His mind was racing. "Liz, love if you’re sick or… or something, please tell me now and I’ll stay here with you."

"No. No, I’m not sick," she said in a small voice. "And you have to go, it’s important."

"Cause if you’re sick, we should rather be here on earth with human doctors for you. What if they don’t know anything about human physiology on Dendar?"

All her resolve not to tell him came roaring back at his last statement. He would panic about them not being able to look after her up there and now it seemed he wouldn’t only not let her go, he would stay behind himself. She couldn’t allow that. "Max, I’m not sick, I promise. Besides, you studied medicine, you could help me well enough." She tried to get the courage to leave his embrace. "And we have to go, those people need you."

He didn’t want to let her out of his arms. Lifting her chin with his fingers, he pleaded with her again: "Let me in, Liz. Please..."

She squeezed her eyes shut and drew in a tortured breath. How much more of this could she take? "I will, just not right now. Please understand." She had to keep him from finding out before they left at all costs. This was Max. Overprotective, slightly obsessive with her Max Evans. While he normally was a rational, thinking person, all that flew out the window when it came to her. He WOULD make her stay here, but she now realized that that wasn’t the only thing she had to worry about. He would also stay WITH her and never let her out of his sight, because he was still worrying about the effects of his alienness on their relationship and on her. She could just imagine how paranoid he was going to be about her situation and what will happen to her as a result of it. "I love you, Max. Always. Please, you have to go to Dendar and take me with you."

The hurt in his chest had subsided somewhat after her pleas to go with him and his realization that whatever was happening was not due to doubt about him. He sighed and hugged her harder before letting her go. "Maybe we should get a move on then?"

~*~*~*~*~*~

Nick watched as Grace fed their baby. He was completely baffled as to why Liz had called him on Thursday to specifically ask that Grace go with them to Dendar. He had asked her, but all she would say is to just do it for her. Grace had been surprised to say the least. Why would their Queen want her along? Now he was even more glad that he changed the travel arrangements, the group was getting bigger by the minute.

Glancing at his watch, he noticed that the first four would be arriving soon if they had left Albuquerque when they planned to. He’d better go check how dinner was getting along. Everyone was bound to be hungry when they got here.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Michael, I don’t mean to upset you since you can probably squash me with one hand and all, but are you SURE this is where we are supposed to meet our guide?" Alex was peering into the darkness around them nervously.

"Yes. I’m sure," Michael said irritably. If one more person says anything…

"It would just be really ironic if we missed our ride into space, you know." Michael turned around from the front seat to glare at Alex, who wasn’t fazed by it at all. "It would be like, sorry, we would’ve loved to help you sort out your intergalactic problems, but we got lost in the woods on earth."

"Alex!" Isabel hissed. Things in the car had gotten tense a few hours back while they were still on the road and Alex’s jokes wasn’t helping any.

A light suddenly glowed a little way in front of the car and they all sighed in relief.

"So, what’s the magic password?"

"ALEX!" the other three cried in unison.

~*~*~*~*~*~

When they arrived in the make-shift camp, Sheriff Valenti and their parents were there already. The Parker’s stood to the side, observing the reunion between Isabel and Maria and their parents. Jim Valenti and Amy got married a couple of years ago and she had finally been let into the secret of the spikey-haired boy that loved her daughter.

Nancy was clinging to Jeff’s hand, trying to cope with yet another huge unexpected development in her daughter’s life. She knew that Liz and Max would be arriving much later and she was scared that she wouldn’t have enough time to properly say good-bye to Liz. Heck, what was she thinking? A week wouldn’t be long enough to say good-bye.

A few tables were set in the middle of the tents and everyone gathered around them for dinner. Talk was subdued as everyone was aware of the imminent departure of a large part of the group.

The men that were accompanying them went to bed early, conscious of the important task they would have to perform from now on, while Nick went to man the communicator, waiting for the signal that their ride has arrived. He didn’t think it would be here before Saturday night, but still.

The four friends remained around the table with their parents, drinking coffee and waiting for the two most important guests to arrive. The six of them were all sharing one big tent tonight and Nick apologized profusely when he told them that it had been easier to organize a few large tents than around 15 small ones. Michael was about to grumble about it when Maria had hit him in the arm with a threatening look.

So far, so good.

~*~*~*~*~*~

She had driven the first half of the route to Roswell, but now Liz was sleeping in the passenger seat, leaning against the window. Max had stared at her intermittently while driving, marveling again at the inner glow that she seemed to have. The moonlight shone on her pale skin and he felt an incredible need to just kiss her again.

What was going on in her beautiful head? And why would she still not want him to know? Her words clearly told him that she loved him as much as ever and that there was no way she would allow him to leave her here on earth, but her actions were saying something else. She had avoided physical contact from him for a while now and that made him worry. Had he done anything to make her scared of him? He couldn’t remember being rough with her the last time they made love. In fact, that Thursday afternoon had been one of their most beautiful moments together, he had never felt closer to her and that said a lot.

He cursed his baser instincts silently. All this enforced abstinence was beginning to play havoc with his body. He craved Liz. He craved her kisses and touch. He wanted to lose himself again in that blissful oblivion only she could give him. What kind of a person did that make him? They have been together for so long, surely he should be able to keep his hands off her for a while if she needed him to? He glanced at her again. Her lips were slightly parted and looked so inviting. Maybe just one kiss…

Liz was jerked awake when the Jeep came to a halt next to the highway and she looked at Max in sleepy confusion. "Is something wrong? Are you tired? Should I—"

Her next words were lost against Max’s lips as he cupped her face and tilted it up for his kiss. Liz was caught completely unaware by his move and she went under without a second thought. It had been too long to go without the magic of Max’s kisses…

He kissed the corners of her mouth before running his tongue over her bottom lip. Her small gasp went unheard but was definitely felt against his moist lips. "Liz," he breathed against her, not willing to break the contact to form the word.

The kiss deepened, became more urgent as Liz wrapped her arms around his neck, her hands finding the soft hair at the base of his skull. Max made a helpless sound against her lips as she opened her mouth for him instinctively. Kissing him was like breathing. And she hadn’t done enough of that lately.

Max was pulling her onto his lap when the flashes hit her. Max watching her being distant these last few days, seeing her being hugged by her colleague, feeling his distress, loneliness and fear when he thought she was having second thoughts about going with him to Dendar. She suddenly knew she had to stop this kiss, before he saw too much. Pulling away from him gently, she trembled at the distressed sound he made. She pressed her forehead against his. "We have to go, Max." They were both breathing hard, reminding Liz a little of how he sounded when he made love with her. She searched his eyes frantically, trying to see if there was any sign of him having seen what she was so desperately trying to hide. Nothing. Just his warm gaze regarding her hungrily. "We have to go," she repeated.

"Yeah," he replied in a husky voice.

Liz breathed a silent prayer of thanks for her narrow escape. Her secret was apparently still safe.

Max pulled the Jeep back onto the road, still trying to calm down his overheated body. He smiled slightly when Liz arranged herself across the seat so she could lie with her head on his thigh. The move brought back such memories that he had to swallow down the lump in his throat. He stroked her hair tenderly like he always did and for a moment, he fooled himself into thinking that everything was the same as it always was.

But it wasn’t. Liz had pulled away from him once again. And the only flashes he got while kissing her, was from earlier this morning and how sad she had been. He really didn’t want to relive her inconsolable crying. He had also felt her desperate fear that he would leave her behind. Why would she even think that? There was no way he was going far away from her ever again. He looked down at her face and noticed the circles under her eyes. Unless she was sick, then he would have to reconsider everything.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

They finally arrived at the camp at around eleven at night. Everyone swarmed around them in excitement. Max allowed Liz some time alone with her parents, but he could see she was exhausted, so he dragged her off to bed with a firm statement that everyone could talk to everyone else tomorrow morning.

Six cots adorned the tent and Max grimaced when he realized that he would be sleeping without Liz glued to his side for the first time in many years. He bullied her into bed and kissed her forehead, forcefully having to ignore the sad look in her eyes when he got up to leave. She wanted space and time and he would give it to her. Or die trying.

Outside, only Michael was still sitting at one of the tables. "What’s up with you and the princess?"

By now, Max knew Michael cared a lot about Liz, so he didn’t take offence to the "princess" reference. "She’s very tired. We had a rough week." That was the understatement of the year. Shoving his hands into his pockets, he looked up at the stars and continued to try and ignore the niggling little thought that had been terrorizing him ever since he kissed Liz earlier.