*Where they trying to draw us out, get us to leave? If they didn't want a confrontation with us that would make since. Lure us out, get us to leave, and then go in and look around. But why? There is nothing there. * He felt Liz shifting her weight from against his side to his right leg. He couldn't help but look down to look at her. She looked so uncomfortable leaning across the gab between their two seats, and yet she stayed there clinging to him. He forced his eyes back to the road trying not to think about her head laying in his lap and her face being so close to his now hardened flesh.

*Down boy, you can't be thinking like that right now. You have to keep your mind on more important things. * Even scolding himself he couldn't keep himself from looking down at her resting form. At first he thought she'd fallen asleep, he breathing was slow and steady. However as his eyes came to rest on her hands and lap, he realized she wasn't. Her thumb was moving back and forth tracing the spiral symbol on the surface of the orb. *The orb, was someone after the orbs? Did they hope we would leave them there so they could get their hands on them? It makes more since than anything else I've come up with so far. They are powerful, more powerful than we expected. And it seems that have more capabilities than we are aware of. *

*The question is who else knows this? Nesado? Yeah, but he didn't seem to know how to activate them, or at least he didn't want to tell us how to. But that doesn't make since. He's had plenty of time to take the orbs before now. So who else does that leave? The FBI, not likely. They wouldn't be able to open the chamber entrance. If it had been them, they wouldn't have let me and Liz just walk away. They would want us to activate the orbs for them, or at least to show them how. Okay, who else? *

*There is another possibility. Maybe whoever did this doesn't want the orbs at all, but merely to keep us from activating them. * His thoughts continued the same path for sometime. There was no way he could know anything for sure, but he had to be prepared for every possible scenario. He conclusion the best way to make sure the orbs were safe was by keeping them close at all times, or at least until he could think of a new place to hide them. He knew there would be risks in doing so, but he felt better about chancing those rather than leaving them somewhere where they could be easily taken. If there was someone out there who wanted to harm even one member of their group, or to take the orbs, they would be safer keeping the orbs close and being prepared.

As they reached the more densely populated part of Roswell, Max allowed himself to relax a bit more. He doubted anyone would want to risk trying a confrontation with witnesses around. He glanced down at Liz's resting form once again. She looked so beautiful with her dark hair pulled to one side, it draping over his leg. The soft skin of her neck and shoulder revealed to him. It made his stomach do flip flaps seeing her lay like this, her head in his lap, her face so close to his arousal. Images of the fantasies he'd had of her flooded his mind. He looked back at the road and took a deep breath. *Now is not the time for this. Safety, I have to think of her safety first. I have to stay in control here, it wouldn't help for us to be caught off guard twice in one day. * He looked back down at her, this time noticing the way she had her legs curled up to her stomach in her seat. He smiled slightly and shook his head slowly from side to side as a low groan escaped his lips.

*Liz, the power you have over me is madness. You look so sweet and innocent and yet my mind is thinking anything but innocent thoughts as I look at you. If only we didn't need to meet with the others I would find someplace safe for us to go and finish what we started earlier. Listen to me, You'd think our whole relationship was based on sex, at the least driven by our hormones. And yet it couldn't be further than the truth. I have to protect you my love, because without you, I would simply no longer exist. I would die a hallow shell, with no purpose to continue. I have to protect you Liz, I have to keep you safe. And the safest place for us right now is with the others, not in some secluded place by ourselves. *

***

Liz may have looked relaxed on the outside, but on the inside her stomach had been in knots. She couldn't believe how quickly things had changed. One moment she had been lost in the wonderful, magical sensation Max was sending through her body. The next they were scared their lives could be in danger. She had known their lives would never be normal, which meant they would have to watch their backs for unknown dangers. However, knowing it, and to have to face it, were two different things. She clung to Max knowing in her heart that as long as they were together, they could endure anything that came their way.

His arousal hadn't gone unnoticed by Liz, and she found herself smiling to herself. He had done so much to make sure that she was satisfied, and her Max was still left wanting. She was going to have to do something about that later. If only she could do something about it now. But then maybe she could.

"Liz my love, were almost there." Max said running his hand over her shoulder.

Liz sat up in her seat and looked to see how close they were to Tess's. She was disappointed to see that they were already on Tess's street just a few houses to go. She turned to Max as he pulled to the curb in front the house and parked. "Max could you hold me for a few minutes before we go inside."

"Sure, anything you want my love." He reached out and willed her to move into his arms. Instead she moved to the back seat and motioned for him to join her. "What are you up to Liz?"

"I just thought that we would be more comfortable back here, that's all." Max looked hesitant, and she wondered if he doubted his ability to control himself in his current state, or if he was worried about their safety. "Max, please. I need for you to hold me."

He pressed his lips together and gave a little nod before climbing over the seat and joining Liz in the back. He leaned into her to wrap his arms around her, and felt his restraint falter as her lips met his with such passion and longing that he almost forgot where they were. He sat back, pulling away from Liz's needing to calm himself before things went too far. Liz didn't relinquish her grip on him, instead she followed him, and moved into his lap, straddling his hips, and wrapped her arms around his neck burying her face into the side of his neck. He groaned as he felt the heat radiating through the thin layer of her panties and penetrated his own clothes. In a strained voice he struggled to talk. "Oh Liz, um, I don't think that this is such a great idea."

"Max, I know we shouldn't, I mean, can't do anything here. But I needed to feel you close to me."

Taking extra care to speak coherently, he spoke slowly. "You are making this so hard on me. Liz, baby please. I can't take much more of this and not have you."

She kissed his side of his neck just below his ear and then whispered, "Who says you can't have me Max?"

What better invitation could a guy ask for than that. And as much as he wanted her, he couldn't let himself give into the needs of his flesh. He had to think with the head on top of his shoulders and not the one in his pants, because his first priority would always be her safety. He placed his hands on her hips and lifted her off of his lap, sitting her in the seat beside him. He wanted to kiss her when she did that pouting thing she does with her lips, but didn't trust himself to be able to pull away a second time. "Liz, no. We can't here, not when we still have so many unanswered question about what happened out there today."

He pushed the seat forward and climbed out of the jeep. "Besides Liz, with the top of the jeep down anyone could see. You really wouldn't want anybody watching us would you? Or us being arrested for indecent exposure. Could you imagine how much trouble we could be in when our parents found out why were arrested?"

She hated it, but he was right. The last thing she wanted was to have to explain that one to her parents, or have her parents forbid her from seeing Max for the summer. She didn't think she could survive the summer if they did that. "All right, you win for now. But so help me Max, we have to find a way to be together tonight. I don't think I can stand to be away from you."

"I feel the same way Liz. We figure something out. I promise." He knew it had to do with more than just seeing her lay there, it had to do with the image of her face being in his lap. Specially with her face so close to his. He offered her his hand and helped her out of the Jeep. When both of her feet were firmly on the ground, he wrapped his arms around her and placed a kiss on her forehead. "We better get inside before they have an excuse to start teasing us again."

With their arms wrapped around each others waists they walked up the sidewalk to Tess's front door and knocked. They were so lost in each other that they didn't notice the figure hiding in the shadows behind the shrubs to their left. If they had, they would have seen the look of fury in the man's eyes.

****

It hadn't been long since Nesado hid in the brush watching the four inside that he heard the jeep pull up in front of the house. He watched as Liz moved into the back seat and Max followed her. *What is going on here? Tess was in there with the sheriff's son, Isabel with what's his name show up together, and now Max and Liz are together, doing it in the back seat. Everything I have planned and worked on all of these years has fallen apart. That girl can't do anything right. It looks like I'm going to have to take care of this myself. *

He was slightly relieved when Max and Liz climbed out of the jeep, *Okay, at least they weren't actually doing it, but they're either really close, or they already have. I have to stop this before this goes any further. *