a disagreement. “No, it's just this isn't personal, Phil. It's just that you're a corporate lawyer and this is not your area of expertise.”

“Nancy, Jeff, that man you were talking to wants a guilty plea, and he'll say and do anything he has to, to get it.” The law was the law, and despite the branch, it remained the same. “If we plead guilty, I guarantee you this case is going to criminal court. Look, our children are in this together. We're all in this together. Believe me, I am doing right by your daughter.”

~~~

At the hearing, Max and Liz stood together at the table ready to follow Mr. Evans’ instructions as the Judge talked. Maria was sitting next to Michael, holding his hand tightly. Liz’s parents were on the other side of her.

“Do you understand the charges against you?”

Max and Liz said together, “Yes, Your Honor.”

“How do you plead?”

“Not guilty,” said Max.

Liz followed suit. “Not guilty.” Maria, sitting behind Liz, winced. They had pulled a gun, albeit an unloaded gun, on a man with a family. She bit her lip trying to stop from mumbling a prayer aloud.

“All right, then, you can have a seat.” The judge waited until the two teenagers sat down. “Now, Mr. McGregor and Mr. Evans, I've reviewed the material you've submitted …”

Philip quickly interjected before the Judge made a ruling. “Your honor, before you make a ruling on this, I have additional material that I feel is critical to this case.”

“All right, let's see it, Mr. Evans.”

“Thank you.” Philip handed over some papers. “These are four recent rulings in Utah state courts, all of which disallowed DNA matches from hair follicles to be submitted as evidence.” Philip returned to his place. “Uh, your honor, in consideration of the fact that these few strands of hair are the only physical evidence in this case and there are no priors on either defendant who are both standout students and members of their community, I ask that this matter be dismissed.”

“All right. Well, thank you, Mr. Evans, I'll take that under consideration.” The judge quickly read through his notes, the notes on the case, and the new information that Philip had given to him. Clearing his throat, he began.

“Max Evans.” Max stood up at his father’s urging. “It's the decision of this court that you be released to the custody of your parents, that you be returned to your home state of New Mexico if you will agree not to return to the state of Utah until your 21st birthday. Do you agree with that, Mr. Evans?”