Marcus's threats had never come to fruition. From what little he understood of the events surrounding Liz, the van bringing her to the facility had been intercepted. By who-or what-Max didn't know. He could only pray that wherever she was, she was free from harm. In truth, he didn't even really know if Liz was alive. But he felt certain that if she died he would know it. He would feel it in the place inside himself where Liz was a part of his soul.

Michael, meanwhile, had given up on dreamwalking. Instead of insisting that he was a ghost, Maria now blocked him entirely. Alex and Liz seemed to be lost causes as well, and Max couldn't dreamwalk. At least, he had never been successful at it.

He closed his eyes and tried to sleep. It had always been difficult, with the noises of medical personnel moving through the halls in the night and Isabel's occasional vomiting in the next cell over. But two days ago, when it was clear that Isabel was about to miscarry at six months into her pregnancy, they had taken her away.

Max shuddered and turned over, finally drifting into oblivion. "Hello, Max. Long time no see."

Max whirled around. Liz stood alongside a riverbank, the sun setting behind her. She wasn't pregnant; in fact, she looked just as she had before any of the events that so changed their lives had begun. Her long brown hair swished around her face in a gentle breeze. She wore an ankle-length flowered skirt and a flowing blouse.

"Is this a dream?" Max asked shakily.

She gazed at him calmly, her face revealing no emotion. "Maybe. Maybe not."

"But I thought...I thought you were pregnant," he said, totally confused.

Finally her face crumpled. "Why? Would you care? After all, you left me in the middle of the night! Was this how you wanted me?"

"Liz...I didn't know. I had no idea! I thought that it was best for you!"

She glared at him, her features showing a level of hate that Max would have thought impossible coming from her. "Well, you were wrong, Max. And you have no idea how wrong you were."

Max hesitated and approached her slowly. "Liz, I can't pretend that I know what you've gone through. And I can't ask you to forget what happened. I can only ask you to forgive me."

"Why should I?"

Max tried to hold back tears. "Because I love you, Liz. I want you, and I want this baby. I want us to be a family, together." He stepped up to her and she clung to him, tears running down her face.

"I don't know if I can forgive you, Max. But I can try."

He lifted her chin to look at her face. "Is this the real you, Liz? Or are you only a part of my dreams?" Liz shook her head slowly. "I'm real, as far as I know."

"In that case-" Max kissed her firmly on the lips, delighting in the familiar taste of her after all these months. She moaned lightly and kissed him in return, twining her hands in his hair.

They fell to the ground together, Max landing gently on top of Liz. He pushed her into the soft riverbank as she reached for the button of his jeans. He pulled her long skirt down and away. They didn't bother with their shirts. The need for each other was too urgent, unfulfilled for so long. He found her entrance and pushed inside her. Liz let out a gasp and wrapped her legs around him.

"Max..." seemed to be the only word she could manage. The feeling of him inside her was almost too much to bear. He thrust in and out of her and she luxuriated in the delicious sensations. She could feel him reaching his peak. He reached down and touched her where she needed it most, and the came simultaneously, Liz screaming and Max groaning. She felt him explode inside her.

For a few minutes they lay intertwined, totally exhausted. Liz felt Max's heart beating against hers. Finally, and much to her regret, he rolled off her.

"Max, will I ever see you again?" she asked, touching his face.

He stroked her arms and sighed regretfully. "Liz, don't try to find me. It's too dangerous for you and our baby."

Her lower lip trembled. "Max, I can't let them have you. And what about Izzy and Michael?"

He shrugged and sat up, pulling her with him. "No, Liz. Don't come after me. I thought my plan was absolutely foolproof, and they got me anyway. I can't let them hurt you. I've hurt you enough already."

"But, Max...won't you even tell me where you are?"

"No, Liz. I love you too much to let you do that."

Liz was crying again. "Max..."

"Sshhhh," he whispered, and kissed her. Max woke up abruptly. He could clearly remember the dream he'd just had and he could have sworn that he could still taste Liz on his lips. The dream had been so real...it was almost like when Isabel had dreamwalked into one of his dreams. But it made no sense! He couldn't dreamwalk!

****

Liz awoke with a start, sweating and aroused. Her sheets and nightgown were soaked through. "Jesus," she muttered. "That was realistic." Had Max come to her in her dreams? Could he even dreamwalk like Isabel? She didn't know. If he could, why hadn't he done it before now? He could have told them where he was. They could have rescued him! And the Max in her dream didn't even want to be rescued. Liz shook her head and got up to change into one of the new pieces of clothing Alex had brought her.

****

Max looked up as the door opened to his cell. "Come on," said the guard.

"Why should I?" Max retorted.

"Because if you don't, I'll drag your sorry little ass all the way down the hall."

Max reluctantly left the cell he had called "home" for five months. He looked down the hall and saw Michael being carried bodily by three guards.

"Where the hell are we going?" Michael demanded.

The guards ignored his questions entirely.

"Where is Isabel?" Max asked.

"She's around," one of the guards replied tersely.

"How is she? How is the baby?" Michael asked.

"You'll find out soon enough."

****

Alex slept restlessly, his dreams interrupted by screams of pain and calls for help. In his dream, Isabel was giving birth. Only something was wrong; there shouldn't be this much blood. And Isabel wasn't pregnant...

Isabel sat upright from the bed and screamed his name, reaching out for him. "Alex!"