Max: (very quietly) "Liz and I are going out to the reservation. We will be back later today."

Michael nods to let Max know that he heard him and goes back to sleep. Max hesitates for a moment taking in the sight of the two sleeping together and feels very much alone. He wanted that kind of closeness with Liz. He wanted it all with Liz. He closes the door without making a sound. The question was, would she ever let him close to her again?

RESERVATION -

They had made the trip in a much more comfortable silence than last night's journey to the hospital. Liz directed Max to where she needed to go and he pulled up in front of a building that looked like it might be a hospital. Eddie walked up to them the moment they climbed out of the jeep.

Liz: "How bad is he?"

Eddie: "Nothing you can't handle." (smiling at Max) "I see you've brought a friend."

Liz: "Yeah. You've met before so I won't go there."

Eddie extends his hand to Max who shakes it and wonders what Eddie's relationship is to Liz.

Liz: "We better go." "She turns to walk into the building."

The minute she opens the door she can hear the wailing all the way from the other end of the hall. Max is following close behind Liz and Eddie and he could swear that the wailing sounded like someone calling out for "Lizard." All of a sudden Liz is running down the hall and berating Eddie for not telling her it was this bad.

Eddie: "You couldn't have gotten here any faster, unless you've learned to fly. (smiling at her ) I know you tend toward the angelic but that would be a stretch even for you."

Liz: (smiling back at him) "You know how I hate to be deprived of an opportunity to worry."

They are at the door now and Liz quickly rushes inside and scoops up a little 1 year old boy who is sobbing uncontrollably. He wraps his chubby little arms around Liz and just keeps right on wailing. She works with him for a while, soothing him as best she can, until he finally quiets down and falls asleep. Max has watched all of this and is feeling like he really needs to sit down. Eddie glances at Max and takes in his haggard appearance and leads him out of the room. They walk back down the hall and sit down near the entrance.

Eddie: "She's amazing, isn't she?"

Max: (trying to recover from the onslaught of emotions that had just run over him like a truck) "Yes. Who is that little boy?"

Eddie: "He's an orphan for now. His Mom died in childbirth. He was completely unresponsive to all of our efforts to help him until Liz came.

We really didn't think he would survive, but she loved him on sight and has been taking care of him since she arrived here. He calls her "Lizard."

Max: "How did you communicate with Liz this morning?"

Eddie: "You were there. It was nothing."

Max: "It was something. People don't just connect like that."

Eddie: "They do with Liz if they know her well. Don't you know that about her?"

Max: "Know what?"

Eddie: "Liz has a tendency toward telepathic communication." "It's a gift." "We taught her to meditate and that's why it's so easy for us to communicate with her now."

Max: "Us?"

Eddie: "River Dog and myself."

Max: "I see."

Liz walks down the hall at this point and takes in the sight of these two men whom she loves dearly but very differently.

Liz: "Well, he should be o.k. for a couple of hours while he naps. I think I'll go home for a while and rest. I'll come back at lunch time and feed him and then I've really got to get back to town and see about Maria."

Eddie: "Spread a bit thin, aren't you?"

Liz: (taking in the teasing tone) "Nothing that my angelic self can't handle." (cracking up) "I still can't believe you said that."

Eddie: "Ah, but it's all true . . ."

Liz: (affectionately) "You're such an idiot."

Eddie: "Oh, such abuse." (grabs his chest pretending to have been shot)

Liz: (serious again) "Thank you for coming to get me for him."

Eddie: "Are you kidding? I value my peaceful existence!" "Get out of here and get some rest."

Liz: "See ya later?"

Eddie: "Sure thing." (leaves)

Liz: "Max?"

Max: (distracted) "Yeah . . .

Liz: "Are you ready to go?"

Max: "Sure."

They walk out to the jeep. Liz gives him directions to her tiny little house and they get out and go inside. Max is amazed at how clean and neat it is inside. It looks just like Liz. Every detail reflected her personality. There wasn't a lot here, but what was here looked right. He didn't know if he had ever been in a smaller house. There was one bedroom in the back and just a kitchenette.

He supposed it probably suited Liz just fine, though.

Max: "Do you own this house?"

Liz: (laughing) "I wish." "No. I'm just living here temporarily. The owners let me stay here in return for some of the work I do on the reservation."

Max: "I see." "Liz?" (sounding very serious)

Liz: "What?" (having no idea what he's about to say)

Max: "Are you and Eddie . . . ?"

Liz: (pauses a moment to see if he'll finish, but when he doesn't she rescues him) "No, we're not. I guess some things don't change no matter how hard you try."

Max: "What do you mean?"

Liz: "Eddie is wonderful and he probably could love me. I just can't return it and he knows it."

Max: "Why not?"

Liz: "You know why." (turning away to get them some drinks)

Max: (grabbing her hand before she can turn away) "I wouldn't ask if I knew."

Liz: "Max . . . I can't have this conversation with you without . . ."

Max: "Letting me in?" (pulls her closer to him)

Liz: (staring at his face) "Yeah . . . (he bends down and kisses her gently) Liz sighs and wraps her arms around his neck pulling him closer to her. It had been such a long time. He kisses her harder now and pulls her up against him, but it's not enough. Liz can't believe how fast this is happening. Max scoops her up and carries her back to her bed.

Max: "Liz, I have missed you so much . . ." (pulling her shirt off over her head and tossing it away, he kisses down her neck until he can rub his face across her breasts. She hadn't even stopped to put a bra on this morning and he hadn't had time to shave. The physical sensation was indescribable . . .

Liz: (grabbing his head and guiding him to her) "Max . . . please . . ."

He draws her deeply into his mouth and covers her other breast with his hand. Liz moans and arches up involuntarily against his leg which is between hers. Max switches to her other breast with his mouth and closes his fingers around her hot, wet skin where his mouth had just been. Liz can't stop the rhythm of her body against Max's leg. The aching emptiness was so intense she didn't know if she could survive this. Liz pulls Max's shirt off and immediately reaches for the snap on his jeans. He grabs her hand and takes a deep breath to try to slow them down a little. His breathing is ragged as he opens his eyes again and looks into Liz's. He feels like he could drowned in those eyes. Liz has had enough of this waiting and she reaches for him again. She can feel the hard shape of him through his jeans and she's startled at the size of him. She looks at him again a little apprehensively this time. Max smiles at her expression and kisses her sweetly.

Max: "Don't worry."

Liz: "I'm not worried . . . exactly." (she's inside his jeans now and closes her hand around him)

Max groans and kisses her deeply seeking out the fastening on her pants. He finds it and pulls her pants off in one quick motion. He closes his hand over her through her underwear and almost loses his control right there. She is so hot and wet. Liz arches into his hand again and tightens her grasp on him. Max stands up quickly and yanks off his pants and underwear, too. Liz reaches up to touch him and the look of intensity on her face almost does him in. She comes closer to him and rubs her cheek up the whole length of his arousal. Max exhales sharply and sinks to his knees on the bed again and pulls her under him quickly.

"Liz, I want you so bad . . . " Liz arches up into him and the feel of her hot, wet flesh even through the underwear is as much pain as pleasure. Max reaches down and grabs the waist band of her underwear to pull them off. Liz lifts her hips up so he can slide them off of her. Max stares at her for a moment before bending down and running his tongue over her exquisitely sensitive flesh.

Liz tosses her head back and forth and reaches out on either side of her trying to find something to hang on to. Her fingernails dig into the sheets on either side of her as Max opens her with his fingers. She's so wet and so ready for him that he doesn't know how he's going to keep from exploding the moment he's inside her. He can feel how small she is and hates the idea of hurting her. "Liz, . . . baby . . ."

Liz senses his hesitation and pulls him up along her body. She finds him and guides him to her. Max slowly eases into her until he hears her gasp in surprise. He waits while she tries to adjust to him inside her body. He backs up a little and pushes forward again and this time the resistance was gone. He pauses again to look at her face. "Liz, are you o.k.?"

Liz closes her eyes and can't help the tears that slide down her cheeks. Max feels like his heart is being ripped out, until Liz smiles up at him and opens her eyes again. She touches his cheek with the backs of her fingers and her expression tells him that she's not in any pain. She looks completely serene. "Max . . . I love having you inside me." Max closes his eyes and takes a deep breath.

Without any warning at all, the connection comes between them like a flood.

All of a sudden Max can feel Liz's love pouring over him in a wave. He can feel inside her body and her need for him causes him to clench his jaw in an effort to keep control. Liz suddenly feels all the love and pent up desire that Max has been keeping at bay for so long. She can also feel the incredible control he was exercising over the raging need in his own body. She immediately begins to rock her hips, drawing him even deeper inside her. "Max, I want you . . . I love you so much . . ."

Max: "Liz, don't move . . . I can't . . ."

Liz: "I don't want you to . . . "