Max: (watching her face) "I love you, Liz."

Liz: (eyes meeting his in a penetrating stare) "I love you, too."

Max: "What's wrong?"

Liz: (small sigh) "It doesn't seem like enough to just say the words."

Max: (grinning) "You didn't *just* say the words."

Liz: (rolling her eyes and smiling) "You know what I mean."

Max: (a little more serious now) "Yes, I do, and you're right. Words aren't enough." (completely distracted by her mouth . . .)

Kissing her now, Max relaxed and felt the first moments of peace, since the whole nightmare had begun, envelope his soul in a warm embrace. Liz could sense the change in him immediately and kissed him back, enjoying these moments with him all the more for knowing how fragile they were.

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Max knew he should move, but couldn't bring himself to actually do it. His wife. She had been his wife now for 18 years. How *could* she still affect him this way? He couldn't help it, though. She did. Every time she was anywhere nearby and sometimes when she wasn't. He couldn't get enough of her . . .

Liz shifted a little and wondered how it could still feel so exciting just to have her legs tangled up with his . . .

Max: (expression darkening as reality intruded) "Before I forget, Joel likes scrambled eggs . . . with Tabasco sauce."

Liz silently processed the information with a considering expression.

Liz: (warily) "Coincidence?"

Max: "Seems unlikely."

Liz: "What else could it be?"

Max: "I'm not sure. He said his family uses it all the time."

Liz: (frown deepening in worry) "That does put a different slant on things, but still . . . "

Max: (hating to see her worried anymore than she already had been) "I'm sure it's nothing. He was completely nonchalant about mentioning it, so it's not like he was hiding anything."

Liz: "That still doesn't explain it. (musing) He couldn't possibly be an . . . "

Max: (finishing her thought) "alien?"

Liz: (eyes meeting his again) "Yeah. He would have to know if he were, and he clearly has no idea."

Max: "I'm wondering if one of his parents is and has just never said anything. That would explain a lot."

Liz: "His ready acceptance?"

Max: "Yeah. He might not know, but it's there somewhere inside of him, so . . ."

Liz: "What do we do?"

Max: (rubbing his eyes with one hand, while holding his weight off her with the other) "Wait."

Liz felt her heart aching for how weary he seemed to be.

Liz: "Why don't you get some rest? It's been a long day . . . and night."

Max: (kissing her one more time and rolling onto his back, taking her with him as he turned) "You're right. It has. Goodnight, Liz."

Liz put her head down on her husband's chest with her ear over his heart and fell asleep moments after he did. They had slept this way for most of their married life . . .

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The bedroom was dark and quiet, but something strange was happening in the deceivingly peaceful interior. Isaac resisted the initial intrusion into his sleepy mind. However, resisting and succeeding were two different things entirely. In the end, the sense of alarm was much too much to shut out. Although the sensation was a new one, it only took a minute for him to realize that the only possible source was Michelle. He could feel her panic setting up a ripple affect across his nerves. Sitting up in bed, he swung his feet to the floor and was through the connecting bathroom in the blink of an eye. Sitting on the edge of the bed where Michelle was supposed to be sleeping, he gathered her up into his arms and held her tightly as she struggled against some unseen force that existed only in her mind.

Michelle felt Isaac's presence in the instant that he touched her, and the anxiety began to ebb immediately. Fighting her way to consciousness through the web of the dream proved to be a very difficult task. Turning this way and that, she wound her way up and out of the fog that sought to keep her captive.

As the struggle came to a close she opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was Isaac's worried face staring into hers. As tears threatened to spill over, he hugged her closer and buried his face in her hair, releasing the fear that had been building steadily since he had awakened.

Isaac: (voice strained with worry) "Are you okay?"

Michelle: "I'm so scared, Isaac."

Isaac: "I know." (stroking his hand up and down her back in a comforting rhythm)

Michelle: (confused) "I couldn't scream, or even call out for help." . . . (searching his eyes) "How did you know I needed you?"

Isaac: (accepting) "I felt it."

Michelle went completely still and then sat quietly waiting for him to explain further.

Isaac: "I'm not sure I can explain it. I was sleeping, but I could feel something was wrong, and then I knew it was you, and I was wide awake and in here before I even thought about it."

Michelle (shocked): "Wow."

Isaac smiled at the sentiment and brushed his lips lightly across hers before remembering that there was something he wanted to ask her.

Isaac: "What happened? Did you have a nightmare?"

Michelle: "I'd like to say yes, but I've never had one before tonight, so I don't know."

Isaac: (intently focused) "Never?"

Michelle nodded her head in the negative, and Isaac thought it over for a moment before deciding that he definitely couldn't leave her alone again tonight. He couldn't leave Olivia alone, either. Getting up quietly from the bed, he held Michelle's hand and pulled her up beside him. Without saying a word he led her through the bathroom and into his room. As he neared the bed, he stopped. Dropping Michelle's hand briefly, he knelt beside Joel and gently shook him awake.

Joel: (peering grumpily out of very tired eyes) "Isaac?"

Isaac: "I need you to go in Liv's room and keep an eye on her."

Joel resisted the urge to ask questions, although he had serious misgivings about this situation. Any other place, he would've been delighted to be alone with Olivia. But not here. Grabbing the sleeping bag, he tucked it under his arm and made his way out of the room, leaving Michelle and Isaac alone.

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Isaac turned to Michelle as soon as Joel was out of sight, and picked up her hand again leading her toward the bed. Without taking his eyes off of her face, he pulled her along gently until the bed halted his progress. Picking her up and setting her down on the mattress, he climbed into the bed beside her and pulled the covers over both of them. Lying down, he and Michelle scooted closer together, settling in as if they had been doing it for a hundred years instead of the first time. Ignoring the stunned expression on her face, Isaac kissed her gently. He had no explanation to offer her. He had no choice. What else was he supposed to do? Take the chance of her having more nightmares and not being there to help her?

Michelle: "Isaac?"

Isaac: "Yeah."

Michelle: "What's going to happen now?"

Isaac: "What do you mean?"

Michelle: "I mean with us."

Isaac didn't say anything. Instead, he waited for her to continue . . .

Michelle: "It's just that, after tonight, it all feels . . . so . . . easily broken." (taking a deep breath) "I'm sorry. I know I'm not making any sense."

Isaac: "Don't be sorry. It does make sense. We'll be graduating in a couple of months. I'm not sure what we'll do then, except for one thing."

Michelle: "What's that?"

Isaac: "We'll be together."

Michelle watched Isaac's eyes and knew in her heart that what he said was true.

Michelle: (grimacing) "I can't believe I'm even thinking about things like this tonight. We may not even make it to graduation . . . "

Isaac: (impassioned) "Don't say that! We will make it. I promise."

Michelle: (closing her eyes and touching his face with overwhelming tenderness) "I love you, Isaac."

Isaac: "I love you, too. Don't ever think I'll let anything happen to you, . . . to us."

Reassured, Michelle smiled and rubbed her cheek along the side of his face. So, this was what it felt like to cuddle, or snuggle, or whatever it was called. It was very nice.

As he held her, she began to relax, and soon her breathing evened out into sleep. However, Isaac remained awake and alert. To what, he didn't know. Maybe just the sound of parental footsteps in the hall, but deep down, he knew it was more than that . . .