She was so glad she decided against her original plan to embarrass them. If she'd followed through with announcing the manner in which she had been awaken in the early hours, she would have made them far more uncomfortable. By the look of them now, she could see that would have been far worse than she had intended. Liz buried her face tighter against Max's chest trying to hid the deep crimson she was sure her face had turned. Only to pull away slightly to look up into his eyes when he began to stroke her dark silky hair and whispered to her reassuringly. He body to had tensed in reaction to Kyle voicing his observations. This was not something Max had intended to discuss, but he didn't see anyway around it. If they denied it, chances were they wouldn't believe them anyway, but to acknowledge it would have only added to the awkwardness of the moment.

It was obvious that Max didn't know what to say, not that she blamed him. He and Liz were here to tell them what they had learned, not to have their relationship put under scrutiny. She knew she wouldn't want her relationship with Alex put under scrutiny, and things hadn't even progressed nearly as far. With that in mind, she decided to do what she could to extinguish this problem. "Good grief Kyle! Could you have been any less tactful? Besides, what business is it of yours, or any of ours, if they are involved in an intimate relationship?" Everyone turned to look at Isabel in surprise. Normally she would have been one of the first demanding to know it this was true or not. At that moment Michael, and Alex knew that it was true. That Isabel had in fact known more than she was telling.

Alex let it go at that, the image of Max and Liz together that popped into his head, was already more than he wanted deal with. Michael on the other hand shook his head side to side with a smirk on his face. *That lucky undeserving dog. And yet another reason to envy Maxwell Evans.*

Isabel continued talking oblivious to the fact that her speech only confirmed things for Michael and Alex. "It doesn't change the facts here, and at the moment that is that Max and Tess are sister and brother, not destined mates. And that Liz and Max are receiving visions of mine, Max, Tess, and Michael's in what appears to be a previous life on our home planet. I don't pretend to understand it, but it's happening."

"We shouldn't be asking questions about Max's and Liz's relationship, we should be asking questions about the visions. Questions like, how is it possible they are seeing us in a past life. What does that life have to do with us now? Who is sending these images and feels that accompany them. Why are Max and Liz being drawn to each other the way they are? And how do we find thee other orbs? I mean come on everyone, there are more important things for us to discuss here. Besides would you want everyone in this room knowing your private business. I know I wouldn't, so lay off."

Meanwhile, Maria had been watching Max and Liz closely. She thought something was up with Isabel, but she wasn't going to let it go there. She waited to know if this was true or not, and she wanted to hear it from Liz. *What Kyle said sure makes a lot of since. And how many times have we had to pull those two apart? If they met up last night there wouldn't have been anyone to stop them. Oh my . . . , I'll bet they did, but why didn't Liz say anything? Why did she tell me? Best friends are supposed to tell each other things like this. Then again this is Liz I'm talking about. She didn't even want to talk about the first time she kissed Max. I had to pry it out of her over Ben and Jerry's. I think its time for more Ice Cream.*

Max smiled at Isabel appreciatively. He was a bit surprised by her intervention, but definitely thankful. He didn't really care if they the others knew or not, as long as he didn't have to explain how it had happened, or go into details. Most of all he didn't want to have to justify their actions. He didn't want to risk someone asking further questions, bring the subject back to those very things, so he met Kyle's stare and quickly took up where Isabel left off. "What Liz and I do or don't do, is no ones' business but our own. So the subject is closed."

Kyle was still watching Max and Liz until Max had dismissed his question. He didn't really care if he got conformation or not. He was confident that he was right. *What has Max Evans got that I don't have? Here I couldn't even get past first base with her, and he comes along and manages to get all the way to home base. On top of that, Tess is so rapped up in him that she can't even allow herself to feel the connection between us.* He looked over at Tess and realized she hadn't moved or said a word for the longest time. *I have to find a way to get her to open up to me.*

Max looked straight at Tess, he wanted to get this meeting back on track. "Tess, I don't know what else I can say to you to help you understand, except for one thing. Those in this room right now, all of us were a part of the last vision. It will take all eight of us to preform the ceremony that was revealed to Liz and me. I think that covers about everything for now unless any of you have questions, and make it know that doesn't include personal information."

Michael was full of questions, but one was weighing heavily on his mind. "If you and Liz are supposed to be paired up, does that mean that the rest of us are? Were we sent here for the soul purpose of us being together?" Liz turns around in Max's arms filling confident that no one was going to ask any more personal questions.

Max knew the answer to the first question was yes, but to answer that directly was something that he and Liz felt Tess wouldn't have been ready to hear. "We chose our own mates and paths Michael. It's always the way it was meant to be for us. And no, I don't think that was the only reason we were sent here. I think that together we are supposed to do something. I don't know what, but I do know that we have to find the orbs in order to find out."

Alex has been listening very carefully though out this meeting, and for the first time he feels that he needs to add in his own thoughts. "My biggest question is way? I mean why are just you and Liz seeing these visions. Why not all of us? Or at least why not Maria and I."

Liz felt that she was probably the one most equipt to answer this question. "I only wish we knew the answer to that. It may have to do with Max and me being the first to truly give into our emotions, not just the physical ones, but the emotional ones as well. Or maybe it was because we saw into each others souls. You all remember how Max connected with me and saw things from inside me, and then he shared himself with me in the same way. I really don't know, but it kind of makes sense to me that they may have opened our minds to each other."

They all shrug thinking it's possible. "Unless there are any other questions I think it's time for us to call this meeting over. Let's all plain to meet here again tomorrow, we can answer further questions than."

"Oh, you know we'll be here, if we can wait that long."

"What are you talking about Alex?"

"The way you two have been acting all day, I'm sure new vision to tell us about." Alex says with a knowing smirk on his face.

Tess is lost in her own thoughts staring off at nothing in particular. No one noticed that she wasn't moving as they made their way to the door and out of the mine. They were all to caught up in their own thoughts. Kyle stopped short of the door, not seeing Tess in front of him, and turned to if she was coming. First he called her name, and then moved to her side when she didn't answer. "Tess are you alright?"

She was so lost in her thoughts, she hadn't noticed the others leaving, nor did the sound of Kyle's voice penetrate her thoughts. She continually ran over and over the things she had heard, trying to make since of it all. She slowly slumped to the floor, and pulled her knees to her chest rocking herself back and forth. She could feel the tears as they started to form in eyes. She was determined not to start crying. She gave in to her emotions last night, and she didn't want to do it again. She repeated what Nesado had told her over and over again in her mind, "Emotions are a human weakness. You have to learn to over come them."

Kyle knelt by her side, placing his hand gingerly on her shoulder. When she felt his hand she turned into his chest and the flood gates opened. She couldn't hold in the pain and the confusion any longer. He held her close trying to comfort her by rubbing her back slowly as he let her cry.

****

Max and Liz exchange a gentle kiss, both being careful not to let it deepen both being very aware of their audience. Max helped Liz into the Jeep and made his way to the drivers side. "We will see you guys later. Issy, can you tell mom that I've gone out with Liz, and will be home late."