“What have you got for me Davis?” The man’s supervisor entered the room silently.

“I’m afraid not much Mr. Stewart. We’re keeping our eye on the one, but still can’t find the others. There is one possibility but it seems highly unlikely. Pitt is at the courthouse looking up information as we speak.” Davis informed his boss.

“We MUST find the others! Especially the girl! She is the key. And we don’t have that much longer before it starts. If she and the others are like the one we do know about, then it is only a matter of a few more years. We have to find her and we have to find her before the change begins.” Eric Stewart sighed and sat down behind his desk looking tired. “And we MUST find them before the others do. Or we are all doomed.”

******************************

“Hi Mom!” Tess threw her books on the table in the kitchen and dug into the fridge for some juice.

“Hi sweetie, did you have a good day at school?” Diane Evans asked as she looked up from the table where she was studying for her latest medical exam.

“Same old same old.” Tess said and reached for the Tabasco sauce to put in her juice.

“Hi mom, did you get that new magazine in the mail today? I wanted to look at the new dresses for summer.” Isabel asked as she too came into the kitchen and went to the fridge.

“Yes honey I put it on the table in the living room. They have some really cute stuff I think you’ll like. Where’s your brother didn’t he ride home with you two?” Diane asked.

Isabel rolled her eyes. “Bike home with us? Are you kidding? Max is with Liz, who else. But I think they are coming over here.”

“Now Isabel. Be nice and don’t tease your brother.” Diane tried not to smile, knowing her daughter loved to embarrass Max about his crush on Liz.

They heard the door slam and Diane smiled as Max and Liz came into the kitchen.

“Hi mom! Liz and I are going to listen to some music in my room and study for history okay?” Max asked.

“Sure honey, why don’t you bring a snack up with you. Something healthy to keep your minds alert.” Diane smiled at Max and then Liz.

“Hi Liz honey, how are you? Big test tomorrow?” she asked.

Liz nodded and smiled as she walked over to the books spread out around Max’s mother.

“Yeah. Is this all your books that you need for your test?” Liz asked fascinated as she looked at the open books and medical pictures.

“Yep. And my test is tomorrow too.” Diane sighed looking at all the material and notes she needed to know for her test.

Diane smiled as she watched Liz look through the books with curiosity. She knew Liz had a thing for science and knew she was a smart girl with a good head on her shoulders.

Over the last few years she’d watched Liz Parker grow along with her own children and she adored the girl. She was pleased that Max’s first crush was on someone so sweet, honest and smart.

She watched the way Max and Liz had only grown even closer over the last few years, and although she was at times amazed at their very unusual bond of friendship that had now turned into a first crush, she was pleased that her son was so happy. Crush. She shook off her thought that that wasn’t strong enough for what she sometimes felt was going on between the two kids. She knew their relationship was an innocent one, but she sometimes wondered at how connected and aware of each other they were. But as usual, when she started thinking this way, she shrugged it off as her silly thinking. It was impossible that these two sometimes seemed as aware of each other as a long time married couple.

Max carried over some juice for both he and Liz and handed it to her as he too looked down at his mom’s stuff.

Tess brought over a few apples and handed one to Liz and Max, then gave her mom a hug wished her luck and headed off to her own room to study.

“Yeah, good luck tomorrow mom. I know you’ll do great.” He grinned.

“Thanks sweetie. Now go study yourselves. I want my son to do well tomorrow too.” She said softly.

“Mom tell Max he has to leave his door open if he’s going to study with Liz in his room.” Isabel said with a teasing smile and watched her brother and Liz turned red.

“Isabel! Of course they will keep the door open, they always do. Now you go study for your own test Miss. And I don’t want to see you looking through that magazine until your own studies are done.” Diane reprimanded her perky daughter who left laughing.

“Ignore her kids, she just loves to tease you two. Now get out of here.” Diane smiled at the two very embarrassed and sweet kids and watched them leave.

Max led Liz upstairs and cleared his throat, trying to get rid of the blush still lighting up his face.

He and Liz hadn’t been up here since he’d had the talk with his dad two nights ago. Just the memory of it and how it pertained to Liz made Max flush again.

“Maybe…maybe we should study in the living room.” Max stammered as he stood in the doorway and watched as Liz put her backpack on his bed and began to remove her books.

She looked up in surprise and when she saw Max’s red face, she too turned red thinking of about what Isabel had meant with her teasing.

“Um, okay, if you want.” She said and pushed a strand of long dark hair behind her ear.

Max saw this and sighed. He knew she did that when she was unsure of things. “Nah, let’s study here, that way we can listen to music too.” He said and grinned, not letting his sister’s teasing get to him.

No matter how much Isabel or the others loved to tease them, nothing would ever stop Max from being with Liz.

ONE YEAR LATER

“Hey Liz! Wait up!”

Liz turned to find her best friend running up to her as she stood in front of her locker. Now that they were in middle school, they got cool lockers to put their stuff in.

“Hi Maria. What’s up?” Liz asked with a smile as she watched Maria turn and give Pam Troy a glare.

“God that girl is annoying!” Maria complained.

“Why? What’d she do now?” Liz laughed knowing how Pam loved to push Maria’s buttons. She always had.

“She is all over the guys this year. It’s disgusting!” Maria snorted in disgust.

“You mean she’s all over a CERTAIN guy.” Liz couldn’t help but tease.

“I don’t know what you mean?” Maria looked at her wide-eyed and started to walk off.

Liz laughed and closing her locker she caught up with her friend. “Oh come on Maria. Tell me you don’t like Michael and I’ll eat my math book.” Liz challenged.

“You better be hungry Liz cause that’s totally ridiculous! What do I care if she’s all over Michael Guerin! He’s the one who’d be unlucky to get stuck with her.” Maria rolled her eyes.

Liz just smiled at the way Maria tried to lie to herself about her growing feelings for their friend.

“And I’d like to see how nice you’d be to her if she started going after Max!” Maria threw back at her.

Liz just laughed. “She has. I just ignore her and so does Max, well, as much as he can considering he’s not the kind of guy to tell a girl to get lost.” Liz smiled knowing how sweet Max was.

“Yeah, well, you don’t have to worry about Max being interested in that no morals Pam Troy!” Maria sighed.

“Maria.” Liz said softly. This was the closest Maria had come to admitting that she liked Michael but he didn’t seem to be interested in her as any thing more than a friend.

“Hey! There’s the gang, come on, let’s go to lunch!” Maria said changing the subject and putting a huge smile on her face for the rest of the gang as she went out into the courtyard.

Liz sighed and followed. She wished that her friends could all be as happy as she and Max. She knew that Maria liked Michael, and Tess liked Kyle, but neither guy seemed interested in return. They only saw Maria and Tess good friends. And she also suspected, although Alex acted totally casual and just a buddy toward Isabel, that he was starting to feel something more for her as well. Except Isabel only noticed older guys, not any of her buddies.

Then she saw Max watching her approach and how his eyes lit up as he grinned at her. Even from a distance she felt that piercing gaze and she sighed now used to the things Max made her feel when he looked at her. She smiled as she met and held Max’s eyes with her own.

“I don’t get it! Why would anyone want to go to a stupid dance?” Kyle shook his head as he looked over at the flyer Isabel had in her hands.

Maria came over to the table and sat down next to Isabel. “Oh let me see!” she exclaimed in excitement.

“What are you going to wear?” Isabel asked Maria.

“I don’t know! Gosh and we only have a week to shop!” Maria gasped.

“How do you know you’re going to go? What if you don’t get asked?” Tess asked sneaking looks at Kyle who was dribbling a basket ball on the cement next to the table they were sitting at.

“We’re going to go either way!” Isabel explained casually.

“Oh. Well who will you dance with?” Tess asked wide-eyed.

“With each other.” Maria smiled and started talking about where they should go to shop for dresses.

“Liz are you going to get a new dress?” Isabel looked up from the flyer. “I saw a totally cute one that you’d love!” she exclaimed with excitement.

“I guess. I hadn’t thought about it.” Liz said as she sat down next to Max when he moved over to make room for her.

“Next Friday doesn’t give us much time to find something.” Maria sighed.

“So you girls are all going to the dance whether you’re asked or not?” Alex looked at them like they were crazy.

“Of course! There will be music and dancing and tons of guys who are just too shy to ask, but who will be there to dance with.” Isabel said raising her head in the air as if she was talking to a moron. Which she felt most boys were anyways.

“Besides, the 8th graders are going too, and I think Scott Jenkins will be there and he just broke up with Pam Troy, so he’s fair game.” Isabel said with a sparkle in her eye.

Alex rolled his eyes and looked over at Max and Michael. “Are you guys going?” he asked.

Michael scoffed. “Yeah right! Dancing’s for girls, it’s dumb!” he said as he tried to kick the ball away from Kyle.

“Well I’m sure Max is going aren’t you Max? You’re not going to let Liz dance with other guys are you?” Maria teased.

“Max already asked me and yes we’re both going.” Liz smiled and Max reached for her hand under the table.

“Of course Romeo is going to go and ruin all of our reputations.” Kyle said staring at Max.

“What reputation?” Tess couldn’t help but say dryly.

Kyle just looked at her. She didn’t usually get feisty.

“Oooh I see you’re all talking about the dance!” Pam Troy squealed as she came up to their table with a few of her other friends.

“Yes, too bad you broke up with Scott.” Maria said innocently.

Pam glared at her and then laughed. “Oh him! He was boring. I dumped him no matter what he tells you otherwise. I’m ready to find someone more fun!” she said and flipped her long dark hair back.

“What about you Michael? Are you going to go? We could have fun together you and I.” Pam smiled at Michael and batted her eyes in a flirty way.

Maria clenched her fists but sat stiff and silent.

Michael looked at Pam as if she was crazy. “No.” was all he said and then went back to trying to get the ball away from Kyle.

Pam just huffed at Michael’s rudeness and when she caught Maria’s little smile she narrowed her eyes.

“Well, I’m sure we can find a way to have fun at something other than a dance Michael, see you later.” She said and brushed by Michael and ruffled his hair as she passed.

Maria glared at Pam’s back and wished the girl’s hair would all fall out.

*************

Later that day Liz sat at the counter in the Crashdown doing her homework. The rest of the gang were going to come over and they were all going to ride to the park, so she wanted to get her homework done first.

She didn’t look up when the bell above the door jingled but suddenly she felt someone standing over her.

“Hey doll face.” Steve Delaney said in a low voice near her ear.

Liz jumped as he lightly touched her arm and frowned at him. “What do you want Steve?” she asked the older boy who was still a bully. Only now he was much bigger and scarier.

His high school buddies laughed as they went to sit down and watch Steve harass Liz Parker.

“What do I want? Hmmm interesting question. You’ve really started to grow up little Lizzy. You look good enough to eat.” He said with a sneer and again whispered low in her ear.

Liz leaned away from him and pushed his hand off of her arm. “Leave me alone Steve.” She swallowed. Even though she was in her families restaurant, she knew her parents were out making a supply run and only Agnes was in the back taking a break, making her feel scared of what Steve might do next.

“Back off Steve.” She suddenly heard from behind her.

She turned and smiled with relief as she saw Michael coming through the back door ready to use physical force if necessary against the older bully.

“Guerin.” Steve sneered and looked the boy over. Guerin was big for his age and could fight. Everyone knew his reputation of not backing down from a fight, and having an attitude at school. If he didn’t have his friends around he might have thought twice about needling him.

“Geesh what’s with you Lizzy, even when your boyfriend isn’t around to fight for you, you’ve got this one here too. You must be some hot babe honey.” Steve again leaned toward Liz.

Michael stepped closer to Liz and Steve backed off noticing the sparks of anger in the boys’ eyes. He knew when not to push anymore. He just laughed, shrugged and walked back over to his still laughing friends.

“Thanks Michael.” Liz smiled as he sat down next to her and glared at Steve’s retreating form.

“No problem Liz.” Michael ruffled her hair a little in affection. Since Michael had spent so much time over the last three years here at the Crashdown after school, he and Liz had become as close as brother and sister. At least that’s what Michael realized he felt toward Liz. With Isabel and Tess, he saw them as his friends, and Maria he didn’t even want to think about how weird their friendship was getting, but with Liz he felt a closer bond, the bond of a brother to a sister relationship.

“Max is going to kick his ass.” Michael smirked as he looked over at the high school boys sitting in the booth talking.

“Michael! Max will not! He will not start a fight. And I won’t have you provoke him or Steve into one either.” Liz warned.

Michael just rolled his eyes at his goodie goodie friend but didn’t argue.

*****************

Phillip Evans looked compassionately at his wife after he told her the news.

Diane just stared at her husband for a full minute before she finally sat down on the couch. “Oh Phillip! When?” she whispered.

***********

Claudia picked up her phone on the second ring.

“Hi Mom.” She heard her son’s voice on the other end.

“Jeff honey how are you? How is everyone?” she smiled to herself. She missed her family and was hoping to make her yearly trip back to Roswell sometime later this year.