Maria's eyebrows lifted in mock surprise. "I saw you talking to her the other night. So what did you say? What did she say? Come on, Maxilicious.spill!" She leaned across the table toward him, her face a parody of animated interest.

Max smiled slightly. He still couldn't get over the fact that he and Maria had become such close friends. She was goofy, she was quirky, and he sometimes had no idea what she was talking about, but she was also sweet and understanding, and Max realized at that moment just how much he had come to rely on Maria in the past few months. She had been his lifeline, his sounding board, during the interminable days of summer, when he would have otherwise felt totally isolated. She listened to him when it seemed he and Michael couldn't have a civil conversation anymore, and when Isabel had told him if she heard the name Liz one more time, she'd scream her freaking head off. When Alex had stubbornly refused to take sides, and Tess.

Well, Tess had continued to be interested in only one thing.

She should have been hatched a guy, he thought.

"Well?" Maria persisted.

"Well.I told her that I didn't care about my "destiny." I told her I wasn't going to get over her, that I wasn't interested in Tess, and that.that I was coming for her." With his head lowered, Max looked up at Maria through his ridiculously long lashes.

Maria had seen him do that so many times over the summer, she'd come to think of it as his "Patented Max Look." She grinned.

"You're blushing!" she teased.

"I am not. Aliens don't blush, I'm sure," Max replied, high flags of color streaking under his cheekbones.

"You'd better tell that to your face, then." Maria laughed openly, then leaned over to smack Max's arm. " 'I'm coming for you.' What a great line! I'm proud of you, babe!"

Max looked offended. "First of all, it wasn't a line. I meant it. I'm not giving up on her, and I wanted her to know that."

Maria smirked. "Oh right. Sorry. I didn't mean to question your motives. It seems I keep confusing you with others of the alien persuasion who don't exactly have your strange notions of nobility."

She glanced over at Michael, who was cleaning the grill as he closed the Crashdown kitchen for the night. She had tried several times to talk to him that evening, but once again, he'd rebuffed her coldly at each attempt. She knew he wasn't so indifferent as he liked to pretend, but it was scarce comfort. Not when she was trying so hard to recapture the closeness they'd once shared, while he seemed perfectly willing to throw it all away. She shook off her depressing thoughts.

"So what did she say?" Maria resumed the questioning.

Max leaned back in his seat. "At the time, she didn't really say anything. She just.looked at me."

"She said nothing at all?"

"No. She just looked at me." Max hesitated, then added slowly, "Have you noticed how much she's changed, Maria? She's.more mature somehow. Older. I don't know." He shook his head in confusion. "I mean, she even looks different. Don't you see it?"

"Max. She spent the whole summer in Florida, where it's, you know, sunny? Her hair's lighter, and she's tanned. So of course she looks different. *I* look different, too.not that anyone would notice. I could grow my hair to my knees and shrink my skirt to my ears, and I'd still be invisible."

Maria's eyes slid over toward Michael again, who glanced up, caught her looking at him, and pointedly looked away again.

Maria sighed, then continued. "But if you're talking about Liz's attitude towards you, or her behavior in general, well, sure. Of course. You all put her through a lot last year, you know. Especially you and your involvement with that little tramp Tess. You can't expect her to act as if nothing happened, Max."

He had the grace to look guilty. "You know that wasn't all my doing, Maria."

"She wasn't kissing herself, Max." Maria replied dryly.

"She was controlling my thoughts! I couldn't help myself!" Max replied, defensively.

"Hmm, now where have I heard that before?" she pretended to think. "Oh yeah. From every other guy on the planet."

"Maria, you know what I mean. I love Liz. I always have, I always will," Max said quietly.

Maria relented, smiling at him. "I know you do." She put her hand over his. "So.have you seen her since that?"

Max's face brightened. "Yeah, actually, I did. I saw her yesterday, and.I don't know, Maria.she actually seemed sort of happy to see me. I mean.maybe I'm wrong. But it seemed that way." He tilted his head slightly and gave her the Max Look again.

"I think she might be coming around," he continued, smiling sheepishly. "At least I hope so."

"Oh, I'm sure you're right, Max," Maria grinned back at him happily. "Hey, it's only a matter of time now. Don't worry - we are going to get the two of you back together where you belong. You'll see -- Destiny doesn't have a chance against us!"

Max smiled again, then Maria saw his eyes shift away from hers to focus on the door. She turned to look, but knew even before she did so that Liz had entered the Crashdown. She squeezed his hand encouragingly.

"Go get her, Tiger."

Max slid out of the booth into Liz's path.

"Hey, Liz," he greeted her, trying but utterly failing to appear nonchalant.

"Hey, Max," Liz answered, smiling shyly. They stood there wordlessly beaming at each other for several long moments.

Finally, Liz broke the awkward silence. "Um, Max. I've been wanting to talk to you, actually."

"Oh. Sure!" Max said eagerly, then waved a hand toward a booth on the opposite side from the one he had shared with Maria. He looked over at her. Not even bothering to hide her avid interest, Maria gave him a "thumbs-up" and smiled encouragingly.

After they were seated, Max waited for Liz to begin, watching her intently. Liz looked uncomfortable, as though she didn't know where to start.

"Um, Liz? Are you okay?" he asked, his brows meeting in a worried frown.

"No. I mean, yes, I'm fine," she quickly replied.

She took a deep breath, then began unsteadily. "Max. Okay. I've been thinking a lot about all we went through last year, how hurt I was by everything that went on with Tess and the whole Destiny thing."

Max opened his mouth to respond, but Liz held up her hand. "Please, Max. I just want to get this out, okay?" He nodded slowly.

"I tried to accept the fact that you and Tess were married in a former life, and that you were destined to be together. I walked away from you, thinking I was doing the right thing by sacrificing what I felt for you, what we meant to each other. But Max.it didn't work.it hasn't worked."

She stared earnestly into his eyes. "When I was in Florida, I tried to get on with my life. I went to the beach, I read books, I made new friends.but it didn't help. I wanted to stop thinking about you, I really did. But I just.couldn't, no matter how hard I tried. And I did try, Max.I kept on trying, even when I got back into Roswell. But then I saw you again.and that was it. When you touched me, I knew, without doubt, that I couldn't escape how I feel. I love you, Max. And what I feel now - what I *know* - is that you and I are meant to be together. Whatever went on before isn't important anymore. I truly believe that, no matter what happens, if we're together, we can do anything."

For a few moments, Max was numb with surprise. Then, suddenly, he experienced a rush of joy so profound he could hardly breathe. He couldn't speak past the lump in his throat, so he lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her palm, then rested his face there for a moment. Liz tilted her head and ran her other hand through his dark hair. Max whispered into her palm, "I love you, Liz. And I've missed you so much."

"I've missed you too, Max." Liz smiled gently, then murmured to him, "Do you want to go upstairs to my room so we can be alone? My parents are away in Santa Fe for the weekend."

Max lifted his head, and smiled back. "What do you think?"

>From across the Crashdown, Maria watched with undisguised glee. She didn't know what had gotten into her best friend, but whatever it was, it was about time.

"Go, Liz!" Maria yelled, ignoring the irritated look Michael shot at her from his post in the kitchen.

Liz smiled brightly at Maria, then grabbed Max's hand as they rose from the table. "Come on, Max. I have something I wanna show you," she said loudly, for Maria's benefit. Max grinned.

Liz pulled him across the kitchen, and through the doors to the backroom, headed toward the stairs leading to her family's apartment above the Crashdown.

Michael leaned across the kitchen counter, watching as Liz and Max practically sprinted up the steps to Liz's room. He raised a sardonic eyebrow at Maria.

"What the hell's up with that?"

Maria rolled her eyes, then got up from the table and slowly walked over to stand in front of him. The counter was the only thing separating them.that, and the expanse of a universe, she thought.

She glared at him. "You know, Michael, you're a jerk. You don't have the slightest clue how to treat a woman, and you certainly don't have any idea how to be a friend, either. Maybe instead of wondering "what the hell's up with that," you should do a little soul-searching so you can find out what the hell's up with yourself."

Without a backward glance, Maria stalked to the back door through which Liz and Max had passed just a moment before. She stormed through it, hitting it so hard with the heel of her hand that the door remained swinging for several seconds after she'd exited. Michael watched through the little window as she threw her alien headband and apron into the locker, grabbed her coat, and disappeared through the back door into the alley behind the Crashdown.

Michael smirked and shook his head. Man, she was a pain in the ass. How much clearer did he have to make it that they weren't going to be a couple anymore? He'd done everything he could to discourage her, but she never gave up. She kept coming back for more, pushing him, pushing him, till he had to say something she didn't like, and then she'd get all hurt and yell at him. But the next day, it would start all over again. Because Maria just couldn't get it through that blonde head of hers that they were over.

Man, she was annoying.

Completely infuriating.

And he wanted her so much it he could hardly stand it.

* * * * * * * * * *

Max tore his lips away from Liz's insatiable mouth, breathing heavily. His shirt was almost off his shoulders; Liz had torn the buttons trying to get to the bare skin of his chest. He was lying on his back on her bed, with Liz straddling his hips, rubbing against the length of him in a blatant, provocative movement. The hem of her skirt caught around her waist, revealing black silk panties. Leaning her hands on his chest, her eyes blazing into Max's half-lidded ones, she licked her lips seductively, watching Max's reaction.

He could hardly breathe. He had longed for this, dreamed of it for years, but had feared, especially in the last dark months, that it would never happen. He was faintly shocked at Liz's aggressive sexuality, but incredibly aroused by it as well. His hands roamed over her - around her back, down over her flanks, up over her breasts. In response, she thrust them against his hands.

In a move that stunned him, Liz rose up, and in one fluid motion, opened the snap on his jeans, tore his zipper down, and pushed the silk of his boxers out of the way. Taking him in hand, she impaled herself upon him.

Max gasped...it was too much. Unable to prevent it, he poured into her, over and over again, his eyes locked on hers, his mouth open. Liz ground down onto him as he finally finished, long moments later, groaning her name. He lay panting, eyes closed. Slowly, he opened them to look up at her.

Liz smiled at him, then laughed joyfully. Caught by surprise, he began laughing too.and the combined stimulation started it all over again. Without leaving her body, Max rolled them over so that he was now on top. Following ancient instincts, he began once again to move, thrusting into her, deeply, confidently, mindlessly.

*********

It wasn't hard at all to kill the human. In fact, it was almost painfully simple. A quick snap of the neck and there you had it. No challenge whatsoever. Humans were ridiculous, weak creatures, after all, with their multitudes of feelings and their inability to transform themselves.

The hard part was actually eating her. She didn't taste all that bad - the

flavor being somewhat like chicken - but the bones and hair at times made it all a bit disgusting . It had to be done, of course, not only to transform, but also to absorb the energy. That part was interesting - the thought processes, memories, and emotions which came rushing through during the digestive process - that was certainly amazing. Not altogether a pleasant experience, but then.one must do what one must do for the cause.

*********

Liz's eyes snapped open. She was lying on her back, the sheets tangled around her legs, totally nude. They had finally taken a break after having been at it for hours, nearly all night. Frankly, she could have gone on a lot longer, but poor Max was worn out. She looked over at him, lying peacefully asleep, his long dark lashes resting on his cheekbones.

She lifted one hand to rest protectively, gently, upon her abdomen.

And she smiled.

At last.

Her smile widened to a grin as she slowly peeled the skin off her soft tummy.