To tell the truth she couldn't help loving Max. It came as naturally as breathing. To stop would be impossible. It like when you move house and for a while you head to the side of the house the kitchen was in at your old house. It usually takes about 2 weeks for you to get used to the fact the kitchen has moved. Except accepting the fact Max was not there with her anymore was incurable.

'This is for the good of 2 worlds. Less people will get hurt this way'. Except that it was killing her. She'd seen the changes since the morning after she left Max at the Granolith chamber. Her face had grown fatigued and had taken on a grayish tint. She felt shaky and weak constantly and could literally feel her lungs disintegrating with every breath.

As sleep came closer images of Max began to charge through her mind as they had done every night since she left him. Desperately trying to fight them back she sank into an exhausted sleep.

Max Evans lay awake. Thoughts churned through his mind and it was hard to push them out. His brain was on overload. One question kept rearing its ugly head as if determined for him to give 100% of his attention to it. 'Why did Liz leave me?' Dumb question really. He already knew the answer it just didn't make sense. 'She think if I stay with her people will die. Doesn't she realize I'm stronger with her?' He'd tried to explain it to her numerous times but her stubborn nature prevented her from talking rationally.

Suddenly panic swept over him. What if he could never be with her ever again? He'd rather die than have that happen. 'I can't let her get away' In his current state it seemed a good idea to go and explain this to Liz right now. I didn't occur to him it was 2am.

At 2:10am Liz was awoken to the sound of someone tapping her window. Sleepily she went to the window prepared to see Maria crying over Michael. She opened the curtains he and her eyes grew big as she saw Max standing there looking very determined. Her heart began to beat 100 times as quickly as she was sure healthy persons should.

She stood in shock debating whether to let him in or not. His pleading eye's begged her too so she gave in once again mesmerized by the depth of them, the soul she could she beyond them. She opened the window then backed up slowly as he came in.

"Max....... why are you here?" She finished defeated. So many things to say but so many consequences for saying them. "Liz I came to talk....about us." "Max.." She interrupted in frustration. Why did he keep doing this to her. Couldn't he except that her mind was made up no matter how much she wanted it not to be. "No Liz. I want you to forget everything you think you know and think rationally."

Liz's eyebrows furrowed as if thinking rationally was an entirely new concept to her. "But Max it was your mother. Don't you care what she thinks?" Sounding to Liz like he was changing the subject he said: " Liz do you remember that book we read in class where the adopted girl accidentally finds her birth mother. What did you think when the birth mother wanted the girl to call her 'Mom'?" Maybe he is used an example she would forget her thought and think clearly.

"I thought it was really wrong of that woman to make the girl call her mom. After all who had looked after her for 15 years?" Liz was so busy thinking about the book she gasped when she realized that Max had tricked her.

"See Liz. My mother is not some hologram from another lifetime. She's Diane Evans who taught me how to ride a bike and went to every PTA meeting when she could have been at home and.." "But Max thins is a totally different situation from the girl in the book. She didn't have an entire planet waiting for her to get married to her husband from a past life. She didn't have." She was breathless and overwhelmed by having Max standing 2 feet away from her.

"Do you know something else she didn't have?" Max's tone was irritable. He was swiftly running out of things to say that might convince Liz they were meant to be together. "What Max? What didn't she have?" She closed her eyes exasperated but opened them at his next words which were far softer than before, "She didn't have someone she loved more than life itself. Someone she could tell anything to. Someone who she needed just to breathe. Someone who she was desperately, completely and hopelessly in love with." Hi last words seemed almost defeated. If this didn't work he didn't know what else he could do. All he knew is he was going to try for the rest of his life if need be. He closed his eye in preparation for whatever she had in retaliation. When nothing came he ventured a look and found himself looking right into Liz's beautiful tear filled eyes.

"You love me?" She sobbed out. "With all my heart, mind and soul." He stepped forward and gently pulled her into his embrace. She buried her tear soaked face in his neck and continued to sob.

"Shh.Shhh.," His whispered. Although he hated to see her crying he couldn't help but wish this moment would last forever. Just him and her in each others arms. "Max?" She raised her head and her eyes met his. "What is it?" Uh oh here it comes he thought preparing himself for the inevitable. "I love you too. I was just scared. I didn't want to destroy people's lives because I was selfish." She smiled in apology. "Do you forgive me?" "I have nothing to forgive you for" He spoke softly as he drew his lips closer to hers in a soft kiss. A kiss that made Liz feel as if she were floating. She began to sink to the ground as Max swept her up in one fluid motion. He kissed her softly then took her over to her bed where they both lay down. She began to shiver and he drew the covers over themselves. He wrapped his arms around her.