Believe me, what I say,
You are the darling of my heart
Until my dying day.

The crow it is coal black, my love,
Although he may turn white.
If ever I prove false to thee
Bright day will turn to night.
Bright day will turn to night, my love,

Believe me, what I say,
You are the darling of my heart
Until my dying day.

* * *

Max Evans opened his eyes when the car stopped in front of his house. The drive home with his parents after the confrontation in Sheriff Valenti's office had been almost completely silent. Well, his mom had tried to make some chitchat, but when nobody responded, she gave up and was quiet, too, just sighing occasionally. He got wearily out of his dad's car and went toward the house.

Isabel must've been watching from inside, because she threw the door open and said, "Max!" in a little happy voice, and threw her arms around him. He hugged her back hard... but all he could think about was holding Liz, and how different hugging his sister was, from hugging Liz. And wondering if he wasn't getting too old to hug his sister any more.

"Oh, Max! I'm so glad you're home.... I was so worried, when the Sheriff called Mom and Dad. I was afraid you were in trouble," she said, leading him into the house.

"Oh, he's in trouble all right," Mr. Evans said. "Why don't you go up to your room, Max, and get cleaned up. We'll call you when dinner is ready."

"I'm being sent to my room? Dad, you haven't sent me to my room... since I was in 6th grade!" Max said in disbelief.

"Well, since you've been acting as irresponsibly as a 12-year-old lately, I think it's appropriate. And I'll be wanting your car keys and gasoline credit card - You can bring them down to dinner."

Isabel looked from Max to her father as if she suddenly didn't know either of them. "Mom.. what's going on? Max is grounded?"

"Nothing, dear. Max just got into a little trouble, and your father... wants him to go upstairs and think about it."

"I can't believe you are sending me to my room.. And you're just going to act like nothing ever happened...."

He turned and went to his room, slammed the door, and threw himself on his bed. He'd taken a shower this morning... with Liz... He groaned and rolled face down, willing his sudden arousal to subside. Well, there had been more than a few nervous moments between then and now; he could probably use another shower. He took off his long-sleeved shirt and realized in horror that he'd forgotten all about the tattoo on his right arm - the fancy heart with the word "Liz" inside it. He also realized he'd never removed the matching heart tattoo, the one he'd applied (using his powers, the night he was drunk) to the right side of Liz's behind, that said "Max." Max felt gripped with panic. Mrs. Parker had said something about taking Liz to see the doctor. Once the doctor examined her and saw the tattoo, we wouldn't just be able to 'wave it away.' And he wasn't sure that he should remove his own tattoo either, without talking to Liz about it first. It was... special. And if she was going to be stuck with hers, then he would keep the one he had too. His dad was just going to love that, he thought bitterly. He put his shirt back on and wondered what to do. At least Dad hadn't taken his phone-yet. He dialed Liz's number. It rang once or twice, and then he slammed the receiver down. As if he could just call up the Parkers' house and they'd let Liz talk to him... the guy who had eloped with their daughter. There was a little knock at the door.

Max said, "Come in," although he wasn't in the mood for company. Maybe Dad was coming to lecture him some more. Isabel peeked around the door at him. Max had an idea: "Isabel! Come in! Would you do me a huge favor?"

"Sure, Max" she agreed - suspiciously.

"Will you dial Liz's number and ask to talk to her?"

"Why do I want to call Liz..."

"Because I forgot to tell her something, but her folks are upset and I'm not sure they'll let her take any calls from me. Please... it's important."

"Okay, but if I do, I want to hear all the details. Oh, my God, where did you get that!" Isabel cried, staring at Max's silvery wedding band, ornamented all around with alien symbols.

"I made it-Can you call her now?"

Isabel dialed. "Hi, is Liz there? Oh.... Okay. Isabel... Isabel Evans... yes, Max's sister. Thanks, good-bye."

"Did you have to leave your name?" Max said with annoyance.

"Well, maybe next time you give me a spy mission, you can give me a little tape recorder of instructions, that will self-destruct after I listen to it - of course I left my name! Now, maybe she'll call back - and you can talk to her."

"She wasn't there?" He felt a stab of worry.

"Sorry. Liz was in the shower, washing her hair." Max smiled in spite of himself, thinking of Liz in the shower, the water streaming through her long dark hair...

* * *

The hot water pouring over Liz's body felt so good. She'd showered this morning... with Max... but that was different. Still, since last night, everything she did, even ordinary things, seemed more wonderful, more enjoyable... because of Max and what they'd shared. She was filled with so much joy and pleasure. How could they take him away from her? How could they keep them apart? She grabbed her favorite shampoo and lathered up her hair. If I ever run away with Max again, she thought, next time I'll pack first. Just the essentials-toothbrush, comb and brush, shampoo, my journal... a change of clothes would be nice. She wondered if it would come to that-if, to be together with Max, they would have to run away, and leave everything and everyone else they cared about behind.

* * *

"Max, how could you just run off and marry Liz like that!" Isabel cried.

"I love her, Iz.."

"I know you do, Max, but marriage-that's a big step. And to elope-how selfish can you get? Don't you think we'd all want to be there-Mom, Dad... I could have been a bridesmaid and worn some fabulous gown..." Isabel was just warming up to her rant.

"We didn't plan it, Isabel-I told you. I got drunk.. things were crazy... We just took off... and next thing I knew, Liz and I were married. And now I'm up here in my room being punished like a little kid, as if marrying Liz is like hitting a baseball through the neighbor's window!"

"Mom and Dad were worried, and being worried made them mad. They'll get over it," Isabel said reassuringly.

"Dad is going to get our marriage annulled. Claims it isn't legal."

"Well, you are awfully young."

"Don't you think I know that? Does everybody think I'm stupid?"

"No, Max, but you have to admit, what you did was pretty stupid. Talk about calling attention to yourself..."

"That's not the point, Isabel. Liz and I are married now. You know that saying, 'joined in holy matrimony'? Well, it's true, Iz. We're... joined now. She's a part of me. If I can't be with her... I'll die."

"Aren't you being a little melodramatic, Max?"

Max shook his head. "No. It's how I feel. Maybe.... when our-species-mate, we mate for life."

Isabel looked at the haunted expression in her brother's eyes and shivered. She didn't want to be reminded that they were so different, and that they didn't know anything about what that difference might mean. She just wanted to live her life like a regular girl.

"You don't know that, Max."

"No... but it's what I feel."

"How do we know if an alien broken heart" - she whispered the word 'alien', a word she avoided ever saying - "is all that different from a human one?" Isabel asked. "I mean, maybe you just feel... sad."

"She's a part of me," he said. "We're one. And I don't know what I'm going to do."

"You're scaring me Max..."

"I'm sorry, Iz - I guess I'm pretty scared myself."

"So... if you and Liz are married, than I guess that makes her my sister-in-law," Isabel said.

"Yeh, I guess so."

Isabel smiled. "Great! I always wanted a sister!"

"Enjoy it while it lasts," Max said morosely. "If Dad has his way-she won't be your sister for long." Or my wife, he thought, and all he felt inside was pain.

* * *

"Maria...it's me, Max," he said, gripping the phone tightly. Liz was always... Liz, but he could never predict Maria's reactions... and he'd never called her up before. But then, he'd never been married to her best friend before. 'Desperate times, desperate measures.'

"I can't believe you have the nerve to call me! Where did you get this number?" she demanded.

"I used my secret powers... and looked it up." He heard her giggle nervously. Well, that was a good start. "Have you seen Liz?"

"Not yet. I'm not through being mad at her yet."

"Don't be mad at us, Maria. We've got enough people mad at us already. We need all the friends we've got right now."

"Well.. I'm almost through being mad at her.... But you! I warned her about you, Max, time and time again. But would she listen? No. She just kept going back... like a moth to a flame..."

"I didn't mean for any of this to happen..."

"Oh, yeh, right!" she interrupted.

"But I'm glad it did. I.... I love her, Maria - you know that. And her folks won't even let me call her," he said sadly. Talking about his feelings with Liz was hard enough for a guy who was shy - he couldn't believe he was saying this stuff on the phone to her friend. Well, it was easier on the phone than face-to-face.

"Can you blame them?" Maria asked.

Why did he even try? "I'm sorry you're mad at us, Maria. I was hoping you could help. But...sometimes these things just happen... when you're..."

"Young and in love?" she said sarcastically.

"....Czechoslovakian."

"Tell me about it... wait a minute-oh, my god, Liz told you about that?!" she laughed. "I can't believe it. That was like so secret. But, I guess, when you're married... you don't have that many secrets."

Married. At least Maria acknowledged the fact. He liked the sound of it. "Well, we've only been married since Friday night... We probably still have a few secrets left."

"So... what do you want me to do? Smuggle letters back and forth? Oh..this is SO like a movie..."

"Just... tell her I need to talk to her... before she sees the doctor, okay?"

"Doctor! Oh my god, Max... don't tell me she has some incurable illness and like one week left to live and that's why you had to marry her! I can't take any more surprises!"

"No, no...nothing like that, Maria. Liz is fine. I think it's a... you know... female doctor."

"Oohhh, right. Kind of closing the barn door after the horse has already left, aren't they? But, don't worry, Max. Mom says it takes forever to book appointments with one of those doctors. I'll tell her, though. 'The package will be delivered!' " she added, in a phony foreign accent.

"Thanks, Maria. I've got to see her. I'm going crazy..."

"I know the feeling, Max. Just... do me a favor and don't turn around and dump her, okay?"

"I never dumped her, Maria... I just needed some space, some time to think... I didn't want... to rush into anything..."

"Boy, I can see how well that strategy worked," she said with a laugh.

"Don't worry, Maria, Liz and I are forever."

"Right, I'm sure that's what my Mom thought about my Dad-wherever he is. And Kyle's dad thought about his mother..."

"I don't know about them, Maria. All I know is how I feel. Go talk to Liz. I hope she feels the same way about me. I think she does."

"Yeh... I'll go talk to her. How could I not? This is so romantic, I can't stand it!"

"Thanks, Maria." Max said gratefully.

"Hey, what are friends for?"

He heard his folks calling him for supper. "I've gotta go."

* * *

Dinner had been awkward and tense, with his parents and Isabel talking about everything but what he wanted to discuss-being married to Liz and staying that way. It reminded him of that self-help guy on PBS, talking about families and secrets. He'd lived his whole life with secrets. He went back to his room voluntarily after dinner. He didn't feel like hanging out with his family or watching TV on Saturday night. He thought he'd better hit the books. Back to school Monday, back to work after school. Liz never returned Isabel's call. He wondered if her folks even gave Liz the message. He tried to listen to music, but the songs were either sad, and made him feel worse, or were love songs and made him think about Liz - and feel worse. Finally, he shut the radio off and studied in his silent room. Homework had never been thrilling, but tonight, after all that had happened, it seemed even more pointless and inane than usual. This morning, he and Liz had made love. Now he was studying pre-calculus.

He went to bed early. Valenti had been right about one thing-he was really tired.

* * *

Liz looked around her bedroom as she got ready for bed. She wondered why Max hadn't called her to say good night. She wanted to call him, but was afraid his parents would answer. Max's dad seemed pretty scary. Her room was exactly as she'd left it on Friday night, when she left for her Blind Date-she remembered daydreaming about Max appearing at her window... declaring his love for her... Sometimes dreams DO come true, she thought. The trick was keeping them true, once you woke up. Her room was the same, but it seemed different. She glanced at the picture of Mickey Mouse on the bureau-it seemed kind of childish. Then it hit her-her room was the same. It was Liz who was different.

* * *

Max awoke and stared into the darkness of his bedroom. He was disoriented and wondered where he was, and what time it was. He had the feeling somebody was standing over him...

"Hey," his friend Michael Guerin said from the shadows. "I see you came back." Michael came and sat on the edge of Max's bed, studying Max with interest.

"Michael... what time is it? Can't you come over and visit like everybody else does, during the day-when I'm not asleep?"

"Nope."

"Do you ever sleep, Michael?" Max asked.

"Sure, I get plenty of sleep.. in class."

Max smiled. He was glad to see Michael.

"So, Maxwell... I hear you screwed up pretty bad this time. Are you trying to put me out of a job or something? I mean, if you take over being the guy who screws up, that'll leave me with your job, and I don't know if I'd do so well, being the 'responsible guy.'

"Max rubbed his left hand over his face, trying to scrub the sleep out of his eyes and wake up. He felt Michael grab his wrist.

"Where did you get that ring!" Michael said sharply.

"I made it... when I was drunk. Liz said I used a beer can."

"I can't believe you, Max! Why not get a T-shirt printed up that says, 'Kiss me, I'm an alien' on the front!"

"Michael, these symbols on the ring are not that obvious to anybody but us. Only a few of us have seen them. And even we don't know what they mean. I told Valenti we bought them from some Indians..."

"Valenti saw the ring, Max? I can't believe you! These things are private, Max. They're just for us. Not the latest fashion statement from..." he tried to think of the name of a jewelry store and failed... "from Wal-Mart," he finished angrily.

"I told you. I was drunk... I don't remember. Maybe these symbols came out of my memories of what I saw in the cave, or out of our 'collective unconscious' or whatever they call it. I don't know."

"Take it off, Max, it's too dangerous."

"I can't Michael," Max said quietly.

"Of course you can. You just grab it and pull."

"It's my wedding ring, Michael. When I took off with Liz, we got married."

"Aw, shit, Max! Don't tell me that! Married? Give me a fuckin break! You had to be the big hero. You had to save her life. You couldn't walk away and let her die, and let our secret be safe..."

"We were never safe, Michael, you know that. We've been living in fear our entire lives."

"And now look what happened! Married! Jesus!"

"I'd do it again, Michael. You know that. I couldn't let her die. And I'm glad about the way it worked out I'd marry her again, too."

Michael sighed. "Yeh." He shook his head. "You couldn't just get drunk like everybody else, and just puke on somebody's shoes. You certainly do everything in a big way, Maximillian."

"Thanks. I did warn you about never drinking, when I called on the phone, right? I mean, I only took a tiny sip and I totally lost it. I just lost all my inhibitions. I was totally out of it for hours, for the rest of the night. And I woke up with a total blackout. I still don't know everything I did, not for sure. Just what Liz told me."

"Oh, that's terrific! You are a pathetic drinker. Worse than Hank. Naw, I take that back." Nobody's worse than Hank lay unspoken between them. "So...," Michael continued glancing at Max and away, "I guess that means... you and Liz... you know." Michael was glad it was dark, so Max wouldn't see him blush.

"Yeh."

"And... it was okay? She didn't... turn green... or die or anything?"

Max smiled. "Nope. Well.. she might've turned a little red maybe."

"Too personal, Max! Too much information!"

"Sorry."

"So...I guess that means... if Maria and I ever... you know..." Michael began tentatively, not believing he would even say such a thing out loud to anybody.

"-she probably won't die. Though... maybe we should give Liz a few days first, just to make sure there aren't any... lingering after-effects," Max added. He was enjoying this.

"You are such an asshole, Evans. So... was it as great as everybody thinks it is?" Michael asked.

Max smiled. "A gentleman doesn't kiss and tell, Michael. You know that."

"Well, I wasn't asking about kissing. And nobody ever accused me of being a gentleman."

Max's face grew serious. "Yeh, it's pretty great... But... it's not anything to do lightly, Michael."

Michael smirked. "Do I do anything lightly, Maxwell?"

"That's not what I mean, Michael. It's... When you were with Maria, did you ever... Have you ever.. with Maria.. Did you ever look into her mind?" Michael looked startled.

"Why would I want to do a thing like that? It'd be worse than looking in her pocketbook."

"Did you... ever let her look into yours?"

"Into my mind? Shit, Max, what have you been playing around with? Maria and I were just making out."

"It was an accident. I mean, when I healed Liz, I connected with her... I saw things from her past. And then, when she found out about me, and that I'd seen her thoughts, she totally freaked. So I offered to connect with her again, to let her look into my mind. Y'know, to make it even, to show her I was okay."

"You know I can't do stuff like that with my powers, Max. Geez, you are such a show-off."

"And then, this connection formed between us. And... when I kissed her-it's like we could see each other's souls."

"Yeh, I heard about that 'soul kissing'," Michael joked. A dirty joke always came in handy when things got too serious, or too scary.

"Michael, this isn't a joke. That's all I'm trying to say. Being married to somebody, being... intimate with somebody.. is an intense experience."

"Tell me about it." Michael thought about Maria, lying in his arms, making out on the floor of the Crashdown. And in the eraser room. And everywhere... His whole body tingled. He thought about mud.

"I mean... more intense for us.. than for regular people. You should just.. be careful, that's all."

"So... let me get this straight, Max. You're telling me I can never drink, and I shouldn't have sex? Thanks, that's terrific!"

"I didn't say that. Well, yes, about never drinking. It's just.. I think I didn't realize it, but maybe that's how... our people.. get married. Like a 'meeting of minds,' you know... a joining. I think I was already married to Liz, in some sense, even before we got married."

"Kind of like that old joke, about the lady astronaut and meeting the alien and shaking hands," Michael said, "and the lady asks the alien how they reproduce on his planet..."

"...and he tells her they do it by shaking hands," Max finished the joke for him. "Yeh, something like that. And now my dad wants to get our marriage annulled, Michael. He says it wasn't legal. But... Liz and I have this.. bond now. He may be able to break it legally, but I don't think it can be broken. And now they won't let me even see her." His voice was bleak.

"It just gets worse, doesn't it, Max" Michael said.

"What does?"

"Life. Our lives."

They were both silent for a few moments, pondering their lives and this new and unexpected piece of information. "Isabelle told me about sending a signal to Nacero. Are you sure that was wise?"

"You're talking to ME about being wise after the stunt you pulled?"

"We don't know if Nacero is good or bad, Michael. And all the evidence so far points to bad. It was risky, for you and for Isabelle." Max didn't like to think about his sister being in danger. Or his best friend. Especially when he hadn't even been there for them.

"Yeh, well, he didn't show up anyway, Max. Nothing happened. I felt about as stupid as Linus, sitting out there waiting for the Great Pumpkin to show up."

Max put his hand on Michael's arm. "It was a good idea, Michael. At least you gave it a try."

"Yeh, whatever."

"I wish you could've been our best man, Michael," Max said quietly.

"Thanks..but I'd look stupid in a tux."

Max laughed. "Who said you'd need a tuxedo?"

"Best man has to look his best," Michael shrugged. "Hey, I'm glad you came back, Max. Even if you aren't. It must've been rough, with the folks. Shit must've really hit the fan." "Yeh. But we had to come back, Michael. You know that." "I'd better get out of here. You're probably pretty tired after... you know.. doin' it."

Max gave him a mock punch. "I'll see you tomorrow. That is, if my dad lets me. He grounded me, Michael, can you believe it? He took my wheels."

"Man, that's pretty harsh. Guess they were pretty pissed off."

"Yeh, you could say that. To put it mildly."

"Bet Liz's folks were pretty annoyed, too."

"They weren't really happy, no." Max sighed.

"G'nite, Max. I'm glad we had this little talk. Makes me realize that being me doesn't suck nearly as much as being you does, right now."

"Thanks... I think."