The drive didn't take him long, although finding the right turn off was more complicated than he'd remembered it being. Realistically, he shouldn't have been so surprised by all the changes that greeted him, it had been close to fifty years since he'd made this trip. The most startling discovery was condition of the old stone church and accompanying cemetery. It was as if they both had been long since forgotten.

Climbing out of his car, he scanned the area more closely. Here he'd known what to look for, and still had a hard time finding it. He questioned how Max and Liz would ever be able to lead them here with the information he knew the orb had been sending. The longer he stood there, the more concerned he grew that they wouldn't be able to, at least not without drawing unwanted attention to themselves.

He hadn't planned to interfere so soon, but he had to do what he had to do. But what was he to do? He spent a few minutes pondering the possibility of shape shifting into an elderly man, and waiting for them at one of the larger cemeteries in the area. However, he suspected that at this hour anyone seeing him, namely Max and Michael, would be suspicious of his presence. There had to be another way. As a new idea surface in his mind a smile appeared on his face.

Olan climbed into his car and speed down the road to the very turnoff he'd had to search for. Stepping from his car he looked for any markers the others might recognize, after doing so he climbed back into his and returned to the old church. He made his way as quickly to where he'd buried the orb so long ago. Pulling the orb-shaped medallion from his shirt, he clung to it tightly as he placed his other hand on the ground beside the tombstone. With his eyes closed, Olan took a deep cleansing breath and concentrated on the landmarks and images he'd seen that would lead Max and Liz to this location.

He felt a sudden burst of energy burst from the ground below him, and knew that it had worked. After returning the medallion to its safe hiding place within his shirt Olan began his retreat removing all signs of his presence. Reaching his car, he glanced once more around to make sure he'd done a thorough job, then drove further down the road to watch the events he was sure to follow. *** Nesado followed the two vehicles cautiously, he stayed well out of sight, hanging back a distance in order to keep from being spotted. At first he wondered where they were heading, and why they would be doing so at this hour of the morning. However those thoughts were replaced with memories of what Olan had told him. With those thoughts in mind, he suspected they were on their way to finding another orb.

His thoughts soon took another path. *Is Olan watching over them even now as I am, or does he already know where they're heading, and is waiting for them there? I suppose it really doesn't matter, it's just good to know that I'm not in this alone anymore. There is someone else watching over them, someone with the knowledge of the Seer. The royal four will survive this and they will return home, granted they will have four humans at their side. If anything is strange, it has to be that. I will never get used to the idea of having to protect humans, not even these four. Wait, what are they doing now? *

Up ahead he saw the two vehicles pull to the side of the road. Turning off his headlights he did the same, then looked around trying to figure out why the stopped on the side of the highway. It was to dark for him to make out their movements clearly. He could see a figure moving around the back of the jeep to the passenger side, and then nothing. He was tempted to move a little closer to find out what was going on, but decided against it. And instead, to keep his distance and wait for them to make their next move.

After a few minutes he saw a faint white glow coming from the right side of the jeep. He speculated that they must have been searching for a flashlight or some such human contraption in order to move out into the darkness, away from the vehicles. When they didn't move from the side of the jeep, he changed his prior conclusion. To the best conclusion he could come up with was they were looking at a map, or maybe some directions they had written down.

Once again he questioned why they didn't rely more on their own gifts. As the reality of the reason occurred to him, he hung his head in shame. It was their lack of training that was to cause for their reliance of human inventions, and their train had fallen on his shoulder and his shoulders alone. He had failed them in yet another way. As he cursed himself for failing them, he also wished for a chance to make up for his mistakes.

It wasn't until the cars started pulling away that he became aware of their moments once again. After watching them pull away from the side of the road, he to did the same and continued to follow them. *** Michael drove the jeep steadily down the highway 70 east, while Maria sat shot gun staring out the window of the jeep's canopy. She watched for any signs of the access road Max and Liz had described from their latest flash. Michael periodically glanced over at Maria, hoping to see some sign that her anger was dissipating. Unfortunately, if it was, she never gave him any signs of it.

Max and Liz were sitting comfortably in the back seat. He was leaning against the side of the jeep with one leg propped up in the seat with both arms wrapped securely around Liz's waist as she sat between his legs, leaning back against his chest, and painfully hard arousal. There was no doubt that this position would be difficult on them both, but he needed to feel her as close as possible to him. He couldn't, or rather didn't want to resist his need to touch her and be touched by her in some way.

Even so, Max was not about to give Michael and Maria a peep show, at least not one that would be rated anything above P. G. So he closed his eyes and attempted to maintain the few threads of control he still possessed. However, it wasn't working as he'd planned, not only was he body betraying him at every turn, but his thoughts were as well. Images of Liz's delicate body laying exposed to him appeared in his mind's eye, and thoughts of how badly he wanted to explore every aspect of her beautiful body quickly followed. From that thought, and image, sprung fantasy after fantasy of things he wanted to do to her. He also thought about how delicious it would feel to have his Liz's tantalizing mouth and feminine hands roaming over him. It wasn't helping that Liz's delicate hands were moving slowly up and down his inner thigh.

Max was beginning to think he was fighting a losing battle as her hands moved a little higher with each stroke. He couldn't have been more relieved that he was as Liz's hand became still at the sound of Maria's voice from the front seat. "Is that it, is that the road you two saw in you latest flash?"

Max and Liz both leaned forward to look at the dirt road in question, and answered simultaneously, "No." *** Resuming their comfortable position, Liz could feel his erection pressing against her back. Even though she'd been rubbing his leg, she didn't connect the two. She assumed he was still enjoying, or suffering as the case maybe, the results of their passionate embrace, just as she was. Since she figured there was nothing either of them could do to relieve their ache, she forced herself to concentrate on simply enjoy the feeling of being blanketed in his warm arms and resting against his strong chest. Unaware of the effect it was having on him, she began to move her fingers lazily up and down his thigh once again. While doing so, her mind drifted to what had happened, and the consequences they could face if it were to happen again.

*I can't believe how easily I forgot we weren't alone. This has got to be the most embarrassing moment of my life. To think, I was already starting to undress Max and he had his hand on my breast. Oh my gosh, this could have been so much worse, these days he normally removes my shirt and bra before fondling my breast. *

Maria broke into her thoughts once again as they approached yet another access road to the right. "What about this one? Could this be it?" Liz was the first to answer, "Nope, not it. Keep looking."

Liz returned to her thoughts fairly quickly, *What I don't understand is why the orbs have singled Max and me out. Why we are the only two receiving these flashes. Wouldn't it be faster and more efficient if each couple was looking for their own orb? It seems to me that the most important thing here is to bring the other couples together. And what better way to do that than to increase their need for each other. There has to be a reason for what it is doing, why can't I put my finger on it? *

*Could it be . . . could it be the orbs are trying to make us work as a unit? To set up the ranks of our group somehow? Maybe to emphasize Max is to lead us? It does make since in away, but then we already knew Max was the leader, Nesado told us that. If I keep trying to figure this out, my head is going to explode. It's time to move onto my other question. Why does the orb have to power to affect Max and I the way it does? As if I will ever figure this one out. It seems beyond weird that some unknown force has the ability to make us, for lack of a better word, horny. And to do it at the drop of a hat. *

*Oh my gosh, what if the orb does this to us again, but next time we are somewhere more public? Here I thought today was embarrassing, I can't imagine what it would be like if we started undressing each other in public. Heaven forbid, in front of one of our parents! What would we do or say, how would we explain if I started glowing again like I did today? It would be bad enough having to explain to our parents about our relationship, but being forced to explain Max's Czechoslovakian status after something like that. It would be . . . I don't even want to think about it. * The thought of how her parents would most likely react sent a shiver through her whole body, she just didn't think they would handle it well, especially her mother. *** Max felt her small frame shiver against him, and worried the crisp morning air might be too cold for her. Being concerned for her comfort, he carefully turns toward the back of the jeep, and retrieved a blanket from the old green military duffle bag he stored there for emergences. After unfolded the blanket, he spread it out over them, making sure she was well covered. "Better?"

Liz couldn't help but smile, Max always seemed to notice the smallest of things. "Much better, thank you." She answered not wanting to belittle his sweet gesture. Just as she got comfortable, they heard Maria repeat the same question she'd been asking for the last ten minutes of their trip. Liz sat up in her seat to get a better look at the road Maria was referring to. Realizing that once again it wasn't the road they were looking for she laid back down against Max's chest as she answered. "Nope, not it."

Instead of resting her back against his chest as before, she rolled to this side so that she was resting on her hip, twisting slightly to molded her upper body to his. Taking this new position she came in firm contact with the jean clad bulge he was still sporting. Quickly she concluded he was still thinking about either the embrace they had shared, playing out fantasizes in his mind, or her proximity was having more of an effect on him than she had previously realized. Regardless of which it was, she couldn't ignore the discovery, just knowing how excited and ready he was, stoked her own inner flame. *** Max bit down on his lower lip to keep from groaning out loud as she shifted her position and rubbed up against his aching flesh. As he worked to maintain his control, he felt Liz's hot hands slipping under his shirt, and move excruciatingly slow up his chest. When she reached his pectoral muscles, she rakes her fingernails across one nipple, then the other, sending a wave of added pleasure through his body. *If that's the way she wants to play this. A turn about is fair game. *

He was grateful for the blanket he'd pulled out only minutes before, because it would provide an aptitude of privacy thus for preventing Michael and Maria from seeing what he would be doing to Liz. He propped his head up with one arm behind his head, giving the impression he was relaxing, possibly falling asleep as he closed his eyes. However he was doing quite the opposite with the hand that he slipped underneath the blanket.

He started with feather light circles against the small of her back. With patience, he continued his process until he felt her body relax against him. Only then did he move his hand under her shirt, and make a tail of circles up and down her spine. Alone his side, chest, and ribs, he felt Liz mimicking his motions, and found his own body relaxing as he got lost in the sensation. *** Liz's head filled with a hazy sensation, almost a dream like state in which she felt lightheaded and sensual. To describe it better, it was as if the world had slipped away, leaving only the sensations Max's magical fingers stirred within her body as they worked their spell over her. *** Making further progress, Max slid his hand from her back to her side. From there, he stroked the tender skin under her arm, down her ribs, brushing the edge of her breast ever so slightly. Moving further south, his hands slid down the indentation of her waist, only to rise once again with the swell of her shapely hip, and then as far down her thigh as the length of his arms would permit. He followed this path up and down her body several times. In doing so, he watched for the signs of her growing excitement, which made its appearance in the form of her dissipating ability to remain still.

Yet again, Maria's reminder of her and Michael's presence penetrated the sexual haze which had been taking hold of his mind. "There's another road up ahead. Is it this one?" He heard her ask hopefully.

His eyes had been fixed on Liz, and he was relieved she didn't seem to hear Maria's voice this time. Actual he was quite pleased with himself, his actions had her so far gone, she this lost to the world around them. He continued his caresses as he checked to see if this was indeed the road they were looking for. Looking back at Maria prepared to answer her, he realized she was looking right at him. She seemed to be waiting for his response, so instead of answering out loud, he just shook his head no. *** Maria had noticed the movement underneath the blanket. Since it seemed harmless enough, and Liz looked like she was sleeping soundly against Max, she dismissed it as harmless. However she found herself wishing Michael would do something, anything to attempt to make peace with her. Here he'd been in the jeep for a while now, and he hadn't said a word to her, let alone tried to hold her hand. His lack of effort was making her more angry with him by the second.

She turned back around in her seat, glancing first over at Michael, then returning to stare out the window for the next access road off the highway. *** Once Maria turned back in her seat, Max reduced the distance his hands were traveling. Concentrate solely on the lower half of her body, he hoped to increase her desire. To cover more area at once, he using the surface of his whole hand, and caressed her hips and firm butt in a circular motion, occasionally bringing his hand to tender flesh of her soft creamy mid drift. His actions were rewarded in a way he hadn't anticipated. Not only did her hips began to sway gently to and fro, but her side, which was pressing against his manhood, moved against him in the same motion, thus increased his pleasure as well.

If not for the short distance between his ear and her mouth, the small sighs of pleasure escaping her lips, would have gone unnoticed, only to be drowned out by the sound of the jeep's engine. At this moment, As much as he'd wished they were alone, he hadn't forgotten they weren't. Therefore he knew they couldn't enjoy the ultimate pleasure of joining their bodies as one. However he felt the blanket provided enough privacy he could at least take them closer to ecstacy and possible do something to relieve Liz of her growing need for release.

It would have made it easier if she had been wearing one of her skirts instead of jeans, but he knew he could easily work around that. The next time he slid his hand over her trim stomach, he slipped his fingers under the waistband of her jeans instead of following his previous pattern. Again he was greeted with moans of pleasure, which made his efforts all the sweeter. Expertly he unfastened the button and slowly pulled the zipper down. As he did so, he watched Maria for any signs that she would turn around again or hear what he was doing. He really doubted that she would hear anything, but he wanted to be sure, and especially sure she didn't see what he was doing. He realized even if she'd been able to hear what was going on over the sound of the engine, she was to busy talking at Michael to hear anything besides the sound of her own voice.

Turning his full attention back to Liz, he found himself wishing they were alone. He really wanted to watch what he was about to do. Even so, there was no doubt in his mind, even if he couldn't see what he did, it would be well worth and risk they were taking of being caught by Michael and/or Maria. Slipping his hand through the opening of her pants, and under the elastic of her panties, he sought out the treasure he knew was waiting him. *** At the first touch of his finger against her wet heat, Liz let out the moan of pleasure she's felt building within her. After doing so, she felt Max hand and fingers come to an abrupt stop and his warm breath caressing her ear. Then she heard his voice, it was deep and raspy, undoubtably full of the same passion and lust she was feeling. "You have to keep quiet my beloved, or I'll have to stop."

She nodded her head against his chest, letting him know she understood. She knew she had to be quiet, and she'd been doing a good job thus far, but it felt so good to have him touching her this way she couldn't help herself. She prayed that once he resumed his exploration of her womanhood would be able to restrain from crying out. No sooner had she felt him caressing her once again that Maria's voice came over the seat. "What about this one you guys?"

Liz felt Max's free arm wrap firmly around her waist, holding her against him as he whispered in her ear, "Be still." *** Max didn't want this moment to be spoiled or his contact with her sweet nectar to be broken on the chance that this was another false alarm, and would only take a moment to determine. He looked toward the road in question. At first he wasn't sure, "Slow down a little Michael." Michael did as Max asked, and was rewarded with, "Yeah, this is it. We're almost there."

Max was disappointed to realize this was in fact the road they were looking for. It meant he didn't have much more time to enjoy the depths of Liz's feminine passage, or the time to take this slowly like he had planned. Determined to finish what he'd started, each stroke he made to and fro, in and out was delivered with the intent of bringing his beloved the most pleasure possible. He was once again rewarded not only by knowing he was providing her with pleasure, which he was by the increase in her movements against his hand, but by the increase in his own pleasure as she moved back and forth against his arousal. Surprisingly enough, they each felt their own release seconds apart, and managed to do so without revealing what they had been doing to those in the front seat.

With a wave his hand over each of them, all sighs of what had taken place were gone with the exception of their rapidly beating hearts and raged breathing. Once their breathing had return to a more normal pace, and Liz felt able, she sat up in her own seat. She stared over at Max with a coy smile. She was having a difficult time believing they, the two whom only weeks before would have been considered the non risk takers, the most control, had taken such a risk. They had done something that outwardly would have seemed so unlike them, and yet, she wouldn't have missed the way it felt for all the money in the world.

She leaned forward meeting Max in a tender kiss, after which he pulled back only enough to whispered, "Thank you," against her lips.

"No, thank you. That was . . ."

"Magical." He provided when she seemed to be looking for the right word to describe what they had just done.

"Yeah, magical." Liz looked away briefly to make sure that Maria and Michael weren't listening in or watching them. Turning back to Max, she stated what she'd been thinking. "I can't believe we did that. You know with them right there."

"I know, I just couldn't resist. Not after . . ."

"I know what you mean, but whatever happened to that guy who \always had to be in control?"

With a broad smile on his face, and a suggestive raise of his eyebrow, he replied, "I was in control. I got what I wanted didn't I?"