He'd never been seriously sick before, but he'd had enough stress in his young life to have the occasional headache - but nothing like this one. He had an awful taste in his mouth, too - way worse than just regular 'morning mouth.'

He opened just one eye this time - and his headache was quickly superseded by terror... Where was he? This wasn't his room... He shut his eye again, tried to think.

What was the last thing he remembered? He strained his aching head for the memory... Liz - with some tall, chiseled, preppy guy, whose hair wasn't even dark. The guy was bending Liz backwards and kissing her, right in front of him, right in front of the whole town... Pain. Anger. Walking away.

Then Kyle (Kyle?!) handing him a little silver flask... knowing he shouldn't... doing it anyway... Lifting the little neck of the flask to his lips, then... Nothing.

He thought of all those 'I was so drunk last night' jokes he'd heard. How did they go?

You wake up and don't know where you are... with a tattoo you don't remember getting, married to some really ugly girl (or guy?)...

His eyes flew open (he was sorry again). He glanced at his right arm, lying on top of the covers (where was his shirt?) and saw, to his horror, on his right biceps, written in ornate letters inside a stylized heart, the word 'Liz.' Oh, geez... he got a tattoo?

He closed his eyes. He opened them again and saw something that made him forget the tattoo. He just realized he wasn't alone in the bed. He saw the top of a dark head of hair, burrowed under the covers, nestled against him. His left arm was wrapped around the figure protectively, even in sleep. He held up his left hand... afraid to look...

Oh, no! Where did he get that silvery ring? His heart froze. He recognized the alien symbols all around the outside of the band. It was a great ring... but nothing he'd ever seen before in his life.

His heart lurched in his chest. Had Nacero come back while he was drunk? Hubble said he was a shapeshifter. Had Nacero come for him when he was drunk in the shape of some... oh, gawd, cheap hooker or something... and Max had married him? (Her?) Had he just married his own father? So - Nacero WAS evil! For some reason, all he could think of with his aching brain was Darth Vader saying 'I am your father, Luke.' And what was that smell? He needed a shower - wait - he knew that smell. Sex. Oh, god...

His whole body began to tremble. Max Evans had never been sick in his life, but he'd seen enough movies and been around enough teenage guys to be familiar with the concept - 'I'm gonna hurl!'

He carefully moved his arm away from the sleeping figure beside him, and slid unsteadily to his feet. He was rewarded by the triple realization that standing up made his headache much, much worse, that he was in a motel room he'd never seen before, and that he was completely naked! This just got better and better, didn't it? His stomach lurched and he ran for the bathroom. What had he done?

* * *

Liz Parker woke and stretched luxuriously. She caught sight of the beautiful ring on her left hand... and remembered everything. She smiled. She had never felt happier. She felt for Max beside her, but he was gone. Then she heard the awful sound of retching, coming from the bathroom. Oh, no... She had to help him.

She remembered her dad, holding back her long dark hair out of the way when she threw up when she got sick in the middle of the night, when she was little. Her mom was a sound sleeper and didn't like to be awakened. And if you did wake her up, she was so cranky you were sorry. And besides, she had a weak stomach and she always said she'd be no help, if somebody were throwing up, because she'd be throwing up right along with them.

Liz grabbed her half-slip and put it back on, pulling the waistband above her breasts like a tiny dress. Naked on your wedding night was one thing. Naked while somebody threw up next morning was another.

She realized Max didn't need her to hold back his short dark hair, so she ran cold water onto a wash cloth instead. He was a miserable figure, huddled on his knees in front of the toilet, a towel wrapped and tucked around his waist.

He turned and looked up when she came in. He looked terrible. He was crying... his nose was running, his color was awful... and he looked terrified.

"Max," she said softly, and bent to wipe his face gently with the washcloth... remembering with a hot stab in her stomach cleaning him up with the other washcloth - afterwards - on their wedding night. 'What a difference a day makes,' she thought. Welcome back to reality!

Max got up and hugged her desperately. He was shaking all over. "Liz! Oh, thank God it's you... I thought..." He held her out at arm's length and narrowed his eyes, studying her. "It IS - really you, isn't it?" How better for Nacero to trap him than to change into the girl he loved.

"Yes, it's me - Liz Parker, remember. Well, I guess it's Liz Evans now - we never really decided the name thing." She held out her left hand and showed him the ring. It was just like the one he was wearing, only smaller.

"Where did you get that!" he asked.

"You made them for us last night, Max - you used your powers." Suddenly Liz grew pale. "You don't remember?"

Max shook his head. No.

"Do you remember - anything?"

Max concentrated. Tears came to his eyes again. "You were on a date... with some other guy. You looked so beautiful... but you were with him. And he was parading you around in front of the whole town..." He balled his hands into fists at his sides, the muscles of his jaw clenched.

"And then..."

"I don't know... He kissed you. I was upset - Kyle... Kyle was upset, too. He was drunk... Kyle gave me something to drink..."

"And...?" Liz prompted.

"And I woke up here... married to you... with the worst headache of my life... and a tattoo I don't remember getting." He looked so lost and scared.

Her heart sank. "It's not a real tattoo," she said gently. "You drew it, last night... with your powers. We were - fooling around. You made me one, too, remember?" She turned her back to him and hiked up the edge of her slip. On the right cheek of her ass, there was another identical heart that said 'Max.'

"Oh, gawd.. I did that?" He shut his eyes and swayed unsteadily on his feet. He drew a tattoo on Liz Parker's ass, and he couldn't remember? "I'm sorry, Liz."

"Come on, Max... You'd better sit down." She steered him back into the bedroom. "You told me you could take them off again - the tattoos, I mean. You can taken them off?"

Max shrugged. "If I put them on there - sure. In fact, I could probably take off a real tattoo." Why was she worrying about such minor details?

Liz thought about their conversation last night - ways Max could support them. Add 'laser dermatology' to the list, she thought, a list that already included jeweler, magician, and counterfeiter. He wouldn't even need to pay for a laser. She giggled to herself, and sat him down on the edge of the bed.

"Liz! This isn't funny!" He hid his face in both hands. He suddenly looked up at her.

"Did I... did we.. we didn't.." He couldn't even say it. He looked at her face - at the new maturity and knowledge in her eyes - and he knew. They had made love... and he didn't even remember it! He groaned.

She sat down beside him, realizing the enormity of it. Max didn't remember anything.

A tear ran down her face.

"Liz, I'm sorry." He reached to wipe the tear away with his finger. For some reason, he brought it to his mouth and tasted it. Salty. Sad.

"I just can't believe you don't remember one moment of the most beautiful night of my entire life. It's not fair, Max. It's like... a really cruel joke."

"Worse than the one abut the guy who was an alien - and who fell in love with the prettiest, smartest girl in town... And he knew he could never have her.. that they could never be together?"

They looked at each other. "I guess we have to go home," she said softly. "I was going to call my folks in the morning, anyway. It's a long drive."

"Where are we, Liz? We're not even in Roswell?"

She shook her head. "We ran away.. to Nevada... in Kyle's car."

"Oh, no, I stole a car, too! Tell me we didn't knock over a bank last night!" he groaned.

"Oh, Max... I can't believe you can't remember."

He took her hand. The old Max.. shy.. afraid. But he still loved her. "Tell me about it, Liz. Tell me... everything. How can I miss the best day of your life?"

Liz smiled at him, at his courage. As scared and confused and as awful as Max felt, he cared more about her and her needs than about himself. "Well, you'd better get comfortable. It's a long story."

"Just let me.. uh.. I think I'd be more comfortable getting dressed," he said.

"Oh, right... I need to.. use the bathroom anyway."

When she came out, back in her blue dress again, Max was dressed, lying on top of the covers, on 'his' side of the bed. A pillow was propped behind his head, his back leaning against the headboard, legs straight out in front of him, like a little boy. "OK, I'm ready," he said.

Liz stood beside the bed, not sure what she should do. The room didn't have a lot of furniture.

Max patted the mattress beside him. "You said it's a long story. You might as well get comfortable, too." His face was so gentle.

She climbed onto the bed, arranged her pillows like his, and curled up next to him, turned toward him, but not touching.

Max laced his hands carefully behind his throbbing head. So, this was a hangover, he thought. He silently vowed NEVER to drink again.

* * *

"... and then I woke up.. and you were gone. Well, in the bathroom, throwing up," she concluded.

Sometime during the retelling, Max had unlaced his hands from behind his head and held Liz's hand. "I did... all that?" he said weakly, totally overcome with the shame and horror that only truly shy people can feel.

"Uh-huh. And I don't even begin to know what you did with Kyle, while you two were drunk - before I found you in my room. I can't believe Kyle was rummaging through my underwear drawer! And I could kill him for getting you drunk! Well, I'm glad he did, as things turned out but... It could've killed you, Max."

"Sounds like my drunk driving could've killed you, Liz. I'm sorry.."

Liz touched a finger to his lips. "You keep saying that, Max. Are you really sorry? Because I'm not." She looked at him steadily.

He shook his head. "I guess what I'm sorry abut is that I can't remember. And, you can't blame Kyle. He actually did it out of some kind of twisted sense of friendship. He loves you too, Liz. Well, maybe not the way I do..." He captured the hand that had silenced his endless apologies, brought it up to his lips, and kissed it.

"Yeh, his is more the gross, teenage boy, pawing through your underwear drawer kind of love," she agreed. She was glad Max wasn't totally sorry about last night. "We'd better make those phone calls," she said.

Max shut his eyes for a moment and swallowed. "Our folks are going to go ballistic," he said. "Valenti, will probably arrest me! Car theft... taking a minor across state lines.."

"Well, since we're both minors, I don't think that's a crime. And you told me Kyle gave you the keys, because he was drunk. You did him a favor."

"If you can call car theft a favor," Max said darkly.

"It'll be all right, Max. It's just going to be... hard. But, we'll make it work."

He looked at the strength and optimism in her face and it gave him courage. You weren't beaten unless you let yourself be beaten. Although he had to admit, his head did feel like he had taken quite a beating already.

"We'd better make those calls. Our families must be going nuts," Max said. "I can't believe I would do something to worry them like this.."

"Remember? No more 'I'm sorry'?" Liz reminded him.

"You're right, I'm sor.." he stopped himself and gave a little smile.

"It's going to be awfully expensive, calling long distance and all, from a motel... Maybe we should get a bunch of change and find a pay phone," Liz fretted, thinking about Max's dwindling supply of cash in his wallet. She'd gone on her dream date with a tiny purse that carried almost nothing.

Max pulled out his wallet and fished out a card with a flourish almost worthy of Sigfried or Roy - a prepaid phone card. "You know the Boy Scout motto," he said, with a shy smile.

"Max! You think of everything! But you were never a Boy Scout."

"We have the same motto: Be prepared." We. As in 'aliens living under cover, in constant fear of discovery.'

She smiled. "Who should we call first?"

"I guess we should do the easiest first and work our way up to the hardest."

"Then save my dad for last," Liz said, her eyes wide and solemn.

"He's gonna kill me..." Max groaned, realizing how Liz's father would feel about what he, Max Evans, had just gone off and done with his 16-year-old daughter, his only child.

"No, he won't," she said, "because I won't let him."

He looked at Liz's face and believed her. Max drew a shaky breath. "OK, I'll go first. Have to call information for Kyle..."

Liz recited Kyle's phone number from memory. Max gave her a jealous look.

"What?" Liz said, "We dated, okay? I have a good memory for numbers.."

"OK, then, here goes." He dialed all the various numbers and codes and waited. "Hey, Kyle, it's Max... Max Evans. I've got your car keys.. Well, I actually have your car too. I kind of needed to borrow it last night.. But, don't worry, Kyle. Your car is fine... it's great. And I'll be dropping it off at your place.. um.. sometime later today. I just wanted to let you know everything was okay. I'll bring it back with the tank filled up. Okay? Bye."

Liz narrowed her eyes suspiciously, "That was too easy."

"Answering machine," he said and shrugged. "He's probably still sleeping off his hangover."

"Who next? Maria! I know she's totally freaking."

"If you call her first, Liz, she'll use up the whole phone card yakking."

"Good point."

"I'll call my folks next. Isabel must be going crazy." His face looked scared.

Liz sat down next to him and took his hand. This was harder than she thought.

He dialed again. Liz noticed the hand he was dialing with was trembling. She gave the hand she held a squeeze.

"Hello? Isabel!.. Yeh, it's me. No.. I'm fine.. Don't cry, Isabel... Liz is fine, too. We're both okay.... We'll be home soon... today. Tell Mom and Dad not to worry... and tell Michael... oh, he is? Michael! What are you doing there? Oh yeh... Thanks for being there with her..." Max's voice became lower, confidential, "I was drunk, man... don't ever drink, Michael, not even a sip. Our metabolisms can't handle it... Tell Isabel not to drink either. Yeh... I know... with Hank's example you didn't plan on it... I'll tell you about it later... Yeh, I know I'm a 'fucking stupid asshole,' but thanks for reminding me. Love you too, Michael. Bye." Max smiled and hung up the phone. "My folks were out... looking for us, I guess. I got off easy." He looked relieved.

"OK, Maria next, definitely Maria." Liz took the card and the phone and dialed Maria's cell phone. "Maria! It's Liz... Calm down, Maria... Stop screaming.... I'm fine.. No.. he didn't kidnap me.. Well, yeh, kind of.. But I went with him voluntarily... You know.. They what!" She turned from the phone to him, "Max, she says it's in the paper and on TV and the radio about the 'Dream Date Abducted by the Mysterious Jealous Boyfriend!" She turned back to the phone, "Yeh, that is pretty romantic...What! A record producer was there.. oh, Maria! I'm so sorry I missed it! That is big news." Max waved his hands, giving her the 'wrap it up' signal. "Uh, I've got to go, Maria.. but I've got some big news of my own... But you've got to promise not to tell anyone, till I talk to my folks.."

Max was shaking his head, 'No' but she wasn't looking.

"Max and I... we got married last night!" Even Max could hear the shriek from Maria's end of the phone this time. "I'll tell you all about it when we get home.. .yeh, today.. Sniff some cedar oil, Maria. I've gotta hang up now. I love you. Bye."

Max's face looked a little angry. "I had to tell her, Max.. She's my best friend."

He nodded. At least Maria didn't call Liz a 'fuckin asshole' - and he hadn't even told Michael the news yet.

"One more call," he said. "Do you want me to call them for you?"

Liz smiled at him. He was so sweet. "How were you going to start? Hi, my name is Max, you probably don't remember me, but I just married your daughter?"

"Yeh, something like that." He reached out and touched her cheek. "So... we're really married?"

She nodded, her eyes on his, and held up her wedding ring.

"Before we go home... do you think..." he stopped.

"What, Max?" she asked, moving closer to him.

"I'd kind of like to remember at least... some part.. of the honeymoon," he said quietly.

"You're just trying to distract me from having to call my folks."

"Who, me?"

"How about after I call them? It could be... a reward.. for good behavior."

"A reward for you... or for me?" he asked, his voice getting husky.

"Oh, I think.. it might be... mutually rewarding." Liz gave him a sultry look.

God, she is so beautiful, Max thought. I can't believe she's with me, can't believe she is mine. He only meant to touch a lock of her hair, but then he buried his fingers deep in her long dark hair and his other hand came up on its own and buried itself in her hair on the other side of her face, and they were kissing.

She leaned back across the bed and he was on top of her, kissing her... his body remembering what his mind couldn't recall. He just wanted to kiss and touch every part of her. He had a fleeting thought of regret that he'd gotten dressed. He wanted to be close... couldn't get close enough. He resented that they were separated by clothes, and even by their separate skin. They should be one.

His right hand slid down from her hair to the side of her face. The connection between their minds opened and then the barriers fell away... He was himself and he was her... He felt her matching need, the ache of her desire guiding him, urging him on.

Liz was pulling at his clothes... or were those his own hands? And then those barriers were gone too and his body rested against all her hot softness. He managed to leave her lips and kissed her everywhere... her neck, her shoulders.. finding her perfect breasts.. tasting them hungrily. Licking her belly, exploring her little bellybutton with his tongue... nuzzling his face against her stomach, against her dark curls, breathing in her strange sexy aroma, tasting her, feeling her pleasure in his mind, sharing his own...

Her hand reached for him, her touch confident, guiding him to her... Lowering himself into her... gently.. slowly.. feeling her pleasure tinged with pain, her hips rising to greet him... Merging and joining... thrusting together...lost in each other and overloaded with their sensations... beyond thought.. united in the perfect now...

* * *

When coherent thought returned, Max realized he was sprawled out on top of Liz and probably was crushing her. He rolled off her and flopped onto his back. He almost felt lonely, with the connection broken, alone again in his mind, not able to touch her thoughts.

"Wow," he said.

"Mmm," she agreed, glad that she could breath easier without his dead weight on her, but missing his touch already.

"Was it this great last night?" he asked, even sorrier that he couldn't remember.

"Yeh... it was pretty great. But it's even better when you're sober... or maybe... it just gets better..."

"...with practice," Max finished for her.

Liz sighed. "You were somebody else last night, Max."

'Oh, no,' he thought with an irrational stab of fear. Maybe Liz had married Nacero too - instead of me? No, wait... that can't be right... "Did you like him better than me?" he asked softly.

Liz thought about it. "He was a lot more outgoing... and silly. Oh, Max, you were so funny! He was a lot... freer. But I knew he was still you, Max." She rolled onto her stomach and looked down at his face. "I wouldn't have married him, if he wasn't you." She bent and kissed him.

"Uh-uh, don't start that again. You still haven't called your folks. You're stalling again."

"I know... I can't call them when I'm naked, though."

"Why not? It's not a videophone. I don't mean call up and say 'Hi, I'm naked.'"

"I just can't... I'd feel too weird, and I'd probably giggle."

"I've got to take a shower, too," he said. "No way can I go home smelling like this." One whiff of them, he thought, and they wouldn't need to tell their folks that they were married.

"Me, too. My hair is so disgustingly gross.. I am never eloping again without a comb!"

Max turned to study her hair. It was a little messy, but still beautiful. What was it with girls and their obsession with their hair? He barely ever gave his own hair a thought. But then, it always looked pretty much the same no matter what. It just kind of sat there minding its own business on top of his head. But Liz must like it, he thought. She asked for a Dream Date guy with dark hair - like his. He smiled a happy smile.

Liz got up, dropped her dress over her head - not bothering with underwear, she'd be taking a shower anyway - and picked up the phone card. She sat on the edge of the bed and looked at the card.

Still lying sprawled out on the bed, Max put his hand on her back to give her moral support. "How bad can it be?"

She took a deep breath and dialed. "Mom? It's me... Liz.. Mom?" Liz turned to Max "Oh, no.. She just said she's so mad she can't talk and is getting my dad." She turned back to the phone, "Oh, hi Dad... Yeh, I'm fine.. really. Things just got too crazy... with that Dream Date thing.. all that attention... I... we just had to get away for awhile... We'll be home today... We're leaving right now... Oh... Max... Max Evans. You remember, Dad, you played poker with him at the camp out.. Oh! They are? Hold on..."

Liz held out the phone to Max. "Your folks are over there, too, Max, talking to my folks. Your dad wants to talk to you."

Max felt an icy fist in his gut, and suddenly had the same irrational thought Liz had - I can't talk to them, I'm naked! He pulled the bed sheet over his lap and sat up, taking the phone from Liz. "Yes, sir... I'm sorry... I know how Mom worries... I called the house but you weren't there... No, I know that's no excuse... Yes, I talked to Isabel.... I'm sorry she was crying, Dad. Yes, I know she worries just like Mom." His voice broke a little. "No... no sir. It'll probably never happen again." Max's eyes smiled at Liz and he held up the hand with the ring. "I don't know what I was thinking of.. I just... wasn't myself... We just needed to get away... Um... I'm not exactly sure.. I kind of... drove to Nevada.."

Max held the phone away from his ear as his father began shouting. "I'll explain... Dad, that's not fair... How can you say that? Dad, her father's standing right there... Don't talk about Liz that way..." Max could feel himself growing angrier... "and, no, she's not my 'little girlfriend' anymore, Dad," he spat out, "She's my wife - so you'd better get used to it." He slammed the phone down... his whole body trembling with anger.

He'd never stood up to his father before.. but his father had never been like that before. He suddenly knew why his dad as such a good lawyer. Under the jovial, easy-going, family exterior - there was a shark.

"Oh, Max..." Liz said helplessly.

He hid his face in his shaking hands. "That went pretty well, I thought," he said sarcastically from behind his hands.

Liz rubbed his back. "Well, at least now I don't have to find a way to break the news to my folks," Liz said optimistically, "This will give them some time... you know.. to get used to the idea."

Max looked up at her, his eyes blazing. "Liz - they are never going to get used to the idea. They are going to do everything in their power to stop us. My dad's a lawyer... he knows people, has connections. I was drunk.. I forged their permission - he'll find a hundred different ways to get it annulled."

Liz's face was solemn and scared. "Maybe we shouldn't go back, then," she said softly.

Max grabbed her into his arms and hugged her desperately. "We have to go back," he said.

"I know."

Back to Roswell, back to finish high school, back to figuring out who they were - only with one big difference. He had Liz. They were together - forever. "But they're not going to take you away from me," he said softly, his voice fierce with determination.

Liz hugged him harder. "We'd better go... it will be check-out time soon, you don't want to have to pay for another day."

Max held her at arm's length and studied her. Always practical Liz. Even when their world was crashing around them, she took care of the details. He nodded. "I'd better take that shower, then," he said, then hugged her to him again, not wanting to let go.

"Well... since we're so short of time... We could take one together," Liz suggested shyly. She felt Max's rising erection brush against her leg.

"I don't know... if we'd end up cleaner," he said, in a shaky voice.

"Well, then.. we'll just have to stay in there... until we're clean," she said.

"Or until check-out time," he reminded her.

"Or until the hot water runs out," she smiled.

"Whatever comes first."