She moved around her room like a gazelle, graceful and light on her feet. She felt as if she were floating in a cloud of pure bliss, her feet barely touched the ground. Time didn't seem to be moving fast enough. She continued to look at the clock counting down the minutes until Max would be there to pick her up.

Having already finished getting ready, and still having plenty of time to spare, she headed down stairs to the Cafe for a bite to eat. She ordered a hot breakfast consisting of eggs, sausage, hash browns, toast, and orange juice. On a typical morning, she would have eaten a light breakfast, but this morning she was famished. She smiled to herself as her thoughts lingered on the events of the night. Those events being the cause of her increase in appetite.

With a smile on her face, she leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes. *I love you Maxwell Evans.* Images of his strong beautiful masculine body swarmed in her head. She recalled what it felt like to caress the soft skin of his strong chest and rippling abs. Subconsciously she nibbled ever so slowly on her bottom lip imagining that it was Max who was doing the nibbling. She began to contemplate in detail the events of the night before, and how absolutely gorgeous Max's body looked and how incredible it felt as they touched each others so intimately. Everywhere his gentle hands glided over her skin, the way his hot flesh moved against hers.

Nancy was pleased to see that her daughter looked so happy this morning, it was apparent by the expression on her face. She was curious at to what had brought about this wave of good spirits. Diane slid in on the bench across the table from Liz and interrupted her reverie. "Good morning sweety, you look like you're in a good mood today. Is there anything in particular you are so happy about?"

Liz opened her eyes, and look at her mother answering simply, "No, nothing in particular. It's just everything combined."

"Everything?" Diane questioned curiously.

She knew she couldn't tell her mother about the changes in hers and Max's relationship. Her mother had already expressed her concerns about the two of them getting too serious at their age, and yet she doesn't want to hide her love for him either, not even to make her mother happy. "Yes, Everything. Schools almost out for the summer, which means more time with Max and our friends. We have so many things planned to do together this summer. It's going to be a great summer."

The idea of Liz spending more time with Max than she already does concerns her mother. Especially after hearing Jeff's version of his and Tess's conversation. "Lizzy, I don't want to put a damper on your good mood, but we do need to talk. You and Max. How serious is it getting? Your dad heard something, and quite frankly it has us both worried."

Liz looks around the cafe nervously. "Mom, you know I'm not comfortable talking about this stuff."

"I know, I'm sorry for bringing it up here. I'm just worried about you."

Liz takes her mom's hand in hers and smiles. "Mom, you don't have to worry, okay. Max and I aren't going to do anything that we will regret later on, okay." Liz was truthful, she doesn't see how either her or Max could ever regret their actions. They love each other, and they know their destiny is together, even if they don't know what the destiny is.

Diane wasn't convinced, but what else could she say. It was apparent that Liz had strong feelings of Max. And she knew from her own experiences that just telling your child to be careful, or not to get too involved, didn't mean it wasn't going to happen. She trusted Liz, and believed that she had done a good job rasing her. She also knew that Liz had a good head on her shoulders, none the less, she still worried. "That's my job, to worry about my little girl, even if she isn't so little anymore."

*~*

Max took extra care putting the canopy on the jeep before leaving the house. Even though summer was upon them, the nip in the air in these morning hours could be a bit chilling. Besides he figured the added privacy it would offer would come in handy.

He arrived earlier than he had planned, but the idea of waiting another minute to see and hold Liz was unthinkable. Try as he may, he couldn't seem to think about anything else. There was no use trying to get the images of how beautiful and sexy Liz looked, in all her naked glory, out of his head. Or the memory of how perfectly they fit together, their bodies joined in a discovery of wonderful new sensations. Not that he minds the memories or the images, but they were wreaking havoc on his body. Keeping him at a constant state of arousal. All he could say, was thank goodness for baggy jeans.

As soon he turned the engine off, opened the door, and jumped out of his jeep. He turned to head for the alley door leading up to Liz's home above the Crashdown Cafe. He didn't get very far before being happily surprised. She exited the Crashdown, and was heading his way. "Hi" she said as she approached him.

The distance between them was quickly closed and he wrapped his arms around her small frame and lowered his lips to meet with hers in a tender, yet lingering kiss. He slowly released her lips, pulling back only slightly, and whispered against her lips. "Hi, I've missed you."

Liz sighed with a seductive smile on her lips, "I've missed you too." She would have been content to stay in his arms right where they stood forever, but she could feel her mothers eyes watching them with peeked interest. She took his hand in hers and motioned to the windows of the Cafe. "We need to go somewhere more private."

Max understood her meaning and lead her to the passenger side of the jeep. "I think that's a good idea. We have a few things we need to talk about before school." He helped Liz into the jeep before swiftly walking rounded to the driver's side and climbing in. He knew right were to go. The perfect place for them to be alone. Even though his body was screaming for him to take Liz again, he truly meant that they had some things they needed to talk about.

They quietly exchanged glances and loving smiles as they traveled down the road. Neither felt the need to talk at this point, they simply basked in each other presence. Max drove to the same residential park he and Liz had enjoyed their private picnic just a two-day prior. After parking he turned to look deep into her big beautiful brown eyes. The hunger and desire he saw lingering in her eyes made him ache for her all the more.

Liz could see her own needs reflecting back at her in his deep brown eyes, and for the first time she sensed, not only were their eyes almost the same color, but that they matched with intensity and desire for each other. He was seeing into her soul, just as she was seeing into his. She unbuckled her seat belt and moved in the back of the jeep where she predicted they would be more comfortable. Max watched as she moved into the back and waited for him to join her. He groaned in a combination of pleasure and agony. How was he supposed to talk to her when she was tempting him to do the other thing he wanted to do to her? He followed her back, getting comfortable beside her. When he turned to look at her, with the intent of staying on task, he was surprised by her actions once again this morning.

Once he looked like he was situated comfortably in the seat next to her, she moved into his lap. Her skirt rode up her legs as she did so, gathering at her hips as she straddled him. As soon as she did this, she looked down and then back into his handsome face with a slight smirk. It was very apparent to her now that he was just as aroused as she was. The feeling of his arousal so close to her heat sent sparks of delight pulsing through her body, and she began kissing him feverishly with unbridled passion.

He lost all train of thought and gave into the sensations she stirred to a new height within him. Their passion and need for satisfaction excelled rapidly. Both were breathing rapidly in desperate need of oxygen as they struggled to remove each others shirt longing for more unrestrained contact.

After they discarded their shirts carelessly, they clung to each other, both struggling for dominance as they hungrily devoured the newly exposed, sensitive flesh of the other. He pulled back suddenly, and grasped her by the shoulders pushing her back from him, bringing things to a screeching halt.

The look in his eyes scared her. She was worried that he had a vision in which he saw something that scared him. "Max, what's wrong?"

He meets her eyes only for a moment before looking away. *How could I have been so careless? So stupid? What if? What if?* He looks into her eyes once again and tried to explain. "Last night, the way everything happened. It just happened so fast and . . ."

Liz was getting more worried by the second. *What if he does regret what we've done? Did we move to fast? Am I moving to fast for him now?*

". . . Liz, the thought of something, anything happening to you."

Her mind raced back to the possibility that he had seen a vision. "Max, you're scaring me. Please tell me what's wrong. Did you have a vision?"

"No, not a vision Liz, a realization. I just realized that I didn't protect you Liz. Last night, I was so lost in the moment, I didn't protect you. What if, what if you were to get pregnant? I should have been thinking about you, protecting you." His voice echoed with sorrow.

At this moment she loved him even more if that was possible. He truly does love and worry about her. She raised a single finger to his lips, "Shhhh, Max. It's okay, Shhhh."

Pulling her hand from his mouth, he shakes his head no. "Liz, no it's not all right. I should have."

Liz cut him off once again. "You don't understand Max. Its okay, I'm okay. The last time things heated up like this between us. When we found the first orb. I took precautions, and went to the doctor Max. You see, it really is okay."

Searching her eyes for the truth of her words, he breathed a sigh of relief. He was worried about what his loss of control may have ended up costing her. He wasn't really worried about himself, just her, just his Liz.

He released her shoulders and pulled her tightly into his chest kissing the top of her head. "Liz, if anything ever happened to you. If I was ever the cause of any additional pain in your life, I don't know how I would handle that." With reverence he ran his hand through her silky raven hair, "Liz, I love you so much, it hurts. You mean everything to me. No matter what happens, or what our destiny may be, I will always love you. You are my heart Liz, you are everything that is good, and true in this life for me. Without you I have nothing."

She sat up looking into his warm chocolate eyes and gingerly traced his lips with her fingers as tears of joy filled her eyes. "I love you too Max. You have changed my life in so many ways that now it would seem empty without you in it. I want you to know, I'll be yours forever, no matter what comes our way. There is nothing on Earth or in the heavens above that could make me stop loving you or wanting to be with you. And I want you to know, if by chance I were to get pregnant, I wouldn't regret it Max. Because they would be ours. They would be children conceived out of our love for each other."

In the distance sat a car, in which the dark complected man watched the silhouettes of two lovers. He had hoped they would have triggered another vision from the truth seer, but he knew they had not. He wished he could hear what they were saying, he was curious as to what subject they were discussing that had brought such an abrupt end of their heated moment.