.......Tonight things weren't as I expected them to be. Me and all of my closest friends went to Sandie's house expecting, I don't know what we were expecting. We undoubtably got more than we could've hoped for. Turns out that Sandie is Michael's niece. Her mother, Alisha, is Michael's twin. No one had a clue, although looking back now there were a few clues, we just didn't catch them.

Alisha and her husband Robert answered many questions that have been worrying all of us. I am hoping that they will be able to answer many more.

We opted not to tell them all of our secrets. I wonder if it is because we have all become so secretive or if it's that we've been burned before, so we're all a little gun shy about it happening again. Which brings me to the fact that one of our secrets was almost blown.

It seems that Sandie over heard us talking about the house one day in the quad, and she asked us about it. To say the least; we were all a little shocked. I know I was, and I didn't know what to say. Thank goodness Alex didn't hesitate, he automatically came up with a cover story. It's sad, but I think it's become habit for us to lie. He told Sandie and her parents that it was a code. Alex and all of his computer hacking and spy stuff saved us tonight. He told them that when we said to meet at ‘the house' it meant for all of us to meet at the park inside of one of the racket ball courts.

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

Michael and Maria are sitting on Maria's front porch steps. Maria one step higher than Michael. She is massaging his Michael's shoulders. She can tell that he is really stressed out about the information he learned about his sisters life. His muscles are really tight and unyielding. She continues to massage his shoulders hopping that he will give in and try to relax at least a little. She hates seeing him so tense.

Michael can't help thinking about how his sister has had to live her life. From the outside he's sure it must have looked normal, but to Alisha it must have been difficult at best. The idea of enduring all of the tests that they put her through. Believing that she was the only survivor from the crash in 1947. He can't imagine what it must have been like for her. At least he always had Max and Isabel, and recently added Maria, Liz, Alex, and Kyle to his list of friends that knew about them and care about him. He even as a Niece that he calls friend. How blessed his life has turned out, even with Hank and all that he has put him through, Michael figures that he has still had it better than his sister.

He is feels badly about lying to them. Not that he did it himself, but he didn't deny the story Alex told them about the house. Michael wishes that they didn't have to stay away from his sister like he does, he wants to get to know his sister better, but he understood her's and Robert's need to keep their association low profiled. After all he's been keeping a low profile all of his life; it still didn't make it any easier.

Maria figures the only way to help Michael loosen up is to get him to talk about what he is feeling. However she knows that when he gets like this there in no use in forcing the issue. She hopes that by opening the door of conversation for him that he will walk through it, but if he doesn't she'll be there for him anyway. "Michael, how do you feel about finally knowing were your sister is and what her life has been like?"

Michael takes his eyes from the ground below and turns to face Maria. "I'm not sure how to feel. On one hand I am so angry that she had to deal with everything on her own, and for everything that she was put through, and one the other, I feel selfish, because I want the answers that she can give us about the changes that we are going through. When we first found out that I had a twin, I wouldn't allow myself to think....to think that maybe I really had a family out there, and now." Michael stand up and steps away from the step, he runs his fingers through his spiked hair. "And now I know that she's for real; I have to stay away from her.

Maria sees the pain emulating from Michael's eyes. She stand up moving toward him, and wraps her arms around him, holding him as closely as she can. "It will be okay, you'll see. In time you will have plenty of opportunities to visit Sandie's house, after all friends visit friends houses all of the time, and as for the rest, Alisha doesn't seem to harbor any bad feeling for her life. She seems to be really happy. You saw how Robert was with her tonight, and the looks that they shared." She feels that what she's about to say, Michael may or may not want to hear. She knows that he tends to look at the bad in a situation, but now he needs to see the good. "Michael try to understand, even though Alisha had to put up with everything they did to her, she still has had a good life. The Williams's did all that they could to protect her, and to see that her life was as normal as possible.

"I don't call a life of prodding and probing a normal life!" Michael can't believe that Maria could suggest that his sister's life was normal.

"Don't yell at me mister! I didn't say her life was normal, I said that they made it as normal as they could!" Maria takes a few breaths and tries not to let Michael's attitude become her own. She calms down enough to try this again. "We can't change the past Michael, and even though you may wish that you could have protected her. That she could have grown up with you, Max ,and Isabel, but even though she didn't she still found people that have loved her all of these years. And besides, if she had grown up with you she wouldn't have met Robert. You saw how those two were with each other, would you deprive her of his love just because you don't like the fact that they ran tests on her."

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

Isabel is laying on her stomach on top of her bed. She hears a knock on her door.

"Come in" Max enters and closes the door behind him. "What's up Max?"

Max looks a nervous about discussing his plan with Isabel, but he figures that the only way to convince Michael is if he has Isabel on his side first. "Isabel I think it's time to contact Topolski." Isabel sits up on her bed looking at Max. She has shock written all over her face. "Are you crazy Max? It finally looks like we might be have some kind of normal life again, and you want to bring Topolski back into our lives?"

"Hear me out Isabel. I've been thinking about this since you figured out what all those files were about." Max sits down beside Isabel on her bed. "The longer we wait to contact her, the greater the chances of her finding out on her own. We have to control the way she finds out about his disappearance." Isabel sits there shaking her head no. She doesn't want to have anything to do with bringing chaos back into their lives. "Do me a favor at least think about it. If Topolski finds out that Teomner is dead or even missing by other sources; do you think that she would believe us how it happened. If we contact her there's a better chance that she'd understand. We have the advantage this way, we know things about her, things that Teomner did to her. She's got to be glad that he's gone. "

"Max, I just don't think this it's a good idea. What your saying makes sense, I just don't want to screw things up. After what happened tonight, I was hoping for a normal life, at least one more normal. Why can't we just lay low for a while? We can deal with Topolski later."

"You know we can't do that. We have to deal with this now. We've already put it off too long. Besides we have those files, and she's going to want them. I was thinking that if we offer her a few of them in exchange for...."

Isabel abruptly cuts him off. "Exchange for what Max? Keeping quiet about something that she can't prove, something that wasn't our fault. Other than that what could she possible have that we would want."

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

Max and Liz are snuggling on a blanket surrounded by lush green grass slopes. They are watching white puffy clouds floating across a pale blue sky, as they enjoy a warm spring breeze.

Liz breaks the peaceful silence, when she quietly asks, "Max, I've been wondering about what Alisha and Robert told us. Do you think that once we're together, intimately I mean, do you think that we'll be able to sense each other the way they do?"

Max continues to watch the clouds rolling by. Taking a moment to contemplate Liz's question.

Liz shift to her knees, leaving Max's warm embrace. She watches his face as he watches the clouds. She can tell that he is deep though, and waits patiently, wondering what his answer will be.

Max meets Liz's intense stare, with one of pure love. "I don't know what will happen. I can only tell you that it's hard for me to imagine us being any closer, or me loving you anymore than I already do. If by somehow making love to you strengthens our bond.... it seems unfathomable." Max pauses, he can't imagine feeling closer to Liz than he already does emotionally. Physically is an other story, it's been something that he's given a lot of thought to every since the night they lured out Teomner, the effect that night has had on him has been one that he can't and doesn't want to deny. "Liz, even if nothing like that happens, I wouldn't care. I can't stop thinking about how it felt to touch you, to hold you. The real you, not the dream you. The dreams help, but it's like going half way and stopping. I want all of you, the real you so badly that at times I can't think of anything else." Max pulls Liz on top of him as he lays back on the blanket. He leaves at trail of open mouth kisses down the side of her neck, to her collar bone.

Feeling swept away in Max's and her own passion, Liz struggles to tell him her own thoughts. Between their heated kisses she manages to say, "Me too.. I don't think.... I can wait.. anymore."

Max pulls back and stares at Liz, looking for a sign that she means what she just said.

Liz, unsure of why he stopped, attempts to resolve any doubts that Max may be still feeling. "Max it's okay for us to do this, really."

When the realization of her words finally hit him, he pulls his shirt over his head, and then helps Liz do the same. He raps her back into his arms in a tight loving embrace. They both resume the hungry devouring kisses, and they freely allow their hands to roam and caress each other. Before they realize it they are both completely disrobed. Max stopping caressing the body of the woman that he loves, and looks intensely into her eyes and asks with sincerity, "Are you sure?"

Liz loves that even now he would stop to ask her; to make sure that this is truly what she wants. Yet she wonders how he could have any doubts. "Max you are the only man I have, or ever will love. I have no doubts."

When they wake in the morning they both sit up in their prospective beds, and say, "It was just another dream. Whoa! What a dream! It will happen soon, very, very soon."

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

That same morning Max and Isabel are on their way to pick up Alex, and then Liz for a trip out to the house. They realize that they're being followed. Isabel pulls her cell phone from her bag and dials Alex's number, which she knows by heart.

"Hello?"

"Hello Alex, it's me." They have long since been able to recognize each others voice over the phone. They have now spent many nights falling asleep talking.

"What's up beautiful?"

"Bad news, it looks like Max and I have a tail this morning, so we're going to head to the Crashdown. Can you let the others know to hang tight? We don't want to risk anyone heading out to the house.

"Your wish is my demand! I'll meet you at the Crashdown when I'm done."

She hangs up her phone and turns her attention back to Max. "He said that he'd take care of it. So now want do we do?"

"I wish I knew."

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

Max and Isabel pull up to the Crashdown. Liz is waiting for them at the door. She starts to step out when she sees both Max and Isabel get out of the Jeep and head toward her. "What's up Max?" He reaches out wrapping his arm around her shoulders, and leads her back inside.

"It looks like we're being tailed. We can't take the chance that someone will follow us." Liz acknowledges that he's right.

Max glances out the window as he sits down in a booth. Liz sits down beside him and Isabel sits across the table.

"Do you think that it's the FBI? Liz looks out the window trying to be casual. "Or do you think that this could have to do with Alisha and Sandie?"

"What you think they told someone about us?" Isabel asks frantically.

"No, I didn't say that." Liz worries that's exactly what's happened, but doesn't want Isabel to overreact. They need to stay calm, and Isabel isn't sounding to calm at the moment.

"Then what did you mean?" Isabel asks sounding like she's about to take the head off of the first person that approaches her.

Liz reaches out and takes Isabel's hand in her own and tries to comfort her. "I'm not sure what I meant, Okay. Isabel we have to stay calm. If we panic then they will have us, whoever they are." Suddenly the thought of the others rushes into Liz's mind. "What about the others, what if..."

"No, it's okay" Max injected, "We already took care of that. Alex is calling everyone and telling them to lay low." Max wraps his right arm back around Liz squeezes her towards him and kiss the top of her head. "Liz, Isabel I know you ran every test you could think of last week, but do you think that the lab found something that you didn't?"

"No, Max, I received a call about my results from that test during the week, so did Maria. They both came back normal."

Isabel who is still feeling panicked proposes, "At least they told you they came back normal. How can you be so sure. They may have fond something and just kept it from you."

"Hello Max, Liz, and the love of my life." Alex says as he sits down and wraps his arm around Isabel. Alex, startled them all, they didn't hear him come in, because they where so involved in their conversation. "What, what, why are you looking at me that why?"

"Gosh Alex, you just freaked us all out that's all."

"Sorry Isabel, I didn't realize that you were so jumpy."

Max decides that talking about the lab result isn't going to get them anywhere. He knows that Isabel wasn't convinced last night about telling Topolski, but figures that she's had time to think about it. He's worried that it maybe too late. Topolski may already suspect that something has happened. That their tail maybe her people. "Isabel, I still thing that we should contact Topolski. These could be her people, and if she's come back to find out what happened to Teomner; she's not going to give up unless we explain this to her. If these aren't her people, maybe we could trade a few of the files in exchange for information from her about who they are and what they want."

"It sounds like a good idea, I could contact her e-mail address and let her know that we want to talk to her. I could set up a meeting, somewhere that wouldn't draw attention." Offers Alex. He has also been thinking about contacting Topolski. However, he has a few other things that he would like to trade files for. He figures he'll bring those up the next time they are all together.

"Alex! Isabel says in shock. She can't believe that Alex would agree with Max. She looks from Alex to Max. "I already told you Max, I don't think that it's a good idea."

"Sorry Isabel, but I have to agree with Max and Alex." Chimes in Liz "If these are her people we have to know that, and if their not, we need to find out who they are."

Max is relieved that Liz and Alex agree with him on this, he's hoping that the others will agree as well. He is still hopeful that Isabel comes around. "We still have to talk to the others before we do anything. I suggest that we all meet somewhere today."

Looking directly at Max, Liz asks, "Where should we meet?"

"What about the park?" Suggest Alex "After all that is where we told Sandie that we meet, and it would add some authenticity to our story about ‘the house' being a code."

Even though Isabel went along with the lie last night, she isn't convinced that it was necessary "Speaking of that, did you really think that it's necessary to lie to Sandie and her parents?"

Alex understands Isabel's need to believe that Alisha, Sandie, and Robert are being honest with them, but he's not ready to be so trusting. "I don't know if it's necessary or not Issy. I just know that for now I don't want to risk it. We've been burned before, you haven't forgotten how we were all taken in by Teomner. I just don't want a repeat."

"What do you three think about Kyle to tell his father that someone is following him?" Liz realizes that they don't want the sheriff involved in this. They don't want to give him any reason to increase his observation of them. "I know that we don't want Valenti on our case, it just I'm sure that he's not going to like the idea that someone has his son under observation regardless of who they are."

"First we have to find out if Kyle is being followed as well." Max turns to face Alex. "Alex were you followed?"

"I didn't see anybody."

"That's good, at least one of us seems to be clear."

"Maybe, just because I didn't see anyone doesn't mean that they weren't there, and what about Liz? She hasn't left, how can you be sure about her?

"She's being watched. When we pulled in I saw a someone moving in the alley across the street, and he's still over there." Max informs them all. He feels Liz tense under his arm. "It will be find. You just don't go anywhere alone."

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

This alternative meeting place was coming in handy, now that they were being followed, and felt it necessary to include Sandie. They agreed to meet at 11:00, and to arrive two by two, and also leave the same way. Between Kyle the original six; it was agreed that Kyle and Sandie would be the first to leave. That way the others would be able to stay and talk about things they didn't want her or her family to know about.

Kyle agreed under the condition that they didn't forget to fill him in on whatever was discussed after he left. He reminded them of the last time they forgot to call him, and warned them not to let that happen again.

At 11:00 Max and Liz walk into the first racket ball court on the South side. Shortly followed by Kyle and Sandie, Michael and Maria, and last Alex and Isabel.

During their meeting, Sandie agrees to fill her father and mother in on the fact that they are all being followed, and that they plan to lay low for a while. She is also going to ask her father to find out what he can. She's not as worried as the others, she suspects that it's people from the Department of Defense checking out her new friends. They often followed her when she moves to a new place. However, they've never followed her friends before, but that is because she never really had any.

They all agree that it's best if Kyle lets his father figure it out that Kyle's being followed. If they told the Sheriff it might give him more cause to be curious as to why someone else is interested in them, and the last thing they want is to give Sheriff Valenti another reason to start following Max, Michael, and Isabel around. They also figured that the Sheriff would more than likely realize what is going on by himself. They've known that he checks on them occasionally, that's why they were watching for him this morning. Thank goodness they were or they wouldn't have noticed the other car. It could have been a real disaster if they hadn't.

After Kyle and Sandie leave Max, Liz, and Alex purpose their plan to contact Topolski. Max is elated that they all agree and it shows in his voice. "So we all agree that contacting Topolski is the right thing to do?"

Isabel still has doubts about this. However, she has realized that if Topolski finds out about Teomner on her own it could be even a bigger problem than if they told her themselves.

Michael wasn't happy about the whole idea, but after being followed around all day he's willing to do what it takes to verify if these are FBI or someone else. He wants to know who his enemies are, and by contacting Topolski he's hoping to find that out. "I'm not convinced that its the right thing, but it's definitely something we have to try Maxwell."

"I have a suggestion of something else that we need to ask Topolski for." Announced Alex, "The house. We could have her agree to transfer the land into one of our names, or better yet an alias. That way if we ever had to have some place to hide we wouldn't have to go far. We wouldn't have to worry about slipping through road blocks, or staying in hotels at the risk of being spotted."

"Your suggesting that we keep the house as hideout?" Michael asks while shaking his head in approval.

"Yeah, can you think of any place better than one that no one even knows exists, and it has everything we need." Alex is sure that he's got everyone thinking about it. All he has to do is clench it. "Come on everyone it's been cool to have a place to go that no one knew about. Granted we haven't been able to get out there a lot, and when we do we're really busy, but it's relaxing. Where would Liz and Maria have been able to run all those test that they did if we didn't have the lab, and if we give up the house we'll never discover all of it's secrets."

But there always has to be a sceptic or at least someone to play devils advocate, today it is Max, "It doesn't have enough food to last us for a long time, and since everyone around Roswell knows or will know our faces, we won't be able run out to the store when ever we want."

"No what it's a great idea." Liz suggests, "All we have to do is build up a stock pile. Food storage of sorts. Enough food so that we wouldn't have to come out of hiding for a few months. Max agrees, "That this could work, Alex, Isabel do you two want to work out the details?"

"Sounds like a great idea Alex." Announces Isabel, "Does everyone agree to request the house as part of the deal." Everyone agrees. "Lets do it!"

"There is one other thing that we need to take care of." Suggests Maria, "Now that this place is being referred to as ‘the house' thanks to some quick thinking by Alex."

Alex stands and takes a few bows. Everyone cheers while laughing lightly.

Maria continues once things settle back down. "We need to come up with something to call Teomner's house. I suggest something that could mean a lot of things. How does ‘the View" sound?"