The Temple of Inscriptions was located here and it was well known for its hieroglyphic tablets. Perhaps, this was what the Evans' grandmother had been referring to, although she had been quite specific about a cave. Well, at least they had somewhere to begin. Luckily for them, this was the best preserved of all the ancient Mayan cities, so their chances of finding something useful, were greatly increased.

Their next step was to do a more detailed internet search on this particular area. They spent the next two hours combing through files, looking for anything of value. They were specifically searching for any mention of caves in the immediate vicinity of the ruins, and had just about given up hope of finding any, when Kyle spoke up excitedly.

"Alex, wait, go back a second! Do you see that paragraph up here......look, doesn't that mention some kind of grotto or something? Yeah, look, the El Diablo Grotto.........isn't a grotto like a cave? he asked.

Alex nodded his head hesitantly. "Yeah, I think so. Yeah, this could be something..........what do they say about it? he returned excitedly.

"Hmmm, let me see..........Oh yeah......it says...."The El Diablo Grotto was discovered in 1952 by a group of young archeologists,on a field trip, from the University of Albuquerque, New Mexico"..............." New Mexico, Alex!" ............... "It had been well hidden over the centuries, since the entrance had collapsed, and was stumbled on by accident when one of the students,who was digging in the area, drove a shovel into the softer earth. This find proved to be a significant one, for the cave walls appeared to bear ancient inscriptions resembling those found on the temple walls at Palenque. However, those found in the cave pre-dated the temple drawings by at least 1000 years!" .........."Omigod"............."Which is significant proof that the Mayan culture existed in the Yucatan much earlier than the previously thought date of 2000 b.c. or that another culture similar to the Mayan had occupied this region as far back as 3000 b.c.!"

"Alex, this has got to be important, man!" He jumped around Alex's bedroom as Alex watched in amusement, smiling along with him."Wait 'till we tell the guys! Woohoo!"

"Alright, Kyle, calm down! We've just scratched the surface, I'm pretty sure, so let's just get on with the search, okay, and celebrate later."

"You know, Alex, you sure can take the fun out of research," Kyle shook his head in disappointment.

Alex frowned his way and returned to the computer screen to continue the search, hoping that some other relevant information would turn up.

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Liz woke up around 11:00 a.m. and stretched luxuriously, smiling at the memories of the previous evening. Max was the most generous lover............and an animal! Who would have thought that someone as quiet and unassuming as Max Evans could be so wildly amorous?! She chuckled as she remembered how they had worn each other out. They'd made love at least a dozen times since Sunday afternoon and it was only Wednesday morning! Could things get any better?

She got up and headed for the shower, since her shift started in an hour, and she wanted to get something to eat before she started work. She turned on the water and climbed in under the hot spray, moaning in delight as the cascade massaged her tired muscles. After soaping up all over and rinsing, she washed her chocolate brown locks. She dried off quickly, and dressed in a clean uniform, before drying her hair.

As she went into the kitchen in search of something quick to eat, the phone rang. It was Max.

"Hello," she said.

"Hi gorgeous," he whispered seductively. "How's my girl this morning? Any stinging bottom?" he asked concernedly.

Mmmm, no.........I just got out of the shower, and didn't feel a thing," she replied coyly.

Max groaned at the image. "You've done it again, Parker! I know you're doing it on purpose!"

"Max, darling, you're the one who brought it up! You only have yourself to blame, so deal with it!"

"Tonight, Liz," he warned. "You'll be begging for mercy.......I promise," he growled low into the phone.

"Promises, promises.................I'm counting on it," she teased.

"Later, Liz. See you at five?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, hon, but I promised Maria I'd go shopping for some school things. I'll see you after work, okay?"

"Okay," he sighed resignedly. "See you at 8:00 then. Love you, Bye."

"Love you, too. Bye!" and she hung up as her mom walked in.

"Hi , Mom."

"Good Morning, sweetie. Sleep okay?"

"Uh huh," she nodded. "Why do you ask?"

"Oh, you seemed to be moaning in your sleep. I thought you might have had a bad dream."

"N..no," Liz stammered, as she turned away blushing. "I don't remember having a nightmare."

"Oh, well, nothing to worry about then, I guess," she smiled back at her daughter. "You'd better eat something before you start your shift."

"Yeah, Mom, I was just about to fix myself a sandwich," as she turned back to her food preparations.

"Okay, then, I'll see you later," and she gave her a quick hug as she left the kitchen.

Liz ate her sandwich, washing it down with a glass of milk. The milk tasted a little funny, so she checked the date on the carton. It hadn't expired, so she shook her head in puzzlement, rinsed her dishes, and headed down to the cafe.

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Maria had started the 8:00 a.m. shift, and was just taking her lunch break when Liz showed up. They didn't get much of a chance to talk, since the busy lunch hour had just kicked in, and Liz moved swiftly around the diner, serving customers with smooth efficiency. Michael was working in the kitchen, valiantly flipping burgers to keep up with the orders At 1:30, Kyle and Alex walked in and sat at the counter, barely able to contain their excitement.

Things had quietened down considerably, so both Liz and Maria were able to join them in conversation as they eagerly discussed their findings. Michael leaned over the order counter to catch what was being said. All three listened with wide eyes, as Kyle described the cave inscriptions.

"Kyle, that is so fascinating," Liz enthused. "It has to be important!"

"That's what I said, but Mr. Partypooper over here said not to get too excited," he said as he rolled his eyes at Alex.

Maria swatted Alex on the arm. "Hey, what's wrong with you, Alex. This could be what we're looking for!"

"Ouch.........sensitive flesh here, Maria," he whined. "Look, all I said was that we have a lot more looking to do before we jump to any conclusions."

"Well, it's still a start, Alex," Liz replied encouragingly. I can't wait to tell the rest of the guys!"

Michael nodded his head in approval. "Yeah, this could be it!"

Kyle and Alex ordered some drinks and burgers, while the girls busied themselves with the few customers that walked in. The afternoon wore on, until their shifts finished at 4:00. They hurriedly ran upstairs to Liz's bedroom to change into their street clothes before hitting the stores. They called out to Liz's mom as she prepared the evening meal in the kitchen.

"Goodbye, Mom. I'll be back at 6:00!

"Bye Mrs. Parker," Maria called.

"Bye, girls. I'll see you later. Have fun!"

They skipped down the stairs and out the back door into the alley, where Maria had parked the Jetta. They drove to the mall and hopped out of the car to do some serious shopping. Maria was determined to buy some really interesting clothes for the upcoming school year, and Liz was their to offer her encouragement. She had already bought some outlandish outfits on her trip to Albuquerque this past weekend with Isabel, but she had seen this one top in the Roswell mall that she just had to have.

As they strolled through the stores, they bumped into Tess and Isabel, who were on a similar mission. They gave them a quick rundown on what Alex and Kyle had found, and both girls agreed that it sounded hopeful.

"Wait "till Max hears this!" Isabel crowed. "He'll flip."

"I know, I know," Liz agreed gleefully. "I'm so excited."

Tess turned to Isabel," We should check on what the guys have done. They could probably use some help in sorting through the pile of stuff they've collected."

Isabel agreed. "Okay, let's go over to Alex's right now to see what we can do. See you guys later," she waved as she and Tess left for the Whitman's.

Maria and Liz returned to their shopping and after a while, decided to have a cone. They sat down in the food court with their packages, as they licked their ice cream.

"Eeeww," Liz exclaimed, as she tasted her treat. "This tastes awful, Maria!"

"What are you talking about, Liz? Mine tastes fine!"

"Here, taste it. It makes me gag. Ugh!"

Maria obliged her and shook her head. "There's nothing wrong with this, Chica. You must be imagining things. Here, try mine," she offered.

Liz licked Maria's cone and screwed up her nose.

"Nope, that one tastes just as bad. Maybe I'm getting a cold, or something. You know, my milk tasted off today, too!" she added.

"Well, I wouldn't worry about it, Liz. It probably is a cold. Do you want to get something else?"

"No thanks, that's okay. Mom will have dinner ready soon, so I'll just wait. We should get going."

They left the mall for the Parker's. Maria dropped her off in the alley as she headed home for her evening meal.

"Call me, Liz, so we can make plans to meet with the guys."

"Okay," she replied as she ran up the stairs to her apartment.

She just had time to wash her hands before her mother called her and her dad to the table. They ate a leisurely meal, idly chatting about the days events. Liz had no more problems with her meal, as she sighed inwardly with relief. She helped her mom wash up and then went to her room to freshen up for her evening with her friends.........and Max! She missed him so much......only one more hour!

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Max had freshened up, too, in anticipation of his evening with Liz. She was always on his mind, which made it extremely difficult to concentrate on his work, especially since Brody had left him in charge. He would be relieved when he got back, so he'd be free to daydream about Liz a little more. Max took his job seriously and he worked hard, but sometimes he liked to let his mind wander to more pleasurable past-times.

The final hour before closing seemed to drag on and he watched the clock with loathing as the minutes slowly ticked by. Finally, the hour hand reached 8:00 p.m. and he sighed pleasureably. He locked up the U.F.O. Centre and strode quickly over to the Parkers'. He rang the bell and smiled as he heard the sound of Liz's feet skipping over the stairs in haste.

The door flung open and she stood their with flushed cheeks, as he grabbed her eagerly in a tight embrace, raining kisses over her face and neck. She chuckled deeply as she let him caress her with abandon, arms wrapped securely around his neck.

"OOh, I missed you sooo much today," he sighed into her neck as he nuzzled her with his nose.

"I missed you, too," she whispered passionately as her hot breath tickled his ear.

He moved his mouth along her jaw until he reached her lips and kissed her deeply and lovingly.

"Too long to be apart," he muttered with his lips still touching hers. "Must have more Liz time from now on............can't survive any other way!"

"Me too," she agreed. Mmmm, you feel sooo good," she sighed, as she swayed in his arms. "Hold me forever!"

"Gladly," he growled, as he nipped her ear.

"Liz, sweetie, is that Max?" her mother called down.

"Yes, Mom," Liz answered.

"Oh, well, Alex just called looking for you guys, and he asked if you'd return the call as soon as possible."

"Okay, thanks Mom.........Oh Max, I forgot to tell you the great news! Kyle and Alex found some really interesting information on line today," and she proceeded to tell him all about the Grotto.

Max listened raptly as he took it all in, eyes holding steadily to Liz's as she retold the tale. He rubbed his hand across his mouth as he tried to process this new evidence.

"We have to find out more, Liz," he replied excitedly.

"I know, hon, and we will. Remember, this is just Day 1 of our search. But what a great start, hey?"

"Oh god, Liz. I can't believe our luck. I hope it holds out!"

"Ever the optomist," she joked as she rolled her eyes. "'C'mon, let's give Alex a call and see what he wants," as she grabbed Max by the hand to lead him upstairs.

She made the phone call and soon found out that they were to meet at Michael's at 9:00. That left them some time, so they sat in the living room to chat with Mrs. Parker to pass the time. Both Liz's parents had warmed to Max, in spite of their initial reaction to him. It had taken them a while to get over the desert incident, but gradually, they came to see him as an honest and sincere young man, and were delighted that he and Liz were seeing each other.