Max traced her face lovingly. He shaped her eyebrows and her cute nose and caressed her cheek softly with his fingertips. He leant closer to her and whispered ‘I love you’ against her waiting lips. Just the simple pleasure of being able to say that as often as he wanted was precious to him. No more destiny standing in their way. Just the two of them, pledged to each other already and committed for life.

Liz smiled, almost purring at the sensations Max was creating with his soft caresses. He literally had the most magic touch and he used it on her regularly with devastating effect. Now that the worst of their urgency had been dulled, they could enjoy just being together without worrying about interruptions.

Max nuzzled her nose. "Am I getting heavy?"

In answer, she pulled him down to her, creating electrifying contact between their bare upper bodies. "I missed you terribly this time. A week is too long to be without you."

He sighed. "I know." Max kissed her lingeringly, his tongue sweeping across her lower lip. "I think the others saw that I wasn’t all that effective after being away from you for so long. So we came back."

At this Liz’s eyes flew open. "Max, no please! You mustn’t let me prevent you from doing your duty! I WANT you to do your duty. Please. I just… I just miss you sometimes." The last bit was mumbled with her head turned away.

"Only sometimes?" Max’s voice was amused.

"This is not something to joke about, Max. I really, really don’t want to be in your way!" Liz was fast becoming upset and it was showing in her voice.

"Hey! Look at me." Max gripped her chin and turned her to look at him. "Part of my duty is to make sure that you are safe too. You’re my family now and I need to have you as a priority in my life. Don’t ever feel like you should be second after everybody else. You’re not and you will never be!"

Liz bit her lip. "I just don’t want you guys to get hurt because I kept you from preparing…"

"I promise not to let that happen, okay? Now can we get back to being young and in love and alone in a place with millions of stars to watch?" He got up and pulled one of the sleeping bags around him. He opened his arms invitingly, his hands holding the edges of the bag. "Are you joining me?"

Liz felt suddenly vulnerable lying there without clothes or Max’s body to cover her, so she jumped up and rushed into his arms. She slapped his chest at his knowing grin. "I’m not used to it, okay!"

He hugged her to him again and pressed his face in her hair. "And I love you for it…"

They were halfway out the cave when Liz remembered that she should call her parents. "Uhm Max? Can you stay tonight or are we going home?"

"I’m sorry, honey, but I should really go home. Otherwise Iz will have to stay over at Alex’s so my parents won’t get suspicious and then Alex’s parents would get suspicious... Its just too complicated."

Liz nodded silently, hating the situation they were in. She pulled Max with her to her phone and dialed her home number. When her mother answered, she explained that Maria and her had decided to watch two movies and would be home really late. Liz couldn’t help but wince when she heard her mother’s hurried acceptance of her story, clearly still under the impression that Max was away and all was safe for her little girl.

Max felt her tension and ran his hands over her comfortingly. "Liz, I’m sorry. I know you hate lying to them. I do too. But right now, I don’t see another way for us. I’m so sorry."

Turning towards him until she could snuggle against his chest, Liz was quiet for a few moments. Finally she looked up into his eyes. "Max, if the alternative is not being with you at all, then I’m willing to do this."

Max picked her up and carried her out of the cave into the open where galaxies of twinkling stars were shining down upon them.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Liz slept late the next morning. She only had to work the afternoon shift and her late night excursion with Max had tired her out. He had insisted on stopping in the ally next to the café when they got back, in spite of her worries that her parents might still be awake. However, the darkness of the apartment eliminated her concerns. Max, being Max, wanted to make sure that she got in her room safely, so Liz just smiled and humored him.

The first person Liz spotted when she came down to the café just before lunch was Diane Evans. Liz faltered for a moment, not really used to seeing Max’s mom eating at the Crashdown. In fact, the last time Diane had been at the café was when she and Max had come home after finding the orb in the desert. Of course Diane spotted her immediately.

"Hi Liz." Diane smiled at the girl that had won her aloof son’s heart so resoundingly. She was still a bit amazed at the fact that Max not only dated, but had a steady girlfriend.

Liz smiled back tentatively. She still wasn’t sure where she stood with Diane. "Hi, Mrs. Evans. How are you?"

"I’m wonderful actually. Max and Isabel came back from their trip last night." She watched Liz’s reactions carefully and saw what she had suspected since Max had not hightailed it out of the house at first light this morning. Liz knew about Max’s return.

"Wow! Uhm… that’s great." Liz was a terrible liar and she suspected that Diane saw right through her little attempt to insinuate that she had no idea Max was back. Then she hit on an idea. "Yeah, he… he called me last night to say hi. I’m so happy he’s back. I really missed him."

Diane was looking at her speculatively. "You two are really very close, aren’t you?"

Liz wondered if this was a trick question, but the expression on Diane’s face showed only genuine interest. She stated the truth in a soft but sure voice. "I love him very much, Mrs. Evans."

Max’s mom nodded her head thoughtfully, taking in Liz’s serious countenance.

The moment was interrupted by Nancy Parker’s voice. "I’m not sure you should be throwing around words like love at your age, young lady. It’s a serious statement to make." She turned towards Diane. "Hi. Do you have everything you need?"

Diane smiled at Nancy and wondered about the fact that she didn’t notice the hurt flashing in her daughter’s eyes at her words. Did Nancy not know that she was belittling something precious and important to Liz, even if she didn’t believe Liz knew what she was talking about?

Max chose that awkward moment to arrive at the Crashdown and was stunned when he saw Liz surrounded by their mothers. He walked over to her side quickly and took her hand. Whatever she was facing, he would help her.

His mom observed the instinctive protective role Max took in with Liz, obviously under the impression that she was being cornered. Max turned Liz towards him, as if he could ward off any threats to her with his body. And Liz, she was staring up at Max as if he was the answer to all her prayers. It was a profound moment for Diane. Suddenly she saw her little boy as a man.

Nancy saw the opposite. She saw a young man that wanted her little girl to grow up too fast. A young man that was fast becoming the most important thing in Liz’s life and thus had an increased ability to break her daughter’s heart.

It was Diane that broke the tense silence first. "Hi Max. I was just telling Liz that you were back, but she said that you called her last night when you got home." She saw the tenseness leave her son’s shoulders and the small, tender smile he gave Liz.

"Yeah. I was just coming to say hi before I have to go to work." He looked at Nancy. "Is it okay if we go outside for a little while?"

Her curt nod said it all. Nancy wasn’t all that thrilled with the idea of Max and Liz being alone. But since it was broad daylight, she couldn’t find a valid objection. "Just don’t be too long, Liz. Your shift starts soon."