She was in a large open meadow, with tall green grass swaying in the breeze. The large expanse of sky overhead appeared cloudless and bright blue, and the sun was beaming down on her back, warming her body to the core. In the distance, she saw a small hut and as she looked its way, a path breached through the waving fronds and led her to its door.

She knocked on the door and a low, soft voice invited her inside. Upon entering, her gaze fell upon an elderly figure who looked up at Liz through a cloud of pure white hair and smiled at her lovingly, beckoning her to join her on the small settee. Her eyes were an unusual shade of brown that seemed to change with the differing light reflections. They reminded Liz of Max's eyes which, too, seemed to vary in shade , depending on the lighting conditions and even the colors he was wearing.

Her fingers were busy knitting a small garment--possibly something for a baby. Liz examined it closely and the old lady handed it to her. It was so soft! She had never felt anything so light and soft before, almost as if it didn't exist. She looked questioningly at the woman who nodded her head silently.

Liz realized that she was holding Max's baby garment and an ache settled in her throat as unshed tears threatened to spill. She fingered the folds of material gently and looked again to the old woman for answers. Her eyes bore into Liz's as she spilled her tale and when she had finished, Liz nodded in understanding .

---------------------------------------------

Liz shot up in the bed, her heart racing as she took great gulps of air. She searched for Max but couldn't find him anywhere. She scrambled out of the bed, feet barely touching the floor as she ran out the door, calling his name frantically.

Max opened the bathroom door and looked at her quizzically.

"Liz, what's wrong?" he asked before she threw her arms around him, hugging and kissing him wildly.

"Oh, Max, you're alright," she sobbed. "I was so worried about you when I didn't see you in the bed. I thought you were sick or something! Omigod Max. I was so scared!" and she clung to him as if he would disappear from her sight.

"Liz, I'm okay, I'm okay," he reassured her. "I feel a lot better after a good nights' sleep," he admitted.

"It's morning?" Liz questioned.

"Yeah, sleepyhead. I was gonna wake you, but you seemed so peaceful, I thought I'd let you get a few more winks. Why are you so upset? Did you have a bad dream or something?"

"Bad dream?" she muttered. "No, not a bad dream, Max. I think I've just seen the light, that's all." she replied under her breath.

"Huh, Liz?"

"Nothing, Max. Are you hungry? How about a giant bowl of cocoa puffs while I fix us up some pancakes and maple syrup and sausages. Sound good?"

"Yeah, sounds great," he stuttered and shook his head in confusion.

"Okay, great. You go eat your cereal while I have a quick shower and I'll be out in a jiffy to whip up a hearty breakfast. Now scoot," she ordered as she shoved him out of the bathroom while she readied the water temp.

Max went down the hall towards the kitchen, still shaking his head in wonderment. He retrieved a bowl from the cupboard and poured his cereal in with a generous portion of milk. He munched on it while he listened to the shower running, still uncertain as to what had caused Liz's odd behaviour. He shrugged his shoulders in resignation and continued eating his favorite snack.

Liz rinsed herself off and quickly shampooed her hair, rinsing that out as well. She flicked off the water and hurriedly towelled dry. She wrapped the towel around her and dashed for the bedroom to dress. She didn't bother to dry her hair and stuck it up in a ponytail instead. She checked her reflection in the mirror and headed for the kitchen to prepare their breakfast.

Max eyed her from the table. "Is everything alright, Liz? You seem a little out of sorts, this morning."

"No, Max. Everything's just great! Just great!" she beamed over at him. "I love you," and she blew him a kiss.

Max smiled over at her and caught the kiss in midair and returned one to her. She giggled as she busied herself in the kitchen, smiling secretly at her newfound knowledge. She was going to make everything alright now that she knew what was at stake. She was back in control and she felt fantastic!

Soon, breakfast was laid on the table and they both ate ravenously. Between the *exercise* and the stress, they had been in a feeding frenzy all weekend. This would be their last full day alone together and they wanted to take full advantage of every moment.

Max had already showered and shaved, so they quickly cleared the breakfast things and dressed for outdoors.They had packed a small picnic lunch just in case they wandered farther than they expected. They each carried a pack on their backs, full of necessary supplies, and headed in the opposite direction from yesterday.

They were going to explore the river valley, so they walked along the trail by the lake until they hooked up with the head of the river. It took about half an hour of steady walking to reach their destination and they enjoyed the time together, sometimes stopping and pointing out something interesting along the way. The rhythmic tramp of their feet along the rocky path drummed a steady beat as they hiked in companionable silence.

Max turned often to check on Liz's progress. She gave him a thumb's up or a toothy grin to signal her well being and he smiled at her before continuing on ahead. They were glad they had packed their hiking gear. Otherwise, it would be hard going on this rocky terrain. Their sturdy hiking boots gave them plenty of needed support.

Yesterday, when they had hiked up the mountain, they had seen a level plain below, surrounded by cliffs on its northen extremity, and decided to check it out. They could only guess at its distance but counted on a two hour trek, at the most. It was now ten thirty and they had been walking for an hour and a half. As they rounded a bend in the river, they could see the red faced abuttment ahead, looming about a mile in the distance.

From their vantage point, they could make out dark slits breaking the surface of the cliffs. They hurried on ahead, anxious to do some exploring. They soon stood at the foot of the precipice, straining their eyes upward to find a way up the steep face.

"Max, look, there's a path at the other end over there!" Liz pointed out excitedly. Everything was going according to plan, and so far the old lady's tale was right on target. Liz crossed her fingers in anticipation as she followed Max to the foot of the path.

"Liz, we're gonna have to take our time. This path is a little steep and the rocks are a bit loose. No rushing, okay?"

"Sure Max. You're in the lead anyway, so unless I jump over your head, I think you'd better concern yourself with your own pace, okey dokey,cinemascopey?"

"Okay smartass. I just didn't want you pushing passed me in your enthusiasm, that's all!" he joked back.

"Why, Maxwell Evans, when have you ever seen me over-enthusiastic?" she teased.

"Look, Liz. We only have so many hours of daylight left, and if I stop to answer that question, we'll be here 'till next Sunday, so quit the funny stuff and get your ass in gear, Woman!" he threatened teasingly.

"Yes, Master. Your wish is my command!" and with that they took off up along the path chuckling at each other's bantering.

In about ten minutes, they reached the first opening in the rock face. Max took out his flashlight and shone the beam into the dark depths.

"Liz, all joking aside, follow behind me carefully, please."

Liz did as she was told, feeling the mounting excitement as they neared their goal. The cave was cool and surprisingly dry. Nothing seemed to be inhabiting its interior, and they followed it along until it opened into a larger cavern. As the light from Max's flashlight bounced off its walls, he gasped in shock at what was revealed.

There were two figures carved into the face of the cavern, standing hand in hand. Max moved in to get a closer look at the drawings and stepped back in shock as he recognized them to be of Liz and him. He shot a surprised look at Liz, and she smiled back at him reassuringly.

Max turned to Liz in puzzlement. "Liz, what's going on here? You obviously know something about this because you're not jumping all up and down in excitement, so what's up? Has this got anything to do with your weird behaviour this morning?"

Liz turned calmly to Max and told him about her dream the previous night. "The old lady was your Grandmother, Max. She had been making that garment for you when you were being re-engineered for your new life. Before she could finish it, your ship was launched, as the attacks on your planet escalated. They feared for your safety. They learned of the impending crash just before your ship was to land, and all hope for you vanished."

"Then they received a communication from Nasedo, before he was captured, and he told them that he had hidden the pods in a safe place and that he would return for them in due time. They waited for more word, but as the years passed, their hope passed with them. Then, this past summer, when they received the signal again, they were so happy to hear of your survival."

"The communication from your Mother was misinterpreted by all of you. Tess had been your wife on your planet before you were cloned, and when you were sent to earth, she was to have been an intregal part of your team.You each possess unique talents, and together, you form an unbeatable force.Your people felt, however, that it was important for you to develop human bonds as a means of strengthening your earthly ties, for they perceived that these would be the ones that would lead you to final victory.

You, Max, were to feel a strong pull towards your intended earthly mate, recognizing her immediately upon seeing her. As the leader, it was crucial to seal your future with this bond as you reached maturity. A powerful urge to consummate with your human intended would overshadow all other feelings and if this bond is not fulfilled by the Fall Equinox of your seventeenth human year..............you will die, " she whispered as she lowered her eyes.

Max sank to the floor of the cavern as his legs buckled under him. He was struggling to make sense of this new information. He glanced at Liz "I'm assuming you are my intended human mate?" he asked.

She nodded her head in reply. "Max, when I returned to the bedroom last night, you were curled up in a fetal position as you slept. I was surprised to see you lying like that, because you usually sleep on your stomach. When I met your Grandmother, she handed me the garment she had been making for you. I remember remarking how it almost felt non-existent, it was so light in my hands. That's when she told me that unless your destiny were fulfilled soon, that you would cease to exist. That's why you're being so adversely affected by our foreplay, now. Your body is demanding sexual intercourse as the permanent bond to seal our committment to one another,and it's not getting what it requires. Max, we need to make love!"

Max gaped at Liz as if she had lost her mind."You're kidding, right? I mean, were supposed to screw so that I'll live. Liz, you have really lost it now! I mean, I know we're both pretty horny, but this takes the cake! Yeah, I'm sure my Alien Grandmother knitted baby sweaters or whatever for her unborn grandson! Liz. have you actually listened to any of this?"

Liz tore her eyes away from Max as hot tears welled up in them."Believe what you want, Max, and Ididn't say "screw". I always thought when two people who love each other have sexual intercourse, it's called "making love". Forget it, Max. Go find another human mate because this one just bailed out," she screamed." But you better hurry up, buddy, 'cause you're running out of time!" and with that, she turned on her heels and ran out of the cave, eager to leave all this heartache behind.

Max was so angry, he seethed. He was angry at himself for letting the conversation get out of control and he was angry at Liz for telling him this ridiculous story. She was usually so level headed and just because he got a little overheated last night and then she had that ridiculous dream, she mistakenly put two and two together and came up with this new four square. The only thing he couldn't figure out, as he glanced back at the drawing, was how it got there and how she knew about!

A piercing scream broke his reverie and he made a dash for the cave entrance, his heart pounding as his thoughts fled to Liz. "Oh God, please let her be alright!" he begged.

When he reached the light, his worst fears had come true. Liz lay at the base of the cliff in a crumpled heap. He raced down as fast as his legs would safely carry him and reached her side in minutes. She was still breathing but he had no idea how far she had fallen. He frantically searched her body for injuries. She definitely had some broken bones but he was reluctant to move her until he could make a connection.

She was unconscious, so making a connection right now was impossible. He had to waken her. The longer she remained in this state, the harder it was going to be to mend her body.

"Liz, Liz, please wake up. Liz, I'm so sorry , Babe. Please don't leave me Liz. I love you so much. Please forgive me," he sobbed frantically.

In her subconscious, she could hear Max's voice pleading with her, but the effort to focus on it was just too much. Then she felt the light touch of a warm hand. She looked up to see Max's white haired Grandmother smiling down at her. "He always was a little temperamental." she laughed. "You will need a great deal of patience, at times, but I can assure you, that no one will love you more than he. It's time to wake up child and face your destiny," and she tapped Liz on the forehead.

Liz's eyes slowly opened and she could hear Max's great sigh of relief. "Look at me, Liz." he whispered through his tears and he began the connection that would bring her back to him, whole again. She felt the familiar tingle as Max's powers worked to knit her bones. Luckily, she had been about twenty feet from the base of the cliff when she felt her feet slip from under her, so, other than a couple of broken bones in her legs and a fractured wrist, there would be no lasting damage.

Max lifted her into his arms and hugged her tightly to his body. His frame shook as he sobbed openly for the woman he loved so deeply. The thought of losing her again unnerved him so much that he became incoherent with grief. Liz brought her tiny hand up to his face and he kissed it lovingly as his tears splashed onto it.

"Oh, Liz don't ever leave me, please! I need you, I love you, I can't breathe without you!" he moaned pathetically.

"Max, I won't leave you, unless you act like a stupid idiot again!" she warned him weakly.

"I promise, Liz. Whatever you say I'll take for gospel. If you say the sky is purple, then the sky is purple. I'll never doubt you again, no matter what!"

Liz smirked to herself, "This could have some definite advantages! Hmmm!"

"I want you to rest for awhile. We'll eat something and then when you feel up to it, we'll take our time walking back, okay?" he fussed over her.

"Sounds good, Max," she acquiesced.

They rested by the river bed, as they munched on the light snack that they'd brought with them. Max had spread a blanket for them to sit on and he poured a mug of coffee for each of them. Liz sipped her hot liquid appreciatively, as the warmth settled in her stomach.

"Mmmm, this tastes great, Max," she sighed.

Max was afraid to take his eyes off of her, as if she would vanish from his sight. He had splashed his tear stained face with river water before settling on the blanket next to her. His head ached from the trauma but that was a small price to pay for almost losing Liz again. He watched her intently for any signs of injuries he might have missed.

"Max, if you don't stop gawking at me, you're going to give me a complex," she wailed.

"Sorry," he replied sheepishly. "I'm just so happy you're alive."

Liz immediately regretted her outburst and leaned over to peck him on the cheek. "I'm sorry, too," she apologized. "I guess I'm just feeling a little disoriented now. I think I'll feel a lot better after a nice hot bath. We should get going soon, Max."

"We've got plenty of time." he smiled back at her. "It's only one o'clock."

"Yeah, but we have a two hour hike ahead of us, and the thoughts of that hot bath are spurring me on. So, lead on Mc Evans," she joked.

"Okay, but if you feel tired at all, let me know and we'll slow down."