He peaked in through the back door, and watched as Liz quietly talked to Maria…she was upset…he could see that from where he stood. He needed to ease her, to help her understand.

He had to do it.

“Liz, what’s wrong?” Maria asked cautiously, as she watched her best friend slam things around in anger.

“Nothing, why?” Liz asked shutting the refrigerator door loudly.

“Well…you just seem upset about something.”

“I’m not upset.” Liz responded quickly as she viciously wiped down the counter.

“Did Max do something?”

“No Maria…Max didn’t do anything.” Liz cried angrily, throwing her rag into the sink.

“And that’s the problem.” Maria stated matter of factly.

“He doesn’t trust me, Maria. He’s got some big secret, and he refuses to talk to me about it. He just shuts down whenever it comes up. I don’t keep any secrets from him. Why can’t he be that open with me?”

“I don’t know, Liz. Maybe you should ask him.”

“What?”

“Well, he’s coming this way.”

Liz turned to see Max making his way towards her, a determined look on his face.

“I’ll talk to you later, Maria.” Liz turned back to see Maria already halfway across the room with a coffee pot.

“Can I talk to you for a sec?” Max asked as he approached her.

“Talk away.” She replied shortly, trying desperately not to get lost in his incredible penetrating gaze.

“I’m sorry for the way I acted back there. I do trust you, Liz, more than anyone else in my life. Please don’t ever think that I don’t. This secret…it’s just really hard. But…” Max took a deep breath. “I think I’m ready to talk to you about it.”

Liz looked up to meet his gaze.

“Really?”

“Yeah…can I come over tonight when you get off? We can talk then…”

Liz’s response was lost in the chaos that followed.

There was angry shouting…Max couldn’t even make out what it was about, and then a gunshot rang out across the Crashdown Café.

Liz fell forward against Max, and when he wrapped his arms around her to support her, that was when he felt the blood.

There was no time for hesitation. They were connected almost instantaneously. It was easy because they were already so close to each other. Max placed his hand flat over the wound in her back, and then he concentrated on her…on Liz…the one true love of his life. He had to heal her…he couldn’t let her die. He needed her too much.

When the healing was complete, Max pulled Liz tightly into his arms, and whispered comfortingly in her ear.

“You’re okay now. Everything’s going to be okay. I love you.”

A tear slipped down Liz’s cheek, and her mind raced a mile a minute, while she tried to comprehend what had just happened to her. ‘I got shot…I would have died…I was dying…Max saved me…Max saved my life…Max healed me…Max loves me…Max…Max….’

Max gently rubbed her back, as Liz clung to him for dear life. As he rubbed back and forth, his fingers slid right over the bullet hole in her dress…

Bullet hole…

Max’s mind snapped to life. The police would be looking for evidence of a gunshot…that means a bullet hole. They couldn’t find the real bullet hole.

He turned Liz around, so that her back hid his hand from the people talking wildly about the events in the café, and held his hand over the hole. It glowed softly, and the bullet damage in the dress repaired itself. Now, no one except Liz would know what had happened to her.

Max squeezed her tightly once more, to convince himself again that she was okay. He sighed in relief as he felt her quivering under him. She was alive…he could protect her. Max pressed a kiss on the top of her head gently.