“Michael will you get me some clean cloths and some cold water?” Nancy asked pushing back Liz’s hair and biting her lip in worry. “Oh and there’s some rubbing alcohol downstairs in the storage closet.” She called out.

Michael nodded and as he passed the living room, he could hear what Claudia was saying to the Evan’s as well. Max was sick too!? What the heck was going on? Why wasn’t he or Isabel or Tess sick? He wondered and his stomach churned with fear. What was going on?

Michael ran down the stairs into the back of the Café and dug through the closet for something called Rubbing Alcohol. He was in a blind panic hoping that they would both be alright and yet not knowing if this was some alien disease that they would all get, or if only Max and Liz would, and if they would live.

He didn’t hear the swinging door open from the front of the café until someone was right at the entrance to the walk in closet he was in.

Michael swung around feeling the presence in the doorway and froze. Two men he’d never seen before were just standing there waiting for him to see them.

Michael looked around and saw that the cook was busy and the two waitresses were hustling around serving food to hungry customers. No one seemed to notice these two men standing in the back room that was for employees and family only.

He gripped the bottle of rubbing alcohol he’d found and stared the two guys down. “What are you two doing back here? This is for employees only.” He started with a calm reminder.

“We need to speak with you Michael. It’s very important. We’ve been waiting for you in the café for about an hour now.” One of the men said, his voice soft but anxious.

Michael frowned. He’d never seen these two before so he didn’t know how they could know his name. He froze and tried to move around them.

“I don’t know who you are and if you don’t leave me alone I’ll call the sheriff.” Michael tried. He had to get back up to Liz with the bottle.

“You don’t remember us Michael, but we know you. We’ve been watching out for you for years now. Ever since you came out of your pod and got lost in the desert 10 ½ years ago.” The same man continued. “I’m Paul Davis and this is Ryan Pitt.”

Michael’s eyes narrowed and he swallowed fear at the man’s words. They couldn’t know who he was? “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Are you two crazy or something? I…I need to go …my sister’s sick.” He tried again and lifted the bottle as proof.

The two exchanged suddenly fearful looks and turned back to Michael grimly. “The one you call Liz is sick?” Paul Davis asked in an anxious tone.

“Who the hell are you. How do you know our names?” Michael swore to himself. He was terrified of what these two strangers knew.

“Michael. We don’t have time. You have to trust us. We are just like you and Liz. And we can help you. We know what’s wrong with your sister.” Ryan finally spoke.

Michael just shook his head, not trusting these two. They couldn’t know all about them. They were bluffing to see if they could get him to reveal something. They were probably the Feds, already come to town.

“Look I don’t know who you two are, but I will call the sheriff if you don’t get out of here and leave us alone.” He grinded his teeth and pushed past the men who let him go easily.

“Michael. We we’re the ones who found you in the desert all those years ago, and brought you to the orphanage for safety. We were the ones who faked your medical charts so you would appear like any human boy. We’re from your race. We are loyal subjects to your King and Queen.” Paul Davis said finally and watched the boy stop short on the first step up to the apartment.

“There is only one person who could tell you if we are telling the truth or not Michael, and she’s upstairs dying right now.” The man named Ryan said.

Michael stared at them, torn. They did know so much about them, and although he didn’t remember anything before the orphanage, he’d been told two men had brought him in. And if they knew about them and hadn’t said anything…and if they could help Liz…

Michael swore. “Prove something to me. DO something.” He said in frustration.

Ryan nodded and turned to a catsup bottle on one of the shelves in the closet and raised it in the air and toward Michael who caught it in shock.

“Come on.” He said hoarsely and led them up the stairs.

Claudia was just getting off the phone when Michael came flying into the apartment with two men behind him.

“Michael?” Claudia gasped when she saw the two men. Sheriff Valenti slid his hand near his gun.

“Grandma, they’re like us. Like Liz and I… and they say Liz is dying and can help. He showed me his powers.” Michael exclaimed anxiously.

“Who…who are you men?” Claudia swallowed still not sure of them. This could be a trick.

The man named Ryan saw the fear and knew they had to get past it and win these people’s trust before they could help their Queen or her brother.

“You don’t have to fear us. We are protectors of the Royal five. We don’t have much time if we are to save the queen…” Ryan said and holding out his hand he shattered a glass that was sitting on the end table in the living room making Claudia and Jim Valenti jump and stare at it, and Jeff and Nancy to come out of Liz’s room in panic.

Then the other alien, Paul Davis waved a hand over the shared pieces of glass and the liquid stain on the carpet, and it all disappeared.

“Oh my God.” Nancy swallowed.

“We’re here to help your daughter Mrs. Parker. We’re here to help our Queen.” Paul Davis came forward.

“What…what is happening to her? Do you know? I didn’t read anything about this in the book the alien gave me when I helped him hide the pods.” Claudia said in frustration.

“No…it wouldn’t be in the Royal Book of their History. We didn’t want our enemy to know the one way to beat our King. Only a traitor let Khivar know it all anyways, and that’s why he’s been looking for your Liz or King Zan for quite a long time now.” Paul Davis explained.

“So you KNOW why Liz is sick?” Jeff asked with hope. “You can make her better?”

“We need to find her mate. She needs to be reunited with Our King Zan, her husband in their other world. If we don’t find him and reunite them within a week of the change starting, they will both die.” Ryan explained.

“Oh my God. Max!” Nancy gasped and leaned back against the wall near her daughter’s room.

“We know where he is. And he’s sick too. Why is this happening? The ‘Changes’ that I read about weren’t supposed to cause THIS!” Claudia frowned.

“They weren’t supposed to be separated during the ‘Change’. And not too many people know about this because if they knew, like Khivar knows, they would do anything to keep the two apart so that they can’t make the ‘Change’ and then the Royal couple would be nothing without the other. They must be together to be able to defeat their enemy.”

“Look, we don’t have time to tell you everything. If you know where the King is, he needs to get here now.” Paul Davis emphasized.

“But…they are too young to…mate or whatever this change is!” Nancy panicked.

“The change is a process that takes a year. Their "biological drives" will awaken and the Queen will begin to ready to bear the heir and THAT`s what they want to prevent. Around this time, if they are away from each other and their biological drive are pushing them to be together, as Soul mates are supposed to be their bodies will be searching for its other half! Since they are still young, they don’t have to mate yet, but they need to be physically close together. During this process, if they are kept apart or if Khivar can get to the Queen, and can get her pregnant himself, he will then be the father to the most powerful heir. Liz’s child, whoever the father is, will be the most powerful king in history and will rule the planet. If Liz is taken by Khivar and he gives her the son, she will die without her real King within a year, but Khivar will have the powerful heir which is all he cares about.”

“Oh my God…” Nancy trailed off in shock.

“How are we going to get Max out here if he’s so sick?” Jim Valenti finally spoke up.

“We can stop the symptoms temporarily, but they must be together, near each other, for the rest of this change to happen and for the future of our planet. If we can go to our Queen, we can make her better for a short time and this in turn will make King Zan better temporarily until he can get here as well.” Paul Davis explained.

“Max. His name is Max.” Michael said still in shock at all he’d just heard. He had a million more questions but figured they could wait until Liz and Max were okay again. Then he wanted answers to EVERYTHING!

Claudia went to the phone while Nancy and Jeff led the two alien protectors to their daughter’s room.

**************** Liz sat on the swing in the park the next afternoon trying to absorb the rest of what she’d learned from everyone last night after she’d been ‘cured’ temporarily. She blushed again now as she thought of what had caused her ‘illness’ and that everyone knew what she was going through. It was bad enough being a teenager with your hormones going wild, but to have all your family and friends know exactly what you’re body was going through was downright embarrassing beyond words! The only good thing to come out of this was that Max would be returning any time now.

She had asked her family to send Max to the park when he arrived. She needed to see him alone after all this time. Away from all the knowing eyes. She didn’t know if she’d ever be able to look at them all again after this. And she wasn’t sure how she was going to face Max either for that matter. She was afraid. What if she hadn’t grown up the way he’d thought she would. It had been two years since they’d seen each other. They’d shared pictures, but to finally see each other again face to face…how tall was he? What other changes had gone on with Max while he was gone? Would he still think she was pretty? She laughed to herself. Here she was a Queen of another whole planet waiting for her Soul mate and King to come back for her, and she was acting like a regular teenage girl with her insecurities about the guy she loved. Some things never changed she realized with a small smile.

Max stood across the street and just stared at the beautiful girl who’d grown up some while he was gone.

He hadn’t thought he could love her anymore than he had when he’d left her that day over two years ago, but he did. The powerful emotions that washed through him at just the sight of her sitting there alone across the park took his breath away.

It was more than a physical need that drew him to Liz Parker. He loved her with a love beyond the physical, and at least now he understood why he’d always felt this way about her.

And now they could be together again. They had to be together again. He too blushed as he realized that everyone knew what they were feeling for each other and why. Damn! Being a growing teen-age boy with raging hormones was bad enough, without your whole family and close friends knowing every detail!

He was a King of some other planet! He was still trying to absorb some of what his parents told him on the plane ride out here. And Liz…she had been his Queen…she’d always been his soul mate, his other half. He smiled at that. He walked toward his girl. The only girl he’d ever loved or could love.

“Liz…” she heard the soft sound behind her.

Standing and turning slowly, Liz’s breath caught at the first sight of Max in over two years. The first thing she noticed was his eyes. They hadn’t changed at all. They were still intense and full of love for her. She could see it and feel it flowing from him to her.

“Max…” Liz could only whisper as his presence overwhelmed her with a need and love so fierce she thought she’d die.

Max felt her sudden wave of love and need and almost blacked out from the fierceness of it.

He held out his arms, not able to stand another minute of not touching her and Liz cried out and ran into his waiting arms. Strong, powerful arms that enclosed her in their love and safety.

Liz lay her head on Max’s wide chest and just inhaled his scent. She was back where she belonged. They both were.

Max tucked Liz’s head under his chin and closing his eyes he just held her tight, loving the feel of her once again in his arms, and inhaled her strawberry and cream smelling shampoo that she still wore.

“Liz…” Max whispered and Liz lifted her head to meet his eyes. Liz gasped at the burning look in his eyes and her own body responded.

“Max…kiss me!” she whispered back, licking her lips and looking at his own firm beautiful mouth.

Max groaned and placing his hands on each side of her face, he lowered his lips to her waiting ones. God it had been two years since he’d kissed her and he hoped he didn’t devour her and scare her, he thought.

Liz sighed as Max’s mouth came over hers and she wrapped her arms tighter around his strong neck and just hung on as the magic of Max’s mouth made her weak.

At first Max’s lips were gentle as he nipped at her open lips with love pecks, but when Liz wrapped her arms tighter around him he slid his tongue into her moist waiting mouth and drank from her sweetness. Two years! How had he gone two years without kissing or tasting his Liz! Now that he had her back in his arms he couldn’t imagine ever being apart from her again! Max groaned as he felt her little tongue hesitantly search his out and slip into his mouth to taste him the way he was tasting her.

Now Max needed to steady his weak legs and he picked Liz up so as not to separate their kiss, and backed up until he was leaning against a ladder for added support.

They continued to devour each other between whimpers from Liz and growling from Max. Clinging to each other as if they would never let go.

When they finally came up for air their breathing deep and desperate, they smiled at each other and felt whole again.

“Max…I missed you so much.” Liz whispered with tears in her eyes.

“I missed you too my Liz. God it was torture without you. But I’m not leaving you again. And no one can separate us either. We were meant for each other in every way.” He smiled down at her, still overwhelmed by the idea that his Liz was also an alien.

“I have so many questions for Grandma Claudia.” Max smiled as he brushed the hair back from Liz’s face. Her soft, silky hair that clung to Max just like the rest of her did.

“She wanted to wait until you were back before she and the other aliens explained anything further. I have a lot of questions too, and I’m sure Michael does as well.” Liz said not able to stop touching Max. She ran her hands down his large arms and across his wide chest and then up his strong neck and around his head again to play with the little curl at the back that she loved.

Max couldn’t stop touching Liz either. He ran his hands down her arms and through her hair and gently caressed her face and neck with his thumbs.

Rubbing one thumb over her irresistible lips, he groaned and took them again.

When their lips separated once more, Max put his forehead against Liz’s and they both tried to catch their breath.

“We better get back. I have so many questions and want to know more about why this Khivar wants you.” Max sighed and held her tighter. Just thinking of an enemy wanting his Liz scared him.

“Do we have to go back. I don’t think I can ever look at anyone in the eyes again.” Liz whispered remembering everything that had been discussed last night and her face turned red again.

Max saw her blush and he too flushed remembering and then grinned. “We can’t hide from them all forever.” He said ruefully, although he wasn’t looking forward to the knowing eyes either. But he wanted to ease Liz’s embarrassment.

“It shouldn’t be anyone else’s business what our bodies want and need of each other.” Max sighed, and lifted Liz’s face gently to meet his eyes. “But I’m not ashamed of everyone knowing that it’s you I crave and need.” He whispered back meeting her eyes with his burning ones.

Liz smiled. When he said it that way it was hard not to be proud and excited that Max wanted her so much both physically and mentally. She hugged him tightly and nodded.

“You’re right. Let’s go.” She said with a sigh.

Max chuckled. “Yeah, if we take any longer I’m sure Isabel will come out here to get us. She too wants answers, as does Tess.” He smiled and taking her hand in his, Max led them back to the waiting group.

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

“So if you were to help protect the children, where were you when the other little alien was dying and we were hiding the pods?” Claudia asked the two men.

The group was sitting around the Parker’s living room trying to sort out all they could from the many questions they all had.

Max and Liz were sitting together on a large chair, holding hands and listening intently, while Michael leaned against a wall with his arms folded and Isabel and Tess sat with their parents on the couch.

Nancy brought in tea and sat in another chair while Jeff stood like Michael, impatiently waiting for all the answers.

Claudia leaned against the couch behind the Evans, and the two aliens were seated in kitchen chairs placed in the living room as they tried to answer all the questions they could.

“We weren’t on the ship that was carrying the children and that crashed. We found out after the children were sent that there was a traitor on board and we feared that they would try to sabotage the ship or kill the children. So we followed. But by the time we got here, the ship had crashed and your government had taken any of the survivors and were denying the whole thing. We never heard any talk of alien or human fetuses being found so we assumed they had either perished in the crash or someone had gotten them to safety and hid them. We searched on and off for years but couldn’t find them. But we knew that they were supposed to hatch in 1989 so we stayed around the large desert area near the crash hoping to find the children when they emerged. However, the only one we found was the young one you call Michael. He was wandering alone and couldn’t speak or understand us. We couldn’t keep him then and knew it would be safer if he was hidden where we were the only ones who knew about him so we doctored medical records for him and brought him to the local orphanage asking to be kept up with whatever happened to him. So we were always watching Michael, hoping he would lead us to the others.” Paul Davis explained.

“Who’s this Khivar? And what does he want with us, with Liz?” Max asked tightly. He was terrified that someone wanted to use Liz to get to him.

“In our race, there is a soul mate out there for everyone. And when the soul mates find each other, they become more powerful together. They complete each other. Zan and Elizabeth found each other very early on. Which pleased the king and queen since Zan would be able to one day rule with all of his power already in tact since he had his Elizabeth, his other half already beside him.” Ryan took over the explanations and after looking around at all the very fascinated and tense group, he continued.

“Khivar was the ruler of the third planet in our Galaxy. He was tired of living under Zan’s father’s ruling. He wanted to become King so he set out to overthrow King Helios. Khivar managed to kill our King at which time Zan became King. We tried to protect him with even higher security, knowing he was supposed to die with his father in the accident that killed King Helios.

King Zan ran the planet fairly and with the love of his Queen Elizabeth, our planet prospered and became even more powerful and rich with food, minerals and health.” Ryan smiled proudly at Max.

“It was then that Khivar realized what he needed to do to defeat King Zan.” Paul Davis added.

“Get to Zan’s other half? Elizabeth?” Tess asked biting her lip. She was totally engrossed in the story that the aliens were sharing with them, as were the others.

“Yes. They had a traitor in our midst, and she helped betray the Queen to Khivar.”