"Michael, you need to come to our house right now. Max is… he needs us!" The phone went dead in her ear and she knew Michael had heard the worry in her voice. Ever since that day when he killed Pierce and worked through the intense guilt that came with that, Michael had slowly been accepting his role as the soldier of the group.

Creeping silently back to Max’s room, Isabel was surprised to find her mother gone. Max was still sitting in the same position, his hands clasped between his knees and his head bowed. "What happened?"

"She said she needed to think about this and that we should talk tomorrow." It was so quiet in the room after he stopped talking that Isabel imagined she could hear their hearts beat.

"Is she going to tell Dad?"

Max shrugged tiredly.

"I’ve called Michael. We need to talk." Max looked up and locked gazes with her. Finally, he just nodded. Isabel went to close the door and lock it.

Michael arrived 10 minutes later through the window. His face was expressionless, but they knew he was worried.

"We need to tell our mother about us." Isabel was looking at Michael, expecting his usual explosion of distrust. But Michael was looking at Max and saying nothing.

It was Max that eventually spoke up. "I don’t think we should…" But his voice lacked its usual sureness.

"Well, I think we should. Max, we cannot… YOU cannot go on this way. We need you too much and you can’t worry about our parents finding out all the time too. We need her, Max." Isabel’s wasn’t pleading, she was stating a fact.

"I agree." To say that the silence that followed Michael’s statement was deafening, was an understatement!

"Michael!"

"No Max, you are worth nothing to us if you go on like now! You need to get you life sorted out, so we can concentrate on our real problem: these other aliens that have found us." Michael had trouble believing himself that these things were coming out of his mouth. But if nothing else, this last year has taught him that he is much better off without his stonewall around him.

"I still don’t think--."

Isabel interrupted Max. "I say we vote on this. I say we tell her." She looked at Michael. He just nodded. "Its two to one, Max."

~*~*~*~*~*~

Putting one foot in front of the other. That was all Max wanted to concentrate on right now. He had climbed out of his window after Michael and Isabel had left and went for a walk. His mind was playing a little horror movie of what could happen when they told their mother in an endless loop. He vaguely thought he should probably not be walking around alone while these other aliens were out here looking for him, but he was too emotional to care. His biggest fear had always been that he would not belong… anywhere. And now that fear may come true.

Screeching tires had him whirling around and before the car door opened he knew it was Liz. In the seconds that he stood rooted to his spot and watched her run towards him dressed in her night gown, he remembered something very precious. He DID belong. When her arms went around his neck, gripping him tightly, he knew he was home.

Liz pulled back and gently wiped the wetness from Max’s cheeks. He hadn’t even realized he was crying. "I was so worried! Are you okay?"

Max pulled her into his body, his hands tangling in her hair. "I am now." He placed his fingers on her lips when she opened her mouth to press the issue. "Shhh, love." He leant closer and whispered against her mouth. "We’ll talk later."

The kiss was gentle at first. As if Max was trying to make sure this wasn’t a dream. He slowly rubbed his lips over Liz’s, finding in her sweet taste a new belief in the good of the world. A new belief in destiny. Because that’s what Liz was, his destiny.

His mind was screaming at him that this was neither the right place nor the right time to start anything, but his heart wouldn’t listen. It needed the salving only Liz’s love could provide tonight.

Liz was startled that Max would kiss her right here on the street in the dead of night in a town where most people knew each other. But she felt his feelings crashing through their connection and knew how much Max needed their closeness right now. In response, she opened her mouth, inviting him in.

Max groaned and suddenly the kiss changed. It became hot, hungry and desperate. Max kissed her until they both needed oxygen urgently. He traced the curve of her jaw with his tongue, making Liz cry out in need. His hands slid from her hair down her shoulders until they came to rest on the knot of her gown.

Some sane part of Liz’s brain was trying to tell her that this was not a good idea and her hands covered Max’s at her waist. It arrested his movements immediately. But her resolve wavered under his intense scrutiny. Max was staring at her as only he could, making her knees weak and her heart flutter. And her hands fell away ineffectively to allow him to pull robe’s edges apart.

Max’s fingers were warm when they slid over the exposed skin between her tank top and her drawstring pants. Liz’s head fell back and she sighed with the wonderful feelings his touch evoked. He had magic hands. Hands that healed. Hands that loved. Hands that could caress her soul from her body.

Mesmerized by the creamy length of the throat that was exposed to him, Max leant in and pressed his open mouth to her skin. He could feel her pulse thundering under his lips and the rhythm heated his blood further. Unthinkingly, he lifted her off her feet and into his body, his arms around her like steel bands.

They kissed again while Max walked forward until he could sit Liz down on the bonnet of her car. She wrapped her legs around his waist and ran her hands through his hair. Max kissed her passionately, pouring his love into her through the intimate invasion of her mouth. He ran his hands up under her top, tracing the curve of her spine with his fingertips.

Liz arched into him, her body silently begging for more. She pulled his shirt from his jeans and fleetingly remembered that she had done the same thing this afternoon. It felt like such a long time ago. Grazing her nails across the firm muscles of his stomach, she reveled in the helpless groan that was torn from him. His skin quivered under her touch, heating her blood further.

Max had to clench his hands into fists in the material of her top to stop himself from stripping her naked. Things had already gotten completely out of control and he certainly didn’t intend to make love to her on a car in the street. Liz was still caressing him and he caught her hands in his and held them captive behind her back in an effort to stop her from driving him insane. He kept her body pressed to his while he waited for his blood to cool down.