"I can see things that you guys can’t," she affirmed. "I guess you’d call it x-ray vision," she chuckled.

They all became a little uncomfortable, shuffling around on the ground, their hands vainly trying to cover private body parts.

"No, don’t worry, I can’t see what you guys are like underneath your clothes," she laughed. "Not unless I think about it real hard, like I did just then," she appeased them.

"Whew, that’s good to hear," Alex breathed a sigh of relief, as he relaxed his stance. "So, I guess that little trick comes in handy, huh?"

"Yeah, I’ve used it a few times, but I don’t think you guys would like what I used it for," she admitted. "But, you know, times was tough for us, so we did what we had to do." she shrugged.

"Don’t worry about it Ava," Tess spoke up. "We aren’t going to judge you on anything you did before," she said, as she squeezed her hand. "Right now, we have an important search ahead of us, and we need to be alert." She looked around the clearing at her friends and they nodded in agreement. Since Michael was already perched at the cave entrance, he took the lead.

"I hope there’re no bears living in here," Maria said in a trembling voice, as she followed Michael into the dark.

"Don’t worry, Blondie," Michael called back to her. "I’ll save you," he boasted.

They had to crawl on all fours to squeeze through the tiny entrance. They left their packs in the clearing since they couldn’t fit through the hole wearing them. They just took their flashlights and cameras with them. After crawling about 10 feet, the ceiling rose gradually until they were able to stand up. It was also wider here and the air was a little less stale. They shone their beams around but there was nothing noteworthy on the walls....not even a scribble.

When they thought about it, it seemed unlikely that this cave would be of any significance. It was hard to find and even harder to navigate. They figured they must have chosen the wrong one so they decided to retreat. Max had taken up the flank position and now he led the way out. As he shone his light around for one last look, he stopped in his tracks.

He looked closer at the ceiling and asked his friends to shine their lights where he was pointing his. The added illumination highlighted an area about six feet square. They could see a large symbol etched into the stone. They recognized it immediately as one of their alien symbols and Max took a picture. Then they scanned the ceiling for more clues, hoping that this search would be conclusive. They turned around and retraced their steps, now determined to find any more information that would solve their riddle.

The cave began to slope downward and seemed to wind to the right as if it were following a natural curve in the landscape. They continued to descend, until they reached a larger opening. They walked through and found themselves in a large cavern, about 100 feet in diameter, with the roof extending about fifty feet over their heads in a perfect dome shape.

The walls were perfectly smooth, and shone like glass. There were symbols etched all over them, symbols that they knew. This cave had obviously been altered and probably by the aliens who occupied it. They circled the perimeter, taking in the precision with which the glyphs had been placed along the walls. There was nothing random about this. It looked like it was meant to be read as directions. They searched for a starting point, and decided that the most obvious one would be at the entrance to the cavern.

They started snapping pictures in order as they swung around the large dome. There were clear divisions marked in the shiny surface, supposedly used as reference points, and they were careful to use these to mark off their own points of reference. There seemed to be an even number of symbols in each section......seven altogether, all different. There were twelve divisions in total, containing 84 symbols.

Ava sat down in the middle of the floor, with her eyes closed, and started concentrating on the walls and ceiling around her. It was an automatic response and she didn’t realize she was even doing it. Her arms went out from her sides and her fingers pointed outward, like a compass. She stood up and started walking to the side opposite the entrance and stood still in front of it.

Then she opened her eyes and stared at the wall. As far as her friends could tell, there was nothing in front of her, but she kept staring at the space until she seemed to come out of her trance. She walked over to Tess and asked for some paper and a pen and she began to draw a symbol on it. When she finished, she held it up to them. They had never seen it before and shook their heads in denial. She insisted that it was correct, so Tess put it in her bag for safekeeping.

They asked Ava if she had seen anything else but she shook her head. They scanned the area for any other clues, but found nothing else that seemed to be of value. They filed out of the chamber and made the long trek back up the winding path towards the entrance, each one crawling out until they made it outside again. It was now quite dark, the only illumination coming from the moon and the stars in the sky. They retrieved their packs and slung them on their backs.

They decided to return to the bungalow that night instead of camping in the woods and started their long journey back to the van. By the time they reached it, it was close to 11:00 p.m. They stopped for a snack, since they hadn’t had a chance to eat since lunchtime. They were famished and ate ravenously.

"Do you know what day this is?" Maria suddenly pronounced.

They looked at her, waiting for her to fill them in.

"It’s Valentine’s Day!" she said throwing her hands up in the air.

"Omigod!" Liz said as she covered her mouth. "I completely forgot! "We’ve been so busy, that it just slipped my mind."

"C’mere, Babe," Max drew her close and kissed her lovingly. "Happy Valentine’s Day, Lover," he whispered into her lips. She smiled into his and returned the kiss, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck and pulling him even closer to her body.

The others followed suit, which left Ava standing awkwardly by, feeling even more alone and dejected. Tess noticed right away and pulled her into an embrace.

"Happy Valentine’s Day, Sis," she said as she kissed her cheek.

Ava hugged her back, and then Kyle joined them, wrapping the two girls in his arms. He kissed the top of Ava’s head and she teared up at their compassion for her. It’s not like she was used to celebrating the day. Zan would never acknowledge his feelings openly to her in front of the others. But she knew that he cared, because one time she found an old rose placed on her blanket.

It was the only time he gave her anything and she cherished it. She placed the drying petals in an old locket she found and she still wore it around her neck. She touched it now, as if reaching out for him across the void, and she felt an answering tingle in her fingers. This was something new, and she jumped back in surprise at what had happened.

"Ava, what’s wrong?" Tess asked in surprise as she noted the girl’s pale cheeks.

"Nothin’," Ava shook her head vigorously. "I was just rememberin’, that’s all," she hedged.

Tess seemed to accept this answer, and let it go. They turned to board the van, rousing Max and Liz from their tight embrace. They looked at their friends as if they hadn’t even known they were there. Max handed the keys to Michael and he scooted to the back seat with Liz, determined to finish where they had left off. Nobody even batted an eye, so used to their romantic overtures by now, having accepted long ago that whatever had been awakened in them on that fateful weekend in August, could never be denied.

Max and Liz kissed and snuggled all the way back to the bungalow, being careful not to cause a scene in front of their friends. They just had to be together, garnering strength from their combined love. It was almost 2:00 a.m. when they finally pulled up in front of the bungalow. They dragged themselves out and ascended the front steps. Michael removed his key and then thought better of it, and used his powers to open the lock.

They all tumbled into the foyer, dropping backpacks all over the floor as they scrambled for the bathrooms. No one was in the mood to shower, being too tired to care at this point.

Quick good nights were exchanged and they all retired to their beds, proclaiming that they were going to sleep in tomorrow. No one argued with the idea and soon they were all asleep, snuggling under the covers with their loved ones.

Max and Liz, as tired as they were, managed to make love, since they had missed out on last night. They were asleep before Max had withdrawn from her, wrapped snuggly in each other’s arms, breathing in the familiar scents that made up their existence. They dreamed of making love all night and at some point during their slumber, they actually did. Half-waking in a state of arousal, they found themselves kissing passionately and groping each other.

They consummated quickly, and returned to a deep sleep, hardly aware of their act of love, thinking it was all part of a vivid dream. They didn’t wake until 2:00 p.m. the next afternoon, when they made love again upon seeing each other. They could hear someone in the shower, so they lay in bed, fondling each other, until the bathroom was vacated. Then they made a dash for the bathroom, pushing each other in fun as they sought relief.

Once in the shower, they started washing each other and before too long, they were aroused enough again to make love. Max held Liz by her bottom as he plunged into her passage and she wrapped her legs tightly around his waist, as she pounded her hips into him. They couldn’t seem to get enough of each other since they returned from that cave last night. They were consumed with passion, not wanting to stop touching each other and kissing one another.

This could prove embarrassing once they rejoined their friends, but they didn’t know what else to do about it. They thought the best thing to do was to try to explain it to them, as ridiculous as it sounded. They needn’t have concerned themselves, however, since they were all in the same predicament. It’s like something in that cave had opened up a channel of feelings in them, and they couldn’t control the tidal wave.

When they all met in the kitchen, they looked a little sheepish, no one wanting to be the first to bring it up. Maria finally broke the ice and blurted out what was happening with her and Michael. The others looked relieved as they admitted their own state of affairs. Even Ava had been having sexual dreams about Zan all night, and the poor girl had no one to share her sexual tension with but herself.

"We must have triggered something when we went inside that chamber." Max suggested as he fondled Liz’s arm absentmindedly.

All of them were rubbing some part of each partner’s body, occasionally kissing as they paused for a moment. What were they going to do, they thought desperately? If this kept up, they would be in a serious fix once they returned home. Ava kept rubbing her hands over her arms as she tried to get the image of Zan out of her mind, but it was no use. She decided to go outside for some fresh air to clear her head.

"Maybe it was some kind of love chamber," Alex joked. "I mean, we don’t really know what any of those symbols mean, yet. Maybe we should start deciphering them, if we can,’ he suggested.

"I agree," Max said, as he led Liz into the living room and over to the computer alcove. "Let’s download the pictures we took last night and then we’ll look at them on the overhead and try to find some kind of match."

They all retrieved their cameras and Max and Liz started downloading the images. It took awhile and while they were otherwise engaged, the other couples took the opportunity to do some more groping and kissing, sprawling on the couches and chairs in the living room.

Ava had still not returned, the sexual heat in the house being too overwhelming for her.

She could swear she could feel Zan’s lips on hers and his hands wandering over her curves, as he whispered into her hair. She sat on a bench in the back yard and let the feelings wash over her, denying them no longer. She smiled as she remembered what it felt like to be held by him in the throws of passion......how he let his guard down as he brought the two of them to climax, shouting her name and whispering words of love after.

She remembered the first time they made love. They were only fifteen at the time and Lonnie and Rath had left on one of their regular jaunts to terrorize unsuspecting citizens. They left their two companions who were watching some cartoons on a t.v. they had rigged up. It was a Saturday afternoon, and they were just lying down on some couches, too lazy to get dressed.

They munched on popcorn, laughing at the silly antics on the screen and tossing popcorn at it and each other, occasionally. When the cartoons were over, they switched channels and inadvertently tuned into a movie about two teenagers stranded on a desert island. They became interested in the story and as the tale unfolded, the sexual tension on the screen and in the room, heated up.

They stole glances at one another as the couple on the screen became more sexually aroused. Zan stood up and walked over to Ava’s couch. He sat down casually next to her, looking into her eyes with his own deep set golden ones. She couldn’t move as he leaned in closer to her and pressed his lips to hers. He had never shown any interest in her like that before, and she felt the heat rising off her body as her heart hammered in her chest.

She instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck as the kiss deepened. Their mouths opened for one another and their tongues met. They moaned as their bodies responded to the kissing and Zan pushed Ava down on her side gently as he joined her on the couch, fondling her back as she rubbed his. Neither one had had any experience at making love, so they just let instinct take over.

Ava could feel Zan’s arousal pressing into her body, but she wasn’t sure what to do next. He helped her by bringing her hand down to touch it and showing her what to do by rubbing along its length. She whimpered as he touched her for the first time, tentatively at first and then more boldly as she moved under his touch. They were breathing hard and tearing at each others clothes as they became more agitated.

He brought his hand to her breast, massaging it gently as he rocked his hips. He stopped for a minute, his eyes hooded in deep passion, as he started to undo her top. Her cheeks were so flushed and she was breathing so hard that she didn’t understand what was happening at first. He leaned down to kiss her again and she melted under his caress. He finished undoing her top and touched her bare breast for the first time.

She shuddered as she let him massage her nipple and then he leaned down to kiss it. She arched towards him as she encouraged his mouth. His tongue snaked out of his mouth as he tasted her and she cried out as he sucked her bud into his mouth. She held his head as she pressed her pelvis into his, rocking her hips into his arousal. He groaned as the feelings urged him on. He took her other breast and did the same thing to it.

By this time, Ava was beyond herself with passion and she clawed at his top to try to remove it. She wanted to feel and taste him too and he stopped long enough to allow her access to his body. She ran her tongue over his well developed chest, one she had seen countless times before , but until now, had not regarded it as anything sexual. He moaned in delight at her tonguing as she sucked on his own nipples. He was amazed at how arousing it felt.

Before he knew it, she had slipped her hand inside his pants and was drawing it up and down his shaft. He came immediately as his body shuddered in release. He was embarrassed at his lack of control but she was fascinated at her power over his body. He wanted her to experience the same feelings but he wasn’t sure how to proceed.

She helped him by taking his hand and rubbing his finger in between her folds. They both gasped at the sensation, she for the feelings it aroused as she let him feel her swollen nub for the first time, and he, because he was so surprised at how hot and wet it was down there. He ran his finger gently over her nub and she threw her head back as she responded to his ministrations, moaning loudly as he brought her to climax, her body bucking out of control as he continued to tease her flesh.

He kissed her on the mouth lovingly as he realized what he had done for her. She smiled shyly, and as he continued to kiss her, their passion grew. They groped each other again, and this time they removed their pants. They wanted to see all of each other and he was fascinated by her blond curls covering her mound. She was equally fascinated by his large arousal as she continued to grip her hand around it and run it up and down its length. She watched his face as it registered the pleasure she was causing.

"I want to do it," she whispered into his ear.

He looked into her face and then he slowly moved his body on top of hers as he brought the tip of his penis to her hot wet passage. He slowly pushed it inside, watching her face for signs of discomfort but all he saw was her shining eyes encouraging him on. He didn’t want to come again so fast before she had a chance to experience some pleasure, so he took it slow and gradual, even though his mind was totally overwhelmed by the feelings sweeping over his body.

When he reached her barrier, he could feel the resistance. He didn’t know what to do, so he just stopped. Ava knew this was supposed to hurt but she wanted him so badly that she pushed on his buttocks, shoving him deep inside of her. She cried out at the momentary sharp pain, and he was concerned for her well being. He refused to budge, afraid that he would hurt her some more. After she grew accustomed to his presence inside of her, she began to move beneath him to signal that it was okay for him to continue.

He began to move slowly and gently, kissing her neck and face and mouth, as he became more aroused. He rested his weight on his forearms as he pumped her faster and faster trying to hold on for as long as he could, until he realized she was there with him. Then, he pumped into her furiously as he felt the first wave of passion hit him. He reared up on his hands as he drove deeper and deeper into her, crying out as his release came. She called out to him as her orgasm tore from her body.

Their bodies shook and trembled as they continued to buck from the throws of passion. Eventually, Zan slumped down from exhaustion, letting his face fall on her exposed chest, sucking at her breasts and licking her soft skin. She held onto him with her arms wrapped loosely around his shoulders as she kissed his head. Tears of joy coursed down her cheeks. She never realized what it could feel like to be loved so passionately by someone.

All of these feelings flooded her senses now, and she knew she would never love anybody else the way she had loved Zan. She would always miss him and maybe she would never get over these feelings. Maybe she should just end it all now, because she was starting to realize that life wasn’t worth living without him anymore.