He sat next to Kyle on the couch, "What's up Kyle?"

Realized that his dad was there, he answered simply. "You know, same old, same old."

Jim reached for the remote control and turned off the television. "Why don't you tell me about it?"

Kyle looked at his dad, and figured what the heck, it couldn't hurt. If he's lucky, it might even help. "It's this thing with the Czechs. Really with the way Tess is taking it all. I can tell that she is feeling left out of the group. I mean she's still the outsider, and I feel bad for her."

"Do you feel like the outsider too?"

"Yes and no. Yes, only because there is still so much that I don't know. Which I can handle no problem. It's not like I had any real expectation of being included into their group in the first place, and definitely not this quickly. But that's the thing, Tess did. She's put all of her hopes and dreams into finding the other three like her, and now that she has, it's nothing like what she thought it would be. In fact it's to the point they seem more welcoming of me than they do her. Which is weird, because she's one of them."

"Why do you think that is?"

"Why, that's the easy part. The guy that protected Tess, the shape shifter guy. Well, he lead her to believe that she was going to be the love of Evan's life. Well we all know that isn't the case. Liz seems to have filled that role which leaves Tess out. No one, and I do mean no one is on her side because of the way she tried to make Max realize that she was supposed to be the one he was with. Here's the new thing, she's not. She was never supposed to be with Max like that. It seems Liz and Max have been having these visions and that Tess is really his sister."

"His sister? What about Isabel?"

"All I can say is that she wasn't. It's confusing and I don't know enough about it to explain it right. This thing with Tess, I don't know how much more she can take before she loses it. She's got to be feeling lost and alone. You know she was devastated when they told her all of this, and the others didn't even seem to notice. They all walked away without giving her a second thought. They were just thinking about how what they learned affected them." Kyle's voice was raising as he continued talking about this. He couldn't believe that the others didn't even notice Tess's condition.

"But you noticed." Jim waited of a moment giving Kyle a moment to let that sink in. "How do you feel about Tess, Kyle? Are you willing to be the one she leans on right now?"

"I would be there for her if she would be willing to let me, but I don't think she's ready to do that right now."

The look in Kyle's eyes told him Kyle wasn't just talking a friendship here, he actually felt something for Tess. What exactly he couldn't tell, but he knew she needed someone she could talk to. The way she broke down crying two nights ago had proven that. He hadn't been happy about his son getting mixed up with Max and the others, but now that he was, maybe he could help Tess. "I think I can help you with that. First off, you need to show her you care. Nothing overwhelming, just something simple saying you care, and if she ever needs a friend or someone to talk to that you'll be there."

~*~*~*~*

Max and Liz shared a tender kiss, a promise of nights they would share in the future. Instinctively they both knew they had to keep this kiss light. Otherwise, they would only make this parting harder on them both. "I should go." Max said reluctantly, as he kissed her on the cheek and began to back away.

She moved with him, not wanting to say goodnight. "I wish you didn't . . ."

He paused after descending the first step and reminded himself that this had to be. "I know, me too. But . . ."

". . . you have to." She knew what he was going to say, before he even started. *If only thinks were different.* She thought to herself.

"Yeah." He answer so softly that she didn't actually hear what he said, but saw it on his lips. After kissing her gently on the lips once more, he stepped backwards down the next few steps, holding tightly to her hands. He released them at the last possible moment, the moment in which he could go no further without doing so.

She hesitantly moved to her door, and opened it, but refused to step through. She didn't want to take her eyes off of his retreating form on the street down below. She smiled to herself when he stopped beside the jeep and turned to look up at her. Even as he climbed into the jeep, he continued to watch her as she watched him. It was one of those moments that she never wanted to end.

He felt her eyes on him as he made his way to the jeep, and it made it that much harder for him to leave. He knew she didn't want him to leave anymore that he wanted to go. If he had his way, he would stay by her side and never let her go for the rest of his life. However, he knew that at this time in their lives, their parents would never understand the connection they shared.

After staring up at her for what must have been five to ten minutes, he finally gained the strength climb into the jeep and pull away. It was only after reminding himself they would have many days and evenings together in the near future. That is, as long as they didn't give their parents any reason to suspect their relationship had changed to one of sexual intimacy.

He remembers all too well how their parents had acted that morning back in February. Both of their parents sat waiting for them in the Crashdown as they returned from their night in the desert. With summer here, he was determined not to risk a repeat. The two-week punishment that followed, had been hard on both of them. Lucky for them, their parents couldn't stop them from seeing each other at school. To have a repeat of those two weeks, now, with school out and their growing need to be together would be nothing short of unbearable. Not to mention that they needed to find where this last vision was leading them.

Once Max disappeared out of sight, Liz stepped through the door way and closed the door behind her. She leaned back against the door and sighed as she closed her eyes relishing the moment. Slowly she walked to her room, replaying over and over in her mind the way it felt to lay wrapped safely in Max's arms. The way his flesh felt pressed against hers, and the way he had made her body come to life when he touched her.

Nancy sat on the edge of Liz's bed and watched her with amazement as she enters her room. Liz looked so blissfully happy. This wasn't the first time Nancy had witnessed that look in her daughter's eyes, and she was sure that it wouldn't be the last. She wanted to share in her daughters happiness, and in order to do so, she decided she needed to get to know more about Max Evans. The young man who obviously played a big part in her daughters life.

This decision was the only way she saw to ease her mind. It wasn't a problem she had with any guy in particular, definitely not with Max. He seemed like a caring young man. It was her own fear of witnessing the look of heartbreak in her daughters eyes that scared her so much. The dread of a day when her daughter would realize that first loves don't always last, and that in most cases they ended with heartache equaling in misery the highest moment of joy. She truly hoped this never happened to her baby girl, but that she would be spared such painful moments.

Liz looked startled when she realized her mother was in her room waiting for her. She glanced over at the clock hoping it wasn't later than she thought. The clock read just after 10 p.m. and she relaxed slightly. She figured that she couldn't be in that much trouble, it wasn't too terribly late. "Mom, what's going on?"

"Honey, I know school is almost over. Well actually it is over with the exception of a few hours tomorrow. And I wanted to know what you have planned to do all summer?" She wanted to make sure that Liz didn't plan to spend her whole summer revolving around Max. No mater how much Liz felt she loved him, they were both young and she didn't want them tempting themselves to do things they weren't ready for. Mostly, she didn't want Liz getting hurt if she were to become intimate with him only to have him break her heart later.

Liz wasn't really ready for this question. They had been thinking only of passing their finals, being together, and finding out more about these visions. Making summer plans never seemed to be in the plan. Then an idea came to her, a way two be with Max and have the freedom to follow the clues they'd seen in the vision. "All the details aren't worked out yet, but we thought it would be really interesting to see the sights of New Mexico. You know, go to all the places right here in our own state that other people travel here to see."

"Are you just talking about you and Max, because if you are . . . ?"

Liz interrupted her mother knowing that she would never give consent for her and Max to make those kinds of trips alone. "No mom. I we were talking about the eight of us. Maria, Michael, Alex, Kyle, Isabel, Max, me, and oh yeah, Tess."

"It sounds like fun, but I don't know it that's such a good idea."

"Please mom, they would be day trips. And if we want to take longer trips, ones we had to stay over a night we could take a chaperone with us." The look on her mother's face said she wasn't too sure about this. "Please mom, what better way can you think of to spend our summer than getting to know our state?"

"All right, but it's on a trip by trip basis."

~*~*~*~

The next morning Liz and Max waited for Alex beside his locker. "Hey Alex."

"Liz, Max. So what's the word? Discover anything new?"

"Actually yes Alex. And we both think solving this one is right up your alley."

"Up my alley? What is it that you need me to do?" He asked as he opened his locker.

Liz handed him a folded piece of paper. "Find this guys burial sight."

"What, now we're looking for dead guys?" When people walking past turned and looked at him, Alex realized he said that a little too loudly. "Sorry, but what am I looking this guy up for, and please don't tell me that we have to dig up his grave?"

"Okay we won't tell you." The look and Alex's face was priceless when Liz said that. Both she and Max almost lost it. "Actually we don't think it will come to that. What we saw looked like the headstone being set in place on top of whatever we're meant to find."

"This is from another vision then? Do you think it's another orb?"

Max answered in a whisper, he really didn't feel comfortable talking about this in the hallway with so many people moving around them. "We aren't sure, but we think so."

"I'll see what I can find out. Chances are I won't be able to start searching for this guy until after our meeting."

"I suggest we hold off this meeting for now. Lets wait until later this evening. That way we at least give you a chance to see what you can find. Do you have any idea how long it will take for you to find where he was buried?" Max wants to meet with the others as soon as possible. He's sure they have more questions for him and Liz, but it seemed like a waist of time until they at least gave Alex a chance to do some research.

"I can't say for sure, there are a lot of sights for Genealogy research. Even with all the information out there, there still aren't any guarantees. The good news is with a date of girth and death along with his name, it should make the search a lot easier."

~*~*~*~*

When Tess opened her locker the next day, she smiled to herself and looked around to see if anyone was watching her. When she was sure no one was, she reached in her locker and pulled out a single long stemmed yellow rose with an envelope attached. First she smelled the rose, then she removed the note from the envelope and stuck the flower back in her locker. The note was simple and sweet.

NOTE:

Tess, I know your confused right now and feeling all alone. I just wanted you to know that you aren't alone. I'll be here for you in whatever capacity you want me to be. Even if that's just to have someone to talk to, or if you need a shoulder to cry on. Kyle

From around the corner, Kyle watched Tess as she stuck the note back in the envelope and closed her locker. When he saw the small smile grace her lips, his own widened as well. He had to give his dad credit, he did have the right idea. That flower and note seemed to do the job, Tess actually looked like she was in a little better mood. He hoped that she would turn to him, even if it was only as friends. Being friends with her was better than nothing at all.