Their families had decided to wait for their return to Roswell before celebrating the holidays. Consequently, there were more turkey dinners and presents awaiting them. The kids themselves hadn't had a chance to exchange their own gifts, so they took this opportunity to do so. Liz and Max gave each other gold pendants with Forever inscribed on them. The matching gifts had been a coincidence, but not at all surprising.

They decided to ignore the media brouhaha. At first, they had considered holding a news conference to get all the questions over with at once, but then they realized that they might just be asking for trouble if they exposed themselves that way. As with all news stories, it's only news when it is new. They figured that something else would turn up soon to divert attention away from them, and it did.

It was nearing New Years Eve and Brody was putting the finishing touches on his surprise plans for the kids and their families. He had been very busy, and had booked the largest banquet room in the largest hotel in Roswell. He had also reserved several rooms for overnight guests. The only thing they were aware of, was that they were all expected at this party Brody had arranged. He insisted that they all come, even for just a short while. They yielded to his request, since they realized that he still blamed himself for their accident.

They arrived at the hotel around 8:30 in the evening, looking like the walking wounded, but still determined to ring in the New Year. They had a lot to celebrate, being alive topping their list. Brody made them wait until they had all congregated in the lobby, and then he led them to the banquet room. They couldn't believe their eyes when they entered the room. Standing there, were all their friends from Palenque, accompanied by their families.

Brody had pulled a lot of red tape to accomplish this monumental task. He had had to scurry to procure passports for all except Balam and Carmen, who traveled regularly for work purposes. Introductions were made to their parents, and hugs and kisses were exchanged between the teens and their Palenque pals. They were so happy and relieved to see that they had recovered so remarkably from their injuries.

Pakal had come with his wife Ixchup, and his two young daughters, Kelsey and Meztli, who were still enamoured by Max and the other boys, in spite of their injuries. Ahmok and Itzel were accompanied by Malinali and Mam and their young cousin Chac. Balam arrived with his wife Ixchab and his son Arana and younger daughter Nhutalu, and last but by no means least, Carmen was there offering Brody support.

Brody had hired a band, and those that could, danced the night away. Michael and Maria were the only couple of their group who could actually do so, but the others enjoyed watching their families having fun and even Alex and Max did a few spins in their wheelchairs. There was plenty of good food and champagne, which of course was off limits to the kids, but Brody had thought of everything and had supplied sparkling cider for their consumption.

When midnight arrived, there were many tears of joy shed when auld lang syne was sung. If nothing else, they were starting out the New Year in good company, with the love and support of all those who were closest to them. Liz and Max held hands and kissed quietly, wishing that they weren't so hampered by their casts.

They hadn't been intimate for so long, that their bodies were screaming for one another, but present circumstances wouldn't allow for anything more than a little groping. They laughed in frustration at their predicament, knowing that when they were finally free to express themselves physically, that it would be explosive. They couldn't wait to visit the bungalow.

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Max had made plans with Michael to drive him out there on New Years Day just to check on things. Michael obliged, and somehow, they managed to cram Max's wheelchair into the jeep. They made the trip in the usual time and Max was so relieved to see the bungalow still standing. He had had nightmares that it, too, had suffered some disaster while they were away.

Michael helped him out of the jeep and into the chair. They rigged some boards to serve as a ramp for the steps and then opened the door to the foyer. Michael turned to his right to descend into the sunken living area, heading immediately to check on the contents of the safe in the den. He breathed a sigh of relief to find their discs still intact. Then he checked on the computers and all their equipment to satisfy his curiosity about their condition.

Max had turned down the hall to his left, after giving the dining room and kitchen a cursory inspection. He checked the bathroom and the two spare bedrooms before he came to a halt in front of the master bedroom. He sat there, staring into the room that he thought he'd never lay eyes on again.....the place where he felt the safest.

Michael came up behind him, putting an arm on his shoulder. Max turned and gave him a melancholy stare.

"We almost didn't make it Michael," he sighed.

"Yeah, I know," Michael agreed, looking away as he tried to hide his feelings.

Max smiled and then laughed at his friend. Still stonewalling...he'd never change.

"C'mon, man, take me back to Roswell. I have a hot date with a beautiful lady tonight," he joked, as he pushed ahead of Michael down the hall.

"I'd love to see how you play this one out, Maxwell," Michael grinned. "You in a wheelchair and Liz on crutches. You'll have to let me on in those secret moves of yours!" he laughed.

"No secret, Michael," Max dead panned. "It's all in the fingers," he winked.

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Balam was anxious to meet with them while he was staying in Roswell. Brody had booked their rooms for ten days, so that gave them plenty of time to visit with the families and to do a little sightseeing as well. Many dinners were attended, and many plans made to spend time together. The two groups had one thing in common.........their concern for the teens' well being.

The Palenque people didn't know why they had such strong feelings for these kids whom they had known for such a short period, but it didn't seem to matter to them. They were thoroughly enjoying mixing with their families, and it was so evident to them, that the kids got their good values from their parents. They were solid people with excellent morals. They were particularly impressed with Michael, who they learned had suffered from such physical and mental abuse.

The teens' parents had taken him under their wing, and their guidance and support had made a tremendous difference in his life. It was so apparent how much he had become a part of their inner circle. Jeff Parker gave him a job at the Crashdown so that he could support himself and Philip Evans had arranged for him to live independently in his own apartment. They were amazed at the generosity of these wonderful people.

On Wednesday afternoon, they were finally able to arrange a meeting with Balam. They decided the safest place was the bungalow. It would give them the privacy they required to speak in confidence and he had much to discuss with them. They all settled into the spacious living room after he had been given a brief tour of the premises. He was most impressed with Brody's generous gift and told them how warm and comfortable the house made him feel. Even though the bungalow was meant for Max and Liz, he felt that they all shared its comforting atmosphere.

Coffee and refreshments were served on the large coffee table, compliments of Isabel and Maria. It was so good that at least some of their number were still mobile. Max and Liz had made a quick visit to their bedroom to rekindle some of the spark that they were missing. There relationship was not based solely on sex, but it was what reaffirmed their love for one another.

They couldn't help the fact that their connection was so physical as well as spiritual. It's what defined them as a couple, and when one of that pair was denied, they relied on the spiritual even more to feel their combined chemistry. Just being in that room that held so many close memories for them, replenished their connection. And they were looking forward to making even more pleasurable memories in the future.

Max and Alex's chairs were lifted down the steps into the living room. The others hobbled down on their crutches and when everyone was finally settled, Balam began.

"I must begin by telling you how relieved I am that you are all progressing so well. I take it that you wisely decided to heal on your own instead of using?"........he wriggled his fingers in the air.

They all laughed at his little gesture.

"Yeah," Max affirmed. "We thought it was best to let nature take its course this time. It means that it will be a few more weeks before we can explore that last cave you told us about, but we can't take any chances with people checking into our backgrounds. I'm sure the FBI are pretty curious to find out why we were in Mexico in the first place, but so far, they've left us alone. We're just keeping our fingers crossed."

"Well, let us hope they keep their distance for awhile yet," Balam nodded. "Now, let us begin. I have again separated the information you so kindly provided me with into categories. Here, let me show you," he said, as he placed the list on the table. They gathered around so that they could all see what he was referring to:

Photos of the newly found jar from the Temple of the Sun

The twelve photos, with accompanying sketches, from Temple XX

Photo and sketch from Temple XXII

Photos of the re-assembled crushed column from the Temple of Chac

Photos of the glyphs on the wall from the Temple of Inscriptions

Photos of the glyphs from El Diablo Grotto

Sketches of the symbols in the cave in the mountains outside Carlsbad.

"Somehow, we must come up with a connection between all these symbols and those that you found at the Mesalinco cave and those from the metal book that you told me about. This is a monumental task, but one I feel that together we can solve. It is actually a good thing that we have some time to work on these before you make your final visit to the unknown cave."

"I also made a copy of the alien symbols. I know you are all very familiar with them , but to me, they are still a novelty." He placed his copy of the symbols down on the table.

"Now, as you recall, I have already given you a list of the twelve most common Maya symbols, and it is with these, that I hope to solve some of your puzzles. At the most, it will still be a loose interpretation of a 5000 year old mystery. The truth will be revealed when the time is right," he predicted.

"As you can see, the four square symbol is in the upper left hand corner and is represented by the Maya symbol of the turtles and the tree. In the upper right hand corner, I have placed the trapezoidal symbol that will lead us to the final cave in the puzzle."

"Below the four square symbol we have the symbol for the number eight, two triangles with their points touching, which, fortunately, appears to have remained the same over the past 5000 years..........this is perhaps due to its significance to both races. And directly below that is a circle of seven connecting circles which may refer to the chant that Max spoke during the kite festival....the one mentioning the seven fallen stones. As yet, we have no indication of its actual meaning, but I am confident that it will soon become very clear. And further down the last column, we have the familiar Nasedo symbol, which also appears to have remained constant."

"Something else that is also quite obvious, is the frequent reference to the numbers two, four and eight. The duality theme is dominant in the Maya culture and it also appears to hold a great deal of importance to your race. As I told you before, everything lies concealed in numbers and we have many numbers to contend with here."

"I am assuming that the two refers to two people becoming a couple, while the four translates to the original royal four and finally, the eight refers to the four being joined by four others. This could refer to the four humans who have joined forces with you, as well as the four other pods that were supposed to have survived the crash."

"Curiously, there are three references to the number five. I can only guess at this meaning. It may refer to the royal four being joined by a fifth element......either another person or an object. In any case, I feel this is most significant, and it could be one of the crucial elements that proves the success of your quest. Have you ever made contact with the other members of the pod survivors?"

"No, we haven't actually," Max admitted. "We don't even know if they did survive and where they are, if they did."

"Well, that is all we can do about this for now. As I said, the answers will come when the time is right," he predicted.

"Why are you still helping us, Balam?" Michael asked pointedly. "I thought you'd washed your hands of us."

"No, no, Michael. I have not washed my hands of you, as you so quaintly put. I am merely carrying out my final duties. I told you that I would continue to provide you with support in deciphering the symbols. I think we will have much better success if we all work together on this, do you not?"